February 17 top stories
It is February 17. Here are today’s top stories.
Biden: 3 objects shot down not spy balloons
President Biden said in an address yesterday that the three flying objects that were shot down in recent days were likely to be research or private balloons and not a Chinese spy balloon. Biden said the military shot down the three objects out of “an abundance of caution.”
Biden said he plans to talk with Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding the Chinese spy balloon that was shot down near South Carolina on February 4.
Biden said there is no evidence of a sudden increase in the number of objects in the sky, saying they just see more things because they’ve adjusted their radars after the Chinese balloon incident.
Biden said his administration would be creating “sharper rules” on what to do with unidentified flying objects in the future.
Sen. Fetterman checks himself into hospital for clinical depression
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa) checked himself into a hospital to receive treatment for clinical depression. His chief of staff announced this yesterday and said his doctors at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center said Fetterman is getting the care he needs and will soon be back to himself. They said Fetterman has experienced depression off and on throughout his life but the issue became severe in recent weeks.
Fetterman’s wife, Gisele, said she is very proud of him for seeking help.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said “millions of Americans, like John, struggle with depression each day” and that he’s happy to hear that he’s getting the help he needs and deserves.
Cop charged with homicide for killing Alonzo Bagley
In Shreveport, Louisiana, a 23-year-old police officer named Alexander Tyler was charged with negligent homicide for fatally shooting an unarmed man named Alonzo Bagley on February 3.
Louisiana State Police released a 911 call and body cam footage of the situation. It shows that Bagley’s wife, Tangela, called 911 to ask for help because she was scared at how her husband was under the influence of alcohol and threatening her and her daughter.
Two police officers went to their apartment on the second floor. Bagley jumped off a balcony and ran towards another apartment building. Officer Tyler chased after him and shot him once in the chest, killing him.
Louisiana State Police said Bagley had his hands up right before he was shot. They charged Tyler with negligent homicide, saying there was no need for deadly force.
Tyler was jailed and then released after posting a $25,000 bond. The maximum penalty upon conviction is five years in prison.
Tyler’s defense attorney said he made a split-second decision in a dangerous situation and that they are prepared to defend themselves against the homicide charge.
Bagley’s family has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit. Their attorney said they understand that Bagley ran from the police but that shouldn’t mean a death sentence.
———
[Sponsored Video from Sorenson: www.sorenson.com]
—----------------------------------
Tesla recalls 363k cars due to self-driving problems
Tesla is recalling over 362,000 vehicles over concerns that its “Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD)” feature may cause crashes. The recall notice was posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety (NHTSA) website.
Teslas driving on FSD may act inappropriately around intersections such as driving straight on turn-only lanes or moving through a stop sign without fully stopping. The FSD also has problems with following changes in speed limits.
FSD doesn’t come included on all Tesla cars, as it is a separate purchase that costs $15,000 upfront or $199 per month.
Tesla said it would send an over-the-air software update to fix the problems.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk expressed anger about the word “recall,” saying it was unnecessary because the problem can be fixed over the internet. NHTSA said a recall notice is necessary whenever there is a risk to public safety.
Woman exercising alone fights off male attacker
A few weeks ago in Tampa, a woman who was exercising alone at night in an apartment complex gym was attacked by a man and managed to escape, and it was all captured on surveillance video.
The woman’s name is Nashali Alma (24). She said she was working out and noticed a man outside a locked door and let him in because she saw him in the gym before. Alma went back to her workout station and all seemed to be normal.
But the man slowly walked around the gym and moved towards Alma and grabbed her waist. Alma pushed him away and tried to make an emergency call, but the man tackled her. Alma fought back, wrestling around, and managed to break free and run away and call the police.
Alma said as the incident unfolded, she felt that she was strong enough to fight back and just kept pushing until he stopped and gave up.
Police said the suspect, Xavier Thomas-Jones, attempted to force himself into another woman’s apartment the day after the gym incident but was chased out by the woman’s fiancee. Alma and the woman in the apartment identified him as the suspect. Police charged him with sexual battery, false imprisonment, burglary, and kidnappings.
Giant dinosaur fossil found in England
In April 2021, a local archaeologist in Yorkshire, England found a giant footprint of a dinosaur that lived about 166 million years ago.
Scientists just published a study about that footprint, saying it belonged to a theropod dinosaur similar to a Megalosaurus. The footprint is over 2.5 feet long. Scientists said this dinosaur’s hips may have been between 8 and 10 feet. They said it is fun to think that this dinosaur was strolling along in the area on one lazy Sunday afternoon.
That is all the top stories for this week. Have a nice weekend and stay with the light.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/16/politics/john-fetterman-depression-treatment/index.html
https://www.ksla.com/2023/02/16/warrant-issued-officer-involved-shooting-death-alonzo-bagley/
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/16/us/alonzo-bagley-shooting-louisiana.html