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Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Wake-Up Call: Biden Tries To Address Supply Chain Issues

President Biden took some actions yesterday to try to address the problems at the country's ports that, along with a shortage of truck drivers, are causing supply chain issues. The ports are dealing with record volumes of shipping containers as the economy has recovered from the pandemic that they are having trouble processing, meanwhile other container ships are waiting to dock. Biden spoke with the CEOs of Wal-Mart, Target, UPS and FedEx about how to relieve the supply chain challenges, and also got updates on how deliveries are being sped up to ensure shelves will be stocked for the holidays. The administration also announced plans to identify and pay for possible upgrades to U.S. ports within the next 90 days. 

As part of touting the administration's efforts, as well as the historic infrastructure bill just passed by Congress, Biden will visit Baltimore's port today.

➤PFIZER ASKS U.S. REGULATORS TO OKAY COVID VACCINE BOOSTERS FOR ALL ADULTS: Drugmaker Pfizer asked U.S. regulators yesterday to okay boosters of its Covid-19 vaccine for all adults, age 18 or older. Regulators have approved boosters since September for Americans over age 65 and others particularly vulnerable to the virus, but the Food and Drug Administration has said it would expand booster eligibility to those younger than 65 if it's warranted. Pfizer is submitting the results of a study in 10,000 people that found a booster could restore protection against symptomatic infection to about 95 percent. All three Covid vaccines approved in the U.S. continue to provide strong protection against severe illness and death, but protection against milder illness can fade over time.

 

➤JUDGE DENIES TRUMP REQUEST TO BLOCK RELEASE OF DOCUMENTS TO JAN. 6TH COMMITTEE: A federal judge yesterday refused former President Donald Trump's request to block the National Archives from releasing documents from his presidency to the House committee investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said Congress had a strong public interest in obtaining records that could shed light on that day's events. She also said President Biden has the authority to waive executive privilege over the documents. She rejected Trump's claim that executive privilege, quote, "exists in perpetuity," saying, "Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President." Trump's attorneys said they'd appeal the ruling.
 
Meanwhile, the House committee issued subpoenas yesterday to 10 former officials who worked in the White House at the end of Trump's presidency. They include former senior adviser Stephen Miller and former press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.

➤PUBLIC ALLOWED TO WALK ON TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLIDER PLAZA FOR FIRST TIME IN 96 YEARS: Members of the public were allowed to walk on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier plaza in Arlington National Cemetery yesterday (November 9th) and will permitted to do so again today for the first time in 96 years. The rare opportunity to get close to the Tomb is coming on the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the memorial site. Members of the public were able to lay a flower at the site between 9 a.m and 4 p.m. ET yesterday, and the hours for the flower-laying are the same today. On Veterans Day Thursday, there will be a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb, which President Biden will attend.

➤MALALA YOUSAFZAI ANNOUNCES HER MARRIAGE: Nobel Peace Prize laureate and education activist Malala Yousafzai, who first gained recognition when she was shot by the Taliban in her native Pakistan at age 14 for advocating for girls' education, announced yesterday (November 9th) that she's gotten married. Yousafzai, who's now 24 and lives in the the U.K., posted photos on Twitter of the celebration with husband Asser Malik and her family. She wrote, "Today marks a precious day in my life. Asser and I tied the knot to be partners for life. . . . We are excited to walk together for the journey ahead.″ Malik is the general manager of high performance at the Pakistan Cricket Board.

➤PAUL RUDD IS PEOPLE'S 'SEXIEST MAN ALIVE': People has named one of Marvel's superheroes as their "Sexiest Man Alive" for 2021, but it isn't the one everyone expected.

Despite rumors that Chris Evans would be the cover star for the annual "Sexiest Man Alive" issue, Paul Rudd has taken the title this year.

The 52-year-old Ant Man star told the magazine, “I do have an awareness, enough to know that when people hear that I’d be picked for this, they would say, ‘What? This is not false humility. There are so many people that should get this before me.”

He says that his wife of 18 years, Julie, is even more surprised than he is, explaining, “She was stupefied. But you know she was very sweet about it. After some giggling and shock, she said, ‘Oh, they got it right.’ And that was very sweet. She was probably not telling the truth, but what’s she going to say?”

Although he expects his closest friends will give him "so much grief," he's planning on expanding his circle now.

Rudd joked, "I’m hoping now that I’ll finally be invited to some of those sexy dinners with [George] Clooney and [Brad] Pitt and [Michael] B Jordan. And I figure I’ll be on a lot more yachts. I’m excited to expand my yachting life. And I’ll probably try to get better at brooding in really soft light. I like to ponder. I think this is going to help me become more inward and mysterious. And I’m looking forward to that.”

➤KIM & KHLOE DRAGGED FOR INSENSITIVITY OVER ASTROWORLD: Both Kim and Khloe Kardashian are being criticized for what followers see as thoughtlessness following the Astroworld tragedy that took at least eight lives.

Khloe, Kim
On Tuesday, Kim's hotly anticipated Fendi x Skims collection launched online and in Fendi stores. On the social media page, a user wrote: "Please think about the 8 victims."

Another lashed out: "How tone deaf is it to keep marketing your product after someone from your family is responsible for causing death & injury to a huge crowd of people!?"

Clearly not everyone was upset though. TMZ reports that the collab raked in $1 million in sales in one minute. The launch is essentially sold out and is on track to be the biggest launch ever for SKIMS.

Meanwhile, Khloe is also being called “tone deaf” for sharing thirst trap shots of herself on social media. “Read the room. The first Astroworld victim was buried yesterday,” one person commented on the photos.

On Monday, Kim shared her sorrow over the festival following days of silence from much of her family. Eight people died and hundreds were injured during the Astroworld performance where Kylie Jenner’s partner Travis Scott was performing.

➤CA. GOV. NEWSOM BACK IN THE PUBLIC SPOTLIGHT: California Governor Gavin Newsom appeared in public yesterday for the first time since October 27th, and after a swirl of speculation over why he'd abruptly canceled a planned trip to the U.N. climate summit in Scotland and vanished from public view, he explained why. Newsom said his actions came after what he called "an intervention" by his four children, who range in age from five to 12, who couldn't believe he was going to miss Halloween because of the summit trip. He said, "I woke up that next morning with something that's probably familiar to a lot of parents -- that knot in your stomach that I had no damn choice, I had to cancel that trip." Newsom said he went trick-or-treating with his family instead and went to his kids' soccer tournament over the Halloween weekend. He also took his children to work last week at the state Capitol. Newsom said he'd spent the last week at work in the Capitol, saying, "It's probably the most productive week I've had since I've been governor."

🚘AAA FORECASTS 53.4 MILLION AMERICANS WILL TRAVEL FOR THANKSGIVING:  What are your Thanksgiving plans? The AAA predicts more than 53 million Americans are going to travel for the holiday, 13 percent more than last year. The total travel volume is forecasted to be just below five percent of what it was in 2019, and air travel is expected to increase by 80 percent compared to 2020, just nine percent below 2019. This year, the Thanksgiving holiday period goes from Wednesday, November 24th through Sunday, November 28th. Debbie Haas, Vice President of Travel for AAA says, “The re-opening of the U.S. borders to international travelers means airports will be even busier than we’ve recently seen, so travelers must plan for longer lines and extra time for TSA checks.” When it comes to driving, the most congested time on the road is predicted to be on Wednesday, November 24th as commuters leave work early and mix with holiday travelers. To avoid traffic, the AAA recommends drivers hit the road after 9 p.m. on November 24th, and start home before 11 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day (November 25th), Black Friday (November 26th), Saturday (November 27th) or Sunday (November 28th).


🏈PACKERS, RODGERS, LAZARD FINED BY NFL FOR COVID PROTOCOL VIOLATIONS: The NFL fined the Green Bay Packers, quarterback Aaron Rodgers and receiver Allen Lazard yesterday for violations of the league's Covid-19 protocols, according to ESPN. The Packers were fined $300,000 and Rodgers and Lazard were each fined $14,650. The violations included Rodgers, who wasn't vaccinated, not wearing a mask during his news conferences and the team not reporting that Rodgers and Lazard, who is also unvaccinated, attended a Halloween party. By attending the party, the two players violated the protocol that prevents unvaccinated players from gathering in groups of more than three, which is why they were fined.


Meanwhile, Rodgers said on the The Pat McAfee Show yesterday that he stands by some of the controversial things he said last week after it was revealed that he had tested positive for Covid-19 and was unvaccinated. However, he acknowledged he misled people by saying he was "immunized" when asked about about his vaccination status before the season. He had sought alternative treatments meant to boost the immune system, He said, "To anybody who felt misled by those comments, I take full responsibility for those comments.”

🏀JOKIC SUSPENDED ONE GAME, MORRIS, BUTLER FINED: The Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic was suspended by the NBA for one game yesterday for aggressively shoving the Miami Heat's Markieff Morris in the back, sending him to the floor, after a hard foul by Morris on Monday night. Morris will be fined $50,000 and his teammate Jimmy Butler was fined $30,000 for, quote, "attempting to escalate the altercation." The league said Butler also failed to comply with an interview as part of the review process. The Heat said that Morris has whiplash and won't be playing Wednesday.

🏈REPORT: PANTHERS QB DARNOLD HAS SHOULDER FRACTURE: Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold has an incomplete fracture of his right shoulder blade and will likely be out for several weeks, the NFL Network first reported yesterday. The Panthers reportedly believe Darnold was injured in the second quarter of Carolina's 24-6 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday. P.J. Walker will replace Darnold at quarterback.

🏒CANADIENS' GOALIE PRICE SAYS SOUGHT TREATMENT FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE: Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price said Tuesday that he voluntarily entered the NHL's player assistance program more than a month ago due to substance use. He said in a statement, "Over the last few years I have let myself get to a very dark place and I didn’t have the tools to cope with that struggle." The 34-year-old rejoined the Canadiens on Sunday, and is meeting with trainers on a plan to get back into shape after having knee surgery in July.

🏈CAL-USC GAME POSTPONED DUE TO POSITIVE COVID TESTS, FIRST MAJOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME THIS YEAR: The football game between California and USC was postponed yesterday due to a multiple positive Covid-19 tests in the California program. Because of the positive tests, Cal doesn't have enough players at an unidentified position group. It's the first major college game to be rescheduled this season because of Covid. The game was moved to December 4th.





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