Of repairs. Investigators say the dolly's power system failed before it struck the bridge in March, causing it to collapse.

Time now for a look at your morning weather. Good morning. A scorcher of a Tuesday. Many of us are going to be up around 100 degrees this afternoon, if not hotter in Saint Louis. Wichita. Little Rock Atlanta will be close 96 there 98. Nashville, El Paso 107. Some spots, like Greenville and Greenwood, Mississippi, will likely have their hottest June 25th in the record books. And as we look ahead to tomorrow, Wednesday, there will be another surge of heat briefly back into the Mid-Atlantic states with AccuWeather real field temperatures back above 100 degrees for AccuWeather. I'm Jeff Cornish for ABC news.

Coming up, a police officer running into a burning building without hesitation to save a life.

Also ahead, the family desperate for answers after a Chicago woman goes missing while in the Bahamas. What police are now saying and.

A patient gets an organ transplant while fully awake. What the medical milestone means for future transplants.

Whenever news breaks. We are here in Israel, a nation at war.

Enrolling for this tornado tore.

Through this town.

From Lewiston, Maine.

The scene of a horrific mass shooting from the scene of that deadly missile strike. ABC News Live everywhere in Iceland.

Let's go.

On the 2024 campaign trail here at ten Downing Street.

Wherever the story is, we're.

Going to take you there. You're streaming.

ABC News Live.

ABC News Live.

You're streaming ABC News Live. ABC News Live. Screaming free everywhere.

There is a price to be paid. Every time a survivor shares their story, I will not be silenced. Do you feel the church accepted abuse?

I wouldn't say accepted it as so much. Pretended it didn't exist. Yep. That's him. Yep. Ready? Kyra Phillips with ABC news. Does your church protect sexual predators?

Act by Nightline. Secrets of the two by Two. Church.

There's nothing purty about hearing this.

Now streaming on Hulu.

Let's go. The ship is incredible.

It feels like living in a science fiction movie.

We just saw what no one has seen before.

We are heading into the unknown.

Hammer, hammer, hammer. It doesn't get any more cutting edge. And this.

With so much at stake, so much on the line, more Americans turn here than any other newscast. ABC News World News Tonight with David Muir. America's number one most watched newscast across all of television.

Hi, I'm Andy and I'm Sabrina, and we're moms juggling tons of stuff every day. Like all you moms out there. And you know what? We love really love pop culture. So listen now to our new podcast, Pop Culture Moms, wherever you get your podcasts.

eBooks David Muir the most watched newscast in America. More Americans watch World News Tonight with David Muir than any other newscast.

We're back with the family of a missing Chicago woman heading to the Bahamas, where she was vanished, where she vanished last week. Police say Taylor Casey hasn't been seen since Wednesday, according to her family's Facebook page. The 41 year old was attending a yoga retreat near Paradise Island in January. The State Department issued a travel warning for the Bahamas related to crime and other issues.

Imagine getting a kidney transplant and being awake through the entire process. It happened in Chicago, and doctors say this procedure is a game changer. This morning, a medical milestone in Chicago. Are you awake, John? 28 year old John Nicholas is now the first patient at Northwestern Medical to undergo a kidney transplant while fully awake.

It's just a boost of energy to the team to be able to look back and say, we potentially change the way that kidney transplant can be done instead.

Of general anesthesia, which is typically used for this surgery. Doctors gave Nicholas a single spinal anesthesia shot similar to what's used during a C-section. The entire procedure was performed in less than two hours.

We placed the spinal in the operating room with a little bit of sedation, and then that was the main anesthetic. It was incredibly simple and uneventful.

The revolutionary surgery paving the way for life saving kidney transplants in patients who can't have general anesthesia, while also cutting hospitalization for kidney transplants from three days to just 24 hours.

Give an incredible gift to a friend. As always, a good feeling in your heart.

That's 29 year old Pat wise, Nicholas donor and best friend since elementary school. Weiss says when he got a text about donating, he didn't hesitate to sign up.

We've always said to each other that we're ride or die friends, and you know that that we're always kind of with each other for for life. But, you know, actually having such a bona fide example where we've got each other's back, like, it just it meant the world to me.

Wow, what an incredible story. And now northwestern is looking to establish a new program for patients who also need a kidney transplant without general anesthesia. Pretty incredible story coming up here from a 14 year old who survived a shark attack off North Carolina.

Also ahead, the party still underway in South Florida after the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup.

Whenever news breaks.

We are here in Israel, a nation at war. After that brutal surprise attack by.

Hamas on the ground in Ukraine, reporting from Lewiston, Maine.

The scene of a horrific mass shooting, ABC News Live is right there everywhere from the scene of that deadly missile strike.

In the Dnipro, Ukraine.

Reporting from the earthquake in Turkey and Rolling Fork.

This tornado tore through this little town from the.

Most devastating.

Disaster in Hawaii from Charleston, South.

Carolina, on the 2024 campaign trail.

In Iceland. Let's go.

Traveling with the President in Mexico City, wherever the.

In the front lines from southern Israel.

Outside the Gaza Strip in Beirut from the FBI.

Reporting from the nurses on the picket line here at ten Downing Street in London, streaming live to.

You, wherever the story is.

Wherever the story.

Is, wherever the story is, we're going to take you there. You were streaming ABC News.

Live, ABC News Live.

You're streaming ABC news live, ABC.

News live streaming free everywhere. America's number one streaming news Thursday on the day of their first debate. Stream ABC News Live for all the breaking pre-debate details and coverage. Then, at 7 p.m. Eastern Stream, a special debate edition of ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis and at eight eastern, David Muir and the ABC news special, The Race for the white House. And then watch the CNN presidential debate simulcast streaming live on ABC News Live, and stay with ABC News Live for the instant reaction and all the fallout after the debate all night.

Here's to good mornings in America. Can you feel the love of mornings that inspire, filled with hope, kindness, joyous surprises, and so much fun? This is crazy. This is absolutely crazy. Start your day with Good Morning America's Ray of sunshine, highlighting the best of America and helping.

Make dreams come true. Wow.

I'm just so happy. It's so good.

Get ready to smile and put the good into your morning America.

Because you know what would make the morning better? A little ray of sunshine forever. Let's go. The ship is incredible. It feels like living in a science fiction movie.

We just saw what.

No one has seen before.

We are heading into the unknown.

Hammer, hammer, hammer. It doesn't get any more cutting edge on this.

We're back now with a heroic police officer caught on camera saving a life. Officer Kevin Long pulled a man from a burning apartment in new Jersey as smoke filled the building. He was on duty at a nearby shopping center when the call came in.

Glad they're all okay. Summer vacation for 114 year old from West Virginia included a terrifying encounter with a shark. Blaine Brown says he was in waist deep water with a friend on Sunday on North Carolina's North Topsail Beach when the friend took off. He says before he knew it, Brown had been bitten on the leg and the ankle.

Then I saw the bike down. They are so scared and shocked and like no one was around me. I had to walk out like of the beach on myself. Then I just laid down and just also scared.

Wow. Brown is still recovering at a local hospital. His scare happened the same day a surfer and actor who appeared in one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies was killed by a shark in Hawaii. Tamayo Perry was killed by a shark while working as a lifeguard on Oahu.

Fans of the Florida Panthers were celebrating well into this morning after the team captured its first ever Stanley Cup with a dramatic win over the Edmonton Oilers. This morning, a new champion is crowned in the NHL. Cup, the Florida Panthers winning their first ever Stanley Cup in a winner take all game seven over the Edmonton Oilers Monday night. The fact that it was so.

Hard makes it so special.

Fans in South Florida savoring the moment.

I can't believe we won. In 30 years we've been waiting for this.

A gripping finale capping off an instant classic of a playoff series, the Panthers striking first with a goal from Carter Reggie. They score, but just some two minutes later, the Oilers would respond. Tying this all or nothing showdown, here's Janmaat get alone. But it was the Panthers winger Sam Reinhart, a second period goal that would prove to be the game, series and championship winner. Florida had a three games to none lead in the series, but the Oilers fiercely rallied back to tie it up three three. The Panthers win, averting what would have been one of the most unprecedented collapses in sports history. Instead, the Panthers etching their own legacy. Panthers general manager Bill Zito. When the moment sinks in.

It's really humbling.

And for Matthew Gottschalk, he accomplishes something. His father, five time NHL All-Star Keith Gottschalk, could not, hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup. Getting locked up by my dad and brother.

And all I wanted to do was win it for those two especially.

But it was captain in longest tenured Panthers Sasha Barkov, who received the highest honor for a championship winning team, being the first to hold the Cup. Connor McDavid won the Conn Smythe Award for the best player in the playoffs. He's the first player since 1976 to win the award on a team that lost in the final.

A big congrats to Panthers fans, including Andrew here. Coming up, the best coach in baseball. And it wasn't even a player who made it.

Plus addicted to coffee. The new study that says it could be in your genes.

Next. Let's go.

The ship is incredible. It feels like living in a science fiction movie.

We just saw what no one has seen before.

We are heading into the unknown.

Hammer, hammer, hammer. It doesn't get any more cutting edge. And this.

With so much at stake, so much on the line, more Americans turn here than any other newscast. ABC News World News Tonight with David Muir. America's number one most watched newscast across all of television.

Get ready America every Friday the hottest trends, styles and must have.

What's the right stuff to buy right now? I really love that it's time to buy the right stuff. Yes, and save big time to the right stuff. Fridays on GMA.

You're going to love it. Hey good morning America.

Good morning America. Good morning America. Are you ready?

Covering the biggest events in the country right now. It's a lot going on here.

You don't just see it, you feel it. I'm in, I'm in, I'm in.

I'm in to see here. I am.

Here. And so happy I'm in I'm in to. Michael. Ginger. Free up your life whenever.

Wherever news breaks. It's so important to always.

Remember that lives are changed here in London, in Buffalo. Uvalde, Texas. Edinburgh, Scotland. Reporting from Rolling Fork, Mississippi. Ukrainian refugees here in Warsaw. We're heading to a small community outside of Mexico City, getting you behind the stories as they happen. ABC News Live Prime. We'll take you there.

Stream ABC news live weeknights wherever you stream your news, only on ABC News Live.

I'm Jacqueline Lee in Gorman, California, at the site of the post fire with more than 15,000 acres burned. Wherever the story is, we'll take you there. You're streaming ABC News Live.

Time to check the polls. We begin with those who just cannot do without your cup of coffee.

Researchers at UC San Diego say your coffee habits may actually be in your genes. They identified genetic variants associated with excessive coffee consumption after studying DNA scans of more than 100,000 people.

The study also found that people genetically likely to drink more coffee are also more likely to use alcohol, nicotine and other drugs.

Next, two giant pandas are set up for their big trip from China to the US.

They'll leave China tomorrow on a 7300 mile trip to the San Diego Zoo, and more pandas are coming to the US at zoos in San Francisco, Memphis, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. the panda program between the US and China was paused amid tension between the two countries, but new agreements were reached to restart it. Next, a baseball fan who was in the right place at the right time.

He was at Baltimore's Camden Yards last night, a foul ball down the right field line, and Tim Beyer snagged it while holding a drink and a phone in his other hand. Now, he played high school baseball and says this was his first foul ball in 30 years of going to games. And not to be outdone are the Phillies, who executed the season's first triple play against the Tigers. The pitcher brought a weak line drive for the first out. The runners at first and third were then caught off base, and finally Mattel's new toy.

The action figure honors Jimmy Buffett's role in the 2015 film Jurassic World. But don't blink or you'll miss his cameo. The musician is the man in orange running from some of the dinos while, yes, holding margaritas. And now Mattel is putting out an action figure of Buffett from the film. And yes, it even includes many drinks and even a salt shaker.

Salt shaker with. So because you need.

To keep hold of those when you're running from dinosaurs.

Top headlines next.

Whenever news breaks. We are here in Israel, a nation at war.

And rolling fork. This tornado tore through this town.

From Lewiston, Maine.

The scene of a horrific.

Mass shooting from the scene of that deadly missile strike. ABC News Live everywhere in Iceland.

Let's go on the 2024 campaign trail here at ten Downing Street.

Wherever the story is.

We're going to take you there. You're streaming ABC news Live.

ABC News Live.

You're streaming ABC News Live.

ABC News Live. Dreaming free everywhere.

Let's go. The ship is incredible. It feels like living in a science fiction movie.

We just saw what.

No one has seen before.

We are heading into the unknown.

Hammer, hammer, hammer. It doesn't get any more cutting edge. And this.

Are you ready to celebrate Sunday, June 30th across the country? See? Experience some of the nation's greatest pride celebrations all in one place as they happen. Live right here on ABC News Live, right across America. Celebrate joy, love, freedom and pride. Sunday, June 30th starting at 11 a.m. Eastern Time. Streaming on ABC News live and stream on Hulu.

There is a price to be paid every time a survivor shares their story. I will not be silenced.

Do you feel the church accepted abuse? I wouldn't say accepted it as so much. Pretended it didn't exist. Yep. That's him. Yep. Ready? Kyra Phillips with ABC news. Does your church protect sexual predators?

By Nightline. Secrets of the two by Two. Church.

There's nothing pretty about hearing this.

Now streaming on Hulu. Checking more top stories now. Officials in southern Minnesota are keeping a very close eye on a dam that is said to be at risk of imminent failure. Recent storms dumped nearly 18in of rain, creating record breaking flooding. Nearby. Residents have been told to be ready to evacuate.

Louisiana's new law requiring that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every classroom is facing its first major legal challenge. Civil liberties groups and parents filed a lawsuit seeking to block the law, saying it sends a message that some religions are superior to others.

Major music labels, including Sony and Warner Records, are suing two AI song generating companies for copyright infringement. The AI companies are accused of stealing artists work to train their models. Neither company has publicly revealed its training data.

Today's weather heat alerts are up from California to Colorado. Heavy rain in the southwest could create flash flooding, also hot and rainy, from the Plains to the Midwest.

Finally, a father and son in New York City are going the extra mile to help people in need under ground.

ABC's Danny New has their story. Throughout the week in New York City, you may see this cooler, full of food and water being wheeled around by Henry Thomas and his son, Carl.

Whether I have 20 people with me or just me and my son and one other person. You know I'm here.

The group of volunteers is called Free Food for the homeless, and their mission is that simple. To collect donations and hand out as many meals as they can to folks to help.

I remember you were there. Yes. Thank you so much.

Reporter Henry first came up with this idea about ten years ago, but he didn't know if he was going to start this movement. He just knew he needed to help people who were feeling like he once did.

Personally, I was homeless myself. I witnessed my mother experienced homelessness. You know, I know what it is firsthand experience to be out here in the street, to be overlooked, to be mistreated.

His son, Carl says he remembers in the beginning, taking trips to the supermarket to buy baloney sandwiches to hand out. God bless you. But in the decade since, the team has gotten a lot of help through social media. People will donate online through places like Venmo and Go Fund Me and then see how their contributions materialize into a warm exchange.

We use hunger as the platform to connect human beings.

According to Feeding America org, about 44 million people in America are facing hunger, including 1 in 5 children. So while securing enough funding and food for his vision can still be challenging at times. Now. Are you getting an ice cream? Henry feels that he just can't stop.

I have to give my life for this.

So they are free food for the homeless if you want to help. And Henry is looking for volunteers to help expand the movement to the rest of the country. If you're interested and bring the program to your neighborhood guys, more volunteers would be great as this program expands. That's what's making news in America this morning.

Have a great day, everyone.

It's Tuesday, June 25th after years of court battles. Did Wikileaks win? We start here. Julian Assange gets a plea deal from the United States.

Put an.

End also to this.

Very, very long confinement.

By the world's most wanted keeper of state secrets won't have to serve a day in a U.S. prison. The presidential primary isn't in doubt, but Democrats are sweating today's contests.

They believe that the progressive message is kind of on the line here.

Could the squad lose its first member over the war in Gaza? And if you can't take the heat, stay out of the Olympic Village.

So yes, we will have air.

Conditioners.

The policy that has athletes torching organizers. From ABC news. This is stark here. I'm Brad Mielke. Over the years, lots of people have spilled government secrets. This is how we know about some of our country's most controversial acts. I'm thinking Daniel Ellsberg with the Pentagon Papers, Edward Snowden, Chelsea manning. The most recent major case in the US is Jack Teixeira, who disseminated this tranche of intelligence about our military and the militaries of our allies. But perhaps no one has become synonymous with exposing the secrets of world leaders as Julian Assange. You don't even have to know his name. You know, Wikileaks.

This disclosure. Is about the truth. Oh, yeah. Look at that.

Right through the windshield.

Back in 2006, as the US was mired in two wars, and as the internet had become ubiquitous worldwide, Assange created this portal. He called it Wikileaks for anyone to upload sensitive documents. His goal, he said, was radical transparency.

We estimate that when fully analyzed, these logs will bring to the public knowledge more than 15,000 previously unreported civilian deaths.

He's Australian, but he set it up in Iceland, and he went to great lengths to keep out of reach of the various governments whose secrets he was now revealing. For the last several years, though, he's been in British custody, on the verge of being extradited to the US. Well, last night we learned of a plea agreement that could send Assange home for the first time in a decade without him stepping foot in a U.S. prison. This document never showed up on Wikileaks because the U.S. has unsealed it overnight. So let's go to ABC's foreign correspondent Patrick Reed. He's been reporting on Assange for years now. He's interviewed the family. He's been at these extradition hearings. Patrick. It's all ending. Hey, Brad.

Yeah, it's hard to believe we're saying this really? Right. But, yes, it appears that we are at the end of the Assange saga. As you say, overnight, the US has revealed a plea deal with Assange that we'll see him essentially plead guilty to one count of violating the Espionage Act, and then he will be allowed to go home. He will be allowed most likely to go to Australia.

Wait, so, Patrick, what's he pleading guilty to, I guess, and end to plead guilty? You have to come to an American courtroom then, right? So does he have to come to the U.S. to do all this? Yeah.

So that was obviously an immediate question, right. Um, when this came out, how will Assange be able to plead guilty? So our understanding is that Assange, through his lawyers, has agreed with the Justice Department to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information. But it's only one count. And Assange was facing 18 counts of violating the Espionage Act. And our understanding is that he will go to Saipan in the Mariana Islands, a US Commonwealth in the western Pacific, and that he and a federal court there will plead guilty. And then after that, our understanding is he will be able, most likely just to walk free and go where he wishes.

I see, like we have courtrooms, we have federal courtrooms in these other territories, but this would not involve him coming to the US mainland. He can do one of those other ones.

Exactly. I think that appears to have been a key thing. I mean, we don't know, but the most likely explanation is that Assange is very worried about trusting the US government and doesn't believe that if he set foot in mainland America, he necessarily would still be able to make this plea deal and wouldn't find himself suddenly being put on trial. You know, the charges against him for a long time were kept secret. They were only revealed once he he finally was arrested way back in 2019. But yeah, in short, this is a plea deal. The Biden administration appears to have finally come to an agreement to end this incredibly long saga and put an end also to this very, very long confinement that Julian Assange has faced for more than a decade. Yeah.

Well, Patrick, that's the thing. I get why Assange would want this to end, right? Like I get why maybe you'd plead guilty to this one thing. As long as you never have to go to prison, he finally gets to live as a free man. What's in it for the U.S.? I imagine there's lots of Americans who are like, hey, this guy found and then shared some of our most sensitive documents. Then, I mean, that's all early stuff. When a lot of people were concerned about the Iraq war. He then goes on to be someone who's, like US officials believe, taking intelligence from the Russians to influence American elections, like using selective hacks that favor one country over another. And now he goes home. He gets off scot free. Like, why would you agree to this from the American side? You know.

I think that's a very good question and one that we will have to be trying to find out more about in the days to come. But you know, first of all, I think many people would say that Julian Assange has not got off scot free. He spent more than a decade now in some form of confinement because, you know, as many people will remember, he first, back in 2011, ended up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, and he fled to the embassy because he was facing sexual assault charges at the time that were potentially being brought in Sweden. And so he fled and hid in the Ecuadorian embassy. The Ecuadorian government gave him asylum there.

I would leave this embassy, you know, it's a it's a it's a bit of a prison in some way.

He wasn't able to to leave the embassy. He could only go outside onto the balcony. He was basically living in these few rooms for seven years, but he eventually was arrested because in 2019, the Ecuadorian government tired of having him there. And the trouble that he was causing for them. They evicted him and he was arrested on the steps by the British police, who'd been waiting for seven years for that moment for basically violating his bail conditions. The US then unveiled a sealed indictment charging him with conspiring to steal classified information with Chelsea manning.

We need more means of being able to safely and securely reveal government wrongdoing. You decide to risk your career to break the law. What was it that you were seeing that compelled you to do that? I stopped seeing just statistics and information, and I started seeing people.

And then a.

Few months later, and this was all under the Trump administration, they suddenly brought what's called a superseding indictment. And in this superseding indictment, there were 17 additional charges of violating the Espionage Act. And it was those charges that particularly alarmed people in the US, in the media, in the US. I should say, and press freedom advocates, because by prosecuting Assange very broadly under the Espionage Act, you potentially were creating this precedent that meant that any journalist in any news organization, including ABC, for example, who published classified information, government secrets, you too could potentially be prosecuted under the Espionage Act, that is, as a spy. If this went to trial in the US, suddenly all of that could be in play. And so there is the question to go back to why now? You know, it would have been a very explosive trial in the US. It would have been one of the biggest media freedom trials in decades in the US. And I think there's a question, you know, does the Justice Department, does the Biden administration want that?

I think basically both sides have sort of exhausted themselves. I think many people feel that he has already been heavily punished. But as you say, I think the other thing is, of course, that from his perspective, this is a victory.

I like that makes much more sense. Like you're the first person to explain it to me clearly, that the Biden administration does not want this huge trial over press freedoms to come to our shores, especially when they've had so much trouble, even like getting him behind bars in the first place. And so now you just, I guess, let this go away. But I think the question will be, what is the future for Julian Assange, and does he have any endeavors that he wants to pursue now in this new chapter? All right. Patrick Revill reporting on the surprise ending in this long case. Thank you so much. Thanks, bud. Next up on Start Here. The war in Gaza has upended countless lives. Could it also upend the progressive movement in America, its primary day after the break?

I experienced a lot of rejection. A lot of heartache. I'm a tough woman, but it's not easy. You're gonna feel lonely. There was a lot of personal stuff in my life that was really falling apart. But Mom and dad didn't raise no quitter.

Not everybody makes it.

It's taken me a really long time to even get to this moment.

The CMA Award for album of the year.

For Female Vocalist.

Of the year.

Entertainer of the.

Year goes to. Lainey. Lainey. Lainey. Wilson.

That was a mic drop.

Blazing a trail. Hey, entertainer of the year, baby.

What she is doing right now is changing country music.

Wow. I'm proud of myself, I really am. I have worked my ass off. Now it's time to see what's next. I do see the bell bottoms in the hat as my superhero outfit.

Thursday on the day of their first debate. Stream ABC News Live for all the breaking pre-debate details and coverage. Then, at 7 p.m. Eastern Stream, a special debate edition of ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis and at eight eastern, David Muir and the ABC news special, The Race for the white House. And then watch the CNN presidential debate simulcast streaming live on ABC News Live. And stay with ABC News Live for the instant reaction and all the fallout after the debate all night.

You're watching America's number one streaming news, ABC news live breaking news exclusives live reporting across the globe. Keep streaming with ABC News Live. More Americans choose ABC news America's number one news source.

We know who's running for president, right? I'm pretty confident we have covered that here before. But later today, voters will head to the polls in states like Colorado, Utah, South Carolina and New York. When results come in there, it's probably not the candidates at the top of the ballot that are going to turn heads. It's the down ballot races. And right now, voters are living in a divided country facing divisive issues that started. Out this weekend in Southern California, protesters gathered outside a synagogue and tried to block the entrance. This is a predominantly Jewish neighborhood. pro-Israel demonstrators soon arrived, and what followed was a chaotic, even violent scene.

People were scared to come in, people prevented to come in. We had to sneak our members inside.

I've said it many times being Jewish does not necessarily mean someone supports the foreign state of Israel like there were people in the synagogue that could have very well agreed with protesters, which then when you see people waiting for you as you arrive at your place of worship might make you think, wow, these people aren't just here for my political views. They might hate my religion or my race. Well, in the face of flashpoints like this, we are seeing more and more congressional races that would ordinarily be pretty straightforward become really contentious affairs. And one of them, in New York, has a member of the young progressive group of lawmakers known as the squad, fighting for his political life. Political analysts across the country are now asking whether races like these could upend the Democratic Party. We could get a hint later tonight. So let's check in with ABC's political reporter Brittany Shepard, who's in New York City this morning where she's been following this race. Brittany, what is the campaign we're talking about and why is it so high stakes?

Well, Brad, I want to say, much like the weather here in New York right now, this race is getting really heated, probably the most heated I've been all cycle and the most heated, you know, a primary has been since the launch of all of this. This is the race for New York's 16 congressional district, as is some of where your eagle eared listeners may know. Redistricting has happened this year in New York, has tried and tried and tried again to redraw their districts. Now they've finally settled. This new district covers from what I, hailing from Long Island, would call upstate, but is probably more accurately spanning from the north of the Bronx Yonkers area up to Westchester. In this new district there is a wide array of backgrounds, race, and income here. It's a newer district for incumbent Congressman Jamaal Bowman since New York set their new district boundaries right. And it has come to really underscore what some of the factions are within the Democratic Party, especially around the Israel-hamas War.

But who are the players here? Let me set that up.

The district, the American people and the world are with us.

So on one.

Side, we have Jamaal Bowman. He's a staunch progressive. He has ties to the Democratic Socialists of America. He's a black former schoolteacher and has called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. That's probably the most important detail in his intro.

We are not going to stand silent. Well, you want tax dollars kills babies and women and children.

Bowman has been one of Capitol Hill's most vocal critics of Israel. He's referred to the IDF operation in Gaza as a genocide, and he's also, crucially, called reports where Hamas committed sexual violence on October 7th as propaganda. He since apologized for that claim, but he still supported that national boycott, divest and sanction movement that bled into so many universities, people boycotting McDonald's and Starbucks that swept the nation. And that is the real heart of this race, because kind of out of nowhere for so many people. Enters Westchester County Executive George Latimer.

If you think that the way I have been a legislator and an executive and the results that we have represent what you think you should have representing you in Washington, then I'm there as a choice. Who's this guy?

Well, Latimer has represented parts of Westchester County for some time since 2005. He says he's a progressive, but if you look at him, you watch his ads. He's a little bit less animated than Bowman. I think you could say he's more moderate on a slurry of issues, including that of Israel Palestine, to focus.

Solely on Israel. And Israel's response to what Hamas did is to make the victim the aggressor.

Latimer has really tried to toe the line here. He says he supports a two state solution, but hasn't gone so far as to say cease fire now, which Bowman has been saying again and again and again.

I've called for a permanent ceasefire very early on. Why? Because we need peace. We need diplomacy. To him.

Any bargaining done would have to be done with Hamas, which he completely condemns. My opponent supports genocide. Bowman has tried to attack Latimer on this, refusing to condemn Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Latimer has received barbs, sent barbs. It's been a whole mess.

Well, and what's so interesting, Brittany, and you mentioned it how there are different types of. Democrats in every race, right? But particularly in this race, this part of, you know, New York, you got your your white suburbanites and then your folks from the Bronx, when you have people representing all these different groups, how nasty has this campaign become?

Well, it's brought Hillary Clinton out of retirement for endorsing and races. We haven't heard her name thrown around in the primary much these days. She's actually endorsed Latimer in the last few weeks, the 11th hour of this primary, while progressives like Senator Bernie Sanders, rep, AOC and others of the squad are circling their wagons around Bowman, they.

Really, really.

Really want him to win. And they believe that the progressive message is kind of on the line here.

They want him out because he's not bought. He's not owned by anybody because he knows that his primary fidelity.

And duty is to our community, our people. And this divide has.

Led to what I could only appropriately describe on air as, let's say, gobs of cash being infused in this race. That is a gross understatement. And I think this is where the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, what we in politics referred to as AIPAC, really comes into play.

We cannot have a democracy if big money continues to control politics. And George Latimer, with all due respect, is in the pocket of big money.

AIPAC has been Latimer's most powerful supporter by far. By no estimation. There's no contest.

Here.

George Latimer is putting people ahead of personal agendas and delivering real, progressive results.

The organization's funding operation, called the United Democracy Project PAC, their PAC to raise money alone, makes up for 60% of all ad spending in this race, which as of now, as of this recording, clocks in at an eye popping $23 million total. Can we take a breath here for a second, Brad? No exaggeration when I say this, this race is on track to be the most expensive house primary to date of all time. Point blank.

And it's because, like you said, the pro-Israel folks are the ones spending the most of the most of those gobs.

Yes, almost all of it, 60% of it. And then, you know, some from this PAC here, some from this PAC there, and a lot, you know, just from, you know, in, in district spending just from supporters, small dollar donations. But clearly Bowman is getting buried by cash intake and scared to death. And he addresses at this huge rally he had in the South Bronx. It was so hot. I was there standing listening to him make his final fight, his final plea. But they are the money.

We are the mighty. But he also.

Said, quite controversially, they are the money, we are the mighty, they are the money, we are the many. And that's given some pause to members of the Jewish community. Brad, one individual told me that this line perpetuates an age old antisemitic trope about Jewish people and money. Rabbis of the district have called us and told us they feel abandoned, and that kind of brash language could really cost him dearly.

Well, and we always talk about like, voters are heading to the polls today, lots of early votes for this race are already in, and we're actually seeing higher than usual percentage of votes already completed in areas that you'd identify as more conservative and even more Jewish in terms of demographics. So which is why, I guess you got people really thinking this is alarm bell time for Jamaal Bowman if he loses Brittany. I mean, the squad basically formed when you had these young upstart progressives taking down establishment figures. But what a lot of people forget is they haven't lost the seat since then. That's what's made them so powerful. They've retained their seats. What happens if Jamaal Bowman becomes the first one of the squad to be like, whoops, I lost.

Well, the brand is on shaky ground. You know, I spoke to Bernie Sanders over the weekend, I would say the elder statesman of the squad who was at that rally in the Bronx, who was around AOC, and he told me that this was one of the most important elections in the modern history of this country. That includes 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential elections. I said all this for a House primary, Bernie, are you serious? But he says that all of this outside money is proof to him of corporate greed and interest in politics.

It will send a message to every single member of Congress that if you want to stand up for working people, you want to take on the drug companies or the insurance companies or the big money interests. Don't do it because the billionaires will take you down. But I brought.

This to AIPAC. They don't agree with this at all. They say they support progressives all around the country. But if you look at the deluge of money coming in, if you're a candidate, progressive or not, who is totally grassroots, you could totally get buried by outside spending. And I think this is a place this is New York, right? It is trending more conservative maybe, than people would expect. But in the city it's a Democrat. It's Democrat can be white. If you can't coalesce this district as a progressive, your brand might be in some real trouble.

Well, and not even just the money, right? I mean, it's also just a reminder that of all the issues, like there are so many things that can fracture a party for this to be the thing that the issue, the war in Gaza. It is causing so much division in the party. Really tells you something about how seriously Americans take this issue. All right. Brittany Shepard in New York City be watching this tonight. Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, one more quick break. When we come back, gold medals are formed with heat. Maybe the medalists will be too. One last thing is next.

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I should hit it in the nose. Well, you don't need to hit it. I'm on a quest to find out why these apex predators. That's amazing. Are swiping fishermen's hard earned catches? What? You saw that shark beach with Anthony Mackie?

That's our fish. Look at that. Part of the sharpest four week celebration this summer. Shark Fest starts Sunday at nine on National Geographic.

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Reporting from the Kennedy Space Center where we.

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And one last thing. Hot enough for you?

I've never been this hot in my entire life. I drink two gallons of water yesterday.

It is so oppressive. It's so hot. It's so wet that you can't breathe and everything is sticking to you.

This week, the country continues to see the fallout from severe heat waves. And even if your area wasn't that badly affected, you know what it's like to be out in the elements exercising, working your hardest. Then you get home. You just want to veg out in some air conditioning. Well, imagine now if you were a professional athlete. Earlier this year, organizers for the Paris Olympics said they wanted to have the greenest games in history, the most environmentally friendly in London.

There were 4,000,000l of diesel used and we are aiming for, you know, as close to zero as possible.

As part of that, they built their Olympic Village apartments with no air conditioning. Well, that apparently left team USA steaming, and in recent days they've informed organizers they will be bringing their own portable ax, whether the French like it or not.

As you can imagine, this is a period of time in which, um, consistency and predictability is critical for team USA's performance.

USA Olympic and Paralympic CEO Sarah Kirkland said athletes can't be expected to perform their best if they're sweltering at night. She said athletes themselves had expressed concern to her about this.

Something that the athletes felt was a was a critical component in their performance capability and the predictability and consistency of what they're accustomed to. And so, yes, we will have air conditioners.

Now, France says they have made design choices to keep athletes cool without the use of these harmful greenhouse gasses that you get from Aces. They have this whole geothermal system where pipes will circulate cold air right beneath the athletes floorboards and say between regular fans and window shades, the doors should never get hotter than 79 degrees. To which athletes said, wait, 79 degrees. There are cultural differences. France is famously averse to air conditioning. Only 1 in 10 French homes have AC, and in Paris the numbers are even lower. It's not uncommon to hear a Parisian say they'd rather sit in the heat than breathe dry, processed air. But this policy and the backlash to it now could have unintended consequences. Portable ACS are less environmentally efficient than one large in-house system, and now you're creating a situation where athletes from better funded programs can beat the heat, while competitors from poorer nations might not be able to afford it. Some equipment, like fencers swords, can be affected if they're stuck in a humid room for too long.

And it's not just the U.S. that's worried about this. Other nations like Australia say they too will suck it up and buy some portable ACS.

It's a massive.

Logistical piece, but yes, we're looking at portable air conditioners to offer.

On the other hand, maybe this could turn into a good thing for athletes. Olympic villages have always been a place to meet people from other cultures. Now you can imagine, win or lose, the athletes with a CS will get gold medals for popularity. Like I never understood this until today. They're apparently 1.5 billion air conditioners in the world. A third of them are in China. Almost a quarter are here in the U.S. Europe has like 6% of the world's air conditioners. They just don't use them. Hey big shout out to ABC's Alex Mallin who along with Patrick Revill has been reporting on this big Assange plea agreement. He'll have much more today on abcnews.com. And as always big shout out to Anne Flaherty for filling in for a couple of days while I got some R&R and bringing better puns than I do. I'm furious. I'm Fred Mielke. I'll see you tomorrow.

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You're streaming ABC News Live.

Right now on America this morning. The flooding emergency in the Midwest. Dramatic video showing a dam on the brink of collapse, entire communities underwater after days of heavy rain, with more on the way.

Breaking news involving Julian Assange, the man accused in one of the largest publications of classified information in U.S. history, the expected plea deal making him a free man.

Closing arguments in the murder trial of Karen Reed, accused of killing her police officer boyfriend. What both sides are expected to argue today before the jury decides her fate.

Medical milestone A man gets an organ transplant while fully awake. What it means for future medical procedures.

Plus a teenager recovering after he was bitten by a shark.

The wave hit us in a few seconds later. I just bit me.

The interview from his hospital bed describing the attack.

Addicted to coffee. The new study that says it could be in your genes.

And the Florida Panthers win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. The emotional moments after the game and celebrations in South Florida well into the morning.

From ABC news. This is America this morning.

Good morning everyone I'm Andrew Dymburt.

Good morning to you I'm Rhiannon ally. We begin with the flooding emergency in the upper Midwest.

Torrential recent rain has led to dangerous flooding that's now being blamed for at least two deaths in South Dakota and Iowa. Meanwhile, officials in southern Minnesota are keeping a close eye on a dam that is said to be an imminent failure condition. ABC's Lionel Moise reports.

This morning.

Record breaking floods are threatening to burst the Rapid Van Dam in the upper Midwest. Officials warning families near Mankato, Minnesota, along the Blue Earth River to be ready to evacuate. Storms dumped nearly 18in of rain engulfing neighborhoods, leaving structures barely hanging on.

It's been a very long night.

Yeah. Now the threat of our house, my family house, my where I grew up, is threatened by the force of Mother Nature, the water. And, um. You're not stopping Mother Nature.

Rain and debris, like trees falling and metal from a destroyed energy substation are straining conditions. Officials are now warning the dam is in imminent failure condition. This video shows the remnants after flooding caused a rail bridge connecting Iowa and South Dakota to partially collapse.

This railway bridge ripped apart by that raging river. You see the gushing water? Officials say it crested at 45ft. That's historic levels, forcing many that live nearby to evacuate.

Barriers were built to withstand just 46ft overnight. President Biden declaring a major disaster in Iowa, unlocking federal funds for cleanup and recovery efforts. This as high temperatures persist nationwide, with excessive heat warnings in the West and triple digits in parts of the South. In Raleigh, North Carolina, one ice company has had to ramp up production and hire more drivers to meet demand as people try to stay cool.

We normally have this full, as you can see that the weekend we've done is quite a bit of a business this weekend.

As for the rapid, van dam officials still don't know if the dam will totally fail or if it will be able to withstand the strain with all the rain and debris. Also, a flash flood warning still in place today. Brandon. Andrew.

All right. Lionel. Thank you to that. Now to the other major story. We are following a plea deal for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. According to newly released court documents, Assange has agreed to plead guilty, resolving charges federal prosecutors brought against him for publishing of classified documents. In exchange for that, he will avoid any prison time. ABC's Perry Russell is in Washington with the latest on this. Good morning. Perry.

Brianna, good morning to you. For years, the US government has been trying to prosecute Julian Assange.

Now it appears that Chase is over.

After more than a decade of.

Evading the US Department of.

Justice. In just a matter of days, Julian Assange is.

Expected to be a free man, according to court documents unsealed last night, the Wikileaks founder, now 52 years old, will plead guilty to a single felony count under the US Espionage Act in exchange will be sentenced to time served after spending the last five years in a British prison fighting extradition.

The cost of Julian, of course, has been to deprive of freedom for all these years in the battle for journalistic freedom.

Wikileaks releasing this video of Assange said to be boarding a flight out of London. After the deal with the DOJ was made, federal prosecutors accused Assange of publishing secret military documents and videos from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with the help of Chelsea manning, who at the time was an army intelligence analyst.

In our release of these 400,000 documents about the Iraq War, the intimate detail of that war from the US perspective, we hope to correct some of that attack on the truth.

Assange is run from prosecution included years of hiding in Ecuador's embassy in London, his wife speaking outside prison before his release.

What starts now with Julian Freedom is a new chapter.

The Australian is a polarizing global figure.

I don't think you can go around, um, publishing very, very confidential information and expect to get away with it.

We all deserve to know the truth about what goes on in this world. And I think he was very brave.

And the plea deal still has to be approved by a judge. That court date is on Wednesday in Saipan, an island north of Guam. That's a US territory. Andrew.

All right, Perry, thank you. One of President Biden's plans to ease student loan debt has hit a judicial roadblock. Federal judges in Kansas and Missouri have stopped key elements of the Save plan, which ties payment to borrowers incomes. Republican led states claim the president didn't have the authority to enact the plan. The white House has vowed to fight the ruling.

Well, with the big debate now just two days away, former President Trump spent the night courting donors in New Orleans. Guests at the fundraiser told ABC news that Trump made little mention of the debate, but he did express confidence about his performance. Trump is also ramping up calls for President Biden to take a drug test, claiming he will use performance enhancing drugs before taking the stage to stay alert. The Biden camp dismissed the claim as desperate lies. Biden's team fanned out across the. Yesterday to mark the second anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v Wade. Vice President Kamala Harris made stops in Maryland and Phoenix, placing the blame squarely on Donald Trump, saying women know what's in their best interest.

We know the former president, Donald Trump, hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v Wade, and they did as he intended. And now we see these laws.

President Biden remains at Camp David preparing for the debate with more than a dozen aides. Stay with ABC for the simulcast of the CNN presidential debate that is Thursday night, starting at eight eastern, right here on ABC.

Now to the murder trial of Karen Reed, the Massachusetts woman accused of running down her police officer boyfriend with her SUV. After nearly two months of testimony, Reed's fate could be in the hands of the jury today. This morning. Closing arguments are set to begin in the trial of Karen Reed, the woman accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe. Prosecutors argue after a night of drinking and fighting in January of 2022, Reed intentionally hit O'Keefe with her SUV and left him to die in the snow in canton, Massachusetts. During the trial, lawyers showed text messages revealing possible trouble in their relationship and played this police dashcam of Reed at the scene.

She kept saying, um, this is all my fault, this is my fault. I did this.

But the defense claims Reed is being framed in a police coverup, saying O'Keefe was beaten and attacked by a dog inside the home of another Boston police officer. Reed spoke to our Matt Gutman before the trial.

I think things went too far. It was late. There was alcohol involved. But they're all family and there's there's many of them involved.

On the stand yesterday, an independent expert cast doubt on prosecutors claims, saying if O'Keefe had been hit by a vehicle, the injuries would have been more severe.

It's not consistent with getting hit by the car and ending up where he did. We don't really have enough evidence in this case to determine what one specific event actually caused that injury.

Reed has pled not guilty to second degree murder. She faces life in prison if convicted. The case has divided the canton community and social media.

The biggest challenge that this jury has is there's not a lot of direct.

Evidence, evidence.

That specifically shows something. Has the state proven its burden that beyond a reasonable doubt, she absolutely hit the deceased officer with her vehicle. If the jury finds any reason, any little bit of doubt, they cannot convict her.

Each side will have one hour to make their closing arguments before jury deliberations begin.

Well, the cargo ship that caused the collapse of the Key Bridge has left Baltimore. The dolly is now headed to Virginia, where its containers will be unloaded and the ship will undergo repairs. Investigators say the dollies power system failed before it struck the bridge in March, causing it to collapse.

Time now for a look at your morning weather. Good morning. A scorcher of a Tuesday.

Many of us are going to be up around 100 degrees this afternoon, if not hotter in Saint Louis. Wichita. Little Rock Atlanta will be close 96 there 98. Nashville, El Paso 107. Some spots, like Greenville and Greenwood, Mississippi, will likely have their hottest June 25th in the record books. And as we look ahead to tomorrow, Wednesday, there will be another surge of heat briefly back into the Mid-Atlantic states with AccuWeather real field temperatures back above 100 degrees for AccuWeather. I'm Jeff Cornish for ABC news.

Coming up, a police officer running into a burning building without hesitation to save a life.

Also ahead, the family desperate for answers after a Chicago woman goes missing while in the Bahamas. What police are now saying.

And a patient gets an organ transplant while fully awake. What the medical milestone means for future transplants. Let's go. The ship is incredible. It feels like living in a science fiction movie.

We just saw what no one has seen before.

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Get ready America every Friday the hottest trends, styles and must have. What's the right stuff to buy right now? I really love that it's time to buy the right stuff. Yes, and save big time to the right stuff. Fridays on GMA. You're gonna love it.

Friday night, essentially, you were the target of one of the biggest hoaxes perpetrated.

On America in years.

The married mother of two vanishing.

Without a trace Sherri Papini, Sherri.

Papini, Sherri.

Papini.

She was the love of his life. Now Keith Papini, after seven years of silence, is sitting down.

When I saw the look in her eyes, I felt in that moment she was lying.

I know that you know everything.

Why would she do all of this? Is that.

Evil or.

Is it just sick? The new 2020 Friday night on ABC.

Whenever, wherever news breaks. It's so important to always remember that lives are changed here in London, in Buffalo, Uvalde, Texas. Edinburgh, Scotland. Reporting from Rolling Fork, Mississippi. Ukrainian refugees here in Warsaw. We're heading to a small community outside of Mexico City, getting you behind the stories as they happen. ABC News Live Prime. We'll take you there.

Stream ABC news live weeknights wherever you stream your news, only on ABC News Live. ABC's David Muir. The most watched newscast in America. More Americans watch World News Tonight with David Muir than any other newscast.

We're back with the family of a missing Chicago woman heading to the Bahamas, where she was vanished, where she vanished last week. Police say she hasn't been seen since Wednesday, according to her family's Facebook page. The 41 year old was attending a yoga retreat near Paradise Island in January. The State Department issued a travel warning for the Bahamas related to crime and other issues.

Well, imagine getting a kidney transplant and being awake through the entire process. It happened in Chicago, and doctors say this procedure is a game changer. This morning, a medical milestone in Chicago.

Are you awake, John?

28 year old John Nicholas is now the first patient at Northwestern Medical to undergo a kidney transplant while fully awake.

It's just a boost of energy to the team to be able to look back and say, we potentially change the way that kidney transplant can be done instead.

Of general anesthesia, which is typically used for this surgery. Doctors gave Nicholas a single spinal anesthesia shot similar to what's used during a C-section. The entire procedure was performed in less than two hours.

We placed the spinal in the operating room with a little bit of sedation, and then that was the main anesthetic. It was incredibly simple and uneventful.

The revolutionary surgery paving the way for life saving kidney transplants in patients who can't have general anesthesia, while also cutting hospitalization for kidney transplants from three days to just 24 hours.

Give an incredible gift to a friend. As always, a good feeling in your heart.

That's 29 year old Pat wise, Nicholas donor and best friend since elementary school. Weiss says when he got a text about donating, he didn't hesitate to sign up.

We've always said to each other that we're ride or die friends, and you know that that we're always kind of with each other for for life. But, you know, actually having such a bona fide example where we've got each other's back, like, it just it meant the world to me.

Wow, what an incredible story. And now northwestern is looking to establish a new program for patients who also need a kidney transplant without general anesthesia. Pretty incredible story coming up here from a 14 year old who survived a shark attack off North Carolina.

Also ahead, the party still underway in South Florida after the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup.

Whenever news breaks.

We are here in Israel, a nation at war. After that brutal surprise attack by Hamas.

On the ground in Ukraine, reporting from Lewiston, Maine.

The scene of a horrific mass shooting.

ABC News Live is right there everywhere from the scene of that deadly missile strike.

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Dogs out, please.

I don't think he shouldn't give you a hard time.

Even if he gives me a hard time, I'm the right guy.

I want to make sure that we all learn together.

Calm. Confident.

Calm. Confident. Calm. Surrender.

Everything that he's taught has become a reality. Yeah. We are so grateful and impressed. I feel like crying. You changed our world.

It is a beautiful.

Thing to see.

As you rehabilitate the dog, you also rehabilitate you.

What does it take to be the most watched newscast in America?

We are part of an operation. This is our combat operations center.

We're approaching the gate. Militants came in from different directions. Reactor. So you have a couple loaded and ready to go. The house is destroyed, but the flag got.

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Made the USA great work.

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ABC's World News Tonight with David Muir is America's most watched newscast.

Let's go. The ship is incredible. It feels like living in a.

Science fiction movie.

We just saw what.

No one has seen before.

We are heading into the unknown.

Hammer, hammer, hammer. It doesn't get any.

More cutting edge. And this.

We're back now with a heroic police officer caught on camera saving a life. Officer Kevin Long pulled a man from a burning apartment in new Jersey as smoke filled the building. He was on duty at a nearby shopping center when the call came in.

Glad they're all okay. Summer vacation for 114 year old from West Virginia included a terrifying encounter with a shark. Blaine Brown says he was in waist deep water with a friend on Sunday on North Carolina's North Topsail Beach when the friend took off. He says before he knew it, Brown had been bitten on the leg and the ankle.

Then I saw the bike down. They are so scared and shocked and like no one was around me. I had to walk out like of the beach by myself. Then I just laid down and just also scared.

Wow. Brown is still recovering at a local hospital. His scare happened the same day a surfer and actor who appeared in one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies was killed by a shark in Hawaii. Tamayo Perry was killed by a shark while working as a lifeguard on Oahu.

Fans of the Florida Panthers were celebrating well into this morning after the team captured its first ever Stanley Cup with a dramatic win over the Edmonton Oilers. This morning, a new champion is crowned in the NHL. The Florida Panthers, winning their first ever Stanley Cup in a winner take all game seven over the Edmonton Oilers Monday night. The fact.

That it was so hard makes it.

So special. Fans in South Florida savoring the moment.

I have no words. In 30 years, we've been waiting for this.

A gripping finale capping off an instant classic of a playoff series, the Panthers striking first with a goal from Carter Verjee. They score, but just some two minutes later, the Oilers would respond, tying this all or nothing showdown. Here's Janmaat get alone in scores. But it was the Panthers winger Sam Reinhart, a second period goal that would prove to be the game, series and championship winner. Florida had a three games to none lead in the series, but the Oilers fiercely rallied back to tie it up three three. The Panthers win, averting what would have been one of the most unprecedented collapses in sports history. Instead, the Panthers etching their own legacy. Panthers general manager Bill Zito. When the moment sinks in.

It's really humbling.

And for Matthew Gottschalk, he accomplishes something. His father, five time NHL All-Star Keith, could not, hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup, getting.

Walked up by my dad and brother.

And all I wanted to do was win it for those two especially.

But it was captain in longest tenured Panthers Sasha Barkov, who received the highest honor for a championship winning team, being the first to hold the Cup. Connor McDavid won the Conn Smythe Award for the best player in the playoffs. He's the first player since 1976 to win the award on a team that lost in the final.

A big congrats to Panthers fans, including Andrew here. Coming up, the best coach in baseball. And it wasn't even a player who made it.

Plus addicted to coffee. The new study that says it could be in your genes.

Next. Let's go.

The ship is incredible. It feels like living in a science fiction movie.

We just saw what.

No one has seen before.

Look at that. Oh my gosh.

We are heading into the unknown.

Hammer, hammer, hammer. It doesn't get any more cutting edge. And this.

Hi, I'm Andy and.

I'm Sabrina, and we're moms juggling tons of stuff every day. Like all you moms out there. And you know what? We love really love pop culture. So listen now to our new podcast, Pop Culture Moms, wherever you get your podcasts.

With so much at stake, so much on the line, more Americans turn here than any other newscast. ABC News World News Tonight with David Muir, America's number one most watched newscast across all of television. Why do so many people start their day here.

From ABC news? This is start here to be in the know.

And get a different take on the day's top stories. A lot of.

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Get into it.

Listen now to the daily news podcast honored with for Edward Are Murrow. Awards and see why. The New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to. Start here ABC news make it your daily first listen.

Now that's a part of the story I bet you didn't see coming.

Wherever you get your podcasts, start here.

Friday night, essentially, you were the target of one of the biggest hoaxes perpetrated on America in years.

The married mother of two vanishing without a.

Trace Sherri Papini, Sherri.

Papini, Sherri Papini.

She was the love of his life. Now Keith Papini, after seven years of silence, is sitting down.

When I saw the look in her eyes, I felt in that moment she was lying.

I know that you know everything.

Why would she do.

All of this? Is that evil or is it just sick?

The new 2020 Friday night on ABC.

Reporting from Arizona State Capitol. I'm Elizabeth Schultz. Wherever the story is, we'll take you there.

You're streaming ABC news Live. Time to check the pulse. We begin with those who just cannot do without your cup of coffee.

Researchers at UC San Diego say your coffee habits may actually be in your genes. They identified genetic variants associated with excessive coffee consumption after studying DNA scans of more than 100,000 people.

The study also found that people genetically likely to drink more coffee are also more likely to use alcohol, nicotine and other drugs.

Next, two giant pandas are set up for their big trip from China to the U.S. they'll.

Leave China tomorrow on a 7300 mile trip to the San Diego Zoo, and more pandas are coming to the US at zoos in San Francisco, Memphis, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. the panda program between the US and China was paused amid tension between the two countries, but new agreements were reached to restart it next. A baseball fan who was in the right place at the right time.

He was at Baltimore's Camden Yards last night, a foul ball down the right field line, and Tim Beyer snagged it while holding a drink and a phone in his other hand. Now, he played high school baseball and says this was his first foul ball in 30 years of going to games. And not to be outdone are the Phillies, who executed the season's first triple play against the Tigers. The pitcher got a weak line drive for the first out. The runners at first and third were then caught off base, and finally Mattel's new toy.

The action figure honors Jimmy Buffett's role in the 2015 film Jurassic World. But don't blink or you'll miss his cameo. The musician is the man in orange running from some of the dinos while, yes, holding margaritas. And now Mattel is putting out an action figure of Buffett from the film. And yes, it even includes many drinks and even a salt shaker.

Salt shaker with. So you need.

To keep hold of those when you're running from dinosaurs.

Stop headlines next.

Whenever news breaks.

We are here in Israel, a nation at war.

Enrolling for this tornado tore through this town.

From Lewiston, Maine.

The scene of a horrific mass shooting.

From the scene of.

That deadly missile strike.

ABC News Live everywhere in Iceland. Let's go.

2024 campaign trail here at ten Downing Street.

Wherever the story is, we're going to.

Take you there. You're streaming ABC News.

Live, ABC News Live.

You're streaming ABC News Live.

ABC News Live. Dreaming free everywhere.

Let's go. The ship is incredible. It feels like living in a.

Science fiction movie.

We just saw what no one has seen before.

Uh, look at that.

We are heading into the unknown.

Hammer, hammer, hammer. It doesn't get any more cutting edge. And.

If you were.

Coming of age in the 1980s, the Brat Pack was near the center.

Of your cultural awareness.

But for those of us experiencing it from the inside, the Brat Pack was something very different.

If you could have.

A Brat Pack may.

Not exist, would you?

I hated the Brat Pack. What a.

Disaster.

Why did we take it as an offense?

But now I can say we were the Beatles.

Well, we didn't fail. Shea Stadium, 1985.

I think we could.

Today, Thursday, on the day of their first debate. Stream ABC News Live for all the breaking pre-debate details and coverage. Then, at 7 p.m. Eastern Stream, a special debate edition of ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis and at eight eastern, David Muir and the ABC news special The Race for the white House. And. Then watch the CNN presidential debate simulcast streaming live on ABC News Live, and stay with ABC News Live for the instant reaction and all the fallout after the debate all night.

Checking more top stories now. Officials in southern Minnesota are keeping a very close eye on a dam that is said to be at risk of imminent failure. Recent storms dumped nearly 18in of rain, creating record breaking flooding. Nearby. Residents have been told to be ready to evacuate.

Louisiana's new law requiring that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every classroom is facing its first major legal challenge. Civil liberties groups and parents filed a lawsuit seeking to block the law, saying it sends a message that some religions are superior to others.

Major music labels, including Sony and Warner Records, are suing two AI song generating companies for copyright infringement. The AI companies are accused of stealing artists work to train their models. Neither company has publicly revealed its training data.

Today's weather heat alerts are up from California to Colorado. Heavy rain in the southwest could create flash flooding. Also hot and rainy, from the Plains to the Midwest.

Finally, a father and son in New York City are going the extra mile to help people in need under ground.

ABC's Danny New has their story. Throughout the week in New York City, you may see this cooler, full of food and water being wheeled around by Henry Thomas and his son Carl.

Whether I have 20 people with me or just me and my son and one other person. You know, I'm here for a.

Group of volunteers is called Free Food for the homeless. And their mission is that simple. To collect donations and hand out as many meals as they can to folks who really appreciate the help.

I remember you were there. Yes. Thank you so much.

Henry first came up with this idea about ten years ago, but he didn't know exactly how he was going to start this movement. He just knew he needed to help people who were feeling like he once did.

Personally, I was homeless myself. I witnessed my mother experienced homelessness. You know, I know what it is firsthand experience to be out here in the street, to be overlooked, to be mistreated.

His son, Carl says he remembers in the beginning, taking trips to the supermarket to buy Bologna sandwiches to hand out. God bless you. But in the decade since, the team has gotten a lot of help through social media. People will donate online through places like Venmo and Go Fund Me and then see how their contributions materialize into a warm exchange.

We use hunger as the platform to connect human beings.

According to Feeding America org, about 44 million people in America are facing hunger, including 1 in 5 children. So while securing enough funding and food for his vision can still be challenging at times. Henry feels that he just can't stop.

I have to give my life for this.

So they are free food for the homeless if you want to help. And Henry is looking for volunteers to help expand the movement to the rest of the country. If you're interested and bring the program to your neighborhood guys. More volunteers would be great as this program expands. That's what's making news in America this morning.

Have a great day, everyone.

It's Tuesday, June 25th after years of court battles. Did Wikileaks win? We start here. Julian Assange gets a plea deal from the United States. Put an.

End also to this very, very long confinement.

By the world's most wanted keeper of state secrets won't have to serve a day in a U.S. prison. The presidential primary isn't in doubt, but Democrats are sweating today's contests.

They believe that.

The progressive message is kind of on the line here.

Could the squad lose its first member over the war in Gaza? And if you can't take the heat, stay out of the Olympic Village.

So yes, we will have air.

Conditioners.

The policy that has athletes torching organizers. From ABC news. This is start here. I'm Brad Mielke. Over the years, lots of people have spilled government secrets. This is how we know about some of our country's most controversial acts. I'm thinking Daniel Ellsberg with the Pentagon Papers, Edward Snowden, Chelsea manning. The most recent major case in the US is Jack Teixeira, who disseminated this tranche of intelligence about our military and the militaries of our allies. But perhaps no one has become synonymous with exposing the secrets of world leaders as Julian Assange. You don't even have to know his name. You know, Wikileaks.

This disclosure is about the truth. Oh, yeah. Look at that right through the windshield.

Back in 2006, as the US was mired in two wars and as the internet had become ubiquitous worldwide, Assange created this portal. He called it Wikileaks, for anyone to upload sensitive documents. His goal, he said, was radical transparency.

We estimate that when fully analyzed, these logs will bring to the public knowledge more than 15,000 previously unreported civilian deaths.

He's Australian, but he set it up in Iceland and he went to great lengths to keep out of reach of the various governments whose secrets he was now revealing. For the last several years, though, he's been in British custody, on the verge of being extradited to the US. Well, last night we learned of a plea agreement that could send Assange home for the first time in a decade without him stepping foot in a US prison. This document never showed up on Wikileaks because the U.S. has unsealed it overnight. So let's go to ABC's foreign correspondent Patrick Revill. He's been reporting on Assange for years now. He's interviewed the family. He's been at these extradition hearings. Patrick, it's all ending. Hey, Brad.

Yeah, it's hard to believe we're saying this really? Right. But, yes, it appears that we are at the end of the Assange saga. As you say, overnight, the US has revealed a plea deal with Assange that will see him essentially plead guilty to one count of violating the Espionage Act, and then he will be allowed to go home. He will be allowed most likely to go to Australia.

Wait, so, Patrick, what's he pleading guilty to? I guess end to end? To plead guilty, you have to come to an American courtroom then, right? So does he have to come to the US to do all this? Yeah.

So that was obviously an immediate question. Right. Um, when this came out, how will Assange be able to plead guilty? So our understanding is that Assange, through his lawyers, has agreed with the Justice Department to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information. But it's only one count. And Assange was facing 18 counts of violating the Espionage Act. And our understanding is that he will go to Saipan in the Mariana Islands, a US Commonwealth in the western Pacific, and that he and a federal court there will plead guilty. And then after that, our understanding is he will be able most likely just to walk free and go where he wishes.

I see, like we have courtrooms, we have federal courtrooms in these other territories, but this would not involve him coming to the US mainland. He can do one of those other ones.

Exactly. I think that appears to have been a key thing. I mean, we don't know, but the most likely explanation is that Assange is very worried about trusting the US government and doesn't believe that if he set foot in mainland America, he necessarily would still be able to make this plea deal and wouldn't find himself suddenly being put on trial. You know, the charges against him for a long time were kept secret. Um, they were only revealed once he he finally was arrested way back in 2019. But yeah, in short, this is a plea deal. The Biden administration appears to have finally come to an agreement to end this incredibly long saga and put an end also to this very, very long confinement that Julian Assange has faced for more than a decade. Yeah.

Well, Patrick, that's the thing. I get why Assange would want this to end, right? Like I get why maybe you'd plead guilty to this one thing. As long as you never have to go to prison, he finally gets to live as a free man. What's in it for the U.S.? I imagine there's lots of Americans who are like, hey, this guy found and then shared some of our most sensitive documents. Then, I mean, that's all early stuff. When a lot of people were concerned about the Iraq war. He then goes on to be someone who's, like US officials believe, taking intelligence from the Russians to influence American elections, like using selective hacks that favor one country over another. And now he goes home. He gets off scot free. Like, why would you agree to this from the American side?

You know, I think that's a very good question and one that we will have to be trying to find out more about in the days to come. But you know, first of all, I think many people would say that Julian Assange has not got off scot free. He spent more than a decade now in some form of confinement because, you know, as many people will remember, he first, back in 2011, ended up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, and he fled. Head to the embassy because he was facing sexual assault charges at the time that were potentially being brought in Sweden. And so he fled and hid in the Ecuadorian embassy. The Ecuadorian government gave him asylum there.

I would leave this embassy, you know, it's a it's a it's a bit of a prison in some way.

He wasn't able to to leave the embassy. He could only go outside onto the balcony. So he was basically living in these few rooms for seven years, but he eventually was arrested because in 2019, the Ecuadorian government tired of having him there and the trouble that he was causing for them. They evicted him and he was arrested on the steps by the British police, who'd been waiting for seven years for that moment for basically violating his bail conditions. The US then unveiled a sealed indictment charging him with conspiring to steal classified information with Chelsea manning. We need.

More means of being able to safely and securely reveal government wrongdoing, and you.

Decide.

To risk your career to break the law. What was it that you were seeing that compelled you to do that? I stopped seeing just statistics and information, and I started seeing people.

And then a few months later and this was all under the Trump administration. They suddenly brought what's called a superseding indictment. And in this superseding indictment, there were 17 additional charges of violating the Espionage Act. And it was those charges that particularly alarmed people in the US, in the media, in the US. I should say, and press freedom advocates, because by prosecuting Assange very broadly under the Espionage Act, you potentially were creating this precedent that meant that any journalist in any news organization, including ABC, for example, who published classified information, government secrets, you too could potentially be prosecuted under the Espionage Act, that is, as a spy. If this went to trial in the US, suddenly all of that could be in play. And so there is the question to go back to why now? You know, it would have been a very explosive trial in the US. It would have been one of the biggest media freedom trials in decades in the US. And I think there's a question, you know, does the Justice Department, does the Biden administration want that?

I think basically both sides have sort of exhausted themselves. I think many people feel that he has already been heavily punished. But as you say, I think the other thing is, of course, from his perspective, this is a victory.

I like that makes much more sense. Like you're the first person to explain it to me clearly, that the Biden administration does not want this huge trial over press freedoms to come to our shores, especially when they've had so much trouble, even like getting him behind bars in the first place. And so now you just, I guess, let this go away. But I think the question will be, what is the future for Julian Assange, and does he have any endeavors that he wants to pursue now in this new chapter? All right. Patrick Revell reporting on the surprise ending in this long case. Thank you so much. Thanks, Brad. Next up on Start Here. The war in Gaza has upended countless lives. Could it also upend the progressive movement in America, its primary day after the break?

With so much at stake, so much on the line, more Americans turn here than any other newscast. ABC News World News Tonight with David Muir. America's number one most watched newscast across all of television.

I experienced a lot of heartache. I'm a tough woman, but it's not easy. You're gonna feel lonely. It's taken me a really long time to even get to this moment. And the CMA Award.

For entertainer of.

The year goes to Lainey Wilson.

That was a mic drop. They entertainer of the year, baby.

I do see the Bellbottoms in the hat as my superhero outfit.

Since I'm Anthony Mackie. Like most fishermen, sharks used to terrify me. If the shard gets too close, that should hit it in the nose. Well, you don't need to hit it. I'm on a quest to find out why these apex predators. That's amazing. Are swiping fishermen's hard earned catches. What? You saw that shark beach with Anthony Mackie?

That's our fish. Look at that part of the showcase for week celebration this summer. Shark Fest starts Sunday at nine on National Geographic.

Hi, I'm Andy and I'm Sabrina, and we're moms juggling tons of stuff every day. Like all you moms out there. And you know what? We love really love pop culture. So listen now to our new podcast, Pop Culture Moms, wherever you get your podcast. First thing in the morning. There's a lot going on. We're still in a flash flood warning.

To catch you up with what happened.

Overnight. Police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters.

What's happening today? Escalating tensions in the Middle East. What?

People are talking about the migrant crisis.

Fast straight forward with.

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The buzzkill in baseball.

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America this morning.

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We know who's running for president, right? I'm pretty confident we have covered that here before. But later today, voters will head to the polls in states like Colorado, Utah, South Carolina and New York. When results come in there, it's probably not the candidates at the top of the ballot that are going to turn heads. It's the down ballot races. And right now, voters are living in a divided country facing divisive issues.

It's not about.

This weekend in Southern California, protesters gathered outside a synagogue and tried to block the entrance. This is a predominantly Jewish neighborhood. pro-Israel demonstrators soon arrived, and what followed was a chaotic, even violent scene.

People were scared to come in, people prevented to come in. We had to sneak our members inside.

I've said it many times being Jewish does not necessarily mean someone supports the foreign state of Israel. There were people in the synagogue that could have very well agreed with protesters, which then when you see people waiting for you as you arrive at your place of worship might make you think, wow, these people aren't just here for my political views. They might hate my religion or my race. Well, in the face of flashpoints like this, we are seeing more and more congressional races that would ordinarily be pretty straightforward become really contentious affairs. And one of them, in New York, has a member of the young progressive group of lawmakers known as the squad, fighting for his political life. Political analysts across the country are now asking whether races like these could upend the Democratic Party. We could get a hint later tonight. So let's check in with ABC's political reporter Brittany Shepard, who's in New York City this morning where she's been following this race. Brittany, what is the campaign we're talking about and why is it so high stakes?

Well, Brad, I want to say, much like the weather here in New York right now, this race is getting really heated. Probably the most heated I've been all cycle and the most heated, you know, a primary has been since the launch of all of this. This is the race for New York's 16th congressional district, as is some of where your eagle eared listeners may know. Redistricting has happened this year in New York, has tried and tried and tried again to redraw their districts. Now they've finally settled. This new district covers from what I, hailing from Long Island, would call upstate, but is probably more accurately spanning from the north of the Bronx Yonkers area up to Westchester. In this new district there is a wide array of backgrounds, race, and income here. It's a newer district for incumbent Congressman Jamaal Bowman since New York set their new district boundaries right. And it has come to really underscore what some of the factions are within the Democratic Party, especially around the Israel-hamas War.

But who are the players here? Let me set that up.

The district, the American people and the world are with us.

So on one.

Side we have Jamaal Bowman. He's a staunch progressive. He has ties to the Democratic Socialists of America. He's a black former schoolteacher and is called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. That's probably the most important detail in his intro.

We are not going to stand silent while U.S. tax dollars kills babies and. Women and children.

Bowman has been one of Capitol Hill's most vocal critics of Israel. He's referred to the IDF operation in Gaza as a genocide, and he's also, crucially, called reports where Hamas committed sexual violence on October 7th as propaganda. He's since apologized for that claim, but he's still supported that national boycott, divest and sanction movement that bled into so many universities, people boycotting McDonald's and Starbucks that swept the nation. And that is the real heart of this race, because kind of out of nowhere for so many people. Enters Westchester County Executive George Latimer.

If you think that the way I have been a legislator and an executive and the results that we have represent what you think you should have representing you in Washington, then I'm there as a choice. Who's this.

Guy? Well. Latimer has represented parts of Westchester County for some time since 2005. He says he's a progressive. But if you look at him, you watch his ads. He's a little bit less animated than Bowman. I think you could say he's more moderate on a slurry of issues, including that of Israel Palestine, to focus.

Solely on Israel. And Israel's response to what Hamas did is to make the victim the aggressor.

Latimer has really tried to toe the line here. He says he supports a two state solution, but hasn't gone so far as to say cease fire now, which Bowman has been saying again and again and again.

I've called for a permanent cease fire very early on. Why? Because we need peace. We need diplomacy. To him.

Any bargaining done would have to be done with Hamas, which he completely condemns. My opponent supports genocide. Bowman has tried to attack Latimer on this, refusing to condemn Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Latimer has received barbs, sent barbs. It's been a whole mess.

Well, and what's so interesting, Brittany, and you mentioned it, how there are different types of Democrats in every race. Right? But particularly in this race, this part of, you know, New York, you got your like, your white suburbanites and then your folks from the Bronx, when you have people representing all these different groups, how nasty has this campaign become?

Well, it's brought Hillary.

Clinton out of retirement for endorsing and races. We haven't heard her name thrown around in the primary much these days. She's actually endorsed Latimer in the last few weeks, the 11th hour of this primary, while progressives like Senator Bernie Sanders, rep. AOC and others of the squad are circling their wagons around Bowman, they.

Really, really.

Really want him to win. And they believe that the progressive message is kind of on the line here.

They want him out because he's not bought. He's not owned by anybody because he knows that his primary fidelity and duty is to our community, our people.

And this divide has.

Led to what I could only appropriately describe on air as, let's say, gobs of cash being infused in this race. That is a gross understatement. And I think this is where the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, what we in politics referred to as AIPAC, really comes into play.

We cannot have a democracy if big money continues to control politics. And George Latimer, with all due respect, is in the pocket of big money.

AIPAC has been Latimer's most powerful supporter by far. By no estimation. There's no contest here.

George Latimer is putting people ahead of personal agendas and delivering real, progressive results.

The organization's funding operation, called the United Democracy Project Pack they're packed to raise money alone, makes up for 60% of all ad spending in this race, which as of now, as of this recording, clocks in at an eye popping $23 million total. Can we take a breath here for a second, Brad? No exaggeration when I say this, this race is on track to be the most expensive house primary to date of all time. Point blank.

And it's because, like you said, the pro-Israel folks are the ones spending the most of the most of those gobs.

Yes, almost all of it, 60% of it. And then, you know, some from this PAC here, some from this PAC there, and a lot, you know, just from, you know, in, in district spending just from supporters, small dollar donations. But clearly Bowman is getting buried by cash.

Archaic and scared to death.

And he addresses at this huge rally he had in the South Bronx. It was so hot. I was there standing listening to him make his final fight, his final plea.

We are the mighty. But he also.

Said, quite controversially, they are the money, we are the mighty, they are the money, we are the many. And that's given some pause to members of the Jewish community. Brad, one individual told me that this line perpetuates an age old antisemitic trope about Jewish people and money. Rabbis of the district have called us and told us they feel abandoned, and that kind of brash language could really cost him dearly.

Well, and we always talk about like, voters are heading to the polls today, lots of early votes for this race are already in, and we're actually seeing higher than usual percentage of votes already completed in areas that you'd identify as more conservative and even more Jewish in terms of demographics. So which is why I guess you got people really thinking this is alarm bell time for Jamaal Bowman if he loses Brittany. I mean, the squad basically formed when you had these young upstart progressives taking down establishment figures. But what a lot of people forget is they haven't lost the seat since then. That's what's made them so powerful. They've retained their seats. What happens if Jamaal Bowman becomes the first one of the squad to be like, whoops, I lost.

Well, the brand is on shaky ground. You know, I spoke to Bernie Sanders over the weekend. I would say the elder statesman of the squad who was at that rally in the Bronx, who was around AOC, and he told me that this was one of the most important elections in the modern history of this country. That includes 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential elections. I said all this for a House primary, Bernie, are you serious? But he says that all of this outside money is proof to him of corporate greed and interest in politics.

It will send a.

Message to every single member of Congress that if you want to stand up for working people, you want to take on the drug companies or the insurance companies or the big money interests. Don't do it because the billionaires will take you down.

But I brought this to AIPAC. They don't agree with this at all. They say they support progressives all around the country. But if you look at the deluge of money coming in, if you're a candidate, progressive or not, who is totally grassroots, you could totally get buried by outside spending. And I think this is a place this is New York, right? It is trending more conservative maybe, than people would expect. But in the city, it's a Democrat. And a Democrat can be right. If you can't coalesce this district as a progressive, your brand might be in some real trouble.

Well, and not even just the money, right? I mean, it's also just a reminder that of all the issues, like, there are so many things that can fracture a party for this to be the thing that the issue, the war in Gaza that is causing so much division in the party, really tells you something about how seriously Americans take this issue. All right. Brittany Shepard in New York City be watching this tonight. Thank you, thank you. Okay, one more quick break. When we come back, gold medals are formed with heat. Maybe the medalists will be too. One last thing is next.

Whenever news breaks.

We are here in Israel, a nation at war.

In Rolling Fork, this tornado tore through this town.

From Lewiston, Maine.

The scene of a horrific mass shooting.

From the scene of.

That deadly missile strike.

ABC News Live everywhere in Iceland.

Let's go.

On the 2024 campaign trail here at ten Downing Street.

Wherever the story is, we're.

Going to take you there. You're streaming ABC News Live, ABC News Live.

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Let's go. The ship is incredible. It feels like living in a science fiction movie.

We just saw what.

No one has seen before.

We are heading into the unknown.

Hammer, hammer, hammer. It doesn't get any more cutting edge. And this.

With so much at stake, so much on the line, more Americans turn here than any other newscast. ABC News World News Tonight with David Muir. America's number one most watched newscast across all of television.

Hi, I'm Andy and I'm Sabrina, and we're moms juggling tons of stuff every day. Like all you moms out there. And you know what? We love really love pop culture. So listen now to our new podcast, Pop Culture Moms, wherever you get your podcast.

And one last thing. Hot enough for you?

I've never been this hot in my entire life. I drank two gallons of water yesterday.

It is so.

Oppressive. It's so hot. It's so wet that you can't breathe and everything is sticking to you.

This week, the country continues to see the fallout from severe heat waves. And even if your area wasn't that badly affected, you know what it's like to be out in the elements exercising, working your hardest. Then you get home. You just want to veg out in some air conditioning. Well, imagine now if you were a professional athlete. Earlier this year, organizers for the Paris Olympics said they wanted to have the greenest games in history, the most environmentally friendly in London.

There were 4,000,000l of diesel use and we are aiming for, you know, as close to zero as possible.

As part of that, they built their Olympic Village apartments with no air conditioning. Well, that apparently left team USA steaming, and in recent days they've informed organizers they will be bringing their own portable ax, whether the French like it or not.

As you can imagine, this is a period of time in which, um, consistency and predictability is critical for team USA's performance.

USA Olympic and Paralympic CEO Sarah Kirkland said athletes can't be expected to perform their best if they're sweltering at night. She said athletes themselves had expressed concern to her about this.

Something that the athletes felt was a was a critical component in their performance capability and the predictability and consistency of what they're accustomed to. And so, yes, we will have air conditioners.

Now, France says they have made design choices to keep athletes cool without the use of these harmful greenhouse gasses that you get from Aces. They have this whole geothermal system where pipes will circulate cold air right beneath the athletes floorboards and say between regular fans and window shades, the doors should never get hotter than 79 degrees. To which athletes said, wait, 79 degrees. There are cultural differences. France is famously averse to air conditioning. Only 1 in 10 French homes have AC, and in Paris the numbers are even lower. It's not uncommon to hear a Parisian say they'd rather sit in the heat than breathe dry, processed air. But this policy and the backlash to it now could have unintended consequences. Portable ACS are less environmentally efficient than one large in-house system, and now you're creating a situation where athletes from better funded programs can beat the heat, while competitors from poorer nations might not be able to afford it. Some equipment, like fencers swords, can be affected if they're stuck in a humid room for too long.

And it's not just the US that's worried about this. Other nations like Australia say they too will suck it up and buy some portable ACS.

It's a massive logistical piece, but yes, we're looking at portable air conditioners to offer.

On the other hand, maybe this could turn into a good thing for athletes. Olympic villages have always been a place to meet people from other cultures. Now you can imagine, win or lose, the athletes with a CS will get gold medals for popularity. Like I never understood this until today. They're apparently 1.5 billion air conditioners in the world. A third of them are in China. Almost a quarter are here in the U.S. Europe has like 6% of the world's air conditioners. They just don't use them. Hey big shout out to ABC's Alex Mallin who along with Patrick Revell has been reporting on this big Assange plea agreement. He'll have much more today on abcnews.com. And as always big shout out to and Flaherty for filling in for a couple days while I got some R&R and bringing better puns than I do. I'm curious. I'm Brad Mielke. I'll see you tomorrow.

What does it take to be the most watched newscast in America?

We are part of an operation since our combat operations center.

We're approaching the gate. Militants came in from different directions. Nuclear reactor. So you have a couple loaded and ready to go. The house is destroyed, but the flag.

Carrying it, how important it made the USA.

Great work. I appreciate you, thank you.

Ismael. David. David, I'm David Muir.

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Are you ready to celebrate Sunday, June 30th across the country? C experience some of the nation's greatest pride celebrations all in one place as they happen. Live right here on ABC News Live. Pride Across America celebrate joy, love, freedom and pride. Sunday, June 30th starting at 11 a.m. Eastern Time. Streaming on ABC News live and stream on Hulu.

All right, let the dogs out, please.

I don't think you shouldn't give you a hard time.

Even if he gives me a hard time, I'm the right guy.

I want to make sure that we all learn together.

Calm. Confident.

Calm. Confident. Calm. Surrender.

Everything that he's taught has become a reality. We are so grateful and impressed. I feel like crying. You changed our world.

It is a.

Beautiful thing to see.

As you rehabilitate the dog, you also rehabilitate you.

This is ABC News Live.

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Hi, I'm Diane Macedo.

Today on ABC News Live. First weather alerts coast to coast. A dam in Minnesota is on the brink.

Of collapse.

While dangerous heat is expected to return.

We have the track and timing.

Julie and his son strikes a deal for his freedom.

The Wikileaks founder is set to plead guilty to leaking hundreds of thousands of U.S. classified documents, where he's headed now and what's expected to happen next. Just two days until the first presidential debate of 2020, for how President Biden is preparing and why former President Trump is calling for Biden to be drug tested. Plus, the Surgeon General declares gun violence a public health crisis. We have a look at the stats and why. Doctor Vivek Murthy says guns are a risk to young Americans and the well-being of the country. But first, emergency officials say a major dam in Minnesota is in imminent danger of collapse. The Minnesota governor says the overflowing Blue Earth River started cutting a path around the dam yesterday. Now it's on the verge of complete failure, posing a threat to residents. ABC's Melissa Don is there with the latest.

Communities on edge, as a dam in Minnesota is an imminent danger of collapse. After days of relentless rain, the rapid and dam suffering damage from flooding Monday morning, the violent water sweeping this building away.

This water is not safe. It's contaminated, whether it be through sewage or other contaminants.

Other parts of the state suffering from torrential rain. Volunteers in Waterville coming together to prepare sandbags. Many other states in the Midwest underwater, with at least one person dying in South Dakota. Intense flooding across the Midwest, including in the South Dakota neighborhood. You see this massive sinkhole cause after major flooding from a river overtaking this community, downed power lines, destroyed homes.

In case we needed any reminder of the destructive nature of water. We are seeing it in real time today.

Critical infrastructure throughout the region taking a direct hit Interstate 29, looking more like a river than a road. And this rail bridge in North Sioux City partially collapsing. Iowa's governor says nearly 2000 homes and businesses sustained damage. Officials warning that a collapse is imminent, and you can see why the dam overflowing and those flood waters threatening that home you see behind me. Diane.

Melissa. Don. Thank you. And ABC's chief meteorologist, ginger zee is tracking the flooding in the Midwest and the rip current threat along the East Coast. Ginger, what's the latest?

Diane started the morning with some big time winds, 70 plus miles per hour, taking down trees and power lines in West Michigan. And now the same kind of area, plus a new one, because there's a lot of energy going on out there going to make for a severe weather threat anywhere from parts of Missouri, much of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, southwest Michigan, still far western Ohio, Nebraska and southern Iowa. So a lot of folks involved today damaging winds, the main hazard so easily over 60 mile per hour winds. Then we'll move this front because it is a strong one. It's got some cool air behind it to right into the Mid-Atlantic and northeast. That's for Thursday. You see Thursday, 3 a.m.. So it's really Wednesday night into Thursday morning. It's going to break up some heat that I'll tell you about in a moment. But there's the hail isolated tornado but mostly wind threat. All of new Jersey and Delaware in there too. There's the heat dome we've been talking about for weeks, and it's going to expanded.

And so Palm Springs still has an excessive heat warning that goes till Thursday night. Salt Lake City will lose theirs tonight and cool down just slightly. But Greenville, Mississippi and Memphis may feel like some of the hotter spots on the map. Feels like it could be close to 110 or even 116. New Orleans should easily feel above 100. Some super thick air you can wear there, and we're going to keep that. But just light it east a little bit. It's barely nudging, taking places like Philadelphia or Washington, D.C. into the mid and upper 90s for the midweek before we get that reinforcing shot of cooler air. Diane.

ABC News Chief Meteorologist Ginger Zee. Thank you. And Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has struck a plea deal with the US government in exchange for his freedom. Assange is now in Bangkok and on his way to a court in the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Once there, he's expected to plead guilty to leaking a trove of classified documents. The deal could make him a free man for the first time in nearly 15 years. ABC News senior national correspondent Terry Moran has the details.

Julian Assange.

Who founded.

Wikileaks and rocked governments around the.

World with it, is.

Set to plead guilty in U.S. federal court to a single felony charge in exchange for his freedom, ending the years long legal saga.

Around his.

Explosive publication of U.S. state secrets. Overnight, Assange left a high security British prison, a moment that capped months of quiet talks between his lawyers and the Justice Department. The deal that set him free. Assange will plead guilty to one count of conspiring to unlawfully disseminate classified information and avoid further potential prison time in exchange. His plea will be taken in person, as required by law, at one of the most remote U.S. federal courthouses in Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. Avoiding setting foot in the continental U.S. and near his native country of Australia. Assange, celebrated by some as a hero reviled by others as a reckless vandal, published state secrets of country after country, none more damaging than the vast trove of U.S. classified documents Wikileaks posted online. Starting in 2010, at the height of U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We hope to correct some of that attack on the truth that occurred before the war, during the war, and which has continued on since the war officially concluded.

Nearly 750,000 documents in total were leaked, revealing detailed U.S. military activities and confidential diplomatic cables. Now, Julian Assange is on the verge of freedom, his wife recording a hopeful statement.

This period of our lives.

I'm confident now. Has come to an end. And I think that by this time next week, Julian will be free.

Assange's family says his health has deteriorated in the years of incarceration that he's had. At one point, he faced up to 170 years in prison on the espionage counts that the United States originally wanted against him. But today he is on his way home for the first time in a decade.

Diane and Terry Assange is in Bangkok right now. He's expected to take another flight to the Northern Mariana Islands in about an hour. So what are you hearing about how they reach the terms of this deal and why now?

Yeah, that's a great question. We're still reporting on that. It does seem that the the planets became aligned for this. On the one hand, the American election is coming up soon. This is not an issue in the election. But Julian Assange had always refused to plead guilty to any US criminal charge. But with the prospect of a excuse me, a Trump Trump presidency in the next coming January, he had an incentive. And the United States, this conviction, this prosecution, looks different today than it did when it was originally launched. Of course, the divulging classified information very important. But the press freedom issues also were weighing heavily on the United States. They didn't necessarily want to go to trial with this.

And so what happens once he pleads guilty and lands in Australia? Terry?

Well, he goes home, Diane. You know, he's got two boys, five and seven, who were came into the family when he was in that Ecuadorian embassy for several years. But he has never really spent any time with his boys outside of that prison that he served the last five years in, in, in Britain. And so he has that to do. And then he still wants to continue his work, apparently. But this has been a long ordeal for him. And he is going to, I think, settle down for a little while. His wife and family certainly happy to have him home. Diane.

All right. Senior National correspondent Terry Moran. Thank you. New video shows the violent abductions of some Israeli hostages taken during the October 7th terror attacks. Their families say they're releasing the footage to pressure Prime Minister Netanyahu to strike a deal to bring them home. Chief national correspondent Matt Gutman has more from Tel Aviv, Israel. And we do want to warn you this video may be difficult to watch.

That just released video showing Hamas gunmen racing into Gaza with three hostages on October 7th. Warning that the video is graphic. American Hirsch, Goldberg, Pollan, Aliya Cohen or Levy are seen crammed in the back of that pickup truck, badly wounded and soaked in blood. The video from a Hamas terrorist's helmet camera. Hirsch's head pulled back as one of the militants says, I want to take a selfie with him. And overnight I met with Goldberg, Pollan's parents. She literally watched it for the first time a few minutes ago. Yeah. How does a mother watch her son go through that?

I'm not even sure yet. I felt terribly sorry for him. I don't think that any parent. Would ever want to see their child in any distress. All hostage families. We all feel this. How much more can we bear.

These really government doing enough to try to secure their release?

The short answer is no.

And I say that for one simple.

Indisputable fact. 120 hostages are not.

Home and it's.

Been 262.

Days.

Even as Israel's prime minister signals a drawdown of troops in Gaza. Israeli airstrikes hit two schools where internally displaced people were sheltering. 14 people killed, including eight members of a single family. Diane, something we've noticed over the past couple of days, senior Israeli officials from the chief military spokesperson to the national security advisor now talking about Hamas as an idea, something that cannot be destroyed, seemingly walking back months of rhetoric, including one of the primary goals of the war, which was to eradicate Hamas completely. Diane.

Chief national correspondent Matt Gutman in Israel. Thank you. Former President Trump is on the attack, with the first presidential debate just two days away. While the Biden campaign is focused on the issue of abortion access, Trump is making unsubstantiated accusations and calling for Biden to be drug tested. ABC News Chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce and senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott are tracking the campaigns for us.

Diane. Good morning. Well, we are getting a bit of a preview of what's to come on that debate stage on Thursday night. The president is hoping to hold Donald Trump accountable for his actions in office, and he is putting abortion rights front and center. As we mark the two year anniversary since the Supreme Court overturned Roe versus Wade. The Biden team is saying that Donald Trump is to blame. Out on the campaign trail, the vice president saying Trump is, quote, guilty of stealing reproductive freedom from the women of America. 21 states have now banned or severely restricted abortion, and Trump has bragged about appointing three of the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe. He says abortion laws should be up to the states. But the president is warning that Trump will go even further if elected. And of course, we have seen that abortion has been a winning issue for Democrats. The Biden team now hoping this will continue to drive voters to the polls in November. Rachel.

So President Biden's campaign is focused on drawing a.

Contrast on.

Policy, and former President Donald Trump is continuing.

To dig in here. He's done everything.

From mock President Biden's.

Debate preparations to questioning his mental fitness.

Now he's calling on the president.

To get a drug test before he gets on that debate stage.

And look, this is a page straight out of the.

Donald Trump playbook. This is something that we've heard him do before. He also asked Hillary Clinton back in 2016 to get a drug test. Before she took the debate stage. The former president was out on the campaign trail this past weekend. He suggested that President Biden is using supplements to get, quote, jacked up before his public appearances. To be clear here, there is no evidence of that. These are baseless and unfounded claims. And this morning, the Biden campaign insists that Donald Trump is resorting to baseless and obviously false lies. But this is a sign of just how nasty things could turn on that debate stage in 48 hours. Diane.

Mary. Bruce. Rachel. Scott. Thank you. And this Thursday night on ABC, be sure to watch the CNN presidential debate simulcast. It all starts at 7 p.m. eastern with the ABC news special race for the white House. Coming up, closing arguments are set to get underway. In the case against Karen Reed, she's accused of killing her police officer boyfriend. Why the case is dividing Boston and social media. Also ahead hidden dangers in the waves. The urgent warning about double drownings, and the number one thing you need to bring to the beach that could help save lives.

Whenever news breaks.

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Welcome back to ABC News Live. First closing arguments are set to get underway this morning in the murder trial of Karen Reed. Reed is accused of killing her police officer boyfriend and a case that's gripped the Boston area social media and headlines across the country. Now, the jury could begin deliberations as soon as today. ABC's Ariel Reshef has the latest.

Closing arguments set to begin in the Boston area.

Murder trial of Karen.

Reed.

A case that divided a.

Community.

And social.

Media.

Is she being framed in an elaborate cover up involving corrupt cops, or did she back up into her boyfriend and leave him for dead? Prosecutors allege Reed.

Intentionally.

Ran over her.

Boyfriend.

Boston police.

Officer John.

O'Keefe, with her Lexus SUV during a snowstorm in January 2022.

Leaving him to.

Die. But the defense swinging back, claiming Reed is being.

Framed for an inside.

Job by a fellow Boston.

Police officer. On the last day of testimony.

Several defense experts telling the court O'Keefe's injuries.

Couldn't.

Have been caused by Reed's.

Car. It was the.

Injury to the.

Head.

That you saw, consistent with having been struck by a vehicle at 24mph.

It is not. No, sir.

Three Harry Reid speaking.

To our Matt Gutman before trial.

Is it possible that you might have hit him unwittingly in your admittedly very large SUV?

No.

Not possible.

Declining to testify. Reed's fate now due to be sealed by a jury of her peers. The biggest challenge that this jury has is there's not a lot of direct evidence. Evidence that specifically shows something. What we have is a broken taillight. We do have a piece of DNA, but there's nothing that's directly tying her to this murder. And that's going to be the biggest challenge for the jury is that all they have is circumstantial evidence.

Erielle Reshef thank you. And ABC news legal contributor Brian Buckmaster joins me now for more on the Karen Reed case. Brian what can we expect in court today.

Good morning, Diane. This morning, we'd expect both the.

Defense and the prosecution to give closing arguments. The judge has already hinted that those arguments will last for about an hour each. And so we would expect that by lunch this time today, the jury should get the case and perhaps start deliberating before they start eating.

Now, there isn't a lot of evidence directly tying Reid to the murder. Do you think prosecutors did enough to prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt, particularly against the defense witnesses?

Yeah, I don't think they did. This case is largely circumstantial. I think before the defense put their witnesses up, there might have been a strong argument in this case. Could have gone either way. But after watching the cross-examination of the defense's witnesses, a forensic pathologist and a crash reconstructionist, there didn't seem to be much pushback from the prosecution, suggesting that the type of injuries and the type of damage to that SUV were not consistent with the prosecution's story. Ultimately, I think this case is about whether or not this investigation, which the defense has argued is tainted and the prosecution against Karen Reed have proven the case beyond a reasonable doubt. And I think they fell short in some.

Areas that Karen Reed declined to testify in her own defense. What do you make of that decision and how it impacts the defense is closing arguments.

Ah, this is a smart decision for two reasons one, based on the nature of the case, and two, she just has the right as a Fifth Amendment. This is the type of case where if you're the defense alleging that there's a cover up and that things happened outside of the purview of your client, the defendant, that there's not much they could testify to, what would Karen Reed be able to say? When I was drunk and passed out in my bedroom some a few miles away, the people that my my boyfriend thought were friends were planting evidence. She doesn't know that. She's merely knows what she did and didn't do. And I don't think there's much her testimony can give in a case like this. So pleading the fifth in that sense, not testifying, I think it's helpful in a case of this nature.

Now, after closing arguments, the judge will give the jury instructions for deliberations. What are you watching for there?

I'm looking to see how both sides have argued that the judge should instruct. The jury asked his circumstantial evidence what a jury should do with that circumstantial evidence. Competing expert witnesses. This is a bit of a battle of the experts, so to speak. We've already mentioned the Fifth Amendment, whether or not they can have any inferences against Karen Reed because she did not testify when she can't. And, of course, the definition of reasonable doubt. I think in a case like this, it's not about whether or not Karen Reed killed John O'Keefe, it's whether or not the prosecution proved that beyond a reasonable doubt. And if that's how the case is framed, I think it's going to be very interesting for both sides.

All right. ABC news legal contributor Brian Buckmaster. Thank you. Coming up, why major record labels are suing AI companies for copyright infringement, and how I could reshape the way we listen to music.

But first, a historic.

Win on the ice. A look at the Stanley Cup with Florida taking it all.

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Welcome back. The Florida Panthers are a Stanley Cup champions. For the first time ever, the Edmonton Oilers came close to a historic three game comeback, but the Panthers refused to go down quietly. ABC's Victor Oquendo has the highlights.

A long awaited championship. 30 years in the making, the Florida Panthers.

Finally.

Winning their first.

Stanley Cup.

After blowing.

A three game lead versus the Edmonton Oilers coming back from the brink.

All of that changed.

In game.

Seven.

It's Sam Reinhart.

Breaking A11 time.

Free Park Haven and they cannot score.

And a hard fought battle right in front of the net. Sergei Bobrovsky, known as Brick wall. Bob.

I give the credit to the opponent. They played hard. They give us do us a good. So it was a it was a true final.

But the Panthers prevailing in an instant classic, winning their first Stanley Cup in three tries.

I got off the phone with them this summer. I took the job and I kept telling my wife, there's these guys are different.

It's the way they.

Treat each other. They love each other.

Head coach Paul Morris raising his players for weathering the storm. And that final push by Edmonton.

That's what you dream about. It's what you dream. I can't you can't even put into words. You work your whole year, your whole life for this game. When we come out on top, it feels unbelievable.

Co-Captain and longest tenured Panther Sasha Barkov receiving the highest honor for a championship winning team, being the first to hold the cup. Fans in South Florida savoring the moment.

I can't believe. I have no words. In 30 years, we've been waiting for this.

Fans across South.

Florida waited.

A long time.

For this one. The Oilers Connor.

McDavid. He was awarded MVP.

For the.

Playoffs, nearly.

Leading his team to that.

Historic comeback.

But the night and the series belonged to the Florida Panthers. So from the home.

Of the Stanley Cup.

Champion Florida.

Panthers, I'll.

Send it back to you, Diane.

Victor Oquendo in Sunrise, Florida. Thank you. Coming up. Beach safety alert. Ginger Zee joins us live with tips to prevent drowning in rough waters. And what you can do until help arrives. Also ahead summer travel deals are still out there. Why Europe is such a hot spot and the savings you can start looking for ahead of the fall season. Plus, hear from the cast of The Bear ahead of the highly anticipated third season. We have a sneak peek before tomorrow's episode drops on Hulu.

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Welcome back to ABC News Live. First, thanks for streaming with us. You're looking at New York City on this Tuesday, and we have a lot of news to get to. Here's the rundown. Right now, officials say a dam in Minnesota is in imminent danger of collapse after days of relentless rain. Several states in the Midwest are now underwater, with thousands of homes and businesses damaged. Meanwhile, the dangerous heat is expected to return. 6076 million Americans are under heat alerts from coast to coast. The future of President Biden's student loan forgiveness program is in question, after federal court rulings put key parts of the plan on hold. 8 million Americans are enrolled in the Safe plan, which ties student loan repayment to a borrower's income. Republican states challenged the plan, claiming the administration lacks authority to enact it. Now, the white House and the Department of Education are vowing to fight the ruling. Health officials are keeping an eye on new Covid variants, as the U.K. reports a rise in hospitalizations. Experts say the so-called subvariants are circulating here, but it generally caused milder illness compared to earlier strains like Delta.

The most common symptoms are sore throat, congestion and fatigue, similar to a common cold. Health officials say the new variants are a good reminder that we could see a swell of summer cases. Those have typically happened after the 4th of July. And a police officer is being hailed a hero after a daring rescue caught on camera. Officer Kevin Long was on duty at a new Jersey shopping center when a call came in about a nearby fire, so he rushed over and pulled the man from his burning apartment as smoke filled the building. Long said it was extremely difficult, but the risk is part of the job. The man and his wife are now staying with family. Surgeon General is declaring gun violence a public health crisis in the U.S.. Firearm violence is the leading cause of death among children and adolescents. Now, Doctor Vivek Murthy is calling to strengthen gun regulations and penalize people who fail to safely store their weapons. Chief Justice correspondent Pierre Thomas has more.

Pierre Dion, good morning. The Surgeon General has decided for the first time that the nation's level of gun violence has reached such pervasive levels that it has to be addressed, that the time has come to call it a public health crisis. Much of Vivek Murthy is concerned, it appears, rooted in disturbing new trends, including the fact that gun violence has recently emerged as the leading cause of death for children and teens in this country. The Surgeon General provides a series of staggering statistics to make his case. For example, the nation's rate of gun violence for young people is at least five times higher than any other major wealthy country. He believes that gun violence is traumatizing not only the bodies, but the minds of young people, families and entire communities. His office says that nearly six out of every ten adults in this country worries, on some level that one of their loved ones will become a victim of gun violence. His announcement today emphasizes the need for more funding to provide more access to mental health support for gun violence victims.

Diane Pierre Thomas, thank you. And ABC news medical contributor Doctor Luke Patel is joining me now for more on this. Doctor Patel, what does the Surgeon General's announcement show about how gun violence affects young people in the US?

And the biggest thing this report really showed.

Was is it flat.

Out staggering numbers.

You know, we go back.

To 2015 compared to other high income countries. If you're looking at deaths by firearm and children, nine out of ten of them occurred in the United States. And then fast forward a few years to 2020. Gun violence surpassed car accidents as a leading cause of death among young people. This is staggering. 2023 we had over 40,000 deaths by firearms, and we aren't just talking about deaths themselves because we know that firearm injuries are also very widespread. This report also highlights the fact that while mass shootings are this harrowing headline, we see all too often about 600 a year, they only make up about 1% of firearm deaths. When you add in accidents, homicides, legal intervention, suicides and accidents. So this report really lays out the entire landscape of what firearm violence really means in America, and how it affects almost all of us.

And you say people sometimes forget that it's not just gun deaths that have an impact, but also gun related injuries. What are you seeing on that front?

Well, gun related injuries. It really is pervasive. You know, reports actually show that over 50% of Americans are themselves have been impacted by a firearm injury or have had a family member or a friend who have. And we know that firearm injuries can have this devastating toll on victims communities, families, people afraid to go out to go to certain neighborhoods. The actual injuries themselves can have this huge physical or mental health toll. Obviously, firearm injuries can lead people in chronic pain with disabilities, but also can increase the risk of anxiety, depression, PTSD. This all greatly impacts everyone's way of life, especially for young people.

Now, Murphy now says that it's time for the US to take this issue out of the realm of politics and put it in the realm of public health. What does that look like? Why is this being told to us by a doctor?

You know, it's commonly being said this is a public health approach. We need to adopt this from a public health standpoint. What this really comes down to, if you look at core definitions of a public health approach, the first thing we have to do is really lay out the problem. What are the numbers really show? Then what are the proven risk and protective factors? Next? How do we get widespread adoption? And last, how do we evaluate to make sure that we've actually made change? And a lot of this starts with getting research funding to making sure we can really look at all these factors where the problem is, is and how do we address it. And we've seen this approach work for things such as tobacco. And if we look at motor vehicles, I think looking at the auto industry is an important example because to reduce automobile automobile deaths, you're looking at vehicle safety restrictions, you're looking at research, you're looking at road speed limits. All of this, these behavioral steps to make sure that we're saving lives.

This is exactly what we need to do when it comes to firearm violence. An all hands on deck multi-angle approach that is above politics and single solutions because it clearly requires more than that.

All right. ABC news medical contributor Doctor Luke Patel. Thank you. And as we get ready for one of the busiest beach weekends of the summer, we are bringing awareness to something called a double drowning. Bystanders who try to rescue someone struggling in the water often get themselves in trouble, too. ABC News Chief meteorologist Ginger Zee took part in a simulation aimed at preventing tragedy.

This is the first.

Time Dennis and Shannon Canning have come back to this beach on Lake Michigan, since they lost their son, Tom, in those very waters two.

Years ago.

The middle school teacher, husband and father tried to rescue a young girl. He didn't even know she was struggling in the water. She survived and he did not.

Tom, I could tell.

Was.

Contemplating.

What to do. He handed me his hat and his phone and started walking toward the water's edge.

We all.

Underestimate how.

Turbulent, how strong this really is, and it can.

Overcome you so quickly.

It's a hidden.

Danger we see every single summer, parents and brave strangers attempting to rescue people out of the water, often on beaches without lifeguards. While some are successful, far too often neither the victim nor the rescuer survive.

They might have this confidence because they know how to swim.

They make that.

Instant decision jump in. That's unfortunately the moment when they learn that this is going to be a very difficult task to keep this person at the surface, it turns into a double drowning.

To illustrate just how difficult it can be to.

Rescue someone from turbulent water, I team up with.

Certified lifeguards.

At Scoot and surf at the water park inside the American Dream Mall.

Here, choppy.

Waves will help simulate the chaos in the ocean or the Great Lakes. My first challenge rescue not a person, but this a £10 rubber diving brick which lifeguards use to test their strength and endurance. I dive in, I grab the brick and make it back to shore. These waves are only two feet tall, but already it was definitely a challenge. My legs are burning. Next we raise the bar. This time it's 12 year old competitive surfer Huda, who's going to simulate a drowning victim, which can be dangerous to the person rescuing because victims often panic and then can drag you under after a short break. I plunge back in this time. It feels much more real. As soon as I take on that weight, I immediately struggle to keep my head above water. Fortunately, since this pool is shallow and I'm not fighting a rip current, I don't need to hold him up very long. If any of this looks like it was easy, it was not. And for good measure, we asked two volunteer dads to give both scenarios a try.

Like me, Ryan successfully rescues both the brick and the drowning victim. But also like me, it was a lot harder than he thought.

Even just swimming out.

There, my heart went up.

It was very, very tiring.

But watch what happens to our other volunteer Mike, before he even makes it to the brick. This dad of three signals to the lifeguards. He just can't get there.

You think you can do it?

The way it's giving us.

And it's like swimming. It's just.

You feel like you're getting.

Tired and tired.

My arms were hurting.

I mean, even now, my heart.

Is like, boom, boom. It's a lot more tiring than it looks like it would be.

And experts warned us if this were the ocean or the Great Lakes, it would be infinitely more challenging, especially because of rip currents.

In the pool. You have a controlled environment.

In the ocean.

You are in a relatively.

Safe or seemingly relatively safe position.

One moment and the next you're swept off your feet and you're 50 to 100 yards.

Out to sea and.

You really don't know what hit you.

Mike says, despite his struggle, if it were his own kids, he'd still try to rescue them, which would put his own life at risk. But there is a safer way. Bring a flotation device, which could be as simple as a boogie board. Here's how you could use it.

Far enough away from him. So then when you hand him and he's not right on top of you safe distance, you say, relax, I'm here to save you.

I try my rescue again. The difference? Staggering. Having the boogie board was everything. It made it so much easier, I was calmer, it felt like I had distance between me and the person. That distance gave me confidence. Mike also gives it another go. This time he makes it out to the brick and all the way back to shore.

For still tiring. Well, he was a lot easier.

Because of that extreme fatigue. The United States Lifesaving Association warns against us regular folks attempting a rescue. Instead, first, alert a lifeguard and call 911. If the victim is in a rip current. Try yelling instructions. Tell them to calm down, float on your back and swim parallel to shore out of the current and never against it. If you're close enough to them, throw them something that floats like that. Boogie board, a pool noodle, maybe a beach ball, or even a cooler. If all that fails, while it's not recommended, experts say if you do attempt a water rescue, do not go in without a flotation device. It made all the difference in this rescue and it's a lesson this dad won't soon forget.

And ginger Zee joins me now from Seabright, new Jersey with more on this. Ginger, you're an experienced swimmer. So how surprised were you at how hard it is to stay above water when you're trying to support someone else, too?

I was slow, I was inefficient, I was exhaustible. It was so fast that I got exhausted, and I kept imagining it being one of my sons out there. And I know adrenaline would be different, but without this I would never go in again. So that's what I'm taking away. I would always go in with something to float, both of us.

This being that boogie board that you're holding, I found it really interesting that a cooler can also be used as a flotation device in a pinch. It's such a great tip. What else stuck out to you that you thought, you know, I can really use this if I'm ever in a jam.

That's. The thing is, I can go looking out around this beach right now, and I now would go and say, okay, I'm going to grab this. I could get this. Any of that would work if I got out there to them. Here is the best thing. You're out. Way out in the water. You finally got there. Both of you are safe floating on the flotation device. You don't have to be a whole hero. You could be a half hero. Stay out there. 911 has been called. Pros are on the way. You don't have to hero it all the way back to the shoreline. And that's the instinct is that you think you got to get back. But if you're both okay, you can wait it out.

Oh my God, I just I feel like we have a bumper sticker there. Just be a half hero. That's that's good enough. Ginger, what do you think are the main things that people should know if they do see someone potentially drowning? Because it's easier to say, just stay on the beach and wait for help. But when you're actually there, you feel like you need to do something.

Swim where there's a lifeguard. I mean, here at the shore, you you swim right in front of them because these guys are trained. We've actually been watching a bunch of them train this morning to save your life. So if something goes wrong, you don't have to be that hero. You can have someone who's got the flotation device, they know exactly what they're doing. And then weather wise, let me tell you, like every other forecast, we know when the ocean is going to be rough. We know the type of wind directions and speeds that make rip currents. If you see a flag up or you follow those, you know, shoreline both in the Great Lakes and the ocean, forecasts don't go in the ocean and and you won't have a problem on those days.

Best way is to prevent the danger situation from happening to begin with. ABC News chief meteorologist Ginger Zee. Ginger. Thank you. Coming up here on ABC News Live, major record labels are suing AI companies. Why they're claiming copyright infringement and how I could reshape the industry. Plus summertime travel. You still have a couple of months to get away, and we have some great deals to share.

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If you were coming of age in the 1980s. The Brat Pack was near the center of your cultural awareness, but for those of us experiencing it from the inside, the Brat Pack was something very different.

The critics agree.

Hated the Brat Pack. What a.

Disaster.

Why did we take it as an offense?

But now, like I say, we're the Beatles or anything. Well, we didn't fail.

Shea Stadium, 1985.

I think we could have. Hello?

Welcome back to ABC News Live. First major record labels are suing AI companies claiming copyright infringement. The Recording Industry Association of America claims AI music companies Suno and Audio trained their programs using famous artists songs without permission. The programs can even generate fake songs mimicking famous artists voices like this one created to sound like Jason Derulo.

To send. Kicking in.

Let's bring in ABC news contributor Google Tech Policy fellow Mike Moos for more. Mike you're laughing.

I don't like that song.

Ha ha ha. Try again. A I ha ha ha. Um, so the record labels say that's not the problem, though they're probably happy to hear it. They say these AI models only work by copying tons of songs and infringing copyrights in the process. So walk us through the technology here. How does it work.

That I've got to say, this is a type of case that I've been waiting to come forward in the court system, and as you and I always have these incredible AI conversations, I typically lean more pro AI, um, than most. But I've been really looking at this idea of copyright infringement, and eventually that was going to be the heart of it. So at its core, uh, what these generative AI companies are doing think ChatGPT, that's a generative AI product. What they do is they learn off of a database of source material. And so what these music AI companies have done is they have essentially had trained the computer system, uh, to output a song, but they have trained on songs similar or actually have trained on Jason Derulo songs unto itself to create a new output. And so that is the heart of it when it comes to the excuse me, that is the technology aspect of it and what we mean by training the AI. The heart of this lawsuit, though, comes down to the issue of fair use, and the record labels and the tech companies are both using the terminology of fair use, uh, to try to win their case.

And particular excuse me, I look at my phone, I took some notes here for it. Okay. But the CEO of Suno, he says, quote, our technology is transformative. It is designed to generate completely new outputs. That's a key word, transformative. Because in order to be able to say we created this output in these songs based upon fair use, it has to be a transformative work. And what legislation means by transformative is it has to be used differently than the original intent of it. And so this is what these music AI companies are standing on, which is it's a new transformative work, not the original work.

Oh, this sounds like it's going to be a tricky legal one, Mike. A number of writers, newspapers, comedians, lots of other people have sued AI companies over the use of copyrighted material. So how big of an issue is this overall? And where do you see this legal battle heading from here?

This is huge because I've been waiting for certain cases to come forward. This music one is going to be a strong case to come forward, because what you're going to be able to see is we played the Jason Derulo song, but another popular songs that are on these music sites currently right now is Motown, The Temptations and Mariah Carey's All I want for Christmas. What the record label strong defense is going to be is that they are using the heart of an original copyright in order to sell or be transformative. You can't use the heart of it. Think that hook that we think about for Mariah Carey, all I want from Christmas. And so that's the heart of it. So if they are using that for the new output, the record labels actually have a strong case to stand on.

And we just got to make New Serenade as a bonus as well.

That's right. Anything for you, Danny.

Now, Mike, some argue that I should not be focused on art or music at all, right? The songwriting part. The singing part. That part's the fun part. So when are we getting the I laundry folder put away? That's what I want to know.

I want to know the exact same thing as well, Diane. But what's interesting is to your point, the music labels are actually agreeing with you on that one. They're saying, buy these music. I tech company standing on the use of fair use. Are they being disingenuous and are preventing innovation from going forward. That could help AI such as folding your laundry.

Diane okay, well, whatever that part is on behind that. ABC news Google Tech Policy fellow Mike muse and ABC news contributor thanks, Mike. Coming up here on ABC News Live, summer travel deals are still out there. Why Europe is such a hot spot and where you can find the best deals.

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Welcome back. Americans are on the move this summer. The TSA says Sunday marked its busiest day ever screening. Almost 3 million people at US airports, and the FAA said it expects this Thursday to be even busier, with close to 54,000 flights, and many of those Americans are headed to Europe. ABC's Christiane Cordero has more on why and how you can book a last minute trip without breaking the bank.

Europe is always a popular travel destination, but lead economist at travel site Hopper, Hayley Berg says there's even more demand in the summer.

We're expecting about 57,000 flights to take off from.

US airports headed to European centers.

Berg says travel bookings to Europe surge this time of year because kids are off from school, and for most of Europe, the weather is best during the summer months.

Good news for travelers. To Europe, prices are down about 16% compared to this time last year. If you're.

Looking to get a.

Deal on a last minute trip, Berg says you'll need to act fast and book now. She suggests skipping the most popular and expensive destinations like London, Rome and especially Paris, where the Olympics will be hosted later this July, opting for cities that are more off the beaten path.

I recommend Reykjavik, Copenhagen and Stockholm. All three are still under 5 or $600 roundtrip from the US this summer. Have a little bit more temperate weather during those hottest months and are definitely going to have fewer crowds.

She says one of the best ways to save fly during.

The week, you'll save about $400 per ticket if you can depart on Tuesday or Wednesday and return early in the week. Skip the Friday or Saturday departures, which will be the most expensive.

And if you're flexible, consider shifting your vacation to the end of August or early September.

We typically see prices are 30% lower if you travel at the end of summer early fall. So for those flexible travelers, this is one way that you can save a tremendous amount and get more bang for your buck when you're in the region.

Christiane Cordero, ABC news, Washington.

Christian. Thank you. And I want to talk a little bit to Hopper. Hailey. Now, Hopper. Hailey Berg, uh, joining me for some travel tips. Haley, if you are booking a last minute trip, what can you expect in terms of pricing for airfare, hotels, and car rentals?

If you're booking at the last minute, domestic or abroad in Europe, you should expect prices to be high. Most travelers are getting the lowest prices. Think under $300 roundtrip on domestic 4 to $700 on international if they book 3 to 4 months in advance. So if you're booking a summer vacation, you're probably seeing domestic airfare well over $300, airfare to Europe well over $1,000 roundtrip. Same for hotels and rental cars. Prices will be anywhere from 20 to 40% more expensive if you're booking at the very last minute.

And what about destination dupes? Do you have any recommendations for more affordable options to typical hotspots?

No. We typically see a lot of demand to Mediterranean coastal cities during the summer. Think ABC Islands in the Mediterranean, Tenerife, the Canary Islands, very popular, very expensive destinations. But you can trade those in for destinations like Barcelona or anywhere in Portugal. We typically see fares anywhere from 300 to $500 less expensive in summer and at the end of summer, if you swap out those more expensive island destinations in the Mediterranean and near Europe for something more mainland and a little less expensive.

So looking ahead, when's the best time to plan a fall trip?

Now is the time to book a fall trip. Whether you're going international or just sneaking in another US based vacation. Start monitoring prices now and you'll have the next couple of weeks to decide on dates, destinations, and book those trips. The best part is, if you plan that fall vacation now, you're going to save at least 30% on hotels and on flights.

All right, Hopper as Hayley Berg, we appreciated Hayley. Thank you.

Great being with you.

And thank you for streaming with us. I'm Diane Macedo, ABC News Live is here for you anytime with the latest news, context and analysis. We'll be right back.

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Hi, I'm Diane Macedo today on ABC News Live. First, Julian Assange strikes a deal for his freedom. The Wikileaks founder is set to plead guilty to leaking hundreds of thousands of U.S. classified documents, where he's headed now and what's expected to happen next. Just two days until the first presidential debate of 2020, for how President Biden is preparing and why former President Trump is calling for Biden to be drug tested. Weather alerts coast to coast. A dam in Minnesota is on the brink of collapse, while dangerous heat is expected to return. We have track and timing. But first, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has struck a plea deal with the US government in exchange for his freedom. Assange is now in Bangkok and will soon make his way to a court in the US Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. Once there, he is expected to plead guilty to leaking a trove of classified documents. The deal could make him a free man for the first time in nearly 15 years. ABC News senior national correspondent Terry Moran has the details.

Julian Assange, who founded Wikileaks and rocked governments around the world with it, is set to plead guilty in U.S. federal court to a single felony charge in exchange for his freedom, ending the years long legal saga around his explosive publication of U.S. state secrets. Overnight, Assange left a high security British prison, a moment that capped months of quiet talks between his lawyers and the Justice Department. The deal that set him free. Assange will plead guilty to one count of conspiring to unlawfully disseminate classified information and avoid further potential prison time in exchange. His plea will be taken in person, as required by law, at one of the most remote U.S. federal courthouses in Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. Avoiding setting foot in the continental U.S. and near his native country of Australia. Assange, celebrated by some as a hero reviled by others as a reckless vandal, published state secrets of country after country, none more damaging than the vast trove of U.S. classified documents Wikileaks posted online. Starting in 2010, at the height of U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We hope to correct some of that attack on the truth that occurred before the war, during the war, and which has continued on since the war officially concluded.

Nearly 750,000 documents in total were leaked, revealing detailed U.S. military activities and confidential diplomatic cables. Now, Julian Assange is on the verge of freedom, his wife recording a hopeful statement.

This period of our lives. I'm confident now.

Has come to an end. And I think.

That by this time next week, Julian will be free.

A Sanchez family says his health has deteriorated during his years of incarceration. At one point, he faced up to 170 years in prison. Instead, today, for the first time in more than a decade, he is free and he is going home. Diane.

ABC news senior national correspondent Terry Moran. Thank you. New video shows the violent abductions of some Israeli hostages taken during the October 7th terror attacks. Their families say they're releasing the footage to pressure Prime Minister Netanyahu to strike a deal to bring them home. Chief national correspondent Matt Gutman has more from Tel Aviv, Israel. And we do want to warn you this video may be difficult to watch.

That just released video showing Hamas gunmen racing into Gaza with three hostages on October 7th. Warning that the video is graphic. American Hirsch, Goldberg, Pollan, Leah, Cohen or Levy are seen crammed in the back of that pickup truck, badly wounded and soaked in blood. The video from a Hamas terrorist's helmet camera. Hirsch's head pulled back as one of the militants says, I want to take a selfie with him. And overnight I met with Goldberg, Pauline's parents. She literally watched it for the first time a few minutes ago. Yeah. How does a mother watch her son go through that?

I'm not even sure yet. I felt terribly sorry for him. I don't think that any parent would ever want to see their child in any distress. All hostage families. We all feel this. How much more can we bear?

He's really government doing enough to try to secure their release.

The short answer is no. And I say that for one simple.

Indisputable fact. 120 hostages are not home and it's been 262 days.

Even as Israel's prime minister signals a drawdown of troops in Gaza. Israeli airstrikes hit two schools where internally displaced people were sheltering 14 people killed, including eight members of a single family. Diane, something we've noticed over the past couple of days, senior Israeli officials from the chief military spokesperson to the national security advisor, now talking about Hamas as an idea, something that cannot be destroyed. Seemingly walking back months of rhetoric, including one of the primary goals of the war, which was to eradicate Hamas completely. Diane.

Chief national correspondent Matt Gutman in Israel. Thank you. And we're following breaking international news. Thousands of people protesting tax hikes in Kenya are now inside Parliament. And part of the building is on fire. The BBC reports at least ten people have been killed in clashes with police. The tax hike would raise the price of goods like bread, diapers, even telephone and internet data. Some lawmakers evacuated through a tunnel, but protesters allowed opposition legislators who voted against the bill to walk out of the parliament building. The Kenya Human Rights Commission shared video of officers shooting at protesters, saying they'll be held accountable. And former President Trump is on the attack, with the first presidential debate just two days away. While the Biden campaign is focused on the issue of abortion access, Trump is calling for the president to be drug tested. ABC News senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott joins me now for more. Rachel, what's behind this new move from Trump now calling for a drug test ahead of the debate?

Yeah. You know, we have really heard the former president dig into his attacks and listen, he's been everywhere sort of on this scale. He has questioned President Biden's mental fitness. And then he went on to also call him a worthy debater. He has attacked the fact that the president is spending time in camp. David huddled with his senior advisers preparing for that debate. And now we are hearing this latest claim from the former president, insisting that President Biden should take a drug test before he even gets on the stage. And, of course, just over the weekend, we heard the former president suggest that President Biden is taking supplements to somehow get jacked up. In his words, ahead of public appearances. To be clear here, there is no evidence of that. These are baseless and unfounded claims, and that is how the Biden campaign is responding, saying that the former president is resorting to these unfounded claims that are purely lies. But this is a page out of Donald Trump's playbook. We saw him do this last time around back in 2020, and he even did it in 2016 with Hillary Clinton.

Diane.

So, Rachel, what can we expect when these two candidates take the stage?

Yeah. Well, this is a sign of how things are going to be. Then you can expect that the attacks just might turn nasty. And look, we all remember that debate between President Biden and former President Donald Trump, the one that turned into a shouting match. Obviously, this time around, there are things that are in place that could prevent that. For example, the mics are only going to be turned on when it's the candidate's turn to speak, but that's not going to stop them from going at each other. And so you have the former president already sort of ramping up his attacks on President Biden, but then also trying to downplay some of the expectations here by calling him a worthy debater. But so much has changed, Diane, since these last two saw each other face to face. Namely, you had January 6th. That happened, and you've also had the former president convicted on those 34 counts of falsifying business records. And, of course, that's one of many investigations into him and.

Rachel and two court rulings last night, federal judges in Kansas and Missouri blocked aspects of President Biden's student loan repayment program. 8 million Americans are enrolled in that program. And this has long been one of Biden's campaign promises. So how significant could these rulings be to his campaign?

Yeah. You know, I remember when the president was making this promise to really forgive a lot of student loan debt for so many Americans out there. And the Biden administration seemed very clear and confident that this was going to stand up in court. And what we have seen over the past year are challenge after challenge. On President Biden's student loan forgiveness program. We've seen the Biden administration try to pursue other legal avenues to try to make sure that this relief gets to people out in the country, but this is going to frustrate a part of their base that they're really looking to energize in November. And that is young voters and people who really saw this as a campaign promise from President Biden. So there is no doubting this is definitely a blow, not only in the courts, but also politically for the president heading into November.

All right. Rachel Scott, a lot to keep an eye on. Thank you. Rachel. Got it. And this Thursday night on ABC, be sure to watch the CNN presidential debate simulcast. It all starts at 7 p.m. eastern with the ABC news special. Race for the white House. And we're learning new details in former President Trump's classified documents case, according to transcripts of audio reviewed by ABC news, Trump privately expressed concern that turning over potentially classified documents after a subpoena could result in criminal charges. ABC news senior reporter Katherine Faulders joins me now from outside that courthouse in South Florida. Katherine More, can you tell us about these transcripts and how they're playing a role in this case?

Well, these notes.

Have been central to the special counsel's investigation.

Since really.

The very beginning of it. To take.

You back a little bit, they have to do with Trump's former lead lawyer.

On the case, Evan.

Corcoran.

There was litigation.

Under seal in D.C. about.

Piercing attorney.

Client privilege so that he could then speak to.

The grand jury and provide.

Notes.

Now, the notes are significant.

They're not.

Public. They're under seal. We've been able to.

Review the.

Notes and.

Essentially report.

What they've.

Said, but they're central to the.

Allegations by the special counsel's office, the allegations that Trump was trying to hide classified documents that as a state that he was trying to mislead his lawyer, Evan Corcoran, at the time, and that he was trying to obstruct the government's investigation. And what we're learning here, Diana, and was hugely significant, frankly, is the fact that, according to his lawyer and the notes that his lawyer took, that Trump acknowledged that there would be some sort of criminal liability if he complied with this subpoena to hand back to the government those classified documents, essentially an admission that he may believe that he actually had done something wrong here. Of course, he ended up not complying with the subpoena, and that is why he's charged here. But we're learning more information, at least from these notes. This is something that the judge here in Florida will consider. The Trump team, the defense team is asking that these notes and all this information provided by the former president's former lawyer not be admissible in the proceedings. So she's considering tossing these notes out entirely.

And Catherine, given these are notes from his former lead attorney, why aren't they protected or wouldn't they be protected under attorney client privilege?

Right. It's a good question, Diana. And typically they are. And what the special counsel's office did when the grand jury for this case was in Washington, D.C., is, they asked the chief judge of the court to essentially pierce attorney client privilege. They said that Trump was using his lawyer's services in the furtherance of a crime, if you will. So then the judge ultimately found that attorney client privilege could be pierced under what we call the crime fraud exception, meaning that she found that there was enough evidence presented by prosecutors that Trump was using his services to commit a crime. So then Evan Corcoran, that lawyer, had to testify before the grand jury turn over all sorts of evidence, which, frankly, is the most damning evidence the special counsel believes to their investigation. Now, of course, Trump's lawyers are saying, wait a second. We don't think that that should be used here, which could be hugely significant down the road in this case. Given that the indictment against Trump frankly includes multiple instances of what Corcoran, what this lawyer provided to them as evidence during their investigation.

So I know the defense is arguing this, but how is this argument going? Because if the prosecution is using these notes as such a big foundation of their case, and the judge decides to throw them out, how successful is the defense going to be in arguing the whole case should go?

Right. It's a great question. We just don't necessarily know what the judge will do here. But let's just say that the defense is successful in this. It will have huge implications on this indictment. What ultimately happens with the indictment, that information that the special counsel relied upon to bring the charges against Trump. And then ultimately, this means that if this case ever goes to trial or when it goes to trial, that that information can be used, that Evan Corcoran isn't a witness. So do we go back to square one with this? Does it have to be presented to a different grand jury? Do they revise the indictment? Is it just a matter of whether or not Corcoran testifies or not? We just don't know. We don't ultimately know what the judge will do. We may have a clear indication of that, Diane, this afternoon when she hears arguments not only on the admissibility of the Corcoran information, but on other evidence that was gathered from Trump's home in August of 2022 when the FBI searched it.

All right, Catherine Faulders, thank you. Coming up, a dam in Minnesota is on the brink of collapse. While dangerous heat is expected to return. We have the track and the timing right after the break.

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Welcome back to ABC News Live. First, emergency officials say a major dam in Minnesota is an imminent danger of collapse. The Minnesota governor says the overflowing Blue Earth River started cutting a path around the rapid Am damn yesterday. Now it's on the verge of complete failure, posing a threat to residents. ABC's Melissa ardon is there with the latest.

Communities on edge, as a dam in Minnesota is an imminent danger of collapse. After days of relentless rain, the rapid and dam suffering damage from flooding Monday morning, the violent water sweeping this building away.

This water is not safe. It's contaminated, whether it be through sewage or other contaminants.

Other parts of the state suffering from torrential rain. Volunteers in Waterville coming together to prepare sandbags. Many other states in the Midwest underwater, with at least one person dying in South Dakota. Intense flooding across the Midwest, including in the South Dakota neighborhood. You see this massive sinkhole cause after major flooding from a river overtaking this community, downed power lines, destroyed homes.

In case we needed any reminder of the destructive nature of water. We are seeing it in real time today.

Critical infrastructure throughout the region taking a direct hit Interstate 29, looking more like a river than a road. And this rail bridge in North Sioux City partially collapsing. Iowa's governor says nearly 2000 homes and businesses sustained damage. Officials warning that a collapse is imminent, and you can see why the dam overflowing and those flood waters threatening that home you see behind me. Diane.

Melissa, John. Thank you. And let's bring an ABC news meteorologist, Seema Theodore, for more on the flooding threat and the extreme heat hovering over the U.S.. Hi, Samarra. Hey.

Good morning. Diane.

So I do have some good news for that area. It looks like things are quieting down in terms of storms. That storm threat has shifted a little bit farther south, but they will be dealing with the heat in the coming days, so that will not really help the situation much. Now here's a look at the severe weather threat today from Des Moines to Omaha, down to Springfield, Saint Louis into Chicago, and over to Indianapolis and Louisville, we have the threat for damaging winds, large hail, and a few tornadoes are possible. This is an active situation. We actually have a severe thunderstorm watch in effect until 11 a.m. central time. So we've got at least what is that about two more hours to go here with this particular severe thunderstorm watch. And it's just now leaving out of Chicago areas like Rockford more in the clear. But gear up South Bend, Fort Wayne. We even have an active severe thunderstorm on the ground there just south of Fort Wayne right now. Heavy rain moving through Kalamazoo in the coming days, we anticipate the severe weather threat to persist, but it will shift a little bit farther east.

So this is 3 a.m. Thursday morning, bright and early Thursday, or dark and early Thursday morning, we'll start to see some showers riding along the periphery of this cold front. And that means the I-95 corridor from Washington, DC to New York and farther north out towards Pittsburgh is in for damaging winds, some hail, and the threat for an isolated tornado that comes with these storms. And meanwhile, we're still dealing with the heat. So today's temperatures, Philadelphia in particular, under a heat advisory with temperatures could hit the low 90s, especially through central new Jersey. But if you look at the temperature trend, it tells the story that we just talked about 84 degrees on Friday versus 96 on Wednesday in Philly, 85 on Friday versus 97 on Wednesday in in D.C., upper 70s in Boston on Friday. So what's happening that cold front is sweeping through. So while we have the storms ahead of it behind it reinforcing with a little bit more cooler air, and then finally I'll leave it here. It's not just the northeast dealing with the heat.

You can see that out west into the Central Plains. We're still dealing with heat index values that could reach 115 degrees.

Diane 115.

Degrees. Wow. ABC news meteorologist Mark Theodore grateful for the air conditioning right now. Tomorrow. Thank you. Coming up. Yes, chef. We are fired up for the cast of The Bear ahead of the highly anticipated third season. We have a sneak peek before tomorrow's episode drops on Hulu.

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Welcome back to ABC News Live for season three of The Bear Drops. Tonight, viewers can't stop talking about the hit show focused on Family feud and friendship. ABC's Deborah Roberts sat down with the cast as we prepare to head back to the kitchen.

What is it about this collection of sort of oddball, awkward characters that people just gravitate toward?

I think that feeling of belonging and like loneliness.

Met by the need.

For belonging and then feeling like you're a part of something bigger than yourself that's such a like human and universal thing.

It's the show.

Audiences.

Are feasting on doors.

The Bear, a story of a restaurant in.

Need of a revamp after a family tragedy that's become a love letter to restaurant culture. Yes, chef.

Have your cooking skills improved?

Yeah, mine have gotten worse because I just don't.

Have the time.

Now. Jeremy Alan White playing Carmy Bazardo.

A talented.

Chef who's come back.

Home to Chicago to run the family restaurant in the next season. Is he going to be beyond driven now because of what he's been through in season two?

He's so avoidant, and I think when he's going through an experience that's particularly traumatic, like the death of his, his brother or feeling like he's let down his his new sort of found.

Family, he's.

Going to bury himself in the work.

I can stand out here.

I can make a difference.

I owe.

A debt. Barry has charmed.

Audiences.

As Sydney.

The passionate, ambitious sous chef by his side as he launches the bear.

It's tremendous chef.

Thank you chef. I think the root of their relationship.

Is it's passion and it's respect, and it's seeing that same fire.

Maybe at different.

Levels.

Of ignition. But they see that fire in each other.

And you know, they want to.

Push themselves and they want to push.

Each other.

Carmy believes.

In.

In Sydney, probably more than he believes himself sometimes.

Saturday Night alum Abby Elliott plays Carmy sister, nicknamed sugar. What are you doing?

We have.

Our our family, the.

Bears that.

We grew up.

In and the trauma.

That came with that. And then we have the chosen family. And I think, you know, people really responded to that.

As the team.

Hustles to make it in the fine dining world, the intensity can be felt through the screen. Evan Moss, Bacharach playing Cousin Richie, are they all related, or did they just call each other cousin or what's going on here?

That's unclear. Unclear to me too. Yeah, yeah.

I swear to God, cousin.

If he calls me Rick.

Cousin, listen, do me a favor, okay?

From the food to the fight, there's the passion of the restaurant industry in clear focus.

It's a real marriage.

Between.

The actors and the crew. Because it is. It is so volatile, and there's real flames and real knives in the kitchen. And it's real.

Knives, small.

Spaces.

Matty Matheson, an actual lifelong chef, is an executive producer and one of the stars of the show, bringing much of the humor as one of the fat brothers.

Right, guys? Always so mad. Not mad. I'm not mad.

How much fun do you have playing these two? Yeah. Bumble heads.

It's good. It's the best. It's the best ever.

These are goals. No, no.

The cast heading into season three with great buzz and a bundle of awards, the love for its mix of tragedy, pain and levity. It's been quite a year for you. A slew of awards, SNL cover, Vanity Fair magazine. No different. Have you wrap your mind around this kind of fame?

Um. Oh.

Um, and.

Me getting immediately.

Outside of my body.

That might.

If the awards come, great.

But I don't think that that's.

What you can.

Be focusing on and create what we.

Have. To make this work.

Is the gift, and also like.

Getting to have.

People really feel.

Impacted by it and, you know, move.

By it.

Like that's the gift on top of the gift.

This is what you want is right.

If you're starving for more, get ready. All ten episodes of season three of The Bear drops tomorrow on June 26th. So big questions. Is the group going to survive the heat in their new kitchen? And what about Sid and Karma's relationship? Oh, we get into so much more with this crowd, more of my conversation with the cast coming up on Nightline. Diane.

Deborah Roberts, thank you. And thank you for streaming with us. I'm Diane Macedo. ABC News Live is here for you anytime with the latest news, context and analysis. We'll be right back.

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Welcome back to ABC News Live. First, thanks for streaming with us. You're looking at New York City on this Tuesday, and we have a lot of news to get to. Here's the rundown. Right now, officials say a dam in Minnesota is in imminent danger of collapse after days of relentless rain. Several states in the Midwest are now underwater, with thousands of homes and businesses damaged. Meanwhile, the dangerous heat is expected to return. 6076 million Americans are under heat alerts from coast to coast. The future of President Biden's student loan forgiveness program is in question, after federal court rulings put key parts of the plan on hold. 8 million Americans are enrolled in the Save plan, which ties student loan repayment to a borrower's income. Republican states challenged the pen, claiming the administration lacks authority to enact it. Now, the white House and the Department of Education are vowing to fight the ruling. Health officials are keeping an eye on new Covid variants, as the U.K. reports a rise in hospitalizations. Experts say the so-called subvariants are circulating here, but they generally cause milder illness compared to earlier strains like Delta.

The most common symptoms are sore throat, congestion and fatigue, similar to a common cold. Health officials say the new variants are a good reminder that we could see a swell of summer cases. Those have typically happened after the 4th of July. And a police officer is being hailed a hero after a daring rescue caught on camera. Officer Kevin Long was on duty at a new Jersey shopping center when a call came in about a nearby fire, so he rushed over and pulled the man from his burning apartment as smoke filled the building. Long said it was extremely difficult, but the risk is part of the job. The man and his wife are now staying with family. The Surgeon General is declaring gun violence a public health crisis in the US. Firearm violence is the leading cause of death among children and adolescents. Now, Doctor Vivek Murthy is calling to strengthen gun regulations and penalize people who fail to safely store their weapons. Chief Justice correspondent Pierre Thomas has more. Hi, Pierre.

Dion. Good morning. The Surgeon General has decided for the first time that the nation's level of gun violence has reached such pervasive levels that it has to be addressed, that the time has come to call it a public health crisis. Much of Vivek Murthy is concerned appears rooted in disturbing new trends, including the fact that gun violence has recently emerged as the leading cause of death for children and teens in this country. The Surgeon General provides a series of staggering statistics to make his case. For example, the nation's rate of gun violence for young people is at least five times higher than any other major wealthy country. He believes that gun violence is traumatizing not only the bodies, but the minds of young people, families and entire communities. His office says that nearly six out of every ten adults in this country worries, on some level that one of their loved ones will become a victim of gun violence. His announcement today emphasizes the need for more funding to provide more access to mental health support for gun violence victims.

Diane Pierre Thomas, thank you. And ABC news medical contributor Doctor Alok Patel is joining me now for more on this. Doctor Patel, what does the Surgeon General's announcement show about how gun violence affects young people in the US?

And the biggest thing this report really showed was is it flat out staggering numbers. You know, we go back to 2015 compared to other high income countries. If you're looking at deaths by firearm and children, nine out of ten of them occurred in the United States. And then fast forward a few years to 2020. Gun violence surpassed car accidents as a leading cause of death among young people. This is staggering. 2023 we had over 40,000 deaths by firearms, and we aren't just talking about deaths themselves because we know that firearm injuries are also very widespread. This report also highlights the fact that while mass shootings are this harrowing headline, we see all too often about 600 a year. They only make up about 1% of firearm deaths when you add in accidents, homicides, legal intervention, suicides and accidents. So this report really lays out the entire landscape of what firearm violence really means in America, and how it affects almost all of us.

And you say people sometimes forget that it's not just gun deaths that have an impact, but also gun related injuries. What are you seeing on that front?

Well, gun related injuries. It really is pervasive. You know, reports actually show that over 50% of Americans are themselves have been impacted by a firearm injury or have had a family member or friend who have. And we know that firearm injuries can have this devastating toll on victims communities, families, people afraid to go out to go to certain neighborhoods. The actual injuries themselves can have this huge physical or mental health toll. Obviously, firearm injuries can leave people in chronic pain with disabilities but also can increase the risk of anxiety, depression, PTSD. This all greatly impacts everyone's way of life, especially for young people.

Now, Murphy now says that it's time for the US to take this issue out of the realm of politics and put it in the realm of public health. What does that look like? Why is this being told to us by a doctor?

You know, it's commonly being said this is a public health approach. We need to adopt this from a public health standpoint. What this really comes down to, if you look at core definitions of a public health approach, the first thing we have to do is really lay out the problem. What are the numbers really show? Then what are the proven risk and protective factors? Next? How do we get widespread adoption? And last, how do we evaluate to make sure that we've actually made change? And a lot of this starts with getting research funding to making sure we can really look at all these factors where the problem is, is and how do we address it. And we've seen this approach work for things such as tobacco. And if we look at motor vehicles, I think looking at the auto industry is an important example because to reduce automobile automobile deaths, you're looking at vehicle safety restrictions, you're looking at research, you're looking at road speed limits. All of this, these behavioral steps to make sure that we're saving lives.

This is exactly what we need to do when it comes to firearm violence. An all hands on deck multi-angle approach that is above politics and single solutions because it clearly requires more than that.

All right. ABC news medical contributor Doctor Luke Patel. Thank you. And as we get ready for one of the busiest beach weekends of the summer, we are bringing awareness to something called a double drowning. Bystanders who try to rescue someone struggling in the water often get themselves in trouble, too. ABC News Chief meteorologist Ginger Zee took part in a simulation aimed at preventing tragedy.

This is the first.

Time Dennis and Shannon Canning have come back to this beach on Lake Michigan, since they lost their son, Tom, in those very waters two years ago. The middle school teacher, husband and father tried to rescue a young girl. He didn't even know she was struggling in the water. She survived and he did not.

Tom, I could tell, was.

Contemplating what to do. He handed me his hat and his phone and started walking toward the water's edge.

We all.

Underestimate how.

Turbulent, how.

Strong this.

Really is, and it can.

Overcome you so quickly.

It's a hidden danger we see every single summer, parents and brave strangers attempting to rescue people out of the water, often on beaches without lifeguards. While some are successful, far too often neither the victim nor the rescuer survive.

They might have this confidence because they know how to swim. They make that instant decision jump in. That's unfortunately the moment when they learn that this is going to be a very difficult task to keep this person at the surface, it turns into a double drowning.

To illustrate just how difficult it can be to rescue someone from turbulent water, I team up with certified lifeguards at Scoot and surf at the water park inside the American Dream Mall. Here, choppy waves will help simulate the chaos in the ocean or the Great Lakes. My first challenge rescue not a person, but this a £10 rubber diving brick which lifeguards use to test their strength and endurance. I dive in, I grab the brick and make it back to shore. These waves are only two feet tall, but already it was definitely a challenge. My legs are burning. Next we raise the bar. This time it's 12 year old competitive surfer Huda, who's going to simulate a drowning victim, which can be dangerous to the person rescuing because victims often panic and then can drag you under. After a short break at plunge back in. This time, it feels much more real. As soon as I take on that weight, I immediately struggle to keep my head above water. Fortunately, since this pool is shallow and I'm not fighting a rip current, I don't need to hold him up very long.

If any of this looks like it was easy, it was not. And for good measure, we asked two volunteer dads to give both scenarios a try. Like me, Ryan successfully rescues both the brick and the drowning victim, but also like me, it was a lot harder than he thought.

Even just swimming out there.

My heart went up.

It was very, very tiring.

But watch what happens to our other volunteer Mike, before he even makes it to the brick. This dad of three signals to the lifeguards. He just can't get there.

You think you can do it? And it's like swimming. Then I keep getting tired and tired. My arms were hurting. I mean, even now, my heart is like boom, boom. It's a lot more tiring than it looks like it would be.

And experts warned us if this were the ocean or the Great Lakes, it would be infinitely more challenging, especially because of rip currents.

In the pool. You have a controlled environment in the ocean. You are in a relatively safe or seemingly relatively safe position one moment.

And the next you're swept.

Off your feet and you're 50 to 100 yards out to sea and.

You really don't know what hit you.

Mike says, despite his struggle, if it were his own kids, he'd still try to rescue them, which would put his own life at risk. But there is a safer way. Bring a flotation device, which could be as simple as a boogie board. Here's how you could use it.

Far enough away from him. So then when you hand him, he's not right on top of you safe distance, you say, relax, I'm here to save you.

I try my rescue again. The difference? Staggering. Having the boogie board was everything. It made it so much easier, I was calmer, it felt like I had distance between me and the person. That distance gave me confidence. Mike also gives it another go. This time he makes it out to the brick and all the way back to shore.

Was still tiring, but it was a lot easier.

Because of that extreme fatigue. The United States Lifesaving Association warns against us regular folks attempting a rescue. Instead, first, alert a lifeguard and call 911. If the victim is in a rip current. Try yelling instructions. Tell them to calm down, float on your back and swim parallel to shore out of the current and never against it. If you're close enough to them, throw them something that floats like that. Boogie board, a pool noodle, maybe a beach ball, or even a cooler. If all that fails, while it's not recommended, experts say if you do attempt a water rescue, do not go in without a flotation device. It made all the difference in this rescue, and it's a lesson this dad won't soon forget.

And Ginger Zee joins me now from Seabright, new Jersey with more on this. Ginger, you're an experienced swimmer. So how surprised were you at how hard it is to stay above water when you're trying to support someone else, too?

I was slow, I was inefficient, I was exhaustible like it was so fast that I got exhausted. And I kept imagining it being one of my sons out there. And I know adrenaline would be different, but without this I would never go in again. So that's what I'm taking away. I would always go in with something to float both of us.

This being that boogie board that you're holding, I found it really interesting that a cooler can also be used as a flotation device in a pinch. It's such a great tip. What else stuck out to you that you thought, you know, I can really use this if I'm ever in a jam.

That's. The thing is, I can go looking out around this beach right now, and I now would go and say, okay, I'm going to grab this. I could get this. Any of that would work if I got out there to them. Here is the best thing. You're out. Way out in the water. You finally got there. Both of you are safe floating on the flotation device. You don't have to be a whole hero. You could be a half hero. Stay out there. 911 has been called. Pros are on the way. You don't have to hero it all the way back to the shoreline. And that's the instinct is that you think you got to get back. But if you're both okay, you can wait it out.

And my God, it's just that I feel like we have a bumper sticker there. Just be a half hero. That's that's good enough. Ginger, what do you think are the main things that people should know if they do see someone potentially drowning? Because it's easier to say, just stay on the beach and wait for help. But when you're actually there, you feel like you need to do something.

Swim where there's a lifeguard. I mean, here at the shore, you you swim right in front of them because these guys are trained. We've actually been watching a bunch of them train this morning to save your life. So if something goes wrong, you don't have to be that hero. You can have someone who's got the flotation device. They know exactly what they're doing. And then weather wise, let me tell you, like every other forecast, we know when the ocean is going to be rough. We know the type of wind directions and speeds that make rip currents. If you see a flag up or you follow those, you know, shoreline both in the Great Lakes and the ocean, forecasts don't go in the ocean and and you won't have a problem on those days.

The best way is to prevent the dangerous situation from happening to begin with. ABC News chief meteorologist Ginger Zee. Ginger. Thank you. Coming up here on ABC News Live. Major record labels are suing AI companies. Why they're claiming copyright infringement and how I could reshape the industry. Plus summertime travel. You still have a couple of months to get away, and we have some great deals to share.

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Welcome back to ABC News Live. First, major record labels are suing AI, claiming copyright infringement. The Recording Industry Association of America claims AI music companies Suno and Audio trained their programs using famous artists songs without permission. The programs can even generate fake songs mimicking famous artists voices like this one created to sound like Jason Derulo.

To save the world, I know.

Let's bring in ABC news contributor Google Tech Policy fellow Mike Moos for more. Mike you're laughing.

I don't like that song. Ha ha.

Ha. Try again. Eh, I ha ha ha. Um, so the record labels say that's not the problem, though they're probably happy to hear it. They say these AI models only work by copying tons of songs and infringing copyrights in the process. So walk us through the technology here. How does it work?

Then I've got to say, this is a type of case that I've been waiting to come forward in the court system, and as you and I always have these incredible A.I. conversations, I typically lean more pro AI than most. But I've been really looking at this idea of copyright infringement, and eventually that was going to be the heart of it. So at its core, uh, what these generative AI companies are doing think ChatGPT that's a generative AI product. What they do is they learn off of a database of source material. And so what these music AI companies have done is they have essentially had trained the computer system, uh, to output a song, but they have trained on songs similar or actually have trained on Jason Derulo songs unto itself to create a new output. And so that is the heart of it when it comes to, excuse me, that is the technology aspect of it and what we mean by training the AI. The heart of this lawsuit, though, comes down to the issue of fair use.

And the record labels and the tech companies are both using the terminology of fair use, uh, to try to win their case. And particular excuse me, I look at my phone, I took some notes for it. Okay. But the CEO of Suno, he says, quote, our technology is transformative. It is designed to generate completely new outputs. That's a key word, transformative, because in order to be able to say we created this output in these songs based upon fair use, it has to be a transformative work. And what legislation means by transformative is it has to be used differently than the original intent of it. And so this is what these music AI companies are standing on, which is it's a new transformative work, not the original work.

Oh, this sounds like it's going to be a tricky legal one, Mike. A number of writers, newspapers, comedians, lots of other people have sued AI companies over the use of copyrighted material. So how big of an issue is this overall? And where do you see this legal battle heading from here?

This is huge because I've been waiting for certain cases to come forward. This music one is going to be a strong case to come forward, because what you're going to be able to see is we played the Jason Derulo song, but another popular songs that are on these music sites currently right now is Motown, The Temptations and Mariah Carey's All I want for Christmas. What the record label strong defense is going to be is that they are using the heart of an original copyright in order to sell or be transformative. You can't use the heart of it. Think that hook that we think about for Mariah Carey, all I want from Christmas. And so that's the heart of it. So if they are using that for the new output, the record labels actually have a strong case to stand on.

And we just got to make New Serenade as a bonus as well.

That's right. Anything for you.

Now, Mike, some argue that I should not be focused on art or music at all. Right? The songwriting part. The singing part. That part's the fun part. So when are we getting the I laundry folder put away? That's what I want to know.

I want to know the exact same thing as well, Diane. But what's interesting is to your point, the music labels are actually agreeing with you on that one. They're saying, buy these music AI tech company standing on the use of fair use. Are they being disingenuous and are preventing innovation from going forward? That could help AI, such as folding your laundry? Diane.

Okay, well, whatever that part is, I'm behind that. ABC news, Google Tech policy fellow Mike muse and ABC news contributor. Thanks, Mike. Coming up here on ABC News Live, summer travel deals are still out there. Why Europe is such a hot spot and where you can find the best deals.

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Americans are on the move this summer. The TSA says Sunday marked its busiest day ever, screening almost 3 million people at U.S. airports, and the FAA said it expects this Thursday to be even busier, with close to 54,000 flights. And many of those Americans are headed to Europe. ABC's Christiane Cordero has more on why and how you can book a last minute trip without breaking the bank.

Europe is always a popular travel destination, but lead economist at travel site Hopper, Hayley Berg says there's even more demand in the summer.

We're expecting about 57,000 flights to take off from U.S. airports headed to European centers.

Berg says travel bookings to Europe.

Surge this time.

Of year because kids are off from school, and for most of Europe, the weather is best during the summer months.

Good news for travelers. To Europe, prices are down about 16% compared to this time last year. If you're.

Looking to get a.

Deal on a last minute trip, Berg says you'll need to act fast and book now. She suggests skipping the most popular and expensive destinations like London, Rome and especially Paris, where the Olympics will be hosted later this July. Opting for cities that are more off the beaten path.

I recommend Reykjavik, Copenhagen and Stockholm. All three are still under 5 or $600 round trip from the US this summer. Have a little bit more temperate weather during those hottest months and are definitely going to have fewer crowds.

She says one of the best ways to save fly during.

The week.

You'll save about $400 per ticket if you can depart on Tuesday or Wednesday and return early in the week. Skip the Friday or Saturday departures, which will be the most expensive.

And if you're flexible, consider shifting your vacation to the end of August or early September.

We typically see prices are 30% lower if you travel at the end of summer early fall. So for those flexible travelers, this is one way that you can save a tremendous amount and get more bang for your buck when you're in the region.

Christiane Cordero, ABC news, Washington.

Christine, thank you. And lead economist at Hopper, Hayley Berg is joining me now for some travel tips. Hayley, if you are booking a last minute trip, what can you expect in terms of pricing for airfare, hotels and car rentals?

If you're booking at the last minute domestic or abroad in Europe, you should expect prices to be high. Most travelers are getting the lowest prices. Think under $300 roundtrip on domestic 4 to $700 on international if they book 3 to 4 months in advance. So if you're booking a summer vacation, you're probably seeing domestic airfare well over $300. Airfare to Europe well over $1,000 roundtrip. Same for hotels and rental cars. Prices will be anywhere from 20 to 40% more expensive if you're booking at the very last minute.

And what about destination dupes? Do you have any recommendations for more affordable options to typical hotspots?

No. We typically see a lot of demand to Mediterranean coastal cities during the summer. Think ABC Islands in the Mediterranean, Tenerife, the Canary Islands, very popular, very expensive destinations. But you can trade those in for destinations like Barcelona or anywhere in Portugal. We typically see fares anywhere from 300 to $500 less expensive in summer. And at the end of summer, if you swap out those more expensive island destinations in the Mediterranean and near Europe for something more mainland and a little less expensive.

So looking ahead, when's the best time to plan a fall trip?

Now is the time to book a fall trip. Whether you're going international or just sneaking in another US based vacation, start monitoring prices now and you'll have the next couple of weeks to decide on dates, destinations, and book those trips. The best part is, if you plan that fall vacation now, you're going to save at least 30% on hotels and on flights.

All right, Hopper as Hayley Berg we appreciated Hayley. Thank you.

Great being with you.

And thank you for streaming with us. I'm Diane Macedo, ABC News Live is here for you anytime with the latest news, context and analysis. We'll be right back.

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Hi, I'm Diane Macedo today on ABC News Live. First, Julian Assange strikes a deal for his freedom. The Wikileaks founder is set to plead guilty to leaking hundreds of thousands of U.S. classified documents, where he's headed now and what's expected to happen next. Just two days until the first presidential debate of 2020, for how President Biden is preparing and why former President Trump is calling for Biden to be drug tested. Weather alerts coast to coast. A dam in Minnesota is on the brink of collapse, while dangerous heat is expected to return. We have the track and timing. Plus, a judge halts further student loan forgiveness under President Biden's debt plan. What it means for millions of borrowers expecting relief. And Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has struck a plea deal with the US government in exchange for his freedom. Assange is now on his way to a court in the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Once there, he's expected to plead guilty to leaking a trove of classified documents. The deal could make him a free man for the first time in nearly 15 years.

And joining me now for more on this ABC's Patrick Revel, along with ABC news contributor, former assistant secretary of Department of Homeland Security Elizabeth Newman. Have more on this. Patrick, you've covered this story at length. How did we get to this deal and why now?

Hi, Dan. Yeah, we're still waiting for Julian Assange to arrive in the Northern Marianas. As you say, this remote US territory where tomorrow, Wednesday, local time. There, he's expected to plead guilty as part of this plea deal with the Justice Department. As you say, this is a very long story. And what we expect him to plead guilty to. There is just one count, one felony count, basically pleading guilty to illegally obtaining and disclosing classified information. Um, US prosecutors had wanted to prosecute him for 17 counts under the Espionage Act, and that had been a very controversial issue in the United States, because there were fears among major media organizations, including, for example, The New York Times, that were this to happen, it could set a dangerous precedent that could potentially mean that journalists publishing government secrets risked being criminalized. And so those The New York Times, along with other media organizations, had actually called on the Biden administration to drop those charges. And I think the question of why now is a very good one.

In part, I think it's because in May, we saw a ruling here in Britain which basically suggested that which basically ruled that Assange would have could again appeal against his extradition to the United States. And there were doubts about whether he would ever finally arrive in the United States to be prosecuted. I think ultimately as well, this has been going on for a very long time. Assange has been in confinement of one form or another for 14 years now. He spent five years, obviously, in Belmarsh prison here. He spent before that seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy and even before that, some time under house arrest in the UK, trying to avoid the sexual assault charges that were eventually dropped in Sweden. So I think in some ways there were many reasons for the Justice Department to try and finally come to this agreement. And in many ways, this wasn't a total surprise. I think it's a dramatic end, but not a complete surprise, because the Justice Department and President Biden himself had been indicating that they were considering finally making this deal.

Dan and Elizabeth, Wikileaks says it exposes the world's secrets. Is there a concern that Assange's freedom could threaten national security?

Well, certainly if he decides to continue his past behavior, it would.

Be a huge.

Concern.

That he.

Could.

Continue to cause damage.

To.

National.

Security.

We know.

From government assessments.

That his leaks led to the compromise.

Of intelligence sources.

Probably people's.

Lives are.

Lost because of some of these.

Leaks.

We know that.

It led to the compromise of some of our.

Counter.

Techniques, like countering IEDs. Those are improvised explosive devices.

Very important technology that we use on the battlefield to keep our soldiers safe. We know that he leaked things that compromised an individual's privacy. You know, just regular citizens, their medical information, their sexual preferences. I mean, he really kind of cast such a broad net that there was a lot of widespread and widespread damage. And so I am concerned if he continues on his quest for supposed transparency, a lot of damage will be continue to happen.

And Elizabeth Assange and his allies say it was a public service exposing, quote, wrongdoing. Like the 2007 Apache helicopter attack in Iraq that killed civilians, including two journalists. So why is this not being shared with the public? What value does it have to keep something like that classified?

I do think that the US government and I, you know, I can do a better job with transparency. There is often reticence to share with the public when the US government messes up, and it's better for that to be made public and for people to take responsibility for mistakes that get made. We have systems to do that. We have whistleblower systems. We have Congress providing oversight. We have lawful ways to make things public, to make things transparent so that people, bad actors or just, you know, mistakes are are made transparent to the US public and people are held accountable. What happened in the case of Wikileaks was not that process. This was an unlawful way of seeking transparency. And I would much rather see for the sake of, uh, you know, the the freedom loving, human rights loving people of, of the West. Um, that that we go through this process in a lawful way to seek transparency as opposed to the unlawful way that he he did it, which caused a ton of damage to a lot of people.

All right. Patrick Revill, Elizabeth Newman, thank you both. And we are following breaking international news. At least five people are dead and dozens injured in clashes with police outside the Kenyan parliament during protests over proposed tax hikes. Some lawmakers have evacuated. Excuse me through a tunnel as thousands of protesters breached the parliament building. The tax hike would raise the price of goods like breads, diapers, even telephone and internet data. The Kenyan Human Rights Commission shared video of officers shooting at protesters, saying they will be held accountable. Israel's defense minister is visiting the Pentagon today for a rare in-person meeting with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. This comes as new video shows the violent abductions of some Israeli hostages taken during the October 7th terror attacks. Chief national correspondent Matt Gutman has more from Tel Aviv, Israel. And we do want to warn you, this video may be difficult to watch.

That just released video showing Hamas gunmen racing into Gaza with three hostages on October 7th, warning that the video is graphic. American Hirsch, Goldberg, Pollan, Aliyah, Cohen or Levy are seen crammed in the back of that pickup truck, badly wounded and soaked in blood. The video from a Hamas terrorists helmet camera. Hirsch's head pulled back as one of the militants says, I want to take a selfie with him. And overnight I met with Goldberg, Pollan's parents. She literally watched it for the first time a few minutes ago. Yeah. How does a mother watch her son go through that?

I'm not even sure yet. I felt terribly sorry for him. I don't think that any parent would ever want to see their child in any. Distress all hostage families. We all feel this. How much more can we bear?

These really government doing enough to try to secure their release.

The short answer is no.

And I say that.

For one.

Simple, indisputable fact. 120 hostages are not home and it's been 262 days.

Even as Israel's prime minister signals a drawdown of troops in Gaza. Israeli airstrikes hit two schools where internally displaced people were sheltering. 14 people killed, including eight members of a single family.

And chief national correspondent Matt Gutman joins me now from Tel Aviv, Israel, along with senior Pentagon reporter Louie Martinez for more. Matt, the families of some Israeli hostages released in this video in an effort to pressure the government, the trying to get Netanyahu to agree to a deal for a ceasefire and a hostage release. So how are Israeli officials responding to that? Is that pressure campaign working?

It's hard to say. We don't yet know what the progress has been, Diane, on these negotiations. They have been going on since almost the very beginning of the war. Right. There was an interim agreement in which about 50 hostages were returned, and now they're waiting for the rest of them, and many of them are dying. And that's the biggest concern from the families, Diane, because they didn't necessarily learn anything new from this video that they agreed to be released. There's no information about the hostages or their condition. This is just to jar the public here in Israel and worldwide, and specifically the Israeli government, to remind them, shake them by the lapels as the family told me, to remind them that the hostages are not a concept. They're people with families, with loved ones back at home, and they are desperate to try to get those hostages back home before they are killed. In Gaza, Diane.

And Luis Secretary Austin is meeting with Israeli Defense minister at the Pentagon. How significant is that meeting and what's Israel hoping to get from that, especially when you look at Biden and Netanyahu, seemingly at odds right now about weapons being sent to Israel.

Diane, this is a.

Very important visit.

This is Yoav Gallant meeting not only with defense, with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, but also with Secretary of State Blinken yesterday, as well as the CIA director, Bill Burns, who's been heavily involved in the negotiations between Hamas and Israel to try to bring an end to this conflict and to try to bring the hostages back. But what the Israelis are looking for, and you've heard the complaints from Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, is that he feels that the United States has cut back, has slowed to a trickle. The weapons flow that they have been providing to the United States, to Israel. But what you have across the board is American officials saying publicly and privately that that's not the case, that what has happened is that only that one shipment of 3500 weapons was actually slowed down. Now we're talking about £2,000 bombs that I think the United States was concerned might be used in an offensive against Rafah. And that's what all of US officials keep pointing to. But you keep hearing from anyone who doubles down that, no, the United States has slowed down to a trickle.

But one possible answer here may be that at the start of this conflict, the United States rushed and surged a whole bunch of military assistance into Israel right after the October 7th attack. We think that hasn't slowed down because essentially it's no longer in a surge situation. But what is now the case is the normal of a foreign military sales program, which can be quite lengthy.

Matt Gutman, Louie Martinez, thank you both. Former President Trump is on the attack, with the first presidential debate just two days away. While the Biden campaign is focused on the issue of abortion access, Trump is suggesting without evidence that the president uses supplements to get, quote, jacked up before public appearances. ABC News senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott and political director Rick Klein join me now for more. Rachel Trump is going so far as to now call for President Biden to take a drug test. What's the latest on that, and what does that tell you about his approach to this debate?

Yeah, well, the former president's approach has been all over the map. He at one point called President Biden the worst debater. Now he's calling him a worthy debater. He has questioned his mental fitness, and now he is going as far to suggest that the president of the United States needs to take a drug test before he gets on the stage, as you mentioned, suggesting that he takes some type of supplement before he appears in public and has these very public appearances. Of course, Diane, there is no evidence to back that up. These are baseless and unfounded claims, and that's how the Biden campaign is treating them, saying that the former president has resorted to just spreading false, flat out lies. But this is a page out of the Donald Trump playbook, and we have seen him use this before. He used this back in 2020 and even back in 2016, calling on Hillary Clinton to get drug tested before she took the debate. Stage two Diane and Rick.

Age is a key factor in this race. So what do President Biden and President Trump need to do to prove they are sharp enough for the job?

I mean, not look old for starters.

You know, I think the.

Perceptions matter, and I think the impressions that.

Voters get more than.

Anything they can say on the stage, how they say it, how they come across. And of course, the comparison.

Is important to Donald Trump, only three years younger than Joe Biden. But Trump has made a lot out of what he views as Biden's incompetence and inability to do the job. Polling suggests that voters view Biden is quite a bit older than than Trump, and a lot more concerns around his age and mental acuity. So you have to not mess up. You have to look as vigorous as you can. I think that's one reason that Trump is suggesting, as Rachel pointed out, without evidence, that that Biden might be taking some kind of a some kind of drugs to enhance his, his, his on stage performance, given the fact that he has set such a low bar for him, that if Biden does a good job and seems vigorous throughout the hour and a half, it undercuts a central argument that that Trump has made. But there's not really a lot of prep you can do for something like that. You just got to go out there and do your best and hope to come off as vigorous as possible.

All right, Rachel Scott, Rick Klein, we will be watching. Thank you.

Thanks.

And this Thursday night on ABC. Be sure to catch the CNN presidential debate simulcast. It all starts at 7 p.m. eastern with the ABC news special, race for the white House. And we're learning new details and former President Trump's classified documents case. In a new court filing, the special counsel criticizes Trump for storing national secrets amid a, quote, cluttered collection of keepsakes. According to transcripts of audio reviewed by ABC news. Trump privately expressed concern that turning over potentially classified documents after a subpoena could result in criminal charges. ABC news senior reporter Katherine Faulders joins me now from outside that courthouse in South Florida. Katherine, this may be the most detailed account of the search and the state of those boxes of classified documents that the FBI found at Mar-A-Lago. So what's the latest and how critical is this in terms of an element of the case?

It most certainly is the most detailed account of that search and what the boxes looked like. We've seen photos of them previously in the indictment, but now the special counsel for the first time is revealing new photos that depict how Trump stored these documents. Now, it's important because this is a response from the special counsel that is coming in response to Donald Trump's motion to have the case essentially completely tossed out there, saying that the FBI shuffled up the documents, that they weren't in the same order in the boxes when they were preserved or when they were seized versus when they were found. What the special counsel is saying is, wait a second. These are a collection of keepsakes. They were intermingled with the nation's secrets. And by the way, every time you would move a box, whether it was Trump's aides moving them, whether Trump was holding them, the contents of the boxes shifted because it wasn't like a filing system. They were obviously pretty messy, you can see from the photos. So the special counsel is really pushing back on this Trump claim that this evidence was tampered with.

They're trying to have this whole indictment thrown out because of it. So that is where this new information from the special, from the special counsel came from. And those new photos that show specifically the nature in which Trump stored these documents, which were intermingled with his personal belongings.

Meanwhile, Catherine, the prosecutor, is asking for a limited gag order on Trump. What's the judge saying about that? And how's Trump's team responding?

Well, these were arguments that occurred yesterday. Special counsel Jack Smith has asked for this gag order specifically, has asked the judge to ask Trump not to talk about law enforcement involved in the case and specifically involved in that search of August 2022. Trump has said and claimed, falsely, that since the FBI searched his property that the Biden administration was, quote unquote, trying to assassinate him because the FBI agents were armed when they went to the property, which is standard operating procedure. But the judge appeared skeptical, frankly, of the special counsel's arguments. It doesn't seem like she will grant such a gag order, but we'll have to see at what point she rules on this.

All right, Katherine Faulders, thank you. Coming up. Money dysphoria. What you can do if you have a skewed relationship with, over or under spending.

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Welcome back to ABC News Live. First, emergency officials say a major dam in Minnesota is in imminent danger of collapse. This comes as extreme heat is still sitting over the Midwest and other major cities. ABC's meteorologist Tamara Theodore has the latest. Hi, Samara.

Hey, Diane. Yeah. So, you know, the good news is that they're getting a little bit of a break in the upper Midwest from a lot of the heavy rain and thunderstorms, but they're still dealing with some heat throughout the central portions of the country. Heat advisories issued. And there is some severe weather this afternoon just a little bit farther south of there. So from Omaha to Des Moines, from Springfield to Saint Louis, from Chicago to Peoria, damaging winds are possible with these storms. So we're getting the gamut large hail, a few tornadoes, that is through this afternoon and evening. In fact, there has been a severe thunderstorm watch that has been issued. They've already started to shave it back, so they're starting to get rid of it in Rockford, Chicago. So you all are in the clear, but you can see this line of robust storms now headed for Fort Wayne, Indiana. Uh, far western Ohio. They're just to the west and south of Toledo. So those storms roll through today.

Then we have another round of storms hitting the East Coast Thursday morning around 3 a.m. these storms will also be on the severe side, and we could see an isolated tornado from it, mainly damaging winds. So temperatures today, while they're in the low 90s in the northeast, and a heat advisory has been issued for Philadelphia, there is still a bit of a roller coaster on the way. With these temps, you can see things dropping and cooling down here in New York. Diane will be in the upper 70s Friday, and that's because that cold front is moving through, bringing the storms early Thursday morning and the cooler air behind it by Friday.

All right. ABC news meteorologist from our Theodora. Thank you. Coming up, a judge halts further student loan forgiveness under President Biden's debt plan. What it means for millions of borrowers expecting relief. Business headlines are next.

What does it take to be the most watched newscast in America?

An operation to capture ISIS fighters.

This is our combat operations center.

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If you were coming of age in the 1980s. The Brat Pack was near the center of your cultural awareness, but for those of us experiencing it from the inside, the Brat Pack was something very different. If you could have a Brat Pack may not exist, would you? I hated the Brat Pack. What a.

Disaster.

Why did we take it as an offense?

Andrea, I'm not gonna say we were the.

Beatles or anything.

But we didn't fail. Shea Stadium, 1985.

I think we could.

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Welcome back. The future of the president's student loan forgiveness plan is now in question, after it was temporarily halted by federal judges. This is inside out. Two could break $1 billion record. ABC news business reporter Alexis Christoforos is more on that. And your other business headlines. Alexis, what are you watching today?

Disappointment for millions of.

Folks who are hoping to.

Get those those loans forgiven because millions of.

Americans who are.

Banking on that student.

Loan forgiveness.

From the Biden administration are.

Now in limbo.

Federal judges in.

Kansas and.

Missouri are.

Temporarily banning the government.

From implementing.

Major parts of the president's.

Student loan.

Repayment plan.

Which has been.

Central to.

Biden's reelection campaign. So beginning July.

1st, 8.

Million Americans.

Enrolled in the Save plan were set to see their loan.

Payments cut in.

Half.

But that's now on hold until about a dozen.

Lawsuits brought.

By Republican states work.

Their way through the courts.

The states argue that.

The Biden.

Administration lacks.

Authority to.

Enact his plan.

The white House.

And the Department of.

Education are vowing to fight the ruling. Well, I know it's hard to think back to school shopping when summer has just started, but target announcing today that it's Circle Week of Savings will return.

July 7th.

Through the 13th.

Deals include up to 30%.

Off kids school uniforms and backpacks, 50% off some toys.

Including.

Legos, and up to 40% off home appliances like.

Dyson, KitchenAid.

And Ninja.

Brands. And if you're shopping.

For a July 4th.

Celebration, you'll be happy to know Walmart, target, Kroger and Publix among the retailers that will be open for regular hours.

On July 4th.

And Inside Out.

Too, may be on its way to the Billion Dollar Club. The film by Pixar and ABC's.

Parent company.

Disney.

Has surpassed.

Dune Part two to become the.

Highest grossing.

Film of the.

Year, box.

Office receipts topping $724 million.

Worldwide since its June 14th.

Release, and.

That number is.

Expected to go.

Even higher since the animated.

Feature has yet to open.

In Japan.

This would be the first film to top.

$1 billion since Warner Brothers.

Barbie.

Back in 2023.

Looks like a fun one.

It's on my list. It does all.

Right. This summer is already shaping up, Alexis. Thank you. Sure. And a growing trend called money dysmorphia is taking off on social media. It happens when someone has a distorted perception of their financial status. Rebecca Jarvis has more on why we're seeing a rise.

When 25 year old Olivia Jenkins first heard the.

Term money.

Dysmorphia.

She said it resonated right away.

At some point I feel like I, in my head, have more money than I actually do, which is what causes my, like, overspending.

The New York City public relations associate seemingly lives her.

Dream, but her.

Relationship.

With money.

Is skewed. It's called.

Money.

Dysmorphia.

When someone has a.

Distorted perception of their financial status.

Especially in the world of social media that we live in, it's very easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you have to spend, spend, spend. I kind of have adopted this mentality of that money is fake.

It's a growing trend that chime financial advocate Daysha Kennedy.

Has seen amongst her.

Over 300 000 followers.

We are constantly.

Being bombarded with what we should buy and what.

We should do. And sometimes, even if you.

Are doing okay, it's hard to grasp that as a reality because we are always being consumed with we should be doing more.

She helps her clients start critically looking.

At their finances.

Without comparing to others.

People are sometimes doing better than what they think.

One of the components of body dysmorphia is a constant comparison to our peers.

Financial psychotherapist doctor Alex Milkman says it can send our brains into survival mode.

That comparison triggers this idea of hey, am I surviving or am I not? How am I doing compared to my peers? In order to avoid dealing with the inner critic, we avoid money issues altogether.

So what are a few tactics to help get money dysmorphia under control? Monitor how often you think about money, then.

Unfollow.

Accounts that lead to unhealthy comparisons, and keep track of spending to remove anxiety of the.

Unknown.

And something that's worked for Olivia.

Pausing before.

Purchasing.

Waiting 2440 eight.

Hours. Because then you.

Have to think to yourself, is this actually going to bring me value?

Rebecca Jarvis, thank you. And thank you for streaming with us. I'm Diane Macedo. ABC News Live is here for you anytime with the latest news, context and analysis. We'll be right back.

Whenever, wherever news breaks. It's so important to always remember that lives are changed here in London, in Buffalo. Uvalde, Texas. Edinburgh, Scotland. Reporting from Rolling Fork, Mississippi. Ukrainian refugees here in Warsaw. We're heading to a small community outside of Mexico City, getting you behind the stories as they happen. ABC News Live Prime. We'll take you there.

Stream ABC news live weeknights wherever you stream your news, only on ABC News Live. With so much at stake, so much on the line, more Americans turn here than any other newscast. ABC News World News Tonight with David Muir, America's number one most watched newscast across all of television.

There is a price to be paid every time a survivor shares their story, I will not be silenced. Do you feel the church accepted abuse?

I wouldn't.

Say accepted.

As so much. Pretended it didn't exist. Yep. That's him. Yep. Ready? Kyra Phillips with ABC news. Does your church.

Protect sexual.

Predators?

Impact by Nightline. Secrets of the two by Two. Church.

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Hi, I'm Diane Macedo today on ABC News Live. First, Julian Assange strikes a deal for his freedom. The Wikileaks founder is set to plead guilty to leaking hundreds of thousands of U.S. classified documents, where he's headed now and what's expected to happen next. Just two days until the first presidential debate of 2020, for how President Biden is preparing and why former President Trump is calling for Biden to be drug tested. Weather alerts coast to coast. A dam in Minnesota is on the brink of collapse, while dangerous heat is expected to return. We have track and timing. But first, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has struck a plea deal with the US government in exchange for his freedom. Assange is now on his way to a court in the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Once there, he's expected to plead guilty to leaking a trove of classified documents. The deal could make him a free man for the first time in nearly 15 years. ABC News senior national correspondent Terry Moran has the details.

Julian Assange, who founded Wikileaks and rocked governments around the world with it, is set to plead guilty in U.S. federal court to a single felony charge in exchange for his freedom, ending the years long legal saga around his explosive publication of U.S. state secrets. Overnight, Assange left a high security British prison, a moment that capped months of quiet talks between his lawyers and the Justice Department. The deal that set him free. Assange will plead guilty to one count of conspiring to unlawfully disseminate classified information and avoid further potential prison time in exchange. His plea will be taken in person, as required by law, at one of the most remote U.S. federal courthouses in Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. Avoiding setting foot in the continental U.S. and near his native country of Australia. Assange, celebrated by some as a hero reviled by others as a reckless vandal, published state secrets of country after country, none more damaging than the vast trove of U.S. classified documents Wikileaks posted online. Starting in 2010 at the height of U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We hope to correct some of that attack on the truth that occurred before the war, during the war, and which has continued on since the war officially concluded.

Nearly 750,000 documents in total were leaked, revealing detailed U.S. military activities and confidential diplomatic cables. Now Julian Assange is on the verge of freedom, his wife recording a hopeful statement.

This period of our lives. I'm confident now. Has come to an end. And I think that by this time next week, Julian will be free.

A Sanchez family says his health has deteriorated during his years of incarceration. At one point, he faced up to 170 years in prison. Instead, today, for the first time in more than a decade, he is free and he is going home. Diane.

ABC news senior national correspondent Terry Moran. Thank you. New video shows the violent abductions of some Israeli hostages taken during the October 7th terror attacks. Their families say they're releasing the footage to pressure Prime Minister Netanyahu to strike a deal to bring them home. Chief national correspondent Matt Gutman has more from Tel Aviv, Israel. And we do want to warn you this video may be difficult to watch.

That just released video showing Hamas gunmen racing into Gaza with three hostages on October 7th. Warning that the video is graphic. American Hirsch, Goldberg, Pollan, Leah, Cohen or Levy are seen crammed in the back of that pickup truck, badly wounded and soaked in blood. The video from a Hamas terrorists helmet camera. Hirsch's head pulled back as one of the militants says, I want to take a selfie with him. And overnight I met with Goldberg, Pollan's parents. She literally watched it for the first time a few minutes ago. Yeah. How does a mother watch her son go through that?

I'm not even sure yet. I felt terribly sorry for him. I don't think that any parent would ever want to see their child in any. Distress all hostage families. We all feel this. How much more can we bear?

These really government doing enough to try to secure their release.

The short answer is no. And I say that for one simple, indisputable fact. 120 hostages are not home, and it's been 262 days.

Even as Israel's prime minister signals a drawdown of troops in Gaza. Israeli airstrikes hit two schools where internally displaced people were sheltering 14 people killed, including eight members of a single family. Diane, something we've noticed over the past couple of days, senior Israeli officials from the chief military spokesperson to the national security advisor now talking about Hamas as an idea, something that cannot be destroyed. Seemingly walking back months of rhetoric, including one of the primary goals of the war, which was to eradicate Hamas completely.

Diane Sawyer, chief National Correspondent Matt Gutman in Israel, thank you. And we're following breaking international news. Thousands of people protesting tax hikes in Kenya are now inside Parliament, and part of the building is on fire. The BBC reports at least ten people have been killed in clashes with police. The tax hike would raise the price of goods like bread, diapers, even telephone and internet data. Some lawmakers evacuated through a tunnel, but protesters allowed opposition legislators who voted against the bill to walk out of the parliament building. The Kenya Human Rights Commission shared video of officers shooting at protesters, saying they'll be held accountable. And former President Trump is on the attack, with the first presidential debate just two days away. While the Biden campaign is focused on the issue of abortion access, Trump is calling for the president to be drug tested. ABC News Senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott joins me now for more. Rachel, what's behind this new move from Trump now calling for a drug test ahead of the debate?

Yeah. You know, we.

Have really heard the former president dig into his attacks and listen, he's been everywhere sort of on this scale. He has questioned President Biden's mental fitness. And then he went on to also call him a worthy debater. He has attacked the fact that the president is spending time in camp. David huddled with his senior advisers preparing for that debate. And now we are hearing this latest claim from the former president, insisting that President Biden should take a drug test before he even gets on the stage. And, of course, just over the weekend, we heard the former president suggest that President Biden is taking supplements to somehow get jacked up. In his words, ahead of public appearances. To be clear here, there is no evidence of that. These are baseless and unfounded claims, and that is how the Biden campaign is responding, saying that the former president is resorting to these unfounded claims that are purely lies. But this is a page out of Donald Trump's playbook. We saw him do this last time around back in 2020, and he even did it in 2016 with Hillary Clinton.

Diane.

So, Rachel, what can we expect when these two candidates take the stage?

Yeah. Well, if this is a sign of how things are going to be, then you can expect that the attacks just might turn nasty. And look, we all remember that debate between President Biden and former President Donald Trump, the one that turned into a shouting match. Obviously, this time around, there are things that are in place that could prevent that. For example, the mics are only going to be turned on when it's the candidate's turn to speak, but that's not going to stop them from going at each other. And so you have the former president already sort of ramping up his attacks on President Biden, but then also trying to downplay some of the expectations here by calling him a worthy debater. But so much has changed, Diane, since these last two saw each other face to face. Namely, you had January 6th. That happened, and you've also had the former president convicted on those 34 counts of falsifying business records. And, of course, that's one of many investigations into him and Rachel.

And two court rulings last night, federal judges in Kansas and Missouri blocked aspects of President Biden's student loan repayment program. 8 million Americans are enrolled in that program, and this has long been one of Biden's campaign promises. So how significant could these rulings be to his campaign?

Yeah. You know, I remember when the president was making this promise to really forgive a lot of student loan debt for so many Americans out there. And the Biden administration seemed very clear and confident that this was going to stand up in court. And what we have seen over the past year are challenge after challenge. On President Biden's student loan forgiveness program. We've seen the Biden administration try to pursue other legal avenues to try to make sure that this relief gets to people out in the country, but this is going to frustrate a part of their base that they're really looking to energize in November. And that is young voters and people who really saw this as a campaign promise from President Biden. So there is no doubting this is definitely a blow, not only in the courts, but also politically for the president heading into November.

All right, Rachel Scott, a lot to keep an eye on. Thank you. Rachel. Got it. And this Thursday night on ABC. Be sure to watch the CNN presidential debate simulcast. It all starts at 7 p.m. eastern with the ABC news special. Race for the white House. And we're learning new details in former President Trump's classified documents case, according to transcripts of audio reviewed by ABC news, Trump privately expressed concern that turning over potentially classified documents after a subpoena could result in criminal charges. ABC news senior reporter Katherine Faulders joins me now from outside that courthouse in South Florida. Katherine More, can you tell us about these transcripts and how they're playing a role in this case?

Well, these notes have been central to the special counsel's investigation since really the very beginning of it. To take you back a little bit, they have to do with Trump's former lead lawyer on the case, Evan Corcoran. There was litigation under seal in D.C. about piercing attorney client privilege so that he could then speak to the grand jury and provide notes. Now, the notes are significant. They're not public. They're under seal. We've been able to review the notes and essentially report what they've said, but they're central to the allegations by the special counsel's office, the allegations that Trump was trying to hide classified documents that as a state that he was trying to mislead his lawyer, Evan Corcoran, at the time, and that he was trying to obstruct the government's investigation. And what we're learning here, Diana, and was hugely significant, frankly, is the fact that, according to his lawyer and the notes that his lawyer took, that Trump acknowledged that there would be some sort of criminal liability if he complied with the subpoena to hand back to the government those classified documents, essentially an admission that he may believe that he actually had done something wrong here.

Of course, he ended up not complying with the subpoena, and that is why he's charged here. But we're learning more information, at least from these notes. This is something that the judge here in Florida will consider. The Trump team, the defense team is asking that these notes and all this information provided by the former president's former lawyer not be admissible in the proceedings. So she's considering tossing these notes out entirely.

And Catherine, given these are notes from his former lead attorney, why aren't they protected or wouldn't they be protected under attorney client privilege?

Right. It's a good question, Diana. And typically they are. And what the special counsel's office did when the grand jury for this case was in Washington, D.C., is, they asked the chief judge of the court to essentially pierce attorney client privilege. They said that Trump was using his lawyer's services in the furtherance of a crime, if you will. So then the judge ultimately found that attorney client privilege could be pierced under what we call the crime fraud exception, meaning that she found that there was enough evidence presented by prosecutors that Trump was using his services to commit a crime. So then Evan Corcoran, that lawyer, had to testify before the grand jury turn over all sorts of evidence, which, frankly, is the most damning evidence the special counsel believes to their investigation. Now, of course, Trump's lawyers are saying, wait a second. We don't think that that should be used here, which could be hugely significant down the road in this case. Given that the indictment against Trump frankly includes multiple instances of what Corcoran, what this lawyer provided to them as evidence during their investigation.

So I know the defense is arguing this, but how is this argument going? Because if the prosecution is using these notes as such a big foundation of their case, and the judge decides to throw them out, how successful is the defense going to be in arguing the whole case should go?

Right. It's a great question. We just don't necessarily know what the judge will do here. But let's just say that the defense is successful in this. It will have huge implications on this indictment. What ultimately happens with the indictment, that information that the special counsel relied upon to bring the charges against Trump. And then ultimately, this means that if this case ever goes to trial or when it goes to trial, that that information can be used, that Evan Corcoran isn't a witness. So do we go back to square one with this? Does it have to be presented to a different grand jury? Do they revise the indictment? Is it just a matter of whether or not Corcoran testifies or not? We just don't know. We don't ultimately know what the judge will do. We may have a clear indication of that, Diane, this afternoon when she hears arguments not only on the admissibility of the Corcoran information, but on other evidence that was gathered from Trump's home in August of 2022 when the FBI searched it.

All right, Catherine Faulders, thank you. Coming up, a dam in Minnesota is on the brink of collapse. While dangerous heat is expected to return. We have the track and the timing right after the break.

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Welcome back to ABC News Live. First emergency officials say a major dam in Minnesota in danger of collapse. The Minnesota governor says the overflowing blue Earth river started cutting a path around the rapid. Damn, damn yesterday. Now it's on the verge of complete failure, posing a threat to residents. ABC's Melissa ardon is there with the latest.

Communities on edge, as a dam in Minnesota is an imminent danger of collapse. After days of relentless rain, the rapid and dam suffering damage from flooding Monday morning, the violent water sweeping this building away.

This water is not safe. It's contaminated, whether it be through sewage or other contaminants.

Other parts of the state suffering from torrential rain. Volunteers in Waterville coming together to prepare sandbags. Many other states in the Midwest underwater, with at least one person dying in South Dakota. Intense flooding across the Midwest, including in the South Dakota neighborhood. You see this massive sinkhole caused after major flooding from a river overtaking this community. Downed power lines destroyed homes in case we.

Needed any reminder.

Of the destructive nature of water. We are seeing it.

In real time.

Today. Critical infrastructure throughout the region taking a direct hit. Interstate 29 looking more like a river than a road. And this rail bridge in North Sioux City partially collapsing. Iowa's governor says nearly 2000 homes and businesses sustained damage. Officials warning that a collapse is imminent, and you can see why the dam overflowing and those flood waters threatening that home you see behind me. Diane.

Melissa, John. Thank you. And let's bring an ABC news meteorologist, Seema Theodore, for more on the flooding threat and the extreme heat hovering over the U.S.. Hi, Samarra. Hey.

Good morning. Diane.

So I do have some good news for that area. It looks like things are quieting down in terms of storms. That storm threat has shifted a little bit farther south, but they will be dealing with the heat in the coming days, so that will not really help the situation much. Now here's a look at the severe weather threat today from Des Moines to Omaha, down to Springfield, Saint Louis into Chicago, and over in Indianapolis and Louisville, we have the threat for damaging winds, large hail, and a few tornadoes are possible. This is an active situation. We actually have a severe thunderstorm watch in effect until 11 a.m. central time. So we've got at least what is that, about two more hours to go here with this particular severe thunderstorm watch. And it's just now leaving out of Chicago areas like Rockford more in the clear. But gear up South Bend, Fort Wayne. We even have an active severe thunderstorm on the ground there just south of Fort Wayne right now. Heavy rain moving through Kalamazoo in the coming days, we anticipate the severe weather threat to persist, but it will shift a little bit farther east.

So this is 3 a.m. Thursday morning, bright and early Thursday, or dark and early Thursday morning, we'll start to see some showers riding along the periphery of this cold front. And that means the I-95 corridor from Washington, DC to New York and farther north out towards Pittsburgh is in for damaging winds, some hail, and the threat for an isolated tornado that comes with these storms. And meanwhile, we're still dealing with the heat. So today's temperatures, Philadelphia in particular, under a heat advisory where temperatures could hit the low 90s, especially through central new Jersey. But if you look at the temperature trend, it tells the story that we just talked about 84 degrees on Friday versus 96 on Wednesday in Philly, 85 on Friday versus 97 on Wednesday in in D.C., upper 70s in Boston on Friday. So what's happening that cold front is sweeping through. So while we have the storms ahead of it behind it reinforcing with a little bit more cooler air, and then finally I'll leave it here. It's not just the northeast dealing with the heat.

You can see that out west into the Central Plains. We're still dealing with heat index values that could reach 115 degrees.

Diane 115 degrees. Wow. ABC news meteorologist Mark Theodore grateful for the air conditioning right now. Tomorrow. Thank you. Coming up. Yes, chef. We are fired up for the cast of The Bear ahead of the highly anticipated third season. We have a sneak peek before tomorrow's episode drops on Hulu.

What does it take to be the most watched newscast in America?

An operation to capture ISIS fighters.

This is our combat operations center.

We're approaching the gate now. Militants came in from 4 or 5 different directions. Operational nuclear reactor. So you have a couple loaded and ready to go. The house is destroyed. But the flag. There's not a tear in it, not a.

Care in it.

How important is this label right here, made to USA? Look at your smile. You're proud of this, I love it.

Great work.

Where are you? Thank you.

David. Good to meet you. Ismael. David.

David. Yes, yes.

I'm David Muir.

I know who you are. You do? Every night.

ABC's World News Tonight with David Muir is America's most watched newscast. Whenever news breaks.

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Welcome back to ABC News Live for season three of The Bear Drops. Tonight, viewers can't stop talking about the hit show focused on Family feud and friendship. ABC's Deborah Roberts sat down with the cast as we prepare to head back to the kitchen.

What is it about this collection of sort of oddball, awkward characters that people just gravitate toward?

I think that feeling of belonging and like loneliness.

Met by the need.

For belonging and then feeling like you're a part of something bigger than yourself that's such a, like human and universal thing.

It's the show. Audiences are feasting on doors. The Bear, a story of a restaurant in need of a revamp after a family tragedy that's become a love letter to restaurant culture.

Yes, chef.

Have your cooking skills improved?

Yeah, mine have gotten worse because I just don't have the time now.

Jeremy Alan White playing Carmen Bazardo, a talented chef who's come back home to Chicago to run the family restaurant in the next season. Is he going to be beyond driven now because of what he's been through in season two?

He's so avoidant, and I think when he's going through an experience that's particularly traumatic, like the death of his, his brother or feeling like he's let down his his new sort of found family, he's going to bury himself in the work.

I can stand out here. I can make a difference. I oh.

A debris has charmed audiences as Sydney, the passionate, ambitious sous chef by his side as he launches the bear.

It's tremendous chef.

Thank you chef. I think.

The root of their.

Relationship is.

It's passion and it's respect. And it's seeing.

That same.

Fire maybe at different.

Levels of ignition.

But they see.

That fire in each other.

And you know.

They want to push.

Themselves and they want to push each other.

Carmy believes in in Sydney, probably more than he believes in himself sometimes.

Saturday Night alum Abby Elliott plays Carmen's sister, nicknamed sugar.

We have.

Our.

Our family, the.

Bears that.

We grew up.

In and.

The trauma that came with that. And then we have the chosen family. And I think, you know, people really responded to that.

As the team hustles to make it in the fine dining world, the intensity can be felt through the screen. Evan Moss, Bacharach playing Cousin Richie. Are they all related, or did they just call each other cousin or what's going on here?

That's unclear. Unclear to me too. Yeah, yeah.

I swear to God, cousin.

If he calls me Rick.

Cousin, listen, do me a favor, okay?

From the food to the fight, there's the passion of the restaurant industry in clear focus.

It's a real marriage between the actors and the crew. Because it is. It is so volatile, and there's real flames and real knives in the kitchen. And it's real.

Nice small.

Spaces.

Matty Matheson, an actual lifelong chef, is an executive producer and one of the stars of the show, bringing much of the humor as one of the fat brothers.

Why are you guys always so mad? Not mad. I'm not mad. How much fun.

Do you have playing these two? Yeah. Bumble heads.

It's bad. It's the best. It's the best ever.

These are goals.

No, no.

The cast heading into season three with great buzz and a bundle of awards. The lob for its mix of tragedy, pain and levity. It's been quite a year for you. A slew of awards, SNL cover of Vanity Fair magazine. No different. Have you wrap your mind around this kind of fame? Um. Oh.

Um.

And me.

Getting Amelie.

Outside of my body.

That might.

If the awards come, great.

But I don't think that that's.

What you can.

Be focusing on and create.

What we.

Have. To make this work is.

The gift, and also like.

Getting to have.

People really feel impacted by it and, you know, move by it. Like that's the gift on top of the gift.

This is what you want is right.

If you're starving for more, get ready. All ten episodes of season three of The Bear drops tomorrow on June 26th. So big questions. Is the group going to survive the heat in their new kitchen? And what about Sid and Khamis relationship? Oh, we get into so much more with this crowd, more of my conversation with the cast coming up on Nightline. Diane.

Deborah Roberts, thank you. And thank you for streaming with us. I'm Diane Macedo. ABC News Live is here for you anytime with the latest news, context and analysis. We'll be right back.

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Hi, I'm Diane Macedo today on ABC News Live. First, we're learning new details and former President Trump's classified documents case. In a new court filing, the special counsel criticizes Trump for storing national secrets amid a, quote, cluttered collection of keepsakes. Trump's lawyers claim the boxes were not preserved in the manner they were found, and claimed the evidence has been tampered with, which the special counsel denies. ABC news senior reporter Katherine Faulders joins me now from outside that courthouse in South Florida. Katherine, this may be the most detailed account of the search and the state of those boxes of classified documents that the FBI found at Mar-A-Lago. So what's the latest?

It surely is the most detailed account here, and I should note that this filing from the special counsel came in response to another one of Donald Trump's motions to dismiss the case. Trump's lawyers are essentially claiming that because the boxes they believe weren't in the exact form in which that they had always been in, that all of a sudden that means the FBI has tampered with evidence that this case has been thrown out, while the special counsel shot back really at Trump's argument, they're saying, wait a second. Look at the way that Trump kept his boxes. Here are new photos. Every time you picked up a box, the contents would shift. And by the way, the contents of the boxes specifically didn't change. This is no reason to throw out the whole indictment because of it, but it does reveal new details about how Trump stored the nation's secrets among his possessions, frankly. And it shows new photos that haven't been revealed yet by the special counsel's office that illustrate the messy nature, if you will, of how Trump stored these classified documents that were ultimately retrieved from his club back in 2022.

Now, Trumps attorneys, as you mentioned, claimed the evidence has been tampered with. Prosecutors are blasting this, saying it's Trump's latest unfounded accusation against law enforcement professionals doing their jobs. How is the judge responding to this back and forth?

So it's a good question.

I'm curious to ultimately see what the judge does with this motion. She's brought it up in hearings before. My guess is that she'll schedule another hearing on this topic. For example, she has a hearing later this afternoon. I don't think that it will address this in particular, but she has raised questions about the claims about why the documents could have been out of order. The special counsel has said no, they really weren't. So the judge at least has expressed some interest in the argument. I don't think it will come up today. She's likely to schedule another hearing down the road, where she will address the specifics of what Trump is claiming and what the special counsel says.

All right, Katherine Faulders, we will be watching. Thank you. And Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has struck a plea deal with the US government in exchange for his freedom. Assange is now on his way to a court in the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Once there, he's expected to plead guilty to leaking a trove of classified documents. The deal could make him a free man for the first time in nearly 15 years. And joining me now for more on this ABC's Patrick Revill, along with ABC news contributor, former assistant secretary of Department of Homeland Security Elizabeth Newman have more on this. Patrick, you've covered this story at length. How did we get to this deal and why now?

Hi, Dan. Yeah, we're still waiting for Julian Assange to arrive in the Northern Marianas. As you say, this remote US territory where tomorrow, Wednesday local time. There, he's expected to plead guilty as part of this plea deal with the Justice Department. As you say, this is a very long story. And what we expect him to plead guilty to. There is just one count, one felony count, basically pleading guilty to illegally obtaining and disclosing classified information. Um, US prosecutors had wanted to prosecute him for 17 counts, um, under the Espionage Act. And that had been a very controversial issue in the United States, because there were fears among major media organizations, including, for example, The New York Times, that were this to happen, it could set a dangerous precedent that could potentially mean that journalists publishing government secrets risked being criminalized. And so they those the New York Times, along with other media organizations, had actually called on the Biden administration to drop those charges. And I think the question of why now is a very good one.

In part, I think it's because in May, we saw a ruling here in Britain which basically suggested that which basically ruled that Assange would have could again appeal against his extradition to the United States. And there were doubts about whether he would ever finally arrive in the United States to be prosecuted. I think ultimately as well, this has been going on for a very long time. Assange has been in confinement of one form or another for 14 years now. He spent five years, obviously, in Belmarsh prison here. He spent before that seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy and even before that, some time under house arrest in the UK, trying to avoid the sexual assault charges that were eventually dropped in Sweden. So I think in some ways there were many reasons for the Justice Department to try and finally come to this agreement. And in many ways, this wasn't a total surprise. I think it's a dramatic end, but not a complete surprise, because the Justice Department and President Biden himself had been indicating that they were considering finally making this deal.

Dan and Elizabeth, Wikileaks says it exposes the world's secrets. Is there a concern that Assange's freedom could threaten national security?

Well, certainly if.

He decides to continue his past behavior, it would be a huge concern that he could continue to cause damage to national security. We know from government assessments that his leaks led to the compromise of intelligence sources. Probably people's lives are lost because of some of these leaks. We know that it led to the compromise of some of our counter techniques, like countering IEDs. Those are improvised explosive devices. Very important technology that we use on the battlefield to keep our soldiers safe. We know that he leaked things that compromised an individual's privacy. You know, just regular citizens, their medical information, their sexual preferences. I mean, he really kind of cast such a broad net that there was a lot of widespread, widespread damage. And so I am concerned if he continues on his quest for supposed transparency, a lot of damage will be continue to happen.

And Elizabeth Assange and his allies say it was a public service exposing, quote, wrongdoing. Like the 2007 Apache helicopter attack in Iraq that killed civilians, including two journalists. So why is this not being shared with the public? What value does it have to keep something like that classified?

I do think that the US government and, um, you know, it can do a better job with transparency. Um, there is often reticence to share with the public when the US government messes up, and it's better for that to be made public and for people to take responsibility for mistakes that get made. We have systems to do that. We have whistleblower systems. We have Congress providing oversight. We have lawful ways to make things public, to make things transparent so that people, bad actors or just, you know, mistakes are are made transparent to the US public and people are held accountable. What happened in the case of Wikileaks was not that process. This was an unlawful way of seeking transparency. And I would much rather see for the sake of, uh, you know, the the freedom loving, human rights loving people of, of the West. Um, that that we go through this process and a lawful way to seek transparency as opposed to the unlawful way that he he did it, which caused a ton of damage to a lot of people.

All right. Patrick Revill, Elizabeth Newman, thank you both. And we are following breaking international news. At least five people are dead and dozens injured in clashes with police outside the Kenyan parliament during protests over proposed tax hikes. Some lawmakers have evacuated. Excuse me through a tunnel as thousands of protesters breached the parliament building. The tax hike would raise the price of goods like breads, diapers, even telephone and internet data. The Kenyan Human Rights Commission shared video of officers shooting at protesters, saying they will be held accountable. Israel's defense minister is visiting the Pentagon today for a rare in-person meeting with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. This comes as new video shows the violent abductions of some Israeli hostages taken during the October 7th terror attacks. Chief national correspondent Matt Gutman has more from Tel Aviv, Israel. And we do want to warn you, this video may be difficult to watch.

That just released video showing Hamas gunmen racing into Gaza with three hostages on October 7th. Warning that the video is graphic. American Hirsch, Goldberg, Pollan, Leah, Cohen or Levy are seen crammed in the back of that pickup truck, badly wounded and soaked in blood. The video from a Hamas terrorists helmet camera. Hirsch's head pulled back as one of the militants says, I want to take a selfie with him. And overnight I met with Goldberg, Pollan's parents. She literally watched it for the first time a few minutes ago. Yeah. How does a mother watch her son go through that?

I'm not even sure yet. I felt terribly sorry for him. I don't think that any parent would ever want to see their child in any. Distress all hostage families. We all feel this. How much more can we bear?

These really government doing enough to try to secure their release.

The short answer is no. And I say that for one simple, indisputable fact. 120 hostages are not home and it's been 262 days.

Even as Israel's prime minister signals a drawdown of troops in Gaza. Israeli airstrikes hit two schools where internally displaced people were sheltering. 14 people killed, including eight members of a single family. Diane, something we've noticed over the past couple of days, senior Israeli officials from the chief military spokesperson to the national security advisor, now talking about Hamas as an idea, something that cannot be destroyed. Seemingly walking back months of rhetoric, including one of the primary goals of the war, which was to eradicate Hamas completely. Diane.

Chief national correspondent Matt Gutman in Israel. Thank you. Former President Trump is on the attack, with the first presidential debate just two days away. While the Biden campaign is focused on the issue of abortion access, Trump is suggesting without evidence that the president uses supplements to get, quote, jacked up before public appearances. ABC News senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott and political director Rick Klein join me now for more. Rachel Trump is going so far as to now call for President Biden to take a drug test. What's the latest on that, and what does that tell you about his approach to this debate?

Yeah, well, the former president's approach has been all over the map. He at one point called President Biden the worst debater. Now he's calling him a worthy debater. He has questioned his mental fitness, and now he is going as far to suggest that the president of the United States needs to take a drug test before he gets on the stage, as you mentioned, suggesting that he takes some type of supplement before he appears in public and has these very public appearances. Of course, Diane, there is no evidence to back that up. These are baseless and unfounded claims, and that's how the Biden campaign is treating them, saying that the former president has resorted to just spreading flat out lies. But this is a page out of the Donald Trump playbook, and we have seen him use this before. He used this back in 2020 and even back in 2016, calling on Hillary Clinton to get drug tested before she took the debate. Stage two Diane and Rick.

Age is a key factor in this race. So what do President Biden and President Trump need to do to prove they are sharp enough for the job?

I mean, not look old for starters. You know, I think the perceptions matter, and I think the impressions that voters get more than anything they can say on the stage, how they say it, how they come across. And of course, the comparison is important to Donald Trump, only three years younger than Joe Biden. But Trump has made a lot out of what he views as Biden's incompetence and inability to do the job. Polling suggests that voters view Biden is quite a bit older than than Trump, and a lot more concerns around his age and mental acuity. So you have to not mess up. You have to look as vigorous as you can. I think that's one reason that Trump is suggesting, as Rachel pointed out, without evidence, that that Biden might be taking some kind of some kind of drugs to enhance his, his, his on stage performance, given the fact that he has set such a low bar for him, that if Biden does a good job and seems vigorous throughout the hour and a half, it undercuts a central argument that that Trump has made.

But there's not really a lot of prep you can do for something like that. You just got to go out there and do your best and hope to come off as vigorous as possible.

All right, Rachel Scott, Rick Klein, we will be watching. Thank you. Thanks. And this Thursday night on ABC, be sure to catch the CNN presidential debate simulcast. It all starts at 7 p.m. eastern with the ABC news special. Race for the white House. And a Nevada judge is set to decide whether the suspect connected to the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur will be released on bail. Dwayne Davis had to be approved, had been ordered rather to prove that he obtained the $750,000 bond legally before he can be released. Nine months after his arrest, ABC news legal contributor and partner at the Cochran Firm, Shawna Lloyd, is here with more on that. Shawna Davis's team had refused to disclose where they were originally planning to get this money. Now they say he's enlisted a bail bonds company. So where does this stand now?

So really, it's just about the judge being sure that there are no illegal funds being used to secure this bond. Once they can show that it was legally gotten, then that will go towards the judge for consideration.

Now, if he makes this payment today, what happens next?

If he's able to make the payment, then he's going to be released on a house arrest. Let's remember, the judge still has the ability to impose pretrial limitations. He can be on electronic monitoring or other things that the judge feels is necessary to ensure that he complies with all future court dates.

Now, prosecutors charged Davis with murder, even though they don't believe he was the person who pulled the trigger. He has maintained his innocence in court. So what are you watching for as this trial is set to begin in November?

What we're looking for, really, Diane, is what direct evidence do they have linking him to this? A lot of what it seems right now seems to be statements that he's given to the press or within his book, but there is artistic license. So what direct evidence can they show linking him to this crime is going to be very vital for us and for the jury.

All right, Shauna Lloyd. Thank you. Coming up. Money dysphoria. What you can do if you have a skewed relationship with, over or under spending.

And while the rain may have stopped for parts of the Midwest, it's picking up in others. And they're dealing with this heat on the full forecast coming up on the other side of the break.

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Welcome back to ABC News Live. First, emergency officials say a major dam in Minnesota is in imminent danger of collapse. This comes as extreme heat is still sitting over the Midwest and other major cities. ABC's meteorologist Tamara Theodore has the latest. Hi, Samara.

Hey, Diane. Yeah. So, you know, the good news is that they're getting a little bit of a break in the upper Midwest from a lot of the heavy rain and thunderstorms, but they're still dealing with some heat throughout the central portions of the country. Heat advisories issued. And there is some severe weather this afternoon just a little bit farther south of there. So from Omaha to Des Moines, from Springfield to Saint Louis, from Chicago to Peoria, damaging winds are possible with these storms. So we're getting the gamut large hail, a few tornadoes, that is through this afternoon and evening. In fact, there has been a severe thunderstorm watch that has been issued. They've already started to shave it back, so they're starting to get rid of it in Rockford, Chicago. So you all are in the clear, but you can see this line of robust storms now headed for Fort Wayne, Indiana, uh, far western Ohio. They're just to the west and south of Toledo. So those storms roll through today.

Then we have another round of storms hit in the East coast Thursday morning around 3 a.m. these storms will also be on the severe side, and we could see an isolated tornado from it, mainly damaging winds. So temperatures today, while they're in the low 90s in the northeast, and a heat advisory has been issued for Philadelphia, there is still a bit of a roller coaster on the way. With these temps, you can see things dropping and cooling down here in New York. Diane will be in the upper 70s Friday, and that's because that cold front is moving through, bringing the storms early Thursday morning and the cooler air behind it by Friday.

All right. ABC news meteorologist from our Theodore. Thank you. Coming up, a judge halts further student loan forgiveness under President Biden's debt plan. What it means for millions of borrowers expecting relief. Business headlines are next.

Thursday, on the day of their first debate. Stream ABC News Live for all the breaking pre-debate details and coverage. Then, at 7 p.m. Eastern Stream, a special debate edition of ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis and at eight eastern, David Muir and the ABC news special, The Race for the white House. And then watch the CNN presidential debate simulcast streaming live on ABC News Live, and stay with ABC News Live for the instant reaction and all the fallout after the debate. All night, whenever news breaks.

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Welcome back. The future of the president's student loan forgiveness plan is now in question, after it was temporarily halted by federal judges. This is inside out to could break $1 billion record. ABC news business reporter Alexis Christopher is more on that and your other business headlines. Alexis, what are you watching today?

Disappointment for millions of folks who were hoping.

To get those those loans.

Forgiven.

Because millions of.

Americans who are.

Banking on that.

Student loan forgiveness from the Biden.

Administration are.

Now in limbo.

Federal judges in.

Kansas and.

Missouri are.

Temporarily.

Banning the government.

From implementing.

Major.

Parts of the.

President's student loan repayment plan, which has been central to.

Biden's reelection campaign. So beginning July.

1st, 8.

Million Americans.

Enrolled in the Save plan.

Were set to see their loan.

Payments cut in.

Half. But that's now.

On hold.

Until about a dozen.

Lawsuits brought.

By Republican.

States work.

Their way through the courts.

The states argue that.

The Biden.

Administration lacks.

Authority to.

Enact his plan. The white House and the Department of Education are vowing to fight the ruling. Well, I know it's.

Hard to think back to.

School shopping when summer has just started, but target announcing.

Today that it's Circle Week of Savings will return.

July 7th.

Through the 13th.

Deals include up to 30% off kids school uniforms.

And.

Backpacks, 50%.

Off some toys including Legos, and up to 40% off home appliances like Dyson, KitchenAid and Ninja.

Brands.

And if you're shopping for a July 4th celebration, you'll be happy to know Walmart, target, Kroger and Publix among the retailers that will be open for regular hours on July 4th and Inside Out, too, may be on its way to the Billion Dollar Club. The film by Pixar and ABC's parent company, Disney, has surpassed Dune Part two to become the highest grossing film of the year, box.

Office receipts.

Topping $724 million worldwide since its June 14th release, and that number is expected to go even higher since the animated feature has yet to open in Japan. This would be the first film to top $1 billion since Warner Brothers Barbie back in 2023. Looks like a fun one. It's on my list. It does all.

Right. This summer is already shaping up, Alexis. Thank you. Sure. And a growing trend called money dysmorphia is taking off on social media. It happens when someone has a distorted perception of their financial status. Rebecca Jarvis has more on why we're seeing a rise.

When 25 year old Olivia Jenkins first heard the term money dysmorphia.

She said.

It resonated right away.

At some point I feel like I, in my head, have more money than I actually do, which is what causes my, like, overspending.

The New York City public relations associate seemingly lives her dream, but her relationship with money is skewed.

It's called money.

Dysmorphia. When someone has a distorted perception of their financial status.

Especially in the world of social media that we live in, it's very easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you have to spend, spend, spend. I kind of have adopted this mentality of that money is fake.

It's a growing trend that chime financial advocate Daysha Kennedy has seen amongst her over 300 000 followers.

We are constantly being bombarded with what we should buy and what we should do. And sometimes, even if you are doing okay, it's hard to grasp that as a reality because we are always being consumed with we should be doing more.

She helps her clients start critically looking at their finances without comparing to others.

People are sometimes doing better than what they think.

One of the components of money dysmorphia is a constant comparison to our peers.

Financial psychotherapist doctor Alex Milkman says it can send our brains into survival mode.

That comparison triggers this idea of hey, am I surviving or am I not? How am I doing compared to my peers? In order to avoid dealing with the inner critic, we avoid money issues altogether.

So what are a few tactics to help get money dysmorphia under control? Monitor how often you think about money, then unfollow accounts that lead to unhealthy comparisons, and keep track of spending to remove anxiety of the unknown and something that's worked for Olivia.

Pausing before.

Purchasing.

Waiting 2440 eight.

Hours. Because then you have.

To think to yourself, is this actually going to bring me value?

Rebecca Jarvis, thank you. And thank you for streaming with us. I'm Diane Macedo. ABC News Live is here for you anytime with the latest news, context and analysis. We'll be right back.

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Welcome back to ABC News Live. First, thanks for streaming with us. You're looking at New York City on this Tuesday, and we have a lot of news to get to. Here's the rundown. Right now, officials say a dam in Minnesota is in imminent danger of collapse after days of relentless rain. Several states in the Midwest are now underwater, with thousands of homes and businesses damaged. Meanwhile, the dangerous heat is expected to return. 6076 million Americans are under heat alerts from coast to coast. The future of President Biden's student loan forgiveness program is in question, after federal court rulings put key parts of the plan on hold. 8 million Americans are enrolled in the Safe plan, which ties student loan repayment to a borrower's income. Republican states challenged the plan, claiming the administration lacks authority to enact it. Now, the white House and the Department of Education are vowing to fight the ruling. Health officials are keeping an eye on new Covid variants, as the U.K. reports a rise in hospitalizations. Experts say the so-called subvariants are circulating here, but it generally caused milder illness compared to earlier strains like Delta.

The most common symptoms are sore throat, congestion and fatigue, similar to a common cold. Health officials say the new variants are a good reminder that we could see a swell of summer cases. Those have typically happened after the 4th of July. And a police officer is being hailed a hero after a daring rescue caught on camera. Officer Kevin Long was on duty at a new Jersey shopping center when a call came in about a nearby fire, so he rushed over and pulled the man from his burning apartment as smoke filled the building. Long said it was extremely difficult, but the risk is part of the job. The man and his wife are now staying with family. The Surgeon General is declaring gun violence a public health crisis in the US. Firearm violence is the leading cause of death among children and adolescents. Now, Doctor Vivek Murthy is calling to strengthen gun regulations and penalize people who fail to safely store their weapons. Chief Justice correspondent Pierre Thomas has more. Hi, Pierre.

Dion. Good morning. The Surgeon General has decided for the first time that the nation's level of gun violence has reached such pervasive levels that it has to be addressed, that the time has come to call it a public health crisis. Much of Vivek Murthy is concerned, it appears, rooted in disturbing new trends, including the fact that gun violence has recently emerged as the leading cause of death for children and teens in this country. The Surgeon General provides a series of staggering statistics to make his case. For example, the nation's rate of gun violence for young people is at least five times higher than any other major wealthy country. He believes that gun violence is traumatizing not only the bodies, but the minds of young people, families and entire communities. His office says that nearly six out of every ten adults in this country worries, on some level that one of their loved ones will become a victim of gun violence. His announcement today emphasizes the need for more funding to provide more access to mental health support for gun violence victims.

Diane Pierre Thomas, thank you. And ABC news medical contributor Doctor Alok Patel is joining me now for more on this. Doctor Patel, what does the Surgeon General's announcement show about how gun violence affects young people in the US?

And the biggest thing this report really showed was is it flat out staggering numbers. You know, we go back to 2015 compared to other high income countries. If you're looking at deaths by firearm and children, nine out of ten of them occurred in the United States. And then fast forward a few years to 2020. Gun violence surpassed car accidents as a leading cause of death among young people. This is staggering. 2023 we had over 40,000 deaths by firearms, and we aren't just talking about deaths themselves because we know that firearm injuries are also very widespread. This report also highlights the fact that while mass shootings are this harrowing headline, we see all too often about 600 a year. They only make up about 1% of firearm deaths when you add in accidents, homicides, legal intervention, suicides and accidents. So this report really lays out the entire landscape of what firearm violence really means in America, and how it affects almost all of us.

And you say people sometimes forget that it's not just gun deaths that have an impact, but also gun related injuries. What are you seeing on that front?

With gun related injuries. It really is pervasive. You know, reports actually show that over 50% of Americans are themselves have been impacted by a firearm injury or have had a family member or a friend who have. And we know that firearm injuries can have this devastating toll on victims communities, families, people afraid to go out to go to certain neighborhoods. The actual injuries themselves can have this huge physical or mental health toll. Obviously, firearm injuries can lead people in chronic pain with disabilities, but also can increase the risk of anxiety, depression, PTSD. This all greatly impacts everyone's way of life, especially for young people.

Now, Murphy now says that it's time for the U.S. to take this issue out of the realm of politics and put it in the realm of public health. What does that look like? Why is this being told to us by a doctor?

You know, it's commonly being said this is a public health approach. We need to adopt this from a public health standpoint. What this really comes down to, if you look at core definitions of a public health approach, the first thing we have to do is really lay out the problem. What are the numbers really show? Then what are the proven risk and protective factors? Next? How do we get widespread adoption? And last, how do we evaluate to make sure that we've actually made change? And a lot of this starts with getting research funding to making sure we can really look at all these factors where the problem is, is and how do we address it. And we've seen this approach work for things such as tobacco. And if we look at motor vehicles, I think looking at the auto industry is an important example because to reduce automobile automobile deaths, you're looking at vehicle safety restrictions, you're looking at research, you're looking at road speed limits. All of this, these behavioral steps to make sure that we're saving lives.

This is exactly what we need to do when it comes to firearm violence. An all hands on deck multi-angle approach that is above politics and single solutions because it clearly requires more than that.

All right. ABC news medical contributor Doctor Luke Patel. Thank you. And as we get ready for one of the busiest beach weekends of the summer, we are bringing awareness to something called a double drowning. Bystanders who try to rescue someone struggling in the water often get themselves in trouble, too. ABC News Chief meteorologist Ginger Zee took part in a simulation aimed at preventing tragedy.

This is the first time Dennis and Shannon Canning have come back to this beach on Lake Michigan, since they lost their son, Tom, in those very waters two years ago. The middle school teacher, husband and father tried to rescue a young girl. He didn't even know she was struggling in the water. She survived and he did not.

Tom, I could tell, was.

Contemplating what to do. He handed me his hat and his phone and started walking toward the water's edge.

We all underestimate how turbulent, how strong this really is, and it can overcome you so quickly.

It's a hidden danger we see every single summer, parents and brave strangers attempting to rescue people out of the water, often on beaches without lifeguards. While some are successful, far too often neither the victim nor the rescuer survive.

They might have this confidence because they know how to swim. They make that instant decision jump in. That's unfortunately the moment when they learn that this is going to be a very difficult task to keep this person at the surface, it turns into a double drowning.

To illustrate just how difficult it can be to rescue someone from turbulent water, I team up with certified lifeguards at Scoot and surf at the water park inside the American Dream Mall. Here, choppy waves will help simulate the chaos in the ocean or the Great Lakes. My first challenge rescue not a person, but this a £10 rubber diving brick which lifeguards use to test their strength and endurance. I dive in, I grab the brick and make it back to shore. These waves are only two feet tall, but already it was definitely a challenge. My legs are burning. Next we raise the bar. This time it's 12 year old competitive surfer Huda, who's going to simulate a drowning victim, which can be dangerous to the person rescuing because victims often panic and then can drag you under. After a short break at plunge back in. This time it feels much more real. As soon as I take on that weight, I immediately struggle to keep my head above water. Fortunately, since this pool is shallow and I'm not fighting a rip current, I don't need to hold him up very long.

If any of this looks like it was easy, it was not. And for good measure, we asked two volunteer dads to give both scenarios a try. Like me, Ryan successfully rescues both the brick and the drowning victim. But also, like me, it was a lot harder than he thought.

Even just swimming out there, my heart, we went up.

It was very, very tiring.

But watch what happens to our other volunteer, Mike, before he even makes it to the brick. This dad of three signals to the lifeguards. He just can't get there.

You think you can do it?

The way it's giving us.

And it's like swimming and it's just you feel like you're getting tired and tired. My arms were hurting. I mean, even now, my heart is like, boom, boom. It's a lot more tiring than it looks like it would be.

And experts warned us if this were the ocean or the Great Lakes, it would be infinitely more challenging, especially because of rip currents.

In the pool. You have a controlled environment in the ocean. You are in a relatively safe or seemingly relatively safe position one moment and the next you're swept off your feet and you're 50 to 100 yards out to sea and you really don't know what hit you.

Mike says, despite his struggle, if it were his own kids, he'd still try to rescue them, which would put his own life at risk. But there is a safer way. Bring a flotation device, which could be as simple as a boogie board. Here's how you could use it.

Far enough away from him. So then when you hand him, he's not right on top of you safe distance, you say, relax, I'm here to save you.

I try my rescue again. The difference? Staggering. Having the boogie board was everything. It made it so much easier, I was calmer, it felt like I had distance between me and the person. That distance gave me confidence. Mike also gives it another go. This time he makes it out to the brick and all the way back to shore.

For still tiring. Well, it was a lot easier.

Because of that extreme fatigue. The United States Lifesaving Association warns against us regular folks attempting a rescue. Instead, first, alert a lifeguard and call 911. If the victim is in a rip current. Try yelling instructions. Tell them to calm down, float on your back, and swim parallel to shore out of the current and never against it. If you're close enough to them, throw them something that floats like that. Boogie board a pool noodle, maybe a beach ball, or even a cooler. If all that fails, while it's not recommended, experts say if you do attempt a water rescue, do not go in without a flotation device. It made all the difference in this rescue, and it's a lesson this dad won't soon forget.

And ginger Zee joins me now from Seabright, new Jersey with more on this. Ginger, you're an experienced swimmer, so how surprised were you at how hard it is to stay above water when you're trying to support someone else, too?

I was slow, I was inefficient, I was exhaustible like it was so fast that I got exhausted. And I kept imagining it being one of my sons out there. And I know adrenaline would be different, but without this I would never go in again. So that's what I'm taking away. I would always go in with something to float, both of us.

This being that boogie board that you're holding, I found it really interesting that a cooler can also be used as a flotation device in a pinch. It's such a great tip. What else stuck out to you that you thought, you know, I can really use this if I'm ever in a jam.

That's. The thing is, I can go looking out around this beach right now, and I now would go and say, okay, I'm going to grab this. I could get this. Any of that would work if I got out there to them. Here is the best thing. You're out. Way out in the water. You finally got there. Both of you are safe floating on the flotation device. You don't have to be a whole hero. You could be a half hero. Stay out there. 911 has been called. Pros are on the way. You don't have to hero it all the way back to the shoreline. And that's the instinct is that you think you got to get back. But if you're both okay, you can wait it out.

Oh my God, I just I feel like we have a bumper sticker there. Just be a half hero. That's that's good enough. Ginger, what do you think are the main things that people should know if they do see someone potentially drowning? Because it's easier to say, just stay on the beach and wait for help. But when you're actually there, you feel like you need to do something.

Swim where there's a lifeguard. I mean, here at the shore, you you swim right in front of them because these guys are trained. We've actually been watching a bunch of them train this morning to save your life. So if something goes wrong, you don't have to be that hero. You can have someone who's got the flotation device, they know exactly what they're doing. And then weather wise, let me tell you, like every other forecast, we know when the ocean is going to be rough. We know the type of wind directions and speeds that make rip currents. If you see a flag up or you follow those, you know, shoreline both in the Great Lakes and the ocean, forecasts don't go in the ocean and and you won't have a problem on those days.

The best way is to prevent the dangerous situation from happening to begin with. ABC News chief meteorologist Ginger Zee. Ginger. Thank you. Coming up here on ABC News Live, major record labels are suing AI companies. Why they're claiming copyright infringement and how I could reshape the industry. Plus summertime travel. You still have a couple of months to get away, and we have some great deals to share.

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Welcome back to ABC News Live. First major record labels are suing AI companies claiming copyright infringement. The Recording Industry Association of America claims AI music companies Suno and Audio trained their programs using famous artists songs without permission. The programs can even generate fake songs mimicking famous artists voices like this one created to sound like Jason Derulo.

Saying the rules are no. Can't help it.

Let's bring in ABC news contributor Google Tech Policy fellow Mike Moos for more. Mike you're laughing.

I don't like that song. Ha ha.

Ha. Try again. I ha.

Ha ha!

Um, so the record labels say that's not the problem, though they're probably happy to hear it. They say these AI models only work by copying tons of songs and infringing copyrights in the process. So walk us through the technology here. How does it work.

That I've got to say, this is a type of case that I've been waiting to come forward in the court system, and as you and I always have these incredible A.I. conversations, I typically lean more pro AI than most. But I've been really looking at this idea of copyright infringement, and eventually that was going to be the heart of it. So at its core, uh, what these generative AI companies are doing think ChatGPT that's a generative AI product. What they do is they learn off of a database of source material. And so what these music AI companies have done is they have essentially have trained the computer system, uh, to output a song, but they have trained on songs similar or actually have trained on Jason Derulo songs unto itself to create a new output. And so that is the heart of it when it comes to, excuse me, that is the technology aspect of it and what we mean by training the AI. The heart of this lawsuit, though, comes down to the issue of fair use.

And the record labels and the tech companies are both using the terminology of fair use, uh, to try to win their case. And particular excuse me, I look at my phone, I took some notes here for it. Okay, but take a look at the CEO of Suno. He says, quote, our technology is transformative. It is designed to generate completely new outputs. That's a key word transformative. Because in order to be able to say we created this output in these songs based upon fair use, it has to be a transformative work. And what legislation means by transformative is it has to be used differently than the original intent of it. And so this is what these music AI companies are standing on, which is it's a new transformative work, not the original work.

Oh, this sounds like it's going to be a tricky legal one, Mike. A number of writers, newspapers, comedians, lots of other people have sued AI companies over the use of copyrighted material. So how big of an issue is this overall? And where do you see this legal battle heading from here?

This is huge because I've been waiting for certain cases to come forward. This music one is going to be a strong case to come forward, because what you're going to be able to see is we played the Jason Derulo song, but another popular songs that are on these music sites currently right now is Motown, The Temptations and Mariah Carey's All I want for Christmas. What the record label strong defense is going to be is that they are using the heart of an original copyright in order to sell or be transformative. You can't use the heart of it. Think that hook that we think about for Mariah Carey, all I want from Christmas. And so that's the heart of it. So if they are using that for the new output, the record labels actually have a strong case to stand on.

And we just got to make New Serenade as a bonus as well.

That's right. Anything for you.

Now, Mike, some argue that I should not be focused on art or music at all. Right? The songwriting part. The singing part. That part's the fun part. So when are we getting the I laundry folder put away? That's what I want to know.

I want to know the exact same thing as well, Diane. But what's interesting is to your point, the music labels are actually agreeing with you on that one. They're saying, buy these music. I tech company standing on the use of fair use. Are they being disingenuous and are preventing innovation from going forward. That could help AI such as folding your laundry.

Diane okay, well, whatever that part is, I'm behind that. ABC news, Google Tech policy fellow Mike muse and ABC news contributor. Thanks, Mike. Coming up here on ABC news Live, summer travel deals are still out there. Why Europe is such a hot spot and where you can find the best deals.

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Americans are on the move this summer. The TSA says Sunday marked its busiest day ever, screening almost 3 million people at U.S. airports, and the FAA said it expects this Thursday to be even busier, with close to 54,000 flights. And many of those Americans are headed to Europe. ABC's Christiane Cordero has more on why and how you can book a last minute trip without breaking the bank.

Europe is always a popular travel destination, but lead economist at travel site Hopper, Hayley Berg says there's even more demand in the summer.

We're expecting about 57,000 flights to take off from U.S. airports headed to European centers.

Berg says travel bookings to Europe.

Surge this.

Time of year because kids are off from school, and for most of Europe, the weather is best during the summer months.

Good news for travelers. To Europe, prices are down about 16% compared to this time last year. If you're.

Looking to get a.

Deal on a last minute trip, Berg says you'll need to act fast and book now. She suggests skipping the most popular and expensive destinations like London, Rome and especially Paris, where the Olympics will be hosted later this July. Opting for cities that are more off the beaten.

Path, I recommend Reykjavik, Copenhagen and Stockholm. All three are still under 5 or $600 roundtrip from the US this summer. Have a little bit more temperate weather during those hottest months and are definitely going to have fewer crowds.

She says one of the best ways to save fly during the week.

You'll save about $400 per ticket if you can depart on Tuesday or Wednesday and return early in the week. Skip the Friday or Saturday departures, which will be the most expensive.

And if you're flexible, consider shifting your vacation to the end of August or early September.

We typically see prices are 30% lower if you travel at the end of summer early fall. So for those flexible travelers, this is one way that you can save a tremendous amount and get more bang for your buck when you're in the region.

Christiane Cordero, ABC news, Washington.

Christine, thank you. And lead economist at Hopper, Hayley Berg is joining me now for some travel tips. Hayley, if you are booking a last minute trip, what can you expect in terms of pricing for airfare, hotels and car rentals?

If you're looking at the last minute domestic or abroad in Europe, you should expect prices to be high. Most travelers are getting the lowest prices. Think under $300 roundtrip on domestic 4 to $700 on international if they book 3 to 4 months in advance. So if you're booking a summer vacation, you're probably seeing domestic airfare well over $300. Airfare to Europe well over $1,000 roundtrip. Same for hotels and rental cars. Prices will be anywhere from 20 to 40% more expensive if you're booking at the very last minute.

And what about destination dupes? Do you have any recommendations for more affordable options to typical hotspots?

No. We typically see a lot of demand to Mediterranean coastal cities during the summer. Think ABC Islands in the Mediterranean, Tenerife, the Canary Islands, very popular, very expensive destinations. But you can trade those in for destinations like Barcelona or anywhere in Portugal. We typically see fares anywhere from 300 to $500 less expensive in summer. And at the end of summer, if you swap out those more expensive island destinations in the Mediterranean and near Europe for something more mainland and a little less expensive.

So looking ahead, when's the best time to plan a fall trip?

Now is the time to book a fall trip. Whether you're going international or just sneaking in another US based vacation. Start monitoring prices now and you'll have the next couple of weeks to decide on dates, destinations, and book those trips. The best part is, if you plan that fall vacation now, you're going to save at least 30% on hotels and on flights.

All right, Hopper as Hayley Berg, we appreciated Hayley. Thank you.

Great being with you.

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Right now on ABC News Live. Brutal weather from coast to coast. 76 million people under some kind of heat alert with record highs possible in the South. We've got the forecast no matter where you live. Plus the surgeon general declaring gun violence a public health crisis. Doctor Vivek Murthy joins me live to explain why. And Julian Assange set to go free, why a guilty plea from the Wikileaks founder could bring an end to a years long legal battle with the US government. Good evening everyone. Good afternoon. I should say I'm Phillip off. Today, our nation's top doctor issued a stern warning on gun violence all across the US, declaring it a public health crisis for the first time ever. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy raising concerns that Americans are experiencing firearm related deaths at dramatically higher rates, and they're now the leading cause of death. Think about this the leading cause of death for children and teens in this country. Doctor murthy providing several staggering statistics to make his case. Chief among them. The rate of gun violence in the US is anywhere from 5 to 121 times higher when compared to any other high income country in the world, the surgeon General says.

The impact of this violence is also causing untold damage to our mental health. Joining me now to discuss United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. Doctor murthy, thank you so much for taking the time to talk about this today. I know a lot of people for a long time have been wanting this to happen. Your advisory outlines how the impact of gun violence goes beyond deaths and injury. It actually leads to cascading harm and collective trauma across societies, threatening the mental and physical health of everyone, but especially young people. What concerns you the most here?

But I'll tell you that the reason I'm putting forward.

This advisory.

From our office on gun violence for the.

First time in our.

History is.

I want people to understand that this is a public health concern of great urgency, and that the impact it's having on our country is far wider than I think most people may realize. The greatest price we're paying for gun violence are unquestionably the lives. We lose nearly 50,000 a year, but we've now reached a place where gun violence has become the leading cause of death among children and teens. That was not true a decade ago or two decades ago. It is true today. And we're also seeing that for every one person we lose to gun violence, there are two who are injured. There are more who witness these incidents, family members who lose a loved one. Communities that are traumatized by the violence in their neighborhoods. And millions of people, including our children who read about and hear about these episodes of violence in the news and they worry. And that's why 6 in 10 adults in America are now saying that they're worried about losing a loved one to gun violence. It's why half of kids are saying that they're worried about a shooting taking place in their school.

This is what I hear all across America when I meet with kids and with parents. And if we understand the full extent of this toll, if we understand that this is now a kids issue, then my hope is that we can respond with greater urgency and address this as a public health challenge. That it is.

Yeah. A lot of the data you present focuses on how gun violence is increasingly impacting kids. Is that a recent phenomenon with with school shootings? I mean, why is that primarily the focus of a lot of the the research you provide, but also, as you just said, a lot of the concern for not only kids but for their parents.

Well, certainly mass shootings have had an impact on the psyche of our country. Really, the fear of gun violence has really infiltrated the psyche of America. And when you look at kids in particular, the fact that half of them are worried about a shooting in their school just speaks to that. But it's important to realize that the vast majority of gun violence related deaths that take place are actually taking place in other settings, usually in neighborhoods and in homes. They're people every day, you know, including our children who are engaged in, in playing, sometimes with weapons at home that are left unlocked and loaded and they end up injuring themselves and sometimes, you know, killing themselves or others accidentally. But we also know that there are acts of violence that are taking place in neighborhoods as part of conflicts where a lethal weapon is available, and that can lead to homicide as well. But it may also surprise people to know that around 56% of gun violence related deaths are suicides. And this is why, when we look at the breadth of factors that are driving gun violence, you quickly realize that there's not one simple solution to it.

There are multiple steps we have to take, and I lay out a series of strategies that we can take as a country to ultimately address this, and that's really important for people to know there is a solution here. We do not have to consign ourselves to a future where gun violence, you know, is the day to day reality that we face, where we are worried about going to school or work or the grocery store or a concert. We can live in a safer way. And that's what I'm hoping that we can, you know, approach with a new set of urgency. Because ultimately, this is a kids issue and nothing is more important than the well-being of our children.

Sir, I want to talk about a statistic you just gave out. A lot of people don't know that the the amount that that is such a big amount of, of the gun gun deaths in this country is suicide. Many people would not, you know, put their finger on that percentage. But that is also a statistic used by a lot of gun rights advocates who don't want anything to change in terms of, um, in terms of gun legislation. You call for an evidence based approach to public health change, along with the civilian ban on assault rifles and high volume magazines. I'm wondering how realistic is it to think that you can effect positive change here, given the decades of pushback from gun rights advocates, the political climate we have right now in this country, and a right leaning Supreme Court, which already favors the Second Amendment, as we just saw, overturning the ban on bump stocks, it would seem like you're you're climbing a pretty big hill here.

Well, look, you're right that there's complexity to this issue. No, you know, no question about that. And it's not simple to address gun violence in America. For years this has been politicized and polarized as an issue. But here's what I have learned over the years of talking to people in communities across America. I've learned that people of all backgrounds, all political backgrounds, race and ethnicity backgrounds, people of different ages and different parts of, you know, geographical locations in our country. They all share a common desire to reduce gun violence in our country. They want their kids to be able to go to school safely, just as I do. They want to be able to go to the grocery store and the mall without worrying about violence. They want to be able to take a walk in their neighborhood without worrying that that is going to put them at risk of being shot. And I worry that that that broad agreement on the urgency of addressing this issue gets lost sometimes in how we cover this issue.

But I see that each and every day. And the other thing that gives me hope, though, is what we've seen recently, which has been some progress in starting to address gun violence 5 to 6 years ago, for the first time in decades, Congress put forward a modest sum of funding for gun violence research. Much more is needed, but that was an important start. The second thing is, two years ago, the bipartisan Safer Communities Act was passed by Congress, the first major piece of legislation in 30 years to address gun violence. You know, I do believe that just as we did with tobacco and with car accident related deaths in this country, if we can understand these issues as public health issues, I understand the fact that people across the spectrum want to address this, want to live more safely, that I do think that we can make progress, but it's going to take shifting how we talk about this, how do we think about this issue and recognizing the expansive toll that it's taking on all of our lives.

It's interesting. At the beginning of the interview when you mentioned that gun violence doesn't just affect the victims, people who are actually shot and killed, you know, by guns, but the people around them. I'm clued into something, you know, my daughter is becoming a teacher, and she tells me a lot of the people who are becoming teachers, and we need so many more teachers in this country are concerned about that. Now, that that was never a concern in the past, but they're concerned about school shootings. If this plea of yours, which I know so many people back, people have been saying for years this should be a public health crisis if this plea falls on deaf ears. I'm wondering what's next, because there was some conventional wisdom that said Congress was going to take some sort of action after Sandy hook, where 20 kids were gunned down, and really nothing happened after that. You seem hopeful that with baby steps, Congress can do something. Our baby steps good enough.

Well, I think we have to do. Certainly we have to do a lot now. And baby steps aren't always enough. When you look at the scale of the problem, you know, what I've laid out are major strategies that we can consider, and that we should strongly look at when it comes to addressing gun violence. I'd love to be able to tell you we just take one single step that we can solve all of gun violence, or that we have the luxury of taking an incremental step here, waiting 5 or 10 years and seeing what happens. We don't have that luxury. You know, our kids lives are at stake here. Like we have to look, you know, at the cost of inaction. And we just can't afford to continue to bear the cost of inaction because it's not only being born and lives lost, but it is affecting how people think about living their lives, about the career choices they make, about basic decisions like going for a walk, or going to school or going to work.

We all deserve to live in a community that's safe. We can't afford to just kick the can down the road when it comes to to addressing this crisis. And I do believe as a country, though, we can do hard things because we've done it in the past. In 1964, when Surgeon General Luther Terry issued the first Surgeon General's report on tobacco, a lot of people said, there's no way you can get Americans to to stop smoking. 42% of the country smoked at that time. There were ads everywhere. Doctors were smoking. It was part of the culture. But we didn't accept that as our reality. We said that we can do better. And through a series of community actions, education programs, youth initiative, advocacy movements and action from lawmakers, we were able to dramatically reduce tobacco use in this country, dropping cigarette smoking from 42% in 1964 to under 12% today. So we can do hard things, and when our kids lives are at stake, we absolutely must.

Yeah, I mean, it's a serious approach to a serious problem. It's a multi-pronged approach, not a not a, you know, one one specific thing that will fix it. You're coming at it from a lot of angles. And finally labeling it sort of what a lot of people in this country feel that it is. I mean, we're all scared that our kids are going to be hurt. No one wants that. Surgeon general, Doctor Vivek Murthy, thank you so much for taking the time, sir. We really do appreciate having you on.

Thanks so much. It was good to be with you.

Now we want to turn to the extreme and life threatening heat gripping much of this country. 76 million people are under heat alerts from California all the way over to new Jersey. Forecasters say some of the worst heat will be in the heartland and across the South. Officials also warning of deadly riptide currents along much of the Atlantic and Gulf Coast. The extreme heat expected to last for several more days, so take it in stride. Florida and Texas near triple digit temperatures. And in California, Palm Springs hitting 110 degrees.

Today is especially.

Humid.

I don't think it's been.

This hot, but the thing is, uh. Uh, we're all changed, I guess.

Globe change.

Super scorcher. And we're glad we're doing an event at the pool today.

The Top Gun theme in the back of that. That sound made it much more dramatic. Extreme weather also triggering a potential catastrophe in the Midwest. Record-Breaking flooding There Threatening to Burst a Dam in Minnesota. Officials now warning some people in that area that they need to be ready to evacuate, just in case. At least two deaths now blamed on that devastating flooding. President Biden declaring a major disaster in Iowa and more severe storms are in the forecast. Our extreme weather team has it all covered. Let's bring in meteorologist Alex Smith from our ABC station in Houston. Elise, I will ask and then we'll get to Samara in a minute. How hot is it there and how are people dealing?

Hey there.

Good afternoon. Phil, while.

The extreme heat.

Here in Texas, this is the.

First of what could be several days.

Where we are experiencing.

Temperatures in the mid to upper 90s, but it's that heat index.

In the afternoon.

That could be dangerous for us here in.

Southeast Texas.

We could see triple.

Digit heat.

Index values as high as.

110 degrees. That's what it could feel like in the afternoon. Houston under its first heat.

Advisory of the summer.

Season. And I have to say us here in.

Houston, we are no stranger to this.

Summer heat. We prepare and anticipate.

It every.

Single year. We have.

The infrastructure.

Here to help handle and manage the heat. So many people.

Across the region today are going to be at pools, potentially at the beach or even splash pads. Those are a very popular spot for locals to beat the heat. But it's.

Not only us here.

In Texas.

We have the heat centered in the.

South.

This time around. I know.

Much of the northeast was dealing with that heat last week, but this.

Time around.

Say Memphis under an.

Excessive.

Heat warning where we could see triple digit temperatures.

And possibly.

Record tying temperatures there. And this could be just the first of several days in a row where we experience this heat.

Us here in.

Houston, preparing.

For what could.

Be a very.

Intense month.

In July as well, in July and August is when we usually see the most intense heat of the summer here in Southeast Texas. I'm meteorologist Alex Smith. I'll send it back to you in New York.

Phil. Yeah. Elise. Thank you know, experts say stay hydrated and but you have the best live shot of the day. You're in front of a pool, so that's really smart. I like what you did there. Um, let's bring in, uh, ABC news meteorologist Seema Theodore. Now, Samara is indoors, not not near a pool, but an air conditioning. Some our 24 states under under those heat alerts. Uh, here in the northeast where we are. We've had this for days now. When are we going to catch a break?

Well, in the northeast, there's actually a break on the way. And I'll get to that in a moment. Now, it does come with a caveat. A little catch 22, because we have to go through the storms first. More on that in a moment. I just want to show you the broad picture here. Yes, we're all still dealing with the heat, at least down in Texas in the upper 90s. Out west, triple digits, triple digits, all the way into Wichita, Saint Louis, 90s on the East coast. Now we have a severe thunderstorm, uh, a severe weather potential here this afternoon. And it's really for Omaha, Des Moines down to Saint Louis, up to Fort Wayne, out towards Indianapolis, damaging wind, large hail, few tornadoes. This is actually a little bit of good news for those in the Upper Midwest who have been dealing with the flooding. So the rain is now moved farther south, but they're also in for a lot of heat, so they have to keep that in mind.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for southern Illinois right now. They've released the severe thunderstorm watch we saw earlier for Chicago in South Bend. Here is where the cooldown comes in. Fill. So Thursday 3 a.m. we've got showers and storms riding through the northeast. On the back end of that cold front we will see cooler weather. Temperatures are going to be dropping into the 80s and 70s by the end of the week in the northeast still, but it does come because we have the storms riding the front of the the cold front there.

Well, nothing comes for free, but I'll take 70s and 80s any day over, over what we've been dealing with. All right, guys, thank you. Elise smart. Thank you very much. To Florida now. And the courtroom battle in the special counsel's classified documents case against former President Trump. Jack Smith out with a new filing claiming Trump stored national secrets among a, quote, cluttered collection of keepsakes, including these never before seen images of some of the boxes Trump stored the documents in. Meantime, according to transcripts of audio notes reviewed by ABC news, Trump privately expressed concern that returning classified documents after a subpoena could result in criminal charges. Those notes are at the center of a hearing before Judge Aileen Cannon this afternoon. Senior reporter Katherine Faulders has the latest from outside the courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida.

The judge overseeing Donald Trump's classified documents case is currently holding hearings to consider whether evidence obtained during that August 2022 search of Donald Trump's estate, Mar-A-Lago, can even be used at all at trial or to bolster their case against the former president. This comes as ABC news is exclusively reporting on notes that Trump's former lead lawyer on the case took about his meetings with Trump leading up to the search of his estate. In his notes that lawyer Evan Corcoran said that Trump privately expressed concerns that turning potentially classified documents in his possession over to investigators could result in criminal charges. Corcoran's notes have been used by prosecutors as some of the most damning evidence that the former president attempted to hide documents from investigators and his own lawyers. Now, Judge Cannon will consider whether those notes can even be used at all. This comes after two days of contentious hearings. In this case, motions brought by former President Trump's lawyers one to consider whether special counsel Jack Smith's appointment as special counsel is unlawful. And the judge has also been considering a request by Jack Smith to impose a limited gag order over Donald Trump's speech as it relates to law enforcement involved in the case.

It's not clear when cannon intends to rule on this.

All right, Catherine. Thank you. And just two days to go now until Donald Trump and Joe Biden face off on a debate stage for the first time in four years. The campaigns are already exchanging a few barbs. Pre-debate Trump campaign, sending out a fundraising email yesterday, making some more unsubstantiated claims about Joe Biden and demanding he be given a drug test before the debate. Trump claiming Biden's confused and, quote, has no idea what's going on. This morning, the Biden campaign released a new ad attacking Trump on his economic policies.

While Trump loves.

To attack Joe Biden, Joe.

Biden, Joe Biden because he's.

Focused on revenge.

And he has no plan to help the middle class, he'd just give more.

Tax cuts to.

The wealthy. Joe Biden is working every day to make.

Your life more affordable.

Joining me now, senior white House correspondent, Selina Wang. Selina, the latest 538 polling average shows Biden with a slight lead heading into the debate. How are both candidates preparing? Because it seems like from what we've heard, it's two different ways.

Yeah, Phil, I mean, these two candidates could not be preparing for this in more different ways. For instance, you've got President Biden. He is still hunkering down in Camp David. He is really refining his message, honing in on his attack lines and doing these full 90 minute mock debates. He's over there with his top advisers, and they're trying to figure out the best ways to hold Trump accountable. They say not just for what he's done, but what he said. We know they're going to be going hard at Trump. The president will be for the overturning of Roe versus Wade, for the abortion restrictions we're seeing across the country, and reminding voters that Trump said he's going to be a dictator on day one. Now, look, the Biden team tells me that they believe American voters just have not really been dialed into this race yet, but that this debate.

On Thursday is.

Really going to be an inflection point for that, for voters to understand the stakes of this election, then you've got Trump. On the other hand, he's got none of these mock debates.

We're finding in these.

Messages. That is not the Trump approach. Instead, he's holding more than a dozen informal policy sessions with allies, friends and potential VP contenders. Phil.

Yeah, I'm curious when you're talking about the former president's messaging leading into this debate. I mean, as you heard in the in the introduction to this conversation, on one hand, he says you should drug test the president. He doesn't know where he is. On the other hand, he says he's a formidable, formidable debater. He's changing expectations sort of daily.

Yeah. Phil, I mean, I think you really hit the nose on the head, which is that Trump has.

Been all over the map.

On this issue for months. He was really lowering expectations of a potential.

Debate.

With President Biden. He was saying that he's cognitively.

Impaired, made it seem like.

He couldn't even finish a sentence. But now he's really changed his tune, saying that President Biden is a quote worthy debater and that he shouldn't be underestimated. And then over the weekend, the former president suggesting that President Biden is going to be on drugs and, quote, jacked up to prepare for this debate and all of that. Phil, I think just drives home how Donald Trump is hedging against the possibility if President Biden has a better than expected performance. You also see the former president mocking President Biden for studying this hard, for putting this much effort into preparation, Donald Trump really trying to drive the contrast that he doesn't need to prepare. He's out there rallying. He's already prepared. But I'm told from sources close to the Biden team that Donald Trump is preparing more than he's letting on, and they're expected to see a more disciplined version of Trump.

This is going to be quite a moment in time in our political team, of course, getting ready for it Thursday night. Selina Wang at the white House, thank you so much. Coming up, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange strikes a plea deal with the US government and could soon be on his way home to Australia. How did this happen?

Coming up. Whenever news breaks.

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They call him the beauty queen killer. He's targeting young women in malls.

I am single.

I want to join the.

Company of the number of women.

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How did she survive?

Nine days of terror.

The word accomplice came up.

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Welcome back to ABC News Live. Julian Assange is now set to become a free man. The Wikileaks founder has struck a plea deal with the US government in exchange for his freedom, ending a nearly 15 year long extradition fight. Earlier, Assange landed in Bangkok on his way to court in the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Once he arrives there, the Wikileaks founder will plead guilty to violating espionage laws when he leaked US classified documents. ABC's Patrick Revill has been following this story for us and has more now. Patrick, this deal brings an end to a years long legal battle. Why did Assange agree to finally plead guilty?

Hi, Phillip. As you say, we're still watching. Julian Assange is playing head towards the Northern Mariana Islands, this US Commonwealth in the western Pacific. As you say, he left Bangkok and is already en route there right now. As you say, we expect to see him tomorrow, local time at 9 a.m. in this court. Submit this plea where we expect that he will submit a plea, uh, acknowledging, um, leaking, I should say, sorry, obtaining, illegally obtaining classified documentation and disclosing it. And he will then be sentenced to 62 months, which is the equivalent to the amount of time that he has spent here in prison in the UK. He will then fly to Australia and where he will become a free man for the first time in 14 years. And as you say, the question of why now is a big one. I think from Assange's side, you know, he's been seeking to avoid prosecution in the US for 14 years, and in this case, he sees this as a victory.

He's obviously suffered a great deal in in the confinement that he has spent for the last 14 years. He spent five years here in Belmarsh prison and also seven years in the embassy. And so he sees this as a victory. I think the question, of course, is why did the Biden administration decide to drop these charges now? One question, one, one answer, perhaps, I think, is just how controversial this was with media organizations in the US, um, urging them to drop these charges because of the possible effect it could have or media freedoms there. Phil.

All right. Patrick Revill, thanks so much. Coming up, they are going crazy for hockey in a place that doesn't really know ice, at least like we do in the northeast. How the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup when we come back.

What does it take to be the most watched newscast in America?

An operation to capture ISIS fighters.

This is our combat operations center.

We're approaching the gate now. Militants came in from 4 or 5 different directions. Operational nuclear reactor. So you have a couple loaded and ready to go. The house is destroyed. But the flag. There's not a tear in it.

Not a tear in it.

How important is this label right here, made to USA. Look at your smile. You're proud of this, I love it.

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Every night.

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If you were coming of age in the 1980s. The Brat Pack was near the center of your cultural awareness, but for those of us experiencing it from the inside, the Brat Pack was something very different. If you have a Brat Pack, may not exist. Would you? I hated the Brat Pack. What a.

Disaster!

Why did we take it as an offense?

But now I can say we were the.

Beatles or anything.

Well, we didn't tell Shea Stadium in 1985.

I think we could have.

Welcome back to ABC News Live. Lord Stanley's Cup is headed to South Florida.

The Panthers edged out the Edmonton Oilers in.

Game seven for their first ever Stanley Cup. That is super exciting. The Panthers won the first three games of the series, but Edmonton came back with three straight wins. A second period goal proved to be the winner, and prevented the Panthers from being the first team since 1942 to lose the Cup after winning the first three games. Thank you for streaming with us. I'm Phillip off. The news never stops, so we don't either. We'll be right back.

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