Friday, February 11 top stories
It is Friday, February 11. Here are today’s top stories.
Parents charged with forcing son to live in 8x8 compartment
A couple in Jupiter, Florida was arrested and charged with child abuse for allegedly forcing their 13-year-old son, who is adopted, to live in a small 8 x 8 compartment in their garage. Police said the child was adopted five years ago and was forced to live in the box all this time and was only allowed out to go to school.
The parents’ names are Tracy and Timothy Ferriter.
Police said they found out about the situation when Tracy reported her son missing at the end of January. When police visited their home, they found the structure in the garage. Police interviewed the boy after finding him at his middle school. The boy explained that he ran away from home because he did not feel loved or safe, saying that he was locked in the compartment for up to 18 hours a day and experienced physical abuse.
Police said the compartment had a door with a deadbolt that was only locked from outside. Inside, there was a mattress, a desk and chair, and a pail. There was a Ring camera mounted in the room and police were able to, via a search warrant, see thousands of Ring videos that showed the boy being locked every day.
There were three other children living in the home, including a 2-year-old child. State authorities removed the children. The parents were charged with aggravated child abuse and false imprisonment and was later released on a $50,000 bond. The parents’ attorney said the teen had to be locked because he had an emotional disorder.
Now, here are two international news stories from Callie Frye.
Millions of Afghans on verge of starvation
Callie Frye: More than 23 million people in Afghanistan face acute hunger. The U.N. Development Program said they estimate by the middle of this year, around June, 97% of Afghanistan's population will "plunge" into severe poverty.
The financial situation among Afghans becomes even more challenging, following the freezing of more than $9 billion in assets after the Taliban took power last August. The measure was taken as a way to prevent the Taliban from taking the resources.
The U.N. has about $135 million in aid in Afghanistan but it can't access the money since the Taliban-run central bank lacks the infrastructure to convert it to the Afghani, the country's currency.
The U.S., however, is under growing pressure to unfreeze Afghanistan's assets. Taliban delegate Shafiullah Azam said "Because of the starvation and deadly winter, we are requesting them to unfreeze assets in Afghanistan and support – to not punish ordinary Afghans – because of their political disputes."
Full-screen text with dark/reduced opacity Afghan map in background (image 3.1 combine bottom):
“Update: According to Axios, President Biden signed an executive order today to help allow $7 billion in frozen Afghan assets to be divided between relief aid and families of 9/11 victims.”
[Sponsored Video from Sorenson: www.sorenson.com]
Peng Shuai recap
Callie: Peng Shuai, a female professional tennis player from China, released a lengthy social media post on a Chinese site, Weibo, in November accusing Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault. Zhang Gaoli was the former Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China. The post was promptly taken down, and her unknown whereabouts sparked concern in the weeks following.
She recently conducted an interview with L'Equipe, a French newspaper, which was Peng’s first interview with an international media outlet since her accusation on a social media post.
Peng did not do the interview alone, however. She was accompanied by the Chinese Olympic Committee Chief of Staff Wang Kan. Also when Peng gave responses in Chinese, Kan translated her responses to the French newspaper. Peng claimed that her post and subsequent disappearance was a “huge misunderstanding.” She says she never alleged she suffered a sexual assault and never said anyone sexually assaulted me. Peng said many thought her post was taken down, but she said she deleted the post herself because she “wanted to.”
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) CEO Steve Simon issued a statement saying that while “it’s always good to see Peng Shuai, whether in an interview or attending the Olympic Games,” this interaction with L’Equipe “does not alleviate any of our concerns about her initial post.”
Simon reiterated calls for “a formal investigation by the appropriate authorities and an opportunity for the WTA to meet with Peng privately…”
Alex: Thank you, Callie for the international news briefs.
Updates on Canadian vaccine protesters
Here is one more top news story, an update on the anti-vaccination protests in Canada.
Doug Ford, the Premier of Ontario (equivalent of a governor) declared a state of emergency due to multiple roads and international border crossings being blocked by truckers, farmers, and other protesters. Ford said he wants to make it very clear that it’s illegal to block the movement of goods, people, and services with penalties that could include up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine. Ford said he’s also considering taking away the drivers’ personal and commercial licenses if they don’t comply.
In Ottawa, the capital of Canada, the mayor has asked for 1,800 additional police officers and reinforcements from the RCMP (federal police). So we may see confrontations between the protesters and law enforcement this weekend.
The Biden administration and Michigan Gov. Whitmer are calling on Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau to end the blockade because it is affecting the auto industry in the U.S. However, numerous American conservative political figures, including Donald Trump, have cheered on the trucker protests.
That’s all the top stories for this week. Thank you for watching “The Daily Moth.” Check out our videos on Instagram and TikTok. Have a nice weekend and stay with the light.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-60284261
https://apnews.com/article/peng-shuai-controlled-interview-olympics-36722c749b176f228a1db8f39678cc2f