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Biden heads to Camp David to prepare for first presidential debate with Trump

June 20, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — With a week to go until the first presidential debate, President Joe Biden heads to Camp David on Thursday to prepare for his critical matchup with former President Donald Trump.

The famous rustic retreat in the Maryland mountains has hosted many debate boot camps during election years, and Biden hopes to make the most of its secluded setting in the days before heading to the June 27 debate hosted by CNN in Atlanta.

Moderated by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, the debate will run for approximately 90 minutes with two commercial breaks. It is the first of two scheduled between the candidates — the second of which will be hosted by ABC News on Sept. 10.

In what will be the first real showdown between the two this election cycle, the face-off could potentially shift the narrative for both candidates and each is looking to attract undecided voters in what is expected to be a very tight race.

Unlike in 2020, Biden’s 2024 duties as president will take away some of the time he has for debate prep, meaning much of it will be confined to the days immediately beforehand, officials said.

Biden has just completed a whirlwind couple of weeks that included two foreign trips and hosting two major fundraisers — all while dealing with the emotional fallout from his son, Hunter Biden’s, recent conviction on felony gun charges.

According to a campaign official, Ron Klain, Biden’s former chief of staff, is leading the debate preparations. Other senior campaign aides and longtime advisers, including Cedric Richmond, a former White House aide and current campaign co-chair, will also be on hand.

This won’t be Klain’s first time in a leading role. In addition to assisting Biden in his 2020 debate prep, he led Hillary Clinton’s preparation in 2016, Barack Obama’s in 2008 and 2012 and John Kerry’s in 2004.

In 2020, Biden said his debate prep strategy involved “going over what [Trump] has said and multiple lies he’s told,” in an interview with NBC News. This year, Biden’s debate prep could look similar with his facing the same opponent.

Biden will be aiming to hold Trump accountable for not only his administration’s track record, but also comments Trump has made on the campaign trail on topics ranging from reproductive rights to the economy, to perceived threats of political violence, to what Biden campaign officials say are his efforts to undermine the judicial system.

He is also expected to continue the “punchier” — more pointed — remarks he has used to attack the former president as of late, campaign officials said.

Biden has taken to half-jokingly slamming Trump for suggesting that disinfectants could be used to treat coronavirus.

“Remember when he was trying to deal with COVID, he said just inject a little bleach in your veins,” Biden said after at North America’s Building Trades Unions National Legislative Conference in April. “He missed it. It all went to his hair.”

At a recent fundraiser in Los Angeles with former President Obama, after moderator Jimmy Kimmel asked the president if his recent trip to Italy — which included a visit with the pope — was to “restore the soul of America” because it seemed like the country needed an “exorcism,” Biden jokingly replied “Yeah.”

Trump and his campaign have been pushing the narrative that Biden is in the midst of a “cognitive decline.” They’ve seized on a misleading video from his trip to France to mark the the 80th anniversary of D-Day where they falsely claimed the president “froze.”

If elected, Biden would be 86 when he completed his second term, the oldest president ever to serve.

His poll numbers show him neck-and-neck in key battleground states with Trump, according to 538’s polling average — and he must perform well to quell voter doubts.

Separately, in the lead-up to the debate, the Biden campaign has focused on slamming Trump over his 34 felony convictions in his New York hush-money trial. They’ve labeled this November as an election between a “convicted criminal” and a “president who’s fighting for your family” in a new ad that’s a part of a $50 million June paid media campaign.

Kenyan protesters clash with police over controversial tax bill

June 20, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — Crowds of Kenyans again took to the streets on Thursday in protest, clashing with police in Nairobi as nationwide demonstrations continue over a controversial tax bill.

The controversial bill — known as the Finance Bill 2024 — has sparked discontent across the East African nation since first being presented in parliament in May, the new bill proposing an increase in an array of taxes and levies for Kenyans.

Hundreds took to the streets of Kenya’s capital Nairobi on Tuesday, with armed police lobbing tear gas canisters and firing water cannons at demonstrators who had assembled in Nairobi’s Central Business district.

At least 283 protesters were arrested, including four journalists, Amnesty Kenya told ABC News. The human rights organisation said it is “alarmed and outraged” by the “use of excessive force,” “intimidation of civilians” and arbitrary arrests.

“Police were firing teargas at us and we had to run into a nearby café to seek shelter,” Stella Njoki, 22, a student who took part in the protests, told ABC News in a phone interview. “But it was imperative we made our voice heard as this is our future, our Kenya, and it is us who will be paying this price.”

The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi on Tuesday issued a demonstration alert for U.S. citizens, saying events are “intended to be peaceful” but can “turn violent” at any moment. The embassy called on U.S. citizens to “remain vigilant” and avoid large gatherings.

The Finance Bill was introduced as part of Kenya’s budget for next year, Kenya’s finance minister Njuguna Ndung’u saying the budget is aiming to “revitalize” Kenya’s economy, raise an additional 346.7 billion Kenya shillings in revenue and help alleviate debt.

Kenyans fear the bill — which was proposed to become effective on July 1 — would increase the economic burden for those already struggling with the cost of living.

The Media Council of Kenya in a statement condemned the “arbitrary arrests and attacks on journalists” covering the protests, expressing “dismay” that journalists were harassed despite being well identified in press jackets and badges.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, Kenya’s President’s Office announced they have made amendments to the Finance Bill “in account of the views of the people and other stakeholders during public participation sessions.”

Among amendments are the scrapping of a proposed 16 % VAT on bread, taxes on foreign exchange transactions and financial services, as well as a 2.5 % Motor Vehicle tax.

“We are going to end up with a product in Parliament that came from the Executive and has been interrogated by the Legislature. Through public participation, the people of Kenya have had a say,” said President Ruto.

NY employers now required to offer workers paid break time for pumping breast milk

June 20, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(ALBANY, N.Y.) — New York employers are now required by law to provide paid break time to employees who need to pump breast milk while they are at work.

The law, which went into effect on Wednesday, allows employees to take 30 minutes of paid break time to express breast milk for up to three years following childbirth.

“As New York’s first mom Governor, I am fighting every day to give working parents the protections they need to keep their families strong and healthy,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a news release.

“From our nation-leading prenatal leave program to this legislation requiring employers to give breastfeeding mothers much-needed break time, our state is continuing to stand up for parents in the workplace and protect maternal and child health,” she added.

Under the new law, employers are required to let their employees know about their right to the paid breaks. The legislation applies to both public and private employers in the state, regardless of their size or industry.

Eli Lilly warns about dangers of fake and counterfeit Mounjaro, Zepbound

June 20, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly issued a warning in an open letter on Thursday about the dangers of fake and compounded versions of its diabetes and weight loss medications Mounjaro and Zepbound.

The company also announced new lawsuits against wellness centers and medical spas advertising these drugs.

Eli Lilly’s main competitor, Novo Nordisk, which sells Ozempic and Wegovy, has also filed lawsuits against med spas purportedly selling knockoff versions.

Both companies say the extraordinary demand for these drugs has led to shortages, which has in turn prompted black and grey market sales of other versions of their products that may pose a health risk to consumers.

In its Thursday open letter, Eli Lilly issued a major warning to consumers, saying the company is “deeply” concerned about the proliferation of online sales of fake versions of its products, and that people should never put products labeled “research purposes only” or “not for human consumption” into their bodies.

Eli Lilly says they never sell genuine Mounjaro or Zepbound on social media.

Fake drugs aside, Eli Lilly is also raising concerns about compounding pharmacies. These are technically legal amid an ongoing drug shortage, but the Food and Drug Administration has raised concerns about bad actors making substandard products.

Eli Lilly says that the company has done testing of compounded versions of their drug, and they have observed safety, sterility and efficacy problems. Some of the products have bacteria, high impurities, different colors or a completely different chemical structure than the company’s FDA-approved medicine. In at least one instance, the product was nothing more than sugar alcohol, Eli Lilly said.

In addition to these warnings about fake and compounded products, Lilly reiterated the company’s prior stance that these drugs should not be prescribed or used for “cosmetic” weight loss. The company said they should be for people living with diabetes and/or obesity, or who are overweight with other related medical conditions.

Sweltering heat wave continues, with 16 states under heat alerts

June 20, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Heat alerts are in effect on Thursday for more than 70 million Americans in 16 states, stretching from Kentucky to Maine.

Maine on Wednesday saw blistering heat, including an all-time heat index record in Caribou, Maine. The city’s temperatures reached 96 degrees, with a heat index of 103.

Other cities who hit record highs on Wednesday, including Boston, Massachusetts, at 98; Manchester, New Hampshire, at 98; and Hartford, Connecticut, at 97.

New York’s Albany and Poughkeepsie both tied their previous record highs at 94 on Wednesday. Redding, Pennsylvania, also tied its record at 95 degrees.

More records were expected to be broken or tied across the Northeast and parts of the Ohio Valley on Thursday. Manchester, New Hampshire, is expected to hit 98; Hartford, Connecticut, will touch 97; Scranton, Pennsylvania, will hit 95; and Buffalo, New York, is expected to hit 91.

The heat dome is expected to move south and west, bringing record heat to Chicago, Illinois; Nashville, Tennessee; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Four injured in shooting at party at Oakland’s Lake Merritt, police say

June 20, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(OAKLAND, Calif.) — At least four people were injured on Wednesday night as gunfire erupted at an event on Lake Merritt, in Oakland, California, police said.

More than 5,000 people had flocked to the area for the day’s event, which was being monitored by 28 police officers and four sergeants, the Oakland Police Department said in a statement early Thursday.

The event had been peaceful until about 8:15 p.m., when “illegal sideshow involving vehicles and motorbikes occurred near Grand Avenue and Bellevue Avenue,” the police said.

“A short time later, a fight broke out, and as the crowd headed towards the altercation, multiple shots were fired,” police said in their statement.” Officers located several victims who were struck by the gunfire.”

Police said early Thursday that there were no known fatalities. Officers were investigating whether there had been additional injuries, police said.

“No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting,” police said. “It is currently unknown if there was a single shooter or multiple shooters involved.”

The summer solstice is here, but that doesn’t mean the season’s hottest temperatures are, too

June 20, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — This year’s summer solstice arrives as a dangerous heat wave affects millions across the country, with early-season extreme heat impacting parts of the Midwest and Northeast.

But the longest day of the year — which begins Thursday at 4:51 p.m. ET — is not typically associated with the hottest temperatures of the season in the U.S. The most scorching conditions typically occur much later in the summer, records show, with different regions of the country experiencing their warmest average temperatures at varying times. Brutal summer heat, however, will increase in frequency and duration for much of the country over the coming weeks and months.

The summer solstice marks the beginning of astronomical summer in the Northern Hemisphere, according to NASA. Astronomical seasons are determined by the Earth’s tilt on its rotational axis and its orbit around the sun and do not take into account temperature data, which is what determines meteorological seasons.

Solstices occur when the planet’s tilt is most pronounced. The summer solstice occurs when Earth’s tilt toward the sun is at a maximum, bringing the longest day of the year.

On the first day of astronomical summer, the sun is at its highest point in the sky and so delivers the most direct solar radiation to the hemisphere experiencing the summer season. However, it takes time for that solar radiation to begin warming the Earth’s atmosphere and surface, especially the oceans.

This time difference creates a lag between the first day of summer and when the Earth experiences the hottest temperatures of the year.

For the contiguous U.S., records show July is the hottest month of the year, on average, with the majority of the country — including much of the Northeast, Midwest, and West — experiencing the hottest temperatures of the year during the second half of July and first half of August. However, some regions of the country don’t typically experience their warmest average temperatures until August, or even September.

Much of the South typically experiences its peak average temperatures during the second half of August, while for some regions of the West Coast, the warmest temperatures of the year usually don’t occur until September.

For this summer, overall above-average temperatures are forecast across much of the country, with several significant heat waves likely for parts of the Northeast and Southwest.

Earth has experienced 12 months of record high temperatures, according to reports published earlier this month by the World Meteorological Organization and Copernicus, Europe’s climate change service.

The record-breaking trend is expected to continue through June and could potentially last through the rest of the summer, forecasts show.

4 injured in shooting at party at Oakland’s Lake Merritt, police say

June 20, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(OAKLAND, Calif.) — At least four people were injured on Wednesday night as gunfire erupted at an event on Lake Merritt, in Oakland, California, police said.

The event had been peaceful until about 8:15 p.m., when “illegal sideshow involving vehicles and motorbikes occurred near Grand Avenue and Bellevue Avenue,” the police said.

Police said early Thursday that there were no known fatalities. Officers were investigating whether there had been additional injuries, police said.

“No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting,” police said. “It is currently unknown if there was a single shooter or multiple shooters involved.”

Top oncologists say everyone with advanced cancer needs early palliative care. Here are 6 things to know

June 20, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — This year, the American Society of Clinical Oncology — the world’s leading oncology organization — recommended palliative care for everyone with advanced cancer at the time of diagnosis and while receiving treatment.

Palliative care clinicians manage cancer-related symptoms and side effects from treatment, while addressing quality of life and stress for patients and families.

By next year, 693,000 people in the United States will have advanced breast, prostate, lung, colorectal, bladder, or skin cancer. Typically, advanced cancers spread to other parts of the body, and may cause symptoms or are difficult to cure.

Oncologists said starting palliative care when a diagnosis is made may make it easier for patients to stay on their treatment course.

“What I’m really excited to see is that these guidelines are taking a step back and thinking about [palliative care] from the time of diagnosis,” Dr. Arif Kamal, chief patient officer for the American Cancer Society and an associate professor at Duke University specializing in oncology and palliative care, told ABC News. “It should particularly be used in areas to help people stay on treatment, such as in clinical trials or hematologic malignancies.”

Here are six things to know about palliative care:

Palliative care can help you live better and longer

“Many people are surprised to hear research shows early palliative care involvement not only improves quality of life but also prolongs survival,” Dr. Allison Chang, an oncologist at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, told ABC News.

Palliative care puts you in control of your care

Palliative care teams work closely with a patient’s oncologist throughout their cancer journey.

Palliative care supports you and those who matter most

“Palliative care is very deliberate in seeing, recognizing and assessing the needs of caregivers… [who] are such an important part of the clinical team,” said Kamal.

Palliative care increases your time at home or where you want to be

Dr. Anthony Back, a professor of medicine at the University of Washington’s Division of Oncology, told ABC News about a patient with breast cancer whose chemotherapy made her too tired to do things her two young kids needed.

Palliative care helped with her fatigue and worry so she could manage and feel like “mom” again, he said.

Palliative care is covered by most insurance companies

Find a palliative care provider near you.

Palliative care isn’t just for people with cancer

Anyone with a serious illness can get palliative care, and it’s recommended for heart and kidney failure.

Kamal recommends asking your doctor “Could the extra support of a palliative care team be helpful to me?” He finds asking is often enough for doctors to make a referral.

Palliative care is no longer something that’s “nice to have. It’s a have to have,” said Kamal.

Lindsey Ulin, MD is an internal medicine resident at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.

Kenya braces for more protests over controversial tax bill

June 20, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — Kenyans are set on Thursday to take to the streets in protest, as nationwide demonstrations over a controversial tax bill continue.

Kenyans fear the bill — which was proposed to become effective on July 1 — would increase the economic burden for those already struggling with the cost of living.

Among amendments are the scrapping of a proposed 16 % VAT on bread, taxes on foreign exchange transactions and financial services, as well as a 2.5 % Motor Vehicle tax.

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