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Biden’s message in Poland on eve of Ukraine war anniversary: ‘Our support … remains unwavering’

February 20, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WARSAW, Poland) — This week in Poland, President Joe Biden is set to underscore the importance of NATO’s support for Ukraine after making a surprise visit to Kyiv on Monday on the eve of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

Biden’s chief message while in Warsaw, Poland, until Wednesday is expected to center around continued backing from western allies for Ukraine, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters last week.

The president is scheduled to meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda on Tuesday to discuss cooperation between Washington and Warsaw to aid Kyiv, particularly over Poland’s role as a key staging ground for military and financial aid flowing to Ukraine.

“The two leaders will discuss Poland’s important logistical role as well in helping the U.S. facilitate deliveries of military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine from not only the United States but from our allies and partners,” Kirby said last week. “The president will also have a chance to thank Poland for how they have hosted now an increased number of U.S. forces, including those that are permanently stationed and those who were deployed to Europe as part of our force posture adjustments.”

“As we approach the one-year mark since this invasion, we can proudly say that our support for Ukraine remains unwavering and our alliances and our international coalition in support of Ukraine remain stronger than ever,” Kirby said.

Biden echoed that while in Kyiv, a previously unannounced visit which he said showed “unwavering and unflagging commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Also on Tuesday, Biden will deliver public remarks in Warsaw detailing U.S.-led efforts to arm Ukraine with assistance needed to respond to Russia’s invasion. The White House says his speech will address “how the United States has rallied the world to support the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and democracy, and how we will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes.”

One day later, the president will meet with heads of state of the so-called Bucharest Nine, who comprise NATO’s eastern bloc.

“These are largely the group of eastern flank NATO allies who are basically and, quite frankly, literally on the frontlines of our collective defense right now,” Kirby said.

Those leaders have also been among the most vocal about the need to help Ukraine fend off Russia’s military, with some warning that Russian President Vladimir Putin could have his eyes set on invading other eastern European countries — including NATO members — at the same time that Russian officials have signaled they view the West’s support as its own provocation.

Biden first landed in Poland late Sunday, according to reporters traveling with him, then set off for to Ukraine for his roughly five-hour visit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his first since Russia’s invasion last year.

“One year later, Kyiv stands and Ukraine stands. Democracy stands,” Biden said alongside Zelenskyy on Monday. “The Americans stand with you, and the world stands with you.”

“This is the largest land war in Europe in three quarters of a century, and you’re succeeding against all and every expectation except your own,” he added. “We have every confidence that you’re going to continue to prevail.”

Yet despite Biden’s successful trip to Kyiv, debate continues to rage in Washington and across the Atlantic over what kind of aid to provide Ukraine ahead of what is anticipated to be a major offensive from Russia.

House Republicans, who were elected to the majority in November, have pledged to push for accountability for U.S. assistance to Ukraine, describing it as an end to a “blank check” mentality. Some in the GOP conference have pushed for a harder line to pull back on sending money and supplies, though leaders in both parties have rejected that.

In total, the United States has committed $30 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration, including more than $29.3 billion since the beginning of Russia’s invasion. That has included sending increasingly complex munitions, from Stinger anti-aircraft systems and Javelin anti-armor systems to most recently Howitzers, and soon, Abrams tanks.

Now, though, Zelenskyy is pushing for the U.S. to allow F-16 fighter jets and longer range missiles to be sent to Ukraine, something that Biden has previously seemed reluctant to commit to.

Zelenskyy has said the jets could be instrumental in the fight and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said earlier this month that “nothing is off the table” and said the U.K. will begin to train Ukrainian pilots on NATO-standard aircraft.

In Washington, the Biden administration has also emphasized the importance of good training over any particular system.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken declined to answer directly, in an interview on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, about possibly sending F-16s.

“We’re in very close collaboration and coordination with the Ukrainians precisely on this question of what do they need at any given time. But what’s very important is this: What we should not do, any of us, is to focus or get fixated on any particular weapons system because the weapon system itself, as important as it is, is not sufficient. You have to make sure that Ukrainians are trained on the systems that are being provided,” he said.

Biden returns to the White House from Poland on Wednesday.

Husband of housekeeper arrested over fatal shooting of bishop in Los Angeles

February 20, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(LOS ANGELES) — Police have identified the suspect in the fatal shooting a long-serving Catholic bishop known as a “peacemaker” in Los Angeles.

Sixty-five-year-old Carlos Medina was arrested in connection with the murder of Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell, officials said at a Monday press conference. Medina is the husband of the bishop’s housekeeper, Los Angeles County Sherriff Robert Luna said.

O’Connell, who had been a priest and then a bishop during his 45 years with the church, was found dead in a home Sunday in the unincorporated neighborhood of Hacienda Heights after sheriff’s deputies responded to an emergency medical call, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office.

Detectives received a tip Sunday night that Medina was acting strangely and accused O’Connell of owing him money, according to Luna.

Medina reportedly had an SUV similar to the one seen pulling up in the bishop’s driveway, officials said Monday.

The killing of the beloved bishop sent shock waves through the Los Angeles Catholic community, prompting some parishioners to go to the scene of the O’Connell’s death to pray.

José H. Gomez, the archbishop of Los Angeles, said O’Connell was known as a “man of deep prayer.”

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s investigators said they received a medical emergency call at 12:57 p.m. Sunday and deputies responded to a home in Hacienda Heights. There, they found the 69-year-old O’Connell unresponsive and bleeding from a gunshot wound to the upper torso.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. It’s unclear how long O’Connell had been dead before sheriff’s deputies arrived at the home.

“He was a peacemaker with a heart for the poor and the immigrant, and he had a passion for building a community where the sanctity and dignity of every human life was honored and protected,” Gomez said.

“It broke me and I was scared to tell my wife because my wife loved him so much,” parishioner Johnny Flores told ABC Los Angeles station KABC.

Another parishioner, Glendy Perez, described O’Connell as “a humble soul.”

“He was not the type that would have confrontations with nobody,” Perez told KABC. “He was very loving, and he had like a gift of healing. When you would attend his ceremonies, it was like a gift of healing.”

O’Connell, who was born in Ireland, was named an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles by Pope Francis in 2015.

O’Connell studied for the priesthood at All Hallows College in Dublin and was ordained in 1979 to serve in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. After ordination, he served as associate pastor and pastor at several parishes in Los Angeles.

New 6.4 earthquake strikes Turkey as death toll climbs to nearly 47,000

February 20, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(SAMANDAG, Turkey) — Turkey was hit with another earthquake Monday as a 6.4 earthquake rattled Samandag even as the country is still cleaning up from one of the worst natural disasters in its history, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

There were no immediate reports of damage, injuries or deaths from officials.

Samandag is located in Hatay province, which suffered catastrophic damage in the quake that struck on Feb. 6.

Several civilians were injured in Syria after the latest quake struck, the White Helmets, the Syria Civil Defense Unit, tweeted. Several balconies and walls collapsed from the tremors, the White Helmets tweeted.

“Several civilians injured from falling building debris, stampedes, and jumping from high areas. Additionally, in Jenderes, north of Aleppo two uninhabited buildings and the minaret of a mosque collapsed,” the organization tweeted.

There were no immediate reports of deaths.

At a Turkish camp for 700 people who are now homeless from the prior earthquake, buildings shook for about 15 seconds around 8 p.m. local time and lights went off in the distance.

Most of the people in the camp were sitting outside huddling around fires to keep warm when the earthquake occurred. Many started praying and shouting to get away from buildings.

Several aftershocks were felt following the initial quake.

Monday’s quake comes as officials from Turkey and Syria said the death toll from the quake that struck two weeks ago has reached 46,957 total, with 41,156 in Turkey and 5,801 in Syria.

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

Trial date set in Brianna Ghey murder

February 20, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(LIVERPOOL, England) — Two teens are set to go on trial for the death of 16-year-old Brianna Ghey on July 10. Ghey, a transgender girl, was found dead by passersby in a park in the English town of Warrington on Feb. 11, according to officials.

The trial is expected to last for three weeks at the Liverpool Crown Court and “will hear evidence of the incident at Culcheth Linear Park,” according to the Cheshire Constabulary police force.

The two teens, both 15 years old, were arrested the following day and charged with Ghey’s murder.

Police say it is unclear if the circumstances surrounding her death are hate-related, and the investigation into a motive is ongoing.

“I would like to pass on my sincere thanks to the community of Culcheth for their support in relation to the investigation,” said Detective Chief Inspector Adam Waller, in a statement.

“We have been inundated with pieces of information from members of the community wanting to help and assist the inquiry. Many of our officers have been approached to offer their best wishes to us and, especially, to Brianna’s family.”

Ghey’s death has prompted vigils and protests in her memory, in support of the transgender community.

Medical clinic to open in Ohio town after toxic train derailment

February 20, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(EAST PALESTINE, Ohio) — A medical clinic is opening Tuesday in East Palestine, Ohio, more than two weeks after a train carrying hazardous materials and toxic chemicals derailed near the town.

The clinic, which will be held at the First of Christ Church in East Palestine, is being jointly run by the Ohio Department of Health and the Columbiana County Health Department and will be supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“Last week, I was in East Palestine and listened as many area residents expressed their concerns and fears,” ODH Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said in a statement. “I heard you, the state heard you, and now the Ohio Department of Health and many of our partner agencies are providing this clinic, where people can come and discuss these vital issues with medical providers.”

The train was operated by Norfolk Southern Railway. Hundreds of people were forced to flee the area and the incident has sparked intense concern over residents’ immediate health and safety as well as any long-term consequences from the release of dangerous materials near their homes.

Initially there were concerns about high levels of vinyl chloride, a colorless gas that burns easily and is associated with an increased risk of several cancers including brain, liver and lung cancers as well as lymphoma and leukemia, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Data showed last week that more toxic chemicals were aboard the derailed train — and subsequently released into the air and soil — than originally reported.

Among these materials is ethyl acrylate, a colorless liquid and probable carcinogen which can cause drowsiness, lethargy, headaches and nausea, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Also found was isobutylene, a highly flammable gas known as a simple asphyxiant, or a gas which can become so concentrated that it can displace oxygen and lead to rapid suffocation, according to the American Chemical Society.

As of Sunday, the EPA said there have been no air quality or water quality concerns identified through sampling. Heavily contaminated soil, however, continues to be removed and odors still linger in the community.

Additionally, Northern Southern continues to scrap and remove rail cars from the derailment site and removed contaminated liquids from storm drains in the area, according to the EPA.

At the clinic, residents will be able to discuss concerns and receive a health assessment to see if they are suffering from exposure symptoms. If needed, clinicians will make referrals for patients. The clinic will open at noon on Tuesday and remain open every day through Saturday.

“We encourage anyone who has medical concerns or questions to take advantage of this resource,” Vanderhoff said.

Person of interest detained in fatal shooting of ‘peacemaker’ bishop in Los Angeles

February 20, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(LOS ANGELES) — A person of interest has been detained for questioning in the fatal shooting in Los Angeles of a long-serving Catholic bishop known as a “peacemaker,” officials said Monday.

Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell, who had been a priest and then a bishop during his 45 years with the church, was found dead in a home Sunday in the unincorporated neighborhood of Hacienda Heights after sheriff’s deputies responded to an emergency medical call, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office.

A news conference is expected to be held later Monday on the investigation.

The killing of the beloved bishop has sent shock waves through the Los Angeles Catholic community, prompting some parishioner to go to the scene of the O’Connell’s death to pray.

José H. Gomez, the archbishop of Los Angeles, said O’Connell was known as a “man of deep prayer.”

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s investigators said they received a medical emergency call at 12:57 p.m. Sunday and deputies responded to a home in the unincorporated neighborhood of Hacienda Heights. There, they found the 69-year-old O’Connell unresponsive and bleeding from a gunshot wound to the upper torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

It’s unclear how long O’Connell had been dead before sheriff’s deputies arrived at the home.

Detectives were piecing together the circumstances of the homicide on Sunday and working to determine the identity of the O’Connell’s killer.

Upon hearing of O’Connell’s death, parishioners went to the crime scene and said prayers in front of the home.

“It broke me and I was scared to tell my wife because my wife loved him so much,” parishioner Johnny Flores told ABC Los Angeles station KABC.

Another parishioner, Glendy Perez, described O’Connell as “a humble soul.”

O’Connell, who was born in Ireland, was named an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles by Pope Francis in 2015.

US alerted Russia of Biden’s surprise trip to Ukraine hours before he arrived, officials say

February 20, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Following President Joe Biden’s surprise visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Monday, senior members of his administration detailed the security discussions that led up to the decision to go on the trip and the content of the meetings Biden had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the course of his roughly five hours in the city.

And while the officials remained tight-lipped about the precise security details required to manage the trip, including Biden’s mode of transportation in and out of the war-torn country, they did say that the U.S. informed Russia of the visit shortly before Biden left for Ukraine.

“We did notify the Russians that President Biden would be traveling to Kyiv. We did so some hours before his departure for deconfliction purposes,” Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser to the president, told reporters on Monday morning in a press briefing.

“Because of the sensitive nature of those communications, I won’t get into how they responded or what the precise nature of our message was. But I can confirm that we provided that notification,” Sullivan said.

The planning for the trip was incredibly delicate, said John Finer, the U.S. deputy national security adviser, and began months prior.

“Only a handful of people” from offices across Washington were involved, including the White House chief of staff’s office, the National Security Council, the White House Military Office, the Pentagon, the Secret Service and the intelligence community, Finer said.

“The president was fully briefed on each stage of the plan and any potential contingencies and then made the final go- or no-go decision after a huddle in the Oval Office and by phone with some key members of his national security cabinet on Friday,” Finer said.

Among the challenges around such a visit was the limited U.S. military and embassy presence in Ukraine, compared to other war zones that presidents have visited, administration officials said.

“Unlike previous visits … like Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. obviously does not have a military presence on the ground in Ukraine which made a visit from a sitting president all the more challenging. But this was a risk that Joe Biden wanted to take,” White House communications director Kate Bedingfield said.

The administration officials emphasized that the risk was strategic — intended to show Russian President Vladimir Putin that the U.S. stands strong with Ukraine and is confident enough in Ukraine’s military prowess to visit the capital city in a time of war, one year after Russia first invaded.

“What he [Biden] wanted to do in Kyiv was to send a clear, unmistakable message of enduring American support for Ukraine,” Sullivan said.

“And also to be able to stand there next to President Zelenskyy in a free Kyiv to not just tell, but to show the world through a powerful demonstration that Ukraine is successfully resisting Russian aggression and Russia is suffering strategic failure in Ukraine,” Sullivan said.

Asked whether there were security concerns from the Pentagon or other officials, Sullivan declined to share the planning conversations but said that Biden made the decision based on presentations from his security team.

“The president proceeded with the confidence that his security team was able to bring risks to a manageable level,” Sullivan said. “That was what ultimately led him to make the call to go.”

“I am not going to get into specifics of who said what to him in the Oval, particularly on things as sensitive as his security. I will just say that he got a full presentation of a very good and very effective operational security plan. He heard that presentation. He was satisfied that the risk was manageable,” Sullivan said.

While in Kyiv, Biden met with Zelenskyy and Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska at Mariinsky Palace, visited St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral in central Kyiv and laid a wreath at the Wall of Remembrance for those slain in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, just as air raid sirens sounded.

Biden also announced another $500 million in aid, which he’s expected to further detail in a speech on Tuesday night from Poland.

During the visit, which lasted from around 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. local time, Zelenskyy and Biden had an extended conversation about “all aspects of the ongoing war,” according to Sullivan, including the battlefield, humanitarian aid, energy infrastructure and economic support.

Biden was also briefed by members of Zelenskyy’s team to understand what would be needed to sustain Ukraine’s efforts “and then some.”

Regarding whether F-16 fighter jets were discussed — which Zelenskyy has long sought — Sullivan would not get into the specifics of the discussion, though Biden and Zelenskyy noted in their public remarks from Kyiv that the U.S. wasn’t sending any new ammunition that Ukraine hasn’t received before.

“What I will say is that there was a good discussion on the subject. I think the two presidents both laid out their perspectives on a number of different capabilities that have been thrown around in the press both recently and over the course of several months. And I will leave it at that,” Sullivan said.

DA drops gun enhancement charge against Alec Baldwin in ‘Rust’ shooting

February 20, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(SANTA FE, N.M.) — The Santa Fe District Attorney’s Office announced it is dropping the gun enhancement charge — a crime that would have carried a five-year sentence if convicted — against Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust” in October 2021.

Baldwin still faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter for the shooting, however, that crime would carry a lesser sentence of 18 months if convicted. The amended complaint was filed late Friday.

The charge was also dropped against armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who faces the same involuntary manslaughter charge as Baldwin.

“In order to avoid further litigious distractions by Mr. Baldwin and his attorneys, the District Attorney and the special prosecutor have removed the firearm enhancement to the involuntary manslaughter charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the ‘Rust’ film set,” Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said in a statement. “The prosecution’s priority is securing justice, not securing billable hours for big-city attorneys.”

The decision to drop the charge was a win for Baldwin, who makes his first court appearance on Friday.

Baldwin’s legal team filled a motion Feb. 10 arguing that the five-year gun enhancement didn’t apply at the time of the shooting writing, “The prosecutors committed a basic legal error by charging Mr. Baldwin under a version of the firearm-enhancement statute that did not exist on the date of the accident.” The accident occurred in October of 2021, but the current version of the law did not take effect until May 2022.

A week prior, his legal team filed a motion to disqualify Andrea Reeb, the special prosecutor appointed by Carmack-Altwies, arguing she is also an elected member of the New Mexico House of Representative and therefore has a conflict of interest.

After the motion to dismiss the gun enhancement charge, the district attorney released a statement that also criticized his “fancy attorneys.”

“Another day, another motion from Alec Baldwin and his attorneys in an attempt to distract from the gross negligence and complete disregard for safety on the ‘Rust’ film set that led to Halyna Hutchins’ death,” Heather Brewer, spokesperson for the New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney, said. “In accordance with good legal practice, the District Attorney and the special prosecutor will review all motions — even those given to the media before being served to the DA. However, the DA’s and the special prosecutor’s focus will always remain on ensuring that justice is served and that everyone — even celebrities with fancy attorneys — is held accountable under the law.”

ABC News’ Vera Drymon, Matt Fuhrman and Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.

Fifth person confirmed to be cured of HIV

February 20, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Researchers are announcing that a 53-year-old man in Germany has been cured of HIV.

Referred to as “the Dusseldorf patient” to protect his privacy, researchers said he is the fifth confirmed case of an HIV cure. Although the details of his successful treatment were first announced at a conference in 2019, researchers could not confirm he had been officially cured at that time.

Today, researchers announced the Dusseldorf patient still has no detectable virus in his body, even after stopping his HIV medication four years ago.

“It’s really cure, and not just, you know, long term remission,” said Dr. Bjorn-Erik Ole Jensen, who presented details of the case in a new publication in “Nature Medicine.”

“This obviously positive symbol makes hope, but there’s a lot of work to do,” Jensen said

For most people, HIV is a lifelong infection, and the virus is never fully eradicated. Thanks to modern medication, people with HIV can live long and healthy lives.

The Dusseldorf patient joins a small group of people who have been cured under extreme circumstances after a stem cell transplant, typically only performed in cancer patients who don’t have any other options. A stem cell transplant is a high-risk procedure that effectively replaces a person’s immune system. The primary goal is to cure someone’s cancer, but the procedure has also led to an HIV cure in a handful of cases.

HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, enters and destroys the cells of the immune system. Without treatment, the continued damage can lead to AIDS, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, where a person cannot fight even a small infection.

With about 38.4 million people globally living with HIV, treatments have come a long way. Modern medication can keep the virus at bay, and studies looking into preventing HIV infection with a vaccine are also underway.

The first person with HIV cure was Timothy Ray Brown. Researchers published his case as the Berlin patient in 2009. That was followed by the London patient published in 2019. Most recently, The City of Hope and New York patients were published in 2022.

“I think we can get a lot of insights from this patient and from these similar cases of HIV cure,” Jensen said. “These insights give us some hints where we could go to make the strategy safer.”

All four of these patients had undergone stem cell transplants for their blood cancer treatment. Their donors also had the same HIV-resistant mutation that deletes a protein called CCR5, which HIV normally uses to enter the cell. Only 1% of the total population carries this genetic mutation that makes them resistant to HIV.

“When you hear about these HIV cure, it’s obviously, you know, incredible, given how challenging it’s been. But, it still remains the exception to the rule,” said Dr. Todd Ellerin, director of infectious disease at South Shore Health.

The stem cell transplantation is a complicated procedure that comes with many risks, and it is too risky to offer it as a cure for everyone with HIV.

However, scientists are hopeful. Each time they cure a new patient, they gain valuable research insights that help them understand what it would take to find a cure for everyone.

“It is obviously a step forward in advancing the science and having us sort of understanding, in some ways, what it takes to cure HIV,” Ellerin said.

Kaviya Sathyakumar, M.D., M.B.A., is a family medicine resident physician at Ocala Regional Medical Center in Florida and member of ABC News Medical Unit.

On This Day – February 20, 1982: Pat Benatar married guitarist Neil Giraldo

February 20, 2023 by WDNY Radio

On This Day, February 20, 1982 …

Pat Benatar married her guitarist and songwriting partner, Neil Giraldo, which went on to become a rock ‘n’ roll marriage that has lasted over 40 years.

The couple met in 1978 shortly after Benatar signed her first record deal, and they went on to create hit songs together like “Heartbreaker” and the top five hits “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “Love Is A Battlefield” and “We Belong.”

The couple are parents to two daughters, Haley and Hana Giraldo, and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

They continue to perform together and will kick off a new North American tour in April. They are also set to open select dates on Pink‘s Summer Carnival tour.

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