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Four Florida correctional officers charged with murder in alleged beating of inmate

April 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(HOMESTEAD, Fla.) — Four Florida correctional officers were arrested on murder charges for allegedly beating an inmate to death, authorities said.

Christopher Rolon, 29, Kirk Walton, 34, and Ronald Connor, 24, were arrested Thursday following a monthslong investigation of the fatal incident at the Dade Correctional Institution in Miami-Dade County, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said.

A fourth officer, 28-year-old Jeremy Godbolt, was arrested by the LAX Airport Police at the Los Angeles International Airport earlier Friday, the agency said.

They all face multiple charges, including second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, aggravated battery on an elderly or disabled person and cruel treatment of a detainee, officials said.

“Today is a day of accountability,” Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, whose office is prosecuting the case, told reporters during a briefing Friday.

Inmates “should not be subject to forms of ‘back alley’ justice, which are actions that violation Florida law,” she said.

The incident occurred on the morning of Feb. 14, before the inmate, Ronald Gene Ingram, was scheduled to be transferred to a correctional facility in Lake County, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which led the investigation into the death along with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.

After Ingram reportedly threw urine on an officer, he was placed in handcuffs and removed from his cell in the mental health unit, at which point the officers “began to beat him,” the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said in a statement.

“The inmate was beaten so badly he had to be carried to the transport van,” the agency said.

Rundle said that a witness recalled hearing another officer say that Ingram, who was serving a life sentence for murder, “would never throw urine on another correctional officer again.”

Prosecutors displayed surveillance footage on Friday that they said reveals the moments before and after the beating. Cameras inside the Dade Correctional Facility captured officers escorting Ingram from his cell to the transport van, with Ingram appearing to walk under his own power, prosecutors said.

Footage from exterior cameras minutes later then reveal the officers escorting Ingram, whose legs are dragging and head is slumped, into the van that would transfer him to another facility, prosecutors said.

According to Rundle, the officers beat Ingram sometime in between the moments captured on camera.

“We believe that the [Florida Department of Law Enforcement] investigation has developed sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Ingram was beaten out of the line of sight of the institution, where there were no surveillance cameras,” she said.

Ingram was placed in a compartment of the van alone. During a stop in Ocala, an over 300-mile drive from Dade Correctional Institution, he was found dead, authorities said.

The inmate’s death was caused by a punctured lung leading to internal bleeding, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. He also had injuries to his face and torso “consistent with a beating,” the agency said.

The incident initially led the Florida Department of Corrections to place 10 officers on administrative leave. One officer also resigned over it, the department said.

“What happened in this case is completely unacceptable and is not a representation of our system or of Dade Correctional Institution as a whole,” Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon said in a statement Thursday. “The staff involved in this case failed, and as an agency we will not stand for this.”

During the first court appearance for Rolon, Walton and Connor on Friday, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer determined there was probable cause to hold them without bond.

Walton’s attorney, David Donet argued during the hearing that there wasn’t any proof that the officer caused serious bodily injury to Ingram.

Rolon’s attorney, Edward Martinez, told a local station following the hearing that “up until now he is innocent until the state can prove this beyond a reasonable doubt.”

ABC News has reached out to Connor’s attorney for comment.

It is unclear if the fourth officer arrested, Godbolt, has an attorney.

ABC News’ Will McDuffie contributed to this report.

Why Moderna says its vaccine efficacy in children is better than it seems

April 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Moderna’s bid for FDA authorization for its two-dose vaccine for children comes with lower efficacy against infection than previous vaccines, but the company and some experts say it will offer strong protection against illness from tougher strains like Omicron.

The pharmaceutical company submitted the request on Thursday to the Food and Drug Administration to authorize its two-dose vaccine for kids 6 months to 5 years old.

Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in a statement, “We believe mRNA-1273 will be able to safely protect these children against SARS-CoV-2, which is so important in our continued fight against COVID-19, and will be especially welcomed by parents and caregivers.”

The vaccine was found to be roughly 51% effective against infection for children under 2, and 37% effective among children 2 to 5. Importantly, the study was performed mostly during the Omicron surge. When the vaccines were first released in early 2021, Moderna’s vaccine efficacy was 90% for children 5-11 years old.

Is an efficacy of 37-51% good enough?

Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, says that it’s not fair to compare efficacy from the early trial days to today. When the Moderna vaccine trial was being tested for 5-11 year olds, Delta was the predominant variant and the vaccine was shown to be 90% effective, he noted.

But the new vaccine was shown to be 37% effective when Omicron was predominant, he noted.

“It’s not that Omicron is more contagious, it’s that it’s more immunoevasive, Offit told ABC News. “Even if you have been vaccinated with two doses of the vaccine, you are not going to be as well protected against mild illness as you would against Delta and that’s the problem.”

Notably, these efficacy numbers are roughly equivalent to the protection against Omicron infection that you would expect to see among adults who also got a two-dose vaccine.

What about protection against severe illness?

No children in the Moderna study became severely sick, the company reports. The company was unable to provide an efficacy estimate for its ability to prevent severe illness. But, given evidence that children in the trials developed an antibody response similar to that in adults, there’s hope that the vaccines will offer strong protection against serious illness.

“You will have trouble doing a trial big enough that is going to find serious illness in the less than 6-year-olds” Offit said. But among children 5 to 11 during the Omicron wave, while effectiveness against mild disease was low, there was good protection against severe illness which he says is the goal of the vaccine.

Among older children 5-11, being vaccinated dramatically reduced the risk of winding up in the hospital, with the CDC estimating that 9 out of 10 children who were hospitalized during the omicrons surge were unvaccinated.

Is it safe?

ABC News contributor Dr. Alok Patel of Stanford Children’s Health says of the most recent Moderna trial, “It was safe, and there were no reported cases of serious adverse events or myocarditis or heart inflammation.”

According to a Moderna press release from March on the clinical trial, fever greater than 40 degrees Celsius was seen in only 0.2% of children per age group. In addition, there was no pericarditis, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) or death in the study. No study pause rules were met and no safety concerns were identified in either age group during the clinical trial.

When can we expect the FDA to make a final decision?

It will be up to the FDA and its advisors to debate and discuss the merits of Moderna’s application, which will tentatively take place in June.

“I think every day that [kids] are without a vaccine is obviously another day that somebody can get infected, can get hospitalized. So I would hope that, you know, they can move as quickly as possible,” Dr. Paul Burton, chief medical officer at Moderna, told ABC News.

“It will hopefully tell parents that this vaccine is not only safe, but it will prevent against severe illness, hospitalization—which is the goal of vaccines,” Dr. Patel said.

Pentagon spokesman shows anger over Putin and alleged Russian atrocities in Ukraine

April 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — In a rare show of emotion at the Pentagon, press secretary John Kirby choked up discussing Russian President Vladimir Putin and alleged Russian atrocities in Ukraine during a briefing with reporters Friday.

It began when Kirby was asked whether he believes Putin is a “rational actor.”

“It’s hard to look at what he’s doing in Ukraine, what his forces are doing in Ukraine, and think that any ethical, moral individual could justify that. It’s difficult to look at the –” Kirby said, cutting off his sentence as he looked away to collect himself.

After eight seconds of silence behind the podium, he continued.

“Sorry,” he said. “It’s difficult to look at some of the images and imagine that any well-thinking, serious, mature leader would do that. So, I can’t talk to his psychology, but I think we can all speak to his depravity.”

Later in the briefing, he apologized for the charged moment.

“I didn’t mean to get emotional, I apologize for that. I don’t want to make this about me. But I’ve been around the military a long, long time and I’ve known friends who didn’t make it back. It’s just hard,” Kirby said.

Kirby then redoubled his attack on Putin and the brutality he said has been carried out by his military — accusations the Russians deny — his demeanor visibly shifting from sorrowful to indignant.

“It’s hard to square his, let’s just call it what it is, his BS – that this is about Nazism in Ukraine, and it’s about protecting Russians in Ukraine, and it’s about defending Russian national interests, when none of them, none of them were threatened by Ukraine,” he said, slamming his right hand to the podium to emphasize the final words.

“It’s hard to square that rhetoric by what he’s actually doing inside Ukraine to innocent people. Shot in the back of the head, hands tied behind their backs. Women, pregnant women being killed. Hospitals being bombed. I mean, it’s just unconscionable. And I don’t know … I don’t have the mental capacity to understand how you connect those two things. It’s just beyond me,” he said.

He closed with a final apology.

“I’m just a spokesman,” he said. “I’m not qualified to make an assessment one way or the other, and I do apologize for injecting my personal perspective here.”

NYU faces backlash over potential hire accused of sexual harassment

April 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Backlash erupted this week against New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine in response to reports the school is in discussions to hire Dr. David Sabatini, a biologist who is facing accusations of sexual harassment.

Sabatini resigned from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology earlier this month after a review by his department head, the dean of science and the provost recommended his tenure be revoked due to his violation of MIT’s policy on consensual relationships, according to a letter MIT President L. Rafael Reif sent to faculty.

“The reviewers found Professor Sabatini engaged in a sexual relationship with a person over whom he held a career-influencing role, he did not disclose the relationship at any time to his supervisors, and he failed to take any steps to relinquish his mentoring and career-influencing roles, as the policy requires,” Reif said in the letter.

“The Committee also had significant concerns regarding his unprofessional behavior toward some lab members,” the letter added.

Members of the NYU community, including its union for graduate workers, a group for women in STEM and a group of STEM researchers planning on forming a union organized a protest against Sabatini’s hiring on Wednesday.

Downtown at NYU but still want to join the protest tomorrow? Nyu students are walking out at 1:15 to join our colleagues uptown at Langone. Meet in front of @nyusilver to take the subway to the 2pm protest. @nyustudentgov @nyuydsa @nyuresearchers pic.twitter.com/lDylJMmnqk

— NYU GSOC|UAW (@GSOCUAW) April 26, 2022

The groups also started a petition which had gathered over 300 signatures by Thursday afternoon.

“To hire David Sabatini as a faculty member is to put his work above the safety of the women in NYU’s community. It is additionally completely hypocritical to the DEI efforts that NYU have made in the past two years,” the petition reads.

“We, the undersigned, collectively condemn NYU for the immense harm already done by even considering Sabatini’s employment,” the petition added.

Signatories also pledged that until Sabatini is removed from consideration, they will not give or attend any talks, seminars, conferences or symposia hosted by NYU Langone Health, the academic medical center that comprises the school of medicine. They also vowed not to teach any courses at NYU Langone or collaborate with any labs at NYU Langone.

News that Sabatini may be hired by NYU was first reported on science.org, which also reports that Sabatini has been forced out of or fired from three leading institutions for sexual harassment or for violating workplace or consensual sexual relationship policies.

In response to the allegations made at MIT, Sabatini told ABC News, “Although I have taken full responsibility for having had a consensual personal relationship with a professional colleague, the outcome thus far has been out of all proportion to the actual, underlying facts. As I have maintained consistently from the start, I differ sharply with the way this matter has been characterized and I intend to set the record straight and stand up for my integrity.”

In an email sent to staff last August, Dr. Ruth Lehmann, the director of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, a nonprofit research lab affiliated with MIT, said an investigation by an outside firm found that Sabatini violated the institute’s policy on sexual harassment and other policies related to research misconduct, according to science.org.

Sabatini is suing the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Lehmann, and the woman who accused him of sexually harassing her. Sabatini claims he was in a consensual relationship with the accuser.

Among the claims Sabatini made in the lawsuit filed in October was that the investigation Whitehead conducted was a “sham” and was flawed.

He also alleged that claims made by the woman that he was sexually harassing her are “fabricated” and that his relationship with the woman was consensual. Sabatini also accused the woman of being “determined to destroy” him, he alleged in the lawsuit.

Sabatini claimed the woman and her attorney pressed Lehmann and Whitehead to conclude that Sabatini engaged in misconduct and terminate him on that basis.

In a countersuit, the woman accusing Sabatini of harassment said he “coerced” her into having sex with him while she was a graduate student and “committed assault and battery on [her] when he coerced her into having sex with him despite her protests.”

The woman also alleged in the suit that Sabatini created a work environment where to get ahead and gain his approval, undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows were to “indulge a highly sexualized lab environment.”

The woman alleged that more than once, when women joined the lab, “Sabatini tried to engage them in unwelcomed discussions about their private, sexual lives and he groomed them, exploring just how far he could go with those under his authority,” in the suit. Those who do not participate were either cast aside or “embarrassed until they, at least, played along,” the countersuit alleges.

She said she suffered financial losses, reputational harm, pain and suffering and emotional distress due to Sabatini’s retaliatory behavior against her claims.

Sabatini allegedly interfered with the investigation “as reflected in ‘numerous’ reports from those interviewed, resulting in investigators’ making ‘negative credibility determinations about … Sabatini and support [of] another finding of misconduct,” lawyers representing the woman told ABC News in a statement, citing the investigation’s findings.

Lawyers for Whitehead and Lehmann claimed, in a court filing, that Sabatini’s lawsuit was a “direct attack” on what was then a pending investigation at MIT.

Whitehead in the filing, said the investigation, conducted by the law firm Hinckley, Allen, was initiated after it received “concerning information” in an anonymous survey. Whitehead also noted that there were claims by other men and women who raised concerns about his conduct and the environment of his laboratory to independent investigators.

Sabatini said the NYU community’s concern is based on a misunderstanding.

“The concern is based on a misunderstanding of what happened in Boston regarding a romantic relationship I had with a 30-year-old principal investigator who had her own separate lab,” Sabatini said

He added, “Female students and scientists deserve support and a lab environment free from inappropriate conduct, which I firmly believe I provided. I only want a fair assessment of the facts of the situation and to get back to work.”

Sabatini said he understands the NYU community’s concern over his hiring.

“I have mentored dozens of women who succeeded professionally and personally. I understand how upset many in the NYU community who have not heard all of the facts are about the possibility that I might join the faculty there,” Sabatini said.

NYU Langone said Thursday that it has not yet come to a decision on whether it will offer Sabatini a position.

“We are taking a thorough look at the full set of facts and circumstances involving his tenure and departure from MIT,” NYU Langone said in a statement.

NYU Langone said accomplished and upstanding scientists who worked with Sabatini for years have given a different account of what happened at MIT.

“A main reason for that examination is that, by all accounts, there were many pertinent aspects of the matter that were never publicly disclosed. For example, we have heard directly from dozens of Dr. Sabatini’s peers and colleagues describing a first-hand view that is starkly at odds with the investigation and its outcome,” NYU Langone said.

It added, “The investigation itself is now the subject of litigation, which details a variety of alleged procedural flaws.”

NYU Langone also said it would take into consideration protests from the community over his potential hiring.

“We do not wish to dismiss anyone’s viewpoint and indeed the feedback from our community that we have sought out and are hearing is being thoughtfully included in our considerations. We would never make any hiring if we thought it would place our personnel at any risk or compromise in any way our commitment to hiring people of the highest integrity and professionalism,” NYU Langone said.

The Lumineers release cover of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven”

April 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

The Lumineers have released a cover of The Cure‘s 1987 hit “Just Like Heaven.”

The stripped-down, piano-driven recording was previously exclusive to the band’s Brightside: Bonus Tracks vinyl EP, which was released last weekend as part of Record Store Day. It’s now available via digital outlets.

Brightside: Bonus Tracks, which also includes a number of acoustic versions of songs off the new Lumineers album Brightside, will have a full digital release on May 13.

The album Brightside, the fourth Lumineers studio effort, was released this past January. The Lumineers will launch a U.S. tour in support of the record beginning May 17 in Jacksonville, Florida.

Unreleased 1981 Peter Gabriel soundtrack to be included in new multimedia box set from artist Graham Dean

April 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

A previously unreleased soundtrack album that Peter Gabriel recorded in 1981 for a short film called Undecurrents, by renowned British painter Graham Dean, will be included in a multimedia box set focusing on Dean’s work titled Strange Beauty that’s due out on June 30.

The Deluxe Edition of the Strange Beauty collection features a book of Dean’s artwork, a DVD boasting films and music videos that Graham directed, and cassette of the Undercurrents soundtrack, marking the recording’s first official release.

Limited to only 50 copies and priced at $600, the deluxe box set also comes with a certificate signed by Dean and two pieces of his artwork.

The Undercurrents is a 14-minute instrumental piece that Peter composed and recorded to accompany a short film Dean made for an exhibition of his work. The flick, which combines images and film footage that Dean then manipulated, also was shown at the time on a BBC arts television program called Riverside.

Graham recalls that Peter agreed to take part in the project in exchange for a painting, and the recording was done over the course of an all-night session.

The original multi-track tapes of the soundtrack were recently rediscovered by Gabriel’s Real World record label and the recording was newly remixed last year.

The DVD featured in the Strange Beauty box set includes the Undercurrents film, as well as music videos Dean shot in 1993 for two of Gabriel’s classic songs: “Solsbury Hill” and “In Your Eyes.” The disc also includes two other short films by Dean that feature music by Gabriel’s longtime guitarist David Rhodes.

Strange Beauty also is available as a signed hardback edition and an unsigned soft-cover version, both of which feature just the book and the DVD.

Stevie Wonder to receive honorary doctorate from Detroit’s Wayne State University

April 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Stevie Wonder will be presented with an honorary doctorate degree by Detroit’s Wayne State University on May 7 during the school’s spring 2022 commencement festivities.

The Motown legend, who was born in Saginaw, Michigan, will be awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters in acknowledgement of his musical achievements and contributions, and in honor of his work as an advocate for civil rights and for the disabled.

In recognizing Wonder with the doctorate, the school notes that he’s sold over 100 million records worldwide; that he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Civil Rights Museum and the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom; and that he led the successful efforts to have Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.‘s birthday declared a national holiday.

The ceremony honoring Stevie will begin at 1 p.m. ET on May 7. Former Saturday Night Live cast member — and Detroit native — Tim Meadows also will receive an honorary degree from Wayne State that day.

Judge reportedly drops Kim K. from Blac Chyna lawsuit, Ashanti “grateful” for finally getting J.Lo songs credit and more

April 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

— In the latest on the Blac Chyna, Kardashian-Jenner court saga, a Los Angeles judge reportedly found Kim Kardashian not liable in defaming Blac Chyna.

According to documents obtained by Page Six, the court found that the reality star made “no statement” that was “alleged to be defamatory” against Chyna, and so she was dropped from Chyna’s suit.

The ruling comes just a day after Chyna’s request to re-take the stand was reportedly denied. The 33-year-old model says she submitted the appeal — part of her highly publicized defamation lawsuit against the Kardashians — because she felt triggered after the Kardashian’s lawyer presented old nude photos of her.

As of Friday, each side moved to closing arguments.

— In a recent interview with Metro UK, Grammy winner Ashanti opened up about not receiving credit for some of J.Lo‘s hottest songs.

The singer/songwriter is responsible for writing many of Lopez’s hit songs during the early 2000’s, including chart-topping singles “Ain’t It Funny” and “I’m Real,” but Ashanti’s only now getting recognition for her musical contributions.

“It’s weird because obviously you get frustrated for not getting credit or not being properly labelled but then that turns into something you get admired for,” she told Metro UK. “It’s not that it’s frustrating… the word has been getting out there over the past couple of years and I’m grateful.”

The “Foolish” singer is set to tour the U.K. this summer in celebration of her debut album’s 20th anniversary.

— Amanda Seales has snagged a new comedy gig. The Insecure alum recently announced her new radio show, Smart Funny & Black, which airs Mondays on Kevin Hart‘s Laugh Out Loud Radio.

In the weekly podcast series, Seales discusses serious topics like racism, sexism and police brutality.

Lady Gaga shares 10-second clip of new ‘Top Gun’ sequel song

April 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

You may feel the need for speed when it comes to wanting Lady Gaga to release her new Top Gun sequel song “Hold My Hand,” but for now, you’ll have to be satisfied with a brief snippet.

The star posted a 10-second clip of the tune Friday on Instagram: All we hear are big drumbeats and Gaga singing, “I won’t let go till the end.” She paired the snippet with a black-and-white video of herself sitting under the wing of a prop plane with the letters LG on it.

According to the lyrics she revealed earlier this week, that line of the ballad is part of a verse that goes, “But if you decide to/ I’ll ride in this life with you/ I won’t let go till the end.”

The song arrives in full on May 3, while the film, Top Gun: Maverick, hits theaters May 27.

While announcing the song, Gaga wrote on Instagram, “When I wrote this song for Top Gun: Maverick, I didn’t even realize the multiple layers it spanned across the film’s heart, my own psyche, and the nature of the world we’ve been living in. I’ve been working on it for years, perfecting it, trying to make it ours.”

She added, “I wanted to make music into a song where we share our deep need to both be understood and try to understand each other — a longing to be close when we feel so far away and an ability to celebrate life’s heroes. Gaga also described the track as “a love letter to the world during and after a very hard time.”

Mind Games: Liam Neeson and Guy Pearce tackle a delicate topic in ‘Memory’

April 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

It’s an easy, almost reassuring pastime, watching Liam Neeson take out bad guys with relative ease in films like the Taken series, The Commuter and Blacklight. But now, he’s facing a different kind of enemy: dementia.

In Memory, directed by Casino Royale’s Martin Campbell, Neeson plays a veteran assassin struggling with the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, causing him to second-guess his mission at every turn.

“There was quite a bit of research to do, some of it was very harrowing,” Neeson tells ABC Audio, saying prepping for the part included reading books and watching documentaries on the topic. “I wanted to get it right, and not over-act it and try and be subtle about it. I worked very closely with Martin Campbell on those aspects of the character.”

The 69-year-old actor adds Alzheimer’s is a condition he’s all too familiar with. “I have a good friend from back home who is in the early stages of dementia,” he shares. “It was worrying to see him and be in his presence. But also the actor part of me too was like grabbing onto things, and thinking I could use that, you know what I mean? And I’m ashamed to say that.”

Memory also co-stars Monica Bellucci, and Guy Pearce as an FBI agent with a dodgy past tracking Neeson’s every move. Pearce tells ABC Audio the two characters have a lot of fixing to do in terms of their moral compasses.

“I think that there’s probably a reaching out, a bit of a desperation by both of these men to connect and be more humane,” he says. “Martin Campbell, our director, was very keen to uphold…the emotional story in this and not just have be a sort of psychological thriller or an action film.”

Memory is now playing exclusively in theaters.

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