(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. is sanctioning what is says are seven members of a Russian hacker group who have targeted the hospitals, companies and the U.S. government, the Treasury Department announced Thursday.
“Cyber criminals, particularly those based in Russia, seek to attack critical infrastructure, target U.S. businesses, and exploit the international financial system,” Treasury Under Secretary Brian Nelson said in a statement. ‘
The group known as Trickbot was first identified in 2016 and its members have ties to Russian intelligence services, according to Treasury. Trickbot viruses have infected millions of computers and Trickbot ransomware – which locks down computer systems with demands of payment – was used against hospitals and healthcare centers at the height of the global pandemic in 2020.
“These criminals were key players in the explosive growth of the ransomware problem from a nuisance crime to a national security crisis,” John Hultquist, head of Mandiant Intelligence at Google said in a statement. “While maintaining many of the trappings of an everyday business they showed an utter disregard for many of their victims, even targeting hospitals in the worst days of COVID.”
Mandiant was among the first cybersecurity intelligence groups to identify Trickbot in 2016. Researchers have continued to track various forms of malicious software associated with the group. Some believe Trickbot malware may have served as a gateway for other ransomware attacks that collected hundreds of millions of dollars from victims.
In one known Trickbot attack, the U.S. says, the group deployed ransomware targeting three medical facilities in Minnesota. The attack disrupted computer networks, telephones and ambulance services, according to the Treasury Department.
“We do believe that actors affiliated with Trickbot are continuing to operate but these operations today use different malware,” head of Mandiant Cybercrime Analysis Kimberly Goody told ABC News. “This is not uncommon as there are often ebbs and flows in the cyber crime ecosystem, including changing allegiances.”
The sanctions essentially lock down the hackers’ assets and property in the U.S. and block others from transacting with them. The U.K. also joined in sanctioning the accused hacker group.
Elvis Costello is set to kick off his 10-night residency at New York City’s Gramercy Theatre on Thursday, which will have him going through a good portion of his music catalog.
Dubbed 100 Songs and More, the residency will have him performing a different set each night, amounting to over 200 songs in total. The first five nights will have Costello performing solo. He’ll be joined by his longtime pianist Steve Nieve for the final five shows. The residency is set to run through February 23.
Fans who go to the shows will at least know a little bit about what to expect. Costello has already revealed 10 songs that will be featured on each night’s set list, with at least 10 more to be added each night.
Opening night is set to include:
“Welcome To The Working Week”
“Hoover Factory”
“Red Shoes”
“Stranger In The House”
“Poison Moon”
“Wave A White Flag”
“Radio Sweetheart”
“Mystery Dance”
“Cheap Reward”
“Alison”
Songs featured on the other nights can be found at elviscostello.com.
(WASHINGTON) — A federal judge on Thursday sentenced a Jan. 6 rioter who carried a Confederate flag, and was among the first people to breach the U.S. Capitol building, to three years in prison.
Kevin Seefried of Delaware was part of a mob on the Senate side of the Capitol building and was the first to confront Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman, who successfully diverted the attackers away from senators nearby.
Goodman recalled Seefried threatening him and jabbing at him with his flag pole.
Members of the mob shouted threats at Goodman, prosecutors said, including: “He’s one person. We’re thousands.”
U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden said this racially charged encounter was a negative factor in his sentencing determination for Seefried.
Seefried’s son, Hunter, is currently serving a two-year sentence for storming the Capitol with his father.
A court previously determined that while Hunter was still liable, his father influenced him in ultimately breaking the law.
Holding his hands behind his back, Seefried delivered a tearful apology to the judge, saying he was “deeply sorry” for his actions and particularly to the officers involved.
McFadden called Seefried’s conduct “deeply troubling” and disagreed with arguments from the defense that Seefried’s lack of mental acuity should weigh favorably in his sentencing.
St. Charles County Department of Corrections via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — Four days before the penalty phase is scheduled to begin, attorneys for Sayfullo Saipov sought on Thursday to strike the government’s decision to seek the death penalty, in part because of what the defense said was possible ethnic or religious discrimination.
Saipov was convicted of carrying out the deadliest terror attack in New York City since Sept. 11 when he drove a truck down a bicycle and pedestrian path along the Hudson River in October 2017, killing eight people.
The defense motion questioned why the government was pursuing the death penalty when the Biden administration has imposed a moratorium on federal executions and declined to authorize the death penalty in deadlier attacks, notably the hate crime at an El Paso, Texas, Walmart that killed 23 people in 2019.
“And given the recent decision to accept Patrick Crusius’s guilty plea to life imprisonment despite his unrepentant and premeditated hate killing of 23 Latinos at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas — Crusius being a white, U.S.-born citizen — the Court should have significant concern that a driving force behind the death notice in this case is Mr. Saipov’s religion and national origin, in violation of the Fifth and Eighth Amendments,” defense attorney David Patton said.
Saipov is willing to plead guilty, waive all appeals and consent to lifetime imprisonment under strict conditions that will all but eliminate his third-party communications for the foreseeable future, Patton said.
There was no immediate response from the government, which has previously defended its discretion to pursue capital punishment. The penalty phase of Saipov’s case is scheduled to begin Monday.
If the judge is unwilling to strike the death penalty, the defense said he should at least order federal prosecutors to reveal evidence behind the decision.
The Trump administration authorized the death penalty for Saipov and the Biden administration reauthorized it.
The defense pointed out then-President Donald Trump’s public calls for Saipov’s execution and his use of the truck attack to rail against so-called “chain migration” and the diversity visa lottery system.
“[I]n the days and weeks immediately following the truck attack, then-President Trump persistently demanded that Mr. Saipov face the death penalty based on nothing more than an intemperate assessment of his crime and his identity as an Uzbek Muslim immigrant who was a diversity visa lottery winner — an aspect of United States immigration policy that was long the focus of the Trump Administration’s ire,” the defense said.
(NEW YORK) — More than 20,000 people are dead after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria early Monday, according to officials.
The pre-dawn quake was centered in the town of Pazarcik in Turkey’s southeastern Kahramanmaras province and was followed by several powerful aftershocks. Thousands of buildings were toppled on both sides of the border, and the death toll was expected to rise as rescue workers searched for survivors in the massive piles of rubble.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 09, 4:54 PM EST
More than 21,000 killed
More than 21,000 people have died in Turkey and Syria since a massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks rocked the region on Monday, according to officials. At least 17,674 were killed in Turkey while another 3,377 lives were lost in Syria.
The Associated Press reported that the rising death toll is now higher than the number of people who died as a result of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan’s northeastern Tohoku region, which caused the nuclear accident in Fukushima.
Feb 09, 3:55 PM EST
USAID announces $85 million for earthquake relief
The United States Agency for International Development is providing $85 million in “urgent humanitarian assistance” that will go toward shelter, “food, medicine and other desperately needed aid to those in need” in Turkey and Syria, USAID Administrator Samantha Power announced Thursday on Twitter.
This comes as American responders are “leading the search for survivors” in Adiyaman, Turkey, said USAID spokesperson Jessica Jennings.
“Using sensitive cameras, listening devices, and search-and-rescue dogs, the team is able to target their search for survivors more accurately,” she said.
In Syria, Jennings said access to some of the hardest-hit areas remains “extremely challenging” due to damage to infrastructure, the security situation and weather concerns. However, she said that as of Thursday, one USAID partner was able to move six truckloads of supplies into the country.
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Feb 09, 1:46 PM EST
Syria in need of more help: ‘It’s like a drop in the ocean’
Members of the International Medical Corps dispatched to impacted areas of Syria have “started crying on the phone when I asked them what it was like,” Wafaa Sadek, country director for International Medical Corps in Syria, told ABC News.
“People everywhere on the streets. The weather is absolutely freezing. They don’t have anywhere to go. The children are screaming. Adults screaming,” Sadek said. “The situation is very, very bad.”
Sadek said her team told her of a little girl in Aleppo who was shouting, “Please, somebody get me out! I will serve you for the rest of my life, just get me out of here, please.”
Sadek said she wants to see more international help for Syria. She’s calling for sanctions to be lifted so more aid can get through.
“This is a humanitarian crisis,” Sadek said. “We should put our differences aside.”
Sadek stressed, “Syria is very much in need. The help which has come from all the over the world is much appreciated, but we really need a lot more. It’s like a drop in the ocean.”
-ABC News’ Zoe Magee
Feb 09, 12:21 PM EST
More than 20,000 killed
More than 20,000 people have died in Turkey and Syria since a massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks rocked the region on Monday, according to officials. At least 16,710 were killed in Turkey while another 3,317 lives were lost in Syria.
Feb 09, 5:49 AM EST
Death toll exceeds 17,000 in Turkey, Syria
Monday’s massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 14,014 people and injured more than 63,000 others in southeastern Turkey, according to the latest figures announced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Meanwhile, at least 3,162 were killed and over 5,600 were injured in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and a medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.
Feb 08, 10:32 PM EST
CAIR-NY says former board member and his family were killed in earthquake
The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ New York chapter tweeted Wednesday that a former board member, Burak Firik, along with his wife and two children were killed in Turkey during the earthquake.
A CAIR-NY representative told ABC News that the family, from Queens, was in Turkey to take care of Firik’s father, who was having health issues.
Feb 08, 8:20 PM EST
Death toll surpasses 15,000
Turkey Emergency Management (AFAD) is reporting 12,391 deaths from the earthquake in Turkey, while the Syrian Health Ministry and White Helmets say 2,962 people are dead in Syria.
According to Turkey Emergency Management, there have been 62,914 people injured in Turkey.
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman
Feb 08, 5:21 PM EST
3 Americans killed in Turkey by earthquake: State Department
Three U.S. citizens have been identified as among the more than 12,000 victims of the devastating earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria this week, the State Department confirmed Wednesday.
“We can confirm reports of at least three U.S. citizens killed in southeastern Türkiye,” a State Department spokesperson said. “Our staff in Türkiye and here in the United States are working tirelessly to provide consular assistance to these victims and their family members.”
The State Department is working closely with local authorities and other partner organizations to assist U.S. citizens in affected areas, the spokesperson added.
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Feb 08, 2:57 PM EST
Death toll tops 12,000 in Turkey, Syria
The death toll in Monday’s earthquake is now up to 12,019, according to authorities in Turkey and Syria.
The massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 9,057 people and injured 40,910 others in southeastern Turkey, according to the Turkey Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.
Meanwhile, at least 2,962 were killed and 4,654 were injured in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and Will Gretsky
Feb 08, 2:41 PM EST
Biden offers ‘deepest condolences’ to Turkey, Syria
President Joe Biden offered his thoughts and prayers on behalf of Americans following the deadly earthquake in Turkey and Syria during an event in Wisconsin Wednesday afternoon.
“It’s one of the worst earthquakes in that region in over 100 years and we mourn the loss of so many lives and we offer our deepest condolences,” he said.
Biden also commented on the “amazing” rescue efforts underway.
“You see dads or moms pulling little babies out from underneath this rubble,” he said. “So many people dying. And our thoughts are also with the survivors who’ve been torn apart by this tragedy.”
-ABC News’ Justin Gomez
Feb 08, 12:50 PM EST
Turkey stock exchange suspended
Istanbul’s stock exchange operator suspended trading for five days in an unprecedented step and announced that all trades that took place on Wednesday would be canceled in the wake of the earthquake.
“Due to the increase in volatility and extraordinary price movements after the earthquake disaster; in order to ensure the reliable, transparent, efficient, stable, fair and competitive functioning of the markets, Equity Market and Equity & Index Derivatives in the Derivatives Market have been closed,” Borsa Istanbul, the stock exchange operator, said in a statement on Wednesday.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Feb 08, 10:46 AM EST
Death toll tops 11,500 in Turkey, Syria
The death toll in Monday’s earthquake is now up to 11,577, according to authorities in Turkey and Syria.
The massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 9,057 people and injured 40,910 others in southeastern Turkey, according to the Turkey Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.
Meanwhile, at least 2,520 were killed and 4,654 were injured in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Feb 08, 9:16 AM EST
Over 600 aftershocks since Monday’s quake
Since a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Turkey before dawn on Monday, there have been a total of at least 648 aftershocks in the region.
Feb 08, 6:17 AM EST
Death toll tops 11,000 in Turkey, Syria
Monday’s massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 8,574 people and injured 40,910 others in southeastern Turkey, according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Meanwhile, at least 2,520 were killed and 4,654 were injured in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and a medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.
Feb 07, 10:42 PM EST
CENTCOM prepares to support quake relief efforts
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Tuesday that it is prepared to support the earthquake relief efforts.
CENTCOM said it’s working with U.S. European Command to work through options to send support to the hard-hit country.
-ABC News’ Luis Martinez
Feb 07, 10:31 PM EST
70 countries, 14 international organizations offer aid to Turkey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that approximately 70 countries and 14 international organizations have offered aid to Turkey.
The United Nations announced a $25 million grant from the U.N. Central Emergency Response Fund to help “provide urgent life-saving assistance in the region,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the secretary-general of the United Nations, said Tuesday.
The U.S. is sending two American urban search and rescue teams with 170,000 pounds of specialized tools and equipment to impacted regions in Turkey.
According to the E.U., 19 member countries, including Croatia, Estonia, France, Spain and Greece, have offered support to Turkey.
Greece sent a team of 21 rescuers, two rescue dogs and a special rescue vehicle, along with a structural engineer, five doctors and seismic planning experts in a military transport plane to Turkey, according to The Associated Press.
Israel sent the IDF Medical and a delegation from the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Health to southern Turkey on Wednesday to create a “field hospital” and provide additional support.
According to the Russian news service Interfax, Russia sent rescue teams from the Emergency Ministry to help with cleanup efforts in Syria on Tuesday.
China will provide $6 million in aid to Turkey, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said. The country will also deploy “heavy urban rescue teams and medical teams” to provide “relief materials urgently needed” by the Turkish.
Mexico sent rescue teams to Turkey to assist with humanitarian recovery efforts from the earthquake, including 16 of their search and rescue dogs.
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman, Jordana Miller, Shannon Crawford, Christine Theodorou, Natalia Shumskaia, Anastasia Bagaeva and Emma Ogao
Feb 07, 4:17 PM EST
Death toll rises to over 7,700 in Turkey, Syria
The death toll from Monday’s earthquake is now 7,766 according to officials.
The massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 5,894 people in southeastern Turkey, according to the latest figures from the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.
Meanwhile, at least 1,872 were killed in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Feb 07, 3:45 PM EST
Baby born in earthquake rubble in Syria
A baby girl has been rescued after she was born amid the earthquake rubble in Jindires, Syria, according to The Associated Press.
None of her family survived, according to the AP.
Feb 07, 3:43 PM EST
4-year-old girl pulled from rubble
A 4 year-old girl has been pulled from the rubble of a destroyed building, 42 hours after the devastating earthquake struck.
The little girl, named Beyza, is in good health, the Antalya Municipality Search and Rescue Team told ABC News.
Her parents remain trapped in the building.
-ABC News’ Marcus Moore
Feb 07, 3:09 PM EST
American search and rescue teams to start work Wednesday
Stephen Allen, USAID’s Disaster Assistance Response Team leader for the agency’s earthquake response, said his top priority is getting two American urban search and rescue teams to the region.
“Every hour does count in the first few days,” he said.
The responders are en route to Turkey, where they are expected to land at Incirlik Air Base in Adana Wednesday morning local time, Allen said. They’ll immediately start the long journey to Adıyaman, a city in southeastern Turkey that’s been heavily impacted by the quake, but has not had access to many search and rescue teams, Allen said.
The Americans are bringing about 170,000 pounds of specialized tools and equipment, including hydraulic concrete breaking gear, saws, torches, drills and advanced medical supplies to treat and triage the wounded, he said. They will also have about a dozen dogs who Allen said will play a “very key” role in looking for survivors strapped in the rubble.
Sending search and rescue teams to a disaster site so far away is “not something that we would normally do, frankly,” he said, however Turkey officials asked for assistance because its own considerable national search and rescue capabilities are outmatched by the “size and scale” of the devastation.
“I do need to emphasize the level of devastation, the level of damage, and the expected result in loss of life is massive. It’s massive,” he said.
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Feb 07, 2:37 PM EST
Death toll rises to over 7,000 in Turkey, Syria
The death toll from Monday’s earthquake is now 7,266, according to officials.
The massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 5,434 people in southeastern Turkey, according to the latest figures from the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.
Meanwhile, at least 1,832 were killed in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Feb 07, 1:24 PM EST
Mexico sends rescue dogs to Turkey
Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard tweeted photos and videos of rescue dogs headed from Mexico to Turkey to help with the rescue operations.
Feb 07, 1:08 PM EST
Major port suffers damage in earthquake
The Port of Iskenderun in southern Turkey sustained heavy damage on Monday.
The port, located on the Mediterranean coast in the southern province of Hatay, was damaged due to the earthquake that struck Turkey and neighboring Syria.
“The Port of Iskenderun remains closed until further notice, as teams look to repair the significant damage caused by the disaster and subsequent fire,” shipping group AP Moller Maersk said in a statement Tuesday. “We are currently unable to say exactly how long operations will be stopped at the port, but we will keep customers informed of the latest developments as soon as possible.”
Maersk said it was not accepting any new bookings to or from the port and were developing contingency plans with nearby hubs.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Feb 07, 12:41 PM EST
Death toll rises to over 6,200 in Turkey, Syria
The death toll from Monday’s earthquake is now 6,256, according to officials.
The massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 4,544 people in southeastern Turkey, according to the latest figures from the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.
Meanwhile, at least 1,712 were killed in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Feb 07, 11:02 AM EST
Professional soccer player among the injured
Christian Atsu, a professional soccer player for the Turkish team Hatayspor, was among the more than 8,000 people rescued from the rubble in Turkey, according to his team.
Atsu was injured in the quake. The sporting director for Atsu’s team remains under the rubble, according to a team vice president.
Atsu was on Ghana’s 2014 World Cup team and also played for Newcastle United in the English Premier League.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Feb 07, 9:16 AM EST
150,000 people left homeless in Turkey
At least 150,000 people in Turkey have been left homeless due to Monday’s deadly earthquake and aftershocks, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Feb 07, 9:13 AM EST
Twenty-three million people affected in Turkey, Syria
Some 23 million people in Turkey and Syria have been affected by Monday’s massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks, according to Turkish and Syrian authorities.
About 13.5 million of them are in Turkey, according to Turkish Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum.
Rescue efforts have been hampered by snow and freezing temperatures in the 10 affected Turkish provinces, Kurum said during a press conference Tuesday in the city of Gaziantep, near the quake’s epicenter.
Feb 07, 9:00 AM EST
Turkey declares three-month state of emergency
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday declared a disaster zone in the 10 southeastern provinces affected by the devastating earthquakes, imposing a state of emergency in the region for at least three months.
Erdogan said 70 countries have offered to help with the search and rescue operations in Turkey and that his government plans to open up hotels in the southwestern resort city of Antalya to temporarily house people impacted by the disaster.
Feb 07, 7:32 AM EST
Over 8,000 people rescued in Turkey
More than 8,000 people have been rescued in southeastern Turkey since a powerful earthquake and aftershocks struck the region, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Some 24,000 first responders are on the ground, including more than 3,200 first responders from 14 other countries who traveled to Turkey to assist with the massive search and rescue effort following Monday’s quake. They are carefully combing through the wreckage and looking for survivors amid the 6,000 buildings that have been either damaged or destroyed, according to Oktay.
Feb 07, 7:04 AM EST
Death toll tops 5,000
Monday’s massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 3,419 people and injured another 20,534 in southeastern Turkey, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay announced during a press conference on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, at least 1,603 were killed and 3,649 injured in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health, the Syrian civil defense and a medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.
Feb 07, 6:41 AM EST
ABC News witnesses rescue operation in Diyarbakir, Turkey
More than 24 hours after devastating earthquakes, ABC News reporters on the ground are witnessing the fevered effort to rescue survivors at a collapsed apartment building in southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir.
ABC News learned that crews had recently rescued a woman from what used to be an eight-story apartment building, where the top half now rests on three flattened floors below. The front wall had fallen away, exposing what used to be homes with furniture, pillows and air conditioning units.
In and around the collapsed building, there was a flurry of activity — but then a moment when it all came to a grinding halt. Generators were turned off, everyone stopped talking and the block went silent. Search and rescue teams thought they may have found another survivor. It was quiet for several minutes, but then the urgent effort returns.
Rescuers continued working in the cold, wet weather while also facing the threat of aftershocks. None of that has deterred them. They know this is a race against time.
Feb 06, 9:39 PM EST
More than 4,000 people dead in Turkey, Syria following earthquake: AFAD
The death toll continues to climb in Turkey and Syria 24 hours after the earthquake struck.
More than 4,300 people have died in the two countries following the devastating earthquake, officials said.
According to the Turkish Emergency and Disaster Management Organization (AFAD), 2,921 people have died in the country from the earthquake, with 15,834 people sustaining injuries.
Approximately 6,217 buildings have collapsed and about 7,840 people have been rescued from the debris and rubble, according to AFAD officials.
In Syria, 1,411 people have died since the earthquake struck the region, officials said.
Feb 06, 6:12 PM EST
Biden calls Erdogan, offers support following quake
President Biden called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this afternoon, following the earthquake that caused devastation in Turkey and Syria, the White House said.
Biden extended condolences and “reaffirmed the readiness of the United States to provide any and all needed assistance to our NATO Ally [Turkey] in response to this tragedy,” according to the White House.
“[Biden] noted that U.S. teams are deploying quickly to support Turkish search and rescue efforts and coordinate other assistance that may be required by people affected by the earthquakes, including health services or basic relief items,” the White House said.
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
Feb 06, 5:16 PM EST
No US citizens among Turkey casualties so far: State Dept.
State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters Monday that while the department has not confirmed that any Americans were killed in the recent earthquakes abroad, officials were “realistic” about the high chances of that changing.
“We’re all very sober about the implications of this and the fact that many countries, many nationalities are likely to be implicated just given the massive toll and destruction that this earthquake has cost,” Price said.
In the meantime, he confirmed that all State Department staff in Turkey are accounted for.
The American consulate in Adana, Turkey, would be able to host first responders coming in from foreign countries, Price added.
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Feb 06, 4:54 PM EST
13,000 injured in Turkey
As the death toll climbs to 2,316 in Turkey, another 13,000 people in the country are reported to be injured, according to Turkish Emergency Management.
At least 5,606 buildings in Turkey have been completely destroyed, according to Turkish Emergency Management.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Feb 06, 4:25 PM EST
Death toll climbs to 3,700
At least 3,727 lives have been lost in the devastating quake.
The death toll in Turkey has climbed to 2,379 across 10 Turkish provinces, according to Turkish Emergency Management.
In Syria, at least 1,411 people died in three cities, according to the Syrian Health Ministry.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Feb 06, 2:04 PM EST
Death toll climbs over 2,700
At least 2,701 lives have been lost in the devastating quake.
The death toll in Turkey has climbed to 1,651 across 10 Turkish provinces, according to Turkish Emergency Management.
In Syria, at least 1,050 people died in three cities, according to the Syrian Health Ministry.
Feb 06, 1:28 PM EST
Turkey declares seven days of mourning
Turkey has declared a seven-day mourning period in the wake of the devastating quake, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
“Our flag will be hoisted at half-mast until sunset on Sunday, February 12, 2023, in all our country and foreign representations,” Erdogan said.
More than 3,400 buildings in Turkey have been destroyed and over 11,000 people are hurt, according to Turkish officials.
Feb 06, 1:19 PM EST
US deploying two search and rescue teams
The U.S. is deploying two 79-person urban search and rescue teams to Turkey, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said.
“The president has authorized an immediate U.S. response. So right now, in addition to personnel currently on the ground, we are in the process of deploying additional teams, including two 79-person urban search and rescue teams, to support Turkish search and rescue efforts and to help address the needs of all those who have been hurt or displaced by the earthquake,” Kirby said.
Feb 06, 12:40 PM EST
Death toll nears 2,500
At least 2,494 people have died in Turkey and Syria.
The death toll in Turkey has climbed to 1,651 across 10 Turkish provinces, according to the Turkish Emergency Management Agency.
In Syria, at least 843 people have been killed in three cities, according to the Syrian Health Ministry.
Feb 06, 11:34 AM EST
No casualties on US base
There are no known casualties among U.S. personnel assigned to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, and no major damage to facilities, a base spokesperson told ABC News.
The base is roughly 125 miles from the earthquake’s epicenter.
The 39th Air Base Wing at Incirlik “is still mission operational,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
The Air Force is prepared to assist Turkey if called upon, according to the spokesperson.
Feb 06, 11:03 AM EST
More than 4,200 buildings destroyed
More than 2,800 buildings across Turkey have been completely destroyed, according to Turkey’s Emergency Management Agency, while over 1,400 buildings were demolished in Syria, according the Syrian Civil Defense Agency.
At least 45 nations have pledged to send volunteers and other aid to Turkey, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
Feb 06, 10:45 AM EST
Death toll climbs to 2,300
At least 2,343 people have died in Turkey and Syria.
The death toll in Turkey has climbed to 1,500 across 10 Turkish provinces, according to the Turkish Emergency Management Agency.
In Syria, at least 843 people have been killed in three cities, according to the Syrian Health Ministry.
Feb 06, 9:54 AM EST
Biden ‘deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation’
President Joe Biden tweeted that he’s “deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation” from the earthquake.
“I have directed my team to continue to closely monitor the situation in coordination with Turkey and provide any and all needed assistance,” he tweeted.
Feb 06, 9:14 AM EST
UK deploys emergency response teams to Turkey
The United Kingdom announced Monday it is “immediately” deploying emergency response teams to Turkey to assist rescue efforts following a deadly earthquake and powerful aftershocks.
According to a press release from the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, 76 U.K. search and rescue specialists, four search dogs as well as rescue equipment will arrive in Turkey on Monday evening. A U.K. emergency medical team is also being sent to assess the situation on the ground.
“We stand ready to provide further support as needed,” U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement.
In northwestern Syria, where the quake was also felt, the U.K.-aid funded volunteer organization White Helmets has activated a significant search and rescue response and mobilized all its resources to respond to emerging needs. The U.K. government is in contact with the United Nations on emergency humanitarian support to those affected in Syria, according to the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
“The British Embassy in Ankara is in close contact with the Turkish authorities to understand how we can best support those on the ground,” Jill Morris, British Ambassador-Designate to Türkiye said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with all those affected by the earthquakes today We pay tribute to the brave Turkish first responders working to save lives.”
The U.K. government’s announcement came on the heels of the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) declaring a “level 4 alarm” in the wake of the pre-dawn earthquake, calling for international assistance.
Feb 06, 7:25 AM EST
Monday’s quake was as powerful as the strongest ever recorded in Turkey
Monday’s deadly earthquake in Turkey, which was felt in Syria and other surrounding countries, was as strong as the most powerful one on record in Turkish history.
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Turkey in 1939, killing approximately 30,000 people. Monday’s quake in southeastern Turkey had the same magnitude, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Earthquakes frequently occur in Turkey, which is situated on top of major fault lines.
Some 18,000 people were killed in powerful earthquakes that hit northwestern Turkey in 1999.
Feb 06, 7:02 AM EST
7.5 magnitude aftershock hits Turkey
Several hours after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey early Monday, a powerful aftershock measuring 7.5 hit the country’s Kahramanmaras province around 1:30 p.m. local time, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Feb 06, 5:42 AM EST
Death toll jumps to over 1,200 in Turkey, Syria
Monday’s earthquake has killed at least 912 people in several Turkish provinces and injured 5,382 others, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced during a press conference.
Thousands of buildings were destroyed, Erdogan said.
Turkey’s disaster and emergency management agency, AFAD, is deploying 1,898 search and rescue workers along with 150 vehicles in response to the deadly earthquake. Turkey’s national police force has deployed 130 tactical unit members with mobile command centers and kitchens to the city of Kahramanmaras, near the quake’s epicenter. A total of 300,000 blankets were also sent to the region, which is deep in winter weather.
Meanwhile, at least 239 people were killed and some 600 were injured in government-held areas of Syria, according to Syrian state media. In rebel-controlled areas, at least 147 people were killed, according to the Syrian civil defense and medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a United Kingdom-based monitoring group, put the overall death toll at 320.
Feb 06, 12:12 AM EST
US ‘profoundly concerned’ by ‘destructive earthquake’ in Turkey, Syria
The United States “is profoundly concerned” by the reports of the “destructive earthquake” in Turkey and Syria, and “will continue to closely monitor the situation,” U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement late Sunday night.
“We stand ready to provide any and all needed assistance,” Sullivan added, noting that U.S. President Joe Biden “has directed USAID and other federal government partners to assess U.S. response options to help those most affected.”
The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake in Turkey at magnitude of 7.8.
(ATLANTA) — The number of suicides increased in 2021 to the highest levels seen in four years, according to new federal data.
The report, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Thursday, looked at how many people died by suicide between 2018 and 2021 as well as breaking down the chart by race and ethnicity.
Results showed that 48,183 Americans died by suicide in 2021 with a rate of 14.1 suicides per 100,000 people.
These are the highest numbers recorded since 2018 when 48,344 Americans died by suicide with a rate of 14.2 per 100,000, and comes after two consecutive years of decreases in 2019 and 2020.
When researchers looked at 2021 suicide rates by race/ethnicity, they found American Indians/Alaska Natives had the highest rate at 28.1 per 100,000. In addition, this group had the highest percent change from 2018, with the rate increasing 26% from 22.3 per 100,000.
Rates also increased among Black Americans at 19.2% from 2018 to 2021 and among Hispanic Americans at 6.8% over the same four-year period.
White Americans were the only group to see a decrease in suicides rates between 2018 and 2021 at 3.9%.
The report also found that suicide rates significantly increased among Black Americans between ages 10 and 24 over the four-year period from 8.2 per 100,000 to 11.2 per 100,000 — a 36.6% increase.
Rates also increased for people between ages 25 and 44 for American Indian/Alaskan Native, Black, Hispanic and multiracial populations.
Meanwhile decreases were reported for those between ages 45 and 64 overall as well as for Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans and white Americans in this age range.
No significant increases or decreases were seen for Americans aged 65 and older.
“These analyses demonstrate disparities in suicide rates among populations based on race and ethnicity and age group in the context of overall suicide rates nearly returning to their 2018 peak after [two] years of declines,” the team wrote.
“Suicide is a complex problem related to multiple risk factors such as relationship, job or school, and financial problems, as well as mental illness, substance use, social isolation, historical trauma, barriers to health care, and easy access to lethal means of suicide among persons at risk,” they continued.
The authors added that suicide rates might initially decrease during a disaster — in this case, the COVID-19 pandemic — only to rise as people begin experiencing the long-term aftereffects.
The report did not investigate why the number of suicides rose, but research has suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on mental health.
According to the KFF, four in 10 adults in the U.S. reported having symptoms of an anxiety or depressive disorder during the pandemic, an increase from one in 10 adults who reported the same thing from January 2019 to June 2019.
The impact on young adults was particularly severe. According to a 2021 study from Boston College, rates of depression and anxiety rose 61% and 65%, respectively, among those aged 18 to 29 during the first year of the pandemic. Both disorders increase suicide risk.
What’s more, despite the need for help regarding mental, behavioral or emotional disorders, there was a lack of services due to the lockdowns and business closures, as well as staffing shortages, according to the American Hospital Association.
Researchers are also studying if there is a link between people with long COVID and higher rates of depression and suicidal thoughts.
“As the nation continues to respond to the short- and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, remaining vigilant in prevention efforts is critical, especially among disproportionately affected populations where longer-term impacts might compound preexisting inequities in suicide risk,” the authors wrote.
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK] for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
(NEW YORK) — As the death toll rises in Turkey and Syria following the massive earthquake that struck the region, some are criticizing the efforts by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to prepare for such a disaster and provide relief to the victims.
Asli Aydintaşbaş, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution who has covered Turkey as a journalist for years, spoke with ABC News’ Start Here Wednesday about that political situation.
START HERE: Asli, there’s no discernible cause of an earthquake, but you have said at least some of this tragedy might have been preventable. Why is that?
Asli Aydintaşbaş: Certainly, I mean, this was a big earthquake by any stretch of imagination. It was massive, not just the size of it, but the intensity in the geographical area. But you also have a situation that points to human error in several ways. [There is] shoddy construction, no doubt. Turkey is [in] an earthquake zone. It’s [in] a seismic zone, and it has had devastating earthquakes before.
In 1999, I was in Istanbul when an earthquake killed in that area altogether 17,000 people, and then Turkey passed the legislation for building codes, an earthquake legislation. But it turns out it had stopped really enforcing both the building codes and regulations, and its own preparedness in terms of earthquake relief and being prepared on an urban level.
There are other issues. Turkey has had a major overhaul of its governance system. President Erdoğan has pushed for a referendum several years ago, which barely passed, giving him massive powers. It is such that he decides on everything. The governance has become a lot more centralized.
START HERE: I was going to say, I imagine a lot of concerns could fall to any Turkish government, but you’re saying Erdoğan specifically in his capital, Ankara, he owns this?
Aydintaşbaş: Well, this system just does not work. Everything is decided in Ankara and only in Ankara and by one man, alone.
And it is also problematic because many municipalities are now opposition strongholds. They voted for opposition parties. So you have no coordination between, for example, Hatay.
There is no coordination between the mayor in Hatay who is entirely rebuffed by the government, which only wants to work with mayors that are from the governing party.
START HERE: You’re already seeing this tension between localities and the capital?
Aydintaşbaş: Oh yes, very much. Even on this day, on such a day of calamity where there should be national unity, we’ve seen President Erdogan call mayors from provinces that where, which are from his party in person, but not opposition mayors.
START HERE: Is the construction itself a concern in a country like Turkey? Is that where some of the frustrations [are] coming from? Like these buildings are literally structurally unsound.
Aydintaşbaş: People are increasingly asking that question in Turkey on social media. They seem angry at the fact that one building stands still and then the next one is down.
There’s clearly sloppy construction and officials that haven’t bothered to enforce existing legislation and guidelines, which are pretty solid.
START HERE: What I was about to say, the burgeoning economy of Turkey seems important there. That there is so much economic might and yet like coming from Turkey, this is a place where like things are happening, [and] people are building.
Aydintaşbaş: There was a real clear decision pronounced outright that this would be a construction-based growth model, and president believes it’s the crown jewel of the economy.
It’s bad quality growth.
It’s like saying, I’m going to feed my kid…chocolate, because, who doesn’t like chocolate? It helps you grow too, but it’s just not a healthy kind of growth. If you build your economic model on construction, you’re not going to have people who are opening factories or invest in [the] tech sector. It’s as simple as that.
[The] second issue that people have is because everything is so centralized. Relief efforts and search-and-rescue operations are also very centralized. The government didn’t want a huge, strong civil society after the failed coup of 2016.
And what they want is a government NGO, [a] federal search-and-rescue operation to do everything.
And as a result, they are stretched, overstretched. They have not gotten to many parts of the affected area, including towns like…Elbistan and Hatay. So many places [where] the first 24 hours were critical.
If you speak Turkish and you follow Turks on social media, there are people who are holding their kids’ hand as he’s dying. Just today I heard about a friend’s friend who was talking to his father…who’s in his 80s but under the rubble, still alive for 24 hours and they couldn’t get anyone for relief effort.
START HERE: You sound in your voice pained by this, even though you’re thousands of miles away.
Aydintaşbaş: In Turkey, we knew this and our major earthquake was coming. This is not, uh, this is not a surprise. We pay earthquake taxes. Every Turkish citizen has a certain amount of money earmarked for earthquake. Where is that money? What is it being used?
START HERE: Yeah. And your observation that there were buildings that stood tall here and there were lots then that just absolutely crumpled right next to those buildings.
The parents and sister of Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer killed in the Rust on-set shooting, have filed a new lawsuit against Alec Baldwin and the film’s producers, according to the family’s attorney.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleges negligence, battery, intentional affliction of emotional distress and loss of consortium, their attorney, Gloria Allred, said. The latter legal term refers to the loss of love, companionship, financial assistance and other factors from a loved one’s death.
“Halyna was the light in their lives,” Allred said during a press event Thursday, noting that in filing the lawsuit they hope to “find the truth and hold accountable those who are responsible.”
The Ukrainian-born Hutchins was working on the Western when Baldwin accidentally shot and killed her while he was practicing using a handgun on the New Mexico set in October 2021. Director Joel Souza was also injured in the shooting.
Hutchins’ parents and sister, who still live in Ukraine, are trying to deal with the loss of a family member while living in the midst of the war, Allred said. Hutchins’ mother is an emergency operating room nurse, while her sister’s husband is fighting on the front lines, Allred said. The family’s attorneys said that Hutchins would have wanted to bring her family to the U.S. if she were still alive. Hutchins’ younger sister, Svetlana Zemko, called Halyna’s loss “devastating” to her family.
Baldwin and set armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reedhave been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins’ death. They are scheduled to make their first court appearance virtually on February 24.
Prosecutors claim that Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed failed to correct reckless safety violations in their roles as producer and armorer, respectively, and that Baldwin had his finger inside the trigger and it was pulled — contradicting his statements saying he never pulled the trigger.
(NEW YORK) — A dangerous and contagious bird flu continues to spread through poultry farms, wild birds, and now mammal populations.There’s still no sign the virus is capable of spreading between humans, but experts are watching the outbreak closely.
“The recent spillover to mammals needs to be monitored closely,” World Health Organization director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press briefing. “For the moment, WHO assesses the risk to humans as low.”
What is causing this bird flu outbreak?
This particular outbreak is caused by the H5N1 bird flu virus, which was first discovered in China in 1996. In 2021, a new variant of that virus emerged and started spreading around the world. The virus started infecting chickens on poultry farms in the United States in February 2022.
What is different about this outbreak?
The size, range, and number of species affected by this outbreak is unprecedented, says Nichola Hill, a virologist at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
This is the deadliest bird flu outbreak in U.S. history — nearly 60 million poultry have been affected. Wild birds in all 50 states have the virus. “It’s never really been seen in this number of different wild species before,” Hill says. It’s also infecting mammals: skunks, bears, seals, foxes, dolphins, and animals of other species are showing up with the virus. “That’s not really how bird flu should behave,” she says.
Most troubling is that the virus appeared on a mink farm where it seems to have spread between minks — not just from birds to individual minks. That type of mammal-to-mammal spread is new. “We hadn’t seen that before,” Hill says.
Is there a risk to people?
Mammal-to-mammal spread is concerning, but it doesn’t automatically mean that the virus is going to significantly affect human populations.
People can get sick from bird flu, but cases are still rare. They’re usually seen in people who work closely with birds. One person in the United States has been infected with the virus during this current outbreak, and that person was responsible for culling sick poultry.
Right now, even though the virus may be evolving to infect more mammals, it hasn’t mutated in a way that would help it infect humans easier.
“It still isn’t hitting on that magic combination of mutations that are necessary to unlock efficient human transmission,” Hill says.
But it’s still important to watch and try to contain H5N1 spread in other animal species, because every time it adapts to a new host, there’s a chance those mutations could happen. “We’re rolling the dice every time,” she says.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people should avoid contact with wild birds, and that people who work with poultry should take precautions like wearing gloves and masks.
Guitarist Joe Satriani has announced new dates for his fine arts tour next month, hitting two Wentworth Gallery locations.
Satriani is confirmed to appear at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s Atlantic City, New Jersey, location on March 11, followed by an appearance at the King of Prussia location in Pennsylvania on March 12. The exhibit will feature one-of-a-kind pieces on original canvases, as well as some hand-painted guitars. At both events, Satriani will perform a private, intimate concert for clients attending the shows.
“Music and art are my passions. I like making the invisible, visible, and the unimaginable, real. The image on a canvas, or, an electric guitar for that matter, can make you feel something unexpected and revealing, something that is the beginning of a greater personal insight,” Satriani shares. “When I paint and play my guitar, I strive to be in a state of exhilaration and communicate that feeling to my fans.”
