(NEW YORK) — Charges have been dropped against Jordan Williams, a man accused of fatally stabbing a 34-year-old homeless man on the New York City subway earlier this month.
Williams, 20, had been charged with criminal possession of a weapon with intent to use and felony manslaughter, according to court records.
The incident happened on a J train in Brooklyn on June 13. Williams, who did not stay at the scene, was taken into custody several stops away, still on the same train, according to court records and New York ABC station WABC.
“Our office conducted an impartial and thorough investigation of this tragic case, which included review of multiple videos and interviews with all available witnesses, and that evidence was fairly presented to a grand jury. The charges against Jordan Williams have been dismissed,” the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office said in a statement to ABC News.
The district attorney’s office said using deadly force is justified in cases where a person reasonably believes it is necessary to defend themselves from the imminent use of deadly or physical force.
Video reviewed by investigators showed the homeless man apparently harassing subway riders, according to WABC, which led to a fight with Williams before the deadly stabbing.
An attorney representing Williams did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
The incident has drawn comparisons to the death of Jordan Neely, a homeless man who was killed by a passenger on a New York City subway in May. Neely was held in a chokehold for several minutes, according to police and bystander video of the incident.
Former U.S. Marine Daniel Penny was placed under arrest for second-degree manslaughter in the incident after he surrendered to the NYPD.
Neely was allegedly harassing passengers and making threats, according to the NYPD. Police sources told ABC News that Penny was not specifically being threatened by Neely when he intervened.
Penny pleaded not guilty and was released on bond. His attorneys maintained Penny never intended to kill Neely and was just trying to protect himself and others.
(NEW YORK) — Millions of Americans are on alert for unhealthy air quality as smoke from wildfires in neighboring Canada drifts to the United States.
Wildfires have burned a record of more than 19.5 million acres across Canada so far this year, with no end in sight. There are nearly 500 active wildfires throughout the country and over 250 have been deemed out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. The smoke has been making its way to the U.S. for more than a month.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jun 29, 11:36 AM EDT
Pittsburgh air quality reaches ‘very unhealthy’
The Air Quality Index in Pittsburgh climbed to 220 Thursday morning, which falls under the “very unhealthy” category.
Any number over 100 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey is encouraging residents to stay inside on Thursday.
Jun 29, 8:03 AM EDT
Wildfire smoke forecast to dissipate by the weekend
The Canadian wildfire smoke drifting into the United States is expected to largely dissipate by the weekend.
By Friday morning, the smoke is forecast to linger in the eastern Great Lakes from Detroit to Ohio, Pennsylvania, western New York state, down to Virginia and the Carolinas.
New York City is not expected to see much smoke, but skies over the Big Apple could still be a bit hazy due to the nearby plumes.
By Friday evening, the smoke will really begin to diminish in the East with lingering effects from New York to the Carolinas.
Jun 29, 5:20 AM EDT
Videos show Canadian wildfire smoke casting haze over US cities
Videos verified by ABC News show smoke from Canada’s wildfires casting a haze over several U.S. cities on Wednesday.
One video, taken by a driver and posted on Twitter, shows the wildfire smoke hanging over a highway near Lawrenceburg, Indiana, as the state and much of the Midwest were under air quality alerts.
Lawrenceburg is located some 100 miles southeast of Indianapolis, near the state border with Ohio and Kentucky. The city is about 25 miles west of Cincinnati, Ohio.
-ABC News’ Matthew Holroyd
Jun 28, 6:05 PM EDT
Over 100 million Americans under air quality alerts
Air quality alerts remain in effect for more than 100 million Americans across the Midwest and into the Northeast Wednesday evening, as wildfire smoke from neighboring Canada blankets large swaths of the United States.
Air quality alerts remain in effect for more than 100 million Americans across the…Read More
Hard-hit Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis remain among the top five places in the world with the worst air quality as of Wednesday evening.
The air quality alerts are mainly for people in sensitive groups who have upper respiratory issues.
Near-surface smoke is expected to stretch from Wisconsin to Kentucky and into t…Read More
The near-surface smoke is expected to stretch from Wisconsin to Kentucky and into the Carolinas Wednesday evening. Some of the smoke will likely make its way into the mid-Atlantic overnight. Pittsburgh to Syracuse are forecast to see hazy, smoky skies and poor air quality Wednesday night.
Through Thursday, the smoke is expected to move out of the Midwest and linger farther east but not be as heavy. No significant smoke issues are forecast at this time for major Northeast cities, including New York City.
-ABC News’ Melissa Griffin
Jun 28, 1:10 PM EDT
Air quality health advisory issued in New York
While the poor air quality is mostly hovering over the Midwest, the dangerous smoke is also drifting toward the East Coast.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has expanded Wednesday’s air quality health advisory to include the entire state.
“Air in Western New York, Central New York, and the Eastern Lake Ontario regions is forecast to be ‘Unhealthy,'” Hochul’s office said. “The forecast for the remainder of the state, including New York City and Long Island, is ‘Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups.'”
Jun 28, 12:39 PM EDT
Chicago’s Air Quality Alert in effect until Wednesday night
In Chicago, where the Air Quality Index is in the “very unhealthy” category, an Air Quality Alert is in effect until Wednesday night.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is urging “particularly sensitive populations, including individuals with heart or lung disease, older adults, pregnant people, and young children” to avoid outdoor activities.
Camps have been moved indoors where possible, the mayor said, and he’s encouraging “Chicagoans without access to properly ventilated and safe indoor conditions” to “please utilize our public libraries, senior centers, Park District facilities, and the Cultural Center or the six community service centers that operate from 9am-5pm.”
Jun 28, 12:30 PM EDT
White House monitoring air quality issues as Biden visits Chicago
President Joe Biden has touched down in Chicago for fundraising and an economic address, and the White House said his schedule has not been modified due to the poor air quality in the city.
“No modifications to today’s schedule that I’m aware of as a result of this,” principal deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton said. “But certainly, we are monitoring the air quality issues across the country closely and federal agencies are ensuring that federal resources are available in affected regions as appropriate.”
The Air Quality Index in hazy Chicago reached 207 on Wednesday morning. Any number over 100 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Jun 28, 8:59 AM EDT
Where the smoke is concentrating and why
The latest round of unhealthy air quality due to smoke from wildfires in Canada has pushed into the United States, and it’s ability to concentrate over areas from Wisconsin to Kentucky is aided by recent storms that spawned tornadoes, large hail and [damaging winds]).
Winds at the mid-levels of the atmosphere are causing the Canadian wildfire smoke to concentrate over a specific area of the midwestern and eastern U.S.
Meanwhile, a heat dome that’s been causing stagnant deadly heat in the Deep South for weeks is keeping the smoke largely out of the region.
The next round of widespread showers and thunderstorms for this area of the eastern Midwest and the East is forecast to arrive on Friday and continue through the weekend, which will clear the smoke.
But as long as the wildfires continue to rage in Canada, these events of dense smoke plumes will likely continue to disperse into the U.S. Canada’s wildfire activity typically peaks from June to August.
Jun 28, 7:59 AM EDT
What to know about the Air Quality Index from wildfire smoke and how it affects human health
Heavy blankets of smoke billowing over the United States from wildfires burning in neighboring Canada are threatening the health of millions of people — even non-vulnerable populations with no preexisting conditions. But what about the smoke makes it so hazardous for humans to be around?
Wildfire smoke contains fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, which are microscopic solid or liquid droplets — often 30 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair — that can be inhaled and cause serious health problems, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Most particles form in the atmosphere as a result of complex reactions of chemicals, such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides — pollutants emitted from power plants, industries and automobiles. But wildfires likely contain PM2.5 that is up to 10 times more harmful than the same type of air pollution coming from combustion activity, according to a 2021 study conducted in California.
PM2.5 is considered unhealthy for “Code Orange” and sensitive groups once the Air Quality Index surpasses 100, according to AirNow, a website that publishes air quality data. Once the AQI surpasses 150, it is considered “Code Red,” unhealthy for some members of the general public who may experience health effects, with sensitive groups experiencing more severe effects.
The AQI is at “Code Purple” once it surpasses 200, considered “very unhealthy” with increased health risk for all populations. “Code Maroon” is labeled as “hazardous” and a health warning for emergency conditions once the AQI reaches 300 and higher.
At Code Maroon, “everyone is more likely to be affected,” according to AirNow.
A “good” AQI is measured at 50 and below, and a “moderate” air quality index ranks between 51 and 100.
Jun 28, 7:45 AM EDT
Chicago air quality hits ‘very unhealthy’ category
As Canadian wildfire smoke infiltrates the midwestern United States, the air in Chicago has deteriorated to the Air Quality Index’s> “very unhealthy” category.
The AQI in hazy Chicago reached 250 on Tuesday afternoon. Any number over 100 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.
“We recommend children, teens, seniors, people with heart or lung disease, and individuals who are pregnant avoid strenuous activities and limit their time outdoors,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson warned in a statement. “For additional precautions, all Chicagoans may also consider wearing masks, limiting their outdoor exposure, moving activities indoors, running air purifiers, and closing windows.”
The smoke is forecast to clear on Friday when showers and thunderstorms hit the region.
Earlier this month, the AQI in the northeastern U.S. reached near maximum with levels in the high 400s.
Jun 28, 7:03 AM EDT
20 US states under air quality alerts
As of Wednesday morning, 20 U.S. states are under air quality alerts from Minnesota down to Georgia and as far north as western New York.
Wildfire smoke from neighbouring Canada is currently blanketing large swaths of the United States, from Iowa to western Pennsylvania to North Carolina and most everywhere in between. Only Chicago is getting a small reprieve on Wednesday morning due to a lake breeze, which isn’t expected to last for long.
Later on Wednesday, the smoke is expected to cover areas from Minnesota to Washington, D.C. and down to the Carolinas.
By early Thursday morning, the smoke will be seen in Minneapolis, Chicago, Indianapolis, Atlanta and Pittsburgh. But by the afternoon, it will linger from Detroit to Atlanta and east to Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.
New York City could be impacted as well, but most of the smoke from the Canadian wildfires is expected to stay in western New York state, Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey.
(NEW YORK) — Three men who funded the company that became Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform have been charged with insider trading.
Michael Shvartsman, Gerald Shvartsman and Bruce Garelick made more than $22 million by trading in shares of Digital World Acquisition Corporation, according to federal prosecutors in New York.
The three investors were arrested Thursday on securities fraud charges that accused them of violating an agreement about Digital World Acquisition Corporation’s intent to acquire Trump Media and Technology Group, the company that runs Truth Social.
Garelick was given a seat on DWAC’s board, allowing him access to non-public information about the company’s plans to merge with Trump Media. According to federal prosecutors, Garelick provided the information to Michael and Gerald Shvartsman, who were able to buy millions of shares before news of the Trump Media merger became public.
Prosecutors also said the information was passed to Michael Shvartsman’s neighbors and to Gerald Shvartsman’s employees at a furniture supply store. As soon as the news hit and the share price increased in value, the defendants, the neighbors and the employees all sold at significant profit, according to the criminal charges.
Michael Shvartsman, 52, of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida; Gerald Shvartsman, 45, of Aventura, Florida; and Garelick, 53, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, all face securities fraud charges that carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
“Insider trading is not a quick buck,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement. “It’s not easy money. It’s not a sure thing. It’s cheating. It’s a bad bet. It’s a ticket to prison.”
(MOSCOW, Idaho) — The off-campus University of Idaho house where four students were stabbed to death is set to be torn down despite calls from victims’ families to postpone until after the suspect’s trial.
The four victims — roommates Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle, as well as Kernodle’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin — were killed in the Moscow, Idaho, house on Nov. 13, 2022. Two other roommates survived the shocking crime that garnered national intrigue.
Attorney Shanon Gray represents the Goncalves, Mogen and Kernodle families, who want the house to remain standing until the criminal case is resolved.
But a University of Idaho spokesperson said, “We are currently working on removing all the personal items from the house so the families can claim them, as they choose. Then we plan to move forward with demolition.”
A university lawyer noted in a letter to Gray that the court released the house from the case and the prosecution and defense have not objected to the demolition.
A university spokesperson said the school plans to demolish the house before students return to campus in the fall.
The university announced in February that the house would be demolished, with university president Scott Green calling it “a healing step” in the wake of a “crime that shook our community.”
Kaylee Goncalves’ mom, Kristi Goncalves, told ABC News last month she was glad no one else would live in the house.
But, she added, “It’s going to be very multifaceted for me, honestly, because my daughter lived in that home. She lived a happy life in that home, she loved living there with her friends. And for the real story, to be, like, what happened in that house was so horrific that it has to be torn down — that doesn’t happen that often. … For them to say, ‘No, we don’t want family in here, we don’t want anybody living in here. It’s got to be torn down’ — it’s definitely not happy.”
The suspect, Bryan Kohberger, who was a Ph.D. student at nearby Washington State University at the time of the murders, was arrested in December.
Kohberger’s trial is set for Oct. 2. Prosecutors announced this week that they will seek the death penalty.
Kohberger chose to “stand silent” at his arraignment last month. By not responding, the judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
(WASHINGTON) — The Supreme Court decided Thursday to set new limits on affirmative action, striking down the current race-conscious admissions policies in place at University of North Carolina and Harvard University.
The decision sided in part with Students for Fair Admissions, a conservative group that challenged the admissions policies. Members argued that the affirmative action policies at the schools were discriminatory against white and Asian students.
The decision states that admissions programs at Harvard and UNC “lack sufficiently focused and measurable objectives warranting the use of race, unavoidably employ race in a negative manner, involve racial stereotyping, and lack meaningful end points, those admissions programs cannot be reconciled with the guarantees of the Equal Protection Clause.”
The decision, however, states that “nothing prohibits universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected the applicant’s life, so long as that discussion is concretely tied to a quality of character or unique ability that the particular applicant can contribute to the university.”
This alters more than 40 years of legal precedent that supports consideration of race in college admissions.
Institutions that use affirmative action policies take an individual student’s race or ethnicity into account during the college admissions selection process. It rose to popularity in the 1960s to address racial inequities in access to higher education.
The Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling in 1978 in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, which cemented the place of affirmative action policies in college and university admissions.
The average Black-to-white student graduation rate gap at the top dozen public universities that do not use affirmative action was 10.1%, according to research from the University of California, Los Angeles.
The average gap at the top dozen public universities with affirmative action was 6%.
Social inequities that impact access to higher education — such as economic inequality, segregation and academic inequity in K-12 schools — as well as the lasting impact of historical exclusion from colleges and universities against Black and brown students have led to the continued underrepresentation in four-year institutions, researchers told ABC News.
Affirmative action has contributed to the rise in students of color attending colleges and universities, experts say.
Researchers fear the progress made in racial equity in higher education will be reversed, even though they say affirmative action has not been a perfect solution.
“Historically, some of these places like [the University of North Carolina], you literally couldn’t go to UNC if you’re Black,” said Natasha Warikoo, a sociologist at Tufts University and researcher of racial inequity in education.
“HBCUs [were] chronically underfunded and were a way to not allow Black students to attend the state universities, and then over generations, that compounds itself, as wealth does,” Warikoo said.
Colleges and universities have long struggled to reverse the inequities that drive low diversity rates in higher education, according to research from the U.S. Department of Education.
Nine states have banned affirmative action, and the decision affected their enrollment almost instantaneously: “the number of underrepresented minorities never gets back to pre-ban levels,” said Warikoo.
Opponents of affirmative action say it violates the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits racial discrimination any place that receives federal funding.
“The reason why colleges are not proportionally diverse has nothing to do with bias or exclusion,” said the Students for Fair Admissions in an April post. “The reason is large racial differences in academic skills.”
They argue affirmative action discriminates against Asian American and white applicants.
Supporters of affirmative action argue that using race as one factor among many in a holistic review of a student’s attributes is not exclusionary or harmful to other students.
“It’s well proven … that having a more diverse student population adds value to students’ learning and experiences,” said Mitchell Chang, a professor and the Associate Vice Chancellor of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at UCLA.
Warikoo argues that college admissions processes similarly take into account other attributes to diversify their student body.
These could include where applicants are from, if their parents were alumni, if they’re a great athlete or if they are choosing a major they need students for and more.
“They’re in the business of rejection,” said Warikoo. “The president of Harvard once said they could fill their freshman class with valedictorians twice over, but you can’t accept all the valedictorians, right?”
She continued, “Colleges are trying to build a cohort, a diverse community with a lot of different kinds of skills.”
The impact of diversity on students
Sarah Zheng, who goes to the University of North Carolina, started the Affirmative Action Coalition to bring awareness to the impact that diversity has had on the community.
“I grew up in a predominantly white community, and my parents are both immigrants,” Zheng said in an interview. “But I was often the only person of color in a classroom and that was a really isolating experience for me.”
She continued, “Coming to UNC was such a breath of fresh air, because I could finally hear people who didn’t have that perspective I’d grown up with my entire life.”
Her group is focusing on how to preserve diversity on campuses, including demands to hire and retain more teachers of color.
“For me to have those role models when I was growing up, that would have been amazing,” she added.
Ayan Kent, a student at Columbia University who is the incoming president of the school’s Black Students Organization, says her group is urging higher education institutions to direct more resources to helping students succeed after they’re admitted, which can be helpful to maintain a diverse population.
“It’s great that universities are taking steps to make sure that they’re admitting a diverse population … but once you let people in, you can’t just be like, ‘Ok, now figure it out,’” she said.
(RANKIN COUNTY, Miss.) — Months after a January drug raid that left a Black man with a gunshot wound to the face, the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department in Mississippi announced Tuesday that five of its deputies have been fired or resigned from the department.
This announcement comes just weeks after the two men involved in the incident, Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker, filed a lawsuit in collaboration with Black Lawyers for Justice against the sheriff’s department seeking $400 million in damages.
On Jan. 24, Rankin County deputies entered the residence of Jenkins and Parker without a warrant that resulted in both Black men being beaten, sexually assaulted with a sex toy and shocked with Tasers for roughly 90 minutes while handcuffed, according to the lawsuit. Eggs were also hurled at the two men, and Jenkins, 32, was eventually shot in the face by one of the deputies, the lawsuit states. Deputies say they were there to carry out a late drug raid.
“We understand that the alleged actions of these deputies has eroded the public’s trust in our department,” Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey said in a statement on Tuesday. “Rest assured that we will work diligently to restore that trust.”
Although Sheriff Bailey did not name the deputies who have resigned or been terminated, the defendants in the plaintiff’s lawsuit include Rankin County Deputies Hunter Elward, Brett Mc’Alpin and Christian Dedmon, and three unidentified deputies under the name “John Doe.”
Bailey is also listed as a defendant in the lawsuit.
“We have cooperated with all investigation efforts related to this incident and have provided all information and data requested in a timely manner,” Bailey said on Tuesday. “This will continue until all investigative efforts are complete and justice is served. We cannot, however, confirm or deny any specific facts related to this incident because of active and ongoing investigations.”
As the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department conducted its own internal investigation, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations (MBI) and the Department of Justice opened a civil rights investigation into this incident earlier this year.
“The FBI Jackson Field Office, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi have opened a federal civil rights investigation into a color of law incident involving the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office. The FBI will conduct the investigation in a fair, thorough, and impartial manner,” the FBI Jackson statement read.
The FBI Jackson Field Office did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Due to the ongoing investigation, the MBI said it did not wish to provide ABC News with any further comment.
Bailey specified the deputies involved in the incident were terminated “due to recent developments,” including discoveries in the department’s internal investigation, but the plaintiff’s attorney Malik Shabazz said he believes it was “due to the extreme pressure” of the lawyers and DOJ investigation that may result in possible indictments.
Jenkins, Parker and their attorneys are hoping criminal charges will follow quickly behind the deputies’ termination.
“Too many crimes occurred during the nearly two-hour violent ordeal for there to not be criminal charges in this case. The only question is, which criminal charges? We are hoping for the stiffest,” Shabazz told ABC News.
Both Jenkins and Parker were present during Wednesday’s family press conference but did not provide any statements to the media.
“We’re expecting state Attorney General Lynn Fitch to levy criminal charges, serious criminal charges, against these deputies right away if there’s justice in the state of Mississippi,” Shabazz said during Wednesday’s press conference.
A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office in a statement to ABC News said it does not comment on active cases.
Jenkins’ mother, Mary Jenkins, explained the termination of the deputies is “not enough.”
“All they’ll do is go to another police department and get on and do the same thing. I want them prosecuted,” Mary Jenkins said.
Mary Jenkins said her son is still having a difficult time with his injuries, with the pain in his jaw “almost unbearable” at times. She shared he has seen many doctors, including a psychiatrist and a speech therapist to work on speaking again.
The medical bills have exceeded six figures “and are continuing,” according to attorneys.
Jenkins was charged with aggravated assault and the possession of two grams of a controlled substance. Parker was charged with obstruction of justice, according to the attorneys.
Both Jenkins and Parker deny the substance found in the residence belonged to them.
“The charges have not been dropped or pursued,” Shabazz said.
(NEW YORK) — The Chinese spy balloon that was shot down over the Atlantic Ocean in early February was built — at least partly — using American off-the-shelf parts, a U.S. official has confirmed to ABC News.
A second U.S. official was also able to confirm that the balloon did not appear to have transmitted any of the data it collected on its journey above North America, as was initially reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The first official could not say whether any of the American gear was sold illicitly to China but said determining whether any of it came from illegal trade was a topic of serious concern among officials since some items — like chips — are forbidden to sell to certain markets.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — Millions of Americans are on alert for unhealthy air quality as smoke from wildfires in neighboring Canada drifts to the United States.
Wildfires have burned a record of more than 19.5 million acres across Canada so far this year, with no end in sight. There are nearly 500 active wildfires throughout the country and over 250 have been deemed out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. The smoke has been making its way to the U.S. for more than a month.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jun 29, 5:20 AM EDT
Videos show Canadian wildfire smoke casting haze over US cities
Videos verified by ABC News show smoke from Canada’s wildfires casting a haze over several U.S. cities on Wednesday.
One video, taken by a driver and posted on Twitter, shows the wildfire smoke hanging over a highway near Lawrenceburg, Indiana, as the state and much of the Midwest were under air quality alerts.
Lawrenceburg is located some 100 miles southeast of Indianapolis, near the state border with Ohio and Kentucky. The city is about 25 miles west of Cincinnati, Ohio.
-ABC News’ Matthew Holroyd
Jun 28, 6:05 PM EDT
Over 100 million Americans under air quality alerts
Air quality alerts remain in effect for more than 100 million Americans across the Midwest and into the Northeast Wednesday evening, as wildfire smoke from neighboring Canada blankets large swaths of the United States.
Air quality alerts remain in effect for more than 100 million Americans across the…Read More
Hard-hit Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis remain among the top five places in the world with the worst air quality as of Wednesday evening.
The air quality alerts are mainly for people in sensitive groups who have upper respiratory issues.
Near-surface smoke is expected to stretch from Wisconsin to Kentucky and into t…Read More
The near-surface smoke is expected to stretch from Wisconsin to Kentucky and into the Carolinas Wednesday evening. Some of the smoke will likely make its way into the mid-Atlantic overnight. Pittsburgh to Syracuse are forecast to see hazy, smoky skies and poor air quality Wednesday night.
Through Thursday, the smoke is expected to move out of the Midwest and linger farther east but not be as heavy. No significant smoke issues are forecast at this time for major Northeast cities, including New York City.
-ABC News’ Melissa Griffin
Jun 28, 1:10 PM EDT
Air quality health advisory issued in New York
While the poor air quality is mostly hovering over the Midwest, the dangerous smoke is also drifting toward the East Coast.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has expanded Wednesday’s air quality health advisory to include the entire state.
“Air in Western New York, Central New York, and the Eastern Lake Ontario regions is forecast to be ‘Unhealthy,'” Hochul’s office said. “The forecast for the remainder of the state, including New York City and Long Island, is ‘Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups.'”
Jun 28, 12:39 PM EDT
Chicago’s Air Quality Alert in effect until Wednesday night
In Chicago, where the Air Quality Index is in the “very unhealthy” category, an Air Quality Alert is in effect until Wednesday night.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is urging “particularly sensitive populations, including individuals with heart or lung disease, older adults, pregnant people, and young children” to avoid outdoor activities.
Camps have been moved indoors where possible, the mayor said, and he’s encouraging “Chicagoans without access to properly ventilated and safe indoor conditions” to “please utilize our public libraries, senior centers, Park District facilities, and the Cultural Center or the six community service centers that operate from 9am-5pm.”
Jun 28, 12:30 PM EDT
White House monitoring air quality issues as Biden visits Chicago
President Joe Biden has touched down in Chicago for fundraising and an economic address, and the White House said his schedule has not been modified due to the poor air quality in the city.
“No modifications to today’s schedule that I’m aware of as a result of this,” principal deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton said. “But certainly, we are monitoring the air quality issues across the country closely and federal agencies are ensuring that federal resources are available in affected regions as appropriate.”
The Air Quality Index in hazy Chicago reached 207 on Wednesday morning. Any number over 100 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Jun 28, 8:59 AM EDT
Where the smoke is concentrating and why
The latest round of unhealthy air quality due to smoke from wildfires in Canada has pushed into the United States, and it’s ability to concentrate over areas from Wisconsin to Kentucky is aided by recent storms that spawned tornadoes, large hail and [damaging winds]).
Winds at the mid-levels of the atmosphere are causing the Canadian wildfire smoke to concentrate over a specific area of the midwestern and eastern U.S.
Meanwhile, a heat dome that’s been causing stagnant deadly heat in the Deep South for weeks is keeping the smoke largely out of the region.
The next round of widespread showers and thunderstorms for this area of the eastern Midwest and the East is forecast to arrive on Friday and continue through the weekend, which will clear the smoke.
But as long as the wildfires continue to rage in Canada, these events of dense smoke plumes will likely continue to disperse into the U.S. Canada’s wildfire activity typically peaks from June to August.
Jun 28, 7:59 AM EDT
What to know about the Air Quality Index from wildfire smoke and how it affects human health
Heavy blankets of smoke billowing over the United States from wildfires burning in neighboring Canada are threatening the health of millions of people — even non-vulnerable populations with no preexisting conditions. But what about the smoke makes it so hazardous for humans to be around?
Wildfire smoke contains fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, which are microscopic solid or liquid droplets — often 30 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair — that can be inhaled and cause serious health problems, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Most particles form in the atmosphere as a result of complex reactions of chemicals, such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides — pollutants emitted from power plants, industries and automobiles. But wildfires likely contain PM2.5 that is up to 10 times more harmful than the same type of air pollution coming from combustion activity, according to a 2021 study conducted in California.
PM2.5 is considered unhealthy for “Code Orange” and sensitive groups once the Air Quality Index surpasses 100, according to AirNow, a website that publishes air quality data. Once the AQI surpasses 150, it is considered “Code Red,” unhealthy for some members of the general public who may experience health effects, with sensitive groups experiencing more severe effects.
The AQI is at “Code Purple” once it surpasses 200, considered “very unhealthy” with increased health risk for all populations. “Code Maroon” is labeled as “hazardous” and a health warning for emergency conditions once the AQI reaches 300 and higher.
At Code Maroon, “everyone is more likely to be affected,” according to AirNow.
A “good” AQI is measured at 50 and below, and a “moderate” air quality index ranks between 51 and 100.
Jun 28, 7:45 AM EDT
Chicago air quality hits ‘very unhealthy’ category
As Canadian wildfire smoke infiltrates the midwestern United States, the air in Chicago has deteriorated to the Air Quality Index’s> “very unhealthy” category.
The AQI in hazy Chicago reached 250 on Tuesday afternoon. Any number over 100 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.
“We recommend children, teens, seniors, people with heart or lung disease, and individuals who are pregnant avoid strenuous activities and limit their time outdoors,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson warned in a statement. “For additional precautions, all Chicagoans may also consider wearing masks, limiting their outdoor exposure, moving activities indoors, running air purifiers, and closing windows.”
The smoke is forecast to clear on Friday when showers and thunderstorms hit the region.
Earlier this month, the AQI in the northeastern U.S. reached near maximum with levels in the high 400s.
Jun 28, 7:03 AM EDT
20 US states under air quality alerts
As of Wednesday morning, 20 U.S. states are under air quality alerts from Minnesota down to Georgia and as far north as western New York.
Wildfire smoke from neighbouring Canada is currently blanketing large swaths of the United States, from Iowa to western Pennsylvania to North Carolina and most everywhere in between. Only Chicago is getting a small reprieve on Wednesday morning due to a lake breeze, which isn’t expected to last for long.
Later on Wednesday, the smoke is expected to cover areas from Minnesota to Washington, D.C. and down to the Carolinas.
By early Thursday morning, the smoke will be seen in Minneapolis, Chicago, Indianapolis, Atlanta and Pittsburgh. But by the afternoon, it will linger from Detroit to Atlanta and east to Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.
New York City could be impacted as well, but most of the smoke from the Canadian wildfires is expected to stay in western New York state, Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey.
(NEW YORK) — Afghanistan War veteran Jason Kander says he was a few months into therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder when he realized, for the first time, that recovery is not only possible, but common.
“My therapist had to explain to me that it is normal to get better,” Kander said in an interview with ABC News’ Linsey Davis. “That most people who commit to the program actually achieve post-traumatic growth, meaning they get to a point where PTSD no longer is disruptive to their life.”
It was this hopeful perspective filmmakers sought to put at the forefront of “Here. Is. Better.,” a new documentary that follows four veterans, including Kander, as they go through some of “the most clinically effective, evidence-based trauma psychotherapies for PTSD,” according to the film’s synopsis.
The three treatments featured in the documentary are cognitive processing therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, and prolonged exposure therapy, according to the filmmakers.
“I said yes to [being featured], because I could tell that what they wanted to do was to tell a story that was so different than the way PTSD is usually depicted,” Kander said, adding that he believes “a sense of voyeurism” of people in the throes of the illness is often what gets portrayed onscreen and in the news.
Kander enlisted in the Army National Guard after 9/11 and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2006, serving as a military intelligence officer, investigating those suspected of corruption, espionage, drug trafficking and facilitating Al Qaeda and the Taliban, according to his biography on the documentary’s website. When he returned home, he was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives, serving from 2009 to 2013, and later as the Missouri secretary of state. He was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Missouri in 2016 and narrowly lost.
But a “deep internal turmoil” was brewing underneath the surface, according to the biography. For years, Kander suffered nightmares related to his time in Afghanistan, was “frequently angry” and had a “heightened sense of alertness” that began to negatively affect his family.
People diagnosed with PTSD have intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings that last long after a traumatic event ended, according to the American Psychiatric Association. They may relive the traumatic event through flashbacks or nightmares and may avoid situations that remind them of the event. They may also feel sadness, fear or anger and detached from other people around them.
While running for mayor of Kansas City in Oct. 2018, Kander announced publicly he was walking away from politics and seeking help for his mental health at the Kansas City VA.
When the documentary began filming, it was Kander’s first time speaking about his experience since completing a course of treatment based on prolonged exposure therapy, according to the filmmakers. At the time, his emotions were still raw.
Prolonged exposure therapy is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that teaches patients to “gradually approach trauma-related memories, feelings, and situations” they have been avoiding since the trauma, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs website.
Kander recorded these therapy sessions on his iPhone and shared them with the filmmaking team to give an inside look at the process.
Others featured in the documentary are John, a Vietnam War veteran still haunted by events that happened over 50 years ago, Teresa, a veteran who witnessed an IED explosion in Iraq that nearly killed her future husband, and Tabitha, a veteran deployed to Iraq who was sexually assaulted early in her training. Only the first names of John, Tabitha and Teresa are used in the documentary.
Tabitha and Teresa received their treatment at the Cincinnati VA Trauma Recovery Program, which is featured in the film. An average of 210 people go through its residential program per year; 70% of participants who complete the program no longer meet the criteria for PTSD, a spokesperson for the documentary said.
PTSD is slightly more common among veterans than civilians, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. An estimated 7% of veterans will have PTSD in their lifetime, while 6% of every adult will have PTSD in their lifetime.
Research shows that deployment increases the risk of PTSD — with some studies showing that PTSD is three times more likely among veterans who deployed compared to those of the same service era who did not, according to the VA.
“I think it was important to deliver a hopeful, but not sugarcoated message, about what recovery looks like and various paths to treatment, at least to open to the door to the possibility that people would seek treatment. That was the most important part for all of us,” director Jack Youngelson told ABC News.
ABC News’ Penelope Lopez, Andrea Amiel and Sarah Baniak contributed to this report.
(ALLEN, Texas) — As a Texas grand jury declined to indict the police officer who killed a mass shooter at an outlet mall in May, authorities released dramatic body camera video Wednesday of the officer racing toward the gunfire and taking down the assailant accused of shooting 15 people, eight fatally.
“This video shows how quickly a routine interaction with the public turned into a life-and-death situation,” Allen, Texas, Police Chief Brian Harvey said in a statement Wednesday. “The officer recognized the danger, ran toward the gunfire and neutralized the threat — and for his actions, the Allen community is forever grateful.”
The mass shooting unfolded on May 6 at the Allen Premium Outlets, north of Dallas, Texas.
The suspect was identified as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, according to law enforcement officials. Police said Garcia was armed with an AR-15 rifle.
Garcia, 33, was fatally shot by a police officer who rushed to the gunfire and confronted him, police said.
Among those killed in the rampage were two sisters, ages 8 and 11, and a 3-year-old boy and his parents.
The suspect left a trail of social media activity indicating he may have scouted the location weeks prior to the deadly shooting, according to police. A profile appearing to belong to Garcia also contained numerous references to Nazi ideology, hatred of women, racism and antisemitism, ABC News previously reported.
The body camera video released Wednesday by the Allen Police Department, warned the footage is “disturbing and recommend a high level of discretion when viewing.”
The video begins by showing the officer, whose name has not been released, speaking to a mother and her two children, telling the boys, “Make sure you wear your seatbelts when mommy’s driving.” Suddenly, multiple gunshots erupted in the distance, according to the video.
The officer radioed in he was hearing gunfire at the outlet mall, the video shows. The officer then immediately went to his police cruiser, grabbed a rifle and began running in the direction of the gunfire, yelling into his radio, “I’m on foot. I need everybody I got,” the video shows.
“I’m moving as fast as I can to try to get over there,” the officer is heard saying in the video.
As the shooting continued, the officer radioed in, “I’m at Tommy Hilfiger. I don’t know where he’s at.”
Moments later, the officer spots the gunman firing his weapon, according to the video. The officer returned fire from a distance, striking and killing the gunman.
“Shots fired by police. I’ve got him down,” the officer radioed in before moving toward the gunman, yelling, “Drop the gun,” according to the video.
Prosecutors from the Collin County District Attorney’s Office and the Texas Rangers presented evidence to a grand jury on Monday, and after reviewing the facts, the panel returned a “no bill” decision on Tuesday, declining to indict the officer on any charges.
The Allen Police Department released a statement, saying it “appreciates the hard work of the grand jury, Texas Rangers and the District Attorney’s Office by ensuring a process that helps promote accountability, community involvement and transparency.”
The police department said it has also requested a “comprehensive and independent” review of the incident by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
“The resulting after-action report will offer insight and best practices to support future training and emergency response provided by Allen Police,” the statement said.
