Wednesday, January 4 top stories
It is Wednesday, January 4. Here are today’s top stories.
Update on California cliffside crash
Here is a shocking update on the California cliffside crash that I reported yesterday. Four people, including two children, in a Tesla vehicle fell about 250 feet down a steep cliff and all survived. First responders said it was a miracle.
The four people were a married couple and their two children. Police have arrested the father, Dharmesh A. Patel, on suspicion of attempted murder and child abuse. They believe the father intentionally drove the Tesla off the cliff after gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses.
Dharmesh is from Pasadena. He worked as a doctor at a medical center. A neighbor of the Patels said it is very heartbreaking and that they seemed like a happy family.
McCarthy fails to become speaker after 5 votes
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif) failed to become the Speaker of the House after five rounds of voting fell short of a majority. At least 218 votes are required.
About 20 Republicans voted for alternative Republican candidates.
All 212 Democrats voted for their leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
So that leaves McCarthy with about 200 votes, which is not enough. What this shows is that the Republican Party is splintered after it gained control from Democrats.
Former President Donald Trump urged Republicans to back McCarthy. President Biden said this is not his problem and that he thinks it is a little embarrassing.
McCarthy has vowed to keep trying again and again in the race.
The House cannot swear in its new members who won elections in November until a speaker is elected.
Damar Hamlin shows signs of improvement
The Buffalo Bills said player Damar Hamlin, who suffered cardiac arrest during a game on Monday night, is still in the ICU in critical condition but is showing signs of improvement. He is expected to stay in the ICU with his health team monitoring him.
Hamlin’s uncle said he is sedated and on a ventilator and that doctors are working on getting him to breathe on his own. Hamlin’s agent said his oxygen levels were improving.
Hamlin’s community foundation has continued to receive thousands of donations with its GoFundMe now at $6.5 million.
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“Atmospheric river storm” to hit California
Axios reported that a “potent atmospheric river storm” is going to hit California today and tomorrow. The storm will cause flooding rains, damaging winds, and mountain snowfall. There may be serious flooding in central and Northern California. A major concern is landslides in mountainous areas.
An atmospheric river is described as “narrow currents of moisture-laden air that can transport vast amounts of water vapor thousands of miles.”
California has already gone through a series of storms and it is a case of “weather whiplash” with the state previously going through a long drought and now becoming doused.
Russia blames cellphone use for revealing
Russia’s military said the death toll from a Ukrainian airstrike on a building in the eastern Ukraine region of Donetsk is now at 89 Russian soldiers. Russia blamed the “unauthorized use of cellphones” for revealing their location to the Ukrainian military.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said Ukraine is prepared for more attacks from Russia. He recently had a meeting with French President Macron about getting more aid for its defenses.
News reports said there is heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine.
In separate but related news, Ukrainian authorities said they found torture chambers in Kherson, a city that was previously occupied by the Russian military. There are images of cells, a burnt bed in an otherwise intact room, and walls with spray paint of pro-Russian symbols such as “Z.” Investigators looking into potential war crimes said they found evidence that local residents were held in cells for days and tortured and forced to write Russian patriotic texts.
Southwest sued for not providing refunds
Reuters reported that Southwest Airlines is facing a lawsuit from a passenger who said the airline failed to provide refunds to passengers who were stranded during Southwest’s mass cancellations at the end of December in the middle of a winter storm.
The lawsuit is proposing class action. The person filing the lawsuit, Eric Capdeville, said although Southwest promised to reimburse passengers for expenses, he only got an offer for credit for him and his daughter. He said it meant he couldn’t book a flight ticket with another company.
Southwest said in a statement that they are working to process refunds for canceled flights and reimbursing customers for expenses they had to pay because of the disruption in their flights.
Pete Buttigieg, the Secretary of Transportation, said at the end of December that the flight cancellations were unacceptable and that the law requires refunds when carriers cancel flights unless passengers accept rebooking.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://abc7.com/tesla-crash-devils-slide-pasadena-man-arrested-dharmesh-a-patel/12647915/
https://www.axios.com/2023/01/04/house-speaker-vote-kevin-mccarthy
https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/damar-hamlin-nfl-buffalo-bills-news-01-04-23/index.html
https://www.gofundme.com/f/mxksc-the-chasing-ms-foundation-community-toy-drive
https://www.axios.com/2023/01/04/california-atmospheric-river-storm-wind-flooding