KARAH RUCKER: TOP HEADLINES WE’RE FOLLOWING. JOHN FETTERMAN HAS BEEN HOSPITALIZED. DISNEY ANNOUNCES THOUSANDS OF JOB LAYOFFS. AND SOCIAL MEDIA MAYHEM AS FOUR TECH GIANTS EXPERIENCE GLITCHES.

BUT FIRST…WE CONTINUE OUR COVERAGE OUT OF TURKEY…WHERE A DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS WEEK CONTINUES TO CLAIM THOUSANDS OF MORE VICTIMS.

THIS IS STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS. UNBIASED. STRAIGHT FACTS.

TURKEY EARTHQUAKE DEATH TOLL TOPS 17,000

TURKEY RECEIVED THE HARDEST PUNCH FROM MONDAY’S EARTHQUAKE – AROUND 13 THOUSAND PEOPLE IN TURKEY DIED FROM THE HISTORICALLY STRONG QUAKE…WHILE 60 THOUSAND PEOPLE OBTAINED INJURIES.

ON SYRIA’S SIDE OF THE BORDER…ANOTHER NEAR 4 THOUSAND VICTIMS.

THE DEATH TOLL HIKING PASSED 17 THOUSAND THIS MORNING.

HOPES OF FINDING MANY MORE SURVIVORS ARE DWINDLING WITH FEW HAPPY-ENDING STORIES FROM RESCUE CREWS.

A YOUNG GIRL STILL ALIVE WAS SAVED THEN TWO HOURS LATER CREWS FOUND HER FATHER STILL BREATHING TOO.

BUT FOR EVERY HEROIC RESCUE, THERE ARE DOZENS OF OTHER VICTIMS PULLED FROM THE WRECKAGE.

THE CRITICAL TIME FRAME FOR RESCUES IS CLOSING IN. THE SURVIVAL RATIO ON AVERAGE WITHIN 24 HOURS IS 74 PERCENT. BUT AT THIS POINT…MORE THAN 72 HOURS IN…THE SURVIVAL RATIO DROPS TO ONLY 22 PERCENT.

DAY 5…RESCUE CREWS ONLY HAVE A 6 PERCENT CHANCE OF FINDING ANYONE ELSE ALIVE.

JOHN FETTERMAN HOSPITALIZED

SENATOR JOHN FETTERMAN HAS BEEN HOSPITALIZED AFTER REPORTEDLY FEELING LIGHTHEADED WHILE ON A SENATE-DEMOCRATIC-RETREAT IN WASHINGTON D.C.

A STATEMENT FROM HIS STAFF SAYS DOCTORS FOUND NO SIGNS OF A NEW STROKE — BUT ARE RUNNING MORE TESTS.

THE NEWLY ELECTED SENATOR FROM PENNSYLVANIA SUFFERED A STROKE IN MAY DURING HIS CAMPAIGN.

HIS HEALTH AND MENTAL STATE WAS OFTEN BROUGHT UP ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL HEADING INTO NOVEMBER’S ELECTION.

FETTERMAN REMAINED IN THE HOSPITAL OVERNIGHT FOR OBSERVATION.

HE WAS ALSO IN ATTENDANCE ON TUESDAY TO WATCH PRESIDENT BIDEN’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS.

STATE OF THE UNION DRAWS SMALL AUDIENCE

PRESIDENT BIDEN’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS DREW IN THE SECOND-SMALLEST AUDIENCE SIZE IN AT LEAST 30 YEARS.

THE YEAR WITH THE SMALLEST NIELSEN RATINGS ON RECORD WAS DURING BIDEN’S FIRST SPEECH AS PRESIDENT IN 20-21. AN ESTIMATED 27.3 MILLIONS PEOPLE WATCHED PRESIDENT BIDEN’S ADDRESS TO THE NATION ON TELEVISION —

VIEWERSHIP DOWN NEARLY 28 PERCENT FROM THE 38.2 MILLION WHO WATCHED THE PRESIDENT SPEAK THE YEAR PRIOR.

THREE OUT OF EVERY FOUR PEOPLE WHO TUNED IN WERE 55-AND-OLDER. ONLY 5 PERCENT WERE YOUNG ADULTS UNDER THE AGE OF 35.

NIELSEN ONLY HAS FIGURES AVAILABLE SINCE PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON’S FIRST ADDRESS TO CONGRESS IN 19-93. THAT YEAR, 66.9 MILLION PEOPLE TUNED IN.

GRANTED A KEY DIFFERENCE IS NOW THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES IN WATCHING THE ADDRESS OTHER THAN JUST ON TV.

THESE FIGURES DON’T INCLUDE THOSE WHO MAY HAVE WATCHED THE EVENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

DISNEY ANNOUNCES 7,000 JOB LAYOFFS

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER CORPORATION LAYING OFF EMPLOYEES.

DISNEY IS PUTTING 7 THOUSAND JOBS ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK AFTER REPORTING FOR THE FIRST TIME A DECREASE IN DISNEY-PLUS SUBSCRIBERS SINCE IT’S STREAMING SERVICE LAUNCHED IN NOVEMBER OF 20-19.

THE MOVE WILL REPORTEDLY SAVE THE COMPANY 5 BILLION DOLLARS…

SOMETHING IT’S NEW-C-E-O SAYS WILL HELP THEM RUN MORE EFFICIENTLY IN A CURRENT “CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT.”

THIS ISN’T SOMETHING UNIQUE TO DISNEY. LAST YEAR WARNER BROTHERS DOWNSIZED IT’S HBO MAX WORKFORCE.

NETFLIX SLASHED HUNDREDS OF JOBS LAST YEAR. AND NOT ONLY ARE THESE ENTERTAINMENT GIANTS DOWNSIZING STAFF BUT THEIR UPPING SUBSCRIPTION COSTS.

DISNEY’S AD-FREE SERVICE HAS JUMPED FROM 7.99 TO 10.99 A MONTH.

SOCIAL MEDIA MAYHEM AS USERS REPORT OUTAGES

HAVE YOU LOGGED ONTO SOCIAL MEDIA LATELY?

YOUR TYPICAL CHAOS QUICKLY TURNED INTO A FRENZY AS INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND YOUTUBE WERE SIMULTANEOUSLY REPORTING ISSUES ON WEDNESDAY.

TWITTER FACED ITS FIRST WIDESPREAD OUTAGE UNDER ELON MUSK. USERS COULDN’T TWEET, SEND DIRECT MESSAGES, OR USE CERTAIN FEATURES.

META’S FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM — SIMILAR STORY. THOUSANDS OF USERS COULDN’T ACCESS THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS.

AND YOUTUBE USERS REPORTED “ERROR” MESSAGES WHEN TRYING TO WATCH VIDEOS.

PROBLEMS THAT PERSISTED FOR HOURS ACROSS PLATFORMS ARE SEEMINGLY RESOLVED THIS MORNING.

FAKE JERSEY CRACKDOWN AHEAD OF SUPER BOWL

AS WE NEAR SUPER BOWL SUNDAY MANY FANS WILL BE SPORTING THEIR TEAMS’ LOGOS. BUT THOSE JERSEYS AND BALL CAPS WITH THE OFFICIAL “NFL EMBLEM” DON’T COME CHEAP. UNLESS IT’S A COUNTERFEIT PRODUCT.

EACH YEAR — THE NFL MAKES MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OFF ITS MERCHANDISE. BUT THAT NUMBER WOULD BE DOUBLED IF NOT FOR THE FAKES OUT THERE SELLING COPY-CAT ITEMS JUST AT A MUCH CHEAPER PRICE.

THAT PRACTICE OF COUNTERFEITING JERSEYS AND OTHER MERCH? IT’S ILLEGAL. AND THE NFL ALONG WITH A FEDERAL AGENCY ARE CRACKING DOWN.

THE NATIONAL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS COORDINATION CENTER” ALREADY CONFISCATING MORE THAN 180 THOUSAND COUNTERFEIT NFL-ATTIRE ITEMS WORTH AROUND 23 MILLION DOLLARS.