(KANSAS CITY, Mo.) — An Amazon worker has been found dead in a yard after a suspected mauling by two dogs.
The body of the Amazon worker was found in a yard on a property in the Wood Heights area of Excelsior Springs, Missouri — approximately 32 miles northeast of Kansas City — on Monday evening, according to ABC News’ Kansas City affiliate KMBC-TV.
Neighbors told KMBC that they called the Ray County Sheriff’s Office to report a delivery truck which had been parked in front of a residence in Wood Heights for several hours on Monday evening.
But when authorities responded to investigate the truck, they found the body of the driver in the yard along with two dogs on the property, according to KMBC.
The responding deputy shot and killed both of the dogs after an initial investigation revealed that animal bites were a factor in the Amazon worker’s death, according to Ray County Sheriff Scott Childers.
“We’re deeply saddened by tonight’s tragic incident involving a member of our Amazon family and will be providing support to the team and the driver’s loved ones. We are assisting law enforcement in their investigation, “Amazon said in a statement obtained by ABC News.
The Amazon employee has not yet been identified and it is unclear if the residents of the home were there at the time of the suspected — but currently unconfirmed — mauling or if there had been any history of aggression by the dogs.
The circumstances around the death remains under investigation.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden will get his updated COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday while calling on more Americans to do so ahead of the winter and holiday season, according to the White House.
When delivering remarks, Biden will be joined by leaders of major U.S. pharmacy chains Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid and Albertsons, as well as Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, the president’s chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and the White House COVID-19 response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha “to discuss ongoing efforts to mobilize pharmacies to reach more Americans and encourage them to receive their updated COVID-19 vaccine,” according to a White House official.
“The President will again renew his call for all business, educational, and civic leaders to encourage their communities to receive their updated vaccines and keep their communities safe,” the official said in a statement.
More than 20 million Americans, including nearly one in five seniors, have already gotten their updated COVID-19 vaccine. The latest booster shots target two subvariants of the omicron variant, which are versions of the virus that are currently most dominant in the United States and around the world, according to the White House.
“While COVID-19 is not the disruptive force it was when the President took office, the virus continues to evolve. COVID-19, flu, and other respiratory illnesses spread more quickly in the winter, as people gather indoors,” the White House said in a statement. “As the weather gets colder, Americans must take action to stay protected.”
The Biden administration will also announce several initiatives on Tuesday to encourage Americans to get boosted.
In the coming weeks, Walgreens will team up with DoorDash and Uber “to provide free delivery of prescriptions of Paxlovid, an oral COVID-19 treatment, directly to the doorsteps of Americans living in underserved communities,” the White House said.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will launch the #VaxUpAmerica Family Vaccine Tour, with pop-up COVID-19 vaccination events — including at the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship in Arizona next month — and the distribution of tool kits at day cares, nursing homes, community health centers and other locations. The Biden administration will also encourage schools, businesses and other organizations around the country to host their own vaccination events, according to the White House.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will target seniors, with its efforts to reach people via email and telephone to provide information about the updated COVID-19 vaccines and how to get them, according to the White House.
The Biden administration will release a “fall playbook for businesses to manage COVID-19,” the White House said.
Biden, himself, “will call on every school district, college, and university in America to host at least one vaccination clinic by Thanksgiving,” according to the White House.
In addition, he will “call on employers to take actions like offering paid-time-off for vaccination, and working with local vaccine providers to host on-site vaccination clinics for employees,” the White House said.
Meanwhile, Albertsons, CVS, Rite Aid, Southeastern Grocers, Walgreens, Walmart and Sam’s Club have their own initiatives to help Americans get vaccinated.
“We have the tools we need to manage this moment,” the White House added. “For most Americans, if they get this updated COVID-19 vaccine, they can go about their lives this fall and winter with the peace of mind that they remain protected against serious illness. And, if they do get sick, there are widely available and easily accessible treatments that reduce the severity of illness, keep people out of the hospital, and save lives.”
(HARRISBURG, Pa.) — Pennsylvania Senate candidates John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz will debate Tuesday night in Harrisburg, a highly anticipated clash in a race that has seen health challenges and personal attacks, with control of Congress’ evenly divided top chamber on the line.
The debate will be hosted by Nexstar and broadcast across Pennsylvania starting at 8 p.m. ET. It follows a months-long effort by Oz to get Fetterman to agree to share the stage in the wake of Fetterman’s stroke in May, with Oz saying he sympathized with Fetterman but wanted them to face voters.
Oz previously agreed to seven other debates, according to his campaign, none of which Fetterman committed to.
While the candidates are likely to go back and forth over public safety, the economy, health care and more, much of the spotlight will be on Fetterman’s own health. The lieutenant governor’s speech has at times been choppy since he resumed public campaign events following his stroke, which his campaign has said was cause by atrial fibrillation, or irregular heart rhythm, which led to a clot.
On stage, Fetterman will have closed captioning, allowing him a real-time transcript to help with issues he has processing words that are spoken to him.
Two top aides attempted Monday to lower expectations for his performance, writing in a memo to reporters that debating “isn’t John’s format” and that Oz, a former surgeon and TV host, “has a huge built-in advantage.”
Fetterman “is a unique candidate with a strong personal brand that transcends partisanship,” wrote Rebecca Katz, a senior adviser, and Brendan McPhillips, the campaign manager. “That’s what voters are going to see on the debate stage, and it’s why John is going to win this race – even if he doesn’t win the debate.”
“John has had a remarkable recovery, but the ongoing auditory processing challenges are real,” they added. “But he’ll be open and upfront about those challenges, just like he has been in interviews and at rallies for the past few months.”
Fetterman returned gingerly to the campaign trail in August, holding few events and seldom speaking to the media. He has since steadily increased his public presence, at times holding multiple events per day. Along the way, his speech has appeared to improve, becoming smoother.
In a letter released last week, Fetterman’s primary-care physician said the lieutenant governor “can work full duty in public office” and speaks “without cognitive deficits.”
That assessment aligns with what independent neurologists have told ABC News — namely, that for stroke survivors, language issues do not indicate cognitive impairment.
But operatives say that may not stop Fetterman’s opponents from using his appearance on the debate stage to argue to voters that he isn’t up for the job of senator.
“If Fetterman is not just bad but awkward in ways that show impairment, then the Republicans presumably will put out some sort of paid advertising highlighting that, and that presumably will be seen by voters,” Democratic strategist J.J. Balaban told ABC News.
Josh Novotney, a Philadelphia-based Republican consultant, said, “It’s an hour debate. It only takes a couple seconds for them to make it a social media viral moment where it will decide a lot of votes.”
While Fetterman has long led against Oz, according to FiveThirtyEight’s polling average, the surveys have narrowed this fall amid both a crush of Republican-funded ads labeling Fetterman as soft on crime and a national environment that favors the GOP.
Six weeks ago, Fetterman held a nearly 11-point lead in FiveThirtyEight’s average. As of Monday, it was less than three points.
Oz “has been really good at message discipline,” Novotney told ABC News, focusing primarily on crime and inflation, two issues polls have shown are atop voters’ minds.
Oz also criticizes Fetterman’s history leading the state’s parole board, where he has voted to commute the sentences of some convicted murderers serving life sentences. Oz’s campaign has called him “the most pro-murderer candidate in America.”
Fetterman, who bears tattoos in memory of crime victims from the town where he was previously mayor, has said those select cases involved offenders who spent many decades behind bars and were no longer “dangerous.”
Fetterman quipped at one event: “What has Dr. Oz ever known about fighting crime, living in a gated mansion in New Jersey?
Oz’s ties to New Jersey, where he lived for years before moving to Pennsylvania — where he attended medical school — have been a repeated target for Fetterman, who calls Oz a carpet-bagging opportunist out of touch with Pennsylvanians.
Oz brushes off those attacks, recently telling a local outlet, “Pennsylvanians don’t care where you come from; they care what you stand for.”
Some experts believe Tuesday’s debate could be more influential on voters than debates in past cycles.
“I think this debate, more so than any debate probably in the last quarter-century, in Pennsylvania at least, is going to really matter,” said Republican consultant Matt Benyon.
(NEW YORK) — More than six months 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.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose forces began an offensive in August, has vowed to take back all Russian-occupied territory. But Putin in September announced a mobilization of reservists, which is expected to call up as many as 300,000 additional troops.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Oct 25, 12:42 AM EDT
Blinken again speaks with Ukrainian counterpart, second time in as many days
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, on Monday after having a call with him on Sunday, and the “rhetoric surrounding so-called dirty bombs” was again on the agenda.
“The secretary reaffirmed enduring U.S. support for Ukraine in the face of continued Russian aggression, atrocities and rhetoric surrounding so-called ‘dirty bombs’ in Ukraine,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement. “He noted our commitment to work with allies and partners to continue meeting Ukraine’s security assistance needs on the battlefield.”
Blinken tweeted: “Connected with @DmytroKuleba again today. It is important to once again emphasize that U.S. support for Ukraine is concrete, comprehensive and enduring.”
Oct 24, 9:16 AM EDT
Russian commander says troops readied in case of ‘radioactive contamination’
A senior commander of the Russian military said Monday that his troops have been readied to operate “in the conditions of radioactive contamination,” amid Moscow’s allegation that Ukraine is preparing to use a “dirty bomb” on its own territory.
“Work has been organised by the [Russian] Ministry of Defense for combating possible provocations from the side of Ukraine: forces and equipment have been put in readiness for fulfilling tasks in the conditions of radioactive contamination,” Kirillov said during a press briefing, as quoted by Russian state media.
The comments are further worrying signs that Russia is trying to build a false-flag narrative, blaming Ukraine for the possible use of nuclear weapons, which is clearly intended as a threat to both Ukraine and its Western allies.
Oct 24, 9:04 AM EDT
Russia responds to US, UK, France rejecting its ‘dirty bomb’ allegation
Russia responded on Monday to a joint statement from the United States, the United Kingdom and France rejecting Moscow’s “transparently false allegations” that Ukraine is preparing a provocation with the use of a “dirty bomb” on its own territory.
“The thing is that their mistrust toward the information shared by Russia doesn’t mean that the threat of the use of such a dirty bomb ceases to exist,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a press briefing. “The threat is obvious. This information was shared by the defense minister with his counterparts, and now it is up to them to believe or not believe in it.”
Oct 24, 8:39 AM EDT
Top Ukrainian general speaks out in exclusive rare interview
The commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine is real and that the West “should be worried,” but said his country is nonetheless winning the war.
Gen. Col. Oleksander Syrskiy made the comments in an exclusive interview with ABC News’ Chief Foreign Correspondent Ian Pannell in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Sunday. As the 57-year-old top commander of his country’s land forces, Syrskiy has played a decisive role in turning the war in Ukraine’s favor, first leading the successful defense of the capital, Kyiv, and then — most recently — masterminding the counteroffensive in the northeast that upended the monthslong conflict and threw Russian forces onto the defensive.
The rare interview, airing Monday on ABC News’ Good Morning America, is one of the few times Syrskiy has spoken publicly at length and he described Ukraine’s tactics, the importance of Western support, the threat of renewed attacks from Belarus and his determination that Ukraine will reclaim all of its territory, including the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula.
Ukraine’s successes, however, have been shadowed by the recent threats from Putin that Russia might resort to nuclear weapons to reverse the course of his war in Ukraine. Syrskiy told ABC News that he takes the threats seriously.
“We are and should be worried,” Syrskiy said. “I do believe that such a threat really exists and we have to take it into account.”
Oct 24, 8:32 AM EDT
US, UK, France reject Russia’s ‘dirty bomb’ allegation
The governments of the United States, the United Kingdom and France released a joint statement on Sunday rejecting “Russia’s transparently false allegations that Ukraine is preparing to use a dirty bomb on its own territory.”
“We, the Foreign Ministers of France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, reiterate our steadfast support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression,” they said in the joint statement. “We remain committed to continue supporting Ukraine’s efforts to defend its territory for as long as it takes.”
“Earlier today, the defense ministers of each of our countries spoke to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu at his request,” they continued. “Our countries made clear that we all reject Russia’s transparently false allegations that Ukraine is preparing to use a dirty bomb on its own territory. The world would see through any attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation. We further reject any pretext for escalation by Russia.”
They added: “The Foreign Ministers also discussed their shared determination to continue supporting Ukraine and the Ukrainian people with security, economic, and humanitarian assistance in the face of President Putin’s brutal war of aggression.”
Oct 24, 8:21 AM EDT
Blinken speaks with Ukrainian counterpart about Russia’s ‘dirty bomb’ allegation
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke via telephone with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, on Sunday “to reaffirm the United States’ steadfast support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independent, and territorial integrity,” according to a statement from U.S. Department of State spokesperson Ned Price.
“Secretary Blinken expressed to Foreign Minister Kuleba that the United States rejects Russian Defense Minister Shoygu’s transparently false allegations that Ukraine is preparing to use a dirty bomb on its own territory and that the world would see through any attempt by Russia to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation,” Price said.
“They also discussed the U.S. and international commitment to continue supporting Ukraine with unprecedented security, economic and humanitarian assistance for as long as it takes, as we hold Russia accountable,” he added. “They further noted our ongoing efforts to manage the broader implications of President Putin’s war.”
Oct 23, 4:11 PM EDT
Russian Defense Minister claims Ukrainians planning ‘dirty bomb’ attack
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu called the defense ministers of Turkey, France and the United Kingdom on Saturday, claiming Ukraine is preparing a provocation with the use of a “dirty bomb.”
The first mention of a possible Ukrainian “dirty bomb” attack appeared Sunday in a morning message of the RIA Novosti state-owned news agency. The article, citing “credible sources in various countries, including Ukraine,” stated that “the Kiev regime is preparing a provocation on the territory of its country related to the detonation of the so-called ‘dirty bomb’ or low-power nuclear munition.”
“The purpose of the provocation is to accuse Russia of using weapons of mass destruction in the Ukrainian theater of operations and thereby launch a powerful anti-Russian campaign in the world aimed at undermining confidence in Moscow,” RIA Novosti reported.
Shoigu also had a telephone conversation with the U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Sunday, during which they discussed the situation in Ukraine, according to a Pentagon official.
“Secretary Austin rejected any pretext for Russian escalation and reaffirmed the value of continued communication amid Russia’s unlawful and unjustified war against Ukraine,” said Pentagon press secretary, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder.
Oct 23, 1:20 PM EDT
Russian military jet crashes into a residential building, 2nd time in a week
A Russian Sukhoi Su fighter jet crashed into a residential building in southern Siberia on Sunday during a an apparent test flight just six days after another Russian Sukhoi Su jet slammed into an apartment block in Yeysk, Russia, near the Ukrainian border.
Two pilots were killed in Sunday’s crash in the southern Siberia town of Irkutsk, Russian officials said. The crash ignited a giant fireball when the aircraft nosedived into a two-story house, Igor Kobzev, the regional governor, said in a post on Telegram.
Kobzev confirmed two pilots were killed and said no civilian residents were injured.
The Sukhoi Su-30 jet was on a test flight when the crash occurred, according to the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.
The crash came about a week after a Russian Sukhoi Su-34 crashed into an apartment block in the southern Russian city of Yeysk, near Ukraine, killing at least 15 people.
Authorities said the initial investigation indicated a technical malfunction of the aircraft caused the crash and that the pilots eject from the jet and survived.
Oct 22, 4:39 PM EDT
33 missiles have been fired at Ukraine, air force says
Thirty-three missiles were fired at Ukraine on Saturday morning, 18 of which were shot down, the country’s air force claimed. Local officials in regions across Ukraine are reporting that the strikes were aimed at energy facilities.
More than a million people were without power as of Saturday afternoon, according to presidential adviser Kyrylo Tymoshenko.
In the southeastern city of Nikopol, local authorities warned that air raid sirens would be switched off as a result of power cuts. Instead, emergency vehicles driving around the city will warn resident of incoming aerial threats.
Oct 22, 1:45 PM EDT
Russian authorities tell civilians in annexed Kherson to leave immediately
Russian authorities in the Ukrainian city of Kherson told civilians to leave immediately on Saturday because of what they called a tense military situation as Ukrainian forces advance. Kherson was illegally annexed by Russia earlier this month.
“Take care of the safety of your family and friends! Do not forget documents, money, valuables and clothes,” Russian authorities said.
At Oleshky on the opposite bank of the Dnipro, the agencies caught up with people arriving by river boat from Kherson, loaded with boxes, bags and pets, according to an article in Russian News Agency Interfax.
One woman carried a toddler under one arm and a dog under the other. Some boats were loaded with vegetables and pallets of food. Staff from Russia’s emergency ministry carried elderly people and children in prams from the vessels. Families then waited to board buses to the Russian-annexed city of Crimea, according to Interfax.
Meanwhile, in a briefing on Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry said its forces had repelled a Ukrainian attempt to break through its line of control in the Kherson region.
Oct 21, 3:36 PM EDT
Ukraine accuses Russia of delaying passage of 150 grain ships
Russia is deliberately delaying the passage of ships carrying grain exports under a U.N.-brokered deal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alleged in his evening address Friday.
Zelenskyy said the delay meant that Ukraine grain exports were short 3 million tons, which he said is enough to feed 10 million people.
“The enemy is doing everything to slow down our food exports … as of today, more than 150 ships are queuing to fulfill contractual obligations on the delivery of our agricultural products,” Zelenskyy said.
“This is an artificial queue. It only arose because Russia is deliberately delaying the passage of the ships,” he said.
-ABC News’ Jason Volack
Oct 21, 1:24 PM EDT
Russia has hit 30% to 40% of Ukraine’s overall power infrastructure, Ukrainian official tells Reuters
Russian attacks have hit 30% to 40% of Ukraine’s overall national power infrastructure, Ukraine’s Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko told Reuters in an interview.
“We see that they targeted a number of new [facilities], but also they shelled [facilities] which had been already shelled before to destroy them absolutely,” Halushchenko said.
Asked about the scale of the damage, Halushchenko said Russian attacks have hit at least half of Ukraine’s thermal generation capacity and caused billions of dollars worth of damage.
Halushchenko said electricity imports could be one of the options Ukraine pursues to get through the crisis.
-ABC News’ Jason Volack
Oct 21, 11:03 AM EDT
Austin speaks with Russian defense minister about Ukraine
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Russian counterpart, Minister of Defense Sergey Shoygu, for the second time since the invasion of Ukraine on Friday.
“Secretary Austin emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid the ongoing war against Ukraine,” the Pentagon said in a brief statement.
The first call between the two was in May and lasted an hour. Officials did not say how long the Friday call was.
Oct 20, 4:33 PM EDT
US believes Iranians are on the ground assisting Russian drone attacks in Ukraine
The U.S. believes Iranians are “on the ground” in Ukraine to assist Russia with its drone operations, White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters Thursday.
“We can confirm that Russian military personnel that are based in Crimea have been piloting Iranian [drones] and using them to conduct strikes across Ukraine, including strikes against Kiev in just recent days. We assess that Iranian military personnel were on the ground in Crimea and assisted Russia in these operations,” Kirby told reporters.
Kirby did not know how many Iranians are in Crimea, but said the U.S. knows it is “a relatively small number.”
Kirby specified that the Iranians “have put trainers and tech support in Crimea, but it’s the Russians who are doing the piloting.”
“We’re going to continue to vigorously enforce all U.S. sanctions on both the Russian and Iranian arms trade. We’re going to make it harder for Iran to sell these weapons to Russia. We’re going to help the Ukrainians have what they need to defend themselves against these threats.”
-ABC News’ Justin Gomez
Oct 20, 2:53 PM EDT
DOJ says it will continue to be “relentless” in efforts to hold people responsible for war crimes accountable
The Justice Department will “continue” to be “relentless” in its pursuit to hold those responsible for war crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine accountable, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday, while sitting next to his German counterpart, Minister of Justice Christine Lambrecht.
“We are committed to finding ways to expand our cooperation with our German partners in these efforts,” Garland said.
Garland also thanked Germany for its help in apprehending a suspect accused of getting sensitive technologies to Russia as part of an indictment announced Wednesday.
The Justice Department charged five individuals including Yury Orekhov, the alleged mastermind behind the plot. Orekhov was arrested in Germany as part of the Justice Department’s task force KleptoCapture, which is cracking down on Russian-related crimes as the war in Ukraine continues.
Asked if any U.S. intelligence was compromised after Germany replaced its head of cybersecurity over alleged ties to Russia, Garland didn’t answer, saying intelligence sharing is what makes the relationship with Germany so strong.
-ABC News’ Luke Barr
Oct 20, 6:56 AM EDT
US will ‘not hesitate’ to sanction Iran over drone sales, official says
The United States is committed to stopping Russia from obtaining foreign weapons, including Iran-made drones, a State Department official said.
Officials from the United States, United Kingdom and France on Thursday raised the issue during a meeting of the U.N. Security Council, State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
“The United States began warning in July that Iran was planning to transfer UAVs to Russia for use in Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine, and we now have abundant evidence that these UAVs are being used to strike Ukrainian civilians and critical civilian infrastructure,” Price said. “As Iran continues to lie and deny providing weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine, we are committed to working with allies and partners to prevent the transfer of dangerous weaponry to Russia.”
He added, “We will not hesitate to use our sanctions and other appropriate tools on all involved in these transfers.”
Oct 19, 8:08 PM EDT
Putin’s martial law declaration ‘speaks to his desperation’: Blinken
Secretary of State Antony Blinken told ABC News’ Good Morning America anchor George Stephanopoulos in a new interview that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s declaration of martial law in illegally annexed parts of Ukraine “speaks to his desperation” as Ukrainian forces continue to make progress in rebuffing the invasion.
“Just in the last few weeks, he’s tried to mobilize more forces. He’s gone through with this sham annexation of Ukrainian territory,” Blinken said in a preview from the sit-down, which will air Thursday on Good Morning America.
Oct 19, 3:34 PM EDT
Ukraine to restrict electrical supply after Russia knocks out power plants
Ukraine will start restricting electricity supplies across the country on Thursday after Russia knocked out more power plants, a senior aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, said on Wednesday.
“From 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., it is necessary to minimize the use of electricity … if this is not done, you should prepare for temporary blackouts,” Tymoshenko wrote in a Telegram post.
-ABC News’ Jason Volack
Oct 19, 2:26 PM EDT
Biden says Putin imposing martial law may be ‘his only tool available’ to brutalize Ukrainians
President Joe Biden reacted to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to impose martial law in illegally annexed Ukrainian areas, telling reporters it may be his only tool available.
“I think that Vladimir Putin finds himself in an incredibly difficult position. And what it reflects to me is it seems his only tool available to him is to brutalize individual citizens, in Ukraine, Ukrainian citizens to try to intimidate them into capitulating,” Biden said Wednesday.
“They’re not gonna do that,” he added
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Oct 19, 8:31 AM EDT
Putin announces he is imposing martial law in four occupied Ukrainian territories
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he will impose martial law in four Ukrainian territories occupied by Russian forces — Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye. All four regions were illegally annexed by Putin last month.
Marital law grants Russia’s authorities huge powers over the civilian population in the regions it is imposed. Martial law is set to go into effect on Thursday.
The decree, which Putin announced during a televised meeting with his security council, will now be sent to be rubber stamped by Russia’s upper chamber of parliament, the Federation Council.
Putin has also granted new powers to governors in several regions bordering Ukraine.
Putin’s decree includes other points ordering the rest of Russia itself put into various levels of “readiness.”
The decree puts eight regions bordering Ukraine into a state of “moderate level of response,” but also imposes a “level of heightened readiness” in the southern and central regions that include Moscow. All other Russians regions are put on a “basic level of readiness.”
The decree says these statuses grant special powers to local authorities that are similar to martial law and includes points imposing increased security at key facilities, puts transport and communications into a special regime and also envisages the creation of “territorial defense headquarters” in some regions.
Oct 19, 7:35 AM EDT
Russian civilians to evacuate Kherson
Russia has announced the mass evacuation of civilians from the key city of Kherson, as well as all of its civilian occupation administration there.
Russia’s newly appointed overall commander for its war in Ukraine, Gen. Sergey Surovikin, said on Tuesday that “difficult decisions” may have to be made in the near future regarding Russia’s position in Kherson. In his first public remarks since his appointment, he said the situation around Kherson was already “extremely difficult.”
The evacuation combined with Surovikin’s comments has fueled speculation that Russia may be preparing to retreat from the city in the face of a Ukrainian offensive, in what would be a major defeat for President Vladimir Putin.
Other Russian officials though have suggested the evacuation is in preparation of Russian defense of the city. Kherson’s Russian-appointed governor on Wednesday denied Russia was planning to “give up” the city.
Another senior occupation official has said the battle for Kherson will begin in the “very near future.”
Kherson is the only regional capital Russia managed to seize in its invasion and is a capital of one of the regions Putin annexed last month.
The city is located on the western side of the Dnieper river and Russian forces’ position there has become increasingly difficult, after Ukraine succeeded in destroying the bridges needed to supply it.
With the bridges destroyed, thousands of Russian troops risk becoming surrounded in Kherson city and cut off from any supplies.
Russia has already begun evacuating civilians to the eastern side of the Dneipr river. Independent military researchers said Russia has quickly built a pontoon bridge near Kherson that could be used for evacuation or re-supplies.
The Russian-appointed governor said around 60,000 civilians will be evacuated, over the course of seven days.
Oct 18, 5:14 PM EDT
Russia trying to make Ukrainians ‘suffer,’ US officials say
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian power stations shows Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to make Ukrainians “suffer” with deliberate attacks, speaking of attacks on Ukrainian power stations.
“He is trying to make sure that the Ukrainian people suffer,” Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing on Tuesday. “He’s making it very difficult for them.”
Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder echoed those comments, saying Russia is trying to “inflict pain” on Ukrainian civilians with its strikes on population centers and infrastructure.
“We do continue to see them target, among other things, civilian infrastructure, to include energy related targets — power grids, for example,” Ryder said.
He added, “In terms of why we think they’re targeting those areas, I think obviously trying to inflict pain on the civilian society as well as try to have an impact on Ukrainian forces.”
ABC News’ Ben Gittleson and Matt Seyler
Oct 18, 4:59 PM EDT
UN commission releases detailed report on war crimes in Ukraine
The United Nations’ Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has released its first in-depth, written report on what it calls “an array of war crimes, violations of human rights and international humanitarian law” committed in the country during the first weeks of Russia’s brutal invasion.
The report outlines what investigators say are “documented patterns of summary executions, unlawful confinement, torture, ill-treatment, rape and other sexual violence.”
The inquiry zeroed in on four regions of Ukraine– Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Sumy–and focused on incidents that took place following Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24 through the end of March.
Investigators traveled to 27 cities and towns, conducted nearly 200 interviews and “inspected sites of destruction, graves, places of detention and torture, as well as weapon remnants, and consulted a large number of documents and reports.”
Due to the sheer number of allegations, the commission could not investigate all the claims it received. The commission said it intends to “gradually devote more of its resources” to a broader investigation within the country, according to the report.
ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Oct 18, 2:25 PM EDT
NATO to send Ukraine anti-drone systems: NATO Secretary General
Ukraine will receive anti-drone systems from NATO in the coming days according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
“The most important thing we can do is deliver on what allies have promised, to step up and deliver even more air defense systems,” Stoltenberg said, according to Reuters.
He added, “NATO will in the coming days deliver counter-drone systems to counter the specific threat of drones, including those from Iran.”
ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Oct 18, 7:00 AM EDT
30% of Ukraine’s power stations destroyed
About a third of Ukraine’s power stations have been destroyed by Russian attacks in the last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday.
“Since Oct. 10, 30% of Ukraine’s power stations have been destroyed, causing massive blackouts across the country,” he said on Twitter. “No space left for negotiations with Putin’s regime.”
(NEW YORK) — Five people remain trapped some 200 feet underground at Arizona’s Grand Canyon Caverns after an elevator broke down on Sunday, authorities said.
The issue was discovered on Sunday evening when visitors went to leave the popular tourist attraction near Peach Springs, Arizona, about 100 miles west of Flagstaff. Several people were able to walk up the 21 flights of stairs to get out, but five others were either unable to safely do so or chose to stay behind with those who physically couldn’t, according to a spokesperson for the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office.
The stranded group was provided accommodation and food that night by a small hotel and restaurant adjacent to the dry caverns, which are among the largest in the United States and date back 65 million years. The elevator malfunction was initially thought to be electrical but is now believed to be mechanical after an external generator that arrived on Monday was hooked up to the elevator and did not fix the problem, the sheriff’s office spokesperson said.
Elevator technicians have since been dispatched but were traveling from a far distance and, as of Monday evening, had not arrived on site yet, to the knowledge of the sheriff’s office spokesperson.
The spokesperson said the sheriff’s office has sent a search and rescue team with a basket apparatus that can lift people up the elevator shaft one-by-one, in the event that the technicians cannot repair the elevator quickly.
(HOUSTON) — An 8-year-old boy has been killed after his brother accidentally shot him with a shotgun while playing with it in the family home, police say.
The incident occurred at approximately 3 p.m. Monday at the Bear Creek Apartments some 20 miles west of downtown Houston, Texas, when the 8-year-old boy — who was home alone with his 10-year-old and 13-year-old siblings — was hit in the torso with a bullet that was discharged from a shotgun inside the only bedroom in their home, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
“A child was playing with a shotgun when it discharged and struck his sibling,” said Gonzalez in a statement released by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. “The child was pronounced deceased at the scene. A teen sibling was also in the apt at the time, but was not injured.”
It is currently unclear if the shotgun was already loaded or if it was loaded while the children were playing with it.
“We know the family is extremely devastated by what has occurred out here this afternoon,” Gonzalez said in a press conference as he addressed the media regarding the incident. “I always even struggle to say it’s accidental because [incidents like] these are truly preventable … if [a gun] is going to be in the home, especially if kids are going to stay in the home, it needs to be safely secure or not in the home.”
The family is believed to have just recently moved from Venezuela to the Houston area just a few months ago and they were in the process of getting their children enrolled in new schools, according to ABC News’ Houston station KTRK-TV.
The children’s parents may potentially face charges in this case depending on the outcome of the investigation.
“We always encourage responsible gun ownership and safe storage,” said Gonzalez.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the 8-year-old boy is ongoing.
(NEW YORK) — A Russian court is set to hold a hearing in the case of Brittney Griner on Tuesday after the WNBA star appealed her nine-year prison sentence.
As the U.S. works to secure the basketball star’s freedom, Griner’s attorney told ABC News earlier this month that the basketball star is worried that she may not be released.
“Her being afraid of not being released is mostly connected to the negotiations, which we are not aware of at all,” Griner’s attorney Alexandr Boikov told ABC News on Oct. 13.
After being detained in Russia for more than five months, Griner was found guilty on drug charges in a Moscow-area court on Aug. 4 and was sentenced to nine years in prison.
Her attorneys filed an appeal on Aug. 15 and a hearing is scheduled for Oct. 25.
“She is not very much hopeful for the appeal because the first court decision — the verdict showed that the case is totally unjust even by present Russian standards, and we are not hoping for a big release, but of course we hope for the best,” Boikov told ABC News.
According to Boikov, decisions on appeals are usually made during one hearing, but other hearings could be scheduled and he expects a decision by the end of October.
Griner, a 31-year-old Houston native who plays professional basketball for the Phoenix Mercury, was detained on Feb. 17 at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Khimki as she returned to Russia to play during the WNBA’s off-season after she was accused of having vape cartridges containing hashish oil, which is illegal in the country.
Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges in July, saying that the vape cartridges containing hashish oil were in her luggage mistakenly and that she had no “intention” of breaking Russian law.
The WNBA star turned 32 behind bars in Russia on Oct. 18, but she was able to spend a few hours with her lawyers who relayed birthday messages to her, as well as speak on the phone with U.S. officials.
“Thank you everyone for fighting so hard to get me home. All the support and love are definitely helping me,” Griner said through a message shared by her attorneys.
The U.S. government classified Griner’s case on May 3 as “wrongfully detained,” meaning the U.S. will more aggressively work to negotiate her release even as the legal case against her plays out, the State Department has said.
Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine began one week after Griner was detained, and some officials have expressed concern that Americans jailed in Russia could be used as leverage in the ongoing war.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price told ABC News earlier this month that securing the release of Griner and Paul Whelan — an American detained in Russia since 2019 — remains “a priority for this administration.”
(WASHINGTON) — Monday night’s debate between Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and Democratic challenger Charlie Crist began with a question about the economy, but both politicians began with the answer they had prepared — previewing what was to come.
“DeSantis has signed a bill that would restrict that [abortion] right, even in cases of rape or incest,” Crist said.
With his time, DeSantis said, “Charlie Christ has voted with Joe Biden, 100% of the time.”
The governor sought throughout the debate to compare Crist with President Joe Biden, who is unpopular across the country, while describing himself as an advocate for his state’s interests, such as the economy and education.
DeSantis, seeking reelection four years after evolving from narrow winner to rising GOP star, parried blows from Crist with the stump speech he often gives, not just in Florida but across America: flaunting many of the social issues he has legislated on, such as restricting what is taught in schools.
At the debate, he more often directed his comments to the public than to Crist, whom he rarely mentions on the trail. But he used some chances to sully his rival by saying the former congressman would have made the wrong choices as a leader, weakening businesses during COVID-19 and allowing more abortions.
Crist has aligned himself with Biden throughout the campaign, calling Biden the “best president” and planning to fundraise with him days before the election. But at Monday’s debate he also talked about his own four years as governor, when he was a Republican, and accused DeSantis of being a divisive, fickle figure who would soon abandon Florida for a presidential bid.
Crist — who trails in the polls by some eight points, according to FiveThirtyEight — said he was, by contrast, a “commonsense” uniter of people who wouldn’t take away Floridians’ rights, such as the ability to access abortion. The state’s current law bans the procedure after 15 weeks, even in cases of rape and incest, though there are exceptions for the health of the mother and fetal abnormalities. The ban is being reviewed by the courts.
Again and again on Monday, Crist returned to the issue of abortion access and to his criticism that DeSantis had other career plans. At one point in the debate, he asked DeSantis to “look in the eyes of the people of state of Florida and say to them if you’re reelected you will serve a full four-year term as governor.”
DeSantis paused.
“Yes or no, Ron?” Crist asked.
“It’s my time? DeSantis responded.
“It’s not a tough question. It’s a fair question. He won’t tell you,” Crist said, before the moderator interrupted and clarified that candidates were not supposed to ask each other questions.
DeSantis then shot back: “I know that Charlie is interested in talking about 2024 and Joe Biden, but I just want to make things very, very clear. The only worn-out old donkey I’m looking to put out to pasture is Charlie Crist.”
Throughout the debate, the in-person crowd reacted raucously: yelling, clapping, cheering, jeering. At one point a voice yelled out “liar!” as DeSantis spoke.
Below, more highlights from the night:
Immigration and flying planes to Martha’s Vineyard
Crist called DeSantis’ move to use tax funds to send migrants to Martha’s Vineyard a “stunt,” while the governor defended the move as bringing attention to a serious issue at the southern border.
“We have an immigration problem … but it doesn’t mean that you use Florida taxpayers’ dollars to charter jets to go to Texas, lie to people to get them onto planes, fly them up to the northern part of our country,” Crist said, adding, “It’s not right, and you were inhumane.”
DeSantis responded by saying it was “sad that it comes to this” but that sending the migrants to what he called liberal, elite areas of the country put the issue “front-and-center.” He linked immigration to the flow of deadly narcotics into the U.S.
“I think we need to secure the border, because the fentanyl is absolutely out of control,” he said.
Abortion restrictions
DeSantis and Crist were asked at what point in a pregnancy should abortion become illegal.
“You deserve a better governor who cares about women and your freedom, your freedom and your right to choose and your right to vote,” Crist said.
“I’m proud of the 15 weeks that we did,” DeSantis said, before going on to accuse Crist of supporting a wide range of abortion procedures such as “until the moment of birth.”
Crist called that a lie.
DeSantis then attacked Crist for having switched parties — and political views: “He used to support a federal constitutional amendment that outlawed all abortion regardless of any type of exceptions. Now he’s taken the other extreme position.”
“Is this an honest change of heart?” DeSantis said. “Or is this a guy that’s going to shift with whatever wind he needs to, to try to keep his political career alive? I think we all know the answer to that question.”
The economy
DeSantis largely spoke about his credentials, taking few shots at Crist while touting his own record, particularly in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic when Florida did not institute some of the restrictions that other states did in an attempt to curb cases and deaths.
DeSantis said that doing so would have ruined the tourism industry that beats at the heart of the state.
“I kept this state open and I kept the state free, and we now have the biggest budget surplus in the history of Florida,” he said, as he often does on the road as he stumps.
On the subject of home insurance — average insurance costs have roughly tripled in Florida since DeSantis’ tenure began — the governor blamed “Biden/Crist” policies and costs of litigation.
Crist laid the blame for some cost-of-living issues with DeSantis.
“Since you’ve been governor, every utility rate increase has been granted for Florida Power and Light … They’ve all gone up and up and up. When I was governor, they went down,” he said.
“We need to have a governor who will do what’s right for the people of Florida, all the time, all year-long, not just when it’s right before a reelection,” he said.
DeSantis hit back on oil and gas prices, which polls show are also top of mind for voters.
“Then why are fuel and natural gas prices up — because of the Biden/Crist energy policies?” he said, which he said were also fueling high inflation.
“He’s locked together with these policies that have hurt so many people,” DeSantis said of Crist, who responded by focusing on other issues.
“I think it’s incredible that we hear this out of Ron DeSantis … everybody watching tonight knows that your property insurance is up under him,” Crist said. “You deserve a governor who has your back. I always did. And I always will.”
Crist said that as a congressman after being governor, he had voted for a major infrastructure bill under Biden “that got the Sanibel bridge built back up as quickly [as] you took credit for.”
Hurricane Ian
Despite Biden’s praise of DeSantis for his handling of Ian — the deadliest storm in the state in at least 60 years — Crist said the governor “failed” by not getting Florida more prepared. He accused DeSantis of attending a high school football game the Friday before the storm.
Crist echoed some criticism that Lee County should have been more forcefully encouraged to evacuate. The area was the epicenter of where Ian made landfall in Florida.
“That’s not a good record. That’s not good leadership,” he said.
DeSantis shot back by citing Crist’s trip to Puerto Rico during the earlier Hurricane Fiona.
“You know what he was doing during this?” DeSantis said. “He was in hiding out in Puerto Rico. He wasn’t helping his community here, and then when he got back what did he do? His campaign was soliciting campaign contributions from storm victims. That is unacceptable, and that’s not what a leader would do in a time of despair.”
Of the local hurricane response for Ian, DeSantis said, “I stand by every one of our local counties. They stood up and learned, and they made the best decisions with the information that they had.”
He and others have previously said the hurricane prediction models limited how quickly officials could respond because the models were inconsistent.
Education
When the debate turned to education and what was appropriate in public schools — particularly on LGBTQ topics and teaching race and American history — DeSantis reiterated that he viewed it as a parental rights issue and a question of what was “appropriate.” He said he didn’t want race to foment hate in classrooms.
Crist challenged him: “Here you go again Ron. It’s all about culture wars, it’s all about dividing us … whether it’s blacks against whites, whether it’s gay and straight, whether it’s young versus old.”
DeSantis responded by pointing to Crist’s own comment earlier in the campaign that DeSantis supporters had “hate in their heart,” which Crist said on his first day of being the Democratic nominee.
“I’m endorsed by every police group in the state of Florida. I’m endorsed by the firefighters, I’m endorsed by the truckers, the nurses, anesthetists, Retail Federation, Farm Bureau, the whole cross-section of the state of Florida is backing me. They do not have hate in their hearts because they reject Charlie Crist,” DeSantis said.
On critical race theory — historically a university-level subject that conservatives argue has started to influence grade schools — DeSantis said that all history should be taught but “what I think is not good is to scapegoat students based on skin color.” The governor this year signed a law to ban certain concepts related to critical race theory from schools.
“The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race,” he said.
Crist replied: “He talks about not teaching about the history of our country that might offend some people in our schools. We ought to teach facts in our schools … We shouldn’t have a whitewashed approach to educating our children.”
He then pivoted.
“You’re taking away from all these other issues because you don’t want to talk about taking away a woman’s right to choose. That’s unconscionable,” he said.
COVID closures
Both Crist and DeSantis addressed their decisions during the early months of the pandemic.
Crist said he “would have listened to scientists, unlike the governor” — accusing DeSantis of being “so arrogant that you won’t listen to their advice.”
“Ron, I wouldn’t pat yourself on the back too much about your response to COVID,” he said, invoking the state’s death toll of more than 80,000.
“When you look at the Thanksgiving table, one of those empty seats is probably one of those people for many families watching tonight,” he said.
DeSantis said his policies focused on protecting the vulnerable — like older people — while trying to ensure businesses wouldn’t close under government restrictions to slow infections.
“I can tell you, as Charlie Christ and his friends in Congress were urging you to be locked down, I lifted you up,” DeSantis said.
He also highlighted how he stopped schools from requiring COVID-19 vaccines.
Attacked Walt Disney
Disney — one of the state’s most prominent employers — also came up at the debate
Crist pointed back to how DeSantis and Disney were at odds over a law banning discussion of sexual orientation and gender in some public-school classrooms. Crist also invoked DeSantis’ disagreement with cruise lines over COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
“You’re the most anti-business governor I’ve ever seen,” Crist said.
“Except for all the businesses that are moving down here and leading the nation in net immigration,” DeSantis said back.
Gender transition for minors
Each candidate was asked where they stood on gender confirming procedures and therapies when used by minors.
“When they say ‘gender-affirming care,’ they mean giving puberty blockers to teenage girls and teenage boys,” DeSantis said, arguing that transgender children were seeking out and being given major surgeries like mastectomies.
“It’s inappropriate to be doing that,” he said.
Crist again pivoted to abortion access.
“This reminds me of your position on a woman’s right to choose: You think you know better than any physician or any doctor — or any woman in a position to make decisions about their own personal health. You want to be the judge,” he said.
Local prosecutor suspended
When DeSantis’ suspension of Andrew Warren — a local prosecutor who said he wouldn’t bring charges over abortion — arose, Crist cast the issue in non-legal terms, saying DeSantis was silencing a critic.
“When you start removing people from public office, that’s the job of the people. He was twice elected state attorney in Tampa Bay,” Crist said.
DeSantis said he removed a law enforcement official who had said he could act outside the law: “I acted appropriately and I would do it again.”
(LOS ANGELES) — Antisemitic flyers blaming Jewish people for health, environmental, racial and social issues were distributed in the Los Angeles city of Beverly Hills over the weekend, according to police.
Westwood resident Sam Yebri posted images of the flyers to Twitter on Sunday, saying he and his neighbors found them on their properties.
“You never expect something like that to be on the on the doorstep of your home,” Yebri, a Jewish refugee from Iran, told ABC News. “My family was forced to flee our homeland when I was a year old because of antisemitism and violence, so to see some of the same ideas, Jewish conspiracy theories, pop up at our home it’s really terrifying.”
Beverly Hills police said they collected the flyers and are investigating the incident. But residents like Yebri worry that the perpetrators will continue to go unpunished, making others feel more confident to do the same.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s Major Crimes Division said it is also investigating similar flyers distributed in its jurisdiction. The flyers did not contain any specific threats to life or property, according to police.
On Saturday, a neo-Nazi hate group hung banners over the 405 freeway in Los Angeles, seemingly in support of antisemitic comments made by Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, earlier this month.
It is unclear if the flyers distributed in Beverly Hills were directly connected to the freeway demonstrators.
According to the Anti-Defamation League’s Audit of Antisemitic Incidents published in May, antisemitic incidents including assault, harassment and vandalism reached a record high in 2021, 42 years after the organization began tracking them in 1979.
“This is an outrageous effort to fan the flames of antisemitism gripping the nation,” Jeffrey Abrams, Anti-Defamation League’s Los Angeles regional director, said in a statement on Sunday.
This past weekend’s events were not the first of their kind. Similar fliers were also reported by Beverley Hills residents earlier this year on Passover and by Westwood, San Marino and Pasadena residents on Yom Kippur. Other attacks have not been so passive, however. Assaults and mass shootings targeted against Jews have left a devastating mark on California and the nation as a whole in recent years.
Rabbi Noah Farkas, president and CEO of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, issued a statement to ABC News, calling out the banners and flyers and raising an alarm over the increasingly frequent antisemitic acts.
“Vicious and slanderous antisemitic attacks like this one are repugnant to who we are as Americans. Unfortunately, incidents like this are on the rise in the United States and globally,” he said, adding, “But the Jewish community is as vigilant as ever and together are standing up to antisemitism and all forms of hate.”
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Karen Bass called Ye and Adidas out for “enabling and financing his hate.” Mayoral candidate Rick Caruso expressed his solidary for the Jewish community and said the city “cannot tolerate hatred in any form.”
In a statement, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said, “This weekend’s public display of antisemitic hate is another wake-up call to all of us that we must remain vigilant to protect our values and freedoms as Californians.”
“Our state is committed to protecting our diverse communities and will continue to lead the fight against racial, ethnic, and religious hate wherever it rears its ugly head,” he added.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre spoke Monday on behalf of President Joe Biden to address antisemitism in the U.S.
“When racism or antisemitism rears its ugly head, he [Biden] is going to call that out,” Jean-Pierre said during a briefing. “It is ugly, it is dangerous, it is despicable, and he believes that we should as leaders… we should be calling this out.”
(NEW YORK) — With Halloween one week away, some parents are wondering whether they need to be extra cautious when it comes to their kids’ trick-or-treat hauls this year, given recent warnings about illicit drugs being found with candy packaging.
The good news: Experts say there’s no need to be overly worried.
Although many law enforcement officials have warned fentanyl may be inside Halloween candy, sociologists, toxicologists and emergency room doctors interviewed by ABC News pushed back strongly against that narrative, arguing they’ve seen no evidence drug dealers are intentionally giving fentanyl to young children.
The Drug Enforcement Administration warned in an August press release of “brightly-colored” or “rainbow” fentanyl that appeared “to be a new method used by drug cartels to sell highly addictive and potentially deadly fentanyl made to look like candy to children and young people.”
Fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid, is about 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, another type of opioid, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is used by doctors in medical settings to treat pain and may be used for sedative purposes as well, but has also become one of the most prevalent illicit drugs alongside heroin and cocaine.
Last week, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department added to growing concerns when it announced it had seized “approximately 12,000 suspected fentanyl pills” enclosed in what looked to be popular candy boxes and packages, including those branded with Hershey’s Whoppers, Ferrara Candy Company’s SweeTarts, and Mars’ Skittles logos.
“With Halloween approaching, parents need to make sure they are checking their kids candy and not allowing them to eat anything until it has been inspected by them,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in its release. “If you find anything in candy boxes that you believe might be narcotics, do not touch it and immediately notify your local law enforcement agency.”
But experts tell ABC News’ Good Morning America parents do not need to be excessively concerned or overly frightened as Halloween draws near.
“People see that and they’re like, ‘How could you say that children are not being targeted?’ But the fact of the matter is, in situations like that, mules or dealers or whomever, they’re using these candy boxes as a means to smuggle,” Dr. Stephanie Widmer, a medical toxicologist and emergency medicine physician in New York said. “That’s not how they’re distributing them to kids on Halloween. It’s two different scenarios. I understand it looks bad and I understand it looks scary to see drugs in candy boxes, but people are not handing out candy boxes full of drugs. That’s just not the reality of what’s going on.”
Dr. Ryan Marino, also a medical toxicologist and an addiction and emergency physician in Cleveland, Ohio, agreed.
“Fentanyl is something that we should be talking about and that I think parents should talk about with their kids. But it’s not something that we need to worry about in Halloween candy, and there’s not any evidence that this has been put into Halloween candy [or] that anyone is planning to do that,” Marino told GMA.
“The fearmongering about things like Halloween candy just really distracts from those evidence-based public health investments that we can make to protect kids,” he added.
Joel Best, a sociology and criminal justice professor at the University of Delaware, has studied Halloween candy cases for years and also says he has not found any research to suggest that drugs like fentanyl in Halloween candy are a valid concern.
“I’ve followed the data from 1958 to 2001 and I can’t find any evidence of any child that’s ever been killed and seriously hurt from contaminated treats picked up in the course of trick or treating,” Best told ABC News’ “Start Here” podcast.
Both Best and Marino pointed out that the fentanyl in Halloween candy concern reminded them of the concerns people had when marijuana started to become legalized in different states and worried that children would have easy access to edibles and other cannabis products.
“This year, we have fentanyl, and the street price of fentanyl is vastly higher. And exactly why would you give a lethal opioid to an elementary school child?” Best continued. “You know, there’s an excellent chance that you’d kill him. And if the child lived and let’s say after one experience was an addict, what are you going to do, take his lunch money? I mean, you know, this just doesn’t make any sense.”
For parents who are concerned about their children — especially those who are older and in their teen years — experimenting with drugs, Marino recommended parents initiate conversations about the dangers of drug use.
“Your pediatrician, your child’s doctor should be able to help you out with this kind of conversation. This is definitely something that has been affecting kids of every age around the country,” Marino said.
“Local public health and harm reduction groups are also good, but honestly just kind of creating space for your kids to talk to you. They probably have questions about this or know things,” Marino added. “And if they can come to you if they feel comfortable with that, that’s always the best place to start.”
