Live Breaking News & Updates on Inwood

Stay informed with the latest breaking news from Inwood on our comprehensive webpage. Get up-to-the-minute updates on local events, politics, business, entertainment, and more. Our dedicated team of journalists delivers timely and reliable news, ensuring you're always in the know. Discover firsthand accounts, expert analysis, and exclusive interviews, all in one convenient destination. Don't miss a beat — visit our webpage for real-time breaking news in Inwood and stay connected to the pulse of your community

ABC Health - WOND

KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- About 152 people across 30 counties in West Virginia have been exposed to measles, state health officials said Friday.Earlier this week, the first confirmed case of measles in the state since 2009 was identified, according to the West Virginia Department of Health (WVDH). The patient was someone who was undervaccinated and had a history of recent international travel, the department said.State health leaders said that since then, they've learned of dozens of exposed individuals including 128 West Virginia residents and 24 out-of-state contacts from four neighboring states.Of the people who were exposed, 62% don't have documentation proving they are protected against measles and are considered at risk, according to WVDH."The Bureau for Public Health is strongly recommending those exposed individuals with no evidence of immunity against the virus quarantine until May 9 or 10, 2024, depending on their last date of exposure," the department said in a release.The WVDH did not immediately reply to ABC News' request for comment.The news about the possible exposure comes amid a rapid increase in the number of measles cases during the first quarter of 2024, in part due to several localized outbreaks, including at a children's hospital and daycare center in Philadelphia, an elementary school in Florida and a migrant center in Chicago.As of Friday, 128 cases have been reported in 19 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More than half of those infected were under 5 years old and 81% are unvaccinated or have unknown vaccination status, the federal health agency said.Measles is a highly transmissible virus. It's so infectious that a measles patient could infect up to 90% of close contacts who are not immune, either through prior infection or vaccination, according to the CDC.The CDC currently recommends that everyone receive two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, with the first dose between ages 12 and 15 months and the second dose between ages 4 and 6.Why does the US keep experiencing measles outbreaks?One dose of the measles vaccine is 93% effective at preventing infection if exposed to the virus, and two doses are 97% effective, according to the CDC.The WVDH said it is working closely with the Monongalia County Health Department, where the positive measles case was identified, to make sure health officials have adequate testing supplies and MMR vaccine availability."The Bureau for Public Health recommends the safe and effective MMR vaccination as part of a routine vaccination schedule for all children and adults," the department said in the release. "With summer travel coming up and people going to and coming from countries that have seen sharp upticks in measles cases, the time is now to be sure you and your family members are up-to-date on their MMR vaccine."Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

West-virginia , United-states , Chicago , Illinois , Monongalia-county , Florida , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , Bureau-for-public-health , Centers-for-disease , Virginia-department-of-health

ABC National - WOND

Alex Kent/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Student protesters critical of the Israeli government's military actions in Gaza have continued to face accusations of antisemitism, as politicians from across the ideological spectrum react to the widening demonstrations on college campuses.But many of the student groups behind the protests – including Jewish activists voicing their support for a cease-fire in Gaza – said that individuals making inflammatory remarks do not represent their groups or their values concerning the war in Gaza."At universities across the nation, our movement is united in valuing every human life," read a statement from Columbia University Apartheid Divest, one of the groups involved in the protests. "As a diverse group united by love and justice, we demand our voices be heard against the mass slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza."Some Jewish students have long warned against conflating antisemitism with views critical of Israel's government and blanket portrayals of all protesters as antisemitic."It is unacceptable for school administration and politicians ... to co-opt our shared identity to silence Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, and Jewish students," said MIT Jews for Ceasefire, Harvard Jews for Palestine, and University of Pennsylvania Chavurah in a December 2023 statement to Congress. "These actions only serve to obfuscate real cases of antisemitism and put Jewish students at even greater risk."College students tackle the debateTensions have been high on college campuses since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel in an unprecedented surprise attack. The Israeli military then began its ongoing bombardment of the Gaza Strip.Since Oct. 7, Israeli forces have killed at least 34,183 people and injured 77,143 others in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health.In Israel, at least 1,700 people have been killed and 8,700 others injured by Hamas or other Palestinian militants, according to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Students nationwide have been camping out on their college and university campuses, calling for their schools to divest funding from Israeli military operations amid the humanitarian crisis and rising death toll in Gaza.The college protests have been largely peaceful, officials say, though hundreds of students and faculty have been arrested at campuses across the country, primarily for trespassing. School administrators across the country have also said that some instances of violence have largely been connected to unaffiliated non-students.Incidents go viralSeveral antisemitic incidents in or near protests have trended online – including a photo that appears to show an individual holding up a sign that states "Al-Qassam's Next Target," referring to a military wing of Hamas, pointing toward people holding Israeli flags on Columbia University's campus on April 20. It remains unclear who the person is and whether they are a student.Another video trending on social media appears to show another person shouting "We are Hamas" as a man draped in an Israeli flag walks outside the Columbia University campus on April 17."We will not be a city of lawlessness, and those professional agitators seeking to seize the ongoing conflict in the Middle East to sow chaos and division in our city will not succeed," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said.At Cal Poly Tech, administrators say that "hateful graffiti" has been painted on university property, but did not elaborate in their statement on what the graffiti entailed."The University condemns in the strongest terms all forms of hatred, bigotry, and violence," the school's April 24 statement read. "Anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, hatred, and bigotry in all forms have no place at Cal Poly Humboldt. The University is actively offering support to all students and has been in touch with local Jewish community leaders.President Joe Biden, House Speaker Mike Johnson and others have denounced alleged instances of hate amid ongoing debate around the Israel-Hamas war."Even in recent days, we've seen harassment and calls for violence against Jews," Biden said earlier this week in a statement. "This blatant Antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous – and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country."Students share concernsIn a March U.S. House committee hearing, other Jewish students and groups said that the intensifying debate regarding the Israel-Hamas war has created a "climate of hatred and fear," and highlighted alleged antisemitic harassment and intimidation since the start of the war.One student told the committee that she has had slurs like "F--- you, Jew," shouted at her since the war began on Oct. 7."This is the reality as a Jewish student who wears the Star of David," Yasmeen Ohebsion, of Tulane University, said at the hearing.Jewish students in support of pro-Palestinian efforts have said they've also experienced antisemitism from those who disagree with their position."Jewish supporters of Israel at MIT have called me an antisemite, Hamas, a self-hating Jew, and have told me that I am 'not a real Jew' and that 'God made a mistake by having you born a Jew'," read one testimonial submitted to Congress.Higher education institutions have come under scrutiny for how they've handled the unrest from all sides -- with Jewish, Muslim and Arab students alike calling out their respective administrations for allegedly failing to protect students with identities tied to the conflict overseas."I also want to be clear that we will not tolerate intimidating, harassing, or discriminatory behavior," said Columbia President Minouch Shafik, who has been the center of criticism for some students and politicians alike, in an April 23 statement.She said her administration is working to identify protesters who have violated policies against discrimination and harassment: "The right to protest is essential and protected at Columbia, but harassment and discrimination is antithetical to our values and an affront to our commitment to be a community of mutual respect and kindness."Authorities and civil rights groups across the country have noted a rise in incidents targeting Jewish, Arab, and Muslim communities."The situation on campus has become utterly and categorically untenable for an educational institution that has the responsibility of ensuring its students have a productive academic environment conducive to continued learning," said Students Supporting Israel's Columbia University chapter in an online statement about recent protests.Amid the intensifying debate, some Jewish students say there should also be room for a conscious effort to reject and unlearn normalized antisemitism across the political spectrum."There have been both beautiful moments of solidarity for Palestinian liberation and moments of real distress for Jewish students," said Columbia Jews for Ceasefire in an online statement.The student group said it is the "utmost importance" for the focus to be on the crisis in Gaza, but the group will "continue to call out and condemn antisemitism where we see it because all identity-based hatred is at odds with liberation."Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week condemned protesters critical of Israeli policy. "What's happening in America's college campuses is horrific. Antisemitic mobs have taken over leading universities," Netanyahu said. "They call for the annihilation of Israel. They attack Jewish students. They attack Jewish faculty."Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who is Jewish, responded to Netanyahu in a statement Thursday night, saying, in part, "It is not antisemitic or pro-Hamas to point out that in a little over six months your extremist government has killed 34,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 77,000 – seventy percent of whom are women and children. It is not antisemitic to point out that your bombing has completely destroyed mor

Gaza , Israel-general- , Israel , Vermont , United-states , Columbia-university , New-york , Gaza-strip , Palestinian , Israeli , America , Yasmeen-ohebsion

ABC Business - WOND

Angus Mordant/Bloomberg via Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Southwest Airlines famously allows passengers to select their own seats upon boarding, but the low fare carrier could be changing course.Earlier this week, after the Dallas-based carrier reported a $231 million net loss from the first quarter of 2024, CEO Bob Jordan commented on the "disappointing" results and said they are "evaluating options to enhance our Customer Experience" which he said includes "onboard seating.""We are focused on controlling what we can control and have already taken swift action to address our financial underperformance and adjust for revised aircraft delivery expectations," he continued.On a webcast recording of the earnings call, Jordan said, "It's been several years since we last studied this in-depth, and customer preference and expectations change over time."Jordan later spoke about the potentially massive shift to its open seating cabins as a means to drive up revenue, CNBC first reported."We’re looking into new initiatives, things like the way we seat and board our aircraft," Jordan told CNBC.While Southwest offers priority boarding groups for an additional fee, the company's all-Boeing 737 fleet of single economy class aircraft is known by consumers and among airline competitors for its simplistic and affordable experience.Southwest did not respond to ABC News' request for additional comment and pointed to the quarterly earnings report.Related TopicsCopyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Dallas , Texas , United-states , Bob-jordan , Southwest-airlines , Boeing , Wond , Ond-am , 400am , 400 , Ews-talk

ABC Politics - WOND

Mark Peterson-Pool/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- As various Supreme Court justices themselves acknowledged during a high-stakes hearing on Thursday, they could potentially reshape the contours of presidential power when they rule on whether Donald Trump is entitled to some amount of immunity from prosecution for alleged acts in the White House as he pushed to overturn his 2020 election loss.Over nearly three hours on Thursday, with demonstrators gathered outside, the justices grappled with arguments from both Trump's attorney and an attorney for special counsel Jack Smith, who has charged Trump in connection with his effort to stay in office after losing to now-President Joe Biden.Trump denies all wrongdoing and disputes some of what he is accused of doing while he maintains that other actions were part of his presidential authority.The oral arguments included several notable and important exchanges. Here are 10 of the key moments.A decision is expected from the court by the end of June.Could a president assassinate his rival?Justices Sonia Sotomayor and then Samuel Alito touched on one of the most provocative hypotheticals raised in Trump's battle for "absolute immunity" from charges over what he claims were official acts: Could a commander in chief order SEAL Team 6 to assassinate a political rival and not face prosecution?Sotomayor raised it first while questioning Trump attorney John Sauer. She pointed back to an earlier exchange Sauer had in a lower court proceeding."I'm going to give you a chance to say ...if you stay by it: The president decides that his rival is a corrupt person and he orders the military, or orders someone, to assassinate him -- is that within his official acts for which he can get immunity?" she asked."It would depend on the hypothetical," Sauer answered. "We could see that could well be an official act."Sotomayor pressed on that point: "Immunity says even if you did it for personal gain, we won't hold you responsible -- what do you -- how could that be?"Sauer pointed back to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling from the '80s that held a president is immune from civil liability related to this official acts, which Sauer said is a basis for their own argument now about criminal liability."That's an extremely strong doctrine in this court's case law in cases like Fitzgerald," he said.Later, Alito referred back to a president's hypothetical use of the military as elite assassins as he and Sotomayor split on whether "plausibleness" was a useful standard for scrutiny versus "reasonable.""One might argue that it isn't plausible to order SEAL Team 6 -- and I don't want to slander SEAL Team 6 because they're -- no, seriously -- they're honorable, they're honorable officers and they are bound by the uniform code of military justice not to obey unlawful orders -- [but] I think one could say it's not plausible ... that that action would be legal," Alito said.To Sauer, he said, "I'm sure you've thought of lots of hypotheticals where a president could say, 'I'm using an official power,' and yet the power uses it in an absolutely outrageous manner."'What was up with the pardon of President Nixon?'Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson pressed Sauer on his contention that without immunity all future presidents would feel paralyzed to take official acts that could put them in criminal jeopardy."I mean, I understood that every president from the beginning of time essentially has understood that there was a threat of prosecution [upon leaving office]," Jackson said.Sauer responded by quoting Ben Franklin from the constitutional convention, to which Jackson seemed skeptical."But since Benjamin Franklin everybody has presidents who have held the office [who knew] that they were taking this office subject to potential criminal prosecution, no?" she said.She cited one well-known example of a former president who came under legal scrutiny.8 years after the National Enquirer's deal with Donald Trump, the iconic tabloid is limping badly"What was up with the pardon for President [Richard] Nixon? ... If everybody thought that presidents couldn't be prosecuted, then what -- what was that about?" she said."He was under investigation for both private and public conduct at the time -- official acts and private conduct," Sauer said, going on to indicate that there had long been established an understanding that presidents could be prosecuted for private acts."Counsel on that score, there does seem to be some common ground between you, your colleague on the other side, that no man's above the law and that the president can be prosecuted after he leaves office for his private conduct, is that right?" Justice Neil Gorsuch asked."We agree with that," Sauer answered."And then the question becomes, as we've been exploring here today, a little bit about how to segregate private from official conduct that may or may not enjoy some immunity," Gorsuch said.That underscored what could emerge as a key part of the court's ultimate decision: how to separate out Trump's conduct that is protected by the presidency, under a ruling of some executive immunity, and what he is accused of doing outside the bounds of his presidential authority that can be prosecuted.But Trump's attorney concedes some conduct was privateNot long after, Justice Amy Coney Barrett questioned Sauer precisely where some of the described conduct falls, between official and private -- protected or unprotected."You concede that private acts don't get immunity," she said."We do," Sauer said.Barrett then specifically cited various alleged acts from Trump's push to overturn the 2020 election, as described by prosecutors.Barrett, quoting from court filings, said, "I want to know if you agree or disagree about the characterization of these acts as private. Petitioner turned to a private attorney who was willing to spread knowingly false claims of election fraud to spearhead his challenges to the election results. Private?""We dispute the allegation, but that sounds private to me," Sauer said.Barrett continued: "Petitioner conspired with another private attorney who caused the filing in court of a verification, signed by petitioner, that contained false allegations to support a challenge. Private?""Also sounds private," Sauer said."Three private actors, two attorneys, including those mentioned above, and a political consultant, helped to implement a plan to submit fraudulent slates of presidential electors to obstruct the certification proceeding and petitioner and a co-conspirator attorney directed that had effort." Barrett said."I believe that's private," Sauer replied."Those acts you would not dispute," Barrett said. "Those were private and you wouldn't raise a claim that they were official."Sauer said back: "As characterized."'That's like a one-legged stool, right?'A notable response came shortly after from Chief Justice Roberts when Sauer pushed the justices to remand the case back down to the lower courts to piece through which allegations in the indictment amount to a protected "official act" under the presidency."The official stuff has to be expunged completely from the indictment before the case can go forward," Sauer argued."That's like a one-legged stool, right?" Roberts said. "I mean, giving somebody money isn't bribery unless you get something in exchange. If what you get in exchange is to become the ambassador to a particular country, that is official, the appointment, it's within the president's prerogatives. The unofficial part is -- 'I'm going to get a million dollars for it.'"After this exchange, Justice Clarence Thomas raised unprompted whether Trump's legal team was challenging the legality of the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith, a questionable theory previously pushed by right-wing lawyers like former Attorney General Ed Meese.Sauer said Trump's legal team was making tha

White-house , District-of-columbia , United-states , Florida , Washington , Americans , Justice-alito , Justice-clarence-thomas , John-sauer , Justice-neil-gorsuch , Justice-brett-kavanaugh , Ed-meese

WOND News - VNC News

Former President Donald J. Trump’s campaign has already paid the city in full to reimburse it for costs related to a planned beachfront rally May 11, reports the Press of Atlantic City. City officials said the campaign is paying about $54,000 to cover local costs related to the rally, including the increased cost for police, ... Read more

Atlantic-city , Former-president-donald , Wond , Ond-am , 400am , 400 , Ews-talk , Ews , Alk , Tlantic-city , Inwood

ABC Entertainment

Netflix/Ed AraquelOn Thursday, Netflix dropped all eight episodes of the supernatural series Dead Boy Detectives, based on the beloved comic series from The Sandman's Neil Gaiman.Edwin Payne (George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri) are best friends — and as the title suggests, they're dead. However, as ghosts, they're tasked with solving paranormal mysteries.One of their allies in their quests is Tragic Mick, sort of the Q to the specter sleuths' James Bond.The actor who plays him, Michael Beach, says there's more to the eccentric character, however."He's a man who used to be a walrus, but because of some mystical thing — and it will come up in the show —he has been a human for 200 years," Beach says. "And he spent that time, all of that time trying to find potions and spells ... to turn him back into a walrus, because he misses living in the sea."Beach explains, "He's developed this shop where people can come and get potions and spells to help themselves out of whatever. So, the two main characters, the dead boys, they often come to him because they are trying to help other dead people move on to whatever the next realm is that they're going." The actor adds with a laugh, "You know, I spent some time on YouTube looking up ... video of these huge, hulking walruses hanging out. And, you know, how they sounded, how they moved and tried to incorporate that into who Tragic Mick was."He adds, "That's part of the joy about being an actor, right? If the writing is good and the people are open to ... you trying crazy stuff sometimes, then that's the real fun of it." Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Edwin-payne-george-rexstrew , Netflix-ed-araquel , James-bond , Sandman-neil-gaiman , Charles-rowland-jayden-revri , Michael-beach , Youtube , Netflix , Dead-boy-detectives , George-rexstrew , Charles-rowland

ABC Health - WOND

DIGICOMPHOTO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Public health officials are continuing to monitor as an outbreak of avian flu, also known as bird flu, continues to spread across the country.The strain, known as H5N1, has sickened several mammals this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).Several dairy cows have been infected, resulting in milk samples showing inactive remnants of the virus, and one human case has been confirmed.Health officials say the food supply is safe and the risk to the general public is currently low.Here's the latest to know on the outbreak:What is bird flu?Avian influenza, or bird flu, is an infectious viral disease that primarily spreads among birds and is caused by infection with Influenza A viruses.These viruses typically spread among wild aquatic birds but can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species, according to the CDC.Although bird flu viruses normally don't infect humans, there have been rare cases of infection. To confirm infection, laboratory testing is required.Signs and symptoms of infection in humans often include sore throat, cough, fever, runny or stuffy nose, headache, muscle or body aches, fatigue and shortness of breath. Less common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and seizures.Infections can range from no symptoms or mild illness, such as flu-like symptoms, to more severe illness, such as pneumonia that could require hospitalizations, the CDC says.How did the outbreak begin?In early March, the USDA announced a bird flu strain that had sickened millions of birds across the U.S was identified in several mammals this year.At the time, three states had reported cases of bird flu in mammals in 2024, including striped skunks found in Washington state, a mountain lion in Montana and a raccoon in Kentucky.A few weeks later, federal and state public health officials said they were investigating an illness among primarily older dairy cows in Kansas, New Mexico and Texas and causing symptoms including decreased lactation and low appetite.The USDA said in a statement at the time that "there is no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply or that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health."First human case of bird fluEarlier this month, the CDC said a human case of bird flu was identified in Texas and linked to cattle. The infected individual worked directly with sick cattle and reported eye redness as their only symptom.8 years after the National Enquirer's deal with Donald Trump, the iconic tabloid is limping badlyThis is the second human case of H5N1 ever reported in the U.S. but the first linked to cattle.However, there have been no reports and no evidence to indicate there is person-to-person transmission, a CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen told ABC News at the time.The CDC said it considers the health risk assessment to the general public to be low.Inactive fragments found in milk samplesEarlier this week, reports emerged of bird flu fragments found in samples of pasteurized milk. However, the fragments are inactive remnants of the virus and cannot cause infection as the commercial milk supply undergoes pasteurization.Federal agencies maintain the U.S. commercial milk supply remains safe because milk is pasteurized and dairy farmers are required to dispose of any milk from sick cows, so it does not enter the supply."To date, we have seen nothing that would change our assessment that the commercial milk supply is safe," the FDA said in an update.The FDA said in its update that fragments of the virus are likely inactivated by the pasteurization process."The discovery of bird flu virus fragments in commercial milk is significant, not because it poses a direct threat to public health, but because it indicates a broader exposure among dairy cattle than we previously understood," said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children's Hospital and an ABC News contributor. "This calls for an expanded surveillance of both the virus's presence and its potential impact on food safety."He added, "It's crucial to continue rigorous testing to determine if any live virus can survive the process. Understanding the dynamics of this virus in dairy products will help us refine our risk assessments and ensure public health safety."The FDA said it is collaborating closely with the CDC's food safety group surveillance team to monitor emergency department data and flu testing data for any unusual trends in flu-like illness, flu or conjunctivitis. There is currently no data showing any unusual trends or activity.ABC News Sony Salzman contributed to this report.Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Washington , District-of-columbia , United-states , Kentucky , Montana , New-mexico , Texas , Boston , Massachusetts , Kansas , Donald-trump , John-brownstein

ABC World - WOND

Getty Images - STOCK(LONDON) -- Days of torrential rain have triggered widespread flooding across parts of Kenya, turning roads into raging rivers and claiming dozens of lives.Half of Kenya's 47 counties have been affected by the flooding, which has killed at least 32 people and displaced more than 40,000 others from their homes, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which cited the Kenya Red Cross Society.The ongoing El Nino, a warming of the equatorial Pacific Ocean that increases wind shear over the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, has brought higher-than-average seasonal rainfall to East Africa. The heavy rain began in Kenya in March during the start of the country's so-called long rains season and worsened over the past week, according to the Kenya Meteorological Department.The Kenya Red Cross said its staff have rescued at least 188 people since the onset of the long rains, which typically last from March through May. Nearly 8,000 acres of land remain submerged and almost 5,000 livestock deaths have been reported.The Kenyan capital of Nairobi has been particularly hard hit, with over 31,000 people displaced from their homes, mostly informal settlements that have poor and blocked drainage systems, according to OCHA. Nairobi County's senator, Edwin Sifuna, posted a video on social media showing flooded homes with people stranded on the rooftops."The situation in Nairobi has escalated to extreme levels," Sifuna wrote in the post on Wednesday. "The County Government for all its efforts is clearly overwhelmed. We need all national emergency services mobilized to save lives."The cabinet secretary for the Kenyan Ministry of Interior, Kithure Kindiki, said in a statement on Thursday that the federal government has "stepped up" its "multi-agency response" by coordinating search and rescue operations, ensuring the evacuation of those at risk and mobilizing support for the displaced."The public is urged to cooperate with safety, health, risk, emergency, and communication teams dispatched to monitor, report, and oversee help to those who may be in distress," Kindiki added.Earlier this week, the Kenya Red Cross said it deployed drones that spotted a child who was alone and trapped by floodwaters in Machakos County. The organization alerted Kenya's National Police Service, whose officers rescued the young boy via helicopter and then reunited him with this family.The relentless downpours and flash flooding have also impacted transportation nationwide. Kenya Railways suspended commuter train services on Wednesday, while the Kenya Urban Roads Authority partially closed several major roads in Nairobi.More heavy rainfall is in the forecast over the coming days for parts of the country, including Nairobi, according to the Kenya Meteorological Department. During a press briefing on Thursday, Kenyan Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua urged people in lower areas to move to higher ground in anticipation of the "above normal" rainfall.Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

London , City-of , United-kingdom , Caribbean-sea , Belize-general- , Belize , Kenya , Nairobi , Nairobi-area , Machakos , Eastern , Kenyan

ABC Business - WOND

In this Nov. 24, 2023, file photo, a Walmart store is shown on Black Friday, in Secaucus, New Jersey. (Bloomberg via Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- In an exclusive and far-reaching interview with ABC News, John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart U.S., talked about the retail giant’s push to hire more non-college degree workers for high-paying corporate jobs at the company.Currently, 75% of Walmart’s salaried managers began as hourly associates. High-performing Walmart managers at the store’s Supercenters now have the ability to earn more than $400,000 a year, which includes a new stock grant rewards program. Some of those managers have college degrees, while others do not -- it is not required for the job.“While college is great for some, it’s not exactly the right answer for everyone,” Furner told ABC News.This year, Walmart says it has doubled the number of skills certificates it offers to help people move into higher-paying careers within the company, such as software engineers, data scientists, and opticians. Walmart says certificate programs take associates about four months on average to complete, compared to years for a degree.“Let's say you wanted to be a technician and work on HVAC, or if you wanted to be a truck driver, or robot tech, or a pharmacy tech. We have those programs where you can do that on the job while you're working, and they lead to great careers,” Furner said.Businesses are increasingly removing college degree requirements from some job descriptions and shifting to skills-based hiring. But a recent report from the Burning Glass Institute and Harvard Business School found that most companies that say they are adopting skills-first hiring are not actually translating that into practice.The report found that Walmart was among the 37% of firms analyzed that, on average, hired 18% more non-degree workers for roles for which they removed the requirement for a college degree. Other so-called skills-based hiring leaders included Apple, Cigna, ExxonMobil, General Motors, Target, Tyson Foods, and Yelp.In a first for the company, Walmart hosted an Opportunity Summit in Washington, D.C. this month, where it brought together executives from over a dozen major companies -- including Accenture, Home Depot, McDonald’s, PepsiCo and Verizon -- to discuss how they can coordinate efforts and make good on their promise to offer higher-paid jobs to non-degree workers.The shift to skills-based hiring comes as the cost of a college education continues to rise. Boston University, Tufts and New York University are among the schools that now cost nearly $100,000 a year to attend.“A lot of the skills that we're talking about are also applicable across a number of companies in a number of industries,” said Furner. “What we hope for is that our associates learn more and stay with us, but we know sometimes they're going to go on to other things, and if they can take those skills with them collectively, we'll all be better off.”Job growth is expected to continue at Walmart as it looks to open its first new stores in three years. The retailer plans to open 150 new stores and remodel 650 existing locations over the next five years.Retail theft and the future of self-checkoutFurner acknowledged that the prevalence of shoplifting and organized retail crime across the country remains a challenge for retailers of all sizes. He says shrinkage -- the industry term for merchandise loss due to theft -- has increased at Walmart over the past two years. In response, the big-box retailer has been selectively removing self-checkout counters from some locations where there are more instances of shoplifting and mis-scanned items, but Furner told ABC News that self-checkout is not going away at Walmart.“There are a few stores where we've made the decision that they'll come out of, but we haven't made that decision in every store,” he said. “Over the next few years, we're really going to lean into new types of technology that can make the checkout process even better for customers.”Target recently announced it would limit the number of items shoppers can buy at self-checkout lanes, while Dollar General plans to pull self-checkout counters from 300 of its stores.“For the industry, the concern is it causes prices to go up and it can cause stores to close,” Furner said of the problem. “Retailers need to work with state and local law enforcement, with federal enforcement to keep our communities safe for our customers and to keep the cost of goods down.""Deflation" is showing up at WalmartOn the inflation front, Furner says he continues to see improvement: “At Walmart, we are now seeing prices that are in line with where they were 12 months ago. I haven’t been able to say that for a few years now.”Furner also sees deflation in big categories like general merchandise, where some prices are below where they were a year ago. “The last few weeks, we've taken even more prices down in areas like produce and meat and fresh food," Furner said.Yet despite a recent rise in overall inflation in the past three months, Furner says he remains optimistic.“What I've learned in the last few years is, it's really hard to predict," Furner said. "I’m feeling much better about inflation in terms of pricing versus a year ago, but we're not finished.”Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Washington , United-states , Secaucus , New-jersey , John-furner , York-university , Tyson-foods , Pepsico , Burning-glass-institute , Accenture , Yelp , Boston-university

WOND News - VNC News

A man from Villas suspected in a stabbing has been arrested in Mississippi. 26 year old Imani S. Goodman was wanted in connection with a stabbing in Villas on Wednesday, April 3. Police arrived on the scene and found the victim sitting in a car in front of her home, suffering from multiple stab wounds. ... Read more

Mississippi , United-states , Imanis-goodman , Wond , Ond-am , 400am , 400 , Ews-talk , Ews , Alk , Tlantic-city