5 things to know for Feb. 16: Train wreck, Shooting, Classified docs, DeSantis, Debt

By Alexandra Meeks, CNN

A Hebrew Bible more than 1,000 years old and described as “one of the most important and singular texts in human history” will soon go up for sale. An auctioneer said the “astonishing record” is likely to sell for up to $50 million after it concludes an exhibition tour to Israel and the US.

Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

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1. Toxic train wreck

Residents in the Ohio village of East Palestine are concerned about their health after a train carrying hazardous materials derailed there two weeks ago, sparking a massive dayslong blaze. The derailment on February 3 prompted crews to manage detonations to release vinyl chloride — a chemical that can kill quickly at high levels and increase cancer risk. Although evacuation orders were lifted last week, some residents are staying elsewhere amid fears the lingering chemical exposure could be in the water, air, soil and on surfaces in the area. In a document sent to the EPA and recently made public by the agency, a company contracted for cleanup efforts did not list soil removal among completed activities. “The people want answers. I want answers,” said East Palestine mayor Trent Conaway, calling on EPA officials to provide a more comprehensive update on the current situation.

2. Mall shooting

One person was killed and three others injured in a shooting Wednesday night at a mall in El Paso, Texas, police said, sending patrons running or sheltering in a chaotic scene. The gunfire took place inside the Cielo Vista Mall, which sits next to a Walmart where a shooting in 2019 killed 23 and left nearly two dozen more injured. Two people, both male, were taken into custody. Police have not commented on possible motives. The incident on Wednesday is yet another example of shootings shattering the sense of security many Americans once felt in public spaces, like shopping centers, grocery stores and schools. So far this year, there have been more than 70 mass shootings across the US, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

3. Classified documents

The FBI has conducted two searches at the University of Delaware in connection with the investigation into President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents, a source familiar with the investigation told CNN. FBI agents have also searched Biden’s two homes in Delaware as well as the Washington office of the Penn Biden Center. The FBI found classified documents in one of Biden’s homes and also took some materials from his time in the Senate from that location, CNN has reported, as well as at the Penn Biden Center office. Meanwhile, CNN has learned a third attorney for former President Donald Trump was recently brought before a federal grand jury investigating the mishandling of classified documents from his time in the White House. The DC-based grand jury is investigating obstruction in addition to criminal violations of government records laws.

4. Immigration

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday signed a bill expanding a controversial state program to transport migrants. The measure allows the DeSantis administration to pick up where the governor left off last year when he sent two planes of migrants from San Antonio, Texas, to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. The action sparked multiple lawsuits and questions as to whether his administration violated state law by rounding up migrants in Texas. The budget law that created the program specified that the money was set aside to relocate “unauthorized aliens from this state.” Additionally, since DeSantis has declared a state of emergency related to immigration, the program will allow the administration to award millions of dollars in no-bid contracts to companies to facilitate the transportation of migrants with little public disclosure.

5. Debt ceiling

The federal government will be unable to fully pay its obligations sometime between July and September if Congress doesn’t address the debt limit before then, the Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday. In other words, that’s when the agency expects the Treasury Department will exhaust its ability to borrow additional funds using extraordinary measures. The CBO expects to revisit its projection in May after the current tax filing season closes and it has a clearer picture of how much federal tax revenue will come in this year. In the meantime, pressure is building for House Republicans and Biden to resolve their differences on dealing with the budget cap. GOP lawmakers are demanding spending cuts in exchange for raising the debt ceiling, while Biden is calling on Republicans to negotiate on reducing spending without holding the debt ceiling hostage.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Record-breaking dinosaur footprint discovered on the Yorkshire coast

Archaeologists said this massive footprint provides more evidence that Jurassic dinosaurs once roamed northern England.

‘The Little Mermaid’ latest teaser gives first look at Ursula

Watch the new teaser to see a glimpse of actress Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, the villainous sea witch. And fans, mark your calendars: “The Little Mermaid” swims into theaters on May 26.

Webb telescope uses celestial Pandora’s box to see distant galaxies

View a detailed image of Pandora’s Cluster, a megacluster of galaxies that allowed astronomers to peer into the distant universe.

Starbucks announces major expansion across Asia Pacific

The coffee chain will open more than 400 stores across Asia Pacific in 2023, marking its biggest expansion in the region in five years.

Elon Musk wants to find someone to replace him at Twitter by year-end

The billionaire previously said in December that he would step down as Twitter’s CEO. It appears that may happen by the end of this year.

IN MEMORIAM

Raquel Welch, a veteran actress who rose to fame in the 1960s, has died, according to a statement from her manager. She was 82. Welch was cast as Loana in the prehistoric drama “One Million Years, B.C.” and rose in popularity after photos of her in a fur bikini became the foundation of the movie’s marketing campaign. The poster later became a central device in the acclaimed movie “The Shawshank Redemption.”

TODAY’S NUMBER

4.8 miles

That’s the length of the world’s largest outdoor ice rink. The Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa, Canada, typically sees more than a million visitors each year. This year, however, the rink may be closed for the entire season due to a lack of ice caused by warmer temperatures.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“It’s the thing that you want to have in your home for safety, and you hope never to have to use it.”

— Dr. Scott Hadland, chief of adolescent and young adult medicine at MassGeneral Hospital for Children, emphasizing that the drug Narcan could save lives if it were more readily available to people in their homes. Narcan is used to reverse opioid overdoses and works by blocking the effects of opiates on the brain, thereby helping to restore breathing. On Wednesday, two FDA advisory committees voted unanimously in favor of making a nasal spray version of Narcan available over-the-counter so more people could have access.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY

Stilt fishing in Sri Lanka

When boats were hard to come by, these fishermen decided to make their daily catch from stilts driven in the sand. (Click here to view)

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