New York

Happening Today: Tornadoes, Kenya, Losartan, Janice Freeman, ‘The Sandlot'

What to Know

  • A tornado roared into southeast Alabama and killed at least 23 people and injured several others, a storm that caused catastrophic damage
  • Thousands of bottles of a medicine for treating high blood pressure and congestive heart failure have been recalled over carcinogen concerns
  • Janice Freeman, who competed on season 13 of NBC's 'The Voice' in 2017, has died at age 33

Get the top headlines of the day in your morning briefing from NBC 4 New York, Monday through Friday. Sign up for our newsletter here.

At Least 23 Dead as Tornadoes, Severe Storms Ravage South

A tornado roared into southeast Alabama and killed at least 23 people and injured several others, part of a severe storm system that caused catastrophic damage and unleashed other tornadoes around the Southeast. "Unfortunately our toll, as far as fatalities, does stand at 23 at the current time," Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones told WRBL-TV of the death toll. He added that two people were in intensive care. Drones flying overheard equipped with heat-seeking devices had scanned the area for survivors but the dangerous conditions halted the search, Jones said. "The devastation is incredible," he said. An intense ground search would resume in the morning. Jones said the twister traveled straight down a county road in the rural community of Beauregard and that the path of damage and destruction appeared at least a half mile wide. He said single-family homes and mobile homes were destroyed, adding some homes were reduced to slabs. He had told reporters earlier that several people were taken to hospitals, some with "very serious injuries."

Trump 'Gave Nothing Away' in North Korea Talks, Adviser Says

The White House national security adviser described President Trump's summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a success despite the lack of an agreement providing for verifiable dismantling of the North's nuclear sites. John Bolton, in three television interviews, tried to make the case that Trump advanced America's national security interests by rejecting a bad agreement while working to persuade Kim to take "the big deal that really could make a difference for North Korea." The U.S. and North Korea have offered contradictory accounts of why last week's summit in Vietnam broke down, though both pointed to American sanctions as a sticking point. However, in a tweet Sunday night, Trump offered another possibility. He appeared to cast criticism at Democrats for holding a congressional hearing with his former lawyer Michael Cohen while he was in sensitive negotiations overseas.

4 Americans, Local Pilot Die in Kenya Helicopter Crash

Kenyan police say four Americans and a local pilot are dead after their helicopter crashed on an island in Lake Turkana in the north. The internal police report seen by The Associated Press says the crash occurred in Central Island National Park as two helicopters took off after a visit to the Lobolo tented camp. The United States Embassy confirms the deaths of the four Americans and the names of three of them: Anders Asher Jesiah Burke, Brandon Howe Stapper and Kyle John Forti. The embassy refers further questions to Kenyan authorities. The police report does not say what caused the crash. Last month three Americans were among five people killed when their plane crashed as they were heading to Lodwar near Lake Turkana.

New Recall for Losartan Blood Pressure, Heart Disease Medication

Thousands of bottles of a prescription medicine for treating high blood pressure and congestive heart failure have been recalled over the detection of trace amounts of a possible carcinogen. About 56,000 bottles of losartan tablets were recalled by Camber Pharmaceuticals, the latest in a series of losartan-related recalls. No one has reported any adverse effects from the drug in the recall, the company said in a notice posted on the Food and Drug Administration's website. Losartan tablets in 25, 50 and 100 mg doses are being recalled by Camber. They were distributed nationwide. Consumers should speak with their doctor to discuss the recall before they stop taking the drug, or if they have experienced any adverse effects that may be related to the drug. Trace amounts of N-Nitroso N-Methyl 4-amino butyric acid were found as an impurity or contaminant in an active ingredient. That compound is a potential human carcinogen, according to the recall notice.

'The Voice' Singer Janice Freeman Dead at 33

Janice Freeman, who competed on season 13 of NBC's "The Voice" in 2017, has died at age 33. The singer, who was on coach Miley Cyrus's team and reached the top 11 on the singing contest series, passed away at her home in Pasadena, California after suffering a medical emergency. TMZ quoted her family as saying she had told her husband, Dion, that she was having trouble breathing, after which he called 911 and performed CPR until paramedics arrived. She was later pronounced dead at a hospital. In addition to Dion, Freeman is survived by her daughter, Hannah, her child from her first husband, who died of cancer, and other family members. Her cousin, Johanna Freeman, confirmed and mourned her death on Instagram. Freeman, a native of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, had battled many health issues through her life, including cervical cancer, bacterial infection meningococcal meningitis and the autoimmune diseases lupus and Sjogren's syndrome. She also survived kidney failure as a child.

'The Sandlot' Will Return as a TV Series With Original Cast Members

Fans of "The Sandlot" rejoice! The coming-of-age movie that all baseball-loving kids can relate to is coming to TV with the original cast members. Writer-director David Mickey Evans said on The Rain Delay podcast that the TV series, which will run on an unnamed streaming service, will bring back Smalls, Ham, Yeah-Yeah and the gang ... but this time as adults in the 1980s. "I just sold a 'Sandlot' television show. We're about to get an order for the first two seasons," he told "The Rain Delay" host Cooperstown Kurt. "I already got all the original cast members back. It takes place in 1984, when they’re all like 33 years old and they all have children of their own, and that's all I can tell you." The original 1993 film, set in the San Fernando Valley in 1962, gained a cult following due to its spot-on depiction of childhood, summertime adventures and of course, the love of baseball. The 2005 sequel, which was direct-to-DVD, featured a different cast including James Earl Jones and Greg Germann.

Contact Us