(LAGUNA WOODS, Calif.) — The pastor being hailed a hero for helping to thwart a gunman from taking additional lives at a California church described how the congregation, consisting mostly of elderly attendees, overtook the shooter.
About 50 people had gathered at the Geneva Presbyterian Church, a Taiwanese congregation in Laguna Woods, California, about 50 miles southeast of Los Angeles, on Sunday afternoon for a lunch banquet to welcome back Rev. Billy Chang from a trip to Taiwan, Chang told ABC News.
But a gunman angry over tensions between China and Taiwan, 68-year-old Las Vegas resident David Chou, was also in attendance and attempted to secure the doors inside with chains, Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said Monday. Chou also attempted to disable the locks within the church with superglue, Barnes said.
Chang was on the podium taking photos when he witnessed the gunman randomly firing at congregants, he described in a statement on Monday.
Parishioners were able to escape through the one door Chou allegedly did not lock, and when he stopped to reload, Chang and Dr. John Cheng, a prominent sports physician, sprang into action.
Cheng, 52, charged the suspect and tried to disarm him allowing others to jump in, Barnes said. Chang grabbed a chair and slammed it into the shooter, pushing him to the floor, he said.
“I was in shock during these events,” Chang said in the statement.
Several of the surrounding congregants then swarmed the shooter, Chang said.
The group of churchgoers detained Chou, hogtying his legs with an extension cord and confiscating two handguns from him before more people could be shot, said Orange County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Jeff Hallock. Others called 911 while the restraint took place, Chang said.
“That group of churchgoers displayed…exceptional heroism, heroism and bravery in interfering or intervening to stop the suspect,” Hallock said.
Most of the congregants were elderly, officials said, and the injured victims ranged in age from 66 to 92 years old.
Cheng was shot and killed during the chaos, and five others were wounded by gunfire, Barnes said. Investigators believe more people would have been shot had it not been for Cheng’s actions, Barnes said.
“The majority of the people in attendance were elderly, and they acted spontaneously, heroically,” Barnes said. “There would have been many, many more lives lost if not for the concerted effort of the members of that church.”
Chang, through tears, asked for prayers for Cheng’s family and for the congregation.
“Thank you for your concern and continued prayers,” Chang told ABC News. “While my return to the United States, worship at the church and luncheon was [a] joyous occasion, the events that followed have deeply impacted the community and me.”
Chou, who is Chinese but an American citizen, is being held on $1 million bail, jail records show. He is expected to be charged with one count of murder and five counts of attempted murder, authorities said.
Authorities believe Chou’s anger began when he lived in Taiwan, where he felt he was an outsider, and his anti-Taiwan views were not accepted, Barnes said.
Chou’s wife and son still live in Taiwan, but Chou has lived alone in the U.S. for many years, Barnes said, adding that Chou’s views have become more radical as tensions between China and Taiwan have escalated.
China has long held that Taiwan is part of its country, while Taiwan governs itself as an independent nation dating back to when Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek fled the mainland as the Chinese Communist Party came to power in 1949.
The FBI has opened a federal hate crimes investigation into the shooting.
Meghan Trainor is going to wish you a happy birthday! The singer transformed her 2014 hit “All About That Bass” into a birthday parody called “All About That Cake.” The song can be personalized with more than 1,000 names Meghan will sing. She said in a statement, “This is the coolest career moment for me.” The e-card is available now.
Are Nick Jonas and Shakira collaborating on a new song? When asked if Shakira might crash the Jonas Brothers‘ upcoming Vegas residency, she told Access, “You never know!” But Nick chimed in, “Let’s do it.” Shakira agreed that they should “do it” — and are now sparking hope they will make a song together.
The trailer for Jennifer Lopez‘s Netflix documentary, HALFTIME, drops Wednesday at noon, and a link to the YouTube premiere is now available. She also teased a few clips on her Instagram Story.
Sam Smith shared a heartfelt message to their fans Tuesday, saying, “Thank you so much for all the love I’ve been shown the last few weeks.” He said the reception of their new song has “been wild” and that fans have been “so beautiful and kind” with their support. Sam added they’re “working so hard right now” and teased, “It’s gonna be a fun few years!”
Madonna is once again teaming with DJ Sickick and announced they collaborated on a new remix of her 1998 song “Frozen,” titled “Frozen on Fire.” She teased a bit of the new remix and shared a clip of her toasting with her crew to celebrate the song. The track is available to pre-save now and will drop this Thursday.
Mimi Webb is headlining her first North American tour, which kicks off this fall. The “House On Fire” singer opened for Tate McCrae during her spring tour. Now, fans get to see Mimi fly solo starting September 22 with her first show slated for Vancouver, British Columbia. Tickets go on sale Friday.
Logic will release his new album, Vinyl Days, on June 17, which fans can pre-save now. The “Sucker for Pain” rapper will also kick off the Vinyl Verse Tour 2022 alongside Wiz Khalifastarting July 27 with a stop in Irving, California. Tickets for the summertime trek are on sale now.
Halsey kicks off their long awaited Love and Power Tour tonight, May 17, and they released an all-new teaser meant to hype fans for the event. The behind-the-scenes footage shows the amount of work Halsey put into rehearsing for the tour, and also shares a taste of the intense effects that’ll shock and excite the audience.
Britney Spearsreleased a new dancing video to Instagram Tuesday, saying, “I’m definitely going through something in my life at the moment … and music helps me so much just to gain insight and perspective… I’m thankful for that escape.” Britney is dancing to Beyoncé’s “Halo” in the video and said the “song is pretty spiritual.” Britney recently announced she lost her “miracle baby early in the pregnancy” and is healing.
Are Nick Jonas and Shakira collaborating on a new song? When asked if Shakira might crash the Jonas Brothers‘ upcoming Vegacy, she told Access, “You never know!” But Nick chimed in, “Let’s do it.” Shakira agreed that they should “do it” — and are now sparking hope they will make a song together.
The trailer for Jennifer Lopez‘s documentary, HALFTIME, drops Wednesday at noon, and a link to the YouTube premiere is now available.
Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
(BUFFALO, N.Y.) — Ten people, all of whom were Black, were killed in a mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, on Saturday, in an attack authorities are calling a “racially motivated hate crime.”
The victims included four grocery store employees as well as six customers, several of them regulars at the store, according to the Buffalo Police Department and those who knew them.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden mourned those who were lost in the attack with the Buffalo community on Tuesday, describing them as “the best of our community.”
“The people who were slaughtered by this evil were very good people,” Biden said, vowing to make the community safer by advocating for stricter gun laws and criminal justice reform.
Here is what’s known about the victims so far:
Ruth Whitfield, 86
Ruth Whitfield was returning home from visiting her husband in a nursing home when she stopped by Tops to pick up groceries — “a daily ritual,” her son, Garnell Whitfield, told ABC News Sunday morning.
Ruth Whitfield was in the store when the gunman opened fire and was among the 10 who died in the shooting, Garnell Whitfield, a former Buffalo fire chief, said.
Garnell Whitfield described his mother’s devotion to her family, especially her husband, whose health has been declining over the past eight years.
“She was there just about every day, taking care of him, making sure he was well cared for by the staff, washing, ironing his clothes, making sure he was dressed appropriately, making sure his nails were cut and clean and shaved,” he said. “All of that. Every day.”
Even as her own health began to weaken, Ruth Whitfield still tried to visit her husband each day, taking days off only when she felt too debilitated to make the trip, her son said.
After suffering “a very difficult childhood,” when she became a mother, Ruth Whitfield “was all about family,” Garnell Whitfield said.
“And she rose above it, and she raised us in spite of all of that, being very poor,” he said. “She raised us to be productive men and women.”
Whitfield also sang in a choir, Biden said in his address Tuesday.
Roberta Drury, 32
Roberta Drury, a regular at Tops, was a “vibrant and outgoing” woman who could “talk to anyone,” her sister, Amanda Drury, told ABC News on Sunday.
Roberta Drury was born in Cicero, New York, about 150 miles east of Buffalo, and moved to the city in 2010 after her oldest brother, Christopher Drury, received a bone marrow transplant there to treat his leukemia.
She helped him run his restaurant, The Dalmatia, and care for his family, Amanda Drury said.
“She was always willing to help and laugh,” Amanda said over text.
Aaron Salter, 55
Aaron Salter, a retired Buffalo Police officer, was killed after he confronted the gunman, who entered the store wearing military fatigues, body armor and a tactical helmet.
Salter was working as a security guard and shot the assailant, Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia told ABC News on Sunday. But the bullets had no effect due to the bulletproof vest the suspect wore, and the gunman returned fire, striking Salter.
Gramaglia described Salter as a “true hero” who undoubtedly saved more lives during the encounter.
“He went down fighting,” Gramaglia said. “He came in, he went towards the gunfire. He went towards the fight.”
One Tops employee, a mother of seven, told ABC News that if it hadn’t been for Salter, she and her 20-year-old daughter, who was working at the register, would not have known the gunman was headed in their direction.
When she saw Salter pull out his weapon, they knew they had to run, and they both made it out alive, she said.
Salter was a “beloved” employee of Tops, several years after he retired from the police department.
“He took on a responsibility to protect the customers and the employees in the store,” Gramaglia said. “And he did exactly what he signed up for.”
During a Medal of Valor ceremony on Monday, Biden commended Salter, saying the retired police officer and father “gave his life trying to save others.”
Heyward Patterson, 67
Deacon Heyward Patterson was shot while inside his truck in the parking lot of the supermarket, Pastor James Giles told ABC Buffalo affiliate WKBW.
Patterson’s family described him to the station as a loving person. He leaves behind a wife and daughter.
Pearl Young, 77
Pearl Young, an Alabama native, spent the final years of her life teaching children as a substitute teacher in the Buffalo School District and was heavily involved in her church community, her sister, Mary Craig, told ABC News.
“She loved her students, and they loved her back,” a statement from her family read.
Craig described Young as “such a beautiful, sweet woman.”
“We’re all in shock and disbelief,” she said of the family.
Young leaves behind two sons and a daughter, Craig said.
Young was described in the statement as a missionary who would be “truly missed.”
“Missionary Pearl Young was a worshipper and loved God. She loved her children, her family, and her Good-Samaritan COGIC church family,” the statement read. “She was a true pillar in the community.”
On Tuesday, Biden said, “She touched the apple of God’s eye.”
Geraldine Talley, 62
In her final moments, Geraldine Talley, who’d come to Tops Family Market Saturday afternoon for a few items, sent her fiancée down an aisle to retrieve something off a shelf.
Before they could reunite, an armed suspect entered the supermarket and opened fire. Her fiancée survived the massacre.
Talley’s last moments were described to ABC News by Kaye Chapman-Johnson, her younger sister, who was not at the store with the couple.
“I am so angry, just devastated. This is so hard for our family right now,” she said in an off-camera interview. “Our sister, we had so many plans together, so many plans, and everything has just been stripped away from us.
“Our lives will definitely never be the same again.”
Two years older, Talley, 62, was Chapman-Johnson’s “best friend,” her sister said. “We talked every day.”
Talley was one of nine siblings and was “an amazing sister, mother, aunt,” said Chapman-Johnson. “She just was truly an amazing woman. And I’m going to miss her dearly.”
Talley’s death has left her family “destroyed,” added her sister. “I’m hoping that we can all move on.”
Celestine Chaney, 65
Celestine Chaney, 65, of Buffalo, was a mother and grandmother of six, The Buffalo News reported.
She was shopping with her older sister, JoAnn Daniels, when she was shot, according to the newspaper.
“She was a breast cancer survivor and she survived aneurysms in her brain, and then she goes to Tops and gets shot,” her sister told The Buffalo News.
Chaney’s son, Wayne Jones, told the newspaper, “If people’s moms are still around, just don’t be too caught up in social media and the world to pick up the phone and talk to your mom or your dad.”
Katherine Massey, 72, of Buffalo
Katherine “Kat” Massey was a civil rights activist who worked tirelessly to improve Buffalo’s Black community, The Buffalo News reported.
The Buffalo News said Massey wrote for local publications the Buffalo Challenger and Buffalo Criterion, and that she often wrote letters to The Buffalo News.
“She was unapologetic about making sure our community was not ignored,” Massey’s friend, former Erie County Legislator Betty Jean Grant, told the The Buffalo News. “We lost a powerful, powerful voice.”
Margus Morrison, 52, of Buffalo
Margus Morrison was a “great father” and “wonderful person” who was always willing to help his family, his stepdaughter, Cassandra Demps, said in a text message to ABC News.
Morrison is “a soul that will always be missed,” Demps wrote.
Andre Mackneil, 53, of Auburn, New York
ABC News’ Matt Foster and Will McDuffie contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — While much of the focus this midterm cycle has been on statewide races and the momentum behind Republicans amid dismal approval numbers for President Joe Biden, several Democratic House primaries could be emblematic of the direction of the party ahead of November.
In these contentious primary races in North Carolina, Oregon and Pennsylvania, voters will choose between progressive and more moderate candidates. These races have drawn the attention of progressive heavyweights, including Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
In many cases, moderate candidates have been the beneficiaries of millions of dollars in spending by controversial outside groups like Protect Our Future, a PAC funded by a billionaire cryptocurrency boss Sam Bankman-Fried, and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel super PAC.
“Money in politics is nothing new, and you’ve seen outside groups increasingly playing a role in North Carolina and around the country, what feels different this year is just how aggressively they’re investing in primaries,” said Asher Hildebrand, a professor at Duke University and former chief of staff to outgoing Rep. David Price.
Price’s district, North Carolina’s 4th Congressional District is a safely blue area which includes a few of the states large research universities. Primary voters there will likely make the deciding choice about who replaces him.
The leading candidates in the crowded Democratic primary are Clay Aiken of “American Idol” fame, Nida Allam, a local lawmaker and the first Muslim woman to hold elected office in the state who is backed by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and Valarie Foushee, a Black state lawmaker widely considered the establishment pick.
Aiken, who previously ran for Congress in 2014, could be the first LGBTQ lawmaker to represent North Carolina if he wins. Political experts in the state consider his chances of coming out on top relatively low despite his high name recognition via his celebrity status.
The aforementioned PACs have poured millions into the race for Foushee, a move some in the state have interpreted as an effort to tamp down on the influence of the party’s progressive wing. If Foushee wins, she could be the first Black lawmaker to represent the area in Congress.
Allam is a Medicare-for-all and Green New Deal-supporting progressive who has the approval of members of the so-called “squad” of progressive Democratic congresswomen of color. Should Allam prevail, it could mark a significant progressive victory this cycle in a battleground state.
“I think what we’re seeing there are actually two candidates that have pretty similar platforms on most of the issues but the contest has really been framed as one of moderates against progressives,” said Sarah Treul a political science professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “You’re gonna have a part of the Democratic Party, the more left leaning side, casting votes for Nida and the more moderate wing of the party no doubt casting votes for Foushee.”
In Oregon’s newly drawn 5th Congressional District, which includes Bend, incumbent Rep. Kurt Schrader has the endorsement of President Joe Biden. While progressive candidate Jamie McLeod-Skinner, an attorney who has mounted previous failed bids for Congress and Oregon Secretary of state, has the backing of most Democratic Party leaders within the district as well as Warren.
Schrader is considered one of the most conservative Democrats in the House and has taken heat from progressives on his vote against Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill and Biden’s Build Back Better spending plan.
“We don’t always agree, but when it has mattered most, Kurt has been there for me,” Biden said in a statement announcing his endorsement.
Schrader and his proponents argue that he can win in the district that now gives Republicans a better shot at winning.
“I’ve just got a proven track record of actually winning in a very difficult district,” said Shrader in an interview with ABC News. “This district got a lot more difficult than the previous district.”
But it’s a notion Mcleod-Skinner has pushed back on.
“I’m able to win crossover voters. I got the support even now of not just Democrats, but Republicans and independents. And that’s what’s we’re going to need,” she told ABC News.
Jack Miller, a political science professor at Portland State University, says McCleod-Skinner’s previous runs demonstrate an ability to appeal to Republicans in a district that has become more rural.
“I think that that experience, even though she lost, she got almost 40% of the vote in a supremely strong leaning Republican district. I think it’s the best Democrats have done there in 20 years. That is a great sign,” said Miller. “What’s interesting about her is that she has both that ability to run strong in those rural areas and she is what a lot of progressive Oregonians want.”
Sanders stumped for Summer Lee, a progressive running in Pennsylvania’s 12th district, another safely Democratic district that includes Pittsburgh.
For much of the race, Lee was considered the frontrunner, but a flood of cash from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee is boosting her more moderate opponent, Steve Irwin, complicating her prospects. If Lee wins, she could be the first Black woman to represent the area.
Sanders sent a letter Monday to Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison calling for the party to keep super PAC money out of primaries.
“The goal of this billionaire funded effort is to crush the candidacies of a number of progressive women of color who are running for Congress,” Sanders wrote. “I am writing to you today to demand that the Democratic National Committee make it clear that super PAC money is not welcome in Democratic primaries.”
Historically, midterm elections don’t favor the president’s party and overall Democrats are bracing for losses. While the balance of power in Congress likely won’t hinge on the outcomes of these Democrat-on-Democrat races, they could serve as a bellwether for the state of the party in November and as it approaches the presidential cycle in 2024.
(WASHINGTON) — Voters were heading to the polls Tuesday for primary elections in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Kentucky, Idaho and Oregon amid a midterm season that will test the endorsement power of both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
Here is how the news is developing today. All times Eastern. Check back for updates.
May 17, 5:41 pm
Democratic House primaries could foreshadow party’s direction
While much of the focus this midterm cycle has been on statewide races and the momentum behind Republicans amid dismal approval numbers for President Joe Biden, several Democratic House primaries could be emblematic of the direction of the party ahead of November.
In these contentious primary races in North Carolina, Oregon and Pennsylvania, voters will choose between progressive and more moderate candidates. These races have drawn the attention of progressive heavyweights, including Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
Click here to read what you need to know about key Democratic House primary races, which include incumbent Rep. Kurt Schrader in Oregon gaining Biden’s endorsement, and in North Carolina, Clay Aiken of “American Idol” fame taking another shot at Congress.
-ABC News Deputy Political Director Averi Harper
May 17, 5:38 pm
Pennsylvania Rep. Conor Lamb says primary will offer ‘lessons’ for Dems
With primary day underway in some of the hottest races of the year, Rep. Conor Lamb, a moderate two-term Democrat vying for the U.S. Senate nomination in Pennsylvania, told ABC News’ Senior Washington Reporter Devin Dwyer that results in the state Tuesday could be a key bellwether for the future direction of the party and control of the Senate.
“I think the Democratic Party is going to have to, you know, think really hard about how we’re going to succeed and what is a very, very challenging political environment — and today is going to have some lessons,” Lamb said outside a polling place in his district.
Lamb, who has been trailing progressive Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in recent polls, acknowledged that Democrats face a choice between “two very different paths based on two different sets of experience and two different personalities,” as many in the party view the race as their best shot at flipping a Senate seat.
Asked by ABC News whether he thinks Fetterman’s hospitalization for a stroke will have any impact on the race, Lamb said “I don’t know” and then offered what seemed to be criticism of his rival for “very little information about it [his condition] much like the rest of the general public.”
“I wish him well, but I really can’t forecast that and people are just got to make up their own minds,” he said.
May 17, 5:35 pm
Top Dem candidates face health issues on primary day
Two top Democrats in midterm races in Pennsylvania are facing health issues on primary day, causing them both to miss their election night events. One is isolated with COVID and another was in the hospital Tuesday undergoing surgery after a stroke.
Pennsylvania’s Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who is running unopposed in the Democratic primary race for governor, announced this morning on Twitter that he tested positive for COVID-19 Monday night. He said he’s isolated at home with “mild symptoms” and will be back on the campaign trail next week.
Shapiro also shared on Tuesday afternoon that he voted using an emergency absentee ballot, speaking in a video posted from his campaign’s Twitter account.
Meanwhile, the front-runner in the Democratic Senate primary race, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, underwent surgery on Tuesday to get a pacemaker and defibrillator after he suffered a stroke last Friday. As a result, his campaign team said he would not be able to attend his election night rally; instead, his wife, Gisele, will speak in his place.
Earlier on Tuesday, ahead of sharing the news of his surgery, Fetterman’s campaign shared a photo of him voting via an emergency absentee battle in the hospital.
May 17, 5:26 pm
Dr. Oz touts Trump endorsement, says opponent has ‘had her moment in the sun’
In a somewhat last-minute endorsement in April, former President Donald Trump threw his support behind Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania’s Republican Senate primary, citing the television doctor’s popularity and compliments regarding Trump’s health.
ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott was the only network reporter with Dr. Oz as he voted this morning in Pennsylvania. On his way out, Oz told Scott he’s confident he will win this evening’s primary. But a last-minute surge by conservative commentator Kathy Barnette has now shaken up the race.
When Scott asked Dr. Oz about her momentum, he said, “I think that Kathy, metaphorically, had her moment in the sun.”
“And I’m very proud of the president’s endorsement. He said I was smart-talking — never let you down, smart enough to understand the issues tough, tough enough to not weather in the face of criticism. When you go to bed at night, you know, I’ll never let you down,” he added.
“I just cast a vote for myself, which is not a humble thing to do,” Oz said. “But it’s what I’m humbly asking all Pennsylvanians to do to vote for someone that they know will win in the general election which is one of the main reasons President Trump endorsed me.”
May 17, 5:23 pm
McCormick speaks about missing out on Trump endorsement
McCormick did not get the coveted endorsement from former President Donald Trump, who threw his weight behind Dr. Mehmet Oz, so McCormick tried to balance complimenting the former president and saying Trump’s endorsement doesn’t have much impact.
“He’s very popular in Pennsylvania with good reason, in my opinion, but in terms of his endorsement — of course, his endorsement matters — but his endorsement to Mehmet Oz hasn’t had much of an impact,” McCormick said. “And the reason for that is much more about Mehmet Oz than it is about the president in that Mehmet doesn’t have a track record.”
McCormick also said the race boils down to two main issues: inflation and authenticity.
Recent polls have shown many Pennsylvania voters were still undecided leading up to primary day.
-ABC News’ Alexa Presha
May 17, 4:44 pm
Here’s what time polls close by state
Here’s what time the polls close in each state Tuesday. All times Eastern.
May 17, 4:43 pm
Tuesday’s contents test endorsement power of Biden, Trump
Tuesday’s primaries span five states, the most so far this season, and will test of the strength of endorsements from both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
Biden handed out his first endorsement just a few weeks ago to Oregon incumbent Rep. Kurt Schrader in a race that was low profile until the president weighed in.
Trump has interjected himself in several primary races so far, including backing Dr. Mehmet Oz for Senate in Pennsylvania and Doug Mastriano for the state’s governor.
The state is one of several battlegrounds across the country where supporters of Trump tried to overturn the 2020 election results, and Mastriano attended the rally preceding the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, as did Kathy Barnette, a dark horse ultra-conservative GOP Senate candidate.
One question that will be answered Tuesday night is if the Trump endorsement can save tainted candidates. Trump put his neck out for two 26-years-olds in North Carolina: GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn, widely known across the country for his scandals and irreverent attitude, and Bo Hines — running for Congress in North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District where he doesn’t live or have wide name recognition.
(WASHINGTON) — Officials from the Department of Homeland Security warned that domestic violent extremists have been infiltrating the national abortion debate “to incite violence amongst their supporters,” a senior DHS official told state and local partners on a phone call Monday afternoon, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The DHS official did not specify which side, if any, the extremists were taking.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters in January that domestic violent extremism remains one of “the greatest terrorism related threats” the U.S. faces.
“Over the past year, we in the Department of Homeland Security have improved and strengthened our approach to combating this dynamic, evolving threat,” Mayorkas said.
That official who spoke on the call with local partners warned that as summer approaches — and with the midterm elections in the fall — DHS will continue to be in a “heightened security environment.”
“The leaked Supreme Court opinion on abortion has already triggered an intense political and cultural debate on this topic, and it is very likely it will be an key driver that motivates domestic extremists on different ends of the ideological spectrum to engage in acts of political violence against targets whom they perceive as legitimate,” Javed Ali, a former senior director for counterterrorism on the National Security Council told ABC News.
Another top DHS official warned on a phone call Sunday that not only will domestic violent extremists attempt to use the abortion debate to incite violence, they will also try to take advantage of the ongoing immigration debate, expected to heat up due to the scheduled lifting on May 23 of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention public health order under Title 42 and the potential for the influx of migrants along the southern border.
“We do believe that a range of individuals motivated by different ideological grievances will essentially drive an increase in the threat,” one DHS official said, according to a source familiar with the call.
John Cohen, who recently departed as the former acting undersecretary for intelligence and analysis at DHS, told ABC News that domestic violent extremists try to exploit political divisions.
“Domestic violent extremists develop messaging that they promote online, messaging that’s intended to exacerbate the fractures in our society,” Cohen now an ABC News contributor said. “So, they’ll pick issues like abortion, immigration and government COVID activities and elections.”
Selena Gomez made waves on Saturday Night Live when she unleashed her spot-on Miley Cyrus impression during her opening monologue. Now, Miley is finally sharing her thoughts about the unexpected shoutout.
Selena had spoken about needing advice on how to knock her monologue out of the park, but, after not having any luck with her Only Murders in the Building co-stars Martin Short and Steve Martin, she turned to Miley.
Whipping out a spot-on impression, the “Lose You to Love Me” singer said Miley, whom she called “one of my oldest friends,” told her, “Just be yourself and have fun.” She continued, “I was like, ‘Miley, is that just an excuse for me to do an impression of you on the show?’ And she was like, ‘Hell yeah, I’m Miley Cyrus.'”
Turns out Miley loved the shoutout and Selena’s SNL hosting debut. In an Instagram post on Tuesday, the Grammy nominee showed off how she immortalized the moment — with a tank top.
The “Midnight Sky” singer used a black permanent marker to scrawl “Hell yeah, I’m Miley Cyrus” in all capital letters on a white tank top. She then posed for a frisky photoshoot of her modeling the new memorabilia in bed while drinking a cup of tea.
She also tagged Selena, who in turn “liked” the post, and also shared a clip of the now-viral SNL moment.
–Just a few days ago Keyshia Cole shared images to Instagram that looked like she was enjoying a good time with NFL player Antonio Brown, expressing that she misses him “a lot.” The images sparked dating rumors that AB has since shot down, most recently in a “disrespectful” manner, according to Keyshia.
In an Instagram Live video shared by The Shade Room Tuesday, AB told the 40-year-old singer, in a not-so-nice way, to leave him alone. “Keyshia Cole, you know, I’m a player man, we don’t want you, Keisha. Stay off my ****, you heard.”
Keyshia responded that she was “big trippin” for showing him love. “I have a 12 year old. Like that type disrespect for what.. Nothing is worth that level of disrespect, especially when u don’t deserve it…”
The back and forth started when AD posted a video of what appears to be his initials tattooed on a woman’s body with the caption, “You Ain’t Pimpin Until You Hit An RnB Diva.”
–As a result of the race-fueled Buffalo supermarket shooting last weekend, civil rights attorney Ben Crump is calling on President Joe Biden to pass the anti-Black hate crime bill.
Speaking to ABC News’ Linsey Davis on behalf of Ruth Whitfield, one of the 10 victims, Crump urged the president to work with Congress to pass legislation to help protect Black Americans from the continued acts of senseless violence.
“We’re going to fight to do what they believe their mother would want,” Crump said standing alongside Whitfield’s children, as reported by The Shade Room. “That is to get some positive change to come from this tragedy. That’s why we’re saying to President Biden and the United States Congress, pass the anti-Black hate crime bill.”
E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — With the Supreme Court’s looming decision that could overturn Roe v. Wade, doctors are voicing concerns about the well-being of adolescents in states where abortion is likely to become illegal.
Although teen pregnancy has been on the decline since 1991, pediatricians say abortion remains an important option for girls under 18 who become pregnant.
Most girls get their first period between the age of 10 and 15 years old, and most teens report being sexually active before they turn 18.
Despite their capacity to become pregnant, teenage girls are often left out of a national conversation about abortion, said Chez Smith, the CEO of Gyrls in the HOOD, a non-profit organization in Chicago committed to improving reproductive health outcomes for adolescent girls in urban neighborhoods.
“It’s like they shouldn’t be having sex anyways, so they’re not even part of the conversation, but they are a part of the conversation,” Smith said.
Teen pregnancy rates have improved thanks to contraception, sex education and community outreach. But “when something improves, doesn’t mean it ceases to be a necessary focus,” said Dr. Charis Chambers, a fellow at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
In 2020, females ages 15-19 accounted for just under 5% of U.S. births, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. But disparities still exist, with Hispanic and Black/Non-Hispanic teens each accounting for more than twice as many births each year as teenage white girls, HHS reported.
Motherhood can be related with positive experience, much like any mother, Chambers said. Teens “tend to be in awe of what the body is capable of,” she said. The challenges, however, “are really plentiful, and in a lot of cases, outweigh the triumphs,” she said.
For teens, accessing resources and navigating the healthcare system for themselves and their new baby can be extremely daunting.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only about 50% of teenage mothers receive their high school diplomas by age 22.
The emotional burden of childbirth can also take a toll. Adolescent mothers are twice as likely as their adult counterparts to suffer from postpartum depression, according to a report in the journal Pediatrics. Teenagers are also at high risk for developing generalized depression and anxiety, the report said.
The pregnancy itself is not without risk. As Chambers explains, pre-term labor, premature rupture of membranes — which increases the risk for infections like chorioamnionitis — and delayed labor occur most commonly with younger moms and older moms. Other medical conditions, like preeclampsia and even postpartum hemorrhages can also occur. Maternal death during childbirth is also a very real risk.
But becoming a mother as a teenager doesn’t only affect the mother. Children of teenage mothers are more likely to have lower school achievement, drop out of high school, give birth as a teenager and face unemployment as a young adult.
Despite the litany of short-term and long-term effects of becoming a mother as a teenager, the decision to terminate a pregnancy can also be challenging.
“There can be profound grief,” Chambers said.
Battling the stigma of being a teenage mom and the stigma of having an abortion, the ultimate decision to terminate can be very lonely.
“They feel a little traumatized or guilty or shameful,” Smith added.
Medical and surgical abortions are also not without risks, including the risk of bleeding or infections.
Some girls, Smith says, become more responsible after terminating a pregnancy. The experience changes them because they don’t want to be in that situation again and know they don’t have the resources or supports to care for a baby right now, they make different decisions around sex and contraception, according to Smith.
Both Smith and Chambers agree that for teenagers, prevention is the best strategy. But when prevention is no longer an option, the ability to seek safe abortion is even more important. Smith adds that reversal of Roe vs Wade, which would limit options for pregnancy termination in many states, would be particularly detrimental for the teenagers that she serves.
“It’s an invasion of that sacred space where the doctor and the patient are making decisions together,” said Chambers. It is in that space that a woman brings her specific experiences, hopes, fears, and goals and uses that context to make the very difficult decision to terminate a pregnancy if that is the decision she chooses, she said.
The teenage mind is still developing, with impulse control being one of the last parts of the brain to fully develop, so elimination of safe options may make young girls go to desperate, dangerous measures, Chambers said.
“They are gonna find a way to do it – Google, YouTube, performing it on each other,” Smith said.
“Abortions will always be done,” Chambers agreed. “It’s a matter of making it harder for disenfranchised patients – those typically with lower socioeconomic status, lower health literacy and limited access to healthcare – including teenage girls, who are still children themselves.”
Chidimma J. Acholonu, M.D. M.P.H., is a pediatric resident physician at the University of Chicago and a contributor to the ABC Medical Unit.
