the attorney for that gun-toting couple has also a statement out, saying their actions were borne solely of fear and apprehension, were not race-related. in fact, tom, the lawyer for the couple claims that they support the protesters and the black lives matter movement. all right, jonathan karl for us. jon, thank you for that. president trump tonight pushing back against an explosive report, accusing russia of paying bounties to taliban fighters for killing u.s. troops in afghanistan. president trump insisting he was never briefed. republicans and democrats in congress demanding answers tonight. here s abc s chief global affairs correspondent martha raddatz. reporter: the intelligence was alarming. a military official telling abc news russian agents were suspected of paying taliban militants bounty to target and kill american service members in afghanistan. a source saying the intelligence was specific enough that the military and cia took steps to increase security and
tonight. heidi broussard and her 3-week-old daughter were last seen last thursday. authorities today saying they re working on a number of leads but have no suspects. they say her fiance, who made a tearful plea before the cameras, is not considered a person of interest. tonight, the coast guard warning of a russian spy ship off the southeastern coast of the u.s. the ship is said to be operating in an erratic and, quote, unsafe manner. officials are now warning the u.s. to take extreme caution. and here s abc s chief global affairs correspondent martha raddatz. reporter: the russian spy ship victor leonev spotted in international waters, sailing down the coast of the southeastern u.s. its behavior erratic and dangerous. sailors from charleston to savannah to the port of jacksonville warned to use extreme caution because the ship is operating in an unsafe manner. the russians, now east of the bahamas, failing to respond to
say looked like a white power sign on live television. one directly behind an african-american cadet. the okay gesture started as kid s game but has been adopted by white supremacist groups because the fingers form a w and a p for white power, according to the anti-defamation league. and new reporting at this hour on that horrific murder of that barnard college student here in new york city. the medical examiner tonight ruling that tessa majors died of multiple knife wounds to the torso. fellow students and members of the community held a vigil for her on the steps of the park where she died. one suspect has been arrested, just 13 years old, found with a knife. police are now looking for at least two others. we re going to turn now to the race for 2020, and allegations tonight of sexism against michael bloomberg. the billionaire is accused of making crude and insensitive remarks toward women at his company. there have been a number of lawsuits and now a collection of bloomber
and we are following another developing headline tonight involving possibly thousands of u.s. troops. will they be sent to the middle east? and it comes amid news that a u.s. navy destroyer seized iranian weapons and missile parts in the arabian sea headed for yemen. abc s chief global affairs correspondent martha raddatz and what she s learned tonight. reporter: tonight, with pentagon officials seeing new indications that iran could be preparing for more aggressive action, the u.s. is considering another significant increase in american forces in the region. a u.s. official tells abc news that thousands more americans could be sent to the mideast, although no decision has yet been made. the u.s. began increasing troops in may, after what the u.s. said was an imminent threat from iran to american interests and forces in the region. that was followed by what were said to be iranian attacks on saudi oil facilities, commercial oil tankers and a sophisticated u.s. drone. some 14,000 u.s.
the mid-atlantic during the day on saturday. saturday night, after midnight, d.c. to new york with accumulating snows inland and after that one, a very active pattern shaping up, as we head into the holiday next week. david? all right, rob, thank you. next tonight, president trump and a showdown with navy leadership over navy s.e.a.l. eddie gallagher. the navy moving to strip him of his status as a s.e.a.l. after a trial over his behavior in iraq. here tonight, abc s chief global affairs correspondent martha raddatz. reporter: tonight, chief petty officer edward gallagher at the center of a high stakes showdown between the navy s top leadership and president trump. gallagher was acquitted of war crime charges in the killing of a teenage isis prisoner, but convicted for posing in a picture next to the teen, defiling a corpse. but last week, president trump granted him clemency. they tried to frame me as a criminal from the get-go. reporter: but just days after gallagher was gr