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Tag: Houston

  • Pride Month Reaches Its Grand Crescendo On City Streets From New York To San Francisco

    Pride Month Reaches Its Grand Crescendo On City Streets From New York To San Francisco

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    NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of effusive marchers danced to club music in New York City streets Sunday as bubbles and confetti rained down, and fellow revelers from Toronto to San Francisco cheered through Pride Month’s grand crescendo.

    New York’s boisterous throng strolled and danced down Fifth Avenue to Greenwich Village, cheering and waving rainbow flags to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall uprising, where a police raid on a gay bar triggered days of protests and launched the modern movement for LGBTQ+ rights.

    While some people whooped it up in celebration, many were mindful of the growing conservative countermovement, including new laws banning gender-affirming care for transgender children.

    “I’m trying not to be very heavily political, but when it does target my community, I get very, very annoyed and very hurt,” said Ve Cinder, a 22-year-old transgender woman who traveled from Pennsylvania to take part in the country’s largest Pride event.

    “I’m just, like, scared for my future and for my trans siblings. I’m frightened of how this country has looked at human rights, basic human rights,” she said. “It’s crazy.”

    Parades in New York, Chicago and San Francisco are among events that roughly 400 Pride organizations across the U.S. are holding this year, with many focused specifically on the rights of transgender people.

    One of the grand marshals of New York City’s parade is nonbinary activist AC Dumlao, chief of staff for Athlete Ally, a group that advocates on behalf of LGBTQ+ athletes.

    “Uplifting the trans community has always been at the core of our events and programming,” said Dan Dimant, a spokesperson for NYC Pride.

    People participate in the Annual New York Pride March on June 25, 2023 in New York City.

    Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images

    San Francisco Pride, another of the largest and best known LGBTQ+ celebrations in the United States, drew tens of thousands of spectators to the city Sunday.

    The event, kicked off by the group Dykes on Bikes, featured dozens of colorful floats, some carrying strong messages against the wave of anti-transgender legislation in statehouses across the country.

    Organizers told the San Francisco Chronicle that this year’s theme emphasized activism. The parade included the nation’s first drag laureate, D’Arcy Drollinger.

    “When we walk through the world more authentic and more fabulous, we inspire everyone,” Drollinger said at a breakfast before the parade.

    Along Market Street, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Adam Schiff of Burbank were spotted riding together.

    In Chicago, a brief downpour at the beginning of the parade didn’t deter parade goers, who took shelter under awnings, trees and umbrellas.

    “A little rain can’t stop us!” tweeted Brandon Johnson, the city’s newly elected mayor.

    Chicago’s 52nd annual celebration on Sunday featured drag performers Marilyn Doll Traid and Selena Peres, as well as Young Bud Billiken dancers, who received loud praise from the crowd as they represented the celebration of Black roots in Chicago’s South Side.

    A dancer participates in the 51st Chicago Pride Parade in Chicago, Sunday, June 26, 2022.
    A dancer participates in the 51st Chicago Pride Parade in Chicago, Sunday, June 26, 2022.

    Jon Durr via Associated Press

    Thousands of people also flooded the streets Saturday night in Houston to celebrate pride parades and embrace the LGBTQ+ community.

    “Houston is one big diverse family. Today is about celebrating people who are themselves, their authentic selves and letting everyone know that this is a city full of love, not division, not hate,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.

    San Antonio also celebrated its Pride parade Saturday night, with hundreds of people lining downtown streets.

    “This year’s theme is ‘Just Say Gay.’ We feel so strongly about the legislation that’s occurring, not only here in Texas, but in other states throughout the United States that are trying to put us back in the closet,” Phillip Barcena, Pride San Antonio president, told KSAT.

    Also Saturday, first lady Jill Biden made an appearance at the Pride parade in Nashville, Tennessee, where she told the crowd “loud and clear that you belong, that you are beautiful, that you are loved.”

    Many other cities held their marquee events earlier this month, including Boston, which hosted its first parade after a three-year hiatus that began with COVID-19 but extended through 2022 because the organization that used to run it dissolved under criticism that it excluded racial minorities and transgender people.

    A key message this year has been for LGBTQ+ communities to unite against dozens, if not hundreds, of legislative bills now under consideration in statehouses across the country.

    Lawmakers in 20 states have moved to ban gender-affirming care for children, and at least seven more are considering doing the same, adding increased urgency for the transgender community, its advocates say.

    “We are under threat,” Pride event organizers in New York, San Francisco and San Diego said in a statement joined by about 50 other Pride organizations nationwide. “The diverse dangers we are facing as an LGBTQ community and Pride organizers, while differing in nature and intensity, share a common trait: they seek to undermine our love, our identity, our freedom, our safety, and our lives.”

    Earlier Sunday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill that would make the state a “safe haven” for transgender youth and forbid law enforcement agencies from providing information that could undermine the ability for a child to get gender-affirming care.

    NYC Mayor Adams made a similar move this week, issuing an executive order preventing city resources from being used to cooperate with out-of-state authorities in detaining anyone receiving gender-affirming care in the city.

    The Anti-Defamation League and GLAAD, a national LGBTQ+ organization, reported 101 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents in the first three weeks of this month, about twice as many as in the full month of June last year.

    Sarah Moore, who analyzes extremism for the two civil rights groups, said many of the incidents coincided with Pride events.

    Nevertheless, Roz Gould Keith, who has a transgender son, is heartened by the increased visibility of transgender people at marches and celebrations across the country.

    “Ten years ago, when my son asked to go to Motor City Pride, there was nothing for the trans community,” said Keith, founder and executive director of Stand with Trans, a group formed to support and empower young transgender people and their families.

    This year, she said, the event was “jam-packed” with transgender people.

    AP writers Juan Lozano in Houston; Erin Hooley in Chicago; Trân Nguyễn in Sacramento, California; James Pollard in Columbia, South Carolina; Geoff Mulvihill in Cherry Hill, New Jersey; Trisha Ahmed in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.

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  • Houston Police K-9 dies from heat exhaustion after being left in a patrol car when the engine unexpectedly shut off, officials say | CNN

    Houston Police K-9 dies from heat exhaustion after being left in a patrol car when the engine unexpectedly shut off, officials say | CNN

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    CNN
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    Houston police are investigating the death of a 4-year-old K-9 who suffered heat exhaustion Monday after being left in an air-conditioned patrol car when the engine unexpectedly shut off, police said.

    Houston Police Department K-9 vehicles are equipped with a system that notifies the handler, activates cooling fans and rolls down the windows should a vehicle shut down, police said. However, “this did not happen in this instance,” the Houston Police Department said in a news release.

    When the handler returned to the vehicle, he found the dog in distress. The K-9 was taken to a clinic but ultimately died from the heat, the release stated.

    “Please keep Aron’s handler and the entire K-9 team in your prayers as they mourn the loss of Aron,” police said, adding that Aron had served with the department for about a year and a half.

    “The handler left Aron in a running, air-conditioned patrol vehicle, which is a necessary and common practice when the K-9 partner is not actively engaged in police work,” the statement said. “All HPD vehicles that transport K-9s will immediately be inspected by the vendor to ensure the systems are working properly.”

    The National Weather Service in Houston has been warning residents of heat index values this week that can reach as high as 108 degrees Fahrenheit. On Monday, the city experienced a high temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit, according to CNN Weather.

    When temperatures are 90 degrees, the interior of a car can soar as high as 109 degrees in just 10 minutes, some experts say. Dogs don’t sweat and must cool off primarily through panting, according to animal rights advocacy group PETA, and can die from a heatstroke quickly even if the car is parked in shade with slightly open windows.

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  • $5.2 billion in cargo stuck off West Coast ports in truck and container bottleneck

    $5.2 billion in cargo stuck off West Coast ports in truck and container bottleneck

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    A photo of Fenix Marine Services rail terminal on June 8, 2023, taken by a trucker.

    The “slow and go” pace of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union workforce at West Coast ports has slowed ground port productivity to a crawl. As a result, supply chain intelligence company MarineTraffic data shows what it is calling a “significant surge” in the average number of containers waiting outside of port limits.

    At the Port of Oakland, during the week of June 5, the average TEUs (ton equivalent units) waiting off port limits rose to 35,153 from 25,266, according to MarineTraffic. At the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, the average TEUs waiting off port limits rose to 51,228 from 21,297 the previous week, said a MarineTraffic spokeswoman.

    The value of the combined 86,381 containers floating off the ports of Oakland, Los Angeles, and Long Beach reached $5.2 billion, based on a $61,000 value per container, and customs data.

    According to data exclusively pulled for CNBC by Vizion, which tracks container shipments, the seven-day rate for a container cleared through the Port of Oakland is operating at 58%; at Port of Long Beach it is 64%; and at Port of Los Angeles it is 62%.

    “Our data shows that vessels will continue arriving at West Coast ports in the coming days with significant amounts of cargo to unload,” said Kyle Henderson, CEO of Vizion. There are no indications at this time that ocean carriers have plans to cancel any sailings to these ports, he said, but he added, “If these labor disputes continue to affect port efficiency, we could see backlogs similar to those experienced during the pandemic. Obviously, that’s the last thing that any shipper wants as we turn the corner into the back half of the year and peak season.”

    Logistics managers with knowledge of the way the union rank-and-file displeased with unresolved issues in negotiations with port management are influencing work shifts tell CNBC the slowdown can be attributed to skilled labor not showing up for work. CNBC has also learned that at select port terminals, requests for additional work made through official work orders are not being placed on the wall of the union hall for fulfillment. The Pacific Maritime Association, which negotiates on behalf of the ports, is not allowed in the union hall to see if the terminal orders are indeed being requested. CNBC has been told that if the additional job postings were being put up the data would show they are not being filled. Only original labor ordered from the PMA is being filled.

    The PMA said in a statement on Friday afternoon that between June 2 and June 7, the ILWU at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach refused to dispatch lashers who secure cargo for trans-Pacific voyages and unfasten cargo after ships arrive. “Without this vital function, ships sit idle and cannot be loaded or unloaded, leaving American exports sitting at the docks unable to reach their destination,” the statement read. “The ILWU’s refusal to dispatch lashers had been part of a broader effort to withhold necessary labor from the docks.”

    PMA cited a failure on Wednesday morning to fill 260 of the 900 jobs ordered at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and in total, 559 registered longshore workers who came to the dispatch hall were denied work opportunities by the union, PMA asserted in its statement.

    “Each shift without lashers working resulted in more ships sitting idle, occupying berths and causing a backup of incoming vessels,” it stated.

    However, the PMA said ILWU’s decision to stop withholding labor has allowed terminals at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to avert, for now, “the domino effect that would have resulted in backups not seen since last year’s supply chain meltdown.”

    The PMA cited “generally improved” operations at the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland, but at the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma, a continuation of “significant slowdowns.”

    The ILWU has declined to comment, citing a media blackout during ongoing labor talks.

    Truck and container backups

    The average truck turns to go in and out of the West Coast ports are up.

    A trucker waiting for a container at LA’s Fenix Marine Services terminal shared photos from their truck with CNBC showing congestion on both rail and the road where truckers wait to pick up their containers.

    Shippers are becoming increasingly concerned about the potential need to find alternative supply chain options.

    A spokesperson for Long Beach, California-based Cargomatic, which focuses on drayage and short-haul trucking logistics, said it isn’t yet seeing trade diversions, but added, “As a national drayage partner, we have contingency plans built in with capacity ready to service our customers anywhere in the U.S. We know that shippers are very nervous and it’s only a matter of time before they pivot if this situation becomes prolonged.”

    The PMA said in its statement that even though some port operations have improved, “the ILWU’s repeated disruptive work actions at strategic ports along the West Coast are increasingly causing companies to divert cargo to more customer-friendly and reliable locations along the Gulf and East Coasts.”

    West Coast ports, which had lost significant volume to East Coast ports over the past year due to volatility in the labor contract talks, had in recent months begun to gain back volume.

    A photo of a truck build up at Fenix Marine Services terminal at the Port of Los Angeles waiting to pick up containers taken by a trucker.

    Ocean freight intelligence company Xeneta says its data shows that container spot freight rates jumped 15% in the first days of June as a result of several simultaneous disruptions. Recent Panama Canal low water levels limited cargo throughput, and soon after that, large parts of U.S. West Coast ports stopped handling inbound and outbound container trade. 

    “Shippers in search of more reliable and resilient supply chains now consider their options,” said Peter Sand, chief analyst at Xeneta. “The longer this drags on, the more severe the consequences will be for shippers and terminals,” he said.

    During Covid, the supply chain breakdowns saw the pileup of vessels waiting off the West Coast influence trade to move to the Gulf and East Coast Ports. If vessels do start diverting again, there are extra costs tacked onto the goods being transferred, which the shipper will be charged. If the vessels divert and go to the Gulf or East Coast ports, they have to either use the Panama Canal, where extra charges on top of the normal additional charges are levied because the Panama Canal is in a critical situation with lower water levels due to drought.

    Routes for monthly long-term 'tramp sailings' from Asia to the Americas

    —  Core trade route      ---  Alternate route

    The Panama Canal's water issues exacerbate costs that would be incurred in any trade re-routing. It has instituted weight requirements for vessels — they need to be lighter to move through. If the vessel is at or under that weight requirement, shippers will be paying additional charges. In addition to the canal fees, some ocean carriers like Hapag Lloyd have instituted a $260 container fee for traveling through the canal. CMA CGM is charging $300 a container. If vessels are heavier than the current requirement, they would be forced to traverse the Pacific Ocean and go around the horn of South America, which would add weeks of travel time and travel costs.

    "Vessel diversions are some of the most difficult activities that shippers and our clients deal with during a crisis," said Paul Brashier, vice president of drayage and intermodal at ITS Logistics. During the pandemic and its aftermath, containers destined for Los Angeles or Long Beach would show up unannounced in Houston or Savannah with little to no notice, he said. "We have visibility applications that alert us prior to the container arriving so we can reassign trucking capacity at the new port. But if you don't have this visibility, if you are not able to track the containers like that in real time, you could face thousands of dollars more in shipping and D&D costs per container to accommodate those changes. That inflationary pressure adversely not only affects the shipper but the consumer of those goods," he added.

    ITS Logistics raised its freight rail alert level to "red" this week, signifying severe risk.

    Supply chain costs have come down considerably on a global basis, according to the Federal Reserve's data, though they have been mentioned by Fed Chair Jerome Powell as one inflationary trigger the central bank has no control over. In a report by Georgetown economist Jonathan Ostry, the spike in shipping costs increased inflation by more than two percentage points in 2022.

    "These slowdowns leave little options for shippers who have containers already en route to the West Coast," said Adil Ashiq, head of North America for MarineTraffic, who told CNBC earlier this week that the maritime supply chain issues were "breaking normal."

    "They could skip a port and go to another West Coast port, but they are all experiencing levels of congestion," he said on Friday. "So do they wait or divert and go to Houston as the next closest port to discharge cargo?"

    If vessels do decide to reroute, it will add days to their journey, which would delay the arrival of the product even more.

    For example, if a vessel inbound from Asia decided to reroute to Houston, it would add another 7 to 11 day journey to the Panama Canal. If a vessel is approved to transit through the canal, that adds 8-10 hours of transit time. "You then have to add travel time once out of the canal to the port. So we're looking at conservatively, a 12 to 18 day additional delay if a vessel decides to go to Houston directly from the Canal. Even more, if you have to travel around South America," he said. 

    Key sectors of the U.S. economy have been pleading with the Biden administration to step in and broker a labor agreement, including trade groups for the retail and manufacturing sectors. On Friday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce added its voice to this effort, expressing its concerns about a "serious work stoppage" at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach which would likely cost the U.S. economy nearly half a billion dollars a day. It estimates a more widespread strike along the West Coast could cost approximately $1 billion per day.

    "The best outcome is an agreement reached voluntarily by the negotiating parties. But we are concerned the current sticking point – an impasse over wages and benefits – will not be resolved," U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Suzanne Clark wrote in a letter to President Biden.

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  • ‘Home is like jail’: Afghan soldier who helped the US weathers injuries, uncertainty in asylum bid

    ‘Home is like jail’: Afghan soldier who helped the US weathers injuries, uncertainty in asylum bid

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    HOUSTON (AP) — The April visit to a Houston clinic was just one of a never-ending assembly line of medical appointments Abdul Wasi Safi has had since his January release from an immigration detention center.

    The former Afghan soldier, called Wasi by family and friends, sat in a dental chair and conversed in Pashto with his older brother Sami as Carrie Underwood’s “Cowboy Casanova” played in the background. It was a scene thousands of miles from the places he’d been the past two years.

    After the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, fear of retribution from the Taliban for sharing information with American soldiers while he was an intelligence officer drove Wasi Safi to flee to Brazil. The goal? Reaching the U.S. and applying for asylum.

    He eventually made it after crossing 10 countries, but the journey came at a high cost. A brutal beating by police officers in Panama severely damaged his teeth and jaw and left him with permanent hearing loss.

    Wasi Safi didn’t appear nervous during his visit to the San José Clinic, a facility that serves low income and uninsured individuals. But dentist Michael Wisnoski still reassured him, telling him it was going to be an “easy day.” He got two fillings but more complicated dental work loomed ahead.

    Easy days for Wasi Safi have been few. His mind races with worry about his health. There’s also the uncertainty of whether he’ll be granted asylum. And he feels powerless to help his parents and other siblings, who have been threatened back in Afghanistan.

    “I am scared for my life. I don’t know about my future. I don’t know what this government, what the United States (will) do with me,” Wasi Safi said.

    It’s fear and frustration felt by other Afghans in the U.S. as well as by immigration activists, attorneys and others, who ask that those who were evacuated from Afghanistan receive permanent legal status and those left behind be given a path to safety.

    “I do think that our government needs to take responsibility and figure out how to fix it, because these are people who helped us,” said Debbie Berman, an attorney with the Chicago-based law firm Jenner & Block that’s representing Afghans still trying to flee their country.

    More than 88,500 Afghans who worked with American soldiers as translators and in other capacities since 2001 have arrived in the U.S. on military planes since the chaotic withdrawal, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Most were admitted under a program called humanitarian parole that grants them some legal status, including the ability to work.

    However, many others were left behind and some, like Wasi Safi, made their way to the U.S. on their own — seeking the fulfillment of a promise of protection the U.S. made to its Afghan allies. It’s a promise many feel has been broken.

    Wasi Safi’s monthslong journey on foot and by boat last year took him through raging rivers and dense jungle to the U.S.-Mexico border, where he was arrested in September and sent to a Texas detention center. With the help of lawyers and lawmakers, he was freed and reunited with his brother, who was a translator for the U.S. military and has lived in Houston since 2015.

    Wasi Safi’s attorneys didn’t return calls or emails seeking comment on his asylum case.

    His arrest at the border and the expedited removal order that remains in place likely complicate his asylum case, said Alex Miller, with the American Immigration Council, an advocacy group.

    “It just is an incredible uphill battle,” said Miller.

    Wasi Safi and other Afghans seeking legal status in the U.S. are doing so within an already backlogged immigration system.

    “They’re just being added to this pile that the immigration judges are” handling, said Aleksandar Cuic, director of the Immigration Clinic at the School of Law at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

    The Afghan Adjustment Act, a proposed law to streamline their immigration process, has stalled in Congress. As of the end of April, only about 8,100 applications for asylum or special visas for Afghans employed by the U.S. government had been approved, according to Homeland Security.

    Wasi Safi was set to plead his case for asylum before an immigration judge in July. But that’s been delayed to December. The postponement was a gut punch for the Safi brothers.

    “Every time I’m having a piece of hope, they somehow take the hope away from me,” said Sami Safi, 30.

    Wasi Safi’s unresolved immigration status has meant he’s not authorized to work. It’s also left him afraid to leave his Houston home.

    “Home is like jail for me. I hope they give me my paper (legal documentation) and I start my life,” Wasi Safi said.

    If home is a cage, the Al-Noor Society of Greater Houston, a mosque in the city’s diverse Gulfton neighborhood, has provided some outside solace.

    In the midst of Ramadan on a Friday in April, the mosque’s main prayer hall was filled with about 200 men and boys, some wearing Houston Astros jerseys or carrying bags emblazoned with the Texas flag.

    “That’s why we come to mosque … asking God almighty to guide us, in the path of success, in the path of comfort,” Sami Safi said.

    Zahoor Gire, Al Noor’s executive director, said the mosque is a place not just for prayer but a resource for many of the newly arrived from Afghanistan and other countries.

    Community groups like Al Noor are the ones that help provide long-term support — including job training and activities for children — once the initial federal help ends, Gire said.

    Ericka Pertierra, a local businesswoman who’s helped several Afghan families resettle in Houston, has taken on Wasi Safi’s case. Using her fundraising skills, Pertierra gathered money for his lawyers and persuaded doctors and dentists she knows to donate their services.

    “They deserve it. They served our country,” Pertierra said of the brothers.

    She’s trying to raise more money through a GoFundMe campaign for Wasi Safi’s long-term medical needs.

    On May 23, Wasi Safi turned 27 years old. But eating birthday cake was out of the question due to pain from recent gum surgery.

    “He says, ‘I’ll celebrate my birthday when I’m feeling better,’” Sami Safi said.

    ___

    Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: twitter.com/juanlozano70

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  • Pittsburgh Steelers aiming to play regular season game in Ireland after being granted marketing rights

    Pittsburgh Steelers aiming to play regular season game in Ireland after being granted marketing rights

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    The Pittsburgh Steelers were awarded marketing rights to Ireland and Northern Ireland this week as part of the NFL’s International Home Marketing Areas initiative; the Steelers have a long-term relationship with Ireland courtesy of the Rooney family.

    Last Updated: 25/05/23 10:23pm

    The Pittsburgh Steelers made a welcome return to Croke Park. Pictured is Steelers director of business development & strategy Daniel Rooney

    The Pittsburgh Steelers have long-term plans to play a regular season NFL game in Ireland, the team said Thursday during a visit to celebrate its long-standing ties with the Emerald Isle.

    The Steelers touched down in Dublin days after the NFL awarded the team marketing rights for Ireland and Northern Ireland, all part of the league’s push to expand its audience internationally.

    “Our aspirations long term are to play a game in Ireland,” said Daniel Rooney, the team’s director of business development and strategy. “As we move through the process, we’ll be evaluating all options.”

    Ireland has never hosted a regular season NFL game, but the Steelers beat the Chicago Bears 30-17 in a preseason matchup at Croke Park in 1997.

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    Croke Park, home of the Gaelic Athletic Association, holds 82,300 and would almost certainly be the site of any future Steelers game.

    GAA president Larry McCarthy joined Rooney at a news conference at Croke Park and said the organisation is “delighted to be associated with [the Rooneys] and such a famous name and brand in the Steelers.”

    Brett Gosper, NFL head of UK and Europe, was also on hand and called the Steelers and Ireland a “perfect fit.”

    “There are so many connections, obviously the family’s heritage [and] the Steelers organising that first and only game – so far – in Ireland,” he said.

    The late Daniel M. Rooney was U.S. ambassador to Ireland from 2009-12.

    The Jacksonville Jaguars, who play in London every year, were also awarded marketing rights to Ireland.

    The programme was designed to help individual teams build their brands abroad through commercial activity and fan engagement similar to what they do in their home markets. Rights are granted by the league for at least a five-year term.

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  • Super Bowl LX to be held at Levi’s Stadium in 2026 as NFL showpiece returns to San Francisco Bay Area

    Super Bowl LX to be held at Levi’s Stadium in 2026 as NFL showpiece returns to San Francisco Bay Area

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    San Francisco Bay Area to host Super Bowl for third time after being confirmed as venue for 2026; Levi’s Stadium to stage Super Bowl LX; game also played in Bay Area in 1985 and 2016

    Last Updated: 22/05/23 11:30pm

    Super Bowl 50 was held at Levi’s Stadium in 2016, with the event to return to the venue in 2026

    Super Bowl LX will head to the San Francisco Bay Area with Levi’s Stadium confirmed as the host venue in 2026.

    The stadium, home of the San Franciso 49ers, last held the showpiece match in 2016 when Denver Broncos beat Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50.

    The Bay Area will stage its third Super Bowl, with the game also taking place at Stanford Stadium in 1985.

    On that occasion, the 49ers beat the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX.

    NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement on Monday: “The Bay Area was an incredible host for Super Bowl 50, and we are thrilled to bring the Super Bowl back.

    “We look forward to working with the 49ers and the Bay Area Host Committee to create an impactful Super Bowl LX in 2026 that showcases all the great things the region has to offer.”

    49ers president Al Guido said: “We are honored to host the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium once again, and to be stewards of one of the biggest sporting events in the world.

    “Since hosting Super Bowl 50 in 2016, Levi’s Stadium has cemented its reputation as a world-class venue. I’m confident Super Bowl LX will be a terrific event that benefits the entire community.”

    Super Bowl LVIII will be held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on February 11 2024, with the Ceasars Superdome in New Orleans to stage Super Bowl LIX on February 9 2025.

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  • Petrochemical plant fire near Houston sends 9 workers to hospital

    Petrochemical plant fire near Houston sends 9 workers to hospital

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    A fire erupted at a petrochemical plant in the Houston area Friday, sending nine workers to a hospital and causing a huge plume of smoke visible for miles.

    Emergency responders were called to help around 3 p.m. at the Shell facility in Deer Park, a suburb east of Houston. The city of Deer Park said in an advisory that there was no shelter-in-place order for residents.

    Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said earlier in the day that five contracted employees were hospitalized for precautionary reasons, adding that they were not burned. He said they were taken to a hospital due to heat exhaustion and proximity to the fire.

    Shell Deer Park officials said on Twitter Friday night that they were continuing to respond to the fire, all workers were accounted for and nine workers had been released after undergoing precautionary medical evaluations.

    Nothing exploded, Gonzalez said, although the sheriff’s office initially responded to emergency calls saying there was an explosion.

    As of Friday evening, the fire was still burning but had died down and was contained, Gonzalez said.

    The cause of the blaze was still being investigated. The fire started while the olefins unit was undergoing routine maintenance. Air monitoring for any impact from the fire was ongoing, and had not detected any harmful levels of chemicals, Shell Deer Park said.

    “There is no danger to the nearby community,” the post said.

    The fire started at 2:56 p.m. in the facility’s olefins unit. The product that ignited includes cracked heavy gas oil, cracked light gas oil and gasoline, Shell Deer Park said.

    “The cause of the fire will be the subject of a future investigation, and our immediate priorities remain the safety of people and the environment,” facility officials said.

    Shell was conducting its own air quality monitoring, but the city has yet to receive an update, said Kaitlyn Bluejacket, a spokesperson for Deer Park.

    The city was advised by Shell that there was no need at the time to shelter in place, but that the city would update residents if that changed, Bluejacket said.

    Fire crews from the Deer Park facility and nearby plants responded.

    Wind conditions were favorable for fighting the blaze, although temperatures soared to near 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the Houston area, but high humidity made it feeler hotter than 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

    Harris County Fire Marshal Captain James Singleton said his office would be in Deer Park through the weekend investigating.

    “You’re looking at a large number of people that need to be interviewed,” Singleton said. “Everyone who was at the unit at the time of the fire, the controllers, management, anybody that called 911.”

    Houston meteorologists said the smoke plumes were visible from space via satellite.

    Facility fires are not uncommon in the area, with the strong presence of the petrochemical industry. In March, an explosion and a fire erupted at a facility owned by INEOS Phenol in nearby Pasadena, Texas, leaving one injured.

    A fire in 2019 at a facility owned by Intercontinental Terminals Company burned for days and though it caused no injuries, it triggered air quality warnings.

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  • Large fire erupts at oil refinery near Houston

    Large fire erupts at oil refinery near Houston

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    Large fire erupts at oil refinery near Houston – CBS News


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    A large blaze broke out at an oil refinery in Deer Park, Texas, Friday, near Houston.

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  • United Airlines plans to hire 15,000 workers by year-end

    United Airlines plans to hire 15,000 workers by year-end

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    Airlines expecting a hectic summer travel season are planning to hire thousands of new workers this year, lifting a job market that has been hit by layoffs in technology and turmoil in the banking industry.

    United Airlines said Wednesday that it hired 7,000 new workers in the first four months of this year and plans to hit 15,000 new hires by year-end, matching the number it hired last year. By 2026, United projects adding 50,000 workers to a workforce that was about 93,000 at the start of this year.

    “We are in hiring mode here at United Airlines,” Kate Gebo, the company’s executive vice president of human resources, told reporters. Airline officials said they already have enough pilots to operate the peak summer schedule.

    The carrier said it plans to fill more than 4,000 flight attendant jobs by year-end and that it has received some 12,000 applications for the positions. United will hold a career fair for aspiring flight attendants in Houston on Thursday. 

    Some of the new hires at United will replace retiring employees. United executives said they plan to hire 2,300 pilots this year and expect 250 to 300 to retire — federal law requires airline pilots to retire by age 65.

    The airline is also hiring for a range of other roles, including customer service representatives, contact service agents, ramp service employees and maintenance technicians. 

    Hiring boom

    Airlines have been in a hiring frenzy since being caught understaffed when air travel bounced back from the depths of the pandemic more quickly than anticipated. Shortages of pilots and flight attendants contributed to a jump in the rates of canceled and delayed flights last year.

    The nation’s passenger airlines received $54 billion in taxpayer money to keep people on the payroll through the pandemic, and they were prohibited from making layoffs, but they got around that prohibition by paying workers to quit or take early retirement.

    Since bottoming out in November 2020, airline-industry jobs have jumped by more than 117,000 — an increase of 32% — to more than 480,00 as of this February, the latest figures available from the Transportation Department. That is a 5% increase over the pre-pandemic peak.


    United Airlines addresses pilot shortage with training program

    03:21

    Delta Air Lines hasn’t disclosed its 2023 hiring plans, but CEO Ed Bastian has said the airline has hired nearly 20,000 workers since the start of 2021.

    Southwest Airlines planned to hire 7,000 workers this year, but executives said last week they will reduce that number because the airline hasn’t received as many new Boeing jets as it expected.

    A pilot shortage has been especially severe at smaller, so-called regional airlines that operate flights for bigger carriers under the United Express, American Eagle and Delta Connection brands.

    Wanted: Aircraft mechanics

    Gebo said the next bottleneck is expected to involve aircraft technicians. While there is no federal age limit for aircraft mechanics, Gebo said 40% to 50% of United’s technicians are already eligible to retire under the airline’s guidelines.

    The tight labor market is causing United to offer higher wages for non-union jobs, Gebo said, and the airline faces higher rates in contracts it is negotiating with pilots and other union workers.

    United said 3,800 of its new jobs this year will be in Chicago, where the company is headquartered and runs a big operation at O’Hare International Airport. Airline executives said they will add another 2,300 in Denver, 2,100 in Houston, 2,000 in Newark, New Jersey, and 1,600 in San Francisco. United has hub airports in each of those cities.

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  • New Houston Law Requires 10 Parking Spaces For Every Parking Space

    New Houston Law Requires 10 Parking Spaces For Every Parking Space

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    HOUSTON—After the measure was fast-tracked through the city council, a new zoning law went into effect this week that requires all developers in Houston to put in 10 additional parking spaces for every parking space. “We’re dedicated to adopting urban planning strategies that ensure our community has access to a sufficient number of parking spaces for every parking space that we pave,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner, cutting the ribbon on a new parking spot as hundreds of pounds of concrete were immediately poured on all sides of him to create the legally mandated supplementary spaces. “Previously, we only allotted five parking spaces per space, and that has proven inadequate. For too long we’ve stood by and watched as historic parts of our beautiful city stood in the way of more and more parking spaces. Meanwhile, we have fewer than a dozen spots for every man, woman, and child in Houston. That is simply unacceptable.” At press time, a second law was passed requiring that 10 parking garages be built for every square inch of green space in the city.

    Police Officers Explain Why They Are Resigning En Masse

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  • Burnley FC: NFL star JJ Watt and wife Kealia announce investment in the Clarets

    Burnley FC: NFL star JJ Watt and wife Kealia announce investment in the Clarets

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    JJ Watt: “I believe in what [chairman] Alan (Pace) is doing at Burnley and what Vincent (Kompany) is building. It’s just a matter of coming in at the right time. We really enjoyed our time in Burnley and we’re looking forward to coming back”

    Last Updated: 01/05/23 6:55pm

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    Former NFL star JJ Watt and wife and soccer player Kealia Watt spoke of what they hope to achieve at Burnley after announcing their investment into the club

    Former NFL star JJ Watt and wife and soccer player Kealia Watt spoke of what they hope to achieve at Burnley after announcing their investment into the club

    Former NFL star JJ Watt and his wife Kealia Watt, a former USA international, have announced their investment in Burnley Football Club.

    JJ is a three-time defensive player of the year winner. The 34-year-old retired from the game at the end of the 2022 season after 12 seasons with the Houston Texans (2011-20 and Arizona Cardinals (2021-22).

    Kealia enjoyed a successful club career with Houston Dash and Chicago Red Stars, representing the US national team on three occasions in 2016. She retains the record for scoring the fastest goal of any debutant for the women’s national team, netting 48 seconds into her international debut.

    Three-time NFL defensive player of the year JJ Watt retired from the sport at the end of the 2022 season

    Three-time NFL defensive player of the year JJ Watt retired from the sport at the end of the 2022 season

    The couple have always had an interest in English football, with JJ having been a fan of Chelsea and Kealia of Arsenal, she told Sky Sports News, but their loyalties lie firmly with Burnley now after announcing their investment into the club.

    “We went to Burnley, visited the town and we just fell in love,” Kealia said. “It’s such an incredible place.

    Burnley's celebrations begin after their victory against Blackburn to seal the Championship title!

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    Burnley’s celebrations begin after their victory against Blackburn to seal the Championship title!

    Burnley’s celebrations begin after their victory against Blackburn to seal the Championship title!

    “What Vincent (Kompany) has done with this team is unbelievable. We cannot wait to watch this [next] season.

    “We’re so excited. It’s going to be so cool – we’ll be there on opening day. We’re counting down the days, we cannot wait.”

    JJ added: “It’s all about the opportunity to have an impact in the club.

    Burnley manager Vincent Kompany says there is no better way to win after beating their biggest rivals Blackburn to secure the Championship title

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    Burnley manager Vincent Kompany says there is no better way to win after beating their biggest rivals Blackburn to secure the Championship title

    Burnley manager Vincent Kompany says there is no better way to win after beating their biggest rivals Blackburn to secure the Championship title

    “Chelsea is obviously an unbelievable club and they’ve built something incredible there, but I believe in what [chairman] Alan (Pace) is doing at Burnley and what Vincent is building.

    “It’s just a matter of coming in at the right time. We really enjoyed our time in Burnley and we’re looking forward to coming back.”

    The Watts spent time at the club and within the local community earlier in the season, when they attended the Clarets’ 3-0 victory over Wigan at Turf Moor. They are also due to be in attendance for Burnley’s final home fixture of the season against Cardiff City on Monday, May 8.

    The pair also spoke of how following Wrexham’s story since the club’s takeover by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney proved to be an inspiration.

    Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds celebrate with the National League trophy after their promotion to the fourth tier

    Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds celebrate with the National League trophy after their promotion to the fourth tier

    Kealia said: “We watched the documentary a few months ago and it was so cool to see what they’ve done.

    “That’s kind of what we’re modelling this after. They’re just incredible and Wrexham are such a fun team – we’ve followed that and that’s exactly what we’re trying to do here.”

    JJ added: “I’ve spoken to Rob about his experience and I’ve tried to gain some insight into what he’s done, and I’ve spoke to Ryan too to try to get his ideas on what has worked and what hasn’t.

    “Obviously they’re in a different league and a different situation, with what Wrexham are doing, but they’ve done an incredible job.

    Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney has made an ambitious bid to get Gareth Bale out of retirement and sign for his team

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    Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney has made an ambitious bid to get Gareth Bale out of retirement and sign for his team

    Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney has made an ambitious bid to get Gareth Bale out of retirement and sign for his team

    “Our goal is to come in and get involved with the community. With the [Burnley] supporters, we want to earn their trust, we understand that we can’t come in and expect them to trust us right away.

    “And then we want to help tell their story to America and beyond. We want people to know about the Clarets.”

    Alan Pace, Burnley chairman, said of the Watts’ investment in a statement: “We’re absolutely delighted to welcome JJ and Kealia into the Clarets family.

    “This is a conversation that has been happening for some time and over the course of this season we’ve been hugely impressed by their passion and interest in both the club and the Burnley community. I am very much looking forward to working with them.”

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  • 200 officers are in a manhunt for the Texas suspect accused of killing his 5 neighbors. Authorities are offering $80,000 for information | CNN

    200 officers are in a manhunt for the Texas suspect accused of killing his 5 neighbors. Authorities are offering $80,000 for information | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    More than 200 officers from multiple law enforcement agencies are searching for the gunman accused of shooting and killing five people, including a 9-year-old child, at a Cleveland, Texas, home after neighbors asked him to stop firing his rifle outdoors, officials said Sunday.

    Those officers are going door to door and asking community members for information while authorities are also creating billboard posters in Spanish to inform everyone of the search, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said in a Sunday afternoon news conference.

    And there’s now also a collective $80,000 reward being offered for information that leads to the suspect’s arrest, FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge James Smith announced in the news conference.

    Francisco Oropesa, 38, is accused of killing four adults and a 9-year-old boy at a neighboring home Friday night in the city of Cleveland – about 40 miles northeast of downtown Houston. Investigators initially started tracking Oropesa using his cellphone, but said that trail went cold Saturday evening – and he could now be anywhere.

    “We don’t have any tips right now to where he may be and that’s why we’ve come up with this reward, so that hopefully somebody out there can call us,” Smith said at Sunday’s news conference.

    “I can pretty much guarantee you, he’s contacted some of his friends,” Smith said, adding, “We just don’t know what friends they are and that’s what we need from the public, is any type of information because right now we’re running into dead ends.”

    In a Twitter post earlier Sunday, the FBI warned the suspect is “armed and dangerous” and urged anyone who saw Oropesa not to approach him.

    The US has suffered at least 184 mass shootings in the first four months of this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The nonprofit, like CNN, defines mass shootings as those in which four or more people are shot – not including the shooter.

    Authorities said Sunday they were focused on capturing the suspect and bringing closure and justice to the five people killed. A day earlier, the sheriff described how the violence unfolded.

    “The victims, they came over to the fence said, ‘Hey, could you mind not shooting out in the yard. We have a young baby that is trying to go sleep,’” Capers said Saturday.

    The suspect, who had been drinking, responded: “I’ll do what I want to in my front yard.”

    At some point, a doorbell camera at the home of the victims captured the suspect approaching with his rifle, Capers said.

    Then the home turned into a scene of carnage. Multiple people were later found dead in different rooms.

    Nine-year-old Daniel Enrique Laso-Guzman was shot and killed. So were Sonia Argentina Gúzman, 25; Diana Velázquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31, and José Jonathan Cásarez, 18.

    All five were shot “almost execution style” – above the neck at close range, the sheriff said.

    Five other people who were home during the rampage were not hurt, Capers said. Three children were found covered in blood and were taken to a hospital, but were not injured.

    Authorities believe two women died while using their bodies to shield the children who survived.

    “The three children … were covered in blood from the same ladies that were laying on top of them trying to protect them,” the sheriff said Sunday. Those children are now safe and with family, he added.

    A vigil for the 9-year-old boy was scheduled to take place Sunday evening, the sheriff said. Authorities initially reported the boy was 8 years old, but his father told CNN on Sunday his son turned 9 in January.

    Wilson Garcia, the father of the young boy killed, said they called 911 five times Friday night to report the suspect shooting his firearm.

    Capers, the sheriff, said Sunday authorities got to the scene as fast as they could but there is a small force covering a large county. The home where the shooting took place is about 15 minutes outside of town.

    Garcia said he and two other men walked over to Oropesa to ask him to stop shooting so close to their home because their baby was sleeping. He said they asked Oropesa to shoot on the other side of his property.

    About 10 to 20 minutes later, the suspect came back, walked up to the house and started shooting, killing Garcia’s wife, Sonia Argentina Gúzman, first at the front door of the home, he said.

    Garcia said he jumped out of a window and ran – adding another woman told him he had to survive because his children didn’t have a mother anymore and needed him.

    Sonia Argentina Gúzman and Daniel Enrique Laso-Guzman.

    Authorities had received previous calls about Oropesa allegedly shooting his rifle in the front yard, the sheriff said.

    Law enforcement initially spelled the suspect’s name as “Oropeza” but the FBI said Sunday it will use the spelling “Oropesa” to “better reflect his identity in law enforcement systems.” The FBI acknowledged he has been listed in various databases with both spellings.

    Oropesa was known to shoot a .223 rifle, Capers said. Shell casings were also found outside the home after the shooting.

    Authorities found at least three weapons inside the suspect’s home and spoke to the suspect’s wife, the sheriff said.

    Oropesa’s cell phone was found abandoned, along with articles of clothing, Capers said.

    “The tracking dogs from Texas Department of Corrections picked up the scent, and then they lost that scent,” he said.

    Authorities said Sunday they did not know if the suspect was still in the area.

    “If anybody, whether you are here in this county, or this state of Texas or around the country, have any tips, we’re asking you to please call” authorities, Smith, with the FBI, said. “Right now, we have zero leads.”

    Some of those inside the home had moved there from Houston just days ago, the sheriff said.

    Wilson Paz, director general of migrant protection for Honduras, told CNN all five victims were Honduran.

    The Honduran Consulate in Houston is offering support to the victims’ families and preparing to repatriate the five people killed, the Honduran Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on Twitter.

    “The Government of Honduras deeply regrets the loss of these valuable lives and accompanies all their loved ones in their pain,” the statement said. “We demand that the pertinent authorities arrest the perpetrator of this terrible event and apply the full weight of the law.”

    Correction: A previous version of this story gave the wrong photo of the suspect due to incorrect information provided by the FBI Houston Field Office.

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  • Progressives focus on local-level wins to counter setbacks

    Progressives focus on local-level wins to counter setbacks

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    CHICAGO (AP) — For many progressives, the past decade has been littered with disappointments. But recent down-ballot victories are providing hope of reshaping the Democratic Party from the bottom up, rather than from Washington.

    In Chicago earlier this month, a former teacher’s union organizer unexpectedly won the mayor’s race. In St. Louis, progressives secured a majority on the municipal board. The next opportunities could lie in Philadelphia and Houston, which also hold mayoral elections this year.

    The focus on lower-level contests already has helped progressives gain power and influence policy at a local level, organizers say, shaping issues such as the minimum wage. It also may help the movement find future stars, with today’s city and county officials becoming tomorrow’s breakout members of Congress and only moving further up the political ladder.

    “Progressives have taken a look at how to be strategic and how to build power,” said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants who was a leading national voice for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ 2016 and 2020 presidential bids. “If you look around and you say, ‘Who is ready to run for president?’ If your field is shallow, what do you have to do? You’ve got to build the bench.”

    This year’s focus on state and local races follows years of incremental progress and some stinging setbacks. Sanders electrified the left with 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns that centered on bold calls for universal, government-funded health care. But he lost each time to rivals aligned with the Democratic establishment who advocated for a more cautious approach.

    On Capitol Hill, progressive candidates successfully defeated several high-profile incumbents during the 2018 midterms and the election of candidates like New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. But from New York to Michigan and Ohio and Texas, prominent progressives were defeated during primary campaigns last year. And, as President Joe Biden now gears up for reelection, he faces no serious challenge from the left.

    Still, Sanders and others have left their mark, pushing mainstream Democrats to the left on key issues like combating climate change and forgiveness of student loan debt while inspiring some of those at the forefront of today’s movement.

    That includes Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson, who appealed to a diverse and young electorate as he campaigned with Sanders and other top congressional progressives.

    “Let’s take this bold progressive movement around these United States of America,” Johnson said in his victory speech.

    Our Revolution, an activist group which grew out of Sanders’ 2016 White House bid, endorsed Johnson and progressive candidates who recently won three of four seats on the St. Louis City Board of Aldermen. That gave progressives a slim majority in a city where the mayor, Tishaura Jones, is also a self-described progressive.

    Our Revolution said it activated its 90,000 members in Chicago an average of three times each to urge them to vote for Johnson, and made 100,000 phone calls in St. Louis. The group is also backing Helen Gym, a progressive former Philadelphia City Council member who is among roughly a dozen candidates competing in next month’s Democratic mayoral primary.

    “When we win on the ground in our cities, that’s actually the blueprint, because we cannot wait for Congress,” Gym said during a recent call with Our Revolution volunteers.

    Our Revolution’s executive director, Joseph Geevarghese, said local progressive organizing, including for races like school board, is more effective now than it has been in decades.

    “We’re building power, bottom up, city by city,” Geevarghese said, adding that ”in major metropolitan areas you’ve got credible progressive slates vying for power against the Democratic establishment.”

    Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers and a Democratic National Committee member, countered that there doesn’t have to be tension between the party’s left and moderate wings. She said Johnson called for addressing “quality of life issues” such as homelessness through consensus-building, rather than ideological confrontation.

    “Every one of these cities are complicated places and you have to work together to get things done,” Weingarten said. “You have to work with people you don’t always agree with. And that is a strength and not a weakness.”

    It hasn’t all been rosy for progressives. Moderate candidates topped progressive alternatives in last week’s Denver City Council races.

    But there are more opportunities ahead. In the nation’s fourth-largest city of Houston, Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who has been an outspoken progressive in Congress since she got there in 1995, is running for mayor.

    And the left isn’t abandoning congressional races.

    Progressive champion Rep. Barbara Lee and fellow Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, who was a vocal supporter of Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren ’s progressive campaign for president in 2020, are among those running to replace retiring California Sen. Dianne Feinstein next year.

    In Arizona, Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego, a progressive 43-year-old Iraq war veteran and Spanish speaker who represents much of downtown Phoenix, is trying to unseat Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. She left the Democratic Party last year and, if she seeks reelection, would run as an independent.

    “Working-class Democrats are getting elected, and corporate Democrats are not,” said Chuck Rocha, a key architect of Sanders’ 2016 campaign who heads Nuestro PAC, which has endorsed Gallego. But Rocha was quick to caution that Gallego isn’t running as “a progressive or liberal savior.”

    “He’s going to run as ‘I was an enlisted Marine who had to sleep on my mama’s couch until I got a bed in college’ and has been a champion of working-class folks in the state of Arizona,” Rocha said.

    Questions about a resurgent Democratic left come as Biden prepares to formally kickoff his reelection campaign and will have to decide how to frame his political vision and ideology to appeal to swing voters. After besting Sanders and Warren in the 2020 primary, Biden embraced major progressive goals, promoting expanding social programs and climate-change fighting green energy.

    Biden eventually oversaw passage of dramatic federal spending increases, including on health care and green technology. He tried to forgive student loans for millions of Americans, but saw the plan challenged in court.

    On other issues, however, Biden has been more moderate. After major legislation to curb police brutality and institutional racism stalled in Congress, the president signed an executive order to make modest reforms. He also has said repeatedly that, rather than heed calls by some progressives to cut funding for law enforcement, the answer should be more police funding.

    More recently, the president angered liberal Democrats by failing to veto Republican-championed legislation reversing new, local crime regulations in the nation’s capital and approving a major oil drilling project in Alaska.

    Biden campaign aides say he’s shown flexibility to best respond to ongoing political and policy challenges. And Rocha said that Gallego will benefit from Biden’s 2024 campaign, which should rely heavily on promoting his administration’s legislative accomplishments and how they benefited working-class families in swing states like Arizona.

    But some progressives say the White House should take notice of the movement’s down-ballot wins.

    “I hope he’s paying attention,” said Hannah Riddle, director of candidate services for the activist group the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. “Running on economic populism is a winning strategy. And that model can be replicated all over the country.”

    ___ Weissert reported from Washington.

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  • Browns’ Watson scheduled to give deposition in civil lawsuit

    Browns’ Watson scheduled to give deposition in civil lawsuit

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    As Deshaun Watson prepares for his second season with Cleveland, his legal troubles in Houston linger.

    The Browns quarterback is scheduled to give a deposition on Monday in one of the two remaining civil lawsuits filed against him for sexual misconduct.

    According to court documents filed in Harris County, Texas, Watson was asked to provide records of any communication between him and the plaintiff — identified as “Jane Doe” — from December 2020 to January 2021.

    Watson previously settled lawsuits with two dozen women who accused him of being sexually inappropriate during massage therapy sessions while he played for the Texans. Two separate grand juries in Texas declined to indict Watson on criminal charges last year.

    In the lawsuit in which Watson is being deposed, the woman alleges the quarterback pressured her into oral sex.

    The NFL suspended Watson for 11 games last season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. The Browns traded for the three-time Pro Bowler in March 2022 despite his legal entanglement, getting him to change his mind and agree to join Cleveland after they offered him a fully guaranteed $230 million contract.

    Watson went 3-3 and showed signs of rust in his six starts last season after the suspension ended. He’s been working out near his home in Houston during this offseason.

    The Browns begin their offseason program on April 17.

    ___

    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://apnews.com/hub/pro-32 and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

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  • Several wounded in shooting at celebration of life event in Houston

    Several wounded in shooting at celebration of life event in Houston

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    At least four people were injured when gunfire erupted at a celebration of life event in Houston Saturday evening, authorities said.

    At about 7 p.m. local time, deputies were dispatched to a report of multiple gunshots at a celebration of life event in East Houston, Thomas Diaz, assistant chief for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, told reporters.

    Four gunshot victims were taken to area hospitals with injuries believed to be non-life-threatening, Diaz said. The victims were all in their teens, he disclosed.

    There were “about 50 people” on scene when deputies arrived, Diaz said.

    Investigators have “identified some witnesses” Diaz said, adding that the circumstances of the shooting remain unclear, and there was no word on a motive. No arrests have been made.  

    Detectives believe that there were likely “multiple shooters based on the type of shell casings” found at the scene.

    “The investigators are canvassing the scene and hopefully we can get some good information,” Diaz said.

    The details of the celebration of life event were not immediately known. 


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  • Victoria Elizondo uses food to honor her community and heritage

    Victoria Elizondo uses food to honor her community and heritage

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    Victoria Elizondo uses food to honor her community and heritage – CBS News


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    On our Final Four edition of The Dish, meet Houston-based chef Victoria Elizondo, who uses Mexican food to connect with her community and heritage. Dana Jacobson has more on the James Beard Award semi-finalist.

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  • United Airlines flight makes emergency landing in Houston

    United Airlines flight makes emergency landing in Houston

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    HOUSTON (AP) — A United Airlines flight bound from Houston to Rio de Janeiro has returned to Bush Intercontinental Airport for an emergency landing shortly after takeoff, the airline said.

    Flight 129 returned to the airport Tuesday night because of “a mechanical issue,” according to a statement from United Airlines.

    The airline did not describe the nature of the problem and an airport spokesperson did not immediately return messages for comment Wednesday morning.

    The airline said the plane landed safely, passengers got off and United Airlines made arrangements to get them to their destination.

    The flight tracking website FlightAware reported the aircraft was a Boeing 767 flying to Rio de Janeiro that departed Houston at 8:52 p.m. and returned to the airport, landing at 10:50 p.m.

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  • No more No. 1 seeds left in NCAA men’s basketball tournament after Alabama and Houston lose | CNN

    No more No. 1 seeds left in NCAA men’s basketball tournament after Alabama and Houston lose | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    For the first time ever in NCAA men’s basketball tournament history, all four No. 1 seeds have failed to reach the Elite Eight after the top-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide and Houston Cougars were eliminated in the Sweet 16 on Friday.

    Top overall seed Alabama was stunned by No. 5 seed San Diego State, 71-64, at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

    The Crimson Tide led by nine points with over 12 minutes left in the game, but the Aztecs went on a 12-0 run to take a 51-48 lead and they never trailed again.

    San Diego State guard Darrion Trammell led the way with 21 points and five rebounds, as the Aztecs advance to the Elite Eight for the first time in men’s program history. San Diego State is also the first Mountain West team to ever advance to the Elite Eight.

    “It’s just who we are, we feel like we can beat any team in the country, ” Trammell said on the TBS broadcast after the game. “We work hard, and we feel like we have the DNA of a winning team that goes far in March. We have experience, we have grit, and we feel like this is what we’re supposed to do.”

    Crimson Tide forward Brandon Miller was held in check on offense most of the night, scoring just nine points on 3-of-19 shooting. He also had six turnovers.

    Miller’s and Alabama’s season comes to an end after a tumultuous regular season campaign marred by an off-court issue surrounding the shooting death of a woman on campus.

    San Diego State will play against either No. 6 Creighton or No. 15 Princeton on Sunday.

    Friday’s action in Kansas City, Missouri, saw No. 5 seed Miami defeat Houston 89-75.

    The game was close for most of the first half, before Miami took an 11-point lead early in the second half. Houston cut the deficit to 51-49 with under 15 minutes left in the game but Miami answered with a 16-2 run to put the game away.

    Miami guard Nijel Pack scored at will in the victory, dropping 26 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including 7-of-10 from the three-point line to lead the Hurricanes to the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season.

    “It just shows that we’re one of the best teams in the country now we’re moving to the Elite Eight,” Pack said on the CBS broadcast after the game. “It’s the top eight schools in the country right now, we still have a lot of work to do but it feels great right now.”

    Miami will next play No. 2 seed Texas or No. 3 seed Xavier, which face off later Friday.

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  • Texas Announces Takeover Of Houston Schools, Stirring Anger

    Texas Announces Takeover Of Houston Schools, Stirring Anger

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    HOUSTON (AP) — Texas officials on Wednesday announced a state takeover of Houston’s nearly 200,000-student public school district, the eighth-largest in the country, acting on years of threats and angering Democrats who assailed the move as political.

    The announcement, made by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s education commissioner, Mike Morath, amounts to one of the largest school takeovers ever in the U.S. It also deepens a high-stakes rift between Texas’ largest city, where Democrats wield control, and state Republican leaders, who have sought increased authority following election fumbles and COVID-19 restrictions.

    The takeover is the latest example of Republican and predominately white state officials pushing to take control of actions in heavily minority and Democratic-led cities. They include St. Louis and Jackson, Mississippi, where the Legislature is pushing to take over the water system and for an expanded role for state police and appointed judges.

    In a letter to the Houston Independent School District, Morath said the Texas Education Agency will replace Superintendent Millard House II and the district’s elected board of trustees with a new superintendent and an appointed board of managers made of residents from within the district’s boundaries.

    Morath said the board has failed to improve student outcomes while conducting “chaotic board meetings marred by infighting” and violating open meetings act and procurement laws. He accused the district of failing to provide proper special education services and of violating state and federal laws with its approach to supporting students with disabilities.

    He cited the seven-year record of poor academic performance at one of the district’s roughly 50 high schools, Wheatley High, as well as the poor performance of several other campuses.

    “The governing body of a school system bears ultimate responsibility for the outcomes of all students. While the current Board of Trustees has made progress, systemic problems in Houston ISD continue to impact district students,” Morath wrote in his six-page letter.

    Most of Houston’s school board members have been replaced since the state began making moves toward a takeover in 2019. House became superintendent in 2021.

    He and the current school board will remain until the new board of managers is chosen sometime after June 1. The new board of managers will be appointed for at least two years.

    House in a statement pointed to strides made across the district, saying the announcement “does not discount the gains we have made.”

    He said his focus now will be on ensuring “a smooth transition without disruption to our core mission of providing an exceptional educational experience for all students.”

    The Texas State Teachers Association and the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas condemned the takeover. At a news conference in Austin, state Democratic leaders called for the Legislature to increase funding for education and raise teacher pay.

    “We acknowledge that there’s been underperformance in the past, mainly due to that severe underfunding in our public schools,” state Rep. Armando Walle, who represents parts of north Houston, said.

    An annual Census Bureau survey of public school funding showed Texas spent $10,342 per pupil in the 2020 fiscal year, more than $3,000 less than the national average, according to the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University in Houston.

    The state was able to take over the district under a change in state law that Houston Democratic state Rep. Harold Dutton Jr. proposed in 2015. In an op-ed piece in the Houston Chronicle on Monday, Dutton said he has no regrets about what he did.

    “We’re hearing voices of opposition, people who say that HISD shouldn’t have to face consequences for allowing a campus to fail for more than five consecutive years. Those critics’ concern is misplaced,” Dutton wrote.

    Schools in other big cities, including Philadelphia, New Orleans and Detroit, in recent decades have gone through state takeovers, which are generally viewed as last resorts for underperforming schools and are often met with community backlash. Critics argue that state interventions generally have not led to big improvements.

    Texas started moving to take over the district following allegations of misconduct by school trustees, including inappropriate influencing of vendor contracts, and chronically low academic scores at Wheatley High.

    The district sued to block a takeover, but new education laws subsequently passed by the GOP-controlled state Legislature and a January ruling from the Texas Supreme Court cleared the way for the state to seize control.

    “All of us Texans have an obligation and should come together to reinvent HISD in a way that will ensure that we’re going to be providing the best quality education for those kids,” Abbott said Wednesday.

    Schools in Houston are not under mayoral control, unlike in New York and Chicago, but as expectations of a takeover mounted, the city’s Democratic leaders unified in opposition.

    Race is also an issue because the overwhelming majority of students in Houston schools are Hispanic or Black. Domingo Morel, a professor of political science and public services at New York University, said the political and racial dynamics in the Houston case are similar to instances where states have intervened elsewhere.

    “If we just focus on taking over school districts because they underperform, we would have a lot more takeovers,” Morel said. “But that’s not what happens.”

    Weber reported from Austin, Texas. Associated Press writer Acacia Coronado in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report.

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  • Houston woman held captive inside locked trailer for 4 years, prosecutors say

    Houston woman held captive inside locked trailer for 4 years, prosecutors say

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    A 42-year-old Houston man has been charged with kidnapping, accused of holding a woman captive in a locked trailer for several years, according to court records. The woman was rescued by deputies on Wednesday. 

    Abraham Bravo Segura did “intentionally and knowingly abduct” the victim, and held her in “a place where the Complainant was not likely to be found,” court documents said. 

    During a probable cause hearing on Thursday, a Harris County prosecutor alleged the woman was “locked” in the boarded-up trailer for “approximately four years,” according to courtroom video obtained by KTRK-TV.

    While Segura was at work, the victim was able to call the police for help from inside the trailer in North Houston, according to KTRK. 

    All the trailer’s exits were blocked with burglary bars on the windows, and Harris County Sheriff’s deputies found three handguns inside, KTRK reported. 

    On Wednesday night, when authorities arrived at the trailers, bolt cutters didn’t break through the boarded-up trailer, and the fire department had to use power tools to cut through the bars, the station reported.

    At the hearing, Segura disagreed with the allegations against him and asked the hearing officer more than once “if he could defend himself,” reported KTRK. He said the “story is one-sided.”

    Segura is in Harris County jail on a $150,000 bond, according to jail records. The bond conditions state he cannot have contact with the victim or family, and he would have to wear a GPS monitor upon his release, court records said. 

     His next court appearance is March 13. 


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