(NEW YORK) — Former President Bill Clinton spoke out for the first time following his hospitalization.
In a video posted on Twitter Wednesday night, Clinton, 75, said he’s feeling better, and is “on the road to recovery.”
“Hi everyone, I was so touched by the outpouring of support I received during my stay in the hospital. Thanks so much. I’d also like to thank the doctors and nurses at UC Irvine Medical Center for the absolutely wonderful care that they gave me over the last seven days,” he said.
The former president — who has battled a number of health issues, including heart problems, over the past two decades — was taken to the hospital last Tuesday to be treated for an infection not related to COVID-19, his spokesperson said.
“I’m really glad to be back home,” Clinton said in the video Wednesday. “I’m doing great, enjoying this beautiful fall weather. I’m on the road to recovery but I want to remind everyone out there: Take the time to listen to your bodies and care for yourselves. We all have work to do and each of us has an important role to play in life and in the immediate future. I, for one, am going to do my best to be around, to keep doing the most good I can for a lot longer.”
Last week, an aide said Clinton was diagnosed with a urological infection that transformed into a broader infection, but the prognosis was “good.”
(NEW YORK) — A massive search is continuing in Florida for Brian Laundrie, the boyfriend of Gabby Petito, the 22-year-old woman who went missing on a cross-country trip and who authorities confirmed as the body discovered strangled to death in Wyoming last month.
The search for the 23-year-old Laundrie is centered around North Port, Florida, where investigators said Laundrie returned to his home on Sept. 1 without Petito but driving her 2012 Ford Transit.
Laundrie has been named by police as a “person of interest” in Petito’s disappearance. Laundrie has refused to speak to the police and has not been seen since Sept. 14, according to law enforcement officials.
The search for Laundrie is the latest twist in the case that has grabbed national attention as he and Petito had been traveling across the country since June, documenting the trip on social media. Petito’s parents reported her missing on Sept. 11 after not hearing from her for two weeks.
Here are the latest developments. All times Eastern:
Oct 20, 6:06 pm
Laundrie family attorney reacts to discovery of apparent human remains
Steven Bertolino, the family attorney for the Laundrie family, spoke with New York ABC station WABC Wednesday evening after law enforcement found human remains and items belonging to the fugitive at a Florida park.
The attorney said the area where investigators found Brian’s belongings was shown to police two weeks ago when Laundrie’s father, Chris, aided in the search.
“I can’t say for certain that Chris showed this particular area to police at that point in time, but I can say that this is an area that we initially notified the FBI that Brian liked hiking,” Bertolino said.
The attorney said the family is waiting for a proper identification before making any comments.
“As you can imagine, the parents are very distraught. … At this moment in time they’re grieving,” he said.
Oct 20, 4:42 pm
Police find apparent human remains, personal items belonging to Laundrie
Police have recovered apparent human remains that have not been identified in the search for Brian Laundrie, the FBI said Wednesday.
Authorities also found items belonging to Laundrie, like a backpack and notebook, officials said.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson said the area where the items were found had previously been underwater. McPherson said a team would be on site for several days processing the scene.
Oct 20, 2:55 pm
Remains found at park, not clear if human
A law enforcement source told ABC News remains were found at a Florida environmental park. The source said investigators are working to determine whether the remains are human and whether the remains and other discovered articles are linked to Laundrie.
Oct 20, 2:19 pm
FBI confirms ‘items of interest’ found
The FBI said “items of interest” in connection to the search for Laundrie were found at the Carlton Reserve Wednesday morning and an evidence response team is processing the scene.
(WASHINGTON) — The FDA on Wednesday announced it has authorized boosters for millions more Americans, giving a green light for third shots to people who received the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
The FDA also says it will allow people to mix and match booster doses.
The agency detailed its decision in a news release that said a single booster dose of the Moderna vaccine may be administered at least six months after completion of the primary series to individuals 65 years of age and older, those 18 through 64 years of age at high risk of severe COVID-19 and those 18 through 64 years of age with frequent institutional or occupational exposure to the virus.
It went on to say the use of a single booster dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine may be administered at least two months after completion of the single-dose primary regimen to individuals 18 years of age and older.
Nothing has changed yet for individuals.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee will meet Thursday and cast a non-binding vote on the matter and then CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky will release final recommendations.
This is developing story. Please Check back for updates.
(GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo.) — The parents of a 6-year-old girl who died on a ride at a Colorado amusement park last month have filed a wrongful death suit against the operator after a state investigation found she wasn’t strapped into her seat before the ride plunged 110 feet.
Wongel Estifanos was visiting Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, located atop Iron Mountain in Glenwood Springs, with her family on Sept. 5 when she went on the Haunted Mine Drop ride, a free-fall drop down a pitch-black shaft.
Her uncle took Wongel, two of his children, his wife and another relative onto the ride, according to a complaint filed Wednesday in Denver County District Court.
“Wongel’s uncle specifically observed the ride operators interacting with Wongel, and he trusted that they were properly securing Wongel on the ride,” the complaint stated.
After they dropped 110 feet down the shaft, her uncle “checked to see whether Wongel had enjoyed the ride” and was “stricken with terror to see that Wongel was not in her seat” but at the bottom of the shaft, according to the complaint.
The family “screamed in horror” as they were pulled back to the top of the shaft, the complaint stated.
“Wongel had fallen to her death, suffering numerous fractures, brain injuries and internal and external lacerations,” according to the complaint.
In a report released last month, the Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safety determined that the two ride operators failed to buckle her seatbelts, as required, even after a monitor alerted them to a seatbelt safety issue. “Multiple operator errors” and “inadequate training” contributed to the fatal accident, the report stated.
The complaint from Wongel’s family extensively cited the findings of the report, charging that Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park “breached its duty by recklessly failing to properly supervise and train its operators on safety procedures of the Haunted Mine Drop ride.”
The complaint also alleged that the amusement park was aware of at least two prior incidents in 2018 and 2019 in which ” angry and terrified customers” on the Haunted Mine Drop weren’t strapped into their seatbelts until repeatedly telling the ride operators.
The family is seeking unspecified monetary damages as well as a jury trial and “post-trial finding that the acts causing the death of Wongel Estifanos constitute a felonious killing.”
“Their mission is to protect other families by holding all who are responsible for the killing of their daughter fully accountable, and by sending a loud and clear message to the entire amusement park industry,” attorney Dan Caplis said in a statement on behalf of the Estifanos family.
Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park declined to comment to ABC News on the lawsuit. “Our hearts go out to the Estifanos family and those impacted by their loss,” it said in a statement.
Following the release of the state’s investigation, the amusement park’s founder, Steve Beckley, said in a statement, “Safety is, and always has been, our top priority.”
“We have been working closely with the Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safety and independent safety experts to review this incident,” he said, noting that the amusement park will review the report “carefully for recommendations.”
“More than anything, we want the Estifanos family to know how deeply sorry we are for their loss and how committed we are to making sure it never happens again,” he added.
(WASHINGTON) — U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg spoke on “The View” about the criticism he’s been met with over his paternity leave amid Congress’ pending approval of the Biden administration’s infrastructure bill.
Buttigieg and husband Chasten welcomed twins Joseph August and Penelope Rose in August. On Wednesday, he told the co-hosts about his growing family.
“It’s such an incredible blessing,” he said, adding that he has a “whole new appreciation” for parenting now that he’s living it.
“Every time I look in their eyes, I just realize that the most important thing that Chasten and I will do in our lives is be dads to these incredible, beautiful, little children, our boy and our girl,” he continued.
Chasten and I are beyond thankful for all the kind wishes since first sharing the news that we’re becoming parents. We are delighted to welcome Penelope Rose and Joseph August Buttigieg to our family. pic.twitter.com/kS89gb11Ax
When Buttigieg went on paid paternity leave after their twins were born, Congress was discussing the Biden administration’s Build Back Better Act. If the $3.5 trillion human infrastructure package is passed, it would give all workers up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave.
Under current U.S. policy, the Family and Medical Leave Act, employees who qualify can take time off to care for a newborn or loved one or recover from illness without losing their job — but leave is unpaid in most cases.
Buttigieg faced criticism from media figures such as Tucker Carlson about taking his paternity leave amid a pending infrastructure bill and supply chain crisis, and he said “maybe some good came out of” the attacks.
“It’s helped us have a conversation about parental leave,” he said. “Every American ought to be able to get paid parental leave. That’s something that the president believes in and has proposed. It’s something I believe.”
But, he continued, “When parents take that parental leave, they need to be supported in making that choice.”
Buttigieg acknowledged the negative impact parental leave stigmas can have on women who “find their ability to get ahead in their careers influenced by these judgments,” and he shared his perspective on why men should use it.
“If there’s this idea that maybe men have access to paternity leave but it’s frowned on if they actually use it, then obviously that doesn’t work for a marriage like mine, but also for a man who’s married to a woman,” Buttigieg said. “That carries with it the assumption that the woman’s going to do all the work. That just makes no sense in the 21st century.”
“There’s still this cultural idea, I think, out there in some places, that this is vacation,” he said.
“My work day as a secretary of transportation starts at a relatively normal hour,” he continued. “My workday as a dad starts at about 3 in the morning when Chasten finally hits the sack and it’s my turn to start that first feeding.”
The infrastructure bill currently being debated in Congress includes paid family leave — and potential solutions to existing supply chains disruptions.
“There’s no easy fix. There’s no magic wand, but there are a lot of things we can do,” Buttigieg said about the supply chain crisis on “The View.” “We’re relying on infrastructure that was built decades ago, sometimes a century ago.”
Buttigieg said “supply, demand and the pandemic” are the main forces behind the supply chain bottlenecks being seen around the world, which caused record shortages of household goods to electronics to automobiles for American consumers.
“Americans have more money in their pockets compared to a year ago,” Buttigieg said. “Where they used to maybe spend it on going to shows or travel, they’ve been more likely to spend it on things, which is why actually we have a record number of goods coming through our ports.”
“Retail sales are through the roof, that’s part of why we have this challenge, but it is creating a lot of pressure on businesses, especially small businesses that can’t exactly charter their own ship or create their own supply chain when they have a challenge,” he said.
He argued the infrastructure bill would not only address long-term issues, but also short-term issues, such as “working with the ports to get them open 24/7” and “make it easier for truck drivers to get commercial driver’s licenses.”
“All of those steps are going to make a difference. But again, the biggest difference of all, the thing that would really help with all of the disruptions, all of the shocks that we’re seeing is to put this pandemic behind us,” Buttigieg said.
(WASHINGTON) — Senate Republicans have stopped — for the second time this year — a Democratic measure aimed at enacting sweeping federal election law changes, a move that is certain to increase pressure on the majority to change the chamber’s filibuster rule.
Every Senate Republican opposed the vote to start debate on the voting rights bill.
“This bill is a compromise, but a good one. It’s a bill that every Senate Democrat is united behind enthusiastically,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer before the vote. Schumer had worked to get moderate Democrat Joe Manchin behind the proposal known as the Freedom to Vote Act.
The legislation is a product of Democrats’ concerns about the wave of stricter new voting laws in red states following the false claims by former President Donald Trump that the 2020 election was stolen.
Manchin, D-W.Va., refused to endorse a more comprehensive reform effort by his caucus in June, saying it lacked bipartisan input and encroached too far on state’s rights to run elections. But after months of trying to corral GOP support, Manchin has found none.
The vote on Wednesday was to start debate on the measure, a move that required 10 Republicans to vote with all Democrats. But no Republicans supported the revised bill.
“There are areas where we could perhaps work together, but the legislation that’s been crafted (by Democrats) is not what I’ll support,” said Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, a consensus-minded Republican whom Manchin approached. “Federalizing election law is something which I think is not a good idea.”
Sen. Angus King, D-Maine, a lead sponsor of the legislation and member of that working group, pleaded with colleagues to support the bill, saying U.S. democracy is “fragile” and at stake in the wake of Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election despite no widespread fraud found in multiple, nonpartisan investigations.
“The problem with this goes well beyond the wave of voter suppression legislation sweeping the country; the deeper problem is the massive and unprecedented erosion of trust in the electoral system itself, the beating heart of our democracy,” said King. “Of all the depredations of Donald Trump, this is by far the worst. In relentlessly pursuing his narrow self-interest, he has grievously wounded democracy itself. And by the way, I mean ‘narrow self-interest’ quite literally; he doesn’t give the slightest damn about any of us — any of you — and will cast any or all of us aside whenever it suits his needs of the moment.”
But Republicans for months have said they see the efforts to counter red state laws as nothing more than “a partisan power grab.”
“The only thing this proposal would have done for the people…would be to help make sure that the outcome of virtually every future election meant that Democrats win and Republicans lose. Thus, Republicans would be relegated to a permanent minority status. That was the goal,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, charged in a Tuesday floor speech. “If this bill weren’t so dangerous, it would have been laughable.”
King told reporters on a conference call that the only option after the vote Wednesday is to alter the Senate’s filibuster rule that requires 60 votes to pass most legislation but also imposes no requirement on the 41 senators who are in opposition other than his or her stated opposition to legislation that is up for a vote.
“I’ve been very, very reluctant on (changing the filibuster), but on the other hand, it strikes me that this is a very special case, because it goes to the very fundamentals of how our democracy works,” King told reporters, adding that the debate among Democrats “can’t go on forever, because as you know redistricting has already started in states…It’s got to happen, I would say, in this calendar year.”
King said Democrats are looking at a number of possible changes, from requiring those supporting a filibuster to appear on the floor and hold the chamber with speeches — the so-called “talking filibuster” — to modifying the rules to end filibusters on motions to start debate — which is what will happen Wednesday — to ending the filibuster altogether.
Changing the filibuster would require all Democrats to be united, but that is not the case currently. Manchin and his fellow moderate, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, have steadfastly refused to change the chamber’s rules citing a fear of permanently damaging the institution.
Outside groups pushed back Tuesday and called on Biden to do more.
“The president must get in the game. Say into a microphone, ‘You’ve got to get rid of the filibuster,” said Meagan Hatcher-Mays of the progressive group Indivisible.
“The filibuster is paralyzing the Senate. It’s preventing it from doing the very basics, such as debating bills,” said Adam Jentleson, a one-time deputy chief of staff to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and founder of the Battle Born Collective, a progressive interest group.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki demurred Tuesday when asked about support for the filibuster.
“It’s a discussion that we would have with leaders and members in Congress,” said Psaki, who added that the White House was focused on the Wednesday vote. “Republicans still have an opportunity to do the right thing to protect people’s fundamental right to vote.”
The Democrats’ new bill still encompassed sweeping election law changes, including voter ID requirements, expanded early voting, making Election Day a national holiday, banning partisan gerrymandering, and implementing election security and campaign finance measures.
Among the provisions dropped or changed since June were the automatic mailing of ballots. Under the new measure, any voter could request a mail-in ballot but they are not sent out automatically. The legislation would have continued to allow voter roll purges but required changes to be “done on the basis of reliable and objective evidence” and prohibited the use of returned mail sent by third parties to remove voters.
The bill would have also no longer implemented public financing of presidential and congressional elections. Still, there were a number of election security provisions, including mandatory, nationwide use of machines that deliver paper ballots.
ABC News’ Allie Pecorin contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Isiah Brown, who was shot eight times by police earlier this year in Virginia, is filing a lawsuit for $26.35 million against two officers involved in the shooting.
On April 21, Brown was on the street near his mother’s home, speaking to a 911 dispatcher on the phone when Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Deputy David Turbyfill drove up, exited his car and shot Brown several times, according to the lawsuit.
Earlier that night, at the home, a disagreement ensued, 911 was called and Turbyfill was dispatched to address the dispute, the lawsuit states.
In a portion of the 911 call released by police, Turbyfill seems to have thought that Brown had a gun. The officer is heard yelling at Brown to drop a gun on the recording. Brown was unarmed, according to the Virginia State Police, which investigated the incident.
Brown’s attorney states that his client was holding a phone at the time of the shooting and obeyed all police and dispatcher commands. In a statement, Sheriff Roger Harris said that he then ordered the deputy to begin providing first aid, and later contacted the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal to investigate the incident.
“Today we filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of Isiah Brown against Spotsylvania County Police Chief Roger Harris and Deputy David Turbyfill for their roles in the totally unnecessary shooting incident involving Mr. Brown that occurred April 21,” said Brown’s attorney David Haynes of The Cochran Firm in a statement to ABC News.
The lawsuit states that Turbyfill was negligent, committed battery and used excessive force during the incident. Turbyfill’s lawyer, Mark Bong, declined ABC News’ request for comment on the lawsuit.
Turbyfill was also charged with felony reckless handling of a firearm, according to a special grand jury indictment in July. Turbyfill had been placed on administrative duties since the shooting, according to a past statement from the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s office.
The county sheriff is also listed as a defendant in the lawsuit, and is stated to have responsibility for the actions by directing and supervising Turbyfill’s deputies.
Haynes said that the shooting caused life-altering injuries for Brown, which will “leave him with permanent damage for the rest of his life.”
“Isiah Brown’s life will never be the same after his tragic encounter with David Turbyfill,” Haynes said. “Our hope is that this lawsuit will provide a measure of justice for Mr. Brown and force the Spotsylvania Police Department to enhance their training and update their policies and procedures so that this never happens to another person.”
The Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
ABC News’ Sabina Ghebremedhin contributed to this report.
The governor issued a new call for the state legislature to provide an additional $11.4 million investment to help expedite the replacement of lead pipes and service lines in the predominately Black community within the next 18 months.
The estimated cost to replace all of the lead service lines in Benton Harbor is $30 million, and the state has so far earmarked some $18.6 million, according to a statement from the governor’s office. Whitmer called on the legislature to secure the additional $11.4 million by tapping into federal money made available to Michigan through the pandemic-era American Rescue Plan.
Her visit to the western Michigan community to meet with residents and local leaders on Tuesday came days after she signed an executive directive that aimed to coordinate all available state resources to deliver safe drinking water to residents.
“Every Michigander deserves safe drinking water,” Whitmer said in a statement, saying she visited Benton Harbor “to hear from community leaders doing the work on the ground and residents living through water challenges every day.”
“I cannot imagine the stress that moms and dads in Benton Harbor are under as they emerge from a pandemic, work hard to put food on the table, pay the bills, and face a threat to the health of their children,” she added. “That’s why we will not rest until every parent feels confident to give their kid a glass of water knowing that it is safe.”
For some Benton Harbor residents, the government attention and action comes too late. Elevated levels of lead have been detected in the city’s water system since at least 2018, according to a Natural Resources Defense Council petition filed last month to the Environmental Protection Agency on behalf of local advocacy groups and residents.
Residents continue to live with “significant and dangerous levels of lead contamination three years after the contamination was first discovered with no immediate solution in sight,” the petition states, calling it an “environmental justice” issue.
Some 85% of Benton Harbor’s approximately 9,700 resident are Black and 5% are Hispanic, according to the most-recent Census data. More than 45% of the population lives in poverty, the Census data states, and the median household income is $21,916.
Moreover, nearly 28% of the population is children under 18 years old. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns on its website that lead generally affects children more than it does adults, and children tend to show signs of severe lead toxicity at lower levels than adults.
Lead poisoning can bring a slew of detrimental health impacts, the CDC warns, including: abdominal pain, constipation, headaches, irritability, loss of appetite, pain or tingling in the hands and/or feet and weakness.
The petition from the Natural Resources Defense Council notes that Benton Harbor’s residents “are not only subjected to a disproportionately high level of lead exposure from a variety of sources beyond their drinking water, but also often lack access to high quality health care and are exposed to a wide array of other threats that can exacerbate the negative health effects associated with lead exposure.”
Earlier this month, Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services announced it was increasing the availability of free bottled water for Benton Harbor residents. The agency said in a statement that residents are being encouraged to use bottled water for cooking, drinking, brushing teeth, rinsing foods and mixing powdered infant formula.
The distribution of water bottles has faced hurdles, and the overall handling of the crisis has created mounting frustration among residents.
“Three years of this is ridiculous,” Rev. Edward Pinkney, a local faith leader told the local news outlet MLive, after a water handout organized by the state’s department of health ran out of water bottles 30 minutes after it was supposed to start.
Pinkney said he and his grassroots organization have been passing out 2,000 cases of water per month on their own dime since 2019.
Willie Mae Jones, a resident who said she and her four children have been drinking city water their entire lives, told the outlet they didn’t even know about the issue.
“We didn’t know we had lead in our water until probably a month ago,” Jones told MLive earlier this month. “We still have to pay for that water, and we can’t even use it. Now that’s ridiculous.”
The crisis in Benton Harbor also puts a harsh spotlight on real-world impacts of the nation’s dilapidated infrastructure, at a time when lawmakers on Capitol Hill are mulling over President Joe Biden’s massive infrastructure spending proposal.
(NEW YORK) — Two attorneys pleaded guilty Wednesday to throwing a lit Molotov cocktail into an unoccupied vehicle belonging to the New York Police Department in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, during May 2020 demonstrations to protest the murder of George Floyd.
Colinford Mattis, an associate at Pryor Cashman, and Urooj Rahman, a public interest lawyer, exchanged text messages the night of May 30, 2020, that prosecutors quoted during the plea hearing.
“I hope they burn everything down. Need to burn all the police stations down,” assistant U.S. Attorney Ian Richardson quoted one message saying.
“Set a police car on fire after a lot of fights and check my story to see the trajectory of burning,” Richardson said in quoting another message from Rahman.
The reply text from Mattis said, “Go burn down 1PP,” an apparent reference to NYPD headquarters at One Police Plaza.
“What is your plea to count seven?” U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan asked.
“Guilty,” Rahman replied.
“I plead guilty your honor,” Mattis said.
“Are you aware you are all but certain to be disbarred as a result of this plea?” the judge asked.
“Yes, Your Honor,” both attorneys said.
Rahman and Mattis will be sentenced on Feb. 8, 2022, and would each face up to 10 years in prison if the judge applies a terrorism enhancement, Richardson said.
“On May 30, 2020, I knowingly possessed a destructive device, a Molotov cocktail,” Rahman said. “My actions occurred on a night of civil protest in Brooklyn following the murder of George Floyd. I deeply regret my actions.”
Mattis expressed similar regret.
“On the night of May 30, 2020, I knowingly possessed a destructive device,” Mattis told Judge Cogan. “I deeply regret my conduct and wish I had made better choices on that night.”
(CINCINNATI) — A settlement in the death of a teenager who died while trapped in his car after calling 911 has included recommendations to improve the call center that failed to help him.
Kyle Plush, 16, died in April 2018 of asphyxia due to chest compression after he became stuck while trying to retrieve his tennis equipment from the third-row bench of his 2004 Honda Odyssey. He had called 911 twice to plea for help but was not located by officers who arrived on the scene, in a parking lot across the street from Seven Hills School, minutes later.
“I’m trapped inside my gold Honda Odyssey van in the … parking lot of Seven Hills,” a distressed Plush told 911 in the second call. “This is not a joke.”
A family member found Plush in the van hours later, and he was declared dead.
The two 911 dispatchers who took Plush’s calls and the two officers who were sent to search for him were named in the 2019 wrongful lawsuit against the city. The lawsuit also alleged that the former city manager was aware that the call center struggled with inadequate staffing and training at the time of Plush’s death.
As part of the settlement, the city of Cincinnati must pay Plush’s family $6 million, and long-term recommendations were made for changes to the Cincinnati Emergency Communications Center, according to a 47-page report released by the family’s attorney Tuesday.
Staffing, morale and improvements to technology were among the recommendations. The report found that employees continue to leave due to low morale, which it said results in problems the call center cannot “hire its way out of.”
Overall, the report concluded that as a whole, the call center has “extremely passionate, dedicated employees.”
