DC Woman Kidnapped by MD Found Naked in U-Haul Truck

A DC woman kidnapped to Prince George’s County, Maryland, was found nude in a U-Haul truck.

According to police, 62-year-old Dennis Bell of Prince George’s County kidnapped a woman in front of a convenience store in DC’s Southeast on the morning of the 12th. Mr. Bell kidnapped this woman with her U-Haul truck and demanded she be naked, threatening her life.

At around 9:45 a.m. on the same day, several other drivers noticed the U-Haul vehicle staggering in Lanham, Prince George’s County, and reported it. and arrested the suspect, Mr. Bell.

The suspect was arrested on the evening of the 12th and is currently in custody and is currently charged with 14 counts.

Texas Man Murders Girlfriend Who Had an Abortion

The police are conducting an autopsy on the deceased and investigating the exact circumstances of the incident. A man in his 20s who killed his girlfriend who had an abortion in Texas has been arrested by police. According to the arrest warrant record of the Dallas County Court, Texas on the 13th, police arrested Harold Thompson (22), a suspect, on charges of shooting and killing Gabriela Gonzalez (26) on a residential street in Dallas on the 10th.

Police were called to the scene at around 8:20 a.m. on the day of the shooting and found González dead with multiple gunshot wounds. González’s sister, who witnessed the scene, drove by in her car. Another witness said he saw Thompson choke González prior to the shooting.

The witness said he wanted to help the victim, but he didn’t have a cell phone with him at the time, so he couldn’t call the police. CCTV footage obtained by police showed the man strangling the woman, then pulling out her gun and shooting her in the head, before shooting her several times.

A police investigation found that González had gone to Colorado for an abortion and that she had returned the night before. Thompson has refused to comment after being arrested, police said.

Texas is a Republican stronghold, one of the hottest places in the country over abortion.

U.S. Treasury Warning and Pressure to Raise Debt Ceiling

While President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are scheduled to negotiate on the issue of raising the debt ceiling on the 9th, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned again of the possibility of default.

Appearing on ABC on the 7th, Secretary Yellen said, “U.S. Treasury bonds are the most secure underlying bonds of the international financial system.”

“If Congress doesn’t act as the (default) date approaches, we’re going to see the consequences in financial markets,” she said.

When asked about the possibility of President Biden’s invocation of Article 14 of the Amendment, Minister Yellen said, “There is no way to protect the US financial system and economy except for Congress to do its job,” adding, “The president has to consider whether to continue issuing debt.” It shouldn’t go that far. It’s a constitutional crisis,” he said.

“If Congress can’t do its job, then there are no good options in that case,” she added. Some US constitutional scholars believe that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which states that “all debts of the federal government must be honoured,” gives the president the power to continue issuing debt without raising the debt ceiling. Previously, Secretary Yellen sent a letter to House Speaker McCarthy and others on the 1st, warning that default could occur as early as the 1st of next month if the debt ceiling is not raised.

The U.S. Treasury Department asked Congress to raise or suspend the application of the debt ceiling, saying it had entered special measures in response to the debt ceiling being reached in January.

However, negotiations have so far stalled, with Republicans linking higher debt ceilings with cuts in fiscal spending, and the White House demanding an unconditional increase in debt ceilings.

Washington Department of Transportation Ends 511 System

The Washington State Department of Transportation announced that it will stop operating the automated traffic information system for phone number 511 starting May 19.

The Ministry of Transportation explained that the number of 511 users has decreased significantly as travelers can easily share traffic information through social media such as Google Maps and smartphone apps.

According to the Ministry of Transportation, the number of times travelers use the 511 number has decreased by 89% in 13 years, from 2.2 million in 2009 to 302,000 last year. On the other hand, the operating cost of a 511-phone system exceeds $150,000 per year, including labor costs.

Currently, the 511-phone system informs travelers of road congestion, crash locations, weather forecasts, mountain road traffic, ferry boarding information, highway express lane status, and more in real time. However, most of this information can also be obtained through SNS, GPS systems built into cars, and online services of the Ministry of Transportation.

The Ministry of Transport said that people without access to the Internet or smartphones can still obtain necessary traffic information over the phone, and provided phone numbers for each item as follows.

Subway Line 7 Main to 74th St. Express Service to Manhattan

The 7 train will not stop between Main Street Station and 74 Street Station in Manhattan until this fall.

According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), due to the repair work at the 7th subway station, starting at 11:45 pm on the 12th of next month, the 7th subway from the main street station in the direction of Manhattan to the 74th street station will be operated by express.

Accordingly, passengers who are going to get off at 82nd Street Station and 111th Street Station by subway in the direction of Manhattan must get off at 74th Street Station and 103rd Street Station, respectively, and then transfer to a subway in the direction of Flushing.

According to the MTA, platform construction in the Manhattan direction of the two stations will be completed by this fall, followed by platform construction in the Flushing direction by next spring.

The MTA explained that with the goal of improving the subway station environment, constructions such as replacing the stairs at the two stations, flattening the platform and mezzanine floor, installing a wide screen for train operation information, painting murals, replacing lights, and installing CCTVs will be carried out.

Hawaii Has Lowest COVID-19 Death Rate in the US

According to a recent report by The Lancet, a British medical journal, the number of corona deaths in Hawaii is 147 per 100,000 people, making it the state with the greatest preventive effect in the United States.

Arizona, the state with the highest number of deaths, had 581 deaths per 100,000, about four times more than Hawaii.

The report was prepared based on publicly available data from government agencies between January 1 and July 31, 2020.

Emma Castro, a researcher at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at Washington State University, who wrote the report, explained that the state of Hawaii had the most efficient performance in several areas, including civic awareness and quarantine administration.

For example, trust in neighbors ranked second, and quarantine administration, such as restrictions on large gatherings and mandatory wearing of masks for a long time, ranked sixth.

Researcher Castro said that he was also able to read the association that wearing a mask helps reduce the infection rate, and pointed out that the mask wearing rate in Hawaii was the first.

The mandatory wearing of masks indoors in the state of Hawaii was lifted entirely on March 25, 2022.

David Igeg’s previous administration continued mask mandates when other states lifted mask guidelines, as well as when the federal government no longer required masks in low- and moderate-risk areas.

On the other hand, Hawaii’s GDP fell to the lowest during the COVID-19 period.

Researcher Boliki analyzed that increased use of masks is associated with higher unemployment rates, and that the lower the frequency of shopping and dining out, the greater the risk of job loss.

According to the report, the states with the highest jobless rates during COVID-19 were New York and Washington, DC, while Hawaii, Wyoming, and New Mexico had the greatest economic difficulties.

Meanwhile, researcher Castro explained that the US has one of the highest per capita death rates from COVID-19 in the world, given its economic size and medical resources.

In addition, the death rate differs by up to four times between states, which means that states with high death rates still have room for improvement.

In addition, it was advised that the response strategies of each state government should be reviewed to establish more efficient quarantine policies in the future.

Even Beverly Hills Can’t Escape the Homeless Problem

Even in Beverly Hills, L.A.’s wealthiest area, the homeless problem has become serious recently, raising concerns among business owners.

A long homeless village is formed along San Vicente Boulevard near Orlando Avenue, south of the Beverly Shopping Mall.

Locals who remember the looting of many of the shops on Rodeo Street in the Beverly Hills area during the height of the BLM protests are now raising concerns about the rise of homeless tents moving west from Downtown LA.

A Korean American who lives in a condominium nearby complained that she was upset that Beverly Hills was safer than downtown or Koreatown and that there were no homeless people, so she moved, but there was a homeless tent village nearby.

Recently, homeless people have been showing signs of spreading out of Downtown Skid Row and spreading throughout the city of Los Angeles. In the meantime, the homeless problem has emerged from a local problem centered on Skid Row to a problem facing the entire city of Los Angeles.

According to a survey by the LA Homeless Services Department, last year, the number of homeless cases in LA City totaled 41,000, and the number of homeless cases in LA County totaled 69,000.

LA Mayor Karen Bass is working hard to set up permanent housing for the homeless and remove homeless tents through the “Inside Safe” program introduced last December, but progress is incomplete.

Meanwhile, since the recent pandemic, various crimes such as “smash and grab” theft by people presumed to be homeless in LA have been rampant again, and fundamental measures by the city authorities are required.

Manhattan Files Suit Against Republican House Members

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which criminally prosecuted former President Donald Trump, filed a lawsuit against Republican members of the House of Representatives to the effect of not obstructing the prosecution.

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 11th that Chief Prosecutor Alvin Bragg, who spearheaded the prosecution of former President Trump, filed a 50-page complaint against Jim Jordan (Ohio), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and others in the Southern Federal Court of New York on the same day.

Chairman Jordan, a member of the Republican Party, is a person who highlights the problems of prosecution, such as notifying former Manhattan District Attorney Mark Pomerantz, who oversaw the investigation of former President Trump, of the summons to the Judiciary Committee.

In response, Prosecutor Bragg asked the court to block execution of the subpoena issued by Jordan.

He also requested that the Judiciary Committee in the future be prohibited from sending subpoenas to other persons involved in the investigation besides former prosecutor Pomeranz.

In the complaint, Bragg argued that Jordan’s attack on prosecutors was an unconstitutional attack and was “clearly designed to intimidate prosecutors.”

Along with this, he introduced the fact that the prosecution received death threats from supporters of former President Trump and received more than 1,000 complaint calls, criticizing that “Republican lawmakers are participating in this act.”

The NYT evaluated that it was unusual for Prosecutor Bragg to take legal action against Republican members of the House of Representatives.

Prosecutor Bragg became the target of attacks from former President Trump and the Republican side from the course of his investigation.

Former President Trump had criticized Prosecutor Bragg even before the indictment.

After the prosecution, he even expressed his dissatisfaction with primary colors such as ‘human trash’ and ‘beast’.

The Republican Party also started to “protect Trump,” such as asking the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for investigation materials on former President Trump.

In addition, it recently strengthened its attack on Bragg by announcing a plan to hold a hearing to hold the Manhattan District Attorney accountable for the rise in New York’s crime rate.

Prosecutor Bragg protested through a spokesman, calling the House Judiciary Committee’s offensive a “political show” before filing a complaint with the court.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office indicted former President Trump on 34 counts on the 30th of last month, saying that he paid three people and manipulated accounting books to silence a sexual scandal.

2 US Helicopters Collide Near Fort Campbell Base in Kentucky

Reuters and other U.S. media outlets reported simultaneously that two U.S. Army helicopters during training over the U.S. state of Kentucky collided at around 10 p.m. on the 29th and then crashed.

An Army spokesman said two HH60 transport Blackhawk helicopters belonging to the 101st Airborne Division collided during routine training in Trigg County, Kentucky, near the base at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

A resident living near the accident site told a local broadcaster that “I heard two loud noises.”

The crashed helicopter caught fire and firefighters were dispatched to extinguish it.

A spokesman for Fort Campbell told The Washington Post (WP) that nine soldiers were killed.

At the time, it was reported that the accident occurred in a hilly area and there was no damage to private houses.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshir said on Twitter on the 30th, “I am going to Fort Campbell this morning to support our service members and their families who suffered the tragic events of last night.”

The US Army is currently investigating the cause of the helicopter crash.

In Silicon Valley, Where the ‘Winter Storm’ Raged

On the 28th and 29th of last month, it rained from early dawn in Silicon Valley, California.

The rain that fell over two days was rather loud, but it was spring rain just before April.

In previous years, each drop of rain would have felt like sweet rain, but not this year.

This is because it has been raining every day in California since the end of last year. It rained non-stop for a week, causing flooding, and causing many casualties.

As a result, there were not many days to see the clear skies of California, which is famous for its good weather this winter.

It was the middle of winter, even the residents who had been waiting for the rain to complain, “I hope the rain will stop now.”

As it rained heavily, the temperature naturally dropped. Compared to previous years, a large width of cold continued.

‘Winter storms’, sometimes accompanied by storms, hit the area several times, making the area tense. Even in Silicon Valley, electricity went out to tens of thousands of households.

A resident who has lived in Mountain View, where Google’s headquarters is located, for 40 years said, “I’ve never seen such a bad weather like this winter in 40 years.”

The ‘winter storm’ unfortunately also swept through Silicon Valley.

Big tech companies represented by Apple, Microsoft (MS), Amazon, Google, and Meta have suffered the worst this year.

Even during Corona 19, when concerns about the economic downturn were high, it continued to grow proudly, but now it is experiencing a slowdown in growth.

Apple’s sales from October to December of last year decreased for the first time since the first quarter of 2019 on a quarterly basis, and Meta has been experiencing negative growth for three consecutive quarters since the second quarter of last year.

Microsoft, Amazon, and Google also reported a decrease in net profit year-on-year or lower-than-expected performance.

These companies are undergoing large-scale restructuring as their earnings prospects for this year are also unclear due to concerns about the economic downturn.

Along with Meta and Amazon announcing their second round of layoffs, Microsoft and Google have also started reducing their workforce.

Amazon 27,000, Meta 21,000, Google 12,000, MS 10,000, the number of layoffs alone reaches 70,000.

If you include other tech companies such as Salesforce, Dell Technologies, Twitter, Zoom, and Lyft, the number of layoffs is well over 100,000.

This is an unprecedented level.

Businesses that are not immediately profitable are being exited, such as Amazon indefinitely postponing the second phase of its headquarters and Microsoft suspending virtual reality workspace project services.

Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), which has been a support for startups, also collapsed. SVB is the 16th largest bank in the US that has served as a source of funding for startups for the past 40 years.

However, a bank run (large-scale withdrawal) occurred as the risk management for the rapidly rising standard interest rate was not properly managed, and it was eventually closed.

Fortunately, the US government quickly stepped in to provide full deposit protection and bailed out all the depositors, but it almost led to the bankruptcy of the startup.

In the aftermath of the SVB collapse, another small and medium-sized bank, Signature Bank, was closed, and Credit Suisse, a world-class investment bank (IB), was also sold to UBS, the largest IB in Switzerland, amid rumors of a crisis.

Silicon Valley, a symbol of global technological innovation, could have become the epicenter of the global financial crisis. It was an unprecedented crisis comparable to the Lehman Brothers crisis that triggered the 2008 global financial crisis.

Silicon Valley, which has been leading the global economy by presenting a new paradigm through active investment and technological innovation, is now bowing down to unexpected situations that may explode anywhere and anytime.

An engineer working for a tech company said, “I’ve been working in Silicon Valley for 20 years, but it’s the first time I’ve felt a sense of crisis like these days.”

Spring has arrived, but Silicon Valley’s spring has not yet arrived. Silicon Valley’s ‘winter storm’, which had been raging, has calmed down for a while, but ‘winter’ seems to continue for the time being.