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Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Wake-Up Call: Rittenhouse Deliberations Enter Day 2


Jurors began deliberating in Kyle Rittenhouse's Wisconsin murder trial Tuesday, ending after a full day without a verdict, and will return today to continue their deliberations. The case went to the jury after Judge Bruce Schroeder, in an unusual move, had Rittenhouse himself chose the names of the 12 final jurors from the 18 who sat through the case, drawing their names from a tumbler, something usually done by a court clerk. But Schroeder said he's long had defendants do it. Prosecutors contend Rittenhouse provoked the violence that led to him shooting three men with a semi-automatic rifle, two of them fatally, during the August 2020 protests in Kenosha following the police shooting of Jacob Blake. The defense contends he acted in self-defense after going to Kenosha from his home in Illinois in what he said was an effort to protect property after arson and other violence during the protests.


➤COVID VACCINE BOOSTER SHOTS COULD BE RECOMMENDED FOR ALL U.S. ADULTS WITHIN DAYS: A U.S. advisory panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, will meet Friday to discuss expanding eligibility for Covid-19 vaccine booster shots to all adults, which could lead to the recommendation being made as early as this weekend. Pfizer asked U.S. regulators last week to allow boosters of its vaccine for all adults, and the Food and Drug Administration is expected to agree before the advisory panel meets. The final step would be an official recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which could come soon after the meeting. Five states and New York City have already acted on their own in the past week to allow all adults to get a booster of the Pfizer vaccine. Currently, the federal recommendations for boosters is for those 65 and older and those at high risk because of health conditions or their work or living environment. Studies have shown that the vaccines' effectiveness against milder infection can fade over time, while they continue to offer protection against severe illness and death.

➤L.A. PORT DIRECTOR SAYS MAKING 'GREAT PROGRESS' IN CLEARING SHIPPING CARGO BACKLOG: The executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, one of the most high-profile ports that's been dealing with congestion, with ships unable to get in to unload and unloaded cargo unable to be trucked out, said yesterday that they are making, quote, "great progress" in clearing the backlog. Speaking in an online forum with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Gene Seroka said the port had reduced import containers on its docks by 25 percent since October 24th and reduced the amount of cargo sitting at least nine days by 29 percent. There are now 84 container ships waiting offshore to unload at the Port of Los Angeles and the neighboring Port of Long Beach, which is down from the more than 100 it was recently, but still much higher than normal.

➤RUSSIA DENIES IT ENDANGERED SPACE STATION WITH WEAPONS TEST: Russia yesterday denied U.S. accusations that it had endangered the International Space Station and the seven astronauts on it by conducting a weapons test in which they destroyed an old Russian satellite, creating more than 1,500 piece of orbiting space junk. The U.S. had called the action reckless and irresponsible, and a White House spokesman said yesterday that the debris will pose a risk to activities in space, quote, "for years to come." But Russia's Defense Ministry disputed that, saying, "the U.S. knows . . . that the resulting fragments . . . did not and will not pose a threat to orbital stations, spacecraft and space activities." Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also charged that it's "hypocrisy" to say Russia creates risks for peaceful activities in space.

🤑DESPITE INFLATION..AMERICANS INCREASED SPENDING LAST MONTH:   Inflation in the U.S. has risen to a rate we haven't seen in many years and polls indicate Americans aren't happy about it. But those higher costs aren't keeping them from spending, with government data out yesterday (November 16th) showing that Americans increased their spending at retail stores and online shops last month. The Commerce Department said that retail sales increased 1.7 percent from September to October, the biggest month-to-month rise since March and more than double the 0.8 percent increase from August to September. Two major retailers, Walmart and Home Depot, backed up what that data is showing, with both reporting increased sales. The sales data also points to a main reason for the supply chain problems, which is that Americans are just buying a lot of goods, spurred on by solid hiring, pay raises, and savings that were boosted during the pandemic, including by supportive payments from the government.


🏫TEXAS SCHOOL REMOVES DOORS TO BATHROOMS: An Austin, Texas, high school removed the entrance doors to all bathrooms to combat drug use and other incidents that were happening in the restrooms. The effort to improve safety came after other approaches failed, and Travis Early College High School Principal Christina Steele Hantgin said in a letter to parents that removing the doors has stopped the incidents entirely, at least for now. The doors on the bathroom stalls are still on, and none of the stalls can be seen from the hallways. Many students aren't happy with the move, and Hantgin has invited students to brainstorm other possible solutions and is open to putting the doors back if something else works. PTSA President Myrna Ruvalcaba told DailyMail.com that among the other incidents besides drug use that led to the removal of the doors was a TikTok challenge that encouraged students to steal or vandalize school property, as well as fights and assaults.


🍲EACH STATE HAS A FAVORITE THANKSGIVING SIDE DISH: Which Thanksgiving side is your favorite? Zippia did some research, and found mashed potatoes topped the list in the US, with nine states claiming it as their favorite. Last year 10 states named mashed potatoes as their favorite, but it’s still clear: Americans love their potatoes. The second-favorite side dish is rolls (named by four states), while other states named glazed carrots, creamed corn, green beans, and side salad as their favorites. Gravy was not included as an option, since it’s rarely eaten alone.

🍵COFFEE AND TEA DRINKING MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED RATES OF STROKE AND DEMENTIA: The science on this seems to change all the time, but the latest study says drinking coffee or tea could be good for your health. Researchers from China and the UK looked at over 365,000 people over the course of about ten years. They found those who drank coffee or tea seemed to have a lower risk of stroke and dementia over the course of the study. They found those who drank 2-3 cups of coffee or 3-5 cups of tea per day, or a combination of 4-6 cups of coffee and tea had the lowest incidence of stroke or dementia. Intake of coffee alone or in combination with tea was also associated with lower risk of post-stroke dementia. Researchers note this finding cannot prove causation, but add, “Our findings suggested that moderate consumption of coffee and tea separately or in combination were associated with lower risk of stroke and dementia.”

➤HUMAN TRIAL BEGINNING OF NASAL ALZHEIMER'S VACCINE: A human trial of nasal vaccine aimed at preventing and slowing Alzheimer's disease will be carried out by Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital, it announced yesterday. The small, Phase I trial will test the vaccine's safety and effectiveness. The participants, who have early symptomatic Alzheimer's, will receive two doses of the vaccine one week apart. It contains a substance called Protollin, which stimulates the immune system, and is designed to activate white blood cells to trigger clearance of plaques in the brain that are one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's.

🤗STUDY...THE PERFECT HUG LASTS FIVE TO TEN SECONDS:   All hugs are not created equal. Psychologists in London found that longer hugs, between five and ten seconds, were considered more pleasant than very short hugs (one second), and that arm position didn’t really seem to matter. Researchers note the results suggest “special care should be taken to avoid extremely brief hugs,” though they admit they do not know exactly when a hug becomes too long and awkward. The finding could help design friendlier seeming robots, as in the past they’ve been evaluated less positively after giving hugs that are “too short.”

🏀CURRY SCORES 37 POINTS, DURANT HAS SEASON-LOW 19 AS WARRIORS TOP NETS 117-99: Golden State's Stephen Curry came out on top in the match-up of the NBA's top two scorers last night, scoring 37 points while Kevin Durant had a season-low 19 points as the Warriors beat the Brooklyn Nets 117-99. The Nets' Durant had come into the game leading the league with 29.6 points per game, but dropped afterward to 28.9, just ahead of Curry, who raised his average to 28.7 points per game.

 
⚾RAYS' CASH, GIANTS' KAPLER WIN MLB'S MANAGER OF THE YEAR: The Tampa Bay Rays' Kevin Cash and the San Francisco Giants' Gabe Kapler won the MLB's Manager of the Year award last night, Cash in the American League and Kapler in the National League. 

Cash won for the second year in a row in the voting by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, joining Hall of Famer Bobby Cox as the only managers to win the award back-to-back. He led the Rays to a second consecutive AL East crown and the AL's best record. Kapler won in his second season with the Giants after guiding them to a franchise-best 107 victories.

➤STAPLES CENTER TO BE RENAMED CRYPTO.COM ARENA: Los Angeles' Staples Center, the home of the NBA's Lakers and Clippers, the NHL's Kings and the WNBA's Sparks, is getting a new name, with arena owner AEG announcing last night that it will known as Crypto.com Arena starting on Christmas Day. Although the financial terms aren't being disclosed, multiple reports said Crypto.com is paying $700 million for the naming rights. The arena has been the Staples Center since it opened in 1999, with the naming rights owned by the office supplies company. Crypto.com is a cryptocurrency platform and exchange headquartered in Singapore.

🏀DUKE GUARD SAVARINO, KRZYZEWSKI'S GRANDSON, AND FRESHMAN BANCHERO FACE DWI CHARGES: Duke basketball player Michael Savarino, the grandson of head coach Mike Krzyzewski, and star freshman Paolo Banchero are facing DWI-related charges after Savarino was arrested early Sunday morning. The (Raleigh) News & Observer reported that Savarino was arrested for DWI after being pulled over for a stop sign violation and having a blood alcohol level of 0.08 on a breathalyzer, North Carolina's legal limit. Banchero, who was in the back seat, was charged with aiding and abetting DWI. Krzyzewski said, "We took action and we will continue to take action," stating that they'll "handle that internally."

🏒RED SOX OWNER IN ADVANCED TALKS TO BUY NHL'S PENGUINS: Fenway Sports Group, the owner of MLB's Boston Red Sox, is in advanced talks to buy the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins, according to media reports yesterday. Billionaire John Henry is the principal owner of Fenway Sports Group, whose portfolio also includes soccer team Liverpool of England's Premier League and NASCAR's Roush Fenway Racing. Invesetor Ron Burkle and Hockey Hall of Famer and Penguins legend Mario Lemieux have been the team's majority owners since 1999.

🏀NBA TO PLAY TWO PRESEASON GAMES IN ABU DHABI: The NBA has signed a deal to play two preseason games in Abu Dhabi next year, the first time the league will play in the Arabian Gulf. The teams for the October 2022 games haven't yet been announced.




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