Storm: At least four deaths were reported as a result of strong rain and wind storms that lashed Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina. The storm system moved into the Northeast late yesterday and overnight, dumping heavy rain that caused flooding. High wind gusts brought down some trees. Power was knocked out to about 600,000 customers in 11 states. In New York, 145,000 homes and businesses were blacked out. More than 1,350 flights were canceled yesterday with more than 8,700 delayed.
Ecuador turmoil: Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa says the country is undergoing an internal armed conflict. He has vowed to crack down on terrorist gangs seeking to force the government to stop trying to control criminal activities. Noboa was elected in part on his promises to wipe out the criminal gangs. Monday and yesterday organized gangs staged a series of attacks throughout the country on government buildings and invaded a TV station during a live broadcast taking broadcasters hostage. The terrorists ran when police descended on the TV station. Ecuadoran officials reported that some gang members had escaped from prison.
Music streams: Luminate, a data collection company serving the entertainment industry, reported today that there were more than1.2 trillion streams of music content played in the U.S. over the internet during 2023. That represents a 12% increase from 2022. Globally, there were 7.1 trillion music streams, an increase of almost 34% from 2022. Luminate reported that one out of every 78 audio streams in the U.S. during 2023 was for Taylor Swift music.
Houthi attacks: The U.S. Central Command reports that U.S. Navy ships shot down 21 missiles and drones launched by Houthi forces in Yemen last night. The missiles were aimed at shipping in the Red Sea. No ships were reported to have been hit. The U.S. called the missile and drone attack a complex operation. Iran has been backing the Houthi rebel forces that have been trying to disrupt international shipping.
Austin’s critics: Some Republicans on Capitol Hill are calling for Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to resign or face impeachment. They say that what Austin did by keeping private his treatment for prostate cancer and subsequent hospitalization due to complications amounts to him going AWOL. A Pentagon spokesman said Austin has no plans to resign. The White House says it is looking into what happened and how it was handled.
Trump’s new threat: Donald Trump said after yesterday’s Washington, D.C., appeals court session that if he loses the election because of the criminal charges he’s facing there will be bedlam in the U.S. He did not make it clear whether the remark was intended as a threat or was just a prediction. Trump also did not explain how people could be sure that a 2024 election loss could be blamed on criminal prosecution rather than people rejecting his plans to become a dictator, cut social security and Medicare, use the U.S. military against U.S. citizens, or do any of the dozens of things he has threatened to do if he is returned to the White House. Trump’s lawyers argued that he is immune from prosecution in their appeal of Federal Judge Tanya Chutkin’s decision that his trial on charges brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith can proceed.
