Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Wake-Up Call: Jan 6 Committee To Focus On Far-Right Extremists


The public hearing of the House committee investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol this afternoon will focus on the actions of far-right extremist groups involved in the attack, such as the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, including whether they coordinated with Trump White House allies for January 6th. The committee is also expected to highlight new testimony from Trump White House counsel Pat Cipollone, who finally sat for an interview last Friday. This is the seventh public hearing and the only one this week, after a prime time hearing expected for Thursday was postponed.


➤CNN: U.S. 'URGENTLY' WORKING ON PLAN TO ALLOW SECOND COVID BOOSTERS FOR ALL ADULTS: Health officials are "urgently" working on a plan to allow second Covid-19 vaccine booster shots for all U.S. adults, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) making it a high priority, CNN reported Monday, citing a senior White House official. Second boosters have been available since late March for adults age 50 and older, and some people with weakened immune systems. The move to expand second booster eligibility comes amid concerns about waning immunity among those who've only had one booster, even as cases are rising due to the BA.5 Omicron subvariant.

➤ADMINISTRATION TELLS HOSPITALS MUST PROVIDE ABORTION IF PREGNANT WOMAN'S LIFE AT RISK: The administration told that nation's hospitals yesterday that they must provide an abortion if a pregnant woman's life is at risk, the directive coming as some states now have strict abortion bans following the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. The Department of Health and Human Services said federal law on emergency treatment guidelines preempt state laws. The guidance said, "If a physician believes that a pregnant patient presenting at an emergency department is experiencing an emergency medical condition . . . and that abortion is the stabilizing treatment necessary to resolve that condition, the physician must provide that treatment." HHS said emergency conditions include "ectopic pregnancy, complications of pregnancy loss, or emergent hypertensive disorders, such as preeclampsia with severe features." AP notes that even states with the toughest abortion bans allow exceptions when a pregnant woman's life is at risk, but the threat of prosecution has created confusion for some doctors.

➤U.S.: RUSSIA TO GET DRONES FROM IRAN FOR UKRAINE WAR: National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday that the U.S. believes Russia will be getting hundreds of drones, including some that are weapons-capable, from Iran for its use in its war in Ukraine. Sullivan said it was unclear whether Iran had already provided any of the drones, but said the U.S. has information indicating Iran is readying to train Russian forces to use them as soon as this month. He portrayed it as proof that Russia's intense bombardments in Ukraine were, quote, "coming at a cost to the sustainment of its own weapons."



➤TWO KILLED, THREE WOUNDED IN STRING OF CALIFORNIA 7-ELEVEN ROBBERIES: Two people were killed and three wounded in a string of early morning robberies at six 7-Eleven stores in southern California Monday that took place over about five hours. Police were looking for the same gunman in at least three of the crimes. Officer Ryan Railsback, a spokesperson for the Riverside Police Department, said, "There's no way it can be a coincidence" that the string of attacks took place on July 11th -- 7/11 -- when the chain celebrates its anniversary. The violence took place in stores in the cities of Ontario, Upland, Riverside, Santa Ana, Brea and La Habra. No-one was hurt In the first robberies in Ontario and Upland. In Riverside, a customer was shot and was in critical condition. In Santa Ana, a man was found killed in the 7-Eleven's parking lot. An employee was shot and killed in the Brea 7-Eleven, and two people were wounded in the La Habra robbery.


🔥FIREFIGHTERS MAKE PROGRESS AGAINST WILDFIRE THREATENING YOSEMITE GIANT SEQUOIAS: Firefighters made progress yesterday (July 11th) in battling a wildfire that threatens the Mariposa Grove of more than 500 giant sequoia trees and the small community of Wawona in Yosemite National Park. The Washburn Fire was 22 percent contained as of last night, after burning some 4.2 square miles. A sprinkler system was set up in the grove to keep the iconic trees moist, and there were no reports of severe damage to any named trees. Mariposa Grove and Yosemite Valley have been protected since 1864.

➤FIRST IMAGE RELEASED FROM NASA'S NEW SPACE TELESCOPE: The first image from NASA's new James Webb Space Telescope was unveiled at the White House Monday with President Biden on hand, showing the farthest we've ever seen in both time and distance. The "deep field" image shows stars and galaxies, and part of the image shows light from not too long after the Big Bang, which was 13.8 billion years ago. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the breathtaking image is only, quote, "one little speck of the universe." The space telescope, which is the world's biggest and most powerful, was launched last December, and is considered the successor to the aging Hubble Space Telescope.
 

➤U.N. REPORT: WORLD POPULATION EXPECTED TO REACH EIGHT BILLION IN NOVEMBER: A new U.N. report released on World Population Day Monday said that the global population is expected to reach eight Billion in mid-November. India is expected to surpass China as the most populous nation in 2023, with India currently having 1.412 billion, just behind China's 1.426 billion. The U.S. population is a distant third globally, at 331 million. The U.N. also predicted that more than half of the world's population increase through 2050 will take place in just eight countries, five of them in Africa: the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Egypt; Ethiopia; India; Nigeria; Pakistan; the Philippines; and Tanzania. Life expectancy rose to 72.8 years in 2019, up some nine years from 1990, and it's expected to rise to 77.2 by 2050.

➤CLEVELAND RANKED MOST STRESSED CITY: WalletHub set out to rank 182 of the most populated U.S. cities by how stressed they are, looking at more than three dozen metrics in four main categories: work stress; financial stress; family stress; and health and safety stress. It determined Cleveland to be the most stressed, including coming in first in the Financial Stress category. Detroit was second, and it came in first in the Health & Safety Stress category. Meanwhile, Fremont, California, was ranked as the least stressed city, coming in last in both the Financial Stress and Health & Safety Stress categories. Just above it it South Burlington, Vermont, which came in last in the Family Stress category.

Most Stressed Cities
1. Cleveland
2. Detroit
3. Gulfport, Mississippi
4. Baltimore
5. Philadelphia
6. Memphis, Tennessee
7. New Orleans
8. Birmingham, Alabama
9. St. Louis
10. Toledo, Ohio

Least Stressed Cities
173. Burlington, Vermont
174. Sioux Falls, South Dakota
175. Bismarck, North Dakota
176. San Jose, California
177. Columbia, Maryland
178. Fargo, North Dakota
179. Overland Park, Kansas
180. Madison, Wisconsin
181. South Burlington, Vermont
182. Fremont, California


➤LAY OFF THE ICE THIS SUMMER, DENTISTS WARN:  Everyone wants a cool drink during a hot day, but dentists warn that while having ice in your drink is not necessarily a bad thing, chewing on ice can lead to a hefty dentist bill. Chewing ice can lead to cracks in tooth enamel, fracture or break parts of the tooth, and damage fillings, crowns, braces, or veneers. If someone cannot stop chewing ice, this may even be a sign of anemia. Kick the habit by letting cubes melt in your mouth or using softer ice alternatives, like blended drinks.

🏌JUSTICE DEPT. INVESTIGATING PGA TOUR'S ACTIONS TOWARD LIV GOLF: The U.S. Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether the PGA Tour has engaged in anti-competitive behavior during its battle with the new Saudi-funded LIV Golf Invitational Series, the Wall Street Journal first reported Monday. ESPN cited player agents who've been contacted by Justice Department officials as saying they are focused on the PGA Tour's actions regarding points for the Official World Golf Ranking, warnings it has given to players who were contemplating joining LIV Golf, and suspensions of players who did join. Commissioner Jay Monahan has indefinitely suspended more than 20 players who competed in LIV Golf's first two events without being granted conflicting-event releases.

⚾ROYALS' MERRIFIELD'S CONSECUTIVE GAME STREAK ENDS AT 553: Kansas City Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield’s consecutive games streak came to an end at 553 Monday when he missed the first game of a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers with a toe injury. The 33-year-old's streak, which is a franchise record, dated back to June 24, 2018, and had been MLB's longest active streak. Cal Ripken Jr. holds the all-time record of playing 2,632 straight games.

🏈STEELERS' HOME TO NO LONGER BE CALLED HEINZ FIELD: The Pittsburgh Steelers home stadium will no longer be called Heinz Field, the only name it's had since opening in 2001. The NFL team announced Monday that the stadium will be called Acrisure Stadium starting this season under a new 15-year deal. Acrisure is a Michigan-based top-10 global insurance broker. Heinz said in a statement, "While we worked diligently with the Steelers for several months around a new naming rights deal, they found a new partner willing to pay significantly more than we could justify. While our name will no longer be on the stadium, Heinz will remain a significant, long-term sponsor of the Steelers[.]"

🏈EX-SEC. OF STATE RICE JOINS BRONCOS' NEW OWNERSHIP GROUP: Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is joining the Denver Broncos' new ownership group, the NFL team announced Monday. An ownership group led by Walmart heir Rob Walton, his daughter, Carrie Walton Penner, and her husband, Greg Penner, agreed in June to buy the Broncos for $4.65 billion. Rice, who's becoming a part-owner, has ties to the Denver area and to sports, having served on the inaugural College Football Playoff Committee. Rice served first as national security adviser and then as secretary of state for former President George W. Bush.

🏐OLYMPIC VOLLEYBALL SILVER MEDALIST GLASS ATTACKED WITH PIPE ON L.A. STREET: Volleyball player Kim Glass, who was part of the U.S. team that won the silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, was attacked by a man with a pipe while she was walking in the street in Los Angeles. Glass shared video on Instagram in which she talks about the attack, showing her with facial injuries including fractures around her right eye and cuts that required stitches. Her right eye was also swollen shut. She said the attack happened Saturday after she'd had lunch with a friend, recounting, "He just looked at me with some pretty hateful eyes. . . . Before I knew it, a big metal bolt, like pipe hit me. It happened so fast. He literally flung it from the street. He was not even close to me at all." Police arrested the man, identified as Semeon Tesfamarian, who's been charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon.




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