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Four things to know about omicron and holiday travel, gatherings

December 8, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Just as hope rose that this year’s holiday season would inch back to pre-pandemic normalcy, the omicron variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 entered the picture , raising questions for many people.

Cases of the omicron variant have been confirmed in more than a dozen states across the country.

It comes as, for the first time in two months, the United States is now averaging more than 100,000 new cases per day, according to federal data.

Here are four things to know to help plan ahead for holiday gatherings and travel.

1. Vaccines are the best protection against omicron.

While researchers are still learning more about the omicron variant, it appears so far that being vaccinated helps protect people from getting severely sick, according to Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.

“My sense is you’ve gotten two shots or been previously infected [with COVID-19], you’ll probably end up having a much milder course,” he said. “[With] a booster, you’ll do even better.”

“If you have nothing, no vaccine, not previously infected, I’m not sure it will be a milder disease for you,” he said.

Similarly, a study released Wednesday by Pfizer-BioNTech found that being vaccinated with a booster furthers one’s protection against omicron.

The study, which was not peer-reviewed, found that omicron likely reduces efficacy of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine but does not render it ineffective and that a third dose offers even greater protection against the new variant.

2. Travel remains ‘pretty safe’ if vaccinated.

For people hoping to travel to see loved ones this holiday season, they should be sure to get vaccinated first, according to Jha.

“For most Americans, if you’re fully vaccinated, especially if you’re boosted, I think travel is pretty reasonable, pretty safe,” he said. “Obviously wear good masks on the airplane, all of the things that we say, but it’s still a pretty safe thing to do.”

3. COVID-19 testing should be used ahead of holiday gatherings.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday updated its guidance on COVID-19 testing and is advising people, even those who are vaccinated, to get a test before they head to an indoor gathering.

The agency said a rapid test ahead of a gathering is important if the gathering includes unvaccinated children and older people who are more vulnerable to COVID-19.

“Even if you don’t have symptoms and have not been exposed to an individual with COVID-19, using a self-test before gathering indoors with others can give you information about the risk of spreading the virus that causes COVID-19,” the CDC said in its guidance.

President Joe Biden announced a new plan last week for a winter coronavirus strategy that includes making at-home rapid tests free.

4. If you don’t know vaccination status at a gathering, wear a mask.

In cases of a small holiday gathering where you know everyone attending is fully vaccinated, it is safe to not wear a mask while celebrating indoors, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House chief medical adviser.

But if you are at a gathering where you do not know the vaccination statues of everyone attending, Fauci recommends protecting yourself and others by wearing a face mask.

“When you are in a public congregate setting in which you do not know the status of the vaccination of the people involved, it is very prudent to wear a mask, and that’s what I do,” he said at a Dec. 1 White House press briefing. “Sure, when you’re eating and when you’re drinking, take the mask down, but to the extent possible, keep it on when you’re in an indoor congregate setting.”

Biden warns of ‘severe consequences’ if Putin moves on Ukraine

December 8, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(UKRAINE) — President Joe Biden gave his first comments Wednesday on his video call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he was “very straightforward” with the Russian leader, that “there were no minced words,” and if Putin decides to invade Ukraine, he will face consequences “like nothing he’s ever seen.”

“I was very straightforward. There were no minced words. It was polite, but I made it very clear: if in fact, he invades Ukraine, there’ll be severe consequences. Severe consequences. Economic consequences, like nothing he’s ever seen, or ever have been seen, in terms of being imposed,” Biden told reporters, after first dodging the question.

The comments come one day after a two-hour video call on Tuesday in which Biden warned Putin that the U.S. “would respond with strong economic and other measures in the event of military escalation,” the White House said, as Russia builds up its forces on its border with Ukraine.

Asked about the possibility of U.S. troops on the ground in Ukraine, Biden it’s “not on the table,” but a few moments later he said it would also depend on “what the rest of the NATO countries were willing to do.”

“The idea of the United States is going to unilaterally use force to confront Russia invading Ukraine is not in the cards right now,” he said.

The president said he “made it clear” to Putin that the U.S. would “provide the defensive capability” to Ukraine and “reinforce our presence in NATO countries.”

Biden also said he expects that by Friday the U.S. and “at least four” NATO allies and Russia will be able to announce high-level meetings to discuss Russian concerns “relative to NATO writ large” and work out a deal “as it relates to bringing down the temperature along the Eastern Front.”

“The positive news is that thus far, our teams have been in constant contact,” he said. “We hope by Friday, we’re gonna be able to say., I’ll announce to you that we’re having meetings at a higher level, not just with us, but with at least four of our major NATO allies, and Russia to discuss the future of Russia’s concerns relative to NATO writ large, and whether or not we can work out any accommodations as it relates to bringing down the temperature along the Eastern Front.”

And before walking away, Biden said “I am absolutely confident he [Putin] got the message.”

Head of Instagram to face Senate panel over potential harms for young users

December 8, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, will face lawmakers Wednesday for a hearing about the potential harms of social media use for young people.

The Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Data Security will convene the hearing at 2:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, and it will mark the first time Mosseri has testified before Congress.

“After bombshell reports about Instagram’s toxic impacts, we want to hear straight from the company’s leadership why it uses powerful algorithms that push poisonous content to children, driving them down rabbit holes to dark places, and what it will do to make its platform safer,” subcommittee Chair Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said in a statement.

“I appreciate Mr. Mosseri voluntarily coming to the subcommittee and hope that he will support specific legislative reforms and solutions, particularly in its immensely potent algorithms,” Blumenthal added. “My conversations with parents have deeply moved me to fight for such reforms and demand answers that the whole nation is seeking.”

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), ranking member of the subcommittee, added, “Instagram’s repeated failures to protect children’s privacy have already been exposed before the U.S. Senate.”

“Now, it is time for action,” Blackburn said. “I look forward to discussing tangible solutions to improve safety and data security for our children and grandchildren.”

The hearing comes amid mounting controversies for Instagram and its parent company, Meta, after a whistleblower alleged blatant disregard from company executives over the potential harms of the social media platform for young users. Documents leaked to the Wall Street Journal earlier this year by whistleblower Frances Haugen cited the company’s own internal research that reportedly said Instagram made body image worse for one in three teenage girls.

On Tuesday, just ahead of the hearing, Mosseri announced a slew of updates to Instagram that aim to protect teens and young users on the app. Among them is the “Take a Break” feature — which encourages young users to take a break from Instagram if they have spent a long time scrolling — and a hub of tools for parents and guardians set to roll out early next year.

In late September, Instagram announced plans to pause development of its “Instagram Kids” platform meant for children under the age of 13 in the wake of the Wall Street Journal investigation.

“While we stand by the need to develop this experience, we’ve decided to pause this project,” Mosseri said in a statement at the time. “This will give us time to work with parents, experts, policymakers and regulators to listen to their concerns and to demonstrate the value and importance of this project for younger teens online today.”

Wednesday’s hearing is the fifth in a series led by Blackburn and Blumenthal specifically related to social media companies and the potential dangers children face online. The hearing will be live-streamed on the Senate commerce committee’s website.

Head of Instagram grilled by Senate panel over impact on young users

December 8, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Lawmakers on Wednesday grilled Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, in a wide-ranging hearing on the potential harms of social media use for young people. The senators pledged that the age of “self-regulation” for Big Tech is over and bipartisan legislation to protect kids online is imminent.

Mosseri claimed a lot of the issues raised by the lawmakers are not unique to Instagram but are an “industry-wide challenge” that requires “industry-wide solutions and industry-wide standards.”

Mosseri called for an “industry body” to determine best practices when it comes to young peoples’ safety online, focusing on verifying age, building age-appropriate experiences and parental controls. He said he hopes Instagram can work together with lawmakers to reach the goal of keeping children safe online.

The hearing before the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Data Security marked the first time Mosseri has testified before Congress and came amid a spate of scandals plaguing social media giant Meta, the newly named parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

A company whistleblower, Frances Haugen, alleged blatant disregard from company executives over the potential harms of the social media platform for young users during a hearing before lawmakers in early October. Documents leaked to the Wall Street Journal earlier this year by Haugen cited the company’s own internal research that reportedly said Instagram made body image worse for one in three teenage girls.

“In this series of hearings, we’ve heard some pretty powerful and compelling evidence about the dangers of Big Tech to children’s health, well-being and futures,” subcommittee Chair Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said during his opening remarks. “Our nation is in the midst of a teen mental health crisis. Social media didn’t create it, but it’s certainly fanned the fuel and the flames.”

The senator cited a surgeon general report issued Tuesday that found depression and anxiety among young people has doubled worldwide during the pandemic.

Blumenthal accused Big Tech of contributing to this mental health crisis “with addictive products and sophisticated algorithms that can exploit and profit from children’s insecurities and anxieties.”

He pledged that the time for “self-policing and self-regulation is over.”

Finally, Blumenthal blasted a set of proposals aimed at protecting young people on the platform — that Instagram unveiled just Tuesday — saying it “looks more like a public relations tactic brought on by our hearings.”

Mosseri defended Instagram in his testimony, saying the internet has “changed what it’s like to be a teenager.”

“Teenagers have always spent time with their friends, developed new interests and explored their identities. Today they’re doing those things on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat,” Mosseri told the senators. “I firmly believe that Instagram and the internet more broadly can be a positive force in young people’s lives. I’m inspired every day by teens on Instagram.”

He said he believes Instagram can actually help young people “dealing with difficult things in their lives.”

“Now I recognize that many in this room have deep reservations about our company, but I want to assure you that we do have the same goal. We all want teens to be safe online,” he said. “The internet isn’t going away, and I believe there’s important work that we can do together, industry and policymakers, to raise the standards across the internet to better serve and protect young people.”

“We have a specific proposal,” Mosseri said. “We believe there should be an industry body that will determine the best practices when it comes to what I think are the three most important questions with regards to safety: How to verify age, how to build age-appropriate experiences and how to build parental controls.”

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), ranking member of the subcommittee, also blasted these updates during her opening remarks, calling them “half-measures.”

“While telling teens to take a break might seem helpful on the face of things, it’s probably not going to get most teenagers to stop doing what they’re doing and take a break,” the senator said. “Educational tools for parents can be helpful, but frankly, I’m more concerned about the things we know kids and teens are hiding from their parents.”

“This is a case of too little too late, because now there is bipartisan momentum both here and in the House to tackle these problems we are seeing with Big Tech,” Blackburn warned.

When pressed by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) over whether spending three hours on Instagram per day is a good idea for young people, which Klobuchar said was put in the new policies as an option for parents, Mosseri said he believes it’s the individual parent’s decision.

“I’m a parent, and I can understand that parents have concerns about how much screen time their kids have,” Mosseri said. “I ultimately think that it’s a parent that knows best what’s best for their teen. So the appropriate amount of time should be a decision by a parent about the specific teen. If one parent wants to set that limit at 10 minutes, and another parent wants to set that limit at three hours, who am I to say they don’t know what’s best for their children?”

In late September, Instagram announced plans to pause development of its “Instagram Kids” platform meant for children under the age of 13 in the wake of the Wall Street Journal investigation.

When pressed about Instagram Kids during the hearing Wednesday, Mosseri stopped short of permanently committing to stopping development of Instagram Kids. “What I can commit to today is that no child between the ages of 10 and 12, should we ever manage to build Instagram for 10- to 12-year-olds, will have access to that without their explicit parental consent,” Mosseri told the lawmakers.

Wednesday’s hearing is the fifth in a series led by Blackburn and Blumenthal specifically related to social media companies and the potential dangers children face online, leading many predict a bipartisan crackdown on Big Tech’s dominance now looms large.

Royals get into holiday spirit at Christmas carols concert hosted by Duchess Kate

December 8, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(UNITED KINGDOM) — Members of Britain’s royal family got into the holiday spirit Wednesday, attending a Christmas carol service.

Prince William and Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, were front and center at the service at Westminster Abbey, where the couple wed 10 years ago.

They were joined by William’s cousins Zara Tindall, who attended with her husband, Mike, and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.

William’s aunt, Sophie Wessex, also attended, as did members of Kate’s family, the Middletons.

The service, “Together At Christmas,” was hosted by Duchess Kate, who chose for the occasion a festive red outfit by Catherine Walker and earrings borrowed from Queen Elizabeth.

In addition to celebrating the Christmas spirit, the service also celebrated the work of “of individuals and organizations across the U.K. who have supported their communities through the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to Kensington Palace.

Last year, amid the coronavirus pandemic, instead of attending an indoor carol service, the queen and other members of the royal family stood socially distanced outside of Windsor Castle as they listened to a Christmas concert.

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A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)

This Christmas will be the family’s first without Prince Philip, who died at age 99 in April.

In past years, he and Elizabeth, who were married for 73 years, oversaw the family’s multi-day Christmas celebration at Sandringham.

Buckingham Palace has not yet announced where the queen will spend this Christmas and whether she will be joined by any members of the royal family.

The family traditionally holds their gift exchange on Christmas Eve, following the German tradition, where they often swap funny or homemade gifts.

On Christmas Day, they walk to St. Mary Magdalene Church for the Christmas service.

After the service, the royals enjoy a Christmas lunch at Sandringham and then gather to watch Queen Elizabeth II deliver her annual Christmas message.

In the evening, the royal family will get together again for a Christmas buffet dinner with 15 to 20 different delicacies prepared by the queen’s chef.

On the day after Christmas, known as Boxing Day in the U.K., the royals traditionally partake in a pheasant shoot on the grounds of Sandringham.

An Auburn student vanished in 1976. Now his car has been found

December 8, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(ALABAMA) — Forty-five years after an Auburn University student vanished on his way to school, his car — and possibly his remains — have been recovered.

Kyle Clinkscales and his white 1974 Ford Pinto Runabout went missing on Jan. 27, 1976, when Clinkscales was on his way from LaGrange, Georgia, to Auburn University, about 45 miles away, said James Woodruff, the sheriff of Troup County, Georgia.

The 22-year-old never returned to school and his parents filed a missing persons report, Woodruff said.

The sheriff’s office has searched for Clinkscales and his car for 45 years, following hundreds of leads, though nothing substantial ever developed, Woodruff said.

On Tuesday, a man called 911 when he spotted the car in a creek in Chambers County, Alabama, Woodruff said at a news conference Wednesday.

Apparent human bones were found in the car, Woodruff said. The bones have not yet been identified, he noted, adding that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is examining them.

Clinkscales’ ID and credit cards were found in a wallet in the car, Woodruff said.

The creek runs under a well-traveled road, officials said. The car was about three miles from the interstate Clinkscales would have taken to school, officials said.

Police said they don’t know what the 911 caller was doing by the creek, adding that his contact information has been provided to investigators.

The sheriff said he hopes the remains will help determine if this was foul play or a car crash.

Clinkscales’ father died in 2007 and his mother died in January of this year, Woodruff said. While the sheriff said he wished Clinkscales’ mother was alive to see this development, “just the fact that we have hopefully found him and the car brings me a big sigh of relief.”

Thousands of migrants remain near border of Guatemala waiting for asylum cases to be processed

December 8, 2021 by WDNY Radio

GUATEMALA) — Ruben spent four years in Chile working as a housekeeper at a hotel and despite his experience in the hospitality and tourism industry, he was unable to get a higher paying job. Originally from Haiti, he said he was skipped over for promotions and paid higher rent than lighter-skinned immigrants.

After years of struggling financially, and with the pandemic affecting the tourism industry, he decided to migrate to Mexico, where he said he now faces the same Xenophobia he tried to flee. He’s been in Tapachula, Chiapas, for three months waiting to be interviewed for a humanitarian visa.

“The situation is very difficult for all migrants, not only Haitians, there is no hope here,” he told ABC News in an interview conducted in Spanish. “There are no jobs and they don’t want to give us our papers. All we want to do is leave Tapachula and be in another city while we have our cases processed.”

Ruben is among the tens of thousands of migrants whose asylum claim has seemingly ground to a halt as Mexico’s leading refugee agency deals with an unprecedented number of requests for humanitarian visas.

Human rights organizations warn that as they wait for their cases to be processed, migrants have become easy targets for price gouging and criminals who scam them with the promise of a way out of the city. As the Mexican government puts mounting pressure on migrants to keep them from continuing north out of the state of Chiapas, migrants said they have been forced to live in makeshift shelters in the streets and in overcrowded homes.

ABC News is not reporting Ruben’s real name in order to protect his privacy as he waits to see if he’ll be given protection under a humanitarian visa.

Tapachula is known as the main port of entry for refugees in Mexico as it borders Guatemala. Still, the number of asylum requests as of the end of November is unprecedented. According to COMAR, the Mexican government’s agency that processes refugee status, at least 123,187 requests have been filed so far in 2021, surpassing the record set in 2019 of over 70,000. The majority of those requests, 73%, were filed in the state of Chiapas. Haitians are the leading demographic in asylum requests in Mexico, the agency said.

Andrew Bahena, who works with the international programs team at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights in Chiapas, has been documenting instances of discrimination and violence targeted toward the migrant community. Migrants are relegated to renting rooms in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. Those disparities are accentuated for migrants with darker skin tones like Haitians, the coalition said.

“If you’re a migrant and you’re just going to pay per person, there’s a certain stock of housing that you’re going to be living in, and it’s really hard to rent anywhere out of that once people understand that you’re a foreigner,” he said. “That happens with food where people get charged more for the same kilo of rice. The problems get worse as the system stops working.”

As the nation’s leading refugee agency, COMAR is the only entity able to grant refugee status and issue travel documents that allow migrants to move within the country freely. The agency’s director, Andres Ramirez, said they’re able to process up to 5,000 cases a month, less than a third of the requests that were filed in November alone.

“This year’s wave has been gigantic,” Ramirez told ABC News in Spanish. “In addition to the large quantity, some people who don’t fit the profile of a refugee as the law establishes have submitted requests because they don’t have other immigration alternatives.”

South American countries like Chile and Brazil have seen large quantities of Haitian migrants since 2010, when a devastating earthquake claimed more than 200,000 lives in Haiti. Those who are now fleeing Central and South American countries due to financial instability may have a harder time being granted refugee status in Mexico.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, or ACNUR, as it’s known in Mexico, has been assisting the Mexican government in providing aid and temporary accommodations in three local shelters in Tapachula. Josep Herreros, a senior protection officer for UNHCR, thinks the congestion in the city can be eased by providing alternatives for people who do not qualify for refugee status, but still need support.

“People are suffering from the congestion,” Herreros told ABC News in an interview in Spanish. “This flow is what we call a mixed movement, where we have refugees who need protection and other migrants who have other needs. We think it’s important to provide alternatives to the asylum process.”

As another way of easing the congestion in Tapachula, the National Institute of Migration has been busing some migrants to other cities where they can continue their asylum process.

Buses have been departing from the Olympic Stadium but Arturo Viscarra, an attorney for CHIRLA, said those efforts have slowed to a “trickle” and thousands of people have descended upon the area. On Monday, Viscarra filmed how countless people took cover from the sun in makeshift shelters outside of the stadium.

“There’s this complete lack of response,” Viscarra said. “It’s both a result of the policies with the combination of the racism that makes it more difficult for Haitians to obtain work and housing.”

The National Institute of Migration did not respond to ABC News’ request for an interview.

Government checkpoints have been established outside of the city and throughout Mexico’s major highways, making it difficult for migrants to leave without the threat of being deported.

In recent months, groups of migrants sometimes referred to as “caravans” have formed in an effort to bypass the checkpoints and continue further into Mexico, with some hoping to reach the U.S. border, according to CHIRLA. In September, the U.S. Border Patrol was embroiled in a national controversy when images were published depicting mounted patrol agents using their horses to push back Haitian migrants as they attempted to cross the Rio Grande into Del Rio, Texas.

Ruben said he cried when he saw those images and felt disappointed in how the U.S. is treating Haitians. He has also grown increasingly frustrated with the asylum process in Mexico, but his dream is to settle in Mexico City and work in the tourism industry.

“I’m not trying to go to the United States; it’s not where I can have a better life,” he said. “I’m looking for a place where I can live peacefully. If I can realize my dream here in Mexico and have a good job, I’ll stay here.”

Boebert draws backlash for family Christmas photo of kids posing with guns

December 8, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(COLORADO) — Rep. Lauren Boebert, the gun-toting Colorado Republican who is under threat of being removed from her committee assignment for Islamophobic comments targeted at fellow lawmakers, faced more backlash on Wednesday after sharing a family photo showing her four children posing with guns in front of a Christmas tree.

“The Boeberts have your six, @RepThomasMassie!” Boebert wrote on Twitter late Tuesday, in apparent solidarity with GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a fellow gun enthusiast, who faced criticism for posting a similar photo last week of his family proudly holding firearms in front of their Christmas tree. Both families appeared smiling while heavily armed ahead of the holiday season.

The Boeberts have your six, @RepThomasMassie!

(No spare ammo for you, though) pic.twitter.com/EnDYuXaHDF

— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) December 8, 2021

“Santa, please bring more ammo,” Massie’s photo with his wife and six kids posted Dec. 4 was captioned.

Merry Christmas! 🎄
ps. Santa, please bring ammo. 🎁 pic.twitter.com/NVawULhCNr

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) December 4, 2021

“(No spare ammo for you, though),” Boebert added in her Dec. 7 tweet.

On the heels of Massie’s post last week but ahead of her own, Boebert offered her support to her colleague’s photo, tweeting, “That’s my kind of Christmas card!”

Boebert and Massie, appearing to share the photos of their families brandishing firearms in an apparent appeal to their bases, did so within a week of a mass shooting at a high school in Michigan that killed four students and left at least eight seriously injured. That shooting came days after the father of the 15-year-old suspect allegedly purchased him a gun as an early Christmas present.

Democrats have been quick to criticize both the photos of Boebert and Massie — with Democratic Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez mocking Boebert early Wednesday in a tweet that garnered nearly 100,000 likes and counting.

“Tell me again where Christ said “use the commemoration of my birth to flex violent weapons for personal political gain”?” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted in response to the photo. “lol @ all the years Republicans spent on cultural hysteria of society ‘erasing Christmas and it’s meaning’ when they’re doing that fine all on their own.”

“When you pose in front of a Christmas Tree and can name all those guns but can’t name the gifts of the Wise Men,” the New York progressive added.

When you pose in front of a Christmas Tree and can name all those guns but can’t name the gifts of the Wise Men 🥴🥴🥴

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 8, 2021

The backlash to Boebert’s photo comes as Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., plans to introduce a resolution on Wednesday to strip the Colorado Republican of her House committee assignments over her anti-Muslim remarks aimed at Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., — with the aim of forcing House Democratic leadership to punish Boebert before the end of the year. Omar said over the weekend she is confident House Speaker Nancy Pelos will take “decisive action.”

It’s far from the first time Boebert, a freshman in this Congress, has faced criticism.

The Colorado Republican who owns a gun-themed eatery called “Shooters” released a political ad earlier this year showing her walking around the Capitol, verbally attacking congressional Democrats and ending with the sound of a gunshot. She is also facing questions from Democrats over her potential ties to pro-Trump supporters that were present at the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6.

The pro-democracy, progressive media PAC MeidasTouch tweeted late Tuesday that it would not post the “deranged” image of Boebert and her children “holding weapons of war” and instead, listed those killed last week in Michigan to “honor the teens who were murdered due to this fetishization of guns.”

We will not be posting the deranged photo of Lauren Boebert and her young children holding weapons of war.

Instead, let’s honor the teens who were murdered due to this fetishization of guns:

Hana St. Juliana, 14.
Tate Myre, 16.
Justin Shilling, 17.
Madisyn Baldwin, 17. pic.twitter.com/IdQnHXobNA

— MeidasTouch.com (@MeidasTouch) December 8, 2021

ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart contributed to this report.

Jan. 6 committee to mull contempt charges after Meadows fails to appear before panel

December 8, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Rep. Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the Jan. 6 committee investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol, says the committee will move to hold Mark Meadows in contempt after the former Trump chief of staff failed to appear before the panel for his scheduled appearance this morning.

On Tuesday, two sources familiar with the matter told ABC News that Meadows had informed the committee that he is no longer cooperating with the probe, after Meadows had earlier agreed to appear before the panel.

Meadows’ attorney George J. Terwilliger II told committee members in a letter that they had made an appearance for a deposition untenable because they have “no intention of respecting boundaries concerning Executive Privilege.”

In response, Thompson told Terwilliger in a letter last night that the committee has “no choice” but to recommend the former chief of staff be held in contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate.

Riverside County official expresses ‘horror’ over abuse of Turpin siblings, pledging ‘full’ investigation

December 8, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(CALIFORNIA) — The top elected official in Riverside County, California, said Tuesday that she was appalled by the abuse endured by the 13 Turpin children over the years, stressing that the county is determined to investigate allegations that the siblings continued to be mistreated after they were placed under the county’s care nearly four years ago.

Karen Spiegel, chairwoman of the Riverside Board of Supervisors, offered her first public comments since the plight of many of the Turpin children was detailed during ABC’s “20/20” Diane Sawyer special event, “Escape From A House Of Horror,” which aired on Nov. 19.

“I, like many of you, watched the recent ’20/20′ special on the Turpin children. The reaction for most of us was horror, disgust. What happened to those children during that time was something none of us would want ourselves or our children to ever live through,” said Karen Spiegel, chairwoman of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, during a public meeting.

Spiegel underscored that the county remains committed to supporting its independent investigation of the Riverside County care of the Turpin children, as well as that of all the vulnerable children and adults in the county’s care.

“It’s of utmost importance to complete a full and independent evaluation of our county systems, and in the way that we provide care and deliver services,” Spiegel said.

In 2018, the Turpin children escaped from their Riverside County home, where they were subjected to violence and deprived of food, sleep, hygiene, education and health care at the hands of their parents.

An ABC investigation explored allegations that the county’s social services systems, for dependent children and adults, had failed the Turpin children, then aged 2 to 29, following their rescue.

Many of the siblings were still “living in squalor,” Mike Hestrin, the Riverside County District Attorney, told ABC News this summer.

“That is unimaginable to me — that we could have the very worst case of child abuse that I’ve ever seen, and then that we would then not be able to get it together to give them basic needs,” Hestrin told Sawyer.

Despite an initial outpouring of support in the weeks after their parents’ 2018 arrest, some of the Turpin siblings and their advocates told ABC News that the siblings are still struggling to access basic living necessities, including food and housing.

“Right now, I don’t really have a way to get food right now,” Jordan Turpin, 21, told Sawyer at the time of the interview in July.

However, at Tuesday’s meeting, Spiegel suggested there was “always more to a story.”

“Like many things we see on the media and the internet, I also had to step back and caution myself not to make total judgment from some of the facts. There’s always more to a story. And sometimes you get what they want you to hear, and only that, nothing with the backup,” Spiegel said.

When approached by ABC News about the allegations after a Nov. 9 meeting of the county’s Board of Supervisors, Spiegel declined to discuss specifics about what has transpired with the Turpin children since they were rescued.

“Well I am not — I don’t have the information you’re looking for,” Spiegel told ABC News at the county meeting last month. “We’re still in investigation stages, so I don’t have anything to share with you.”

The accusations ultimately prompted the county to initiate an independent probe into the care of the Turpin siblings, as well as that of other vulnerable children and adults, who are all under the supervision of the court.

In late October, the county appointed former U.S. District Judge Stephen G. Larson to lead the investigation, which is set to be completed by March 31, 2022.

Larson served nearly 10 years on the bench in California, including three years in district court after being appointed by George W. Bush in 2006, according to his biography.

“My firm and I are fully committed to conducting a thorough and transparent examination of these matters, as expected by this board, and the residents and citizens of Riverside County,” Larson told the supervisors during an introductory presentation on Tuesday.

The law firm’s investigation has two primary objectives, according to Larson.

The first is “identifying and scrutinizing” the services provided to 13 siblings while under the care and supervision of the county. The second is to assess the quality of the Riverside County services for all children in foster care and dependent adults.

“We have to care about all of our children,” Spiegel said.

Larson commended the county for initiating the investigation, telling the board that “the fact that the county promptly sought an independent review and that you are demanding swift and meaningful action underscores for me in this county, your commitment to addressing these critical issues directly, openly and effectively.”

Larson reported that his team has “complete autonomy to pursue all relevant lines of inquiry to answer the critical questions that our investigation will uncover.”

“I want you to know that the board stands ready to provide the full resources and not to leave a stone unturned,” Spiegel said, adding that she expects Larson to act as a neutral party in the investigation.

During the meeting on Tuesday, the board also approved the creation of an ad-hoc committee to assess inter-departmental systems improvement for the protection of vulnerable children and adults.

According to a county representative, the committee will receive regular status reports and updates from Larson LLP, ensure full and complete access to any and all relevant information to support the inquiry, and make recommendations to the full Board of Supervisors regarding policy directives, systems changes and service delivery improvements.

ABC News’ Michelle Mendez contributed to this report.

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