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Tuesday, May 28, 2024

5/28 WAKE-UP CALL: Israel Drops Bombs On 'Safe Zone'


The Israel Defense Forces opened an investigation into an airstrike last night that killed at least 50 Palestinians at a tent camp for displaced people in Rafah, Axios' Barak Ravid reports. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the civilian deaths "a tragic mistake."

Behind the scenes: The White House is now assessing whether the Israeli airstrike violated President Biden's "red line," two U.S. officials told Axios. Biden threatened earlier this month to suspend the delivery of some U.S.-made offensive weapons if Israel entered population centers in Rafah, the city in southern Gaza viewed as Hamas' last stronghold.

➤RUSSIA GAINS IN UKRAINE: The slow trickle of US aid and restrictive Biden administration policies have forced Ukraine onto the “back foot” in its fight against Russia — as the enemy forces continue their unrelenting push into Ukrainian territory near Kharkiv, the second-largest city in the country. “Right now, the Russians have the initiative across the entire theater. They’re dictating the place, the time, the intensity and the tempo of military operations,” George Barros, the Institute for the Study of War’s Russia team lead told The Post.

➤LANDSLIDE KILLS THOUSANDS: Thousands of residents were ordered to evacuate from the path of a still-active landslide in Papua New Guinea by the government on Tuesday, after parts of a mountain collapsed, burying an initial estimate of more than 2,000 people. Relief teams in the Pacific nation have been trickling into the difficult-to-access northern Enga region since Friday though officials said the odds of finding survivors were slim.

Residents said they have been using shovels and bare hands to search for survivors. "The landslide area is very unstable. When we're up there, we're regularly hearing big explosions where the mountain is, there is still rocks and debris coming down," Enga province disaster committee chairperson Sandis Tsaka told Reuters. "The landslide is still active, as people are digging through the rocks, more is still coming down..

➤STORMS KILL 21: Tornado-spawning thunderstorms that swept the Southern Plains and the Ozark Mountains have killed at least 21 people across four U.S. states as of Monday afternoon and wrecked hundreds of buildings, as forecasters warned of more severe weather. The death toll over the three-day Memorial Day holiday weekend included at least eight fatalities in Arkansas, seven in Texas, four in Kentucky and two in Oklahoma, according to tallies by state emergency authorities.

A severe thunderstorm watch was issued for parts of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania until Monday evening, the National Weather Service said. The watch was in effect for more than 30 million people in the Northeast, as the storms were expected to move to that part of the East Coast. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency early on Monday. 

➤LANSING SHOOTING KILLS 1, WOUNDS OTHERS: A 17-year-old boy died and several others were shot early Monday morning in Lansing, Michigan. Lansing police responded to the incident downtown at approximately 2:50 a.m., according to a news release from the department. "When officers arrived, they found a large crowd of people and multiple shooting victims," said the release. "The Lansing Fire Department responded to treat and transport several of the victims to a local hospital."

➤BIRD FLU VIRUS CAUSES WORRY:  Farmworkers face some of the most intense exposures to the bird flu virus, but advocates say many of them would lack resources to fall back on if they became ill. So far, only two people in the United States have tested positive, after being exposed to a wave of bird flu spreading among cows. Those people were dairy farm workers in Texas and Michigan. Scientists warn the virus could mutate to spread from person to person like the seasonal flu, which could spark a pandemic. It's vital to keep tabs on farmworkers, experts say, but testing usually only happens once someone is symptomatic.

➤CRUISE SHIP RESCUES 25: A Carnival Cruise Line ship responded to a call from the U.S. Coast Guard and rescued 25 people stranded in a small boat off the coast of Mexico, the company announced Saturday. The 2,984-passenger Carnival Radiance had left Long Beach, California, on Friday and was heading toward Ensenada Mexico for a three-day sailing when the cruise ship's officers were informed by the Coast Guard "about a distress call involving a small vessel." The ship immediately routed toward the location.


➤BLINKEN MEETS WITH ARAB-AMERICANS: Arab Americans who met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a recent meeting at the State Department said they were disappointed he did not offer any commitments to end the conflict in Gaza and other areas in the Middle East. Leaders with five Arab American groups, including some based in metro Detroit or with other Michigan ties, met last week with Blinken and other officials at the State Department's headquarters in Washington. During the May 17 meeting, the groups called for an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. The Free Press spoke with three people who attended the meeting.

"It wasn't positive," said Bilal Hammoud, executive director of the American Arab Chamber of Commerce, in Dearborn, who attended the meeting. "Ultimately, we're disappointed that the administration didn't make any commitments, or indicate that they had a plan for an immediate resolution to this."

➤RAPPER BUSTED, CONCERT CANCELED: Rapper Nicki Minaj postponed a UK concert after she was stopped  by authorities at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on allegations she was carrying drugs. Though Minaj was released from Dutch police custody on Saturday evening, the concert — set to be held in Manchester, England, on the same night — had to be canceled.

🕇SOAP ACTOR KILLED DURING THEFT: Johnny Wactor, best known for his role as Brando Corbin in "General Hospital," was shot and killed in downtown Los Angeles, according to reports. He was 37. According to local TV station KTLA, Wactor was shot dead early Saturday morning during an attempted catalytic converter theft in the downtown area. His death was confirmed to KTLA by Johnny's younger brother, Grant. In a statement to Variety, Wactor's talent agent, David Shaul, called the actor a "spectacular human being" who was a "real moral example to everyone who knew him."

"Standing for hard work, tenacity and a never give up attitude. In the highs and lows of a challenging profession he always kept his chin up and kept striving for the best he could be," Shaul said in a statement. "Our time with Johnny was a privilege we would wish on everyone. He would literally give you the shirt off his back. After over a decade together, he will leave a hole in our hearts forever."

🕇GOLFER'S FAMILY CONFIRMS SUICIDE: Family confirms Murray’s death a suicide. Former PGA Tour golfer Grayson Murray died by suicide, his family confirmed in a heartbreaking statement yesterday. “It’s surreal that we not only have to admit it to ourselves, but that we also have to acknowledge it to the world," his parents, Eric and Terry Murray, said. "It’s a nightmare.” Murray, just 30, had withdrawn from the Charles Schwab Challenge on Friday, citing an illness. 

🕇BASKETBALL GREAT BILL WALTON HAS DIED: Bill Walton; the 2-time NBA and NCAA champion, Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and Emmy-winning broadcaster, died at the age of 71 after a prolonged battle with cancer, the NBA announced Monday. A graduate of UCLA, Walton played under the legendary coach John Wooden and led the Bruins to back-to-back national championships in 1972 and 1973 while winning 88 games in a row and being named player of the year for three straight seasons.

In 1974, he became the No. 1 draft pick and joined the Portland Trailblazers, leading them to an NBA title in 1977 while being named Finals MVP. A series of foot injuries led to a downturn in his career, but in his final two seasons as a pro, he went out on a high note as a bench play for the Boston Celtics, earning the NBA’s Sixth Man award in 1986 while winning a second NBA title with the team.'BillWalton was truly one of a kind,' NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “As a Hall of Fame player, he redefined the center position. His unique all-around skills made him a dominant force at UCLA and led to an NBA regular-season and Finals MVP, two NBA championships and a spot on the NBA’s 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams.

⚾GIANTS 8 PHILLIES 4: The San Francisco Giants hope a strained hamstring suffered by hot-hitting LaMonte Wade Jr. doesn't stall their offensive momentum as they continue a three-game series against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night. Five different Giants players collected two hits apiece while three drove in a pair of runs each in a 12-hit assault on Phillies pitching in an 8-4 triumph in the series opener Monday. Down 4-3 in the fifth and with a runner on and no outs, Wade doubled to right and injured the hamstring as he slid into second base. He was immediately removed from the game and helped into the dugout before going straight to the clubhouse.

Giants manager Bob Melvin disclosed afterward that Wade would get an MRI exam on Tuesday and that he "almost for sure" would be headed to the injured list. "Not ideal. He's hitting .330-something. Not too many guys can do what he does," Melvin said. "He's not just a good left-handed hitter. He's one of the best in the game at this point."


⚾MLB SCORES:

  • Giants 8 Phillies 4
  • Mariners 3 Astros 2
  • Padres 2 Marlins 1
  • Brewers 5 Cubs 1
  • Nationals 8 Braves 4
  • Reds 3 Cardinals 1
  • Rockies 8 Guardians 6
  • Blue Jays 5 White Sox 1
  • Twins 6 Royals 5
  • Orioles 11 Red Sox 3
  • Dodgers-Mets PP

🏀NBA SCORES:

  • Celtics 105 Padres 102

🠊 Derrick White had missed 7 of 8 3-point attempts when he found himself open in the right corner of the floor in the final minute of a tie game with an NBA Finals berth at stake. He watched Jaylen Brown handle the ball and was just waiting for his Boston Celtics teammate to deliver a pass. Once Brown did just that, it was White's turn to make a play. White drained the 3-pointer with 45 seconds left and the Celtics finished off a four-game sweep of the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals with a 105-102 victory on Monday night at Indianapolis.

🏒NHL SCORES:

  • Stars 5 Oilers 3

➤TUESDAY'S WEATHER:



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