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Senate panel presses federal prisons director on Atlanta corruption, misconduct allegations

July 26, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — A Senate investigation revealed evidence on Tuesday of widespread corruption and misconduct dating back years at a federal penitentiary in Atlanta.

At a hearing Tuesday morning, an investigatory panel led by Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff intends to press outgoing Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Michael Carvajal on agency records that show staff at the Atlanta federal penitentiary “acted with impunity and even lacked regard for human life,” Ossoff said in his opening statement.

The prison was rife with contraband, including weapons and synthetic cannabis, and large amounts of confiscated drugs were never logged after they were discovered, according to Ossoff.

A lack of security checks also allowed inmates to pass contraband between cells and freely use narcotics, Ossoff said.

Internal reports from 2017 and 2019, now revealed by the committee, found prison guard weapons were improperly stored and at times went missing.

The findings documented by the panel — an investigatory arm of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee — include allegations of poorly maintained and often dangerous conditions for inmates. Between 2012 to 2020, a total of 12 inmates died by suicide which the committee linked to a lack of compliance by staff to prison procedures and “complacency, indifference, inattentiveness, and lack of compliance with BOP policies and procedures,” according to Ossoff.

After Carvajal initially declined to testify, the subcommittee subpoenaed him; he announced his retirement at the beginning of the year and plans to leave BOP in August, when his successor takes over.

The U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta has been under public scrutiny for years. An inmate and his fiancée pleaded guilty in 2017 to running what prosecutors described as an “inmate Uber.” The two admitted to transporting convicts to and from the prison, allowing them access to outside food and contraband.

Last year, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that four senior prison officers were banned from the facility amid a corruption investigation and the prison’s population was reduced from more than 1,800 to 134.

The Senate panel on Tuesday will also hear witness testimony from the facility’s former chief psychologist and jail administrator.

Representatives with the BOP and the Atlanta penitentiary did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.

Atlanta penitentiary rife with ‘impunity’ and lack of ‘regard for human life’: Senate panel

July 26, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — A Senate investigation revealed evidence on Tuesday of widespread corruption and misconduct dating back years at a federal penitentiary in Atlanta.

“The evidence the [subcommittee for investigations] has secured to date reveals stunning long-term failures of federal prison administration that likely contributed to loss of life; jeopardized the health and safety of inmates and staff; and undermined public safety and civil rights in the State of Georgia and the Southeast Region of the United States,” Ossoff said.

The prison was rife with contraband, including weapons and synthetic cannabis, and large amounts of confiscated drugs were never logged after they were discovered, according to Ossoff and the subcommittee’s review of internal BOP documents in addition to interviews with whistleblowers, federal judges and former senior agency leaders.

A lack of security checks also allowed inmates to pass contraband between cells and freely use narcotics, Ossoff said.

Internal reports from 2017 and 2019, now revealed by the committee, found prison guard weapons were improperly stored and at times went missing.

Erika Ramirez, a whistleblower and former chief psychologist of the Atlanta facility, testified on Tuesday to a variety of unsafe and unsanitary conditions as well as a lack of control over contraband.

“The walls were infested with mold,” Ramirez said. “Whenever it rained, the sewer would break — would back up and overflow onto the recreation yard, sometimes leaving a foot of human waste behind. Security-wise, there was little to speak of. Given the volume and flagrancy of the contraband, it was obvious that cell searches were not being properly conducted, if at all.”

Ramirez testified that she documented her findings and reported them to upper management and, in some cases, to the BOP central office in Washington. Ramirez was subsequently, involuntarily transferred to a facility in Texas in what she described as retaliation for speaking out.

Former jail administrator Terri Whitehead also appeared at Tuesday’s hearing and said unsanitary conditions at the prison resulted in security lapses.

“For example, there was so many rats inside the facility, dining hall and food preparation areas that staff intentionally left doors open so the stray cats that hung around the prison could catch the rats,” Whitehead said. “It is never a good idea to leave prison doors open.”

After BOP Director Carvajal initially declined to testify, the subcommittee subpoenaed him; he announced his retirement at the beginning of the year and plans to leave BOP in August, when his successor takes over.

Representatives with the BOP and the Atlanta penitentiary did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.

Historic rainfall in St. Louis causes flash flooding emergency with more than 6 inches of rain

July 26, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(ST. LOUIS) — A record amount of rain has poured down on the St. Louis area overnight as the area has recorded 7.02 inches of rainfall since midnight, which surpassed the old record of 6.85 inches set almost 107 years ago on Aug. 20, 1915.

The historic rainfall event is causing widespread flash flooding across the region Tuesday morning with some areas getting more than half a foot of rain in just a few hours.

Heavy rain will continue for St. Louis and its surrounding areas through Tuesday morning as thunderstorms sit over Missouri. However, a short break in the weather is expected Tuesday afternoon and into the evening but more heavy rain with flooding is expected to continue Wednesday morning.

The St. Louis Fire department says there’s been a report of a partial roof collapse and possible natural gas leak at the scene of a storage facility at St. Louis Zoo. Further details were not immediately available.

The fire department also says there are several vehicles trapped in high water with Rescue Squads responding in small boats.

Poll: 43% of parents with young kids say their children will ‘definitely not’ get COVID vaccine

July 26, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — It has been over a month since COVID-19 vaccines became available to children as young as six months, but with millions of kids still without a shot, officials continue to face an uphill battle in their push to get the youngest Americans vaccinated.

Since the shots were authorized on June 18, approximately 544,000 children, under the age of 5, have received their first shot, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, representing 2.8% of the 19.5 million U.S. children in that age group.

Preliminary data reported by states shows that several states in the Northeast have the highest share of children under 5 vaccinated with at least one dose, with Washington, D.C. leading the nation with 14.4% of its jurisdiction’s children under 5 vaccinated with their first shot, followed by Vermont, with 10.3%, and Massachusetts, with 7.2%.

Mississippi has the lowest percentage of children under 5 vaccinated, with less than 0.4% of children with their first shot, followed by Alabama and Arkansas, both with 0.6%.

The sluggish start to the vaccine rollout comes as a new KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor survey reveals that many parents remain reluctant to vaccinate their young children. As of July, 43% of parents with children ages 6 months to 4 years old said they will “definitely not” get their child vaccinated against COVID-19. In comparison, when polled in April, 27% of parents had stated they would “definitely not” get their child vaccinated against the virus.

Thirteen percent of parents said they would only inoculate their child, if required, and 27% reported they were waiting to see whether to vaccinate their child.

Only 7% of parents reported they got their child vaccinated right away, while another 10% of parents said that they were still planning to get their child vaccinated “right away.”

When asked about their reluctance to vaccinate their children, parents cited concerns over the “newness” of the vaccine, potential side effects, as well as “not enough testing or research,” and overall worries over safety of the vaccines. A majority of parents also said the information provided by the federal health agencies on vaccines, for children in that age group, was “confusing.”

More than half of parents reported that they feel the vaccine is a bigger risk to their child’s health than contracting COVID-19 itself, while about 1 in 10 parents said they did not think their child needed the vaccine, or stated they were not worried about COVID-19.

Forty-four percent of Black parents of unvaccinated children, ages 6 months through 4 years old, reported that they were concerned they would be required to take time off work to get their child vaccinated, or to care for them should they experience side effects, while 45% Hispanic parents said they were worried about being unable to get their child vaccinated at a trusted location.

However, there are indicators that vaccination rates may pick up, as more parents speak with their child’s pediatrician about the benefits of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Seventy percent of parents with children under 5 who are eligible for the vaccine, and are considering inoculating their child, reported they had not yet spoken to their child’s pediatrician or other health care provider about the vaccine, with 70% also saying they would wait until their child’s regular check-up to discuss getting their child vaccinated.

Among older children, nearly 3 in 10 parents of 12- to 17-year-olds, and about 4 in 10 parents of 5- to 11-year-olds said that they would definitely not get their child vaccinated for COVID-19.

Nationally, about 44 million eligible children remain completely unvaccinated, according to federal data.

The continued call to vaccinate all Americans comes amidst renewed concern over the spread of COVID-19 across the country.

Eighty-seven percent of the U.S. population lives in a county with a high or medium community risk level for COVID-19, as defined by the CDC, indicating that 6 in 10 Americans are currently living in a county where masking is recommended for all people while in indoor public settings.

COVID-19 cases among children remain at a high level, with more than 92,000 additional child COVID-19 cases reported in the last week, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA).

On average, about 300 virus-positive children are admitted to the hospital daily, marking one of the highest daily totals since February.

Trump returns to Washington for first time since leaving office in insurrection’s shadow

July 26, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Former President Donald Trump returns to Washington on Tuesday for the first time since leaving office in the shadow of the Capitol insurrection to deliver remarks to ultra-conservative allies at the America First Agenda Summit.

Trump’s return, at a two-day conference hosted by the America First Policy Institute, a MAGA-aligned group formed when he took office, comes as he publicly teases a 2024 presidential run — and amid a congressional investigation into his actions surrounding the deadly rioting last year by his supporters at the Capitol, which led to his historic second impeachment. (He denies wrongdoing.)

Other prominent conservatives slated to speak Tuesday include House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California; Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La.; Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-Ga.; Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah; former White House aide Kellyanne Conway and GOP ally Newt Gingrich, all of whom have attacked the House Jan. 6 committee and its vice chair, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.

With Cheney vowing the committee will hold more hearings in the fall, saying, “The dam has begun to break,” the panel also weighs whether to send a criminal referral to the Justice Department.

A referral is not required for federal authorities to charge Trump himself, nor will one guarantee such a move. But public hearings outlining Trump’s “seven-point plan” to overturn the 2020 presidential election have amped up pressure on Attorney General Merrick Garland to bring a federal criminal case against Trump — which would be the first in history against a former president.

Trump is already facing a civil investigation in New York, by state Attorney General Letitia James, into his family’s real estate business practices; she has argued her office found “significant evidence” of fraud and Trump and some of his children are set to be deposed by investigators. (Trump has claimed James is politically motivated.)

Separately, Sen. Graham, only after a subpoena, will appear before a grand jury in Georgia as part of the Fulton County district attorney’s ongoing investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in the state.

The simultaneous probes show how Trump’s legal problems continue to loom over a possible 2024 comeback bid.

The only modern president who has refused to concede defeat, Trump can be expected to lament his 2020 election loss in his address on Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET, though organizers said in a release that his speech will be focused on “America First” policy.

But on the eve of Trump’s return, it was his former Vice President Mike Pence who intended to take the attention of the Republican Party, planning to tout his “Freedom Agenda” in remarks on Monday at the Heritage Foundation that were ultimately canceled due to weather.

Pence remains scheduled to speak before the Young America’s Foundation’s student conference on Tuesday.

Pence and Trump’s appearances further highlight their estrangement-turned-rivalry, as both have thrown their support behind competing candidates in state primary races. In Arizona last week, Pence joined a term-limited Gov. Doug Ducey to rally for Karrin Taylor Robson, widely seen as the establishment GOP candidate in the open race for Ducey’s seat; while Trump campaigned for Kari Lake, a former TV reporter-turned-“Ultra MAGA mom.”

In May, Pence and Trump stumped for opposing candidates in the GOP primary to be Georgia’s governor, with the Pence-backed incumbent, Brian Kemp, soaring to victory over Trump’s pick, former Sen. David Perdue.

Last week in Maryland, Trump’s pick, state Del. Dan Cox — who criticized (and then apologized for criticizing) Pence as a “traitor” after Pence didn’t reject the 2020 results — won the GOP governor’s primary, to the ire of term-limited Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who backed a more moderate candidate and appears to have presidential aspirations himself.

Hogan told ABC News’ This Week co-anchor Jonathan Karl on Sunday that some in the Republican Governors Association were “very concerned” about Trump potentially launching a 2024 presidential bid before November’s midterm races, which Hogan said could upend contests across the country.

“I think most people are very concerned about the damage it does to the party if he announces now,” he said. “And it may help in very red states or very red districts. But in competitive places and purple battlefields, it’s going to cost us seats if he were to do that.”

Former Pence chief of staff appeared before grand jury probing Jan. 6

July 26, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Marc Short, the former chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, appeared before a federal grand jury investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Short confirmed to ABC News.

Short, in an interview Monday night with ABC News’ Linsey Davis, said he was subpoenaed by a grand jury and complied with the subpoena, adding he “really can’t comment further than that” upon the advice of his legal counsel.

ABC News first reported early Monday that Short had appeared last week before the grand jury.

Short was caught by an ABC News camera departing D.C. District Court on Friday alongside his attorney, Emmet Flood.

Short is the highest-ranking Trump White House official known to have appeared before the grand jury.

“I think that having the Capitol ransacked the way that it was, I think did present liability and danger,” he told Davis in the interview. “And I think the Secret Service did a phenomenal job that day. I think that the bigger risk and despite the way perhaps it was characterized in the hearings last week, candidly, is that if the mob had gotten closer to the vice president, I do think there would have been a massacre in the Capitol that day.”

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment to ABC News.

Pence’s former chief counsel, Greg Jacob, also testified before the grand jury, sources familiar with his appearance told ABC News.

Neither Jacob nor his attorney responded to a request for comment from ABC News.

Jacob testified publicly during a recent public hearing of the Jan. 6 committee.

In March, the Department of Justice expanded its criminal probe into the events of Jan. 6 to include preparations for the rally that preceded the storming of the Capitol, as well as the financing for the event, multiple sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

Grand jury subpoenas were sent to those who assisted in the organizing and planning of former President Donald Trump’s “Save America” rally on the Ellipse near the White House, the sources said, with prosecutors seeking multiple records and documents related to the rally, including text messages and emails, as well as potential communications with other individuals regarding the logistics of the event.

“There is a lot of speculation about what the Justice Department is doing, what’s it not doing, what our theories are and what our theories aren’t, and there will continue to be that speculation,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said at a press briefing last week. “We have to hold accountable every person who is criminally responsible for trying to overturn a legitimate election, and we must do it in a way filled with integrity and professionalism.”

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack has played numerous clips from Short’s deposition with committee investigators during its public hearings.

Biden administration to release $343M to make subway, rail stations more accessible

July 26, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Biden administration to release 3M to make subway, rail stations more accessible

(WASHINGTON) — Roughly $343 million will be made available to transit agencies this year to make subway and rail stations more accessible to those with disabilities, the Biden administration announced Tuesday.

The tranche of funds comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will be allotted to transit agencies across the country to retrofit rail and subway stations for wheelchair use, officials said.

“Everyone should be able to get to work easily, everyone should be able to get to the people in places they love and the activities that bring them joy,” Mitch Landrieu, senior adviser and infrastructure coordinator, said during a call with reporters. “Accessibility should never be a barrier.”

Officials said there are approximately 900 stations across the country that are without elevators and ramps, and therefore not in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Officials said these stations were constructed before the passing of the ADA in 1990.

“For many people who use a wheelchair or are blind or low vision, or just have a bad knee or [are] coming out of the surgery, or older folks who have trouble getting up and down stairs, this often means that affordable public transportation by rail is not an option,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “That is not right, it is not fair.”

The funding will total $1.75 billion over the next five years to make these stations more accessible, the officials said.

Uvalde school district suspends Robb Elementary School principal

July 26, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(UVALDE, Texas) — Mandy Gutierrez, principal of Robb Elementary School in Texas, was suspended with pay Monday, her attorney, Ricardo Cedillo, confirmed to ABC News.

A special legislative investigation into the May 24 massacre at the school found that Gutierrez was aware of security problems prior to a shooter accessing the school — killing 19 students and two teachers — but she had not had the problems fixed.

District officials declined to discuss the suspension or what it means.

Gutierrez joins school district police chief Pete Arredondo, still on unpaid administrative leave. The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District has recommended Arredondo be fired.

The chief has been singled out for a series of catastrophic failures in leading the police response to the massacre that ignored the possibility that children and teachers could be saved had the teenage gunman been confronted and neutralized, as standard police protocol dictates.

News about Gutierrez’s suspension began circulating just before a regularly scheduled school board meeting Monday night. During the session, the board announced that the 2022-23 school year would start on Sept. 6 as the district puts in place a series of security improvements and arrangements for emotional and social support services.

Before officials announced their plans, the board was again greeted by family members of victims of the shooting, as well as other community residents disturbed with the way the district’s leaders have acted since May 24.

“These parents are still hurting. And they want answers,” Daniel Myers, a pastor, told the board.

Brett Cross, father of Uziyah Garcia, who was killed in the massacre, pointed to board members, saying only one of those present had reached out to his family. He demanded someone on the board take responsibility for failures that allowed the shooting to occur in the first place and how the district has handled the aftermath.

“You care more about your damn selves than you do for our children,” Cross told the board. “Why have y’all still not taken accountability for y’all’s mess-ups? Can any one of y’all look me dead in the eyes and say, ‘Look, we messed up?'”

Finally, board member Luis Fernandez confessed that “everybody messed up.”

“So, let’s recap: Two months later… nothing has changed,” Belinda Arreola told the board. “We are once again banging our heads against a brick wall, demanding answers and accountability… Getting nowhere because it’s always something.”

“I feel that no amount of security will ease our hearts and our minds,” Tracy Byrd said, pointing to the significant loss of life, despite heavy law enforcement response. The board did not respond.

Among the security improvements announced were that Wi-Fi and communications problems identified by investigators would be the subject of an audit starting Tuesday. Officials are also now conducting a search for an interim district police chief, and the district police force will be reorganized. Other improvements announced were that new video camera systems have arrived and are being installed this week, and vestibules and school access points are being reviewed by consultants and limited.

The district’s Raptor security system is being reworked so emergency alerts are clearer for users. The district has also asked for 30 to 40 state troopers to be on hand to assist on the first day of school.

Among social and emotional support announced were that there will be five more licensed counselors, one per campus, as well as telemedicine to include psychiatric and counseling services via the UT Health System. It was also announced that the district will use the Rhithm app, a morning assessment to ask students how they’re doing and feeling, and that parent support will be available via the Bereavement Center, to include individual support available to anyone in the community in need.

Mega Millions jackpot reaches $810M, 3rd highest in game’s history

July 25, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Mega Millions jackpot reaches 0M, 3rd highest in game’s history

(NEW YORK) — The Mega Millions jackpot has reached an estimated $810 million ahead of Tuesday night’s drawing, making it the third largest jackpot in the game’s history.

Tuesday night’s historic jackpot is possible after no one had the winning numbers following Friday night’s drawing.

The Mega Millions winning numbers in Friday’s drawing were: 14-40-60-64-66. The Mega Ball was 16 and Megaplier was 3.

Only four Mega Millions jackpots have been won this year; in California, Minnesota, New York and Tennessee.

Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing will be held at 11 p.m. ET and has a cash value of $470.1 million, the company said in a press release.

The largest Mega Millions jackpot was $1.537 billion on Oct. 23, 2018, when one winning ticket was sold in South Carolina. In January 2021, one winning ticket was sold in Michigan, with an estimated prize of $1.05 billion.

Lottery winners have two options, take the money as a lump sum payment or annuity payments over 29 years.

Most winners usually take the lump sum payments, but record inflation has complicated matters, experts said.

“If we believe that inflation will be here for a while, then you may want to consider taking the annuity versus taking the lump sum,” tax and estate planning attorney Kurt Panouses told ABC News’ Deirdre Bolton.

Indiana Senate hears public testimony on proposed abortion law, protestors gather

July 25, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.) — The Indiana Senate heard public testimony on a proposed abortion bill Monday, with passionate pleas from both anti-abortion rights and abortion-rights advocates.

Monday’s testimony comes prior to the legislature’s vote on Senate Bill I, which is slated for Tuesday at 1 p.m.

The proposed bill would ban all abortions in the state from the moment of conception, with exceptions for rape, incest, threats to the health of the mother, or due to fatal fetal abnormalities.

The bill would not hold women accountable, criminally, but rather those who perform abortions outside of these exceptions.

While testimony began, abortion-rights protestors could be heard from outside the Statehouse in Indianapolis, where the hearing took place.

Vice President Kamala Harris also came to Indianapolis in preparation for the legislature’s Tuesday vote, meeting with lawmakers to discuss the bill.

Dozens of Indiana residents shared testimony before state senators, calling for changes to the bill, some arguing for more restrictions, and others pleading for less.

On both sides, much of the hourslong testimony pointed to vagueness within the proposed law.

Several doctors testified that they or their colleagues will become fearful of performing abortions and potentially put their patients at risk.

“We want emergency physicians to be able to provide life-saving interventions and treatments consistent with the standard of care without fear of prosecution,” Daniel Elliott, an emergency physician, said during the hearing.

Amy Caldwell, an obstetrician and gynecologist in Indiana, testified to the same sentiment, adding that it’s important for physicians to have safe, private conversations with their patients about their health.

Ariel Ream, an Indiana woman who sought pregnancy through IVF, said she’s fearful of losing that protected relationship with her doctors.

“Who gets to decide when my life is truly at risk?” Ream said during the hearing. “When am I hemorrhaging enough to be able to get care, what doctor is not going to be scared, as we’ve heard today, to not lose their license to give you the care they need?”

Others, including Elizabeth Manring, think the vagueness needs to be addressed in order to create more restrictions.

She asked senators to vote against this bill and instead “close the loopholes large enough to drive a truck through and actually work to stop abortion in Indiana.”

Advocates for abortion and anti-abortion rights both raised questions about the implication of religion within the law.

Several anti-abortion rights advocates referenced the Bible, in favor of a complete ban on abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest.

“If the language of the bill isn’t changed, innocent children will die. God’s wrath will continue to be stored up against us and the Republican Party will lose many of its God-fearing constituents,” Seth Leeman said.

Brian Shrank, who said he ministers outside of abortion clinics, referenced a 10-year-old girl who came to Indiana to receive an abortion after becoming pregnant from rape, saying, “God gave that girl life.”

Rabbi Aaron Spiegel argued against the bill for fewer restrictions, saying that the ban from conception is against the beliefs of Judaism and therefore not coherent with the Constitution’s pledge to freedom of religion.

Grey Lesesne, a reverend at an Episcopal Christian church in Indianapolis, said that this bill would harm many of his congregants.

“I’m asking you to give Hoosier women and pregnant people the dignity and respect to make these difficult decisions with their doctors, their families and their communities of faith,” Lesesne said.

Several women came forward to share their experiences with abortion.

One, Danielle Spry, said that she “cannot even fathom the trauma” that having to go through with her pregnancy would have caused her.

Spry said that she was told her daughter would not have been able to survive after birth, due to fatal fetal abnormalities that would not allow her lungs or heart to work properly.

Spry added that she believes women should be able to carry any pregnancy to term, but that she was grateful that she had a choice.

Public testimony will continue for the bill at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, leading up to a 1 p.m. vote on the bill by state senators.

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