Month: April 2021

At least 44 people have been killed and 150 people hospitalized following a stampede around midnight Friday in Israel at Mount Meron during Lag BaOmer festivities, according to the Israeli Health Ministry.

Among those injured, at least 23 are in critical condition, officials said.

The Israeli military said it sent 6 helicopters and 250 ambulances to aid in rescue efforts. Hundreds of people are still waiting Friday to be taken away from the scene.

“The Meron disaster is one of the worst disasters in the history of Israel. We mourn the dead, our hearts go out to the families of those wounded, to them we wish a full recovery,” Prime Ministry Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement Friday. “We have seen here heart-breaking sights, people who were crushed to death, including children. A large number of the fatalities have not yet been identified, so I ask you to refrain from spreading rumors in social media because this is too hard for families.

“Let the authorities do their work. I have to point out here the speedy rescue effort of the police and the other security and rescue organizations, we are grateful to them. Their work prevented an even larger disaster. We will conduct a thorough investigation so such a disaster will not happen again. I declare Sunday a national mourning day,” he continued.

The MDA said helicopters were sent to work with ambulances to bring victims to Ziv Hospital in Safed and Galil Medical Center in Nahariya.

Lag BaOmer is an annual celebration on the anniversary of the death of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, who was buried in a tomb at Mount Meron in northern Israel. The festivities include pilgrimages to bar Yochai’s tomb and lighting bonfires and celebrating throughout the night.

President Joe Biden said he spoke with Netanyahu to offer his “profound condolences.”

Biden said the U.S. is offering assistance to Israel and is still working to confirm if Americans were among those killed or hurt.

“Our Embassy and Department of State will provide all necessary support to any U.S. citizens and their family members affected,” Biden said in a statement Friday.

“Our prayers are with those who were injured and all those who lost loved ones,” Biden said. “May their memories be a blessing.”

ABC News’ Bruno Nota, Molly Nagle, Christine Theodorou and Rashid Haddou contributed to this report.

A Minnesota man was sentenced to four years in prison for his role in setting fire to a Minneapolis police station during protests denouncing the police killing of George Floyd.

Dylan Shakespeare Robinson, 23, was sentenced Wednesday to prison time, two years of supervised release and was also ordered to pay $12 million in restitution, the District of Minnesota’s U.S. Attorney’s office said in a news release.

Robinson, of Brainerd, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit arson on Dec. 15 for helping set the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct building ablaze on May 28.

A large crowd of protesters had gathered at the building days after Floyd’s death and on the evening of May 28 the crowd began shouting “Burn it down, burn to down,” according to the press release.

A fence surrounding the building was then torn down and Robinson, along with others, breached the fence and entered the building.

Robinson lit an object held by an unidentified co-conspirator who threw it toward the building “with the intent that it would start a fire or fuel an existing fire,” the U.S. Attorney’s office said.

That predict had been evacuated at the time of the protest, CNN reported.

“On the night of May 28, 2020, Mr. Robinson chose to depart from lawful protest and instead engaged in violence and destruction. The arson at the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct put lives at risk and contributed to widespread lawlessness in Minneapolis,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Anders Folk. “With today’s sentence, Mr. Robinson is held accountable for his actions.”

Robinson’s lawyer did not immediately reply to ABC News’ request for comment.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division.

Three others — Bryce Michael Williams, 27, Davon De-Andre Turner, 25, and Branden Michael Wolfe, 23, — have all pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit arson for their roles in the fire at the Third Precinct building and will be sentenced at a later date, officials said.

The death of Floyd sparked national protests calling for the end of police brutality and racial injustice.

Former cop Derek Chauvin, who was seen pressing his knee into Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes in a cellphone video, was found guilty in the death of Floyd on April 20.

SEOUL, South Korea — In defiance of new laws that ban sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets, an anti-North Korean activist group claimed it has launched balloons carrying leaflets and U.S. dollar bills from an unknown location near the border this week.

Ten 8-foot-tall balloons were filled with 500,000 anti-Pyongyang leaflets, 5,000 $1 bills and 500 mini booklets depicting South Korea’s remarkable development, according to Fighters for Free North Korea.

The launch is subject to a maximum prison term of three years or a fine of $27,400 under the revised “Inter-Korean Relations Development Act.” The law went into effect on March 31 after Pyongyang’s furious objections and threats last year to cut all inter-Korean projects if Seoul does not force these groups to halt the balloon launches.

The South Korean government claims the ban is for the safety of people living in border regions, and to help government efforts to achieve peace and unification in the Korean peninsula.

“When exact facts are confirmed by the police and the military, we will deal with the situation according to the legislative purpose of the Inter-Korean Relations Development Act,” Cha Deok-cheol, deputy spokesperson at South Korea’s Unification Ministry, said during a regular press briefing Friday. “Again, the law is for the safety of residents in the border area,” he said.

But civic groups like Fighters for Free North Korea (FFNK) denounce the act claiming that the government is in effect blocking the much-needed flow of information to the North.

“This government is trying to cover the ears and eyes of the North Korean people by silencing North Korea human rights groups in South Korea,” Park Sang Hak, head of FFNK, told ABC News. “Despite the fact that the Constitution stipulates the freedom of expression and publication, this government chose to stand on Kim Jong Un’s side and not us North Korean defectors.”

Park, 53, is a North Korean defector who escaped the communist country in 1999 and has been sending propaganda leaflets across the border into North Korea since 2005. The Ministry of Unification revoked the license permit of FFNK last July, declaring that its operations “raise tensions and harm public interest.” The cancelation of corporate licenses for Park’s group meant no more tax deductions or tax benefits as an interest group. He said he has since been closely watched and under police investigation.

“You can handcuff me and send me to jail, but anti-Pyongyang leaflets will not be stopped by any threat or violence as long as us North Korean defectors live in this land,” Park said.

The controversial “Inter-Korean Relations Development Act” is also under scrutiny in the legislative assembly. Fourteen lawmakers, including two North Korean defectors, have proposed amendments and are waiting for the result.

“Such legislative amendments are against the belief of those who represent so-called liberal democracy,” Ji Seong Ho, a North Korean defector and human rights activist turned South Korea’s lawmaker, told ABC News.

“Right now the law may simply seem like it deprives North Korean people’s freedom to see anti-regime leaflets, but if we remain a mere spectator here, we do not know what the government will restrict the next time there is something they don’t want people to know about,” Ji said.

U.N Special Rapporteur on North Korean Human Rights Tomás Ojea Quintana has also submitted questions to the South Korean government expressing concern that the ban limits many activities of escapees and civil society organizations. The Unification Ministry said they “plan to faithfully provide the data requested by U.N Special Rapporteurs” during a briefing the same day.

A federal judge overseeing the criminal case of Ghislaine Maxwell on Thursday ordered the government to explain and justify the use of nightly flashlight checks of Maxwell’s jail cell, which her lawyers contend are disrupting her sleep, harming her health and compromising her ability to prepare for trial.

“Is Ms. Maxwell being subjected to flashlight surveillance every 15 minutes at night? Or any other atypical flashlight surveillance?” U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan asked prosecutors in a brief order Thursday. “If so, what is the basis for doing so?”

Nathan’s order came in response to a court filing from Maxwell’s attorneys earlier Thursday, which included a photograph of Maxwell in jail with apparent bruising beneath her left eye.

Defense attorney Bobbi C. Sternheim contends in a letter to the court that Maxwell has no mirror and was unaware of the bruising until she “caught a reflection of her aching eye” in a nail clipper.

Maxwell was then “confronted” by staff at the Metropolitan Detention Center about the source of the bruise, “threatening to place her in the [Special Housing Unit] if she did not reveal how she got it,” according to Sternheim’s letter.

“While Ms. Maxwell is unaware of the cause of the bruise … she has grown increasingly reluctant to report information to the guards for fear of retaliation, discipline, and punitive chores. However, there is concern that the bruise may be related to the need for Ms. Maxwell to shield her eyes from the lights projected into her cell throughout the night,” Sternheim wrote.

Nathan’s inquiry about the flashlight surveillance comes after an appellate court on Tuesday quickly turned down Maxwell’s appeal of three previous orders denying bail to the 59-year-old, an alleged accomplice of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Maxwell has been detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, since her arrest last July. She pleaded not guilty last week to an eight-count superseding indictment that alleges she aided and conspired with Epstein in the sexual abuse of four minor girls between 1994 and 2004.

Oral argument before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday focused on Maxwell’s claims that she is being singled out for harsh treatment by the federal Bureau of Prisons because Epstein died by suicide while in government custody.

“She’s kept up at night every 15 minutes with lights shined in her eyes so that they can check her breathing,” argued David Markus, Maxwell’s appellate lawyer. “She’s not suicidal. There’s no evidence she’s suicidal. Why is the Bureau of Prisons doing this? They’re doing it because Jeffrey Epstein died on their watch.”

A federal prosecutor, Lara Pomerantz, described the flashlight checks as “routine.”

“My understanding is that the accommodations that have been made for Ms. Maxwell are based on [the Bureau of Prisons’] assessment of the defendant and her security, and the security of the institution,” Pomerantz told the appellate court.

According to Nathan’s order, federal prosecutors must consult with prison officials and report back to the court by next week.

Nathan has also ordered the prison officials to provide more information — to the court and to Maxwell’s lawyers — about an alleged incident over the weekend, in which Maxwell claimed guards seized and examined her confidential legal documents. The legal counsel of the facility alleged that Maxwell violated policy by receiving documents from her lawyers during an in-person visit on Saturday.

Maxwell’s attorneys said the claims by prison staff are “inaccurate.”

“This allegation is reckless, false, and defamatory. At no time did counsel provide documents to Ms. Maxwell for her retention that did not originate from Ms. Maxwell,” Sternheim wrote in a court filing late Thursday.

Maxwell’s legal team has threatened legal action and sent a letter to the facility’s lawyer demanding that all video and notes surrounding the Saturday visit be preserved.

In a letter to the court on Wednesday, the BOP acknowledged that they took possession of certain documents from Maxwell, but did not address whether the documents had been read or copied, The documents were returned to anorher of Maxwell’s lawyers during a visit on Sunday.

Maxwell’s trial is currently scheduled to begin on July 12. Her lawyers have asked the court to postpone until the fall or winter to allow them time to investigate and prepare for the allegations in the superseding indictment, which added two new charges and a fourth alleged victim.

The government opposes the delay, citing, among other reasons, the stress on the alleged victims ahead of the trial.

Los Angeles police have charged five people in connection with the shooting of Lady Gaga’s dog walker and the kidnapping of her beloved French bulldogs, according to police.

Three of the five arrested — James Jackson, 18, Jaylin White, 19, and Lafayette Whaley, 27 — were allegedly involved in the robbery and shooting of the singer’s dog walker, Ryan Fischer, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

Authorities don’t believe Fischer was targeted because he works for Lady Gaga; investigators believe the suspects were motivated by the high value of French bulldogs, police said.

“This was a brazen street crime that left a man seriously wounded,” LA County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. “We have alleged very serious charges in this case and have faith that justice will be appropriately served as this case unfolds in court.”

Fischer was walking Lady Gaga’s three dogs in February when he was approached by two people who attempted to steal them. After a brief interaction, Fischer was shot and two of the three dogs were taken to a car and driven away.

Fischer was hospitalized and survived.

Police said the two others arrested — Harold White, 40, and Jennifer McBride, 50 — were accessories after the crime.

In February, McBride brought Lady Gaga’s two missing dogs to an LAPD station, police said Thursday. Police had said in February that the woman who found the dogs and brought them to police was not involved in the kidnapping, but now say she had a relationship with Harold White, the father of Jaylin White.

Jackson, Jaylin White and Whaley were each charged Thursday with attempted murder and robbery, police said. Jackson also faces charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and a felon carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle, Gascón said in a press release. White also faces a charge of assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury.

Harold White and McBride were each charged with accessory after the fact to attempted murder, police said. Harold White was also charged with possession of a firearm, while McBride also faces a charge of receiving stolen property, the district attorney said.

Whaley, Jackson, Jaylin White and Harold White are all documented gang members, according to police.

Despite the push from activists, corporate leaders and Democrats to reject legislation imposing new restrictions on voting, late Thursday, the Florida legislature passed an omnibus election bill that, among other things, limits ballot drop boxes compared to current law.

The state Senate removed a provision the state House added Tuesday that would have required voters to present a photo ID to an election official when returning a mail ballot via drop dox. Democrats in the state House blasted the ID requirement since a voter is never required to show one when using a Postal Service mailbox.

No Democratic lawmakers supported the bill, and one Republican state senator opposed it as well. The bill, SB 90, now heads to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk. A spokesperson for the governor said DeSantis supports the bill, saying it “will ensure that Florida remains a national leader in election security, integrity and transparency.”

Following the 2020 general election, which former President Donald Trump and allies falsely but repeatedly claimed was illegitimate and filled with fraud, there has been an unprecedented effort among states to enact legislation with new hurdles to casting a ballot. According to the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice, nearly every state has introduced bills like this and at least five have already been enacted.

Voting rights and civil liberties groups have already filed several lawsuits seeking to strike down the new laws in Iowa and Georgia. One of the attorneys representing some of those cases, Marc Elias, has already promised a lawsuit if Florida’s bill becomes law.

In addition to new drop-box provisions, the Florida bill also bars local agencies from accepting outside money for nearly all election-related expenses and from mailing unsolicited ballots to voters; expands the no-solicitation zone outside polling facilities by 50 feet; reduces the number of elections a single vote-by-mail application covers; imposes new voter ID requirements for updating one’s registration record and applying for a mail ballot; allows counties to begin canvassing returned mail ballots sooner pre-election; sets up a state-run “live turnout data” dashboard for Election Day turnout and election night mail ballot processing; and gives poll watchers, candidates, political parties and committees, or their designees, more access to certain election processes and materials.

The National Vote at Home Institute, a nonpartisan nonprofit advocating pro-voter policies, said in a statement Thursday the bill “would make a more hostile voting environment in a state that otherwise has made voting easy and accessible for dozens of elections prior to 2020.”

Democrats in Florida accused Republicans of trying to suppress the vote and solve a problem that doesn’t exist, saying there’s no evidence mass fraud occurred in Florida — or elsewhere — to warrant these changes and citing past comments from the governor and other Republicans praising the November election.

“The people are reading this, saying to themselves, ‘can’t they see that this is perceived as voter suppression?'” said Democratic state Sen. Darryl Rouson Thursday. “As for me, I believe my eyes, and doggonit, I can read, and what I read is not pretty.”

“Why do we think there’s a need to fix something that is not broken?” Democratic state Rep. Dianne Hart said Wednesday. “Not a single person in favor of this bill has been able to produce one example of one incident of fraud that this legislation is supposed to prevent.”

Republicans did not dispute that the last election was successful, but they argued these changes will keep Florida’s elections accessible while establishing “guardrails” to prevent potential fraud in the future.

“This bill is not about making it harder to vote. This bill is about making it harder to vote illegally,” said Republican state Rep. Tommy Gregory.

“We did have a great election, but why should we be satisfied there?” said Republican state Sen. Travis Hutson Thursday. “I believe that every legal vote should count. I believe one fraudulent vote is one too many, and I’m trying to protect the sanctity of our elections.”

The drop box and provisions to prevent so-called “ballot harvesting” — when a third party collects and delivers mail ballots — were at the center of the contentious debates in the legislature this week.

Instead of allowing constant video surveillance of drop boxes, they now must be physically monitored at all times. Drop boxes can only be at election supervisors’ main and permanent branch offices or locations approved for early voting. Excluding drop boxes at offices, they can only be accessible during the early voting period hours of operation. Counties can, in theory, have a drop box at the office location that’s accessible 24 hours through poll closing time on Election Day — but only if they pay an employee to man it. Democrats called this an “unfunded mandate.”

Drop boxes are a convenient way for voters to return mail ballots without the Postal Service. However, this bill eliminates much of that convenience by limiting where and when voters can access them, and since it’s up to each county election supervisor whether to staff a drop box beyond regular early voting or office hours, voters in certain counties may be at a disadvantage compared to others.

The bill also spells out that a voter can only possess mail ballots belonging to an immediate family member — a spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild or sibling — or one of their spouse’s immediate family members, and a maximum of two other voters per election.

Republicans said this prevents “ballot harvesting,” and is necessary for election security. But Democrats disagreed, arguing it doesn’t matter who returns a ballot or how many one person returns since mail ballot verification only happens once the ballot gets to the supervisor’s office.

Dozens have been killed and many more injured in a stampede late Thursday in Israel at Mount Meron during Lag BaOmer festivities.

Magen Daviv Adom, Israel’s national emergency medical services, said there were “dozens” killed, but did not offer specific numbers. It also said in a tweet that that 38 were critically inured and still at the location, six were in critical condition at a hospital, 18 were severely injured, two were moderately injured and 39 were lightly injured.

Video from the scene showed dozens of ambulances lined up for patients.

The Israeli military said it sent helicopters to aid in rescue efforts.

The MDA confirmed six helicopters were sent to work with ambulances to bring victims to Ziv Hospital in Safed and Galil Medical Center in Nahariya.

Lag BaOmer is an annual celebration on the anniversary of the death of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, who was buried in a tomb at Mount Meron in northern Israel. The festivities include pilgrimages to bar Yochai’s tomb and lighting bonfires and celebrating throughout the night.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

ABC News’ Bruno Nota, Christine Theodorou and Rashid Haddou contributed to this report.

President Joe Biden is no stranger to the State of the Union and joint addresses to Congress after 36 years in the Senate and eight years as vice president, but Wednesday night, he finally got to deliver one of his own — a speech that looked back on the president’s accomplishments and pitched ahead to his future agenda.

The speech looked different than in years past, with COVID-19 keeping the audience confined and putting a larger emphasis on the television audience at home — likely Biden’s biggest audience of the year outside of his inauguration.

One day shy of his 100th day in office, Biden made the case for his future agenda.

Here are the key takeaways from Biden’s first joint address to Congress:

The pandemic made this a speech like none other

COVID-19 was one of the first topics the president addressed, and as has been the case for all of Biden’s presidency, the virus played a large role in shaping the look and feel of the president’s remarks.

For the lifelong politician, this long-awaited moment lacked much of the normal fanfare.

The usually jam-packed chamber was sparsely filled, and while the applause was no less frequent, it did not reach the same volume as years past.

While more than 1,600 people typically attend a presidential speech to Congress — called a State of the Union address except in a president’s first year — this year, only 200 people were allowed to be there in person.

The smaller crowd in the House of Representatives chamber was socially distanced and masked, with attendees kept three seats away from the center aisle Biden walked down.

Traditional glad-handing transformed into fist-bumping, with members of Congress leaning across socially distanced empty seats to reach prime real estate along the aisles in order to be seen on television greeting the president.

While most of the Cabinet usually attends, this year only the secretaries of state and defense were there. The rest watched from home, eliminating the need for a “designated survivor.”

The invited guests usually seated in the first lady’s box were instead celebrated in a virtual reception Wednesday afternoon.

The White House said Biden’s goal would be to speak more directly to the American people than usual during such an address, and Biden delivered, speaking directly to American workers.

Biden projects optimistic tone after year of despair

Biden delivered the address on his 99th day in office, and unlike many of his other speeches amid the ongoing pandemic, this one struck a decidedly optimistic tone.

An energized Biden sought to take credit for strides the United States has taken fighting COVID-19 — noting 220 million vaccine doses will have been administered by Thursday.

He said he had “inherited a nation” that was “in crisis” — facing a historic pandemic and economic crisis and reeling from the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.

“Now, after just 100 days,” Biden said, “I can report to the nation” America is on the move again.”

Americans, he said “never, ever, ever stay down” and “always get up.”

“Today, that’s what we’re doing,” he said. “America is rising anew. Choosing hope over fear, truth over lies, and light over darkness.”

Biden’s lofty goals face a partisan reality check

Much of Biden’s speech focused on what he hopes to do over the next year: major priorities like gun control and immigration, his enormous infrastructure bill, education and child care plans.

But it’s very unlikely some of these goals will be met, and the ones that can be accomplished will be hard-won.

On immigration reform, House Democrats have introduced standalone bills to give a pathway to citizenship to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients and green cards to farmworkers. The existence of those bills indicates House Speaker Nancy Pelosi does not have the support necessary to pass Biden’s comprehensive reform package.

And Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate, has all but admitted the president’s comprehensive immigration reform package won’t pass in his chamber this year with a razor-thin margin of Democratic control.

Likewise, gun control seems to be going nowhere fast.

While some senators, like Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., are discussing measures that might grab some Republican support, like increasing certain types of background checks, the House-passed gun control measures have little support among Senate Republicans.

Biden might be able to succeed with his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan, which can be passed with a simple majority in the Senate under the budget reconciliation process, but it remains to be seen whether he can secure any bipartisan support for that measure, something he failed to do with COVID-19 relief.

Despite the roadblocks, Biden made it clear in his remarks he was open to considering other proposals to find consensus on issues like Infrastructure and criminal justice reform — so long as it meant progress.

“I like to meet with those who have ideas that are different, that they think are better,” Biden said in response to Republicans who have proposed their own infrastructure plan. “I welcome those ideas. But the rest of the world is not waiting for us. I just want to be clear, from my perspective, doing nothing is not an option.”

Biden unveils new $1.8 trillion ‘families plan’

As promised by the White House, Biden called for a “once in a generation” investment in families and children, making his case for his newly announced American Families Plan to members of Congress and the American people.

In the plan, Biden calls for universal preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds, as well as two years of free community college, a national paid leave program and $800 billion in tax credits for families and workers.

In his remarks, Biden noted his personal connection to education, singling out his wife, first lady Jill Biden, who teaches at a community college.

“If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a thousand times,” he said, quoting his wife. “‘Joe, any country that out-educates us is going to outcompete us.’ She will be deeply involved in leading this effort.”

Biden also addressed how he planned to pay for the massive investment, reiterating his pledge not to raise taxes on any individual making less than $400,000 a year.

“Sometimes I have arguments with my friends in the Democratic Party. I think you should be able to become a billionaire and a millionaire, but pay your fair share,” Biden said.

“I’m not looking to punish anybody,” he continued. “But I will not add a tax burden, additional tax burden, to the middle class in this country. They’re already paying enough.”

History made: Madam speaker and madam vice president

For the first time in history, two women sat behind the president as he delivered an address to Congress — Vice President Kamala Harris and Pelosi.

Pelosi has attended presidential speeches to Congress before, but this year’s marked the first time she sat alongside a female vice president.

“Madam speaker, madam vice president,” Biden said at the start of his speech. “No president has ever said those words from this podium — no president has ever said those words. And it’s about time.”

Harris is the first woman vice president, as well as the first Black person and first Indian American to serve in the role.

As Harris arrived at the House chamber Wednesday night, ABC News asked her, “What is the significance of two women sitting behind the president tonight?”

“Normal,” she replied.

Biden appears to say Harris tasked with leading infrastructure push — but her office clarifies the next day

Biden appeared to announce he had asked Harris to lead the push to get his $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposals passed by Congress.

After laying out the components of his plan, including expanding broadband internet access, Biden said, “I am asking the vice president to lead this effort.”

It was widely reported that the president had tasked Harris with shepherding the entire infrastructure proposal through Congress, but Thursday morning, Harris’ office said that Biden was only talking about the vice president “taking a lead on expanding broadband access” — not the whole plan.

This was a big step back from what otherwise would have been a major addition to her portfolio, one that would have carried significant political risk.

The role would have been a challenging one, since Harris — a former senator — would have faced widespread opposition among Republican lawmakers who have said the plan is too expansive, a sentiment some Democrats have expressed, too. Republicans are also opposed to raising taxes on corporations to pay for it, as the president has suggested.

A group of Republicans have proposed their own plan that is focused on what they call more “traditional” infrastructure investments.

Biden has also tasked Harris with stemming the flow of migration from Central America, while she has embraced other issues like encouraging Black Americans to get vaccinated.

ABC News’ Allison Pecorin contributed to this report.

A New York couple accused of beating a Black hotel clerk in Connecticut blew kisses and appeared to dance in front of protesters as they arrived to court Wednesday.

Philip Sarner and Emily Orbay were captured on surveillance video hitting and kicking Crystal Caldwell, a hotel clerk at the Quality Inn in Mystic, Connecticut, on June 26 last year.

Video of the attack appears to show Sarner and Orbay approach Caldwell near an ice machine. Sarner appears to punch Caldwell, shove her to the ground and kick her head. Orbay appears to hit Caldwell’s head.

Caldwell’s attorney, M. John Strafaci, told ABC News the incident took place after the couple complained about an issue with hot water.

They now both face charges of intimidation due to bias and assault in the attack that Caldwell claims was racially motivated.

“During the assault, he was making racial comments and slurs, calling her a monkey,” Strafaci alleged.

Sarner also faces a further charge of harassment for allegedly making harassing phone calls to Strafaci.

Sarner and Orbay, from Long Island, New York, were arrested last July in Brooklyn for their alleged role in the attack, according to The Hartford Courant.

They appeared at New London Superior Court in Connecticut for a hearing Wednesday, where they were met by a group of protesters who chanted, “Hey hey, ho ho, these racist folks have got to go,” local ABC affiliate WTNH reported.

Sarner appeared to raise his hands and dance, while Orbay blew kisses to the protesters.

“He has no remorse. The only thing he sorry about is that he was caught,” Strafaci said about Sarner after the couple’s interactions with protesters at the courthouse.

“It’s one of the most vicious assaults that I’ve seen,” he added. “Just a situation where you have a lady who’s working at a hotel [who] hasn’t done anything to deserve it.”

Strafaci said Caldwell sustained head injuries, an eye injury and a severe concussion following the incident, and she may require surgery. He said she also suffers from post traumatic stress disorder and continues to have nightmares about the assault.

“It’s gonna be a long, long time that I don’t stop dreaming about his stepping and kicking, stepping on my head. It’s going to be a long time,” Caldwell told WTNH outside the courthouse.

The state’s attorney’s office offered a plea deal to Sarner and Orbay on Wednesday. If they plead guilty to all charges, Sarner would be sentenced to nine years in prison, suspended after five years served, and three years probation. Orbay would be sentenced to six years behind bars, suspended after two years, followed by three years probation, Strafaci said.

The couple is due back in court in July to either accept or reject the plea deals.

Sarner and Orbay’s attorney Kevin Smith did not reply to ABC News’ request for comment. Smith said last August, “We obviously would dispute the nature of the assault,” when arguing for reduced bond for the couple, according to The Day.

At least five people were arrested Wednesday night for breaking curfew in North Carolina as protesters continued to demonstrate against the fatal police shooting of Andrew Brown Jr.

Brown, 42, was fatally shot in his car by sheriff deputies in Elizabeth City on April 21. Deputies from Pasquotank and Dare Counties were attempting to execute an arrest warrant that stemmed from a felony drug investigation, officials said.

Hundreds of people gathered at the Pasquotank County courthouse on Wednesday evening, local ABC affiliate WTVD reported.

The protest unfolded hours after a judge ruled body camera and dashcam footage from Brown’s death would not be released to the public for at least 30 days.

Officers in tactical gear carrying guns and plastic shields started to arrest demonstrators who failed to disperse about three hours after the 8 p.m. city curfew and at least five were arrested, according to The News & Observer.

Around midnight, Elizabeth City police tweeted, “A group of approximately 15 individuals has refused to disperse and has moved to the intersection of Elizabeth Street and Martin Street. Arrests are being made at this time.”

On Tuesday night, when the curfew took effect, there was also standoff between police and demonstrators after 8 p.m. At least six people were arrested, The News & Observer reported.

Superior Court Judge Jeff Foster ruled Wednesday that Brown’s family and attorneys could view redacted versions of videos from the police shooting over the next 10 days, but the body camera footage and dashcam footage would not be released to the public until an investigation is complete.

The decision came shortly after a North Carolina prosecutor said Brown had hit law enforcement officers with his car before they opened fire, The Associated Press reported.

The family and their attorneys have already seen a short clip of the footage. In a press briefing Monday, they described that a 20-second clip from one police body camera showed an unarmed Brown being shot to death with his hands on the steering wheel in his car outside of his Elizabeth City home.

Chantel Cherry-Lassiter, a family attorney who was allowed to watch the video, said Brown “was trying to evade being shot.” She said the clip did not show Brown threatening officers.

Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten II released a statement Wednesday, saying, “I wanted the body camera footage to be released to the public as soon as possible, and I’m disappointed it won’t happen immediately. Obviously, I’ll respect the judge’s ruling.”

The family of Brown said Tuesday an independent autopsy showed he was shot five times, including once in the back of the head. His relatives and attorneys said the autopsy results confirm that he was “executed.”

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper issued a statement on Tuesday calling for a special prosecutor to investigate the shooting. The FBI Charlotte Field Office has launched a civil rights probe into the death of Brown.

Seven Pasquotank County deputies involved in the April 21 shooting have been placed on administrative leave. The names of the deputies have not been released.

ABC News’ Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.