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https://www.wesh.com/article/boy-with-heart-condition-batman/39602720
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6-year-old boy with heart condition helps Batman fight crime in Orlando
A 6-year-old boy was on a mission to fight crime in Orlando on Thursday and he had some help from his favorite superhero Batman.
Masai turned into "Batkid" just one day after his sixth birthday. Some organizations wanted to do something special for him as he continues to fight against a serious heart condition.
"I really, really want to defeat the joker," Masai said. "Because he has evil plans."
The Axel Foundation partnered with the Camaraderie Foundation and Give Kids The World to make Masai's Batman dreams come true.
The 6-year-old, who was with his family visiting Orlando from Philadelphia, was joined by Batman at the Amway Arena.
They searched for the Joker throughout the venue who "kidnapped" Orlando Magic's mascot Stuff the Magic Dragon. The duo worked with the Orlando Police Department, Orlando Fire Department, Seminole County Sheriff's Office and the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
"That's all he kept saying at 6:30 this morning he woke up, 'I want get the joker I'm going to get the joker,'" Masai's father Lance Wheeler said. "I'm just in awe. I don't know how to say, but wow."
Wheeler was just as excited as Masai, but also emotional because of all the ups and downs he had witnessed his son go through.
"At the children's hospital in Philadelphia, he had three surgeries in a matter of eight days. That was when he was little and he got through it all," Wheeler said. "Today's his day, like I still can't believe this is happening – all these people."
When Masai captured the villain, he was named the hero and was presented a badge of honor by the law enforcement officials in attendance.
"[I'm] really, really, really happy," Masai said. "I'm a big kid!"
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https://www.wesh.com/article/deadly-school-shooting-south-carolina/39603272
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12-year-old dies after being shot at South Carolina middle school, suspect in custody
A 12-year-old has died after being shot at a middle school in Greenville, South Carolina, on Thursday.
Community activist Bruce Wilson said Jamari Cortez Bonaparte Jackson, 12, died at the hospital.
Wilson released the following statement on behalf of the family:
"We are all devastated by today’s tragedy. We love Jamari dearly and we would ask that our privacy be respected as we grieve during this very difficult time."
Greenville County deputies said a school resource officer at Tanglewood Middle School requested backup just before 12:30 p.m.
More than 200 law enforcement officers arrived at the school.
A suspect, who is also 12 years old, was taken into custody near the school, Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis said.
He is is being charged with murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, possession of a firearm on school property and unlawful possession of a weapon by a person under the age of 18, Lewis said.
Because of his age, the suspect's name was not released.
"Unfortunately, these are two young men who attended school here," Lewis said. "We don't really know the specifics of why it occurred and why so many people resort to violence, especially with firearms."
Greenville County School Superintendent Burke Royster also spoke outside the school after the shooting.
"I’m not sure after a full and thorough law enforcement investigation anyone will really know what was going through the mind of that young person who took this rash act," Royster said.
Students from the school were taken to Brookwood Church by bus to be reunited with their families.
One mother told sister station WYFF that she was in the school parking lot when she saw police begin arriving.
"I was getting out and the police told me, ‘Get back, get back. You can’t come in,’ and I was like, ‘What’s wrong? What’s wrong?’" Angela said. "They wouldn’t tell me, he said, 'Get back in your car.’ When I was getting in my car, all the police came. Every police in Greenville County was there and ambulance. They were running in with guns, not handguns, rifles."
Angela’s daughter, Prentasia, said they were changing classes when the shooting happened.
"We heard a gunshot, and this boy had a gun and he shot at one boy in his side," Prentasia said. "We all pretty much went into a classroom and some people went outside. We were just in the classroom ‘til it was over."
Another mother spoke to WYFF shortly after she arrived at the school to pick up her son.
"But I was speechless," she said. "My stomach is still upset. I just want to see my son and hug him and just make sure he's fine."
That mother said she wishes there were metal detectors in school.
"So, I would love for Greenville County to do something and put metal detectors. They all come through the same door. They go to the cafeteria they do that. Why don't they put a metal detector and then at least detect there's something there," the mother said.
Greenville County School District spokesman Tim Waller said Tanglewood Middle will have an optional day on Friday. Teachers, students and staff can come and talk to each other and counselors but are not required to attend school on Friday.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/manatees-culling/39602718
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Brevard commissioner proposes culling manatees to curb starvation
Hundreds of manatees died in Brevard County over the last few months alone.
The main food source for the threatened marine mammals, sea grass, is becoming more scarce thanks to pollution and algae overgrowth.
County Commissioner Curt Smith floated an unconventional solution during last week’s commission meeting, thinning the herd through a cull, like an overpopulation of deer.
“You know and I know that would be very difficult with manatees. Because everybody loves manatees. If you killed a manatee, my God, the world would come to an end,” Smith said.
Thursday, the commissioner was asked if he thinks this is really an option to the problem.
“Everybody loves manatees. I love manatees. I love seeing them. It’s part of the scenery," Smith said. "But we have to get real and the reality is that there has never been a calculation of what the carrying capacity should be for this habitat.”
But those who study manatees say that killing some of them off won’t help the situation, since that’s already happening through starvation. Researchers say a cull would also impact other species.
“To have one of those commissioners to be so uninformed so ignorant of what the real problem is disconcerting. Certainly, the solution is not to have more manatees killed," Patrick Rose, with the Save The Manatee Club, said.
Smith agreed that the root problem is water pollution. But that’s an issue that will take a long time to correct.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/rent-relief-prevent-million-evictions/39602016
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Rent relief helped prevent more than 1 million evictions in 2021
The federal government's emergency rental assistance program helped prevent more than one million evictions last year.
An estimated 1.36 million renters avoided an eviction filing in 2021 as a result of the government's unprecedented $46.5 billion rent relief program and other protections, according to a recent analysis by Princeton University's Eviction Lab published earlier this month.
Treasury officials reported Wednesday that $30 billion in emergency rent relief was spent or obligated by the end of February. Despite a slow and confusing initial roll out of the program last spring, more than 4.7 million payments were made to households since January 2021.
Treasury expects the remainder of the funds to be exhausted by the middle of this year.
Impact of the assistance
A national eviction ban was put in place in September 2020. While it did not stop all evictions, it significantly slowed the tide of eviction filings until the emergency aid could reach struggling renters and their landlords, White House and Department of Treasury officials said.
"We knew from the start that we faced a race with time to get the emergency rental assistance flowing to a significant degree by the time the national eviction moratorium was lifted," said Gene Sperling, the White House American Rescue Plan coordinator. "We largely won that race."
In the six states and 31 cities tracked by the Eviction Lab researchers, eviction filings fell sharply at the onset of the pandemic, but then increased in the later months of 2020 even with the ban in place. Given the increased number of renters experiencing economic hardship as the pandemic continued into 2021, experts worried about a "tsunami" of evictions and anticipated the number of filings to skyrocket above levels seen in 2019.
But the opposite happened. In a typical year, roughly 865,000 eviction cases were filed in the areas the Eviction Lab tracks. In 2021, roughly half as many evictions were filed, with 434,304 cases.
Evictions fell in all but one of the 31 cities tracked in 2021. The outlier was Las Vegas, where jobs in tourism evaporated, adversely impacting the large number of renters in the city's service sector, according to the report. New York City had the biggest reduction in eviction filings from typical levels, with the report estimating nearly 184,000 eviction cases were avoided in New York City.
Video below: NY struggles to get rent relief to hurting tenants
The emergency rental assistance was found to have a strong impact on the low-income and majority-Black neighborhoods that see a disproportionate share of eviction cases. Those areas experienced the largest absolute reduction in eviction filings last year, the Eviction Lab report found.
The report found that in 2021 the most disadvantaged neighborhoods experienced the biggest gains in terms of rental housing stability. But it also found that, among the eviction cases filed, women of color were disproportionately affected.
More than 80% of emergency rental assistance reached the lowest income households, according to the Treasury, with about 40% of all applicants who received assistance self-identifying as Black, and about 20% self-identifying as Latino.
Moving remaining money
The federal emergency rent relief was approved in two rounds of funding. The first, which included $25 billion under the Consolidated Appropriations Act at the end of 2020, and $21.55 billion under the American Rescue Plan Act in March 2021.
Some state and local governments have exhausted allotted funds while others have not distributed everything they have received. As a result, Treasury has been reallocating money to ensure it gets to renters most in need.
Of the $25 billion in the first batch of money, Treasury has already moved $2 billion in underused funds. Beginning in April, funds from the second batch will be reallocated.
This process has "allowed dollars to flow to places with high need," said Noel Poyo, Treasury Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Economic Development. "Generally reallocated funds went to higher need areas with more diverse communities."
He said he expects that trend to continue with the available funds from the second batch of money.
But it is a challenging balance to strike, Poyo said, between getting dollars to places where they are running out of funds and making sure that money is still available in places where assistance may have gotten started more slowly and people remain in need.
Treasury is encouraging state and local governments to use the additional funding to assist more renters and make continued investments in housing stability.
"In just one year, the Emergency Rental Assistance program built a national infrastructure for eviction prevention that never existed before and has helped keep eviction rates well below historic averages throughout the pandemic," said Poyo.
He also suggested state and local governments build on the network for support they have established and provide services like housing counselors, "that will help families avoid economic scarring long after COVID-19 is in the rearview mirror," he said.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/stetson-ukraine-sponsor/39602941
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Stetson University to sponsor displaced Ukrainian students and faculty
Stetson University announced a new effort to help sponsor displaced faculty and students in Ukraine as the war in Russia continues to tear families apart.
Experts say there are currently four million Ukrainian refugees.
"Amongst those women and children there are a lot of college professors and a lot of college students," visiting professor of history at Stetson University Martin Blackwell said. "All of this is occurring really, really quickly. We know that students will want to come here."
The students from overseas will live in dorms and take classes through an all-expenses-paid opportunity so they can continue their studies in the U.S.
A university faculty member from Ukraine will get a yearlong visiting scholar position.
"We're going to give them an opportunity to share their knowledge and share their lives with our community of almost 3,000 undergraduates," Blackwell said.
Stetson University will make the sponsorships possible through its Russia, East European and Eurasian Studies program known as SPREES. The program started in 1958 after Sputnik's orbit and as the Cold War entered a new era.
"Stetson has always been a welcoming place," Blackwell said. "We've really tried to invite people here to tell their stories and usually they are Americans who live nearby, so it's not like they were refugees – they had a place to go back home to, a roof over their heads, so this is unusual."
Stetson University hopes the connection will give its current students a better understanding of what's going on in Ukraine.
"What we hope to get out of it is to learn from people, how they are surviving and adapting to these historic events, [and] what we can do to help them in the future," Blackwell said.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/americans-health-care-concerns/39593902
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Costs top Americans' health care concerns, new poll finds
Americans' biggest health care priorities revolve largely around affordability, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation poll, with most wanting to see Congress tackle drug prices. More broadly, inflation and rising costs dominate the public's concerns.
The findings, released Thursday, show that 55% of Americans call inflation and rising prices the biggest problem facing the U.S., far ahead of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (18%), climate change (6%), the COVID-19 pandemic (6%) or crime (6%).
That's true across party lines, although the sentiment is most pronounced within the GOP: About 70% of Republicans call inflation the country's biggest issue, compared with 53% of independents and 46% of Democrats.
Similarly, other recent polls have found the rising cost of living dominating Americans' minds. In a new Quinnipiac poll, 30% of Americans picked inflation as the most urgent issue facing the U.S., with the Russia/Ukraine crisis following at just 14%. NBC polling also found Americans more focused on economic concerns than foreign policy or other issues. And a new Gallup survey said 17% of Americans cited inflation as the nation's top problem, the highest level in its polling since 1985.
The focus on costs remains even when Americans are asked specifically about their priorities for possible health care legislation, the KFF poll finds. Most U.S. adults (61%) say it should be a priority for Congress to limit how much drug companies can raise prescription drug prices each year to no more than the rate of inflation. About half (53%) say Congress should make it a priority to cap out-of-pocket costs for insulin at $35 monthly and to place a limit on out-of-pocket health care costs for seniors (52%).
Fewer, 42%, call it a priority to expand government-provided health insurance in states that have not expanded Medicaid access or to increase funding for access to mental health services and training for mental health providers. Only 25% say that providing more COVID-19 pandemic response funding should be a priority.
"The public's priorities in health reflect deep concern about prices of everything right now, including drug prices," KFF President and CEO Drew Altman said in a news release. "That doesn't mean other things that have long been popular do not have public support too; they do. It just means prices are the preeminent concern."
In their personal finances, most Americans express at least some worry about being able to afford gasoline or other transportation costs (71%) and unexpected medical bills (58%), with many concerned about paying for monthly utility bills (50%) and food (47%). In February 2020, just 40% worried about paying for gas, 38% about monthly utilities and 34% about food, KFF found.
Concerns are magnified for lower-income Americans. Nearly 8 in 10 Americans in households making less than $40,000 a year say they worry about affording as or transportation costs, with more than 6 in 10 also concerned about affording unexpected medical bills (66%), monthly utilities (65%), rent or mortgage payments (63%) and food (62%).
About half of Americans, 51%, say they've put off or gone without some form of medical service in the past year because of its costs.
Twelve years after its passage, the Affordable Care Act remains popular, the KFF poll finds, with 55% of the public viewing it favorably. About one-quarter, 24%, say the law has directly helped them and their family, with 20% saying it hurt them and the rest that it's had no direct effect.
Of those who say they've seen a positive personal impact, about half say the ACA mainly helped by letting someone in their family get or keep health coverage, with 30% saying the ACA mainly made it easier to get needed health care and 20% that it mainly lowered health care or health insurance costs.
Views of both the ACA and its effects are also sharply divided along partisan lines, with 43% of Democrats and just 7% of Republicans saying the ACA has helped them.
Among Americans under 65 who have private health insurance, 56% say they know nothing about the No Surprises Act, a law taking effect this year that protects people with private health insurance from getting large medical bills when they accidentally receive out-of-network health care. Only about 21% say they know even something about the legislation.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/oscars-producer-police-offered-arrest-will-smith/39603725
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Oscars producer says police offered to arrest Will Smith
Oscars producer Will Packer said Los Angeles police were ready to arrest Will Smith after Smith slapped Chris Rock on the Academy Awards stage.
Related video above: Chris Rock gets warm welcome from Boston crowd during first show post-Oscars slap
"They were saying, you know, this is battery, was a word they used in that moment," Packer said in a clip released by ABC News Thursday night of an interview he gave to "Good Morning America." "They said 'we will go get him. We are prepared. We're prepared to get him right now. You can press charges, we can arrest him.' They were laying out the options."
But Packer said Rock was "very dismissive" of the idea.
"He was like, 'No, no, no, I'm fine,'" Packer said. "And even to the point where I said, 'Rock, let them finish.' The LAPD officers finished laying out what his options were and they said, 'Would you like us to take any action?' And he said no."
The LAPD said in a statement after Sunday night's ceremony that they were aware of the incident, and that Rock had declined to file a police report. The department declined to comment Thursday on Packer's interview, a longer version of which will air on Friday morning.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences met Wednesday to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violations against the group's standards of conduct. Smith could be suspended, expelled or otherwise sanctioned.
The academy said in a statement that "Mr. Smith's actions at the 94th Oscars were a deeply shocking, traumatic event to witness in-person and on television."
Without giving specifics, the academy said Smith was asked to leave the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre, but refused to do so.
Smith strode from his front row seat on to the stage and slapped Rock after a joke Rock made about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, when he was on stage to present the Oscar for best documentary.
On Monday, Smith issued an apology to Rock, the academy and to viewers, saying "I was out of line and I was wrong."
The academy said Smith has the opportunity to defend himself in a written response before the board meets again on April 18.
Rock publicly addressed the incident for the first time, but only briefly, at the beginning of a standup show Wednesday night in Boston, where he was greeted by a thunderous standing ovation. He said "I'm still kind of processing what happened."
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https://www.wesh.com/article/250-000-settlement-texas-son-3-dies-after-brain-eating-amoeba/39603663
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Texas parents reach $250,000 settlement after 3-year-old son dies from brain-eating amoeba
The parents of a 3-year-old boy who died last year after contracting a rare brain-eating amoeba at a splash pad in Arlington, Texas, have reached a $250,000 settlement with the city.
Related video above: Doctors Say Tap Water in Neti Pot Caused Fatal Brain-Eating Amoeba
Bakari Williams died last September after spending five days in the hospital with primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rare and often fatal infection caused by an amoeba called Naegleria fowleri, according to previous reporting from CNN and affiliate KTVT.
Williams contracted the infection from a splash pad that officials later determined was improperly tested and maintained.
At a news conference, attorneys for Williams' parents said the child's death was preventable.
Family attorney Brian Hargrove said the $250,000 is the maximum economic recovery allowed against a city under the Texas Tort Claims Act, according to KTVT.
Arlington, in a statement, said the settlement will include a "significant investment in the installation of health and safety equipment and other improvements for our public pools and splash pads."
The city will distribute a new policy manual, the Bakari Williams Protocol, that will guide staff on water treatment, according to Hargrove and the city. "We plan to share this information with other agencies in the aquatics industry so they can learn from our hard lessons," the city said.
New technology will automatically shut off any splash pads where water readings are not in the acceptable ranges and the addition of QR codes will allow visitors to see real-time information about water quality, the statement, obtained by KTVT, said.
"We want you to know that Bakari was a sweet, beautiful and innocent child who did not deserve to die in the manner that he did. For us, this case has been about public awareness," Williams' mother, Kayla Mitchell, said at the news conference, according to the affiliate.
"We want to make certain that nothing like this ever happens again. We want to make certain that what happened to our son, what happened to our family, does not happen to anybody else," said Mitchell.
Naegleria fowleri is commonly found in soil and in fresh warm water such as lakes, rivers and hot springs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It can also be found in poorly maintained or unchlorinated pools.
The organism infects people when water containing the amoeba enters the body through the nose, according to the CDC. The Naegleria fowleri amoeba then travels up the nose to the brain, where it destroys the brain tissue, the CDC says.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/flood-insurance-increase-florida/39601092
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Experts say 80% of Florida flood insurance policyholders will see an increase next month
All Floridians know hurricanes and heavy storms, combined with low-lying terrain, can flood properties and homes.
Sometimes it happens when storm drains are choked and overflow when sea levels rise, and it can happen when rapid development creates retention ponds and alters nearby lake levels. In many cases, the damage won't be covered under typical homeowners insurance.
Most insurance agents will tell you if you live on or near water, lakes, rivers, the ocean and inland waterways, you need flood insurance.
In March, the average insurance premium for flood insurance in Florida was $597 per year. Starting in April, existing policyholders could pay an average of $704 per year, assuming their rates go up to the maximum allowed by the government, 18%.
The reason? The federal government did away with flood zone maps last October and is now basing rates on factors like elevation, rainfall, proximity to water and property value.
Insurance agent Tom Cotton says the change was needed so that those who are more likely to file flood damage claims aren't being subsidized by others.
"The whole point of these rate increases and the map changes is to modernize the system to make the rates more equitable, make people who are more subject to flood pay more than the people who have less probability of flood," Cotton said.
One home on Orlando's Lake Weldona will see a rate hike of more than $116 this year, and likely, annual increases for the next decade, but owner Neal Pitts calls that a bargain, given the potential for expensive flood damage.
" [Keep it] because the one time that you need it, you'll be thankful you have it," he said.
"It sets the stage for the idea, that the riskiest places are going to be paying the most," Nick VinZant with QuoteWizard said.
The online insurance marketplace, QuoteWizard, projects that 80% of Sunshine State policyholders will see an increase, while 20% will see a decrease. More than 1.7 million policyholders will be affected.
In our nine-county region, more than 147,000 policyholders will be affected, with about 102,000 seeing increases, and roughly 45,000 seeing decreases.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/kyiv-ukraine-yevhenia-khomenko/39604301
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it's emotional for me. I have to my brothers but their families and I helped my mom. She was born in 1943 and they're staying there through every morning and every night I have to start, I'm starting my day by calling them checking you there live my brothers and their families. They yes, they will come. Yeah. Yeah. They in their age they can actually be benefited with society here too. After the fall of the soviet union, a lot of Ukrainians and individuals from former soviet union countries came to sacramento. So there's an incredibly strong community based here. You know, something like 20,000 Ukrainians in the Greater Sacramento area and a really strong network of churches and businesses and connections. So when people come, they feel Part of the community. The reason people come to places like Sacramento is because there's a high population of people that know them and and because it's relational, there's this feeling of, Hey, we gotta help. We've got to do something. So we're talking about launching 15 more vehicles that over the next probably couple of weeks that will be rescuing more women and Children. We set up a system of host families who can take in refugees that are coming here. Most of them are coming illegally crossing the border into California and then just spreading out. My brother still lives in Ukraine and he lives almost on a shelter bomb shelter. You wanna cry and you don't understand how it's happened on the 21st century. It's so scared and you're here and you you can do nothing for this only you can do it. Just work and help like some money for food, do everything what you can do.
She helped rebuild Kyiv after World War II. Now, the 94-year-old had to flee it
Updated: 11:06 PM EDT Mar 31, 2022
Even as the bombs began to fall, Yevhenia Khomenko didn't want to leave her home in Kyiv, Ukraine."I would rather die there," the 94-year-old said. But eventually, it became too much, and her daughter convinced her to leave the home she had known her entire life.Related video above: Ukrainian Americans prepare for 100,000 refugeesWhen Khomenko was a child, she lived through the Great Famine of Ukraine — one that killed millions, driven by Josef Stalin. Years later, she fled her home during World War II as her country was targeted by Adolf Hitler. She's now had to flee once more over an invasion prompted by Vladimir Putin.The Russian attacks have reminded Khomenko of the bombing, shooting and violence during World War II, she told CNN. The bombs then, as they are now, were unpredictable, and she recalled running anywhere to escape them. Khomenko returned to Kyiv after World War II to help rebuild the city's main square, she said. Now, she's worried the city may never be the same — and that, given her age, she may never return.Her 73-year-old daughter, Raisa Makhnovets, is also worried about that fate. Through tears, she told CNN how difficult it was to persuade her mother to leave Kyiv, and how their attempts to do so quickly became a "horror movie."They had no other family in the city, and first spent two days in a bomb shelter before trying to flee the country by train. The station was overrun with others trying to do the same."I just couldn't believe it was actually happening. The train station was scary," Makhnovets said, speaking in Russian, as many Ukrainians do, and translated by CNN. "So many people with their kids and things, just really terrifying. The first train left without us, then the second. It was so cold waiting there overnight. There were even newborn babies."Makhnovets said it took roughly 20 hours to get from Kyiv to Lviv, in the western part of Ukraine, and then out of the country altogether. She and her mother were then able to fly to the United States on a visa they had obtained years ago. They reunited in Sacramento with five generations of their family, as a great great grandmother and a great grandmother.In Sacramento, Khomenko noted the peace in the California air."It hurts in my soul, for my home, where I lived. But here it's quiet, I don't hear anything. I have a home, and I want to go home. I want to be in my own home. But the circumstances forced us to come here. Just go wherever necessary not to have to see the war," she said, in Russian.Her feelings now are familiar to those from a lifetime ago, Khomenko said, but in her youth, she didn't really understand war in the way she does now.She then told CNN, "I wish you a good life and to not have to endure what we've had to. I hope for friendship between us and all peoples."Seeking refuge in the United StatesAs of late March, there are more than 3.5 million Ukrainians who have been forced to abandon the lives they once knew in search of new ones, but only a fraction of them have ended up in the United States.The Biden administration recently committed to welcoming up to 100,000 Ukrainians, but so far, it has been difficult for them to get into the U.S. The few who have, have had success through the Mexican border — in some cases being granted entry through what's known as humanitarian parole, which allows temporary admission for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.It is "far more complicated and different than you ever imagined," said Julia Bikbova, an immigration and litigation attorney who was born and raised in Ukraine and recently visited the Mexican border. She told CNN nearly every Ukrainian she spoke to told her, "Your President announced you're accepting refugees, this is where we are."From October 2021 through February, there were just over 1,300 Ukrainians along the southern U.S. border, according to border patrol data. Data on Ukrainians entering the U.S. in the last month will be released in April, the Department of Homeland Security earlier told CNN.While a timeline on Biden's commitment is still unclear, the current framework for attaining refugee status can take years. So, many have opted to go through Mexico, where a visa is not required for Ukrainians, though they may have to "convince officials in Cancun they're there for vacation," said Bikbova. "No one is flying from Frankfurt or Warsaw to Tijuana," she added.Those that make it into the United States, through humanitarian parole or otherwise, either find family members or people like Vadym Dashkevych: a Ukrainian-born senior pastor at the Spring of Life Ukrainian Church in Sacramento.Dashkevych, and other volunteers around the U.S. like him, pick up Ukrainian families once they're through immigration and help them settle into various cities. For Dashkevych, it's Sacramento.In one week this month, Dashkevych told CNN, he helped seven families find at least a temporary home in the area. But, he emphasized, "family" can include multiple kids, which can add to upwards of 30 people a week."The best way to treat them it's to take them inside our families and inside to American families," Dashkevych said."They need help not only to be on their own, but to help, like, take a cup of tea in the evening, talk, asking questions," he said, adding they've put a call out through their church for people to become host families.He also works with lawyers and other support services to help these families with their long-term future: starting new lives under quiet skies, far away from the war that has uprooted them so suddenly."As of today, that's not only war, there's more. They're just killing people. Regular people. The schools, the kindergarten, the hospitals, and everything," Dashkevych told CNN. "It's gonna be painful. It's gonna take years and years to go through."
Even as the bombs began to fall, Yevhenia Khomenko didn't want to leave her home in Kyiv, Ukraine.
"I would rather die there," the 94-year-old said. But eventually, it became too much, and her daughter convinced her to leave the home she had known her entire life.
Related video above: Ukrainian Americans prepare for 100,000 refugees
When Khomenko was a child, she lived through the Great Famine of Ukraine — one that killed millions, driven by Josef Stalin. Years later, she fled her home during World War II as her country was targeted by Adolf Hitler. She's now had to flee once more over an invasion prompted by Vladimir Putin.
The Russian attacks have reminded Khomenko of the bombing, shooting and violence during World War II, she told CNN. The bombs then, as they are now, were unpredictable, and she recalled running anywhere to escape them. Khomenko returned to Kyiv after World War II to help rebuild the city's main square, she said. Now, she's worried the city may never be the same — and that, given her age, she may never return.
Courtesy Yuliya Kyrylyuk
Yevhenia Khomenko (right) in Kyiv in 1959.
Her 73-year-old daughter, Raisa Makhnovets, is also worried about that fate. Through tears, she told CNN how difficult it was to persuade her mother to leave Kyiv, and how their attempts to do so quickly became a "horror movie."
They had no other family in the city, and first spent two days in a bomb shelter before trying to flee the country by train. The station was overrun with others trying to do the same.
"I just couldn't believe it was actually happening. The train station was scary," Makhnovets said, speaking in Russian, as many Ukrainians do, and translated by CNN. "So many people with their kids and things, just really terrifying. The first train left without us, then the second. It was so cold waiting there overnight. There were even newborn babies."
Makhnovets said it took roughly 20 hours to get from Kyiv to Lviv, in the western part of Ukraine, and then out of the country altogether. She and her mother were then able to fly to the United States on a visa they had obtained years ago. They reunited in Sacramento with five generations of their family, as a great great grandmother and a great grandmother.
Omar Jimenez / CNN
Raisa Makhnovets (L), and her mother Yevhenia Khomenko are seen here in their Sacramento family’s home. Khomenko returned to Kyiv after World War II to help rebuild the city’s main square, now, she’s worried the city may never be the same.
In Sacramento, Khomenko noted the peace in the California air.
"It hurts in my soul, for my home, where I lived. But here it's quiet, I don't hear anything. I have a home, and I want to go home. I want to be in my own home. But the circumstances forced us to come here. Just go wherever necessary not to have to see the war," she said, in Russian.
Her feelings now are familiar to those from a lifetime ago, Khomenko said, but in her youth, she didn't really understand war in the way she does now.
She then told CNN, "I wish you a good life and to not have to endure what we've had to. I hope for friendship between us and all peoples."
Courtesy Yuliya Kyrylyuk
Yevhenia Khomenko in Kyiv in 1959.
Seeking refuge in the United States
As of late March, there are more than 3.5 million Ukrainians who have been forced to abandon the lives they once knew in search of new ones, but only a fraction of them have ended up in the United States.
The Biden administration recently committed to welcoming up to 100,000 Ukrainians, but so far, it has been difficult for them to get into the U.S. The few who have, have had success through the Mexican border — in some cases being granted entry through what's known as humanitarian parole, which allows temporary admission for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.
It is "far more complicated and different than you ever imagined," said Julia Bikbova, an immigration and litigation attorney who was born and raised in Ukraine and recently visited the Mexican border. She told CNN nearly every Ukrainian she spoke to told her, "Your President announced you're accepting refugees, this is where we are."
From October 2021 through February, there were just over 1,300 Ukrainians along the southern U.S. border, according to border patrol data. Data on Ukrainians entering the U.S. in the last month will be released in April, the Department of Homeland Security earlier told CNN.
While a timeline on Biden's commitment is still unclear, the current framework for attaining refugee status can take years. So, many have opted to go through Mexico, where a visa is not required for Ukrainians, though they may have to "convince officials in Cancun they're there for vacation," said Bikbova. "No one is flying from Frankfurt or Warsaw to Tijuana," she added.
Those that make it into the United States, through humanitarian parole or otherwise, either find family members or people like Vadym Dashkevych: a Ukrainian-born senior pastor at the Spring of Life Ukrainian Church in Sacramento.
Dashkevych, and other volunteers around the U.S. like him, pick up Ukrainian families once they're through immigration and help them settle into various cities. For Dashkevych, it's Sacramento.
Omar Jimenez / CNN
Senior Pastor Vadym Dashkevych taking a call in Sacramento on his watch from a contact at the Mexican border.
In one week this month, Dashkevych told CNN, he helped seven families find at least a temporary home in the area. But, he emphasized, "family" can include multiple kids, which can add to upwards of 30 people a week.
"The best way to treat them it's to take them inside our families and inside to American families," Dashkevych said.
"They need help not only to be on their own, but to help, like, take a cup of tea in the evening, talk, asking questions," he said, adding they've put a call out through their church for people to become host families.
He also works with lawyers and other support services to help these families with their long-term future: starting new lives under quiet skies, far away from the war that has uprooted them so suddenly.
"As of today, that's not only war, there's more. They're just killing people. Regular people. The schools, the kindergarten, the hospitals, and everything," Dashkevych told CNN. "It's gonna be painful. It's gonna take years and years to go through."
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The nation's oldest active park ranger is hanging up her Smokey hat at the age of 100.Betty Reid Soskin retired Thursday after more than 15 years at the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California, the National Park Service announced.Soskin "spent her last day providing an interpretive program to the public and visiting with coworkers," a Park Service statement said.She led tours at the park and museum honoring the women who worked in factories during wartime and shared her own experience as a Black woman during the conflict. She worked for the U.S. Air Force in 1942 but quit after learning that "she was employed only because her superiors believed she was white," according to a Park Service biography."Being a primary source in the sharing of that history – my history – and giving shape to a new national park has been exciting and fulfilling," Soskin said in the Park Service statement. "It has proven to bring meaning to my final years."Soskin won a temporary Park Service position at the age of 84 and became a permanent Park Service employee in 2011. She celebrated her 100th birthday last September."Betty has made a profound impact on the National Park Service and the way we carry out our mission," Director Chuck Sams said. "Her efforts remind us that we must seek out and give space for all perspectives so that we can tell a more full and inclusive history of our nation."Soskin was born Betty Charbonnet in Detroit in 1921 but recalled surviving the devastating Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 while living with her Creole family in New Orleans, according to the Park Service biography. Her family then moved to Oakland, California, and Soskin remained in the San Francisco Bay Area, where in 1945 she and her first husband founded one of the first Black-owned record stores in the area, the biography said.She also was a civil rights activist and took part in meetings to develop a general management plan for the Home Front park. She has received several honors.She was named California Woman of the Year in 1995.In 2015, Soskin received a presidential coin from President Barack Obama after she lit the National Christmas tree at the White House. In June 2016, she was awakened in her home by a robber who punched her repeatedly in the face, dragged her out of her bedroom and beat her before making off with the coin and other items. Soskin, then 94, recovered and returned to work just weeks after the attack. The coin was replaced.Soskin also was honored with entry into the Congressional Record. Glamour Magazine named her woman of the year in 2018.
RICHMOND, Calif. — The nation's oldest active park ranger is hanging up her Smokey hat at the age of 100.
Betty Reid Soskin retired Thursday after more than 15 years at the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California, the National Park Service announced.
Soskin "spent her last day providing an interpretive program to the public and visiting with coworkers," a Park Service statement said.
She led tours at the park and museum honoring the women who worked in factories during wartime and shared her own experience as a Black woman during the conflict. She worked for the U.S. Air Force in 1942 but quit after learning that "she was employed only because her superiors believed she was white," according to a Park Service biography.
"Being a primary source in the sharing of that history – my history – and giving shape to a new national park has been exciting and fulfilling," Soskin said in the Park Service statement. "It has proven to bring meaning to my final years."
Ben Margot
National Park Service Ranger Betty Reid Soskin smiles during an interview at Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, Calif., July 12, 2016.
Soskin won a temporary Park Service position at the age of 84 and became a permanent Park Service employee in 2011. She celebrated her 100th birthday last September.
"Betty has made a profound impact on the National Park Service and the way we carry out our mission," Director Chuck Sams said. "Her efforts remind us that we must seek out and give space for all perspectives so that we can tell a more full and inclusive history of our nation."
Soskin was born Betty Charbonnet in Detroit in 1921 but recalled surviving the devastating Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 while living with her Creole family in New Orleans, according to the Park Service biography.
Ben Margot
Betty Reid Soskin, a 94-year-old National Park Service Ranger, is pictured at the visitors center of Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park where she works in Richmond, Calif., July 26, 2016.
Her family then moved to Oakland, California, and Soskin remained in the San Francisco Bay Area, where in 1945 she and her first husband founded one of the first Black-owned record stores in the area, the biography said.
She also was a civil rights activist and took part in meetings to develop a general management plan for the Home Front park. She has received several honors.
She was named California Woman of the Year in 1995.
In 2015, Soskin received a presidential coin from President Barack Obama after she lit the National Christmas tree at the White House.
In June 2016, she was awakened in her home by a robber who punched her repeatedly in the face, dragged her out of her bedroom and beat her before making off with the coin and other items. Soskin, then 94, recovered and returned to work just weeks after the attack. The coin was replaced.
Soskin also was honored with entry into the Congressional Record. Glamour Magazine named her woman of the year in 2018.
Ben Margot
Betty Reid Soskin, a 94-year-old National Park Service Ranger, is pictured at the visitors center of Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park where she works in Richmond, Calif., July 26, 2016.
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Police search underway for suspect who allegedly shot at Daytona Beach officers
Daytona Beach police are looking for the person who they say fired shots at officers Thursday afternoon.
The shooting happened along the 900 block of Essex Road while they were responding to a well-being check.
The responding officers say they tried to find the subject mentioned on the call but could not find that individual.
Two officers were heading back to their cars when they heard three to four gunshots, according to police.
The shots missed them, and fortunately, they were not hurt.
Authorities say they searched the neighborhood door-to-door to ensure everyone's safety and have assured the public there's no threat to the community.
In the meantime, the agency will increase its presence until the shooter is found.
If you have any information that could lead to an arrest in this case, you are asked to contact the Daytona Beach Police Department at 386-671-5200.
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NASA, SpaceX delay Crew-4 launch due to busy space schedule
The countdown for the next crew to head up to the International Space Station is on.
But it's been delayed a day thanks to busy times on the Cape.
SpaceX Crew-4 launch is now set for April 20 due to another crewed launch next week, a private mission called Ax-1.
“That really is just to give us a little more space between the two flights, to make sure we have everything ready to go for the Crew-4 mission,” Steve Stich of NASA said.
The crew of four will be flying in a brand new SpaceX Dragon capsule.
One of the NASA astronauts will be making history. Jessica Watkins is the first Black woman to embark on an extended mission in space. Like her three crewmates, Watkins will spend about six months on the space station.
“This is certainly an important milestone. Both for our agency and the country. And I think it’s a tribute to the legacy of the Black women astronauts that have come before me,” Watkins said.
The crew says they are looking forward to the experiments and research during their time on the ISS. Focusing on data that will assist in the preparation and training for moon missions and later to Mars.
And when asked about more earthly issues, the war in Ukraine, the Crew-4 Commander Kjell Lindgren is confident in the working relationship with the Russian cosmonauts on the station.
“These are very challenging times, but this is our job. We have been given the privilege of this mission," Lindgren said.
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Residents weigh in on proposed expressway extension to SR 414
Residents got a chance to sound off on an expressway extension of SR 414, also known as Maitland Boulevard.
Central Florida Expressway officials say it will be a game-changer for motorists because of the traffic congestion in the area.
How often have you driven on the 414/Maitland Boulevard and ran into constant traffic?
The Central Florida Expressway Authority has identified what it calls a "preferred alternative" to reduce congestion and meet future traffic demands.
Residents learned about the project at a public hearing at Wekiva High School Thursday night.
It's an elevated four-lane toll road extension, two lanes per direction, from Maitland Boulevard to 441/Orange Blossom Trail to SR 434/Forest City Road.
"When it's built, you'll have nonstop fast rate travel between 429 all the way through 414 into I-4. So it's going to be a game-changer for a lot of people," Brian Hutchings, communications manager for the Central Florida Expressway, said.
But not every resident is sold on the idea.
Carol Leftcov lives in Country Creek in Altamonte Springs, one of 837 homes in the subdivision.
We asked her what her concerns were about this project.
“The noise, the vibration when they pound into the road," Leftcov said.
Other residents don't like it either.
“Oh, a lot of things concern me about this project. One is that I'll have a 35-foot elevated highway right over my backyard," Lake Hills Wood resident Harry Skidmore said.
"Which is going to decrease everybody's property values. It's going to be horrible. The bridge, would you want to live next to that bridge? Nobody would," Robert Hutz, who lives off Lake Lotus said.
"My house is basically going to be worthless if they do this," Skidmore said.
Even after the public hearing, there will still be a chance for the public comments to the Expressway Authority's website.
If all goes well, there will be final presentation before the Board by late summer, and if all is favorable, the design process will begin.
The $365 million project covering about three miles aims to separate through traffic from local traffic.
The proposed project also provides seven-foot buffered bike lanes and five-foot sidewalks.
"If everything goes perfectly, we'll have cars on the road in this new section of 414 in five years," Hutchings said.
Officials say there will be no relocation of families or businesses as a result of the project.
You can learn more about State Road 414 Expressway Extension Project here.
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Zac Stacy's ex-girlfriend turns personal domestic violence experience into art for new exhibit
In November 2021, former NFL player Zac Stacy was arrested for assaulting Kristin Evans, the mother of his then 4-month-old son in her Central Florida home.
It was all caught on surveillance cameras. The video went viral.
"He has bullied me for so long that at one point, I believed it was my fault," Evans said after the video was released.
Months later Evans said she's starting to feel like herself again.
"This is the person I was before. You know, I was very bubbly and happy," Evans said. "It was such a vulnerable time for me. I look back and I'm kind of like, wow, that doesn't even look like the same person that I am."
Evans said art has helped her bring her bright, happy spirit back.
On Thursday, Evans' exhibit called 'Say It Out Loud,' opened at the Henao Contemporary Center, dedicated to raising awareness of domestic violence.
Many of the pieces of art are made from actual pieces of her life when she says domestic violence shattered it.
The television and the baby seat she said she was thrown into are used in an interactive exhibit.
"The actual television is the television that I was thrown into. So I mean, just having to keep that around in my house, knowing I'm going to use that, and I'm going to use it for something good, but staring at it every day was really tough," Evans said.
One part of the art exhibit was dedicated to her daughter, representing the depression Evans said her daughter later faced.
"This is the actual bouncy seat that I was thrown into," Evans said.
Evans said she never thought she would be physically hurt by someone she loved.
But, she said she never thought she would someday be an artist either.
"It kind of released something in me that made me feel a bit better," Evans said.
Since we last spoke to Evans, she started a nonprofit for domestic violence survivors.
Evans included other survivors' work in the exhibit.
"To be able to give somebody else an opportunity to really just dive into something deep that affected them at one time, or still affects them to this day and give them an outlet. It was, it was awesome," Evans said.
Thursday, guests were able to donate to the nonprofit's cause.
HOTLINE: If you need help or find yourself in a domestic violence situation, please call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
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The future of Kohl's is about to be decided
Kohl's is pushing back against intense pressure from Wall Street to make changes or sell the company.
The retailer sent a sharply worded letter to shareholders Thursday ahead of its annual meeting in May, urging them to reject an activist investor's efforts to gain control of the company and install its own board of directors.
Hedge fund Macellum has criticized Kohl's in recent months, arguing the chain has underperformed competitors and lacks a compelling strategy. It wants Kohl's to consider selling its real estate assets, spin off its e-commerce business or find a buyer for the whole company.
Macellum last month nominated 10 new directors to Kohl's 13-member board, which would give it more than enough votes to approve a takeover.
In its letter Thursday, Kohl's called on shareholders to "reject Macellum's empty agenda" and vote against its "inexperienced, unqualified" board nominees.
Macellum is pushing for "a hasty sale at any price" and its nominees are "not truly independent," Kohl's said, because of their ties to the fund's founder, Jonathan Duskin. Duskin is also one of the board nominees.
"The choice is clear: Re-elect the Kohl's Board ... or elect Jonathan Duskin and his associates to destroy value," Kohl's said in the letter.
Macellum did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Kohl's is also considering a sale of the company.
The retailer said earlier this month that it has engaged with more than 20 potential buyers, a sign of wide interest. Hudson's Bay Co., the owner of Saks Fifth Avenue, is also reportedly considering a bid.
There are also some broader concerns about the pressure from Wall Street and any potential sale of the company.
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me. So there anything on the it is and I can't remember Simpson, she's caring, we choose people who have made an exemplary difference in their careers in their fields and in particular those who have given back when the idea of Justice Ginsburg becoming a great american medal winner came to us all. It seemed so obvious she had made way for conversations and case precedent around gender equity around what we as women and men could do and to live equal lives. She had become a course of pop sensation and even made her way into the world of hip hop with her notorious RBG mimicking the notorious B. I. G. And she was also such a dedicated, incredible, passionate advocate for the constitution and for the rights of all. one of the reasons a side of the sure. So because there were so few women jurists and of course there were none on this High Court of the United States until Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, what women would wear was somewhat in question. Many of them I think issued neckties, let's just say that for starters. And so they looked to historic precedents, the beautiful lace collars of the barristers of old and then increasingly as a sign of self expression. The only thing you really could modify in your official judicial. Where was the caller? As Justice Ginsburg time on the high court progress. People sent her callers. She was known like Queen Elizabeth for picking the color to express another layer of communication about a case. One of the more special objects to me that dr jane Ginsburg and mr James Ginsburg gave us was their mothers briefcase, but soft leather, soft sided with her very simple, elegant black with RBG emblazoned in gold. And I think that her hand carried that bag into the court out of the court. And it resonated with me that my professional career, it was made possible by women like her right who braved those paths, who were told that they didn't belong. And yet she carried that in her hand. Every day she walked into court.
US Navy will name a ship after Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Updated: 11:38 PM EDT Mar 31, 2022
The late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg served more than two decades on the U.S. Supreme Court, developed a rock star status and drew standing ovations when she spoke in public. Now the late "Notorious R.B.G." will add another entry to her long list of accomplishments.The Navy will name a ship after her.Related video above: Smithsonian's National Museum of American History honors the late Justice Ruth Bader GinsburgOn the final day of women's history month, the Navy announced that the USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be a John Lewis-class replenishment oiler ship, designated T-AO 212."It is my absolute honor to name the next after the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg," said Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro in a statement. "She is a historic figure who vigorously advocated for women's rights and gender equality."Ginsburg, who died in September 2020 at the age of 87 due to complications from metastatic pancreas cancer, had served as the senior member of the Supreme Court's liberal wing, delivering progressive votes on some of the most polarizing social issues of the day, including abortion rights, same-sex marriage, voting rights, immigration, health care and affirmative action.She was the second woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court behind Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.The John Lewis-class replenishment oiler ships, used to refuel carrier strike groups at sea, are traditionally named after those who fought for civil and human rights. Rep. John Lewis, who died in July 2020 at the age of 80, was a towering figure in the civil rights movement, challenging segregation and leading the march for voting rights in Selma, Alabama. The second ship in the class is named for Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, became a leader in the fight against anti-gay initiatives.Other ships in the class are named for Earl Warren, Robert F. Kennedy, Lucy Stone, Sojourner Truth and Thurgood Marshall."She is instrumental to why we now have women of all backgrounds, experiences and talents serving within our ranks, side by side with their male Sailor and Marine counterparts," said Del Toro.Del Toro also named Ginsburg's daughter, Jane Ginsburg, as the ship's sponsor. The daughter of the famous jurist will participate in the milestones for the ship, such as its keel laying ceremony, christening and commissioning.
The late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg served more than two decades on the U.S. Supreme Court, developed a rock star status and drew standing ovations when she spoke in public. Now the late "Notorious R.B.G." will add another entry to her long list of accomplishments.
The Navy will name a ship after her.
Related video above: Smithsonian's National Museum of American History honors the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
On the final day of women's history month, the Navy announced that the USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be a John Lewis-class replenishment oiler ship, designated T-AO 212.
"It is my absolute honor to name the next [replenishment oiler] after the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg," said Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro in a statement. "She is a historic figure who vigorously advocated for women's rights and gender equality."
Ginsburg, who died in September 2020 at the age of 87 due to complications from metastatic pancreas cancer, had served as the senior member of the Supreme Court's liberal wing, delivering progressive votes on some of the most polarizing social issues of the day, including abortion rights, same-sex marriage, voting rights, immigration, health care and affirmative action.
She was the second woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court behind Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, celebrating her 20th anniversary on the bench, is photographed in the West conference room at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Aug. 30, 2013.
The John Lewis-class replenishment oiler ships, used to refuel carrier strike groups at sea, are traditionally named after those who fought for civil and human rights. Rep. John Lewis, who died in July 2020 at the age of 80, was a towering figure in the civil rights movement, challenging segregation and leading the march for voting rights in Selma, Alabama. The second ship in the class is named for Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, became a leader in the fight against anti-gay initiatives.
Other ships in the class are named for Earl Warren, Robert F. Kennedy, Lucy Stone, Sojourner Truth and Thurgood Marshall.
"She is instrumental to why we now have women of all backgrounds, experiences and talents serving within our ranks, side by side with their male Sailor and Marine counterparts," said Del Toro.
Del Toro also named Ginsburg's daughter, Jane Ginsburg, as the ship's sponsor. The daughter of the famous jurist will participate in the milestones for the ship, such as its keel laying ceremony, christening and commissioning.
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Driver killed after crashing into fire trucks on SR-408
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Driver killed after crashing into fire trucks on SR-408
A driver was killed following a crash on the SR-408 early Friday morning, according to Orlando Police.It happened just after 2 a.m.Orlando police say firefighters were on the scene of a crash in the eastbound lanes at Andes Avenue when another vehicle struck two fire trucks that had responded.The driver of that vehicle died on scene.No firefighters were hurt.
A driver was killed following a crash on the SR-408 early Friday morning, according to Orlando Police.
It happened just after 2 a.m.
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Orlando police say firefighters were on the scene of a crash in the eastbound lanes at Andes Avenue when another vehicle struck two fire trucks that had responded.
The driver of that vehicle died on scene.
No firefighters were hurt.
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The Latest: Ukraine braces for renewed attacks as Russian troops leave Chernobyl
Russian troops left the heavily contaminated Chernobyl nuclear site early Friday after returning control to the Ukrainians, authorities said, as residents in parts of eastern Ukraine braced for renewed attacks and awaited blocked supplies of food and other humanitarian relief.
Ukraine’s state power company, Energoatom, said the pullout at Chernobyl came after soldiers received “significant doses” of radiation from digging trenches in the forest in the exclusion zone around the closed plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency said it could not independently confirm the exposure claim.
Here's the latest on the Ukraine-Russia conflict as of 5:30 a.m. (Eastern):
- The European Union will seek China’s assurances that it won’t assist Russia in circumventing economic sanctions leveled over the invasion of Ukraine at an annual summit Friday.
- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says Russia does not appear to be scaling back its military operations in Ukraine.
- Russian forces which were in control of the Chernobyl nuclear plant began leaving and have transferred control of the facility to Ukrainian personnel.
- The Ukrainian emergency services say the death toll after a Russian missile strike Tuesday on the regional government headquarters in the southern city of Mykolaiv has risen to 20.
- The U.N. refugee agency says more than 4 million people have now fled Ukraine following Russia’s invasion, a new milestone in the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.
In what would be the first attack of its kind, if confirmed, the governor of Russia's Belgorod region accused Ukraine of flying helicopter gunships across the border on Friday morning and striking an oil depot.
The depot run by Russian energy giant Rosneft is located about 21 miles north of the Ukraine-Russia border. The helicopter attack set the facility ablaze, and two people were injured, according to a Telegram post by Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.
“The fire at the oil depot occurred as a result of an airstrike from two helicopters of the armed forces of Ukraine, which entered the territory of Russia at a low altitude,” the governor wrote on the messaging app.
It was not immediately possible to verify the claim or images that were circulating on social media of the alleged attack. Russia has reported shelling from Ukraine before, including an incident last week that killed a military chaplain, but not an incursion of its airspace.
Elsewhere, Ukrainian forces have retaken the villages of Sloboda and Lukashivka, which are south of the besieged northern city of Chernihiv and located along one of the main supply routes between the city and Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, according to Britain's Defense Ministry.
Ukraine has also continued to make successful but limited counterattacks to the east and northeast of Kyiv, the ministry said.
Russian forces have subjected both Chernihiv and Kyiv to continued air and ground-launched missile strikes despite Moscow officials saying Tuesday they planned to reduce military activity in those areas.
Western officials said there were growing indications Russia was using its talk of de-escalation in Ukraine as cover to regroup, resupply its forces and redeploy them for a stepped-up offensive in the eastern part of the country.
Video: Russian tanks destroyed outside Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russian withdrawals from the north and center of the country were just a military tactic to build up strength for new attacks in the southeast.
“We know their intentions,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address to the nation. “We know that they are moving away from those areas where we hit them in order to focus on other, very important ones where it may be difficult for us.”
“There will be battles ahead,” he added.
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators planned to resume talks via video on Friday, five weeks into a conflict that has left thousands dead and driven more than 4 million refugees from Ukraine. There seemed little faith that the two sides would find agreement on their respective demands any time soon.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said conditions weren’t yet “ripe” for a cease-fire and he wasn’t ready for a meeting with Zelenskyy until the negotiators do more work, Italian Premier Mario Draghi said after a Thursday telephone conversation with the Russian leader.
Following a plea from Zelenskyy when he addressed Australian Parliament on Thursday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that his country would send mine-resistant armored personnel carriers to Ukraine.
He said Friday the four-wheel-drive Bushmaster vehicles, specifically requested by Zelenskyy, would be flown to Europe but did not say how many would be delivered or when.
“We’re not just sending our prayers, we are sending our guns, we’re sending our munitions, we’re sending our humanitarian aid, we’re sending all of this, our body armor, all of these things, and we’re going to be sending our armored vehicles, our Bushmasters, as well,” Morrison said.
Video: Kirby: Russian troops regrouping for redeployment
In the encircled strategic port city of Mariupol, Russian forces on Thursday blocked a convoy of 45 buses attempting to evacuate people after the Russian military agreed to a limited cease-fire in the area. Only 631 people were able to get out of the city in private cars, according to the Ukrainian government.
Russian forces also seized 14 tons of food and medical supplies in a dozen buses that were trying to make it to Mariupol, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.
The city has been the scene of some of the worst suffering of the war. Tens of thousands of residents managed to get out in the past few weeks by way of humanitarian corridors, reducing the population from a prewar 430,000 to an estimated 100,000 by last week. But continued Russian attacks have repeatedly thwarted aid and evacuation convoys.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said it had been informed by Ukraine that the Russians forces at Chernobyl had transferred control of the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster to the Ukrainians in writing. The last Russian troops left Chernobyl early Friday, the Ukrainian government agency responsible for the exclusion zone said.
Energoatom gave no details on the condition of the soldiers it said were exposed to radiation and did not say how many were affected. There was no immediate comment from the Kremlin, and the IAEA said it was seeking more information.
Russian forces seized the Chernobyl site in the opening stages of the Feb. 24 invasion, raising fears that they would cause damage or disruption that could spread radiation. The workforce at the site oversees the safe storage of spent fuel rods and the concrete-entombed ruins of the reactor that exploded in 1986.
Edwin Lyman, a nuclear expert with the U.S.-based Union of Concerned Scientists, said it “seems unlikely” a large number of troops would develop severe radiation illness, but it was impossible to know for sure without more details.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi was in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad on Friday for talks with senior officials there about nuclear issues in Ukraine.
In addition to concerns about Chernobyl, nine of Ukraine's 15 operational reactors are currently in use, including two at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhya facility, the IAEA said.
Video: Kharkiv residents clean up debris from air strike
Early this week, the Russians said they would significantly scale back military operations in areas around Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv to increase trust between the two sides and help negotiations along.
But in the Kyiv suburbs, regional governor Oleksandr Palviuk said on social media Thursday that Russian forces shelled Irpin and Makariv and that there were battles around Hostomel. Pavliuk said there were Ukrainian counterattacks and some Russian withdrawals around the suburb of Brovary to the east.
At a Ukrainian military checkpoint outside Kyiv, soldiers and officers said they don’t believe Russian forces have given up on the capital.
“What does it mean, significantly scaling down combat actions in the Kyiv and Chernihiv areas?” asked Brig. Gen. Valeriy Embakov. “Does it mean there will be 100 missiles instead of 200 missiles launched on Kyiv or something else?”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said intelligence indicates Russia is not scaling back its military operations in Ukraine but is instead trying to regroup, resupply its forces and reinforce its offensive in the Donbas.
“Russia has repeatedly lied about its intentions,” Stoltenberg said. At the same time, he said, pressure is being kept up on Kyiv and other cities, and “we can expect additional offensive actions bringing even more suffering.”
The Donbas is the predominantly Russian-speaking industrial region where Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian forces since 2014. In the past few days, the Kremlin, in a seeming shift in its war aims, said that its “main goal” now is gaining control of the Donbas, which consists of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including Mariupol.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/walmart-flash-picks-backyard-outdoor-furniture/39600636
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Walmart is one of the most popular retail chains in the country and has been for quite some time. If you didn’t know, Walmart has daily deals on favorite items that are called “flash picks.”Walmart says on its website that flash picks offer up to 50% off limited-stock items that are top-rated and popular.For April 1, we thought we’d share with you some of the deals we found for you to take advantage of, perfect for your backyard and warmer weather.And if you’re not interested in those products, there are many offerings to choose from on Walmart’s Flash Picks page.SAVE HUNDREDS ON OUTDOOR SECTIONAL The Sophia & William 7 Pieces Outdoor Patio Rattan Sectional Sofa Set is marked down more than 50%, according to Walmart, with savings of more than $700.The wicker rattan patio furniture sofa chair set comes with a tea table and washable navy blue couch Cushions.Can't see the products below? Click here to view the deal.SAVE 50% ON HAMMOCKSRelax in your backyard on a new hand-braided hammock, priced down more than 50% of its initial retail price. ELEVATE YOUR GARDENSave on this elevated cedar garden bed, perfect for your green thumb. PLANNING AN EVENT?Grab a heavy-duty canopy tent for your next big event, priced down at $98.97 from its initial price of $279.99!STAY SHADEDQuictentis one of the top brands that sell high-quality patio umbrellas. Save more than $10 for this 7.5-foot design.LOVESEAT FURNITURE SETSpice up your yard with this four-piece loveseat set, and savings of more than $200.This 4-piece patio rattan wicker furniture set includes 2 single sofas, 1 loveseat, and 1 coffee table, which is ideal for both indoor and outdoor use.KEEP 'EM COOLKeep your drinks cool in this Lifetime high-performance cooler, with savings of more than $40.This one comes with a 5-year limited warranty.
Walmart is one of the most popular retail chains in the country and has been for quite some time. If you didn’t know, Walmart has daily deals on favorite items that are called “flash picks.”
Walmart says on its website that flash picks offer up to 50% off limited-stock items that are top-rated and popular.
For April 1, we thought we’d share with you some of the deals we found for you to take advantage of, perfect for your backyard and warmer weather.
And if you’re not interested in those products, there are many offerings to choose from on Walmart’s Flash Picks page.
SAVE HUNDREDS ON OUTDOOR SECTIONAL
The Sophia & William 7 Pieces Outdoor Patio Rattan Sectional Sofa Set is marked down more than 50%, according to Walmart, with savings of more than $700.
The wicker rattan patio furniture sofa chair set comes with a tea table and washable navy blue couch Cushions.
Can't see the products below? Click here to view the deal.
7 Pieces Outdoor Sectional Sofa Set
Sophia & William
walmart.com
SAVE 50% ON HAMMOCKS
Relax in your backyard on a new hand-braided hammock, priced down more than 50% of its initial retail price.
Hand-Braided Hammock
Bliss Hammocks
walmart.com
$26.54
ELEVATE YOUR GARDEN
Save on this elevated cedar garden bed, perfect for your green thumb.
Cedar Elevated Garden Bed
Expert Gardener
walmart.com
PLANNING AN EVENT?
Grab a heavy-duty canopy tent for your next big event, priced down at $98.97 from its initial price of $279.99!
Party Wedding Tent Canopy
Costway
walmart.com
$139.99
STAY SHADED
Quictentis one of the top brands that sell high-quality patio umbrellas. Save more than $10 for this 7.5-foot design.
Patio Umbrella
Quictent
walmart.com
$54.99
LOVESEAT FURNITURE SET
Spice up your yard with this four-piece loveseat set, and savings of more than $200.
This 4-piece patio rattan wicker furniture set includes 2 single sofas, 1 loveseat, and 1 coffee table, which is ideal for both indoor and outdoor use.
Loveseat furniture set
Costway
walmart.com
$159.99
KEEP 'EM COOL
Keep your drinks cool in this Lifetime high-performance cooler, with savings of more than $40.
This one comes with a 5-year limited warranty.
High Performance Hard Sided Cooler
Lifetime
walmart.com
$107.00
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https://www.wesh.com/article/disney-hugs/39608601
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Disney says character hugs will return soon at US sites
Of the many safety measures that Disney Parks had to set up to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring guests to keep a six-foot distance from the costumed characters must have been one of the hardest. At least emotionally.
For kids (or kids at heart), running into the waiting arms of Mickey Mouse and other beloved characters had been such an impulsive and quintessential part of the experience. Hanging back can be tough.
But finally, hugs are back on the horizon at US Disney properties.
As early as April 18, Disney "will start reintroducing traditional character greetings at Disneyland (in California) and Walt Disney World Resorts, as well as aboard Disney Cruise Line and at Aulani Resort in Hawaii," according to a new post on Thursday on the official Disney Parks blog.
Up close and personal
Getting autographs, snapping photos close up and just sharing a laugh face-to-face with characters such as Mulan and Goofy will all be back on the table.
Disney has a new YouTube video celebrating the upcoming change, with plenty of embraces and high-fives being distributed.
It's all part of the unwinding of coronavirus restrictions -- both at the Disney parks and in the United States at large.
"During the past two years, we've taken a very gradual, intentional approach to health and safety protocols," wrote Shawn Slater, senior communications manager for Disney Live Entertainment, in the blog.
"Recent trends and guidance have provided opportunities for us to bring back some of our most beloved magic, like character greetings and dining experiences. While not all locations will be available immediately, we anticipate reopening in phases throughout the spring and early summer."
What else is coming back
It's not just character interactions that will be returning later this spring.
At Disneyland in California, guests can look forward to the return of several nighttime spectaculars, including:
• "Disneyland Forever"
• "Fantasmic!"
• "Main Street Electrical Parade," celebrating its 50th anniversary
• "World of Color"
On Disney Cruise Line ships, fireworks at sea and Broadway-style shows will be coming back.
At Walt Disney World in Florida, shows such as "Mickey's Magical Friendship Faire" have already returned.
On-site hotels
On-site lodging is also bouncing back.
For the first time since March 2020, "all Disney Resort hotels that are part of the Disney Resorts Collection at Walt Disney World" in Florida are now open, according to another Disney Parks blog post on Thursday.
Disney's All-Star Sports Resort reopened on Thursday, the final resort there to do so.
Remaining safety measures
Disney still isn't 100% back to pre-pandemic operations. Take face masks, for instance.
They are optional for fully vaccinated guests in outdoor and indoor locations. Disney asks that visitors who are not fully vaccinated continue wearing face masks in all indoor locations.
And face coverings are still required by all visitors 2 years old and older on Disney buses and monorails. You can click here for their latest safety updates.
Shanghai Disneyland closed
While things are opening up more and more in the United States, Disney has theme parks around the world. And each one must respond to local conditions.
China, an area of the world that has had few spikes during the pandemic, has seen a big increase in cases as the BA.2 variant sweeps through the country.
As a result, Shanghai Disneyland has been closed since March 21.
It's a reminder that park patrons must be ready to adjust to changing conditions, even two years into the pandemic.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/heavy-rainfall-friday-thunderstorms-central-florida/39608137
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UPDATE: NWS issued a Tornado Warning for Brevard County, and it expired at 8:45 AM. Previous story belowHeavy rainfall fell Friday morning and storms in the afternoon and evening are expected to be strong with some possibly becoming severe.WESH 2 meteorologists have designated Friday a First Warning Impact Day and Saturday a First Warning Weather Day. As of 7 a.m. Friday, Orlando had received 4.8 inches of rain, Casselberry had received 3.7 inches of rain and Maitland had received 5.1 inches of rain. A Flood Advisory was issued for parts of Lake County through Seminole and southern Volusia County and was set to expire at 7:15 a.m. The rain will be widespread in the morning, turning scattered with pockets of sunshine in the early afternoon, and some more thunderstorms in the late afternoon and early evening.The stronger storms will be in the southern parts of Central Florida. Saturday is expected to bring another round of strong to severe storms. Outdoor and evening plans will likely need to be moved indoors. Residents should prepare for impacts to their commute if driving in these storms. Those on the coast should use caution while outside because strong winds are possible.Average high temperatures will prove to be really warm this weekend, starting with a high of 84 degrees on Friday and finally 83 degrees on both Saturday and Sunday. Lows will come down to the upper 60s.Stay with WESH 2 for the most accurate Central Florida weather forecast.RadarHurricanesSevere Weather AlertsMap Room
ORLANDO, Fla. — UPDATE: NWS issued a Tornado Warning for Brevard County, and it expired at 8:45 AM.
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Previous story below
Heavy rainfall fell Friday morning and storms in the afternoon and evening are expected to be strong with some possibly becoming severe.
WESH 2 meteorologists have designated Friday a First Warning Impact Day and Saturday a First Warning Weather Day.
As of 7 a.m. Friday, Orlando had received 4.8 inches of rain, Casselberry had received 3.7 inches of rain and Maitland had received 5.1 inches of rain.
A Flood Advisory was issued for parts of Lake County through Seminole and southern Volusia County and was set to expire at 7:15 a.m.
The rain will be widespread in the morning, turning scattered with pockets of sunshine in the early afternoon, and some more thunderstorms in the late afternoon and early evening.
The stronger storms will be in the southern parts of Central Florida.
Saturday is expected to bring another round of strong to severe storms.
Outdoor and evening plans will likely need to be moved indoors. Residents should prepare for impacts to their commute if driving in these storms. Those on the coast should use caution while outside because strong winds are possible.
Average high temperatures will prove to be really warm this weekend, starting with a high of 84 degrees on Friday and finally 83 degrees on both Saturday and Sunday. Lows will come down to the upper 60s.
Stay with WESH 2 for the most accurate Central Florida weather forecast.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/jacksonville-kidnapping-child-dies/39608360
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Florida 5-year-old dies after alleged kidnapper leads cops on chase, crashes into pond
A 5-year-old died Thursday night as authorities pursued a kidnapping suspect in Jacksonville.
First Coast News reports a woman armed with a knife abducted the girl near Biscayne Boulevard and Dunn Avenue around 8 a.m. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said the woman and the child knew each other, but their exact relationship is unclear.
An officer responding to the scene spotted a vehicle driven by a woman that matched the description of the suspect and a high-speed chase ensued, spanning 30 miles. According to News4Jax, speeds reached 90 mph.
Authorities say the woman tried to exit at I-95 South and 9B but crashed into a retention pond.
Officers jumped into the water, pulling the woman from the water and taking her to the hospital.
Crews could not locate the child. A dive team came out to help.
“The child was, unfortunately, located at the bottom of the pond, deceased,” Officer Christian Hancock said.
Hancock said the driver will be arrested and charged with traffic homicide.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/man-struck-and-killed-by-suv-on-i-95/39608247
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Man struck and killed by SUV on I-95
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Man struck and killed by SUV on I-95
A man died after he was struck by an SUV on I-95 in Flagler County.This happened around 9 p.m. Thursday in the southbound lanes at Mile Marker 287.Troopers say the 64-year-old man was walking in the travel lanes when he was hit.The driver who hit him stayed at the scene.The accident remains under investigation.
FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. —
A man died after he was struck by an SUV on I-95 in Flagler County.
This happened around 9 p.m. Thursday in the southbound lanes at Mile Marker 287.
Advertisement
Troopers say the 64-year-old man was walking in the travel lanes when he was hit.
The driver who hit him stayed at the scene.
The accident remains under investigation.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/news-briefing-deadly-free-fall-accident/39608798
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Florida Agriculture Commissioner to hold news briefing on deadly Free Fall accident
It has been a week since 14-year-old Tyre Sampson fell to his death from the Orlando Free Fall ride.
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried will be in Orlando Friday to address the tragedy.
WESH 2 will stream the event at 11 a.m.
Fried's office is the one that investigates these accidents and can penalize the owners. So we should get more insight Friday into what investigators have found so far.
Different inspectors have appeared at the accident site since it happened, trying to figure out how Sampson slipped out of the harness, as the ride came down at 75 miles per hour.
We know the Free Fall uses a locking shoulder harness to keep riders in place but also, that Sampson was well over the weight limit, listed in the ride's operating manual.
The seats do not have a safety belt and the company that built it claimed in a letter to the owner, that it doesn't need one. But a local ride designer we talked to, says it's a simple way, to make the ride much safer.
Bill Kitchen, the president of U.S. Thrill Rides, says a belt costs about $20 and can hold 6,000 pounds.
Fried's department may decide to issue penalties, against the ride owners, and can even shut down rides and impound them if they are deemed to be too dangerous.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/bicyclist-dies-orange-blossom-trail/39608899
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Bicyclist dies after being hit by car on Orange Blossom Trail
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Bicyclist dies after being hit by car on Orange Blossom Trail
A bicyclist was pronounced dead after a crash Thursday night on Orange Blossom Trail.According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a sedan was traveling south on Orange Blossom Trail near Mary Louis Lane around 11:30 p.m.Officials say the bicyclist was traveling east across the southbound lanes.One vehicle swerved to avoid hitting the bicyclist but a 17-year-old driving the sedan struck the bicyclist. The bicyclist, a 47-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene.The crash is under investigation.
A bicyclist was pronounced dead after a crash Thursday night on Orange Blossom Trail.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a sedan was traveling south on Orange Blossom Trail near Mary Louis Lane around 11:30 p.m.
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Officials say the bicyclist was traveling east across the southbound lanes.
One vehicle swerved to avoid hitting the bicyclist but a 17-year-old driving the sedan struck the bicyclist.
The bicyclist, a 47-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The crash is under investigation.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/house-passes-dollar35-a-month-insulin-cap-as-uphill-senate-battle-looms/39609695
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House passes $35-a-month insulin cap as uphill Senate battle looms
The House has passed a bill capping the monthly cost of insulin at $35 for insured patients, part of an election-year push by Democrats for price curbs on prescription drugs at a time of rising inflation.
Video above: President Biden decries high prescription costs: 'shame on us'
Experts say the legislation, which passed 232-193 Thursday, would provide significant relief for privately insured patients with skimpier plans and for Medicare enrollees facing rising out-of-pocket costs for their insulin. Some could save hundreds of dollars annually, and all insured patients would get the benefit of predictable monthly costs for insulin. The bill would not help the uninsured.
But the Affordable Insulin Now Act will serve as a political vehicle to rally Democrats and force Republicans who oppose it into uncomfortable votes ahead of the midterms. For the legislation to pass Congress, 10 Republican senators would have to vote in favor. Democrats acknowledge they don't have an answer for how that's going to happen.
“If 10 Republicans stand between the American people being able to get access to affordable insulin, that's a good question for 10 Republicans to answer,” said Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., a cosponsor of the House bill. “Republicans get diabetes, too. Republicans die from diabetes.”
Public opinion polls have consistently shown support across party lines for congressional action to limit drug costs.
But Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., complained the legislation is only “a small piece of a larger package around government price controls for prescription drugs." Critics say the bill would raise premiums and fails to target pharmaceutical middlemen seen as contributing to high list prices for insulin.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Democrats could have a deal on prescription drugs if they drop their bid to authorize Medicare to negotiate prices. “Do Democrats really want to help seniors, or would they rather have the campaign issue?" Grassley said.
The insulin bill, which would take effect in 2023, represents just one provision of a much broader prescription drug package in President Joe Biden's social and climate legislation.
In addition to a similar $35 cap on insulin, the Biden bill would authorize Medicare to negotiate prices for a range of drugs, including insulin. It would penalize drugmakers who raise prices faster than inflation and overhaul the Medicare prescription drug benefit to limit out-of-pocket costs for enrollees.
Biden's agenda passed the House only to stall in the Senate because Democrats could not reach consensus. Party leaders haven't abandoned hope of getting the legislation moving again, and preserving its drug pricing curbs largely intact.
The idea of a $35 monthly cost cap for insulin actually has a bipartisan pedigree. The Trump administration had created a voluntary option for Medicare enrollees to get insulin for $35, and the Biden administration continued it.
In the Senate, Republican Susan Collins of Maine and Democrat Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire are working on a bipartisan insulin bill. Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock has introduced legislation similar to the House bill, with the support of Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.
Stung by criticism that Biden's economic policies spur inflation, Democrats are redoubling efforts to show how they'd help people cope with costs. On Thursday, the Commerce Department reported a key inflation gauge jumped 6.4% in February compared with a year ago, the largest year-over-year rise since January 1982.
But experts say the House bill would not help uninsured people, who face the highest out-of-pocket costs for insulin. Also, people with diabetes often take other medications as well as insulin. That's done to treat the diabetes itself, along with other serious health conditions often associated with the disease. The House legislation would not help with those costs, either. Collins says she's looking for a way to help uninsured people through her bill.
About 37 million Americans have diabetes, and an estimated 6 million to 7 million use insulin to keep their blood sugars under control. It’s an old drug, refined and improved over the years, that has seen relentless price increases.
Steep list prices don't reflect the rates insurance plans negotiate with manufacturers. But those list prices are used to calculate cost-sharing amounts that patients owe. Patients who can’t afford their insulin reduce or skip doses, a strategy born of desperation, which can lead to serious complications and even death.
Economist Sherry Glied of New York University said the market for insulin is a “total disaster” for many patients, particularly those with skimpy insurance plans or no insurance.
“This will make private insurance for people with diabetes a much more attractive proposition,” said Glied.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/spacex-launch-set-for-friday-afternoon/39609751
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SpaceX launch set for Friday afternoon
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SpaceX launch set for Friday afternoon
SpaceX is set to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Friday.Liftoff for the Transporter-4 mission is set for 12:24 p.m, but the weather may not cooperate.This is the company's fourth dedicated small-sat ride-share mission.Because the rocket will fly on a southern trajectory, the entire launch may be visible from the ground.The first-stage booster previously launched Crew-1, Crew-2 and four other missions.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. —
SpaceX is set to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Friday.
Liftoff for the Transporter-4 mission is set for 12:24 p.m, but the weather may not cooperate.
Advertisement
This is the company's fourth dedicated small-sat ride-share mission.
Because the rocket will fly on a southern trajectory, the entire launch may be visible from the ground.
The first-stage booster previously launched Crew-1, Crew-2 and four other missions.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/unidentified-man-found-dead-appalachian-trail/39609882
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Authorities ask for help identifying man found dead on Appalachian Trail
The body was found Jan. 21
The body was found Jan. 21
Authorities are asking for help identifying a man found dead along the Appalachian Trail.
Officials say the man's body was found Jan. 21.
The man was wearing a small gray T-shirt, a gray fleece long sleeve shirt, tan Wrangler brand cargo pants size 30x32, gray wool boot socks, and Keen brand hiking boots size 10.5.
The man had a black Thermal-FR brand fleece quarter-zip pullover, a dark gray Champion brand quarter-zip fleece, a black Uline skull cap with rechargeable light attachment and a small black folding shovel.
They are asking anyone with information to contact The Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/covid-19-hospitalizations-have-hit-a-pandemic-low-in-the-us-data-shows/39609685
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COVID-19 hospitalizations have hit a pandemic low in the US, data shows
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Updated: 12:21 PM EDT Apr 1, 2022
JESSICA: THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS HOSPITALEDIZ IN MASSACHUSETTS FOR COVID DOWN TO 210, MORE THAN HALF FULLY VACCINATED. HERE TO TALK ABOUT THAT IS DR. TODD ELLERIN, CHIEF OF IN FECTIOUS DISEASES AT SOUTH SHORE HEALTH. N:BE LET’S BREAK THAT DOWN. THIS IS FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH. THE NUMBER IS TWO HUNDRED 10, DOWN FROM 0033 PATIENTS AT THE HEIGHT OF THE OMICRON SURGEON JANUARY, BUT LOOKING AT THIS WEEK’S DATA, 120 FOUR WERE FULLY CCVAINATED WHEN INFECTED, SO ALMOST 60%. ARYOUE SURPRISED THAT HIGH OF A PERCENTAGE IS IN THE HOSPITAL? >> NOT AT ALL AND LET ME EXPLAIN. IMAGINE 100 PERCENT OF PEOPLE IN MASSACHUSETTS WERE VACCINATED. ANY HOSPITALIZED PATIENT WITH COVID WOULD BE VACCINAD BUT MASSACHUSETTS HAS OVER 80% OF US FULLY VACCINATED, THOSE ELIGIBLE NOW. SO YOU EXPECT TO E SEVACCINATED PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED. HERE IS THE RUB, THOUGH. WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHO IS VACCINATED AND HOSPITALIZED, IT TENDS TO BE THE EXTREMES OF AGE, ELDERLY, LSOT OF CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS. THE PEOPLE WHO ARE UNVACCINATED ARE OFTEN 15, 20 YES YOUNGER, SO YOUNGER UNVACCINATED PEOPLE ARE BEING VACCINATED. AND TO BRING HOME THE POINT, ONLY 18% OF PEOPLE OF MASSACHUSETTS ARE VACCINATED, YET IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR NUMBERS, 41% OF PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED NOW ARE UNVACCINATED, SO THE VACCINES ARE DOING WHAT WE EXPECT. JESSICA: WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT WANTINPRG OTECTION FROM VACCINES AND PRIOR INFECTIONS. DO WE KNOW HOW LONG EACH ONE WILL LAST? DR. ELLERIN: TREHE WAS A RECENT STUDY IN THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL PUBLISHED TODAY, AND WTHA IT SHOWS,ND A WE KNOW THIS, IS THAT VACCINE EFFECTIVENESS DOES WANE OVER TIME, AND THAT’S ONE OF THE REASONWHY WE MAY HAVE TO CHANGE OUR SHIFT A LITTLE WITH GOALS. ATHE T VERY BEGINNING, WHEN VACCINES FIRST CAME OUT, WE WERE HEARING 95% EFFECTIVE AGAINST INFECTION. THOSE NUMBERS HAVE DECREASED .IN THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL, THE VARIANT OUT OF THE U.K., EFFECTIVENESS DROPPED TO SIX MONTHS, BUT I THINK THE KEY IS THE VACCINES ARE STILL WORKING SO WELL AT PREVENTING SEVERE INFECTION. I THINK THAT WILL HAVE TO BE WHERE WE ARE LOOKING IN THE FUTURE. BEN: A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE INFECTED WITH COVID DURING THE OMICRON SURGEON AND MANY PEOPLE HAD MILD SYMPTOMS -- OMICRON SURGE AND MANY PEOPLE HAD MILD SYMPTOMS. IS IT SAFE FOR THESE PEOPLE TO SKIP THE BOOSTER SHOTS OR NOT? DRELLERI. ABSOLUTELY NOT. EVEN THOUGH WE LEARNED INFECTION DOES PROVIDE IMMUNITY, A STUDY THIS TIME FROM ISRAEL PUBLISHED INHE JOURNAL, 139,000 PEOPLE OMFR ISRLAE, AND ESSENTIALLY, MOST WERE COMPLETELY VACCINATED, HAD TWO DOSES OF VACCINE, AND WHAT TYHE SHOWED IS THAT THOSE WHO WERE VACCINATED ALONE, THERE WERE ABOUT54 WE 3 INFECTIONS, BUT THOSE WHO WERE VACCINATED AND VACCINATED AND ALSO INFECTED, THEY WERE LESS LIKELY TO GET INFECTED, SO WHAT DOES THAT SAY? INFECTION PLUS VACCINE PROTECTS GREATER THAN JUST VACCINE ALONE. AND AGAIN, ONE THING TO REMEMBER , WHAT YOU DO NOT WANTOT O IS GO AND GET INFECTED BECAUSE THESE STUDIES DON’T TELL ABOUT ETH MORBIDITY, COVID LONG-TERM, PROBLEMS, SEPARATION, ISOLATION, THINGS LIKE THAT, SO THAT, SO THE VACCINE IS STILL THE BEST WAY. JESSICA: ONE LAST QUESTION. I ALSO WANT TO ASK ABOUT SEASONAL ALLERGIES. TREE POLLEN IS A BIG PROBLEM NOW. THE FACE MASKS OFFER ANY SORT OF PROTECTION? DR. ELRILE THEY ACTUALLY DO BUT IT IS A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD -- THE MASKS PROTECT YOUR FACE FROM POLLEN BUT THE EYES ARE EXPOSED. THE OTHER ISSUE IS WHEN YOU BRING THE MASK BACK TOIN ITSELF, YOU CAN CAUSE MORE POLLEN RELEASE IN THE HOME, SO YOU WANT TO BE CAREFUL OF THAT. JUST LIKE COVID, THESE RESPIRATORS ACTUALLY PROTECT BETTER THAN ETH REGULAR SURGICAL MASKS, SO MASKS DO PROTT AGAINST POLLEN, BUT BE CAREFUL DAN REALIZE IT WILL NOT
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COVID-19 hospitalizations have hit a pandemic low in the US, data shows
Fewer people are hospitalized with COVID-19 in the United States now than at any other point in the pandemic, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.As of Friday, there are 16,138 people in the hospital with COVID-19 — fewer than there have ever been since the HHS first started tracking in July 2020. Just 2% of hospital beds are currently in use for COVID-19 patients.The number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU is also at a low point, with less than 2,000 ICU beds in use for COVID-19 patients in the United States overall, HHS data shows.Previously, the lowest point was in late June 2021, just before delta became the dominant variant in the country. COVID-19 hospitalizations reached a peak in January 2022 amid the omicron surge, when more than 160,000 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 at one time.While the strain on the U.S. hospital system directly related to treating COVID-19 patients has been significantly reduced, experts say that many hospitals are still burdened by staffing shortages and other patients who are coming in sicker after postponing care during the height of the pandemic.Overall, since August 2020, there have been about 4.6 million total hospital admissions for COVID-19 in the U.S., according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than a third of hospital admissions have been among seniors age 70 and older.Black and Hispanic people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 at more than twice the rate of white people, and American Indians have been more than three times as likely to be hospitalized.
Fewer people are hospitalized with COVID-19 in the United States now than at any other point in the pandemic, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
As of Friday, there are 16,138 people in the hospital with COVID-19 — fewer than there have ever been since the HHS first started tracking in July 2020. Just 2% of hospital beds are currently in use for COVID-19 patients.
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The number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU is also at a low point, with less than 2,000 ICU beds in use for COVID-19 patients in the United States overall, HHS data shows.
Previously, the lowest point was in late June 2021, just before delta became the dominant variant in the country. COVID-19 hospitalizations reached a peak in January 2022 amid the omicron surge, when more than 160,000 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 at one time.
While the strain on the U.S. hospital system directly related to treating COVID-19 patients has been significantly reduced, experts say that many hospitals are still burdened by staffing shortages and other patients who are coming in sicker after postponing care during the height of the pandemic.
Overall, since August 2020, there have been about 4.6 million total hospital admissions for COVID-19 in the U.S., according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than a third of hospital admissions have been among seniors age 70 and older.
Black and Hispanic people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 at more than twice the rate of white people, and American Indians have been more than three times as likely to be hospitalized.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/michigan-gov-whitmer-kidnapping-trial-closing/39609761
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Closing arguments begin in trial over Michigan Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot
A prosecutor urged jurors Friday to convict four men in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, saying they were antigovernment extremists “filled with rage” and intent on igniting a civil war.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler summed up the evidence on the 15th day of trial in federal court in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The case was built with informants, undercover agents, secret recordings and two star witnesses who pleaded guilty and cooperated.
Adam Fox, Barry Croft Jr., Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta are charged with conspiracy. Three of the men also face additional charges involving weapons.
“They were filled with rage,” Kessler told jurors. “They were paranoid because they knew what they were doing was wrong and they feared they could be caught.”
The four men deny any scheme to get Whitmer at her vacation home, though they were livid with the government as well as restrictions the governor imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kessler highlighted the testimony of Ty Garbin, who was arrested with the group but quickly agreed to cooperate and pleaded guilty.
“The boogaloo is this whole idea of kicking off a second civil war in the United States. That's what bound these defendants together,” the prosecutor said.
The men were arrested in October 2020 amid talk of raising $4,000 for an explosive that could blow up a bridge and stymie police after a kidnapping, according to trial evidence. Fox twice traveled to northern Michigan to scout the area.
Only one defendant, Harris, chose to testify in his own defense. But his denial of any crime Thursday was met by an aggressive cross-examination in which prosecutors used his own words to show his contempt for Whitmer and even suggestions about how to kill her.
Defense attorneys insist they were under the spell of informants and agents who got them to say and do violent, provocative things.
Harris repeatedly answered “absolutely not” when asked by his lawyer if he was part of a plot. His testimony was perilous because he exposed himself to numerous challenges by prosecutors who had been offering evidence against the group for days.
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.
Roth confronted Harris with his own chat messages about posing as a pizza deliveryman and killing Whitmer at her door. He reminded Harris, a former Marine, that he worked with explosives while training with the group, especially in Luther, Michigan, in September 2020, about a month before their arrest.
Roth played a conversation of Croft talking about militias overthrowing governments in various states and “breaking a few eggs” if necessary.
“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.
A “shoot house” that was intended to resemble Whitmer's second home was a key part of the Luther training weekend, according to the government. Harris admitted that he brought materials but said he didn’t build it with her house in mind.
He didn't participate in an evening ride to Elk Rapids, Michigan, to scout Whitmer’s home and a bridge during that same weekend. Harris said he had purchased $200 of cheap beer and cigarettes so he could return to the camp and “get wasted” with others.
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.
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.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/orange-county-deputy-indicted-in-2020-shooting/39611351
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Orange County deputy indicted in 2020 shooting
On Friday, it was announced that a grand jury had returned an indictment against an Orange County Sheriff's deputy in a shooting from two years ago.
Deputy Bruce Stolk has been charged with aggravated battery with a firearm in the non-fatal shooting that occurred on Dec. 20, 2020.
Stolk was placed on administrative leave. He has been with the Orange County Sheriff's Office since September 2017.
"I believe in our justice system and it's important we let this case run its course," said Sheriff John Mina. "Our deputies have one of the most difficult and complex jobs in the world. They must make split-second decisions and act in the moment to protect themselves and others."
The 2020 incident began when 18-year-old Edenilson Urbina was riding a motorcycle that appeared to have an illegal tag, Mina said.
Mina said it appeared Urbina had reached for a weapon so Stolk fired at Urbina once, striking him in the leg.
"We still don't know all the facts, like we said It's extremely dark out there, some of the body camera video that's already been reviewed is extremely dark as well," Mina said at the time.
Urbina was released from the hospital and taken to the jail where he was booked on a charge of resisting an officer without violence.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/pope-makes-historic-apology-to-indigenous-people-of-canada/39610201
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Pope makes historic apology to indigenous people of Canada
Pope Francis on Friday made a historic apology to Indigenous Peoples for the “deplorable” abuses they suffered in Canada’s Catholic-run residential schools and said he hoped to visit Canada in late July to deliver the apology in person to survivors of the church's misguided missionary zeal.
Francis begged forgiveness during an audience with dozens of members of the Metis, Inuit and First Nations communities who came to Rome seeking a papal apology and a commitment from the Catholic Church to repair the damage. The first pope from the Americas said he hoped to visit Canada around the Feast of St. Anna, which falls on July 26.
Video above: More than 600 bodies found at Indigenous school in Canada
More than 150,000 native children in Canada were forced to attend state-funded Christian schools from the 19th century until the 1970s in an effort to isolate them from the influence of their homes and culture. The aim was to Christianize and assimilate them into mainstream society, which previous Canadian governments considered superior.
The Canadian government has admitted that physical and sexual abuse was rampant at the schools, with students beaten for speaking their native languages. That legacy of that abuse and isolation from family has been cited by Indigenous leaders as a root cause of the epidemic rates of alcohol and drug addiction now on Canadian reservations.
After hearing their stories all week, Francis told the Indigenous that the colonial project ripped children from their families, cutting off roots, traditions and culture and provoking inter-generational trauma that is still being felt today. He said it was a “counter-witness” to the same Gospel that the residential school system purported to uphold.
“For the deplorable conduct of those members of the Catholic Church, I ask forgiveness of the Lord,” Francis said. “And I want to tell you from my heart, that I am greatly pained. And I unite myself with the Canadian bishops in apologizing.”
The trip to Rome by the Indigenous was years in the making but gained momentum last year after the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves outside some of the residential schools in Canada. The three groups of Indigenous met separately with Francis over several hours this week, telling him their stories, culminating with Friday's audience.
Francis spoke in Italian and the Indigenous read his remarks in English translations. The president of the Metis National Council, Cassidy Caron, said the Metis elder sitting next her burst into tears upon hearing what she said was a long-overdue apology.
“The pope's words today were historic, to be sure. They were necessary, and I appreciate them deeply,” Caron told reporters in St. Peter's Square. “And I now look forward to the pope's visit to Canada, where he can offer those sincere words of apology directly to our survivors and their families, whose acceptance and healing ultimately matters most.”
The spiritual adviser of the Assembly of First Nations' delegation, Elder Fred Kelley, echoed the sentiment.
“Today is a day that we’ve been waiting for. And certainly one that will be uplifted in our history," he said. “It’s a historical first step, however, only a first step.”
Video above: Tributes to kids buried at indigenous school site
He and other Indigenous leaders said there was far more for the church to do on the path of reconciliation, but that for now Indigenous leaders insisted on being involved in organizing the papal visit to make sure Francis stops in places that hold spiritual importance to their people.
Natan Obed, president of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, thanked Francis for addressing all the issues the Indigenous had brought to him. “And he did so in a way that really showed his empathy towards the indigenous people of Canada,” he said.
Nearly three-quarters of Canada’s 130 residential schools were run by Catholic missionary congregations.
Last May, the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc Nation announced the discovery of 215 gravesites near Kamloops, British Columbia, that were found using ground-penetrating radar. It was Canada’s largest Indigenous residential school and the discovery of the graves was the first of numerous, similar grim sites across the country.
Even before the grave sites were discovered, Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission specifically called for a papal apology to be delivered on Canadian soil for the church’s role in the abuses.
In addition, as part of a settlement of a lawsuit involving the Canadian government, churches and the approximately 90,000 surviving students, Canada paid reparations that amounted to billions of dollars being transferred to Indigenous communities. The Catholic Church, for its part, has paid over $50 million and now intends to add $30 million more over the next five years.
Francis said he felt shame for the role that Catholic educators had played in the harm, “in the abuse and disrespect for your identity, your culture and even your spiritual values,” he said. “It is evident that the contents of the faith cannot be transmitted in a way that is extraneous to the faith itself.”
“It is chilling to think of determined efforts to instill a sense of inferiority, to rob people of their cultural identity, to sever their roots, and to consider all the personal and social effects that this continues to entail: unresolved traumas that have become inter-generational traumas,” he said.
After the papal apology, the audience continued with joyous performances of Indigenous prayers by drummers, dancers and fiddlers that Francis watched, applauded and gave a thumbs up to. The Indigenous then presented him with gifts, including snowshoes.
Francis' apology went far beyond what Pope Benedict XVI had offered in 2009 when an Assembly of First Nations delegation visited. At the time, Benedict only expressed his “sorrow at the anguish caused by the deplorable conduct of some members of the church.” But he did not apologize.
The Argentine pope is no stranger to offering apologies for his own errors and for what he himself has termed the “crimes” of the institutional church. Most significantly, during a 2015 visit to Bolivia, he apologized for the sins, crimes and offenses committed by the church against Indigenous Peoples during the colonial-era conquest of the Americas.
He made clear those same colonial crimes occurred far more recently in Canada at the Catholic-run residential schools.
“Your identity and culture has been wounded, many families separated, many children have become victims of this homogenization action, supported by the idea that progress occurs through ideological colonization, according to programs studied at the table rather than respecting the lives of peoples," he said.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/cassie-carli-missing/39612537
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Missing Florida mom vanished on way to pick up her daughter, family says
The family of a Florida mother who has been missing since Sunday is urging anyone with information on her whereabouts to come forward.
Cassie Carli, 37, was headed to Navarre Beach in the Florida panhandle to pick up her daughter when she vanished on Sunday night, according to her family
Carli was last seen on Sunday when she left to meet with Marcus Spanevelo, the father of her daughter, in the parking lot of Juana’s Pagodas restaurant.
Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson called the disappearance of Carli “very concerning” as he revealed that investigators found her purse inside her car.
“There were things in the purse … we don’t think she would just up and leave,” Johnson said during a press conference. “Usually you don’t go four days without hearing from them, or them using a credit card, cell phone…so yeah, we’re concerned.”
Police later tracked Spanevolo to Alabama, where they questioned him and located the couple’s daughter, 4-year-old Saylor, safe.
When asked why Spanevelo would be there, Johnson said he worked in the area. Spanevelo has not been arrested or charged with any crime.
The Santa Rosa County sheriff said Thursday the Federal Bureau of Investigation has joined in the search, according to WKRG.
Investigators believe Spanevelo was the last person to see Carli.
“He was the last one to see her that we’re aware of it so obviously we are intent on speaking with him again,” said Johnson.
Cassie’s sister told NBC the 37-year-old was between jobs and living with their father in Navarre. She worked at a paddleboard shop and just started a job as a server at the Eglin Air Force Base on March 26, the day before she disappeared, her sister said.
“She was in the middle of starting a new job on base being a lead server,” Raeann Carli told Dateline. “Saturday evening was the last time she texted me, but she said it just went well.”
Raeann said her sister had also been sorting out custody issues with Saylor’s father. The two had joint custody over their daughter.
“She went to go pick up Saylor because it was his weekend. This is a normal – every other weekend drop-off exchange thing. And they were just meeting right down the road this time,” her sister recalled.
“Juana’s – it is a local bar that she – it’s always been there. So a big parking lot and people using the boat ramp, usually a nice public place,” Raeann said. “My dad said it was just a very brief, you know, ‘Be right back, Dad. I’m just – just going right to Juana’s.’”
“When he [Cassie’s dad] woke up at 10:45 p.m., he immediately started calling my sister and no one would answer,” she added. “He called me at 4 p.m. on Monday because he said, you know, ‘She’s not back home.’”
Raeann said her father reported her sister missing on Sunday, about 24 hours after she disappeared.
Aloy said her car was found near Juana’s and is currently in an impound yard.
He added that the area where she vanished “was very dark.”
“It was a parking lot,” Aloy said.
Johnson did not divulge into specific areas being searched by deputies but did say investigators have extended their search is beyond Santa Rosa county.
“We consider her missing and danger, we don’t know what happened to her,” Sheriff Johnson said.
Cassie is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall and 150 pounds with shoulder-length blonde hair and blue eyes. She has pierced ears, and a tattoo of a tribal mark on her lower back.
Anyone with information on Cassie’s whereabouts is asked to call the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office at 850-983-1190.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/covid-19-aid-10-billion-dollar-package/39601210
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Bipartisan deal struck 'in principle' on $10 billion COVID-19 aid package, Romney says
Utah GOP Sen. Mitt Romney said Thursday that Republicans have struck an "agreement in principle" with Democrats on a $10 billion package to help U.S. efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, a breakthrough that could pave the way for new funds to help the United States' response efforts amid growing fears that critical resources are being depleted.
Video above: Biden pushes Congress to pass urgent COVID-19 funding
Romney, the lead GOP negotiator, told reporters the plan is "entirely balanced by offsets." He said the bill text still needs to be drafted and there needs to be a cost estimate from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office before the Senate can vote on the matter.
The Senate, as a result, scrapped Thursday afternoon's procedural vote on the issue — in order to give time for the bill's text to be drafted and for an official CBO score.
In remarks from the Senate floor, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said negotiators are "close to a final agreement that would garner bipartisan" support.
"We are working diligently to finalize language of scoring and the final agreement on what should be funded in the final COVID package both domestic and international," Schumer said. "As a sign of good faith, and to encourage us to come to a final agreement, I will reschedule today's procedural vote to a later time."
The goal is to pass the bill next week, Romney said.
The $10 billion price tag overall is less than half of what the White House was seeking. It's also less than the $15.6 billion that had been included in the government funding bill earlier this month, but had to be scrapped after a number of House Democrats opposed the way the money had been offset.
Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, a member of GOP leadership, expressed skepticism that the package could be finished by next week.
"If there was a deal we would be voting on it ... People want to see scores and top lines and what's in it," Thune said.
Democrats also urged caution regarding progress of the talks. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin pushed back on Senate Republicans saying that there is a "deal in principle."
"I can't go that far," he told reporters. "Schumer's just said he's still working on it."
Romney said the bill would be paid for "almost exclusively" by redirecting money from the American Rescue Plan — the law that Democrats pushed through last year. As part of the offsets, he said that they are pulling money that would have gone to states to provide grants for local businesses.
Sen. Roy Blunt, a Republican from Missouri, told reporters additional offsets would include taking money from a fund that had been intended to go to shuttered concert venues and theaters during the pandemic. He estimated there was still about $2.2 billion from that account Democrats and Republicans could re-purpose. He also said there was aviation manufacturing money from past legislation that totaled around $2 billion that could also be used.
The money is expected to go half toward therapeutics, Blunt said. He added the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services would then have "a lot of discretion" on how to best use the other half of the funding.
Romney said there "may be $1 billion" of money to deal with global COVID-19 response efforts, even as Democrats were pushing for $5 billion in global aid.
Romney and Blunt predicted there would be "a lot more than 10" Republicans who would back it.
"I believe we get more than 10 Republicans, maybe even significantly more," Blunt said.
The announcement comes after President Joe Biden made a desperate appeal Wednesday for Congress to pass additional funding and fast.
"Congress has to provide the funding America needs to continue to fight COVID-19. We're already seeing the consequences of congressional inaction," Biden said Wednesday, adding that the administration already did not have money to purchase monoclonal antibody therapies, vaccines, and more tests.
The White House has spent weeks warning lawmakers that if Congress didn't act soon they would expire money for vaccinations, to reimburse providers and insurers for out-of-network treatment, underwrite COVID-19 testing and supply personal protective equipment.
"Congress, we need to secure additional supply now, now. We can't wait until we find ourselves in the midst of another surge to act. It will be too late. And we also need this funding to continue our efforts to vaccinate the world," Biden said.
Asked about the tentative deal Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell would only say: "We're working on it, we will get there."
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https://www.wesh.com/article/covid-19-asylum-limits-us-mexico-border-to-end/39611918
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COVID-19 asylum limits at US-Mexico border to end next month, CDC says
The Centers for Disease Control announced Friday that it is ending a policy that limited asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The use of public health powers had been widely criticized by Democrats and immigration advocates as an excuse for the United States to shirk its obligations to provide haven to people fleeing persecution. The policy went into effect under President Donald Trump in March 2020. Since then, migrants trying to enter the U.S. have been turned away more than 1.7 million times.
The policy, known as the Title 42 authority, named for a 1944 public health law to prevent communicable disease, will end on paper April 1, but it will not take effect until May 23, to allow border officials time to prepare.
"After considering current public health conditions and an increased availability of tools to fight COVID-19 (such as highly effective vaccines and therapeutics), the CDC director has determined that an order suspending the right to introduce migrants into the United States is no longer necessary," the CDC said in a statement.
The decision is expected to draw more migrants to the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Department of Homeland Security said this week that about 7,100 migrants were coming daily, compared with an average of about 5,900 a day in February — on pace to match or exceed highs from last year, 2019 and other peak periods. But border officials said they are planning for as many as 18,000 arrivals daily.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/deputies-concerned-missing-marion-county-woman/39612327
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Deputies concerned about missing Marion County woman in possession of gun
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Deputies concerned about missing Marion County woman in possession of gun
Marion County deputies are asking for help locating a missing woman who is believed to be armed.Officials say Sandra Rivers was last seen at around 6:30 a.m. Friday, leaving 1705 SW 123rd Terrace, in Ocala. She is believed to be driving a gray 2017 Kia Sorento bearing Florida license plate QHKA87."Sandra made statements that have caused law enforcement and her family to be concerned for her safety. She is also believed to be in possession of a firearm," the report states. Anyone who knows where Rivers is is asked to call 911 immediately.
OCALA, Fla. —
Marion County deputies are asking for help locating a missing woman who is believed to be armed.
Officials say Sandra Rivers was last seen at around 6:30 a.m. Friday, leaving 1705 SW 123rd Terrace, in Ocala.
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She is believed to be driving a gray 2017 Kia Sorento bearing Florida license plate QHKA87.
"Sandra made statements that have caused law enforcement and her family to be concerned for her safety. She is also believed to be in possession of a firearm," the report states.
Anyone who knows where Rivers is is asked to call 911 immediately.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/house-passes-bill-federally-decriminalize-marijuana/39612341
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House passes bill to federally decriminalize marijuana
The House has voted with a slim bipartisan majority to federally decriminalize marijuana.
The vote was 220 to 204. Republicans Tom McClintock of California, Brian Mast and Matt Gaetz, both of Florida, joined the majority of Democrats in supporting the bill, while Democrats Henry Cuellar of Texas and Chris Pappas of New Hampshire voted against.
The bill, sponsored by Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, will prevent federal agencies from denying federal workers security clearances for cannabis use, and will allow the Veterans' Administration to recommend medical marijuana to veterans living with posttraumatic stress disorder, plus gains revenue by authorizing a sales tax on marijuana sales.
The bill also expunges the record of people convicted of non-violent cannabis offenses, which House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said, "can haunt people of color and impact the trajectory of their lives and career indefinitely."
"It can result in difficulty finding employment, difficulty finding housing, denial of access of federal benefits, denial of financial aid at colleges and universities, and denial of the right to vote," Hoyer said. "That's why we're dealing with this."
Senate Democrats have a similar legalization bill in the upper chamber, but neither that bill nor the House-passed MORE Act is expected to clear the 60-vote threshold for passage in the Senate.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised the legislation during her weekly news conference Thursday, telling reporters the legislation is "consistent with what is happening in many states across the country."
"It also addresses the injustices of it because of what penalties had been before some of these, this decriminalization took place," she added. "So I'm all for it."
A similar bill was passed in December 2020, and was championed in the House by the late Rep. Don Young of Alaska, who was a co-founder of the House Cannabis Caucus, but died last month before the bill made it to the floor for another vote.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/marion-county-crash-cement-truck/39612898
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17-year-old dies in Marion County crash involving cement truck
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17-year-old dies in Marion County crash involving cement truck
A teenager died Friday in a Marion County crash.It happened around 11:30 a.m. in Ocala, near the intersection of CR-484 and Southwest 27th Circle.According to Florida Highway Patrol, a cement truck was headed westbound on CR-484 and a sedan was headed eastbound on CR-484.Officials said the cement truck driver attempted to make a left turn and collided with the sedan. The 17-year-old driver of the sedan was pronounced dead at the scene. No further information was released.
OCALA, Fla. —
A teenager died Friday in a Marion County crash.
It happened around 11:30 a.m. in Ocala, near the intersection of CR-484 and Southwest 27th Circle.
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According to Florida Highway Patrol, a cement truck was headed westbound on CR-484 and a sedan was headed eastbound on CR-484.
Officials said the cement truck driver attempted to make a left turn and collided with the sedan.
The 17-year-old driver of the sedan was pronounced dead at the scene.
No further information was released.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/mobster-escapes-florida/39613047
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Mobster who killed 3 escapes federal custody in Florida
A New York mobster who killed three people and attempted to kill two others has escaped from federal custody.
The Bureau of Prisons website says Dominic Taddeo escaped on March 28. The 64-year-old had been imprisoned at a medium-security lockup in Florida before being transferred to a residential halfway house in February in Wildwood, Florida.
A Bureau of Prisons spokesperson says Taddeo failed to return from an authorized medical appointment and “was placed on escape status.”
The Sumter County Sheriff's Department was not notified of the escape, an agency spokeswoman said.
Taddeo pleaded guilty in 1992 to racketeering charges that included the killings of three men in the 1980s.
A federal judge denied Taddeo’s request for compassionate release last year.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/nyc-amazon-workers-vote-to-unionize-in-historic-labor-win/39612863
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Amazon workers in NYC vote to unionize in historic labor win
Amazon workers in Staten Island, New York, voted to unionize on Friday, marking the first successful U.S. organizing effort in the retail giant’s history and handing an unexpected win to a nascent group that fueled the union drive.
Warehouse workers cast 2,654 votes — or about 55% — in favor of a union, giving the fledgling Amazon Labor Union enough support to pull off a victory. According to the National Labor Relations Board, which is overseeing the process, 2,131 workers — or 45% — rejected the union bid.
The 67 ballots that were challenged by either Amazon or the ALU were not enough to sway the outcome. Federal labor officials said the results of the count won’t be verified until they process any objections — due by April 8 — that both parties may file.
The victory was an uphill battle for the independent group, made up of former and current workers who lacked official backing from an established union and were out-gunned by the deep-pocketed retail giant. Despite obstacles, organizers believed their grassroots approach was more relatable to workers and could help them overcome where established unions have failed in the past. They were right.
Chris Smalls, a fired Amazon employee who has been leading the ALU in its fight on Staten Island, bounded out the NLRB building in Brooklyn on Friday with other union organizers, pumping their fists and jumping, chanting "ALU." They uncorked a bottle of Champagne, and Smalls hailed the victory as a call to arms for other Amazon workers across the sprawling company.
"I hope that everybody’s paying attention now because a lot of people doubted us," he said.
Smalls hopes the success in New York will embolden workers at other facilities to launch their own organizing campaigns. Even his group will soon shift their attention to a neighboring Amazon warehouse on Staten Island, where a separate union election is scheduled to be held in late April. Organizers believe Friday’s win is going to make it easier for them to win there, too.
Amazon posted a statement on its company website Friday saying that it was evaluating its options following the election and signaled it might not accept the results.
"We’re disappointed with the outcome of the election in Staten Island because we believe having a direct relationship with the company is best for our employees," the post said. "We're evaluating our options, including filing objections based on the inappropriate and undue influence by the NLRB that we and others (including the National Retail Federation and U.S. Chamber of Commerce) witnessed in this election."
Amazon has long argued that workers don't need a union because the company already provides good wages as well as benefits such as health care, 401(k) plans and a prepaid college tuition program to help grow workers' careers.
The successful union effort on Staten Island stood in contrast to the one launched in Bessemer, Alabama by the more established Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. Workers at the warehouse there appear to have rejected a union bid but outstanding challenged ballots could change the outcome. The votes were 993-to-875 against the union. A hearing to review 416 challenged ballots is expected to begin in the next few days.
The union campaigns come at a time of widespread labor unrest at many corporations. Workers at more than 140 Starbucks locations around the country, for instance, have requested union elections and several of them have already been successful.
But Amazon has long been considered a top prize for the labor movement given the company's massive size and impact.
"We are clearly in different moment after two years of the pandemic. Something has changed in the labor landscape," said John Logan, director of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University. "It is a potential tipping point. We knew that unions were having a moment, but this is much bigger. There is no bigger prize than organizing Amazon."
Logan said he didn’t believe either union — the national or the independent labor group — would stand a chance with Amazon but he's even more shocked that a small union would be victorious given its limited resources. The group had also filed for a union election after getting support from about 30% of the facility’s workforce, a much lower percentage than what unions usually seek.
Logan believes they won in part because Amazon workers saw the organizers as authentic. And it helped that they were in labor-friendly state, he said, adding the grassroots union's win defies traditional thinking that only national unions can take on big companies.
But the ALU might still have a fight ahead of it, according to Erin Hatton, a sociology professor at the University of Buffalo in New York.
"Getting Amazon to the bargaining table will be another feat altogether," Hatton said. "Oftentimes the union will fizzle out because the company doesn't come to the bargaining table in good faith as they're obliged to do."
Amazon has pushed back hard in the lead-up to both elections in Staten Island and Bessemer. The retail giant held mandatory meetings, where workers were told unions are a bad idea. The company also launched an anti-union website targeting workers and placed English and Spanish posters across the Staten Island facility urging them to reject the union. In Bessemer, Amazon has made some changes to but still kept a controversial U.S. Postal Service mailbox that was key in the NLRB's decision to invalidate last year's vote.
Both labor fights faced unique challenges. Alabama, for instance, is a right-to-work state that prohibits a company and a union from signing a contract that requires workers to pay dues to the union that represents them.
The union landscape in Alabama is also starkly different from New York. Last year, union members accounted for 22.2% of wage and salary workers in New York, ranked only behind Hawaii, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's more than double the national average of 10.3%. In Alabama, it's 5.9%.
The mostly Black workforce at the Amazon facility, which opened in 2020, mirrors the Bessemer population of more than 70% Black residents, according to the latest U.S. Census data.
Pro-union workers say they want better working conditions, longer breaks and higher wages. Regular full-time employees at the Bessemer facility earn at least $15.80 an hour, higher than the estimated $14.55 per hour on average in the city. That figure is based on an analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual median household income for Bessemer of $30,284, which could include more than one worker.
The ALU said they don’t have a demographic breakdown of the warehouse workers on Staten Island and Amazon declined to provide the information to The Associated Press, citing the union vote. Internal records leaked to The New York Times from 2019 showed more than 60% of the hourly associates at the facility were Black or Latino, while most of the managers were white or Asian.
Amazon workers there are seeking longer breaks, paid time off for injured employees and an hourly wage of $30, up from a minimum of just over $18 per hour offered by the company. The estimated average wage for the borough is $41 per hour, according to a similar U.S. Census Bureau analysis of Staten Island’s $85,381 median household income.
—
Associated Press staff writers Mae Anderson and Bobby Caina Calvan in New York contributed to this report.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/arabi-louisiana-tornado-maria-burke-death/39614352
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22-year-old with muscular dystrophy dies a week after being injured in Louisiana tornado
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Updated: 6:33 PM EDT Apr 1, 2022
THIS IS WDSU NEWS AT 10. IT ISAY D THREE OF RECOVERY EFFORTS IN SAINT BERNARD OF FOLLOWING THE TORNADO THAT HIT TUESDAY NIGHT TONIGHT THE STORY OF A GIRL WITH SPECIAL NEEDS WHO IS INJURED WHEN THE TWISTER. RIPPED THROUGH THEIR HEOM WDSU NEWS REPORTER SHAY O’CONNOR JOINS US LIVE FROM A DONATION DRIVE TTHA WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW FOR RESIDENTS LIKE THE GIRLS’ FAMILYND A OTHER FAMILIES WHO ARE IN NEED SHAY. THAT’S WHY I SELL ENGINEER THAT STUFF THE TRUCK EVENT THAT YOU WERE WE WERE TELNGLI YOU ABOUT EARLIER ACTUAYLL MADE ITS WAY HERE TO CAMP. HOPE I’M TOLD STARTING ON TOMORROW CLOTHES FOOD SUPPLIES AND OTHER ITEMS WILL BE GIVEN OUT TO PEOPLE IN NEED INCLUDING THE FAMILY. I INTERVIEWED EARLIER THE SURVIVORS WHO TELL ME THAT THEY’LL BE HERE, TOO. THE HOUSE IS FLY. YOU KNOW THAT’S COMING FOR TTHA WAY AND I MAK ITE TURN IT TOO TIGHT IN AIR A FEW THE HOUSES HERE IN THE GROUND RIGHT THERE, YOU KNOW BY THE TIME BECAUSE ME AND MY WIFE FLYLL A OVER AND THEY GO RUN IT IN A ROOM MY DAUGHTER BECAUSE I KNOW MY DAUGHTER’S TROUBLEUE TSDAY NIGHT JAMES BURKE AND HIS WIFE DAYA WERE IN THE LIVING ROOM OF THEIR HOME WATCHING TV WHENHE T EF3 TORNADO HIT LITERALLY LIFNGTI THE HOME UP FROM ITS FOUNDATION LEAVING IT ON THE THREE BURKE YSSA ONCE HE SAW HIS WIFE WAS OKAY. HIS ONLY THOUGHT WASO T CHECK ON HIS SPECIAL NEEDS DAUGHTER TOLD A LOT OF THISNG IN AROUND HER AND IT OVER HER AND THAT’S WHY I STARTED PICK HIM UP AND PULL IT UP, YOU KNOW THEIR DAUGHTER MARIA 22 YEARS OLD WASEV SERELY INJURED FROM THE TORNADO RIGHT NOW. SHE’S IN ICUT A A NEARBY HOSPITAL. MARIA HAS MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY. SHE’S BEEN IN A WHEELCHRAI SINCE VEFI YEARS OLD AND USES A VENTILATOR AND TRACHAC MHINE 24/7 JUST EAT NOW IS A RESULT OF THE TORNADO. ETH FAMILY SSAY SHE NOW ALSO HAS INTERNAL BLEEDING AND THEY THINK IT’S FROM THINGS EITHER FALLING ON HER OR THE FALL THAT SHE TOOK WITHIN YOU KNOW, THE THE BEDROOM. THEY HAVEN’T YET FIGURED OUT WHY HER LEG IS HURTING HER FAMILY SAYS SHE’S ALREADY HAD TO HAVE SURGERY SINCE TUESDAY NIGHT SEVERE WEATHER AND HER LEFT LUNG WAS INJURED. THANKFULLY SHE’S ALERT ANDIT WH YOU KNOW HER CONDITION THAT SHE HAS IT’S VERY VERY DANROGEUS, IT’SOU Y KNOW, LIFE-THREATENING FRIDAY HER MOM AND DAD WERE OUT AT WHAT USEDO TE B THEIR HOME ALONG PROSPERITY ASSESSING THE DAMAGE AND SALVAGING THEIR CLOTHES. DESPITE IT. ALL JAMES SS,AY HE’S COUNTING HIS BLESSINGS. I BELIEVE THAT GOSH THEY WOULD ALWAYS YOU KNOW, IT JUST NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. I’M TOLD THAT MIAAR IS ON THE TRACK TO HEALING BUT EVEN BEFORE SHE CAN COME BACK HOME. SHE’LL NEED SOME MACHINES MACHINES THAT WERE ACTUALLY LOST DURING THE TORNADO LIKE A VENTILATOR SO TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN HELP MARIA AND HER FAMILY, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE WDSU.COM REPORNGTI L
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22-year-old with muscular dystrophy dies a week after being injured in Louisiana tornado
A woman with muscular dystrophy who was injured during a tornado in New Orleans last week has died, according to her family. Maria Burke and her parents were inside their home when it was lifted from its foundation and carried into the street. According to Maria's family, she was supposed to be discharged from the hospital Thursday, but her condition worsened on Wednesday. Maria died on Wednesday after dealing with issues with her lungs and internal bleeding since the tornado, according to the family. Maria had used a wheelchair since she was 5 years old and used a ventilator and trach machine to breathe.Maria's family spoke with New Orleans sister station WDSU about the night that she was hurt during the tornado. Maria's family said that due to her muscular dystrophy, the injuries she sustained during the storm were very dangerous.
NEW ORLEANS —
A woman with muscular dystrophy who was injured during a tornado in New Orleans last week has died, according to her family.
Maria Burke and her parents were inside their home when it was lifted from its foundation and carried into the street.
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According to Maria's family, she was supposed to be discharged from the hospital Thursday, but her condition worsened on Wednesday.
Maria died on Wednesday after dealing with issues with her lungs and internal bleeding since the tornado, according to the family.
Maria had used a wheelchair since she was 5 years old and used a ventilator and trach machine to breathe.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/desantis-disney/39614027
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DeSantis wants to revoke Disney of 'special privileges' to self govern
Two Florida powerhouses are going head to head once again.
On Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke out about Disney in what has become the latest development in an ongoing battle. This back-and-forth comes after the corporation denounced the state’s new ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law, as critics call it.
This week, lawmakers said they are considering stripping Disney of some of its power in the state.
Years before the Cinderella Castle opened, Walt Disney himself guaranteed that Disney World would have authority over the land. Back in 1967, the theme park’s founder convinced Florida’s governor and state legislature to establish an independent government on the property that would eventually become Disney World. That area is called the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
But now, Disney’s independence is under the microscope in the wake of the company denouncing Florida’s new ‘Parental Rights in Education’ law, or the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law.
In a tweet, state Rep. Spencer Roach, who represents the North Fort Myers area, wrote that lawmakers have already met twice to talk about repealing the Reedy Creek Improvement Act.
He said, "If Disney wants to embrace woke ideology, it seems fitting that they should be regulated by Orange County.”
On Friday, DeSantis said he supports lawmakers’ review of Disney’s power.
“They have gotten essentially this one corporation put on a pedestal and treated differently, not only than other businesses, but even than other theme parks,” DeSantis said.
Under Florida law, landowners of Reedy Creek, like Disney, can regulate their own water, power and emergency services. DeSantis said their power doesn’t end there.
“I was shocked to see some of the stuff that’s in there. They can do their own nuclear power plant. Is there any other private company in the state that can just build a nuclear power plant on their own?” he said. “They’re able to do certain things that nobody else is able to do. So I think they’re right to be looking at this and reevaluating and having an even playing field for everybody, I think is much better than basically to allow one company to be a law onto itself.”
So what are the chances that Florida will dethrone Disney?
“Right now, I would say it’s more about talking than actually doing. But having said that, this governor and this legislature nothing would surprise me,” said Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at UCF. “If I was Disney, I would certainly take this threat seriously.”
He said this battle between DeSantis and Disney could get a lot uglier before it gets better.
“It’s just, to me, shocking and usual to see the head of Disney and the governor of Florida basically taking shots at each other. And I haven’t seen anything like it in Florida politics in the 30 years that I’ve been studying it,” Jewett said.
As far as what happens next with the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the governor said that is up to the Florida legislature to decide.
“Me as the governor, I could be presented with changes to that, and I think I’ve said I’d be receptive to that, but ultimately the legislature would have to move forward,” DeSantis said.
WESH 2 News reached out to Disney. The company has not responded, but in a previous statement said it vows to get the Parental Rights in Education law repealed or overturned in the courts.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/migrants-march-from-mexico-as-us-lifts-covid-ban/39612202
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Migrants march from south Mexico during annual protest as US lifts COVID-19 restrictions
Some 500 migrants from Central America, Venezuela and elsewhere fought with Mexican police, National Guard and immigration officers in southern Mexico Friday in one of the first such marches this year.
The migrants described the march as a traditional annual protest related to Holy Week, and those at the front carried a white cross, as others have done in previous years.
However, this year the protest came two weeks early and some participants said they would go far beyond the usual short march and try to reach the U.S. border.
In a clash with National Guard officers and immigration agents, the migrants used the cross they were carrying as a battering ram to break through the Guard lines, shattering the wooden cross.
The officers, who had riot shields, batons and what appeared to be an irritant spray, detained some marchers. The two sides exchanged blows and many migrants left behind knapsacks in the melee.
Some managed to break through and disappear down dirt roads and paths, but many of the rest of the marchers took refuge in a church just a few miles outside of Tapachula.
The migrants set out from the southern Mexico city of Tapachula, near the border with Guatemala, early Friday. Migrants have complained they have been essentially confined to Tapachula by the slow processing of their asylum cases and that they are unable to find work in the border state of Chiapas that would allow them to support their families.
“They are practically holding us prisoners; they do not allow us to leave this state because we are not regularized here," said Venezuelan migrant Noreydi Chávez. "They require us to get a visa, but we never get any answers. We fill out paperwork, but they never process it."
Reynaldo Bello, a migrant from Peru, joined the march with his wife and baby because the family had been living in a park and going hungry while waiting for their immigration paperwork to be processed.
The march came as the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden announced it would end a policy that allows turning back asylum seekers on grounds of protecting the country against the coronavirus pandemic.
Migrants have been expelled more than 1.7 million times from the U.S. under the policy, known as Title 42 for a public health law, which was invoked in March 2020.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control said Friday it would end the authority effective May 23.
Near the height of the omicron variant in late January, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had extended the order to this week.
Luis García Villagrán, an immigration activist with the Center for Human Dignification, said Mexican immigration authorities had largely shut off most visa processes in Tapachula and told migrants the only path to regularize their stay in Mexico was through the much lengthier procedure of applying for asylum or refugee status.
A migrant march in the same area was broken up in January, and similar efforts were dissolved by police and immigration agents in 2021 and 2020. The marches are significantly smaller than caravans in 2018 and 2019 that brought thousands of migrants to the U.S. border.
The caravans began several years ago as a way for migrants who did not have the money to pay smugglers to take advantage of safety in numbers as they moved toward the U.S. border. However, Guatemala and Mexico became more aggressive in breaking up the caravans.
The Mexican government has tried to appease the United States by stopping caravans of walking migrants and allowing reinstatement of the so-called “Remain in Mexico” policy.
But Mexico has been unable to stanch the flood of migrants stuffed by the hundreds into trucks operated by smugglers who charge thousands of dollars to take them to the U.S. border, trips that all too often turn deadly.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/orange-county-rent-control/39614308
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Orange County commissioner to propose rent control measure
An Orange County commissioner is looking to stop soaring rents by putting a referendum to cap rent increases on November's ballot.
Commissioner Emily Bonilla explained the proposal during a news conference Friday afternoon.
Madeline Clark says when she recently went to renew her lease with her apartment complex, she got some shocking news.
"Was told my rent would increase $430 or 24 percent," Clark said.
That's an increase Clark says she can't afford and is now forcing her to move out of the area she loves.
"Right now, I'm looking anywhere and everywhere outside of the Orange County area. I'm looking in Seminole. I'm looking in Osceola," Clark said.
Bonilla says Clark isn't alone.
"The average is 30 percent. We were at half that two years ago when I first brought this up and I was saying we were at a housing emergency," Bonilla said.
To try help people like Clark stay here in Orange County, commissioner Bonilla is proposing a ballot referendum that would cap rental increases to five percent or less.
"I'm asking the board of Orange County Commissioners to take a stand to provide financial relief to our residents who have been begging for it," Bonilla said.
Several local state lawmakers have her back.
"These problems are complicated but they're driven by factors that no one is taking responsibility for," Rep. Anna Eskamani said.
Bonilla says she plans to propose the referendum at next week's commission meeting.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings preempted that by sending out a memo cautioning the county needs more time to do research on her proposal.
But Bonilla says her proposal isn't new and the board has had ample time to look it over.
"They had two years to study this, so that cannot be the excuse this time," Bonilla said.
The Orange County Commission meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday and is open to the public.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/vehicle-mpg-requirement-by-2026/39614086
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New vehicles must average 40 mpg by 2026, up from 28 mpg
New vehicles sold in the U.S. will have to average at least 40 miles per gallon of gasoline in 2026, up from about 28 mpg, under new federal rules unveiled Friday that undo a rollback of standards enacted under President Donald Trump.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said its new fuel economy requirements are the strongest to date and the maximum the industry can achieve over the time period. They will reduce gasoline consumption by more than 220 billion gallons over the life of vehicles, compared with the Trump standards.
They're expected to decrease carbon dioxide emissions — but not as much as some environmentalists want — and raise new vehicle prices in an industry already pressed by inflation and supply chain issues.
For the current model year, standards enacted under Trump require the fleet of new vehicles to get just under 28 miles per gallon in real-world driving. The new requirements increase gas mileage by 8% per year for model years 2024 and 2025 and 10% in the 2026 model year.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, whose department includes NHTSA, said the rules also will help strengthen national security by making the country less dependent on foreign oil and less vulnerable to volatile gasoline prices. Gasoline nationwide has spiked to an average of more than $4.22 per gallon, with much of the increase coming since Russia, a major oil producer, invaded Ukraine in late February. It cost $2.88 per gallon just a year ago, according to AAA.
Gas prices also have helped to fuel inflation to a 40-year high, eating up household budgets and hitting President Joe Biden's approval ratings.
"Transportation is the second-largest cost for American families, only behind housing," Buttigieg said. The new standards, he said, will help keep the U.S. more secure and preserve "the freedom of our country to chart its future without being subject to other countries and to the decisions that are being made in the boardrooms of energy companies."
But auto dealers say more stringent requirements drive up prices and push people out of an already expensive new-car market. NHTSA projects that the new rules will raise the price of a new vehicle in the 2029 model year by $1,087.
Trump's administration rolled back fuel economy standards, allowing them to rise 1.5% per year, which environmental groups said was inadequate to limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions that fuel climate change. The standards had been rising about 5% per year previously.
But the new standards won't immediately match those adopted through 2025 under President Barack Obama. NHTSA officials said they will equal the Obama standards by 2025 and slightly exceed them for the 2026 model year.
The Obama-era standards automatically adjusted for changes in the type of vehicles people are buying. When they were enacted in 2012, 51% of new vehicle sales were cars and 49% SUVs and trucks. Last year, 77% of new vehicle sales were SUVs and trucks, which generally are less efficient than cars.
Some environmental groups said the new requirements from NHTSA under Biden don't go far enough to fight global warming. Others supported the new standards as a big step toward reducing emissions, with the American Lung Association calling for even stronger standards to drive a transition to all new vehicles having zero emissions by 2035.
"Climate change has gotten much worse, but these rules only require automakers to reduce gas-guzzling slightly more than they agreed to cut nine years ago," said Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Transport Center at the Center for Biological Diversity.
Officials said that under the new standards, owners would save about $1,400 in gasoline costs during the lifetime of a 2029 model year vehicle. Carbon dioxide emissions would drop by 2.5 billion metric tons by 2050 under the standards, the NHTSA said.
Automakers are investing billions of dollars to develop and build electric vehicles but say government support is needed to get people to buy them. The companies want government tax credits to reduce prices as well as more money for EV charging stations to ease anxiety over running out of juice.
John Bozzella, CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a large industry trade group, said increased regulations will require supportive government policies. Regulators should consider safety, consumer buying preferences, improved fuel economy and the transition to electric vehicles, he said in a statement.
NHTSA sets fuel economy requirements, while the Environmental Protection Agency develops limits on greenhouse gas emissions. NHTSA officials said their requirements nearly match rules adopted in December by the EPA, so automakers don't have to comply with two rules.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/will-smith-resigns-from-academy-membership/39614596
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Will Smith resigns from film academy over Chris Rock slap
Will Smith resigned Friday from the motion picture academy following his Oscars night slap of Chris Rock and said he would accept any further punishment the organization imposed.
A spokesperson for Smith issued a statement from the actor Friday afternoon.
"I will fully accept any and all consequences for my conduct. My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable," Smith said in the statement.
"I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work," Smith's statement said. "I am heartbroken. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film. "
Smith's resignation came two days after the academy met to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violations against the group's standards of conduct.
On Sunday, Smith strode from his front-row Dolby Theatre seat on to the stage and smacked Rock, who had made a joke at the expense of Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Moments later, he went on to win the best actor award for his role in "King Richard."
Rock, who was about to present Oscar for best documentary, declined to file charges when asked by police.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/artemis-1/39614754
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Artemis I moon rocket heads into final test ahead of launch
Artemis I moon rocket heads into final test ahead of launch
STEWART: NASA’S ARTEMIS SLS ROCKET ROLLED OUT FRONT AND CENTER AT ETH KENNEDY SPACE CENTER TWO WEEKS AGO. AND NOW, AFTER A GREAT DEAL PREP WORK, IT’S ABOUT TO UNDERGO A SERIES OF TESTS. OUR SCOTT HEIDLER IS THERE ON THE CAPE WITH SLS IN THE BACKGROUND, SO WHAT’S GOING TO BE HAPPENING OVER THE WEEKEND? REPORTER: THIS IS WHAT IS CALLED A WET DRESS REHEARSAL. THAT OFFICIALLY KICKED UP AT 5:00. THINGS ARE GOING AS PLANNED. THERE ARE LUNCH TMSEA WORKING ON POWERING UP THE ROCKET. ON SATURDAY, TMSEA WILL WALK THROUGH A LAUNCH DATE RTIOUNE. NONE OF THE FOUR CORE ENGINES WILL FIRE DURING THE TESTS. THEY ARE THE SAME TYPE OF ENGINE USED IN THE SPACE SHUTTLE PROGM.RA THERE WILL BE BUILT IN PAUSES OR HOLDS ESONGINEERS AND TECHNICIANS CAREN VIEW DATA TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS GOING AS PLANNED. AND THEN ON THE COUNTDOWN WILL NDSUAY, RESTART, CLICKING TOWARD A 2:40PM LAUNCH WIND.OW EVERYTHING WILL BE AS A REAL LAUNCH UNTIL ABOUT T -33 SECOS.ND BEFORE IGNITN.IO EVERYTHING WILL STOP. ALL THE TESTING SHOULD WRAP UP AT 5PM SUNDAY, EXACTLY TWO DAYS AFTER IT STARTED. BUT THIS IS AN INTENSELY COMPLICATED MACHINE, WITH SYSTEMS GOING THROUGH A LOOFT THESE PROCEDURES FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME. ON MDAY ONNASA WILL UPDATE ON HOW THE WEEKEND OF TESTING WT.EN AND THEN IN ABOUT A WEEK AERFT THE TESTS ARE DONE, WE SHOULD BE HEARING A LAUNCH DATE ANNOUNCEMENT. FOR NOW, THE EARLIEST POSSIBILITY IS J
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Artemis I moon rocket heads into final test ahead of launch
NASA’s Artemis Space Launch System (SLS) rocket rolled out front and center at the Kennedy Space Center two weeks ago. Friday night, NASA officials kicked off two days of testing.The SLS is being taken through what’s called a wet dress rehearsal. On Saturday, teams will march through a launch day routine, including fueling the massive tanks.There will be built-in pauses or holds so engineers can review data along the way.And then on Sunday, the countdown will restart, clicking toward a 2:40 p.m. launch window. Everything will be as a real launch until just before ignition.And then in about a week after the tests are done, we should be hearing about a launch date. For now, the earliest possibility is June.
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. —
NASA’s Artemis Space Launch System (SLS) rocket rolled out front and center at the Kennedy Space Center two weeks ago.
Friday night, NASA officials kicked off two days of testing.
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The SLS is being taken through what’s called a wet dress rehearsal.
On Saturday, teams will march through a launch day routine, including fueling the massive tanks.
There will be built-in pauses or holds so engineers can review data along the way.
And then on Sunday, the countdown will restart, clicking toward a 2:40 p.m. launch window.
Everything will be as a real launch until just before ignition.
And then in about a week after the tests are done, we should be hearing about a launch date. For now, the earliest possibility is June.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/ax-1/39614702
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Axiom Space readies first private astronaut mission from Kennedy Space Center to the ISS
Just after noon on April 6, an Axiom Space mission called Ax-1 will bring four private crew members to the International Space Station.
It’s the first all-private mission to the International Space Station.
Representing the U.S., Canada and Israel, the astronauts will conduct 25 different experiments.
Ax-1 mission pilot Larry Connor draws the distinction between their private astronaut mission and space tourism.
“Space tourists will spend 10 or 15 hours training, five to ten minutes in space. By the way, that’s fine. In our case, depending on our role, we have spent anywhere between 750 to over 1,000 hours training,” Connor said.
The commander is a retired NASA astronaut. The space company has tapped SpaceX to get them there using a Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule to get the job done.
Axiom is also using this mission to lay the groundwork for its private space station.
“This is the first in a series of precursor missions before our space station is launched and assembled in orbit, ultimately replacing the International Space Station when it is retired,” Axiom Space’s president and CEO Michael Suffredini said.
While Ax-1 will be making history, it’s keeping good company at the Kennedy Space Center near NASA’s SLS Artemis lunar rocket.
As Axiom and SpaceX ready launch pad 39A for their mission Ax-1 on Wednesday, just next door on launchpad 39B, Artemis I stands ready for a weekend of testing that begins on Friday night.
In fact, the testing schedule pushed Ax-1 launch back a few days.
Personnel for both missions are keeping a close eye on the wet dress rehearsal, hoping it all goes smoothly, so there are no more launch delays.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/some-401-k-s-will-soon-let-you-invest-in-crypto/39609687
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Some 401(k)s will soon let you invest in crypto
Curious about cryptocurrencies? Some employers may soon offer you the option to invest in bitcoin and other digital currencies through your 401(k).
There is increasing discussion at financial service firms about how they could best provide a relatively safe crypto option in 401(k)s and other employer-sponsored retirement plans.
For instance, Fidelity Investments, one of the largest plan providers, is seeing growing interest in the idea from plan sponsors. "We believe retirement investors increasingly view digital assets, and bitcoin in particular, as an investment worthy of consideration for long-term investing," said Dave Gray, Fidelity's head of workplace products and platforms.
But many plans are not there yet. The Plan Sponsor Council of America recently asked its members — employers that sponsor a qualified savings plan — if they were or are considering adding crypto to their menu of investment choices. Only about 2% said yes. "Plan sponsors are overwhelmingly not considering, and will not consider, cryptocurrency a prudent investment option in a retirement plan," the organization said.
That question was asked soon after a March 10 blog post from an official at the U.S. Department of Labor was published, warning fiduciaries "to exercise extreme caution" before adding a cryptocurrency option to their plans. The Labor Department oversees employer retirement plans to ensure they meet minimum standards of protection for plan participants set by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA.
"At this early stage in the history of cryptocurrencies ... [the DOL] has serious concerns about plans' decisions to expose participants to direct investments in cryptocurrencies or related products, such as NFTs, coins, and crypto assets," wrote Ali Khawar, acting head of the DOL's Employee Benefits Security Administration.
While the DOL did not explicitly ban plans from doing so, it said it will investigate any plans offering crypto or related products. "The plan fiduciaries ... should expect to be questioned about how they can square their actions with their duties of prudence and loyalty in light of the risks described above."
If your plan ever does offer crypto, which is an extremely volatile asset class, you might want to proceed with caution. Taking risk, of course, is necessary to generate growth in your retirement savings over time. But you also need to make sure your nest egg is not so exposed to a high-risk asset that your hard-earned savings are at risk of getting wiped out. The risk you take has to be balanced with your time horizon, your risk tolerance and a risk-return analysis of the assets you choose.
One option will soon come to market
A small player in the 401(k) provider universe — ForUsAll — said it will be launching a cryptocurrency investment option for clients in the second quarter of this year.
ForUsAll, which primarily services small- to mid-size employers, said over 120 of its 400 clients to date have signed up for the new option, which will be available to participants through a self-directed account on Coinbase.
While there is extreme volatility in cryptocurrencies and a risk of theft and loss in that space, ForUsAll believes the guardrails it is placing around its crypto option will comply with ERISA standards and allay the Labor Department's concerns.
For instance, participants may only invest 5% of their current 401(k) balance and 5% of their contributions going forward (as well as 5% of their employer matches) to their crypto account. Participants will get automatic notices whenever the value of their crypto investments exceed 5% of their total 401(k) portfolio. But it will be up to them to decide whether to reallocate.
However, before opening an account, participants must go through ForUsAll's educational materials about crypto investing and take an interactive quiz to demonstrate that they understand its risks and the importance of not taking excessive bets on crypto with their retirement savings, ForUsAll Chief Investment Officer David Ramirez said.
What's more, they will only be able to select from a curated list of cryptocurrencies vetted by ForUsAll to ensure they are of institutional investing quality. "There will be nothing overly speculative, such as meme coins like Doge or Shiba Inu," said Ramirez.
He admits a crypto option may not be right for every employer plan.
"For employers that don't have employees who are sufficiently sophisticated investors, this may not be appropriate," he said.
But for those that do, ForUsAll believes its crypto option will provide individuals a safer way to invest in a space where institutions and finance professionals are already investing for both diversification and growth potential.
"It's designed to be a lot easier to invest in crypto currencies prudently," Ramirez said.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/former-us-womens-national-team-goalkeeper-arrested-on-dwi-child-abuse-charges/39613862
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Former U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper arrested on DWI, child abuse charges
Former U.S. women’s national team star goalkeeper Hope Solo was arrested after she was found passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle in North Carolina with her 2-year-old twins inside, police said.
A police report said Solo was arrested on Thursday in a shopping center parking lot in Winston-Salem and charged with driving while impaired, resisting a public officer and misdemeanor child abuse. She has been released from jail and has a court date of June 28, the report indicated.
According to an arrest warrant, a passerby noticed Solo passed out behind the steering wheel for more than an hour with the vehicle's engine running and the two children in the backseat. A responding officer could smell alcohol, and the warrant said that Solo refused a field sobriety test and her blood was drawn instead.
Rich Nichols, a Texas-based attorney who represents Solo, released a statement Friday but didn't respond to specific questions on the charges and said his client wouldn't respond, either.
“On the advice of counsel, Hope can’t speak about this situation, but she wants everyone to know that her kids are her life, that she was released immediately and is now at home with her family, that the story is more sympathetic than the initial charges suggest, and that she looks forward to her opportunity to defend these charges,” Nichols said.
Solo was dismissed from the national team following the 2016 Olympics in Brazil after calling the Swedish team “cowards” for taking a defensive stance against the defending gold medalists, ending a laudable playing career that was also marred by controversy.
She was suspended for 30 days in early 2015 after she and husband Jerramy Stevens were pulled over in a U.S. Soccer-owned van and Stevens was charged with DUI. She was also benched after publicly questioning coach Greg Ryan’s decision to start Briana Scurry against Brazil during the 2007 World Cup, comments many saw as a slight against Scurry.
Solo was also involved in an altercation with family members in 2014 that resulted in Solo’s arrest, although charges in that case were eventually dropped.
Solo made 202 appearances with the national team, with 153 wins and an international-record 102 shutouts. She won a World Cup title and two Olympic gold medals with the team.
During the 2015 World Cup championship run, she allowed just three goals in seven games with five shutouts.
She was elected to the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in January. The induction ceremony is set for May 21.
Solo married Stevens, a former tight end for the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in 2012. The couple have twins, Vittorio Genghis and Lozen Orianna Judith Stevens, born on March 4, 2020.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/sarah-palin-announces-run-in-alaska-us-house-race/39614832
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Sarah Palin announces run in Alaska US House race
Sarah Palin on Friday shook up an already unpredictable race for Alaska's lone U.S. House seat, filing paperwork to join a field of at least 40 candidates seeking to fill the seat that had been held for 49 years by the late-U.S. Rep. Don Young, who died last month.
Related video above: Sarah Palin resumes court battle with Times after COVID-19
Palin filed paperwork Friday with a Division of Elections office in Wasilla, said Tiffany Montemayor, a division spokesperson. The paperwork was being processed by the division, she said.
The field includes current and former state legislators and a North Pole city council member named Santa Claus. The deadline to file was 5 p.m. Friday. A final list of official candidates was not yet available.
“Public service is a calling, and I would be honored to represent the men and women of Alaska in Congress, just as Rep. Young did for 49 years,” Palin said in a statement on social media. “I realize that I have very big shoes to fill, and I plan to honor Rep. Young’s legacy by offering myself up in the name of service to the state he loved and fought for, because I share that passion for Alaska and the United States of America.”
Palin is a former Alaska governor and was the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee. She has kept a low profile in Alaska politics since leaving office in 2009, before her term as governor ended.
Young, a Republican, had held Alaska's House seat since 1973 and was seeking reelection at the time of his death last month at age 88.
A special primary is set for June 11. The top four vote-getters will advance to an Aug. 16 special election in which ranked choice voting will be used, a process in line with a new elections system approved by voters in 2020.
The winner will serve the remainder of Young's term, which expires in January. The division is targeting Sept. 2 to certify the special election.
Others who filed Friday include Republican state Sen. Josh Revak; Democratic state Rep. Adam Wool; independent Al Gross, an orthopedic surgeon who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate in 2020; and Andrew Halcro, a former Republican state lawmaker who is running as an independent. They join a field that includes Republican Nick Begich, who had positioned himself as a challenger to Young; Democrat Christopher Constant, an Anchorage Assembly member; and John Coghill, a Republican former state lawmaker.
Revak, who previously worked for Young's office and was a statewide co-chair for Young's reelection bid, said he felt a “strong calling and a duty" to step forward.
He said he was “heartbroken” by the filing timeline, coinciding with a period he said should be focused on remembering Young.
Young lied in state at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday. A public memorial was held in the Washington, D.C.-area on Wednesday and a public memorial is planned in Anchorage on Saturday.
Revak said he also plans to run in the regular primary for U.S. House. Palin filed paperwork to run in the special and regular primaries as well, Montemayor said.
The August special election will coincide with the regular primary. The regular primary and November general election will determine who represents Alaska in the House for a two-year term starting in January.
Gross also plans to run in both the special and regular elections. His campaign announced a leadership team that includes several Republicans and independents, as well as Democrats, including former Gov. Tony Knowles.
“We are building a campaign that embodies all of Alaska,” Gross said in a statement.
Wool said he has privately discussed a run for years. He said he looked at the candidates running in the special primary and “wasn't that impressed. Many of them have never won an election, don't have any statewide recognition and politically aren't aligned certainly not with me or what I would think the majority of Alaskans are looking for.”
Wool, from Fairbanks, said he considers himself moderate. He said he has yet to decide whether to run in the regular primary.
Halcro, who has a podcast on which he talks politics, said during the campaign he plans to play up his intent to only run to fill the remainder of the term. He said if the person who wins the special election also is in the November general election, he expects they would spend a fair amount of time campaigning. He said if elected, he would be focused on congressional work.
Meanwhile, a man who years ago legally changed his name to Santa Claus and serves on the North Pole city council also filed with the state Division of Elections for the special primary. Claus, who said he has a “strong affinity” for Bernie Sanders, is running as an independent.
He said he is not soliciting or raising money. He said the new elections process “gives people like me an opportunity, without having to deal with parties, to throw our hat in the ring.”
“I do have name recognition,” he said with a laugh.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/south-carolina-women-advance-to-title-game/39614918
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South Carolina women top Louisville, advance to title game
Aliyah Boston had 23 points and 18 rebounds to back up her AP National Player of the Year award and carry South Carolina to the NCAA championship game with a 72-59 victory over Louisville in the semifinals on Friday night.
Brea Beal matched her season high with 12 points and helped hold Cardinals star Hailey Van Lith to nine points on 4-for-11 shooting as the Gamecocks (34-2) delivered another stifling defensive performance.
The Dawn Staley-led Gamecocks will face the Connecticut-Stanford winner on Sunday night at Target Center. Staley will try to win her second national championship, eight months after the Hall of Famer led the U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal in the Tokyo Games.
“You see happy tears, happy tears, right now,” Boston said in her postgame TV interview. “I’m just thanking God we have one more game.”
Destanni Henderson scored 11 points with 3-for-6 shooting from 3-point range and had four assists for South Carolina, which improved to 13-0 this season against AP-ranked opponents.
“Just going to live in the moment for right now,” Henderson said.
Emily Engstler led Louisville with 18 points and nine rebounds as the Cardinals went 1 for 8 from 3-point range and were never able to find a rhythm in the half court against the No. 1 overall seed in this tournament.
Kianna Smith and Olivia Cochran each scored 14 points for the Cardinals (29-5), who were the only team in this Final Four without a title. This was their fourth trip to the national semifinals in coach Jeff Walz's 15 seasons.
“I've never been prouder of a group,” Walz said. “They've absolutely been a joy to coach.”
The Cardinals, one of the three No. 1 seeds in this Final Four, made it out of the Wichita Region without any trouble. Van Lith, the relentless sophomore guard with the perpetually flopping blond pigtails, hit the 20-point mark in each of their first four tournament games.
Van Lith met her match with Beal, who had a four-inch height advantage and shadowed her all over the court as she often does to the opponent’s most dangerous player. Van Lith, whose first basket came on a knifing drive for a layup with 1:43 left in the second quarter, had two jumpers blocked by Beal and three turnovers in the first half.
The Gamecocks, who were the wire-to-wire No. 1 team in the AP poll this season, squeezed their first four tournament opponents in the Greensboro Region to a bleak average of 41.2 points on their way to a fourth Final Four in the last seven years.
Engstler, the tough-as-nails transfer from Syracuse, helped Louisville keep Boston from getting too comfortable in the paint while Olivia Cochran helped with the muscle. Physical play can come with a price, though, and with 4.2 seconds left in the third quarter Boston drew Engstler’s fourth foul on a putback layup and stretched the lead to 57-48 with the and-one free throw.
Engstler fouled out with 4:56 to go and had her head buried in her clenched hands on the bench as her teammates tried to console her.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/beacon-college-president-rescues-ukrainian-family/39614960
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Central Florida couple with Beacon College rescues Ukrainian refugee family
Beacon College psychologist and Ukrainian native Dr. Oksana Hagerty said she couldn't sit back and do nothing knowing that her nephew's and two nieces' lives were at risk.
Her husband, Dr. George Hagerty, president of Beacon College, joined her in March as the two of them traveled to Romania to rescue their loved ones.
"You can hear the bombing sounds and you don't know maybe if it'll be you next," Hagerty's 15-year-old niece Uliana Kucherova said about escaping the war.
Along with Uliana, 13-year-old Ivan Kucherov and 20-year-old Sofiia Kucherova are thankful they are safe even if it means being thousands of miles away from home.
"Fortunately, we have our aunt and uncle who can take care of us but there are so many people who don't have such family," Sofiia Kucherova said. "We're continuing our education and we hope that everything will be fine."
The Hagertys landed in Orlando on Thursday night with their nieces and nephew to save the three of them who were Ukrainian refugees.
"We felt blessed to have our three and then we know that there were probably 300 more there that day, many of whom did not have the opportunity to get a visa," Dr. George Hagerty said.
The invasion of Ukraine in 2014 makes the events of 2022 the second time the family has had to run for safety.
"It's very upsetting to know that your 18-year-old friends, boys, go and pick up the guns to protect," Uliana Kucherova said while fighting back tears.
The family says giving up is not an option for the people of Ukraine.
"Ukrainians are fighting to survive and this is not the first time," Dr. Oksana Hagerty said. "We also have grandparents back in Ukraine and these are my parents...and those are the people who are saying 'we are not moving out. This is our country. We have run away once, we're not doing it again.'"
The Hagertys said their nieces and nephew not only left behind friends, their father is in Ukraine and has joined the military to serve and fight for his country.
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https://www.wesh.com/article/free-fall-protest/39615199
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Central Florida group protests Free Fall ride, demands it be replaced with memorial
The message from the Juneteenth Project Coalition is very clear along International Drive in Orlando.
"Take this down,” they cried.
The charitable organization held a peaceful protest Friday in honor of 14-year-old Tyre Sampson, who was killed in a fall last week on the Orlando FreeFall ride at ICON Park.
Tina Wilson is the Juneteenth Coalition Project Founder.
“Right now, pointing fingers may not be very productive but what is productive is taking this death trap down,” Wilson said.
Wilson called on the CEO of The Slingshot Group, Ritchie Armstrong, to make the change.
"We're asking that he remove this structure and replace it with something more kid-friendly in honor of the young boy that lost his life,” Wilson said.
Tourists WESH spoke with agreed.
"That's awesome and it should be taken down. It's not safe,” said Starr King, from Michigan.
"I feel it should be taken down. It was very negligent on the staff and you can tell he couldn't ride that ride,” said Rachel Rucker, from Orlando.
Right now, the Juneteenth Project Coalition has a petition circulating on Change.org for this particular ride to come down.
Once they reach 10,000 signatures, the petition will be sent to local leaders as well as representatives of this region.
State Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried was in Orlando speaking at the Wells Built Museum of African American History and Culture about the investigation.
The state has hired a forensic engineer.
"We are not taking this lightly. We are going to everything in our power and including potentially increasing our power to make sure nothing like this ever happens again,” Fried said.
State Rep. Geraldine Thompson will file a bill called the Tyre Sampson Bill to address deficiencies in areas of safety standards, state oversight or training protocols for rides after a cause is determined.
She says the state may look at seat belts too.
"It may be that the investigation may point out that not only the harness but an additional safeguard which would have been a seat belt could have saved Tyre's life,” Thompson said.
“How can you ride knowing that child lost his life?" Wilson said at the protest.
ICON Park released this statement today which says: "We commend the diligence and thoroughness that Commissioner Fried and the team at the Florida Department of Agriculture have shown as they investigate the operation of the Slingshot Group's Orlando FreeFall ride.
"ICON Park looks forward to working with elected officials, regulators, and the amusement industry to ensure that a tragedy like this never happens again. As the landlord at ICON Park, our mission is to provide safe family entertainment.
We rely on our tenants to be experts at what they do. In the interests of public safety, ICON Park has demanded that the SlingShot Group suspend not only the operation of Orlando FreeFall, but also the operation of Orlando SlingShot."
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https://www.wesh.com/article/gamestop-wants-to-make-shares-more-affordable-for-meme-stock-lovers/39609906
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GameStop wants to make shares more affordable for meme stock lovers
The "apes" bullish on GameStop may soon be able to buy their favorite stock at a much lower price.
The meme darling of the Reddit crowd wants to initiate a stock split, a move that will drastically reduce the cost of one share, the company said late Thursday in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
To do so, GameStop will have to ask shareholders at its upcoming annual meeting for approval to increase the number of its class A shares from 300 million to 1 billion.
If investors say yes, a single share will become much cheaper — because the total value of the company stays the same. It's just divided across more shares. Shares of GameStop initially rallied on the news but they finished Friday down 1%, lowering their year-to-date gain to 11%.
Stock splits are a popular move for some companies whose shares rise to high prices, and they make it easier for smaller investors to buy in. Amazon and Google owner Alphabet, whose shares are trading in the quadruple digits, both recently announced stock split plans. And Tesla, which split its stock in August 2020, is considering another split now that its stock is back above $1,000 a share.
GameStop is trading at about $164 a share. Based on that current price, an individual share should cost about one-third less — or around $50 — after a split because GameStop is looking to multiply the number of its shares by 3.33.
The company has been busy making moves that investors are closely watching. GameStop chairman Ryan Cohen, a co-founder of online pets supplies retailer Chewy, recently bought more shares. Gamestop has also been making investments in NFTs and other cryptocurrency and blockchain initiatives, and it recently hired two former Amazon executives to serve as its CEO and chief financial officer.
Several other meme stocks dipped Friday despite the GameStop split news. Shares of movie theater chain AMC were down about 5% in late morning trading. So was the stock of Hycroft Mining, a small gold and silver miner that has surged after AMC bought a stake in it.
Shares of Bed Bath & Beyond, another retailer that Cohen has recently invested in, fell slightly too.
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