(NEW YORK) — New charges have been filed against Florence, Alabama, jail employee Vicky White as she allegedly remains on the run with escaped murder suspect Casey White.
The charges — forgery and identity theft — stem from Vicky White allegedly using an alias to buy a Ford Edge used to facilitate the escape, according to the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office.
A warrant was issued earlier for Vicky White charging her with permitting or facilitating escape.
Inmate Casey White, 38, fled the Lauderdale County jail with Lauderdale County Assistant Director of Corrections Vicky White, 56, on April 29. The inmate and employee are not related.
The duo fled Alabama in the Ford Edge and ditched the car in Williamson County, Tennessee — about a two-hour drive north of Florence — just hours after thejail break.
On Monday, U.S. Marshals said investigators were in Evansville, Indiana, following up on a tip after a 2006 Ford F-150 believed to have been used by Casey White and Vicky White was found abandoned at a car wash on May 3. Police were alerted to the vehicle on Sunday.
Authorities said they believe Vicky White willingly participated in the escape, which took place on her last day before retirement.
Vicky White was seen shopping for men’s clothes at a Kohl’s before the pair went missing, Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton told ABC News.
Authorities are also concerned that Casey White could be “extremely violent” without his medication, Singleton said. The sheriff did not provide details as to what the medication is or what Casey White’s being treated for, but said the concern is due to the escapee likely not having the medication with him.
Casey White was facing two counts of capital murder for allegedly stabbing a woman to death in 2015, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
They may be armed with weapons including an AR-15 rifle and a shotgun, the U.S. Marshals Service said.
A $15,000 reward is available for information leading to Casey White’s capture. A $10,000 reward has been offered for information leading to Vicky White.
ABC News’ Victoria Arancio contributed to this report.
Ed Sheeran, Elle King and Travis Scott have been announced as performers at this coming Sunday’s The 2022 Billboard Music Awards.
This will mark Travis’ first performance since the November tragedy at the Astroworld festival in Houston, where 10 people died when the crowd rushed the stage. The rapper has been nominated for top dance/electronic song, thanks to his “Goosebumps” remix.
Ed’s performance will be beamed in from Belfast, Ireland, where he’ll be continuing on his Mathematics Tour. The “Shivers” singer heads into the night with nine nominations, including for best male artist and top-selling song.
As for Elle, she’ll team with country star Miranda Lambert to perform their rowdy hit “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home),” which is up for top rock song.
Other artists planning to serenade the crowd on Sunday include the previously announced Silk Sonic, Mary J. Blige, Megan Thee Stallion and “Big Energy” rapper Latto.The event will be hosted by Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The BBMAs kick off Sunday, May 15, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. Visit Billboardto see the complete list of nominees.
(WASHINGTON) — A critical week in the battle over abortion rights — what activists are calling the “fight of a generation” — kicks off in the U.S. Senate on Monday, with Democrats preparing to force a vote seeking to enshrine abortion rights into federal law, following last week’s bombshell leak showing the Supreme Court’s conservative majority ready to overturn Roe versus Wade.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is expected to file cloture on Monday on the Women’s Health Protection Act, setting up the bill for a roll call vote on Wednesday — but without 60 votes needed to overcome the Senate filibuster, the legislation is poised to fail, as a similar version did in February. Republicans are united against both the bill and lowering the threshold to break the Senate filibuster.
Still, the vote, while largely symbolic, will force every single senator, Democrat and Republican, to go on the record on where they stand on the issue, Schumer said.
Ahead of Wednesday’s vote, more Democrats have also expressed outrage over Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell telling USA Today in an interview published on Saturday that if Republicans take control of Congress, they could pursue a national ban on abortion — which activists on both sides of the aisle will likely use as a rallying cry this midterm election season.
“If the leaked opinion became the final opinion, legislative bodies — not only at the state level but at the federal level — could certainly legislate in that area,” McConnell said, asked if a national abortion ban was “worthy of debate.”
“So yeah, it’s possible,” he added.
Arkansas Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a potential 2024 presidential candidate, pointed out to ABC’s “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz on Sunday that a national ban on abortion would be “inconsistent” with the long-standing Republican argument that the authority over abortion be returned to the states.
“If you look at a constitutional or a national standard, that goes against that thrust of the states having prerogative,” replied Hutchinson, chair of the National Governors Association. “And secondly, I think there’s some constitutional issues of a national standard as well as to what is the authority of the Constitution to enact that.”
With Democrats seizing McConnell’s message, Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., already launched a digital ad linking her GOP opponents to what her campaign calls “McConnell’s decade-long crusade to criminalize abortion.”
“Ultimately, I think this is going to push a lot of people to the polls this November, that may have otherwise stayed home,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said on “Fox News Sunday.” “Because they see that this fight is coming not just in the state legislatures, but in Washington as well.”
The stunning leak out of the Supreme Court has offered Democrats a chance to focus on the judiciary and argue that Biden’s judicial choices will be obstructed if Republicans regain control of the Senate, but it has also energized opponents of abortion rights, who have been waiting nearly 50 years for the court to strike down Roe.
Over the weekend, thousands of people took to the streets in Washington, rallying to send a message to the conservative-leaning justices on the bench, who appear poised to overturn the 1973 landmark ruling, according to the draft opinion obtained by Politico.
Those demonstrators — some gathering outside of the homes of Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Chief Justice John Roberts — are part of the majority of Americans who believe Roe versus Wade should be upheld, but across the country, if Roe is overturned, at least 26 states would either ban abortion or severely restrict access to it.
“We need to make sure that every single voter understands that the Republican Party and Mitch McConnell does not believe that their daughters, that their mothers, that their sisters have rights to make fundamental life and death decisions,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., told CNN’s “State of the Union.”
While the House of Representatives had already voted to codify Roe, Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated in a new “Dear Colleague” letter on Monday that more measures would come.
“We know we must carry forward this fight in the weeks and months ahead. Our proud pro-choice House Majority must continue this fight in the public arena so that the American people know that their rights are on the ballot this November,” she said.
Last week, an ABC News/Washington Post poll found a majority of Americans support upholding Roe, say abortion should be legal in all or most cases and — by a wide margin — see abortion as a decision to be made by a woman and her doctor, not by lawmakers.
The Chicks are headed out on the road this summer, and while the whole band’s excited about seeing their fans and traveling across the country, frontwoman Natalie Maines is also looking forward to pursuing one of her more unexpected hobbies.
“I’m planning on coordinating a rockhounding tour that correlates with our music tour, and I hopefully will be rockhounding every day,” the singer tellsPeople.
That’s right: When she’s not working on music, Natalie is hunting down rocks and agates. “It’s as geeky probably as metal detecting, which I could get into. I polish rocks. I have a whole cabbing machine. I’m a little crazy for rocks,” she elaborates. Cabbing, by the way, is turning stones into cabuchons — that is, of a size and shape that can be made into jewelry.
One other thing that fans might not know about Natalie? She’s not a huge fan of one of the Chicks’ earliest hits, and so they haven’t played it in two decades.
“One song that was our first number-one that we haven’t played in over 20 years because I don’t care for it is ‘There’s Your Trouble,’” she says. But on the upcoming tour, the Chicks will play a game, rolling a six-sided dice to randomly select one of six songs to play onstage.
“[It’s] in the six songs, so we will be playing ‘There’s Your Trouble’ for the first time in over 20 years,” she adds.
Cardi B is a mom of two, so she she knows a few things about being a parent. So when TMZ asked the rapper to share what advice she has for soon-to-be first-time mom Rihanna, Cardi kept it simple: You got this.
“[Motherhood] comes so naturally. It really comes naturally,” the Grammy winner explained. Cardi hinted she received a ton of advice when she was pregnant with her first child, Kulture, but she wound up doing things her own way
“So many people give you advice,'” the rapper noted. “Once [the baby is] in there, that mother instinct comes out.”
Rihanna surprised fans in January when she quietly revealed she was expecting her first child with her boyfriend of two years, A$AP Rocky. Both have remained coy about the details, including the baby’s due date, gender and name.
Rihanna previously told British Vogue in March 2020 that she sees herself having “three or four” kids within the next 10 years.
Jon Hamm will be seen in theaters opposite Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick when it premieres on May 24, but he can be seen flying for real now in a cool promo for the flight tech company Skyryse.
The California-based company develops systems that lets people pilot aircraft with just a few lessons, and the ability to use an iPad.
Normally, flying a helicopter is a pretty difficult skill to pick up — some have equated it to balancing on a slippery beach ball — and it takes many, many flight hours to get the hang of it.
However, in the promo, Hamm is first shown being put through his paces on a flight simulator of a Bell-style helicopter, where he’s shown the basics: The flight interface “is so intuitive,” he marvels, and with a swipe or two, along with tapping in numbers for altitude and airspeed, he takes to the air in his simulated chopper.
Thirty minutes later, he’s strapped into the real thing and, using the same iPad-based procedures, with no traditional flight training, he’s able to take off, fly around and land.
“Skyryse develops technology that automates the mechanics of flight, reducing the learning curve so that learning to fly is as easy as learning to drive,” the company’s website notes.
(WASHINGTON) — The Biden administration’s stark warning last week that as many as 100 million Americans could be infected during a COVID-19 wave in the fall and winter came as a shock to many in the country.
After all, 70.5% of the eligible U.S. population aged 5 and older are fully vaccinated and 47.8% of those aged 12 and older are boosted, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What’s more, a recent CDC analysis estimated at least three out of every five Americans have antibodies that indicate being previously infected with COVID-19, meaning most people in the U.S. have natural immunity.
So with such high levels of protection, why would up to 30% of the population be infected during a potential new wave?
Scientists and public health experts said the 100 million estimate — based on mathematical models — does not surprise them and that as immunity wanes and people move indoors due to cold weather, cases will inevitably rise.
“Certainly we’re capable of sustaining 100 million infections this winter,” Dr. Shira Doron, an infectious disease physician and hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, told ABC News. “The model doesn’t mean that there will be 100 million cases, but there is the potential for a lot of infections. It doesn’t mean everyone should panic.”
Doron explained that even with the high rates of vaccination in the U.S., immunity diminishes over time and COVID-19’s ability to mutate has helped it evade — at least partially — the protection offered by vaccines.
“Being vaccinated does protect you from serious illness, but it does not [fully] protect you from infection,” she said.
She said when the vaccines first rolled out in the winter of 2020-21, they were based on the original strain of the virus. Because of this, they were protective against infection, severe disease and death.
However, as the virus mutated, those vaccines became less effective at preventing infection while still being highly effective at protecting against the most serious effects of the disease.
“These vaccines are great, but they’re not perfect,” Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, told ABC News. “They can’t prevent widespread, mild infections. We haven’t got a vaccine that could turn off COVID like a light switch.”
This means it’s possible for Americans who are fully vaccinated and boosted to test positive for COVID-19, but it’s unlikely this group will get severely ill or die.
Another reason the U.S. could see such a high number of infections is because as temperatures drop, people will move indoors, which increases the risk of transmission.
“The weather will get colder, and we’ll start to go indoors again, and we had increased transmission during the last winter season and we may have increases again on the basis of seasonality,” Schaffner said.
The prediction comes as the Biden administration asks Congress for $22.5 billion in funding for testing, vaccines and treatments.
If the funding is secured, a senior administration official told reporters Friday that the country will be better prepared to blunt the effects of the surge and keep hospitalization and death rates low.
If Congress rejects the funding, “the consequences of those 100 million being infected will be higher,” Doron said.
Cuts to funding will decrease testing, leading to COVID-19 infections being spread undetected, and fewer treatments for those at high risk of severe disease, which could lead to hospitalization, she said.
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, added this will also limit the number of people who access vaccines, treatments or tests.
“Some vulnerable folks who probably need additional doses will not get it if they have to pay out of pocket for a vaccine or not have it covered,” he told ABC News. “When people are not sure if they will be saddled with a bill, they’ll stay away from accessing care.”
The experts said the best way people can protect themselves ahead of a surge is to make sure they are up to date on their booster shots, whether they are eligible for one or two doses and to follow the advice of public health experts.
“There may be a call to get another dose of vaccine or in specific locations, people may have to wear masks again,” Schaffner said. “Please be open to this. … Be prepared, keep listening and reading updates on the virus in your area.”
(WASHINGTON) — The United States is bringing back a World War II-era program to bolster Ukraine’s war supplies.
Sitting at his desk in the Oval Office on Monday, President Joe Biden signed the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022 into law. The legislation gives Biden the authority to lend or lease defense equipment to Ukraine and other Eastern European nations as Russia’s aggression in the region continues.
“It matters, it really matters,” Biden said as he signed the bill.
A similar lend-lease program was enacted in 1941 to provide pivotal aid to Allied nations in the battle against Nazi Germany. President Franklin Roosevelt said at the time that the U.S. should serve as a “great arsenal of democracy” to defeat Adolf Hitler.
The Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022 was a bipartisan undertaking, passing the Senate by unanimous consent and the House of Representatives with 417 votes.
Rep. John Katko, a cosponsor of the bill, said the law will “expand our nation’s ability to expeditiously deliver additional defense articles to the Government of Ukraine as they fight back against Vladimir Putin’s barbaric and unlawful invasion.”
“This is a necessary step to protect the future of Ukraine and the safety of its people,” Katko, R-N.Y., added.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, also cosponsor of the lend-lease legislation, said Congress “cannot let up” on providing assistance to Ukraine.
“As Ukraine fights for its future — and the future of liberal democracies around the globe — delivering military equipment to the frontlines is paramount,” Shaheen, D-N.H., told ABC News in a statement.
Biden signed the bill just hours after Russia’s commemoration of Victory Day, a holiday celebrating the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany. Russian President Vladimir Putin used the occasion to defend his invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24.
“You are fighting for the motherland, for its future, so that no one forgets the lessons of the Second World War,” Putin said in a speech on Monday.
Putin notably did not make any declaration of war or victory during his remarks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, remained defiant, stating there will soon be “two Victory Days in Ukraine.”
“On the Day of Victory over Nazism, we are fighting for a new victory,” Zelenskyy said in a video message. “The road to it is difficult, but we have no doubt that we will win.”
Miami’s favorite rap duo, City Girls, is gearing up to hit the road for a North American tour alongside Grammy-nominated rapper Jack Harlow.
Fresh off the release of his highly anticipated album, Come Home the Kids Miss You, Harlow tapped Quality Control’s first ladies for the fall concert series, named after the rapper’s second album.
Kicking off September 6 in Nashville, TN, the tour will make stops in Texas, California, Pennsylvania, Florida and more before heading to Georgia for its final show in Atlanta. Don’t see your city on the list? Have no worries — more dates will reportedly be announced.
“It’s gone be a movie!” says the City Girls in their Instagram announcement on Monday, which also alerted fans of the ability to purchase pre-sale tickets starting this Wednesday, May 11. General-sale tickets go on sale starting Friday, May 13.
To purchase tickets and sign up to receive tour information, including additional date announcements, visit the official websites of both the City Girls and Jack Harlow.
Here’s the Come Home the Kids Miss You tour itinerary:
9/6 — Nashville, TN, Nashville Municipal Auditorium
9/8 — Irving, TX, The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
9/10 — Houston, TX, 713 Music Hall
9/11 — Austin, TX, Moody Center
9/13 — Phoenix, AZ, Arizona Federal Theatre
9/17 — San Diego, CA, Viejas Arena
9/23 — Seattle, WA, WAMU Theater
9/24 — Vancouver, BC, Rogers Arena
9/25 — Portland, OR, Veterans Memorial Coliseum
9/27 — Salt Lake City, UT, Maverik Center
9/28 — Denver, CO, 1STBANK Center
9/30 — Minneapolis, MN, The Armory
10/1 — Chicago, IL, Credit Union 1 Arena
10/2 — Detroit, MI, Fox Theatre
10/5 — Toronto, ON, Coca-Cola Coliseum
10/8 — Philadelphia, PA, The Liacouras Center
10/9 — Boston, MA, MGM Music Hall at Fenway
10/11 — Washington D.C., The Anthem
10/14 — Miami, FL, PFL Solar Amphitheater at Bayfront Park
10/15 — Tampa, FL, Yuengling Center
10/16 — Atlanta, GA, State Farm Arena
(NOTE LANGUAGE)In a new chat with Empire magazine, Jojo Rabbit Oscar winner Taika Waititi chats about Natalie Portman‘s return to the Thor franchise — and her claiming the God of Thunder’s mighty mantle herself.
“It’s been about eight years” since Chris Hemsworth‘s character has seen his former flame, physicist Jane Foster, the writer-director explains about the plot of the upcoming film, titled Thor: Love and Thunder. “She’s had a whole other life, and then the love of your life comes back on the scene, and is now dressed like you. It’s a real mindf*** for Thor.”
This time around, Portman’s character traces the arc of the Mighty Thor comics, which sees a cancer-stricken Jane being cured with a little lightning therapy.
Waititi adds, “You don’t want Natalie coming back and playing that same character who’s walking around with science equipment. You know, while Thor’s flying around, she’s left on Earth, tapping her foot going, ‘When’s he going to be back?’ That’s boring. You want her to be part of the adventure.”
Aside from her Portman’s Thor-like arms after she takes up the mantle, the Oscar-winning actress shows other strengths in the film, according to Taika.
“Natalie’s really funny in real life,” he explains. “She’s kind of goofy and has got a great sense of humor, and I don’t think that was exploited enough in the first films.”
The movie, which also stars Tessa Thompson, Chris Pratt, Russell Crowe and Christian Bale, opens July 8.
Marvel Studios is owned by Disney, parent company of ABC News.
