(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.7 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 902,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 64.1% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 07, 5:48 am
Ottawa declares state of emergency over trucker-led protests
Canada’s capital declared a state of emergency on Sunday because of trucker-led protests against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other pandemic-related restrictions.
The move by Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson “reflects the serious danger and threat to the safety and security of residents posed by the ongoing demonstrations and highlights the need for support from other jurisdictions and levels of government,” according to a statement from the city.
“It also provides greater flexibility within the municipal administration to enable the City of Ottawa to manage business continuity for essential services for its residents and enables a more flexible procurement process, which could help purchase equipment required by frontline workers and first responders,” the city said.
Seven people were arrested in Ottawa on Sunday due to enforcement measures around the demonstration, according to a press release from the Ottawa Police Service.
“There are over 60 criminal investigations so far related to the demonstration,” police said. “They are primarily for mischief, thefts, hate crimes and property damage.”
Sunday marked the 10th straight day of the so-called “freedom convoy” protests, which began with truckers critical of a new rule that they must be vaccinated against COVID-19 to cross the United States-Canada border. The demonstrations have since grown into broader challenges to pandemic-related public health measures and opposition to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Thousands of protesters have occupied the streets of Ottawa and other cities across Canada in support of the movement, paralyzing the capital’s city center with traffic jams, nonstop noise and complaints of harassment. Protesters have said they won’t leave until all COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions are lifted nationwide. They are also calling for the removal of Trudeau’s government, even though most of the public health measures were put in place by provincial governments.
(SAN DEIGO) — A Navy SEAL candidate has died and a second is in the hospital after falling ill on Friday just hours after both had successfully completed the grueling culmination of initial SEAL training known as “Hell Week.”
Both sailors were quickly taken to local hospitals hours after they began showing symptoms of illness.
On Sunday, the Navy identified Seaman Kyle Mullen, 24, of Manalapan, New Jersey, as the SEAL candidate who died. He was assigned to the Naval Special Warfare Basic Training Command in San Diego, California.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to Seaman Mullen’s family for their loss,” Rear Adm. H.W. Howard III, commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command, said in a statement.
Mullen was pronounced dead at 5:42 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on Friday at Sharp Coronado Hospital in San Diego, officials said. His cause of his death remains under investigation.
The name of the hospitalized SEAL candidate was not released, but they are in stable condition at Naval Medical Center in San Diego, officials said.
“Two SEAL candidates, assigned to Naval Special Warfare Basic Training Command, were taken to the hospital on Feb. 4 several hours after their Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL (BUD/S) class successfully completed Hell Week, part of the first phase of the Navy SEAL assessment and selection pathway,” said a statement from the Navy’s Special Warfare Command.
Hell Week is the famous end to the first phase of BUD/S training where sailors who want to be SEALs are pushed to the limit of physical and mental exhaustion through a series of intense training. More than half of the SEAL candidates who go through Hell Week do not complete the grueling week of training that allows them to continue on through the six months of SEAL training.
“Both Sailors were not actively training when they reported symptoms and were transported to receive emergency care,” the statement from the Navy added.
The last Navy SEAL candidate to die during BUD/S training was 21-year-old Seaman James Lovelace who drowned in a pool during his first week of training in May 2016. After his drowning, the Navy instituted additional safety protocols to the swimming program.
“SEAL training takes you beyond your personal limits,” said Eric Oehlerich, a retired SEAL and ABC News contributor. “It’s designed to push you beyond your perception of what’s possible, breaking glass ceilings of what you’re capable of both mentally and physically.”
Oehlerich said he believes the difficult training for prospective SEALs is carried out within proven medical boundaries and run by highly trained professional instructors, but he acknowledged that there are risks involved in all types of military training.
“From time to time training fatalities do occur. Although tragic, adhering to the training curriculum keeps SEALs alive in combat,” he said. “It’s necessary, it can’t be diluted.”
“Condolences to the family of the trainee,” Oehlerich said. “They’ll always be a part of the community and we will always be there as able.”
(NEW YORK) – Last month, a federal judge approved the largest debt restructuring plan ever reported in the United States, paving the way to end Puerto Rico’s long and painful bankruptcy process.
The plan — capping a years-long debate between creditors and local and federal officials — reduces the largest part of the island’s largest outstanding debt portion from $33 billion to about $7 billion. Debt originally amounted to $70 billion plus $50 billion in pension obligations.
Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority separately owes more than $9 billion. The financial oversight board responsible for extricating the island from bankruptcy expects to have a plan for that debt later this year.
Last week, the longtime executive director of the board, Natalie Jaresko, who helped negotiate the plan, announced her resignation effective in April. She and the board have faced criticism for the length of time it took to negotiate the plan as well as austerity measures imposed in the meantime, but they lauded the deal as a historic step for Puerto Rico’s future.
Although the plan is a step forward in moving Puerto Rico out of crushing debt, experts remain concerned about the island’s economic future.
According to the Center for the New Economy’s policy director Sergio Marxuach, the plan is “based on long term projections for the economy, which are very uncertain.”
Economists are expecting an influx of money to reach Puerto Rico in the next five years linked to the recovery efforts from both hurricanes and the earthquakes. But the rest of the economy remains uncertain.
“I want to believe that elected officials in Puerto Rico and in the U.S. are concerned that Puerto Rico needs to grow after the reconstruction ends,” economist and professor at the University of Puerto Rico, José Caraballo-Cueto told ABC News.
“The economy is not going to grow by itself, and it’s not going to grow jobs based on more fiscal stimulus either by receiving new federal funds or rather by issuing new debt,” Caraballo-Cueto added.
How Puerto Rico’s economy faltered?
Decades of mismanagement and excessive debt led Puerto Rico to file for bankruptcy in 2016 under the Puerto Rico Oversight Management Economic Stability Act (PROMESA). The law, signed by former President Barack Obama, gave the island an alternative because, as a territory, it could not file under Chapter 9, the traditional avenue for financially distressed municipalities.
The year before, the island failed to comply with payments on $70 billion in public debt and more than $50 billion in pension obligations. The pension portion of the debt will not be restructured which means every pensioner is supposed to received what they were promised.
“Puerto Rico’s debt is unpayable,” said former Gov. Alejandro García-Padilla in 2015. Under his administration and President Obama’s last term, PROMESA was imposed, including its Financial Oversight and Management Board.
The board, made up of seven members, is in charge of handling the island’s finances and has received criticism from residents, local and federal officials amid the delay in reaching a consensus that would lead Puerto Rico out of the bankruptcy.
In a statement announcing her departure, effective in April, Jaresko touted her achievements during her tenure.
“I am leaving the Oversight Board at a time of recovery and stability. I am proud of what we have achieved, and I am confident that the road that led us to this milestone will take Puerto Rico further to growth and prosperity,” Jaresko said in a statement.
The board’s chair, David Skeel, lauded her work.
“I am saddened by her personal decision to step back but I also understand her desire for a change after five years of rewarding but relentless and difficult work to help Puerto Rico recover from its fiscal and economic crisis,” Skeel said.
Jaresko acknowledged, however, “these have been complex years, and the painful natural disasters, political turmoil, and the pandemic added to the hurdles we needed to overcome,”
Months after the board started working on the island, Puerto Rico was slammed by Hurricane Irma and María causing over $90 billion in losses, according to the local government.
Three years later the island got hit again with thousands of earthquakes and the ongoing pandemic — debilitating Puerto Rico’s economy even more.
What’s next for the island?
Puerto Rico will have to start paying the debt with the hope that the island’s economy will grow independently from the federal aid that is expected to arrive.
“It’s a leap of faith,” Marxuach, from the Center for the New Economy, told ABC News.
“It’s a big concern for us, that once this money dries up, we really don’t have a, you know, strategic vision, as you know, for growing the economy. And we may go back into a recession,” Marxuach added.
Although many experts are aware the agreement is not perfect and risky, they considered it a step forward in getting Puerto Rico out of the financial crisis.
Under the approved plan, pension obligations were protected, securing many retirees that were fearful of their economic stability.
“I think the positive side of this restructuring was that pensions were protected… and I think that’s a big win for the civil society of Puerto Rico,” Caraballo-Cueto told ABC News.
Although he is in favor of fully protecting pensions, Marxuach is concerned what protecting pensions means for the ability to invest in younger generations.
“Protecting the pensions was a good thing but I think about the amount we’re going to be paying on pensions every year going forward, which is about $2 billion and think then think about the amount we’re going to be putting from the general fund into the University of Puerto Rico, which is only $500 million,” Marxuach says.
As Puerto Rico heads into a new phase of the bankruptcy process, experts are warning that this is just the beginning.
“We’re turning the corner and things are starting to look better, but we still have a lot of work to do,” Marxuach said.
(AUSTIN, Texas) — Members of the Texas National Guard deployed to the southern border under Gov. Greg Abbott’s controversial immigration initiative, Operation Lone Star, are raising several concerns about their mission, including reports that some guardsmen have died in suspected suicides.
The Texas National Guard and the Department of Public Safety have been collaborating under Operation Lone Star to stem what they describe as the flow of undocumented immigrants coming across the southern border and to combat drug trafficking.
ABC News has spoken to three soldiers in the Guard who asked that their names not be used so they can talk freely about the issues they say are affecting morale among some of their fellow service members deployed to the border.
They say those problems have ranged from pay delays to poor housing arrangements and inadequate training to assist Border Patrol in apprehending immigrants. Some of the guardsmen who spoke to ABC News say word of the suspected suicides of four members of the National Guard since October has also prompted them to come forward. The concerns raised by these members of the Guard add to the mounting pressure the program has already faced from Democratic lawmakers and advocates who say the mission violates the rights of immigrants who should be given the opportunity to seek asylum in the United States without fear of being detained for weeks at a time.
In recent months, dozens of state lawmakers and members of Congress have called on the Department of Justice to investigate Operation Lone Star, citing concerns over civil rights violations and the reported suicides. In December 2021, the ACLU of Texas and other civil rights groups asked the DOJ to investigate the mission, which authorizes members of the National and state law enforcement agencies to detain or arrest migrants suspected of trespassing on private or state property. They cited alleged incidents of racial profiling and cases where migrants were lured onto private land so they could be arrested.
“What we found is that officials are targeting Black and brown migrants in arrests and are frequently luring them in situations in which they are unknowingly on private property without permission,” ACLU of Texas lawyer Kate Huddleston told ABC News in a previous interview. “In 70% of cases charges are being dropped but that’s only after people are spending weeks in jail.”
Abbott’s office pushed back against the criticism in a statement to ABC News.
“It comes as no surprise that Democrats who support President Biden’s reckless and dangerous open border policies disagree with Governor Abbott’s resolve to do the President’s job and actually try to secure the border,” said Nan Tolson, a spokesperson for Abbott. “Those legislators should listen to the complaints the Governor has heard during dozens of visits to border communities–complaints by constituents who are suffering the consequences of almost 2 million immigrants crossing the border illegally in the past 12 months.”
A mission that quickly expanded
Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in March 2021, dispatching Texas National Guard, Department of Public Safety officers and other state resources to control the rising number of immigrant crossings at the border.
In less than a year, the originally voluntary operation of about 500 National Guardsmen has escalated to a mandatory activation of over 10,000 troops.
Former enlisted senior adviser to the Texas National Guard, Sgt. Maj. Jason Featherston, said he believes four reported recent incidents of the unit’s soldiers dying by suicide, including one who served under his leadership a few years back, are directly tied to the rapid escalation and poor execution of the program.
“This should have been planned, this was just a knee-jerk reaction to get people out there and no one took into account the individual soldier and what their needs are,” Featherston said. “That’s a mistake because if you’re not taking care of the soldier he is going to be distracted and they’re not going to focus on the mission and that is what is happening now.”
Since he retired in November, Featherston has been advocating for guardsmen on the front lines of the mission. Soldiers he has spoken to have complained about a lack of cold weather gear and Individual First Aid Kits (IFAKS). Others have said that pay delays are putting a strain on their spouses who struggle to pay bills when they’re away on duty. Featherston says that military leaders have prioritized quick mobilization over the needs of each guardsman.
The Army Times was first to report on four suspected suicides of guardsmen who were serving or set to be deployed under Operation Lone Star.
ABC News has not been able to reach the families of the soldiers who died or confirm that all were connected to Operation Lone Star, but military documents describe the death of one soldier who was currently deployed under the operation as a “confirmed suicide.” Another soldier was found inside a vehicle with “an apparent gunshot wound to the head with his right hand still holding the firearm,” according to the documents.
Suicides draw concern
The military documents reviewed by ABC News show that one guardsman, Pfc. Joshua Cortez, submitted a hardship request to be relieved from duty. Cortez noted he had missed his first opportunity to get hired for a job when he was deployed on a previous mission, but was on his way to getting hired for this “lifetime job” at an insurance company.
He included additional documentation that indicated the company was moving forward with the hiring process and wanted to set up an interview.
His request was denied by two of three commanders who reviewed it, with one of them writing “Soldier can deploy. If offered a job then soldier can be given time for training.” The comment was dated on Nov. 4. Less than two days later, an incident report reviewed by ABC News showed Cortez shot himself in a parking lot.
The Texas Military Department, which has been collaborating with the Texas Department of Public Safety to deploy personnel and resources to the border has, cautioned against connecting the deaths to Operation Lone Star.
“There has been misleading and false information publicized without proper context or relevant information, irrespective of family sensitivity and desires,” Texas Military Department public affairs staff told ABC News in an email. “Two of the four service members publicized by media outlets were mobilized in support of Operation Lone Star. However, there is no evidence to support that their decisions were made as a result of Operation Lone Star… It would be irresponsible journalism at this point in time to tie these tragedies to Operation Lone Star, and to not respect the wishes of grieving family members.”
In late January, 50 Texas House Democrats signed a letter calling on the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to investigate and end Operation Lone Star. The letter said members of the Texas legislature had received an email from a soldier with concerns about the mission.
“Furthermore, on Dec. 24, 2021, Members of the Texas Legislature and of Congress received an anonymous email from a Soldier in the Texas Army expressing grave concerns with Operation Lone Star, including four reported deaths by suicide of Texas Guardsmen over the course of the operation,” lawmakers wrote.
“We should ignore the governor’s attempts to deflect responsibility for the deaths of Guardsmen whom he is using as political pawns and get to the bottom of the causes for these tragedies,” lawmakers wrote.
The DOJ declined to comment when asked by ABC News if they’ve responded to the calls for an investigation.
News of the suicides has shocked the military community. Some soldiers currently deployed under Operation Lone Star said the deaths should call attention to the stresses the mission is causing. One soldier told ABC News he knew one of the deceased members and acknowledged that while several factors often contribute to a suicide, being deployed at a moment’s notice is a major stressor.
“I do think that a lot of the stress is that they yanked people out from their lives,” he said.
Housing and pay concerns
One of the soldiers interviewed by ABC News said he was given less than a week to prepare for his deployment last fall, which he was told would last around 120 days. Once he arrived at his station, he was told his deployment would be extended to at least a year of mandatory service. Soldiers have been living for months in RVs that have been retrofitted to house several soldiers, raising concerns over COVID-19 exposure.
“This type of mission being in our backyards — you would think that you didn’t have to pack us like sardines, six to a trailer,” the soldier said.
Another soldier told ABC News, that although they’re used to living in different conditions when deployed, military leaders did not tell soldiers what to pack for. While some soldiers have been living in old hotels or rental homes, others have been sleeping in the RVs.
“They look like massive six-wheel trailers with slide outs that have two bathrooms and either between 12 and 20 beds,” he said. “So there was a lot of uncertainty — soldiers didn’t know where they were going to be living.”
In a statement titled “Setting the Record Straight on Operation Lone Star,” the Texas Military Department pushed back on what they called “inaccurate reports and social media posts” about issues related to living conditions and lack equipment.
“Our personnel are trained to operate and adapt in austere environments at home and abroad,” Col. Rita Holton, Texas Military Department’s public affairs officer said. “Commanders in the field have identified areas of improvement in regards to equipment and living conditions and are actively working with vendors and supply chains to execute those solutions.”
When soldiers leave their civilian lives behind, they also leave their jobs and rely on their National Guard salary. Yet some members of the National Guard ordered to the border have reported not receiving their paychecks on time or getting paid the wrong amounts during their deployment for this mission.
Another soldier ABC interviewed, said he has tried to help resolve some of the payroll issues lower-ranking soldiers have raised to him, but added that checks are still being sent to soldiers with the wrong amounts.
“I have multiple reports from my guys having pay issues and not being paid on time. Some of them are getting direct deposits and some of them are getting checks that are incorrect,” he said. “I have a single soldier who is making more than soldiers with dependents. Yeah, it’s just a pay fiasco.”
According to the statement released by the Texas Military Department, a new pay system for state active-duty missions was installed after the agency found issues with the former pay system following Hurricane Harvey. The agency said it was identifying and addressing gaps within the new system.
Every soldier ABC News spoke to said they did not feel they were being properly trained to help detain or arrest migrants.
“What are we out here for?” asked the guardsman who was dispatched to the border with less than a week to prepare. “There’s a whole bunch of better resources you could have used the money for instead of just throwing us out on these ranch roads just sitting there.”
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK] for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also reach the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or the Crisis Text Line by texting “START” to 741741.
(NEW YORK) — The monster winter storm that dumped more than 1 foot of snow as well as ice from Missouri to the Northeast and freezing temperatures to Texas is making its exit.
As the storm exists the Northeast, it eaves behind harsh dry and bitter cold conditions Saturday, ranging from the northern Plains to New England, and into coastal Texas.
Texas will see the worst of the cold , with wind chill advisories and hard freeze warnings across the state.
California, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota also have wind chill alerts in place.
Wind chills in Minneapolis are at a low of 25 degrees below zero on Saturday morning.
Wind chills are as low as 9 degrees in Santa Fe, New Mexico, 7 degrees in New York and 22 degrees in Houston.
The Arctic blast will last into Sunday morning with wind chills from Houston to Augusta, Maine, remaining below 31 degrees.
Southern and coastal Texas will experience wind chills of 15 to 20 degrees, making for the coldest air mass in Texas this year.
Less severe weather and rain are expected on Saturday.
In central Montana, active Santa Ana winds at a 70 mph on Saturday may create some localized travel concerns along the Rocky Mountain front.
There are high wind warnings in north to central Montana, inducing the Great Falls, with gusts reaching near 75 mph — at hurricane-level strength.
The Santa Ana winds are also gusting to up to 60 mph in Los Angeles County and 55 mph in Ventura County, California.
In Florida, seasonal warmth will stay south of Gainesville.
Johnsburg, New York got the largest amount of snow over Thursday and Friday, with 17.8 inches.
Friday into Saturday, 17 inches of snow fell on the slopes in Killington, Vermont.
Temperatures in the Northeast will swing to seasonal and warmer on Tuesday, while the mid-Atlantic states will warm up Sunday.
(BLACKSBURG, Va.) — One person was killed and four others were injured at a shooting in Blacksburg, Virginia, near Virginia Tech on Friday, according to Blacksburg Police.
Police responded to reports of shots fired at the Melody Hookah Lounge in downtown Blacksburg at 11:53 p.m. on Friday, police said in a statement, and found five injured people.
They were all taken to local hospitals where one died, police said. Conditions of the remaining four are currently unknown, according to police.
“This incident continues to be a complex, ongoing case that has shifted to a homicide investigation,” Blacksburg police said in a statement.
One of the injured was a Virginia Tech student, Virginia Tech President Tim Sands said in a letter to members of the university community.
“Our condolences go out to the family and friends of the deceased and we extend our support to those who were injured,” Sands said.
The names of the victims have not been released.
Virginia Tech did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
(MINNEAPOLIS) — The parents of Amir Locke spoke out at a press conference Friday alongside civil rights attorneys Ben Crump, Jeff Storms and Antonio Romanucci following the killing of the 22-year-old earlier this week.
Locke was fatally shot by Minneapolis police officers in an apartment early Wednesday morning. Body camera footage released on Thursday shows officers executing a “no-knock” search warrant before coming across Locke, who had been sleeping under a blanket on the couch. He is seen holding a gun as he begins to sit up, still covered with the blanket, before he is shot less than 10 seconds after officers entered the room.
Locke was not named in the “no-knock” warrant, Crump said at the press conference. The warrant was being executed on behalf of St. Paul police, who were searching for a homicide suspect.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner has ruled Locke’s death a homicide.
“My son Amir was a law-abiding citizen who did not have a criminal history,” his father, Andre Locke, said at the press conference. “My son Amir was loved by many of us, by our family and many people, everyone that he came in touch with. My son Amir did what was right. He did all the things that he was supposed to do.”
Locke’s parents became emotional discussing their son’s killing, saying that he was a good kid working in the music industry and an entrepreneur who wanted to help the youth.
His mother, Karen Wells, said she struggled to watch the body camera footage.
“I could not watch it,” she said. “But when I finally was able to see parts of that video when they released it yesterday — a mother should never have to see her child executed in that type of manner.”
The officer who shot and killed Locke was identified by police as Mark Hanneman. In accordance with policy, he’s been place on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation into the incident.
Crump, who is representing the Locke family with Storms and Romanucci, said that he was “shocked,” as he reflected on Locke’s death. According to MinnPost, Minneapolis announced that it had changed its policy on “no-knock” search warrants and restricted their use after Breonna Taylor was killed in a similar situation in 2020. Minneapolis was one of several cities to make the change.
Minneapolis police still use “no-knock” search warrants in limited cases. Interim Minneapolis Police Chief Amelia Huffman said at a Thursday press conference that “both a no-knock and a knock search warrant were obtained … so that the SWAT team could assess the circumstances and make the best possible decision.”
“If we learned anything from Breonna Taylor, it is that ‘no-knock’ warrants have deadly consequences for innocent, law-abiding Black citizens,” Crump said.
“We have a city that just refuses to learn,” Storms added, referring to George Floyd’s 2020 murder in Minneapolis and David Smith’s 10 years earlier.
Romanucci said that Locke was “doomed to die,” because of the way that the police department carried out the raid.
“Had they announced who they were and why they were there, this tragedy could have been averted,” he said at the press conference. “But because they executed in the manner in which they did, Amir was doomed to die.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey issued a moratorium on “no knock” warrants late Friday.
“No matter what information comes to light, it won’t change the fact that Amir Locke’s life was cut short,” Frey said in a statement. “To ensure safety of both the public and officers until a new policy is crafted, I’m issuing a moratorium on both the request and execution of such warrants in Minneapolis.”
Locke’s family said at the press conference that he had a license to carry the gun in his possession on Wednesday, though this has not been confirmed by ABC News. His father also said he was mentored by relatives who had a background in law enforcement.
The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus issued a statement on Friday addressing the shooting, saying that it was “completely avoidable.”
“Black men, like all citizens, have a right to keep and bear arms. Black men, like all citizens, have the right to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable search and seizure,” said Chair Bryan Strawser. The organization called for an independent investigation into the circumstances around Locke’s death.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison will work with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office to review Locke’s death, the office said in a press release Friday.
Locke’s parents are committed to getting justice for their son.
“As his mother, I will make sure that as long as I’m on this side of this world, I’m going to fight every day, throughout the day, 365 days, to make sure that Amir Rahkare Locke gets justice for being executed by the MPD,” Wells said.
“We know that we are not going to let them sweep Amir’s death under the rug, as they attempted to initially. His family, led by his mother and father, are gonna fight to say that Amir Locke’s life matters,” Crump added.
The Minneapolis Police Department declined to provide comment.
ABC News’ Miles Cohen and Whitney Lloyd contributed to this report
(ATLANTA) — Travis McMichael withdrew on Friday his guilty plea in the federal case against him in the death of Ahmaud Arbery. The trial goes forward on Monday.
Gregory McMichael, Travis’ father, informed a federal court Thursday evening that he was withdrawing his guilty plea to federal hate crime charges connected to Arbery’s death after a federal judge this week rejected the terms of a plea agreement reached with the Justice Department.
A lawyer for Gregory McMichael, the father of Travis McMichael, who shot Arbery in February 2020 three times at close range, informed U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Wood in a filing that he was ready to stand trial.
Wood rejected a plea deal in which federal prosecutors guaranteed the men would be able to serve the first 30 years of confinement in federal prison. She told the men she wanted an answer by Friday.
They will go to trial next week with their co-defendant William “Roddie” Bryan, who was not offered the same plea deal.
In accepting the change, the court agreed not to allow the statements made by the men last Monday in association with the plea, where they had admitted to targeting Arbery because he was Black.
Gregory McMichael, 66, and his 36-year-old son were convicted of state murder charges last year along with Bryan, 52, and were all sentenced to life in prison, the McMichaels without the possibility of parole.
The McMichaels and Bryan will be required to serve their state sentence before they serve a federal sentence, if they are convicted.
During a hearing on Monday in U.S. District Court in Brunswick, Georgia, Wood said she felt “uncomfortable” approving a plea deal that locked her into giving the McMichaels a three-decade sentence in a federal penitentiary. She noted that the case was in its early stages and said, “I can’t say that 360 months is the precise, fair sentence in this case.”
The federal trial will include evidence of the McMichaels’ prior racist behavior, which was excluded from the state trial.
Wood’s decision came on the heels of Arbery’s parents, Wanda Cooper-Jones and Marcus Arbery, giving impassioned statements in court. They asked the judge to deny the men their wish to go to federal prison, which is safer and better funded than most state prisons, according to legal experts.
“Granting these men their preferred conditions of confinement would defeat me,” Cooper-Jones told Wood. “It gives them one last chance to spit in my face after murdering my son.”
At Monday’s hearing, assistant U.S. attorney Tara Lyons said Travis and Gregory McMichael agreed to plead guilty to count one of a multi-count indictment alleging they interfered with Arbery’s right to enjoy the use of a public road he was jogging on “because of Arbery’s race and color.” Lyons said the agreement called for other charges to be dismissed, including attempted kidnapping and discharging a firearm during a violent crime.
The agreement also called for the McMichaels to waive their right to appeal in both the federal and state cases.
Arbery, 25, was fatally shot after the McMichaels saw him jogging in their Satilla Shores neighborhood near Brunswick, Georgia. They said they assumed Arbery was a burglar, armed themselves and chased him in their pickup truck. The McMichaels’ neighbor, Bryan, joined the pursuit, blocking the victim’s escape path with his truck.
Bryan also used his cellphone to record Travis McMichael fatally shooting Arbery with a shotgun, video that became integral to their state murder convictions.
(HOUSTON) — The winter storm that’s hitting the country with frigid temperatures and icy precipitation caused two major highway crashes in Texas Thursday night.
Ten cars were involved in the pileup at Westpark Toll Road, just outside of Houston, the police said. The cars hit a patch of ice on the westbound lanes, according to the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s office.
There were no major injuries reported in this crash, and the scene was cleared by the morning rush hour, police said.
Around the same time, a 14-car pile-up took place on I-35 near Austin.
Icy conditions were also behind this crash, investigators said.
One motorist suffered minor injuries and refused to be transported for treatment, Austin-Travis County EMS tweeted later in the night.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has warned residents to stay off the roads as the storm has caused damage to roads, power lines and other services.
(RICHFIELD, Minn) — Police released more details about the shooting outside a Minnesota school Tuesday that left a student dead and another critically injured.
Jay Henthorne, the chief of Richfield Police, told reporters Wednesday that the incident outside the South Education Center started as a fight among five students.
During the scuffle, a gun was produced and fired, according to Henthorne. An unidentified15-year-old was shot and killed and an unidentified 17-year-old was shot and was listed in critical condition.
A third victim, an unidentified 19-year-old, suffered minor injuries, the police said.
Henthorne said the two suspects, Fernando Valdez-Alvarez, 18, and Alfredo Rosario Solis, 19, allegedly fled the scene, but they were apprehended later in the day at two separate addresses. A gun was recovered from one of the locations, Henthorne said.
Valdez-Alvarez and Solis were arraigned Friday on several counts of second-degree murder, according to court documents.
The investigation is ongoing and the FBI and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting, according to police.
Henthorne said there are no other threats against the school.
A makeshift memorial for the slain students has been constructed outside the school.
“Their lives were just beginning,” Sandy Lewandowski, the superintendent for School District 278, said of the victims. “I am devastated. We are all devastated.”