Giant panda cub tries to give hugs and kisses to keeper
A giant panda cub in China saw his feeder approaching and paused playtime to try and give the keeper hugs and kisses.
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ABC NewsMore than 2 dozen reported tornadoes in 3 states amid outbreak in the Plains
Twenty million Americans, from Texas to Iowa, are on alert Friday for tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds, as severe weather is expected to impact the Heartland into the weekend. The highest tornado threat exists from the Dallas region north to Des Moines, Iowa. There have been at least 25 reported tornadoes in Nebraska, Texas and Kansas so far on Friday, with some damage reported in northeast Texas and central Nebraska.
- ABC News
Harvey Weinstein to appear in NYC court next week in first step toward retrial
Harvey Weinstein, whose sex crimes conviction was just overturned by New York's highest court, is expected to take his first step toward being retried when he appears in court next week. "At the Manhattan D.A.'s Office, our Special Victims Division fights each and every day to center survivors, uplift their voices, and seek justice for these horrific crimes," a spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement. In a scathing 4-3 opinion released on Thursday, the New York Court of Appeals found that the trial judge "erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes."
- ABC News
Paramedic sentenced to 4 years probation in connection with Elijah McClain's death
Former paramedic Jeremy Cooper has been sentenced to a four-year probationary sentence Friday after being found guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the final case connected to Elijah McClain's 2019 death. Prosecutors accused the Aurora, Colorado, paramedic and his co-defendant Peter Cichuniec of administering an excessive amount of ketamine to sedate the 23-year-old McClain after an encounter with police on August 24, 2019. According to department policy, administering ketamine to sedate a suspect is intended "to minimize time struggling."
- ABC News
Maine Democrats threaten to switch to winner-take-all delegate system
Democratic leaders in Maine are threatening to eliminate the state's split-vote system for allocating Electoral College delegates if Nebraska Republicans move forward with their plan to do the same. The two states are the only ones in the country to allocate some delegates proportionally by congressional district, which in 2020 allowed President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump to each secure one delegate in states that were otherwise won by the other – Biden in Nebraska and Trump in Maine.
- ABC News
More than 150 people in West Virginia exposed to measles: Health officials
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.
- ABC News
The Power of Us: As EV demand slows, a new alternative fuel garners attention
While electric vehicles' share of the automotive market is still growing, the rate at which Americans are buying new electric vehicles appears to be slowing. Kelley Blue Book reports that just under 270,000 EVs were sold in the first quarter of this year. "Something I'll say is that electric vehicles are for the patient," says Oleksiy Golub, who's driven EVs since 2020.
- Good Morning America
Amid an 'epidemic' of loneliness for parents, these moms are trying to help
Johnna Castle was in the car struggling to get her two daughters -- now ages 9 and 11 -- to their afternoon activities when she said she felt an overwhelming feeling of loneliness. "I was struggling to get one kid to one place but my other kid had to be in a different place at the same time and I was figuring all of that out and just feeling overwhelmed," Castle told "Good Morning America." "They say, 'Have a tribe,' and you might have a tribe, but, really, you're alone in doing all of that and it just kind of felt like at that moment, I just wasn't happy. Castle, who is left as the solo parent when her husband travels for work, shared her feelings of loneliness in a video on TikTok that was published in Ocrober 2022, captioning the video, in part, "I love my kids more than anything else in this world but no one tells you or warns you about how lonely it is to be a mom."
- ABC News
Pentagon announces new $6 billion military aid package for Ukraine
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a new $6 billion weapons purchases for Ukraine on Friday that he said is the biggest so far and will purchase new weapons systems for Ukraine, including additional Patriot missiles it needs to counter Russian missile barrages on its cities. "This is the largest security assistance package that we've committed to date," Austin said at a Pentagon news conference. "It will include critical interceptors for Ukraine's Patriot and NASAMS air defense systems, more counter-drone systems and support equipment, significant amounts of artillery ammunition, and air to ground munitions and maintenance and sustainment support," he added.
- ABC News
Student protesters denounce antisemitism amid criticism over pro-Palestinian encampments at college campuses
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.
- ABC News
Facility seen polluting Malaysian river part of anti-pollution program promoted by US plastics industry
A plastics facility listed as a member of an environmental stewardship program created by American plastics industry groups appears to be regularly discharging plastics into the Malaysian river beside which it is located, according to an investigation by ABC News. "We used to see them discharge it every two days," Saravanan Kumar, whose family has been fishing along the river for generations, told ABC News. The facility manufactures plastic bags, among other products, sometimes from recycled content, and sits directly beside Malaysia's Langat River.
- ABC News
Month after announcement, RFK Jr.'s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, remains in the shadows
When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled California lawyer Nicole Shanahan as his running mate in late March, it seemed to trigger the start of a new and exciting phase of his long shot independent presidential bid: "Kennedy '24" signs suddenly made room for a second name, which water bottles and teddy bears sold on the campaign's website within minutes of the Oakland announcement showcased.
- ABC News
Delta plane's emergency slide falls off during flight
An emergency slide fell off a Delta passenger jet shortly after takeoff Friday, forcing the pilots to return to John F. Kennedy International Airport, officials said. The pilots of Delta Air Lines Flight 520 from New York to Los Angeles reported vibrations and a banging not long after takeoff, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Upon inspection, crews determined that an emergency slide from one of the Boeing 767's exits had separated from the aircraft, Delta said in a statement.
- ABC News
In Howard Stern interview, Biden says he's 'happy' to debate Trump
President Joe Biden said Friday he is "happy" to debate former President Donald Trump, though did not specify as to when. The comment was made during a one-on-one interview with radio host Howard Stern, who asked if the president had plans to debate his 2024 opponent. "I am somewhere," Biden responded, the first time he's indicated he will debate Trump this election cycle.
- Good Morning America
Mom shares why she sends her kid to preschool with stained clothes
An Indiana mom is reminding parents that sending young toddlers and children to preschool with stained but clean clothes doesn't have to be a dealbreaker or a sign of poor hygiene. Marla Branyan, a mom of two, shared her take in a now-viral TikTok video about the topic. "I had this lightbulb moment where I thought, 'If she's getting these stains at preschool, why can't I just send her back with the clothes clean, with the stain still there, if they didn't come out?' It was a really pivotal moment for me because I feel like it gave me a lot of freedom, and it reduced the stress," Branyan said.
- Good Morning America
Southwest Airlines CEO says airline may reevaluate open seating after financial loss
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." 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.
- ABC News
Kim Kardashian joins Kamala Harris, pardon recipients to discuss criminal justice reform
Reality television star and businesswoman Kim Kardashian joined Vice President Kamala Harris for a roundtable discussion on Thursday to discuss criminal justice reform and pardons recently issued by President Joe Biden. The conversation included four recent pardon recipients -- Jason Hernandez, Bobby Darrell Lowery, Jesse Mosley, and Beverly Holcy -- and came a day after Biden granted clemency to 16 people.
- ABC News
The US economy is cooling off. Why experts say there's no need to worry yet
The finding, released in a Commerce Department report this week, renewed a question that has lingered over the economy: Should Americans be worried about where it's headed? "GDP decelerated pretty significantly," Stephan Weiler, a professor of economics at Colorado State University and a former Fed research officer, told ABC News, but he acknowledged the limitations of the new finding. Gross domestic product, a measure of all the goods and services produced in the economy, recorded 1.6% annual growth over the first three months of the year, the Commerce Department said this week.
- Good Morning America
King Charles III to return to public duties amid cancer treatment
King Charles III will return to public duties next week, a first since his cancer diagnosis was revealed publicly in February. Buckingham Palace announced Friday that Charles, 75, and his wife Queen Camilla will visit a cancer treatment center Tuesday, where they plan to meet with the center's patients and medical staff. The visit will be the first official public engagement Charles has held since earlier this year, when he was diagnosed with cancer following treatment for benign prostate enlargement.
- ABC News
Large fossil footprints point to discovery of new 'megaraptor' dinosaur: Study
Although the velociraptors of "Jurassic Park" fame are well known, they don't much resemble their historical counterparts. The movie velociraptors are portrayed as being 6 feet tall with scaly skin and incredibly fast, but real velociraptors were about as big as a medium-sized dog, measuring approximately 1.6 feet high and between 4.8 and 6.8 feet across, scientists say.
- ABC News
Democratic divisions over Israel aren't guaranteed to sink The Squad
Such critiques have put electoral pressure on Lee and other members of The Squad, an informal group of about nine progressive Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives. With Lee's victory, three members have won renomination in solidly Democratic districts in March and April primaries, all but ensuring that they'll win reelection in November. The Squad's criticisms of Israel and its actions in Gaza in the wake of Hamas's October attack on Israel helped spur many of their challengers' campaigns back in the fall, and pro-Israel groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee could boost efforts to take down these progressive incumbents.