Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Wake-Up Call: Scope of Astroworld Probe Widens

Houston Chronicle 11/9/21

There are calls for an independent investigation into the tragedy at the Astroworld festival in Houston that left eight people dead and hundreds injured. That's because the Houston police and fire departments were deeply involved in safety measures for the festival, including in crowd control measures, security staffing and emergency response, but the police department is leading the probe. 

County Judge Lina Hidalgo, Harris County's top elected official, could order such an independent probe. 

Meanwhile, reports said that among the 13 hospitalized victims is a nine-year-old boy who was crushed and trampled in the festival and is now in a medically-induced coma. Ezra Blount reportedly suffered major organ damage. Blount's family said the boy's father put him on his shoulder to keep him above what was going on, but the father was crushed and passed out and Blount fell, after which he was trampled.

➤JANUARY 6TH COMMITTEE SUBPOENAS SIX MORE TRUMP ASSOCIATES: The House select committee investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol has issued subpoenas to six more associates of former President Donald Trump who were closely involved in his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, the committee's chairman, said Monday that they're seeking testimony and documents from those who took part in a, quote, "war room" ahead of the attack and strategized about how to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s victory. The new subpoenas were issued for: Bill Stepien, the manager of Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign; Jason Miller, a senior adviser to the campaign; Angela McCallum, national executive assistant to the campaign; John Eastman, a lawyer who advised Trump; Michael Flynn, Trump's first national security adviser who talked with Trump ahead of the insurrection; and Bernard Kerik, who the committee says paid for hotel rooms that were used as command centers ahead of January 6th.

➤U-S CHARGES TWO ACCUSED MAJOR RANSOMWARE OPERATORS: U.S. Justice Department officials said yesterday that a suspected Ukrainian hacker had been arrested and charged in the U.S. in connection with several costly ransomware attacks. The man, 22-year-old Yaroslav Vasinskyi, was arrested last month after going to Poland and the U.S. is seeking his extradition. Officials also announced the recovery of $6.1 million in ransomware-obtained money from a Russian national, Yevgeniy Polyanin, who remains wanted by the FBI. He’s accused of conducting roughly 3,000 ransomware attacks on companies and entities across the U.S. Both are alleged to be affiliated with the Russia-based REvil ransomware gang. Their victims included JBS SA, the world's largest meat processor, and technology company Kaseya, which was the target of a Fourth of July weekend attack last July that affected between 800 and 1,500 businesses that rely on its software.


 
➤OBAMA SPEAKS AT U.N. CLIMATE SUMMIT: Former President Barack Obama spoke at the U.N. climate summit in Scotland yesterday, speaking at a climate summit for the first time since he, as president, was one of the world leaders who helped deliver the historic 2015 Paris climate deal. Obama expressed confidence that President Biden's administration will get its $555 billion climate package through Congress, and criticized China and Russia for not attending the conference, saying, "It was particularly discouraging to see the leaders of two of the world’s largest emitters, China and Russia, decline to even attend the proceedings, and their national plans reflect what appears to be a dangerous lack of urgency."

Rep. Paul Gosar (right)

➤TWITTER FLAGS GOP REP GOSAR'S TWEET OF ANIMATES KILLING OF AOC: Twitter flagged a tweet with a warning label yesterday that was posted by Republican Rep. Paul Gosar and shows an animated killing of Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and an attack on President Biden. But while Twitter says the tweet violated the "hateful conduct" rules, it hasn't removed the tweet, saying it will stay up for the "public interest." Gosar shared the video Sunday evening which depicts and fellow staunch Donald Trump supporters Reps. Marjorie Taylor Green and Lauren Boebert as heroes from the Japanese anime series, Attack on Titan. Ocasio-Cortez's face is superimposed on one of the Titans -- the giant creatures fought by the heroes in the anime -- and she's killed by Gosar's character, who also attacks a Titan with Biden's face. Ocasio-Cortez called Gosar "creepy" and said, "he'll face no consequences bc @GOPLeader cheers him on with excuses," referring to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Other Democratic lawmakers blasted the tweets, including Rep. Ted Lieu, who said, "In any workplace in America, if a coworker made an anime video killing another coworker, that person would be fired."



🎅THE MOST POPULAR TIMES TO DECORATE FOR THE VARIOUS WINTER HOLIDAYS:  The holiday season is nearly upon us, and in the coming weeks people will begin dressing up their homes to spread holiday cheer. Fox News commissioned YouGov to survey 3,000 Americans about their holiday decorating plans, and found the most popular time to decorate for the holidays is the day after Thanksgiving, with 24 percent saying they plan to decorate then. Twenty three percent say they plan to decorate after Thanksgiving but before December. The majority of Americans say they are comfortable seeing festive decorations throughout the month of November, and 19 percent say they’re most open to seeing holiday decorations between mid-November and the day after Thanksgiving. Additionally, 43 percent say they’ll decorate their yards or the exterior of their homes for the holidays, while 72 percent say they’ll decorate their home’s interior.

🦃HOW LONG CAN YOU KEEP THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS?:  Thanksgiving is coming, and that means lots of food. If you’re planning to keep any leftovers here’s what you need to know. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says you should stash leftovers in shallow containers within two hours of cooking– and it’s ok if the food is still warm when you pack it up. You can keep cooked turkey in a fridge for three or four days, while leftover stuffing should be eaten or frozen within three or four days (when frozen it can last between two and three months). Uncooked stuffing can also be frozen, but will need to be cooked immediately when removed from a freezer. When it comes to potatoes, yams, and green beans, they can each last three or four days when stored in the fridge, and homemade cranberry sauce can be refrigerated for seven to ten days, while canned cranberry sauce can be refrigerated for one to two weeks after opening. You can store leftover gravy in your refrigerator for three to four days, or in the freezer four to six months, while homemade pies containing egg, cream, or chiffon can be stored in a fridge three to four days, while fruit-based pies can be stored at room temperature for one to two days or in the fridge for up to a week.

🚀SPACEX CAPSULE BRINGS FOUR ASTRONAUTS BACK TO EARTH: SpaceX's capsule brought four astronauts back to Earth last night after 200 days on the International Space Station. The capsule containing two Americans, a Japanese astronaut and one from France parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico off Pensacola, Florida, where recovery boats quickly moved in. Their return had been delayed from the morning due to high winds in the recovery zone.

💔STUDY...MEN SUFFER ‘MORE EMOTIONAL PAIN THAN WOMEN’ IN BREAK-UPS:  It turns out the stereotypes in movies and TV shows aren’t accurate. Lancaster University researchers analyzed online relationships, looking at the most common issues couples experienced. They found that it was actually men who suffered most when their relationship took a turn for the worse. The most common issues the couples faced were communication and trust-related. They also found that men were more likely to discuss heartbreak than women were, suggesting that the stereotype of men being less emotionally invested in relationships than women may be somewhat incorrect, and that men were more likely to seek online, professional help than women, to deal with their relationships. Researchers hope their findings will help de-stigmatise people seeking help with their relationship issues.


🏈STEELERS EDGE BEARS 29-27: The Pittsburgh Steelers edged the Chicago Bears 29-27 in Monday Night Football last night at home, getting the win on a 40-yard field goal by Chris Boswell with 26 seconds left in the game. The Steelers pulled out the win after having blown a 14-point lead going into the fourth quarter, allowing Chicago to score 21 points in that final quarter. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was 21 of 30 for 205 yards and two touchdowns.

🏀DENVER'S JOKIC EJECTED, COULD FACE SUSPENSION, FOR SHOVING MORRIS: Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic was ejected near the end of last night's 113-96 win over the Miami Heat and could face suspension for aggressively shoving Markieff Morris from behind in retaliation for a hard foul, sending him flying to the floor. Morris was also ejected. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra called it "a very dangerous and dirty play" after the game. Jokic said he felt the need to protect himself, but felt bad after seeing how hard he shoved Morris.

 
🏀WARRIORS' CURRY GETS 50 POINTS, 10 ASSISTS IN 127-113 WIN OVER HAWKS: Golden State star Stephen Curry scored an NBA-season-high 50 points and had 10 assists in the Warriors' 127-113 win over the Atlanta Hawks last night. It was the 10th 50-point game of Curry's career. At 33, he now has four 50-point games at age 32 or older, second most in NBA history behind Michael Jordan, and also passed Wilt Chamberlain as the oldest player in NBA history to post a 50-10 game, after Chamberlain did it at age 31.

🏀EMBIID MISSES 76ERS GAME IN COVID PROTOCOL: Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid missed last night's 103-96 loss to the New York Knicks because he entered the health and safety protocols. ESPN reported that he'd tested positive for Covid-19. Neither the team nor head coach Doc Rivers would confirm Embiid tested positive, but Rivers said before the game, "It’s not going great. He’s struggling with it." He's the fourth player on the 76ers in the protocols, joining Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle and Isaiah Joe.

🏒OVECHKIN TIES HILL IN FOURTH IN ALL-TIME GOALS: The Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin scored his 741st career goal last night to tie Brett Hull for fourth on the NHL’s all-time list. The 36-year-old's 11th goal of the season came in the Capitals' 5-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres.

🏈SEAHAWKS QB WILSON CLEARED TO RETURN AFTER FINGER SURGERY: Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was cleared to return yesterday after having surgery on the middle finger of his throwing hand a month earlier on October 8th. He injured the finger in Week 5 when his hand hit the arm of a L.A. Rams player. Wilson was on the practice field Monday, and should be back at quarterback against the Green Bay Packers Sunday.


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