Hurricane Ian is heading towards Carolinas after hitting Florida
CHARLESTON, SC (AP) — A revived Hurricane Ian threatened the coast of South Carolina and the historic city of Charleston with severe flooding Friday after the deadly storm caused catastrophic damage in Florida and trapped thousands in their homes. Rain showers lashed trees and power lines, and many areas on the peninsula in downtown Charleston were flooded as early as noon. Ian’s landing off the South Carolina coast was expected to coincide with high tide, making the flooding worse. Ian left a trail of destruction in its wake Wednesday after making landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast in one of the strongest storms to ever hit the United States. At least nine people were killed in the US by the storm.
In Ian’s entourage, concerned families are urging rescue efforts
In a desperate bid to find and save loved ones, social media users are sharing phone numbers, addresses and photos of their family members and friends online with anyone who can check on them after Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida. While authorities are advising those affected to contact official emergency channels, strangers are defying conditions online to step in and respond to calls for help. And the relatives are more than grateful. Heather Donlan says her social media post crowdsourced the person she blames for saving her father’s life.
Putin illegally annexes Ukrainian land; Kyiv is aiming to join NATO
Kyiv, Ukraine (AP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed deals to illegally annex parts of Ukraine, while Kyiv has made an “accelerated” application to join NATO. In the Kremlin, Putin and the pro-Moscow leaders of Ukraine’s four regions signed the treaties in a sharp escalation of the war. The signing came three days after the end of Kremlin-orchestrated “referendums” on joining Russia, which Kyiv and the West had dismissed as land-grabbing at gunpoint and based on lies. The NATO chief said the war is at “a crucial moment” and that Putin’s decision was “the most serious escalation” since the war began. Russia bombed Ukrainian cities, and a strike in the capital of the Zaporizhia region killed 30 and wounded 88.
The US hits Russia with new sanctions over Ukraine, tensions mount
WASHINGTON (AP) – The United States and its allies are hitting back at Russia’s annexation of four more Ukrainian regions and imposing sanctions on more than 1,000 Russian individuals and companies, while Moscow and the West escalate an already heated conflict with potential nuclear ones is affected. US officials said Friday they would support any Ukraine effort to retake the annexed territories by force, setting the stage for further hostilities. The US had predicted the likelihood of further sanctions. But developments have dramatically increased tensions to a point not seen since the Cuban Missile Crisis during the Cold War.
Dysfunction in the Texas AG office as Paxton seeks a third term
GATESVILLE, Texas (AP) — As Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton seeks reelection for a third term, behind-the-scenes clutter has thrown his agency out of whack. Seasoned attorneys give up over practices they say aim to undermine legal work, reward loyalists, and root out dissent. An Associated Press investigation found that the Republican attorney general and his deputies have attempted to turn cases to political gain or to advance a broader political agenda, including staff screenings of a debunked film questioning the 2020 election. Adding to the riots was the secret firing of a Paxton supporter, who had been working as a clerk less than two months after leaving office, after trying to make a point at a meeting by showing child pornography.
The abortion ruling intensifies the battle for state supreme courts
The US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn a constitutional abortion right and refer the matter to the states has caused groups on both sides of the debate to focus more than ever on race for state supreme courts this fall. Whether access to abortion is maintained, restricted, or eliminated in a state might depend on whether a state’s Supreme Court has a majority of Democratic or Republican judges. Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina and Ohio are among the states where the races are drawing a lot of interest and spending in light of the upcoming midterm elections.
Palestinians mourn boy who died “out of fear” of Israeli troops
TEQUA, West Bank (AP) — Men clutching the body of a 7-year-old Palestinian boy have marched through a town in the occupied West Bank to his final resting place, a day after his parents said he died fearing Israeli soldiers. Rayan Suleiman’s funeral on Friday came a day after he was killed on his way home from school, his family said. He and his brothers were chased home by Israeli soldiers, according to the parents, who said the troops angrily pounded on the door and threatened to arrest the children. Rayan was dead moments later. The military say soldiers spoke calmly to the family and played no role in the boy’s death.
Unpaid internships are criticized as career obstacles
Unpaid internships are under renewed scrutiny from colleges, state legislatures and student activists. Almost half of all internships are unpaid, making them unaffordable for students who need a wage to keep up with their bills, even if the work is unrelated to their intended career. Many students say they cannot afford to meet the requirements of an internship and should not be expected to work for free to make it in a particular field. The people who can do unpaid internships have financial safety nets, and that means they tend to benefit more affluent and white students, thereby perpetuating wealth disparities.
For Naomi Judd’s family, the tour is an opportunity to mourn and reflect
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Fans have the chance to say goodbye to Naomi Judd, the late matriarch of Grammy-winning country duo The Judds, on a tour that begins Friday. The Judd family continues to mourn her sudden death on April 30, just weeks after the tour was announced. Wynonna Judd, who will helm the 11-city tour beginning Friday, said it was “devastatingly beautiful” to relive her memories of her mother on tour. Daughter Ashley Judd recalled her mother’s compassion and desire to learn, as well as her efforts to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health. The family hopes fans will be encouraged by her musical legacy and advocacy.
NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn’t happen this week
Social media users shared a slew of false claims this week. Here are the facts: Despite denials, a Ukrainian family was killed in a Russian attack on their building in March. A 2021 video shows President Joe Biden urging people in hurricane-prone states to get vaccinated in case they need to evacuate or stay in a shelter, not to protect themselves from the storm. Air traffic analysts say flight cancellations across China over the past week have been consistent with trends amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A video shows a member of an Italian neo-fascist group tearing down a European Union flag in 2013, not after Monday’s elections.
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