Tuesday, February 7, 2023

Wake-Up Call: Rescuers Desparate To Find Survivors


Rescuers are digging using their bare hands as they work through the night to find survivors of earthquakes in Turkey which have killed at least 5,100+ people. Thousands of buildings in Turkey and Syria were flattened on Monday after a series of tremors, including two measuring 7.8 and 7.5 in magnitude. There fears that there will be thousands more fatalities confirmed in the coming days, as emergency services battle to save people trapped under the rubble as temperatures plunge below freezing. Many of those unaccounted for nearly 24 hours later had been sleeping in their beds when the first quake struck in the early hours of Monday morning, with the shaking causing entire apartments blocks to buckle and collapse. 


Videos coming from the region show desperate rescuers using any tools available, including their bare hands, to try and free people - but some came too late, with heartbreaking footage showing the bodies of children and families pulled from the wreckage.

➤GENERAL ADMITS U-S HAS 'AWARENESS GAP': A senior U.S. general responsible for bringing down a Chinese spy balloon said on Monday the military had not detected previous spy balloons before the one that appeared on Jan. 28 over the United States and called it an "awareness gap." The Pentagon said over the weekend that Chinese spy balloons had briefly flown over the United States at least three times during President Donald Trump's administration and one previously under President Joe Biden. Air Force General Glen VanHerck, head of U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command and Northern Command, said the latest balloon was 200 feet (60 meters) tall and the payload under it weighed a couple thousand pounds. He did not provide details on previous balloons, including where over the United States they flew. "I will tell you that we did not detect those threats, and that's a domain awareness gap," VanHerck said.


Meanwhile, China has confirmed that it was the source of a balloon discovered over Latin America. The Chinese Foreign Ministry called it an unmanned research airship that bad weather had blown off course—an explanation virtually identical to the one China gave for the suspected spy balloon that flew over the U.S. last week. The confirmation received muted responses from authorities in Latin America, where governments have sought to fortify trade ties with Beijing. The Pentagon believed both were used for surveillance, a senior defense official said. The U.S. military shot the first one down near the coast of South Carolina on Saturday.

➤HOUSING MARKET BELIEVED TO BE WARMING UP: The U.S. housing market is beginning to thaw thanks to falling mortgage rates. It’s a barometer of how the economy is responding to a loosening of financial conditions in recent weeks. The Fed has committed to keeping interest rates high until inflation declines further, even if that causes a recession. Still, the housing market will likely have a slow year. Meanwhile, speculative stocks are soaring as investors dust off their low-interest-rate playbook, and several restaurant companies are considering IPOs. Some economists are concerned that the recent stock-market rally could feed inflation.

➤13A MAY PROVIDE FEDERAL RIGHT TO ABORTION: A federal judge suggested Monday that the federal right to abortion — which the Supreme Court overturned last year — might still be protected by the Constitution’s 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly posed that eyebrow-raising hypothetical in a court order in a criminal case against a group of anti-abortion activists charged with blocking access to an abortion clinic in Washington, D.C. A 1990 paper by a Northwestern University School of Law professor found that the 13th Amendment, with its prohibition against involuntary servitude, provides a textual basis for the right to abortion. “When women are compelled to carry and bear children, they are subjected to ‘involuntary servitude’ in violation” of that amendment,” wrote the paper’s author Andrew Koppelman, which was cited by Kollar-Kotelly in her order.

➤DISNEY BOWS TO CHINA: Disney has cut an episode from The Simpsons that contains a reference to 'forced labor camps' in China from its streaming service in Hong Kong. The episode two of season 34, 'One Angry Lisa', which first aired in October on television, is not available on the US company's Disney Plus streaming service in Hong Kong, according to a check by Reuters. The Financial Times first reported the absence of the episode, which is produced by the 20th Television Animation, which is owned by Disney. In the episode, the character Marge Simpson is shown images of China's Great Wall during an exercise class as her instructor says: 'Behold the wonders of China: bitcoin mines, forced labor camps where children make smartphones.

➤SECOND AIR DIASTER AVERTED: The aviation industry risks 'the biggest disaster in its history' after a near miss between two airplanes in Austin on Saturday became the second time in less than a month that a catastrophic collision has nearly happened at a U.S. airport. A Boeing 767 FedEx cargo plane landing at Austin-Bergstrom International came within just a few hundred feet of a Southwest airlines 737 aircraft that was taking off from the same runway. Analysts say only the quick-thinking of the FedEx pilot prevented a collision. 

The incident follows a similar near miss at John F. Kennedy International in New York City on Friday, January 13, when a Delta flight was forced to perform an emergency stop during takeoff while an American Airlines plane crossed the same runway. Now, after two serious incidents in less than a month, industry analysts are asking how near misses of this magnitude could happen at two major American airports - and whether current safety protocols are adequate.

🛪STUDY: THE SAFEST SEAT ON A PLANE IS THE LEAST POPULAR;  Do you pay more to avoid sitting in the back of a plane? This might change your mind! A TIME investigation that examined 35 years of aircraft data found the seats in the back and center were statistically the safest. Sitting in an exit row in the back may provide the quickest exits in case of an emergency. While there are emergency exits near the wings, wings also store fuel, which can increase the risk of fire. Will airlines start charging more for those seats in the back? Unlikely, considering air travel is still statistically the safest mode of transport.

➤U.S. CHARGES 'NEO-NAZI' LEADER IN PLOT TO ATTACK POWER STATIONS: US authorities announced the arrests Monday of the co-founder of the notorious Atomwaffen neo-Nazi group and a woman he met online in the latest extremist plot to attack public electricity facilities. The FBI said Brandon Russell, who helped found Atomwaffen in 2015, was arrested in Florida, after spending four years in prison for possessing bomb-making materials. The woman, Sarah Beth Clendaniel, was arrested in Maryland where she had also spent time in prison for armed robbery. Guided by Russell, Clendaniel had planned to acquire a gun and to attack five electrical substations around Baltimore, Maryland.

➤POLICE ARREST TWO 18-YEAR-OLDS WHO REPORTEDLY THREATENED WORKERS WITH FULLY AUTOMATIC HANDGUN: Two 18-year-olds were taken into custody in Seattle after allegedly threatening staff at a business with a modified handgun during a membership dispute. The employees reported that the pair was asked to leave for not having memberships. However, the situation worsened when one of them pulled out a gun from his jacket and the other threatened to kill an employee. The suspects tried to flee to the parking garage, but officers intercepted their car and arrested them. A handgun was confiscated from the car, which had an extended magazine and appeared to have been altered for full automatic capability.


➤BEN AFFLECK GOES VIRAL FOR LOOKING UNHAPPY AT THE GRAMMYS: People can’t get enough of Ben Affleck’s facial expressions at the GRAMMYs on Sunday night (February 5th). The Good Will Hunting actor did not look happy in the slightest, and fans took notice. “Ben Affleck, blink if you're okay #Grammys,” one Twitter user wrote. Another joked that he looked like “every man dragged to a couples baby shower.” Some even speculated that he and Jennifer Lopez were fighting. “The way Jlo and Ben didn’t know they were being filmed,” one person commented, sharing a clip that shows JLo reacting to something Affleck said. Others joked that the Gone Girl actor needed some Dunkin’ Donuts as a pick-me-up, referencing his love for the company. “Can we get Ben some Dunkin’,” one person tweeted. On Monday (February 6th), JLo shared a reel to Instagram featuring photos and video from the event. “Always the best time with my love, my husband,” she captioned the post, seeming to address the memes.

➤WE HAVE A WINNER: Someone in Washington state overcame steep odds Monday night to win an estimated $747 million Powerball jackpot. The winning numbers were 05, 11, 22, 23, 69 and the Powerball 07. Lottery officials said in a statement early Tuesday that a single ticket matched all six numbers and was worth $754.6 million. The full jackpot is for a winner opting for an annuity distributed in one immediate but partial payout followed by additional payments over 29 years that increase by 5% annually. The winner also can opt for a one-time cash payment of $407.2 million. Both prizes available are the amounts before taxes, Powerball said.


🏈EAGLES SIRIANNI: 'CHIP ON SHOULDER AFTER NOT BEING RETAINED BY ANDY REID': Current Eagles coach, Nick Sirianni, was let go by Andy Reid after Reid took over as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012. Although Sirianni, who was the wide receivers coach at the time, appreciated Reid's handling of the situation, he admits being let go motivated him. Sirianni says he always has a chip on his shoulder and wants to work hard to improve.

🏈A.J. GREEN ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT; PLAYED FOR CARDINALS AND BENGALS: Arizona Cardinals wide receiver A.J. Green announced his retirement on Monday. "I've never been a man of many words, so I'll keep this short," Green began his Instagram post. "Thank you. Thank you to all who have supported, encouraged, and inspired me throughout my career. Special thank you to the University of Georgia, Cincinnati Bengals, and Arizona Cardinals for the opportunity to pursue my dreams. I've stayed true to the game and it owes me nothing. Be blessed.. Love y'all! The next chapter begins..."  Green, played 11 seasons in the NFL after being picked by the Bengals with the fourth overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft.

⚾TWINS, CARLOS CORREA DECIDES HE'LL SKIP WBC WITH WIFE DUE: The Minnesota Twins and Carlos Correa made a mutual decision that the shortstop will skip the World Baseball Classic for family reasons, with his wife expecting a baby during the tournament. The Twins announced Monday that Correa will not participate with the Puerto Rico national team for the fifth edition of the event, which was last played in 2017. Correa's wife, Daniella, is due with the couple's second child March 11. The WBC begins March 8.

⚽HATAYSPOR'S CHRISTIAN ATSU, SPORTING DIRECTOR MISSING AFTER TURKEY EARTHQUAKE: Ghana international winger Christian Atsu is among those missing after the collapse of an apartment building following Monday's devastating earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria. The former Chelsea and Newcastle player scored a 97th-minute winner for Turkish top-flight side Hatayspor on Sunday night as they beat Kasımpasa 1-0, but just hours later was reported missing following the 7.8 magnitude quake that brought down whole apartment blocks in several Turkish and Syrian cities. Hatayspor spokesperson Mustafa Ozat told Turkish media that "Christian Atsu and [club sporting director] Taner Savut are still under the rubble."

🏀NBA SCORES:
  • Boston Celtics 111 Detroit Pistons 99
  • Cleveland Cavaliers 114 Washington Wizards 91
  • Los Angeles Clippers 124 Brooklyn Nets 116
  • Chicago Bulls 128 San Antonio Spurs 104
  • Sacramento Kings 140 Houston Rockets 120
  • Dallas Mavericks 124 Utah Jazz 111
  • Golden State warriors 141 Oklahoma City Thunder 114 
  • Milwaukee Bucks 127 Portland Trail Blazers 108



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