Southwest Airlines:Â By about 7 a.m., Southwest Airlines had canceled 2,350 of today’s flights, amounting to more than half of its schedule. The airline continued struggling to restore normal operations, including clearing thousands of pieces of luggage piled up at various airports. U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that the problems at Southwest are systemic and the airline can no longer blame the meltdown on the recent severe weather.
Fire in Cambodia:Â This morning’s toll of 19 dead and 60 injured was expected to rise following a fire that raced through the casino of a hotel outside Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Flames shot through the roof of the 15-story Grand Diamond City casino and hotel. Initial investigation pointed to overheated electrical wiring as the cause of the fire.
Buffalo digging out:Â Roads were being reopened in Buffalo his morning as the city continued digging out from the Christmas weekend blizzard. National Guard troops were being used in a door-to-door search for storm victims. The weather forecast for the weekend called for rain and temperatures around 50 degrees, which it is feared could lead to flooding. Gov. Kathy Hochul said yesterday that the state has more than 300 water pumps and 800,000 sandbags on standby to help deal with any flooding.
Israeli government:Â Benjamin Netanyahu was due to return to office today as Israeli Prime Minister. His new government is expected to emphasize nationalism and religion and take a hard line against the Palestinians. Netanyahu pledged to expand Israeli occupation of the West Bank and work against the establishment of a separate Palestinian state.
Santos investigation:Â Nassau County Republican District Attorney Anne Donnelly said her office is investigating Republican Congressman-elect George Santos to determine whether he committed any crimes by lying to voters about his education, employment, family history and other matters. She said, “If a crime was committed in this county, we will prosecute it.” Campaign financial filings by Santos also are being examined, including the source of $700,000 he loaned to his campaign to help pay for his run for Congress.
Russian attacks:Â Ukrainian officials reported this morning that Russia launched another barrage of missiles against the country, primarily aimed at civilian targets. The Ukrainians said Russia fired 69 missiles and 54 of them were shot down. They said the Russians also used Iranian drones in attacks against civilians.
