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Friday, March 26, 2021

Wake-Up Call: Mental Health Evaluation Set For Shooting Suspect


An attorney for the 21-year-old suspect in Monday's mass shooting at a Boulder, Colorado, supermarket that left 10 people dead asked during Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa's first court appearance yesterday that he be given a mental health evaluation. 

His family has reportedly told investigators they believe he was suffering from some kind of mental illness, including delusions. Alissa, who's being held without bail, only spoke to say "yes" when asked a question by the judge, who advised him of the 10 counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder against him. 

Meanwhile, some 2,000 people gathered last night at Fairview High School, a half-mile from the supermarket where the shooting took place, for a vigil honoring the 10 victims. It included reading the names of those killed out loud, as well as the names of the eight people killed in the mass shooting in Atlanta days earlier.
 

➤BIDEN SETS NEW COVID VACCINATION GOAL, SUGGESTS MAY BE OPEN TO FILIBUSTER CHANGE IN FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE: President Biden announced a new goal yesterday for getting Americans vaccinated against the coronavirus, suggested he may be open to changing the Senate filibuster, and answered questions about the situation at the border, among other topics, in his first press conference as president. In his opening remarks, Biden doubled his original goal for his first 100 days in office of 100 million vaccinations -- a mark already passed -- pledging to administer 200 million vaccinations by the end of his first 100 days. 

Addressing the filibuster issue, something a growing number of Senate Democrats have been open to changing to get legislation passed without having to get 60 votes because of Republican filibusters, Biden suggested he's open to it, saying, "If there’s complete lockdown and chaos, as a consequence of the filibuster, then we’re going to have to go beyond what I’m talking about." Asked about the situation at the border with Mexico, where a surge of unaccompanied minors is overwhelming the government's facilities to hold them, Biden promised to improve the immigration system and to held deal with conditions in the migrant's home countries that drive them to try to come to the U.S.


➤AT LEAST FIVE KILLED BY ALABAMA TORNADOES: At least five people were killed yesterday by a string of tornadoes that hit Alabama, which also injured an unknown number of others and knocked out power to more than 35,000. Meteorologist John De Block of the National Weather Service in Birmingham said as many as eight tornadoes may have hit the state. The five people confirmed killed were in Calhoun County, and large areas of Shelby County were badly damaged.

 
➤GEORGIA GOVERNOR SIGNS CONTROVERSIAL ELECTION OVERHAUL LEGISLATION: Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp signed controversial legislation yesterday (March 25th) that overhauls the state's elections, putting new restrictions on voting by mail and giving state lawmakers greater control over how Georgia elections are run. It requires a photo ID to vote absentee by mail, reduces the time people have to request an absentee ballot, and limits the use of ballot drop boxes. Kemp said, "After the November election last year, I knew, like so many of you, that significant reforms to our state elections were needed." 


Georgia's new law is part of a wave of Republican efforts in states across the country to change election processes since the November election, with Democrats and voting rights groups saying they will disproportionately make it harder for people of color to vote. President Biden criticized the efforts during his press conference yesterday, calling them "un-American" and "sick." A lawsuit was filed yesterday by voter mobilization groups challenging Georgia's new law.

➤CONTAINER SHIP STILL STUCK IN THE SUEZ CANAL: The ongoing efforts to free a massive container ship that's stuck sideways in the Suez Canal were unsuccessful Thursday (March 25th), with canal authorities saying up to 706,000 cubic feet of sand may need to be removed from the waterway to free the ship, CNN reported. The Ever Given container ship has been stuck since Tuesday, blocking the busy canal and preventing more than 160 container ships carrying cargo and fuel from going through. Some ships are deciding to go around the Cape of Good Hope, the southern tip of Africa, to avoid the canal between continental Africa and the Sinai Peninsula, adding 12 extra days of sailing time, according to the International Chamber of Shipping. Experts are worried about the damage to the global supply chain, including the oil market, if the ship isn't freed soon.

➤STAPLES WILL LAMINATE YOUR VACCINE CARD FOR FREE:  Office supply retailer Staples says it will laminate your COVID-19 vaccine card for free through May 1st at stores nationwide. Laminations are limited to one per customer and aren’t eligible on Instacart orders. Cards should only be laminated after the cardholder has been fully vaccinated. A laminated card could be useful in the future for things such as travel or employment. The CDC recommends keeping your card as proof of vaccination in case you should need it in the future. If you lose your card, it can likely be replaced, but it’s wise to be extra careful since the nation’s health care systems are overextended. The experts suggest keeping your vaccination card in a safe place, and not carrying it with you. You should also take a photo of it on your phone to keep, just be sure not to post it on social media, as it has sensitive personal information on it.

➤‘GAME OF THRONES’ STUDY SHOWS WHY PEOPLE IDENTIFY WITH FICTIONAL CHARACTERS:  Researchers think they’ve figured out why fiction can so strongly affect a person’s reality. Ohio State University researchers looked at the brains of self-described fans of “Game of Thrones.” They found some people were very good at identifying with fictional characters, especially those they most admired or whom they felt closest to. Researcher Timothy Broom explains, “They’re really internalizing the experiences of those characters, because they are experiencing the story from that perspective.” Nancy Mramor, a media psychologist, adds, “I caution viewers to view mindfully so that they are aware of their biological and emotional responses to anything or any hero they view, whether it is in the news or a crime show. Know when to engage and when to step back and watch from a distance, especially if your favorite character is on an emotional roller coaster and is taking you with them.”

➤JESSICA WALTER DIES AT 80:
Jessica Walter, whose career spanned 50+ years, has died at age 80. She died in her sleep in New York City at home. Walter is beloved for many roles, including Play Misty for Me, The Flamingo Kid and her performance as Lucille Bluth in Arrested Development. Walter is survived by daughter Brooke Bowman, who is SVP Drama Programming at Fox Entertainment, and grandson Micah Heymann. Bowman said in a statement: “It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of my beloved mom Jessica. A working actor for over six decades, her greatest pleasure was bringing joy to others through her storytelling both on screen and off. While her legacy will live on through her body of work, she will also be remembered by many for her wit, class and overall joie de vivre.”

➤ABC WANTS $2M FOR OSCAR AD-SPOTS: Audiences for awards show may be perpetually in decline, but execs at ABC are still betting big on ad spots. The network is asking for $2 million per 30-second spot for the April 25 broadcast of the 93rd annual Academy Awards, according to Variety.

Insiders say they’re not getting much resistance. Last year, the show generated nearly $129.2 million in advertising, according to Kantar, a tracker of ad spending. In 2019, it was $114.2 million. Most ads ran for $1.8M-$2M.

“They are trying their best to provide the most robust opportunity for their sponsors, given what they are dealing with,” says Jenna Fidellow, senior vice president of branded partnerships for Havas Media, in an interview. “This is launching in a time when March Madness will be over. It feels like a new window during these unprecedented times to give the show an opportunity, to maybe show up a little differently.”

CBS’ recent Grammys grabbed 8.8 million viewers, down 53% from the 18.7 million who tuned in in 2020. NBC’s Golden Globes snagged 6.9 million, down 63% year-over-year.

🏒SABRES GM SERVES AS COACH AFTER INTERIM COACH, ASSISTANT PUT IN COVID PROTOCOL: Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams stepped in to serve as the NHL team's head coach in their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins last night after interim coach Don Granato and assistant Matt Ellis were placed in the league's Covid-19 protocol and were self-isolating. The Sabres lost 4-0. Former Sabres coach Ralph Kreuger was fired last week.

⚾WHITE SOX'S JIMENEZ OUT FOR FIVE TO SIX MONTHS WITH RUPTURED TENDON: Chicago White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez is expected to be out for five to six months after rupturing the pectoral tendon in his left arm while trying to make a play during a spring training game. The 24-year-old will have to undergo surgery, with general manager Rick Hahn saying they'll know more about if he'll be able to return this season after he begins rehab. Jimenez had 31 home runs in his first year in the majors in 2019, and had 14 homers and 41 RBIs in 55 games during last year's pandemic-shortened season.


🏀GRAND CANYON PLAYER DIES IN CAR ACCIDENT THREE DAYS AFTER 'MARCH MADNESS' GAME: Arizona's Grand Canyon University announced last night that basketball forward Oscar Frayer died in a car accident on Tuesday, three days after he'd played in the NCAA Tournament. The 23-year-old, his sister and his girlfriend were in an SUV when it veered off the road in northern California, hit a California Highway Patrol car, struck a tree and caught on fire. All three were killed, and two CHP officers were seriously injured. Frayer was reportedly visiting family in the state. Three days before the crash, Frayer played in Number 15 Grand Canyon's first-round game against second-seeded Iowa, getting eight points, five assists and three rebounds in their 86-74 loss.

🏀HEAT GET OLADIPO IN TRADE WITH ROCKETS: The Miami Heat got 28-year-old star guard Victor Oladipo in a trade with the Houston Rockets Thursday (March 25th), according to ESPN. They're sending guard Avery Bradley, forward Kelly Olynyk and 2022 first-round swap rights to Houston in return.

➤NASCAR TO HOLD FIRST CUP SERIES RACE ON DIRT SINCE 1970: NASCAR has brought in more than 23,000 cubic yards of dirt to Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee for its first Cup Series race on dirt since 1970 that will take place on Sunday (March 28th). Steve Swift, the senior vice president of operations and development at Speedway Motorsports, went to 18 different dirt sites to find the perfect red Tennessee clay to use. It remains to be seen if the race will actually take place Sunday, though, since the forecast calls for 100 percent rain.

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