ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 4pm - January 13, 2026

Episode Date: January 13, 2026

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Breaking right now at 4, one person is shot after an incident involving a state trooper in Greensboro. The latest on the investigation is southbound lanes on U.S. 421 remains shut down. Dozens of people interviewed today as part of jury selection begins in the 22 double murder trial of two Orange County teenagers. And new this hour, former Kerry Town manager Sean Stiegel now under a criminal investigation over mishandling of the town's finances. We have new reaction. I witness news at 4 starts now. Live coverage from your local news leader, keeping you connected to your community and your first alert forecast. Here's what's happening where you live. This is ABC 11I Witness News.

And thanks for joining us here for the news at four. I'm Amber Rupenta. And I'm Barbara Gibbs. We begin with your first alert to the chance for some snow flurries on Thursday morning. It's got a meteorologist Cruz Medina in our first alert forecast center timing and out. I did say flurries. Yes, that's right. Just some flurries. This is not going to be. be an accumulating snowfall for our region. But what we have coming in is an Arctic front. And as of now, the amount of moisture that we're gonna have available ahead of this

is still questionable. But as the cold air moves in behind this, you could see it's obviously gonna be very cold. So any little small amount of moisture could lead to at least a few snowflakes here. So I will preface this by saying this is mainly a mountain snow event. There could be several inches of snow out in the mountains,

especially out toward the smokies. But in our region, this is one model, just coming in, one of our newest model runs, just showing light snow amount. So most of this is just maybe a trace at best. Most areas just see a few flakes and then this pushes on out. So I'd say especially the farther north,

you are toward the Virginia border, that's the best chance you have of seeing some flakes. But this evening, you're not gonna see anything falling from the sky. So this is a live look out at Durham. Our Mutual Tower Sky Cam, where it is 57 degrees. So it's pretty warm to be a winter day. Tipters will stay in the 40s through the evening hours,

eventually dropping into the 30s overnight. And we will see the clouds increasing toward daybreak. So that's what keeps us from dropping into the 20s tonight. We also have a southwest wind that kicks in. That's going to keep things warm tomorrow despite the cloud cover. So highs, a few degrees above average tomorrow, reaching the mid-50s for areas like the triangle and the sandhills. Slightly cooler to our north with lower 50s there. And then as we go into tomorrow night, maybe a few showers, the better chance of seeing any precipitation is early on Thursday.

Well, track that out with first alert predictor coming up in your extended forecast. Barbara. All right, Cruz, thank you. And you can stay up to date on the latest weather conditions with the free ABC 11 mobile app. We'll send you watches and warnings right to your device. And you can also check DopplerNet and the 7-8 forecast anytime. And we continue to follow the double murder trial getting underway now after two Orange County teens were found dead back in 2022. We were back in court for day two as jury selection began.

Cindy Bay has been following this all day. Cindy, good afternoon to you. morning now. Well, good afternoon, Barbara and Amber. Well, the jury selection is still going on. Both the state and defense have to agree on the 12 potential jurors. And so out of the more than 60 people that have been summoned into the courthouse this morning, they have been seating 12 at a time and questioning them. Each side pulling out several of the jurors, the state, for example, removing three, then replacing those seats, those people being questioned again. And so the ultimate goal is for them to both agree on these number of jurors. Now this is all for the trial involving

Isaiah Ross and the two teenagers who were killed, 14 year old Lyrick Woods and 18 year old Devin Clark. Ross was 17 years old at the time of the incident and is facing two counts of first degree murder as an adult. And if he is convicted by a jury, he can face two consecutive life sentences. So the jury selection is still going on. We just had a quick recess, but we are going to go back into the courtroom and bring you the latest as soon as it develops ahead on eyewitness news in Hillsborough. Cindy Bay, ABC 11 eyewitness news. Cindy, thank you for that report. We'll look forward to the next one. And we are following breaking news in the triad this afternoon is shooting involving a North Carolina state trooper. Here's what we know at this hour.

This incident happened along U.S. 421 South in Greensboro around 10 o'clock this morning. This is Chopper 11 flying over that area. All southbound lanes remain closed at Pleasant Grove Road as this investigation continues. No timeline of when the highway will reopen. And we are working to learn more about exactly what unfolded. Questions do remain about the condition of the person who was shot in this by state troopers. What we do know right now is that the FBI is investigating. They shared a photo with eyewitness news of a white car pictured here.

This car appears to be involved in this. We're going to keep an eye on the situation. We will bring you the latest breaking developments just as soon as we receive them. Amber, thank you. Developing now the Wake County District Attorney is calling on the SBI to investigate former Kerry Town Manager Sean Stiegel over mishandling the town's finances. Dwan Hogan joins us live in Carrie, Dwan. Good afternoon to you. We know you spoke with the DA today. What can you tell us about the latest in this investigation? Well, good afternoon to you, Barbara. Now questions continue to mount this afternoon following former town manager Sean Stiegel and his time here in his tenure at Town Hall. Former Kerry Town Manager Sean Stiegel under investigation this afternoon by the State Bureau of Investigation at the request of Wake County District Attorney Lauren Freeman. Under state law, I have the authority to ask the SBI to open an investigation to request their assistance.

It's their investigation that it's done at my request. I went as news sitting down with her this afternoon to walk through the decision to look into Stiegel's alleged actions following a preliminary report from the state auditor flagging potential fraud. That's a long way from saying that a criminal offense has happened. We're not at that point, but it is enough to say that, you know, this is something that needs to be dutifully looked at and to have some lights shown on it to go in and really try and examine what has happened. The concerns raised by the state auditor point to the town spending under Stiegel's leadership and the discovery of procurement card activity that raise suspicion of potential fraud. What we'll really be looking for is, you know, does any of the conduct that may have been a, of course? occurring, does it break that law, does it cross the line into a criminal violation? Those sometimes can be two different things.

And I want to go and read to you a statement that we received moments ago from the town mayor, writing to us in part, we are confident that thorough investigations will lead to changes that will help ensure this doesn't happen again, further strengthening our ability to serve the community. In the meantime, we will participate appropriately in the investigative process as directed. We're live outside Town Hall this afternoon. 11, eyewitness news. All right, Duane, thank you.

And new at four now, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Medicaid, digging into the fallout for major federal funding cuts and what those disappearing dollars could mean for families across North Carolina. Michael Perchick joins us live from the state legislative building in downtown Raleigh, with the key changes, including a new work requirement for recipients. Michael, good afternoon. Good afternoon. States must enact those requirements by next January.

However, today lawmakers expressing doubt that that's possible. A more than 3 million North Carolinians are covered by Medicaid. That number is significantly increasing due to the late 2023 expansion here. Now, sweeping changes are coming to the program, a result of federal funding cuts. KFF estimates that North Carolina will see about $23 billion in funding loss over the next decade. HR1 from the view of the North Carolina counties is one of the most significant unfunded mandates and one of the largest shifts of administrative and economic responsibility that our state and our counties have seen. in generations. New work requirements also expected to impact the number of people

utilize the program. It applies to able-bodied adults with children 14 years and older. Beneficiaries must complete 20 hours a week of work, training, education, or volunteering. There are several exceptions, including the elderly, disabled, children, medically frail, special needs, those participating in substance abuse, alcoholic or rehab programs, as well as those who meet SNAP or TANF requirements. Representative Donnie Lambeth, co-chair of the committee, expressing concerns. that can be implemented by the January 1st, 2027 deadline. Personally, don't think we can meet them.

I think it's too fast, too much work to do, and I just don't see how we can do it. And so we are going to be asking for a little bit of a concession on the time or hopefully, and we'll talk to our congressmen whether they give us any additional time, but any additional amount of time would help us. I think we're at least six months away or need at least another six months before we actually

will be in a better position. Naturally, the big question tonight is what, if anything, can be done in Washington to address those timeline concerns being expressed by lawmakers right here on Jones Street. Coming up at 5, we speak with health care advocates the impacts they believe could play out in North Carolina based on those funding cuts and new workforce requirements. I'm Michael Perchick, ABC 11 eyewitness news. All right, Michael, thank you. Meantime today, NCDHHS employees delivered a petition to lawmakers calling on the state to provide workers a bonus and also salary increases. Pointing to a recent report from the state auditor's office that said the department has hundreds of millions in lapse salary funds, the equivalent of 340 positions. Employees are calling for a 10% salary increase.

They're also calling for $3,000 bonuses to be paid out and monthly and quarterly meetings with DHS leadership about 50%. compensation. We have reached out to NCD HHS for comment so far we have not heard back. Well now to some other local headlines in your speed feed first new details on a large fire at a service station in Wayne County chopper 11 over the scene as crews battle those flames this is at a strip mall off highway 13 in Grantham the damage appears to be mostly contained to a service station next to the ACE hardware. The store also was impacted no injuries reported however the cause of the fire is still under investigation. The police

Chief of Newton Grove resigns from his job. It comes just weeks after Greg Warren was charged with taking indecent liberties with a minor and secret peeping. The charges stem from an incident in 2023 when prosecutors say he took photos of a minor he knew while she was sleeping. The town of Newton Grove says police operations will continue without interruption. He is being held without bond. Happening today, the Apex Town Council is set to meet to consider the construction of a data center. The town of Apex says the project has received significant disapproval for from community members who live nearby. We're told many of them are worried about the impact

on local infrastructure and traffic. The first meeting begins tonight at six. The next meeting will be held Tuesday, January 27. And new this hour, Congresswoman Deborah Ross is calling for DHS Secretary Kristy Noem to resign. Ross says Noem has been a disaster for North Carolina. She released a statement saying in part, quote, Noam authorized and oversaw the devastating immigration raids

in Charlotte and Raleigh at her direction, mask agents descending on our cities. And now after the tragic killing in Minneapolis, the nation is saying what North Carolinians already know. DHS desperately needs new leadership, end of quote, from Debra Ross. Ross also says that Nome is responsible for slowing the flow of federal funds to support Hurricane Haleed recovery. And that is your speed feed. Amber, back to you. Barbara, thank you. The death toll from Iran's nationwide protest is now at at least 2,000 people, according to human rights activists.

Today, the national security team is at the White House. discussing options for intervention as President Trump is considering military action against Iran. With the collapse of its currency and surge in cost of living, anti-government demonstrations in Iran have now gone on for two weeks. Iran's foreign minister blames in part the U.S. for the violence without providing evidence. And President Trump claims Iran wants to negotiate with Washington, but Iran has not directly said it's willing to negotiate. We're looking at it very seriously. The military is looking at it. And we're looking at some Very strong options.

Meantime, the administration has imposed a 25% tariff on anyone who does business with Iran. The State Department is warning Americans to leave the country immediately. More on the escalating tensions in Iran coming up on World News tonight with David Muir at 630, following eyewitness news at 6 o'clock. Business is back at the Raleigh Convention Center after fire damages the roof last month. Repairs still underway, but the doors are now open to visitors. More on the events happening right now. And President Trump weighing in on the state of the economy as new data shows a rise in consumer prices.

Cruz? All right, it's time for a check of your first alert traffic. This is I-40 at Avent Ferry Road, and you can see things are moving along smoothly out there. But as we head into the evening rush hour, of course, there could be some slowdown. So as we had to break, here are your traffic hotspots brought to you by the first alert weather team. Your first alert that we could have some low visibility. Warmer air working in. More clouds around tomorrow.

The next chance of rain that we're watching. Always tracking. Always alert. Wingust will be up around 30 miles an hour. Your first alert forecast team. ABC 11I Witness News. Now to an update on the Raleigh Convention Center. Today, the center hosting its first event since last month's devastating fire.

A software sales conference and a health care road show getting underway today. The first event since the roof caught fire at the beginning of December. Meantime, the city of Raleigh continues repairs on the estimated $2 million in damage. Well, with polls showing that Americans are still worried about jobs and affordability, President Trump is turning his attention to the economy. He's in Michigan today visiting a Ford plant and speaking to Detroit's Economic Club. ABC's Karen Trapper says more. President Trump in Michigan to promote his efforts to boost U.S. manufacturing,

touring a Ford factory in Dearborn that makes F-150 pickups, the best-selling domestic vehicle in the U.S. All of the U.S. automakers now are doing great, and before they were having a really hard time. His visit to Michigan comes as new numbers out today from the Consumer Price Index show that inflation continues to tick higher, up 2.7% in December compared to a year ago. It's in line with expectations, but the Fed wants to see it at just 2%. Prices are still high in many categories, especially certain grocery items like coffee and beef. Speaking to the Detroit Economic Club, President Trump touted the data. Under our administration, growth is exploding.

productivity is soaring. Investment is booming. Incomes are rising. Inflation is defeated. America is respected again like never before. And other than that, we're not doing that well. President Trump continues to push the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates. Fed Chair Jerome Powell claims that push for lower rates is behind the Justice Department's new criminal investigation into Powell's testimony about extensive renovations at the Fed headquarters. He's billions of dollars over budget, so he either is incompetent or he's crooked. I don't know what he is, but he doesn't, certainly he doesn't do a very good job. Democrats are calling the investigation bogus.

Donald Trump is clearly angry that his own presidency has been a disaster for our economy. So he's looking for a scapegoat and he thinks Jerome Powell can be one. Even some Republicans are expressing concerns about a probe into Powell. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the charges better. be real and better be serious, and he asked the administration for a briefing on the investigation. Karen Travers, ABC News, the White House. And for much more on how you can keep an eye on everyday prices and save money in the new year, go check out the ABC11 price tracker on ABC11.com slash price tracker.

Your voice, your vote, and today's students rallied at the State Board of Elections meeting in Raleigh, pushing back against a new proposal to end campus polling sites, including a site closest to North Carolina A&T in Greensboro. The students held up signs during the meeting. The proposal would eliminate Sunday hours and campus polling places during early voting, which would impact the upcoming primary elections. All right, let's go to meteorologist Cruz Medina. He's got the latest on the forecast.

Everybody, you know, it's like today we want to talk about today's forecast, but everybody's talking about the end of the week, aren't they? Yeah, as soon as you mentioned the S word, I think people. I think it was the F word. The F. It was flurries. We got to specify what that F word is, flurries. I did.

We could see a few of those throughout the day on Thursday, but it's not going to be a huge deal for our area. So I don't want you to hear that word flurries or even snow and think of accumulation. It's just that we could see some coming down, and the ground's going to be so warm because tomorrow tipters are going to be back in the 50s. So two days in a row in the 50s, you can imagine the ground's going to be too warm. Anything that even hits the ground would melt. But that said, just a few flakes early on the 50s.

Thursday and then that pushes on out. Now as we go into this weekend, we're expecting 50-50 weekend. It'd be a little milder on Saturday, so seasonable then, but then we see another blast of cold air come in and that one could be even colder than what we see on Thursday. So for this evening where there is no Arctic blast in the forecast, if you have plans to be out and about, tipter's will be in the 40s, not the worst temperature is for an evening, but overnight it will get a bit chilly with tipter's dropping down into the 30s. And for reference, we dropped into the the 20s last night. So it won't be as cold as last night and that's because we're going to have some clouds moving in by daybreak. So first alert predictor, this shows pretty quiet conditions for the rest of today. Here we go into early tomorrow. Those clouds are already in place for the morning. What you'll also notice here is the winds are out of the southwest. And so despite the cloud cover, that's going to help to push those temperatures up. And you'll see that here with predictor through the afternoon. Now the latest runs here. This is our in-house model and it's showing a few isolated afternoon showers. Now the best chance of that is, is going to be along the I-95 corridor.

A better chance comes overnight and into Thursday as the front itself arrives. So when that front comes in, the tipter start to drop, and of course it's gonna be pretty cold throughout the day on Thursday. So forward tomorrow, we start off in the 30s. Tipters will range from the lower 50s

in our northern counties, mid-50s in the triangle, and then load to mid-50s down in the sandhills. We're all going to see the clouds tomorrow, a chance of a shower along the I-95 corridor. And then here's one of our other models showing some of that snow. Now, I will say I think this is severely overdone, but just to give you an idea of the timing of this, looks like 6 to about 10 a.m. is the best chance to see some flurries. By the time we get into midday, that should be pushing on out. And so like I said,

this is not expected to accumulate, but we could see some flurries around throughout Thursday morning. So just keep that in mind. I don't want you to see it and freak out. We want you to be you know, prepared and know what to expect ahead of time, but this is not going to be a huge deal for our area. Now, if you're traveling out to the mountains, I was just telling Barbara Gibbs about this. This is where there could be more accumulation. So we're talking inches of snow out there, possibly up to a foot down in the smokies. That's going to be between Pigeon Forge and Bryson City. Some of those taller peaks could see some of those higher amounts of snow accumulation. Now Thursday's Arctic blast, it's not going to be just for our area. this extends beyond our region.

We'll also be watching for another round to come in through the weekend. And you can see even ahead of that, tipters are going to be on the cool side. So just prepare yourself, a little bit of a shock to the system with these up and down tipter's, but it is winter after all. And I think we're going to keep seeing bouts of winter appearing in our forecasts going forward. So Thursday, just a few morning flakes. A few of those could start in the overnight hours for areas northwest of the triangle. 40s for Friday, 50s for Saturday, back to 40s on Sunday, and we'll stay there into the beginning of next week.

Barbara, back to you. All right, Cruz, thank you so much. And we want to remind you that Cumberland County is opening its warming centers tonight. This includes the social services and public health departments, libraries, parks and rec centers, the transit hub and the Salvation Army of the Sand Hills. Cumberland County's White Flag Shelter will also be open. And as the Red Cross continues to face a shortage, we have details on how you can. can help save lives through the annual ABC 11 blood drive happening this month. And Alexa is getting some new upgrades, how the AI chat system is being designed to know more

about its users. It's time now for some news you can use this Tuesday. The Trump administration reached an agreement with drug maker AbVie that it says will drop the prices of some medicines. Officials at Avvi say they will offer these medications to Medicaid and consumers at the lowest price available in peer countries. Other medications will also be sold at discounted costs. The specifics of the discounts were not disclosed yet.

And Meta is set to trim its workforce. The tech giant says it plans to lay off roughly 10% of its 15,000 staffers in the Reality Labs Division. This move comes as Meta is focusing more attention to creating next generation artificial intelligence, according to three sources familiar with the situation. Meta has nearly 80,000 employees overall. The job cuts could be made official as early as. tomorrow. Amazon says it's upgraded virtual assistant Alexa Plus will do a lot more than just play music. Amazon launched Alexa Plus in 2025. Amazon executive said they're hoping that the new

Alexa will have a better memory and remember things about you like your favorite restaurants and offer to book you a reservation. Those who sign up for early access to Alexa Plus can chat with Amazon's assistant on the website and they can continue those conversations on other devices like on Echo and the Alexa app. And that is news you can use. Barbara back to you. All right, Amber, thank you. Well, starting next week, you can roll up your sleeves and contribute to the sixth annual ABC 11th together Blood Drive. It's Wednesday, January 21st from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Appointments are available at the embassy suites by Hilton Raleigh, Crabtree in Raleigh. The streets at South Point Mall in Durham as well and Fayetteville Technical Community College in

Fayetteville. You can make an appointment by going to ABC11.com. Walkins are also accepted. And as the temperature drops tonight, many people will be in need of warm shelter. And the Salvation Army of Fayetteville is opening its doors to those in need. The shelter reopening after being closed for nearly a year. And keeping our eye on the economy, a local economist weighs in on the government's criminal investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Now to Comberlin County, where there are major updates to the Salvation Army shelter in downtown Fayetteville. After being closed for almost a year, the shelter is now expected to reopen in the next few weeks. Penelope Lopez is live from inside one of the dorms with the very latest. Hi Penelope.

Hi guys. Well, it's been a long time coming. We're inside one of the family dorms. As you can see, there's three bunk beds and a crib for children of small ages. The Fayetteville shelter, they had a difficult year. Financial challenges really set them back. They're hoping to get people back on their feet this year. The prior administration did everything they could to be able to continue moving the Salvation Army. forward and addressing the needs to the point where all the way until the day that they closed, they were providing services. After nearly a year, the Salvation Army shelter in downtown Fayetteville will soon reopen its stores to overnight residents. Inside this area, they also have access to the courtyard that is for the families only. The facility under the leadership of Major Jason Hughes and his wife, Major Angela Hughes, will offer more than 62 beds for families, women with children and single adults. The shelter closed down in April due to financial struggles. According to Major Hughes,

it takes more than $900,000 to run a facility of this capacity. Our plan is to purchase at least 10 more of these beds and we'll take 10 out of the mix from the emergency side so then that way we can have at least 70 to 76 beds is the goal of these beds for year-round sheltering. Cumberland County, the city of Fayetteville and additional donors have provided essential funding to support the shelter's operations for at least one year. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided daily to all members of the community. The shelter will also offer laundry services, which Major Hughes says may improve the well-being of individuals experiencing hardship.

From health and sanitation and just from morale, be able to have some clean clothes to be able to experience this world that they encounter. And it's not just about having a place to say. also offering resources like toiletries and mental health counseling. Coming up in the next hour, hear from someone who says this place has been a lifeline. Live in Fayetteville, Penelope Lopez, ABC 11, eyewitness news. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Turning now to the DOJ investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, following months of criticism from President Trump over interest rate levels. It comes as new data shows today. Inflation held steady in December with prices. is up around 2.7% compared to last year. That is the lowest level we've seen since the summer. It remains nearly a percentage point higher than the Fed's target of 2%. Economists say that stubborn inflation has put the Fed in a tricky position as it balances inflation with employment rates,

even before the DOJ's investigation into Chairman Powell. They're trying to strike a balance, but their time frame, I want to emphasize this, Their time frame is what's best for long-term sustained economic growth. Their time frame is not the next election. Other economic indicators worth noting include a surge in gold prices, often seen as a hedge against inflation coupled with a dip in the value of the U.S. dollar. Now to some other headlines in your speed feed this Tuesday. First happening today, Cumberland County Schools inviting families to help shape the school district's next strategic plan.

CCS holding a series of focus group sessions to share ideas about the future of its schools. The first is tonight from 6 to 7 at Douglas Bird High School. Families are encouraged to register in advance on the district's website. Four other sessions are planned in the next month. In Clayton, Vincent's Pub and Edery reopened its doors today. It comes after a car slammed through the building earlier this month, crashing right through the dining area. The driver was believed to have suffered from a medical emergency, and the restaurant was deemed unsafe. Vincent's Pub is located on Main Street and they have returned to normal

business hours. And new at four sheets is expanding in Raleigh. A new location is set to open this weekend. This will mark the 12th location in the city and it will be on Forestville Road and northeast Raleigh off of Lewisburg Road. There will be a grand opening ceremony Friday morning at 9 featuring a prize giveaway of free sheets for a year. The store's official ribbon cutting ceremony will start at 10.45. In honor of this grand opening, sheets will donate. $2,500 to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, and $2,500 to the Special Olympics of North Carolina. And that is your speed feed. Barbara, back to you. All right, Amber, thank you.

We'll new it for honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Today, Duke Health held their MLK Humanitarian Award ceremony, and our very own Joel Brown was the emcee for the event. The award recognizes people or teams who have gone above and beyond in their selfless dedication to achieving Duke Health's mission. The theme of the awards is it starts with me. The event was held at the Trent Seaman Center for Health Education. Coming up here at 4.30, the Supreme Court diving into the debate over whether transgender girls should be allowed to participate in female sports. Plus, a paraglider falls 500 feet into the ocean off the Florida coast. Reaction from first responders who jump into action to save the paraglider's life.

And as we had to break, here's a live look into downtown Raleigh. This is our Pindo Sky Camp here. on a Tuesday where it's just a little cloudy and cold out there, but everybody is talking about Thursday Cruz. Yeah, Thursday's gonna be a very chilly day. And so that means we're gonna add to these below average days that we've only seen two of so far this month. And above average, we will see that tomorrow

before the tipters come crashing down. A check of your seven day forecast is coming up around 450. New at four, the 137 Venezuelans, the US deported last year may never receive due process. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. government doesn't know where they are. This was his answer Monday to a federal court's ruling from last month that requires the Trump administration find a way to give them due process. They were sent to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act on accusations they were associated with the Venezuelan gang Trent de Aragua. And then in July, El Salvador released them all as part of a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Venezuela.

In addition to arguing they cannot be located, Rubio also said granting them, them hearings would risk damage to foreign policy interests in Venezuela. Meantime today, families rallied for the release of their loved ones detained in Venezuela. The U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether states can ban transgender athletes from participating in girls' sports. That is consistent with their gender identity. The justices heard oral arguments today on a pair of cases from Idaho and West Virginia, whose bans were ruled in the lower courts as discriminatory, allowing the plaintiffs to play this season. ABC Scrageton Cordero has the details from Washington. 15-year-old Becky Pepper Jackson is a discus thrower, a high school student, and today a plaintiff

in a first-of-its-kind Supreme Court case regarding trans girls in sports. Becky and her family live in West Virginia, where federal courts have blocked state laws that would ban trans girls like her from playing on girls and women's teams. She's actually not the biggest person on her team. There's people taller than her. There's people shorter than her. He's just an average female teenager. In Becky's case and in a separate one from Idaho,

lower courts decided the bans discriminated on the basis of sex in violation of Title IX. Becky insists she lacks any physical or hormonal advantage because she never went through male puberty. The government today argued determining someone's eligibility through factors like hormone levels is impractical and incomplete, making its case that sex defined in Title IX

is that assigned at birth. and Title IX and equal protection should allow girls to have the safety and security of knowing that they're going to be safe in their spaces. They're going to be safe in their sport. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of West Virginia, officials there tell ABC's Devin Dwyer, trans girls like Becky would compete on the boys' teams, if at all. What is the solution for student athletes like Becky? is it to just have them play in the boys league? Is that fair and safe for them? Yes.

Why not just play with the boys team? Because it would go against who I am. I've been a girl forever, and playing on the guys' team is going backwards. The Supreme Court is expected to rule by this summer. Christiane Gordero, ABC News, Washington. 10. Christian, thanks now to the paraglider who fell nearly 500 feet into the ocean and survived

and the incident was all caught on camera. The 52-year-old man still lucky to be alive after plummeting into the water off of Singer Island, Florida. Witnesses say he hit a gust of wind, lost control, and the parachute partially collapsed. I just died. We did paramedic here immediately. He was in surprisingly good shape. In fact, I stunned me.

I was relieved. It was a perfect situation, and it could have gone so much worse, and I'm just happy with the outcome. Yeah, body camera footage showing what remained of the damaged parachute and the equipment. Amazingly, the Riviera Beach police say that that man walked away uninjured. Wow, that is amazing. So glad it turned out that way. Coming up next, and all new this hour, a new documentary on the First Lady, Melania Trump, is set to be released this month. More on President Trump's plan for a special premiere in Washington, D.C.

And the highly anticipated new season of Hulu's hit series, Tell Me Lies, is now streaming. We have a sneak peek next. Watch Joel Brown. Weekday mornings on ABC 11, I Witness News. It's one of the hardest reservations to get in New York City, and it's one of the most addictive shows streaming at the moment. Yeah, the cast of Hulu's Tell Me Lies takes over the corner store to get ready for season three, the premiere. It follows the relationship of two people. who meet at college and what happens over the course of eight years and how a college campus

romance turns into something much more than that which not only changes their lives, but the lives of everyone around them. Members of the cast speak with ABC's Joelle Gajulo. Season two ended with the bomb dropped on us. What can you tease about season three? Bigger bombs, bigger drops, bigger like plot twists. Like people are not going to see it coming. But there can't be more drama. Oh, there's always more drama. All right, the first two episodes of the new season are now streaming on Hulu with more episodes to follow. The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of Hulu and also ABC 11.

New here for President Donald Trump says his wife's documentary will premiere at the Kennedy Center ahead of its release on Amazon Prime. The movie's called Melania, and it follows the first lady in the 20 days leading up to her husband's second inauguration. The documentary is controversial because Melania Trump launched her own production company to support it. Also, the film's director has faced multiple sexual misconduct allegations and has denied any wrongdoing. It will premiere at the Kennedy Center Thursday, January 29th. Well, now today's top trending stories in real news. First, a man excited about his very first grandchild, or should we say, grandpup. This grandpa is completely head over heels for his daughter's new puppy.

He made the dog an airplane basket attached to his very first. bike so that the two could travel in style. Look that. They often take joy rides through the neighborhood. The puppy even sporting some cute sunglasses. All right, this video, y'all, is hilarious. You just have to see it. A deer, a baby one now versus a rhino. A tiny deer at a zoo in Poland taking on a 1.7 tonne Indian rhino. The deer not willing to give an inch. When the rhino charges, the deer is seen headbutting the rhino. The deer, not backing down one bit. The rhino eventually gives up. According to zoo officials, the deer was defending its mate, and it turns out that the two actually share an enclosure

and have been buddies for years. See? A little mighty one. All right, well, the mullet is making a huge comeback this week at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. Hundreds of people gather for the annual mullet contest. The contestants are evaluated on not just their cut, but their presentation and their commitment. The winner in the six to 12 year old age group seals the top prize with an homage to the 2001 comedy Joe Dirt. There's also a special award in honor of America's 250th birthday for the most patriotic participant. All right, if you've been working on your mullet, if you've working on that for years, the U.S. Mullet Championship usually closes registration around July so you can get in on that, grow it even longer. Don't forget, business in the front,

party in the back. And that is real news. Amber, back to you. You can never forget that it's business in the front party at the back. And you have some time to grow it. All right. Great. Real news there, Barbara. Well, there's a new list of baby names that have fallen out of favor. Baby Center follows how different names are trending and names like London, Grady and McKinley, if you're to be going out of style.

Boys' names ending in Y are not in vogue anymore like Huxley and Corey. Unique spellings for traditional names, those are also out. And the biggest drop for girls was the name Charlie, C-H-A-R-L-E-I-G-H. And names inspired by places are also out like Dallas and Malaysia. Who are these wee people that make all these decisions? You know what? It's your baby. Name it what you want.

Going extinct. That's what the headline says. Well, speaking of cool names, we got Cruz Medina. Yeah. I'll take it. Yeah. Add my name to a list. Actually, I don't because I want to stay unique.

I think you're the only cruise I know. Same. A lot of people say that Cruz is a last name. For Hispanics, that is true. Okay. For me, it's just my name. And it's not short for anything, right? No.

Around here, we'll say funky, Cold Medina. Or funky cold Medina, which is going to be true as we go into the end of the week. So we've cut that Arctic blast coming in that we've been telling you about. And so for the next three days, this is weather whiplash, going from the 50s as we go into Wednesday to 30s on Thursday

and then 40s on Friday. And somewhere in there, Wednesday night and into early Thursday, we could get a few flurries here locally. For this evening though, that's not going to be a problem. Tipters will be in the 50s through 5 p.m. Falling into the 40s for this evening, so keep that in mind if you have evening plans.

It is definitely going to be a chilly evening out there, but actually not falling as quickly as we've seen in the past few evenings. So tomorrow we start off with temperatures in the 30s. Cloud cover is increasing throughout the day, but a southwest wind is still going to push us into the low and middle 50s for highs tomorrow. And then overnight tomorrow,

That's when that Arctic front moves in. That's going to drop those temperatures. So the feels like tipgers on Thursday will be in the 20s and low 30s all day by Friday improving just slightly, but still staying cold. So that's just the start of this Arctic blast. We have another one coming in for the weekend. You can see that drops tipgers for the second half of the weekend to the 40s for highs on Sunday. That cold there is going to linger into early next week and through the middle of the week as well. Now, if you stick around for the next half hour, Don's going to walk you through what we can expect on Thursday morning as far as.

those flurries. But Steve and Lauren are also joining us now with what's coming up at 5 o'clock. Hey guys. The man with the coolest name in the building. Cruz, thank you. New at 5, the I-Team Troubleshooter comes to the rescue of a man in Johnston County. Yeah, he had a number of problems with his AT&T Wi-Fi. They claimed he went over his limit and they charged him $1,700. They also cut off his phone. Diane Wilson helped him out and she'll explain how she got those results. More people are now reaching the five-year milestone after a cancer diagnosis. For the first time ever, 70% of those people now live at least five years and we're exploring the reasons why. And we love telling you about the good stuff happening in our communities every day.

And New at Five, Jeff and Tara Collins are giving back in a big way. They own the Little Caesars in Durham and they're donating their food to 500 people in need today. And a new women's professional sports team is coming to the triangle. We'll tell you about the Carolina Blaze softball team where they're playing and a couple of well-known local women on that roster. Yeah, we have a lot to cover. New at 5. We'll see you here in just a few minutes, Amber. All right, we'll see at the top of the hour. Thanks, guys. The NFL playoffs continue this weekend here on ABC 11 Sunday is the AFC divisional round. The Houston Texans riding into New England to take on the Patriots. Kickoff is at 3 p.m. Sunday right here on ABC 11.

And a nonprofit in Durham is leading the way in addressing food disorders among adults. We're getting our first look at the new inpatient center in Durham, marking the country's first ever center focused on providing care for those impacted. Hi, I'm Jimmy Kimmel. Tonight, Noah Wiley, comedian Tignitaro and music from the soundtrack of Sinners. So make like a vampire and stay up after the late news on Jimmy Kimmel Live.