Morning rundown: FTX founder arrested; BTS member joins military

KARAH RUCKER: SAM BANKMAN-FRIED, THE FACE OF FAILED FTX CRYPTO, HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN THE BAHAMAS.
THE COMPANY’S NEW CEO WILL TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS TODAY.

THIS IS YOUR MORNING RUNDOWN AIMED DOWN THE MIDDLE WITH STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

FTX FOUNDER ARRESTED, NEW CEO TO TESTIFY TODAY

SAM BANKMAN-FRIED | FTX FOUNDER: “I didn’t knowingly commit fraud, I don’t think I committed fraud, I didn’t want any of this to happen. I was certainly not nearly as competent as I thought I was.”

THE DISGRACED CRYPTO FOUNDER SAYING HE IS INNOCENT OF ANY CRIME IN AN INTERVIEW OVER THE WEEKEND.
BUT NOW THAT WILL BE UP TO THE COURTS TO DECIDE AFTER SAM BANKMAN-FRIED WAS ARRESTED IN THE BAHAMAS ON BEHALF OF U-S PROSECUTORS.

SOME REPORTS HAVE HIM FACING CRIMINAL CHARGES INCLUDING MONEY LAUNDERING, WIRE FRAUD, AND CONSPIRACY.
HIS FIRST COURT APPEARANCE IS SCHEDULED FOR TODAY.

BEFORE HIS ARREST, SAM BANKMAN-FRIED WAS SUPPOSED TO TESTIFY IN FRONT OF CONGRESS TODAY. WE SHOULD STILL BE HEARING TESTIMONY FROM THE NEW FTX CEO THIS MORNING, WHO HAS PUBLICLY SPOKEN OUT ON THE COMPANY’S INCOMPETENCE.

WE’LL FOLLOW ANY DEVELOPMENTS IN A LATER REPORT ON STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

BLIZZARDS, ICE, TORNADOES SCATTER ACROSS U.S.

WEATHER CONTINUES TO BE A TOP STORY ACROSS THE U.S. AS A MASSIVE STORM SYSTEM IS BLANKETING THE COUNTRY.
FROM DANGEROUS BLIZZARDS IN THE GREAT PLAINS, TO ICY TRAVEL CONDITIONS IN THE MIDWEST, AND TORNADO THREATS IN THE SOUTH.

10 MILLION PEOPLE IN 17 STATES ARE UNDER A WINTER WEATHER ALERT.

Officer D.C. Williams | California Highway Patrol: “If we can keep traffic moving, and the cars running across the roadway, that’ll hopefully keep ice from forming on the roadway. As I’ve said, we have CALTRANS out there, putting cinders on there, also plowing to hopefully keep the ice from forming.”

THE SYSTEM IS PACKING STRONG WINDS THAT WILL BRING BITTERLY COLD AIR EXPECTED TO LINGER FOR WEEKS.

BTS BAND MEMBERS BEGIN MILITARY SERVICE

THE HIT BOY BAND GROUP BTS IS ON A BREAK. THE OLDEST K-POP STAR BEGAN BOOT CAMP TODAY.
THE START OF AN 18-MONTH MANDATORY MILITARY SERVICE FOR THEIR HOME COUNTRY SOUTH KOREA.
THE OTHER SIX MEMBERS WILL ALSO BE ENLISTING.

THE FIRST K-POP MEMBER TO SERVE, JIN, IS CURRENTLY BASED NEAR THE COUNTRY’S BORDER WITH NORTH KOREA.

HE WILL UNDERGO FIVE WEEKS OF RIFLE-SHOOTING, GRENADE THROWING, AND MARCHING PRACTICE TRAINING.

JIN’S ENLISTMENT TODA, CAUSING QUITE THE STIR OUTSIDE THE BASE, WITH BTS FANS FLOCKING TO WISH HIM WELL.

Veronique | BTS FAN FROM INDONESIA: “I am here with my sister to go for a holiday but then we heard the news that Jin’s going to enlist so we are here now.”

Mandy Lee | BTS FAN FROM HONG KONG: “I want to wait for Jin and see him go into the military and wish him all the best.”

IN SOUTH KOREA, THE COUNTRY REQUIRES YOUNG ABLE-BODIED MEN TO SERVE IN THE ARMY AT LEAST 18 MONTHS.
THE TIMELINE OF WHEN THE BOYS WILL PERFORM AGAIN IS UNKNOWN, BUT IT WILL AT LEAST BE A FEW YEARS.

TWITTER DISBANDS TRUST AND SAFETY COUNCIL

TWITTER HAS DIS-BANDED IT’S “TRUST AND SAFETY” COUNCIL. IT WAS A COMMITTEE COMPRISED OF OUTSIDE ADVOCACY GROUPS, WHO GAVE TWITTER RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO CREATE A SAFE ONLINE SPACE FROM HATE SPEECH.
BUT IN A MEMO SENT OUT LAST NIGHT, TWITTER SAYS THEY ARE RE-EVALUATING HOW TO BEST BRING EXTERNAL INSIGHTS INTO THE “NEW-TWITTER-ERA.”

THE PHASING OUT OF THE TRUST AND SAFETY COUNCIL COMES JUST WEEKS AFTER MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL EXPRESSED CONCERNS WITH THE SHAKE-UP ELON MUSK IS BRINGING TO THE PLATFORM.

THREE MEMBERS PUBLICLY ANNOUNCING PLANS TO LEAVE THE COMMITTEE BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY CALLED “A DECLINE IN THE WELL-BEING OF TWITTER USERS.”

REPORT: UVALDE DEPUTIES HAD NO ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING

NEW REVELATIONS CONTINUE TO DEVASTATE THE UVALDE TEXAS COMMUNITY, STILL REELING FROM A CONFUSING LAW-ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE TO THE MASS SHOOTING THAT KILLED 19 STUDENTS AND TWO TEACHERS.

NOW, STATE DOCUMENTS APPEAR TO INDICATE ONLY 1 OUT OF EVERY FIVE UVALDE DEPUTIES HAD ANY ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING.

80 PERCENT OF THEIR FORCE WAS NOT TRAINED FOR ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATIONS, INCLUDING THE COUNTY SHERIFF, ACCORDING TO THE REPORT.

IN TEXAS, ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING IS ONLY REQUIRED FOR SCHOOL-BASED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN SAID TO BE DISCUSSED IN THE NEXT STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

LIFETIME TOBACCO BAN ON YOUTH IN NEW ZEALAND

NEW ZEALAND HAS JUST PASSED A NEW LAW TO PHASE OUT TOBACCO SMOKING. THE COUNTRY IS IMPOSING A “LIFETIME BAN” ON YOUNG PEOPLE BUYING CIGARETTES.

THE LAW STATES, FOR PEOPLE BORN ON OR AFTER JANUARY FIRST 2009, THEY WILL NEVER BE ALLOWED TO PURCHASE TOBACCO PRODUCTS.

SO FOR KIDS WHO ARE 13 RIGHT NOW, EVEN WHEN THEY TURN 18, 21, 35 OR 50, TOBACCO CAN NEVER BE SOLD TO THEM.

THE LAW TAKES OTHER DRASTIC MEASURES TO TRY AND PHASE OUT SMOKING.

THEY DECREASED THE AMOUNT OF NICOTINE ALLOWED IN TOBACCO PRODUCTS. THEY ALSO REDUCED THE NUMBER OF RETAILERS ALLOWED TO SELL TOBACCO. FROM ABOUT SIX THOUSAND TO SIX HUNDRED.