The Daily Moth 7-19-19
Tensions escalate with Iran in Strait of Hormuz; Central, Eastern, Midwest US under Heat Watch; Huge Mafia Bust in Ontario, Canada
[Transcript] Hello, welcome to the Daily Moth! It is Friday, July 19th.
I’m Christian Young again replacing Alex today. Are you ready for today’s stories?
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01 Tensions escalate with Iran in Strait of Hormuz
Yesterday morning, President Trump and the Pentagon said the USS Boxer, a US Navy warship, downed an Iranian drone using electronic jamming, according to several US officials. This occurred in the Strait of Hormuz near the Persian Gulf, a major oil shipping route.
When the drone got within 1,000 yards of the warship while ignoring commands to stay away, they decided to act in self-defense. There was “no doubt about it. We shot it down” Trump said.
The president called this incident “one many provocative and hostile actions by Iran against vessels operating in international waters.”
Today, the Iran Revolutionary Guard (IRG) said the drone was doing regular surveillance on the USS Boxer and transmitted pictures of the ship entering the Strait of Hormuz. On the IRG’s website, they said the drone recorded three hours of video that proves that none of their drones were destroyed.
Then the IRG said their navy captured a British oil tanker called “Stena Impero” that has a crew of 23 on board in the Strait of Hormuz because it “violated international regulations.”
The shipping company that owns the vessel gave a statement saying they are not able to contact the vessel. There have been no reports of injuries.
The UK said they are “urgently seeking further information” the incident.
Sources:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/iran-rebuffs-trump-claim-that-u-s-ship-downed-drone-11563526297?mod=hp_lead_pos1
https://www.wsj.com/articles/iran-seizes-foreign-tanker-it-accuses-of-smuggling-fuel-11563449352?mod=article_inline
https://apnews.com/48237d0b56374bcfa857cceca9adf977
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/iran-denies-that-the-us-destroyed-one-of-its-drones/2019/07/19/e384595e-a996-11e9-8733-48c87235f396_story.html?utm_term=.565a43483998
https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/iran-british-tanker-july-2019/index.html
https://www.foxnews.com/world/uk-flagged-tanker-seized-by-irans-revolutionary-guard-in-strait-of-hormuz
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02 Central, Eastern, Midwest US under Heat Watch
As of this morning, about 185 million people or two-thirds of the country are under a dangerous heat watch, warning or advisory in the central, midwestern and eastern US states.
These states include Michigan, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, along the east coast to North and South Carolina then across Tennessee and Arkansas to Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa; Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Over the next few days, temperatures will continue to rise above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Some areas will have temperatures of over 100 degrees. It will feel even hotter in areas that have high humidity with some reaching 110 degrees. Even at night, the temperatures will not cool down as much because the high moisture.
Here are some heat safety tips and how to recognize heat related illnesses.
Children and pets should never be left alone inside a car even with the windows cracked open.
Drink plenty of fluids like water or drinks with electrolytes.
Wear lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing. (Not like mine.)
Use high SPF sunscreen and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
Stay on your lowest floor, out of the sun if you don’t have access to fans or air conditioning or find an air-conditioned public space, cooling center, libraries, or other cool spots.
Check on your family, friends or neighbors to make sure they are safe and watch for heat-related illnesses like cramps, exhaustion and especially heat strokes.
See National Weather Service’s tweet here: https://twitter.com/NWS/status/1151873085764702209/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1151873100503535616&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2Fenergy-and-environment%2F2019%2F7%2F19%2F20700662%2Fheat-wave-2019-health-new-york-washington
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/19/us/heatwave-friday-wxc/index.html
https://www.noaa.gov/news/june-2019-was-hottest-on-record-for-globe
https://www.wcvb.com/article/mema-offers-health-safety-tips-during-extreme-heat/28444390
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/07/18/dangerous-heat-wave-is-building-temperatures-spike-central-eastern-us/?utm_term=.aacaac2e436c
https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-heat-wave-strikes-even-the-low-temperatures-are-forecast-to-hit-record-highs-11563554965?mod=hp_lead_pos7
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03 Huge Mafia Bust in Ontario, Canada
Yesterday, in Ontario, Canada, police said they just made the largest Mafia bust in the province’s history. The raids included almost 500 police officers that resulted in 15 arrests and seizures of a total of more than $35 million in assets. 500 separate bank accounts were frozen.
Among the seized property included 27 homes worth $24 million and 23 fancy sports cars, including five Ferreris, worth $9 million. They also seized $2 million more in cash and jewelry.
This bust was called “Project Sindicato” that began 18 months ago which targeted the Figliomeni crime family.
They had been linked to the notorious ‘Ndrangehta Mafia’ in Calabria, Italy. 12 of the 15 were arrested in Italy in connection to the mafia.
Police Chief Eric Jollife said the operation began when they noticed a spike in violent crime in 2017 that included attempted murder, a drive-by shooting and arson.
Police targeted 11 cafes run by the Family with almost a year of wiretapping and surveillance.
One of those 15 arrested included the head of the crime family, Angelo Figliomeni, who was charged with directing a criminal organization, money laundering and fraud.
Those who have been arrested are accused of operating nearly a dozen illegal gambling dens in cafes and giving out loans to broke gamblers at high interest rates then threatening them if they didn’t pay off their debt. These high rates are known as ‘juice’ and helps keep the organization well-funded.
Police said the crime family has been operating in Ontario for over 30 years and are estimated to have earned as much as $70 million over the last few years.
Sources:
https://www.foxnews.com/world/biggest-mafia-bust-in-canada-nets-15-arrests-33-million-worth-of-homes-and-cars
https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/3k3gej/holy-hell-canadas-alleged-mafia-were-living-good-until-they-were-arrested
https://www.cp24.com/news/nine-charged-35m-seized-in-largest-mafia-bust-in-ontario-history-1.4513475
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That’s all the stories for today. Have a good weekend and remember to stay with the light!
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