Thursday, June 22, 2023

6/22 WAKE-UP CALL: Titan Crew Believed Doomed

The world waits for news as the window of survival for the five passengers onboard the Titan sub is rapidly closing, with the oxygen supply due to run out at 7.08am ET today, the US Coastguard has projected. The announcement has painted a bleak picture for those trapped inside the stranded vessel, but officials have continued to insist that the hunt is '100 per cent' still a search and rescue mission. 

The Titan, a tourist submersible which runs $250,000 tours of the doomed Titanic ship and is operated by OceanGate Expeditions, has been underwater since 8am on Sunday with five people on board. The group, dubbed the Titan Five, includes British billionaire Hamish Harding, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, a French navy veteran and a Pakistani b usinessman and his son. A countdown has begun, with the vital oxygen supply expected to run out at 7.08am US eastern time, a US Coastguard spokeswoman has said.

Professor Jeff Karson at Syracuse University, told DailyMail.com that the sounds could be coming from Titanic wreck debris and proof of life hopes could be 'wishful thinking'. The US Navy detected the noises on Wednesday morning after a Canadian P3 search aircraft had detected sounds coming from underwater on Tuesday night. It has been a glimmer of hope for the multinational effort to find the Titan, which vanished after launching on Sunday with five men on board. But Karson says he won't be 'shocked if that, wherever that sound is, that there's no submarine there.'

The wife of the CEO of OceanGate, who was piloting the missing Titanic tourist submersible, is descended from a wealthy New York couple who drowned on the Titanic. Wendy Rush's husband, Stockton, is among five people inside the sub, which went missing on Sunday during a trip to visit the Titanic wreckage. Wendy's great-great-grandparents Isidor and Ida died in the 1912 disaster. In the 1997 James Cameron film, they were depicted lying on a bed embracing as the icy waters rose around them. The pair had in real life been offered seats on a lifeboat - her as a woman, and him as a well-known former congressman and co-owner of Macy's department store.

➤SCHIFF CENSURED: The Republican-controlled House voted to censure Rep. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.), a longtime antagonist of former President Donald Trump, making him only the third member to suffer such a rebuke since the turn of the century.  The vote was 213 to 209 along party lines, with six Republicans voting present. Democratic lawmakers yelled “Shame! Shame! Shame!” as the vote wrapped up. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) then summoned Schiff to the well of the chamber and was repeatedly interrupted as he read him the censure resolution. “I have all night,” McCarthy said. 

Adam Schiff
The vote came amid a broader push by some House Republicans to punish Democrats and administration officials under “privileged votes” that fast track the measures. After one lawmaker pressed for an impeachment vote against President Biden, McCarthy, who supported the Schiff censure, said such efforts were premature and disruptive.  Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R., Fla.), the freshman sponsor of the Schiff censure resolution, alleged that he improperly used his prior position as House Intelligence Committee chairman to spread falsehoods about Trump regarding ties to Russia and encourage abusive intelligence investigations. In a speech Wednesday, she said Schiff “woke up every morning with one goal, to lie, lie, lie to the American people that there was direct evidence of Russia collusion.” 

➤HUNTER COURT DATE SET: Hunter Biden will make his initial appearance in federal court in Delaware on July 26 after agreeing to plead guilty to two counts of tax evasion and a firearm offense.U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika issued the order Wednesday for Biden, the youngest son of President Joe Biden, to appear in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware. The order comes one day after the Justice Department announced that Biden had reached an agreement to resolve federal tax and gun charges that culminated a five-year criminal investigation.


➤FED EXPECTING MORE RATE HIKES: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday warned that Americans can expect more rate hikes. During testimony before the House Financial Services Committee, Powell warned that getting inflation back down to 2% “has a long way to go” as inflation pressures continue to run high. The Personal Consumption Expenditures price index (PCE) was up 4.4% year-over-year as of April, while core PCE prices were up 4.7%. The comments come one week after the Fed held its key rate steady for the first time since January 2022. At the time, the Fed signaled that two more quarter-point hikes are likely this year. “Given how far we’ve come, it may make sense to move rates higher but to do so at a more moderate pace,” Powell said. “Earlier in the process, speed was very important. It’s not very important now.”

➤AMAZON CALLED ON THE CARPET: The Federal Trade Commission sued Amazon.com on Wednesday, alleging the retail giant worked for years to enroll consumers without consent into Amazon Prime and made it difficult to cancel their subscriptions to the program. The FTC’s complaint, filed in federal court in Seattle, alleged that Amazon has duped millions of consumers into enrolling in Amazon Prime, a $139 annual subscription service with more than 200 million members worldwide that has helped Amazon become an integral part of many American households’ shopping habits. “Amazon tricked and trapped people into recurring subscriptions without their consent, not only frustrating users but also costing them significant money,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said. The complaint, which is partially redacted, is the culmination of an investigation that began in March 2021. The FTC, a federal agency tasked with enforcing antitrust laws and consumer protection laws, seeks monetary civil penalties without providing a dollar amount. An Amazon spokesman dismissed the FTC’s allegations as “false on the facts and the law."

➤FED JUDGE PUTS HOLD ON FL TRANS LAW: A U.S. judge on Wednesday struck down a Florida rule and a statute that banned state Medicaid payments for transgender healthcare, marking the second defeat in two weeks for anti-transgender legislation in the state. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle declared the state's practices invalid, saying they violated the constitutional right to equal protection under the 14th amendment in addition to violating the federal Medicaid statue and the Affordable Care Act's prohibition of sex discrimination. The injunction was expected after Hinkle on June 6 partially blocked Florida from enforcing its recent ban on people under 18 receiving gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy. U.S. district court judges elsewhere have blocked state laws banning gender-affirming care in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana and Oklahoma.

➤LAWMAKER CALLED 'BITCH': The messy feud between two of MAGA world’s biggest stars burst into public view on Wednesday, when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) called Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) a “little bitch” to her face on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The angry exchange came as the two lawmakers have been swiping at each other over their competing resolutions to impeach President Joe Biden. But tensions came to a head on Wednesday after Boebert leveraged a procedural tool to force a vote on her own impeachment resolution within days—undercutting Greene, who had offered her own resolution, but not with the procedural advantages of forcing a vote. Greene apparently cursed out Boebert while the House was voting Wednesday afternoon, as the two spoke in a center aisle of the House floor; part of their interaction was captured on C-SPAN’s cameras.

➤REPUBLICANS SHELVE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT RESOLUTION: Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has persuaded his members to avoid a vote to impeach President Joe Biden, at least for now. Brought by Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado, one of the far-right members of the party, the resolution accuses the president of “unconstitutional dereliction of duty at the southern border” and abuse of power. McCarthy said: “I just think running something on the floor isn’t fair to the American public without making the case and making the argument.” The matter has been referred to two committees for further study.

➤CAPITOL RIOTER WHO STUNNED POLICE OFFICER SENTENCED: A man who fired a stun gun into a police officer’s neck during the January 6th, 2020, riot at the U.S. Capitol has been sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison. Daniel Rodriguez yelled “Trump won!” as he was led out of the courtroom in Washington, D.C. after his sentencing. Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone was dragged onto a terrace outside the Capitol building where he was beaten by the mob and shocked by Rodriguez’ stun gun. Two other men got more than seven years for their involvement in the assault on Fanone.

🏫MIDDLE SCHOOL READING AND MATH SCORES PLUMMET: The math skills of eighth graders in American schools dropped last year by the largest amount in the past 50 years, according to a government report known as the Nation’s Report Card. Only 26 percent of the students were proficient in math, according to the study. Reading scores declined by four points last year compared to scores three years before. Only 31 percent of eighth graders were proficient in reading. The test scores of American students have been declining since 2012. The decline got even steeper during the pandemic and it’s still not leveling off.


⚾MLB Reds 5 Rockies 3: Cincinnati Reds reach 11 straight wins - the team's best run in 66 years - while the Giants also extend their winning streak to 10 games for first time since 2004. Jake Fraley hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the eighth inning and the Cincinnati Reds extended their majors-best winning streak to 11 games - the club's longest in 66 years - by rallying past the Colorado Rockies 5-3 on Wednesday for a three-game sweep. Cincinnati, which trailed 3-0 after four innings, has its longest winning streak since taking 12 straight in 1957. The NL Central-leading Reds (40-35) have swept three straight three-game series and won five consecutive series overall.'It is very inspiring to be around,' manager David Bell said. 'It is happening in the clubhouse. It´s happening on the field, and what´s happening in the ballpark, our fans, it´s seeing them enjoy the game. It means a lot to us.'

⚾MLB Giants 4 Padres 2: Sean Hjelle pitched four shutout innings of relief to help the San Francisco Giants extend their winning streak to 10 games, beating Yu Darvish and the San Diego Padres 4-2 on. Joc Pederson and Mike Yastrzemski added RBI singles, and the Giants turned four double plays to keep their longest win streak since 2004 intact. San Francisco also benefited from an overturned call at home plate in the fifth. Blake Sabol of the Giants appeared to be thrown out sliding into home by a strong throw from Fernando Tatis Jr. on Pederson´s two-out single to right. Sabol was initially ruled out but the call was changed following a lengthy review when umpires cited San Diego catcher Gary Sanchez for blocking the plate. Frustrated Padres manager Bob Melvin came out to argue but was unsuccessful. 

⚾MLB Yankees 4 Mariners 2: Jhonny Brito pitched a career-high 5 2/3 scoreless innings in a return to the major leagues and New York beat Seattle. Fill-ins Jake Bauers and Billy McKinney homered off Luis Castillo (4-6) as the Yankees won a series for the first time since placing Aaron Judge on the injured list. New York is 6-8 with Judge out of the lineup and had not won a series since taking two of three from the Dodgers in Los Angeles 2 1/2 weeks ago. Rookie Anthony Volpe added his 10th homer in the seventh after nearly missing a homer in the third. Brito (4-3) allowed two hits, struck out three, walked one and reached the sixth inning for the first time as a starter. Tommy Kahnle earned his sixth career save.

⚾MLB SCORES:

  • Rays 7 Orioles 2
  • Braves-Phillies PP
  • Blues Jays 6 Marlins 3
  • Cubs 8 Pirates 3
  • Tigers 9 Royals 4
  • D-Backs 5 Brewers 1
  • Astros 10 Mets 8
  • Nationals 3 Cardinals 0
  • Guardians 7 Athletics 6
  • Rangers 6 White Sox 3
  • Dodgers 2 Angels 0
🏈RODGERS ATTENDS PSYCHEDELIC CONFAB: Aaron Rodgers, 39, attended the Psychedelic Science 2023 conference in Denver, on Wednesday, where he opened up on his usage of ayahuasca, a plant-based brewed drink that causes visual hallucinations. 'I've been fortunate enough in the last few years to be able to sit in ceremony with teammates,' said Rodgers, a 2011 Super Bowl (XLV) champion and four-time NFL MVP. I'm telling you, it is radically life-changing and it's wild to be in a locker room and look over and just know, like, I've been in the maloca [an ancestral long house used by indigenous people of the Amazon] with you, guy. It's pretty special. It changes the dynamic, for sure. And in the process, like I said, there's been hundreds of NFL guys who have reached out. [...] It's been really really fun to be able to connect with these guys who've done this work or was fascinated by it and want to learn more about it.'

➤POLICE RAID PARIS OLYMPICS HEADQUARTERS: French police have carried out a raid on the 2024 Paris Olympics organizers’ headquarters as part of a corruption investigation, the Associated Press reported. The investigation is related to alleged conflicts of interest and favoritism in contracts awarded by the organizers.
 
🏀MICHAEL JORDAN IS STILL IN CHARGE: Michael Jordan agreed to sell the Charlotte Hornets last week, but he’s not giving up his control just yet. General Manager Mitch Kupchak said yesterday that Jordan will have the final say on the number 2 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. “Michael is still in control and will be in control of the club through the draft and through free agency,” Kupchak said at a press conference.





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