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Latest News Headlines for Thursday January 25, 2024 – The Federal Aviation Administration has issued comprehensive guidelines for airlines to initiate inspections of their seven-thirty-seven Max-9 aircraft, a step towards resuming their operation. Following an incident where an Alaska Airlines flight lost a door plug mid-air, the FAA had grounded nearly 200 planes of this model. Alaska Airlines announced its intention to reintegrate some of its seven-thirty-seven MAX planes back into service on Friday after meticulous inspections. — A Russian military aircraft transporting 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war was downed in Russia’s Belgorod region, near the border with Ukraine, as confirmed by Russian authorities. The Ukrainian POWs were being moved to the Belgorod region for an “exchange,” per a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense. The Il-76 aircraft also carried six crew members and three Russian military personnel. — The Hoo-thee rebels’ recent attack on a U.S.-registered commercial vessel indicates their determination to persist with their assaults despite multiple U.S. military airstrikes. The group targeted the U.S.-owned, flagged, and operated commercial ship Maersk Detroit with anti-ship ballistic missiles while it navigated the Gulf of Aden. This information was disclosed in a statement by the U.S. Central Command. — Johnson & Johnson has consented to a $149.5 million settlement with the state of Washington, addressing a lawsuit filed by state Attorney General Bob Ferguson. Ferguson unveiled the settlement, revealing that Johnson & Johnson is set to pay the total amount in a single payment within the current fiscal year. Out of the settlement, $123.3 million is earmarked for addressing the state’s fentanyl crisis. — In a remote area of the Mojave Desert, deputies discovered the remains of six individuals at a dirt crossroads. The scene was so grim that local TV stations in Southern California chose to blur parts of the images taken from their helicopters. San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies, conducting a welfare check, arrived at the location off Highway 395 near El Mirage at approximately 8:15 p.m. Tuesday. They found five bodies initially, with a sixth body discovered on Wednesday morning, as relayed by sheriff’s spokesperson Mara Rodriguez. — In Northern California, a woman was rescued after spending nearly 15 hours stranded atop her overturned pickup truck amidst rushing waters of a swollen creek. The California Highway Patrol Air Operations helicopter team safely transported the woman to shore after she attempted to cross the flooded creek in a park. Shaun Bouyea, a flight officer and paramedic with the California Highway Patrol, remarked on the woman’s incredible survival throughout the 15-hour predicament. — New York City Mayor Eric Adams has labeled social media a “public health hazard” and an “environmental toxin,” advocating for the protection of youth from online harms. A city advisory highlighted a decade-long decline in the mental health of New York’s youth. Data from 2021 indicates that 77% of the city’s high school students spend over three hours daily on screens for non-homework-related activities during weekdays. — A groundbreaking gene therapy study has restored hearing in children with a hereditary form of deafness. Co-conducted by researchers at Mass Eye and Ear, a specialty hospital in Boston, the clinical trial focused on six children with DFNB9 genetic deafness. This condition arises from OTOF gene mutations that prevent the production of otoferlin, a crucial protein for conveying sound signals from the ear to the brain. — Employees at a library in Maryland were astonished to discover an unexpected item in their return box: a Pink Floyd CD borrowed in 1989. The Prince George’s County Memorial Library System revealed that the Laurel Branch Library staff were taken aback when they found a Wish You Were Here CD, overdue by 35 years, in their returns. The CD, which had been missing for so long that it no longer appeared in the library’s digital records, was anonymously returned, leaving the identity of the patron who brought it back unknown. Despite the significant delay in its return, the library confirmed that no fines would be imposed, as the institution has adopted a policy of not charging late fees.

Latest News Headlines for Wednesday January 24, 2024 – Turkish legislators endorsed Sweden’s membership in NATO, lifting a major hurdle on the previously nonaligned country’s entry into the military alliance. The legislators ratified Sweden’s accession protocol by 287 votes to 55, with four abstentions. The ratification will come into effect after its publication in the Official Gazette, which is expected to be swift. Hungary then becomes the only NATO ally not to have ratified Sweden’s accession. — Egyptian officials have lashed out over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s suggestion that Israel will have to take control of a roughly 100-yard buffer zone on the Gaza side of the war-torn Palestinian territory’s 9-mile-long border with Egypt. Israeli officials have said smuggling across that buffer, known as the Philadelphi Corridor, both above ground and through tunnels, has provided Gaza’s Hamas rulers with weapons and other supplies — allegations that Egypt vehemently denies. “The Philadelphi Corridor — or to put it more correctly, the southern stoppage point of the Gaza Strip— must be in our hands. It must be shut,” Netanyahu said. — At least six people were killed and more than 60 were injured in a wave of Russian missile strikes against cities in eastern and central Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv. Five of the deaths were in the frontline city of Kharkiv in the northeast of the country after residential buildings were hit in attacks that also injured 51, Kharkiv region governor Oleh Syniehubov said in a social media post. Mount Sinai doctors are seeing an increase in heart problems prompted by respiratory infections, and it’s happening across all age groups — Flu and COVID-19 are sweeping across the country, posing a particular hazard to people at risk for heart disease. These respiratory infections can trigger heart complications from fever, dehydration and inflammation, experts from Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital say. — A New York man has been found guilty of fatally shooting a 20-year-old woman who was in the passenger seat of a friend’s car when they turned into the wrong driveway,WTEN TV. On the night of April 15, 2023, Kaylin Gillis and her friends mistakenly pulled into the long, dark driveway of 65-year-old Kevin Monahan in rural Hebron, New York, while they were looking for a friend’s house, authorities said. Monahan, standing on his deck, fired at least two shots toward the group and fatally hit Gillis in the neck, authorities said. — An elderly man fatally shot his wife and then himself at an assisted living facility in Florida, police said Tuesday. Staff at the Addington Place at College Harbor facility found the couple dead in the woman’s room around 10 a.m., the St. Petersburg Police Department said in an email. The 81-year-old man was visiting his 76-year-old wife when the shooting happened, investigators said. — The Los Angeles Times said it planned to lay off at least 115 employees — more than 20% of the newsroom — starting Tuesday, one of the largest staff cuts in the newspaper’s 143-year history. The announcement came after the LA Times Guild walked off the job last Friday to protest the imminent layoffs, the institution’s first ever newsroom union work stoppage. Matt Pearce, president of the Media Guild of the West, which encompasses the Times’ union, called Tuesday a “dark day.” — With tax season set to kick off next week, the IRS is launching a new initiative to redesign and simplify common tax documents. The changes will eventually apply to around 170 million letters that are sent out to individual taxpayers every year. The notices, for example, remind taxpayers of how much they owe, that they have made an error on their returns, or that they have been victims of identity theft. — An upstate New York feline shelter is witnessing a surge in donations as football enthusiasts rally to support Tyler Bass following his critical missed field goal, contributing to the Buffalo Bills’ departure from the NFL playoffs. Ten Lives Club, a no-kill cat rescue organization located in Buffalo, reported receiving over $25,000 in contributions on Monday, with the total soaring to $90,000 by Tuesday afternoon. In the pivotal game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Orchard Park, N.Y., Bass’s attempt veered wide right in the closing moments, concluding in a 27-24 defeat for the Bills. Bass, who serves as a brand ambassador for Ten Lives Club, displayed visible disappointment as he retreated from the field, his face concealed within his jersey collar after the disheartening game outcome.

In the last 72 hours, regions in Northern and Southern California have registered 5 to 9 inches of precipitation due to an unrelenting barrage of storms from the Pacific. A respite from the inclement conditions is anticipated for most of California and the Pacific coastline, although Northern California is predicted to experience additional rainfall and snowfall by Wednesday. Elements of the recent western tempest impacting California are set to merge with humid air from the Gulf of Mexico by Tuesday, potentially leading to inundating rains and a risk of severe thunderstorms across the Gulf Coast, spanning from Texas to Georgia. As of Tuesday morning, flood alerts are active in six southern states, stretching from Texas to Alabama.

Latest News Headlines for Tuesday January 23, 2024 – Mexico wants an urgent investigation into how U.S. military-grade weapons are increasingly being found in the hands of Mexican drug cartels, Mexico’s top diplomat said. Mexico’s army is finding belt-fed machine guns, rocket launchers and grenades that are not sold for civilian use in the United States. The Mexican army said in June that it had seized 221 fully automatic machine guns, 56 grenade launchers and a dozen rocket launchers from drug cartels since late 2018. — Russia’s foreign minister clashed with the United States and Ukraine’s supporters at a U.N. meeting Monday where Moscow ruled out any peace plan backed by Kyiv and the West, and China warned that further global chaos could impact the slowing global economy. Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s top diplomat, claimed that Ukrainian forces have been “a complete failure” on the battlefield and are “incapable” of defeating or weakening Russia. — Iran is “very directly involved” in ship attacks that Yemen’s Houthi rebels have carried out during Israel’s war against Hamas, the U.S. Navy’s top Mideast commander stated. Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of the Navy’s 5th Fleet, stopped short of saying Tehran directed individual attacks by the Houthisin the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. However, Cooper acknowledged that attacks associated with Iran have expanded from previously threatening just the Persian Gulf and its Strait of Hormuz into waters across the wider Middle East. — A narrowly divided Supreme Court on Monday sided with the Biden administration in a tense, ongoing dispute over the Texas-Mexico border and razor wire fencing installed by the state that had prohibited federal border agents from performing their duties. The court, by a vote of 5-4, cleared the way for federal agents to remove the wire, which administration officials and immigration advocates had called dangerous and inhumane. The Department of Homeland Security has also argued that the state’s activities interfered with clear federal supremacy in setting border enforcement policy. — Authorities in New Mexico are investigating after an explosive device was found Monday near a courthouse in Deming. The explosive device was found near Luna County Magistrate Court, according to the Deming Police Department. Police added there was the possibility of a second device, and advised people to steer clear of the area. Deming is located in southern New Mexico, about 35 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. — Authorities in Joliet, Illinois, are searching for a man police said should be considered “armed and dangerous” after seven people were found dead from gunshot wounds in two homes Monday. Investigators said they were looking for a suspect they identified as 23-year-old Romeo Nance. Officials from the Joliet Illinois Police and Will County Illinois Sherriff’s office said that they discovered the bodies of five victims in one home and another two in a nearby residence on West Acres Road Monday morning. — Norman Jewison, the acclaimed and versatile Canadian-born director whose Hollywood films ranged from Doris Day comedies and “Moonstruck” to social dramas such as the Oscar-winning “In the Heat of the Night,” has died at age 97. Jewison, a three-time Oscar nominee who in 1999 received an Academy Award for lifetime achievement, died “peacefully” Saturday, according to publicist Jeff Sanderson. Additional details were not immediately available. — With her new single “Yes, And?,” Ariana Grande has now debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the sixth time, tying with Taylor Swift for the most among women, according to Billboard. “Yes, And?” is the lead single off of Grande’s seventh studio album, “Eternal Sunshine,” which is set to be released on March 8. The song drew 27.2 million streams and garnered 24.8 million radio airplay audience impressions from Jan. 12 to Jan. 18, according to data collected by Luminate. — A healthy baby girl was born at the side of a New Jersey road with help from a police officer in the midst of a winter storm. The Sparta Police Department said Officer Christopher Botta responded to a report of a woman in labor at the side of Route 15, near the city’s border with Jefferson. Botta located the vehicle stopped at the side of the road and made contact with expecting parents Tyler and Stephanie. After confirming everything appeared normal, seconds later, Stephanie delivered the baby girl into Officer Botta’s hands. The Sparta First Aid Squad arrived on the scene and took the mother and newborn, Millie, to the Morristown Medical Center. Botta followed up with the family two days later and confirmed mother and baby girl were healthy and doing well.

Latest News Headlines for Monday January 22, 2024 – The death toll in the Gaza Strip, as reported by the Hamas-run Health Ministry, has exceeded 25,000 due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Despite this significant loss of life and extensive destruction, the Israeli government’s objectives to dismantle Hamas and secure the release of over 100 hostages remain unfulfilled. The Israeli authorities predict that the hostilities may persist for several additional months, given the current situation. — Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York and a breast cancer survivor, has also been diagnosed and treated for malignant melanoma. Her representative confirmed, “Sarah, Duchess of York, after her early-stage breast cancer diagnosis this summer, has now been treated for malignant melanoma.” The diagnosis came as several moles were removed and examined during her reconstructive surgery following a mastectomy, as per her representative’s statement. — In Germany, massive demonstrations erupted nationwide, with an estimated 250,000 individuals protesting against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The protests were sparked by a January 10th report from Correctiv, revealing that AfD representatives convened with extremist groups in Potsdam in November. Discussions at the meeting reportedly included the forced removal or “remigration” of foreigners and Germans of migrant heritage. — Moscow-appointed officials reported that Ukrainian shelling resulted in at least 27 fatalities and 25 injuries on Sunday at a marketplace on the outskirts of Donetsk, a city under Russian control in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities in Kyiv have not issued any statements regarding the incident, and The Associated Press has not independently verified these claims. Amid the almost 2-year-old conflict, both parties have increasingly resorted to long-range assaults due to largely static front-line positions across the 930-mile stretch. — An air ambulance helicopter crash in Oklahoma late Saturday night claimed the lives of three crew members. The incident was reported near Weatherford after Air Evac Lifeteam lost contact with the helicopter crew just before 11:30 p.m. According to a company statement on Sunday, the crew was en route back to their base in Weatherford, located 70 miles west of Oklahoma City, after completing a patient transport to the capital. — A “domestic-related shooting” in a suburb outside Chicago resulted in four fatalities on Sunday. A suspect was apprehended on the same day, as announced in a social media post by the Tinley Park Public Safety Department. Tinley Park, a village with a population of around 55,000, is situated approximately 30 miles southwest of Chicago. Police were actively investigating the residential area where the shooting occurred on Sunday afternoon. — In Killington, Vermont, 23 skiers and snowboarders were rescued from frigid conditions over the weekend after losing their way in the backcountry. Killington police, responding to a call around 2:30 p.m., utilized hiking, snowshoeing, and skiing with skins to cover approximately 5 miles and safely retrieve 21 lost individuals. The operation took place amid single-digit temperatures, as reported on the police department’s Facebook page. — Recently disclosed audio recordings reveal that the Marine Corps contacted 911 after an F-35 fighter jet disappeared over South Carolina in September of the previous year. The incident, referred to as a “mishap” by Marine Corps officials, occurred in the Lowcountry region of the state on September 17, 2023. The pilot managed to eject from the jet and safely parachute into a residential area in North Charleston, according to military reports. — Michigan firefighters swiftly responded to save a deer stuck in the icy waters of a frozen pond. The city of Wyoming shared on Facebook that their firefighters were called into action when a deer broke through the ice on a pond near 52nd Street. The city posted a photo depicting a firefighter cutting through the ice, creating a route for the deer to be safely pulled to shore. The city used this incident to emphasize the importance of vigilance around bodies of water, cautioning that ice can be deceptively thin, posing risks to animals and children alike.

Latest News Headlines for Saturday January 20, 2024 – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed concern over the possibility of Donald Trump returning to the U.S. presidency, labeling Trump’s assertion that he could halt the war between Ukraine and Russia in one day as “very dangerous.” During an interview with Channel 4 News in the U.K., Zelenskyy extended an invitation to Trump, the leading Republican presidential candidate, to visit Kyiv on the condition that he fulfills his bold claim. Trump’s campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, did not provide a comment on the matter. — An Israeli assault on Damascus this Saturday resulted in the destruction of a facility utilized by the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, leaving at least five Iranians dead, as reported by Syrian and Iranian authorities. According to the Syrian military, the building in Mazzeh, a heavily fortified district in western Damascus, was completely obliterated. The Israeli air force reportedly launched the missiles from above the Golan Heights, an area under Israeli control. The Israeli military has not issued a statement regarding this incident. — Recent winter weather conditions have been linked to 83 confirmed fatalities over the past week, as per a tally by CBS News, with the nation still grappling with severe cold. The Tennessee Department of Health reported 19 weather-related deaths, and Oregon authorities confirmed 16 fatalities, which included three adults who perished when a tree toppled onto their car. Remarkably, a baby in the vehicle survived, as previously covered by CBS News. — President Biden announced student loan relief for an additional 74,000 Americans, encompassing professions such as teaching, nursing, and firefighting. This initiative introduces a further $5 billion in debt forgiveness. This recent announcement follows a series of debt cancellations after the Supreme Court halted Mr. Biden’s student loan forgiveness program last summer. To date, $136.6 billion has been forgiven for over 3.7 million Americans. — Sports Illustrated’s workforce received notice on Friday about the impending elimination of a “significant number, if not all,” of their positions, as disclosed by the publication’s union. The Sports Illustrated union conveyed through X: “This marks yet another challenging day in the turbulent four-year tenure of Sports Illustrated under Arena Group (formerly The Maven) management. We urge ABG to guarantee the continued publication of SI, maintaining its tradition of serving readers for nearly seven decades.” — Astrobotic Technology confirmed that its lunar lander met a fiery end over the South Pacific after a failed moon mission. The company lost contact and subsequently tracking of the lander as it re-entered Earth’s atmosphere, 10 days post-launch from Florida. John Thornton, the CEO, confirmed on Friday that U.S. Space Command verified the spacecraft’s disintegration in its final moments. — A small aircraft made an emergency landing on Loudoun County Parkway in Virginia on Friday afternoon. Miraculously, all seven passengers aboard emerged unscathed, as reported by the Virginia State Police and the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA detailed that the single-engine Cessna two-oh-eight Caravan executed a “hard landing” on the road around 12:50 p.m., shortly after its 12:15 p.m. departure from Virginia’s Dulles International Airport. The aircraft was originally bound for Lancaster Airport in Pennsylvania. — Microsoft disclosed on Friday that a Russian-affiliated group infiltrated some of its corporate email accounts. In a blog post, the tech giant reported that its security team detected the breach on January 12th and swiftly pinpointed the perpetrators: Midnight Blizzard, also known as Nobelium, a group with ties to the Russian state. According to Microsoft, Nobelium orchestrated a “password spray attack,” using a single widely-used password to attempt access to numerous accounts on the same platform. — A woman from Hagerstown, Maryland, made a spontaneous decision to buy a scratch-off lottery ticket instead of her usual drawing game entries, leading her to a $50,000 windfall. Normally a patron of games like Powerball and Mega Millions, the woman recounted to Maryland Lottery officials her last-minute change of heart. “I typically go for Mega Millions and Powerball tickets, but on a whim, I decided otherwise,” she shared. Her attention was drawn to a $1 Million Royale scratch-off ticket. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly why, stating, “There was just something compelling about that particular ticket.” At first glance, the ticket didn’t seem to be a winner. “It was a letdown initially; there were no matching numbers,” she explained. However, a unique symbol on the ticket, rather than a number, signified her substantial $50,000 prize. She described her reaction as a mix of astonishment and disbelief, questioning, “Could it actually be $50,000?”