Midday rundown: California storms, Mafia boss caught, Starbucks expands in China

NEAR COLLISION AT JFK AIRPORT

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: “Delta 1943, cancel takeoff clearance. Alright then, uhh, whew. Delta 1943.”

THIS IS AUDIO FROM AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL MOMENTS BEFORE A NEAR-COLLISION ON THE TARMAC AT THE JFK AIRPORT IN NEW YORK.

A DELTA AIRPLANE WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF…GOING 115 MILES PER HOUR…BEFORE BEING TOLD TO STOP.

AN AMERICAN AIRLINES PLANE CROSSED IT’S PATH. THE PLANES MISSING EACH OTHER BY ONE THOUSAND FEET.

NOW THE FAA AND NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD ARE INVESTIGATING.

CALIFORNIA STORM UPDATE

THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE RELIEF IN CALIFORNIA AFTER LONG STRETCHES OF RAIN FLOODED THE STATE…KILLING 19 PEOPLE LAST WEEK. TODAY…MORE BAD WEATHER IS EXPECTED…BUT THE END IS FINALLY IN SIGHT.

RAIN AND SNOW STARTED FALLING LATE LAST NIGHT ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. THEY’RE PREPARING FOR HEAVY RAINFALL AND SNOW, WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR MORE FLOODING AND MUDSLIDES. 

THE REGION IS ALREADY SATURATED AFTER THREE WEEKS OF STORMS. 

AND MOTORISTS WERE BATTLING WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS IN THE SIERRA REGION DUE TO A STORM THERE. 

ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, THE WORST OF THE WEATHER IS BEHIND CALIFORNIA.  BUT THERE IS STILL A WEATHER THREAT MONDAY INTO TUESDAY. 

POVERTY, HUNGER ENDANGERING CHILDREN

WHILE PARTS OF OUR COUNTRY ARE RECEIVING RECORD RAINFALL…
A REGION IN SOUTH AFRICA IS FACING A LIFE-THREATENING DROUGHT.
SPECIFICALLY PUTTING CHILDREN’S LIVES AT RISK DUE TO LACK OF NUTRITION AND NECESSITIES.

THE UNITED NATIONS HAS PUT OUT A DIRE WARNING.
URGING THE WORLD TO DO MORE. THEY SAY EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY…A CHILD IN “SOMALIA” IS ADMITTED TO A HOSPITAL SUFFERING FROM MAL-NUTRITION.

THEY ESTIMATE HALF A MILLION CHILDREN COULD DIE BY THIS SUMMER. IN SOMALIA…NOT ONLY IS THERE A DEVASTATING DROUGHT…BUT THEIR GOVERNMENT IS UNSTABLE –IN CONSTANT BATTLE WITH AN AL-QAEDA MILITANT GROUP.

THE UNITED NATIONS SAYING CHILDREN ARE THE ONES CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE.

STARBUCKS EXPANDS IN CHINA

STARBUCKS MAY BE A COMMON SIGHT IN CITIES ACROSS THE U.S. BUT IT’S A CITY IN CHINA THAT ACTUALLY HAS MORE LOCATIONS THAN ANY OTHER PLACE IN THE WORLD.

SHANGHAI TAKES THE TOP SPOT – WITH MORE STORES THAN ANY OTHER CITY. AND THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE IS ON TRACK TO OVERTAKE AMERICA AS THE COFFEE-RETAILER’S BIGGEST MARKET. 

IT’S ESTIMATED A NEW STARBUCKS CAFE OPENS IN CHINA EVERY NINE HOURS. 

AND A NEW REPORT FROM ‘FAST COMPANY’ – SPELLS OUT THE LEVEL OF INVOLVEMENT THE COMPANY HAS IN GROWING ITS BUSINESS THERE.

STARBUCKS ISN’T JUST HIRING WORKERS, THE COMPANY IS DEVELOPING FARMLAND. TRAINING MORE THAN 30-THOUSAND FARMERS TO HELP DEVELOP A DOMESTIC SUPPLY CHAIN IN CHINA.

CEO HOWARD SHULTZ HAS ACKNOWLEDGED STARBUCKS IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH CHINA’S COMMUNIST PARTY TO GROW ITS BRAND IN THE COUNTRY. THE COMPANY HAS INVESTED$18-MILLION-DOLLARS IN SOCIAL WELFARE PROGRAMS IN CHINA SINCE 2006. 

TOP MAFIA BOSS ARRESTED IN ITALY

ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST WANTED CRIMINALS HAS BEEN CAPTURED. AN ITALIAN MAFIA BOSS.MATTEO MESSINA DENARO’S ARREST HAS BEEN A LONG-TIME-COMING…ON THE RUN FOR THIRTY YEARS.

THE MOBSTER IS ACCUSED OF BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR DOZENS OF MURDERS. HE’S THE LAST “GODFATHER” OF THE SICILIAN MAFIA.

SPACEX LAUNCHES FALCON HEAVY

LAUNCH CLIP: “5,4,3,2,1, engine full pwoer and lift off…go falcon heavy, go space force.”

A SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH THIS WEEKEND OF THE SPACE-X “FALCON HEAVY.” ELON MUSK’S ROCKET PART OF A CLASSIFIED “U.S. SPACE-FORCE” MISSION. IT’S THEIR FIRST NATIONAL SECURITY SPACE-MISSION OF THE YEAR.

THIS ROCKET HAS TAKEN FIVE FLIGHTS SINCE DEBUTING IN 2018. ELON MUSK TWEETING AFTER THE MISSION’S SUCCESS…SAYING “THAT’S HOW WE WILL LAND ON MARS.”

IN JUST THREE DAYS…SPACE-X IS EXPECTED TO LAUNCH 51 STAR-LINK SATELLITES INTO ORBIT…JOINING ELON MUSKS’ OTHER 3 THOUSAND SATELLITES.

LARGELY USED TO CAST A WIDER NET OF INTERNET SERVICE SPECIFICALLY IN REMOTE OFF-THE-GRID LOCATIONS.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP HEADLINES ON THIS MONDAY AFTERNOON. THANKS FOR JOINING THE DAILY RUNDOWN WITH STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS. YOUR PLACE FOR JOURNALISM WITHOUT AGENDA.