What Else Is News
A look at news you might have missed
Gangs Terrorize Ecuador
Gunmen stormed a TV station in Ecuador and threatened news anchors during a live broadcast last week. They held staff hostage and forced one news anchor to appear on air with a gun to his throat.
“You could see what was happening when they pointed a gun at me, they put an explosive in my jacket pocket,” Jose Luis Calderon told Sky News.
The incident happened a day after Ecuador’s president, Daniel Noboa, declared a state of emergency in the country following the escape of one of the country’s most notorious drug bosses. In addition to the hostage situation at the news station, other events occurred around Ecuador, including including prison riots, widespread hostage-taking and the kidnapping of several police officers.
Police eventually arrived at the news station and arrested 13 people. No injuries occurred.
In an article published in The Conversation, Eduardo Gamarra, a professor of politics and international relations at Florida International University, explained how Ecuador went from a country relatively untouched by drug gangs to a major player:
“Ecuador, a nation of 18 million people, is situated between Colombia in the north and Peru in the east and south. Colombia and Peru are the two top producers of cocaine in the world. Further, Ecuador has a near-1,400 mile coastline through which drugs from the continent can be taken to markets in Europe and the United States.
“But it wasn’t until the U.S.-led “war on drugs” put the squeeze on cartels in other countries that Ecuador became the preserve of narco gangs.”
Secretary of Defense’s Mysterious No-Show Due to Cancer Surgery
Earlier this month, news broke about Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s mysterious disappearance from his office. It was later revealed that Austin had entered the hospital on January 1 due to complications from an “elective surgery.” That surgery, as it turns out, was related to prostate cancer. The White House was not made aware of Austin’s temporary departure from his post until after the fact, and Austin’s prostate cancer diagnosis turned out to be news to just about everybody, including the President of the United States.
Austin remains hospitalized in good condition. He handles defense issues from his hospital room. Those include the recent retaliation against Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. According to Politico, “Senior administration officials insist that…Austin was crucial to helping carry out the strike on the Houthis. He has been involved with planning the attack since Jan. 1 — the day he was admitted to the hospital with complications from a prostatectomy. He authorized the final decision for U.S. forces to move forward with the attack on more than 60 Houthi targets and monitored the operation in real-time, two senior administration officials said.”
President Biden called Austin’s decision not to tell anyone about his cancer “a lapse in judgment” but also said he has complete confidence in Austin.
Anthony Fauci Says China Lab Leak Conspiracy Theory Was not a Conspiracy Theory
During a closed-door session with the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronovirus Pandemic, former White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci admitted that the idea that the coronovirus originated from a lab leak was not a conspiracy theory. He also said that the mandate of six-foot distancing between people during the pandemic was not formed from any scientific thought.
Fauci also said that hat he supported former President Trump’s plan to restrict travel from China in early 2020 in the hopes of stemming the tide of cases in the United States. Fauci had been publicly critical of Trump’s plan, however, which encouraged some Trump foes to accuse him of “hysteria, xenophobia and fear-mongering.”
His full testimony will be released after lawyers review it to make sure no sensitive information would be revealed.
Ohio Woman Who Miscarried at Home Will Not Face Charges
Brittany Watts, 34, of Warren, miscarried at her home last September after complications during her pregnancy.
According to the Trumbull County Coroner's Office, Watts' water broke last September when she was 21 weeks and five days pregnant. Doctors told Watts the fetus was nonviable and suggested she be induced to prevent a life-threatening infection.
Conflicting reports make it unclear what happened next. ABC News reported that Watts checked herself out of the hospital twice without having the procedure. But USA Today and other news sources claimed that Watts never received the procedure because of “delays and other complications.”
Either way, Watts eventually miscarried at home. She told police that she removed the fetus from her toilet and placed it in a bucket outside of her home. However, according to ABC News, the fetus was found wedged inside the toilet.
Two weeks later, Watts was arrested for abuse of a corpse. In early January, the Trumbull County Grand Jury determined that there was no cause to indict Watts.
The grand jury report was welcomed by Watts as well as many groups around the country that expressed concern for her arrest. Watts’ lawyer, Traci Timko, said, "While Brittany's fight for freedom is over, she stands with women everywhere and will use her story and experience to educate and push for legislation to insure no other woman in the State of Ohio will have to put healing from grief and trauma on a back burner to fight for her freedom and reputation."
More Than 200 Bodies Found Behind Mississippi Jail
Families of loved ones buried in a field next to a Mississippi jail are calling for a federal investigation, saying that they were never notified about the deaths. At least 215 individuals have been identified as having died and been buried in the field with no identifying markers.
A spokesperson for the city of Jackson told the media, “It is not a secret burial ground. In those graves are the bodies of those who went unclaimed by family when they died. These persons are either homeless people, inmates from local jails who died but relatives never claimed their bodies, unidentified persons who officials were never able to connect with family, or even personas whose families couldn’t afford a funeral.”
Loved ones of some of the people buried in the field disagree. They say that they tried to find out where their loved ones were and received no response. Now, family members have been horrified to learn they were buried without notifying parents, siblings, spouses, etc.
According to Fox 26 Houston:
“The revelation began with Dexter Wade's death in March 2023, in which a police officer fatally hit him. Shockingly, his family was not informed of his death, and he was buried without their knowledge. Activist Arthur "Silky Slim" Reed, working alongside attorney Ben Crump, sheds light on the distressing details.
“Wade's case took a disturbing turn when it was revealed that he had identification on him. This identification was given to the lead detective by the medical examiner. However, the detective claimed to have called without receiving an answer and took no further action.”
Johns Hopkins DEI Head Sends List of Privileged Groups, Apologizes Hours Later
As part of its monthly diversity digest in January, the DEI team at Johns Hopkins Medicine included a definition of “privilege.”
From the newsletter:
As soon as the list was shared on X/Twitter by End Wokeness, responses poured in. They were so swift and so unfavorable, in fact, that Johns Hopkins Medicine quickly removed the list and issued an apology:
“Every month, the Johns Hopkins Medicine Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Health Equity distributes a newsletter from JHM's chief diversity officer, Dr. Sherita Golden. Regrettably, the January edition of this newsletter, which was distributed to all Johns Hopkins Medicine employees yesterday, included a definition of privilege that runs counter to the values of our institution, and our mission and commitment to serve everyone equally.
“Dr. Golden heard the feedback from our community, sincerely apologized, and retracted the definition. We fully support and appreciate her decision to do so, and as leaders of Johns Hopkins Medicine, we too repudiate this language.”
Amid Strife, 8 Children in Gaza Receive First Communion
Holy Family Parish in northeastern Gaza celebrated the First Communion of eight children in January, an ordinary event made extraordinary during the conflict between Gaza and Israel.
A month earlier, a mother and daughter were killed outside of the church while walking to a nearby convent. Witnesses say that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was responsible for the attack, although the IDF denies those allegations. Many people in the area have been taking refuge inside Holy Family Parish since shelling began last fall, following the October 7 invasion and mass-murder inside Israel by Hamas.
The First Communion celebration illustrated the determination of the small group of Christians in Gaza, according Sami H. El-Yousef, CEO at the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. "Life heroically continues in Gaza for our faithful,” he wrote on Facebook.
"...former White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci admitted that the idea that the coronovirus originated from a lab leak was not a conspiracy theory. He also said that the mandate of six-foot distancing between people during the pandemic was not formed from any scientific thought.
Fauci also said that hat he supported former President Trump’s plan to restrict travel from China in early 2020 in the hopes of stemming the tide of cases in the United States. Fauci had been publicly critical of Trump’s plan, however, which encouraged some Trump foes to accuse him of “hysteria, xenophobia and fear-mongering.” What a Fauxchi!
The story about the woman from Warren was concerning. While I think some of the problem she created (going to her beauty shop appointment instead of the hospital), I think the hospital erred in not treating her in the first place. Miscarriages happen, sometimes in the toilet. It's something you can't help.