(NEW YORK) — A dangerous and possibly record-shattering freeze is invading the Northeast.
The cold moved into the Northeast Friday morning, with a wind chill — what the temperature feels like — reaching minus 21 degrees in Maine, minus 22 degrees in Vermont and minus 7 degrees in Buffalo, New York.
Boston is bracing for its coldest temperatures since 2016. By Saturday morning, it’ll feel like minus 31 degrees in Boston.
Public schools in Boston are closed on Friday and sports are canceled through the weekend due to the extreme cold.
The coldest air for the Northeast will hit Saturday morning, when wind chills are forecast to plunge to a bone-chilling minus 9 degrees in New York City, minus 42 degrees in Burlington, Vermont, and minus 51 degrees in Lake Placid, New York.
The most extreme forecast is for Caribou, Maine, near the Canadian border, where wind chills could be as low as minus 55 degrees on Saturday morning. Caribou’s lowest wind chill ever recorded was minus 58 degrees in 1951.
Portland, Maine, could break its all-time record low windchill of minus 41 degrees.
At Mount Washington in New Hampshire — the highest mountain in the Northeast — the wind chill could reach its coldest on record: minus 102 degrees.
Parts of northern Maine are also under a blizzard warning as the high winds are expected to blow snow, creating whiteout conditions.
But the bitter blast won’t last long. On Sunday and Monday, Boston is forecast to thaw to the mid-40s. New York City could reach 50 degrees by Monday.
(WASHINGTON) — U.S. officials say a massive surveillance balloon believed to be from China and seen above Montana is being tracked as it flies over the continental United States.
“The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is flying over the continental United States right now,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement on Thursday. “NORAD [North American Aerospace Defense Command] continues to track and monitor it closely.”
China’s foreign ministry has claimed it is a civilian balloon used for meteorological purposes, but U.S. politicians, many on the right, are already demanding President Joe Biden shoot it down.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 03, 2:16 PM EST
Biden first briefed Tuesday, took military’s recommendation on balloon: WH
President Joe Biden was first briefed about the Chinese surveillance balloon on Tuesday, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, two days before the news was publicly confirmed by U.S. officials.
“He asked the military to present options,” she told reporters in a gaggle on Air Force One. “It was the strong recommendation by Secretary Austin, Chairman Milley, the commander of Northern Command, not to take kinetic action because of the risk to safety and security of the people on the ground. President Biden took that recommendation from the military seriously.”
“The president will always put the safety of the security of the American people first,” she said.
Jean-Pierre said Biden continues to receive regular briefings from national security team, and that he “agreed” with Secretary of State Blinken’s decision to delay his trip to China.
“We are tracking closely and keeping all options on the table,” the press secretary said.
Feb 03, 1:41 PM EST
Biden again ignores questions on Chinese balloon
President Joe Biden didn’t answer questions reporters shouted about the Chinese surveillance balloon as he left the White House and boarded Marine One shortly after 1 p.m. Friday.
Biden has yet to publicly comment on the balloon since it was confirmed to be flying over the continental U.S. by officials on Thursday.
Biden is heading to Philadelphia, where he and Vice President Kamala Harris will appear at an infrastructure event in the afternoon and then later will speak at the Democratic National Committee’s winter meeting.
Feb 03, 1:27 PM EST
‘Gang of 8’ staff received classified briefing on Chinese surveillance balloon
Staff to the so-called “Gang of 8” received a classified briefing on the balloon by the administration Thursday afternoon, according to multiple congressional officials.
The “Gang of 8” refers to the group of congressional leaders who are briefed on classified intelligence matters. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., requested a meeting with the group on Thursday.
“China’s brazen disregard for U.S. sovereignty is a destabilizing action that must be addressed, and President Biden cannot be silent,” McCarthy said.
It’s unclear if the classified briefing for the staff is a precursor to their bosses being briefed. No meeting appears to be on the books so far.
-ABC News’ Trish Turner
Feb 03, 12:50 PM EST
Surveillance balloon is ‘maneuverable,’ Pentagon says
After saying the Chinese surveillance ballon was headed eastward, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said the balloon is “maneuverable.”
“So, the balloon is maneuverable. Clearly, it’s violated U.S. air space, and again we’ve communicated that fact to the PRC,” Ryder said.
“The balloon has changed its course, which is why we are monitoring it. That is as specific as I can get,” he said, not giving further details on how it could be maneuvered.
“We continue to assess and make appropriate decisions based on how we are going to address what we perceive as a potential threat,” Ryder added. “The safety and security of the American people is paramount. At this time we assess it does not pose a physical threat to people on the ground.”
Feb 03, 10:26 AM EST
Pentagon to hold press briefing at noon
Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder will conduct an on-camera press briefing at noon on Friday as the Biden administration faces questions about what U.S. officials call a Chinese surveillance balloon flying over the U.S.
Ryder said in a statement Thursday that the government was tracking the balloon and that it didn’t present a military threat.
“Instances of this kind of balloon activity have been observed previously over the past several years. Once the balloon was detected, the U.S. government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information,” Ryder said.
Feb 03, 9:36 AM EST
Secretary of state delays visit
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is postponing his visit to China after the balloon was tracked soaring across the country.
Blinken will delay his upcoming trip to Beijing, originally scheduled for next week. The official noted that Blinken did not want to blow the situation out of proportion by canceling his visit, but also does not want the balloon to dominate his meetings with Chinese officials.
Feb 03, 9:29 AM EST
China claims balloon is civilian in nature
The Chinese Foreign Ministry is saying the balloon is civilian in nature and used for scientific research, “mainly meteorological.”
“The airship is from China,” the foreign ministry said. “Affected by the Westerlies and with limited self-steering capability, the airship deviated far from its planned course. The Chinese side regrets the unintended entry of the airship into US airspace due to force majeure.”
It continued, “The Chinese side will continue communicating with the US side and properly handle this unexpected situation caused by force majeure.”
“Force majeure” refers to something that is done beyond the control of the government.
(MINNEAPOLIS) — One year after the death of Amir Locke, a 22-year-old man shot and killed by Minneapolis police, attorneys Ben Crump, Antonio Romanucci and Jeff Storms announced they’ve filed a civil lawsuit.
Locke was fatally shot in February 2022 by Minneapolis police officers executing a no-knock search warrant on the apartment he was in.
“Our son didn’t do anything wrong. It could have been anyone’s son,” Andre Locke, father of Amir, said to ABC News affiliate KTSP. “But it happened to be ours, and people don’t understand how it feels until it actually happens to them.”
Amir was asleep on the couch when Minneapolis officers entered the residence. Officer Mark Hanneman shot Amir Locke as he emerged from under a blanket holding a gun that he legally owned, according to his family.
“If I did not use deadly force myself, I would likely be killed,” Hanneman told investigators when describing that moment on the body camera footage.
Procesutors declined to file charges.
As a result of the shooting, the Minneapolis police department no longer allows for the application or practice of no-knock search warrants, the city’s mayor Jacob Frey announced in April of last year.
No-knock warrants have come under scrutiny, most prominently in the 2020 killing of Breonna Taylor during a botched drug raid.
This lawsuit announcement comes a day after multiple organizations held a vigil at the Minnesota State Capitol rotunda for the anniversary of Locke’s death.
ABC News’ Kiara Alfonseca contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — A massive spy balloon believed to be from China was seen above Montana and is being tracked as it flies across the continental United States.
“The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is flying over the continental United States right now,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement on Thursday. “NORAD [North American Aerospace Defense Command] continues to track and monitor it closely.”
China’s foreign ministry has claimed it is a civilian balloon used for meteorological purposes, but U.S. politicians, many on the right, are already demanding President Joe Biden shoot it down.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 03, 10:26 AM EST
Pentagon to hold press briefing at noon
Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder will conduct an on-camera press briefing at noon on Friday as the Biden administration faces questions about what U.S. officials call a Chinese surveillance balloon flying over the U.S.
Ryder said in a statement Thursday that the government was tracking the balloon and that it didn’t present a military threat.
“Instances of this kind of balloon activity have been observed previously over the past several years. Once the balloon was detected, the U.S. government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information,” Ryder said.
Feb 03, 9:36 AM EST
Secretary of state delays visit
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is postponing his visit to China after the balloon was tracked soaring across the country.
Blinken will delay his upcoming trip to Beijing, originally scheduled for next week. The official noted that Blinken did not want to blow the situation out of proportion by canceling his visit, but also does not want the balloon to dominate his meetings with Chinese officials.
Feb 03, 9:29 AM EST
China claims balloon is civilian in nature
The Chinese Foreign Ministry is saying the balloon is civilian in nature and used for scientific research, “mainly meteorological.”
“The airship is from China,” the foreign ministry said. “Affected by the Westerlies and with limited self-steering capability, the airship deviated far from its planned course. The Chinese side regrets the unintended entry of the airship into US airspace due to force majeure.”
It continued, “The Chinese side will continue communicating with the US side and properly handle this unexpected situation caused by force majeure.”
“Force majeure” refers to something that is done beyond the control of the government.
(NEW YORK) — A massive spy balloon believed to be from China was seen above Montana and is being tracked as it flies across the continental United States.
“The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is flying over the continental United States right now,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement on Thursday. “NORAD [North American Aerospace Defense Command] continues to track and monitor it closely.”
China’s foreign ministry has claimed it is a civilian balloon used for meteorological purposes, but U.S. politicians, many on the right, are already demanding President Joe Biden shoot it down.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 03, 9:36 AM EST
Secretary of state delays visit
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is postponing his visit to China after the balloon was tracked soaring across the country.
Blinken will delay his upcoming trip to Beijing, originally scheduled for next week. The official noted that Blinken did not want to blow the situation out of proportion by canceling his visit, but also does not want the balloon to dominate his meetings with Chinese officials.
Feb 03, 9:29 AM EST
China claims balloon is civilian in nature
The Chinese Foreign Ministry is saying the balloon is civilian in nature and used for scientific research, “mainly meteorological.”
“The airship is from China,” the foreign ministry said. “Affected by the Westerlies and with limited self-steering capability, the airship deviated far from its planned course. The Chinese side regrets the unintended entry of the airship into US airspace due to force majeure.”
It continued, “The Chinese side will continue communicating with the US side and properly handle this unexpected situation caused by force majeure.”
“Force majeure” refers to something that is done beyond the control of the government.
(LOS ANGELES) — A suspect has been charged with possession of a high-powered weapon and making criminal threats after a cache of high-powered rifles, shotguns and handguns were recovered at a man’s Los Angeles apartment.
Braxton Johnson, 25, was arrested for criminal threats on Thursday, according to police.
Authorities initially said a mass shooting may have been thwarted, but the Los Angeles Police Department later issued a statement saying, in part: “At this point of the investigation, there are no indications that any persons were threatened with a firearm nor have we identified any intent by Johnson to plan a mass shooting incident.”
On Tuesday morning, officers in Hollywood responded to a call from building security of a man making threats, according to law enforcement sources.
The officers “determined the elements of Criminal Threats had been met” and they obtained a search warrant, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
Police said they recovered “several high-powered rifles, shotguns, handguns and a large cache of various munitions” in the home. Some guns were found in front of a window, according to law enforcement sources.
Lt. Leonid Tsap had told reporters, “There’s a high chance that the officers, and obviously security staff and the people who called, prevented a mass shooting from happening.”
Johnson was set to be arraigned later in the day on with two counts of possession of an assault weapon, one count of criminal threats and one count of solicitation of murder, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón.
“Los Angeles County is still reeling over the tragic mass shooting in Monterey Park,” the DA said in a statement. “Were it not for the brave actions of the witnesses in this case, this could have also been an incredible tragedy
Johnson served in the Army as an Infantryman from July 2016 to February 2020, according to an Army spokesperson. He had no deployments.
(WASHINGTON) — A massive spy balloon from China is flying over the continental U.S., government officials said Thursday.
“The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is flying over the continental United States right now,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters. “NORAD [North American Aerospace Defense Command] continues to track and monitor it closely.”
A senior defense official said they “are confident” the balloon was sent by the Chinese government — and this incident isn’t the first one.
“Instances of this activity have been observed over the past several years, including prior to this administration,” the official said.
Earlier Thursday, a senior U.S. official described the balloon to ABC News as the size of three buses, with a technology bay.
President Joe Biden has been briefed about the balloon and “asked for military options,” the defense official said. Biden is following the recommendation of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, and U.S. Northern Command Gen. Glen D. VanHerck to not “take kinetic action due to the risk to safety and security of people on the ground from the possible debris field.”
“Currently, we assess that this balloon has limited additive value from an intelligence collection perspective. But we are taking steps nevertheless to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information,” the defense official said.
The balloon was seen over Montana earlier Thursday, they said.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that there was a ground stop in Billings, Montana, on Wednesday but an agency spokesperson did not share more details.
ABC News’ Amanda Maile contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WASHINGTON) — A massive spy balloon believed to be from China was seen above Montana on Thursday and is being tracked as it flies across the continental United States, with President Joe Biden ultimately deciding against “military options” because of the risk to civilians, U.S. officials said on Thursday.
The high-altitude reconnaissance balloon was not the first such vessel to pass over the country in this way, a defense official said in a briefing.
A separate senior official told ABC News the balloon is the size of three buses and complete with a technology bay.
The defense official said they “are confident” the balloon was sent by China. “The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is flying over the continental United States right now,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Thursday.
“NORAD [North American Aerospace Defense Command] continues to track and monitor it closely,” Ryder said.
While the balloon’s purpose remains unclear, one outside expert predicted it was essentially scientific and set off course.
Retired Col. Steve Ganyard, an ABC News contributor, said the balloon appeared to be a standard research vessel — which would mean it was unpowered and drifted with the jet stream.
Separately, the senior defense official told reporters that “instances of this activity have been observed over the past several years, including prior to this administration.”
“It’s happened a handful of other times over the past few years …. It is appearing to hang out for a longer period of time this time around,” the defense official said.
The balloon was seen over Montana on Thursday and a U.S. official said F-22s were sent up the same day.
Biden was briefed about the balloon and “asked for military options,” the official said. The president agreed with the recommendation of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, and U.S. Northern Command Gen. Glen D. VanHerck to not “take kinetic action due to the risk to safety and security of people on the ground from the possible debris field.”
A senior administration official echoed that view and said in a statement, “We acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information.”
“Currently, we assess that this balloon has limited additive value from an intelligence collection perspective,” the defense official said. “But we are taking steps nevertheless to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information.”
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that there was a ground stop in Billings, Montana, on Wednesday but an agency spokesperson did not share more details.
Military expert’s view
Ganyard predicted the balloon was an experiment gone awry.
Such balloons are not controlled after their release and while they are normally equipped with mechanisms to deflate over an open area, the mechanisms can fail, Ganyard said. So it’s possible the balloon would have drifted over from China after multiple days, rather than being nefariously deployed.
China intentionally deploying a reconnaissance balloon over the U.S. would be highly provocative, with little value, Ganyard said, noting that Chinese satellites are able to collect information in a similar manner.
ABC News’ Amanda Maile and MaryAlice Parks contributed to this report.
David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images
(MONTEREY PARK, Calif.) — Newly obtained 911 calls and radio traffic reveal the chaos and heartbreak as the Monterey Park, California, mass shooting unfolded.
One frantic 911 call came from a man who said his girlfriend had been shot in their car just outside the dance studio. He told police they were in the parking lot when “suddenly” somebody came and shot through the window.
The dispatcher asked the man if she was breathing, and he replied, “No, maybe she died? I’m not sure.”
He said he could see blood coming from her nose and head. The dispatcher advised him to lean her seat all the way back.
The dispatcher asked the man if he could see her chest moving up and down, and he said, “No, no, I’m not sure.” He pleaded, “Come, hurry!”
Another 911 caller said, “Somebody with a gun shooting people, inside the studio — we just scared him off.”
“Send police here right away,” the man said. “He might start shooting again. I’m outside of the building, I don’t know if anybody got hurt.”
Eleven people were killed and several others were injured when a gunman opened fire at a crowded Monterey Park dance studio on Jan. 21. The suspect then fled and went to nearby Alhambra, where he allegedly entered a second dance hall and was disarmed by a good Samaritan, according to police.
The suspected gunman was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot one day after the shooting, police said.
ABC News’ Lissette Rodriguez and Abigail Shalawylo contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Cities and towns around the country are turning to a new scientifically based algorithm that will work to help judges make decisions during pretrial processes in an attempt to create fairer judicial procedures that are less focused on a cash-based bail system.
The algorithm, called the Public Safety Assessment (PSA) tool, was created by the Advancing Pretrial Policy & Research center and is a project of the National Partnership for Pretrial Justice. It was funded by Arnold Ventures, a philanthropy founded by billionaire John Arnold and his wife Laura Arnold. The assessment tool is free and has been implemented in more than 50 jurisdictions in states, cities and counties around the country, according to sources involved in the development of risk assessment tools.
According to those close to its creation, the PSA algorithm was formulated by analyzing 750,000 historical criminal cases around the country, which pinpoint nine factors that best determine a set of critical pretrial questions: How likely would a released detainee be to appear in court for their trial, commit a new crime and perpetrate a violent criminal act?
Detainees are scored on a scale of 1 to 6, in what is called a release conditions matrix, according to creators of the PSA. It is then up to the jurisdiction to determine what happens to the charged individual based on their score. The PSA was never created to replace judges as decision makers in pretrial releases. Rather, it’s another tool they can use when deciding to release a detainee before their trial, according to sources close to the development of PSA.
“We’re going to hopefully ensure that people who cannot afford a bond are not going to be held just because they can’t afford it,” Nushin Sayfie, chief judge of Miami-Dade County in Florida, told ABC News. “We’re also going to make sure that people that are going to pose any kind of threat or danger to the community that they’re going to actually see a judge before they’re released.”
According to those familiar with the creation of risk-assessment tools, the PSA was created in hopes of ending the cash-bail system. They believe judges can implement other conditions, such as court reminders through text, pretrial supervision and criminal history checks, once a month, in lieu of cash bonds.
In the current system, a first-time offender arrested in Miami for shoplifting could stay detained in jail until their trial if they do not have enough money to pay their bail. And if someone with enough money were detained for aggravated battery with a firearm, they could get out on bond without even having to see a judge before their trial, according to Sayfie.
Discrepancies like these in the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida are a big reason why Miami hopes to implement a new PSA algorithm that will help officials reform the county’s pretrial bail processes.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis voiced opposition against “rogue” judges releasing people into the community and announced at a press conference in Miami last week that he would unveil new criminal-justice legislation.
Sayfie’s office told ABC News they would put the pretrial reform initiative on hold until after DeSantis delivers his proposal at the Florida legislative session this spring. Sayfie’s office is confident their bail reform plans fall in line with DeSantis’ views on criminal justice and believe their policies could still roll out by the end of this year, as planned.
But there are critics of the algorithm on both sides of the bail reform issue.
“There’s been so many panaceas in the criminal justice system that we’ve been promised are going to fundamentally change and move justice forward by, sort of, leaps and bounds,” Patrick Kenneally, McHenry County State Attorney in Illinois, said. “I am skeptical that these types of things are going to fundamentally change how courts operate or increase the accuracy of projecting future behavior.”
Illinois was poised to become the first state in the country to eliminate the cash bail system. But Kenneally joined state attorneys in other Illinois counties in a lawsuit halting the enactment of the law. According to Kenneally, the bill is currently on hold as it moves through the appellate process before the Illinois Supreme Court.
According to sources close to the development of the PSA tool, discussions about eliminating cash bail become conflated by prosecutors who believe cashless bail policies will make communities inherently more dangerous. Research shows money doesn’t improve court appearance or community safety; rather, it mostly extracts wealth from poorer communities, according to those familiar with the development of risk assessment algorithms.
“The kind of biggest problem with these tools is that we actually can’t predict serious crime that well. We haven’t been able to for decades and decades,” Colin Doyle, Associate Professor at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, said. “There are still real limits to it and there are real limits to being able to predict human behavior, particularly rare actions like violent crime.”
There are those like Megan Guevara, executive partner with the Pretrial Justice Institute, who agree that bail reform should change to a cashless system but think the PSA tool is not the answer because she says the factors considered reflect inherent racial bias.
“When criminal history data, like the number of times somebody has previously been arrested or previously been convicted, is used to calculate a score, we know that people of color in the United States are more likely to have been arrested, more likely to live in over-policed communities and more likely to have been convicted of a crime,” Guevara said. “So, it means that there’s racial bias baked into those tools.”
Those close to the development of risk assessment tools admit that they haven’t seen a reduction in racial disparities in jurisdictions that have implemented the algorithm. PSA can help reduce the reliance on a cash-bail system, but on its own, it won’t eliminate disparities in the system, according to those familiar with the PSA formulation.
New Jersey began applying the PSA tool as part of an overhaul plan for its judicial system in 2017. The inmate population, which was 8,482 in 2018, dropped in 7,937 in 2019. But in 2020, restrictions were put in place to combat COVID-19, slowing the criminal justice process and increasing the jail population to 8,930, according to New Jersey courts. However, serious crime offenses, which include murder, rape, aggravated assault and burglary, fell to 164,965 in 2020 from 212,346 in 2017, according to the New Jersey government records.
But in New Mexico, 80 percent of detainees the algorithm recommended be released in Bernalillo County were still detained by the courts because of the seriousness of their crimes, according to the Bernalillo County district attorney.
Judge Sayfie is eager to implement the algorithm in her district, but isn’t planning on eliminating cash bail.
“I want to assure people that we are doing everything we can, and we truly believe that this is going to improve public safety,” Sayfie said. “More people who are arrested currently on firearm charges are going to be seeing a judge that currently don’t. And I believe it’s also going to be better because people will get to be released without having to post a bond if they’re low risk.”
