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More Americans approve of Walz as VP pick compared to Vance: POLL

August 16, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz is getting a more positive public reception than his Republican counterpart: More Americans see Walz favorably than unfavorably, contrary to JD Vance, and more approve of Walz’s selection for the nation’s No. 2 job, according to new ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll.

Thirty-nine percent in the poll have a favorable impression of Walz as a person, while 30% see him unfavorably. That compares with an underwater favorable-unfavorable rating for Vance, 32%-42%.

There is room to move. Sizable shares in this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates with fieldwork by Ipsos, have no opinion of either candidate — 31% for Walz, the governor of Minnesota, and 26% for Vance, a U.S. senator from Ohio.

See PDF for full results.

By another measure, 52% approve of Vice President Kamala Harris’ choice of Walz, compared with 45% who approve of former President Donald Trump’s selection of Vance. Forty-four percent disapprove of the Walz pick, compared with 50% disapproval for Trump’s choice.

Other vice-presidential candidates have been better received. While available data are spotty, approval reached 67% (among registered voters) for the selection of Jack Kemp (who ran with Bob Dole) in 1996 and was an initial 60% for John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin in 2008, although she later widely was seen as a liability for his campaign. For Harris, in 2020, 54% approved.

Groups

In their native Midwest, more approve of the selection of Walz than of Vance by a substantial 15 percentage points, 55% vs. 40%, and more see Walz favorably, 39% vs. 29%. That’s even though Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and Republicans and GOP leaners are evenly matched in the region, with 46% in each group.

Despite a dispute over Walz’s characterization of his military service, his favorability rating is similar from veterans (41%) and non-veterans (39%) alike. Vance’s favorability rating is 48% among veterans, and 56% of veterans approve of his selection, as do 50% for Walz (not a significant difference given the sample size). Veterans are 12 points more likely than non-veterans to be Republicans or Republican-leaning independents.

Approval of the vice presidential picks breaks along expected partisan and ideological lines. Eighty-two percent of Republicans and 77% of conservatives approve of the Vance pick. For Walz, it’s a rosier 92% approval among Democrats and 87% among liberals.

Approval of Vance for vice president drops to 42% among independents, potential swing voters in presidential elections, compared with 49% for Walz.

On favorability, Vance’s rating peaks among those who voted for Trump in 2020 (75%), Republicans (68%) and conservatives (65%). It’s also higher among white evangelical Protestants (59%), military veterans (48%, as noted) and rural residents (45%), all groups Trump won by double-digit margins in 2020, than among their counterparts.

Walz, for his part, is seen most favorably by 2020 Biden voters (82%), Democrats (77%) and liberals (78%). He’s also seen favorably by 53% of college graduates and 50% of Black people.

Methodology

This ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll was conducted online via the probability-based Ipsos KnowledgePanel® Aug. 9-13, 2024, in English and Spanish, among a random national sample of 2,336 adults. Partisan divisions are 29%-29%-29%, Democrats-Republicans-independents. Results have a margin of sampling error of 2 percentage points, including the design effect, for the full sample. Sampling error is not the only source of differences in polls.

The survey was produced for ABC News by Langer Research Associates, with sampling and data collection by Ipsos. See details on ABC News’ survey methodology here.

Ukrainian soldiers, engineers add metal netting to US tanks and vehicles to protect against Russian drones

August 16, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(KYIV, Ukraine) — As Russia wages a protracted war of attrition, the Ukrainian military says it has made the most of the U.S. supplied Abrams tanks and Bradley armored vehicles.

As the vast use of drones has become a feature of the Ukrainian-Russian war, soldiers and engineers said they have found a new way to make their most precious vehicles even more protected and efficient on the battlefield. Videos posted on social media appeared to demonstrate how the vehicles and their crews survived on densely mined fields.

“Bradley is the best vehicle I’ve ever driven,” Oleksandr Shyrshyn, a soldier with the elite 47th Mechanized Brigade, told ABC News. “It’s precise, it’s safe, it’s super cool. Given the number of impacts on the battlefields, if we were still using our old IFV-1 or IFV-2, the losses [would have been] two or three times higher.”

U.S. officials said in 2023 they would send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. More than 100 Bradley vehicles have also been shipped to Ukraine to aid in its fight against Russia, the White House said.

But as the brigade’s soldiers continued fighting, they said, they understood they needed to upgrade the machine.

“Most injuries and damage happen during boarding and disembarking of the crew or from the FPV and other drones,” Shyrshyn said, referring to commonly used first-person-view drones. “We can’t do anything about the first factor, but we can offset the second one with a metal net.”

The latest additions are meant to protect against modern drone technology, but such modifications have long been common, said Mick Mulroy, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, retired CIA officer and U.S. Marine, and ABC News national security and defense analyst.

“Throughout history tanks and tankers have used add ons to try to defend against all of these anti-tank devices,” Mulroy said. “Mesh, reactive armor, even chain linked fences, have been used.”

The area where Shyrshyn’s unit is operating has been the hotspot of the eastern front-line in the past couple of weeks, according to the reports of the Ukrainian General Staff. In the past few days the Russian troops advanced by several kilometers. Shyrshyn said his soldiers are exhausted, needed more vehicles and were trying to keep those they have.

A Ukrainian steel manufacturer has designed specialized steel screens, which they said are installed on top of the active armor. According to Shyrshyn, the screens have raised the survival rate of the crew and saved the vehicle from first-person-view drones used by Russia.

It takes a week to produce one steel screen and around 12 hours to install it, said Oleksandr Myronenko, COO of Metinvest Group, a Ukrainian steel manufacturer. The non-commercial project is part of a Steel Front, a military initiative run by Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine’s richest businessman.

An engineer with 20 years of experience, Shyrshyn said he had to turn into a military goods specialist overnight.

“We started the project on day one of the invasion,” he said. “From Monday to Friday, I do my regular work. On weekends I go to the east to oversee what we do for the troops.”

Among the other non-commercial projects within the Steel Front military initiative are production of anti-tank hedgehogs, body armor and a few innovative things like fortifications built in the areas of the most intense fighting in the east, and even an underground field hospital.

While the Bradleys have just started testing their bespoke steel screens, Abrams tanks have been driving in it for a few months already. Ukrainian troops started using them in February this year near Stepove, Avdiivka and Berdychiv in the east.

”Near the latter we understood what was off. A very precise and cheap FPV drone can easily hit and block the tanks turret, for example, and that’s it, doesn’t matter how great the vehicle is,” Shyrshyn told ABC. “The drone threat is even bigger given that the tank is quite big and is not the easiest thing to camouflage.”

Besides, Shyrshyn said, Abrams tanks are best at defeating other vehicles, since they fire armor-piercing projectiles, not highly explosive ones. And most of the fighting Abrams were used in took place among the buildings and in the forests, places where usually infantry troops hide using the drones, he said.

”We basically took a NATO standards manual and adjusted it,” Myronenko, from Metivest, said.

“Now we see that we could have avoided losses we had suffered before,” Shyrshyn said. “I saw this tank during the training in Germany for the first time and I was really really excited. I wish at least one third of all our brigades had them. We really need more, otherwise we have to pull.”

Mulroy, the ABC News analyst and a former Tanker and Infantry Marine, said tanks and other armoured vehicles have long been targeted by less-expensive lethal countermeasures, like portable rockets and missiles — and now drones. The additions Ukrainians are making are similar to what he’s seen in the past.

“In my experience, these efforts are effective,” he said. “If is likely if they are emplacing them across their fleet of tanks, they have proven their worth.”

New York Mayor Eric Adams served with more grand jury subpoenas in corruption investigation

August 16, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Federal prosecutors in New York served another round of grand jury subpoenas on Mayor Eric Adams as part of a corruption investigation that has lasted nearly a year, sources familiar with the investigation confirmed to ABC News.

The new batch of subpoenas, first reported by The New York Times, were issued last month and sought communications and documents, the sources told ABC News.

Adams confirmed receipt of the subpoenas during a taped interview with WABC anchor Bill Ritter for his “Up Close” program.

“Like previous administrations that have gone through subpoenas, you participate and cooperate,” Adams said. “You see the subpoena, and you respond. At the end of the day, it will show there is no criminality here.”

The U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment.

Mayor Adams has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

“As a former member of law enforcement, the mayor has been clear over that last nine months that he will cooperate with any investigation underway. Nothing has changed. He expects everyone to cooperate to swiftly bring this investigation to a close,” Fabien Levy, the deputy mayor for communications, said in a statement provided to ABC News.

As ABC News has previously reported, the investigation, at least in part, involves whether Adams and his campaign sought illegal donations from Turkey in exchange for pressuring the fire department to rush an inspection of the new Turkish consulate. Investigators also examined whether Adams received upgrades on Turkish Airlines flights.

Attorneys for Adams, Brendan McGuire and Boyd Johnson, said they have conducted their own investigation of the areas federal prosecutors are reviewing and have concluded the mayor did nothing wrong.

“Our investigation has included an evaluation of campaign documents, an analysis of tens of thousands of electronic communications, and witness interviews. To be clear, we have not identified any evidence of illegal conduct by the Mayor. To the contrary, we have identified extensive evidence undermining the reported theories of federal prosecution as to the Mayor, which we have voluntarily shared with the US Attorney. We continue to cooperate with the investigation and are in the process of responding to the recently issued subpoenas. We continue to look forward to a prompt and just resolution of this investigation,” McGuire and Johnson said in a statement provided to ABC News by their firm, WilmerHale.

Harris to propose $25K in down payment support for 1st-time homeowners

August 15, 2024 by WDNY Radio

Harris to propose K in down payment support for 1st-time homeowners

Harris to propose $25K in down payment support for 1st-time homeowners — Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — When Vice President Kamala Harris unveils her economic policy proposals in North Carolina on Friday, it will include a proposal to provide up to $25,000 in down payment support for first-time homeowners, according to a campaign official.

The campaign is vowing that during its first term, the Harris-Walz administration would provide working families who have paid their rent on time for two years and are buying their first home up to $25,000 in down-payment assistance, with more generous support for first-generation homeowners.

In a preview statement obtained by ABC News, the campaign says, “Many Americans work hard at their jobs, save, and pay their rent on time month after month. But they can’t save enough after paying their rent and other bills to save for a down payment — denying them a shot at owning a home and building wealth. As the Harris-Walz plan starts to expand the supply of entry-level homes, they will, during their first term, provide working families who have paid their rent on time for two years and are buying their first home up to $25,000 in down-payment assistance, with more generous support for first-generation homeowners.”

“The Biden-Harris administration proposed providing $25,000 in downpayment assistance for 400,000 first-generation home buyers — or homebuyers whose parents don’t own a home — and a $10,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers. This plan will significantly simplify and expand the reach of down-payment assistance, allowing over 1 million first time-buyers per year – including first-generation home buyers – to get the funds they need to buy a house when they are ready to buy it,” the campaign said.

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

1-year-old dead after abduction of 3 children ends in car crash in Maryland: Police

August 15, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.) — An alleged abduction of three Virginia Beach children ended in a car crash Thursday morning that left the youngest dead, according to police.

Virginia State Police responded to a stabbing Wednesday night in an incident they said they believe to be “domestic-related.”

Two female victims — one adult and one juvenile — were transported to the hospital with multiple stab wounds, and are currently in stable condition, police said.

The suspect, Dana Plummer, 36, is believed to have stabbed the two victims and then fled the scene with his children, police said.

The three children were identified as 7-year-old Zayin Plummer, 5-year-old Zayir Plummer and 1-year-old Za’riyah Plummer.

An AMBER Alert — which has since been canceled — was issued Thursday morning for the children.

Law enforcement identified the suspect’s vehicle thanks to a tip from a member of the public and attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the vehicle refused to stop and fled north on the highway into Maryland, police said.

While fleeing, the driver lost control of the car and crashed, police said.

The three missing children were located at the scene. The 1-year-old was transported to a hospital, but later succumbed to her injuries, police said.

Police apprehended Plummer at the scene.

He has been charged with two counts of aggravated malicious wounding, three counts of parental abduction, four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and domestic assault, police said.

“Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones who are grieving this morning,” Virginia State Police Chief Paul Neudigate said in a statement. “This is an unimaginable tragedy, and on behalf of the VBPD, I extend our deepest sympathies to those affected by this loss.”

August’s full moon will be a rare super blue moon: What to expect

August 15, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — On the heels of the Perseid meteor shower earlier this month, August is offering another great astronomical sight — the rare combination of a supermoon and blue moon.

Beginning on Aug. 19, the super blue moon will reach peak fullness at 2:26 p.m. ET. Since that’s daylight hours in the U.S., Americans will have to wait for the evening to see the moon slightly past its peak, while still being noticeably larger and brighter than a typical moon view.

The super blue moon will appear full for three days, according to NASA.

A supermoon coinciding with a blue moon is exceptionally rare, the space agency reports, with the next pairing happening in January and March 2037.

What is a supermoon?

Supermoons are the biggest and brightest lunar views of the year, they occur when the moon’s orbit is within 90% of its closest approach to Earth, according to NASA.

During the moon’s closest approach to Earth, it can appear approximately 14% larger and shine 30% brighter than when at its farthest point in the orbit, approximately 226,000 miles away.

The term “supermoon” was originally coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979.

Supermoons appear three to four times annually and always appear consecutively, according to NASA, which notes starting this month, the next three full moons will be supermoons.

The next supermoons will occur on Sept. 17, Oct. 17 and Nov. 15.

What is a blue moon?

Despite its name, blue moons have little to do with color and everything to do with timeliness. There are two types of blue moons – seasonal and monthly – and the blue moon on Aug. 19 will be seasonal.

A seasonal blue moon is the third full moon in an astrological season with four full moons, while a monthly blue moon refers to the second of two full moons in the same month.

The next seasonal blue moon is expected in May 2027, according to NASA.

While the super blue moon Aug. 19 won’t be blue, on rare occasions the moon has appeared blue. NASA reports that this occurs when tiny particles in the air, typically of smoke or dust, scatter away red wavelengths of light and cause the moon to appear blue.

How rare is a super blue moon?

While supermoons and seasonal blue moons are more common in the night sky individually, the combination of the two is quite irregular, according to NASA.

The time between super blue moons can be as long as 20 years but 10 years is the average. However, 2023 also saw a super blue moon in August.

Following Aug. 19, the next super blue moons will occur in a pair, in January and March 2037.

28-year-old mother ‘involuntarily’ missing for 2 weeks, police say

August 15, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A 28-year-old mother has been missing for two weeks under what police in Virginia said are believed to be “involuntary” circumstances.

Mamta Kafle was last seen on July 31 in Manassas Park, Virginia, about 30 miles outside of Washington, D.C, the Manassas Park Police Department said. She hasn’t had any contact with family or friends since then, police said.

Authorities said they believe Kafle is “involuntarily” missing, citing the length of time since she’s been seen.

“Investigators have conducted several follow-ups with neighbors, friends, co-workers and the husband,” police said in a statement. “The investigators are also utilizing several investigative tools to help in an attempt to locate Mamta Kafle.”

Manassas Park police gave a detailed timeline of the investigation on Thursday while asking for the public’s help in locating her.

Kafle, a registered nurse at a hospital, was last seen at work on July 27, police said. She spoke to a friend on July 28 and was last seen by her husband on July 31, police said.

Officers responded to their home on Aug. 2 to conduct a welfare check, police said. They had received the request to conduct a welfare check from her employer, Washington ABC affiliate WJLA reported. Her husband provided information but did not want to report her missing at that time, police said.

Three days later, on Aug. 5, her husband contacted police and reported her missing and she was entered as missing with Virginia State Police, police said.

Over the next several days, “detectives conducted an extensive investigation and found that there was a significant lack of recent contact by Mamta with her family, friends, employer and on social media postings,” police said.

At that point, detectives were able to elevate her missing person status to an involuntary/critical missing person and “additional resources have been afforded to this investigation,” said police, who subsequently released a missing person flyer to the public on Aug. 8.

Her friend and former colleague, Sunita Basnet Thapa, told WJLA the two bonded over both being from Nepal, and that she was a mentor to Kafle. She attended an event Tuesday in Manassas Park to raise awareness about Kafle’s disappearance and press for updates.

Basnet Thapa told WJLA they have “no clue what is going on,” adding that she has been waiting for news for 14 days.

The case remains active, police said.

“The husband, friends, and co-workers have all been cooperative throughout the investigation and detectives will continue to follow up on all investigative leads to locate Mamta Kafle,” the Manassas Park Police Department said Thursday.

Kafle’s friend, Nadia Navarro, who organized Tuesday’s gathering, told WJLA that it is unlike the mother to leave her 11-month-old daughter.

“Even if she was desperate, even if she might have been facing something, she wouldn’t have left her daughter,” Navarro told WJLA. “She was very self-sacrificial that way, no matter what would have been happening.”

ABC News was unable to reach Kafle’s family.

Her husband spoke to a crowd gathered in support of Kafle on Monday by phone, saying that he couldn’t attend because he was caring for their daughter, according to WRC.

“I need to find her as soon as possible, and then using all the tools — community, society, police,” he told the crowd.

Friends are planning to hold a search for Kafle on Thursday afternoon.

Kafle is 5 feet tall, weighs 132 pounds and has black hair and dark brown eyes, police said. She was last seen wearing blue scrubs, police said.

Police urge anyone with information to call the Manassas Park Police Department at 703-361-1136 or submit an anonymous tip to Manassas/Manassas Park Crime Solvers at 703-330-0330.

Trump highlights higher grocery prices at 2nd news conference in a week

August 15, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Former President Donald Trump is holding a news conference Thursday afternoon at his Bedminster golf club — his second in a week — as the campaign continues to pressure Vice President Kamala Harris to do interviews and answer reporter questions.

Trump began by highlighting inflation and hitting Harris on the cost of grocery prices as he stood between two tables full of food store items such as cereal, deli meat, milk, eggs, baby formula and bread with a sign saying, “Price Increases since Kamala Harris took office.”

“Harris has just declared that tackling inflation will be a Day 1 priority for her. It’s going to be Day 1. But Day 1, really, for Kamala was three and a half years ago. Where has she been?” Trump said.

He ticked off a long list of what he said were higher costs for a variety of common grocery items but offered no sourcing, other than claiming they came from “the government.”

Inflation peaked at 9.1% during the Biden-Harris administration but since cooled to 2.9% in July compared to a year ago — the lowest inflation reading since March 2021.

He eventually started veered off into talking about immigration, energy and other favorite topics, including attacks on Harris, speaking for more than 30 minutes without taking any questions.

Thursday’s news conference follows one that Trump held at his Mar-a-Lago estate last Thursday, fielding questions for more than an hour on a range of topics including his recent attacks on Harris, immigration and reproductive rights.

During the long and, at times, rambling exchange with reporters, Trump often pushed false claims on several topics, including the outcome of the 2020 election and size of the crowd at his Jan. 6, 2021, rally before the attacks on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob.

“She refuses to do any interviews or press conferences, almost 30 days now, she has not done an interview,” Trump said of Harris on Wednesday in North Carolina. “You know why she hasn’t done an interview? Because she’s not smart. She’s not intelligent,” he said.

His campaign says she’s trying to “duck and hide” from the news media.

Trump’s recent news conferences appear to be part of the campaign’s attempt to draw a contrast between the two candidates.

“She hasn’t done an interview — she can’t do an interview,” Trump claimed during his Mar-a-Lago press conference last week.

He added that he “look[s] forward to the debates” as a way to “set the record straight.”

The Harris campaign has been using Trump’s news conferences to highlight flubs he has made and criticize policies he advocates.

“Trump did the only thing he knows how to do — he went out and lied, made up stories, mixed up dates, attacked the media, and, overall, reminded Americans that he is a deeply unwell man,” the Harris campaign said in a statement reacting to Trump’s news conference.

During her time out on the campaign trail since announcing her White House bid, Harris has held a few exchanges with reporters aboard Air Force Two and answered a few shouted questions; however, her campaign says she will participate in a sit-down interview before the end of the month.

“We will commit to directly engage with the voters that are actually gonna decide this election and that is gonna be complete with rallies, with sit-down interviews, with press conferences, with all the digital assets we have at our disposal,” Michael Tyler, communications director for the Harris-Walz campaign, said on CNN Wednesday when pressed multiple times to commit to press conferences and media interviews.

Though she hasn’t made herself as available to the media as the former president, Harris did spend the week with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, crisscrossing the country visiting battleground states.

Trump just visited the solidly conservative state of Montana to stump for GOP Senate candidate Tim Sheehy last week, and is holding a rally in battleground Pennsylvania over the weekend.

Harris to unveil economic agenda that would crack down on ‘price gouging’ on food, groceries

August 15, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Vice President Kamala Harris is set to release her economic agenda on Friday following calls for her campaign to zero in on policy after their unprecedented rise to the top of Democratic ticket.

Harris is set to outline her plans at an event in Raleigh, North Carolina — a pivotal battleground state both Harris and former President Donald Trump will work to win in November. Among the economic policies Harris is set to announce is a plan to provide up to $25,000 in down payment support for first-time homeowners, according to a campaign official.

The campaign is vowing that during her first term, the Harris-Walz administration would provide working families who have paid their rent on time for two years and are buying their first home up to $25,000 in down-payment assistance, with more generous support for first-generation homeowners.

Harris is also set introduce is a federal ban on “corporate price gouging” on food and groceries, the campaign said.

“In her first 100 days, Vice President Harris will work to enact a plan to bring down Americans’ grocery costs and keep inflation in check,” the campaign said.

Harris will work to raise the minimum wage and end taxes on tips, her campaign said. Other Harris plans will deal with prescription drug costs and housing costs.

Her plans are being sold as a way to bring down everyday costs for Americans.

Harris’ announcement comes on the heels of her first joint appearance with President Joe Biden since he stepped down as the Democratic Party’s nominee. Questions are mounting on whether or not she will choose to either distance herself or embrace the current administration’s “Bidenomics.”

The campaign has provided few specific details about Harris’ economic agenda — but if Thursday’s remarks with Biden, which centered around lowering drug costs, are any indication of if she will choose to continue the president’s core economic positions, it would seem a total revamp is not in the future.

For her part, Harris has maintained an interest in expanding popular Biden-era proposals such as the child tax credit and has shown staunch support of labor unions. Under the current administration, she has taken on reducing medical and student debt.

Harris’ economic plan will provide a split screen with Trump, who touched on his economic priorities in remarks on Wednesday. He has already criticized Harris for “copying” some of his own proposals after she announced eliminating taxes on tips in Las Vegas on Saturday, the same city he first mentioned it.

“She’s doing a plan, you know she’s going to announce it this week, maybe. She’s waiting for me to announce it so she can copy it,” said Trump while outlining his own broad policy ideas in Asheville, North Carolina on Wednesday. “Like, remember a couple days ago, and ‘we will have no tax on tips!’ I said, ‘that was my plan!”

Harris will also direct her administration to crack down on mergers and acquisitions between big food corporations, another way for the campaign to continue to highlight her role as a prosecutor.

The vice president has already distanced herself from some of her former positions laid out in her 2020 presidential bid. Her campaign has remained ambiguous over her support of banning fracking and Medicare for All, which she had previously espoused.

ABC News’ Selina Wang contributed to this report.

What does it mean that the WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency?

August 15, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The spread of a newer strain of mpox in Africa led the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare the disease a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on Wednesday.

This newer strain is believed to be behind an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with more than 14,000 cases — mostly among children — and more than 500 deaths, and has been detected in neighboring countries that had never reported countries of mpox before.

On Thursday, Sweden became the first nation outside of the African continent to report a case of the newer strain of mpox, according to the country’s public health agency.

Cases of other strains, or clades, of mpox have popped up in other countries. In the U.S., there are more than 1,600 cases reported this year so far, more than twice the number seen at this time last year but not as many as seen during the outbreak in 2022-23.

“It’s clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a media briefing on Wednesday.

Experts told ABC News that by declaring a PHEIC, the WHO can help more countries collaborate by sharing data, allocating resources and helping make vaccines more readily available.

What is a PHEIC?

A PHEIC is defined as “an extraordinary event which is determined to constitute a public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease and to potentially require a coordinated international response,” by the International Health Regulations.

To be considered a PHEIC, the condition is considered, serious, sudden, unusual or unexpected; has implications for public health beyond where the place it originates; and has the potential to require immediate international action, according to the WHO.

“This is really [the WHO’s] highest level of alert,” Thomas Duszynski, director of epidemiology education at Indiana University’s Fairbanks School of Public Health, told ABC News.

“This means that this particular virus, or the mpox virus, and the illnesses that it causes, has reached a level that is now at a much higher rate than it should be, than when we see like in a normal year, as well as it’s starting to spill outside of the country of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which means that we have to get our arms around it and try and contain it,” he said.

A PHEIC was last declared for mpox during the outbreak in 2022-23, but this current outbreak is different because it involves a clade called clade Ib that seems to spread more quickly and has a higher mortality rate, Duszynski said.

What becomes available when a PHEIC is declared?

Emily Smith, an associate professor in the Department of Global Health at George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health, said declaring a PHEIC can help galvanize collaboration and mobilize resources.

“Collaboration can be really important in terms of sharing data from different surveillance systems or even things like genomic sequences, so we can understand how different cases are related to each other,” she told ABC News.

On the mobilizing resources front, Tedros said during the media briefing on Wednesday that WHO had released $1.5 million in contingency funds and planned to release more soon. The WHO’s regional response plan — including support surveillance and preparedness and response activities — will cost $15 million.

Additionally, last week, the WHO triggered the process to begin allowing mpox vaccines to go through the process for emergency use listing, similar to what was seen with the COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic.

The PHEIC will also allow vaccines to be sent to other affected countries more quickly than they might have been without an emergency declaration, Duszynski said.

“In the Democratic Republic of Congo, their access to the impact vaccine is limited,” he said. “So, for example, the U.S. has dedicated 50,000 doses of that vaccine for the Democratic Republic of Congo, so that that’s part of that cooperation of not only sending, knowledge and science and research, but also aid, in the sense of vaccines.”

“We could also send personnel, such as epidemiologists, to help with the investigation and to help identify those who are ill and put some isolation and quarantine around those individuals to keep this virus from spreading,” Duszynski added.

What should the public do?

The experts said the best thing to do is to get vaccinated if you are a high-risk individual.

Currently, the JYNNEOS vaccine, a two-dose vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent smallpox and mpox, is the only vaccine being used in the United States to prevent mpox. Data from Africa has shown two doses of JYNNEOS are at least 85% effective in preventing mpox infection.

High-risk individuals include those who are immunocompromised, suffer from chronic diseases, or have a history of eczema, which causes breaks in the skin and can lead to mpox transmission.

Smith said other high-risk individuals include gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men — a group that was most affected during the 2022-23 outbreak — should get vaccinated.

She said that anyone who has only received their first dose should be sure to get their second dose.

“Just be aware if you or anyone you know, or your family, experiences lesions, skin lesions or genital lesions,” Smith added. “[You] definitely want to contact your doctor. We do have treatment options available in the U.S.”

Both Smith and Duszynski reiterated the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s warning that the general public is at low risk from the type of mpox circulating in the DRC.

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