Monday, June 28, 2021

Wake-Up Call: Death Toll rises In Condo-Collapse



The confirmed death toll in the building collapse in Surfside, Florida, rose by four Sunday to nine, with 152 people still missing. Rescue workers continued digging into a fifth day today and family members continued to hold on to hope, even though no-one has been rescued alive since the day of the 12-story Champlain Towers South condominium's partial collapse. The four people recovered yesterday were identified as: Leon Oliwkowicz, 80; Christina Beatriz Elvira, 74; Anna Ortiz, 46; and Luis Bermudez, 26. Rescuers from Israel have arrived to help local, state and federal agencies in the search, and rescuers from Mexico are expected to arrive today.

➤U.S. CARRIES OUT AIRSTRIKES AGAINST IRAN-BACKED MILITIA FACILITIES: The U.S. carried out airstrikes Sunday ordered by President Biden against what were described as "facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups" near the border between Iraq and Syria. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the militias were using the operational and weapons storage facilities to launch drone attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq. Kirby stated, "The United States took necessary, appropriate, and deliberate action designed to limit the risk of escalation -- but also to send a clear and unambiguous deterrent message."


 
➤NORTHWESTERN U.S. BROILING IN HISTORIC HEAT: The Pacific Northwest is broiling in an historic heat wave with temperatures in triple digits that are breaking all-time records in a region that's not used to such extreme heat. Among some of the readings, Portland, Oregon, reached 112 degrees Sunday, Salem, Oregon, was 112 degrees, and it was 104 degrees in Seattle. The U.S. Track and Field Olympics trials were stopped yesterday afternoon in Eugene, Oregon, where temperatures hit 110 degrees. The record heat was also being felt over the border in Western Canada. The extreme heat is being caused by a "heat dome" over the Pacific Northwest, according to meteorologists. Temperatures are supposed to be even higher today, before beginning to cool down on Tuesday.

 
➤THREE KILLED AFTER TRAIN HITS VEHICLE IN CHICAGO: Three people were killed after a Metra commuter rail train hit their vehicle in Chicago yesterday afternoon. The train was heading north into the city when it hit the vehicle on Chicago's Far South Side, pushing it for a half-mile before coming to a stop. The vehicle caught fire and the impact also caused the train's front car to partially derail. Two adults and one child in the vehicle died, and a 43-year-old man who was also in the vehicle survived and was hospitalized in good to fair condition. The Metra train's conductor and engineer were injured, but it's believed their injuries aren't life-threatening. Forty-one passengers on the train declined medical attention and were taken to another station so they could continue on their way. An investigation is being done by Metra.

➤POLL..FINDS DECLINE IN MEN'S FRIENDSHIPS OVER THE PAST 30-YEARS:  A recent poll found that there's been a steep decline in men's friendships over the past three decades. The May poll from the Survey Center on American Life showed that the number of U.S. men who say they have "no close friends" rose to 15 percent in 2021 from just three percent in 1990. Additionally, just 15 percent of men say they have 10 or more close friends, a big drop from 40 percent who said they did 30 years ago. Female friendships have also declined over the same period of time, but not to the same degree. Eleven percent of women said this year that they have 10 or more close friends, down only from 17 percent in 1990, and 10 percent said they have no close friends at all.

➤SALES OF ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION DRUGS BOOMED DURING PANDEMIC:  It seems many Americans addressed a specific health issue during the height of the pandemic. University of Pittsburgh researchers say there was a jump in sales of erectile dysfunction, or ED, drugs, over the past year. The drug that saw the biggest jump in sales was tadalafil, which is marketed as Cialis. This finding held even when accounting for other factors, such as increased access to pharmacies. They say sales of Cialis, a longer-acting drug that’s taken daily to help with more spontaneous sexual activity, nearly doubled between February and December of 2020. Senior study author Dr. Benjamin Davies says, “Changes in sales of erectile dysfunction drugs can indicate important problems and point out issues in people’s general well-being. People’s sexual lives contribute to the psychosocial fabric of society.”

The Sun 6/28/21
➤STUDY..EATING CHOCOLATE FOR BREAKFAST MAY HAVE BENEFITS:  Here’s your excuse to eat some chocolate. Brigham and Women’s Hospital researchers looked at postmenopausal women and found those who ate about three-and-a-half ounces of milk chocolate either within one hour of waking up or within one hour of going to bed did not gain weight. In addition, eating the chocolate at either of those times was found to influence hunger and appetite, microbiota composition, sleep, and more factors. Also, eating a high intake of chocolate during the morning was actually found to help with fat burning and reduce blood glucose levels. Eating chocolate at night could also alter metabolism the following morning. Study authors note that the study was small and limited, and further studies involving men and young females would confirm the results.

➤ATTORNEYS GIVEN TO TODAY TO ARGUE WHY TRUMP ORGANIZATION SHOULDN'T FACE CHARGES: New York prosecutors have given former President Donald Trump's attorneys a deadline of this afternoon to make any final arguments for why the Trump Organization shouldn't face criminal charges over its financial activities, The Washington Post reported yesterday. The deadline is a strong indication that prosecutors are considering criminal charges against Trump's company. The Post cited sources as saying they are also looking at charging Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, following his refusal to cooperate in the investigation.

➤CLASSIFIED BRITISH GOV'T MILITARY FILES FOUND BEHIND A BUS STOP: Nearly 50 pages of classified British government files related to the country's military were found on the ground by a member of the public behind a bus stop in Kent. The BBC reports the documents included information about a British destroyer and how Russia might respond to it sailing through Ukrainian waters off the Crimea coast, and plans for a potential deployment of U.K. troops to Afghanistan once the U.S. has pulled out. The Guardian said the Defense staff member who was responsible for the documents had reported their loss. An investigation is underway.

➤CREATOR OF 'COPS' TV SHOW, JOHN LANGLEY, DIES DURING OFF-ROAD RACE: John Langley, who created the TV show, Cops, died Saturday (June 26th) while competing in an off-road race in Mexico. Variety reported that the 78-year-old suffered an apparent heart attack. Fox launched Cops in 1989, and it lasted for 32 seasons -- including after moving to Spike after being canceled by Fox in 2013 - until it was ended amid the racial justice protests in 2020 in the wake of George Floyd's death. Langley first wrote and co-directed a 1983 documentary called, Cocaine Blues, that featured drug raid footage. He then had a 1986 primetime special, called, American Vice, that showed drug arrests, before Cops began.

➤STUDY..PEOPLE ACROSS THE WORLD FAVOR PAID PARENTAL LEAVE:  The U.S. is the only wealthy nation that does not guarantee paid leave to mothers or fathers after the arrival of a new child. But it turns out Americans endorse providing paid time off for parents nearly as much as those from other countries. A study from The Ohio State University finds 82 percent of Americans say they support paid maternity leave, just as slightly less than 86 percent of those in 26 other wealthy nations do. But, support for paid leave for fathers is lower than for maternity leave, both in the U.S. and in the rest of the countries surveyed. Overall, about 60 percent of those from other countries wanted paid paternity leave, compared to just over 50 percent of Americans. Researchers say that lack of government funding, people who are strong supporters of traditional gender roles, and political elites (who largely would not benefit from paid parental leave because they already get it from their employer) are all possible reasons that Americans don’t have “more widespread and generous leave offered in the U.S.”

🏀YOUNG INJURES ANKLE IN HAWKS' LOSS TO BUCKS: Atlanta star Trae Young hurt his ankle in a fluke incident in the Hawks' 113-102 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals last night, which the Bucks now lead 2 games to 1. Young accidentally stepped on an official's foot late in the third quarter, spraining his ankle. He was able to return for much of the fourth quarter, but he didn't have his usual speed. Young, who finished with 35 points, said after the game, "It’s sore right now. It’s hurting. It’s frustrating." He will have an MRI today and will be getting extensive treatment to try to get him ready for Game 4 on Tuesday.

🏀NBA PLAYOFFS: Results from Conference Finals yesterday:
  • Milwaukee Bucks 113, Atlanta Hawks 102 - Milwaukee leads series 2 games to 1

🏀PORTLAND NAMES BILLUPS AS NEW HEAD COACH: The Portland Trail Blazers named Chauncey Billups as the team's new head coach last night. ESPN reported that he'd agreed to a five-year deal. The 44-year-old Billups was a five-time NBA All-Star and MVP of the 2004 NBA Finals with the Detroit Pistons. He spent this past season as an assistant with the L.A. Clippers in his first coaching job.

🏌KORDA WINS WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP, BECOMES WORLD NUMBER ONE: Nelly Korda won the KPMG Women's PGA Championship Sunday at the Atlanta Athletic Club for her first major title. With the victory, the 22-year-old American also become the Number One-ranked woman golfer in the world. She finished at 19-under 269, three shots ahead of Lizette Salas in second place. Korda is the first American to win a major in three years, and the first to be Number One since 2014.

➤BILES HEADING BACK TO OLYMPICS WITH FIRST-PLACE TRIALS FINISH: Reigning gymnastics champion Simone Biles is heading back to the Olympics, winning her spot with a first-place finish at the Olympic Trials last night. She will be looking to repeat as champion at the Tokyo Olympics next month. Finishing in second place and also getting an automatic Olympic spot was Sunisa Lee, with Jordan Chiles and Grace McCallum rounding out the four-woman Olympic team.

 
🎾SERENA WILLIAMS SAYS WON'T PLAY AT OLYMPICS: Serena Williams said yesterday  that she won't be playing at the Tokyo Olympics next month. Speaking to reporters at her pre-Wimbledon video conference, the 39-year-old Williams said, "There’s a lot of reasons that I made my Olympic decision. . . . I don’t feel like going into them today. Maybe another day." Williams won gold in singles at the 2012 Olympics, and in doubles with her sister Venus Williams in 2000, 2008 and 2012. Williams lost in the third round in the 2016 Olympics, and she and Venus lost in the first round of doubles.

🏀TAURASI BECOMES FIRST IN WNBA HISTORY TO SCORE 9,000 POINTS: Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury scored 25 points in the Mercury's 88-79 win over the Los Angeles Sparks yesterday and became the first player in WNBA history to score 9,000 career points. The 39-year-old passed the milestone in her return from being out for five weeks with a fractured sternum. No other player is close to Taurasi in career points, with only two players, Tina Thompson and Tamika Catchings, having scored more than 7,000 points, Thompson with 7,488 and Catchings with 7,380.
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