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Feds issue urgent warning on baby formula scams exploiting shortage

May 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The dire shortage of baby formula has forced frustrated parents to scour social media for enough supplies to feed their children — their desperation now becoming a target for scammers seeking to exploit that distress.

An urgent new warning from the Federal Trade Commission is sounding the alarm that thieves have begun to swarm the shortage for their own illicit profit, “popping up online and tricking desperate parents and caregivers into paying steep prices for formula that never arrives.”

“Scammers exploiting the high demand for baby formula have sunk to new lows,” the bulletin says, warning that schemes may make fake websites or profiles on social media using product images and logos of household-name formula brands, “all to make you think you’re buying products from the companies’ official websites,” the FTC said.

The government agency’s alert marks the latest in a rapidly growing groundswell of similar cautions: seven states around the country are now advising parents to stay vigilant amid the formula frenzy.

“Parents of infants in North Carolina are struggling to feed their babies during the current baby formula shortage. But instead of helping parents in this perilous position, scammers are looking to take advantage of this crisis to steal a quick buck,” North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein’s office said Wednesday.

“Parents, feeling the pressures of the shortage, may find themselves scrambling to find alternative solutions but in the end could end up being scammed by unscrupulous bad actors online,” New York Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez said in a recent alert. “It is imperative that parents and guardians be aware of scams and know how to spot illegitimate online sales.”

“Anyone seeking to take advantage of this crisis in a manner that violates the law will be held accountable,” New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella said in an alert Wednesday, cautioning against buying formula from “untrusted or unfamiliar online sources,” and that families should “thoroughly research any online retailers that claim to be offering formula for sale via the Better Business Bureau.”

The Better Business Bureau told ABC News it has already been fielding complaints from parents who say they have been the victim of formula scams online — and issued their own alert earlier this month.

“Someone is claiming to sell that product and they are asking people to pay using a PayPal or Venmo or a cash app-type of system. And once that money is paid out, and the order is placed, they never end up receiving that product,” Sandra Guile, a BBB spokesperson, said.

Experts say scammers can appear legitimate — posting ads or commenting on reputable social media groups offering to sell formula — then disappear once they receive payment.

First-time mom Jessie Esparza-Wohlgemuth had scoured every store and social media group she could think of trying to find baby formula for her 6-month-old son, Elijah Matthew.

The shortage has made those precious cans hard to come by. Parents nationwide are confronted by barren grocery shelves and limits on how much they can buy at one time. Esparza-Wohlgemuth was starting to reach her wits’ end.

So when one person reached out online in late April offering what seemed like a great deal, she got excited — nearly two dozen cans of Nutramigen for a decent price — enough for Elijah and more to redistribute to other moms in the community. The would-be seller even sent along pictures of the available products.

Esparza-Wohlgemuth sent payment of nearly $300 and offered to send the seller a prepaid shipment label.

Then, the seller stopped responding to her messages, and those coveted cans never showed up.

“I realized, yeah, I just got scammed,” Esparza-Wohlgemuth told ABC News. “That moment when you feel like there’s a relief — and then you realize that you just got taken advantage of — that’s really hard. That’s $290 I could have spent on my own child, for diapers, wipes, clothes. It’s heartbreaking someone would do this to a little person and take advantage of the moms that are literally scrambling to find food for their babies.”

For enterprising fraudsters, families’ frenzy to feed their children amid the shortage has presented a ripe opportunity.

Tennessee mom Kate Fazio says she was scammed earlier this year. The person she tried to buy from even sent her a fake tracking number.

“The link that she sent was for something that had been delivered to California. It wasn’t baby formula. I never got my baby formula from her and she stopped responding to me pretty quickly after that,” Fazio said.

Fazio reported the scam to her local authorities, PayPal and to her bank, but saw no progress for months. She said she has seen other moms calling out the same fake seller for similar scams as recently as last week.

On Wednesday — after ABC News reached out to PayPal for comment — Fazio said her money was reimbursed “as a one-time goodwill gesture,” according to a message from the company to Fazio shared with ABC News.

ABC News reached out to PayPal, which confirmed it had refunded Fazio.

PayPal said its platform has a zero-tolerance policy for fraudulent activity and will shut down anyone attempting to defraud customers or who violate platform policies.

Experts advise that consumers using cash payment apps such as PayPal or Venmo should use the “goods and services” function for their transactions, which offers additional purchase protection. If a seller doesn’t deliver on what they’ve promised, the gipped buyer gets a refund.

Parents hunting for formula online should research who they’re buying from to make sure the seller is legitimate, experts say — even searching the company, person or product by typing their name with terms like “review,” “complaint” or “scam.”

Social media groups have offered a unique forum for families to crowdsource formula within their communities, but those groups have also offered easy marks for scammers to infiltrate. The Better Business Bureau says it may be a red flag if a seller advertising on social media is communicative until the payment is made, but once payment clears, they are unreachable.

“Think before you click. Be especially cautious about email solicitations and online ads on social media sites,” BBB’s formula scam alert says.

A spokesperson for Meta, the parent company of Facebook, told ABC News the company does not tolerate scam activity on any of its platforms, and that it actively reviews and removes suspicious activity.

Experts suggest keeping receipts from all transactions, and, when possible, use a credit card for the purchase, since that could provide more protection against fraud than other payment methods.

“That someone took advantage of me in a time where I’m already vulnerable, fearing not having enough to feed my kid, that made me feel even more vulnerable,” Fazio said. “As a mom, your number one goal is to take care of these kids. Keep them happy, keep them fed, keep them safe.”

Members of the public seeking to report suspected online shopping fraud can file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau at BBB.org or report a scam at BBB.org/scamtracker.

Consumers can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at reportfraud.ftc.gov or call 877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).

Stock market has worst day since 2020

May 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Stock futures are down ahead of Thursday’s opening bell after Wall Street suffered its worst day in nearly two years.

On Wednesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,165 points, while the S&P 500 fell 165 points and the Nasdaq Composite declined 566 points.

The drop comes amid signs of faltering economic growth and fears of a recession.

Halsey hits back at body critics, “Let me live”

May 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Halsey has a message for those criticizing their appearance.

In a five-second TikTok posted on Wednesday, the “Without Me” singer looks off into the distance as a song plays in the background. Text superimposed over the video read off the various critiques they’ve received that read, “Halsey u look sick,” “Is she ok? Put some meat on those bones,” “She’s too thin :/” and “Looks unhealthy.”

In the caption, Halsey hit back, ““u look sick” BC I AM! LET ME LIVE!”

The post comes shortly after the 27-year-old shared they’ve been diagnosed with several health conditions. Halsey says they have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which Mayo Clinic describes as a disorder that affects one’s connective tissue, and Mast Cell Activation syndrome, which Mayo Clinic defines as a buildup of too many mast cells — a type of white blood cell — that can cause allergic reactions and inflammation and several other disorders.

They also explained their ongoing battle with endometriosis has “been exacerbated” by these new health issues, which they say occurred after giving birth to their son, Ender. “My body is rebelling against me a little bit,” Halsey said at the time.

Bite Beauty products on sale at Sephora as company prepares to shut down operations

May 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Sad news for Bite Beauty lovers: The brand has officially announced it is shutting down operations after 10 years in business.

The clean beauty brand is beloved in the makeup community for its vegan, cruelty free cosmetics and skin care.

“We are sad to share that Bite Beauty will be closing later this year,” the company announced Monday on Instagram. “Thank you for the past 10 years of love, growth and fun. You have always been our ultimate inspiration.”

The brand announced it would be keeping its Lip Lab custom lipstick experience open and adding more locations down the road.

“Stay tuned for more exciting news to come,” the company wrote.

To clear out existing inventory, Bite Beauty is offering up to 50% off all its products at Sephora, giving fans time to stock up on their favorite products before the company closes its doors later this year.

Biden invokes Defense Production Act to address baby formula shortage

May 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden is invoking the Defense Production Act to address the widespread shortage of baby formula, the White House announced Wednesday evening.

The move will get ingredients to manufacturers to help speed up production, the administration said.

“The President is requiring suppliers to direct needed resources to infant formula manufacturers before any other customer who may have ordered that good,” the White House said in a statement. “Directing firms to prioritize and allocate the production of key infant formula inputs will help increase production and speed up in supply chains.”

The president has also directed Department of Defense commercial aircraft to pick up infant formula overseas to get on U.S. shelves faster while U.S. manufacturers ramp up production, the White House said.

The ongoing baby formula crisis has triggered a public outcry from parents and lawmakers, as well as an investigation by the House Oversight Committee.

Biden called the formula shortage one of his “top priorities.”

“I know parents all across the country are worried about finding enough infant formula to feed their babies,” the president said in a video address announcing the administration’s latest steps. “As a parent and as a grandparent, I know just how stressful that is.”

Coronavirus-related supply chain issues helped fuel the shortage, which was worsened by a recall from Abbott Nutrition, one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of baby formula products. The company closed its manufacturing plant in Sturgis, Michigan, in February over concerns about bacterial contamination after four infants fell ill.

Abbott maintains there is still no conclusive evidence linking its formula to the four infant illnesses, which included two deaths.

On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration said it has agreed with Abbott on a plan to reopen its Sturgis plant. Abbott said it could restart operations there within two weeks, and that it would take six to eight weeks before the product is back on shelves.

The FDA also announced on Monday that it is easing import restrictions on foreign-made infant formula. The U.S. normally produces 98% of the infant formula it consumes, according to the FDA.

The Biden administration said it will focus on transporting overseas infant formula that has met FDA safety standards.

It is unclear how soon customers will see an impact on store shelves. Susan Mayne, director of FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said Monday that it could take weeks to get imported product into the market.

The White House said Wednesday it was working to get more formula to stores “as soon as possible.”

Later Wednesday, the House voted 414-9 across bipartisan lines on a measure to make it easier for recipients of the Women, Infants and Children federal nutrition program to use their benefits to purchase infant formula amid the ongoing national shortage.

It would also allow recipients to use their benefits to purchase an expanded range of formulas in future public health emergencies or supply chain disruptions identified by the Department of Agriculture.

The chamber also approved a second measure, largely along party lines, to boost funding for the Food and Drug Administration by $28 million to help the agency better regulate and oversee the infant formula industry.

The vote was 231-192, with a dozen Republicans voting with Democrats on approval.

House passes bill to aid fight against domestic terrorism after Buffalo supermarket shooting

May 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — In the wake of the Buffalo, New York, supermarket shooting that left 10 Black people dead, the House on Wednesday approved a measure to beef up federal efforts to combat domestic terrorism and white supremacy.

The vote was 222-203, with Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Illinois, voting with all Democrats in favor of the proposal.

The bill from Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Illinois, would create new offices within the Justice Department, Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation to “monitor, analyze, investigate, and prosecute domestic terrorism.”

Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., and other progressives were initially wary of the measure earlier this year, but reached an agreement on language in talks with leadership and the American Civil Liberties Union to address concerns about the potential infringement on Americans’ First Amendment rights.

“I was proud to lead my colleagues in a successful effort to strengthen protections in this bill for protesters, narrow the domestic terrorism definition, and enhance the scope of Congressional oversight to ensure that civil rights and civil liberties continue to be protected,” Bush said in a statement to ABC News. “As an activist, I know first-hand the ways in which law enforcement agencies have targeted, surveilled and prosecuted marginalized communities.”

All Republicans besides Kinzinger opposed the measure, arguing that it would be duplicative and could be used to target parents raising concerns at local school board meetings.

That could jeopardize its passage through the Senate, where Democrats have pledged to hold a vote but need the support of 10 Republicans to advance legislation past the 60-vote threshold.

“By diverting resources that could be used to actually combat domestic terrorism and mandating investigations into the armed services and law enforcement, this bill further weaponizes and emboldens the DOJ to target Americans’ First Amendment rights and go after those who they see as political threats,” House GOP Whip Steve Scalise’s office wrote to Republican lawmakers in a memo encouraging them to vote against the measure.

The Justice Department and Attorney General Merrick Garland have said Republicans are mischaracterizing a memo issued last fall to the FBI and U.S. attorneys’ offices around the country encouraging them to meet with local law enforcement partners to address a rising number of threats against local school board officials.

Even Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who co-sponsored the original resolution introduced with Schneider, said he was “torn” on the bill ahead of passage, and ultimately voted against it.

“Maybe for four months after I put my name on that bill, every meeting I went to, I had people upset I was on that bill,” he told ABC News. “They said, ‘Will I be investigated because I am pro-life?’ I heard overwhelming feedback.”

The Justice Department has already established a domestic terrorism unit, and the Biden administration has requested funding from Congress to support 60 attorneys focused on domestic terrorism cases.

FBI Director Christopher Wray has called domestic terrorism one of the greatest threats to the United States.

The problem of domestic terrorism has been metastasizing across the country for a long time now and it’s not going away anytime soon,” Wray told a Congressional panel in March of 2021. “At the FBI, we’ve been sounding the alarm on it for a number of years now.”

Russia-Ukraine live updates: US reopens embassy in Kyiv

May 19, 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, attempting to capture the strategic port city of Mariupol to secure a coastal corridor to the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula.

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

May 18, 10:41 pm
Senate confirms new US ambassador to Ukraine

The Senate on Wednesday night unanimously confirmed the new U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, a career foreign service officer.

The vote took place on the same day the U.S. officially resumed operations at its embassy in Kyiv.

May 18, 3:46 pm
Google’s Russian business to file for for bankruptcy

Google Russia has published a notice of its intention to file for bankruptcy, a spokesperson told ABC News in a statement.

“We previously announced that we paused the vast majority of our commercial operations in Russia. The Russian authorities’ seizure of Google Russia’s bank account has made it untenable for our Russia office to function, including employing and paying Russia-based employees, paying suppliers and vendors, and meeting other financial obligations,” a Google spokesperson said.

Adding, “People in Russia rely on our services to access quality information and we’ll continue to keep free services such as Search, YouTube, Gmail, Maps, Android and Play available.”

-ABC News’ Rashid Haddou-Riffi

May 18, 3:34 pm
US, European allies ‘will not tolerate any aggression against Finland or Sweden,’ Biden adviser warns

U.S. and European allies “will not tolerate any aggression against Finland or Sweden” as their applications to join NATO are being considered, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned Wednesday.

President Joe Biden said the U.S. would “remain vigilant against any threats to our shared security, and to deter and confront aggression or the threat of aggression.”

Sullivan was asked to clarify if that meant the U.S. was extending NATO security protections to Finland and Sweden during this time, and he said Article 5 only kicks in when all 30 allies ratify the accession.

“But the United States, is prepared to send a very clear message, as are all of our European allies, that we will not tolerate any aggression against Finland or Sweden during this process, and there are practical measures that we can take along those lines that Secretary [of Defense Lloyd] Austin will coordinate with his counterparts about Finland and Sweden,” Sullivan told reporters.

With Turkey opposed to this move, Sullivan told ABC News’ MaryAlice Parks that the White House is “confident at the end of the day” that Finland and Sweden “will have an effective and efficient accession process” and that “Turkey’s concerns can be addressed.”

Biden will host the leaders of Sweden and Finland at the White House Thursday.

“Two nations with a long tradition of neutrality will be joining the world’s most powerful defensive alliance, and they will bring with them strong capabilities and a proven track record as security partners and President Biden will have the opportunity to mark just what a historic and watershed moment this is when he meets with them tomorrow,” Sullivan said.

-ABC News’ Justin Gomez and MaryAlice Parks

May 18, 3:15 pm
Blinken meets with Turkish counterpart at UN ahead of NATO summit

Ahead of a meeting at the United Nations, Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Wednesday.

Blinken told reporters he was grateful for the solidarity Turkey has shown against Russian aggression.

While Cavusoglu said he would work with Blinken to “overcome the differences through dialogue and diplomacy,” he signaled that Turkey still had significant reservations about Sweden and Finland joining NATO, complicating their path to membership.

“Turkey has been supporting the open door policy of NATO even before this war, but with regards to these possible candidates—already candidate countries—we have also legitimate security concerns that they have been supporting terrorist organizations, and there are also export restrictions on defense products,” Cavusoglu said.

Then adding, “We understand their security concerns, but Turkey’s security concerns should be also met.”

Turkey has expressed concerns about Finland and Sweden joining NATO over the countries’ support of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which the Turkish government considers a terrorist organization.

-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford

May 18, 2:21 pm
Russian offensive effort shrinking, incremental progress toward Black Sea: Pentagon

Russian offensive operations in Donbas are becoming more modest, shrinking both in size and scale, according to a senior U.S. defense official.

The Russians are making little progress so far in Donbas, with lots of back-and-fourth between both sides, according to the official.

“We see them hew very closely to their doctrine of artillery fire then a font of frontal attack by formations that are small, and in some cases, not fully resourced, fully manned, fully strong. And they get rebuffed by the Ukrainians,” the official said.

Russian forces are also still suffering from poor communication between commanders and are having other coordination issues, according to the official.

To the northeast of Kharkiv, Ukrainian forces continue to push Russian troops back toward their border, according to the official.

Russian forces are making some progress pushing closer toward the Black Sea from between Kherson and Mykolayiv, according to the official. The official said it is not clear what the intent is for this line of advance, but the U.S. sees no signs of an imminent naval assault at this time.

The U.S. believes Russia is “certainly trying” to disrupt to flow of military aid moving through Ukraine, but there have been no indications that it has had any success, according to the official.

Three of the eleven Mi-17 helicopters, more than 200 of the 300 Switchblade drones and nearly 10 Phoenix Ghost drones that the U.S. has promised Ukraine have been delivered, according to the official. The Ukrainians have told the Pentagon that 79 of the 90 U.S. howitzers that were delivered are now being used in combat.

-ABC News’ Matt Seyler

May 18, 9:53 am
Finland, Sweden formally submit applications to join NATO

Finland and Sweden formally submitted their applications to join NATO to Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Wednesday morning at the alliance’s Brussels headquarters.

Stoltenberg welcomed the requests, saying, “This is a good day, at a critical moment for our security,” according to NATO.

“Every nation has the right to choose its own path. You have both made your choice, after thorough democratic processes. And I warmly welcome the requests by Finland and Sweden to join NATO,” Stoltenberg said Wednesday.

Adding, “You are our closest partners. And your membership in NATO would increase our shared security.”

May 18, 9:25 am
Russian soldier pleads guilty to killing civilian

Russian Sgt. Vadim Shyshimarin pleaded guilty Wednesday to shooting a 62-year-old Ukrainian man on Feb. 28. The guilty plea carries a life sentence.

It’s the first trial Ukraine has conducted for an act that could be considered a war crime.

Asked by the presiding judge whether he accepted his guilt, Shyshimarin said: “Yes. Fully yes.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov dismissed the proceedings on Wednesday, telling reporters that accusations leveled against Russian soldiers by Ukraine were “simply fake or staged.”

May 17, 6:26 pm
State Department ‘confident’ in NATO expansion

As Turkey becomes more vocal about its opposition to Sweden and Finland joining NATO, the State Department said it is still assured of the alliance’s unified support for the two prospective members.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said during a briefing Tuesday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken came away from meetings with NATO allies with a “sense of confidence there was strong consensus for admitting Finland and Sweden into the alliance if they so choose to join, and we’re confident we’ll be able to preserve that consensus.”

Price said that assessment came from what Blinken heard in conversations behind closed doors.

Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has publicly said that both candidates are untrustworthy because he perceives them as being supportive of groups Ankara views as extremist.

There is speculation that Turkey’s opposition is an attempt to leverage the moment to achieve its own policy goals or concessions from the U.S. Price said Tuesday that Turkey has not made any specific requests.

Price confirmed that Blinken will meet with his Turkish counterpart on the sidelines of the U.N. on Wednesday, adding that “other conversations are ongoing between and among current NATO allies and potential aspirant countries.”

-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford

May 17, 2:22 pm
Finland, Sweden to jointly submit applications for NATO membership on Wednesday

Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson’s office announced Sweden and Finland will jointly submit an application for NATO membership on Wednesday, after she met with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö in Stockholm.

“It is a message of strength and a clear signal that we stand united going into the future,” Andersson said in a joint press conference with the Finnish president.

The two leaders are set to meet President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday.

The two countries have stepped away from nonalignment in the wake of Russian’s invasion of Ukraine, and fears for their own security.

-ABC News’ Christine Theodorou

May 17, 2:11 pm
ICC sends 42 investigators to Ukraine

The International Criminal Court deployed a team of 42 investigators forensic and support personnel to Ukraine to advance investigations into crimes falling under ICC jurisdiction and provide support to Ukrainian authorities.

“This represents the largest ever single field deployment by my office since its establishment,” ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said Tuesday.

Khan said 21 countries have offered to send national experts to his office and 20 states have committed to provide financial contributions.

“I look forward to working with all actors, including survivor groups, national authorities, civil society organisations and international partners, in order to accelerate this collective work moving forward,” Khan said.

-ABC News’ Christine Theodorou

May 17, 1:33 pm
US commerce secretary says export controls on Russia are working

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters Tuesday that the export controls the U.S. and other countries have put on Russia are working, including compliance from China.

“These export controls are having a strong and significant effect,” Raimondo said Tuesday.

Raimondo returned from Paris where she co-chaired the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council Ministerial Meeting. She said there was consensus and partnership amongst countries with respect to cutting off Russia’s access to “critical technologies.”

“We’ve had extensive discussions on export controls,” she said.

The Commerce Department and 37 other countries have limited semiconductor chips that can be exported to Russia, which help not only everyday Russian carmakers, but the Russian military build and use military equipment.

“You’ve all heard the anecdotal stories of Russia’s inability to continue to produce tanks and auto companies shutting down but overall U.S. exports to Russia have decreased over 80%, between February and a week ago,” she said. “So we essentially stopped sending high tech to Russia, which is what they need for their military.”

Even China, Raimondo said, stopped shipping tech products such as laptops to Russia by 40% compared to a year ago.

Asked whether she trusts the Chinese data, Raimondo said it is “consistent” with what the Ukrainians are seeing on the ground.

“We are not seeing systematic efforts by China to go around our export controls,” she said. “So yes, I think this is probably quite accurate.”

-ABC News’ Luke Barr

May 17, 9:20 am
Biden to meet with leaders of Sweden, Finland as they seek to join NATO

President Joe Biden will host Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of Sweden and President Sauli Niinistö of Finland at the White House on Thursday as the two countries seek to join NATO, the White House announced Tuesday.

The three leaders will “discuss Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO applications and European security,” according to a statement from White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

Alleged teen gunman in Buffalo mass shooting set to appear in court

May 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(BUFFALO, N.Y.) — The 18-year-old suspect accused of shooting 13 people, 10 fatally, in what authorities described as a racially-motivated rampage at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket is scheduled to appear in court Thursday for a felony hearing.

The suspect, Payton Gendron, was initially charged with one count of murder following Saturday afternoon’s massacre at a Tops Friendly Market in which police officials alleged he intentionally targeted Black people in the attack he planned for months. He pleaded not guilty and was ordered to be held without bail.

Gendron is expected to face additional murder and attempted murder counts and state hate crime charges as early as Thursday. The FBI is also conducting a parallel investigation, which the Department of Justice said could lead to federal hate crime charges.

During a visit to Buffalo on Tuesday, President Joe Biden called the mass shooting an act of “domestic terrorism.”

All 10 of the people killed in the attack were Black, six women and four men. Three other people were wounded in the shooting, including one Black victim and two white victims.

Gendron is scheduled to appear in Buffalo City Court at 9:30 a.m. EST.

Investigators said Gendron drove three hours from his home in Conklin, New York, and alleged he spent Friday conducting a final reconnaissance on the store before committing the mass shooting Saturday afternoon.

Authorities allege Gendron was wielding an AR-15-style rifle, dressed in military fatigues, body armor and wearing a tactical helmet with a camera attached when he stormed the store around 2:30 p.m., shooting four people outside the business and nine others inside. Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said the suspect fired a barrage of 50 shots during the rampage.

Police said Gendron allegedly livestreamed the attack on the gaming website Twitch before the company took down the live feed two minutes into the shooting.

Among those killed was 55-year-old Aaron Salter Jr., a retired Buffalo police officer who was working as a security guard at the supermarket. Authorities said Salter fired at the gunman, but the bullets had no effect due to the bulletproof vest the suspect wore.

Buffalo police officers arrived at the store one minute after getting the first calls of an active shooter and confronted the suspect, who responded by placing the barrel of the rifle to his chin and threatening to kill himself, according to Gramaglia. He said the officers de-escalated the situation and talked Gendron into surrendering.

Biden embarks for Asia with a heavy focus on China and North Korea

May 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — With much of the Biden administration’s attention this year focused on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, President Joe Biden turns his attention to Asia Thursday as he embarks on a visit to South Korea and Japan — a trip that the White House says “comes at a pivotal moment” for his foreign policy agenda.

The trip will mark the president’s first trip to the region since taking office and will feature a heavy focus on North Korea and China. While the president campaigned heavily on making China a main focus of his foreign policy, the war in Ukraine has occupied Biden’s foreign agenda of late.

While the White House may hope that the trip shows that the president has not taken his eye off the challenge China poses, Ukraine will still loom large over the trip.

“President Biden has rallied the free world in defense of Ukraine and in opposition to Russian aggression,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Wednesday. “He remains focused on ensuring that our efforts in those missions are successful, but he also intends to seize this moment, this pivotal moment, to assert bold and confident American leadership in another vital region of the world — the Indo-Pacific.”

Biden will begin his journey in Seoul and wrap the visit in Tokyo. Sullivan said this will be an “opportunity to reaffirm and reinforce two vital security alliances” and to “deepen two vibrant economic partnerships.”

“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, and we think putting that on display over four days bilaterally with the ROK and Japan, through the Quad, through the Indo-Pacific economic framework, it will send a powerful message. We think that message will be heard everywhere,” he said.

Asked to what extent is the message of this trip a cautionary tale delivered to China and their aggression towards Taiwan, Sullivan said the message “will be heard in Beijing, but it is not a negative message, and it’s not targeted at any one country.”

While in South Korea, President Biden is expected to meet with President Yoon Seok-youl, “engage with technology and manufacturing leaders” who are “mobilizing billions of dollars in investment here in the United States,” and he will visit American and South Korean troops who are “standing shoulder-to-shoulder in defense” of threats posed by North Korea, Sullivan said.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden will not be visiting the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) this trip. He visited the area as vice president in 2013 and while serving in the Senate.

Sullivan, though, continued to repeat that U.S. intelligence continues to show that North Korean leader Kim Jon Un, who ramped up missile launches in 2002, could launch a long-range missile test, nuclear test, or both in the days leading into, on, or after the president’s trip to the region.

“We are preparing for all contingencies, including the possibility that such a provocation would occur while we are in Korea or in Japan,” Sullivan told reporters.

He said that the U.S. is coordinating with allies in South Korea and Japan, as well as counterparts in China.

“We are prepared obviously to make both short and longer-term adjustments to our military posture as necessary to ensure that we are providing both defense and deterrence to our allies in the region and then we’re responding to any North Korean provocation,” Sullivan said.

In Japan, Biden will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to discuss economic relations and global security issues, including North Korea, and they will launch a new economic initiative for the region.

“The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, IPEF, as we affectionately call it, is a 21st century economic arrangement, a new model designed to tackle new economic challenges,” Sullivan said. “From setting the rules of the digital economy, to ensuring secure and resilient supply chains, to managing the energy transition, to investing in clean modern high standards infrastructure.”

And while in Tokyo, Biden will also participate in a second in-person Quad summit with his counterparts from Australia, India and Japan. They last met in September at the White House.

Dolly Parton’s working on a Christmas musical for her theme park, Dollywood

May 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

It’s not even summer yet, but Dolly Parton’s already in the holiday spirit: She’s at work on a new musical called Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas, which will air on NBC.

According to People, the TV special is a little bit meta: It’s about the making of another TV special, which is set at her east Tennessee theme park, Dollywood. Additionally, a rather enigmatic statement from NBC indicates that Dolly’s musical will include “a private journey into her past, guided by the mysterious appearances of her personal Three Wise Men.”

Believe it or not, that’s not the only musical Dolly’s working on right now. She also recently announced that she’s attached to Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza TikTok musical as part a cast that also includes rapper Doja Cat.

Meanwhile, Dollywood’s Splash Country water park opened for the season last weekend.

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