Month: December 2022

Staff at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens fatally shot an American black bear after the animal escaped its exhibit and “engaged with a zookeeper behind the scenes.”  The bear’s name was Johnny, and he was 5 years old.

Officials said in a Facebook post that the zoo’s lethal weapons team responded to an emergency radio call about the incident, which occurred at around 5:10 p.m. on Wednesday.  Zoo officials said: “Our highest priority is always the safety of human lives, therefore, the bear was shot and killed.” The zookeeper was attacked and taken to the hospital by Jacksonville Fire Rescue. Their injuries were not considered life-threatening.

Zoo officials said that an ongoing investigation will be conducted over the coming days and weeks, adding that  they do not take the incident lightly:  “It is profoundly painful when we have a loss of an animal, especially under circumstances such as this.”

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Two former Metropolitan Police officers were found guilty on all charges brought against them in connection with the death of Karon Hylton-Brown, who was involved in a fatal car crash during a police chase more than two years ago. Former officers Terence Sutton, 38, and Andrew Zabavsky, 54, had been suspended from the police department due to suspicious circumstances surrounding Hylton-Brown’s death that sparked public unrest and led to a criminal trial.

Hylton-Brown, a 20-year-old Black man, was pursued by D.C. police while driving a moped on a sidewalk in the city’s Brightwood Park neighborhood on Oct. 23, 2020. Authorities have said the attempted traffic stop was prompted by Hylton-Brown’s lack of a helmet, although Sutton and Zabavsky were also found guilty of conspiring to hide the true circumstances of the chase and traffic collision that caused the young man’s death. Sutton continued to chase Hylton-Brown for more than 10 blocks through neighborhood streets and into an alley, when Hylton-Brown was struck by an oncoming vehicle as soon as he exited the alley, suffering severe head trauma that led to his death two days later, on Oct. 25, 2020

The U.S. Department of Justice announced in a news release that the jury returned guilty verdicts for both men, convicting Sutton of second-degree murder, conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice, and Zabavsky of the latter two charges:  “The jury found that Sutton caused Mr. Hylton-Brown’s death by driving a police vehicle in conscious disregard for an extreme risk of death or serious bodily injury to Mr. Hylton-Brown. The jury further found that Sutton and Zabavsky conspired and combined to hide from MPD officials the circumstances of the traffic crash leading to Mr. Hylton-Brown’s death.”

The second-degree murder charge against Sutton carries a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, while the conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges each carry respective statutory maximums of five and 20 years. A federal district court judge will determine sentences for both former officers.

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President Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met the White House on Wednesday for a meeting and presented a united front against Russia, with Biden announcing an additional $1.85 billion in support for Ukraine with more military aid to bolster Ukrainian forces and repel Russian airstrikes.

At a press conference, the U.S. president said he would continue to support Ukraine “as long as it takes,” and denounced Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure as the brutal winter cold sets in. Mr. Biden said, standing next to Zelenskyy in the White House East Room: “We should be clear about what Russia is doing — it is purposefully attacking Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, destroying the systems that provide heat and light to the Ukrainian people during the coldest, darkest part of the year. Russia is using winter as a weapon. It’s important for the American people and for the world to hear directly from you, Mr. President, about Ukraine’s fight and the need to continue to stand together through 2023.”

Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington was his first known trip outside Ukraine in the 300 days since the Russian invasion began. After his meetings at the White House, Zelenskyy left for Capitol Hill, where he met with congressional leaders and addressed a joint meeting of Congress.

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Police in Columbus, Ohio, have located one of two twin infants abducted from a parking lot on Monday night, but are issuing an urgent plea for the public’s help in locating the suspect, a homeless woman, and the missing twin baby.  Authorities have released a picture of suspect, Nalah Jackson, 24, and are asking for the public to be on the lookout for the stolen black 2010 four-door Honda Accord that had two 5-month-old twins inside at a Donatos Pizza around 9:45 p.m. on Monday. The stolen vehicle has a ripped temporary tag and a bumper sticker that says Westside Toys on the back.

The mother of twins Kason and Ky’air Thomas was working as a DoorDash delivery driver at the time and had run inside the restaurant to pick up an order at 9:45 p.m. EST Monday, leaving the two infants in their car seats inside the running vehicle. When she returned, the car was gone, leading to an Amber Alert for the missing twins. Ky’air Thomas was found on Tuesday outdoors sitting in a car seat in a hotel parking lot at the Dayton International Airport, but Kason Thomas remains missing.

Police confirmed on Wednesday they interviewed witnesses who saw Jackson near the airport parking lot on Tuesday. An AMBER alert was issued for Ohio, while a BOLO alert was also issued for several surrounding states. Police have not speculated on what prompted Jackson to abduct the children; during a joint news conference with the FBI Wednesday, they appealed for Jackson to return the missing child unharmed. Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant said at a news conference: “You can return him to any safe location. Fire department, hospital, shopping center, any public place where someone will find the baby. We are begging you. Please return Kason…We are exhausting every tip.”

Anyone with information pertaining to the search can call the Columbus Division of Police Special Victims Bureau at (614) 645-4701.

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The U.S. Postal Service announced it will invest $9.6 billion to make the switch into a 100% electric vehicle fleet in the next five years. The USPS plans to acquire a fleet that is 100% electric in 2026, making it one of the largest electric vehicle fleets in the United States. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said: “We have a statutory requirement to deliver mail and packages to 163 million addresses six days per week and to cover our costs in doing so — that is our mission. As I have said in the past, if we can achieve those objectives in a more environmentally responsible way, we will do so.”

The postal service ramped up its move toward electric vehicles earlier this year after public outcry and a lawsuit alleged it was not doing enough to reduce its carbon footprint. USPS more than doubled its inventory of electric vehicles, putting 25,000 NGDVs to work. USPS will increase its number of Next Generation Delivery Vehicles to at least 60,000, about 45,000 of which will be powered by battery by 2028. About 21,000 will be commercially purchased vehicles. Congress approved $3 billion toward the initiative as part of the Inflation Reduction Act.

The White House has worked to increase the number of electric vehicles on the road with a goal of 50% of new vehicles sold in 2030 to be all electric. Sales of electric vehicles in the United States have tripled since President Joe Biden took office. John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President, said: “We commend the U.S. Postal Service. The USPS plan leverages the $3 billion provided by the Inflation Reduction Act to hit the target of 100% electric delivery vehicle purchases in 2026, sets the postal fleet on a course for electrification, significantly reduces vehicles miles traveled in the network, and places USPS at the forefront of the clean transportation revolution.”

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At least two people were killed and 11 more injured on Tuesday due to a magnitude-6.4 earthquake off the coast of Ferndale in Humboldt County, California. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services said in statement that the two deaths were “as a result of medical emergencies.”

Power remained off for almost 70,000 customers as of Tuesday afternoon in the county after the earthquake struck about 7.5 miles southwest of Ferndale at 2:34 a.m. PST, activating the U.S. Geological Survey’s Shake Alert system. No tsunami warnings were issued. The area was then rocked by dozens of aftershocks in the same general area, one as strong as magnitude 4.6, resulting in minor damage to some buildings. Moderate damage to properties throughout the Eel River Valley is being reported.

The tremor also damaged the Fernbridge northeast of Ferndale. The California Department of Transportation tweeted along with a photo of the damaged bridge: “State Route 211 is closed while we conduct safety inspections due to possible seismic damage.”  Humboldt County confirmed on its website that a handful of other routes were also impassible.  The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services confirmed on Twitter it is “working with local and state partners to ensure the safety of Californians and availability of resources”, and Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Twitter: “the State is sending in our best people to support … Be prepared for aftershocks. Check gas and water lines for damages or leaks. Stay safe.”

The California Department of Conservation said Tuesday’s quak is the largest to strike Northern California in years, and could be the most powerful since July 2019 when a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck near Ridgecrest in the south of the state.

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