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Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Wake-Up Call: Winter Weather Woes C2C


Parts of the Northeast are gearing up for what could be very heavy snow early Tuesday, after tornadoes and other powerful winds swept through parts of the Southern Plains, killing at least one person in Oklahoma, and some Michigan residents faced a sixth consecutive day without power following last week’s ice storm. In California, the National Weather Service said winter storms will continue moving into the state through Wednesday after residents got a brief break from severe weather Sunday.

A storm system produced at least four tornadoes as it moved across central and northeastern Illinois on Monday, including two that formed in suburbs west of Chicago, authorities said. Initial reports suggested damage there was limited to fallen trees or shingles torn from buildings, said Rafal Ogorek, a meteorologist in the Chicago office of the National Weather Service. At least one person was killed and three others injured after a tornado touched down Sunday night in far western Oklahoma near the town of Cheyenne, where 20 homes were damaged and four others destroyed, Roger Mills County Emergency Manager Levi Blackketter reported.

➤RUSSIA ATTEPTING TO ENCIRCLE UKRAINE CITY: Russian forces pressed their offensive in eastern Ukraine as they attempted to encircle the small mining city of Bakhmut, the scene of the toughest fighting in battlefields saturated by rain and an early spring thaw. Russia is trying to cut the Ukrainian defenders' supply lines to the city and force them to surrender or withdraw. That would give Russia its first major prize in more than half a year and open the way to the capture of the last remaining urban centres in the Donetsk region. "The enemy is constantly destroying everything that can be used to protect our positions for fortification and defence. Our soldiers defending the area around Bakhmut are true heroes," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday. Ukraine's military said Russia had strengthened its forces in the Bakhmut area and was shelling settlements around the city.

➤NATO CHALLENGED ON WEAPONS: NATO faces challenges to supply Ukraine with more weapons. European countries such as Germany that decreased defense spending after the Cold War must now rapidly ramp up production as Ukraine’s forces burn through Western gear at rates never envisioned. In many cases, pledges of money and materiel haven’t yet translated into signed contracts with arms makers. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visited Kyiv today to discuss the rollout of about $10 billion in financial assistance, part of a $45 billion package of measures to support Ukraine’s defense and U.S. allies that Congress approved in December.

➤WILLIAMSON BECOMES DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY'S 1ST BIDEN CHALLENGER: Bestselling self-help author Marianne Williamson (left), who brought quirky spiritualism to the 2020 presidential race, has announced she's running for president again, becoming the first major Democrat to challenge President Joe Biden for his party’s nomination in 2024. Williamson, 70, is formally kicking off her campaign with an event in Washington on Saturday. Without mentioning former President Donald Trump, she noted in a weekend Facebook post that his unconventional White House win makes it “odd for anyone to think they can know who can win the presidency.”

➤MICROSOFT WORKER STABBED 13 TIMES WALKING HOME, APPLE WATCH ALERTED HIS WIFE: A Microsoft engineer was stabbed more than a dozen times by another worker while waiting at a crosswalk in front of the Microsoft building on February 22 in Redmond. The attacker, Joseph Cantrell, also worked at Microsoft but in a different building and work group. The victim suffered multiple injuries, including a fractured skull and brain bleed. An alert was sent to his wife through his Apple Watch. Cantrell is facing a second-degree attempted murder charge and is set to be arraigned on March 9 with prosecutors requesting a $2 million bail.

➤TWH HOUSE CRACKING DOWN ON CHILD LABOR: The Biden administration announced measures to crack down on child labor on Monday amid a steep rise in violations and investigative reports by Reuters and other news outlets on illegal employment of migrant minors in dangerous U.S. industries. U.S. officials said the Labor Department had seen a nearly 70% increase in child labor violations since 2018, including in hazardous occupations. In the last fiscal year, 835 companies were found to have violated child labor laws. The Democratic administration of U.S. President Joe Biden is also pushing for heavier penalties for companies that violate these laws, and more funding for enforcement and oversight, they said. U.S. federal law prohibits people under age 16 from working in most factory settings, and those under 18 are barred from the most dangerous jobs in industrial plants.


➤TWH WANTS 'CONSENSUS': The White House on Monday was forced to admit the lack of a consensus between disparate U.S. agencies about the origins of COVID-19 following a report that Energy Department Scientists believe a laboratory leak in China was the likely cause. 'There is not a consensus right now in the U.S. government about exactly how it started. There's just not an intelligence community consensus,' said national security spokesman Adm. John Kirby.  Kirby got hit with a series of questions about the report, which pointed to the lab leak as a likely source – even as other agencies attributed the pandemic to a virus that mutated in the environment.

➤FETTERMAN REMAINS IN HOSPITAL, WIFE, KIDS FLEE U-S: Sen. John Fetterman is continuing treatment for clinical depression at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as his wife, Gisele Baretto Fetterman, took their three children on a road trip to Canada for an impromptu vacation. 'We don't have a lot to update folks with since there's no real news to report except that John is doing well, working with the wonderful doctors, and remains on a path to recovery,' Fetterman spokesman Joe Calvello said in a statement on Monday. 

In early February, the Pennsylvania senator was treated at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C., for lightheadedness. Doctors ruled out yet another stroke at the time - the first one was in May 2022 - and he was discharged. On Friday, the senator's wife posted on social media that she drove to Niagra Falls via Buffalo, New York with their children, Karl, Grace, and August because of the media presence outside their Braddock home, following news of her husband's treatment. 'I am not really sure how to navigate this journey but am figuring it out slowly. 1 week ago today when the news dropped, the kids were off from school and media trucks circled our home,' she tweeted.

➤STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS CASE: The Supreme Court will hear arguments on Tuesday related to President Biden’s plan to cancel up to $10,000 in debt for borrowers making less than $125,000 annually, with extra relief going to people who received Pell Grants. Individuals and Republican state officials sued the administration last year seeking to block the plan from going into effect. The central issue of the case—whether Mr. Biden and the Education Department overstepped their legal authority in using the pandemic emergency to cancel debt en masse—can’t be considered until the court decides whether plaintiffs bringing the lawsuits would be harmed by the program. In legal terms, the question is over whether the plaintiffs have standing. If the court finds that the parties don’t have standing, the challenge would be dismissed without a ruling on the merits. 

➤HODA KOTB SHARES CRYPTIC QUOTES AMID ‘TODAY’ SHOW ABSENCE: According to Page Six, Today show fans are wondering when host Hoda Kotb (right) is going to return, as she’s been missing from the show for a week. During this time, Kotb has shared multiple cryptic quotes to her Instagram page. On Monday, she shared an image that read “Choose Hope.” One fan commented, “Hoping all is well with you and your family. Miss seeing you in the morning.” Another wrote, “I know we will know what’s going on with time. But gosh dang it woman – please let us know what’s going on!”

➤YOU CAN NOW FLY THE LARGEST AIRCRAFT EVER BUILT IN 'MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR': One year ago today, the largest aircraft ever built was destroyed during the early days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Now, the Antonov An-225 Mriya is once again taking to the skies, albeit in Microsoft Flight Simulator. What's more, if you buy the add-on, you could help restore the only real-life Mriya that was ever completed. The Ukraine-built Mriya was an ultra-heavy lift jet transport aircraft with six engines. It was the heaviest aircraft ever built and it had the largest wingspan of any plane at 290 feet. The Mriya, which had its first flight in 1988, was used to transport things like Soviet space shuttles, tanks, diesel locomotives and dozens of cars at a time.

➤STUDY: EXERCISE BETTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH THAN PRESCRIPTIONS: A study from the University of South Australia shows that exercise can be more effective for mental health than medication or therapy. The research team involved 97 reviews, 1039 trials, and 128,119 participants. Study authors report exercise is beneficial in reducing depression and anxiety symptoms. Exercise interventions lasting 12 weeks or less were most effective at lowering symptoms. The greatest mental health boosts were seen among people with depression, postpartum women, generally healthy people, and those living with HIV or kidney disease. "We also found that all types of physical activity and exercise were beneficial, including aerobic exercise such as walking, resistance training, Pilates, and yoga," Dr. Ben Singh said.
 
➤ZERO-CALORIE SWEETENER LINKED TO HEART ATTACK AND STROKE, STUDY FINDS: A sugar replacement called erythritol, used to add bulk or sweeten stevia, monkfruit and keto reduced-sugar products, has been linked to blood clotting, stroke, heart attack and death, according to a new study. “The degree of risk was not modest,” said lead study author Dr. Stanley Hazen, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Diagnostics and Prevention at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute.  People with existing risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, were twice as likely to experience a heart attack or stroke if they had the highest levels of erythritol in their blood, according to the study, published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine.

🏈ZAC STACY SENTENCED OVER DOMESTIC ABUSE: NFL star Zac Stacy has been sentenced to six months in jail and one year of probation for attacking his ex-girlfriend on two separate occasions in 2021. Stacy was accused of physically assaulting Kristin Evans, the mother of his child, in August 2021 over rent money after she provided photos of bruises and cuts. Three months later, Stacy was caught on camera punching Evans in the head and slamming her into a television while their son was present. Stacy reached plea deals with prosecutors, pleading guilty to one count of misdemeanor domestic violence battery and two counts of misdemeanor criminal mischief.

🏈COMMANDERS RELEASE QB CARSON WENTZ AFTER ONE SEASON: The Washington Commanders released quarterback Carson Wentz (left) on Monday, in a move that had been long expected. The move saves Washington $26.176 million on the salary cap this offseason. Wentz had two years remaining on his contract but had no guaranteed money. The Commanders also released defensive back Bobby McCain on Monday, saving $2.32 million on the salary cap.

🏈BEARS 'LEANING TOWARD' MOVING NO. 1 PICK IN NFL DRAFT: The Chicago Bears have been approached by multiple teams about trading the No. 1 pick in this year's NFL draft, and Chicago is said to be "leaning toward" moving the pick. The Bears own the top pick in a year when anywhere from eight to 12 teams could be looking to make a switch at quarterback.

⚾BLUE JAYS HIRE FORMER ASTROS GM JAMES CLICK TO VP ROLE: The Toronto Blue Jays have hired James Click as the team's vice president of baseball strategy, the team announced Monday. Click previously served as general manager of the Houston Astros. His contract expired in October, and he stayed on in the role through the Astros' World Series victory. In Click's three years as Houston's GM, the team went to the ALCS three times and the World Series twice, winning last season's title.

🏈STROUD, LEVIS, RICHARDSON TO THROW AT COMBINE; YOUNG WON'T: Quarterbacks C.J. Stroud, Will Levis and Anthony Richardson will throw at the NFL scouting combine Saturday, but Bryce Young will wait for Alabama's pro day on March 23. Although he won't throw, Young will go through medicals and measurements. Richardson also will undergo testing and measurements and participate in drills, but it is unclear whether Stroud and Levis will do so.

🏀NBA SCORES:
  • Charlotte Hornets 117 Detroit Pistons 106
  • Miami Heat 101 Philadelphia 76ers 99
  • New York Knicks 109 Boston Celtics 94
  • Orlando Magic 101 New Orleans Pelicans 93

🏀PLAYOFF GAME FORFEITED OVER TRANS-PLAYER: The Mid Vermont Christian School girls team, the Eagles, forfeited their playoff game against the Long Trail Mountain Lions after discovering a player in the opposing side was transgender. The head of the institution, Vicky Fogg, said it would be unfair and unsafe for the high school girls to play against a biologically male player on the other team. 'We withdrew from the tournament because we believe playing against an opponent with a biological male jeopardizes the fairness of the game and the safety of our players,' she said. The state's Education Agency says that best practice entails providing transgender and gender nonconforming students 'the same opportunities to participate in physical education as are all other students.'



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