News – Page 3292 – 105.7 WDNY

Biden backs Cuban protests as island’s president blames ‘imperialist’ provocations

July 12, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden on Monday released a statement in solidarity with the thousands of Cubans who protested over the weekend about shortages and rising prices for food and medicine amid the coronavirus pandemic in what’s being called an unprecedented rejection of the island nation’s government.

Cuba’s communist leadership has already denounced the protests as a “systemic provocation” by Cuban dissidents and the U.S. government, encouraged its supporters to counter protests, and sent its armed forces into the streets, risking clashes with demonstrators.

“We stand with the Cuban people and their clarion call for freedom and relief from the tragic grip of the pandemic and from the decades of repression and economic suffering to which they have been subjected by Cuba’s authoritarian regime,” Biden said in a statement Monday.

“The Cuban people are bravely asserting fundamental and universal rights. Those rights, including the right of peaceful protest and the right to freely determine their own future, must be respected. The United States calls on the Cuban regime to hear their people and serve their needs at this vital moment rather than enriching themselves,” he said.

Sunday’s protests, in several cities across the island, are some of the biggest anti-government demonstrations in Cuba’s recent history, and Biden had been called on to show support for the protests.

While he helped the Obama administration’s efforts to ease tensions with Cuba and reopen trade and travel, Biden has kept most of former President Donald Trump’s sanctions and restrictions in place on America’s close neighbor and longtime adversary.

The administration says it is still reviewing its Cuba policy, earning the ire of progressives in the Democratic Party, but with these nearly unprecedented demonstrations, it may have to move more quickly than it hoped.

So far, the administration has voiced support for the Cuban people’s right to peacefully assemble and condemned any violence. Prior to Biden’s statement, acting Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere Julie Chung and Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan weighed in with that sentiment.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged public grievances over blackouts and food and medicine shortages during a televised address Monday, but he blamed the island nation’s problems on the long-standing U.S. embargo and accused American “imperialists” of stoking tensions on social media.

“Yesterday, Cuba lived the most heroic day. Thousands of patriotic people defend the Revolution,” he said on state television, referring to pro-government demonstrations in Havana later on Sunday.

“We do not want to hurt our beloved people,” added Díaz-Canel, who assumed the presidency in 2019 and became the first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party this April, officially taking over for Raúl Castro.

Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla had even sharper words Monday, firing back at Sullivan and Chung’s statements of support for protests by saying the White House has “no political or moral authority to speak about Cuba.”

“His government has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to promote subversion in our country & implements a genocidal blockade, which is the main cause of economic scarcities,” he tweeted, referring directly to Sullivan’s statement.

Cuba is going through its worst economic crisis in decades, with its economy contracting by double-digits last year. But along with the economic crisis, the country is dealing with another deadly surge of COVID-19.

Surfside building collapse latest: Death toll rises to 94

July 12, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(SURFSIDE, Fla.) — The death toll of the devastating partial collapse of a 12-story residential building in Surfside, Florida last month rose to 94, officials announced Monday.

The recovery effort entered its 19th day on Monday and officials said 84 victims are now identified, 222 people are accounted for, and 22 are potentially unaccounted for.

Mayor Miami-Dade Daniella Cava also spoke about the weather’s impact on the recovery mission during a news conference Monday. She said that the weather service was embedded in the recovery efforts and that weather issues are expected for the next few days.

The mayor also said that police and medical examiner teams were working around the clock to identify victims and that 207 families have been served at a family assistance center.

The disaster occurred on June 24 around 1:15 a.m. local time at the Champlain Towers South condominium in the small, beachside town of Surfside, about 6 miles north of Miami Beach. Approximately 55 of the oceanfront complex’s 136 units were destroyed, according to officials. The rest of the building was demolished, due to concerns over structural integrity and an incoming tropical storm.

The death toll has soared since the remainder of the condo building was destroyed and no longer posed a threat to the recovery search area.

While there is still much recovery work to be done, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told reporters family members and first responders took part in a memorial walk on Saturday night and paid tribute to everyone who has supported the efforts.

Levine Cava thanked the search and rescue teams who came from Israel and provided two commanders with keys to the city before they departed back home.

“We took a moment to celebrate and thank the men and women from all the search and rescue teams … who have been working 24 hours a day for the last two and a half weeks,” she said.

The cause of the partial collapse to a building that has withstood decades of hurricanes remains unknown and is under investigation. Built in the 1980s, the Champlain Towers South was up for its 40-year recertification and had been undergoing roof work — with more renovations planned — when it partially collapsed, according to officials.

Surveys and inspections of the surrounding buildings are still ongoing.

Miami-Dade County official tests positive for COVID-19, raising concern about Surfside site

July 12, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(MIAMI) — Jose “Pepe” Diaz, chairman of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, has tested positive for COVID-19, his office announced in a statement Sunday night.

Diaz’s chief of staff, Isidoro Lopez, also tested positive for the virus.

“Both started experiencing flu-like symptoms earlier today and will be isolating,” the statement read. “Staff and others who have been in close contact with them will be getting tested between today and tomorrow.”

The two men have been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the statement.

Although the chances of contracting the novel coronavirus after being fully vaccinated are very rare, so-called breakthrough cases are still possible. Health officials and experts alike have warned that new, more contagious variants of the virus may be more effective at evading vaccines.

Diaz, 60, has been among the officials on the site of a condominium collapse in the small, beachside town of Surfside, about 6 miles north of Miami Beach. Since the deadly disaster occurred before dawn on June 24, Diaz has been seen regularly attending press briefings and closed-door meetings. The news of his infection raises concern about a potential outbreak among those who have been on the site.

For weeks, hundreds of first responders from various search and rescue teams across Florida, the United States and even other countries have been combing through the vast wreckage in Surfside, pulling out bodies and belongings from the pancaked layers of rubble. During a press briefing on July 2, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Alan Cominsky revealed that at least six workers have tested positive for COVID-19. The workers were members of the same task force but were no longer on the site. Investigators were conducting contact tracing and testing of all other workers, according to Cominsky.

It was unclear whether the infected workers were vaccinated or if anyone had been placed in quarantine.

The search for bodies is ongoing, as 22 people remain listed as missing. At least 94 people have been confirmed dead, according to officials.

Florida, home to some 21.5 million people, has reported more than 2.4 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and over 38,000 deaths from the disease. More than 43% of the Sunshine State’s population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University.

On Friday, the Florida Department of Health reported an increase in COVID-19 cases and a higher positive test rate over the past week. The number of newly confirmed cases rose by about 8,000 compared with the week prior, for a total of 23,747 new cases. Meanwhile, the rate of positive COVID-19 tests statewide was 7.8%, compared with 5.2% the week before.

Amazon users report website down

July 12, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — If you were trying to make a purchase on Amazon overnight, you may have run into some issues.

Several users went on Twitter to complain that they couldn’t get past the homepage after logging into their accounts or that they weren’t able to complete their purchases.

The website Downdetector, which tracks outages, says there were more than 38,000 reports of users having trouble with Amazon’s site after 11 p.m. ET Sunday.

Service on the site has since been restored.

Biden statement on Cuba protests: ‘We stand with the Cuban people’

July 12, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Sunday’s protest was one of the biggest anti-government demonstrations in Cuba in recent history and Biden has been called on to show support for the protests.

One of the first responses from the U.S. government came overnight from Julie Chung, the acting assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, who tweeted out support for the Cuban people’s right for peaceful assembly but condemned any violence — a sentiment echoed by national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla threw cold water on the U.S. statements on Monday, saying the White House has “no political or moral authority to speak about Cuba.”

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, in a televised address earlier Monday, acknowledged public grievances relating to blackouts, food and medicine shortages, but defended the regime’s leadership and, instead, blamed many of the island’s problems on the U.S. embargo.

Díaz-Canel also accused the “imperialists” — a term commonly used to refer to the U.S. — of interfering by stoking tensions on social media, allegedly urging the public to go out onto the streets.

Along with experiencing an economic crisis, the country is dealing with another deadly surge of COVID-19.

Teenager abducted from basement of his home found badly injured, three suspects arrested

July 12, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(PHILADELPHIA) — A 17-year-old boy who was abducted from the basement of his own home has been found badly injured at a property about a mile away as three suspects have been taken into custody.

The incident occurred at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Sunday evening when authorities say an unnamed 17-year-old boy was abducted from the basement of his home in Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, according to ABC News’ Philadelphia station WPVI.

When officers arrived to the scene of the crime, the teen’s family members told authorities they heard a noise coming from the basement of the family’s house that sounded like a struggle, but when they went to see what was going on they discovered that the 17-year-old had vanished, according to WPVI.

Family members discovered a bullet hole in the basement but told authorities that they did not hear a gun discharge at any point during the struggle.

The Philadelphia Police Department said that the victim’s vehicle was still parked outside of the home at the time of the suspected abduction and blood and three bullets were also found in the vicinity outside the house, according to WPVI.

After conducting their initial investigation, authorities were able to pinpoint the boy’s location thanks to his cellphone, police told WPVI.

“We were able to track the 17-year-old’s cellphone to a property in the 6200 block of Trotter Street,” Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told WPVI. “When police went to that location, they declared it a barricade since we believed that this was an abduction point of gun.”

Hostage negotiators and a SWAT unit were immediately dispatched to the suspected location of the 17-year-old at approximately 2 a.m. Monday morning.

Upon arrival, authorities were able to make contact with three suspects involved in the abduction — one male and two females, all in their 20’s — before convincing them to exit the property, according to WPVI.

Police entered the premises and found the 17-year-old bleeding heavily and suffering from bruising to his face and head while he was in and out of consciousness.

The teen was taken to a local area hospital to be treated for his injuries and was reunited with his family after the three-hour ordeal.

Authorities say that they don’t yet know the motive of the abduction but did confirm to WPVI that they believe the teenager has a history with at least one, if not all, of the three suspects involved in the case.

The Philadelphia Police Department was able to identify all three people involved in the abduction with help from the victim and they were subsequently arrested and taken into custody where they are awaiting charges. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Key ways to prevent kids from drowning, according to new AAP report

July 12, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The American Academy of Pediatrics released a new report that identified top drowning risks for children and recommendations to help prevent tragedy.

Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death in the U.S. for children ages 1 to 4 and the third-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death in children and teens 5 to 19, according to the AAP.

The latest research from the AAP’s Prevention of Drowning report found that male toddlers and teenage boys are at the highest risk of drowning.

The report also emphasized that no single intervention, such as swim lessons or lifeguards, is sufficient and therefore recommended “multiple layers of protection to prevent drowning.”

AAP’s key ways to prevent children from drowning:

– Close, constant, attentive and capable adult supervision when children are in and around water as well as life jacket use among children and adults.

– To prevent unsupervised access, four-sided pool fencing at least 4-feet tall with self-closing and self-latching gates that completely isolates the pool from the house and yard.

– In the home, be aware that infant bath seats can tip over, and children can slip out of them and drown in even a few inches of water in a bathtub. Infants should never be left alone in a tub, even for a minute.

– Parents and caregivers should prevent unsupervised access to the swimming pool, open water or a bathtub.

– To prevent drowning in toilets, young children should not be left alone in the bathroom, and toilet locks may be helpful.

– Water should be emptied from containers, such as pails and buckets, immediately after use.

Check out more information from the full report.

Three shot outside barbershop after argument between two men over who won foot race a month ago

July 12, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(HOUSTON) — Three people have been shot outside of a barbershop following an argument between two men in their 40’s allegedly over who came first in a foot race over a month ago.

The incident occurred at approximately 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 10, in northeast Houston when the Houston Police Department received a call regarding a shooting involving several victims outside the Mean Kutz barbershop, according to ABC News’ Houston station KTRK.

“There were two males that were arguing outside the barbershop here over who ran a race faster,” said Houston Police Department Assistant Chief Wendy Baimbridge told KTRK in a short press conference following the shooting. “So at that point, one of the victims started walking away from the argument. The suspect then shot him twice in the shoulder.”

Two innocent bystanders who were inside the barbershop at the time were also struck in the shootout. One was shot in the rear end while the other was shot in the arm, according to Baimbridge.

The suspect who initially began firing subsequently fled the scene of the crime traveling eastbound away from the barbershop in a black Nissan Frontier. Authorities said they do not have the vehicle’s license plate at this time.

The Houston Police Department confirmed that they have gathered video evidence from the phone of a witness as well as surveillance footage from a liquor store next to the barbershop.

One victim was taken to Kingwood Hospital to be treated while the other two were taken to Memorial Hospital. None of the three people who were shot suffered life-threatening injuries and all are expected to survive.

“I just came to get a haircut but that didn’t go as planned,” said one woman who witnessed the shooting.

The suspect is currently at large and major assault detectives are currently investigating the incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact Houston Police Department’s Major Assault Division or Crime Stoppers.

Several injured after man drives truck into crowd following ejection from club: Police

July 12, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Ivan Pereira, ABC News

(HIRAM, Ga.) — Several people were injured at a Georgia club Saturday night after an ejected patron, who was allegedly intoxicated, reportedly opened fire into the crowd before ramming his truck into the establishment, police said.

The incident took place at the 278 South Club in Hiram, Georgia, around 11:30 p.m. Saturday when the staff reportedly asked Eduardo Morales, 34, to leave, because he had become too intoxicated, the Hiram Police Department said in a statement. Morales left in his Dodge Ram 2500, but allegedly returned a short time later with a firearm and began opening fire, the police said.

“When his weapon was empty, Morales then drove the vehicle into the bar through the front doors striking numerous patrons,” the police said in a statement.

Other patrons stopped the suspect after his vehicle allegedly got stuck and he tried to reload his weapon, the police said.

One person inside the bar was grazed by a bullet and another patron was hit twice by the vehicle, the police said. Both victims were was treated and released at a local hospital.

ABC affiliate WSB reported that a security guard was among those hurt, one woman’s legs were crushed under the truck and another woman sustained a head injury from a fallen beam. Another man who helped wrestle the gun away from Morales had broken legs, while other patrons sustained minor injuries, WSB reported.

Morales was treated for minor injuries and arrested by police, investigators said. He has been charged with aggravated assault and aggravated battery, and more charges are pending, the police said.

The club released a statement on its Facebook page sending its thoughts and prayers to the victims.

“We’ve always put our customer’s safety first and foremost and we are devastated. We like to believe most people are good….and it showed last night,” the post said.

This mom’s daughter died after swallowing a battery. Here’s what she wants you to know

July 12, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Trista Hamsmith’s 18-month-old daughter, Reese, died in December, two months after Hamsmith discovered her daughter had swallowed a button battery, the small, round batteries found in many home devices and toys.

Now Hamsmith, of Lubbock, Texas, is on a mission to make sure no other parent has to suffer the pain and loss her family has experienced.

“When we thought everything was going to be fine, I just had this vision of advocating for the safety and awareness of button batteries with Reese by my side,” Hamsmith told Good Morning America. “Her being gone did not change my desire to want to protect other children and get this information out there.”

“Every day we wait, another kid is going to ingest a battery,” she said. “Had somebody [spoken out] before, our lives would look very different.”‘

Reese was 16 months old this past October when she developed cold-like symptoms, including a very stuffy nose, according to Hamsmith, who also has a 9-year-old daughter.

Hamsmith and her husband, Chris, took their daughter to see the pediatrician, who suspected Reese had croup, an infection of the upper airways, and prescribed steroids, according to Hamsmith.

Shortly after, the family discovered a button battery was missing from a remote control in their home. After looking online and discovering that symptoms of button battery ingestion — including coughing, wheezing and chest discomfort — matched those of Reese, Hamsmith and her husband rushed Reese to the emergency room.

There, an X-ray confirmed that a battery was lodged near the top of Reese’s esophagus. The toddler underwent emergency surgery to remove the battery, and after a few days she was sent home from the hospital with instructions to stay on a liquid diet.

Hamsmith soon learned what she now wants other parents to know: Button batteries can continue to cause damage by burning tissue, even after they are removed.

When Reese did not improve, a CT scan confirmed she had a fistula through her esophagus and trachea that was created by the inflammation, according to Hamsmith.

Reese underwent another surgery to implant a gastronomy tube so she could receive nutrition, and she was placed on a ventilator.

“She came back sedated and on a ventilator, and that was the last time I saw my child like herself,” Hamsmith said.

“She went back for surgery, and that was the last time she was not on sedation for the rest of her life,” Hamsmith said, adding, “I wasn’t able to hold her, because her airway was so small, every single move was critical.”

Reese spent the next six weeks hospitalized and undergoing various surgeries and attempts to try to save her life. She ultimately died Dec. 17, 2020, with her mom by her side.

“I finally got to rock her in a rocking chair for a while,” said Hamsmith, who said she found inspiration to keep going and advocate for button battery awareness from a plaque in Reese’s hospital room.

“There was a plaque that read, ‘He has a plan, and I have a purpose,’ and I know that God has a plan, and Reese has a purpose,” she said. “It sits on my fireplace mantel now to remind me not to quit.”

In the seven months since Reese died, Hamsmith has created a nonprofit organization, Reese’s Purpose, to educate parents about button battery safety and to try to create change around how button batteries are protected in packaging and in the items in which they are found.

Hamsmith has testified before the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), created a national Button Battery Awareness Day (June 12) and is now calling on Congress to enact legislation that would create national standards for consumer products with button batteries. A Change.org petition launched by Reese’s Purpose calling for legislation has nearly 80,000 signatures.

“The main thing is that 10 years down the road, if I hear about a kid dying of a button battery ingestion, I want to know that I did everything I could without a shadow of a doubt to help prevent and help put the knowledge out,” Hamsmith said. “It’s a hidden danger.”

What parents need to know

Hamsmith calls button batteries a “hidden danger” because they are used many items, including remotes, hearing aids, thermometers, tealight candles, battery-powered jewelry, greeting cards, key fobs, kids’ toys and even toothbrushes.

“It literally takes one second [for button battery ingestion to happen],” she said. “You can set your kid down, turn around and pick up a piece of laundry, and it’s happened.”

More than 3,500 people swallow button batteries each year in the United States, according to the National Poison Control Center.

But the actual number of button battery ingestions each year is actually much larger because the incidents are vastly underreported, according to Dr. Kris Janata, professor in the department of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Janata helped create the GIRC App, a global database by the Global Injury Research Collaborative for medical professionals to track the severity of injuries, including from button batteries.

Over the past year of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a 93% increase in emergency department visits for battery-related complaints in school-age children, according to Janata’s research.

“I do think there is a lack of awareness among parents that these are severe hazards,” he said. “We can’t fix the injuries that these batteries cause, so that’s what’s led us to how can we prevent these injuries in the first place.”

Here are three tips from Janata and Hamsmith to both prevent and treat button battery ingestion injuries.

1. Keep an inventory of button batteries in your home: Because the symptoms of button battery ingestion can mimic the symptoms of other illnesses in kids, as was the case with Reese, both Hamsmith and Janata say the most important thing for parents and caregivers is to always be aware of and know about the presence of all the button batteries in their home.

Hamsmith’s advice to caregivers is to keep products that contain button batteries not just out of reach but also out of sight of children, especially those ages 6 and under, who are most at risk for swallowing a foreign object.

Janata said to not only know where the button batteries are in your home, but to also to regularly check all electronic devices to make sure the battery compartment is secured.

2. Know the symptoms: Symptoms of swallowing a button battery may include fever, not wanting to eat or drink, irritability, wheezing, difficulty breathing, coughing, throat pain, choking, gagging, problems swallowing and vomiting, according to a button battery resource website created by Janata and Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Children may also put a button battery in their nose or ear, which can also present dangers. Symptoms to look for include irritability, pain or swelling around the ears or nose, fever and fluid drainage or bleeding from the ears or nose, according to Janata.

Children who ingest button batteries may also present no symptoms at all, which is why parents and caregivers should know the whereabouts of button batteries in their home at all times, Janata said.

3. Act quickly: Serious esophageal injury can occur within two hours of a child ingesting a button battery, before symptoms even start, according to Janata.

“The clock is ticking from the moment the battery is lodged in the esophagus,” he said.

If a child ingests a button battery, immediately call for help, either through 911 or the National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 800-498-8666, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Parents and caregivers may also use honey to treat the child while waiting for medical help. Experts recommend giving 10 mL of honey every 10 minutes to children 12 months and older.

Janata stressed not to delay going to the emergency room and said seeking professional medical help should be the top priority.

+ More