url
stringlengths 45
420
| text
stringlengths 254
99.8k
| in_y0
bool 1
class | in_y1
bool 2
classes | category
stringclasses 2
values | publisher
stringclasses 1
value | crawl_date
stringclasses 170
values |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/24/covid-19-wisconsin-virus-activity-low-2-counties/
|
COVID-19 in Wisconsin: Virus activity low in 2 counties
Deaths are down; cases are relatively flat
MADISON, Wis. (WBAY) – For the first time since last summer, the spread of the COVID-19 virus is “Low” in some Wisconsin counties. The weekly update from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) labels virus activity low in Forest and Menominee counties. Activity is moderate 18 others but remains high in the remaining 52 counties. In WBAY’s viewing area:
High: Brown, Calumet, Dodge, Door, Florence, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Marinette, Outagamie, Winnebago
Moderate: Kewaunee, Langlade, Manitowoc, Oconto, Shawano, Sheboygan, Waupaca, Waushara
Low: Forest, Menominee
Only one county had fewer daily cases than two weeks ago: Green. Daily case numbers grew in only two counties: Dane and Milwaukee. The other 69 counties showed no significant change.
The number of new COVID-19 cases in the state has nearly flattened. By our tracking, the 7-day average has been below 400 since March 10 but never lower than 300. Currently the average is 345 cases per day, rising slightly each of the past two days.
This is reflected in the positivity rate, too. The percent of all tests coming back positive over the last week had been below 3% but cracked that ceiling again, rising from 2.9% to 3.1% since Tuesday.
Data from the DHS show the agency received a single-digit number of COVID-19 death reports each of the past two days -- 5 today, 6 yesterday. This is the first time the state received fewer than 10 death reports two weekdays in a row since August last year. This includes all COVID-19 death reports submitted to the state, not just deaths within the past 30 days which are the only ones the DHS counts in its 7-day average.
By that measure, the DHS says the state averaged 9 deaths per day over the past 7 days. It says 3 of the 5 death reports it received in the last 24 hours were recent in Dodge, Marathon and Waukesha counties.
The DHS numbers show us 21 people were hospitalized for COVID-19 treatment in the past 24 hours. By our calculations, the 7-day average is 24 hospital admissions per day -- the lowest in exactly 10 months, since May 30, 2021.
The Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) reported Wednesday there are 172 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, including 27 in ICU -- that’s 4 fewer in ICU and 5 fewer people in the hospital overall since yesterday after taking discharges and deaths into consideration with the new admissions. Hospitalizations fell below 200 over the weekend for the first time since July 28 last year.
In the 7-county Northeast health care region, hospitals are treating 15 COVID-19 patients, with 3 of them in ICU -- that’s 1 fewer patient in ICU and 1 fewer person in the hospital overall. Hospitals serving the 8-county Fox Valley region have 4 COVID-19 patients, 1 fewer than Tuesday; there are no COVID-19 patients in ICU.
Wisconsin is in a rut when it comes to vaccinations. The DHS says 64.1% of Wisconsinites received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 60.7% completed their vaccine series. That’s where we were over a week ago. The only dial that moved in the past week is the percentage of Wisconsinites getting a booster shot, which is now at 33.5% of the population.
While the number of Wisconsin residents rolling up their sleeve for their first or second vaccine shot measures in the hundreds each day, over 1,000 are lining up for a booster shot each day, including 1,519 added to the rolls in the past 24 hours. We also need to note the 7-day averages of people getting their first shot, completing their vaccine series, and, yes, even booster shots, are the lowest today than any time in our record-keeping.
Wednesday’s Vaccinations by Age Group
- 5 to 11: 27.1% received vaccine/24.1% completed vaccinations
- 12 to 17: 61.2% received vaccine/57.6% completed vaccinations
- 18 to 24: 59.9% received vaccine/54.3% completed vaccinations
- 25 to 34: 64.0% received vaccine/59.3% completed vaccinations
- 35 to 44: 69.1% received vaccine/65.6% completed vaccinations
- 45 to 54: 71.6% received vaccine/68.6% completed vaccinations
- 55 to 64: 78.0% received vaccine/75.4% completed vaccinations
- 65 and up: 85.5% received vaccine/82.3% completed vaccinations
Wednesday’s Vaccinations by County Population
To find free COVID-19 vaccination sites near you, text your ZIP Code to 438829. Visit wbay.com/vaccine for a list of health care organizations offering vaccine shots.
WEDNESDAY’S COUNTY CASE AND DEATH TOTALS
- Brown – 69,924 cases (420 deaths)
- Calumet – 11,498 cases (99 deaths)
- Dodge – 24,367 cases (291 deaths)
- Door – 6,573 cases (61 deaths)
- Florence - 811 cases (16 deaths)
- Fond du Lac – 29,349 cases (251 deaths)
- Forest - 2,426 cases (47 deaths)
- Green Lake - 4,181 cases (54 deaths)
- Kewaunee – 4,549 cases (42 deaths)
- Langlade - 4,870 cases (71 deaths)
- Manitowoc – 17,254 cases (158 deaths)
- Marinette - 9,654 cases (104 deaths)
- Menominee – 1,845 (14 deaths)
- Oconto – 9,312 cases (95 deaths)
- Outagamie – 42,320 cases (353 deaths)
- Shawano – 9,731 cases (127 deaths)
- Sheboygan – 29,336 cases (262 deaths)
- Waupaca – 11,306 cases (193 deaths)
- Waushara – 4,972 cases (70 deaths)
- Winnebago – 43,770 cases (332 deaths)
You can find cases and deaths for all 72 Wisconsin counties on the DHS County Data website and for Michigan counties on the Michigan Department of Health COVID-19 website. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Wisconsin Hospital Association publish updates Mondays through Fridays. Michigan Department of Health updates information on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
** Cases and deaths are from state COVID-19 reports, which may differ from local health department numbers. The Wisconsin DHS reports cases from all health departments within a county’s boundaries, including tribal, municipal and county health departments; county websites may not. Also, public health departments update their data at various times, whereas the DHS freezes the numbers it receives by the same time every day to compile the afternoon report.
Copyright 2021 WBAY. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/academy-smith-refused-leave-oscars-broke-conduct-code/
|
Academy: Will Smith refused to leave Oscars after Rock slap
NEW YORK (AP) — The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences on Wednesday said that Will Smith was asked to leave Sunday’s Oscar ceremony after hitting Chris Rock but refused to do so.
The academy’s board of governors met Wednesday to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violations against the group’s standards of conduct. The academy said disciplinary action for Smith could include suspension, expulsion or other sanctions.
Many have focused on why Smith was allowed to remain seated front row in the Dolby Theatre after the incident. On Wednesday, the academy suggested that it attempted to remove the actor from the audience.
“Things unfolded in a way we could not have anticipated,” the academy said. “While we would like to clarify that Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.”
A representative for the academy declined to give specifics on how it tried to removed Smith. After Smith struck Rock in response to a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, several stars including Denzel Washington, Bradley Cooper and Tyler Perry spoke with the 53-year-old Smith.
The academy said Smith has the opportunity to defend himself in a written response before the board meets again on April 18. The film academy earlier condemned Smith’s onstage assault of Rock, but it used stronger language Wednesday.
“Mr. Smith’s actions at the 94th Oscars were a deeply shocking, traumatic event to witness in-person and on television,” the academy said. “Mr. Rock, we apologize to you for what you experienced on our stage and thank you for your resilience in that moment. We also apologize to our nominees, guests and viewers for what transpired during what should have been a celebratory event.”
On Monday, Smith issued an apology to Rock, the academy and to viewers, saying “I was out of line and I was wrong.”
Rock, who had yet to respond publicly to the incident, performed stand-up Wednesday night in Boston. He was greeted by a thunderous standing ovation.
“How was your weekend?” began Rock who then cautioned the crowd that he didn’t have a lot to say yet about the Oscars, according to audio posted by the Hollywood trade outlet Variety. “I’m still kind of processing what happened”
A representative for Smith didn’t immediately respond to messages Wednesday regarding the academy’s latest moves.
Only a very small number of academy members have ever been expelled, including Harvey Weinstein, Roman Polanski, Bill Cosby and the actor Carmine Caridi, who was kicked out for sharing awards screeners.
Whoopi Goldberg, a member of the academy’s board of governors, said Monday on “The View,” “We’re not going to take that Oscar from him.” (Even Oscars won by expelled members haven’t previously been ordered to be returned.) Goldberg added that “nobody is OK with what happened”
Others from Sunday’s telecast also began speaking out. Co-host Wanda Sykes told Ellen DeGeneres in an interview to air April 7 that she felt physically ill after Smith slapped Rock. When he returned to his seat, Smith twice shouted at Rock to “keep my wife’s name out your (expletive) mouth.”
“I’m still a little traumatized by it,” said Sykes in a clip released Wednesday.
Within an hour, Smith was back on stage accepting the award for best actor for his performance in “King Richard.” Many in the Dolby Theatre gave him a standing ovation.
“I was like, how gross is this? This is the wrong message. You assault somebody and you get escorted out the building and that’s it. But for them to let him continue, I thought it was gross,” Sykes said. “I wanted to be able to run out (on stage) after he won and say, ‘Uh, unfortunately, Will couldn’t be here tonight.’”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/alex-jones-faces-fines-skipping-sandy-hook-deposition/
|
Alex Jones faces fines for skipping Sandy Hook deposition
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut judge said Wednesday Infowars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones will be fined for each weekday that passes without him appearing for a deposition in a lawsuit brought by relatives of some victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
The penalties were in response to Jones defying court orders to attend a deposition last week, when he cited a health problem including vertigo that later turned out to be a sinus infection. His testimony is being sought ahead of a trial to determine how much he should pay in damages to the families for pushing a conspiracy theory that the massacre never happened.
The penalties will begin at $25,000 per weekday beginning Friday and increase by $25,000 per weekday until he appears for a deposition, Judge Barbara Bellis said. She found Jones in contempt of court orders and repeated her view Wednesday that letters submitted by Jones’ doctors did not include enough evidence that he was too ill to attend last week’s deposition. She noted Jones appeared on his website show — either in-person or by phone — every day last week.
“The court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant, Alex Jones, willfully and in bad faith violated without justification several clear court orders requiring his attendance at his depositions,” Bellis said during a court hearing held by video conference.
Bellis, a judge at Waterbury Superior Court, also ordered the deposition to be held at the Bridgeport, Connecticut, office of the families’ lawyers, instead of Austin, Texas, where it was scheduled last week. Austin is home to Jones and Infowars.
The judge, however, again denied a request by lawyers for the Sandy Hook families to order Jones arrested and detained until he could appear at a deposition. The attorneys first made the request last week.
Jones’ lawyer, Norman Pattis, criticized Bellis’ ruling and planned to appeal to the Connecticut Supreme Court on Thursday.
“The judge’s order is shocking and an insult to the medical doctor who advised Alex not to attend court proceedings,” Pattis said in an email to The Associated Press. “We regard the order as lawless and unprecedented.”
Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families, said during the hearing that the families were seeking penalties because Jones violated court orders and appeared to be attempting to avoid the deposition.
“So what we’ve tried to do ... is change that calculus, make it clear to Mr. Jones that the penalties that will accrue to him as a result of his further noncompliance are not worth it and that he should sit for deposition in order to avoid them,” Mattei said.
A new deposition date was not immediately set. Cameron Atkinson, another Jones lawyer, said Jones would next be available to testify on April 11.
Twenty first-graders and six educators were killed in the December 2012 shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. The gunman, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, killed his mother at their Newtown home before the shooting, and killed himself at the school as police arrived, officials said.
The families of eight of the victims and an FBI agent who responded to the school sued Jones, Infowars and others in Connecticut, saying they have been subjected to harassment and death threats from Jones’ followers because of the hoax conspiracy promoted on his show. Jones has since said he believes the shooting did occur.
On Tuesday, Jones’ lawyers filed court documents that offered to pay $120,000 per plaintiff to settle the lawsuit and offered an apology for “any distress his remarks caused.” The families’ lawyers rejected the offers.
Jones was found liable for damages to the families in the Connecticut lawsuit as well as to some Sandy Hook families who sued him in Texas. Judges in both states found Jones liable by default without a trial, saying he repeatedly refused to abide by court rulings and provide requested evidence to the families’ lawyers.
Jones and his lawyers said he has turned over thousands of documents to the families’ lawyers and sat for depositions in the Texas cases.
Trials are scheduled later this year in Connecticut and Texas to determine how much Jones should pay the families.
___
This story has been corrected to show that the fines Jones would face start at $25,000 per weekday and increase by $25,000 per weekday, not $25,000 to $50,000 per weekday.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/ap-sources-broad-asylum-limits-border-may-end-by-may-23/
|
AP sources: Asylum limits at border expected to end by May 23
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is expected to end the asylum limits at the U.S.-Mexico border by May 23 that were put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to people familiar with the matter.
The decision, not yet final, would halt use of public health powers to absolve the United States of obligations under American law and international treaty to provide haven to people fleeing persecution, and would apply to all asylum-seekers.
Ending the limitations in May would allow for time to prepare at the border, the people said. But the delay runs against the wishes of top Democrats and others who say COVID-19 has long been used as an excuse for the U.S. to get out of asylum obligations.
It also raises the possibility that more asylum-seeking migrants will come to the border at a time when flows are already high. The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday that about 7,100 migrants were coming daily, compared with an average of about 5,900 a day in February and on pace to match or exceed highs from last year, 2019 and other peak periods.
President Joe Biden declined to discuss his administration’s plans, telling reporters Wednesday at the White House, “We’ll have a decision on that soon.”
Whenever the limits are lifted, his communications director said “there will be an influx of people to the border. We are doing a lot of work to plan for that contingency.” Speaking broadly, Kate Bedingfield said the administration is trying to “build up our migration system and ensure that we are restoring order at the border.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had extended its asylum-blocking powers for two months in late January, near the height of the omicron variant. The authority is up for renewal this week, and officials were expected to announce as early as Friday that it would be terminated, giving border authorities a few months to prepare for the coming deadline.
The people familiar with the plans saw a draft report that has not been finalized and they spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the plans.
The limits went into place in March 2020 under the Trump administration as coronavirus cases soared. While officials said at the time that it was a way to keep COVID-19 out of the United States, there always has been criticism that the restrictions were used as an excuse to seal the border to migrants unwanted by then-President Donald Trump.
It was perhaps the broadest of Trump’s actions to restrict crossings and crack down on migrants. The health order has caused migrants to be expelled from the United States more than 1.7 million times since March 2020 without a chance for them to request asylum.
And restrictions took effect over the objections of CDC officials, and Dr. Martin Cetron of the Division of Migration and Quarantine refused the order to begin its use. He said there was no public health basis for such a drastic move, the AP reported. But then-Vice President Mike Pence ordered the CDC’s director to use the agency’s emergency powers and it went into effect.
As mask mandates were lifted, vaccination rates climbed and COVID-19 rates dropped among migrants crossing from Mexico it became increasingly difficult to defend the order on scientific grounds.
Biden, who has rolled back some of Trump’s other more restrictive policies, has taken increasing criticism for keeping the policy.
Homeland Security officials, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and other top Democrats were increasingly vocal about wanting to end so-called Title 42 authority, named for a 1944 public health law to prevent communicable disease.
Not all Democratic elected officials agreed, including some from border and swing states. Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema, both Arizona Democrats, sided with Republican leaders to say Title 42 should remain until U.S. border authorities were prepared for sharp increases in new arrivals.
“The Border Patrol agents told me they expect a tsunami of humans to come across the border and the Border Patrol has said they will lose control entirely,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.
Homeland Security officials said they are planning for as many as 18,000 arrivals daily, an astounding number that they cautioned was simply to prepare for all possible outcomes, not projections.
But there have been no major changes to how migrants are processed at the U.S.-Mexico border and no increase in holding facilities for them. The immigration court backlog continues to soar to more than 1.7 million cases.
Critics say Title 42 has been an excuse to avoid asylum obligations under U.S. law and international treaty, buying Biden time to create the “humane” asylum system that he promised during his 2020 campaign.
“Title 42 is a horrific and unjustified policy that should never have been enacted and has caused grave harm to thousands of asylum-seekers over the past two years,” said immigration attorney Lee Gelernt of the American Civil Liberties Union.
While there is no aggregate rate for migrants, COVID-19 test results from several major corridors for illegal border crossings suggest it is well below levels that have triggered concerns among U.S. officials.
In California, 54 of 2,877 migrants tested positive in the first two weeks of March, according to the state Department of Social Services. That’s a rate of just 1.9%, down from a peak of 28.2% on Jan. 8.
In Pima County, Arizona, which includes Tucson, the seven-day positivity rate among migrants didn’t exceed 1.3% in early March. The positivity rate among 5,300 migrants tested last month at the Regional Center for Border Health near Yuma, Arizona, was 0.1%.
McAllen, Texas, the largest city in the busiest corridor for illegal crossings, has a higher rate among migrants — 11.3% for the week ending March 16 — but it has been consistently lower than the general population.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky noted falling rates when she ended asylum limits on unaccompanied child migrants on March 11, while keeping them for adults and families with kids. In August, U.S. border authorities began testing children traveling alone in their busiest areas: Positives fell to 6% in the first week of March from a high of nearly 20% in early February.
Asylum limits have been applied unevenly by nationality, depending largely on costs and diplomatic relations with home countries. Many migrants have been spared from Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and, more recently, Ukraine. Homeland Security officials wrote border authorities this month that Ukrainians may be exempt, saying Russia’s invasion “created a humanitarian crisis.”
___
Dearen reported from New York and Spagat from San Diego. Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Michael Balsamo, Nomaan Merchant and Farnoush Amiri in Washington and Garance Burke in San Francisco contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/artstreet-moving-ashwaubenon/
|
Artstreet moving to Ashwaubenon
ASHWAUBENON, Wis. (WBAY) - Artstreet is moving to Ashwaubenon. Mosaic Arts recently announced the event’s new home is Ashwaubomay Park, 2881 S Broadway.
For 40 years, the annual celebration of art has drawn hundreds of artists from around the country and thousands of visitors to the streets of downtown Green Bay.
“We’re really sad to see it move its footprint,” Emily Cubitt said.
Officials in Green Bay were surprised by the festival’s decision to move to Ashwaubomay Park this August.
Cubitt is marketing manager for Downtown Green Bay Inc. “It always hurts to see it and, you know, of course we’d always welcome any event back to Green Bay,” she said.
Mosaic Arts, the non-profit behind ArtStreet, did not provide a reason for the move and has not responded to our requests for comment.
Downtown Green Bay Inc. is also trying to learn why the move is being made.
“We have the benefit of having such a unique space and great hotels and great businesses that offer such awesome hospitality. We’re hoping that either they may choose to come back, or another event or convention chooses to fill that space or that weekend here,” said Cubitt.
ArtStreet is the latest event heading to neighboring Ashwaubenon, leaving the only home it’s ever known after becoming a downtown summer tradition. The free art fair and festival resumed downtown last summer after the pandemic put it on hold.
“Some may view it as, OK, our streets are open, how do we deal with this? How do we own our circumstances and make the best of it?” said Cubitt.
Downtown Green Bay believes there will still be an economic benefit during ArtStreet’s 41st year because it will still be nearby. “We’re still looking forward to all the arts activation and national foot traffic that it will still bring our entire community.”
The 2022 Artstreet will be held August 26-28. There will be hundreds of artists, food, cultural displays, family activities and music.
Admission is free. Organizers suggest a donation to help the art community.
CLICK HERE for more information about the event.
Copyright 2022 WBAY. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/biden-dispatch-500m-more-direct-aid-ukraine/
|
White House: Intel shows Putin misled by advisers on Ukraine
Biden to dispatch $500M more in direct aid to Ukraine
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin is being misinformed by advisers about his military’s poor performance in Ukraine, according to the White House. The advisers are scared to tell him the truth, the intel says.
The findings, recently declassified, indicate that Putin is aware of the situation on information coming to him and there now is persistent tension between him and senior Russian military officials.
The U.S. believes Putin is being misled not only about his military’s performance but also “how the Russian economy is b eing crippled by sanctions because, again, his senior advisers are too afraid to tell him the truth,” White House communications director Kate Bedingfield said Wednesday.
Earlier, President Joe Biden said in an exchange with reporters that he could not comment on the intelligence.
The administration is hopeful that divulging the finding could help prod Putin to reconsider his options in Ukraine, according to a U.S. official. The official was not authorized to comment and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The war has ground to a bloody stalemate in much of the country, with heavy casualties and Russian troop morale sinking as Ukrainian forces and volunteers put up an unexpectedly stout defense.
But the publicity could also risk further isolating Putin, who U.S. officials have said seems at least in part driven by a desire to win back Russian prestige lost by the fall of the Soviet Union.
“What it does is underscore that this has been a strategic blunder for Russia,” Bedingfield said of the intelligence finding. “But I’m not going to characterize how ... Vladimir Putin might be thinking about this.”
Meanwhile, Biden told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a 55 minute call that an additional $500 million in direct aid for Ukraine was on its way. It’s the latest burst in American assistance as the Russian invasion grinds on.
Asked about the latest intelligence, Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested that a dynamic within the Kremlin exists where advisers are unwilling to speak to Putin with candor.
“One of the Achilles’ heels of autocracies is that you don’t have people in those systems that speak truth to power or have the ability to speak truth to power, and I think that’s what we’re seeing in Russia,” Blinken told reporters during a stop in Algeria on Wednesday.
The unidentified official did not detail underlying evidence for how U.S. intelligence made its determination.
The intelligence community has concluded that Putin was unaware that his military had been using and losing conscripts in Ukraine. They also have determined he is not fully aware of the extent to which the Russian economy is being damaged by economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. and allies.
The findings demonstrate a “clear breakdown in the flow of accurate information” to Putin, and show that Putin’s senior advisers are “afraid to tell him the truth,” the official said.
Biden notified Zelenskyy about the latest tranche of assistance during a call in which the leaders also reviewed security aid already delivered to Ukraine and the effects that weaponry has had on the war, according to the White House.
Zelesnkyy has pressed the Biden administration and other Western allies to provide Ukraine with military jets, something that the U.S. and other NATO countries have thus far been unwilling to accommodate out of concern it could lead to Russia broadening the war beyond Ukraine’s borders.
Prior to Wednesday’s announcement of $500 million in aid, the Biden administration had sent Ukraine about $2 billion in humanitarian and security assistance since the start of the war last month.
Congress approved $13.6 billion that Congress approved earlier this month as part of a broader spending bill. Bedingfield said the latest round of financial assistance could be used by the Ukrainian government “to bolster its economy and pay for budgetary expenses” including government salaries and maintaining services.
Ukraine’s presidential website says Zelenskyy told Biden: “We need peace, and it will be achieved only when we have a strong position on the battlefield. Our morale is firm, there is enough determination, but we need your immediate support.”
Zelenskyy in a Twitter posting said that he also spoke to Biden about new sanctions against Russia. Bedingfield said the administration is looking at options to expand and deepen current sanctions.
The new intelligence came after the White House on Tuesday expressed skepticism about Russia’s public announcement that it would dial back operations near Kyiv in an effort to increase trust in ongoing talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials in Turkey.
Russian forces pounded areas around Ukraine’s capital and another city overnight, regional leaders said Wednesday.
The Pentagon said Wednesday that over the past 24 hours it had seen some Russian troops in the areas around Kyiv moving north toward or into Belarus.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in interviews with CNN and Fox Business that the U.S. does not view this as a withdrawal but as an attempt by Russia to resupply, refit and then reposition the troops.
Putin has long been seen outside Russia as insular and surrounded by officials who don’t always tell him the truth. U.S. officials have said publicly they believe that limited flow of information –- possibly exacerbated by Putin’s heightened isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic -– may have given the Russian president unrealistic views of how quickly he could overrun Ukraine.
The Biden administration before the war launched an unprecedented effort to publicize what it believed were Putin’s invasion plans, drawing on intelligence findings. While Russia still invaded, the White House was widely credited with drawing attention to Ukraine and pushing initially reluctant allies to back tough sanctions that have hammered the Russian economy.
But underscoring the limits of intelligence, the U.S. also underestimated Ukraine’s will to fight before the invasion, said Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, in recent testimony before Congress.
—
AP writers Matthew Lee in Algiers and Lolita C. Baldor contributed reporting.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/biden-eyes-boost-mining-minerals-electric-vehicles/
|
Biden eyes boost to mining of minerals for electric vehicles
WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing higher oil prices after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, President Joe Biden is looking at invoking the Defense Production Act this week to increase the mining of critical minerals for the batteries used in electric vehicles.
That’s according to a person familiar with the White House plans who insisted on anonymity to discuss the likely policy move. The person said production will occur under strong environmental and labor standards as well as through tribal engagements, though some Democrats in Congress have concerns because the mining sector is regulated through a 150 year-old law.
Greater federal support for alternatives to fossil fuels would reduce the leverage of Russian President Vladimir Putin and others on matters of U.S. national and economic security, though it reflects a long-term play rather than an immediate response to the economic damage caused by the war.
Biden’s likely order employing the Defense Production Act would provide a meaningful financial incentive to develop a domestic supply chain for electric vehicles and enable the shift away from gasoline-fueled autos.
Putin’s assault on Ukraine began more than a month ago, rattling global energy markets for petroleum and natural gas in ways that would likely hurt growth worldwide. U.S. crude oil was trading at more than $107 a barrel on Wednesday morning, up from nearly $60 a year ago as inflation has emerged as a persistent threat.
The Democratic president is looking at invoking Title III of the 1950 Defense Production Act, which would provide the government with economic authorities to address industrial shortfalls. Mining companies could access money under the law for production of minerals including lithium, nickel, graphite, cobalt and manganese.
The government would not be issuing loans or directly purchasing minerals. The funding would instead cover feasibility studies, production at current operations and modernizing safety standards and production.
Lawmakers are divided on whether invoking the act is the best policy, as economic and national security issues may come into conflict with environmental protections despite assurances that standards would be followed.
A bipartisan group of senators, led by Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, have urged Biden to deploy the Defense Production Action to boost the domestic output of critical minerals such as lithium and graphite.
“The United States relies almost exclusively on foreign nations – many of them unfriendly and with nonexistent labor and environmental standards – to meet much of our present mineral demand,” the senators said in a letter to Biden this month. “Allowing our foreign mineral dependence to persist is a growing threat to U.S. national security, and we need to take every step to address it.″
Manchin, who chairs the Senate Energy Committee, is a key player on energy issues and singlehandedly blocked Biden’s signature social and environmental legislation known as Build Back Better. He has since said he is open to some of the bill’s climate and energy proposals, as long as they don’t punish fossil fuels such as natural gas.
The letter was also signed by Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Jim Risch of Idaho.
But some Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee urged Biden not to invoke the Defense Production Act, saying that increased mining projects on public lands could jeopardize public health and sacred sites in the West.
“As it turns out, the oil and gas industry isn’t the only one taking advantage of tragedy in Ukraine,” said Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the panel’s chairman. “Like their fossil fuel peers, mining companies are making opportunistic pleas to advance a decades-old mining agenda that lets polluters off the hook and leaves Americans suffering the consequences. Fast-tracking mining under antiquated standards that put our public health, wilderness, and sacred sites at risk of permanent damage just isn’t the answer.”
The mining industry operates under the 150-year-old Mining Law of 1872. Under this statute, companies mining on public lands pay no federal royalties and are not held financially responsible for cleaning up the tens of thousands of toxic abandoned mine sites scattered across the United States.
Grijalva said he will propose legislation to reform the mining law later this spring.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/bruce-willis-stepping-away-acting-amid-health-struggles/
|
Bruce Willis, diagnosed with aphasia, steps away from acting
NEW YORK (AP) — Bruce Willis is stepping away from acting after a diagnosis of aphasia, a condition that causes loss of the ability to understand or express speech, his family said Wednesday.
In a statement posted on Willis’ Instagram page, the 67-year-old actor’s family announced that Willis was recently diagnosed with aphasia and that it is impacting his cognitive abilities.
“As a result of this and with much consideration, Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him,” read the statement signed by Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis, his ex-wife Demi Moore, and his five children, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel and Evelyn.
“We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him,” they said. “As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that.”
There are many potential causes of aphasia. It often occurs after a stroke or head injury, but can also develop gradually due to a slow-growing brain tumor or a disease that causes degenerative damage, like Alzheimer’s disease. It’s treated primarily with speech therapy and learning non-verbal means of communication.
Willis’ family didn’t divulge what caused his aphasia. Representatives for the actor declined to comment.
The news about Willis, one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors, immediately spread online as fans reacted. His four-decade career has amassed more than $5 billion in box office worldwide,
Willis had been working steadily and frequently. Renowned for films like “Die Hard,” “Pulp Fiction” and “The Sixth Sense,” Willis has in recent years churned out straight-to-video thrillers. Last year, he starred in a staggering eight films. Most came and went quietly, including titles like “Cosmic Sin,” “Out of Death” and “Deadlock.”
Most recently, Willis starred in February’s “Gasoline Alley” and “A Day to Die,” released in early March. Willis has already shot at least six more films due out in 2022 and 2023, including “Die Like Lovers,” “Corrective Measures” and “The Wrong Place.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/cdc-drops-its-covid-warning-cruise-travel/
|
CDC drops its COVID warning for cruise travel
Published: Mar. 30, 2022 at 12:33 PM CDT
(CNN) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have just dropped its risk assessment of cruise travel.
For more than two years now, health officials have been warning people not to go on a cruise.
However, considering where the U.S. is in the pandemic and since COVID-19 cases on cruise ships have been dropping over the past several weeks, the CDC decided to give it the green light.
Of course, this doesn’t mean there’s no risk.
The CDC said it is better to be vaccinated before going on a cruise and you should research how each cruise line handles public health measures.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/chris-rock-readies-1st-show-since-will-smith-slapped-him/
|
Chris Rock takes to comedy mic, still processing Oscar slap
BOSTON (AP) — Chris Rock received several standing ovations before he told one joke Wednesday at his first comedy show since Will Smith slapped him in the face onstage at the Oscars.
Rock only briefly addressed the slap to the sold out crowd in Boston, saying he was “still kind of processing what happened.”
“Other than the weird thing, life is pretty good,” Rock said midway through his first of two sets. The nighttime performances came just three days after Smith smacked the comedian for making a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, while presenting an Academy Award.
Rock didn’t mention Smith or Pinkett Smith by name at his show in Boston. Wearing all white, he seemed to be almost embarrassed by the multiple ovations he received. As the applause carried on for minutes — with fans yelling “I love you, Chris!” — the comedian appeared to be getting emotional, a guest seated near the stage told The Associated Press.
“How was your weekend?” Rock joked before getting into his set.
Ticket prices skyrocketed after Smith took to the awards stage and slapped Rock on live TV, but the comedian made clear he wasn’t going to talk at length about it Wednesday.
“If you came to hear that, I’m not ... I had like a whole show I wrote before this weekend,” Rock said.
He spent much of the night skewering celebrities and politicians. Among them were the Duchess of Sussex, the Kardashians, as well as President Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and former President Donald Trump.
Outside the venue, a fan showed off a T-shirt featuring the “G.I. Jane” logo and Pinkett Smith’s face. Another had a shirt he made that showed Smith’s face and displayed a crude joke about the couple’s relationship.
At least one person yelled during the show that Rock should sue Smith.
Rock’s joke at the Oscars was about Jada Pinkett Smith’s buzzed haircut: “Jada, I love you. ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see it,” Rock said, comparing Pinkett Smith to Demi Moore’s “G.I. Jane” character, who had a buzz cut in the 1997 film.
Smith promptly stood up from his seat at the front of the venue and took to the stage, slapping Rock across the face before sitting back down and yelling at Rock to keep his wife’s name out of his mouth.
Pinkett Smith has spoken publicly about her diagnosis of alopecia, which can cause baldness.
Within an hour, Smith won best actor, receiving a standing ovation. During his five-minute acceptance speech, Smith talked about defending his family and apologized to the academy. A day later, Smith issued an apology to the comedian, to the academy and to viewers at home, saying he was “out of line” and that his actions are “not indicative of the man I want to be.”
Pinkett Smith responded Tuesday with a graphic on Instagram that read: “This is a season of healing and I’m here for it.” She offered no further comment.
George Guay, a 24-year-old fan from Boston who grew up on “Everybody Hates Chris,” said he bought a ticket after Rock was slapped by Smith.
“He’s the most popular celebrity so I want to be here,” Guay said before the show, adding that he hoped Rock would open with a response to the situation. “I just want a good show.”
Afterward, some fans were a little disappointed he did not address the controversy more directly. But they also said they could see from his body language that he wasn’t sure how to do it.
“As soon as I saw him, his mood was a little bit shocked,” said Dave Henriquez, a 48-year-old musician from Newton, Massachusetts. “I got that it was weighing on him.”
Erin Ryan, a 33-year-old teacher also from Newton who was with Henriquez, said she felt Rock wanted to perform his act, “not make the standup about the one incident.”
Kathryn West-Hines, a 50-year-old Pilates instructor from Malden, Massachusetts, said she came away with even more respect for Rock. “I thought it was amazing, classy,” she said, adding that he wasn’t going to let “what happened Sunday” take away his shine.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences condemned Smith striking Rock. Its board of governors met Wednesday to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violations of the group’s standards of conduct. The academy said it had asked Smith to leave the ceremony after hitting Rock, but he refused to do so.
This was not the first time Rock had made a joke at Pinkett Smith’s expense. When he hosted the 2016 Oscars, some people boycotted the ceremony over the #OscarsSoWhite group of nominees, including the Smiths. Said Rock then: “Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties. I wasn’t invited.”
Wanda Sykes, who co-hosted the Oscars with Amy Schumer and Regina Hall, said she felt physically ill after Smith slapped Rock. In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres scheduled to air April 7, Sykes also said letting Smith stay and accept his award should not have happened.
The drama overshadowed some historical wins at an Oscars. The deaf family drama “CODA” became the first film with a largely deaf cast to win best picture. For the first time, a streaming service, Apple TV+, took Hollywood’s top honor, signaling a profound shift in Hollywood and in moviegoing. Wins for Ariana DeBose of “West Side Story, ”Troy Kotsur of “CODA” and Jane Campion, director of “The Power of the Dog,” all had made history.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/congress-hears-siren-wail-ukrainian-legislators-visit/
|
Congress hears siren wail as Ukrainian legislators visit
WASHINGTON (AP) — As members of the Ukrainian parliament were pleading for aid on Capitol Hill, an air raid siren blared from one of their cell phones — a wrenching alert from the war-torn country back home.
One of the visitors reached into her bag, pulled out the phone and let the siren wail in the halls of Congress.
“Right now, you hear the sound?” said Anastasia Radina, a member of the Ukrainian Rada.
“This is the air raid alarm in the community where my son is staying right now,” she said at a press conference this week after meeting with members of Congress. “I need you all to hear that.”
The Ukrainian lawmakers met for a second day Wednesday with their counterparts in the U.S. Congress, urging American allies to more quickly provide additional military aid — fighter jets, tanks and other support — and to impose stiffer economic sanctions on the invading Russians they’re trying to push from their country.
The visiting legislators, all women, with family back home, were warning the U.S. that they do not trust negotiations underway with Russian President Vladimir Putin over ending the monthlong war. And they impressed on the Americans that their country is at a crucial juncture in the fight against his invasion.
“They desperately need more help both with military assistance and the tightening of sanctions,” said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, emerging from Wednesday’s private meeting at the Capitol.
U.S. lawmakers have been pressing President Joe Biden’s administration to do more for Ukraine — providing their political support for sanctions on Russian leadership, a ban on Russian oil imports to the U.S., even declaring Putin should be investigated for war crimes.
Biden on Wednesday announced that the U.S. will send another $500 million in direct aid to Ukraine as the Russian invasion continues. At the same time, the Senate was working to pass legislation suspending Russia’s favored trade status — a measure that has been tangled over a related human rights provision, even though there is widespread support for suspending normal trade relations and halting Russian oil imports.
Lawmakers emerging from two days of meetings with the Ukrainian lawmakers kept up a largely unified front, with both Republicans and Democrats saying more funding would be needed, beyond the nearly $14 billion in military and humanitarian aid recently approved. Many are members of the Ukraine Caucus in the House and Senate, formed years ago to bolster the emerging democracy after it emerged from the former Soviet Union.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., described a sense of “buoyancy” in the room with the Ukrainian lawmakers Wednesday amid word of a possible Russian move away from Kyiv, even as he acknowledged the likely fighting still ahead.
“There’s a lot of support in Congress to continue to help them,” he said.
Yet there is concern in Congress that Biden’s administration is too timid in its response and too slow to send needed military equipment. Some speak of an administration “Afghanistan Syndrome.”
Republicans in particular, but also Democratic lawmakers, suggest there’s a hesitancy from the U.S. to push deeper into an overseas conflict with commitments of military aid after 20 years fighting the “forever war” in Afghanistan.
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said the Ukrainians she had met with in the past had used that term “Afghanistan Syndrome,” but on Wednesday the Ukrainian legislators instead spoke with urgency about the military aid they need — with fighter jets at the top of the list.
“If they’re going to win, they need more,” Ernst said. “And they know they can win. But they just need the support coming from the United States.”
The Ukrainians delivered a long list of specific military equipment they are requesting, and senators said at the top remain the fighter planes the Biden administration has been reluctant to transfer from NATO ally Poland.
The Ukrainians told reporters after meeting with House lawmakers a day earlier that they also want other air support systems as well as tanks to push the Russians back from their cities.
While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has roused the world to his country’s side, speaking via video livestreams to legislative bodies around the world, the Ukrainian legislators provided their own compelling portrait this week in Washington — women fighting for their country abroad while their loved ones and families fight from home.
In the meetings on Capitol Hill and later with officials at Ukrainian embassy, the lawmakers said that while they are thankful for the U.S. help their country has received, they need more — especially now, as Russia’s strategy may be shifting.
But the Ukrainian lawmakers were apparently leaving Washington without firm commitments. Opposition lawmaker Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze said there is a “readiness” by members of Congress to act but nothing concrete.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have time,” she said at a later press conference at the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington.
Governing party lawmaker Radina expressed frustration that the U.S. was still distinguishing between defensive and offensive weapons, and said said Ukraine needs jets and air defense systems now.
“What we need is action,” she said.
The Ukrainians are wary of talks with Putin, and they framed the war not only as a fight for their country but for all of Western democracy. More than 4 million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the invasion.
“Putin cannot be trusted,” said Yevheniya Kravchuk, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, at Tuesday’s press conference.
Some lawmakers on Capitol Hill are making weekend trips to the Ukrainian border regions to understand the war first-hand. What they’ve seen is reminiscent of imagery many grew up with learning about World War II.
“It’s freezing cold. There’s like a little gust of snow, I mean, most folks didn’t have winter coats, they had like one bag,” said Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., recounting what he saw a few weeks ago on the Polish border.
“It was reminiscent of the Second World War,” he said. “You’re just like watching, you’re just seeing this mass exodus of people.”
___
Associated Press writers Ben Fox and Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/facebook-resorts-old-smear-tactics-against-tiktok/
|
Facebook resorts to old smear tactics against TikTok
(AP) - Eleven years ago, Facebook was caught red-handed after it hired a prominent public relations firm to try to plant stories harshly criticizing Google’s privacy practices in leading news outlets.
In 2018, it hired the PR firm Definers to do opposition research on the company’s critics, including billionaire philanthropist George Soros. The company’s longtime head of communications, Elliot Schrage, took the blame for approving the hiring of Definers and similar firms and left Facebook.
On Wednesday, The Washington Post reported that Meta, Facebook’s parent company, is using similar tactics to go after another rival TikTok. Meta, the Post reported, hired a Republican consulting firm called Targeted Victory to “orchestrate a nationwide campaign” against TikTok.
Targeted Victory, according to the Post, contracted with dozens of public relations firms across the U.S. to help “sway public opinion against TikTok” by planting local news stories and helping place op-eds targeting TikTok around the country, the story says.
Meta confirmed that it has hired Targeted Victory.
“We believe all platforms, including TikTok, should face a level of scrutiny consistent with their growing success,” spokesman Andy Stone said in a statement.
Zac Moffatt, the CEO of Targeted Victory, said the company “manages bipartisan teams on behalf of our clients.”
“It is public knowledge we have worked with Meta for several years and we are proud of the work we have done,” he said in a statement.
The Post obtained internal emails from Targeted Victory that outlined a campaign to undermine TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. The firm used a mix of “genuine concerns and unfounded anxieties” about TikTok in order to try to turn public and political sentiment against it.
According to the report, Targeted Victory was also working to get “proactive coverage” about Facebook into local media, including “submitting letters and opinion pieces speaking glowingly of Facebook’s role in, for instance, supporting Black-owned businesses.”
“We are deeply concerned that the stoking of local media reports on alleged trends that have not been found on the platform could cause real world harm,” TikTok said in an emailed statement.
___
This story has been corrected to show that the report was Wednesday, not Tuesday.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/fda-panel-narrowly-sides-against-experimental-als-drug/
|
FDA panel narrowly sides against experimental ALS drug
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health advisers on Wednesday narrowly ruled against an experimental drug for the debilitating illness known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, a potential setback for patient groups who have lobbied for the medication’s approval.
Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted 6-4 that a single study from Amylyx Pharmaceuticals failed to establish the drug’s effectiveness in treating the deadly neurodegenerative disease ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
“I think it would be a disservice to the patients and their families to approve a treatment that is of uncertain benefit,” said Dr. Kenneth Fischbeck of the National Institutes of Health. “It gets in the way of developing truly effective treatments if it turns out not to be effective.”
Fischbeck and other panelists said they hoped results of a larger study now underway would provide more evidence.
Their vote is not binding and the FDA will make the final decision on whether to grant approval by July. The vote could be used to bolster FDA’s negative review published earlier in the week that criticized Amylyx’s mid-stage study for its small size, missing data and questionable statistical analysis.
The FDA, however, has also emphasized the need for “regulatory flexibility” when reviewing drugs for fatal diseases like ALS. And the close vote could tip the agency toward an approval, given the lack of options currently available.
Typically, FDA approval requires two large studies or one study with a “very persuasive” effect on survival.
ALS destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord needed to walk, talk, swallow and — eventually — breathe. There is no cure and most people die within three to five years of their first symptoms.
ALS patients and their families have rallied behind Amylyx’s drug since its data was first published in 2020, launching an aggressive lobbying campaign and enlisting members of Congress to push the FDA to grant approval.
More than two dozen people spoke during Wednesday’s public comment session, including ALS patients, their family members and physicians who called on the FDA to make the drug available as a potential option to slow the disease.
“Slowing down the loss of function is significant to me and to my family,” stated Becky Mourey, a former music teacher and ALS patient, in comments read by her daughter. “More time to tell my children I love them with my own voice is everything to me.”
Dr. Teresa Buracchio, an FDA division director, said the agency had “benefitted enormously” from patients’ input. But she added that the problems with Amylyx’s data exist “even with the recognition that ALS is a rare disease, with a relentless course that has an enormous unmet medical need.”
The FDA has approved only two therapies for ALS. The more effective one extends life by several months.
Amylyx’s drug comes as a powder that combines two older drugs: one prescription medication for liver disorders and a dietary supplement long used in traditional Chinese medicine. In a 137-patient study in ALS patients, researchers reported those who took the drug progressed 25% more slowly than those taking a dummy drug after one year.
But FDA scientists said those results were “not persuasive” because of missing patient data, study conduct errors and unrealistic assumptions about how patients would decline over time.
Even the panelists who backed the drug said it was a difficult decision.
“I went back and forth during the day but ultimately I agreed with the (drugmaker’s) primary analysis,” said Dean Follman, a biostatistician with the NIH.
Some ALS patients already take the two older drugs, purchasing the supplement online and getting a prescription for the liver medication.
Even if the FDA rejects the Amylyx combo drug later this year, it may not be the end of the road for the treatment. Amylyx is conducting a late-stage, 600-patient study required to seek European approval. If those results — expected in 2024— show the drug extends life, the company could resubmit to the FDA and potentially win approval.
FDA regulators had initially urged the company to complete that study before submitting the drug.
Wednesday’s meeting marked the first time FDA had convened this advisory panel since disregarding its advice last June and approving Biogen’s Alzheimer’s drug, Aduhelm. Three panel members resigned over the controversial decision and the FDA has faced a broader backlash for approving an expensive medication with little evidence it works. As in the Amylyx case, the FDA faced intense pressure from patient groups to grant approval.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/green-bay-drug-bust-was-multi-agency-year-and-a-half-long-effort/
|
Green Bay drug bust was multi-agency, year-and-a-half long effort
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - Tuesday’s pre-dawn drug bust on Main Street was the result of a lengthy investigation involving local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
The drug bust took place at 1520 Main St. Authorities are releasing very few details as the investigation is ongoing. We know search warrants were used, two people were arrested, and authorities seized cocaine, fentanyl, MDMA (also known as Ecstasy), marijuana and multiple guns, according to the sheriff.
The raid was a mission accomplished through plenty of teamwork over the course of 16 months by the Brown County Drug Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The Brown County and Green Bay SWAT teams took part in the raid.
The raid started with a straightforward warning as squad cars and military-style vehicles surrounded the building. “This is the Brown County Sheriff’s Department. We’re here with the police K9. Come out now or you will be bit.”
Viewer video shows at least eight officers in tactical gear with guns drawn entering the building through a side door.
Green Bay police aren’t allowed to talk about details of the investigation but were given the green light to talk with us about the collaboration on such a big operation.
When it comes to large-scale investigations like this one, all agencies tackle it together.
Green Bay Police Commander Kevin Warych said they all train together, have tabletop exercises and do a lot of prep work.
“Yesterday was an example of a multi-agency effort. We had a lot of members from this agency, members from other agencies working together to remove that from the neighborhood so that people don’t have to deal with that. They can live in peace, and they can live with their kids in the front yard,” Warych said.
”It doesn’t matter if I’m wearing a blue uniform or a brown uniform or wearing a suit,” he continued. “We all have a common goal, and how we get to a common goal is by working together, training together and really just knowing each other by name, knowing each other’s hopes dreams and fears, because then if you know them it’s easier to work with.”
We’re told these raids happen all the time -- “this is a 365-day effort,” as the commander put it -- but this is one of the few moments it’s caught on video for the community to see their hard work.
Warych hopes the people watching will know members of law enforcement are dedicated to their community. ”There’s a lot of satisfaction, personally, that you’re making a difference in your community, that you’re making a difference in a neighbor’s life, that they don’t have to deal with this anymore and as a neighborhood as a whole.”
Action 2 News will continue following the investigation.
Copyright 2022 WBAY. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/irs-inflation-increases-tax-deductions-teachers-up-300-first-time/
|
IRS: Inflation increases tax deductions for teachers up to $300 for the first time
(Gray News) - Teachers and other educators will be able to deduct up to $300 of out-of-pocket classroom expenses when they file their 2022 federal income tax return next year.
The IRS reports this is the first time the annual limit has increased since the special educator expense deduction was enacted in 2002.
For tax years 2002 through 2021, the limit was $250 per year. For people currently filing their 2021 tax returns due in April, the deduction remains at $250.
According to the IRS, the limit will rise in $50 increments in future years based on inflation adjustments.
For 2022, an eligible educator can deduct up to $300 of qualifying expenses. If they are married and file a joint return with another qualified educator, the limit rises to $600. But in this situation, not more than $300 for each spouse.
According to the agency, educators can claim this deduction, even if they take the standard deduction. Eligible educators include anyone who is a kindergarten through high school teacher, instructor, counselor, principal or aide working at least 900 hours during the school year. Both public and private school educators qualify.
The IRS shared educators can deduct the unreimbursed cost of the following items:
- Books, supplies and other materials used in the classroom.
- Equipment, including computer equipment, software and services.
- COVID-19 protective items to stop the spread of the disease in the classroom. This includes face masks, disinfectant for use against COVID-19, hand soap, hand sanitizer, disposable gloves, tape, paint or chalk to guide social distancing, physical barriers, such as clear plexiglass, air purifiers and other items recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Professional development courses related to the curriculum they teach or the students they teach. For these expenses, it may be more beneficial to claim another educational tax benefit, especially the lifetime learning credit.
According to the IRS, qualified expenses don’t include costs for homeschooling or non-athletic supplies for courses in health or physical education. As with all deductions and credits, the agency reminds educators to keep good records, including receipts, canceled checks and other documentation.
With the 2021 tax deadline just around the corner, the IRS said educators still working on their returns can claim any qualifying expenses here.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/judge-dismisses-charges-la-crosse-stalking-strangulation-case/
|
Judge dismisses charges in La Crosse stalking, strangulation case
Published: Mar. 30, 2022 at 3:25 PM CDT
LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) - Charges have been dropped against a La Crosse man accused of stalking and strangling a woman.
Johnny Foster, 46, faced six charges including strangulation/suffocation, stalking and intimidating a victim.
Judge Todd Bjerke dismissed all six charges this week at the request of the La Crosse County District Attorney’s Office.
Foster’s attorney, May Lee said Tuesday that La Crosse police didn’t conduct a thorough investigation at the time of Foster’s arrest. She said police failed to contact witnesses who could have provided evidence of Foster’s innocence.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/last-capsule-containing-moon-sample-apollo-17-mission-opened-50-years-later/
|
Last capsule containing moon sample from Apollo 17 mission opened 50 years later
(Gray News) — One of the last unopened Apollo-era moon samples collected nearly 50 years ago during Apollo 17 was opened, NASA said.
Sample 73001 was opened in a process which took place from March 21 to March 22 under the direction of lunar sample processors and curators in the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Division at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the agency said in a release.
Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison “Jack” Schmitt collected the sample during the Apollo 17 missions in 1972. They hammered thin, cylindrical sample-collection devices, or drive tubes, into a landslide deposit in the Moon’s Taurus-Littrow Valley.
The sample is the lower half of a double drive tube. The upper drive tube, sample 73002, was opened in 2019.
Before the sample was opened, images of the sample’s inside makeup were produced by X-ray scans taken by researchers at the University of Texas Austin.
The samples from the capsules are being studied by the Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis Program, or ANGSA.
These samples won’t be the last brought back to Earth; NASA will be returning to the moon for more samples in the upcoming Artemis missions.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/light-snow-slick-roads-early-thursday/
|
LIGHT SNOW AND SLICK ROADS EARLY THURSDAY
Your First Alert Weather Forecast:
Our FIRST ALERT WEATHER DAY will continue into Thursday with more wintry weather expected tonight. Scattered rain showers are possible this evening. Early Thursday morning, rain and mix become more widespread with a change to wet snow during the pre-dawn hours. Northerly winds could gust to 35 mph leading to reduced visibility as the snow falls.
Plan on a slippery and slower morning drive across central and eastern Wisconsin with 2-4″ of snow falling between 6 a.m. and Noon. Strong winds continue through the day and temperatures will remain fairly steady. Lows overnight will be in the lower 30s with highs in the middle 30s. Skies will stay generally cloudy through the afternoon, but skies will clear overnight.
Skies will be mostly sunny Friday with lighter winds. Highs should get back into the lower half of the 40s. We’ll be in the mid 40s Saturday afternoon, but there could be scattered rain-snow showers through the first half of the day. We’ll see a mix of sun and clouds Sunday with another round of wintry mix possible overnight.
You can always keep our forecast handy with our free weather app. Look for the WBAY First Alert Weather App in the Apple app store and Google Play (click here on your mobile device).
WIND FORECAST:
THURSDAY: NNW 15-25+ MPH
FRIDAY: NW/W 5-10 MPH
TONIGHT: Evening rain turning to slushy snow late tonight. North wind gusts to 35 mph. LOW: 31
THURSDAY: Blustery with wet snow in the morning... 2-4″ across eastern Wisconsin. HIGH: 36 LOW: 22
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny skies with less wind. HIGH: 42 LOW: 29
SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy. Spotty showers or a light wintry mix. HIGH: 45 LOW: 30
SUNDAY: Partly cloudy with more clouds late. Wintry mix possible at night. HIGH: 46 LOW: 32
MONDAY: Mostly cloudy with early showers or mix. HIGH: 47 LOW: 33
TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy and seasonably cool. HIGH: 46 LOW: 35
WEDNESDAY: Cloudy skies with a scattered rain-snow mix. HIGH: 47
Copyright 2022 WBAY. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/maine-sen-susan-collins-says-shell-vote-confirm-supreme-court-nominee-jackson/
|
With at least one GOP vote, Jackson likely to be confirmed
WASHINGTON (AP) — Maine Sen. Susan Collins said Wednesday she will vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, giving Democrats at least one Republican vote and all but assuring that Jackson will become the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.
Collins met with Jackson a second time this week after four days of hearings last week and said Wednesday that “she possesses the experience, qualifications and integrity to serve as an associate justice on the Supreme Court.”
“I will, therefore, vote to confirm her to this position,” Collins said.
Collins’ support gives Democrats at least a one-vote cushion in the 50-50 Senate and likely saves them from having to use Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote to confirm President Joe Biden’s pick. Senate Democratic leaders are pushing toward a Senate Judiciary Committee vote on the nomination Monday and a final Senate vote to confirm Jackson late next week.
Biden called Collins on Wednesday to thank her after her announcement, according to the senator’s office. The president had called her at least three times before the hearings, part of a larger push to win a bipartisan vote for his historic pick.
Jackson, who would replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer, would be the third Black justice, after Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas, and the sixth woman. She would also be the first former public defender on the court.
It is expected that all 50 Democrats will support her, though one notable moderate Democrat, Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, hasn’t yet said how she will vote.
Collins was the most likely Republican to support Jackson, and she has a history of voting for Supreme Court nominees picked by presidents of both parties, as well as other judicial nominations.
The only Supreme Court nominee she’s voted against since her election in the mid-1990s is Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who was nominated by then-President Donald Trump after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the weeks before Trump’s election defeat to Biden in 2020. Collins, who was up for reelection that year, said she voted against Barrett because of the accelerated six-week timeline. “It’s not a comment on her,” Collins said of Barrett at the time.
In her statement supporting Jackson, the Maine senator said she doesn’t expect that she will always agree with Jackson’s decisions.
“That alone, however, is not disqualifying,” Collins said. “Indeed, that statement applies to all six justices, nominated by both Republican and Democratic presidents, whom I have voted to confirm.”
Collins said she believes the process is “broken” as it has become increasingly divided along party lines. When Collins first came to the Senate, Supreme Court confirmations were much more bipartisan. Breyer, who will step down this summer, was confirmed on an 87-9 vote in 1994.
“In my view, the role the Constitution clearly assigns to the Senate is to examine the experience, qualifications, and integrity of the nominee,” Collins said. “It is not to assess whether a nominee reflects the ideology of an individual senator or would rule exactly as an individual senator would want.”
In Jackson’s hearings, several Republican senators interrogated her on sentencing decisions in her nine years as a federal judge and in child pornography cases in particular. The senators, several of whom are eyeing a run for president, asked the same questions repeatedly in an effort to paint her as too lenient on sex criminals.
Jackson told the committee that “nothing could be further from the truth” and explained her sentencing decisions in detail. She said some of the cases have given her nightmares and were “among the worst that I have seen.”
Collins told reporters after her announcement that they discussed many of the cases that were brought up at the hearings in an hourlong meeting on Tuesday and “I had no doubt that she applies a very careful approach to the facts of the case when she is judging.”
It is unclear if any other GOP senators will vote for Jackson. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell set the tone for the party last week when he said he “cannot and will not” support her, citing the GOP concerns raised in the hearing about her sentencing record and her support from liberal advocacy groups.
Jackson is still making the rounds in the Senate ahead of next week’s votes, doing customary meetings with Democratic and Republican senators. On Tuesday she met with Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, who said afterward that he was undecided about supporting her.
Romney said he had an “excellent meeting” and found Jackson to be intelligent, capable and charming. He said he probably won’t decide whether to vote for her until the day of the vote.
Romney voted against Jackson last year, when she was confirmed by the Senate as a federal appeals court judge. Collins, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham were the only three Republicans to support her at the time.
Murkowski and Graham have each indicated they might not vote for her a second time. Murkowski said in a statement before the hearings that “I’ve been clear that previously voting to confirm an individual to a lower court does not signal how I will vote for a Supreme Court justice.”
Graham was one of several Republicans on the Judiciary panel who pressed Jackson on the child pornography cases, and he has been vocal in his frustrations that Biden chose Jackson over his preferred candidate, a federal judge from South Carolina.
He also aired past grievances in the hearing, asking Jackson about her religion and how often she goes to church, in heated comments that he said were fair game after unfair criticism of Barrett’s Catholicism.
Also Wednesday, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he will not support Jackson, further indication that the Judiciary panel will likely deadlock 11-11 at its Monday vote on whether to recommend her confirmation to the full Senate.
A deadlocked vote means Democrats will have to spend additional hours on the Senate floor next week to do a “discharge” from committee.
Still, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said this week that the Senate is “on track” to confirm her by the end of next week and before a two-week Spring recess.
___
Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Lisa Mascaro and Darlene Superville and video journalist Rick Gentilo in Washington and David Sharp in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.
___
This story has been corrected to show Collins’ statement came Wednesday, not Tuesday.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/man-sentenced-30-years-prison-raping-79-year-old-woman-when-he-was-18/
|
Man sentenced to 30 years in prison for raping 79-year-old woman when he was 18
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow/Gray News) – A 21-year-old man will spend 30 years in prison for raping an elderly woman at a campground in June 2019.
Authorities said Zeth Browder was 18 when he attacked a 79-year-old as she slept in her tent at a campground in Kawaihae, located on the northwest part of the island of Hawaii.
After several pandemic delays, a jury found Browder guilty in December 2021 of sexual assault, burglary, kidnapping, and tampering with evidence. A judge sentenced him Tuesday to 30 years in prison.
Browder is from Hilo, Hawaii – about 65 miles from where the attack took place on the other side of the island. The victim lives in Colorado.
Browder did not testify at the trial, but addressed the judge before sentencing, insisting he was innocent and asking for leniency.
Copyright 2022 HawaiiNewsNow via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/nfl-teams-must-hire-minority-offensive-coach-upcoming-season-league-reports/
|
NFL teams must hire a minority offensive coach in upcoming season, league reports
(Gray News) - The NFL will require all of its professional football teams to hire a minority coach or a female as an offensive assistant starting in the 2022 season.
Earlier this week, the league made the announcement as team owners gathered in Florida for the annual league meeting.
Among the NFL’s initiatives to enhance opportunities for minority coaching candidates, teams will now be required to hire a minority coach as an offensive assistant, as reported by the NFL Network’s Judy Battista.
The NFL reports it is also looking at having teams invite staff members to league events. It’s an idea Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera said he believes would help the cause since it would allow minority candidates to get acquainted with decision-makers in more relaxed settings.
“We’ve worked for years and made progress in many areas to ensure that staff and leaders in our office and at our clubs reflect the racial and gender makeup of America, but we have more work to do, particularly at the head coach and front-office level,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.
League officials also said the NFL is putting together a committee to review its diversity hiring practices.
The diversity advisory committee includes business leaders, academics and former Houston Texans GM Rick Smith.
According to the NFL Network, the group will review league and club policies in light of ongoing concerns over a lack of diversity in hiring.
“The National Football League announced the creation of the NFL Diversity Advisory Committee, following its pledge last month to retain outside experts to review the league’s diversity policies and practices,” the league said in a news release. “The six-member committee will lend its expert, external perspective on industry best practices and will evaluate league and club diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategies and initiatives, including all hiring processes, policies and procedures, with a primary focus on senior-level coach and front office personnel positions.
The 32 clubs released a joint statement Monday regarding their commitment to increasing diversity among ownership:
“The NFL member clubs support the important goal of increasing diversity among ownership. Accordingly, when evaluating a prospective ownership group of a member club pursuant to League policies, the membership will regard it as a positive and meaningful factor if the group includes diverse individuals who would have a significant equity stake in and involvement with the club, including serving as the controlling owner of the club.”
According to the NFL, other diversity, equity and inclusion-related changes are expected before the January 2023 hiring cycle.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/russian-pledge-scale-back-ukraine-draws-skepticism/
|
Russia bombards areas where it pledged to scale back
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces bombarded areas around Kyiv and another city just hours after pledging to scale back operations in those zones to promote trust between the two sides, Ukrainian authorities said Wednesday.
The shelling — and intensified Russian attacks on other parts of the country — tempered optimism about any progress in the talks aimed at ending the punishing war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he stressed in a conversation with U.S. President Joe Biden that the war is at a “turning point” and renewed his longstanding request for more help to resist the Russian invasion.
“If we really are fighting for freedom and in defense of democracy together, then we have a right to demand help in this difficult turning point. Tanks, aircraft, artillery systems. Freedom should be armed no worse than tyranny,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address to the nation, which he delivered standing in the dark outside the dimly lit presidential offices in Kyiv. He thanked the U.S. for an additional $500 million in aid that was announced Wednesday.
Meanwhile, talks between Ukraine and Russia were set to resume Friday by video, according to the head of the Ukrainian delegation, David Arakhamia. But there seemed to be little faith that a resolution would emerge anytime soon. The Russian military reneged on its pledge Tuesday to de-escalate near the capital and the northern city of Chernihiv in order to “increase mutual trust and create conditions for further negotiations.”
The announcement was met with deep suspicion from Zelenskyy and the West. And soon after, Ukrainian officials reported that Russian shelling hit homes, stores, libraries and other civilian sites in and around Chernihiv and on the outskirts of Kyiv. Russian troops also stepped up their attacks on the Donbas region in the east and around the city of Izyum, which lies on a key route to the Donbas, after redeploying units from other areas, the Ukrainian side said.
Olexander Lomako, secretary of the Chernihiv city council, said the Russian announcement turned out to be “a complete lie.”
“At night they didn’t decrease, but vice versa increased the intensity of military action,” Lomako said.
Five weeks into the invasion that has left thousands dead on both sides, the number of Ukrainians fleeing the country topped a staggering 4 million, half of them children, according to the United Nations.
“I do not know if we can still believe the Russians,” Nikolay Nazarov, a refugee from Ukraine, said as he pushed his father’s wheelchair at a border crossing into Poland. “I think more escalation will occur in eastern Ukraine. That is why we cannot go back to Kharkiv.”
Zelenskyy said the continuing negotiations with Russia were only “words without specifics.”
“We know that this is not a withdrawal but the consequences of being driven out,” Zelenskyy said of Russia’s pledge. “But we also are seeing that Russia is now concentrating its forces for new strikes on Donbas, and we are preparing for this.”
Zelenskyy also said he had recalled Ukraine’s ambassadors to Georgia and Morocco, suggesting they had not done enough to persuade those countries to support Ukraine and punish Russia for the invasion.
“With all due respect, if there won’t be weapons, won’t be sanctions, won’t be restrictions for Russian business, then please look for other work,” he said.
In other developments:
—U.S. intelligence officials have concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin is being misinformed by his advisers about the poor performance of his military in Ukraine because they are too afraid to tell him the truth.
—The German government said it received assurances from Russia that European companies won’t have to pay for Russian gas in rubles. That prospect had raised fears that Russia could cut them off. Also, Poland announced steps to end all Russian oil imports by the end of the year.
— The U.N. is looking into allegations that some residents of the besieged and shattered southern city of Mariupol have been forcibly taken to areas controlled by Russian forces or to Russia itself.
At a round of talks held Tuesday in Istanbul, the faint outlines of a possible peace agreement seemed to emerge when the Ukrainian delegation offered a framework under which the country would declare itself neutral — dropping its bid to join NATO, as Moscow has long demanded — in return for security guarantees from a group of other nations.
Top Russian officials responded positively, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov saying Wednesday that Ukraine’s willingness to accept neutrality and look outside NATO for security represents “significant progress,” according to Russian news agencies.
But skepticism of statements from Russia by Zelenskyy and others seemed well-founded.
Oleksandr Pavliuk, head of the Kyiv region military administration, said Russian shells targeted residential areas and civilian infrastructure in the Bucha, Brovary and Vyshhorod regions around the capital.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the military also targeted fuel depots in two towns in central Ukraine with air-launched long-range cruise missiles. And Russian forces hit a Ukrainian special forces headquarters in the southern Mykolaiv region, he said, and two ammunition depots in the Donetsk region, which is part of the Donbas.
In southern Ukraine, a Russian missile destroyed a fuel depot in Dnipro, the country’s fourth-largest city, regional officials said.
The U.S. said that over the last 24 hours, Russia had begun to reposition less than 20% of its troops that had been arrayed around Kyiv.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said that troops from there and some other zones have begun moving largely to the north, and some have gone into Belarus. Kirby said it appears Russia intends to resupply them and send them back into Ukraine, but it is not clear where.
The Ukrainian military said some Russian airborne units were recorded in neighboring Belarus and were believed to have withdrawn from Ukraine.
In northern Ukraine, Russian forces took no offensive actions Wednesday, focusing on reconnaissance and logistics, the general staff said in a statement. But Russia is expected to increase attacks soon on Ukrainian forces to protect its own troops as they are repositioned, it said.
The Russians also are expected to try to blockade Chernihiv.
Top Russian military officials have said in recent days that their main goal now is the “liberation” of Donbas, the predominantly Russian-speaking industrial heartland where Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian forces since 2014. Western officials say Moscow is reinforcing its troops in the Donbas.
Some analysts have suggested that the focus on the Donbas and the pledge to de-escalate may merely be an effort to put a positive spin on reality: Moscow’s ground forces have been thwarted — and have taken heavy losses — in their bid to seize the capital and other cities.
Meanwhile, a missile destroyed part of an apartment block in the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk early Wednesday, and two people were reported killed. Separatists blamed Ukrainian forces for the attack.
“I was just sitting on the couch and — bang! — the window glass popped, the frames came off. I didn’t even understand what happened,” said resident Anna Gorda.
The U.N. food aid agency said it is providing emergency assistance to 1 million people in Ukraine. It said the food includes 330,000 freshly baked loaves of bread for families in the heavily bombarded eastern city of Kharkiv.
“Children are suffering, and our city, and everything,” Tetyana Parmynska, a 28-year-old from the Chernihiv region now at a refugee center in Poland, said as man played songs on a battered piano decorated with a peace emblem. “We have no strength anymore.”
___
Karmanau reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report.
___
Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/singer-kelly-clarkson-legally-changes-her-name/
|
Singer Kelly Clarkson legally changes her name
Published: Mar. 30, 2022 at 6:30 PM CDT
(CNN) - Kelly Clarkson is no more, at least not legally speaking.
The singer and television personality changed her name to Kelly Brianne.
That change turns her middle name into her last name, and she no longer has a middle name.
The 39-year-old says the decision stemmed from her recent divorce with Brandon Blackstock, although she was born with the last name Clarkson.
The original “American Idol” winner plans to keep the name Clarkson for her professional life since she’s used it for so long.
But in the eyes of the law, she’s now Kelly Brianne.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/soldier-killed-helicopter-incident-georgia/
|
Soldier killed in helicopter crash at Georgia airfield
HINESVILLE, Ga. (WTOC/Gray News) - A 3rd Infantry Division soldier has died after a crash involving two UH-60 helicopters early Wednesday morning.
According to the the 3rd ID public affairs office, the incident happened at Fort Stewart’s Wright Army Airfield around 2 a.m. The solider has been identified as 26-year-old Capt. James T. Bellew, of Charlottesville, Virginia, WTOC reports.
Bellew entered the Army in 2017 as a medical service officer, became an Aeromedical Evacuation Officer in 2019, and has been assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division since March of 2020.
Bellew’s previous assignment was at Camp Casey in South Korea as a Field Medical Assistant from September 2017 to September 2018.
“James was a part of one of the noblest professions imaginable; he dedicated his life to serving our country and did so in a role where he was constantly helping and saving the lives of others,” said Col. Eric Vanek, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade commander.
Wright Army Airfield is closed until further notice while the incident is investigated.
Copyright 2022 WTOC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/state-paper-industry-workforce/
|
The state of the paper industry workforce
KAUKAUNA, Wis. (WBAY) - We’ve followed the ups and downs of the local paper industry closely. Wisconsin is the number one paper-producing state in the nation. Despite the pandemic and a few setbacks over the years, the industry remains strong.
A new study on the paper industry focused on sustaining a capable workforce.
In Kaukauna is one of the oldest original paper mills in the state. It now houses offices and a public library, but it’s just one example of the rich industry of the paper industry here in Wisconsin. It’s where members of the paper industry met Wednesday to hear the findings of this workforce study.
Right now the industry employs more than 30,000 people statewide. With paper used in everything from notebooks to cell phones and cars, the demand is growing.
“Our mills are strong. The jobs are good paying, very, very diversified, very highly technological as far as skill sets, and we’re an environmentally sustainable manufacturing organization,” Wisconsin Paper Council president Scott Suder said.
The Wisconsin Paper Council, along with the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Center for Customized Research and Services spent the past two-plus years looking into workforce challenges facing the paper industry in the state. As the paper industry workforce continues to age, there needs to be a push to attract and train the next generation.
”With regard to workforce, we need to get into K-12 schools, we need to get into the technical schools, even the colleges and get to young adults early to let them know this industry is an important part of our history but also an important part of our future and it may just be an important opportunity for them going forward,” Suder said.
This isn’t your grandfather’s paper mill anymore. Paper is cool.
These are the messages the study determined are important to convey when it comes to attracting new talent to paper industry jobs.
”They’re not dumb, dirty, dangerous. If you walk around a typical paper mill you’ll find more robots than people on the floors. You’ll see very few people on floors because they’re sitting up in control booths where they’re climate-controlled, looking at computer screen just like a financial analyst would be at a bank,” Jeffrey Sasche of the Center for Customized Research and Services said.
This study is only the beginning. Now collaborative work needs to get underway to attract and retain the next generation of workers in the industry.
“This industry is here to stay. This industry is strong, it’s vibrant, and it provides many opportunities for our youth. Whether they’re looking at going into a mill, looking at even college, after college there’s a lot of opportunities because this is a very technologically, highly skilled industry now and we need that workforce in the future,” Suder said.
Copyright 2022 WBAY. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/suspect-fatal-shooting-outside-beloit-high-school-basketball-game-arrested/
|
Suspect in fatal shooting outside Beloit high school basketball game arrested
BELOIT, Wis. (AP) - A Madison man has been apprehended in connection with a fatal shooting outside Beloit Memorial High School after a basketball game in January.
The 19-year-old man was arrested without incident Wednesday on suspicion of first-degree reckless homicide in the death of 19-year-old Jion Broomfield. Broomfield was a former Beloit student.
The suspect has yet to appear in Rock County Circuit Court.
Authorities say up to 40 people witnessed the shooting but most of them refused to cooperate with the investigation.
Police received information from a tips app in the last couple of days that revealed the suspect’s whereabouts.
Beloit Police Chief Andre Sayles says the “bravery and courage” of the people who contacted the department “should be commended and celebrated.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/tree-crashes-through-house-louisiana-narrowly-missing-baby-asleep-bedroom/
|
Tree crashes through house in Louisiana, narrowly missing baby asleep in bedroom
NATCHITOCHES PARISH, La. (KSLA/Gray News) - Severe weather moved through Louisiana Wednesday morning, causing one family in Natchitoches Parish to become trapped inside their home.
The sheriff’s office says a tree fell on the house while the family was inside.
A representative with the sheriff’s office says no one was injured in the incident.
Katie Stewart, who lives in the home, says her family was getting ready to eat breakfast when they heard strong winds outside. She says she looked up, and a big tree had come through the roof and living room.
A little while later, Katie Stewart says a bigger tree fell through the bedroom, where her great-granddaughter, Serenity, was asleep on the bed.
Katie Stewart’s granddaughter then ran to the door and tried to get into the bedroom to get the baby, but wasn’t able to. They were later able to get in through a bathroom.
“When we walked in and saw that tree on the bed, oh lord, that was a bad feeling,” said Serenity’s great-grandfather, Sam Stewart.
Katie Stewart says they all thought the baby was dead.
“Oh my god, we just bust out crying and said, ‘She dead, she dead,’” she said.
But when she was able to get into the bedroom, Katie Stewart found Serenity sitting upright on the bed in between tree branches, smiling.
“It was a blessing. Nothing but the good Lord did this,” Katie Stewart said.
Vanitria Stewart, Serenity’s mother, was on her way to the home when the accident happened.
“She [Serenity] was eating breakfast at the table and they told me [about the incident], and when I looked, I was shook. I was shaken up. I’m still shaken up,” she said.
Serenity’s family said it is God’s grace that protected her.
“Do I feel blessed? Yes, Lord! It wasn’t nothing but a blessing,” Sam Stewart said.
Copyright 2022 KSLA via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/unfinished-business-preble-softball-this-season/
|
Unfinished business for Preble softball this season
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - It’s time to think spring, or at least spring break. This year the Green Bay Preble Hornets hit the road to start their season all the way down south in Florida.
“It was amazing. We did a lot of team bonding at the hotel. We were doing everything outside of the softball field. Then when it came to the softball field, we were always together, which I think is good,” said junior shortstop Ashley Wolfe.
“What you get out of it, so much depends on what your group is. The type of group you have, and what they’ve been through together is important. We went down there to stack up with the best ones we could find,” said head coach Ron Metzler.
The Hornets hit the road in search of some team bonding, and better competition. Starting the season 0-2, but getting much more out of the trip than wins or losses.
“We’re almost like a family. I’ve been playing with most of these people for like seven-eight years of my life. So, we really have that trust in each other. We know what each other can do,” said senior pitcher Brooke Hock.
The defending FRCC champs have plenty of talent retuning this year. Including nine seniors and junior Oregon State commit Ashley Wolfe. As well as a young group that gained plenty of experience down South.
They also have plenty of unfinished business. As a program the Hornets have averaged more than 20 wins a season since 2013, but still have yet to reach the state tournament. That includes last year’s squad, which spent much of the campaign near the top of the rankings. Only to fall in the sectional finals against eventual champion Kaukauna.
“I do think they are thinking about it, they are talking about it. They realize they had a tough game, a bad game against a very good team. We’re all conscious to keep improving, and do better if we’re so lucky to get back into that situation,” said Metzler.
“I think we were like, ‘Ok, we’ve got to better prepare for next year.’ We have to work on what we have to work on. We have to do what we have to do, and learn from our mistakes that we played in that game,” said Hock.
One of the big keys to success this year goes right back to where this journey started just a short time ago, with teamwork and team chemistry at the forefront.
“It’s a team sport. We can’t just do it with one great pitcher. We can’t do it with one great hitter. It’s everybody playing their part,” said Hock.
“I think the team bonding really helps us on the field, because if you don’t have team chemistry everyone’s going to play for themselves. You have to play for a team,” said Wolfe.
Copyright 2022 WBAY. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/wanda-sykes-smith-slapping-rock-it-was-sickening/
|
Wanda Sykes on Smith slapping Rock: ‘It was sickening’
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Wanda Sykes said she felt physically ill after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock across the face at the Oscars, and she’s angry Smith was permitted to stay and collect his award.
Sykes, who co-hosted Sunday at the Dolby Theatre with Amy Schumer and Regina Hall, told Ellen DeGeneres in an interview to air April 7 that she missed the confrontation live as she walked between her trailer and the theater after a costume change.
“Then someone showed me on the video,” Sykes said, “and I just felt so awful for my friend, Chris. It was sickening. I physically felt ill, and I’m still a little traumatized by it.”
Smith, seated close to the stage during the awards show, walked up to Rock and slapped him after the comedian made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. After he walked back to his seat, Smith cursed twice at Rock to “keep my wife’s name out your (expletive) mouth.”
The room and millions watching live were stunned. Soon after, Smith won his first-ever Academy Award for playing tennis dad Richard Williams in “King Richard” and gave a tearful acceptance speech in which he apologized but not directly to Rock. That came later in a statement.
Sykes, in a video released of her interview by “The Ellen Show,” said letting Smith stay and accept his award should not have happened.
“I was like, how gross is this? This is the wrong message. You assault somebody and you get escorted out the building and that’s it. But for them to let him continue, I thought it was gross. I wanted to be able to run out (on stage) after he won and say, ‘Uh, unfortunately, Will couldn’t be here tonight.’”
Sykes said she caught up with Rock later at a party and he apologized to her.
“I’m like, ‘Why are you apologizing?’ And he was like, ‘It was supposed to be your night. You and Amy and Regina, you all were doing such a great job. I’m so sorry, this is now going to be about this.’”
Schumer, in a since-deleted Instagram post, said she was “triggered and traumatized” by what happened.
“I love my friend @chrisrock and believe he handled it like a pro. Stayed up there and gave an Oscar to his friend @questlove and the whole thing was so disturbing,” she wrote. “So much pain in @willsmith anyway I’m still in shock and stunned and sad.”
Schumer went on, “Im proud of myself and my cohosts. But yeah. Waiting for this sickening feeling to go away from what we all witnessed.”
Sykes had a question for the entertainment industry as a whole.
“We were the hosts. This is our house. We’re inviting you in. We’re hosting. We’re going to take care of you all tonight, make sure you have a good time, and no one has apologized to us,” she said. “We worked really hard to put that show together. Like the industry itself, what the hell is this?”
Hall has not spoken publicly about the confrontation, but others have.
Jim Carrey, who didn’t attend the Oscars, told Gayle King in a CBS interview Monday he was “sickened” when the crowd inside the Dolby gave Smith a standing ovation after he won his best actor award.
“I felt like Hollywood is just spineless en masse and it really felt like, oh, this is a really clear indication that we’re not the cool club anymore,” he said.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/who-really-needs-second-covid-booster-heres-what-know/
|
Who really needs a second COVID booster? Here’s what to know
(AP) - Many Americans now can get a second COVID-19 booster, but it’s hard to tell who really needs another shot right now and who could wait.
The Food and Drug Administration authorized extra Pfizer or Moderna shots for anyone 50 or older and for some younger people with severely weakened immune systems. It’s an effort to get ahead of a possible next coronavirus surge.
With COVID-19 cases low in the U.S., it’s easy to ignore calls for another dose — or for those who aren’t yet vaccinated or boosted to get up to date, said Dr. Erica Johnson, an infectious disease specialist at the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Her advice: If you’re on the fence, use this lull to talk with your doctor about how protected you really are — and need to be.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR A SECOND BOOSTER?
Anyone 50 and older can get the extra dose at least four months after their last vaccination. So can severely immune-compromised patients, such as organ transplant recipients, as young as 12.
Adults can choose either the Pfizer or the Moderna vaccine for their extra shot, but Pfizer is the only option for children.
WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE WHO GOT JOHNSON & JOHNSON?
Adults who received J&J’s single-dose vaccine already were eligible for a booster of any kind -- and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends only some of them get another.
A new study found a Moderna or Pfizer second shot was superior to getting a second J&J dose. So the advice is anyone who got a second J&J shot now can choose a Moderna or Pfizer dose.
But if they already had one of those other boosters, the CDC says only those who meet the newest criteria -- age or weak immune system — qualify for another.
WHAT PROMPTED THE MOVE?
Vaccines still offer strong protection against severe illness and death, but effectiveness against milder infections wanes months later. The shots also don’t work as well against new variants like the super-contagious omicron mutant as they did earlier in the pandemic.
That’s why everyone 12 and older, regardless of their health, already was urged to get a first booster for the best chance at fending off omicron. Only about half of those eligible have.
With an omicron sibling causing spikes in infections in other countries, officials are nervous the U.S. is next, prompting efforts to offer extra protection to the most vulnerable.
WHAT’S THE EVIDENCE FOR ANOTHER BOOSTER?
Many scientists say it’s limited, leaving public health officials to use their best judgment.
During the U.S. omicron wave, two Pfizer or Moderna doses plus a booster were 94% effective against death or needing a ventilator, according to a recent CDC study. That protection was lowest — 74% — in immune-compromised people, although most hadn’t gotten the already recommended third dose.
Israel began offering people 60 and older a second booster during its omicron surge. Preliminary findings posted online last week show there were fewer deaths among people who chose another booster compared to those who skipped the fourth dose.
The FDA decided to set the age limit at 50 instead of 60 because that’s when chronic illnesses like heart disease or diabetes become more common, leaving people more vulnerable to serious COVID-19.
WHO REALLY NEEDS A SECOND BOOSTER?
The CDC says an extra shot is an option — but those most likely to benefit are those most vulnerable to severe disease, including people 65 and older and 50-somethings who have multiple health problems.
WHEN SHOULD I GET IT?
Again, experts have differing opinions, partly because it’s not clear how long any extra benefit lasts.
“We can never really perfectly time when the next wave is, or when someone might encounter infection,” said Johnson, who sees patients at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore. “To be as ready as possible, I think everyone just needs to stay as up to date as possible with their vaccines.”
Another dose now may make sense for older people and the immune-compromised, but “there’s less urgency in an otherwise healthy person,” said University of Pennsylvania immunologist E. John Wherry.
At 50, Wherry said he’s healthy enough to watch if cases rise enough to prompt another booster, but he’d prefer to wait until fall. That’s because going longer between vaccinations allows the immune response to better mature and strengthen.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/wps-farm-show-returns-eaa-grounds/
|
WPS Farm Show returns to EAA grounds
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - For the first time since 2019, the WPS Farm Show is back on the EAA grounds, giving those in the agriculture field a chance to see what’s new and connect with other farmers.
“It’s good to see everybody out here, all your neighbor farmers talking to each other about what you’re going to do this year, what’s different. It’s nice to socialize with people,” Future Farmers of America member Carson Campion said.
The energy is high at the farm show as people are happy to be back after the pandemic put the show on a two-year hiatus. Farmers and families from all over the state and even all over the United States have come here. They say the past two years have been isolating.
“It’s kind of stunk a little,” Don Sleik, a farmer in Winneconne, said. “It’s nice to be out and socialize with your neighbors again.”
“The last two years we haven’t had farm shows, we haven’t had events, we haven’t been able to see a lot of our customers,” Kevin Sommer, owner of Service Motor Company, said.
Farmers say it’s great to walk around, see what’s new and catch up with old friends.
“Being able to see a lot of the kids grow up and to see them in next stage where they are, it’s like a fraternity to be able to get back and see everyone and get back in the swing of things,” Sommer said.
“It’s a great community to be around,” Zach Pionek from Oak Grove Farms in Almond, Wis., said.
More than anything, though, farmers say the show is a great distraction from all the pressures of the past year. Inflation, bird flu, soil quality and wheat pricing have all weighed heavily on their minds.
“Regardless of all the outside noise that’s out there --what’s going in Ukraine, with fertilizer prices and even with COVID and everything, regardless -- our customers, we still got to plant the seed in the ground, we still got to feed the world, so we still got a lot of things that we need to do regardless of what’s going on,” said Sommer.
“I think this year will be OK yet, but going into next year, what’s it going to cost and are we going to be able to get it? The world’s changing,” Sleik said.
They say coming here and connecting with others helps them revive their passion for what they do and gives them hope that things will be back to normal soon.
“It brings a little more normalcy to everything and getting back to normal, and getting ready to get back in the fields and get back to it,” Pionek said.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the farm show. Organizers expect about 20,000 people to attend over its three-day run. It resumes Thursday from 9 A.M. to 3 P.M.
Copyright 2022 WBAY. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/3-brilliant-minutes-therapy-restores-hearing/
|
3 BRILLIANT MINUTES: Therapy restores hearing
Published: Mar. 30, 2022 at 8:39 PM CDT
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - Brad Spakowitz has news from the world of medicine and way, way out of this world.
The Hubble space telescope discovers a star almost as old as the universe itself.
The latest bird flu news.
And you’ll want to hear this: Therapy that regenerates the ability to hear in people suffering from hearing loss. Brad explains how the therapy works if you give him 3 BRILLIANT MINUTES.
Copyright 2022 WBAY. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/7-hurt-arkansas-tornado-storms-move-into-deep-south/
|
7 hurt in Arkansas tornado as storms move into Deep South
(AP) – Severe storms that included at least two confirmed tornadoes injured several people Wednesday, damaged homes and businesses and downed power lines in Mississippi and Tennessee after they spread damage in Arkansas, Missouri and Texas overnight before moving to the Deep South.
No deaths had been reported from the storms as of Wednesday evening, officials said.
But widespread damage was reported in the Jackson, Tennessee, area as a tornado warning was in effect. “Significant damage” occurred to a nursing home near Jackson-Madison County General Hospital and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office in Jackson, said Madison County Emergency Management Director Jason Moore.
In Nashville, Tennessee, paneling fell five stories from the side of a downtown hotel Wednesday evening and onto a roof of a building below. The fire department warned the debris could become airborne as high winds continued, and some hotel guests were moved to other parts of the building due to concerns that the roof would become unstable. No injuries were immediately associated with the collapse.
A warehouse roof collapsed as the storms moved through Southaven, Mississippi, near Memphis, police said. The building had been evacuated and no injuries were reported.
The Mississippi Senate suspended its work as weather sirens blared during a tornado watch in downtown Jackson. Some employees took shelter in the Capitol basement.
Rander P. Adams said his and his wife, Janice Delores Adams, were in their home near downtown Jackson when severe weather blew through during a tornado warning Wednesday afternoon. He said their lights flashed and they heard a loud whistling noise.
As his wife tried to open their front door, a large window exploded a few feet from her.
“The glass broke just as if someone threw a brick through it,” he said. “I advised her then, ‘Let’s go to the back of the house.’”
Adams said the storm toppled trees in a nearby park, and a large tree across the street from their house split in half. “We were blessed,” he said. “Instead of falling toward the house, it fell the other way.”
Earlier Wednesday, a tornado that struck Springdale, Arkansas, and the adjoining town of Johnson, about 145 miles (235 kilometers) northwest of Little Rock, about 4 a.m. injured seven people, two critically, said Washington County, Arkansas, Emergency Management Director John Luther. He had no additional information about them.
The National Weather Service said that tornado would be rated “at least EF-2,” which would mean wind speeds reached 111-135 mph (178-217 kph).
“Search and rescue teams have been deployed, as there are significant damages and injuries,” Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said.
In northwest Missouri, an EF-1 tornado with wind speeds around 90 mph (145 kph) struck St. Joseph on Tuesday night, according to the weather service. That tornado damaged two homes, but no injuries were reported there. Another EF-1 tornado with wind speeds around 100 mph (160 kph) touched down briefly before dawn Wednesday in a rural subdivision 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Dallas, damaging two roofs, the weather service reported.
The storms come a week after a tornado in a New Orleans-area neighborhood carved a path of destruction during the overnight hours and killed a man.
Damage was extensive in Springdale, including to an elementary school gymnasium and a warehouse, KFSM-TV reported. The Springdale School District, which is the largest in Arkansas, canceled all classes Wednesday.
“We have some commercial buildings and residences and everything in between ... with severe storm damage,” Luther said.
More than 8,000 power outages were reported in Arkansas, while outages totaled about 44,000 in Mississippi, 26,000 each in Louisiana and Alabama and 24,000 in Tennessee.
Strong winds in Louisiana overturned semitrailers, peeled the roof from a mobile home, sent a tree crashing into a home and knocked down power lines, according to weather service forecasters, who didn’t immediately confirm any tornadoes in the state.
Ahead of the storms, schools in Memphis and dozens in Mississippi closed early or conducted classes online as a precaution against having children in crowded buildings or on buses. Officials in various Mississippi counties opened safe locations for people worried about staying in their homes during the storm. And in Louisiana, officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency advised people living in temporary housing such as trailers after Hurricane Ida to be on the alert and know where to go in case they need to evacuate.
——-
This story corrects that significant damage occurred to a nursing home near a hospital, not to the hospital.
___
Bleed reported from Little Rock, Ark., and Miller reported from Oklahoma City. Associated Press journalists Jay Reeves in Newnan, Ga.; Rebecca Santana in New Orleans; Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Ark.; Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tenn.; Margery Beck in Omaha, Neb.; Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee; Emily Wagner Pettus in Jackson, Mississippi; and Terry Wallace in Dallas contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/arians-retires-bucs-coach-bowles-promoted-top-spot/
|
Arians retires as Bucs’ coach, Bowles promoted to top spot
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Bruce Arians unexpectedly retired as coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a stunning move Wednesday night that the 69-year-old who guided the team to its second Super Bowl title says is not related to health.
It’s the second major retirement announcement for the Bucs this offseason, following Tom Brady’s announcement in February that he was ending his career. Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback, returned 40 days later, saying he would return for a 23rd season and noting he had “unfinished business.”
But instead of Arians, Brady will be playing for Todd Bowles after the defensive coordinator was promoted as the coach’s successor.
Arians, a two-time cancer survivor, stepped down as coach of the Arizona Cardinals due to medical concerns in 2017, only to be lured back to the sideline by the then-struggling Bucs two years later. This time, he said, he exits feeling the best he has in “many years” and is looking forward to transitioning into a front-office position working with general manager Jason Licht.
“This team is in a much better place than it was three years ago due to Jason’s great work and the Glazer family’s commitment to winning,” Arians said in a lengthy statement issued by the team.
“I want to focus on what I can give back to this incredible game that has provided so much for me and my family,” Arians added. “I really began thinking about my personal transition plan earlier this offseason. I wanted to ensure when I walked away that Todd Bowles would have the best opportunity to succeed.”
Arians, who will turn 70 this coming season, coached the Bucs to the Super Bowl title in the 2020 season — Brady’s first with Tampa Bay. The Bucs were 31-18 in Arians’ three seasons there and he was 80-48-1 in eight years as a head coach overall when adding in five seasons with the Cardinals from 2013 to 2017.
NBC Sports and the Los Angeles Times first reported Arians’ decision and that Bowles would be replace him.
“I have spent most of the last 50 years of my life on the sidelines as a football coach in one form or another,” Arians said. “I love football. I love the relationships, the strategy, the competition — everything. It has been one hell of a ride, but I know this is the right time for me to make this transition.”
Bowles becomes the sixth minority head coach currently in the NFL, joining Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin, Washington’s Ron Rivera, the New York Jets’ Robert Saleh, Houston’s Lovie Smith and Miami’s Mike McDaniel. He also is the fourth Black coach in Bucs’ history, joining Tony Dungy, Raheem Morris and Smith.
Brady, in an Instagram post Wednesday night, said Arians was a major part of his decision to play for Tampa Bay and that he’ll be “forever grateful.”
“You are an incredible man and coach, and it was a privilege to play for you,” Brady wrote. “You are a true NFL legend and pioneer for all the work you have done to make the league more diverse and inclusive. Smart, tough, and loyal are a few of the words to describe your style. I will always remember the conversations we had when you recruited me two years ago and all of the things we discussed came true.”
There was no public indication at the NFL’s annual meetings on the Atlantic side of the state in Palm Beach, Florida, that such a move was coming. Arians was there, briefly, and did an interview with NFL Network about what the team would have done to replace Brady if the quarterback hadn’t changed his mind. Licht addressed reporters for a short time during the meetings, as did team co-owner Joel Glazer.
Arians did not do a group interview there, with the team saying he was leaving for personal reasons. He was also one of the four coaches who opted to not be part of the annual group photo of all NFL head coaches at the meetings.
Bowles was an interim head coach in Miami for three games in 2011, and went 24-40 in four seasons with the New York Jets from 2015 through 2018.
“I am appreciative of the Glazer family and Jason Licht for having faith in me to take on this role, and to Coach Arians for his support and guidance over the past four decades,” Bowles said. “Tampa has become home for my family, and we are excited to remain part of this community for years to come. ... I am eager to get started with our players, coaching staff, and front office in preparation for the 2022 season.”
Bowles was Arizona’s defensive coordinator for a portion of Arians’ tenure with the Cardinals. He reunited with his old boss in Tampa Bay after the Jets fired Bowles following the 2018 season.
Arians said timing of his decision to step away — along with’s Brady return — should serve Bowles well.
“So many head coaches come into situations where they are set up for failure, and I didn’t want that for Todd,” Arians said. “Tom’s decision to come back, along with Jason and his staff doing another great job of keeping the core of this team intact during free agency, confirmed for me that it was the right time to pass the torch.”
Licht said he’s excited to continue working with the former coach.
“Bruce established a culture here that set the foundation for a Super Bowl championship,” Licht said. “In my opinion, he is a Hall of Fame coach, so it is difficult for our football team to lose that type of leader. However, I am excited to have him continuing his contributions to our franchise in his new capacity.”
___
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://apnews.com/hub/pro-32 and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/biden-planning-tap-oil-reserve-control-gas-prices/
|
Biden planning to tap oil reserve to control gas prices
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is preparing to order the release of up to 1 million barrels of oil per day from the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve, according to a person familiar with the decision, in a bid to control energy prices that have spiked as the U.S. and allies have imposed steep sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine
The announcement could come as soon as Thursday, when the White House says Biden is planning to deliver remarks on his administration’s plans to combat rising gas prices. The duration of the release hasn’t been finalized but could last for several months. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the decision.
News of the administration’s planning was first reported by Bloomberg.
High oil prices have not coaxed more production, creating a challenge for Biden. The president has seen his popularity sink as inflation reached a 40-year high in February and the cost of petroleum and gasoline climbed after Russia invaded Ukraine. Crude oil on Wednesday traded at nearly $105 a barrel, up from about $60 a year ago.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/oshkosh-corporation-considered-foxconn-site-production-usps-trucks/
|
Oshkosh Corporation considered Foxconn site for production of USPS trucks
OSHKOSH, Wis. (WBAY) - This Friday is the deadline for Oshkosh Corporation to give members of Congress on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform a more detailed explanation on how South Carolina was chosen as the production site for its contract with the U.S. Postal Service to build Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDV).
The question before Congress is whether Oshkosh Corporation picked the site near Spartanburg as a way to avoid union workers as suggested by some Democrats, including Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson.
The company has until Friday to provide a response.
“Oshkosh has no choice but they’ve got to answer those questions. I think depending on how they answer those questions I would think it’s likely that the committee is going to call them to testify. So come Monday, regarding of what kind of answers they’re giving the committee, I would be surprised if the committee does not call them as witnesses,” said Nelson, who is also running for U.S. Senate.
All of this comes amid a report by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel this week revealing that Oshkosh Corporation sought to lease a building from Foxconn at its property in Mount Pleasant.
The production is tied to about a thousand jobs.
Previously the company said in a statement from Oshkosh Defense president John Bryant, “We evaluated sites in multiple states, including Wisconsin...” and “The Spartanburg, South Carolina, facility ranked highest in meeting the requirements of the NGDV program.”
Nelson said, “I think for a lot of people they’re just wondering why is it that neither Foxconn or Oshkosh are upfront about this. These are some pretty simple questions.”
Foxconn has never publicly disclosed what it’s doing inside its Mount Pleasant facilities.
Action 2 News did reach out to both Foxconn and Oshkosh Corporation for details and neither has responded.
Copyright 2022 WBAY. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/poll-two-thirds-americans-support-ketanji-brown-jackson-supreme-court/
|
Poll: Two-thirds of Americans support Ketanji Brown Jackson for Supreme Court
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WBAY) - The latest Marquette University Law School poll finds a majority of voters support the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In a nationwide survey, 66% said they support her nomination.
Broken down by party, 95% of Democrats want Brown Jackson confirmed. That number is 67% among independents. Almost 30% of Republicans also support President Joe Biden’s nominee, which is something poll director Charles Franklin finds significant.
“Getting 29 percent from the Republicans is something Joe Biden would be thrilled to get when he typically gets 8 percent approval from Republicans,” he said.
Sixty-two percent of respondents said they know enough about Brown Jackson to have an opinion of her. That was more than any sitting justice.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on Brown Jackson’s nomination on Monday.
Copyright 2022 WBAY. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/restorative-justice-resolves-alleged-assault-indiana-lake/
|
Restorative justice resolves alleged assault at Indiana lake
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A judge says restorative justice was successfully used in Indiana to remediate a confrontation in which a Black man said a group of white men assaulted him and threatened to “get a noose” while at a southern Indiana lake more than a year ago.
The alleged assault gained national attention in July 2020 when Vauhxx Booker, a local civil rights activist and member of the Monroe County Human Rights Commission, said he called 911 after five men assaulted him and pinned him to a tree at Lake Monroe, just south of Bloomington.
Judge Lance Hamner, who presided over the case, said it was the first time he’s seen a criminal case resolved through restorative justice, a process that includes a conference between the offender and victim and which gives the offender an opportunity to apologize.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/us-returns-world-cup-despite-2-0-loss-costa-rica/
|
US returns to World Cup despite 2-0 loss at Costa Rica
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) - Christian Pulisic walked across the field with a towel draped around his head, angry after another U.S. defeat.
“We’re competitors, man. We hate to lose. In the moment I was frustrated,” he said. “It took me a little bit for it to sink in, that the qualification hit.”
Nearly 4 1/2 years after Pulisic buried his head in his hands to hide tears of failure, the U.S. rebounded to qualify for this year’s World Cup. A 2-0 loss to Costa Rica on Wednesday left the Americans in third place after the final night of qualifying, the final guaranteed berth from North and Central America and the Caribbean.
For Pulisic, DeAndre Yedlin, Kellyn Acosta and Paul Arriola, smiles of relief broke out after an unrelenting burden was lifted.
“This is whatever I’ve always wanted to be, and right now emotions are a bit crazy,” Pulisic said, his voice quavering.
On the 1,267th day after a 2-1 loss at Trinidad and Tobago ended the Americans’ streak of seven straight World Cup appearances, Yedlin addressed the team before the kickoff.
“I just thanked each and every one of them for giving me a second opportunity to redeem myself, and the country a second opportunity to redeem itself,” said the 28-year-old defender, the only American left from the 2014 tournament.
The U.S. remained winless in 12 qualifiers at Costa Rica, with 10 defeats and two draws.
Juan Pablo Vargas got behind Walker Zimmerman and headed Brandon Aguilera’s corner kick past goalkeeper Zack Steffen in the 51st minute, and Anthony Contreras knocked in Jewison Bennette’s cross off a scramble in the 59th after Steffen palmed Aguilar’s free kick toward Contreras and blocked Contreras’ initial shot.
Coach Gregg Berhalter, who played for the U.S. at the 2002 World Cup, congratulated the players in the locker room. Starting lineups in the 14 qualifiers averaged an American-record low of 23 years, 302 days.
“Being the youngest team in the world to qualify for the World Cup is no easy task,” he said. “It’s a proud moment for the team, proud moment for U.S. Soccer, and we’re looking forward to competing in the World Cup again.”
A sellout crowd of about 35,000 in National Stadium came to life with the goals, but the Americans’ 5-1 rout of Panama at home last weekend gave them a huge goal-difference margin over Costa Rica. That meant the U.S. merely had to avoid losing by six goals or more in order to claim an automatic berth.
Canada, which had clinched its first World Cup trip since 1986 with a win Sunday, finished first in the group with 28 points after a 1-0 loss at Panama, ahead of Mexico on goal difference. El Tri clinched its eighth straight World Cup berth with a 2-0 home win over El Salvador, while the U.S. (25 points) finished third with a plus-11 goal difference to plus-five for Costa Rica (also 25 points).
Ticos coach Luis Fernando Suárez benched six starters from Sunday’s win at El Salvador who carried yellow cards, not wanting to risk a suspension for a June playoff against Oceania champion New Zealand.
As Berhalter spoke to his team, 24-year-old defender Erik-Palmer Brown popped open the first bottle of Duet Mosseux Brut, starting a brief bubbly and beer celebration before some players caught a charter flight to London. Berhalter headed with staff for a red-eye flight to New York and a connection for Qatar ahead of Friday’s draw.
U.S. bench players walked onto the field at the final whistle and exchanged handshakes and hugs with their teammates, while home fans cheered the Ticos. Then American players put on ski goggles and let loose.
“The party is going. I think we have run out of beer,” said Zimmerman, a 28-year-old defender who didn’t play in the first three qualifiers, then started 10 of the last 11. “Coming into the locker room, everyone just decided, you know what, we realized our goal, which was to qualify, and we did that, so everyone kind of forgot about tonight. We put ourselves in that position, where we could afford to do that.”
The U.S. finds out at Friday’s draw which three nations it will face in the group stage, which starts Nov. 21 at a tournament pushed back five months to avoid summer desert heat. A growing and increasingly hypercritical fan base is hoping to see Pulisic & Co. reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002.
“Now we have to test ourselves against the best players in the world, the best teams in the world,” said midfielder Tyler Adams, who came off at halftime with a bruise above his left knee from a tackle. “This was only the first stage in our development.”
Pulisic, the first American to play in and win a Champions League final, had been consumed with trying to lift the U.S. back to a World Cup. He led the team with five of its 21 goals despite making just seven starts due to COVID-19, a sprained ankle and shaky form when he first came back from the injury.
“Looking at the big picture, we’re obviously so proud to represent our country at a World Cup, so we’re thrilled for that. In a couple of days, I don’t think we’ll be thinking about this game,” he said. “I think we can do a lot of damage, man. I think we’re a confident bunch of guys, and, yeah, I think the country will get behind us.”
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sport
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220401
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/30/12-year-old-killed-by-younger-brother-who-found-gun-police-say/
|
Woman arrested after 12-year-old killed by brother who found gun, police say
ST. LOUIS (KMOV/Gray News) – A woman was taken into custody after police say a 10-year-old child shot and killed his 12-year-old brother while playing with a gun they found inside a home in St. Louis.
The shooting happened just before 8 p.m. Tuesday at a home in the 5600 block of Summit Place, which is in the Walnut Park West neighborhood. Authorities tell KMOV that 12-year-old LaFrance Johnson and his brother were with a parent, who was getting a haircut at the home, when LaFrance was shot in the face.
A 36-year-old woman was arrested for endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death after she told police she owned the gun. Warrants are being applied at the Circuit Attorney’s Office.
LaFrance was a sixth-grader at Selvidge Middle School in the Rockwood School District, administrators confirmed. In a statement, the district said they were saddened to learn about his death.
“Our sincere thoughts and sympathies are with his family as well as the educators and friends who knew and loved LaFrance. We have assembled our crisis team at Selvidge Middle and will have counselors on hand this week for students and staff who will need assistance,” the district wrote.
This tragedy follows a series of shootings in St. Louis involving children handling guns. Major Ryan Cousins with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said these incidents are happening far too frequently.
The shooting comes days after a 12-year-old and 14-year-old were shot and killed in downtown St. Louis. Police are investigating that incident as a murder-suicide, though family members believe it was accidental.
In February, a 12-year-old girl was wounded in an accidental self-inflicted shooting.
“This is like the third incident in a week we’ve had so far. Prior to that, we have sent out information to the alderpersons about receiving gun locks,” Cousins said. “As an agency, we will come out and teach everyone how to use them. We do understand people are going to own guns; however, to protect these children, we want to ensure these guns are secured safely.”
Alderwoman Pamela Boyd, in whose ward the shooting on Summit Place happened, said irresponsible gun ownership and senseless killings must stop.
Last month, St. Louis Police launched the Lock it for Love gun lock initiative to provide free gun locks to the community with the goal to reduce gun violence, accidental shootings and suicides by firearm.
Through this initiative, responding officers will receive gun locks to provide to families impacted by gun violence, particularly when children are involved, or anyone identified with a firearm and children in the home.
Approximately 4,500 gun locks will be distributed by St. Louis City police, and officers will also come out and teach people how to use gun locks. Thirty engine houses in St. Louis City will also distribute free gun locks.
“As a mom, I know how important it is that we take every step we can to keep our babies safe,” said Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. “These recent shootings have devastated our entire city, and we need to take immediate action to protect our children. If you have a gun in the house, be a responsible gun owner; store firearms locked and unloaded and pick up a free gun lock to help you and your loved ones safe.”
Copyright 2022 KMOV via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220402
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/2-students-seriously-injured-florida-school-bus-crash-with-semi-truck/
|
2 students seriously injured in Florida school bus crash with semi-truck
Published: Mar. 31, 2022 at 8:22 AM CDT
LEVY COUNTY, Fla. (WCTV/Gray News) – Five students in Florida were taken to the hospital Wednesday after a semi-truck crashed into a school bus, according to Florida Highway Patrol.
Two of those students were taken to the hospital in serious condition.
WCTV reports both vehicles were driving in the same direction on U.S. 19 in Levy County, Florida around 3:45 p.m. The school bus was in front of the truck.
Troopers said the bus was stopped to drop off a student when the truck slammed into the back of it.
The driver and 10 students were on board the bus at the time of the crash, according to troopers.
Copyright 2022 WCTV via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220402
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/4-gov-whitmer-kidnapping-plot-trial-decide-whether-testify/
|
Defense rests in trial of men accused of plotting to kidnap Whitmer
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Defense attorneys quickly rested their case Thursday after one of four men charged with plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer repeatedly said “absolutely not” when asked if he had agreed to abduct her before the 2020 election.
Daniel Harris was the only defendant to speak to jurors on the 14th day of trial. It was a risky, dramatic shift following days of testimony from undercover FBI agents, a gutsy informant and two men who have pleaded guilty and pointed fingers at the rest.
Closing arguments were planned for Friday.
Harris, Adam Fox, Barry Croft Jr., and Brandon Caserta are accused of conspiring to kidnap Whitmer from her vacation home in northern Michigan because of their disgust with government and her tough COVID-19 restrictions.
Only Harris’ lawyer offered a few witnesses Wednesday after prosecutors finished presenting their evidence that same day.
Harris, 24, a former Marine, said he wanted to maintain his infantry skills when he joined a militia, the Wolverine Watchmen, not snatch Whitmer or blow up a nearby bridge.
But after friendly questions from a defense lawyer, the atmosphere in court turned tense as a prosecutor confronted Harris with his chat messages about posing as a pizza deliveryman and killing Whitmer at the door. He also reminded Harris that he worked with explosives while training with the group.
Harris and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Roth sometimes talked over each other. At one point, Harris snapped, “Next question.”
“Everyone can take it down a notch,” U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker said later.
Soon after swearing to tell the truth, Harris repeatedly rejected claims that he was involved in crimes. He said “America was on fire” in 2020 over the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, protests over police treatment of Black people and a pandemic that shut down parts of the economy.
A key part of the government’s case is a firearms training weekend at Luther, Michigan, in September 2020 with a “shoot house” that was intended to replicate Whitmer’s second home. Harris admitted that he brought materials but said he didn’t build it with her house in mind.
“Did you agree to kidnap the governor of Michigan?” defense attorney Julia Kelly asked many times.
“Absolutely not,” Harris replied.
He didn’t participate in an evening ride to Elk Rapids, Michigan, to scout Whitmer’s second home and a bridge during that same training weekend. Harris said he had purchased $200 of cheap beer and cigarettes so he could return to the camp and “get wasted” with others.
“I had assumed they went to a strip club or a bar,” Harris said of Fox and Croft.
The men were arrested in October 2020 amid talk of raising $4,000 for an explosive that could blow up a bridge and hold back police from responding to a kidnapping, according to trial testimony.
Defense attorneys claim the men simply were engaged in a lot of wild talk fueled by agents and informants but no conspiracy.
The prosecutor covered much ground during Harris’ cross-examination, often referring to recordings or text messages to challenge testimony. Roth noted that Harris had said the Founding Fathers would have approved of killing certain officials.
“Tyrants,” Harris told Roth.
“Was Gov. Whitmer a tyrant?” the prosecutor asked.
“Not really. She was just a governor to me,” Harris said, adding that she performed “poorly.”
Prosecutors played a conversation of Croft talking about militias overthrowing governments in various states and “breaking a few eggs.”
“When this man talks to you at a diner about killing people, you don’t stand up and walk out, do you sir?” Roth asked. “You don’t say, ‘This group is not for me,’ do you sir?”
“No,” Harris answered.
Two more men, Ty Garbin and Kaleb Franks, pleaded guilty and cooperated with investigators. Garbin last week said the group acted willingly and hoped to strike before the election, cause national chaos and prevent Joe Biden from winning the presidency.
Michael Rataj, a Detroit-area defense lawyer not involved in the case, said sometimes bringing in a pack of witnesses for the defense doesn’t always fit. He said attorneys for the four men will peck away at the government’s evidence during closing arguments — “the textbook way to do it.”
As for Harris testifying, Rataj said it can be dicey.
“The FBI has recorded them, and for him to say anything different than what’s recorded makes it look like he’s lying,” Rataj said. “It’s foolishness.”
Whitmer, a Democrat, rarely talks publicly about the kidnapping plot, though she referred to “surprises” during her term that seemed like “something out of fiction” when she filed for reelection on March 17.
She has blamed former President Donald Trump for fomenting anger over coronavirus restrictions and refusing to condemn right-wing extremists like those charged in the case. Whitmer has said Trump was complicit in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
___
Find AP’s full coverage of the Whitmer kidnap plot trial at: https://apnews.com/hub/whitmer-kidnap-plot-trial
___
White reported from Detroit. AP reporter Michael Tarm contributed from Chicago.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220402
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/after-house-vote-insulin-price-cap-bill-faces-uncertain-future-senate/
|
After House vote, insulin price cap bill faces uncertain future in Senate
President Biden’s call for Congress to cap the price to $35 per month has been answered by House Democrats: but the Senate still needs the support.
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Weeks after President Joe Biden called on Congress to cap the price of insulin, the House passed legislation to do exactly that, capping the out-of-pocket cost for the essential drug at $35 per month for people with private insurance and Medicare.
At a press conference before Thursday’s vote, Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) said too many people living with diabetes are finding life-saving insulin to be out of reach because they can’t afford it.
Kildee said, “The idea that some families don’t have even access to a 100-year-old drug, it’s just unconscionable.”
What happens in the Senate is still unknown.
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) already introduced the Affordable Insulin Now Act in the Senate. The bill has support from 34 senators, but no Republicans yet.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said she is working on a separate, bipartisan bill, with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), to lower the overall cost of insulin which would also help those who don’t have insurance.
Collins said, “We want to produce as comprehensive bill as possible that will help as many people who are insulin dependent as possible.”
Sen. Collins’ office said there’s an agreement on the framework of the bill, but they are still ironing out the legislative text. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that he supports both efforts to lower the cost of insulin, and wants a vote after Easter.
Copyright 2022 Gray DC. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220402
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/alex-jones-agrees-appear-deposition-sandy-hook-case/
|
Alex Jones agrees to appear at deposition in Sandy Hook case
Published: Mar. 31, 2022 at 1:55 PM CDT
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Infowars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has agreed to appear at a deposition in Connecticut to answer questions in a lawsuit by relatives of some of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims.
That’s according to new court filings by his lawyers Thursday, a day after a judge ordered fines against Jones for defying orders to attend a deposition last week despite his claim of illness.
Jones now says he can answer questions on April 11 and is asking the judge to put a hold on the fines.
There was no immediate ruling on Jones’ requests.
The families are suing him for calling the school massacre a hoax.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220402
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/badgers-star-johnny-davis-declares-nba-draft/
|
Badgers star Johnny Davis declares for NBA Draft
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - Badgers star and Big Ten Player of the Year Johnny Davis announced he’s declaring for the NBA Draft on Thursday.
The La Crosse, Wis. product made the announcement during ESPN’s NBA Today. Followed quickly by a post to his Instagram thanking the Badgers and fans for their support as he moves forward with his basketball career.
Davis had a breakout season for the Badgers during the 2021-22 season. Going from a bench player to starting all 31 games, while increasing his scoring to 19.7 points per game. The super sophomore was a consensus All-American, and is a finalist for the Naismith Player of the Year Award.
Davis is the number nine prospect in ESPN’s Top 100 heading into the draft.
Copyright 2022 WBAY. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220402
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/biden-planning-tap-oil-reserve-control-gas-prices-2/
|
Biden oil move aims to cut gas prices ‘fairly significantly’
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday ordered the release of 1 million barrels of oil per day from the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve for six months, a bid to control energy prices that have spiked after the United States and allies imposed steep sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
The president said it was not known how much gasoline prices could decline as a result of his move, but he suggested it might be “anything from 10 cents to 35 cents a gallon.” Gas is averaging about $4.23 a gallon, compared with $2.87 a year ago, according to AAA.
“The bottom line is if we want lower gas prices we need to have more oil supply right now,” Biden said. “This is a moment of consequence and peril for the world, and pain at the pump for American families.”
The president also wants Congress to impose financial penalties on oil and gas companies that lease public lands but are not producing. He said he will invoke the Defense Production Act to encourage the mining of critical minerals for batteries in electric vehicles, part of a broader push to shift toward cleaner energy sources and reduce the use of fossil fuels.
The actions show that oil remains a vulnerability for the U.S. Higher prices have hurt Biden’s approval domestically and added billions of oil-export dollars to the Russian government as it wages war on Ukraine.
Tapping the stockpile would create pressures that could reduce oil prices, though Biden has twice ordered releases from the reserves without causing a meaningful shift in oil markets. Biden said Thursday he expects gasoline prices could drop “fairly significantly.”
Part of Biden’s concern is that high prices have not so far coaxed a meaningful jump in oil production. The planned release is a way to increase supplies as a bridge until oil companies ramp up their own production, with administration officials estimating that domestic production will grow by 1 million barrels daily this year and an additional 700,000 barrels daily in 2023.
The markets reacted quickly with crude oil prices dropping about 6% in Thursday trading to roughly $101 a barrel. Still, oil is up from roughly $60 a year ago, with supplies failing to keep up with demand as the world economy has begun to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic. That inflationary problem was compounded by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, which created new uncertainties about oil and natural gas supplies and led to retaliatory sanctions from the U.S. and its allies.
Stewart Glickman, an oil analyst for CFRA Research, said the release would bring short-term relief on prices and would be akin to “taking some Advil for a headache.” But markets would ultimately look to see whether, after the releases stop, the underlying problems that led to Biden’s decisions remain.
“The root cause of the headache is probably still going to be there after the medicine wears off,” Glickman said.
Biden has been in talks with allies and partners to join in additional releases of oil, such that the world market will get more than the 180 million barrels total being pledged by the U.S.
Americans on average use about 21 million barrels of oil daily, with about 40% of that devoted to gasoline, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That total accounts for about one-fifth of total global consumption of oil.
Domestic oil production is equal to more than half of U.S. usage, but high prices have not led companies to return to their pre-pandemic levels of output. The U.S. is producing on average 11.7 million barrels daily, down from 13 million barrels in early 2020.
Republican lawmakers have said the problem results from the administration being hostile to oil permits and the construction of new pipelines such as the Keystone XL. Democrats say the country needs to move to renewable energy such as wind and solar that could reduce the dependence on fossil fuels and Putin’s leverage.
Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., blasted Biden’s action to tap the reserve without first taking steps to increase American energy production, calling it “a Band-Aid on a bullet wound.″
Daines called Biden’s actions “desperate moves″ that avoid what he called the real solution: “investing in American energy production,″ and getting “oil and gas leases going again.”
The administration says increasing oil output is a gradual process and the release would provide time to ramp up production. It also wants to incentivize greater production by putting fees on unused leases on government lands, something that would require congressional approval.
Oil producers have been more focused on meeting the needs of investors than consumers, according to a survey released last week by the Dallas Federal Reserve. About 59% of the executives surveyed said investor pressure to preserve “capital discipline” amid high prices was the reason they weren’t pumping more, while fewer than 10% blamed government regulation.
In his remarks Thursday, Biden tried to shame oil companies that he said are focused on profits instead of putting out more barrels, saying that adding to the oil supply was a patriotic obligation.
“This is not the time to sit on record profits: It’s time to step up for the good of your country,” the president said.
The steady release from the reserves would be a meaningful sum and come near to closing the domestic production gap relative to February 2020, before the coronavirus caused a steep decline in oil output.
Still, the politics of oil are complicated with industry advocates and environmentalists both criticizing the planned release. Groups such as the American Petroleum Institute want to make drilling easier, while environmental organizations say energy companies should be forced to pay a special tax on windfall profits instead.
The administration in November announced the release of 50 million barrels from the strategic reserve in coordination with other countries. And after the Russia-Ukraine war began, the U.S. and 30 other countries agreed to an additional release of 60 million barrels from reserves, with half of the total coming from the U.S.
According to the Department of Energy, which manages it, more than 568 million barrels of oil were held in the reserve as of March 25. After the release, the government would begin to replenish the reserve once prices have sufficiently fallen.
News of the administration’s planning was first reported by Bloomberg.
___
Associated Press writers Alex Veiga, Darlene Superville, Matthew Daly and Michael Balsamo contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220402
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/body-18-year-old-abducted-walmart-parking-lot-found/
|
Body of 18-year-old abducted from Walmart parking lot found
FERNLEY, Nev. (KOLO/Gray) - Authorities in Nevada recovered the body of 18-year-old Naomi Irion, who was abducted from a Walmart parking lot more than two weeks ago, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Churchill County Sheriff’s Office confirmed recovery of Irion’s body Wednesday night. A tip led them to a gravesite in a remote part of Churchill County on Tuesday, the sheriff’s office said. The next day, the body was confirmed to be that of the 18-year-old. Her family has been notified, KOLO reports.
The Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and confirmed the identity, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office said no more information will be released, and the investigation continues.
“We would like to extend our sympathy and condolences to the Irion family and thank all the volunteers for their hard work in trying to find Naomi and bring closure to the family,” the sheriff’s office said. “The Churchill County Sheriff’s Office and the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office will continue to work closely on these cases.”
Irion was kidnapped March 12 while sitting in her car at a Walmart in Fernley, waiting for the shuttle to take her to Panasonic at the Reno Tahoe Industrial Center where she worked. A suspect is seen on surveillance video walking outside Walmart moments before getting into Irion’s car and driving off with her inside.
Deputies found the car March 15 in a Fernley industrial park. They say evidence found inside suggested her disappearance was criminal in nature.
Troy Driver, 41, is accused of kidnapping Irion. He made his first court appearance via Zoom on Wednesday afternoon. He is charged with first-degree kidnapping and is being held on $750,000 bail.
He was arrested Friday, as authorities continued to search for Irion.
If Driver’s bond is posted, he will not be released from custody until a GPS monitoring bracelet is installed. No contact is allowed with Irion’s family, and he will not be allowed to use drugs or alcohol.
His next hearing is set for April 5.
Copyright 2022 KOLO via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220402
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/cold-brisk-rest-day/
|
COLD & BRISK FOR THE REST OF THE DAY
Your First Alert Weather Forecast:
Our First Alert Weather Day has now ended as any widespread snow we had around this morning has ended. As this weathermaker continues to pull away, overcast skies can be expected for the rest of the day. Occasional flurries will also be possible.
Winds are certainly on the blustery side as this weathermaker departs. It’s ushering in colder weather for the last day of March. Our afternoon highs will top out in the middle 30s, but overnight we fall into the 20s. The good news is, the winds will relax a bit overnight.
High pressure begins to build in tomorrow bringing with it some sunny skies. It will be slightly milder with highs in the low 30s, with a gentle breeze. Enjoy this one quiet day we have, because Saturday, we have another wintry mix back in the forecast. Sunday looks to be the better weekend day with partly sunny skies expected.
You can always keep our forecast handy with our free weather app. Look for the WBAY First Alert Weather App in the Apple app store and Google Play (click here on your mobile device).
WIND FORECAST:
TODAY: NW 15-25 MPH
FRIDAY: NW/SW 5-10 MPH
AFTERNOON: Cloudy skies. Occasional flakes. Colder and blustery. HIGH: 36
TONIGHT: Broken clouds. Wind weakens. Stray flakes. LOW: 23
FRIDAY: Sunny skies. Cool and calmer. HIGH: 43 LOW: 31
SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers or a light wintry mix. HIGH: 43 LOW: 30
SUNDAY: A mix of sun and clouds. Cool and brisk. HIGH: 47 LOW: 34
MONDAY: Cloudy with a light wintry mix. HIGH: 43 LOW: 33
TUESDAY: Cloudy skies. Cool and brisk. HIGH: 46 LOW: 37
WEDNESDAY: Cloudy and breezy. Rain likely. HIGH: 47
Copyright 2022 WBAY. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220402
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/colin-kaepernick-named-honorary-captain-upcoming-spring-game-michigan/
|
Colin Kaepernick named honorary captain for upcoming spring game at Michigan
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Gray News) – The University of Michigan’s football teamed announced on Twitter that former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been named an honorary captain for Saturday’s Maize and Blue Spring Game.
The scrimmage is one of the 15 practices allowed under NCAA rules and is free for all fans, according to the university.
Kaepernick last played in the NFL in 2016, the same year he started kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice.
He led the San Francisco 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, where they fell short to the Ravens by three points. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh was coaching the 49ers from 2011-2014.
The quarterback is hoping to play in the NFL again and most recently spoke with Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.
While Carroll believes Kaepernick deserves a second chance, he cautioned it may not be with the Seahawks, according to the Associated Press.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220402
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/covid-pandemics-end-may-bring-turbulence-us-health-care/
|
COVID pandemic’s end may bring turbulence for US health care
WASHINGTON (AP) — When the end of the COVID-19 pandemic comes, it could create major disruptions for a cumbersome U.S. health care system made more generous, flexible and up-to-date technologically through a raft of temporary emergency measures.
Winding down those policies could begin as early as the summer. That could force an estimated 15 million Medicaid recipients to find new sources of coverage, require congressional action to preserve broad telehealth access for Medicare enrollees, and scramble special COVID-19 rules and payment policies for hospitals, doctors and insurers. There are also questions about how emergency use approvals for COVID-19 treatments will be handled.
The array of issues is tied to the coronavirus public health emergency first declared more than two years ago and periodically renewed since then. It’s set to end April 16 and the expectation is that the Biden administration will extend it through mid-July. Some would like a longer off-ramp.
Transitions don’t bode well for the complex U.S. health care system, with its mix of private and government insurance and its labyrinth of policies and procedures. Health care chaos, if it breaks out, could create midterm election headaches for Democrats and Republicans alike.
“The flexibilities granted through the public health emergency have helped people stay covered and get access to care, so moving forward the key question is how to build on what has been a success and not lose ground,” said Juliette Cubanski, a Medicare expert with the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, who has been researching potential consequences of winding down the pandemic emergency.
MEDICAID CHURN
Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for low-income people, is covering about 79 million people, a record partly due to the pandemic.
But the nonpartisan Urban Institute think tank estimates that about 15 million people could lose Medicaid when the public health emergency ends, at a rate of at least 1 million per month.
Congress increased federal Medicaid payments to states because of COVID-19, but it also required states to keep people on the rolls during the health emergency. In normal times states routinely disenroll Medicaid recipients whose incomes rise beyond certain levels, or for other life changes affecting eligibility. That process will switch on again when the emergency ends, and some states are eager to move forward.
Virtually all of those losing Medicaid are expected to be eligible for some other source of coverage, either through employers, the Affordable Care Act or — for kids — the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
But that’s not going to happen automatically, said Matthew Buettgens, lead researcher on the Urban Institute study. Cost and lack of awareness about options could get in the way.
People dropped from Medicaid may not realize they can pick up taxpayer-subsidized ACA coverage. Medicaid is usually free, so people offered workplace insurance could find the premiums too high.
“This is an unprecedented situation,” said Buettgens. “The uncertainty is real.”
The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, is advising states to take it slow and connect Medicaid recipients who are disenrolled with other potential coverage. The agency will keep an eye on states’ accuracy in making eligibility decisions. Biden officials want coverage shifts, not losses.
“We are focused on making sure we hold on to the gains in coverage we have made under the Biden-Harris administration,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “We are at the strongest point in our history and we are going make sure that we hold on to the coverage gains.”
ACA coverage — or “Obamacare” — is an option for many who would lose Medicaid. But it will be less affordable if congressional Democrats fail to extend generous financial assistance called for in President Joe Biden’s social legislation. Democrats stalling the bill would face blame.
Republicans in mostly Southern states that have refused to expand Medicaid are also vulnerable. In those states, it can be very difficult for low-income adults to get coverage and more people could wind up uninsured.
State Medicaid officials don’t want to be the scapegoats. “Medicaid has done its job,” said Matt Salo, head of the National Association of Medicaid Directors. “We have looked out for physical, mental and behavioral health needs. As we come out of this emergency, we are supposed to right-size the program.”
TELEHEALTH STATIC
Millions of Americans discovered telehealth in 2020 when coronavirus shutdowns led to the suspension of routine medical consultations. In-person visits are again the norm, but telehealth has shown its usefulness and gained broader acceptance.
The end of the public health emergency would jeopardize telehealth access for millions enrolled in traditional Medicare. Restrictions predating COVID-19 limit telehealth mainly to rural residents, in part to mitigate against health care fraud. Congress has given itself 151 days after the end of the public health emergency to come up with new rules.
“If there are no changes to the law after that, most Medicare beneficiaries will lose access to coverage for telehealth,” the Kaiser Foundation’s Cubanski said.
A major exception applies to enrollees in private Medicare Advantage plans, which generally do cover telehealth. However, nearly 6 in 10 Medicare enrollees are in the traditional fee-for-service program.
TESTS, VACCINES, TREATMENTS, PAYMENTS & PROCEDURES
Widespread access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments rests on legal authority connected to the public health emergency.
One example is the Biden administration’s requirement for insurers to cover up to eight free at-home COVID-19 tests per month.
An area that’s particularly murky is what happens to tests, treatments and vaccines covered under emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration.
Some experts say emergency use approvals last only through the duration of the public health emergency. Others say it’s not as simple as that, because a different federal emergency statute also applies to vaccines, tests and treatments. There’s no clear direction yet from health officials.
The FDA has granted full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for those 16 and older and Moderna’s for those 18 and older, so their continued use would not be affected.
But hospitals could take a financial hit. Currently Medicare pays them 20% more for the care of COVID-19 patients. That’s only for the duration of the emergency.
And Medicare enrollees would have more hoops to jump through to be approved for rehab in a nursing home. A suspended Medicare rule requiring a prior three-day hospital stay would come back into effect.
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra recently told The Associated Press that his department is committed to giving “ample notice” when it ends the public health emergency.
“We want to make sure we’re not putting in a detrimental position Americans who still need our help,” Becerra said. “The one that people are really worried about is Medicaid.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220402
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/crews-work-contain-tennessee-wildfire/
|
Crews work to contain Tennessee wildfire
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (AP) — Firefighters from across Tennessee continued working Thursday morning to contain a wildfire near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that spread overnight despite rain from storms that passed through the area, officials said.
The blaze, which began as a brush fire Wednesday morning in the Hatcher Mountain area of Wears Valley, had spread to more than 3,700 acres (1,497 hectares) and had impacted more than 100 structures, Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters said during a press conference. Around 11,000 homes in the area had been evacuated. Three injuries were reported during the blaze, but Waters said no fatalities or missing people had been reported.
He said a coordinated response from emergency personnel, firefighters, forestry officials and others helped mitigate damage in the area.
“This fire could have been much more devastating had we not had this team in place. They were able to, even with the winds and the low humidity, they were able to stay ahead of it as much as possible,” he said.
Officials had warned early Wednesday that warm temperatures, low humidity and strong winds increased the risk of fire danger. Waters said the conditions were similar to those in 2016 when wildfires ravaged the tourism town of Gatlinburg, killing 14 people and damaging or destroying about 2,500 buildings.
Firefighters from more than 70 agencies helped respond to the blaze and many worked through the night in an effort to keep it from spreading. It was only 5% contained, but fire lines drawn overnight helped keep the blaze from spreading into the city of Pigeon Forge, Waters said.
Rain early Thursday from storms passing through did not put the fire out, but officials said it helped the situation and the current weather conditions were more favorable for containing the fire.
Evacuation orders remain in effect until the fire is under control. Schools in the area were closed Thursday as a precaution, officials said.
The fire was in what the state Agriculture Department described as steep and difficult terrain. The cause is still undetermined.
At least three shelters were established for those evacuated, authorities said. More than 100 people stayed overnight at the Pigeon Forge Community Center, Sharon Hudson, executive director of the Eastern Tennessee chapter of the American Red Cross. told the Knoxville News Sentinel.
A line of severe storms packing isolated tornadoes and high winds ripped across the Deep South overnight, killing at least two in the Florida Panhandle, toppling trees and power lines and leaving homes and businesses damaged as the vast weather front raced across several states.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220402
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/cute-endangered-blue-eyed-black-lemur-born-florida-zoo/
|
Cute! Endangered blue-eyed black lemur born in Florida zoo
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Gray News) – The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens in Florida has a new arrival – a baby blue-eyed black lemur.
The zoo said this is the second successful birth of a blue-eyed black lemur at the facility.
The Madagascar native is considered critically endangered, so every new blue-eyed black lemur born is said to be vital to the survival of the species.
They are one of only a few primates with blue eyes, according to the zoo.
Zookeepers haven’t announced a name yet and won’t know the gender until a health check. They want to give the new parents time to bond first.
“We have many reasons to celebrate this new infant. He or she will further enrich the social environment and experience of the zoo’s amazing mixed-species lemur group and strengthen the sustainability of the blue-eyed black lemur population,” said Tracy Fenn, Assistant Curator of Mammals.
The little primate will stay behind the scenes until it’s old enough to join the other lemurs in the zoo’s exhibit later this year.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220402
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/dashcam-video-shows-rider-pointing-gun-uber-driver-before-her-slaying/
|
Dashcam video shows rider pointing gun at Uber driver before her slaying
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. (Gray News) - Chilling dashcam video shows the moments leading up to an Uber driver’s slaying.
Allegheny County police said the suspect got into the car Feb. 11 with the intent to rob the driver.
Prosecutors played what could be their most compelling evidence against Calvin Crew, 20 minutes of dashcam footage from Christi Spicuzza’s Uber, showing the last moments her family will see her alive.
Police said Crew is seen getting into the backseat of Spicuzza’s Uber.
In the video, the suspect’s hood is up, and he’s wearing an all-black face mask that covers all but his glowing eyes. He sits still, only muttering a word or two.
Ten minutes into the ride, Spicuzza cheerfully asks a question. He mumbles, and Spicuzza says, “That’s good.”
Eighteen minutes into the ride, police said Crew is seen inching to the middle of the back seat, pulling out a gun, grabbing Spicuzza’s ponytail and pressing the pistol to the back of her head.
Detectives on the case said the video was heart-wrenching to watch but acknowledged it could be key to getting justice for her and her family. She was a mother of four.
“She tried to reason with him and tried to plead to his humanity,” said detective Laurie McKeel with Allegheny County Homicide.
It was hard “knowing what’s coming, watching what Crew is doing without Christina even know what’s coming,” said detective Greg Renko of Allegheny County Homicide.
She is heard on the video pleading for her life: “I have four kids. What are you doing?”
When the dash camera is ripped off the windshield, the ride doesn’t end.
Police said Spicuzza was forced to drive for another hour while Crew accessed her financial apps like Venmo, PayPal, Dollar Bank and Square.
Police said Spicuzza was taken to a wooded part on Monroeville and was shot once in the back of the head.
Crew has been charged with criminal homicide, robbery and tampering with evidence.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group. All rights reserved. WPXI via CNN Newsource contributed to this report.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220402
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/dnc-clinton-campaign-agree-steele-dossier-funding-fine/
|
DNC, Clinton campaign agree to Steele dossier funding fine
NEW YORK (AP) — Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee have agreed to pay $113,000 to settle a Federal Election Commission investigation into whether they violated campaign finance law by misreporting spending on research that eventually became the infamous Steele dossier.
That’s according to documents sent Tuesday to the Coolidge Reagan Foundation, which had filed an administrative complaint in 2018 accusing the Democrats of misreporting payments made to a law firm during the 2016 campaign to obscure the spending.
The Clinton campaign hired Perkins Coie, which then hired Fusion GPS, a research and intelligence firm, to conduct opposition research on Republican candidate Donald Trump’s ties to Russia. But on FEC forms, the Clinton campaign classified the spending as legal services.
“By intentionally obscuring their payments through Perkins Coie and failing to publicly disclose the true purpose of those payments,” the campaign and DNC “were able to avoid publicly reporting on their statutorily required FEC disclosure forms the fact that they were paying Fusion GPS to perform opposition research on Trump with the intent of influencing the outcome of the 2016 presidential election,” the initial complaint had read.
The Clinton campaign and DNC had argued that the payments had been described accurately, but agreed, according to the documents, to settle without conceding to avoid further legal costs.
The Clinton campaign agreed to a civil penalty of $8,000 and the DNC $105,000, according to a pair of conciliatory agreements that were attached to the letter sent to the Coolidge Reagan Foundation.
The documents have not yet been made public, and FEC spokeswoman Judith Ingram said the FEC has 30 days after parties are notified about enforcement matters to release them.
The Steele dossier was a report compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele and financed by Democrats that included salacious allegations about Trump’s conduct in Russia and allegations about ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Documents have shown the FBI invested significant resources attempting to corroborate the dossier and relied substantially on it to obtain surveillance warrants targeting former Trump campaign aide Carter Page.
But the dossier has been largely discredited since its publication, with core aspects of the material exposed as unsupported and unproven rumors. A special counsel assigned to investigate the origins of the Trump-Russia probe charged one of Steele’s sources with lying to the FBI and charged a cybersecurity lawyer who worked for Clinton’s campaign with lying to the FBI during a 2016 meeting in which he relayed concerns about the Russia-based Alfa Bank.
Trump, who has railed against the dossier for years, released a statement celebrating the agreement and once again slamming the dossier as “a Hoax funded by the DNC and the Clinton Campaign.”
A DNC spokesperson played down the decision, saying: “We settled aging and silly complaints from the 2016 election about ‘purpose descriptions’ in our FEC report.” The lawyer representing both the campaign and the DNC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The letter was first reported by the Washington Examiner.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220402
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/doj-man-shootout-with-shawano-county-deputy-took-his-own-life/
|
DOJ: Man in shootout with Shawano County deputy took his own life
SHAWANO COUNTY, Wis. (WBAY) - The Wisconsin Department of Justice believes a man who exchanged gunfire with a Shawano County deputy last Friday died at his own hand.
The deputy responded to a woman calling 911 from a home on Oak Ave. in the Town of Richmond just before 4 in the afternoon. The deputy arrived in time to see a man shoot a woman outside a nearby storage building.
The state Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) says it confirmed the deputy fired their weapon but, based on “initial evidence” the man took his own life. The woman and the man both died at the scene.
The DCI is leading the investigation with assistance from the Wisconsin State Patrol.
The names of the people involved have not been released by any agency.
The deputy is on administrative leave, which is standard procedure in officer-involved shooting investigations.
Action 2 News reporter Megan Kernan called the number for the storage facility and spoke to a man who identified himself as the owner. He said one of the individuals who died was a tenant of his but did not provide further specifics.
“DCI is continuing to review evidence and determine the facts of this incident and will turn over investigative reports to the Shawano County District Attorney when the investigation concludes,” reads a statement from DCI.
INITIAL REPORT
A member of the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed a shooting happened at a location outside of Shawano Friday.
The local law enforcement is turning the investigation over to the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, according to a chief deputy with the department.
We don’t have any information yet about the shooting and what happened. Action 2 News is at the scene and will continue to work to get you more details.
Police have blocked Oak Avenue near the scene. This is in Thornton, just outside of Shawano. The scene is near a storage facility.
Action 2 News will keep you updated on this breaking news story.
Copyright 2022 WBAY. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220402
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/driver-escapes-after-car-riddled-with-bullets-california-drive-by-shooting/
|
Driver escapes after car riddled with bullets in California drive-by shooting
SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. (KOVR) – Authorities in a small California community are investigating after they say a driver was forced to pull over, then shot several times while still in the vehicle.
Neighbor Connie Ternes in the small town of Hood said the incident was shocking.
“I can’t even fathom that that would happen out here,” she said. “This is pretty quiet of an area, somewhat isolated from things like that.”
Locals Darcy and Lance Seppi live on a property nearby and heard the gunfire.
“I started hearing shots, ‘Boom, boom, boom,’” Darcy Seppi said.
Investigators with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said the driver of a Land Rover was forced off the main road by another driver who then started shooting.
The Land Rover ended up riddled with more than 20 bullet holes.
“It is stunning that the victim walked away to see another day,” Sgt. Rodney Grassmann said.
The victim crawled to the passenger side and escaped into an open field to call police, taking shots to the stomach and back.
Investigators are working to determine if the individuals knew each other.
“There could be many things,” Grassmann said. “Perhaps there was an unknown road rage incident where that driver had done something that offended the other driver. I don’t think the public has to worry about some crazed person randomly shooting at people.”
The neighbors say the shooting is unusual in the small town of around 300 people, and they are left questioning the motive.
“I can’t wrap my head around it,” Ternes said. “Who would do that? What is the reason in the middle of the night, shooting at someone so many times?”
Investigators say they do not believe the incident was gang-related.
Copyright 2022 KOVR via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220402
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/expert-explains-why-there-is-cat-food-shortage/
|
Expert explains why there is a cat food shortage
AMES, Iowa (KCCI) - There’s a cat food shortage, and an Iowa State University professor says COVID-19 supply chain issues are to blame.
Specifically, supply chain professor Jonathan Phares points to the shortage of meat used in cat food.
He also said there has been an increase in cat adoptions since the pandemic began in 2020.
Most pet adoptions saw a spike and dropoff. Cats, however, continue to be adopted at the same rate as their pandemic highs.
“What we know in supply chains is that small changes have big impacts, and they can be very hard to recover from because demand doesn’t decrease,” Phares said.
Phares also said aluminum, which most wet cat food is packaged in, is also in short supply.
He notes online pet retailers like Chewy have done away with aluminum packaging to fight the cat food shortage.
Copyright 2022 KCCI via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220402
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/explainer-what-is-strategic-petroleum-reserve/
|
EXPLAINER: What is the Strategic Petroleum Reserve?
DALLAS (AP) — President Joe Biden is again dipping into the nation’s petroleum stockpile to try to corral rising energy prices.
The White House announced Thursday that Biden ordered the daily release of 1 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for the next six months. Biden will also ask Congress to penalize oil and gas companies that lease public land but aren’t producing energy.
The administration hopes that tapping the petroleum reserve will buy time and tamp down gasoline prices long enough until domestic producers can boost output.
Global oil prices were rising even before Russia invaded Ukraine in February. When Biden announced a ban on Russian oil imports in early March, he acknowledged it would come at a cost to American consumers.
This is the third time Biden has turned to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in a little over four months. Back in November, he ordered the release of 50 million barrels of oil. Then, in his state of the union speech in March, Biden announced another 30 million barrels as part of a multi-nation effort to boost the oil supply.
Tapping the reserve is among the few things a president can do alone to try to control inflation, which makes Americans poorer and often creates a political liability for the party in control of the White House.
Here is a look at what’s involved:
___
WHAT IS THE PETROLEUM RESERVE?
America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve is a collection of underground salt caverns in Texas and Louisiana that can hold more than 700 million barrels of oil, although it is not currently full. The reserve held about 568 million barrels last week, down from more than 650 million barrels in mid-2021, according to the U.S. Energy Department.
The reserve was created after the 1970s Arab oil embargo to give the United States a supply that could be used in an emergency.
___
WHY IS IT USED?
The U.S. now exports more oil than it imports, but the reserve remains and has been tapped for various reasons, from offsetting the impact of hurricanes and ship-channel closings to raising money for deficit reduction.
In 1991, President George H.W. Bush authorized withdrawing nearly 34 million barrels during the Gulf War, although only 17 million barrels were used. In 2011, President Barack Obama approved the release of 30 million barrels to offset the disruption of supply from Libya.
___
HOW DO THEY GET THE OIL OUT?
Oil is lighter than water — that’s why disasters like those caused by the Exxon Valdez tanker and the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig create slicks on the surface. To remove oil from the reserves, water is pumped into the salt caverns, making the crude float to the surface, where it is captured and sent through pipelines to refineries.
___
WHY IS BIDEN TAPPING THE RESERVE?
Supply and demand. Biden is hoping that by releasing more oil on the market, prices will fall. Prices did dip for nearly two weeks after Biden’s initial announcement about tapping the reserve back in November but then resumed their steep climb. U.S. crude is up almost 40% this year and has grown even more volatile in the past month.
Whether Biden’s latest move works will depend on several factors. One factor to keep in mind: Even though 1 million barrels a day is a huge amount of oil, the U.S. consumed nearly 20 million barrels a day last year, and worldwide consumption topped 97 million barrels a day.
___
WILL GASOLINE GET CHEAPER?
What most people want to know is what’s going to happen to prices at the pump. Many factors go into the price of gasoline. Refineries buy crude oil in advance, so they could still be working with more expensive oil. States have differing tax rates that affect the price that motorists pay.
On Thursday, the national average price for a gallon of regular was more than $4.22, down about a dime from the peak earlier in March, according to auto club AAA.
The average is still under $4 a gallon in many states in the middle of the country, but it’s higher in the Northeast and highest in the West. In California, it’s an eye-popping $5.90 a gallon.
Even if those prices don’t drop, Biden can argue that by tapping the reserve he tried to help.
___
WHO GETS HURT MOST?
Gasoline prices are regressive — lower-income people are more likely to spend a higher percentage of their money on gasoline than are affluent Americans — so increases hurt the most price-sensitive consumers. Kevin Book, managing director at Clearview Energy Partners, says those consumers might not show up in measures of the nation’s economy, “but they show up in vote counts ... if we get down to it, that’s really what this is about.”
___
WHY DOES OIL MATTER?
The future of oil and gas in the U.S. is a political flashpoint and source of tension, especially as companies and government agencies grapple with climate change and the transition to cleaner sources of energy.
On one hand, the U.S. oil and gas industry has been praised by some political leaders for creating energy independence. Where the U.S. once relied heavily on imports, other nations now rely on the U.S. for oil. It’s also a job supplier: The oil and gas industry employs more than 10 million people in the U.S. and contributes about 8% of the nation’s gross domestic product, according to the American Petroleum Institute.
Companies that supply oil benefit from higher prices. But consumers don’t like it when those higher prices trickle down to the pump.
The institute has previously said that any release of oil from the strategic reserve should be paired with policy measures that encourage more U.S. energy production. That collides with Biden’s promise to reduce dependence on fossil fuels that contribute to climate change.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220402
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/fox-news-hires-caitlyn-jenner-contributor-commentator/
|
Fox News hires Caitlyn Jenner as contributor and commentator
NEW YORK (AP) — Fox News Channel says it has hired Caitlyn Jenner as a contributor, with her first appearance set for Thursday on Sean Hannity’s program.
Jenner, the former Olympic decathlete, ran an unsuccessful campaign for California governor last year. The network said she’ll offer commentary and analysis across various Fox News Media platforms.
“Caitlyn’s story is an inspiration to us all,” said Suzanne Scott, Fox News Media CEO. “She is a trailblazer in the LGBTQ+ community and her illustrious career spans a variety of fields that will be a tremendous asset for our audience.”
Jenner won the Olympic gold medal in the decathlon in 1976. She later came out as a transgender and identifies as a female.
She said in a statement she was “humbled by this unique opportunity” to speak directly to Fox’s audience.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220402
|
https://www.wbay.com/2022/03/31/gop-lawmakers-call-out-rep-cawthorn-over-orgy-remarks/
|
GOP lawmakers call out Rep. Cawthorn over ‘orgy’ remarks
(CNN) - Republican leaders have met with a GOP congressman who alleged drug use and orgies are taking place in Washington.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise called Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., into a meeting Wednesday.
The face-to-face was to address allegations Cawthorn made on a podcast that he was invited to an “orgy” and had seen cocaine use firsthand.
Cawthorn did not suggest any fellow lawmakers were involved in the actions but referenced people he “looked up to.”
GOP lawmakers complained during a closed-door party meeting Tuesday that they were receiving questions from constituents about it.
McCarthy said Cawthorn admitted in the meeting that his allegations were untrue or exaggerated.
“I just told him he’s lost my trust. He’s going to have to earn it back, and I laid out everything that I find is unbecoming,” McCarthy said. “And should - you can’t just say, ‘You can’t do this again.’ I mean, he’s got a lot of members very upset.”
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
| true
| true
|
both
|
www.wbay
|
20220402
|
End of preview. Expand
in Data Studio
README.md exists but content is empty.
- Downloads last month
- 8