Radioactive capsule lost in Australia could potentially be deadly with prolonged exposure, expert says

Radioactive capsule lost in Australia could potentially be deadly with prolonged exposure, expert says
Radioactive capsule lost in Australia could potentially be deadly with prolonged exposure, expert says
Fairfax Media via Getty Images

(PERTH, Australia) — The health effects of coming into contact with a radioactive capsule no bigger than a coin that is currently lost in Western Australia could potentially be severe, according to experts.

Caesium-137 is a manmade fission project often used in radiological laboratories as well as in industrial settings, such as within gauges in mining operations, Angela Di Fulvio, an assistant professor of nuclear engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, told ABC News.

Emergency responders and radiation specialists are frantically searching for a tiny capsule filled with Caesium-137, at 8 millimeters tall and 6 millimeters in diameter, along a 22-mile busy freight route in the regions of Pilbara, Midwest Gascoyne, Goldfields-Midlands and Perth Metropolitan, according to the Department of Fire and Emergency Services Western Australia.

The search parties are driving north and south along the Great Northern Highway at slow speeds in hopes of finding the capsule, the DFES said in a statement. DFES specialist search teams are also using radiation survey meters to detect the gamma rays and radiation levels to try and locate the capsule, according to the agency.

The capsule was lost during transportation from the Rio Tinto mine in north Newman to the northeastern suburbs of Perth, an 870-mile journey.

Officials believe a screw became loose inside the large lead-line gauge, and that the unit fell through a hole, The Associated Press reported. The capsule was packaged in accordance with radiation safety regulations, officials said.

The capsule contained materials that are “a million times more active” than those used in a lab, Di Fulvio said, describing it as a “very active” source. At 1.665 millisieverts hours per hour, the unit of measurement used for radiation, coming into 1 meter of the source is comparable to about 17 chest X-rays, Di Fulvio said.

Prolonged close exposure to the capsule — for instance, if someone were to pick it up and put it in their pocket — could cause severe, and even potentially deadly, health effects, within hours, Di Fulvio said.

Erythema, or reddening of the skin, would be among the first symptoms, and the severity of the effects increases dramatically with exposure time, she added.

Exposure to the radioactive substance could also cause radiation burns or radiation sickness, according to the DFES.

Officials warned the public to stay at least 5 meters, or about 16 feet, away from it, and not to touch it, if they see something that could be the material.

Andrew Robertson, Chief Health Officer of Western Australia, said officials are concerned that an unsuspecting party will pick up the object, not knowing what it is, and keep it, the AP reported.

There also is a concern of the potential that the capsule may have become lodged in the tire of another vehicle and could be hundreds of miles away from the search area, according to the AP.

The silver lining to the fact that the source fell unshielded is that search teams will likely be able to detect the radiation more easily and quickly, Di Fulvio said.

“I’m confident that they are going to be able to find it,” she said.

The capsule had been packaged on Jan. 10 to be sent to Perth for repair, and the package containing the capsule arrived in Perth on Jan. 16, where it was unloaded and stored in the licensed service provider’s secure radiation store, according to the DFES.

When the gauge was unpacked for inspection on Jan. 25, the inspectors found that the gauge was broken apart, the DFES said. One of the four mounting bolts was missing, as were the source of the radiation itself and all screws on the gauge.

Police have ruled the case of the missing capsule as an accident and likely will not file criminal charges, the AP reported. An investigation will look into how the capsule was packaged and transported.

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Man dies after apparently falling off cliff in Puerto Rico: Coast Guard

Man dies after apparently falling off cliff in Puerto Rico: Coast Guard
Man dies after apparently falling off cliff in Puerto Rico: Coast Guard
Ricardo Castrodad via U.S. Coast Guard

(SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico) — The U.S. Coast Guard called off its search for a man who fell off a 70-foot cliff in Puerto Rico after a dive team recovered his body on Monday, according to Coast Guard officials.

The Puerto Rico Emergency Bureau dive unit recovered the body of Edgar Garay, 27, an Indiana man who was on a day trip to the southwestern coast of Puerto Rico, the Coast Guard said.

“We express our most heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Edgar Garay and pray they find closure and strength during this most difficult time,” Coast Guard Sector San Juan commander Capt. José E. Díaz said in a statement.

According to officials, Garay was last seen alive shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.

USCG said that a 911 emergency operator called Coast Guard personnel at 6:50 p.m. on Sunday to report the incident.

A witness told the USCG that they saw Garay “stumble toward the edge of the cliff,” the USCG said in a statement.

After conducting multiple searches for Garay via helicopter, the Coast Guard called the search off after his body was discovered.

“We appreciate the efforts of all the Coast Guard, Puerto Rico Police and partner agency emergency responders, especially the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Bureau dive unit, who was able to locate Mr. Garay’s body in such a highly inaccessible and challenging environment,” Díaz said.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

ATF Director Steve Dettelbach talks about enforcing gun laws amid surge in mass shootings

ATF Director Steve Dettelbach talks about enforcing gun laws amid surge in mass shootings
ATF Director Steve Dettelbach talks about enforcing gun laws amid surge in mass shootings
ABC News

(WASHINGTON) — Mass shootings have hit a record pace so far this year, with 49 in January alone, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Over the weekend, three women were fatally shot, and four others were injured near Beverly Hills. It was the sixth mass shooting in California alone, following tragedies in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay.

With an estimated 393 million guns, there are more firearms than people in the U.S, and the problem is continuing to get worse. Steve Dettelbach, director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, spoke with ABC News’ Linsey Davis about the surge in mass shootings and how his agency plans to combat gun violence in America.

DAVIS: Director, welcome to the show. I’d like to start with a fundamental question: What needs to happen in order to slow the scourge of gun violence in this country?

DETTELBACH: Well, thanks for having me. And the short answer is — a lot. I mean, as your introduction correctly points out, the amount and nature of firearms violence that we’re seeing now in this country is wholly unacceptable. I think one of the most important things we can start with is calling that out. One of my biggest fears is that people will somehow come to accept or be callous to the idea that this level of firearm violence is somehow just something that’s part of being in our country, part of being an American.

It is not. It is wholly unacceptable. Bluntly, it’s un-American. It’s not part of our story. It’s not who we are as a people. We at ATF don’t accept that. I think the men and women of law enforcement don’t accept it. You don’t accept it, and the American people shouldn’t accept it. That’s the first thing. But there’s a lot more to do beyond that to try and work shoulder to shoulder with state and local law enforcement, which we do at ATF, to see what we can do to both catch dangerous people who have committed gun crime and also do what we can do to stop them from killing again, to try and get ahead of this problem a little bit better.

DAVIS: What is the overarching issue? Is it just that we have too many guns already? Because when you look at other countries, they just don’t have this problem. And so, what are they doing better or we’re not doing enough of?

DETTELBACH: Look, it’s obviously a discussion that is happening all over the country. The president has talked a lot about it. The attorney general has talked a lot about it and others have opinions. But at ATF, our job is to take the rules and laws that Congress has passed, the tools that we have, and to do everything in our power to enforce them, to protect the community. Look, everything we do at ATF begins and ends with public safety. And so, there’s a lot that has gone on and there’s a lot more that needs to happen.

So, for instance, in August, in order to make sure we’re implementing the Gun Control Act, a law that’s been on the books for many, many years, we passed a rule that said that privately made firearms or ghost guns, which are unserialized, untraceable firearms, but they shoot and they can kill if they’re misused, just like other guns, are subject to the same provisions as traditional firearms under the Gun Control Act.

And ATF is going to do everything we can to make sure we’re enforcing the laws on the books by getting ahead of people who are misusing technology. There’s a lot going on, but there’s a lot more that needs to happen, because this threat is increasing.

DAVIS: You suggested that you would like to have more people in uniform for the ATF. What would you need to do in order to make that happen?

DETTELBACH: Well, that’s up to others, right? The president submitted a budget that called for ATF growth last year, and we’re gratified that we were able to get some additional money to do some additional hiring. We’re going to do the best with whatever the policymakers give us, and we’re going to take every single dollar and every single uniform and badge and firearm on the street that we have. We’re going to use our other intelligence and we’re going to just keep moving forward. Look, you know, we live in the world at ATF of the pounding, relentless threat of violent crime in our community.

DAVIS: Is this something that you feel that the president should discuss or at least broach during the State of the Union address next week?

DETTELBACH: I think the president has discussed the problem of gun violence in this country repeatedly. The attorney general has discussed it repeatedly. And I think we all should be conscious of discussing it repeatedly. Look, this last week, as you pointed out, I mean, there are weeks and there are weeks. This was a week where this was in the public eye more than normal.

But I have to tell you something. At ATF, it’s not just the cases that get on the news. It’s not just the cases that even get on the little crawl that goes below the news. It’s the 109 people every single day in this country who die from firearms violence that we’re focused on. Whether or not the case gets on the news, ATF is out there working not just mass shootings, but gang violence, cases involving firearms trafficking, people who are straw purchasing, who are breaking the law to get firearms to dangerous folks.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Hulu orders revival of ‘King of the Hill’

Hulu orders revival of ‘King of the Hill’
Hulu orders revival of ‘King of the Hill’
L-R: Greg Daniels (photo: Jon Kopaloff), Mike Judge (Sarah Coulter), Saladin Patterson (20th Television/Frank Micelotta)

Hulu announced Tuesday that it’s ordered a revival of the Emmy-winning animated show King of the Hill.

Creator Mike Judge, the voice of beleaguered propane accessory salesman Hank Hill, is returning, as is co-creator Greg Daniels and the original show’s cast, including Kathy Najimy as Peggy, Pamela Adlon as their son, Bobby, and Stephen Root as Hank’s buddy Bill.

The Wonder Years reboot producer Saladin Patterson will serve as showrunner for the series, which, like the original, will take place in fictional Arlen, Texas, in the present day.

King of the Hill ran for 13 seasons on Fox and now streams on Hulu. The new series is being produced by 20th Television Animation.

In the announcement, Craig Erwich, president of ABC Entertainment, Hulu and Disney Branded Television Streaming Originals, noted, “We are all so excited to welcome back Hank, Peggy and Bobby, and to see what they have to say about the world we live in and continue the conversations we began years ago.”

He said the series “has all of the perfect ingredients to meet this moment in animation at Hulu, and we’re so thankful to be having those conversations alongside this talented group.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

“Thank you, Cindy”: Hollywood remembers ‘Laverne & Shirley’ star Cindy Williams

“Thank you, Cindy”: Hollywood remembers ‘Laverne & Shirley’ star Cindy Williams
“Thank you, Cindy”: Hollywood remembers ‘Laverne & Shirley’ star Cindy Williams
Brian Gove/Getty Images

Friends and famous fans are sharing their memories of Laverne & Shirley star Cindy Williams, who died at 75 last Wednesday.

Ron Howard wrote, “#CindyWilliams Her unpretentious intelligence, talent, wit & humanity impacted every character she created & person she worked with. We were paired as actors on 6 different projects. #AmericanGraffiti a couple of dramas & then #HappyDays & #laverneandshirley Lucky me. RIP, Cindy.”

Michael McKean, now the sole surviving member of the main Laverne & Shirley cast, expressed, “Backstage, Season 1: I’m offstage waiting for a cue. The script’s been a tough one, so we’re giving it 110% and the audience is having a great time. Cindy scoots by me to make her entrance and with a glorious grin, says: ‘Show’s cookin’!’. Amen. Thank you, Cindy.”

His message drew likes and replies from Wonder Woman star Lynda Carter and Cary Elwes, who added, “She was a gem.”

In a statement to PEOPLE, a “deeply saddened” Suzanne Somers said, “We go back a long way from the American Graffiti days to our glorious run of Tuesday nights sitcoms which bound us together for endless promotions. We laughed together again and again. She had great joy, enormous talent and above all perfect timing. I will miss you, Cindy. RIP seems too soon.”

Big Shot‘s Yvette Nicole Brown tweeted, “I hate this so much…Oh how I loved Cindy Williams. When I was blessed to meet her on the set of @TheOddCoupleCBS she was as lovely as I always imagined she’d be. #Dammit.”

Jamie Lee Curtis remembered Williams as “AMAZING!” and “Such a great, natural comedian,” adding the news is, “Such a sad loss.”

The Mandalorian‘s Rosario Dawson referenced Williams’ co-star, the late Penny Marshall, writing, “Absolute gems. United again… Rest in Paradise Cindy Williams.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Adele cries onstage after connecting with widower at her Las Vegas show

Adele cries onstage after connecting with widower at her Las Vegas show
Adele cries onstage after connecting with widower at her Las Vegas show
Raven B. Varona

Adele‘s team shared a “very special moment” that recently happened during her Las Vegas residency.

The official @AdeleAccess account posted an Instagram video that starts with Adele walking through the theater while belting out “When We Were Young.” While interacting with the audience, the singer took notice of a man a few rows back showing her a picture of his wife on his phone. As she walks by, he places a hand over his heart.

Adele returned to the stage and dedicated her performance of “Someone Like You” to the gentleman, but it later dawns on her why the man’s wife wasn’t in attendance.

“When I walk through the crowd, I wish you could see what I can see because I know I talk to a few people every night, but then I see little stories of people happening,” the singer explains while wiping away tears as she points to the widower. She then asks her audience if they can “see him holding his phone up.”

“I think that’s his wife on his phone, and I don’t think she’s here and it just really moved me,” she tearfully says. “It looks like you’re here on your own and … I’m just so sorry. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

She further apologizes, “I’m so sorry I didn’t realize what you were showing me until I was already over there.”

The man in attendance wasn’t identified.

Adele spoke of how she sees “these little pockets of people’s lives” when she walks through the crowd during her residency, which she says she finds “so beautiful.”

Weekends with Adele wraps March 25.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Nashville notes: Dolly’s Gold + Tyler’s Dancin’ on ‘GMA’

Nashville notes: Dolly’s Gold + Tyler’s Dancin’ on ‘GMA’
Nashville notes: Dolly’s Gold + Tyler’s Dancin’ on ‘GMA’

Both Dolly Parton‘s classic “Hard Candy Christmas” and her more recent collab “Faith” with Galantis and Mr. Probz have been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Josh Turner kicks off the Long Black Train 20th Anniversary Tour March 4 in Dothan, Alabama, commemorating the two-decade anniversary of his breakthrough song. 

You can check out Tyler Hubbard‘s birthday-morning performance of his latest hit, “Dancin’ in the Country,” Tuesday on ABC’s GMA.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Falling in Reverse drops new single, “Watch the World Burn”

Falling in Reverse drops new single, “Watch the World Burn”
Falling in Reverse drops new single, “Watch the World Burn”
Epitaph

Falling in Reverse has premiered a new single called “Watch the World Burn.”

The track is available now via digital outlets and is accompanied by a video featuring Ronnie Radke as a super villain, which you can watch now on YouTube.

The clip also features a shot of a long-haired blond wannabe rocker who gets hit in the head with a laptop. You may recall that Radke got into a feud with Sebastian Bach last year over Falling in Reverse’s use of laptops and backing tracks during their live show.

“Watch the World Burn” follows Falling in Reverse’s 2022 singles “Zombified” and “Voices in My Head.” The band’s most recent album is 2017’s Coming Home.

Falling in Reverse will launch their Rockzilla tour with Papa Roach, Hollywood Undead and Escape the Fate on Wednesday in Rochester, New York.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Involuntary manslaughter charges formally filed against Alec Baldwin in ‘Rust’ shooting

Involuntary manslaughter charges formally filed against Alec Baldwin in ‘Rust’ shooting
Involuntary manslaughter charges formally filed against Alec Baldwin in ‘Rust’ shooting
Mike Coppola/Getty Images for 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala

Involuntary manslaughter charges were formally filed Tuesday against actor Alec Baldwin over the fatal shooting on the New Mexico set of the film Rust.

Both Baldwin and the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, have been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021.

First assistant director David Halls has already agreed to plead no contest for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.

Santa Fe First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies and special prosecutor Andrea Reeb announced their decision to file charges on January 19, nearly three months after receiving the local sheriff’s department investigation into the shooting.

Now that charges have been filed, each defendant will be issued a summons for their first court appearance, which can be done virtually or waived, prosecutors said. During a preliminary hearing, a judge will decide whether there is probable cause to move forward with a trial. Preliminary hearings are typically scheduled within 60 days of charges being filed, according to the district attorney’s office.

Should the case go to trial, a jury would have to decide under which definition of involuntary manslaughter Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed were guilty. For the first count of involuntary manslaughter, prosecutors must prove “underlying negligence,” while the second count, involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act, “requires proof that there was more than simple negligence involved in a death,” the district attorney’s office said.

Both counts are fourth-degree felonies punishable by up to 18 months in jail, however, a firearm enhancement on the second charge could carry a mandatory sentence of five years in prison, prosecutors said.

Baldwin’s lawyer, Luke Nikas, called the charging decision “a terrible miscarriage of justice” and vowed to fight the charges.

Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney, Jason Bowles, also pushed back against the charges and called the investigation flawed.

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Jon Bon Jovi teases 40th anniversary celebration as he thanks fans for YouTube milestone

Jon Bon Jovi teases 40th anniversary celebration as he thanks fans for YouTube milestone
Jon Bon Jovi teases 40th anniversary celebration as he thanks fans for YouTube milestone
Mercury/UMG

Jon Bon Jovi is thanking fans for their continued support following the news that Bon Jovi’s video for “Livin’ on a Prayer” has surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube.

“Just callin’ out to say thank you to everybody on YouTube for our 1 billionth view of the ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ video,” he shared in a video message on Instagram. “Guess you liked it. We liked it, too. Thank you everybody for continuing to support Bon Jovi for 40 years.”

He then teased fans with what’s in store for the coming year, saying there are “lots of big things in the works for our 40th anniversary, so get ready for that.”

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