(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.6 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 884,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 63.8% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jan 31, 10:10 am
Prime Minister Trudeau tests positive
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he tested positive for COVID-19 Monday morning.
“I’m feeling fine — and I’ll continue to work remotely this week while following public health guidelines,” Trudeau tweeted. “Everyone, please get vaccinated and get boosted.”
Jan 31, 10:04 am
‘Partygate’ report finds ‘failures of leadership and judgement’ by UK leaders
The initial findings of a long-awaited investigative report into lockdown-breaching parties allegedly attended by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his staff were published Monday, saying, “there were failures of leadership and judgement.”
The probe led by senior civil servant Sue Gray looked into claims that Johnson and his staff flouted COVID-19 restrictions they imposed on England in 2020 and 2021 by holding parties at 10 Downing Street, his official residence and office in London. Johnson has been facing growing anger and calls for his resignation over the allegations, which are also being investigated by London’s Metropolitan Police Service.
“At least some of the gatherings in question represent a serious failure to observe not just the high standards expected of those working at the heart of Government but also of the standards expected of the entire British population at the time,” Gray wrote in the 12-page report, which included two blank pages. “At times it seems there was too little thought given to what was happening across the country in considering the appropriateness of some of these gatherings, the risks they presented to public health and how they might appear to the public.
“There were failures of leadership and judgment by different parts of No. 10 and the Cabinet Office at different times,” she added. “Some of the events should not have been allowed to take place. Other events should not have been allowed to develop as they did.”
A spokesperson for the Cabinet Office told ABC News in a statement earlier Monday that Gray “has provided an update on her investigation to the Prime Minister.”
Johnson is expected to address members of Parliament during Monday afternoon’s session.
Jan 31, 7:38 am
‘Partygate’ report delivered to Boris Johnson, UK government says
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has received a highly anticipated report from an investigation into allegations that he and his staff attended parties during England’s strict lockdown, the U.K. government said Monday.
A spokesperson for the Cabinet Office told ABC News in a statement that senior civil servant Sue Gray “has provided an update on her investigation to the Prime Minister.”
Johnson is expected to address members of Parliament during Monday afternoon’s session.
The prime minister is facing calls for his resignation over claims he and his staff flouted COVID-19 restrictions they imposed on England in 2020 and 2021 by holding parties at 10 Downing Street, his official residence and office in London.
London’s Metropolitan Police Service is also investigating the so-called “partygate” allegations.
Jan 31, 4:37 am
New York City offering free home delivery of antiviral pills
New York City’s health department is now offering free, same-day, at-home delivery of COVID-19 oral antiviral medications, Mayor Eric Adams announced Sunday.
“Delivering the antiviral pills to you at home if you’re an eligible New Yorker and it’s for free,” Adams said during a press conference at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx. “We want you to take advantage of this. This is a great deal and a great program we put together, and it’s proven to keep people out of the hospital, particularly those who are at-risk or seriously ill. It’s a win-win for us.”
The city’s pharmacy partner, Alto Pharmacy, will deliver antiviral pill treatments Paxlovid, developed by Pfizer, and Molnupiravir, made by Merck, according to a press release from the mayor’s office. Both medications were approved in December for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat COVID-19.
“New York is one of the only places in the nation where we are doing this free deliver,” Adams told reporters.
With a limited supply of pills, the city restricted delivery to only residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have mild or moderate symptoms.
“Oral antiviral pills, like Paxlovid and Molnupiravir, taken for five days help stop the virus from reproducing, which reduces the amount of virus in the body and prevents symptoms from getting worse,” New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Dave A. Chokshi said during Sunday’s press conference.
(NEW YORK) — Former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst died Sunday, her family confirmed. She was 30 years old.
In a statement, Kryst’s family wrote, “In devastation and great sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved Cheslie. Her great light was one that inspired others around the world with her beauty and strength.”
“She cared, she loved, she laughed and she shined,” Kryst’s family added. “Cheslie embodied love and served others, whether through her work as an attorney fighting for social justice, as Miss USA and as a host on Extra. But most importantly, as a daughter, sister, friend, mentor and colleague — we know her impact will live on.”
Kryst died by apparent suicide in New York City, where she lived.
Just hours before the incident, she shared a photo of herself on Instagram and wrote in the caption, “May this day bring you rest and peace.”
Kryst was crowned Miss USA as Miss North Carolina in May 2019. She earned her law degree and an MBA at Wake Forest University. Following her graduation, Kryst became licensed to practice law in both North Carolina and South Carolina and worked as a civil litigation attorney. She also worked pro bono for clients who were low-level drug offenders.
Kryst also became a correspondent for Extra and was nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards.
In response to the news of her death, Extra paid tribute to the former Miss USA winner and said, “our hearts are broken.”
“Cheslie was not just a vital part of our show, she was a beloved part of our ‘Extra’ family and touched the entire staff,” Extra wrote on their Instagram page. “Our deepest condolences to all her family and friends.”
Kryst spoke out about mental health during her reign as Miss USA, saying she spoke with a counselor and took steps to protect her mental health.
“I do a lot to maintain my mental health, and the most important thing that I did is talk to a counselor,” she wrote in a post on the Miss USA Facebook page in 2019. “When I’m not talking to a counselor, I take time at the end of every single day to just decompress. I unplug. I shut my phone off. I don’t answer messages. I just sit and watch my favorite movies.”
Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC News chief medical correspondent, said Monday on Good Morning America that when someone dies by suicide, people may wonder if they missed warning signs. But there should be no blame.
“If you’ve lost someone to suicide, this is not your fault,” said Ashton, who wrote the book Life After Suicide after her ex-husband died by suicide five years ago. “It can be difficult to pick up on these because what’s on the surface may not reflect what’s on the inside.”
If someone is worried about a friend or loved ones’ mental health, specific signs that people can look for include a person giving away their possessions and pets, saying they are a burden, showing behavioral changes like being more withdrawn or expressing feelings that they’ve lost hope, according to Ashton.
“The first and most important thing is you have to actually ask them, ‘Are you having thoughts of suicide or self-harm?'” said Ashton. “This will not put an idea in their head. If they answer yes, take that seriously. Do not leave them alone. Assure them there is always hope and help.”
Ashton continued, “Acknowledge that you can see they’re in pain. If necessary, bring them to an emergency room and get professional help.”
If you are in crisis or know someone in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. You can reach Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 (U.S.) or 877-330-6366 (Canada) and The Trevor Project at 866-488-7386.
(BOSTON) — Boston is digging out from the record-tying snowfall left behind by this weekend’s massive nor’easter.
Boston tied its record for most snow in one day in January with a whopping 23.6 inches.
The Boston suburb of Sharon, Massachusetts, saw even more snow, with 30.4 inches recorded in Saturday’s storm.
More than 100,000 customers lost power at the height of the storm, mostly in Massachusetts. About 3,000 customers remained without power in Massachusetts Sunday night.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu lifted the city’s snow emergency Monday morning and said schools will be open.
Bu it’s not just New England feeling the freeze this weekend.
Temperatures plunged as low as the 20s in Florida on Sunday, reaching 25 in Palmdale and 28 in East Naples.
Temperatures fell to record lows of 30 degrees in Vero Beach, 32 in Fort Pierce and 35 in Fort Myers.
Temperatures in the Sunshine State will start to warm up on Monday.
(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.6 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 884,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 63.8% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jan 31, 7:38 am
‘Partygate’ report delivered to Boris Johnson, UK government says
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has received a highly anticipated report from an investigation into allegations that he and his staff attended parties during England’s strict lockdown, the U.K. government said Monday.
A spokesperson for the Cabinet Office told ABC News in a statement that senior civil servant Sue Gray “has provided an update on her investigation to the Prime Minister.”
Johnson is expected to address members of Parliament during Monday afternoon’s session.
The prime minister is facing calls for his resignation over claims he and his staff flouted COVID-19 restrictions they imposed on England in 2020 and 2021 by holding parties at 10 Downing Street, his official residence and office in London.
London’s Metropolitan Police Service is also investigating the so-called “partygate” allegations.
Jan 31, 4:37 am
New York City offering free home delivery of antiviral pills
New York City’s health department is now offering free, same-day, at-home delivery of COVID-19 oral antiviral medications, Mayor Eric Adams announced Sunday.
“Delivering the antiviral pills to you at home if you’re an eligible New Yorker and it’s for free,” Adams said during a press conference at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx. “We want you to take advantage of this. This is a great deal and a great program we put together, and it’s proven to keep people out of the hospital, particularly those who are at-risk or seriously ill. It’s a win-win for us.”
The city’s pharmacy partner, Alto Pharmacy, will deliver antiviral pill treatments Paxlovid, developed by Pfizer, and Molnupiravir, made by Merck, according to a press release from the mayor’s office. Both medications were approved in December for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat COVID-19.
“New York is one of the only places in the nation where we are doing this free deliver,” Adams told reporters.
With a limited supply of pills, the city restricted delivery to only residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have mild or moderate symptoms.
“Oral antiviral pills, like Paxlovid and Molnupiravir, taken for five days help stop the virus from reproducing, which reduces the amount of virus in the body and prevents symptoms from getting worse,” New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Dave A. Chokshi said during Sunday’s press conference.
(HARRISBURG, Pa.) — A future where motorists share streets and highways with driverless cars may still be years away, but transportation experts are saying now’s the time for elected leaders to plan for that scenario.
Pennsylvania is the latest state to test drive the idea.
The state’s Senate Transportation Committee approved a non-partisan bill on Jan. 26 that would expand regulatory rules concerning the operation and testing of highly automated vehicles, aka HAVs, and allow them to operate without anyone inside.
Legislators could vote on the bill later this year — if approved, it would go into effect 90 days.
Transportation policy experts told ABC News that while there’s clearly a need to create legal guardrails before the vehicles become commonplace, a unified national framework would be most efficient.
Bryan Reimer, director of MIT’s Advanced Vehicle Technology Consortium, told ABC News that while state actions are good in the short term, it’s more important if they can spur a bigger movement.
“It is clear we need to create a responsible disclosure when things happen with automated vehicles,” he told ABC News. “There needs to be a discussion.”
The Pennsylvania Lawmakers who sponsored SB 965 have said that they created it to boost their state’s HAV industry, which includes a self-driving test lab at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and eight private companies.
Under current Pennsylvania law, a human must be in the driver seat of an autonomous vehicle while it’s in operation. The new bill removes that requirement.
Some states, such as Texas, Florida and Georgia, already allow HAVs to be operated without a human inside as long as the vehicle is registered with the state.
Pennsylvania State Sen. Wayne Langerholc Jr., SB 965’s lead sponsor, told reporters at a Jan. 5 news conference that companies are heading to other states with more lenient rules on driverless vehicles.
“We dare to stay ahead of the curve,” Langerholc said.
Similar to laws in other states, Pennsylvania’s proposal would require vehicle owners to register within the state and remain at the scene of any accident involving another vehicle or a pedestrian.
Vehicle owners also must “submit proof of financial responsibility to the department self-certifying that the highly automated vehicle is covered by insurance or proof of self-insurance in an amount not to exceed $5 million,” according to the bill’s current language.
Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation Yassmin Gramian, a supporter of the bill, said the autonomous vehicle industry already has generated 6,300 jobs for the state — and SB 965 becoming law would mean adding even more.
The bill has the support of several groups, including the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce.
“There’s added economic benefit that will be created and produced for many years,” Gramian said during the Jan. 5 news conference. “We cannot wait and become reactive anymore. The industry is moving very fast.”
While the bill has broad support from legislators, one Pennsylvania-based transportation researcher told ABC News that leaders haven’t covered all of their bases.
Philip Koopman, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, warned lawmakers in an op-ed in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the bill’s current language lacks specific guidance in several areas.
Specifically, Koopman told ABC News, the bill lacks details on the potential legal liabilities of HAV companies linked to incidents, particularly if said vehicle doesn’t have a single owner or operator.
The current bill “is filled with ambiguities,” Koopman added. “If an ordinary citizen gets hurt, or possibly killed, it’s unclear who to get compensation from.”
MIT’s Reimer also said the bill doesn’t address the training that local law enforcement will need to properly regulate HAVs and investigate incidents. The National Transportation Safety Board currently investigates all crashes involving self-driving vehicles.
“I would argue states generally don’t have the technical expertise to regulate a feature set that falls predominantly under federal regulations,” he added. “It’s not just about waiting for police response. They need to get the data from the companies and look at software.”
Koopman also noted that, according to its current language, the bill would supersede any local regulation on autonomous vehicles, such as those put in place by former Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto that stipulated companies must issue constant reports about self-driving field tests.
“One of the things is,” Koopman continued, “we have a system that is working fairly working well now.”
Koopman, who worked for the U.S. Department of Transportation and is a member of a committee that developed autonomous vehicle safety standards for the Society of Automotive Engineers International, said he’s reached out to state lawmakers to get more clarification on the bill’s safety measures.
Although Langerholc said the bill would incorporate the SAEI standards, Koopman noted that the bill’s current language does not.
“If they want to use public roads as a laboratory, they need to provide something in return and lay out the rules now,” Koopman said. “Otherwise we’re going to head to more court battles.”
As of Friday, Koopman said none of the bill’s sponsors has returned his request to speak. Langerholc’s office didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment from ABC News.
The transportation experts said that as more states begin considering their own HAV-related regulations in the coming years, the best solution still would be federal guidelines to protect both people and commerce.
“It is a failure of national policy,” Reimer said, “that states are creating this patchwork system.”
(NEW YORK) — Veganuary is over, but that doesn’t mean your sustainable fashion journey has to be.
The Veganuary challenge was created by a UK nonprofit of the same name to educate people about veganism during the month of January. While in 2014 it started off as a sign-up program to help participants follow plant-based diets, it has since grown into a movement, with people in every field — particularly fashion and beauty — embracing it.
Over the past several years, the interest in vegan and sustainable fashion has risen rapidly, according to The Vegan Society, not only among young designers who are conscious about the health of the planet, but also among consumers who are learning about the benefits of leaving behind fast fashion.
Good Morning America spoke with a group of sustainable designers about how they developed their businesses, why they decided to take the vegan route and what can be done, by both creators and shoppers, to help make the fashion and beauty industries less wasteful — not only during January, but every day.
The wave of sustainable and vegan fashion designers
Monica Santos, a Puerto Rican designer based in New York, launched her brand, Santos by Monica, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, to “challenge the traditions of the fashion industry” in a way that reflected her values and did not negatively impact the environment.
Before taking the leap with her label, the designer worked for numerous fast fashion (the business model of replicating trends and mass-producing them at a low cost) and luxury brands, and said she “gained visibility into supply chains and realized the effect the fashion industry has on the planet and garment workers and wanted to do something different.”
That’s when she said she decided to create a collection of handbags made entirely out of cactus leather — one of the various vegan leathers which sustainable brands have been loving.
Similarly, LØCI, the sneaker brand which has been endorsed by celebrities and dropped a collection with actress Nikki Reed, has made a name for itself due to its “animal free always” motto. Its 100% vegan shoes are made using recycled materials, including ocean plastic upper for the upper, foam and cork for the insoles, ethically sourced bamboo for the lining and rubber for the outsole.
LØCI co-founders Emmanuel Eribo and Philippe Homsy are not the only creatives using plastic waste to make products. While the material can be turned into vegan leather, it can also be made into smooth fabric — just ask La Gotta founder Valeria del Rey, whose stunning swimsuits are made out of recycled plastic bottles.
“La Gotta progressed organically toward becoming a sustainable brand based on my personal passion for second-hand and vintage pieces, as well as on my love for the environment, particularly our oceans and beaches,” del Rey said.
The love for the planet runs deep in the sustainable fashion industry. The team at SINBONO, a vegan handbag brand, said they decided to take the sustainability route after realizing that by adopting sustainable options, they could drop their carbon footprint by around 73% and help slow down global warming. “It is important to keep the planet’s health before our desires,” they said. “Our vegan leather is composed of a mixture of responsibly recycled plastic bottles and reclaimed fruit material. This produces a high-quality product that looks like animal skin, without harming animals or the environment.”
Casey Dworkin, the founder of vegan New York-based footwear brand Sylven, is an example of a designer embracing vegan design but not letting go of luxury. Her plant-based shoes are handcrafted in Italy by expert artisans, and have the look, the feel and the durability of high-end European leather shoes — but without the negative impacts that come with producing them. (According to PETA, turning animal skin into leather “requires massive amounts of energy and dangerous chemicals,” and raising animals for their skin to eventually be turned into leather “requires huge amounts of feed, pastureland, water, and fossil fuels.”)
“I was actually born on Earth Day. I started getting involved with environmental advocacy when I was around 14, and it has always been a big part of my life,” Dworkin said. “When I decided to launch my own brand, sustainable practices were a must for me from the get-go. I am incredibly passionate about new-age materials and components made from plants, so I focus a lot of my messaging on material use, but sustainability really is a holistic practice.”
Because of the recent popularity of vegan leathers, consumers now have many options to choose from when it comes to sustainable footwear and handbag brands, but for apparel, it’s often more difficult, as there is so much that goes into creating truly sustainable garments that are of high quality and last for generations.
French brand Parisienne et Alors is one of the brands designing sustainable ready-to-wear. Creative director Laury Thilleman said every piece is made locally in France and crafted from recycled and/or upcycled fabrics — most from natural fibers. “Fashion is one of the most polluting industries, but Parisienne et Alors is determined to make a change and to stand out as a positive example of how fashion can make a difference,” Thilleman told GMA.
Another European brand, Manola, creates chic activewear from environmentally-friendly materials, such as recycled nylon from ECONYL (which comes from discarded fishing nets, plastic and carpets) or organic cotton from PYRATEX, which generates 46% less greenhouse gas emissions than conventional cotton.
Loungewear brand PANGAIA is also big on recycled fabrics, and uses plant fibers, bio-based fibers and leather alternatives. Their approach to creating fashion is very much science-based. “Our goal is to demystify science and become a bridge builder between science and fashion — to make sustainable innovations the new normal,” Chief Innovation Officer Amanda Parkes said.
More mainstream brands are also embracing veganism and sustainability. Patagonia, Levi’s, Fabletics and H&M are all implementing sustainable practices into their businesses, and expanding their clientele by doing so. “Fabletics understands the importance of protecting the environment, and we want to ensure we are doing our part. As such, while there’s much work to be done, we have made sustainability a core focus and are proud of the steps we’ve taken thus far,” the Fabletics team, which just released various vegan leather leggings and pants, said.
Vegan beauty
Natural beauty products have been in for some time now, but for many brands today, the challenge has become: How do you make your production and shipping methods sustainable and entice people with the history and roots behind your organic products?
Luca, a fragrance company established in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 2013, works with sustainable, local suppliers, uses upcycled (products made by transforming other recycled products) materials and only puts out small drops. “One of our core oils is a fossilized amber extracted from a 35 million-year-old Himalayan fossilized tree resin. This oil comes from a process called ‘dry distillation,’ whereby the Amber resin is processed over high heat until an oily substance is obtained. Another stellar oil in our perfume is the cedar, which is obtained from the sawdust created when the wood is cut for lumber,” the Luca team said.
Another brand, Kumiko, also said it embraces nature and shows consumers the benefits of living a vegan lifestyle, through skincare. The company said its products are made with Japanese matcha tea, an antioxidant, and are non-toxic, gluten-, parabens- and cruelty-free.
“It is an undeniable reality that the vegan preference is on the rise worldwide, along with respect and care for the environment. Kumiko is aware of this, with a total commitment for sustainable products from the beginning of the production line to the end, always considering recyclable packaging,” the team said.
Sustainability is a lifestyle
Organic ingredients and vegan leathers — particularly cactus, apple, pineapple and corn — have become the new go-tos for sustainable designers looking to create eco-friendly luxury, but as people learn more and more about sustainability, it has become clear that there are many parts to it, both as a creator and a consumer.
Using organic, vegan materials is just one of the things brands are doing to make their businesses more sustainable; there is also packaging, production and ethics to think about. LØCI, for example, said it donates 10% of its profits to environmental causes, including ocean conservation charities and carbon offset projects. Santos said she has made her entire packaging either compostable or recyclable, and recently introduced biodegradable hang tags embedded with wildflowers, so that when you plant the paper in a pot of soil, the seeds in the paper germinate and grow into plants. Also, with every Santos by Monica bag sold, one tree is planted with One Tree Planted.
Santos by Monica, apart from being charitable, follows a made-to-order production strategy, which means the designer creates only enough product to fit the demand, and therefore avoids generating waste. La Gotta and Manola produce in the same way.
Araks Yeramyan, the designer of cotton lingerie brand Araks, said educated shoppers don’t just want eco-friendly materials, they want to know that the businesses they’re supporting are actively trying to reduce their carbon footprint, eliminate toxic waste and help their communities and their planet. This idea of getting rid of waste by using natural materials or extending the life of each garment is also the reason — apart from nostalgia — vintage and pre-owned clothing sales have spiked in the fast few years.
Thrilling, an online marketplace that sells vintage and second-hand items from small businesses across the U.S., said that orders have increased by 240% over the last year, and the amount of vintage inventory that stores uploaded to the site increased by nearly 500%.
How can creators and consumers help fashion become more sustainable?
If you’re looking to make the switch to shopping vegan and living sustainably, Santos said you need to do your research.
“Consumers could be more aware by taking into account where products they consume come from, what they are made of and what the ideals of the brands they support are,” she said. “Making an effort to learn more about the brand before consuming and asking themselves if the product is something they really need before making the purchase.”
Jordan Clark, the founder of vegan footwear brand Dooeys, said shoppers should ask how things are made and buy things that last. “If a brand gives vague material information on a product page, it’s probably because it’s not worth sharing,” she said. “Invest in pieces you love now and will continue to love over the coming years. I also find it helpful to follow influencers and bloggers that focus on sustainable fashion and shop sustainable marketplaces like Made Trade that do the vetting for you.”
Del Rey said it’s also the creators’ job to educate shoppers on the actual value of a vegan brand or item, rather than market the sustainability movement as just the latest hot trend.
“We feel as if awareness of veganism in the fashion industry can be promoted the same way a vegan diet and lifestyle was,” the SINBONO team said. “If you go back a couple of years, not many people were ready to make the shift, but now, many people choose vegan products. This was primarily done through the media and companies themselves.”
And, they said, if more big, popular companies make the shift toward vegan fashion, customers will inevitably be more interested in learning about the topic.
Dworkin, of Sylven, said the word “veganism” so often gets equated with diet, but it’s absolutely a lifestyle.
“It’s about consciously eliminating the use of animal products, and fashion plays a huge part in that equation,” Dworkin said. “I think a majority of people who first dabble in being vegan really hone in on food, but I think that fashion can and should play a much larger role in introducing new alternatives to the masses, especially for people who may not be ready to make a full lifestyle change, finding a pair of boots that are made from apples instead of cows, or a coat made from Tencel instead of down is a great way to reduce the number of animal products consumed.”
(LAS VEGAS) — Nine people died on Saturday in a “chaotic” traffic collision involving six vehicles in North Las Vegas, officials said.
“We have not seen a mass-casualty traffic collision like this before,” Alexander Cuevas, public information officer for the North Las Vegas Police, told reporters late Saturday.
Fifteen people had been involved in the incident, Cuevas said. Two were transported from the scene to University Medical Center, where one later died, he said. The other remained in critical condition, he said.
Officials said speed was a factor in the crash. It was unknown whether impaired driving had been a factor, they said.
The National Transportation Safety Board said on Sunday that it is sending a go-team to investigate the crash in coordination with the North Las Vegas Police Department.
A Dodge Challenger heading north “at a high rate of speed” on Commerce Street ran a red light prior to the crash at about 3 p.m., Cuevas said citing statements from witnesses.
“And, with that, it struck multiple vehicles and, unfortunately, it was a chaotic event,” Cuevas said.
Several vehicles were pushed off the road into a vacant lot near the intersection of Commerce Street and Cheyenne Avenue, officials said.
The driver of the Challenger was among the dead, officials said. The deceased ranged from young juveniles to middle-aged adults, Cuevas said. Their identities will be released by the coroner’s office, police said.
“Our thoughts and our prayers are with the families who are experiencing a tremendous and unnecessary loss due to a careless, senseless act,” Pamela A. Goynes-Brown, a member of the North Las Vegas City Council, said.
(LONDON) — Thousands of feet in the air, Willem Briers-Louw, a wildlife biologist, surveys the Zambeze Delta in Mozambique via helicopter — seeking the animal populations he helps to conserve and maintain in the bushland.
Cheetahs, one of Briers-Louw’s subjects and the fastest land animal in the world, could get a boost to its population if a new conservation method researchers are practicing in Africa is successful.
Biologists in Mozambique released a group of wild cheetahs in a “massive” protected area in the Zambeze Delta in August as part of a reintroduction project they believe is “crucial” to conserve the species, Briers-Louw, a wildlife biologist working on the project with the Cabela Family Foundation, the organization that funded the reintroduction project, told ABC News.
From the two-seat Robinson R22 helicopter, Briers-Louw can track the animals wherever they go and monitor their behavior — what they’re eating, whether they’re mating, when a litter of cubs is born. It’s one of the perks of the job, Briers-Louw said.
“Watching them at full speed chasing down [cleft-back] antelope is truly incredible to see,” he said.
The project was suggested by the foundation’s wildlife trust coordinators after a similar reintroduction for lions in the Zambeze Delta was successful, Briers-Louw said. In addition to the ample space and limited poaching in the preserve, the cheetahs are not prey for lions and have plenty of food sources to sustain a decent population.
Biologists found historical evidence that cheetahs occupied the area in the past after finding a book from 1914 described the animals, which was imperative for the reintroduction to be successful, Briers-Louw said.
Eleven cheetahs from South Africa and one from Malawi were transported to Mozambique over the summer. The big cats were stationed in a fenced area for months to get acclimated before the gates were opened to their new home, Briers-Louw said.
Two additional females, described as “valuable additions to the founder population,” were released in December. The researchers hope to maintain an interconnected conservation project where different countries work together to maintain as healthy a cheetah population as possible, Briers-Louw said.
What makes the project “novel” is the cheetahs were released into a sizable, unfenced area that could possibly support up to 100 cheetahs in the future, he added. In fenced preserves, a male cheetah looking to explore and find females is likely to hit an electric fence and turn around, Tamar Kendon, another wildlife biologist with the Cabela Family Foundation, told ABC News.
“It’s totally open, and they’re not constricted or not confined to a fenced area, so they can move pretty much wherever they want to,” Briers-Louw said. “And so we’ve seen quite a lot of exploratory movement within the first four or five months.”
The cheetahs’ newfound ability to wander causes “a bit of stress” for the researchers and presents a possibility for the need to collect them and bring them back, Kendon said.
Conservationists have been introducing cheetahs in small, fenced preserves since 1999, Briers-Louw said. Once cubs are born, they need new homes because those preserves can’t support larger populations.
“So Africa, at that time, was the only country with a growing cheetah population,” until biologists began practicing similar efforts around the world, Briers-Louw added.
All of the cheetahs seem to be thriving in their new habitat and seem to have started fixed movement areas, Briers-Louw said. The researchers track them on the ground, aerially via helicopter and through satellite imagery, which allows them to ensure they’re thriving and monitor other behaviors, such as mating, Briers-Louw said. Each cheetah is also outfitted with a GPS collar in case they move outside of the preserve, Kendon said.
Briers-Louw emphasized that it’s “not all sunshine and roses” for the health of cheetah populations around the world, and they were “strongly” on the way to extinction for the better part of two decades.
Cheetahs are currently listed as vulnerable, with their populations deceasing, on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. There are currently about 6,700 mature cheetahs in the world, according to the IUCN.
They only have about 9% of their historic range, and of that population, 30% are in protected reserves, Briers-Louw said. The main threats facing cheetahs are habitat loss, fragmentation of habitat and poaching, but they are also at risk of becoming trapped in snares placed for bushmeat, Kendon said.
The Zambeze Delta historically contained thousands of animals, but years of armed conflict and poaching led to a sharp decline of wildlife in the area, Briers-Louw said. While the Zambeze Delta has experienced a massive resurgence in animal populations in recent years, poaching still remains the biggest threat to carnivores in the region.
But the conservationists believe they are at a turning point where wildlife can once again thrive.
“Even though poaching is the biggest threat to the carnivores, we are at the point where it’s fairly controlled and limited to the point where it shouldn’t have any effect on the population,” he said.
ABC News’ Morgan Winsor contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Looking to buy a new Kia Telluride sport utility vehicle? Expect to pay $48,509 — more than $3,700 above the manufacturer’s suggested retail price.
Luxury SUVs like the Range Rover ($117,890) and Cadillac Escalade ESV ($102,584) are selling for $3,000 to $6,000 over MSRP, according to Edmunds, which compiled a list of the top 10 vehicles with the largest market adjustments in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Markups on sports cars are even more dramatic: dealers are asking (and getting) 5% over MSRP for the Corvette Stingray ($86,511) and 8% for Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 ($91,611).
“People are accepting these prices without complaining … they’re going with it and making the plunge,” Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds’ executive director of insights, told ABC News. “Dealer markups are happening all over the board. Manufacturers don’t really have control over it.”
The automotive industry has not been immune from the price hikes impacting nearly every industry. Desperate consumers are starting to surrender to the new reality: discounts, incentives and negotiating are so 2019.
In December, consumers paid on average $709 more than the suggested transaction price, Caldwell said, noting that the upward march in prices really took hold in August.
“We have not seen this happen before on an aggregate level,” she said.
And markups are impacting nearly 90% of car buyers, according to one estimate, forcing some automakers to threaten a dealer crackdown.
‘Out of control’ luxury markups
It’s the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, the boxy, ultra-luxe ute driven by celebs and socialites, that may be the most extreme example of dealership markups. The base G-Class costs $174,650 though new owners are shelling out an additional $30,405 on average — if they’re lucky to get one at all. Caldwell said she knows of one woman who recently paid $50,000 above MSRP for a G-Class. Some Mercedes dealerships are even asking $337,000 for a 2021 AMG G 63 G-Class — more than $150,000 above the MSRP, according to Caldwell.
“This woman thought she got a good deal,” said Caldwell. “Consumers feel pressure to buy right away because inventory is so low.”
Some owners of the ultra-luxe G-Class have paid $150K above the six-figure sticker price.
And it’s not just the G-Class getting the markup treatment. The Mercedes GLS SUV and GLC Coupe SUV are also seeing massive price hikes. A Mercedes-Benz spokeswoman declined to comment when reached by ABC News.
Marc Van Hengst, a brand ambassador at the Jack Daniels Porsche dealership in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, called the car market “out of control” and said he disapproves of the outrageous prices dealers are charging.
“I don’t like to do markups. It’s bad for business and will scare people away,” he told ABC News.
Van Hengst said he sees prospective customers coming into his dealership and pleading with management for a 2022 911 GT3 — the hottest Porsche on the market now among enthusiasts. The 502-horsepower GT3 sprints from 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds and comes with a starting price tag of $161,100. A quick search on Cars.com pulls up listings for $307,740 — $339,000 — even $349,900.
“You get a lot of performance [in the GT3] which a lot of people will not use at all … but people want the performance,” Van Hengst said. “The internet makes it seem like it’s the most desirable Porsche of all.”
Tyson Jominy, vice president of data and analytics at J.D. Power, said 87% of consumers are currently paying above MSRP, which is already at a record high. The average new vehicle price is now $45,283 versus $35,000 in December of 2019, according to J.D. Power. The global chip shortage and supply crunch have led to surging prices, Jominy said.
“There are some crazy markups and the higher price point you go the crazier they are,” he told ABC News. “Automakers have never seen anything like this. But some of them are telling dealers to cool it with markups. It’s not in their best interest long term.”
He added, “The higher markups are like a tax on rich people.”
Cracking down
Ford and General Motors are actively trying to stop dealerships from heavily marking up the price of new vehicles.
Steve Carlisle, president of GM North America, addressed customer interest for the upcoming Corvette Z06, Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Hummer EV, GMC Sierra EV and Cadillac Lyriq in a letter sent to the automaker’s dealer network on Jan. 18, writing in part:
“Unfortunately, it has come to our attention that in connection with some of these announcements and launches, a small number of Dealers have engaged in practices that do not support a positive sales experience for our customers. This puts our collective interests at risk and generates negative press that reflect poorly on GM’s brands and your dealerships. Specifically, it has come to our attention that some dealerships have attempted to demand money above and beyond the reservation amounts set in GM’s program rules and/or have requested customers to pay sums far in excess of MSRP in order to purchase or lease a vehicle … GM will be forced to take action if it learns of any unethical sales practices or brokering activities that undermine the integrity that customers expect from the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac brands.”
A GM spokesperson confirmed the letter to ABC News, adding, “We want every customer to have a great experience. The majority of our dealers know this; however, we want everyone on the same page.”
In a tersely worded memo, Ford instructed dealers not to raise the price of its new F-150 Lightning electric truck nor demand that customers already on the reservation list make additional deposits or payments.
“It has come to our attention that a limited number of dealerships are interacting with customers in a manner that is negatively impacting customer satisfaction and damaging to the Ford Motor Company brand and Dealer Body reputation,” the memo stated.
A Ford spokesperson told ABC News in response to the memo: “The all-new F-150 Lightning represents a leap ahead in innovation for Ford trucks and is critical to the Ford brand and our dealerships as we move into a segment we’ve never competed. We are competing with others who have a direct model and we need to be very mindful of how customers perceive Ford and our dealer network. How our dealers treat customers has major implications not only on an individual dealer but the reputation of Ford and our dealers as a whole. We want to show customers how our Ford dealer network provides a better experience than anyone out there.”
Automakers displeased with excessive markups could penalize wayward dealers in the future with fewer allocations.
“Markups can sour the relationship with the customer,” Caldwell said.
Even the unloved compact car has seen its price skyrocket as consumers frantically snap up SUVs. Drivers who may have shunned sedans before are willing to buy any vehicle at this point, Jominy pointed out.
“We’re seeing very limited inventories and high prices in this market for the foreseeable future,” he said.
(NEW YORK) — Dr. Albert Lam, a geriatrician who works with nursing home patients in Palo Alto, California, was excited to be among the first to prescribe the new antiviral pill Paxlovid after one of his patients tested positive for COVID-19.
Hailed as a “game-changer” in the pandemic, Paxlovid is a drug made by Pfizer that if taken within five days of being diagnosed reduces the chance of hospitalization and death by 88% for people who are at high risk of severe illness.
The treatment has proved so promising that President Joe Biden included it in a Jan. 4 televised speech on the omicron variant, announcing that the first batch had shipped on Christmas Eve. While production would take “months,” Biden said it was in “full swing” and promised the drugs were on their way.
“The United States has more pills than any other country in the world, and our supply is going to ramp up over the coming months as more of these pills are manufactured,” Biden said.
Lam’s patient, a woman in her 80s with a history of cancer, got the drug within 24 hours and responded well.
Since then, however, the doctor hasn’t been so lucky.
Whereas nursing homes were first in line to get COVID vaccines last year, Lam now regularly scours a publicly available federal database to see if a Paxlovid prescription pops up near his location. This week, his home state of California got 9,560 doses — about 24 prescriptions for every 100,000 people.
Five weeks after federal regulators approved Paxlovid and began distributing it to states, few people can find it — omicron’s aggressive rise has quickly outstripped supplies.
According to an ABC News analysis of federal data on Paxlovid in more than 3,100 U.S. counties, three-quarters didn’t have any of the drug on hand as of Jan. 27, and about three-fifths had no access to a provider offering Paxlovid.
States are given amounts based on population, but some face more demand than others. Among the states that have the lowest rates of Paxlovid treatment on hand are Alabama, California, Florida, Idaho, New Jersey, New Mexico and Texas, according to data released by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Race also seems to be a factor in access, at least for now: Urban counties with majority nonwhite population have the lowest average of doses on hand, whereas counties with less than 10% of its population being nonwhite have the highest average of treatments on hand.
Scarcity isn’t the only problem. Doctors and pharmacists told ABC News the process of obtaining the drug is opaque, even arbitrary.
In Nevada, for example, Paxlovid primarily goes to long-term care facilities like nursing homes. But in neighboring California, state officials use a complex formula that factors in rising case numbers with other risk factors. In the District of Columbia, a few Safeway grocery stores are the primary distributors, although city health officials have asked doctors to give priority to high-risk individuals.
Dr. Christian Ramers of the Family Health Centers of San Diego, a network of clinics for low-income patients, said his clinic was able to secure its first shipment of 100 treatments of Paxlovid two weeks ago as part of a Biden program aimed at improving health equity.
But the staff also had to set up a system, using federal guidelines, to decide who gets the drugs first because there just weren’t enough. Often, that’s meant prioritizing people who initially refused a vaccination and now are at much greater risk of dying.
“The volume has been just mind-blowing for the last three to four weeks — just absolutely insane,” he said. That spike “to us means hundreds to thousands of people vying for about … 40 to 50 treatment slots per day.”
For now, he said, the reality is “if you’re vaccinated and you’re under age 65 and you don’t have a medical condition, you’re not going to get Paxlovid.”
Adding to the confusion is that many doctors are nervous about prescribing the drug for many high-risk patients because of potentially dangerous interactions with other commonly used medications, including cholesterol-lowering drugs and certain anti-depressants. Advocates say more data should be collected on people in their 80s and 90s.
But there aren’t a lot of other options.
“It is a little disappointing, and it makes me wonder: Could we do more?” said Erin Karara, a pharmacy consultant who works with nursing homes and long-term care facilities. “I mean, we’re seeing entire wings of nursing homes or facilities converted to COVID units. … It’s a lot of people affected by it.”
For its part, both the White House and Pfizer said the drug was never expected to roll out in large numbers right away, in part because of the time it takes to secure raw materials and to scale up manufacturing.
The current plan calls for 265,000 courses of treatment in January, gradually ramping up to 10 million by the end of June and 20 million by the end of September.
This week, Pfizer told ABC News it plans to increase its production of Paxlovid overall to 120 million courses of treatment globally — some 3.6 billion pills total.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said producing the drug can’t be compared to its COVID vaccine.
“It is very different, the situation,” Bourla said at anindustry conference. “Any decent manufacturer of medicines can make it. But the chemistry, it is complicated, and it takes time to synthesize the active substance.”
Some conservatives still have been quick to criticize Biden’s handling of the rollout, with The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board deriding it as “Biden’s Operation Snail Speed,” writing, “Why didn’t it order more treatments sooner?”
According to one senior administration official, the White House did everything it could, including promising to Pfizer last July it would spend at least $1 billion on the drugs if it worked. This informal “handshake agreement” was intended to be a powerful incentive for the company, which doesn’t use government money to develop new products, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
By then, Pfizer had already spent months preparing its supply chain and developing the drug. It agreed to allow the U.S. to receive the world’s first shipments.
A company official declined to confirm details of private discussions with the White House before the drug became available.
“Thanks to this at-risk preparation — drawing on our deep expertise — we have already shipped hundreds of thousands of Paxlovid courses in the U.S.,” a spokesperson told ABC. “We continue to work quickly to ship courses in accordance with our agreed delivery schedule.”
Two years into the pandemic, doctors still have few ways to treat COVID-19 with vaccines as the most effective option. Treatment options dwindled further this week when federal regulators pulled authorization of two types of monoclonal antibodies that had been widely used in the pandemic, including the kind given to then-President Donald Trump.
The antibody cocktails, made by Eli Lilly and Regeneron, were found to be useless against omicron, now 99.9% of all U.S. cases.
Two remaining drugs, Remdesivir and Sotrovimab, have to be administered intravenously at a medical facility. Molnupiravir, the new antiviral pill from Merck and Ridgeback Therapeutics, found to be 30% effective at preventing hospitalization and death, is authorized only for high-risk patients who can’t access other treatments.
That leaves Paxlovid — if a person can find it and take it early enough, and if the medication doesn’t put them at risk because of other drugs they are taking.
This week, the Southern Nevada Health District in Las Vegas announced it received 120 prescriptions last week and was willing to offer the medication to anyone older than 12 who is at high risk of COVID and tests positive through their clinic.
“If we can identify and treat people early in the course of their illness who otherwise may have ended up in the emergency department or hospital … we can potentially reduce the impact on our hospital system,” said Dr. Cort Lohff, chief medical officer of the public health agency.
Lam, the doctor in northern California, said he’s hopeful access will improve, particularly for nursing homes and long-term care residents.
“Frankly,” he added, “I think that if we were able to target those advanced therapeutics for the most at-risk populations, I think we would really make a bigger difference in terms of our death rate.”
