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Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Wake-Up Call: U-S - Russia Duke It Out At United Nations


The U.N. Security Council held a contentious meeting yesterday over Russia's massing of more than 100,000 troops along the border with Ukraine, raising concerns that an invasion could be imminent, however the body did not take any action. The U.S. and Russia traded accusations during the session, with Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accusing the West of, quote, "whipping up tensions" and the U.S. of having brought what he called "pure Nazis" to power in Ukraine. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield fired back that Russia is, quote, "attempting, without any factual basis, to paint Ukraine and Western countries as the aggressors to fabricate a pretext for attack." President Biden in a statement called the Security Council meeting "a critical step in rallying the world to speak out in one voice" against the use of force and to seek military de-escalation of the situation.

➤FEDERAL PRISONS ON LOCKDOWN AFTER TWO INMATES KILLED IN TEXAS: A nationwide lockdown was put in place for the entire federal prison system yesterday after two inmates were killed and two others injured at a federal penitentiary in Beaumont, Texas, in a gang fight. The incident near midday involved members of the MS-13 street gang, the Associated Press reported, citing two unnamed sources described as being familiar with the matter. The nationwide lockdown, which is a relatively rare action, was instituted due to concerns about potential retaliation and that violence could spread to other federal prisons.

Travis Reinking
➤DEFENSE FOR MAN WHO KILLED FOUR AT WAFFLE HOUSE SAYS HE BELIEVED GOD COMMANDED HIM: Defense attorneys for a 32-year-old man who shot and killed four people at a Nashville Waffle House in April 2018 said Monday that he believed the restaurant's customers and employees were government agents God had commanded him kill. Travis Reinking was naked except for a jacket when he opened fire at the Waffle House and then ran off after a customer wrestled the assault-style rifle away from him. He was caught after a two-day manhunt. The defense further said in opening statements at Reinking's trial that he had severe schizophrenia that had grown worse over several years, and that he'd suffered from "delusions, paranoid thinking and auditory illusions." Reinking has pled not guilty by reason of insanity to the first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.

➤SIX HISTORY BLACK COLLEGES/UNIVERSITIES RECEIVE BOMB THREATS: Six historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) had to lock down their campuses and cancel classes after they received a series of bomb threats yesterday morning. It was the second time in January that multiple HBCUs across the country were targeted by bomb threats. The schools that received threats yesterday were: Howard University in Washington, D.C; Albany State University in Georgia; Bethune–Cookman University in Florida; Bowie State University in Maryland; Southern University and A&M College in Louisiana; and Delaware State University. No suspicious items were found on their campuses. Officials haven't said whether the bomb threats are linked, but the FBI has joined local agencies in the investigation.

➤GEORGIA D-A ASKS FBI FOR SECURITY ASSISTANCE AFTER TRUMP RALLY COMMENTS: Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis, who's investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and others broke the law by trying to pressure Georgia officials to overturn Joe Biden's presidential election victory in the state, has asked the FBI for security assistance after Trump blasted prosecutors investigating him at a rally in Texas Saturday night. Willis wrote to the FBI office in Atlanta asking for a risk assessment of the county office, which is where her office is, and government center, and also asked for resources including "intelligence and federal agents." Willis said they had already taken steps to enhance security, but that concerns were, quote, "escalated," after Trump lashed out Saturday at the prosecutors investigating him in New York, Georgia and Washington, saying, "If these radical, vicious, racist prosecutors do anything wrong or illegal, I hope we are going to have in this country the biggest protest we have ever had in Washington, D.C, in New York, in Atlanta and elsewhere, because our country and our elections are corrupt."




➤WHOOPI GOLDBERG CAUSES UPROAR FOR SAYING THE HOLOCAUST WAS ‘NOT ABOUT RACE’: The View took an unexpected turn on Monday when co-host Whoopi Goldberg said the Holocaust was “not about race.”

During a segment in which they covered a Tennessee school district’s decision to ban the Pulitzer-Prize-winning graphic novel Maus, about a Holocaust survivor, Goldberg commented, “The Holocaust isn’t about race. No, it’s not about race. It’s about man’s inhumanity to man.”

Co-host Ana Navarro quickly responded, “Well, it’s about white supremacy. That’s what it’s about. It’s about going after Jews and Gypsies.”

Goldberg replied, “But these are two groups of white people. You’re missing the point. The minute you turn it into race, it goes down this alley. Let’s talk about it for what it is. It’s how people treat each other. It’s a problem. It doesn’t matter if you’re black or white because black, white, Jews, Italians, everybody eats each other.”

The co-hosts continued to argue, at times talking over one another. Goldberg abruptly ended the conversation by turning to the camera and saying it was time for a commercial break.

Many people took to Twitter to criticize Goldberg’s remarks. The group StopAntisemitism posted a clip from the show along with the caption, “Newsflash @WhoopiGoldberg 6 million of us were gassed, starved and massacred because we were deemed an inferior race by the Nazis. How dare you minimize our trauma and suffering!”

Goldberg issued an apology on Monday night (January 31st), tweeting, in part, “On today’s show, I said the Holocaust ‘is not about race, but about man’s inhumanity to man.’ I should have said it is about both. . . . I’m sorry for the hurt I have caused.”

🏠HOUSEWORK OR SLEEP? STUDY SAYS IT DEPENDS ON WHEN YOU WERE BORN:  What you do in a day may have a lot to do with when you were born. A new study released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics finds that Generation X women are more likely to do housework, take care of children, read for pleasure, and do lawn work, while Millennial women are more inclined to exercise, spend leisure time on computers, take care of their pets, and sleep. 

The data also shows that both generations spent the same amount of time working, and men worked longer hours than women because women were more likely to work part time. The two generations spent about the same amount of time on leisure and sports activities, but Gen Xers were more likely than millennials to have children and own homes. Though both generations watched TV for their top leisure activity, millennial men spent 18 minutes less a day watching TV compared to their Gen X counterparts. 

On an average day, more millennials were found to be participating in sports, recreation, and exercise than their Gen X peers. Gen Xers also had to spend more time going to brick-and-mortar stores to pick up items, while Millennials can do a lot more things online, including shopping and banking. Millennials are also more likely to delay having children than Gen Xers, and were also found to be more likely to have advanced degrees and less likely to be married. In addition, the younger generation sleeps more, and this could be due to a generational shift—where as sleeping may have once been viewed as lazy, it is now seen as a good health practice.

➤STUDY..COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO USED SOCIAL MEDIA ‘EXCESSIVELY’ MADE MORE TRIPS TO THE DOCTOR:  Too much of anything isn’t good. A new study reveals that college students who use social media “excessively” made more trips to the doctor and showed higher levels of a protein that can be a warning sign for cancers and cardiovascular disease. People in the study who used social media more also reported more headaches, as well as increased chest and back pains. Lead study author Dr. David Lee says researchers expected to see some negative association between social media use and health, as excessive use has been linked to stress and poorer sleep. It can also displace healthier activities, such as spending time with friends and family or exercising. Still, he notes that this doesn’t mean all social media is bad, noting, “For instance, people who use social media to actively connect with others tend to benefit from using it; people who use it passively just to browse do not.”

➤CINCY PUBLIC SCHOOL, STAFFER GIVEN DAY-OFF AFTER SUPER BOWL: Cincinnati Public Schools has given a gift to its students and staffers as the Cincinnati Bengals are headed to the Super Bowl for the first time in more than three decades, announcing Monday (January 31st) that it had amended the calendar to make Monday, February 14th, the day after the Super Bowl, a day off. So kids will be able to stay up late without worrying about having to get up for school, and staffers won't have to drag themselves into work after a night spent either celebrating a win or drowning their sorrows after a loss to the L.A. Rams. A letter sent to parents by the city's largest school district cited "celebrating" the Bengals' first Super Bowl win as the reason the change was made, but whether it will be a celebration or not remains to be seen. In the two previous times Cincinnati reached the Super Bowl, in 1982 and 1989, it lost both times.

🏈OFFICIAL TOM BRADY RETIRES:  UPDATE 10:15 AM:  After a remarkable NFL career, Tom Brady announced his retirement on Instagram on Tuesday morning, saying he’s not going to “make that competitive commitment anymore.”

“I have always believed the sport of football is an ‘all-in’ proposition,” the quarterback wrote. “If 100 percent competitive commitment isn’t there, you won’t succeed. And success is what I love so much about our game.

“There is a physical, mental and emotional challenge EVERY single day that has allowed me to maximize my highest potential. And I have tried my very best these past 22 years. There’s no shortcuts to success on the field or in life.

“This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore. I have loved my NFL career, and now it’s time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention.”

Earlier Posting:

Tampa Bay Times 2/1/22
🏈BRADY EVALUATING RETIREMENT DECISION: Tom Brady said last night (January 31st) that he's continuing to work through the decision of whether or not he's going to retire, saying on his SiriusXM podcast, "I'm just still going through the process that I said I was going through. Sometimes it takes some time to really evaluate how you feel, what you want to do, and I think when the time is right, I’ll be ready to make a decision, one way or the other, just like I said last week." Brady's remarks came after ESPN and the NFL Network reported Saturday that the 44-year-old will retire, and his health and wellness company, TB12sports, posted a tweet saying the same. However, TB12sports quickly deleted the tweet, and Brady's agent, Don Yee, said in a statement, "Without getting into the accuracy or inaccuracy of what's being reported, Tom will be the only person to express his plans with complete accuracy." Brady's father also denied the reports, saying his son hadn't yet made a decision.

🏈RAMS' TIGHT END HIGBEE SUPER BOWL STATUS IN QUESTION WITH MCL SPRAIN: The status of the Los Angeles Rams' top tight end, Tyler Higbee, is in question for the Super Bowl after he suffered an MCL sprain during Sunday's NFC Championship game, head coach Sean McVay said Monday. Higbee left the NFC title game against the San Francisco 49ers in the first half Sunday, with the Rams saying he had a knee injury, and he didn't return. McVay said, "We're going to do everything in our power to try to get this guy back and ready to go."


🏀CURRY SCORES 21 OF 40 POINTS IN FOURTH QUARTER AS WARRIORS TOP ROCKETS 122-108: Golden State's Stephen Curry turned things up late in the Warriors' 122-108 win over the Houston Rockets last night, scoring 21 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter, the highest of his career. Curry, who broke out of a shooting slump, had seven three-pointers overall, four of them in the fourth quarter. It was the sixth straight win for Golden State, and Houston's 11th straight home loss.

🏒MATTHEWS GETS HAT TRICK IN TORONTO'S 6-4 WIN OVER DEVILS: Toronto's Auston Matthews scored a hat trick, the fifth of his career, in the Maple Leafs' 6-4 win over the New Jersey Devils last night at home. Toronto rallied to get the win, scoring four times in the third period. The other Maple Leaf players with goals were Mitch Marner, Ilya Mikheyev, and Jason Spezza.

🏈RAIDERS INTRODUCE MCDANIELS AS NEW HEAD COACH: The Las Vegas Raiders made it official on Monday, introducing Josh McDaniels as their new head coach. This is the second stint as a head coach for McDaniels, after leading the Denver Broncos in the 2009 and '10 seasons, fired after the third week in his second season. He said yesterday of that experience, "I didn't really know people and how important that aspect of this process and maintaining the culture and building the team was. I failed, and I didn't succeed at it. Looking at that experience has been one of the best things in my life in terms of my overall growth as a person, as a coach." McDaniels had been with the New England Patriots as an offensive coordinator since 2012.

🗲U.S. LIGHTNING FLASH CONFIRMED AS RECORD HOLDER FOR LONGEST: A lightning bolt that stretched over three states in April 2020 has been confirmed as the new record holder for longest flash, the World Meteorological Organization said yesterday. The single flash extended 477.2 miles across Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, beating the old record of 440.6 miles set in Brazil in 2018. Arizona State University's Randall Cerveny, the chief of records confirmation for the organization, explained that lightning normally doesn't stretch father than 10 miles and lasts less than a second, calling the new and old record-holders "absolutely extraordinary."




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