Parents open up after photo of their baby with cleft lip and palate goes viral

Parents open up after photo of their baby with cleft lip and palate goes viral
Parents open up after photo of their baby with cleft lip and palate goes viral
Courtesy of Courtney Gardner

(NEW YORK) — When photographer Shannon Morton shared a baby photo to her business’s Facebook page, she had no idea that it would go viral.

“It was amazing,” Morton told ABC News’ Good Morning America. “I shared it, I think on Thursday. By Friday morning, I looked at it and I saw, ‘Oh my gosh. 5,000. Wow, that’s amazing.’ I looked at it an hour later and it had doubled. It was already at 10,000 likes and loves and shares … and then the comments started happening.”

The photo post, which included a picture of baby Sutton — who was born with a cleft lip and palate and is now 9 weeks old — has since garnered more than 728,000 likes and nearly 7,000 comments. It features the newborn with her eyes closed in what Morton calls an “angel pose.”

“So. Many. Smiley babies in the studio recently! This is sweet Sutton, the cutest little redhead! 👶🏻♥️” Morton wrote in the accompanying photo caption.

Sutton’s photo struck a chord and soon, other parents began to comment with photos and stories of their own children born with a cleft lip, palate or both.

“My little princess was born with a bilateral cleft thankfully her palet was intact. Me and dad assure her everyday that she is the most beautiful girl in the world and her personality is amazing,” one parent wrote alongside a photo of a young girl smiling for the camera.

Another Facebook user shared four sweet photos and added, “Such a beautiful baby 💕 our sweets is a cleft/palate baby also.”

“She’s beautiful,” one mother commented, adding, “as a cleft mama seeing her beautiful face just warms my heart!”

Neither Morton nor Sutton’s parents, Courtney and Gavin Gardner, expected such a big response from people online.

“It was a huge difference compared to what [Morton] normally posted and it was shocking, because I, up until that point, had been keeping my children off of my own personal social media accounts just for their protection. So I never anticipated it getting any attention at all, let alone the amount that it did or the kindness of the comments that it did,” Courtney Gardner told GMA.

Gavin Gardner, Sutton’s dad, added that all of it “was very surprising.”

“We didn’t expect that and of course, reading the comments, everyone had really wonderful things to say. Very encouraging. And I think the nicest thing to do is when people would share about their own stories if they had a child with cleft lip or cleft palate,” he said.

The Gardners told GMA Sutton was diagnosed at their 20-week ultrasound with right-sided unilateral cleft lip and palate. Cleft lip and palate are both birth defects that occur when a baby’s lip or palate does not develop properly during pregnancy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In most cases, doctors don’t know why clefts form but approximately 1 out of 1,600 babies in the U.S. is born with both a cleft lip and palate each year, and 1 out of every 1,700 babies is born with a cleft palate. Additionally, 1 in every 2,800 babies is born with a cleft lip but not a cleft palate.

There are various treatments available for cleft lip and palate, including surgery, dental care and speech therapy.

Courtney Gardner told GMA Sutton is expected to receive her first surgery in March and then at least one more surgery after she turns 1. She will also get speech therapy.

The Gardners also said they’re grateful for the care their daughter has received so far at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, and said finding a community online has helped them through a journey they never imagined they would be on.

“During the pregnancy, I did join a support group on Facebook for cleft moms, which has been instrumental in helping those feelings and I’ve made a lot of really great friends from that and even met up with them and their babies in person. But to connect with people outside of that, from all around the world, was just nothing that we expected but was absolutely just lovely to have happen,” Courtney Gardner said.

Today, the Gardners are also sharing their daughter’s story through their own Facebook page called My Cleft Cutie.

“We started a Facebook page just to show others her journey, what it’s like and stuff like that and words of encouragement or cleft awareness,” Gavin Gardner explained.

The Gardners said they hope sharing will help shine a light on and offer support and encouragement to other expecting parents who may be going through what they had when they first heard Sutton had a cleft lip and palate.

“When you first get that diagnosis and you have six months to just stew on it and wonder what if, seeing other people and what their experiences were just helped my mind process things and and realize that this is something that we could absolutely handle, rather than let my worst fears take hold,” Courtney Gardner said.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

El Paso mall shooting updates: Police say one dead, three injured

El Paso mall shooting updates: Police say one dead, three injured
El Paso mall shooting updates: Police say one dead, three injured
kali9/Getty Images

(EL PASO, Texas) — One person is dead and three others injured after a shooting at the Cielo Vista mall in El Paso, Texas, Wednesday, authorities said.

Two suspects are now in custody, according to police.

The mall is located near a Walmart where 23 people were killed in a racist shooting in August 2019.

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

Feb 15, 11:29 PM EST
Second suspect in custody, police say

Interim El Paso Police Chief Peter Pacillas said two suspects are now in custody and there is “no more danger to the public.”

Feb 15, 10:46 PM EST
Third victim in fair condition, medical center says

The Del Sol Medical Center in El Paso said it’s treating the third victim, who is listed in fair condition.

Feb 15, 10:25 PM EST
Gov. Greg Abbott says he spoke to mayor

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he spoke to El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser Wednesday night and offered the “full support” of the state.

“Thank you to all law enforcement and first responders who quickly went into action to protect their fellow Texans,” he tweeted.

Feb 15, 10:19 PM EST
Rep. Veronica Escobar: Shooting ‘has brought back traumatic memories’

Rep. Veronica Escobar, who represents Texas’ 16th District, which includes El Paso, tweeted Wednesday that the shooting “has brought back traumatic memories for many of us. Please know you are not alone.”

“Call El Paso’s crisis help line at ; there is help for you 24 hours, 7 days a week,” she wrote.

Feb 15, 10:15 PM EST
Police say it’s too early to speculate on motive

It’s too early to speculate on a motive, or whether the shooting was targeted or random, El Paso police said.

One suspect is in custody and police were looking into whether or not there’s an outstanding suspect, authorities said.

Right now, police said, the focus is making sure the injured are taken care of and securing the mall, and an investigation will be conducted.

Feb 15, 10:15 PM EST
‘Chaotic scene’ after shots fired: Police

It was a “chaotic scene” in the mall after shots were fired and “people did flee,” the El Paso Police Department said during a briefing Wednesday night.

“It does cause panic,” police said.

The suspect was taken into custody inside the mall, according to police.

Feb 15, 9:59 PM EST
Two male patients in critical condition, hospital says

The University Medical Center of El Paso said it received two male victims of Wednesday night’s shooting, and that they are both in critical condition.

Feb 15, 9:57 PM EST
Police work to clear mall following shooting

The El Paso Police Department said authorities are gathering witnesses and that it will take time to entirely clear the mall.

Authorities said they believe the scene is secure at this time.

Feb 15, 9:18 PM EST
Suspect in custody: Police

A suspect is in custody and police said they’re looking into the possibility of a second shooter or accomplice.

Feb 15, 8:47 PM EST
Three victims transported to local hospitals, police say

The three victims have been transported to local hospitals, according to an El Paso police spokesman.

The mall is currently being searched.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Sheriff’s office suspends two deputies for trying to hide involvement in Tyre Nichols’ death

Sheriff’s office suspends two deputies for trying to hide involvement in Tyre Nichols’ death
Sheriff’s office suspends two deputies for trying to hide involvement in Tyre Nichols’ death
amphotora/Getty Images

(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — A local sheriff’s office in Tennessee has suspended two patrol deputies in connection with the death of 29-year-old Memphis resident Tyre Nichols.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office announced in a press release Wednesday that Johntavious Bowers and Jeremy Watkins, who have been deputies since June 2021, were suspended without pay for five days after an administrative investigation into their conduct. The sheriff’s office said both Bowers and Watkins “appeared on the scene following the physical confrontation” on Jan. 7 between Memphis police officers and Nichols, who died from his injuries in a local hospital three days later.

A “thorough review of the circumstances” determined that the two deputies violated several regulations, the sheriff’s office said. Both Bowers and Watkins violated radio communication procedures, mobile video recording system procedures as well as patrol field job duties and responsibilities. Watkins also violated a fourth regulation: operational responsibility of daily activity log at 201 Poplar, according to the sheriff’s office.

“Because I had concerns about two deputies who appeared on the scene following the physical confrontation between police and Tyre Nichols, I ordered this internal investigation,” Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. said in a statement Wednesday. “Our investigation was thorough and complete. I am satisfied that the discipline given to these deputies is appropriate and just. We must continue to maintain the highest standards of excellence for the citizens of Shelby County through service, integrity, and accountability.”

According to Watkins’ writeup, obtained by Memphis ABC affiliate WATN-TV, the deputy did not report in his daily activity log that he was at the scene in Memphis on the night of Jan. 7, when Nichols was arrested and beaten by police officers after a traffic stop. Watkins also did not activate his body-worn camera, nor did he notify a supervisor he was on scene, WATN reported, citing his writeup.

Both suspensions went into effect on Wednesday. The sheriff’s office said it “believes it is appropriate to release the outcome of the internal review at this time” due to its “current belief that there will be no charges” against the two deputies from the ongoing investigation by the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Various members of the Memphis Police Department and the Memphis Fire Department have been fired for their alleged involvement in Nichols’ death. Five former Memphis police officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith — have since been arrested and charged with several felonies, including second-degree murder. They were booked into the Shelby County Jail, with bonds set at $350,000 for Martin and Haley and $250,000 for Bean, Mills and Smith, according to the TBI. Online jail records show they have since been released after posting bond.

Mills’ lawyer, Blake Ballin, and the attorney for Martin, William Massey, told reporters last month that their clients were “devastated” about the charges and will be pleading not guilty. The defense attorneys representing Bean, Haley and Smith have either declined to comment or did not respond to ABC News’ previous requests for comment.

Video of the Jan. 7 traffic stop, comprised of footage from the city’s surveillance cameras and the former officers’ body-worn cameras, was made public on Jan. 27. The graphic video, which shows the officers beating Nichols, has sparked nationwide outrage. Nichols’ family has described him as a “beautiful soul” who loved skateboarding and was a father to a 4-year-old son.

According to a preliminary independent autopsy commissioned by Nichols’ family and released by their lawyers, he suffered from “extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating.”

Neither the independent autopsy report nor official autopsy report have been publicly released.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Portions of Georgia grand jury report on Trump’s 2020 election efforts set for release

Portions of Georgia grand jury report on Trump’s 2020 election efforts set for release
Portions of Georgia grand jury report on Trump’s 2020 election efforts set for release
Creativeye99/Getty Images

(ATLANTA) — Portions of a report submitted by the Georgia grand jury investigating efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election are set to be released Thursday, following an order earlier this week from a Georgia judge overseeing the case.

The majority of the long-anticipated report — the final product of a months-long grand jury investigation into potential 2020 election interference in the state — will remain sealed, according to Fulton County Judge Robert McBurney’s order. This includes the jury’s ultimate recommendations on whether or not anyone should face criminal charges.

But the sections that McBurney said are “ripe for release” on Thursday will include the report’s introduction, its conclusion, and a section “in which the special purpose grand jury discusses its concern that some witnesses may have lied under oath during their testimony to the grand jury,” the judge said.

That section “does not identify those witnesses,” according to the court order.

McBurney’s ruling came after he heard arguments last month over whether or not to publicly release the report. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis argued for the report to remain sealed, saying that it was important to “be mindful of protecting future defendants’ rights.”

Willis also said during the hearing that charging decisions were “imminent.”

Thomas Clyde, a lawyer representing a coalition of media outlets that includes ABC News, urged McBurney to order the release of the report based on existing case law and “a genuine public interest in what these jurors found.”

Though the special grand jury does not have the power to bring indictments, it has the power to make recommendations regarding potential charges. It would then be up to the district attorney to determine whether or not to pursue them.

According to the order from the judge, the report provided just that: “a roster of who should (or should not) be indicted, and for what, in relation to the conduct (and aftermath) of the 2020 general election in Georgia,” McBurney wrote.

Those recommendations, however, are “for the District Attorney’s eyes only — for now,” McBurney ordered.

Willis on Monday told Atlanta ABC News affiliate WSB-TV that she was “very pleased” with the order.

Ambassador Norman Eisen (ret.), a senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institute who served as special counsel to the House Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2020, told ABC News that despite the judge shielding most of the report, “it’s clear from the judge’s order that the grand jury recommended charges.”

“The question is: I don’t think that if people are being charged, Trump can logically be left out, because he was the ringleader,” Eisen told ABC News. “He was the mastermind of the plots.”

Eisen pointed to McBurney’s note that the report gave recommendations regarding “who should (or should not) be indicted, and for what.”

“Really, if no one was being indicted, there would be no need to say, ‘for what,'” Eisen said. “That second clause only makes sense if someone is getting indicted.”

In a statement before last month’s hearing to determine the report’s release, attorneys representing Trump in the matter said they did not expect to see charges recommended for the former president.

“The grand jury compelled the testimony of dozens of other, often high-ranking, officials during the investigation, but never found it important to speak with the President,” Trump’s attorneys said in a statement. “He was never subpoenaed nor asked to come in voluntarily by this grand jury or anyone in the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office.”

Therefore, the attorneys said, they “assume that the grand jury did their job and looked at the facts and the law, as we have, and concluded there were no violations of the law by President Trump” — although there’s no indication if that’s true or not.

Attorneys representing Trump did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment ahead of the report’s release.

Regarding the grand jury’s concerns that some witnesses may have lied under oath during their testimony, Eisen said the district attorney could further pursue those witnesses.

“I don’t think Fani Willis is going to let witnesses get away with perjury before her grand jury,” Eisen said. “She can use that to coerce the liars to tell the truth and cooperate. By lying they’ve given her leverage over them.”

The special grand jury, which was seated in May 2022, was composed of 26 members of the public who heard testimony from over 75 witnesses, prosecutors said.

Those who were subpoenaed and appeared before the grand jury included some of Trump’s closest allies and supporters, including attorneys Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, who unsuccessfully fought his subpoena up to the United State Supreme Court.

Giuliani, along with 16 so-called “fake electors” who allegedly participated in a scheme to overturn the state’s election results, were notified last year that they were considered “targets” of the investigation.

Responding to the notification of his status as a target of the probe, Giuliani said, “I appeared in Georgia as attorney for Donald J. Trump — so I’m going to be prosecuted for what I did as an attorney?”

The Justice Department is also examining the allegations involving fake electors as part of its own separate investigation, sources have told ABC News.

Attorneys for the electors have denied any wrongdoing in their actions.

“They cannot have and did not commit any crime as a matter of fact and law,” attorney Holly Pierson, who represents 11 of the alleged fake electors, wrote in a court filing.

The jury was seated last May as part of Willis’ criminal probe into allegations of election interference, which was launched in February 2021. The investigation was sparked in part by the now-infamous Jan. 2, 2021, phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which Trump pleaded with Raffensperger to “find 11,780 votes,” the exact number Trump needed to win Georgia.

Trump has repeatedly defended his call to Raffensperger, calling it “perfect.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Biden, amid questions about age, to undergo second physical as president Thursday

Biden, amid questions about age, to undergo second physical as president Thursday
Biden, amid questions about age, to undergo second physical as president Thursday
Official White House Photo by Hannah Foslien

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden is set to undergo his second physical as president Thursday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, more than a year after his first physical since taking the White House.

Biden, who is 80 years old, says he is weighing whether to seek a second term, and his physical fitness and mental acuity will likely be top of mind for voters if he does run again.

He has largely brushed off those age questions amid speculation about his 2024 plans.

“Look, I’m a great respecter of fate. I would be completely, thoroughly honest with the American people if I thought there was any health problem, anything that would keep me from being able to do the job. And and, so we’ll see. But, you know, I just — I think people have to just watch me,” Biden said in an interview with PBS NewsHour earlier this month.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday “you can expect a memo from the physician will be released publicly in the same manner as it was in 2021.”

It’s unclear how long the exam will take, as Biden indicated some portions of the physical had already been completed back in November.

“I’ve gotten my — I will get — part of my physical is already done, and I’ll be getting it before the end of the year,” Biden told reporters on Thanksgiving.

Biden’s first physical as president took place Nov. 19, 2021 — one day before his 79th birthday.

The president’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, wrote following the exam that Biden was a “healthy, vigorous 78-year-old man,” who is “fit for duty” and “fully executes all of his responsibilities without exemptions or accommodations.”

O’Connor said Biden has been under treatment for four different conditions: non-valvular atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heart rhythm; hyperlipidemia, involving higher concentrations of fats or lipids in the blood; gastroesophageal reflux and seasonal allergies.

While Biden got a mostly clean bill of health, O’Connor — who has been Biden’s doctor since 2009 — noted two specific observations: his frequent throat clearing, and a stiffened gate, compared to previous exams.

“The president has exhibited increasing frequency and severity of ‘throat clearing’ and coughing during speaking engagements,” O’Connor wrote.

“He has exhibited such symptoms for as long as I have known him, but they certainly seem more frequent and more pronounced over the last few months,” he added, noting he ascribed this to his gastroesophageal reflux.

Biden also underwent a routine colonoscopy as part of his first physical, requiring him to undergo anesthesia, and briefly transfer power to Vice President Kamala Harris.

Notably since his first physical, the president had COVID-19, and a rebound case of COVID following his Paxlovid treatment in July 2022.

Biden also took a spill while riding his bike in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, in June 2022, though he required no medical attention for the fall.

Before he came to the White House, his most recent physical and medical report was one his campaign released in December 2019. That was a three-page summary that declared Biden “a healthy, vigorous, 77-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency.”

Biden also suffered a fractured foot just before taking office in November 2020, after he fell while chasing his dog Major at his Wilmington, Delaware, home.

The most notable health incidents in Biden’s past were the two cranial aneurysms he suffered in 1988.

Physicals typically include measures of height, weight, blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol, although Biden’s 2021 exam also included an exam of his eyes, skin, ears, nose and throat, neurological and pulmonary system, thyroid and even his teeth.

Biden was initially slated to complete his physical by the end of January, though it was delayed due to a busy period of presidential travel, per a White House official.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

As congressional scrutiny of Hunter Biden heats up, DOJ probe presses on

As congressional scrutiny of Hunter Biden heats up, DOJ probe presses on
As congressional scrutiny of Hunter Biden heats up, DOJ probe presses on
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — Dual investigations into Hunter Biden’s financial dealings could enter crucial but divergent phases in the coming weeks as congressional scrutiny of the president’s son ramps up and federal prosecutors press forward in their years-long probe of his tax affairs and overseas business endeavors.

The status of the two probes, one rapidly expanding as another enters its fifth year, marks a precarious and pivotal moment for the younger Biden, 52, whose legal challenges and personal life have made him a target for his father’s political foes.

After years of largely avoiding public confrontations about his business dealings, Hunter Biden has recently engaged a new legal team and undertaken a more aggressive legal tack, making private citizen criminal referrals and sending cease-and-desist letters involving some of his most vocal critics.

Here is the latest on the various investigations into the president’s son:

Justice Department probe

Federal authorities with the U.S. attorney’s office in Delaware, led by U.S. Attorney David Weiss, a Trump-era appointee, have been investigating Hunter Biden since 2018, ABC News has previously reported, but the probe was temporarily paused for several months ahead of the 2020 presidential election.

Various news outlets have reported for months that prosecutors were nearing a conclusion, but no charges have been filed to this point.

The investigation spilled into public view in December of 2020, shortly after Joe Biden secured the presidency, when Hunter Biden confirmed the probe into his “tax affairs.” Prosecutors have examined whether he paid adequate taxes on millions of dollars of his income, including money he made from multiple overseas business ventures.

Prosecutors have also explored allegations that Hunter Biden lied about his drug use on a gun application form in 2018, despite later acknowledging that he was addicted to drugs around that time, ABC News previously reported.

ABC News has previously reported that the younger Biden borrowed $2 million from his lawyer and confidant, Kevin Morris, to pay the IRS for back taxes, penalties, and liens that he owed.

A grand jury empaneled in Delaware has reportedly heard testimony from multiple witnesses over the course of their probe, including some of Hunter Biden’s business partners and a woman who had a child by Hunter Biden out of wedlock.

The younger Biden, a Yale-trained lawyer, has said he is cooperating with investigators and remained “100% certain” that he would be cleared of any wrongdoing. President Biden has said he and his son never discussed his foreign business dealings and there are no indications that the federal investigation involves the president in any way. The White House has repeatedly sought to distance the president from the probe.

Congressional oversight

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, newly empowered House Republicans have already taken their first investigative steps in a long-expected investigation of Hunter Biden.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James and Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, have pledged to “pursue all avenues” of wrongdoing and have called investigations into the president’s family a “top priority.”

To handle any congressional queries, Hunter Biden recently retained high-powered defense lawyer Abbe Lowell, who has represented a number of high-profile political figures including Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and former Sen. John Edwards.

Earlier this month, the Oversight committee sent letters requesting “documents, records, and communications” from Hunter Biden as well as from Eric Schwerin, his former business partner, and from James Biden, the president’s brother.

Lowell rebuffed the overture, arguing that the committee “lacks a legitimate legislative purpose and oversight basis for requesting such records from Mr. Biden, who is a private citizen.”

The exchange came just a day after former Twitter executives testified before the Oversight Committee that the social media company made a mistake in blocking users from sharing a controversial 2020 New York Post story about Hunter Biden’s laptop.

President Joe Biden subsequently dismissed the Oversight Committee’s probe in an interview with PBS NewsHour.

“[The] public’s not going to pay attention to that,” he said. “If the only thing they can do is make up things about my family, it’s not going to go very far.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Russia-Ukraine live updates: Russian strikes hit infrastructure in Lviv, official says

Russia-Ukraine live updates: Russian strikes hit infrastructure in Lviv, official says
Russia-Ukraine live updates: Russian strikes hit infrastructure in Lviv, official says
Anton Petrus/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Almost a year after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion into neighboring Ukraine, the two countries are engaged in a struggle for control of areas throughout eastern and southern Ukraine.

Putin’s forces pulled out of key positions in November, retreating from Kherson as Ukrainian troops led a counteroffensive targeting the southern port city. Russian drones have continued bombarding civilian targets throughout Ukraine, knocking out critical power infrastructure as winter sets in.

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

Feb 16, 12:13 AM EST
Russian strikes hit infrastructure in Lviv, Ukrainians shoot down eight Russian missiles: Officials

An infrastructure object was hit in Lviv in the early morning hours of Thursday, the head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration, Maksym Kozytskyi, said on Telegram.

There were no casualties, and the fire from the impact has since been put out, Kozytskyi said.

Six Kalibr missiles were also shot down over the Mykolaiv region, and two Kalibr missiles were shot down over the Kherson region overnight, Odesa Military Administration spokesman Serhii Bratchuk posted on Telegram.

All eight of the missiles were fired from a Russian ship in the Black Sea, Bratchuk said in the post.

Feb 15, 2:48 PM EST
6 ‘reconnaissance’ balloons shot down over Kyiv

Authorities in Kyiv are investigating who owns six balloons that were in Ukraine’s airspace and what the balloons were doing over Kyiv. The balloons were shot down by Ukrainian air defense.

After a preliminary assessment, authorities think the balloons had intelligence gathering equipment.

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

Feb 14, 11:43 AM EST
If Bakhmut falls, won’t have ‘strategic impact’ on Ukraine war: White House

White House spokesman John Kirby said during a briefing Tuesday that the U.S. could not “predict one way or the other” whether Bakhmut will fall to the Russians and if it does fall, “on what timeline.”

“We’re watching this every day, and it is certainly true that the Russians are continuing to make incremental progress there,” Kirby said. “Again, I can’t predict one way or the other whether it falls or it doesn’t fall or on what timeline. They have made incremental progress again in just the last 24, 48 hours.”

He added that the U.S. did not think Russia obtaining control of Bakhmut would have any “strategic impact” on either the overall war or even fighting in that part of the country.

The U.S. thinks Russia — and specifically the Wagner Group and its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, which is doing much of the fighting for Bakhmut — wants to take over and benefit financially from gypsum and salt mines located in the area, Kirby said.

“Even if Bakhmut were to fall, it would not have a strategic impact on the overall war,” Kirby said. “I would go so far as to say it won’t even have, necessarily, a strategic impact on the fighting in that part of the country. We think one of the reasons why Prigozhin is so interested in Bakhmut is because there’s a gypsum mine there, and up in Soledar, there’s a salt mine. And it’s entirely possible that Mr. Prigozhin sees some economic benefit to him and his company to take Bakhmut and to take and hold Soledar.”

-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson

Feb 11, 9:43 AM EST
US surveillance data ‘crucial’: Ukrainian commander

Ukrainian Lt. Gen. Serhiy Nayev told ABC News in an interview that the U.S. provides “surveillance data,” allowing the Ukrainian Armed Forces to more accurately pinpoint Russian targets within Ukraine’s borders.

“This help is crucial for us,” he said.

Nayev said he was in “constant contact” with American generals stationed in other parts of Europe. An exchange of data between the Ukrainians and Americans helped the Ukrainian military to pinpoint targets using US-supplied HIMARS rocket systems.

“This work goes perfectly in real time,” he said.

-ABC News’ Tom Soufi Burridge, Dragana Jovanovic and Ale Pavone

Feb 10, 3:09 PM EST
Biden to visit Poland on eve of first anniversary of invasion of Ukraine

President Joe Biden will visit Poland on Feb. 20, on the eve of the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Biden will meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda as well as the leaders of the Bucharest Nine, a group of our eastern flank NATO allies, and he’ll deliver remarks to mark the one-year anniversary, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday.

“President Biden will deliver remarks ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, addressing 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,” Jean-Pierre said.

-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson

Feb 10, 12:25 PM EST
Russian missile comes within 22 miles of Romanian border with Ukraine

Romania, a member of NATO, said Friday a Russian missile had come within 22 miles of its border but that it did not cross into the country’s territory, countering a claim made by the Ukrainian military.

“The Romanian Air Forces’ air surveillance system detected on Friday, February 10th, an aerial target launched by a Russian Federation’s ship, navigating in the Black Sea, nearby the Crimean Peninsula. The target is most likely a cruise missile, which flew over the air space of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova and reentered the Ukrainian air space without ever infringing Romania’s air space,” Romanian Defense Minister Angel Tîlvăr said in a statement Friday.

Ukrainian officials had said earlier Friday that two Russian missiles crossed into the airspace of Moldova and Romania before entering Ukraine and being directed at targets in the country.

“Several Russian missiles passed through the airspace of Moldova and Romania. These missiles are a challenge to NATO and collective security. This is terror that can and must be stopped,” Zelenskyy said Friday.

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

New Titanic footage released from 1986 exploration of wreck

New Titanic footage released from 1986 exploration of wreck
New Titanic footage released from 1986 exploration of wreck
Woods Hold Oceanographic Institution

(NEW YORK) — Never-before-seen footage from the 1986 exploration of the site of the Titanic shipwreck was released Wednesday.

The footage was captured by cameras in a three-person research submersible named Alvin and the remotely operated Jason Jr. in July 1986, which marked the first time humans saw the ship since its doomed maiden voyage in 1912.

Most of the footage had never before been seen by the public, according to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution premiered more than 80 minutes worth of footage Wednesday night.

The footage begins with Alvin approaching the Titanic, then exploring the bow and parking on its deck. It also includes interior shots of the Titanic from Jason Jr.

It also shows the chief officer’s cabin and a promenade window, the exterior of the ship and the telemotor used to transmit steering and engine controls to the engine room.

The Titanic hit an iceberg on its trip from Southampton, England, to New York City on April 14, 1912. It was carrying over 2,200 passengers and crew.

More than 1,500 people died when the ship sank.

A joint exploration run by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and a French oceanographic exploration organization, Institut français de recherche pour l’exploitation de la mer, found the ship wreckage in September 1985.

Scientists then returned to the site nine months later and captured the footage.

In 1986, 11 dives were made to the Titanic’s resting place almost 12,500 feet below the ocean’s surface.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Best “Truck” ever? Why Lainey was skeptical about HARDY’s song

Best “Truck” ever? Why Lainey was skeptical about HARDY’s song
Best “Truck” ever? Why Lainey was skeptical about HARDY’s song
ABC/Connie Chornuk

There’s no doubt Lainey Wilson is truckin’ right along on the country chart: Her own “Heart Like a Truck” is in the top five, while her duet with HARDY is just a few steps behind in the top 10.

While the CMA Female Vocalist of the Year was always down to collaborate with her friend, she was a little skeptical about “Wait in the Truck” — but in a good way.

“He sent this song to me and he said, ‘You know, I think this is one of the best songs I’ve ever written and I’d love for you to be a part of it,'” Lainey recalls. “Well, you know, I think everything that HARDY writes is incredible. He’s just an incredible songwriter, not just here in Nashville, but the entire world. And the way that he tells a story is pretty insane.”

“But I thought, ‘I don’t know if this is gonna be the best song you’ve ever written,'” she continues. “‘You know, I’d love to dig through your catalog and actually see what the rest of the songs that you write are like.'”

Once she heard it, Lainey decided HARDY was right.

“I’d have to agree,” she tells ABC Audio. “The story that it’s telling, it is about domestic violence. It’s a topic that a lot of people don’t wanna talk about. But I’m more than happy to shed a little bit of light on a really dark, a dark thing.”  

Lainey continues on her Country with a Flare Tour as both her hits scale the chart.

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Gabrielle Union talks ‘Truth Be Told’ and the toll her character took on her

Gabrielle Union talks ‘Truth Be Told’ and the toll her character took on her
Gabrielle Union talks ‘Truth Be Told’ and the toll her character took on her
Courtesy HelloBeautiful

Gabrielle Union joins the Apple+ series Truth Be Told as Eva, a high school principal who raises awareness about the missing Black girls in her community. The offer for the role came during a time when she wanted to stay away from darkness, but she took it on knowing that friend Octavia Spencer would be by her side.

“We have been trying to work together again for over 20 years. I trust her in a way that I don’t trust most people in this town in our industry. So if I was gonna do it, it would need to be with someone I trust, like Octavia,” Gabrielle tells HelloBeautiful.

Union says she’d tapped into sex trafficking in Atlanta nearly eight years ago on Being Mary Jane, so she thought she was “prepared” for the role. She later realized she “needed to know what the victims were experiencing today.”

“I just had to dive into personal stories of girls and women who have gone on record and shared their truths,” she says. “And each one moved me closer to Eva.”

It also brought her back to being raped, gradually giving her “new pieces of information that [my brain] had decided that I could not handle at the time.”

“I would come home and I would cry every day,” Gabrielle says. “I would literally run off of set every day … There were days it felt like this job is really trying to kill me,” Union continues, noting she felt that way for five months.

After wrapping the show, Gabrielle went to Malibu with some friends and participated in a rebirth ceremony. She’s now ready “to claim my fullness and release who I was so I can embrace who I am and who I will be.”

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