Introduction
Jonathan: The death toll from that massive earthquake in the Middle East continues to rise – as rescuers continue to pull people out of the rubble.
Sound: “Unfortunately as you can see here they’re very slow at work and they don’t have enough equipment.“
Jonathan: We have an update on the tragedy there. Plus – they call him “King James” for a reason – a look back at Lebron’s career as he continues to make history.
Those stories and more today on Notice News.
Middle East Earthquake Update
Jonathan: Hi everyone, it’s Jonathan here at Notice HQ in Brooklyn. We told you earlier this week about that earthquake along the border of Syria and Turkey. It struck early Monday morning at around 4am local time, and, as of Tuesday evening, officials now believe at least 11 thousand people are dead.
That makes it one of the deadliest quakes so far of the 21st century.
Sound: cheers
Jonathan: These cheers are for rescue workers in Syria, who saved a family of three trapped beneath a collapsed building for more than two days.
The president of Turkey has declared a three-month state of emergency, and international aid is making its way to support rescue efforts in the two devastated countries. But limited resources, the scale of the destruction, and brutal winter conditions are complicating recovery.
Sound: “I have two nephews in the wreckage behind me. Around two o’clock yesterday, this building collapsed. There are possibly hundreds more buildings like this. Thousands are currently under the rubble. They won’t let us save them by our means, but they don’t send anyone to help either.“
Jonathan: Earthquakes happen when the earth’s tectonic plates collide and bend and break each other – releasing massive amounts of energy. Scientists generally know “where” earthquakes will strike based on the location of plates and fault lines. Our country sits along several fault lines – including much of the west coast and Alaska – where North America meets the Pacific Plate – but also the New Madrid fault, which lies below southeastern Missouri.
But – solving for *when* earthquakes might strike remains elusive. Quakes give little to no warning before they hit, and despite scientific advances, experts say they still haven’t figured out how to accurately pinpoint the moment an earthquake might happen.
Headlines
Jonathan: Here’s what else is making news right now.
A lithium-ion battery burst into flames on a flight from California to New Jersey earlier this week. 7 people were injured and the flight had to return to California.
Sound: “We know that victory will change the world, and this will be a victory that the world has long needed.”
Jonathan: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the United Kingdom yesterday for the first time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy asked the U.K. to provide his country with combat aircraft that he said would be “wings for freedom.”
And – A 2 year old girl in Pennsylvania got her head stuck in a cake pan. Her mother had to call 911 for help and firefighters had to cut it off. Thankfully, the girl is just fine 1/1.
LeBron James Makes History
Jonathan: On Tuesday night, LeBron James made history.
Sound: “He’s done it!“
Jonathan: The 38-year-old superstar broke one of the NBA’s most sacred records – he became the all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points.
The record was previously held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who retired in 1989. Kareem was on hand Tuesday night to congratulate LeBron on beating his 40-year-old record, as were other celebs. 2/2
Sound: Jay-Z: “Incredible, wow.” / “That’s what Black history looks like.“
Jonathan: Some are saying this is just further proof Lebron is the greatest basketball player – of all time. Since he joined the NBA in 2003, he’s won Rookie of the Year, league MVP four times, four NBA championships, and two olympic gold medals.
But lebron defines greatness this way:
Sound: “Greatness is defined by how much hard work you put into what you do.“
Conclusion
Jonathan: That’s it for today but you can learn more about fault lines and areas that are at risk for earthquakes in our country on our website, noticenews.com.
I’ll be back tomorrow with more from us, Notice News.