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(NEW YORK) — A 26-year-old woman arrested this week in the fatal shoving attack of an 87-year-old woman earlier this month on a New York City street has made bail, her attorney said Friday.

Lauren Pazienza, of Port Jefferson, New York, was charged Tuesday with manslaughter in connection to the March 10 incident, police said.

Pazienza turned herself in to the 10th Precinct in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, ABC station WABC reported. She was seen being escorted out of the 10th Precinct with her hair covering her face and did not respond to any questions from reporters about the charge.

Pazienza was arraigned Tuesday in New York Criminal Court on manslaughter and assault charges. A judge set her bail at $500,000 cash or $1 million bond.

Her parents have since posted bail and her attorney, Arthur Aidala, expects her to be released from Rikers Island at some point Friday, he told reporters.

Pazienza’s return court appearance, initially scheduled for Friday, was adjourned until April 25 pending the arraignment on her expected indictment.

“We look forward to getting the evidence and the discovery material from the attorney’s office so my client will now be able to come to our office and discuss the case with her partners and I to determine what the next steps are,” Aidala said.

The attorney called the victim’s death a “tragedy.”

“We’re just going to get to the bottom of what really happened that day after we have all the evidence that’s in possession of the prosecutors because we don’t have any evidence,” Aidala said.

The victim was walking in Chelsea on the night of March 10 when the assailant approached her from behind and pushed her, “causing her to fall and hit her head,” the New York City Police Department said following the incident. She was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. She had suffered a traumatic head injury, her family said.

The victim, who officials identified as Barbara Maier Gustern, died from her injuries on March 15, police said.

The NYPD released surveillance video of the suspect walking along a sidewalk as it called on the public for help in solving what police said appeared to be an unprovoked attack.

“We’re asking the public’s help in solving this disgusting, disgraceful offense committed against a vulnerable, elderly female who was doing nothing but walking down the streets of New York City,” NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said during a briefing last week.

A motive in the attack remains unclear.

Gustern was a well-known and beloved member of the city’s cabaret scene and a vocal coach. Condolences from the theater community have poured in in the wake of her sudden passing.

“We are waiting for the legal process to run its course and look forward to a resolution of the matter,” her grandson, AJ Gustern, said in a statement to ABC News. “While we appreciate the outpouring of affection for my grandmother, the family is still grieving. We ask for respect for our privacy during this difficult time.”

ABC News’ Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK ) — Lev Parnas, a former associate of Rudy Giuliani who was previously convicted on campaign finance charges, pleaded guilty Friday to a wire fraud conspiracy charge that resulted from his work at a startup insurance company he co-founded.

Federal prosecutors accused 50-year-old Parnas of duping investors in Fraud Guarantee, a company he established in Florida with a co-defendant, David Correia, who previously pleaded guilty.

Parnas appeared by video in front of U.S. District Judge Paul Oetken in Manhattan and said “between approximately 2012 and 2019 I agreed with another person to give false information” to potential investors.

“I’m extremely sorry for my actions, your honor,” Parnas said.

Parnas and Correia tried to lure potential investors to Fraud Guarantee by hiring Giuliani as a pitchman, according to federal prosecutors. Giuliani has said he was paid $500,000.

Parnas briefly became a figure in the first congressional impeachment inquiry against former President Donald Trump in connection with his role in assisting Giuliani in his effort in Ukraine to find disparaging information about President Joe Biden and his family, as well to call for the ouster of then-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch.

At least seven victims invested a total of more than $2 million in Fraud Guarantee because Parnas and Correia misled them about the financial arrangements. The majority of investor funds were withdrawn as cash and were spent on personal expenditures such as Parnas’ rent, prosecutors said.

“Various representations he made to investors were material to obtaining funds,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Roos said.

Parnas was previously convicted of six other counts. On the wire fraud conspiracy, he faces at least five years in prison when he’s sentenced June 29.

“Certainly the government will seek restitution and forfeiture,” Roos said.

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(SALT LAKE CITY) — An anti-transgender sports bill that would ban transgender participation in sports was vetoed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox Tuesday. However, if the state legislature chooses to override his veto in a Friday vote from at least two-thirds of members, the bill could still be passed into law.

Cox wrote a letter to state Senate President Sen. J. Stuart Adams and state House Speaker Rep. Brad R. Wilson listing the “fundamental flaws” he considered when vetoing the bill.

He wrote that he chose to veto it “because the bill was substantially changed in the final hours of the legislative session with no public input and in a way that will likely bankrupt the Utah High School Athletic Association and result in millions of dollars in legal fees for local school districts.”

Adams responded by vowing to override the veto.

“Doing nothing is taking a step backward for women. Finding a solution to this complicated issue is necessary to maintain fair competition now and in the future,” Adams said in a March 22 online statement.

HB11 initially allowed trans participation in girls’ sports and proposed that a commission decide if there is a threat to safety or fairness against cisgender girls in competitions.

However, on the last day of the legislative session, a substitute of the bill was introduced to implement an all-out ban on transgender women’s participation in sports, and the commission would only come into play if a court prohibited the ban.

“It is important to note that a complete ban was never discussed, never contemplated, never debated and never received any public input prior to the Legislature passing the bill on the 45th and final night of the session,” Cox wrote.

Cox warned that school districts will also be liable for any lawsuits to come from this ban.

He states that only four trans students are playing sports in the state, with only one athlete in girls’ sports, and they are not unfairly dominating. He said the high rates of mental health challenges transgender youth face due to discrimination also influenced his decision.

“Four kids who are just trying to find some friends and feel like they are a part of something. Four kids trying to get through each day,” Cox said.

He added, “Rarely has so much fear and anger been directed at so few. I don’t understand what they are going through or why they feel the way they do. But I want them to live.”

Cox warned legislators that he also plans on calling a special session to change the section of the bill in order to avoid bankrupting the athletic association and local schools if they override his veto.

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has also vetoed a transgender sports bill this week and is also facing attempts from the legislature to override his decision.

At least 11 other states have implemented bans against transgender athletes.

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(WASHINGTON) — The iconic cherry blossoms that circle the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., reached peak bloom Monday, according to the National Mall.

Peak bloom occurs when 70% of the Yoshino cherry blossoms are open and typically lasts several days, according to the National Park Service.

The cherry trees “signal Washington’s beginning of spring with an explosion of life and color that surrounds the Tidal Basin in a sea of pale pink and white blossoms,” the service said on its website.

Each year, crowds flock to the blossoms, which share a landscape with the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

The flowers really defy description, National Mall spokesperson Mike Litterst told ABC News.

“If you live in Washington, D.C., it’s a beautiful sign that spring is here and that we made it through a long winter,” he said. “Really, over the last 110 years, cherry blossoms (have) become the city’s grandest kind of tradition.”

The final stage in the flowers’ bloom came a day before the beginning of the predicted timeframe, which was between March 22 and 25, according to the Park Service website.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival, which began March 2, goes through April 17.

The festival’s website says it “welcomes more than 1.5 million people to enjoy diverse and creative programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty, and community spirit.”

Its president, Diana Mayhew, said just like the cherry blossoms, the annual festival represents hope, renewal and spring.

“I think people just look forward to this time of year, and of course the beautiful cherry blossom trees,” she said. “They’re just unique. And (they) themselves bring so many people to reflect and enjoy (the) beauty of nature.”

The planting of cherry trees in Washington D.C. began in 1912 as a gift of friendship from the people of Japan to the people of the United States, according to the National Cherry Blossom Festival website.

To help care for the trees, Litterst advises visitors not to climb them, pick their blossoms or break their branches.

“Many of the trees are 60, 70, 80 years old, if not older, and are more fragile than they appear,” he said. “And we ask people to stay on the sidewalks and the walkways as much as they can to keep from walking on and damaging the roots.”

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(OAK LAWN, Ill.) — A woman in her 70s was recovering from injuries Thursday after being forcibly held at gunpoint while suspects ransacked her home.

The home invasion took place Tuesday evening in Oak Lawn, Illinois, when a female suspect pretending to be selling candy approached the residence, police said. The older woman declined to make a purchase and closed the door.

Upon answering a second doorbell, the victim encountered the female suspect, believed to be a teenager, standing next to a man who was armed with a handgun, authorities said. He forced his way into the residence, ultimately knocking the older woman to the ground.

Home Invasion 4600 block of 105th Pl occurred the evening of March 22nd. If you can help identify the individuals pictured please contact the OLPD Detective Division at 708-907-4051 pic.twitter.com/pEkwp6K9Hx

— Oak Lawn Police Dept (@OakLawnPD) March 23, 2022

According to police, two men looted the home while the female suspect held the victim at gunpoint. The trio then fled to a getaway vehicle, a white Kia Optima, which was driven by a fourth suspect.

The woman was home alone during the incident. She sustained minor injuries in the robbery, according to police.

Authorities described one suspect as a short man, believed to be in his 30s, with short black hair and a heavyset build. The other man, believed to be in his 40s, is tall with a heavyset build and a round face. The female is tall and has a thin build. A description of the driver was not provided.

“The main priority of the police department is the safety of the community,” police said in a statement. “We will continue to actively pursue those involved in this case and all other acts of violence and crime. We plan on utilizing every resource at our disposal that will assist in the arrest of those involved.”

No arrests have been made at this time. Anyone who can identify the suspects involved in the incident are urged to contact the detective division at the Oak Lawn Police Department.

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(ITHACA, N.Y.) — After a significant viral outbreak before winter break in December, COVID-19 infection levels at Cornell University had markedly declined, as the omicron surge receded, and students returned to campus for the spring semester.

However, as new case totals begin to tick up in the state of New York, the campus is once again reporting a viral resurgence. This week, Cornell elevated its COVID-19 alert system to “yellow,” indicating that transmission is rising, and prevalence of the virus is above predicted levels.

Between March 17 and March 23, Cornell recorded 515 positive COVID-19 infections among students, staff and faculty, according to data from the university.

“COVID-19 cases on the Ithaca campus are increasing beyond our predictions, indicating a substantial prevalence of the virus on campus,” Provost Michael Kotlikoff said in a statement on Wednesday. “This rising transmission is likely due to a number of factors, including relaxing mask requirements, the emergence of the BA.2 variant, and increased social activities.”

Data shows 97% of the student population is vaccinated, while 92% of those eligible are boosted.

At this time, all unvaccinated or unboosted students, faculty, and staff are required to participate in surveillance testing. Cornell provides symptomatic test kits to community members who are experiencing mild to moderate symptoms suggestive of COVID-19.

“The majority of positive cases being reported on campus are from symptomatic testing, which tells us that there are even more asymptomatic cases within our community,” Kotlikoff wrote.

The increase comes less than two weeks after the school dropped its mask mandate for most locations, though community members are still required to wear masks when in certain settings, such as classrooms and laboratories, at health care and testing facilities, and on public transportation.

Given the resurgence, the university strongly encourages community members to get tested before and after spring break, which is not for another week.

With increasing viral transmission occurring overseas, federal officials have been warning that the U.S. is likely to see an uptick in COVID-19 cases in the weeks to come, as the presence of the omicron subvariant, BA.2, spreads across the country.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Wednesday her agency is “carefully” watching New England and New York City for increases of the BA.2 variant after they found slight increases in the presence of COVID-19 in wastewater surveillance.

“Currently, we’re seeing a modest uptick of sites reporting an increase of virus levels in wastewater in some communities. In fact, over the past two weeks we have seen increasing wastewater signals in New York City and parts of New England, where we are now seeing increases in cases and some increased hospitalizations,” Walensky said during a White House COVID-19 briefing.

Walensky said officials have been focused largely on hospitalization metrics, to guide potential future guidance on masking and restriction measures.

“If cases do go up, we have the framework to implement additional layers of prevention strategies at the local level to swiftly protect individuals and communities,” Walensky said.

Many experts have been warning that the virus may be already spreading rapidly across the country.

Dozens of states have moved to shutter public testing sites, with more at-home COVID-19 tests now available in pharmacies, and through the federal testing program. Most Americans are not reporting their results to officials, and thus, experts said infection totals are likely significantly undercounted.

Nationwide, BA.2, now accounts for more than a third of new COVID-19 cases. Many top health officials, including Walensky and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, have said that they anticipate that over the next few weeks, BA.2 will become the predominant variant in the U.S.

Although breakthrough COVID-19 infections surged during the omicron wave, data from the CDC shows vaccines still dramatically reduced the risk of requiring hospitalization or dying of the virus.

In January, unvaccinated adults were 9 times more likely to die of COVID-19, compared to vaccinated individuals, and six times more likely to require hospitalization.

Additionally, unvaccinated adults were about 21 times more likely to die of COVID-19 in January, and 12 times more likely to require hospitalization, compared to fully vaccinated and boosted adults.

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(WASHINGTON) — Americans who don’t have health insurance will now start to see some of the free COVID-19 testing options disappear, even if they are showing symptoms.

Quest Diagnostics, one of the largest testing companies in the country, told ABC News that patients who are not on Medicare, Medicaid or a private health plan will now be charged $125 dollars ($119 + a $6 physician fee) when using one of its PCR tests either by ordering a kit online or visiting one of the 1,500 Quest or major retail locations that offer the tests, such as Walmart or Giant Eagle.

More than 30 million Americans had no insurance during the first half of 2021, according to CDC estimates.

This week, federal funding to cover the cost of COVID-19 testing and treatment for uninsured Americans officially dried up; any further infusion of cash hinges on Congress passing the White House’s request for billions more in COVID relief, which is still stuck at an impasse.

Quest has begun notifying its clients and partners they can no longer expect to be reimbursed for uninsured claims, barring additional funding from Congress.

For some of the major retail pharmacies, things are still in flux.

Walgreens told ABC News no firm decisions have yet been made. The company said it is waiting on further guidance from the White House and federal agencies and is remaining “hopeful for a path forward that ensures uninterrupted access to COVID-19 services.” CVS told ABC News it is “fully confident” a solution will be found between Congress and the administration.

But unless Congress agrees to more COVID-19 funding, it is likely companies will have to either absorb the cost of uninsured customers — or begin charging them.

Meanwhile, groups such as the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, which represents major retail drug stores and supermarkets such as CVS, Costco Wholesale, Hy-Vee and Albertsons, have been sounding alarm bells on the issue and pushing the Biden administration and Congress to sort things out.

“Any premature lapse in funding that splinters care access threatens to disintegrate the robust, equity-driven COVID-19 pandemic response that has so far saved more than a million lives,” NACDS wrote in recent letters to the White House as well as Senate and House leadership.

With funding for the uninsured expired, the support structure to provide equitable access to COVID-19 testing and treatment is “in imminent jeopardy,” the group wrote, warning the funding cut “could create extreme confusion at the pharmacy counter” and “result in the tragedy of increasing disparities in access to critically needed care and patients forgoing care.”

Fostering equitable access to COVID-19 care for vulnerable groups is contingent on making sure sick people get the treatment they need in time, because antiviral therapies such as monoclonals or Paxlovid must be taken within a short infection timeframe. So, getting treated is contingent upon getting tested in that limited window, to receive what is already a shrinking supply of free treatments. Getting tested in time is also contingent on being able to afford the service, which is not a given, especially for lower income families.

“The loss of access, as a result of expiring COVID-19 care programs, could undermine the nation’s broader, comprehensive response efforts, and NACDS agrees that inaction at this pivotal time could set the nation back, leave the nation less prepared, and may cost the nation more lives,” the letter read.

The American Clinical Laboratory Association — the national trade association representing some of the leading clinical labs responsible for COVID-19 diagnostics (including Quest and LabCorp) — is similarly raising concerns.

“Without question, the exhaustion of these funds will threaten access to testing for the most vulnerable Americans at a critical time in our nation’s response effort,” Tom Sparkman, ACLA’s senior vice president of government affairs and policy, wrote to House and Senate leadership this week.

Sparkman told ABC News in an interview Wednesday the funding cuts for the uninsured is two steps backward in the pandemic progress.

“We are still in a public health emergency. We’re not out of the woods yet — we don’t want to start taking apart pieces of the response. We need to remain strong and vigilant, and the uninsured funding is a critical component of that,” Sparkman said. “It’s extremely concerning.”

“We can’t start rolling up the carpet,” he said. “Not learning the lessons from past surges — of keeping a higher level of surge capacity for testing, keeping those lines warm and available — I think that would be a mistake.”

ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett and Anne Flaherty contributed to this report.

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(OXFORD, Mich.) — The 15-year-old boy charged with multiple counts of murder stemming from a November mass shooting at Michigan’s Oxford High School must remain in an adult jail, a judge ordered Thursday as the teen’s court-appointed guardian said it’s now up to the jail to provide him an education.

During a hearing held on Zoom, Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Kwame Rowe maintained his prior order that Ethan Crumbley is not to be transferred at this juncture to a juvenile facility.

“The court has not been presented with additional information or new information that will cause this court to disrupt its March 1, 2022 opinion and order. Therefore, the court will continue the defendant’s placement at the Oakland County Jail,” Rowe said.

Crumbley’s lawyer, Paulette Michel Loftin, informed Rowe that a psychiatric evaluation of the teenager has been completed and that a written report of the results is expected to be available in 45 days. Crumbley’s lawyers said in January that they plan to mount an insanity defense.

The boy is charged as an adult with 24 counts, including four counts of murder and a terrorism charge. He is being held in isolation at the Oakland County Jail under behavior watch, which is one step below suicide watch, and must be checked on every 15 minutes, officials said.

Officials said at a previous hearing that Crumbley is only released from his cell to shower or speak with visitors and his attorneys. He spends most of his time reading Harry Potter books, officials said.

Deborah H. McKelvy, Crumbley’s court-appointed guardian, raised concerns Thursday over prosecutors continuing to say in court filings that it’s the responsibility of the defendant’s parents to provide him an education.

Crumbley’s parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, are both jailed on charges stemming from the Nov. 30, 2021, mass shooting their son allegedly committed at Oxford High School in the Detroit suburb of Oxford Township. The parents are charged with four counts each of involuntary manslaughter after allegedly neglecting or failing to notice warning signs about their son in the months before the shooting. They also allegedly bought their son a 9-mm Sig Sauer pistol as a present just days before he allegedly used it in the shooting.

Six other students and a teacher were injured in the shooting.

McKelvy, citing a Michigan statute, told Rowe “it’s important to keep in perspective” that it’s now the jail’s responsibility to provide Ethan Crumbley with an education.

“It’s no longer the parents’ responsibility,” McKelvy said.

McKelvy said she received an email on Tuesday from a senior assistant at the Corporation Counsel for Oakland County notifying Crumbley of the educational programs available to him in jail.

“He (Crumbley) is thinking about what path he wants to proceed with,” McKelvy said.

She said one option is through a cyber school and the other is through a program offered by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, in which Crumbley could study for his high school equivalency exam or his GED with a laptop computer provided by the jail.

“Once he has achieved either the high school equivalency diploma or the GED, he then would be able to continue in that program to be able to do some community college courses,” McKelvy said.

Ven Johnson, a Detroit civil attorney who represents the parents of Tate Myre, one of four students Crumbley allegedly shot to death, agreed that under state statute, Oakland County must provide Crumbley an education until he’s 18.

“The parents can’t provide an education, imagine that,” Johnson told ABC News Thursday.

He said Myre’s parents, William and Sheri Myre, had no comment on the decision over Crumbley’s education, adding: “They’re too smart to get involved in that.”

Judge Rowe set Crumbley’s next hearing for April 21, for a required monthly reevaluation of whether he should stay in jail or be transferred to a juvenile facility.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden on Thursday will announce that the U.S. will accept 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, according to a senior administration official.

“To meet this commitment, we are considering the full range of legal pathways to the United States and that includes U.S. refugee admissions program, parole and immigrant and non-immigrant visas,” the official told reporters.

The official also said the commitment to take in 100,000 Ukrainian refugees was not tied to any particular time frame.

The official reiterated that the administration still believed the majority of refugees would prefer to stay in neighboring countries or elsewhere in the European Union.

Eastern European cities and countries have become overwhelmed with refugees. A senior administration official told ABC News last week that the U.S. refugee program “is not an emergency response program, so our goal would be to provide humanitarian assistance to keep people safe where they are for now.”

The process for refugees to stay in the U.S. is complex. Vetting it required as well as a referral from a United Nations agency. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the administration is “looking at steps that we can take in the near term.”

The White House did not announce specifics on how it will process these refugees. Administration officials said specifics will be announced “in the coming weeks.”

The refugee resettlement process can also take years. In February, the U.S. admitted 427 Ukrainian refugees out of 2,133 refugees in total, according to Department of State data.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, more than 3.6 million refugees have fled the country, according to the U.N. Refugee Agency. The majority of the refugees have fled to nearby countries, with more than 2 million people crossing into Poland.

U.S. embassies and consulates in the region are processing emergency visa applications but are overwhelmed.

“We are not able to process the volume of the people who are thinking about that as an option,” a senior administration official said last week.

According to U.S. law, immigrant visas only apply to immediate family — meaning spouses, unmarried children under 21 and parents. Family not in that category can submit a petition to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to approve their case.

Biden on Thursday will announce more than $1 billion in new funding for humanitarian assistance for those affected by Russia’s war.  “This funding will be additional to money that we have already provided and will provide food, shelter, clean water, medical supplies and other forms of assistance,” a senior administration official told reporters.  The U.S. will also provide $11 billion over the next five years to address food security threats and malnutrition across the world. This will be done through the Feed the Future initiative.

ABC News’ Conor Finnegan contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday, in an 8-1 decision, has endorsed a pastor’s audible prayer and laying of hands on an inmate at the moment of his execution, siding with a Texas death-row prisoner who challenged the state’s ban on the practice during lethal injection.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion. Justice Clarence Thomas was the sole dissenter.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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