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Bill backs up new 988 suicide prevention line with funding

March 18, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — In advance of the rollout of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s new three-digit number, legislators have announced a bill to help fund its implementation.

The bill includes federal funding and guidance for states and localities preparing for the July launch, including mental health block grants and $100 million to partner with cities on mobile crisis response teams to help stabilize people in need. It would also increase the amount of federal funding for the Lifeline, which runs a national backup network to receive calls that can’t be picked up at the state and local levels, and provide $10 million for an awareness campaign about the new 988 number — modeled after 911.

The 24-hour hotline has been in service since 2005 and has received more than 20 million calls.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration expects calls to the Lifeline to more than double during the first full year of the three-digit number, and advocates say the Lifeline is underfunded and understaffed to meet the expected increase in call volume.

Despite the effort to improve the system, advocates say, people in crisis could face delays — or might not be able to reach a counselor at all without more funding.

Rep. Tony Cárdenas, D-Calif., announced the funding bill to address that issue at a press conference Thursday.

“[My bill] is to go ahead and move 988 in the right direction — to move 988 in a direction where we’re going to have local states and local city councils and local county supervisors and mayors and governors and legislators, state legislators, to start to pass funding bills,” Cárdenas told ABC News.

The 988 Implementation Act is also co-sponsored by Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-Calif., Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., and Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass.

Hannah Wesolowski, chief advocacy officer for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said about 80% of calls to the Lifeline can be de-escalated over the phone. Of the 20% that can’t, she said, about 70% can be resolved with the help of mobile crisis response teams. The rest can go to crisis stabilization centers, after which a majority can be discharged back into the community without needing to be hospitalized.

“Mobile crisis teams, which provide an alternative to law enforcement, are so critical. Relying on law enforcement is just an ineffective way to respond to [mental health] crises. That’s not the job law enforcement signed up for, nor should we be asking them to do that,” Wesolowski said.

She added that people experiencing a mental health crisis are often taken to emergency departments that don’t specialize in psychiatric care.

“So this would really help provide capital grants and other capacity resources to build crisis receiving and stabilization facilities that really serve as kind of a psychiatric emergency room that provides that short-term stabilization, [and] connections to additional care — whether that’s helping somebody return to the community, or in some cases, might be inpatient hospitalization,” Wesolowski said. “Overwhelmingly, when this whole continuum is availabl, we can avoid a lot of that hospitalization, incarceration, homelessness and other negative outcomes that we often see with our current crisis response system.”

Taun Hall, whose son Miles was shot and killed in 2019 at age 23 while experiencing a mental health crisis in California, also spoke at the press conference. She said her family tried to get Miles help for two years, but it was “almost impossible.”

“Getting help is a reactive process and leads to criminalization, especially when police are involved and responsible for their care. This is exactly what happened to our family. I called 911 to get Miles help while he was experiencing a mental health emergency and Miles was criminalized for his Black skin,” Hall said. “He was shot and killed in the community where he lived and grew up for 18 years.”

“Everyone knows you dial 911,” Moulton said. “The same needs to be true for anyone, if you wake up in the middle of the night and you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health emergency. That’s the difference that this bill is going to make.”

Moulton, who introduced the legislation to designate 988 as the Lifeline number back in 2020, said it will save lives.

“We’ll save thousands, but we don’t want to miss a single one,” Moulton said. “We have to make sure that everybody is geared up. So no matter where you are, no matter what phone you have access to, you can get the help that you need, 24/7.”

Hairstylist spots skin cancer on client: What dermatologists want you to know

March 18, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — While many people know a trip to the hairdresser can save you from a bad hair day, it could also save your life.

That was the case for an Illinois-based woman, Mary Rahilly, who had an appointment for a cut and color. Her hairstylist, Sharon Lupo, who she visits regularly, noticed something new and unusual on her scalp — and suggested that she visit a dermatologist.

“It was almost a discolored spot. I knew I had to tell her,” Lupo told Good Morning America.

After making a rush appointment, Rahilly’s doctor could almost immediately tell it was a form of cancer and proceeded to run a biopsy, which confirmed it.

The scalp is a common place for skin cancer, Dr. Ramona Beshad, assistant professor of dermatology at St. Louis University, told GMA.

“It’s a place where skin cancers tend to be diagnosed late, because oftentimes they’re covered by hair and not easy to see,” she said.

In Rahilly’s case, Lupo was able to get a good look at what was hiding underneath her client’s hair.

Luckily, Rahilly got the squamous cell on her scalp removed before it spread.

“She knows I’m grateful and that, you know, she’s an awesome person. She is,” Rahilly said. Lupo chimed in, sharing that Rahilly called her a hero.

Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States, with one in five Americans developing it by the age of 70, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Because hairstylists can play an integral role in spotting skin cancer in this often-hidden area, Beshad started Stylists Against Skin Cancer, a program to teach cosmetology students how to properly identify these cancers.

There’s also another program Sty-Lives, short for Styling Hair and Saving Lives, that is led by two Ontario-based medical students and has launched across Canada with the Save Your Skin Foundation. The foundation trains hairdressers to spot lesions on the ears, faces and scalps of their clients.

Dr. Whitney Bowe, a dermatologist, shared some of her tips and best practices for spotting skin cancer with GMA.

“I highly recommend doing a self exam every month and looking at your skin closely from head to toe,” she said.

Bowe also recommends recruiting a friend or loved one to look at places you can’t see, such as behind your ears, your back and the back of your neck as well as the legs.

When looking for skin cancer, Bowe says to look at:

A- Asymmetry

B- Border

C- Color

D- Diameter

E- Evolution

When it comes to the summer months, skin cancer prevention is key, according to Bowe.

She suggests broad spectrum sunscreen and re-applying every two hours to dry skin or more often if you are wet, swimming or sweating.

“But sunscreen is not enough,” she added. “Also wear sun protective fabric, a broad rimmed hat, sunglasses, and seek shade especially when the sun is at its peak.”

Russia-Ukraine live updates: Russia threatens countries arming Ukraine

March 18, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are putting up “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials.

The attack began Feb. 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation.”

Russian forces moving from neighboring Belarus toward Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, have advanced closer to the city center in recent days despite the resistance. Heavy shelling and missile attacks, many on civilian buildings, continue in Kyiv, as well as major cities like Kharkiv and Mariupol. Russia also bombed western cities for the first time this week, targeting Lviv and a military base near the Poland border.

Russia has been met by sanctions from the United States, Canada and countries throughout Europe, targeting the Russian economy as well as Putin himself.

For previous coverage please click here.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Mar 18, 6:48 am
Russian foreign minister threatens countries arming Ukraine

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday that any foreign supplies to Ukraine containing military equipment will be considered “legitimate targets” for Russian strikes.

“We clearly said that any cargo moving into the Ukrainian territory which we would believe is carrying weapons would be fair game. This is clear because we are implementing the operation the goal of which is to remove any threat to the Russian Federation coming from the Ukrainian soil,” Lavrov said in an English-language interview with the RT television channel.

Mar 18, 6:29 am
Putin says Ukraine ‘seeking to drag out’ negotiations

The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call with Germany’s leader Olaf Scholz accused Ukraine of “seeking to drag out” negotiations with Russia to end the war by putting forward “new unrealistic proposals.”

Putin told Scholz Russia was “nonetheless ready to continue the search for a solution within the bounds of its well-known principled approaches,” the Kremlin said in a readout of the call.

It’s a negative sign for the ongoing talks with Ukraine that both sides have suggested have made some progress this week.

-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell

Mar 18, 4:41 am
Lviv struck by missiles for the first time

Russian missiles have hit the western Ukrainian city of Lviv for the first time Friday, a key location that had been spared from the assault until now.

The missiles struck the area around the city’s airport, according to the mayor, Andriy Sadovyi, around 6:30 a.m. local time, hitting an aircraft repair facility and destroying the building.

There were no immediate reports of casualties in the attack, according to the mayor.

Preliminary data indicated that six cruise missiles were fired from the Black Sea, according to the country’s western military command. Two were destroyed by anti-aircraft missile systems.

-ABC News’ Martha Raddatz

Mar 17, 8:34 pm
White House ‘focused’ on ways to help growing Ukrainian refugee crisis

The Biden administration is “focused” on ways to help Ukrainian refugees, as the number of people displaced by the war continues to grow, according to U.S. officials.

More than 3 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began, according to the United Nations’ refugee agency, in Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II.

“As the numbers increase, as the burden increases for European partners, we will certainly do everything we can to help,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters Thursday, adding it was “something we’re very focused on right now.”

Without offering specifics, Blinken confirmed the administration is “looking at things that we can do ourselves and do directly — for example, looking at steps we may be able to take on family reunification and other things.”

One limited option is fast-tracking the process to admit refugees to the U.S. itself, which is defined by law and requires a referral from the U.N.’s refugee agency and thorough vetting. A senior administration official told ABC News that the refugee program “is not an emergency response program, so our goal would be to provide humanitarian assistance to keep people safe where they are for now.”

As Blinken told reporters, the referral process to be granted refugee status “takes time.” Refugee resettlement is a yearslong process, and there are already 7,000 Ukrainian refugees in the pipeline, according to resettlement agency Church World Service.

The senior administration official also said U.S. embassies and consulates in the region are processing emergency visa applications, but that they are overwhelmed. “We are not able to process the volume of the people who are thinking about that as an option,” the official said.

Refugee resettlement agencies say the administration is considering using the Lautenberg program, which allows religious minorities — including Ukrainian Greek Catholics and Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Christians — to bring family members to the U.S. with a potentially expedited refugee status. One agency told ABC News there are thousands of Ukrainian applicants who the U.S. could swiftly admit.

The administration has already approved temporary protected status for any Ukrainians in the U.S. before March 1 — allowing them to stay and work in the U.S. for at least the next 18 months.

-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson, Sarah Kolinovsky and Conor Finnegan

US ‘Switchblade’ drones heading to Ukraine can target Russian vehicles and artillery: Pentagon official

March 17, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Pentagon has been providing daily updates on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Ukraine’s efforts to resist.

Here are highlights of what a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Thursday on Day 22:

U.S. drones heading to Ukraine effective against Russian vehicles and artillery

After the White House on Wednesday announced 100 “tactical unmanned aerial systems” would be part of a new $800 million weapon package for Ukraine, a U.S. official confirmed to ABC News these would be small “Switchblade” drones.

Unlike long-range Predator drones, which look similar to small planes and fire missiles at targets, Switchblade drones are the missiles, using GPS to guide themselves straight into their targets to detonate their payloads.

The smallest version, the Switchblade 300, fits in a backpack, weighs only 5.5 pounds, and has a range of about six miles. It can be sent into flight from a small mortar tube, its wings extending into place as it exits the launcher. The larger Switchblade 600 weighs nine times more, but carries an anti-armor warhead and can hit targets up to 25 miles away, according to the manufacturer.

Both models have a “wave-off” feature so that human operators can abort an attack if civilians appear near the target or if the enemy leaves the area.

The U.S. official could not confirm which versions the U.S. is sending to Ukraine, but a senior U.S. defense official told reporters on Thursday that they would be effective against various targets.

“These tactical UAVs can be useful against Russian vehicles and artillery,” the senior U.S. defense official said.

Taking out Russian long-range artillery is especially important for Ukraine as Russian forces ramp up their bombardment of major cities.

No Russian progress on Kyiv in 7 days

The Russian forces nearest Kyiv are still about nine miles to the northwest of the city’s center, the senior U.S. defense official said. This is the same distance away they were estimated to be last Friday.

They haven’t been able to advance because Ukrainian forces “are very actively resisting any movement by the Russians,” the official said, but adding that Russia maintains an advantage with “long-range fires” — missiles and artillery.

Although those nearest troops have stalled, other forces are coming to join them from behind, bringing with them long-range artillery pieces.

“So, it appears that they continue to want to conduct a siege of Kyiv, that’s what you want to use artillery for,” the official said. “We haven’t seen that manifest itself, we’re just seeing them move them into place.”

The only notable advancement of Russian forces since Wednesday is to the southeast of Kharkiv, where the Pentagon assesses they have taken control of Izyum. The official said their intent is likely to push south toward Donetsk and Mariupol to seal off the Donbas area and prevent Ukrainian troops in the east from moving westward to defend other areas.

Russian warships near Odessa

The U.S. continues to see Russian naval activity “not far from Odessa” in the northern Black Sea, the official said. This includes about six surface-war vessels: at least two amphibious landing ships, frigates, and one mine-warfare ship. Despite this activity, there are still no indications of an imminent amphibious assault.

Unlike on Wednesday, there have been no signs of Russian ships shelling towns around Odessa, the official said.

Russian bombardment of cities continues, more civilians hit

Russia has now launched more than 1,000 missiles against Ukraine, according to the official. This is up from an estimate of 980 on Wednesday. These estimates count missile launches, not necessarily effective hits. The official said they could not offer an estimate of how many of these munitions end up being duds.

Again the official said Russians are relying more on “dumb” munitions, meaning unguided weapons.

The official said it’s not clear why, but said it could be an effort to conserve their precision weapons, or a sign they’re running low on them. At any rate, these less-discriminate weapons are seen as a greater threat to civilians.

“We have seen an increase of strikes on civilian infrastructure and civilian targets,” the official said, but could not quantify the damage or casualties.

S-300s for Ukraine

The official would not directly address questions about whether the U.S. would help facilitate Russian-made S-300 long-range surface-to-air missile systems for Ukraine.

“We are working with allies and partners to continue to provide security assistance to the Ukrainians on short-range and tactical systems as well as long-range systems, to include long-range air defense. And there’s a lot that goes into that, and some countries just have access to inventory that are more suitable for the Ukrainians than some of our systems because they’re trained on them — they operate them, they know them, they’re comfortable with them. And it’s a whole suite of things. And I’ve stayed away from naming individual systems and I think it’s just better if I continue to do that. But we are in active conversations with countries about all these kinds of capabilities to see what they can do to continue to provide support to Ukraine,” the official said.

Russian disinformation campaign

“In Russia, anecdotally, we see their narratives having more of an effect. But then again, they shut down independent media. The only thing available for most Russians now is state media, and so you would expect that those narratives would be more widely consumed and even more widely believed. But outside of Russia, there’s little to no evidence that their information ops are working. In fact, we’ve seen quite the opposite,” the official said.

Low Russian morale

The U.S. has anecdotal evidence of low morale in some Russian units, according to the official.

“Some of that is, we believe, a function of poor leadership, lack of information that the troops are getting about their mission and objectives, and I think disillusionment from being resisted as fiercely as they have been,” the official said.

The official also said it’s “noteworthy” that Russians are considering bringing in more troops and supplies only three weeks into the invasion. The Pentagon believes this is due to poor logistical planning and stronger-than-expected resistance.

NOAA spring weather outlook: High temperatures likely, drought to expand in West

March 17, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(New York) — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued its spring 2022 outlook for the U.S. on Thursday, forecasting prolonged, persistent drought in the West and likely below-average precipitation for the second year in a row.

The NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center’s forecast predicts above average temperatures for most of the U.S. from April to June, from the Desert Southwest to the East Coast and north through the Midwest to the Canadian border.

The agency also foresees continuing or worsening drought April through June west of the Mississippi River, from Mississippi to California and north to Montana and Washington.

In the West and South, it will be drier than normal, worsening and expanding the drought. But in the East, drought that has been seen in the Southeast and parts of the Great Lakes will likely improve and end over the next few months.

“Severe to exceptional drought has persisted in some areas of the West since the summer of 2020, and drought has expanded to the southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley,” Jon Gottschalck, chief of the operational prediction branch of the NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, said in a press release.

“With nearly 60% of the continental U.S. experiencing minor to exceptional drought conditions, this is the largest drought coverage we’ve seen in the U.S. since 2013,” Gottschalck added.

13-year-old driving truck in crash that killed 7 members of college golf team: NTSB

March 17, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(MIDLAND, TX) — A 13-year-old was at the wheel of the pickup truck that swerved in front of a van carrying the University of the Southwest’s men’s and women’s golf teams, killing nine people, including the underage driver, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

Six members of the team and the head coach were killed in the crash. Two remain in critical condition at a Texas hospital.

NTSB Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg told reporters that the Dodge 2500 Ram pickup truck driven by the teen was traveling northbound near Midland, Texas, on Tuesday night when it crossed into the southbound lane and collided head on with the 17-seat passenger van carrying the golf teams. The truck’s left front tire was a spare that failed and caused the vehicle to pull hard left and cross into the opposing lane, according to the NTSB.

In addition to the 13-year-old, whose name was not released, a 38-year-old man, Henrich Siemens, was in the Dodge pickup. Both were killed, as well as the coach, Tyler James, and six golfers in the passenger van.

The players who died were identified as Maurico Sanchez, 19, of Mexico; Travis Garcia, 19, of Pleasanton, Texas; Jackson Zinn, 22, of Westminster, Colorado; Karissa Raines, 21, of Fort Stockton, Texas; Laci Stone, 18, of Nocona, Texas; and Tiago Sousa, 18, of Portugal.

The two passengers in the team van who survived the wreck, Dayton Price,19, of Mississauga, Ontario, and Hayden Underhill, 20, of Amherstview, Ontario, remain hospitalized as of Thursday in Lubbock, Texas, according to the University of the Southwest.

Investigators were able to determine the teen was in the driver’s seat based on the size of the remains inside the truck, according to Landsberg.

Landsberg said his team is going through all of the evidence at the scene, including vehicle recorders, but it does appear that the incident was “very clearly a high speed, head-on collision.” Both vehicles burst into flames after the crash.

“We have literally thousands of pictures that were taken by the various first responders, and there is no question about the force of impact,” he said.

Landsberg added that “quite a number of the bus passengers were not wearing seatbelts,” during the incident.

The NTSB will release a preliminary report on its investigation in two to three weeks, Landsberg said.

Ryan Tipton, the provost of the University of the Southwest, provided an update on the two injured students during a news conference Thursday and said the school would be supporting them during their long journey.

“Every day is a game of inches, and every hour is one step closer to another day,” he said.

Tipton said most students are off campus for spring break but the school is planning to hold a memorial service in honor of those who died when classes resume.

“We are a family of Mustangs,” he said, referring to the school’s mascot. “We’ve run as one, we run together and [when] one of us is hurting, all of us are hurting.”

2 killed, 2 injured injured in shooting on Florida transit bus

March 17, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.) — Two people are dead and another two injured after a shooting on a public transit bus in Florida, police said.

Another three people were injured in a car crash connected to the incident in Fort Lauderdale Thursday afternoon.

The shooting occurred around 3:25 p.m. on a Broward County Transit bus. The bus driver heard “several gunshots” and pulled into the parking lot of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, according to acting Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Luis Alvarez.

“The bus driver’s quick actions to pull into the police station saved lives,” Alvarez said at a briefing.

The driver forced the bus past another vehicle to get into the parking lot, resulting in the car crash, the chief said. The three people injured in the crash were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Within an hour of reporting the incident, police said the suspected shooter was in custody. The suspect surrendered to an officer, according to Alvarez.

“We do not believe there to be any further threat to the public,” the Fort Lauderdale Police Department said on Twitter.

The motive is unclear at this time.

All witnesses are being questioned as part of the investigation, police said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Warsaw mayor pleads for help with refugee crisis: ‘We can’t do it alone’

March 17, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — As Ukrainians continue to flee their homes and find safety in neighboring countries, some cities are becoming overwhelmed with refugees and are unable to provide them with the resources they need.

“We’ll continue helping. We will accept as many Ukrainians as we need to,” Rafal Trzaskowski, the mayor of Warsaw, Poland, told ABC News Live on Thursday. “But we need assistance, we need international institutions in place. We need a relocation system in Europe and in the world, because we can’t do it alone.”

More than 3 million refugees have fled Ukraine, with over half moving to Poland, according to the United Nations. Warsaw, the capital of Poland, has seen a 20% increase in its population in just a few weeks, according to Trzaskowski. He said the city has welcomed over 300,000 Ukrainians but are no longer able to improvise.

Trzaskowski is calling on the European Union and the United Nations to help set up a system, which would help move refugees in Warsaw to other cities that are less overwhelmed and can better provide the physical and psychological care that’s needed.

“I’m calling myself in the middle of the night, my friends from different cities in Poland and in Europe, and I ask them for assistance. We bus people to different places all over,” Trzaskowski told ABC News Live. “We cannot do it anymore. We need a workable system.”

Trzaskowski said it’s not just beds and food that people need, but that as time goes on, new refugees are coming in having seen more destruction and are in need of immediate mental health services.

“At the beginning, three weeks ago, people who were coming to Warsaw were taken care of by their families and by their friends. Now, people come traumatized by war. They escape rockets, they escape bullets, members of families have been killed, members of their families are stranded in basements,” he explained. “They not only need shelter, they need reassurance. They need a helping hand.”

The mayor said Poland has tried to provide a sense of normalcy for families. Earlier this week, a bill was passed in Polish Parliament to provide Ukrainian children with free education and schooling. The mayor told ABC News Live that more than 10,000 Ukrainian students are already learning in Warsaw classrooms.

“We welcome them and we treat them like citizens,” Trzaskowski said. “We provide any help we can, but there is only so much that we can coordinate.”

Trzaskowski said Warsaw and all of Poland have tried their best to help during this crisis. Polish families have stood at the border, inviting refugees into their homes, feeding people who have gone days without eating or drinking water while traveling and making them feel welcomed into the country while the war continues.

“Without volunteers, without non-governmental organizations, we wouldn’t go anywhere,” the mayor said.

He emphasized that though these efforts have been able to provide for hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, more still needs to be done. And without a plan going forward, they will not be able to continue this effort, he said.

The mayor went on to thank the United States for providing support and said it’s made a significant impact throughout this crisis.

“I want to thank President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the whole Biden administration, and the U.S. Congress for being really tough on Russia, for imposing sanctions, for treating them seriously and for those words which are ringing in our ears, which say that the United States of America will defend every inch of NATO territory,” he told us. “And just because we can feel secure, all of us in Europe, because of that statement and because of the actions of the American government, we can do our job in a peaceful manner.”

Trzaskowski added that throughout this refugee crisis, he has looked to the bravery of leaders in Ukraine, which has given him courage to produce a plan that will give every refugee a place to call home while their nation is under attack.

“If President Zelenskyy in Kyiv is not panicking, we’re not going to either,” he said.

DHS evaluating Ukrainians’ asylum claims on case-by-case basis: Mayorkas

March 17, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Thursday that Customs and Border Protection will handle asylum claims by Ukrainian and Russian nationals at the U.S.-Mexico border on a case-by-case basis.

Advocates have criticized the Biden administration alleging it has been turning away both Ukrainian and Russian refugees from ports of entry along the southern border.

‘We address an individual’s claim for humanitarian relief as they are presented to us,” Mayorkas told reporters on Thursday. “We have a number of efforts already underway … to provide humanitarian relief for individuals fleeing a war-torn Ukraine. We are looking at other programs that we can implement to expand the avenues of humanitarian relief.”

“For example, if someone makes a claim under the Convention Against Torture, or an individual presents to the Border Patrol agents, a case of acute of vulnerability such as a medical condition or otherwise,” he said, adding the department has sent refugee affairs officers to Eastern Europe.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Thursday President Joe Biden is “willing” to welcome refugees into the United States but the administration so far has been providing funding for humanitarian aid to neighboring countries in Europe.

DHS has been tasked with the federal domestic response to the Russia and Ukraine conflict.

Mayorkas believes most Ukrainian refugees ultimately will want to go back to Ukraine.

“The vast majority of Ukrainians are displaced in the countries in that region with the hope understandably of being able to return to their country,” he said.

The secretary did not offer any details on what else DHS is looking to do concerning the refugee situation in Ukraine, but the department previously stood up Operation Allies Welcome when Afghanistan was under siege by al-Qaida.

He also did not give any estimates on how many Ukrainian refugees he expects to attempt to get into the U.S.

Mayorkas said DHS has issued guidance to all CBP officers on the border reminding them of the exceptions to the Title 42 authority and how it relates to Ukrainian nationals “and everyone else” attempting to make credible fear claims at the southern border.

DHS is using Title 42 authority at the border to send the majority of adults back to their country of origin under the guise of a public health emergency. The policy was enacted at the start of the pandemic by the Trump administration.

Mayorkas said he didn’t have a timeframe for when Title 42 would be rolled back, and instead said it was a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decision, but did say his department is prepared.

“We plan for the possibilities, whether or not they ultimately materialize or when they materialize it is our responsibility to plan and that is what we do,” he said.

Citigroup pays for workers to travel for reproductive care amid state regulations on abortion

March 17, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Citigroup, one of the largest financial institutions in the United States, has begun offering to pay for travel expenses for employees who travel out of state to access reproductive health care.

The new policy, which went into place this year, is “in response to changes in reproductive healthcare laws in certain states in the U.S.,” the bank said Tuesday in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

According to the filing, Citi now provides “travel benefits to facilitate access to adequate resources.”

The bank, which is headquartered in New York City, has offices in states across the country, including Idaho, Texas and Florida, states that have recently passed legislation restricting access to reproductive health care, specifically abortion.

Citi did not specifically mention abortion in its filing. The bank did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

Citi’s action on reproductive health care comes at a time of heightened activity on the issue across the country.

So far in 2022, 1,844 total provisions related to sexual and reproductive health and rights have been introduced in 46 states and Washington, D.C., according to an analysis released Thursday by Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights organization.

That total includes both restrictions and proactive measures, according to Guttmacher.

The activity at the state level comes as the Supreme Court is expected to rule in May or June on a consequential abortion case, Mississippi, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health.

In the case, the state of Mississippi is arguing to uphold a law that would ban most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, while Jackson Women’s Health, Mississippi’s lone abortion clinic, argues the Supreme Court’s protection of a woman’s right to choose is well-established and should be respected.

Since the Roe v. Wade ruling and the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey ruling that affirmed the decision, the court has never allowed states to prohibit the termination of pregnancies prior to fetal viability outside the womb, roughly 24 weeks, according to medical experts.

If the Supreme Court rules in Mississippi’s favor and upholds the law — as is expected because of the court’s current makeup — the focus will again turn to states.

“We’ll be watching what the details are because that could matter to in terms of whether the court seems open to arguments that abortion is unconstitutional, and states should be disallowed from having abortion be legal within their borders or not,” Mary Ziegler, a visiting professor of constitutional law at Harvard Law School and author of “Abortion and the Law in America: Roe v. Wade to the Present,” told ABC News in January. “That will tell us a lot about what states are actually going to be able to do.”

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