Month: November 2024

The Federal Aviation Administration said that a Spirit Airlines flight from Florida was hit by gunfire while trying to land in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, on Monday and diverted to the neighboring country of the Dominican Republic. The FAA said in a statement that two other flights bound for Port-au-Prince’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport were diverted as a precaution.

Spirit Airlines Flight 951 took off from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, just north of Miami, on Monday morning, bound for Port-au-Prince. According to data on FlightRadar24, the plane came within 550 feet of the runway before aborting its landing; the flight flew over parts of Haiti and circled around Port-au-Prince before diverting to Cibao International Airport in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

Spirit Airlines said in a statement Monday that the plane “diverted and landed safely in Santiago, Dominican Republic,” adding that none of the 48 passengers reported injuries, and one flight attendant onboard the plane reported unspecified “minor injuries” and was undergoing medical evaluation. The airline statement continued to say that after the plane arrived in the Dominican Republic, “an inspection revealed evidence of damage to the aircraft consistent with gunfire.”  The plane was taken out of service and a different aircraft was secured to return the passengers and crew to Fort Lauderdale.

The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince said in a security alert Monday it was aware of “gang-led efforts” to block travel to and from the capital that may include “armed violence, and disruptions to roads, ports, and airports. The security situation in Haiti is unpredictable and dangerous. Travel within Haiti is conducted at your own risk. The U.S. government cannot guarantee your safety traveling to airports, borders, or during any onward travel. You should consider your personal security situation before traveling anywhere in Haiti.”

Spirit said its service at Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien in northern Haiti was suspended “pending further evaluation.”  Additionally, American Airlines said it was suspending flights between Miami and Port-au-Prince through Thursday with the airline stating “we will continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and will adjust our operation as needed,” while JetBlue canceled its flights to and from Haiti through Thursday as well, issuing a similar statement: “We will continue to monitor the situation to determine if additional cancellations may be required.”

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President-elect Donald Trump has selected House Republican Conference chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, of New York to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Stefanik is Trump’s first Cabinet pick for his second term in the White House.

Trump said in a statement: “I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter.”

Stefanik told the New York Post that she was “truly honored to earn President Trump’s nomination to serve in his Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations,” adding that when speaking with Trump, she “shared how deeply humbled I am to accept his nomination and that I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the United States Senate.”

Stefanik, 40, is a Republican congresswoman from New York’s 21st District (which covers upstate NY), and was elected last week to her sixth term in the House. She joined House leadership in May 2021, when she was elected as chair of the House Republican Conference, replacing former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wy) in the role. Stefanik has served in the House since 2015; at the time of her election in 2014, she was the youngest woman to ever win a seat in Congress.

Stefanik has also been a staunch defender of Israel in its response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks and has been outspoken over the last year about antisemitism on college campuses. Stefanik reiterated her call for the defunding of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East before last week’s election, alleging that it has been infiltrated by Hamas.

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An 18-year-old  New York State Forest Ranger and state employee was killed on Saturday  while battling a wildfire in Orange County’s Sterling Forest, near the New York-New Jersey border.

According to state police, Dariel Vasquez, a Parks and Recreation aide employed by the New York State Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Department, was helping mitigate the forest fire in Greenwood Lake (about 35 miles northwest of New York City.). when he was killed. Greenwood Lake Mayor Tom Howley wrote in a statement “Sadly, we have received news of the line-of-duty death of a NYS Forest Ranger Volunteer. Our deepest condolences go out to their family and fellow rangers.”

Orange County’s Sterling Forest fire is also affecting Passaic County, New Jersey — where it’s been dubbed the Jennings Creek Wildfire, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. The Jennings Creek Fire is burning in the area of Greenwood Lake Turnpike and East Shore Road in West Milford, Passaic County, as well as in Orange County, New York.  The NJ Fire Service said that the Jennings Creek Fire has burned 2,500 acres and was 0% contained as of Sunday afternoon. The fire service added that about 25 structures are threatened, though none have been evacuated. The NJ Forest Fire Service said on X: “Multiple fires are burning in Orange County, where County Executive Steve Neuhaus is encouraging residents living near the fires to have an evacuation plan. Forest Fire Service helicopter capable of dropping 350 gallons of water is on scene.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement Sunday: “I am deeply saddened by the passing of one of our New York State Parks employees while responding to a wildfire in Orange County yesterday. My prayers go out to his family, friends and coworkers during this difficult time. With recent drought conditions, there have been multiple wildfires ignited across the state, and we have deployed state assets and agencies to coordinate with local first responders in fighting these fires while closely monitoring air quality as a result of them. The safety of all New Yorkers is my top priority, and I urge everyone in impacted areas, especially those vulnerable, to stay alert, monitor air quality, and take necessary precautions to stay safe.”

The Jennings Creek Fire was one of several blazes in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast this weekend amid an ongoing drought, dry air and high winds with 11 million people remaining under fire alerts as of Sunday. Cities under fire alerts include Boston and Hartford.  A slow-moving moisture front is continuing to advance east, bringing much-needed precipitation to the eastern third of the country, which includes the Northeast. Showers will move into the Northeast and mid-Atlantic later Sunday evening and overnight, but rainfall totals will be relatively light, ranging from 0.5 inches to 1 inch.

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An arrest has been made in the shooting at Tuskegee University in Alabama early Sunday that left one dead and 16 injured. The shooting happened as the historically Black university’s 100th Homecoming Week was coming to an end.

The 25-year-old male suspect was found with a weapon while leaving the shooting scene at the university early Sunday; he has been arrested and charged with a federal offense.  A statement released by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency identified the man in custody as Jaquez Myrick of Montgomery and said he was found in possession of a handgun with a machine gun conversion device. The statement did not say whether Myrick was a student at Tuskegee University; he faces a federal charge of possession of a machine gun (per AP News.).

In a statement the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), which includes the State Bureau of Investigation, said that special agents were notified about multiple people shot on the university’s campus at around 1:40 a.m. An 18-year-old was pronounced dead on the scene, the agency said, who identified the victim as “a non-university individual.” Twelve people, including Tuskegee University students, sustained injuries in the shooting and were hospitalized at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika and Baptist South Hospital in Montgomery. Four others were injured in the incident but not by gunfire, per the ALEA.

Tuskegee University said in a statement on Sunday afternoon that classes would be canceled on Monday “to ensure the officers and their law enforcement partners are able to continue the investigation as easily as possible. The administration joins the students in mourning the event after such a joyous weekend and will provide grief counselors on Monday in the chapel for students who would like to come together to discuss what has happened. Students should not hesitate to reach out for help through the Student Health Center if they choose to do so privately.”

Emergency responders secured the scene with help from campus authorities and local law enforcement, with Alabama’s State Bureau of Investigation opening a probe into the shooting, which remains active.

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