Thursday, January 19, 2023

Wake-Up Call: Biden To Visit Storm Ravaged Cali


President Joe Biden is set to tour damage and be briefed on recovery efforts after devastating storms hit California in recent weeks, killing at least 20 people and causing destruction across 41 of the state’s 58 counties. The president, accompanied by FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state and local officials, will visit Thursday the storm-damaged Capitola Pier in Santa Cruz County, where he will meet with business owners and affected residents. Biden will also meet with first responders and deliver remarks on supporting the state’s recovery at nearby Seacliff State Park. “Over 500 FEMA and other federal personnel have already deployed to California to support response and recovery operations and are working side by side with the state to ensure all needs are indeed met on the ground,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday.

➤CHINA STRUGGLES WITH COVID FIGHT: Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for greater efforts to fight Covid in a pre-holiday video call with people in rural areas, breaking with precedent by holding the event virtually instead of making an in-person visit.  Xi said the current outbreak has been “fierce” and China still faced tough tasks, state broadcaster China Central Television reported late Wednesday. The country’s Covid fight required perseverance as “dawn is just ahead,” he said. The president said he was especially worried about epidemic control in rural areas. Xi called on local authorities in the countryside to improve medical care and protect people’s health to the greatest extent possible.

➤CONSERVATIVE WING GAINS POWER IN HOUSE: Some of former President Donald Trump’s most deeply committed allies have gained power in the House of Representatives. They’ve been named to high-profile committees, notably the Oversight and Accountability Committee, the main investigative arm of the House. The committee’s new members include Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Paul Gosar of Arizona, Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania.

➤POLL SHOWS TRUMP BEATING DeSANTIS: Former President Trump holds at 17-point lead over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in a hypothetical GOP primary match-up, according to a new poll. A Morning Consult poll released Wednesday showed Trump with 48 percent support among potential Republican primary voters, followed by DeSantis with 31 percent. Trump’s front-runner position differs from some polls since the November midterm elections, which have shown DeSantis closing the gap with Trump or taking a lead in some cases.

➤FLORIDA GOVERNOR SEEKS TO BAN COVID MANDATES: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has asked the state legislature to make permanent penalties he has imposed on companies that require their employees to get the Covid-19 vaccination. If the ban is extended, Florida will be the only state to threaten businesses with fines if they require their employees to get inoculated. DeSantis also wants a permanent ban on mask requirements in schools and government offices.


➤CRYPTO EXCHANGE BOSS CHARGED WITH MONEY-LAUNDERING: A Russian citizen who ran a Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchange has been arrested in Miami for operating what federal prosecutors say was essentially a money-laundering scheme. Anatoly Legkodymov ran Bitzlato, which authorities say laundered at least $700 million in criminal profits by evading U.S. regulations. European investigators arrested five others in several cities.


➤OOPS! BANK OF AMERICA LOSES SIGHT OF CUSTOMERS’ MONEY: Some Bank of America customers temporarily lost money in their accounts yesterday, apparently due to a technical glitch in electronic payments sent through Zelle, a payment platform used by millions to send and receive money. The problem appeared to be at the Bank of America end, and it was resolved by 3 p.m. ET yesterday.

➤NEW ZEALAND PM RESIGNS: Jacinda Ardern has choked back tears as she announced her resignation as New Zealand Prime Minister in an emotional press conference. Her resignation comes into effect on Sunday if the Labour Party can elect her replacement, or on February 7 if the process was drawn out. Ms Ardern said she hoped to find the energy and heart during the Christmas break to stay in the job, 'but I have not been able to do that'. She resigns at just 42 after becoming leader just over five years ago on October 26, 2017. She was New Zealand's youngest-ever PM, and before that youngest sitting MP in 2008, elected aged 28.

Scrooge McDuck
➤HERE'S WHY DISNEY PRICES ARE SO HIGH FOR TOURISTS: Disney’s former communications chief — who was partly responsible for the company’s botched response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation — amassed a gargantuan payday from his brief stint in Hollywood. Geoff Morrell, who was hired as chief corporate affairs officer last January, worked for a three-month period that spanned 70 weekdays during which he reeled in $8,365,403 in total compensation, or roughly $119,505 a day, according to Disney’s securities filing Tuesday. When payouts associated with his termination agreement are calculated, that per-day figure increases to $176,746. Disney also shelled out roughly half a million dollars to move Morrell’s family to Los Angeles from London and then another half-million dollars for them to move away when he lost the job. After he left the Mouse House, Disney bought the $4.5 million Southern California home that Morrell had purchased, Disney said.

➤JUDD SUICIDE NOTE RELEASED: Naomi Judd left a suicide note describing her daughter and singing partner Wynonna as mentally ill, and banning her from the funeral before killing herself at her Tennessee home. Wynnona did attend the funeral and believes the note was written when her mother was not in her right mind. The Judd family - daughters Wynonna, 58, and actress and activist Ashley, 54, plus her gospel singer husband Larry Strickland - tried through courts to prevent the police report being made public, but dropped the case in December. 

NY Post composite 1/19/23

➤HUBBY CHARGED IN DEATH OF REAL ESTATE MANAGER: Ana Walshe, 39, the Massachusetts real estate manager and mom-of-three who vanished on New Year's Day is revealed to have accumulated a $2.8 million property empire at the time of her disappearance. It comes as her husband, Brian Walshe, 47, who is charged with the murder of his wife, was discovered to have Googled 'how long for someone to be missing to inherit' - which made part of an extensive and disturbing list of searches revealed this week. Despite the litany of evidence being presented against the 47-year-old, Brian has pleaded not guilty to the accusation that he murdered his wife in the basement of their home in Cohasset, Massachusetts, on January 1, before discarding her body in a dumpster.

➤MAN ARRESTED FOR GRABBING BARISTAS: The nine-second security video taken at 5.06 a.m. Monday showed the scary scene at the drive-thru Beankini Espresso in Auburn, Washington - a female-owned coffee stand whose baristas serve in lingerie and bikinis. The video shows the suspect attempting to drag the unnamed barista out of the window using a looped, zip-tie-like device. The victim was able to fight off the attacker, who drives off after failing to rope in the woman. Desperate to find the man, police in the Seattle suburb shared footage of the brief encounter in hopes a citizen could identify him. Less than 14 hours, a suspect, identified Wednesday as Matthew Darnell, was arrested at his home in Auburn on attempted kidnapping charges. Pictured during a court appearance, Darnell sports the same distinctive 'Chevrolet' tattoo as the would be abductor in the now widely seen footage.

➤DECEMBER NOT A GOOD MONTH FOR RETAIL: Retail spending fell in December at the sharpest pace of 2022, marking a dismal end to the holiday shopping season as rising interest rates, still-high inflation and concerns about a slowing economy pinched American consumers.  Purchases at stores, restaurants and online, declined a seasonally adjusted 1.1% in December from the prior month, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. Sales were also revised lower in November and have fallen three of the past four months. The department seasonally adjusts monthly data to make it comparable over time. On an unadjusted basis, December is typically the peak sales month for the year.

➤FLO-RIDA AWARDED $82.6M: Hip-hop artist Flo Rida was awarded $82.6 million on Wednesday after a South Florida jury found that the makers of Celsius energy drinks breached a contract with the rapper and singer, and tried to hide money from him. Flo Rida, whose real name is Tramar Dillard, and his production company, Strong Arm Productions, had sued Boca Raton-based Celsius Holdings Inc. in Broward County court in May 2021, claiming that the company had violated the conditions of an endorsement deal. "Basically, I helped birth this company, and all we was looking for was some trustworthy people who acted as if they were family," Dillard told The Associated Press. "And then when it comes down to the success of today, they just forgot about me." Lawyers for Celsius argued in court and in previous filings that the company reached its greatest success after the Flo Rida endorsement deal ended — and that other business decisions led to increased sales and stock value. Celsius could still appeal the verdict, but it wasn't immediately clear if it would. 


🎾RAFAEL NADAL FALLS TO AMERICAN NEWCOMER: Rafael Nadal, the defending champion and number one seed, lost to American Mackenzie McDonald in Day 3 of the Australian Open. Nadal appeared to be hobbling from a hip injury near the end of the second set. McDonald, who has never cracked the top 40 in the ATP rankings, beat Nadal 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in just two hours and 32 minutes.

🎾GAUFF CONTINUES WINNING STREAK: Coco Gauff defeated Emma Raducanu 6-3, 7-6, in the second round at the Australian Open. Gauff is now undefeated in seven matches this year. She won the ASB Classic in Auckland earlier in the month.

🏈COWBOYS SIGN A NEW KICKER: The Dallas Cowboys are signing kicker Tristan Vizcaino to their practice squad, the Dallas News reported. This has led to speculation that the Cowboys may want somebody besides Brett Maher around to kick the ball after the bizarro Cowboys vs. Tampa Bay Wildcard Playoffs game. Dallas won 31-14 but Maher entered the record books as the first kicker since 1931 to miss four extra points in any game.

✞CELTICS’ CHAMP CHRIS FORD DIES AT AGE 74: Chris Ford, who won championships with the Boston Celtics as a player and as a coach, died yesterday at the age of 74, his family announced. Ford played for Villanova at the 1971 NCAA Championship game before being selected by the Detroit Pistons. He was with the Celtics when they won the 1981 title in Boston. He later coached for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Clippers as well as the Celtics.



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