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The mom of a Connecticut boy accused of setting another boy on fire is going after the alleged victim's mom ... claiming she defamed her son and she wants the mom arrested.

Here's what is uncontested ... 6-year-old Dominick Krankall was burned badly while playing in his backyard in Bridgeport. Dominick's mom accused Laura Giacobbe's son of intentionally lighting the boy on fire.

Now, the new development ... a video that surfaced Friday shows 4 children, including Dominick, lighting fires and kicking a soccer ball engulfed in flames. The video, initially published by the NY Post, shows Dominick stepping on a plastic cup that was filled with gasoline and in flames.

Dominick suffered terrible burns to his face and legs.

So, Laura Giacobbe is furious, and told the Post she actually helped Dominick's mom by instructing her to get him in a bathtub immediately because his legs were on fire.

Giacobbe says Dominick's mom called police and accused her son of intentionally dousing Dominick with gas and throwing a flaming soccer ball at him.

Laura says there was absolutely no bullying and it was just a horrible accident. She's outraged at Dominick's mom and wants her to answer to the law. She also adds, his mom should have been supervising her son better in their own backyard.

Dominick's mom is sticking to her story, telling the Post Laura is a "liar." She says the video is edited and it took a month-and-a-half to come out.

Pope Francis may be hanging it up soon -- stepping down as the leader of the Catholic Church -- at least that's the buzz in and around the Vatican.

There's some unusual activity going on ... and the backdrop to all of it is the Pope's frail health. He's been confined to a wheelchair recently ... the result of debilitating knee pain.

The Pope also just canceled a trip to Africa scheduled for next month.

What's fueling the resignation rumors is a meeting of cardinals that the Pope just scheduled ... it's highly unusual.

Pope Francis assumed his role back in 2013 and has instituted a series of reforms, which include a new constitution.

What's especially interesting ... Pope Francis's predecessor, former Pope Benedict, resigned in 2013 ... he says it was based on deteriorating physical and mental health.

And, there's this ... back in May, during a meeting with bishops, Pope Francis addressed his knee issues, saying, "Rather than operate, I'll resign."

Yellowstone National Park looks like it's going through Noah's flood all over again -- the place is buried in water, with currents so strong ... they're taking down nearby bridges.

Check out these wild videos showing the absolute downpour going on near the park, which has forced officials to close off pretty much every roadway to get in. Looks like there are people on the ground there still, and they're capturing some gnarly footage of the conditions.

With water levels rising to dangerous heights, it seems there's already been some major damage -- namely, one of the crossings there, Carbella Bridge, appears to have been ripped down and washed away in the rapids. That's nuts ... 'cause the thing's made of metal!

As you can see, the bridge -- or at least part of it -- is seen floating away in the roaring stream, leaving onlookers shocked.

In addition to the flooding, there are reports of rockslides and other hazards being flagged -- including power outages around the area. The rain is expected to continue for at least a couple more days ... scary since the water is already sky-high. Evacuations are underway.

A seventh member of Haiti's Special Olympics delegation is now missing in Florida.

Just days after six Haitians -- who were in town to participate in a soccer competition at the 2022 Special Olympics Games -- disappeared in the Kissimmee area, the Osceola County Sheriff's Office announced that 25-year-old Louis Jacques Wilguens has vanished as well.

In a statement, the sheriff's office said Wilguens was last seen getting off a bus at Disney's All-Star Sports Resort in Lake Buena Vista on Saturday at around 4:30 PM.

Police say Wilguens was wearing blue jeans and a Special Olympics shirt with "Haiti" written on it, and had been scheduled to fly back to Haiti on Sunday, but apparently didn't make the flight.

Police are urging anyone who sees Wilguens to "check his well-being" and immediately get in touch with authorities.

Last week, police said the other 6 Haitians, whose ages range from 18-32, had disappeared after turning in their room keys and leaving behind their personal items. Police said at the time they did not suspect foul play.

The Sheriff's Office said in a statement they had been in communication with Walt Disney World and the Special Olympics over the disappearances.

Idaho cops successfully foiled what could've been a repeat of Charlottesville by pulling over a U-Haul truck filled with 31 members of a white supremacist group near a Pride event.

The group is called Patriot Front -- you probably first heard of them during the deadly Charlottesville protests in 2017 -- and on Saturday, nearly 3 dozen of their members were packed into the back of the truck.

Police believe the men -- many wearing white supremacy insignias, face coverings and shirts that said "reclaim America" -- were planning to riot and go head-to-head with people participating in the "Pride in the Park" event.

The city's police chief says someone spotted the group loading into the U-Haul at a nearby hotel, and tipped off police. Ten minutes later, heavily armed officers pulled over the truck and arrested the group without incident.

Cops say the group had riot gear, such as shields, and at least one smoke grenade.

The group's leader, Thomas Ryan Rousseau, was arrested for criminal conspiracy to riot. He and others were being held on $300 bail.

John Cena made one kid's fantasy into a real-life storybook ending -- showing up to meet a boy who was told his family was fleeing Ukraine ... just to meet the wrestling superstar.

WWE released this video earlier in the week, showing JC pop up in Europe to meet Misha Rohozhyn -- a teenager with Down Syndrome, who was forced to escape his native city of Mariupol in recent months because of the Russian attack.

The story goes ... Misha, who's non-verbal, was confused and distressed about leaving home -- as he didn't quite understand what was happening. So, his mom told him a story to help.

She convinced her son that they had to leave so that they could go have a face-to-face with Cena ... who is Misha's hero. The kid has a ton of attire bearing John's face, so upon hearing this ... he was able to be convinced to embark on the dangerous journey.

As sweet of a sentiment is on its own, it gets even better ... because John was apparently made aware of this teen's dream, and ventured over to Amsterdam -- where they'd successfully fled to -- and closed the loop on what had been promised. Totally. Awesome.

The video itself tells the full story, so we'll let John speak for himself on why he did this and what exactly it means for him ... but more importantly, for Misha.

Looks like this meetup was everything the teen could hope for and then some. Once again, John proves why he's a class act -- especially when it comes to his work with children.

The good folks at M&M Mars have a genuine chocolate disaster on their hands ... 2 people got trapped in a chocolate factory vat -- not on purpose, we think -- and required a "jaws of life" type rescue.

What sounds like a scene straight outta "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" went down Thursday at an M&M Mars plant in Lancaster County ... not too far from Hershey, PA.

It's unclear right now how the 2 people fell into the vat, but authorities reportedly had to cut a hole in the side of the tank to get them out.

The first victim was reportedly rescued around 3:10 PM, and the second was extricated about 15 minutes later. No word yet on if the vat was filled to the brim or empty when the victims went down.

And, yes ... they're still victims, even if they were possibly swimming in chocolate.

No word on either person's condition right now, but according to reports they were alive when cops pulled 'em out.

Rep. Ilhan Omar's experience during the January 6th storming of the Capitol was traumatic -- and something she believes was sparked by Trump -- as the country gears up for one of the most important hearings in history.

We got the U.S. Congresswoman from Minnesota Thursday at the Capitol, and she says the upcoming hearing regarding last year's insurrection is going to be very eye-opening -- and she's prepared for the testimonies to be pretty triggering.

The Rep tells us the whole day was a really traumatizing experience for her and her colleagues. She was one of the many that were whisked away from the Capitol and taken off-site -- cops believed her life was in danger no matter where she was in the building.

She even tells us about the heartbreaking last-minute texts she sent to her family, just in case things took a turn for the worse.

The world is on the brink of a terrible food crisis if Russia doesn't lift the blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports ... so says Ukrainian President Zelensky.

Zelensky made a televised announcement Thursday, warning dozens of countries may face a physical food shortage because Ukraine is unable to export a huge amount of products including wheat, corn and vegetable oil.

Zelensky says these products and many others play a stabilizing role in the global market. And, as a result, millions of people may starve. For now, he says, he's currently talking to PM Boris Johnson and other world leaders to figure out how to lift the Russian blockade.

In the message, Zelensky took a jab at Putin -- saying he's trying to blackmail the world with hunger. He says, "While we are looking for ways to protect freedom, another person is destroying it."

Lifelong friends and victims of the Uvalde school shooting will be buried next to one another -- a decision made by their parents -- who say the two shared an incredible bond.

Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez and Xavier James Lopez will be laid to rest at Hillcrest Memorial Cemetery in Uvalde this week -- their parents will have the friends side-by-side, according to an interview with ABC News.

The 2 were close friends that attended Robb Elementary School, first meeting as toddlers and continuing to build their friendship as they grew up together.

As they got older, they'd text each other things like "I love you" at night ... and Annabell would wear a necklace with a photo of Xavier on it.

On the day of the shooting, both students received awards at school, posing for a pic together before returning to class ... and just one hour later is when tragedy struck.

Johnny Depp clearly understands the power of TikTok, but his attorneys reject the notion it had any impact on the verdict ... instead, they say it's Amber Heard's testimony that hurt her with the jury.

Camille Vasquez -- fresh off her promotion to partner in her law firm -- and Ben Chew told ABC's George Stephanopoulos their strategy was to use Amber's own words against her ... carefully crafting their questions based on her previous testimony. Vasquez believes that showed the jury all it needed to know about Amber.

As for Team Amber's claim the jury was influenced by the overwhelming support for Johnny on social media -- including TikTok, which Depp joined Tuesday -- Chew says it "played no role whatsoever," and the jury reached the verdict purely based on the evidence presented by both sides.

Remember, the jury was not sequestered, and the criticism is it would've been impossible for them to avoid the flood of posts supporting Johnny and attacking Amber.

Vasquez also shot down the idea the #MeToo movement was setback by the verdict in Johnny's favor -- saying, "We encourage any victim to come forward. Domestic violence doesn't have a gender." She added, "The facts are what they were. The jury made a unanimous decision based on those facts."

Chew and Vasquez carefully skirted a question about the possibility of Johnny striking a deal ... where he would let Amber off the hook for the $8.35 million judgment, and she would not file an appeal ... as she's claimed she intends to do.

Sen. Ted Cruz is sticking to his guns, literally and figuratively, when it comes to potential gun reform in the wake of so many mass shootings -- insisting any solution should disarm bad guys, and not the good.

Cruz was at Reagan International Airport Monday, when we asked about the Uvalde massacre and what the Senate intended to do about the rash of mass shootings in America. The Senator from Texas quickly rattled off the Robb Elementary School casualties, and then dug in his heels against any bans on firearms.

Of course, in the wake of Uvalde and Buffalo, many have renewed calls for Congress to pass stricter gun control measures ... starting with banning assault rifles like the ones the shooters used in both tragedies.

Cruz, however, tells our photog most of his Texas constituents don't think that's the right way to decrease casualties in mass shooting incidents. Instead, he argues, we ought to focus on ways to get firearms out of the hands of those who never should've had them to begin with ... like the Uvalde shooter, for instance.

He says he's proposed legislation that would enforce stricter background checks on would-be gun seekers -- something that he seems eye-to-eye with Dems. He also wants new measures to beef up law enforcement at schools, a position Cruz and others have championed since the Sandy Hook massacre ... and, keep in mind, there was an armed guard in Uvalde too.

Fact is, several polls have shown the majority of Americans support common sense gun reform, including a ban on assault weapons -- but Sen. Cruz pushed back at any such notion, telling us Texans feel otherwise.

Terrifying video has emerged from a shooting at a cemetery funeral service which left multiple people with gunshot wounds.

The clip, recorded at Graceland Cemetery in Racine, Wisconsin shows dozens of people gathered around the service as a pastor speaks before shots ring out. Everyone screams, and gets on the ground as chaos erupts.

From there ... you hear someone in the crowd yell out that another person had been shot.

The Racine Police Department says 2 people were shot during the mayhem, one was flown to a hospital in Milwaukee and the other was treated and released. No arrests have been made.

As for the funeral, it was for Da'Shontay Lucas King Sr. who was killed by a police officer last month.

Reports of children calling 911 from within the classroom where the gunman massacred upwards of 20 people are accurate and harrowing ... 'cause you can now hear it in audio.

Listen to one of these dispatchers radioing in last Tuesday to any units available in the area and trying to find out if any officers had responded yet -- and notifying all of them that a child had dialed in for help ... from inside the classroom with the shooter.

The dispatcher asks if anyone is in or around that building, noting the child has told them the room is full of victims. A bit later, you hear a rough number from them -- 8 to 9 kids.

As we know, that number ended up being significantly higher -- 21 people total were killed, including 19 children -- and worse yet ... it took the authorities a lifetime and a half to engage the gunman and get other people out.

19 different cops were on the scene, but were apparently told to stand down and wait -- this as the killer was in the classroom and slaughtering kids.

It's unclear exactly why the commanding officer gave these orders -- it seems it might've been bad intel -- but in any case, it took over an hour for anyone to actually go in and do something. The officers who ended up taking the shooter out were Border Patrol agents.

What's become evident since is that if law enforcement had engaged earlier, they could've saved lives ... but their delayed response was far too late. 77 minutes is the official time.

The state of Massachusetts is going to need a bigger boat after hearing about this ... a great white has been spotted for the first time this season, and it's having a big meal right next to the beach.

Beachgoers saw quite the scene Sunday at a beach in Nantucket as a huge shark took down one of the nearby seals ... the clip shows the water quickly turning from blue to red as it takes bite after bite.

With this being the first sighting of the season, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy is urging people to play it safe while catching rays -- things like staying close to the shore and avoiding areas with a lot of seals or schools of fish.

They also recommend people in the water keep their splashing to a minimum -- what a bummer.

Of course, this story seems too familiar ... great white spotted near a beach on a holiday weekend? Reminds anyone of that Jaw-dropping flick? Not to mention Spielberg filming his blockbuster in Martha's Vineyard -- on an island just a few hours away from this new sighting.

The newly-discovered cases of monkeypox in the U.S. are growing at a concerning rate ... and health officials might've found the first cases that involve person-to-person contact within our borders.

Four more monkeypox cases have been detected in the U.S., with one in Colorado being looked at as a "close contact" of another infected person they examined the day before.

Another close contact was found in California, with someone who had been around an infected patient 3 days prior.

Infection cases have risen to 14 people across 8 states ... as you know, 24 countries around the globe have seen spikes in cases, with the World Health Organization upgrading the crisis threat level to "moderate."

As we reported, the first case of monkeypox in the United States this year was detected on May 17 when a Massachusetts man tested positive after coming back from Canada ... the Massachusetts Department of Public Health says he's hospitalized in good condition.

Monkeypox transmits from animals to humans when an infected animal, usually a primate or rodent, bites or scratches a human. It can also come from preparing wild game or hunting wild animals.

Transmission between humans happens through skin-to-skin contact and an infected person's droplets.