Monday, August 1, 2022

Wake-Up Call: Eastern Kentucky Braces For More Rain


Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear urged residents of the flood-stricken parts of the state to seek higher ground as more thunderstorms and more flash flooding hit over the weekend. At least 26 deaths in five counties had been confirmed yesterday. President Joe Biden issued a disaster declaration on Friday, opening the door to federal assistance.


🔥CALIFORNIA HIT BY WORST FOREST FIRE OF THE SEASON: More than 51,000 acres of forest are on fire in northern California as firefighters continue to fight the worst wildfire of the season so far. The McKinney fire was out of control yesterday in Klamath National Forest, just south of the Oregon state border. Residents of about 500 homes near the park were ordered to evacuate the area yesterday.


➤BIDEN BACK IN QUARANTINE: President Joe Biden was back in isolation over the weekend after testing positive for a rebound case of COVID-19. White House physician Kevin O’Connor said in a statement Sunday that the president has no symptoms of the illness and will continue to work from the White House.

🤑FOOD INFLATION INCREASED 12.2% IN JUNE:  In June 2022, grocery store and supermarket food purchases rose 12.2%. Multiple factors are to blame: the war in Ukraine; labor market shortages; natural disasters; and avian flu to list a few. Unfortunately, price increases may cause American families to cut back on healthier foods, which tend to be more expensive, and opt for lower-quality dishes. The price of rice increased by 11.9%, bread by 10.8%, and poultry by a staggering 17.3%.


➤WORKERS ARE GETTING PAY RAISES BY SWITCHING JOBS: New analysis from the Pew Research Center suggests changing jobs is a good way to get a pay boost. 60% of workers who switched jobs between April 2021 and March 2022 saw their earnings increase by almost 10%. Loyalty doesn't seem to pay. Only 47% of those who stuck with their jobs saw a pay increase. When you take inflation into account, 1.7% actually experienced a drop in income.

💸SOMEBODY JUST GOT VERY RICH: A giant Mega Millions jackpot has been won by a single winner who bought the ticket at the Speedy Café Speedway gas station in Des Plaines, Illinois. The winner of the $1.337 jackpot, from Friday’s drawing, has not yet stepped forward. Tomorrow’s Mega Millions jackpot is a puny $20 million.

🔐STORES ARE LOCKING UP THE TOOTHPASTE: Shoplifting has always been a problem for retailers, but it’s now getting so bad that stores are locking up anything small and portable, including toothpaste, deodorant, and candy. According to CNN Business, this is not ordinary petty theft. It seems that organized gangs are raiding stores of anything they can pocket to sell over the internet.

➤BANANA BOAT RECALL: The company that makes Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 has voluntarily recalled some batches of the product after finding trace levels of benzene, a carcinogen, in samples. The recalled batches have expiration dates of December 2022, February 2023 and April 2024. The recall is only for the spray-on sunscreen, not other Banana Boat products.

➤‘DC LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS’ TOPS THE DOMESTIC BOX OFFICE: DC League of Super-Pets took the number one spot at the domestic box office over the weekend, bringing in $23 million. Deadline reports that despite the “summer slowdown,” the original animated film did well. In comparison, The Bad Guys brought in $23.95 million during its opening weekend earlier this year.

Box Office Numbers from Friday through Sunday:

1. DC League of Super-Pets, $23 million
2. Nope, $18.55 million
3. Thor: Love and Thunder, $13.1 million
4. Minions: The Rise of Gru, $10.88 million
5. Top Gun: Maverick, $8.2 million
6. Where the Crawdads Sing, $7.5 million
7. Elvis, $5.8 million
8. The Black Phone, $2.5 million
9. Jurassic World: Dominion, $2.08 million
10. Vengeance, $1.75 million

Pat Carroll
✞PAT CARROLL DIES AT 95: Deadline reports that comedian and actress Pat Carroll died on Saturday (July 30th) in her home on Cape Cod while recovering from pneumonia. She was 95 years old. Carroll appeared on shows such as The Jimmy Durante Show, The Danny Thomas Show, Laverne & Shirley, and ER. She also voiced Ursula in The Little Mermaid, a role she said was one of her favorites. Carroll is survived by her daughters, Kerry Karsian and Tara Karsian, and her granddaughter, Evan Karsian-McCormick.

Nichelle Nichols
✞NICHELLE NICHOLS DIES AT 89:  Nichelle Nichols, one of the first Black women to play a major role on primetime television, died on Saturday at the age of 89. Nichols was most known for her work on Star Trek: The Original Series as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, a role that Martin Luther King Jr. referred to as "the first non-stereotypical role portrayed by a Black woman in television history."

Nichols’ son, Kyle Johnson, released a statement to her official website Sunday (July 31st). "Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration," he wrote. “Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all."

The trailblazing actress portrayed one of the first interracial kisses on US television with her Star Trek costar William Shatner. Many stars took to social media to honor her legacy.


🏀CELTICS LEGEND BILL RUSSELL DIES: Bill Russell, a towering figure in American sports history, has died at the age of 88. Russell led the Boston Celtics to 11 NBA titles and won the NBA’s most valuable player award five times. In 1966, he became the team’s head coach, a first for an African American. Off the court, he was a civil rights activist, marching with Dr. Martin Luther King Junior and defending Muhammed Ali’s stance against the Vietnam War. Bill Russell was awarded the American Medal of Freedom in 2011.


⚾ANGEL SCORES AN IMMACULATE INNING: Los Angeles Angels starter Reid Detmers is on a roll. He turned in an “immaculate inning” in the Angels game against the Texas Rangers yesterday, making him the first pitcher in seven years to achieve a no-hitter and an immaculate inning in the same season, according to ESPN. A pitcher pitches an immaculate inning by striking out all three batters he faces in an inning, using the minimum nine pitches. The Angels won the game 9-7.

⚾RODRIGUEZ NEEDS A FEW DAYS OFF: The Seattle Mariners have placed rookie outfielder Julio Rodriguez on the injured list for a few days. Rodriguez suffered a wrist injury during Saturday’s 5-4 win over the Houston Astros.

➤TYLER REDDICK WINS VERIZON 200: Tyler Reddick won the Verizon 200 in the NASCAR Cup series staged in Indianapolis yesterday. July was a very good month for Reddick. He achieved his first career win early in the month at Road America in Wisconsin.

🏌TONY FINAU COASTS TO PGA VICTORY IN DETROIT: Tony Finau won the Rocket Mortgage Classic yesterday at the Detroit Golf Club, ending with a 5-under 67 for a five-shot victory and a tournament record 26-under 262 total. Three players tied for second place: Taylor Pendrith (72), Patrick Cantlay (66), and Cameron Young (68).

🏈CLEVELAND QB SUSPENDED FOR 6 GAMES:  Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson suspended for six games following sexual misconduct accusations Watson, who was traded in March to the Browns by the Houston Texans and subsequently signed a record-setting contract, has not been charged with a crime and has settled 20 of 24 civil suits filed against him by women who accused him of sexual misconduct. Former U.S. district judge Sue L. Robinson, the disciplinary officer jointly appointed by the league and its players association as part of a revised personal conduct policy, made the ruling, which can be appealed.

🏈DEEBO SAMUEL STAYS WITH THE 49ERS: Wide receiver Deebo Samuel has agreed to an extension of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers, according to the NFL Network. The deal is reportedly worth $73.5 million over three years. The agreement ends months of speculation that Samuel would leave for another team.


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