Monday, February 14 top stories
It is Monday, February 14. Here are today’s top stories.
Erin Jackson wins 500m speedskating gold
On Sunday, U.S. speed skater Erin Jackson won the 500m gold medal. She is the first Black woman to win an individual medal in speed skating at the Winter Olympics. Jackson is from Florida and got into skating by competing as an inline speedskater, which uses a type of rollerblades on hard surfaces. She decided to go into ice speedskating in 2018 and competed in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. She didn’t medal then, but after another four years of training, she’s a gold medalist.
Canadian trucker protests update
The Ambassador Bridge, which connects Detroit to Windsor, Ontario, was reopened after Canadian law enforcement made several arrests and cleared anti-vaccine mandate protesters from roads leading to the bridge. But in Ottawa, Canada’s capital city, trucker protests are still occupying roads around the city for a third straight week.
Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford said beginning on March 1, the province would no longer require people to show proof of vaccination before entering indoor spaces. Ford said the change was based on lower Covid-19 cases and not a concession to protesters.
Ukraine crisis update
The crisis at the Ukraine border is still lingering. The U.S. issued another round of warnings over the weekend that Russia could invade Ukraine “at any time,” but Russia has not made any aggressive moves across the border except for amassing over 100,000 troops near the border.
President Biden talked on the phone with Russian President Putin in which he warned of severe economic costs if there is an invasion.
Both sides are engaged in diplomatic negotiations. One of the main points of disagreement is whether Ukraine should be allowed to become a NATO member.
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NYC woman killed in apartment by random stalker
A 35-year-old woman named Christina Yuna Lee, who lived in New York City, was stabbed to death in her apartment early Sunday morning by a random man who was caught on video stalking her and following her up the stairs before entering her apartment. A neighbor heard screams and called 911. When police officers arrived, the door was barricaded. When they finally got inside after more than an hour, they found the suspect hiding and Lee’s deceased body.
The suspect, Assamad Nash (25), was charged with murder and burglary. Police are investigating it as a possible hate crime.
Lee is an Asian-American and her death sparked public leaders to say they stand with the Asian community and condemn acts of violence against AAPI individuals.
Russian skater allowed to compete
Kamila Valieva, the 15-year-old figure skater for the Russia Olympic Committee, was allowed to continue competing in the Winter Olympics despite failing a drug test. But this is under the condition that if Valieva finishes in the top three in a future competition, there won’t be a medal ceremony because the “full investigation” is not complete. Valieva and her ROC teammates won the team skating event last week and the medal ceremonies for that one is still suspended. The Court of Arbitration for Sport said Valieva is getting a favorable decision — that she can continue to compete — because she is a minor.
U.S. suspends avocado imports from Mexico
The U.S. said it has suspended all imports of Mexican avocados due to a threat made against a U.S. inspector in the Mexican state of Michoacan. News reports explained that that particular Mexican state is the only one that is authorized to export avocados into the U.S. and that the state is home of turf battles by rival drug cartels. There is now a joint U.S.-Mexican investigation on the threat.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ7GsFdN_te/
https://www.si.com/olympics/2022/02/13/erin-jackson-gold-medal-speedskating-beijing-team-usa
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/13/world/americas/canada-trucker-protest.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/14/world/canada/doug-ford-announcement-ontario.html
https://nypost.com/2022/02/13/woman-stabbed-to-death-inside-nyc-apartment-cops-say/
https://www.axios.com/us-mexico-avocado-import-7acff0cd-39ec-4b9b-9d2c-70de56abb832.html