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Balls Up, Guns Down Event Scheduled

OWENSBORO, Ky. (WFIE) - Owensboro is bringing the community together to get kids off the streets and into the gym this weekend.

Joshua James created the “Ball Up, Guns Down” event after recent violence involving youth in the city.

That’s set for Saturday at the H.L. Neblett Center.

Doors open at 5:30 with workouts starting at 6 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Women charged with Break In

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - An Evansville woman is in jail after officers say she broke into two downtown businesses before trying to pry open an ATM.

On Wednesday, officers say they saw a woman pushing a shopping cart down Southeast Third Street in downtown Evansville.

The woman was identified as 22-year-old Armani Buckner, who had active warrants out for her arrest.

They also found the shopping cart was full of unopened liquor bottles and a check from FC Tucker.

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Authorities contacted FC Tucker and learned that their Main Street location was broken into.

Officers looked at their surveillance system and say they saw Buckner hitting the door lock with a pickaxe around 4:30 Wednesday morning.

According to an affidavit, Buckner eventually got inside the business, and FC Tucker staff confirmed that she had taken checks and a laptop.

Officers then contacted Bru Burger to inform them of a possible break-in to the business.

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While looking at their surveillance cameras, officers say they saw Buckner break into that business and take alcohol from the bar around 6:15 a.m.

Later that morning, officers were then called to Fifth Third Bank on Northwest Third Avenue for an attempted ATM theft.

Officers say Buckner admitted that she was responsible for the damage done to the ATM.

 

 

Kentucky Legislators Sponsoring Pot Bill

 

WKYT News Staff

Published: Feb. 17, 2022 at 11:01 AM CST

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKYT) - Democratic lawmakers unveiled new legislation Thursday morning to legalize marijuana in Kentucky.

“Our legislation is the comprehensive plan that Kentuckians deserve, and it builds on what’s worked in other states while avoiding their mistakes,” said Rep. Roberts of Newport. “This would be a boon for our economy and farmers alike, plus give state and local governments a major new source of revenue.”

The lawmakers said identical bills would be filed in the House and the Senate.

“It is past time to move on this,” said Sen. McGarvey of Louisville. “As 37 other states have realized the medical benefits with 18 of those reaping the economic benefits, Kentucky continues to fall behind in an area where we could be leading. It is 2022. It’s time we end the prohibition on cannabis in Kentucky.”

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The legislation would erase misdemeanor convictions for thousands, saving millions in the criminal justice system. It would also fund substance use disorder treatment facilities, pay for providers throughout the state and create new state revenues.

“Our plan is both comprehensive and caring,” Rep. Rachel Roberts said. “It helps those who are sick; it gives a second chance to those who shouldn’t have been charged; and it would put Kentucky almost overnight at the epicenter of a multi-billion dollar business. We shouldn’t have to wait another year to reap these considerable benefits.”

If enacted, the legislation would create the Cannabis Control Board, which would be composed of seven members, none of whom could have a direct or indirect interest in a cannabis business.

The board would mirror the work of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, but in this case, establish and enforce regulations from seed to sale. Helping the board would be four advisory committees focused on medicinal and adult-use; cultivation; and social and economic equity.

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Storms Target Nashville Area

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A cold front pushed northeast into Middle Tennessee Thursday, bringing with it severe weather, including strong winds and minor flooding in some parts of the region.

Rain and thunder began in parts of the region early this morning, the National Weather Service in Nashville reported, and wind gusts later soared into the equivalent of highway speeds in parts of the city during the late afternoon to evening hours..

Forecasters also called for the risk of possible spin-up  tornadoes Thursday, but by early evening, meteorologist had not confirmed any touching down in the state.

A flood advisory was also effect for Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Hickman, Macon, Montgomery, Robertson, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, Williamson and Wilson counties Thursday afternoon. It was set to last through 7:30 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Women killed in Wild Animal Attack

Fri, February 18, 2022, 7:28 AM·1 min read

A woman was killed and another was injured in an animal attack Thursday morning in Broward County, Florida, officials said.

The incident happened just before 11 a.m. at an address for 100+ Abandoned Dogs of Everglades Florida, a nonprofit organization in Oakland Park.

The Broward County Sheriff's Office and Oakland Park Fire Rescue responded to a call about an animal bite and found two women suffering from injuries.

Both women were taken to hospitals, where one was pronounced dead, the sheriff's office said. Police have not released their identities.

Sheriff's officials told NBC Miami that one of the women was working with a large mixed breed 3-year-old dog named Gladys when it suddenly attacked.

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National

  • A Texas woman alleged in a lawsuit that the city shut down her daycare following noise complaints from golfers.
  • Bianca King operates the daycare from her home, which faces a golf course.
  • If King loses her legal battle, she said she may have to move out of her house.

A woman is suing the city of Lakeway, Texas, and has accused the local government of shutting down her at-home daycare after receiving noise complaints from nearby golfers, including the city's former mayor.

Attorneys for Bianca King, a single mother of two, said in a complaint filed in Travis County Court that their client's at-home daycare — which faces the tee box of the eighth hole of a local country club's golf course — has faced complaints despite being inspected and approved by the state of Texas.

The lawyers allege in the lawsuit that three golfers, including former Lakeway Mayor Joe Bain, complained to the city that toys were visible in King's backyard and that noise from the daycare was distracting from their rounds of golf.

King told Insider that she never personally received any complaints about noise from her daycare.

Following the complaints to the city, however, King was told she would need to get a "home occupation" permit to continue operating, according to the lawsuit.

King, who according to her lawsuit opened the daycare to watch over her neighbors' children in January 2021 after being laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic, told Insider that seeking the permit has turned into a five-month ordeal with two public hearings.

According to the lawsuit, Bain spoke out against the daycare at the first public hearing with the city's Zoning and Planning Commission.

"There are gonna be toys out there, and they're right on the golf course... When you walk by, drive by, you can see the kids out playing there, which is fine but there is a noise issue," he said, according to the lawsuit.

Following the hearing, the commission denied King's request for a permit, King's lawsuit said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vulnerable to the Virus, High-Risk Americans Feel Pain as the U.S. Moves On

Amanda Morris and Maggie Astor

Thu, February 17, 2022, 1:03 PM

 

N95 masks are distributed to farm workers in Medford, Ore., Aug. 28, 2021. (Jordan Gale/The New York Times)

Denisse Takes’ world is very small these days. She makes a living by producing songs from her living room, plays “Animal Crossing” online with friends and leaves her home in Burbank, California, only occasionally to walk her dog.

Even as her social media feeds are flooded with friends and family members returning to their normal lives, she sees no one except for her husband, who donated his kidney in 2015 so that Takes, 37, could receive a compatible donor’s kidney in return.

The medication that keeps her immune system from rejecting the organ also suppresses it from creating antibodies in response to a coronavirus vaccine. Her body is so bad at fighting off infection that she has gone to the emergency room with common colds, she said. She fears that COVID-19 would kill her.

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But the isolation and depression — amplified as the rest of the world seemingly moves on from the pandemic without her — have also taken their toll.

“I keep trying to hold on for my husband, honestly,” Takes said.

Millions of Americans with weakened immune systems, disabilities or illnesses that make them especially vulnerable to the coronavirus have lived this way since March 2020, sequestering at home, keeping their children out of school and skipping medical care rather than risk exposure to the virus. And they have seethed over talk from politicians and public health experts that they perceive as minimizing the value of their lives.

As year three of the pandemic approaches, with public support for precautions plummeting and governors of even the most liberal states moving to shed mask mandates, they find themselves coping with exhaustion and grief, rooted in the sense that their neighbors and leaders are willing to accept them as collateral damage in a return to normalcy.

“I can still see your world, but I live in a different world,” said Toby Cain, 31, of Decorah, Iowa, who has lymphatic cancer and went through six rounds of chemotherapy and radiation during the pandemic, making her especially vulnerable to COVID-19.

 

 

 

 

 

Family that died in California mountains made desperate plea

Thu, February 17, 2022, 10:25 PM

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A family that died of heat exhaustion during a grueling summer hike in Northern California sent a last, desperate text pleading for help, authorities said Thursday.

The Mariposa County Sheriff's Office released information pulled from the cellphone of Jonathan Gerrish after months of work with an FBI forensics team.

One text made shortly before noon on Aug. 15 to a person whose name wasn't released asked: “Can you help us” and added: “No water or ver (over) heating with baby," the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

But the area had bad cellphone service and the text never went through. Neither did five phone calls to various people, investigators said.

Ellen Chung, 31, her 45-year-old husband, their 1-year-old daughter Aurelia “Miju” Chung-Gerrish, and their dog Oski were found dead on a hiking trail near the Merced River last August.

Their deaths baffled investigators. The case involved more than 30 law enforcement agencies that had painstakingly reviewed — and ruled out — causes such as murder, lightning strikes, poisoning from algae-tainted water, abandoned mines that might emit toxic gas, illegal drugs and suicide.

Last fall, investigators concluded that the family died of extreme heat stroke. Temperatures that afternoon reached 109 degrees Fahrenheit (43 Celsius) in the steep mountain terrain and the family had run out of water. A wildfire had burned off any shade canopy.

Officials found the family two days later after relatives had reported them missing. The family had hiked 6.4 miles (2.5 kilometers) with the baby in a backpack-type carrier. They were 1.6 miles (2.5 kilometers) away from their car.

The family had an 85-ounce (2.5-liter) water container with them that was empty.

The cellphone was found in Gerrish's pocket. Beginning shortly after noon, Gerrish and Chung tried to call and text for help several times, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Five phone calls — four of them made in rapid succession — went to several phone numbers but the family didn't call 911, the Sheriff's Office said.

The first call was made at 12:09 p.m. Beginning at 12:35 p.m., the family made the final four calls in rapid succession, investigators said.

However, none of the calls connected.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Families are suing a West Virginia school district for holding a Christian assembly

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February 18, 20227:32 AM ET

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A group of parents and students are suing a West Virginia school district for allowing an evangelical preacher to hold a religious revival assembly during the school day earlier this month that some students were required to attend.

The suit, filed in a U.S. District Court in West Virginia on Thursday on behalf of families by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, says the Cabell County school system in the southwestern part of the state has a systematic history of disregarding the religious freedom of its students and instituting Christian religious practices.

"For years, school system employees have violated the constitutional rights of students by promoting and advancing the Christian religion, as well as by coercing students into participating in Christian religious activity," the suit reads. The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a nonprofit that promotes the separation of church and state.

The suit follows a walkout at Huntington High School last week where more than 100 students left their classrooms chanting, "Separate the church and state," and, "My faith, my choice."

 

What happened at the assembly

The Associated Press left a voicemail with Cabell County Schools spokesperson Jedd Flowers requesting comment Thursday afternoon. During an interview with The Associated Press earlier this month, Flowers said the assembly was supposed to be voluntary, but two teachers brought their entire classes to the assembly. Flowers called it an honest mistake by the teachers.

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"It's unfortunate that it happened," Flowers said. "We don't believe it will ever happen again."

In a statement on Friday, Cabell County Schools Superintendent Ryan Saxe said the district is investigating the revival event and that he believes some students' rights have been violated. Saxe is named in the lawsuit.

 

LAW

 

 

 

Supreme Court signals further erosion of separation of church and state in schools

The lawsuit says that on Feb. 2, two Huntington High School teachers escorted their entire homeroom classes to an assembly hosted by evangelical preacher Nik Walker, who had been leading revivals in the Huntington area in recent weeks.

Students, including a Jewish student who asked to leave but was not permitted to do so, were instructed to close their eyes and raise their arms in prayer, according to the lawsuit. The teens were asked to give their lives over to Jesus to find purpose and salvation. Students said they were told that those who did not follow the Bible would go to "face eternal torment."

The mother of the Jewish student who was forced to attend the assembly is among the suit's plaintiffs, along with the Huntington High student who organized last week's walkout.

During the assemblies, students and their families were encouraged to join evening services at a nearby church, where they could be baptized.

Nik Walker Ministries also visited another district school, Huntington East Middle School, on Feb. 1 and held a similar assembly.

The school had a history of complaints against it

Saxe said last week that the district honors students' rights to express their views and respects their right to religious expression but that "forcing religious expression on those with differing beliefs is not acceptable and is not in alignment with district, state, or federal policy and will not be tolerated by my administration or the Board of Education."

Freedom From Religion Foundation lawyers say that religious services — voluntary or not — should not be allowed during school hours. The foundation alleges it has written several legal complaint letters over the course of years that have been ignored by the school district.

In 2017, the foundation alerted Cabell County Schools about two separate religious assemblies that were held during the school day at Huntington High School, according to the lawsuit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home Prices Skyrocket

Home prices climbed in January as inventory fell to a new record low.

The median price for a home last month was $350,300, up 15.4% from a year ago, according to the National Association of Realtors. It was not the highest median price on record, which was $362,800 last June, but it is the highest for the month of January, which tends to be a sleepier time for home sales.

"Buyers were likely anticipating further rate increases and locking in at the low rates, and investors added to overall demand with all-cash offers," said Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist. "Consequently, housing prices continue to move solidly higher."

Mortgage rates jump to nearly 4%

Sales of existing homes -- which include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops -- surged 6.7% from December, but were down 2.3% from a year ago, largely because there were so few homes to buy.

At the end of January, the inventory of homes available to buy fell to an all-time low of 860,000, down 16.5% from last year. That's the lowest since NAR began tracking it in 1999. At the current monthly sales pace, supply would last just 1.6 months, which is also a record low.

"The inventory of homes on the market remains woefully depleted," Yun said.

But the availability and affordability of homes depends greatly on price level.

Homes priced at $500,000 and below are disappearing, Yun said, while supply has risen at the higher price range. Such increases will continue to shift the mix of buyers toward high-income consumers and push out first-time homebuyers, he said.

"There are more listings at the upper end -- homes priced above $500,000 -- compared to a year ago, which should lead to less hurried decisions by some buyers," Yun added. "Clearly, more supply is needed at the lower-end of the market in order to achieve more equitable distribution of housing wealth."

 

Fewer first-time homebuyers, more investors

The share of first-time homebuyers in the market was near all-time lows.

Only 27% of sales in January were to first-time homebuyers, which was down from 33% a year ago.

At the same time, individual investors or second-home buyers bought 22% of homes in January, up from 15% a year ago. More than a quarter of home sales in January were all cash, up from 19% a year ago.

As prospective home buyers seek out greater job opportunities and affordability, Yun said more people are moving to the South and Sunbelt, pushing the number of sales and prices higher there.

Existing home sales in the South jumped 9.3% in January from December. The median price in the region was $312,400, up 18.7% from a year ago. For the fifth straight month, the South had the highest pace of appreciation.

"The migration to the southern states is clearly getting reflected in higher home sales and fast rising home prices compared to other regions," Yun said.

Race against rising mortgage rates

Also creating urgency in the housing market are rising mortgage rates. Last month, homebuyers raced to lock in lower mortgage rates, which have been inching closer to 4%.

Properties were typically on the market for just 19 days in January. That's slightly slower than the record fast pace of 17 days over the summer. But It's faster than a year ago, when homes sold in an average of 21 days. More than three-quarters of homes sold in January 2022 were on the market for less than a month.

Yun said rising mortgage rates are problematic for at least two groups in the market.

 

 

 

How much house can I afford?

"First, some moderate-income buyers who barely qualified for a mortgage when interest rates were lower will now be unable to afford a mortgage," he said. "Second, consumers in expensive markets, such as California and the New York City metro area, will feel the sting of nearly an additional $500 to $1,000 in monthly payments due to rising rates."

But so far, buyer activity has been resilient, said Danielle Hale, Realtor.com's chief economist, even in the face of factors that could additionally squeeze housing budget priorities, including rising rates and inflation.

"Housing market momentum will be tested by rising mortgage rates in 2022," said Hale.

"Our expectation is that we'll continue to see home sales at a relatively high level throughout 2022, as post-pandemic shifts, like rising workplace flexibility, enable would-be buyers to expand their geographic search horizons and find an affordable place to call home," said Hale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Middle School Kids dying due to Fentanyl Overdoses

(CNN)At age 14, Alexander Neville was still very much a curious kid. He was a Boy Scout who enjoyed getting outdoors and camping. He played with Legos and liked to skateboard. He slept with a stuffed Iron Man figure and still snuggled with a teddy bear he'd had since he was much younger.

But about a year and a half ago, the middle schooler confessed to his parents about a very adult problem: He was experimenting with oxycodone, a prescription painkiller.

He had no idea that the pills he was taking were actually prescription knockoffs laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid. Just a few milligrams of fentanyl can be a fatal dose.

One morning in June 2020, his mother, Amy, found him dead in his bedroom.

"I went to his room, and he was blue, just laying on his beanbag chair. Just like he had gone to bed, you know, just like he had fallen asleep there," she said.

Drug deaths more than double

Though still rare, drug deaths among children ages 10 to 14 more than tripled from 2019 to 2020, according to an analysis done for CNN by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Unintentional drug overdoses led to 200,000 years of lost life for US preteens and teens who died between 2015 and 2019, a January study found. And experts suspect that the problem has gotten worse during the pandemic, research shows.

 

Annual drug overdose deaths have reached another record high in the United States, with an estimated 104,288 in the 12-month period ending September 2021, according to provisional data published Wednesday by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.

That's double the number from six years prior; there were an estimated 52,000 drug overdose deaths annually in September 2015.

The fentanyl factor

Alexander Neville had gone to his parents to ask them for help just two days before he died. He told them he had started on the pills, in large part, because he was curious.

"He said, 'I got to tell you something. I wanted to experiment with oxy -- oxycodone. I looked up how much to take for my size, so I wouldn't get addicted. But it really has got a hold on me. And I don't know why,' " his mother said.

His parents immediately made calls to get him into treatment.

"He really wanted to stop completely," Alexander's father, Aaron, recalled.

Amy remembered, "He wanted to be done. He's like, 'I'm done. I thought this stuff was going to be fun, but it's not.' "

But Alexander took that one last pill, unaware it was actually a deadly fake.

Tests later showed that the pill had enough fentanyl in it to kill at least four people, according to a toxicology report that his parents obtained.

Experimental brain surgery may help some people overcome drug addiction

Fentanyl is a drug intended to help people like cancer patients manage severe pain. It's 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. But most overdose deaths aren't from using it legitimately; rather, they are linked to fentanyl made illegally. Four out of every 10 fake pills with fentanyl contain a potentially deadly dose, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Since 2013, a rise in opioid deaths involved illicitly made fentanyl, according to the CDC. The agency says dealers combine it with counterfeit prescription pills, cocaine and heroin.

During the pandemic, the spike in deaths has increased significantly. From May 2020 through April 2021, more than 100,000 people of all ages died from drug overdoses in the US, according to the CDC. That's a record -- a near-30% rise from a year earlier and a near doubling over the past five years. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl accounted for the bulk of those deaths -- around 64,000.

"We're dealing with a different drug threat. Fentanyl has changed the game," DEA Special Agent Robert Murphy said. "I've been in law enforcement my entire adult life -- so it's 31 years now. And I've never seen a threat of the drug threat like the one we're dealing with now. It's frightening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

International

Story

In Ukraine's volatile east, a day of shelling, outages, fear

LORI HINNANT

Fri, February 18, 2022, 2:50 AM

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Shells struck by the hundreds along the tense front lines in eastern Ukraine, drones monitoring a fragile cease-fire lost their way when the GPS signal they rely on was jammed, and then the cellphone network went dark.

In a sliver of land where pro-Russian separatists have battled for years against Ukrainian government forces, a group of international monitors tasked with keeping the peace reported more than 500 explosions in the the 24 hours ending Thursday midday, around four times as many as an average day over the past month.

As the world warily watches Russian troops massing near Ukraine's borders for signs they're preparing to invade, Western officials have warned that the spark could come from the volatile east: Repeatedly in recent weeks, the U.S. has said the simmering conflict there could provide cover or an excuse for Russia to roll across the border.

The number of explosions eased as the day went on, but by then the village of Stanytsia had already suffered more than its share. One shell crashed into a kindergarten, blasting a hole in the wall that sent soccer balls flying off the classroom shelves just as the school day started. Others blasted craters into the schoolyard and shattered windows of nearby homes.

“We heard the sound of broken glass. The children were very scared. Some kids started crying immediately, and the explosions continued for the next 20 minutes," said Olena Yaryna, the school director.

Ukraine, US gas prices, add to Biden worries

With the continuing threat of Russia invading Ukraine, a foreign policy crisis is colliding At Valentyna Melnychenko's nearby home, the explosions filled her living room and hall with smoke.

“I switched off the TV, and there were seven more shellings and then it stopped,” she said as she surveyed the damage outside, her hair covered in a bright pink scarf that contrasted with the gray debris behind her.

Three people were wounded and half the village lost power. Oleksandr Pavliuk, a Ukrainian army commander, said the explosions were intended to provoke a response and ultimately a counter-response, echoing the warnings from the United States. Russia denies any plans to attack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gold medal-winning speedskater Nils van der Poel bashes decision to host 2022 Winter Olympics in China

Jim Reineking, USA TODAY

Thu, February 17, 2022, 11:02 PM

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Tokyo Games

  • Mathieu van der Poel

Dutch cyclist, cyclo-cross and road racing

Nils van der Poel of Sweden went to Beijing and absolutely dominated at the National Speed Skating Oval, winning two speedskating gold medals and setting a world record.

However, before returning to his home country, the double gold medalist offered some scathing parting words about the decision to host the 2022 Winter Olympics in China, calling it "terrible" and "extremely irresponsible."

"I really think it’s terrible, but I think I shouldn’t say too much about it, because we still have a squad in China," van der Poel told SportBladet in an interview translated from Swedish to English.

"The Olympics is a lot, it’s a fantastic sporting event where you unite the world and nations meet. But so did Hitler before invading Poland (Berlin hosted the 1936 Summer Games), and so did Russia before invading Ukraine (Sochi hosted the 2014 Winter Games).

"I think it is extremely irresponsible to give it to a country that violates human rights as blatantly as the Chinese regime is doing."

The human rights violations that van der Poel is alluding to are allegations of extreme mistreatment of the Uyghur people by the Chinese government that the U.S. State Department has called genocide and cited as ongoing "crimes against humanity." The Uyghurs are a predominantly Muslim ethnic group native to Xinjiang in western China. These allegations are among the reasons why the United States diplomatically boycotted the Beijing Games.

 

 

 

Police start arresting protesters to end the siege of Canada's capital

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

 

Police officers enter a blockade protest truck parked in downtown Ottawa on Friday as they began arresting protesters.

Cole Burston/The Canadian Press via AP

OTTAWA, Ontario — Police began arresting protesters and towing away trucks Friday in a bid to break the three-week, traffic-snarling siege of Canada's capital by hundreds of truckers angry over the country's COVID-19 restrictions.

In an operation that unfolded slowly and methodically in the morning, officers were seen going door to door along a line of trucks, campers and other vehicles parked on Ottawa's snow-covered streets.

Some protesters surrendered and were taken into custody, police said. Some were led away in handcuffs. One person being taken away carried a sign that read "Mandate Freedom."

Many of the truckers remained defiant.

"Freedom was never free," said trucker Kevin Homaund, of Montreal. "So what if they put the handcuffs on us and they put us in jail?"

Police made their first move to end the occupation late Thursday with the arrest of two key protest leaders. They also sealed off much of the downtown area to outsiders to prevent them from coming to the aid of the self-styled Freedom Convoy protesters.

 

A man is arrested by police in Ottawa, Ontario, on Thursday. The Canadian capital represented the movement's last stronghold after three weeks of demonstrations and blockades that shut down border crossings into the U.S.

Cole Burston/The Canadian Press via AP

The capital represented the movement's last stronghold after three weeks of demonstrations and blockades that shut down border crossings into the U.S., caused economic damage to both countries and created a political crisis for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. They also shook Canada's reputation for civility, with some foes of the unrest blaming the influence of the United States.

'

 

No-COVID' policy drags on Hong Kong's economy as cases surge

February 18, 20228:28 AM ET

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

 

Patients lie on hospital beds as they wait at a temporary holding area outside Caritas Medical Centre in Hong Kong on Wednesday. Despite the strict adherence to a zero-COVID strategy, restrictions in Hong Kong that have already stilled the once bustling city, now many fear the worst is yet to come, with Hong Kong experiencing its worst outbreak yet.

Vincent Yu/AP

HONG KONG — Hong Kong's Fung Shing Restaurant was bustling this week as customers came for one last taste of the traditional Cantonese dim sum that has made it famous.

With COVID-19 restrictions cutting too deeply into its bottom line, the restaurant will shut its doors for good on Sunday, another economic victim of the pandemic.

Many fear the worst is yet to come with Hong Kong experiencing its most severe outbreak, and fret the authorities' determination to stick to mainland China's "zero-tolerance" strategy may prevent it from recovering as a financial and travel hub.

"Even though maybe zero-COVID can be reached, there is still uncertainty on how long it can be maintained and what the cost is of maintaining it," said Natixis senior economist Gary Ng.

"The biggest risk of Hong Kong in 2022 is that it may be entering the path of basically, if not recession, at least a downward drag in economic growth again while the world begins to normalize," Ng said.

 

A customer eats at an empty restaurant in Hong Kong on Monday.

Vincent Yu/AP

Hong Kong has seen banks close branches and movie theaters have shut down. The streets of popular shopping and dining districts are lined with shops displaying "for rent" signs. Its international airport is nearly devoid of travelers.

 

 

 

 

Antarctica will likely set an alarming new record this year, new data shows

By Rachel Ramirez, CNN

Updated 12:40 PM ET, Fri February 18, 2022

Icebergs and sea ice in Lemaire Channel in Antarctica in early February.

(CNN)As surging global temperatures alter the landscape of the Arctic, scientists are observing what's shaping up to be a new record at the other end of the globe.

Preliminary data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center suggests Antarctica will likely set a record this year for the lowest sea ice extent -- the area of ocean covered by sea ice. On Wednesday, sea ice around the continent dropped lower than the previous record minimum set in March 2017.

"What's going on in the Antarctic is an extreme event," Ted Scambos, a glaciologist at the University of Colorado Boulder and lead scientist at NSIDC, told CNN. "But we've been through this a bit."

What he means by "this" is a roller coaster of sea ice extent over the past couple of decades, swinging wildly from record highs to record lows. Unlike the Arctic, where scientists say climate change is accelerating its impacts, Antarctica's sea ice extent is highly variable.

"There's a link between what's going on in Antarctica and the general warming trend around the rest of the world, but it's different from what we see in mountain glaciers and what we see in the Arctic," he added.

Satellite data that stretches back to 1978 shows that the region was still producing record-high sea ice extent as recently as 2014 and 2015. Then it suddenly plunged in 2016 and has stayed lower-than-average since. Enter your email to sign up for the Wonder Theory newsletter.

 

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"That kind of drop is pretty much unprecedented in the record," Marilyn Raphael, geography professor and director at UCLA's Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, told CNN. "Antarctic sea ice does vary from year to year, but that was a bigger variation than what normally happens."

Scientists say the recent shift doesn't yet necessarily signify a change in the long-term trend. But Raphael said the sea ice is retreating earlier now, which can be concerning.

"There are two parts of me that answer this -- the scientist part says, 'wait a little bit longer and see.' That's my cautious part," Raphael said. "Then the other part of me says, this is unusual variation in the ice. The degree is unusual, and it could be that that's a sign that climate is changing, and that's the speculation part."

The rate of sea ice loss in the Arctic and the Antarctic differs in part due to their location and proximity to other continents. In the Arctic, surrounded by land, sea ice forms and extends throughout Europe, Asia, North America and Greenland. Meanwhile, the Antarctic is a large continent surrounded by a vast ocean where sea ice can stretch across the Southern Ocean.

Scambos said because continents are warming rapidly, snow cover is melting earlier than usual and exposing the dark surface of the ground, which absorbs more heat, causing the Arctic to melt faster. In contrast, the Antarctic stays covered in ice, which reflects sunlight and keeps the surrounding air cooler.

 

A Turkish science expedition vessel creeps through Grandidier Channel and Penola Strait in Antarctica on February 7, moving slowly to avoid icebergs.

Despite the complex climate signals in Antarctica's record low sea ice, scientists point out that the increasing warming trend in the polar regions amplifies the consequences of the crisis globally.

"Polar regions really have a way of making these small changes a bigger deal," Scambos said, "either through sea-level rise, which is the main cause for concern from Antarctica, or through warmer climate generally, because the Arctic is sort of the air conditioner for the places where most of us live in the Northern Hemisphere."

US sea levels will rise rapidly in the next 30 years, new report shows

He adds it would take more than a decade of a persistent downward trend in order to link the dwindling sea ice in the Antarctic to climate change, even though temperature conditions in many parts of Antarctica are already exhibiting a warming trend.

But on the continent itself, some alarming effects of climate change have started to take shape: Just last year, researchers, including Scambos, observed that the critical ice shelf holding back the Thwaites glacier in western Antarctica could shatter within the next three to five years, which could result in devastating sea-level rise.

From their camp in the middle of the Antarctic to their stations on the coast, researchers flew over the gargantuan Thwaites glacier, also known as the "Doomsday Glacier," for two hours.

Scambos said they could see "massive cracks in this ice shelf, places where the ice is tearing apart."

 

Storm Eunice blows off rooftops with highest wind speeds on record in England

By Sara Spary, Rob Iddiols, Derek Van Dam and Amy Cassidy, CNN

Updated 12:49 PM ET, Fri February 18, 2022

 

 

Russian Ministry of Defense releases video of armor crossing Crimea bridge

(CNN)Storm Eunice tore down rooftops and trees, crushed cars and sent planes skidding on London's runways as millions of people across the United Kingdom hunkered down at home to stay out of hurricane-strength winds.

The UK Met Office expanded its rare "danger-to-life" weather alert on Friday morning to include most of the south of England and some of Wales, before Eunice picked up speed with winds as high as 122 miles per hours (mph), the fastest on record in England. High wind speeds is what make wind storms intense.

In Ireland, which is also experiencing strong winds from Eunice, a man in his late 60s was killed after being hit by a falling tree, the national police service, known as the Gardaí, confirmed to CNN.

The man, who has not been named, died in County Wexford, southeastern Ireland, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The storm has wreaked havoc, damaging buildings.

Footage shared to social media showed the roof of London's O2 arena severely damaged by strong wind.

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Bottom of ForLarge sections of the fabric roof were shredded and ripped off by the gusts,

"The safety of our visitors remains of paramount importance, and we will continue to assess the ongoing situation and act accordingly," the statement said.

Elsewhere, a CNN reporter witnessed part of a rooftop flying off a home in the southwestern London area of Surbiton. The roof crushed a car parked on the street.

Social media video showed a building housing lifeboats with part of its rooftop blown off at Sennen beach in the country of Cornwall, where strong winds were pushing waves above a seawall. Police in Cornwall and neighboring Devon said they had received high volumes of calls about flying debris, collapsed roofs and fallen trees.

Other video footage shared on Twitter showed a church spire in Somerset collapsing in high winds.

Large sections of the O2 Arena rooftop were blown off on Friday.

Residents around the UK also posted images on social media of collapsed fences and trees in roads.

Many homes were also left without power on Friday, including small pockets of London and larger areas of southern England.

As dozens of flights were canceled across London's major airports, more than 200,000 people tuned in to watch a live stream on YouTube of planes landing at London's Heathrow. The aircraft were seen battling strong gusts as they came into land, some of them wobbling mid-air, others skidding from side to side once they hit the runway. vasion f

The move comes amid a spike in shelling in the area, with tensions rising once again after the West disputeMoscow’s claims of a troop pullback.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evacuation from East Ukraine Beginning Today

Russian-backed separatists fighting in eastern Ukraine announced an evacuation of their breakaway region's residents to Russia on Friday, heightening fears that Moscow was planning to use an escalation in the long-running conflict as a pretext to invade.

The move comes amid a spike in shelling in the area that has stoked fresh global alarm, with tensions rising once again after the United States and its allies disputed Moscow’s claims of a troop pullback from near its neighbor's borders.

Moscow announced large-scale drills involving its nuclear forces starting Saturday that will be overseen by President Vladimir Putin and will offer a timely reminder of the country’s nuclear might, as Europe faces its gravest security crisis since the Cold War.

But the focus of the world's concern Friday was eastern Ukraine.

Denis Pushilin, head of the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic,” announced the evacuation in a video posted on social media. He claimed without evidence that Kyiv was planning its own military assault on the region in the country’s east where the Moscow-supported separatists have been fighting government forces since 2014.

He added that women, children and the elderly will be moved first, and that Russia has prepared the necessary facilities to accommodate them.

Leonid Pasechnik, leader of the neighboring self-proclaimed “Luhansk People’s Republic,” gave a similar order, while appealing “to all men who are able to hold weapons in their hands, stand up for their land.”

Russian state media later reported that Putin had ordered payments of 10,000 rubles ($130), hot meals and medical care to those who crossed the border.

There was no evidence Kyiv was planning such an attack, and Ukraine says that its forces have had to show restraint after an increase in cease-fire violations by the Russian-backed separatists they believe is a ploy designed to provoke Ukraine into retaliation.

"We categorically reject Russia’s attempts to aggravate the already tense security situation," Ukraine's military chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, said in a statement. "We remain steadfastly committed to the political and diplomatic settlement, and together with our partners we are making every effort to reduce tensions and keep the situation in line with the diplomatic dialogue."

He added that Russia had launched “a campaign to spread mass disinformation, increase shelling of Ukrainian positions and civilian infrastructure with weapons banned by the Minsk agreements, and escalate the security situation.”

His comments came after video filmed in the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk and uploaded to social media after showed air-raid sirens blaring in the streets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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