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Morning rundown: Title 42 stays; Southwest still struggling


Title 42 gets another temporary lifeline; Southwest airlines is still struggling; and more snow hits Buffalo. These stories and more highlight the morning rundown for Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022. 

Supreme Court keeps Title 42 for now

Title 42 was supposed to expire one week ago today before the Supreme Court intervened. Now in a 5-4 vote, the justices have decided to temporarily keep the policy in place. A final ruling is expected to come in February when the high court is set to hear arguments in the case.

It’s been a tumultuous back-and-forth on Title 42’s future. To date, officials have used the measure 2.5 million times to send asylum-seekers back across the Mexico border.

Southwest struggles to regain schedule

It’s been a domino effect for Southwest airlines. Their flight schedule has been dismantled from consecutive days of thousands of cancellations.

Already today, 2,500 flights have been nixed from the board, and that is expected to be the case for several more days.

Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan said extreme weather and demand initially threw the company off course.

“Our plan for the next few days is to fly a reduced schedule and reposition our people and planes, and we’re making headway and we’re optimistic to be back on track before next week,” Jordan said. 

The CEO also said he is in direct communication with the Department of Transportation, which is putting Southwest airlines under federal review.

Buffalo blizzard worst in generations

The blizzard that has hit Buffalo, New York is now the worst weather disaster to hit the area in two generations. The death toll has risen to 31, making it more deadly than the historic blizzard of 1977.

The snow continues to pile on to the already six feet of snowfall. State and military police have been called in to keep drivers off the roadways.

“So, I want people to understand there’s a lot of roads that are completely blocked right now. That have no access whatsoever and people are trying to drive on these roads. Or trying to get into these neighborhoods and they can’t. Please, please, you heard the mayor beg, I’m begging, stay home,” Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz said.

Officials say it’s impossible for emergency crews to respond to emergency calls in current conditions.

Later in the week, as the snow melts, local officials are bracing for the threat of flooding.

Kari Lake to pay Hobbs’ legal fees

Kari Lake, who lost her bid for Arizona governor, is now being ordered to pay tens of thousands of dollars to her opponent and incoming governor Katie Hobbs. Lake contested the election results in court but lost the case. Now Lake is being ordered to compensate Hobbs for legal fees related to the election lawsuit.

Hobbs asked the court to also sanction Lake for bringing forth the lawsuit challenging the election, which the judge dismissed.

Japan reacts to covid spike in China

Any visitors from China to Japan will now be required to take a COVID test. Japan is tightening its COVID-19 travel requirements as case numbers surge in China.

Chinese hospitals and funeral homes are reportedly drained of resources, as COVID-19 cases have seen a dramatic increase this month. To prevent the spread to Japan, the country is requiring testing. If a traveler tests positive, they will face a seven-day mandatory quarantine

Djokovic returns after deportation

Novak Djokovic is back in Australia nearly one year since he was deported due to his vaccination status. The tennis great will be playing in this year’s Australian Open after missing last year.

The Australian government initially planned to place a three-year suspension on his visa, but has since waived that ban.

The 2023 Australian Open begins Jan. 15. Djokovic has won it nine times.

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KARAH RUCKER: TOPPING OUR NEWS TODAY…TITLE 42 GETS ANOTHER TEMPORARY LIFELINE. THE SUPREME COURT KEEPING THE BORDER POLICY IN PLACE UNTIL THEY’RE ABLE TO TAKE UP THE CASE NEXT YEAR. THIS IS YOUR MORNING RUNDOWN AIMED DOWN THE MIDDLE WITH STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

SUPREME COURT KEEPS TITLE 42 FOR NOW

TITLE 42 WAS SUPPOSED TO EXPIRE ONE WEEK AGO TODAY BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT INTERVENED. NOW IN A 5-4 VOTE — THE JUSTICES HAVE DECIDED TO TEMPORARILY KEEP THE POLICY IN PLACE.

A FINAL RULING IS EXPECTED TO COME IN FEBRUARY. THAT’S WHEN THE HIGHEST COURT IS SET TO ARGUE THE CASE.

IT’S BEEN A TUMULTUOUS BACK-AND-FORTH ON TITLE 42’S FUTURE. TO DATE — OFFICIALS HAVE USED THE MEASURE 2.5 MILLION TIMES TO SEND ASYLUM-SEEKERS BACK ACROSS THE MEXICO BORDER.

SOUTHWEST STRUGGLES TO REGAIN SCHEDULE

Bob Jordan | Southwest Airlines CEO: “Whether you haven’t been able to get to where you need to go. Or you’re one of our heroic employees caught up in a massive effort to stabilize the airline, to know is that we’re doing everything we can to return to a normal operation.”

RUCKER: IT’S BEEN A DOMINO EFFECT FOR SOUTHWEST AIRLINES. THEIR FLIGHT SCHEDULE HAS BEEN DISMANTLED FROM CONSECUTIVE-DAYS OF THOUSANDS OF CANCELLATIONS.

ALREADY TODAY…2500 FLIGHTS…THE MAJORITY OF FLIGHTS-SCHEDULED…HAVE BEEN NIXED FROM THE BOARD. AND IS EXPECTED TO BE THE CASE FOR SEVERAL MORE DAYS.

THE CEO SAYS EXTREME WEATHER AND DEMAND INITIALLY THREW THE COMPANY OFF COURSE.

Bob Jordan | Southwest Airlines CEO: “Our plan for the next few days is to fly a reduced schedule and reposition our people and planes, and we’re making headway and we’re optimistic to be back on track before next week.”

RUCKER: THE CEO ALSO SAYS HE IS IN DIRECT-COMMUNICATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION —
WHICH IS PUTTING SOUTHWEST AIRLINES UNDER FEDERAL REVIEW.

BUFFALO BLIZZARD WORST IN GENERATIONS

THE BLIZZARD THAT HAS BEARED DOWN ON BUFFALO, NEW YORK IS NOW THE WORST WEATHER DISASTER TO HIT THE AREA IN TWO GENERATIONS.

THE DEATH TOLL HAS NOW RISEN TO 31…MORE DEADLY THAN THE HISTORIC BLIZZARD OF 1977.

THE SNOW CONTINUES TO PILE ON TO THE ALREADY SIX FEET OF SNOWFALL.

STATE AND MILITARY POLICE HAVE BEEN CALLED IN TO KEEP DRIVERS OFF THE ROADWAYS.

Mark Poloncarz, Erie County Executive:”So I want people to understand there’s a lot of roads that are completely blocked right now. That have no access whatsoever and people are trying to drive on these roads. Or trying to get into these neighborhoods and they can’t. Please, please, you heard the mayor beg, I’m begging, stay home.”

OFFICIALS SAYING IT’S IMPOSSIBLE FOR EMERGENCY CREWS TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCY-CALLS IN CURRENT CONDITIONS.

LATER IN THE WEEK AS THE SNOW MELTS…LOCAL OFFICIALS ARE BRACING FOR THE THREAT OF FLOODING.

KARI LAKE TO PAY HOBBS’ LEGAL FEES

KARI LAKE WHO LOST HER BID FOR ARIZONA GOVERNOR IS NOW BEING ORDERED TO PAY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO HER OPPONENT AND INCOMING-GOVERNOR KATIE HOBBS.
LAKE CONTESTED THE ELECTION RESULTS IN COURT BUT LOST THE CASE.
NOW LAKE IS BEING ORDERED TO COMPENSATE HOBBS FOR LEGAL FEES RELATED TO THE ELECTION LAWSUIT.

HOBBS ASKED THE COURT TO ALSO SANCTION LAKE FOR BRINGING FORTH THE LAWSUIT CHALLENGING THE ELECTION…WHICH THE JUDGE DISMISSED.

JAPAN REACTS TO COVID SPIKE IN CHINA

ANY VISITORS FROM CHINA TO JAPAN WILL NOW BE REQUIRED TO TAKE A COVID TEST.
JAPAN IS TIGHTENING IT’S COVID-19 TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS AS CASE NUMBERS SURGE IN CHINA.

CHINESE HOSPITALS AND FUNERAL HOMES ARE REPORTEDLY DRAINED OF RESOURCES AS COVID-19 CASES HAVE SEEN A DRAMATIC INCREASE THIS MONTH.

TO PREVENT THE SPREAD TO JAPAN…THE COUNTRY IS REQUIRING TESTING. AND IF A TRAVELER TESTS POSITIVE…THEY WILL FACE A 7-DAY MANDATORY QUARANTINE

DJOKOVIC RETURNS AFTER DEPORTATION

NOVAK DJOKOVIC IS BACK IN AUSTRALIA NEARLY ONE YEAR SINCE HE WAS DEPORTED DUE TO HIS VACCINATION STATUS.

THE TENNIS-GREAT WILL BE PLAYING IN THIS YEAR’S AUSTRALIAN OPEN AFTER MISSING LAST YEAR.

THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT INITIALLY PLANNED TO PLACE A THREE YEAR SUSPENSION ON HIS VISA BUT HAS SINCE WAIVED THAT BAN.

THE 2023 AUSTRALIAN OPEN BEGINS JANUARY 15TH. WHICH DJOKOVIC HAS WON NINE TIMES.

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