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Flights canceled, at least 2 killed as ice storm freezes US

Flights canceled, at least 2 killed as ice storm freezes US
Photo: Lola Gomez/The Dallas Morning News via AP

February 1st |

Wintry weather brought ice to a wide swath of the United States on Tuesday, canceling more than 1,700 flights across the country and blocking roads. At least two people were killed on slippery roads in Texas and two law enforcement officers in the state were seriously injured, including one officer who was trapped under a truck, authorities said.

As the ice storm moved eastward Tuesday, watches and warnings stretched from the western heel of Texas to West Virginia. Several rounds of mixed precipitation, including freezing rain and sleet, were expected in many areas through Wednesday, meaning some regions could be affected multiple times, the federal Weather Prediction Center warned.

Emergency responders rushed to attend to hundreds of auto collisions in Texas and Gov. Greg Abbott urged people to stay off the roads.

Authorities said one person in Austin was killed in a pre-dawn pileup Tuesday. A 45-year-old man also died Monday night after his pickup truck slid into a guardrail on a highway near Dallas in slippery conditions and rolled down an embankment, according to the Arlington Police Department.

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More than 900 flights to or from the main U.S. airport hub, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, and more than 250 to or from Dallas Love Field were canceled or delayed Tuesday, according to the FlightAware tracking service. At Dallas-Fort Worth, more than 50% of Tuesday’s scheduled flights had been canceled by Tuesday afternoon.

Dallas-based Southwest Airlines canceled more than 560 flights Tuesday and delayed more than 350 more, FlightAware reported.

As of Tuesday morning, about 7,000 power outages were reported in Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said after a briefing in Austin on the worsening conditions. He stressed that the outages were due to factors such as ice on power lines or downed trees, not the performance of the Texas power grid that collapsed for days during a deadly winter storm in 2021.

Fleets of emergency vehicles were deployed among 1,600 roads affected by the freeze.

In Texas, a sheriff’s deputy who stopped to help the driver of an 18-wheeler that went off an icy road Tuesday was hit by a second truck that trapped him under one of its tires, according to the Travis County Sheriff’s Office. About 45 minutes after the accident on State Highway 130, the officer was freed from the wreckage and taken to a hospital, where he was in surgery Tuesday afternoon, authorities said. The deputy is expected to survive, authorities said.

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International

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s Purse Stolen in D.C. Restaurant Heist

The purse of Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, was stolen on Sunday night at a restaurant in Washington, D.C., Fox News Digital confirmed through several agency sources.

The handbag, taken by a white male wearing a mask, reportedly contained $3,000 in cash along with personal documents, including her passport, keys, driver’s license, and DHS badge, according to an agency spokesperson.

“Her entire family was in town, including her children and grandchildren. She was celebrating her retirement by treating them to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts,” the spokesperson added.

Crime continues to be a significant issue in the U.S. capital, particularly theft. However, violent crime reached its lowest level in 30 years last year, according to the Office of the Attorney General at the time.

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International

Pope Francis: The Quiet Architect Behind the U.S.-Cuba Thaw

When then-U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro announced the reestablishment of diplomatic relations in December 2014—after decades of hostility—there was a third figure present in both speeches: Pope Francis.

This thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations—later reversed by Donald Trump—was the result of behind-the-scenes negotiations personally encouraged by Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88, just over a year after becoming head of the Catholic Church.

Upon learning the news of the breakthrough, the pontiff humbly stated, “This was made possible thanks to the ambassadors and to diplomacy,” which he called “a noble, very noble job.”

In 2015, months after the announcement, Raúl Castro visited the Vatican and met with the pope. Over time, Castro developed a fondness for Francis that he never had for his predecessors, Benedict XVI and John Paul II. “If the Pope continues talking like this, sooner or later I’ll start praying again and return to the Catholic Church—and I’m not joking,” said the younger Castro, who, like his brother Fidel (1926–2016), had been educated by Jesuits—the same order to which Pope Francis belonged.

Pope Francis visited Cuba later that year. Just days before his arrival, the Cuban government announced the pardon of 3,522 common prisoners as an act of clemency.

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While in Havana, the pope met with Fidel Castro, who gave him a first edition of the book Fidel and Religion by Brazilian friar and liberation theologian Frei Betto.

Criticism from the Opposition

Francis’s diplomatic approach also drew criticism from parts of the Cuban opposition. In a 2022 interview with Univision, the pope revealed he had “a human relationship” with Raúl Castro.

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International

Dominican Republic Declares Three Days of Mourning for Pope Francis

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader has declared three days of national mourning starting Tuesday following the death of Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88 in his residence at the Casa Santa Marta.

In an official decree, Abinader highlighted the pope’s legacy “as a global leader who promoted significant reforms within the Catholic Church and was known for his humility, openness to dialogue, and commitment to peace among nations.”

During the mourning period, the national flag will be flown at half-staff at military facilities and public buildings.

According to a statement from the Office of the Presidency, although Pope Francis never visited the Dominican Republic during his papacy, he maintained a close relationship with the country. He expressed solidarity and empathy during difficult times, including offering prayers for the victims of the recent tragedy at a Santo Domingo nightclub on April 8, which claimed 232 lives and left more than 180 injured.

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