Woman credits walking with helping her lose over 200 pounds

Woman credits walking with helping her lose over 200 pounds
Woman credits walking with helping her lose over 200 pounds
living_lifewith.shenisha/Instagram

(HOUSTON) — A Houston woman says the secret to her success in losing over 200 pounds was simply walking.

Shenisha Armealine, 27, said she began walking in 2017, while at her heaviest weight of over 400 pounds.

At the time, Armealine said she was not only at her heaviest weight, she had also just survived Hurricane Harvey, which swept through Houston in August 2017, leaving a trail of devastation in its path.

“I lost everything I owned,” Armealine told “Good Morning America.” “My mental health was not really well, and I just I started walking.”

Armealine said she started small by committing to walking 15 minutes every day.

Slowly, Armealine said her daily commitment developed into a habit and then into a lifestyle.

She added jogging into her exercise routine and started to eat better too.

With those incremental changes — in addition to therapy, which she credits with helping her learn new coping skills — Armealine said she lost 218 pounds over five years.

“My life has a new perspective,” she said. “This is not just weight loss or weight gain. This is motivation.”

Armealine, now a college sophomore, shares her weight loss journey on Instagram and TikTok, where she inspires others.

“Once you realize who you are and you can love yourself, once you can believe in yourself and love who God created you to be the, the sky’s like literally the limit,” she said. “There is nothing you can’t do.”

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California social services system ‘failed’ 13 Turpin siblings, report finds

California social services system ‘failed’ 13 Turpin siblings, report finds
California social services system ‘failed’ 13 Turpin siblings, report finds
Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images, FILE

(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) — The 13 Turpin siblings, rescued in 2018 from captivity in their parents’ California home, were “failed” by the social services system that was supposed to care for them and help transition them into society, according to a report issued Friday by outside investigators hired by Riverside County.

“Some of the younger Turpin children were placed with caregivers who were later charged with child abuse,” the 630-page report found. “Some of the older siblings experienced periods of housing instability and food insecurity as they transitioned to independence.”

The seven-month probe was the result of an investigation by ABC News as part of the Diane Sawyer 20/20 special, “Escape From A House of Horror,” that aired last November, in which two of the Turpin siblings spoke out for the first time about the challenges and hardships they have faced in the years since sheriff’s deputies rescued them from a life of home imprisonment.

“With respect to the Turpin siblings, we conclude there were many times over the last four years that they received the care they needed from the County,” the report found. “This was not always the case, however, and all too often the social services system failed them.”

The Turpin siblings were rescued in January 2018 from their home in Perris, California, after then-17-year-old Jordan Turpin executed a daring escape in the middle of the night and called 911. Authorities subsequently discovered that their parents had subjected them to brutal violence and deprived them of food, sleep, hygiene, education, and health care.

“In short, while there are many examples of dedicated Riverside County personnel succeeding despite the systemic obstacles in their way, there are too many other examples of falling short or even failing outright,” the report found.

In the response to the report, County Supervisor Karen Spiegel said in a statement, “This is the time to act and I will support all efforts to meet the challenge.”

While many of the specifics in the report were redacted due to privacy concerns, the investigation outlined a number of specific instances where services failed, as well as when they succeeded. It also included a number of recommendations for reform moving forward.

In a statement, County Executive Officer Jeff Van Wagenen, who commissioned the investigation, said the recommendations would “guide our continuing efforts to improve outcomes in the days, weeks and months to come.”

Referring to its investigation of the Riverside social welfare system more broadly, the report found that there were “many examples of dedicated Riverside County personnel succeeding despite the systemic obstacles in their way” — but ultimately that “there are too many other examples of falling short or even failing outright.”

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

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Mom says airline allowed unaccompanied daughter to exit plane alone after flight

Mom says airline allowed unaccompanied daughter to exit plane alone after flight
Mom says airline allowed unaccompanied daughter to exit plane alone after flight
Gary John Norman/Getty Images

(MIAMI) — A Georgia mom is speaking out after she said her 12-year-old daughter, who was traveling solo as an unaccompanied minor, exited an American Airlines flight at a Miami airport by herself after landing — without an adult guide.

The family paid extra for the unaccompanied minors service. According to the airline’s unaccompanied minors travel policy, the service assigns airport escorts to help children deplane, make flight connections, and meet the authorized adult picking them up.

Monica Gilliam told “Good Morning America” that on July 2, her daughter Kimber flew on an American Airlines flight from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Miami, Florida, to visit her father. After Kimber’s flight landed, Gilliam said she received a distressing phone call from American Airlines.

“The manager from American Airlines called and said, ‘Your child is missing.’ I was like, ‘How did you lose my child? How do you lose an unaccompanied minor?'” Gilliam recalled.

Gilliam said her daughter — who had flown unaccompanied before when she was 5 and 6, with different airlines — told her she felt she had to get up and leave the aircraft once it landed, following other passengers who were disembarking, and claimed a flight attendant even waved goodbye to her.

“She was seated in between two people on row eight. And when the person at the window got up, she felt like she was supposed to get up, too, and move into the aisle,” she said. “And then they just waved her on and she said, I didn’t know what to do, so I kept walking.'”

The family had not gone over specifics with Kimber about what to expect in the unaccompanied travel process, or detailed safety instructions on flying alone, but said she was familiar with air travel in general — according to Gilliam, the family flies together frequently, “and so [Kimber] knows that our typical protocol is that we get off the plane and we go to baggage claim together” — and had been told she would be looked after on this flight.

“I told her when she got on at Chattanooga that they would be there with her and they would make sure she stayed safe until she reached her dad,” she said.

“You know, she’s flown unaccompanied before. I have other children that have, too. And it never crossed our minds that this could be a possibility,” she added.

Gilliam said Kimber’s father ultimately used FaceTime to help his daughter navigate the Miami airport by herself after she had disembarked the plane, and eventually was able to guide her to a baggage claim area where he could reunite with her.

“She was nervous and she was scared. But she did exactly what her dad told her to do to get her to safety,” she said.

Gilliam said that airline officials had since refunded the full ticket price and additional unaccompanied minor fees for the trip, and had offered her several free flights with American Airlines, along with a number of other VIP services, which she said she turned down.

“They were very apologetic,” she said. Still, she added, “[Kimber] doesn’t want to fly now. … So I’ll be driving down to get her after her visit is over with her dad.”

American Airlines says children between the ages of 5 and 14 are required to use the company’s unaccompanied minor service when they fly alone. The service includes early boarding and an airport escort is supposed to meet the child and take them to their gate, flight connection, or to an “authorized adult” or guardian who has to pick up the child after a flight lands, according to the airline’s website.

Additionally, the website states that there is a “$150 unaccompanied service fee (plus tax, where applicable) each way” added to the ticket price for those using the service.

In response to the incident, American Airlines told ABC News in a statement that the company “cares deeply” about its young passengers and is “committed to providing a safe and pleasant travel experience for them.” The airline added that it is “looking into what occurred” and is taking the incident “very seriously.”

Emily Kaufman, a travel expert and the CEO and founder of “The Travel Mom,” told “GMA” that parents with children flying solo need to make sure their kids are adequately prepared.

“Inform them about the plan on the plane, getting off the plane and when they’re in need of something that they can ask a flight attendant,” Kaufman said.

Kaufman also recommends parents give their child a list of important contacts and phone numbers and to put the list in their pocket as well as their carry-on luggage. Parents may also want to consider using a tracking tool like the “Find My Friends” feature on an iPhone and they should always monitor a child’s flight in case it arrives early or late.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Listen to new Eric Clapton song, “Pompous Fool”

Listen to new Eric Clapton song, “Pompous Fool”
Listen to new Eric Clapton song, “Pompous Fool”
Harry Herd/Redferns

Eric Clapton has quietly debuted a new song called “Pompous Fool” on his official YouTube channel and social media pages.

Clapton has offered no details about the tune, which was posted on July 7, but some fans and media outlets have speculated that it might be a commentary on U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who resigned that same day amid allegations of political corruption.

“Don’t you worry, don’t be blue/ Let your woman, take care of you,” Clapton sings in the first verse of the upbeat pop-blues tune. “Live your life, by the golden rule/ Pay no mind, to the pompous fool.”

Back in July 2021, Clapton posted a message criticizing Johnson after the politician announced that COVID-19 vaccine passes would be required to attend events at nightclubs and other venues in the U.K.

In the message, which appeared on the Telegram page of Clapton’s friend Robin Monotti, who identifies as a pro-vaccine-safety advocate, Clapton declared, “I will not perform on any stage where there is a discriminated audience present. Unless there is provision made for all people to attend, I reserve the right to cancel the show.”

“Pompous Fool” currently doesn’t appear to be available for purchase or via the major streaming platforms.

In May, Clapton postponed several shows on his 2022 European tour leg to October because he had contracted COVID-19. His next scheduled performances are a series of seven U.S. concerts running from a September 8 gig in Columbus, Ohio, to a September 18-19 stand in New York City. Jimmie Vaughan will be joining him at most of the shows.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

‘Love and Thunder’ already shaking box office: $30 million from sneak previews, $78 million-plus worldwide

‘Love and Thunder’ already shaking box office:  million from sneak previews,  million-plus worldwide
‘Love and Thunder’ already shaking box office:  million from sneak previews,  million-plus worldwide
Marvel Studios

Thor: Love and Thunder officially opened Friday, but thanks to sneak preview screenings on Thursday, the movie made nearly 30 million bucks. Deadline reports that performance was the second-best sneak preview haul of 2022 behind the $36 million made by another Marvel Studios film: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

The all-time sneak preview champ for the MCU was 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, which took in $60 million in the U.S. before its official opening date.

Thor: Love and Thunder, which stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, writer-director Taika Waititi, Christian Bale, and Russell Crowe, has made an additional $48.6 million from the foreign box office, totaling up to nearly $78 million worldwide.

Marvel Studios is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Trump White House counsel Cipollone testifies before Jan. 6 committee

Trump White House counsel Cipollone testifies before Jan. 6 committee
Trump White House counsel Cipollone testifies before Jan. 6 committee
Drew Angerer/Getty Image

(WASHINGTON) — Former Trump White House counsel Pat Cipollone appeared on Capitol Hill Friday morning for a closed-door interview with House Jan. 6 committee investigators after negotiations over what he could be questioned about.

His testimony will be videotaped and it’s expected that clips of Cipollone’s deposition will be presented during the committee’s upcoming public hearings, according to sources familiar with the planning.

Cipollone and the committee, according to sources, have agreed he can be asked about what he knows about the actions taken by former top Department of Justice official Jeffrey Clark to use the powers of the Justice Department to attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election, what Cipollone did during the day of Jan. 6, and interactions he was present for or had with former Trump lawyer John Eastman as well as interactions he was present for or had with members of Congress following the 2020 election.

The questioning on those topics is expected to exclude conversations he had directly with former President Donald Trump.

Sources close to Cipollone told ABC News it is possible he may claim some form of executive privilege, which sources familiar with the negotiations say is not expected to be challenged by committee investigators.

Committee investigators may also ask Cipollone about other topics, sources said.

Cipollone, appearing under subpoena, has been one of the panel’s most sought-after witnesses following last week’s testimony from Cassidy Hutchinson, a former top aide to Mark Meadows, Trump’s fourth and final White House chief of staff.

Hutchinson told the panel that Cipollone was fearful of the consequences of Trump’s push to march with his supporters on Jan. 6 from the Ellipse to the Capitol, where Congress was working to certify the 2020 Electoral College results.

“Mr. Cipollone said something to the effect of, ‘Please make sure we don’t go up to the Capitol, Cassidy, keep in touch with me. We’re going to get charged with every crime imaginable if we make that movement happen,'” Hutchinson testified.

During the attack on the Capitol, Hutchinson also said Cipollone was pushing for Trump to make some kind of statement to help end the violence.

“Mark, something needs to be done or people are going to die and the blood is going to be on your f—— hands,” Cipollone told Meadows, according to Hutchinson’s testimony.

On Wednesday, Trump complained about Cipillone agreeing to an interview on his social media platform Truth Social.

“Why would a future President of the United States want to have candid and important conversations with his White House Counsel if he thought there was even a small chance that this person, essentially acting as a ‘lawyer’ for the Country, may some day be brought before a partisan and openly hostile Committee in Congress, or even a fair and reasonable Committee, to reveal the inner secrets of foreign policy or other important matters,” Trump wrote. “So bad for the USA!”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

New Music Friday: Brent Fiayaz, K Camp, Tye Tribbett, Kid Cudi and more

New Music Friday: Brent Fiayaz, K Camp, Tye Tribbett, Kid Cudi and more
New Music Friday: Brent Fiayaz, K Camp, Tye Tribbett, Kid Cudi and more

From compilation albums to projects by gospel legends and emerging R&B artists, check out this week’s New Music Friday for the culture’s latest & greatest in music.

Brent FiayazWasteland — Already considered an R&B favorite, the Maryland native dropped off his second studio collection. He recently told Vogue he “didn’t really realize” it was an album until halfway through.

Tye TribbettAll Things New — Born out of the pandemic is the gospel legend’s latest project, the first in five years. It features music heavy hitters PJ MortonJekalyn CarrKierra Sheard and more.

Kid CudiThe Boy Who Flew To The Moon Vol. 1  — The new collection features all things old, as Cudi released the 18-track compilation of past hit singles, including “Day ‘N’ Nite” and “Pursuit Of Happiness.”

K Camp, “Holy Spirit” — Following the release of his latest 2021 album, Float, the Atlanta rapper provided fans with a new catchy single that seems to be part of a forthcoming album. 

Murda Beatz ft. QuavoJ BalvinAnitta Pharrell, “No Más” — The Canadian super producer tapped hip-hop and Latin favorites for the new track, which came with an accompanying music video.  

Hits in Heavy Rotation

Babyface & Ella Mai, “Keeps On Fallin‘”

John Legend ft. Muni Long, “Honey

Ne-Yo, “Don’t Love Me

Beyonce, “Break My Soul

Cardi B ft. Ye & Lil Durk, “Hot S**t

Lekeyah ft. Latto, “Mind Yo Business

Drake, “Sticky

Chance the Rapper ft. Joey Bada$$, “The Highs & the Lows

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Rob Zombie’s The Munsters movie wraps filming: “Enjoy your new Mockingbird Lane”

Rob Zombie’s The Munsters movie wraps filming: “Enjoy your new Mockingbird Lane”
Rob Zombie’s The Munsters movie wraps filming: “Enjoy your new Mockingbird Lane”
Universal 1440 Entertainment

We’re officially one step closer to seeing Rob Zombie‘s The Munsters film.

In an Instagram post Thursday, the “Dragula” rocker revealed that he’d wrapped filming on the project, which had been shooting in Budapest, Hungary.

“Well, that’s a wrap on everyone involved with The Munsters!” Zombie wrote. “Thanks Budapest you’ve been great. Enjoy your new Mockingbird Lane.”

Zombie’s The Munsters is, of course, a film adaptation of the beloved ’60s sitcom of the same name. It’s expected to premiere in the fall.

The movie’s cast includes Jeff Daniel Phillips, Sheri Moon Zombie and Daniel Roebuck as Herman, Lily and Grandpa Munster, respectively, as well as original Munsters actors Butch Patrick and Pat Priest.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

“One of the bright lights”: Jennifer Aniston mourns death of ‘The Morning Show’ crew member

“One of the bright lights”: Jennifer Aniston mourns death of ‘The Morning Show’ crew member
“One of the bright lights”: Jennifer Aniston mourns death of ‘The Morning Show’ crew member
Apple TV+

Jennifer Aniston took to her Instagram to urge donations to a fund set up on behalf of a crew member on The Morning Show, who died in a motorcycle crash on July 4.

Erik Gunnar Mortensen, 39, was killed in the accident on a Southern California highway, leaving behind a wife, Keely, and their 2-year-old son Lars.

“This past week we suddenly and tragically lost Gunnar Mortensen,” Aniston posted, calling him, “One of the bright lights on our @themorningshow set.”

She added, “As camera assistant, he was so skilled and dedicated to his job. We are going to miss you, Gunnar.”

The Emmy-nominated actress and producer also pointed her 40.7 million followers to a GoFundMe set up by Mortensen’s union, Local 600, “to help raise funds for his family at this difficult time.” As of Friday, the campaign has raised more than $130,000.

Among those who have kicked in include E.R. director Mimi Leder, who donated $5,000, Mark and Jay Duplass, who directed Uncut Gems and who matched that sum, and The Morning Show‘s Billy Crudup, who donated $3,000.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Carrie Underwood’s ‘Denim & Rhinestones’ gets new packaging with a special purple vinyl release

Carrie Underwood’s ‘Denim & Rhinestones’ gets new packaging with a special purple vinyl release
Carrie Underwood’s ‘Denim & Rhinestones’ gets new packaging with a special purple vinyl release
ABC

Carrie Underwood’s Denim & Rhinestones album has been out for under a month, but it’s already getting a makeover: She’s releasing the record on special purple vinyl.

Along with the new vinyl, signed CD and vinyl box sets of Denim & Rhinestones are also available. Those include a number of extra perks like an exclusive t-shirt, rhinestone pack, denim tote and more. Only a limited amount of special package sets are available.

This August, Carrie will complete the throwback feel of the Denim & Rhinestone album cycle, releasing a cassette version of the project.

The new merch comes on the heels of Carrie’s promo week in the U.K., where she also joined legendary rock outfit Guns N’ Roses for two shows at their Tottenham Hotspur Stadium performances.

It marked something of a reunion for the unlikely pair: Carrie, a longtime rock fan, brought GN’R’s Axl Rose on stage during her Stagecoach set back in April.

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