(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — Florida officials are apologizing and pledging to remove the company responsible for sending Florida residents emergency alerts on their cellphones after much of the state was woken up to an alarm at 4:45 a.m. on Thursday.
Officials said the alert, which included wording that it was a test, was intended to be on TV.
“The Division understands that unexpected 4:45 AM wake up calls are frustrating and would like to apologize for the early morning text,” the Florida Division of Emergency Management said in a statement to ABC News.
“We are taking the appropriate action to remove the company responsible for submitting the alert this morning. We want to stress that while this wake up call was unwarranted, disasters can happen at any time and having a way to receive emergency alerts can save lives,” the division said.
Florida’s emergency management agency said it tests emergency alerts on a variety of platforms, including radio, television and text alerts.
“We are taking the appropriate action to ensure this will never happen again and that only true emergencies are sent as alerts in the middle of the night,” the division said in a tweet.
Gov. Ron DeSantis echoed that he would “bring swift accountability” to those responsible.
“This was a completely inappropriate use of this system,” he said in a tweet.
(ATLANTA) — An investigation into the death of a man whose family claims he was “eaten alive by insects and bedbugs” in an Atlanta jail has led to “sweeping changes,” according to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Patrick “Pat” Labat said in a statement Monday that he’s asked for and received the resignations of multiple employees of the Fulton County Jail: the chief jailer, assistant chief jailer and the assistant chief jailer of the site’s Criminal Investigative Division.
The resignations come after the lawyer of LaShawn Thompson’s family said last week that Thompson’s body was discovered in a “filthy jail cell” on Sept. 13, 2022, after medical staff allegedly ignored his declining health. According to family attorney Ben Crump, authorities found Thompson with over 1,000 insect bites “all over his body.”
“They literally watched his health decline until he died. When his body was found, one of the detention officers refused to administer CPR because in her words, she ‘freaked out,'” the family’s attorney, Michael Harper, wrote in an April 12 Facebook post. “He did not deserve this. Someone has to be held accountable for his death.”
Although there are graphic images of Thompson’s jail cell and his body and face after he was found, the medical examiner could not determine the cause of death, according to family attorneys.
Thompson was arrested on June 12, 2022, for simple battery against police officials, according to jail records.
In the statement, posted to its Facebook page, the sheriff’s office said the executive team that’s been in place “has more than 65 years of jail administration and law enforcement experience.”
“When leveraged at its very best, that experience can be invaluable. However, it can also lend itself to complacency, stagnation and settling for the status quo,” it said.
“It’s clear to me that it’s time, past time, to clean house,” Labat said in the statement.
According to Harper, Thompson suffered from mental health issues and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He was placed in a psychiatric ward in jail three months before his death.
Family attorneys, community members and family held a press conference Thursday to demand the Department of Justice investigate the jail.
Thompson’s family also has called for the jail to be closed.
“He wasn’t the only one who was affected by those insects and bedbugs in that entire wing, but he was the only one that we know of who died,” Harper said during the press conference.
Thompson’s younger sister Shenita Thompson spoke at the press conference, sharing she’d been calling authorities for months to get answers regarding the death of her brother, but was unable to get answers until Harper stepped in to help.
“I want to get down to the truth of what happened to my brother,” Shenita said.
Thompson’s aunt spoke as well, detailing the bites she found over her nephew’s body at the funeral home.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office says it’s exploring its options to change medical vendors and to partner with a provider that can “compassionately” deliver care, officials said.
Sheriff Labat joined the family at the Thursday press conference, offering his condolences and answering questions from the community.
“The family asked me to come out here and stand with them. We have prayed together. We understand and I’ve said this publicly. This is absolutely unconscionable. Point blank,” he said.
An investigation is being conducted by the Office of Professional Standards, as well as by the Atlanta Police Department, authorities said. The Georgia Bureau of Investigations will ultimately review a “full investigative package” once the probes are complete, the sheriff’s office said.
According to Harper, Senator Jon Ossoff also called for the DOJ to begin an investigation and Labat shared at the press conference that he has been “in contact” with Ossoff’s office.
“In terms of the timeline, it’s important to know what I don’t want to do is, I don’t want to for the sake of expediency rush through. I want to get it right,” Labat said. “The family deserve it. We need to make sure we get it right every step of the way.
Crump announced at the press conference that he will be conducting an independent autopsy done for Thompson with help from former NFL star and activist Colin Kapernick, who contacted the family assuring that he will pay for it “no matter what.”
“We didn’t want our brother to be shown to the public like this, but the public need to see,” said Brad McCrae, younger brother of Thompson. “Everybody need to see. Everybody needs to wake up and somebody needs to be held accountable.”
(NEW YORK) — If former President Donald Trump opts not to attend his trial next week in which he stands accused of defaming and battering writer E. Jean Carroll, a federal judge ruled Thursday that his lawyer can make no mention of the “burdens” that might spare New York City.
Trump attorney Joe Tacopina had asked the judge on Wednesday to inform the jury that if Trump didn’t appear for the trail in lower Manhattan, it would be to avoid the “logistical and financial burdens upon New York City, its residents, and court itself.”
Judge Lewis Kaplan, who is presiding over Carroll’s lawsuit against Trump, said Thursday that the decision whether to attend the trial or testify is Trump’s alone, and that Trump has had “ample time” to make the necessary arrangements.
“Moreover, the Court notes from Mr. Trump’s campaign web site and media reports that he announced earlier this week that he will speak at a campaign event in New Hampshire on April 27, 2023, the third day of the scheduled trial in this case,” Kaplan said in his ruling. “If the Secret Service can protect him at that event, certainly the Secret Service, the Marshals Service, and the City of New York can see to his security in this very secure federal courthouse.”
Kaplan said it was premature to tell the jury anything about Trump’s presence or absence.
“Should he elect not to appear or testify, his counsel may renew the request,” Kaplan said. “In the meantime, there shall be no reference by counsel for Mr. Trump in the presence of the jury panel or the trial jury to Mr. Trump’s alleged desire to testify or to the burdens that any absence on his part allegedly might spare, or might have spared, the Court of the city of New York.”
In her lawsuit, brought in November, Carroll alleges that Trump defamed her by calling her a liar when he denied her claim that he raped her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s. She added a charge of battery under a recently adopted New York law that allows adult survivors of sexual abuse to sue their alleged attacker regardless of the statute of limitations.
A judge last week denied Trump’s attempt to delay the start of the trial, which is scheduled to get underway in New York on Tuesday.
Trump has repeatedly denied Carroll’s allegations.
An attorney for Carroll chided Tacopina’s request on Wednesday, writing in a separate letter that “the notion that Mr. Trump would not appear as some sort of favor to the City of New York — and that the jury should be instructed as much — taxes the credulity of the credulous.”
The judge had given Trump until the end of the day Thursday to let the court know for sure whether he’d attend the trial, but Tacopina said in a letter to the court Thursday afternoon that Trump would make that decision while the trial is in progress.
“Because the decision of the defendant, who is not required to appear as a civil litigant, will be made during the course of the trial. we are not yet in a position to advise the Court in this regard,” Tacopina said. “However, we will inform the Court as soon as a decision is reached, particularly in light of the logistical concerns that will need to be addressed in coordination with the Secret Service, the Marshals Service, and the City of New York.”
“Your consideration in this matter is greatly appreciated,” Tacopina said in the letter.
(SANTA FE, N.M.) — Charges against Alec Baldwin have been dropped in the fatal on-set “Rust” shooting, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Baldwin, 65, had been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter after fatally shooting cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, on the New Mexico set of the Western in October 2021. The actor was practicing a cross-draw when the gun fired, striking the cinematographer and director Joel Souza, who suffered a non-life-threatening injury.
“We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident,” Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, the attorneys for Alec Baldwin, said in a statement.
Baldwin’s next court appearance in the case had been set for May 3. Baldwin already waived his right to appear at the preliminary hearing.
The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was also charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter over Hutchins’ death.
Gun enhancement charges filed in the case against both Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed were dropped in late February.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(BOCA CHICA, Texas) — SpaceX will attempt a second launch of its Starship rocket after the first launch attempt was scrubbed due to a frozen valve in the pressurization system.
The launch will take place at the company’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas — about 20 miles east of Brownsville — with a 62-minute window opening at 9:28 a.m. ET. A live webcast will begin 45 minutes before liftoff.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Apr 20, 11:40 AM EDT
FAA investigating Starship explosion
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the explosion of SpaceX’s Starship that occurred a few minutes after liftoff.
The agency is responsible for protecting Americans during commercial space transportation launch and reentry operations.
“An anomaly occurred during the ascent and prior to stage separation resulting in a loss of the vehicle,” the FAA said in a statement. “No injuries or public property damage have been reported.”
“The FAA will oversee the mishap investigation of the Starship/Super Heavy test mission. A return to flight of the Starship/Super Heavy vehicle is based on the FAA determining that any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety. This is standard practice for all mishap investigations.”
SpaceX said the rocket’s boosters did not properly separate following the launch.
-ABC News’ Gina Sunseri
Apr 20, 10:35 AM EDT
Elon Musk says next launch will be in ‘a few months’
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk congratulated the team in a tweet and said the next launch would be later this year, but didn’t give any specific dates.
“Congrats SpaceX team on an exciting test launch of Starship!” Musk tweeted. “Learned a lot for next test launch in a few months.”
Musk also shared a video of the Starship rocket right after liftoff.
Apr 20, 10:05 AM EDT
SpaceX congratulates team even after rocket self-destructs
SpaceX congratulated the team behind the Starship rocket launch, even after it was forced to self-destruct when the boosters failed to separate.
“With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s test will help us improve Starship’s reliability as SpaceX seeks to make life multi-planetary,” SpaceX tweeted.
“Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on an exciting first integrated flight test of Starship!”
SpaceX said the team will be reviewing the data and working towards its next launch attempt.
Apr 20, 9:46 AM EDT
Starship boosters fail to separate from shuttle, rocket blown up
SpaceX was able to get its Starship rocket off the pad, but all didn’t go as planned.
About three minutes into flight, “Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly before stage separation,” SpaceX tweeted.
Therefore, SpaceX was forced to abort the mission and blow up the rocket, but the team says it’s more of a “success” than they hoped for.
Apr 20, 9:39 AM EDT
Starship launches into space
Starship launched at 9:33 a.m. ET, just five minutes after the launch window opened, on its inaugural flight.
The shuttle is currently the largest spacecraft in the world at about 393 feet and is expected to eventually carry passengers to the moon and Mars in a similar vein to NASA’s Artemis mission.
Starship is designed to carry up to 100 people on long-duration, interplanetary flights.
Apr 20, 9:23 AM EDT
What Starship’s journey will look like
For this first flight test, SpaceX said Starship will not attempt a vertical landing of Starship or a catch of the booster.
If successful, Starship and its rocket, which is called Super Heavy, will head up to the skies and 33 Raptor engines will ignite simultaneously. About eight minutes after liftoff, Super Heavy will splash down in the Gulf of Mexico.
Meanwhile, the spacecraft will travel about 150 miles — partially around the Earth — and then splash down in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii about 90 minutes after liftoff.
There will be a 62-minute window opening at 9:28 a.m. ET. A live webcast began 45 minutes before liftoff.
Apr 20, 8:45 AM EDT
Starship rocket is being loaded
SpaceX is fueling its Starship rocket — the world’s larger spacecraft — as it attempts a second launch.
The first launch attempt was scrubbed Monday due to a frozen valve in the pressurization system.
“The Starship team is go for prop load; team is keeping an eye on the weather,” SpaceX said in a tweet.
(NEW YORK) — On a late summer day in 2016, Viktoria Nasyrova traveled from Brooklyn to Queens so she could visit the Forest Hills home of Olga Tsvyk. She brought a special dessert with her.
The two women had a lot in common. They were both Russian speakers, both had dark hair, similar complexions and shared other physical traits.
The two women sat down to eat the cheesecake Nasyrova had brought and, soon after, Tsvyk felt sick and passed out. Her last memory was of seeing Nasyrova walking around her room, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
The following day, Tsvyk was discovered unconscious in her bed with pills scattered around her body as if she had attempted to kill herself, according to Katz. She was taken to a hospital for treatment.
When Tsvyk returned home, she realized that her passport and employment authorization card were missing, along with a gold ring and other valuables.
Prosecutors said Nasyrova poisoned Tsvyk with phenazepam, a highly potent sedative, concealed in the cheesecake. The residue was found on the dessert container.
The Drug Enforcement Administration tested the pills found on the floor near the victim and identified the same drug.
Nasyrova, 47, of Sheepshead Bay, was convicted in February of attempted murder in the second degree, attempted assault in the first degree, assault in the second degree, unlawful imprisonment in the first degree and petit larceny.
On Wednesday, she was sentenced to 21 years in prison.
“A ruthless and calculating con artist is going to prison for a long time for trying to murder her way to personal profit and gain. Thankfully, the victim survived the attack on her life and we were able to deliver justice to her,” Katz said in a statement.
(NEW YORK) — At least three people are dead in Oklahoma after a string of tornadoes broke out Wednesday night, officials said.
There have been eight confirmed tornadoes in the state, according to the National Weather Service.
McClain County Emergency Management confirmed that a “large and extremely dangerous tornado” was over Cole, Oklahoma, Wednesday night. The McClain County Sheriff’s Office confirmed at least two deaths and said there were multiple injuries.
Overall, there were at least 15 reported tornadoes across three states: Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa. In addition, huge hail — some the size of a softball — was reported from Illinois to Texas.
Cole was “hit significantly,” Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper Eric Foster said. There are “power lines down everywhere” and major damage to infrastructure, according to Foster, who said hundreds of first responders are on the scene.
On Wednesday night, the McClain County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook that it was responding to “reported injuries & persons entrapped within their shelters,” and that power lines were down and there were outages. McClain County is just south of Oklahoma City.
Due to storm damage, Oklahoma State Highway 74 to State Highway 76 was closed, according to the McClain County Sheriff’s Office.
Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee reported there was significant damage to its campus, but reported there were no injuries. Students living in three on-campus building were relocated on Wednesday night, according to a tweet.
The university also canceled classes on Thursday and Friday.
The cross country storm is moving east and is producing severe weather outbreak with tornadoes, huge hail and extreme straight line winds. On Thursday, severe weather will stretch east from Texas to Illinois, including major cities such as San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, St. Louis and Little Rock, Arkansas. The biggest threat will be damaging winds and huge hail.
Severe weather will move into the Southeast over the weekend and will stretch from the Carolinas down to Georgia. Cities in the bull’s-eye will be Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; Wilmington, North Carolina; and near Raleigh, North Carolina. Damaging winds will be the biggest threat Saturday.
The same storm will bring a threat of heavy rain and thunderstorms all the way to Washington D.C., Philadelphia and New York City Saturday evening.
Major flooding ongoing in the upper Mississippi river in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin is expected to get worse this weekend. The river is expected to continue to rise though the end of the week and into the weekend, reaching levels not seen in decades.
(BOWDOIN, Maine) — A 34-year-old man allegedly shot and killed his parents and their two friends at a home in Bowdoin, Maine, days after his release from prison, authorities said.
Around 9:21 a.m. Tuesday, four people were found shot dead at the home: 72-year-old Robert Eger, 62-year-old Patricia Eger and 62-year-old Cynthia Eaton were found inside, while 66-year-old David Eaton was found in the barn, Maine State Police said at a news conference Wednesday.
The Eatons’ son, Joseph Eaton, had been released from the Windham Correctional Facility in Maine on April 14 after serving a sentence for aggravated assault, according to police. His mother picked him up from prison and brought him to Bowdoin to stay with the Egers, who were family friends, police said.
Shortly after the four bodies were found, around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Joseph Eaton allegedly shot three people as they drove south on Interstate 295 in Yarmouth, about 25 miles south of Bowdoin, police said.
One of the interstate shooting victims, a 25-year-old woman, is in critical condition, police said. The other two victims, a 51-year-old man and his 29-year-old son, suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
Joseph Eaton was taken into custody and “confessed to killing his parents and their friends in Bowdoin,” state police said. Joseph Eaton allegedly “believed that the vehicles he had shot on the interstate were police vehicles that were following him.”
He has been charged with four counts of murder, police said.
Joseph Eaton made his first appearance in court on Thursday morning. He spoke briefly, only to say he understood the charges against him, and did not enter a plea.
ABC News’ Darren Reynolds and Ben Stein contributed to this report.
(BOCA CHICA, Texas) — SpaceX will attempt a second launch of its Starship rocket after the first launch attempt was scrubbed due to a frozen valve in the pressurization system.
The launch will take place at the company’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas — about 20 miles east of Brownsville — with a 62-minute window opening at 9:28 a.m. ET. A live webcast will begin 45 minutes before liftoff.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Apr 20, 9:46 AM EDT
Starship boosters fail to separate from shuttle, rocket blown up
SpaceX was able to get its Starship rocket off the pad, but all didn’t go as planned.
About three minutes into flight, “Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly before stage separation,” SpaceX tweeted.
Therefore, SpaceX was forced to abort the mission and blow up the rocket, but the team says it’s more of a “success” than they hoped for.
Apr 20, 9:39 AM EDT
Starship launches into space
Starship launched at 9:33 a.m. ET, just five minutes after the launch window opened, on its inaugural flight.
The shuttle is currently the largest spacecraft in the world at about 393 feet and is expected to eventually carry passengers to the moon and Mars in a similar vein to NASA’s Artemis mission.
Starship is designed to carry up to 100 people on long-duration, interplanetary flights.
Apr 20, 9:23 AM EDT
What Starship’s journey will look like
For this first flight test, SpaceX said Starship will not attempt a vertical landing of Starship or a catch of the booster.
If successful, Starship and its rocket, which is called Super Heavy, will head up to the skies and 33 Raptor engines will ignite simultaneously. About eight minutes after liftoff, Super Heavy will splash down in the Gulf of Mexico.
Meanwhile, the spacecraft will travel about 150 miles — partially around the Earth — and then splash down in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii about 90 minutes after liftoff.
There will be a 62-minute window opening at 9:28 a.m. ET. A live webcast began 45 minutes before liftoff.
Apr 20, 8:45 AM EDT
Starship rocket is being loaded
SpaceX is fueling its Starship rocket — the world’s larger spacecraft — as it attempts a second launch.
The first launch attempt was scrubbed Monday due to a frozen valve in the pressurization system.
“The Starship team is go for prop load; team is keeping an eye on the weather,” SpaceX said in a tweet.
(NEW YORK) — A day after Fox News agreed to pay $787.5 million to settle a defamation suit brought by Dominion Voting Systems, a Fox spokesperson said Wednesday that the network will be “ready to defend” itself against a similar suit from a second voting machine company.
The statement came after the company, Smartmatic, issued a statement Tuesday reaffirming its commitment to its own lawsuit in the wake of the historic Dominion settlement, saying that “Dominion’s litigation exposed some of the misconduct and damage caused by Fox’s disinformation campaign. Smartmatic will expose the rest.”
“Smartmatic remains committed to clearing its name, recouping the significant damage done to the company in more than 50 countries, and holding Fox accountable for undermining democracy,” the statement from Smartmatic’s attorney, J. Erik Connolly, said.
Fox responded in a statement Wednesday, saying, “We will be ready to defend this case surrounding extremely newsworthy events when it goes to trial, likely in 2025. As a report prepared by our financial expert shows, Smartmatic’s damages claims are implausible, disconnected from reality, and on its face intended to chill First Amendment freedoms.”
Smartmatic, based in Florida, is suing Fox News, Fox hosts Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro, former Fox host Lou Dobbs, and former President Donald Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani for $2.7 billion. The suit was filed in February 2021.
At least seven defamation lawsuits involving Fox News or Dominion Voting Systems remain related to claims that were broadcast surrounding the 2020 election. Dominion is still pursuing six other defamation lawsuits against a host of other individuals it said also pushed false claims, including right-wing network Newsmax, and former Trump attorneys Giuliani and Sidney Powell, among others.
“We’ve got some other people who have some accountability coming towards them,” Stephen Shakelford, Dominion’s attorney, said following the Fox News settlement Tuesday. “We’re not done yet.”
Dominion had accused the conservative network of knowingly pushing false conspiracy theories that Dominion had rigged the 2020 presidential election in Joe Biden’s favor, in what Dominion claims was an effort to combat concerns over declining ratings and viewer retention.
In response to Dominion’s claims, Fox said it was simply reporting on newsworthy claims made by then-President Trump and his allies — a sentiment they repeated in their statement regarding the Smartmatic suit on Wednesday.
But Judge Eric Davis, who oversaw the Dominion case, essentially blocked that defense, writing in a pre-trial ruling that it “fails to shield” Fox from liability and that the court “will not apply the privilege here.”
“Just because something is newsworthy doesn’t mean you can defame somebody,” Davis said in court during a hearing in the Dominion case.
In a filing in the case earlier this week, Fox News wrote that it “denies the allegation of a disinformation campaign.”
