McDonald's CEO Apologizes After Leaked Texts Reveal Comments About Slain Chicago Kids

McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski is apologizing after text messages sent to Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot reveal that he said that two Chicago children who died by gunfire this year were "failed" by their parents, NPR reports. The text messages were in reference to 7-year-old Jaslyn Adams, who was fatally shot while sitting in the car with her father in a McDonald's parking lot in Chicago and 13-year-old Adam Toledo, who was killed by police last winter.

"I have not walked in the shoes of Adam's or Jaslyn's family and so many others who are facing a very different reality," he said in a letter to staff, according to WBEZ Chicago. "Not taking the time to think about this from their viewpoint was wrong."

Suspect in Delia Johnson Shooting Extradited to New York

Claudia Banton, the woman who has been named a prime suspect in the execution-style slaying of Delia Johnson in Brooklyn last August, has been extradited back to New York to face charges, CBS News reports. Banton was apprehended by police in Jacksonville, Florida earlier this month.

FDA Says Merck's COVID Treatment Pill Is Effective

The United States Food and Drug Administration says that Merck's COVID-19 treatment pill is effective at easing symptoms and speeding recovery in patients, NBC News reports. However, they intend to work with outside experts to determine the drug's risk of birth defects and potential complications that it may pose during pregnancy. Presently, scientists with the FDA say that their review uncovered several possible risks, which include potential toxicity to fetuses and birth defects.