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Four pilot whales euthanized after stranding event on Massachusetts beach

November 30, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(EASTHAM, Mass.) — Four pilot whales that had been stranded on a Massachusetts beach have been euthanized, according to conservationists.

The health of the whales had “greatly declined” after three days of being stranded, with the whales initially being lifted by the high tide but then getting stranded again, Stacey Hedman, communications director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s Marine Mammal Rescue and Research team, told ABC News. The weather and the exhausted state of the whales contributed to the grim outlook for the large mammals, Hedman said.

“The team made the difficult decision to euthanize these animals as we knew rescue efforts at this stage were no longer going to be possible,” Hedman said. “It’s the most humane decision to make in a circumstance like this.”

The whales “passed quickly,” Hedman said, adding that they are still searching for one remaining whale.

Six pilot whales were initially spotted swimming close to shore near Sunken Meadow Beach in Eastham, Massachusetts, on Monday afternoon, prompting stranding experts form the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s Marine Mammal Rescue and Research team to respond to the scene to check on their well-being, Hedman said.

By Tuesday morning, the whales had become stranded on the beach, and one — a calf — had died, Hedman said. After the whales were briefly examined, and two were given satellite tags, the conservationists hoped the high tide in the afternoon would help push the marine mammals back into the ocean.

The five remaining pilot whales were re-floated and released shortly after the tide came in, but by 6 p.m. Tuesday, four of the whales had turned back toward shore, and rescue efforts were temporarily put on hold, the organization said.

“The five pilot whales swam off well in one direction together, but the reality is that we cannot celebrate a success yet this evening,” Misty Niemeyer, stranding coordinator at IFAW, said in a statement. “One animal is now offshore, but the others did not follow.”

The conservationists monitored satellite tag hits overnight, and a field team was able to locate the majority of the animals about 2 miles north near the Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, Hedman said. One whale is now offshore, she added.

The team is evaluating the next steps, Niemeyer said, describing the rescuers as “exhausted” after their strenuous efforts Tuesday.

“Large animals can be quite dangerous to work around, and it’s for our health as well as tomorrow’s continued efforts that we need to call it a day today,” she said late Tuesday.

Teams of rescuers were responding in phases Tuesday to provide supportive care until the tides were more favorable, Hedman said.

Video taken on the scene showed crews digging up sand around the whales, some of which were covered in wet blankets to help them retain moisture. Some of the whales were also administered fluids via IV to help combat the stress and shock of stranding, Sharp said.

Dolphins and small whales can indeed live out of water for many hours when receiving proper supportive care and hydration, Hedman said.

While Cape Cod is considered a global hotspot for live cetacean stranding, historically, pilot whales do not strand there, Hedman added.

IFAW typically transports dolphins to deeper water using a custom-built rescue vehicle, but the whales are too big to transport, according to the organization.

But some of the animals are “very large,” with the largest estimated to weigh about 4,000 pounds — making them too heavy to transport, Brian Sharp, director of the research center, said in a recorded statement.

“This is tough on all of our responders,” Hedman said. “We were cautiously optimistic and put a tremendous amount of work into this effort. If you were there, you likely felt our hopefulness as the whales first swam off at the end of the day yesterday.”

Darrell Brooks begins process to appeal conviction in Christmas parade attack

November 30, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WAUKESHA, Wisc.) — Darrell Brooks is seeking to appeal his conviction for driving his SUV into a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, last year, killing six people and injuring dozens more.

Brooks was found guilty by a jury in the attack and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He received a life sentence for each of the six counts of first-degree intentional homicide, to be served consecutively, along with hundreds of hours of confinement for dozens of other criminal charges.

Brooks, 40, filed a handwritten notice of intent on Tuesday to seek post-conviction relief in Waukesha County Circuit Court, initiating the appeal process.

“It is not my intention to bring any controversy before the court, but it is my intention to have this postconviction relief matter reviewed and heard as quickly as possible as there are clear issues of the law and the legal facts in this matter,” he wrote in the notice, which was signed from Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun, Wisconsin.

Additionally, Brooks made a request to have assistance from the public defender’s office. He had represented himself during the trial and was temporarily removed multiple times by Judge Jennifer Dorow for disrupting the proceedings.

Court records show the notice of intent to seek post-conviction relief was sent to the state public defender.

Brooks needed to initiate an appeal within 20 days of the sentencing, starting with filing the notice of intent to pursue post-conviction relief. The appeal process could take months, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.

A jury found Brooks guilty in October on all 76 counts for barreling his SUV into a Christmas parade on Nov. 21, 2021.

Dorow sentenced Brooks two weeks ago during a two-day hearing that featured emotional statements from dozens of victims and the family members of those killed and injured.

Dorow acknowledged that the sentencing was “largely symbolic,” but told Brooks that “it needs to hold you accountable in a very real and tangible way.”

Waukesha’s Christmas parade is scheduled to return this Sunday for the first time since the deadly attack.

Massachusetts couple killed in home in apparent targeted attack, suspect at large: DA

November 30, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(MARSHFIELD, Mass.) — A manhunt is underway for a suspect accused of stabbing and bludgeoning an elderly couple to death in their Massachusetts home in an apparent targeted attack, officials said.

Police conducting a welfare check on the married couple Tuesday night found both dead with “obvious signs of trauma,” according to Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz.

“Both of the victims were stabbed and bludgeoned to death,” Cruz said during a press briefing Wednesday morning.

The incident occurred in Marshfield, a city located about 30 miles southeast of Boston in Plymouth County.

The victims were identified as the homeowners — Carl Mattson and his wife, Vicki Mattson, both 70. Vicki Mattson would have turned 71 on Wednesday, Cruz said. It is unclear when the deaths occurred, he said.

Investigators have named a suspect in the killings — 27-year-old Christopher Keeley, who was acquainted with the couple, according to Cruz. A possible motive is under investigation, he said.

“This does not appear to be a random act of violence,” Cruz said. “This appears to be a targeted attack.”

Keeley’s whereabouts are currently unknown, police said.

“We’re not sure how long he has been gone,” Cruz said.

A warrant for his arrest will be issued for homicide in Marshfield, Cruz said.

Keeley is “known to carry knives,” a law enforcement alert stated. He should be considered armed and dangerous, police said.

The suspect was last seen driving a black 2019 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited that was taken from the scene, Cruz said. The car was later located unoccupied in a parking lot in Avon, which is about 20 miles west of Marshfield, the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office said.

“We continue to seek Christopher Keeley,” Massachusetts State Police said on Twitter.

Keeley, who goes by the name Crispy, was described as being white with blonde hair and blue eyes, approximately 5-foot-7 and 140 pounds. He may have altered his appearance by dying his hair red, police said.

His last known address was in Weymouth, Massachusetts, police said.

Anyone who sees him or has information on his whereabouts is asked to contact Massachusetts State Police at 774-434-5999 or the Marshfield Police Department at 774-380-4289, or call 911.

Severe weather updates: Mother, son killed after dozens of tornadoes rip through South

November 30, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A mother and her 8-year-old son have died in central Alabama after a tornado with winds of up to 115 mph struck overnight, officials said.

At least reported 34 tornadoes have touched down in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama, according to the National Weather Service.

On Wednesday, 11 tornadoes were confirmed near New Orleans, Shreveport, Jackson and Birmingham.

Montgomery Fire Rescue saved one person and extracted two bodies from a home in Montgomery County, Alabama, where winds measured up to 115 mph from a confirmed EF-1 tornado. The victims were identified as Chiquita Broadnax, 39, and her 8-year-old son, Cedarrius Te. The child’s father, Cedric Lamar Tell, was injured and taken to the hospital, family members told ABC News.

The deadly tornado struck Montgomery County just after 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Montgomery County officials said first responders saved the lives of many others.

The EF-1 tornado in Montgomery County wreaked havoc in the Flatwood community, according to the National Weather Service.

EF-1 and EF-2 tornadoes have been confirmed elsewhere in the region, including in Caldwell Parish, Louisiana, and Magnolia, Mississippi. Another EF-1 in Eutaw, Alabama, caused severe damage to the Sagewood Apartment Complex, according to the National Weather Service.

Tornadoes were also reported near Bakers and Steens, Mississippi. In Vernon, Mississippi, hail the size of a quarter and Ping-Pong ball was reported. There were also reports of structural damage across several locations in Mississippi.

Texas and Kentucky got hail the size of golf balls.

Images from the affected areas show entire homes reduced to rubble by the tornadoes.

As the storm system moves east, more severe weather is possible for Florida’s Panhandle, southern Alabama and Georgia. The tornado threat will be low on Wednesday; the major threat now is damaging winds.

High-wind alerts have been issued for most of the Northeast, where winds could gust 40 to 60 mph. Behind this storm system, colder air will produce lake-effect snow from just south of Buffalo to Watertown, New York, where seven to 15 inches of snow is possible.

Strong thunderstorms are possible from the Florida Panhandle to the Carolinas. In addition, heavy rain and gusty winds are expected from Washington, D.C., to Boston.

ABC News’ Alexandra Faul and Melissa Griffin contributed to this report.

More than 90% of COVID deaths occurring among elderly adults: CDC

November 30, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(ATLANTA) — Older people have always been known to be one of the groups at highest risk of death from COVID-19, but they now make up a larger share than ever before.

As of the week ending Nov. 19, Americans aged 65 and older make up 92% of all deaths from the virus, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It’s the first time senior citizens have made up more than nine out of 10 deaths since the pandemic began and a drastic increase from the roughly 58% of deaths they made up in summer 2021, an ABC News analysis shows.

An infectious disease expert told ABC News the data showcases the lack of boosters received by the older population and how the impact of the disease is hitting the most vulnerable as protection mounts in the population.

“The bottom line is that age is the most powerful risk factor for COVID deaths and we’ve known that all along,” Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, told ABC News. “At this point in the pandemic, it’s not enough to just get a vaccine series. So, what it reflects is the failure of the older age group to get boosters.”

As of Nov. 24, just one-third of people aged 65 and older have received the bivalent boosters, CDC data shows.

The updated booster specifically protects against the omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, currently making up about 20% of infections in the U.S.

While this percentage is higher than most other age groups, Chin-Hong said it’s still quite low for a group at high risk of severe illness and death.

“Before vaccines, seniors died disproportionately but it wasn’t even as profound of a difference between the seniors and non-seniors,” he said. “But it was it’s kind of almost like a U-shaped curve with the beginning a high [number of] seniors [dying], then low number of seniors, relatively speaking, then high seniors again.”

Additionally, it’s not just unboosted seniors who are at risk of dying. According to the CDC, as of Oct. 1 — the latest date for which data is available — unvaccinated seniors aged 80 and older are dying at the highest rate of 14.6 per 100,000 followed by unvaccinated seniors aged 65 to 79 at 5.68 per 100,000.

Those above age 65 vaccinated but without an updated booster had the next highest death rates at 3.69 per 100,000 for those above age 80 and 0.71 per 100,000 for those aged 65 to 79.

Chin-Hong said more effort needs to be made at getting vaccines and boosters to seniors, such as nursing homes and community centers, like they were during the start of the vaccination campaign.

“We started vaccinating that age group very diligently,” he said. “In the old days, they were first in line. Everybody wanted grandma and grandma to get vaccines. But that’s only part of the picture and the immune system needs a reminder now and that’s when you’ll see [complications] the most.”

FBI warns of rise in costly technical support scams

November 30, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The Federal Bureau of Investigation has issued an alert about the rise in technical support scams spreading across the country.

FBI field offices in Pittsburgh, Las Vegas, Boston and Chicago continue to warn the public of heightened fraud and cyber security risks.

According to the FBI bulletin, the technical support scam involves a cybercriminal posing as technical support offering to resolve issues such as compromised email or bank accounts, computer viruses, or software renewals.

“You may be on your computer, and you may get a pop-up,” said Ashley Johnson, the acting special agent in charge of the Chicago division. “And this pop-up will tell them, ‘Hey, your accounts have been hacked. Call this number.’ And [the scammers] will represent themselves as a reputable software company.”

Recent FBI statistics reported that Americans lost nearly a quarter billion dollars last year from this scam alone — an increase of over 137% compared to last year.

YouTube star Pierogi, who runs a YouTube channel called “Scammer Payback,” which posts videos of phone calls with scammers, told ABC News he first noticed an uptick in this type of scam earlier this year.

He shared a screenshot of a “pop-up alert” scam he received on his computer that claimed to be from Microsoft and directed him to call a phone number for support.

A spokesperson from Microsoft told ABC News that Microsoft will never send unsolicited messages or make unsolicited phone calls to request personal or financial information, or to provide support to fix your computer.

They added that the real Microsoft warning messages never include a phone number. If a consumer does receive a pop-up, the spokesperson recommended closing the message or using the key combination CTRL+ALT+DEL to quit the program they’re currently using and run a security scan on the computer.

For Bert Smith, 85, and his wife Ann, a month-long tech support scam ended up costing them $3 million.

Smith, who used a pseudonym for this report, said he logged on to his computer to play solitaire, like he does most days. Almost immediately, he experienced a frozen computer followed by a pop-up advising the computer was hacked and to call a phone number claiming to be a well-known computer software company.

According to Smith, when he called the phone number, he was transferred to another person claiming to be a federal agent, who told him he needed remote access to his computer to scan it. Smith said the scammer told him that his Social Security numbers, bank and investment account information were all compromised, and that their money was at risk.

He said he was told the solution was to transfer the money out of their current accounts and invest it in cryptocurrency for safekeeping.

“They had told me that if anybody asks why we are doing this, well, the stock market was down,” said Smith. “And Bitcoins were going down too, so this would be a good time to invest.”

According to Smith’s daughter Kerry, the scammers even gave her parents Bitcoin wallet numbers to try to convince them their money was safe.

Smith said he was instructed not to tell anyone, including bank employees or members of their family, and was given a script to recite at the bank if questioned by employees about the nature of his money transfers.

Their daughter Kerry said she only learned about the scam after the $3 million was gone.

“It was devastating to hear because of how hard my parents worked for their money,” said Kerry. “This shows just how manipulative these scammers are … for them not to share something like this with us.”

Over the course of a month, Smith said he made a dozen wire transfers in amounts as high as $750,000 until a bank employee became suspicious and notified the local police, who have since referred the case to the FBI. Smith told ABC that their case is still currently under investigation.

While they still hope they can recover some of their money, Bert and Ann said it was more important for them to share their story so that others are aware of what these scammers can do. “As I look back on it, I [think], ‘How gullible could you be?’ But on the other hand, they had a good story,” said Smith. “We wanted to share our story, so that seniors can learn from this … and for them not to feel that it’s something they did.”

Johnson urged victims of scams to contact the FBI through ic3.gov or report suspected scams to their local law enforcement agency and their banking institution.

According to Johnson, the FBI’s Recovery Asset Team has recovered over $300 million of fraudulently obtained funds. “We have an 82% recovery rate,” she said, but encouraged victims to report as early as possible, making it more likely to recover money.

FBI field offices nationwide also work directly with banking institutions to combat criminal activity, said Johnson. Through FBI investigations and intelligence, the agency provides education on emerging phishing and scamming trends for banks.

“We do see [companies] being vigilant in trying to make sure their customers are protected,” Johnson added.

Additionally, the FBI provided a list of tips to avoid being scammed:

Avoid installing apps or programs that allow strangers remote access to your computer.
Never call the number in a pop-up window.
Always disconnect your device from the internet immediately if you see a scam-related pop-up screen. Do not turn your computer off or reboot.
Always be skeptical if someone tells you not to talk to your family about a money transfer.
Always be skeptical if a “government agency” asks you to conduct business in Bitcoin.
Always call companies, banks, or government agencies directly with numbers you have independently verified.
Always contact the FBI at ic3.gov to make a report.

House votes to impose agreement to block rail strike

November 30, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The House on Wednesday voted to block a strike by the nation’s railway workers, intervening in a labor dispute with wide-ranging economic and political implications.

The House voted 290-137 to adopt the tentative deal between the rail companies and employees reached in September and brokered by the White House.

A second, separate vote — aimed at addressing progressive Democrats’ concerns over protecting workers — was set on a measure to add seven days of paid sick leave to the agreement, which now allows for only one.

Unless an agreement is imposed by Congress by a Dec. 9 deadline, much of the nation’s economy that depends on freight transportation would be disrupted — some estimates say up to $2 billion a day.

“The House will take up urgent and necessary legislation to that end: adopting the Tentative Agreement reached after months of hard-fought negotiations,” Pelosi said in a memo to colleagues on Tuesday.

“After hearing from our Members, we are in agreement that a nationwide rail strike must be prevented — and that more must be done to secure the paid sick leave that hard-working railroaders deserve.”

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said any House legislation to codify the existing tentative agreement will be accompanied by legislation that addresses the workers’ long standing demand for fair paid leave.

In a statement, Jayapal said that Pelosi announced a deal that allows the House to pass legislation for railway workers that includes paid sick leave after “productive conversations” between Congressional Progressive Caucus members, Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and House Leadership.

“The Progressive Caucus will continue to fight to ensure that all workers have paid sick leave guaranteed and that labor rights are upheld. I thank Speaker Pelosi and Leadership for their cooperation, and my Progressive Caucus colleagues for their indefatigable advocacy and commitment to workers’ rights,” Jayapal said in a statement.

The two-vote series also allows the Senate to act on the two bills separately. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, has been urging his Senate colleagues to consider boosting paid leave provisions.

The House votes come as President Joe Biden on Monday asked Congress to intervene and avert a potential strike, although he warned against making any changes to the negotiated agreement.

Both Biden, a self-professed pro-union president, and Pelosi noted their hesitation to step into the dispute.

“I am reluctant to override the ratification procedures and the views of those who voted against the agreement,” Biden said on Monday. “But in this case — where the economic impact of a shutdown would hurt millions of other working people and families — I believe Congress must use its powers to adopt this deal.”

Pelosi echoed Biden’s call to prioritize avert the wide-ranging economic consequences from a strike.

“It is with great reluctance that we must now move to bypass the standard ratification process for the Tentative Agreement. However, we must act to prevent a catastrophic strike that would touch the lives of nearly every family: erasing hundreds of thousands of jobs, including union jobs; keeping food and medicine off the shelves; and stopping small businesses from getting their goods to market,” she said.

Family of Paul Whelan, former Marine held in Russia, worried after communication cut off

November 30, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The family of Paul Whelan, the American former Marine held hostage by Russia, say they are worried for his safety after he dropped out of contact at the prison camp where is being held last week.

Whelan’s brother, David Whelan, on Tuesday said camp authorities had claimed they had abruptly moved Whelan to a prison hospital without explanation. In a statement, he said the family fear Whelan could have suffered a sudden medical emergency or that the prison authorities might be lying to conceal that Whelan was now in solitary confinement or otherwise held and not allowed to communicate.

Paul Whelan has spent nearly four years in detention since he was seized in 2018 by Russia’s domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Security Service, while visiting Moscow for a friend’s wedding. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges but the United States and his family say were fabricated in order to take him as a political bargaining chip.

Whelan has been held in at Correctional Colony 17 — a prison camp in the Mordovia region around 300 miles from Moscow — for more than two years. His family began sounding the alarm on Monday after Whelan missed scheduled calls with his parents and the U.S. embassy last week.

“We’re concerned that he may have either some emergency medical issue that is not being disclosed or that he is in fact still at IK-17 and has been placed in solitary as retaliation for something,” David Whelan said in an email statement.

David Whelan said the prison camp claims his brother was moved to the prison hospital on Nov. 17 but Whelan had not complained of any medical issue to U.S. embassy staff that visited him a day earlier or mentioned any move to his parents in a call on Nov. 23.

“Paul was not complaining of any health conditions that required hospitalization, so has there been an emergency? He appeared healthy and well to the Embassy staff,” David Whelan wrote.

“If Paul’s at the prison hospital, why is he being prohibited from making phone calls that every prisoner is allowed to make? Is he unable to make calls? Or is he really still at IK-17 but he’s been put in solitary and the prison is hiding that fact,” he wrote.

He said the prison had previously sent Whelan to the hospital against his will, sometimes as a punishment. Previously, however, Whelan noted that his brother had always told them when he was being sent to the hospital, David Whelan said.

Whelan’s Russian lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, told ABC News that Whelan had a medical check up two weeks ago which suggested no issues.

Zherebenkov said there were two explanations why Whelan was not making his calls — either there are technical issues or he was being punished.

Asked by ABC News on Tuesday, the spokesman for the White House National Security Council, John Kirby, said it was the first he had heard Whelan had missed a call but he expressed deep concern for Whelan’s conditions.

Whelan is able to speak most weeks to his parents in the U.S. via video call from the prison, according to his family, and also has scheduled calls to the embassy.

“They have a call scheduled with him on Thursdays and he failed to make it last week. It’s incredibly unusual for Paul to miss trying to call home on a holiday like Thanksgiving,” David Whelan said. He said he hoped the U.S. embassy would find out Whelan’s condition.

“Is his phone card out of funds? Is he in solitary? Has he been moved to a hospital camp again without his request? Transport somewhere always comes to mind because prisoner transfers always seem to happen on a Friday. And, if it’s punitive, what is the prison retaliating for?”

The U.S. is seeking to negotiate Whelan’s release as well as the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner, who has been in Russian detention since February and who American officials also believe was taken by the Kremlin as a political bargaining chip.

Griner arrived earlier this month at a nearby prison camp in Mordovia after she was sentenced to nine years on drug smuggling charges, the U.S. says were trumped up.

Russia has signaled it wants to trade Whelan and Griner in a prisoner exchange for Russians imprisoned in the U.S., but efforts to reach a deal have stalled.

The Biden administration this summer said it was prepared to trade Viktor Bout, the notorious arms trafficker who is serving a 25-year prison sentence on weapons smuggling charges and is widely suspected to have ties to Russian intelligence. But Russia has so far rejected the offer, despite publicly suggesting for years Bout was a top candidate for any swap.

Russia’s deputy foreign minister Sergey Ryabkov earlier this month said he hoped the prospect of trading Bout was “getting stronger” but that the two sides were “yet to arrive at a common denominator.” He confirmed the U.S. and Russia were negotiating on the issue via a “special channel” and that Bout was among those being discussed.

A potential sticking point is Moscow may be their unwillingness to trade two Americans for one Russian citizen, even one of Bout’s importance.

In new comments on Tuesday, Ryabkov said “there is always a chance” that a deal might be reached soon, but gave little suggestion one was close.

“Regretfully, we have seen a number of situations where we thought a decision would be made soon. That did not happen,” Ryabkov told reporters.

Ryabkov also criticized the U.S. for speaking publicly about the negotiations, accusing it of “going over the top by using megaphone diplomacy.”

The acting U.S. ambassador to Moscow, Elizabeth Rood, in an interview with Russian state media this week confirmed that the U.S. was continuing to discuss Griner and Whelan through special channels.

“We have already said, the United States has submitted a serious proposal for consideration. We finalized this proposal and offered alternatives. Unfortunately, the Russian Federation has not yet received a serious response to these proposals,” she told RIA Novosti.

Severe weather updates: two people are dead after tornado outbreak hits the South

November 30, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Two people have died in central Alabama after a tornado struck Montgomery County overnight, officials said. At least 29 tornadoes have touched down in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama.

Montgomery Fire Rescue saved one person and extricated two bodies from the Alabama home. Another person has been hospitalized, officials said.

The deadly tornado struck Montgomery County just after 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Montgomery County officials said first responders saved the lives of many others.

There have been 30 reported tornadoes across Louisiana Mississippi, and Alabama, according to the National Weather Service. An EF1 with winds up to 110mph was confirmed in Montgomery County.

Texas and Kentucky got hail the size of golf balls.

Images from the affected areas show entire homes reduced to rubble by the tornadoes.

As the storm system moves east, more severe weather is possible for Florida’s Panhandle, southern Alabama and Georgia. The tornado threat will be low on Wednesday; the biggest threat is damaging winds.

High wind alerts have been issued for most of the Northeast from Virginia to Maine, where winds could gust 40 to 60 mph. Behind this storm system, colder air will produce lake-effect snow from just south of Buffalo to Watertown, New York, where locally 7 to 15 inches of snow is possible.

Strong thunderstorms are possible from the Florida Panhandle to the Carolinas. In addition, heavy rain and gusty winds are expected from Washington, D.C., to Boston.

ABC News’ Alexandra Faul and Melissa Griffin contributed to this report.

House Democrats elect Hakeem Jeffries to succeed Nancy Pelosi

November 30, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — House Democrats on Wednesday elected a historic new generation of leaders.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York will succeed Nancy Pelosi as leader of the Democratic Caucus.

The 52-year-old Jeffries will be the first Black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress.

The whip will be a woman — Katherine Clark of Massachusetts — and the No. 3, Pete Aguilar of California, will become the highest-ranking Latino in Congress after rising in prominence from his perch on the high-profile Jan. 6 committee.

Elections took place behind closed doors, where members voted by secret ballot. All three ran unopposed.

In a statement following his election, Jeffries said he and his newly elected colleagues will inherit their roles from “iconic” predecessors and work with the “seriousness and solemnity” of the present political moment.

“I am particularly humbled to be accepting this honor alongside my friends and partners in leadership, incoming Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and incoming Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar. Katherine represents another important crack in the glass ceiling, a trailblazer in the tradition of Speaker Pelosi,” he said. “She makes all of us feel seen and heard and will work tirelessly to support our Democratic Caucus. I have watched how Pete brings people together to get things done, rolling up his sleeves as only a former Mayor can do. Katherine, Pete and I will work closely together fighting hard for everyday Americans.”

Pelosi issued a statement congratulating her successor, as well as Clark and Aguilar.

“Congratulations to Leader-designate Hakeem Jeffries, Whip-designate Katherine Clark and Chairman-designate Pete Aguilar! Together, this new generation of leaders reflects the vibrancy and diversity of our great nation — and they will reinvigorate our Caucus with their new energy, ideas and perspective. Now, with the fullest confidence of our Members, our new Leaders are well-prepared to carry on Democrats’ fight for working families and defense of Democracy,” she said.

On the Senate floor ahead of the elections, Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer noted the “momentous” and historic nature of the newly elected leadership: the advancement of the first Black American to lead a chamber of Congress, the first Latino American to occupy a No. 3 slot.

“Hakeem Jeffries’ elevation as House Democratic Leader is a turning point in the history of the United States Congress. Never before has an African American leader – or any leader of color – held the top position for either party in either chamber,” he said.

The ushering in of new leadership follows Pelosi’s pre-Thanksgiving announcement of her intention to step away from her role after 20 years. In her remarks before declaring her decision, the 82-year-old leader said she wanted to pave a way for a “new generation” of oversight in the Democratic party.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, 83, and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, 82, also announced they would step aside from their leadership posts shortly after Pelosi’s declaration.

“The hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect,” she said.

Jeffries, along with Clark, 59; and Aguilar, 43, mark a generational shift to House Democrats’ top spots.

Schumer on Wednesday sentimentally noted the changing of the guards before taking a moment to praise his fellow Brooklynite, whom he’s known for years.

“Today’s gathering is unlike anything we’ve seen before. For one, it signals the end of a magnificent era. As my dear friend Speaker Nancy Pelosi has chosen to step down from leadership. We’ll never see someone like Speaker Pelosi ever again in our lifetime. But her potential successor will be history making in its own right,” he began.

“Now I’ve known Hakeem Jeffries for a long time, since before the days he was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 2006. When I first met him, I thought the same thing I thought when I first met Speaker Pelosi, here’s someone who has it all.”

The 118th Congress won’t be sworn in until January. Republicans have been projected to regain control of the House, with House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy at its helm after clinching the Republican nomination for speaker in the next Congress.

Jeffries in his statement following his election noted his willingness to work with Republicans as the leader of House Democrats while continuing to fight for his party’s priorities.

“We are going to continue to put People Over Politics and fight for all our values. House Democrats will lift up working families, the middle class and those who aspire to be part of it, young people and senior citizens, veterans, the poor, the sick and the afflicted and the least, the lost and the left behind,” he said in a statement.

“We will look for common ground with Republicans whenever and wherever possible, but oppose extremism on the other side of the aisle whenever necessary.”

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