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Dr. Jha urges Congress to fund ‘new generation’ of COVID vaccines for possible fall surge

May 22, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The Biden administration is planning for a likely wave of COVID-19 infections this fall and winter by ensuring both a “new generation” of vaccines and access to treatment and testing, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said on Sunday — but he stressed that plan depended on congressional funding.

“We have the resources,” Jha told ABC “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz. “One of the reasons I’ve been talking a lot about the need for Congress to step up and fund this effort is if they don’t, Martha, we will go into the fall and winter without that next generation of vaccines, without treatments and diagnostics. That’s going to make it much, much harder for us to take care of and protect Americans.”

Jha has been urging lawmakers to approve President Joe Biden’s request for an additional $22.5 billion in COVID funding, warning that the nation has spent much of the money dedicated to pandemic testing and treatments, including what was in the $1.9-trillion American Rescue Plan signed into law last year. That request, however, remains stalled in Congress amid GOP opposition.

Meanwhile the U.S. is experiencing another COVID wave, with cases rising in nearly every state. Official infection numbers are up to more than 100,000 per day and COVID-related seven-day average hospitalizations rose by around 24% from the prior week, according to the latest CDC data. Experts say this surge is due in part to the virus’ continued variants and subvariants, some of which are increasingly contagious. Vaccination, the White House says, remains a key strategy at preventing severe illness death and lessening the spread.

“What we know is that this virus is evolving very quickly and every iteration of it has more and more immune escape [which] makes it harder for this virus to be contained unless we continue vaccinating people and keeping people up-to-date,” Jha said on “This Week.”

With the recent spikes in COVID cases and hospitalization numbers, Jha said vaccination or boosters were crucial and that he felt “very strongly” Americans should wear masks indoors again.

“When you’re in an indoor space, you should be wearing a mask,” he said. “First and foremost, my advice is if you have not gotten vaccinated in the last five months, if you have not gotten boosted, you need to go out to do that now.”

Raddatz pressed Jha on whether the administration had considered a new public health strategy considering their consistent advice had not broken through to all quarters of the public.

But, Raddatz asked, had the administration been considering another public health strategy considering their consistent advice (vaccines, masking) had not broken through to all quarters of the public?

“You said month after month after month, put your masks on, get a vaccine, get a booster, but the numbers aren’t really moving. So what kind of discussions do you have about another plan?” Raddatz said.

“We want to help people understand that we are in a different moment than we were two years ago, right? We are at a point where lots of people are vaccinated and boosted, where we do have widespread therapies available,” Jha said.

“And so the key discussion now is: How do we help Americans through this moment? And, this is really important, Martha, how do we prepare for future variants, how do we prepare for the evolution of this virus, and how do we make sure we have the resources to do it so we can protect Americans as this virus continues to evolve?”

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week backing booster eligibility for children 5 to 11 at least five months after their initial shots, Raddatz pressed Jha on when kids not yet eligible may be able to get their first shots.

“But what about 5 and under? How soon might we see that?” Raddatz asked.

“What I know is that Moderna has completed its application, those data are being looked at very closely right now by FDA [Food and Drug Administration] experts. And my expectation is that as soon as that analysis is done, probably within the next few weeks, we’re going to get that expert outside committee,” Jha said, referring to an FDA advisory committee. “And then after that, FDA’s going to make a decision.”

“My hope is that it’s going to be coming in the next few weeks,” he said.

Jha also talked about another infection that has gained increasing attention: monkeypox. Biden recently said it was “something that everybody should be concerned about.”

Jha, however, cautioned that there were significant differences between the COVID pandemic and the latest monkeypox cases, which have two confirmed infections so far in the U.S.– in Massachusetts and New York.

The U.S. is equipped with vaccines against it, Jha noted. And monkeypox has long been studied around the world.

“I would not be surprised, Martha, if we see a few more cases in the upcoming days. And I think the president’s right: Anytime we have an infectious disease outbreak like this we should all be paying attention,” he said. “But I feel like this is a virus we understand. We have vaccines against it, we have treatments against it, and it spreads very differently than SARS-CoV-2. It’s not as contagious as COVID.”

‘Multiple people’ injured in shooting in northern Indiana

May 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(GOSHEN, Ind.) — “Multiple people” were injured in a shooting in northern Indiana Saturday, police said.

The victims were transported to area hospitals and their conditions are unknown at this time, the Goshen Police Department said on Facebook.

“Based off of information that officers have obtained, it is not believed there is any danger to the public related to this incident,” the department said.

The shooting occurred on the south side of Goshen Saturday afternoon, police said. No additional information was provided.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

At least 2 dead, 44 injured after tornado strikes northern Michigan

May 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(GAYLORD, Mich.) — Two people are dead, multiple people were injured and “heavy damage” reported after a destructive tornado tore through northern Michigan Friday afternoon, authorities said.

The National Weather Service said the tornado has been given a preliminary rating of EF-3. Peak winds were estimated to be up to 140 mph.

6,500 homes are without power in Gaylord with some also without power in the surrounding area, Lt. Derrick Carroll, PIO with the Michigan State Police, said at a press conference Saturday.

“The area is not safe we are in the process of stabilizing it,” Carroll said, urging those affected to stay at home and shelter in place.

In addition to the two dead, 44 are injured and one person is still unaccounted for after a tornado hit the Gaylord, Michigan area. The two people who died were in their 70s and both lived in a mobile home park, Carroll said.

The tornado touched down on Friday at 3:48 p.m., near Nottingham Forest, a mobile home park, and continued along the M-32 Highway through the Gaylord business area, causing “extensive damage” to other commercial and residential structures in the tornado’s path, Carroll said.

Otsego County Fire Chief Chris Martin added that about 95% of the mobile home park has been destroyed, with “trailers picked up and turned over on top of each other.”

The tornado warning code red alert sent out gave people in the Gaylord area about 10 minutes to prepare, John Boris, Science and Operations Officer with the National Weather Service, said.

Data collected by the NWS suggests that the tornado was on the ground for 26 minutes, with the storm moving at about 55 mph. It moved east through Gaylord before hading north, according to Boris.

As of Friday, the injured were being treated at four separate hospitals. 23 patients have been admitted at Otsego Memorial Hospital, 12 patients at Grayling Hospital, eight patients at McLaren Northern Michigan Petoskey, and one patient Munson Medical Center Traverse City.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a declaration of emergency for Otsego County on Friday night.

“Michiganders are tough. We are resilient. We will do what it takes to rebuild. There’s no challenge we can’t get through together,” she said on Twitter.

Michigan State Police for the Seventh District confirmed that a tornado touched down in Otsego County.

“Trees and power lines blocking roadways. Multiple homes and businesses damaged,” the agency said on Twitter. “Avoid the Gaylord area. Emergency crews are responding.”

Images from the scene showed leveled buildings, damaged roofs on businesses, downed trees and cars flipped over.

“My heart goes out to the families and small businesses impacted by the tornado and severe weather in Gaylord,” Whitmer said on Twitter. “To the entire Gaylord community — Michigan is with you. We will do what it takes to rebuild.”

William Gretsky and Victoria Arancio contributed to this report.

Access to Baby Formula Act explained as nationwide shortage leaves parents scrambling

May 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden signed legislation Saturday aimed at protecting low-income families as the United States grapples with a nationwide baby formula shortage.

The Access to Baby Formula Act of 2022 ensures families can use benefits from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children — also known as WIC — to buy formula products outside what is normally designated for the program during times of crisis.

The program purchases about half of all infant formula supply in the U.S., with some 1.2 million infants receiving formula through WIC.

Typically, each state relies on a contract with a single manufacturer to supply products for WIC participants. But a recall from Abbott, one of the nation’s largest manufacturers, highlighted flaws within the federal nutrition program.

“When we became aware of all of this we came together very quickly to do what we could,” Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said in remarks from the floor after the legislation passed, though she said she wished it would’ve never gotten to this point for families.

“The reality is that half of the baby formula in this country goes to moms and babies that are on a very important program that is called the Women, Infants, and Children’s program,” Stabenow continued. “We know that we’ve got to do anything humanly possible to take away any barrier available for them to get this important food for children.”

Now, the United States Department of Agriculture will have authority to amend WIC program rules during a shortage, recall or other emergencies and allow families to buy whatever products are available in the store.

The law also requires formula manufacturers that provide products for WIC participants to have a contingency plan for responding to shortages or recalls in the future.

Biden signed the baby formula bill into law during his five-day trip to Asia, according to the White House. He also signed a $40 billion aid package to Ukraine as Russia’s invasion stretches into its fourth month.

The Access to Baby Formula Act of 2022 had overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress, passing the House in a 414-to-9 vote and the Senate via unanimous consent.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., celebrated the bipartisan moment in the chamber.

“It’s rare that we have unanimity in the Senate on important measures, and I wish we had more, but this is one of these important issues and I’m glad we’re acting with one voice,” said Schumer, calling the shortage “stuff of nightmares” for parents.

For the week ending May 15, nearly 45% of products in the U.S. were unavailable, according to the data tracking firm Datasembly, up slightly from the 43% out-of-stock rate reported the week ending May 8.

The House also tried to give $28 million in emergency assistance to the Food and Drug Administration to enhance safety inspections and prevent fraudulent products from getting into stores. But the bill failed to move forward in the Senate, as Republicans on Capitol Hill remain opposed to giving the agency more funds.

FDA chief Robert Califf was grilled by lawmakers this week on the agency’s response to the formula shortage. He said it will the situation is “gradually” getting better, but that it “will be a few weeks before we’re back to normal.”

ABC News’ Allison Pecorin contributed to this report.

1 dead, 8 wounded in shooting at party in Southern California

May 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) — Nine people were shot, including one fatally, during a party in Southern California late Friday night, police said.

Police officers responded to a shooting at a business in the city of Highland, east of Los Angeles, shortly before midnight Friday, the San Bernardino Police Department said.

“Upon arrival, officers encountered a large crowd and learned that they were in the area attending a party,” Sgt. Equino Thomas, a department spokesperson, said in a statement.

One shooting victim was found outside the business, which was located in a shopping center, and pronounced dead at the scene, Thomas said. No further information on the victim was released.

Eight additional shooting victims have since been confirmed, Thomas said. Most of the victims brought themselves to local hospitals and were treated for what appear to be non-life-threatening injuries.

The motive and suspect in the shooting are under investigation, police said.

“Based on the preliminary investigation, it does not appear that the victims were intentionally targeted and that this may have stemmed from a conflict in a crowded room that spilled out into the parking lot of the business,” Thomas said.

Footage from the scene overnight showed a large police presence outside the strip mall and at a gas station across the street.

A witness told ABC Los Angeles station KABC that shots were also fired from a car at the gas station.

AEW fosters conversations about masculinity and mental health in wrestling

May 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Professional wrestlers are promoted as heroes and villains, but the vulnerability of the men behind those personas has often been taboo.

The upstart All Elite Wrestling, a wrestling organization founded in 2019, is normalizing conversations about masculinity and mental health in a field where these issues have not regularly been discussed, and AEW owner and CEO Tony Khan is encouraging the wrestlers to be candid about their experiences.

The wrestlers aren’t just taxing their bodies by grappling in the ring. Some of the athletes battle substance abuse and mental health struggles.

Jonathan Good, one of AEW’s top performers as Jon Moxley, entered rehab in November 2021. He addressed the crowd with a promo upon his return in January. Jesse Guilmette, who performs under the ring name The Blade, wrote about struggling with depression, anxiety and confidence issues in an Instagram post last year.

“I think having a fun place to work where, you know, we create, like an environment where we really do care about the people here,” Khan told ABC News. “We try to show it and make the locker rooms here places where people aren’t going to dread coming in, and quite the opposite, where hopefully they look forward to seeing the other people that, you know, you get in the ring and fight.”

Male suicides have risen since 2000, and 6 million men suffer from depression that is often not diagnosed, according to Mental Health America, an Alexandria, Virginia-based nonprofit.

Edward Moore, known to fans as Eddie Kingston, is an integral member of the new generation of wrestlers that is challenging the notion that alpha males must hide their emotions. The Yonkers brawler, known as The Mad King, opened up about his mental health struggles throughout his life in a November 2021 Player’s Tribune profile.

He said he had suffered a panic attack following his well-received match against Miro at the All Out 2021 pay-per-view event and that he wanted to destigmatize mental health issues.

“We’ve lost enough people that, you know, I mean, in our personal lives, you know, away from wrestling, and a lot of us have lost people in wrestling we knew. And it’s because no one talks,” he told ABC News.

“And everybody has this stigma that they had to be tough and rough. And, you know what I mean; I can’t let nobody see my weakness. So I can’t then talk to people, you know, so you hold everything in. Then you find different ways of coping. For me, it was drinking a lot. Yeah, I mean, and I know, whatever it was, it was pills and everything like that.”

AEW World Champion Hangman Adam Page, who has dubbed himself the Anxious Millennial Cowboy, has similarly been open.

“In the macho world of pro wrestling, those kinds of emotions are often the least explored and I think people were ready to see that,” Page, whose real name is Stephen Blake Woltz, told ABC News.

There have been critics of the evolving changing guard. Page said that many were too heavily influenced by the past.

“Many are unable to take into account the cultural shift that’s happened in relation to our attitudes toward even acknowledging our mental health, much less the idea that a character can go through those things without being seen as ‘weak,'” he said.

Steve Borden has a unique perspective as a marquee performer who has wrestled in all the top organizations throughout his 30-plus year career as Sting, a mainstay since the 1990s with his signature “Crow” face paint. He credits his faith for turning his life around in 1998 after battling issues of sobriety, addiction and on the brink of a nervous breakdown.

“It wasn’t until I got real and so I’m not going to pretend anymore. I’m gonna take this hat off, and oh, and this hat off. And then this hat and this sadness, depending on who I was with. I was a chameleon. And I’m just going to be Steve,” he said.

“That’s what I’m going to be. And so yeah, I paint my face and I’m a character. And I’m staying and I entertained. But the real man, Steve Borden, behind the mask is very transparent. Not afraid to talk about the real stuff. Not afraid to listen, either.”

Megha Parekh, the chief legal counselor at AEW, also oversees HR and mental health initiatives for the company. AEW provides services that address mental well-being, periodic trainings and facilities discussions that touch upon race and cultural events.

Parekh was trained as a crisis counselor in 2018 and in suicide awareness in 2020.

“Our perspective is that if we want to get the best out of people, we gotta treat them like human beings. Every single human being has mental health that needs to be taken care of,” Parekh said.

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK] for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Russia-Ukraine live updates: Russia publishes list of Americans banned from country

May 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” into neighboring Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with Russian forces invading from Belarus, to the north, and Russia, to the east. Ukrainian troops have offered “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials.

The Russian military has since launched a full-scale ground offensive in eastern Ukraine’s disputed Donbas region, capturing the strategic port city of Mariupol and securing a coastal corridor to the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

May 21, 11:42 am
Biden signs $40 billion Ukraine aid bill into law

President Biden signed the $40 billion Ukraine aid bill into law Saturday, the White House announced in a press release.

The bill provides supplemental emergency funds to Federal agencies to respond and provide assistance to Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Biden on Twitter for the aid.

“The leadership of US, President Biden & the American people in supporting Ukrainians fight against the Russian aggressor is crucial. Look forward to new, powerful defense assistance. Today it is needed more than ever,” Zelenskyy said.

-ABC News’ Molly Nagle and Max Uzol

May 21, 10:44 am
Russian Foreign Ministry publishes list of Americans banned from entering Russia

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Saturday published a list of American citizens who are barred from entering the Russian Federation on a permanent basis.

Russia said the move was in retaliation for anti-Russian sanctions currently imposed by the U.S.

The list published on the ministry’s website comprises 963 U.S. citizens, including President Joe Biden.

May 20, 5:00 pm
More than 40 countries to take part in next Ukraine Contact Group meeting

More than 40 countries will be represented at the second meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group, formed last month to coordinate international support for Ukraine, according to Pentagon press secretary John Kirby.

Monday’s meeting “will allow us to continue to dip into a process to get Ukraine, or at least to make other nations available and knowledgeable about what Ukraine needs as the fight is ongoing,” Kirby told reporters during a briefing Friday.

More than 40 nations attended the first meeting both virtually and in-person at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. New countries will attend the second, which will be strictly virtual, Kirby said.

“There are some countries that have shown an interest in participating that weren’t in the first meeting,” said Kirby, who called the first iteration “a true global community” of countries in NATO and beyond.

May 20, 3:41 pm
Russian Ministry of Defense claims it has taken complete control over Azovstal steel plant, Mariupol

Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed Friday it has taken complete control of the Azovstal plant and Mariupol from the Ukrainian forces, expelling them from the port city.

The underground facilities of the plant, in which the Azov National Regiment militia were hiding, came under the complete control of Russian forces, the ministry claimed.

The commander of the Azov Regiment was reportedly taken out of the territory of the plant in an armored car, the ministry said.

Russia claims 2,439 Ukrainian servicemen have laid down their arms and surrendered since May 16.

May 20, 1:10 pm
Russia to cut off Finland’s natural gas Saturday morning

Gasum, Finland’s natural gas company, announced Friday that it was informed its imports from Russia’s Gazprom Export will be cut off on Saturday at 7 a.m. local time.

The move by Russia comes days after Finland submitted its application to join NATO.

“It is highly regrettable that natural gas supplies under our supply contract will now be halted. However, we have been carefully preparing for this situation and provided that there will be no disruptions in the gas transmission network, we will be able to supply all our customers with gas in the coming months,” Gasum CEO Mika Wiljanen said in a statement.

Gasum will supply natural gas to its customers from other sources though the Balticconnector pipeline, which connects Finland with Estonia, the company said in a statement.

Gasum said its gas-filling stations in the network area will continue in normal operation.

May 20, 8:57 am
US-supplied howitzers to Ukraine lack accuracy-aiding computers

Dozens of artillery systems supplied by the United States to Ukraine were not fitted with advanced computer systems, which improve the efficiency and accuracy of the weapons, ABC News has learned.

The M777 155mm howitzers are now being used by the Ukrainian military in its war with Russia.

The Pentagon did not deny that the artillery pieces were supplied without the computers but said it had received “positive feedback” from the Ukrainians about the “precise and highly effective” weapons.

That positive sentiment was echoed by a Ukrainian politician, who spoke to ABC News on condition of anonymity. However, the politician also expressed frustration that the artillery pieces had not been the fitted with the digital computer systems.

Artillery is currently playing a crucial role in the fighting across eastern Ukraine, as Russia continues its offensive in that part of the country. U.S. officials recently confirmed that all but one of the 90 howitzers promised to Ukraine had now been delivered, along with tactical vehicles used to tow them.

If fitted to a howitzer, the digital computer system enables the crew operating the weapon to quickly and accurately pinpoint a target. Howitzers without a computer system can still be fired accurately, using traditional methods to calculate the angle needed to hit a target.

Modern computer systems, however, rule out the possibility of human error. Why the artillery pieces supplied to Ukraine did not have the digital targeting technology installed is unclear. The Pentagon said it would not discuss individual components “for operational security reasons.”

-ABC News’ Tom Burridge and Luis Martinez

May 20, 6:58 am
1,700 Ukrainian soldiers likely surrendered from Mariupol plant, UK says

As many as 1,700 Ukrainian soldiers have likely surrendered from the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works plant in war-ravaged Mariupol this week, according to the U.K. Ministry of Defense.

“An unknown number of Ukrainian forces remain inside the factory,” the ministry said Friday in an intelligence update. “Once Russia has secured Mariupol, it is likely they will move their forces to reinforce operations in the Donbas.”

For weeks, Ukrainian fighters and civilians were holed up inside the sprawling industrial site as the remaining pocket of resistance to Russia’s relentless bombardment of Mariupol, a southeastern Ukrainian port city strategically located on the Sea of Azov between eastern Ukraine’s disputed Donbas region and the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula. Russia claimed Thursday that 1,730 Ukrainian soldiers had surrendered in Mariupol over the previous three days, while Ukraine confirmed Tuesday that more than 250 had yielded in the initial hours after it ordered them to do so.

Mariupol is the largest city that Russian forces have seized since launching an invasion of neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24. Its complete capture gives Russia total control of the coast of the Sea of Azov as well as a continuous stretch of territory along eastern and southern Ukraine.

“Staunch Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol since the start of the war means Russian forces in the area must be re-equipped and refurbished before they can be redeployed effectively,” the U.K. defense ministry said. “This can be a lengthy process when done thoroughly.”

“Russian commanders, however, are under pressure to demonstrably achieve operational objectives,” the ministry added. “This means that Russia will probably redistribute their forces swiftly without adequate preparation, which risks further force attrition.”

May 20, 6:42 am
Belarus says nearly 28,000 Ukrainians have arrived since Russian invasion

Nearly 28,000 Ukrainian citizens have arrived in Belarus since Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, according to the Belarusian State Border Committee.

“Between 6 a.m. on February 24 and 6 a.m. on May 20, a total of 27,868 Ukrainian citizens arrived in Belarus, including 15,793 who crossed the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, 10,563 by transit through Poland, 1,305 through Lithuania, and 207 through Latvia,” the committee said in a statement Friday.

In the past 24 hours alone, 154 Ukrainian citizens arrived in Belarus, including 120 via Poland, according to the committee.

Belarus shares a land border with both Ukraine and Russia, and is Moscow’s main ally.

May 19, 8:07 pm
Biden to sign Ukraine aid bill while abroad

President Joe Biden will sign the $40 billion Ukraine aid bill while he’s in Asia, a White House official said.

“The president does intend to sign the bill while he’s on the road so that he can sign it expeditiously,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters aboard Air Force One while en route to the region Thursday evening. “The modalities of that are being worked right now so that he can get it and sign it.”

The bill, which passed the Senate earlier Thursday with bipartisan support, will need to be flown to the region so that Biden can sign it. The practice of flying bills to presidents for signature dates back to the Truman administration, but this is a first for Biden.

Biden departed for South Korea Thursday and will visit Japan later in the week during his first trip to Asia as president.

-ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky

Graduations marred by shootings sign of continuing gun violence in America

May 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Just one week ago, an 18-year-old suspect allegedly gunned down 10 Black people at a Tops grocery store in Buffalo, New York, in what authorities called a “racially motivated hate crime.”

A day later, a shooting at a Southern California church would leave one person dead, five others injured. The suspect, a 68-year-old man, was motivated by the political tension between China and Taiwan, the Orange County Sheriff’s office said this week.

In both cases, the FBI is said to be investigating the shootings for possible hate crimes.

But aside from those high-profile deadly shootings, a recent spate of violence has occurred at gatherings typically known to bring joy and celebration to children and parents alike — graduations.

There have been at least three shootings this week at graduation ceremonies across multiple states, none appearing to be at random.

An 18-year-old identified as Hasani Brewer was killed and a 17-year-old injured in a shooting Wednesday night as a crowd was leaving a Riverdale high school graduation ceremony being hosted on the Middle Tennessee State University campus.

Murfreesboro Police said the shooting stemmed from an altercation between Brewer and the teen near the on-campus arena when another 17-year-old opened fire. The alleged teen shooter was taken into custody Thursday and arraigned in juvenile court on a first-degree murder charge, according to police.

In Louisiana, chaos ensued Thursday night when shots rang out as family and friends were leaving the University Center at Southeastern Louisiana University’s campus after a Hammond high school graduation ceremony.

Hammond Police said three bystanders were shot after an argument turned into gunfire and another person was injured attempting to flee the scene. All the injuries were considered to be non-life threatening, according to police. No students were believed to be involved or among the injured.

“The sad thing is that people bring guns to events like this when it should be a joyous moment for people that have spent the last twelve years of their life, come to a graduation and all of a sudden we end up in a situation like this,” Hammond Police Chief Edwin Bergeron Jr. said during a press conference.

“[I’m] in disbelief that something like this could be happening at such a joyous occasion for these, you know, there was 280-something kids graduating,” Penny Lapre told ABC affiliate WBRZ-TV. “It was mass chaos,” Lapre said.

20-year-old Trent Thomas was arrested in connection to the shooting and faces three counts of attempted second-degree murder, possession of a firearm in a gun-free campus, and obstruction of justice, according to Southeastern Louisiana University Police Chief Michael Beckner.

And in Michigan, two people were injured Thursday when gunfire erupted in the parking lot of a high school campus hosting a graduation ceremony on its football field with 400 people in attendance.

The Kent County Sheriff’s Office said a gun battle between two vehicles occurred in the parking lot following the end of a graduation for Crossroads Alternative High School students at East Kentwood High School. A 16-year-old male from Texas suffered a wrist wound and has since been released from the hospital. The vehicles involved had fled the parking lot. A 40-year-old Grand Rapids woman suffered wrist and abdomen injuries and remained hospitalized in critical, but stable condition, authorities said. The vehicles involved had fled the parking lot.

On Friday, the sheriff’s office said they had located the two vehicles involved, a white Hyundai sedan and a white Mercedes-Benz sedan. The Hyundai was found abandoned and still running behind a business in Grand Rapids. The car had bullet holes in it and was reported stolen from the city of Kentwood.

Later that day, the Kent County Sheriff’s Office announced they had detained five people in connection with the shooting following a traffic stop in Livonia, Michigan.

“It is believed that two of the individuals detained were involved with the shooting incident at East Kentwood. There is possibly a third individual as well, but we are awaiting further investigation by detectives on scene,” a statement said. Multiple guns were recovered.

The series of shootings at graduations adds to an ongoing alarming trend of gun violence in the United States. According to the Gun Violence Archive, 1,247 teens ages 12 to 17 were killed in 2021, and 3,381 others were injured.

So far this year there have been 487 teens killed in that same age group and 1,248 injured.

More broadly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new data this month showing gun homicides increased 35% across the country during the first year of the pandemic to the highest level in 25 years.

According to the new CDC study, firearm homicides increased 40% for those ages 10 to 24 in 2020 — the highest increases for people of color, notably Black males.

The rise in violence could be attributed to the social and economic pressures stemming from the pandemic that reinforced “longstanding” inequities between communities, the study noted.

“Longstanding systemic inequities and structural racism have resulted in limited economic, housing, and educational opportunities associated with inequities in risk for violence,” the authors of the study wrote, “the COVID-19 pandemic might have exacerbated existing social and economic stressors.”

The new CDC data confirms trends identified by ABC News as it studied data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive over the past year.

Back in Tennessee, a family and community is in mourning over the loss of their loved one.

“Always had a smile, always ready to joke, he was a prankster. He just had this light,” said Natalie Gant speaking at a vigil Thursday evening for her son, Hasani Brewer, also known as Sunny Gant, WKRN reported.

ABC News’ Med Unit contributor Eli Cahan contributed to this report.

Biden says meeting with Kim Jong Un would depend on North Korean leader’s seriousness

May 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(SEOUL, South Korea) – In his first trip to Asia since taking office, President Joe Biden laid out conditions for meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

“With regard to whether I would meet with the leader of North Korea, that would depend on whether he was sincere and whether he was serious,” Biden told reporters on Saturday as he appeared alongside South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol at a press event.

Biden campaigned on taking a tougher stance on the North Korean leader than his predecessor. Former President Donald Trump frequently praised Kim, once saying he had a “great and beautiful” vision for his country. Trump and Kim held three high-profile meetings during his presidency.

Biden said last year he’d only meet with Kim so long as he committed to a discussion about dismantling North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. Yoon, South Korea’s newly elected president, reaffirmed Saturday that their shared goal is the complete denuclearization of North Korea.

“What I would not do is what has been done in the recent past,” Biden said at the time. “I would not give him all he’s looking for, international recognition as legitimate, and give him what allowed him to move in a direction of appearing to be more serious about what he wasn’t at all serious about.”

Biden said Saturday that the U.S. has offered vaccines to North Korea without any preconditions but has received no reply. Coronavirus appears to be surging in North Korea, with 2.4 million people “sickened with fever” as of Thursday.

“The answer’s yes, we’ve offered vaccines, not only to North Korea, but to China as well,” Biden said. “And we’re prepared to do that immediately. We’ve gotten no response.”

A White House spokesperson said the U.S. has offered to provide the shots through existing programs like COVAX — a global initiative to supply COVID-19 vaccines — as recently as last week.

During the joint news conference in Seoul, Biden and Yoon discussed ramping up U.S. support for South Korea in the face of North Korea’s aggression.

“Today, President Yoon and I committed to strengthening our close engagement and work together to take on challenges of regional security, including addressing the threat posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea by further strengthening our deterrence posture and working towards complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” Biden said.

Both leaders agreed to consider expanding combined military exercises and training on the Korean Peninsula.

Biden began his six-day trip in South Korea on Friday and will end the trip in Tokyo, Japan, where he’ll meet with Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio.

The White House said the trip comes at a pivotal moment in Biden’s foreign policy agenda.

“The message we’re trying to send on this trip is a message of an affirmative vision of what the world can look like if the democracies and open societies of the world stand together to shape the rules of the road, to define the security architecture of the region, to reinforce strong, powerful, historic alliances,” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters this week.

Northeast hit with potentially record-breaking heat this weekend

May 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Temperatures are expected to soar into the mid- and upper-90s across much of the Northeast on Saturday and into Sunday — about 20 degrees higher than is typical for this time of year for some of the region.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu declared a heat emergency for Saturday and Sunday due to the unseasonably high temperatures and humid weather forecasted.

With temperatures expected to be in the low- to mid-90s, the city has opened cooling centers and splash pads at parks and playgrounds ahead of schedule.

“We’re working quickly to make sure all of our Boston residents and families are protected during this weekend’s extremely hot weather,” Wu said in a statement. “As we head into summer, it is clear that earlier, more frequent extreme heat days from a changing climate are a risk to our health and communities.”

In New York City, over 600 spray showers have been activated across the city in anticipation of the high temperatures, with a heat advisory issued through 8 p.m. Saturday.

This year’s Preakness Stakes will be the hottest in recent memory, with forecasted high temperatures in the mid-90s and heat indices approaching 100 in Baltimore on Saturday. The temperature is usually in the mid-70s this time of year.

“The abrupt beginning of hot temperatures early in the season after a relatively cool spring brings an increased risk of heat illnesses unless proper precautions are taken for those working or recreating outdoors,” the National Weather Service said in a statement for the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., region. “Since many outdoor events are planned this weekend in the region, be aware of the heat, and take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside this weekend.”

Racetrack officials will track the temperature, humidity and wind speed to determine whether to delay or cancel the horserace, according to the Baltimore Sun.

The Northeast will see some relief after a cold front comes through on Sunday, bringing temperatures back to more seasonable levels by Monday.

ABC News’ Daniel Amarante contributed to this report.

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