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Two children shot overnight in DC in separate incidents ‘unacceptable,’ police chief says

May 16, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Two children were shot and injured overnight in Washington, D.C., during two separate incidents Sunday and Monday, police said, describing both girls as innocent bystanders.

The latest string of shootings comes as D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser unveiled new legislative efforts aimed at increasing public safety ahead of her testimony to lawmakers during a House Oversight Committee hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

A 10-year-old girl was shot in the upper body while driving home with family following Mother’s Day celebrations at 9 p.m. on Sunday, police said. The family realized the girl had been shot and drove her to a local firehouse, and then she was taken to a hospital, where she remains in critical condition, police told ABC News. The Metropolitan Police Department said it doesn’t believe the family was an intended target and the girl was “accidentally hit in a barrage of gunfire.”

Hours later, at 4:15 a.m. Monday, a 12-year-old girl was shot after a bullet went through the window of her home and struck her in the leg as she was sleeping, according to D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee. The 12-year-old was transported with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

No arrests have been made and both cases are still under investigation, authorities said. City leaders pleaded with the public to provide information on the recent shootings.

Contee told reporters Monday that both shootings were “unacceptable.” He added, “We have been focusing on a whole-of-government approach to keeping our community safe.”

Speaking directly to the community, Contee said: “We truly need the community’s help with that case. To the cowards who fired those shots: You hit a 10-year-old child. I’m asking for the community’s help.”

On Friday, there was another string of shootings: Three men and one woman were injured during four separate shootings in an hour across the district. The first of the four incidents happened at 11:35 a.m., the last at 12:31 p.m.

Violent crime in the district is up 13% from this time last year, according to data from the Metropolitan Police Department.

During a press conference Monday, Bowser addressed the public’s frustration: “I would say if they’re hearing gunshots and a child and their community became a victim, I completely understand a frustration with crime. And we’re going to do everything that we can with the resources available to stop it.”

In response to growing calls for action, the mayor announced new legislative efforts on Monday. She is expected to answer additional questions from congressional lawmakers on violence in the district on Tuesday during a House hearing titled Overdue Oversight of the Capitol City.

Bowser says the new legislation is aimed at increasing public safety. The new initiatives will work to determine who should be held in jail ahead of trials, make updates to domestic violence laws including making strangulation a felony, and increase penalties for assaults of transit workers and crimes against vulnerable adults and people with disabilities. The mayor’s new legislative effort will also seek to harshen penalties for firearms and ghost guns, officials said Monday.

The mayor told reporters: “We proudly, of course, in our city believe in second chances, but we also believe in accountability.”

The mayor was asked if she felt her newest legislative efforts would allay some Republicans who have had serious issues with crime in the district while blocking the city’s effort to update D.C.’s criminal code for the first time since 1901.

“I’m less concerned about their concerns,” Bowser said. “I’m more concerned about the 700,000 people who live here, the two little girls that the chief just described who have the right to be safe in their homes.”

She added, “I’m concerned, as well, to set the record straight with members of the Congress. We are experiencing a dangerous trend in some crimes in the city.” Bowser said crimes in D.C. are not unlike some cities across the country, however, regarding the hearing Tuesday, she added: “We’re going to be clear about what we’re doing to address it.”

Police say Allen shooting witness who said he helped victims isn’t credible

May 16, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(ALLEN, Texas) — Police in Allen, Texas, where eight people were killed in a shooting at an outdoor mall earlier this month, say a man who said he tried to help some shooting victims is “not a credible witness.”

There were discrepancies in what the witness, Steven Spainhouer, told several media outlets, the Allen Police Department said in a press release Friday. On his Facebook page, Spainhouer disputed the statement by police.

“Inconsistencies between these public accounts and investigative facts led Allen Police Department to conduct a follow-up interview,” it went on. “During the interview, detectives determined that Mr. Spainhouer is not a credible incident witness.”

Spainhouer said he arrived at the Allen Premium Outlets on May 6 just after the shooting and immediately encountered wounded people. He also said he tried to perform CPR on two victims.

“I was on the phone and I started counting bodies,” he told ABC News’ Good Morning America.

He recounted the conversation he had with an emergency operator: “I said, ‘I’ve got seven bodies, I need seven ambulances.’ She said, ‘I don’t know if I have that many.’ I said, ‘However many you can get.'”

Spainhouer, according to Allen police, arrived at the scene between 3:44 and 3:52 p.m. and “was not first on the scene, nor was he on the property while gunfire was occurring.”

Allen police also said Spainhouer didn’t perform CPR or administer first aid.

He also didn’t “move a deceased mother who was covering a live child,” the Allen PD said.

In a statement posted Friday to his Facebook page, Spainhouer said he was “hurt and disappointed” by the press release.

“First of all, I have never said I heard gunshots at the Allen Outlet Mall,” he wrote, also adding: “I did not move any victims, except the first one I found to check on her.”

When asked for comment, Spainhouer directed ABC News to what he wrote on Facebook.

Six-year-old nearly abducted walking home from church with mother on Mother’s Day

May 16, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.) — A 6-year-old girl was nearly abducted after walking home from church with her mother on Mother’s Day, according to the Daytona Beach Police Department.

Authorities responded at around noon on Sunday to reports of an attempted abduction in Daytona Beach, Florida, police said in a press release.

The 6-year-old and her mother were walking home hand-in-hand from Our Lady of Lourdes Church when a woman blocked them from moving any further, according to an incident report obtained by ABC News affiliate WFTV.

The woman then “intentionally grabbed” the 6-year-old, trying to break the grip between her and her mother, the report said. Ultimately unsuccessful, the suspect fled. The child and her mother were uninjured from the incident, according to the report. The suspect remained at large, police said.

Daytona Beach Police have described the suspect as a Black female between 25 and 35, who is approximately 5′ 6” to 5′ 8” tall and who was last seen wearing a gray T-shirt and a red skirt.

“Maybe you’re afraid, maybe it was Mother’s Day (and) you don’t have a child, I don’t know,” Kelly Grange, father of the 6-year-old, told WFTV. “I encourage you to turn yourself in, reach out and get some help.”

Pence allies launch super PAC to support a potential candidacy

May 16, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — As former Vice President Mike Pence enters the final weeks of considering whether to make a presidential run, a group of conservatives is launching a super PAC to support his potential candidacy, according to several sources familiar with its planning.

The group, Committed to America, will be co-chaired by veteran GOP consultant Scott Reed, former Texas Rep. Jeb Hensarling, and Bobby Saparow, former campaign manager to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Michael Ricci, who ran communications for Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, will run the PAC’s communications.

The co-chairs hope to in part reintroduce Pence to voters, who they believe don’t have a full sense of who the former vice president is, and catch the attention of voters perhaps stuck on other candidates.

“People know Mike Pence, they just don’t know him well,” Reed told a small group of reporters Friday that included ABC News. “This campaign is going to reintroduce Mike Pence to the country as his own man, not as vice president, but as a true economic, social, and national security conservative — a Reagan conservative.”

If Pence decides to wade into the race, he enters a field already dominated by his prior running mate, former President Donald Trump. A majority of GOP voters who are opting not to support Trump currently favor Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. A recent ABC News/Washington Post poll shows 6% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents supporting a Pence bid.

Another source familiar with the PAC’s planning said Pence would own the “constitutional conservative” lane even if others try to occupy that space. One of those may be former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who has called for Trump to drop out of the race.

“It’s not a soundbite with Mike Pence. There’s a history,” said another source. “There’s a record, going all the way back to the house days and being chairman of the Republican Study Committee. Again, it’s not a soundbite. It’s a record that has a very, very dramatic exclamation point on it.”

While it’s unclear whether the PAC will attack Trump directly, a source familiar said that the former president’s actions on Jan. 6 are “disqualifying,” echoing a similar sentiment from Hutchinson. Pence has shied away from laying into his former boss or his character, leaving those sorts of judgements up to voters — though Trump has not returned the favor.

“I guess he figured that being nice is not working,” Trump told reporters in response to questions about comments Pence made at the Gridiron Club dinner for Washington insiders, where he claimed that “history will hold Donald Trump accountable” for his actions during the Capitol insurrection.

Although he’d be navigating headwinds within his own party, Pence would be facing a public with growing disdain toward President Joe Biden — with the same ABC News/Washington Post poll revealing staggering new lows for Biden’s approval rating.

The group plans to make major investments in Iowa, whose voting contest remains first in line for Republicans. The Democratic National Committee voted to remove the Iowa caucuses from their lineup, causing some pushback from state Democrats who feel left behind by the party. Winning big in the early stages of the process can create inertia for any GOP candidate hoping to de-throne Trump.

“We’re going to organize Iowa, all 99 counties, like we’re running him for county sheriff,” added Reed, who previously managed Sen. Bob Dole’s 1996 presidential campaign.

Saparow told reporters he plans on replicating his strategy for Kemp — who bested Trump-backed former Sen. David Perdue in the Georgia gubernatorial primary by over 50 points and eventually beat out Democratic Stacey Abrams in a general election rematch — on a national stage.

“We will also be doing a very extensive paid voter contact program through Committed to America. We have all the confidence in the world that the results that we were able to garner for Gov. Kemp we can duplicate for the vice president,” said Saparow.

Once registered with the Federal Election Commission, the Committed to America super PAC can raise funds to support Pence, so long as it doesn’t directly coordinate with the former vice president prior to any sort of official campaign launch. The group declined to disclose specifics on initial financial commitments, with a source saying the group will “raise and spend as much money as it takes to be successful.”

“Our initial meetings and phone calls have been very successful in terms of commitments, and we’re going to continue to grow on that. We’re going to need to spend wisely in a very focused way. This will be the Pence-sanctioned super PAC and 100% of the money will go to helping Mike Pence, and no one else,” said the source.

A Pence adviser told ABC News a potential announcement could come “broadly” in June.

Any such announcement would have to be made early enough to meet the Republican National Committee’s debate polling and domination thresholds. Republican candidates will face off in the first primary debate in Milwaukee in August.

“The country’s at real crossroads and the Republican Party needs a strong conservative candidate who can win. Pence has the experience, the unparalleled character, communication skills and the conservative credentials to win both the nomination and a general election,” said Reed.

Threats against the LGBTQIA+ community intensifying: Department of Homeland Security

May 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Threats of violence against the LGBTQIA+ community are on the rise and intensifying, according to a new briefing by the Department of Homeland Security.

The DHS document, distributed to government and law enforcement agencies on May 11, said that domestic violence extremists and people who commit hate crimes have increased threats of violence against the LGBTQIA+ community within the last year.

“These issues include actions linked to drag-themed events, gender-affirming care, and LGBTQIA+ curricula in schools,” DHS said.

DHS said that the issues inspiring threats and calls of violence against the LGBTQIA+ community could lead to a rise of potential attacks against larger targets, such as public spaces and healthcare sites that may be linked to the community.

DHS analysts also cite social media chatter celebrating the recent mass shooting at a Nashville church school.

“High-profile attacks against schools and faith-based institutions like the recent shooting in Nashville have historically served as inspiration for individuals to conduct copycat attacks,” DHS said.

In recent months, politicians in Tennessee, Florida and other Republican-run states have introduced legislation that critics say targets the LGBTQIA+ community.

In March 2022, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Parental Rights in Education bill, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by detractors.

The bill banned classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. Last month, the Florida Board of Education expanded those restrictions to include all grades. In March, Tennessee became the first state to restrict public drag performances.

HB 9 and SB 3, signed by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, make “a person who engages in an adult cabaret performance on public property” — or where it can be viewed by minors — a criminal offense.

Last month, a federal judge temporarily blocked the law, saying it was vaguely written and overly broad, according to AP.

At least 14 states have passed laws or policies that restrict gender-affirming care for people under the age of legal majority, which is the threshold for legal adulthood.

According to DHS, about 20% of all hate crimes reported throughout the country in 2021 were motivated by bias linked to sexual orientation and gender, citing the FBI’s hate crime statistics.

ABC News’ Kiara Alfonseca contributed to this report.

42 million Americans expected to travel over Memorial Day weekend: AAA

May 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — With the unofficial start of summer almost here — AAA projects 42.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this Memorial Day weekend, a 7% increase over last year.

“This is expected to be the third busiest Memorial Day weekend since 2000,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, said in a statement. “This summer travel season could be one for the record books, especially at airports.”

AAA says nearly 3.4 million people will take to the skies over the holiday, up 11% from 2022 and 5.4% from 2019.

The most popular U.S. destinations this year are Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Dallas, according to online travel booking platform Hopper. Internationally, the top spots are Cancun and Toronto, Hopper said.

U.S. airfare down, but international prices are steep

Travelers staying in the U.S. over the Memorial Day holiday will pay “considerably less” than what they did last year and even pre-pandemic, according to Hopper economist Haley Berg.

Berg told ABC that last-minute domestic airfare is averaging $275 per ticket — about $100 cheaper than last year and about 6% lower than pre-pandemic Memorial Day weekend ticket prices.

“Most of the improvement in prices just has to do with a bit of a relief on costs on the airline side, with jet fuel prices coming down a little bit since this time last year, demand normalizing at this time last year,” Berg said in an interview with ABC News. “We were in the real peak of the demand surge coming out of that last wave of COVID, and so these factors have normalized considerably this year, which is bringing some relief on prices compared to what we saw last year.”

Airfare to international destinations won’t come so cheap, Berg said. Roundtrip tickets to Europe, a number one destination for American travelers, are up more than 50% from last year, averaging around $1,300 per ticket, according to Hopper.

“The big shocker is airfare to Europe right now,” Berg said. “For those travelers who did plan an international getaway to Europe over Memorial Day weekend, they’re paying the highest fares that we’ve seen in more than five years.”

Best times and days to beat road traffic

Car travel this holiday will be up from last year. AAA projects 37.1 million Americans will hit the roads over Memorial Day weekend — a 6% increase from last year.

To beat traffic, experts say you should plan to drive in the morning or on Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28 when road traffic is expected to be lightest.

“Knowing when and where congestion will build can help drivers avoid the stress of sitting in traffic,” Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX, said in a release. “Our advice is to avoid driving during peak hours or use alternative routes.”

Drivers will also see lower gas prices heading into the holiday weekend. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), prices averaged $3.53 a gallon last week. The same time last year, the national average was over $4 a gallon.

“With lower fuel prices and more travelers on the road compared to last year, drivers should expect long delays this holiday weekend, especially in and around major metros as commuters mix with Memorial Day travelers,” Pishue said.

Hotel and rental car rates significantly lower

If you’re looking to rent a car while you’re on vacation, you’re in luck: The average price for a rental is $44 a day, which is down 17% from last year, according to Hopper. The platform’s data shows that the top destinations for rental car pickups are Florida, Los Angeles, Chicago and Las Vegas.

Hotel prices are also down this year. According to Hopper, prices have dropped to an average of $208 per night — 6% lower than 2022.

And domestic travelers will have it cheaper than international travelers. Hotel prices in the U.S. are 15% cheaper than international rates, according to Hotels.com.

Tips for booking a last-minute trip

For those looking to take a last-minute trip over the upcoming three-day weekend, experts say there’s still time to make plans.

“Just because airfare is more expensive than in previous years, that doesn’t mean that cheap flights or great airfare deals are nonexistent,” Katy Nastro, spokesperson for Going, told ABC. “You just have to be a little bit more strategic in how you find them.”

Nastro says booking two one-way fares instead of one round-trip can sometimes help you save cash. Another tip is to see if booking your departure and return on different airlines will end up costing less.

“That roundtrip price might be actually more expensive on one airline versus if I flew from New York to Chicago on American and then from Chicago back to New York on Delta,” Nastro said.

Nastro said taking some extra time to see if flying out of an alternate airport can also save some cash, even if it takes more time to get to the airport.

“Think a little bit outside of your box,” said Nastro. “It might be a little bit more time on the road or travel time overall, but you could end up saving overall in the end and your wallet will thank you.”

Multiple life sentences sought for NYC truck terror attacker

May 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Sayfullo Saipov, the Uzbekistan native who planned and carried out a 2017 ISIS-inspired terror attack on the west side of Manhattan, deserves multiple life sentences “to provide just punishment” for killing eight people, federal prosecutors said Monday in a sentencing memorandum to the judge.

Judge Vernon Broderick is scheduled to impose a sentence on Wednesday after more than two dozen relatives of victims deliver statements to the court. Most of them will be traveling from Argentina or Belgium, the native countries of the tourist victims.

Saipov was convicted in January of all 28 counts he faced in connection to carrying out the deadly attack along a Hudson River bike path with a truck he had rented, but escaped the death penalty after jurors deadlocked on sentencing for the nine charges Saipov faced that were eligible for capital punishment.

“The defendant’s conduct before, during and after his attack warrants a sentence that reflects the extraordinary depravity of his crimes. The government respectfully requests that the court impose the maximum statutory penalty on each count of conviction,” prosecutors said in the sentencing memorandum.

Saipov was a “proud terrorist” who “chose to come to this country and then fight for an enemy,” prosecutor Amanda Houle said during the trial. Once the judge imposes the sentence, Saipov will spend at least 22 hours a day alone in his cell at ADX in Florence, Colorado.

The jury agreed Saipov intentionally killed his victims after “substantial planning and premeditation” and did it for ISIS. However, the jury did not unanimously find Saipov represented a future danger or would likely commit acts of violence while in prison.

The defense conceded that the grief of the victims’ families “was entirely caused by Sayfullo Saipov,” but defense attorney David Patton argued it was not necessary to kill him, “not for our safety or anyone else’s and not to do justice.”

On the morning of Oct. 31, 2017, Saipov rented a Home Depot truck weighing more than 5,000 pounds that he drove from New Jersey into Manhattan, according to trial testimony. He turned onto the Hudson River bike path near the entrance of Pier 40, traveling approximately 31 miles per hour, prosecutors said.

Within moments, Saipov struck his first victim, Ann-Laure Decadt, a mother of two visiting from Belgium, whose mother and two sisters watched her die.

Saipov also killed five friends from Argentina who were in New York celebrating the 30th anniversary of their high school graduation: Hernan Mendoza, Alejandro Pagnucco, Hernan Ferruchi, Diego Angelini and Ariel Erlij.

Saipov sped up to 57 mph when he struck and killed a 32-year-old New Jersey native, Darren Drake, who was enjoying a bike ride on a break from work. Nicholas Cleves, a 23-year-old New Yorker, was killed riding back to his family business after running errands.

Saipov sped up to 66 mph and crashed the truck into a school bus carrying two adults and two special needs children. He emerged from the truck carrying two fake guns and was shot by police.

The sentencing memorandum included statements Saipov made after the attack.

“Saipov admitted that his goal was to kill as many people as possible, and that he was happy with what he had done. Saipov smiled and asked to hang an ISIS flag in his hospital room. Saipov admitted that he had decided to commit an attack a full year before he executed it, and that he had spent two months planning his truck attack,” prosecutors said.

CDC warns about potential risk of mpox ahead of summer gatherings

May 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(ATLANTA) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention alerted doctors across the country Monday about the potential risk of new mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, cases, warning that summer gatherings could lead to a “resurgence.”

Mpox cases have plummeted since a peak in the summer of 2022, with the World Health Organization calling an end to the emergency phase of the outbreak Thursday — but the virus is not completely eradicated.

“While the transmission of monkeypox has reached its lowest levels since its emergence last year, the upcoming summer months, characterized by larger gatherings, present an increased risk of local outbreaks,” John Brownstein, PhD, chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News Contributor, said.

“The most important message is that mpox has not gone away,” Dr. Richard Silvera (MD, MPH, CPH) Associate Program Director of the Infectious Disease Fellowship and Assistant Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, told ABC News.

Mpox infection is not usually life-threatening. It often appears as a painful rash, and some people experience flu-like symptoms.

The new CDC warning comes on the heels of a cluster of cases in Chicago, where health officials say there have been 12 confirmed cases and one probable case from April 17 to May 5.

A spokesperson for the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) tells ABC News they are in close contact with the people who tested positive and are working with other health departments and the CDC in an ongoing investigation.

Meanwhile, health officials in Chicago are raising awareness ahead of summertime festivals.

“We have been working with community partners to spread awareness of this resurgence and opportunities for vaccination, ahead of [International Mr. Leather], Pride, associated and other events,” a CDPH spokesperson said.

None of the Chicago mpox patients have been hospitalized, but nine cases were among men who had been fully vaccinated.

Experts caution that many vaccines, including mpox, reduce the likelihood of infection but do not completely eliminate risk. Vaccination is still encouraged because people who are fully vaccinated can expect less severe symptoms.

Chicago health officials are not recommending booster doses for fully vaccinated people at this time. Both unvaccinated and vaccinated people should avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with someone who has mpox, according to the CDC.

“It’s important to remember that vaccines—while incredibly helpful—are not our only way to reduce the risk of contracting Mpox,” Silvera said. Other risk reduction strategies include “things like avoiding social and sexual contact if you have new skin lesions and asking your intimate contacts if they are experiencing symptoms or new skin changes,” Silvera said.

The 2022 global mpox outbreak disproportionately impacted gay and bisexual men, but anyone can get or spread monkeypox, regardless of their sexual orientation or how they identify. It spreads most easily through close skin-to-skin contact, often during sex. It does not easily spread via casual contact, such as touching shared surfaces, like elevator buttons, or brushing against someone.

The CDC said that in the U.S., only one-quarter of eligible people are vaccinated, and urged vaccination among those who are high-risk.

The CDC recommends mpox vaccination for people with a known exposure, including close physical contact or sexual contact with someone who had an mpox rash. In addition, the CDC also recommends vaccination for people with HIV who have a higher risk of exposure, for gay, bisexual and MSM who have recently had more than one sexual partner or a recent sexually transmitted infection.

“Vaccination stands as the most effective means of safeguarding oneself against monkeypox. However, only a small fraction of those eligible have received the vaccine thus far. Increasing vaccination coverage is likely to contribute to reducing monkeypox transmission,” Brownstein said.

“The good news is that we have many tools to help prevent mpox including vaccination, as well as strategies to reduce your risk as you socialize this summer,” Silvera said. Along with vaccination, Silvera said, “our best tool is communication: telling those you have intimate contact with if you are experiencing potential Mpox symptoms; asking if they are experiencing symptoms; and listening for updates from public health organizations as we learn more.”

New US report alleges religious freedom violations in China, Iran, India

May 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The State Department’s latest survey of religious freedom around the world shows that conditions in some of the most oppressive nations around the world are growing even more dire as well as new, troubling trends, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday.

“Governments in many parts of the world continue to target religious minorities using a host of methods, including torture, beatings, unlawful surveillance, and so-called re-education camps,” he said.

Blinken underscored abuses against the predominately Muslim Uyghur minority group in the Xinjiang province of China, a country one senior State Department official described as “one of the worst abusers of human rights and religious freedom in the world.”

The U.S. has previously determined that Beijing’s treatment of the Uyghurs amounts to genocide and crimes against humanity, and the report, which covers the year 2022, said that persecution has continued steadily.

Although data is limited, the survey also noted that the Chinese Communist Party has significantly and broadly cracked down on religious freedom over the course of the year, and that the number of people imprisoned for their spiritual beliefs was estimated to range between the low thousands to perhaps over 10,000.

Chinese government officials have denied all allegations of human rights abuses and attempted to justify actions against Uyghurs as counterterrorism measures.

Blinken also addresses Iran’s Islamic theocracy, which imposes draconian restrictions on its population and brutal punishments for offenses, as well as the ongoing wave of demonstrations inspired by the death of a teenager last September.

“People across Iran, led by young women, continue peaceful protests demanding their human rights, including freedom of religion, galvanized by the killing of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by the so-called morality police because her hijab did not fully cover her hair,” he said.

The report emphasizes that the movement has come with steep costs. Referencing statistics from human rights groups working in Iran, it says that in the months of 2022 after Amini’s death, government security forces killed 512 protestors, including 69 children, arrested 19,204 individuals and executed at least one person linked to the demonstrations on the charge of “enmity against God.”

The survey, which is required by law to be compiled and submitted to Congress annually, also expressed a number of concerns about conditions in India—a country not currently designated by the State Department as a “Country of Particular Concern” for severe violations of religious freedom. Among the issues listed are legal prohibitions against conversions in multiple states, accusations of systemic discrimination against Muslims, and attacks on religious minorities–including “cow vigilantism” against non-Hindus based on allegations of cow slaughter or trade in beef.

“We’re continuing to encourage the government to condemn violence and hold accountable and protect all groups who engage in rhetoric that’s dehumanizing towards religious minorities and all groups who engage in violence against religious communities and other communities in India,” a senior State Department official advised reporters.

Additionally, the report outlined widespread violations against religious freedom perpetrated by Moscow, both in Russia and in occupied areas of Ukraine.

“Authorities continued to investigate, detain, imprison, torture, physically abuse persons, and seize their property because of their religious belief or affiliation or membership in groups designated “extremist,” “terrorist,” or “undesirable,” including Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatars, Hizb ut-Tahrir, Tablighi Jamaat, followers of Turkish Muslim theologian Said Nursi, the Church of Scientology, Falun Gong, and multiple evangelical Protestant groups,” the report says, adding that individuals have been reportedly subjected to long terms in labor camps, torture, home searches, and other mistreatment.

The report also said that even members of the Russian Orthodox Church were not completely protected, noting some were “fined or banned from continuing in their religious duties” after criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In Crimea and other areas of Ukraine under Russian rule, the report said there was abundant evidence that authorities “have committed widespread, ongoing, and egregious violations of the right to freedom of religion and conscience as well as physical and psychological abuse of

But Blinken also said across the globe, the report captured examples of progress, citing Belgium formally recognizing its Buddhist minority, lawmakers in Brazil codifying religious freedom guarantees for Afro-Brazilian indigenous communities, and various countries launching offices to combat islamophobia and antisemitism.

“More broadly, civil society and other concerned governments around the world have successfully secured the release of many who have been detained, even in prison for exercising their freedom of religion or belief,” he said.

Rudy Giuliani sued by former employee for alleged sexual assault and harassment

May 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A former associate is suing Rudy Giuliani for alleged sexual assault and harassment, wage theft and other misconduct, accusing the former mayor and Trump lawyer of making “sexual demands” and going on “alcohol-drenched rants that included sexist, racist, and antisemitic remarks,” many of which were allegedly recorded.

Noelle Dunphy said she began working for Giuliani in 2019 as his director of business development. Giuliani “began abusing Ms. Dunphy almost immediately after she started working for” him, according to her lawsuit.

“He made clear that satisfying his sexual demands — which came virtually anytime, anywhere — was an absolute requirement of her employment and of his legal representation,” the lawsuit said.

According to Dunphy, Giuliani promised her a $1 million annual salary but the offer came with a catch: Giuliani was in the midst of an acrimonious divorce and he told Dunphy that her pay would have to be deferred and her employment kept “secret” until the divorce proceedings finished. He claimed that his “crazy” ex-wife and her lawyers were watching his cashflow and that his ex-wife would “attack” and “retaliate” against any female employee that Giuliani hired, the lawsuit said.

Part of the job required Dunphy to record her interactions with Giuliani “anytime, anywhere, as well as Giuliani’s interactions with others,” the lawsuit said.

“But unbeknownst to Ms. Dunphy, Giuliani apparently decided during the interview that he would use the job offer and his representation as a pretext to develop a quid pro quo sexual relationship with Ms. Dunphy. He was later recorded telling Ms. Dunphy, ‘I’ve wanted you from the day I interviewed you,'” the lawsuit said.

Giuliani has not responded to ABC News’ request for comment but a spokesperson for the former mayor told ABC New York station WABC “Giuliani vehemently and completely denies the allegations in the complaint and plans to thoroughly defend against these allegations. This is pure harassment and an attempt at extortion.”

According to the lawsuit, a week into her employment, Giuliani had Dunphy flown to New York on a chartered plane and insisted she stay in a guest suite in his Upper East Side apartment. The two drank and at one point “Giuliani then pulled her head onto his penis, without asking for or obtaining any form of consent. He held her by her hair. It became clear to Ms. Dunphy that there was no way out of giving him oral sex. She did so, against her will,” the lawsuit said.

Giuliani often demanded that Dunphy work naked, in a bikini, or in short shorts with an American flag on them that he bought for her, the lawsuit said.

“When they were apart, they would often work remotely via videoconference, and during those conferences Giuliani almost always asked her to remove her clothes on camera. He often called from his bed, where he was visibly touching himself under a white sheet,” the lawsuit said.

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