Suspect in fatal NYC subway shooting is in police custody
A 25-year-old man sought by New York police in the shooting death of a subway rider over the weekend was taken into custody at a precinct in Chinatown on Tuesday afternoon. Andrew Abdullah, the suspect, had been wanted in connection with the killing of Daniel Enriquez, a passenger who was shot Sunday while riding a northbound Q train. Abdullah turned himself in more than 48 hours after the unprovoked attack. It remained unclear what, if any, motive Abdullah had for the killing. Enriquez, 48, a Brooklyn resident, had been on his way to meet a brother in Manhattan.
Indiana lawmakers override transgender sports veto
Republican lawmakers in Indiana on Tuesday banned transgender girls from playing on girls’ sports teams at their schools, overriding the veto of Gov. Eric Holcomb, a fellow Republican who said the measure did not address any pressing problem and exposed the state to lawsuits. The override made Indiana the latest conservative state to enact legislation blocking transgender girls or women from playing on sports teams that align with their gender identity. At least 17 other states have introduced restrictions on transgender sports participation in recent years, according to data from the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy group.
Southern Baptists to release list of ministers accused of sexual abuse
Leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention announced Tuesday that they were preparing to release a list of hundreds of ministers and church workers they say are credibly accused of sexual abuse. The existence of the list was revealed Sunday in a report on the denomination’s handling of sexual abuse over the past two decades. The report by a third-party investigator alleged that the denomination’s top leaders had suppressed reports of sexual abuse, opposed proposals for reform, and denigrated and discouraged abuse victims who approached them for help.
New names recommended for 9 Army bases
A commission established by Congress last year has provided suggested new names for nine Army bases that honor Confederate officers as the U.S. military continues an examination of its history with race. The commission’s recommendations, if approved by Congress and Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, would see Fort Bragg — named after Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg — renamed Fort Liberty, the only one of the bases that would be renamed for an abstract idea and not a person. In the past, Army bases were largely named for white male soldiers. But the commission’s recommendations cover a multicolored swath of Americans.
War raises famine fears as Russia chokes off Ukraine’s farms and exports
Fears of a global food crisis are swelling as Russian attacks on Ukraine’s ability to produce and export grain have choked off one of the world’s breadbaskets, fueling charges that President Vladimir Putin is using food as a powerful new weapon in his 3-month-old war. World leaders called Tuesday for international action to deliver 20 million tons of grain now trapped in Ukraine. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where worries about the war’s consequences have eclipsed almost every other issue, speakers reached for apocalyptic language to describe the threat. David Beasley, executive director of the World Food Program, warned, “We will have famines around the world.”
Kissinger suggests that Ukraine give up territory to Russia, drawing backlash
Henry Kissinger, who played a pivotal role in orchestrating American détente with the Soviet Union, has this advice for Ukraine: Cede territory to make peace with Russia. Speaking via video link to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Monday, Kissinger said failure to restart negotiations with Russia and further alienation of the Kremlin would have long-term consequences for stability in Europe. His statements drew a loud backlash. “It’s a pity that the former U.S. secretary of state believes that giving up on part of the sovereign territory is a way for peace for any country!” Inna Sovsun, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, wrote on Twitter.
US speeds up reshaping of Taiwan’s defenses to deter China
The Biden administration has accelerated its efforts to reshape Taiwan’s defense systems as it projects a more robust U.S. military presence in the region to try to deter a potential attack by the Chinese military, current and former U.S. officials say. Russia’s war in Ukraine has made U.S. and Taiwanese officials acutely aware that an autocrat can order an invasion of a neighboring territory at any moment. But it has also shown how a small military can hold out against a seemingly powerful foe. U.S. officials are taking lessons learned to work with Taiwan in molding a stronger force that could repel a seaborne invasion by China.
NOAA predicts busy Atlantic hurricane season
Federal meteorologists say the Atlantic should expect another extra busy hurricane season this year. Tuesday’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Atlantic hurricane season forecast calls for 14 to 21 named storms, with six to 10 becoming hurricanes. The last six Atlantic hurricane seasons have been above normal, which is a record. Forecasters look at warmer waters, La Nina, climate change, Africa rains and long-term patterns to make this forecast. Ten other outside weather groups also forecast a busier than normal Atlantic hurricane season. There have been more Category 4 and 5 U.S. landfalls in the last five years than the previous 50.
Long COVID symptoms lasted a median of 15 months, study finds
People with long COVID-19 who visited a Northwestern Medicine clinic were still experiencing symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, fatigue and brain fog for a median of 15 months after first falling ill, despite never needing hospitalization, according to a new Northwestern study. The study, published Tuesday in peer-reviewed journal Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, looked at 52 patients who were seen at Northwestern’s Neuro COVID-19 clinic between May 2020 and November 2020, who initially had mild COVID-19 symptoms. Study senior author Dr. Igor Koralnik said the study is the first to look, over such a long time period, at neurological symptoms in people who didn’t need to be hospitalized for COVID-19.
By wire sources
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