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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/29/black-reparations-panel-could-decide-who-gets-compensation-california/
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Calif. group votes to limit reparations to slave descendants
(AP) - California’s first-in-the-nation task force on reparations voted Tuesday to limit state compensation to the descendants of free and enslaved Black people who were in the U.S. in the 19th century, narrowly rejecting a proposal to include all Black people regardless of lineage.
The vote was split 5-4, and the hours-long debate was at times testy and emotional. Near the end, the Rev. Amos Brown, president of the San Francisco branch of the NAACP and vice chair of the task force, pleaded with the commission to move ahead with a clear definition of who would be eligible for restitution.
“Please, please, please I beg us tonight, take the first step,” he said. “We’ve got to give emergency treatment to where it is needed.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation creating the two-year reparations task force in 2020, making California the only state to move ahead with a study and plan, with a mission to study the institution of slavery and its harms and to educate the public about its findings.
Reparations at the federal level has not gone anywhere, but cities and universities are taking up the issue. The mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, announced a city commission in February while the city of Boston is considering a proposal to form its own reparations commission.
The Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois, became the first U.S. city to make reparations available to Black residents last year, although there are some who say the program has done nothing to right a wrong.
California’s task force members — nearly all of whom can trace their families back to enslaved ancestors in the U.S. — were aware that their deliberations over a pivotal question will shape reparations discussions across the country. The members were appointed by the governor and the leaders of the two legislative chambers.
Those favoring a lineage approach said that a compensation and restitution plan based on genealogy as opposed to race has the best change of surviving a legal challenge. They also opened eligibility to free Black people who migrated to the country before the 20th century, given possible difficulties in documenting family history and the risk at the time of becoming enslaved.
Others on the task force argued that reparations should include all Black people in the U.S. who suffer from systemic racism in housing, education and employment and said they were defining eligibility too soon in the process.
Civil rights attorney and task force member Lisa Holder proposed directing economists working with the task force to use California’s estimated 2.6 million Black residents to calculate compensation while they continue hearing from the public.
“We need to galvanize the base and that is Black people,” she said. “We can’t go into this reparations proposal without having all African Americans in California behind us.”
But Kamilah Moore, a lawyer and chair of the task force, said expanding eligibility would create its own fissures and was beyond the purpose of the committee.
“That is going to aggrieve the victims of the institution of slavery, which are the direct descendants of the enslaved people in the United States,” she said. “It goes against the spirit of the law as written.”
The committee is not even a year into its two-year process and there is no compensation plan of any kind on the table. Longtime advocates have spoken of the need for multifaceted remedies for related yet separate harms, such as slavery, Jim Crow laws, mass incarceration and redevelopment that resulted in the displacement of Black communities.
Compensation could include free college, assistance buying homes and launching businesses, and grants to churches and community organizations, advocates say.
The eligibility question has dogged the task force since its inaugural meeting in June, when viewers called in pleading with the nine-member group to devise targeted proposals and cash payments to make whole the descendants of enslaved people in the U.S.
Chicago resident Arthur Ward called in to Tuesday’s virtual meeting, saying that he was a descendant of enslaved people and has family in California. He supports reparations based only on lineage and expressed frustration with the panel’s concerns over Black immigrants who experience racism.
“When it comes to some sort of justice, some kind of recompense, we are supposed to step to the back of the line and allow Carribeans and Africans to be prioritized,” Ward said. “Taking this long to decide something that should not even be a question in the first place is an insult.”
California Assemblyman Reginald Jones-Sawyer, who voted against limiting eligibility, said there is no question that descendants of slaves are the priority, but he said the task force also needs to stop ongoing harm and prevent future harm from racism. He said he wished the panel would stop “bickering” over money they don’t have yet and start discussing how to close a severe wealth gap.
“We’re arguing over cash payments, which I firmly don’t believe are the be all and end all,” he said.
Reparations critics say that California has no obligation to pay up given that the state did not practice slavery and did not enforce Jim Crow laws that segregated Black people from white people in the southern states.
But testimony provided to the committee shows California and local governments were complicit in stripping Black people of their wages and property, preventing them from building wealth to pass down to their children. Their homes were razed for redevelopment, and they were forced to live in predominantly minority neighborhoods and couldn’t get bank loans that would allow them to purchase property.
Today, Black residents are 5% of the state’s population but over-represented in jails, prison and homeless populations. And Black homeowners continue to face discrimination in the form of home appraisals that are significantly lower than if the house were in a white neighborhood or the homeowners are white, according to testimony.
A report is due by June with a reparations proposal due by July 2023 for the Legislature to consider turning into law.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/2-servings-avocado-week-helps-your-heart-health-study-says/
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2 servings of avocado a week helps your heart health, study says
Published: Mar. 30, 2022 at 9:56 AM CDT
(CNN) - Good news if you like avocados; eating them is a great way to help out your heart health.
A new government study found eating at least two servings a week, which adds up to one avocado, reduced the risk of having a heart attack by 21%.
It also said that eating avocado instead of eggs, yogurt, cheese, margarine, butter, or processed meats, like bacon, was especially beneficial.
Experts said anything you can do to improve your heart health is a step in the right direction.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated heart disease takes a life every 36 seconds.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/6-accused-kidnapping-torturing-woman-they-met-online-sheriff-says/
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6 accused of kidnapping, torturing woman they met online, sheriff says
Published: Mar. 30, 2022 at 11:15 AM CDT
HENDERSON COUNTY, Texas (Gray News) – Several people are facing charges in connection to kidnapping and torturing a woman they met online, according to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said the woman who was being held against her will had been “severely tortured” during her captivity.
She is being treated for her injuries.
“We received a call about a suspicious person, discovered this troubling case and quickly made arrests,” Hillhouse said in a press release obtained by KLTV.
Six people were arrested late Tuesday and charged with aggravated kidnapping:
- Amanda Andrews
- Breonna Johnson
- Charles Bryant
- Shayne Anderson
- Summer Lawrence
- Felicity Walker
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/74-year-old-shoots-teen-during-home-invasion-police-say/
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74-year-old shoots teen during home invasion, police say
AKRON, Ohio (WOIO/Gray News) - Police investigators in Ohio say a 74-year-old man shot a teen suspect during a home invasion attempt early Tuesday morning.
Officers were dispatched to the home invasion just before 7:30 a.m. Tuesday on Johnston Street in Akron, Ohio, according to police. A 16-year-old boy was found inside the home with multiple gunshot wounds.
According to detectives, the homeowner told police that he discharged his gun during a confrontation with the teen, who forced entry into his home, striking him multiple times.
The 74-year-old homeowner, who identified himself to WOIO as “Lurch,” was not injured.
“I heard this hellacious crash, and he comes running right through my front door,” he said.
The homeowner said he was half asleep on his couch, but he had his gun close by. When the suspect did not leave, he opened fire.
“He dives down the basement as I put lead in him going down the steps,” he said.
Paramedics took the 16-year-old to Akron Children’s Hospital in stable condition.
“Those shots were good,” Lurch said during an interview. “I don’t like people breaking into my home.”
Police are still investigating the incident and will release any information on criminal charges at a later time.
Asked about the possibility of facing charges, Lurch said he can’t imagine why he would.
“I better not. I am in my own home, and he breaks into it,” he said.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Akron Police detectives at 330-375-2490.
Copyright 2022 WOIO via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/alex-jones-faces-fines-skipping-sandy-hook-deposition/
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Alex Jones faces fines for skipping Sandy Hook deposition
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut judge said Wednesday Infowars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones will be fined for each weekday that passes without him appearing for a deposition in a lawsuit brought by relatives of some victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
The penalties were in response to Jones defying court orders to attend a deposition last week, when he cited a health problem including vertigo that later turned out to be a sinus infection. His testimony is being sought ahead of a trial to determine how much he should pay in damages to the families for pushing a conspiracy theory that the massacre never happened.
The penalties will begin at $25,000 per weekday beginning Friday and increase by $25,000 per weekday until he appears for a deposition, Judge Barbara Bellis said. She found Jones in contempt of court orders and repeated her view Wednesday that letters submitted by Jones’ doctors did not include enough evidence that he was too ill to attend last week’s deposition. She noted Jones appeared on his website show — either in-person or by phone — every day last week.
“The court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant, Alex Jones, willfully and in bad faith violated without justification several clear court orders requiring his attendance at his depositions,” Bellis said during a court hearing held by video conference.
Bellis, a judge at Waterbury Superior Court, also ordered the deposition to be held at the Bridgeport, Connecticut, office of the families’ lawyers, instead of Austin, Texas, where it was scheduled last week. Austin is home to Jones and Infowars.
The judge, however, again denied a request by lawyers for the Sandy Hook families to order Jones arrested and detained until he could appear at a deposition. The attorneys first made the request last week.
Jones’ lawyer, Norman Pattis, criticized Bellis’ ruling and planned to appeal to the Connecticut Supreme Court on Thursday.
“The judge’s order is shocking and an insult to the medical doctor who advised Alex not to attend court proceedings,” Pattis said in an email to The Associated Press. “We regard the order as lawless and unprecedented.”
Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families, said during the hearing that the families were seeking penalties because Jones violated court orders and appeared to be attempting to avoid the deposition.
“So what we’ve tried to do ... is change that calculus, make it clear to Mr. Jones that the penalties that will accrue to him as a result of his further noncompliance are not worth it and that he should sit for deposition in order to avoid them,” Mattei said.
A new deposition date was not immediately set. Cameron Atkinson, another Jones lawyer, said Jones would next be available to testify on April 11.
Twenty first-graders and six educators were killed in the December 2012 shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. The gunman, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, killed his mother at their Newtown home before the shooting, and killed himself at the school as police arrived, officials said.
The families of eight of the victims and an FBI agent who responded to the school sued Jones, Infowars and others in Connecticut, saying they have been subjected to harassment and death threats from Jones’ followers because of the hoax conspiracy promoted on his show. Jones has since said he believes the shooting did occur.
On Tuesday, Jones’ lawyers filed court documents that offered to pay $120,000 per plaintiff to settle the lawsuit and offered an apology for “any distress his remarks caused.” The families’ lawyers rejected the offers.
Jones was found liable for damages to the families in the Connecticut lawsuit as well as to some Sandy Hook families who sued him in Texas. Judges in both states found Jones liable by default without a trial, saying he repeatedly refused to abide by court rulings and provide requested evidence to the families’ lawyers.
Jones and his lawyers said he has turned over thousands of documents to the families’ lawyers and sat for depositions in the Texas cases.
Trials are scheduled later this year in Connecticut and Texas to determine how much Jones should pay the families.
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This story has been corrected to show that the fines Jones would face start at $25,000 per weekday and increase by $25,000 per weekday, not $25,000 to $50,000 per weekday.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/biden-administration-launches-covid-website-1-stop-info/
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Biden receives 2nd booster, presses Congress on virus funds
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden called on Congress to pass billions of dollars in additional funding to fight the COVID-19 pandemic on Wednesday, as he received a second booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine a day after federal regulators approved a fourth shot for those aged 50 and older.
Biden spoke as his administration rolled out COVID.gov, designed to be a one-stop website to help people in the United States access COVID-19 tests, vaccines and treatments, along with status updates on infection rates where they live. Biden pressed lawmakers to provide additional funding “immediately” to ensure continued supply of the tools that have helped the nation begin to emerge from the pandemic.
“Congress, we need to secure additional supply now,” he said, warning of shortages of vaccines, tests and treatments. “This isn’t partisan, it’s medicine.”
Biden, 79, received the first series of two doses of the coronavirus vaccine shortly before taking office and a first booster shot in September. The additional booster dose was administered by a member of the White House Medical Unit.
“It didn’t hurt a bit,” Biden said.
The additional booster is meant to beef up the body’s protection against COVID-19 in populations most vulnerable to the coronavirus, which has killed more than 975,000 people in the U.S.
On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cleared the way for another shot for anyone 50 and older, who can get the additional booster at least four months after their last vaccination. Severely immune-compromised patients, such as organ transplant recipients, as young as 12, are also eligible.
“We have enough supply to give booster shots, but if Congress fails to act we won’t have the supplies we need this Fall,” Biden warned, noting the possibility that regulators will approve a fourth shot for all Americans.
A subvariant of the highly transmissible omicron that scientists call BA.2 is now the dominant coronavirus mutant in the United States. It accounted for nearly 55% of new infections across the nation last week and an even greater proportion in the Northeast, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Scientists say one reason BA.2 has gained ground is that it’s about 30% more contagious than the original omicron. In rare cases, research shows it can sicken people even if they’ve already had an omicron infection. But it doesn’t seem to cause more severe disease than the original, and vaccines appear just as effective against it.
The unvaccinated, though, are at a far greater risk.
—
AP writers Darlene Superville in Washington and Laura Ungar in Louisville contributed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/biden-eyes-boost-mining-minerals-electric-vehicles/
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Biden eyes boost to mining of minerals for electric vehicles
WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing higher oil prices after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, President Joe Biden is looking at invoking the Defense Production Act this week to increase the mining of critical minerals for the batteries used in electric vehicles.
That’s according to a person familiar with the White House plans who insisted on anonymity to discuss the likely policy move. The person said production will occur under strong environmental and labor standards as well as through tribal engagements, though some Democrats in Congress have concerns because the mining sector is regulated through a 150 year-old law.
Greater federal support for alternatives to fossil fuels would reduce the leverage of Russian President Vladimir Putin and others on matters of U.S. national and economic security, though it reflects a long-term play rather than an immediate response to the economic damage caused by the war.
Biden’s likely order employing the Defense Production Act would provide a meaningful financial incentive to develop a domestic supply chain for electric vehicles and enable the shift away from gasoline-fueled autos.
Putin’s assault on Ukraine began more than a month ago, rattling global energy markets for petroleum and natural gas in ways that would likely hurt growth worldwide. U.S. crude oil was trading at more than $107 a barrel on Wednesday morning, up from nearly $60 a year ago as inflation has emerged as a persistent threat.
The Democratic president is looking at invoking Title III of the 1950 Defense Production Act, which would provide the government with economic authorities to address industrial shortfalls. Mining companies could access money under the law for production of minerals including lithium, nickel, graphite, cobalt and manganese.
The government would not be issuing loans or directly purchasing minerals. The funding would instead cover feasibility studies, production at current operations and modernizing safety standards and production.
Lawmakers are divided on whether invoking the act is the best policy, as economic and national security issues may come into conflict with environmental protections despite assurances that standards would be followed.
A bipartisan group of senators, led by Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, have urged Biden to deploy the Defense Production Action to boost the domestic output of critical minerals such as lithium and graphite.
“The United States relies almost exclusively on foreign nations – many of them unfriendly and with nonexistent labor and environmental standards – to meet much of our present mineral demand,” the senators said in a letter to Biden this month. “Allowing our foreign mineral dependence to persist is a growing threat to U.S. national security, and we need to take every step to address it.″
Manchin, who chairs the Senate Energy Committee, is a key player on energy issues and singlehandedly blocked Biden’s signature social and environmental legislation known as Build Back Better. He has since said he is open to some of the bill’s climate and energy proposals, as long as they don’t punish fossil fuels such as natural gas.
The letter was also signed by Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Jim Risch of Idaho.
But some Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee urged Biden not to invoke the Defense Production Act, saying that increased mining projects on public lands could jeopardize public health and sacred sites in the West.
“As it turns out, the oil and gas industry isn’t the only one taking advantage of tragedy in Ukraine,” said Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the panel’s chairman. “Like their fossil fuel peers, mining companies are making opportunistic pleas to advance a decades-old mining agenda that lets polluters off the hook and leaves Americans suffering the consequences. Fast-tracking mining under antiquated standards that put our public health, wilderness, and sacred sites at risk of permanent damage just isn’t the answer.”
The mining industry operates under the 150-year-old Mining Law of 1872. Under this statute, companies mining on public lands pay no federal royalties and are not held financially responsible for cleaning up the tens of thousands of toxic abandoned mine sites scattered across the United States.
Grijalva said he will propose legislation to reform the mining law later this spring.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/bruce-willis-stepping-away-acting-amid-health-struggles/
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Bruce Willis, diagnosed with aphasia, steps away from acting
NEW YORK (AP) — Bruce Willis is stepping away from acting after a diagnosis of aphasia, a condition that causes loss of the ability to understand or express speech, his family said Wednesday.
In a statement posted on Willis’ Instagram page, the 67-year-old actor’s family announced that Willis was recently diagnosed with aphasia and that it is impacting his cognitive abilities.
“As a result of this and with much consideration, Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him,” read the statement signed by Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis, his ex-wife Demi Moore, and his five children, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel and Evelyn.
“We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him,” they said. “As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that.”
There are many potential causes of aphasia. It often occurs after a stroke or head injury, but can also develop gradually due to a slow-growing brain tumor or a disease that causes degenerative damage, like Alzheimer’s disease. It’s treated primarily with speech therapy and learning non-verbal means of communication.
Willis’ family didn’t divulge what caused his aphasia. Representatives for the actor declined to comment.
The news about Willis, one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors, immediately spread online as fans reacted. His four-decade career has amassed more than $5 billion in box office worldwide,
Willis had been working steadily and frequently. Renowned for films like “Die Hard,” “Pulp Fiction” and “The Sixth Sense,” Willis has in recent years churned out straight-to-video thrillers. Last year, he starred in a staggering eight films. Most came and went quietly, including titles like “Cosmic Sin,” “Out of Death” and “Deadlock.”
Most recently, Willis starred in February’s “Gasoline Alley” and “A Day to Die,” released in early March. Willis has already shot at least six more films due out in 2022 and 2023, including “Die Like Lovers,” “Corrective Measures” and “The Wrong Place.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/california-governor-rejects-parole-manson-family-member/
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California governor rejects parole for Manson family member
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday blocked parole for Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten, reversing a panel’s recommendation that she be freed after spending a half-century in prison.
Van Houten, 72, “currently poses an unreasonable danger to society if released from prison at this time,” Newsom said in his parole review. It was the fifth time that a California governor has rejected her release.
Her attorney, Rich Pfeiffer, disputed that view and said the decision will be appealed in court. He accused Newsom of rejecting parole because he is worried about “his political future” and noted that Van Houten has a spotless prison disciplinary record.
“We’re not fighting (over) Leslie being a good person. She’s proven that through her actions for half a century,” he said.
Van Houten is serving a life sentence for helping Manson and others kill Los Angeles grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, in August 1969. Van Houten was 19 when she and other cult members fatally stabbed the LaBiancas and smeared the couple’s blood on the walls.
The day before, other Manson followers, not including Van Houten, killed pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four others.
In his rejection letter, Newsom noted that Van Housen had undergone therapy, earned educational degrees and taken self-help classes in prison and had shown “increased maturity and rehabilitation.”
But Van Houten also has “gaps in insight” that continue to make her a danger to society, Newsom said.
Van Houten has had 21 parole hearings since 1982. Most parole boards denied her bid for freedom. But five panels have recommended her release since 2016, saying she had expressed remorse and was no longer a threat to public safety.
Newsom rejected a recommendation made last November.
He previously reversed parole recommendations in 2019 and 2020. In February, the California Supreme Court refused to hear Van Houten’s appeal of the 2020 rejection.
Previous Gov. Jerry Brown rejected Van Houten’s parole in 2016 and 2018.
Manson died in 2017 of natural causes at a California hospital while serving a life sentence.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/california-man-convicted-using-27m-ppp-loans-personal-use-including-renting-oceanfront-property/
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California man convicted of using $27M in PPP loans for personal use, including renting oceanfront property
(Gray News) – A California man was convicted Monday on multiple finance fraud charges, including using fraudulently obtained PPP loans to rent out beachfront property in Santa Monica, according to the Department of Justice.
According to a release from the DOJ, 53-year-old Robert Benlevi submitted 27 Paycheck Protection Program loan applications to four banks between April and June of 2022 on behalf of eight companies he owned.
The DOJ said he sought a total of $27 million in forgivable PPP loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.
Benlevi reportedly represented that each of his companies had 100 employees and average monthly payroll expenses of $400,000, even though he knew the companies did not have any employees or payroll expenses, the DOJ said.
Evidence at trial also reportedly showed that Benlevi submitted fabricated IRS documents falsely stating each of the companies had an annual payroll of $4.8 million.
Three of Benlevi’s companies received $3 million in PPP funds, according to the DOJ. Instead of using the funds to pay for payroll and other business expenses, the evidence reportedly showed that he instead used the money to pay for personal expenses which included cash withdrawals, personal credit card payments and even renting an oceanfront apartment in Santa Monica, California. Some amounts of money were transferred from the business account to personal and business accounts he controlled.
Benlevi was convicted of bank fraud, false statements to a financial institution and money laundering.
He is scheduled to be sentenced June 27, and faces up to 30 years in prison for each of the bank fraud and false statement charges. He also faces up to 10 years for each count of money laundering.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/cameron-university-offers-workforce-organizational-leadership-bachelors-degree/
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Cameron University offers workforce Organizational Leadership bachelor’s degree
LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - A new program at Cameron University (CU) will help adults in the workforce get their college degrees.
The CU Reconnect Program is designed to help those employed to navigate college and receive their B.A. in Organizational Leaders Leadership.
Those accepted, will have a lower tuition rate due to a state initiative.
The newfound program gives applicants the choice to have a focus.
Krystal Brue, the Chair Department of Business & Associate Professor of Management at Cameron, said this helps those adults in working fields that want to take the next step with a college degree.
“Most of the benefit of this program, that we found after speaking with students, is that they want to excel in their career field,” Brue said. “So they are working, but they can’t go to the next level unless they have a college degree. Or they want to get into an area, but they’re just not able to get into because they don’t meet that minimum education requirement.”
Brues said those who may be hesitant, because of their busy lifestyles, will have a flexible schedule.
“Take one step at a time, and move forward. You don’t have to be a full time student to be in this program, you can take one class at a time,” Brue said. “If you take one class to begin with, and if you find it interesting and you can fit it into your schedule, then next semester take another class, or maybe take two.”
The Organizational Leadership Degree will have a focus range from: Corporate, Industrial, Government and non-profit work.
Cameron set up two virtual Reach Higher events, where those interested can talk directly to faculty and admissions.
Financial advisors will also be on standby to answer any questions.
The next session is from 5 p.m to 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 31.
Copyright 2022 KSWO. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/community-invited-help-lawton-ffa-students/
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Community invited to help Lawton FFA students
Published: Mar. 30, 2022 at 5:05 PM CDT
LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - Lawton Public Schools Spring Plant Sale begins this next week.
FFA Chapter President Cora Sullivan joined 7News to discuss how the event benefits FFA.
The sale will take place from 3:30 p.m. until 6 p.m. April 4, 5, 11 and 12 at the Lawton School Farm; and again from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 9.
There will be bedding plants, herb baskets and hanging floral baskets.
Copyright 2022 KSWO. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/congress-hears-siren-wail-ukrainian-legislators-visit/
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Congress hears siren wail as Ukrainian legislators visit
WASHINGTON (AP) — As members of the Ukrainian parliament were pleading for aid on Capitol Hill, an air raid siren blared from one of their cell phones — a wrenching alert from the war-torn country back home.
One of the visitors reached into her bag, pulled out the phone and let the siren wail in the halls of Congress.
“Right now, you hear the sound?” said Anastasia Radina, a member of the Ukrainian Rada.
“This is the air raid alarm in the community where my son is staying right now,” she said at a press conference this week after meeting with members of Congress. “I need you all to hear that.”
The Ukrainian lawmakers met for a second day Wednesday with their counterparts in the U.S. Congress, urging American allies to more quickly provide additional military aid — fighter jets, tanks and other support — and to impose stiffer economic sanctions on the invading Russians they’re trying to push from their country.
The visiting legislators, all women, with family back home, were warning the U.S. that they do not trust negotiations underway with Russian President Vladimir Putin over ending the monthlong war. And they impressed on the Americans that their country is at a crucial juncture in the fight against his invasion.
“They desperately need more help both with military assistance and the tightening of sanctions,” said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, emerging from Wednesday’s private meeting at the Capitol.
U.S. lawmakers have been pressing President Joe Biden’s administration to do more for Ukraine — providing their political support for sanctions on Russian leadership, a ban on Russian oil imports to the U.S., even declaring Putin should be investigated for war crimes.
Biden on Wednesday announced that the U.S. will send another $500 million in direct aid to Ukraine as the Russian invasion continues. At the same time, the Senate was working to pass legislation suspending Russia’s favored trade status — a measure that has been tangled over a related human rights provision, even though there is widespread support for suspending normal trade relations and halting Russian oil imports.
Lawmakers emerging from two days of meetings with the Ukrainian lawmakers kept up a largely unified front, with both Republicans and Democrats saying more funding would be needed, beyond the nearly $14 billion in military and humanitarian aid recently approved. Many are members of the Ukraine Caucus in the House and Senate, formed years ago to bolster the emerging democracy after it emerged from the former Soviet Union.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., described a sense of “buoyancy” in the room with the Ukrainian lawmakers Wednesday amid word of a possible Russian move away from Kyiv, even as he acknowledged the likely fighting still ahead.
“There’s a lot of support in Congress to continue to help them,” he said.
Yet there is concern in Congress that Biden’s administration is too timid in its response and too slow to send needed military equipment. Some speak of an administration “Afghanistan Syndrome.”
Republicans in particular, but also Democratic lawmakers, suggest there’s a hesitancy from the U.S. to push deeper into an overseas conflict with commitments of military aid after 20 years fighting the “forever war” in Afghanistan.
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said the Ukrainians she had met with in the past had used that term “Afghanistan Syndrome,” but on Wednesday the Ukrainian legislators instead spoke with urgency about the military aid they need — with fighter jets at the top of the list.
“If they’re going to win, they need more,” Ernst said. “And they know they can win. But they just need the support coming from the United States.”
The Ukrainians delivered a long list of specific military equipment they are requesting, and senators said at the top remain the fighter planes the Biden administration has been reluctant to transfer from NATO ally Poland.
The Ukrainians told reporters after meeting with House lawmakers a day earlier that they also want other air support systems as well as tanks to push the Russians back from their cities.
While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has roused the world to his country’s side, speaking via video livestreams to legislative bodies around the world, the Ukrainian legislators provided their own compelling portrait this week in Washington — women fighting for their country abroad while their loved ones and families fight from home.
In the meetings on Capitol Hill and later with officials at Ukrainian embassy, the lawmakers said that while they are thankful for the U.S. help their country has received, they need more — especially now, as Russia’s strategy may be shifting.
But the Ukrainian lawmakers were apparently leaving Washington without firm commitments. Opposition lawmaker Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze said there is a “readiness” by members of Congress to act but nothing concrete.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have time,” she said at a later press conference at the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington.
Governing party lawmaker Radina expressed frustration that the U.S. was still distinguishing between defensive and offensive weapons, and said said Ukraine needs jets and air defense systems now.
“What we need is action,” she said.
The Ukrainians are wary of talks with Putin, and they framed the war not only as a fight for their country but for all of Western democracy. More than 4 million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the invasion.
“Putin cannot be trusted,” said Yevheniya Kravchuk, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, at Tuesday’s press conference.
Some lawmakers on Capitol Hill are making weekend trips to the Ukrainian border regions to understand the war first-hand. What they’ve seen is reminiscent of imagery many grew up with learning about World War II.
“It’s freezing cold. There’s like a little gust of snow, I mean, most folks didn’t have winter coats, they had like one bag,” said Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., recounting what he saw a few weeks ago on the Polish border.
“It was reminiscent of the Second World War,” he said. “You’re just like watching, you’re just seeing this mass exodus of people.”
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Associated Press writers Ben Fox and Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/consumer-crackdown-hi-tech-scam-targets-cellphone-sim-cards/
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Consumer Crackdown: Hi-tech scam targets cellphone sim cards
Feds say losses totaled $68 million in 2021
InvestigateTV - Cellphones are the pipeline to personal information for many, but according to the FBI, hackers are tapping in through the sim card in mobile devices to steal critical data.
The scheme is called “sim card swapping” and experts say it’s the latest hi-tech scam.
“If I’m a crook who wants to rob you of money, instead of going into a bank, it’s a lot easier to get access to your information, by simply getting access to your phone,” Ira Rheingold of the National Association of Consumer Advocates said.
The FBI said the scam starts when someone contacts you by phone or email pretending to be a representative from your mobile phone carrier. Once the fraudster gets your personal information, they call your service provider and report a lost or stolen sim card.
According to the feds, the cybercriminals will tell the customer service representatives they “forgot their pin and need a new one”. The scammer will try to convince the phone provider to transfer the victim’s phone number over to a new sim card and device. In some cases, the FBI said mobile phone carrier employees have been tricked into giving up information.
“Customer service reps are generally overworked, underpaid and not terribly skilled in dealing with the possibility that someone’s talking to them, and that person could be a fraud,” Cybersecurity expert Adam Levin said.
The FBI said “sim swapping” cases skyrocketed in 2021 with consumers reporting $68 million in losses compared to just $12 million in losses in 2020, 2019 and 2018 combined.
In addition to the pandemic, Levin said one of the reasons for the uptick in “sim swap” scams is more people using multi-factor authentication and bad actors getting access to it.
“That’s where you log onto a site and then you’re sent a code to a trusted device which normally goes to your phone,” Levin said. “So, the bad guys know this as well as the good guys. So, they want to get in on the action”.
The FBI has these tips to prevent getting “swapped”:
- Avoid posting personal information like your phone number and address online.
- Use a variety of passwords to access online accounts.
- Don’t advertise information about financial assets and investments
Rheingold urged consumers to be vigilant. “The convenience you have while using your phone is great there are risks that come along with it and you need to take necessary precautions to mitigate those risks,” Rheingold said.
If you suspect you are a victim of “sim swapping”, call your mobile carrier, change your online account passwords, contact your financial institution to place an alert on your account, and report any suspicious activity to police or the FBI.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/country-star-church-cancels-san-antonio-concert-amid-final-four-matchup/
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Country star Eric Church cancels San Antonio concert amid Final Four matchup
(Gray News) - Some fans of country musician Eric Church are singing the blues.
Church’s San Antonio appearance Saturday, part of his “The Gather Again Tour,” has been canceled, Ticketmaster said.
The star is ditching this concert date to watch a Final Four game of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, also known as “March Madness,” Variety and other outlets reported.
According to a letter sent to his fan club, The Church Choir, and reportedly also sent out to all who purchased tickets for the San Antonio show, Church is a huge Tar Heels men’s basketball fan.
In the letter, he admitted, “This is also the most selfish thing I’ve ever asked the Choir to do: to give up your Saturday night plans with us so that I can have this moment with my family and sports community.”
Carolina is playing Duke in the Final Four matchup, with the winner moving on to the championship game. The in-state rivals are two of the most decorated programs in the sport’s history, but they have never faced each other in the tournament.
Some fans on social media were predictably upset by the ruined concert plans, with one saying “Dude didn’t even reschedule. Just canceled it.”
Also, fans complained that they won’t be able to get refunds on the hotels they booked to be able to see the show and that the Ticketmaster refund will take a while to process.
Ticketmaster said fans should be able to get their refunds within 30 days.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/even-inflation-bites-corporate-profits-remain-flush/
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Even as inflation bites, corporate profits remain flush
NEW YORK (AP) — What’s immune to high inflation? So far, the profits at big U.S. companies.
Businesses are facing higher gasoline and heating bills, just like consumers, in addition to higher expenses for labor and raw materials. But unlike many middle- and lower-income Americans, they’ve been making more than enough extra income to cover the additional costs.
Big companies have successfully raised prices for their products, from cups of coffee to auto parts to cans of paint, because their customers have kept lining up regardless. The result: record profits at the end of 2021 as revenue rose and a good chunk of each $1 of that revenue made it to the bottom line.
“A lot of the price pressures are just getting passed along” from companies to their customers, said Alex Arnon, associate director of policy analysis at the Penn Wharton Budget Model, a research initiative.
What’s uncertain is how much longer the trend may last, before customers sharply cut back on their purchases. A U.S. government report on Thursday will show how much buying consumers did in February after taking higher prices into account. In April, more clues will arrive as companies line up to tell Wall Street how much profit they made during the first three months of 2022.
The last such round of conference calls for CEOs was a rousing success for the companies. With customers itching to spend, and many sitting on savings built up with help from U.S. government stimulus programs, CEOs often pointed to “low elasticities of demand.” That’s an economist’s way of saying customers continued to buy even when prices were rising, and it means companies have less incentive to keep prices low.
“The overwhelming message from most companies in this earnings season is still that demand remains strong and continues to exceed their ability to meet it,” Deutsche Bank Chief Strategist Binky Chadha wrote in a recent report about the fourth-quarter results.
The coffee giant Starbucks raised prices once in October and then again in January, for example. Executives recently told Wall Street it was planning more increases to help “mitigate cost pressures.”
Those past price bumps didn’t discourage Starbucks customers, John Culver, group president, North America and chief operating officer, told analysts during a call last month. “To the contrary, our customer demand continues to grow.”
He made the comments after Starbucks reported a 31% jump in profit for the latest quarter from the prior year. Wall Street expected even stronger growth.
Companies aren’t able to blindly raise prices across the board. At Amphenol, which sells fiber optic connectors, antennas and other products to manufacturers, CEO Adam Norwitt said prices are easier to raise in some markets than others.
“We were there for our customers through the pandemic,” he said in a call with analysts. “We were there for them when maybe others were not through the supply-chain crisis. And so that, all things being equal, should position us well to be able to ask nicely of our customers that they should share in that.”
Amphenol reported record earnings per share and record revenue for the last three months of 2021.
Earnings across S&P 500 companies jumped a little more than 30% in the latest quarter. Margins, which show how much profit companies make off every $1 in revenue, remained near record levels, even as expenses sometimes rose by hundreds of millions of dollars.
In the last three months of 2021, companies in the S&P 500 held onto $12.40 of every $100 in revenue as profit, according to FactSet. That’s down a bit from previous quarters, but still above the average of $11 over the last five years.
For the first three months of 2022, analysts expect a further dip to $12.20, partly because costs continue to rise.
The story for many U.S. households has been more painful, with the least wealthy Americans hit hardest by the price increases coming from companies. Even though many workers got raises last year, they often weren’t enough to cover higher bills.
The typical working household making $40,000 to $60,000 earned $2,193 more in 2021 than the year before, according to an analysis by Penn Wharton Budget Model. That fell short of the $2,712 in additional costs due to inflation, leaving that household $519 in the hole.
And the pressure may crank even higher after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which caused extreme price swings for oil, wheat and other commodities the region produces.
“The consumer has been able to accept higher prices, so far,” said Nate Thooft, chief investment officer of multi-asset solutions at Manulife Investment Management. “I say so far because the game is being ramped up again with gas prices at all-time highs.”
The war’s exact effect on inflation is unclear. Oil prices have been nearly as quick to plunge as to surge recently, for example, given all the uncertainties.
Economists aren’t surprised corporate profit margins have remained so high, which they say is a result of the economy roaring out of its coronavirus-caused shutdown. Buyers are increasing their purchases faster than businesses can increase the amount of stuff on shelves to sell.
“There’s so much capital out there, it’s so easy to get and almost free” with interest rates near record lows, said Ann Miletti, head of active equity at Allspring Global Investments. “It’s not surprising that growth rates have stayed higher, margins have been more sustainable and consumers have had more in their pockets to spend.”
Now the Federal Reserve has begun raising interest rates off record lows, which should slow purchases. U.S. households may also be set to return to more “normal” buying activity, no longer fueled by as much government stimulus. They may also exhaust the pent-up demand from the pandemic.
The hope among economists is that capitalism will also do what it does, and the high profit margins signal to companies they should ramp up production to maximize their sales. New competitors should also be attracted after seeing the big profits available. All that should lead to slowdowns in price increases and a steady erosion of margins.
That’s the optimistic scenario in the eyes of Arnon at the Penn Wharton Budget Model. But he acknowledges worse-case scenarios that could lead corporate profit margins and inflation to stay high. They chiefly center around an economy that’s no longer well-functioning or competitive.
“If two years from now, we’re talking about margins going up from here,” he said, “that would be the clearest signal.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/explainer-what-law-says-about-presidential-records/
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EXPLAINER: What the law says about presidential records
WASHINGTON (AP) — Revelations of a roughly eight-hour gap in official records of then-President Donald Trump’s phone calls on the day of last year’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol are raising fresh questions about the diligence — or lack thereof — of his record keeping.
The committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot has identified a gap in records that stretches a little after 11 a.m. to about 7 p.m. that day and involves White House calls, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Trump didn’t comment Tuesday, but attention surrounding the gap comes alongside a separate potential legal and political headache for the Republican ex-president — the recovery earlier this year of 15 boxes, including records containing classified information from Trump’s White House tenure, from his Mar-a-Lago vacation home in Florida.
A look at how the law regards presidential records:
WHAT IS THE PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS ACT?
The 1978 law requires the preservation of White House documents as property of the U.S. government.
The law was passed in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, when a collection of secret tapes that President Richard Nixon had considered destroying played a defining role. The tapes revealed that Nixon tried to cover up the bungled burglary of Democratic National Committee headquarters. He chose to resign rather than face impeachment and removal from office.
HOW MIGHT THAT APPLY HERE?
In theory, the law would require the preservation of emails, text messages and phone records — no matter the device used for the communication, said presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky.
The problem is, there’s no real mechanism to enforce the law, and there’s also never been a case where a former commander in chief has been punished for violating the Presidential Records Act. The statute by definition depends on the goodwill of presidents and their staff to police their own record keeping.
“It does require a certain element of good faith and sort of an honor system, and when that crumbles, you can see the limitations,” Chervinsky said.
Even so, the Jan. 6 committee is investigating the gap as it works to piece together Trump’s communications before and during the insurrection, when pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol to prevent Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory.
House investigators are looking at whether Trump was communicating during that time through other means, possibly through personal cellphones or some other type of communication — such as a phone passed to him by an aide.
HAS TRUMP FACED PRIOR ATTENTION OVER HIS RECORD KEEPING?
In a word, yes. After it was revealed that Trump had taken boxes of classified materials with him to Mar-a-Lago, House lawmakers opened an investigation and the National Archives and Records Administration revealed that it had asked the Justice Department to look into the matter.
Asked about the issue, Attorney General Merrick Garland has said only that the Justice Department will do what it always does — evaluate the facts and the law “and take it from there.”
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Associated Press writer Chris Megerian contributed to this report.
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Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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Facebook resorts to old smear tactics against TikTok
(AP) - Eleven years ago, Facebook was caught red-handed after it hired a prominent public relations firm to try to plant stories harshly criticizing Google’s privacy practices in leading news outlets.
In 2018, it hired the PR firm Definers to do opposition research on the company’s critics, including billionaire philanthropist George Soros. The company’s longtime head of communications, Elliot Schrage, took the blame for approving the hiring of Definers and similar firms and left Facebook.
On Wednesday, The Washington Post reported that Meta, Facebook’s parent company, is using similar tactics to go after another rival TikTok. Meta, the Post reported, hired a Republican consulting firm called Targeted Victory to “orchestrate a nationwide campaign” against TikTok.
Targeted Victory, according to the Post, contracted with dozens of public relations firms across the U.S. to help “sway public opinion against TikTok” by planting local news stories and helping place op-eds targeting TikTok around the country, the story says.
Meta confirmed that it has hired Targeted Victory.
“We believe all platforms, including TikTok, should face a level of scrutiny consistent with their growing success,” spokesman Andy Stone said in a statement.
Zac Moffatt, the CEO of Targeted Victory, said the company “manages bipartisan teams on behalf of our clients.”
“It is public knowledge we have worked with Meta for several years and we are proud of the work we have done,” he said in a statement.
The Post obtained internal emails from Targeted Victory that outlined a campaign to undermine TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. The firm used a mix of “genuine concerns and unfounded anxieties” about TikTok in order to try to turn public and political sentiment against it.
According to the report, Targeted Victory was also working to get “proactive coverage” about Facebook into local media, including “submitting letters and opinion pieces speaking glowingly of Facebook’s role in, for instance, supporting Black-owned businesses.”
“We are deeply concerned that the stoking of local media reports on alleged trends that have not been found on the platform could cause real world harm,” TikTok said in an emailed statement.
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This story has been corrected to show that the report was Wednesday, not Tuesday.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/father-fatally-shoots-armed-son-during-confrontation-sheriff-says/
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Father fatally shoots armed son during confrontation, sheriff says
ST. ROSE, La. (WVUE/Gray News) - A Louisiana father fatally shot his son after a tense confrontation in which the son was heavily armed, the sheriff says.
Authorities say the incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in St. Charles Parish. The sheriff says that when deputies arrived at the residence, they found a 21-year-old man dead on the scene, WVUE reports.
Detectives learned that the 21-year-old arrived at his parents’ home wearing a ballistic (bulletproof) vest and was armed with a semi-automatic handgun. He allegedly began arguing with his mother as his father returned home.
The tense confrontation escalated to the point where the son drew a handgun at his father. In turn, the father grabbed his own gun, fatally shooting the son.
The sheriff said the 21-year-old has a history of unstable and violent behavior and has been the subject of strong psychiatric care.
Deputies say the incident is domestic in nature.
The investigation is ongoing at this time. More information will be released when available.
Copyright 2022 WVUE via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/fda-panel-narrowly-sides-against-experimental-als-drug/
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FDA panel narrowly sides against experimental ALS drug
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health advisers on Wednesday narrowly ruled against an experimental drug for the debilitating illness known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, a potential setback for patient groups who have lobbied for the medication’s approval.
Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted 6-4 that a single study from Amylyx Pharmaceuticals failed to establish the drug’s effectiveness in treating the deadly neurodegenerative disease ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
“I think it would be a disservice to the patients and their families to approve a treatment that is of uncertain benefit,” said Dr. Kenneth Fischbeck of the National Institutes of Health. “It gets in the way of developing truly effective treatments if it turns out not to be effective.”
Fischbeck and other panelists said they hoped results of a larger study now underway would provide more evidence.
Their vote is not binding and the FDA will make the final decision on whether to grant approval by July. The vote could be used to bolster FDA’s negative review published earlier in the week that criticized Amylyx’s mid-stage study for its small size, missing data and questionable statistical analysis.
The FDA, however, has also emphasized the need for “regulatory flexibility” when reviewing drugs for fatal diseases like ALS. And the close vote could tip the agency toward an approval, given the lack of options currently available.
Typically, FDA approval requires two large studies or one study with a “very persuasive” effect on survival.
ALS destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord needed to walk, talk, swallow and — eventually — breathe. There is no cure and most people die within three to five years of their first symptoms.
ALS patients and their families have rallied behind Amylyx’s drug since its data was first published in 2020, launching an aggressive lobbying campaign and enlisting members of Congress to push the FDA to grant approval.
More than two dozen people spoke during Wednesday’s public comment session, including ALS patients, their family members and physicians who called on the FDA to make the drug available as a potential option to slow the disease.
“Slowing down the loss of function is significant to me and to my family,” stated Becky Mourey, a former music teacher and ALS patient, in comments read by her daughter. “More time to tell my children I love them with my own voice is everything to me.”
Dr. Teresa Buracchio, an FDA division director, said the agency had “benefitted enormously” from patients’ input. But she added that the problems with Amylyx’s data exist “even with the recognition that ALS is a rare disease, with a relentless course that has an enormous unmet medical need.”
The FDA has approved only two therapies for ALS. The more effective one extends life by several months.
Amylyx’s drug comes as a powder that combines two older drugs: one prescription medication for liver disorders and a dietary supplement long used in traditional Chinese medicine. In a 137-patient study in ALS patients, researchers reported those who took the drug progressed 25% more slowly than those taking a dummy drug after one year.
But FDA scientists said those results were “not persuasive” because of missing patient data, study conduct errors and unrealistic assumptions about how patients would decline over time.
Even the panelists who backed the drug said it was a difficult decision.
“I went back and forth during the day but ultimately I agreed with the (drugmaker’s) primary analysis,” said Dean Follman, a biostatistician with the NIH.
Some ALS patients already take the two older drugs, purchasing the supplement online and getting a prescription for the liver medication.
Even if the FDA rejects the Amylyx combo drug later this year, it may not be the end of the road for the treatment. Amylyx is conducting a late-stage, 600-patient study required to seek European approval. If those results — expected in 2024— show the drug extends life, the company could resubmit to the FDA and potentially win approval.
FDA regulators had initially urged the company to complete that study before submitting the drug.
Wednesday’s meeting marked the first time FDA had convened this advisory panel since disregarding its advice last June and approving Biogen’s Alzheimer’s drug, Aduhelm. Three panel members resigned over the controversial decision and the FDA has faced a broader backlash for approving an expensive medication with little evidence it works. As in the Amylyx case, the FDA faced intense pressure from patient groups to grant approval.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/first-alert-forecast-windy-wednesday-ahead-330am/
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First Alert Forecast: A Windy Wednesday Ahead | 3/30AM
LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - Good Wednesday morning Texoma! Winds are beginning to pick up with the arrival of todays cold front! Wind gusts so far have been as high as nearly 60mph out in Childress Texas! The strong northwest winds will be the weather story for today. Sustained winds at 20 to 30mph are expected with gusts into 40s but could be higher in some locations. A Wind Advisory is in place for much of the area today until 6PM. Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects and tree limbs could be blown down resulting in isolated power outages. Also take precaution when driving especially on an east to west oriented road. Clouds cover will taper off and we’ll see sunshine by the afternoon. High temperatures will rise into the upper 50s to low 60s for counties north of the Red River. For those south, into north Texas, expect low to mid 60s for highs today. Elevated to near critical fire weather conditions are expected this afternoon and evening across western Oklahoma and western north Texas!
Tonight will remain clear with temperatures falling into the 30s and 40s by sunrise tomorrow morning. For Thursday we’ll see mostly sunny skies with northwest winds at 10 to 15mph. While the chance for rain remains low, a few light sprinkles can’t be ruled out tomorrow. Highs will warm into the upper 60s to low 70s by the afternoon.
The day on Friday will stay dry with a mix of sun and clouds. With that being said, another weak frontal boundary will move in Friday night creating the chance for showers and perhaps a few isolated thunderstorms late in the night into early Saturday morning. Highs on Friday will rise into the low to mid 70s with southeast winds at 10 to 20mph.
Rain won’t last long because high pressure settles in on Saturday allowing for dry and pleasant conditions. On Saturday, look for mostly sunny skies with high temperatures in the mid 70s! Northeast winds at 10 to 15mph.
A more active weather pattern is looking possible Sunday night into Tuesday. Another chance for thunderstorms and perhaps severe weather looks possible late in the day with another front moving in. Before the front arrives, Sunday will soar into the low 80s with south winds at 10 to 20mph.
Have a good day! -LW
Copyright 2022 KSWO. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/food-gas-prices-likely-continue-rising-this-year/
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Food and gas prices likely to continue rising this year
(CNN) - If you are wondering when gas and grocery prices will come down, the answer is probably not anytime soon.
In fact, you might have to pay even more for those commodities in the coming months.
New federal forecasts show food prices likely will keep climbing, and the average cost of gas will say high or may even rise.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts grocery prices will increase up to 4% throughout this year, and the average cost of dining out could set a new record.
That is partly because Ukraine and Russia usually export a lot of the world’s wheat and corn.
“It will have global context, impact, beyond anything we’ve seen since World War II,” said David Beasley, executive director of the U.N. World Food Program.
China’s new COVID-19 lockdowns are also making it hard for supply chains to recover from the pandemic.
Oil prices dipped a bit this week after Russia said it would ease up its assault on parts of Ukraine, but White House communications director Kate Bedingfield said, “No one shoud be fooled by Russia’s announcement.”
“It’s called rockets and feathers, meaning when the price goes up, price per barrel, that means your gas stations prices go up like a rocket. When the price goes down per barrel, the gas station prices come down like a feather,” U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/fort-sill-celebrates-national-vietnam-war-veterans-day/
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Fort Sill celebrates National Vietnam War Veterans Day
FORT SILL, Okla. (KSWO) - Tuesday was National Vietnam War Veterans Day and Vietnam veterans were invited to Fort Sill for a recognition ceremony at Post Exchange.
Every vet received their own lapel pin commemorating the event and the Post Exchange put out their Vietnam Veteran show truck.
The national day of observance first began on the war’s 50th anniversary in March of 2012 by former President Obama.
March 29 is the day when the last U.S. troops left Vietnam in 1973
Fort Sill’s Garrison Commander Col. Rhett Taylor helped honor those at the event.
“We’re really here to welcome them home,” he said. “They didn’t have that when they came home. And I think that the soldiers today kind of take that for granted; that support that they get from the community. We just got to take time and recognize our Vietnam Veterans, what they contributed, and what they sacrificed. And just welcome them home, and let them know that we haven’t forgotten and the nation is grateful for their service.”
Taylor said events like this are important for soldiers who serve or have served.
“It means a lot to be a part of this, to truly honor them for their sacrifice,” he said. “When I’m in ceremonies like this, it really reminds me what we’re here for. It’s not just for the soldiers that are serving today, but it’s for those who have served.”
The ceremony happens every year at Fort Sill.
Copyright 2022 KSWO. All rights reserved.
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Higher costs pinch home buyers
(CNN) - As home and rent prices soar, Americans are struggling to keep up with the cost of living.
Many are resorting to taking places they can fix up themselves, only to find that option may be just as expensive.
“This was nothing as I expected purchasing my first home,” said Allison Braun, who bought her first home in February.
After losing bidding wars and paying $75,000 over budget, she settled on a fixer-upper, expecting to save some money.
“It was really surprising getting in here and fixing things up. Overwhelming is another way I’d explain it,” Braun said.
Rents are up a record 17% in the last year, with home prices up nearly 20%. So are construction costs.
Braun, who works for the real estate company Redfin, is redoing nearly every space in her home.
The kitchen needed new counters.
“We were really surprised by the cost, especially the labor, to put them in,” Braun said. “We wanted to figure out a way of how we can do our countertops on our own. So the concrete countertops were born.”
She saved $3,300 by doing them with her partner.
She tried the same with her floors but underestimated how much she would need and the rapidly rising cost of lumber.
“We didn’t estimate enough wood for the first floor, and we went back to buy more wood for the flooring. And it ended up that after a month’s time the flooring went up about 25 cents per square foot,” she said.
But it’s not just homeowners getting stuck with higher costs. Construction materials are up 24% in the last year.
Bill McGrath’s company is installing elevators in a residential housing complex in New Jersey. So far, they have two in.
“Well, right here you have the electronics, which this is a stainless steel. The plastics, electronic boards behind it as cost and more. The ceilings, wood, you’re standing on lumber. There’s steel underneath,” he said.
And all of it is going up.
Supply chain slowdowns and demand have pushed construction costs up – forcing projects to come in over budget and over deadline.
A third elevator “is going to cost 17% more in material cost than the other two that we completed.” McGrath said.
And he said his 18-person company is spending more on gas to bring materials in, 24% in the last month.
All these rising costs have to get passed down in some way. “I guess (to) the people that will be living here,” McGrath said.
For Braun, the higher costs mean accepting some things, like painting the outside of house, get put on hold.
“We’d love to get hire somebody to do that. That’s been put on the backburner now, and we’re just going to have to learn to love the green,” Braun said.
In other economic news, analysts said inflation in the U.S. has hit a 40-year peak, while consumer sentiment has fallen to a low not seen since august of 2011.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/into-wild-animals-latest-frontier-covid-fight/
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Into the wild: Animals the latest frontier in COVID fight
GRAND PORTAGE, Minn. (AP) — To administer this COVID test, Todd Kautz had to lie on his belly in the snow and worm his upper body into the narrow den of a hibernating black bear. Training a light on its snout, Kautz carefully slipped a long cotton swab into the bear’s nostrils five times.
For postdoctoral researcher Kautz and a team of other wildlife experts, tracking the coronavirus means freezing temperatures, icy roads, trudging through deep snow and getting uncomfortably close to potentially dangerous wildlife.
They’re testing bears, moose, deer and wolves on a Native American reservation in the remote north woods about 5 miles from Canada. Like researchers around the world, they are trying to figure out how, how much and where wildlife is spreading the virus.
Scientists are concerned that the virus could evolve within animal populations – potentially spawning dangerous viral mutants that could jump back to people, spread among us and reignite what for now seems to some people like a waning crisis.
The coronavirus pandemic has served as a stark and tragic example of how closely animal health and human health are linked. While the origins of the virus have not been proven, many scientists say it likely jumped from bats to humans, either directly or through another species that was being sold live in Wuhan, China.
And now the virus has been confirmed in wildlife in at least 24 U.S. states, including Minnesota. Recently, an early Canadian study showed someone in nearby Ontario likely contracted a highly mutated strain from a deer.
“If the virus can establish itself in a wild animal reservoir, it will always be out there with the threat to spill back into the human population,” said University of Minnesota researcher Matthew Aliota, who is working with the Grand Portage Reservation team.
E.J. Isaac, a fish and wildlife biologist for the reservation that’s home to the Grand Portage Ojibwe, said he expects the stakes to get even higher with the start of spring, as bears wake from hibernation and deer and wolves roam to different regions.
“If we consider that there are many species and they’re all intermingling to some extent, their patterns and their movements can exponentially increase the amount of transmission that could occur,” he said.
INTO THE WILD
Their research is meant to ward off such unwelcome surprises. But it carries its own set of risks.
Seth Moore, who directs the reservation biology and environment department, recently almost got bitten by a wolf.
And they sometimes team with a crew from the Texas-based company Heliwild to capture animals from the air. One chilly late-winter afternoon, the men climbed into a small helicopter with no side doors that lifted above the treetops. Flying low, they quickly spotted a deer in a forest clearing. They targeted the animal from the air with a net gun and dropped Moore off.
Wind whipped at his face as he worked in deep snow to quickly swab the deer’s nose for COVID, put on a tracking collar and collect blood and other biological samples for different research.
The men capture moose in much the same way, using tranquilizer darts instead of nets. They trap wolves and deer either from the air or on the ground, and trap bears on the ground.
They knew of the young male bear they recently tested because they had already been tracking it. To get to the den, they had to take snowmobiles to the bottom of a hill then hike a narrow, winding path in snow shoes.
When Kautz crawled part-way into the den, a colleague held his feet to pull him out quickly if necessary. The team also gave the animal a drug to keep it sleeping and another later to counteract the effects of the first.
To minimize the risk of exposing animals to COVID, the men are fully vaccinated and boosted and get tested frequently.
The day after testing the bear, Isaac packed their samples to send to Aliota’s lab in Saint Paul. The veterinary and biomedical researcher hopes to learn not just which animals are getting infected but also whether certain animals are acting as “bridge species” to bring it to others. Testing may later be expanded to red foxes and racoons.
It’s also possible the virus hasn’t reached this remote location – yet. Since it’s already circulating in the wilderness of Minnesota and nearby states, Aliota said it’s only a matter of time.
LOOKING FOR MUTANTS
Close contact between humans and animals has allowed the virus to overcome built-in barriers to spread between species.
To infect any living thing, the virus must get into its cells, which isn’t always easy. Virology expert David O’Connor likens the process to opening a “lock” with the virus’ spike protein “key.”
“Different species have different-looking locks, and some of those locks are not going to be pickable by the key,” the University of Wisconsin-Madison scientist said.
But other locks are similar enough for the virus to enter an animal’s cells and make copies of itself. As it does, it can randomly mutate and still have a key that fits in the human lock. That allows it to leap back to humans through close contact with live animals, scientists believe.
Although spillback is rare, it only takes one person to bring a mutated virus into the realm of humans.
Some think the highly mutated omicron variant emerged from an animal rather than an immune-compromised human, as many believe. Virologist Marc Johnson of the University of Missouri is one of them, and now sees animals as “a potential source of pi,” the Greek letter that may be used to designate the next dangerous coronavirus variant.
Johnson and his colleagues found strange coronavirus lineages in New York City sewage with mutations rarely seen elsewhere, which he believes came from animals, perhaps rodents.
What scientists are most concerned about is that current or future variants could establish themselves and multiply widely within a reservoir species.
One possibility: white-tailed deer. Scientists found the coronavirus in a third of deer sampled in Iowa between September 2020 and January 2021. Others found COVID-19 antibodies in a third of deer tested in Illinois, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania. Infected deer generally have no symptoms. Testing in many other wild species has been limited or absent.
“It’s possible that the virus is already perhaps circulating in multiple animals,” said virology expert Suresh Kuchipudi of Pennsylvania State University, an author of the Iowa deer study. If unmonitored, the virus could leave people “completely blindsided,” he said.
CAN IT BE STOPPED?
Ultimately, experts say the only way to stop viruses from jumping back and forth between animals and humans — extending this pandemic or sparking a new one — is to tackle big problems like habitat destruction and illegal wildlife sales.
“We are encroaching on animal habitats like we have never before in history,” Aliota said. “Spillover events from wild animals into humans are, unfortunately I think, going to increase in both frequency and scope.”
To combat that threat, three international organizations — the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Organization for Animal Health and the World Health Organization — are urging countries to make COVID surveillance in animals a priority.
In Grand Portage, Aliota’s collaborators continue to do their part by testing as many animals as they can catch.
With icy Lake Superior sparkling through the evergreens, Isaac slipped his hand beneath the netting of a deer trap. A colleague straddling the animal lifted its head off the snowy ground so that Isaac could swab its nostrils.
The young buck briefly lurched its head forward, but kept still long enough for Isaac to get what he needed.
“Nicely done,” his colleague said as Isaac put the sample into a vial.
When they were finished, they gently lifted the trap to let the deer go. It bounded into the vast forest without looking back, disappearing into the snowy shadows.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/irs-inflation-increases-tax-deductions-teachers-up-300-first-time/
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IRS: Inflation increases tax deductions for teachers up to $300 for the first time
(Gray News) - Teachers and other educators will be able to deduct up to $300 of out-of-pocket classroom expenses when they file their 2022 federal income tax return next year.
The IRS reports this is the first time the annual limit has increased since the special educator expense deduction was enacted in 2002.
For tax years 2002 through 2021, the limit was $250 per year. For people currently filing their 2021 tax returns due in April, the deduction remains at $250.
According to the IRS, the limit will rise in $50 increments in future years based on inflation adjustments.
For 2022, an eligible educator can deduct up to $300 of qualifying expenses. If they are married and file a joint return with another qualified educator, the limit rises to $600. But in this situation, not more than $300 for each spouse.
According to the agency, educators can claim this deduction, even if they take the standard deduction. Eligible educators include anyone who is a kindergarten through high school teacher, instructor, counselor, principal or aide working at least 900 hours during the school year. Both public and private school educators qualify.
The IRS shared educators can deduct the unreimbursed cost of the following items:
- Books, supplies and other materials used in the classroom.
- Equipment, including computer equipment, software and services.
- COVID-19 protective items to stop the spread of the disease in the classroom. This includes face masks, disinfectant for use against COVID-19, hand soap, hand sanitizer, disposable gloves, tape, paint or chalk to guide social distancing, physical barriers, such as clear plexiglass, air purifiers and other items recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Professional development courses related to the curriculum they teach or the students they teach. For these expenses, it may be more beneficial to claim another educational tax benefit, especially the lifetime learning credit.
According to the IRS, qualified expenses don’t include costs for homeschooling or non-athletic supplies for courses in health or physical education. As with all deductions and credits, the agency reminds educators to keep good records, including receipts, canceled checks and other documentation.
With the 2021 tax deadline just around the corner, the IRS said educators still working on their returns can claim any qualifying expenses here.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/kelloggs-workers-win-big-raises-after-spate-strikes/
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Kellogg’s workers win big raises after spate of strikes
Published: Mar. 30, 2022 at 12:40 PM CDT
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Several hundred workers at a Kellogg’s plant that makes Cheez-Its won a new contract that delivers more than 15% wage increases over three years after 1,400 workers at the company’s cereal plants went on strike for nearly three months last fall.
The union that represents those 570 workers in Kansas City, Kansas, said Wednesday that the wages and benefit improvements secured this week are the biggest ones the local union has ever seen.
The deal comes as many companies are struggling to fill the more than 11 million job openings across the country and workers are demanding more after keeping plants operating throughout the pandemic.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/last-capsule-containing-moon-sample-apollo-17-mission-opened-50-years-later/
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Last capsule containing moon sample from Apollo 17 mission opened 50 years later
(Gray News) — One of the last unopened Apollo-era moon samples collected nearly 50 years ago during Apollo 17 was opened, NASA said.
Sample 73001 was opened in a process which took place from March 21 to March 22 under the direction of lunar sample processors and curators in the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Division at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the agency said in a release.
Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison “Jack” Schmitt collected the sample during the Apollo 17 missions in 1972. They hammered thin, cylindrical sample-collection devices, or drive tubes, into a landslide deposit in the Moon’s Taurus-Littrow Valley.
The sample is the lower half of a double drive tube. The upper drive tube, sample 73002, was opened in 2019.
Before the sample was opened, images of the sample’s inside makeup were produced by X-ray scans taken by researchers at the University of Texas Austin.
The samples from the capsules are being studied by the Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis Program, or ANGSA.
These samples won’t be the last brought back to Earth; NASA will be returning to the moon for more samples in the upcoming Artemis missions.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/lawton-christian-school-announces-closure/
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Lawton Christian School announces closure
Published: Mar. 29, 2022 at 9:53 PM CDT
LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - In a statement released Tuesday, Lawton Christian School announced it will be closing.
Superintendent Patti Rhea and Head of School Donna Lofton said in a statement Lawton Christian School and Crusader Kids Preschool will close at the end of the 2021-2022 school year.
The school said it struggled with financial costs associated with staffing and campus maintenance as well as decline in enrollment.
The Lawton Christian School was opened 45 years ago and will be acquired by Cache Public Schools.
Copyright 2022 KSWO. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/lawton-police-department-is-nationally-recognized-womens-history-month/
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Lawton Police Department is nationally recognized for Women’s History Month
Published: Mar. 30, 2022 at 2:49 PM CDT
LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - During Women’s History Month, Lawton Police Department received national recognition for their support of current female officers.
The department was mentioned in a story for their support during the month.
LPD posted a collage of the women who serve the community in Facebook post earlier this month.
Women’s History Month takes place every year in March.
Copyright 2022 KSWO. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/lawton-youth-sports-authority-posts-job-opportunity/
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Lawton Youth Sports Authority posts RFI
LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - The Lawton Youth Sports Authority (LYSA) is looking for people interested in managing a youth sports program.
“We are looking for someone to transform youth sports in Lawton,” Lawton Youth Sports Authority Trustee Hossein Moini said.
They have posted a Request For Information (RFI) on the Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce website.
The purpose of the RFI is to seek information on the effective administration of a comprehensive youth sports program in order to issue a Request for
Proposals (RFP). An RFP will be issued for parties interested in partnering with the LYSA in the management of this program as well as managing of the proposed sports complex in Lawton Fort Sill.
Responses to this RFI are considered non-binding and are only used to gather information to be used for budgetary purposes and the future issuance of an RFP.
Anyone interested must submit proposals no later than April 18.
Copyright 2022 KSWO. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/lynching-is-now-federal-hate-crime-under-bill-president-signed-tuesday/
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Lynching is now a federal hate crime under bill President signed Tuesday
The Emmett Till Antilynching Act is named after a 14-year-old who became a civil rights icon after his brutal murder following a racist attack
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Sixty-seven years after the death of Emmett Till, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law that makes lynching a federal hate crime.
“To the Till family we remain in awe of your courage to find purpose through your pain,” said President Biden.
Till’s cousin, Rev. Wheeler Parker, was among those in attendance at the event.
“It shows how America is willing to change. We’ve come a long way. We have a lot of work to do. But it tells me that there’s hope and I can see it in the people who have the fire in their belly and the guts to do what’s right,” said Parker.
Parker witnessed Till’s abduction in Mississippi in 1955. Till had been accused of flirting with a white woman inside a store. Till’s body was recovered from a river after he had been tortured and shot. The two white men accused in the crime were found not guilty by an all white male jury.
Till’s mother insisted on an open casket so the nation could see the brutality of the crime.
The Equal Justice Initiative reports that there have been more than 200 attempts since 1900 to pass federal anti-lynching legislation. The group claims, between 1865 and 1950 alone there were nearly 6500 lynchings.
When the Washington Bureau asked Parker how he stayed focused during the long debate to pass the bill, he said he followed a key piece of advice that he now gives to other civil rights advocates.
“Never give up,” he said. “There is hope.”
The Emmitt Till Anti-lyncing law will make lynching a federal hate crime with penalties ranging from a fine to up to 30 years of prison.
Copyright 2022 Gray DC. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/maine-sen-susan-collins-says-shell-vote-confirm-supreme-court-nominee-jackson/
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With at least one GOP vote, Jackson likely to be confirmed
WASHINGTON (AP) — Maine Sen. Susan Collins said Wednesday she will vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, giving Democrats at least one Republican vote and all but assuring that Jackson will become the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.
Collins met with Jackson a second time this week after four days of hearings last week and said Wednesday that “she possesses the experience, qualifications and integrity to serve as an associate justice on the Supreme Court.”
“I will, therefore, vote to confirm her to this position,” Collins said.
Collins’ support gives Democrats at least a one-vote cushion in the 50-50 Senate and likely saves them from having to use Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote to confirm President Joe Biden’s pick. Senate Democratic leaders are pushing toward a Senate Judiciary Committee vote on the nomination Monday and a final Senate vote to confirm Jackson late next week.
Biden called Collins on Wednesday to thank her after her announcement, according to the senator’s office. The president had called her at least three times before the hearings, part of a larger push to win a bipartisan vote for his historic pick.
Jackson, who would replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer, would be the third Black justice, after Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas, and the sixth woman. She would also be the first former public defender on the court.
It is expected that all 50 Democrats will support her, though one notable moderate Democrat, Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, hasn’t yet said how she will vote.
Collins was the most likely Republican to support Jackson, and she has a history of voting for Supreme Court nominees picked by presidents of both parties, as well as other judicial nominations.
The only Supreme Court nominee she’s voted against since her election in the mid-1990s is Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who was nominated by then-President Donald Trump after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the weeks before Trump’s election defeat to Biden in 2020. Collins, who was up for reelection that year, said she voted against Barrett because of the accelerated six-week timeline. “It’s not a comment on her,” Collins said of Barrett at the time.
In her statement supporting Jackson, the Maine senator said she doesn’t expect that she will always agree with Jackson’s decisions.
“That alone, however, is not disqualifying,” Collins said. “Indeed, that statement applies to all six justices, nominated by both Republican and Democratic presidents, whom I have voted to confirm.”
Collins said she believes the process is “broken” as it has become increasingly divided along party lines. When Collins first came to the Senate, Supreme Court confirmations were much more bipartisan. Breyer, who will step down this summer, was confirmed on an 87-9 vote in 1994.
“In my view, the role the Constitution clearly assigns to the Senate is to examine the experience, qualifications, and integrity of the nominee,” Collins said. “It is not to assess whether a nominee reflects the ideology of an individual senator or would rule exactly as an individual senator would want.”
In Jackson’s hearings, several Republican senators interrogated her on sentencing decisions in her nine years as a federal judge and in child pornography cases in particular. The senators, several of whom are eyeing a run for president, asked the same questions repeatedly in an effort to paint her as too lenient on sex criminals.
Jackson told the committee that “nothing could be further from the truth” and explained her sentencing decisions in detail. She said some of the cases have given her nightmares and were “among the worst that I have seen.”
Collins told reporters after her announcement that they discussed many of the cases that were brought up at the hearings in an hourlong meeting on Tuesday and “I had no doubt that she applies a very careful approach to the facts of the case when she is judging.”
It is unclear if any other GOP senators will vote for Jackson. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell set the tone for the party last week when he said he “cannot and will not” support her, citing the GOP concerns raised in the hearing about her sentencing record and her support from liberal advocacy groups.
Jackson is still making the rounds in the Senate ahead of next week’s votes, doing customary meetings with Democratic and Republican senators. On Tuesday she met with Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, who said afterward that he was undecided about supporting her.
Romney said he had an “excellent meeting” and found Jackson to be intelligent, capable and charming. He said he probably won’t decide whether to vote for her until the day of the vote.
Romney voted against Jackson last year, when she was confirmed by the Senate as a federal appeals court judge. Collins, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham were the only three Republicans to support her at the time.
Murkowski and Graham have each indicated they might not vote for her a second time. Murkowski said in a statement before the hearings that “I’ve been clear that previously voting to confirm an individual to a lower court does not signal how I will vote for a Supreme Court justice.”
Graham was one of several Republicans on the Judiciary panel who pressed Jackson on the child pornography cases, and he has been vocal in his frustrations that Biden chose Jackson over his preferred candidate, a federal judge from South Carolina.
He also aired past grievances in the hearing, asking Jackson about her religion and how often she goes to church, in heated comments that he said were fair game after unfair criticism of Barrett’s Catholicism.
Also Wednesday, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he will not support Jackson, further indication that the Judiciary panel will likely deadlock 11-11 at its Monday vote on whether to recommend her confirmation to the full Senate.
A deadlocked vote means Democrats will have to spend additional hours on the Senate floor next week to do a “discharge” from committee.
Still, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said this week that the Senate is “on track” to confirm her by the end of next week and before a two-week Spring recess.
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Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Lisa Mascaro and Darlene Superville and video journalist Rick Gentilo in Washington and David Sharp in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.
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This story has been corrected to show Collins’ statement came Wednesday, not Tuesday.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/man-arrested-after-girl-4-killed-panama-city-beach-parking-lot-collision/
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Man arrested after girl, 4, killed in Panama City Beach parking lot collision
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (Gray News) - Police have arrested a man accused of leaving the scene of a collision that killed a 4-year-old girl in a parking lot.
Panama City Beach police told WJHG that Kenneth Ray Martinez, 62, was arrested after witnesses gave officers a description of the vehicle involved in the collision in the popular Florida vacation city on Tuesday.
The 4-year-old was from the area of Nashville, Tennessee, and police chief J.R. Talamantez said the girl was right next to her family when she was hit by the vehicle at the Breakfast Point Marketplace shopping center.
Martinez is charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury or death.
Police executed a search warrant at his home, and officers found a receipt from Publix, which is located in the same shopping center as where the collision occurred. Investigators said the receipt was printed minutes prior to the crash.
Martinez refused a blood draw when asked by officers, police said.
Records show he remains in the Bay County Jail on Wednesday after being booked Tuesday night.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Man finds U-Haul truck on top of his SUV, insurance company not paying for damages
GLENDALE, Ariz. (Arizona’s Family/Gray News) - An Arizona man has been dealing with a damaged car for several months after a collision where he wasn’t even driving, and an insurance company will not be covering the damages.
Arizona’s Family reports McClain Schilling found his 2005 Land Rover parked outside his house demolished by a rented U-Haul pickup on New Year’s Day.
“When someone says there’s a U-Haul on top of your car, how do you process that?” Arizona’s Family reporter Gary Harper asked. “Well, I just came out to see it for myself,” Schilling responded.
Schilling said before the crash, his vehicle was great to drive.
“It was a super smooth and quiet ride,” he said. But not anymore, with pictures showing his Land Rover demolished by a rented U-Haul.
The U-Haul driver reportedly fled from the scene, and since Schilling said he only had liability insurance, he filed a claim with U-Haul - believing the company would cover his totaled SUV. After all, he wasn’t driving.
Investigators from U-Haul’s insurance company eventually inspected Schilling’s damaged vehicle and said they’d get back to him. But that was three months ago, and he said his claim kept getting delayed by adjusters.
“One month later, I get an email that says, ‘Hey, do you have a copy of the police report?’ And we’re like, we already gave it to you along with all the other information,” Schilling said.
Frustrated, Schilling contacted Arizona’s Family for some help this week.
“We’re at a loss. We don’t know what to do. My wife’s grandparents have been saying to call from day one,” Schilling said.
U-Haul responded to Arizona Family’s inquiry on the delay in settling. The company responded that Schilling’s damaged Land Rover won’t be covered under its Liability Protection Plan because protection does not apply to intentional torts or criminal acts.
A U-Haul spokesman wrote in an email that the rental equipment was being used to commit a crime. Homes were burglarized in the neighborhood, stolen property was found inside the truck, and the lessee was identified leaving the scene.
Joshua Stine, 38, was later identified as the man driving the U-Haul, and police records date back 20 years with him involved in other incidents.
Schilling said he will try to purchase a new vehicle and is currently borrowing a car to get around.
“We’re just relying on friends for commuting and going to the grocery store and stuff,” he said.
There is a risk when car owners only have liability insurance instead of full coverage, according to insurance representatives. Insurance premiums are normally slightly lower, but there are risks in situations like this.
Copyright 2022 KPHO via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Man sentenced to 30 years in prison for raping 79-year-old woman when he was 18
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow/Gray News) – A 21-year-old man will spend 30 years in prison for raping an elderly woman at a campground in June 2019.
Authorities said Zeth Browder was 18 when he attacked a 79-year-old as she slept in her tent at a campground in Kawaihae, located on the northwest part of the island of Hawaii.
After several pandemic delays, a jury found Browder guilty in December 2021 of sexual assault, burglary, kidnapping, and tampering with evidence. A judge sentenced him Tuesday to 30 years in prison.
Browder is from Hilo, Hawaii – about 65 miles from where the attack took place on the other side of the island. The victim lives in Colorado.
Browder did not testify at the trial, but addressed the judge before sentencing, insisting he was innocent and asking for leniency.
Copyright 2022 HawaiiNewsNow via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/mens-use-diabetes-drug-linked-raised-risk-birth-defects-study-says/
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Men’s use of diabetes drug linked to raised risk of birth defects, study says
(CNN) - Men who take a popular diabetes drug are 40% more likely to conceive a child with birth defects, according to a study.
The study was published Monday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
It showed that men who used metformin in the three-month period before they conceived a child had a 40% higher risk of birth defects in their offspring.
The research followed more than 1 million births between 1997 and 2016, comparing the risk of major birth defects in babies based on paternal exposures to diabetes medications.
The study observed only children who were born to women younger than 35 and men younger than 40, and babies born to women with diabetes were excluded.
The researchers considered men exposed to metformin if they filled a prescription for it in the three months before conception, which is how long it takes the fertilizing sperm to fully mature.
Researchers said more studies are needed to determine if men taking metformin should make any considerations.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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NFL teams must hire a minority offensive coach in upcoming season, league reports
(Gray News) - The NFL will require all of its professional football teams to hire a minority coach or a female as an offensive assistant starting in the 2022 season.
Earlier this week, the league made the announcement as team owners gathered in Florida for the annual league meeting.
Among the NFL’s initiatives to enhance opportunities for minority coaching candidates, teams will now be required to hire a minority coach as an offensive assistant, as reported by the NFL Network’s Judy Battista.
The NFL reports it is also looking at having teams invite staff members to league events. It’s an idea Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera said he believes would help the cause since it would allow minority candidates to get acquainted with decision-makers in more relaxed settings.
“We’ve worked for years and made progress in many areas to ensure that staff and leaders in our office and at our clubs reflect the racial and gender makeup of America, but we have more work to do, particularly at the head coach and front-office level,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.
League officials also said the NFL is putting together a committee to review its diversity hiring practices.
The diversity advisory committee includes business leaders, academics and former Houston Texans GM Rick Smith.
According to the NFL Network, the group will review league and club policies in light of ongoing concerns over a lack of diversity in hiring.
“The National Football League announced the creation of the NFL Diversity Advisory Committee, following its pledge last month to retain outside experts to review the league’s diversity policies and practices,” the league said in a news release. “The six-member committee will lend its expert, external perspective on industry best practices and will evaluate league and club diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategies and initiatives, including all hiring processes, policies and procedures, with a primary focus on senior-level coach and front office personnel positions.
The 32 clubs released a joint statement Monday regarding their commitment to increasing diversity among ownership:
“The NFL member clubs support the important goal of increasing diversity among ownership. Accordingly, when evaluating a prospective ownership group of a member club pursuant to League policies, the membership will regard it as a positive and meaningful factor if the group includes diverse individuals who would have a significant equity stake in and involvement with the club, including serving as the controlling owner of the club.”
According to the NFL, other diversity, equity and inclusion-related changes are expected before the January 2023 hiring cycle.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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No injuries reported in major house fire
Published: Mar. 30, 2022 at 3:30 PM CDT
LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - A home caught fire in west Lawton early Wednesday morning.
The fire broke out a little before 10 a.m. on the 1100 block of northwest Maple.
When crews arrived on scene, the fire was fully involved.
No one was inside when the blaze began and there have been no injuries reported.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Copyright 2022 KSWO. All rights reserved.
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Nurses worry conviction for dosing mistake could cost lives
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The moment nurse RaDonda Vaught realized she had given a patient the wrong medication, she rushed to the doctors working to revive 75-year-old Charlene Murphey and told them what she had done. Within hours, she made a full report of her mistake to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Murphey died the next day, on Dec. 27, 2017. On Friday, a jury found Vaught guilty of criminally negligent homicide and gross neglect.
That verdict — and the fact that Vaught was charged at all — worries patient safety and nursing groups that have worked for years to move hospital culture away from cover-ups, blame and punishment, and toward the honest reporting of mistakes.
The move to a “Just Culture” seeks to improve safety by analyzing human errors and making systemic changes to prevent their recurrence. And that can’t happen if providers think they could go to prison, they say.
“The criminalization of medical errors is unnerving, and this verdict sets into motion a dangerous precedent,” the American Nurses Association said. “Health care delivery is highly complex. It is inevitable that mistakes will happen. ... It is completely unrealistic to think otherwise.”
Just Culture has been widely adopted in hospitals since a 1999 report by the National Academy of Medicine estimated at least 98,000 people may die each year due to medical errors.
But such bad outcomes remain stubbornly common, with too many hospital staffers convinced that owning up to mistakes will expose them to punishment, according to a 2018 study published in the American Journal of Medical Quality.
More than 46,000 death certificates listed complications of medical and surgical care — a category that includes medical errors — among the causes of death in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.
“Best estimates are 7,000-10,000 fatal medication errors a year. Are we going to lock them up? Who is going to replace them?” said Bruce Lambert, patient safety expert and director of the Center for Communication and Health at Northwestern University.
“If you think RaDonda Vaught is criminally negligent, you just don’t know how health care works,” Lambert said.
Murphey was admitted to the neurological intensive care unit on Dec. 24, 2017, after suffering from a brain bleed. Two days later, doctors ordered a PET scan. Murphey was claustrophobic and was prescribed Versed for her anxiety, according to testimony. When Vaught could not find Versed in an automatic drug dispensing cabinet, she used an override and accidentally grabbed the paralyzing drug vecuronium instead.
Such mistakes often end up in malpractice lawsuits, but criminal prosecutions are rare. After Vaught was charged in 2019, the Institute for Safe Medical Practices issued a statement saying it had “worrisome implications for safety.”
“In an era when we need more transparency, cover-ups will reign due to fear,” the statement read. “Even if errors are reported, effective event investigation and learning cannot occur in a culture of fear or blame.”
Many nurses are “already at their breaking point ... after a physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting two years caring for patients with COVID,” said Liz Stokes, director of the American Nurses Association’s Center for Ethics and Human Rights. Vaught’s prosecution gives them one more reason to quit, she said.
“This could be me. I’m an RN as well,” she said. “This could be any of us.”
Vaught was steeped in the idea of Just Culture and says she has “zero regrets” about telling the truth, but her candor was used against her at trial. Assistant District Attorney Brittani Flatt quoted from her interview with a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agent in closing arguments: “I definitely should have paid more attention. I should have called the pharmacy. I shouldn’t have overridden, because it wasn’t an emergency.”
It is easy to judge Vaught’s actions in retrospect, Lambert said, but overrides and workarounds are an extremely common part of healthcare, he said: “This is typical, not aberrant or bizarre, behavior.”
Meanwhile, Vaught’s honesty about her mistake has already brought about safety improvements, and not just at Vanderbilt. Because vecuronium should only be used on patients who have a breathing tube inserted, some hospitals have moved it and other paralytic drugs out of automatic dispensing cabinets.
“At my hospital, they’ve changed their policy and put paralytics into a rapid intubation kit because of this,” said Janie Harvey Garner, who founded the nurse advocacy organization Show Me Your Stethoscope. She said that because Vaught owned up to the mistake, Murphey’s death “has probably saved lives.”
While Murphey’s death may serve as a cautionary tale for other nurses, Vaught, now awaiting a sentence of up to eight years, told The Associated Press in an interview that she thinks about her patient every day.
Vaught, 37, discovered that she and Murphey lived in the same small community of Bethpage, about an hour northeast of Nashville, and that she and members of Murphey’s family have mutual friends. It would only be a matter of time before she met one of them in person.
“I’ve imagined so many times how I would feel if this were my grandma, my family member, my husband,” she said.
Recently, while buying farm supplies, she was talking with the young man behind the counter when he recognized her, and told her he was Murphey’s grandson. Instead of reproaching her, he ended up comforting her and patting her on the shoulder, she said.
“He was so kind. He was so incredibly kind,” Vaught said. “I took his grandma away, and he just kept telling me to take care of myself. There are good people in this world.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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Police: 6 killed in Pennsylvania pileup of 80 vehicles
POTTSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — State police said a deadly pileup involving 80 vehicles on a Pennsylvania interstate during a snow squall killed six people.
Police at the Frackville station said Wednesday morning that identities of the victims would be released “once death notifications have been made to their families.”
Police also said the crash during “an active snow squall” shortly after 10:30 a.m. Monday involved 39 commercial vehicles and 41 passenger vehicles, for a total of 80 — greater than earlier estimates of 40 to 60 vehicles.
The stretch of 1-81 opened at 12:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Authorities say the crash took place in poor visibility.
It was captured in videos posted on social media that showed drivers and passengers lining the snowy road and jumping out of the way as the cascade of crashes unfolded.
Some vehicles were mostly burned and others melted onto the highway.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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Police issue warning after 2-year-old ingests THC-laced gummies
OCONEE COUNTY, S.C. (WHNS/Gray News) - After several incidents, authorities in South Carolina are warning parents about the dangers of children ingesting THC-laced gummies.
WHNS reports deputies with the Oconee Sheriff’s Office, near the South Carolina-Georgia border, said a 2-year-old child had to be recently treated at a local hospital after consuming such a gummy.
And in separate incidents, a 14-year-old received medical treatment, and a 15-year-old was reported as being paranoid and talkative after eating a THC-laced gummy, according to the sheriff’s office.
Narcotics agents in Oconee County said minors could legally purchase these gummies if they contain less than 0.30 percent THC, with several available online.
But the sheriff’s office said the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is finding that more than half of the products tested contain a level of THC above the legal limit.
“This, unfortunately, is an unintended consequence of our state legalizing hemp,” said Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw. “There are no current regulations concerning these products. Law enforcement has to pay hundreds of dollars per test to have a private lab test the THC level in these products due to the state crime lab not being able to test THC levels in these types of products. Due to the lack of regulations, one gummy can have a much higher percentage of THC than another one in the same bag.”
The sheriff said his narcotics agents also see the varying THC levels in vapes sold as hemp.
“We wanted to send this alert out to parents and guardians so they can be aware of these products to make sure that their children do not have them in their possession,” Crenshaw said. “I also ask business owners to consider removing these products from their stores that can cause children to become ill.”
Copyright 2022 WHNS via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Prosecutors rest their case in Gov. Whitmer kidnap trial
(AP) - A man accused of leading a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was “antigovernment” and believed officials were out to “line their own pockets,” his longtime companion testified Wednesday before prosecutors rested their case.
Chastity Knight spoke to jurors on the 13th day of trial in federal court in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She was asked about Barry Croft Jr.’s tattoos, including one with three stars — popular among extremists — and his attitude toward government.
“He was antigovernment,” Knight of Bear, Delaware, said. “He just thought the government’s not for him. The government doesn’t help the people out. They like to line their own pockets.”
The jury has heard key evidence from undercover FBI agents and an informant who was inside the group for months and made secret recordings. Two men who pleaded guilty provided critical testimony last week, including a desire for national chaos if Whitmer, a Democrat, could be abducted from her vacation home before the 2020 election.
Croft, Adam Fox, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta are charged with a kidnapping conspiracy. Fox, Croft and Harris face additional charges related to explosives.
Knight, 40, cried as she identified one of Croft’s daughters as the person who offered him a snack chip during a weapons training session in Luther, Michigan.
“Honey, I’m making explosives. Can you get away from me, please? ... I love you. Get out of here,” Croft said in recorded remarks.
Defense lawyers asked for a direct acquittal, a standard step in a criminal trial, arguing there wasn’t sufficient evidence to give the case to a jury. But U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker quickly swept it aside and especially noted the detailed testimony of two star witnesses who pleaded guilty, Ty Garbin and Kaleb Franks.
The defense got off to a rocky start: At least five people said they would assert their right to remain silent if called to the witness chair. They included an informant, Steve Robeson, who switched sides during the investigation and tipped off Croft that the FBI wanted to arrest him, according to the government.
The others who invoked the Fifth Amendment had participated in training as well as discussions about the plot but have not been charged.
The judge pressed lawyers to indicate soon whether Fox, Croft, Harris or Caserta will testify. The attorneys claim the group was engaged in a lot of crazy talk fueled by agents, informants and marijuana but not a conspiracy.
The men were arrested in October 2020 as they moved closer to obtaining an explosive that could blow up a bridge and hold back police from responding to a kidnapping at Whitmer’s second home, according to trial testimony.
Garbin said the men acted willingly and had hoped to strike before the election. He said they wanted to stop Joe Biden from winning the presidency.
The group was angry with COVID-19 restrictions and disgusted with government, recordings and social media posts show.
Whitmer rarely talks publicly about the kidnapping plot, though she referred to “surprises” during her term that seem like “something out of fiction” when she filed for reelection on March 17.
She has blamed former President Donald Trump for fomenting anger over coronavirus restrictions and refusing to condemn right-wing extremists like those charged in the case. Whitmer has said Trump was complicit in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
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Find AP’s full coverage of the Whitmer kidnap plot trial at: https://apnews.com/hub/whitmer-kidnap-plot-trial
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White reported from Detroit.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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Teen paralyzed in tornado walks out of hospital weeks later
ST. LOUIS (KSDK) – A teenage boy, paralyzed when a tornado hit his house, walked out of a hospital in St. Louis last week.
Kyle Koehn, 14, is on a journey to recovery at Ranken-Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital.
According to Dr. Connie Simmons, Kyle had a fracture that involved every vertebra in his back.
He was injured in December when the devastating quad-state tornado caused destruction over 200 miles across four states.
As the twister approached the Koehns’ home in Dresden, Tennessee, they huddled in a hallway.
“The house started dusting a little bit, and you could see it, and I was like, ‘This is for real,’” Kyle’s mom Kimberly Koehn said.
“I dove for the hall and no more than sat down and hear the house start splintering. That’s the last we remember until we woke up in the field,” Darwin Koehn said.
More than 20 businesses, 200 homes, the firehouse and two churches were destroyed or damaged in Dresden.
Most of the Koehn family was propelled 180 feet from their house – Kyle was a few yards away.
“He was moaning and I said right there, ‘That boy is hurt bad,’” Darwin Koehn said.
“I don’t remember the pain so much. I just remember it was cold and it was wet,” Kyle said.
Two weeks after the tornado, Kyle was admitted to Ranken-Jordan.
“He had no feeling from his umbilicus, his belly button and basically down,” Simmons explained.
Ranken’s mission is to transition kids from the hospital to home, and Kyle devoted himself to his therapy sessions. He turned “I wish,” into “I will. "
“We knew this kid was going to fight hard,” Simmons said.
“They’ll make you do stuff that you think is really hard, but they’ll make you do it,” Kyle explained.
Making it even more remarkable, Kyle was doing his rehab while the rest of his family was still in Tennessee. His parents were also hospitalized with broken bones.
“The first time we saw him was here, six weeks later,” Kimberly Koehn said. “That’s how long it took for us to recover enough to travel up here.”
After weeks of never giving up, Kyle was discharged from the center. He still has more recovery ahead, but Simmons said she expects he should be able to return to some fun teenage activities.
Copyright 2022 KSDK via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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A text from your own phone number? It’s spam
(Gray News) - Many Verizon customers are getting spam text messages that appear to be coming from their own phone number.
Like many scams, the text provides a link to a “free gift” for the user to click on.
Verizon customers have been sharing their experiences in a community forum on Verizon’s website, with most of them encountering the same text that appears to come from their own phone number. It reads:
“Free Msg: Your bill is paid for March. Thanks, here’s a little gift for you” followed by a link.
Of course, there is no gift for you – it’s a scam to get information from you. As with any scam, it is best to not click on the link and simply delete the message.
Verizon said on its Support Twitter account that it is actively working to stop the messages and have involved law enforcement to try to identify the source of the spam texts.
For more information about phishing scams and how to report them, visit Verizon’s website here.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Toddler goes home after spending whole life in hospital
PLYMOUTH, Mass. (WCVB) - After spending her entire life in a hospital, a 19-month-old girl from Massachusetts is finally home with her family.
Bradi Foster’s parents say it’s been a long and emotional roller coaster, but the family of six is finally together at home Monday after a special sendoff from Franciscan Children’s Hospital in Boston.
“All her doctors and her nurses and her respiratory therapist – everybody was there, blowing bubbles and cheering for her,” said Bradi’s mother, Darlene Foster. “The light at the end of the tunnel after 19 months.”
Bradi was born at 25 weeks and had a series of serious health problems. She had to undergo cardiac surgery, and for a while, she needed a ventilator and oxygen.
“Franciscan’s has gotten her so far with her physical therapist and coming here on complete IV nutrition. Now, she’s completely off of IV nutrition,” Foster said.
Bradi is starting to eat some pureed food by mouth, but she still needs a gastrostomy tube. She is being sent home with an adaptive backpack, provided by The Kid Fund, which is an employee-sponsored group at Franciscan Children’s.
“What they do for kids like Bradi is they put all their feeding equipment in their backpack, and there’s a little tube that goes to them and it gives them full mobility,” said Amanda Voysey, a member of Kid Fund.
A smiling Bradi is now beginning her new life at home in Plymouth with her parents, family dog and three older sisters, ages 6, 4 and 3.
“She’s just happy to be alive and happy to love everyone,” Foster said. “She has never met the dog, so that’s a big deal. She hasn’t seen her sisters since July, so this is a huge deal, that they finally get to see her.”
The family says Bradi’s 6-year-old sister is talking about becoming a pediatrician after seeing what doctors did to save her little sister.
Copyright 2022 WCVB via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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US astronaut ends record-long spaceflight in Russian capsule
(AP) - A NASA astronaut caught a Russian ride back to Earth on Wednesday after a U.S. record 355 days at the International Space Station, returning with two cosmonauts to a world torn apart by war.
Mark Vande Hei landed in a Soyuz capsule in Kazakhstan alongside the Russian Space Agency’s Pyotr Dubrov, who also spent the past year in space, and Anton Shkaplerov. Wind blew the capsule onto its side following touchdown, and the trio emerged into the late afternoon sun one by one.
Vande Hei, the last one out, grinned and waved as he was carried to a reclining chair out in the open Kazakh steppes.
“Beautiful out here,” said Vande Hei, putting on a face mask and ballcap.
Despite escalating tensions between the U.S. and Russia over Vladimir Putin’s war with Ukraine, Vande Hei’s return followed customary procedures. A small NASA team of doctors and other staff was on hand for the touchdown and planned to return immediately to Houston with the 55-year-old astronaut.
Even before Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, Vande Hei said he was avoiding the subject with his two Russian crewmates. Despite getting along “fantastically ... I’m not sure we really want to go there,” he said.
It was the first taste of gravity for Vande Hei and Dubrov since their Soyuz launch on April 9 last year. Shkaplerov joined them at the orbiting lab in October, escorting a Russian film crew up for a brief stay. To accommodate that visit, Vande Hei and Dubrov doubled the length of their stay.
Before departing the space station, Shkaplerov embraced his fellow astronauts as “my space brothers and space sister.”
“People have problem on Earth. On orbit ... we are one crew,” Shkaplerov said in a live NASA TV broadcast Tuesday. The space station is a symbol of “friendship and cooperation and ... future of exploration of space.”
The war tensions bubbled over in other areas of space with the suspension of European satellite launches on Russian rockets and the Europe-Russia Mars rover stuck on Earth for another two years.
Vande Hei surpassed NASA’s previous record for the longest single spaceflight by 15 days. Dubrov moved into Russia’s top five, well short of the 437-day, 17-hour marathon by a cosmonaut-physician aboard the 1990s Mir space station that remains the world record.
“Broken records mean we’re making progress,” said NASA’s previous space endurance champ, retired astronaut Scott Kelly, whose 340-day mission ended in 2016.
Like Kelly, Vande Hei underwent medical testing during his long stay to further NASA’s quest to get astronauts back to the moon and on to Mars. He said daily meditation helped him cope during the mission, twice as long as his first station stint four years earlier.
“I’ve had an indoor job 24-7 for almost a year so I am looking forward to being outside no matter what kind of weather,” Vande Hei said in a recent series of NASA videos. As for food, he’s looking forward to making a cup of coffee for himself and wife Julie, and digging into guacamole and chips.
Remaining on board: Three Russians who arrived two weeks ago and three Americans and one German, who have been aboard since November. Their replacements are due in three weeks via SpaceX. Next week, SpaceX will fly three rich businessmen and their ex-astronaut escort to the station for a weeklong visit arranged by the private Axiom Space.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX began transporting NASA astronauts to the station in 2020, nine years after the shuttle program ended. During that gap, Russia offered the lone taxi service, with NASA shelling out tens of millions of dollars per Soyuz seat. Vande Hei’s ride was part of a barter exchange with Houston-based Axiom.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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VIDEO: Man pummels 73-year-old in grocery store parking lot
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (Gray News) - A man in Florida was arrested for attacking an elderly man in a grocery store parking lot Saturday afternoon, according to police.
Winter Haven police said in a Facebook post that Donald Walker, 43, turned himself in Tuesday.
The attack was captured on camera, with police identifying Walker as the man seen throwing a 73-year-old man to the ground and punching him repeatedly in the Publix parking lot.
Police said the victim was walking out of Publix and as he entered the crosswalk, Walker sped by in his truck “faster than it should have” and came very close to hitting the victim. The victim yelled out to Walker, and a verbal exchange transpired until Walker got out of the vehicle and pummeled the elderly man, police said. Police also said Walker smashed the victim’s cell phone so that he couldn’t call for help.
In a Facebook post Monday, Winter Haven police asked the public to help locate Walker. The following day, police announced that Walker was in custody after turning himself in.
Walker is charged with battery on an elderly person and tampering.
Police did not provide details on the victim’s injuries, but said he was “pretty banged up” but appears he will be OK.
Winter Haven is about 50 miles east of Tampa.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Wanda Sykes on Smith slapping Rock: ‘It was sickening’
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Wanda Sykes said she felt physically ill after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock across the face at the Oscars, and she’s angry Smith was permitted to stay and collect his award.
Sykes, who co-hosted Sunday at the Dolby Theatre with Amy Schumer and Regina Hall, told Ellen DeGeneres in an interview to air April 7 that she missed the confrontation live as she walked between her trailer and the theater after a costume change.
“Then someone showed me on the video,” Sykes said, “and I just felt so awful for my friend, Chris. It was sickening. I physically felt ill, and I’m still a little traumatized by it.”
Smith, seated close to the stage during the awards show, walked up to Rock and slapped him after the comedian made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. After he walked back to his seat, Smith cursed twice at Rock to “keep my wife’s name out your (expletive) mouth.”
The room and millions watching live were stunned. Soon after, Smith won his first-ever Academy Award for playing tennis dad Richard Williams in “King Richard” and gave a tearful acceptance speech in which he apologized but not directly to Rock. That came later in a statement.
Sykes, in a video released of her interview by “The Ellen Show,” said letting Smith stay and accept his award should not have happened.
“I was like, how gross is this? This is the wrong message. You assault somebody and you get escorted out the building and that’s it. But for them to let him continue, I thought it was gross. I wanted to be able to run out (on stage) after he won and say, ‘Uh, unfortunately, Will couldn’t be here tonight.’”
Sykes said she caught up with Rock later at a party and he apologized to her.
“I’m like, ‘Why are you apologizing?’ And he was like, ‘It was supposed to be your night. You and Amy and Regina, you all were doing such a great job. I’m so sorry, this is now going to be about this.’”
Schumer, in a since-deleted Instagram post, said she was “triggered and traumatized” by what happened.
“I love my friend @chrisrock and believe he handled it like a pro. Stayed up there and gave an Oscar to his friend @questlove and the whole thing was so disturbing,” she wrote. “So much pain in @willsmith anyway I’m still in shock and stunned and sad.”
Schumer went on, “Im proud of myself and my cohosts. But yeah. Waiting for this sickening feeling to go away from what we all witnessed.”
Sykes had a question for the entertainment industry as a whole.
“We were the hosts. This is our house. We’re inviting you in. We’re hosting. We’re going to take care of you all tonight, make sure you have a good time, and no one has apologized to us,” she said. “We worked really hard to put that show together. Like the industry itself, what the hell is this?”
Hall has not spoken publicly about the confrontation, but others have.
Jim Carrey, who didn’t attend the Oscars, told Gayle King in a CBS interview Monday he was “sickened” when the crowd inside the Dolby gave Smith a standing ovation after he won his best actor award.
“I felt like Hollywood is just spineless en masse and it really felt like, oh, this is a really clear indication that we’re not the cool club anymore,” he said.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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WHO: COVID-19 deaths jump by 40%, but cases falling globally
GENEVA (AP) — The number of people killed by the coronavirus surged by more than 40% last week, likely due to changes in how COVID-19 deaths were reported across the Americas and by newly adjusted figures from India, according to a World Health Organization report released Wednesday.
In its latest weekly report on the pandemic, the U.N. health agency said the number of new coronavirus cases fell everywhere, including in WHO’s Western Pacific region, where they had been rising since December.
About 10 million new COVID-19 infections and more than 45,000 deaths were reported worldwide over the past week, following a 23% drop in fatalities the week before.
The jump in reported deaths, up from 33,000 last week, was due mainly to an accounting change; WHO noted that countries including Chile and the United States altered how they define COVID-19 deaths.
In addition, more than 4,000 deaths from Maharashtra state in India that initially weren’t included among the COVID-19 death toll were added last week, according to WHO.
WHO has said repeatedly that COVID-19 case counts are likely a vast underestimate of the coronavirus’ prevalence. The agency cautioned countries in recent weeks against dropping their comprehensive testing and other surveillance measures, saying that doing so would cripple efforts to accurately track the spread of the virus.
“Data are becoming progressively less representative, less timely and less robust,” WHO said. “This inhibits our collective ability to track where the virus is, how it is spreading and how it is evolving: information and analyses that remain critical to effectively end the acute phase of the pandemic.”
The agency warned that less surveillance would particularly harm efforts to detect new COVID variants and undermine a potential response.
Numerous countries across Europe, North America and elsewhere recently lifted nearly all their COVID-19 protocols, relying on high levels of vaccination to prevent another infection spike even as the more infectious omicron subvariant BA.2 is causing an uptick in new cases.
British authorities have said that while they expect to see more cases, they have not seen an equivalent rise in hospitalizations and deaths.
Despite the global decline in reported cases, China locked down Shanghai this week to try to curb an omicron outbreak that has caused the country’s biggest wave of disease since the virus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in 2019.
U.S. officials expanded the use of vaccine boosters Tuesday as regulators said Americans ages 50 and older can get a second booster at least four months after their last vaccination.
An AP-NORC poll, meanwhile found that less than half of Americans now regularly wear face masks, avoid crowds and skip non-essential travel.
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Follow AP’s coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/woman-arrested-altus-allegedly-helping-escapee-avoid-arrest/
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Woman arrested in Altus for allegedly helping escapee avoid arrest
ALTUS, Okla. (KSWO) - Altus police say a second person was arrested in connection to the apprehension of a fugitive on Tuesday.
Chief Tim Murphy says Shannon Longman, 39, of Edmond was also taken into custody on Tuesday and faces multiple charges connected to the arrest of Frank Logan, an escapee from the Oklahoma State Reformatory.
Murphy says officers discovered text messages after Logan’s arrest which showed the pair were communicating about where Longman would assist Logan to help him avoid being apprehended.
Longman and her vehicle were found by authorities in a parking lot at 2700 North Main in Altus around noon on Tuesday. After getting a search warrant, officers found a backpack with men’s clothing and a handgun inside.
Police say Longman faces charges of harboring a fugitive, possession of a firearm after a felony conviction, identity theft, false personation and obtaining merchandise under false pretense.
She is being held at the Jackson County Jail.
Copyright 2022 KSWO. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/academy-smith-refused-leave-oscars-broke-conduct-code/
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Academy: Will Smith refused to leave Oscars after Rock slap
NEW YORK (AP) — The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences on Wednesday said that Will Smith was asked to leave Sunday’s Oscar ceremony after hitting Chris Rock but refused to do so.
The academy’s board of governors met Wednesday to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violations against the group’s standards of conduct. The academy said disciplinary action for Smith could include suspension, expulsion or other sanctions.
Many have focused on why Smith was allowed to remain seated front row in the Dolby Theatre after the incident. On Wednesday, the academy suggested that it attempted to remove the actor from the audience.
“Things unfolded in a way we could not have anticipated,” the academy said. “While we would like to clarify that Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.”
A representative for the academy declined to give specifics on how it tried to removed Smith. After Smith struck Rock in response to a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, several stars including Denzel Washington, Bradley Cooper and Tyler Perry spoke with the 53-year-old Smith.
The academy said Smith has the opportunity to defend himself in a written response before the board meets again on April 18. The film academy earlier condemned Smith’s onstage assault of Rock, but it used stronger language Wednesday.
“Mr. Smith’s actions at the 94th Oscars were a deeply shocking, traumatic event to witness in-person and on television,” the academy said. “Mr. Rock, we apologize to you for what you experienced on our stage and thank you for your resilience in that moment. We also apologize to our nominees, guests and viewers for what transpired during what should have been a celebratory event.”
On Monday, Smith issued an apology to Rock, the academy and to viewers, saying “I was out of line and I was wrong.”
Rock, who had yet to respond publicly to the incident, performed stand-up Wednesday night in Boston. He was greeted by a thunderous standing ovation.
“How was your weekend?” began Rock who then cautioned the crowd that he didn’t have a lot to say yet about the Oscars, according to audio posted by the Hollywood trade outlet Variety. “I’m still kind of processing what happened”
A representative for Smith didn’t immediately respond to messages Wednesday regarding the academy’s latest moves.
Only a very small number of academy members have ever been expelled, including Harvey Weinstein, Roman Polanski, Bill Cosby and the actor Carmine Caridi, who was kicked out for sharing awards screeners.
Whoopi Goldberg, a member of the academy’s board of governors, said Monday on “The View,” “We’re not going to take that Oscar from him.” (Even Oscars won by expelled members haven’t previously been ordered to be returned.) Goldberg added that “nobody is OK with what happened”
Others from Sunday’s telecast also began speaking out. Co-host Wanda Sykes told Ellen DeGeneres in an interview to air April 7 that she felt physically ill after Smith slapped Rock. When he returned to his seat, Smith twice shouted at Rock to “keep my wife’s name out your (expletive) mouth.”
“I’m still a little traumatized by it,” said Sykes in a clip released Wednesday.
Within an hour, Smith was back on stage accepting the award for best actor for his performance in “King Richard.” Many in the Dolby Theatre gave him a standing ovation.
“I was like, how gross is this? This is the wrong message. You assault somebody and you get escorted out the building and that’s it. But for them to let him continue, I thought it was gross,” Sykes said. “I wanted to be able to run out (on stage) after he won and say, ‘Uh, unfortunately, Will couldn’t be here tonight.’”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/biden-dispatch-500m-more-direct-aid-ukraine/
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White House: Intel shows Putin misled by advisers on Ukraine
Biden to dispatch $500M more in direct aid to Ukraine
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin is being misinformed by advisers about his military’s poor performance in Ukraine, according to the White House. The advisers are scared to tell him the truth, the intel says.
The findings, recently declassified, indicate that Putin is aware of the situation on information coming to him and there now is persistent tension between him and senior Russian military officials.
The U.S. believes Putin is being misled not only about his military’s performance but also “how the Russian economy is b eing crippled by sanctions because, again, his senior advisers are too afraid to tell him the truth,” White House communications director Kate Bedingfield said Wednesday.
Earlier, President Joe Biden said in an exchange with reporters that he could not comment on the intelligence.
The administration is hopeful that divulging the finding could help prod Putin to reconsider his options in Ukraine, according to a U.S. official. The official was not authorized to comment and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The war has ground to a bloody stalemate in much of the country, with heavy casualties and Russian troop morale sinking as Ukrainian forces and volunteers put up an unexpectedly stout defense.
But the publicity could also risk further isolating Putin, who U.S. officials have said seems at least in part driven by a desire to win back Russian prestige lost by the fall of the Soviet Union.
“What it does is underscore that this has been a strategic blunder for Russia,” Bedingfield said of the intelligence finding. “But I’m not going to characterize how ... Vladimir Putin might be thinking about this.”
Meanwhile, Biden told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a 55 minute call that an additional $500 million in direct aid for Ukraine was on its way. It’s the latest burst in American assistance as the Russian invasion grinds on.
Asked about the latest intelligence, Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested that a dynamic within the Kremlin exists where advisers are unwilling to speak to Putin with candor.
“One of the Achilles’ heels of autocracies is that you don’t have people in those systems that speak truth to power or have the ability to speak truth to power, and I think that’s what we’re seeing in Russia,” Blinken told reporters during a stop in Algeria on Wednesday.
The unidentified official did not detail underlying evidence for how U.S. intelligence made its determination.
The intelligence community has concluded that Putin was unaware that his military had been using and losing conscripts in Ukraine. They also have determined he is not fully aware of the extent to which the Russian economy is being damaged by economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. and allies.
The findings demonstrate a “clear breakdown in the flow of accurate information” to Putin, and show that Putin’s senior advisers are “afraid to tell him the truth,” the official said.
Biden notified Zelenskyy about the latest tranche of assistance during a call in which the leaders also reviewed security aid already delivered to Ukraine and the effects that weaponry has had on the war, according to the White House.
Zelesnkyy has pressed the Biden administration and other Western allies to provide Ukraine with military jets, something that the U.S. and other NATO countries have thus far been unwilling to accommodate out of concern it could lead to Russia broadening the war beyond Ukraine’s borders.
Prior to Wednesday’s announcement of $500 million in aid, the Biden administration had sent Ukraine about $2 billion in humanitarian and security assistance since the start of the war last month.
Congress approved $13.6 billion that Congress approved earlier this month as part of a broader spending bill. Bedingfield said the latest round of financial assistance could be used by the Ukrainian government “to bolster its economy and pay for budgetary expenses” including government salaries and maintaining services.
Ukraine’s presidential website says Zelenskyy told Biden: “We need peace, and it will be achieved only when we have a strong position on the battlefield. Our morale is firm, there is enough determination, but we need your immediate support.”
Zelenskyy in a Twitter posting said that he also spoke to Biden about new sanctions against Russia. Bedingfield said the administration is looking at options to expand and deepen current sanctions.
The new intelligence came after the White House on Tuesday expressed skepticism about Russia’s public announcement that it would dial back operations near Kyiv in an effort to increase trust in ongoing talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials in Turkey.
Russian forces pounded areas around Ukraine’s capital and another city overnight, regional leaders said Wednesday.
The Pentagon said Wednesday that over the past 24 hours it had seen some Russian troops in the areas around Kyiv moving north toward or into Belarus.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in interviews with CNN and Fox Business that the U.S. does not view this as a withdrawal but as an attempt by Russia to resupply, refit and then reposition the troops.
Putin has long been seen outside Russia as insular and surrounded by officials who don’t always tell him the truth. U.S. officials have said publicly they believe that limited flow of information –- possibly exacerbated by Putin’s heightened isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic -– may have given the Russian president unrealistic views of how quickly he could overrun Ukraine.
The Biden administration before the war launched an unprecedented effort to publicize what it believed were Putin’s invasion plans, drawing on intelligence findings. While Russia still invaded, the White House was widely credited with drawing attention to Ukraine and pushing initially reluctant allies to back tough sanctions that have hammered the Russian economy.
But underscoring the limits of intelligence, the U.S. also underestimated Ukraine’s will to fight before the invasion, said Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, in recent testimony before Congress.
—
AP writers Matthew Lee in Algiers and Lolita C. Baldor contributed reporting.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/church-hosting-easter-egg-drop-elmer-thomas-park/
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The Church hosting Easter Egg Drop in Elmer Thomas Park
LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - Calling all candy lovers, the Easter Bunny is coming to Lawton next weekend for an Egg Drop.
The Church will have a helicopter drop 10,000 eggs filled with sweet treats next Saturday, April 9 over Elmer Thomas Park.
Registration starts at 10 a.m., with the drop happening at exactly 11 a.m.
It’s free for families, but bring some cash for the food trucks and vendors on site.
Pastors Sheridan and Eli Garcia said they want to give back to kiddos for the holiday.
“These are things we want to do often is just serving our city in a great way, in a way that it’s never been served before,” Sheridan said. “We love Lawton, we believe in Lawton. We think great things are in Lawton and great things are coming to Lawton. We’re so excited to be a part of it.”
Children should bring their own basket or sack to carry eggs.
The Church is also giving away scooters, bikes, AirPods and other raffle prizes at the event.
Sheridan said Easter is like Super Bowl Sunday for churches.
“We’re inviting everybody to our Egg Drop, but then in turn, we’re also inviting them to bring their families on April 17 to The Church and we’re going to have just an amazing time and amazing things planned for everybody,” Sheridan said.
You can learn more about the event by visiting the Facebook event page.
The Church is located at 101 E. Gore Blvd, next to the Lawton Public Safety Facility.
Copyright 2022 KSWO. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/cornonal-mass-ejection-could-allow-northern-lights-be-seen-far-south-i-40-tonight/
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Cornonal Mass Ejection could allow for Northern Lights to be seen as far south as I-40 tonight
LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) -
- A Coronal Mass Ejection occurred roughly 48 hours ago and has arrived within the Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field.
- Space Weather Prediction Center issued a G3 watch for Earth
- The Northern Lights can be seen along the horizon as far south as I-40 tonight depending on the amount of cloud cover in place
A Coronal Mass Ejection, or CME, is a a large explosion of solar plasma from the surface of the sun, that on some occasions can reach the Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field. When the particles from the CME interact with molecules in the upper atmosphere of the Earth, their collisions can cause the molecules in Earth’s atmosphere to release energy in the form of light. That is what creates the phenomena such as the Aurora Borealis. If these CMEs are strong enough, Auroras can extend as far south as the Southern Plains.
A couple days ago, multiple CMEs were observed heading towards Earth, and are expected to reach us this evening. The high concentration of energetic particles will cause an Aurora event to extend far down south into the United States, and will be visible across much of the northern states. The furthest extent of the Aurora however, will be visible on the horizon in Northern Oklahoma and OKC. While we here in Southwest Oklahoma might just be on the outside of this range, places north of I-40 might be lucky enough to see a weather phenomena that is usually only visible in Canada and Alaska.
When the CMEs were observed a few days ago, the SWPC, or Space Weather Prediction Center, issued a G3 watch for Earth, which means that Earth can expect to be hit with a strong geomagnetic storm. These particles from the CMEs also interact with the Earth’s magnetosphere, or magnetic field, and could cause disruptions to electronics. Most of the time they usually cause frequency disturbances in radios and satellites, such as GPS, but if strong enough they can cause region-wide blackouts. The most recent CME looks to cause a strong radio blackout, particularly for the Earth’s western hemisphere. CMEs are also measured on a planetary K-index, which is used to measure the magnitude of a geomagnetic storm, and is the tool that is used to help provide tonight’s Aurora forecast. The K-index is rated on a scale from 0-9, of which tonight/tomorrow is rated as a high 7.
Tonight’s forecast looks to be clear for the first few hours after sunset, but clouds will be building in across Texoma just after midnight. Partly cloudy skies early tomorrow morning could impede visibility for viewing the Aurora tonight, which will be close to the horizon here in Oklahoma. The best chance to try and see this phenomena will be in the hours after sunset before clouds increase overnight.
Copyright 2022 KSWO. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/lawton-xtreme-bulls-competition-kicks-off-friday/
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Lawton “Xtreme Bulls” competition kicks off Friday
Published: Mar. 30, 2022 at 6:28 PM CDT
LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - The Lawton Xtreme Bulls event is back in Lawton, this weekend, for its 5th year at the Great Plains Coliseum.
We are joined by Bull rider Chauk Dees for more information.
The Xtreme Bulls event is being held at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2, at the Great Plains Coliseum.
Tickets can be purchased at online with general seating starting at $20 and reserved seating at $25.
Copyright 2022 KSWO. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/russian-pledge-scale-back-ukraine-draws-skepticism/
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Russia bombards areas where it pledged to scale back
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces bombarded areas around Kyiv and another city just hours after pledging to scale back operations in those zones to promote trust between the two sides, Ukrainian authorities said Wednesday.
The shelling — and intensified Russian attacks on other parts of the country — tempered optimism about any progress in the talks aimed at ending the punishing war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he stressed in a conversation with U.S. President Joe Biden that the war is at a “turning point” and renewed his longstanding request for more help to resist the Russian invasion.
“If we really are fighting for freedom and in defense of democracy together, then we have a right to demand help in this difficult turning point. Tanks, aircraft, artillery systems. Freedom should be armed no worse than tyranny,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address to the nation, which he delivered standing in the dark outside the dimly lit presidential offices in Kyiv. He thanked the U.S. for an additional $500 million in aid that was announced Wednesday.
Meanwhile, talks between Ukraine and Russia were set to resume Friday by video, according to the head of the Ukrainian delegation, David Arakhamia. But there seemed to be little faith that a resolution would emerge anytime soon. The Russian military reneged on its pledge Tuesday to de-escalate near the capital and the northern city of Chernihiv in order to “increase mutual trust and create conditions for further negotiations.”
The announcement was met with deep suspicion from Zelenskyy and the West. And soon after, Ukrainian officials reported that Russian shelling hit homes, stores, libraries and other civilian sites in and around Chernihiv and on the outskirts of Kyiv. Russian troops also stepped up their attacks on the Donbas region in the east and around the city of Izyum, which lies on a key route to the Donbas, after redeploying units from other areas, the Ukrainian side said.
Olexander Lomako, secretary of the Chernihiv city council, said the Russian announcement turned out to be “a complete lie.”
“At night they didn’t decrease, but vice versa increased the intensity of military action,” Lomako said.
Five weeks into the invasion that has left thousands dead on both sides, the number of Ukrainians fleeing the country topped a staggering 4 million, half of them children, according to the United Nations.
“I do not know if we can still believe the Russians,” Nikolay Nazarov, a refugee from Ukraine, said as he pushed his father’s wheelchair at a border crossing into Poland. “I think more escalation will occur in eastern Ukraine. That is why we cannot go back to Kharkiv.”
Zelenskyy said the continuing negotiations with Russia were only “words without specifics.”
“We know that this is not a withdrawal but the consequences of being driven out,” Zelenskyy said of Russia’s pledge. “But we also are seeing that Russia is now concentrating its forces for new strikes on Donbas, and we are preparing for this.”
Zelenskyy also said he had recalled Ukraine’s ambassadors to Georgia and Morocco, suggesting they had not done enough to persuade those countries to support Ukraine and punish Russia for the invasion.
“With all due respect, if there won’t be weapons, won’t be sanctions, won’t be restrictions for Russian business, then please look for other work,” he said.
In other developments:
—U.S. intelligence officials have concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin is being misinformed by his advisers about the poor performance of his military in Ukraine because they are too afraid to tell him the truth.
—The German government said it received assurances from Russia that European companies won’t have to pay for Russian gas in rubles. That prospect had raised fears that Russia could cut them off. Also, Poland announced steps to end all Russian oil imports by the end of the year.
— The U.N. is looking into allegations that some residents of the besieged and shattered southern city of Mariupol have been forcibly taken to areas controlled by Russian forces or to Russia itself.
At a round of talks held Tuesday in Istanbul, the faint outlines of a possible peace agreement seemed to emerge when the Ukrainian delegation offered a framework under which the country would declare itself neutral — dropping its bid to join NATO, as Moscow has long demanded — in return for security guarantees from a group of other nations.
Top Russian officials responded positively, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov saying Wednesday that Ukraine’s willingness to accept neutrality and look outside NATO for security represents “significant progress,” according to Russian news agencies.
But skepticism of statements from Russia by Zelenskyy and others seemed well-founded.
Oleksandr Pavliuk, head of the Kyiv region military administration, said Russian shells targeted residential areas and civilian infrastructure in the Bucha, Brovary and Vyshhorod regions around the capital.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the military also targeted fuel depots in two towns in central Ukraine with air-launched long-range cruise missiles. And Russian forces hit a Ukrainian special forces headquarters in the southern Mykolaiv region, he said, and two ammunition depots in the Donetsk region, which is part of the Donbas.
In southern Ukraine, a Russian missile destroyed a fuel depot in Dnipro, the country’s fourth-largest city, regional officials said.
The U.S. said that over the last 24 hours, Russia had begun to reposition less than 20% of its troops that had been arrayed around Kyiv.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said that troops from there and some other zones have begun moving largely to the north, and some have gone into Belarus. Kirby said it appears Russia intends to resupply them and send them back into Ukraine, but it is not clear where.
The Ukrainian military said some Russian airborne units were recorded in neighboring Belarus and were believed to have withdrawn from Ukraine.
In northern Ukraine, Russian forces took no offensive actions Wednesday, focusing on reconnaissance and logistics, the general staff said in a statement. But Russia is expected to increase attacks soon on Ukrainian forces to protect its own troops as they are repositioned, it said.
The Russians also are expected to try to blockade Chernihiv.
Top Russian military officials have said in recent days that their main goal now is the “liberation” of Donbas, the predominantly Russian-speaking industrial heartland where Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian forces since 2014. Western officials say Moscow is reinforcing its troops in the Donbas.
Some analysts have suggested that the focus on the Donbas and the pledge to de-escalate may merely be an effort to put a positive spin on reality: Moscow’s ground forces have been thwarted — and have taken heavy losses — in their bid to seize the capital and other cities.
Meanwhile, a missile destroyed part of an apartment block in the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk early Wednesday, and two people were reported killed. Separatists blamed Ukrainian forces for the attack.
“I was just sitting on the couch and — bang! — the window glass popped, the frames came off. I didn’t even understand what happened,” said resident Anna Gorda.
The U.N. food aid agency said it is providing emergency assistance to 1 million people in Ukraine. It said the food includes 330,000 freshly baked loaves of bread for families in the heavily bombarded eastern city of Kharkiv.
“Children are suffering, and our city, and everything,” Tetyana Parmynska, a 28-year-old from the Chernihiv region now at a refugee center in Poland, said as man played songs on a battered piano decorated with a peace emblem. “We have no strength anymore.”
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Karmanau reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/singer-kelly-clarkson-legally-changes-her-name/
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Singer Kelly Clarkson legally changes her name
Published: Mar. 30, 2022 at 6:30 PM CDT
(CNN) - Kelly Clarkson is no more, at least not legally speaking.
The singer and television personality changed her name to Kelly Brianne.
That change turns her middle name into her last name, and she no longer has a middle name.
The 39-year-old says the decision stemmed from her recent divorce with Brandon Blackstock, although she was born with the last name Clarkson.
The original “American Idol” winner plans to keep the name Clarkson for her professional life since she’s used it for so long.
But in the eyes of the law, she’s now Kelly Brianne.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/voters-decide-sterling-public-schools-bond-proposals/
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Voters to decide on Sterling Public Schools bond proposals
STERLING, Okla. (KSWO) - Sterling voters will take to the polls next week to decide on a school bond proposal, totaling $410,000.
School officials are hoping the community will say “yes” to building improvements and more.
If the proposal passes, funding will purchase new textbooks for teachers like Janie Ingram and the facilities around them will be updated, too.
With over 300 children in the district, Sterling Public School officials are looking to provide students with the most up-to-date information in textbooks and new windows in the gym and classrooms to help with ventilation.
Janie Ingram has taught at the district for over a decade.
She said the time to provide the youth with a quality education is now.
“It’s all about the kids,” Ingram said. “That’s why we’re here. That’s why we’re in this business right here is to educate and we’re here for them, so investing in our kids, we can’t lose.
The General Bond is $305,000.
It includes a fresh coat of paint on buildings and new carpet and a new projector in the auditorium, which is also used by the community for memorial services and other events.
Superintendent Kent Lemons said the school is the heart of the community.
“It’s important for us to keep our school going and try to do what we can to keep it up, so that it can remain in the school because if you lose your school, then your community has a hard time staying put together,” Lemons said.
$105,000 is set aside for the transportation bond to purchase a 72 passenger bus.
According to Principal Marty Curry, students in rural areas deserve the same advantages as those in larger districts.
“We have people that have come out of here that have been doctors and lawyers and professors and all kinds of stuff,” Curry said. “The rural school kids have a lot of opportunity just like the bigger schools do as well, and we want to make sure we have the facilities and everything up to date where we can provide that and continue to provide that for our kids.”
They also plan to replace an ag vehicle that takes students back and forth across the state.
For residents, there will be no tax increase if it passes.
“This is such a win-win situation because your taxes won’t be raised in this process and then we’re going to benefit as a school. The kids are going to benefit, the staff is going to benefit, the community,” Ingram said. “It’s good for everybody.”
The election is next Tuesday, April 5.
Early voting starts Thursday at the Comanche County Courthouse.
If you have any questions about the proposals, you can call Sterling Public Schools at 580-365-4307.
Copyright 2022 KSWO. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/31/7news-first-alert-weather-weak-cold-front-brings-widely-scattered-showers-friday/
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7News First Alert Weather: Weak cold front brings widely scattered showers Friday
Another chance for isolated strong-to-severe storms on Monday
LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) -
For tonight, a gradual increase in cloud cover with overnight lows falling into the low 40s. Winds will be out of the northwest at 5-10 mph. A geomagnetic storm watch has been issued for tonight. As a result, the Northern Lights will expand as far south as around I-40 and can be visible along the horizon.
On Thursday, mostly sunny with the beginning of a warming trend as highs rebound into the mid 60s. Winds will be out of the northwest at 10-15 mph. A few sprinkles or a stray shower can’t be ruled out in our far western counties throughout the morning.
A weak cold front will move through on Friday that will slow down the warming trend. This front will bring the chance for widely scattered showers and rumbles of thunder Friday night. Highs will top out in the low-to-mid 70s.
It’ll be a pleasant weekend with temperatures in the mid 70s on Saturday and warming into the low 80s on Sunday ahead of another cold front. A few showers and storms could start up for parts of Texoma Sunday evening before becoming more widespread into Monday. At the moment, there appears to be enough energy available for isolated strong-to-severe storms. There still remains a low confidence in the overall forecast depending on where the jet streak moves over Oklahoma. This will ultimately determine on if storms can pulse up and become severe and how widespread the activity could spread over the area.
A few lingering showers can’t be ruled out early Tuesday morning behind that cold front. Then another cold front is expected to dive south and into the area late Tuesday night.
Copyright 2022 KSWO. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/31/arians-retires-bucs-coach-bowles-promoted-top-spot/
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Arians retires as Bucs’ coach, Bowles promoted to top spot
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Bruce Arians unexpectedly retired as coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a stunning move Wednesday night that the 69-year-old who guided the team to its second Super Bowl title says is not related to health.
It’s the second major retirement announcement for the Bucs this offseason, following Tom Brady’s announcement in February that he was ending his career. Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback, returned 40 days later, saying he would return for a 23rd season and noting he had “unfinished business.”
But instead of Arians, Brady will be playing for Todd Bowles after the defensive coordinator was promoted as the coach’s successor.
Arians, a two-time cancer survivor, stepped down as coach of the Arizona Cardinals due to medical concerns in 2017, only to be lured back to the sideline by the then-struggling Bucs two years later. This time, he said, he exits feeling the best he has in “many years” and is looking forward to transitioning into a front-office position working with general manager Jason Licht.
“This team is in a much better place than it was three years ago due to Jason’s great work and the Glazer family’s commitment to winning,” Arians said in a lengthy statement issued by the team.
“I want to focus on what I can give back to this incredible game that has provided so much for me and my family,” Arians added. “I really began thinking about my personal transition plan earlier this offseason. I wanted to ensure when I walked away that Todd Bowles would have the best opportunity to succeed.”
Arians, who will turn 70 this coming season, coached the Bucs to the Super Bowl title in the 2020 season — Brady’s first with Tampa Bay. The Bucs were 31-18 in Arians’ three seasons there and he was 80-48-1 in eight years as a head coach overall when adding in five seasons with the Cardinals from 2013 to 2017.
NBC Sports and the Los Angeles Times first reported Arians’ decision and that Bowles would be replace him.
“I have spent most of the last 50 years of my life on the sidelines as a football coach in one form or another,” Arians said. “I love football. I love the relationships, the strategy, the competition — everything. It has been one hell of a ride, but I know this is the right time for me to make this transition.”
Bowles becomes the sixth minority head coach currently in the NFL, joining Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin, Washington’s Ron Rivera, the New York Jets’ Robert Saleh, Houston’s Lovie Smith and Miami’s Mike McDaniel. He also is the fourth Black coach in Bucs’ history, joining Tony Dungy, Raheem Morris and Smith.
Brady, in an Instagram post Wednesday night, said Arians was a major part of his decision to play for Tampa Bay and that he’ll be “forever grateful.”
“You are an incredible man and coach, and it was a privilege to play for you,” Brady wrote. “You are a true NFL legend and pioneer for all the work you have done to make the league more diverse and inclusive. Smart, tough, and loyal are a few of the words to describe your style. I will always remember the conversations we had when you recruited me two years ago and all of the things we discussed came true.”
There was no public indication at the NFL’s annual meetings on the Atlantic side of the state in Palm Beach, Florida, that such a move was coming. Arians was there, briefly, and did an interview with NFL Network about what the team would have done to replace Brady if the quarterback hadn’t changed his mind. Licht addressed reporters for a short time during the meetings, as did team co-owner Joel Glazer.
Arians did not do a group interview there, with the team saying he was leaving for personal reasons. He was also one of the four coaches who opted to not be part of the annual group photo of all NFL head coaches at the meetings.
Bowles was an interim head coach in Miami for three games in 2011, and went 24-40 in four seasons with the New York Jets from 2015 through 2018.
“I am appreciative of the Glazer family and Jason Licht for having faith in me to take on this role, and to Coach Arians for his support and guidance over the past four decades,” Bowles said. “Tampa has become home for my family, and we are excited to remain part of this community for years to come. ... I am eager to get started with our players, coaching staff, and front office in preparation for the 2022 season.”
Bowles was Arizona’s defensive coordinator for a portion of Arians’ tenure with the Cardinals. He reunited with his old boss in Tampa Bay after the Jets fired Bowles following the 2018 season.
Arians said timing of his decision to step away — along with’s Brady return — should serve Bowles well.
“So many head coaches come into situations where they are set up for failure, and I didn’t want that for Todd,” Arians said. “Tom’s decision to come back, along with Jason and his staff doing another great job of keeping the core of this team intact during free agency, confirmed for me that it was the right time to pass the torch.”
Licht said he’s excited to continue working with the former coach.
“Bruce established a culture here that set the foundation for a Super Bowl championship,” Licht said. “In my opinion, he is a Hall of Fame coach, so it is difficult for our football team to lose that type of leader. However, I am excited to have him continuing his contributions to our franchise in his new capacity.”
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More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://apnews.com/hub/pro-32 and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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Biden planning to tap oil reserve to control gas prices
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is preparing to order the release of up to 1 million barrels of oil per day from the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve, according to a person familiar with the decision, in a bid to control energy prices that have spiked as the U.S. and allies have imposed steep sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine
The announcement could come as soon as Thursday, when the White House says Biden is planning to deliver remarks on his administration’s plans to combat rising gas prices. The duration of the release hasn’t been finalized but could last for several months. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the decision.
News of the administration’s planning was first reported by Bloomberg.
High oil prices have not coaxed more production, creating a challenge for Biden. The president has seen his popularity sink as inflation reached a 40-year high in February and the cost of petroleum and gasoline climbed after Russia invaded Ukraine. Crude oil on Wednesday traded at nearly $105 a barrel, up from about $60 a year ago.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/31/city-cache-reschedules-meeting/
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City of Cache reschedules meeting
Published: Mar. 30, 2022 at 9:43 PM CDT
CACHE, Okla. (KSWO) - Due to Cache police officers searching for a suspect, a City Council special meeting was cancelled.
According to the agenda, council members would have discussed whether or not they will be disciplining Chief Michael Crank, Animal Control officer Alicia Hainline and probationary Patrol Officer Kylie Kutman.
All three face disciplinary action ranging from a verbal warning, written reprimand, suspension or discharge.
In a press release, officials said they were presented with a grievance against Chief Crank, prompting an investigation.
A rescheduled date for the special meeting has not yet been set.
Copyright 2022 KSWO. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/31/governor-kevin-stitt-appoints-new-board-regents-member/
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Governor Kevin Stitt appoints new board of regents member
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KSWO) - Governor Kevin Stitt has appointed Inasmuch Foundation Chairman and CEO Robert J. Ross to the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents on Wednesday.
Prior to joining Inasmuch Foundation, Ross was an attorney at McAfee & Taft.
“Serving the University of Oklahoma as a regent is a high honor that comes with great responsibility. As a fourth generation Oklahoman, I have a deep commitment to our state and to the university,” Ross said. “I am incredibly thankful to Governor Stitt for his confidence in me and I am dedicated to ensuring the university continues to focus on producing the next generation of leaders in Oklahoma. I look forward to working with President Harroz and my fellow regents to position OU to excel amidst the changes in higher education and our economy.”
Ross has served on the board of directors for various groups, including Acorn Growth Companies Advisory Board, Colorado College, Freedom Center of Oklahoma City, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, Oklahoma Public School Resource Center and the Oklahoma State Fair.
He has also received awards, including the OU Regents’ Alumni Award in 2009, the Plaza District Association’s Urban Pioneer Award in 2011, the OKC Beautiful Mayor’s Award for Distinguished Service in 2012, the Oklahoma Center for Non-Profits’ Visionary Impact Award in 2013, the United Way of Central Oklahoma’s John Rex Community Builder Award in 2015, the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City Service to Youth Award in 2018 and OKC Friday’s OKCityan of the Year in 2019.
Copyright 2022 KSWO. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/31/lawton-fort-sill-chamber-commerce-distributes-donations-fire-departments/
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Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce distributes donations to fire departments
LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - Last week, the Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce gathered goods for local firefighters, to give much needed relief and equipment after fighting a number of grassfires across Texoma.
Wednesday, the Chamber handed out donations to local fire departments.
The deliveries were made up of different types of items such as: drinks, snacks, rakes, shovels and baby-wipes.
Krista Ratliff, the Chamber President of the Lawton-Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce, said she and the chamber felt compelled to offer a helping hand.
”It has been amazing to see the community really step up and come together,” Ratliff said. “We’re able to drop off donations to ten different volunteer fire locations today. And that’s really a testament to what our community is willing to do for our fire people out there fighting these fires.”
The firefighters who received the donations said they are grateful for the donations, especially everyday items.
The Chamber plans to continue accepting donations to hand out to fire crews, as long as there is a need in the community.
Copyright 2022 KSWO. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/31/lawton-man-arrested-high-speed-chase/
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Lawton man arrested for high speed chase
LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - A Lawton man is facing charges after leading police on a chase earlier this week.
Police said they spotted Cody Nash driving a stolen truck along northwest 14th and Andrews Monday morning.
Officials said Nash sped off when officers tried to make a traffic stop and that he drove through nearby neighborhoods at high speeds.
The chase went through to northwest Railroad and Ferris where Nash reportedly lost control of the truck and went off the road.
He then left the truck and ran off, police later found him hiding in the shed of a home on northeast Carver.
Nash faces several charges, including endangering others while eluding police, knowingly concealing stolen property and breaking and entering.
He’s being held on a $250,000 bond.
Copyright 2022 KSWO. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/31/workforce-shortage-has-limited-impact-oklahoma/
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Workforce shortage has limited impact in Oklahoma
Published: Mar. 30, 2022 at 7:14 PM CDT
LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - Almost every industry in the country is facing a worker shortage.
Business experts have called this shortage “The Great Resignation” after millions of Americans have left their jobs; however, Oklahoma’s unemployment is pre-pandemic levels.
Executive Director of the Oklahoma Office of Workforce Development Don Morris gave an interview about how the state standouts from the rest of the nation.
Copyright 2022 KSWO. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/03/30/12-year-old-killed-by-younger-brother-who-found-gun-police-say/
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Woman arrested after 12-year-old killed by brother who found gun, police say
ST. LOUIS (KMOV/Gray News) – A woman was taken into custody after police say a 10-year-old child shot and killed his 12-year-old brother while playing with a gun they found inside a home in St. Louis.
The shooting happened just before 8 p.m. Tuesday at a home in the 5600 block of Summit Place, which is in the Walnut Park West neighborhood. Authorities tell KMOV that 12-year-old LaFrance Johnson and his brother were with a parent, who was getting a haircut at the home, when LaFrance was shot in the face.
A 36-year-old woman was arrested for endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death after she told police she owned the gun. Warrants are being applied at the Circuit Attorney’s Office.
LaFrance was a sixth-grader at Selvidge Middle School in the Rockwood School District, administrators confirmed. In a statement, the district said they were saddened to learn about his death.
“Our sincere thoughts and sympathies are with his family as well as the educators and friends who knew and loved LaFrance. We have assembled our crisis team at Selvidge Middle and will have counselors on hand this week for students and staff who will need assistance,” the district wrote.
This tragedy follows a series of shootings in St. Louis involving children handling guns. Major Ryan Cousins with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said these incidents are happening far too frequently.
The shooting comes days after a 12-year-old and 14-year-old were shot and killed in downtown St. Louis. Police are investigating that incident as a murder-suicide, though family members believe it was accidental.
In February, a 12-year-old girl was wounded in an accidental self-inflicted shooting.
“This is like the third incident in a week we’ve had so far. Prior to that, we have sent out information to the alderpersons about receiving gun locks,” Cousins said. “As an agency, we will come out and teach everyone how to use them. We do understand people are going to own guns; however, to protect these children, we want to ensure these guns are secured safely.”
Alderwoman Pamela Boyd, in whose ward the shooting on Summit Place happened, said irresponsible gun ownership and senseless killings must stop.
Last month, St. Louis Police launched the Lock it for Love gun lock initiative to provide free gun locks to the community with the goal to reduce gun violence, accidental shootings and suicides by firearm.
Through this initiative, responding officers will receive gun locks to provide to families impacted by gun violence, particularly when children are involved, or anyone identified with a firearm and children in the home.
Approximately 4,500 gun locks will be distributed by St. Louis City police, and officers will also come out and teach people how to use gun locks. Thirty engine houses in St. Louis City will also distribute free gun locks.
“As a mom, I know how important it is that we take every step we can to keep our babies safe,” said Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. “These recent shootings have devastated our entire city, and we need to take immediate action to protect our children. If you have a gun in the house, be a responsible gun owner; store firearms locked and unloaded and pick up a free gun lock to help you and your loved ones safe.”
Copyright 2022 KMOV via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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