(NEW YORK) — Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and prevention tested positive for COVID-19 Friday night, the agency announced Saturday.
Walensky is up to date on her vaccines and is experiencing mild symptoms, according to the CDC.
She is isolating at home and will participate in her planned meetings virtually, the CDC said in a statement.
CDC senior staff and close contacts of Walensky have been informed of her positive test and are taking “appropriate action to monitor their health,” the agency said.
(KEENE, N.H.) — A small plane crashed into multifamily residential building in Keene, New Hampshire, on Friday, killing both people on the board and igniting a 3-alarm fire, city officials said Saturday.
None of the eight adults who were in the building’s four apartments at the time of the crash were injured, despite all the units being occupied at the time of the crash, according to officials. Eight residents who lived in the building have all been displaced from their homes due to the extent of the damage.
The plane crashed into a two-story garage attached to the building. The two-story building sustained “significant damage” to an estimated 20% of the rear of the structure, and it will remain uninhabited until it can be further assessed, Keene Fire Chief Donald Farquhar said at a press conference Saturday.
The single-engine aircraft departed from Keene Dillant-Hopkins Airport shortly before the accident. The aircraft was owned by Monadnock Aviation, a business that operates in New Hampshire, according to City Manager Elizabeth Dragon.
The plane was a Beechcraft Sierra and the crash occurred at 6:55 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration said.
Shortly after emergency crews arrived on scene, the fire was upgraded to a 2-alarm fire and then a 3-alarm fire, pulling in more resources from throughout the county, Farquhar said.
The Red Cross helped relocate the eight people who were displaced, Keene Mayor George Hansel said at the press conference.
The city’s fire department responded to the scene of the crash after receiving a 911 call just before 7 p.m. The fire was declared out at 8:47 p.m., Hansel said.
There are identifiable parts of the plane that are still in the building and will be left there until the investigation concludes. Officials will then remove what they can of the plane before returning the building to its owners, Farquhar said.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing. Hansel said it is too early to determine what caused the crash.
The FAA, New Hampshire Department of Transportation and National Transportation Safety Board are all on site and the NTSB will be the lead agency conducting an investigation, according to Dragon.
The aircraft was not equipped with a recording that could help investigators determine what went wrong, David Hickling, the director of the airport, said at the press conference. The airport was also unaware of any emergency call coming from the cockpit before the crash, Hickling said.
There are no indications from the plane’s history that there had been problems with it in the past, Hickling said.
(BATON ROUGE, La.) — Two men are in custody in connection with a mass shooting at a Louisiana fraternity house that left nearly a dozen people injured, police said.
Police responded to the fraternity house near Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, shortly before 2 a.m. Friday following a reported shooting.
Initial reports indicated that nine people sustained non-life-threatening gunshot wounds, though that number has since increased to 11 after two more victims came forward, Baton Rouge Deputy Chief Myron Daniels told reporters late Friday.
Southern University, which is in the midst of celebrating its homecoming, said the shooting occurred off-campus at a non-university-sponsored event.
Two men were taken into custody Friday in connection with the shooting with the help of the U. S. Marshall Task Force, police said. Daryl Stansberry, 28, and Miles Moss, 24, have both been charged with 11 counts of accessory after the fact to attempted first-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon, police said. It is unclear if they have an attorney.
“Based on all the information that has been obtained, investigators believe this to be an isolated incident,” Daniels said. “There is no ongoing threat on the campus of Southern University.”
Daniels said no further information will be released at this time amid the investigation, which he called “fluid.”
The school said in a statement that the Southern University Police Department and other officials “are continuing to work to ensure that students, employees, alumni and other visitors to campus are safe during this Homecoming weekend,” adding that the university “strongly condemns any act of violence.”
This morning, a shooting occurred near campus. The Baton Rouge Police Department is investigating. While this unfortunate incident happened off campus at a non-University sponsored event, the University strongly condemns any act of violence. pic.twitter.com/Kf01oPjSEp
(CHICAGO) — Two Chicago residents died after being diagnosed with the monkeypox virus, the city’s Department of Health announced. The two were diagnosed with monkeypox over six weeks ago and had been hospitalized.
The two had several other health conditions, including weakened immune systems, city officials said. The two deaths were unrelated to each other, they said.
“Though the number of new MPV cases has declined substantially since summer, this is a stark reminder that MPV is dangerous and can cause serious illness, and in very rare cases, even death,” said Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady on Friday. “Our hearts go out to these individuals’ families and friends.”
Officials said they would not disclose any other information about the two cases, including where they were being treated, to protect their privacy.
The U.S. has reported over 27,000 cases and six total deaths due to monkeypox, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Monkeypox cases have been reported in all 50 states.
The first confirmed case of monkeypox in the U.S. was reported in Massachusetts in May.
Monkeypox symptoms usually start within three weeks of exposure to the virus and the illness typically lasts two to four weeks, according to the CDC.
People with monkeypox get a rash that may be located on or near the genitals or anus and could be on other areas like hands, feet, chest, face or mouth. Other symptoms can include fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion, muscle aches and backache, headache and respiratory symptoms, according to the CDC.
Those infected may experience all or only a few symptoms. If someone has flue-like symptoms they will usually develop a rash one to four days later, the CDC says.
Officials said death due to monkeypox still remains rare. Among more than 75,000 cases reported in 2022, there have been 32 reported deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
“The vast majority of people with [monkeypox] who died have had other health conditions along with [monkeypox] causing severely weakened immune systems,” said Arwady.
She added, “Please continue to take it seriously. If you’re at risk of MPV infection, take prevention steps and get vaccinated to protect yourself and your loved ones. These measures are especially important if you have comorbidities and/or a weakened immune system.”
Chicago health officials encourage individuals who meet the eligibility criteria to get two doses of the monkeypox vaccine, 28 days apart.
(NEW YORK) — The Saturday night Powerball prize rose to an estimated $580 million, giving players a chance at winning the 10th largest jackpot in the game’s history. The prize has a cash value of $278.2 million.
The game has had 33 drawings in a row without a winner.
The Powerball jackpot was last won with a ticket in Pennsylvania, which won a $206.9 million jackpot on Aug. 3.
There have been a total of five Powerball jackpot winners this year.
The top winners from Wednesday night’s drawing include two tickets sold in Michigan and New Jersey that won $1 million each and a third ticket sold in New Jersey that won $2 million.
The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9 and the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, according to a statement from Powerball.
The largest Powerball jackpot in the game’s history was $1.586 billion, won on Jan. 13, 2016. The winning tickets were sold in California, Florida and Tennessee.
Powerball tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to a Powerball website.
(NEW YORK) — After nearly 100 consecutive days of falling gas prices, fuel costs have spiked in recent weeks.
This time, the price increase coincides with the lead up to the midterm elections — and the trend could determine which party gains control of Congress.
The approval rating of President Joe Biden — an indicator of Democrat’s election prospects — has tracked closely with gas prices. In conjunction with a monthslong fall in prices from their summer peak, Biden’s approval surged.
Since the increase in prices took hold two weeks ago, when OPEC+ announced a cut in oil output, disapproval of President Joe Biden has risen 1.1 percentage points, according to FiveThirtyEight.
On Wednesday, Biden announced moves that aim to address the oil supply shortage behind the cost spike, including a scheduled release of millions of barrels of oil from the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve, or SPR.
But the price of gas — and the recent movement of that price — varies dramatically across key midterm states. In some states, like New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, prices have barely increased or even fallen over the last month.
Here’s a look at the key midterm states where gas prices have spiked significantly in recent weeks, and what candidates are saying about the rising costs:
Arizona
In Arizona, a swing state host to highly contested races for governor and Senate, the price of a gallon of gas stands at $4.40 — a figure roughly 15% higher than the national average of $3.82, according to AAA. Moreover, the price of gas in Arizona has risen more than 8% over the past month.
Blake Masters, a Republican candidate for Senate, condemned the gas price spike on Wednesday in a tweet critical of his opponent, incumbent Democrat Mark Kelly, as well as Biden.
“Now in a desperate bid to try to save the midterms they’re squandering our strategic reserve,” Masters said. Biden retains sole authority over releases from the SPR, which currently stands at 57% capacity, according to the Energy Information Administration, or EIA.
Kelly, meanwhile, acknowledged the elevated prices last week, citing a general supply bottleneck. “From groceries to the gas we pump into our cars, it feels like everything is too expensive right now,” he said. “I’m working in the Senate to fix our supply chains and bring down costs for Arizona’s working families.”
Wisconsin
In Wisconsin, where a high-stakes Senate race could determine which party holds the chamber, the price of a gallon of gas stands at $3.67, AAA data showed. While that price falls below the national average, it reflects a recent surge of more than 5% over the past month.
Republican incumbent Senator Ron Johnson, first elected in 2010, has attributed the high gas prices to spending increases and environmentally friendly initiatives supported by Democrats.
Earlier this month, Johnson said: “Make no mistake, this is the result of Democrats’ reckless deficit spending and radical green energy policies.”
To address the gas prices, Democratic candidate Mandela Barnes, the state’s Lieutenant Governor, says on his campaign website he would end government subsidies for oil and gas companies, which he claims have enabled high profits.
Ohio
Another key battleground state is Ohio, where a close Senate race features author and venture capitalist J.D. Vance, a Republican, and Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan.
Gas prices in Ohio stand at $3.71, nearly 10 cents below the national average. AAA data showed. But the price has jumped about 7% over the last month.
In a debate between the two Senate candidates, on Monday, Vance faulted the Biden administration and Congressional Democrats for impeding investment in the U.S. energy sector that could increase oil output and bring down prices.
“That rising energy price that people see at the pump, that people see in your utility bills, that our farmers see when they’re paying more for diesel,” Vance said. “That was the direct result of policies enacted by Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi and supported 100% by Tim Ryan.”
Oil production in the U.S. last year was nearly identical to that seen over the final year of the Trump administration, in 2020, and greater than the amount produced in 2017 or 2018, according to data from the EIA.
Ryan, meanwhile, cited his vote for the Inflation Reduction Act, which is projected to cut the deficit over a 10-year period and slightly reduce inflation, according to the Wharton School of Business at Pennsylvania University.
To provide short term cost relief, Ryan called for a tax cut for working families that would ease the pain imposed by higher prices. “This is an opportunity for us to put more money in people’s pockets,” he said at the debate.
California
California, the state with the highest gas prices, could determine which party retains control of the House of Representatives. The state plays host to three toss-up House races, according to the Cook Political Report.
Gas prices in California stand at $5.83 per gallon, which puts the price about 52% higher than the national average, according to AAA data. That price has spiked nearly 8% over the past month.
In one of the toss-up House races, the Oakland-area 13th district, two challengers seek a seat left open by the retirement of longtime Democratic Representative Barbara Lee.
Adam Gray, a Democratic state assembly member running for the seat, faulted California’s tax credit system, which he said in a debate last month offers a tax break for wealthy Tesla purchasers but leaves working-class people straining to afford high gas prices.
“We need to have a renewable energy policy that actually doesn’t balance its book on the folks who can least afford to pay the bill,” he said.
On the other hand, Republican candidate John Duarte, a farmer, blamed the high gas prices on environment-friendly Democratic policies that he says have limited oil supply.
“We need to develop domestic energy as a matter of opportunity and affordability for families,” he said at the debate.
(WASHINGTON) — Several police officers in Washington D.C. are facing allegations of police brutality and excessive force after video of a brutal arrest of two men went viral and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Bureau is now investigating the incident as city leaders and activists call for swift action from D.C. Police.
Police responded to a report of possible gunshots in Southeast D.C. at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Thursday night when police say they located a stolen unoccupied vehicle with visible shell casings inside and the motor still running. Authorities tell ABC News, “a group of subjects approached the officers while they were searching the vehicle. A male in the group threatened ‘to smack’ a female police officer. In response, an officer pushed the male against a fence and took him into custody.”
The two men arrested were later identified as Ty’Jon “TJ” Jackson, 23, and Tejuan “TC” Colman, 30.
D.C. Councilmember Trayon White, who arrived on the scene an hour after the incident began told reporters on Friday, “this incident was totally unacceptable on so many levels.”
He noted that no one should threaten “to smack” an officer. However, he notes, that shouldn’t be the reasoning for an aggressive arrest.
“If a guy threatens a female officer, he does not deserve to be kicked in his upper body or face, right? One doesn’t equal the other. I think they have enough training. We have enough protocols, policies, and procedures to address situations and that’s not it. And it’s totally unacceptable. So if the police department is using that as an excuse to escalate violence, that is just not acceptable.”
DC police said both “individuals were transported to an area hospital for medical evaluation and have since been released back to MPD custody and will be presented in court today.”
Tejuan Colman’s mother, Aminah Saladin, told reporters on Friday that the situation “was heart wrenching, very disappointing. Anyone else could have been shot during that time. Their total focus was on a car that no one was actually in.”
(GREEENWOOD, Miss.) — The Mississippi community of Greenwood erected a towering statue Friday in honor of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old Black boy whose murder sparked much of the 20th century civil rights movement.
“I feel that when young people ask me what the memory of Emmett Till is, we have this statue as a memory,” Mississippi state Sen. David Jordan, who represents Greenwood, told ABC News. “He liberated all Black people for all that he sacrificed.”
The memorial statue stands at 9-feet tall — a bronze figure reminiscent of Till’s infamous portrait with a white button-down shirt, slacks and his left hand tipping his hat with a slight grin on his face.
The statue’s unveiling comes just a week after the release of “Till,” a film detailing the untold chapter of Till’s story centered around his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, who championed civil rights activism following the murder of her son.
“This is a great day as we take another leap forward in recognizing the life and legacy of Emmett Till,” the Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr., Till’s only remaining family member who saw his cousin the night he was kidnapped, told ABC News.
Till, a Chicago native, was murdered in in August 1955 after he was accused of whistling at a white woman in a grocery store in Drew, Mississippi, about 40 miles north of Greenwood, the county seat in the Delta region. The two white men arrested for kidnapping, torturing and lynching the 14-year-old were acquitted by an all-white jury.
Till-Mobley insisted on an open-casket funeral for her son to allow the surrounding community to witness the torture inflicted onto her son. She became a prominent leader of the civil rights movement, adamant that her son should not have died in vain.
Jet Magazine published the daunting image of Till’s battered face that changed lives forever. Numerous Black publications, including The Chicago Defender, New York Amsterdam News and various others, were charged with moving the needle forward reporting on the atrocity.
“When I met Rosa Parks in 1961, she said she didn’t get out of that seat for Emmett Till,” Jordan said.
But there are still reminders of Mississippi’s segregated past everywhere. A Confederate monument stands outside the Greenwood courthouse’s lawn, only a few miles away from Greenwood’s Rail Spike Park where Till’s new statue is located.
“As so many people are determined to erase our history, we are blessed to have so many more allies in the struggle to keep our story alive,” Parker said. “This statue is affirmation that our lives matter.”
Despite the demographics of Greenwood and Leflore County being about 70% Black, it took state officials years to erect the statue. This year, Jordan was finally able to allocate $150,000 in state funding to commission Utah artist Matt Glen to sculpt the statue.
“I am elated that it happened here in Mississippi, and this is a glorious day for all of the people in Greenwood, Mississippi,” Jordan said.
ABC News’ Fatima Curry and Sabina Ghebremedhin contributed to this report.
(UVALDE, Texas) — One of the first Texas state troopers to arrive at the scene of the May 24 elementary school mass shooting is being fired by the Texas Department of Public Safety, a spokesperson told ABC News.
“The department can confirm Sgt. Juan Maldonado was served with termination papers today,” a spokesperson for Texas DPS said.
Sgt. Juan Maldonado is one of seven members of Texas DPS whose conduct was being investigated by the DPS inspector general because of their actions or inaction during the shooting that claimed the lives of 19 students and two of their teachers.
DPS announced Sept. 6 that five DPS officers on-site at Robb had been referred to the IG. That number grew to seven.
Maldonado is the first one disciplined and the IG probe into him was the first one completed, the official said.
“We expect more of our troopers,” the official said.
Security camera footage revealed that Maldonado held the door open to the school open and stood idly by when another officer ran out of the building bleeding, begging others to go in. Maldonado was accused of not following active shooter protocol.
Maldonado was a 23-year veteran of the state agency and public information officer for the region. Maldonado did not respond to ABC News for comment.
Some family members of Robb Elementary School victims have already been notified.
Berlinda Arreola, step grandmother to Amerie Jo Garza who was on the children killed, told ABC News that it was “disappointing,” that the police officers had not entered the classroom,
“He’s been a member of the community for years and he had the chance to go in and save the children and teachers of a community that he knew so well,” Arreola said.
The DPS internal investigation prompted new DPS protocols to be enacted. Now, policy dictates that once an “active shooter” is declared at a school, the situation cannot be treated as anything else by Texas DPS personnel until the shooter or shooters are neutralized. According to the new rules, all DPS personnel are ordered to override any other law enforcement officers who are standing in the way of taking active measures to neutralize a school shooter.
McCraw is scheduled to testify about the Robb Elementary response and probe during a hearing Thursday in Austin.
ABC News’ Kate Holland contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Despite a gradual upward trend in military suicides over the last decade, 2021 saw a more than 15% decrease for active duty service members, according to a new Defense Department report.
“For the active component there was over a 15% decrease in the rate of suicides from 2020 to 2021,” said Beth Foster, executive director for DOD’s Office of Force Resiliency in a briefing Thursday. “Young enlisted male service members remain at greatest risk.”
Pentagon data counts 326 instances of suicide in the active duty force in 2021, down from 384 in 2020.
The department took steps to lower suicide risk across the force in 2021, including awareness programs, boosts in quality of life, and efforts to reduce the stigma of seeking help. The improvement has been heartening, but Pentagon officials believe there’s more to be done.
“While we are cautiously encouraged by the drop in these numbers, one year is not enough time to assess real change,” Foster said.
Though military suicide rates have trended upward since 2011, it has been essentially on par with that of the U.S. population, when accounting for age and sex.
The Pentagon controls for age and sex to help make a more apples-to-apples comparison between the U.S. population and the military, which is disproportionately made up of young males, who are generally more likely to take their own lives.
“Without standardizing for age or sex differences between the military and the U.S. population and then adjusting for age and sex differences in suicide rates within the military, the comparisons between the unadjusted or crude rates in the military and the U.S. population suicide rates would be misleading or distorted,” the DOD report noted.
