Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Wake-Up Call: Death Toll At 88

Wall Street Journal 12/14/21

MANY WITHOUT HEAT, WATER, POWER FOR WEEKS: The death toll from the tornadoes that ripped through the Midwest and parts of the South on Friday night is now at least 88, with 74 of the victims in Kentucky and the rest in four other states: Arkansas (2), Illinois (6), Tennessee (4) and Missouri (2). Some survivors are facing a tough time ahead, with officials in Kentucky, by far the hardest hit state, warning Monday that residents of some counties could be without heat, water or electricity for weeks or longer.


There were 26,000 homes and businesses without power in the state and more than 10,000 homes and businesses without water. Governor Andy Beshear said it could take days to get the full death toll, with door-to-door searches impossible in some places. President Biden will travel to Kentucky Wednesday to survey the damage, and meet with local officials and residents.


Daily Mail Screenshot 12/14/21



🌪FAMILY PHOTO OWNERS FOUND AFTER TORNADO BLEW IT 130 MILES AWAY: The story of a recovered family photo is a bright spot in the tragedy caused by the tornados that roared through the Midwest and parts of the South Friday night. The huge tornado that hit Kentucky blew the photo some 130 miles away, where it landed on the car of an Indiana woman named Katie Posten. The New Albany resident told AccuWeather reporter Bill Wadell, "It almost looked like someone left a note on my car, and then I peeled it off and realized, 'Oh, this is a picture from a family.'" She added, "I mean instantly, it was like this has to be from a home that was hit last night." The photo was a black-and-white picture of a woman holding her son in her lap and was dated "1942." Posten shared the photo on her social media and tracked down who it belonged to in less than three hours. Cole Swatzell commented on Posten’s post, saying the photo belonged to members of his family who lived in the Kentucky town of Dawson Springs. Posten plans to deliver the photo personally.

➤BIDEN SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER TO CUT GOVERNMENT RED TAPE FOR PUBLIC: President Biden signed an executive order Monday designed to rebuild the public’s trust in government by cutting red tape, making it easier to do things like renew passports, apply for Social Security benefits and get assistance after natural disasters. The goal is to implement most of the order's changes across 17 federal agencies in the next year. In a few examples, Americans will be able to renew their passports online, taxpayers will be able to schedule callbacks with the IRS instead of waiting on hold or having to send letters or faxes to deal with issues, and Social Security benefits will be able to be claimed online more easily.

 
➤CHAUVIN SEEMS SET TO PLEAD GUILTY TO VIOLATING GEORGE FLOYD'S CIVIL RIGHTS, AVOIDING FEDERAL TRIAL: Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin appears to be set to plead guilty to violating George Floyd’s civil rights, which would avoid a federal trial. AP reports that a notice sent out Monday by the court’s electronic filing system shows a hearing is scheduled for Wednesday for Chauvin to change his not guilty plea. Chauvin, who was convicted of state murder and manslaughter and sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison, could get a significantly higher sentence by pleading guilty to the violation of civil rights, however he could also potentially reduce his federal sentence by pleading guilty, according to AP.

🚀ELON MUSK NAMED TIME MAGAZINE’S PERSON OF THE YEAR: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has added another notch to his belt. On Monday, TIME Magazine revealed they chose Musk as their Person of the Year.

TIME’s Editor-in-Chief, Edward Felsenthal, explained the decision, writing, “Person of the Year is a marker of influence, and few individuals have had more influence than Musk on life on Earth, and potentially life off Earth too. In 2021, Musk emerged not just as the world’s richest person but also as perhaps the richest example of a massive shift in our society.”

Many Twitter users were critical of the decision. One person commented, “For what exactly? Someone tell me what this guy did besides step on other people so he can climb higher.”

Another wrote, “Wow, what a contribution to the world. Sending rich people into space for 10 minutes.”

Trying to rationalize the choice, another user responded, “People forget that ‘Person of the Year’ just measures influence. It doesn’t have to be a POSITIVE influence.”

📺DR. OZ SHOW ENDS AS HIS DAUGHTER’S COOKING SHOW PREMIERES: After 13 seasons, The Dr. Oz Show will officially end on January 14th, right before his daughter’s new show airs. According to TMZ, The Good Dish will premiere on January 17th, hosted by Daphne Oz, Gail Simmons, and Jamika Pessoa. Oz announced last month that he was entering the Republican primary in Pennsylvania. He will be running for a seat in the senate.

➤DR. OZ UNHAPPY PHILLY NEWSPAPER USING FULL NAME: Dr. Oz, who recently announced his candidacy as a Republican for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, is upset that the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper is using his full name to refer to him, Mehmet Oz, instead of "Dr. Oz," which is how he was known on his TV show, which is now ending. Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon, charged during a Fox News interview yesterday (December 13th) that the Inquirer is trying to silence him. He said, "Everyone knows I'm Dr. Oz, but they don't think it's the right thing to do. They think it gives me an unfair advantage." However, the practice is standard in newsrooms that follow the Associated Press Stylebook, and the Inquirer also doesn't use the "Dr." title for two other physician candidates in the Senate race.

➤CONSUMERS FINDING HOLIDAY SHOPPING IS DIFFERENT THIS YEAR: As you've been doing your holiday shopping, have you not been finding the kind of sales you usually see this time of year, particularly in the years since the Great Recession? If so, you're not alone. The Washington Post reports that there's fewer of the holiday discounts shoppers have to come to expect, and the discounts that there are aren't as deep, due to rising costs and this year's supply chain challenges. On top of that, when it comes to buying online, the Post saying companies are using more personalized pricing strategies based on someone's buying history. Some shoppers are passing up impulse purchases and non-necessities because the big discounts aren't there, being more deliberate about what they buy. One shopper told the Post, "The deals are just horrible. I'm looking at these discounts, thinking: That's it? Never mind."

💰FBI ISSUES WARNING AGAINST CHRISTMAS SCAMS:  Crime isn’t very Christmas-y. The FBI recently issued a press release detailing ways consumers can protect themselves from seasonal shopping scams. Two of the most common scams are non-delivery scams and non-payment scams. The first involves a transaction where a buyer sends the seller money but never receives the item. The second is when the seller ships out the item, but the buyer never sends the payment (or provides a fraudulent payment). In both cases, consumers can avoid falling prey to these scams by using trustworthy sites and avoiding unrealistic discounts or offers. The FBI also recommends regularly checking bank and credit card statements, so you can deal with any fraudulent charges, should they spring up. In addition, the FBI says when it comes to making purchases, credit cards offer the most protection, and add that you shouldn’t buy anything from a seller that demands cryptocurrency or wire transfers. And perhaps the most important piece of advice—be sure to secure your financial accounts with strong passwords.

➤TIKTOKERS GOING VIRAL WITH ‘QUITTOK’ VIDEOS ABOUT QUITTING THEIR JOBS: The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in September that at last 4.4 million people quit their job in the preceding months. And as “The Great Resignation” continues, TikTokers have been creating content known as “QuitTocks” that show people preparing for and handing in their resignation as it happens, or recounting the story retroactively. Many of these posts include the hashtags #quitmyjob, and #iquitmyjob. Some of these posts have received millions of views. On Twitter, multiple tweets have gone viral as people quit their jobs to follow a new career, improve mental health, travel, or start their own business. Similarly, Reddit has a subreddit called r/antiwork, that has over a million members, and has become a hub for people to talk about leaving their jobs.

🏈RAMS DEFEAT CARDINALS 30-23 IN 'MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL': The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Arizona Cardinals 30-23 in Monday Night Football last night on the road in Arizona. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns, and defensive tackle Aaron Donald had three of four sacks of Kyler Murray. Cardinals QB Murray also threw two interceptions that led to Rams touchdowns.
 
💸USA GYMNASTICS, U.S. OLYMPIC COMMITTEE REACH $380 MILLION SETTLEMENT WITH NASSAR VICTIMS: A federal court yesterday (December 13th) approved a $380 million settlement reached by USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee with more than 500 sexual abuse victims of former national gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar and others. More than 300 victims were abused by Nassar, and the others were abused by people otherwise affiliated with USA Gymnastics in some capacity. Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison in 2018 for his crimes, which were carried out under the guise of medical treatment.

🏀WARRIORS' CURRY TWO THREE-POINTERS AWAY FROM BREAKING RECORD: Golden State's Stephen Curry made five three-point shots in the Warriors' 102-100 win over the Indiana Pacers last night (December 13th), and is now just two three-pointers away from breaking Hall of Famer Ray Allen's all-time record. That could happen tonight at New York City's Madison Square Garden in the Warriors' game against the New York Knicks. Curry has 2,972 career three-pointers, and Allen's record is 2,973.

🏈NFL REQUIRING COACHES, TEAM PERSONALL TO GET COVID VACCINE BOOSTER: The NFL is now requiring coaches, front-office staff and team personnel to get a Covid-19 vaccine booster shot by December 27th, AP reported yesterday, citing a memo sent to teams that it obtained. The mandate doesn't apply to players, as talks with the players union are ongoing. The memo said, "Given the increased prevalence of the virus in our communities, our experts have recommended that we implement the CDC’s recommendation." The CDC recommends that someone who had a second Pfizer or Moderna shot more than six months earlier get a booster, as should someone who had the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot more than two months earlier.

🏈REPORT: LAS VEGAS WILL HOST SUPER BOWL IN 2024: Sin City will be the venue for the Super Bowl two seasons from now, with the Las Vegas Review-Journal reporting that Las Vegas will be the host city for Super Bowl LVIII in February 2024. An announcement is expected at the NFL owners meetings on Wednesday. Super Bowl LVIII was originally supposed to be held in New Orleans, but the NFL adding another game to the schedule created a conflict with Mardi Gras. New Orleans will now host the Super Bowl the following year, in February 2025.



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