(NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.) — With the midterm elections less than two months away, Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday said the “stakes could not be higher” as both parties wrestle for control of Congress.
Speaking at the Democratic National Committee’s summer meeting in Maryland, Harris echoed President Joe Biden’s recent attacks on “MAGA” Republican leaders who he says are a threat to the nation.
“We need to speak truth about that,” Harris said. “Today, we all by coming together reaffirm that we refuse to let extremist, so-called leaders dismantle our democracy.”
The vice president criticized the fallout from the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade as one example of such leaders attempting to “take away freedoms.” At least 15 states have ceased nearly abortion services since the court’s ruling in late June.
Harris warned Republicans could decide to ban abortion nationwide or go after other rights such as contraception or marriage equality if they become the majority in the House and Senate.
“Without a Democratic majority and conference, who knows what other rights they will come after?” she asked.
She condemned Republicans who say issues like abortion rights should be left up to individual states while also “intentionally make it more difficult for people in those states to vote” and called out three states — Florida, Texas and Georgia — for restrictive laws targeting abortion rights and the LGBTQ community.
Like Biden, she also framed the midterm elections as a stark choice between the Democrats’ agenda and that of some of their Republican colleagues.
“If there was any question about whether there’s a difference between the parties, well, over the last 18 months, it has become crystal clear,” she said. “There is a big difference. We all know that American families have been struggling but while Republican Party leaders have gone on TV to opine about the situation, Democrats actually did something about it.”
The vice president went on to tout administrative accomplishments on COVID-19 relief, infrastructure, gun safety and the announcement of student debt cancelation.
Other parts of the Biden-Harris agenda, including child care and voting rights, have stalled in Congress but Harris said if Democrats can pick up two more seats in the Senate more can be done — specifically highlighting her role as the Senate’s tie-breaking vote.
“In our first year in office, some historians here may know, I actually broke John Adams’s record of casting the most tie breaking votes in a single term,” she said, before adding: “I cannot wait to cast the deciding vote to break the filibuster on voting rights and reproductive rights.”
Biden has called on the Senate to change the filibuster rules to pass voting reforms and to codify Roe but was met with opposition from Republicans and a few members of the Democratic Party.
Republicans, in their midterm messaging, have criticized the Biden administration over inflation, gas prices and crime.
The GOP has been generally favored to win back control of the House and Senate this cycle but recent legislative and electoral wins are signs Democrats’ odds may be improving.
Harris celebrated Democrat Mary Peltola’s victory over Republican Sarah Palin in Alaska’s special election for the state’s vacant U.S. House seat, as well as Kansas voters rejecting an anti-abortion ballot measure.
(NEW YORK) — Ukrainian forces have made a major breakthrough in the Kharkiv region, capturing strategically important cities, according to Ukrainian officials and military sources.
Ukrainian troops have advanced 70 kilometers in less than a week, resulting in part of Russia’s front-line collapse in Ukraine’s northeast, with large numbers of Russian troops forced to retreat.
One Ukrainian military source described the multi-pronged offensive as “a thoroughly planned operation” and told ABC News that “everything was running to schedule.”
The source also claimed that Russian troops in the area “were running away.”
In a major development on Saturday, Ukrainian forces appeared to have retaken the strategically important city of Izyum.
This claim was made by multiple unconfirmed reports on social media and confirmed by a military source to ABC News. Russian military bloggers, some of who are embedded with Russian troops in Ukraine, also said Russian forces had retreated from Izyum to avoid being encircled.
Izyum was Russia’s headquarters for its offensive into the neighboring Donetsk region.
Russia’s Defense Ministry on Saturday confirmed it has carried out what it called a “regrouping” of its forces around Izyum. Russian military bloggers wrote on social media in reality Russian forces had retreated, while Russian state media has described the situation as “extremely difficult.”
The dramatic advance by Ukrainian forces also reaffirms how much the war has shifted in Ukraine’s favor and adds credence to claims by U.S. and British officials that Russian forces are overstretched.
The retaking of the city also shows the impact that weaponry from the U.S. and its allies is having on the battlefield.
“U.S. assistance is arriving where it is needed,” former U.S. ambassador to NATO, Kurt Volker told ABC News. “The Ukrainians know how to use it.”
“The Russians are militarily exhausted,” Volker claimed, and called on U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration to provide even longer-range rockets to Ukraine.
Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the northeast began late last week and swiftly broke through Russia’s line there. Since then Ukrainian forces had recaptured the city of Balakliya and on Saturday seized Kupiansk, a key logistics hub, according to Ukrainian officials as well as Russian pro-government journalists.
The rapid offensive in the northeast has seen Ukrainian forces recapture the cities of Balakliya and Kupiansk, according to Ukrainian officials.
Photos and videos of troops raising the Ukrainian flag are circulating online.
Kupiansk is well-connected by rail and road — making it a vital link in Russian supply lines in the area. By seizing the two cities, Ukrainian forces threatened to encircle completely thousands of Russian troops in Izyum, making its defense untenable and forcing Russia to withdraw them.
On Friday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his forces had liberated and gained control of 30 settlements in the northeast.
The gains amounted to 2,500 square kilometers, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
Ukrainian forces also claim to have retaken several villages in the southern region of the country in recent days.
Unlike the offensive in the northeast, the southern offensive was widely publicized by Ukrainian officials, raising the possibility that the Russian military was distracted by events in the south, and caught off-guard when the Ukrainian military went on the offensive in the northeast.
(NEW YORK) — Most of Oregon is in extreme fire danger, as several fires are already burning, evacuations have been ordered in several regions and power has been shut off to thousands of customers due to the high fire risk.
The largest active fire in the state is the Double Creek, which grew by over 41,000 acres overnight, according to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center, which coordinates wildfire incidents for agencies in Oregon and Washington.
The Double Creek Fire, which was caused by lightning, has burned over 147,000 acres in northeastern Oregon since igniting on Aug. 30 and is 15% contained, fire officials said Saturday.
Saturday 🔥 fire update!
2️⃣ New Fires: Goat Rocks & Henderson Spring
1️⃣8️⃣ Existing Fires
✅No new lightning observed.
✅Cedar Creek is 36,377 acres and 12% contained.
✅Double Creek Fire is 142,791 acres and 15% contained. The fire saw 41,814 acres of growth overnight. pic.twitter.com/LrKLks85pK
— Northwest Interagency Coordination Center (@NWCCInfo) September 10, 2022
Evacuations are in effect for the town of Imnaha north to the Snake River and south to Highway 39.
Another concern is the Cedar Creek Fire in western Oregon, burning in the National Forest east of the community of Oakridge in Lane County. The lightning-caused fire has so far burned over 51,000 acres since igniting in early August and is 12% contained, state fire officials said.
“Saturday’s fire activity is expected to be extreme, with long-range spotting and crown runs,” the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal said in an update Saturday.
The Lane County Sheriff’s Office issued evacuation orders for communities in the greater Oakridge area Friday night.
“The fire remains outside Oakridge and the surrounding communities but today’s high heat will challenge firefighters as they protect homes and critical infrastructure,” the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal said Saturday.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown declared a fire emergency Friday in response to the Cedar Creek Fire. She has invoked similar emergency acts for the Double Creek fire and the Sturgill Fire in the northeast and the Rum Creek Fire in the southwest. On Aug. 28, she declared a wildfire state of emergency to free up state resources to respond to fires.
One of the latest fires to ignite was a grass fire south of Salem, sparking evacuation orders Friday night. By Saturday morning, the Vitae Springs Fire was 100% contained, city officials said.
State officials warned residents this week that already active wildfires could worsen this weekend, or new ones could start, with increased fire risk due to high winds and high temperatures. Northwest Oregon in particular is facing extreme fire danger, according to the Bureau of Land Management.
To mitigate potential fire risks caused by damaged power lines, power shut-offs are in effect for customers in western Oregon, including some 12,000 Pacific Power customers south of Salem and some 30,000 Portland General Electric customers. The outages are expected to last through Saturday.
All ODF-protected lands are now in Extreme Fire Danger. The next couple of days are critical. Please:
– Avoid open flames or any activity creating sparks
– Never park on dry grass, and ensure tow chains aren’t dragging
– Respect public use restrictions.
All Oregon Department of Forestry-protected lands are also in extreme fire danger, the agency said Friday, while urging people to avoid any activity that could create sparks.
“The next couple of days are critical,” the department said.
(LONDON) — Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II “died peacefully” on Thursday, according to a statement from Buckingham Palace. She was 96.
The news of her death came just hours after the palace announced that the queen’s doctors were “concerned” about her health and were keeping her under “medical supervision” at Balmoral Castle, the British royal family’s estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where she has been vacationing this summer.
Members of the royal family, including the queen’s four children, quickly gathered by her side at Balmoral, according to their respective spokespersons. She died that afternoon.
Elizabeth was Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. She ascended to the throne in 1952 and, in June, celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years as queen. Her eldest son, Charles, Prince of Wales, will take his mother’s place on the British throne as king. Charles’ wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, will become known as queen consort.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Sep 10, 12:50 PM EDT
Prince William, Princess Kate, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle view flowers together
Prince William and Prince Harry, and their wives, Princess Kate and Meghan Markle, viewed flowers together outside Windsor Castle Saturday.
This is the first time the four have been seen together in public since Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior members of the royal family and moved to the United States.
A representative for William, the Prince of Wales told ABC News the prince invited the Duke and Duchess to join him and the Princess of Wales.
Sep 10, 12:21 PM EDT
Queen’s funeral to be held Sept. 19
Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral will be held on Sept. 19, Buckingham Palace announced Saturday.
Sep 10, 12:07 PM EDT
William, Prince of Wales, makes 1st statement since the queen’s death
William, Prince of Wales said he is grateful for the queen’s presence in his life, in his first statement since the death of the queen. William said that he recognized the world lost an “extraordinary leader.”
“I, however, have lost a grandmother. And while I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I have had the benefit of The Queen’s wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade. My wife has had twenty years of her guidance and support. My three children have got to spend holidays with her and create memories that will last their whole lives,” William said.
“She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life. I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real,” William said.
“I thank her for the kindness she showed my family and me. And I thank her on behalf of my generation for providing an example of service and dignity in public life that was from a different age, but always relevant to us all,” William said.
Sep 10, 7:20 AM EDT
King Charles III officially proclaimed king by Accession Council at St James’s Palace in London
King Charles III has been formally proclaimed monarch at a historic Accession Council in the State Apartments of St James’s Palace at 5 a.m. on Saturday. The ceremony is being televised for the first time in history.
A Principal Proclamation will then be read in public for the first time by the Garter King of Arms in the open air from the balcony overlooking Friary Court at St James’s an hour later at 6 a.m. ET.
It will be followed by a flurry of Proclamations around the country, with the second one at City of London at the Royal Exchange at midday on Saturday, and further Proclamations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales at midday on Sunday.
Buckingham Palace issued details of the arrangements, considered the first official orders of business of a new reign, on Friday.
Charles automatically became King on the death of his mother, but the Accession Council is usually convened at St James’s in London within 24 hours of the death of a sovereign.
Historically, the entire Privy Council is summoned to the Accession Council to oversee the formal proclamation of a new monarch.
But with the number of privy counsellors –- who are lifetime members and mostly past and present politicians –- now standing at more than 700, restrictions have been put in place. This does not affect the constitutional process.
Sep 10, 4:59 AM EDT
King Charles III to receive several key audiences today at Buckingham Palace
King Charles III will undertake a number of important meetings at Buckingham Palace today following his formal proclamation as king this morning.
The king is scheduled to meet with Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, at 9 a.m. ET followed by a meeting with the U.K.’s newly appointed prime minister, Liz Truss, and members of her cabinet at 9:30 a.m. ET.
At 10 a.m. ET, King Charles II will receive the leaders of the opposition parties at Buckingham Palace before his final scheduled meeting of the day at 11 a.m. ET where he will receive David Hoyle, the Dean of Westminster.
Sep 09, 8:02 PM EDT
A look at Queen Elizabeth’s lifelong love of corgis
Perhaps no animal has been so closely associated with a world figure as corgis were with Queen Elizabeth II.
Her death sparked an outpouring of photographs and drawings of her and her dogs throughout the years.
Fellow dog owners are also planning to celebrate the queen’s life of service with a corgi parade outside of Buckingham Palace next month, the U.K. newspaper The Daily Mirror reported.
Sep 09, 1:52 PM EDT
Biden says he will attend the queen’s funeral
President Joe Biden told reporters Friday that he will be attending Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.
“Yes. I don’t know what the details are yet, but I’ll be going,” Biden told reporters on the tarmac of Ohio’s Columbus International Airport.
Buckingham Palace has not yet announced when the queen’s funeral will be held.
Asked if he had spoken to King Charles III yet, Biden said, “I know him, I haven’t spoken to him. I did not call him yet.”
Sep 09, 1:36 PM EDT
King Charles III pledges to uphold Britain’s constitutional principals
In his first speech as monarch, King Charles III pledged to follow in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth II, upholding Britain’s Constitution.
“As the queen herself did with such unswerving devotion, I too now solemnly pledge myself throughout the remaining time God grants me, to uphold the constitutional principles at the heart of our nation,” King Charles III said.
“And, wherever you may live in the United Kingdom, or in the realms and territories across the world, and whatever may be your background or beliefs, I shall endeavor to serve you with loyalty, respect and love as I have throughout my life,” he added.
The king also recognized his new role, and the changes it will bring.
“My life will, of course, change as I take up my new responsibilities. It will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which I care so deeply. But, I know this important work will go on in the trusted hands of others,” the king later said.
Sep 09, 1:18 PM EDT
New titles announced for Prince William and Catherine
King Charles III announced new titles for his son, Prince William, and his son’s wife, Catherine, previously the duke and duchess of Cambridge.
They are now the new prince and princess of Wales, the new king announced in a speech from Buckingham Palace Friday.
“Our new prince and princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations,” King Charles said in the prerecorded message.
William’s mother, Diana, was the last princess of Wales. Charles’ wife, Camilla, never took the title. With Charles’ ascension, her title is now queen consort.
King Charles also mentioned his younger son, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan, the duke and duchess of Sussex.
“I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan, as they continue to build their lives overseas,” the king said.
Sep 09, 1:17 PM EDT
‘Thank you for your love and devotion,’ King Charles III remembers the queen
In his first address, King Charles III ended his address thanking his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, for her lifetime of service and her love and devotion.
“To my darling mama, as you begin your gray last journey to join my dear late papa, I want simply to say this. Thank you. Thank you for your love and devotion to our family, and to the family of nations you have served so diligently all these years,” King Charles III said.
The king also expressed his gratitude for the “condolences and support” that his family has received after the passing of the queen.
Sep 09, 1:10 PM EDT
King Charles III expresses ‘profound grief’ after death of the queen
King Charles III delivered his first address as monarch Friday, in remembrance of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, saying her death has brought him “profound sorrow” and “great sadness.”
“Throughout her life, her majesty, the queen, my beloved mother, was an inspiration. An example to me and to all my family. And we owe her the most heartfelt debt any family could owe to their mother for her love, affection, guidance, understanding and example,” King Charles said.
The king said the queen’s affection, admiration and respect were a hallmark of her reign.
“I pay tribute to my mother’s memory and I honor her service,” he later added.
Sep 09, 12:25 PM EDT
Prime Minister Liz Truss meets with king
British Prime Minister Liz Truss met with King Charles III Friday, shortly after he arrived at Buckingham Palace.
Sep 09, 11:13 AM EDT
English Premier League postpones weekend matches
England’s top soccer league has postponed its slate of matches this weekend in tribute to the queen’s death.
“We and our clubs would like to pay tribute to Her Majesty’s long and unwavering service to our country,” Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said in a statement. “As our longest-serving monarch, she has been an inspiration and leaves behind an incredible legacy following a life of dedication.”
He continued, “This is a tremendously sad time for not just the nation, but also for the millions of people around the world who admired her, and we join together with all those in mourning her passing.”
The queen never made her “football” allegiances clear over her reign, but the new king, Charles III, has been public about his support for Burnley Football Club. With the postponements, he’ll have to hold off on watching their next match against Norwich City.
The EPL said it would announce any further postponements, such as on the day of the queen’s funeral, “in due course.”
Sep 09, 9:43 AM EDT
King Charles III views flowers outside Buckingham Palace
King Charles III has landed in London, returning from Balmoral Castle where the queen was when she died. The king walked outside Buckingham Palace, shaking hands and greeting people who gathered to share their condolences.
The king and Camila, the queen consort, walked outside the gates of Buckingham Palace viewing flowers left by people mourning the death of the queen.
As the king arrived outside, the Royal Standard was raised above Buckingham Palace for the first time during his reign.
Sep 09, 8:53 AM EDT
British Parliament members pays tribute to the queen
Both British houses of Parliament are meeting Friday for members to pay tribute to the queen in a special session of condolence.
Politics in both Houses will be on hold for a period of mourning.
“For the 70 glorious years of her reign, our queen was at the heart of this nation’s life,” Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer said. “She did not simply reign over us, she lived alongside us.”
“It seems impossible to imagine a Britain without her,” he added.
There will also be a rare Saturday meeting where senior members of Parliament can take an oath of allegiance to the king. The meeting will end with an address to the king expressing condolences following his mother’s death.
House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle will determine the timetable in the House for the following days, which is expected to be significantly reduced until after the state funeral for the queen.
This means new laws cannot be passed until Parliament returns, though it could be recalled for pressing matters.
-ABC News’ Zoe Magee
Sep 09, 8:37 AM EDT
King Charles III set to deliver remarks today
King Charles III will return to London this afternoon to record a televised address to the nation from Buckingham Palace. The speech will air at 1 p.m. ET before he attends the national service of thanksgiving for his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, at St. Paul’s Cathedral at 2 p.m. ET.
King Charles will be officially proclaimed king at 6 a.m. ET on Saturday from the balcony at St James’ Palace. The first son of Queen Elizabeth II became king the minute his mother died but the formal announcement will be made on Saturday.
Sep 09, 7:24 AM EDT
Sec. of State Antony Blinken comments on death of Queen Elizabeth II
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has shared the following statement to the people of the United Kingdom following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. 8, 2022:
Together with the American people, I extend my deepest sympathies to His Majesty The King, the entire Royal Family, the people of the United Kingdom, and the peoples of the Commonwealth on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
For more than 70 years – a period during which the United Kingdom and the world witnessed unprecedented change – Queen Elizabeth personified a sense of stability. During a time of tremendous division, she was a source of unity.
Her influence extended well beyond the Commonwealth. As Queen, she visited more than 120 countries, including the United States, where she made a point of meeting not only with leaders, but with people from all walks of life. She was the embodiment of the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom, and a symbol of the enduring alliance that has seen our nations through the greatest tests of the 20th and 21st centuries.
We join people around the world in mourning her passing, and we will forever be inspired by the memory of her service, leadership, and friendship.
Sep 09, 5:17 AM EDT
The queen’s final moments
Prince Charles and Princess Anne were with their mother in her final hours.
Prince Andrew and Prince Edward and his wife Sophie raced to be by her side, as did her grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry but they did not get there in time.
Sep 09, 12:36 AM EDT
World reacts to Queen Elizabeth II’s death
Cities around the world joined in mourning Queen Elizabeth II’s death on Thursday.
With Queen Elizabeth II’s death, Camilla becomes queen consort
With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, her eldest son Charles becomes king and his wife Camilla becomes queen consort.
The queen made the request for the title in February, saying that “it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.”
The statement marked the first time the queen had publicly addressed her daughter-in-law’s role in the future monarchy.
The eldest son of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch has taken his late mother’s place on the throne.
King Charles III is the first child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Upon the death of his mother on Sept. 8, Charles succeeded her as king of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms.
Charles, 73, was born at Buckingham Palace in London in 1948. He was just 3 years old when he became the heir apparent as his mother acceded to the throne as queen, following the death of her father, King George VI.
Sep 08, 3:26 PM EDT
Biden orders flags to half-staff
In a new proclamation, President Joe Biden has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff “until sunset, on the day of interment,” as a “mark of the respect for the memory of Queen Elizabeth II.”
“I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, on the day of interment,” the proclamation reads.
He continued, “I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.”
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Sep 08, 3:15 PM EDT
Former US presidents react over queen’s death
Former presidents of the United States have released statements in reaction to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.
President Bill Clinton said in a statement that he and former first lady Hillary Clinton are mourning the passing of Her Majesty with the royal family and the rest of the world, describing her life as “extraordinary.”
“Throughout her remarkable 70-year reign, she led Britain through great transformations with unfailing grace, dignity, and genuine care for the welfare of all its people,” Bill Clinton said. “In sunshine or storm, she was a source of stability, serenity and strength.”
Bill Clinton added that he and Hillary Clinton “will always be grateful” to the kindness the queen showed them during visits to Buckingham Palace in 1995 and 2000.
President George W. Bush said in a statement that he and former first lady Laura Bush were “honored” to know the queen, describing her as a “woman of great intellect, charm and wit.”
“Spending time at Buckingham Palace, and having tea with Her Majesty — and her Corgis — is among our fondest memories of the presidency,” George W. Bush said.
The queen was able to lead the U.K. through dark moments with “her confidence in her people and her vision for a brighter tomorrow,” George W. Bush said.
“Our world benefitted from her steady resolve, and we are grateful for her decades of service as sovereign,” George W. Bush said. “Americans in particular appreciate her strong and steadfast friendship.”
President Barack Obama said in a statement that he and former first lady Michelle Obama were “lucky enough to come to know Her Majesty,” adding that the queen “meant a great deal to” to them.
“Back when we were just beginning to navigate life as President and First Lady, she welcomed us to the world stage with open arms and extraordinary generosity,” Barack Obama said. “Time and again, we were struck by her warmth, the way she put people at ease, and how she brought her considerable humor and charm to moments of great pomp and circumstance.”
Barack Obama continued, “Like so many, Michelle and I are grateful to have witnessed Her Majesty’s dedicated leadership, and we are awed by her legacy of tireless, dignified public service. Our thoughts are with her family and the people of the United Kingdom at this difficult time.”
President Donald Trump also released a statement following the news of the queen’s death, saying that he and former first lady Melania Trump will always cherish their time together with the queen and will “never forget Her Majesty’s generous friendship, great wisdom, and wonderful sense of humor.”
“Melania and I are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” Donald Trump said on Truth Social, his social media platform. “Together with our family and fellow Americans, we send our sincere condolences to the Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom during this time of great sorrow and grief. Queen Elizabeth’s historic and remarkable reign left a tremendous legacy of peace and prosperity for Great Britain.”
Sep 08, 2:47 PM EDT
UK thrived under Elizabeth’s reign, says Liz Truss
The newly appointed prime minister of the United Kingdom, Liz Truss, emphasized the importance of Queen Elizabeth II’s rule while addressing the death of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch on Thursday.
“Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built,” Truss said outside of 10 Downing Street on Thursday. “Our country has grown and flourished under her reign. Britain is the great country it is today because of her.”
Among the accomplishments Truss highlighted were Elizabeth’s accomplishment of growing the Commonwealth from a small group of seven countries to a “family of 56 nations” as well as visiting more than 100 countries as sovereign.
The queen, who met with Truss on Tuesday at Balmoral, invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party, to form a new government as prime minister, an act emblematic of the queen’s devotion to duty, Truss said.
“Earlier this week, at 96, she remained determined to carry out her duties as she appointed me as her 15th prime minister,” Truss said, describing her as the “the very spirit of Great Britain.”
Truss also extended condolences to the now-King Charles III, calling for the country to support him in the passing of the crown.
“We offer him our loyalty, and devotion, just as his mother devoted so much to so many for so long,” Truss said.
Sep 08, 2:21 PM EDT
Charles on queen’s passing: ‘A moment of the greatest sadness’
The queen’s eldest son and new king of England — who will be known as King Charles III — released a statement following his mother’s passing.
“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” Charles said.
“I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world,” the statement continued.
Sep 08, 2:06 PM EDT
UK lowers flags to half-mast as rainbows appear
The U.K. ordered all flags to fly at half-mast in the wake of the queen’s death Thursday.
In a bit of fortuitous timing, the rain clouds eased up following the announcement and rainbows appeared over Buckingham Palace.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also ordered the flags to fly at half-mast over the Capitol in tribute to the monarch, according to her deputy chief of staff.
Sep 08, 2:02 PM EDT
How the British royal line of succession changes
With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, there is a new line of succession to the British throne.
The queen’s oldest son, Charles, the Prince of Wales, is now the new king. Members of his direct family — including his sons, Princes William and Harry — are now higher in the line of succession.
In general, succession falls to the first-born child of the heir and their children, followed by the next oldest sibling of the heir and their offspring and so on.
Sep 08, 1:51 PM EDT
What comes next after queen’s passing?
With the queen’s death come questions about what happens next, as the world has not witnessed a changeover in Britain’s monarchy in 70 years.
The U.K. government and the royal family have been planning for years to ensure a smooth transition after the queen’s death, and to appropriately honor her history-making reign.
Buckingham Palace announced Thursday that Queen Elizabeth II has died. She was 96.
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the palace said in a statement. “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
Elizabeth is survived by her three sons, Charles, Prince of Wales; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex; her daughter, Anne, Princess Royal; her eight grandchildren, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge; Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex; Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie; Peter and Zara Phillips; Lady Louise Windsor; and James, Viscount Severn. She is also survived by 12 great-grandchildren.
Her oldest son, Charles, succeeds her as king. His wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is expected to become queen consort, a title that Elizabeth requested at the time of her Platinum Jubilee in June.
Charles’s oldest son, William, is now heir apparent to the throne.
Sep 08, 1:10 PM EDT
Biden briefed on queen’s health, White House says
U.S. President Joe Biden has been briefed on Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and “will be updated throughout the day concerning news out of the United Kingdom,” given the reports of her health, White House spokesperson John Kirby said Thursday
“His and the first lady’s thoughts are solidly and squarely with the queen today and her family,” Kirby told reporters.
Biden also expressed that his thoughts are with U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss, who took office on Tuesday and is currently taking part in a previously scheduled phone call with Biden and other allies focused on “continued support for Ukraine,” according to Kirby.
“I can tell you that in this video conference that the president is having as we speak, I can tell you that he did convey to Prime Minister Truss, who is on the video teleconference, that he and Dr. Biden are thinking very much of the queen and the family and the people of the United Kingdom,” Kirby said.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Sep 08, 10:05 AM EDT
UK prime minister ‘deeply concerned’ about queen
U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss took to Twitter on Thursday to say that her “thoughts — and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom — are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time.”
“The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime,” Truss tweeted.
Truss, who was recently selected as the new leader of the United Kingdom’s ruling Conservative Party, had an audience with the queen at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Tuesday, during which she was formally asked to form a new government as prime minister after Boris Johnson’s official resignation. It was the first time in the queen’s 70-year reign that the ceremonial transfer of power was held at Balmoral, rather than at Buckingham Palace in London.
Sep 08, 9:41 AM EDT
Senior royals head to Balmoral Castle
Senior members of the British royal family are either at or on their way to Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where Queen Elizabeth II remains “under medical supervision.”
The queen’s oldest child and the heir to her throne, Charles, prince of Wales; and his wife, Camilla, duchess of Cornwall; as well as the queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, are already at Balmoral, according to their respective spokespersons.
Meanwhile, the queen’s other sons, Prince Andrew, duke of York; and Prince Edward, earl of Wessex; as well as Edward’s wife, Sophie, countess of Wessex; Charles’ two sons, Prince William, duke of Cambridge; Prince Harry, duke of Sussex; and Harry’s wife, Meghan, duchess of Sussex, are all on their way to Balmoral, their respective spokespersons confirmed.
(UVALDE, Texas) — Despite her daughter’s fearfulness to return to school in Uvalde and her pleas to learn at home, Sandra Gracia is sending her daughter, Elva, back to school because she can’t afford the online alternative.
“I want to [homeschool], because I think I’d feel more safe…but I have to work,” said Gracia, a single mom.
Just over three months ago, a shooter entered Robb Elementary School where Elva was enrolled and killed 19 of her fellow students and two teachers. Her mother told ABC News her daughter is traumatized after seeing kids coming out of the school wearing clothing marred with blood. Elva’s cousin, Eliahana Cruz Torres, was among the victims.
Families are faced with new considerations as they navigate shared grief, an ongoing investigation involving their school district’s police department and increased security measures that some find insufficient.
Uvalde:365 is a continuing ABC News series reported from Uvalde and focused on the Texas community and how it forges on in the shadow of tragedy.
The first day of school this fall looked different for every student in Uvalde. The public school district in Uvalde gave families a virtual and in-person option, though each presents unique challenges.
A week before the first day of school, the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Board announced 136 students were enrolled in the virtual academy — that figure dropped to 59 on the first day of school, with a total student enrollment of 3,724 students, according to the district. Less than 2% of students in Uvalde have opted to learn from home through the school’s offered program.
The school district did not immediately reply to ABC News’ request for overall student withdrawal numbers. This figure would include students who have chosen to homeschool using a third-party program.
Fernanda Moreno, grandmother to fifth grader Gemma, who attended Robb Elementary School, is sending her granddaughter back to school for a sense of normalcy.
“I want her to take the fear away from her and go ahead…leave everything behind and go to school, and forget anything…you know, go to school and everything and move on,” Moreno said.
Gemma added that she learns better in a traditional school environment. A predominantly Spanish speaker, her grandmother said another contributing factor in their decision is that she doesn’t feel capable of helping Gemma with virtual school because of her limited computer skills.
The 2016-2020 U.S. Census reported that 29.7% of households in Uvalde County do not have a subscription to broadband internet, almost 15% above the national average. According to the same report, 19% of the population lives below the poverty line. Almost half of the Uvalde County population speaks a language other than English at home. All of these factors impact whether virtual learning is a feasible option for families.
Without reliable internet access, kids can’t learn online. In an environment where learning is presented in English, an available, fluent and digitally-literate English speaker is necessary for concept-grasping and homework. In Gemma’s case, this is her family’s barrier to opting for at-home learning. The statistics indicate a significant portion of Uvaldean families, as in the Gracias’ case, don’t have the means to stay at home with their children when they must work.
Other parents can accommodate their children for at-home learning, but the option doesn’t come without its own challenges. Tina Quintanilla told ABC News her daughter, Mehle, made the decision to homeschool remotely outside of the district’s virtual offering.
“It was her choice. It was solely her choice. I asked her what she wanted to do. And she said she was not ready to go back to school,” she said.
Quintanilla said that triggering reminders of the shooting are pervasive throughout the district, and that her daughter simply doesn’t feel safe. She said security issues, which she claimed have long been a problem, have not been properly addressed, which is why her daughter is opting for virtual learning.
“If she don’t feel safe, she’s not going to go,” she said.
The school district previously announced an elaborate security enhancement plan that includes an installment of 500 cameras, the hiring of school monitors and a supplemental deployment of 33 Texas Department of Public Safety officers, among other initiatives.
Parents like Quintanilla still find fault in the initiative, as the enhancement plan’s completion will occur sometime after the start of school and officers who responded to the shooting are permitted to return this fall, despite public scrutiny and outcry from the community.
Another downside to homeschooling is a lack of socialization. Quintanilla said her daughter is not only missing her friends who tragically died in May, but also old and new friendships that come with a traditional, in-person school setting.
“When we were kids, we wanted to have our friends and run and play and be kids. And now these kids think about school safety, and that’s horrible,” she said.
Adam Martinez also worries about the missing social component, but that hasn’t changed his plan to enroll his children in UCISD’s virtual academy. A parent to two kids in the district, Martinez said he and his wife can’t send their kids back because the children are terrified. Their 8-year-old son, Zayon, was a student at Robb and present the day of the shooting.
“He’s said that the cops aren’t gonna protect him if it happens again,” Martinez told ABC News.
Even if they weren’t fearful, Martinez said, he refuses to allow them back onto campus until the district finishes the security installment and provides answers from their investigation.
On the morning of Sept. 6, the first day of school, a portion of the exterior fence at Benson Elementary was being re-installed as children got off their buses. The fences at Flores Elementary were also incomplete; construction workers could be seen drilling holes for fence posting as students entered school buildings. The UCISD website shows a progress graphic that indicates camera installation has only been completed on one of the eight schools in the plan.
When asked how his family will manage homeschooling, Martinez said his wife’s maternity leave, at least for a few months, will allow her to assist their kids. The rest of the year’s logistics, he said they will figure out.
“Even if we didn’t have options, we can’t send him if he’s scared to death,” he said.
(NEW YORK) — The likelihood of an extreme epidemic, or one similar to COVID-19, will increase threefold in the coming decades, according to a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The researchers used data from epidemics from the past 400 years, specifically death rates, length of previous epidemics and the rate of new infectious diseases. Their calculation is a sophisticated prediction based on known risks and can be a useful guide for policy makers and public health officials.
They also found that the probability of a person experiencing a pandemic like COVID-19 in one’s lifetime is around 38%. The researchers said this could double in years to come.
The probability of another pandemic is “going to probably increase because of all of the environmental changes that are occurring,” Willian Pan, an associate professor of Global Environmental Health at Duke University and one of the study’s authors, told ABC News.
Scientists are looking closely at the relationship between climate changes and zoonotic diseases, like COVID-19.
Climate change and zoonotic diseases
Zoonotic diseases are caused by germs that spread between animals and people. Animals can carry viruses and bacteria that humans can encounter directly, through contact, or indirectly, through things like soil or water supply, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“As you make that interface between humans and the natural world smaller, we just come in more contact with those things and climate enhances the ability for viruses to infect us more easily,” said Pan. He said our risk for any zoonotic or emerging viral infections is going to rise over time.
An example of this is the recent outbreak of Ebola in West Africa.
“There’s evidence that there is loss of forests in West Africa for palm oil. There’s a whole story around the palm oil industry, destroying forest tropics to plant palm oil trees,” said Dr. Aaron Bernstein, director of the Climate MD program at the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard University’s Chan School of Public Health.
“In this case, there are bats that live in those forests but they can’t live in palm oil plantations. And so those bats moved to a part of West Africa where they infected people with Ebola,” said Bernstein.
Zoonotic diseases now account for 60% of all diseases and 75% of emerging diseases, according to the CDC.
“More animals come into contact with more people but they also, in many cases, have resulted in animals bumping into other animals,” said Bernstein. “What we’ve observed is that animals and even plants are racing to the poles to get out of the heat. And as they do that, they may run into creatures that they’ve never run into before. And that creates an opportunity for spillover to happen.”
Looking ahead
Currently, scientists are playing catch up with viral outbreaks by racing to create vaccines, sometimes after an outbreak is already out of control.
“We can’t deal with pandemics with Band-Aids. Meaning after waiting until diseases show up, and then trying to figure out how to solve them,” said Bernstein.
Added Pan: “Globally, if we want to prevent another major pandemic from completely disrupting our society, we need to start investing heavily and sharing information across countries on surveillance of different viral infections. There’s some places in the world where we don’t even have the basic capacity to evaluate or test strains, viral fevers coming into hospitals. And so a lot of those things go unchecked until it’s too late.”
Preventing these diseases not only requires global collaboration, but attention to the source of the problem.
“We need to address spillover. And that means we need to protect habitats. We need to tackle climate change. We need to address the risk of large-scale livestock production because a lot of the pathogens move from wild animals into livestock and then into people,” said Bernstein.
Global spending on COVID vaccines is projected to reach $157 billion, according to Reuters. Annual spending on forest conservation is much less.
“We’re about to throw a whole lot of money at solutions that only address a fraction of the problem. We get very little back relative to what we could get back for $1 spent on post spillover intervention versus root cause prevention,” said Bernstein.
Emma Egan is an MPH candidate at Brown University and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.
(NEW YORK) — Tropical Storm Kay is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds to Southern California on Friday, as well as some relief from a prolonged heat wave, as it moves in from Mexico.
Kay made landfall Thursday over the Baja California Peninsula as a Category 1 hurricane, before weakening and downgrading to a tropical storm. The storm has brought heavy rainfall to the area, with flash flooding and landslides possible across the Baja California peninsula and portions of mainland northwestern Mexico through Saturday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center.
A flood watch has been issued for parts of California, just outside of Los Angeles and San Diego, as well as southwestern Arizona and parts of Nevada, including Las Vegas. Rainfall totals are expected to range from 1 to 2 inches close to the coast, with up to 8 inches possible inland.
“Flash, urban, and small stream flooding” is likely across Southern California, Arizona and southern Nevada, the National Hurricane Center said.
The tropical system is also bringing strong, gusty winds, and a high wind warning has been issued for Southern California, including San Diego. Some spots of the San Diego County mountains saw gusts reach over 90 mph Friday morning, with the strongest winds still expected this afternoon and evening, the National Weather Service in San Diego said.
The region will get some relief from triple-digit temperatures thanks to the tropical storm, with record-breaking heat expected to wane Friday.
The storm is forecasted to travel north parallel to the coast of Baja California Friday, before veering left and moving farther offshore.
The last time a tropical system was close enough to Southern California to have impacts was in 2018.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Earl is bringing tropical storm conditions to Bermuda, with winds over 100 mph.
A tropical storm warning has been issued for the island, which has been hit with tropical storm-force gusts and swells.
As it moves away from Bermuda, Earl is forecast to become a powerful post-tropical cyclone on Saturday. “Dangerous” rip currents are likely across the Western Atlantic through the weekend, including Bermuda, the East Coast and portions of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland through the weekend, the National Hurricane Center said.
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(BLOOMINGTON, Ind.) — Indiana Special Judge Kelsey Hanlon has agreed to preside over a lawsuit brought by abortion providers challenging the state’s abortion ban after two judges recused themselves from the case. A near-total ban on abortions is set to go into effect in Indiana on Sept. 15.
Plaintiffs have asked the court for a preliminary injunction to stop the ban’s implementation until the lawsuit is resolved.
Monroe Circuit Court Judge Holly Harvey recused herself from presiding over the lawsuit last week. Her office declined to comment to ABC News on her decision. The case was transferred to Judge Geoffrey Bradley, but Bradley declined jurisdiction of the case on Thursday without listing a reason for his recusal in court filings.
Indiana’s ban makes it a felony to provide abortion services and only allows for three exceptions, according to the lawsuit. Abortions up to certain stages in pregnancy are permitted if the woman’s life is in danger, the fetus is diagnosed with a fatal anomaly or if the pregnancy was a result of rape or incest, according to the lawsuit.
Providers who violate the ban will have their license revoked and could face between one to six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
The lawsuit also alleges that the ban infringes on a resident’s right to privacy, therefore violating Indiana’s guarantee of equal privileges and immunities. Moreover, the law violates the state constitution’s due course of law clause because of its unconstitutionally vague language, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit was filed by abortion providers including Planned Parenthood, the Lawyering Project, the ACLU of Indiana and WilmerHale on behalf of abortion providers including Planned Parenthood, Women’s Med Group Professional Corp and All-Options. The suit was filed against members of the Medical Licensing Board of Indiana and county prosecutors.
Hanlon scheduled an initial telephone hearing for Monday.
(WASHINGTON) — Since returning to the campaign trail last month after a mid-May stroke, Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the Democrat vying for the state’s open Senate seat, sometimes speaks haltingly to voters — pausing in the middle of sentences and slurring his words.
Otherwise, he has said, he has “no physical limits” and no issues with memory or language comprehension. In an interview on MSNBC last week, Fetterman, who works with a speech therapist, said he was “expecting to have a full recovery over the next several months.”
But Republicans have seized on his public appearances and his post-stroke behavior to suggest that he is not fit to serve in the Senate, a claim outside medical experts reject as reductive.
“It’s just not possible to be an effective senator if you cannot communicate,” retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, whose seat Fetterman hopes to fill, said Tuesday at a press conference with Dr. Mehmet Oz, the GOP nominee and Fetterman’s opponent.
Rick Santorum, a former Republican senator from Pennsylvania, was even more blunt in his criticism last week on Newsmax: “John Fetterman is simply not capable of doing this job. He’s hiding in his basement, he’s not able to talk, he’s not able to process.”
The scrutiny of and questions about Fetterman’s health underscores the stakes of his race against Oz, which could decide who controls Congress’ upper chamber next year. Major politicians suffering health challenges mid-campaign — when they would normally be stumping for voters, night and day — is also relatively rare, and Fetterman’s campaign has been careful of overexposing him while he recovers.
His aides did not respond to requests to make his medical team available for this story. He has, however, previously responded directly to the GOP jabs at his recovery: “I know politics can be nasty, but even then, I could *never* imagine ridiculing someone for their health challenges,” he tweeted in August.
“Anyone who’s seen John speak knows that while he’s still recovering, he’s more capable of fighting for [Pennsylvania] than Dr. Oz will ever be,” a spokesman said earlier this week.
His campaign has said his stroke was the result of a condition called atrial fibrillation, or irregular heart rhythm, which led to a clot; he subsequently had a pacemaker and defibrillator implanted.
The attacks on him increased as he remained mum on debating Oz, who has pushed to share a stage. Last week, Fetterman declined an invitation from KDKA, a Pittsburgh station, to participate in a debate that would have taken place on Tuesday.
“John Fetterman is either healthy and he is dodging the debates because he does not want to answer for his radical left positions, or he’s too sick to participate in the debate,” Oz said in the news conference with Toomey, where the two men spoke in front of photographs of debates in previous Senate cycles.
Fetterman then told Politico on Wednesday that he would debate Oz once. In response, an Oz spokeswoman accused Fetterman in a statement of still not being forthcoming on details about the time, place and the topics.
“It was just simply only ever been about addressing some of the lingering issues of the stroke, the auditory processing, and we’re going to be able to work that out,” Fetterman told Politico.
Outside medical experts said stroke victims’ speech difficulties are not indicative of their cognitive abilities at work.
“You certainly should not conflate language troubles with cognitive trouble,” John Krakauer, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for the Study of Motor Learning and Brain Repair, told ABC News in an interview. “That’s just being mean. It’s not scientifically valid. It would be like saying that a stutterer has a cognitive problem.”
ABC News spoke with several neurologists in general terms about stroke recovery. None of the experts interviewed have treated Fetterman or reviewed his medical history.
“Let’s say you have a little tiny stroke in the part of your brain that controls your right arm,” suggested Robert Friedlander, Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “Your right arm is not going to move, but you’re still thinking as you did before.”
“You can impact the speech part of the brain [and] might not sound the way you did before the stroke, but the cognitive component could be preserved,” added Friedlander, who said that, in some cases, language and cognition could both be affected.
If elected, Fetterman wouldn’t be the first stroke victim in the Senate. For example, both Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., suffered strokes earlier this year and have both returned to work. (Luján told ABC News in an interview in May that his stroke left him “wobbly” and a “little weak on the left,” but without any motor movement or voice issues.)
Fetterman also wouldn’t be the first politician to have a health scare while running for office. In late 2019, Sen. Bernie Sanders suffered a heart attack while seeking the Democratic nomination for president. Sanders was hospitalized but quickly returned to the trail.
“Everyone who experiences a stroke will have their own unique recovery process, which is why the only people who can judge fitness for work are the individual’s treating physicians,” said Dr. Leah Croll, stroke neurologist and assistant professor of neurology at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.
After an earlier period of well wishes and relative silence on Fetterman’s health, the Oz campaign has made his stroke a part of its campaign — sometimes in sharply personal terms. Last month, an aide, Rachel Tripp, was quoted asserting that if Fetterman “had ever eaten a vegetable in his life, then maybe he wouldn’t have had a major stroke and wouldn’t be in the position of having to lie about it constantly.”
In a recent statement, the Oz campaign said that it would “pay for any additional medical personnel he might need to have on standby” during a debate.
“I offered John Fetterman numerous opportunities to explain to me how I can make it easier for him to debate, but at this point, since he’s given numerous reasons for not showing up, including the fact he didn’t have time in his schedule, I’m of the opinion that he’s hiding his radical views,” Oz said on Fox News in August.
Krakauer, who overlapped with Oz at Columbia University as a medical student but has no relationship with the GOP Senate candidate, told ABC News that stroke victims tend to fatigue when speaking for long periods of time.
“Your best level of performance can drop over time,” he said. “A half an hour debate, an hour debate, over and over again is a lot to expect someone with aphasia [language difficulties from brain damage] to do. But that doesn’t mean they’re not cognitively capable.”
Some Democratic voters told ABC News they hope Fetterman debates Oz but insist they’re not concerned.
“People have illnesses all the time, but I think he got the right care,” said Geraldine Eckert, from Mercer County, who attended a recent Fetterman event. “I’m not worried about John Fetterman’s health.”
(NEW YORK) — The United States recorded its one millionth organ transplant Friday afternoon, a historic milestone for the medical procedure that has saved thousands of lives.
The record achievement was confirmed at 12:50 p.m. ET by the United Network for Organ Sharing, a nonprofit that runs the only organ procurement and transplantation network in the country.
It’s unclear which organ was the record one millionth and details about the patient are unknown at this time.
The very first successful organ transplant occurred In 1954 at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston when doctors transplanted a kidney from 23-year-old Ronald Herrick into his identical twin brother, Richard, who was suffering from chronic kidney failure.
The lead surgeon, Dr. Joseph Murray, received the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his role in the procedure.
Up until the early 1980s, the number of transplants every year remained low. However, success in transplants organs other than kidneys — such as hearts, livers, and pancreases — and the advent of anti-rejection medication led to a rise in transplants, according to UNOS.
Since then, transplants have become a far more common procedure.
More than 500,000 transplants have been performed since 2007 and, in 2021, more than 41,000 transplants occurred, which is the highest number ever recorded and twice as many as occurred 25 years ago.
Despite more patients undergoing transplants than ever before, it doesn’t mean the agency is without its faults.
Approximately 5,000 people die waiting on transplant lists ever year. And a study published today in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology in October 2020 found that many donor kidneys in the U.S. are unnecessarily discarded.
But organ donors and recipients hope that by sharing their stories, they will inspire people will sign up to donate and help reduce those long waiting lists.
When Nicholas Peters was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2020, his mother, Maria Clark, honored his wishes to be an organ donor.
His heart went to Jean Paul Marceaux, a sixth grader in Arkansas who had been suffering from heart conditions for years.
The families have since met and have become close ever since. Clark, of Madisonville, Louisiana, was even able to listen to her son’s heart beating in Marceaux with a stethoscope.
“This is why we tell our story — so that people will sign up to be donors,” Candace Armstrong, Marceaux’s mother, said in a statement.
Clark added, “We are all going to leave here. You have to talk to your family and let them know you want your organs to go on, to extend the lives of other people. I want people to know that Nick was love, he was the element of love, always helping, and it is just like him to keep giving and spreading love.”
