Morning rundown: Turkey’s deadly earthquake; Beyonce’s record Grammys

KARAH RUCKER: DEBRIS OF THE CHINESE SPY BALLOON SHOT DOWN OVER THE WEEKEND IS BEING INVESTIGATED BY US OFFICIALS. AND ANOTHER NEAR COLLISION BETWEEN TWO AIRPLANES AT A U.S. AIRPORT OVER THE WEEKEND.

BUT WE BEGIN WITH A SIGNIFICANT EARTHQUAKE KILLING HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE EAST THIS MORNING.

THIS IS STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS. UNBIASED. STRAIGHT FACTS.

EARTHQUAKE IN MIDDLE EAST KILLS HUNDREDS

A POWERFUL 7.8 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE HIT SOUTHERN TURKEY AND NORTHERN SYRIA IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS MONDAY. BUILDINGS TOOK A HIT FROM THE UNSTABLE GROUND BENEATH THEM – TOPPLING OVER AND TAKING WITH THEM HUNDREDS OF CIVILIANS.

THE DEATH TOLL HAS CONTINUED TO DRAMATICALLY INCREASE. AT LEAST 1,500 PEOPLE ARE REPORTED DEAD. HUNDREDS MORE UNACCOUNTED FOR, BELIEVED TO BE TRAPPED UNDER RUBBLE. THE DEATH TOLL IS EXPECTED TO KEEP RISING.

US OFFICIALS HAVE ALREADY ISSUED A STATEMENT THIS MORNING SAYING THE U.S. WILL SEND SUPPORT IN THE RECOVERY EFFORTS.

SPY BALLOON TAKEN DOWN, TENSION REMAINS

A STORY THAT CONTROLLED THE NEWS CYCLE LAST WEEK. A CHINESE SPY BALLOON HOVERING OVER THE U.S. ENDED OVER THE WEEKEND WHEN U.S. OFFICIALS SHOT DOWN THE CHINESE SATELLITE ONCE IT WAS OVER THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST LINE.

THE MOVE HAS ONLY ANGERED BEIJING MORE. CHINA CALLING THE TAKEDOWN OF THE SATELLITE A “CLEAR OVER-REACTION” A “SERIOUS VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE” AND TELLING THE U.S. — AGAIN — TO BE CALM.

NOW TOP US OFFICIALS ARE EXAMINING PARTS OF THE SPY BALLOON THAT WERE COLLECTED AFTER IT WAS SHOT DOWN FROM THE SKY.

SANTOS ACCUSED OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT

GEORGE SANTOS, THE REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN FROM LONG ISLAND WHO DEALT A NUMBER OF CONTROVERSIES SINCE HIS ELECTION, HAS NOW BEEN ACCUSED OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT AND AN ETHICS VIOLATION BY A PROSPECTIVE STAFFER.

THE STAFFER SAID ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT SANTOS GRABBED HIM INAPPROPRIATELY IN SANTOS’ OFFICE SPACE.

SANTOS AND HIS ATTORNEY HAVE NOT COMMENTED ON THE ALLEGATIONS. 

FEDEX PLANE, SOUTHWEST JET NEARLY COLLIDE

ANOTHER NEAR MISS ON AN AIRPORT-RUNWAY. THIS TIME THE NEAR-COLLISION WAS AVOIDED AT AN AUSTIN TEXAS AIRPORT, INVOLVING A SOUTHWEST PLANE BOUND FOR CANCUN GIVEN THE OKAY FOR TAKEOFF AND AN IN-COMING FED-EX CARGO PLANE GIVEN THE OKAY FOR LANDING.

THE FEDEX CARGO AIRPLANE HAD TO ABORT IT’S ATTEMPTED-LANDING ON SATURDAY AFTER THE SOUTHWEST AIRPLANE FULL OF PASSENGERS WAS ON THE SAME RUNWAY.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL WAS IN COMMUNICATION WITH BOTH THE FEDEX AND SOUTHWEST PILOTS. BUT AS SOUTHWEST ROLLED OUT, FEDEX WAS ROLLING IN.

FED-EX ABORTED THE LANDING AND AVOIDED A NEAR-COLLISION. THE TOWER IN AUSTIN APOLOGIZED TO THE PILOT.

A SIMILAR NEAR-COLLISION HAPPENING LAST MONTH IN NEW YORK CITY INVOLVING AIRPLANES FROM AMERICAN AND DELTA.

DELL TO ELIMINATE 6,650 JOBS

DELL TECHNOLOGIES IS THE LATEST TECH COMPANY TO ANNOUNCE SIGNIFICANT JOB CUTS. MORE THAN SIX THOUSAND POSITIONS OR 5 PERCENT OF ITS WORKFORCE WILL BE ELIMINATED.

NOT ONLY DID THE COMPANY CITE THE CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS, BUT THEY’RE ALSO BATTLING A DEEP CUT IN DEMAND.

IN THE FOURTH QUARTER LAST YEAR, DELL HAD A 37 PERCENT DECLINE IN P-C COMPUTER SHIPMENTS COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

BEYONCE CROWNED QUEEN OF GRAMMYS

BEYONCE: “This is an honor. We are witnessing history tonight. Breaking the record for the most Grammy wins of all time. Be upstanding and show your respects, it’s Renaissance, Beyonce.”

THERE’S A NEW QUEEN CROWNED WITH THE MOST GRAMMYS OF ALL TIME AFTER LAST NIGHT’S AWARDS SHOW.

BEYONCE WON FOUR GRAMMYS ON SUNDAY FOR HER ALBUM “RENAISSANCE.” TALLYING UP 32 TOTAL GRAMMY AWARDS IN HER CAREER. THE MOST OF ALL TIME.

WHILE BEYONCE’S THUNDER STOLE THE SHOW, HARRY STYLES WON ALBUM OF THE YEAR.