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Facebook’s oversight board to meet with whistleblower Frances Haugen

October 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The former Facebook employee who testified before lawmakers last week will now address her concerns with Facebook’s Oversight Board.

Whistleblower Frances Haugen alleged blatant disregard from Facebook executives when they learned their platform could have harmful effects on democracy and the mental health of young people during her testimony before a Senate Commerce subcommittee last Tuesday.

Haugen, a former Facebook product manager, accused Facebook of “choosing to prioritize its profits over people” in her opening statement before lawmakers.

“You can declare moral bankruptcy and we can figure out a fix [to] these things together because we solve problems together,” Haugen said.

Her remarks sparked a backlash toward Facebook from lawmakers and others on a range of issues, such as Facebook’s ability to hold high-profile users accountable to its rules through its so-called “cross check” program, the effectiveness of which was called into question by a Wall Street Journal investigation.

“In light of the serious claims made about Facebook by Ms. Haugen, we have extended an invitation for her to speak to the Board over the coming weeks, which she has accepted,” the board said in a statement Monday. “Board members appreciate the chance to discuss Ms. Haugen’s experiences and gather information that can help push for greater transparency and accountability from Facebook through our case decisions and recommendations.”

The Oversight Board teased that “scrutinizing cross-check” will be among the issues discussed with Haugen. Further details on the upcoming meetings with Haugen were not immediately disclosed Monday.

“As the Board shared in September, we are currently looking into whether Facebook has been fully forthcoming in its responses on its ‘cross-check’ system and will share our analysis in our first release of quarterly transparency reports later this month,” the panel said in a statement. “Facebook has also said it will ask the Board to review how cross-check can be improved and to offer recommendations.”

The Oversight Board was launched to operate independently of Facebook and it decides how the company handles controversial issues, such as the decision to ban former President Donald Trump. Critics though have questioned how much autonomy and power the panel actually possesses when regulating the tech giant.

Facebook has responded to critics who claim the board is an attempt to shirk regulation on its website, saying the Oversight Board is “not a panacea.”

“Facebook sees the board as an important but single piece within a wider content moderation regime, which includes updated internet regulations,” the company stated on its website.

In a statement on Twitter, Haugen said she welcomes the opportunity to meet with the Oversight Board.

“I have accepted the invitation to brief the Facebook Oversight Board about what I learned while working there,” she wrote. “Facebook has lied to the board repeatedly, and I am looking forward to sharing the truth with them.”

Democrats will reach a deal on Biden’s agenda: Hillary Clinton on ‘The View’

October 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(SAN FRANCISCO) — Pacific Gas & Electric warned tens of thousands of customers in California that their power may be shut off Monday to help prevent wildfires due to severe wind and drought conditions in the area.

The preemptive shutdowns, at the inconvenience of customers, come as the company is still reeling from fallout related to deadly blazes in 2018 and 2020 authorities say were sparked by trees hitting the power grid. They also come as climate change has exacerbated California’s wildfires, stoking conditions experts say have led to the larger and deadlier blazes seen in recent years.

The company sent shutoff warnings to nearly 25,000 customers spanning 22 counties — including Alameda, Fresno and Napa — in northern and central California on Sunday.

On Monday, PG&E updated on its website that shutoffs were required and its map of outages indicated power had been temporarily turned off in a slew of communities in the state’s Northern Sierra Foothills region, North Coast region and beyond.

“Since Friday, PG&E meteorologists have been tracking the weather system, which is expected to start Sunday night and bring wind gusts of up to 50 mph by Monday morning,” the company said in a statement Sunday. “PG&E’s in-house meteorologists, its Wildfire Safety Operations Center and its Emergency Operations Center continue to monitor conditions closely.”

Customers impacted were notified via text, email and automated phone calls beginning Saturday, the company said. More information on the latest status in specific neighborhoods can be found on PG&E’s website, along with tips for customers on how to prepare for the planned outages — such as unplugging appliances and using battery-powered flashlights.

Counties that would likely see the most customers impacted include Tehama (where 5,342 customers were sent warnings), Solano (4,561 customers) and Lake (4,008 customers). PG&E initially said it expects “minimal impact” to be felt by customers in the Bay Area and Central Valley.

The National Weather Service has warned of high winds in California due to a powerful storm in the west bringing a “critical fire weather” warning in central and northern California through Tuesday.

The so-called Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS), which proactively turn off power in an effort to reduce the risk of wildfire from energized power lines, come as California has been battling larger and deadlier blazes in recent years linked to climate change.

The preemptive power shutdowns also come as PG&E has been embroiled in controversy linked to the wildfires. Late last month, the company was charged with involuntary manslaughter and other counts related to the 2020 Zogg Fire, which was sparked by a tree contacting a PG&E electric line.

PG&E CEO Patti Poppe disputed the criminal charges in a statement shortly after they were announced, saying, “We’ve accepted CAL FIRE’s determination, reached earlier this year, that a tree contacted our electric line and started the Zogg Fire. We accept that conclusion. But we did not commit a crime.”

“This was a tragedy, four people died. And my coworkers are working so hard to prevent fires and the catastrophic losses that come with them. They have dedicated their careers to it, criminalizing their judgment is not right,” Poppe added.

The latest legal action taken against the firm comes after the company pleaded guilty last year to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of unlawfully starting a fire for its link to the ignition of the devastating 2018 Camp Fire.

In her statement, Poppe noted steps the firm is taking to prevent wildfires, saying it is investing more than $1.4 billion in 2021 alone in vegetation management, removing 300,000 trees and trimming a million more, working toward burying 10,000 miles of power lines and more.

COVID-19 live updates: Daily death average nearly 8 times higher than in mid-July

October 11, 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 713,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.8 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 66% 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:

Oct 11, 12:41 pm

Daily death average nearly 8 times higher than in mid-July

Although daily deaths have declined by about 17% in the last four weeks, the U.S. is still reporting an average of 1,465 new deaths each day, according to federal data. Over the last four days alone, the U.S. reported another 7,500 confirmed COVID-19 deaths.

The death average is nearly eight times higher than in mid-July when the national average had dropped to a near pandemic low of 192 daily deaths, according to federal data.

But hospitalization admissions have dropped by about 11.4% in the last week, according to federal data.

There are currently about 65,000 COVID-19 patients in U.S. hospitals, down from 104,000 patients in late August.

In the Mountain Region — Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming — hospital admissions are steadily trending up, federal data show. In the Northeast, hospital admissions are no longer trending down.

-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

Oct 11, 12:13 pm
Boston Marathon returns with COVID protocols in place

The Boston Marathon returned with 18,000 runners on Monday following a two-year hiatus.

The field size was reduced by 36% this year while another 28,000 runners participated in the race virtually.

Runners were required to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. Although masks were not mandated for the 26.2-mile course, face coverings were enforced on participant transportation, as well as for volunteers who interacted with participants.

According to the Boston Marathon Association, 95% of all Boston Marathon volunteers were vaccinated and 100% of Boston Marathon medical volunteers were vaccinated.

Fauci gives Halloween safety guidance, says ‘go out there and enjoy’

October 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Children can safely celebrate Halloween this year even as the coronavirus pandemic upends the holiday for the second straight year, according to the nation’s top infectious disease expert.

White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN Sunday that kids can “go out there and enjoy Halloween,” an approach he attributed to the fact that more and more people are now vaccinated against COVID-19 and that most Halloween activities, including trick-or-treating, are held outdoors.

“It’s a good time to reflect on why it’s important to get vaccinated,” he said, urging unvaccinated adults and teens to get shots before Halloween. “But go out there and enjoy Halloween.”

“This is a time that children love,” Fauci added. “It’s a very important part of the year for children.”

Fauci’s go-ahead on Halloween comes as COVID-19 hospitalizations, cases and deaths are declining nationwide.

But experts caution the virus could rebound if enough people remain unvaccinated.

Last week, Pfizer and BioNTech submitted a request to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use authorization for their vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11. But the timing means the vaccine will not be available for kids in that age group before Halloween.

The Pfizer vaccine is currently authorized for emergency use in children ages 12 to 15 and is approved by the FDA for people ages 16 and older.

Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital, is the father of two young children. He said he plans to have a more “normal” Halloween with his kids this year, complete with outdoor trick-or-treating.

“It’s safe to say that trick-or-treating is an activity that all kids can partake in,” said Brownstein, who is also an ABC News contributor. “Kids can feel quite excited by the fact that I think they will have a generally normal Halloween compared to last year.”

Here are four questions answered by Brownstein about how to have a safe Halloween this year.

1. Does my child need to wear a mask while trick-or-treating this year?

In most cases, no, according to Brownstein.

“Every parent has to make their own sort of risk calculation, but given where we are in this pandemic, I think, generally, mask wearing outside is probably unnecessary,” he said, noting that data from nearly two years of the pandemic show that outdoor activities are “generally safe,” even for children who are not yet vaccinated.

“Of course, every family should make decisions that are right for them and the underlying risks of their kids and household members,” Brownstein added. “And luckily, Halloween costumes can make mask-wearing less stigmatizing.”

2. Are indoor Halloween events safe for my kids to attend?

While Brownstein is planning to trick-or-treat outdoors with his kids, he said they are planning to wait another year before attending big, indoor Halloween events.

“The bigger questions that come into play around indoor activities may involve unvaccinated people,” he said. “That’s where masking and good ventilation may be more appropriate.”

Brownstein added that people who do choose to attend indoor Halloween events this year should make sure that people at the event are vaccinated if they are eligible. He also suggests relying on additional layers of protection like social distancing and COVID-19 testing, in addition to masking and good ventilation.

3. Should my family use rapid tests? Are they reliable?

Brownstein said that in addition to vaccination, another major difference between this Halloween and last is that rapid tests are now widely available for use and are particularly smart for indoor events.

“Because rapid tests are becoming more and more pervasive, we should all be using them as a tool to limit the risk to unvaccinated people or the risk of breakthrough infections,” said Brownstein. “Within a short time frame of an event, taking a rapid test, while not 100% foolproof, will give some good reassurance that you’re not putting other people at risk by joining an indoor event.”

“I have a bunch on hand at home, ready to use as needed, so I think those are incredibly effective,” he said.

4. Does a ‘normal’ Halloween mean we’ll also have a ‘normal’ Thanksgiving and Christmas?

Brownstein said he is hopeful that more and more families and friends will be able to spend the holidays safely together this year, but stressed the importance of maintaining good public health practices to keep everyone safe, especially since the upcoming holidays typically involve more travel and time spent indoors.

“While this holiday means that we can gather more seamlessly and in a slightly more normal way, there are small things that we can all do to try to limit transmission,” he said, citing masking as a critical tool. “Transmission takes place through droplets and aerosols so whatever we can do to limit transmission will ultimately have a direct impact on whether we see a surge post-holiday.”

He added, “As we know, those surges can lead to even more significant public health measures that we’re all trying to avoid, so the small things we do during the holiday can mean even a more enjoyable life post-holiday.”

COVID-19 live updates: Boston Marathon returns with COVID protocols in place

October 11, 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.

Just 66% 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:

Oct 11, 12:13 pm
Boston Marathon returns with COVID protocols in place

The Boston Marathon returned with 18,000 runners on Monday following a two-year hiatus.

The field size was reduced by 36% this year while another 28,000 runners participated in the race virtually.

According to the Boston Marathon Association, 95% of all Boston Marathon volunteers were vaccinated and 100% of Boston Marathon medical volunteers were vaccinated.

US in middle of constitutional crisis: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on ‘The View’

October 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The United States is in the midst of a constitutional crisis, former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton said Monday on The View.

“That gives me absolutely no satisfaction in saying this, because I think we’re at a very dangerous, continuing high-level attack on the legitimacy of our government and the election of our president. Obviously, our former president is not only behind it, he incited it, he encouraged it and he continues to do so,” Clinton said in reference to the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Clinton recently said new and often restrictive voting legislation enacted in Republican-led states is “like the frog dropped into the water. It’s boiling.”

“People are still arguing about stuff that is important, but not as fundamental as whether or not our democracy will be broken and then taken over and minority rule will be what we live under,” she added onstage at the Atlantic Festival.

The narrow Democratic majority in the United States Senate has proven to be a difficulty for President Joe Biden, whose agenda hinges on unanimous support from those in his party. The filibuster is preventing Democrats from passing legislation with a simple majority vote, and the party isn’t in agreement on whether or not the Senate rule needs to be reformed.

Clinton said she would “absolutely” end the filibuster to allow intervention against some of the actions taken in the states, like transferring some of the power of election administration to state legislatures.

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

US Navy engineer and wife allegedly tried to sell nuclear submarine secrets

October 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(MARTINSBURG, WVa.) — A current U.S. Navy engineer and his wife were charged with sending restricted naval data internationally, with the intention of selling it, court records unsealed over the weekend show.

Jonathan Toebbe and his wife, Diana Toebbe, allegedly communicated through encryption services with an undercover FBI agent and attempted to sell submarine data that was restricted, according to a criminal complaint.

The FBI were brought into the case from the beginning, court documents say.

Starting in December 2020, an unspecified country received a package from the United States, containing U.S. Navy documents as well as an SD disc and a letter explaining that it was not a hoax, the FBI says.

“Please forward this letter to your military intelligence agency. I believe this information will be of great value to your nation,” the letter in the package allegedly said. “This is not a hoax.”

They turned it over to the FBI legal attaché in the country, and FBI began to communicate through encrypted email, according to the complaint. Allegedly on the other side of that encrypted email was Jonathan Toebbe.

The FBI alleges he asked to be compensated in cryptocurrency writing in an email that, “Face to face meetings are very risky for me, as I am sure you understand. I propose exchanging gifts electronically, for mutual safety.”

An undercover FBI agent whom he was communicating with was posing as a representative of a foreign country, and allegedly suggested a drop location for him to drop off sensitive information, according to the complaint.

Court documents say Toebbe asked for a signal to be placed in the country’s main building as a sign of good faith while he visited Washington, D.C., which the FBI placed, and as a sign of good faith, paid Toebbe $10,000 in cryptocurrency.

After the exchange, the government alleges Teobbe dropped sensitive documents in West Virginia, while his wife allegedly acted as a lookout.

“Records show that JONATHAN TOEBBE is a government employee working as a nuclear engineer for the United States Navy and holds an active Top Secret Security Clearance through the United States Department of Defense and an active Q clearance from the United States Department of Energy,” the documents state.

The government alleges that Toebbe put an SD card containing restricted naval data inside a peanut butter sandwich.

“Specifically, the U.S. Navy subject matter expert determined that several of the documents contained militarily sensitive design elements, operating parameters, and performance characteristics of Virginia-class submarine reactors,” court documents state.

In total, Toebbe allegedly received $100,000 for dropping off restricted data.

He allegedly conducted three drop-offs.

“The U.S. Navy subject matter expert determined that multiple documents on the SD card contained Restricted Data. Specifically, the U.S. Navy subject matter expert determined that the document contained schematic designs for the Virginia-class submarine. Virginia-class submarines are nuclear-powered cruise missile fastattack submarines, which incorporate the latest in stealth, intelligence gathering, and weapons systems technology,” the documents say. “Virginia-class submarines, with a per unit cost of approximately $3 billion, are currently in service with the United States Navy and are expected to remain in service until at least 2060.”

The Toebbes were arrested in Jefferson County, West Virginia, by the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Saturday. They will appear in federal court in Martinsburg, West Virginia, on Tuesday. They have been charged in a criminal complaint alleging violations of the Atomic Energy Act.

Remains found in California desert may belong to missing 30-year-old

October 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif.) — Remains found in a Southern California desert this weekend may belong to 30-year-old Lauren “El” Cho, who has been missing for months, authorities said.

The remains were recovered during a Saturday search for Cho “in the rugged terrain of the open desert of Yucca Valley,” the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said.

The remains haven’t been identified and a cause of death hasn’t been released. The sheriff’s office said the identification process could take several weeks.

Cho, from New Jersey, was reported missing on June 28 “when she reportedly walked away” from the Yucca Valley home where she was staying, the sheriff’s department said.

The search for Cho was launched this summer and included planes searching the remote mountain terrain and canines scouring the area for evidence, the sheriff’s office said.

Cho’s family describes her as “a talented musician, an incredible baker, a hilarious and loyal friend, a strangely intuitive gift giver, and probably the coolest sister one could hope for.”

“We need her home,” the family wrote last month.

William Shatner channels Captain Kirk for historic Blue Origins space flight

October 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — William Shatner will make history Wednesday as he boldly goes where few have gone before while aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard.

The Star Trek actor who played the iconic Captain Kirk joined Good Morning America Monday along with his fellow flight crew members as they anxiously await their delayed departure.

“I’m deeply disappointed because I was building up the enthusiastic response, now we have to wait another day,” Shatner said. “[But] it’s really worth it. What’s a day with this extraordinary experience that we’re about to have.”

The 11-minute ride to the edge of space about 60 miles above the earth’s surface comes just two months after the first successful Jeff Bezos-owned space flight with Wally Funk, 82.

Shatner, 90, is set to become the oldest person ever to go to space and will hit weightlessness in zero gravity for about four minutes.

Blue Origin crew member Audrey Powers told GMA that this trip and opportunity was a long time coming.

“They offered me the opportunity to represent all those great people and sit in the seats, so I could not be more overwhelmed at the opportunity,” she said. “I feel an enormous sense of responsibility to represent this team.”

Glen de Vries, a fellow Blue Origin crew member and passenger, added, “this is how innovation happens.”

“This is the beginning of a new time for space and we’re on the beginning of a curve that’s going to blast off,” he said. “That’s a metaphor for that adventure that we’re literally going to have together. I can’t wait.”

Shatner said he expects plenty of Captain Kirk references as the world watches him and the crew in flight.

“Actually, I haven’t heard Shatner in a long time,” he said with a laugh.

New Shepard’s 18th mission, NS-18, has targeted liftoff on Oct. 13, at 8:30 am CT from Launch Site One in West Texas.

Selma Blair opens up about living with MS in new documentary

October 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Selma Blair is getting candid about living with multiple sclerosis in a new documentary.

In Introducing, Selma Blair, the actress opens up about how she is embracing the disease and how she is feeling after undergoing a stem cell transplant in 2019.

“At this moment, I’m great,” Blair told Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts in an interview. “It is important to say, ‘at this very moment’ and I don’t want to be complaining although I — I always say, ‘I have no complaints but do you have a minute?’ It’s like my joyful thing.”

Blair added, “I have more gains than losses. And I do have things that can sometimes be embarrassing but this part of it that I do want to show ’cause that’s the part that’s healing, and perfect, and acceptance — the glitches, maybe some of the speech.”

The actress, who is known for her roles in films such as Cruel Intentions and Legally Blonde, first shared her MS diagnosis on Instagram in 2018. Months later, she spoke with GMA her daily battle with the disease.

Blair said that coming forward with her illness has meant a lot to others, including her fans and followers.

“What I saw when people came up after an Instagram post or especially your show that I was on — how much it meant,” she said. “And that moved me more than I had been moved by other things that I have achieved in my life or done.”

The documentary, which will show viewers what went into Blair’s decision to get the stem cell transplant, will show her fears about receiving the procedure, which is still experimental for MS and not a cure, and the intensive rounds of chemo she had to do to help “reboot” the immune system. Stem cell transplants are not yet FDA approved for the treatment of MS.

“I kinda got to a critical point and my nervous system and more symptoms and I couldn’t stay awake,” Blair said. “I was mortally afraid of chemo my whole life. I’m someone that’s always gone holistic when I can.”

But Blair said that after one dose of chemo, she was talking clearly and the inflammation started to go down. Now, she revealed her brain is free from forming new lesions, but she does have volume loss in some speech and movement areas and prefrontal damage — things she takes medicine for throughout the day.

“I chose this as a marker in my life to want to live, to want to be a person that can show other people with chronic illness, disabilities, an injury they couldn’t get over, a hit,” she said. “I just took a hit. And we take hits. … And that resilience is possible.”

As for acting, she hopes it’s something she can return to someday.

“If the right thing — I’m not looking, but God knows I would never say I wouldn’t dream of being a part of an amazing set one day.”

For now, she’s taking things one step at a time and finding joy.

“We have to take care of ourselves and be patient,” Blair said. “And better times come. Maybe not for good. Maybe it’s not a cure. But more than not, better times will come. We’re meant to have joy on this earth. I never felt that before.”

Introducing, Selma Blair will hit theaters Oct. 15.

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