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The Hill
10-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Transgender pilot falsely linked to DC plane crash sues conservative influencer, alleging defamation
A transgender military helicopter pilot sued a conservative social media influencer for alleged defamation on Wednesday, two months after she was falsely blamed for a deadly midair collision over the Potomac River in Washington. Jo Ellis, a pilot in the Virginia National Guard, filed the defamation suit against Matt Wallace, a cryptocurrency investor and influencer on the social platform X. In January, Wallace falsely claimed on his X account, where he has 2.2 million followers, that Ellis had been operating the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with a passenger jet on Jan. 29. All 67 people aboard the two aircraft were killed in the crash, the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster in more than 20 years. On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, Wallace shared a post from one of his alternative accounts that claimed the helicopter pilot was transgender. The post, which Wallace later deleted, included a photo of Ellis, according to the lawsuit. Wallace made two additional posts linking Ellis to the crash, according to the lawsuit, including one that referenced a Jan. 29 podcast interview where Ellis discussed President Trump's executive order to bar transgender people from serving openly in the military. On Jan. 31, after learning from friends that she had been falsely connected to the crash, Ellis filmed and uploaded a 'proof of life' video to her personal Facebook page. 'I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,' Ellis said in the video. 'It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda, they don't deserve that. I don't deserve this, and I hope that y'all know that I'm alive and well and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.' Wallace then distanced himself from the claim, according to Wednesday's lawsuit. He said another account had started the rumor that Ellis had been involved in the crash and that the post 'seemed credible' because Ellis 'wrote an article calling out Trump's trans military ban only a few days ago.' Ellis, backed by Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization, argued on Wednesday that Wallace's claims 'are outright and unequivocal falsehoods.' Her lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, where Wallace resides, claims he used his platform 'to monetize a false narrative that [Ellis] was not only one of the Army pilots involved in the mid-air collision, but also that she engaged in 'another trans terror attack' and intentionally caused the mid-air collision due to her 'depression' and 'Gender Dysphoria.'' Far-right social media personalities and conservative provocateurs in recent years have been quick to claim, often without evidence, that transgender people are to blame for devastating acts of violence, including mass shootings at a Texas elementary school, celebrity pastor Joel Osteen's megachurch and a high school in suburban Iowa. In December, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) falsely suggested that a transgender student had carried out a shooting at a Wisconsin private school, and tech billionaire Elon Musk, the owner of the social platform X and a close ally of President Trump, wrote in a recent social media post, 'The probability of a trans person being violent appears to be vastly higher than non-trans.' In the immediate aftermath of the Jan. 29 collision, Trump said diversity initiatives at the Federal Aviation Administration may be to blame.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trans service members in limbo after Trump executive order
(NewsNation) — Thousands of transgender service members are facing an uncertain future as the Trump administration attempts to ban them from serving in the military. Jo Ellis, who works part-time for the Virginia National Guard, said she had been bracing for the possibility of a trans military ban since the election. SPARTA, a transgender military advocacy organization, had been alerting its members as well. 'It's still crushing to see it in paper when the executive order came out,' Ellis said. Trump's use of Alien Enemies Act could face lengthy legal fight In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning transgender people from serving in the military, stating that trans military members' identities conflict 'with a soldier's commitment to an honorable, truthful and disciplined lifestyle.' On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes blocked enforcement of Trump's executive order. The United States Department of Defense on Friday asked the judge to lift the judge's preliminary injunction. That same day, it released new guidance on how to enforce the ban, saying that the Department of Defense would review service members' medical records and within 45 days give them self-assessment questionnaires to determine whether they have a current diagnosis, history or symptoms of gender dysphoria. The memo, reported on by Reuters, states that the exclusion of people with symptoms of gender dysphoria applies only to those with 'marked incongruence and clinically significant distress or impairment for at least six months.' Another federal judge Monday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from removing two trans service members from the military, NewsNation partner The Hill reports. Both service members had been placed on 'administrative absence' despite serving with distinction and having what the judge said were 'exemplary service records.' As these cases go through the courts, trans service members are now facing a 'bit of existential dread,' Lt. Colonel Bree Fram, who is on active duty in the Space Force, said. She is one of the highest-ranking transgender service members in the U.S. military. For this story, she is speaking in her personal capacity and told NewsNation that her statements do not reflect the U.S. government or the Department of Defense. '(There's) that burden that we all face of what's going to happen to us? What's going to happen to the people we love? What's going to happen to the people we serve alongside?' Fram said. Ellis comes from a family of service. Her great-uncle fought in World War II, her grandfather was in the Navy, her brother served in Iraq, and her cousin is a retired admiral who is now a fellow at the Hoover Institution. Trump says autopen voids Biden's pardons for Jan. 6 committee 'I just always wanted to serve,' Ellis said. Coming out and being honest was important to her. 'I did the right thing,' Ellis said. 'I followed policy so I could continue serving because that was so important to me.' Ellis is a Black Hawk pilot who has been deployed to Iraq and Kuwait and completed some missions in Guatemala. When it comes to the potential ban, she says, 'It just feels like they're not keeping their end of the contract.' Fram had a rare form of abdominal cancer that she was terrified she would lose her life to. Even during her recovery, she feared she would never put her uniform on again. 'Going back to work was one of the most meaningful (moments) of my life, and so now to be in a position where the government is telling me I am unsuitable to wear that uniform — it hurts,' Fram said. Fram said the order has already had an impact. 'It has called people home from deployment, removed them from combat zones and sent them home, while others have been placed on administrative leave or otherwise been told don't show up despite the people around them understanding they are an integral part of the mission of their units,' Fram said. A brief filed Feb. 6 as part of a lawsuit against Trump and the Defense Department states that a group of soldiers said they had been fired for being trans, Newsweek wrote. One of them said she had been fired while on special forces duty in a combat zone. Last month, the U.S. Army posted on X that it will no longer accept transgender recruits and will halt procedures associated with gender transition for members. When asked by NewsNation whether this was still the case now that a judge has blocked Trump's order, spokesperson Maj. Travis Shaw said the Army does not comment on pending or ongoing litigation. 'We're currently awaiting official guidance,' Shaw said. The Department of Defense says there are 4,240 transgender members of the military currently serving but did not answer a question on whether any had been notified they have to leave the service in time for publication. The order banning trans military members is being challenged through two lawsuits: one by GLAD Law and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Talbott v. Trump, and another from Lambda Legal and the Human Rights Foundation, Shilling v. Trump. Reyes issued a preliminary injunction on Trump's executive order after hearing arguments over Talbott v. Trump earlier this month. 'The court knows that this opinion will lead to heated public debate and appeals. In a healthy democracy, both are positive outcomes,' Reyes wrote. 'We should all agree, however, that every person who has answered the call to serve deserves our gratitude and respect.' On X, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the department is appealing this decision, 'and we will win.' In a statement, GLAD said the preliminary injunction it was granted protects trans service members and recruits from 'significant harms while the future of the ban is being decided in court.' Attorney Jennifer Levi, senior director of transgender and queer rights for GLAD, said in a statement that 'the court's unambiguous factual findings lay bare how this ban specifically targets and undermines our courageous service members who have committed themselves to defending our nation.' 'Given the Court's clear-eyed assessment, we are confident this ruling will stand strong on appeal,' Levi said. Lambda Legal attorney Kell Olson told NewsNation that one part of lawyers' job has been to figure out if procedures are already underway to separate people from the military. 'We all know that with any institution large or small, but especially large, you can't necessarily turn on a dime to make something happen right away,' Olson said. 'If actions need to be happening quickly, that means preparations would have to be underway.' Another aspect of Olson's work is sitting with families and hearing how their lives have been upended. 'It's horrible,' he said. The executive order banning transgender service members states that the government has 'high standards for troop readiness' and that it's 'inconsistent with the medical, surgical, and mental health constraints on individuals with gender dysphoria.' Could soda and candy bans potentially cut SNAP? 'This policy is also inconsistent with shifting pronoun usage or use of pronouns that inaccurately reflect an individual's sex,' the order states. Fram says trans troops are capable of accomplishing their wartime mission. 'We have been serving openly, honorably and with distinction, meeting and exceeding standards for nearly a decade,' Fram said. Ellis says she's 'done everything to meet the standard and be deployable and mission-ready.' What's happening, Fram said, also affects cisgender service members. Some of those facing discharge are also in specialized positions, with years of training behind them, Fram and Ellis pointed out. 'People have served with us for a decade openly, and they know just how capable and competent we are and how we have one another's backs,' Fram said. Amid all this, Ellis said she's still 'going in and putting my game face on.' 'Just like with any hardship in life, I'm always going to put the mission first when it comes to the military,' Ellis said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
National Guard deployed to Southwest Virginia for cleanup & emergency response
RICHMOND, Va. (WFXR) — The Virginia National Guard has mobilized in the Southwest Virginia region to clean up debris after passing winter weather and ahead of possible flooding from expected rainfall and snowmelt. Around 30 National Guard chainsaw teams and heavy-tactical vehicles to clear roads of downed trees and provide transportation through heavy snow and high water have been deployed. In addition, two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters with rescue hoists have also been called in to assist. (Photo Credit: Virginia National Guard) Military officials said 15 soldiers already in the Southwest Virginia area will support any potential response operations. All 45 additional soldiers and the two Black Hawks are expected to arrive on Thursday, February 13. 50 BNG personnel that were already staged in Warrenton, Bowling Green, and Rocky Mount for snow response efforts on February 10 are also waiting to help with any response. LFD Urban Search & Rescue Team deployed to SW Virginia ahead of expected flooding 'Virginia localities have robust response capabilities, but they count on the Virginia National Guard to provide additional resources when needed,' said Brig. Gen. Todd H. Hubbard, VNG Director of the Joint Staff after the Soldiers staged on Feb. 10. 'Our Soldiers quickly and safely moved to their staging locations on very short notice, so they are ready to assist when the winter weather hits. We continue to get great administrative and logistics support from the Virginia Defense Force, and we also owe a special thanks to our families and employers for everything they do to make sure our personnel can conduct the mission.' VNG UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crews and Chesterfield Fire & Emergency Medical Services rescue technicians form the Virginia Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team to provide rotary wing aviation hoist capabilities and aerial rescue evacuation. Four VNG Soldiers and three Chesterfield techs make up each HART crew. Read more about Va. HART at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CNN
12-02-2025
- Climate
- CNN
A potent winter storm is thumping 1,500 miles of the US. Two more are right behind it
The first of this week's back-to-back-to-back winter storms is dumping snow, ice and rain over a 1,500 mile stretch of the eastern US Tuesday. The second winter storm will hit some of the same areas in quick succession and dump the most substantial snow of the season over Chicago. The third storm is the most serious flood threat Southern California has faced since January's devastating wildfires. Each is another link in a chain of disruptive storms unbroken since the start of February. Here's the latest: • Snowing in DC: Snow began in the mid-afternoon in the nation's capital and will continue overnight. Up to 6 inches of snow will pile up which could snarl travel during the afternoon and evening commute. As much snow as the past two winters combined has already fallen in Washington, DC this winter. • Snow is piling up: Snow was falling from Kentucky to the mid-Atlantic Tuesday afternoon. Widespread snow totals of 3 to 6 inches have already coated areas from central Kentucky to western Virginia. Around 1 to 3 inches has fallen farther east in Virginia. There's more to come into Wednesday morning as the storm tracks east. • Power outages and treacherous travel likely: Significant amounts of ice – more than 0.25 inches – are possible through Wednesday in parts of West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina. 'Ice accumulations could make many roads treacherous and impassable,' the National Weather Service warned Tuesday. 'The weight of ice on tree limbs and power lines could produce numerous outages.' Tuesday's storm is tracking farther south than either of last week's and putting areas that avoided a wintry mess right in the thick of it. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency, and the Virginia Department of Transportation urged residents to 'stay off the roads.' There's been at least 305 crashes reported statewide, with at least 24 of those crashes reporting injuries, according to state police. The Virginia National Guard staged dozens of soldiers to aid with storm response. Portions of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, a key roadway that runs alongside the Potomac River, is closed because of the weather, the National Park Service said. A band of snow is falling north of an area of the Appalachians expected to get the worst ice. Heavy snow will pile up quickly in some areas, including Washington, DC. As many as 1,100 additional workers traveling from North Carolina, Alabama, Kentucky and Ohio were requested by Appalachian Power to help as snow, ice and rain are expected to hit the area, the utility company said Tuesday. 'Ice accumulations over a quarter inch weigh down trees and electric lines, which can cause substantial utility problems,' the company said. Snow will also blanket parts of Pennsylvania into New Jersey and southern New England. New York City will likely see an inch or two of snow. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland's largest school district, will be closed Wednesday the district announced, citing 'forecasts predicting up to six inches of accumulation.' Several school districts in Virginia are also closed Wednesday. Heavy rain is drenching an area to the south on the warmer side of the storm. There's a risk of flooding over a wide area of the South through Wednesday. A level 2 of 4 risk is in place for parts of every state from Texas to the Carolinas — including many areas still recovering from Hurricane Helene — during this time, according to the Weather Prediction Center. The next storm will form in the central US while its predecessor is still bringing snow and ice to the East and rain to the South. Snow, ice and rain are expected in the Plains overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly issued a state of disaster emergency proclamation on Sunday due to the storm. The wintry mess will quickly expand Wednesday to encompass much of the Midwest and parts of the Northeast by the evening. The bulk of the storm will be on the East Coast by Thursday morning with snow and ice blanketing the Northeast and rain falling farther south. Some parts of the East will only have a few hours between when the first storm ends and the second begins. Widespread rainfall of 2 to 4 inches is expected from east Texas to the western Carolinas through early Thursday. Isolated totals up to 6 inches are possible. Flood watches are in effect for portions of 9 states from Texas to West Virginia and a level 2 of 4, slight risk of excessive rainfall covers much of the region as well. There is also a level 2 of 5, slight chance of severe thunderstorms, including tornadoes, on Wednesday across the Deep South from Louisiana to Georgia. Snow totals from this storm will be highest in the Plains and Midwest. They could approach double digits in Kansas City, Missouri, on Wednesday – close to double what the city typically gets in all of February. Double-digit snow is also possible in Chicago Wednesday, which would be enough to be the city's most substantial so far this season. Just over 7 inches of snow have fallen since December when the city typically records almost two feet by now. Ice will present a significant problem again just south of where the heaviest snow falls. At least a light glaze of ice — enough to make travel tricky — is possible anywhere from Oklahoma and Kansas through the Ohio Valley and Northeast. Parts of the Appalachians will get another round of ice from this storm. A few of the locations hit hardest from the first storm might not notice a break between the two storms as icy precipitation slows but doesn't completely stop Wednesday afternoon. This storm will reinvigorate rain and thunderstorms in the South Wednesday. Some thunderstorms could turn severe in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama starting in the afternoon and a Level 2 of 5 threat is in place. The storm will largely come to an end by Thursday night. This storm will be different than the previous two in that it will first slam into California fully formed. The atmospheric river-fueled storm will pack a significant punch and from the start with rain beginning along much of the state's coast early Thursday morning. Rain will get heavier throughout the day as it reaches farther inland and spreads over the entire length of the state. The upcoming storm will be the 'most significant' so far this winter in Southern California, Ariel Cohen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Los Angeles, warned Tuesday. Portions of California's Los Angeles and Ventura counties – including areas burned by the Palisades and Eaton fires – are under a Level 3 of 4 risk of flooding rainfall Thursday, according to the WPC. More than 35 million in the rest of the state are under a level 2 of 4 risk of flooding rainfall Thursday. The threat area encompasses San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego and areas in between. Heavy rain presents an even greater risk to areas burned by recent deadly wildfires. An evacuation warning has been issued for those in 'areas within and near the Lake Fire burn scar' in Santa Barbara County the Sheriff's office said Tuesday. 'Given the elevated chances for significant debris flows consisting of raging torrents of rockslides and mudslides that can be damaging and even deadly, now is the time to start getting prepared for these potentially dangerous conditions,' Cohen urged. The threat to the burn scar areas comes as officials are tackling the effort to remove hazardous debris left behind by the fires. Los Angeles County recently bolstered storm preparations by cleaning debris basins, installing concrete barriers, and placing sandbags in fire zones to filter debris and protect storm drains. More than 7,500 feet of concrete barriers and more than 6,500 sandbags have been deployed to areas burned in the Palisades Fire in case of debris flows, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced Tuesday. Thursday's flood risk will not be confined to areas scorched by wildfires. This storm will dump 1 to 3 inches of rain over the Los Angeles basin and totals could approach 6 inches in the area's mountains – including the burn scar of the Palisades Fire. 'Of course we're concerned about the Palisades and the burned areas, but this is for all of Los Angeles to be concerned about the rain and the impacts,' Bass implored. This storm will also bring heavy snow to California's Sierra Nevada and mountainous areas of the West. It will track east Thursday night and Friday and reach the Plains by early Saturday morning. A boost of atmospheric energy will reinvigorate the potent storm and significantly expand its size once it reaches the central US. Snow will blast over the Midwest Saturday and reach much of the Northeast by the evening. Some sleet and ice may mix with snow in the Northeast with mainly rain drenching areas farther south Saturday night. Heavy rain and thunderstorms will dominate the warm side of this storm. Some thunderstorms could become severe, especially in parts of the South. Dangerous thunderstorms can happen at any time of the year – some turned deadly last week in Tennessee. The large storm will continue to pound the East Coast Sunday before coming to an end by Monday morning. But it may not be the end of a busy winter storm pattern as another storm is possible by the middle of next week.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trans Black Hawk pilot forced to respond after she's falsely identified as D.C. crash captain
A transgender helicopter pilot was forced to respond after she was falsely identified as the captain of the Black Hawk that crashed in Washington, D.C. Jo Ellis has served in the Virginia National Guard for 15 years and on Friday found herself the subject of thousands of false social media posts claiming that she was the third crew member aboard the helicopter that collided with the passenger jet, carrying 64 people. She resorted to posting a 'proof of life' video on Facebook to stop the baseless rumors. 'Jo Ellis' was trending on X on Friday morning and there were more than 90,000 posts spewing the false claims, The New York Times reports. One of them which had been reposted many times said that Ellis 'has been making radicalized anti-Trump statements on socials.' President Donald Trump and Republicans blamed diversity, equity, and inclusion programs for the deadly Wednesday night plane crash between the military helicopter and a commercial jet near Ronald Reagan National Airport. As a result, the false social media posts about Ellis attempted to tie her transgender identity to the crash. 'I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C. and that is false,' Ellis said in a video on her Facebook profile. 'It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don't deserve that. I don't deserve this. And I hope y'all know that I am alive and well.' Two of the three soldiers aboard the helicopter have been named so far. The name of the third crew member, who is reportedly female, will not be released by the Army after the family requested privacy. 'Some craziness has happened on the internet and I'm being named as one of the pilots of the DC crash,' Ellis responded. 'Please report any accounts or posts you see. It's insulting to the victims and families of those lost and they deserve better than this BS from the bots and trolls of the internet.' At a White House briefing on Thursday, when pressed about his claim DEI was responsible for the crash, Trump responded: 'It just could have been.' He added that he reached the conclusion because 'I have common sense.' Trump also claimed without evidence that the Biden and Obama administrations had lowered aviation hiring standards. He criticized an effort to hire people with disabilities that existed throughout his entire first term in office. 'I put safety first,' Trump claimed. 'Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first, and they put politics at a level that nobody's ever seen because this was the lowest level.'
