The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) halted all flights in and out of El Paso, Texas, for ten days, citing "special security reasons," while Tropical Cyclone Gezani claimed at least nine lives in Madagascar, authorities announced Wednesday. Meanwhile, Democratic governors, including Illinois' JB Pritzker, are boycotting a White House dinner, and a person questioned in connection with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has been released.
The FAA's temporary flight restrictions, effective early Wednesday, prohibit all flight operations within a 10 nautical mile radius of El Paso Airport, extending from the ground up to 17,999 feet, according to a notice. The restrictions, which exclude Mexican airspace, are scheduled to remain in effect until February 21. El Paso Airport authorities confirmed the FAA's decision, which was made on short notice, in a statement to ABC News.
In Madagascar, Tropical Cyclone Gezani made landfall in the main port city, unleashing winds exceeding 195 kph (121 mph). The storm caused buildings to collapse, resulting in at least nine deaths, authorities said. Madagascar's weather service issued red alerts for several regions, warning of potential floods and landslides as Gezani moved across the country. The island nation, with a population of 31 million, had been battered by another deadly cyclone less than two weeks prior, according to ABC News.
In other news, a person detained for questioning in Rio Rico, Arizona, in connection with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie was released Tuesday evening, the Pima County Sheriffs Department reported. The individual was stopped during a traffic stop near the U.S.-Mexico border, hours after the FBI released surveillance images of a masked person outside Guthrie's home.
Furthermore, a group of Democratic governors, including Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, are boycotting the White House dinner associated with the National Governors Association's annual winter gathering. The decision follows the exclusion of Democratic Governors Jared Polis of Colorado and Wes Moore of Maryland from the invitation list. "No way will I attend the White House dinner with this President," Governor Pritzker stated Tuesday, adding, "Im standing with Gov. Wes Moore and [Polis]."
Finally, Canada's federal government continues to navigate challenges with its national gun buyback program, which was created in response to the country's deadliest mass shooting in Nova Scotia in April 2020, which resulted in 23 deaths. The government subsequently banned 1,500 types of assault-style weapons and has since expanded its gun reform project, according to the NY Times.
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