(RICHMOND, Va.) — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency Thursday night as torrential rainfall and flooding impacted Southwest Virginia.
Heavy rainfall in parts of Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky slammed the region overnight, causing evacuations, damage roadways and people’s homes and even deaths.
“With more rainfall forecasted over the next few days, we want to lean forward in providing as many resources possible to assist those affected,” Youngkin said in a statement. “Our team will continue to monitor the situation and provide assistance as needed.”
In Kentucky, at least eight people have been killed “in one of the worst, most devastating” floods in the state’s history, Gov. Andy Beshear said.
Beshear has also asked the federal government for assistance as it deals with floods.
“The damage suffered is enormous and recovery will be a long-term effort. This assistance is critical to our efforts and essential for our people,” Beshear tweeted.
Through a state of emergency, Virginia can better assemble resources and send officials with equipment to aid in response and recovery efforts.
(NEW YORK) — The Mega Millions jackpot has risen to over a billion dollars. With Americans across the country rushing to secure tickets for the chance to win big, it’s likely someone will hear their ticket numbers announced Friday night.
But, for those lucky winners who become millionaires overnight, what comes next?
While buying a mansion, going on a dream vacation or taking an extended shopping spree may seem like the most logical first move after winning the lottery, there are actually a few steps someone has to take to claim and obtain their prize.
Keep it quiet
The first step experts suggest for winners is harder than you may think — keep your mouth shut.
Experts say that keeping as little people in the know about your big win is key.
Walt Blenner, an attorney who’s worked extensively with lottery winners, said the more relatives and friends you tell, the more likely the news will get out.
Especially for big wins, like a Mega Millions jackpot, safety is priority, Blenner said. He suggests that winners get out of town, just far enough to be under the radar.
“You don’t need to rent a dacha in Siberia – my last big winner rented a modest house under an assumed name just a few dozen miles away from where he lived for one month,” Blenner told ABC News. “Putting distance between the lottery winner and familiar surroundings is best.”
Kurt Panouses, a seasoned “lottery lawyer” from Florida, told ABC News that many of his big-winner clients are grateful they kept their winnings private, so they could live their lives without safety concerns, or awkward questions from friends and family who could view the winner as a money source.
Get professional advice
After ensuring your safety, experts say it’s imperative to get advice from qualified and experienced professionals.
While not all professionals use the same strategies, finding one that suits you can ensure that you make the best decision after scoring a winning ticket.
“You’re talking about the most important financial decision that they and their family is ever going to make,” said Panouses, who is also a certified public accountant or CPA.
Blenner believes in bringing in a team of professionals for specific needs. He said his primary job is to line a winner up with a financial team, including a wealth manager, tax attorney and a CPA. He also helps the client redeem their ticket, which is a process in itself.
Ultimately, finding professional guidance is key for a lottery winner as they navigate the many steps to becoming a millionaire.
Using trusts and LLCs
It’s common for lottery winners to set up a trust or a limited liability company, LLC, to claim their winnings from.
For some states, this means that you can claim your prize without using your real name, instead using the name of your LLC.
Depending on a state’s rules, you may have to jump through hoops to keep your identity safe.
Panouses said that when helping winners in Michigan, he had to create a club to claim the winning prize. Panouses came as a representative of that club to claim the winnings for his clients that had joined this “club” and their identities remained safe.
Trusts and LLCs can be used for one or more people, Panouses said, and ultimately make a safer process in claiming your prize.
Seeking professional assistance allows you to therefore establish a trust or LLC to use in this process.
Decide if you want to share
While winners are encouraged to stay quiet about their jackpot, experts say it’s better to decide before you claim if you are going to share your prize.
This is because any sums given after someone claims their prize will have a certain gift tax on it, which will end up costing the winner more money.
Experts say to figure out who you would be sharing the winnings with, and establish the percentages of who gets what. Everyone who is going to be claiming a piece of the prize can be joined together in a trust or LLC that is used to claim the money.
This way, no additional taxes will be added if you were planning on sharing the money.
Sharing the claim like this, experts say, also allows the main winner to save on the initial taxes, as everyone involved in the claim will take on parts of the income tax.
Cash or annuity?
Another decision lottery winners will be faced with is the decision to accept the cash lump sum or to take the winnings through annuity.
A cash lump sum means accepting the entire payment all at once, while annuity means accepting a series of payments over time.
It’s more common for winners to take the lump sum, Blenner said, because it provides them with the freedom to invest as they wish with maximum available funds up front.
Annuity may be a simpler option for those not familiar with organizing wealth, as a lump sum leaves you with a large, immediate sum that can be very overwhelming, Blenner said.
Panouses said the decision depends on who you are, where you are and what you are going to do with the money.
For young people, or someone more inexperienced with finances, annuity is a much safer route, Panouses said.
However, due to the high rates of inflation right now, annuity may be a better option for others, too, because of the impact on taxes. Essentially, the initial taxes taken out of a lump sum payment will be greater right now due to inflation.
Taking annuity means that some of your future earnings may not be so heavily taxed and you’ll keep more of the original prize.
But, if you live in a high-tax state or city, you could then risk losing more each year on taxes as you receive the new income.
If you will be taking on the full prize by yourself, your experience with finances and your projected tax costs are essential starting points to deciding if a lump sum or annuity payment is right for you.
When he put out “Fancy Like” in mid-2021, Walker Hayes never could have predicted that the song would go viral on TikTok, turn into a massive breakout hit and kick his country music career into overdrive.
Now, just over a year later, Walker is reminiscing on the release of the song and music video. He shared an outtake from the “Fancy Like” video shoot on social media this week, making a joke about the wheat field where the clip was filmed.
“Guys, I don’t know what y’all are thinking,” Walker says, laughing as he pans the camera over to the wheat behind him. “I can not shoot a video out here. I’m gluten-free!”
Gluten-free or not, something about the song struck a chord with fans: It became a crossover hit, netting Walker a number-one hit on country radio and spawning a remix with pop star Kesha.
“This was the day we shot the ‘Fancy Like’ vid,” Walker wrote in the caption of his throwback post. “We had no idea what was to come.”
Since the success of “Fancy Like,” the country star has released a number of other hit singles, including “AA” and his most recent release, “Y’all Life.”
(DANBURY, Conn.) — A Connecticut mother allegedly killed her three children before taking her own life, the Danbury Police Department said Thursday.
Police identified the mother as 36-year-old Sonia Loja and her three children as Junior Panjon, 12; Joselyn Panjon, 10; and Jonael Panjon, 5.
“A truly horrible event occurred in our city yesterday and we mourn the tragic loss of life. In the coming days, mental health and counseling services will be provided through collaboration with the Danbury Public Schools and the City of Danbury. Our community grieves for the innocent lives taken from us. We will get through this together,” Danbury Mayor Dean Esposito said in a statement.
Police found the four bodies Wednesday night after receiving a 911 call from someone distraught and crying, according to WTNH. Police said they believe the mother strangled her children before killing herself.
Autopsies are scheduled for Thursday at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Farmington, Connecticut, authorities said.
Police said the family lived in the home with two other adults. The adults were not present when police arrived on the scene, but they and other family members have been contacted and informed of the incident, police said.
“The kids were really good kids. They were really friendly kids,” neighbor Ralph Baugher told ABC News Connecticut affiliate WTNH. “When you drive by, they would wave and say, ‘How are you doing?’ Wave back to them, ‘Hi, how are you doing?’ They were always happy kids. Always playing in the yard, having fun, laughing all the time.”
The mayor’s office and other local government agencies said they are providing support for family and friends of the deceased and for first responders who responded to the scene, officials.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Baltimore 3, Tampa Bay 0
Boston 4, Cleveland 2
NY Yankees 1, Kansas City 0
Toronto 5, Detroit 3
Houston 4, Seattle 2
Texas 2, LA Angels 0
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Miami 7, Cincinnati 6
Philadelphia 8, Pittsburgh 7
LA Dodgers 13, Colorado 0
San Francisco 4, Chi Cubs 2
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Connecticut 88, Seattle 83
Minnesota 92, Atlanta 85
Washington 87, Dallas 77
Phoenix 90, Los Angeles 80
The pandemic era love story Alone Together has officially hit theaters.
Written, directed by, and staring Katie Holmes, it follows June, a food critic who leaves New York City to quarantine during the pandemic, and she finds love in an unexpected place.
It’s Holmes’ first feature film wearing all three hats and shared some of her influences for the project, telling ABC Audio, “Well, I love this the style of filmmaking of John Cassavetes, of like Woman Under the Influence and Shadows – some of those scenes were just all improve.”
“And then like just the idea of that, you know, finding, not being afraid to improv something, finding moments,” she adds. “And then specifically is like Manhattan, Annie Hall, When Harry Met Sally, things like, you know, a lot of Diane Keaton.”
Holmes also shared that one of her goals in making Alone Together was to “create a time capsule story.”
“You know, like for all of us, to remember those little things that we were all doing to cope with what was happening in the world,” the actress explained.
“I also wanted to create a love story with hope and the idea of this disaster as our backdrop, but a disaster that we all experienced and where, you know, two people kind of or do make the best of it and really do have something beautiful come out of it.”
Måneskin‘s wild ride to stardom continues this weekend with the band’s first performance at Chicago’s Lollapalooza. Earlier this year, the Italian rockers made their debut at another U.S. festival institution: Coachella.
Speaking with ABC Audio, frontman Damiano David recalls Måneskin’s “crazy” experience at Coachella.
“Every year, the whole Coachella thing reaches Italy, ’cause it’s huge,” David shares. “We always watched through Instagram or Twitter or whatever, and we always dreamt of playing there.”
As thrilling as it was to be performing at Coachella, the Måneskin members were just as excited about the rest of the festival’s lineup.
“When we got to play there, it was super cool to know that, while you’re playing, on the other stage at the same time, Doja Cat is playing,” David says. “So you feel like you’re getting into … the major league of music.”
Måneskin will play Lollapalooza on Sunday, July 31. They’ll launch their debut North American headlining tour in October.
Lady A and Breland will take the spotlight when ABC’s CMA Fest TV special airs next week, performing a special duet version of the classic Lady A hit “Need You Now” from the mainstage.
Breland and the Lady A bandmates may come from different generations, but Lady A’s Charles Kelley says that makes collaborating with the younger star even more exciting.
“He told me he grew up on that song,” Charles says, talking about “Need You Now.” “And I really, truly think he’s one of the most talented artists, up and coming, that we have. And so anytime you can be part of that energy — you know, us doing this for 15 years now, we like to feed off that youthful energy and that excitement.”
They were excited to collaborate on a personal level, too. “We became buddies backstage, and I told him I was a fan,” Charles says.
One thing led to another, and they decided to write a song together. “We wrote a song and he asked if Lady A would feature on it,” Charles adds. “And while we were there, I was like, ‘Well, we’ve gotta do a song, you know, for the fans!’ And so we did ‘Need You Now.’”
Someone at CMA Fest got wind that they’d done a duet version of the Lady A classic and asked them to do it as part of the show, which took place in Nashville in June.
CMA Fest airs on ABC on August 3. Dierks Bentley and Elle King are co-hosting the show.
As he waits to head back out on tour with his All Starr Band in September, Ringo Starr has posted a video update at his YouTube channel in which he shares some news about an upcoming release he has planned.
In the clip, the former Beatles drummer starts by sending out his usual “peace and love” message to fans, explaining that he’s hanging out on a beautiful day.
Then, after noting that the tour will be picking up again in September after a bunch of June dates were postponed, he declares, “I have another EP out in September. It’s called EP 3. And so, September’s gonna be pretty busy, thank you.”
As previously announced, Ringo and the All Starr Band’s postponed shows were rescheduled to run right into their fall North American leg, which is mapped out through an October 19-20 stand in Mexico City.
As its title suggests, Starr’s upcoming EP with be the third EP he’s released in the last couple of years. The first, Zoom In, was issued in March 2021, while the second, Change the World, arrived in September of last year.
Meanwhile, the end of the update video features footage of Ringo having fun while briefly jamming out with Toto and All Starr Band guitarist Steve Lukather on a version of Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water,” with Ringo accompanying Steve on bongos.
After he stops playing, Starr comments, “Let’s do a version of that,” then declares, “Bongo boy!”
You can check out the All Starr Band’s full list of tour dates at RingoStarr.com.
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — A 7-year-old California boy is being heralded as a hero for his quick-thinking actions that helped save a toddler at the bottom of a pool.
Massiah Browne, of Sacramento, was swimming with relatives at the apartment complex where he lives with his mom and brother when he said he saw something out of the ordinary.
“I was just playing in the pool and then I saw a boy at the bottom of the pool,” Massiah, a second-grade student, told “Good Morning America.” “And I went to go get him.”
Massiah, who was in the pool with a 9-year-old relative, swam down in 6-feet deep water to rescue the boy, according to his mom, Tiara Delvalle, who said she rushed to the scene from her apartment after being alerted by relatives who were with her son at the pool.
Massiah said he noticed the 3-year-old boy, a stranger, with his mouth and eyes open and dove down to get him, grabbing his arm and pulling him to the pool’s surface.
From there, his 9-year-old relative, a girl named Savannah, pulled the boy onto the pool deck, where adults came to help and then called 911.
“Savannah brought him to his mom and then they did CPR on the boy and then they called the doctor,” Massiah said.
A spokesperson for the Sacramento Fire Department confirmed to ABC News that first responders responded to a 911 call at the apartment complex’s pool on July 19.
Bystanders performed CPR on the boy, who was breathing by the time first responders arrived, according to the spokesperson.
“The child was transported in critical condition with advanced life support efforts provided by Sacramento firefighters,” the spokesperson said.
Delvalle said she is in touch with the mother of the boy, whom she reports is doing well.
“It’s a miracle,” Delvalle said of the boy’s survival.
Massiah’s father, Marcus Browne, a boxer who competed for the United States at the 2012 London Olympics, said that although his son swims like “a fish,” he was in shock when he learned of his heroic efforts.
“I just couldn’t believe it,” Browne said of his son, who also goes by his superhero nickname, “Siah Fire.” “He’s a good kid.”
In the U.S., drowning is the leading cause of death for kids between the ages of 1 and 4, and the second leading cause of death for kids up to age 14, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A report released last year by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) found that male toddlers and teenage boys are at the highest risk of drowning.
Here are four water safety tips from the AAP:
1. Close, constant, attentive and capable adult supervision when children are in and around water, as well as life jacket use among children and adults.
2. To prevent unsupervised access to water, use four-sided pool fencing at least 4 feet tall with self-closing and self-latching gates that completely isolates the pool from the house and yard.
3. In the home, be aware that infant bath seats can tip over, and children can slip out of them and drown in even a few inches of water in a bathtub. Infants should never be left alone in a tub, even for a minute.
4. Water should be emptied from containers, such as pails and buckets, immediately after use.
