(WASHINGTON) — Pentagon Protection Force Agency Officer George Gonzalez was a beloved son, brother and friend. He was a Yankees fan and a “one of the good guys,” according to an obituary shared by the agency.
Gonzalez was allegedly killed by a 27-year-old suspect who ambushed him while he was patrolling the Pentagon bus station last week, first stabbing him and then shooting him with his own weapon, according to law enforcement sources.
Gonzalez’s ambush and the fatal shooting of Chicago Police Officer Ella French, is part of the 47 police officer killings so far in 2021, according to the FBI’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted Program (LEOKA).
That’s more than in all of 2020, when there were 46, according to the data. And there have been nearly as many officers killed this year as the entirety of 2019 (48) and 2017 (48).
Out of the killings reported this year, 36 have involved a firearm, according to the data.
April was the deadliest month for law enforcement, with eight killings reported.
The FBI said in its report that the southern region was deadliest for law enforcement with 24 killings and 17 accidental deaths through the end of July. This contrasts with the Northeast, which had no officers killed.
Laura Cooper, the executive director of the Major City Chiefs Association (MCCA) which represents police chiefs from across the country, said the number of law enforcement deaths is “alarming.”
“We continue to witness horrific acts of violence being committed against those who we need to protect our communities,” Cooper explained. “These senseless acts have a chilling effect across the law enforcement community, and we wait for the day where line of duty deaths reach an all-time low.”
The FBI reports that accidental killings of police have also increased 20% though the end of July.
And law enforcement officers have also continued to die from COVID-19.
Apart from the accidental deaths, 54 died from complications due to the virus.
(WASHINGTON) — The Food and Drug Administration is planning to authorize a third shot for the immune-compromised on Thursday, two sources familiar with the plans confirmed to ABC News.
If the FDA green-lights the additional shots — first reported by NBC News — it’s up to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the Centers for Disease Control’s expert advisory panel, to make its own recommendation on who should get the shot and what factors they might want to consider. Those recommendations are typically adopted by the CDC as nationwide public health guidance. The ACIP is scheduled to meet on Friday, though it is not currently scheduled to vote.
Many immunocompromised Americans have not had high immune responses to the vaccines, leaving them vulnerable to the virus even after getting a shot. Response has been low particularly in transplant recipients, cancer patients or people on medications that suppress their immune response.
About 2.7% of U.S. adults are considered immunocompromised.
Asked to comment on the plans, the FDA said its “closely monitoring data as it becomes available from studies administering an additional dose of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines to immunocompromised individuals.”
“The agency, along with the CDC, is evaluating potential options on this issue, and will share information in the near future,” the FDA said in a statement.
At a July meeting, members of ACIP were largely supportive of giving immunocompromised people a third dose to boost their immunity and they called on the FDA to move on the issue.
ABC News’ Anne Flaherty contributed to this report.
This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.
(U.S. Marshals) John Ruffo pictured with wife Linda.
(NEW YORK) — This report is part of Season 2 of the ABC News podcast, “Have You Seen This Man?,” hosted by “The View’s” Sunny Hostin. It follows the U.S. Marshals’ ongoing mission to find John Ruffo, who engineered one of the most outlandish frauds in U.S. history, vanished in 1998 and has never been found. A four-part Hulu Original limited series on the global search for Ruffo is currently in production from ABC News Longform. MORE HERE
An unassuming Brooklyn computer salesman who in 1998 committed one of the nation’s most outlandish bank frauds before making a brazen escape is now the subject of an intensifying global manhunt by the U.S. Marshals.
John Ruffo swindled banks out of more than $350 million and was scheduled to start serving a 17-year prison sentence when he vanished. The U.S. Marshals have labeled Ruffo one of their 15 most wanted fugitives and have provided ABC News unprecedented access to their manhunt for the second season of the podcast “Have You Seen This Man,” launching Wednesday.
(U.S. Marshals)
U.S. Marshals’ wanted poster for John Ruffo.
The case has for decades baffled investigators, who never fully understood why Ruffo was granted the unusual privilege of being allowed to self-report for such a hefty prison term. On the day he was supposed to show up at prison, he rented a Ford Taurus, drove to Queens, New York, to turn in the ankle monitor he had been wearing, took $600 out of an ATM, left his car in long term parking at JFK airport, and disappeared.
(U.S. Marshals)
The last known image of John Ruffo, caught on a security camera withdrawing $600 from an ATM in Queens, New York, before disappearing.
A grifter with a history of elaborate cons and an un-memorable everyman appearance, Ruffo has proven an unusually challenging target, investigators said. The Marshals believe his disappearance was aided considerably by more than $13 million in stolen money that has never been found.
Ruffo’s fraud was deceptive in its simplicity. Teaming up with a former executive from the Phillip Morris tobacco company, he devised a false story about what they said was a super-secret research effort to develop smoke-free cigarettes. Ruffo’s computer firm was supposed to be supplying computers for the project – but the entire enterprise was a mirage. As millions poured in from banks, Ruffo attempted to invest the money on Wall Street, figuring he could pocket the gains and pay back the loans. But he was not a shrewd stock picker. He and his co-conspirator were arrested when the ruse fell apart.
(U.S. Marshals)
U.S. Marshals provided this age progression image of John Ruffo.
The podcast, produced by the ABC News Investigative Unit and hosted by Sunny Hostin, has uncovered surprising new details about the bizarre double life Ruffo led in the months and years leading up to his disappearance.
“I mean, it’s a crazy story,” said Judd Burstein, the veteran attorney who represented Ruffo after his arrest in 1997. “He was very disciplined. He was the ultimate double life person.”
The job of finding Ruffo has been assigned to an elite pair of investigators who have expertise in cold cases, Deputy Marshals Danielle Shimchick and Chris Leuer, both based out of Virginia. In recent months, the search for Ruffo has intensified considerably, as Shimchick and Leuer have developed new and promising leads about his escape.
Among those most invested in his capture is the woman who had been Ruffo’s wife at the time of his disappearance, Linda Lausten. Lausten was among those who lost their homes when Ruffo failed to report to prison. His $10 million bail had been secured by six houses belonging to his family members – all of which were seized by the government after he fled.
(U.S. Marshals)
John Ruffo pictured with wife Linda.
Lausten said she remains baffled that he was allowed to slip away. She has always maintained she knew nothing about Ruffo’s crimes and has never been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with his crime or escape. Lausten has since remarried.
“Even the Marshals told me that it’s almost unheard of that a person would be sentenced to that lengthy sentence and be allowed to turn themself in alone, knowing what a high risk he was,” she said.
Listen, subscribe and rate “Have You Seen This Man?” on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and Audacy.
(NEW YORK) — As Tropical Storm Fred takes aim on the Florida Keys, a heat wave is gripping 33 states.
Heat wave
A heat wave is spreading to the Northeast as well as parts of the Midwest, South and Pacific Northwest.
By Thursday, the heat index — what the temperature feels like — could climb to 103 degrees in Boston, 105 in New York City and 109 in Philadelphia.
Excessive heat warnings have been issued in New York City and Philadelphia. Boston has declared a heat emergency Wednesday through Friday.
“When it is this dangerously hot during the day and the temperatures do not drop at night, your body doesn’t have time to recover,” Boston Mayor Kim Janey said. “I am urging everyone to drink lots of water and find ways to stay cool. Anyone who needs a place to beat the heat can come inside and rest in the air conditioning at one of our cooling centers.”
The dangerously high temperatures are also reaching cities including Chicago, Memphis, Dallas, Portland and Sacramento.
Tropical Storm Fred
Tropical Storm Fred formed overnight near Puerto Rico, where gusty winds and heavy rain are hitting through the morning.
A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Dominican Republic, where Fred is expected to reach Wednesday afternoon.
A tropical storm watch was issued for the southern Bahamas for Thursday and Thursday night.
By Friday night into Saturday morning, Fred is expected to move over the Florida Keys with heavy rain and gusty winds.
It’s possible Fred could strengthen as it heads into the Gulf of Mexico Saturday night into Sunday, though the forecast could change in the next few days.
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 617,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 4.3 million people have died worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 58.7% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing Wednesday. All times Eastern:
Aug 11, 8:31 am
TSA sees its lowest checkpoint numbers in nearly 2 months
As COVID-19 surges, the Transportation Security Administration screened 1,727,075 travelers across the U.S. on Tuesday — the lowest number since June 15.
Aug 11, 3:25 am
Texas county will sue over state’s mask mandate ban
The largest county in Texas is set to file a lawsuit challenging the governor’s mask mandate ban.
The commissioner’s court of Harris County, which encompasses the city of Houston, had the county attorney file a lawsuit challenging Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order that prohibits local governments in the state from requiring masks, ABC’s Houston station KTRK reported.
“First responders and school leaders are speaking out and standing up as Delta ravages our community. We have their back,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo wrote on Twitter. “Protecting the community during an emergency is a duty, not an option for government leaders.”
“It’s the job of local officials to protect our students, our vulnerable, our neighbors,” said Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee. “But [Abbott] has banned us from doing so during a pandemic. Tonight Commissioners Court authorized my office to take legal action against the governor’s overreach. Enough is enough.”
Aug 10, 8:51 pm
Hawaii reinstates capacity restrictions amid COVID-19 spike
Hawaii Gov. David Ige announced new capacity restrictions on businesses and limits on social gatherings Tuesday amid a spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
Effective immediately, bars, restaurants and gyms are limited to 50% capacity. Additionally, social gatherings are limited to 25 people outdoors and 10 people indoors.
COVID-19 case counts doubled every seven to 10 days in July, and there have been record daily highs of over 600 cases in recent days, Ige said. Hospitalizations have also increased from 48 a month ago to 219 currently.
“We need to take action, and we need to take action now,” Ige said during a press briefing.
Aug 10, 7:43 pm
CDC advisory panel to discuss vaccine boosters on Friday
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel is expected to meet later this week to discuss the possibility of COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for people who are severely immunocompromised.
The meeting of the CDC’s ACIP panel — scheduled for Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — will be closely watched as the nation awaits a decision by federal regulators on whether to authorize a booster shot for certain vulnerable groups.
If the Food and Drug Administration greenlights boosters, the ACIP panel would have to make its own recommendation on who should get the shot and what factors they might want to consider. Those recommendations are typically adopted by the CDC as nationwide public health guidance.
During a meeting last month, ACIP members agreed an extra shot probably does help protect immunocompromised people but that more research was needed*.*
Aug 10, 5:08 pm
At least 1 million people got unauthorized third booster shot
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 1 million people who have received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine have gone back for an unauthorized third booster shot.
Florida is among the states reporting the highest number of people opting for a booster shot, followed by Ohio, California, Illinois and Tennessee.
The estimated 1.1 million, included in an internal CDC briefing document reviewed by ABC News, likely is an undercount because although it counts Moderna and Pfizer shot recipients it ignores people who may have received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine and got another shot.
It’s also unclear whether people who received a third shot did so under the direction of a doctor. The Food and Drug Administration hasn’t authorized a third shot to boost immunity, although there are reports of some physicians encouraging severely immunocompromised patients to do so.
Boosters for the immunocompromised may be recommended by the FDA within weeks.
Aug 10, 3:23 pm
Hospitalizations among vaccinated on the rise
The proportion of hospitalized COVID-19 cases among vaccinated people has risen sharply since spring, coinciding with the sudden rise of the delta variant, according to the CDC’s internal briefing slides reviewed by ABC News.
The finding doesn’t mean the vaccines aren’t working. People are still considerably less likely to wind up in the hospital or die if they are vaccinated, health officials have said.
The reality of more breakthrough cases also could be tied to the larger number of Americans getting vaccinated. While breakthrough cases remain relatively uncommon, the more people in the U.S. who are vaccinated increases the chances for breakthrough cases to be counted.
According to the CDC, vaccinated individuals who end up hospitalized tend to be elderly, medically vulnerable or live in long-term care facilities. They also are more likely to be asymptomatic and are hospitalized for reasons other than COVID-19.
On July 17, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky estimated that 97% of hospitalizations were occurring among people who weren’t immunized.
Aug 10, 2:17 pm
Fauci says he supports vaccine mandates for teachers
Dr. Anthony Fauci supports a mask mandate for teachers, he told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Tuesday.
“We are in a critical situation here. We’ve had 600,000+ deaths and we are in a major surge now as we’re going into the fall,” Fauci said. “I know people must like to have their individual freedom and not be told to do something, but I think we’re in such a serious situation now that, under certain circumstances, mandates should be done.”
Fauci said it’s only a matter of time until the FDA approves the vaccine and people shouldn’t use that as a reason to delay getting the shot.
“There’s no doubt that these vaccines are going to get fully approved,” he said. “You should consider this as good as fully approved and get vaccinated.”
(AUSTIN, Texas) — As of Sunday, there were only six ICU beds open in Austin, 51 in San Antonio and 42 in Houston, critically low numbers for three of the nation’s largest cities, according to the latest state health department data.
In Austin, that number may be even lower due to a lag in ICU availability data reporting. “Yesterday we were down to two ICU beds,” Dr. Desmar Walkes, medical director and health authority of Austin-Travis County, said during a Tuesday press conference.
“What I am seeing during my shifts is just as bad, if not worse, than what I saw last year,” said Dr. Owais Durrani, an emergency medicine physician who works at several freestanding emergency departments and hospitals in East Texas. “Before COVID, sending patients home on oxygen was unheard of. We are now sending patients home on oxygen again due to hospital capacity issues.”
Critical access hospitals and freestanding emergency departments, like the ones Durrani works in, usually aren’t designed or staffed to keep patients for extended time periods. Instead, they rely on transferring patients to other facilities for critical care. But given the lack of available beds across the state, transferring is now nearly impossible, Durrani explained.
“We are having extreme difficulty transferring patients out,” he said. “I have personally transferred patients to other states due to not having any Texas beds.”
Even as cases and hospitalizations soar, Texas’ vaccination rate trails the national average. As of Monday, 53% of residents had received at least one dose, and 45% were fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, compared with 59% of and 50%, respectively, of all Americans.
Durrani said everyone he’s personally admitted for COVID-19 treatment hasn’t been vaccinated, which can lead to worse outcomes even for those who have been.
He shared the story of a patient he treated with an acute medical issue that required surgery. ER physicians are trained to stabilize patients, not perform surgery. During non-pandemic times, that patient’s wait would have been a few hours. Instead, the patient sat in the emergency department for 16 hours because partner hospitals with surgeons were full.
“This patient of mine was vaccinated, not a COVID patient, but due to the pandemic brought on by the unvaccinated they received suboptimal care,” Durrani said.
Despite doctors and health officials across the state sounding the alarm, Gov. Greg Abbott has stood firm against public health mandates that helped drive down cases earlier in the pandemic.
“Going forward, in Texas, there will not be any government-imposed shutdowns or mask mandates,” Gov. Greg Abbott said last week during a speech. “Everyone already knows what to do.”
On Monday, Abbott addressed the hospital capacity shortage in a letter to the Texas Hospital Association.
“Among other strategies, hospitals could voluntarily postpone medical procedures for which delay will not result in loss of life or a deterioration in the patient’s condition,” the governor wrote. “Hospitals could also refer some COVID-19 patients to infusion sites, hereby freeing up hospital beds for more serious cases.”
Seeing hospitals fill up again is taxing on the health care workers, who are tired and fed up after battling COVID for a year and a half.
“This time it’s more anger than frustration,” Durrani said. “We went through this all of last year, and when we got the vaccine we saw a light at the end of the tunnel.”
“Schools are opening and the governor has banned school mask mandates,” he said. “Health care workers are tired, infuriated and simply sick of the politicization of science.”
“What has the medical community done wrong?” he asked. “We’re trying to promote health and prevent this from happening, and yet, it seems like there are people who want to take those tools away from us.”
(WASHINGTON) — A nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS) test will be conducted Wednesday and radios, televisions and certain cellphones will be alerted.
The test, which is being run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission, will begin at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET.
The EAS portion of the test, which will occur on radios and televisions, is scheduled to last about one minute, and the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) to cellphones, whose users have opted into receiving messages, should only be received once.
“The purpose of the Aug. 11 test is to ensure that the EAS and WEA systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level,” a FEMA press release said. “Periodic testing of public alert and warning systems helps to assess the operational readiness of alerting infrastructure and to identify any needed technological and administrative improvements.”
The message, according to FEMA, should read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
The message will display in either English or Spanish, depending on the language settings of the device, according to the FEMA press release.
Wednesday’s test is the sixth nationwide EAS test, the second WEA test and the first WEA test on a consumer opt-in basis.
“Emergency alerts are created and sent by authorized federal, state, local, tribal and territorial government agencies,” according to FEMA.
According to FEMA, the two government agencies are coordinating with “wireless providers, emergency managers and other stakeholders” to “minimize confusion” and “maximize the public safety value of the test.”
If Wednesday’s test is canceled, a backup testing date is scheduled for Aug. 25.
(NEW YORK) — Serenade Foods is recalling approximately 59,251 pounds of frozen, raw, breaded and pre-browned stuffed chicken products that may be contaminated with salmonella enteritidis.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced the recall on Monday. The recall includes three brand name chicken products, including Dutch Farms, Milford Valley and Kirkwood, an Aldi brand.
Serenade Foods is recalling chicken products that may be contaminated, Aug. 10, 2021.
Specific information on the impacted products can be found below:
Dutch Farms chicken with broccoli and cheese: 5-ounce individually plastic-wrapped packages with LOT CODE BR 1055 and BEST IF USED BY FEB 24 2023
Milford Valley chicken with broccoli and cheese: 5-ounce individually plastic-wrapped packages with LOT CODE BR 1055 and BEST IF USED BY FEB 24 2023
Milford Valley chicken cordon bleu: 10-ounce box of two individually plastic-wrapped packages with LOT CODE CB 1055 and BEST IF USED BY FEB 24 2023.
Kirkwood raw stuffed chicken, broccoli and cheese: 5-ounce individually plastic-wrapped packages with LOT CODE BR 1055 and BEST IF USED BY FEB 24 2023.
Kirkwood raw stuffed chicken cordon bleu: 5-ounce individually plastic-wrapped packages with LOT CODE CB 1056 and BEST IF USED BY FEB 25 2023.
(WASHINGTON) — Racquel McCray grew up with two Navy parents, so when she turned 18 she decided she wanted to follow in their footsteps. This year, she got the rare chance to be able to see her mother in action after being assigned to her ship, the USS Gerald R. Ford.
When she joined the Navy in May, Racquel chose to pursue the same logistics specialty as her mother. When she realized that she could have the opportunity to watch her mother, Tonya McCray, in the field, she reached out to her chain of command to be assigned to her mother’s ship.
Even though she was in the Navy, Tonya never pushed Racquel to follow in her footsteps, Tonya told “Good Morning America.” However, watching her father and mother inspired her to follow the same path.
“I chose to join because I watched my parents for my entire life,” Racquel told “GMA.” “They both served, so watching them every day go to work made me actually want to follow in their footsteps, with how successful they were and what they were able to provide for my sister and I.”
When Racquel first discussed the idea with her parents, they “didn’t believe her or take her seriously,” Tonya said. Once she realized how serious Racquel was about enlisting in the Navy and pursuing the logistics speciality, though, she warmed up to the idea.
“I was a proud mother,” Tonya said. “It took a while for her to get everything situated to come in, but that was my baby and I was so proud.”
Soon after enlisting, Racquel realized that she wanted to work alongside her mother, Tonya said.
“I shared some pictures with her and I talked about the experience, and she told me that was why she wanted to join the military — to be able to participate in things like that,” Tonya explained. “I talked to my chain of command, she talked to her chain of command and we thought it could be used as a training opportunity.”
For the four weeks that Racquel and Tonya worked on the same ship, Tonya enjoyed getting to share her profession with her daughter, describing the experience as “great.”
“I was able to share what I did with my daughter every day. She saw what respect that someone of my pay grade gets on a day to day, how they look up to me, and it just felt great to be able to share that experience with her, and also, just to see her hard work,” Tonya said.
While Racquel said she was disappointed about not having more time with her mother, she found her time on the ship valuable. Now, she knows that she made the right decision in choosing her specialty.
“It was a great experience for me, even though it only lasted four weeks,” Racquel said. “I would have liked for it to be a little bit longer, but it was really nice to be able to see the benefits of all of [my mom’s] hard work, how people looked up to her and respected her.”
(MIAMI) — Residents given hours to evacuate ‘unsafe’ Miami condoResidents of an eight-story condominium in Miami were given hours to evacuate after city inspectors deemed the building “unsafe,” the latest residential structure in the area cleared out since the deadly collapse of a tower in nearby Surfside in June.
An emergency evacuation order for the 137-unit structure, which according to city records was built in 1973, was taped to the front glass door of the building in Miami’s Flagami neighborhood Sunday night, giving residents just hours to pack up and get out.
“This building or structure is, in the opinion of the building official, unsafe,” read the notice posted on the building, at 5050 Northwest Seventh Street, just east of the city’s Little Havana district.
Residents were still seen packing belongings into vehicles outside the art deco-style, pink and beige building Tuesday morning, according to ABC Miami affiliate WPLG-TV.
The building is about 16 miles from Champlain Towers South, the 12-story oceanfront condominium that partially collapsed before dawn on June 24, killing 98 people. What remained of that building was demolished, and an investigation is underway into what caused the disaster.
City of Miami officials told WPLG that they’re working with nonprofit groups to help displaced residents find temporary housing.
The building on on Northwest Seventh Street was put on notice on July 7 after city inspectors found several violations, including not obtaining a 40-year recertification, according to the Miami Herald.
City building officials met on July 26 with residents “who were concerned about the condition of the building,” an official told the newspaper. A day after the meeting, a city inspector found structural problems in the building’s elevated garage, prompting it to be closed, and informed the property manager about damaged columns on the first floor that “required emergency shoring.”
The city said it never received requests for permits or a plan to fix the problems, but city inspectors found emergency repairs were being done on the structure’s degrading first-floor columns without a permit, officials told the Herald.
During a meeting on Monday with the building’s condo association and engineer, city inspectors “found the columns to be structurally insufficient” and ordered the building to be vacated, the Herald reported.
“We felt the building occupants were not safe,” Miami Building Director Asael “Ace” Marrero told the newspaper.
Following the catastrophic collapse of the Surfside building, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava called for a 30-day audit of residential buildings at least 40 years old and five stories tall.
Several buildings, including a 10-story residential tower in North Miami Beach, were ordered to be evacuated by the city after inspections deemed them unsafe.
