(NEW YORK) — Less than a week after his funeral, Irvo Otieno’s official cause of death has just been announced following his death in police custody during an alleged mental health crisis.
Otieno, 28, was being transferred to a mental health hospital when several deputies and hospital staff piled on top of him for more than 10 minutes. According to the medical examiner, the official cause of death is “positional and mechanical asphyxia with restraints,” and the official manner of death is “homicide.”
Family attorneys Ben Crump and Mark Krudys released a statement Monday afternoon after being informed by the Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner regarding the medical examiner’s findings.
According to the release, Caroline Ouko, Otieno’s mother, was initially unable to speak when she first heard the news, but proceeded to demand justice for her son.
“All must know what they did to my son,” she said, according to the release.
Crump and Krudys released an additional statement regarding the medical examiner’s findings: “The official cause and manner of death is not surprising to us as it corroborates what the world witnessed in the video. In a chilling parallel to George Floyd’s killing, Irvo was held down and excessively restrained to death, when he should have been provided medical help and compassion. It is tragic that yet another life has been lost to this malicious and deadly restraint technique.”
On March 15, seven Henrico County Sheriff’s deputies and three Central State Hospital employees were arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection to Otieno’s death. All parties involved have been indicted by a grand jury. Currently, no pleas have been entered.
On March 3, a neighbor called the police on Otieno during a mental health crisis, according to his mother, and he was then transferred to a nearby hospital. There, he was arrested and taken the Henrico County Jail. After three days at the jail, Otieno was transferred to Virginia’s Central State Hospital where officers and health care workers are seen pilling on top of him for several minutes, according to released video footage. Otieno was pronounced dead the same day on March 6.
Video footage showed Otieno being pulled from his cell partially naked and being moved into a police vehicle that transferred him to the hospital. In video footage obtained by ABC News, Otieno can be seen at the hospital being held down for nearly 11 minutes until he stops moving.
“The disgrace was not Irvo had a mental illness. The disgrace is how [police] treat it, and you do it all over the country,” Rev. Al Sharpton said during Otieno’s funeral. “The question is why is law enforcement not equipped to handle the mentally challenged?”
The officers and medical staff are not expected in court until late April or early May.
“When I took my son to the hospital, this is not what I envisioned. I didn’t think my son was not coming home,” Ouko said. “But this is where we are. And I’m sorry.”
Kristen Zeis for The Washington Post via Getty Images, FILE
(NEWPORT NEWS, Va.) — A Virginia first-grade school teacher who was shot in her classroom by a 6-year-old student filed a $40 million lawsuit against her school district, alleging administrators were told the boy brought a gun to school prior to the shooting and “had a history of random violence,” yet did nothing to stop him from harming her.
The teacher, Abigail Zwerner, 25, filed the civil lawsuit Monday morning in Newport News, Virginia, Circuit Court, accusing her former schools superintendent, principal and assistant principal of multiple counts of negligence, gross negligence and reckless breach of assumed duty of care.
Zwerner’s lawyers claimed in court papers that she suffered permanent bodily injuries as a result of being shot by the child on Jan. 6 inside her classroom at Richneck Elementary School.
Named as defendants in the lawsuit are the Newport News School Board, former Newport News School District superintendent George Parker, the former school principal Briana Foster-Newton and former assistant principal Ebony Parker.
The child, who was not named in the lawsuit or by law enforcement officials, was not charged in the shooting. “We don’t believe the law supports charging a 6-year-old with a criminal offense as serious as this one,” Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney Howard Gwynn told ABC Hampton, Virginia, affiliate WVEC in a phone call last month.
Gwynn said that once his office has reviewed all of the facts of the case, they will determine if anyone else should be criminally charged in connection with the shooting.
The legally purchased handgun used in the shooting was owned by the boy’s parents, who released a statement in January saying, the “firearm our son accessed was secured.”
“Our family has always been committed to responsible gun ownership and keeping firearms out of the reach of children,” the parents said.
The parents said their “suffers from an acute disability and was under a care plan at the school that included his mother or father attending school with him and accompanying him to class every day.”
“The week of the shooting was the first week when we were not in class with him. We will regret our absence on this day for the rest of our lives,” the parents said, adding that Zwerner has “worked diligently and compassionately to support our family as we sought the best education and learning environment for our son.”
The lawsuit, which refers to the boy as John Doe, alleges that just two days before she was shot, Zwerner had a classroom altercation with the boy when he took her cell phone and slammed it on the ground, shattering it. Zwerner, according to the suit, took the boy to the lead teacher and called school security, who did not respond. She claims that when a guidance counselor came to her classroom, the boy called them a derogatory name and was suspended for a day.
On the day of the shooting, the boy showed up to class with his mother, who left the campus despite being required by the school district to accompany him at all times during the school day because of his behavioral issues, according to the lawsuit.
Zwerner claims in the lawsuit that in the hours before the shooting, she told Ebony Parker that the boy was in a “violent mood,” had threatened to beat up a kindergartner during lunchtime and “angrily stared down a security officer in the lunchroom.” The suit alleges the assistant principal took no action and even refused to look at Zwerner when she expressed concern.
Roughly two hours before the shooting, two students informed the school’s reading specialist that the boy had a gun in his backpack, the suit alleges. But when the reading specialist asked him about it, the child denied he had a gun and refused to allow his backpack to be searched.
The instructor went ahead and searched the backpack while the boy was at recess, but didn’t find a gun, according to the lawsuit.
When Ebony Parker was told the boy allegedly brought a gun to school, the administrator’s response was that the child’s “pockets were too small to hold a handgun and did nothing,” the suit alleges.
After other students reported the boy showed them a gun and Zwerner observed him removing something from his backpack before recess, at least two teachers asked Ebony Parker for permission to search the child, according to the lawsuit. Ebony Parker did not report the complaints to the police, forbade the teachers from searching the child and told them the boy’s mother was returning to the school to pick him up, the lawsuit states.
Less than an hour later, Zwerner was shot inside her classroom while she was seated at a reading table, according to the lawsuit.
Zwerner was shot once in the incident. A bullet went through a hand she put up as the student fired and hit her in the chest, officials said.
Since the shooting, Zwerner has experienced physical pain, anxiety, depression and nightmares, according to the lawsuit.
The Newport News School District said in a statement to ABC News on Monday that it has not yet received the legal documents.
“When the School Board is served, we will work with legal counsel accordingly,” the statement reads. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with Abby Zwerner and her ongoing recovery. As we have shared, as a school community, we continue to recover and support one another. We have been working in partnership with our community to address safety and security, student behavior and family engagement.”
The school district’s statement adds, “The safety and wellbeing of our staff and students is our most important priority. The School Board and the school division’s leadership team will continue to do whatever it takes to ensure a safe and secure teaching and learning environment across all our schools.”
George Parker, who was fired on Jan. 26, told The Virginian Pilot that he hasn’t seen the lawsuit, but “continues to wish Ms. Zwerner well and the best of health.”
“I served diligently for five years, to the best of my ability,” George Parker told the newspaper. “I wish both Newport News Public Schools and Ms. Zwerner well as we resolve this matter — and I wish the student well, as well. But I hope that everyone can continue to move forward and make sure accountability is put in the right place.”
Foster-Newton’s lawyer, Pamela J. Branch, told ABC News she has received information that prior to the shooting, Zwerner was warned by a student in her class that the 6-year-old boy had a gun and alleged Zwerner told the student to sit down and be quiet.
“If this is true, Ms. Zwerner may have been able to avoid the injury she suffered and this will certainly impact her claimed damages. This information was never reported to Mrs. Newton,” said Branch, adding that Foster-Newton is exploring the possibility of a countersuit against Zwerner.
“Mrs. Briana Foster-Newton will vigorously defend any charges brought against her as a part of the lawsuit filed by Ms. Zwerner and respond accordingly,” Branch said.
Efforts by ABC News to reach Ebony Parker were unsuccessful.
Besides firing its superintendent following the shooting, the school board reassigned Ebony Parker to another job within the school district and Briana Foster-Newton resigned as principal of the Richneck Elementary School. The school board also voted to install metal detectors at all schools in the district.
The lawsuit alleged the student who shot Zwerner had a “history of random violence,” according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges, “Teachers’ concerns with John Doe’s behavior (were) regularly brought to the attention of Richneck Elementary School administration, and the concerns were always dismissed.” The court papers allege that often after the child was sent to administrators to be disciplined, he would be “sent back to class shortly thereafter with some type of reward, such as a piece of candy.”
In an interview last month with NBC’s “Today” show, Zwerner said the shooting has altered her life forever.
“I will just never forget the look on his face that he gave me while he pointed the gun directly at me,” Zwerner said. “It’s changed me. It’s changed my life.”
ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Endeavor, the parent company of UFC, acquired World Wrestling Entertainment on Monday in a merger that values the WWE at $9.3 billion, forming a worldwide combat sports behemoth, the companies said in a joint announcement.
Ari Emanuel, the CEO of Endeavor, will remain the head of the newly formed company, which holds a total value of $21 billion, the announcement said. UFC is worth an estimated $12.1 billion, according to the announcement.
“This is a rare opportunity to create a global live sports and entertainment pureplay built for where the industry is headed,” Emanuel said in a statement.
Ultimately, Endeavor will retain a 51% controlling interest in the new company and WWE will hold the other 49% share.
Vince McMahon, the executive chairman of WWE, will continue in that role. The announcement comes a day after the WWE’s biggest event of the year, WrestleMania. The two-day event had more than 160,000 in attendance, the company announced and featured celebrities like rapper Snoop Dogg, NFL star George Kittle and former UFC competitor and current WWE star Brock Lesnar.
“Given the incredible work that Ari and Endeavor have done to grow the UFC brand – nearly doubling its revenue over the past seven years – and the immense success we’ve already had in partnering with their team on a number of ventures, I believe that this is without a doubt the best outcome for our shareholders and other stakeholders,” McMahon said in a statement.
UFC and WWE brought in a combined $2.4 billion in revenue during fiscal year 2022, marking 10% annual revenue growth since 2019, the announcement said.
Dana White, the president of UFC, will retain that position under the new company.
The new company will appoint a board of directors made up of six representatives from Endeavor and five from WWE.
“For decades, Vince and his team have demonstrated an incredible track record of innovation and shareholder value creation, and we are confident that Endeavor can deliver significant additional value for shareholders by bringing UFC and WWE together,” Emanuel said.
(WASHINGTON) — Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene faced fresh questions about her history of incendiary behavior and spreading baseless attacks on Democratic opponents — but doubled down in an interview with “60 Minutes” which aired on CBS on Sunday night.
“On an issue, when I’m outspoken about it, and I take my stand or my position, the first reaction is, ‘Marjorie’s crazy. Marjorie’s extreme. Marjorie’s a right-wing extremist,'” Greene told Lesley Stahl in the interview. “And then what will happen is my colleagues will go back home to their district, and their own constituents are coming up and saying, ‘Are you supporting Marjorie? Do you agree with Marjorie? Have you cosponsored Marjorie’s bill?'”
The sit-down in Greene’s Georgia home aired ahead of her vowing to be in New York City on Tuesday for former President Donald Trump’s historic arraignment after he was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury that had been investigating hush money paid on his behalf. Though the charges against him remain under seal, Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said he is being politically persecuted.
Stahl, the veteran journalist who interviewed Greene, introduced “MTG,” as she’s often called, as having gone “from fringe of the [Republican] Party to the front row,” now as an ally of Speaker Kevin McCarthy and holding spots on two major House committees. Stahl described her as someone who has “gained notoriety with a sharp tongue and some pretty radical views.”
To that end, Greene — who has repeatedly been banned from Twitter and was stripped of her committee assignments in the last Congress — said as the interview began that the American government “doesn’t deserve to be respected that much.”
Greene sticks with ‘pedophile’ attack
The wide-ranging feature showed Stahl watching Greene do CrossFit exercises and the pair walking the grounds of Greene’s 10 acre-estate as Stahl said the congresswoman, in her second term, is worth $11 million.
In one of the more explosive moments from the interview, Greene falsely conflated Democrats supporting minors’ access to gender-affirming health care with “pedophilia.”
“They support grooming children,” Greene said, defending her previous charge that “Democrats are a party of pedophiles.”
“They are not pedophiles,” a stunned Stahl pushed back. “Why would you say that?”
Greene maintained that Democrats including President Joe Biden support “children being sexualized and having transgender surgeries.”
But the Biden administration has supported a broad view of gender-affirming care as described by doctors, including for kids — rather than pushing surgeries.
“My question really is, can’t you fight for what you believe in without all that name-calling and without the personal attacks?” Stahl asked Greene on “60 Minutes.”
“Well, I would ask the same question to the other side, because all they’ve done is call me names and insult me non-stop,” Greene replied.
Asked about her social media choices
She appeared most uneasy when asked her about other controversial comments she’s made and supported on social media.
When she said that she’s apologized to her House colleagues for having had subscribed to the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory, Stahl asked if she’s also apologized to Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for liking a comment in 2019 on Facebook which said Pelosi should “get a bullet to the head.”
“I didn’t say that, so I don’t need to apologize for words that weren’t mine,” Greene said. “Other people also ran my social media. I don’t think I did that,” she added, despite not being an elected official that year.
Asked then if she’s apologized for previously agreeing with a description of the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, which killed 17 students and school employees in 2018 as a “false flag,” Greene denied she did that at all, even though on Facebook she had once liked a post with that description and commented, “Exactly!!”
“I don’t know if you actually have my– No, I never said Parkland was a false flag. No, I’ve never said that. School shootings are horrible. I don’t think it’s anything to joke about,” Greene said, despite “60 Minutes” showing a social media screenshot of what she wrote.
“Have you fact-checked all my statements from kindergarten through 12th grade? And in college?” Greene said to Stahl. “I got a few speeding tickets. Do we need to talk about those, too?”
In another notable moment, presented with her comments that America should have a “Christian government,” that abortion should be banned nationally, that the FBI should shut down and that all immigration should stop for four years, Greene confirmed those was her views and expanded on her desire for a Christian government.
“The Constitution, the very First Amendment, prohibits having a religion in the government,” Stahl said.
“Yet the Founding Fathers quoted the Bible constantly and were driven by their faith,” Greene responded.
Profile spot draws backlash
Even before the interview aired, many online criticized Stahl for focusing on Greene on “60 Minutes” rather than ignoring her given her background.
“I have known Lesley Stahl for more than 40 years, worked alongside her for many election weeks. She has been a great journalist, but this is a disgraceful, cringeworthy performance. Shameful to the max,” tweeted Norman Ornstein, an emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.
Another critic wrote, “Jon Stewart once wrote a parody of Larry King interviewing Hitler. This has the same vibe.”
David Hogg, a survivor of the Parkland massacre and gun safety advocate whom Greene badgered outside the Capitol in March 2019, according to a video clip which “60 Minutes” also aired Sunday, wrote on Twitter that he was “glad” Greene got the airtime.
“It’s important to interview one of the main leaders of the Republican Party so the American people know everything and I mean everything they support. Including denying school shootings,” Hogg tweeted.
A spokesperson for “60 Minutes” declined to comment on the record. Others on social media defended the choice to profile Greene, given her rising profile.
Greene, amid what she says is an evolving attitude toward the mainstream press, reportedly approved of the interview.
“It wasn’t bad!” she told Semafor, a news website. “I thought it was pretty good. And I’ve gotten nonstop text messages from, golly, so many people in my district and my family and my friends.”
The congresswoman lauded Stahl in a tweet on Saturday and has since shared several clips of their chat.
“It was an honor to spend a few days with the legendary icon [Lesley] Stahl and talented crew,” Greene wrote, misspelling Stahl’s first name. “Leslie is a trailblazer for women in journalism. And while we may disagree on some issues, I respect her greatly.”
(NEW YORK) — Drinking a glass of wine a day will not help you live longer, according to a new analysis of alcohol research that debunks a longstanding belief about the possible health benefits of drinking alcohol moderately.
The analysis, published recently in JAMA Network Open, looked at over 100 studies with nearly 5 million participants in all.
It found not only no significant health benefit to moderate alcohol consumption, but also that drinking a daily serving of alcohol of less than 1 ounce for women and around 1.5 ounces for men increased the risk of death.
“When you talk about risk versus benefit, it’s one thing to say there is no benefit,” said Dr. Jennifer Ashton, a board-certified OB-GYN and ABC News chief medical correspondent, who was not involved in the research. “It’s another thing, at certain levels, to find a risk, and that’s what this new research found.”
For women, a moderate alcohol intake per week is defined as seven servings of alcohol or less. For men, it is 14 servings of alcohol or less per week, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming eight drinks or more per week, according to the CDC.
One serving of alcohol is defined as 5 ounces for wine and just 1 1/2 ounces for hard alcohol, far less than what is typically served in bars, restaurants and people’s homes.
The new analysis found that people who drank more than 2 ounces of alcohol a day had the highest risk of death, about 35% higher than people who drank more moderately.
The risk of death was also found to be greater for women, with a 61% increased risk for women who drink more than 2 ounces of alcohol per day.
Previous research has already shown that just as women metabolize alcohol differently than men, they also face more serious health consequences.
Women are more susceptible to alcohol-related heart disease than men; alcohol misuse produces brain damage more quickly in women than in men; women may be more susceptible than men to alcohol-related blackouts, or gaps in memory; and women who regularly misuse alcohol are more likely than men who drink the same amount to develop alcoholic hepatitis, a potentially deadly condition, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Data shows that even casual drinkers face a greater risk of cancer, most commonly liver and throat cancers but also colon and head and neck cancers, in addition to breast cancer.
Drinking alcohol is listed by the Department of Health and Human Services as a known human carcinogen.
In 2020, the American Cancer Society updated its guidelines to say that cutting alcohol out of a person’s diet completely is best for cancer reduction and prevention.
Ashton said that it’s important for people to talk to their healthcare providers about their alcohol consumption to make the most informed decisions.
“Alcohol is a known carcinogen. We know it’s associated with an increased risk of cancer,” Ashton said. “But it’s also part of our social fiber and our culture, so it’s not an easy decision.”
Ashton also noted though that the data is “crystal clear” that abstaining completely from alcohol is best for a person’s overall health.
For questions and concerns about alcohol use, SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, has a 24/7 free and confidential helpline available at 1-800-662-HELP (4357), and online at samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline.
(NEW YORK) — A group of oil-producing nations imposed a significant cut in oil output with far-reaching consequences for U.S. gas prices, industry analysts told ABC News.
The alliance of countries known as OPEC+, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, agreed on Sunday to cut oil output by 1.2 million barrels per day starting in May, which amounts to removing roughly 1% of oil from the global market.
Regardless of the production cut, prices typically rise in the summer due to a spike in demand as car owners take road trips and families fly to vacation destinations.
The OPEC+ output decision, however, will send gas prices as much as 30 cents higher per gallon than they would have spiked otherwise, the analysts said.
“I certainly think there’s going to be upward pressure on prices as a result of these production cuts,” Patrick de Haan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, told ABC News.
The announcement from OPEC+ met disapproval from the Biden administration.
“We don’t think that production cuts are advisable at this moment, given market uncertainty, and we’ve made that clear,” White House Spokesman John Kirby said on Monday.
The production cut coincides with an ongoing rise in gas prices. The national average price for a gallon of gas stands at $3.50, which marks a 2% increase over the past week and 3% spike over the past month, AAA data showed.
In California, the state with the highest gas prices, the average price per gallon is $4.83, according to AAA.
Average gas prices nationwide remain nearly 20% lower than where they stood a year ago.
Despite the anticipated rise in gas prices as a result of the OPEC+ production cut, analysts do not expect gas prices to reach the eye-popping levels on display last summer.
“People are waving their hands and feel like their hair is on fire: What does this mean for the U.S. consumer?” Peter McNally, a global sector leader for industrial materials and energy at Third Bridge, told ABC News about the production cut.
“Year over year, we’re still looking at lower prices,” he added.
McNally said he expects U.S. gas prices to rise between 20 and 30 cents in additional cost as a direct result of the production cut; while de Haan, of GasBuddy, said he anticipates a more modest increase of between 5 and 15 cents.
The OPEC+ production cut announced on Sunday follows a previous cut in October that saw the group of oil-producing countries slash output by 2 million barrels per day.
The latest production cut will prove more impactful because it coincides with heightened demand in the summer season, as opposed to the previous cut that took place during the annual drop in gas prices that occurs in the fall, McNally said.
To be sure, the exact price implications of the Sunday announcement remain murky, analysts said.
As the financial system teeters and the Federal Reserve raises interest rates, a possible global economic slowdown could weaken oil demand and limit the upward effect on gas prices, some analysts said.
In fact, indicators of a coming recession likely contributed to the recent decision from OPEC+, since the group wants to avoid a potential oversupply of oil that could accompany a downturn, Timothy Fitzgerald, a professor of business economics at Texas Tech University, told ABC News.
“They’re making what may effectively be a preemptive cut anticipating weaker economic conditions coming during the rest of this calendar year and trying to balance their production with what they perceive the demand will be,” Fitzgerald said.
However, potential decline in oil consumption from a recession could be more than offset by a bounce back in Chinese economic activity, McNally said, noting that the country consumed 200 million fewer barrels than expected last year amid coronavirus lockdowns.
“The big wildcard is China,” McNally said. “If China does finally come out of this COVID funk, it’ll use an awful lot of oil.”
(NEW YORK) — Former President Donald Trump is expected to surrender to law enforcement in New York City early this week, sources familiar have told ABC News, after being indicted by a Manhattan grand jury on Thursday.
Sources familiar have told ABC News that the former president has been charged with around two dozen counts, including felonies. For previous coverage, please click here.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Apr 03, 3:41 PM EDT
Biden says he has faith in legal system, not worried about unrest
President Joe Biden said Monday he has faith in the legal system as he made his most extensive comments yet on former President Donald Trump’s indictment.
While touring a manufacturing facility in Minnesota, a reporter asked Biden if he was worried about unrest, and the president replied, “No. I have faith in the New York Police Department.”
Asked if he has faith in the legal system at this point, the president responded, “Yes.”
On Friday, in an exchange with reporters outside the White House, Biden repeatedly declined to comment on the indictment.
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
Apr 03, 3:37 PM EDT
Trump lands in New York City
Former President Donald Trump has just touched down in New York, ahead of his arraignment Tuesday.
Trump’s plane landed at LaGuardia Airport, and is now expected to head to Trump Tower.
-ABC News’ Olivia Rubin
Apr 03, 1:50 PM EDT
Trump opposes cameras in court
Former President Donald Trump on Monday opposed the presence of cameras in the courtroom for his Tuesday arraignment.
“It will create a circus-like atmosphere at the arraignment, raise unique security concerns, and is inconsistent with President Trump’s presumption of innocence,” Trump’s attorney Susan Necheles said.
A coalition of news organizations, including ABC News, has filed motions with the court, seeking access to cover and record the hearing Tuesday.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office declined to take a position on the matter.
Judge Juan Merchan has not yet ruled.
-ABC News’ Josh Margolin
Apr 03, 1:18 PM EDT
Trump expands legal team with top white-collar defense attorney
Former President Donald Trump is expanding his legal team, hiring a former federal prosecutor and white-collar defense attorney to lead his defense ahead of Tuesday’s arraignment, sources said.
Todd Blanche, a former assistant U.S. attorney in the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office, recently resigned from his law firm to take on this new role, according to sources. Blanche has represented high-profile clients like Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, and Igor Fruman, an ex-associate to Rudy Giuliani.
Blanche is expected to travel with Trump from Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan to the courthouse in lower Manhattan on Tuesday, the sources said. Blanche didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
-ABC News’ John Santucci and Katherine Faulders
Apr 03, 1:00 PM EDT
Trump en route to New York
Former President Donald Trump has departed Florida’s Palm Beach International Airport bound for New York City.
Dozens of Trump supporters lined the streets to cheer the former president on as his motorcade headed to the airport.
Some wore shirts saying, “Trump did nothing wrong.”
“People want to support [Trump] because, basically, they see him as an underdog at this point, and which he is,” Whit Taylor told ABC News as he watched the motorcade. “He’s being harassed and pushed around by people who are just haters. I mean that’s the bottom line — they just hate people.”
Trump is expected to stay in Manhattan Monday night before appearing in court for an arraignment on Tuesday.
Apr 03, 12:38 PM EDT
No specific credible threat in NYC, mayor says
As New York City gears up for former President Donald Trump’s arraignment on Tuesday, Mayor Eric Adams said “there has been no specific credible threat.”
“All New Yorkers should go on with their regular activities” on Tuesday, Adams said at a news conference Monday, adding that New Yorkers should expect “some disruptions,” including traffic and street closures.
New Yorkers may also see an additional police presence, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said. She encouraged people to use mass transit when possible.
Sewell said any protests should be peaceful and orderly.
The mayor warned that violence and vandalism won’t be tolerated, and said anyone caught participating in violence will be arrested.
Adams called out Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who said she’s planning to come to New York to support Trump, urging her and others to “be on your best behavior.”
Apr 03, 6:32 AM EDT
Poll shows plurality of the public supports Trump indictment
A plurality of Americans think former President Donald Trump should have been charged by a Manhattan grand jury with a history-making indictment.
According to the poll, 45% think Trump should have been charged with a crime in this case, whereas 32% don’t think so and 23% say they don’t know.
Democrats are, unsurprisingly, rallying behind the grand jury’s decision.
Almost nine in 10 Democrats (88%) think Trump should have been charged in the investigation by the Manhattan D.A., which has been probing a $130,000 hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels who alleges the two had an affair. Trump has long denied these claims.
-ABC News’ Brittany Shepherd
Apr 03, 6:01 AM EDT
‘I just don’t know what to expect to see,’ Trump’s lawyer says
Donald Trump’s lawyer doesn’t know what to expect when the former president is arraigned on Tuesday in New York City given the historic nature of Trump’s indictment, he said on Sunday.
“This is unprecedented. I don’t know. I’ve done a million arraignments in that courthouse with celebrities and whatnot. But this is a whole different thing. We have Secret Service involved. I understand they’re closing the courthouse for the afternoon. I just don’t know what to expect to see,” Joe Tacopina told ABC This Week anchor George Stephanopoulos.
“What I hope is that we get in and out of there as quickly as possible, that it’s, at the end of the day, a typical arraignment where we stand before the judge, we say ‘not guilty,’ we set schedules to file motions and whatnot or discovery, and we move forward and get out of there,” Tacopina said.
-ABC News’ Tal Axelrod
Apr 03, 5:26 AM EDT
Trump expected to travel to New York on Monday
Former President Donald Trump is expected to travel to New York on Monday, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
He is expected to appear in court on Tuesday at the earliest, the sources said, on what is expected to be around two dozen counts – including felonies.
The exact charges are unknown since the indictment will not be unsealed until Trump appears in court.
-ABC News’ Aaron Katersky, Katherine Faulders, John Santucci
Apr 02, 11:09 AM EDT
Trump to speak at Mar-a-Lago Tuesday night
Following his expected arraignment on Tuesday in New York City, former President Donald Trump announced he would speak that evening from Mar-a-Lago.
The former president is slated to give remarks at 8:15 p.m., according to a press release.
-ABC News’ Olivia Rubin
Apr 02, 10:33 AM EDT
America split on Trump indictment: Poll
While 45% of Americans believe former President Donald Trump should face charges in an investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, 32% say he shouldn’t have been indicted, according to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll.
Another 23% of American say they don’t know whether the nation’s 45th president should face charges.
While the charges have not been announced, a Manhattan grand jury that indicted Trump had been hearing evidence in a $130,000 hush money payment Trump allegedly made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who claims they had an affair. Trump has denied the allegations.
The poll showed a split in opinions along party lines. While 88% of Democrats said Trump should face charges, 62%, of Republicans said the former president should not have been charged while 16% said he should be charged, and the remainder was uncertain.
About 47% of Americans polled say the charges are politically motivated, echoing the sentiment from top GOP figures. About 79% of Republicans hold that view.
-ABC News’ Brittany Shepherd
Mar 31, 6:08 PM EDT
Why Trump indictment might hinge on a ‘novel legal theory’
As legal experts speculate on what charges lay inside the sealed indictment ahead of former President Donald Trump’s expected surrender on Tuesday afternoon, many predict that prosecutors could try out a new legal theory to justify bringing the charges.
“This could be a novel legal theory,” said Kate Shaw, a law professor at Cardozo and ABC News contributor, speculating on what charges the public could see against Trump while stressing it’s unknown until the indictment is unsealed.
-ABC News’ Libby Cathey
Mar 31, 5:31 PM EDT
Trump faces around 2 dozen counts, including felonies, sources say
Former President Donald Trump has been charged with around two dozen counts, including felonies, sources familiar with the sealed indictment told ABC News.
The exact charges remain unknown since the indictment will not be unsealed until Trump appears in court on Tuesday.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office declined to comment.
Mar 31, 4:51 PM EDT
Senate sergeant at arms warns of potential demonstration activity
The Senate sergeant at arms is warning of potential demonstration activity related to the indictment of former President Donald Trump.
“While law enforcement is not tracking any specific, credible threats against the Capitol or state offices, there is potential for demonstration activity,” an email obtained by ABC News said.
Capitol Police “is working with law enforcement partners, so you may observe a greater law enforcement presence on Capitol Hill,” the email said, adding that there could be “nationwide impacts to Senate state offices.”
The Capitol Police declined to comment and the sergeant at arms didn’t immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
-ABC News’ Luke Barr
Mar 31, 12:56 PM EDT
Ivanka Trump speaks out
Former President Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, reacted to the indictment on Instagram Friday, writing, “I love my father, and I love my country. Today, I am pained for both.”
She added, “I appreciate the voices across the political spectrum expressing support and concern.”
Mar 31, 12:30 PM EDT
How DA could use hush money payment to Playboy model Karen McDougal to bolster Trump case
Sources familiar with the matter told ABC News the Manhattan district attorney’s office is also investigating a $150,000 payment to Playboy model Karen McDougal, who, like Stormy Daniels, claimed to have had an affair with Donald Trump.
The former president has denied having an affair with either woman and has called the investigation a witch hunt.
McDougal was paid for the rights to her story in August 2016 by American Media, publisher of the National Enquirer, which did not publish it, a practice known as catch and kill.
Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, has said he recorded Trump discussing reimbursement to American Media for the payment to McDougal, but the payment was never made.
Trump has not responded to ABC News’ request for comment but in a 2018 interview with Fox News, he claimed he wasn’t aware of any payment made to AMI to facilitate the alleged hush agreement.
Mar 31, 12:27 PM EDT
Judge signs order allowing DA to publicly acknowledge indictment
Judge Juan Merchan has signed this order allowing the Manhattan district attorney’s office to publicly acknowledge the indictment.
The People v Donald J Trump. This is the order allowing the DA to publicly acknowledge the indictment pic.twitter.com/leg9vDascr
(NEW YORK) — The Laundress is recalling hundreds of thousands of laundry products four months after issuing a separate recall of millions of laundry detergent and cleaning products.
On Friday, the company announced it was issuing a voluntary recall of about 800,000 of its fabric conditioners, which are billed as products that help “eliminate static and soften fabric,” according to a description on The Laundress website.
According to The Laundress, the products may contain ethylene oxide, a chemical impurity and a known carcinogen that both the company and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which posted a recall announcement for the products on March 31, say “can cause adverse health effects if there is significant and direct long-term exposure.”
“All fabric conditioners included in this recall notice were already covered by our previous market actions in December 2022,” the company added in a statement.
Carcinogens are substances that can cause cancer and exposure to ethylene oxide specifically can lead to headaches, diarrhea, vomiting, sleepiness, eye and skin burns and breathing difficulties, among other symptoms. Long-term exposure to ethylene oxide has been associated with cancer, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
According to the National Cancer Institute, “Lymphoma and leukemia are the cancers most frequently reported to be associated with occupational exposure to ethylene oxide,” and “stomach and breast cancers may also be associated with ethylene oxide exposure.”
The Laundress shared the March 31 recall notice across its various social media platforms and on its company website. In its latest announcement, the company expressed regret at the latest recall and said it was working to rectify its processes.
“We again deeply apologize for this situation and look forward to returning soon with a renewed commitment to the highest standards of product safety and quality,” The Laundress said in a statement.
The CPSC and The Laundress recommend that anyone with recalled fabric conditioners stop using the product immediately. Consumers are advised to contact The Laundress for a full refund and then close the container without emptying it and discard it in the trash. There have been no reports of injuries or incidents related to the fabric conditioner recall so far.
Recalled products retailed anywhere between $1 and $20 and were sold over the last decade between 2011 and November 2022, according to the CPSC. They were available both in major stores like Target and through online retailers including Amazon.com and The Laundress website in the U.S. and Canada.
The Laundress notes that consumers who previously requested a refund of Laundress fabric conditioners as part of their December 2022 recall need not file a new refund request. To contact The Laundress, consumers can email customerservice@thelaundress.com or call 800-681-1915 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET on weekdays.
A full list of The Laundress’ recalled products can be found at TheLaundressRecall.com.
(NEW YORK) — Four astronauts are making history as the first team to head to the moon in more than 50 years.
Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch and Reid Wiseman of NASA and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency make up the Artemis II team that will fly by the moon. Koch will be the first woman and Glover will be the first person of color who will eventually go on to step foot on the lunar surface.
They spoke with ABC News’ Gio Benitez on “ABC News Live” Monday afternoon about their upcoming mission as well as their excitement.
“I think the thing that’s most going through our minds right now is the team,” said Wiseman, who will be the commander of the flight. “This is a huge effort for NASA for the United States of America, for Canada, for the whole world. And it’s great to have this tiny step completed today. And we are really pumped to take on this challenge.”
Koch made history with fellow astronaut Jessica Mer in October 2019 when they performed the first all-female spacewalk together.
Koch was also selected as an astronaut in 2013 and has completed six spacewalks. She currently holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman at 328 days. Benitez asked her how it felt to hold that record.
“The thing about records is that it’s not about any one individual’s success or contribution even,” she said. “It’s about the fact that it marks a milestone of where we’re at and where we’re choosing to go.”
Koch continued, “I always say my biggest hope for any record is that it’s broken as soon as possible because that means we’re continuing to push the boundaries, we’re continuing to go as a team and I look forward to the day that we continue to break boundaries even at the moon.”
Glover said he found out less than a month ago that he would be part of the Artemis II team, but it wasn’t hard to keep it a secret.
Koch said she was excited to tell her family, but her parents admitted they were nervous.
“They told me it’s a little bit different as a parent to watch your child go that far,” Koch said.
The only Canadian on the team, Hansen, currently helps NASA with astronaut training and mission operations.
Not only will this be Hansen’s first mission in space but he will also be the first Canadian to ever travel to the moon.
“It’s a real tribute to American leadership because the United States did not need Canada to go back to the moon,” Hansen said. “They decided to intentionally invite an international partnership to go back to the moon and they’ve lifted Canadians up and they’ve challenged Canadians. Canadians are rising to that challenge. I think it is an important example for the globe today.”
This will be the first set of missions that NASA has used to send a crew to the moon since the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972, more than 50 years ago.
The mission broke several records, including the longest spacewalk and largest lunar samples brought back to Earth and also involved several experiments, including sending five mice into space with the crew.
However, Koch said this mission will be very different from any previous mission to the moon.
“We’ve never gone to the moon to stay and we’ve never gone to the moon in an era where we know how important it is to go for all and by all and that’s what it means to me,” Koch said. “The fact that we are truly answering humanity’s call to explore. If we represent all of humanity, we recognize how important it is that every single person who has a contribution to make is going to be able to make that contribution and our missions will be more successful as a result.”
Artemis II is scheduled to send four astronauts into space in 2024 for a lunar flyby before returning to Earth. If the mission is successful, Artemis III — a moon landing — is scheduled for 2025.
“We’re so excited to take humanity with us,” Wiseman said. “Every one of us on that planet, 7 billion people, [Earth is] going to be about the size of a golf ball out the window when we’re on the far side of the moon and that is going to just take our breath away.”
Glover, the pilot of the mission, said as excited as he is to go into space, he is most excited to land back home.
“I love all the inspirational messages but splashdown. A safe splashdown,” he said.
(NEW YORK) — After a weekend of extreme weather across the South and the Midwest regions, yet another major storm is forecast to sweep the United States this week with tornadoes, damaging winds and hail.
There were 59 tornadoes confirmed across 11 states over the weekend, from Arkansas to New Jersey. On Sunday alone, hail bigger than golf balls and winds up to 75 miles per hour hit parts of Texas, bringing down trees and power lines. That same storm will move into Alabama, Georgia and Florida on Monday with damaging winds and possibly tornadoes, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.
A tornado watch remains in effect until 11 a.m. CT on Monday for parts of southwestern Alabama, the western Florida Panhandle, southeastern Mississippi and nearby coastal waters.
Meanwhile, another massive storm is brewing in the West. As of Monday morning, some 50 million Americans across 19 states were on alert for heavy snow, strong winds and blizzard conditions, according to the National Weather Service.
This new storm is forecast to reach the Heartland late Tuesday, potentially bringing another outbreak of severe weather to the same areas that were hit over the weekend — from Illinois to Arkansas. The latest forecast shows the cities of Davenport, Des Moines, Iowa, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City and Little Rock will be in the bullseye for tornadoes, damaging winds and hail. Areas in Iowa, western Illinois, west of Chicago and northern Missouri could see the worst and strongest tornadoes.
The threat of damaging winds is expected to move into the Ohio Valley, eastern Great Lakes, western New York and Pennsylvania on Wednesday afternoon.
The National Weather Service has issued blizzard warnings for Nebraska, Wyoming and South Dakota, as well as winter storm alerts stretching from the Rocky Mountains to the western Great Lakes. Local snowfall amounts could accumulate to 4 feet in the Rockies and 1 to 2 feet in the northern Plains, along with strong winds of 40 to 60 mph.
