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Midday rundown: Idaho murder arrest, Southwest delays declining

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An Idaho murder suspect has been taken into custody; Southwest Airlines appears back on track after a week of cancellations and chaos; and heavy metals in chocolate. These stories and more highlight the Straight Arrow News midday rundown for Friday, Dec. 30, 2022. 

Suspect in custody for Idaho murders

The arrest comes almost two months after multiple students were found murdered inside their off-campus house on Nov. 13.

Several outlets are reporting the suspect is a man in his mid-20s who is also a college student. He was taken into custody in Pennsylvania. These details are not yet confirmed.

Officials are scheduled to host a press conference later today. Local police had been joined by the FBI and state police as the investigation grew to find the killer.

Southwest Airlines flight schedule recovers

Thousands of flights were canceled every day this week. Today, there have been fewer than 40 cancellations, as Southwest Airlines seems to be resuming normal operations.

But the chaos it’s created to get to this point will linger. The federal government has expectations for the airline to meet–mostly making it up to customers who couldn’t get home and still can’t find their luggage.

Fed research on 2023 recession risk

Many questions surround what the economy will look like in 2023. And many Americans are wondering whether the country’s economy will experience a recession in 2023.

New research from several Federal Reserve branches indicates the possibility of a recession is growing. Reports released this week detail a rising risk that the U.S. economy may fall into a recession in the coming months.

The top two measurements include how states’ economies are performing and what the jobless rate looks like. Based on federal data, 27 states have an economy in decline–a threshold that leans to recession, according to the report. The jobless rate in the U.S. has remained fairly stable, but the report suggests that could change.

As the Fed continues with aggressive rate hikes, the jobless rate could spike to 4.6%, up from 3.7% in November, which is why a recession hasn’t been ruled out for 2023.

Keystone operational after rupture

The Keystone Pipeline is now up and running againIt’s been closed for more than 3 weeks after a line ruptured in Kansas, spilling roughly 14,000 barrels of oil. That’s the largest leak to ever occur in the pipeline.

The cleanup process is still ongoing. So far, about half of the lost oil has been recovered by crews. While the pipeline is operating again, it’s doing so at a lower pressure to ensure everything is running appropriately.

“It would not surprise me at all to learn that that higher pressure is what has caused these large releases. That higher pressure went into effect in 2017, and that’s when we started seeing these. The three largest releases have happened since then,” said Bill Caram, executive director of Pipeline Safety Trust.

Number of Russians seeking U.S. entry grows

Ukrainians have fled their home country for the U.S. after Russia’s invasion. But there’s also been an increase in Russians seeking refuge in the U.S. since the war began, according to new data from Customs and Border Protection.

Since the invasion began last February, more than 31,000 Russians have been encountered at American borders.

Once when Russia announced a military draft in September, the monthly numbers increased. There were 12,000 crossings in October and November.

In all of 2021, only 4,000 Russian migrants were encountered at American borders.

Hershey sued over metal content

Hershey is being taken to court following a consumer report this month that tested its dark chocolate and reportedly found high levels of metal content. A consumer of Hershey’s special dark chocolate is now suing after learning about lead found in its products.

Hershey’s wasn’t the only target in the consumer report. 28 chocolate bars from a variety of companies were found to contain heavy metals.

The lawsuit states Hershey should better disclose information on metal content in its chocolate bars, saying it could pose a “serious health risk.”

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KARAH RUCKER: AUTHORITIES HAVE A SUSPECT IN CUSTODY FOR THE HIGH-PROFILE KILLINGS OF FOUR “UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO” STUDENTS. THAT’S ACCORDING TO SEVERAL NEW REPORTS.
THIS IS YOUR MIDDAY RUNDOWN AIMED DOWN THE MIDDLE WITH STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

SUSPECT IN CUSTODY FOR IDAHO MURDERS

THE ARREST COMES ALMOST TWO MONTHS AFTER THE STUDENTS WERE FOUND MURDERED INSIDE THEIR OFF-CAMPUS HOUSE ON NOVEMBER 13TH.

SEVERAL OUTLETS ARE REPORTING THE SUSPECT IS A MAN IN HIS MID-20S WHO IS ALSO A COLLEGE STUDENT. HE WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY IN PENNSYLVANIA. THESE DETAILS ARE NOT YET CONFIRMED.

OFFICIALS ARE SCHEDULED TO HOST A PRESS CONFERENCE LATER TODAY.

LOCAL POLICE HAD BEEN JOINED BY THE FBI AND STATE POLICE AS THE INVESTIGATION GREW TO FIND THE KILLER.

THE CASE CONSUMED HEADLINES, SHAKING A SMALL CITY OF 25-THOUSAND THE WEEK BEFORE THANKSGIVING.

SOUTHWEST FLIGHT SCHEDULE RECOVERS

THOUSANDS OF FLIGHTS WERE CANCELS EVERY DAY THIS WEEK. TODAY, THERE’S BEEN LESS THAN 40 CANCELLATIONS. AS SOUTHWEST SEEMS TO BE OVER THE HUMP AND BACK ON TRACK.

BUT THE CHAOS IT’S CREATED TO GET TO THIS POINT WILL LINGER. 

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS EXPECTATIONS FOR THE AIRLINE TO MEET. MOSTLY MAKING IT UP TO CUSTOMERS WHO COULDN’T GET HOME AND STILL CAN’T FIND THEIR LUGGAGE.

FED RESEARCH ON RISK OF RECESSION 2023

THERE ARE MANY QUESTION MARKS SURROUNDING WHAT THE NEW YEAR WILL LOOK LIKE.

AND AT THE TOP OF MANY AMERICANS MINDS…IS WHETHER WE WILL SEE A RECESSION IN 20-23.

NEW RESEARCH FROM SEVERAL FEDERAL RESERVE BRANCHES INDICATES THE POSSIBILITY OF A RECESSION IS GROWING.

REPORTS RELEASED THIS WEEK DETAIL A RISING RISK THAT THE U.S. ECONOMY MAY FALL INTO A RECESSION IN THE COMING MONTHS.

THERE ARE TWO MEASUREMENTS THEY GO BY. HOW STATES’ ECONOMIES ARE PERFORMING. AND WHAT THE JOBLESS RATE LOOKS LIKE.

BASED ON FEDERAL DATA…27 STATES HAVE AN ECONOMY IN DECLINE.

A THRESHOLD THAT LEANS TO RECESSION ACCORDING TO THE REPORT.

THE JOBLESS RATE IN THE U.S. HAS REMAINED FAIRLY STABLE. BUT THE REPORT SUGGESTS THAT COULD CHANGE.

AS THE FED CONTINUES WITH AGGRESSIVE RATE HIKES…
THE JOBLESS RATE COULD SPIKE TO 4.6 PERCENT. UP FROM 3.7 IN NOVEMBER. WHICH IS WHY A RECESSION ISN’T RULED OUT FOR THE NEW YEAR.

KEYSTONE OPERATIONAL AFTER RUPTURE

THE KEYSTONE PIPELINE IS NOW UP-AND-RUNNING AGAIN. 

IT’S BEEN CLOSED FOR MORE THAN 3 WEEKS AFTER A RUPTURE IN ITS LINE HAPPENED IN KANSAS…SPILLING ROUGHLY 14 THOUSAND BARRELS OF OIL.

THAT’S THE LARGEST LEAK TO EVER OCCUR IN THE PIPELINE.

THE CLEANUP PROCESS IS STILL ONGOING. SO FAR ABOUT HALF OF THE LOST OIL HAS BEEN RECOVERED BY CREWS.

WHILE THE PIPELINE IS OPERATING AGAIN, IT’S DOING SO AT A LOWER PRESSURE TO ENSURE EVERYTHING IS RUNNING RIGHT.

Bill Caram | Executive Director, Pipeline Safety Trust: “It would not surprise me at all to learn that that higher pressure is what has caused these large releases. That higher pressure went into effect in 2017 and that’s when we started seeing these. The three largest releases have happened since then.”

RUSSIANS SEEKING US ENTRY INCREASES

WE’VE TALKED ABOUT UKRAINIANS FLEEING THEIR HOME COUNTRY FOR THE U.S. AFTER RUSSIA’S INVASION.

BUT THERE’S ALSO BEEN AN INCREASE IN RUSSIANS SEEKING REFUGE IN THE U.S. SINCE THE WAR BEGAN.

THIS, ACCORDING TO NEW DATA FROM CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION

SINCE THE INVASION BEGAN LAST FEBRUARY, MORE THAN 31,000 RUSSIANS WERE ENCOUNTERED AT OUR BORDERS.

BUT ONCE WHEN RUSSIA ANNOUNCED A MILITARY DRAFT IN SEPTEMBER, THE MONTHLY NUMBERS INCREASED.

THERE WERE 12,000 CROSSINGS IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER.

FOR PERSPECTIVE, IN THE ENTIRE YEAR OF 2021, ONLY FOUR THOUSAND RUSSIAN MIGRANTS WERE ENCOUNTERED AT OUR BORDERS.

THAT’S GOING TO DO IT FOR THIS EDITION OF YOUR MIDDAY RUNDOWN. THANKS FOR WATCHING STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS WHERE WE STRIVE TO DELIVER JOURNALISM WITHOUT AGENDA.