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Why experts say monoclonal antibodies aren’t vaccine substitute

October 14, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Despite more than 187 million Americans being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and data and attestations from researchers and public health officials that the vaccines are safe an effective, a small and in some cases vocal minority of Americans are reluctant to get the shot.

The reasons vary, but a number of those people are instead turning to treatments after they are diagnosed that have far less evidence to support their safety and effectiveness, including monoclonal antibodies — a trend that experts say is worrying.

Currently, over 1 million doses of monoclonal antibody infusions have been given in the United States. Use of monoclonal antibodies gained steam during the delta variant surge over the summer when Florida and other states opened clinics to administer the drugs in an attempt to keep sick people out of overwhelmed hospitals.

Monoclonal antibodies have been authorized for post-exposure prophylaxis, meaning they are used shortly after someone tests positive in order to prevent progression to severe disease. The antibodies range in effectiveness depending on type, but some have been shown in to reduce COVID-related hospitalization or death by up to 85%.

COVID-19 vaccines have been tested in large clinical trials with hundreds of thousands of people. The CDC says over 215 million people have safely received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including 187 million who have been fully vaccinated, either with the one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot, or two dose mRNA vaccines.

All three COVID-19 vaccines have gone through the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history by government agencies, fully independent safety monitoring boards, vaccine manufacturers and academic researchers. The Pfizer COVID vaccine is currently FDA authorized for people 12 and older. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are authorized for those 18 and up.

Common side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine include pain or swelling at the injection site. Fever, muscle aches, chills, fatigue or headaches can also occur but should go away within a few days. More serious health problems, such as unusual heart rhythm or blood clots, are exceedingly rare — and in fact, are more likely to happen to an unvaccinated person who becomes sick with COVID-19 than with the vaccine itself.

‘More concerned with treatment rather than prevention’

Many vaccine holdouts in the U.S. have cited the vaccines’ emergency use authorization status — a special FDA pathway helps accelerate the often-slow regulatory process during a national emergency. Pfizer’s vaccine is now fully FDA approved for people 16 and older, while Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are still under emergency authorization, awaiting approval.

However, some experts interviewed by ABC news say some patients who won’t get vaccinated also ask for monoclonal antibody treatment after the are diagnosed with COVID, which has the same emergency use authorization. Doctors say they are perplexed about why some people pursue monoclonal antibody treatment which is supposed to reduce the risk of hospitalization in high-risk vulnerable people instead of prevention.

“People are more concerned with treatment rather than prevention,” said Rupali Limaye, Ph.D., the director of behavioral and implementation science for the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

“When they are in the hospital and needing COVID treatment, their options are limited — but they know they need treatment to fight COVID. Decision-making is very different related to preventative behaviors,” said Limaye.

What to know about monoclonal antibodies

The FDA has granted emergency authorization status to four antibody treatments for COVID-19. These antibody treatments are most helpful in mild to moderate disease. Not all antibody treatments are equally effective, and some have lost their potency in the face of new COVID-19 variants.

According to the FDA, monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins designed to mimic the immune system’s ability to fight disease particles known as antigens. For example, sotrovimab is a monoclonal antibody that prevents COVID-19 infection by blocking the virus’ spike protein.

The data supporting these antibodies is much more limited than the extensive data supporting currently approved and authorized vaccines.

“Monoclonal antibodies are an important treatment option for high-risk patients. However, the idea that they can be used as a prevention tool is severely misguided,” said Dr. Andrew Pavia, Infectious Diseases Society of America fellow, NIH COVID treatment guidelines panel member and chief of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

“They are no substitute for cheap and effective prevention tools like masks and vaccines,” said Pavia.

Other COVID treatments under EUA include tocilizumab, a monoclonal antibody that is not directed toward the virus but instead reduces inflammation in already hospitalized patients. Remdesivir, an anti-viral, is FDA approved for hospitalized patients over 12 but under EUA for kids less than 12.

All of these treatments require an infusion and a trip to a medical center. Now, pharmaceutical companies are also working on easy-to-prescribe pills that can ease symptoms for people who are already sick, but doctors stress these are also not a replacement for a vaccine that can help prevent disease in the first place.

Ways to boost vaccination

Doctors interviewed by ABC News say their patients want an easy solution that will protect them from COVID-19. For most, that’s a vaccine. For others, misinformation surrounding vaccines can stand in the way, prompting them to seek alternatives.

“Hesitancy falls on a continuum. That means that those that are hesitant may refuse some vaccines, may accept vaccines but be unsure about the decision or may have concerns. There are validated scales that measure attitudes related to safety, efficacy, past vaccine behavior and vaccine intentions.” said Limaye.

The CDC suggests providers ask vaccine-hesitant patients a scaled question, for example, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to get the COVID vaccine? (1 = never and 10 = vaccine appointment is already set).” The goal is to help patients become more aware and move toward higher numbers on the scale.

For example, if a patient says that they are a three on the scale, providers can ask why and why not a lower number? This helps patients to reiterate the benefit of vaccines instead of explaining why they have not gotten it. Providers can then further follow up by asking, “What would help to go to a four or a five?”

While there are many successful ways to talk to people about the COVID vaccine — all methods center around a common theme of empathy, curiosity and open communication to help end the pandemic.

ABC News’ Sony Salzman contributed to this report.

Jess Dawson, M.D., a Master of Public Health candidate at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is a contributor to the ABC News Medical Unit.

Don’t rely on safety systems in cars during bad weather, American Automobile Association warns

October 14, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The American Automobile Association (AAA) is warning drivers nationwide not to over-rely on advanced safety systems in cars, like automatic braking and lane assist systems, during inclement weather.

New research from the organization found that heavy rain affects safety features from functioning properly, which can result in performance issues.

During AAA experiments, vehicles equipped with automatic emergency braking, that traveled at 35 mph, collided with a stopped vehicle one third of the time.

“Often these systems are tested in somewhat perfect conditions,” Greg Brannon, AAA’s director of automotive engineering and industry relations, told ABC News. “But the reality is drivers don’t drive in perfect conditions.”

In the experiment, AAA simulated rain and other environmental conditions, such as bugs and dirt, to measure impact on the performance of various advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).

To simulate rainfall, AAA engineers designed a system using a reservoir to hold water atop the cargo area of the test vehicle. The system was connected to a nozzle positioned above the windshield, so the spray pattern covered the entire windshield.

“We created a device that allowed the windshield to experience basically what it would in a rainstorm,” Brannon said.

AAA also found that cars with lane keeping assistance departed their lanes 69% of the time.

“It’s pretty, pretty substantial and surprising findings for something that is on a lot of cars today,” Brannon said.

The tests were conducted with five different vehicles, including the 2020 Buick Enclave Avenir with automatic emergency braking and lane keep assist, a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe with forward collision avoidance assist and lane keeping assist, a 2020 Toyota RAV4 with pre-collision system and lane tracing assist, and a 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan3 with front assist and lane assist.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “Driver assistance technologies hold the potential to reduce traffic crashes and save thousands of lives each year.”

The agency said more than 36,000 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2019 — many of which were tied to human error.

Brannon said consumers should use advanced safety systems, but not in the place of engaged driving. “The most dangerous thing that a consumer can do is to over-rely on the systems.”

“AAA’s advice to consumers that have advanced safety systems in their car really is the same regardless of what that system is, and that’s to drive the car like the system is not there,” Brannon said. “Select a car that has the most advanced safety systems available, because they all hold a lot of potential to reduce injury and save lives, and that’s a good thing.”

Brannon said drivers should never use cruise control during inclement weather, and he advised motorists to slow down.

“Really understand the environment that you’re operating in and then make sure that you are fully engaged in that task of driving,” Brannon said.

Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly unleash a little chaos when taking a couple’s quiz together

October 14, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly recently celebrated their first anniversary and, on Wednesday, provided a candid glimpse into their relationship when taking the GQ “Couple’s Quiz.”

True to form, their answers were a mix of sweet, spicy and pure chaos.

Their interview starts off with the two telling the story of how they first met — which was at a GQ party — where Megan’s first words to MGK were “You smell like weed.”

“And I said,” Kelly smirked, “‘I am weed.'” Apparently, he vanished right after that bizarre first exchange.

Megan then grilled the “my ex’s best friend” singer over how well he knows her in a series of rapid-fire questions.

MGK knows that his lover has “being abducted by a UFO” on her bucket list, that loud chewing is her “pet peeve,” her favorite book AND movie is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and that her hidden talent is being “an almanac and an encyclopedia and a dictionary all in one.”

MGK’s most hilarious fail came when he forgot Megan played April O’Neil in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In all, he answered 28.5 out of 31 questions correctly.

When the roles were reversed, Megan correctly answered 29 questions. She revealed MGK prefers his coffee “black and bitter” — but that she makes his morning brew with oat milk and sugar “to sweeten you up” — and that he’s a secret fan of Nicole Kidman and is invested in Nine Perfect Strangers and The Undoing.

The Jennifer’s Body star also ratted out her boyfriend’s work/life balance by calling him out for rarely taking any days off and also said his favorite place is “Travis [Barker]’s studio.”

But, when it came to teasing her boyfriend’s upcoming sixth studio album Born with Horns, she agreed it is “very good.”

Henrietta Lacks family seeks justice: Grandchildren sue biotech company

October 14, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The family of Henrietta Lacks, an African American woman whose cells were collected from her body and used for medical research without her consent in 1951, is seeking justice for their relative.

On Oct. 4, the 70th anniversary of her death, Henrietta Lacks’ family filed a federal lawsuit against Thermo Fisher Scientific claiming unjust enrichment and nonconsensual use of her cells and tissue samples.

The Lacks family has retained Benjamin Crump as their lead attorney. Crump, who previously represented the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, says he believes this case can bring justice to the family.

“This whole notion of her cells are being sold even to this day as chattel property when everyone benefits from it but her own family. Her own flesh and blood. It reminisces of days of slavery when they sold black people as chattel property and we never got to benefits from our labor, our contributions,” Crump said.

In 1951, at the age of 31, Henrietta was diagnosed with cervical cancer and began treatment at one of the only facilities willing to treat African Americans, Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. During her treatment, a gynecologist preformed a biopsy on her and sent her tissue to a lab for research, without her consent or that of her family’s.

In subsequent experiments with her tissue sample, scientists discovered that Henrietta’s cells reproduced and thrived outside of her body — a discovery that helped shape medical innovations.

Those cells were named, “HeLa” after Henrietta Lacks. HeLa cells have led to several medical breakthroughs including the polio vaccine, coronavirus vaccines, cancer treatments, AIDS treatments, zero gravity in space, and more.

What Henrietta Lacks experienced is now illegal and researchers are required to get consent before using a patient’s tissue sample for research according to federal law.

The family members say they have not received any profit from the research and use of Lacks’ cells. They say they believe the time is now to be compensated and they are aware they will have to fight as many as 100 defendants, the first being Thermo Fisher.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., based in Massachusetts, sells HeLa cells on its website.

“Thermo Fisher Scientific’s business is to commercialize Henrietta Lacks’ cells—her-living bodily tissue—without the consent of or providing compensation to Ms. Lacks” the lawsuit states. “All the while, Thermo Fisher Scientific understands—indeed, acknowledges on its own website—that this genetic material [is] stolen from Ms. Lacks.”

The lawsuit is also asking the court to order Thermo Fisher Scientific to “disgorge the full amount of its net profits obtained by commercializing the HeLa cell line to the Estate of Henrietta Lacks.”

Christopher Seeger, another attorney for the Lacks family, said that other companies also will be targeted for commercializing Lacks’ cells.

Thermo Fisher Scientific, he said, “shouldn’t feel too alone because they’re going to have a lot of company soon.”

Lack’s story emerged about a decade ago with the release of the book, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.”

Her story gained more national attention with the release of “The Life of Henrietta Lacks” movie. Oprah Winfrey starred as Henrietta’s daughter, Deborah Lacks, and Renee Elise Goldsberry portrayed Henrietta.

Ron Lacks says his mother was the first person in the family to discover that cells obtained from her deceased mother-in-law, Henrietta Lacks, were still viable in 1973.

Ron Lacks is the estate’s executor and the oldest grandson of Henrietta. For years he has been inspired by his mother’s resilience to keep Henrietta’s name alive and he is using this inspiration to fight for his family’s ownership of his grandmother’s legacy.

“Every time, I walk into my mother’s room, she gives me strength because I know I’m doing it for her. She started this in 1973. She started this, so when I walk into her room and feed her, change her, I know I’m doing this for her.” Ron Lack told ABC News. “When you fighting for your family, you come off with all guns blazing, you don’t stop until you succeed or they knock me down,” he added.

Johns Hopkins University states on its website that it has “never sold or profited from the discovery or distribution of HeLa cells” and that the university does not own the rights to the HeLa cells.

The university also claims it has helped the Lacks family broker an agreement that requires scientists to receive permission to use Henrietta Lacks’ genetic blueprint.

Woman who struggled for months with weight gain diagnosed with 17-pound cancerous tumor

October 14, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(DALLAS) — Amanda Shoultz said she spent most of the past year trying to lose weight after noticing that her stomach kept getting bigger.

“I started working out more. I was dieting more and, oddly enough, I was losing weight but I was gaining inches in my stomach,” Shoultz, 29, told Good Morning America. “For the longest time, I thought, ‘Oh, I just must gain weight in my stomach.'”

When Shoultz, of Dallas, Texas, went to her annual checkup with her primary care physician in February, she said she was shocked at the number she saw on the scale.

“I remember telling her, ‘The next time you see me I’m going to be 10 pounds lighter,'” said Shoultz. “I just assumed it was my fault. That I had done something wrong.”

Shoultz’s blood work from her doctor’s appointment came back normal, so she said she kept changing her diet to see if she had an allergy that was causing her stomach to bloat.

“I gave up all dairy products because I thought it was a lactose allergy, and nothing changed. Then I gave up gluten. I love bread but I was willing to do anything,” she said. “That didn’t work so then I gave up meat. None of that helped.”

Shoultz said she did not feel any pain beyond the discomfort of her stomach getting so much bigger than usual.

By August, nearly eight months after first noticing the growth, Shoultz was referred to a gastroenterologist by a colleague at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital, where she works in public relations.

“By the time I saw my GI [gastroenterologist] doctor, my stomach was hard as a rock,” she said. “My mom said you could have punched me in my stomach and broken your hand it was so hard.”

After several tests that did not find anything definitively wrong, Shoultz underwent a CT scan in late September.

“About four hours later, I got a call from my doctor who told me I had a 33-centimeter tumor in my abdomen,” she recalled. “And within two days of that, I was already meeting with the surgeon.”

Doctors discovered that Shoultz’s tumor was cancerous. She was diagnosed with liposarcoma, a rare form of tumor that, in most cases, does not present any symptoms until the tumor grows large and invades other organs or tissues, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

In Shoultz’s case, the tumor had formed around her right kidney and adrenal gland, but she experienced no symptoms to indicate that cancer was growing inside her.

“I’m 29 and otherwise perfectly healthy,” she said. “I had no other symptoms other than my stomach.”

On Sept. 27, Shoultz underwent a two-hour surgery to remove the tumor, which doctors discovered upon removal weighed 17 pounds.

Doctors also had to remove Shoultz’s right kidney and part of her adrenal gland. Because the cancer had not spread to other parts of her body, she did not have to undergo further treatment, like chemotherapy or radiation.

“Once I left the hospital, my stomach was back to normal,” said Shoultz. “Now I’m just eating all the food that I missed when I gave it up for a year in order to put some weight back on.”

Shoultz said she is sharing her story publicly because she wants other people, particularly women, to know the importance of knowing and listening to their own bodies.

“I knew that something was wrong because I’ve always had a hard time gaining weight,” said Shoultz. “When I was getting so large in my abdomen and I couldn’t control it, that’s when I knew something was off.”

“We preach it at the hospital, don’t die of doubt,” she said. “No one else is going to need to fight for you, so fight for yourself and find a care team that is going to care for you through the journey.”

It’s a message echoed by Dr. Robert Mennel, an oncologist with Texas Oncology at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, who is treating Shoultz.

“There is a whole group of these sarcomas that tend to occur in younger people and a lot of times they have symptoms that are sort of very nondescript symptoms,” he said. “If somebody comes in and they have some abdominal discomfort and it’s somebody who’s in their 20s or so, most physicians think that’s probably not much and it will pass.”

“We can’t do scans on everybody, but if you really feel that something is wrong, just be persistent to get this evaluated,” added Mennel. “And make sure you’re going to somebody who has experience and really knows what they’re doing.”

“The takeaway would be that if you feel that something is not correct, see a physician or health care provider to let them evaluate it,” he said. “And if you really feel that they’re not evaluating it, or if you really feel that something’s wrong, pursue your desire to get it looked at and worked up.”

Gymnasts call on Congress to dissolve US Olympics board over Larry Nassar case

October 14, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Four elite gymnasts are calling on Congress to dissolve the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s board of directors, alleging the body fostered a culture of abuse and ignored serial sexual abuse by Larry Nassar, a former USA Gymnastics team doctor.

“We make this request after years of patience, deliberation, and unrequited commitment to learn from our suffering and make amateur sports safe for future generations,” Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney and Maggie Nichols, who all testified before Congress last month about what they say were failures in the FBI’s handling of the sexual abuse case, wrote in a letter to Congressional leaders Wednesday.

“We believe the Board’s past actions demonstrate an unwillingness to confront the epidemic problems with abuse that athletes like us have faced and a continued refusal to pursue true and necessary reform of the broken Olympic system,” the letter continued.

Nassar was sentenced in 2018 to up to 175 years in prison after pleading guilty to criminal sexual conduct charges. The sentencing came after dozens of girls and women accused him of sexually abusing them.

“Since becoming aware of Nassar’s abuse, the USOPC’s top priority has been to hide culpability and avoid accountability,” the athletes wrote in their letter, claiming the board “took no investigative action whatsoever after learning that Nassar was an abuser.”

The athletes wrote that the “ecosystem” that gave shelter to the likes of Nasser “still exists,” and they took aim at officials still in positions of power at USOPC and its foundation. They asked that Congress replace the board with one that will investigate “systemic” sexual abuse; otherwise, they said, “athletes will remain at risk.”

The four women addressed their letter to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., who co-sponsored a bill signed into law last year that gives Congress the power to dissolve the board.

In response to the letter, Blumenthal outlined potential next steps, saying Congress should “develop procedures to appoint a new board before dissolving the old one, and must be approved by the House and Senate before being signed by the President.”

“We’re grateful to these athletes for their continued demand for justice and accountability — a goal we share,” he said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing our work together to ensure that USOPC is held responsible for past failures.”

Olympians Biles, Raisman and Maroney, as well as world champion Nichols, testified about the abuse they suffered at the hands of Nassar during a hearing last month with the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is investigating the FBI’s handling of the sexual abuse case.

“Over the past few years it has become painfully clear how a survivor’s healing is affected by the handling of their abuse, and it disgusts me that we are still fighting for the most basic answers and accountability over six years later,” said Raisman, who cited failings by USA Gymnastics, the USOPC and the FBI.

A Department of Justice inspector general report released in July found the FBI made “fundamental errors” in its response to allegations against Nassar that were first brought to the agency in July 2015.

“We have been failed, and we deserve answers,” Biles said during her testimony. “Nassar is where he belongs, but those who enabled him deserve to be held accountable. If they are not, I am convinced that this will continue to happen to others across Olympic sports.”

Following Nassar’s sentencing in 2018, USOPC (at the time known as the U.S. Olympic Committee) penned an open letter to Team USA athletes to “tell all of Nassar’s victims and survivors, directly, how incredibly sorry we are.”

“We have said it in other contexts, but we have not been direct enough with you,” Scott Blackmun, former chief executive of the organization, wrote. “We are sorry for the pain caused by this terrible man, and sorry that you weren’t afforded a safe opportunity to pursue your sports dreams. The Olympic family is among those that have failed you.”

The entire USA Gymnastics board resigned in the wake of the sentencing, after USOPC demanded the remaining members step aside or face termination.

US pushes diplomacy, prepares sanctions as Ethiopia launches new offensive in brutal war, risking famine

October 14, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Nearly a month after President Joe Biden created a new U.S. sanctions authority and threatened to impose economic penalties on Ethiopian leaders unless they halted a conflict in the country’s northern province, that war is now escalating.

The worsening fighting puts millions of lives at risk amid reports of famine-like conditions already faced by up to 900,000 people and severe food insecurity impacting 6 to 7 million, according to U.S. officials.

The U.S. announced Tuesday it is providing $26 million more humanitarian aid, but that will do little to stop the suffering as of now. Aid convoys into the Tigray region have been blocked and attacked throughout the conflict, with a particularly brutal blockade by the Ethiopian government for nearly 110 days now keeping resources like food, fuel and medicine out.

“Looking forward, it’s pretty dark and pretty bleak without a significant change either politically or militarily — I hate to say that, but the status quo really cannot continue. The famine is only going to start taking more lives at an accelerated pace,” said David Del Conte, the former deputy director for Ethiopia at the United Nations’ humanitarian agency.

Spurred by warnings like that, the U.S. seemed to kick diplomacy into a higher gear this week, too. The U.S. hosted a summit of high-level donor countries to urge humanitarian access and a halt to fighting — openly weighing the possibility of a humanitarian airlift. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also met with the African Union’s envoy trying to negotiate a ceasefire.

But once again, it is all seems to be falling on deaf ears on the ground. In the last week, the Ethiopian government launched a new major military offensive against Tigrayan forces, the country’s former longtime ruling party that has been at war with the federal government since last November.

Every side in this nearly one-year-old conflict has been accused of atrocities, in some instances documented in great detail by monitors like Amnesty International and media outlets. Blinken has said the U.S. has seen reports of “ethnic cleansing” — but increasingly, reports from the region are hard to come by because the Ethiopian government has cut cell phone and internet communications.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Tuesday the U.S. was aware of the reported offensive, adding, “Escalating fighting undermines critical efforts to keep civilians safe and the ability of international actors to deliver humanitarian relief to all those in need, and we know there are too many in need.”

The Biden administration is “considering the full range of tools,” including using those economic sanctions that Biden authorized last month, Price added. One source familiar with the administration’s plans said those sanctions are being prepared, although Price declined to preview any announcement Tuesday.

But it’s unclear what, if any, effect that will have on Ethiopian officials, up to and including Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. His government declared a ceasefire in June as its military and aligned forces retreated from Tigray and Tigrayan troops retook territory. But fighting has continued, including Tigrayan offensives into neighboring regions like Amhara and Afar — each side defying threats of sanctions from the U.S., European Union and others.

“From Abiy’s perspective, this fight is existential, at least politically for him, so the idea that these sanctions are going to make him turn on a dime and reevaluate the nature of the campaign is unlikely,” said Hardin Lang, vice president for programs and policy at Refugees International, an advocacy group. But, he added, it is an important “tool” that could “erode support of those around Abiy.”

Abiy’s blockade has created shortages of food, fuel, medicines and medical supplies, and cash in Tigray, while continued fighting threatens to heighten humanitarian crises in neighboring regions. The United Nations, aid groups and other countries, including the U.S., have increasingly sounded the alarm about the risk of a massive famine in Tigray and beyond, especially now in Amhara and Afar.

In total, more than 2 million people have fled their homes, and some 48,000 have fled across the border into neighboring Sudan as refugees, according to U.S. officials.

In response to those warnings, however, the Ethiopian government expelled U.N. officials from the country two weeks ago — sparking more international condemnation. Ethiopia’s ambassador to the U.N. accused those officials last Wednesday of falsifying data — prompting a striking rebuttal from U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Already, there are reports of people starving to death. USAID Administrator Samantha Power said today that people are going multiple days without food, left to eat leaves.

“Innocent Ethiopian lives depend upon the government of Ethiopia immediately reestablishing communications, banking and other vital services within Tigray, and fully restoring transport corridors and air linkages to Tigray,” said Power, who convened Tuesday’s high-level meeting of G7 countries and other major donor countries.

The countries discussed the “possibility of augmenting road operations — which are failing to meet urgent humanitarian needs due to government obstruction — by expanding air operations to deliver relief supplies directly to the region,” she added in her statement.

That kind of airlift would still require the Ethiopian government’s permission, however, and would be far less effective at bringing in supplies than convoys of trucks, according to Del Conte. One cargo aircraft would cost more than up to 100 trucks in a convoy, he said, while feeding only about as much aid as what one double-trailer truck could carry.

In addition to Power’s summit, Blinken held his own high-level meetings Tuesday on Ethiopia. He met one-on-one first with the African Union’s Olusegun Obasanjo, the former Nigerian president now serving as special envoy for the Horn of Africa — before they joined Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who heads the regional bloc the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, along with the EU and UK’s top diplomats and senior diplomats from Germany and France.

Together, they discussed the conflict and agreed to urge “the parties to the conflict to immediately end abuses, to enter into negotiations toward a ceasefire, and to lay the foundation for a broader and inclusive dialogue to restore peace in Ethiopia and preserve the unity of the Ethiopian state,” Price told reporters during a briefing.

But with this new offensive, it seems clear Abiy has no interest in a dialogue — instead hoping a communications blackout means the world will not pay attention.

“The government in Addis has shown remarkable commitment to a military solution to the conflict,” said Del Conte, now the leader of Refugees International’s Stop Tigray Famine campaign. “What we see out of northern Ethiopia is going to be dramatic and significant. … I’m deeply concerned at the unwillingness to change directions in any way.”

Off-duty female NYPD officer fatally shoots woman after finding her with partner, police say

October 14, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A New York City police officer is in custody after she allegedly shot two women, killing one, at a home in Brooklyn.

The officer, who was off-duty at the time, is believed to have shot both women — one of whom she was dating — when they returned to the home where the officer’s girlfriend lived.

Police said the off-duty officer shot a 24-year-old woman in her chest, “possibly more than one time,” at the Bensonhurt home. The victim, identified as Jamie Liang, was taken to Maimonides Medical Center and was pronounced dead, police said.

The other woman, a 23-year-old, who was in the romantic relationship with the officer, was shot in the torso and is expected to survive, police said.

The suspect, 31, is a police officer in the 72nd District, which encompasses the Park Slope and Sunset Park areas of Brooklyn.

The officer had worked for the NYPD for 5 1/2 years. Police said she was at a local hospital for evaluation.

“We believe it is domestic in nature. We believe all three parties knew each other,” Assistant Chief Michael Kemper, commanding officer of Patrol Borough Brooklyn South, said at a press conference Wednesday evening.

“We believe they had an intimate relationship,” he said of the officer and the 23-year-old woman.

The officer remained at the scene and told police she had shot the two women, according to police.

Police said they were still investigating, but recovered a gun on the scene and “there’s a very good chance it is her service weapon,” Kemper said.

“The whole incident is horrible, but these cops performed great, just heroically, and this is what NYPD cops come upon every single day,” Kemper said. “Is this an incident they would want to come upon? No. But unfortunately throughout their careers they come upon this.”

Luke Bryan sees a day when he’ll trade in arenas for Friday night football games

October 14, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Tonight in Irvine, California, Luke Bryan kicks off the final four shows on his Proud to Be Right Here Tour.

And as much as he’s enjoying being back on the road, the reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year is looking ahead to a time when he won’t be hitting it quite so hard, as he steps back to spend more time with his sons, 13-year-old Bo and 11-year-old Tate.

“The boys have been coming out some on the road with me this year,” Luke explains, “and I’ve got hunting trips planned and fishing trips planned.”

“And I think as my boys get a little older and really start being in varsity sports and stuff,” he continues, “I’m gonna really have to take some tangible, you know, [time off, and] back the afterburners off. And certainly I’m prepared for that.”

For now, Luke heads to Fresno and San Bernardino, California on Friday and Saturday, before wrapping the trek October 28 in Brandon, Mississippi.

“Right now, it’s like, let’s get things rocking,” Luke says. “And as long as I’m having fun doing it — and I mean, my voice feels better than it’s ever been, and I’ve been having a blast out on stage. So as long as I’m having fun, I’m gonna keep doing stuff.”

“But then, you know, things will certainly have to naturally slow down,” he points out.

There’s not much slowing down in the near future, however. Luke plays Florida’s Tortuga Music Festival in November before hosting his popular Crash My Playa getaway vacation in Mexico in January. In February, he heads to Sin City to kick off his Vegas residency.

Meanwhile, Luke’s just released “Up,” on the heels of his latest #1, “Waves.”

Five dead, two injured in random bow and arrow attack in Norway

October 14, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(KONGSBERG, Norway) — Five people were killed and two others injured in an apparently random attack in Kongsberg, Norway, late Wednesday as a man roamed the city shooting people with a bow and arrow.

Authorities said the man was taken into custody in the city center and is currently being held in the nearby city of Drammen.

Police are not searching for any other suspects.

“Based on the information we have at the present time; the apprehended man has acted alone. We will also have to look at whether this is an act of terror or not,” Øyvind Aas, the city’s assistant chief of police, said in a statement. “The suspect has not yet been questioned by the police, and it is therefore too early to say anything about his motivation for his actions.”

The suspect was identified as a 37-year-old man who lived in Kongsberg, but is a Danish citizen. He has been charged in the crime, police said.

Kongsberg is located about an hour southwest of Oslo.

Police said the man was spotted walking around the city shooting at random around 6:30 p.m. local time and was taken into custody about 20 minutes later. Photos from the city showed arrows stuck in walls of buildings.

One of those who was injured was an off-duty police officer, authorities said.

“There has been, and there still is a major police activity in the area,” Aas said. “The reason for this is that the suspect has moved over a large area, and we are now working on securing evidence and get as much information about the incident as we can.”

In a statement, the U.S. State Department said, “We are aware of today’s attack and extend our heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families.”

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