Daily Briefing: Three days. 10 mass shootings.
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Ten mass shootings occurred in the deadliest weekend of 2023 so far. A new earthquake has struck already-battered parts of Turkey and Syria. President Joe Biden is in Poland following his surprise visit to Ukraine. And thousands of revelers are expected to pack the streets of New Orleans for Mardi Gras.
🙋🏼♀️ I'm Jane Onyanga-Omara, today's Daily Briefing author. An alligator was found in a lake in Prospect Park in Brooklyn. How did it get there? It's not clear, but authorities warn that releasing animals into NYC parks is illegal.
Now, here's Tuesday's news.
Three days. 10 mass shootings. More than 50 victims. US sees worst weekend of 2023.
Nine children were shot at a Georgia gas station. Six people were killed in a Mississippi town. Eleven people were shot in Memphis. Five people were shot near a parade in New Orleans. Six people were shot on a Chicago expressway. That's just half of the reported mass shooting violence over the weekend. There were 10 mass shootings from Feb. 17 through Feb. 19 – the most of any weekend so far this year, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive. That’s considering all shootings from Friday to Sunday in which four or more people were shot, not including the shooter or shooters. Read more
Nine children, ages 5 to 17, were shot at a Georgia gas station.
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👉 What do you want to know about crime and the criminal justice system? USA TODAY reporter Grace Hauck focuses on this topic and she wants to hear from you. What questions do you have? What kinds of stories do you want to see? Email her at ghauck@usatoday.com.
New quake hits battered Turkey and Syria
A new 6.4-magnitude earthquake on Monday killed at least eight people and injured more than 200 others in parts of Turkey laid waste two weeks ago by a massive quake that killed nearly 45,000 people, authorities said. More buildings collapsed, trapping some people, while scores of injuries were recorded in neighboring Syria. Monday's earthquake was centered in the town of Defne, in Turkey's Hatay province, one of the worst-hit regions in the magnitude 7.8 quake that struck on Feb. 6. It was felt in Syria, Jordan, Cyprus, Israel and as far away as Egypt, and was followed by a second, magnitude 5.8 temblor. Read more
Secretary of State Blinken tours Turkey’s earthquake zone, pledges $100M in aid.
How to help Turkey, Syria: Relief efforts ongoing after more earthquakes rock region.
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After surprise trip to Ukraine, Biden to mark one year of Russia invasion in Poland
After Monday's surprise trip to Kyiv, President Joe Biden will highlight a united front with key allies in Poland Tuesday as he marks the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Biden’s trip to Poland, which kicked off a day early after stopping in Kyiv, comes as Russia has started what is expected to be a fierce spring assault in Ukraine. Although Biden announced new assistance to the war-ravaged ally, the trip also comes as polls show support softening among the American public for providing Ukraine with taxpayer-funded weaponry and direct assistance. Russian President Vladimir Putin railed against the West in his long-delayed state-of-the-nation address on Tuesday. "It’s they who have started the war. And we are using force to end it," Putin said. Read more
Joe Biden walks streets of Kyiv in surprise visit: "Americans stand with you."
How President Biden pulled off a secret trip to Ukraine one year into Russia's war.
Don Lemon to return to 'CNN This Morning' after training
Anchor Don Lemon will return to work tomorrow after he receives formal training for his comments about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on “CNN This Morning,” network CEO Chris Licht said. Lemon has not been on the air since Thursday, when during a discussion about the ages of politicians he said that Haley, 51, was not "in her prime" and added: "Don’t shoot the messenger." Lemon has since apologized. "I sat down with Don and had a frank and meaningful conversation," Licht wrote in a memo. "He has agreed to participate in formal training, as well as continuing to listen and learn. We take this situation very seriously," CNN Business reported. Read more
Nikki Haley on 2024 White House campaign: "Why not me?"
Nikki Haley not "in her prime"? Don Lemon's comments spotlight a political reality for women candidates.
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Mardi Gras revelers turn out in New Orleans as shooting dubbed 'an isolated incident'
New Orleans' annual Carnival season entered its ebullient crescendo Tuesday with thousands of revelers expected to pack the French Quarter and line miles of parade routes in a citywide Mardi Gras celebration underpinned this year by violent crime concerns and political turmoil. Gunfire that broke out during a parade Sunday night left a teenager dead and four others injured, including a 4-year-old girl. A suspect was arrested and officials stressed that the shooting was an isolated event. The violence appeared to have little effect on Monday night crowds. St. Charles Avenue, including the area where gunfire broke out, was again lined with people dancing, drinking and eating in a football tailgate atmosphere as they awaited the evening's parades. Read more
"An isolated incident": New Orleans parade shooting leaves 5 shot, 1 killed, in Mardi Gras run-up.
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Elite, white New Orleans: Mardi Gras has not freed itself from vestiges of racism.
📷 Photo of the day: Biden makes surprise visit to Ukraine, meets with Zelenskyy 📷
While most of Washington slept, President Joe Biden arrived in Kyiv around 8 a.m. local time Monday aboard a train that traveled overnight from neighboring Poland. The dramatic display of solidarity with Ukraine was the culmination of months of planning by a small team of administration officials. A final decision came in an Oval Office meeting Friday to move forward with a secret trip to war-torn Ukraine ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion.
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Associated Press contributed reporting. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mass shootings, earthquake, Biden in Poland, Don Lemon, Mardi Gras
