(NEW YORK) — An estimated $835 million jackpot is up for grabs in the next Powerball drawing on Wednesday night.
It’s the fourth-largest purse in the American lottery game’s history and the second-largest this year, according to a press release from Powerball.
The grand prize, which has an estimated cash value of $390.4 million, ballooned passed the $800 million mark after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn on Monday night. However, four tickets — three purchased in Florida and one in Oregon — matched all five white balls to win $1 million prizes, Powerball said.
The jackpot was previously won on July 19, when a ticket purchased in California matched all five white balls and the red Powerball to claim $1.08 billion. Since then, there have been 29 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner.
Jackpot winners can either take the money as an immediate cash lump sum or in 30 annual payments over 29 years. Both advertised prize options do not include federal and jurisdictional taxes.
The jackpot grows based on game sales and interest, but the odds of winning the big prize stays the same — 1 in 292.2 million, according to Powerball.
Powerball tickets cost $2 and are sold in 45 U.S. states as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee. The drawings are also livestreamed online at Powerball.com.
(BATON ROUGE, La.) — Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards submitted a request to President Joe Biden for a Federal Emergency Declaration on Monday over an intrusion of saltwater into the Mississippi River that officials say could impact the water supply in the region.
“We have had discussions with FEMA about the unique challenges we face with this event. We are optimistic the President will approve our Federal Emergency Declaration, which will be crucial to help our communities along the lower Mississippi River,” Edwards said in a press release.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell signed an emergency declaration on Saturday.
“We will continue to work with our partners locally and state-wide as we closely monitor this situation,” Cantrell wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Officials said weather forecasts indicate that river volume will fall to historic lows in the next several weeks. As a result, saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico is intruding upstream in Louisiana.
“Plaquemines Parish has been affected by this issue since June. Drought conditions have only gotten worse since that time, which means additional communities along the Mississippi River could be impacted,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a statement Friday.
Intruding saltwater at the Boothville Water Treatment Plant water intake in Plaquemines Parish is impacting the drinking water supply to residents and businesses from Empire to Venice in southeastern Louisiana, local officials said.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed an underwater barrier sill in July to create an artificial basin to help delay the ingress of saltwater. The upriver intrusion of saltwater overtopped the sill’s elevation earlier this week.
Edwards said additional work will begin soon to further delay an increase of the saltwater intrusion.
Next week, officials will begin making the existing sill larger to further delay the saltwater intrusion by an estimated 10 to 15 days.
The river’s water level is forecast to continue to drop and very minimal rainfall to mitigate the circumstances is expected. Local, state and federal officials are working to determine what can be done to protect water systems and water intake points.
“Unfortunately, without any relief from the dry weather we are starting to see the saltwater intrusion creep further up the river despite efforts to mitigate the problems by the Army Corps of Engineers,” Edwards said.
“Most importantly, this is not a time to panic or listen to misinformation,” he added. “We have been through this situation before in 1988, and we are monitoring this situation very closely and applying the lessons learned. It is extremely important for the public to stay informed and only rely on credible sources for updates during this event.”
(NEW YORK) — Seven customers and one crew member were taken to the hospital after a JetBlue Airlines flight encountered “sudden severe turbulence” early Monday as it neared Florida, the airline said.
Flight 1256 from Guayaquil, Ecuador, landed safely at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport where it was met by medical personnel. The plane has since been taken out of service, JetBlue said.
The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration will both investigate, the agencies confirmed.
Last month, 14 were injured after a Delta Air Lines plane experienced sudden turbulence on approach to Atlanta. In August, two flight attendants were injured after a United Airlines flight from Newark to Punta Cana experienced turbulence.
Last year, the FAA was aware of 17 serious injuries related to turbulence — up from the 13 reported serious injuries in 2019.
(NEW YORK) — A third person has been arrested in connection with the New York City day care drug operation that resulted in the death of a 1-year-old boy.
Renny Antonio Parra Paredes was taken into custody Saturday and charged in federal court with conspiracy to distribute narcotics. He appeared to be a drug dealer doing business with the suspects at the Bronx day care, according to police sources. He appeared in federal court in Lower Manhattan on Monday and was ordered to be held without bail.
The three arrests in the case stem from the death of 1-year-old Nicholas Dominici, who died on Sept. 15 following exposure to fentanyl at his day care.
Three other children, ranging in age from 8 months to 2 years, were hospitalized and treated with Narcan, police said. An analysis of urine from one of the victims confirmed the presence of fentanyl, officials said.
Investigators found a kilo of fentanyl stored on kids’ play mats at the day care, along with a device to press drugs into bricks for sale, according to court records. In a trap floor under the day care’s play area, investigators found fentanyl, other narcotics and drug paraphernalia, police said.
The first two to be arrested were day care owner Grei Mendez and her tenant, Carlisto Acevedo Brito. They face federal charges of narcotics possession with intent to distribute resulting in death and conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death as well as state charges including murder.
Mendez’s attorney has said she was unaware drugs were being stored in her day care by Brito, her husband’s cousin, to whom she was renting a room for $200 a week.
A search is ongoing for Mendez’s husband, who, according to court records, was seen on video fleeing the day care out of a back alley carrying two trash bags.
New images of Mendez’s husband were released Monday allegedly showing him walk out of the day care with he bags.
Paredes isn’t being charged yet by the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, which has charged Mendez and Brito with several charges including murder, manslaughter and assault.
Federal investigators said a search of Brito’s cell phone records found that he was in constant contact with Paredes allegedly about their drug operation, according to the criminal complaint.
Paredes was making daily trips to the vicinity of the day care in the weeks leading up to the children’s poisoning, according to the complaint.
After he was arrested Saturday, Paredes allegedly lied about his visits to the day care and his whereabouts earlier in the day, the complaint said.
Later that day, investigators searched the apartment he was allegedly staying in with his aunt and found bags filled with drug making materials, the complaint said.
One of the items recovered was a stamp with the same identification that was used on the glassine envelopes found in the drug making material recovered from the day care, federal investigators said.
Attorney information for Parades was not immediately available.
Federal authorities last week promised to hold accountable anyone linked to the day care.
(NEW YORK) — Eight people were recently taken to the hospital after a JetBlue Airlines plane encountered “sudden severe turbulence” early Monday as it neared Florida, the airline confirmed to ABC News.
Last month, 14 people were injured after a Delta Air Lines plane experienced sudden turbulence on approach to Atlanta, Georgia. In August, two flight attendants were injured after a United Airlines flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Punta Cana experienced turbulence.
Turbulence happens when planes encounter unstable air created by atmospheric pressure, jet streams, and even thunderstorms. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), it can also occur unexpectedly when skies appear to be clear.
Pilots can’t see turbulence on radars within the cockpit, but they can however see weather systems that may cause turbulence.
“You can see indications of a rapidly changing weather, which should as a pilot put you on on the track for telling everyone to sit down and suspend in-flight services,” John Nance, former commercial pilot and ABC News Contributor, said in an interview with ABC News.
Nance said pilots will also report experiencing bumps to air traffic control, which will then relay that information to other pilots.
The FAA said it has received 17 reports of severe injuries related to turbulence last year – up from the 13 reports it received in 2019.
Experts say the best thing passengers can do to stay safe is keep their seatbelt on at all times during flight.
“The airplane can handle it, but the bodies inside, when they’re not strapped to the airplane, can’t. It’s that simple,” Captain Dennis Tajer, a 30-year veteran of American Airlines and spokesman for the union representing 15,000 pilots at American, told ABC News.
(NEW YORK) — Fall may have just begun, but meteorologists are already looking at the upcoming winter season’s forecast with the help of El Nino.
El Nino is a warmer than normal surface ocean temperature in the eastern equatorial Pacific, which impacts weather around the world, including the United States.
The warm ocean helps change the Pacific jet stream’s position, allowing warmer-than-normal air to move into parts of North America.
Usually, the United States begins to see significant impacts of El Nino in the late fall and early winter and these impacts last into early spring.
What is an El Nino winter?
On average, during an El Nino winter, the northern U.S. sees warmer than average temperatures, as the polar jet stream stays north and keeps the cold air in Canada.
Meanwhile, the South is wetter than normal due to the active subtropical jet that is fueled by warm, moist air from the Pacific Ocean.
Additionally, the Ohio Valley and mid-Mississippi River Valley are forecast to stay drier than normal, which could worsen drought in the area.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration updated its winter outlook for the U.S. and it looks very similar to a traditional El Nino winter.
El Nino’s 2023 winter forecast for US
Temperatures are forecast to be warmer than normal for all of the northern U.S., from northern California, Oregon and Washington to Pennsylvania, New York and into New England.
NOAA says that temperatures will stay closer to the 30-year average for the South.
For the precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, etc.), the northern states could see below-normal snowfall, especially in the northern Rockies and the Great Lakes.
Across most of the South, wetter than normal conditions are expected, especially in the Southeast from Louisiana to Florida and into the Carolinas.
For the Northeast, there is a chance that this will be a wetter than normal winter from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia, to New York City and into southern New England.
With warmer-than-normal temperatures forecast for the Northeast, major I-95 corridor cities will see more rain than snow.
With record-warm ocean waters this year around the globe, this could alter El Nino in a way we have not seen before.
One other thing to note, this is all a probability forecast. The atmosphere is very fluid and dynamic, and forecasts could change.
(NEW YORK) — A third person has been arrested in connection with the New York City day care drug operation that resulted in the death of a 1-year-old boy.
Renny Antonio Parra Paredes was taken into custody Saturday and charged in federal court with conspiracy to distribute narcotics. He appeared to be a drug dealer doing business with the suspects at the Bronx day care, according to police sources. He appeared in federal court in Lower Manhattan on Monday and was ordered to be held without bail.
The three arrests in the case stem from the death of 1-year-old Nicholas Dominici, who died on Sept. 15 following exposure to fentanyl at his day care.
Three other children, ranging in age from 8 months to 2 years, were hospitalized and treated with Narcan, police said. An analysis of urine from one of the victims confirmed the presence of fentanyl, officials said.
Investigators found a kilo of fentanyl stored on kids’ play mats at the day care, along with a device to press drugs into bricks for sale, according to court records. In a trap floor under the day care’s play area, investigators found fentanyl, other narcotics and drug paraphernalia, police said.
The first two to be arrested were day care owner Grei Mendez and her tenant, Carlisto Acevedo Brito. They face federal charges of narcotics possession with intent to distribute resulting in death and conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death as well as state charges including murder.
Mendez’s attorney has said she was unaware drugs were being stored in her day care by Brito, her husband’s cousin, to whom she was renting a room for $200 a week.
A search is ongoing for Mendez’s husband, who, according to court records, was seen on video fleeing the day care out of a back alley carrying two trash bags.
New images of Mendez’s husband were released Monday allegedly showing him walk out of the day care with he bags.
Paredes isn’t being charged yet by the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, which has charged Mendez and Brito with several charges including murder, manslaughter and assault.
Federal investigators said a search of Brito’s cell phone records found that he was in constant contact with Paredes allegedly about their drug operation, according to the criminal complaint.
Paredes was making daily trips to the vicinity of the day care in the weeks leading up to the children’s poisoning, according to the complaint.
After he was arrested Saturday, Paredes allegedly lied about his visits to the day care and his whereabouts earlier in the day, the complaint said.
Later that day, investigators searched the apartment he was allegedly staying in with his aunt and found bags filled with drug making materials, the complaint said.
One of the items recovered was a stamp with the same identification that was used on the glassine envelopes found in the drug making material recovered from the day care, federal investigators said.
Attorney information for Parades was not immediately available.
Federal authorities last week promised to hold accountable anyone linked to the day care.
(NEW YORK) — Dr. Lynn O’Connor is now the first Black female police surgeon for the New York Police Department (NYPD) after being sworn in on Monday.
“This is incredibly [meaningful] to me,” she told “GMA3” in an exclusive interview prior to her swearing in ceremony. “If you would have told me at 10 years of age that I’d be sitting here speaking with you, and soon to be sworn in as the first Black female police surgeon for the NYPD, I wouldn’t believe it.”
O’Connor also serves as the chief of colon and rectal surgery at Mercy Medical Center and St. Joseph Hospital. In her new role at the NYPD, she will determine officers’ fitness for duty, treat injured members and provide them with consultations.
Speaking of her experience as a doctor working with police officers, O’Connor said officers spend so much time taking care of others that they don’t have as much time to care for themselves.
“With my background in this position, I am uniquely positioned to develop colorectal cancer awareness programs, screening programs and various other initiatives that are going to be key in keeping our officers safe, and keeping them healthy and keeping them fit for service,” she said.
NYPD Chief of Personnel John Benoit said in a statement that “We’re very excited about this historical appointment of the first Black female police surgeon in the department’s 178-year history.”
“Dr. O’Connor is an inspiration to all employees, and her expertise will prove to be valuable to our members – especially those who have been impacted by colorectal cancer,” he continued.
O’Connor noted that there are not a lot of Black physicians in the country and underscored the need for them.
“Studies have shown when a patient is treated with a physician that is of the same race or ethnicity, they have markedly improved outcomes,” O’Connor said. “They’re diagnosed quicker, they’re seen quicker, their overall health is improved. And that leads to saving lives, that leads to longevity, which is what I want to do when we get into the NYPD.”
To all the young girls watching her, O’Connor said she wants them to know they’re enough and they and their goals matter.
“You can be what you can’t see,” she said. “Perseverance pays off.”
ABC News’ Jessica Yankelunas and Jessica Hornig contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Children’s book publisher Make Believe Ideas has recalled approximately 260,000 children’s books due to a potential choking hazard.
Seven titles from Make Believe Ideas’ Rainbow Road Board Books series are impacted by the recall, according to a company press release. The recalled books include the titles “Animal Counting,” “Dinosaur’s First Words,” “Old MacDonald Had a Farm,” “Rainbow Road Book Box,” “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly,” “Things that Go!,” “Unicorn’s Colors” and “Where’s My Bottom?”
The Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a recall announcement Thursday that the plastic rings that bind the books can detach from the books and pose a choking hazard.
The books were sold both individually and in sets of four at school book fairs, online and at stores like Barnes & Noble, Sam’s Club and Target between March 2022 and August 2023. Individual books retailed for $10 and $11 while the four-book set was sold for about $21.
Those in possession of the recalled books are being advised to stop using them immediately. Customers can contact Make Believe Ideas Ltd. at www.recallrtr.com/rr and register for a refund in the form of a gift card. Make Believe Ideas said it would provide instructions on how to dispose of the recalled books after customers register for a refund.
According to the CPSC, Make Believe Ideas has received reports of two incidents where the books’ plastic rings came off in the U.S. and Australia, but no injuries have been reported.
ABC News has reached out to Make Believe Ideas for comment on the recall but has not yet received a response.
The company said on its recall website’s frequently asked questions page that “this situation is rare.”
“At MBI, your child’s safety is our highest concern,” the company wrote. “Our products are tested to exacting safety standards before being offered for sale.”
(NEW YORK) — Six years after Hurricane Maria swept through Puerto Rico, flooding whole towns and leaving 80% of the island without power, some residents and businesses have taken matters into their own hands and are taking care of the island’s locals.
Casa Pueblo, a 43-year-old nonprofit environmental group, is located in the town of Adjuntas and managed to keep its lights on after Hurricane Maria because it was run by solar power. The building, which had a solar power unit installed in 1999, became a community hub for people waiting weeks for the island’s grid operators to restore power.
Arturo Massol-Deyá, the organization’s executive director, told ABC News that he and others in the village have been promoting solar to other parts of the island in an attempt to cut down on Puerto Rico’s dependence on fossil fuel.
“That’s the new narrative, that’s the future that we are building in Adjuntas,” he said.
Brenda Costa Torres, an Adjuntas resident who undergoes dialysis treatment and was aided by Casa Pueblo’s power, told ABC News she agreed.
She said there needs to be a focus on efforts like solar power because everyone on the island benefits from it.
“And we help the planet which is important,” she said.
Economic independence has been a struggle in Puerto Rico for over a century.
The 1920 Jones Act states that “goods carried between two U.S. ports by water must be carried in a U.S. flag vessel that is American built, owned, controlled and crewed,” and because of this regulation, goods in Puerto Rico cost more due to the rising transportation costs.
To counter this roadblock, Puerto Rican farmers, stores and restaurants have been increasing their farm-to-table operations.
Efren Robles, the co-founder of the family farm Frutos del Guacabo, told ABC News he has been educating people on the island about the economic benefits of growing their own food.
“The main purpose of it is that people come and understand a little bit about what happens on a farm and how can they be a part of this local ecosystem,” Robles said of his farm.
After the hurricane, Robles said he was devastated seeing farm soil and crops ruined.
About 80% of the island’s crop value was destroyed in the storm, which represented a $780 million loss in agricultural yields, according to officials.
“In that moment, we knew that we had something really big going on,” Robles said.
Frutos del Guacabo is a hydroponic farm, which relies on water to transfer nutrients to plants rather than soil. It was one of the first farms to start producing crops after the storm, according to Robles.
“One hundred seventy-seven days after, I will never forget that day, we decided to start producing, [and] start delivering again, whatever we had,” he said. “It was the best learning experience.”
Robles shares what he’s learned with other producers on the island in hopes of creating a local independent food chain from Boricua farm to Boricua table.
ABC News’ Armando Garcia and Victoria Moll-Ramirez contributed to this report.
