US military evacuates embassy workers in Sudan amid unrest: April 24 rundown

KARAH RUCKER: COMING UP – THE U.S. MILITARY HAS SUCCESSFULLY EVACUATED AMERICAN GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES FROM THE U.S. EMBASSY IN SUDAN’S CAPITAL – AS INFIGHTING HAS KILLED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY THIS MONTH.

AND – AN AMERICAN AIRLINES PLANE IS FORCED TO TURN AROUND MID-AIR AFTER ONE OF ITS ENGINES CAUGHT FIRE.

THE DAILY RUNDOWN STARTS NOW. THIS IS STRAIGHT-ARROW NEWS. BRINGING YOU UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS. I’M KARAH RUCKER.

U.S. EMBASSY IN SUDAN EVACUATED AMID UNREST

THE STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS WORKERS FROM THE U.S. EMBASSY IN **SUDAN HAVE BEEN EVACUATED IN A SPECIAL MILITARY OPERATION. IN-FIGHTING BETWEEN TWO RIVAL GENERALS HAS INTENSIFIED IN THE COUNTRY – FUELING FEARS THAT SUDAN COULD BE HEADED TOWARDS A CIVIL WAR. 

DOZENS OF AMERICAN PERSONNEL FROM THE EMBASSY — INCLUDING DIPLOMATIC WORKERS AND A U-S MARINE ATTACHMENT — WERE SAFELY REMOVED FROM THE REGION AFTER 100 U-S TROOPS EXECUTED AN AIRLIFT OPERATION.

SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN SAID OPERATIONS AT THE EMBASSY HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED.

THE STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS THERE ARE NO IMMEDIATE PLANS TO EVACUATE THE HUNDREDS OF U.S. CIVILIANS CURRENTLY IN SUDAN.

MORE THAN 400 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED AND THOUSANDS OF OTHERS INJURED SINCE FIGHTING BROKE OUT EARLIER THIS MONTH.

Josep Borrell | European Union’s foreign policy chief: “I got in touch with the two generals fighting in Sudan and now the ceasefire has stopped, it’s over. We have to continue pushing for a political settlement. We cannot afford that Sudan, which is a very populated country, implodes because it will be sending shockwaves around the whole Africa.”

CHINA WALKS BACK COMMENTS ON EX-SOVIET STATES

CHINA IS HAVING TO WALK BACK REMARKS BY ITS TOP DIPLOMAT IN PARIS WHO QUESTIONED THE SOVEREIGNTY OF FORMER SOVIET COUNTRIES IN A TELEVISED INTERVIEW. THIS – AS MUCH OF THE WORLD REMAINS WARY OF CHINA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH RUSSIA.

THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR WAS ASKED A QUESTION ON CRIMEA AND ITS CONTROVERSIAL ANNEXATION BY RUSSIA. THE AMBASSADOR SAID EX-SOVIET COUNTRIES DON’T HAVE ANY STATUS UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW.

THE COMMENTS LED TO SHARP CRITICISM – WITH CHINA NOW ACKNOWLEDGING THE STATUS OF FORMER SOVIET MEMBER STATES AS SOVEREIGN NATIONS.

PLANE ENGINE CATCHES FIRE AFTER BIRD STRIKE

AN AMERICAN AIRLINES PLANE HAD AN ENGINE GO OUT AND CATCH FIRE SOON AFTER TAKE OFF – BECAUSE OF A BIRD STRIKE. FLAMES FROM THE WING WERE CAPTURED ON CAMERA BY PASSENGERS.

THE PLANE WAS DEPARTING FROM COLUMBUS, OHIO – HEADED TO PHOENIX, ARIZONA ON SUNDAY MORNING. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING TAKE-OFF – THE PILOT CALLED IN A BIRD STRIKE AND TURNED THE AIRCRAFT AROUND – SAFELY LANDING SHORTLY AFTER THE INCIDENT.

AMERICAN AIRLINE PASSENGERS ON A FLIGHT FROM CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA HAD A SIMILAR VIEW THREE DAYS PRIOR – LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW TO SEE FLAMES SHOOTING FROM THE WING WHILE ON THE RUNWAY – ABOUT TO TAKE OFF FOR DALLAS. THOSE PASSENGERS WERE SAFELY EVACUATED OFF THE AIRCRAFT. AMERICAN SAID THERE WAS A MECHANICAL ISSUE THAT STARTED THE FIRE.

ACCORDING TO THE F-A-A – LARGE BIRDS ARE ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS ELEMENTS OF NATURE THAT PILOTS HAVE TO DEAL WITH. FOR DOMESTIC AIR TRAVEL – BIRD STRIKES ARE TO BLAME FOR 350 DEATHS OVER THE HISTORY OF U.S. PASSENGER FLIGHTS.

THE FAA SAYS BIRD STRIKES MAY BE ON THE RISE DUE TO AN INCREASE IN BIRD POPULATION AND AIRCRAFT BECOMING QUIETER IN THE SKIES.

DELIVERY DRIVER SHOT AT AFTER GOING TO WRONG HOUSE

A FLORIDA COUPLE SAYS THEIR CAR WAS SHOT AT AFTER THEY WENT TO THE WRONG ADDRESS WHILE DELIVERING GROCERIES FOR INSTACART. THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF DROPPING OFF A GROCERY DELIVERY WHEN THEY PULLED UP TO THE WRONG HOUSE IN AN UPSCALE NEIGHBORHOOD ABOUT 30 MILES OUTSIDE OF MIAMI.

ACCORDING TO A POLICE REPORT – THE COUPLE SAID THEIR G-P-S LED THEM TO THE WRONG HOUSE. THE HOMEOWNER TOLD INVESTIGATORS HE FEARED FOR HIS CHILDREN’S SAFETY AND THAT THE COUPLE WAS DRIVING ERRATICALLY. NO ONE WAS HIT AND NO CHARGES WERE FILED.

THE INCIDENT COMES ON THE HEELS OF AT LEAST THREE OTHER INCIDENTS THAT HAVE GRABBED NATIONAL ATTENTION – WHERE PEOPLE  WERE SHOT FOR MISTAKENLY TURNING INTO THE WRONG PROPERTY OR GETTING INTO THE WRONG CAR.

OUSTED TENN. LAWMAKERS TO VISIT WHITE HOUSE

THE THREE TENNESSEE LAWMAKERS WHO LED A GUN REFORM PROTEST IN THE STATE CAPITOL BUILDING AND FACED EXPULSION OVER DISRUPTING  LEGISLATIVE PROCEEDINGS WILL BE GUESTS OF THE WHITE HOUSE TODAY.

TWO OF THE THREE LAWMAKERS – STATE REPRESENTATIVES JUSTIN JONES AND JUSTIN PEARSON – WERE BRIEFLY EXPELLED WHILE REPRESENTATIVE GLORIA JONES WAS NEARLY OUSTED IN A VOTE BY THEIR PEERS.

PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS INVITED THE TRIO TO THE OVAL OFFICE TO THANK THEM FOR LEADING A GUN REFORM PROTEST LAST MONTH.

 Karine Jean-Pierre | White House press secretary: “I’m pleased to share that the President looks forward to welcoming Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones, Justin Pierson and Gloria Johnson to the White House. And the three lawmakers thanked the President for his leadership on gun safety and for spotlighting the undemocratic and unprecedented attacks on them in the Tennessee State House. The President looks forward to continuing that discussion when they all meet.”

BED BATH & BEYOND FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY

BED, BATH, AND BEYOND HAS FILED FOR CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY. IN IT’S FILING, THE COMPANY SAID IT WILL BE CLOSE AND WIND DOWN ALL 475 REMAINING BRICK-AND-MORTAR STORES AND THAT IT EXPECTS TO DO SO BY THE END OF JUNE. THAT FIGURE INCLUDES 125 BUY BUY BABY STORES. THE COMPANY SAID IT WILL STILL TRY TO SELL SOME OR ALL OF ITS BUSINESS. AND IF YOU HAVE STORE COUPONS – WEDNESDAY WILL BE THE LAST DAY THE STORE ACCEPTS THEM. THE SAME DAY STORE CLOSING SALES ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN. 

THE STRUGGLING RETAILER HAS BEEN WARNING OF A POTENTIAL BANKRUPTCY SINCE JANUARY.

MOOSE SNEAKS INTO MOVIE THEATER

FOR THE THIRD WEEKEND IN A ROW – THE SUPER MARIO BROS MOVIE HAS TOPPED THE WEEKEND BOX OFFICE – EARNING MORE THAN 400 MILLION DOLLARS NATIONWIDE – THE SECOND-FASTEST ANIMATED FILM TO REACH THOSE NUMBERS. AND APPARENTLY THIS MOOSE HEARD ABOUT THE BUZZ AND WANTED TO SEE IT FOR HIMSELF.

THIS MOOSE WALKED INTO A MOVIE THEATER IN ALASKA – HELPING HIMSELF TO SOME CONCESSIONS – COMPLETELY UNBOTHERED BY HIS SURROUNDINGS.

THIS IS ABOUT AS FAR AS HIS MOVIE EXPERIENCE WOULD GET THOUGH. THE ANIMAL WAS SENT BACK OUTSIDE THE THEATER AS THERE IS A NO MOOSE ALLOWED POLICY AT THE MOVIE THEATER.

AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT – THIS IS THE SECOND TIME WITHIN A MONTH THAT A MOOSE HAS WANDERED INTO A BUILDING IN THE REGION, WITH THE FIRST INCIDENT INVOLVING A MOOSE THAT WALKED THROUGH AN AUTOMATIC DOOR, INTO AN ANCHORAGE MEDICAL BUILDING. WE CAN REPORT HE DID NOT NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION – BUT WAS RATHER JUST SCOPING THE PLACE OUT LIKE HIS BUDDY DOWN AT THE MOVIES.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES. THANKS FOR WATCHING THE DAILY RUNDOWN. WE’RE ON A MISSION TO BRING BACK TRUSTWORTHY JOURNALISM BY SERVING ONLY YOU — NOT AN AGENDA. BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MORE OF OUR WORK AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS DOT COM. WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW. UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. HAVE A GREAT DAY!