(NEW YORK) — Katya Echazarreta made history in June when she became the first Mexican-born woman to travel into outer space.
The 27-year-old electrical engineer was aboard the June 4 flight of the Blue Origin as a Space for Humanity Ambassador. For her, this moment marked an emotional high point in her lifelong ambition to go into space.
Echazarreta spoke with GMA3 Monday for its Latina Leaders Week about her journey and message for others who are looking to reach for the stars.
ECHAZARRETA:I was 7 years old when I first told my mom, “What do you think is the hardest thing somebody can do?” And she said, “For you, I think maybe being an astronaut.” And that is the day I decided that I wanted to go to space.
My parents were obsessed with Carl Sagan’s “Cosmos.” I was never met with, “Oh no, you wouldn’t understand this. This is for grown-ups.” If I had any questions about it, then I was welcomed in and I was shown more things.
I was 18 years old when I had to essentially become a parent to my siblings. My parents were going through a divorce. All of us had decided to stick with my mom. We had nothing. We no longer had a house. We no longer had a car. I had my job at McDonald’s and she started being a nanny, cleaning houses, walking dogs, and that is how we were able to make it through.
It was 2019 when I applied for this mission through Space for Humanity, and I was already a NASA engineer. By this time, I came in expecting to do a second interview. They said, “You’re going to be going to space.” One of the most beautiful moments out of this whole experience was getting to tell my mom. She never let me believe that there was anything on Earth that I couldn’t do or even anything in space that I couldn’t do.
It was a very interesting experience. You’re the highest you’ve ever been in your life. And then suddenly it’s all black and you are now in space. And I looked out the window, I just couldn’t believe it. And I felt just a single tear down on my cheek when I was first told that I would be going to space. I also understood that a woman born in Mexico had never gone to space before. Being told that that person would be me, it’s a huge responsibility for women of color who are pursuing big dreams. It’s harder for us, I know that, but it’s also possible for us. I also know that I’ve seen it. I’ve done it. I’ve lived it. Si se puede. [Yes, we can!]
(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Ian, the fifth hurricane of the Atlantic season, is expected to rapidly intensify on Monday.
Ian is currently forecast to make landfall on the west coast of Florida or the Florida Panhandle by midday Thursday, though there is uncertainty about the hurricane’s track and intensity.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a “state of emergency” for the entire state, with storm conditions “projected to constitute a major disaster.”
The National Hurricane Center has advised residents of Cuba, the Florida Keys and the Florida peninsula to have a hurricane plan in place and to closely follow forecast updates.
Sep 26, 8:23 AM EDT
Hurricane watch issued for Tampa, Fort Myers, Naples
Ian is expected to become major Category 3 hurricane Monday night with winds of 115 mph.
As Ian passes Cuba, it’s expected to rapidly intensify, becoming a Category 4 hurricane as it moves through the Gulf. Hurricane warnings are in effect for Cuba and the Cayman Islands.
Models are split when it comes to Ian’s landfall in Florida; impacts could be as far north as Panama City and as far south as Fort Myers.
Some models forecast landfall by Wednesday afternoon between Tampa and Fort Myers, while other models predict landfall at the end of the week near Panama City or Apalachicola.
Hurricane watches have been issued in Tampa, Fort Myers and Naples.
-ABC News’ Max Golembo
Sep 26, 5:20 AM EDT
Storm becomes Hurricane Ian
The National Hurricane Center declared Ian a hurricane on Monday, as the storm gained strength on its way toward Florida.
“A Hurricane Watch has been issued along the west coast of Florida from north of Englewood to the Anclote River, including Tampa Bay,” the center said on Monday.
– ABC News’ Max Golembo
Sep 25, 10:19 PM EDT
NASA to reconvene on whether to take Artemis rocket off launchpad
NASA hasn’t decided whether to leave its Artemis I rocket on the launchpad as it monitors Tropical Storm Ian’s path toward Florida, the agency said Sunday.
The federal space agency’s mission managers will continue discussions on Monday about the next steps as its rocket was delayed again.
On Saturday, NASA scrapped its third planned launch attempt of Artemis I because of weather concerns. Artemis I was scheduled to launch on Sept. 27.
Engineers will decide if the rocket needs to roll back off the launch pad. If they do not roll it back, the next possible launch date is Sunday, Oct. 2.
Tropical Storm Ian is forecast to strengthen into a major hurricane as it nears Florida.
NASA had to scrub the first launch attempt on Aug. 29 because of a faulty temperature sensor and the second attempt on Sept. 3 due to a liquid hydrogen leak.
If the Oct. 2 launch doesn’t happen, the rocket will be taken back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center until the team decides on the next date.
-ABC News’ Gina Sunseri, Mary Kekatos and Nadine El-Bawab
Sep 25, 10:27 PM EDT
Ian strengthens once again, forecast to become hurricane on Monday
Tropical Storm Ian has strengthened with maximum sustained winds at 60 mph and is expected to get stronger throughout the night as atmospheric conditions become more favorable for the storm.
Ian is forecast to become a hurricane on Monday, becoming even more intense likely into Tuesday.
Ian is moving to the northwest to the Northwest at 12 mph, with the center located 160 miles away from Grand Cayman.
Jamaica and the Cayman Islands are expected to experience heavy rain, a heavy surge and possible flash flooding over the next 24 hours.
-ABC News’ Dan Peck
Sep 25, 5:45 PM EDT
Ian weakens slightly but will regain strength overnight
Tropical Storm Ian has weakened slightly, but it is expected to not only strengthen but rapidly intensify overnight as it travels over warm waters in the Caribbean.
As of 5 p.m. ET, the storm system had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and was moving west-northwest at 12 mph, with the center located about 220 miles away from Grand Cayman.
Dry air ahead of the storm has delayed the strengthening trend so far. But the rapid intensification is expected to occur Monday into Tuesday as the system continues across the northwestern Caribbean and closes in on western Cuba.
Over the next 24 hours, the outer bands will impact Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, bringing rounds of heavy rain, possible flash flooding and storm surge. Later Monday and into Monday night, Ian will be closing in on western Cuba and will likely bring significant wind and storm surge impacts to the region.
A hurricane warning is in effect for Grand Cayman and portions of western Cuba. A tropical storm watch has been issued for portions of western Cuba, as well as the lower Florida Keys, including Key West.
As of 5 p.m., the forecast track was nudged slightly eastward. Overall, the forecast guidance variability and uncertainty will remain high, and the track for where the storm will be from the middle to the end of the week will continue to shift over the next 24 to 48 hours.
(PITTSBURGH) — A gunman was on the run Sunday after shooting three people, including two teenagers, and sparking panic at a crowded amusement park near Pittsburgh, police said.
Gunfire erupted around 10:46 p.m. Saturday at the Kennywood amusement park in the Pittsburgh suburb of West Mifflin, police said.
Witnesses said the shooting occurred in front of the park’s popular Musik Express ride and sent park-goers diving for cover and running to the exits. Police said several people were injured when they were apparently trampled while attempting to get out of harm’s way.
Allegheny County Police Superintendent Christopher Kearns said an altercation occurred and the alleged assailant pulled a handgun and started firing.
At the time of the shooting, West Mifflin and Allegheny County police officers were at the park and quickly responded along with park security to the gunfire, according to a statement released by park officials.
Kearns said officers found two people wounded at the scene. He said a 15-year-old boy and a 39-year-old man were both shot in the leg. The teenager was taken to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh in stable condition, while the adult victim was treated and released from Mercy Hospital, Kearns said.
A third victim, also a 15-year-old boy, left the park on his own but later showed up at a hospital to be treated for a graze wound to his leg, Kearns said.
Witnesses told investigators the suspected gunman appeared to be a teenager wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and a COVID-style mask.
A handgun was recovered at the scene, according to police.
Police are investigating how the weapon got into the park. All Kennywood employees and guests must pass through metal detectors at the entrance gate and all backpacks and coolers are subject to inspection, according to the park’s website.
The shooting occurred on the first day of the park’s 20th annual Phantom Fall Fest, a family-friendly Halloween season event, according to the park’s website.
The gunfire broke out about 14 minutes before the park was set to close for the night.
“Most everyone ran. There was, at one point, a hundred people just ran out of the park,” a witness told ABC affiliate station WTAE in Pittsburgh.
Kennywood officials said the amusement park was immediately shut down after the shooting and all visitors were evacuated. The park plans to reopen on Sept. 30, according to the park’s website.
“The safety of our guests and team members are our top priority,” the park’s statement reads.
(NEW YORK) — The ‘Harriet Tubman: Her Life in Freedom Mural’ was unveiled in a ribbon cutting ceremony Saturday in downtown Auburn, New York, the city where the abolitionist, activist, and freedom pioneer spent over 50 years of her life.
Measuring an impressive 26 by 61 feet, the mural, commissioned by a group called the Harriet Tubman Boosters, showcases Tubman’s life as a self-emancipated woman.
Debra Rose Brillati, a member of the organization first formed in 1953 to keep Tubman’s legacy alive, told ABC News that the piece has been an ongoing project since 2019. After years of fundraising efforts, the Harriet Tubman Boosters reached their $40,000 fundraising goal on August 19.
While the mural was an idea that had been discussed by the group previously, it was Michael Rosato’s ‘Harriet Tubman Mural’ in Cambridge, Maryland, near Tubman’s enslaved birthplace of Dorchester County that prompted the group to move forward.
“When we saw that we said, ‘You know what, we need a mural in Auburn’,” Brillati said. After a meeting with Rosato, the Harriet Tubman Boosters mural committee ultimately decided to find a local artist to take on the project.
“And so when we saw Arthur Hutchinson’s work, we were like, boy, this, this fits the bill,” Brillati added.
Arthur “The Artist” Hutchinson, the creative behind the mural, told ABC News that he wanted the piece to be a vibrant tapestry that makes an impact on all who see it.
“The tricky thing about this mural is it’s not just a picture of her, it’s really there to tell her story,” Hutchinson, who grew up in Auburn, said. “I hope they react at first and just see this bright, beautiful picture and are attracted to it. And then once they start to actually look at it, I hope they’re able to learn that Harriet Tubman did more than the Underground Railroad.”
The design features scenes of Tubman at various stages of her life including her as a leader of the 1863 Combahee River Raid, a nurse during the Civil War, an active participant in the women’s suffrage movement, and an older woman in the apple orchard she cultivated at her home.
Not far from the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park, the mural is the Harriet Tubman Boosters’ latest and largest project in furthering their mission of honoring Tubman’s life, Brillati said.
“She worked her whole life. You know, she never gave up on her quest for freedom and justice and rights for people,” she said. “And that’s…a story that we have to tell here that I think is important for people to hear.”
(NEW YORK) — A storm that has the potential to make landfall in Florida next week as a Category 3 hurricane strengthened overnight into a tropical storm.
Tropical Storm Ian formed over the central Caribbean Sea late Friday, becoming the ninth tropical storm of the season.
The storm is expected to continue to strengthen over the weekend into a hurricane by Sunday night as it approaches the Cayman Islands. A tropical storm watch currently is in effect for Jamaica, and a hurricane watch is in effect for the Cayman Islands.
Ian is forecast to strengthen into a Category 2 hurricane as it closely passes the Cayman Islands, then become a major Category 3 hurricane by Tuesday morning as it moves past Cuba. Very warm ocean waters and low wind shear are providing favorable conditions for rapid intensification of the storm.
The current forecast track shows landfall on the west coast of Florida by early Thursday, though the track and intensity of the storm can still change over the coming days.
“With majority of west coast in the cone, uncertainty of landfall remains high,” the National Weather Service said.
The National Hurricane Center has advised residents of Cuba, the Florida Keys and the Florida peninsula to have a hurricane plan in place and closely follow forecast updates.
In preparation for the storm, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order Friday declaring a “state of emergency” for 24 Florida counties in the system’s potential path. He expanded the order on Saturday to include the entire state of Florida, with conditions “projected to constitute a major disaster.”
“This storm has the potential to strengthen into a major hurricane and we encourage all Floridians to make their preparations,” DeSantis said in a statement. “We are coordinating with all state and local government partners to track potential impacts of this storm.”
The emergency order means members of the Florida National Guard will be activated and on standby.
White House officials confirmed late Friday that FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell had spoken to DeSantis about the pending storm.
ABC News’ Riley Winch, Melissa Griffin and Dan Amarante contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — NASA said Friday it is planning its third launch attempt of Artemis I on Sept. 27 after scrubbing the initial endeavor earlier this month.
During a press conference, officials said the launch window will open at 11:37 a.m. ET, but Tropical Depression Nine could delay plans.
Currently, there is only a 20% chance of favorable weather on Tuesday as Tropical Depression Nine heads towards Florida and may make landfall as a major hurricane next week.
However, Tom Whitmeyer, NASA’s deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development, said the team is not assuming the launch will be canceled just yet.
“It’s still a tropical depression number nine, it’s not a named storm,” Whitmeyer told reporters. “We really want to continue to try to get as much information as we can so we can make the best possible decision for the hardware.”
The team said it will continue to monitor the weather and will decide on Saturday whether to continue with the Tuesday launch.
NASA had to scrub the first launch attempt on Aug. 29 because of a faulty temperature sensor and the second attempt on Sept. 3 due to a liquid hydrogen leak.
Since then, engineers and mission managers have been running tests to make sure the rocket is ready during its next attempt.
In a press release, NASA said the Artemis team encountered a hydrogen leak during a test run on Wednesday, but the issue was addressed and resolved.
The process of tanking, which includes filling the rocket’s core stage with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, was also successful.
“We had a very successful tanking test all of the tanks,” John Blevins, NASA’s Space Launch System chief engineer, said during the press conference. “We were able to do some things that we won’t have to do again, some things that we intended to do even on launch day that were left over from previous dress rehearsals. So, it was a very successful.”
If the launch is scrubbed on Sept. 27, the next launch attempt will occur on Sunday, Oct. 2.
If that Oct. 2 is also a no-go, the rocket will be taken back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center until the team decides on the next date.
Over the course of the Artemis missions, NASA plans to eventually send the first female astronaut and the first astronaut of color to the moon.
The federal space agency also plans to establish a moon base as a steppingstone to send astronauts to Mars by 2024 or 2025.
(CAPE CANAVERAL, FL) — NASA said Friday it is planning its third launch attempt of Artemis I on Sept. 27 after scrubbing the initial endeavor earlier this month.
During a press conference, officials said the launch window will open at 11:37 a.m. ET, but Tropical Depression Nine could delay plans.
Currently, there is only a 20% chance of favorable weather on Tuesday as Tropical Depression Nine heads towards Florida and may make landfall as a major hurricane next week.
However, Tom Whitmeyer, NASA’s deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development, said the team is not assuming the launch will be canceled just yet.
“It’s still a tropical depression number nine, it’s not a named storm,” Whitmeyer told reporters. “We really want to continue to try to get as much information as we can so we can make the best possible decision for the hardware.”
The team said it will continue to monitor the weather and will decide on Saturday whether to continue with the Tuesday launch.
NASA had to scrub the first launch attempt on Aug. 29 because of a faulty temperature sensor and the second attempt on Sept. 3 due to a liquid hydrogen leak.
Since then, engineers and mission managers have been running tests to make sure the rocket is ready during its next attempt.
In a press release, NASA said the Artemis team encountered a hydrogen leak during a test run on Wednesday, but the issue was addressed and resolved.
The process of tanking, which includes filling the rocket’s core stage with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, was also successful.
“We had a very successful tanking test all of the tanks,” John Blevins, NASA’s Space Launch System chief engineer, said during the press conference. “We were able to do some things that we won’t have to do again, some things that we intended to do even on launch day that were left over from previous dress rehearsals. So, it was a very successful.”
If the launch is scrubbed on Sept. 27, the next launch attempt will occur on Sunday, Oct. 2.
If that Oct. 2 is also a no-go, the rocket will be taken back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center until the team decides on the next date.
Over the course of the Artemis missions, NASA plans to eventually send the first female astronaut and the first astronaut of color to the moon.
The federal space agency also plans to establish a moon base as a steppingstone to send astronauts to Mars by 2024 or 2025.
(NEW YORK) — The Adams County Coroner’s Office in Colorado is set to release Elijah McClain’s amended autopsy report after several news organizations sued for its release on Friday.
The report was amended based on confidential grand jury information, according to the chief coroner for Adams County.
The release comes before the arraignment of five former Aurora police officers and paramedics in McClain’s 2019 death.
McClain, a Black 23-year-old massage therapist, died following an encounter with police in August 2019 while he was walking home from a convenience store.
A passerby had called 911 to report McClain was acting “sketchy” since he was wearing a ski mask on a warm night. The lawyer for the McClain family attributed this to the fact that McClain was anemic, which made him feel cold more easily.
Aurora police officers responded to the scene and confronted McClain. An officer can be heard saying in body camera footage that they put him into a carotid chokehold, which restricts the carotid artery and cuts off blood to the brain, according to the Department of Justice. McClain can be heard saying, “I can’t breathe,” in police body camera footage.
Paramedics arrived, giving McClain an “excessive” dose of ketamine, according to McCain’s lawyer, and McClain suffered from cardiac arrest shortly after in an ambulance, according to officials. McClain was pronounced dead three days later.
Former Aurora Police Officers Jason Rosenblatt, Nathan Woodyard and Randy Roedema as well as paramedics Peter Cichuniec and Jeremy Cooper were charged with 32 criminal counts, including manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and assault charges.
Their arraignment is set for November.
CPR News filed a lawsuit against the Adams County Coroner’s Office on Sept. 1, arguing for the autopsy report to be released. Several other local news organizations joined the effort after open records requests to obtain the report were denied.
(NEW YORK) — After a slow start to hurricane season, a Category 2 hurricane may make landfall in Florida next week.
The storm, currently known as Tropical Depression 9, is set to move into the warm waters of the Western Caribbean this weekend and is expected to strengthen to a hurricane by Monday morning.
Models forecast it to hit Florida’s west coast during the middle of next week. But details on strength, track and timing could still change.
This would become the fifth hurricane of the season and would be named either Hermine or Ian.
September is the peak month for hurricanes. The season lasts until Nov. 30.
(NEW YORK) — New Jersey public school students will be the first in the country required to learn about climate change while in the classroom starting this school year.
“Climate change is becoming a real reality,” New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy, who spearheaded the initiative, told “ABC News Live” on Thursday.
The new standards were adopted by the state’s board of education in 2020, but because of the pandemic, the roll out was halted, giving educators and districts more time to prepare the lesson plans for all students in grades K-12.
“The districts themselves are able to design whatever it is that the way they want to implement and interpret this new education standard,” said Murphy.
Lessons will focus on how climate change has accelerated in recent decades and how it’s impacted public health, human society, and contributed to natural disasters.
“You can look around the world, whether it’s Pakistan that has a third of the country under water right now, or wildfires raging across the United States, and droughts in Asia,” said Murphy. “Here in our own backyard in New Jersey, we have our own challenges. Whether it’s sea level rise or microburst or algae blooms.”
The program will also introduce students to careers in climate change, as federal and local officials work to combat natural disasters and create a greener economy by adding new jobs and increased funding.
“I want to make sure that the next generation of students and those who come after have the skill set necessary to be able to win and succeed at the incredible jobs that are going to be available as we all shift towards a greener economy,” said Murphy.
Last month, President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act was passed, which aims to tackle climate change and analysts believe that it can create as many as 1.5 to 9 million new jobs in construction, manufacturing and service over the next 10 years.
In his first address to the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, the president said we’re “already living in a climate crisis.”
“No one seems to doubt it after this past year,” Biden said. “Choosing which child to feed and wondering whether they will survive. This is the human cost of climate change. And it is growing.”
Over the past few years, many state and local officials have taken action to involve their communities in the fight against climate change. Gov. Phil Murphy allocated $5 million in the fiscal 2023 state budget for climate education in March.
“A top priority of my administration has been to reestablish New Jersey’s role as a leader in the fight against climate change,” the governor said in a statement.
To help educators adapt to this new curriculum, the state launched the New Jersey Climate Change Education Hub, which gives teachers access to lesson plans, educational videos, and professional development.
The first lady said that while creating this program, she traveled to at least 10-15 schools and found that climate change was already being taught to some degree in most classroom settings. She added that having it as a requirement is necessary to ensure all students have the same learning opportunities, as they do with other required subjects.
Murphy added that within just the first month of the school year, teachers have expressed their excitement towards the curriculum, and that the state “has gotten great initial feedback.”
