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https://www.wvtm13.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.wvtm13.com/article/ikea-old-furniture-buyback/39603108
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you are not alone if assembling IKEA furniture causes you to feel frustrated and inadequate. The wordless pictograms instructions for the flat pack furniture that deems an easy feat even causes veteran D wires to stump over the confusing parts. Apparently named. Alan household quotes confirm your home decor is delicately mapped to your emotional identity and a recent study concluded 50% of 50,000 tweets included signs of frustration, particularly when it comes to assembling sofas. Store these handy hacks away for the next time you've got no idea or perhaps we should say no. IKEA your IQ tips begin before you've even left the store. The spruce says if it's dented don't get it. The use of minimal packaging doesn't protect your item as well as you might think this could lead to an honest case of it's not you. It's the item popular Mechanics says to make space and take inventory. Although Insider reports to skip their tools and use your own instead. Level up by using an actual level or the site also recommends opting for wood glue. Yes, you heard me glue when in doubt phone a friend or better still a professional. This will help you remain as emotionally stable as your IKEA table
IKEA will pay you to get its old furniture back
Updated: 5:34 PM CDT Mar 31, 2022
Can't stand that old bookcase and dining table with the mismatched chairs you once thought looked so cool? If you bought them at IKEA, the retailer will pay you to get them back.The Swedish furniture and home goods chain said Thursday it is making its Buy Back & Resell program permanent across its 37 U.S. stores on April 1 after piloting the offer last summer.The company said the service applies only to personally-used Ikea furniture that is fully assembled and fully functional. Ikea won't accept items that have been modified, or altered in any way.Here is what's included on the list of returnable items: office drawer cabinets, sideboards, bookcases, small tables, multimedia furniture, cabinets, dining tables, desks and chairs and stools without upholstery.The program doesn't extend to non-IKEA-branded products or beds, sofas, mattresses, home furnishing accessories, leather products, lighting fixtures or chests of drawers. Any recalled IKEA products also are excluded.IKEA said it will inspect each item for its condition, age and functionality at participating stores, and if it passes muster, customers will get a store credit. The company said all "gently used" items approved for resale will be available in a designated "as is" section in stores at discounted prices.The furniture seller already offers a buyback service in the United Kingdom and Ireland as part of its sustainability push. Customers there can trade in gently used Ikea products in excellent condition and get a store credit worth up to 50% of the original sale price. Items in "very good" condition earn a 40% credit, and "well used" goods get 30% of the original price.Ikea has 465 stores worldwide, and said the initiative is part of its effort to become a "circular" business by 2030. The goal, it said, is to eventually produce products that are 100% made with materials that are recycled, remanufactured, refurbished or reused.
Can't stand that old bookcase and dining table with the mismatched chairs you once thought looked so cool? If you bought them at IKEA, the retailer will pay you to get them back.
The Swedish furniture and home goods chain said Thursday it is making its Buy Back & Resell program permanent across its 37 U.S. stores on April 1 after piloting the offer last summer.
The company said the service applies only to personally-used Ikea furniture that is fully assembled and fully functional. Ikea won't accept items that have been modified, or altered in any way.
Here is what's included on the list of returnable items: office drawer cabinets, sideboards, bookcases, small tables, multimedia furniture, cabinets, dining tables, desks and chairs and stools without upholstery.
The program doesn't extend to non-IKEA-branded products or beds, sofas, mattresses, home furnishing accessories, leather products, lighting fixtures or chests of drawers. Any recalled IKEA products also are excluded.
IKEA said it will inspect each item for its condition, age and functionality at participating stores, and if it passes muster, customers will get a store credit. The company said all "gently used" items approved for resale will be available in a designated "as is" section in stores at discounted prices.
The furniture seller already offers a buyback service in the United Kingdom and Ireland as part of its sustainability push. Customers there can trade in gently used Ikea products in excellent condition and get a store credit worth up to 50% of the original sale price. Items in "very good" condition earn a 40% credit, and "well used" goods get 30% of the original price.
Ikea has 465 stores worldwide, and said the initiative is part of its effort to become a "circular" business by 2030. The goal, it said, is to eventually produce products that are 100% made with materials that are recycled, remanufactured, refurbished or reused.
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https://www.wvtm13.com/article/prosecutor-seeks-end-to-khashoggi-murder-trial/39603067
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Prosecutor seeks end to Khashoggi murder trial in Turkey, requests transfer to Saudi Arabia
The Turkish prosecutor in the case against 26 Saudi nationals charged in the slaying of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi made a surprise request Thursday that their trial in absentia be suspended and the case transferred to Saudi Arabia, raising fears of a possible coverup.
The panel of judges made no ruling on the prosecutor’s request but said a letter would be sent to Turkey’s Justice Ministry seeking its opinion on the possible transfer of the file to Saudi judicial authorities, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. The trial was adjourned until April 7.
The development comes as Turkey has been trying to normalize its relationship with Saudi Arabia, which hit an all-time low following Khashoggi’s grisly October 2018 killing. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an interview on Thursday that Saudi authorities were more cooperative on judicial issues with Turkey, but did not elaborate.
In arguing for the transfer, the prosecutor told the court that the Saudi chief public prosecutor’s office requested the Turkish proceedings be transferred to the kingdom in a letter dated March 13, and that international warrants issued by Ankara against the defendants be lifted, according to the private DHA news agency.
The prosecutor said that because the arrest warrants cannot be executed and defense statements cannot be taken, the case would remain inconclusive in Turkey.
Amnesty International urged Turkey to press ahead with the trial, saying if it is transferred to Saudi Arabia, Turkey will be “knowingly and willingly sending the case to a place where it will be covered up.”
Moving Khashoggi’s trial to Saudi Arabia would provide a diplomatic resolution to a dispute that represented the wider troubles between Ankara and the kingdom since the 2011 Arab Spring.
Turkey under Erdogan supported Islamists as the uprisings took hold, while Saudi Arabia and its ally the United Arab Emirates sought to suppress such movements for fear of facing challenges to their autocratic governments. Meanwhile, Turkey sided with Qatar in a diplomatic dispute that saw Doha boycotted by Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Since then-President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, the Gulf Arab states have set aside — but not fully resolved — the Qatar dispute. Meanwhile, Turkey under Erdogan has faced a rapid devaluation of its lira currency over his refusal to hike interest rates. Bilateral trade to the kingdom and the UAE, a major transshipment point for the world economy, also collapsed.
Since the start of 2022, Erdogan has sought to improve those ties, including making his first visit to the UAE in nearly a decade. Saudi Arabia and the UAE, after fighting through the coronavirus pandemic’s economic effects, facing a grinding war in Yemen and struggling with renewed tensions with Iran, also want to resolve the outstanding feud.
Khashoggi disappeared on Oct. 2, 2018, after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, seeking documents that would allow him to marry Hatice Cengiz, a Turkish national who was waiting outside the building. He never emerged.
Turkish officials allege that the Saudi national, who was a United States resident, was killed and then dismembered with a bone saw inside the consulate. His body has not been found. Prior to his killing, Khashoggi had written critically of Saudi Arabia’s crown prince in columns for the Washington Post.
Turkish authorities said he was killed by a team of Saudi agents. Those on trial in absentia include two former aides of the prince.
Saudi officials initially offered conflicting accounts concerning the killing, including claims that Khashoggi had left the consulate building unharmed. But amid mounting international pressure, they stated that Khashoggi’s death was a tragic accident, with the meeting unexpectedly turning violent.
Turkey decided to try the defendants in absentia after Saudi Arabia rejected Turkish demands for their extradition.
The slaying had sparked international condemnation and cast a cloud of suspicion over Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Western intelligence agencies, as well as the U.S. Congress, have said that an operation of this magnitude could not have happened without his knowledge.
In urging Turkey to proceed with the trial, Amnesty International said Ankara would be complicit in a coverup if it grants the Saudi request for a transfer.
“If the prosecutor’s request is granted, then instead of prosecuting and shedding light on a murder that was committed on its territory ... Turkey will be knowingly and willingly sending the case to a place where it will be covered up,” said Tarik Beyhan, Amnesty’s campaign director for Turkey.
Beyhan said he didn’t want to “think about the possibility” that the prosecutor’s request may be related to the improving ties between Riyadh and Ankara.
“Basic human rights ... should not be made the subject of political negotiations,” he said. “A murder cannot be covered up to fix relations.”
Some of the men were put on trial in Riyadh behind closed doors. A Saudi court issued a final verdict in 2020 that sentenced five mid-level officials and operatives to 20-year jail terms. The court had originally ordered the death penalty, but reduced the punishment after Khashoggi’s son Salah, who lives in Saudi Arabia, announced that he forgave the defendants. Three others were sentenced to lesser jail terms.
On Thursday, Khashoggi's fiancee, Cengiz, appeared to criticize the prosecutor’s request in a tweet in English. “It is an exemplary situation in terms of showing the dilemma facing humanity in the modern era,” she wrote. “Which of the two will we choose? To want to live like a virtuous human being or to build a life by holding material interests above all kinds of values.”
She did not respond to a request for comment.
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Associated Press Writer Jon Gambrell contributed from Dubai.
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https://www.wvtm13.com/article/scientists-finally-finish-decoding-entire-human-genome/39601005
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Scientists finally finish decoding entire human genome
Scientists say they have finally assembled the full genetic blueprint for human life, adding the missing pieces to a puzzle nearly completed two decades ago.
Related video above: How Your DNA Data Can Be Used Against You
An international team described the first-ever sequencing of a complete human genome – the set of instructions to build and sustain a human being – in research published Thursday in the journal Science. The previous effort, celebrated across the world, was incomplete because DNA sequencing technologies of the day weren't able to read certain parts of it. Even after updates, it was missing about 8% of the genome.
“Some of the genes that make us uniquely human were actually in this ‘dark matter of the genome’ and they were totally missed,” said Evan Eichler, a University of Washington researcher who participated in the current effort and the original Human Genome Project. “It took 20-plus years, but we finally got it done.”
Many — including Eichler's own students — thought it had been finished already. “I was teaching them, and they said, 'Wait a minute. Isn’t this like the sixth time you guys have declared victory? I said, ’No, this time we really, really did it!”
Scientists said this full picture of the genome will give humanity a greater understanding of our evolution and biology while also opening the door to medical discoveries in areas like aging, neurodegenerative conditions, cancer and heart disease.
“We’re just broadening our opportunities to understand human disease,” said Karen Miga, an author of one of the six studies published Thursday.
The research caps off decades of work. The first draft of the human genome was announced in a White House ceremony in 2000 by leaders of two competing entities: an international publicly funded project led by an agency of the U.S. National Institutes of Health and a private company, Maryland-based Celera Genomics.
The human genome is made up of about 3.1 billion DNA subunits, pairs of chemical bases known by the letters A, C, G and T. Genes are strings of these lettered pairs that contain instructions for making proteins, the building blocks of life. Humans have about 30,000 genes, organized in 23 groups called chromosomes that are found in the nucleus of every cell.
Before now, there were "large and persistent gaps that have been in our map, and these gaps fall in pretty important regions,” Miga said.
Miga, a genomics researcher at the University of California-Santa Cruz, worked with Adam Phillippy of the National Human Genome Research Institute to organize the team of scientists to start from scratch with a new genome with the aim of sequencing all of it, including previously missing pieces. The group, named after the sections at the very ends of chromosomes, called telomeres, is known as the Telomere-to-Telomere, or T2T, consortium.
Their work adds new genetic information to the human genome, corrects previous errors and reveals long stretches of DNA known to play important roles in both evolution and disease. A version of the research was published last year before being reviewed by scientific peers.
“This is a major improvement, I would say, of the Human Genome Project,” doubling its impact, said geneticist Ting Wang of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who was not involved in the research.
Eichler said some scientists used to think unknown areas contained “junk." Not him. "Some of us always believed there was gold in those hills," he said. Eichler is paid by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which also supports The Associated Press's health and science department.
Turns out that gold includes many important genes, he said, such as ones integral to making a person's brain bigger than a chimp's, with more neurons and connections.
To find such genes, scientists needed new ways to read life's cryptic genetic language.
Reading genes requires cutting the strands of DNA into pieces hundreds to thousands of letters long. Sequencing machines read the letters in each piece and scientists try to put the pieces in the right order. That's especially tough in areas where letters repeat.
Scientists said some areas were illegible before improvements in gene sequencing machines that now allow them to, for example, accurately read a million letters of DNA at a time. That allows scientists to see genes with repeated areas as longer strings instead of snippets that they had to later piece together.
Researchers also had to overcome another challenge: Most cells contain genomes from both mother and father, confusing attempts to assemble the pieces correctly. T2T researchers got around this by using a cell line from one “complete hydatidiform mole," an abnormal fertilized egg containing no fetal tissue that has two copies of the father’s DNA and none of the mother’s.
The next step? Mapping more genomes, including ones that include collections of genes from both parents. This effort did not map one of the 23 chromosomes that is found in males, called the Y chromosome, because the mole contained only an X.
Wang said he’s working with the T2T group on the Human Pangenome Reference Consortium, which is trying to generate “reference," or template, genomes for 350 people representing the breadth of human diversity.
“Now we’ve gotten one genome right and we have to do many, many more,” Eichler said. “This is the beginning of something really fantastic for the field of human genetics.”
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https://www.wvtm13.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.wvtm13.com/article/first-lawsuit-florida-law-lgbtq-topics-classroom/39600782
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First lawsuit filed over Florida law restricting certain LGBTQ topics in the classroom
Two LGBTQ rights advocacy groups, as well as students, parents and a teacher in Florida, filed a federal lawsuit Thursday, challenging the state's new law banning certain instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom.
It's the first legal challenge seeking to block implementation and enforcement of the law, which Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed on Monday. The controversial law, dubbed "Don't Say Gay" by its opponents, is set to take effect in July.
DeSantis told reporters Thursday that he will defend the law "vigorously."
The lawsuit calls the Florida law an "unlawful attempt to stigmatize, silence and erase LGBTQ people in Florida's public schools."
"It seeks to do so by imposing a sweeping, vague ban covering any instruction on 'sexual orientation and gender identity,' and by constructing a diffuse enforcement scheme designed to maximize the chilling effect of this prohibition," the complaint reads.
According to the new "Parental Rights in Education" law in Florida, "classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards."
Parents would be able to bring civil suits against a school district for any potential rule violation, under the new law.
During the bill signing Monday, DeSantis said that Florida recognizes that "parents have a fundamental role in the education, health care and well-being of their children."
The plaintiffs in Thursday's lawsuit include Equality Florida, an LGBTQ advocacy organization; Family Equality, a New York-based nonprofit; a 17-year-old sophomore in Palmetto, Florida, who identifies as gay; an 18-year-old senior in Osprey, Florida, who identifies as gay; the parent of a transgender fifth-grader in Florida; three same-sex couples living in Florida with young children; and a middle-school public teacher in Grand Ridge, Florida. The complaint was filed by Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.
The plaintiffs say the new law violates the First and 14th Amendments, and Title IX protections.
"This effort to control young minds through state censorship -- and to demean LGBTQ lives by denying their reality -- is a grave abuse of power. The United States Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that LGBTQ people and families are at home in our constitutional order. The State of Florida has no right to declare them outcasts, or to treat their allies as outlaws, by punishing schools where someone dares to affirm their identity and dignity," according to the complaint.
Weighing in on the lawsuit Thursday, DeSantis said he doesn't think that "any of the legal claims have merit."
"These are policy decisions. I don't think it's anything that's invoking First Amendment because schools, states and localities have the ability to set curriculum in public schools. We do that all the time. This is not new," he said, also arguing that the law "does not regulate student speech."
DeSantis' communications director Taryn Fenske told CNN in a statement that "this calculated, politically motivated, virtue-signaling lawsuit is meritless, and we will defend the legality of parents to protect their young children from sexual content in Florida public schools."
Proponents of the new law say it gives parents more oversight over what their children learn and discuss at school and argue that LGBTQ-related topics should be left for families to discuss in private. Opponents say the law will negatively affect an already marginalized community and also argue it would open educators up to an endless barrage of litigation.
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https://www.wvtm13.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.wvtm13.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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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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Alabama lawmakers considering pay raises for teachers in new legislation
Alabama lawmakers considering pay raises for teachers in new legislation
WILL CONTINUE IN THE MORNING. WE WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED ON THAT. LAWMAKERS ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH PLANS TO GIVE TEACHERS ACROSS THE STATE A PAY RAI.SE THIS WOULD RANGE FROM FROM 5% TO NEARLY 2.1% LAWMAKERS BACKING THE BILL HOPES THIS HELPS RETAIN TEACHERS. HO WEVER THE PAY RAISE DEPENDS ON YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE CLASSROOM. THE PAY RAISE LEGISLATION IS FOLDED INTO ALABAMA’S EDUCAT
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Alabama lawmakers considering pay raises for teachers in new legislation
Alabama lawmakers are moving forward with plans to give teachers across the state a pay raise.The raises would range from 5% to nearly 21% and would depend on years of experience in the classroom. Lawmakers backing the bill hope the raise will help retain teachers.The pay raise legislation is folded into Alabama's education budget and has a few more steps to complete before reaching Gov. Kay Ivey's desk.Grab the WVTM 13 app for the latest updates on this pending legislation.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. —
Alabama lawmakers are moving forward with plans to give teachers across the state a pay raise.
The raises would range from 5% to nearly 21% and would depend on years of experience in the classroom. Lawmakers backing the bill hope the raise will help retain teachers.
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The pay raise legislation is folded into Alabama's education budget and has a few more steps to complete before reaching Gov. Kay Ivey's desk.
Grab the WVTM 13 app for the latest updates on this pending legislation.
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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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Person in custody after shooting in west Birmingham injures 1
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Person in custody after shooting in west Birmingham injures 1
One person is in custody following a shooting in west Birmingham Thursday night.Birmingham police said an investigation is underway in the 3100 block of Prince Avenue after one person was shot. The victim, who has not been identified, was transported to the hospital in unknown condition.A suspect has been taken into custody.No further details are available at this time.Grab the WVTM 13 app for the latest updates on this developing story.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —
One person is in custody following a shooting in west Birmingham Thursday night.
Birmingham police said an investigation is underway in the 3100 block of Prince Avenue after one person was shot. The victim, who has not been identified, was transported to the hospital in unknown condition.
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A suspect has been taken into custody.
No further details are available at this time.
Grab the WVTM 13 app for the latest updates on this developing story.
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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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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: 10:06 PM CDT 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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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: 10:38 PM CDT 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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University of Montevallo students, officials counting blessings after EF-2 tornado strike
University of Montevallo students, officials counting blessings after EF-2 tornado strike
CONTINUING TO COUNT THEIR BLESSINGS. JEFF: FICKLE AND FEROCIOUS WINDS WHIPPED THROUGH PORTIONS OF THE MONTEVALLO CAMPUS, TAKING PART OF THE ROOF AND GUTTERS OFF BROOKE HALL, A WOMAN’S DORMITY.OR SIDEWAYS RAIN SOON FOLLOD.WE DAYLIGHT REVEALED THE MOST EXTENSIVE DAMAGE AT THE ALABAMA TRAFFIC SAFETY CENTER, WHERE STUDENTS LRN TEAO DRIVE MOTORCYCLES AND OTHER VEHICLES. STEEL FIBERGLASSND A CINDERBLOCKS STREWN ABOUT. ONLY ONE PERSON WAS SLIGHTLY HURT WEDNESDAY NIGHT, AND WE FOUND HER. FRESHMAN LACROSSE PLAYER AMBER LYNCH. >> I WAS RUNNING TO THE BUILDING AND I GOT HIT BY A TREE BRANCH, I THINK. I GOT HIT ON MY HE ANDAD LEG. IT’S JUST A LITTLE CUT. I’M FINE NOW. >> YOU COULD NOT SEE BECAUSE OF THE RAIN. THERE WAS STUFF FLYING EVERYWHERE. AMBER GOT HURT, BUT WE MADE IT TO THE BUILDING SAFEND A SOUND. >> A LOT OF THE MADE IT TO THE STORM SHELTER, SO WE WERE FORTUNATE. JEFF: MOST OF THE 2600 STUDENTS AT MONTEVALLO WERE AT SPRING BREAK. THOSE HERE, DOZENS OF THEM RAN FOR SAFETY TO THE 3D STORM SHELTER. RUNNING DOWN TO THEAS BEMENT IN ONE OF TWO FEMA APPROVED SHELTERS ON CAMPU S.INDE,ED THEY HEEDED A SIGN FOU IN THE DEBRIS. WHEN CLASSES RESUME ON MDAYON THESE STUDENTS WILL HAVE EARNED SOME EXTRA CREDITS ON VACATION. >> GO TO THE BUILDING SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. JEFF: SEEK SHELTER. >> 1%.00 AND HAVE MORE OF A PLAN NEXT TIME. JEFF: A LESSON FOR ALL OF US ON AND OFF CAMP
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University of Montevallo students, officials counting blessings after EF-2 tornado strike
Students and officials at the University of Montevallo are counting their blessings after an EF-2 tornado struck campus Wednesday evening. Though most students were thankfully away for spring break, some athletes remained on campus and one was even minorly injured.WVTM 13's Jeff Eliasoph returned to campus Thursday afternoon to assess damage and talk with the student who was hurt during the storm. Hear more in the video above.Follow Jeff Eliasoph on Facebook and Twitter.
MONTEVALLO, Ala. —
Students and officials at the University of Montevallo are counting their blessings after an EF-2 tornado struck campus Wednesday evening. Though most students were thankfully away for spring break, some athletes remained on campus and one was even minorly injured.
WVTM 13's Jeff Eliasoph returned to campus Thursday afternoon to assess damage and talk with the student who was hurt during the storm. Hear more in the video above.
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https://www.wvtm13.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.wvtm13.com/article/crisis-in-ukraine-april-1-2022/39606610
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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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Character hugs are coming back to Disney parks
Video above: Indoor mask mandates dropped at Walt Disney World, Disneyland
Of the many safety measures that Disney Parks had to set up to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring guests to keep a 6-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 U.S. 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.wvtm13.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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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.wvtm13.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.wvtm13.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: 11:21 AM CDT 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.wvtm13.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.wvtm13.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.wvtm13.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.wvtm13.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.wvtm13.com/article/alabama-senate-advances-legislation-resisting-president-biden-federal-gun-actions/39612716
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Alabama Legislature: Senate advances effort to resist Biden gun actions
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Alabama Legislature: Senate advances effort to resist Biden gun actions
Alabama lawmakers have advanced legislation aimed at resisting a half-dozen executive actions by President Joe Biden to combat gun violence. The Alabama Senate voted 24-5 for legislation that would prohibit state and local officials from participating in the administration or enforcement of any presidential gun control order. It now moves to the House of Representatives. The measure is part of an effort by red states to resist federal gun control measures. The approval came over the objections of Democrats who derided the measure as unconstitutional and election-year pandering.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. —
Alabama lawmakers have advanced legislation aimed at resisting a half-dozen executive actions by President Joe Biden to combat gun violence.
The Alabama Senate voted 24-5 for legislation that would prohibit state and local officials from participating in the administration or enforcement of any presidential gun control order. It now moves to the House of Representatives.
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The measure is part of an effort by red states to resist federal gun control measures.
The approval came over the objections of Democrats who derided the measure as unconstitutional and election-year pandering.
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https://www.wvtm13.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.wvtm13.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: 5:33 PM CDT 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.wvtm13.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.wvtm13.com/article/richard-shelby-meets-biden-supreme-court-nominee-judge-ketanji-brown-jackson/39613232
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Sen. Shelby meets with Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) released a statement Friday after meeting with Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Joe Biden's Supreme Court nominee, on Thursday.
Shelby said he enjoyed meeting Jackson and having a candid discussion with her, but her answers to his questions on her judicial philosophy, position on court-packing and prior sentencing did not alleviate his concerns.
The senator said because of that, he cannot support Jackson's nomination to the Supreme Court.
Read Sen. Shelby's full statement below:
“Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet with Judge Jackson. As with any nominee to the Supreme Court, I believe it is important to carefully consider their qualifications and credentials, including their judicial philosophy, temperament, and prior decisions as a judge. We had a candid discussion in which I questioned her about my concerns, such as her judicial philosophy, position on court-packing, and prior sentencing record as a judge. While I enjoyed meeting Judge Jackson, her answers did not sufficiently alleviate my concerns. As such, I am unable to support her nomination to the Supreme Court.”
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https://www.wvtm13.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.wvtm13.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.wvtm13.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.wvtm13.com/article/jacksonville-kidnapping-child-dies/39614716
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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, Florida.
First Coast News reports a woman armed with a knife abducted the girl around 8 a.m.
The driver and alleged kidnapper has been identified by police as Pamela Tereza Cabrera, 32.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said Cabrera and the child knew each other, but their exact relationship is unclear.
An officer responding to the scene spotted a vehicle driven by Cabrera 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 Cabrera tried to exit but crashed into a retention pond.
Officers jumped into the water, pulling Cabrera from the water and took 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 Cabrera will be arrested and charged with traffic homicide.
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https://www.wvtm13.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.wvtm13.com/article/brook-highland-place-apartment-fire-damages-four-units/39614909
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At least four units were damaged in a fire at the Brook Highland Place Apartments Friday night.Cahaba Valley Fire District Public Information Officer Grant Wilkinson said multiple agencies responded to a structure fire at the apartment complex on Brook Highland Lane around 7 p.m. Friday. Crews from North Shelby, Hoover and Rocky Ridge also responded to the scene.Firefighters were able to control the fire within 25 minutes of being on scene, but Wilkinson said multiple units had already sustained enough damage to displace the residents.Wilkinson said management at the complex is on scene helping the displaced residents and the Red Cross has been notified.An investigation is underway into what caused the fire.Grab the WVTM 13 app for the latest updates on this developing story.—WVTM 13 At The Scene
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — At least four units were damaged in a fire at the Brook Highland Place Apartments Friday night.
Cahaba Valley Fire District Public Information Officer Grant Wilkinson said multiple agencies responded to a structure fire at the apartment complex on Brook Highland Lane around 7 p.m. Friday. Crews from North Shelby, Hoover and Rocky Ridge also responded to the scene.
Firefighters were able to control the fire within 25 minutes of being on scene, but Wilkinson said multiple units had already sustained enough damage to displace the residents.
Wilkinson said management at the complex is on scene helping the displaced residents and the Red Cross has been notified.
An investigation is underway into what caused the fire.
Grab the WVTM 13 app for the latest updates on this developing story.
—
WVTM 13 At The Scene
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https://www.wvtm13.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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https://www.wvtm13.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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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.wvtm13.com/article/us-man-abducted-in-afghanistan-appears-in-newly-posted-video/39611572
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US man abducted in Afghanistan appears in newly posted video
An American man kidnapped in Afghanistan two years ago is seen in a video pleading for his release so that he can be reunited with his family, according to a recording posted Friday by The New Yorker magazine.
The video of Mark Frerichs marks the first time that the Navy veteran and civilian contractor has been seen by the public since his abduction in Kabul on Jan. 31, 2020. Frerichs, of Lombard, Illinois, is believed to be held by the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network, and U.S. officials across two presidential administrations have tried unsuccessfully to get him home.
Frerichs appears by himself in the video, sitting upright before a dark curtain and wearing what appears to be traditional Afghan clothing. In the video, which he says was recorded last Nov. 28, he says he has patiently awaited his release and adds: “I'd like to ask the leadership of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: please release me. Release me so that I may be re-united with my family. Thank you."
Videos of hostages are sometimes released to show proof that they are alive and to facilitate negotiations for a release, though it was not immediately clear if that was the case here.
The video was posted Friday by The New Yorker, which says it obtained it from an unidentified individual in Afghanistan.
An FBI spokeswoman in Washington declined to comment on the video's authenticity, but a sister of Frerichs, Charlene Cakora, said in a statement Friday that she was grateful to the Taliban for releasing the video and described it as "public confirmation of our family’s long-held belief that he is alive after more than two years in captivity.”
She appealed to President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to step up efforts to get Frerichs released.
“We consider this to be an important indicator of the Taliban’s interest in seeking to arrange for Mark’s immediate release. President Biden and Secretary Blinken, we urge you to take bold and decisive action to bring Mark home," she added.
The Taliban has made clear to U.S. officials that it seeks the release of a convicted drug lord named Bashir Noorzai, but the U.S. government has not moved forward on any sort of prisoner trade or exchange that could get Frerichs home.
The video of Frerichs surfaced on the same day that the State Department announced the release from Afghanistan of U.S. citizen Safiullah Rauf and Anees Khalil, a lawful permanent resident. The State Department said that they were now in Qatar before traveling home but offered no additional details about their activities in Afghanistan.
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https://www.wvtm13.com/article/impacts-new-york-amazon-union-vote-bessemer-alabama-location/39615223
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How the Amazon union vote in New York could impact locations across the country
How the Amazon union vote in New York could impact locations across the country
EFFECT. YEAH A CHAMPAGNE TOAST IN NEW YORK. INDEED. IT’S BEEN A LONG WHILE SINCE A LABOR WIN THIS BIG. ITS I DEFINITELY A SIGNIFICANT ENT. YOU MAY BE MANAGEMENT PROFESSOR. JACK HOWARD SSAY A NEW UNION STILL HAS HURDLES TO CLIMB LIKE GETTING A FIRST CONTRACT. BU ITF IT’S A GOOD ONE, THEN THAT’S GONNA CAUSEHE T OTHER WORKERST A OTHER LOCATIONS TO TAKE NOTICE. AND WONDER WHY IF THEY’RE DOING THE SAME JOB. WHY ARE THE WHY IS THERE PAY LEL VEDIFFERENT? WHY IS THE WORK STRUCTUDRE DIFFERENTLY HERE IN ALABAMA WH ILE THE OFFICIAL RESULTS ARE THE BESSEMER VOTE MAY NOT BE KNOWN FOR SEVERAL WEEKS BECAUSE THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF DISPUTED BALLOTS LEFT TO BE COUNTED. IT IS CLEAR THAT THE NEW YORK VOTE IS SEEN AS ONE OF THE BIGGEST WINS FOR ORGANIZED LABOR IN A GENERATION AFFECTING LABOR STANDARDS LABOR UNIONS WORKERS ACROSS AMAZON AND FOR THAT MATTER, ACROSS AMERICA PROFESSOR HOWARD SSAY AMAZON MUST FACE A FAST-CHANGING POST-PANDEMIC WORKPLACEND A CONSIDER OFFERING IMPROVED BENEFITS TO NON-UNION WORKERS. I GET THE NATURAL TENDENCY IF I’M AN OWNER OF A BUSINESS. I WANT TO RUN IT MY WAY. BUT I ALSO FROM MY THINKING THIS IS JUST ME AS A PERSON. I KNOW I CAN’T DO EVERYTHING BY MYSELF. I’VE GOT TO HAVE A GOOD TEAM. AND AND THESE WORKERS ARE PART OF THE TEAM. NOW IT’S A QUESTION OF WHETHER THE TEAM GAMENC ILUDES A RESURGENCE OF UNIONS WHOSE INFLUENCE IN MEMBERSHIP HAD BEEN IN STEADY DECLINE FOR DECADES.
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How the Amazon union vote in New York could impact locations across the country
The Amazon union vote in New York could be the start of a big ripple effect, possibly sparking a turnaround for the lowest union membership in America's workforce in decades. In the video above, WVTM 13's Jeff Eliasoph explains how the decision in New York could impact workplace issues at other Amazon locations across the country, including in Bessemer.Follow Jeff Eliasoph on Facebook and Twitter.—
BESSEMER, Ala. —
The Amazon union vote in New York could be the start of a big ripple effect, possibly sparking a turnaround for the lowest union membership in America's workforce in decades.
In the video above, WVTM 13's Jeff Eliasoph explains how the decision in New York could impact workplace issues at other Amazon locations across the country, including in Bessemer.
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Follow Jeff Eliasoph on Facebook and Twitter.
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https://www.wvtm13.com/article/uconn-advances-to-ncaa-title-game/39615254
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UConn tops Stanford 63-58, advances to NCAA title game
Paige Bueckers scored 14 points and UConn advanced to the national championship game with a 63-58 win over defending champion Stanford on Friday night.
The Huskies will face South Carolina for the national championship on Sunday night. The Gamecocks beat the Cardinals 72-59 in the first game of the Final Four.
It's UConn's first trip to the championship game since 2016, when the Huskies won the last of four straight championships. Since then, the team has suffered heartbreaking defeats in the national semifinals, losing twice in overtime.
UConn (30-5) will be seeking its 12th national championship, and the Huskies have never lost in an NCAA title game.
They had to work to get to the finals. Leading by 52-44 with 1:26 left, Stanford made a furious rally thanks to a few costly UConn turnovers.
Cameron Brink's layup with 18.4 seconds left got the Cardinal within 60-58. UConn was able to work seven seconds off the clock before Christyn Williams was fouled with 11 seconds left. The senior guard calmly swished both free throws to restore a two-possession lead.
Ashten Prechtel completely missed a tough contested 3-pointer from the wing with 5.4 seconds left and the Huskies held on for the win.
Haley Jones led the Cardinal with 20 points.
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Heartwarming: Hundreds of girls receive free prom dresses at 'Belle of the Ball' event
About 650 high school students received a gifted prom dress Saturday at the "Belle of the Ball" event at Boston's Hynes Convention Center.
The prom dresses, many of them brand new, are donated to junior and senior students in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island who likely would not have been able to afford them.
"I actually was really grateful to take it because I was worried about how I was going to get a prom dress," said Darlene Rosario, a senior at Lawrence High School. "I was glad that I was able to find the dress that I wanted in my size."
"Prom is in a month, time is coming up and we're just trying to find a dress," said Katy Ucles, a fellow Lawrence High senior. "I saw another girl wearing the same dress I liked, so I was like: 'Nooo!' But then I found the dress, so I'm happy."
Saturday marked the 18th year of the Belle of the Ball Boutique Day, which was sponsored by Jordan's Furniture, Anton's Cleaners and Enterprise Bank.
"They're learning a lesson, as well. It's not just handed to them," said Eliot Tatelman, president of Jordan's Furniture. "We're asking them to bring it back because, next year, somebody else could wear it, which is so cool."
"You just realize that this is an important part of their lives. I mean, I never knew that until my daughter went through that years ago," said Arthur Anton, chief operating officer of Anton's Cleaners.
All of the girls who attended Saturday's event got to accessorize their dresses with free shoes, and personal stylists were among the 400 volunteers available to help them. The girls then got the chance to walk the runway while wearing their newfound prom dresses.
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The Latest: Retreating Russian forces creating 'complete disaster' with mines, Zelenskyy says
As Russian forces pull back from Ukraine’s capital region, retreating troops are creating a “catastrophic" situation for civilians by leaving mines around homes, abandoned equipment and “even the bodies of those killed," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Saturday.
Ukraine and its Western allies reported mounting evidence of Russia withdrawing its forces from around Kyiv and building up troop strength in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian fighters reclaimed several areas near the capital after forcing the Russians out or moving in after them, officials said.
Here's the latest on the Ukraine-Russia conflict as of 9:30 a.m. (Eastern):
- Carla Del Ponte, former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, has called for an international arrest warrant to be issued for Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him a war criminal in an interview published Saturday in Swiss newspaper Le Temps.
- A Ukrainian official said there were casualties after at least three Russian ballistic missiles were fired late Friday at the Odesa region on the Black Sea, but he did not give specifics.
- The secretary of Ukraine's national security council has denied that the country was responsible for a reported attack on a Russian fuel depot.
- The mayor of Kyiv said the bombardment of satellite towns near the Ukrainian capital was ongoing despite Russian promises of scaling back troops from the region.
- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says Russia does not appear to be scaling back its military operations in Ukraine.
- 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.
The visible shift did not mean the country faced a reprieve from more than five weeks of war or that the more than 4 million refugees who have fled Ukraine will return soon. Zelenskyy said he expects departed towns to endure missile strikes and rocket strikes from afar and for the battle in the east to be intense.
“It’s still not possible to return to normal life, as it used to be, even at the territories that we are taking back after the fighting,” the president told his nation in a nightly video message. "We need wait until our land is demined, wait till we are able to assure you that there won’t be new shelling.”
Moscow's focus on eastern Ukraine also kept the besieged southern city of Mariupol in the crosshairs. The port city on the Sea of Azoz is located in the mostly Russian-speaking Donbas region, where Russia-backed separatists have fought Ukrainian troops for eight years and military analysts think Russian President Vladimir Putin is determined to capture after his forces failed to secure Kyiv and other major cities.
The International Committee of the Red Cross planned to try Saturday to get into Mariupol to evacuate residents. The Red Cross said it could not carry out the operation Friday because it did not receive assurances the route was safe. City authorities said the Russians blocked access to the city.
The humanitarian group said a team with three vehicles and nine Red Cross staff members was on the way to help facilitate the safe passage of civilians on Saturday after the failed attempt the previous day. In a statement late Friday, the group said its team planned to accompany a convoy of civilians out from Mariupol to another city.
“Our presence will put a humanitarian marker on this planned movement of people, giving the convoy additional protection and reminding all sides of the civilian, humanitarian nature of the operation,” the statement said.
The Mariupol city council said Saturday that 10 empty buses were headed to Berdyansk, a city 52.2 miles west of Mariupol, to pick up people who can get there on their own. Some 2,000 made it out of Mariupol on Friday, some on buses and some in their own vehicles, city officials said.
Evacuees boarded about 25 buses in Berdyansk and arrived around midnight to Zaporizhzhia, a city still under Ukrainian control that has served as the destination under previous cease-fires announced — and then broken — to get civilians out and aid into Mariupol.
Among then was Tamila Mazurenko, who said she fled Mariupol on Monday and made it to Berdyansk the same night. Mazurenko said she waited for a bus until Friday, spending one night sleeping in a field.
“I have only one question: Why?” she said of her city's ordeal. “We only lived as normal people. And our normal life was destroyed. And we lost everything. I don’t have any job, I can’t find my son.”
Video: Ukraine war destruction takes its toll
Mariupol, which was surrounded by Russian forces a month ago, has been the scene of some of the war’s worst attacks, including on a maternity hospital and a theater sheltering civilians. Around 100,000 people are believed to remain in the city, down from a prewar population of 430,000, and facing dire shortages of water, food, fuel and medicine.
The city's capture would give Moscow an unbroken land bridge from Russia to Crimea, which it seized from Ukraine in 2014, but also has taken on symbolic significance during Russia's invasion, said Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Ukrainian think-tank Penta.
“Mariupol has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance, and without its conquest, Putin cannot sit down at the negotiating table,” Fesenko said.
An adviser to Zelenskyy, Oleksiy Arestovych, said in an interview with a Russian lawyer and activist, Mark Feygin, that Russia and Ukraine had reached an agreement to allow 45 buses to drive to Mariupol to evacuate residents “in coming days.”
Such agreements have been reached before, only to be breached. On Thursday, Russian forces blocked a 45-bus convoy attempting to evacuate people from Mariupol and seized 14 tons of food and medical supplies bound for the city, Ukrainian authorities said.
Turkey's defense minister said his country had offered to help take civilians by sea from Mariupol, where Turkish authorities estimated some 30 of their citizens remained trapped by the siege.
About 500 refugees from eastern Ukraine, including 99 children and 12 people with disabilities, arrived in the Russian city of Kazan by train overnight. Asked if he saw a chance to return home, Mariupol resident Artur Kirillov answered, “That’s unlikely, there is no city anymore.”
Video: Kyiv keeps guard up as displaced find shelter
Meanwhile, Pope Francis on Saturday blasted Russia for launching a “savage” war in Ukraine and said he was considering a trip to Kyiv. Francis, who was visiting Malta, said “some potentate” had unleashed the threat of nuclear war on the world in an “infantile and destructive aggression” under the guise of “anachronist claims of nationalistic interests.”
The pope didn’t mention Putin by name Saturday, but his subject was clear enough.
On the outskirts of Kyiv, signs of fierce fighting were everywhere in the wake of the Russian redeployment. Destroyed armored vehicles from both armies left in streets and fields and scattered military gear covered the ground next to an abandoned Russian tank.
Ukrainian forces recaptured the city of Brovary, 20 kilometers east of the capital, Mayor Ihor Sapozhko said in a televised Friday night address. Shops were reopening and residents were returning but “still stand ready to defend” their city, he added.
“Russian occupants have now left practically all of the Brovary district,” Sapozhko said. “Tonight, (Ukrainian) armed forces will work to clear settlements of (remaining) occupants, military hardware, and possibly from mines.”
Video: Zelenskyy appeals to Australia to help fight Russia
Elsewhere, at least three Russian ballistic missiles were fired late Friday at the Odesa region on the Black Sea, regional leader Maksim Marchenko said. The Ukrainian military said the Iskander missiles did not hit the critical infrastructure they targeted in Odesa, Ukraine’s largest port and the headquarters of its navy.
Ukrainian officials reported that the death toll from a Russian rocket strike Tuesday on a government building in Mykolaiv, a port city east of Odesa, had risen to 33, with a further 34 people wounded. The confirmed death toll has risen steadily as the search and rescue operation continues.
As the war dragged on, the U.S. Defense Department said Friday night it is providing an additional $300 million in arms to Ukrainian forces, including laser-guided rocket systems, unmanned aircraft, armored vehicles, night vision devices and ammunition. Also included are medical supplies, field equipment and spare parts.
There was no immediate word Saturday on the latest round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators, which took place Friday by video. During a round of talks earlier in the week, Ukraine said it would be willing to abandon a bid to join NATO and declare itself neutral — Moscow’s chief demand — in return for security guarantees from several other countries.
On Friday, the Kremlin accused Ukraine of launching a helicopter attack on a fuel depot on Russian soil.
Ukraine denied responsibility for the fiery blast at the civilian oil storage facility on the outskirts of the city of Belgorod, about 16 miles from the Ukraine border. If Moscow’s claim is confirmed, it would be the war’s first known attack in which Ukrainian aircraft penetrated Russian airspace.
Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s national security council, said on Ukrainian television: “For some reason, they say that we did it, but in fact, this does not correspond with reality.” Later, in an interview with American TV channel Fox News, Zelenskyy refused to say whether Ukraine was behind the attack.
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