- 4 months ago
News news news about the train station to get the world
Category
🦄
CreativityTranscript
00:00Tonight on ABC News Live Prime, a decision in the case of the Menendez brothers.
00:08The Menendez brothers pleading for parole after more than three decades in prison.
00:13Matt Gutman is in San Diego where the brothers are being held.
00:16Bracing for Hurricane Aaron, this sprawling storm batters the East Coast,
00:21bringing dangerous riptides and 20-foot waves.
00:24Roads washed out, cars stuck in the sand and beaches closed.
00:29Going into one of the last weekends of summer.
00:32We look at where the weather is going next.
00:34President Trump saying he'll lead the charge to eliminate mail-in ballots,
00:39contradicting last year's efforts by his own party to encourage the use of mail-in and early voting.
00:45How does he plan to push this through and what would it mean for voters?
00:51From ABC News World Headquarters in New York, this is Prime with Lindsey Davis.
00:59Good evening, everyone. I'm Juju Chang in for Lindsey Davis.
01:01Thanks so much for streaming with us.
01:03We begin with a landmark day for the Menendez brothers.
01:06More than 35 years after murdering their parents in their Beverly Hills home,
01:11Lyle and Eric Menendez are getting their first chance at parole.
01:14Eric Menendez appearing before California's parole board today,
01:18pleading his case for why he should be released.
01:21His brother Lyle will have his turn tomorrow.
01:23And we are following Hurricane Aaron, that Category 2 storm tearing along the East Coast,
01:29bringing life-threatening rip currents.
01:31And wind gusts up to 100 miles an hour.
01:34What officials are saying about when the danger is expected to end.
01:38But first, in that historic case, here's ABC's chief national correspondent, Matt Gutman,
01:42outside the prison tonight.
01:44Hey, Matt.
01:44Hey, Juju, I want to give you a state of play right now.
01:48There are expected to be 18 Menendez family members who will speak on the brothers' behalf.
01:53And this has so far been a marathon session, taking well more than twice as long as most of these hearings.
01:59And from the get-go, the Menendez legal team has been concerned that his cell phone infractions,
02:05there have been multiple of them, will overshadow his decades of rehabilitation
02:09and almost unblemished conduct in that prison.
02:15Tonight, a California parole board is deciding the fate of Eric Menendez,
02:1936 years and a day after he and his brother Lyle shotgunned their parents to death in their Beverly Hills home.
02:25The now 54-year-old appearing via video link from this San Diego prison,
02:30making his case directly to the board,
02:31which must now decide whether his release poses an unreasonable risk of danger to society
02:36if released from prison.
02:38Just months ago, Eric told the judge that his actions during the murders were
02:41criminal, selfish, and cowardly.
02:44He offered no excuses, saying,
02:46I fired all five rounds at my parents and went to reload.
02:50Eric and Lyle have always claimed that they were sexually abused by their father.
02:54My dad had been molesting me.
02:57And they claim they killed their parents because they feared for their lives
03:01when Eric threatened to expose the secret of their abuse.
03:05Their case dramatized in that Netflix series, Monsters.
03:08This is done. This is done. You understand?
03:12The Menendez family, voices for both the brothers and the victims,
03:16gets the final word today before the parole board.
03:19About a dozen family members expected to speak on the brothers' behalf.
03:22We spoke to them in April.
03:24They are truly, deeply sorry for what they did.
03:28They are filled with remorse over what they did.
03:30The family's matriarch, Kitty's sister, Joan, and Jose's sister, Terry,
03:35say they've suffered long enough.
03:37You've held your silence for 35 years?
03:39It's a whole branch of my family erased.
03:44The ones that are gone and the ones that are still paying for it,
03:50which were kids.
03:51The family tells ABC News tonight that the brothers have taken full accountability,
03:55saying they have built a meaningful life defined by purpose and service.
03:59Now, Matt, we're still obviously waiting for a decision to come down.
04:05What exactly is the parole board weighing in on here?
04:08I mean, it's a good question.
04:10I think primarily their major issue is whether the brothers,
04:13and specifically in this case today, Eric, tomorrow, Lyle,
04:15would pose an unreasonable risk to the public if they are released.
04:19And so that's why they are very likely to focus on the issues of criminality and insight.
04:24Does Eric understand what he did wrong in those infractions, especially cell phones infractions?
04:29He's likely going to ask him,
04:30did you understand that that was essentially a criminal act you're committing?
04:33And would you do that on the outside as well?
04:36So pretty major issues.
04:38But on the whole, it should be noted that there's been almost no violence in either of the brothers' record.
04:43Eric had one violent act apparently over 20 years ago, Juju.
04:47So let's say that Eric does get parole.
04:50We know he doesn't walk out the gate right away.
04:53What happens next, Matt?
04:55No, not quite.
04:56It'll go to a larger board.
04:58Basically, the chief of the California Board of Parole would get to weigh in.
05:01He would have five months to weigh this case.
05:03And remember, this is extremely voluminous.
05:06We're talking about many thousands of pages of case documents here.
05:09He would go through that, and then it would be up to Gavin Newsom,
05:12who would have 30 days to weigh in.
05:14And so at a minimum, it would be about six months before either of the brothers would be released
05:19if they are granted parole.
05:21And of course, the governor could decide at any moment to overturn it and deny the parole,
05:25or if he chooses, to grant the brothers' clemency.
05:28Juju.
05:29So many ifs in these twists and turns.
05:31Matt Gutman, we know you'll keep an eye on it.
05:33Thanks.
05:33So let's bring in attorney and ABC News contributor Bernarda Villalona.
05:38We know that today's hearing lasted hours longer, twice as long, he said, than expected.
05:43Catch us up on what could be next for Eric Menendez.
05:47Yeah, so today is a very important hearing.
05:49You have to think that this is the first time ever that Eric Menendez even has the chance
05:53of appearing before a parole hearing, because you have to think that they were granted originally
05:58life without the possibility of parole.
06:00So this parole board has a very heavy decision to make, because how is it do you calculate
06:06whether a person poses an unreasonable risk of danger to the community?
06:11There's no scientific measure of doing that.
06:14However, a risk assessment was done on both of the brothers, and that risk assessment that
06:20was done determined that both of the brothers present a moderate risk, an unreasonable risk
06:25of harm to others if they were to be released.
06:28There's low, there's medium, there's high.
06:30And they presented a moderate one.
06:31So I think the parole board is going to weigh heavily on that and also Governor Newsom, because
06:36remember, months prior, Governor Newsom wanted that risk, that evaluation to be done on these
06:42two brothers.
06:43And so what are the implications?
06:44Because we know they were looking at infractions.
06:46What's the criteria that the parole board is looking at?
06:49Yeah, so you got to think, when you're talking about infractions, you're talking about these
06:53brothers possibly breaking the rules inside of the jail, inside of the state prison, and
06:58these rules have to be followed.
07:00And one of the major infractions that Eric Menendez had is that he had a contraband with
07:06him.
07:06He had a cell phone.
07:07He could have been charged criminally with that.
07:09So that's a huge issue, because when the parole board is looking to see, will you commit a crime
07:14if you were to release you?
07:17Hey, you can't even follow the rules inside of the prison.
07:20So why should we take a chance and allow you to be released into the public?
07:24And yet, many are commenting that this is a pretty common infraction.
07:28What do we know about their behavior writ large while being incarcerated for all these
07:33decades?
07:34So it's important to remember, Juju, that when they were sentenced to life without the
07:39possibility of parole, they saw no end in sight.
07:42So even knowing that they were going to die in prison, they still took actions in terms
07:48of bettering themselves, in terms of education, in terms of service within the prison, in terms
07:54of helping other inmates inside of the prison.
07:56In fact, some of the correction officers have even spoken up on their behalf.
08:01And all of that does also play a role in the determination by this parole board to see,
08:07have they changed?
08:08Have they become a new person?
08:10Are they rehabilitated in the sense that they've served their time and they deserve to be released
08:15into the public?
08:16The so-called good behavior evaluation, exactly.
08:19So let's switch gears back to the Sean Diddy Combs trial, which we know you covered every
08:24inch of, right?
08:25And we know that he's due to be sentenced on October 3rd, right?
08:29And yet after he was convicted of those two charges related to prostitution, Combs is asked
08:34to be either acquitted or granted a new trial.
08:38What do you make of that?
08:39Oh, that's a very common motion.
08:40There's nothing out of the ordinary.
08:41In fact, in every case, pretty much 99% of cases, even if a person is convicted of the
08:48lesser of included offenses, meaning the lesser charge, the defense attorney still file a
08:53motion to have the verdict overturned or to be set aside or for a new trial to be granted.
08:59So it's fairly common, highly unlikely in this case that it would be granted because there
09:04was enormous evidence of Mr. Combs engaging in soliciting prostitutes and bringing them
09:11across state lines.
09:12There were hotel records, payment records.
09:14There were text messages and testimony from Jane, as well as from Cassie.
09:18Once again, a common ruling.
09:21Bernardo Villalona, thank you, as always, for your insights.
09:24We're going to turn now to that Texas-sized showdown over redistricting, which is reaching
09:29its conclusion.
09:30Republicans there are set to officially redraw the maps, putting five more congressional seats
09:35in play.
09:36Now other states like California are trying to follow suit.
09:39California just officially put the issue of redistricting back on the ballot there this
09:44fall.
09:44So what comes next in this redistricting tit for tat?
09:47Political director Avery Harper is here with more.
09:50Hey, Avery.
09:52So, Juju, what we're seeing happen in Texas and what we're seeing happen in California
09:57is setting the stage for a battle over redistricting between red and blue states in places across
10:03the country.
10:04Of course, we know in Texas they are trying to pick up as many as five congressional seats
10:09for Republicans in that state and Democrats in California trying to do the same thing in
10:15California.
10:15The difference between California and Texas is the fact that in California, the decision
10:21over redistricting is going to have to go before voters there.
10:24But I will say the conversation that's being had about redistricting in places across the
10:29country is highly unusual.
10:31Typically, we only see states redistrict or redraw those congressional district lines after
10:36a census.
10:37So once a decade or after some sort of court order.
10:41That's not what we're seeing happen here.
10:43We're seeing all of these states talk about redistricting for political partisan reasons,
10:47trying to juice the numbers ahead of the midterm year.
10:51And so in some of these Republican led states we're seeing in places like Missouri and Indiana,
10:57Ohio and Florida, we're seeing Republican governors and Republican lawmakers consider and weigh their
11:03options for redistricting in those states in favor of Republican lawmakers there.
11:09But we're also seeing in Democratic led states, places like Illinois, like Maryland and like
11:14New York, we're seeing the Democratic governors signal openness to redistricting in places like
11:20that.
11:20But there are constraints on some of these Democratic led states.
11:23So in a place like here in New York, there is an independent commission that actually redraws
11:29those congressional lines.
11:30And so it's highly unlikely that we will see New York able to redistrict ahead of midterms.
11:36And so we're definitely going to be watching what's happening here as we look at the analysis of states
11:42that are weighing their options in terms of redistricting.
11:44I'll tell you, elections experts tell us that there are more opportunities for Republicans to redistrict than
11:49there are opportunities for Democrats to successfully redistrict ahead of midterms.
11:53And so at least for right now, Juju, it seems that Republicans have the upper hand in this fight.
11:59OK, Avery Harper, thank you.
12:01For more now, we're going to be joined by California Democratic Representative Pete Aguilar,
12:05chair of the House Democratic Caucus.
12:07Thanks, Pete, for joining us.
12:10Thanks for having me, Juju.
12:11Well, the GOP has moved to get those five extra seats in Texas.
12:15Do you think Democrats in your state can clear all the hurdles and,
12:19in essence, win back those five seats?
12:21I do.
12:24I think that we I think that we have to.
12:26Our state legislature is undertaking that effort just today.
12:31Symbolically, this is incredibly important.
12:34Just as Texas takes five seats because Donald Trump says so, California will match that.
12:41And we will ask our voters to vote on a map.
12:44And that is the fundamental difference here is California legislators are saying,
12:49this is what's happening.
12:50Texas is stealing five seats.
12:53Do you agree that we should match that?
12:55Do you agree we should fight fire with fire and make sure that Donald Trump and House Republicans
12:59can't make people disappear off of the streets and take your health care?
13:04Those are the decisions that the voters will have to make.
13:06As Avery alluded to, New York voters, as well as the voters in your state, decided to have an independent commission in California.
13:13One of those independent members who drew California seats said, quote,
13:17it brings me no joy to see the maps that we passed fairly by the commission to be tossed aside.
13:22And she said, ultimately, she did believe it is a necessary step, though.
13:27Do you have any second thoughts about Democrats in your state doing this?
13:30I don't.
13:32And we see that there isn't just one commissioner.
13:36I believe it's up to four commissioners now who have served in independent redistricting efforts in 2011 and 2021 endorsing this plan because they agree.
13:45California has the gold standard when it comes to independent redistricting.
13:49We love it.
13:50We uplift it.
13:51I want it to be law in 50 states.
13:54And shame on us if we're going to let Texas engineer this political advantage just because Donald Trump says so.
14:02We can't do that.
14:03We need independent redistricting in 50 states.
14:06That's what we need.
14:07And we will work.
14:09House Democrats will work to make that a policy if we're given an opportunity to lead.
14:13But we can't just run off of the playing field and run away from this fight.
14:18Is it disenfranchising voters in California just as they are being disenfranchised in Texas, arguably?
14:25No, not at all.
14:26We fundamentally drew different different maps in Texas.
14:29They don't respect the Voting Rights Act.
14:32In Texas, they took Latino districts and chopped them in half.
14:36In California, we preserved the Voting Rights Act.
14:40In California, we left 11 districts untouched in this redraw.
14:46Seventy percent of our population in California will have the same district that they're in under this map than they are today.
14:54The question before us was, was do we want to engage in this or let Texas run over us?
15:00And the answer was California standing strong.
15:02And do you worry about fighting fire with fire?
15:04As our political director pointed out, Avery Harper, she said that political experts believe that Republicans have the upper hand.
15:10They have more opportunities to pick up seats in more states.
15:12Does that concern you?
15:15Sure.
15:15But under that own analysis, if California didn't do anything, then we would wake up in January and be 13 seats negative from where we are today.
15:25Keep in mind, Republicans started this a couple of years ago in North Carolina.
15:29They took three seats in their state house, just like they're doing in Texas today.
15:35And by the way, you know, we're three seats down in the House of Representatives right now.
15:40It's not lost on any of us in the House Democratic caucus that we're in the minority only because North Carolina redistricted mid-decade.
15:49That's unfortunate.
15:50And even under your own analysis, House Democrats would wake up, you know, 15, 16 votes short of the majority in January if we didn't take action.
16:01We have to.
16:02We have to take action.
16:03We have to do this.
16:04We can't control what every state does.
16:06Donald Trump is laying the groundwork.
16:08He's calling Missouri.
16:09He's calling Indiana.
16:10He's calling Florida, just like he asked Brad Raffensperger to find 11,000 votes.
16:16He's asking them to find one, two or five congressional districts in their state.
16:20It's unfair and it's wrong and it hurts people.
16:23Representative Pete Aguilar, thank you so much, Congressman, for your time.
16:27Appreciate it.
16:28And we turn now to Hurricane Aaron battering the East Coast 700 miles wide with winds up to 100 miles an hour.
16:37Hurricane Aaron is stirring up 20-foot waves and dangerous rip currents.
16:41The surf is running right through beachfront properties in North Carolina where a state of emergency is in place.
16:47We'll have the track of this now Category 2 storm in a moment.
16:50But first, here's ABC's Morgan Norwood.
16:53Hi, Juju.
16:55We're seeing powerful surge, flooded streets, and Aaron's growing wrath up and down the East Coast.
17:00And it's not done yet.
17:02Tonight, 20-foot waves turning life-threatening surf.
17:06Flooded roadways, the images still coming in as Hurricane Aaron carves up the East Coast like a bus saw.
17:13In Hatteras, the dunes lining Highway 12 no match for Aaron's relentless surge.
17:17The man shooting this video scrambling to safety as waves crash over, inundating that main route along the Outer Banks.
17:25The storm bashing the coast all night long, wind whipping on this pier in Nags Head as people come out to see the awesome power of the ocean.
17:33Aaron's seen here on satellite massive, more than 700 miles across.
17:37And it's bringing massive swells along hundreds of miles of coastline, from Florida to New England.
17:44On New York's Long Island, waves up to 16 feet.
17:48Swimmers span from all New York City beaches.
17:51But that didn't stop surfers from taking advantage of massive waves that look more like Hawaii than Rockaway Beach.
17:57The surf's a lot bigger.
17:58The current's really strong.
17:59It's, you know, a very big swell.
18:01You know, at least double the, you know, triple the size that it normally is.
18:04Our Ginger Z is on the Jersey Shore.
18:06Here in Manispawn, down the shore in New Jersey, the seafoam is kicking.
18:10We're getting sandblasted.
18:11The waves easily 8 to 10 feet.
18:13But by tonight, it will be even closer.
18:15The big bulldoze of water toward the shore.
18:17And that's why the concern for homes there without any dune in front of them.
18:22New Jersey's governor declaring a state of emergency for all 21 counties.
18:27And Morgan Norwood joins us now from the Rockaways along New York.
18:31Morgan, how are things looking there?
18:33Well, Juju, I can tell you, we're certainly starting to feel it.
18:37The winds, of course, are ripping, whipping, but the waves are the big story.
18:40The massive waves, you can see them crashing along the shore here at times, even hitting that lifeguard stand right behind me.
18:46And look, Juju, it's not over.
18:47We know as high tide approaches, these waves could grow swell up to 16 feet for perspective.
18:53That's as tall as a two-story house.
18:56Of course, the beach is close again today, but also tomorrow, Juju.
18:59We know you'll keep an eye on it. Morgan Norwood, thank you.
19:02So let's get right to meteorologist Danny Beckstrom from our New York partner station, WBC.
19:06Danny, time this one out for us.
19:09The northeast turn has started, Juju.
19:11Category 2, Hurricane Aaron, with max sustained wind 100 miles per hour, is starting to pull away.
19:16But significant impacts are still expected up and down the east coast.
19:19Right now, center is about 375 miles east-northeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
19:24But this large hurricane is bringing widespread impacts.
19:27Tropical storm warnings remain in effect for the Outer Banks into coastal Virginia.
19:30And coastal flood alerts from the Carolinas to Maine, where several feet of inundation is possible during high tide.
19:35The wind helping to push that water on shore as gusts continue 30 to 45 miles per hour tonight from the Outer Banks to Cape Cod,
19:41contributing to the flood threat and coastal erosion.
19:44The wind will relax as Aaron pulls away, but this is such a large storm system that it will take days for the water itself to settle.
19:49High surf advisories posted up and down the east coast for waves up to 20 feet on Friday,
19:54and in some cases into Saturday, especially in the northeast.
19:56The risk for life-threatening rip currents continues from Florida to Maine.
19:59And while improving weather conditions will make people think it's a good beach day,
20:02it's so important to stress, Juju, how dangerous the water will be up the northeast as we head into the weekend.
20:08We hope everyone stays safe this weekend.
20:10Danny Brakstrom, thank you.
20:12And tonight, President Trump's effort to end the war in Ukraine has hit another setback.
20:16The president signaled a meeting between President Zelensky and Vladimir Putin could happen within a couple of weeks.
20:22But tonight, Russia is suggesting that meeting won't happen anytime soon.
20:26Here's Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl.
20:29Today, Russia all but ruled out a meeting between President Putin and President Zelensky anytime soon.
20:36This after the White House said Putin promised President Trump that the meeting would happen in a matter of weeks.
20:42Did Putin promise to do a meeting with Zelensky, a direct meeting, in the coming weeks?
20:48He has.
20:49Overnight, Vice President J.D. Vance said a Zelensky-Putin meeting should take place,
20:53even if there is no agreement on the terms of a peace deal.
20:57I think the president's preference and my preference would be, let's have them meet regardless.
21:01We shouldn't say that they can't sit down until you've figured out every little detail.
21:05Sometimes them sitting down is what facilitates figuring out those details.
21:09Hours after Vance said that, Russia flatly rejected the idea.
21:14Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying the only way Putin would sit down with Zelensky
21:18is if, quote,
21:19all issues requiring consideration at the highest level are thoroughly worked out first.
21:25Lavrov suggests that would require a long process of lower-level meetings to hammer out the details.
21:30Meanwhile, Russia continues to bombard Ukraine,
21:35launching more than 600 drone and ballistic missile attacks in just the last 24 hours,
21:41according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
21:44Zelensky said today Moscow's strategy is clear.
21:47Quote,
21:47They are trying to wriggle out of the need to hold a meeting.
21:50They do not want to end this war.
21:52Today, President Trump was asked if a peace deal is still possible.
21:56I would say within two weeks we're going to know one way or the other.
21:59And after that, we'll have to maybe take a different tack.
22:03But we'll see.
22:04But we'll know pretty soon.
22:06And John Carl joins us now from the White House.
22:09John, the White House says that President Putin understood that any peace deal would include
22:13security guarantees for Ukraine.
22:16What are the Russians now saying about that?
22:17The White House did say that, but the Russians are now saying that Russia would have to have a say
22:24in any such security guarantees for Ukraine.
22:27And, Juju, this is an idea that is seen as, frankly, absurd,
22:30because the whole point of the security guarantees is to protect Ukraine from another Russian invasion.
22:38So, not an idea that seems to be moving forward fast, to say the least.
22:44Closer to a non-starter, I would imagine.
22:46Thank you, John.
22:47Thank you, Juju.
22:47Contradictions from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tonight.
22:52In a video message, he said he has approved a plan to take over Gaza City.
22:57But he also added that he instructed negotiators to re-engage on ceasefire negotiations,
23:02including the release of all hostages held in Gaza.
23:06ABC News' Patrick Rievel joins us now.
23:08Patrick, Israel has begun an offensive on Gaza City.
23:11What's happening there, and how might it impact any potential negotiations?
23:15Hi, Juju.
23:17Yeah, contradictory messages from Prime Minister Netanyahu today,
23:21saying that he is re-engaging with ceasefire talks.
23:24But for now, Israel appears to be moving ahead with its offensive to occupy all of Gaza City.
23:30Palestinians are fleeing amid intense Israeli bombardments.
23:33Israel today ordered all hospitals in Gaza City to evacuate patients,
23:37and over a million people are in the path of Israel's offensive.
23:40The UN and other humanitarian organizations warning of horrific consequences.
23:44Tens of thousands of Palestinians are already, of course, facing starvation.
23:49Netanyahu is facing pressure in Israel not to go ahead.
23:53Last weekend, 400,000 people, including hostage families, marched, demanding that he accept a deal.
23:59Hamas on Monday then finally agreeing to a ceasefire proposal that Israel and the U.S. had put forward earlier.
24:05That deal would free at least 10 hostages in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire.
24:10And Netanyahu today said he would begin immediate negotiations to release all the hostages and end the war on Israel's terms.
24:17That suggests he is not accepting the current deal.
24:20And this weekend, more big demonstrations are planned to pressure him.
24:23But for now, he's indicating that the offensive is going ahead.
24:27We're hearing that Israel is now moving to divide the West Bank with a new settlement.
24:31What could that mean for Palestinians?
24:34Yeah, Juju, yesterday Israel's government approved a new settlement plan that would effectively divide the West Bank
24:40and cut off East Jerusalem from the rest of the occupied territory.
24:44And the plan for the so-called E1 corridor has been frozen since 2009 because of international pressure.
24:50But Israeli ministers now are bluntly saying it's intended to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state.
24:56They say that it's a direct response to Western countries like Britain, France and Canada
25:01announcing that they will recognize a Palestinian state in September.
25:05Israel's far-right finance minister, Smotrich, saying the idea of a Palestinian state is being, quote, erased.
25:13Now, Britain and nearly two dozen countries today condemning the move.
25:17The U.S. ambassador to Israel, though, defending it.
25:19It will further inflame international anger.
25:21But Israel, for now, apparently defiant and moving ahead, Juju.
25:25Patrick Rievel, thank you as always.
25:30And back here at home, a major legal win for President Trump tonight.
25:34A New York appeals court has thrown out the more than $500 million penalty in the state's fraud case against him.
25:41The court let the conviction stand but called the penalty excessive.
25:45Trump is calling the ruling a total victory.
25:47It comes more than a year after he, his eldest sons, and his company were found liable for inflating the value of his real estate holdings.
25:55New York Attorney General Letitia James says she plans to appeal.
25:59Tonight, a disturbing discovery on a dairy farm in Colorado.
26:03Authorities responded to an emergency call finding the bodies of six farm workers.
26:08Our Trevor Ault has the latest.
26:10Tonight, authorities making a tragic discovery at a dairy farm in northern Colorado.
26:16I'm on scene.
26:17Unconscious victims are approximately 12 feet down with possible high levels of H2S and unknown gases.
26:25First responders arriving at the scene outside Boulder around 6 p.m. Wednesday for what they called a confined space rescue.
26:33Instead, finding the bodies of six workers.
26:36You can go ahead and stand down with Trevor.
26:38It's not yet clear what exactly the victims were doing at the time of their deaths.
26:42But authorities are calling this a dairy accident.
26:45In a statement tonight, the Dairy Farmers of America says in part,
26:49we are deeply saddened by this incident and our thoughts and most sincere condolences go out to the friends and families of the deceased.
26:57Juju, authorities say this was not a criminal incident and OSHA is now investigating.
27:02Juju.
27:03Trevor Ault, thank you.
27:04After months of tariff threats and negotiations, the U.S. and the European Union have reached a framework agreement on trade.
27:11Under the deal, the U.S. will impose a 15 percent tariff on imports of European pharmaceuticals, alcohol and other products.
27:19The agreement also calls for the EU to eliminate tariffs on all American industrial exports.
27:24Both sides say the document is a first step that could expand to cover additional sectors.
27:29Rapper Lil Nas X was apparently arrested in Los Angeles after police responded to reports of a man walking around in his underwear on the street.
27:38When LAPD officers arrived, they arrested the Grammy-winning artist after he refused to comply with officers' commands.
27:45He is now hospitalized and officials are working to determine whether the incident was related to drugs or a mental health crisis.
27:52Coming up here on Prime, thinking of visiting the White House, the indefinite suspension that could impact your plans.
27:59Plus, could the future of the mail-in ballot be at risk?
28:03The potential executive order that could revamp our country's election process.
28:08And it's a bird, it's a plane, it's your lunch.
28:11The popular fast food chain taking their delivery service to the skies.
28:21All this week in interviews, press conferences and on social media, President Trump has been calling on Republicans to help him lead a movement to end mail-in voting.
28:31He has long rallied against the practice, saying it contributed to his loss in 2020, though no widespread fraud was ever found.
28:38With 2026 midterm elections around the corner, the president said Monday, he plans to sign an executive order to get rid of mail-in ballots and voting machines.
28:48We'll discuss the legal issues surrounding the president's threats in a moment.
28:51But first, mail-in ballots and election security is tonight's By the Numbers.
28:5628 states currently allow all voters to use mail-in ballots, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.
29:03And every state allows at least some voters to do so.
29:06And eight states, for now, send mail-in ballots to every single eligible voter for each election.
29:12The president said this week he believed the U.S. was the only country in the world that allows voting by mail.
29:18But 34 countries or territories allow the practice, at least for some voters, according to Sweden's International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.
29:28An investigation by the Associated Press found fewer than 475 cases of voter fraud in six battleground states during the 2020 presidential election.
29:39Nonetheless, 147 GOP lawmakers voted to overturn those election results.
29:45And, you know, why not?
29:48And joining us now to discuss what the president and states could possibly do to limit mail-in voting and machine voting is Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU's School of Law.
29:59Thanks so much for joining us in studio.
30:01And it's a great studio.
30:03Thank you so much.
30:03So we said that tomorrow the president could sign this executive order and, you know, he would disallow ballots to be mailed in in future elections.
30:13What's the next step once that happens?
30:15Well, if he really tries to do that, it will be legally challenged because he does not have the power to do that.
30:22The Constitution is very clear.
30:24States run elections.
30:26Congress has a role to set national standards.
30:28And under the law and the Constitution, presidents have no role and certainly not the ability to sort of seize control of the machinery of elections.
30:38As your piece noted, vote by mail has been around a long time.
30:43One out of every three Americans votes that way.
30:46It's secure.
30:47And it would be actually a politically weird move because Republicans in the last election were very effective at encouraging their voters to vote that way.
30:56But this is part of a larger move that we see where President Trump and his administration, in a very much, I think, unprecedented way, are trying to intervene in the election to undermine confidence in advance.
31:11And he's also saying that he's going to try to get Republican governors to go along to help block some of these mail-in measures.
31:18Is that a viable path?
31:19Well, it's possible that you could see states try to pass laws doing that, although they've pulled back from that particular thing because so many voters like it.
31:30But it is right that voting laws should be made by, you know, legislatures, not by presidential edict.
31:37And so much of this stuff is just things he does not have the power to do.
31:41It's an attempt, as he said, when he announced that he was going to try to do this executive order.
31:48He said, well, Vladimir Putin told me very proudly that you can't have honest elections unless you have mail-in voting, if you have mail-in voting.
31:58Now, I think it's kind of astonishing to cite Vladimir Putin as an expert on honest elections.
32:03But he also said that the states are merely, quote, agents for the president in counting the votes.
32:10Again, that's not what the Constitution says.
32:13And clearly under the category of undermining confidence, mail-in voting has been a subject of a lot of disinformation and misinformation.
32:21How does that play into what this executive order might look like?
32:24Well, you know, so much of this, I suspect, is part of trying to sort of kick up dust and stir up doubts about the election because it's going to be an important election.
32:35The midterm elections next year will determine who controls Congress and many, many other offices.
32:41And it could all be part of trying to undermine that public trust to make it easier to try to push people to overturn results.
32:49And we see a lot of other things the federal government is now doing along the same lines.
32:53And give us a sense.
32:55We know that the Brennan Center documents how states implement election security.
32:59Describe some of those measures.
33:01There's good news here.
33:03American elections are safe and secure.
33:05And they've, think about it, they've had a lot of pressure.
33:08COVID, threats of violence, disinformation.
33:12But election officials from both parties really stepped up.
33:15They work with law enforcement, with police and others.
33:18And there are all different kinds of ways of checking to make sure that people really have the right to vote, that only citizens are on the rolls, that elections are secure.
33:30And, in fact, when people have looked at the actual results, these myths vanish in the air.
33:36And we know that local election officials take their jobs very seriously.
33:39Michael Waldman, thank you.
33:41Author of Supermajority, a big fan.
33:44Thank you so much.
33:45Coming up, heart-pounding moments caught on surveillance cameras show a front-end loader barreling through an intersection, how it finally came to a stop.
33:54And, sports lovers, it's the dawn of a new day.
33:57ABC News sits down with the chairman of ESPN to talk about all the changes coming to how we watch the sports we love.
34:03It's being hailed as a game-changer for sports fans.
34:22ESPN is launching its new direct-to-consumer streaming service and new features on an enhanced app, so you can see everything ESPN has to offer.
34:30The games, the shows, all in one place.
34:32Our own Will Reeves sat down with the chairman of ESPN, Jimmy Pataro, to talk about it.
34:41As sports fans dream come true, as ESPN launches their new streaming service.
34:48Describe this new venture in three words.
34:51Does ESPN count as one word?
34:53Yes.
34:54Okay, all of ESPN.
34:55ESPN has always, since its inception in 1979, been on the cutting edge of sports and sports technology and the way that fans get access to sports.
35:09What does the launch of the app and the direct-to-consumer component mean for sports fans going forward?
35:18You'll finally be able to get all of ESPN all in one place.
35:22All of our content, all of our networks available direct-to-consumer for the first time in ESPN's history.
35:29So that's 12 networks, 47,000 live events.
35:36On top of live games, all of our studio programming, all of our original films, 30 for 30, E60, SC Featured, all of that will be available direct-to-consumer.
35:48Part two is we will be launching a significantly enhanced ESPN app.
35:56You'll see fantasy integration, betting integration, commerce integration.
36:01At the heart of the new offerings, personalization for fans.
36:05I'm a huge sports fan. Huge.
36:07These are things that I actually want as a sports fan.
36:10I think the best example of that is SportsCenter for you.
36:15One of the things that I've always craved is a SportsCenter that is tailored to me.
36:20So I'm Yankees, Giants, Knicks, Rangers, Notre Dame.
36:25When I fire up SportsCenter in the morning, that's the content that I want first.
36:30And we're going to be able to deliver that to millions of sports fans.
36:34How do you tailor a TV show in that way?
36:36It's a great question.
36:36We have agreements with several of our talent.
36:39It's not possible to create a million different versions of SportsCenter manually.
36:45So it'll be the voices that you're accustomed to hearing on ESPN, but it'll be powered by AI.
36:51Other ways you'll be able to personalize your experience?
36:54Watching four games at once, tracking fantasy teams in real time,
36:58and chances to shop or place bets while watching games.
37:02And this one is picked off and going back the other way.
37:05ESPN also exciting fans with big new announcements about the NFL as the start of football season approaches.
37:13Tinsley, come on!
37:15The news of the big agreement with the NFL has been making headlines.
37:20That's a game changer for ESPN and for the league and for fans.
37:24Yeah, it has been making headlines.
37:26Even my parents were aware.
37:28In fact, what is really exciting to me about that is our ability to include NFL Network in our ESPN Direct-to-Consumer offering.
37:39We'll launch with 12 networks as a part of ESPN Direct-to-Consumer.
37:44Once the deal closes, we will add a 13th network, which will be NFL Network.
37:49We will also be acquiring traditional linear rights to their very popular whip-around show called NFL Red Zone.
38:00And the Lions have their hearts broken yet again.
38:06We will be acquiring the Red Zone brand.
38:09So with that, we will have the opportunity to potentially expand Red Zone to other sports, other leagues.
38:16And then fantasy is a huge part of our business, NFL fantasy.
38:20And so our fantasy product will merge with their fantasy product, and we will become the official fantasy game of the NFL.
38:31Incredible.
38:32Will Reeve, thank you.
38:33And if you are already a paid TV subscriber to ESPN, you don't have to change anything.
38:38All the new features are going to be available to you within the Enhanced app as a paid TV subscriber.
38:43And, of course, we should note that Disney is the parent company of both ABC and ESPN.
38:49And coming up here on Prime, the White House is shutting its doors to the public.
38:53Why visitors are on the outs and just how long tours will be off the table.
38:58And you won't believe your eyes.
39:00Magician, mentalist, and performing tricks right here on ABC News Live Prime.
39:05Don't miss our conversation with the amazing Aussie Wind.
39:08And we are just now confirming the late-breaking news we've been waiting for all day about Eric Menendez's fate.
39:23After marathon hours in front of a parole board in California, Eric Menendez was denied parole.
39:29And Matt Guttman is joining us from San Diego.
39:31Matt, what's the latest?
39:32How did they come to this decision?
39:34They had to pour through a voluminous amount of case files, thousands of pages.
39:41Juju, that's even before today's marathon.
39:43Nine, actually ten-hour session lasted.
39:46It was just a short time ago that the parole board finished explaining why it came to this decision.
39:51So let me break that down very briefly.
39:53Basically, it was a three-year denial, which means that Eric Menendez can appear before a parole board again within three years.
40:01But it will probably be sooner than that, closer to 18 months.
40:04Here's why they came to this decision, despite the fact that Eric had an almost unblemished record in prison, exemplary conduct in prison, especially over the past 20 years.
40:14They talked about his pre-murder burglaries back in the late 80s, before the 1989 murders.
40:21He did it twice.
40:22They also talked about his multiple cell phone violation infractions that Eric had smuggled or had had cell phones smuggled into the prison.
40:31He paid $1,000 for one.
40:33He apparently took another from a prison guard or bought one from a prison guard.
40:37And that, according to the parole board, showed a certain level of criminality.
40:41And finally, it was the shotgunning of Kedip Menendez, Eric and Lyle's mother.
40:47That is something that the parole board simply could not get beyond.
40:51They basically said she didn't have to die and asked Eric, point blank, why did you shoot her?
40:57Eric said, I thought that she was complicit.
41:00She had betrayed us.
41:00And I wish to this day that I hadn't done it.
41:03So a stunning, a crushing defeat, really, for the Menendez brothers after they felt that they had come so close after being resentenced just a couple of months ago,
41:12from life without the possibility of parole to 50 years to life, opening the possibility for parole,
41:18which, again, denied pretty vehemently from this parole board today, Juju.
41:23And yet, Matt, you've reported extensively on the different avenues of appeal that the Menendez brothers have taken to the legal system.
41:31There is the matter of the clemency appeal with the governor.
41:35What are the other options available to them at this point?
41:39This was the primary appeal, right?
41:41It was through resentencing.
41:43There is also clemency.
41:45The governor, Gavin Newsom, could decide at any point, it's at his discretion,
41:50that he believes that the Menendez brothers have served their time and should be released recommending their parole.
41:55There is also a habeas petition, which is essentially saying that new information has come to light that the court needs to see.
42:02The new D.A. in Los Angeles, Nathan Hockman, has basically shut the habeas down.
42:06That is not a very likely path right now, and it's extremely unlikely that Governor Newsom is going to grant the brothers clemency
42:13after a parole board so roundly declined and denied their attempt at parole this time,
42:19pretty much excoriating the brother, Eric Menendez's conduct in prison,
42:25and specifically his burglaries and the murder of his mother.
42:28There were some glowing statements.
42:30He did mention that the hospice work and Eric's conduct and creation of various programs,
42:37including a green space program in that prison behind me, was something that was commendable,
42:41but he found overall that this is not a person who is fit to be released.
42:46And again, the primary standard here is whether Eric poses an unreasonable risk to society if released.
42:53And of course, tomorrow, Lyle Menendez will be up.
42:57He doesn't have as many blemishes on his record, but he also doesn't have as an outstanding record in prison
43:03as a model prisoner as Eric did.
43:07So that's up in the air as well.
43:09And again, you know, Juju, we're more than 10 hours into this process today.
43:12Matt Guttman, thank you, as always, for your intention to detail on all this reporting.
43:16I should tell you now that we're getting statements from the family of Eric and Lyle Menendez.
43:21They're saying that while we respect the decision, today's outcome was, of course, disappointing and not what we hoped for.
43:26Our belief in Eric remains unwavering, and we know that he will take the board's recommendation in stride.
43:32His remorse growth and the positive impact he's had on others speak for themselves
43:36will continue to stand by him and hold hope that he'll be able to return soon.
43:41They also point to tomorrow's hearing with Lyle, who will also face the same similar members of the California Parole Board.
43:50And for that, let's talk, bring in attorney and ABC News contributor Bernarda Violona.
43:54Bernarda, we were talking earlier about how the two brothers have very different appeals,
43:59and yet they clearly are in prison for the same murder.
44:03Yes, so the parole board tomorrow, they're going to still determine whether he should be paroled.
44:09It should be considered separate and distinct from each other.
44:12Eric and Lyle are two different people.
44:14So tomorrow we may hear some of the same statements in regards to at least the victim.
44:19The family members give the same statement and the same requests for him to be released,
44:24as well as the district attorney saying that they oppose any type of release.
44:28But still, you're also going to hear about who Lyle Menendez is in terms of what he's done while he's been in custody.
44:36Who is the person that he has become?
44:38Of course, what will remain the same in terms of both Eric and Lyle is the crime itself.
44:43You can't change the facts of what happened.
44:45Yes, dad was shot in the back of the head and mom was shot point blank in the face.
44:50And that was so gruesome.
44:52And this decision did not surprise you?
44:54No, it didn't surprise me at all.
44:55I wasn't surprised because when you're determining whether someone should be released into society,
45:00especially when you're talking about two murders.
45:02I used to be a homicide prosecutor.
45:04So I argued these parole hearings and wrote letters requesting that the parole board denied a person being released.
45:11You take into account the crime, like how gruesome it was.
45:16You take into account public safety.
45:17You take into account the victims and the victim's family.
45:21So while the family, yes, wanted them to be released, as a district attorney and also the parole board,
45:27they are representing the interests of the public.
45:30So while the victim's family may say, no, I forgive them and they should be released,
45:35they're talking about the broader good.
45:37They have to take into account the public safety.
45:40And yet you know that the victim's family, in an unusual turn, is very supportive of their release
45:45and have been talking passionately.
45:46They testified for hours today in front of the parole board in California.
45:51How do you think that might affect the way their appeals go into the future?
45:56Because there is so much public appeal and public scrutiny on this particular case.
46:02So, of course, in terms of tomorrow, we're going to see a lot of the same.
46:05But in terms of what's going to happen in the future, yes, the attorneys for both Eric and Lyle can appeal.
46:12Well, and again, there's no decision for Lyle, but for Eric can appeal to the full board to determine whether there was an issue as to facts in terms of the hearings.
46:19But I don't see that there's going to be any change.
46:22Governor Newsom, yes, he can say, you know what, I reject the parole board's recommendation and I'm going to have them actually released.
46:30Highly unlikely, especially since we've seen a pattern of the past of people that have been serving sentences for homicides where Governor Newsom has rejected them being released, despite the parole board recommending release.
46:44So you have seen that.
46:45But in terms of what will happen, what's left for them, they still have a habeas corpus where they're requesting a new trial.
46:51Highly unlikely that that will be granted.
46:53So I think the best bet now for Eric Menendez, hey, you have, let's say, 18 months, live a squeaky clean life while in custody so this won't be used against you.
47:05And this was a very determined outcome.
47:08Lyle Menendez, again, seeking the parole board's sympathies tomorrow.
47:12Bernardo Villona, thank you as always for your insights.
47:15And of course, that is our show for this hour.
47:18I'm Juju Chang.
47:19And please stay tuned to ABC News Live for more context and analysis of the day's top stories.
47:24Thanks for streaming with us.
Be the first to comment