(WASHINGTON) — The Biden administration has selected the new head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, sources confirmed to ABC News on Wednesday.
Patrick “P.J.” Lechleitner, a career ICE official, will become acting director of the agency after more than 20 years with the Department of Homeland Security.
Lechleitner’s predecessor as acting director, Tae Johnson, announced his retirement last month.
A founding member of DHS in the early 2000s, Lechleitner worked his way up through Homeland Security Investigations, the division of ICE responsible for combating human trafficking and smuggling.
“He is someone whose counsel I have sought, and whose advice and guidance I have trusted,” HSI Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown said in a statement to ABC News. “PJ gets it. He gets it at all levels. He has the ability to translate the day-to-day challenges in the field into actionable plans to address those challenges.”
DHS has led a series of operations in recent months targeting transnational narcotics smuggling with a particular focus on the ultra-deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl.
Authorities seized nearly 10,000 pounds of fentanyl over a two-month period as part of the recent crackdown, according to DHS.
Lechleitner’s purview will be much broader than investigations at the top of a federal law enforcement agency with a high public profile but which has also been a lightning rod for controversy, particularly among migrants’ advocates.
In part because of polarization around the agency, the Senate hasn’t confirmed a permanent director since Barack Obama was president.
ICE detention came under close scrutiny in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Civil liberties groups like the ACLU regularly rang alarm bells about conditions while in custody and began taking legal action.
Although typically reserved for individuals who may attempt to evade authorities, ICE detention does not require the same criminal burdens of proof as required to criminally incarcerate U.S. citizens.
The agency has also been criticized for how it handles child migrants who are detained, among other issues.
Lechleitner’s predecessor, Johnson, testified before a House committee in 2021 that ICE’s work is broad and the agency is “committed to enforcing immigration laws humanely, effectively, with professionalism.”
“Every day, the over 20,000 dedicated, proud, professionals at ICE work to promote homeland security and public safety through the broad enforcement of over 400 federal laws governing border control, customs, trade and immigration,” he said. “I am proud to serve beside them.”
Lechleitner’s new role is among the latest in leadership changes at the Homeland Security immigration agencies. U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz plans to retire Friday, multiple sources told ABC News.
(RANKIN COUNTY, Miss.) — Months after a January drug raid that left a Black man with a gunshot wound to the face, the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department in Mississippi announced Tuesday that five of its deputies have been fired or resigned from the department.
This announcement comes just weeks after the two men involved in the incident, Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker, filed a lawsuit in collaboration with Black Lawyers for Justice against the sheriff’s department seeking $400 million in damages.
On Jan. 24, Rankin County deputies entered the residence of Jenkins and Parker without a warrant that resulted in both Black men being beaten, sexually assaulted with a sex toy and shocked with Tasers for roughly 90 minutes while handcuffed, according to the lawsuit. Eggs were also hurled at the two men, and Jenkins, 32, was eventually shot in the face by one of the deputies, the lawsuit states. Deputies say they were there to carry out a late drug raid.
“We understand that the alleged actions of these deputies has eroded the public’s trust in our department,” Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey said in a statement on Tuesday. “Rest assured that we will work diligently to restore that trust.”
Although Sheriff Bailey did not name the deputies who have resigned or been terminated, the defendants in the plaintiff’s lawsuit include Rankin County Deputies Hunter Elward, Brett Mc’Alpin and Christian Dedmon, and three unidentified deputies under the name “John Doe.”
Bailey is also listed as a defendant in the lawsuit.
“We have cooperated with all investigation efforts related to this incident and have provided all information and data requested in a timely manner,” Bailey said on Tuesday. “This will continue until all investigative efforts are complete and justice is served. We cannot, however, confirm or deny any specific facts related to this incident because of active and ongoing investigations.”
As the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department conducted its own internal investigation, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations (MBI) and the Department of Justice opened a civil rights investigation into this incident earlier this year.
“The FBI Jackson Field Office, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi have opened a federal civil rights investigation into a color of law incident involving the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office. The FBI will conduct the investigation in a fair, thorough, and impartial manner,” the FBI Jackson statement read.
The FBI Jackson Field Office did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Due to the ongoing investigation, the MBI said it did not wish to provide ABC News with any further comment.
Bailey specified the deputies involved in the incident were terminated “due to recent developments,” including discoveries in the department’s internal investigation, but the plaintiff’s attorney Malik Shabazz said he believes it was “due to the extreme pressure” of the lawyers and DOJ investigation that may result in possible indictments.
Jenkins, Parker and their attorneys are hoping criminal charges will follow quickly behind the deputies’ termination.
“Too many crimes occurred during the nearly two-hour violent ordeal for there to not be criminal charges in this case. The only question is, which criminal charges? We are hoping for the stiffest,” Shabazz told ABC News.
Both Jenkins and Parker were present during Wednesday’s family press conference but did not provide any statements to the media.
“We’re expecting state Attorney General Lynn Fitch to levy criminal charges, serious criminal charges, against these deputies right away if there’s justice in the state of Mississippi,” Shabazz said during Wednesday’s press conference.
A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office in a statement to ABC News said it does not comment on active cases.
Jenkins’ mother, Mary Jenkins, explained the termination of the deputies is “not enough.”
“All they’ll do is go to another police department and get on and do the same thing. I want them prosecuted,” Mary Jenkins said.
Mary Jenkins said her son is still having a difficult time with his injuries, with the pain in his jaw “almost unbearable” at times. She shared he has seen many doctors, including a psychiatrist and a speech therapist to work on speaking again.
The medical bills have exceeded six figures “and are continuing,” according to attorneys.
Jenkins was charged with aggravated assault and the possession of two grams of a controlled substance. Parker was charged with obstruction of justice, according to the attorneys.
Both Jenkins and Parker deny the substance found in the residence belonged to them.
“The charges have not been dropped or pursued,” Shabazz said.
(NEW YORK) — The Chinese spy balloon that was shot down over the Atlantic Ocean in early February was built — at least partly — using American off-the-shelf parts, a U.S. official has confirmed to ABC News.
A second U.S. official was also able to confirm that the balloon did not appear to have transmitted any of the data it collected on its journey above North America, as was initially reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The first official could not say whether any of the American gear was sold illicitly to China but said determining whether any of it came from illegal trade was a topic of serious concern among officials since some items — like chips — are forbidden to sell to certain markets.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WATERLOO, Ontario) — Two students and a university professor have been stabbed during a class on gender issues, police said.
The incident occurred at the University of Waterloo in Canada — located approximately 70 miles west of Toronto — when authorities from the Waterloo Regional Police Service were called at 3:35 p.m. to a “report of a stabbing inside a classroom at Hagey Hall,” police said in a statement detailing the attack.
“Through investigation, it was determined that three victims were injured as a result of the incident,” authorities said. “Two females and one male were transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.”
It is unclear if the assailant knew the professor or students or what his motive was for the attack, but police said that officers quickly responded to the incident and one male was taken into police custody.
Authorities did not say how many students were in the classroom at the time of the stabbing but said there was no further threat to public safety after the suspect was arrested.
Classes that were scheduled to take place later on Wednesday were cancelled as police investigated the stabbing, according to the university.
“Waterloo Regional Police Service have now cleared Hagey Hall,” the University of Waterloo said in a tweet late Wednesday. “Hagey Hall remains closed until tomorrow morning while police continue their investigation. There continues to be no further threat to our campus community.”
“Activities and classes in Hagey Hall will resume as scheduled” on Thursday, the university confirmed on their website.
The investigation is ongoing by Waterloo Regional Police Service’s General Investigations Unit and Forensics Identification Unit and anyone with information is asked to call police at 519-570-9777.
(NEW YORK) — Millions of Americans are on alert for unhealthy air quality as smoke from wildfires in neighboring Canada drifts to the United States.
Wildfires have burned a record of more than 19.5 million acres across Canada so far this year, with no end in sight. There are nearly 500 active wildfires throughout the country and over 250 have been deemed out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. The smoke has been making its way to the U.S. for more than a month.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jun 29, 5:20 AM EDT
Videos show Canadian wildfire smoke casting haze over US cities
Videos verified by ABC News show smoke from Canada’s wildfires casting a haze over several U.S. cities on Wednesday.
One video, taken by a driver and posted on Twitter, shows the wildfire smoke hanging over a highway near Lawrenceburg, Indiana, as the state and much of the Midwest were under air quality alerts.
Lawrenceburg is located some 100 miles southeast of Indianapolis, near the state border with Ohio and Kentucky. The city is about 25 miles west of Cincinnati, Ohio.
-ABC News’ Matthew Holroyd
Jun 28, 6:05 PM EDT
Over 100 million Americans under air quality alerts
Air quality alerts remain in effect for more than 100 million Americans across the Midwest and into the Northeast Wednesday evening, as wildfire smoke from neighboring Canada blankets large swaths of the United States.
Air quality alerts remain in effect for more than 100 million Americans across the…Read More
Hard-hit Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis remain among the top five places in the world with the worst air quality as of Wednesday evening.
The air quality alerts are mainly for people in sensitive groups who have upper respiratory issues.
Near-surface smoke is expected to stretch from Wisconsin to Kentucky and into t…Read More
The near-surface smoke is expected to stretch from Wisconsin to Kentucky and into the Carolinas Wednesday evening. Some of the smoke will likely make its way into the mid-Atlantic overnight. Pittsburgh to Syracuse are forecast to see hazy, smoky skies and poor air quality Wednesday night.
Through Thursday, the smoke is expected to move out of the Midwest and linger farther east but not be as heavy. No significant smoke issues are forecast at this time for major Northeast cities, including New York City.
-ABC News’ Melissa Griffin
Jun 28, 1:10 PM EDT
Air quality health advisory issued in New York
While the poor air quality is mostly hovering over the Midwest, the dangerous smoke is also drifting toward the East Coast.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has expanded Wednesday’s air quality health advisory to include the entire state.
“Air in Western New York, Central New York, and the Eastern Lake Ontario regions is forecast to be ‘Unhealthy,'” Hochul’s office said. “The forecast for the remainder of the state, including New York City and Long Island, is ‘Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups.'”
Jun 28, 12:39 PM EDT
Chicago’s Air Quality Alert in effect until Wednesday night
In Chicago, where the Air Quality Index is in the “very unhealthy” category, an Air Quality Alert is in effect until Wednesday night.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is urging “particularly sensitive populations, including individuals with heart or lung disease, older adults, pregnant people, and young children” to avoid outdoor activities.
Camps have been moved indoors where possible, the mayor said, and he’s encouraging “Chicagoans without access to properly ventilated and safe indoor conditions” to “please utilize our public libraries, senior centers, Park District facilities, and the Cultural Center or the six community service centers that operate from 9am-5pm.”
Jun 28, 12:30 PM EDT
White House monitoring air quality issues as Biden visits Chicago
President Joe Biden has touched down in Chicago for fundraising and an economic address, and the White House said his schedule has not been modified due to the poor air quality in the city.
“No modifications to today’s schedule that I’m aware of as a result of this,” principal deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton said. “But certainly, we are monitoring the air quality issues across the country closely and federal agencies are ensuring that federal resources are available in affected regions as appropriate.”
The Air Quality Index in hazy Chicago reached 207 on Wednesday morning. Any number over 100 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Jun 28, 8:59 AM EDT
Where the smoke is concentrating and why
The latest round of unhealthy air quality due to smoke from wildfires in Canada has pushed into the United States, and it’s ability to concentrate over areas from Wisconsin to Kentucky is aided by recent storms that spawned tornadoes, large hail and [damaging winds]).
Winds at the mid-levels of the atmosphere are causing the Canadian wildfire smoke to concentrate over a specific area of the midwestern and eastern U.S.
Meanwhile, a heat dome that’s been causing stagnant deadly heat in the Deep South for weeks is keeping the smoke largely out of the region.
The next round of widespread showers and thunderstorms for this area of the eastern Midwest and the East is forecast to arrive on Friday and continue through the weekend, which will clear the smoke.
But as long as the wildfires continue to rage in Canada, these events of dense smoke plumes will likely continue to disperse into the U.S. Canada’s wildfire activity typically peaks from June to August.
Jun 28, 7:59 AM EDT
What to know about the Air Quality Index from wildfire smoke and how it affects human health
Heavy blankets of smoke billowing over the United States from wildfires burning in neighboring Canada are threatening the health of millions of people — even non-vulnerable populations with no preexisting conditions. But what about the smoke makes it so hazardous for humans to be around?
Wildfire smoke contains fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, which are microscopic solid or liquid droplets — often 30 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair — that can be inhaled and cause serious health problems, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Most particles form in the atmosphere as a result of complex reactions of chemicals, such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides — pollutants emitted from power plants, industries and automobiles. But wildfires likely contain PM2.5 that is up to 10 times more harmful than the same type of air pollution coming from combustion activity, according to a 2021 study conducted in California.
PM2.5 is considered unhealthy for “Code Orange” and sensitive groups once the Air Quality Index surpasses 100, according to AirNow, a website that publishes air quality data. Once the AQI surpasses 150, it is considered “Code Red,” unhealthy for some members of the general public who may experience health effects, with sensitive groups experiencing more severe effects.
The AQI is at “Code Purple” once it surpasses 200, considered “very unhealthy” with increased health risk for all populations. “Code Maroon” is labeled as “hazardous” and a health warning for emergency conditions once the AQI reaches 300 and higher.
At Code Maroon, “everyone is more likely to be affected,” according to AirNow.
A “good” AQI is measured at 50 and below, and a “moderate” air quality index ranks between 51 and 100.
Jun 28, 7:45 AM EDT
Chicago air quality hits ‘very unhealthy’ category
As Canadian wildfire smoke infiltrates the midwestern United States, the air in Chicago has deteriorated to the Air Quality Index’s> “very unhealthy” category.
The AQI in hazy Chicago reached 250 on Tuesday afternoon. Any number over 100 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.
“We recommend children, teens, seniors, people with heart or lung disease, and individuals who are pregnant avoid strenuous activities and limit their time outdoors,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson warned in a statement. “For additional precautions, all Chicagoans may also consider wearing masks, limiting their outdoor exposure, moving activities indoors, running air purifiers, and closing windows.”
The smoke is forecast to clear on Friday when showers and thunderstorms hit the region.
Earlier this month, the AQI in the northeastern U.S. reached near maximum with levels in the high 400s.
Jun 28, 7:03 AM EDT
20 US states under air quality alerts
As of Wednesday morning, 20 U.S. states are under air quality alerts from Minnesota down to Georgia and as far north as western New York.
Wildfire smoke from neighbouring Canada is currently blanketing large swaths of the United States, from Iowa to western Pennsylvania to North Carolina and most everywhere in between. Only Chicago is getting a small reprieve on Wednesday morning due to a lake breeze, which isn’t expected to last for long.
Later on Wednesday, the smoke is expected to cover areas from Minnesota to Washington, D.C. and down to the Carolinas.
By early Thursday morning, the smoke will be seen in Minneapolis, Chicago, Indianapolis, Atlanta and Pittsburgh. But by the afternoon, it will linger from Detroit to Atlanta and east to Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.
New York City could be impacted as well, but most of the smoke from the Canadian wildfires is expected to stay in western New York state, Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey.
(PARIS) — Protesters set cars and buildings ablaze across France in a second night of violent unrest since police shot and killed a teenager in a Paris suburb.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin took to Twitter on Thursday morning to condemn the “night of unbearable violence.” He said 150 people were arrested around the country as police stations, schools and town halls were “set on fire or attacked.”
“Support for the police, gendarmes and firefighters who face up with courage,” Darmanin tweeted. “Shame on those who did not call for calm.”
French President Emmanuel Macron called the violence “unjustifiable.”
While tensions remained highest in the Paris region, the rioting spread to other towns and cities across France on Wednesday night, including Lille and Rennes in the north and Toulouse in the south.
The previous night’s unrest was concentrated in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, where the fatal shooting took place. Overall, 31 people were arrested, 25 police officers were injured and 40 cars were burned on Tuesday night, according to Darmanin. In response, the interior minister ordered the deployment of 2,000 law enforcement officers in the Paris region and around other big cities on Wednesday to “maintain order.”
A 17-year-old driver was shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic check in Nanterre on Tuesday morning. The officer was subsequently detained on suspicion of manslaughter amid an ongoing investigation into the incident, according to the local prosecutor’s office.
During a press conference on Thursday morning, the Nanterre prosecutor said the officer did not meet the requirements to discharge his weapon and will remain in custody awaiting trial.
France’s Inspectorate General of the National Police, which investigates allegations of police misconduct, is also conducting a probe into the fatal shooting.
Lawyers for the victim’s family identified him as 17-year-old Nael M. and said they intend to file complaints against the officer who fired the lethal shot and another officer who was at the scene.
Nael’s mother has called for people to join her in the streets of Nanterre on Thursday afternoon for a march. Nationwide protests are also expected to take place.
France’s president and interior minister have both called for “calm” as authorities investigate the teen’s death. Macron and Darmanin held a crisis meeting on Thursday morning, and all cabinet ministers have been asked to cancel their engagements in the upcoming days.
(NEW YORK) — Researchers in Australia have found that for low back pain sufferers in their mid-40s, opioids don’t mitigate pain any better than a placebo. Among the study’s participants, the placebo gave slightly more positive results in helping manage pain.
Close to 350 participants – 51% male and 49% female, and with a median age of 44 – were enrolled in the study led by researchers at the University of Sydney, and shared by medical journal The Lancet. Recruited through primary care clinics and emergency departments, the study participants were randomly assigned either an opioid or placebo to treat lower back pain or neck pain.
Across the six-week treatment period, there was no difference in the pain levels reported by the participants. Although the scientists noted the disparity was not statistically significant, the placebo group reported a slightly lower pain intensity at 2.25, while the opioid group reported 2.75. Physical functioning and quality of life – other metrics used in the study – also trended in favor of the placebo group, but the difference was not significant, the study noted.
Participants recruited did not have medical problems of greater severity, such as a fracture, and they also did not previously suffer from back pain.
Both the placebo and opioid treatment groups were permitted to receive additional non-opioid treatments like non-prescription pain medicines during the study. However, only 58% of the participants adhered to taking the opiate or placebo.
Patients that did not provide adequate follow-up results were excluded from the analysis.
Professor Andrew McLachlan, dean of Sydney Pharmacy School and a co-author of the research, told ABC News that with opioids not recommended, other courses of treatment should be the focus.
“Managing low back pain requires careful assessment to check for serious causes and reassurance that most people will recover if they can stay active,” he said via email. “Treatments such as the application of heat and also anti-inflammatory medicines may be help[ful] in people who can take these medicines.”
He also advised that anyone currently using opioids for pain management should consult their doctor or pharmacist before abruptly stopping those medications.
“Stopping opioid medicines may require a gradual reduction in dose to avoid some of the harmful and unpleasant withdrawal effects of these medicines,” he added.
The findings of the study were particularly relevant in light of the continuing opioid crisis in the U.S., with the drugs becoming the leading cause of overdose deaths among all ages since 2016, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
(NEW YORK) — Afghanistan War veteran Jason Kander says he was a few months into therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder when he realized, for the first time, that recovery is not only possible, but common.
“My therapist had to explain to me that it is normal to get better,” Kander said in an interview with ABC News’ Linsey Davis. “That most people who commit to the program actually achieve post-traumatic growth, meaning they get to a point where PTSD no longer is disruptive to their life.”
It was this hopeful perspective filmmakers sought to put at the forefront of “Here. Is. Better.,” a new documentary that follows four veterans, including Kander, as they go through some of “the most clinically effective, evidence-based trauma psychotherapies for PTSD,” according to the film’s synopsis.
The three treatments featured in the documentary are cognitive processing therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, and prolonged exposure therapy, according to the filmmakers.
“I said yes to [being featured], because I could tell that what they wanted to do was to tell a story that was so different than the way PTSD is usually depicted,” Kander said, adding that he believes “a sense of voyeurism” of people in the throes of the illness is often what gets portrayed onscreen and in the news.
Kander enlisted in the Army National Guard after 9/11 and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2006, serving as a military intelligence officer, investigating those suspected of corruption, espionage, drug trafficking and facilitating Al Qaeda and the Taliban, according to his biography on the documentary’s website. When he returned home, he was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives, serving from 2009 to 2013, and later as the Missouri secretary of state. He was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Missouri in 2016 and narrowly lost.
But a “deep internal turmoil” was brewing underneath the surface, according to the biography. For years, Kander suffered nightmares related to his time in Afghanistan, was “frequently angry” and had a “heightened sense of alertness” that began to negatively affect his family.
People diagnosed with PTSD have intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings that last long after a traumatic event ended, according to the American Psychiatric Association. They may relive the traumatic event through flashbacks or nightmares and may avoid situations that remind them of the event. They may also feel sadness, fear or anger and detached from other people around them.
While running for mayor of Kansas City in Oct. 2018, Kander announced publicly he was walking away from politics and seeking help for his mental health at the Kansas City VA.
When the documentary began filming, it was Kander’s first time speaking about his experience since completing a course of treatment based on prolonged exposure therapy, according to the filmmakers. At the time, his emotions were still raw.
Prolonged exposure therapy is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that teaches patients to “gradually approach trauma-related memories, feelings, and situations” they have been avoiding since the trauma, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs website.
Kander recorded these therapy sessions on his iPhone and shared them with the filmmaking team to give an inside look at the process.
Others featured in the documentary are John, a Vietnam War veteran still haunted by events that happened over 50 years ago, Teresa, a veteran who witnessed an IED explosion in Iraq that nearly killed her future husband, and Tabitha, a veteran deployed to Iraq who was sexually assaulted early in her training. Only the first names of John, Tabitha and Teresa are used in the documentary.
Tabitha and Teresa received their treatment at the Cincinnati VA Trauma Recovery Program, which is featured in the film. An average of 210 people go through its residential program per year; 70% of participants who complete the program no longer meet the criteria for PTSD, a spokesperson for the documentary said.
PTSD is slightly more common among veterans than civilians, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. An estimated 7% of veterans will have PTSD in their lifetime, while 6% of every adult will have PTSD in their lifetime.
Research shows that deployment increases the risk of PTSD — with some studies showing that PTSD is three times more likely among veterans who deployed compared to those of the same service era who did not, according to the VA.
“I think it was important to deliver a hopeful, but not sugarcoated message, about what recovery looks like and various paths to treatment, at least to open to the door to the possibility that people would seek treatment. That was the most important part for all of us,” director Jack Youngelson told ABC News.
ABC News’ Penelope Lopez, Andrea Amiel and Sarah Baniak contributed to this report.
(ST JOHN’S, Canada) — Debris recovered from the submersible that catastrophically imploded while on a voyage to see the Titanic wreckage last week contained “presumed human remains,” the U.S. Coast Guard said.
Salvaged pieces of the Titan vessel were unloaded from the Canadian ship Horizon Arctic at the Canadian Coast Guard pier in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Wednesday morning.
The U.S. Coast Guard said later Wednesday it has received the debris and evidence, including “presumed human remains,” that had been recovered from the ocean floor in the incident, in which five people died.
The evidence will be transported to a port in the U.S. for “further analysis and testing” by the Marine Board of Investigation, the Coast Guard said.
“The evidence will provide investigators from several international jurisdictions with critical insights into the cause of this tragedy,” Marine Board of Investigation Chair Capt. Jason Neubauer said in a statement. “There is still a substantial amount of work to be done to understand the factors that led to the catastrophic loss of the TITAN and help ensure a similar tragedy does not occur again.”
The Marine Board of Investigation has been in contact with the families of those who were aboard the Titan, a source familiar with the situation told ABC News.
The development comes nearly a week after a remotely operated vehicle discovered remnants of the missing OceanGate submersible on the ocean floor. Debris, including the tail cone, was found about 1,600 feet from the bow of the wrecked Titanic on June 22, four days after the launch of the doomed tourist expedition.
Additional debris found was “consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber,” according to Rear Adm. John Mauger, commander of the First Coast Guard District.
The Canadian Coast Guard said at the time it would remain on scene and “provide assistance and support to the recovery and salvage operations as requested by Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Boston.”
The U.S. Coast Guard is leading an investigation into the deadly incident, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, which said it will “contribute to their efforts.”
Former National Transportation Safety Board investigator Tom Haueter called the probe “uncharted territory” that could take “months” to analyze the failures.
“This is the first fatality on a passenger carriage submarine I can think of and certainly the first one going into Titanic at this depth,” Haueter told ABC News.
Haueter said a big part of the investigation will involve metallurgy specialists looking at the materials the submersible was made of to see what could have failed. The pressure vessel area — the compartment where the passengers were — may also reveal what failed, he said.
“Was it a hatch failure or is it the bolts on the hatch? Was it part of the composite shell?” Haueter said. “And taking a look at all these different pieces to see, is there fatigue crack?”
Investigators will also look at its design, diving history and maintenance, he said. What is learned could improve what he called a very small industry.
“I think there are things they’ll be able to learn to say, OK, if we’re going to do this again and allow people to descend to these incredible depths and amazingly high pressures, that here’s things that should be considered when developing these types of vehicles,” Haueter said.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police also said over the weekend that they are “examining the circumstances” of the deaths on board the Titan and will launch a full investigation if “the circumstances indicate criminal, federal or provincial laws may possibly have been broken.”
ABC News’ Luke Barr and Amanda Maile contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — The White House revealed on Wednesday that President Joe Biden has begun using a CPAP machine to deal with longstanding sleep apnea.
“Since 2008, the President has disclosed his history with sleep apnea in thorough medical reports. He used a CPAP machine last night, which is common for people with that history,” deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement.
Here what the condition is and how it can be treated:
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a sleep condition in which breathing suddenly stops and starts repeatedly while a person is sleeping.
There are two main types of sleep apnea. The first is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is the most common form and occurs when throat muscles relax and block air flow to the lungs, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.
The second form, central sleep apnea (CSA), occurs when the brain doesn’t properly send signals to the muscles that control breathing.
Other symptoms include frequent loud snoring and gasping for air during sleep. While awake, a person may notice symptoms including fatigue, dry mouth and headaches, waking up to urinate at night and sexual dysfunction or lower libido.
How is sleep apnea diagnosed?
If a person is believed to be suffering from sleep apnea, their health care provider may refer them to a sleep disorder center to run tests and monitor patients overnight.
One test, known as a nocturnal polysomnography, involves hooking a patient up to equipment that monitors heart, lung and brain activity; blood oxygen levels; breathing patterns; and arm and leg movements during sleep, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Home sleep tests can also be performed, which involve measuring a patient’s heart rate, airflow, blood oxygen levels and breathing patterns during sleep but at home rather than at a clinic.
The American Medical Association estimates about 30 million people in the United States have sleep apnea, but only six million are diagnosed with the condition.
Is sleep apnea serious?
Millions of people may suffer from sleep apnea, making the condition seem harmless, but it can be serious.
Complications of OSA include heart issues, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or liver problems while CSA can lead to cardiovascular complications, the Mayo Clinic said.
Both types of sleep apnea can cause daytime drowsiness or tiredness, which can lead to trouble focusing or concentrating.
What is a CPAP machine?
A CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure machine, is a common form of treatment for sleep apnea.
CPAP machines keep the airways open so people can receive oxygen while they’re sleeping. They can not only improve sleep quality but reduce the risk of health issues including heart attack and stroke, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Different types of masks are available including one that just covers the nostril area, one that covers the nose, and a full mask that covers the nose and mouth.
