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Russian military leaders were aware of mutiny plan: US officials

June 28, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The United States assesses that members of Russia’s military leadership were aware of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s planned mutiny before he marched on Moscow, according to Biden administration officials.

One senior official told ABC News’ Martha Raddatz that General Sergei Surovikin, who was previously Russia’s top commander in Ukraine, and others had conversations with Prigozhin before he instructed his paramilitary group to storm the capital city, resulting in the greatest threat to Russian President Vladimir Putin since he came into power more than two decades ago.

Nicknamed “General Armageddon,” Surovikin is known to have had a close relationship with Prigozhin in the past. He was also one of the first high-ranking Russian officials to call on Prigozhin to abandon his march in a video message posted on Friday.

The U.S. believes that Prigozhin thought some among the top brass would join his cause although they ultimately did not, and now Putin wants to investigate possible coordination between his military and the mercenary leader, the official added.

But Putin’s desire to carry out such a probe may be overshadowed by his need to project strength and unity among Russia’s top ranks during the precarious time.

The Kremlin has been trying to downplay the risk Putin faced last weekend, and while the Russian president has said little in the wake of the uprising — giving only brief televised remarks on Monday evening — his ardent ally Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko has been enlisted as a de facto spokesperson.

Lukashenko, who purportedly brokered the deal that abruptly ended the mutiny and is currently playing host to Prigozhin, also claimed he talked Putin out of killing his former friend.

Sources within the administration say that U.S. intelligence assesses that the Kremlin instructed Lukashenko to emphasize Putin’s initial inclination to kill Prigozhin in an attempt to perpetuate Putin’s image as a strongman.

Prigozhin used a false pretext to lead his forces in an armed insurrection against the Russian state, claiming that his forces had been bombed to justify actions against Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Russian defense leaders, according to one senior U.S. official.

Prigozhin is surrounded by his own security force, which is comprised of Wagner mercenaries, and is said to be in a “forlorn” and “uncertain” mood, a U.S. official said.

Publicly, leaders in Washington have sought to walk a fine line in the wake of the revolt, declining to even characterize Prigozhin’s march on Moscow, which saw his fighters temporarily overtake Russian military facilities and come within a hundred miles of the city while facing limited opposition.

President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that Putin had “absolutely” been weakened by Prigozhin’s challenge, but to what extent was “hard to tell.”

A White House spokesperson also declined to say whether the White House believed top Russian military leaders had advanced knowledge of Prigozhin’s mutiny, calling it “an internal matter in Russia.”

At an event in New York, Secretary of State Antony Blinken was also asked about the latest developments involving Prigozhin and Moscow, where he predicted there would be more fallout to come.

“This is a moving picture, and I don’t think we’ve seen the last act,” Blinken said. “We have to have a certain amount of humility in any predictions we make.”

ABC News’ Ian Pannell, Molly Nagle and Ben Gittleson contributed to this report.

Pope prays for elderly victims of ‘senseless’ Massachusetts triple homicide: Priest

June 28, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(BOSTON) — Shockwaves from the gruesome home-invasion slayings in the Boston area of three elderly members of a devout Catholic family have reached Pope Francis at the Vatican, a priest told grieving parishioners at a service held for the victims.

During a Tuesday night Mass of peace at the Our Lady Help of Christians Church in Newton, Massachusetts, Rev. Dan Riley said Cardinal Sean O’Malley, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Boston, called him from Rome to inform him that he is praying for the victims’ family with the pope.

“He was about to go into a meeting with the pope and he promised that he would inform the pope of what happened and that he and the pope would pray out loud together, specifically for the family,” Riley said.

Bruno and Gilda “Jill” D’Amore and Jill’s 97-year-old mother, Lucia Arpino, were found stabbed and beaten to death Sunday morning by a church parishioner who went to their home to check on them after the D’Amores failed to show up at a service commemorating their 50th wedding anniversary, officials said.

Terrance Donilon, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Boston, confirmed to ABC News on Wednesday that O’Malley and Pope Francis prayed together for the victims of what O’Malley described in a statement as “brutal and senseless murders.”

“They loved Christ and the Church. On the day of their murders, Gilda and Bruno were to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary at Our Lady Help of Christians. They lived their Catholic faith proudly and in service to the Church,” O’Malley said in a statement, adding that he plans to offer Mass for the victims at St. Peter’s Basilica.

The Mass Tuesday night in Newton drew hundreds of community residents and was held just after the suspect in the triple homicide, 41-year-old Christopher Ferguson, pleaded not guilty at an arraignment in Newton District Court to one count of murder and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury.

The single murder count is based on an autopsy by the state’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which ruled 73-year-old Jill D’Amore’s death to be a homicide, Middlesex Assistant District Attorney Nicole Allain said in court. The autopsies for Jill D’Amore’s husband, 74-year-old Bruno D’Amore, and her mother, 97-year-old Lucia Arpino, were expected to be completed Tuesday and prosecutors said they anticipate filing two more murder counts against Ferguson as early as Wednesday.

A motive in the case remains under investigation though police have said the home invasion and killings appeared to be a possible “random” act of violence.

Ferguson attended the hearing via Zoom. His attorney, Dmitry Lev, did not object to the prosecution’s request to hold Ferguson without bail.

Middlesex County District Attorney Ryan disclosed at a news conference this week that the autopsy performed on Jill D’Amore determined she suffered more than 30 stab and blunt force trauma injuries, primarily to the upper part of her body and head. The prosecutor also said investigators found obvious signs of an intense struggle in one of the bedrooms of the D’Amore home, including broken furniture and a crystal paperweight covered in blood.

A friend who went to the D’Amore’s home just after 10 a.m. on Sunday discovered the bodies of the three victims in the same bedroom, Middlesex County Assistant District Attorney Nicole Allaine said at Ferguson’s arraignment.

Police found signs of a forced entry in the basement of the D’Amore’s home and bare footprints matching those of Ferguson on the tile floor of the residents, Allain said.

Ryan said video surveillance footage from a home near the D’Amore residence captured Ferguson in the neighborhood at 5:20 a.m. on Sunday. He was shirtless, barefoot and walking with a staggering gait.

Ryan said several Newton police officers recognized Ferguson from prior contact with him. She said Ferguson is believed to live at a residence four-tenths of a mile from the D’Amore home.

A neighbor of the suspect told ABC Boston affiliate station WCVB that Ferguson “struggles with mental health issues.”

Ferguson’s next court date is scheduled for July 25.

DOJ announces 78 people charged over $2.5 billion in false health care billings

June 28, 2023 by WDNY Radio

DOJ announces 78 people charged over .5 billion in false health care billings

(WASHINGTON) — The Justice Department on Wednesday announced a nationwide health care fraud crackdown that resulted in charges against 78 defendants in separate schemes that totaled more than $2.5 billion in alleged fraudulent billings, marking what Attorney General Merrick Garland called “one of the largest health care fraud schemes ever prosecuted by the Justice Department.”

The charges across 17 separate federal districts include cases against at least 24 doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals accused of various schemes defrauding programs in which the victims largely included those in vulnerable populations — including the elderly, disabled, pregnant women and those with HIV.

As part of the coordinated law enforcement actions between the DOJ, FBI, DEA, HHS Inspector General and other agency partners, the operations also resulted in seizures of more than $10.3 million in assets that included bank accounts, cars, a boat and several homes.

“These enforcement actions, including against one of the largest health care fraud schemes ever prosecuted by the Justice Department, represent our intensified efforts to combat fraud and prosecute the individuals who profit from it,” Garland said in a statement announcing the charges. “The Justice Department will find and bring to justice criminals who seek to defraud Americans and steal from taxpayer-funded programs.”

The cases unsealed over a two-week period this month included “one of the largest health care fraud schemes ever prosecuted” by the department, in which two top executives and a former executive of an internet platform were charged for submitting roughly $1.9 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare, officials said Wednesday.

The three individuals are alleged to have used their platform DMERx as a means to connect pharmacies and medical equipment suppliers to telemedicine companies who would in turn accept kickbacks and bribes on orders for orthotic braces and prescription pain creams that were not eligible for reimbursement from Medicare. They allegedly programmed the platform to generate templates of false doctors’ orders for the products that were hawked to elderly and disabled people as part of a massive telemarketing operation, resulting in more than $1.96 billion in false claims to Medicare.

In another case announced Wednesday, an owner and corporate officer from a pharmaceutical company were charged for a fraud scheme alleging the company repackaged more than $150 million worth of HIV medication on the street and from patients and then unlawfully resold that medication to pharmacies in order to dispense to patients in need. In some cases, bottles of that medication included wrong or broken pills and even pebbles.

Earlier this month, a person was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in a related scheme where he repackaged drugs and tried to sell them to wholesale companies, using the proceeds to buy things like a $280,000 Lamborghini, a $220,000 Mercedes and three boats.

Which US cities are forecast to be impacted by smoke from wildfires in Canada

June 28, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The hundreds of wildfires burning in Canada are continuing to cause poor air quality conditions for millions of residents in the U.S.

On Wednesday, the National Weather Service issued air quality alerts for at least 20 states from Minnesota and as far south as Georgia. The unhealthy air quality alerts even extended to the Northeast including all of New York state and New Jersey.

The smoke will linger over Minnesota to Washington, D.C., and down to Carolinas on Wednesday afternoon.

By Thursday morning, cities such as Minneapolis, Chicago, Indianapolis, Atlanta and Pittsburgh will be affected by smoke, forecasts show.

The smoke will linger from Detroit to Atlanta and east to Washington, D.C., and near Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon.

The poor air quality is not expected to affect New York City, but will stay in western New York, Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey, forecasts show.

Smoke from the nearly 500 wildfires burning in Canada has been making its way to the U.S. for more than a month, after an unprecedented start to the season in which a record 19.5 million acres has already burned. Canada has also broken its record for annual wildfire smoke emissions.

There is no end in sight for the wildfires due to dry conditions and extreme heat in the region.

Some regions in the Midwest measured at the lowest air quality in the world on Tuesday morning, including regions surrounding Minnesota, according to IQAir, which monitors air quality worldwide.

Chicago air quality hit the “very unhealthy” category on Tuesday afternoon as the Air Quality Index soared to 250. Any number over 100 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, and 250, or “Code Purple,” is considered very unhealthy for all groups.

Once the AQI reaches 151 and above, breathing the polluted air could cause a host of symptoms — even in healthy people with no preexisting conditions — including weakening the immune system and causing damage to the body, including the lungs and heart.

Exposure to concentrated amounts of PM2.5 can cause short-term effects such as irritation of the eyes, nose and throat; coughing, sneezing and shortness of breath, and long-term effects such as worsening of conditions including asthma and heart disease, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Debris from Titan submersible brought ashore after catastrophic implosion

June 28, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(ST JOHN’S, Canada) — Debris from the submersible that imploded while on a voyage to see the Titanic wreckage last week has been brought ashore.

The Canadian Press captured pieces of the Titan vessel being unloaded from the Canadian ship Horizon Arctic at the Canadian Coast Guard pier in St. John’s, Newfoundland, on Wednesday.

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. Five people were aboard the submersible when it imploded.

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.”

Additionally, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police 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.”

Despite harmless powder, mysterious letters in 3 states could get someone killed, says top cop

June 28, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(TOPEKA, Kan.) — While the mysterious white powder inside scores of envelopes sent to Republican lawmakers and officials in at least three states has been deemed harmless, investigators say the mailings could still get someone killed.

“This isn’t just a statement that somebody is trying to make. This is costing us the ability to save lives in Kansas,” said Tony Mattivi, director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, which led what Mattivi called the “unprecedented investigation” when more than 100 envelopes containing the powder and a threatening note were discovered this month in Kansas.

After more letters were sent to officials in Tennessee and Montana — and even to Donald Trump, according to federal officials — the FBI took over the case.

In an interview with ABC News, Mattivi described how for four days the Kansas Bureau of Investigation was forced to focus nearly all of its resources on responding to the letters.

“We just don’t know at the early stages how much of a threat it is … We have no choice,” Mattivi said.

At one point, “every single bomb squad [and] every single hazmat unit in the state of Kansas, whether federal, state or local” was dealing with this case, Mattivi said. “This was a massive resource drain.”

According to Mattivi, his agency was stretched so thin responding to the letters that it was unable to intercept a substantial shipment of fentanyl that agents knew was coming.

When the agency did try to grab the shipment, it was too late — and having another law enforcement agency take action earlier wasn’t an option because that would have required “significant coordination” and time, which the agency didn’t have, Mattivi said.

“We have no idea how many overdoses and deaths are going to take place when we had a realistic likelihood of being able to intercept that shipment in the first place,” Mattivi said of the missed fentanyl bust.

“This threat, it was not harmless,” Mattivi said of the mailings.

The letters obtained so far appear to be largely the same: They come in standard white envelopes with false return addresses, and contain a white powder along with a cryptic letter telling recipients, “It is important not to choke on your ambition,” according to officials and a copy of one letter posted online.

One Kansas state lawmaker who received a letter said it had a fake return address for a local church — a ploy he believes was designed to make it appear it was from a constituent. In at least some cases, names on the return addresses were believed to be those of transgender people who had died, recipients told ABC News.

“Someone put a lot of thought and a lot of effort into the research that they did,” Kansas state Rep. Stephen Owens said.

Asked if whoever’s sending the letters is specifically driven by politics, considering that so many recipients are Republican, Mattivi said: “We’re looking at a wide range of motives. Nothing’s off the table at this point.”

The FBI, in a statement, said, “Law enforcement and public safety officials are working to determine how many letters were sent, the individual or individuals responsible for the letters, and the motive behind the letters.”

Mattivi expressed confidence that those responsible will be caught.

“I’m optimistic that we’re going to make an apprehension here,” he said.

ABC News’ Jay O’Brien contributed to this report.

Delta plane lands safely at Charlotte airport without front landing gear

June 28, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(CHARLOTTE, N.C.) — A Delta plane landed safely at Charlotte Douglas International Airport Wednesday morning without its front landing gear, according to the airline.

Passenger Chris Skotarczak told ABC News there was no chaos on board during the landing, and he praised the crew for their work.

No injuries were reported among the two pilots, three flight attendants or 96 customers on board the Boeing 717, Delta said. The flight had left from Atlanta earlier in the morning.

Delta said its pilots received a “nose gear unsafe” indication and flew by the Charlotte airport’s air traffic control tower to allow air traffic control an opportunity to “visually inspect the plane.” That showed the nose landing gear doors were open, but the nose gear itself remained in the up position, Delta said.

Pilots declared an emergency on board and passengers said they were briefed by flight attendants. Passengers said it was a smooth landing, even though they were told to brace for a rough touchdown.

Passengers said clapping erupted once the plane touched down and they then deplaned using the slide.

Delta said in a statement: “While this is a rare occurrence, Delta flight crews train extensively to safely manage through many scenarios and flight 1092 landed safely without reported injuries. Our next focus is to take care of our customers on this flight, including retrieving their bags and seeing them to their final destinations safely. We apologize to our customers for what they experienced.”

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the flight landed with its nose gear up and said it will investigate.

ABC News’ Sam Sweeney, Amanda Maile and Lena Camilletti contributed to this report.

US economy ‘quite resilient,’ Fed Chair Jerome Powell says

June 28, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday voiced an optimistic message about the U.S. economy and downplayed the threat of a recession.

“The U.S. economy has actually been quite resilient,” Powell said in Sentra, Portugal, at a conference organized by the European Central Bank.

While acknowledging that a recession is “certainly possible,” he said such an outcome is “not the most likely case.”

“The economy is resilient and still growing, albeit at a modest pace,” he added.

The remarks arrived two weeks after the Federal Reserve paused its aggressive series of interest rate hikes, ending a string of 10 consecutive rate increases that stretched back 15 months.

The Federal Reserve has aimed to roll back price increases by slowing down the economy and slashing consumer demand. The approach, however, risks tipping the economy into a recession.

Inflation has fallen significantly from a peak last summer but remains at a level double the Federal Reserve’s target of 2%.

Data released in recent months suggests that the policy approach has succeeded in slowing economic activity while averting a downturn.

U.S. gross domestic product grew by a sluggish 1.1% annualized rate over the three months ending in March, according to government data.

Consumer spending and hiring, meanwhile, have remained solid.

A jobs report earlier this month showed that the labor market grew robustly in May, adding 339,000 jobs compared to Wall Street estimates of just 195,000.

“The labor market is really pulling the economy,” Powell said. “It’s a very strong labor market.”

Despite continued strength, labor market growth has slowed from its previous breakneck pace, suggesting that demand for workers has waned and in turn employers have faced less pressure to offer high wages, Powell said.

A slowdown of wage increases offers hope for the inflation fight, he added.

“We’re getting the softening we need,” Powell said. “We’re getting it slower than expected but it’s nonetheless happening.”

“In my view, the least unlikely case is that we do find a way to better balance without a severe downturn,” he added.

What’s fueling the Pakistani migrant exodus that ended in tragedy near Greece

June 28, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The reports of hundreds of Pakistanis losing their lives as they attempted to enter Europe last week sent shockwaves across the country, forcing officials in Islamabad to acknowledge the increasing number of people embarking on perilous journeys.

An estimated 350 Pakistanis were on board the ill-fated and overcrowded boat that sank near Greece on June 14. Pakistan’s interior minister, Rana Sanaullah Khan, said only 104 people, including 12 Pakistanis, were rescued and 82 bodies were recovered.

“So far, 281 families have contacted the government saying their sons or dear ones might have been among those who were on the boat,” Khan said on national TV.

The Greece water tragedy is just the latest incident to shed light on the desperation that’s driving families to undertake dangerous journeys, hoping to find solace and refuge in foreign lands.

A similar incident happened in February. Shahida Raza, a professional national women’s hockey player, was among more than 60 people who died in a shipwreck off the cost of Italy.

“She was a national hero but she left the country for economic reasons and because she did not have a job,” Raza’s close friend, Sumaiya Mushtaq, told ABC News.

“She had a son with disability and, as a mother, she decided to leave the country because she would do anything for a better future for her son,” Mushtaq added. “When I heard the news, it was like I had died. I was devastated. Life [had stood] still for me.”

With a population of 250 million, Pakistan struggles with many economic and political crises. Human trafficking has become a thriving business, costing those who want to leave fees between $5,000 to $10,000, depending on the destination.

Khan noted that “hardly” any trafficker has been punished. But he added that laws are being amended so the “mafias involved in this heinous act can be punished.”

It’s not only the destitute who are fleeing the country; large numbers of educated youth are leaving the country in search of a better future.

Pakistan’s inflation rate is an unprecedented 38%, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Industries are closing, unemployment is on the rise and people are finding it hard to survive on their earnings.

Sher Ali, 42, is forced to work for daily wages after losing his job as a factory worker. Ali told ABC News he can “barely feed his family of seven.”

Political polarization and tensions have also created confusion in the country.

“[The] political system has crippled the entire social fabric of the country,” Mian Aamer Mumtaz told ABC News.

He is the chief executive officer of an international consulting firm in Pakistan.

“The youth is no exception,” Mumtaz said. “Since they believe there is no concept of merit … [they] look for opportunities outside Pakistan where at least the system provides them opportunities to work hard and earn a decent living.”

Added Mushtaq: “There is no future for anyone here. When I open my eyes in the morning I wonder if my life is going to end like Shahida … it is very difficult to survive in Pakistan under this circumstance.”

Reunite with your cash: How to find out if you have unclaimed money

June 28, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Across the nation, more than $20 billion is waiting to be reclaimed by citizens who may not even know they may be owed cash from “unclaimed property,” which can include uncashed paychecks, refunds or deposits.

“It turns out so many people have unclaimed property. You may be in for a very pleasant surprise,” said Deb Goldberg, Massachusetts state treasurer and receiver general.

According to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA), one in seven Americans has unclaimed property. Even if you’ve checked in the past and didn’t find any unclaimed property, NAUPA suggests checking for annual updates — you might be surprised by what you’ll find.

Here’s how to check to see if you have unclaimed cash:

MissingMoney.com

MissingMoney.com is endorsed by both the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators and the National Association of State Treasurers. The website aims to “facilitate the return of unclaimed money to the rightful owner” using a multi-state database platform to search and claim forgotten funds.

Users can first go to Unclaimed.org or MissingMoney.com to check to see if they have unclaimed property. Then, if found, users are able to submit a free claim through the platform and, if accepted, connect to the state to securely transfer the funds to the owner.

“Since evidence required to complete a claim will vary by state, carefully read and follow the instructions. For other questions related to your claim, please directly contact the state where your claim was filed,” the website states.

Bureau of the Fiscal Service

According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, users can go to a platform to find if unclaimed funds are being held by the federal government.

However, it’s important to note that each federal agency maintains its own records and there is no government-wide centralized database on unclaimed government assets, according to the department.

Treasury Direct

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has also launched Treasury Hunt, a tool for users to search for “matured, uncashed savings bonds.” The bonds must be more than 30 years old and no longer earn interest.

IRS refund

If users are looking for more information on a federal tax refund, they can visit the IRS Refunds page.

Users need a Social Security or taxpayer ID number, filing status and the exact refund amount on the return in order to check on the status of the expected refund.

U.S. Department of Housing

The U.S. Department of Housing has set up the HUD Refunds program that allows users to check eligibility for a refund from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or Federal Housing Association (FHA).

Workers Owed Wages

The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has a program that conducts investigations that often recover back wages owed to employees. Here, users can search the Workers Owed Wages website to see if there is unpaid money in their name. If a user is due wages, they can file a claim through the platform to receive them.

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