Wednesday, February 16 top news briefs
It is Wednesday, February 16. Here are today’s top news briefs.
Priest gave thousands of invalid baptisms
A Catholic priest in Phoenix is facing controversy and has resigned because he didn’t use the correct word during baptism ceremonies for thousands of people over the past 20 years. The priest’s name is Andres Arango. He used the words, “We baptize you” in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, while he was supposed to say, “I baptize you.” The priest said “we” instead of “I.” The reasoning is that “I” is a representation of Christ Jesus, while “we” is a representation of a community. The Diocese of Phoenix has determined that all of those baptisms were invalid, and that this has caused the affected people’s other religious rituals such as confirmation or marriage to be considered invalid. Arango said he is “saddened” about this and “deeply regret” his error. The Phoenix Diocese said the priest is still in good standing and now he will focus his full-time ministry to “help and heal families who were affected by this error.”
Delta passenger attempted to open plane door
A male passenger on a Delta flight on Friday from Salt Lake City to Portland, Oregon attempted to open a plane door about 20 minutes after takeoff. He was restrained by passengers and crew members and was later arrested.
One of the passengers told a news outlet that passengers could hear the screeching of the wind and feel a change in pressure. A flight attendant was able to shut and latch the door.
Federal prosecutors said the man, Michael B. Demarre, said he did this because he hoped passengers would film him so he could share his thoughts on the Covid-19 vaccine.
The man was shouting on the plane that we are all being lied to and that the Earth is bleeding.
He was charged with threatening to interfere and interfering with a flight crew and attendants. The maximum penalty is 20 years in prison.
Missing girl found alive under staircase
In the Albany, New York area, a girl who went missing two years ago when she was 4 years old was found alive and hidden under a staircase. The girl’s name is Paisley Shultis and she is now 6. Police said they received a tip about a home and after an hour of searching, they found a makeshift room under a staircase leading to the basement. Police removed several steps and saw the girl with her abductor and described the area as “dark and wet.” There were blankets in the space. Paisley was found to be in good health and handed to her legal guardian. Police said the girl was taken by her biological but “non-custodial parents.” So they lost custody and then abducted the girl. The biological parents were arrested and charged with custodial interference and endangering the welfare of a child. The names are Kirk Shultis, Jr. (the father), Kimberly Cooper (the mother), and a grandfather, Kirk Shutis, Sr.
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Sydney shark attack
In Sydney, Australia, a swimmer was attacked by a great white shark and died. Witnesses who saw and videotaped the attack said the shark was about 14 feet long. Police said the video footage shows that a body, half a body was taken by a shark. Nearby beaches were closed and first responders used a helicopter and jet skis to scan the waters. Human remains and half a wetsuit was later found. It is not known who the person was and what happened prior to the attack. There were many people swimming and paddle boarding when the attack happened. It is very rare for a fatality to happen from a shark attack in Sydney — the last time was in 1963.
Biden rejects Trump effort to block visitor logs
The Biden administration said it has rejected former president Donald Trump’s attempts to claim executive privilege over White House visitor logs during the last days of his administration. Trump tried to assert a right to block its release, but Biden declined it and the visitor logs will be released to the Jan 6. House panel investigating the Capitol riot. They’ll be able to view the logs.
Coachella festival to return with no Covid-19 rules
The Coachella music festival in Southern California, which was one of the first major events that was cancelled at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, said it would return this April and that there will be no Covid-19-related rules. No vaccination, testing, or masking requirements. The festival usually attracts about 250,000 people.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/02/16/paislee-shultis-staircase-found/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2022/02/16/shark-attack-australia-beach/6811082001/
https://www.tmz.com/2022/02/16/horrifying-sydney-15-ft-shark-attack-beachgoers/?adid=social-twa