ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 4pm - June 25, 2026

Episode Date: June 25, 2026

Eyewitness News at 4pm - June 25, 2026 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hi, everyone coming up right now on eyewitness news for two major wins for President Trump and his immigration agenda. The Supreme Court ruling to end temporary protected status for hundreds of thousands of people from Haiti and Syria who are in our country. How people here in the triangle are now reacting to that move. A man is facing charges after causing two separate car crashes in Wake County what we're learning about these cases. And to new economic data shows exactly what you're feeling in your wallet right now. We're breaking down the new inflation report. Much more. We're paying for so many everyday things. Right now on eyewitness news at 4. Right 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 11 eyewitness news. Right now at 4, the heat's starting to ramp up once again. This family braving the heat for a game of soccer at Lake Crabtree. Temperatures climbing near 90 today. It's only going to. going to get hotter from here. Thank you for joining us for the news at four. I'm Barbara Gibbs. Hi everyone. I'm Steve Daniels. The kids slowing down there a little bit. Let's hope they had some water too. Right now we have your first alert to a mini heat wave in the forecast. The feels like temperatures expected to reach 100 degrees around here this weekend. Yeah, and the dry conditions helping to fuel the ongoing drought conditions. The new drought monitor came out today.

We're still in the extreme to exceptional range. Let's send things over to Chief Peterologist Don Chwinteriq. Hey Donne. And good evening too. Yeah, not much of a change since last week. Now the drought monitor does not include the Tuesday afternoon showers we saw, but still it's going to take a lot to get us out of the drought. Live look at our first alert Doppler net tonight, scanning the skies were dry across the Carolinas. Let's hit live to the skies over Roxborough, 86 degrees right now, partly cloudy up there in person counting on a southwest wind at 7 miles an hour. It is a mild day today. The cloud cover really helped hold the temperatures down a little bit. We're at 85 right now.

Raleigh, Durham, 87, Irwin, Fayville, 88, and Clinton, 86. Roxborough, 84 in Oxford. We're a couple of degrees warmer than we were yesterday at this time. If you got plans this evening, maybe you're headed to the DBAP. We've got the Carolina Blaze back in town taking on the Utah Talons. Tonight should be a great night for softball. 88 degrees at the start of the game. After the game, we'll see temperatures in the 70s, but it is dry.

It will be the coolest night of this homestand for your Carolina Blaze. We'll talk more about the heat, the humidity, and a first alert to what could be several days in the triple It's in your seven day forecast coming up in just a bit, guys. Wow, not looking forward to that. All right, Don, thank you. Well, right now at four, today the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Trump administration can turn away asylum seekers who approach force of entry at the U.S.-Mexico border, but do not actually step foot in the country. The High Court in Washington also decided President Trump can end temporary protective status

where hundreds of thousands of immigrants who are in our country right now from both Haiti and Syria. Haitian TPS holders became a focal point of the administration during the 2024. Last year, the Department of Homeland Security decided the situation in both Syria and Haiti was sufficiently safe for TPS holders to return to their countries, even though both Haiti and Syria currently have a level four do not travel warning from the federal government. And then today in this six to three ruling from the Supreme Court along ideological lines, the court's majority said it cannot second-guess the DHS determination about which countries do merit that protected status. The country's borders are Tom Holman applauded that decision from the high court today. Temporarily give people protection by the countries in turmoil or after they suffer a hurricane. But critics say the ruling will result in thousands of innocent people dying of violent, needless death. It's unclear if Congress will vote on a TPS extension.

But President Trump has repeatedly called for the end of TPS protection and would not likely sign off on that congressional move. Well, this ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to impact 1.3 million people who rely on TPS to live and work in the U.S. legally. that includes Haitians and Syrians here in the triangle. Akila Davis has been talking to some community members about this move. What happened in Washington today? She joins us live now in Durham to tell us more about the impact of the ruling potentially on people here in the triangle. Akela. Yeah, you know, this Supreme Court ruling is a win for the Trump administration.

The president has taken a strong stance against immigration or for immigration enforcement. But people living here in the triangle say this could have widespread impacts. not only for the Haitians is going to be an impact for the economy as well here in America because their taxpayers. Mark Simon and his brother launched the Triad Haitian Community Association in 2010 to provide support for the Haitian community. Today he says the Supreme Court dealt a devastating blow to the Haitian community issuing a six to three ruling that could strip Haitian and Syrian immigrants of their temporary protected status. The ruling most immediately impacts 350,000. Haitian immigrants and roughly 6,000 Syrian immigrants and their families who have been living and working legally in the U.S. for years. Most will soon need to leave the country or face

deportation. Writing for the majority, Justice Samuel Alito said that the courts cannot override the federal government's determination about TPS status. This comes as the U.S. Department of State has issued a do not travel advisory to Haiti due to the risk of crime, terrorism, kidnapping, unrest and limited health care. Mark tells me gang violence has escalated in Haiti over the years and people don't know what to do next. Should I stop working now? I mean, should I just go ahead and find out in order, I mean, go to Canada, go somewhere because they refuse to go back to Haiti. There is no Haiti to go back to it. And temporary protected status is a program that protects 1.3 million people from 17 countries. Reporting live in Durham.

Akela Davis, ABC 11, the eyewitness news. And those people may now be ordered out of the U.S. to go back to their home countries. Akila, thank you. Now to some other local headlines in your speed feed. First, new details in a car crash in Raleigh. Chopper 11 over the aftermath, this is near downtown. According to the State Highway Patrol,

it started near the intersection of Old Stage Road and Ten 10-10 Road. Just after 7 o'clock this morning, when authorities got there, they learned two cars had been involved in a crash, and one of the drivers stole an uninvolved bystanders. stander's car and then took off. Short time later, the suspect was involved in another crash in downtown Raleigh. That man now identified as Robert Bradley of Carrie. He was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. He's now facing multiple charges at this time, including DWI, hit and run, and reckless driving. An arrest made in an 11-year-old cold case. The Robinson County Sheriff's Office says an arrest has been

made in the Sarah Graham homicide investigation. The 18-year-old was last seen in February of 2015. Investigators say Graham left her home to go to work but never arrived and was never seen again. Sarah's stepmother, Connie Graham, along with Connie's two sons, Bobby McClellan and Luke Locklear, have been arrested. Connie is charged with first-degree murder. Her bond was denied. McClellan and Locklear both received a $1 million bond and are charged with conspiracy. Well, now to a deadly domestic dispute in Johnston County, it happened at the AAF Flanders plant on Walpap Road in Smithfield. This is the scene here from Chomper 11 this morning.

Police say at least one person was killed. A suspect was taken into custody a few hours later. Police say it appears to be a domestic-related case. We're still working to find out more about the people involved, and if any charges will be filed. And that is your speed fee. Steve, back to you. Okay, Barbara, thanks.

Some new numbers are out today showing how much more were paying for things. The government's personal consumption expenditures price index rose 4.1% in May. High gas prices pushed the annual inflation to the highest level in three years. And I want to show you this, the ride we're on when it comes to inflation. That's the green line here. That's the national number here. It goes back for a year. And you can see we're back here above 4%. It has been steadily rising. This dip you see right here, that was the government shut down in October. So we don't pay attention to that. If there's any encouraging thing here, it is the yellow line. Those are the prices we're paying

here in the south. You can say that inflation here in the south has been a little bit lower, a little bit better during this period of time when the prices keep going up and up. John Dowding is live now in Raleigh. John, you talked with people about how this is impacting them. What are you hearing? Well, Steve, as you can imagine, there is really not the best news for a lot of families that we're speaking to, especially in the beginning of the summer months

when they're trying to make plans for the summer for them and their families. A lot of these families telling us they're having to make difficult decisions about when they're trying to figure out ways for them to be able to beat these high costs. We're not going on vacation this year. From higher costs at the pump to the grocery store, rising inflation causing headaches for families. New data shows inflation ticked up to 4.1% in May. That's the highest rate since 2023.

The challenge is that not only are, is it around energy prices, but over the last year, prices excluding energy, are still up 3.4%. And the Fed's target on all these is 2%. While economists say energy prices are the main culprit behind the spike, families say what they're making isn't catching up. with rising costs. I'm a waitress, so people aren't tipping as much as they usually would,

because everybody's struggling, everyone, upper, lower, middle class, everyone. And that mom I spoke to said she and her husband are forced to have to take extra shifts at their respective jobs just so they be able to make enough to put food on the table at home. Now, coming up at five, the economists share the other potential problems that could plague families as we continue to just ride that roller coaster of prices here over the last few months. Live here in Raleigh, I'm John Dowding. ABC 11. Yeah, really tough. Looking forward to seeing that report at five, John.

Well, today the Wake County Sheriff's Office brings faith leaders together to talk about safety and security. It's part of the Safe Faith Conference. More than 200 people from churches, synagogues, mosques, and other places of worship come together to talk about crime prevention, technology, and how faith leaders can respond if a dangerous situation unfolds on their campuses. North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson delivered the keynote address warning attendees about scams targeting faith-based communities. Faith leaders need to say, here's how you can expect to hear from us. Here's how we will never contact you. Just that alone would prevent a lot of scams.

That's one place where everybody comes together and get along is when they go to a place of worship. So being at this conference today is an opportunity to share safety tips, but also to come together and just pray for our peace in our community here in Wake County. This was the first time the conference has been held since 2002. We have an update now on a story we first told you about last night here on eyewitness news at 11. There's a new report highlighting financial issues at NC Central University in Durham. According to our news gathering partners at the news and observer, the school needs more than $11 million just to get its cash reserves to a healthy level, which is just one of four financial benchmarks. The university is currently failing. The root of the problem, federal COVID money that past leaders used to fund ongoing expenses.

Today the chancellor, Carrie Dixon, said the university is stronger today than it was two years ago. released a statement saying in part from the outside of my administration we have remained focused on education we have launched our five-year strategic plan vision 2030 soaring to new heights strengthened relationships with alumni and donors advanced strategic investments in academic excellence expanded student support services and positioned NCCU for continued growth coming up next here on IWitness News at 4 we're showing you the latest on the devastating and deadly pair of earthquakes that rocked Venezuela last night we're learning more

about the urgent search and rescue operations underway in that South American country to find more than a thousand people who are missing right now. And TSA is getting ready for July 4th. What you need to know if you're flying this independent holiday. I'm taking a live look right now at I440 and US 64 business and you can see three cars pulled over to the side of the road flashers on so maybe some sort of incident there a little slow things down a bit. As we head a break, hear your traffic hotspots brought to you by your first alert, forecasting.

ABC 11 First Alert Forecast team is working to keep you safe. One is across the region. Some cloud cover starting to build. That rain is going to push on through. Cold air coming in. The First Alert Forecast team. Only on ABC11 I Witness News. Hey, y'all. It's Kelly Clarkson with Wayfair.

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I witness news. We are local news weeknights four to six 30 and 11. Right now at four search and rescue crews continue to look for survivors in Venezuela after back-to-back earthquakes, magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5. You know, the damage is just incredible to see these high-rise buildings that just collapsed. It's just a pile of rubble right now across that South American country where at least 188 people are confirmed dead and more than a thousand people are injured. Many more missing in the rubble right now. ABC's Michelle Franzen has, the latest now. The race to find survivors is expanding across Venezuela following the powerful earthquakes. Search and rescue crews in Caracas pulled residents from leveled buildings and apartments. Other structures in the capital appear unstable with gaping holes or crumbled

walls. American tourists Jason Wang was in the mountains when the earthquakes hit and was just about to board a cable car. And the whole building just started shaking. The floor under me was shaking. And then all of a sudden, everyone started panicking. Venezuela's main airport remains closed after sections of the terminal collapsed, sending travelers scrambling for cover. The airport there is badly damaged, so we'll have to rely on the Department of War to deploy assets there.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. is working with Venezuela's interim president and government to meet the needs. We're also helping them with some overhead imagery, especially in coastal areas where they don't have full visibility. over what the damage has been and what the impact has been. The hardest hit area officials say is north of Caracas in the coastal city of LaGuara. Everywhere along one road, buildings are reduced to rubble and foundations shifted. Residents hugging, crying, and waiting for word on their missing loved ones, and when much-needed

aid will arrive. A website has been set up for families to report those missing, and so far more than 26,000 are still unaccounted for. the rubble and chaos. Michelle Franzen with that report from ABC News. Michelle, thank you. A report by the internal watchdog at the IRS is shedding some new light on a few major problems.

A lot of us as taxpayers had this year. One of the major issues, how long it takes to sort out identity theft happens a lot when a thief uses a taxpayer social security number to file a phony tax return and then steal their refund. The victim is then left with an avalanche of financial problems to clean up and among the biggest things is getting that all settled with the IRS itself.

Right now, a half million people are dealing with that problem because of those scammers. The average time it takes to resolve is a whopping 20 months. The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool will be drained for inspection and repair, but not until after the 4th of July celebrations. After the Trump administration's allegations of vandalism, U.S. Park Police are now seeking assistance, identifying a person wanted in connection to a destruction of government property investigation related to the reflecting pool. Park police posted on social media a video of the alleged incident showing a person reaching into the reflecting pool and appearing to pull something from the water.

ABC News reached out to the National Park Service and Park Police about the source of the video. Police note that dozens of fence post tops were thrown into the pool and a portion of caulking over the foam sealant was cut with a knife or a razor. The court filing is part of a lawsuit brought by a non-profit claiming the project violates federal law by not following certain review steps before work can begin. All right, if you're planning to fly out of town for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday weekend, you need to get ready for a lot of company right there with you at the airport. The TSA says it's getting ready to handle a surge of passengers. The TSA expecting to process nearly 19 million flyers at security checkpoints across the country during the 4th of July period between June the 30th and July the 6th.

Thursday, July 2nd is expected to be the busiest day at the airports across the country. And the agency says significant technology upgrades at several key airports are in place now because of all the FIFA World Cup visitors we're having right now. Officials note the end result is faster screening time for travelers. So got to have your fingers crossed to have that at RDU. Absolutely. All right. Well, if you are driving this 4th of July, Gas Buddy predicts this will be the second most expensive Independence Day at the pump ever.

The site is predicting the national average gas prices will be $3.75. It comes as gas prices across the country continue to drop after the spike tied to disruptions in global oil markets, including the Strait of Hormuz closure. Last July 4th, the prices were about 65 cents lower at 3.10 a gallon on average. Well, we are counting down to the 4th of July, and the city of Raleigh is going all out for it. Dix Park is bringing back its fireworks show and live performances for America's 250th birthday. And this year's big celebration is expected to be bigger than they've ever had there at Dick's Park. The city expecting at least 25,000 people.

That's the early estimate. The fun kicks off mid-afternoon and it runs through the night. Eyewitness News is really excited to be the presenting. sponsor once again this year. And you can watch it all right here on ABC 11. We're all going to be working. You're going to be out there. Don's going to be out there. And we're getting ready for some heat, I know as well, right? I was about to say, it is going to be. I mean, if you look at your seven-day forecast and going into next week, that's brutal, not just feels like temperatures, but it's going to be in the triple digits. I think it'd be more appropriate to say Don and Barbara

will be melting. Okay. Yeah, just start at one and they end up in another spot. As a matter of fact, we've got some, as Barbara mentioned, heat moving into it will show to you in the seven day in just a bit. Good evening to you. Live look on our first alert Doppler net tonight scanning the skies. We're dry across the Carolinas. Again, beautiful night to be out at the

RTP. Box yards packed with folks because it's 85 degrees. Lots of clouds have kept the temperature down today on the south wind at eight miles an hour. I mean, numbers from across the region, everybody in the 80s, close to 90 down in Clinton. Another day in the 80s, but don't get used.

to it is that heat pours in starting tomorrow. We'll drop to 70 tonight. Normal is 68, so we are two degrees above average tonight. 71 in Fayetteville, partly cloudy skies, 66 in Ronauc Rapids, 70 down in Goldsboro, and Rayford, you'll be at 70 degrees. Tomorrow morning, the drive in, we'll start off in the 70s and stay there until about 10 o'clock. That's when we jump into the 80s, and then we'll be in the 90s toward lunchtime. Satellite radar composite does show the clouds that we're with us throughout today. That really limited the sunshine and kept temperatures down, a little bit of a break. But if we zoom it out, more showers up to the north and west are going to stay there.

High pressure is going to build in to the east of us and just pump that warm, moist air into us over the next several days. Your first alert predictor forecast model by tomorrow morning. We'll start today in the 70s by the afternoon. Isolated shower or thunderstorm fires, no risk of severe weather, at least at this point. Then as we go into Saturday morning, look at that by 8 o'clock. upper 70s on Saturday. And we'll see those numbers surging into the 90s. Could see some storms firing as we head through the late day on Saturday as well.

Forecasts looks like this for tomorrow. Most of the day rain free till the afternoon. Then we'll see just a 20 to 30 percent chance of pop up showers and storms. Temperatures in the 90s. That first alert seven day forecast. Friday could be a first alert day depending on the risk of storms. We're in a category one risk now. That's going to get narrowed down tomorrow until we get a better idea of that.

we'll just make an alert possible day. Storm's late day on Sunday, 95, 93 Monday, Tuesday, 96, and then heat pours in. We could have alert possible days Wednesday, Thursday next week. Those are high temperatures, not feels like temperatures as we start the month of July at 100 degrees. And some of the long-range forecast shows staying in the triple digits all the way through the fourth. Good good, Ms. Gracious. Kind of get ready for that. Very definitely the summertime pattern, too, with those thunderstorms.

Absolutely. Yeah. All right, Don, thank you. Coming up next year, getting through TSA at the airport is about to get a lot easier for people who have a Google wallet on their phone. We'll explain how that's going to work. Also, Airbnb is cracking down on rowdy renters. The technology the company's using to avoid disruptive parties this 4th of July. And less than two weeks after winning the Stanley Cup, the Cains are looking ahead the next season.

The NHL releasing the Cain's preseason schedule. We'll show you when the team is getting ready to hit the ice for the new season. Okay, we're back now with the little news you can use here on eyewitness news. at 4. And passing through airport security checkpoints is about to get easier if you have an Android phone. The TSA is now accepting pre-check touchless IDs that are stored in the Google Wallet. So if you have TSA pre-check, you just upload a passport to your wallet on your phone and you can opt into the program. It's available at about 65 airports across the country, including right here at the RDU Airport. Airbnb is once again rolling out its anti-party system ahead of the 4th of July.

The technology is being used all across the country, including here in Raleigh. and it's focused on cracking down on people who might be throwing a disruptive party over the holiday weekend. The company says last 4th of July, they prevented more than 20,000 people from booking and having a big party across the country. Apple Macs and iPad just got more expensive. Apple says the AI demand is spiking the cost of chips and memory for their devices. So Apple says customers will now see the result of those increases. As an example, the entry-level MacBook, the cheapest iPad and the iPad Mini are all up by $100. iPhone prices remain the same at least for now.

And that's the news you can use today. Barbara, back over to you. All right, Steve. Well, new at four, the Carolina Hurricanes are still riding high from their historic Stanley Cup win. However, the team is already looking ahead to next season. The NHL sharing the Cane's preseason schedule. The Stanley Cup champs will play four games prior to the regular season.

The first game is September 20th against the Florida Panthers. And then the Cains will host the Panthers on September 22nd. And then on September 24th, they'll play the Nashville, in Greensboro. Their home before moving to Raleigh, the Cains will round out the exhibition games in Nashville on September 26th. Ticket information will be announced at a later date. We're all fired up for another great season for the Cains. Already talking about it. Still to come here on eyewitness news. Just days after voting against a proposal to allow gambling on tribal land, the Lubbby tribe is meeting again. The leaders trying to figure out what to do with the land

along I-95. They bought to build a casino. This time they're talking about that land and and what they're going to do with it in Robeson County. Also, the return of the dangerous heat. Don's been talking about it means more people are cranking up their AC. We're talking with local technicians about ways you can keep your home cool. We are local news. ABC 11 eyewitness news continues now. New at four, Lumby tribal leaders have called an emergency meeting. This comes just two days after more than half of members voted against the casino amendment.

Yeah, Penelope Lopez spoke with some tribal citizens. She's live now in Pembroke. A lot of people wondering what's next for that land that they set aside. They wanted to build a casino. They bought that land right off I-95 in Robeson County. What are they thinking now? That's right. Good afternoon.

Tonight's meeting will focus on the next steps and the path forward. There was many mixed reactions following those plans to nix the casino. Some supporters are saying that they argued that it would be a sign of progress while others oppose the plan. It's one of the things that I've advocated for during this period of time is transparency, honesty, openness to our tribal members, and to a certain degree I think that's been lost. Charles Graham says tribal leaders need to get back to the drawing board. He's a member of the Lumbie United for accountability, a grassroots coalition that opposed the measure. My issue with that is it becomes very political.

It's very political when you're asking for those very important and strategic positions to be presented to the tribal council by one person. That raised some concern on my part. In December, the tribe purchased 240 acres of land off of I-95 in Robeson County, a move that made some citizens feel left out. The $6 million project was set to include a casino, golf course, multiple hotels and an entertainment center. We could have used that, you know, to help people that are struggling. Wanda Burns Ramsey, who voted for the development, still believes that a casino should be an option. My background is economic development, and I was all excited about the opportunities that Gamen could bring.

And gaming is not just about a casino. And the vote has certainly divided the community still ahead. My conversation with the next generation of Lombie citizens, how they're reacting to this vote and their hopes for tonight's meeting. Reporting live in Pembroke, I'm Penelope Lopez, ABC 11. Eyewitness News. Those big plans for a big casino project on hold for now. Penelope, thank you.

Let's go to Wake County happening today, the Kerry Town Council voting on its budget proposal, and it includes a property tax increase. They say it equates to an extra $244 on the average homeowner's bill, as well as increases for garbage pickup and the water in Kerry as well. The town says the money will be used to fund a number of new first responder positions, but some people who live in Kerry have protested calling the increases unaffordable. Jemise Price is at Kerry's town council meeting.

She'll be there this evening and she'll have a report for us coming up on eyewitness news at 6 o'clock. Well, as the summer heat continues, staying on top of the air conditioning maintenance can make a big difference. Cindy Bay has more on how people are staying cool in Durham. Summer heat means more H-FAC breakdowns. In Durham County, technicians say they're busier than ever. First week, pretty busy. I'm trying to fit everybody in. Demand is only growing.

Country Boy H-FAC opened just a month ago and is already working to keep up. This is the busy season, but when it gets above 100 degrees, everybody comes home from work. The unit's not working. Experts say managing indoor humidity and avoiding drastic thermostat changes

can help prevent overworking your system. And that matters because replacing an AC unit can be expensive. These things seem like they don't last quite as long as they should, but mine are 10 to 12 years old now, so I'm hoping I get a few more years out of them because they are very expensive to replace, especially having two units for an upstairs and a downstairs. Ahead, the maintenance tips that could help you avoid a midsummer AC failure in Durham. Cindy, Cindy, thanks. And also during the summer months, a lot of families are turning to our local swimming pools to try to beat the heat. So today, Raleigh Parks hosted

what they are calling the world's largest swim lesson. This was the scene this morning at the Longview Pool on Bertie Drive. The swim lesson had some special guests. There was an Olympic gold medalist there. The NC State Wolfpack swim team was there and the Wolfpack Elite Swim program as well. And a lot of people in that group

providing some helpful tips. Always wear your life jacket. Don't try to swim. If you don't know how to swim, take swimming lessons and all the safety steps about blowing bubbles and getting back to the wall. those sorts of things so they can do some self-rescue if they encounter the water. And there were people of all ages there for the big swim lesson today.

And according to the CDC, more than 40 million adults do not know how to swim. Well, now for supporting local children here in the triangle, the Duke men's and women's golf teams released their final total for money raised for the birdies for babies program. More than $20,000 was raised. And the money will benefit the Duke children's neonatal and pediatric intensive care units. Blue Devils have donated more than $152,000 for pediatric patients over the past nine years. The program is still taking donations as it prepares for its 2026-27 campaign. Dozens of people were honored today for their role in helping people who are in crisis across the triangle during the annual Wake Crisis Intervention Team Awards Luncheon today.

That event celebrates the hard work of local crisis intervention officers, EMS staff and volunteers who have been able to provide crisis intervention services in their communities. And as you see there, Joel Brown was there as the MC to help honor those people today. So I'll head here on eyewitness news. A tragic update in the search for a missing elderly woman in the eastern part of North Carolina. Official sharing they have now identified the human remains there. What we are learning about that case and the person who's now facing charges. And new details in the Alex Murdoch case. His attorney seeking a venue change and new DNA testing ahead of next week's retrial hearing.

And as we go to break, let's take a look at the Raleigh-Skyline. high clouds there 88 degrees right now feels like it's hotter than that Don is tracking more warm temperatures and forecasts things are going up from here he has the details coming up here on eyewitness news we are back now covering the Carolinas and human remains discovered in Carteret County earlier this month have now been positively identified as a missing woman from Swansboro yeah the swansboro police department sharing that news on Facebook about 84 year old katie hiatt she was last seen in October of 2025 she was reported missing in January of that year, police say the North Carolina medical examiners office confirmed through an autopsy

that the remains recovered were those of Hyatt. Angela Engel has been identified as a suspect and formerly charged in connection with this case. This is an ongoing investigation. Okay, this is a really wild story. Follow along with us here. One of the baby barn owls being monitored by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has now died after another owl, a great horned owl, entered the barn and killed the owl let. The barn outlets had attracted worldwide attention through the Wildlife Commission's ongoing observation efforts. These cameras we've been showing you. The commission says the great horned owl, which is a top predator of the barn owls, was seen on video fighting the adult female barn owl on top of the box right there. Officials say it's not yet

clear which owlet was killed, but they confirmed it was one of the three youngest killed by another Owl. Wow. In South Carolina, Alec Murdoch's attorneys filed several motions, one of which seeks to move the case from the current county because of especially intense coverage that case. They want to make sure that Murdoch, who is the attorney who is in prison now for killing his wife and son, they want to make sure he gets a fair trial. They also filed a motion asking the court to order prosecutors to make available DNA evidence taken from Maggie Murdoch, his wife, and Alex following at her. her murder for independent analysis by an outside laboratory. They're arguing that the DNA was not analyzed further after it was determined to belong to an unknown and unrelated male. The filings come ahead of a hearing scheduled for Monday for Murdoch. Coming up on I witness news at 4 July 4th, spending has hit a record high. We're breaking down how much your Independence Day cookout could cost. Hope you're saving up, right?

All right, look at this right here. This woman right here is rowing across the Pacific Ocean. She is rowing all by herself. She hopes to row herself into history, going all by herself from California all the way to Hawaii and a rowboat. Wow. All right. Plus, could it be? Do we even have to ask?

Could it be the wedding of the summer? Fans continue their search for details on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey's nuptials. New clues may point to the couple tie in the knot in one of the biggest venues in New York City. ABC 11 First Alert Weather on eyewitness news every day. Well, just in time for America's 250th anniversary celebration, the U.S. Mint is releasing a new declaration of independence quarter. One side features a profile of former President Thomas Jefferson, the historic documents author. The reverse of the quarter has an image of the Liberty Bell. The coin is part of a bigger redesign of circulating coins to mark the nation's 250th anniversary.

And Americans will be spending more on food this 4th of July, apparently, but getting less for what they're paying for. With the numbers say a national retail Federation survey shows consumers expected to spend $94.41 on average on food for the holiday celebrations. That's a record up about $2 over last year. It's a 2% increase while the price of food has gone up more than 3%. The jump is even higher for people grilling out burgers or hot dogs as beef prices has spiked nearly 16%. All right, it is time for the fun stuff. We love to bring you here on eyewitness news before. We call it real news. The top trending stories. And first, some wedding bells. and also water slides. A couple from North Dakota is doing both. They're stopping to see family members for nine different weddings in nine different states

while trying to take down nine different world records on this cross-country extravaganza. They're not wasting any time. In Wisconsin, they tried to break the mark for the most water slides ever done in a wedding dress. We'll let you know if they're able to break that record as they travel across the country.

All right, another woman is trying to break a record of her own by becoming the first American woman to row in a row boat all by herself 2,400 miles from California all the way over to Hawaii. This is 34-year-old Kelsey Fendler. She started that rowing journey more than a month ago in Monterey, California up north, and is heading over to Oahu in Hawaii. Only two women have ever rowed by themselves to Hawaii.

And if Kelsey finishes the jersey, the journey, not only will she be the first American to row by herself, she'll also be the youngest woman to do that. And she's checking in on camera there every step of the way. All right, we want to show you a police chase in Tennessee involving horses. This was the scene in a Memphis suburb. It is when a couple of miniature horses escaped from their home. And you can see leading police on this chase through the neighborhood. It's the Bartlett Police Department sharing this video, showing the horse has taken off.

They were going through lawns and down the road as officers were following their lights and sirens in their cars. That runaway duo eventually wrangled and returned to their owner. That is a police chase we haven't seen before, but in today's real news. Indeed. All right. Well, now to another story that has so many people buzzing on the internet. New possible clues about the Taylor Swift, Travis Kelsey Wedding. New York City officials tell ABC News that an event company has filed a permit requesting closure of the street outside Madison Square Garden from July 2nd to July 4th, a potential sign of planning for a Swift Kelsey Wedding,

reportedly taking place July 3rd. The officials say the permit. application also requested permission for an exterior canopy that could be used to conceal comings and goings and listed the size of the event between 500 and 900 people. Experts say the venue has advantages for this famous couple. They have great security. They learn as they go along and they increase their protection. And they also use technology to assist in keeping everyone safe within the arena.

Now, the event company declined to comment about. Who's actually getting married if it's a wedding, whatever. So did representatives for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey. I wonder if it's like some of the other famous weddings where they make people who attend. Put their phone down. Don't bring your phone in because you can do all of the stuff you want to do. But if somebody's got their phone inside. They put a lid on this whole thing.

No one knows for sure. But a lot of people are working to figure out. In time, we'll figure out what's going on under the camp. We shall see. Everybody wants to know. Yeah, absolutely. Madison's Work Garden does not have windows. Oh, that's a good point.

Yeah. And you can't like helicopters and all that business. Yeah. I don't know. Romantic? I don't know. If that's what they're doing, good luck to them. Let's see what's happening out there tonight.

First alert Doppler net dry, not seeing any showers out there. We'll stay dry this evening as we take a live look into Gary. 91 right now, mostly cloudy west winds less than five miles. And now we're really a gorgeous day. Second day in the 80s. Didn't quite warm up as much as we thought. That's because the cloud cover hung on longer. still in the mid-80s in Raleigh, Durham, 87, Fayetteville, 88, and Clinton.

You got plans out there this evening. Temperatures fall through the 80s into the 70s. By the time we go on for ABC 11 at 11, we are down to 77 degrees. We're going to warm it up, though, as we head toward the weekend. We'll talk more about that coming up. Let's find out what else is coming up at 5 o'clock. For more on that, we check in with Lauren Johnson. Don Schweniker, picture this.

The cat stuck in an HVAC unit during the dog days of summer. Yeah, it happened in Durham. And the sheriff's office is sharing pictures of that rescue. And we're hearing it was no easy feat, that feline putting up quite the fight. And just as the NBA draft is happening, the Charlotte Hornets making a trade lamello ball headed north to a young roster landing on the same squad as Duke's Isaiah Evans, who was selected last night in the second round. An emergency meeting planned for tonight, the Lombie tribe leaders, after a casino that was planned voted down on Tuesday. This all comes after a $6 million piece of property was already purchased. Some members say they feel left out of the voting process, and they're now searching for a better path forward.

Tonight, we're adding up the cost of inflation and high prices, and it equals a big headache for many Americans. It's not the cost of gas and groceries alone. What economists are telling John Dowding about the wages and the part they play in this equation. And temporary protection status could be coming to an end affecting millions of foreign nationals. The Supreme Court siding with the president, and tonight the NAACP is condemning that ruling. We'll have more on that top story. when we see you for the news at 5 o'clock. Stephen Barbara. Okay, Lauren, I'll see you soon for the news at 5.

Next year at 4, the biggest night in country music is here. We're talking about CMA Fest. Indeed. All right, after the break, we're going to take you backstage for a look at some of the special features and unexpected collaborations. Here's tonight's ABC Primetime Preview. Get ready for a night of music and fun

at Country Music's biggest fan event, CMA Fest. Riley Green and Lara Spencer host the concert event, Jamper. packed with performances from country's biggest stars. I'm brand new, so I'm just getting started, but I haven't messed anything up yet. They haven't fired me, so. Do you like it? I like it.

It's fun. It's nice to, you know, I've got a big part in the CMA Fest this year. It feels like I'm important. Riley Green is like an Adonis and also just one of my favorite musical performers. So this is the world of country music. I'm a New York City girl. My day job on GMA looks nothing like this. That's followed by your late local news.

then Jimmy Kimmel Live with guests, Olivia Rodrigo, and Zlatan Ibrahimovich.