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Russia-Ukraine live updates: State Department tells Americans to leave Russia

September 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(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:

Sep 29, 7:05 AM EDT
Putin to formally annex occupied Ukraine territories on Friday

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a signing ceremony in the Kremlin on Friday to formally annex the areas of Ukraine that Russia has occupied, his spokesman has said.

The ceremony will be to sign “treaties of accession” with the four regions created by Russia’s occupation forces — the two self-declared Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics and the Zaporozhzhia and Kherson regions.

Putin will also deliver a major speech to lawmakers gathered there, his spokesman said.

It is a major moment in the war — another no-going-back moment for Putin. In reality, none of the areas being annexed are under full control of Russia right now as all are seeing fighting and facing Ukrainian efforts to re-take them.

If Putin attempts to annex the occupied regions, it will be one of the most egregious violations of international law in Europe since World War II.

Sep 28, 12:21 PM EDT
State department advises US citizens to leave Russia

American citizens are being advised by the U.S. State Department to get out of Russia immediately.

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has issued an alert, saying “severe limitations” could prevent it from assisting U.S. citizens still in the country.

“If you wish to depart Russia, you should make independent arrangements as soon as possible,” the alert said.

Noting that Russia has begun a military mobilization against Ukraine, U.S. Embassy officials warned Americans with dual Russian citizenship that they could get drafted by Russia.

“Russia may refuse to acknowledge dual nationals U.S. citizenship, deny their access to U.S. consular assistance, prevent their departure from Russia, and conscript dual nationals for military service,” the alert said.

The alert also advised U.S. citizens to avoid political or social protests in Russia, saying Americans have been arrested in Russia for participating in demonstrations.

“We remind U.S. citizens that the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression are not guaranteed in Russia,” the alert said.

Sep 27, 3:56 PM EDT
66,000 Russians cross European borders since Putin announced draft

Roughly 66,000 Russian citizens have fled across borders into European countries amid Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement last week of a military mobilization against Ukraine, the European Border and Coast Guard said Tuesday.

The number of Russian citizens pouring into Europe was up 30% compared to last week, according to the agency which also goes by the name Frontex.

Most of the Russian citizens are entering the European Union through Finnish and Estonian border crossing points, Frontex said on Twitter.

Putin announced on Sept. 21 that he is ordering the mobilization of 300,000 recruits to fight in Ukraine, prompting widespread protests and clashes with police across Russia.

In recent days, photos have emerged of huge traffic jams at border crossings. On Monday, the wait at the border between Russia and Georgia was estimated to be 40 to 50 hours, according to the independent Russian news outlet The Insider.

Sep 27, 1:56 PM EDT
‘Sham referenda’ in Russia-occupied Ukraine going Kremlin’s way

Partial results from what Ukraine and its Western allies have called “sham” referendums in four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine show that more than 96% of voters favor becoming part of Russia, according to the state-owned Russian news agency RIA.

Voting has taken place over five days in the four areas — Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

The early results showed that 97.93% of voters in the Luhansk People’s Republic favored joining the Russian Federation, according to the data. In Donetsk People’s Republic, early results showed 98.69% favored joining the Russian Federation.

In Zaporizhzhia, 97.81% of voters cast ballots to join Russia and 96.75% of voters in Kherson also favored joining Russia, according to the data.

President Joe Biden and other Group of 7 leaders condemned Russia’s “sham referenda” in occupied Ukrainian territories, calling it a Russian attempt to “create a phony pretext for changing the status of Ukrainian sovereign territory.”

Sep 27, 12:42 PM EDT
Leaks in major gas pipeline between Russia and Europe investigated following blasts

Leaks in a major gas pipeline running from Russia to Europe under the Baltic Sea have been detected after the Swedish seismic network said it registered blasts near the pipeline.

The leaks in the Nord Stream pipeline were first reported on Monday by Denmark’s maritime authority and photos released by Denmark’s Defense Command showed what appeared to be gas bubbling up to the surface.

The operator of the pipeline said the leaks were detected southeast of the Danish island Bornholm.

The underwater pipeline runs about 764 miles from Russia to Germany.

While the cause of the leaks remains under investigation, unconfirmed report reports from Germany allege authorities suspect sabotage.

Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of causing leaks in a “terrorist attack,” according to the BBC.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak alleged the damage to the pipeline was an “an act of aggression” by Russia toward the European Union.

Sep 27, 12:18 PM EDT
Aid to Ukraine detailed in bill to keep US government running

A continuing resolution to keep the federal government running through Dec. 16 was released by Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday morning and breaks down how $12.3 billion in the package earmarked for Ukraine will be spent.

For the first time, Congressional lawmakers, at the insistence of GOP members, will require U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to provide a report “on the execution of funds for defense articles and services provided Ukraine,” according to a summary of the resolution.

Both houses of Congress must vote on the resolution by Friday to avoid a government shutdown.

The resolution includes $3 billion for “security assistance” for Ukraine and authorizes an additional $3.7 billion in weapons for President Joe Biden to drawdown from U.S. stocks to support Ukraine’s military. It will also authorize $35 million to respond to potential nuclear and radiological incidents in Ukraine in an apparent reply to Russian President Valdimir Putin’s thinly-veiled nuclear threats in a televised speech last week.

In addition, the resolution calls for $2.4 billion to replenish U.S. stocks of weapons already sent to Ukraine and to provide Ukraine.

The new assistance for Ukraine would be on top of the $53 billion Congress has already approved through two previous bills.

-ABC News’ Lauren Minore and Trish Turner

Sep 26, 1:29 PM EDT
40- to 50-hour wait as people attempt to flee Russia into Georgia to avoid military draft: Report

A massive line of traffic continued to grow Monday at the border between Russia and Georgia as huge numbers of Russians seek to flee the country amid fears they will be drafted to fight in the war in Ukraine.

Drone video, posted on Twitter by the independent Russian news outlet The Insider, showed hundreds of cars and trucks backed up for miles at the Verkhny Lars border between the two countries.

The Insider reported that people are waiting 40-50 hours in the line to cross.

Tens of thousands of Russians are trying to flee the country following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement last week of a military mobilization of 300,000 more troops against Ukraine. Besides the Russia-Georgia border, large crowds of people attempting to leave the country have been packing border crossings into Finland, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and others.

Sep 26, 12:08 PM EDT
New clashes break out in Russia between police and protesters over Kremlin’s mobilization

More clashes broke out Monday in Russia’s Dagestan capital city, as police tried to disperse hundreds of protesters demonstrating against the Kremlin’s military mobilization of men to fight in Ukraine.

Videos circulating on social media showed scuffles between protesters and police in Makhachkala.

On Sunday, there were violent clashes in Dagestan, with police firing warning shots and people angrily shouting chants against the mobilization.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced last week that he is mobilizing 300,000 more troops against Ukraine.

The announcement sparked major protests in Moscow and at least 30 other cities across Russia over the weekend. At least 17 military recruitment offices have been targeted with arson attacks. A man was detained by authorities on Monday after he allegedly opened fire on a recruitment center in Siberia, severely injuring a recruitment officer.

Sep 26, 11:01 AM EDT
US sending Ukraine $457.5 million in civilian security assistance

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Monday that the U.S. will give Ukraine another $457.5 million in civilian security assistance to bolster the efforts of Ukrainian law enforcement and criminal justice agencies “to improve their operational capacity and save lives.”

Blinken said some of the funds will also go toward supporting efforts to “document, investigate, and prosecute atrocities perpetrated by Russia’s forces.” He said that since December, the United States has pledged more than $645 million toward supporting Ukrainian law enforcement.

Blinken’s announcement follows a U.N.-led investigation that found Russian troops had committed war crimes in occupied areas of Ukraine, including the rape, torture and imprisonment of children.

Sep 26, 10:14 AM EDT
Ukrainian first lady ‘worried’ about Russian mobilization

In a new interview, Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenka told ABC News that recent developments in the war are upsetting, saying this is not an “easy period” for the people of Ukraine.

“When the whole world wants this war to be over, they continue to recruit soldiers for their army,” said Zelenska, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement last week that he is mobilizing 300,000 more troops against Ukraine. “Of course, we are concerned about this. We are worried and this is a bad sign for the whole world.”

Zelenska, who spoke with ABC News’ Amy Robach through a translator, said Ukrainians will continue to persevere in the face of conflict.

“The main difference between our army and the Russian army is that we really know what we are fighting for,” she said.

Zelenska attended the United Nations General Assembly in-person in New York City, where she spoke to ABC News about the U.N.’s recent finding that war crimes have been committed in Ukraine by Russian troops. An appointed panel of independent legal experts reported that Russian soldiers have “raped, tortured, and unlawfully confined” children in Ukraine, among other crimes.

“On the one hand, it’s horrible news, but it’s the news that we knew about already,” she said. “On the other hand, it’s great news that the whole world can finally see that this is a heinous crime, that this war is against humanity and humankind.”

Sep 26, 5:40 AM EDT
Man opens fire at Russian military enlistment office

A man has opened fire at a military enlistment office in eastern Russia, severely injuring a recruitment officer there.

An apparent video of the shooting was circulating online, showing a man shooting the officer at a podium in the officer in the city of Irkutsk.

Irkutsk’s regional governor confirmed the shooting, naming the officer injured as Alexander V. Yeliseyev and saying he is in intensive care in a critical condition.

The alleged shooter has been detained, according to the governor.

Sep 25, 12:49 PM EDT
Russia Defense Ministry announces high-level leadership shake-up

The Russian Defense Ministry announced a high-level shake-up in its military leadership amid reports Russian forces are struggling in the war against Ukraine.

The defense ministry said Saturday that Col. Gen. Mikhail Y. Mizintsev has been promoted to deputy defense minister overseeing logistics, replacing four-star Gen. Dmitri V. Bulgakov, 67, who had held the post since 2008.

Bulgakov was relieved of his position and is expected to be transferred “to another job,” the Defense Ministry statement said.

The New York Times reported that Mizintsev — whom Western officials dubbed the “butcher of Mariupol” after alleged atrocities against civilians surfaced in the Ukrainian city in March, previously served as chief of Russia’s National Defense Management Center, which oversees military operations and planning.

In this previous role, Mizintsev became one of the public faces of the war in Ukraine, informing the public about what the Kremlin still calls a “special military operation.”

Mizintsev was put on international sanctions lists and accused of atrocities for his role in the brutal siege of the Mariupol.

Sep 25, 11:58 AM EDT
Russian recruits report for military mobilization

Newly recruited Russian soldiers are reporting for duty in response to the Kremlin’s emergency mobilization to bolster forces in Ukraine, according to photographs emerging from Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced last week a mobilization to draft more than 300,000 Russians with military expertise, sparking anti-war protests across the country and prompting many to try to flee Russia to avoid the draft.

Putin signed a law with amendments to the Russian Criminal Code upping the punishments for the crimes of desertion during periods of mobilization and martial law.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in an interview Sunday with ABC News This Week anchor George Stephanopoulos that Russia’s military draft is more evidence Russia is “struggling” in its invasion of Ukraine. He also said “sham referendums” going on in Russia-backed territories of eastern and southern Ukraine are also acts of desperation by the Kremlin.

“These are definitely not signs of strength or confidence. Quite the opposite: They’re signs that Russia and Putin are struggling badly,” Sullivan said while noting Putin’s autocratic hold on the country made it hard to make definitive assessments from the outside.

LeBron James, Kevin Love and Draymond Green join Major League Pickleball ownership group

September 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — LeBron James is about to start his 20th season as a professional basketball player in the NBA. But after an announcement on Wednesday, James will also be starting his first season as part owner of a Major League Pickleball team — and he is bringing a few familiar friends along with him.

James has joined with fellow NBA all-stars Kevin Love and Draymond Green to form a new Major League Pickleball (MLP) ownership group. The professional basketball players will be partnering with Maverick Carter — James’ long-time business partner — investment firm SC Holdings, The SpringHill Company CMO Paul Rivera and Relevent Sports Group co-owner and CEO Daniel Sillman.

“Having SC Holdings, LRMR Ventures, and their incredible group as owners and investors in Major League Pickleball is not just great for MLP, it’s a watershed moment for pickleball in general,” said MLP Founder Steve Kuhn. “Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the country, building communities in cities and towns all over the world. This investment and the platform that this group provides will significantly help us with our goal to reach 40 million pickleball players by 2030.”

Major League Pickleball’s immediate plans will be to expand from 12 to 16 teams and, in 2023, players will compete in six tournaments across six U.S. cities for more than $2 million.

“Pickleball is one of the most exciting growth opportunities in sports because of its committed and engaged community across the U.S.,” said Jason Stein, Managing Partner of SC Holdings. “People are obsessed with the game, as both participants and fans, and we’re excited to use our collective experience and expertise across sports, media, and entertainment to reach new participants and expand the community. We’re thrilled to become partners of Major League Pickleball – which as a league and sport is just getting started.”

The 2022 season MLP finale will be held in Columbus, Ohio, from Oct. 14 to Oct. 16 and will see 48 pickleball players compete for $319,000 — the largest purse in the history of the sport. The winning team will take home $100,000 while the rest of the prize money will be divvied up to runners up.

MLP confirmed that they plan to announce new owners to the other expansion teams in the coming weeks. But, whoever the new owners are, they will be joining a growing field of well-known owners in the growing sport, including Super Bowl Champion Drew Brees, entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk (Gary Vee), famed lecturer and research professor Brené Brown, co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks Marc Lasry, former World No. 4 tennis player James Blake, healthcare executive Molly Joseph and from Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing New York and Founder and CEO of Serhant, Ryan Serhant.

This year marks the 57th anniversary since pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, Washington, according to USA Pickleball. The sport has enjoyed meteoric growth over the past several years and, in 2021, Pickleball grew to 4.8 million players in the United States, according to the 2022 Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) Single Sport Report on Pickleball. This represents a 14.8% increase from 2020 to 2021 and follows on the heels of 21.3% growth the previous year and culminating to an 11.5% average annual growth rate over the past five years, according to USA Pickleball.

“The new ownership group announced today brings unparalleled experience and impact across sports, media, entertainment, and branding,” said MLP. “With this group, MLP aims to expand the community beyond its current participants into more diverse communities globally.”

Here’s how climate change intensifies hurricanes

September 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Ian made landfall on Florida’s west coast as a powerful Category 4 storm, with near record-breaking winds of up to 155 mph. Officials said the storm has wrecked havoc and “decimated” neighborhoods.

A few weeks ago, Hurricane Fiona, also a Category 4 storm, knocked out power across the entire country of Puerto Rico.

Even though this year’s hurricane season was off to a quieter start than most, so far there have been nine named tropical storms, four of them strengthened to hurricanes and, just in the last month, two reached major hurricane status, creating widespread damage across the Atlantic, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Scientists said that the intensity of these storms will increase as the Earth’s climate warms, reported the NOAA. Intensified hurricanes bring stronger winds, heavier rain and devastating storm surges, meaning walls of water can swell as much as 12 to 18 feet. As sea levels rise, so do devastating storm surges.

The Gulf Coast — especially Florida — is particularly vulnerable to storm surges, according to ABC News reporting.

“The waters of the Gulf of Mexico just simply aren’t that deep, over a lot of the Florida coastal waters just offshore,” said Ryan Truchelut, chief meteorologist at Weather Tiger, a consulting and risk management firm, to ABC News. “If there’s wind pushing water toward that direction, it’s shallow, it has nowhere to go. So it kind of amplifies and goes further inland.”

Most recently, Hurricane Ian broke the storm surge record in Florida as it moved on shore.

Global warming not only leads to rising sea levels that increase the risk of coastal flooding, but also creates more moisture in the atmosphere which is more likely to cause more intense rain when hurricanes make landfall, according to researchers at NASA.

“In a hurricane, spiraling winds draw moist air toward the center, fueling the towering thunderstorms that surround it,” according to Dr. Angela Colbert for NASA’s global climate change initiative. “As the air continues to warm due to climate change, hurricanes can hold more water vapor, producing more intense rainfall rates in a storm.”

Hurricane Ian has since downgraded to a tropical storm since it came ashore Wednesday. It is forecast to move off the northeast of Florida before hitting the Carolinas.

For people who live in hurricane-threatened areas, officials said the best thing to do is be prepared.

“If you plan, you don’t have to panic,” said Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson to ABC News about the impact of Hurricane Ian.

Highland Park shooting victims file lawsuits against gun-maker over advertising practices

September 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(HIGHLAND PARK, Ill.) — Victims of the July 4 shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, are filing a series of lawsuits against the manufacturer of the gun used in the shooting, accusing the company of irresponsibly and unlawfully marketing weapons in an unsafe and illegal manner, according to an attorney for one of the victims. The suspect allegedly used a rifle manufactured by Smith & Wesson to carry out the shooting.

The suits also name the former parent company of the manufacturer, American Outdoor Brands; accused shooter Robert Crimo III; and his father, Robert Crimo Jr., Ari Scharg, an attorney at Edelson, one of the firms coordinating the legal complaints, told ABC News.

Suits are being filed by families of three victims killed, at least 10 people or families of people who were injured and more than 30 people at the parade who were traumatized by the shooting, according to attorneys for the victims. They are represented by law firms including Romanucci & Blandin; Everytown Law; and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.

Some lawsuits also name online gun distributor Bud’s Gun Shop and Illinois gun retailer Red Dot Arms, alleging that the retailers negligently and illegally sold the weapon to the alleged shooter in violation of the assault weapons bans in Highwood and Highland Park, Illinois, according to a joint press release from the law firms.

“Despite that Bud’s Gun Shop knew that the shooter resided in Highland Park or Highwood, where it is illegal to acquire or possess an assault weapon, it sold the Rifle to the Shooter, thereby knowingly aiding and abetting the violation of the ordinances,” the suit alleged.

The suit also accuses Red Dot Arms of knowingly violating the ban.

“Despite knowing that the Shooter resided in a municipality that prohibited the possession of assault weapons, Red Dot Arms transferred the Rifle to the Shooter, thereby knowingly aiding and abetting the violation of the ordinances,” the lawsuit alleged.

Robert Crimo III, is facing 117 charges for allegedly killing seven people and injuring more than 30 others at an Independence Day parade in the Chicago suburb. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Elizabeth Turnipseed, a victim who was shot in the pelvis during the shooting while standing next to her husband and 3-year-old daughter, is one of the plaintiffs who filed a suit in the Circuit Court of Lake County on Wednesday.

Scharg, who is representing Turnipseed, told ABC News in an interview that his client has been in and out of the hospital since the shooting and will likely never be able to walk again without assistance. Turnipseed returned to the hospital Wednesday due to her injuries, he said.

“She woke up this morning with blinding pain from the inside of her body and is now again back in the hospital undergoing tests and scans,” Scharg said.

Turnipseed still has shrapnel in her body from the shooting, which will likely remain in her body for the rest of her life, Scharg said.

The suit alleges that Turnipseed has suffered and will continue to suffer pain and anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of earnings and earning capacity and has incurred and will continue to incur substantial expenses for medical treatment, according to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by ABC News.

The lawsuit filed on Wednesday is one of about 10 suits being filed by victims of the shooting. They have not yet all been filed. While the suits are being filed separately, lawyers intend to enjoin them at a later stage, Scharg said.

The lawsuit filed by Turnipseed alleges that “Smith & Wesson has been aware since at least 2000 that its marketing practices played a role in contributing to gun crimes.”

According to the lawsuit, the company negotiated a settlement that year with the federal government, saying it will not “market any firearm in a way that would make the firearm particularly appealing to juveniles or criminals’ due to the foreseeable risk of such advertising fueling unlawful acts of violence by such actors.”

The suit alleges that Smith & Wesson targeted “impulsive young men with hero complexes and/or militaristic delusions military complexes attracted to the particularly high lethality of ar-15 style weapons . . . to execute their fantasies.”

According to the lawsuit, Smith & Wesson’s marketing was designed “to mimic the aesthetic of being the shooter in a video game” which is used in many popular video games, such as Call of Duty.

Turnipseed is alleging that Smith & Wesson is responsible for damages and injuries caused by the shooting.

Smith & Wesson, American Outdoor Brands, Bud’s Gun Shop and Red Dot Arms did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

In a statement to VICE in August, Red Dot Arms owner Mike Rioux defended the sale to the alleged shooter saying the company sells legal products and he doesn’t know how the suspect found the company.

“We sell firearms to law-abiding citizens upon approval from the Illinois State police,” Rioux said.

Turnipseed is asking for an unspecified amount in damages from Smith & Wesson and an injunction that “prohibits Smith & Wesson from falsely representing its products as being commonly used by, endorsed by, or associated with United States military/law enforcement personnel and unfairly and unlawfully targeting youth in their marketing,” according to a copy of the lawsuit.

Turnipseed is also asking for damages from the accused shooter and his father.

Robert Crimo Jr., the suspect’s father, told ABC News in July he is not culpable in the shooting, saying he had spent time with his son before the shooting and was “shocked.”

The lawsuit accuses the suspected shooter of assault and battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress for the military-style assault designed to injure, maim, or kill a large number of people at the Highland Park parade.

Turnipseed is requesting damages from the accused shooter’s father for negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress for allegedly facilitating his son’s ability to purchase a rifle despite knowing his propensity and desire to commit mass violence.

While the suit does not specify how much Turnipseed is looking to collect in damages, damages in the jurisdiction the suit was filed in must exceed $50,000, according to Scharg.

Scharg said the medical costs Turnipseed has incurred and will continue to exceed that threshold.

Suspects identified in rapper PNB Rock’s fatal shooting

September 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(LOS ANGELES) — Police identified suspects on Wednesday who they say are connected to the fatal shooting of rapper PNB Rock during a Sept. 12 robbery in South Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Police Department’s South Bureau Homicide Division identified Freddie Lee Trone as a suspect and urged the public for assistance in locating Trone, who is believed to be armed and dangerous.

Police told Los Angeles ABC station KABC-TV that officers also arrested two of Trone’s family members who are believed to be connected with the murder. Shauntel Trone, 32, was booked for accessory to murder, while Freddie Lee Trone’s 17 year-old son was booked for murder, law enforcement sources told KABC. It is unclear if any of the suspects have retained attorneys at this time.

PNB Rock, whose legal name was Rakim Allen, was fatally shot during a robbery at Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles while dining with his girlfriend. According to police, a suspect demanded jewelry and other valuables from Allen and his girlfriend Stephanie Sibounheuang before getting into a struggle with the rapper and opening fire.

The Philadelphia-born rapper was a force on the East Coast and collaborated with some of the biggest artists in the hip-hop industry as an artist and a producer. He was 30 years old when he died.

Hip-hop stars from Drake and Young Thug, to Meek Mill and Nicki Minaj posted tributes to Allen on social media, with some reflecting on the violence that has continued to plague the hip-hop community.

According to social media posts, Allen’s location at Roscoe’s was reportedly tagged on social media in a since-deleted message. Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday that the LAPD is investigating whether the geotagged post led to the attack.

PNB Rock was an independent artist who gained popularity on the SoundCloud platform and released a number of hits that charted on the Billboard Hot 100. He was featured in XXL Magazine’s Freshman Class of rappers to watch in 2017.

Biden admin: 300K barrels of diesel arriving to help power Puerto Rico after Fiona

September 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Biden administration said Wednesday it had granted approval of a limited exemption in federal regulations on cabotage — or the transport of goods — in order to allow a foreign ship to bring 300,000 barrels of diesel to Puerto Rico days after Hurricane Fiona battered the U.S. territory.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement on Wednesday that the approval for the Jones Act waiver for Puerto Rico was “in response to urgent and immediate needs of” the island as it recovers from Fiona, which officials have said killed multiple people there.

“I have approved a temporary and targeted Jones Act waiver to ensure that the people of Puerto Rico have sufficient diesel to run generators needed for electricity and the functioning critical facilities as they recover from Hurricane Fiona,” Mayorkas said. “The decision to approve the waiver was made in consultation with the Departments of Transportation, Energy, and Defense to assess the justification for the waiver request and based on input from the Governor of Puerto Rico and others on the ground supporting recovery efforts.”

On Tuesday, Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi requested in a letter to President Joe Biden that the Jones Act be waived amid the emergency on the island after Fiona. Pierluisi warned that a shortage of fuel would have an impact on government operations, security and public health.

“Diesel supplies continue to decrease at a higher rate than previously anticipated, and shortages have been reported around the island,” he wrote.

The Jones Act has been waived during previous hurricanes, such as Maria in 2017. This new waiver comes more than a week after Fiona made landfall in Puerto Rico. (A separate hurricane, Ian, made landfall in Florida on Wednesday.)

The Merchant Marine Act of 1920, best known as the Jones Act, requires that all goods transported to Puerto Rico and other American ports be aboard a ship built in the U.S., owned and crewed by Americans and flying the U.S. flag.

The Marshall Islands-flagged ship that is bringing Puerto Rico diesel was hired by British Petroleum. BP had applied for a Jones Act exemption since Sept. 20.

“When U.S. flagged vessels are not available to meet national defense requirements, the Department of Homeland Security may grant a waiver to the Jones Act if the proposed shipments are in the interest of national defense and after careful evaluation of the issue,” according to DHS.

In his statement, Mayorkas noted that, despite waivers during emergencies, the Jones Act is vital to maintaining the strength of America’s shipbuilding and maritime industries.

The Biden administration previously committed its resources to assisting Puerto Rico during and after Fiona.

The island has still been recovering from the effects of Hurricane Maria almost exactly five years ago — a disaster that led to intense scrutiny of the federal government’s response under then-President Donald Trump.

Hidden Epidemic: Schools, parents, police scramble as US fentanyl crisis worsens

September 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Twenty-year-old Charlie told ABC News’ Nightline that he’s lucky to be alive after he nearly became one of the thousands of people across the country who lost their lives to fentanyl.

The Southern California college student, who asked not to reveal his real name, was at a party in August when he thought he was taking a party drug, but it turned out to be the synthetic opioid. A friend was able to get help and quickly administered Narcan, a medicine used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, saving his life.

“Thank God that I was surrounded with the people that were there. Thank God my friends were there and thank God that I have smart friends,” Charlie told Nightline.

Charlie’s story is becoming all too common in America as parents, school officials and parents are scrambling to get ahead of the epidemic and prevent more deaths.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said fentanyl was the leading cause of the record number of drug poisonings and overdose deaths in the country last year. More than 71,000 overdose deaths were linked to synthetic opioids like fentanyl, according to the CDC.

Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies have been on high alert, not only monitoring calls of overdoses but also stopping the flow of the drug into communities.

On Tuesday, the Department of Justice and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency announced it seized an estimated 10 million fentanyl-laced pills and 82 pounds of fentanyl powder motor crews across all 50 states.

“That is enough to kill 36 million Americans,” Attorney General Merrick Garland told reporters Tuesday.

Anne Milgram, U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency Administrator, told reporters Tuesday that two Mexican cartels, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (JNGC), “are responsible for virtually all of the fentanyl and they currently dominate the worldwide fentanyl distribution and supply chain.”

Another hurdle for authorities is brightly colored “rainbow fentanyl” pills that are the same as regular fentanyl but that could be mistaken for candy. They have been seized in at least 20 states since February, according to federal investigators.

Milgram added that agents are seeing fentanyl-laced pills disguised as regular drugs like OxyContin and Percocet.

Laura Brinker and Matt White, of San Diego, told Nightline that their 17-year-old son Connor White died last year from fentanyl poisoning when he thought he was taking Percocet.

“It was not a dozen pills in a bag. It was one pill…that was taken,” Brinker told Nightline.

Brinker and her husband called for more awareness and education about the crisis.

“There’s got to be other means and other ways that we’re educating our children and in a very, very serious way, not just don’t do drugs,” she said.

Alberto Carvalho, the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, told Nightline that the crisis is getting worse in his schools.

“I cannot quantify it but I can tell it’s much bigger, much more disturbing than what’s reported,” he said of the fentanyl crisis in Los Angeles schools.

Two weeks, ago 15-year-old Melanie Ramos was found dead on the floor of the girls bathroom after school hours from a fentanyl overdose. A 15-year-old boy, who is being investigated for allegedly selling her synthetic opioid, was arrested in connection with her death.

Days after Ramos’ death, Carvalho announced that Narcan would be available at all K through 12 schools, and nurses and other staff will be trained on administering the drug.

“It’s a sad new reality but consider the alternative. I think the presence of Narcan in our schools is a life-saving necessity at this point,” he said.

In addition to the schools, non-profit groups have been hard at work spreading education on the dangers of fentanyl and providing tools to help prevent overdoses.

Madeline Hilliard, the founder of Team Awareness Combating Overdose (TACO), said her organization is also providing free test strips that can indicate if a drug is fentanyl in disguise. She said while there is some perception that the strips encourage more drug use, they save lives.

“What we see is when people use fentanyl test strips…they’re now aware that fentanyl is a risk,” Hilliard told Nightline.

Charlie, who is helping TACO with their awareness, said he too is urging young people to be cautious.

“It’s inevitable that college students are going to come across these drugs. It’s just becoming more and more integrated into drugs across the country,” he said.

Hilaree Nelson: Outdoors community mourns ski mountaineer after death on Manaslu

September 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The outdoors community is grieving the sudden loss of ski mountaineer Hilaree Nelson, a legend of extreme feats who died after a small avalanche coming down from the peak of the world’s eighth highest mountain.

“Pray for her family and community, which is broadly stretched across our planet,” her partner, Jim Morrison, wrote Wednesday. “I’m devastated by the loss of her.”

Nelson and Morrison were attempting to ski down Manaslu on Monday when she triggered a small avalanche, according to Morrison, that took her “down a narrow snow slope.” Search efforts located her body Wednesday.

“They say don’t meet your heros [sic]. She was one of the very few I’ve met over the years who lived up to the hype,” skier Lynsey Dyer wrote Wednesday, adding that Nelson “was kind and humble and beautiful and so strong.”

Nelson, 49, was an epic ski mountaineer who made a career climbing the world’s biggest peaks — and skiing down them. Expeditions took her across the globe, working with and meeting many different athletes along the way, many of whom shared tributes, memories and love for Morrison and for Nelson’s two children.

“Hils showed us all a way to push and strive and fight for the big goals and the life she loved, while always finding joy and meaning even in failures,” mountaineer Adrian Ballinger, who attempted the first ski descent of Makalu with her in 2015, wrote.

Mountaineer Garrett Madison wrote that he met Nelson in 2012, when she became the first woman to summit mounts Everest and Lhotse within 24 hours.

“Her stoke, reverence and care for the mountains, & her teammates, was deep and contagious,” he said.

Rock climber Renan Ozturk reminisced on an expedition in the Burmese Himalayas where they faced many challenges.

“Yes, she was unbelievably strong on the mountain carrying more weight than anyone, but it was also the way she carried herself during the hard moments in between… uplifting everyone around her and finding laughter even within the hardship,” he wrote.

Nelson was also remembered fondly in her home community of Telluride, Colorado, with snowboarder Lucas Foster calling her “a regular face around town, a badass skier that literally changed the game, regular mom dropping her kids off at skate camp.”

While Nelson was a groundbreaking athlete across genders, she held a special significance for the women who were inspired by her, particularly athletes considering motherhood.

Skier Evelina Nilsson recalled meeting her at an athlete summit for The North Face, for which Nelson served as team captain: “I remember how deeply moved and inspired I was of everyone but especially you and @kitdski. Seeing incredible super moms/humans who paved the way for all the next generations. Leading by example.”

“Hilaree was a force to be remembered not for this accident or even the physical mountains she climbed and so expertly skied down, but for unapologetically paving the way for women in this space to be everything they want to be,” rock climber Emily Harrington wrote. “She broke ground and shattered expectations with a unique combination of grace and grit only a true leader possesses.”

Harrington, who is pregnant with her first child with mountaineer Ballinger, wrote that Nelson was one of the first she told about her pregnancy as they were going on an expedition this past April in Baffin Island, Canada. She said Nelson encouraged her, as a fellow woman “who chose motherhood AND a career of adventure.”

Snowboarder Leanne Pelosi shared that Nelson was also one of the first people she told when she found out she was pregnant.

“It’s hard to put into words how much impact Hilaree had on us all, but these stories of how she influenced anyone from the top athlete in the world to the people she worked with allows us to celebrate her life and her legacy,” she wrote.

It is a particularly tragic month in the mountaineering community. Lower down on Manaslu, an avalanche struck more than a dozen climbers, killing one and prompting group efforts for successful rescue operations over Monday and Tuesday.

Many of these efforts, including the search for Nelson, were led by members of Elite Exped, including legend Nims Purja. Purja had shared that three Elite Exped members, Ashok Wenjha Rai, Karsang Tenjing Sherpa and Tsewang Sherpa, were killed in a fire last week at the company’s headquarters in Kathmandu.

“This week has been so hard for so many — our thoughts and prayers are with the families of our dear brothers — as well as our dear friends — who lost loved ones this week,” Purja wrote on Wednesday. “The mountain community is tight knit and that’s why it’s so important to look after and care for each other.”

Hurricane Ian’s path echoes destructive 2004 Hurricane Charley

September 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — When he saw the latest path for Hurricane Ian, Kevin Doyle, a bar owner in Punta Gorda, Florida, said his heart sank and he had a flashback to 2004 when Hurricane Charley destroyed his business and much of his coastal town.

Ian is taking a similar path of Charley, which caused $16 billion in damage and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, killed 18 people.

“The difference with Charley was it was extremely fast and destructive and this is going to be slow and destructive. So, it’s going to be worse than Charley,” Doyle told ABC News Wednesday morning.

Doyle rode out Charley in his bar, the Celtic Ray Public House. This time he is taking no chances. He and his wife have evacuated to the east coast of Florida, while his son, who is a co-owner of the bar, is holding down the fort in Punta Gorda.

Hurricane Ian first made landfall in Florida on Wednesday afternoon, before making a second landfall just south of Punta Gorda as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds estimated at 145 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Chaley made landfall in Punta Gorda on the afternoon of Aug. 13, 2004, causing a 7-foot storm surge in nearby Fort Myers.

“The building was basically destroyed,” Doyle said of his bar. “Then we found out the following morning there was no insurance on it. We were renting at the time.”

A 40-year resident of Punta Gorda, Doyle said he and his family decided to stay and rebuild, realizing another destructive storm could hit someday. Now that day has come.

Many of Doyle’s neighbors who lost homes and businesses have rebuilt, adding new roofs designed to withstand a major hurricane. Punta Gorda has become a model for how to hurricane-proof a city, Doyle said.

Doyle said that following Charley, he bought the wrecked, roofless building that housed his bar and spent seven years rebuilding it.

“I think everybody learned their lesson from that one,” Doyle said. “When we rebuilt, we went over the codes with everything. It’s like a fortress now.”

He said Ian will be the first big test to see how prepared Punta Gorda is to withstand what is expected to be the most devastating storm to hit the area since Charley.

“I’m not going to predict anything at all,” Doyle said. “I’m just going to wait and see what’s left when it all goes away.”

Search underway after vessel carrying dozens of migrants sinks amid Hurricane Ian

September 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for over a dozen migrants after their vessel sank off the coast of Florida as Hurricane Ian was moving through the region, authorities said.

U.S. Border Patrol agents responded Wednesday to a migrant landing in Stock Island in the Florida Keys, Chief Patrol Agent Walter Slosar said on Twitter.

Four Cuban migrants had swam to shore after their vessel sank “due to inclement weather,” Slosar said.

The U.S. Coast Guard began a search and rescue mission for an additional 23 people, Slosar said.

Crews have so far rescued three people in the water about 2 miles south of Boca Chica, the U.S. Coast Guard Southeast said.

“They were brought to the local hospital for symptoms of exhaustion and dehydration. Air crews are still searching,” the Coast Guard said in an update on Twitter.

The rescue efforts are underway amid dangerous weather conditions from Hurricane Ian. The storm made landfall on Florida’s west coast Wednesday afternoon as a major Category 4 hurricane, bringing with it powerful winds and life-threatening storm surge.

The hurricane’s landfall was at about 3:05 p.m. ET near Cayo Costa, an island off the coast of Fort Myers.

The entire Florida Peninsula is under either a hurricane or tropical storm warning due to Hurricane Ian.

The storm is forecast to bring the threat of heavy rains and catastrophic storm surge as it moves through Florida.

The rescue mission comes a day after seven migrants from Cuba were taken into custody after making landfall at Pompano Beach, north of Fort Lauderdale, according to Slosar.

“Do not risk your life by attempting this journey at sea,” he said on Twitter. “Storm surge along with King tide can create treacherous sea conditions even after a storm passes.”

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