DoorDash cracking down on bad delivery drivers as concerns grow in US
DoorDash announced on Tuesday, July 9, that it is cracking down on dangerous delivery drivers and will kick them off its platform. The announcement comes after Boston city officials wrote a letter to the company that cited dangerous behavior from its delivery drivers.
City officials cited instances of DoorDash drivers, or “Dashers,” running red lights, driving on sidewalks, going the wrong way down a one-way street, and other illegal activity.
The new initiative will begin in Boston but may extend to other cities in the future. DoorDash also said it will update its vehicle registration requirements to ensure safer driving habits.
Boston and New York City officials said that in many cases, Dashers are using unregistered vehicles and sharing accounts, which leads to unsafe and unauthorized drivers.
New York authorities have seized 13,000 scooters and mopeds that were unregistered or used to break laws so far this year.
DoorDash will now require drivers to more frequently submit real-time selfies to prove their identities while out for delivery, particularly, when it discovers signs of account sharing. If Dashers are found in violation and fail to confirm their identities, they will be terminated.
However, critics have noted that DoorDash’s algorithm, as well as those of other delivery apps, docks employees for tardiness and rewards them for delivery speed, which may be partly to blame for unsafe driving habits.
“This downward pressure is why you might see delivery workers speeding or going the wrong way down a street on their bike,” John Oliver, the host of “Last Week Tonight,” said in an episode highlighting delivery apps. “The clear incentive is to make as many orders as you can as quickly as you can, even if that means compromising safety.”
DoorDash’s announcement also comes after another incident on June 30. Authorities in Utah said that a Dasher who was using other people’s accounts defecated in a woman’s drink.
After review of security tape, police confirmed the customer’s suspicions.
The Dasher was arrested after being pulled over for a traffic violation while out for another delivery. An affidavit shows the suspect did not have a local ID, only an employment authorization document.
In another incident in 2021 in Southern California, a Dasher was caught on camera using an apartment complex lobby as a toilet.
DoorDash said in statement that the driver was no longer able to deliver for the company. It did not disclose the results of the “private investigation.”
Mass. moving migrants out of Logan Airport, gov’t says state is out of room
Starting July 9, migrant families will no longer be permitted to sleep at Boston’s Logan International Airport. Since the summer of 2023, migrants have been using the airport as a temporary refuge after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, R, bussed thousands of migrants who had crossed the southern border to sanctuary cities across the U.S.
In November 2023, the Massachusetts State Emergency Shelter System reached its capacity of 7,500. The system provides assistance to people living in poverty, pregnant women under the age of 21, and those who lost housing due to fire or no-fault eviction, among other qualifications.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, D, hopes this decision sends a message to the U.S. southern border that the state is out of space.
Healey’s administration announced that it is working to relocate migrant families from the airport to a new safety-net site. Families on the emergency assistance shelter waitlist will be offered transfers to a former prison site in Norfolk, where eligible families can stay for up to nine months, according to a press release.
Healey emphasized that migrants looking to come to Massachusetts must arrange their own shelter accommodations, excluding both Logan Airport and state-run shelters.
“We’ve given enough lead time to work with case managers and service providers in finding new locations for people,” Healey said. “We’ve also made it clear that we won’t be able to provide housing, nor will staying at Logan Airport be an option anymore.”
State officials report increased efforts to provide migrants with work authorization applications, job placements, English classes and reticketing options. In May, 300 families left the state-run emergency shelter system, and officials expect this number to continue rising in the coming months.
Biden administration announces protection for undocumented spouses of US citizens
President Joe Biden takes executive action to protect hundreds of thousands of undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens. And from wildfires to tropical storms to extreme heat, much of the country is under alert for severe weather. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, June 18, 2024.
Biden administration announces protection for undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens
The Biden administration has announced a new immigration policy that will shield undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens from being deported. The executive action will cover approximately 500,000 immigrants living in America for at least 10 years.
Under the program, known as “Parole in Place,” those whose applications are approved by the Department of Homeland Security will be given three years to apply for permanent residency in the U.S. The undocumented spouses would be given work permits, help to gain access to a green card and provided a path to citizenship.
“These actions will promote family unity and strengthen our economy, providing a significant benefit to the country and helping U.S. citizens and their noncitizen family members stay together,” the White House said in a statement.
President Joe Biden is expected to make an announcement on the policy at the White House Tuesday, June 18, as he marks the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which protects undocumented immigrants who came to America as children from deportation.
The new policy announcement is already being met with criticism from some Republicans. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, wrote on X that it is “incentivizing more illegal immigration.”
The Biden administration also announced plans to make it easier for those immigrants, commonly known as Dreamers, who have earned a college degree and been offered a job to receive work visas.
These are the latest moves by President Biden on immigration as he seeks reelection. Earlier in June, the president issued an executive order limiting access to asylum seekers who cross the border illegally when the number of encounters reaches a certain point. That policy has already been challenged, with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) suing the administration.
Vladimir Putin to visit North Korea for summit with Kim Jong Un
For the first time in 24 years, Russian President Vladimir Putin will be visiting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as he looks to strengthen ties with the country. Putin will be spending two days in North Korea, where he will meet with Kim for a summit following their talks in Russia in September.
Prior to his visit, Putin wrote a letter that was published in a North Korean state newspaper where he said he appreciates North Korea’s support in its war with Ukraine.
Both the U.S. and South Korea have accused North Korea of providing Russia with military equipment — an act that would violate sanctions by the United Nations Security Council. North Korea and Russia have denied the accusations.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, June 17, White House National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. is keeping an eye on the growing relationship between Putin and North Korea.
“No surprise that [Putin] went to North Korea after his so-called election, a real nailbiter that was,” Kirby quipped to a reporter. “He was going to go on a little bit of a charm offensive here and that’s what he appears to be doing. We’re not concerned about the trip. What we are concerned about is the deepening relationship between these two countries, not just because of the impacts it’s going to have on the Ukrainian people — because we know North Korean ballistic missiles are still being used to hit Ukrainian targets — but because there could be some reciprocity here that could affect security on the Korean Peninsula.”
Additionally, in the letter published in the North Korean paper, Putin said Russia and the North will work together on trade and payment systems that are “not controlled by the West.”
Heat, wildfires, tropical storm threaten U.S. coast to coast
From extreme heat to wildfires to drenching downpours, the U.S. is facing severe weather threats coast to coast. The sweltering heat that’s been scorching the west is now heading to the northeast, putting millions of Americans at risk as temperatures reach up to triple digits.
The National Weather Service warned a looming heat dome could bring temperatures to record-breaking highs well into the following week.
Meanwhile, two major wildfires are burning in the west. Thousands of residents in the southern New Mexico village of Ruidoso were ordered to evacuate their homes Monday, June 17, without taking time to pack anything as the flames quickly approached.
The fire had grown to at least two square miles and burned more than 5,000 acres since it started Monday.
Firefighters are also battling widespread flames in southern California. What’s been dubbed the “Post Fire” has now spread to more than 15,000 acres in Los Angeles County. That fire, which started Saturday, June 15, was 20% contained as of fire officials’ last report Monday night.
Authorities said more than 1,100 firefighters, including air tankers and helicopter crews, are battling the fire from the ground and sky.
In the nation’s southeast, the first tropical storm watch of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is in effect for the stretch of coast from southern Texas to northeastern Mexico as a broad area of thunderstorms develops in the Gulf of Mexico. It’s forecast to turn into the first named storm of the season.
Boeing CEO to testify before Senate committee
Boeing is back in the hot seat on Capitol Hill Tuesday, June 18, as the company’s CEO is set to testify before Congress. David Calhoun is scheduled to appear before the Senate Investigations Subcommittee about the company’s latest plan to fix its manufacturing problems.
This will mark the first appearance of a high-ranking Boeing official before Congress since a panel blew out of a 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight in January, raising new concerns about the company’s best-selling commercial aircraft.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are conducting separate investigations into that incident.
Just last week, the head of the FAA told a Senate committee the agency was “too hands off” in its oversight of Boeing before the January incident.
Tuesday’s hearing comes as the Justice Department is considering whether to prosecute Boeing for violating terms of a settlement in connection with two fatal 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people.
McDonald’s ending its AI drive-thru test with IBM
You will no longer be able to use artificial intelligence to order your Big Mac — at least for now. McDonald’s announced it is ending its AI drive-through test run at more than 100 of its restaurants.
The fast food chain had partnered with IBM to create its so-called Automated Order Taker, which involves voice-activated ordering that uses AI to expedite the customer experience. However, reports said customers complained the chatbot got orders wrong and the tech had trouble interpreting accents.
McDonald’s said it will be looking to explore voice ordering solutions “more broadly” in the future.
The AI drive-thrus are set to be shut off by the end of July.
Boston Celtics win record 18th NBA Championship
For a record 18th time, the Boston Celtics are NBA champions. Powered by stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 in game five Monday, June 17, to clinch the franchise’s 18th championship.
Mass. high school calls on Gov. Healey to deploy National Guard
Emotional pleas from scared teachers at Brockton High School have made it from school board meetings to the governor’s desk. The school, located south of Boston, has experienced teacher shortages, budget deficits, and unruly, violent students, prompting school committee members to call on the National Guard for help.
“I suffer from PTSD and anxiety, and sadly, this year has killed me,” said Julie Fairfield, a math teacher at Brockton High School. “I have this last month been one of those teachers that has called out probably twice a week.”
In a letter addressed to the mayor and forwarded to Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, some of the school’s committee members detail the pressing danger teachers and students face each day the bell rings.
“If you support safety in our schools, you will support the National Guard to come in here and keep our students safe,” school committee member Tony Rodrigues said at a press conference on Monday, Feb. 19.
According to the letter, there has been an “alarming” increase in violence between students, students wandering the halls and leaving school without permission, and even students doing drugs in the hallways. But what may be most concerning, according to the letter, is the lack of security at school entrances. Committee members added there has been an increase in trespassing, with people gaining access to the school without authorization.
While a slim majority — four of the seven school committee members — called on the National Guard for help, the rest, including the mayor, do not believe sending in an army is the answer.
“I know there is a lot of negative comments regarding the National Guard coming out here, but we are not asking them to deploy a whole army to our school,” committee member Ana Oliver told reporters. “We are asking for support, especially with the teacher shortage throughout the commonwealth of Massachusetts.”
Members clarified they want support to consist of hall monitors and teachers, rather than firepower and force. Some committee members pointed to the National Guard’s help in distributing COVID vaccinations during the pandemic as an example of the National Guard being used to help communities across the country. Still, not all city officials agree this is the right move.
“That isn’t the role of the National Guard, and uniformed soldiers in a school present a terrible image,” City Councilor at Large Winthrop Farwell Jr. told NBC10 Boston. “School absenteeism and violations of the current code of conduct need to be uniformly and consistently addressed with mandatory parental conferences.”
While it is still uncertain whether Gov. Maura Healey, D, will deploy the National Guard to Brockton High School, she did acknowledge the concerns brought to her desk and added her administration is committed to creating a safe learning environment for all students in the state.
While a local ABC affiliate reported that “many families” also do not agree with sending in the National Guard, other local reports indicate families just want the school’s committee to figure out a way to create a safe learning environment for their children.
Trump asks Supreme Court to weigh in after immunity claim denied: The Morning Rundown, Feb. 13, 2024
After his immunity claim was rejected by an appeals court, former President Donald Trump is asking the Supreme Court to weigh in. And Tiger Woods is putting Nike in the past, announcing a new clothing line of his own. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024.
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Donald Trump turns to Supreme Court after immunity claim denied
Former President Donald Trump is turning to the Supreme Court as he claims immunity from prosecution over acts he allegedly committed while serving in the White House. On Monday, Feb. 12, Trump’s legal team urged the high court to pause his criminal case that accuses the former president of trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
It’s not known when the justices will decide on a pause in the election interference case. The former president has pleaded not guilty to the charges filed by special counsel Jack Smith. No trial date has been set as of yet, with the original date of Mar. 4 being postponed due to the appeals.
“…the United States is working on a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas which would bring immediate and sustained period of calm to Gaza for at least six weeks, which we could then take the time to build something more enduring. Over the past month, I’ve had calls with Prime Minister Netanyahu, as well as the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, to push this forward,” Biden said. “The key elements of the deal are on the table. There are gaps that remain, but I’m encouraging Israeli leaders to keep working to achieve the deal. The United States will do everything possible to make it happen.”
CIA Director William Burns is expected in Egypt on Tuesday, Feb. 13, to discuss the hostage deal further. Both the president and King Abdullah called on Israel to refrain from a planned ground operation in the Gaza town of Rafah, where more than one million displaced Palestinians are sheltering.
The Jordan leader said an Israeli invasion in Rafah “is certain to create another humanitarian catastrophe.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said a ground operation in Rafah will move forward once a plan is in place to move people from the city.
1 killed, 5 wounded in shooting at NYC subway stop
Police said shots rang out after an argument between two groups of teens escalated. The identities of the victims have not yet been released, but police said a 34-year-old man was killed while a 14-year-old girl and 15-year-old boy, along with a 28-year-old, 29-year-old, and 71-year-old, were wounded. At least four of the wounded were said to have serious injuries.
Police are looking for the person who pulled the trigger and have not ruled out the possibility of multiple shooters.
Northeast braces for storm that could bring biggest snowfall in 2 years
New York City issued its first winter storm warning since 2022 and switched public schools to virtual learning. In Boston, classes are canceled at all public schools ahead of the storm. The mayors of both cities urged drivers to stay off the roads.
Tiger Woods unveils new ‘Sun Day Red’ clothing line
After ending his 27-year relationship with Nike in January, Tiger Woods promised there would be another chapter to his story, and now we know what that is. The 15-time major golf champion unveiled a new lifestyle brand on Monday, Feb. 12, called “Sun Day Red,” in partnership with TaylorMade.
It’s another historic mark for Super Bowl LVIII, which saw the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the San Francisco 49ers in overtime to become back-to-back champions. Next year’s Super Bowl in New Orleans will air on Fox.
Handful of states bring back hospital mask mandates as COVID cases rise
The COVID-19 pandemic may be over but a familiar and controversial pandemic-era mandate is making a return in some states. Mask mandates are back at some hospitals in the United States.
Hospitals in a handful of states are requiring staff to wear masks following a rise in the JN-1 variant, the most prevalent form of COVID-19 this winter.
Hospitals in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York and Washington D.C. have all brought back mask requirements for selected people in medical settings, according to Newsweek.
Some medical facilities are revisiting mask mandates after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a 10.4% increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations in the week leading up to Dec. 16. CDC data also shows a 3.4% increase in deaths from the virus.
The agency reports the new variant accounted for 44% of infections nationwide by mid-December. That number is up 7% from late-November.
Mask mandates have been controversial since the day they were first implemented.
In early 2020, medical professionals and the CDC advocated for masking in everyday life from grocery stores and airplanes to religious services. As the pandemic waned, so did mandates.
However Massachusetts’ largest health system, Mass General Brigham, said masks will be mandated effective Jan. 2. The hospital said masks will be necessary until respiratory illnesses decline.
The rule is enacted when respiratory illnesses constitute more than 2.85% of patients visiting the hospital or outpatient clinics with respiratory symptoms for two consecutive weeks. The mandate is lifted when the hospital falls below 2.85% for one week.
The hospital “strongly recommends” patients and visitors wear masks. Staff in hallways and common areas are exempt from wearing masks.
Some medical facilities took action even earlier when it comes to masks. The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston began requiring masks for patients and staff on Dec. 18.
The facility said the policy will be in place for the “foreseeable future,” and it has no gauge for when to rescind the mandate.
However, the hospitals implementing these policies remain in the minority. Most hospitals eased or eliminated masking requirements last spring, according to a report by The Hill.
The topic of masking is bringing focus to the personal protective equipment (PPE) supply in the states returning to the mandates.
An investigative report by The Associated Press found at least 15 states tossed PPE because of expiration dates, surpluses and people unwilling to use them.
States trashed more than 18 million masks, 22 million gowns, 500,000 gloves and more. Rhode Island reported tossing or recycling more than 829 tons of PPE. Maryland got rid of more than $93 million in supplies.
The AP found that Ohio auctioned off 393,000 gowns for just $2,451, and it ended up throwing away another 7.2 million, along with expired masks, gloves and other materials. The now-expiring supplies cost the government $29 million.
In 2020, states spent more than $7 billion in a few months on PPE, ventilators and some other high-demand medical devices. The federal government paid for much of the supplies.
With larger surges of COVID-19 over, expiration dates are passing and fewer requests to tap into the stockpile are coming in.
“What a real waste,” said Dr. George Benjamin, the executive director of the American Public Health Association. “That’s what happens when you don’t prepare, when you have a bust-and-boom public health system. It shows we really have to do a better job of managing our stockpiles.”
However, states claim to have distributed far more gear than they discarded and maintain that they’ve gone to lengths to donate leftovers.
Washington state donated hundreds of thousands of supplies to the Marshall Islands in 2022. Pennsylvania said it offered PPE to 10,000 cities, health facilities and more throughout the pandemic. Both states still ended up throwing out expired items.
Some states have found limited post-expiration uses, such as training exercises.
Many states keep at least a portion, and sometimes all, of their remaining stockpile of PPE. States like Minnesota even plan to update their stockpiles.
While mask requirements go into place at some hospitals, the states seeing the largest increase in COVID-19 are steering clear of any mandates in hospitals.
Newsweek reports Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri have seen the largest number of positive cases. CDC data from the week ending on Dec. 23, 2023, shows these states with an 18.3% COVID positivity rate.
No state in the country has a mandatory mask policy for any indoor and outdoor setting.
Thousands of people are set to flood the Boston area for the game. Hotel rooms are already hard to come by, but now proactive veterans are having their hotel reservations — which they booked months in advance — canceled due to migrants who are being housed at the hotels.
“They pretty much said, ‘Listen, we can’t help you with rooms for your clients, we are just going to cancel the rooms,’ and that was it,” Mansbach said.
Mansbach said at least 70 of the rooms he booked were canceled. In a statement to a local CBS affiliate in Boston, the hotel management group said in part, “As a gesture of solidarity and humanitarian responsibility, we are opening our doors to those seeking refuge in our community.”
The company explained that it is working with the state under the “right to shelter” law.
“I have directed my secretary of veteran services, John Santiago, to reach out to anyone affected.” Healey said. “I do understand that those hotels are working with people who have had bookings to find other locations that are, in fact, available. But I was very concerned and troubled to hear that any veteran may have had their rooms canceled.”
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Just weeks after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action, the Department of Education launched a civil rights investigation into Harvard University’s legacy admissions policy. The practice of giving preferential treatment to the children or other relatives of alumni in college or university admissions has come under scrutiny since the affirmative action decision came down.
Lawyers for Civil Rights, a nonprofit based in Boston, filed a civil rights complaint saying Harvard “discriminates on the basis of race by using donor and legacy preferences in its undergraduate admissions process.” The Department of Education wrote a letter to the nonprofit on Monday, July 26, confirming the launch of an investigation.
“As our complaint outlines, these unfair and undeserved preferences are bestowed overwhelmingly on white applicants and systematically harm applicants of color, in violation of federal anti-discrimination law,” the nonprofit said in a news release. “We are gratified that the Department of Education has acted swiftly to open this investigation. Harvard should follow the lead of a growing number of colleges and universities — including Amherst, MIT, Johns Hopkins, the University of California, and most recently Wesleyan — and voluntarily abandon these unfair and undeserved preferences.”
The nonprofit argued in the complaint that students with legacy ties are up to seven times more likely to be admitted to Harvard and are about 70% white. For the Class of 2019, about 28% of the class had a parent or other relative who went to Harvard.
On Tuesday, July 25, a spokesperson for Harvard said the university has been reviewing its legacy admissions policy to ensure compliance with the law.
“As this work continues, and moving forward, Harvard remains dedicated to opening doors to opportunity and to redoubling our efforts to encourage students from many different backgrounds to apply for admission,” the spokesperson said.
A study led by Harvard and Brown researchers published Monday found wealthy students were twice as likely to be admitted to elite schools compared to their lower- or middle-income counterparts who have similar standardized test scores. The study found legacy admissions policies were a contributing factor to the advantage. Athletic recruitment and extracurricular credentials, which are stronger when students attend affluent private high schools, were the other two factors.
5 dead, hundreds of flights affected by Northeast storms, flooding
For the second time in a week, storms in the Northeast led to deadly flooding and travel headaches. According to FlightAware, more than 1,700 flights within, into, or out of the United States were canceled on Sunday, July 16. Nearly 10,000 more flights were delayed. Airports with the most cancellations included:
Newark Liberty International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
LaGuardia Airport
Boston Logan International Airport
“Slow-moving t-storms will cause delays this AM into early PM in the Northeast, Midwest & Southeast,” the Federal Aviation Administration tweeted Sunday morning. “Check your flight with your airline before you head to airports in Boston, New York, Philly, DC, Southern & Central Florida, Atlanta, & Charlotte.”
The Northeast flight cancellations due to storms came a day after flash flooding claimed at least five lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Torrential rains occurred around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 15, sweeping away several cars. In addition to the five dead, two children, a 9-month-old boy and his 2-year-old sister remained missing heading into Monday, July 17.
“I want Bucks County to know that we are here with you. We are praying with you. And we will continue to do everything in our power to lift you up,” Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) said Sunday. “We have your backs and we will be here as long as it takes to make sure Bucks County gets back up on its feet.”
In addition to the Pennsylvania flooding, other parts of the Northeast experienced heavy rain, storms and power outages, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York.
“This is possibly our new normal. This is the kind of weather that even what should normally be a beautiful beach going Sunday in July can turn into a devastating catastrophe because of Mother Nature. And so we’re still in recovery phase from last week’s storms,” Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) said Sunday. “We’ve already estimated over $50 million worth of damage from that two day event just last week. And as I said, I surveyed the damage personally. It is, it has left so many business owners and families and homeowners just in a state of shock.”
Rescue operations race against clock to find missing submarine: June 20 rundown
Search and rescue operations are racing against the clock to find a missing submarine. And two airplanes bump into each other at the Boston airport. These stories and more highlight the rundown for Tuesday, June 20, 2023.
5 people aboard missing Titanic submarine
The search is on for five people on board a small submarine that has gone missing at the bottom of the Northern Atlantic ocean. Rescuers from the U.S. and Canada are searching for the vessel known for exploring the wreckage site of the Titanic.
The submarine went missing on Sunday. Officials say communication was lost about 90 minutes into its dive to tour the Titanic underwater. The vessel is said to be about the size of a van and has enough oxygen to last about four days giving rescuers a time-table on how long they have to hold out hope for survivors.
The search and rescue operation is taking place about 900 miles east of Cape Cod and up to 13,000 feet deep.
“Yesterday afternoon, we were notified by the operator of the submersible vessel that it was overdue and it had five persons on board the submersible. So, we’re working very closely at this point to make sure that we’re doing everything that we can do to locate the submersible and rescue those on board,” U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral John W. Mauger said.
Tornadoes ravage Mississippi, extreme heat scorches the South
Extreme weather is stretching across the U.S. from tornadoes in Mississippi. Parts of the South are experiencing triple digit temperatures and a tropical storm is already forming in the Mid-Atlantic.
The storms in the South are a continuation of severe weather that hit the region over the weekend. Multiple tornadoes touched down in Mississippi. One person died and nearly 2 dozen others were injured. There were 8 people trapped inside a local bank for hours as the system passed through. There were at least 100 homes and businesses destroyed.
In some portions of Texas, storms knocked out power where residents were also experiencing temperatures in the triple digits or temperatures that felt like they were in the triple digits. In Fort Worth, the heat index hit 113 on June 19.
There is also tropical storm Bret that has formed in the Mid-Atlantic. It is expected to strike the Caribbean as a hurricane at the end of the week.
Trump ordered not to disclose evidence in classified docs case
Former President Trump and his legal team will not be allowed to publicly disclose any federal evidence in the classified documents case against him. A federal judge in Florida ruled June 19 that the former president can’t discuss any of the discovery materials with members of the media or anyone in the public.
Special Counsel Jack Smith sought the order, claiming the evidence against the former president includes “sensitive and confidential” information.
Trump was charged last week with 37 criminal counts, all of which he pleaded not guilty to.
United, Delta planes bump on tarmac at Boston airport
Video from inside a United airplane shows a slow-motion collision with a Delta plane on the ground at the Boston Logan International Airport. The Delta plane was reversing when it bumped a wing belonging to the United jet. No major damage was reported.
Passengers on the United flight were rebooked to other flights and Delta’s flight was delayed more than five hours while both planes were looked at following the bump on the tarmac.
This is the latest incident in a series of potentially much more serious near-collisions at various U.S. airports this year.
NHTSA opens investigation into Hyundai EVs
Auto safety regulators have launched an investigation into Hyundai’s 2022 Ioniq 5 electric cars. More than two dozen drivers reported a sudden loss of power while driving, prompting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to investigate the nearly 40,000 vehicles.
Many of the drivers reported a loud popping noise and saw a warning on their dashboard before their EV went dead.
Hyundai says there may be a problem with a battery charging unit and it plans to update the vehicle’s software next month.
Mormon crickets plague parts of Nevada, Idaho
Swarms of the ground-dwelling Mormon crickets have appeared in parts of Nevada and Idaho, covering buildings, sidewalks and roadways. The issue has caused officials to begin deploying crews to try and help clean up the buildup of cricket carcasses.
Nevada’s Transportation Department has also warned motorists in the state to drive slowly in areas where vehicles are crushing Mormon crickets, as they can create hazardous roadway conditions and have already caused several accidents.
The department has been plowing and sanding highways in an effort to alleviate the problem. Others in the area have been using things like leaf blowers, tractors and even snowplows to combat the invading crickets.
Experts say an unusually rainy winter is to blame for the insect influx, delaying the bugs hatching cycle which has resulted in the increased number of bugs that could remain at a peak for the next four to six years.