Winter weather delays flights, holiday travel across US
Christmas Day created travel chaos for certain travelers. In parts of Nebraska, semis jackknifed, vehicles piled up, and some drivers slid off of the road, Monday, Dec. 25.
Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) reported responding to at least 100 weather-related incidents.
The NSP urged drivers to only travel if necessary and carry a survival kit in case vehicles get stranded. Authorities also say to stay in the car if waiting for help.
In the upper Midwest, heavy snow, freezing rain and whipping winds are the reason for those words of caution.
Nebraska isn’t the only state feeling the wrath of winter.
Parts of South Dakota, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming were under blizzard warnings Tuesday, Dec. 26.
Forecasters expect the extreme conditions to get worse in some areas, and they predict up to a foot of snow in south-central South Dakota.
The storm is expected to weaken Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service. However, a “wintry mix” may last until Wednesday across the Plains and upper Midwest.
For travelers looking toward the skies, air travel seems a little more welcoming.
According to Flight Aware, a flight tracking website, just 2,430 flights were delayed and 68 canceled as of Tuesday morning.
Southwest Airlines had the most delays with 663, but just two cancellations.
Flight Aware reported 3,514 total delays and 174 cancellations Monday.
Substantially more flights were delayed or canceled Saturday through Sunday. On Saturday, there were 5,901 delays and 250 cancellations. Sunday, 3,881 flights were delayed and 363 were canceled.
The bulk of delays once again came from Southwest, accounting for 2,690.
A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines blamed most of the delays on fog at Chicago Midway.
This year, airlines have prepared for massive amounts of passengers by hiring thousands of pilots, flight attendants and other workers.
The enhanced hiring efforts are to avoid the delays and cancellations that created a travel nightmare in 2022, most notably, Southwest Airlines stranding more than 2 million people.
Earlier this month, Southwest Airlines reached a $140 million settlement with the federal government for the ordeal.
However, 2023 is proving to be a much better year for airlines. The Department of Transportation is reporting the lowest flight cancellation rate in five years.
The percentage of flights canceled is at 1.3%, down from 2.3% in 2022, and even lower than pre-pandemic flight cancellations. But the test isn’t over yet, with AAA predicting 115 million people to travel by car or air nationwide by the time New Year’s Day arrives. That number is up 2% from last year.
If traveling by air, experts say travelers should check their flight status before heading to the airport, and check in online to avoid lengthy lines.
For drivers, check the weather, tire pressure and make sure to have a full tank of gas.
Blankets, flashlights and extra winter gear are also suggested, as well as food and water in case of emergencies.
Southwest Airlines’ $140 million fine includes future travel vouchers
Southwest Airlines is facing a $140 million penalty over 2022’s holiday hellscape. The airline’s nationwide meltdown disrupted travel for about two million passengers at the end of December. In all, Southwest Airlines canceled nearly 17,000 flights.
On Monday, Dec. 18, the Department of Transportation announced the record-setting fine, which is roughly 30 times what was previously the department’s largest airline penalty.
“Today’s action sets a new precedent and sends a clear message: if airlines fail their passengers, we will use the full extent of our authority to hold them accountable,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.
Part of the $140 million penalty mandates Southwest Airlines set up a $90 million compensation fund. That fund will be used to distribute $75 travel vouchers to future passengers who get to their destination at least three hours late when it is the airline’s fault. The payout is on top of the airline already paying for hotels, food and handling rebooking.
The government said over 2022’s holiday travel, Southwest violated consumer protection laws in three ways:
Failing to provide adequate customer service assistance
Failing to provide prompt flight status notifications
Failing to provide refunds in a prompt and proper manner
Of the $140 million penalty, $35 million is a cash penalty Southwest will pay the government. The rest will go to passengers through the mandated $90 million compensation fund and Rapid Rewards points.
“Southwest is going to be leading the industry, if only because they’ve been ordered to,” Buttigieg said.
Buttigieg said the government is working on a rule that could make direct compensation an industry standard.
The Department of Transportation said Southwest Airlines has already paid more than $600 million in refunds and reimbursements to travelers affected by the notorious holiday meltdown of 2022. Together, the department said this penalty brings Southwest’s total compensation to more than $750 million. Southwest also distributed 25,000 reward points to each passenger affected in 2022.
More hostages set to be released as Israel-Hamas cease-fire is extended: The Morning Rundown, Nov. 28, 2023
More hostages are set to be released today as the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas is extended. And, if you don’t use your Google account too often, you have only a few days left before it gets deleted. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023.
More hostages expected to be released as Hamas-Israel war cease-fire continues
More hostages are expected to be released on Tuesday, Nov. 28, as the temporary truce between Israel and Hamas enters a fifth day. The two sides agreed to extend the limited cease-fire, which would have ended Monday, Nov. 27, by two additional days.
According to an Egyptian official, whose country is among those mediating talks between Israel and Hamas, the two-day extension would see Hamas releasing 10 women and children each day in exchange for 30 Palestinians currently detained in Israeli prisons.
The official said the extension would also see additional humanitarian aid enter Gaza. The two-day extension to the cease-fire between Hamas and Israel was announced Monday, Nov. 27, by Qatari mediators hours before 11 more Israeli hostages were released, including 3-year-old twins.
As part of the deal, Israel released 33 Palestinian prisoners, 30 minors and three women. On Monday night, Nov. 27, a group of Senate Democrats met with senior-level Israel Defense Forces officials at the capitol to discuss the war and the conditions in Gaza.
Senator Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, described the meeting as “extremely frank.” In the two-hour meeting, senators say they discussed the humanitarian situation and Israel’s plans for what will happen the day after the cease-fire with Hamas ends.
Federal judge blocks Trump’s attempt to subpoena Jan. 6 committee records
“The broad scope of the records that Defendant seeks, and his vague description of their potential relevance, resemble less ‘a good faith effort to obtain identified evidence’ than they do ‘a general ‘fishing expedition,’”
Judge Chutkan
The former president had attempted to subpoena for what his team says are “missing” records from the committee. In a ruling on Monday, Nov. 27, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan called that attempt a “fishing expedition.”
Trump’s legal team had planned to subpoena several people involved in the committee’s investigation, including the U.S. archivist and the clerk of the House of Representatives, among others, as Trump’s team argued that there is “significant overlap between the select committee’s investigation and this case.”
Monday’s ruling, Nov. 27, states that the federal officials will not have to hand over any records for the trial. The judge added that Trump’s team had been given transcripts of interviews from the committee’s investigation and did not illustrate how the records outlined in their request would be relevant to Trump’s defense.
Only 36% of voters said it does; that number is down significantly from 53% who said the same in a 2012 poll and 48% in 2016. Among all respondents, 18% said the American dream never held true.
Another Wall Street Journal poll last year asked a similar question: whether those who worked hard will likely get ahead. Of those respondents, 68% said yes, nearly twice the share in this new poll.
This story is not getting much coverage from left-leaning media outlets. That’s according to our Media Miss™ tool. We want to highlight this detail so you can get a complete picture of the news.
Those more likely to not believe in the American dream were younger people and women. However, 35% of voters did rate the economy’s performance as good or excellent, an increase from 20% in March. The survey of 1,163 voters was conducted in late October.
Straight Arrow News strives to provide unbiased, fact-based news in addition to offering a comprehensive look at how the media is covering stories that matter most. Learn more about the Media Miss™ tool and decide for yourself.
Passenger jumps out of plane’s emergency door while on tarmac
After leaving the plane, the man climbed onto the wing and then jumped onto the ground, where he was apprehended by law enforcement and then taken to a hospital for evaluation. Officials said the man was believed to be suffering from “a mental health emergency.” He is not expected to face any charges. Officials added that no passengers or crew members were injured in the incident.
Google to delete inactive accounts beginning Dec. 1
So, if you want to save those precious family photos, make sure you log into your account and read through some emails, watch a YouTube video, share a photo, or download an app before the company implements its new policy. The full list of ways to avoid having your inactive account deleted is below.
Reading or sending an email
Using Google Drive
Watching a YouTube video
Sharing a photo
Downloading an app
Using Google Search
Using Sign in with Google to sign in to a third-party app or service
This applies only to personal accounts; Google’s updated policy does not affect accounts set up through work, school, or other organizations. Google said this move is to protect account holder’s privacy. And if you have an account that falls into this category, Google will notify you before it gets deleted.
Merriam-Webster’s word of the year: authentic
With the rise of artificial intelligence being a hot topic in recent months, Merriam-Webster has declared “authentic” its Word of the Year for 2023. The company said “authentic,” whose various meanings include “not false or imitation” and being “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character,” saw a substantial increase in searches this year.
Merriam-Webster points to celebrities like Taylor Swift and Sam Smith using the terms “authentic voice” and “authentic self,” causing interest in the word. X owner Elon Musk said CEOs using social media should be more “authentic.”
Late winter storm disrupts more than 1,000 flights
More than 1,000 U.S.-based flights have been canceled as of Wednesday morning. Further delays and disruptions are expected as 19 states face winter storm warnings.
The blizzard conditions are just beginning and snowfall is expected to last through Thursday. Minnesota and Wisconsin could accumulate as much as 24 inches of snow. Freezing rain is another threat, along with temperatures that could feel as low as 50 degrees below zero.
Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan are facing ice storm warnings.
Travel disruptions are likely to continue as airlines try to avoid the scheduling crisis that affected Southwest last December.
The Minneapolis area is supposed to be one of the hardest hit regions of the country. The Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport could shut down completely depending on how severe the area is hit by the late winter blast.
Morning rundown: Turkey’s deadly earthquake; Beyonce’s record Grammys
A significant earthquake killed hundreds of people in the Middle East this morning; debris from the Chinese spy balloon shot down over the weekend is being investigated by U.S. officials; and another near collision between two airplanes at a U.S. airport over the weekend. These stories and more highlight the daily morning rundown for Monday, Feb. 6, 2023.
The death toll has continued to dramatically increase. At least 1,500 people are reported dead. Hundreds more are unaccounted for and believed to be trapped under rubble. The death toll is expected to keep rising.
U.S. officials have already issued a statement this morning saying the U.S. will send support in the recovery efforts.
Spy balloon taken down, tension remains
A story of a Chinese spy balloon hovering over the U.S. ended over the weekend when U.S. officials shot down the Chinese satellite once it was over the South Carolina coast line.
The move has angered Beijing. China called the takedown of the satellite a “clear over-reaction” and a “serious violation of international practice.”
Now, top U.S. officials are examining parts of the spy balloon that were collected after it was shot down.
Santos accused of sexual misconduct
George Santos, the Republican congressman from Long Island who dealt with a number of controversies since his election, has now been accused of sexual misconduct, and an ethics violation by a prospective staffer.
The staffer said on social media that Santos grabbed him inappropriately in Santos’ office space. Santos and his attorney have not commented on the allegations.
FedEx plane, Southwest jet nearly collide
Another near miss happened on an airport-runway over the weekend. This time the near-collision was avoided at an Austin, Texas airport, involving a Southwest plane bound for Cancun given the OK for takeoff, and an in-coming FedEx cargo plane given the OK for landing.
The FedEx cargo airplane had to abort its attempted-landing on Saturday after the Southwest airplane full of passengers was on the same runway. Air traffic control was in communication with both the FedEx and Southwest pilots. But as the Southwest plane rolled out, the FedEx plane was flying in. FedEx aborted the landing and avoided a near-collision. The tower in Austin apologized to the pilot.
A similar near-collision happened last month in New York city involving airplanes from American and Delta.
Dell to eliminate 6,650 jobs
Dell Technologies is the latest tech company to announce significant job cuts. More than 6,500 jobs, or 5% of its workforce, will be eliminated.
Not only did the company cite the current market conditions, but they’re also battling a deep cut in demand. In the fourth quarter last year, Dell had a 37% decline in PC computer shipments compared to the previous year.
Beyonce crowned queen of Grammys
There’s a new queen crowned with the most Grammys of all time after last night’s awards show. Beyonce won four Grammys on Sunday for her album “Renaissance.” That equals 32 total Grammy awards in her career. That is the most any one has ever one.
While Beyonce’s thunder stole the show, Harry Styles won Album of The Year.
40 million people are under winter weather alerts; Congressman George Santos steps down from his committees; and the people have spoke, the government is this country’s No. 1 problem. This is Straight Arrow News. Unbiased. Straight Facts.
Winter weather grounds planes, kills one
More than 40 million people are under winter weather alerts as an ice storm pounds the Midwest. The snow, ice and freezing temperatures are working their way northeast from Texas and Arkansas, all the way up through Tennessee to Pennsylvania. These conditions are expected to last for at least another 48 hours.
Police throughout the region are warning people to stay off the icy roads. There have been hundreds of accidents in multiple states, including one fatal crash in Texas.
Flight delays and cancellations are also adding up. According to Flight Aware, more than 1,200 flights have been canceled and 1,700 delayed. Dallas’ two big airports, DFW and Love Field, are the most impacted.
Santos steps down from committees
Rep. George Santos, who admitted to lying about nearly every aspect of his life, is stepping down from his congressional committee assignments.
Santos informed fellow House Republicans of his decision Tuesday morning, but there is still no indication that he will resign, despite continued calls to do so from his constituents and members of his own party. Santos is under investigation by prosecutors in New York and the House Ethics Committee for possibly lying on his campaign finance forms.
“Again this process is going to play itself out. I’ve already commented on this numerous times and again it’s going to play itself out. But ultimately voters are going to make that decision. whether it’s in the primary election or general election,” said Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Tuesday morning.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had been under pressure to remove Santos from committees, especially after he took Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell off the Intelligence Committee.
China warns McCarthy to skip Taiwan
On foreign policy, Speaker McCarthy has been warned by China’s Foreign Ministry not to visit Taiwan. The ministry says a visit by the Speaker would violate the U.S.’s long-standing “One China” policy.
It’s been reported that the Pentagon is making preparations for McCarthy to go later this year. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August. After her visit, China began a week of military drills that surrounded the island.
Death toll from Pakistan bombing grows
Now, an update to a story from Monday. At least 100 people are dead and 225 are wounded after a terrorist attack in Pakistan. A suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest inside a mosque. Some were killed and injured during the initial explosion and when the roof collapsed.
The Pakistani Taliban initially claimed responsibility for the attack, but a spokesperson later walked it back saying it is not their policy to attack mosques. There has been an increase in violence since the terrorist organization called off a cease-fire with government forces in November. The mosque was located inside a secure police compound. Most of the victims were members of law enforcement.
Licenses for undocumented California immigrants
In 2015, California enacted a law that allows immigrants in the country illegally to obtain a driver’s license. Now, seven years later, more than a million people in the state have obtained what’s called an AB60 license. The program is being expanded this month to also provide state ID’s to those who don’t drive or can’t take a drivers test like the elderly or disabled.
The licenses and IDs are only recognized at the state level, they cannot be used at the federal level. They also don’t give anyone the right to vote, work or receive public benefits. They can be obtained at the DMV by providing a passport and other documents like immigration forms, medical bills or employment papers. California is one of 19 states that allow illegal immigrants to get a drivers license.
Americans: ‘government is No. 1 problem’
Before the midterm elections, Americans said their biggest concern was the economy. Well, not anymore. According to a new Gallup poll, the government and poor leadership is the most important problem facing this country today.
In a survey of the U.S. adults, 21% said the government is the top problem, followed by inflation and immigration. Displeasure with leadership is bipartisan, both Democrats and Republicans said it was their top issue.
Midday rundown: Schiff seeks Senate seat, DOJ cracks down on cybercrime
The Justice Department has cracked down on one of the world’s largest cyber criminal groups; and Southwest’s holiday debacle has cost the company hundreds of millions in losses. These stories and more highlight your daily rundown for the afternoon of Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023.
Rep. Adam Schiff announces bid for Senate
Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff announced Thursday he will seek the Senate seat long held by Dianne Feinstein. Feinstein filed reelection paperwork for 2024, but hasn’t yet commented on whether she will seek a sixth term.
Schiff has become a popular name in the Democratic Party, and more and more politicians across the country are announcing their plans for 2024.
Justice Department disrupts major ransomware group
The Justice Department announced Thursday a major cyber crackdown against one of the world’s most prolific ransomware gangs. The Hive gang is known to hack companies’ systems then threaten to leak sensitive information on the internet unless they pay up.
The gang reportedly swindled schools, hospitals and businesses out of more than $100 million in extortion payments. The department was able to seize its website and dismantle its digital infrastructure.
Boeing in court over 737 Max crashes
The families who lost loved ones in the Boeing 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 are finally getting their day in court.
Boeing is being arraigned Thursday in federal court on criminal charges of conspiracy to commit fraud. The charges are related to two crashes that killed 346 people. The judge is allowing family members of those killed to be heard during the proceeding.
Investigators blame both crashes on a flawed automated flight control system that forced the planes into uncontrollable nosedives. Federal prosecutors accuse Boeing of deceiving the FAA about the system.
Two years ago, Boeing avoided criminal prosecution by entering into an agreement with the DOJ. Under the terms of the deal, Boeing admitted to defrauding the FAA by concealing safety problems and agreed to pay $2.5 billion in fines.
Man arrested for Planned Parenthood fire
Wednesday, two people charged for vandalizing pro-life clinics in Florida. Now a man in Illinois has been arrested for setting a Planned Parenthood clinic on fire.
The state of Illinois passed legislation this month protecting rights to an abortion. Two days after the new laws were passed, the Planned Parenthood clinic went up in flames, causing $150,000 worth of damage.
It’s sadly a trend with dozens of clinics, both abortion clinics and pro-life centers, are being attacked.
Southwest posts $220 million loss
Southwest’s holiday meltdown came at a cost for the company. It’s reporting a $220 million loss for the fourth quarter.
More than 16,000 flight delays in the last couple of weeks of December drove up the company’s expenses. That was expected to linger into the first quarter of this year as the company compensates travelers affected by its holiday cancellations.
Louisiana inmates held past release dates
The Justice Department has found the state of Louisiana is holding more than a quarter of inmates beyond their release dates. The department is now investigating the state’s detention issues over the course of several years. The department said it has found what it calls “systemic violations.”
Between January and April of last year, nearly 27% of inmates released from custody were held past their release dates. That’s more than 4,000 inmates. Nearly a thousand were kept behind bars an extra 90 days or longer.
The department largely blames the state’s documentation procedures and says if it’s not corrected in the matter of weeks, it will sue the state of Louisiana.
Shapeshifting robots are among us
Shapeshifting, electrifying robots are walking among us – or at least they could be soon. Scientists have created a liquid metal “droid” in the shape of a man. It can flow through the bars of a cage before rebuilding itself.
It may remind you of the Terminator movies, but engineers say their inspiration actually came from squishy sea cucumbers.
The silver bot was made by embedding magnetic particles in gallium, a metal with a very low melting point.
With FAA outage explained, more flight disruptions could be ahead
“The FAA made the necessary repairs to the system and has taken steps to make the [Notice to Air Missions] system more resilient,” the FAA said in the statement. “The agency is acting quickly to adopt any other lessons learned in our efforts to ensure the continuing robustness of the nation’s air traffic control system.”
In the statement, the FAA added it “has so far found no evidence of a cyber-attack or malicious intent.” The agency added it is still investigating.
The FAA outage statement comes as one airline CEO warned there may be more flight disruptions for travelers. Speaking on a call with analysts and reporters this week, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said airlines won’t be able to handle all the flights they plan to operate this year.
“The system simply can’t handle the volume today, much less the anticipated growth,” Kirby said. “There are a number of airlines who cannot fly their schedules. The customers are paying the price.”
“This isn’t a partisan issue. This isn’t Democrat, this isn’t Republican. This is infrastructure,” Kirby told CNBC this week. “If we do this, reducing delays, cancellations, all the downline implications that has for the economy, this is one of the easiest paybacks out there.”
Southwest Airlines was one of the largest victims of last month’s winter storms. The airline may also have to deal a further lack of pilots after the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) called for a vote that would give the union the power to call a potential strike.
“I think it is best to consider what our customers have been through over the past several years and the past several weeks,” SWAPA President Capt. Casey Murray said in a Wednesday statement. “It was the lack of discussion or commitment by our leadership team to rectify these issues for our passengers and our pilots that drove us to make the decision to carry forward on this path afforded to us by the Railway Labor Act.”
SWAPA has sought federal mediation in their labor talks with Southwest, which have been ongoing for years. That mediation is scheduled to resume next week. If a deal isn’t reached, a strike vote would begin May 1.
The FAA says human error is to blame for grounded flights; U.S. lawmakers get pay raise; and young girl finds a megalodon tooth. These stories and more highlight the midday rundown for Friday, Jan. 13, 2023.
FAA blames human error for outage
The FAA is now saying personnel, not following procedure while accessing their system, caused an error and damaged a data file. The system is apparently 30 years old and there are no plans to update it for at least another six years. The human error grounded all flights across the U.S. for several hours on Wednesday.
It is now being reported that Canada also experienced an issue in their system at the same time as the U.S. outage, but officials have said the outages are unrelated.
House could expunge Trump impeachment
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has said he’s willing to look at expunging former president Donald Trump’s impeachment.
The two impeachments on Trump were largely partisan as Republicans in the House were outraged at the time. Now that the GOP is back in control, they could possibly take up a resolution that would expunge the impeachment and remove it from the historical record.
House lawmakers get pay a raise
A new rule passed quietly in the House last year could give house lawmakers as much as a $34,000 tax-free pay raise. The rule was passed late in December, while Democrats still had control of the chamber.
The House was able to pass a new policy that reimburses members for any expenses that may occur on the job in Washington.
That includes the cost of lodging, food and travel while on official business in Washington, D.C. The place they live for about one-third of the year. Washington, D.C. has one of the highest costs of living in the country.
Maryland girl finds megalodon tooth
A family from Maryland discovered a shark tooth in the waters off the east coast.Not just any shark tooth, but a tooth that belonged to a megalodon.
A paleontologist examined the fossil and confirmed it once belonged inside the jaw of a massive 50-foot shark. A specific species of megalodon that once roamed the ocean 4 million years ago.
The family’s nine-year-old daughter discovered the tooth in shallow water during a low tide.
An outage at the FAA disrupts thousands of flights; assault rifles banned in Illinois and the COVID-19 public health emergency extended. These stories and more highlight the midday rundown for Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023.
COVID-19 public health emergency extended
The Department of Health and Human Services has extended the COVID-19 public health emergency today. It’s something that was expected happen this week. This means COVID-19 tests and vaccines will continue to be paid for by the government.
Once the public health emergency ends, insurance companies will largely be responsible for the costs of COVID-19 treatments.
The administration is reportedly looking to end the public health emergency this spring.
7,700 flights canceled or delayed
There’s been nearly 7,000 flights delayed today and more than 1,000 canceled. The FAA experienced an outage this morning. It affected part of its system that relays important safety alerts to pilots on airborne issues and ground traffic at airports.
All airplanes were grounded until the system was fixed. Now, it’s causing a ripple effect, as travelers at airports are caught in an entanglement of cancellations.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, criticized the FAA today, calling the error “unacceptable.”
“The flying public deserves safety in the sky. The FAA’s inability to keep an important safety system up and running is completely unacceptable and just the latest example of dysfunction within the Department of Transportation. The administration needs to explain to Congress what happened,” said Cruz.
Illinois assault rifle ban in effect
The Illinois governor signed sweeping gun control legislation into law this week. Effective immediately, the sale and distribution of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines is banned in Illinois. The new law also bans switches used to convert handguns into assault weapons.
Illinois courts also have new powers to prevent dangerous individuals from possessing a gun, through firearm restraining orders.
The governor says the new measures are in response to the Highland Park shooting that happened in Illinois last July.
Possible prosecution over abortion pill
If a woman takes an abortion pill to terminate her pregnancy, she could be prosecuted for it in the state of Alabama. The news came straight from Alabama’s attorney general.
The state is one that already has an abortion ban. But just last week, the FDA approved two abortion pills that can be sent through the mail with a prescription.
The Department of Justice issued an opinion that the postal service could deliver pills in states that ban abortion. But Alabama is warning women that if they take the pill, they could face prosecution.
The state would use an existing law that makes it illegal for women to take drugs while pregnant.
More than half of all abortions in the U.S. are carried out through a pill.
More animal species found to have had COVID-19
It’s been known that animals could get COVID-19. But a new report says the problem is more widespread than previously known. Infection is occurring in both domesticated and wild animals.
Throughout the pandemic, hundreds of dogs and cats contracted the virus, as well as zoo animals like tigers, lions, gorillas, leopards and otters.
Only three wild species have tested positive for COVID-19 in the U.S. Those include mink, mule deer, and white-tailed deer. Experts say since testing wild animals is so infrequent, there’s a good chance that more species have been affected. How they’re getting COVID-19 remains a mystery.
New Girl Scouts cookie unveiled
If you’re in the winter blues, how about a Girl Scouts cookie to cheer you up? Girl Scouts cookies will soon be outside of a grocery store near you.
This is the first look at the newest addition to the batch. Introducing the highly-anticipated “Raspberry Rally” cookie. The “sister cookie” to the beloved Thin Mint.
It’s dipped in the same chocolate as a Thin Mint and it is the same texture on the inside. The difference is on the inside, it has a raspberry flavor.
If this cookie sounds good to you, it will have to be purchases online. It is the first ever online exclusive cookie that the Girl Scouts have ever sold.