Biden and Harris to visit Hurricane Helene-ravaged Southeast
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a briefing on Hurricane Helene response and recovery efforts, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on October 1, 2024 in Washington, DC. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will both head to the Southeast on Wednesday to survey damage wrought by Hurricane Helene, which so far is confirmed to have killed more than 160 people.
The president said Tuesday that the cost of the massive storm could stretch into the billions of dollars.
“We have to jump start this recovery process,” Biden said. “People are scared to death. This is urgent.”
Biden’s scheduled visit to North Carolina — which is expected to be a pivotal battleground state in next month’s presidential election — and South Carolina will include an aerial tour of Asheville in western North Carolina, which was one of the region’s worst hit areas.
“I’ve ensured my travel will not disrupt the ongoing response,” Biden said in a post to X. “I plan to travel to Georgia and Florida as soon as possible.”
Harris will travel to Georgia, another battleground state.
“The Vice President will also provide updates on Federal actions that are being taken to support emergency response and recovery efforts in Georgia and several other states throughout the southeast,” her office said in a statement.
Hundreds of people remain unaccounted for following Helene’s passage. More than 150,000 households have registered for assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Frank Matranga — an agency representative — said.
That number is expected to increase in the coming days, Matranga said. He noted that almost two million ready-to-eat meals and more than a million liters of water have been sent to the hardest-hit areas.
Wednesday’s visits by Biden and Harris come shortly after former President Donald Trump traveled to devastated Valdosta, Georgia, to see Helene’s destruction firsthand.
Trump also used the Monday visit to attack his Democratic opponents over their emergency response efforts.
“As you know, our country is in the final weeks of a hard-fought national election,” Trump said while in Valdosta.
“But in a time like this, when a crisis hits, when our fellow citizens cry out in need, none of that matters. We’re not talking about politics now. We have to all get together and get this solved. We need a lot of help. They have to have a lot of help down here,” Trump said.
Trump accused Biden and Harris of “being very nonresponsive,” claiming both had failed to speak to Georgia’s Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, though Kemp said they had.
The president hit back at the criticism.
“Let me get this straight — he’s lying,” Biden said during an Oval Office briefing with reporters, framing Trump’s remarks as “irresponsible.”
“I don’t know why he does this, and the reason I get so angry about it — I don’t care about what he says about me, I care what he communicates to the people that are in need. He implies that we’re not doing everything possible. We are. We are,” Biden said.
Scott Suchman for The Washington Post via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — Michelin-starred chef Tommy Banks said he’s out of 2,500 pies after thieves stole his van containing the baked goods and later ditched the vehicle.
According to an Instagram video posted by Banks, the pies were ruined.
“It’s pretty badly damaged,” Banks said. “And unfortunately, the bin in the back and all of the pies are pretty damaged as well.”
The refrigerated van was stolen from a storage unit with 2,500 pies in boxes that had Banks’ name written all over them, he said. The pies were worth about £25,000, Banks said, which is equivalent to just over $31,000.
Banks wishes the outcome was different, he said. But he is grateful for the outpouring support he received from other business owners and people watching online.
“I’d just like to say a massive thank you to everyone. I mean, so many people have been interested in trying to find these pies, and I think the response from people have been amazing, especially for the business owners who’ve offered to lend us everything from vans to pastry to flour to meat, everything to make it, make it work,” Banks said.
Banks declined ABC News’ request for an interview.
ABC News reached out to the North Yorkshire Police and was directed to a statement on their website.
“To recap, North Yorkshire Police received a report on 2 December that a refrigerated vehicle containing valuable food stock including pies, had been stolen from a business park in Melmerby near Ripon over the weekend of 29 November to 2 December 2024,” the police department said in a statement.
The statement added, “Initial enquiries revealed that the van, a white Fiat Ducato, was found abandoned with false number plates in the Hemlington area of Middlesbrough and was recovered by Cleveland Police on 29/30 November.”
The vehicle was stored by Cleveland Police and inquiries were ongoing as to the contents of the van when it was recovered, the New Yorkshire Police said.
The New Yorkshire Police said the van has been returned to the owner.
Cleveland Police said the investigation is ongoing and anyone with information should contact police.
Prior to the van being found, Banks uploaded a video on Instagram calling for the thieves to donate the pies to a charity for those in need.
He adds that the burglars “probably didn’t bargain for nearly ton of pies in the back of it.”
“These guys probably stole the van, right? Because that’s what they do,” Banks said.”They steal vans or cars or whatever, but they probably didn’t bargain for the nearly ton of pies that is in the back of it.”
Banks said that the pies were for York Christmas Market and it’s unfortunate because a lot of work went into the pies, he said.
“It’s kind of sad because that’s a lot of meat and a lot of flour and eggs and a lot of work,” Banks said. “Like so much work. So like 25,000 pounds worth of a stock in the back of this van.”
According to Banks’ video, a rising trend of vans being stolen has mustered up and he encourages everyone to stay safe.
“A lot of crime going around at the moment, a lot of vans being stolen,” Banks said. “And I did an interview on the radio earlier. People were saying how many vans are getting stolen. So I think especially at this time of year, just be vigilant. Definitely lockdown. I think we certainly learnt a few lessons and won’t be leaving stock in our vans overnight for sure.”
(RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA) — The foster parents who took in several of the Turpin children after they were rescued from their home of abuse in 2018 were sentenced on child abuse charges Friday.
Marcelino Olguin was sentenced to seven years in state prison and was taken away in handcuffs after his sentencing was read in court in Riverside County, California.
His wife, Rosa Olguin, and their daughter, Lennys Olguin, were sentenced to four years each of probation. They cried during the sentencing.
The judge ordered that the defendants not make contact with the nine victims, which included several of the Turpin siblings.
None of the victims or their attorneys were in court for the sentencing.
A victim impact statement from one of the victims, identified by the initials JT, was read aloud in court during the sentencing hearing.
“All I wanted was to finally have a loving family and recover from my trauma but unfortunately I did not receive that,” the statement read in part.
Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin, whose office prosecuted the case, said the sentencing “marks a significant step in delivering justice to the victims who endured unimaginable abuse.”
“These children were placed in a position of vulnerability after surviving intense trauma, only to be further exploited by someone who was entrusted with their care,” he said in a statement. “We are committed to holding accountable those who prey on innocent children. Our office remains steadfast in pursuing justice for all victims of abuse and ensuring that those who violate the trust placed in them are held accountable.”
The three foster parents pleaded guilty last month to child endangerment and false imprisonment. Marcelino Olguin was the only one charged with three counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14.
The three foster parents were arrested in 2021 and initially pleaded not guilty.
The six youngest Turpin children were placed with the Olguin family at various times beginning in 2018, a lawyer for one of the Olguins previously told ABC News. Four were still living there at the time of the arrests, according to the attorney.
Six Turpin siblings filed a lawsuit in 2022 against Riverside County and ChildNet, the private foster care agency tasked with protecting them, alleging they suffered “severe abuse and neglect” for years in the care of the foster family.
Elan Zektser and Roger Booth, legal representatives for the Turpin family victims, said they plan to hold a press conference on Monday to address the sentencing as well as where the civil case stands.
“This press event comes at a pivotal moment, as the public has awaited further details on both the criminal outcomes and the civil action involving the County’s oversight of the foster care system,” a press release from the attorneys stated.
A spokesperson for Riverside County told ABC News after the civil complaint was filed that it does not comment on pending legal matters or specific juvenile cases due to confidentiality laws.
A ChildNet spokesperson also told ABC News at the time that the organization was unable to disclose facts or discuss the allegations in the complaint.
A 2022 report issued by outside investigators hired by Riverside County found that the 13 Turpin siblings had been “failed” by the social services system that was supposed to care for them and help transition them into society.
“Some of the younger Turpin children were placed with caregivers who were later charged with child abuse,” the 630-page report found. “Some of the older siblings experienced periods of housing instability and food insecurity as they transitioned to independence.”
In response to the report upon its release, Riverside County Supervisor Karen Spiegel said in a statement, “This is the time to act and I will support all efforts to meet the challenge.”
The Turpin case garnered national attention following the children’s rescue from captivity in their parents’ Perris, California, home in January 2018.
The 13 Turpin siblings were rescued after Jordan Turpin, then 17, executed a daring escape in the middle of the night and called 911. Authorities subsequently discovered that their parents had subjected the siblings, who ranged in age from 2 to 29 at the time, to brutal violence and deprived them of food, sleep, hygiene, education and health care.
Their parents, David and Louise Turpin, pleaded guilty to 14 felony counts in 2019 and were sentenced to 25 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
(NEW YORK) — When Jordan Neely boarded the subway on May 1, 2023, he was homeless, ranting about having nothing to eat or drink and said he was willing to die, according to authorities. Perceptions of Neely’s final moments differ, but each account tells a similar story at its core: Neely appeared to be experiencing a mental health crisis when Daniel Penny put him in the chokehold that ended his life.
Opening arguments are set to begin in Penny’s trial in Neely’s death Friday. Penny, a former Marine, was charged with second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in Neely’s death. He has pleaded not guilty. Jury selection began Monday.
Neely’s loved ones believe his story could have been different. To experts, Neely, who was known to city mental health professionals and law enforcement officials, has become a symbol of the need to look toward effective solutions to get homeless and mentally ill people off the streets and into care.
“Our system does not prioritize the seriously mentally ill,” Carolyn Gorman, a policy analyst at the public policy think tank Manhattan Institute, told ABC News. “Almost always, the individuals who are involved in these tragedies have a known mental illness, have been cycling through homelessness, through incarceration through the health care system. They’re known to authorities, and they haven’t fallen through the cracks. They’ve actually just been ignored by all of these systems.”
New York City’s clubhouses — member-run facilities that offer support to those with serious mental health conditions — are proving that recovery and rehabilitation are possible, with some lawmakers like Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., hoping to expand the availability and access to these institutions for more residents.
Fountain House, which touts itself as the pioneer of the modern clubhouse model, aims to put an end to the “punitive, ineffective and costly” approaches to those with mental illness, who cycle through jails, emergency rooms, shelters and the streets without proper care or support to lead healthy and happy lives, the organization said.
The goal is to give members a sense of stability and community. At the clubhouses, they get a helping hand to obtain an education, find work, achieve health goals while readily having access to clinical care, housing assistance and other supportive services.
“What we are looking to do is to help people truly recover, and so that means help them return to jobs, be neighbors, and live out in the community and to have meaningful relationships,” Ian Campbell, Fountain House’s Senior Director of Employment and Learning, told ABC News.
However, Gorman, of the Manhattan Institute, said that despite their effectiveness, clubhouses won’t be the solution for all people dealing with severe mental illnesses.
“Fountain House is definitely one model. And it’s a model that works well. But some patients just do need a higher level of oversight and intensive care than a place like the clubhouse model can provide. And that is inpatient treatment,” or hospitalization, said Gorman.
Clubhouses set an example for mental health care
What makes the clubhouse model so successful, Campbell said, is that they fill gaps not filled in a clinical setting. They support members with both economic barriers as well as the loneliness or isolation that patients are likely to also be experiencing.
“The U.S. has historically spent most of its mental health care dollars on clinical treatment, such as medication and therapy, with a fraction allocated to fund the community-based social supports people also need to manage their mental illness,” read a Fountain House report.
About 15% of people with severe mental illness successfully return to work, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness — but at Fountain House, 25 to 30% of their active membership has returned to work.
A New York University study on Fountain House found that its services save Medicaid costs by up to 21% by reducing hospitalizations and ER visits as well as increasing primary care visits, increased outpatient mental health visits, and increased pharmacy visits – “essentially a better adherence to other forms of treatment that can further support members’ recovery,” Fountain House said in a statement.
Researchers at Fountain House also found that the roughly 60,000 people clubhouses nationwide serve each year yield an estimated savings of over $11,000 per person — or at least $682 million total each year.
Fountain House also touts that members who enroll in degree or certificate-seeking educational programs have a 90% average semester completion rate.
For Torres, mental health care is personal.
“About 15 years ago, I found myself at the lowest point in my life. I had dropped out of college. I found myself struggling with depression. I even attempted suicide and underwent hospitalization for a period of time,” Torres told ABC News. “I felt as if the world around me had collapsed, and I never thought seven years later, I would become the youngest elected official in America’s largest city, and then seven years later, become a member of the United States Congress.”
He has called for more federal funding for community-based programs like Fountain House.
“The challenge of mental illness is often compounded by the problem of loneliness, and clubhouses represent the creation of a community,” he said. “It is an elegant solution to the problem of loneliness. It provides community where none exists. It fills the human gap that’s often left by isolation, and so I would love to see the proliferation of clubhouses across the country.”
And for those who may need more assistance than an outpatient resource can offer, Gorman believes the focus should be on the rehabilitative efforts, not punitive ones.
“Involuntary treatment and inpatient treatment are last resorts, they are only tried when everything else fails,” Gorman said. “I think if we do not consider those options, then we have to be ready to admit that we already are institutionalizing the mentally ill, but in jails and prisons. These are punitive settings, not therapeutic settings. So it’s hard to see how this is more humane.”
A clubhouse success story
Carmen Murray-Williams, now 65, had been homeless on-and-off since she was 14, when she left her home amid a “rough” and “uncomfortable” living situation with her family.
“There were times where I couldn’t find any help. I was so tired that I would get a cardboard box, flatten it down on the ground wherever I was, and sleep there. And once or twice, I woke up, and I found myself buried in snow,” Murray-Williams told ABC News. “I said, I really have to get out of the situation. And I kept knocking on doors … I prayed all the time. I mean, every chance I got, I prayed.”
She said she lived on the streets until she was about 17, when her grandmother found her, took her in, and convinced her to continue her education. She got her GED and was excited to start college, but her grandmother’s death left her both heartbroken and homeless once more.
“She’s my everything,” Murray-Williams said. “She got me to believe that life keeps going on and you don’t have to worry about your age and whatnot. Just keep on trying. I love my grandmother. I miss her.”
Life continued to present challenges for Murray-Williams, who had lost contact with the rest of her family. She recalls her past addiction to crack cocaine, an accidental fall from an apartment balcony that broke her back, and a boyfriend who opened credit cards from a joint bank account, putting her thousands of dollars in debt.
And one day, she said, “I absolutely lost my mind. I just started screaming and hollering or turn up things” and the police were called on her. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 42 following the outbursts.
After receiving inpatient treatment for her disorder, she was accepted as a member of Fountain House to get her back on her feet.
Fountain House members like Murray-Williams have access to supportive resources — including meals, job training, education, and housing assistance — while developing social supports to build relationships and reintegrate into their community.
“We’ll have a morning meeting and we decide who does what chores. After that, we start doing the chores that they give us. Chores could be putting data entry into the computer or could be cleaning up the front of the clubhouse,” Murray-Williams said. Clubhouse members help the organization function; they prepare meals, man the phones, and fundraise.
“If you’re in the horticulture unit, which is now ‘home and garden,’ you do the gardens. And we do a lot here. I go to the gym and wellness unit twice a week,” she said.
Murray-Williams has a jam-packed schedule, which includes running the Bingo gathering multiple times a week — “my favorite days of the week” — and helps lead a dance exercise group.
“Getting to 65 and still being here? I didn’t think I was gonna make it to 65,” Murray-Williams said. “But I’m just grateful for every day and every opportunity that I get.”
