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Maryland couple pleads guilty to selling nuclear-related secrets

September 27, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(ANNAPOLIS, MD) — Jonathan and Diana Toebbe pleaded guilty for a second time on Tuesday to federal charges that they tried to sell secrets about U.S. submarine nuclear propulsion systems to a foreign country.

The couple originally pleaded guilty in February but a judge threw out the plea agreements last month after deciding the sentences called for were too low.

The Toebbes, of Annapolis, Maryland, seemed to neighbors and co-workers to be the typical suburban couple before they were arrested last October for allegedly scheming to sell secrets about Virginia-class nuclear submarines to a foreign country, which was not identified in court papers but was Brazil, a source told ABC News.

At the time of his plea, Toebbe conceded he sent a package to a foreign government, listing a return address in Pittsburgh that contained a sample of restricted data and instructions for establishing relationship to buy additional restricted data.

Toebbe said he began corresponding with someone he thought was a representative of the foreign government who was really an undercover FBI agent.

On June 8, 2021, the undercover agent sent $10,000 in cryptocurrency to Toebbe as “good faith” payment.

A few weeks later, Jonathan and Diana Toebbe traveled to a location in West Virginia, prosecutors said. There, with Diana Toebbe acting as a lookout, Jonathan Toebbe placed an SD card concealed within half a peanut butter sandwich at a pre-arranged “dead drop” location, they said.

After retrieving the SD card, the undercover agent sent Jonathan Toebbe a $20,000 cryptocurrency payment, prosecutors said. In return, Jonathan Toebbe emailed the undercover agent a decryption key for the SD card. A review of the SD card revealed that it contained restricted data related to submarine nuclear reactors, the indictment said.

Diana Toebbe, 46, pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to communicate restricted data, conceding she “knowingly and voluntarily” joined a conspiracy with her husband, a former nuclear engineer for the U.S. Navy, to sell secrets to a foreign country, which ABC News has previously identified as Brazil.

“I acted as lookout for my husband when he serviced three dead drops,” Toebbe said.

According to the charging documents, one of those dead drops included a blue 16GB SanDisk SD “wrapped in plastic and placed between two slices of bread on a half of a peanut butter sandwich.”

The new plea agreement appeared to call for a sentence of about 12 years in prison, four times as long as Diana Toebbe’s prior agreement. Magistrate Judge Robert Trumble accepted her plea but noted a different judge would determine whether the new sentencing terms were sufficient.

Jonathan Toebbe, 43, also pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiring to communicate restricted data pursuant to an agreement that calls for a sentence of up to 17 years in prison.

Toebbe sent a letter to the intelligence service of Brazil in April 2020 that “stated a desire to sell documents containing U.S. Navy information marked CONFIDENTIAL that included printouts, digital media files containing technical details, operations manuals, and performance reports,” the charging documents said.

“I apologize for this poor translation into your language. Please forward this letter to your military intelligence agency. I believe this information will be of great value to your nation. This is not a hoax,” the letter said, according to the criminal complaint.

His theft “irreparably compromised” a critical component of national defense, Judge Gina Groh said in August when she rejected the initial plea agreements.

At the hearing, Groh read an impact statement submitted by the Navy that said, in part, the “breadth and depth of Mr. Toebbe’s betrayal for personal gain is extraordinary.”

“Batgirls get lonely, too”: Leslie Grace shares more behind-the-scenes peeks at shelved movie

September 27, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Leslie Grace is sharing more behind-the-scenes peeks at Batgirl, the now-scuttled film in which she played Barbara Gordon/Batgirl.

On her Instagram, and set to a song she apparently wrote with singer-songwriter Lauren LaRue that was initially called “Bad Girls Get Lonely, Too,” Grace is seen being put through her paces on and off set.

Grace is shown training for her role as the titular heroine and bearing the bruises her character endures in the course of the movie. One shows her tangling with Firefly, the baddie who was played by Brendan Fraser.

There’s also more lighthearted moments in between shots of time in the make-up chair or at the training gym. One shows Grace showing off a 3D printed ambigram — the model displays “Leslie” or “Batgirl,” depending on how it’s positioned.

Another shows Leslie being offered a cookie in shape of her Batsuit’s chest emblem.

Regarding the song, Grace explained she laughed at the fact that the lyrics sounded like “Batgirls are lonely, too.” She noted, “in any case, over the last couple weeks, the song obviously took on a whole other meaning – as if it were written with all of the recent events in mind!”

What’s behind dramatic drop in monkeypox cases in the US

September 27, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — After weeks of rising cases, the monkeypox outbreak appears to be significantly slowing down in the United States.

As of Sept. 21, the latest date for which data is available, the seven-day case average was 197, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This is a 50% drop from the seven-day rolling average of 394 recorded one month ago, the data shows.

Similar situations are occurring in cities across the U.S. In New York City — the epicenter of the outbreak — the seven-day average of infections has declined by 85.7% over the course of a month from 35 to five, as of Sept. 23, according to data from the city’s Department of Health & Mental Hygiene.

Additionally, in Los Angeles, the seven-day average has fallen by 80.5% from 36 to seven, as of Sept. 26, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health data shows.

Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told ABC News there are two reasons why monkeypox infections are trending downward.

One reason is that at-risk people have changed their behaviors.

The outbreak has primarily been concentrated in men who have sex with men, a group that includes people who identify as gay, bisexual, transgender and nonbinary, although health officials have said anyone — regardless of sexual orientation — is at risk if they have direct contact with an infected patient.

Schaffner said those at risk have been inundated with information about how to reduce their risk and have followed doctors’ advice.

“There’s been a terrific amount of public health education that’s gone out and it’s gone out particularly to the MSM community and the LBGTQ community that’s been primarily affected,” he said. “So, you have a target population, they’ve been literally flooded, in some instances, with information about monkeypox, and what you as an individual can do to protect yourself against becoming infected.”

Schaffner added, “And so a lot of the communication I think, has been successful. And here’s the inferential part, I think people may have altered some of their behaviors, to reduce their risk.”

A joint survey from the CDC, Emory University and Johns Hopkins University found about one-half of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men reduced their number of sexual partners, one-time anonymous partners, and reduced use of dating apps.

The second reason for the decline is vaccinations, Schaffner said.

As of Sept. 20, more than 684,000 JYNNEOS vaccine doses have been distributed in the U.S., CDC data shows. As of the week ending Sept. 10, the number of second doses administered are more than the number of first doses, meaning people are returning to receive full protection.

Last month, to increase the number of doses available, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a new strategy to inject the vaccine intradermally, just below the first layer of skin, rather than subcutaneously, or under all the layers of skin — allowing one vial of vaccine to be administered as five separate doses rather than a single dose.

“We had data that told us it would be as effective and that appears also to be working,” Schaffner said. “[There’s been] acceptance of the vaccine by people in the target population and we’ve developed the capacity to get it out, make it available easily without stigma.”

However, Schaffner said the battle is not over yet and there should be a sustained effort on the part of public health officials, clinicians and community leaders to keep spreading information on the seriousness of monkeypox and how to reduce risk as well as how to get vaccinated.

“This will require sustained attention for some time,” he said. “It’s wonderful that things look as though they’re plateauing and declining, but we have to keep attention on wherever this disease is, and we have to keep our public health and communications efforts out there.”

“It’s not ‘mission accomplished.’ We have to keep being careful and take advantage of the vaccine,” Schaffner added.

“Honorary Gorilla” Stevie Nicks to appear in video for Gorillaz collaboration

September 27, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Stevie Nicks is featured on a track called “Oil” on the upcoming album by the virtual alternative-rock group Gorillaz, Cracker Island, and the two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee says she only one “demand” for taking part in the song.

Speaking with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, Nicks shares that she requested to be in the video for the track.

“That’s how I know about the Gorillaz, is because of all their crazy cartoon videos,” Nicks says. “I’m going, ‘I want to be in the ‘Oil’ video. I want to be a Gorilla, and I want to have big, false eyelashes, and I want to have blond hair, right?'”

The Fleetwood Mac singer and solo star continues, “I said, ‘This is my one demand that I will make.’ And so, they’re doing it as we speak.”

Nicks adds that she’s “so proud” of the collaboration, which she describes as “somewhere between love and war.”

“I was an honorary Heartbreaker, I was an honorary Foo Fighter,” she says. “And now, I’m an honorary Gorilla. I’m so happy.”

Cracker Island will be released February 24, 2023. It also features collaborations with artists including Beck, Tame Impala, Bad Bunny and Thundercat.

Holiday travel plans? Check that passport first

September 27, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The U.S. State Department says it’s already time to start thinking about your winter holiday plans, especially if they include international travel.

“Applying in the fall or winter allows for faster routine processing due to lower seasonal demand,” according to a recent release from the department. “Travelers should plan ahead and apply for their passports early to avoid the stress and extra cost for expedited processing. With timely effort, applicants also avoid the need for last-minute appointments at regional passport agencies, which become increasingly difficult to obtain when demand is high.”

Average wait times, however, are still longer than pre-pandemic averages.

Before March 2020, standard processing times took between five to seven weeks and two to three weeks for expedited applications. Now, the State Department says travelers can expect a wait of eight to 10 weeks for regular service and four to six weeks if they fast-track their request, which requires having a trip planned to a foreign country within 14 days and paying an extra $60 fee.

A valid passport that does not expire within six months is required for entry in most countries. The State Department currently has completed two phases of a pilot program for online renewal, with a third scheduled to open next month.

The online renewal option is expected to be accessible to most Americans beginning in early 2023.

The new program was developed as a result of an executive order issued by President Biden in late 2021 that instructed agencies to cut down on bureaucratic hurdles to access government services, reducing the “time tax” Americans pay while navigating outdated systems.

“Every interaction between the Federal Government and the public, whether it involves renewing a passport or calling for a status update on a farm loan application, should be seen as an opportunity for the Government to save an individual’s time,” the order says.

While it’s still unclear whether the order will reduce total wait times for passport renewals, the online process would save applicants a trip to their local passport office or from having to print, complete and mail hard copies of their documents.

E. Jean Carroll’s suit against Trump complicated with new ruling

September 27, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A federal appeals court issued a ruling Tuesday that could delay a former magazine columnist’s defamation lawsuit against former President Donald Trump.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an earlier district court decision that said the United States government could not substitute for Trump as a defendant in the lawsuit brought by E. Jean Carroll.

Carroll, a former columnist at Elle, has said she kept the dress she wore the day Trump allegedly sexually assaulted her in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman in the 1990s, a claim he has denied. She sued him in November 2019 after he denied raping her by questioning her credibility and demeaning her personal appearance. Trial had been scheduled for February.

Trump said he was acting in his capacity as president when he denied her claim and therefore was immune from Carroll’s lawsuit under the Westfall Act, which shields federal employees from personal liability.

The district court said Trump was not an employee of the government as defined in the act and, regardless, had not acted within the scope of his employment when he allegedly defamed Carroll.

In reversing and vacating the decision, the appellate court said the president of the United States role “fits comfortably” within the statute, but did not reach the question of whether his public statements denying Carroll’s allegations occurred within the scope of his employment.

“President is a government employee in the most basic sense of the term: He renders service to his employer, the United States government, in exchange for a salary and other job-related benefits,” the opinion said.

In a responding statement, Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, pointed to the dissenting opinion from Judge Denny Chin: “As Judge Chin, the only 2nd Circuit judge to reach the merits, explained in his powerful opinion, Donald Trump was not acting within the scope of his duties as president when he defamed our client, E. Jean Carroll because he was not serving any purpose of the federal government and because the comment ‘she’s not my type’ is not something one would expect the president of the United States to say in the course of his duties.”

Alina Habba, an attorney for Trump, said in a statement, “We are extremely pleased with the 2nd Circuit’s decision today in reversing and vacating the District Court’s finding in this matter. This decision will protect the ability of all future presidents to effectively govern without hindrance.”

The 2nd Circuit, however, deferred the question of whether Trump’s statements denying Carroll’s sexual assault allegations occurred within the scope of his employment and whether the government is entitled to substitute for him at trial. Instead, the court asked the D.C. Court of Appeals to render a judgment because the question depends on that court’s interpretation of employment law.

Both Habba and Kaplan said they were “confident” the D.C. Court of Appeals would agree with their respective sides.

Carroll previously announced her intention to sue Trump in state court for battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress under New York state’s Adult Survivors Act, a law recently signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul that gives adult accusers a year from Nov. 24 to bring claims regardless of when the alleged sexual misconduct happened.

Mom speaks out after daughter dies from suspected fentanyl overdose

September 27, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WITCHITA FALLS, TX) — A Texas mom is speaking out after her daughter died earlier this month following a suspected opioid overdose. Experts involved in the case believe that fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, might be to blame.

Silvia Martinez of Wichita Falls, Texas, told “Good Morning America” that she wanted to share what happened to her eldest daughter Alizé Martinez to potentially save other children and prevent other families from experiencing what she and her family are going through.

Silvia Martinez said that on the morning of Sept. 17 — which she described as the “worst day” of her life — she found her daughter stiff and lifeless in bed.

“I just screamed. I was in so much shock. It just didn’t feel real because I was like, ‘Not my daughter, not my baby,’ ” she recalled. “God knew I couldn’t live without my kids. I couldn’t believe it.”

She said that although she had not yet received an official report, the medical examiner said they suspect the death of Alizé Martinez was possibly the result of a fentanyl overdose.

Alizé Martinez, the eldest of Silvia Martinez’s five children, was 19 and about to re-enroll in cosmetology school. Silvia Martinez said her daughter had a “super goofy personality” and was “always happy” but had been “struggling” with addiction, something she had been trying to help her through.

“I didn’t know this until it was further down the line but when she first tried [opioids], she did it as a party favor, because her friends were doing it,” Silvia Martinez told “GMA.”

“She thought she was taking a prescription drug that gets prescribed to people from doctors. so to her, that her friends were doing it, well, it comes from a doctor so you know, should be OK on that and not knowing that it was laced with fentanyl,” Martinez continued.

Experts warn that people should never take medication that is not specifically prescribed to them and should always precisely follow prescription instructions provided by their doctor.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is anywhere from 50 to 100 times more potent than the narcotics heroin and morphine. Synthetic opioid-related overdose deaths have increased 56% from 2019 through 2020, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the public health agency estimates that more than 150 people die from synthetic opioids each day. Naloxone is a medication that can reverse the effects of opioids, and can help someone who has overdosed on opioids.

Alizé Martinez’s funeral was held on Sept. 22, according to her mother, and the police department in Wichita Falls, a city in northern Texas, is currently investigating her death.

A spokesperson for the Wichita Falls Police Department confirmed in an email to “GMA” that officials were indeed investigating “three suspected fentanyl related fatal overdoses,” including that of “a 19-year-old female” whom they identified as Alizé Martinez.

The spokesperson also noted police had “made three arrests for the charge of Murder … for illegally distributing Fentanyl which caused the death of an individual.”

Silvia Martinez hopes that despite her family’s tragedy, she can raise more awareness about the dangers of street drugs, including opioids and specifically fentanyl.

“The most shocking part was how available it is,” she said. “A lot of these pills are looking like candy. And now we don’t even want to take our kids trick or treating this year … because we are terrified that our kids are going to get something like that in one of their bags.”

“As parents, we need to talk to our children about this drug, about how it’s going around everywhere,” she added.

Silvia Martinez’s message to other parents, meanwhile, is to speak up if they suspect their kids are taking drugs.

“Don’t be ashamed. Don’t be embarrassed. Speak out,” she said. “Let other people hear your voices because we need to be the voices for our children.”

“We need to get the drugs off the street,” she added. “We need more resources for our children who are struggling with this. We need all the voices we can: every mother, every father, anybody who struggles with this fentanyl addiction. We need more voices. We need to make a change for our kids. I don’t want to see any more lives gone due to this.”

If someone you know is experiencing signs or symptoms of an overdose, call 911 or immediately present to the nearest emergency department. The national poison control hotline is available for questions 24/7 at 1-800-222-1222.

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, you can call the SAMHSA help line at 1-800-662-HELP. SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service.

Imagine Dragons’ frontman Dan Reynolds snatches up new mansion in Los Angeles

September 27, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Dan Reynolds, frontman of Imagine Dragons, has a new place to call home.

Dirt reports the “Enemy” singer snatched up a mansion in Los Feliz, a hillside neighborhood of LA, for $5.8 million. This becomes his third home in the LA area, joining his $11 million beach house in Malibu, as well as a house in the Eagle Rock neighborhood.

Reynolds recently separated from his wife of 11 years, Aja Volkman, which may be why the singer has expanded his real estate portfolio.

Taking a peek at Reynolds’ new digs, the outlet reports the house was first built in the 1950s and has been heavily renovated in the years since. The abode offers five bathrooms, four bedrooms and over 6,000 feet of living space.

In addition, it offers a designer kitchen with marble trim and top-of-the-line appliances. Other prime perks include a balcony off the main suite, a screening room, a steam shower, a saltwater pool, a temperature-controlled wine room, a separate guest house and a breathtaking view of the city.

The listing also hints that Reynolds can walk outside and enjoy the shade of some palm trees as he grabs a snack off one of the fruit trees planted on the property.

The house was originally listed for $8 million when it went up for sale in January. If you want to see more of the home, a video tour was shared to YouTube in December.

‘Stranger Things’ star Caleb McLaughlin says “racism” from fans “took a toll” on him

September 27, 2022 by WDNY Radio

At a comic convention in Belgium on Sunday, Stranger Things star Caleb McLaughlin revealed he has also weathered racist trolling, as did some of the actors of color in Game of Thrones, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

One of the fans at Heroes Comic Con Belgium caught Caleb’s unfiltered answer on video.

“It definitely took a toll on me as a younger kid,” the actor, who plays Lucas on Stranger Things, said.

“My very first Comic-Con, some people didn’t stand in my line because I was Black. Some people told me, ‘Oh I didn’t want to be in your line because you were mean to Eleven,'” McLaughlin said.

“Even now some people don’t follow me or don’t support me because I’m Black. Sometimes overseas you feel the racism, you feel the bigotry. Sometimes it’s hard to talk about and for people to understand, but when I was younger it definitely affected me a lot.”

He continued, “You’re like … ‘Why am I the least favorite? Why don’t I have the followers? I’m on the same show since season 1.’ But then my parents had to be like, ‘It’s a sad truth, but it’s because you’re the Black child on the show.'”

“That’s why with my platform, I try spreading positivity and love because I don’t give hate back to people who give hate to me,” Caleb said, to which the crowd applauded.

The video snippet has been viewed nearly 430,000 times.

Amazon Video claims its Rings of Power series has been review bombed by viewers taking issue with its Middle-Earth actors of color. Black actor Steve Toussaint vented about the racist trolls he’s dealt with after he debuted as Corlys Velaryon in HBO’s Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon.

Goo Goo Dolls provide unflinching look at domestic violence in “You Are The Answer” music video

September 27, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Goo Goo Dolls have released the “You Are The Answer” music video, which fans hail as the standout track off their new album, Chaos in Bloom.

The music video hits close to home for the band, as it highlights the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation, a nonprofit they’ve partnered with. The organization is focused on ending the cycle of domestic violence by assisting children in their safety and well-being, and in securing a better future.

The music video shares an unflinching look at domestic violence, starting with a woman using makeup to hide her multiple bruises. It’s then revealed the woman grew up in an unstable household, where her violent father would abuse both her and her mother.

Her mother was too afraid to flee the relationship, which causes the woman to reflect on why she continues to stay with her abusive partner.

The music video ends with the woman consoling her younger self before escaping her home to seek closure by visiting her elderly father at a hospital. She then gives birth to her child and is seen peacefully feeding her baby without her abusive partner.

Frontman John Rzeznik then shares a PSA about supporting the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation and encouraging victims of domestic violence to reach out for help.

If you are affected by abuse and needing support, or know someone who is, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also chat online at thehotline.org or online.rainn.org, respectively.

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