WASHINGTON/CHICAGO (Reuters) – U.S. deaths from coronavirus could reach 200,000 with millions of cases, the government’s top infectious diseases expert warned on Sunday as New York, New Orleans and other major cities pleaded for more medical supplies.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, estimated in an interview with CNN that the pandemic could cause between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths in the United States.
Since 2010, the flu has killed between 12,000 and 61,000 Americans a year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 1918-19 flu pandemic killed 675,000 in the United States, according to the CDC here
The U.S. coronavirus death toll topped 2,400 on Sunday, after deaths on Saturday more than doubled from the level two days prior. The United States has now recorded more than 137,000 cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, the most of any country in the world.
Click here for a GRAPHIC on U.S. coronavirus cases
Jason Brown, who was laid off from his job in digital media due to the pandemic, said Fauci’s estimate was scary.
“I feel like it’s just growing, growing, growing,” said Brown, who is 27 and lives in Los Angeles, one of the epicenters of the outbreak. “There’s no vaccine. It seems like a lot of people don’t take it seriously in the U.S. so it makes me believe that this would become more drastic and drastic.”
Erika Andrade, a teacher who lives in Trumbull, Connecticut, said she was already expecting widespread deaths from the virus before Fauci’s estimate on Sunday.
“I wasn’t surprised that he said the numbers were coming. They were lower than what I actually expected,” said Andrade, 49. “I’m worried for my mother. I’m worried for the people I love.”
In New York, the usually bustling city was quiet except for the sound of ambulance sirens.
“It feels very apocalyptic,” said Quentin Hill, 27, of New York City, who works for a Jewish nonprofit. “It almost feels like we’re in wartime.”
New York state reported nearly 60,000 cases and a total of 965 deaths on Sunday, up 237 in the past 24 hours with one person dying in the state every six minutes. The number of patients hospitalized is slowing, doubling every six days instead of every four, Governor Andrew Cuomo said.
Stephanie Garrido, 36, a tech worker from Manhattan, said she has not left her home in 15 days, receiving her groceries by delivery. Too many New Yorkers have underestimated the aggressiveness of the virus as many people continue to socialize and congregate, Garrido said.
“Those people are in denial or just don’t think it will affect them. It’s extremely inconsiderate,” Garrido said. “People need to consider that this will be much longer term.”
The governors of at least 21 states, representing more than half the U.S. population of 330 million, have told residents to stay home and closed non-essential businesses.
Maryland arrested a man who repeatedly violated the ban on large gatherings by hosting a bonfire party with 60 guests, Governor Larry Hogan said on Sunday.
One bright spot on Sunday was Florida reporting about 200 more cases but no new deaths, with its toll staying at 56.
President Donald Trump has talked about reopening the country by Easter Sunday, April 12, despite many states such as New York ordering residents to stay home past that date. On Saturday, he seemed to play down those expectations, saying only “We’ll see what happens.”
Tests to track the disease’s progress also remain in short supply, despite repeated White House promises that they would be widely available.
Trump, who is due to hold a news conference at 5 p.m. ET (2100 GMT), bragged on Twitter about the millions of Americans tuning in to watch the daily briefings.
VENTILATOR SHORTAGE
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, whose state has become one the fastest growing areas for the virus, especially in the county that includes Detroit, called the rapid spread “gut-wrenching.”
“We have nurses wearing the same mask from the beginning of their shift until the end, masks that are supposed to for one patient at one point in your shift. We need some assistance and we’re going to need thousands of ventilators,” Whitmer told CNN.
New York City will need hundreds more ventilators in a few days and more masks, gowns and other supplies by April 5, Mayor Bill de Blasio said to CNN.
New Orleans will run out of ventilators around April 4, John Bel Edwards told CBS.
Slideshow (13 Images)
Ventilators are breathing machines needed by many of those suffering from the pneumonia-like respiratory ailment and many hospitals fear they will not have enough.
Dr. Arabia Mollette, an emergency medicine physician at Brookdale and St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx, say she now works in a “medical warzone.”
“We’re trying to keep our heads above water without drowning,” Mollette said. “We are scared. We’re trying to fight for everyone else’s life, but we also fight for our lives as well.”
Click here for a GRAPHIC tracking the spread of the global coronavirus
Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch, Doina Chiacu and Chris Sanders in Washington, Karen Freifeld in New York, Tom Polansek in Chicago and Dan Trotta; Writing by Lisa Shumaker; Editing by Daniel Wallis
La animadora y actriz venezolana Caterina Valentino aclaró su preferencia sexual a causa de rumores que han surgido en los últimos días.
A través de su cuenta en la red social Instagram, Valentino se pronunció porque tras este rumor existe “la maldad y ella cree saber de dónde viene”, por lo que manifestó que no tendría problemas en decirlo si fuese su caso.
“Si yo fuera bisexual, lesbiana, homosexual o como quieras etiquetar créeme que con lo bien plantada y lo clara, no tendría problema alguno en decirlo. No somos etiquetas, somos humanos”, dijo.
La artista defendió el derecho que tienen los homosexuales de amar a una persona de su mismo sexo, a su juicio, son seres maravillosos. “Cada quien tiene #Libertad para ser, amar y querer lo que sea en la vida. Tengo grandes amigos homosexuales. Y eso no les hace menos. Son seres humanos con sentimientos y necesidades iguales a las mías, a las tuyas. Son seres maravillosos”.
Asimismo, denunció que ha sufrido diversos “hackeos” en sus cuentas personales en Internet. Finalmente, aseveró que su vida es la mejor carta de presentación, esto en cuanto a comentarios negativos que le han dejado en sus redes sociales.
Day seven of major power outages across Venezuela that, coupled with a water shortage and medical supply emergency, has citizens taking desperate measures; Gillian Turner reports.
Venezuelan intelligence agents have “kidnapped” a top aide to interim leader Juan Guaidó following a middle-of-the-night raid at gunpoint, where agents allegedly planted firearms and a grenade to justify the arrest.
The detention of Guaido’s chief of staff, Roberto Marrero, came shortly after the Venezuelan authorities entered and searched the homes of Marrero and opposition lawmaker Sergio Vergara on Thursday. Vergara said he was woken up by heavy banging at his door and agents pointing weapons at him.
Both officials accompanied the interim leader on a recent Latin American tour to galvanize opposition to the socialist Nicolas Maduro regime and shore up support for Guaido as the legitimate leader of the country.
Guaido accused the regime of kidnapping and urged it to release his aide, whose location remains unknown, the BBC reported.
The opposition leader said Venezuelan intelligence agents planted “two rifles and a grenade” at his aide’s home during the raid. “We don’t know where he is. He should be freed immediately,” Guaido tweeted.
The Trump administration, meanwhile, condemned the raids and threatened Maduro’s regime with consequences.
“The United States condemns raids by Maduro’s security services and detention of Roberto Marrero, Chief of Staff to Interim President @jguaido,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote in a tweet. “We call for his immediate release. We will hold accountable those involved.”
Vergara was reportedly also briefly detained following the raids. According to the BBC, he said over 40 heavily armed officers from the intelligence agency raided the properties.
Most Western governments, including the U.S., are backing Guaidó and recognize his legitimacy. Venezuelan prosecutors say Guaidó is being investigated for alleged links to violence as well as for any connection to the nation’s worst power outages that plunged the country into darkness for extensive time periods.
Venezuelan government officials directly blamed the U.S. — including Florida Senator Marco Rubio — for the outages. More reliable sources peg the blackouts as being caused due to crumbling infrastructure.
Al menos diez personas -entre ciudadanos turcos y extranjeros- murieron como consecuencia de una fuerte explosión ocurrida este martes en la plaza del Sultán Ahmet de Estambul, en Turquía. Quince más resultaron heridas.
Según el presidente turco, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, se trató de un atacante suicida de origen sirio que accionó los explosivos hacia las 10:00 de la mañana hora local, en una zona céntrica y turística.
Un carnet de identidad encontrado en el lugar de la explosión, entre restos humanos, sugiere que tenía 28 años, añadió el viceprimer ministro, Bülent Arinç.
En ella se encuentra la Mezquita Azul, el palacio Topkapi y Santa Sofía. Miles de personas la visitan a diario, unas 10 millones al año.
La agencia de noticias turca Dogan informó que entre los heridos hay al menos seis alemanes, un noruego y un peruano.
El Ministerio de Exteriores de Alemania está investigando estos reportes, señalan medios de ese país.
Y también lo está haciendo el Ministerio de Exteriores de Noruega, según un portavoz del mismo.
Image copyright EPA
Image caption
Es el distrito más turístico de la ciudad, donde se encuentra la Mezquita Azul.
Víctimas extranjeras y turcas
En conferencia de prensa, el mandatario turco agregó que entre los muertos hay turcos y extranjeros.
Por su parte, la oficina del gobernador señaló que están investigando qué tipo de explosivo fue el utilizado.
El primer ministro turco, Ahmet Davutoğlu, convocó una reunión por emergencia de seguridad.
Los testigos dijeron haber escuchado un fuerte estallido, y en las imágenes emitidas por el canal de televisión CNN Turk se vió a la policía y a varias ambulancias llegar a la escena.
Image copyright Reuters
Image caption
Varias ambulancias han llegado inmediatamente al lugar de la explosión.
Mark Lowen, corresponsal de la BBC en Estambul, dijo que la explosión se escuchó en gran parte de la ciudad.
Y los propietarios de varias tiendas vieron una gran bola de fuego tras el estruendo, contó la periodista turca Barcin Yiananc a la BBC.
El área fue evacuada y acordonada, aunque para el mediodía ya se había restablecido el tráfico.
Las autoridades destinaron a la zona a 500 policías y varios helicópteros están sobrevolando al zona, informa desde el lugar el peridista de la BBC Shahdi Alkashif.
Blanco de ataques
Turquía fue el blanco de dos ataques con bomba el año pasado.
En una de ellas, llevada a cabo en julio por un atacante suicida del grupo autodenominado Estado Islámico en Suruc, cerca de la frontera con Siria, fallecieron 30 personas.
Y los muertos fueron un centenar en octubre, en un ataque contra la estación principal de Ankara, la capital turca.
Fue el más funesto ataque registrado contra Turquía.
Image copyright AFP Getty
Image caption
La zona de la explosión es una de las más concurridas de la ciudad. Centenares de personas la visitan a diario.
La fiscalía señaló que fue llevado a cabo por una célula local de Estado Islámico.
Y un grupo de extrema izquierda también realizó ataques esporádicos en Estambul, recuerda el corresponsal de la BBC Mark Lowen.
Mientras, la violencia se ha disparado entre las fuerzas turcas y los militantes kurdos del Partido de los Trabajadores del Kurdistán (PKK) en el sureste del país, desde que se rompiera el alto el fuego en noviembre.
Durante décadas el PKK ha luchado por lograr la autonomía kurda. Pero ahora se ha convertido en un elemento clave en el combate contra Estado Islámico.
UNIONDALE, Nueva York, 14 de abril de 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Arbor Commercial Mortgage, LLC, una de las mayores empresas de préstamos directos para inmuebles comerciales del país, ha lanzado ALEX Chatter, la primera y única fuente de la industria multifamiliar para investigación, análisis y noticias de transacciones de inversiones multifamiliares de saldo pequeño. ALEX Chatter se creó como el blog de noticias e investigación de Arbor LoanExpress, la primera plataforma en línea de préstamos a agencias de la industria para inversionistas multifamiliares, corredores y prestamistas corresponsales. ALEX Chatter, que es gratis para los suscriptores, está diseñado para llenar el vacío de información que existía anteriormente en el mercado multifamiliar de saldo pequeño, que suele abarcar transacciones de $1 millón a $7 millones.
ALEX Chatter cuenta con datos exclusivos y a profundidad de mercado e inversión de saldo pequeño de Chandan Economics, y también ofrece a los visitantes noticias específicas que cubren los acuerdos de adquisición y financiación del sector directamente de GlobeSt.com además de útiles consejos y conocimientos de inversión de Elite Apartment Coaching, una empresa consultora que ayuda a los individuos a invertir en bienes raíces multifamiliares.
“Para los inversionistas, históricamente ha habido una cantidad considerable de investigaciones de calidad disponibles para activos multifamiliares más grandes, tanto al nivel nacional como de mercado a mercado. Sin embargo, esos datos no existen para aquellos inversionistas multifamiliares que apuntan a activos menores de costo más bajo, dejándolos sin una información adecuada para respaldar sus estrategias de negocios”, explicó Ivan Kaufman, presidente de la junta directiva y CEO de Arbor. “ALEX Chatter se creó para resolver esa deficiencia de datos e investigaciones y permitir a los dueños y a los agentes tomar decisiones más inteligentes con más información”.
Chandan Economics es el socio de investigación de ALEX Chatter, y ha utilizado su experiencia como uno de los principales proveedores de datos y análisis de hipotecas de inmuebles comerciales en el país para revelar una información muy específica que sirve con más exactamente y más adecuadamente al mercado multifamiliar de saldo pequeño.
“Los activos multifamiliares menores funcionan de modo distinto al de sus contrapartes mayores, tanto en su rendimiento de la inversión como en detalles fundamentales. Hasta este punto, la investigación de la industria se ha enfocado principalmente en edificios de apartamentos de más tamaño, típicamente en el centro urbano. ALEX Chatter aporta una innovación en este sentido, al arrojar luz sobre los factores que impulsan el rendimiento de las propiedades más pequeñas”, explicó el Dr. Sam Chandan, economista principal y fundador de Chandan Economics. “Más investigaciones específicas sobre el mercado de saldo pequeño producirán una mejor información sobre el rendimiento de los activos pequeños, la dinámica de la liquidez del saldo pequeño y las necesidades de los prestatarios, así como la demografía y la demanda de inquilinos”.
Acerca de nosotros Fundadas por el presidente y CEO Ivan Kaufman, Arbor Commercial Mortgage, LLC y Arbor Commercial Funding, LLC son empresas nacionales de préstamos directos que se especializan en producción y administración de préstamos para activos multifamiliares, viviendas para personas mayores, cuidado de la salud y otros activos diversos de bienes raíces comerciales. Arbor es una de las 10 Principales Empresas de Préstamos Multifamiliares de Fannie Mae DUS® por volumen y una empresa principal de Préstamos Pequeños de Fannie Mae, un vendedor/administrador de Freddie Mac Program Plus® y la Principal Empresa de Préstamos de Saldo Pequeño de Freddie Mac, una Empresa de Préstamos a Viviendas para Personas Mayores de Fannie Mae y Freddie Mac, una Empresa de Préstamos de Procesamiento Multifamiliar Acelerado/LEAN de laFHA, una Empresa de Préstamos LIHTC aprobados por el HUD, así como una empresa de préstamos CMBS, Puente, Mezzanine y de Capital Preferente, que mejora constantemente su reputación de servicio, calidad y flexibilidad. Arbor también ofrece Arbor LoanExpress, una plataforma en línea de producción y procesamiento de préstamos, diseñada para que el financiamiento multifamiliar sea más fácil y más rápido para los prestatarios, los agentes y los prestamistas corresponsales. Con una cartera actual de administración de más de $12,000 millones, Arbor es un administrador primario de préstamos comerciales y un administrador especial calificado por Standard & Poor’s con una clasificación de Por Encima del Promedio. Arbor también está en la Lista de Administradores Selectos de Standard & Poor’s y es un administrador primario de préstamos comerciales y un administrador especial de préstamos de nivel especial clasificado por Fitch Ratings.
Arbor Commercial Mortgage, LLC también administra Arbor Realty Trust, Inc., un fondo de inversión en bienes raíces (REIT), formado para invertir en valores relacionados con hipotecas, puente relacionado con bienes raíces, intereses menores participantes en primeras hipotecas, préstamos mezzanine, inversiones de capital preferente y directo y, en casos limitados, pagarés hipotecarios con descuento y otros activos relacionados con bienes raíces. Arbor tiene su sede en Uniondale, Nueva York, con oficinas de préstamos de servicio completo en distintas partes de los Estados Unidos. Para más información sobre Arbor, visite www.arbor.com.
Senate Republicans on Wednesday used a controversial procedural tactic called the “nuclear option” to change the chamber’s rules to make it easier to confirm lower-level Trump nominees.
The effort, led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, comes after Republicans failed to adopt a resolution to change the chamber’s rules so that non-Cabinet level executive and district court nominations would face only two hours of floor debate rather than 30 before a confirmation vote. That resolution received only 51 of the 60 votes required for adoption, along party lines.
The Senate’s action on Wednesday was expected to last well into the afternoon; the chamber first voted 51-48 largely along party lines to change its rules to slash debate time for sub-Cabinet level executive branch nominees, and GOP leadership planned to take the same action again later in the day for district court judges.
“This systematic obstruction is unfair to our duly elected president and, more importantly, it is disrespectful to the American people who deserve the government they elected,” McConnell, R-Ky., said on the Senate floor Wednesday before the first vote. “We cannot set this new precedent that the Senate minorities will systematically keep an administration understaffed down to the least controversial nominees anytime they wish somebody else had won the election.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said before the floor vote, “I am sorry, so sorry, my Republican colleagues have gone along with Senator McConnell’s debasement of the Senate. To do this for such blatantly political ends is simply unworthy of this institution.”
McConnell’s move marks the third time in six years that the majority party employed the procedure to overcome minority opposition, allowing an action previously subject to a filibuster, and thus a 60-vote threshold, to pass with a simple 51-vote majority.
In 2013, Democrats used the move to eliminate the 60-vote threshold to confirm executive branch and non-Supreme Court judicial nominations under President Barack Obama. Republicans did the some to clear the way for Supreme Court nominations, confirming Neil Gorsuch to the high court in 2017 and Brett Kavanaugh last year.
Democrats opposed Wednesday’s action, arguing it would reduce the role of debate in the Senate and diminish the minority party’s power, making its operations more like those of the House.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., on Tuesday called it a “short-sighted, partisan power grab” and “an erosion of the Senate’s” advise and consent role.
McConnell has made confirming judges nominated by President Donald Trump a priority during Trump’s first term. The rule change will also help Republicans confirm other Trump nominees who have yet to receive a full Senate vote.
Dartunorro Clark
Dartunorro Clark is a political reporter for NBC News.
Noticias Telemundo has released new details of “Francisco en México,” its special coverage of Pope Francis’s historic visit to Mexico. The network’s unique programming will begin on February 10 – Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent – with special live uplinks from Mexico City, and will continue as the Pope travels to cities across the country over the following days. A team of acclaimed reporters and presenters, including musical superstar Lucero and actress and television host Adamari López, will help cover Francis’s activities on this his first trip to Mexico.
On Thursday, February 11, the day before the Pope’s arrival, network programs such as “Un Nuevo Día,” “Al Rojo Vivo” and “Noticiero Telemundo” will offer live reports from Mexico City by José Díaz-Balart, Adamari López, Karina Monroy, Agustín Oláis, Raúl Torres, Rogelio Mora-Tagle and Azucena Cierco, about the extensive preparations for the papal tour.
Special segments on the same shows and a dedicated feature at 8PM/7C will document the Pope’s arrival on Mexican soil on Friday, February 12. Noticias Telemundo reporters Edgardo del Villar, Jimena Duarte, Rogelio Mora, Agustín Oláis and Raúl Torres will be stationed at key points across the capital, including the airport, the Basilica of Guadalupe and the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See, where the Pope will spend the night.
On Saturday, February 13, “Francisco en México” will begin its special coverage at 9AM/8C, when the Pope is scheduled to arrive in Mexico City’s Zócalo, or Main Square. Noticias Telemundo team will also accompany the pontiff at 5PM/4C as he says Mass at the Basilica of Guadalupe and views the famous image of the Virgin, a holy relic that commemorates the arrival of Catholicism in Latin America.
Noticias Telemundo will also broadcast the Masses the Pope will lead at a number of other sites around the country, starting on Sunday, February 14 at 10:30AM/9:30C with the event expected to draw the biggest crowd, a religious service in the municipality of Ecatepec in the State of Mexico. On Monday, February 15, Francis will travel to San Cristóbal de las Casas, where, at 10:30AM/9:30C, he will hold a Mass dedicated to the indigenous groups of southeastern Mexico. He will officiate over a similar ceremony the following day (Tuesday, February 16 at 10AM/9C) in Venustiano Carranza Stadium in Morelia, the state capital of Michoacán.
The Pope’s final stop in Mexico will be in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, on Wednesday, February. His time there will include a number of activities, including a visit to a state prison, where he will read a homily for the inmates at 12PM/11C. Noticias Telemundo will also bring viewers cross-border coverage of the special ceremony the Pope will lead at 5:30PM/4:30C on the former Feria Expo grounds, just meters from the US border, which will include a Mass dedicated to migrants in both countries. Felicidad Aveleyra will cover the Mass from the US side, in El Paso, Texas, showing the impact of the Pope’s historic visit for viewers on both sides of the border.
Search resumes for person of interest in Gabby Petito case
Elizabeth Fry reports
NORTH PORT, Fla. – As searches continue out west for missing Florida woman Gabby Petito, police resumed their search for her fiancé – and person of interest in her disappearance – in a swampy, wooded Sarasota preserve Sunday.
Petito and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, were on a cross-country trip, visiting scenic locations and sharing them on social media. Family reported Petito missing on September 11 after not hearing from her since August 25; Laundrie returned to their Northport home on September 1 with the van the couple was traveling in – without Petito.
Investigators spent two hours at the Laundrie home collecting things they say may help them find Brian and hopefully get answers.
An attorney for the Petito family says Brian is not missing but rather on the run, adding that the Laundrie family’s request to have the North Port police look for their son but not for Gabby is “reprehensible and hypocritical.”
The search resumed Sunday morning (NPPD photo)
Saturday, 50 law enforcement officers from five agencies, including the North Port Police Department and the FBI, began searching the Carlton Reserve, a 25,000-acre park in Venice.
“Brian’s parents have reported to us that he was last seen Tuesday when he went for a hike there. They reported him missing three days later. The North Port Police Department and the FBI are working to corroborate the story,” North Port Police Department public information officer Josh Taylor said.
As day one of the search for Brian wound down, FBI agents were preparing to search Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park for Gabby. Taylor said that search was based on investigations into the last place she is believed to have been.
Petito’s family said Sunday that the FBI is aware of a video that shows a similar white van at a campground in Grand Teton National Park on Aug. 27 – a few days after their last contact with her.
Meanwhile, a crowd gathered in North Port last night, hoping and praying for Gabby’s safe return. The vigil only lasted about 15 minutes, but those who attended say it was an important way for them to show support for Gabby’s family.
Vigil shows support for Gabby Petito’s family
Jordan Bowen reports
People held signs that said, “North Port loves Gabby.” Someone sang amazing grace while others spoke to the crowd.
“We do need to find her, don’t we? Gabby needs to be found, and so what I want to do is I want to pray.”
“There’s not really much we can do for them outside of giving them prayer and giving them our support as a community because if you live here in North Port you know this is a small city.”
Investigators are asking the public for help in locating both Petito and Laundrie. They say Laundrie is described as a white male, 5-foot-8 and weighing 160 pounds. He has brown eyes, very short brown hair, trimmed facial hair, and was last seen wearing a hiking bag with a waist strap.
Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-Call-FBI.
Police released the names Saturday morning of the five employees killed in Friday’s shooting at the Henry Pratt building in Aurora.
In addition to Wehner, they include:
Clayton Parks of Elgin, the human resources manager
Russell Beyer of Yorkville, a mold operator
Vicente Juarez of Oswego, a stock room attendant and forklift operator
Josh Pinkard also of Oswego, plant manager
Another shooting victim, a male employee, was treated at a local hospital for non-life threatening gunshot wounds.
In the morning hours following the shooting at the historic Henry Pratt Building in Aurora, family members of the victims began identifying loved ones, surviving employees met with grief counselors and a community continued to absorb the shock of this local tragedy.
In addition to Wehner, Parks was an NIU alumnus, according to a statement issued by NIU President Dr. Lisa C. Freeman.
Freeman noted that Parks graduated from from the NIU College of Business in 2014.
“Loss like this is devastating and senseless. I ask our university community to please keep the Wehner and Parks families, friends and communities in your hearts and offer them caring thoughts,” Freeman said.
“It’s important that we also support one another during this time of grief and sadness. Please know that there are a variety of resources available to you. Students seeking support can contact Counseling and Consultation Services 24-hours a day at 815-753-1206. Our Division of Students Affairs staff is also available to provide assistance and support services. For faculty and staff, NIU offers support though our Employee Assistance Program.”
Mueller Water Products, the company that operates the Henry Pratt facility, released this statement on its Twitter account:
“Mueller Water Products is shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific tragedy that occurred today at our Henry Pratt facility in Aurora, Illinois.
Our hearts are with the victims and their loved ones, the first responders, the Aurora community and the entire Mueller family during this extremely difficult time.
Our entire focus is on the health and well-being of our colleagues and we are committed to providing any and all support to them and their families.
We continue to work closely with law enforcement, with whom we share our deepest gratitude for their support.”
Five employees of the west suburban valve company were killed Friday when their former colleague, Gary Martin of Aurora, apparently despondent following the recent loss of his job, entered the building with a handgun and began firing.
Police responded, and immediately took fire from Martin. Five of the officers were struck by gunfire at the scene before eventually shooting Martin, who died from his wounds.
Officers continued to search the 29,000 sq. ft. warehouse for additional evidence as the investigation continues.
For Terra Pinkard, the nightmare began with an ominous text from her husband: “I love you, I’ve been shot at work.”
Pinkard would soon learn that her husband, Josh Pinkard, was among the five people killed when a co-worker who was being terminated from Henry Pratt Co. opened fire. Pinkard, 37, was the manager of the plant, where water valves are made.
In a Facebook message posted on Sunday, Terra Pinkard said it took her “several times reading it for it to hit me that it was real.”
Then, she wrote, she started calling his phone. She texted and FaceTimed him — and got no response. She reached someone at the plant who told her she was “barricaded in her room with police everywhere.”
“Of course my heart dropped,” Pinkard wrote. Then she said she loaded the couple’s three children into her car and drove toward the plant, but was stopped by an officer stationed at one of the closed streets, who could not provide any information.
So then she drove to two local hospitals but still could not get any news of her husband.
“While waiting (at the second hospital for) news, chaplains, my pastor, neighbors, his coworkers, came to sit with me and hold my hand,” she wrote. Hours later, an officer told her of a staging area for victims’ families. “I don’t know how my body drove itself there but it did,” Pinkard wrote.
There, another officer read a list of fatalities; her husband’s name was on it.
“I immediately left and went to get my kids,” she wrote. Out-of-state family members were still on flights into the Chicago area — Josh Pinkard hailed from the small town of Holly Pond, Ala., though his immediate family now lives in Oswego — so Terra Pinkard said her pastor supported her as she broke the news to her children.
“I told my children that their dad did not make it and is in heaven with Jesus,” she wrote. “I’ve never had to do something that hard.”
Josh Pinkard had worked for Mueller Water Products, Pratt’s parent company, for at least a dozen years and started working in Aurora last April, according to his LinkedIn page. Loved ones say he was devoted to his wife and children and was a fan of sports teams from Mississippi State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree.
“I want to shout from the rooftops about how amazing Josh was!” his wife wrote in a Facebook post Sunday. “He was brilliant! The smartest person I’ve ever met! My best friend! The man I would have leaned on during devastation like this who would tell me it’s ok Terra, it is all going to be fine. The man who was dying and found the clarity of mind for just a second to send me one last text to let me know he would always love me. This unbelievable person was robbed from us.”
Authorities identified the other Henry Pratt Co. employees who were killed when gunman Gary Martin opened fire as Clayton Parks, 32, of Elgin; Trevor Wehner, 21, of Sheridan, Ill.; Russell Beyer, 47, of Yorkville; and Vicente Juarez, 54, of Oswego. Wehner was a Northern Illinois University student who had started an internship at Henry Pratt the day of the shooting.
Five Aurora officers were also injured when Martin opened fire on first responders. Four of those officers had been released from the hospital as of Sunday, officials said. Martin died at the scene in an exchange of gunfire with police, authorities said.
In Louisiana, I-10 westbound is closed from exit 4 to the Louisiana-Texas state line, Louisiana DOTD said Friday morning. Louisiana Highway 12 westbound also is closed from Starks to the Louisiana-Texas state line.
In Texas, I-10 is closed in both directions between Beaumont and Winnie, Texas DOT said on Twitter. There is no estimate when the section of I-10 will reopen.
“We are monitoring and will open as soon as it is safe to do so,” Texas traffic officials said Friday morning.
More than 41 inches of rain fell on I-10 between Winnie and Beaumont in 72 hours from remnants of Tropical Storm Imelda, Texas DOT said Thursday morning.
A major Interstate 10 bridge near Houston also is shut down after several barges broke loose and hit the support structure, according to The Associated Press.
The U.S. Coast Guard says witnesses reported early Friday that nine barges had broken away from their moorings at a shipyard. The Coast Guard says at least two of the barges struck the Interstate 10 bridge over the San Jacinto River at Channelview, about 15 miles east of Houston.
The bridge has to be inspected before it can be reopened.
Parts of Interstate 10 are flooded in Texas between Beaumont and Houston, Texas traffic officials said. (Image via DriveTexas.org)
On its website, Texas DOT said the following roads are closed due to flooding:
– Interstate 10 in both directions between Beaumont and Winnie
– Interstate 10 in both directions from Winnie to Mont Belvieu
– Highway 12 in both directions from Texas/Louisiana state line to Vidor
If the road is flooded, drivers are cautioned to turn around and seek an alternate route.
Ever since Colorado and Washington became the first two states to approve marijuana legalization initiatives in 2012, additional states have joined them in each biennial election that has followed. And 2020 could be a banner year for cannabis on the ballot.
There are at least 16 states where advocates believe marijuana measures could go before voters next year—some considering full-scale recreational legalization while others would focus on medical cannabis.
Getty
Some of these would be citizen-led voter initiatives where activists collect signatures to qualify a measure for the ballot, while others would be referendums that lawmakers place before voters.
“Since the first adult-use legalization ballot initiative victory in 2012, the marijuana reform movement has successfully maintained its momentum,” Matthew Schweich, deputy director of the Marijuana Policy Project, said. “For four elections in a row there has been a legalization victory at the ballot box, and the upcoming election could deliver more victories in one day than ever before.”
Of course, not every initiated effort will end up securing enough funding, or formulating solid enough campaign plans, to collect sufficient signatures to qualify their measures for voters’ consideration on Election Day—but these are all states where activists or lawmakers have talked seriously about putting cannabis questions on ballots.
It’s not feasible to list every measure that activists took the modest trouble to initially file, and this overview looks primarily at efforts that seem most poised to advance. This post also doesn’t include the long list of states that might legalize marijuana through actions by lawmakers, as opposed to citizens via the ballot—which will be the focus of a separate piece.
In alphabetical order, here’s a comprehensive overview of the states where marijuana could be on the ballot in 2020.
Arizona
Voters in Arizona narrowly rejected a marijuana legalization measure in 2016, thanks in part to sizable campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical industry. In 2020, though, the state’s medical cannabis companies will be working to pass an initiative making marijuana legal for adults.
The effort, known as Smart & Safe Arizona, would allow people 21 and older to possess, consume, cultivate and purchase cannabis from licensed retailers. It would also create a pathway for individuals with prior convictions to have their records expunged, and it proposes using some tax revenue from legal sales to invest in communities disproportionately impacted by prohibition.
Dispensary chains MedMen, Harvest Health and Recreation and Curaleaf Holdings are helping to fund the campaign. Advocates must collect 237,645 valid signatures from voters by July 2 in order to put the measure on the ballot.
Arkansas
In 2016, Arkansas voters approved a constitutional amendment allowing patients to have legal access to medical cannabis. Now, activists are floating separate measures to more broadly end marijuana prohibition and expunge past records.
In order to place the measures on the ballot, Arkansans for Cannabis Reform must gather 89,151 signatures by July 3, including required minimums in at least 15 counties.
Under the legalization proposal, adults over 21 would be allowed to to possess up to four ounces of marijuana, two ounces of cannabis concentrate and edible products containing cannabis with THC content of 200 mg or less. They could also cultivate up to six cannabis seedlings and six cannabis flowering plants for personal use.
A system of legal and regulated sales would be created, with tax revenue funding the program’s implementation, public pre-kindergarten and after school programs as well as the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Under the separate expungements measure, people with certain prior marijuana convictions would be able to petition courts for relief, including release from incarceration, reduction of remaining sentences and restoration of voting rights.
But while Connecticut doesn’t have the initiative process where activists can collect signatures to place a question on the ballot, some elected officials have floated the idea of advancing a referendum that would let voters weigh in on ending prohibition.
Most activists would prefer that lawmakers go ahead and just pass a legalization bill—because running a public education campaign to ensure a ballot measure passes would be expensive at a time when resources are needed in other states. A general referendum question would also require subsequent implementation legislation, and even putting it on the ballot in time for 2020 would take a supermajority of 75 percent of legislators.
Florida
Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment to legalize medical cannabis in 2016. Now, a group called Make It Legal Florida is working to place a full-scale marijuana legalization measure on the key swing state’s 2020 presidential ballot.
The proposed amendment to the state constitution would allow adults 21 and over to possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis. Existing medical marijuana dispensaries would be permitted to sell marijuana to adults. While the measure doesn’t mention a licensing system to establish separate recreational shops, lawmakers will likely enact detailed regulations should it pass, as they did with the prior medical cannabis measure.
The campaign is being backed by cannabis companies such as MedMen and Parallel (formerly known as Surterra Wellness).
A separate group, Regulate Florida, recently acknowledged that its lesser-funded effort wouldn’t be be able to successfully collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.
Idaho
Idaho is one of only a handful of states in the U.S. that doesn’t even allow patients to access CBD medications with low-THC content. That could change, however, under a proposed medical marijuana ballot measure for which activists are currently collecting signatures.
The Idaho Cannabis Coalition’s proposal would let approved patients and their caregivers possess up to four ounces of marijuana. A system of licensed and regulated growers, processors, testers and retail dispensaries would be established.
Patients would not be allowed to grow their own medicine unless they qualify for a hardship exemption for those who have have a physical, financial or distance difficulty in acquiring marijuana at a dispensary. Those patients could grow up to six plants.
Organizers need to collect 55,057 valid signatures from voters in order to qualify the measure for the ballot.
If the initiative is approved, patients with any of 22 conditions—including cancer, chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder—be allowed to possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis per 14-day period.
The secretary of state is expected to announce whether organizers collected a sufficient number of signatures for ballot access early in 2020.
Now, activists are looking to expand on that with a broader marijuana legalization. Several different proposed measures to end cannabis prohibition have been filed with the secretary of state, but the campaigns at this point seem to be operating largely under the radar, so it remains to be seen whether any group will have the funding needed to mount a successful signature gathering drive.
Last year three separate medical cannabis measures ended up qualifying for the ballot, but two were rejected by voters.
Montana
Montana already has a medical cannabis program, and activists are looking to expand that to include legal adult use of marijuana in 2020.
The group New Approach Montana is currently in the process of drafting two separate legalization measures—one constitutional and one statutory.
The details of the proposals aren’t yet publicly available, but the statutory proposal will need roughly 25,500 valid voters signatures to qualify for ballot access, while the constitutional amendment would require nearly 51,000 signatures.
The national groups Marijuana Policy Project and New Approach PAC are backing the effort.
A separate group, MontanaCan, has already filed its own legalization proposal.
Under the referendum adopted by the Senate and Assembly, the November 2020 ballot will contain a question that reads, “Do you approve amending the Constitution to legalize a controlled form of marijuana called cannabis?”
If the proposed constitutional amendment is approved, lawmakers would then get to work adopting regulations for the legal cannabis industry.
New York
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) put marijuana legalization language in his budget submission earlier this year but, despite support for the idea from leading lawmakers, disagreement over particulars such as how to spend tax revenue meant that the proposal didn’t get over the finish line.
“The opposition Senate position is there is no state that has passed it without a referendum. It’s never been done just by the legislature,” he said in a radio interview this year. “I believe Jersey may be moving to a referendum also, but Massachusetts, et cetera, the legislature acted after a referendum. So that’s what the senators who oppose it say—they think it’s an overreach by the legislature.”
If lawmakers can’t agree on the details of legalization again this year, Cuomo may call skittish legislators’ bluff and seek to advance a cannabis referendum to fulfill what he has said is one of his top agenda items.
North Dakota
North Dakota voters approved a medical cannabis ballot measure in 2016 and two years later swiftly defeated a proposal to more broadly legalize marijuana.
But advocates may have another chance in 2020. While the unsuccessful 2018 measure contained no limits on the amount of cannabis people could possess or grow, the new initiative, written by the same group of activists, has robust regulations—including a ban on home cultivation.
Legalization supporters hope more voters will agree to the narrower proposal this time around.
There is also another proposed legalization measure vying to collect the 13,452 valid signatures needed for ballot access.
Ohio
In 2015, Ohio voters overwhelmingly rejected a marijuana legalization measure that even many longtime activists opposed due its proposed regulatory structure that would have granted control over cannabis cultivation to the very same group of wealthy individuals who paid to put it on the ballot.
Advocates have cited the Buckeye State as a potential target for another try in 2020, though no proposals have yet been filed.
Voters in number of communities throughout the state have in recent years approved measures to decriminalize marijuana possession on a local basis, indicating that there is public support for cannabis reform if placed on the state ballot again next year.
That said, Ohio is a large state, and qualifying initiatives there is very expensive, so any successful effort will likely need to have industry support.
Backed by the national New Approach PAC, the new effort will have to collect 178,000 valid signatures from registered voters to qualify for ballot access.
Under the measure as initially filed, adults 21 and older would be allowed to possess, cultivate and purchase cannabis from licensed retailers. There would be a 15 percent excise tax on marijuana sales, revenue from which would cover implementation costs and fund schools, drug treatment programs and other public service programs.
Personal possession would be capped at one ounce and individuals could grow up to six plants. The proposal would also provide expungements for those with prior marijuana convictions.
Backers recently withdrew the initial measure, but plan to redraft it with feedback from the medical cannabis community, with a new version expected to be filed soon.
Rhode Island
Lawmakers in Rhode Island have filed marijuana legalization bills for the last several sessions but they have never been brought to a vote. In 2019, Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) went so far as to put legalization language in her budget proposal, but it was removed by legislative leaders.
The governor has indicated she will make another attempt in 2020, but if that doesn’t pan out, lawmakers may consider putting the question to voters via a referendum.
In 2016, Raimondo said she is “open to” giving voters a chance to decide on legalization via a ballot question. And House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello (D), said that he was “considering the possibility of placing a non-binding referendum question on the ballot regarding the use of recreational marijuana.”
A bill for a marijuana referendum that was filed in 2018 never received a vote, but it’s an avenue the legislature might consider pursuing next year as legalization comes online in more nearby states.
Nebraska
Lawmakers in Nebraska have repeatedly rejected medical cannabis legislation. Frustrated with their colleagues’ unwillingness to change the law to let patient legally medicate, two senators in the state’s unicameral legislature are partnering with local and national advocacy groups to put the question directly to voters through a ballot initiative.
Under the proposed constitutional amendment, physicians or nurse practitioners would be able to issue recommendations to patients, who would then be allowed to “use, possess, access, and safely and discreetly produce an adequate supply of cannabis, cannabis preparations, products and materials, and cannabis-related equipment to alleviate diagnosed serious medical conditions without facing arrest, prosecution, or civil or criminal penalties.”
The measure would also provide for a system of legal and regulated cannabis distribution through dispensaries.
Organizers must collect valid signatures from roughly 122,000 voters in order to make the ballot.
South Dakota
The South Dakota secretary of state’s office certified this month that activists collected more than enough signatures to qualify a medical cannabis measure for the November 2020 ballot.
If approved, patients suffering from debilitating medical conditions would be allowed to possess and purchase up to three ounces of marijuana from a licensed dispensary with approval from their doctors. They could also grow at least three plants, or more if authorized by a physician.
That measure would allow adults 21 and older to possess and distribute up to one ounce of marijuana and cultivate up to three cannabis plants. The state Department of Revenue would issue licenses for manufacturers, testing facilities and retailers.
South Dakota voters rejected medical cannabis ballot measures in 2006 and 2010, but advocates hope that the changing national and regional climate on marijuana reform means that voters will be more supportive this time around.
Non-Marijuana Initiatives On State Ballots
Activists in a few states are taking steps to bring broader drug policy reform questions to voters’ ballots in 2020.
A group called Decriminalize California is preparing to soon begin collecting signatures in support of a measure to legalize psilocybin mushrooms.
Separate from the huge number of states where cannabis and drug policy reform questions could appear before voters on ballots, lawmakers in many states are expected to consider bills to legalize marijuana.
And with presidential candidates increasingly embracing cannabis legalization and other far-reaching reforms, 2020 is poised to be the biggest year for marijuana yet.
“In 2020, hundreds of thousands of Americans will turn out to vote not for the top of the ticket, but for the rights of cannabis consumers in upwards of a dozen states,” said NORML Political Director Justin Strekal. “As we have seen in previous elections, marijuana initiatives increase voter turnout in nearly every demographic. With public support growing by the day, 2020 will be the biggest year yet for expanding the freedoms and liberties of cannabis consumers.”
Media captionRoyal correspondent Jonny Dymond: “It is very clear the palace is very upset about what has happened”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have announced they will step back as “senior” royals and work to become financially independent.
In a statement, Prince Harry and Meghan also said they plan to split their time between the UK and North America.
The BBC understands no other royal – including the Queen or Prince William – was consulted before the statement and Buckingham Palace is “disappointed”.
Senior royals are understood to be “hurt” by the announcement.
In their unexpected statement on Wednesday, also posted on their Instagram page, the couple said they made the decision “after many months of reflection and internal discussions”.
“We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.”
They said they plan to balance their time between the UK and North America while “continuing to honour our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages”.
“This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity.”
‘Major rift’
BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond said the fact palace officials said they were “disappointed” is “pretty strong”.
“I think it indicates a real strength of feeling in the palace tonight – maybe not so much about what has been done but about how it has been done – and the lack of consultation I think will sting.
“This is clearly a major rift between Harry and Meghan on one part, and the rest of the Royal Family on the other.”
Image copyright Getty Images
A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said discussions with the duke and duchess on their decision to step back were “at an early stage”, adding: “We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.”
Over Christmas, the couple took a six-week break from royal duties to spend some time in Canada with their son, Archie, who was born in May.
After returning to the UK on Tuesday, Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, visited Canada’s High Commission in London to thank the country for hosting them and said the warmth and hospitality they received was “unbelievable”.
Image copyright PA Media
Image caption
The couple, together with their son Archie, recently spent time in Canada
During the visit, Meghan said it was an “incredible time” to enjoy the “beauty of Canada”.
“To see Archie go ‘ah’ when you walk by, and just see how stunning it is – so it meant a lot to us.”
Former actress Meghan lived and worked in Toronto during her time starring in the popular US drama Suits, and she has several Canadian friends.
Close up, it was painfully clear that there were great chunks of the job they simply could not stand.
Both of them appeared to come alive with the crowds. But Harry hated the cameras and was visibly bored by the ceremonial.
And though Meghan was often the consummate professional, at times her impatience with the everyday slog of the role sometimes broke through.
She said she didn’t want to become a voiceless figurehead; but when she raised her voice, she found criticism waiting for her.
They both made their feelings known in the 2019 interview with ITV’s Tom Bradby.
But beyond the detail, what was so shocking was how unhappy they both seemed. The sun-drenched wedding of the year before seemed like a dream; here were two people visibly struggling with their lives and positions.
There are far more questions than answers; what will their new role be? Where will they live, and who will pay for it? What relationship will they have with the rest of the Royal Family?
And there’s the institutional question. What does this mean for the Royal Family?
It comes just a few months after Prince Andrew stepped back from his duties. Some might see this as the slimmed-down monarchy that the 21st century needs.
But Harry and Meghan reached people that other royals didn’t.
They were part of the reinvention and refreshing of the institution. This was not the way anyone would have planned its future.
Former Buckingham Palace press officer Dickie Arbiter suggested the decision showed Prince Harry’s “heart ruling his head”.
He told the BBC the “massive press onslaught” when their son Archie was born may have played a part in the decision.
And he compared the move to Edward VIII’s abdication in 1936 in order to marry twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson.
“That is the only other precedent, but there’s been nothing like this in modern times,” Mr Arbiter said.
Image copyright PA
Image caption
Meghan and Prince Harry married in May 2018
Asked how being a “part-time” member of the Royal Family might work, Mr Arbiter said he did not know.
“If they’re going to be based in the UK, it means they are going to be doing a lot of flying [with] a big carbon footprint,” he said, adding that this may “raise eyebrows”.
He also questioned how the couple would become financially independent.
“I mean, Harry is not a poor man, but to settle yourself in two different continents, to raise a family, to continue to do your work – how’s the work going to be funded?
“How is their security going to be funded?
“Because they’re still going to have to have security – who’s going to have to pay for this? Where’s the security coming from? Is the Metropolitan Police going to be providing it and if so whether there’s going to be any contribution in covering the security cost?”
Mr Arbiter also suggested questions would be raised over why £2.4m of taxpayer’s money was spent on renovating the couple’s home, Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, if they will now be living elsewhere for some of the year.
Image copyright Reuters
Image caption
Harry and Meghan met senior Canadian diplomats in London earlier this week
BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond said the couple have “considerable savings”, including Harry’s inheritance from Princess Diana’s estate and the money Meghan earned as an actress.
But, asked about whether they might get jobs, he added: “There is a problem for members of the Royal Family – relatively senior ones, even if they say they’re no longer senior – getting jobs, because they are seen to monetise their brand and you run into a whole host of questions about conflict of interest”.
He added that we are now in “wait and see mode” as to whether this new model of being a royal can work – “or if this is really a staging post for them to leave the Royal Family”.
The Prince of Wales pays for the public duties of Harry, Meghan, William and Kate and some of their private costs, out of his Duchy of Cornwall income, which was £21.6m last year.
Accounts from Clarence House show this funding – in the year Meghan officially joined the Royal Family – stood at just over £5m, up 1.8% on 2017-18.
Royal author Penny Junor said she “can’t quite see how it’s going to work”, adding: “I don’t think it’s been properly thought through.”
“I think it’s extraordinary but also I think it’s rather sad,” she said. “They may not feel they are particularly loved but actually they are very much loved.”
Media caption“Not many people have asked if I’m OK,” says Meghan
In an ITV documentary last year, Meghan admitted motherhood was a “struggle” due to intense interest from newspapers.
Prince Harry also responded to reports of a rift between him and his brother William, the Duke of Cambridge, by saying they were on “different paths”.
In October, the duchess began legal action against the Mail on Sunday over a claim that it unlawfully published one of her private letters.
And the duke also began legal action against the owners of the Sun, the defunct News of the World, and the Daily Mirror, in relation to alleged phone-hacking.
Media captionPrince Harry on his brother, William: “We are certainly on different paths at the moment”
Prince Harry also released a statement, saying: “I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces.”
The duke and duchess moved out of Kensington Palace, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge live, in 2018 to set up their family home in Windsor.
Then last summer, they split from the charity they shared with Prince William and Kate to set up their own charitable projects.
The couple’s announcement on Wednesday comes two months after the Duke of York withdrew from public life after a BBC interview about his ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in August.
CHICAGO — At least six people were shot, including two children, when gunfire erupted at a West Englewood baby shower, police and witnesses said.
According to the Chicago Police Department, the shooting occurred at a family gathering about 6:20 p.m. in the 6300 block of South Seeley Avenue.
Witnesses said it was a baby shower.
An 8-year-old boy was shot in the chest and back and taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, according to police.
A spokesman for the Chicago Fire Department said the boy suffered at least one collapsed lung — and that paramedics performed a life-saving needle decompression procedure in the ambulance.
Police said a 10-year-old girl was shot in the shin and taken to Comer, where her condition had stabilized.
A 29-year-old woman is in critical condition after being shot in the shoulder and chest. She was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center.
A 42-year-old man was shot twice in the hip. A 23-year-old man was shot in the left foot. A 28-year-old man was shot in his right shoulder. All of their conditions had stabilized, authorities said.
Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said witnesses on the scene were not being cooperative.
No one was in custody. Detectives are investigating.
‘The Hunt’ depicts wealthy people hunting people that are less well off.
FOX News operates the FOX News Channel (FNC), FOX Business Network (FBN), FOX News Radio, FOX News Headlines 24/7, FOXNews.com and the direct-to-consumer streaming service, FOX Nation. FOX News also produces FOX News Sunday on FOX Broadcasting Company and FOX News Edge. A top five-cable network, FNC has been the most watched news channel in the country for 17 consecutive years. According to a 2018 Research Intelligencer study by Brand Keys, FOX News ranks as the second most trusted television brand in the country. Additionally, a Suffolk University/USA Today survey states Fox News is the most trusted source for television news or commentary in the country, while a 2017 Gallup/Knight Foundation survey found that among Americans who could name an objective news source, FOX News is the top-cited outlet. FNC is available in nearly 90 million homes and dominates the cable news landscape while routinely notching the top ten programs in the genre.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic leaders are increasingly optimistic they can get to a yes on the new North American trade pact after their latest sit-down with President Donald Trump’s trade chief.
Pelosi and House Democratic leaders reiterated that they want to support the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, but first need the administration to address a host of issues, including enforcement of the deal’s labor provisions.
Story Continued Below
While they have been repeatedly stressing their worries about the new pact for months, lawmakers said they now feel that U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is making a concerted effort to address their concerns.
“The desire of the overwhelming majority of the Democratic caucus is to try to get to yes,” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, told POLITICO.
“He understood the concerns … and that absent [a] resolution, it would be very difficult to get to yes on the agreement,” Jeffries added.
The White House has increased pressure on Congress to pass the deal before August recess. The president faces limited potential legislative victories in the coming months, and key constituents like farmers are getting hurt on other trade fights. Pelosi, for her part, has made clear she will not rush to put the deal to a vote until the necessary changes are made to get Democrats on board with the deal, and that could take a while.
Meanwhile, Trump is on the verge of appeasing concerned Republicans with a deal that would lift steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
Democrats have demanded the Trump administration reopen the text of the deal to write in stronger language to enforce the deal’s labor and environment standards. They’ve also expressed the need to take out language they say would lock in high prescription drug prices. But administration officials have repeatedly shut down the idea of reopening the deal. Canada and Mexico have also vocally opposed revisiting the text.
Last week, Lighthizer told members of the House Progressive Caucus that their concerns could largely be addressed without changing language in the text, but it remains unclear if he could do that in a way that pleases Pelosi.
House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) said lawmakers “made a series of suggestions” in the 45-minute meeting on how to address the prevailing Democratic concerns. And Lighthizer is being more clear he wants to find solutions that please Democrats, aides said.
The meeting felt much more productive than previous meetings with Lighthizer, as the U.S. trade chief appeared to be engaging much more closely with lawmakers about how to address their concerns, Democratic aides in the room said.
However, Neal and other Democrats were quick to caution that the Trump administration still has not taken any actions or made any specific changes to address their concerns.
“We also think that there’s a ways to go,” Neal told reporters.
A Pelosi aide told POLITICO that Democrats will be planning more discussions with Lighthizer on “key questions about the USMCA proposal.”
Lighthizer did not “speak one way or the other about the mechanics of reopening the text,” Jeffries said, adding that a timeline for passage was not discussed.
It also remains an open question whether Lighthizer will be able to deliver on a deal that satisfies Democrats within the Trump administration’s target window. The final text of the agreement and implementing legislation still has not been submitted to Congress. The U.S. trade chief has previously told lawmakers that he would not send up the agreement until he has Pelosi’s blessing.
“We’re on a path,” said House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.). “We’re not on the end of the road.”
Empieza la semana con muchas noticias ligadas a temas políticos. Cruces entre personajes y otros hechos se destacaron en esta jornada. Te los resumimos a continuación:
2. Terminó el escrutinio y dio ganadora a Cristina Kirchner, que relanza su campaña en La Plata. El resultado oficial se anunciaría el miércoles, pero ya se informó a los apoderados de los partidos. La expresidenta encabezará un acto el martes a las 17 para con miras a las elecciones de octubre.
3. Hebe de Bonafini, presidenta de Madres de Plaza de Mayo, sostuvo que el desaparecido Jorge Julio López “era un guardiacárcel”, aunque “igualmente no tiene que estar desaparecido”, y pidió no compararlo con el caso Maldonado. La respuesta del hijo de López.
4. La morocha Natacha Jaitt reavivó un incidente que Yanina Latorre vivió a los 19 años, y que la tuvo procesada y al borde de la cárcel. Los detalles.
In June 2020, when America was rocked by protests over the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, a Facebook employee posted a message on the company’s racial-justice chat board: “Get Breitbart out of News Tab.”
News Tab is a feature that aggregates and promotes articles from various publishers, chosen by Facebook. The employee’s message included screenshots of headlines on Breitbart’s website, such as “Minneapolis Mayhem: Riots in Masks,” “Massive Looting, Buildings in Flames, Bonfires!” and “BLM Protesters Pummel Police Cars on 101.”
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