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Jelani Day’s family suspects foul play in son’s death, urges public for answers: ‘Somebody knows something’

September 29, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(BLOOMINGTON, Ill.) — The family of Jelani Day, an Illinois grad student and aspiring doctor whose body was found floating in the Illinois River five days ago, is desperately searching for answers.

Day’s body was found on Sept. 4 and was identified by the LaSalle County Coroner on Sept. 23 through forensic dental identification and DNA testing.

“Jelani did not just disappear into thin air. Somebody knows something, somebody seen something and I need somebody to say something,” Day’s mother, Carmen Bolden Day, told “Good Morning America” on Wednesday.

“I’m very upset because I can’t even look at my son’s body. His body has deteriorated to the point where I can’t say a proper goodbye to him,” she said.

The 25 year-old was living in Bloomington, Illinois, and studying at Illinois State University and was reported missing by his family on Aug. 25 — two days after they had last spoken with him, according to a joint press release from police and the LaSalle County Coroner’s Office.

He was last seen at the university campus on Aug. 24 and his car was found two days later in Peru, Illinois.

Family attorney Hallie Bezner told “GMA” that Day has never been to Peru before and his family suspects foul play.

“The wallet was found in a different area. The lanyard, which it had a school ID on it was not found with the wallet, it was found in a different area — the area with some clothes that were found last week,” Bezner said.

Police in Peru are working to identify a man captured on security cameras knocking on the front door of a home that is close to the location where Day’s body was found. The video was captured a day after Day was last seen and police are urging the public to help identify the man.

The home is in an area that is predominantly white and the owner of the property said that he did not know the male captured on the home security video but after seeing images of Day on the news, sent the video to the police, thinking it could be Day.

Bolden Day said that the Black male seen in the footage is not her son, but wondered whether the man in the video could be connected to her son’s death and said she wished the video had been shared with the public sooner.

Day’s cause of death has not been determined and authorities have not yet named any suspects in Day’s death.

Bolden Day said it was frustrating to see cases like 22-year-old Gabby Petito, a travel blogger whose body was found in Wyoming, get media immediate attention, while her son’s death did not get widespread coverage until his body was identified weeks later.

“I see that Gabby is missing and I see [her] getting the help. I wasn’t getting that attention,” she said.

Since his body was identified, Day’s death has garnered the attention of celebrities like Viola Davis and Lizzo, who have helped share his story and urged the public to help in getting answers surrounding his death.

“Jelani was ambitious. He was driven. He was focused. He was energetic. He was full of life. Jelani was a person that you couldn’t help but love,” Bolden Day said.

ABC News’ Vera Drymon and Jessy Mendoza contributed to this report.

Select committee issues subpoenas to 11 associated with planning of Jan. 6 rally

September 29, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack issued 11 subpoenas Wednesday to organizers of the pro-Trump rally outside the White House that turned into a march on the U.S Capitol.

The committee, which recently subpoenaed Trump’s closest aides and advisers for records and depositions by mid-October, is seeking documents and testimony as part of its investigation into the insurrection at the Capitol and Trump’s actions before, during and after the riot, along with Trump’s broader campaign to challenge the election results from inside and outside the federal government.

Trump himself addressed the rally, which was held just south of the White House on the National Mall.

As part of their inquiry, investigators are reviewing ties and communications between Trump White House associates and organizers of the “Stop the Steal” rally, which was planned for the day Congress convened to affirm the election results. Thousands of people traveled to D.C. for the event, with many going on to assault police officers and forcibly enter the U.S. Capitol, temporarily disrupting the electoral count.

Conservative activist Amy Kremer, who founded “Women for America First,” the group that put together the rally supporting Trump on the day of the electoral vote count, was singled out by the panel in their second tranche of subpoenas, along with her daughter, Kylie.

Caroline Wren and Maggie Mulvaney, who were listed on the event permits with the National Park Service, were also subpoenaed, the committee said. Mulvaney is the niece of former Trump chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and worked on Trump’s presidential campaign.

“The Select Committee is investigating the facts, circumstances, and causes of the January 6th attack and issues relating to the peaceful transfer of power, in order to identify and evaluate lessons learned and to recommend to the House and its relevant committees corrective laws, policies, procedures rules, or regulations,” Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson wrote in the letter to each subpoena recipient. “The inquiry includes examination of how various individuals and entities coordinated their activities leading up to the events of January 6, 2021.”

The panel also subpoenaed Hannah Salem, a GOP operative who was listed on the paperwork and previously served as a senior Trump White House press aide.

Katrina Pierson, a former Trump campaign adviser and Tea Party activist who served as a campaign spokesperson in 2016 and spoke at the Jan. 6 rally was also subpoenaed by the committee.

“Americans will stand up for themselves and protect their rights, and they will demand that the politicians that we elect will uphold those rights, or we will go after them,” Pierson said at the rally.

The others subpoenaed were Cynthia Chafian, who submitted the first permit application for the event, and Justin Caporale, Tim Unes, Megan Powers and Lyndon Brentnall, all of whom were listed on permit paperwork.

The committee said Wednesday it had notified the recipients of the subpoenas within the past 24 hours.

Thompson told reporters last week that the committee could also issue subpoenas to former President Trump’s children as part of its investigation. Trump’s two eldest sons, Donald Jr., and Eric, spoke at the rally, as did his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, and Don Jr.’s girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former Fox News host and Trump campaign adviser.

If there’s a government shutdown, here’s what you need to know

September 29, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — A possible government shutdown is looming as funding runs out at the end of the day Thursday, and Congress has yet to pass a temporary measure to keep the government going.

If one passes both the Senate and House it could be on President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature by Thursday.

But if Congress fails to act, a government shutdown could begin as early as Friday.

If there’s a government shutdown, does everything close?

No, not everything. A full government shutdown would mean federal agencies close their doors or reduce their operations to only what is deemed essential. Programs and agencies that receive mandatory funding or are self-sufficient, such as the U.S. Postal Service, will continue to operate. Only those programs and agencies that are dependent on annual appropriations will be running with empty pockets.

Essential services necessary for public safety such as air traffic control and law enforcement will keep operating — though not necessarily at the same levels.

If essential services continue, why should I care?

During a shutdown, agencies are stripped to the bone, providing only what is necessary to protect life and property or what is required by law. Agency services most directly connected to the public are likely to cease or be severely delayed, seeing “tremendous disruption and uncertainty” as they adjust to reduced staff and operations, according to David Reich of the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

National parks and Smithsonian museums will close, and while people will still receive their Social Security payments, benefit verification, processing overpayments and issuing replacement Medicare cards will stop.

There could be delays in air travel with reductions in the Transportation Security Administration’s workforce. If you have any questions about your taxes, there won’t be anyone on the other end of the line at the Internal Revenue Service because it will not be continuing its customer service.

Will the CDC and FDA close – even though we’re in a pandemic?

No, but there might be delays. Among those agencies that typically see a reduction in operations are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health. While these agencies are integral to coronavirus vaccine distribution and combating the coronavirus, they will be continuing their pandemic-related functions at a much-reduced capacity.

The Department of Health and Human Services, the umbrella agency over the CDC, FDA and NIH, will be furloughing 43% of its employees, according to its shutdown contingency plan. Agencies are responsible for creating their own plans for how they will continue operating if money runs out.

Do we know for sure what services will stop?

Yes, and no. Last week, the White House budget office, the Office of Budget and Management, reminded senior agency officials to review and update their shutdown plans. Some agencies have released their plans outlining what is expected to continue and what will be put on hold.

But according to Maya MacGuineas, the president of the nonpartisan think tank Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, it’s never clear until a shutdown which services will pass the absolutely necessary test.

“But one thing is for sure, a lot of people will go home and won’t be doing their jobs and that slows down the process of just about everything,” she said.

How many workers will be affected?

There are about 2.1 million civilian federal employees, according to the Congressional Research Service. During a shutdown, federal employees are either sent home or asked to work without pay.

For example, the Department of Defense is planning to reduce its civilian workforce by 55%, and the Environmental Protection Agency will be furloughing 99% of its employees.

For a small fraction of federal employees, their salaries are financed through funding other than appropriations.

Yet for the majority of the federal workforce, the essential employees left staffing agencies would be missing out on their paychecks.

Jacqueline Simon, public policy director of the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union representing over 700,000 government workers, said that for many federal employees, the lack of a paycheck creates tremendous hardship.

“They have rent to pay. They have mortgages to pay, insurance payments, car payments, child support,” she said. “There is a myth that federal employees are all well paid professionals and that’s just not true.”

About a third of the employees the union represents fall into the category of people who make less than $40,000 a year and may not have the financial cushion to keep working without pay, Simon said.

Federal employees working through the shutdown get back pay, but that will not help them in the interim.

Will a shutdown affect the economy?

A government shutdown does not usually have widespread impacts on the economy unless they drone on for weeks. The 2018-2019 partial shutdown under the Trump administration resulted in economic losses of $1.2 billion each week; it was the longest in the nation’s history, lasting 35 days.

The longer a shutdown lasts, the more areas with high numbers of federal employees could see their local economies begin to suffer because those employees are not getting paid, according to Richard Kogan of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Government shutdowns create distrust with how the government functions and the uncertainty can impact the economy, MacGuineas said. Compounding the uncertainty is whether Congress is going to pass a raise or suspension to the debt ceiling so the U.S. does not default on its obligations, which is a separate and much more serious issue from the shutdown.

ABC News’ Molly Nagle and Ben Gittleson contributed to this report.

Laundrie bought new cellphone before going on hike, FBI now in possession: Live updates

September 29, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NORTH PORT, Fla.) — A massive search is continuing in Florida for Brian Laundrie, the boyfriend of Gabby Petito, the 22-year-old woman who went missing on a cross-country trip and who authorities confirmed as the body discovered in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming.

The search for the 23-year-old Laundrie is centered around North Port, Florida, where investigators said Laundrie returned to his home on Sept. 1 without Petito but driving her 2012 Ford Transit.

Laundrie has been named by police as a “person of interest” in Petito’s disappearance. Laundrie has refused to speak to the police and has not been seen since Tuesday, Sept. 14, according to law enforcement officials.

The search for Laundrie is the latest twist in the case that has grabbed national attention as he and Petito had been traveling across the country since June, documenting the trip on social media.

Petito’s parents, who live in Long Island, New York, reported her missing on Sept. 11 after not hearing from her for two weeks.

Here are the latest developments. All times Eastern:

Sep 29, 5:34 pm
Laundrie left behind new cellphone before going on hike, family attorney says

Brian Laundrie left a new cellphone at home before he went for a hike in the Carlton Reserve on Sept. 14, Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino confirmed to ABC News.

The phone was purchased on Sept. 4, Bertolino said, three days after Laundrie returned to his home in North Port from a cross-country trip. Laundrie opened an account with AT&T and the phone wasn’t a burner, Bertolino said.

The FBI now has the phone, according to Bertolino. The FBI had no comment to ABC News.

-ABC News’ Kristin Thorne and Whitney Lloyd

Sep 29, 11:00 am
Brian Laundrie and parents went camping after he returned home without Gabby Petito

The nationwide search for Brian Laundrie has turned to a Florida campground, where the wanted fugitive’s family attorney confirmed to ABC News he went camping with his parents about a week after returning home from a cross-country trip without his girlfriend, Gabby Petito.

Steven Bertolino, the attorney for the Laundrie family, said Brian Laundrie, his father, Christopher, and mother, Roberta, all went camping in early September at the Fort De Soto Park in Pinellas County.

Bertolino confirmed the family went on the camping trip after ABC affiliate station WFTS in Tampa obtained the Fort De Soto Park reservation log under the Freedom of Information Act, which showed Roberta Laundrie checked in on Sept. 6 and checked out on Sept. 8.

A Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office helicopter was spotted circling Fort De Soto Park Monday night between 11:40 p.m. until 12:40 a.m., WFTS reported. The sheriff’s office only said the helicopter search of the park was part of an active investigation.

Bertolino said Laundrie returned to his family’s home in North Port, Florida, following the camping excursion. The parents, through their attorney, denied doing anything to help their son elude the FBI.

2 Michigan men charged in separate vaccination card schemes

September 29, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(SOUTHGATE, Mich.) — Federal investigators announced on Wednesday that they’d charged two Michigan men in a pair of unrelated schemes where each allegedly sold phony COVID-19 vaccination cards.

The defendants, one of whom is a registered nurse, allegedly sold the fraudulent cards online via social media accounts and messenger services, prosecutors said.

“Regardless of whether an individual chooses to get vaccinated, we urge everyone to avoid turning to schemes like these to evade vaccination requirements. Importing these cards is a crime. Selling these cards is a crime.” Saima Mohsin, acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, said in a statement.

Bethann Kierczak, 37, of Southgate, Michigan, was charged with theft of government property and theft or embezzlement related to a health care benefit program, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Kierczak, a registered nurse, allegedly stole or embezzled authentic COVID-19 vaccination record cards from a VA hospital along with vaccine lot numbers necessary to make the cards appear legitimate, prosecutors said. He allegedly sold the cards to individuals in the Detroit community for $150 to $200 each and began selling via Facebook Messenger in May.

“Since the matter of public health is so important the VA Office of Inspector General will continue to devote resources to these cases whenever and wherever they arise,” Special Agent in Charge Gregg Hirstein of the VA Office of Inspector General said in a statement.

Rapheal Jarrell Smiley, 32, of Detroit, was charged Wednesday with fraud involving department or agency seals, identity document fraud and trafficking in counterfeit goods, federal prosecutors said.

Smiley allegedly ordered fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards from two distributors in China that have been accused of supplying the phony documents, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Smiley allegedly advertised the cards for sale through his Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Dallas apartment building partially collapses, 7 injured: Officials

September 29, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(DALLAS) — A Dallas apartment building has partially collapsed after firefighters were called to investigate a carbon monoxide leak, according to officials.

When firefighters arrived at the South Dallas apartment building around 10:30 a.m. local time, they noticed an odor of gas around the building, according to Dallas Fire-Rescue.

An explosion occurred while fire crews were investigating the scene, causing the two-story building to partially collapse, officials said.

The fire was producing flames and heavy smoke by 11 a.m., Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans told reporters in a news conference Wednesday afternoon. At least half of the building appeared to be badly damaged and piles of debris from the building could be seen strewn around the structure.

“The damage is extensive,” Evans said. “The collapse itself is extensive.”

Seven people, including at least four firefighters, were injured in the explosion and taken to local hospitals. Two victims are in critical condition; five are in stable condition, according to Dallas Fire-Rescue.

Residents began reporting the smell of gas as early as Tuesday night, Evans said. He did not elaborate on the initial investigation into those reports.

It is unclear what caused the explosion, fire officials said. Additional information was not immediately available.

ABC News’ James Scholz contributed to this report.

Air Force veteran sentenced to 45 days in jail for joining Jan. 6 riot

September 29, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — An Air Force veteran who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for joining the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol was sentenced Wednesday to 45 days in jail — marking the first misdemeanor plea to lead to jail time for a Jan. 6 rioter who was not held prior to sentencing.

Derek Jancart, who was among members of the pro-Trump mob that entered the Capitol and made it as far as Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s conference room, had pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. He was not accused of participating in any violence during the riot.

The Justice Department had asked that he be sentenced to four months in jail, more than they have requested for other lower-level misdemeanor defendants. Prosecutors noted Jancart’s former service in the military, saying he “swore an oath to defend the country, and instead participated on an attack against democracy itself.”

Jancart and his attorney countered by asking Judge James Boasberg to instead sentence him to probation.

At Wednesday’s hearing, Jancart apologized to the court for his actions at the Capitol, saying he “didn’t go there to hurt anybody.”

“I did get caught up in the moment … I wish in hindsight I had stayed back,” Jancart told the court.” I love this country and I feel ashamed of my actions.”

The George Washington University Project on Extremism says that 71 of the more than 600 people charged so far in connection with the Capitol attack have claimed to have military experience. Jancart is the first Jan. 6 defendant with military service to be sentenced for joining in the insurrection.

A co-defendant of Jancart’s, Erik Rau, was also sentenced Wednesday to 45 days in jail.

Rau cried as he addressed the court, saying that his involvement in the Jan. 6 attack had taken a toll on his family.

“I am first of all very sorry that you are having to spend your morning having to deal with me,” Rau said. He told the court that “there is no excuse” for his actions during the insurrection.

To date, more than 80 rioters have pleaded guilty to the charges against them, based on a tally by ABC News. Of the seven other defendants sentenced after pleading guilty to misdemeanor offenses, none have been ordered to spend time in jail, with the exception of two sentenced to time served after they received pretrial detention.

In recent hearings, several judges have expressed concern that the Justice Department is not seeking harsh enough punishments for some of those charged in connection with the attack.

Brian Laundrie, parents went camping after he came home without Gabby Petito: Live updates

September 29, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The search for the 23-year-old Laundrie is centered around North Port, Florida, where investigators said Laundrie returned to his home on Sept. 1 without Petito but driving her 2012 Ford Transit.

The search for Laundrie is the latest twist in the case that has grabbed national attention as he and Petito had been traveling across the country since June, documenting the trip on social media.

Petito’s parents, who live in Long Island, New York, reported her missing on Sept. 11 after not hearing from her for two weeks.

Here are the latest developments. All times Eastern:

Sep 29, 11:00 am
Brian Laundrie and parents went camping after he returned home without Gabby Petito

COVID-19 live updates: One state’s daily cases up by nearly 2,500% since mid-July

September 29, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The United States has been facing a COVID-19 surge as the more contagious delta variant continues to spread.

More than 693,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.7 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 64.9% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the CDC.

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

Sep 29, 12:37 pm
CDC urges pregnant women to get vaccinated

The CDC on Wednesday issued an urgent health advisory to try to increase vaccinations among women who are pregnant, recently pregnant or may become pregnant.

Just 31% of pregnant people have been vaccinated, the CDC said.

As of Monday, pregnant people accounted for 125,000 COVID-19 cases and 161 deaths, the CDC said.

“Cases of COVID-19 in symptomatic, pregnant people have a two-fold risk of admission into intensive care and a 70 percent increased risk of death,” the CDC said.

The agency said it’s calling “on health departments and clinicians to educate pregnant people on the benefits of vaccination and the safety of recommended vaccines.”

Sep 29, 12:16 pm
About 118 million Americans remain unvaccinated

Approximately 118 million Americans remain completely unvaccinated, including 70 million over the age of 12, according to federal data.

On Wednesday, the U.S. is likely to reach a significant vaccine milestone of 200 million adults vaccinated with at least one dose.

Alaska currently has the country’s highest infection rate with daily cases up by nearly 2,500% since mid-July, according to federal data.

West Virginia, once a model for its vaccine rollout, now has more hospitalized patients than at any point in the pandemic.

But states including Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Georgia appear to be improving, federal data show.

Nationwide, around 79,000 people are hospitalized, down by more than 20% since the beginning of September. Even so, ICU capacities in several states, including Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky and Texas, remain at critical levels.

Sep 29, 8:44 am
United Airlines to fire 593 unvaccinated employees

United Airlines plans to immediately terminate up to 593 employees who chose not to get vaccinated under the airline’s mandate.

United said more than 99% of its employees chose to get vaccinated.

Roughly 2,000 employees sought a medical or religious exemption. Because of ongoing litigation, United said it will not reveal how many employees were granted exemptions. United says anyone who applied for an exemption will still be allowed to go to work until a final decision is made on how to handle their cases. The airline expects a decision by Oct. 15.

Sep 28, 7:29 pm
FDA approval for kids’ vaccinations could take longer: Source

The Food and Drug Administration’s approval for the Pfizer vaccine for children between 5 and 11 years old could begin in November, possibly before Thanksgiving, a federal official with knowledge of the agency’s process told ABC News.

This prediction comes after Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday kids will likely start getting vaccinated by late October.

Another official told ABC News that Pfizer has yet to complete its full submission, and that the FDA is not going to be rushed on this.

Pfizer submitted it initial data on younger children to the FDA earlier Tuesday.

The FDA already has scientists reviewing that initial data submitted by Pfizer, according to the official.

Sep 28, 5:07 pm
Forecasters expect US pandemic to continue to improve

The COVID-19 Forecast Hub’s ensemble forecast, used by the CDC, predicts that U.S. hospitalizations will continue to fall — perhaps to as low as 4,600 per day — by Oct. 11.

Forecasters say around 1,600 fewer people are likely to die over the next two weeks than during the past two weeks. In the two weeks ending Sept. 25, at least 27,755 people died from COVID-19 in the U.S. Over the next two weeks ending Oct. 19, just over 26,000 deaths are expected.

Sep 28, 4:33 pm
Pfizer CEO says timeline on shots for kids up to FDA

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told The Atlantic Tuesday that the timeline on shots for children ages 5 to 11 is up to the FDA.

“I think it’s not appropriate for me to comment how long FDA will take to review the data. They should take as much time as they think it’s appropriate for them to have high levels of comfort,” Bourla said.

“If approved, we will be ready to have the vaccine available,” he added.

Vaccines may be authorized and available for 5- to 11-year-olds in October or November.

Bourla said he thinks once kids get vaccinated, the U.S. will get a “strong push” toward herd immunity.

Bourla said he thinks booster protection from Pfizer vaccines will likely last one year.

Rikers Island conditions so bad that prosecutors told not to ask for bail in nonviolent cases

September 29, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Conditions at New York City’s jail complex, Rikers Island, are so bad that Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance has directed prosecutors not to ask for bail in nonviolent crimes and when a defendant’s record does not demonstrate recent violence — even if it risks an increase in additional “low-level” crime.

The directive comes amid a spate of deaths and a culture of violence that have spurred calls for emergency action.

The district attorney’s office said the conditions at Rikers “are of deep concern” and “will inform our bail practices for at least the next few weeks.”

“We hope that the conditions on Rikers Island improve quickly,” executive assistant district attorney Joan Illuzzi said in a memo obtained by ABC News. “While we are duty bound to insure public safety, we are also aware that no one can avert their eyes from the conditions being reported at Rikers. In light of the conditions faced by those individuals detained at Rikers, we have endeavored to ensure that our practices are as equitable as possible, even though we understand that releasing some individuals may, unfortunately, lead to additional low level crime.”

In a follow-up email obtained by ABC News, assistant district attorney Andrew Warshawer said prosecutors won’t ask for monetary bail, for the time being, when: the crime is legally and factually nonviolent and doesn’t implicate risk of physical harm; and the defendant isn’t a violent felon and doesn’t have sex crimes or violent misdemeanor convictions within the last 10 years; and the defendant hasn’t failed to appear for the case.

Warshawer said the office will still ask for supervised release and other non-cash conditions.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday, “It has to be very, very carefully approached.”

“There are some low-level offenses where — I’ve said this for a long time — people do not belong in a jail setting. We can use supervised release, we can use a lot of other tools,” he said. “But when it particularly comes to anything regarding violent crime or serious crime, I would be very, very careful.”

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