(NEW YORK) — Ukraine on Thursday began its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russia, officials told ABC News.
Well-trained Ukrainian troops had been gathering at strategic locations near the front lines in recent days, Western officials said last week.
Two Ukrainian officials, including a source close to President Volodymry Zelenskyy confirmed to ABC News that an active phase of the Ukrainian counteroffensive is underway.
Story developing…
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) — Pat Robertson, the Christian evangelist best known for his political commentary on The 700 Club and a former presidential candidate, has died. He was 93 years old.
Robertson died early Thursday at his home in Virginia, according to the TV network he founded, The Christian Broadcasting Network.
“With great sadness, we announce that Dr. M.G. ‘Pat’ Robertson has gone home to be with his Lord and Savior today,” CBN said in a statement. “Thank you for your prayers for the Robertson family and the ministry of CBN at this time.”
He was born in Virginia in 1930 to Sen. A. Willis Robertson, and became an ordained minister as a Southern Baptist. Robertson’s birth name was Marion Gordon Robertson, but he was given the nickname “Pat” by his older brother, Willis Robertson Jr.
Robertson started The Christian Broadcasting Network in 1960 and grew to become incredibly influential in Christian conservative circles.
He unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination for president in 1988, vying to take over for President Ronald Reagan. The nomination, and eventually presidency, was won by George H.W. Bush.
Robertson provided political commentary, from his Christian viewpoint, weekly on The 700 Club. He appeared on the show for 60 years, finally retiring at 91 years old and handing the reins over to his son, Gordon.
He was also a decorated military veteran, serving in the Marine Corps during the Korean War.
“He shattered the stain glass window,” Bishop T.D. Jakes said in a statement from the Christian Broadcasting Network. “People of faith were taken seriously beyond the church house and into the White House.”
In addition to his TV network, he also started Regent University, previously CBN University, a private Christian university, in 1977 in Virginia Beach.
Robertson was married to his wife Dede for 68 years before her death in 2022. They have four children.
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(LONDON) — An increasing number of family and friends of Belarusian political prisoners say they are unable to contact their loved ones.
There are hundreds of political prisoners in Belarus, many of whom were arrested in the aftermath of the disputed 2020 presidential election, when protests and dissent were violently suppressed.
Tatsiana Komich hasn’t heard from her sister, Maria Kalesnikava since February. Kalesnikava has been in prison since September 2020 after she refused to be forcibly deported from Belarus by tearing her passport to shreds.
She was a key figure in the 2020 election against President Alexander Lukashenko and remained an active protest leader even after most prominent activists had fled the country. She is serving an 11-year sentence, charged with extremism and trying to seize power.
“There are no letters, no calls, which previously were allowed also and no visits as well,” Khomich, who lives outside Belarus, said.
Their father sought answers from authorities but he was told that no restrictions on communication had been put in place. Kalesnikava simply did not want to communicate with them.
But Khomich says she knows that isn’t true.
“It’s definitely been done on purpose to isolate her, to cut off any communication with the outside world,” she said.
Kalesnikava’s is not a unique case. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Belarus’ de facto opposition leader in exile, ran against Lukashenko in the 2020 presidential elections after her husband, Siarhei — who had intended to run — was imprisoned on trumped up charges.
She has posted to her social media accounts that she hasn’t heard from her husband in nearly three months.
Belarusian human rights organization, Viasna, says there are 1,513 recorded political prisoners in Belarus.
Dziyana Pinchuk, a human rights activist who works for Viasna, says Lukashenko has long hoped silence would stop people from asking questions about political prisoners.
“The regime supposedly erases these people from our lives, as if they are dead. But more than 1,500 political prisoners are alive and held in prisons only because they yearned for a democratic Belarus and opposed the war in Ukraine,” she told ABC News.
She added that while several high profile prisoners are bringing the issue to the mainstream, there are probably many more instances of contact being cut off between prisoners and family members “because Belarusian society is in a state of extreme fear, so relatives are afraid to tell human rights activists and journalists such facts under the threat of persecution.”
Khomich echoed this, saying relatives inside Belarus walk a fine line and that “people in Belarus cannot have any public protests or publicly actually express their opinion. It’s a very complicated situation because you need to find the balance so that these relatives who are in Belarus, they are not imprisoned.”
Pinchuk added that Viasna continues to help families file complaints. They also work with the United Nations and other international organizations to both raise awareness for Belarusian political prisoners, and try to improve conditions amidst the increasing repressions.
But, despite their endeavors, answers about this latest crackdown on already limited freedoms continue to remain elusive.
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) — Hazy and dangerous fumes from ongoing wildfires in Canada have engulfed the skies over much of the Northeast, prompting serious air quality alerts in at least 16 states.
Canadian officials said firefighters are scrambling to put out the blazes. So far this wildfire season, Canada has seen more than 8.7 million acres burned — an area larger than the state of Vermont.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jun 08, 6:56 AM EDT
Some NY, NJ school districts modify schedules
Some school districts in New Jersey and New York announced closures or updated schedules for Thursday amid the heavy smoke in the area.
In New York, school has been cancelled in the Freeport, Long Beach and Yonkers districts, according to ABC News affiliate WABC-TV.
In New Jersey, school has been cancelled in the Newark, Elizabeth, Union and Orange districts, WABC reported.
Officials at Elizabeth Public Schools said they’d attempted to continue a normal schedule by holding indoor recess on Wednesday.
“As the day advanced and the air quality worsened, we consulted with both health officials who updated their recommendation to close school buildings tomorrow, Thursday, June 8,” Superintendent Olga Hugelmeyer said in a letter to parents.
Jun 08, 5:57 AM EDT
A million N95 masks to be made available Thursday in New York
One million N95 masks will be made available for people at state sites in New York on Thursday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Wednesday.
Officials will distribute 400,000 masks at MTA stations, the Port Authority Bus Terminal, state parks and the Javits Center, Hochul said. About 600,000 masks will be available from the state’s Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services, the governor said.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday visited New York City Housing Authority residents to deliver masks, according to his office, which released photos and a short video on Twitter.
Jun 07, 10:56 PM EDT
Biden speaks to Trudeau about wildfires: White House
President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke Wednesday about the wildfires in Canada, the White House said.
Biden offered additional assistance and also discussed the health impact of the fires, according to the White House.
“To date, the United States has deployed more than 600 U.S. firefighters and support personnel, and other firefighting assets to respond to the fires,” the White House said in a statement.
Trudeau also tweeted that “hundreds” of American firefighters have arrived in Canada, “and more are on the way.”
Jun 07, 9:27 PM EDT
Hamilton and other Broadway shows canceled over health concerns
A number of shows on Broadway were canceled over health concerns of the actors, in the wake of the wildfire smoke blanketing NYC.
Shakespeare in the Park, which is performed outside, was canceled, as well as Hamilton and Camelot.
Jun 07, 8:14 PM EDT
New York City’s ‘smoke wave’ response time for warnings criticized
As New York City was bombarded with dangerous air and smoke that turned the skyline orange, some residents and environmental experts questioned if the city’s leader acted quickly enough to warn people about the dangers of the “smoke wave.”
The city’s Office of Emergency Management issued warnings on its social media pages and city alert system starting Tuesday afternoon and Mayor Eric Adams put out a news release about the dangerous air quality around 11:30 p.m.
Some environmentalists said the late notice was unacceptable given that the city’s environment was already showing poor visibility and unhealthy air earlier in the morning.
Click here to learn more.
-ABC News’ Ivan Pereira
Jun 07, 7:21 PM EDT
When to expect air quality to improve in the US amid Canadian wildfires
The wind conditions that are bringing plumes of smoke south are expected to last for several more days, experts say, as some fires in Canada continue to burn out of control.
The smoke is primarily from several wildfires burning in Quebec that is being blown south in a narrow band by an intense storm system around Nova Scotia that has not moved in several days, according to Mark Wysocki, an air pollution meteorologist who teaches at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
-ABC News’ Meredith Deliso
Jun 07, 7:01 PM EDT
What to know about the Air Quality Index from wildfire smoke and how it affects human health
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 EPA.
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.
-ABC News’ Julia Jacobo
Jun 07, 6:44 PM EDT
NYC air quality deteriorates to new record level: Mayor
New York City Mayor Eric Adams updated residents on the current situation with the dangerous air quality due to the Canadian wildfires.
He said the city’s Air Quality Index, or AQI, hit 484, the highest level on record, on Wednesday afternoon. Anything above 300 is considered hazardous, according to Zachary Iscol, the commissioner for the city’s Office of Emergency Management.
“Tomorrow things may improve but an AQI over 150 is still considered dangerous,” he told reporters.
Adams said all outdoor events in the city were canceled Thursday and urged private groups to do the same.
A person wears a face mask as smoke from Canadian wildfires blankets New York, June 7, 2023.
“The best thing is that [people] remain indoors,” the mayor said.
He reiterated advisories to close windows and to wear a mask if anyone has to travel outside.
Schools were already planned to be closed Thursday, and no decision has been made about the rest of the week, according to the mayor.
Adams said the current forecast shows the situation should improve at the end of the week but warned that the situation can change.
“It is difficult to predict the movement of the smoke,” he said.
Jun 07, 6:31 PM EDT
New York to distribute 1 million N95 masks Thursday, governor says
One million N95 masks will be made available for people at state sites in New York on Thursday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Wednesday.
Officials will distribute 400,000 masks at MTA stations, the Port Authority Bus Terminal, state parks and the Javits Center, Hochul said.
Approximately 600,000 masks will be available from NYS Div. of Homeland Security & Emergency Services, the governor said.
Hochul has urged New Yorkers to stay inside due to smoke from the Canadian wildfires.
Jun 07, 4:35 PM EDT
MLB games postponed in NYC, Philadelphia
The MLB has postponed Wednesday night’s games between the White Sox and the Yankees, set to take place in New York City, and between the Tigers and Phillies, set for Philadelphia.
The Phillies-Tigers game was moved to Thursday and the Yankees and White Sox will play a doubleheader on Thursday.
The WNBA said Wednesday night’s game between the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty, which was to take place in New York City, has been postponed due to the air quality.
Jun 07, 4:13 PM EDT
The forecast
More smoke is expected in the Northeast for the next few days.
The thickest smoke will drift south Wednesday afternoon and is forecast to envelop Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., Wednesday night and Thursday. These cities may see AQI levels reach the most severe “hazardous” level over the next 24 hours.
On Thursday afternoon, another round of smoke is expected to move over Lake Superior and into Cleveland, Ohio; Erie, Pennsylvania; and Buffalo, New York.
-ABC News’ Dan Amarante
Jun 07, 3:55 PM EDT
Why the poor air quality could cause a host of symptoms — even in healthy people
Exposure to concentrated amounts of fine particulate matter can cause both 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 asthma and heart disease, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Fine particles are able to enter the body through the eyes and lungs. Not everyone feels the same symptoms, and the pollution can exacerbate existing health issues, such as asthma and allergies, Peter DeCarlo, associate professor of environmental health and engineering, told ABC News.
Click here to learn more.
-ABC News’ Julia Jacobo
Jun 07, 2:55 PM EDT
New York City tops list of world’s worst air quality rankings
New York City is topping the list of the world’s worst air quality rankings by a landslide, according to IQ Air, which monitors air quality worldwide.
New York City reached 392 on the AQI Wednesday afternoon, which is in the worst category — hazardous — on the U.S. government’s air quality tracker. Wednesday shattered New York City’s record for the highest AQI since records began in 1999.
Dubai and Delhi came in at No. 2 and No. 3 in the world with 168 and 164, respectively.
Jun 07, 3:34 PM EDT
New Jersey closes state offices early
New Jersey’s state offices closed early Wednesday as the air conditions worsened, Gov. Phil Murphy announced.
The governor has urged residents to limit their time outside.
Jun 07, 2:11 PM EDT
NY issues another Air Quality Health Advisory for Thursday
New York state officials have issued another Air Quality Health Advisory for Thursday for the entire state with the exception of the Adirondacks.
Jun 07, 1:47 PM EDT
How to stay safe from wildfire smoke
The most effective way to protect yourself during wildfire emergencies is to stay indoors or limit time outdoors when there is smoke in the air, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is especially important for those with heart or lung conditions who are at higher risk for adverse health effects.
If you can, try to avoid exercising outdoors until the air quality improves, especially those with underlying lung disease.
“People with asthma and people who already have lung disease or underlying lung problems, it can exacerbate that, it can irritate that. And if the air quality is bad enough, it can even cause some symptoms of feeling unwell and respiratory symptoms in people who are healthy,” said Dr. Stephanie Widmer, a member of ABC News’ Medical Unit.
Pregnant people should also try to avoid spending time outdoors, especially those who are further along, Widmer said.
You should wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth, fits tightly to your face and can filter out smoke or ash particles before you breathe them in, according to the CDC. N95 or P100 masks can help protect your lungs from smoke or ash.
-ABC News’ Nadine El-Bawab and Youri Benadjaoud
Jun 07, 1:06 PM EDT
FAA slows NYC air traffic due to low visibility
Due to low visibility, the Federal Aviation Administration has slowed flight traffic in and out of New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport and New York City’s LaGuardia Airport.
A ground stop is in effect at LaGuardia, meaning some flights are being held at their origin airport to ease congestion.
The average delay at Newark is about 84 minutes.
-ABC News’ Sam Sweeney
Jun 07, 11:32 AM EDT
Worst air quality yet may be headed to NYC
The worst air in the U.S. Wednesday morning is in upstate New York from Syracuse to Binghamton, where the air quality has reached the worst level — “hazardous.”
That air will move toward New York City and Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon and evening.
Tuesday brought the worst air quality to New York City since the 1960s, officials said, with New York City Mayor Eric Adams calling it an “unprecedented event.”
The mayor urged New Yorkers to avoid going outside if they can.
Adams warned Wednesday, “Air quality conditions are anticipated to temporarily improve later tonight through tomorrow morning, but they are expected to deteriorate further tomorrow afternoon and evening.”
-ABC News’ Max Golembo
Jun 07, 10:19 AM EDT
Poor air quality will last into weekend for Toronto
In Toronto, the poor air quality will last into the weekend, officials warned Wednesday.
“Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to hour,” officials said in a “Special Air Quality Statement.” “Wildfire smoke can be harmful to everyone’s health even at low concentrations. Continue to take actions to protect your health and reduce exposure to smoke.”
Jun 07, 9:32 AM EDT
NYC, DC public schools cancel all outdoor activities
Washington, D.C., public schools have canceled all outdoor activities, including athletic games, for Wednesday due to the poor air quality.
A “Code RED Air Quality Alert” has been issued for the nation’s capital.
New York City public schools also canceled outdoor activities.
“We urge everyone to reduce prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors,” NYC Public Schools tweeted.
Jun 07, 8:22 AM EDT
Long Island school district keeping students inside
In Port Washington, New York, on Long Island, the superintendent announced Wednesday that all students will stay inside during physical education and recess.
“This decision is aimed at minimizing exposure to the poor air quality and ensuring a safe learning environment for everyone,” the superintendent said.
Jun 07, 6:37 AM EDT
Air quality alerts issued for 13 states
Most of New England and much of the East Coast were under air quality alerts on Wednesday, with smoke from Canadian wildfires expected to reach as far south as South Carolina.
A new dose of very thick smoke was expected to drift into New York City and Philadelphia by Wednesday afternoon, lasting into the evening.
That smoke is then expected to move south into Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning.
Conditions around New York City and in the I-95 corridor could improve Thursday evening, but get worse in western New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, as the winds shift.
Jun 07, 12:49 AM EDT
NYC mayor says air quality expected to ‘deteriorate further’ Wednesday
The air quality in New York City worsened Tuesday evening and is expected to “deteriorate further” Wednesday afternoon and evening, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement.
“At this point, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for all five boroughs. While conditions are anticipated to temporarily improve later tonight through tomorrow morning, they are expected to deteriorate further tomorrow afternoon and evening,” Adams said.
“Currently, we are taking precautions out of an abundance of caution to protect New Yorkers’ health until we are able to get a better sense of future air quality reports,” he said.
Adams said students should still go to school on Wednesday, but New York City public schools won’t have outdoor activities.
“These recommendations may change based on updated air quality conditions that come in, but, in the meantime, we recommend all New Yorkers to take the precautions they see fit to protect their health,” he added.
Jun 06, 10:09 PM EDT
Smoke from wildfires visible over Yankee Stadium
Smoke from wildfires from Canada was visible on Tuesday night over Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, as the Yankees played the White Sox, video obtained by ABC News shows.
Wildfires burning in Canada are continuing to create poor air quality conditions in parts of the U.S., with smoke clearly visible during Tuesday night’s Yankees-White Sox game in The Bronx. https://t.co/yhKArhnaNt pic.twitter.com/Np8mJyVKCa
— ABC News (@ABC) June 7, 2023
Jun 06, 10:01 PM EDT
New York City currently has the worst air quality in the world, data shows
New York City currently has the worst air quality than any other city on Earth, as smoke stemming from wildfires in Canada makes its way across the Northeast, according to the latest data from Swiss technology company IQAir.
The air quality index in NYC is at 196 as of Tuesday evening, followed by Doha, Qatar, and Delhi, India.
The next U.S. city on the list is Detroit, which currently places eighth, according to IQAir. Toronto, Canada, sat in ninth place as of Tuesday night.
Jun 06, 11:00 PM EDT
Who is at most risk from unhealthy air
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has specific guidance for vulnerable groups if the air quality in their area is deemed “unhealthy.”
While the agency warns that all people will experience adverse side effects from exposure to the unhealthy air, it said those with heart or lung disease, pregnant people, children and the elderly are most sensitive.
Those groups should consider moving all of their activities indoors until the air quality alert is lifted, the EPA said.
Jun 06, 11:02 PM EDT
Northeast covered in haze as forecasters warn of more smoke to come
Millions of people in New York City and other locations in the Northeast scrambled to keep themselves free of the smoky air throughout the day and evening Tuesday.
The city’s skyline was barely visible for most parts of the day, and the smell of the smoke was strong as commuters hit the evening rush.
Large cities with the lowest air quality include New York City; Albany, New York and Cincinnati, a map by Airnow, a website that publishes air quality data, shows.
Another large and dense plume of smoke will be moving down across parts of the Northeast on Wednesday, according to forecasters.
That batch of very dense smoke will push down across the Northeast throughout the day on Wednesday, giving some relief to New England and the Midwest.
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) — Smoke from Canadian wildfires is causing hazy skies and unhealthy conditions across a large swath of the eastern United States in what officials have called an unprecedented event.
Those outdoors in New York City on Wednesday couldn’t help but take notice of the strong campfire smell and eerily orange skies.
“It’s kind of scary out here, like the apocalypse is about to happen. And it’s hard to breathe,” Michelle Karwejna told ABC New York station WABC-TV. “It feels like I’m at a campfire that I don’t want to be at and there’s no s’mores.”
Plumes of smoke from ongoing wildfires in Canada have prompted serious air quality alerts in at least 16 states. Hazy skies, low visibility and poor air quality will be present in most of the Northeast and the Midwest and even as far south as the Carolinas.
New York City is experiencing the worst air quality since the 1960s due to the wildfires, officials said. The Air Quality Index hit 484 on a scale of 500 Wednesday evening; anything above 300 is considered hazardous.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams called it an “unprecedented event” during a press briefing on Wednesday while urging New Yorkers to avoid going outside if they can.
“Very, very scary. Just walking down the street and feeling like I’m going to have an asthma attack. That’s how bad the air quality is,” Jordan McKenzie, a Brooklyn resident who has asthma, told WABC Wednesday.
In Baltimore, Tea Williams, who also has asthma, put on a mask due to the smoky conditions in the city.
“When I walked outside this morning, you could tell it was foggy and it smelled like something was burning, it smelled like a fire,” Williams told Baltimore ABC affiliate WMAR-TV on Wednesday.
Francisco River, who was undeterred by the conditions and was out rollerblading, told WMAR “it smelled like a tire was burning.”
The smoky conditions are expected to impact the region through the end of the week, experts said.
The smell of smoke caught some off guard before they learned the cause.
“I woke up this morning and went outside, and it was very strange,” Molly Hickey told Rochester ABC affiliate WHAM-TV on Tuesday. “I actually checked the weather to see if it was about to rain, and then it smelled like our neighbors might be having a campfire and just sort of an eerie feeling.”
In Buffalo, New York, Megan Luongo told Buffalo ABC affiliate WKBW-TV that when she went for a walk on her lunch break on Tuesday, she “smelled the fire.”
“I wasn’t sure what it was totally, but now I know,” she told the station.
“I’d definitely be concerned that it’s been here for days now and it’s not going away,” Luongo told WKBW.
The conditions in Scranton, Pennsylvania, were “brutal” on Wednesday, prompting garbage and recycling pickup to be put on hold, Scott Pietreface, the director of the city’s Department of Public Works, told Scranton ABC affiliate WNEP-TV.
“This is the first time we’ve seen this,” he told the station.
Nikki Sanders said she wore a mask as she walked home from work in Scranton on Wednesday.
“The smoke is strong, and I didn’t want to breathe too much of it in,” Sanders told WNEP. “I wanted to try and protect myself as much as I can.”
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) — The family of a Florida mother of four called for justice after her alleged killer — a neighbor she was feuding with — was arrested, asking the state attorney to deliver an effective prosecution.
“Do not fail AJ,” said Pamela Dias, the mother of Ajike Owens, 35, during a press conference with attorney Ben Crump. “I don’t know how long this is going to take, but we can’t grow tired. We cannot be weary.”
Owens, who is Black, was shot and killed on June 2 in Ocala, Florida on the doorstep of the home of Susan Lorincz, who is white, after Owens went to the suspect’s residence to question her about an alleged dispute with Owens’ children, according to police reports.
Lorincz was arrested and charged with first-degree manslaughter, punishable by up to 30 years in prison, if convicted, the sheriff’s office said in a statement. She was also charged with culpable negligence, battery and two counts of assault.
“[The state attorney], he has a job to do and that is to zealously prosecute the killer of AJ Owens,” Crump said in front of a roaring crowd at the news conference. “Just like he would do if the roles had been reversed and you had a Black woman shoot a white woman through a locked, metal door and kill her in front of her children.”
The Marion County state attorney’s office said in a statement to ABC News they had to limit public comments because the criminal case is still pending, but were able to briefly respond to Crump’s request.
“Now that an arrest has been made, our office will diligently pursue the prosecution of the defendant, Susan Lorincz,” the state attorney’s office said in a statement to ABC News. “Our sole focus will be to bring justice to Ajike Owens, her family and her loved ones.”
In a statement, the Marion County sheriff’s office explained they conducted interviews with witnesses, Owens’ children and Lorincz. Authorities say the suspect told police that she shot Owens in self-defense, but through their investigation, the sheriff’s office determined Lorincz’s actions were not justified under Florida law.
“Ms. Lorincz’s fate is now in the hands of the judicial system, which I trust will deliver justice in due course,” Marion County sheriff Billy Woods said in a statement. “As I go to bed tonight, I will be saying a prayer for Ms. Owens’ children and the rest of her family. I’d ask all of you to do the same.”
Woods said there was an ongoing feud between Owens and the suspect. The day of the shooting, the children were playing in a field on the property in which the suspect’s home is located. At that point, the suspect allegedly engaged in an argument with the children, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).
Lorincz allegedly threw a pair of skates at Owens’ 9-year-old son and hit the child in the toe, according to MCSO. Afterwards, the minor and his 12-year-old brother went to Lorincz’s home to speak to her. Lorincz swung an umbrella at them, according to a statement from MCSO.
The children notified Owens, resulting in Owens going to the suspect’s home and demanding that she come out. That’s when Lorincz shot Owens through her closed door, striking her in the upper chest, according to MCSO. Owen’s 9-year-old son was beside her, according to MCSO.
“Our 12-year-old blames himself for the death of his mother because he couldn’t save her,” Dias said at the press conference. “He couldn’t give her CPR. His words, ‘Grandma, grandma, I couldn’t save her! I tried to give her CPR! I tried to give her CPR!’”
According to police records, when officers arrived on the scene, they found Owens under a nearby tree with a gunshot wound. She had a faint pulse as the officers applied medical aid. Owens was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced deceased at 9:33 P.M on June 2.
Lorincz did not immediately return ABC News’ request for an interview or statement. In a separate press conference on Monday, Woods said that Florida Stand Your Ground laws made it harder to execute an immediate arrest. The sheriff’s major crimes unit was finally able to arrest Lorincz on Tuesday after gathering enough evidence, according to MCSO.
“I pray that God gives me the strength, the wisdom and the ability to raise these children as our daughter would have us to do,” Dias said. “[They] witnessed their mother murdered in cold blood.”
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) — An increasing number of cases are being reported of a mysterious, rare condition possibly linked to cannabis use that has caused some people to become severely ill, according to an ABC News investigation.
While many people don’t think of cannabis as a substance that could make you violently ill, experts say some people develop this condition after consuming high concentrations of cannabinoids over long periods of time.
This rare illness is being reported more often around the same time as the rising legalization of marijuana and higher potency of cannabis products, from vaping to edibles.
Erica Hagler was an otherwise healthy 33-year-old who was struck down with a severe mystery illness when she says she was using cannabis multiple times a day.
“I felt like I was going to die,” she told ABC News, adding that her symptoms included “the shakes, elevated heart rate, completely dehydrated and the vomiting was back to back to back.”
After two weeks in the hospital with no diagnosis, Hagler said she was told by doctors she was suffering from a neurological or psychological disorder.
“They tested me for everything else underneath the sun,” Hagler recalled. “I actually had the doctor walk into my room and say, ‘we’re sending you home because — we can’t find anything wrong with you.'”
Soon after, Hagler learned about CHS, cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, which affects people who use high doses of marijuana daily over an extended period of time.
“I diagnosed myself. Then I went back to my doctor and I said, ‘this is what I think I have.’ And then he said, ‘oh, you know what? That sounds right. I’ve heard of this,'” she said.
CHS is a rare condition that causes bouts of vomiting and abdominal pain. One Canadian study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that CHS-related emergency room visits increased 13-fold from 2014 to 2021.
“Given the prevalence of cannabis use worldwide, the very recent recognition of CH, and the paucity of CH literature, it is likely that this disease is underrecognized and underdiagnosed,” the Mayo Clinic published in a case series.
“One challenge we have is that patients sometimes believe that their use of marijuana is helping them,” Dr. Sam Torbati, co-chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Cedars-Sinai, told ABC News.
He continued, “We know that in patients with cancer marijuana actually reduces nausea and vomiting — so for many patients, understanding that for them this is a poison — is a tough pill to swallow.”
Because of that misperception and a lack of tests for diagnosis, Dr. Torbati told ABC News that CHS is often overlooked or misdiagnosed.
“We give patients IVs to hydrate them. We do basic testing, just to make sure their kidneys aren’t failing, that their electrolytes are not very disturbed,” he said. “But really, to cure them of this condition, they need to stop smoking.”
Hagler, who has been cannabis-free for five years, said she started a Facebook group to help others who say they are dealing with the condition.
“I get lots and lots of support,” she said of the group “CHS recovery,” that has amassed over 20,000 members.
“I don’t want anyone to go through what I went through,” Hagler said. “And if I can stop anyone to maybe consider moderating or just being careful or even knowing that this exists so that if they do get sick, that they can help themselves. That’s really the ultimate goal.”
Experts believe CHS is caused by overstimulated receptors in the body that bind with cannabinoids which can trigger a repetitive cycle of nausea and vomiting.
While some reports indicate temporary symptomatic relief with scalding hot showers or a heating pad, stopping marijuana use is the most successful way to manage the condition, experts say. If you believe that you may be suffering from CHS, talk to a doctor to seek medical attention.
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(BUFFALO, N.Y.) — Over half of Buffalo, New York’s water service lines are estimated to contain lead, but city officials say the work to replace them could last over the next two decades and cost nearly half a billion dollars to complete.
Nearly 40,000 water service lines in Buffalo, over half of the more than 68,000 total water service lines in the city, are projected to contain lead, the National Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group, said in a report released last year.
Oluwole “OJ” McFoy, the chairman of the Buffalo Water Board, tells ABC News only 1,700 lines have been replaced so far. McFoy estimates the project could last over the next 20 years and could cost $400 to 500 million.
Buffalo officials last year announced a $10 million federal investment, part of the American Rescue plan, to contribute to accelerating lead pipe replacements and water infrastructure issues in Buffalo.
McFoy told ABC News he believes with that funding they can expect to replace roughly 1,000 more service lines.
The city is also planning to request additional grant funding through the state of New York for an estimated $10 million. McFoy says he “will continue to push forward” with seeking grants to help cover the massive infrastructure project.
“People really look at it from a time standpoint; but we look at it from a public health standpoint, and it starts actually at the treatment facility,” McFoy said.
Following the massacre at the Tops supermarket in Buffalo’s east side on May 14, 2022, at least $1.1 billion in state and federal funds have been designated towards the east side for improvements.
This includes at least $50 million in New York state funding to fight food insecurity and support small businesses, job training programs and assist first-time homeowners and east side homeowners facing foreclosure.
McFoy said the service lines are only part of the problem. The issue also extends inside the properties affected.
While water lines to homes in Buffalo could be either public or private lines, each property owner is responsible for the lines on their property, McFoy explained.
However, McFoy says depending on the amount of lead detected in water pipes, the city may replace some customers’ service lines free of charge.
McFoy said it’s important to make sure property owners are aware of the need to test their lines.
“One of the things that we continue to promote is sampling. We want to make sure we get you in the sampling protocol, so that we know exactly what the levels are,” he said.
He added, “We’ve established a level that is well below the EPA for action. Our action limit is at 5 parts per 1 billion. So in 5 parts per 1 billion, we’re replacing lead to service lines free of charge to those community members.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there is no safe level of lead in the human body. In children, low levels of exposure were linked to damage to the central and peripheral nervous system, learning disabilities, shorter stature, impaired hearing, and impaired formation and function of blood cells, the CDC says.
Housing nonprofit Heart of the City Neighborhoods says it is working alongside other local teams to locate the impacted lines. Blue Conduit, an analytics company using data science and machine learning to find and help to remove lead pipes from the nation’s water infrastructure systems, including in cities like Flint, Michigan, has also been involved in the ongoing work in Buffalo, company representatives said.
According to some engineering experts like Marc Edwards, a professor of engineering at Virginia Tech who helped reveal the Flint, Michigan, water crisis, industrial cities with homes constructed before the 1980s are often at higher risks for lead paint and lead service lines — in part because lead pipes were legal up until the Safe Drinking Water Act was amended that decade.
“It really wasn’t until the 1980s when folks started requiring the water companies to treat the water in a way to minimize the contaminated water through a process,” he said.
Buffalo has the oldest housing stock in the country, according to the 2019 US Census. Nearly 64% of Buffalo homes were built in 1940, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017 American Community Survey.
Stephanie Simeon, a Buffalo resident and the executive director of Heart of the City Neighborhoods, believes that money should be invested into fixing the health and employment issues affecting thousands of Buffalo residents.
“There’s been a plethora of resources, the real story is how have those resources come to the hands and stayed local,” Simeon said.
McFoy said city officials have been meeting with public unions and other “internal vendors” to ensure they’re setting up programs for workforce development amid the reinvestment project.
“A city like Buffalo that has over a 30% poverty rate, we find it very difficult to get things done,” McFoy explained. “That’s why we’re championing programs to ensure we can get funding from the outside coming into the communities like Buffalo.”
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(NEW YORK) — Jamilla Vanbuckley would like to buy a home one day.
A correctional counselor in New York City, Vanbuckley has been living with her parents and tucking as much money as possible into her savings account. But by late summer, she expects a new expense to enter her monthly budget — gradually paying off the $68,000 she owes in student debt.
“I’m gonna have to dip into my savings to start paying back on August 29,” she said, mentioning the day that payments for direct federal student loans are set to resume. “And now that kind of hinders the goals I had set for myself for the next couple of years.”
Vanbuckley is among the 37 million borrowers who have not been required to pay their student loans since March 2020 due to legislative and executive action during the pandemic.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona confirmed in May that the Biden administration intends to restart student loan payments by 60 days after June 30, a plan later cemented in the government’s deal to suspend the debt ceiling.
However, advocates worry that the resumption of payments and the legal challenges to President Joe Biden’s plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt can result in catastrophic consequences for vulnerable borrowers.
The uncertainty comes amid a change in debt servicing companies for millions of borrowers and staffing shortages that experts see as unprecedented in consumer finance, resulting in logistical headaches, hourslong wait times, and potential communication errors in billing.
“Anyone who has been paying attention to the student loan system sees a train wreck coming, and there’s very little time to try to avoid it at this point,” said Abby Shafroth, a senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center and the director of its Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project.
Why is this change happening?
The original pause to student loan payments originated from the early days of the pandemic, according to University of Wisconsin Madison professor Nick Hillman.
Fearing that the sudden spike in unemployment might lead many borrowers to default, the government put millions of federal direct student loans into administrative forbearance and dropped their interest rate to zero percent.
With the end of the federal COVID emergency, the government lost its ability to continue the student loan pause, originally authorized through the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003, according to Hillman.
The deal made by congressional Republicans and Biden to suspend the debt ceiling confirmed that student debt payments would resume this summer. With the change, experts worry that the historically low rate of delinquency for student loans will return to the previous high of 10 percent or worse.
“We are anticipating what has been described as a wave of student loan defaults and delinquencies,” said Cody Hounanian, executive director of nonprofit Student Debt Crisis Center.
What factors complicate the change?
Without having to pay for student loans over the last three years, many Americans have created strict budgets that do not include a monthly student loan payment, according to Shafroth. With a new monthly student loan bill averaging $160, something in these budgets has to give.
“Leisurely spending is probably gone,” Robert Bistoury, a 2020 graduate of Baruch College who said he has $27,000 in student debt, told ABC News.
Both Hounanian and Shafroth worry that borrowers will be cutting into their budgets for rent, medical expenses and food.
“For the majority of people, this is just a new bill that they have to pay, the size of which they may not even realize quite yet,” said University of California Irvine professor Dalié Jiménez.
Complicating the resumption of payments is the logistical hurdle of suddenly resuming payments for millions of Americans, which a Department of Education spokesperson described to ABC News as “unprecedented” and “herculean.”
Multiple companies that service student loans have left the industry, according to Shafroth, meaning that millions of borrowers will also be dealing with an unfamiliar company that might not have up-to-date contact information for borrowers.
For example, Vanbuckley’s student loan servicer switched from Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation, which no longer services student loans, to NelNet — a transition she described as relatively smooth. Others like Hounanian described a more chaotic switch, including receiving false information from his servicer that needed to be corrected.
Shafroth added that many loan servicers have reduced their staff during the pandemic and will need to hire and train new employees to handle the demand for assistance, further complicated by a smaller-than-desired budget for the Department of Education this year.
Those constraints “may lead to some longer processing times and call hold times than would be ideal for this situation,” Scott Buchanan, the executive director of the Student Loan Servicing Alliance, said in a statement to ABC News.
The Department of Education spokesperson told ABC News that it recognizes the return to repayment will result in “significant financial hardship” for borrowers but is committed to helping borrowers.
Perhaps the most significant unknown for borrowers is the fate of the Biden administration’s plan to eliminate up to $20,000 in student debt, which is facing a legal challenge in the Supreme Court. On Wednesday, Biden vetoed a bill that would reverse the debt relief program, and the bill faces low chances of a successful override vote in Congress.
“It does give me some anxiety…it is what it is, and I have to budget accordingly,” Vanbuckley said about the stalled plan.
Who is most vulnerable?
Experts worry that the shift back to student loan payments places financial hardship on vulnerable Americans and presents an opportunity for bad actors. For borrowers who are still determining how they might pay their monthly student loan bill, some may turn to companies that promise student loan relief but are nothing more than scams that prey on vulnerable consumers, according to Hounanian.
“We know that a lot of companies prey on the confusion and anxiety and stress that people are feeling about their student loans,” Shafroth said.
Before the change, experts recommend that borrowers confirm the contact information for their loan servicers and their repayment plan. The Department of Education offers a new income-driven program for borrowers and has discharged loans for borrowers who qualify through public service, disability, or college wrongdoing.
Hillman particularly encouraged borrowers under $20,000 in debt to confirm their servicer and repayment plan, especially given the uncertainty with loan forgiveness.
According to Hillman, while six-figure loans often drive media attention, borrowers with “smaller” loans who never completed their degrees face the highest rate of default.
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(NEW YORK) — As New York City was bombarded with dangerous air and smoke conditions that turned the skyline orange, some residents and environmental experts questioned if the city’s leader acted quickly enough to warn people about the dangers of the “smoke wave.”
The city’s Office of Emergency Management issued warnings on its social media pages and city alert system starting Tuesday afternoon and Mayor Eric Adams put out a news release about the dangerous air quality around 11:30 p.m.
Some environmentalists said that the late notice was unacceptable given that the city’s environment was already showing poor visibility and unhealthy air earlier in the morning.
“There is supposed to be emergency planning for situations like this,” Rebecca Bratspies, the director of CUNY Law School’s Center for Urban Environmental Justice Reform, told ABC News. “I was expecting the city to read the same news forecasts I had that this was happening Monday and Tuesday. They should have had a plan.”
Adams defended his administration’s approach to alerting New Yorkers about the dangers of the situation during a news conference with reporters Wednesday morning. He contended that there were no late notifications as the city’s agencies, such as the health department and OEM, were going through the rapidly changing information.
“The clouds you see over New York City was a fire thousands of miles away. This is the challenge…and there are going to be more issues like this, and there’s no blueprint or playbook for these types of issues,” he said.
“We’ve done tabletops in this administration. You want to be as prepared as possible, but there is no planning for an incident like this,” Adams added.
Bratspies, who is a board member of the city’s Environmental Justice Advisory Board, countered the mayor’s claim noting that the city has delivered air quality alerts in the past and has access to the latest forecast models.
“Air masses don’t appear all of a sudden. They move slowly and you can predict how bad it will be long before it hits,” she said.
Holly Porter-Morgan, a professor of environmental science at LaGuardia Community College, told ABC News that she too thought the city didn’t do a good job informing the public as soon as there was an indication that the Air Quality Index reached dangerous levels.
Every minute that New Yorkers were exposed to that toxic air, particularly the elderly, immunocompromised and children, does more harm, she said.
“Whenever our air quality index goes above 100 there should be some sort of statement going out,” Porter-Morgan said. “There should be some directive for people, because people don’t know what to do.”
Porter-Morgan said that even though wildfire smoke is new to the northeast, Adams and other leaders in the area can take a look at the environmental policies in West Coast states for guidance.
Alistair Hayden, an assistant professor of practice at the Department of Public and ecosystem health at Cornell University, told ABC News that while local, state and federal governments must enact policies to prepare and protect the public from “smoke waves,” there is still a lot of work to be done to properly make those alerts.
“One thing I have heard from local governments is they don’t know where to get the best air quality data. There are not excellent tools to zoom down and know what exactly is going on in your community,” he said. “The research is just getting to those points now where we can use those tools, but it’s still not where we need it to be.”
Hayden, who worked in California’s Office of Emergency Services, acknowledged informing and alerting the public to environmental disasters or emergencies is complicated, as data changes constantly.
“Warning is always a tricky business because across disasters we’ve seen if you alert too early and it changes people lose trust in the alerts,” he said.
But in the meantime, Hayden said those governments can start to implement plans for these smoke waves and use the playbook for other similar situations.
For example, he said cities could use the cooling center plans, and designate certain buildings where vulnerable people can stay for clean air during the day.
Ultimately, Hayden said that public officials across the country need to take heed of what’s going on in the east coast and start coming up with policies to prevent people from getting hurt by the negative effects of climate change.
“People don’t realize how many people die in a smoke wave. This is a really important piece that we need to include in our policy at all levels,” he said. “I think we need to respond to ‘smoke waves’ with the same type of urgency of other disasters.”
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