(NEW YORK) — Two grandparents with one great love story celebrated 59 years of marriage by recreating their wedding day — complete with the bride’s original dress.
When Karen and Gary Ryan, both 79, got married in July of 1962 in Pocatello, Idaho, they said their wedding day looked very different to the ones we’re used to seeing today.
“It was so simple,” Karen told Good Morning America. “We went down the aisle, said our vows and went to the basement of our church for the reception.”
“I think we had punch and cookies. It was all over within an hour,” added Gary, who now has two sons and five grandchildren with Karen.
The couple’s daughter-in-law, Nikki, and granddaughter, McCall, each have their own wedding photography business and came up with the idea to stage a wedding photo shoot after the family found Karen’s wedding dress in storage at their current home in Handford, California.
The family was shocked when the wedding dress still fit her perfectly.
“I was really excited, but I just I couldn’t believe what was happening,” Karen said.
And after recent heart trouble for Gary, including a surgery this year to put in another stent, Nikki admitted they “didn’t think he was going to make it.” But after nursing him back to health, the family was determined to make every moment together count.
They still kiss every day, they still hug every day, they still tell each other ‘I love you’ every day, so it’s just really special.
“He’s on oxygen now, so he was really not doing very well the last few months, so we’re like, ‘If we could do this for their anniversary, and he can walk outside, then it’s going to be awesome.'”
The Ryans rented Gary a white tux to match the one he wore in 1962 and spent an hour one afternoon snapping photos of the couple and recreating special details from their original wedding day — and adding some modern traditions.
The couple did a “first look” during the shoot where Karen surprised Gary in her dress for the first time in nearly six decades.
“It was really emotional,” Gary said, adding: “She still looks pretty hot.”
The pair popped champagne and fed each other cake, true to their original reception all those years ago. Karen even wore the veil garter that came with her wedding dress.
“Just looking at the two photos, like that was them 60 years ago, and this is them now and they’re still just as in love. They just have so much fun together, always laughing, and they are such a solid team,” granddaughter McCall said.
The Ryans said one difference between weddings then and now is the price tag. The couple estimated their 1962 nuptials cost $500, a far cry from The Knot’s average 2019 wedding cost of $23,000.
“They spent $500 and they are still happy and in love,” said McCall.
“They still kiss every day, they still hug every day, they still tell each other ‘I love you’ every day so it’s just really special,” Nikki added.
Their biggest advice to other couples is to “just don’t take anything too seriously, unless it is serious. Just have fun in life.
(NEW YORK) — Laverne Cox is opening up to fans about her decision not to have children.
Taking to Instagram on Monday, the Emmy nominated actress made it clear that she isn’t interested in raising children because she is still working on herself.
“I see so many friends and colleagues becoming parents. I’m happy for all of you,” said Cox, 49, in a black and white text post. “I’m even happier for me, ecstatic even that I am NOT becoming a parent ever, never ever.”
She declared, “The thought brings me so much joy!”
“Enjoy the most important job on the planet, raising children. I’m enjoying watching you from a distance,” the “Promising Young Woman” star explained.
She said she is “doing the work of reparenting” her “inner child,” which she said is “more than enough work.”
Cox captioned the announcement, “It’s never too late to have a happy childhood.”
Many of the actress’ fans and followers took to the comments to praise her honesty. Many also said they related to not wanting children and commended her for publicly stating it.
(NEW YORK) — For people who were fortunate enough to be employed during the coronavirus pandemic, the past 18 months of lockdown have provided one silver lining, a boon to their wallets.
With dining out and happy hours cut to a minimum and commutes gone for people who could work remotely, the pandemic inadvertently became a money saver for people lucky enough to do so.
As restaurants, stores and beauty salons reopen and with some returning to the office, the urge to spend is back.
With the economy on the rebound, Americans are now spending an average $765 more a month than they did this same time last year, according to the MassMutual Consumer Spending & Saving Index.
Millennials and Gen Z are spending even more, dishing out an average of $1,016 more per month compared to last summer, with the majority of the money going toward travel and dining out, according to the index.
“Now, with the ability to travel and go out more freely, [people are] making big plans and possibly spending more than they normally would to ‘make up for lost time,’ as they see it,” Farnoosh Torabi, editor-at-large of CNET Personal Finance and host of the “So Money” podcast. “There may be a tendency to go overboard.”
On the flip side, people who struggled financially during the pandemic — a large percentage of the U.S. population — may have a harder time keeping up with increased expenses, according to Torabi.
Just over 50% of U.S. households have any type of savings account, according to an analysis released this month by Consumer Federation of America, an association of non-profit consumer organizations.
“People who suffered financial losses in the pandemic are likely having a hard time budgeting, especially in the face of inflation and rising costs,” she said. “Prices on everything from coffee to cars have gone up in recent months. There’s definitely some sticker shock going on.”
Here are five tips from Torabi to help find your footing financially in this next stage of the pandemic.
1. Keep your emotions separate from spending.
“It’s important to be mindful of your emotions related to spending and saving right now,” said Torabi. “The pandemic was traumatic and coming out of this experience, many of our emotions will linger.”
“Making financial decisions in a highly emotional state is never wise. So take time to reflect and reevaluate your goals and values, which may have changed dramatically over the course of the pandemic,” she said. “Get clear on any lifestyle changes you may want to make, the relationship or career shifts you may newly desire, and from here, start to design a new financial roadmap for yourself that’s aligned with all of that.”
“There’s no sense in rushing to make financial choices that don’t match your goals,” added Torabi.
2. Prioritize building your savings.
Torabi advises saving money as a top priority, even over paying debt.
“The pandemic woke many of us up to the fact that life is fragile and it can take very unexpected turns, and along with that, it reminded us of the importance of having a healthy savings cushion that can help us ride out several months of unemployment or financial loss,” she said. “That’s first and foremost.”
When it comes to prioritizing savings over debt, Torabi explained, “That may sound controversial to some, but if you are starting at $0 in savings, it’s important to dedicate as much of your paycheck as possible — and quickly — towards having a minimum 6 months of your bare-bones living expenses reserved in a savings account.”
“Pay the minimums on your debts every month, of course. But contribute any extra income towards your emergency savings first before any other financial goal,” she said. “Start small if you have to, but just start.”
Torabi also recommends making your savings payments automatic, like having it taken out automatically from your paycheck.
“When you earn a lump sum of cash for a holiday, birthday or tax refund, funnel it towards savings first, all until you save a minimum six months worth of your necessary monthly living expenses,” she said, also suggesting the app Digit, which helps users save small amounts of money, like $5 here and there.
3. Spend money on needs, not wants.
“Prior to the pandemic, we may have been spending money on items that didn’t really fulfill us or create meaningful value, things like subscription services or fancy clothes,” she said. “But we learned again what matters most like our affording health care, investing in a support system in your life and investing in experiences that create memories, as opposed to shiny objects that lose their luster after a while.”
4. Don’t spend to ‘catch up’ with people on social media.
“Pace yourself and be true to your financial reality, not your friends’ or what you see on social media that’s pressuring you to spend,” recommends Torabi. “Honestly, social media can be a costly influence, so if you find yourself triggered to spend because of ads or friends’ experiences on Instagram, step away from the app for a while. And take time to get clear on your personal goals.”
“From there, take it month by month,” she said.
5. Reverse-engineer your money goals.
“Think of creating a ‘new normal’ way of life for yourself that takes into account all the lessons and learnings of the last 18 months,” said Torabi. “If there’s an experience you really want to afford, then create a plan and start saving now. Reverse-engineer it. If you start saving a little today, you have a far better chance of achieving your goal in good time.”
Torabi said a similar approach can be taken when it comes to budgeting for eating out.
“If it helps, create financial ‘rules’ for yourself related to eating out like, ‘I will pack lunch three out of five days and leave two days of the week for eating out,'” she said. “Or reserve a budget ahead of time for lunches and coffee so that you can better plan for these expenses and not feel guilty.”
“I’d never say to someone, ‘Don’t have the latte,'” she added. “Instead, figure out what plans or trade-offs you can arrange to afford that more comfortably.”
(NEW YORK) — As Kathy Hochul assumes office and becomes New York’s first female governor, she will have several ongoing challenges facing the state.
The still pressing COVID-19 pandemic, the state’s economic recovery, gun violence in New York City and the rollout of the newly approved recreational marijuana rules are just some of the areas that the new governor will likely have to address in the near future.
However, political experts say her most important task is regaining the trust of New Yorkers following Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s exit. And they say Hochul’s already showing she’s up to the task with her rhetoric and actions over the last two weeks.
“She has established some goodwill because she’s been visiting people all over the district,” Christina Greer, an associate professor of political science at Fordham University, told ABC News.
Greer and other experts said that New Yorkers are looking at Albany to get back on track after the investigations into Cuomo’s sexual harassment allegations and handling of nursing home deaths from COVID-19.
Greer noted that Hochul is in the same position as Gov. David Paterson was in 2008 when he assumed office, following Elliot Spitzer’s resignation over a prostitution scandal that rocked state politics. Like Patterson, Hochul had decades of experience in New York state politics and will be making history.
The governor’s grace period may not be as long as other elected officials given the increased attention on the state from all over the world as it rides out the pandemic and moves to recover economically, Greer warned.
“She’ll be entering into a different type of spotlight and she’ll have to expect that she’s going to be scrutinized more,” she said.
Hochul acknowledged these issues during a news conference on Aug. 11, a day after Cuomo announced his plans to resign. She said she will “fight like hell” for New Yorkers and pushed on an agenda that focused on increasing COVID-19 vaccinations, and reopening state businesses safely.
Hochul, who said she was not close with Cuomo, told reporters that she would remove the stigma created by her predecessor’s scandals and aggressive reputation when it came to working with other state leaders.
“No one will ever describe my administration as a toxic work environment,” she said.
Sally Friedman, an associate professor of political science at the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University of Albany, told ABC News that Hochul has backed up her rhetoric through her years engaging with all New York communities.
Since she was elected as lieutenant governor in 2014, she has traveled the state and shown up at events such as community block parties and advocated for several proposals such as equal pay and empowerment opportunities for minorities, Friedman said.
Friedman said there has never been any indication that Hochul has been a bully or was demeaning to anyone, unlike her predecessor, and that change of attitude will go a long way.
“It helps because she knows a lot of people, and she is liked,” Friedman said.
Hochul has kept up that schedule over the last two weeks with in-person events throughout the state. The governor was also active on her social media accounts, talking about recent news such as Hurricane Henri.
Hochul’s first major item as governor Wednesday will be meeting with the leaders of the New York State Assembly and Senate. The Buffalo native and upstate resident vowed to choose a lieutenant governor from the downstate region.
Friedman added that Hochul’s announcement that she would run for re-election next year would help her during her transition. Now constituents and other leaders won’t have to spend time pondering about her political future and can focus on policy, according to the professor.
“That’s a take-charge move and she did it quickly,” Friedman said.
At the same time, knowing Hochul will spend next year campaigning does open her up to more scrutiny, Greer said. Every action she takes in office will be brought up in addition to any of her past work during an election run, according to Greer.
“She’s taking a gamble on herself,” Greer said.
Hochul addressed one of her ideological changes during her Aug. 11 news conference after a reporter asked about her previous opposition to a state law that allowed undocumented immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses. The governor praised the law and said that her views on it changed like a lot of other New Yorkers.
Friedman said Hochul’s transparency is already a good first step to earning her trust with constituents.
No matter what the next few months may bring, the political experts said Hochul’s administration will be a defining moment not just for the state but also for women in politics. Friedman said Hochul is fully aware of her historic role and would work to ensure that it adds a positive chapter to New York’s history books.
“I know a lot of women are looking forward to seeing her take charge,” she said. “It’s going to be an exciting moment for the state.”
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 629,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 60.2% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing Tuesday. All times Eastern:
Aug 24, 6:43 am
Tokyo Paralympics kicks off amid COVID-19 crisis
The delayed 2020 Summer Paralympics kicked off in Tokyo on Tuesday as Japan grapples with a growing COVID-19 crisis that has showed no signs of slowing down.
Protesters calling for the Games to be canceled gathered outside the Olympic Stadium in Japan’s capital ahead of Tuesday’s opening ceremony. Like the 2020 Olympics, which ended on Aug. 8, this year’s Paralympics is taking place amid a state of emergency. More than a dozen Japanese prefectures, including Tokyo, are currently under emergency measures related to COVID-19. The Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics were both postponed a year due to the pandemic.
Japan’s daily number of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases has been breaking records in recent days and weeks, while the daily death toll has stayed below the record 216 fatalities reported on May 18. The Japanese government and the Tokyo metropolitan government issued a joint appeal on Monday to hospitals in the capital to admit more COVID-19 patients as cases rise.
“The delta variant’s strong infectiousness just isn’t comparable to previous ones,” Japanese Health Minister Norihisa Tamura said as he stood alongside Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike. “We would like to have further support from the medical community to secure hospital beds for coronavirus patients.”
Aug 24, 3:59 am
3 Houston-area emergency rooms shutter due to COVID-19 surge
Memorial Hermann, one of the largest not-for-profit health systems in southeast Texas, said Monday it was forced to close three of its 24-hour emergency rooms in the Houston area “due to the continued COVID-19 surge.”
The emergency rooms inside Memorial Hermann’s convenient care centers in the Kingwood, Spring and Sienna neighborhoods will remain closed “until further notice.”
“Patients who are currently receiving care inside any of these Emergency Rooms will be safely discharged or transferred to another Memorial Hermann facility,” the health system said in an announcement on its website. “Members of our community who require emergent care should proceed to another nearby Emergency Center for assistance.”
Aug 23, 9:35 pm
Hawaii governor urges tourists to stay away
Hawaii Gov. David Ige is urging tourists to stay away from the state, which saw a huge number of visitors over the summer, due to the increase in COVID-19 cases.
“It is not a good time to travel to the islands. I encourage everyone to restrict and curtail travel to Hawaii,” Ige said at a news conference Monday.
The islands are dealing with a big COVID surge due to the delta variant, but have a limited number of hospitals. The governor even suggested that another full lockdown is on the table.
“Is a lockdown on the table? Yes, it would be if the number of cases continues to grow exponentially as it has in the last 10 weeks … then we will have to take action to limit and ensure that the hospitals aren’t overrun,” Ige said Monday.
Aug 23, 7:35 pm
CDC director touts FDA’s Pfizer approval
In an interview with ABC News’ Linsey Davis, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said she hopes unvaccinated Americans are spurred into action following Monday’s Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
Walensky said the FDA is “the gold standard for the safety and effectiveness of these vaccines,” and the move was “powerful signal in the safety and effectiveness.”
“We have an extraordinary amount of data, and I’m really pleased that the FDA not just took their time and did the due diligence that needed to be done, but did it quickly and efficiently to bring this to the American people as soon as possible,” she said.
Walensky didn’t have a timetable for when the Moderna vaccine would get full approval since they haven’t submitted its data to the FDA yet.
She did say that the current expectation is that the Pfizer vaccine will be authorized for children ages 5 to 12 by November.
While Walensky said she prefers Americans voluntarily get their shots, she encouraged more vaccine mandates to spur people.
“We’ve already seen just today many come through so that people will recognize if they were on the fence and they just needed that extra push that these mandates will get them there,” she said.
(WASHINGTON) — Wisconsin’s next Senate election isn’t until Nov. 8, 2022, but already there are 11 candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in a party primary that could prove to be an early referendum on President Joe Biden.
Political observers told ABC News that generational changes and other factors at play in the August 2022 primary also have implications for next year’s midterm congressional elections.
Wisconsin is considered a state that can often swing either Democrat and Republican. In 2020, the state was split 49% for Biden and 49% for Trump, with Biden holding a narrow lead of around 20,000 votes, according to ABC News’ election results.
The seat up for grabs is now held by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, and Democrats hope to flip it as they try to maintain control of the Senate.
Steven Olikara, founder and former CEO of the Millennial Action Project advocacy organization
Tom Nelson, County Executive of Wisconsin’s Outagamie County
Among the highest-profile candidates is Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who launched his campaign in early August.
One of Barnes’ competitors in the Senate primary, Wisconsin State Sen. Chris Larson, dropped out of the race and endorsed Barnes. When a candidate drops out, that can be a sign that party support is beginning to coalesce around a different candidate, Julia Azari, Assistant Chair of the Department of Political Science at Marquette University in Milwaukee, told ABC News.
“It seems like the progressive community in Wisconsin is behind Barnes,” Azari said.
Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry also is high profile — especially after the team’s championship win earlier this year — and has a formidable war chest. Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson, meanwhile, has experience bridging partisan divides, as a Democrat elected in a county that has voted twice for Trump.
But given how well-known Barnes is in the state, is he a shoo-in as the party’s Senate pick?
Political science professor Barry Burden of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who directs the school’s Elections Research Center, told ABC News that “no one’s a shoo-in, nope. Barnes has a lot of advantages … but he has some liabilities, too.”
He said those include controversy over whether Barnes misled people over when he received his college degree, or complaints that he has not accomplished enough as lieutenant governor.
Another element at play: candidates such as Barnes, Wisconsin State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski, and Millennial Action Project founder Steven Olikara are young and dynamic, Burden said.
That’s in contrast to older politicians such as Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Biden, Burden said, and something people in the party might be looking for.
But Azari cautioned against viewing the primary as being about generational divides.
“I think this is what is going to be important, ultimately, in the Senate race, which is a kind of balance between national partisan politics, and local concerns,” Azari said. “To the extent that this turns into a kind of generational war that we see on Twitter or in the Atlantic … that has not proved successful for Democratic Senate candidates.”
She cited former Sen. Russ Feingold’s defeat in Wisconsin in 2010, where he ran as a “maverick” in a way that was unsustainable for a national race.
However, Azari does think there is a generational shift at play in Congress, a shift to a generation that has not yet been been heard from at national levels; folks that are maybe a decade younger than the last round of younger emergent people, like [former Speaker of the House] Paul Ryan [from Wisconsin], 10 or 15 years younger.
Overshadowing the race — and tying it to the power of former President Donald Trump’s influence — is the overriding question of whether Johnson will run for reelection.
First elected in 2010, Johnson said in 2016 he would not serve more than two terms, but then said after the 2020 presidential election he was rethinking that, in case it helps Republicans keep the Senate seat, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
He has also been a staunch Trump ally, and the former president has already endorsed him — even though Johnson has yet to announce if he’ll run.
Trump’s endorsement “could mean financial support; it could mean he flies to Wisconsin and does a rally or other things,” Burden said, adding that at least, the endorsement puts more pressure on Johnson to run.
Both Burden and Azari said that Democrats’ campaigns seem to be focusing on targeting Johnson, and so they may have difficulty adjusting their campaigns if Johnson decides not to run.
And the questions surrounding Trump’s role in the race point to broader questions in 2022.
“To me it’s really interesting … to see the extent to which 2022 is a referendum on Biden’s presidency, which is sort of normal [during the] midterm [of the presidency]; and how much it continues to be a referendum on Trumpism, which is not normal,” Azari said. “And I think the political science field is pretty divided on this: the degree to which Trump and Trumpism kind of loom over the political system.”
“I think if you were to pick, randomly, ten political scientists who study this, you would get, you would get the whole spectrum of answers,” Azari said. That ranges from whether “Trump has completely taken over the party… to, Trump is not an important figure in the Republican Party — it is what it was turning into prior to Trump.”
(ALBANY, N.Y.) — Former Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul was sworn in as New York’s first female governor at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.
“Honored to be officially sworn in as New York’s 57th Governor,” Hochul tweeted from her new official governor account. The website for the governor of New York was also updated shortly after midnight.
Hochul was sworn in by the state’s chief judge, Janet DiFiore, in a private ceremony at the state capitol in Albany. A public swearing-in ceremony will be held for Hochul at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the Red Room of the state capitol building, though she wasted no time in announcing the first two appointments of her administration, picking Karen Persichilli Keogh, a former senior aide to Hillary Rodham Clinton, as secretary to the governor and Elizabeth Fine, executive vice president and general counsel of Empire State Development (New York’s economic development agency), as counsel to the governor.
“I’m excited about this,” Hochul said last week during a visit to New York City’s Queens borough. “I’m excited about this opportunity. I’m very prepared for this.”
In a blistering farewell address to constituents on Monday, now former Gov. Andrew Cuomo blasted the state attorney general’s five-month investigation that found he sexually harassed multiple women, calling it a “political firecracker” that triggered an “unfair and unjust” rush to judgment against him.
The 63-year-old Cuomo later submitted his resignation in a letter Monday to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Speaker of the Assembly Carl Heastie, effective at 12 a.m., Aug. 24. “I hereby tender my resignation for the office of Governor of the State of New York,” Cuomo wrote. “It has been my pleasure to serve with you both.”
But in an address, Cuomo used the opportunity to slam the allegations against him and tout his accomplishments as governor.
“Let me say now that when government politicizes allegations and the headlines condemn without facts, you undermine the justice system and that doesn’t serve women and it doesn’t serve men or society,” Cuomo said. “I understand that there are moments of intense political pressure and media frenzy that cause a rush to judgment, but that is not right. It’s not fair or sustainable. Facts still matter.”
Cuomo, who has insisted he did not touch anyone inappropriately, announced his resignation on Aug. 13, ten days after State Attorney General Letitia James made public the results of an investigation she alleged found the governor sexually harassed multiple women, including current and former state employees, and had retaliated against one of his accusers.
“A firecracker can start a stampede, but at one point everyone looks around and says, ‘Why are we running?'” The truth is ultimately always revealed,” Cuomo said. “The attorney general’s report was designed to be a political firecracker on an explosive topic and it worked. There was a political and media stampede but the truth will (come) out in time. Of that I am confident.”
Cuomo also sought to establish a legacy beyond the allegations that drove him from office, saying, “No governor in the nation has passed more progressive measures than I have.” He listed his accomplishments, including a refurbished LaGuardia Airport, a new Penn Station transportation terminal in New York City and marriage equality as cornerstones to what he called a “new paradigm of government that actually works.”
He offered advice for the pandemic that made him a national figure for the empathy and seriousness he showed during his daily press briefings on the crisis. And he reminded listeners that under his leadership, “We faced up to the facts and we made the tough but necessary decisions.”
Cuomo acknowledged that Hochul would become governor and said, “I believe she will step up to the challenge.”
But he returned to the scandal that has led to his dramatic downfall.
“Now there are moments in life that test our character, that asks us are we the person we believe we are or are we the person we try to be at our best. You know me, I am a fighter and my instinct is to fight this because it is unfair and unjust in my mind,” Cuomo said.
“But you also know that I love New York and I serve you,” he said. “That is the oath that I took. And in this moment, I believe the right thing is that my service comes first. Prolonging this situation could only cause governmental paralysis and that is just not an option for you and not an option for the state, especially now.”
He began his last day on the job Monday with his top aid releasing a statement on his behalf, saying Cuomo “has no interest in running for office again.”
Melissa DeRosa, secretary to the governor, issued a statement on Cuomo’s immediate plans when he leaves the job he claimed a decade ago, one once held by his late father, Mario Cuomo.
DeRosa said that Cuomo has spent nearly 25 years in public service, from being secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Clinton administration in the 1990s to getting elected state attorney general in 2006 and serving as governor since 2010.
“And the way he does it, it’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” said DeRosa, whose resignation on Aug. 8 as the most powerful unelected bureaucrat in state government will also take effect Monday night. “He looks forward to spending time with his family and has a lot of fishing to catch up on. He is exploring a number of options, but has no interest in running for office again.”
Over the weekend, Cuomo sought to show he was in control until the end as he presided over briefings on Tropical Storm Henri. He requested his emergency management team remain in place and said Hochul had been briefed despite her absence from the news conferences.
Attempting to keep reporters “on topic,” Cuomo asked that questions be limited to the storm.
“We’re dealing with an emergency, and New Yorkers want to hear about an emergency,” Cuomo said.
The first question he took was whether he still planned to resign on Monday.
“And, yes, my final day is [Monday],” Cuomo said.
Unlike Cuomo, who honed his political instincts at the hip of his father, Hochul’s political career began on a town council in Western New York. She briefly served in Congress and has been lieutenant governor for seven years.
Among Hochul’s first tasks will be appointing a new lieutenant governor, and she has said it would be someone from a New York City borough. She has signaled there would be “turnover” from the Cuomo administration, particularly among those in the Executive Chamber that were named in the state attorney general’s report as enabling Cuomo’s alleged harassment.
“I’m looking forward at the right time to introducing the members of my administration,” Hochul said.
Another priority is the pandemic and repopulating the depleted ranks of the state’s health department.
Hochul said the state has the authority to mandate masks in schools statewide and has said she believes “we will need mask mandates for children to go back to school … and that will have to be universal, it will be statewide.”
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 628,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 60.2% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing Monday. All times Eastern:
Aug 23, 4:40 pm
Honolulu suspending large gatherings due to dramatic uptick in cases
All large gatherings in Honolulu will be suspended due to a dramatic uptick in cases, Mayor Rick Blangiardi announced Monday.
Health care workers are “pushed beyond their limits,” the mayor said.
The ban begins Aug. 25 and will last for four weeks.
Aug 23, 3:39 pm
5 Southern states have ICUs over 90% full
Five states have intensive care units over 90% full: Alabama (100%), Florida (92.82%), Georgia (92.95%), Mississippi (93.81%) and Texas (91.27%), according to federal data.
The South also leads the country with the highest case rates. Louisiana and Mississippi have the highest case rates, followed by Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas and South Carolina, according to federal data.
More than 95.6% of counties are either reporting high (89.32%) or substantial (6.24%) community transmission, federal data shows. Just 4.41% of counties are reporting moderate or low transmission.
Aug 23, 2:10 pm
FDA grants full approval for Pfizer vaccine
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted full approval of the Pfizer vaccine, becoming the first COVID-19 vaccine to transition from an emergency authorization status to full FDA approval.
The full approval indicates that Pfizer has shown enough effectiveness and safety data to meet the stringent Biologics License Application requirements, which includes at least six months of safety data from a majority of the volunteers in a large, final stage clinical trial.
Pfizer’s full approval will pave the way for further vaccine mandates in both the public and private sector. Some businesses and state leaders have held off thus far, signaling they’d wait for full approval before imposing tighter requirements.
Federal, state and local health officials have also expressed optimism that full approval will help dissolve some of the lingering hesitancy around taking a shot that until now has been only authorized for emergency use.
Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock called Monday’s announcement a “pivotal moment” made possible by a “rigorous and thorough review” done in record time.
“Working around the clock, FDA staff were able to complete the evaluation of this biologics license application in just over three months,” she said. “This is an unprecedented timeline given the volume of review and the meticulous manner in which it was done, but we want to underscore that our efforts to move as quickly as possible have in no way sacrifice scientific standards for the integrity of our process.”
President Joe Biden said Monday, “If you’re one of the millions of Americans who’ve said that they will not get the shot until it has full and final approval of the FDA — it has now happened.
Aug 23, 2:07 pm
More than 180,000 new cases reported among kids last week
More than 180,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported among kids last week, reaching levels of the previous winter surge of 2020-2021, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association.
More than 4.59 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic. Last week, children represented 22.4% of all reported cases.
Severe illness due to COVID-19 remains “uncommon” among children, the two organizations wrote in the report. In nearly two dozen states, 0.2%-1.9% of all child COVID-19 cases resulted in hospitalization.
AAP and CHA, however, warned that there is an urgent need to collect more data on the long-term consequences of the pandemic on children, “including ways the virus may harm the long-term physical health of infected children, as well as its emotional and mental health effects.”
Aug 23, 11:12 am
Pentagon preparing to make Pfizer vaccine mandatory
The Pentagon will move forward with making the Pfizer vaccine mandatory now that it has been fully approved by the FDA, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Monday.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Aug. 9 that he would seek authorization to mandate the vaccine for the military unless the FDA approved it before Sept. 15.
“Now that the Pfizer vaccine has been approved, the department is prepared to issue updated guidance, requiring all service members to be vaccinated,” Kirby said at a briefing. “A timeline for vaccination completion will be provided in the coming days.”
Aug 23, 10:50 am
NYC school staff must get vaccine
All of New York City’s nearly 150,000 public school employees must receive at least one vaccine dose by Sept. 27, Mayor Bill de Blasio will announce Monday. The new vaccination policy will not allow weekly testing as an option.
At least 63% of New York City’s Department of Education employees are already vaccinated, Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter said.
The previous requirement allowed for weekly testing of the unvaccinated, with unpaid suspensions for workers who didn’t comply.
New York City’s school year starts on Sept. 13.
Aug 23, 9:46 am
FDA grants full approval for Pfizer vaccine
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted full approval of the Pfizer vaccine, becoming the first COVID-19 vaccine to transition from an emergency authorization status to full FDA approval.
The full approval indicates that Pfizer has shown enough effectiveness and safety data to meet the stringent Biologics License Application requirements, which includes at least six months of safety data from a majority of the volunteers in a large, final stage clinical trial.
Pfizer’s full approval will pave the way for further vaccine mandates in both the public and private sector. Some businesses and state leaders have held off thus far, signaling they’d wait for full approval before imposing tighter requirements.
Federal, state and local health officials have also expressed optimism that full approval will help dissolve some of the lingering hesitancy around taking a shot that until now has been only authorized for emergency use.
Aug 23, 7:48 am
Rev. Jesse Jackson ‘responding’ to COVID treatment
Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, who is in the hospital with COVID-19, is responding positively to treatment, his son told ABC Chicago station WLS.
The 79-year-old, who has Parkinson’s disease, was vaccinated for COVID-19 in January, WLS reported.
His wife, Jacqueline, 77, is also in the hospital with COVID-19 and is resting comfortably, their son, Jonathan Jackson, said.
“She is having some oxygen but is able to function and breathe on her own without a respirator,” he told WLS.
Aug 23, 4:43 am
Over 880,000 Moderna vaccine doses donated by US arrive in Kenya
More than 880,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine donated by the United States arrived in Kenya on Monday morning.
The 880,460 doses were given to the East African nation by the U.S. government via the global vaccine-sharing scheme COVAX, according to a press release from the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), which is leading vaccine procurement and delivery efforts on behalf of COVAX. It is the first of two shipments, totaling 1.76 million donate doses.
The donation marks the first time that Kenya has received the Moderna vaccine, widening the portfolio of COVID-19 vaccines available for the country’s ongoing rollout of its national immunization campaign. All Kenyans over the age of 18 are now eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Kenya aims to vaccinate 10 million of its 53 million people by the end of the year.
So far, Kenya has reported more than 229,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including at least 4,497 deaths, according to the latest data from the Kenyan Ministry of Health.
Sayed Khodaiberdi Sadat/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
(KABUL, Afghanistan) — Chaos has enveloped Kabul after Afghanistan’s government’s collapsed and the Taliban seized control, all but ending America’s 20-year campaign as it began: under Taliban rule.
The U.S. has evacuated approximately 17,000 people since Aug. 14, White House officials said late Saturday morning. Pentagon officials have said their focus remains on maintaining the airport perimeter and increasing the number of evacuees out of Kabul.
President Joe Biden returned to Washington from Camp David on Wednesday and sat down with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos for an exclusive one-on-one interview at the White House, the president’s first interview since the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Biden addressed the nation again on evacuation efforts on Sunday.
Here are the latest developments. All times Eastern:
Aug 23, 4:35 pm
Afghan refugees speak after arriving in US
More Afghan refugees have arrived in the U.S. with the first on U.S. commercial carriers coming into Dulles International Airport in Virginia on Monday morning.
“We are really happy to come here,” one refugee traveling with his wife and son told ABC News’ Sam Sweeney. He said that he waited two days at the Kabul airport before getting in.
“The situation in Afghanistan is not good,” he added.
Pentagon officials said at a briefing on Monday that five flights have brought about 1,300 people to Dulles in the last 24 hours.
Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor said some 1,200 Afghans are now distributed between four U.S. military bases: Fort McCoy in Wisconsin, Fort Lee in Virginia, Fort Bliss in Texas and Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst in New Jersey.
The military is still working to build out the capacity to host approximately 22,000 Afghans at the installations following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.
Aug 23, 3:49 pm
Pentagon ‘pushing the limits’ to meet Aug. 31 deadline
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby and Gen. Steve Lyons, commander of U.S. Transportation Command, at an afternoon press briefing, said the military continues to operate under the Aug. 31 deadline President Biden set despite his suggesting the U.S. could stay beyond the end of the month.
“Every day, we take as the day comes,” Lyons said. “We know and are linked very closely with Central Command, potential operations to close out the mission by the 31st — that was the mission given by the president, and we’re committed to do that.”
“We are pushing the limits to do everything we can to get every single evacuee out of Kabul,” he added. “We’re not going to let up.”
Asked about a U.S. medical team helping an Afghan woman deliver a baby on a U.S. Air Force plane just after landing in Germany, Lyons said that the U.S. military does “not have medics on every flight” and suggested that three babies have been born since evacuations started.
“My last data point was three. I don’t have a formal tracker, those are the — you know, we’ll keep you posted,” Lyons said, before the briefing ended.
Aug 23, 2:59 pm
US has ‘method’ for getting Americans to airport: White House
National security adviser Jake Sullivan said at a White House briefing on Monday that the U.S. is transferring groups of American citizens to the airport in Kabul but declined to go into detail, citing security concerns.
“We have developed a method to safely and efficiently transfer groups of American citizens onto the airfield. For operational reasons I’m not going to go into further detail on this,” he said.
Despite Biden suggesting the U.S. could stay in Afghanistan beyond Aug. 31 as evacuations continue, Sullivan, as Pentagon officials had before him, maintained focus on the deadline at the end of the month.
“In the days remaining, we believe we have the wherewithal to get out the American citizens who want to leave Kabul,” he said.
“This operation is complex, it is dangerous, it is fraught with challenges: operational, logistical, human. And it’s produced searing images of pain and desperation. But, no
operation like this, no evacuation from the capital that has fallen in a civil war, could unfold without those images,” he added.
Aug 23, 1:28 pm
Pentagon officials say military going into Kabul ‘as needed’
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby at a briefing on Monday was pressed about reports of British and other coalition forces pushing into Kabul to bring people to the airport and said the U.S. is also running those missions on a “case-by-case basis.”
On occasion, as needed, our commanders have the authority that they need to use their assets and their forces to help assist Americans who need to get to the airport — get to the airport on a case-by-case basis,” he said. Later on, he added, “I don’t want to leave you with the idea that we’re patrolling the streets of Kabul.”
Kirby confirmed there was a second helicopter mission to airlift Americans into the airport, in addition to a helicopter recovery of 169 people outside the airport perimeter last week, but would not give details.
“There has been at least one additional instance where rotary airlift was used to help Americans get from outside the airport into the airport, and I think I’m just going to leave it at that today,” he said.
He said that other extraction methods are being used as well.
“There’s a variety of methods that can be affected and, without going into detail, we’re using the variety of methods at our disposal,” Kirby added.
Aug 23, 12:59 pm
State Department denies only Americans getting into airport
Despite several reports that only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents are getting into the airport in Kabul, not Afghans, a senior State Department official told reporters on Monday it’s not the case.
“It is not accurate that only Americans get through. That is not an accurate report,” the official said during a briefing.
The official said the operation is currently prioritizing Americans, touting the “unbelievable effort” to create a task force of consular officers around the world who get in touch with every American who registers with the embassy and provides instructions for them to get inside the airport.
“You can tell by the data,” the official said, “that we are being very successful with this model in getting people amassed and onto airplanes and to the transit hubs, which are represented by countries all over the world.”
Eight of those transit hubs are now open in six countries, according to the State Department, hosting more than 17,000 evacuees who have been flown from Kabul and to these hubs. In the next 24 hours, officials expect 8,000 more beds to be available as capacity continues to ramp up.
The official repeatedly sidestepped questions about whether the U.S. will stick to its Aug. 31 deadline, which Biden has seemed open to extending, but which the Taliban warned against earlier on Monday.
Aug 23, 12:16 pm
Pentagon officials address humanitarian crisis unfolding at airport
ABC News’ Luis Martinez asked Pentagon officials how they can prevent a humanitarian crisis from developing inside the airport as thousands of people who have travelled for miles gather for evacuations in the blistering heat and amid a global pandemic.
Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor said that as military flights arrive into Kabul to take out evacuees, they’re bringing in supplies including food and water for those preparing for evacuation flights.
“The last 48 hours, we had a lot of folks there which is a good thing,” Taylor said. “That means we have gotten people through the gate, we process them, it means we have people safe, then we can fly out,” adding the commanders on the ground are there to help ensure a safe and humanitarian environment.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby added that they’re “very aware” of reports of sanitation and sustainment issues.
“It’s not lost on us,” Kirby said. “There’s a lot of people, and they are desperate. And we are trying to do the best we can to get them out of harm’s way as fast as possible. And when you have a throughput problem, it means that some people are going to be stuck in a given location.”
“We’re doing the best we can, under extraordinary circumstances and believe me, the pain and the suffering, the fear, the anxiety, all of that none of it is lost on U.S. troops,” he said.
Aug 23, 12:04 pm
Pentagon officials decline to give details on extending Kabul airport perimeter
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby at a briefing on Monday said the U.S. military presence in Kabul remains focused on the airport following President Biden saying on Sunday that the U.S could possibly extend the perimeter there.
Sources familiar with the situation clarified to ABC News following Biden’s remarks that it did not mean U.S. troops would be moving outside of the airport.
“We continue to look at security on the airport itself, as well as the immediate environments of the airport because in those immediate environments outside the airport, that’s where you have Taliban checkpoints, where you have crowds assembling,” Kirby said. “That’s where access to the gates is critical, in the space just outside the airport where we don’t have a military presence of a sustained nature, and what we’re doing is that we are in constant communication with the Taliban about that space.”
Pressed for more information, Kirby said he didn’t want to release tactical details but said the U.S “not out there, side by side” with the Taliban.
“I think, for very good reasons of operational security, we’re just not going to detail everything we’re doing, and every opportunity we’re taking advantage of,” he said.
Aug 23, 11:31 am
Pentagon: No plans to reopen Bagram Airfield, send more troops to Kabul
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby at a Pentagon briefing on Monday said the Defense Department does not have plans to reopen Bagram Airfield as it continues to evacuate thousands of Americans and Afghan allies out of Kabul.
He said reopening Bagram, which the U.S. vacated in July, “would be an expenditure of resources and personnel, as well as an increase, most likely to the threat that they’re under.”
“And I understand a lot of people have views and opinions about this. It was closed down as part of the retrograde; it was always supposed to be closed down as part of the retrograde. It was the last base to be turned over to the Afghans,” he said.
Kirby, instead, said the military maintains its focus on evacuating people from Hamid Karzai International Airport.
“There are no plans at this time to request or to authorize additional U.S. forces to this mission,” Kirby added later of the ongoing evacuation mission. He said the Pentagon is still “trying” to meet the Aug. 31 deadline for a full military withdrawal.
Aug 23, 11:27 am
Pentagon: 16K evacuated in 24 hours
In a Pentagon briefing Monday, Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor, deputy director of Joint Staff regional operations, said that 16,000 evacuees have been flown out of Kabul since Sunday.
“Within the last 24 hours, 25 U.S. military C-17, three U.S. military C-130s and then a combination of 61 charter commercial and other military flights departed Kabul,” Taylor said, reminding that six commercial airlines have joined the Defense Department’s evacuation mission.
Of the 16,000 evacuees, Taylor said the military transported just under 11,000. He said the use of temporary safe haven locations across Europe and the Middle East to house Afghans, from Qatar to Spain, is a “testament to the importance of our alliances and our partnerships.”
NEW: In last 24 hours, dozens of flights departed Kabul, Afghanistan, carrying 16,000 passengers, Pentagon spokesperson says; U.S. military transported just under 11,000.
In the U.S., he said four military installations, as well as Dulles International Airport, are now receiving Afghans as they come into the country. The installations include Fort McCoy in Wisconsin, Fort Lee in Virginia, Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst in New Jersey and Fort Bliss in Texas.
While Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said the U.S. has evacuated “several thousand” Americans, he declined to give a more accurate approximation when pressed, saying the number is “very fluid” and “literally changes nearly by the hour.”
Aug 23, 10:37 am US confirms member of Afghan forces killed
United States Central Command has confirmed one member of the Afghan security forces was killed overnight in a firefight.
“No U.S. or coalition forces were hurt during a brief exchange of gunfire last night outside the north gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport. The incident appeared to begin when an unknown hostile actor fired upon Afghan security forces involved in monitoring access to the gate. The Afghans returned fire, and in keeping with their right of self-defense, so too did U.S. and coalition troops,” said Navy Capt. William Urban, U.S. CENTCOM spokesperson, in a statement.
“One member of the Afghan forces was killed by the hostile actor; several Afghans were wounded during the exchange. The wounded are being treated at an airfield hospital and are reported to be in stable condition,” he said. “Our condolences go out to the teammates and loved ones of the fallen Afghan soldier.”
The German military announced earlier on Twitter that one Afghan soldier was killed and three others were wounded at the airport in Kabul.
Aug 23, 9:58 am Taliban holds 1st loya jirga since returning to power
The Taliban is holding its first-ever loya jirga, or “grand council” in Pashto, since taking back control of Afghanistan, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told ABC News.
The event is taking place at the Kabul Polytechnic University in Afghanistan’s capital on Monday.
The purpose of the loya jirga is to hold consultations with religious scholars, and the source said three issues are under consideration: the teaching style in Afghan schools; whether help from the Taliban’s ulema, a body of Muslim scholars, is needed to avoid a mass exodus of Afghans; and how to encourage the country’s younger generation to work, including women.
Aug 23, 7:44 am
Some 16,300 people evacuated from Kabul in past 24 hours
The United States has evacuated and facilitated the evacuation of approximately 37,000 people from Kabul since Aug. 14 when the Taliban closed in on Afghanistan’s capital, according to a White House official.
In a 24-hour period from Sunday to Monday, 28 U.S. military flights evacuated approximately 10,400 people from Kabul. Another 5,900 people were evacuated via 61 coalition aircraft.
Since the end of July, the U.S. has relocated approximately 42,000 people from Kabul, the White House official said.
Aug 23, 5:28 am
Taliban warns of ‘consequences’ if Biden extends withdrawal deadline: ‘It’s a red line’
Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Sky News that Aug. 31, the date Biden has set for completing the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, is a “red line” and extending it would “provoke a reaction.”
The U.S. president said Sunday he would not rule out extending the withdrawal deadline beyond Aug. 31, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reportedly expected to urge Biden for an extension. But the Taliban spokesman warned “there would be consequences.”
“President Biden announced that on the 31st of August they would withdraw all their military forces. So if they extend it, that means they are extending occupation while there is no need for that,” Shaheen said in a recent interview with Sky News. “I think it will deteriorate the relation that will create mistrust between us.”
Aug 23, 5:05 am
At least 1 killed, 3 wounded in gunfight at Kabul airport
One Afghan soldier was killed and three others were wounded in a shootout with unidentified attackers at the international airport in Kabul on Monday morning, the German military announced via Twitter.
Both German and American forces returned fire when the shooting erupted at the north gate of the Hamid Karzai International Airport. No German soldiers were hurt in the exchange, according to the German military.
The U.S. military is aware of an incident at one of the gates, a defense official told ABC News.
The deadly gun battle occurred as the United States and other Western nations oversaw the evacuation of thousands of Afghan nationals and foreigners desperate to flee the Taliban-controlled country.
Aug 22, 10:48 pm
Southwest to begin domestic refugee flights
Joining other international airlines like United, Delta and American, Southwest Airlines announced Sunday that it will work with the Department of Defense to help transport domestic refugees from Afghanistan.
“We are proud to support our military’s critical humanitarian airlift mission, and we are grateful to our Employees for demonstrating an eagerness to support these military efforts, once again displaying their true Southwest Heart,” the company said in a statement Sunday.
Southwest said it plans to operate four of these types of flights on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week.
“Of course, the Southwest Team stands ready to provide additional support to the Department of Defense, if needed,” the company said.
Aug 22, 5:34 pm
Biden again defends decision to withdraw
The president pushed back against critics who questioned his timing about pulling American forces from Afghanistan.
Biden reiterated that the 20-year war has already left 2,448 Americans dead and 20,722 wounded and cost $300 million a day.
“Either increase the number of forces we keep there and keep that going, or I end the war. I decided to end the war,” he said.
The president stressed that America will remain vigilant against overseas terrorists.
“So the question is, when is the right time to leave? Where are our national interests? Where do they lie?” Biden asked.
(CALIFORNIA) — The California ride-hailing driver suing over the controversial Proposition 22 law said he can “breathe a little easier” after a judge ruled it unconstitutional, but an ongoing legal battle still looms as industry giants ready an appeal.
Proposition 22 — a ballot measure backed by Uber, Lyft and others — defines rideshare and related gig workers as independent contractors instead of employees, a distinction providing them less labor protections under state law.
Corporations spent more than $200 million in support of the measure, according to The Associated Press. Proposition 22 was approved by California voters last November, winning 58% of the vote.
Last Friday, however, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch ruled that Proposition 22 was unconstitutional and unenforceable after a lawsuit was brought forth by three drivers and the Service Employees International Union.
“The court ruling isn’t just about us drivers or Uber or Lyft,” Hector Castellanos, a full-time rideshare driver and one of the plaintiffs on the suit, told reporters during a call organized by the SEIU on Monday. “To me, it also means that corporations can’t spend their way out of following the law.”
“There’s a lot to celebrate, and now I feel like I can breathe a little easier,” Castellanos added. “Sometimes it’s hard to find the words to describe how much this means to me. But one thing for sure is that I’m excited to share this news with more drivers and continuing to speak out and to stand up for our rights.”
Fellow rideshare driver and plaintiff Michael Robinson added that he feels “relieved.”
“Prop 22 was deceptively written by gig corporations to protect their profits,” Robinson said during a press conference organized by the SEIU in California. “I want others to remember that and the court’s ruling as these same gig corporations try to take copy-cat laws on the road.”
“I’m happy that the court sided with drivers, but the fight is far from over,” Robinson said. “We’re going to keep putting a spotlight on how the gig corporations are putting their profits above their workers.”
“We won’t stop until we’re treated with the dignity and respect we deserve,” he added.
Cherri Murphy, a rideshare driver from Oakland, California, told ABC News Monday that she worked at Lyft for three years before she stopped as the pandemic hit last spring because she was worried about risking her and her family’s exposure to the virus. She still works as an organizer fighting for the rights of rideshare drivers in the state.
“This court ruling that Proposition 22 is unconstitutional is a major victory to all drivers across California,” she told ABC News Monday. “What it indicates is that this fight is not over, and it’s a major step of building a more powerful movement for protecting app-based drivers.”
Murphy said the law “disproportionately hurt African Americans, people of color, immigrants and low-wage workers,” and dubbed it a “corporate power grab.”
Lyft referred ABC News’ request for comment to Geoff Vetter, a spokesperson for a group dubbed the Protect App-Based Drivers & Services Coalition that is backed by Uber, Lyft and others and was a defendant in the SEIU suit.
“We believe the judge made a serious error by ignoring a century’s worth of case law requiring the courts to guard the voters’ right of initiative,” Vetter said in a statement. “This outrageous decision is an affront to the overwhelming majority of California voters who passed Prop 22.”
“We will file an immediate appeal and are confident the Appellate Court will uphold Prop 22,” Vetter added. “Importantly, this Superior Court ruling is not binding and will be immediately stayed upon our appeal. All of the provisions of Prop 22 will remain in effect until the appeal process is complete.”
Vetter also shared a comment from Jim Pyatt, a California app-based rideshare driver who supported Proposition 22.
“This ruling is wrong and disrespectful to the hundreds of thousands of app-based rideshare and delivery drivers like me who actively supported Prop 22,” Pyatt stated.
“It’s clear that the special interests behind this frivolous challenge are attacking the overwhelming will of the voters and the decisive wishes of drivers who fought to remain independent,” he added.
An Uber spokesperson told ABC News that it plans to appeal, and that the measure will remain in effect pending the appeal.
“This ruling ignores the will of the overwhelming majority of California voters and defies both logic and the law. You don’t have to take our word for it: California’s Attorney General strongly defended Proposition 22’s constitutionality in this very case,” company spokesperson Noah Edwardsen said in a statement.
“We will appeal and we expect to win,” Edwardsen added. “Meanwhile, Prop. 22 remains in effect, including all of the protections and benefits it provides independent workers across the state.”
Murphy told ABC News that Uber’s announcement does not come as a surprise.
“It doesn’t surprise me but yet it disappoints me,” Murphy said.
Scott Kronland, an attorney representing the SEIU in the suit, said during a call with reports Monday that Judge Roesch’s ruling is “solid” and “well-reasoned.”
“There were several ways in which the drafters of the initiative overreached and included provisions that conflict with our state constitution, which is the higher law, and therefore we expect that the ruling will be upheld on appeal,” Kronland said.
Alma Hernandez, the executive director of the SEIU California, added that she hopes the judge’s ruling will send a “clear” message to states elsewhere that try to enact similar legislation.
“When you’re going to try to go to the ballot to purchase your own law to deny workers basic rights, there will be a fight, and the law will be continued to be upheld by our courts,” Hernandez said.
“I know that this is a national agenda that these companies have tried to run across the country, and they’re trying to mimic Prop. 22 across in other states, but it serves as a warning that these fights will be challenged,” she added. “And they are not on the right side of history.”
