National

(NEW YORK) — A large and powerful storm is making its way onshore from the Pacific Ocean on Saturday, bringing a range of hazards to the west over the weekend.

This storm is already in progress in Washington, Oregon and northern California. The storm will drift south during the day on Saturday, with heavy rain moving as far south as Los Angeles and San Diego heading into Sunday.

One to 2 inches of rain are likely across a wide area of the west coast, with some localized patches of 2-4 inches possible. With that kind of rain in a relatively short period of time, flash flooding will be a risk across coastal California throughout the weekend.

Storm totals may end up leaving as much as 4 to 8 feet of snow in some of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in central-northern California.

There will not be extreme snowfall in the lower elevations, where most cities are located, so don’t expect to see any snowfall in Sacramento or the rest of the San Joaquin Valley.

The storm then heads east into next week, expanding in size. By Tuesday, it may stretch from the Gulf Coast to southern Canada — more than 1,500 miles long.

By Tuesday, there are two main concerns: blizzard conditions in the northern plains and severe weather in the Deep South.

Heavy snowfall and gusty winds will lead to whiteout conditions from Nebraska to Minnesota on Tuesday and Wednesday. While the other side of the storm will bring a chance for powerful thunderstorms and tornadoes in Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi on Tuesday.

Sunday snow in the Northeast

A smaller, less powerful storm system will be heading through the Great Lakes and into the Northeast on Sunday. While not a giant storm, it will bring portions of the Northeast the first accumulating snowfall of the season.

Snow will mix with rain along the coastal areas, so the major cities along the I-95 corridor, Philadelphia, New York and Boston, aren’t looking at much, if any, snow accumulation.

Upstate New York, northeastern Pennsylvania, northwest Connecticut and western Massachusetts may see a few inches of wet snow from this storm.

Travel on Sunday evening may be tricky with snow and rain across the area. It all clears out by Monday.

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(NEW YORK) — The owner of a Kentucky candle factory that was destroyed in a deadly tornado last year is facing another lawsuit from workers alleging they were threatened with termination if they left before the disaster struck.

Nine people were killed when a late-season tornado hit the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory in Mayfield on Dec. 10, 2021.

In a lawsuit filed Thursday in Graves County, several employees who were working that night allege the company “refused” to let them leave “even though it had at least three hours of notice of the danger this tornado posed to its place of business and to its employees.”

The plaintiffs include the family members of three workers who died in the disaster.

Several of the workers have also joined a class-action lawsuit against the company that has not yet been resolved.

In the latest lawsuit, the workers allege that Mayfield Consumer Products “repeatedly threatened to terminate” any employee who left due to the expected tornado, did not train the employees in emergency safety protocols and that there was only one hallway and two restrooms for its 110 employees to shelter in during the tornado.

The lawsuit further alleges that the company “defamed the character” of employees who gave interviews to news organizations about their experience.

The lawsuit accuses the company of false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress and is seeking unspecified damages.

Mayfield Consumer Products’ legal counsel did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment. The company has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

A group of workers represented by Elijah Johnson, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, also alleged in a filing with the National Labor Relations Board last month that the company retaliated against them for participating in an Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation earlier this year by refusing to pay their medical bills, the plaintiffs’ attorneys said.

The OSHA probe led to $40,000 in fines for seven violations, the attorneys said.
MORE: Kentucky factory survivor trapped 4 hours under rubble retells ABC News’ David Muir his harrowing rescue, thanks first responders

In a statement to WKMS-TV following the filing, Mayfield Consumer Products’ legal counsel denied Johnson’s allegations and noted that Johnson was told not to leave because a shelter-in-place policy was in effect.

“This confirms that MCP complied with federal and state law, which requires employers to ensure that employees shelter in place during hazardous weather events,” the statement said.

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(NEW YORK) — Every year, an estimated 45 billion menstrual products are used around the world, with each person who menstruates generating more than 400 pounds of waste in their lifetime, according to an article from Plastic Oceans International.

It’s an environmental crisis that rarely gets talked about, due to the stigma around periods themselves, August CEO Nadya Okamoto, told ABC News. The New York-based startup claims they are trying to meet consumers’ preferences with their line of more sustainable pads and tampons.

“Because of the period stigma, there hasn’t been the same level of accountability,” Okamoto said.

Okamoto said August’s products decompose at faster rates than the standard tampons and pads, but admits they aren’t perfect. The organization’s tampon applicators are still made of plastic which, while they may be recyclable, depending on the jurisdiction, often get discarded in the trash.

“Applicators are very much a U.S. thing. I know in Europe and in places overseas, digital tampons, non-applicator tampons, are a lot more of the norm. A lot of this is from embedded fear of touching your own period blood,” Okamoto said.

The company’s tampons and pads are made of organic cotton and fully biodegradable within 12 months, Okamoto said.

But some argue that products ending up in landfills outweighs the potential benefits of using sustainable materials.

“A landfill is intended to entomb these products forever and ever, so it doesn’t really matter if it’s 500 years or three years,” Dr. Susan Powers told ABC News.

Powers studies the life cycle of period products, from extraction of materials to decomposition. She advocates for the use of reusable products over single use.

“Cardboard or no applicator is a far better choice. Plastics are recyclable, and they’ve got their little triangle on them. Well, it’s not recyclable everywhere. In general, the reusable is always going to be far superior to any disposable,” Powers said.

August argues that even in conditions where products aren’t able to degrade, using organic, biodegradable and compostable materials still reduces water usage and overall carbon emissions.

ABC News has reached out to leading tampon and pad manufactures about issues of sustainability and concerns that their products contribute to overflowing landfills and the environmental problems caused by that. They have not responded.

Single-use tampons and pads are by far the most popular choice for Americans today, but alternative options, like period underwear and menstrual cups, are gaining traction. However, the initial cost for these reusable products often sways people from making the eco-friendly switch.

In the meantime, Okamoto wants to bring more awareness to the lack of sustainability in traditional period products.

“How do we brainstorm the most sustainable solution that people will actually use as we push the whole industry to be more sustainable?” Okamoto said.

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(NEW YORK) — J. Alexander Kueng, a former Minneapolis police officer who knelt on George Floyd’s back during the fatal May 2020 arrest, was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison Friday.

Kueng, 29, had pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting in second-degree manslaughter in October as part of an agreement with prosecutors. A second charge of aiding and abetting in second-degree unintentional murder will be dismissed against Kueng as part of his plea agreement.

“We appreciate very much that Mr. Kueng plead guilty,” said prosecutor Matthew Frank at the sentencing.

“We hope the conclusion of this case reaffirms that peace officers cannot treat citizens in crisis as non-people, or second-class citizens,” Frank added.

The plea was announced just as a joint state trial for Kueng and Tou Thao, another officer, was to begin with jury selection.

“J. Alexander Kueng is now the second officer involved in Floyd’s death to accept responsibility through a guilty plea. That acknowledgement hopefully can bring comfort to Floyd’s family and bring our communities closer to a new era of accountability and justice,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in an October statement on the plea deal.

Floyd’s death ignited protests nationwide against police brutality and systemic racism.

“We must never forget the horror of what we all saw in that 9-minute video, and that there rightfully should be both accountability for all involved as well as deep lessons learned for police officers and communities everywhere,” said the legal team for George Floyd’s family, led by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, in an October statement on Kueng’s plea deal in October.

Both Kueng and Thao, 34, are currently serving federal sentences after being convicted in February on federal charges of violating Floyd’s civil rights. Kueng’s sentence from today will be served concurrently with his federal sentence.

The two were found guilty of depriving Floyd of his “constitutional right to be free from an officer’s unreasonable force when each willfully failed to intervene to stop … [Derek] Chauvin’s use of unreasonable force.”

Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck, was found guilty on three counts in Floyd’s death: Second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for pressing his knee against Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes.

He had been sentenced to 22.5 years.

Chauvin had additionally been sentenced to 21 years on federal civil rights charges in Floyd’s death.

Thao waived a jury trial and his state charges will be decided by a judge. According to MPR, Judge Peter Cahill will review evidence received by Nov. 17 and has 90 days to decide the case, according to MPR News.

A third defendant, former Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane, was also convicted on federal civil rights charges stemming from Floyd’s death. Lane pleaded guilty to state charges of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

Editor’s note: J. Alexander Kueng, a former Minneapolis police officer who knelt on George Floyd’s back during the fatal arrest, is set to be sentenced Friday. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the sentencing had already happened.

ABC News’ Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — The Justice Department won’t decide until 2023 whether to seek the death penalty for Buffalo supermarket shooter Payton Gendron, but Gendron’s lawyer reiterated Friday that he’s willing to plead guilty to the federal charges in exchange for a life sentence.

Gendron, who fatally shot 10 Black people at a Tops supermarket in May, pleaded guilty last month to state charges including murder and domestic terrorism motivated by hate. He carried out the attack “because of the perceived race and/or color” of the victims, according to the indictment by the Erie County district attorney.

Gendron is charged federally with hate crime resulting in death, hate crime involving bodily injury, use of a firearm to commit murder and use of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.

“It is still our hope to resolve this matter short of a trial,” defense attorney Sonya Zoghlin said during a hearing Friday. “He is prepared to enter a plea of guilty in federal court in exchange for a life sentence.”

In the meantime, Zoghlin asked the judge for extra time to review the “voluminous” discovery material turned over by the government.

But Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder responded, “I don’t see the necessity of having a lot of time spent on discovery materials that relate solely to the factual substantive issues to which the defendant pleaded guilty. The issue now for the defense is to focus on mitigation as to why there should not be a federal death sentence.”

Schroeder agreed to give the defense until March 10, 2023, to review discovery and, simultaneously, negotiate with federal prosecutors over a possible plea agreement.

“The defendant has entered a plea of guilty to similar but unrelated charges in state of New York proceedings,” Schroeder said. “So it seems to me the issue of guilt or innocence on the federal charges is basically moot by reason of the defendant’s own admissions in the state court.”

Schroeder also questioned whether a federal trial is even necessary if the Justice Department ultimately decides against seeking the death penalty.

“Obviously you can’t have two consecutive life sentences because Mr. Gendron only has one life to live,” Schroeder said.

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(NEW YORK) — The Keystone pipeline system was shut down by operator TC Energy after an oil spill released an estimated 14,000 barrels into a creek in Washington County, Kansas.

The system transfers oil between Canada and the U.S. Crews were able to control downstream migration of the oil as of Thursday night.

The emergency shutdown was issued early Thursday morning after a detected pressure drop in the system.

The affected segment was isolated and booms were deployed to control downstream migration of the spill, TC Energy said.

The Environmental Protection Agency dispatched two regional coordinators to the scene. TC Energy also mobilized a response crew originating from Steele City, Nebraska, to begin containment and source control, according to the the EPA. Washington County is about 20 miles south of Steele City, Nebraska.

According to the EPA, there are no known impacts to drinking water wells or the public but surface water of Mill Creek has been impacted.

TC Energy said it immediately activated its emergency response procedures and has established environmental monitoring, including around-the-clock air monitoring. It’s still unclear what caused the spill.

The EPA said it will oversee TC Energy’s response operations to ensure proper cleanup and evaluate the cause of the incident.

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(MINNEAPOLIS) — J. Alexander Kueng, a former Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on George Floyd’s back during the fatal May 2020 arrest, to be sentenced Friday.

Kueng, 29, had pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting in second-degree manslaughter in October as part of an agreement with prosecutors.

A second charge of aiding and abetting in second-degree unintentional murder will be dismissed against Kueng as part of his plea agreement.

The plea was announced just as a joint state trial for Kueng and Tou Thao, another officer, was to begin with jury selection.

“J. Alexander Kueng is now the second officer involved in Floyd’s death to accept responsibility through a guilty plea. That acknowledgement hopefully can bring comfort to Floyd’s family and bring our communities closer to a new era of accountability and justice,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in an October statement on the plea deal.

Floyd’s death ignited protests nationwide against police brutality and systemic racism.

“We must never forget the horror of what we all saw in that 9-minute video, and that there rightfully should be both accountability for all involved as well as deep lessons learned for police officers and communities everywhere,” said the legal team for George Floyd’s family, led by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, in an October statement on Kueng’s plea deal in October.

Both Kueng and Thao, 34, are currently serving federal sentences after being convicted in February on federal charges of violating Floyd’s civil rights.

The two were found guilty of depriving Floyd of his “constitutional right to be free from an officer’s unreasonable force when each willfully failed to intervene to stop … Chauvin’s use of unreasonable force.”

Thao waived a jury trial and his state charges will be decided by a judge. According to MPR, Judge Peter Cahill will review evidence received by Nov. 17 and has 90 days to decide the case, according to MPR News.

A third defendant, former Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane, was also convicted on federal civil rights charges stemming from Floyd’s death. Lane pleaded guilty to state charges of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

Derek Chauvin, the officer who kneeled on Floyd’s neck, was found guilty on three counts in Floyd’s death: Second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for pressing his knee against Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes.

He had been sentenced to 22.5 years.

Chauvin had additionally been sentenced to 21 years on federal civil rights charges in Floyd’s death.

ABC News’ Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(MINNEAPOLIS) — J. Alexander Kueng, a former Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on George Floyd’s back during the fatal May 2020 arrest, to be sentenced Friday.

Kueng, 29, had pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting in second-degree manslaughter in October as part of an agreement with prosecutors.

A second charge of aiding and abetting in second-degree unintentional murder will be dismissed against Kueng as part of his plea agreement.

The plea was announced just as a joint state trial for Kueng and Tou Thao, another officer, was to begin with jury selection.

“J. Alexander Kueng is now the second officer involved in Floyd’s death to accept responsibility through a guilty plea. That acknowledgement hopefully can bring comfort to Floyd’s family and bring our communities closer to a new era of accountability and justice,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in an October statement on the plea deal.

Floyd’s death ignited protests nationwide against police brutality and systemic racism.

“We must never forget the horror of what we all saw in that 9-minute video, and that there rightfully should be both accountability for all involved as well as deep lessons learned for police officers and communities everywhere,” said the legal team for George Floyd’s family, led by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, in an October statement on Kueng’s plea deal in October.

Both Kueng and Thao, 34, are currently serving federal sentences after being convicted in February on federal charges of violating Floyd’s civil rights.

The two were found guilty of depriving Floyd of his “constitutional right to be free from an officer’s unreasonable force when each willfully failed to intervene to stop … Chauvin’s use of unreasonable force.”

Thao waived a jury trial and his state charges will be decided by a judge. According to MPR, Judge Peter Cahill will review evidence received by Nov. 17 and has 90 days to decide the case, according to MPR News.

A third defendant, former Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane, was also convicted on federal civil rights charges stemming from Floyd’s death. Lane pleaded guilty to state charges of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

Derek Chauvin, the officer who kneeled on Floyd’s neck, was found guilty on three counts in Floyd’s death: Second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for pressing his knee against Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes.

He had been sentenced to 22.5 years.

Chauvin had additionally been sentenced to 21 years on federal civil rights charges in Floyd’s death.

ABC News’ Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.

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(NEW HAVEN, Conn.) — The five New Haven, Connecticut, police officers charged in the case of Randy Cox, a Black man who was paralyzed while being transported in custody, appeared in court for the first time Thursday.

They were expected to be arraigned but instead, the judge transferred their cases to New Haven County Court. The officers’ next court appearance will be on Jan. 11, ABC local affiliate WTNH reported.

Cox, who is paralyzed from the chest down, was not present in court Thursday. His lawyer Jack O’Donnell said he wished to be there but “logistically it was too difficult.”

The officers — Sgt. Betsy Segui and officers Oscar Diaz, Ronald Pressley, Jocelyn Lavandier and Luis Rivera — were charged last week with second-degree reckless endangerment and cruelty to persons misdemeanors.

The charges stemmed from a June 19 incident when New Haven officers arrested Cox for criminal possession of a firearm and breach of peace. Surveillance video shows the officers then placed Cox in the back of a police van without seatbelts. During an abrupt stop, Cox was thrown headfirst into the back wall of the van.

Though Cox repeatedly asked for help, saying he couldn’t move, the officers did not immediately render him medical aid and allegedly assumed he was drunk when they arrived at the police station.

The video footage also shows the officers dragging Cox by his feet and throwing him into a wheelchair, which his lawyers said could have exacerbated his already life-threatening injuries.

Cox filed a $100 million federal lawsuit against the city of New Haven and New Haven Police Department officers in September.

Cox’s family and lawyers said his doctors determined he will never walk again and, as of last week, will continue to require assistance with eating, drinking, bathing, and other basic needs.

The city launched an internal affairs investigation into the incident and will determine whether to recommend the officers, who are currently on paid administrative leave, be fired from the New Haven Police Department.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced in July that it’s also closely watching the investigation.

The case has prompted reform promises from New Haven mayor Justin Elicker and police chief Karl Jacobson, including new policies aimed at enhancing safety protocols during the transportation and detention of individuals, particularly those in need of medical attention.

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(OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich.) — The jailed Michigan parents charged with involuntary manslaughter stemming from a high school mass shooting committed by their teenage son, Ethan Crumbley, is asking a judge to lower their bail, claiming they have evidence proving they did not attempt to evade arrest, according to court documents.

James and Jennifer Crumbley have been held in an Oakland County jail in Michigan for more than a year on bonds of $500,000 each. They were arrested in a friend’s art studio after an hours-long manhunt that began when the couple failed to appear for a scheduled arraignment.

“The Crumbleys were terrified that someone would figure out who they were and hurt them,” the couple’s lawyers said in a motion filed Wednesday. “They made no effort to evade police.”

 In a February court hearing, Oakland County prosecutors alleged that in the hours after the November 2021 shooting carried out by their then-15-year-old son at Oxford High School in suburban Detroit, the parents withdrew thousands of dollars and slept in hotels — proof, prosecutors alleged that they were avoiding arrest.

But the couple’s lawyers say they needed the money immediately for legal fees and wanted to avoid entering banks and showing identification following the shooting. The defense attorneys claimed the couple feared being recognized by community members “who were rightfully emotional and angry.” They also allege family members in the area refused to house them because of concerns for their own safety.

The lawyers, Mariell Lehman and Shannon Smith, argue that if the Crumbleys wanted to flee, they would have left the state. Instead, they settled in a Detroit warehouse that housed the art studio.

The couple is set to stand trial next year. They have pleaded not guilty to four counts each of involuntary manslaughter after allegedly making the gun used in the shooting accessible to their son and failing to recognize warning signs about him before the shooting.

They have pleaded not guilty.

The shooting at Oxford High School unfolded on Nov. 30, 2021, and left four students dead and seven others injured.

Ethan Crumbley, now 16, pleaded guilty in December to 24 counts, including four counts of murder, multiple counts of attempted murder and terrorism charges. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 9 and faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Crumbley admitted in court that he asked his father to buy him a specific gun. The teen confirmed he gave his father money for the gun and that the weapon wasn’t kept in a locked safe.

He used the semi-automatic handgun to carry out the shooting rampage. Crumbley did not know the students he shot, according to his attorney.

Days before the shooting, a teacher allegedly saw Crumbley researching ammunition in class, prosecutors said. School officials contacted his parents, but they didn’t respond, according to prosecutors. His mother, Jennifer Crumbley, texted her son, writing, “lol, I’m not mad at you, you have to learn not to get caught,” according to prosecutors.

Hours before the shooting, according to prosecutors, a teacher saw a note on Ethan Crumbley’s desk that was “a drawing of a semi-automatic handgun pointing at the words, ‘The thoughts won’t stop, help me.'” In another section of the note was a drawing of a bullet with the following words, “Blood everywhere.”

Crumbley’s parents were called to the school to discuss the note, according to prosecutors. The parents told school officials that they would put their their son in counseling but did not take him home.

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