Ian death toll nears 100 as officials face criticism over response – National & International News – MON 3Oct2022

Ian deaths near 100; FL officials criticized over response. TX: Trial begins for man charged with killing 22 elderly ladies. Fmr. CIA head: US could “take out” Putin’s forces if he used nukes.

NATIONAL NEWS

Ian deaths near 100 as officials face criticism over response

As of now, 98 people (94 in Florida, 4 in North Carolina) are known to have died as a direct result of Hurricane Ian. Lee County, FL, which contains Ft. Myers and Sanibel island, accounts for 54 of the state’s deaths so far, with 40 confirmed in surrounding counties. Hundreds of thousands in southwest Florida remain without power 5 days after Hurricane Ian made landfall there.

Volunteers and first responders continue rescuing people and recovering deceased victims from Sanibel and Ft. Myers Beach, both barrier islands. Sanibel now has no landward access to the mainland after Ian washed out the causeway. Authorities say it will take a year to rebuild the causeway. Rescuers continue to ferry survivors off the island using swamp boats, some volunteer craft and National Guard helicopters. About 2 feet of compacted sand blankets the island and there is no power and running water. Authorities say the island will be without basic utilities for months.

Lee County’s recovery and relief efforts have been seriously hampered by downed trees and ongoing flooding further north that has made major routeways into southwest Florida impassible. Hours-long lines at the few gas stations that have both gas and the power necessary to pump it have led to flaring tempers. The state has at last managed to open several free food distribution sites in the area.

Evacuation order controversy

Almost immediately after the storm, city and county officials in Lee County have come under fire for their initial emergency response. Some have questioned whether county officials waited until too late to order mandatory evacuations ahead of Ian’s landfall.

Last Monday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued an official warning (as opposed to an advisory) about the possibility of dangerous storm surges in the area. This should have triggered a mandatory evacuation under Lee County’s own emergency management plan. Instead, officials waited until Tuesday morning to issue the evacuation order. Critics of the response question whether this delay resulted in a greater loss of life than might otherwise had been the case. 

City and county officials, and even the state’s Gov. Ron DeSantis, have been quick to dismiss this criticism. Cecil Pendergrass, chairman of the county’s board of commissioners, said that the county didn’t issue evacuation orders until the county was projected to be in the storm’s direct path. Pendergrass instead blamed residents who chose to stay put. “I respect their choices,” Pendergrass said. “But I’m sure a lot of them regret it now”. DeSantis backed up local officials and also laid the responsibility on locals and tourists that didn’t take officials’ warnings seriously enough.

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Florida want to rebuild after Ian, but should they? (opens in new tab). 

Trial begins for man charged with killing 22 elderly ladies in TX

In Dallas today, a capital murder trial opened in the case of Billy Chemirmir, 49. Prosecutors say that in 2018, Chemirmir followed Mary Brooks, 87, from a grocery store to her home, where he then smothered her to death and stole her jewelry. At the time, police first believed that Ms. Brooks had died of natural causes.  That was until another similar attack occurred.

This time the victim was Mary Annis Bartel, then 91. Bartel actually survived and described the attack to police, saying a man had forced his way into her home in an independent living community, tried to smother her and then made off with her jewelry. Bartel said that when she saw her assailant’s green rubber gloves, she knew she was in “grave danger”.

Police caught up with Chemirmir the next day at his apartment complex, where he was holding jewelry and cash. He’d also just discarded a large red jewelry case. Documents in the case led police to the home of Lu Thi Harris, 81. Police found Harris dead. Chemirmir received a life sentence for Harris’ killing earlier this year. At trial, prosecutors proved that Chemirmir had followed Harris home from a Walmart and smothered her before stealing her jewelry. 

Police then began re-examining the deaths of older women in the area in which family members claimed jewelry was missing. In all, Chemirmir is now charged in the killings of 22 elderly women in the Dallas area. Chemirmir maintains his innocence, claiming that he made a living selling jewelry and as an at home caregiver.

One of the women Chemirmir is suspected of killing was the widow of an elderly man he’d cared for as an in-home caregiver.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Fmr. CIA head: US could “take out” Putin’s forces, Black Sea fleet if he used nukes

Some may remember retired 4-star Gen. David Petraeus’ brief tenure as CIA director from 2011-2012, or at least its salacious end. Throughout his military career, Petraeus has had a knack for courting the press. In his (somewhat forced) retirement, Petraeus has largely kept his head down, with one or two exceptions.

Then yesterday, ABC’s Jon Karl invited Petraeus to give his analysis of the current situation in Ukraine, and in particular Russia’s strategic situation. After describing Putin’s military and territorial losses in Ukraine as irreversible, Petraeus said that Putin’s recent annexation of Ukrainian territories, disastrous mass conscription and veiled threat of a nuclear attack were “desperate”.

While Petraeus said Putin’s nuclear threat had to be taken seriously, he also suggested that such an attack might galvanize the US and NATO to enter the conflict. Petraeus said a hypothetical nuclear attack by Putin “cannot go unanswered” and theorized that US and NATO forces would “take out” all of Putin’s conventional soldiers on the ground in Ukraine and in Crimea, as well as his Black Sea fleet.

Petraeus said that the US would likely not respond with its own nuclear strike. However, Petraeus doesn’t account for what would stop Putin from launching a nuclear strike against the US or other NATO countries should they officially volunteer themselves into the conflict.

Former Putin confidant: Putin fighting for his life; will use nukes if all else fails

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a Russian oligarch and one-time collaborator of Putin’s, offered a comparatively sober and sobering assessment. Khodorkovsky suggests that if Putin loses in Ukraine, “he is going to lose power, and also possibly his life”. In this context, Khodorkovsky sees no reason to doubt Putin’s sincere willingness to use any means at his disposal to achieve his objectives. If the current mobilization of 300,000 troops doesn’t accomplish this, the use of a tactical nuke “will be on the agenda,” Khodorkovsky said.

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