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☆ Wayne LaPierre resigns as NRA leader, days before start of his civil trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-05 | by ( Melissa Chan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Wayne LaPierre resigned as leader of the National Rifle Association on Friday, ending his decadeslong reign over the prominent gun rights group, days before the start of his civil trial in New York. "My passion for our cause burns as deeply as ever," LaPierre said in a statement. The attorney general claims LaPierre spent more than $500,000 of the NRA's assets to fly himself and his family members to the Bahamas. The civil trial in Manhattan is expected to begin Monday and will last for six weeks. The attorney general is seeking both remedies, which Cohen would decide on during a second phase of the trial.

Persons: Wayne LaPierre, LaPierre, Letitia James, Wilson, Woody, Phillips, Joshua Powell, John Frazer, Powell, Joel Cohen, Cohen Organizations: National Rifle Association, NRA, Fox News Digital, New York Locations: New York, Bahamas, Manhattan

CEDAR KEY, Fla. — As cleanup begins in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia, the storm has served as a stark reminder that Florida's insurance industry remains in flux. But many of those homeowners face uncertainty amid the upheaval that has emerged in Florida's insurance industry in recent years. A thinning insurance market that is beset by more regular hurricanes has caused insurance policy costs to skyrocket. The state's insurance industry is preparing to lose four insurers since last year — Farmers Insurance, Bankers Insurance, Centauri Insurance and Lexington Insurance. Aggravating the problem, 82% of Floridians do not have flood insurance, which is typically operated by the National Flood Insurance Program, a federal program run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Persons: Idalia, Chris Draghi, That's, Gregory Buck, Buck, Aimee Firestine, Firestine, Amy Bach, United, Bach, Mark Friedlander, Friedlander, Gabe Gutierrez, Phil McCausland, Melissa Chan Organizations: Insurance Information Institute, U.S, — Farmers Insurance, Bankers Insurance, Centauri Insurance, Lexington Insurance . Farmers Insurance, National, Experts Insurance, Homeowners, Insurance, Property Insurance Corp, National Flood Insurance, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Congress, First Street Foundation, FEMA, Cedar Key Locations: Fla, Florida's Big Bend, Florida, Georgia, Florida , Georgia, South Carolina, Cedar, America, Taylor County, Bend, New York City

☆ OceanGate suspends all exploration and commercial operations after Titan implosion
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Minyvonne Burke | Austin Mullen | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

OceanGate said it is suspending all exploration and commercial operations weeks after its submersible imploded near the Titanic wreckage site killing all five people on board. "OceanGate has suspended all exploration and commercial operations," it read. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada launched a safety investigation into the incident. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said its investigation will focus on finding "all causal and contributing factors" in the incident "without attributing blame or civil or criminal liability." The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate what happened and issue any safety recommendations to prevent a similar tragedy from happening in the future.

Persons: OceanGate, Hamish Harding, Paul Henry Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood, Suleman, Azmeh Dawood, Brian Weed, Weed, Josh Gates, Tom Costello, Colin Taylor, Aaron Newman, —, — Doha Madani, Daniel Arkin, Marlene Lenthang, Melissa Chan Organizations: OceanGate Expeditions, Stockton Rush, Transportation Safety Board of Canada, NBC News, Titan, Transportation Safety Board, Canada, Transportation Locations: Port, Everett, Everett , Washington, British, French, Canadian, OceanGate, — Doha

Following the brutal beating on Jan. 7, Nichols was hospitalized in critical condition and died three days later. This is what we know about the five Memphis police officers at the center of this latest storm:Demetrius Haley, 30Officer Demetrius Haley. Memphis Police Department via APBefore Haley joined the Memphis Police Department in August 2020, he worked as a corrections officer for the Shelby County Corrections Department. Memphis Police Department via APBean's family was thrilled when he was hired in August 2020 by the Memphis Police Department. Memphis Police Department via APSmith was hired by the Memphis Police Department in March 2018.

The families prayed for a miracle, knowing their loved ones were trapped in their cars for days as an unprecedented blizzard paralyzed Buffalo, New York, with freezing temperatures and blinding snow. On Christmas, Syta’s friends, who loved Jóźwiak and called her "Mama," set out to bring her home. Taylor called the police, but she had no choice but to wait inside her car, which she kept running for warmth, said her mother, Wanda Brown Steele. Taylor familyTwo days later, on Christmas night, a family friend found Taylor's car, which was still running, and broke through a window. In the snowed-in Buffalo home that Taylor called home, there is nothing much to do but mourn her.

It’s whatever you can grab,” said Scott McCandless, 54, who lives in Orchard Park, a suburb southeast of Buffalo. When his driveway was finally plowed at 9 a.m., McCandless set out looking for open supermarkets. We’re buried in the snow.”The “once-in-a-lifetime” blizzard — which killed at least 57 people nationwide, including 27 in western New York’s Erie County — has left many in dire predicaments. On Monday, snow continued to blanket Erie County, leaving roads in many areas impassable, including the majority of Buffalo, County Executive Mark Poloncarz said at a news conference. But at least 20 stores in the rest of Erie County were still closed Monday afternoon.

☆ Death toll rises to at least 55 as freezing temperatures and heavy snow wallop swaths of U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Mithil Aggarwal | Melissa Chan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

(Photo by John Normile/Getty Images)A "once-in-a-lifetime" blizzard has killed at least 55 people in the United States, including 25 in western New York's Erie County, officials said Monday morning. Snow was expected to fall in Erie County into Tuesday afternoon. Nationwide, temperatures plummeted, and huge snow drifts have trapped people inside their homes and snarled travel. The medical examiner's office in Erie County determined the 25 deaths there to be directly related to the blizzard, Poloncarz said. The county executive said a "good portion" of those deaths occurred in Buffalo, and that many died from heart problems while shoveling or snow blowing.

☆ 4 Navy sailors assigned to same facility die by apparent suicide within weeks, amid growing concerns of mental health crisis
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | Melissa Chan | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

At least four U.S. Navy sailors assigned to the same facility in Virginia died by suicide in the last few weeks, including one as recently as Saturday, military officials and family members said. It is the latest cluster of Navy suicides this year to spark concerns of a fleetwide mental health crisis. The 22-year-old U.S. Navy sailor died by suicide on Nov. 5. Caserta’s parents, Arestivo and military mental health experts said both are critical reforms needed to reduce suicides in the services. Nearly 17 out of every 100,000 Navy sailors died by suicide in 2021, compared to members of the Army, who had the highest rate, at about 36 per 100,000, Pentagon statistics show.

Lee County suffered none of the state’s 123 Irma deaths. That experience influenced many people’s decisions not to flee Hurricane Ian. “Hurricane Ian is going to be the strongest outreach messaging for southwest Florida ever,” said Gleason, the Charlotte County spokesman. “When you live through it, then that message sinks in deep and forever.”A view of the Matanzas Pass side of Estero Island, home to Fort Myers Beach, Fla. Fort Myers Beach is expected to take years to rebuild. Thomas Simonetti for NBC NewsMichael Yost's two closest friends in Fort Myers Beach drowned in Hurricane Ian.

The GVA includes any type of shooting in its analysis including domestic violence, shootings in private homes, gang violence among others. The GVA recorded 610 multiple victim shootings in 2020 and 690 last year, when the pandemic was already easing and the pace of deadly violence increased across the United States. It has been keeping a tally of mass shootings since 2014, when it recorded 273. The GVA counts injuries and deaths in each incident. “Scary to think that in 2016 we recorded 382 mass shootings and now we will probably end 2022 with an estimated 680 mass shootings,” said Herrmann, who based his estimate on the fact that there has been an average of 13 mass shootings a week this year.

In an interview at her home Monday afternoon, Jessica Fierro described her husband's heroic efforts to prevent greater tragedy. Richard Fierro, 45, an Army veteran who completed four tours between Iraq and Afghanistan, yelled for someone to call the police, she said. Jessica Fierro said her two best friends were shot and her daughter broke her knee as she ran for cover. Richard Fierro earned his MBA from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs last year. Deon J. Hampton reported from Colorado Springs, Janelle Griffith and Melissa Chan reported from New York.

Kentucky voters rejected a ballot proposal that would have amended the state constitution to explicitly say it does not protect a right to abortion, NBC News projects. It would have been nearly impossible to restore abortion access in Kentucky through legal pathways if the measure had passed, said Rachel Sweet, a campaign manager for Protect Kentucky Access, which opposed the referendum. As of early Wednesday, voters in California, Vermont and Michigan have voted to enshrine abortion rights in their state constitutions. In reversing the half-century precedent, the court left the power to limit or grant abortion rights to the states. That triggered one ballot measure on abortion in Kansas over the summer, and five more this fall.

Oregon voters will determine Tuesday whether to pass stricter gun laws — the only ballot measure nationwide that addresses gun violence. Supporters, including shooting survivors in the state and across the country, say Oregon Measure 114 is necessary to reduce gun injuries and deaths. Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit group that advocates gun control, said 55% of mass shootings since 2009 have involved firearms with high-capacity magazines. During a recent virtual news conference, a handful of people who have experienced mass shootings in Oregon voiced their support for the ballot proposition. Deschutes County Sheriff Shane Nelson, who is also president of the nonprofit Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association, said it would cost local agencies over $49 million annually.

In reversing the half-century precedent, the court left the power to limit or grant abortion rights to the states. In August, a judge temporarily blocked enforcement of the anti-abortion law, which had been inactive in the decades that Roe v. Wade stood. Gretchen Whitmer, the Democratic incumbent, has been a champion for abortion rights, but she is fending off a challenge from Republican candidate Tudor Dixon, who called the abortion ballot proposition “radical” in a debate with her. Voters will determine whether to alter the state constitution to explicitly say it does not protect a right to abortion or abortion funding. Abortion rights advocates are challenging those laws.

Hours before Hurricane Ian decimated a small Fort Myers Beach marina, James “Denny” Hurst’s daughter sent him a panicked text. Lee County Sheriff's OfficeThe 72-year-old stayed put. More than 135 people have been confirmed dead by an NBC News count, and their families have begun holding funerals. Find the boat, you’ll find the body.”Ilonka Knes, 82, is one of three missing Lee County residents. Lee County Sheriff's Office“She wouldn’t have left him.

The eight people trapped in the Hideaway Village motel realized that they may die as geysers shot up through the buckling floors and the deadbolts holding their doors shut snapped like toothpicks under Hurricane Ian’s assault. After the motel crashed and the roof above the women gave way, a motel employee next door pulled them out of the water. The wrecking of the Hideaway Village motel, pieced together through interviews with survivors, reveals how the storm’s death count could have easily been much higher than 135 people, according to an NBC News tally. Hurricane Ian tore the roof off the Hideaway Village motel. But on Sept. 27, the women arrived at the Hideaway Village motel, full of energy, under the impression that the storm’s threats were overstated, Maston said.

Six-year-old Tahjir Burrowes wandered out of his Florida home on Oct. 5, wearing only a diaper and a T-shirt, and headed straight for a hurricane-flooded canal. His 17-year-old brother, Tahjon, knew something was wrong as soon as he got out of the bathroom and could not find his little brother anywhere. “Mom, mom, mom! Their mother, Lachera Burrowes, immediately jumped in her car and drove to the canal near their Lehigh home. Tahjon, left, and Tahjir Burrowes survey their Lehigh home, shortly after Hurricane Ian hit.

Tampa has been undergoing major infrastructure upgrades to protect the vulnerable city from flooding, but as Hurricane Ian barrels toward Florida’s west coast, the project is still years from completion. Construction is only about 30% done, said Sean Sullivan, executive director of the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council. “The potential area of inundation for the same intensity storm would be greater in the Tampa Bay area,” he said. The region has not borne the brunt of a major hurricane since 1921. “The Tampa Bay area hasn’t seen this type of storm in decades, if not 100 years,” said Rick Davis, a senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Tampa office.

In lieu of being incarcerated, he agreed to complete a court-supervised treatment program at Hennepin County Veterans Court. Minnesota’s new law establishes a consistent set of standards for every criminal court in the state, depending on the offender’s criminal history and the severity of the crime. But the Hennepin County Veterans Court has started to see some of its early impacts. At least 22 veterans have graduated its treatment program since the law went into effect on Aug. 1, 2021. The lack of data on the issue led the Council on Criminal Justice to launch a national commission to examine over the next two years why so many veterans land behind bars.

Supporters of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act — or PACT Act — overwhelmingly expected the House-passed bill to sail through to the president's desk for signature. The PACT Act would have expanded VA health care eligibility to more than 3.5 million post-9/11 combat veterans who were exposed to toxins while serving in the military. When the bill returned to the Senate, the bill had not changed much but the view — and vote — of 25 senators did. "But what is shocking is that so many senators would literally be willing to play with veterans’ lives so openly like this." Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., speaks at a news conference about the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act in Washington on Thursday.

Among a fleet of more than 342,000 active sailors, there were 157 new Navy deserters in 2021, compared with 63 in 2019 and 98 in 2020, Navy data shows. 'No easy option'Of the 152 Navy deserters who were still at large as of May 9, the Navy said, two are from the USS George Washington. In the last year, at least five George Washington sailors have died by suicide, three of them within a week last month, military officials said. The USS George Washington during its mission in the eastern Mediterranean Sea in 2017. USS George H.W.

Amid disorganization on the ship during an extensive overhaul, Crisostomo said she was constantly berated for things out of her control. On April 15, Master-at-Arms Seaman Recruit Xavier Hunter Sandor died by suicide onboard the George Washington, according to the Navy and the state chief medical examiner’s office. The USS George Washington during its mission in the eastern Mediterranean Sea in 2017. The Navy has directed leaders on the ship to identify sailors who could benefit from morale and personal well-being programs, Myers said. But she said the root of the problem is not the shipyard, or the ship itself, but “toxic leadership” on the George Washington.

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