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Doctors face tough decision to leave states with abortion bans

June 23, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Dr. Nicole Teal, a maternal fetal medicine specialist, had just finished her training in North Carolina, when she was offered a good position in the state that would have allowed her to stay closer to family.

But there was one problem: North Carolina’s 12-week abortion ban set to go into effect on July 1.

She has chosen to move to California.

“Being able to provide abortion care after 20 weeks is really fundamental to my practice and comes up for me on a weekly basis,” Teal told ABC News.

Teal said that she often diagnoses fetal anomalies sometime between 18 and 20 weeks of pregnancy because many anomalies cannot be seen earlier in pregnancy. Providing abortion care could come even later.

Patients often do not develop high-risk conditions until after 21 weeks of pregnancy, Teal said, so the state’s current 20-week ban is already changing how she’s allowed to practice medicine.

“It’s really put me in a position of moral distress on more than one occasion,” Teal said.

In interviews with ABC News, physicians in Texas, North Carolina, Ohio and Florida said they decided to leave their states due, at least largely, to the impact abortion bans have had on their ability to practice medicine and provide the best care possible for patients.

In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending federal protections for abortion rights, at least 15 states have banned or severely restricted abortion.

Even with limited exceptions to abortion in states with bans in place — such as to save the life of the mother — doctors told ABC News it is difficult to determine what patients qualify for care.

Dr. Alireza Shamshirsaz had lived in Houston for close to a decade when he decided to move.

Shamshirsaz is a maternal fetal medicine physician who specializes in fetal surgeries, operating on pregnancies to fix anomalies while babies are in the womb. He worked at one of the best facilities in the country providing surgeries and intervention not available elsewhere, with patients coming from all over the South for care.

He considered many factors, but his decision to move his family from Texas to Boston ultimately hinged on one thing: Texas’ abortion bans.

Ultimately, the limitations bans would impose on his job pushed him to leave the state. Shamshirsaz said physicians in Texas have become collateral damage, with many worrying that they will be targeted. He also said the bans will disproportionately impact women in the South.

“Rich people can do it,” Shamshirsaz said of those able to travel elsewhere for abortions. “Who do we hit? We will hit the low social economy people.”

Shamshirsaz said it is a traumatizing experience to force patients who discover their pregnancies are nonviable or have fatal anomalies to have to continue carrying a pregnancy to term.

“By default, 10% to 20% of patients get postpartum depression,” Shamshirsaz said. “How do you think these people will cope after that type of pressure for months?”

Dr. Jackie Mostow, a family medicine physician who works at a county health clinic in California, told ABC News she had always planned to move back home to Ohio, but that decision now depends on the state’s abortion laws.

Ohio’s six-week abortion ban is temporarily on hold by the state’s Supreme Court while a legal challenge continues.

“The California version of Medicaid pays for abortion care and it’s just common sense that it should be that way. And I think it would be really hard for me to practice somewhere else. I think if I were to move it would be with a goal of trying to push the agenda further and right now, Ohio’s not in a place for that,” Mostow said.

Dr. Kelly Mamelson, a second-year resident who has lived in Florida almost her entire life, told ABC News she plans to leave the state next year and apply for a complex family planning fellowship.

“Those programs only really exist in the Northeast and out west, because it’s complex contraception, and then termination for either elective or medically indicated,” Mamelson said. “But of course, with the new laws, those fellowship training locations are limited now.”

Mamelson said the Florida Supreme Court’s decision on whether it will uphold a 15-week abortion ban, which will also determine whether a six-week ban goes into effect, will be a key factor in determining whether she will return to Florida after her fellowship.

“Not being able to practice the way I was trained and the way that I think is objectively the services that women need the option to have, it would definitely preclude me from working in the state,” Mamelson said.

Mamelson said a lot of her colleagues feel the same way and are disheartened by the fact that they need to travel so far to get abortion training.

Physician shortages, which have predated bans, will only get worse in states with bans, some doctors told ABC News. Knowing how to perform abortions is a skill that could be necessary to save a patient’s life, Shamshirsaz said.

“If you don’t train new people, nobody can do it themselves and therefore these people will end up with lots of disasters and unfortunately, there will be a significant increase in maternal mortality,” Shamshirsaz said.

Dr. Sarah Osmundson, a maternal fetal medicine specialist in Tennessee, told ABC News she has colleagues who have already begun to leave the state because of the bans.

She said she feels a sense of obligation to her community and patients, and will be staying in her state, at least for now.

“Who else is going to care for these patients?” Osmundson said.

“There are some of us that really feel that we need to stay and be part of the care for our very high-risk patients, and to be part of the advocacy that, hopefully, will transform some of these laws so they’re not so dangerous to patient care,” she added.

Progressives launch their own campaign to flip school board seats nationwide

June 23, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A progressive group plans to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars into an effort to elect hundreds of left-leaning school board members across the country — underscoring how those local races are increasingly drawing the attention of noted advocacy groups and politicians.

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) on Friday launched the “Save Our School Boards” campaign to boost more than 200 aligned school board candidates in the upcoming cycle. The group hopes to raise $450,000 to assist with collecting signatures to get on ballots, budgeting, sustaining grassroots support and so on.

Missy Zombor, a PCCC-endorsed and recently elected school board member in Milwaukee, said the support of the organization can be make-or-break for many would-be members, in part because of the scrutiny and competition the races are currently attracting.

“School Board campaigns are some of the most polarizing and difficult political campaigns right now and they are often run by brand-new candidates with little to no campaigning experience. Learning how to build a budget, obtain your voter file, communicate with the media, and prepare for everything else along the way can be daunting,” Zombor said in a statement to ABC News.

Educational issues have become more central to political discourse on the national level, especially on the right, since COVID-19-era restrictions upended schooling after 2020. That includes conversations about what topics are appropriate for which grade levels — particularly lessons around race and LGBTQ issues — and the best balance between the government’s authority in schools versus parents’ ability to decide how their kids are taught.

Last year, for example, San Francisco voters ejected three members of the city school board regarding COVID-19 and virtual learning protocols, marking the first time in the city’s history that members of the board had been recalled.

Focusing on these issues was seen by experts as contributing to the victory of conservatives like Virginia Gov. Glen Youngkin, elected in 2021.

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running for president next year, celebrated his own successful endorsements for a slew of school board candidates in his state in 2022.

“We were able to take school boards that had leftist majorities …. We were able to replace them all across the state,” he said then.

DeSantis championed “parents’ rights” through his Legislature, backing a sweeping and controversial ban on classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity for most K-12 students.

Some high-profile Democrats are mounting their own campaign from the other side of the spectrum, as seen with Illinois’ Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s recent outlaw of book bans.

PCCC’s fundraising launch on Friday comes just a week before conservative nonprofit group Moms for Liberty holds its annual meeting in Philadelphia, where several Republican 2024 hopefuls, and Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr., are slated to speak.

Hannah Riddle, director of PCCC’s candidate services, told ABC News that she sees efforts from the right as “really serious and not theoretical threats.”

PCCC will be focusing its efforts in battlegrounds like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas, as well as Illinois and Virginia, where several school boards seats will see vacancies, Riddle said.

Riddle said that pushing local races can have an impact on broader voter interest and turnout.

“It’s not only training candidates to run for office this year. But it’s also creating infrastructure that exists locally and allows us to build vertically,” she said. “Local races are going to drag a lot of people out to vote next year.”

“A lot of folks are feeling disillusioned by the inflammatory federal messaging that we’re seeing every day in the media,” she argued.

Over 7 million Baby Shark bath toys recalled due to risk of injuries to kids

June 22, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Over seven million Baby Shark bath toys are being recalled due to a risk of injuries for kids, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The CPSC and Zuru, the toys’ manufacturer, have issued a voluntary recall of Baby Shark and Mini Baby Shark Bath Toys with hard plastic top fins.

The top fins on the shark toys pose a risk of “impalement, lacerations and punctures,” according to the CPSC.

The agency said that Zuru, a California-based company, has received 12 reports of kids “falling or sitting onto the recalled full-size Baby Shark bath toy,” resulting in injuries, nine of which required stitches or medical attention.

“There have been no reported incidents or injuries involving the Mini Baby Shark bath toys,” the CPSC said in the recall announcement.

Consumers are advised to “immediately” stop using the recalled toys and contact Zuru for a full refund.

Zuru has instructions on its website to register for the recall.

The bath toys, which retail for between $6 to $20, were sold nationwide at stores including Walmart, CVS Pharmacy, Dollar General Corp., Family Dollar Services, HEB Grocery Company, Meijer, Target, TJX Companies, Ross, and Walgreens, and online at websites including Target.com, Walmart.com and Amazon.com, according to the CPSC.

There are around 7.5 million units of the two products combined currently on the market, according to the CPSC.

Zuru notes on its website that starting in March, it has sold full-size Baby Shark Bath Toys with a silicone top fin. That version of the product is not being recalled.

“If the top fin of your shark is softer to the touch than the body of the shark and there is a visible line separating the silicone and plastic portions of your top fin, then your top fin is silicone and is not being recalled,” the company states online.

FEC says it doesn’t have authority to regulate AI content in political ads

June 22, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Most members of the Federal Election Commission on Thursday said they did not have the authority to act on a petition to impose regulations on content in political ads that was generated by artificial intelligence.

“Our jurisdiction on this point is limited to instances where a campaign fraudulently misrepresents itself as acting on behalf of any other candidate or political party,” Commissioner Allen Dickerson, a Republican, said at the FEC’s public meeting on Thursday.

“Now, with my full support, the commission has asked Congress to expand our jurisdiction,” Dickerson said.

Commissioner Ellen Weintraub, who unsuccessfully voted with other Democrats to open the petition up for public comment, did not weigh in on the question of whether the FEC has jurisdiction but pointed out the value of soliciting outside feedback.

“Frequently, the comments that we get will address whether we have legal grounds to move forward on it, whether we have jurisdiction,” she said. “These are all arguments that are frequently addressed in the comments, and I think it’s important to engage with the public on these topics.”

The meeting was the FEC’s first public engagement on the issue, which is increasingly in the spotlight as AI is adopted in more and more parts of society — and appearing more and more often in political content.

Candidates, their campaigns and groups that support them have already begun to use hyper-realistic photos and videos created by AI, also known as “deepfakes,” in their advertising and other content for the public.

The petition that was considered Thursday had been filed by the nonprofit advocacy group Public Citizen. It argued that the FEC, which regulates campaign finance, should also regulate some misleading AI-generated content under its existing rules on “fraudulent misrepresentation” of a candidate.

Lawmakers in Washington have sought to address the issue. Democrats in both chambers of Congress recently introduced a bill that would require a disclaimer on political ads that feature AI-generated images or videos. Republicans have not yet signaled support or opposition to that proposal.

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden convened a group of technology leaders to discuss the risks and promises of the new technology, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer unveiled a framework for AI policy and governance.

Schumer highlighted the risks to politics and elections in a speech this week to the national security think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“We could soon live in a world where political campaigns regularly deploy totally fabricated — yet totally believable — images and footage of Democratic or Republican candidates, distorting their statements and greatly harming their election chances,” he said.

The proposed legislation in Congress would address only a sliver of the AI-generated content that could influence politics. Because it applies only to political advertisements, the bill would have little bearing on the spread of other information among social media users.

Political experts also see potential value in using AI beyond its capabilities to create fake content, such as for automatic canvassing of voters and for email communications.

CDC advisors recommend RSV vaccine approval. What it means for older adults

June 22, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — A respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, vaccine for older adults could soon be available after an advisory committee for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to recommend them Wednesday.

During a meeting, the agency’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices looked at clinical trial data for two vaccines, one by Pfizer and the other by GSK.

Short of a full recommendation, the committee said adults aged 60 and over may get the vaccines based on individual needs and after consultation with a doctor.

The vaccines have already received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, so the final step is for CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky to sign off on the recommendations, which she is expected to do.

Here’s what the panel’s vote could mean for older Americans:

Why is RSV so dangerous for older adults?

RSV can affect people of all ages, though some age groups are at higher risk, including adults aged 65 and older — particularly those with chronic lung or heart conditions and weakened immune systems — according to the CDC.

Most people develop mild infections with symptoms including coughing, runny nose and fever, but, in some cases, people may need to be hospitalized if they are having trouble breathing or are dehydrated.

So far, during the 2022-23 season, there have been 67.5 RSV-associated hospitalizations per 100,000 people for senior citizens, according to CDC data.

This figure is much higher than usual, with CDC data going back to the 2016-17 season showing the cumulative rate has never been higher 31.5 per 100,000 at this point in the season for older adults.

Between 60,000 to 160,000 older adults in the U.S. are hospitalized due to RSV every year and 6,000 to 10,000 of them die, the CDC said.

“There is no really effective treatment for [RSV] in terms of antivirals,” Dr. Paul Goepfert, a professor of medicine in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital division of infectious diseases, told ABC News. “So really the only treatment is supportive management, so ideally what you want to do is prevent it.”

How do the vaccines work and are they effective?

GSK’s vaccine, called Arexvy, and Pfizer’s vaccine, called Abrysvo, target a protein from the virus called the F protein that RSV uses to attach to human cells and infect people.

The vaccine stimulates antibodies against the protein and protects against infection. GSK’s shot just protects against the A strain and Pfizer’s protects against the A and B strains.

Data from clinical trials showed GSK’s vaccine was 82% effective at preventing lower respiratory tract illness and 94% effective among those with at least one underlying medical condition.

Pfizer’s vaccine was found to be more than 85% effective at preventing lower respiratory tract illness in older adults, trial data showed, with efficacy waning to about 79% after 18 months.

Pfizer and GSK have not released data on the effectiveness of their vaccine against severe RSV illness leading to hospitalization.

Side effects were mostly mild and included injection site pain, headache, fatigue, muscle pain and joint pain, the clinical ttrials found.

“We know from the start that this vaccine has durability, which is important versus the COVID vaccine, [which] can lose efficacy after four to six months, reducing public confidence in the vaccine,” Dr. Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, told ABC News. “These vaccines have high efficacy that last at least two seasons.

What the CDC’s advisory panel vote means

The panel voted twice Tuesday, first asking if 60-to-64-year-olds may receive the vaccine after consulting with their doctor, which received 13 yeses and one abstention.

The second vote asked the same question but for those aged 65 and older, receiving nine votes for the recommendation and five votes against.

“In my opinion, it is the right step because it is such a difficult disease and hard to treat and a good recommendation to at least be an option for people who at least want to protect themselves from this infection,” Goepfert said.

Doctors told ABC News the committee members were concerned the clinical trials did not have very many trial participants over age 75.

Committee members were also concerned about the price. Pfizer told the panel it would charge anywhere from $180 to $270, while GSK said it would charge between $200 to $295.These do not reflect the prices insured vaccine recipients would pay.

“The recommendation that we received from the CDC advisors was one that was a more restrained recommendation than they typically deploy for their for their vaccine guidance,” Dr. Jason Schwartz, an associate professor of health policy at the Yale School of Public Health, told ABC News. “What they’ve recommended is that individuals aged 60 and above may receive this vaccine following conversations with their health care providers, something that’s referred to as ‘shared clinical decision making.'”

“That’s a notch below their full-throated recommendation that often says these individuals should receive a vaccine in that age group, but it reflects a bit of the uncertainties about the vaccine, the concern about the cost of the vaccines,” he continued.

Why the vaccine could be a game-changer

Researchers have attempted to develop an RSV vaccine before, but without success.

In the late 1960s, a vaccine was produced in which the virus was inactivated with formalin, a chemical that kills viruses. The shot was given to children in Washington, D.C., but 80% of those immunized became sick and two children died from the shots.

“For 60 years, there’s been no RSV vaccine because the early clinical trials showed the vaccine actually made disease worse, what’s known as vaccine-associated enhanced disease,” Dr. Gregory Poland, head of the Mayo Clinic’s vaccine research group, told ABC News. “That’s like putting a blanket over the field of RSV vaccine development.”

Experts said the two vaccines are a significant step forward and provide an additional tool for preventing disease, but it will be important to keep an eye on real-world data, once the shots start being administered, in how well they protect the elderly and the immunocompromised.

“It has the ability to be a game changer, we just need to see how it plays out in the real world

IRS whistleblowers claimed senior officials stymied efforts to prosecute Hunter Biden

June 22, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Congressional Republicans on Thursday released transcripts of their interviews with two IRS whistleblowers who in April accused the Justice Department of granting Hunter Biden “preferential treatment” during its yearslong probe of his tax affairs.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith promoted the whistleblowers’ testimony as evidence that senior Biden administration officials stymied Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss’ investigation — a sentiment at odds with the Trump appointee’s own affirmation that Attorney General Merrick Garland granted him “ultimate authority” to investigate the younger Biden.

Hunter Biden this week agreed to plead guilty to a pair of tax-related misdemeanors and enter into a pretrial diversion agreement that would enable him to avoid prosecution on one felony gun charge, potentially ending the DOJ’s yearslong probe.

In hundreds of pages of testimony, the two IRS whistleblowers claim that senior Justice Department officials blocked prosecutors’ attempts to bring charges against Hunter Biden in Washington and California, and refused to grant Weiss special counsel status.

The whistleblowers also claimed that some investigators advocated for Hunter Biden to face harsher felony charges for his failure to pay taxes, instead of the misdemeanor offenses to which he ultimately agreed to plead guilty.

Justice Department officials pushed back on the allegations Thursday.

MORE: IRS whistleblower has told Congress that Hunter Biden probe is being mishandled
“As both the Attorney General and U.S. Attorney David Weiss have said, U.S. Attorney Weiss has full authority over this matter, including responsibility for deciding where, when, and whether to file charges as he deems appropriate,” the DOJ said in a statement. “He needs no further approval to do so.”

An attorney for Hunter Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Former FLDS members fear their children’s disappearance is part of Warren Jeffs’ prophecy

June 22, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Lorraine Jessop’s three youngest children – Nathan, Summer, and Benjamin – have been missing since Feb. 4, 2023. According to court documents, they ran away.

“I checked on them at midnight,” Jessop, 42, told ABC News. “And my daughter was awake. And I thought, ‘That’s odd.'”

“At 5 in the morning, I awoke to a cold house because the front door was wide open and the kids were gone,” Jessop continued. “It was horrifying.”

But Jessop doesn’t believe it’s that simple, nor does she believe her children’s disappearance is an isolated incident. She is an ex-member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), the polygamist breakaway offshoot of Mormonism. And there are three other mothers whose children have also disappeared – eight children in total, one as young as 12.

“I feel like that either someone took it upon themself or were told by church authorities to gather up these children,” Jessop said to ABC News in an interview for “Impact x Nightline” now streaming on Hulu.

Another mother, Elizabeth Roundy, 49, agrees. She believes her daughter Elintra, who ran away on January 1, 2023, was told how to run away.

“I am positive that FLDS are hiding Elintra,” Roundy said.

The church is best known for its prophet – Warren Jeffs – who was convicted in 2011 to life in prison for sexually assaulting girls as young as 12. But he remains the church’s prophet from behind bars, according to experts and former members that ABC News spoke with.

Last year, experts say Jeffs began to release new revelations, or prophecies, which ABC News has obtained, including one last June that calls for children of ex-members to come back into the fold, and another in August calling for members of the FLDS to die in the next 5-1/2 years in order to reach heaven.

Experts of the FLDS church, as well as the mothers of the eight missing children, fear an event similar to Jonestown, when more than 900 people died in a murder-suicide orchestrated in 1978 by Jim Jones, leader of the Peoples Temple cult.

“And so you think some of those followers would be prepared to lay down their lives for their beliefs?” Juju Chang, Co-Anchor of ABC News’ “Nightline,” asked Jessop.

“Oh, yes,” Jessop answered. “I think that I was prepared to lay down my life.”

“And they would lay down the lives of children?” Chang asked.

“Oh, yes,” Jessop said.

HISTORY OF THE FLDS

The FLDS was founded more than 130 years ago after polygamy was outlawed in the Mormon Church. Its current prophet, Warren Jeffs, is a 67-year-old convicted pedophile who had approximately 80 wives, many of them underage, according to experts.

These mothers of the missing children – Lorraine Jessop, Mirinda Johnson, Elizabeth Roundy, and Sarah Johnson – all grew up in the FLDS, and up until they left the church believed Warren Jeffs was the prophet.

“Warren was God to us,” Jessop remembered.

In this sect, women are viewed as second-class and subservient to men. Children are home-schooled and are often sent to live with families different from their birth parents. Their lives are completely different than that of the modern world. Warren Jeffs released revelations telling members to live without phones, the internet, and even toys, experts and former members told ABC News. These communities often live in remote border towns, some even on secure compounds.

“Growing up, it was our purpose… to be married,” Sarah Johnson said. “I decided in the very beginning that I was going to be the most obedient, the most perfect wife I could be.”

She says she was betrothed at 17 to a man 25 years her elder. One of her four sister-wives was her biological sister and, among them, they had more than 30 children.

Johnson’s son, Salome, has been missing the longest. He ran away on March 9, 2021.

One child, who went missing last year, has since been found. Warren Jeffs’ nephew, Heber Jeffs, was charged last December with kidnapping his 10-year-old niece, whose parents had left the FLDS. He says he raised the girl since she was young. The charging court documents allege that Heber followed his uncle’s prophecies and directives, one of which called for children of ex-members to come back to the church.

Heber has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of ‘custodial interference’ and his attorney denied that the recent revelations influenced his actions. The 10-year-old girl has been reunited with her parents.

AN ‘APOSTATE’

These mothers have another key trait in common – they have all left the fundamentalist church. But when someone leaves, the community labels them an ‘apostate’ – the scarlet letter of the FLDS.

“When you leave, you’re considered an apostate, and are treated severely by the people who remain in the church,” said Roger Hoole, an attorney who represents some of these mothers. “It’s often a very long process before somebody leaves, and then it’s a long process before they emotionally are able to make the real adjustment. It’s not something that’s done overnight.”

Leaving the church can simultaneously be a real chance at freedom, but also a terrifying experience, these mothers told ABC News.

“It’s like jumping off of a cliff and not knowing if your parachute’s going to open, if you even have one on,” Sarah Johnson said of leaving the sect. “Just knowing that taking that jump is better than staying where you’re standing.”

But when Lorraine Jessop left, she felt differently.

“I felt like I was gonna burn in hell,” Jessop said.

Because of their ‘apostate’ label, these mothers’ children believed they were corrupt and dangerous, and out of fear shouldn’t be living with them, the moms told ABC News. To live with their non-FLDS mothers would mean to leave the only life they’ve ever known, they added, and that’s why each mom believes their child ran away.

“Our concern is, how do they run away by themselves?” Hoole said. “Are they being helped? Are we seeing a pattern here?”‘

The FLDS has a long history of hiding and harboring people, experts say. In the past, they’ve used a network they call “houses of hiding,” which is the same network that kept Warren Jeffs hidden for two years even as he was on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.

REVELATIONS

But what these mothers say terrifies them the most is that if their children ran back to the church, they could be facing incredible danger from the prophecies that have been released by Warren Jeffs.

“In the FLDS, the children are raised to believe that the prophet can do no wrong,” Hoole explained. “And the adults that are in the group believe the prophet can do no wrong.”

“So if this revelation is accurate, and it is believed to be accurate by the FLDS people, and if Warren Jeffs were to command people to be translated, in other words, die, so that they could go to heaven — the faithful FLDS may well do that,” Hoole continued. The revelation, which was released last August, called for FLDS members to be ‘translated’ to heaven in the next 5-1/2 years.

“And translated to heaven in the Mormon context means you become immortal, you go to heaven,” Hoole explained. “But the problem is, and this is what the revelation says, the problem is you have to die first.”

The former police chief of Salt Lake City Chris Burbank fears the worst could be possible.

“I think Warren Jeffs’ influence over the FLDS community is so significant that it’s not unrealistic to believe his followers would follow him down the road of a mass suicide event,” Burbank said.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

“How, in the United States of America, could a religion exist where the belief is that children will be translated, in other words, have to die and go to heaven within five years?” Hoole asked.

Utah was founded by pioneers seeking religious freedom, according to Burbank. He says there’s a long history in Utah that believes citizens should be able to practice whatever religion they want.

“I think that’s part of the reason it took so long for the state to take any action in the first place a number of years ago, because of this notion of religious freedom,” Burbank said, speaking about the 2008 YFZ Ranch raid and the civil rights investigation into the FLDS.

Burbank thinks that stigma might continue today.

“Law enforcement is leery of these cases,” Burbank said. “I think there is a stigma attached to investigating or intruding upon freedom of religion.”

“And I’m a firm believer in the ability to practice your religion free from the influence of the government,” Burbank said. “But when your religious practice then endangers children, we have to draw a line there.”

ABC News reached out to the FBI, and officials declined to comment on whether there was an investigation into these missing children.

ABC News also reached out to each individual law enforcement agency handling the cases of the eight missing children, and they all confirmed they remain active and open cases.

ABC News attempted to reach the FLDS church through Helaman Jeffs, the son of Warren Jeffs, who has been issuing his father’s revelations. ABC News did not receive a response.

MOTHERS’ LOVE

These mothers say they will keep searching for their children. When asked what they would say to their missing children if they were to see them, each mother responded with an answer of love.

“Well, first I would get up and I would give ’em a great big hug,” Mirinda Johnson said. “And then I would probably [say], ‘Why’d you do that to me?'”

Johnson’s children have been missing since October 29, 2022 – more than 230 days.

“I would say, ‘Elintra, I love you so much. And I miss you terribly, more than I can say. And I’m worried about your safety,” Elizabeth Roundy told ABC News. “Please come home.'”

Roundy’s daughter has been missing since January 1, 2023 – more than 170 days.

“True love is unconditional,” Jessop said. “I love you regardless of what you wear, what you believe. God gave you to me as children. God appointed me as your mother…I love you with a mother’s love that’s stronger than anything you could imagine.”

Lorraine Jessop’s three kids have been missing since February 4, 2023 – over 130 days.

“I want him to know that nothing has changed since the last time that we hugged or spoke to each other,” Sarah Johnson said. “I’m always going to love you, and there’s so much that I want to teach you.”

Sarah’s son has been missing since March 9, 2021 – more than 830 days.

“I feel a little bit crazy sometimes,” Johnson finished. “But every time I drive down the road if I see a child or a boy that looks like he could be about his age, or size, I just have to look ’em in the face.”

ABC News’ Karin Weinberg, Laura Coburn, Zoe Chevalier, and Ashley Schwartz-Lavares contributed to this report.

Dozens of frozen fruit products sold at Target, Trader Joe’s, Walmart and 3 other retailers recalled

June 22, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Frozen fruit products distributed to Walmart, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Target, Aldi and AWG stores in over 30 states have been voluntarily recalled due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

SunOpta Inc’s subsidiary, Sunrise Growers Inc., issued the voluntary recall on specific frozen fruit products linked to pineapple provided by a third-party supplier, the company announced in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday.

In the recall notice, SunOpta and the FDA urged consumers to check their freezers for the recalled product and to not consume it, but rather discard the product or return it to the store for a full refund.

“Our commitment to food safety remains our utmost priority. Sunrise Growers has terminated all future business with the third-party supplier,” the company said in a statement.

Click here for a full list of products, lot codes, best by dates and other pertinent recalled product information from the FDA.

There were a variety of generic and name-brand products affected by the recall that were distributed to the six major retailers. The products listed below, as written by the FDA, are all a part of the voluntary recall.

Walmart: Great Value Mixed Fruit, Great Value Dark Sweet Cherries, and Great Value Mango Chunks sold at stores in AR, AZ, CA, CO, DC, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, SD, TX, UT, VA, WV and WY from January 19, 2023 to June 13, 2023

Whole Foods: 365 Organic Tropical Fruit Medley, 365 Organic Pineapple Chunks, 365 Pineapple Chunks, 365 Organic Whole Strawberries, 365 Organic Slice Strawberries and Bananas, and 365 Organic Blackberries distributed to select stores throughout the US from November 1, 2022 to June 21, 2023

Trader Joe’s: Trader Joe’s Organic Tropical Fruit Blend distributed to select distribution centers or stores in AK, AL, CT, CO, DE, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, and Washington DC from March 28, 2023 to April 11, 2023

Target: Good & Gather Organic Cherries and Berries Fruit Blend, Good & Gather Dark Sweet Whole Pitted Cherries, Good & Gather Mango Strawberry Blend, Good & Gather Mixed Fruit Blend, Good & Gather Mango Chunks, Good & Gather Blueberries, and Good & Gather Triple Berry Blend distributed nationwide from October 14, 2022 to May 22, 2023

Aldi: Season’s Choice Tropical Blend distributed to select distribution centers or stores in AL, AR, CT, FL, GA, IA, KS, KY, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT and WV from October 11, 2022 to May 22, 2023

AWG (Associated Wholesale Grocers): Best Choice Pitted Red Tart Cherries Unsweetened distributed to select distribution centers or stores in KS, MO, NE and OK from April 5, 2023 to May 4, 2023To date, there have been no illnesses associated with this voluntary recall.

“All other Sunrise Growers products that have different lot codes or best by dates are not affected by this recall. The affected retail customers have been notified of this recall and instructed to remove any recalled product from retail store shelves and inventories.

Health risks of Listeria

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, listeria can cause severe illness “when the bacteria spread beyond the gut to other parts of the body” after a person consumes contaminated food. Those at higher risk include pregnant people, those aged 65 or older, or anyone who has a weakened immune system, the CDC says.

“If you are pregnant, it can cause pregnancy loss, premature birth, or a life-threatening infection in your newborn,” the CDC states on its website. “Other people can be infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill.”

According to the CDC, anyone infected with listeria may experience “mild food poisoning symptoms” such as diarrhea or fever, and many recover without antibiotic treatment.

Police department in Georgia apologizes over image of Black man used for target practice

June 22, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(VILLA RICA, Ga.) — A police department in Georgia is apologizing after posting now-deleted footage showed several white participants in a handgun training course shooting a photo of a Black man for target practice. The footage has sparked outrage among some in the community.

A representative from the police department told ABC News that the human images will no longer be used for civilian target practice following the outrage but the images will continue to be used for law enforcement training per law enforcement training standards.

Footage posted online by the Villa Rica Police Department, captured by ABC affiliate WSB-TV before their deletion, show only images of a Black man being used by civilian class participants, though the department said that the images are one of “various ethnic groups” included in the target practice photos.

Online commenters critiqued the apparent sole use of images with a Black male.

“Hating and being afraid of [Black] people is taught at home, at police training and apparently random handgun classes,” read one comment on the police department’s Facebook post.

Members of the Carroll County branch of the NAACP criticized the department’s use of photos as targets.

“These types of targets have been used by other police departments within the U.S. and have been deemed racially inappropriate and unacceptable,” NAACP Carroll County President Dominique Conteh said in an online statement.

NAACP Carroll County did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.

“I don’t think you should have any human being as a target whether they are Black, white, Asian,” Conteh said in a comment to a local Fox affiliate.

Villa Rica Mayor Gil McDougal ordered the images to be removed from social media and for an independent firm to investigate the incident, according to WSB-TV.

Conteh said in the statement she has requested a meeting with the department and leadership to discuss the incident.

Diversity training would give more insight “as to the reasoning as to why those targets are ‘unacceptable and deemed racist,'” Conteh said in the statement.

“It was never our intention to be insensitive, inflammatory, or offensive to anyone,” the police department said in an online statement.

The department said it “strives to be conscious of how our relationship with our community members has a direct impact on our effectiveness within the community we serve.”

Titanic submersible: What a ‘catastrophic implosion’ means and what officials found

June 22, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A submersible carrying five people while on a trip to the Titanic wreckage suffered a “catastrophic implosion,” U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. John Mauger said at a press conference on Thursday.

A remote-operated vehicle found debris from the OceanGate Titan submersible’s tail-cone approximately 1,600 feet from the ship, Mauger said.

A search and rescue team found several additional pieces of debris that indicated they belonged to the Titan, the missing vessel that drew international attention in recent days, Mauger said.

It remains “too early to tell” when the implosion took place, but the search and rescue team will continue to collect information, Mauger added.

“This is an incredibly unforgiving environment on the seafloor,” Mauger said. “This is something that happened in a remote portion of the ocean.”

In a statement, OceanGate confirmed the deaths of all five passengers on board.

“These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans,” the company said. “Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time.”

What type of debris did the search and rescue effort find?

The search and rescue team identified two fields of debris in an area surrounding the bow of the sunken Titanic, Mauger said, describing them as one large field of debris and one small field.

The discovered objects included “five different major pieces of debris” that identified the materials as consistent with the Titan, undersea expert Paul Hankin said at the press conference.

The debris included a nose cone and one end of the pressure hull, Hankin said.

“We’ve continued to map the debris field,” Hankin said. “We’ll do the best we can to fully map it out.”

What does “catastrophic implosion” mean?

Titan is a carbon fiber submersible that can travel as far as 4,000 meters below sea level, the OceanGate website says.

At the depth of the Titanic, which sits 3,800 meters below sea level, the pressure reaches a level 380 times the atmospheric pressure on the earth’s surface, Stefan Williams, a professor of marine robotics at the University of Sydney, said in a blog post on Tuesday.

A fault or failure in the hull of Titan could lead to an implosion, as the vessel gives way to the high pressure of the deep sea, Williams said.

The implosion of a submersible delivers immense force, oceanographer Bob Ballard told ABC News on Thursday.

“I don’t think people can appreciate the amazing energy involved in the destructive process of an implosion,” Ballard said. “It just takes out and literally shreds everything.”

“It’s extremely powerful,” he added.

Are there previous examples of a submersible imploding?

A U.S. nuclear submarine, called Thresher, imploded during a deep-sea dive 220 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, a U.S. Navy inquiry showed.

The implosion left 129 sailors dead.

More recently, in 2014, the unmanned Nereus submersible suffered a “catastrophic implosion” while traveling at a depth of 9,990 meters in the Kermadec Trench northeast of New Zealand, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution said soon afterward in a statement.

At the time of implosion, Nereus faced pressure of an estimated 6,000 pounds per square inch, WHOI said.

The team of researchers tracking Nereus found “spotted pieces of debris floating on the sea surface” that were later identified as part of the submersible, WHOI said.

Researchers lost contact with Nereus seven hours into a nine-hour mission, WHOI added.

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