Midday rundown: 2nd earthquake strikes Turkey, billionaires oppose Trump

KARAH RUCKER: A TRAIN DERAILS IN OHIO…BUT A NEW RISK FROM THE INCIDENT HAS NEARBY RESIDENTS EVACUATING THEIR HOMES. AND PROMINENT BILLIONAIRE BACKERS OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY ARE OPPOSING DONALD TRUMP’S BID FOR PRESIDENCY.

BUT FIRST…WE CONTINUE OUR COVERAGE THIS AFTERNOON OF DEADLY EARTHQUAKES IN TURKEY AND SYRIA WHERE THE DEATH TOLL IS NOW IN THE THOUSANDS.

THIS IS STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS. UNBIASED. STRAIGHT FACTS.

TURKEY STRUCK BY SECOND EARTHQUAKE

TURKEY AND SYRIA HAVE BEEN DEVASTATED BY NOT ONE BUT TWO **POWERFUL EARTHQUAKES HAPPENING MONDAY MORNING AND THEN AGAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
THE DEATH TOLL HAS RISEN DRASTICALLY OVER THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS AS RESCUE CREWS FRANTICALLY SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS STUCK UNDER THE RUBBLE.
AT LEAST 23 HUNDRED PEOPLE HAVE DIED…WITH THOUSANDS MORE INJURED AND UNACCOUNTED FOR.
THIS WAS THE WORST EARTHQUAKE TO STRIKE THE REGION IN MORE THAN A CENTURY’S TIME.
INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE IS POURING INTO TURKEY AND SYRIA AS RESCUES ARE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY.

IN BUFFALO NEW YORK…THIS REGION WAS ALSO RATTLED BY AN EARTHQUAKE TODAY…THOUGH OF MUCH SMALLER MAGNITUDE AT 3.8.
HOWEVER, IT’S STILL THE STRONGEST EARTHQUAKE TO SHAKE THIS REGION IN AT LEAST 40 YEARS.

TRAIN DERAILMENT POSES FURTHER DANGER

INTENSE VIDEO CAPTURING THE AFTERMATH OF A TRAIN-DERAILMENT IN OHIO. AND WHILE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED LATE FRIDAY, THE LINGERING DANGERS OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN NEXT IS CAUSING HUNDREDS OF NEARBY RESIDENTS TO EVACUATE THEIR HOMES.

OFFICIALS ARE WARNING OF A “CATASTROPHIC TANKER FAILURE” THAT COULD CREATE AN EXPLOSION THAT SENDS SHARP DEBRIS FLYING WITHIN A MILE RADIUS.

THE PILE UP OF RAIL-CARS IS A TAXING CLEAN UP JOB FOR OFFICIALS. OF THE MORE THAN 100 RAIL-CARS INVOLVED, 20 OF THEM WERE CARRYING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS.

GOP BILLIONAIRES OPPOSING TRUMP IN 2024

AS PRESIDENT BIDEN IS SET TO DELIVER HIS STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS TOMORROW, TALKS OF 2024 ARE ALREADY WELL UNDERWAY. THE DNC APPROVING ITS PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY CALENDAR OVER THE WEEKEND. AND INFLUENTIAL REPUBLICANS TAKING A CLEAR STANCE ON WHO THEY WON’T BE SUPPORTING IN 2024.

POWERFUL, CONSERVATIVE, BILLIONAIRE CHARLES KOCH HAS LONG FUNNELED FINANCIAL SUPPORT INTO INFLUENTIAL GOP NETWORKS. AND WHILE THESE GROUPS FORMERLY FINANCIALLY BACKED DONALD TRUMP IN 2016, A MEMO INDICATES THE FORMER PRESIDENT WILL NOT BE RECEIVING THEIR SUPPORT IN 2024. CITING THE NEED TO “START A NEW CHAPTER” AND “TURN TO A NEW PAGE.”

WHILE THE GOP MONEY MACHINE SAYS IT’S TOO EARLY TO ENDORSE A CERTAIN CANDIDATE, THEY’RE MAKING A CLEAR OPPOSITION CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE FORMER PRESIDENT.

SOMETHING OTHER PROMINENT REPUBLICAN BILLIONAIRES HAVE SIMILARLY DONE, OPENLY OPPOSE TRUMP FOR 2024.

NORD STREAM LEAKS REMAIN UNSOLVED

THE FOUR LEAKS DISCOVERED IN NORD STREAM PIPELINES ONE AND TWO BACK IN SEPTEMBER CONTINUE TO REMAIN A MYSTERY DESPITE MONTHS OF INVESTIGATION.

WHILE MANY WESTERN OFFICIALS POINTED THE FINGER AT RUSSIA CALLING IT A “DELIBERATE ACT OF SABOTAGE” — THERE HASN’T BEEN ANY EVIDENCE TO PROVE IT.

THAT’S ACCORDING TO TOP GERMAN OFFICIALS BRIEFED ON THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION.

THE WORLD AGREES BASED ON A SWEDISH INVESTIGATION THE LEAKS WERE DELIBERATE — BUT NOBODY CAN PINPOINT WHO DID IT.

RUSSIA HAS REFUTED BLAME FROM THE BEGINNING.

FDA, LAWMAKERS DISCUSS POT SAFEGUARDS

21 STATES HAVE LEGALIZED MARIJUANA SOME AS RECENT AS THE MIDTERM ELECTION JUST MONTHS AGO.
BUT SOME RESEARCHERS ARE WANTING SOCIETY TO PUMP ITS BREAKS AND PROCEED WITH CAUTION WHEN USING MARIJUANA AND C-B-D PRODUCTS.
AND LAWMAKERS ARE LISTENING TO THOSE CONCERNS.

ONLY RECENTLY HAS A STEADY FLOW OF DATA EMERGED ON HEALTH IMPACTS, INCLUDING EMPHYSEMA IN SMOKERS, LEARNING DELAYS IN TEENAGERS, AND AN UPTICK IN DEATHS OF CHILDREN EXPOSED TO EDIBLES.
THESE RED FLAGS HAVE THE FDA CALLING ON CONGRESS TO CREATE SAFEGUARDS TO MITIGATE THE RISKS.
LAWMAKERS ARE DISCUSSING STANDARDS ON DOSING, MANDATES FOR CHILDPROOF CONTAINERS FOR EDIBLES, ADVERTISING RESTRICTIONS, AIMED AT PROTECTING CHILDREN, AND SO FORTH.
THE DISCUSSIONS COME AS THE DRUG GAINS POPULARITY.
TWO THIRDS OF AMERICANS ARE FOR THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA.

FLACO THE OWL ESCAPES CENTRAL PARK ZOO

FLACO THE OWL IS PROVING HIS SPECIES TO BE WISE…ABLE TO BREAK FREE FROM HIS HABITAT AT THE CENTRAL PARK ZOO AND THEN SIGHT-SEE OVER THE CITY FOR SEVERAL DAYS.

OFFICIALS WERE ABLE TO RECAPTURE FLACO THIS MORNING…PARK RANGERS SPENT DAYS TRYING TO COAX THE BIRD DOWN FROM A TREE…PERCHED UP OVER CENTRAL PARK.

THE BIRD WAS APPARENTLY TAKING LOTS OF NAPS. BUT ALSO WASN’T SEEN EATING ANYTHING. OFFICIALS WERE WORRIED HE WOULDN’T SURVIVE MUCH LONGER ON HIS OWN.

SO IT’S A HAPPY ENDING FOR FLACO AND THE CENTRAL PARK ZOO.