Buffalo – Latest News and Analysis – Page 2 | Straight Arrow News

Straight Arrow News

Unbiased. Straight Facts.^TM

Morning rundown: Title 42 stays; Southwest still struggling

December 28, 2022

Title 42 gets another temporary lifeline; Southwest airlines is still struggling; and more snow hits Buffalo. These stories and more highlight the morning rundown for Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022.

Supreme Court keeps Title 42 for now

Title 42 was supposed to expire one week ago today before the Supreme Court intervened. Now in a 5-4 vote, the justices have decided to temporarily keep the policy in place. A final ruling is expected to come in February when the high court is set to hear arguments in the case.

It’s been a tumultuous back-and-forth on Title 42’s future. To date, officials have used the measure 2.5 million times to send asylum-seekers back across the Mexico border.

Southwest struggles to regain schedule

It’s been a domino effect for Southwest airlines. Their flight schedule has been dismantled from consecutive days of thousands of cancellations.

Already today, 2,500 flights have been nixed from the board, and that is expected to be the case for several more days.

Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan said extreme weather and demand initially threw the company off course.

“Our plan for the next few days is to fly a reduced schedule and reposition our people and planes, and we’re making headway and we’re optimistic to be back on track before next week,” Jordan said.

The CEO also said he is in direct communication with the Department of Transportation, which is putting Southwest airlines under federal review.

Buffalo blizzard worst in generations

The blizzard that has hit Buffalo, New York is now the worst weather disaster to hit the area in two generations. The death toll has risen to 31, making it more deadly than the historic blizzard of 1977.

The snow continues to pile on to the already six feet of snowfall. State and military police have been called in to keep drivers off the roadways.

“So, I want people to understand there’s a lot of roads that are completely blocked right now. That have no access whatsoever and people are trying to drive on these roads. Or trying to get into these neighborhoods and they can’t. Please, please, you heard the mayor beg, I’m begging, stay home,” Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz said.

Officials say it’s impossible for emergency crews to respond to emergency calls in current conditions.

Later in the week, as the snow melts, local officials are bracing for the threat of flooding.

Kari Lake to pay Hobbs’ legal fees

Kari Lake, who lost her bid for Arizona governor, is now being ordered to pay tens of thousands of dollars to her opponent and incoming governor Katie Hobbs. Lake contested the election results in court but lost the case. Now Lake is being ordered to compensate Hobbs for legal fees related to the election lawsuit.

Hobbs asked the court to also sanction Lake for bringing forth the lawsuit challenging the election, which the judge dismissed.

Japan reacts to covid spike in China

Any visitors from China to Japan will now be required to take a COVID test. Japan is tightening its COVID-19 travel requirements as case numbers surge in China.

Chinese hospitals and funeral homes are reportedly drained of resources, as COVID-19 cases have seen a dramatic increase this month. To prevent the spread to Japan, the country is requiring testing. If a traveler tests positive, they will face a seven-day mandatory quarantine

Djokovic returns after deportation

Novak Djokovic is back in Australia nearly one year since he was deported due to his vaccination status. The tennis great will be playing in this year’s Australian Open after missing last year.

The Australian government initially planned to place a three-year suspension on his visa, but has since waived that ban.

The 2023 Australian Open begins Jan. 15. Djokovic has won it nine times.
Morning rundown: DOT investigating Southwest; dozens dead in storm

December 27, 2022

Dozens are dead in a historic New York blizzard; the U.S. government is investigating Southwest airlines over canceled flights; and China is dropping its quarantine requirement. These stories and more highlight your morning rundown, aimed straight down the middle, for Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022.

DOT to investigate Southwest

The Department of Transportation is now looking into Southwest airlines after flight delays and cancellations lit up the boards at airports. The government is investigating whether the travel chaos was something Southwest could have better handled or if it was out of its control.

Southwest canceled nearly 3,000 flights Monday, or 70% of scheduled flights. On Sunday, nearly half of the flights were canceled. And the problem continued Tuesday morning with 60% of flights today already disrupted.

Dozens of people dead in historic blizzard

Authorities are calling it New York’s snow storm “the blizzard of a century.” Officials in Buffalo, New York, are expecting its death toll to climb Tuesday. Rescue crews are scrambling to unbury vehicles looking for survivors after hours-long blizzard conditions dumped more than 60 inches of snow.

The New York governor called it a war with mother-nature, as dozens of people died over Christmas weekend.

“As much as we can see the skies right now, we know that the storm is coming back. We’re expecting another 6 to 6 or 12 inches. So anyone who declares victory and says it’s over, it is way too early to say this is at its completion,” Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said.

So far, 27 people in the state have been found dead from the extreme cold produced by the winter storm.

South Korea to boost military, drones

As the year comes to a close, South Korea is reflecting on the North’s escalated hostility throughout 2022. And after North Korea’s latest breach of the border, the South is aiming to boost its air defense and drone technology in the face of further conflict.

The announcement came after North Korean drones were reportedly spotted across its border-line and South Korea failed to shoot them down. South Korea’s military apologized for its inability to react faster to the North’s threats and vowed to put emphasis on military expansion at a time the U.S. is heavily involved in South Korean military exercises.

China drops quarantine requirement

Travel to China is taking a significant turn after the country’s latest shift away from its zero-COVID policy. Travelers will no longer be required to quarantine starting Jan. 8.

The move will largely reopen the country to those with work and study visas or those wanting to visit family after almost three years of closed borders. While China pulls back on its strict policy, COVID cases in the country are rising.

Congressman-elect caught in lies

A New York Republican elected to the U.S. House in November has admitted he lied on his resume leading up to the midterms.

Congressman-elect George Santos said his job history and education was embellished on his resume.

He claimed he worked for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs but that wasn’t true. He didn’t graduate from college despite touting multiple prestigious degrees.

Santos reportedly also lied about running a non-profit and doesn’t own more than a dozen properties despite telling voters he did.

Santos says he still plans to take the oath of office on Jan. 3, despite the new revelations.
Disney shake-up, Twitter reinstates Trump and unblocks Ye

November 21, 2022

Bob Chapek is out at Disney; Donald Trump’s Twitter account is reinstated; and shooter killed several people a Colorado Springs nightclub. These stories and more highlight the morning rundown for Monday, Nov. 21, 2022.

Shake-up at Disney – Bob Iger is back as Disney’s CEO after previously leading the company for 15 years. Bob Chapek had replaced Iger as CEO in 2020. Chapek is immediately stepping down as Iger takes the reigns once again. The announcement is seen as sudden but comes at a time Disney is performing below expectations. Its stock tumbled 10% after its most recent earnings report.

The company has been also surrounded by controversy since Iger retired, with what some call a “woke” agenda and a spat over social-issues with the Florida governor.

Trump’s Twitter reinstated – Elon Musk over the weekend tweeted out a poll, asking users whether they believe former President Donald Trump should be allowed back on Twitter. After more than 15 million users weighed in, Musk re-activated trump’s Twitter account. But whether Trump re-joins is another question.

Trump responded to the news by touting his social media platform “Truth Social.” It was created after the former president was canceled in a wave of controversial censorship.

“I hear we’re getting a big vote to go back on twitter, I don’t see it because I don’t see a reason for it. Truth social has taken the place for a lot of people,” Trump said.

For now, the former president seems on the fence about accepting Elon Musk’s invite back into the Twitter-verse.

Ye tests out his unblocked Twitter – Someone else welcomed back to Twitter over the weekend was Ye, tweeting “testing testing…seeing if my Twitter is unblocked.” The tweet was followed by another message with the word “shalom.” The word meaning “peace” in Hebrew.

The rap star was first taken down from the platform over anti-semitic comments, that cost him a lot more than just his Twitter account.

Kyrie Irving back on the court – Another star returned to the limelight after a similar controversy. Kyrie Irving was back on the floor in his first game since an eight-game suspension with the Brooklyn Nets. The suspension was handed down after Irving tweeted about a film that was anti-semitic in nature.

After the game, Irving once again apologizing. “As I look back and reflect, when I had the opportunity to offer my deep regrets to anyone that felt threatened or hurt by what I posted, that wasn’t my intent. I meant no harm to any person or any group of people,” Irving said.

Deadly nightclub shooting – A deadly shooting and a dramatic takedown at an LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs. A gunman entered the nightclub late Saturday, shot and killed five people and injured 25 others. The shooting was stopped thanks to two bar patrons, who fought the shooter, knocking the gun free from his hands, then using the weapon to hit the shooter.

The 22-year-old gunman was taken into custody. Police are still investigating whether this was a hate crime.

A vigil was held on Sunday for the lives lost in the attack.

New York’s Historic snow storm – The winter snow storm came down heavy on its residents. The historic blizzard produced six-feet of snow in some areas. Eighty inches fell in the area around the Buffalo Bills stadium.

Images inside show an unrecognizable stadium, blanketed in feet of snow. It was the third-highest three-day total ever-recorded in the state of New York.

Backlash as New Zealand considers lowering voter age – And an interesting court verdict in New Zealand is forcing the country’s government to reevaluate the legal voting age. A judge ruled the current voting age of 18 is discriminatory, suggesting the government could possibly lower the age to 16, striking a massive debate.

It comes at a time the U.S. grapples with two different visions of voting rights. The Democratic Party is looking to extend voting accessibility, while the Republican Party seeks to reign in pandemic-era exceptions in voting.
Snowstorm dumps multiple feet of snow over western New York

November 18, 2022

A lake-effect snowstorm lead to school closures and transportation cancellations throughout parts of western and northern New York. By midmorning Friday, more than two feet of snow had fallen in many places along the eastern end of Lake Erie. Two feet of snow had also accumulated in Orchard Park, home of the Buffalo Bills NFL team, by midmorning.

“Due to public safety concerns and out of an abundance of caution in light of the ongoing weather emergency in western New York, Sunday’s Cleveland Browns-Buffalo Bills game will be moved to Ford Field in Detroit,” the Bills said in a Thursday news release. “The decision to move the game from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York was done in consultation with the Buffalo Bills and local and state authorities as the region prepares for the storm.”

As for transportation, dozens of Amtrak stations in Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Depew closed Thursday and will stay closed Friday. Dozens of flights in and out of Buffalo Niagara International Airport were canceled Friday. Even for those in cars, the National Weather Service warned early Friday morning of “near zero visibility” and “nearly impossible travel.”

“Our car got stuck after our 4:30 a.m. live shot. Then, at one point about six people gathered together to help us out,” Buffalo news reporter Alexandra Rios tweeted Friday morning. “I asked why. They say, ‘It’s a Buffalo thing, we may not always get along year round, but we always come together when someone is in need.’”

Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) declared a state of emergency Thursday for parts of western New York due to the snowstorm, including communities along the eastern ends of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Hochul’s state of emergency covers 11 counties, with commercial truck traffic banned from a stretch of Interstate 90.

The snowstorm’s severity was expected to vary widely due to the peculiarities of lake-effect storms. The most intense snowfall was expected to last through Friday evening, with more falling on Saturday into Sunday.

“Additional accumulations of 2-3 feet of snow are expected downwind of lakes Erie and Ontario while 8-12″ are likely downwind of the other 3 lakes by Sunday morning,” the National Weather Service said Friday. “Historic snowfall exceeding 4 feet is likely around Buffalo.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Demo mode ×