(NEW YORK) — Last July, a tearful Felicia Croft sat in her car after a long shift in the COVID-19 intensive care unit, and expressed her deep despair about watching young patients die of the virus.
“People are younger and sicker, and we’re intubating and losing people that are my age and younger people with kids that are my kids’ age that are never going to see their kids graduate. They’re never gonna meet their grandkids,” the nurse from Willis-Knighton Medical Center, in Louisiana, told ABC News at the time.
With vaccination rates lagging in Louisiana — fewer than 40% then — Croft said she was frustrated to see preventable deaths occurring.
“We have seen people [in the hospital] that have been vaccinated, but they usually go home to raise their kids, and to hug their husband or their wife. I can’t explain the feeling of defeat. When you do everything you pour everything into a patient and it’s not enough,” Croft explained.
Now, as the nation mourns the loss of 1 million lives to COVID-19, Croft shared a new video diary reflecting on the milestone and the last two years, expressing her relief that fewer patients are dying of the virus at her hospital.
“Today, I am standing here, and I am doing an empty room, in our empty COVID Unit, at the hospital, which is really, really exciting,” Croft said.
Reflecting on earlier experiences caring for a dear family friend, Croft described the pain of seeing people steadily deteriorate as they were intubated, and terribly sick with COVID-19.
As she spoke to the mother of her friend on the phone, Croft recalled feeling helpless as she was not able to truly comfort to his family.
“I remember his mom crying, and me not being able to go to her, and not being able to just love on and comfort somebody that I love, because we’re trying to save another life. That was so difficult,” Croft said.
And although at Willis-Knighton, the need for COVID-19 related care has slowed, Croft said she and her colleagues are still mourning the losses of all of the patients, friends, and family members that died of COVID-19.
“COVID has thankfully dwindled down, but we are still mourning losses, and seeing the effects of just how it’s changed a lot of people, a lot of people’s long-term health, a lot of people’s outlook and it’s just very humbling. It’s been a very humbling experience,” Croft said.
(NEW YORK) — Delaware officials are calling for an investigation into allegations of racial profiling after Georgia deputies conducted a drug search of a bus transporting female student-athletes at a historically Black university.
The Delaware State University Women’s Lacrosse Team was returning home from a game in Florida on April 20 when officers in Liberty County, Georgia, pulled the bus over for an alleged traffic violation.
Deputies then proceeded to conduct a drug search of the team’s bags in the luggage racks beneath the bus, including with the use of a K9, video and body-camera footage from the scene shows. Nothing illegal was found, authorities and school officials said.
The incident came to light after one of the team’s lacrosse players wrote about the search in the school’s newspaper last week with the headline, “Delaware State Women’s Lacrosse Team Felt Racially Profiled by Police in Georgia.”
The student-athlete also posted a video of the incident that was referenced by Delaware State University President Tony Allen in a message to the school community this week. In the video, a deputy informed the team that they were going to search their luggage.
“If there is anything in y’all’s luggage, we’re probably gonna find it,” the deputy said in the video. “If there is something in there that is questionable, please tell me now because if we find it — guess what? We’re not gonna be able to help you. We are in the state of Georgia. Marijuana is still illegal in the state of Georgia.”
Allen said videos such as this one “clearly show law enforcement members attempting to intimidate our student-athletes into confessing to possession of drugs and/or drug paraphernalia” and called the incident a “trying and humiliating process” for the team.
An incident occurred in Georgia when the Delaware State University Women’s Lacrosse Team was returning home from a game in Florida. Read a message from President Allen in which, again, he says, “We shall not be moved.” https://t.co/IihQ6yV3ptpic.twitter.com/RBC6jZF5C2
— Delaware State University (@DelStateUniv) May 9, 2022
Sophomore lacrosse player Sydney Anderson, who was behind the school’s article and video, told ABC Philadelphia station WPVI there was “a clear indication of racism” in the search.
“If we got pulled over for a traffic violation, there’s no correlation between them checking our personal luggage and violation of traffic,” she told the station.
The team’s head coach, Pamella Jenkins, also charged that it was an incident of racial profiling.
“I definitely felt it by the accusatory tone of the police officer,” Jenkins told WPVI. “And while talking about narcotics, he went straight to marijuana.”
In response to the allegations, Liberty County Sheriff William Bowman said this week that the deputies followed protocol and that there was probable cause for the luggage search due to an alert from the K9.
“At the time, or even in the weeks following, we were not aware that this stop was received as racial profiling,” Bowman said. “Although I do not believe any racial profiling took place based on the information I currently have, I welcome feedback from our community on ways that our law enforcement practices can be improved while still maintaining the law.”
The sheriff’s office this week also released body-camera footage from the incident, which showed deputies interacting with the bus driver and student-athletes and going through their bags.
“Believe it or not, the majority of the drugs and large amounts of money, trafficking children, trafficking anything up and down these interstates, that’s what we look for,” the deputy can be heard telling the student-athletes on the bus. “We’re not saying that it’s even happening here. But however, this is how we start an investigation.”
Prior to conducting the search, the deputy can be heard while in his cruiser saying, “There’s a bunch of dang school girls on the bus. There’s probably some weed. Maybe.”
Bowman said the traffic stop is being reviewed to ensure there were no policy violations.
The university’s president said the school has contacted Delaware officials, including the governor and attorney general, and is “exploring options for recourse — legal and otherwise.”
“We do not intend to let this or any other incident like it pass idly by,” Allen said. “We are prepared to go wherever the evidence leads us. We have video. We have allies. Perhaps more significantly, we have the courage of our convictions.”
He further called for an investigation following the release of the body-camera footage and pushed back against statements from the sheriff’s office, including the claim that no personal items were searched. Bowman later clarified that while the front luggage area was checked, no players were searched.
“It has become abundantly more clear that this incident must be investigated by objective, external authorities,” Allen said in a statement Wednesday. “We continue to push forward toward that objective.”
Delaware Attorney General Kathleen Jennings said Wednesday that she has written to the U.S. Department of Justice about the incident “urging a full examination and I have every reason to believe one will occur.”
(NEW YORK) — Mattel’s latest launch of Barbie dolls keeps diversity and inclusion at the forefront.
The toymaker has released this year’s new 2022 Barbie Fashionista collection with several new dolls including the first Barbie with behind-the-ear hearing aids, a doll with a prosthetic leg, a Ken doll with vitiligo and much more.
The first-of-its-kind doll with visible hearing aids is styled wearing a floral print dress, pink booties and a high ponytail.
“Ready to make waves? Dip into new #Barbie Fashion Dolls – our most diverse and inclusive doll line, offering a variety of skin tones, eye colors, hair colors and textures, body types, disabilities, and fashions, to inspire even more stories,” the brand captioned a photo revealing the exciting new lineup.
Barbie’s new doll with hearing aids was created to further expand the Fashionistas line to reflect people with disabilities such as hearing loss, and to accurately portray the hearing aids, the company tapped leading educational audiologist and hearing loss advocate Dr. Jen Richardson.
Richardson shared in a statement that she felt “honored” to have worked with Barbie for the release of its doll with behind-the-ear hearing aids. “As an educational audiologist with over 18 years of experience working in hearing loss advocacy, it’s inspiring those who experience hearing loss reflected in a doll. I’m beyond thrilled for my young patients to see and play with a doll who looks like them.”
Since revealing the new doll on Wednesday, lots of people have already praised Barbie for promoting representation within its latest offerings.
“My daughter is so excited that there will finally be a Barbie that has hearing aids like her,” Laura Ford said in a comment. “We have modified so many dolls so they have puff paint hearing aids but it is definitely not the same as being able to see her go into a store to purchase a doll that looks like her. Thank you!!!!”
Two years ago, Barbie was also praised for introducing its first doll with vitiligo which ended up being one of its best Fashionistas sellers in the U.S. that year. This year, the brand is expanding to include a Ken doll with vitiligo to allow for more storytelling and reach an even wider community of children.
Other amazing additions include Ken options with short hair and new dolls with different body types. These dolls will accompany other successful launches such as a doll with a wheelchair and a Black doll with a beautiful afro hairstyle.
“Barbie wholeheartedly believes in the power of representation, and as the most diverse doll line on the market, we are committed to continuing to introduce dolls featuring a range of skin tones, body types and disabilities to reflect the diversity kids see in the world around them,” said Mattel executive vice president and global head of Barbie and Dolls Lisa McKnight.
She continued, “It’s important for kids to see themselves reflected in product and to encourage play with dolls that don’t resemble them to help them understand and celebrate the importance of inclusion.”
The new 2022 Barbie Fashionista collection will be available in June at a variety of mass retailers.
Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack subpoenaed House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and four other Republican members of Congress on Thursday for testimony about events surrounding the Capitol riot and efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
McCarthy and the other members — Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Mo Brooks of Alabama and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania — had rejected the committee’s voluntary requests for cooperation in recent months.
“Before we hold our hearings next month, we wished to provide members the opportunity to discuss these matters with the committee voluntarily,” Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said in a statement regarding the subpoenas. “Regrettably, the individuals receiving subpoenas today have refused and we’re forced to take this step to help ensure the committee uncovers facts concerning January 6th. We urge our colleagues to comply with the law, do their patriotic duty, and cooperate with our investigation as hundreds of other witnesses have done.”
In Thompson’s letter informing McCarthy of the subpoena, which the committee chair released to the media, Thompson said, in part, “The Select Committee has tremendous respect respect for the prerogatives of Congress and the privacy of its members. At the same time, we have a solemn responsibility to investigate fully the fact and circumstances of the violent attack on the United States Capitol and issues relating to the peaceful transfer of power.”
The subpoenas mark a dramatic escalation in the committee’s tactics and follow weeks of internal debate over whether to try to force Republicans to testify behind closed doors about their conversations with former President Donald Trump and involvement in various parts of the effort to overturn the election and contest the certification of the results.
The Republican members are unlikely to comply with the requests, which could prompt a legal — and, at minimum, political — battle with McCarthy and other lawmakers who are expected to be in the majority next year and in position to seek retribution.
The committee is expected to begin a series of public hearings on their investigation next month, ahead of issuing a final report on their inquiry in the fall. The report will be the product of nearly 1,000 interviews, and tens of thousands of pages of records obtained by investigators.
(WASHINGTON) — Supreme Court justices met Thursday for the first time since the bombshell leak of a draft opinion showing the Court’s conservative majority is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The private conference is for the justices only, no staff or aides are allowed in the room.
The meeting came as abortion rights activists showed no signs of slowing down, gathering outside the homes of Chief Justice John Roberts, Associate Justice Samuel Alito and Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
The protests, while peaceful, have prompted Attorney General Merrick Garland — the nation’s top law enforcement official — to direct additional support to ensure the safety of the nine justices.
“Attorney General Garland continues to be briefed on security matters related to the Supreme Court and Supreme Court Justices,” Justice Department spokesperson Anthony Coley said in a statement on Wednesday. The Attorney General directed the U.S. Marshals Service to help ensure the Justices’ safety by providing additional support to the Marshal of the Supreme Court and Supreme Court Police.”
On Wednesday, additional height was installed to the already “unscalable” eight-foot-high fence erected outside the Supreme Court last week. The barrier was similar to that placed around the U.S. Capitol after the violence on Jan. 6, 2021 and it comes ahead of a large-scale protest planned for Saturday.
The increased security at the Supreme Court and for the justices comes as Republicans continue to blast the demonstrations, despite no reports of violence.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Thursday said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and the White House won’t “condemn the harassment.”
McConnell also hit Garland for not doing more to enforce a statute some say makes it illegal for protesters to picket or parade with the intent of influencing a judge at a building or residence occupied or used by such judge.
“One would think a DOJ run by the former chief judge of the D.C. Circuit would need no prodding, no prodding to protect judicial safety and judicial independence. But at least so far the attorney general was quicker to pounce on concerned parents at school board meetings,” McConnell said on the Senate floor. “The governors of Maryland and Virginia have had to write a joint letter to the attorney general begging him to make his U.S. attorneys do their job and uphold the law.”
Maryland GOP Gov. Larry Hogan and Virginia GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin wrote to Garland on Wednesday asking the Justice Department to provide “appropriate resources to safeguard the Justices and enforce the law as it is written.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Tuesday that the administration believes in peaceful protest, and that “violence, threats and intimidation of any kind have no place in political discourse.”
But she also took aim at Republicans, saying those criticizing these protests were “silent for years on protests that have happened outside of the homes of school board members, the Michigan Secretary of State, or including threats made to women seeking reproductive healthcare, or even an insurrection against our Capitol.”
“I know that there’s an outrage right now, I guess, about protests that have been peaceful to date — and we certainly continue to encourage that — outside of judges’ homes,” Psaki added. “And that’s the president’s position. But the silence is pretty deafening about all of the other intimidation that we’ve seen to a number of people.”
(PHILADELPHIA) — A $20,000 reward is being offered in the search for a pair of gunmen caught on security video apparently stalking and then opening fire in broad daylight at a busy Philadelphia gas station, killing a 30-year-old man.
The Philadelphia Police Police Department released surveillance video Wednesday of the brazen ambush shooting in the Mt. Airy section of the city.
The footage captured the two gunmen pulling into the Liberty gas station in a 2009 red Mazda 3 sedan at around 2:30 p.m. Monday and opening fire on the victim as he was pumping gas into his vehicle.
The video shows the suspects’ car with the New Jersey license plate V62-PWX first stopping near the crowded gas pumps and backing up after apparently spotting the victim. The footage showed the car, driven by a third person, parking nearby and the gunmen, both dressed all in black, springing from the rear seat, rushing up to the victim commando-style and unleashed a barrage of gunfire.
Police said one of the gunmen appeared to be armed with an AK-47 rifle and the other looked to be firing a handgun with an extended magazine clip.
“The offenders fired multiple shots at the victim, striking him throughout the body,” police said in a statement.
The victim, identified by police as Brandon Dixon of Philadelphia, was taken to Einstein Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.
Police described the shooting as a “brazen act of viciousness” that put multiple innocent bystanders in jeopardy as the gunmen fired wildly at Dixon, who tried to run as he was being shot. The video showed the gunman running back to the four-door Mazda and driving away.
Dixon’s mother, Lisa Dixon, went to the gas station on Wednesday, saying she was “searching for answers.”
“I’m just hurt,” Lisa Dixon told ABC station WPVI in Philadelphia. “I came back here because I just need to be where he was last alive.”
Fighting back tears, she added, “He didn’t deserve this. He didn’t deserve this. My son did not deserve to die like this.”
(LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif.) — A fast-moving wildfire in Southern California that has destroyed more than 20 homes grew to approximately 200 acres as of Thursday morning, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
The Coastal Fire, in the hills southeast of Laguna Beach, has spread quickly due to a combination of extremely dry brush and winds gusting from 25 to 35 mph.
One firefighter was injured fighting the blaze Wednesday. They were taken to the hospital in stable condition after suffering from a medical condition, Assistant Chief of Field Operations for the Orange County Fire Authority TJ McGovern said at a press conference Thursday.
Winds of 30 mph are common in the coastal hills of Southern California throughout the year, according to the National Weather Service.
However, the record dry start to the year in California is making the region extra vulnerable to wildfires. The first four months of 2022 were the driest start to a year in the state’s history, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Gusty winds will continue for coastal Southern California. But these winds will not be unusual and there are no wind alerts for Orange County.
Further up the coast, north of Los Angeles, a high wind watch has been issued for gusts expected to reach nearly 65 mph.
Orange County activated and staffed its Emergency Operations Center with county agency representatives Wednesday afternoon.
Laguna Niguel communities north of the intersection of Flying Cloud Drive and Pacific Island Drive to the intersection of Highlands Avenue and Pacific Island Drive are under a mandatory evacuation order. The area south of Flying Cloud Drive and Pacific Island Drive to the intersection of Pacific Island Drive and Crown Valley Parkway is currently under a voluntary evacuation order, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
An evacuation warning has been lifted for the Balboa Nyes (Portafina) neighborhood in Laguna Beach, and those who chose to voluntarily evacuate can return to their homes, according to the sheriff’s department.
The city asked residents to remain vigilant overnight, but there is no immediate threat to the city of Laguna Beach from a vegetation fire burning in Laguna Niguel, according to the sheriff’s department.
A red flag warning has been issued from New Mexico to Nebraska, where critical fire danger if forecast on Thursday. Winds could gust to 65 mph with bone dry conditions.
FILE photo – Ed Sloane/World Surf League via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — The Federal Aviation Administration this week revoked pilot certificates for the two men involved in a Red Bull-sponsored plane swap that resulted in a crash last month.
Luke Aikens, the lead pilot for the stunt, had requested an FAA exemption in February from a federal law requiring that aircraft be manned by a pilot at all times. He argued in his request that the planned plane swap was in the “public interest” as it was meant to raise awareness for science, technology, engineering and math fields and encourage students to pursue careers in STEM.
But two days before the stunt, the FAA denied Aikens’ request, saying it “would not be in the public interest and cannot find that the proposed operation would not adversely affect safety.”
Despite the rejection, Aikens and partner Andy Farrington, who is also his cousin, went on to attempt the plane swap on April 24 — while they were being live-streamed online — but they failed, causing one of the single-engine Cessnas to crash. Neither pilot was harmed.
The FAA described their behavior as “careless or reckless so as to endanger the life or property of another,” according to letters to both men dated Tuesday, notifying them of the revocations.
The agency also proposed a $4,932 fine against Aikens for “abandoning his pilot’s seat and operating an aircraft in a reckless manner.”
Red Bull did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday; neither did Aikens nor Farrington.
In a previous statement on social media, Aikens said he would be cooperating with the agency in its review and acknowledged that “as project lead and chief pilot, it was entirely my responsibility to operate within the regulatory framework to ensure a successful outcome.”
He said then that he was aware of the FAA’s denial of his exemption before attempting the swap: “I made the personal decision to go forward … I regret not sharing this information with my team and those who supported me.”
Both pilots must surrender their pilot certificates “immediately,” the FAA said this week. Because of this, both Aikens and Farrington cannot fly legally.
The agency noted, however, that an appeals process is available for the revocations and that Aikens could participate in an “informal conference” regarding the possible fine.
He and Farrington cannot apply for or be issued new airman certificates for one year.
(NEW YORK) — Companies like British American Tobacco and Philip Morris International don’t typically come to mind as environmental stewards. But a new report from the World Health Organization and STOP, a global tobacco watchdog, outlines how the tobacco industry has been working to rehabilitate its image by showcasing sustainability efforts that critics claim is a form of “greenwashing.”
The term, which refers to a form of disinformation published by an organization to appear to be environmentally friendly, is a common practice in numerous industries.
“This kind of activity gives the impression that the tobacco industry is socially and environmentally responsible,” the report warns. “Yet this industry is causing an incalculable toll on health to smokers, non-smokers and farmers. And not only is tobacco harming humans, it is also damaging the environment.”
The report says its goal is to call on governments to ban tobacco industry greenwashing and to avoid partnerships with cigarette companies engaged in environmental activities that could promote the industry as an environmental partner.
The website of British American Tobacco (BAT), for example, promotes news releases with headlines such as, “BAT in Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for 20th Consecutive Year” and “BAT recognized as Climate Leader by the Financial Times.”
Philip Morris International (PMI) has a full sustainability landing page on its website that outlines everything from a low-carbon transition plan to “achieving a smoke-free future” that the company says can be done in a sustainable manner.
But critics have pointed out that many environmental, social and governance (ESG) rankings and accreditations, like the ones BAT and PMI promote on their websites, rarely consider a company’s end-product or service, in this case, ignoring the fact that tobacco products are harmful to human health, according to the report.
The report says there are more than 600 different ways to assess corporate ESG activity and there are no global, standardized disclosure requirements for companies to follow, which means businesses can edit sustainability data to promote a favorable outcome.
PMI declined to comment on the report because they said they had not reviewed it.
“Some well-funded anti-tobacco lobbying groups with strong links to WHO are committed to shutting down debate and closing doors to cooperative efforts that can drive better outcomes for the world. We take a different approach. Philip Morris International (PMI) is fully in favor of complete disclosure and encourages open and honest, fact-based dialogue with all stakeholders,” the company said in a statement to ABC News.
The statement added, “The company regularly shares updates on our sustainability objectives and achievements at PMI.com/sustainability. Our Integrated Report 2020 shows the progress we are making toward a world without cigarettes. (The company’s forthcoming Integrated Report 2021 will be published on May 17, 2022.)”
BAT did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.
In addition to the greenwashing examples, the report highlights the ecological impact of the tobacco industry. Annually, 32 million tons of tobacco leaf is grown globally to produce 6 trillion cigarettes, the report notes.
It takes about 22-billion cubic meters of water to grow the global crop, or the equivalent of 15-million Olympic-sized swimming pools, often in places where water is limited, the report says. It is estimated that nearly 1.5 billion acres of global forest have been lost to tobacco farming since the 1970s, according to the report.
Electronic cigarettes are no less friendly to the earth, the report says.
The report notes that “e-cigarette waste is potentially a more serious environmental threat than cigarette butts since e-cigarettes introduce plastic, nicotine salts, heavy metals, lead, mercury, and flammable lithium-ion batteries into waterways, soils and to wildlife.”
Among its recommendations, the report says it is calling on all governments, especially those who are members of the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to ban greenwashing activities. It is also calling on environmental and sustainability accreditation organizations not to endorse industry greenwashing or provide awards to the tobacco industry.
(NEW YORK) — Following an internal investigation, Abbott Nutrition said it will resume production of Similac, Alimentum and EleCare baby formulas once the Food and Drug Administration gives the company the green light.
The latest update from Abbott comes amid a national baby formula shortage that has only grown worse in the last three months, with an estimated 40% of formula brands out of stock at stores nationwide as of April 24, according to tracking firm Datasembly. Stores like CVS and Walgreens also previously confirmed to Good Morning America that they were limiting formula purchases to three per customer due to short supplies.
Parents have also been speaking out about the crisis and the White House said the FDA is “working around the clock” to address the problem.
The outcry even spurred Utah Sen. Mitt Romney to urge the FDA and the Department of Agriculture “to initiate contingency plans to mitigate shortages that risk the lives of infants across the nation” in a letter released Tuesday. South Dakota House Rep. Dusty Johnson also released a letter Wednesday, questioning the FDA’s “lack of action” on the formula shortages.
Abbott halted production in February after Similac, Alimentum and EleCare products were recalled due to bacterial infections that led to two infant deaths. The FDA and Abbott launched investigations into the baby formula products and FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf said Tuesday in a statement, “We are doing everything in our power to ensure there is adequate product available where and when they need it.”
Abbott released its own statement Wednesday and said a “thorough review” had been completed. “There is no evidence to link our formulas to these infant illnesses,” the company said in part.
Abbott also said it has been responding to feedback from an FDA inspection that included a list of suggested improvements for their manufacturing facility in Sturgis, Michigan.
“Subject to FDA approval, we could restart the site within two weeks,” the company said. “We would begin production of EleCare, Alimentum and metabolic formulas first and then begin production of Similac and other formulas.”
The formula maker estimated new products would be available on store shelves six to eight weeks after manufacturing.
“We deeply regret the situation and since the recall, we’ve been working to increase supply at our other FDA-registered facilities, including bringing in Similac from our site in Cootehill, Ireland, by air and producing more liquid Similac and Alimentum,” the company added. “We also began releasing metabolic formulas that were on hold earlier this month at FDA’s request to those who need these unique formulas.”
As families continue to navigate through formula shortages, experts warn that caregivers remember two key points: Do not dilute baby formula and do not make your own formula.
Diluting formula can lead to nutritional deficiencies and be life-threatening for babies. Making your own formula and feeding it to a baby can also lead to injury or even death, if the correct amount and type of nutrients are insufficient. The FDA provides additional formula guidelines on its website.
