Friday morning top stories: Artemis II to return to Earth after historic journey to the moon

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - On Daybreak Today,

Artemis II splashdown tonight

• NASA is preparing for the return of the Artemis II crew
• The Orion spacecraft is expected to splashdown just after 7 tonight off the coast of San Diego
• Details here: Artemis II’s moon finale is almost here with a Pacific splashdown to cap NASA’s lunar comeback

Man sentenced for double murder

• A judge sentenced Justin Aleman to 50 years in prison for a double murder at Mackenzie Park in 2024
• He pleaded guilty to killing his uncle, Angel Aleman, Lydia Hernandez and their dog
• Full story here: Man pleads guilty to 2024 murder of man, woman and killing their dog

Crews battle ‘Purple Monster Fire’

Crews are battling a 15,000 acre wildfire in the Panhandle

The Purple Monster Fire in Oldham County is 55% contained

Find updates here: Crews continue battling a fire in Oldham County

Melania Trump denies ties to Epstein

• First Lady Melania Trump says Epstein did not introduce her to President Trump
• She also denied being his friend or having any knowledge of his crimes
• Read more here: Melania Trump delivers statement at White House denying knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes

Peace talks begin Saturday

• The U.S. and Iran will begin high level peace talks tomorrow in Pakistan
• Meanwhile, Israel and Lebanon are set to begin talks next week in Washington, D.C.
• Find the latest developments here: US, Iran prepare for ceasefire talks as Netanyahu authorizes negotiations with Lebanon

As always, be sure to join Angie Winn, Joshua Ramirez and Shania Jackson for your top headlines. Download the free KCBD NewsChannel 11 app, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.