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The Morning Rundown™

Drone crash video released, threat to ban TikTok: March 16 rundown


Declassified video shows the moment a Russian fighter jet collided with a U.S. drone over the Black Sea; the U.S. hands TikTok an ultimatum; teachers strike in L.A.; and the lab has lost its top-dog status. These stories highlight Straight Arrow News’ March 16 morning rundown. 

Drone crash video released

The U.S. military released a declassified video of the moment a U.S. drone collided with a Russian fighter jet.

The jets took two different passes: One to spray the drone with jet fuel, according to the U.S. military, and the second interaction resulted in a collision with the drone’s propeller.

Communications were temporarily lost with the drone as the video feed can be seen pixelating into color bars in its last images on impact.

The new video comes as Russia denied claims of responsibility. Both Russia and the U.S. are rushing to recover the drone that fell into the Black Sea.

TikTok told to sell or face ban

TiktTok said the U.S. is asking its parent company to divest its stakes in the social media platform or it could face a possible nationwide ban. It’s the latest development in a series of events tied to the federal government and states calling for tighter restrictions on an app some say poses national security concerns.

TikTok disagrees with the ultimatum, saying there are other steps to take instead, like third-party monitoring and U.S.-based data storage.

Yellen testifies amid banking stock instability

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will be on Capitol Hill to testify about the nation’s banking industry. It has been one week since the start of Silicon Valley Bank’s demise, which threatened bank stocks around the world. And now, one of Europe’s largest banks is in jeopardy.

Credit Suisse announced it will borrow nearly $54 billion from the Swiss national bank, creating the most recent ripple in banking investments around the world.

Investor panic led to stock losses for four major U.S. banks on Wednesday.

Democrats and the White House are calling for legislation to tighten regulations on U.S. banks. The Department of Justice has launched probes into SVB’s collapse.

South Korea, Japan strengthen ties

Two U.S. allies are shoring up their differences and forming an alliance. For the first time in 12 years, Japan and South Korea are attending a summit seeking a united front in the face of growing concerns over North Korea and China.

The two nations have vowed to resume regular visits between their leaders after more than a decade on hold. And they’re taking steps to set aside a convoluted history and resolve a trade dispute.

As the U.S. allies signal partnership, North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles ahead of their meeting. It’s the third weapons testing from the North in the week of Mar. 13. The U.S. and South Korea are practicing their own military drills, as well.

LA teacher strike could close schools

A three-day strike of Los Angeles public school employees could shut down schools, beginning Tuesday, Mar. 21.

Union leaders representing tens of thousands of teachers, custodians, bus drivers, and other school employees will walk out on the job unless the school district meets unions’ demands.

The district and its two largest unions have been at odds over contract negotiations for months, with pay being its biggest issue. Employees want a 30% raise. The district wants to meet in the middle at a 15% raise.

The superintendent of schools said the unions are refusing to negotiate but has publicly offered to meet with unions round the clock until a solution is reached.

America’s new favorite dog breed

After more than three decades as America’s most loved dog breed, Labrador Retrievers are no longer the top dog.

Now, the French Bulldog is America’s favorite. According to the American Kennel Club, the popularity of the Frenchie has been rising steadily.

With bat-like ears and wrinkly noses, the French Bulldog breed is touted around by many celebrities, from Reese Witherspoon to Megan Thee Stallion.

Rounding out the top three: Golden Retrievers.

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KARAH RUCKER: TOP STORIES ON THIS THURSDAY – BUT FIRST WE BEGIN WITH NEWLY RELEASED VIDEO THIS MORNING – SHOWING THE MOMENT A RUSSIAN FIGHTER JET COLLIDED WITH A U.S. DRONE OVER THE BLACK SEA.

DRONE CRASH VIDEO RELEASED

THE U.S. MILITARY HAS RELEASED DRAMATIC DECLASSIFIED VIDEO TAKEN BY THE U.S. DRONE ON TUESDAY – SHOWING THE MOMENT A RUSSIAN FIGHTER JET APPROACHED AND COLLIDED WITH IT.

THERE WERE TWO DIFFERENT PASSES TAKEN BY THE JETS – ONE TO SPRAY THE DRONE WITH JET FUEL – ACCORDING TO THE MILITARY. THEN THE SECOND ONE BEING THE COLLISION WITH A PROPELLER OF THE DRONE.

COMMUNICATIONS WERE TEMPORARILY LOST WITH THE DRONE AS THE IMAGE CAN BE SEEN PIXELATING INTO COLOR BARS IN ITS LAST IMAGES ON IMPACT.

THE NEW VIDEO COMES AS RUSSIA DENIED CLAIMS OF RESPONSIBILITY…AND EFFORTS BY BOTH RUSSIA AND THE U.S. ARE UNDERWAY TO RECOVER THE DRONE FALLEN INTO THE BLACK SEA.

Gen. Mark Milley | Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff: “It probably broke up. There’s probably not a lot to recover, frankly. As far as the loss of anything of sensitive intelligence, etc., as normal we would take and we did take mitigating measures. So we are quite confident that whatever was of value is no longer of value.”

TIKTOK TOLD TO SELL OR FACE BAN

TIKTOK SAYS THE U.S. IS ASKING ITS PARENT COMPANY TO DIVEST THEIR STAKES IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM — OR IT COULD FACE A POSSIBLE NATIONWIDE BAN.

IT’S THE LATEST AND ONE OF THE MORE SERIOUS DEVELOPMENTS IN A SERIES OF RECENT EVENTS TIED TO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT AND STATES CALLING FOR TIGHTER RESTRICTIONS ON AN APP THEY SAY POSES NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS.

TIKTOK HAS SAID THEY DISAGREE WITH THE ULTIMATUM – SAYING THERE ARE OTHER STEPS TO TAKE – LIKE THIRD-PARTY MONITORING AND U.S. BASED DATA SYSTEMS – INSTEAD OF TWO EXTREMES.

THIS MARKS THE FIRST TIME THE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN HAS THREATENED THE COMPANY WITH A NATIONWIDE-BAN.

SOMETHING THEN-PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP ALSO TRIED DOING IN 2020 BUT WAS BLOCKED BY U.S. COURTS.

YELLEN TESTIFIES AMID UNSTABLE STOCKS

LATER THIS MORNING, THE U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY WILL BE IN THE HOT SEAT ON CAPITOL HILL TO TESTIFY ABOUT THE NATION’S BANKING INDUSTRY. 

IT COMES ONE WEEK SINCE THE START OF SILICON VALLEY BANK’S DEMISE WHICH THREATENED BANK STOCKS AROUND THE WORLD.

AND NOW — ONE OF EUROPE’S LARGEST BANKS IS IN JEOPARDY.

CREDIT SUISSE ANNOUNCED IT WILL BORROW NEARLY 54 BILLION DOLLARS FROM THE SWISS NATIONAL BANK — CREATING THE MOST RECENT RIPPLE IN BANKING INVESTMENTS AROUND THE WORLD.

INVESTOR PANIC LED TO STOCK LOSSES FOR FOUR MAJOR U-S BANKS ON WEDNESDAY – THE TREASURY SECRETARY WILL BE ON CAPITOL HILL TESTIFYING IN FRONT OF A SENATE COMMITTEE TODAY – JUST DAYS AFTER FEDERAL REGULATORS TOOK OVER SILICON VALLEY BANK AND SIGNATURE BANK OF NEW YORK.

DEMOCRATS AND THE WHITE HOUSE ARE CALLING FOR LEGISLATION TO TIGHTEN REGULATIONS ON U.S. BANKS.

THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HAS LAUNCHED PROBES INTO THE COLLAPSE OF SVB.

SOUTH KOREA, JAPAN STRENGTHEN TIES

TWO U.S. ALLIES ARE SHORING UP THEIR DIFFERENCES AND COMING TO AN ALLIANCE OF THEIR OWN. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 12 YEARS – JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA ARE ATTENDING A SUMMIT TODAY – SEEKING A UNITED FRONT IN THE FACE OF GROWING CONCERNS OVER NORTH KOREA AND CHINA.

THE TWO NATIONS HAVE VOWED TO RESUME REGULAR VISITS BETWEEN THEIR LEADERS AFTER MORE THAN A DECADE ON HOLD – THEY’RE TAKING STEPS TO SET SIDE A CONVOLUTED HISTORY AND TO RESOLVE A TRADE DISPUTE.

AS THE U.S. ALLIES SIGNAL PARTNERSHIP – NORTH KOREA LAUNCHED MULTIPLE BALLISTIC MISSILES AHEAD OF THEIR MEETING.

IT’S THE THIRD WEAPONS-TESTING FROM THE NORTH THIS WEEK – AS THE U.S. AND SOUTH KOREA ARE PRACTICING THEIR OWN MILITARY DRILLS THIS WEEK.

LA TEACHER STRIKE COULD CLOSE SCHOOLS

A THREE DAY STRIKE OF LOS ANGELES PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES COULD SHUT DOWN SCHOOLS BEGINNING TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK.

UNION LEADERS REPRESENTING TENS OF THOUSAND OF TEACHERS, CUSTODIANS, BUS DRIVERS, AND OTHER SCHOOL EMPLOYEES – WILL WALK OUT ON THE JOB UNLESS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT MEETS ITS DEMANDS.

THE DISTRICT AND ITS TWO LARGEST UNIONS HAVE BEEN AT ODDS OVER CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS FOR MONTHS — WITH **PAY BEING ITS BIGGEST ISSUE.

EMPLOYEES WANT A 30 PERCENT RAISE.

THE DISTRICT WANTS TO MEET IN THE MIDDLE AT A 15 PERCENT RAISE.

THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS SAYS THE UNIONS ARE QUOTE REFUSING TO NEGOTIATE.

BUT HAS PUBLICLY OFFERED TO MEET WITH UNIONS ROUND THE CLOCK UNTIL A SOLUTION IS REACHED…LOOKING TO AVOID A SCHOOL SHUTDOWN.

AMERICA’S NEW FAVORITE DOG BREED

AFTER MORE THAN THREE DECADES AS AMERICA’S MOST LOVED DOG BREED – LABRADOR RETRIEVERS ARE NO LONGER THE “TOP DOG.”

NOW – THE FRENCH BULLDOG IS RANKED AS NUMBER ONE. ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB – THE POPULARITY OF THE FRENCHIE HAS STEADILY BEEN RISING.

WITH BAT LIKE EARS AND WRINKLY NOSES – IT’S THE FRENCH BULLDOG BREED THAT IS TOUTED AROUND BY MANY CELEBRITIES FROM REESE WITHERSPOON TO MEGAN THEE STALLION.

ROUNDING OUT TOP THREE IS THE FRENCHIE, LABS, AND GOLDEN RETRIEVERS.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP HEADLINES ON THIS THURSDAY MORNING. THANKS FOR WATCHING THE DAILY RUNDOWN WITH STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

WE’RE ON A MISSION TO BRING BACK TRUSTWORTHY JOURNALISM BY ONLY SERVING YOU – NOT AN AGENDA. 

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW MORNING. UNTIL THEN, I’M KARAH RUCKER…HAVE A GREAT DAY!