Truck driver’s mother vows to keep fighting as judge reconsiders her son’s controversial 110-year sentence

Truck driver’s mother vows to keep fighting as judge reconsiders her son’s controversial 110-year sentence
Truck driver’s mother vows to keep fighting as judge reconsiders her son’s controversial 110-year sentence
iStock/nirat

(NEW YORK) — As a judge reconsiders the controversial 110-year sentence of Rogel Aguilera-Mederos, his mother said that she wouldn’t stop fighting until her son is back home with his family.

“I feel very sad for the people who lost their lives,” Oslaida Mederos told “Nightline” on Monday in an exclusive interview. “And my son is suffering from it, as well as I am. We are Christians, we believe in God and we pray for them. He is a good boy.”

Mederos was sentenced on Dec. 13 to 110 years in prison for a 2019 fatal crash on I-70, outside Denver, that killed four people and injured several others – a sentence that the judge in the case said he wouldn’t have chosen if he had the discretion.

Amid public outcry over the case, Jefferson County District Attorney Alexis King – the prosecutor in this case – filed a motion earlier this month asking the court to reduce Mederos’ sentence, suggesting a 20-30 year sentencing range instead.

Judge A. Bruce Jones, who was the judge in this case, responded to the motion in a hearing on Monday and scheduled a hearing to reconsider the sentence for Jan. 13, 2022.

“We want our client home and with his family,” family attorney Leonard Martinez told “Nightline” on Monday. “I’m not sure we’ll get there with the judge, obviously. And not sure we’ll get there with the governor, but we’re going to try. We’re going to continue to try to get him home as soon as possible.”

Mederos was charged with 42 counts and was found guilty by a Jefferson County jury of 27 counts — the most serious was first-degree assault, a class-three felony.

The number of the charges, mandatory minimum laws and a classification that mandates some sentences to be served consecutively resulted in the lengthy sentence.

‘Accident’ or ‘crime’

At the heart of the case is the debate over whether the crash was an “accident,” as the defense has argued, or a “crime” – an argument made by prosecutors during the trial and supported by some of the family members of those who died.

“As the jury found, Mr. Aguilera-Mederos knowingly made multiple active choices that resulted in the death of four people, serious injuries to others, and mass destruction,” King said in a statement, adding that the 20-30 year sentencing range “reflects an appropriate outcome for that conduct, which was not an accident.”

A group of crash survivors and family members of the victims spoke exclusively with ABC News last week, describing the trauma that the crash caused their families and said that Mederos should still serve time in prison, even if his sentence is reduced.

“I think we all can agree that [110 years] is excessive,” Duane Bailey, the brother of William Bailey who died in the crash, told “GMA” but added that the jury “came to the correct decision to convict [Mederos].”

Crash victims speak out amid push for governor to commute truck driver’s 110-year sentence

Mederos testified that his brakes failed – a point not contested by prosecutors. In this case, some of the points of contention appear to be decisions Mederos allegedly made before the crash took place and once he found out that he was having brake problems.

Police said Mederos was driving at least 85 mph before the crash on a stretch of the highway with a 45 mph speed limit for commercial vehicles.

After his brakes failed, Mederos drove past a runaway truck ramp and crashed into stopped traffic, police said.

A runaway truck ramp is essentially an escape lane or exit that allows a vehicle experiencing brake problems to stop safely.

Prosecutors argued that after the brakes failed, Mederos intentionally passed the ramp — one of the reasons that some crash victims and families of those who died argued Mederos should serve time in prison.

“Firstly, he had the choice to pick that ramp. He didn’t. Whatever his real reason was, we’ll never know. But that was a choice by him,” Bailey said.

Attorney James Colgan, who represented Mederos during the trial, told ABC News on Monday that Mederos’ defense team “never agreed with prosecutors that he intentionally avoided the ramp” during the trial.

“By the time he realized it was there, he was past it,” Colgan said, adding that Mederos was “under a lot of stress” at the time.

Mederos, who police said was not intoxicated during the crash, testified that after his brakes failed, he crashed into vehicles that had stopped on the highway due to backed up traffic as a result of another crash on the highway and another truck parked on the shoulder of the road.

“I know that Rogel’s intention when he woke up that morning, was [to strap] his work boots on, get in a truck and work and provide for his family. There was no [malicious] intent on his part when he went to work,” Martinez said. “That’s why it should be called an accident.”

What’s next?

As the judge reconsiders the sentence, there are other legal avenues that Mederos’ team can pursue.

Mederos’ attorneys filed an application for clemency last week, urging Colorado Gov. Jared Polis to commute the sentence.

The League of United Latin American Citizens, one of the largest Latino civil rights groups in the U.S., met with Polis last week to advocate for Mederos.

“It should be about justice, not vengeance,” LULAC President Domingo Garcia told “Nightline.”

“I sympathize with those family members who lost a loved one; I cannot imagine how difficult the pain must be,” he added.
Prosecutor seeks reduced sentence for truck driver who got 110 years for fatal crash

The deadline for Mederos and his legal team to appeal is 49 days following sentencing, which would be Jan. 31, 2022. Mederos also has up to a year from the Dec. 13 sentencing to file a motion under Rule 35b for the judge to reconsider his sentence.

During the sentencing, Mederos expressed remorse for those killed and injured in the crash and said that the accident was unintentional and he is “not a criminal.”

“I want to say sorry. Sorry for the loss, for the people injured,” he said. “I know they have trauma, I know, I feel that.”

ABC News’ Sabina Ghebremedhin, Knez Walker, Marjorie Mcafee, Candace Smith and Michelle Mendez contributed to this report.

 

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Search continues for hit-and-run driver who killed 2 kids, injured 4

Search continues for hit-and-run driver who killed 2 kids, injured 4
Search continues for hit-and-run driver who killed 2 kids, injured 4
iStock/Motortion

(ORLANDO) — Police in Florida are on the hunt for a fugitive driver involved in a hit-and-run crash that killed two children and sent four others to the hospital.

The Broward County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday they located the 2009 Honda Accord involved in the incident in Wilton Manors, Florida, the previous afternoon.

Investigators said the car’s male driver veered around a school bus that was trying to merge onto the road, drove off the roadway onto the sidewalk and struck multiple children.

The driver then allegedly fled the scene, according to investigators.

The victims’ ages ranged from 2 to 10 years old, according to police.

Andrea Fleming, 6, and Kylie Jones, 5, were killed at the scene.

Draya Fleming, 9, Johnathan Carter, 10, Laziyah Stokes, 9, and Audre Fleming, 2, were rushed to Broward Health Medical Center, police said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the suspect has not been identified and his whereabouts were unknown, the police said.

Anyone with information is urged to call (954) 493-TIPS (8477).

 

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Five dead, officer injured in ‘killing spree’ across Denver, police say

Five dead, officer injured in ‘killing spree’ across Denver, police say
Five dead, officer injured in ‘killing spree’ across Denver, police say
Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images

(DENVER) — A shooter allegedly went on a “killing spree” across the Denver area, killing four and wounding three, including a police officer, officials said on Monday.

The violence unfolded in Denver, with gunshots reported in at least four locations, and ended more than an hour later in neighboring Lakewood, where the suspect died, officials said. Authorities did not publicly identify the suspect.

“We believe that this individual was responsible for this very violent series of events that took place in the Denver metro area,” Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen said in a press conference.

The incident began at about 5 p.m. on Monday in downtown Denver, where the suspect shot three people, Pazen said. Two women were killed and a man was injured, he said.

Police received a call moments later about a second shooting nearby, where one man was killed, Pazen said. Gunshots were then reported at a third location, but no injuries were reported, he said.

“Denver police officers identified a vehicle associated with this incident. There was a pursuit that ensued,” Pazen said. “There was an exchange of gunfire between the individual, the suspect, here, and our officers.”

There were no injuries in that exchange, Pazan said, but the suspect disabled a police vehicle and fled into neighboring Lakewood.

Lakewood Police then responded to a report of a shooting at about 6 p.m., said John Romero, the department’s public information office. One person was killed in that incident, he said.

Lakewood police then located the suspect’s vehicle at a shopping center, Romero said. The suspect shot at officers, before fleeing on foot to a nearby store and then a Hyatt Place hotel, he said. The suspect shot a clerk at the hotel, Romero said.

The suspect shot and injured a Lakewood officer while fleeing the hotel, Romero said. That officer was in surgery, Romero said during the press conference.

The suspect and officers then exchanged gun fire, and the suspect was shot and killed, Romero said.

“This is the holiday season. To have this type of spree take place is not normal for our community,” Pazen said. “We cannot lose sight of the victims in this, the people who are still fighting for their lives, including a Lakewood agent.”

An investigation is ongoing, officials said. Neither the FBI nor the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are currently involved in the investigation, spokespeople for each said.

This is a developing story, please check back for updates.

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COVID-19 live updates: CDC shortens recommended isolation period for some patients

COVID-19 live updates: CDC shortens recommended isolation period for some patients
COVID-19 live updates: CDC shortens recommended isolation period for some patients
Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 816,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

About 61.7% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Latest headlines:
-Biden says ‘we have to do better’ on COVID testing shortages
-Fauci says vaccine requirement for US flights should be ‘considered’
-NYC administers 180,000 booster shots in less than a week
-4 cruise ships report COVID outbreaks
-Surge in omicron cases will ‘get worse,’ Fauci says

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.

Dec 27, 4:37 pm
CDC shortens recommended isolation time for some infected patients

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday afternoon it will shorten the recommended isolation time for some people infected with COVID-19.

Patients who are asymptomatic will have to isolate for five days, followed by five days of wearing a mask around others, under the new guidance. Previously, the isolation period was 10 days for everyone.

Individuals who have received their booster shot do not need to quarantine following an exposure, but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure, the CDC said.

“The Omicron variant is spreading quickly and has the potential to impact all facets of our society. CDC’s updated recommendations for isolation and quarantine balance what we know about the spread of the virus and the protection provided by vaccination and booster doses,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement.

Dec 27, 4:37 pm
Much of Texas runs out of monoclonal antibody treatment

The Texas Department of State Health Services announced Monday that centers in Austin, El Paso, Fort Worth, San Antonio and The Woodlands ran out of sotrovimab, the monoclonal antibody effective against the COVID-19 omicron variant.

The federal government won’t be able to ship more supplies of the treatment until January, the department said.

Those centers will still be able to provide monoclonal treatment for any patient who hasn’t contracted the omicron variant, according to the department.

Dec 27, 2:30 pm
France to require employees to work from home 3 days a week

French Prime Minister Jean Castex and Health Minister Olivier Véran announced a host of new measures Monday to combat the rising COVID-19 cases.

The country has recorded 30,383 cases in the last 24 hours, according to officials.

Starting Jan. 3, all companies will be required to have their employees work from home at least three days a week, when possible.

France will also limit large indoor gatherings 2,000 people and outdoor gatherings to 5,000.

Officials also announced a ban on eating and drinking in movie theaters and on public transportation. The new measures will be in effect for at least three weeks, officials said.

ABC News’ Ibtissem Guenfoud

Dec 27, 1:40 pm
Pediatric hospitalizations in US rising to highest levels since fall

Pediatric hospitalizations for COVID-19 in the U.S. are surging to their highest levels since early September.

Across the country, almost 2,000 children are hospitalized with confirmed or suspected cases of the virus, according to federal data.

This is a roughly 60% from one month ago.

On average, about 260 children are being admitted to the hospital each day.

On a state level, more children are hospitalized with COVID-19 in New York than in any other state in the U.S.

ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

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Search for man who went missing at California ski resort continues amid avalanche warning

Search for man who went missing at California ski resort continues amid avalanche warning
Search for man who went missing at California ski resort continues amid avalanche warning
iStock/ijoe84

(LOS ANGELES) — Search and rescue crews are battling severe weather as they are hunting for a man last seen on Christmas Day at a California ski resort, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.

Rory Angelotta, 43, was reported missing to police around 10 p.m. on Dec. 25 after he failed to show up for Christmas dinner with friends, authorities said.

Police said Angelotta’s ski pass was last scanned at 11:30 a.m. that day at the Northstar Ski Resort in Truckee. An emergency ping from his cell phone was sent just five minutes before his pass was scanned, which showed him making a short call from the area before being turned off. His vehicle was also discovered by police parked in the Northstar parking lot, officials said.

Severe weather has hampered search and rescue efforts, according to the sheriff’s office. After being suspended Sunday night due to weather, the search continued Monday amid whiteout conditions.

To make matters more challenging, heavy snow has the area under an avalanche warning, according to the U.S. Forest Service Sierra Avalanche Center, which officials said has limited the search to established areas of the resort and along the edges.

“The hope is that if the weather clears up today, searchers will be able to get to more of the remote areas he may have gone,” Mike Powers, a public information officer with the sheriff’s office, told ABC News.

The Avalanche Center said “large natural avalanches and human-triggered avalanches are expected” through Tuesday morning in the mountains.

Angelotta moved to the Truckee area from Colorado in October, according to the sheriff’s office, and was the general manager of the Surefoot ski shop at the Northstar Ski Resort. A post from Surefoot’s Instagram account described Angelotta as an “experienced backcountry skier.”

“We are hopeful that he has been able to hunker down and stay warm,” the shop wrote.

Northstar tweeted Monday that its mountains would be closed for the second day in a row, citing blizzard conditions and “a large overnight snowfall.”

California has seen an abundance of snow this month, with the U.C. Berkley Sierra Snow Lab reporting a record-breaking 193.7 inches in December on Monday, smashing the previous record of 179 inches set in 1970.

The lab reported heavy snow continuing into Monday. It’s possible that measurements could surpass 200 inches for the month by the end of the day.

The Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, Nevada County Search and Rescue and Northstar Ski Patrol are working with the sheriff’s office to find Angelotta.

Anyone that has seen or spoken with Angelotta since Christmas Day can contact the Placer County Sheriff’s Office at 530-886-5375. Police said he was believed to be wearing a navy blue Fly Low jacket, blue helmet and black goggles.

 

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Santa Monica offering families displaced by historical construction projects priority in affordable housing

Santa Monica offering families displaced by historical construction projects priority in affordable housing
Santa Monica offering families displaced by historical construction projects priority in affordable housing
iStock

(NEW YORK) — The city of Santa Monica, California, will start offering priority placement for its coveted affordable housing program to families and their descendants who were displaced by urban renewal projects in the 1950s and 60s.

The new effort aims to repair some of the historical actions that predominantly hurt Black and brown communities, as aggressive construction projects and highway-building some 70 years ago resulted in hundreds of families being evicted from their homes in the southern California coastal city.

“The city of Santa Monica is eager to share the new affordable housing priority for historically displaced households with families who were displaced from Santa Monica in the 1950s,” Constance Farrell, the public information officer for the city of Santa Monica, told ABC News on Monday.

“We encourage our former residents and their descendants to learn more about the program and we look forward to working with you to access this new opportunity,” Farrell said.

The pilot program will provide priority in city-funded and inclusionary housing for up to 100 applicants from households (including their children or grandchildren) that were displaced by the development of the Civic Auditorium in the Belmar Triangle neighborhood or the construction of the I-10 Highway in the Pico neighborhood. Inclusionary housing refers to residential developments in which rents are capped at affordable levels for income-qualifying households, according to the city’s website.

Farrell said applications will open on Jan. 18, 2022, and further information on the application process can be found at the city’s website.

About 600 predominantly Black families in Santa Monica’s Pico neighborhood lost their homes due to freeway construction, The Los Angeles Times reported. Among them were the grandparents of Nichelle Monroe, who told the Los Angeles Times that the impact of this displacement is still painful and palpable for her family today.

“If you had something and you lost it due to eminent domain, due to racism, you’re thinking about it and it affects your every move thereafter,” Monroe told the local newspaper. “It’s almost like PTSD. It affects how you think of yourself in society, what you believe is possible in that society.”

City officials, meanwhile, told the outlet that they hope the program can be a model for the nation and that they hope other communities will follow suit.

The police-murder of George Floyd in 2020 has been linked to a national reckoning on the lingering impacts of decades of racially unjust policies in the U.S. — from Jim Crow laws to redlining — and how policymakers and beyond can offer repair for the historical wrongdoings.

In a high-profile case earlier this year, Los Angeles officials voted to return a stretch of beachfront land that was seized by the city from a Black family 97 years ago, to their descendants.

 

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Prosecutor seeks reduced sentence for truck driver who got 110 years for fatal crash

Prosecutor seeks reduced sentence for truck driver who got 110 years for fatal crash
Prosecutor seeks reduced sentence for truck driver who got 110 years for fatal crash
iStock/CatEyePerspective

(NEW YORK) — Prosecutors filed a motion earlier this month asking for a reduced sentence for Rogel Aguilera Mederos, the truck driver who was sentenced to 110 years in prison for a 2019 fatal crash on I-70, outside Denver, that killed four people and injured several others.

In a hearing on Monday morning, District Attorney Alexis King asked the court to reconsider Mederos’ original sentence and suggested a range of 20-30 years behind bars instead. The judge scheduled a hearing on Jan. 13, 2022 and requested more information from prosecutors and the defense, asking them to file additional memos by Jan. 10.

“You know this is an exceptional case and requires an exceptional process,” King said in brief remarks to the media following the hearing on Monday afternoon. “In finding its verdict, the jury recognized the extreme nature of the defendant’s conduct, which warrants a prison sentence. The defendant caused the death of four people, serious bodily injury to two others and the impact of his truck caused damage to many more in our community.”

Judge A. Bruce Jones, who was the judge in this case, questioned during the hearing whether he has jurisdiction to act based on the DA’s motion and said that if Mederos appeals or requests a new sentence through a separate motion, he may no longer have jurisdiction over this case.

Jones also questioned how re-sentencing could impact Mederos’ ability to file an appeal or his right to request a re-sentencing through what is known as Rule 35b. Following input from Mederos’ attorneys, who spoke during the hearing, Jones asked that the next hearing take place before Mederos’ time to appeal runs out.

The motion to reconsider the sentence comes after the case garnered national attention. A Change.org petition advocated for a commutation for Mederos, saying the crash was “not intentional.” Nearly 5 million people have signed the online petition.

Mederos’ attorney, James Colgan, told ABC News in a phone interview Monday that efforts to reconsider the sentence are “disingenuous.”

“I find it interesting that two weeks ago they were fine with 110 years and only now that public outcry has blown in their face do they not want 110 years,” Colgan said. “It’s just politics.”

Mederos was charged with 42 counts — the most serious of which was first-degree assault, a class-three felony, and was found guilty by a Jefferson County jury of 27 counts.

Police said Mederos was driving at least 85 mph before the crash on a stretch of the highway with a 45 mph speed limit for commercial vehicles.

After his brakes failed, Mederos drove past a runaway truck ramp and crashed into stopped traffic, police said.
Crash victims speak out amid push for governor to commute truck driver’s 110-year sentence

A runaway truck ramp is essentially an escape lane or exit that allows a vehicle that is experiencing brake problems to stop safely.

Prosecutors argued that after the brakes failed, Mederos intentionally passed the ramp — one of the reasons that some crash victims and families of those who died argued Mederos should serve time in prison.

Colgan told ABC News that Mederos’ defense team “never agreed with prosecutors that he intentionally avoided the ramp” during the trial.

“By the time he realized it was there, he was past it,” Colgan said, adding that Mederos was “under a lot of stress” as he attempted to get his truck into gear to attempt to brake.

Mederos, who was not intoxicated at the time, testified that after his brakes failed, he crashed into vehicles that had stopped on the highway due to backed up traffic.

Prosecutors sought the minimum penalties for each of the charges — the highest of which is 10 years, but the number of the charges and a law that says that some have to be served consecutively resulted in the lengthy sentence.

Jones, who was the judge in the case, said that he would not have chosen the lengthy sentence if he had the discretion.

The deadline for Mederos and his legal team to appeal is 49 days following sentencing, which would be Jan. 31, 2022. Mederos also has up to a year from the Dec. 13 sentencing to file a motion under Rule 35b for the judge to reconsider his sentence.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is considering an application of clemency for Mederos that asks for a commutation.

ABC News’ Michelle Mendez contributed to this report.

 

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

More than 2,700 flights canceled since Christmas Eve

More than 2,700 flights canceled since Christmas Eve
More than 2,700 flights canceled since Christmas Eve
Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — The end of the holiday weekend continued to be anything but merry for thousands of air travelers across the country.

There have been more than 2,000 flight cancellations since Christmas Eve as the recent COVID-19 surge has resulted in crew shortages and disrupted several airlines.

This came on the day after Christmas, which had been forecasted to be the third busiest air travel day for return flights.

As of 4:30 p. m. Sunday, 1,016 flights were canceled, according to FlightAware.

On Christmas Day, 997 flights were canceled and another 689 flights were canceled on Christmas Eve, FlightAware data showed.

There are already cancellations for the start of the week. FlightAware has noted 114 cancellations for Monday, with United Airlines reporting 49 cancellations.

Delta and JetBlue have called on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to shorten the quarantine period for vaccinated individuals to five days, to ease the crew shortage.

Passengers are urged to check with their airlines and airports for up-to-date information on their flights.

Despite the disruptions, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration said it screened 1,533,398 people at airport checkpoints nationwide on Christmas. This is the lowest number of travelers we’ve seen since Dec. 14.

The agency said between Dec. 20 and Dec. 25 it screened over 11,589,000 passengers. It expects 30 million people to take to the skies between Dec. 20 and New Year’s Day.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 live updates: US pediatric hospitalizations reach highest level since fall

COVID-19 live updates: CDC shortens recommended isolation period for some patients
COVID-19 live updates: CDC shortens recommended isolation period for some patients
Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 816,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

About 61.7% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Latest headlines:
-Biden says ‘we have to do better’ on COVID testing shortages
-Fauci says vaccine requirement for US flights should be ‘considered’
-NYC administers 180,000 booster shots in less than a week
-4 cruise ships report COVID outbreaks
-Surge in omicron cases will ‘get worse,’ Fauci says

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.

Dec 27, 2:30 pm
France to require employees to work from home 3 days a week

French Prime Minister Jean Castex and Health Minister Olivier Véran announced a host of new measures Monday to combat the rising COVID-19 cases.

The country has recorded 30,383 cases in the last 24 hours, according to officials.

Starting Jan. 3, all companies will be required to have their employees work from home at least three days a week, when possible.

France will also limit large indoor gatherings 2,000 people and outdoor gatherings to 5,000.

Officials also announced a ban on eating and drinking in movie theaters and on public transportation. The new measures will be in effect for at least three weeks, officials said.

ABC News’ Ibtissem Guenfoud

Dec 27, 1:40 pm
Pediatric hospitalizations in US rising to highest levels since fall

Pediatric hospitalizations for COVID-19 in the U.S. are surging to their highest levels since early September.

Across the country, almost 2,000 children are hospitalized with confirmed or suspected cases of the virus, according to federal data.

This is a roughly 60% from one month ago.

On average, about 260 children are being admitted to the hospital each day.

On a state level, more children are hospitalized with COVID-19 in New York than in any other state in the U.S.

ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

Dec 27, 12:56 pm
Biden says ‘we have to do better’ on COVID testing shortages

President Joe Biden said his administration has “to do better” to meet COVID-19 testing demands.

During the White House COVID-19 Response Team’s call with the National Governors Association Monday, the president directly addressed the shortages of kits being reported across the nation.

He said the steps the government had taken so far to make more COVID tests available is “not enough.”

“If I had known, we would have gone harder, quicker if we could have,” Biden said on the call.

He went on, “Seeing how tough it was for some folks to get a test this weekend shows we have more work to do and we’re doing it. We have to do more, we have to do better, and we will.”

Dec 27, 11:42 am
Fauci says vaccine requirement for US flights should be ‘considered’

Dr. Anthony Fauci said a COVID vaccine requirement for domestic air travel should be “seriously” considered.

“If you’re talking about requiring vaccination to get on a plane domestically, that is just another one of the requirements that I think is reasonable to consider,” he said Monday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

“When you make vaccination a requirement, that’s another incentive to get more people vaccinated. If you want to do that with domestic flights, I think that’s something that seriously should be considered,” he said.

This is not the first time that Fauci has argued for vaccine mandates domestic flights.

On Sunday, Fauci told ABC’s Jon Karl that “anything that could get people more vaccinated would be welcome.”

ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

 

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Reward increases to $150,000 for missing 3-year-old Lina Sadar Khil in Texas

Reward increases to 0,000 for missing 3-year-old Lina Sadar Khil in Texas
Reward increases to 0,000 for missing 3-year-old Lina Sadar Khil in Texas
iStock/ijoe84

(NEW YORK) — More than $150,000 has been raised to help find a missing 3-year-old girl in San Antonio, Texas, who local officials say may be in “grave, immediate danger.”

Lina Sadar Khil was last seen on Monday, Dec. 20 between 4 and 5 p.m. at a park on the 9400 block of Fredericksburg Road in San Antonio, according to police. She was reported by her family as missing when she disappeared from a park near their home.

The Islamic Center of San Antonio is offering a $100,000 reward, and the Crime Stoppers of San Antonio has offered $50,000 for information resulting in the arrest or indictment of a suspect accused of any involvement in the disappearance of Lina.

The FBI has joined the San Antonio Police Department in the search for the young girl. They are accepting any tips, video footage or insight concerning her potential whereabouts.

A vigil was held for Lina on Dec. 24 at the St. Francis Episcopal Church, where SAPD Chief William McManus asked attendees for help in their search.

“We need your assistance, you know anything, even if you think it may not help. We want you to call us and give you any give us any information that you may have,” McManus said.

There have not been any substantial updates in the case, according to SAPD.

On Facebook, the department stated, “We continue to deploy an all hands on deck approach to ensure no evidence, witness statement or clues are left undiscovered.”

Lina is white, about 4-feet tall, and weighs 55 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes. Police said Lina has straight, shoulder-length hair and was last seen wearing it in a ponytail with a black jacket, red dress and black shoes.

“Unfortunately, I have to say that the longer the time lapses, the less hopeful we become,” McManus said in a Dec. 22 press conference.

Authorities are asking anyone who has information on the case to call SAPD Missing Person’s Unit at 210-207-7660.

 

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