National

(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.

More than 663,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.6 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Just 63% 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. All times Eastern:

Sep 15, 6:58 pm
NYC health officials investigating cases linked to Labor Day concert

New York City’s Heath Department announced Wednesday it is investigating a cluster of COVID-19 cases that were linked to a Labor Day weekend concert.

At least 16 people have been identified as part of the cluster linked to the Electric Zoo music festival on Randall’s Island, which is located in the East River, the department said.

Eight people have been also been identified who “though likely exposed prior to attending the concert,” were in attendance while potentially contagious, according to the health department.

“Anyone who attended this festival should get tested immediately, regardless of whether or not they have been vaccinated. This is especially urgent if attendees are experiencing symptoms,” New York City’s health commissioner, Dr. Dave Chokshi, said in a statement.

The concert’s organizers had strict rules for entrance.

Attendees had to show proof of vaccination that matched their photo ID. Unvaccinated ticket holders were allowed in if they showed proof of a negative test “no more than 3 days prior to each day of attendance,” according to the concert’s website.

Sep 15, 5:58 pm
CDC committee meeting to discuss booster shots

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is planning to meet on Sept. 22 and 23 and is prepared to discuss COVID-19 vaccine boosters.

This will delay the potential start date of boosters until at least late next week, past the president’s planned start date for boosters on Sept. 20.

The White House acknowledged that the start date is ultimately up to the CDC and Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA advisory panel is currently scheduled to hold a public hearing on boosters for the Pfizer vaccine and will have a non-binding vote later that day.

If the FDA approves, the ACIP will discuss and vote on recommendations, such as who should get the boosters and when.

The CDC director will make the ultimate decision on the boosters following the ACIP recommendations.

-ABC News’ Eric Strauss

Sep 15, 4:00 pm

Moderna makes the case for boosters

Moderna on Wednesday released its own analysis of various studies, making the case that the company’s original vaccine appears to generate the strongest protection among the three currently authorized vaccines, but also saying people who got their vaccine will also need a booster six months later.

Like Pfizer, Moderna is requesting authorization for a booster dose six months after the primary vaccination based on evidence that boosters are safe and generate immune response, and based on newly published data from its phase 3 trial showing a lower risk of breakthrough infections among people vaccinated eight months ago compared to people vaccinated 13 months ago.

Unlike Pfizer, Moderna’s third booster will be a half-dose. Moderna says its data shows that boosting with a half-shot seems to generate more than enough immune response.

-ABC News’ Sony Salzman

Sep 15, 3:18 pm

9 states have more hospitalizations than any point in pandemic

In the last five weeks, the U.S. hasn’t reported a single day with fewer than 100,000 new COVID-19 cases, according to federal data. In the nearly six months between Feb. 7 and July 29, there was not a single day with more than 100,000 new cases.

Nine states — Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia — currently have more patients hospitalized than at any other point in the pandemic, according to federal data.

But the CDC says hospital admissions will likely decrease over the next four weeks.

Sep 15, 2:47 pm

LA County to require vaccine, negative test for clubs, concerts

Los Angeles County will require vaccination or proof of a negative test for events with more than 10,000 people, including clubs, concerts and sporting events.

As of Tuesday, LA County had 1,224 COVID-19 patients in hospitals.

Sep 15, 1:22 pm

Kids ages 2 and up must wear masks at day care in NY state

In New York state, masks are now required at child care centers for children ages 2 and above and for all staff and visitors, Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a tweet Wednesday.

“These universal mask requirements apply to anyone medically able to tolerate wearing a mask, regardless of vaccination status,” the governor said.

“With Delta on the rise, requiring masks is a key part of slowing the spread, reopening our economy safely, and protecting vulnerable New Yorkers,” Hochul tweeted. “This new mask requirement ensures that children in our child care facilities receive the same protection as children in our schools.”

Sep 15, 12:11 pm

Wendy Williams has breakthrough COVID

Talk show host Wendy Williams has a breakthrough COVID-19 case, her show said.

The new season of The Wendy Williams Show will be postponed to Oct. 4.

Sep 15, 9:53 am
FDA releases Pfizer’s data on boosters

Americans will likely need a booster shot about six months after their second vaccine dose, according to data from Pfizer that was released by the FDA.

Pfizer said it doesn’t think the delta variant surge contributed to the vaccine’s waning protection.

This data will be debated on Friday by an independent FDA panel. After a vote, the FDA is expected to formally amend its vaccine approval for Pfizer. Then the decision heads to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and finally to the CDC for sign off.

Sep 15, 8:15 am
TSA sees lowest number of travelers in 4 months

TSA agents screened 1,271,516 travelers at U.S. airports Tuesday, the lowest number since May 5.

Sep 15, 3:22 am
Alaska’s largest hospital begins rationing care amid COVID-19 surge

The largest hospital in Alaska is beginning to ration care as COVID-19 patients flood the facility.

“While we are doing our utmost, we are no longer able to provide the standard of care to each and every patient who needs our help,” Dr. Kristen Solana Walkinshaw, chief of staff at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, wrote in an op-ed published Tuesday by The Anchorage Daily News. “The acuity and number of patients now exceeds our resources and our ability to staff beds with skilled caregivers, like nurses and respiratory therapists. We have been forced within our hospital to implement crisis standards of care.”

“What does this mean? In short, we are faced with a situation in which we must prioritize scarce resources and treatments to those patients who have the potential to benefit most,” she continued. “We have been required to develop and enact policies and procedures to ration medical care and treatments, including dialysis and specialized ventilatory support.”

Walkinshaw explained how what happens at Providence Alaska Medical Center and other hospitals in Alaska’s biggest city “impacts our entire state” because “many specialty cares can only be provided in Anchorage.”

“People from all around Alaska depend on Providence to provide medical care for people statewide. Unfortunately, we are unable to continue to meet this need; we no longer have the staff, the space or the beds,” she wrote. “Due to this scarcity, we are unable to provide lifesaving care to everyone who needs it. Our emergency room is overflowing; patients wait in their cars for hours to see a physician for emergency care. On a daily basis, our transfer center is unable to accept patients who sit in emergency rooms and hospitals across the state, people who need care their current facility is unable to provide. If you or your loved one need specialty care at Providence, such as a cardiologist, trauma surgeon or a neurosurgeon, we sadly may not have room now. There are no more staffed beds left.”

Walkinshaw urged people to wear face masks, even if they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and to get the vaccine if they are eligible and have not done so yet.

“We ask that you help us to open our beds again so that we may continue to care for all Alaskans,” she wrote.

Sep 14, 7:07 pm
Regeneron lands $2.94B deal with US government for more monoclonal antibodies

Regeneron has reached a $2.94 billion agreement with the federal government to supply more doses of its monoclonal antibody cocktail to treat COVID-19.

Under the new agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense, Regeneron will furnish another 1.4 million doses of the treatment by the end of January 2022.

The one-dose therapy will be made available to any member of the American public who is eligible to receive it. It currently is authorized to treat COVID-19 patients ages 12 and up who have mild to moderate symptoms and are at high risk of severe illness.

The deal comes as orders of monoclonal antibodies from states have gone up 1,200% in recent weeks during the delta surge, ABC News reported last month.

Last week, the White House outlined plans to boost the average pace of weekly shipments of the treatment by 50%, as part of a new six-part strategy to combat the delta variant.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(PHILADELPHIA) — The city of Philadelphia has agreed to pay $2 million to Rickia Young, who was pulled from her vehicle, beaten by police and separated from her 2-year-old son in October 2020, according to the mayor’s office.

“She’s still dealing with the trauma, even though it’s been almost a year,” Young’s attorney, Kevin Mincey, told ABC News. “She’s still dealing with that, and she’s dealing with the trauma being exhibited by her son as well.”

The incident occurred as anti-police brutality protests after the police shooting that killed Walter Wallace Jr were happening throughout the city.

Young, her 2-year-old son, and the 16-year-old son of a friend were driving through West Philadelphia on Oct. 27, 2020, when she came across protesters blocking the street in a standoff with police, who ordered Young to turn back. As she began to turn the car around, Young’s attorneys said she paused so she didn’t hit protesters running by her car.

Young’s attorneys said officers swarmed her vehicle and broke her windows with batons and then opened her car door, pulled Young and the 16-year-old from their seats and began to hit them. Young was detained by police, and her 2-year-old son was taken away from her.

The teen is not involved in the $2 million settlement.

Young also said the National Fraternal Order of Police used a photo of her son after he was taken away from her during the incident and used it on social media to promote pro-police messaging online.

National FOP spokesperson Jessica Cahill told the Associated Press that the post was quickly taken down when it learned about the actual story behind the photo. The National Fraternal Order of Police did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

“I will never forget what those officers did to us that night,” Young said in press conference on Tuesday. “I hope that the officers responsible will never have the chance to do something like this to another person ever again.”

Young suffered from swelling on her face and body, as well as a swollen trachea, according to her attorneys. The beating was caught on a cellphone camera and went viral online.

“The behavior that occurred during the interaction between Rickia Young, her nephew, her son, and some of the officers on the scene violated the mission of the Philadelphia Police Department,” Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said in a statement to ABC News.

Two officers have been terminated in connection with the incident, according to the office of Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. There are also 14 members in the department awaiting disciplinary hearings as a result of an internal investigation into the incident.

“The ability for officers and supervisors on the scene to diffuse the situation was abandoned, and instead of fighting crime and the fear of crime, some of the officers on the scene created an environment that terrorized Rickia Young, her family, and other members of the public,” Outlaw said.

Kenney said he hopes the settlement and investigations into the officers’ actions can bring closure to Young and her family.

“This terrible incident, which should have never happened to anyone, only further strained the relationship between the police department and our communities,” Kenney said in a statement to ABC News. “The officers’ inexcusable actions that evening prompted an immediate and thorough investigation of the incident and for personnel to be disciplined and held accountable for their egregious conduct.”

Mincey is calling on the district attorney to take more action against the officers involved.

“The district attorney Lawrence Krasner needs to file criminal charges against the officers who were involved,” Mincey said. “If any citizen did something like this, there would be no question they will be charged with aggravated assault as a felony.”

Krasner has not said whether he will pursue a criminal case against the officers.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

NEW YORK) — A Texas school district that included masks as part of its dress code has been hit with a temporary restraining order.

Paris Independent School District (ISD), which serves about 3,900 students in northeast Texas, amended its dress code in early August to include masks in a loophole to Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mandates, and was sued earlier this week by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, according to court documents.

Paxton announced Tuesday he filed lawsuits against Paris ISD and eight other districts — Diboll, Honey Grove, La Vega, Longview, Lufkin, Waco, Midway and McGregor — for violating GA-38, Texas’ law which bans governmental entities, including schools districts, from mandating face coverings or vaccines.

In total he’s sued at least 15 districts after seeking action against Elgin, Galveston, Richardson, Round Rock, Sherman and Spring districts last week over mask mandates.

A Lamar County district court issued the temporary restraining order, prohibiting Paris ISD from enforcing the mandate as a result. The court agreed that the district lacks “authority to issue or enforce a face mask mandate in light of Governor Abbott’s executive order GA-38,” Paxton’s office said in a release.

“The law is clear, and this superintendent knows this, yet he has no issue continuing to waste precious state resources on impossible lawsuits instead of providing for his students,” Paxton said. “This temporary restraining order is just the first step in restoring order to our great state and ending this disruption from rogue local officials.”

This was the second win for the controversial GA-38 law after a Fort Worth court of appeals reinstated a temporary injunction against Fort Worth ISD’s mask mandate.

Dennis Eichelbaum, Paris ISD’s district spokesperson and attorney, told ABC News the district has received several letters from the attorney general against the mandate. “We’ve emailed back to him saying, show us where the governor actually suspended the education code, which gives us the right to have dress codes. He hasn’t responded to that,” he said.

He said the district wasn’t given a copy of the lawsuit until after the restraining order was signed. There will be a hearing Sept. 21 where the court will consider whether or not to rescind the restraining order.

“The school district is complying as of right now, with the court order. Regardless of what the Attorney General does, please continue to wear masks. It’s what’s keeping our students and our faculty safe,” Eichelbaum said. “We’ve seen that it’s done a tremendous job in minimizing the spread of COVID-19. At our campuses, we have one of the lowest rates of COVID absence and we believe that’s partly because of masks.”

In Paris ISD, school started Aug. 19 but there haven’t been any major COVID-19 outbreaks. Currently there are eight active staff cases and 27 active student cases, according to the district’s COVID-19 dashboard.

That’s a tiny fraction of the thousands of virus infections reported in schools so far, according to state data. Overall, since Aug. 13 there’s been over 73,700 cumulative positive student cases and more than 16,200 staff cases reported throughout Texas Public Schools (TPS) for the 2021-2022 school year, according to the TPS COVID-19 dashboard.

Paxton has a list of over 80 school districts and other governmental entities that he deems in violation of GA-38.

Midway Independent School District, which is in the Waco area, was sued in Tuesday’s rash of lawsuits, but the district said that they don’t even have a mask mandate in place.

“At this point, we are aware of claims of a lawsuit, but we have not been directly notified or served,” district spokesperson Traci Marlin said to ABC News. “We have not received information of why or how we are considered out of compliance or considered for a lawsuit.”

“Midway ISD does not have a mask mandate,” she added. “We have respected the governor’s orders while implementing thoughtful, measured and temporary responses to clusters of COVID cases.”

One of those protocols is a 10-day “mask directive” that schools can issue to encourage mask-wearing if virus transmission reaches a concerning level, but even then masks are not required and there are no punishments for not abiding by the directive, she added.

Paxton has been ramping up the pressure on school districts after kids headed back to class last month, many of them wearing masks in defiance of the governor’s order.

“If districts choose to spend their money on legal fees, they must do so knowing that my office is ready and willing to litigate these cases,” Paxton said in a statement last week after the first wave of lawsuits.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(DENVER) — A 14-month probe into the actions of the Aurora Police Department in Colorado found the department “has a pattern and practice of violating state and federal law through racially biased policing, using excessive force, and failing to record legally required information when interacting with the community,” Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said Wednesday.

Investigators found that Aurora Police have used force against people of color almost two and a half times more than against white people based on their relative percentage of the population, according to the attorney general’s report.

The report, which was conducted in response to the death of Elijah McClain, also found Aurora Police arrested people of color “1.3 times more than whites based on population percentage alone.”

“That multiplier was even greater for Black community members, who were arrested over two times more than whites,” the attorney general’s office said in a statement.

The Aurora Police Department didn’t immediately return messages to ABC News for comment.

The report highly recommends the city of Aurora enter a consent decree with the department to require changes to training, policies and record-keeping.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NORTH PORT, Fla.) — Police have named the boyfriend of Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old woman who went missing during a couple’s cross-country road trip, a person of interest in her disappearance.

Brian Laundrie raised flags among Petito’s family after he returned home to their home in North Port, Florida, with Petito’s white Ford van — but Petito was nowhere to be found.

The couple embarked on their trip on July 22 from New York, where Petito is originally from, and made stops in Colorado and Utah, her family told ABC News. Her mother, Nichole Schmidt, last heard from her on Aug. 25, when Petito informed Schmidt that they were on their way to Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Laundrie returned to Florida on Sept. 1, police said.

The North Port Police Department in Florida announced Wednesday that Laundrie is now a person of interest in Petito’s disappearance. The department has taken a lead in the investigation, since both parties reside there, but investigators “have no information” that a crime took place there, police said.

Petito’s van was recovered from the North Port home where she resided with Laundrie and his parents, but investigators are not ready to release details from the search, North Port Police Public Information Officer Josh Taylor told reporters in a news conference Wednesday. A search warrant for the home has not been issued, Taylor added.

Laundrie has not made himself available to be interviewed by investigators, police said.

Investigators and Petito’s family are pleading with Laundrie to share crucial information that could help locate her. North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison even accused Laundrie of “hindering this investigation,” stating that “the answers will eventually come out.”

“As a father, I can imagine the pain and suffering Gabby’s family is going through,” Garrison said in a statement. “We are pleading with anyone, including Brian, to share information with us on her whereabouts in the past few weeks.”

Petito was last seen on Aug. 24 as she and Laundrie checked out of a hotel in Salt Lake City, her family said. Schmidt had received two text messages from Petito since Aug 25, but they did not contain any photos or updates on the couple’s plans, so it is not clear whether Petito actually sent those texts. Schmidt also posted her last Instagram post, which was not geotagged, on Aug. 25.

Petito seemed “excited” the last time Schmidt spoke to her, but she began to worry after she had not heard from her for several days, she said.

“A few days is one thing when you’re out camping, but when it starts to become seven, eight, nine, 10 days, that’s a problem,” Schmidt told ABC News.

Instagram posts from both Petito and Laundrie show them at the Mystic Hot Springs in Utah on July 26 and on a large rock structure at Arches National Park in Grand County, Utah, on Aug. 12.

On Aug. 12, police in Moab, Utah, responded to an “incident involving Brian Laundrie and Gabrielle Petito,” but there “insufficient evidence existed to justify criminal charges,” Moab, Utah Police Chief Bret Edge said in a statement Tuesday night. The incident was not reported by Laundrie or Petito, Edge said.

Petito also posted an eight-minute compilation of the couple’s adventures so far on her YouTube channel “Nomadic Statik” on Aug. 19.

Her family reported her missing to the Suffolk County Police Department in New York on Saturday.

Taylor, of the North Port Police Department, expressed concern that Laundrie had been in Florida for 10 days without saying anything before Petito’s family reported her missing.

“We’re hopeful to talk to him. He needs to talk to us,” Taylor said. “We need to know exactly where he was, where she was, their last locations. And the fact that he was back here for 10 days, you know the family reported her missing 10 days later …”

While Laundrie has not spoken publicly, his family released a statement Tuesday through their attorney Steven P. Bertolino, describing Petito’s disappearance as “an extremely difficult time” for both families.

“This is understandably an extremely difficult time for both the Petito family and the Laundrie family,” the statement read. “It is our understanding that a search has been organized for Miss Petito in or near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. On behalf of the Laundrie family, it is our hope that the search for Miss Petito is successful and that Miss Petito is re-united with her family. On the advice of counsel, the Laundrie family is remaining in the background at this juncture and will have no further comment.”

Petito’s family released a statement Tuesday claiming that “the one person that can help find Gabby refuses to help,” adding that they “beg the Laundrie family to not ‘remain in the background’ but to help find who Brian referred to as the love of his life.”

“Brian is refusing to tell Gabby’s family where he last saw her,” the Petito family said. “Brian is also refusing to explain why he left Gabby all alone and drove her van to Florida. These are critical questions that require immediate answers.”

The FBI and agencies in Utah and New York are also participating in the investigation.

ABC News’ Alexandra Faul contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Nicholas, now slamming Louisiana with heavy rain, is expected to stall over the state through Friday, bringing more destruction as residents still recover from deadly Hurricane Ida.

Six to 14 inches of rain has already inundated Texas and Louisiana, with more on the way. Flash flood watches have been issued in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

Four to 10 more inches of rain is expected over the next three days from southern Louisiana through New Orleans and into the Florida Panhandle. Flooding is possible including in New Orleans.

Slow-moving Nicholas does not bode well for Louisiana, which is still recovering from devastating storms in 2020 and 2021.

The heaviest rain is forecast for southeast Louisiana, which was the area most devastated by Hurricane Ida a few weeks ago, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said.

As of Tuesday, about 87,000 customers in Louisiana were still without power from Hurricane Ida, and the power restoration effort could be set back by Nicholas, he said.

Over 1,000 Louisiana residents remain at shelters in the wake of Ida, he said.

The governor requested an emergency federal declaration, which was granted by President Joe Biden.

In a tweet Tuesday, the governor thanked Biden and the Federal Emergency Management Agency “for their help as we respond to this storm while also recovering from Hurricanes #Laura, #Delta & #Ida.”

Before heading to Louisiana, Nicholas first struck the Houston area, shuttering schools.

In the Houston area, 460,000 customers were without power at the height of the storm early Tuesday, according to CenterPoint Energy. About 300,000 customers saw their power return by Tuesday evening.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.

More than 663,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.6 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Just 63% 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. All times Eastern:

Sep 15, 3:22 am
Alaska’s largest hospital begins rationing care amid COVID-19 surge

The largest hospital in Alaska is beginning to ration care as COVID-19 patients flood the facility.

“While we are doing our utmost, we are no longer able to provide the standard of care to each and every patient who needs our help,” Dr. Kristen Solana Walkinshaw, chief of staff at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, wrote in an op-ed published Tuesday by The Anchorage Daily News. “The acuity and number of patients now exceeds our resources and our ability to staff beds with skilled caregivers, like nurses and respiratory therapists. We have been forced within our hospital to implement crisis standards of care.”

“What does this mean? In short, we are faced with a situation in which we must prioritize scarce resources and treatments to those patients who have the potential to benefit most,” she continued. “We have been required to develop and enact policies and procedures to ration medical care and treatments, including dialysis and specialized ventilatory support.”

Walkinshaw explained how what happens at Providence Alaska Medical Center and other hospitals in Alaska’s biggest city “impacts our entire state” because “many specialty cares can only be provided in Anchorage.”

“People from all around Alaska depend on Providence to provide medical care for people statewide. Unfortunately, we are unable to continue to meet this need; we no longer have the staff, the space or the beds,” she wrote. “Due to this scarcity, we are unable to provide lifesaving care to everyone who needs it. Our emergency room is overflowing; patients wait in their cars for hours to see a physician for emergency care. On a daily basis, our transfer center is unable to accept patients who sit in emergency rooms and hospitals across the state, people who need care their current facility is unable to provide. If you or your loved one need specialty care at Providence, such as a cardiologist, trauma surgeon or a neurosurgeon, we sadly may not have room now. There are no more staffed beds left.”

Walkinshaw urged people to wear face masks, even if they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and to get the vaccine if they are eligible and have not done so yet.

“We ask that you help us to open our beds again so that we may continue to care for all Alaskans,” she wrote.

Sep 14, 7:07 pm
Regeneron lands $2.94B deal with US government for more monoclonal antibodies

Regeneron has reached a $2.94 billion agreement with the federal government to supply more doses of its monoclonal antibody cocktail to treat COVID-19.

Under the new agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense, Regeneron will furnish another 1.4 million doses of the treatment by the end of January 2022.

The one-dose therapy will be made available to any member of the American public who is eligible to receive it. It currently is authorized to treat COVID-19 patients ages 12 and up who have mild to moderate symptoms and are at high risk of severe illness.

The deal comes as orders of monoclonal antibodies from states have gone up 1,200% in recent weeks during the delta surge, ABC News reported last month.

Last week, the White House outlined plans to boost the average pace of weekly shipments of the treatment by 50%, as part of a new six-part strategy to combat the delta variant.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — The arrests of more than a dozen purported mobsters Tuesday in New York and New Jersey show “the underbelly of the crime families in New York City is alive and well,” according to the FBI.

Colombo crime family boss Andrew “Mush” Russo, underboss Benji Castellazzo and consigliere Ralph DiMatteo were among 14 purported mobsters charged Tuesday with labor racketeering, extortion and money laundering. Ten members of the Colombo crime family and one member of the Bonanno crime family were arrested, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Most of the alleged mobsters were arrested in New York and New Jersey on Tuesday, while Colombo captain Vincent Ricciardo was arrested in North Carolina. DiMatteo, 66, remains at large.

Russo and Castellazzo are allegedly long-time members of the family, at 87 and 83 years old, respectively.

The charges describe what federal prosecutors in Brooklyn called “a long-standing, ruthless pattern” of exerting control over a labor union by threatening to harm its leaders unless they selected vendors for contracts who were on the take.

The defendants also tried to force the union and its affiliated health care fund to divert more than $10,000 per month to the Colombo family, prosecutors said.

The indictment quoted Ricciardo threatening to kill someone labeled John Doe #1 if he did not comply.

In a June 21 recording, Ricciardo allegedly explained that John Doe #1 knows, “I’ll put him in the ground right in front of his wife and kids, right in front of his f—— house, you laugh all you want pal, I’m not afraid to go to jail, let me tell you something, to prove a point? I would f—— shoot him right in front of his wife and kids, call the police, f— it, let me go, how long you think I’m gonna last anyway?”

Ricciardo and his cousin had allegedly been collecting part of John Doe’s salary since 2001 before broadening extortion efforts in 2019, according to the DOJ.

The 75-year-old Ricciardo, known as Vinny Unions, is already a convicted felon and was shot in the back in November 1992 when masked men ambushed a car he was riding in on the way to a wake, according to The New York Times. One of the other people in the car was killed, and another survived after being shot eight times.

“Everything we allege in this investigation proves history does indeed repeat itself. The underbelly of the crime families in New York City is alive and well. These soldiers, consiglieres, under bosses, and bosses are obviously not students of history, and don’t seem to comprehend that we’re going to catch them,” FBI Assistant Director Michael Driscoll said in a statement.

One of those arrested, Teddy Persico Jr., was on federal supervised release from a previous racketeering conviction, authorities said.

Also arrested was purported Bonanno organized crime family soldier John Ragano, who allegedly falsified paperwork at safety training schools saying workers had completed Occupational Safety and Health Administration classes when they had not. Ragano’s schools were actually fronts for meetings of the La Cosa Nostra crime family and used to store illegal drugs and fireworks, according to the indictment.

Ragano, 59, was allegedly known by the nickname “Maniac.”

The defendants could each face up to 20 years in jail, according to the DOJ.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — A family is desperate for answers after their 22-year-old daughter disappeared while on a cross-country road trip with her boyfriend this summer.

Florida residents Gabby Petito and her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, embarked on the journey in July in their white Ford Transit van from New York — where Petito is originally from, her family told ABC News.

The couple had made stops in Colorado and Utah, with Instagram posts showing them at the Mystic Hot Springs in Utah on July 26 and on a large rock structure at Arches National Park in Grand County, Utah, on Aug. 12.

Petito had planned to document the trip on her YouTube channel “Nomadic Statik.” The sole video, posted on Aug. 19, featured an eight-minute compilation of the couple’s adventures so far.

Petito was last seen on Aug. 24 checking out of a hotel with Laundrie in Salt Lake City, her family said. She last spoke to her mother, Nichole Schmidt, on Aug. 24, when she informed her that she and Laundrie were on their way to Grand Teton, Wyoming, and Yellowstone National Park, Schmidt told ABC News.

“She sounded good and excited to continue her trip and excited to start her YouTube channel,” Schmidt said in tears. “She seemed OK.”

Schmidt said she did not think much for the first few days when she had not heard from her daughter. But after those passed, she began to worry.

“A few days is one thing when you’re out camping, but when it starts to become seven, eight, nine, 10 days, that’s a problem,” Schmidt said.

Petito’s last Instagram post on Aug. 25 showed her holding a miniature pumpkin, captioned “Happy Halloween.” The post was not geotagged. Schmidt said she has received two text messages from Petito’s phone since they last spoke, but they did not include any photos or details of the trip, so it is not clear whether Petito actually sent those texts.

Petito’s family is continuing to plead for help in locating their daughter.

“We don’t know where she is,” her father, Joseph Petito, told ABC News.

Laundrie has since returned to the couple’s home in North Port, Florida, with their van, according to authorities. Petito was reported missing by her family to the Suffolk County Police Department in New York on Saturday.

The North Port Police Department in Florida wrote in a statement on Facebook that while there is “no definitive information that a crime took place here in North Port … the circumstances are odd.” Investigators in Florida are actively gathering evidence and details “to assist in finding needed answers,” the police department said. The FBI is also assisting in the investigation.

Laundrie’s family said in a statement that the family hopes Petito is found but did not provide any further comment.

“This is understandably an extremely difficult time for both the Petito family and the Laundrie family,” the statement, released by Steven P. Bertolino, an attorney for the family, read. “It is our understanding that a search has been organized for Miss Petito in or near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. On behalf of the Laundrie family, it is our hope that the search for Miss Petito is successful and that Miss Petito is re-united with her family. On the advice of counsel, the Laundrie family is remaining in the background at this juncture and will have no further comment.”

Petito’s stepmother, Tara Petito, described her as an “amazing artist” who “loved natural beauty.”

“She always tried to smile and make people smile, you know, always enjoying every moment,” Joseph Petito said.

Petito’s last Instagram post on Aug. 25 showed her holding a miniature pumpkin, captioned “Happy Halloween.” The post was not geotagged. Schmidt said she has received two text messages from Petito’s phone since they last spoke, but they did not include any photos or details of the trip, so it is not clear whether Petito actually sent those texts.

Petito’s family is continuing to plead for help in locating their daughter.

“We don’t know where she is,” her father, Joseph Petito, told ABC News.

Laundrie has since returned to the couple’s home in North Port, Florida, with their van, according to authorities. Petito was reported missing by her family to the Suffolk County Police Department in New York on Saturday.

The North Port Police Department in Florida wrote in a statement on Facebook that while there is “no definitive information that a crime took place here in North Port … the circumstances are odd.” Investigators in Florida are actively gathering evidence and details “to assist in finding needed answers,” the police department said. The FBI is also assisting in the investigation.

Laundrie’s family said in a statement that the family hopes Petito is found but did not provide any further comment.

“This is understandably an extremely difficult time for both the Petito family and the Laundrie family,” the statement, released by Steven P. Bertolino, an attorney for the family, read. “It is our understanding that a search has been organized for Miss Petito in or near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. On behalf of the Laundrie family, it is our hope that the search for Miss Petito is successful and that Miss Petito is re-united with her family. On the advice of counsel, the Laundrie family is remaining in the background at this juncture and will have no further comment.”

Petito’s stepmother, Tara Petito, described her as an “amazing artist” who “loved natural beauty.”

“She always tried to smile and make people smile, you know, always enjoying every moment,” Joseph Petito said.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(MINNEAPOLIS) — Four former Minneapolis police officers involved in the death of George Floyd pleaded not guilty to charges in federal court Tuesday.

Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao have been charged with violating Floyd’s constitutional rights in ways that “resulted in bodily injury to, and the death of, George Floyd,” according to the federal grand jury indictment.

The hearing may address some of the pretrial motions, including requests from Lane, Kueng and Thao asking to separate their cases from Chauvin’s. Chauvin was convicted in Floyd’s murder in April 2021 and his fellow ex-officers argue that they would not get a fair trial if connected to Chauvin.

Floyd was killed in May 2020 when he was placed under arrest on the suspicion that he was using a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes at a convenience store.

Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for pressing his knee against Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes. He was sentenced to 22 and-a-half-years in prison.

Judge Peter Cahill rejected Chauvin’s request for a new trial in June.

The federal indictment accuses Chauvin, Thao, Kueng and Lane of depriving Floyd of his rights when they witnessed him “in clear need” of medical care but instead “willfully failed to aid Floyd.”

Thao and Kueng are charged with violating Floyd’s right to be free from unreasonable seizure. All four officers are also charged with depriving Floyd of his rights when they failed to provide him with medical care. The officers acted “with deliberate indifference to a substantial risk of harm,” the indictment said.

Lane, Kueng and Thao also face a state trial on charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter and have entered not guilty pleas on those charges as well.

While Chauvin kneeled on Floyd’s neck at times during the arrest, Kueng kneeled on his back and Lane held down Floyd’s legs, according to evidence presented in state court. Thao blocked bystanders from getting involved.

The indictment also accuses Chauvin of violating Floyd’s right to be free from unreasonable seizure or force by a law enforcement officer.

Following Chauvin’s murder conviction, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that the Justice Department has opened a pattern or practice investigation into the City of Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Police Department said it would investigate unconstitutional or unlawful policing in the city.

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