By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A man accused of shooting two National Guard troops near the White House pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to first-degree murder and assault charges.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who was also shot, made his initial court appearance by video from a hospital bed.

Related Articles

Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz face May trial date in gambling case

New ICE operation is said to target Somali migrants in Twin Cities

Costco joins companies suing for refunds if Trump’s tariffs fall

AI may be scoring your college essay. Welcome to the new era of admissions

Michael and Susan Dell donate $6.25 billion to encourage families to claim ‘Trump Accounts’

His attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf on the charges stemming from the Nov. 26 shooting that killed Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and wounded Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24.

Beckstrom and Wolfe were deployed with the West Virginia National Guard for Trump’s law-enforcement surge in the nation’s capital, which has flooded the city with federal agents and troops since August.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office in Washington, D.C., charged him with murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.

Authorities were investigating a possible motive for what they described as an ambush-style attack.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cited the “fog of war” in defending a follow-up strike on an alleged drug-carrying boat in the Caribbean Sea earlier this year.

During Tuesday’s cabinet meeting at the White House, Hegseth said that he did not see that there were survivors in the water when the second strike was ordered and launched in early September, saying that “the thing was on fire” and citing the “fog of war” in defending the strike. Hegseth also said he “didn’t stick around” for the remainder of the mission following the first strike, and said that the admiral in charge had “made the right call” in ordering it, which he “had complete authority to do.”

Related Articles

New ICE operation is said to target Somali migrants in Twin Cities

Ex-New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey’s comeback bid comes down to a runoff for Jersey City mayor

Tennessee voters make final call in House special election testing Trump’s power

Putin accuses Europeans of sabotaging peace efforts on Ukraine and meets US delegation

Democrat Mandela Barnes, a former US Senate candidate, enters the Wisconsin governor’s race

The Washington Post first reported that Hegseth issued a verbal order for the second strike that killed survivors on the boat. On Monday, the White House said that Navy Vice Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley acted “within his authority and the law” when he ordered the second strike.

Lawmakers have announced congressional reviews of the U.S. military strikes against vessels suspected of smuggling drugs, and Bradley is expected to provide a classified briefing Thursday to lawmakers overseeing the military. Asked if he supported the second strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea in September, President Donald Trump said he “didn’t know anything” and “still haven’t gotten a lot of information because I rely on Pete,” referencing Hegseth.

By MARK KENNEDY, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Mariah Carey, Post Malone, Chappell Roan, Demi Lovato and Maren Morris will help ring in the new year on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” with additional performances by 50 Cent, Charlie Puth, OneRepublic and Pitbull.

The show on Dec. 31 will be live on ABC beginning at 8 p.m. EST, and repeat the next day on Hulu. Ryan Seacrest and Rita Ora will anchor the celebrations from New York City at Times Square, Chance the Rapper will do the same from his native Chicago, while former NFL star Rob Gronkowski and Julianne Hough will beam from Las Vegas.

The headliner for Times Square will be announced later.

The performers will also include Ciara, Goo Goo Dolls, Lil Jon, Little Big Town, Madison Beer, New Kids on the Block, Jordan Davis, The All-American Rejects and Rick Springfield.

By PHILIP MARCELO

NEW YORK (AP) — Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz are facing a May trial on federal charges that they took bribes to help gamblers betting on their pitches.

Related Articles

New ICE operation is said to target Somali migrants in Twin Cities

Costco joins companies suing for refunds if Trump’s tariffs fall

AI may be scoring your college essay. Welcome to the new era of admissions

Michael and Susan Dell donate $6.25 billion to encourage families to claim ‘Trump Accounts’

Officer recalls confronting Luigi Mangione during the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting manhunt

U.S. District Court Judge Kiyo Matsumoto on Tuesday said jury selection would tentatively begin May 4 in Brooklyn federal court, with the trial opening the following week or sooner.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Sherman told the judge at the brief hearing that prosecutors anticipate the trial could last two weeks.

He said both sides have been in discussions since the pitchers were arrested last month, but have not yet talked about a possible plea deal in the case to avoid trial.

Matsumoto initially proposed a February trial date, but prosecutors and defense lawyers pushed for a spring start.

Sherman said prosecutors began providing defense lawyers evidence and other materials this week in anticipation of a trial, including hundreds of gigabytes of files pulled from a number of electronic devices.

Clase, Ortiz and their lawyers declined to comment outside the courtroom. They’re due back in court Jan. 15.

The two have been out on bond since pleading not guilty last month to wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery.

According to prosecutors, the two accepted thousands of dollars in bribes to help two unnamed gamblers in their native Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 on bets placed on the speed and outcome of their pitches.

They allege that Clase, the Guardians’ star closer, began providing the bettors with information about his pitches in 2023 and then recruited Ortiz into the scheme earlier this year.

Lawyers for the men have denied the charges. Ortiz’s lawyer has maintained that payments between his client and individuals in the Dominican Republic were for legal activities, not payoffs.

Clase, 27, is a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year who is on the fourth season of a $20 million, five-year contract.

Ortiz, 26, earned a $782,600 salary this year as a starting pitcher for the Guardians.

The two pitchers have been on nondisciplinary paid leave since July, when MLB began investigating what it said was unusually high in-game betting activity when they pitched.

The Guardians open spring training in February. The team’s home opener is April 3.