International:
China has successfully cloned the first rhesus monkey in an effort to speed up medical testing. The monkey has been alive for two years.
Dr. Falong Lu of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences told BBC News ”everyone was beaming with happiness” at the successful outcome.
Rhesus monkeys are the preferred test subject species because of their genetic similarities to humans. The scientists behind the experiment have been vague about their intended use of the cloned monkey, but say they will likely need to create more. They do believe humans will ultimately benefit from their advances.
Researchers used 113 embryos to land at one live birth through the use of a surrogate.
“You cannot make any conclusions about the success rate of this technique when you have one birth. It’s nonsense to ever propose you can. You need at least two, but preferably more,” Robin Lovell-Badge, professor at Francis Crick Institute in London, said.
The researchers have received pushback from animal rights groups, but Lu says all procedures were conducted in accordance with Animal Use and Care Committees at the Shanghai Institute of Biological Science.
National:
The White House experienced the increasingly popular prank known as “swatting.” Early Monday morning, a phone call was made to 911 inaccurately claiming of a fire inside the White House.
Arriving under the premise that someone was stuck inside, multiple units from Washington’s Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department responded to the call. Although swatting usually involves law enforcement, Noah Gray, the communications director for city fire and EMS, says this incident “falls under the same spirit.”
Swatting usually refers to law enforcement calls which fabricate crimes occurring in someone’s home.
President Joe Biden was at Camp David, Maryland, when the incident occurred. Secret Service is unsure who placed the call.
In the last few weeks, several high profile officials have been targeted, including special counsel Jack Smith, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, judges on the Colorado Supreme Court and lawmakers such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.
Due to the rise in swatting, the FBI has created a national online database to track the events.
Local:
The Oklahoma City Police Department is investigating the theft of an ATM machine from Tinker Credit Union near SW 89th and Western.
Officers arrived to an abandoned forklift in the parking lot. Authorities say the forklift used to commit the crime was also stolen.
Security cameras captured the crime, but the perpetrator’s faces were covered, making them unidentifiable. Police are not ready to release the surveillance footage to the public. Their detectives must collect evidence and attempt to make an ID.
“The ATM at Tinker Federal Credit Union’s (TFCU) location at 1200 SW 89th St in Oklahoma City was stolen using a forklift early this morning, January 16, 2024. The credit union is actively working with the authorities during this ongoing investigation. The location is open and operating. For those seeking TFCU ATM services, the nearest alternative location is 9601 S Penn Ave. There are no further details at this time,” TFCU said in a statement.
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