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Pelosi says US ‘will not abandon’ Taiwan as China orders live-fire drills

August 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(TAIPEI, Taiwan) — Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that she and other members of a congressional delegation “came to Taiwan to make unequivocally clear we will not abandon our commitment” to the self-governing island.

Pelosi and her delegation landed in Taipei on Tuesday night despite repeated warnings not to visit from mainland China, which claims the island as its own territory. She is the first U.S. speaker to visit Taiwan in more than 25 years. Beijing considers any official contact with Taiwan a recognition of its democratically elected government, which the mainland’s ruling Communist Party asserts has no right to conduct foreign relations.

Minutes after Pelosi’s plane touched down at Taipei Songshan Airport in the Taiwanese capital, mainland China announced live-fire military drills around Taiwan, some of which reportedly began that night ahead of four days of exercises starting Thursday.

The military exercises will be the largest aimed at the island since 1995, when China fired missiles apparently in response to then-Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui visiting the United States.

On Wednesday, Pelosi and her delegation met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen as well as other senior officials in Taipei. In a brief speech during her meeting with Tsai, the U.S. speaker conveyed the message that, “now more than ever, American solidarity with Taiwan is crucial.”

The military exercises will be the largest aimed at the island since 1995, when China fired missiles apparently in response to then-Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui visiting the United States.

Tsai thanked Pelosi and the delegation for visiting the island democracy under “challenging circumstances,” slamming Beijing’s military drills as “unnecessary responses.” She said Taiwan is “committed to maintaining the status quo across the strait” and that her government is open to constructive dialogue with Beijing, which has refused to engage with Tsai’s administration since she came to power in 2016.

“Facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down,” Tsai said during the meeting. “We will firmly uphold our nation’s sovereignty and continue to hold the line of defense for democracy.”

The Taiwanese president also thanked Pelosi — “truly one of Taiwan’s most devoted friends” — for her decades of support and presented her with a civilian honor, the Order of the Propitious Clouds.

“Thank you for taking concrete actions to show your staunch support for Taiwan at this critical moment and for expressing the U.S.’s consistent policy supporting Taiwan’s self-defense,” she added.

Pelosi and the delegation departed Taiwan on Wednesday evening. The surprise visit, which was not announced until after their plane landed, was part of Pelosi’s tour of Asia. She visited Singapore on Monday and Malaysia on Tuesday. She will be traveling to South Korea and Japan before returning to the U.S.

Following a string of fiery reactions from various Chinese officials and agencies, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi issued two separate statements on Wednesday condemning Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan.

“This act seriously violates the one-China principle, maliciously infringes on China’s sovereignty, and openly carries out political provocations, arouses strong indignation among the Chinese people and arouses widespread opposition from the international community,” Wang said in the first statement. “This proves once again that some American politicians have become ‘troublemakers’ in Sino-US relations, and the United States has become the ‘largest spoiler’ of peace and regional stability in the Taiwan Strait.”

In the second statement, Wang directly linked Tsai with “‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces,” possibly signaling upcoming consequences from Beijing.

Under the so-called “One China principle,” Beijing regards Taiwan as their territory, a renegade province to be reunified — by force if necessary — with the mainland. The U.S. has a “One China Policy” that recognizes the people of mainland China and Taiwan as being part of “One China,” views Beijing as China’s sole legal government and does not support an independent Taiwan, but considers the matter “unsettled.” Washington is also militarily supportive of the self-governing island and maintains extensive commercial and unofficial ties.

Taiwan split from mainland China in 1949, following a civil war between the Nationalist Party’s forces and those of the Communist Party. As the communists took control of the mainland, the nationalists retreated to the island of Taiwan where they established their new capital.

Both sides agree that they are one country but disagree on which is the national leader. Although they have no formal relations, the island’s economy remains reliant on trade with the mainland.

The U.S. switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. The Taiwan Relations Act, which went into force that same year, requires Washington to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.

Fifth child tests positive for monkeypox in US: What parents should know

August 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — As monkeypox continues to spread across the U.S., the number of children infected with the virus is growing as well.

At least five children have tested positive for monkeypox since July, including two each in Indiana and California.

The other case was reported in an infant, a non-U.S. resident, who was tested while traveling through Washington, D.C., federal officials confirmed last month.

Children under the age of 8 are among those whom the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers at “increased risk” for developing more severe illness if infected with monkeypox, along with pregnant people, people who are immunocompromised and those who have a history of atopic dermatitis or eczema.

Below, experts answer seven questions parents might have about monkeypox and how it may impact kids, as overall cases across the U.S. continue to climb.

1. As a parent, how concerned do I need to be about monkeypox?

At this time in the outbreak, parents “do not need to panic” about the virus, according to ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton, who is also a board-certified OB-GYN.

“They should be aware of what’s going on with this, as they are with any medical headline,” Ashton added. “They should know what’s going on in their community and they should take the appropriate steps after discussing any concerns they have with their pediatrician.”

2. How is monkeypox spread?

Monkeypox, also known as MPX, is spread primarily through direct, skin-to-skin contact between someone who has the virus and someone who does not, according to Dr. Richard Malley, senior physician in pediatrics, division of infectious diseases, at Boston Children’s Hospital and a professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.

“That could be through intimate contact,” said Malley. “It could also be through just contact with somebody in the family who has an unsuspecting lesion and lesion unfortunately touches another individual.”

Shared items like towels, clothes or bed sheets could also possibly spread the virus if used by someone with a monkeypox lesion, according to Malley.

“If somebody is infected with MPX, they really need to be very careful with who they interact with and how they interact with those with other people to try to avoid spread as much as possible,” he said.

According to the CDC, monkeypox can also spread through contact with an infected person’s respiratory secretions and prolonged face-to-face contact.

“So far it does not seem to be the major mode of transmission for this virus in the current epidemic,” said Malley. “But that is of course one of the things that we need to monitor very closely.”

3. Does my family need to wipe down surfaces or avoid shared spaces like playgrounds?

Because monkeypox is spread primarily through skin-to-skin contact, parents at this point do not need to be overly concerned with their child becoming infected by touching things like doorknobs in public spaces or shared toys, according to both Malley and Ashton.

“While that possibility remains, I think it does not mean that parents or anyone should be concerned about touching doorknobs or going to the grocery story or touching objects that are out on the street, for example,” said Malley. “That is not thought to be a very likely way for MPX to be spread, or for most viruses to be spread.”

Ashton said that people who live in high-transmission areas for monkeypox may want to wipe down surfaces as an extra precaution, noting, “It is possible that this virus can be left on gym equipment, just like it can be left on clothes.”

However, she added that hand washing is more important than wiping surfaces to prevent the spread of disease.

“Hand hygiene is the most important thing, not just for monkeypox but for any infectious disease,” Ashton said.

4. How can I tell if my child has monkeypox?

Unfortunately, the symptoms of monkeypox can look like other viruses — including flu and other rashes — so experts recommend seeking medical care as soon as symptoms show, especially if your child has been in contact with someone who has monkeypox.

Typically, the disease begins with a fever, headache, fatigue, chills and muscle aches. Unlike smallpox, however, monkeypox also causes swollen lymph nodes.

Within one to three days of initial symptoms, those infected will typically develop a rash either on their face or other parts of the body, according to the CDC.

Per the World Health Organization, the lesions — or rash — start out as dark spots on the skin before progressing to bumps that fill with fluid.

Malley said parents should seek medical care for any type of rash on their child’s body that does not look like something they have had previously.

“The rash of MPX, as we are now learning, can look very different in different individuals for reasons that we don’t quite understand,” said Malley. “You really need to be cautious with anything that might look like a MPX rash.”

Monkeypox is diagnosed by testing the lesions to identify whether genetic material of the virus is present, according to Malley.

5. Why are children at increased risk with monkeypox?

Experts are not sure, Malley said.

It may be due to their immune systems and the fact that “younger children are sometimes more susceptible to some viral infections,” he explained.

In Africa, where monkeypox originated, the most severe but rare cases of the virus have typically involved inflammation of the brain, according to Malley.

Ashton said that while there have so far been no deaths associated with monkeypox in the U.S., it’s important to stay vigilant as the disease spreads.

“As the numbers grow, based on sheer math, it is not impossible that we will see a death here in the U.S.,” said Ashton, adding that monkeypox has a “spectrum of severity” when it comes to complications. “There have been deaths in Africa associated with monkeypox.”

6. Is there a monkeypox vaccine for kids?

The current vaccine for monkeypox is available to people ages 18 and older. However, the JYNNEOS vaccine can be offered on a case-by-case basis via a special permission process through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to those with known monkeypox exposure.

Antiviral medications such as Tecovirimat are currently being used for treatment of monkeypox, which is available for children.

More common treatments may also be used to help treat patients who are experiencing pain due to monkeypox lesions, according to Malley.

7. How should I best protect my child from monkeypox?

The best thing parents can do for both themselves and their child, according to Malley, is to pay attention to the virus — but try not to panic.

“I think it would be very unlikely that daycare or a camp or school would be a major focus of transmission of this virus as we understand it currently,” he said. “But of course, it’s important for all of us to be vigilant.”

Malley said the key for parents concerned about monkeypox is to be aware of their child’s surroundings and not interact with people they know have been infected with monkeypox.

“The importance for parents is that if they know anybody in their surrounding, in their environment, in their family who has a suspicion of being infected with MPX, then of course that individual needs needs to isolate themself,” he said. “In general, people who have been diagnosed with MPX have been told and are being very careful because they do not want to be responsible for transmission.”

The CDC has released safety guidelines for people with monkeypox, urging those infected with the virus to “remain isolated at home or at another location for the duration of illness.”

According to Malley, monkeypox lesions are considered to be infectious until they are fully crusted over.

ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos and Cheyenne Haslett contributed to this report.

Would you try a mustard doughnut? French’s teams up with Dough to create a tangy confection

August 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — It may be hot dog season, but one condiment company made a tangy new twist on the popular yellow spread by turning it into a confection.

Ahead of National Mustard Day on Aug. 6, French’s teamed up with New York bakery Dough Doughnuts to create a one-of-a-kind yeast doughnut with a yellow mustard icing and a cake crumb topping.

Although it may sound alarming, Steve Klein, the co-owner of Dough, told ABC News’ Good Morning America to trust their expertise when it comes to the fluffy, sweet and zingy new flavor.

“We take a lot of pride in our doughnuts and we don’t put something out that doesn’t taste good, look good or matches what the customer wants. So we put a lot of effort into it,” he said. “We did a bunch of tastings and created a product we all liked with our brioche dough, adding the mustard to our glaze and came up with a product that looks and tastes excellent.”

Klein added that while it was “a challenge,” all those who have had an early taste test “have enjoyed it.”

The limited-time offering will be available on Saturday for mustard enthusiasts who visit any New York City Dough location, each adorned with vibrant yellow decor and pop art, to get a free mustard donut. For fans outside of New York, visit the Dough website on Saturday morning to reserve a complimentary order of the donuts, which are available for nationwide shipping.

“Most people have never heard of something like this — it’s different but we spent a lot of time blending the mustard into the glaze so that it looks good and tastes good,” Klein said.

Dough has previously partnered with other brands to concoct savory and sweet options, including most recently debuting a fried chicken sandwich-inspired doughnut in tandem with David Chang’s hit sandwich spot Fuku.

Klein said they “loved the challenge because French’s is a great brand and their yellow mustard is iconic. We wouldn’t do it if we didn’t think we could make a great doughnut.”

Texas man detained in Russia for months due to ‘political purposes’: Congressman

August 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — More than six months after Texas father David Barnes was arrested by Russian authorities, his family is calling on officials in Washington to do more to try to facilitate his release.

“David’s a very caring and empathetic person,” his sister, Carol Barnes, told ABC News. “Every minute of every day, my mind is on what he’s going through, the hell that he’s living in, and how unjust it is.”

David Barnes has been held since January in a Moscow jail. He is one of several Americans being detained in Russia, but unlike Brittney Griner, Paul Whelan or Marc Fogel, law enforcement in Moscow has alleged that he engaged in criminal activity in the United States — an accusation that has bewildered members of his family, American prosecutors and now, his local congressman.

“Mr. Barnes has been arrested and detained for political purposes, and my office is working with the State Department to bring him back to Texas as soon as possible,” Rep. Kevin Brady told ABC News in a statement. “We continue to urge the Biden administration to do all it can to resolve this situation and free Mr. Barnes.”

David Barnes traveled from suburban Houston to Moscow in December 2021 in an effort to gain legal clearance to either see his children or bring them home, after his Russian ex-wife allegedly violated a court custody order and fled the United States with them, according to his family.

In August 2020, a judge in Montgomery County signed an order designating David Barnes as the sole managing conservator of his children, which gave him rights to decide the primary home for his children, make decisions regarding their education, represent them in legal actions, and possess their passports.

Barnes’ ex-wife is herself now wanted in the U.S. on a felony charge of interference with child custody, after she fled with the children in 2019.

“David Barnes traveled to Russia in an honest attempt to reunite with his children, who had been kidnapped by their mother and taken to Russia illegally,” Brady said. “This is a child custody dispute, not a criminal matter.”

On Jan. 13, Russian investigators apprehended Barnes in Moscow, accusing him of abusing his two children years earlier in Texas, according to translations of court documents.

Similar allegations against Barnes were brought to authorities in Texas by his now-ex-wife Svetlana Koptyaeva during their long and acrimonious divorce proceedings. The allegations were investigated in 2018 by the Department of Family and Protective Services, which found insufficient evidence to support them and closed the case without any findings of abuse or any charges against Barnes.

“At this time, there are no accusations out of Montgomery County that we are aware of that would allow Mr. Barnes to be held in custody,” Kelly Blackburn of the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office told ABC News in May.

A spokesperson for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office said in May that David Barnes had not been charged in any child abuse cases there either.

Representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow have met with David Barnes in the time since his arrest, according to emails between his family and the State Department. However, Brady’s comments mark the first time that an elected official has stated publicly that David Barnes’ detention in Russia is due to “political purposes.”

Carol Barnes is hoping the increased attention on her brother’s situation will motivate other officials to classify him as being wrongfully detained, push for his release or add him to a proposed prisoner exchange between Russia and the U.S.

“Washington should be able to get their own American citizens back home without so much red tape and us having to contact hundreds of people and getting 1% response,” Carol Barnes said. “I mean, somebody pay attention.”

In July, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a proposal that called on Russia to exchange Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan for Viktor Bout, a Russian citizen who was convicted of charges related to illegal arms trafficking. Carol Barnes said she has not heard anything about her brother being part of any potential prisoner exchange.

ABC News asked the White House in July whether it considers David Barnes to be wrongfully detained and if efforts have been made to secure his release, but it referred all questions to the State Department.

“It’s just so frustrating,” Carol Barnes said. “I realize we’re dealing with Russians and it’s not that easy, but I don’t think they’re paying enough attention to it.”

A spokesperson for the State Department wrote in a statement on July 26 that they are continuing to urge the Russian government to allow for regular consular access and services to be provided to Americans who remain detained in Russia.

“We take seriously our responsibility to assist U.S. citizens abroad and are monitoring Mr. Barnes’ situation closely,” the spokesperson said, in part. “The department routinely monitors cases of all U.S. nationals detained abroad for indications that it should be designated as a wrongful detention. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment at this time.”

David Barnes celebrated his 65th birthday in his Moscow detention center in July. His family does not know when they will get to see him again.

“I want him back. I love him. I miss him,” Carol Barnes said. “There’s no joy in my life right now at all.”

Highland Park shooting suspect to appear in court for arraignment

August 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(HIGHLAND PARK, Ill.) — The man accused of carrying out a mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, on the Fourth of July is set to appear in court Wednesday for his arraignment.

The suspect, Robert Crimo III, is facing 117 charges for killing seven people and injuring more than 30 others.

The 21-year-old is charged with 21 counts of first-degree murder (three counts for each victim) as well as 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm (for each person hit by a bullet, bullet fragment or shrapnel). The suspect has not entered a plea.

Five of the victims killed in the shooting died at the scene, one died at a hospital the same day and the seventh victim succumbed to his injuries at a hospital on July 5, according to police.

The suspect allegedly fired more than 70 shots from a perch on top of a building overlooking the Chicago suburb’s July 4 parade route, according to police.

The suspect planned the shooting for several weeks, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

Crimo was dressed in women’s clothing, apparently to blend in with the crowds as he made his escape, according to police. A semi-automatic rifle was found at the scene after it fell out of the suspect’s bag while leaving the area, according to police.

Investigators said they found a second rifle, purchased legally, in the car the suspect was driving when he was arrested several hours later. The suspect also legally purchased three other weapons, including two pistols, which investigators seized from his father’s home.

Two troubling encounters with police did not surface when background checks were run on Crimo, a part of his application for a gun license.

Police had checked in on the suspect in April 2019 after he attempted suicide, but his parents assured police he was getting help from mental health professionals. The second encounter came when police were called to his home in September 2019 after a family member claimed Crimo was threatening to “kill everyone,” according to police records.

At the time, the Highland Park Police Department determined that the shooter posed a “clear and present danger,” according to police records.

This was just months before he passed four background checks as part of his application for a firearm owner identification card, at the age of 19.

Because he was under 21 at the time, his father sponsored his application and state police said there was an “insufficient basis to establish a clear and present danger and deny the FOID application.”

State police said they had reviewed the suspect’s criminal history before approving his application and only found a January 2016 ordinance violation for being a minor in possession of tobacco.

Scientists explain how the deadly flooding in Kentucky got so bad

August 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A repetitive meteorological event combined with the landscape in eastern Kentucky was a recipe bound for disaster, which led to dozens of deaths as a result of devastating flooding, scientists told ABC News.

A stubborn stationary front draped across the region for several days in a row, resulting in the formation of “training thunderstorms,” storms that repeatedly move over the same region in a short period of time. These types of storms typically drop very heavy rain that leads to flash flooding, with rainfall rates reaching 4 inches per hour at times across the complex terrain of the Appalachia.

This system is exactly what occurred in Kentucky last week, creating the “perfect meteorological setup” for catastrophic flooding, Marshall Shepherd, director of the Atmospheric Sciences Program at the University of Georgia and former president of the American Meteorological Society, told ABC News.

The front and the copious amounts of moisture that it contained allowed the storm “to really warm and move and develop in the same locations” over a short period of time, Shepherd said.

Rainfall estimates so far show that 14 to 16 inches fell during a five-day period, beginning on July 27.

Most of the rainfall fell the next day — with the excessive amounts of rain leading to major flooding along the rivers in eastern Kentucky, shattering records along the North Fork of the Kentucky River.

Preliminary stream data from the U.S. Geological Service shows that the flow at the North Fork of the Kentucky River in Jackson, Kentucky, reached a peak that was the highest observed there in 95 years, Robert Mason, extreme hydrologic events coordinator and Delaware River master for the USGS, told ABC News via email. In addition, flood flow at the North Fork of the Kentucky River at Whitesburg, Kentucky, reached the highest flow observed there in 47 years.

The topography and geology of the land in eastern Kentucky also played a significant role in exacerbating the effects of the heavy rainfall, the experts said.

The rainfall last week resulted in the biggest 24-hour event seen in the past 50 years of recording in Kentucky’s Robinson Forest, Chris Barton, a professor of water hydrology and forest management at the University of Kentucky, told ABC News.

The land is steep, rugged and “very dissected,” with the only flatland in the area located right at the floodplain, where the majority of the houses are because it is the only suitable flatline where people can build, Barton said. The onslaught of rushing water then flows quickly into those mountainous and valley communities.

The Robinson Forest, an old and established forest with no impervious surfaces, still could not handle the streams with multiple watersheds flowing onto the land as a result of the downpour of precipitation, Barton said. The geology of the area allows the water to move through the soil and into these ephemeral channels very quickly, which then results in a “really flashy” stream.

When Barton went to sleep the night the flooding began, he knew he would wake up to a disaster, he said. As of Monday, Robinson Forest was still a “complete mess,” with no electricity or solar power, he added.

Another contributing factor to the flooding is that the engineering infrastructure for stormwater removal for many cities and towns around the country was engineered for the rainstorms of the 1970s and 1960s and prior, Shepherd said. But storms are now raining “with much more vigor and intensity” than 50 years ago, he added.

Climate change is expected to increase annual flooding costs in the U.S. by 26% to $40.6 billion, a study published earlier this year in Nature found. The cost of the additional damage will be borne disproportionately by disadvantaged communities, the study found.

At least 37 people have been confirmed dead in Kentucky, the majority of whom likely lived in impoverished communities, Shepherd said, citing research conducted at the University of Georgia that found that communities of color and poor communities tend to be disproportionately living in some of the most flood-prone areas in the country, whether in cities or in mountainous terrain.

The region in eastern Kentucky where some of the worst flooding occurred has historically served as a mining community, Barton said.

While the history of mining on the land likely did not contribute to the severity of the flood, many of the people who were displaced or suffered loss of life likely worked, at some level, either at the mines or supporting the mining industry in the area, Barton said.

The number of victims killed in the flooding is expected to grow, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said on Tuesday, describing the event as the most “devastating and deadly” of his lifetime.

The flooding events are expected to increase at such a rate that what were once 1-in-100-year floods could soon be known as 1-in-30-year floods instead, Shepherd said.

“We have warned for decades now that as our climate warms, there’s more water vapor available to these storms,” Shepherd added.

Biden to sign executive order paving way for Medicaid to pay for out-of-state abortions

August 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order on Wednesday that will pave the way for Medicaid to pay for abortion services for people having to travel out of state, according to a senior Biden administration official.

The new directive will allow the secretary of health and human services to “invite states to apply for Medicaid waivers, so that states where abortion is legal could provide services to people traveling from a state where abortion may be illegal to seek services in their state,” the official said. Technically, these states would apply through what’s known as a “Medicaid 1115 waiver,” according to the official.

The official noted that when the White House looked into declaring a public health emergency for abortion and what that would allow the federal government to do, this change to Medicaid — an assistance program for low-income patients’ medical expenses — was one of the options. But the White House realized the president could also do it through an executive order instead, which he plans to do Wednesday, the official said.

Biden’s order will also direct the health and human services secretary to make sure “health care providers comply with federal non-discrimination laws so that women receive medically necessary care without delay,” according to the White House. That could include “providing technical assistance for health care providers who may be confused or unsure of their obligations in the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs,” or providing other info and guidance to providers about their obligations and consequences of not complying with non-discrimination laws.

The order also will direct the health and human services secretary to improve research and data collection on maternal health outcomes, according to the White House.

Biden is expected to sign the order during the first meeting of a reproductive rights task force that he established in July in the wake of the United States Supreme Court overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade case, which had legalized abortion nationwide nearly 50 years ago. The court’s historic ruling in June declared that there is no federal constitutional right to end a pregnancy, leading some states to ban abortions.

Jury selection continues in trial of former UCLA doctor accused of sexual abuse

August 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(LOS ANGELES) — Jury selection in the trial of former UCLA Health physician James Heaps, who is accused of sexual abuse, began on Monday and is expected to take place the rest of the week.

Heaps faces 21 charges in an ongoing criminal case brought against him in a Los Angeles County Superior Court, according to court records. He has pleaded not guilty.

The trial is expected to last throughout September, the Los Angeles Superior Court told ABC News.

In February, the University of California announced it had reached an agreement to pay $243.6 million to 203 women, settling lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct by Heaps.

Last year, the university agreed to pay $73 million in the settlement of a class-action lawsuit filed by seven women, on behalf of 5,500 women who were patients of the former UCLA gynecologist, court records show.

In a statement from 2019 following Heaps’ arrest, the school said it fired Heaps after sexual misconduct allegations emerged and removed him from clinical practice.

“Sexual abuse in any form is unacceptable and represents an inexcusable breach of the physician-patient relationship. We are deeply sorry that a former UCLA physician violated our policies and standards, our trust and the trust of his patients,” the school said at the time.

Heaps was an OB-GYN with ties to the school for more than three decades, the school said in its press release.

In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court last year, two women accused Heaps of fondling and groping their breasts without gloves during what were supposed to be breast examinations.

The women also accused him of touching both of their genitals in a sexual manner during a purported vaginal examination, according to the lawsuit.

“The conduct alleged to have been committed by Heaps is reprehensible and contrary to the university’s values. We express our gratitude to the brave individuals who came forward, and hope this settlement is one step toward providing healing and closure for the plaintiffs involved,” UCLA told ABC News in a statement in February.

More than 500 lawsuits were filed against Heaps and the school, accusing UCLA of not protecting patients after it found out about the alleged abuse, according to ABC News Los Angeles station KABC-TV.

An attorney for Heaps, Leonard B. Levine, told The Washington Post in May that Heaps is “adamant” about his innocence.

“He’s looking forward to a jury trial where he believes he’ll be totally exonerated,” Levine told the newspaper.

Ex-White House counsel subpoenaed by federal grand jury investigating Jan. 6 attack

August 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — A federal grand jury has subpoenaed former Trump White House counsel Pat Cipollone in its investigation into the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol and efforts to overturn the 2020 election, sources with direct knowledge of the matter told ABC News.

The sources told ABC News that attorneys for Cipollone — like they did with the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol — are expected to engage in negotiations around any appearance, while weighing concerns regarding potential claims of executive privilege.

The move to subpoena Cipollone signals an even more dramatic escalation in the Justice Department’s investigation of the Jan. 6 attack than previously known, following appearances by senior members of former Vice President Mike Pence’s staff before the grand jury two weeks ago.

Officials with the Justice Department declined to comment when contacted by ABC News.

A representative for Cipollone could not be reached for comment.

Last month, Cipollone spoke to the House Jan. 6 select committee for a lengthy closed-door interview, portions of which have been shown during two of the committee’s most recent public hearings.

Cipollone spoke to the committee on a number of topics, including how he wanted then-President Donald Trump to do more to quell the riot on the day of the attack, and how Cabinet secretaries contemplated convening a meeting to discuss Trump’s decision-making in the wake of the insurrection.

In videotaped testimony before the Jan. 6 committee, Cipollone made it clear that he wanted Trump to intervene sooner while the attack was underway.

“I was pretty clear there needed to be an immediate and forceful response, statement, public statement, that people need to leave the Capitol now,” Cipollone said.

Committee members also questioned Cipollone regarding discussions among members of Trump’s Cabinet about invoking the 25th Amendment to possibly remove Trump from office in advance of President Joe Biden’s inauguration.

Pentagon deleted texts from key Trump officials after Jan. 6, watchdog group says

August 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — A government watchdog group said Tuesday that the Pentagon “wiped” text messages from the cell phones of key Trump administration Defense Department officials after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, and is now urging Attorney General Merrick Garland to launch a “cross-agency investigation into the possible destruction of federal records.”

American Oversight, which describes itself as a nonprofit watchdog that uses public records requests to fight corruption, filed several Freedom of Information Act requests within days of Jan. 6, 2021, seeking text messages and other communications among senior Pentagon officials including acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, his chief of staff, Kash Patel, and Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy.

In March, the Pentagon filed court documents acknowledging that text messages belonging to those individuals had been deleted — but framed that action as standard operating procedure whenever an employee leaves the department.

“When an employee separates from DOD or Army he or she turns in the government-issued phone, and the phone is wiped,” the Pentagon wrote in response to American Oversight’s FOIA lawsuit. “For custodians no longer with the agency, the text messages were not preserved and therefore could not be searched.”

But in their letter to Garland on Tuesday, American Oversight accused the Pentagon of knowingly erasing records under active FOIA — and framed this deletion as another effort by these agencies to obscure the actions of administration officials.

“In short, DOD has apparently deleted messages from top DOD and Army officials responsive to pending FOIA requests that could have shed light on the actions of top Trump administration officials on the day of the failed insurrection,” American Oversight Executive Director Heather Sawyer wrote.

Sawyer urged Garland to probe not only the Pentagon’s conduct, but also the U.S. Secret Service’s apparent deletion of their agents’ text messages.

“American Oversight accordingly urges you to investigate DOD’s actions in allowing the destruction of records potentially relevant to this significant matter of national attention and historical importance,” the letter said.

Reached for comment, Army spokesperson Col. Cathy Wilkinson told ABC News, “It is our policy not to comment on ongoing litigation.”

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