The Daily Moth 9-3-19
[Transcript] Hello, welcome to The Daily Moth! It is Tuesday, September 3. Ready for news?
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Hurricane Dorian updates
Hurricane Dorian was downgraded to a Category 2 storm on Tuesday morning with 110 mph winds. It is slowly moving northwards from Grand Bahama Island at 2 mph.
The Prime Minister of the Bahamas said the Abaco Islands is in the middle of a historic tragedy with at least five deaths and extensive devastation.
Dorian struck the Bahamas as Category 5 and 4 storm and hovered above the northwest islands for about 48 hours. It is the strongest storm on modern record to strike the region.
At least 13,000 homes may have been severely damaged or destroyed from flooding and powerful winds. There is likely contamination of wells from storm surges.
Satellite photos of a region on Grand Bahama Island before and after the hurricane shows that about half or more of the region is flooded.
Dorian is forecast to move very close to the Florida east coast today and tomorrow (Wednesday), then shift northeast along the Georgia and South Carolina coast starting Wednesday night into Thursday.
It doesn’t appear that the hurricane will make landfall on Florida, but federal weather forecasters warned that the hurricane is unpredictable and if there was a small shift towards the west, it would mean a Florida landfall. There are hurricane warnings for most parts of the Florida east coast.
A long-term forecast of Dorian’s path shows that it could threaten the North Carolina coast as a Category 2 storm on Friday morning, then move northeast along the U.S. coast, moving parallel with the Massachusetts coast on Saturday as a Category 2, and then strike either one or both Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland as a Category 1 storm on Saturday night and Sunday morning.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/dorian-inflicts-heavy-damage-in-bahamas-crawls-toward-florida-11567514843?mod=hp_lead_pos1
https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2019-09-03-hurricane-dorian-florida-georgia-carolinas-forecast-tuesday
https://miami.cbslocal.com/2019/09/03/satellite-images-grand-bahama-island-before-after-hurricane-dorian/
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14-year-old confesses to killing 5 members of family
In Elkmont, Alabama, a 14-year old male teenager confessed to shooting and killing five members of his family at their home on Monday night.
Police said the boy called 911 on Monday night saying he was in the basement of the home when he heard gunfire upstairs.
When police arrived at the home, they found the boy outside. When they went inside, they found one adult and two children confirmed dead. A second adult and a child were airlifted to a hospital, but died.
After an overnight investigation, the boy confessed to the alleged murders and helped police to find a 9mm handgun that he threw away outside by the road.
The victims were the boy’s father, stepmother, and siblings. It is not known the boy’s identity and what the motive is.
The boy is in a juvenile facility and it is not yet known if he will be charged as an adult.
https://www.waaytv.com/content/news/Five-people-shot-in-Limestone-Co-559223981.html
https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/03/us/alabama-residence-shooting/index.html
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Texas mass shooter failed gun background check in past
Seth Ator, who police identified as the gunman who shot and killed seven people from two vehicles in west Texas on Saturday, failed a background check to purchase a gun in the past but was still able to obtain an AR-15 style rifle that he used in the mass shooting.
There is now an investigation in how Ator was able to obtain the rifle.
He was fired from his trucking job on Saturday morning and made “rambling” calls to 911 and the FBI. The shooting rampage started after he was pulled over in an unrelated traffic stop.
It is possible that Ator obtained the firearm from gun dealers who are legally allowed to sell without conducting background checks if it’s an online transaction, at a gun show, or sold out of their homes.
Democratic political leaders said they want to close those loopholes. President Trump said he has discussed this with the National Rifle Association but that he doesn’t want to take away the constitutional right to own guns.
Among the victims from Saturday’s shooting was a 15-year-old female high school student named Leila Hernandez, a 29-year-old female postal worker named Mary Granados, a 40-year-old former math teacher and father of two named Joseph Griffin, and a 25-year-old man named Edwin Peregrino.
It is not clear who the other three victims were at the time of signing, but this information should come out later.
24 people were injured, including a 17-month-old girl and three police officers.
The gunman, Ator, was shot and killed by police.
https://reut.rs/2lWofnt
https://heavy.com/news/2019/09/odessa-midland-shooting-victims-photos/
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Teenager becomes blind from junk food diet
A 17-year-old male teenager from England became blind and partially deaf because for the past 10 years he only ate French fries, Pringles, sausages, processed ham, and white bread.
The teenager is said to shun all fruit and vegetables because he did not like their texture.
A British medical official said the extremely unhealthy eating habits meant he did not consume any vitamins. It caused severe damage to the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, causing a blindness that is usually seen only in developing countries. He is able to see with his peripheral vision, but there are blind spots in the middle of his vision.
He also had hearing loss and bone weakness.
The teenager was diagnosed with a rare eating illness called ARFID, short for avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder. It is similar to anorexia in the sense of rejecting food, but different because it is not based on body image.
The teenager received vitamin injections, was prescribed nutritional supplements, and was referred to mental health services for his eating disorder.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/british-teenager-went-blind-from-eating-only-fries-and-chips-doctors-say-warning-over-junk-food-caused-malnutrition/
https://www.irishpost.com/news/teenager-blinded-by-chips-sausages-crisps-diet-170813
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11-year-old CODA jumps Glamis canal with UTV
We have a rising star in our community. A CODA, Ruslan Yankilevich, 11, is a professional off road racer. He goes by the nicknames, “Kid without Brakes” and “Certified Fearless.”
A little more than a month ago, Ruslan posted a video of him driving a Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) and jumping over a 20 feet deep canal in Glamis, one of the largest sand dunes in USA.
(Video)
That video went viral on Instagram and Facebook. Ruslan was contacted by a lot of sponsors, organizations, and even a Hollywood stuntman. They asked him to become a spokesperson for young people, to star in commercials, and even appear in movies.
The Daily Moth reached out to Ruslan and his deaf parents, Arthur and Amanda, for an interview.
RENCA:
I wanted to ask you about the viral video of you jumping over a canal. I’m curious, how did you get it to that point? You just felt like going there or did you plan ahead? Would you mind sharing your story?
RUSLAN:
So, we went there 2 days before, so we planned it out. We talked about doing it just for fun. In the morning I wanted to go there for just an hour once my parents agreed to it. While we were on our way there, I showed my dad the video of this one guy who jumped over a small canal. I told dad that maybe I want to try that myself.
ARTHUR:
When we arrived, we were stunned because the canal looked like it was two times bigger than we thought. I looked at my son for his response. He just shook his head like I thought he would. I walked away, but I saw that my son was still standing there unfazed. I asked Ruslan what was up and he said he was just planning it all out in his head. Then later Ruslan looked to me asking me, “Do you believe in me?”
I said, “Of course, I believe in you!”
But I urged Ruslan to back out because there was too much risk and it was so big! I really didn’t think that my son could make it. Then Ruslan looked at me and asked again, “Do you believe in me or do you have doubt in me?”
I told him that I believed in him.
“Then let me do it,” he said. I was speechless. I tried to give him more time so he would eventually forget, but he was very insistent. We kept arguing for 30 minutes until I gave in. I decided to think of another way to prepare for the worst-case scenario. I decided to wait for him on the other side of the canal. He agreed to this condition.
As soon as I reached for my camera, he took off! He made the jump after only the first try!
RUSLAN:
Before the jump, I was sitting in my car because when it’s on, I can feel the vibration of the engine. Then I turned it off to wait for my dad to give the signal. Then I threw a signal like I always do before my jumps. Then I turned on the car and backed it up a bit so I could get more speed in my jump. But I hit the gas pedal too hard and my foot slipped off it. I wasn’t thinking at that moment, but I made sure to go as fast as I could. I was so nervous! But I jumped and when I landed, it shook the car and myself around violently. It felt like I hit a brink roll. But I made the landing then I started crying because it was too scary for me. I cried afterwards; I was just so nervous! After we were finished, I was so happy! I started to drive in circles in excitement and made donut holes.
AMANDA:
I told him to please not text me before the jump because I would start imaging the worst. I would rather wake up, enjoy my coffee and forget what was happening. I didn’t want to think about anything at the moment. Then he texted me saying he had done it and had made it. I was actually…
ARTHUR:
In shock.
AMANDA:
My body just dropped, it felt like a heart attack to me! I just wanted to collapse and thank God.
RENCA:
We asked if there are any comments that the parents want to share about Ruslan’s journey.
AMANDA:
As a mom, many people have told me that they cannot imagine allowing their kids do something like this. I do understand how mothers feel. I remember, looking back, I would’ve said the same thing!
ARTHUR:
You would cry and cry.
AMANDA:
Yes, I would cry. I’ve already been there before where I always focused on the negative. These two had to tell me to stop being so negative. Then I started to see improvement in this area.
ARTHUR:
You want to make sure you’re letting kids experience a lot of things. Try to not say “no” all the time. I know that there might be risks involved, it might be unsafe or anything like that. But let them have these experiences. The more experiences they get, the more learning opportunities they will get. If they don’t get these experiences, then they won’t learn.
RENCA:
So now Ruslan, what’s your advice for some of these young people watching you right now? Is there any input that you’d like to share with them?
RUSLAN:
Um, don’t always talk it down. “What if?”
We’re always imaging the worse, what I crash or what if something bad happens?
What if, what if? We need to stop doing that and just let it happen rather than dwelling on the negative. It is not going to help you.
RENCA:
When you go to a gas station, you know the small computer box for you to swipe your card and choose a pump? Right now a lot of gas stations across the USA have a clip of Ruslan’s driving.
(VIDEO)
Arthur, the father, mentioned that Chevron will have a commercial released soon and Ruslan will be part of it. There are other upcoming ones too.
The Yankilevich family made it clear that people should not try the same stunts at home unless you are a professional and you have medics and other crew members with you.
You can follow Ruslan and his journey on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
(Usernames with a picture of Ruslan)
Ruslan, we wish you the best of luck on your journey.
LINKS:
YOUTUBE
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUxlcGnbmqpJeBvf2WwG0jw/videos
ruslan_greasehandz
https://www.facebook.com/RuslanGreaseHandz/?eid=ARAm4ojvPdisRYHBTjmssm7ZgYX6hGYNWfCZklZp9_Ft45hBL9bQtrCqVmpIu74E7wpMRH0FiiBQelwi
VIRAL VIDEO ON BEN PHILLIPS’ PAGE
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=886533245055404
SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
FACEBOOK/TheRuslanYankilevich
INSTAGRAM/Ruslan_greasehandz
YOUTUBE/Ruslan Yankilevich
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