[ad_1]
It all has to do with the flow of cold air.
[ad_2]
Spectrum News Weather Staff
Source link
Tag: new york (state)
-
Look fast! A brief meteor shower peaks early Thursday morning
[ad_1]
The new year starts with the Quadrantid meteor shower. But don’t blink, or you might miss it.
The Quadrantids aren’t one of the more well-known meteor showers, but they can still bring a decent number of meteors… if you’re looking at the right time.
Most meteor showers have a peak that lasts a couple of days, but the Quadrantids’ shower is much shorter. It should peak within a few hours of 4 a.m. Eastern Time Thursday morning, according to Sky & Telescope.
NASA says the Quadrantids produce roughly 120 meteors per hour in perfect conditions, although that can vary quite a bit. And this year won’t have ideal conditions even if you get away from city lights, thanks to a half-full moon hanging in the southeastern sky during the peak.
If you give it a shot, let your eyes adjust to the dark sky for at least 15 minutes and try to shield the moon from view. The American Meteor Society recommends looking north. Even if moonlight washes out the fainter meteors, you might catch a bright fireball meteor as relatively larger particles burn up in the atmosphere.
The Quadrantids are unusual, like December’s Geminids, because they come as the Earth passes through the debris of an asteroid, rather than a comet. The name itself is also unusual; it’s from the constellation “Quadrans Muralis,” which didn’t make the cut in 1922’s official, modern list of constellations.
An image of an etching of an astronomical chart of constellations, showing a quadrant–Quadrans Muralis–above Bootes the Ploughman. Also shown are the dogs Asterion and Chara and the hair of Berenice. (Library of Congress)
The next noteworthy meteor shower is the Lyrids in April. Unfortunately, the moon will be nearly full for that show.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
[ad_2]
Spectrum News Weather Staff
Source link -
Different weather conditions can affect your fireworks show
[ad_1]
Many people are looking forward to the spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks shows. However, everything from snow, wind and humidity can affect not only if you can launch those rockets into the sky, but also what they will look like.
Ideal weather
Clear skies, light winds and low humidity make for a great show. Extra moisture in the air can distort the colors and make them less vibrant.
Less humidity also means we can enjoy the show a little more because we don’t feel sticky.
Snow
(Bradly J. Boner/AP Images for EUKANUBA™)
Snow is okay when it comes to fireworks.
The only problems are heavy snow can obscure the colors, and crews need to keep the fireworks dry in times of heavy snow or they might not light.
Wind
We also need to have the right amount of wind. Light wind might not clear the smoke quickly enough, affecting how well you can see the fireworks.
Too much wind can blow smoke or embers around, endangering people.
Smoke from a fireworks display at Chicago’s Navy Pier filters through the skyline on wind currents from Lake Michigan. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Rain and lightning
Light rain is okay when it comes to fireworks, as long as they are covered or in waterproof bags. A wet fuse will not light.
Storms and heavy rain can lead to canceled or delayed shows. Lightning can pose a major threat, sometimes striking unlit fireworks or even people.
(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Drought
Drought conditions can also cause problems. The fallout from fireworks can spark fires when there’s a lot of dry vegetation.
Each year, fireworks spawn many fires.
(Photo by Heather Morrison)
If there is a bad drought happening in your area, avoid setting off fireworks. Often, local authorities will ban the use of fireworks in high fire risk or drought conditions.
However, bigger shows might launch over bodies of water to accommodate for a drought.
So, keep these in mind if you plan on setting off fireworks. Check the forecast first and stay safe!
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
[ad_2]
Meteorologist Shelly Lindblade
Source link -
Safety tips for driving through the rain
[ad_1]
From drizzle to downpours, driving in the rain could be difficult and dangerous if you are not careful. According to U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, over 3,400 people are killed and over 357,300 people are injured in rainfall-related crashes.
We want you to understand the hazards of driving in the rain and how you can drive defensively in the elements. AAA says wet pavement contributes to more than one million traffic crashes each year.
Before driving in the rain
Before you drive in the rain, it’s important to make sure your vehicle is prepared. You want to check your windshield wipers and make sure they don’t leave streaks and clear any rain on a single swipe.
Plus, you want to check if all your headlights, taillights, brake lights and turn signals are working as well.
Next, you want to check your tire tread depth. The tire tread and inflation of your tires are important in maintaining traction on wet roads.
You can check the tread by using a quarter. If you turn it upside down and dip it into the tread of a tire and you can see the entire head of the president, that means you need to replace them.
You also need to check the tire pressure, as well.
Driving in the elements
When driving in the rain, it’s important to leave room between vehicles. Safety experts suggest following the two-second rule to maintain a safe distance from the car in front of you. In addition, the National Weather Service (NWS) suggests adding an extra two-seconds when you’re driving in heavy rain.
The NWS also say to be careful during the first half hour of rainfall because grime and oil on the road could mix with water to make them slippery. Check out our “Weather Explained: Slick roads after a dry spell” for more information.
According to AAA, “with as little as 1/12 inch of water on the road, tires have to displace a gallon of water per second to keep the rubber meeting the road.” To navigate driving in the rain, it’s best to stay toward the middle lanes, since water pools in the outside lanes. Plus, drive at the speed to correspond to the amount of rain on the roads.
Beware of hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is one risk of driving in the rain. Hydroplaning happens when your vehicle glides on top of a thin film of water and your tires lose contact with the ground.
It only happens in a few seconds, but it can feel like your vehicle is veering on its own. You should avoid hard braking and sharp turns. AAA says pressing the breaks will make hydroplaning worse and cause you to swerve out of your lane.
To reduce your risk of hydroplaning, slow down, turn off cruise control and don’t panic.
If you feel like your hydroplaning, ease your foot off the gas to regain control of the vehicle and pull over and park your car until the rainfall lightens.
If you feel your card is skidding, don’t panic and avoid hard braking. Just look and steer in the direction you want your car to go.
Turn Around, Don’t Drown®
Now, if water is over the road because of heavy rain, you should never drive through it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that over half of all flood-related drownings happen when a vehicle has driven into flood water.
Whenever you encounter a flooded road, practice Turn Around, Don’t Drown®.
The NWS says it takes 12 inches of rushing water to carry away most cars and just 2 feet of rushing water can carry away SUVs and trucks.
An empty vehicle is surrounded by floodwaters on a road in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
So it’s important to beware and drive defensively in the rain and avoid any hazards if you can.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
[ad_2]
Meteorologist Keith Bryant
Source link -
The most sustainable and cost-effective ways to heat your home
[ad_1]
Winter just began, and the coldest days of the season are on the horizon. Through much of the country, many will reach to their thermostats to crank up the heat… some places more than others.
It’s important to know what options work best when it comes to heating your home.
The methods of how we heat our homes range from clean and green to the kind that literally cause smoke to rise out of a chimney.
However, the most sustainable and cost-effective way to heat a home is subjective. The answer varies from one place to another and comes down to what type of fuel sources are most accessible in that location.
Weather and climate play a role, too. Colder regions favor certain methods over others and vice versa.
It all stems from the fuel source
Electricity and natural gas are, by far, the most common heating fuel sources in the U.S. Other sources include propane, wood and oil.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey, about 25% of households in the U.S. rely solely on electricity to heat their homes. Electric heating systems are typically the most eco-friendly, but they often come at a higher cost.
Of course, it’s hard to pin down exact amounts, since energy prices vary by location and fluctuate over time.
Electric heating is more suitable across the southern U.S., where winters are usually milder and the demand for heating isn’t as high. Using this fuel source across the northern half of the country where it gets and stays colder for longer can send electricity bills soaring.
In 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) stated that natural gas was 3.4 times more affordable than electricity, which is why it might be the better option for heating homes in some parts of the country. The EIA’s 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey reported over 50% of households in the U.S. used natural gas to heat their homes.
Even though it might come with a slightly bigger carbon footprint, natural gas is far more cost-effective for many Americans, especially for those living in colder climates such as the Midwest and Northeast.
(American Gas Association)
The American Gas Association (AGA) claims that annual energy costs for an all-electric home using a cold-climate heat pump can be roughly 37% higher than a home using natural gas as its source of heating, cooking and drying clothes.
A home heating oil delivery truck climbs a snow-covered road in the Northeast on Feb. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)
On the national scale, oil is not nearly as common as natural gas or electricity. Yet, it was once the most popular fuel in the Northeast, where it is still used in roughly 20% of homes. However, this source of heating is not as environmentally friendly and is often more expensive than electric and natural gas heat.
The most common heating systems
The DOE says that most Americans use either a furnace or boiler to heat their home. Both systems can be fueled by natural gas, oil or electricity, but differ in how they provide heat to dwellings.
The biggest difference between the two is that furnaces heat air, while boilers heat water.
Over the years, these systems have been improved to be more energy efficient. To see how efficient each furnace or boiler is, the DOE examines its annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE).
The AFUE is essentially a percentage measuring how much fuel gets converted to heat. The higher the percentage, the more efficient the furnace or boiler is.
1.) Furnaces:
Most modern homes use a central furnace, which burns a fuel source (either oil or gas) to heat air.
Technician works on a furnace. (Photo by Natalie Sopyla)
The heated air then flows through a series of ducts, where it is released through vents in each room. Cooler air in the room is then sucked back through a return vent, then it goes back into the furnace to be reheated.
This method of heating is fast and energy efficient, which is why most households use it.
2.) Boilers:
Radiators and baseboard heaters in older homes provide heat via a boiler. Hot water or steam travels through pipes in the home. When the hot water reaches the radiator or baseboard unit in each room, it releases its heat. The cooled water then flows back to the boiler to be reheated.
(Pexels)
Since water takes longer to heat than air, this method can take longer for a home to reach the desired temperature, and might not be seen as the most efficient way to heat a home.
That aside, boilers are usually better for people who suffer from indoor allergies, as furnace or forced air systems can blow around dust and pollen particles.
3.) Heat pumps:
Heat pumps are becoming more common and provide heat to the majority of homes in the Southeast. This system runs on electricity and does not require a fuel source to provide heat, which can significantly cut electricity costs compared to an electric furnace or boiler.
Serving as both an air conditioning system and a heating system, heat pumps move warm air out and allow cooler air to flow back into a home during the summer. These systems work in reverse when it gets cold outside, and cooler air is pumped out and warmer air pumped in.
While heat pumps are energy efficient and work well in milder climates, they are not the best option for areas that experience frequently temperatures below 40 degrees. They simply will struggle to provide enough heat, requiring the need for a secondary heating system.
Secondary sources of heat
Residences in colder climates will sometimes need a secondary source to generate heat, especially those that rely on heat pumps as their main system.
To raise the temperatures up a few degrees, some people use space heaters or wood-burning stoves or fireplaces.
(Pexels)
These options are good at providing supplemental heat, but aren’t the best and most sustainable choices to heat a home by themselves.
Each may be enough to heat one room, but you would need multiple fireplaces, wood-burning stoves or electric space heaters to heat an entire home. If the home is large, you could even need more than one in each room!
Along with the additional costs associated with plugging in multiple space heaters or purchasing wood to burn, these methods come with fire hazards and can increase indoor pollutants, possibly outweighing their benefits.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
[ad_2]
Meteorologist Shawnie Caslin
Source link -
Andrew Yang Fast Facts | CNN Politics
[ad_1]
CNN
—
Here is a look at the life of Andrew Yang, entrepreneur and former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate.
Birth date: January 13, 1975
Birth place: Schenectady, New York
Birth name: Andrew M. Yang
Father: Kei-Hsiung Yang, researcher at IBM and GE
Mother: Nancy L. Yang, systems administrator
Marriage: Evelyn (Lu) Yang (2011-present)
Children: Two sons
Education: Brown University, B.A. in Economics, 1996; J.D. Columbia University School of Law, 1999
Religion: Protestant
His parents are originally from Taiwan.
The primary proposal for his political platform was the idea of universal basic income (UBI). This “Freedom Dividend” would have provided every citizen with $1,000 a month, or $12,000 a year.
Yang established Freedom Dividend, a pilot program to push for universal basic income, in which he personally funds monthly cash payments.
Is featured in the 2016 documentary, “Generation Startup.”
His campaign slogan was “MATH,” or “Make America Think Harder.”
In 1992, he traveled to London as a member of the US National Debate Team.
After graduating from Columbia, Yang practiced law for a short time before changing his career focus to start-ups and entrepreneurship.
2002-2005 – Vice president of a healthcare start-up.
2006-2011 – Managing director, then CEO, of Manhattan Prep, a test-prep company.
2009 – Kaplan buys Manhattan Prep for more than $10 million.
September 2011 – Founds Venture for America, a non-profit which connects recent college graduates with start-ups. Leaves the company in 2017.
2012 – Is recognized by President Barack Obama as a “Champion of Change.”
April 2012 – Ranks No. 27 on Fast Company’s list of 100 Most Creative People in Business.
February 4, 2014 – His book, “Smart People Should Build Things: How to Restore Our Culture of Achievement, Build a Path for Entrepreneurs, and Create New Jobs in America,” is published.
May 11, 2015 – Obama names Yang an ambassador for global entrepreneurship.
November 6, 2017 – Files FEC paperwork for a 2020 presidential run.
February 2, 2018 – Announces his run for president via YouTube and Twitter.
April 3, 2018 – His book, “The War on Normal People,” is published.
March 2019 – Yang explores the possibility of using a 3D hologram to be able to campaign remotely in two or three places at once.
January 4, 2020 – Launches a write-in campaign for the Ohio Democratic primary in March of 2020 after failing to fully comply with the state’s ballot access laws.
February 11, 2020 – In New Hampshire, Yang suspends his presidential campaign.
February 19, 2020 – CNN announces that Yang will be joining the network as a political commentator.
March 5, 2020 – Launches Humanity Forward, a nonprofit group that will “endorse and provide resources to political candidates who embrace Universal Basic Income, human-centered capitalism and other aligned policies at every level,” according to its website. Yang also announces that he will launch a podcast.
December 23, 2020 – Files paperwork to participate in New York’s 2021 mayoral race, according to city records.
January 13, 2021 – Yang announces his candidacy for New York City mayor.
June 22, 2021 – Yang concedes the New York City mayoral race.
October 4, 2021 – Yang announces in a blog post that he is “breaking up” with the Democratic Party and has registered as an independent
July 27, 2022 – Yang, along with former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, and a group of former Republican and Democratic officials form a new political party called Forward.
September 12, 2023 – Yang’s political thriller “The Last Election,” co-written with Stephen Marche, is published.
2020 hopeful wants holograms to campaign in multiple cities
[ad_2]
-
Shakes on a plane: What causes air turbulence
[ad_1]
Everyone has experienced it. You’re in the middle of your flight, and all of a sudden, you feel the plane shake or jolt.
The pilot comes on the intercom and announces you’re experiencing turbulence and to buckle up.
But what exactly is turbulence?
Turbulence is the unsteady movement of air resulting from eddies and vertical currents. There are many types of turbulence. Let’s explore some.
Convective turbulence
(NWS)
When the sun heats the Earth’s surface, it’s usually uneven because different surface types heat up differently, and this can lead to turbulence.
The heat then rises, and the cool air descends, leading to bumpy rides. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), turbulence is found from the base to the top of where the air stops rising, usually up to the clouds. Above this layer of turbulent air, you’ll find smooth conditions, usually above clouds.
On days where pilots expect convective turbulence, they’ll travel in the morning or evening when heating is not so intense.
Frontal turbulence
(NWS)
Frontal turbulence occurs when warm air meets cold air.
The warm air will lift over the cold air, creating friction between the two air masses and producing turbulence.
Wind shear
Wind shear is the change in wind direction and/or wind speed over a horizontal or vertical distance. It can also cause turbulence, especially when the change is large.
Wind shear often exists in areas of temperature inversions, along troughs and lows and around jet streams.
The atmospheric temperature profile usually goes from warm (the ground) to cold (higher in the atmosphere). In a temperature inversion, that profile goes from cold to warm.
Turbulence will often occur at the top of the inversion since that is where the warm, unstable air sits.
We usually associate lows and troughs with wind shear. This change in wind speed and direction creates turbulence.
The NWS states that a jet stream is a horizontal wind that follows a wave pattern, usually located where there are large horizontal differences in temperature between warm and cold air masses. Turbulence usually occurs where there is a large difference in horizontal wind speeds over a short distance.
Turbulence from obstructions
(NWS)
When wind flows around an obstacle, it can break off and form into an eddy. The NWS defines eddies as gusts with sudden changes in speed and direction, and the size of an object and velocity of the wind can determine the eddy’s intensity.
The NWS says this type of turbulence can cause dangerous impacts when flying. Aircraft can fail to gain enough altitude to clear low objects. When landing, aircraft can experience drops.
Wind around bigger objects, such as mountains, is more noticeable. The wind moving up the windward side helps planes and other aircraft get over the peak.
But on the leeward side, the wind blowing down can cause problems for pilots. The downdraft can push an aircraft into the mountain or cause the pilot to not clear the peak.
Pilots often will gain enough altitude in advance to prevent this.
Your next trip on an airplane
I hope this information will help you relax the next time you fly.
If you experience turbulence, you’ll now know that it’s just wind, and your pilot knows how to manage it.
Engineers also designed and built your airplane to handle it.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
[ad_2]
Meteorologist Shelly Lindblade
Source link -
The ‘Full Cold Moon’ is here, even though it’s not cold
[ad_1]
December’s full moon is appropriately called the “Full Cold Moon,” although that name isn’t quite as relevant this year, considering the lack of bitter air around the country.
The moon will become its fullest at 7:33 p.m. ET/4:33 p.m. PT on Tuesday, Dec. 26.
December’s full moon is also sometimes called the Moon Before Yule, since it happens near the ancient celebration around the winter solstice. Native American names include the Long Night Moon–also because it falls near the winter solstice and the longest night of the year–and Big Winter Moon.
No matter the name, you can use the moon to find a couple of constellations. In the evening, it’ll appear right above Gemini and left of Orion. In the morning, Gemini is left of the moon and Orion is below.
Simulated view of the eastern sky the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 26. (Adapted from Stellarium)
You can also see the Big Dipper and Little Dipper in the northern sky throughout the night.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
[ad_2]
Spectrum News Weather Staff
Source link -
The birth of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
[ad_1]
The heartwarming story of Rudolph guiding Santa through the winter snow helped guide the author to a better life.
What You Need To Know
- Robert L. May created Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
- He wrote the story for his daughter Barbara May Lewis
- Barbara says she is Rudolph’s big sister
- Rudolph has indeed gone down in history
I had no idea where the story Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer originated, so I had to do some digging.
The story was always around when I was a child, and yes, I cried when the snow monster took Rudolph over the cliff. Hey, I was four years young!
Robert (Bob) May wrote the story in 1939. A self-proclaimed outcast, he was smart for his age and skipped a couple of grades. This resulted in him being younger and smaller than his classmates.
He described himself as a nerdy kid and a loser. I think we can all relate to that sentiment at one point in our lives.
He used his opinion of himself to help his daughter navigate the challenges of growing up, telling her a bedtime tale of a misfit reindeer.
Bob always wanted to write an American Novel and eventually found work at Montgomery Ward as a catalog writer. Montgomery Ward was known for giving away free books at Christmas time to children throughout the country.
May thought Rudolph would be a good character in a book and took pen to paper. After much labor of words, May wrote Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Montgomery Ward printed two million copies that year, and Bob received hundreds of letters from children, teachers, and other store managers. It was a huge success. After 10 years, his company gave him the rights to the story.
With help from May’s brother, a songwriter, they turned the short story into a song. The song found its way to a famous cowboy, Gene Autry, and blew up the charts in 1949. The classic Christmas animation soon followed.
Rudolph forever earned Bob and his family a comfortable life.
Rudolph truly went down in history!
Our team of meteorologists dive deep into the science of weather and break down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
[ad_2]
Meteorologist Michael Gouldrick
Source link -
Bake up a storm with the sweet flavors of winter
[ad_1]
As the holiday season marches along, why not bake up a flurry of sweet treats with a winter theme?
What You Need To Know
- Winter weather themed desserts are very popular through the holidays
- Cold weather months naturally send people into a baking mood
- Many winter weather themed desserts contain very few ingredients
- Baking is a good way to stay cozy and warm during a snow storm
Who wants to eat a season? Apparently, some folks do exactly that as soon as December rolls around.
From snowball cookies to marshmallow snowmen, there is no telling what inspiration dessert makers create with the flurry of baking excitement.
It takes more than just a few snow flurries to get them going, as there is a version of the sugar cookie called the blizzard. The otherwise tumultuous winter storm vision is folded into a bowl with a wooden spoon and it lands on the parchment in a variety of flavors.
Although these cookies do not contain actual snow as an ingredient, it’s the combination of sugar, vanilla, butter, flour, eggs and baking powder topped with snowflake and pearl sprinkles that makes it look like a mini snow covered island.
Does this sound too basic sugar cookie for your taste? If you are looking for more oomph in your holiday snack, there are variations on the original. Take the chocolate, cream cheese and marshmallow blizzard cookie versions instead.
These recipes make up some rip roaring flavorful combinations in every single bite. What makes the blizzard theme fitting is the combination of sugar cookie ingredients combined with a few extra swirls of partially melted white, chocolate and semi-chocolate chips.
This gives the cookie a marble coloring that adds the vision of windy or whirling snow within the scrumptious treat.
If you want to bring back an original snow ball shaped holiday confection, why not go for the pecan-filled snow ball cookies recipe? This recipe contains only a handful of ingredients you may already have on hand in your pantry. Pecans, flour, salt, sugar, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar, to be exact.
If you are looking for more fun and easy winter dessert recipes, check here. Or you can just search winter inspired desserts or snowflake cookies and you’ll be blown away at the possibilities.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
[ad_2]
Heather Morrison
Source link -
Weather Explained: Increasing your odds of having a white Christmas
[ad_1]
So, you’re dreaming of a white Christmas? In some cities, a white Christmas is quite a treat!
In 2004, a freak storm delivered a white Christmas to the residents of Brownsville, TX. It was the first white Christmas for the community, which hasn’t seen measurable snow since 1899.
If you want to plan your travels next year to increase your odds of a white Christmas, your best bet is somewhere north and in the mountains.
Aspen, Colorado, for example, has a white Christmas nearly every single year! Why? Not only is it much colder at their elevation (8,000 ft), but the community is farther north and away from large bodies of water.
Watch the video above to learn more about the best places to have a white Christmas, and keep up with your forecast to see what Christmas looks like for you!
[ad_2]
Meteorologist Nick Merianos
Source link -
Pacific storm dumps heavy rains
[ad_1]
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — Torrential rain flooded homes and streets in Southern California’s coastal cities Thursday, stranding some drivers in typically idyllic Santa Barbara and compounding holiday travel headaches.
The downpours targeted Ventura and Santa Barbara counties northwest of Los Angeles County overnight, swamping areas in the cities of Port Hueneme, Oxnard and Santa Barbara, where a police detective carried a woman on his back after the SUV she was riding in got stuck in knee-deep floodwaters.
Rainfall rates exceeding 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) an hour unleashed flash flooding about 1:30 a.m. in Ventura County, the National Weather Service said. Later in the morning, streets began filling with water in parts of Santa Barbara as the storm delivered another deluge. By midday, the rain and wind had eased and residents ventured outside to look at the damage.
Sven Dybdahl, owner of olive oil and vinegar store Viva Oliva in downtown Santa Barbara, said he had trouble finding dry routes to work Thursday morning, but most of the heavy rains and flooding had receded shortly before 11 a.m. He said he was grateful that the weather is only expected to be an issue for a few days at the tail end of the holiday shopping season, otherwise he’d be worried about how the rains would affect his store’s bottom line.
“It will have an impact but thankfully it’s happening quite late,” he said.
The city of Port Hueneme issued evacuation orders for residences on four streets and warned of potential evacuations on four other streets. About 60 houses were affected by the orders, all in a senior citizen community, said Firefighter Andy VanSciver, a Ventura County fire spokesperson. An evacuation center was set up at a college gymnasium.
Three people from the senior community were taken to hospitals out of an abundance of caution, and there were multiple rescues of drivers from flooded vehicles, he said.
The city of Oxnard said in a social media post that many streets and intersections were heavily impacted. “Please stay off the city streets for the next several hours until the water recedes,” the post said.
“This is a genuinely dramatic storm,” climate scientist Daniel Swain, of the University of California, Los Angeles, said in an online briefing. “In Oxnard, particularly, overnight there were downpours that preliminary data suggests were probably the heaviest downpours ever observed in that part of Southern California.”
The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for Oxnard and the city of Ventura at 1:28 a.m. due to a high-intensity thunderstorm, but no tornado activity was immediately observed, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post.
Hours later at Heritage Coffee and Gifts in downtown Oxnard, manager Carlos Larios said the storm hadn’t made a dent in their Thursday morning rush despite “gloomy” skies.
“People are still coming in to get coffee, which is surprising,” he said. “I don’t think the rain is going to stop many people from being out and about.”
Pedestrians walk on a flooded sidewalk as rain comes down, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023 in Santa Barbara, Calif. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)
The storm swept through Northern California earlier in the week as the center of the low-pressure system slowly moved south off the coast. Forecasters described it as a “cutoff low,” a storm that is cut off from the general west-to-east flow and can linger for days, increasing the amount of rainfall.
The system was producing hit-and-miss bands of precipitation rather than generalized widespread rainfall. Forecasters said the low would wobble slightly away from the coast on Thursday, drawing moisture away and allowing some sunshine, but will return.
The San Diego-area weather office warned that rather than fizzling, the storm was gathering energy and its main core would move through that region overnight through Friday morning.
Meanwhile, Californians were gearing up for holiday travel and finishing preparations for Christmas. The Automobile Club of Southern California predicted 9.5 million people in the region would travel during the year-end holiday period.
The Northeast was hit with an unexpectedly strong storm earlier this week, and some parts of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont were still digging out from rain and wind damage. Parts of Maine along the Androscoggin and Kennebec rivers were hit especially hard.
Floodwaters were receding throughout northern New England, though some localized areas were still in the flood stage, said Jon Palmer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Flood warnings were also still in effect in parts of Maine and New Hampshire, he said.
At least four people died in Maine as a result of the storm.
The storm cut power to 400,000 customers in Maine, and restoration was still underway Thursday morning.
—-
Antczak reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press reporters Stefanie Dazio in Los Angeles and Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
Spectrum News Weather Staff
Source link -
Short day, long night: The winter solstice explained
[ad_1]
It’s December, there’s a chill in the air, and more places are seeing snow. With the days getting shorter and the nights longer, the transition to winter is apparent.
The winter solstice marks the official start of winter, which will take place on Thursday this year.
The tilt of the Earth
The tilt of the Earth to the sun is the reason we have our seasons. Believe it or not, the Earth is closer to the sun during our winter.
It’s Earth’s tilt that gives us our season.
During the winter solstice, the Northern Hemisphere is at its maximum tilt away from the sun, putting the sun at a lower elevation.
We also get the shortest day and longest night of the year on the winter solstice.
This year, our winter solstice occurs at 10:27 p.m. ET on Dec. 21.
If you’re not a fan of the shorter days, don’t worry. After Dec. 21, the days gradually get longer until the summer solstice on June 20, 2024.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
[ad_2]
Meteorologist Shelly Lindblade
Source link -
Christmas tree syndrome: Why your allergies may flare up
[ad_1]
If you notice more sniffles and worsening allergy symptoms this time of year, you may suffer from “Christmas Tree Syndrome,” according to the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
If you notice more allergy and asthma symptoms with a live tree in the house, pine pollen is most likely the problem. Otherwise, experts warn that mold spores could grow on your Christmas tree.
In a 2011 study published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, researchers took samples from their own Christmas trees and discovered more than 50 kinds of molds.
(Pixabay)
Allergies and asthma symptoms aren’t just caused by real trees, either. Even those who opt for a fake Christmas tree could still feel ill.
If not properly stored in your basement or attic, dust and mold can accumulate or grow on the branches, aggravating symptoms.
Combating the issue
According to the American Christmas Tree Association, shaking out and hosing off real trees before bringing indoors can reduce allergy and asthma symptoms in some people. Although you’ll want to let the tree dry off before transferring indoors.
Since drying off can take a while, experts claim you can use a dry air compressor to speed up the process.
Using an air purifier and taking down the tree the day after Christmas can also reduce exposure to any mold spores that are still present on the tree.
Those who decide on an artificial tree should also thoroughly dust and wipe down its branches to remove any allergens before putting up and taking down. This can also apply to any other indoor decorations you decide to put up, too.
Once the holidays are over, place the tree and its components in an air-tight container and avoid storing it in a cardboard box. Cardboard is an ideal breeding ground for molds to grow on, which could spread to your tree.
(iStock)
Provided pollen is your biggest trigger, choosing a fake tree would probably be your best bet. However, if you are dead-set on putting up a live Christmas tree, experts recommend trying a fir, spruce, or cypress.
Two popular suggestions for those with allergies or who are sensitive to tree scents are the White Fir and Leyland Cypress.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
[ad_2]
Meteorologist Katie Walls
Source link -
Most of the U.S. will have to dream of a white Christmas this year
[ad_1]
Burl Ives sang the words “I don’t know if there’ll be snow, but have a cup of cheer”… you’re going to need the cup of cheer, because most of the country won’t wake up to a winter wonderland next Monday.
The recent mild pattern has been quite persistent and will stay that way right through the holiday. Here’s what temperatures compared to average look like through Monday.
The relative warmth is great news for travelers hoping snow and ice won’t snarl their pre-holiday trip. But for those who like seeing a white Christmas, it’s a disappointment. Here’s where one of our reliable computer models predicts at least an inch of snow will be on the ground Christmas morning (which is the definition of a white Christmas).
Snow will definitely be in short supply this year. For example, those who average three out of four Christmases being white… well, this year is that one-out-of-four.
Travel weather next week likely involves a couple of weather systems in the central and eastern U.S. that’ll produce both rain and snow. Keep up with your local forecast to see what conditions may be like in your area–rain, snow or shine.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
[ad_2]
Meteorologist Justin Gehrts
Source link -
2023 In Review Fast Facts | CNN
[ad_1]
CNN
—
Here is a look back at the events of 2023.
January 3 – Republican Kevin McCarthy fails to secure enough votes to be elected Speaker of the House in three rounds of voting. On January 7, McCarthy is elected House speaker after multiple days of negotiations and 15 rounds of voting. That same day, the newly elected 118th Congress is officially sworn in.
January 7 – Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, is pulled over for reckless driving. He is hospitalized following the arrest and dies three days later from injuries sustained during the traffic stop. Five officers from the Memphis Police Department are fired. On January 26, a grand jury indicts the five officers. They are each charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. On September 12, the five officers are indicted by a federal grand jury on several charges including deprivation of rights.
January 9 – The White House counsel’s office confirms that several classified documents from President Joe Biden’s time as vice president were discovered last fall in an office at the Penn Biden Center. On January 12, the White House counsel’s office confirms a small number of additional classified documents were located in President Biden’s Wilmington, Delaware, home.
January 13 – The Trump Organization is fined $1.6 million – the maximum possible penalty – by a New York judge for running a decade-long tax fraud scheme.
January 21 – Eleven people are killed in a mass shooting at a dance studio in Monterey Park, California, as the city’s Asian American community was celebrating Lunar New Year. The 72-year-old gunman is found dead the following day from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
January 24 – CNN reports that a lawyer for former Vice President Mike Pence discovered about a dozen documents marked as classified at Pence’s Indiana home last week, and he has turned those classified records over to the FBI.
January 25 – Facebook-parent company Meta announces it will restore former President Donald Trump’s accounts on Facebook and Instagram in the coming weeks, just over two years after suspending him in the wake of the January 6 Capitol attack.
February 1 – Tom Brady announces his retirement after 23 seasons in the NFL.
February 2 – Defense officials announce the United States is tracking a suspected Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon over the continental United States. On February 4, a US military fighter jet shoots down the balloon over the Atlantic Ocean. On June 29, the Pentagon reveals the balloon did not collect intelligence while flying over the country.
February 3 – A Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials derails in East Palestine, Ohio. An evacuation order is issued for the area within a mile radius of the train crash. The order is lifted on February 8. After returning to their homes, some residents report they have developed a rash and nausea.
February 7 – Lebron James breaks the NBA’s all-time scoring record, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
February 15 – Payton Gendron, 19, who killed 10 people in a racist mass shooting at a grocery store in a predominantly Black area of Buffalo last May, is sentenced to life in prison.
February 18 – In a statement, the Carter Center says that former President Jimmy Carter will begin receiving hospice care at his home in Georgia.
February 20 – President Biden makes a surprise trip to Kyiv for the first time since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine almost a year ago.
February 23 – Disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly is sentenced to 20 years in prison in a Chicago federal courtroom on charges of child pornography and enticement of a minor. Kelly is already serving a 30-year prison term for his 2021 conviction on racketeering and sex trafficking charges in a New York federal court. Nineteen years of the 20-year prison sentence will be served at the same time as his other sentence. One year will be served after that sentence is complete.
February 23 – Harvey Weinstein, who is already serving a 23-year prison sentence in New York, is sentenced in Los Angeles to an additional 16 years in prison for charges of rape and sexual assault.
March 2 – SpaceX and NASA launch a fresh crew of astronauts on a mission to the International Space Station, kicking off a roughly six-month stay in space. The mission — which is carrying two NASA astronauts, a Russian cosmonaut and an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates — took off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
March 2 – The jury in the double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh finds him guilty of murdering his wife and son. Murdaugh, the 54-year-old scion of a prominent and powerful family of local lawyers and solicitors, is also found guilty of two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime in the killings of Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh and Paul Murdaugh on June 7, 2021.
March 3 – Four US citizens from South Carolina are kidnapped by gunmen in Matamoros, Mexico, in a case of mistaken identity. On March 7, two of the four Americans, Shaeed Woodard and Zindell Brown, are found dead and the other two, Latavia McGee and Eric Williams, are found alive. The cartel believed responsible for the armed kidnapping issues an apology letter and hands over five men to local authorities.
March 10 – The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation announces that Silicon Valley Bank was shut down by California regulators. This is the second largest bank failure in US history, only to Washington Mutual’s collapse in 2008. SVB Financial Group, the former parent company of SVB, files for bankruptcy on March 17.
March 27 – A 28-year-old Nashville resident shoots and kills three children and three adults at the Covenant School in Nashville. The shooter is fatally shot by responding officers.
March 29 – Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is detained by Russian authorities and accused of spying. On April 7, he is formally charged with espionage.
March 30 – A grand jury in New York votes to indict Trump, the first time in American history that a current or former president has faced criminal charges. On April 4, Trump surrenders and is placed under arrest before pleading not guilty to 34 felony criminal charges of falsifying business records. Prosecutors allege that Trump sought to undermine the integrity of the 2016 election through a hush money scheme with payments made to women who claimed they had extramarital affairs with Trump. He has denied the affairs.
April 6 – Two Democratic members of the Tennessee House of Representatives, Rep. Justin Jones and Rep. Justin Pearson, are expelled while a third member, Rep. Gloria Johnson, is spared in an ousting by Republican lawmakers that was decried by the trio as oppressive, vindictive and racially motivated. This comes after Jones, Pearson and Johnson staged a demonstration on the House floor calling for gun reform following the shooting at the Covenant School. On April 10, Rep. Jones is sworn back in following a unanimous vote by the Nashville Metropolitan Council to reappoint him as an interim representative. On April 12, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners vote to confirm the reappointment of Rep. Pearson.
April 6-13 – ProPublica reports that Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife, conservative activist Ginni Thomas, have gone on several luxury trips involving travel subsidized by and stays at properties owned by Harlan Crow, a GOP megadonor. The hospitality was not disclosed on Thomas’ public financial filings with the Supreme Court. The following week ProPublica reports Thomas failed to disclose a 2014 real estate deal he made with Crow. On financial disclosure forms released on August 31, Thomas discloses the luxury trips and “inadvertently omitted” information including the real estate deal.
April 7 – A federal judge in Texas issues a ruling on medication abortion drug mifepristone, saying he will suspend the US Food and Drug Administration’s two-decade-old approval of it but paused his ruling for seven days so the federal government can appeal. But in a dramatic turn of events, a federal judge in Washington state says in a new ruling shortly after that the FDA must keep medication abortion drugs available in more than a dozen Democratic-led states.
April 13 – 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard is arrested by the FBI in connection with the leaking of classified documents that have been posted online.
April 18 – Fox News reaches a last-second settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, paying more than $787 million to end a two-year legal battle that publicly shredded the network’s credibility. Fox News’ $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems is the largest publicly known defamation settlement in US history involving a media company.
April 25 – President Biden formally announces his bid for reelection.
May 2 – More than 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) go on strike for the first time since 2007. On September 26, the WGA announces its leaders have unanimously voted to authorize its members to return to work following the tentative agreement reached on September 24 between union negotiators and Hollywood’s studios and streaming services, effectively ending the months-long strike.
May 9 – A Manhattan federal jury finds Trump sexually abused former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll in a luxury department store dressing room in the spring of 1996 and awards her $5 million for battery and defamation.
June 8 – Trump is indicted on a total of 37 counts in the special counsel’s classified documents probe. In a superseding indictment filed on July 27, Trump is charged with one additional count of willful retention of national defense information and two additional obstruction counts, bringing the total to 40 counts.
June 16 – Robert Bowers, the gunman who killed 11 worshippers at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue in 2018, is convicted by a federal jury on all 63 charges against him. He is sentenced to death on August 2.
June 18 – A civilian submersible disappears with five people aboard while voyaging to the wreckage of the Titanic. On June 22, following a massive search for the submersible, US authorities announce the vessel suffered a “catastrophic implosion,” killing all five people aboard.
June 20 – ProPublica reports that Justice Samuel Alito did not disclose a luxury 2008 trip he took in which a hedge fund billionaire flew him on a private jet, even though the businessman would later repeatedly ask the Supreme Court to intervene on his behalf. In a highly unusual move, Alito preemptively disputed the nature of the report before it was published, authoring an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal in which he acknowledged knowing billionaire Paul Singer but downplaying their relationship.
June 29 – The Supreme Court says colleges and universities can no longer take race into consideration as a specific basis for granting admission, a landmark decision overturning long-standing precedent.
July 13 – The FDA approves Opill to be available over-the-counter, the first nonprescription birth control pill in the United States.
July 14 – SAG-AFTRA, a union representing about 160,000 Hollywood actors, goes on strike after talks with major studios and streaming services fail. It is the first time its members have stopped work on movie and television productions since 1980. On November 8, SAG-AFTRA and the studios reach a tentative agreement, officially ending the strike.
August 1 – Trump is indicted by a federal grand jury in Washington, DC, in the 2020 election probe. Trump is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights.
August 8 – Over 100 people are killed and hundreds of others unaccounted for after wildfires engulf parts of Maui. Nearly 3,000 homes and businesses are destroyed or damaged.
August 14 – Trump and 18 others are indicted by an Atlanta-based grand jury on state charges stemming from their efforts to overturn the former president’s 2020 electoral defeat. Trump now faces a total of 91 charges in four criminal cases, in four different jurisdictions — two federal and two state cases. On August 24, Trump surrenders at the Fulton County jail where he is processed and released on bond.
August 23 – Eight Republican presidential candidates face off in the first primary debate of the 2024 campaign in Milwaukee.
September 12 – House Speaker McCarthy announces he is calling on his committees to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Biden, even as they have yet to prove allegations he directly profited off his son’s foreign business deals.
September 14 – Hunter Biden is indicted by special counsel David Weiss in connection with a gun he purchased in 2018, the first time in US history the Justice Department has charged the child of a sitting president. The three charges include making false statements on a federal firearms form and possession of a firearm as a prohibited person.
September 22 – New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez is charged with corruption-related offenses for the second time in 10 years. Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, are accused of accepting “hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes” in exchange for the senator’s influence, according to the newly unsealed federal indictment.
September 28 – Dianne Feinstein, the longest-serving female US senator in history, dies at the age of 90. On October 1, California Governor Gavin Newsom announces he will appoint Emily’s List president Laphonza Butler to replace her. Butler will become the first out Black lesbian to join Congress. She will also be the sole Black female senator serving in Congress and only the third in US history.
September 29 – Las Vegas police confirm Duane Keith Davis, aka “Keffe D,” was arrested for the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur.
October 3 – McCarthy is removed as House speaker following a 216-210 vote, with eight Republicans voting to remove McCarthy from the post.
October 25 – After three weeks without a speaker, the House votes to elect Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana.
October 25 – Robert Card, a US Army reservist, kills 18 people and injures 13 others in a shooting rampage in Lewiston, Maine. On October 27, after a two-day manhunt, he is found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot.
November 13 – The Supreme Court announces a code of conduct in an attempt to bolster the public’s confidence in the court after months of news stories alleging that some of the justices have been skirting ethics regulations.
November 19 – Former first lady Rosalynn Carter passes away at the age of 96.
January 8 – Supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro storm the country’s congressional building, Supreme Court and presidential palace. The breaches come about a week after the inauguration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who defeated Bolsonaro in a runoff election on October 30.
January 15 – At least 68 people are killed when an aircraft goes down near the city of Pokhara in central Nepal. This is the country’s deadliest plane crash in more than 30 years.
January 19 – New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden announces she will not seek reelection in October.
January 24 – President Volodymyr Zelensky fires a slew of senior Ukrainian officials amid a growing corruption scandal linked to the procurement of war-time supplies.
February 6 – More than 15,000 people are killed and tens of thousands injured after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake strikes Turkey and Syria.
February 28 – At least 57 people are killed after two trains collide in Greece.
March 1 – Bola Ahmed Tinubu is declared the winner of Nigeria’s presidential election.
March 10 – Xi Jinping is reappointed as president for another five years by China’s legislature in a ceremonial vote in Beijing, a highly choreographed exercise in political theater meant to demonstrate legitimacy and unity of the ruling elite.
March 16 – The French government forces through controversial plans to raise the country’s retirement age from 62 to 64.
April 4 – Finland becomes the 31st member of NATO.
April 15 – Following months of tensions in Sudan between a paramilitary group and the country’s army, violence erupts.
May 3 – A 13-year-old boy opens fire on his classmates at a school in Belgrade, Serbia, killing at least eight children along with a security guard. On May 4, a second mass shooting takes place when an attacker opens fire in the village of Dubona, about 37 miles southeast of Belgrade, killing eight people.
May 5 – The World Health Organization announces Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency.
May 6 – King Charles’ coronation takes place at Westminster Abbey in London.
August 4 – Alexey Navalny is sentenced to 19 years in prison on extremism charges, Russian media reports. Navalny is already serving sentences totaling 11-and-a-half years in a maximum-security facility on fraud and other charges that he says were trumped up.
September 8 – Over 2,000 people are dead and thousands are injured after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hits Morocco.
October 8 – Israel formally declares war on the Palestinian militant group Hamas after it carried out an unprecedented attack by air, sea and land on October 7.
November 8 – The Vatican publishes new guidelines opening the door to Catholic baptism for transgender people and babies of same-sex couples.
November 24 – The first group of hostages is released after Israel and Hamas agree to a temporary truce. Dozens more hostages are released in the following days. On December 1, the seven-day truce ends after negotiations reach an impasse and Israel accuses Hamas of violating the agreement by firing at Israel.
Awards and Winners
January 9 – The College Football Playoff National Championship game takes place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The Georgia Bulldogs defeat Texas Christian University’s Horned Frogs 65-7 for their second national title in a row.
January 10 – The 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards are presented live on NBC.
January 16-29 – The 111th Australian Open takes place. Novak Djokovic defeats Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets to win a 10th Australian Open title and a record-equaling 22nd grand slam. Belarusian-born Aryna Sabalenka defeats Elena Rybakina in three sets, becoming the first player competing under a neutral flag to secure a grand slam.
February 5 – The 65th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony takes place in Los Angeles at the Crypto.com Arena.
February 12 – Super Bowl LVII takes place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35. This is the first Super Bowl to feature two Black starting quarterbacks.
February 19 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wins the 65th Annual Daytona 500 in double overtime. It is the longest Daytona 500 ever with a record of 212 laps raced.
March 12 – The 95th Annual Academy Awards takes place, with Jimmy Kimmel hosting for the third time.
March 14 – Ryan Redington wins his first Iditarod.
April 2 – The Louisiana State University Tigers defeat the University of Iowa Hawkeyes 102-85 in Dallas, to win the program’s first NCAA women’s basketball national championship.
April 3 – The University of Connecticut Huskies win its fifth men’s basketball national title with a 76-59 victory over the San Diego State University Aztecs in Houston.
April 6-9 – The 87th Masters tournament takes place. Jon Rahm wins, claiming his first green jacket and second career major at Augusta National.
April 17 – The 127th Boston Marathon takes place. The winners are Evans Chebet of Kenya in the men’s division and Hellen Obiri of Kenya in the women’s division.
May 6 – Mage, a 3-year-old chestnut colt, wins the 149th Kentucky Derby.
May 8-9 – The 147th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show takes place at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York. Buddy Holly, a petit basset griffon Vendéen, wins Best in Show.
May 20 – National Treasure wins the 148th running of the Preakness Stakes.
May 21 – Brooks Koepka wins the 105th PGA Championship at Oak Hill County Club in Rochester, New York. This is his third PGA Championship and fifth major title of his career.
May 22-June 11 – The French Open takes place at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. Novak Djokovic wins a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title, defeating Casper Ruud 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 7-5 in the men’s final. Iga Świątek wins her third French Open in four years with a 6-2 5-7 6-4 victory against the unseeded Karolína Muchová in the women’s final.
May 28 – Josef Newgarden wins the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500.
June 10 – Arcangelo wins the 155th running of the Belmont Stakes.
June 11 – The 76th Tony Awards takes place.
June 12 – The Denver Nuggets defeat the Miami Heat 94-89 in Game 5, to win the series 4-1 and claim their first NBA title in franchise history.
June 13 – The Vegas Golden Knights defeat the Florida Panthers in Game 5 to win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.
June 18 – American golfer Wyndham Clark wins the 123rd US Open at The Los Angeles Country Club.
July 1-23 – The 110th Tour de France takes place. Danish cyclist Jonas Vingegaard wins his second consecutive Tour de France title.
July 3-16 – Wimbledon takes place in London. Carlos Alcaraz defeats Novak Djokovic 1-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 3-6 6-4 in the men’s final, to win his first Wimbledon title. Markéta Vondroušová defeats Ons Jabeur 6-4 6-4 in the women’s final, to win her first Wimbledon title and become the first unseeded woman in the Open Era to win the tournament.
July 16-23 – Brian Harman wins the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake, Wirral, England, for his first major title.
July 20-August 20 – The Women’s World Cup takes place in Australia and New Zealand. Spain defeats England 1-0 to win its first Women’s World Cup.
August 28-September 10 – The US Open Tennis Tournament takes place. Coco Gauff defeats Aryna Sabalenka, and Novak Djokovic defeats Daniil Medvedev.
October 2-9 – The Nobel Prizes are announced. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to jailed Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi for “her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all,” according to the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
November 1 – The Texas Rangers win the World Series for the first time in franchise history, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-0 in Game 5.
November 5 – The New York City Marathon takes place. Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola sets a course record and wins the men’s race. Kenya’s Hellen Obiri wins the women’s race.
[ad_2]
-
A British guy crashed her Thanksgiving dinner. They’ve been married for 20 years | CNN
[ad_1]
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published on Thanksgiving 2021 and was updated and republished for Thanksgiving 2023.
CNN
—
It was November 1997 and Dina Honour was hosting Thanksgiving dinner for the first time. The then 27-year-old invited a group of New York City friends who, like her, had decided to stay in the city over the holidays.
It had been a tough year for Dina. She’d been suffering from depression after a bad relationship.
“I had slowly found my way back to a sense of normal, and was not looking for love,” Dina tells CNN Travel today.
Instead, Dina was focusing on hosting her friends for the holiday. She’d set up a dining table in the two-bed apartment she shared with a roommate in Brooklyn. Her sister had traveled over from Boston. She’d busied herself all morning mashing potato and roasting turkey.
She’d asked each guest to bring along something to contribute to the spread. Soon her friends started to trickle in, bearing holiday tidings, holding cornbread, pies and cranberry sauce.
Then Dina opened the door to one friend, only to realize he had two mystery guests in tow.
It wasn’t the kind of gathering where surprise plus-ones were welcome.
“I was not happy,” recalls Dina. “But then I got a look at him. And I said ‘Okay.’”
“Him” was Richard Steggall, a 25-year-old Brit on vacation in New York for the first time. He’d traveled to the US with a good friend who had a brother living in NYC. This brother was a friend of Dina’s and had been invited to her party.
“I didn’t know what Thanksgiving was at the time, to be honest, I had no idea,” says Richard today. “Growing up in the UK, I was vaguely aware, but I had no idea of the significance of the holiday whatsoever.”
Richard and his friends had spent their vacation soaking up New York, going out clubbing in the evenings and exploring the sights in the daytime.
The morning of November 27, they’d woken up late, having been out the night before. They were looking for somewhere to get a bite to eat.
The American in their group explained it was a national holiday, and most restaurants would be closed.
“But I know of a party going on where they might have some food,” he’d said.
“That’s how he pitched it to us,” recalls Richard. “We had no idea it was going be a semi-formal Thanksgiving dinner, much like Christmas would be in the UK.”
Richard had his first inkling that turning up uninvited was a bit of a faux pas when he saw Dina’s expression when she opened her apartment door.
But he was also instantly captivated.
“From the start, I was entranced by Dina,” he says today.
The feeling was mutual. Dina’s frustration at the unexpected guests was quickly tempered by her instant attraction to Richard.
“I thought he was very, very handsome,” she says. “You can’t make it up, right? The tall dark stranger who comes to your door on Thanksgiving.”
She led the interlopers into the apartment. Richard and his fellow Brit, feeling awkward, tried to make themselves as unobtrusive as possible.
“The other uninvited guest and myself sort of hid in the corner for a little bit, just trying to keep a low profile,” says Richard.
From his spot in the corner, Richard watched Dina circulating the room.
“I thought she was beautiful. To me, coming from London, she was this New York woman,” he says. “She was strong, confident, sort of loud, but funny – just exuding life. And I was just smitten from the start.”
Richard asked a few of the guests about Dina, but he didn’t speak to her directly – he didn’t want to disturb the hostess he’d already offended by turning up in the first place.
As dessert rolled around, Dina approached Richard with a slice of pumpkin pie and whipped cream – a quintessential Thanksgiving dessert that’s far from common in the UK.
Richard had never tried it before, and readily accepted.
The two started talking. Dina, who loves literature, dropped a reference to Shakespeare’s Ophelia into the conversation. Richard picked up on it – he knew “Hamlet,” he said.
“It was like a little light came on,” says Dina. “Not many guys you meet at a party – in between beer and pumpkin pie – are going to be happy to have a conversation about ‘Hamlet.’”
The two spent the rest of the night talking, striking up a quick bond.
“I think we had so much in common in our outlook on life, and the things that were important to us as people and human beings, and the way that we view the world, and the things that we wanted from life,” says Richard.
After they’d finished up dinner, the group went out to a bar. There, Dina and Richard were so focused on one another that Dina recalls her sister, who’d traveled all the way from Boston for the gathering, being a bit annoyed.
“We sat at the bar on bar stools facing one another, and kind of ignored everybody else,” she says. “We spent all night talking, all day the next day.”
Friday afternoon Richard was due to fly back to London.
Dina accompanied him to the subway station and they said goodbye on the platform.
As the doors closed on the train, Dina recalls feeling a sense of certainty.
“It was really something intuitive and instinctive,” she says now.
Back at her apartment, Dina confided in her sister:
“That’s the man I’m going to marry.”
When he’d traveled to New York, Richard had been seeing someone back in London. The first thing he did when he landed back in the UK was call that off.
“I didn’t quite know what was going to happen,” he says, “But I felt it was the right thing to do.”
The next day, Dina called him from New York.
And so began a month of daily, long-distance phone conversations, and the occasional letter sent across the Atlantic.
“We had a sort of old-fashioned courtship over the phone,” says Dina.
She was working as a substitute teacher at the time, and would phone Richard from the school break room.
Richard was working as a flower and Christmas tree seller in Chelsea, London, occasionally DJing in the evening. He’d speak to Dina when he got back from a long workday, or before heading out to a club.
It was mid-December when Richard suggested it.
“Listen,” he said. “Why don’t you come over to London for Christmas?”
“I don’t know. It’s a lot. It’s Christmas. I didn’t spend Thanksgiving with my family. I should spend Christmas with them,” Dina recalls thinking.
She was also hesitant to put her heart on her line. She’d had that difficult break up earlier in the year and had just got herself back to a place of contentment.
But ringing around her head was the thought that she should seize this moment.
“I don’t want to regret not doing this,” she remembers thinking. “If this is the chance, I don’t want to miss out on it.”
One cold December day, Dina went to a travel agent and walked out holding a plane ticket to London in her hands.
“It was a commitment, a tangible thing,” she says. “I think I was willing to take a chance, hoping that it went well, but also knowing that if it didn’t, it wasn’t going to be the end of my world.”
Dina says that feeling that she’d be okay whatever happened came from the sense of self that she’d worked hard to cultivate after her tough year. She was confident in the connection with Richard, but also confident in herself.
Her friends and family were “cautiously optimistic” she says. They supported her decision, and hoped her faith in Richard would prove well founded.
Meet the couples who fell in love while traveling
Dina flew from New York to London on Christmas Day. At Heathrow Airport arrivals, Richard was waiting for her. It was 9 p.m. at night, and he was holding a bouquet of his Chelsea flowers.
Richard had told his friends and family that he’d met someone while on vacation in New York. But he hadn’t had much time to share many details about this burgeoning connection.
“It all happened so quickly between November and December – and with working selling flowers and selling Christmas trees, the whole of the end of November, and the whole of December, it’s full-on, it’s sort of 20-hour days.”
In the UK, December 26 is known as Boxing Day and is also a national holiday. On Boxing Day morning, Richard and Dina traveled together to his parents’ house.
“It’s a tradition in our family to have a sort of a Champagne brunch with smoked salmon, and so all of the family’s sitting around the table having a drink of Champagne and in comes Dina and I,” recalls Richard.
He introduced Dina to his family, then excused himself momentarily. When he returned, Dina was “holding court,” drinking and chatting with his family.
“I left her in the room with my mum and dad and my uncle and aunt and my sister and they got on famously,” says Richard.
“They were all incredibly nice,” says Dina.
“My parents were so happy that I had met someone, and it was clearly love from the start – and I think they will tell you that they could completely see a change in me, and see how happy I was,” says Richard.
Later that day, Richard surprised Dina with a plane ticket. The two were going to fly to the island of Majorca in Spain with some of Richard’s friends for New Year’s Eve.
It was a great trip, says Dina, even if she had to negotiate a bit of curious grilling from her new boyfriend’s friends.
When the festive period was over, she had to return to the US. But Richard booked a spontaneous New York weekend towards the end of January 1998, while Dina flew to London for Valentine’s Day.
For that holiday, the couple hired a sports car and stayed in a swanky hotel in Richmond, west London.
“This was all out of our comfort zone at the time, but we tried to sort of recreate this romantic weekend,” says Richard.
He’d bought a suit and pair of smart shoes for the first time, and recalls nearly falling down the stairs at the hotel because the shoes weren’t worn in properly.
Then, in spring 1998, Richard packed up his job at the flower market and traveled to New York for three months, intending to spend the summer with Dina.
It wasn’t supposed to be permanent, but looking back, he reckons his friends and family knew better.
“The goodbyes that we had, and some of the parties that were thrown, had a more air of finality about it than it’s just a three-month thing – it was really a sending off for a new life.”
Still, Richard arrived with only a green duffel bag of clothes. He moved into Dina’s apartment, the same one he’d turned up at, uninvited, the previous Thanksgiving.
They spent the hot days of summer together, exploring the city, wandering around Central Park and the East Village, cementing their certainty that they wanted to be together long term.
While they felt marriage could be in their future, the couple didn’t want to get married at that point, even if it could have been a way to ensure Richard could stay in the US.
“I think we were both really clear that, ‘Yes, we want you to say, and we’ll figure out a way to do that, and yes, maybe down the road, there will be marriage.’ But those two things were very separate, I think for both of us,” says Dina.
So Richard started looking for jobs that came with a visa, and ended up with a role at the United Nations.
“When you tell the story to people, and they can’t quite believe that it’s true – they think you’re some spy working for the UN or something,” jokes Richard.
It was an amazing opportunity career-wise. Richard and Dina started to settle down together properly in New York.
The couple’s story had started on Thanksgiving and continued at Christmas. And on New Year’s Eve 1999, the two began a new chapter together when Richard proposed at the advent of the new millennium.
The couple recall watching the fireworks explode over Sydney Harbour on CNN that morning. Dina was marveling at the display, but Richard was quiet with nerves.
“I was sitting there, really nervous and grumpy. And Dina’s like, ‘What’s the matter with you, it’s New Year’s Eve, and it’s the millennium?’” says Richard, laughing.
That evening, they headed to a friend’s party in a high-rise apartment looking out over the city. By this point, Richard’s nerves were even worse.
“I was struggling to hold it together a little bit, I had started telling people,” he says. “I shared it with a couple of people, who were so excited.”
More friends found out when Richard failed to open a bottle of Champagne because his hands were shaking so much.
He handed it to someone else and pushed through the crowd to find Dina. As the clock struck midnight, he asked her to marry him.
“I believe I accidentally kicked him in the shin in excitement,” she says.
The couple were married in April 2001 in New York, at a venue called the Manhattan Penthouse on Fifth Avenue. Their British friends and family stayed in the glamorous hotels surrounding Union Square.
“We wanted to give our friends and family who were coming in – especially from London, but also from where I grew up, near Boston – a real New York experience, so we chose a place on the top floor, windows on all sides,” says Dina.
Guests admired views of the Empire State Building as they toasted the couple’s future.
Afterward, Dina and Richard hired limos to send guests on their way. Some went to bars on Union Square, or enjoyed nightcaps at their hotels.
“There are all sorts of stories of where people ended up,” says Richard. “My father was last seen in a limousine – I’m not sure if this is real, but it’s become real – standing up out of the sunroof, pointing up town, as the limo went up Broadway. I think it’s probably an urban myth, but it’s become part of our family legend.”
Following an “amazing” honeymoon in Australia, Richard and Dina continued to enjoy life in New York, later welcoming two sons.
And in 2008, their life took a new turn when the family moved to Nicosia, Cyprus, for Richard’s UN work.
When the opportunity arose to relocate, the couple were starting to feel they’d outgrown their New York apartment. Richard, who’d always had a bit of wanderlust, was itching for a new adventure.
Still, the decision to up sticks to Cyprus wasn’t an easy one. Their youngest son was only six months old at the time. Plus, Dina says she’s the more risk-averse of the two, and she wasn’t sure at first. But after a long conversation, the couple decided to go for it.
“We decided that the pros outweighed the cons,” says Dina.
In Nicosia, the couple struggled with a bit of culture shock at first, but eventually made good friends, embracing the Mediterranean lifestyle – pleased their kids were growing up among beautiful scenery and sunshine.
“I think it changed our mindset a lot about what kind of life we could have,” says Richard.
So much so, that instead of returning to New York City as they’d always assumed they would, the family later relocated to Copenhagen.
Fast forward to 2023 and Dina and Richard are now based in Berlin. Their kids are 19 and 15, and might be New Yorkers by birth, but they’ve been brought up across Europe, and love to travel. Their eldest son is now at college in the UK.
Richard still works for the UN, while Dina is an author and editor. She wrote a book “There’s Some Place Like Home: Lessons From a Decade Abroad” in 2018. She recently published a new memoir, “It’s a Lot to Unpack,” in November 2023.
It’s over 10 years since Richard and Dina last lived in the US, but Thanksgiving remains an important date for the couple – the holiday brought them together, after all.
“The kids know the story, it’s become part of our family lore,” says Dina.
“It’s always a date in the calendar where we start to reflect on our lives and what’s happened and everything, the whole story from start to finish,” says Richard.
Richard adds that during his first few years of living in the US, Thanksgiving quickly became his favorite American holiday.
“It was magical because you would go and you would have this fantastic meal, you’d spend time with family and then the next day you would just sit in your sweatpants watching TV, everybody just together relaxing,” he recalls.
When Richard and Dina first moved to Cyprus, they tried to recreate traditional US Thanksgiving traditions. But as they settled into life in Europe, they started celebrating the holiday – which is normal workday in Europe – in different ways.
They began a tradition of going out for dinner as a family to reflect on what they”re grateful for. This year, the dynamic will be different, as their eldest son will be in the UK at college, but Dina and Richard still plan to celebrate.
“We will go out for dinner with our younger son and we will toast the happiness of the older one who we’ve managed to successfully launch into the world,” says Dina.
“As always we have much to be thankful for, but are always grateful to have one another, even if there is no pumpkin pie.”
Richard and Dina say they’ll also be forever grateful for their original chance meeting, instant connection and their conversations past, present and future.
“We still spend hours and hours and hours talking,” says Dina.
“Dina offering me that pumpkin pie was the start of that conversation, which has now been going on for 26 years,” says Richard.
[ad_2]
-
Woody Allen Fast Facts | CNN
[ad_1]
CNN
—
Here’s a look at the life of Oscar-winning filmmaker Woody Allen.
Birth date: December 1, 1935
Birth place: Brooklyn, New York
Birth name: Allan Stewart Konigsberg
Father: Martin Konigsberg, worked various jobs
Mother: Nettie (Cherry) Konigsberg, bookkeeper
Marriages: Soon-Yi Previn (December 22, 1997-present), Louise Lasser (divorced), Harlene Rosen (divorced)
Children: daughters adopted with Soon-Yi Previn: Manzie Tio Allen (2000), Bechet Dumaine Allen (1998); with Mia Farrow: Satchel Farrow (1987, now goes by Ronan), Dylan O’Sullivan Farrow (1985, adopted daughter), Moses Farrow (1978, adopted)
Education: Attended New York University and City College of New York.
He legally changed his name at 17 to Heywood Allen.
Allen has worked as a comedy writer, stand-up comic, screenwriter, actor, playwright, musician and director.
He has 24 Oscar nominations and four wins: 16 for writing, with three wins; seven for directing, with one win; and one nomination for acting.
Allen has one Emmy nomination for writing.
Allen has appeared in dozens of the movies he’s directed and claims to have never watched his films once they are released.
Although Allen is best known for comedies, he has explored different genres including dramas (“Interiors”), thrillers (“Match Point”) and musicals (“Everyone Says I Love You”).
Most of his movies have been filmed in and around New York.
He plays the jazz clarinet and piano.
1950-1960 – Comedy writer.
1961-1964 – A standup comic.
July 1964 – Releases his first comedy album, “Woody Allen.”
June 22, 1965 – The first movie he wrote and performed in, “What’s New Pussycat?” is released.
November 17, 1966 – “Don’t Drink the Water,” Allen’s first play, opens on Broadway.
February 12, 1969-March 14, 1970 – “Play It Again, Sam,” his second play, runs on Broadway with Allen in the lead. In 1972, he reprises his role in the movie adaptation.
1978 – “Annie Hall” wins four Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay Written for the Screen and Best Actress. Allen earns two of the four Oscars as writer and director. He is also nominated for Best Actor but does not win.
1987 – Wins the Academy Award for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for “Hannah and Her Sisters.” He is also nominated for Best Director for the same film.
1992 – His 12 year relationship with actress Mia Farrow ends when she discovers his affair with her adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn. Subsequently, allegations of sexual molestation are made by their adopted daughter, Dylan, 7. A two-year custody battle for their three children Satchel, Dylan and Moses ensues, which Farrow wins.
April 1998 – The documentary, “Wild Man Blues,” is released, showcasing Allen’s love for the jazz clarinet and his association with the Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band.
2002 – Makes his only appearance at an Academy Awards ceremony. He appeals for the continued use of New York as a setting for movies after September 11, 2001.
2012 – Wins an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for “Midnight in Paris.”
February 1, 2014 – An open letter written by Dylan Farrow is published in the New York Times, recounting her allegation that Allen sexually assaulted her when she was a child. A representative for Allen releases a statement the next day, denying the charges.
February 7, 2014 – Allen responds in an op-ed column released by The New York Times. He says the allegations are untrue and rooted in his acrimonious breakup with Mia Farrow.
September 30, 2016 – Allen’s first video streaming series, “Crisis in Six Scenes” debuts on Amazon.com.
January 2018 – Several actors who appeared in Allen’s latest film, “A Rainy Day in New York,” announce they will be donating their salaries to charity amid questions about longstanding sexual abuse claims against Allen. The movie has yet to be released.
September 16, 2018 – In a New York magazine profile, Soon-Yi Previn defends Allen against allegations of molestation.
February 7, 2019 – Allen and his production company file a lawsuit against Amazon claiming the company backed out of a $68 million four-picture deal.
November 8, 2019 – Allen and his production company reach a settlement with Amazon in a breach of contract lawsuit.
March 23, 2020 – Allen’s memoir “Apropos of Nothing” is published by Arcade Publishing. Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, originally acquired the rights to the book but canceled their plans to publish it after employees walked out in protest.
February 21, 2021 – “Allen v. Farrow,” a four-part HBO docuseries that examines Allen’s relationship with Farrow and sexual-assault allegations by their daughter Dylan premieres.
March 28, 2021 – In an interview for “CBS Sunday Morning,” Allen denies the sexual abuse allegation by his daughter Dylan.
June 7, 2022 – “Zero Gravity,” Allen’s new essay collection is published.
September 27, 2023 – Allen releases his 50th film and first French-language film, “Coupe de Chance.”
[ad_2]
-
Bette Midler Fast Facts | CNN
[ad_1]
CNN
—
Here is a look at the life of award-winning singer, actress, comedian and activist Bette Midler.
Birth date: December 1, 1945
Birth place: Honolulu, Hawaii
Birth name: Bette Davis Midler
Father: Fred Midler, house painter
Mother: Ruth (Schindel) Midler, seamstress
Marriage: Martin von Haselberg (1984-present)
Children: Sophie
Education: Attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa
Named after actress Bette Davis.
Nominated for 14 Grammy Awards and has won three.
Nominated for nine Emmy Awards and has won three.
Nominated for two Academy Awards and has not won.
Nominated for one Tony Award and has won once.
She was the valedictorian of her high school class.
1965 – Moves to New York City after winning a small part in the movie, “Hawaii.”
1966 – Makes her Broadway debut in “Fiddler on the Roof.”
Early 1970s – Performs at the Continental Baths, a gay bathhouse in New York, with Barry Manilow as her pianist, arranger and musical director.
1970 – Midler appears on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson for the first time.
April 28-May 16, 1971 – Midler stars as the “Acid Queen” in the first professional production of the rock opera, “Tommy.”
November 1972 – Releases her first album on Atlantic Records, “The Divine Miss M.”
March 2, 1974 – Wins the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.
April 1974 – Receives a special Tony Award for “adding lustre to the Broadway season.”
September 17, 1978 – Wins the Emmy Award for Outstanding Special in a Comedy-Variety or Musical for “Ol’ Red Hair is Back.”
November 7, 1979 – Her first film, “The Rose,” is released. It is loosely based on the life of Janis Joplin.
1980 – Simon & Schuster publishes her first book, “A View from a Broad.”
February 25, 1981 – Wins the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Performance, for her single, “The Rose.”
January 28, 1985 – Midler joins 45 other stars to record “We Are the World,” USA for Africa’s fund-raising single.
1985 – Forms All Girl Productions, with partner Bonnie Bruckheimer.
November 22, 1988 – Releases the soundtrack to the film “Beaches.” The album goes triple platinum, and the title track, “Wind Beneath My Wings,” goes to number one.
February 21, 1990 – Wins the Grammy Award for Record of the Year for “Wind Beneath My Wings,” with producer Arif Mardin.
September 15, 1991 – Is presented with the Commitment to Life Award from AIDS Project Los Angeles for her work in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
August 30, 1992 – Wins an Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Music Program for her May 21, 1992, appearance as one of the two final guests of “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson.
December 12, 1993 – Stars as “Mama Rose” in the television version of the famed Broadway play, “Gypsy.”
July 7, 1995 – Midler begins The New York Restoration Project, a non-profit focusing on beautifying the open spaces in under-resourced communities in New York.
September 14, 1997 – Wins the Emmy for Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Music Program for her HBO special “Diva Las Vegas.”
2003 – Joins forces with Barry Manilow for the first time since the 1970s to record “Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook.”
February 20, 2008 – “Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On” debuts at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. The show includes the Harlettes, the Caesar Salad Girls, and a 13-piece band. The show ends its run in January 2010.
March 20, 2011 – “Priscilla: Queen of the Desert,” opens on Broadway. Midler is co-producer of the show which runs through June 2012.
June 14, 2012 – Receives the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
April 24, 2013 – “I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers” opens on Broadway with Midler’s portrayal of the famous Hollywood agent. The show runs through June 2013.
November 4, 2014 – Releases her 14th studio album “It’s the Girls,” a tribute to the music of famous girl-groups over the years.
June 11, 2017 – Wins a Tony for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for “Hello Dolly.”
September 14, 2017 – Takes a tumble during a Broadway performance of “Hello Dolly” after two set pieces collide and gets back on stage after a short break to resume her performance.
June 29, 2019 – Headlines New York’s Pride Main Event, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Stonewall at WorldPride NYC. The event is held at the Javits Center in Manhattan and includes performances by Cyndi Lauper, Billy Porter and Brandy.
February 16, 2021 – Midler’s children’s book, “The Tale of the Mandarin Duck,” is published.
December 5, 2021 – Receives the Kennedy Center Honors lifetime achievement award.
[ad_2]
-
Controversial Police Encounters Fast Facts | CNN
[ad_1]
CNN
—
Here’s a look at controversial police encounters that have prompted protests over the past three decades. This select list includes cases in which police officers were charged or a grand jury was convened.
March 3, 1991 – LAPD officers beat motorist Rodney King after he leads police on a high-speed chase through Los Angeles County. George Holliday videotapes the beating from his apartment balcony. The video shows police hitting King more than 50 times with their batons. Over 20 officers are present at the scene, mostly from the LAPD. King suffers 11 fractures and other injuries.
March 15, 1991 – A Los Angeles grand jury indicts Sergeant Stacey Koon and Officers Laurence Michael Powell, Timothy Wind and Theodore Briseno in connection with the beating.
May 10, 1991 – A grand jury refuses to indict 17 officers who stood by at the King beating and did nothing.
April 29, 1992 – The four LAPD officers are acquitted. Riots break out at the intersection of Florence and Normandie in South Central Los Angeles. Governor Pete Wilson declares a state of emergency and calls in the National Guard. Riots in the next few days leave more than 50 people dead and cause nearly $1 billion in property damage.
May 1, 1992 – King makes an emotional plea for calm, “People, I just want to say, can we all get along? Can we get along? Can we stop making it horrible for the older people and the kids?”
August 4, 1992 – A federal grand jury returns indictments against Koon, Powell, Wind, and Briseno on the charge of violating King’s civil rights.
April 17, 1993 – Koon and Powell are convicted for violating King’s civil rights. Wind and Briseno are found not guilty. No disturbances follow the verdict. On August 4, both Koon and Powell are sentenced to 30 months in prison. Powell is found guilty of violating King’s constitutional right to be free from an arrest made with “unreasonable force.” Koon, the ranking officer, is convicted of permitting the civil rights violation to occur.
April 19, 1994 – King is awarded $3.8 million in compensatory damages in a civil lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles. King had demanded $56 million, or $1 million for every blow struck by the officers.
June 1, 1994 – In a civil trial against the police officers, a jury awards King $0 in punitive damages. He had asked for $15 million.
June 17, 2012 – King is found dead in his swimming pool.
November 5, 1992 – Two white police officers approach Malice Wayne Green, a 35-year-old black motorist, after he parks outside a suspected drug den. Witnesses say the police strike the unarmed man in the head repeatedly with heavy flashlights. The officers claim they feared Green was trying to reach for one of their weapons. Green dies of his injuries later that night.
November 16, 1992 – Two officers, Larry Nevers and Walter Budzyn, are charged with second-degree murder. Sgt. Freddie Douglas, a supervisor who arrived on the scene after a call for backup, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and willful neglect of duty. These charges are later dismissed. Another officer, Robert Lessnau, is charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm.
November 18, 1992 – The Detroit Free Press reports that toxicology tests revealed alcohol and a small amount of cocaine in Green’s system. A medical examiner later states that Green’s head injuries, combined with the cocaine and alcohol in his system, led to his death.
December 1992 – The Detroit police chief fires the four officers.
August 23, 1993 – Nevers and Budzyn are convicted of murder after a 45-day trial. Lessnau is acquitted. Nevers sentence is 12-25 years, while Budzyn’s sentence is 8-18 years.
1997-1998 – The Michigan Supreme Court orders a retrial for Budzyn due to possible jury bias. During the second trial, a jury convicts Budzyn of a less serious charge, involuntary manslaughter, and he is released with time served.
2000-2001 – A jury finds Nevers guilty of involuntary manslaughter after a second trial. He is released from prison in 2001.
August 9, 1997 – Abner Louima, a 33-year-old Haitian immigrant, is arrested for interfering with officers trying to break up a fight in front of the Club Rendez-vous nightclub in Brooklyn. Louima alleges, while handcuffed, police officers lead him to the precinct bathroom and sodomized him with a plunger or broomstick.
August 15, 1997 – Police officers Justin Volpe and Charles Schwarz are charged with aggravated sexual abuse and first-degree assault.
August 16, 1997 – Thousands of angry protesters gather outside Brooklyn’s 70th Precinct to demonstrate against what they say is a long-standing problem of police brutality against minorities.
August 18, 1997 – Two more officers, Thomas Wiese and Thomas Bruder, are charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon.
February 26, 1998 – Volpe, Bruder, Schwarz and Wiese are indicted on federal civil rights charges. A fifth officer, Michael Bellomo, is accused of helping the others cover up the alleged beating, as well as an alleged assault on another Haitian immigrant, Patrick Antoine, the same night.
May 1999 – Volpe pleads guilty to beating and sodomizing Louima. He is later sentenced to 30 years in prison.
June 8, 1999 – Schwarz is convicted of beating Louima, then holding him down while he was being tortured. Wiese, Bruder, and Bellomo are acquitted. Schwarz is later sentenced to 15 and a half years in prison for perjury.
March 6, 2000 – In a second trial, Schwarz, Wiese, and Bruder are convicted of conspiring to obstruct justice by covering up the attack. On February 28, 2002, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals overturns their convictions.
July 12, 2001 – Louima receives $8.75 million in a settlement agreement with the City of New York and the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association.
September 2002 – Schwarz pleads guilty to perjury and is sentenced to five years in prison. He had been scheduled to face a new trial for civil rights violations but agreed to a deal.
February 4, 1999 – Amadou Diallo, 22, a street vendor from West Africa, is confronted outside his home in the Bronx by four NYPD officers who are searching the neighborhood for a rapist. When Diallo reaches for his wallet, the officers open fire, reportedly fearing he was pulling out a gun. They fire 41 times and hit him 19 times, killing him.
March 24, 1999 – More than 200 protestors are arrested outside NYPD headquarters. For weeks, activists have gathered to protest the use of force by NYPD officers.
March 25, 1999 – A Bronx grand jury votes to indict the four officers – Sean Carroll, Edward McMellon, Kenneth Boss and Richard Murphy – for second-degree murder. On February 25, 2000, they are acquitted.
January 2001 – The US Justice Department announces it will not pursue federal civil rights charges against the officers.
January 2004 – Diallo’s family receives $3 million in a wrongful death lawsuit.
September 4, 2005 – Six days after Hurricane Katrina devastates the area, New Orleans police officers receive a radio call that two officers are down under the Danziger vertical-lift bridge. According to the officers, people are shooting at them and they have returned fire.
– Brothers Ronald and Lance Madison, along with four members of the Bartholomew family, are shot by police officers. Ronald Madison, 40, who is intellectually disabled, and James Brisette, 17 (some sources say 19), are fatally wounded.
December 28, 2006 – Police Sgts. Kenneth Bowen and Robert Gisevius and officers Robert Faulcon and Anthony Villavaso are charged with first-degree murder. Officers Robert Barrios, Michael Hunter and Ignatius Hills are charged with attempted murder.
August 2008 – State charges against the officers are thrown out.
July 12, 2010 – Four officers are indicted on federal charges of murdering Brissette: Bowen, Gisevius, Faulcon and Villavaso. Faulcon is also charged with Madison’s murder. Bowen, Gisevius, Faulcon and Villavaso, along with Arthur Kaufman and Gerard Dugue are charged with covering up the shooting.
April 8, 2010 – Hunter pleads guilty in federal court of covering up the police shooting. In December, he is sentenced to eight years in prison.
August 5, 2011 – The jury finds five officers guilty of civil rights and obstruction charges: Bowen, Gisevius, Faulcon, Villavaso and Kaufman.
October 5, 2011 – Hills receives a six and a half year sentence for his role in the shooting.
April 4, 2012 – A federal judge sentences five officers to prison terms ranging from six to 65 years for the shootings of unarmed civilians. Faulcon receives 65 years. Bowen and Gisevius both receive 40 years. Villavaso receives 38 years. Kaufman, who was involved in the cover up, receives six years.
March 2013 – After a January 2012 mistrial, Dugue’s trial is delayed indefinitely.
September 17, 2013 – Bowen, Gisevius, Faulcon, Villavaso and Kaufman are awarded a new trial.
April 20, 2016 – Bowen, Gisevius, Faulcon, Villavaso and Kaufman plead guilty in exchange for reduced sentences.
November 25, 2006 – Sean Bell, 23, is fatally shot by NYPD officers outside a Queens bar the night before his wedding. Two of his companions, Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield, are wounded. Officers reportedly fired 50 times at the men.
March 2007 – Three of the five officers involved in the shooting are indicted: Detectives Gescard F. Isnora and Michael Oliver are charged with manslaughter, and Michael Oliver is charged with reckless endangerment. On April 25, 2008, the three officers are acquitted of all charges.
July 27, 2010 – New York City settles a lawsuit for more than $7 million filed by Bell’s family and two of his friends.
2009 – Oakland, California – Oscar Grant
January 1, 2009 – San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) officer Johannes Mehserle shoots Oscar Grant, an unarmed 22-year-old, in the back while he is lying face down on a platform at the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland.
January 7, 2009 – Footage from station KTVU shows demonstrators vandalizing businesses and assaulting police in Oakland during a protest. About 105 people are arrested. Some protesters lie on their stomachs, saying they are showing solidarity with Grant, who was shot in the back.
January 27, 2010 – The mother of Grant’s young daughter receives a $1.5 million settlement from her lawsuit against BART.
July 8, 2010 – A jury finds Mehserle guilty of involuntary manslaughter. At the trial, Mehserle says that he intended to draw and fire his Taser rather than his gun. On November 5, 2010, Mehserle is sentenced to two years in prison. Outrage over the light sentence leads to a night of violent protests.
June 2011 – Mehserle is released from prison.
July 12, 2013 – The movie, “Fruitvale Station” opens in limited release. It dramatizes the final hours of Grant’s life.
July 5, 2011 – Fullerton police officers respond to a call about a homeless man looking into car windows and pulling on car handles. Surveillance camera footage shows Kelly Thomas being beaten and stunned with a Taser by police. Thomas, who was mentally ill, dies five days later in the hospital. When the surveillance video of Thomas’s beating is released in May 2012, it sparks a nationwide outcry.
May 9, 2012 – Officer Manuel Ramos is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, and Cpl. Jay Patrick Cicinelli is charged with involuntary manslaughter and felony use of excessive force. On January 13, 2014, a jury acquits Ramos and Cicinelli.
May 16, 2012 – The City of Fullerton awards $1 million to Thomas’ mother, Cathy Thomas.
September 28, 2012 – A third police officer, Joseph Wolfe, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and excessive force in connection with Thomas’ death. The charges are later dropped.
July 17, 2014 – Eric Garner, 43, dies after Officer Daniel Pantaleo uses a department-banned chokehold on him during an arrest for allegedly selling cigarettes illegally. Garner dies later that day.
August 1, 2014 – The New York City Medical Examiner rules Garner’s death a homicide.
December 3, 2014 – A grand jury decides not to indict Pantaleo. Protests are held in New York, Washington, Philadelphia and Oakland, California. Demonstrators chant Garner’s last words, “I can’t breathe!”
July 14, 2015 – New York settles with Garner’s estate for $5.9 million.
August 19, 2019 – The NYPD announces Pantaleo has been fired and will not receive his pension.
August 21, 2019 – Pantaleo’s supervisor, Sgt. Kizzy Adonis, pleads no contest to a disciplinary charge of failure to supervise, and must forfeit the monetary value of 20 vacation days.
August 9, 2014 – During a struggle, a police officer fatally shoots Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old.
August 9-10, 2014 – Approximately 1,000 demonstrators protest Brown’s death. The Ferguson-area protest turns violent and police begin using tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. Black Lives Matter, a protest movement that grew out of the Trayvon Martin shooting in 2012, grows in visibility during the Ferguson demonstrations.
August 15, 2014 – Police identify the officer as 28-year-old Darren Wilson. Wilson is put on paid administrative leave after the incident.
August 18, 2014 – Governor Jay Nixon calls in the Missouri National Guard to protect the police command center.
November 24, 2014 – A grand jury does not indict Wilson for Brown’s shooting. Documents show that Wilson fired his gun 12 times. Protests erupt nationwide after the hearing.
November 29, 2014 – Wilson resigns from the Ferguson police force.
March 11, 2015 – Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson resigns a week after a scathing Justice Department report slams his department.
August 9-10, 2015 – The anniversary observations of Brown’s death are largely peaceful during the day. After dark, shots are fired, businesses are vandalized and there are tense standoffs between officers and protestors, according to police. The next day, a state of emergency is declared and fifty-six people are arrested during a demonstration at a St. Louis courthouse.
June 20, 2017 – A settlement is reached in the Brown family wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Ferguson. While the details of the settlement are not disclosed to the public, US Federal Judge Richard Webber calls the settlement, “fair and reasonable compensation.”
October 20, 2014 – Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke shoots and kills Laquan McDonald, 17. Van Dyke says he fired in self-defense after McDonald lunged at him with a knife, but dashcam video shows McDonald walking away from police. Later, an autopsy shows McDonald was shot 16 times.
April 15, 2015 – The city agrees to pay $5 million to McDonald’s family.
November 19, 2015 – A judge in Chicago orders the city to release the police dashcam video that shows the shooting. For months, the city had fought attempts to have the video released to the public, saying it could jeopardize any ongoing investigation. The decision is the result of a Freedom of Information Act request by freelance journalist, Brandon Smith.
November 24, 2015 – Van Dyke is charged with first-degree murder.
December 1, 2015 – Mayor Rahm Emanuel announces he has asked for the resignation of Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy.
August 30, 2016 – Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson files administrative charges against six officers involved in the shooting. Five officers will have their cases heard by the Chicago Police Board, which will rule if the officers will be terminated. The sixth officer charged has resigned.
March 2017 – Van Dyke is indicted on 16 additional counts of aggravated battery with a firearm.
June 27, 2017 – Three officers are indicted on felony conspiracy, official misconduct and obstruction of justice charges for allegedly lying to investigators.
October 5, 2018 – Van Dyke is found guilty of second-degree murder and of 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm, but not guilty of official misconduct. Though he was originally charged with first-degree murder, jurors were instructed on October 4 that they could consider second-degree murder. He is sentenced to six years and nine months in prison. On February 3, 2022, Van Dyke is released early from prison.
January 17, 2019 – Cook County Associate Judge Domenica Stephenson finds three Chicago police officers not guilty of covering up details in the 2014 killing of McDonald. Stephenson’s ruling came more than a month after the officers’ five-day bench trial ended.
July 18, 2019 – The Chicago Police Board announces that four Chicago police officers, Sgt. Stephen Franko, Officer Janet Mondragon, Officer Daphne Sebastian and Officer Ricardo Viramontes, have been fired for covering up the fatal shooting of McDonald.
October 9, 2019 – Inspector General Joseph Ferguson releases a report detailing a cover-up involving 16 officers and supervisors.
April 4, 2015 – North Charleston police officer Michael Slager fatally shoots Walter Scott, 50, an unarmed motorist stopped for a broken brake light. Slager says he feared for his life after Scott grabbed his Taser.
April 7, 2015 – Cellphone video of the incident is released. It shows Scott running away and Slager shooting him in the back. Slager is charged with first-degree murder.
October 8, 2015 – The North Charleston City Council approves a $6.5 million settlement with the family of Walter Scott.
May 11, 2016 – A federal grand jury indicts Slager for misleading investigators and violating the civil rights of Walter Scott.
May 2, 2017 – Slager pleads guilty to a federal charge of using excessive force. State murder charges against Slager – as well as two other federal charges – will be dismissed as part of a plea deal. On December 7, 2017, Slager is sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
April 12, 2015 – Police arrest 25-year-old Freddie Gray on a weapons charge after he is found with a knife in his pocket. Witness video contains audio of Gray screaming as officers carry him to the prisoner transport van. After arriving at the police station, Gray is transferred to a trauma clinic with a severe spinal injury. He falls into a coma and dies one week later.
April 21, 2015 – The names of six officers involved in the arrest are released. Lt. Brian Rice, 41, Officer Caesar Goodson, 45, Sgt. Alicia White, 30, Officer William Porter, 25, Officer Garrett Miller, 26, and Officer Edward Nero, 29, are all suspended.
April 24, 2015 – Baltimore police acknowledge Gray did not get timely medical care after his arrest and was not buckled into a seat belt while being transported in the police van.
April 27, 2015 – Protests turn into riots on the day of Gray’s funeral. At least 20 officers are injured as police and protesters clash on the streets. Gov. Larry Hogan’s office declares a state of emergency and activates the National Guard to address the unrest.
May 21, 2015 – A Baltimore grand jury indicts the six officers involved in the arrest of Freddie Gray. The officers face a range of charges from involuntary manslaughter to reckless endangerment. Goodson, the driver of the transport van, will face the most severe charge: second-degree depraved-heart murder.
September 10, 2015 – Judge Barry Williams denies the defendants’ motion to move their trials out of Baltimore, a day after officials approve a $6.4 million deal to settle all civil claims tied to Gray’s death.
December 16, 2015 – The judge declares a mistrial in Porter’s case after jurors say they are deadlocked.
May 23, 2016 – Nero is found not guilty.
June 23, 2016 – Goodson is acquitted of all charges.
July 18, 2016 – Rice, the highest-ranking officer to stand trial, is found not guilty on all charges.
July 27, 2016 – Prosecutors drop charges against the three remaining officers awaiting trial in connection with Gray’s death.
August 10, 2016 – A Justice Department investigation finds that the Baltimore Police Department engages in unconstitutional practices that lead to disproportionate rates of stops, searches and arrests of African-Americans. The report also finds excessive use of force against juveniles and people with mental health disabilities.
January 12, 2017 – The city of Baltimore agrees to a consent decree with sweeping reforms proposed by the Justice Department.
2016 – Falcon Heights, Minnesota – Philando Castile
July 6, 2016 – Police officer Jeronimo Yanez shoots and kills Philando Castile during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights. Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, live-streams the aftermath of the confrontation, and says Castile was reaching for his identification when he was shot.
November 16, 2016 – Yanez is charged with second-degree manslaughter and two felony counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm.
December 15, 2016 – The Justice Department announces it will conduct a review of the St. Anthony Police Department, which services Falcon heights and two other towns.
February 27, 2017 – Yanez pleads not guilty.
June 16, 2017 – A jury finds Yanez not guilty on all counts. The city says it will offer Yanez a voluntary separation agreement from the police department.
June 26, 2017 – It is announced that the family of Castile has reached a $3 million settlement with the city of St. Anthony, Minnesota.
November 29, 2017 – The city of St. Anthony announces that Reynolds has settled with two cities for $800,000. St. Anthony will pay $675,000 of the settlement, while an insurance trust will pay $125,000 on behalf of Roseville.
September 16, 2016 – Tulsa Police Officer Betty Shelby fatally shoots Terence Crutcher, a 40-year-old unarmed black man, after his car is found abandoned in the middle of the road.
September 19, 2016 – The Tulsa Police Department releases video of the incident captured by a police helicopter, showing Shelby and other officers at the scene. At a news conference, the police chief tells reporters Crutcher was unarmed. Both the US Department of Justice and state authorities launch investigations into the officer-involved shooting.
September 22, 2016 – Officer Shelby is charged with felony first-degree manslaughter.
April 2, 2017 – During an interview on “60 Minutes,” Shelby says race was not a factor in her decision to open fire, and Crutcher “caused” his death when he ignored her commands, reaching into his vehicle to retrieve what she believed was a gun. “I saw a threat and I used the force I felt necessary to stop a threat.”
May 17, 2017 – Shelby is acquitted.
July 14, 2017 – Shelby announces she will resign from the Tulsa Police Department in August. On August 10, she joins the Rogers County, Oklahoma, Sheriff’s Office as a reserve deputy.
October 25, 2017 – A Tulsa County District Court judge grants Shelby’s petition to have her record expunged.
June 19, 2018 – Antwon Rose II, an unarmed 17-year-old, is shot and killed by police officer Michael Rosfeld in East Pittsburgh. Rose had been a passenger in a car that was stopped by police because it matched the description of a car that was involved in an earlier shooting. Rose and another passenger ran from the vehicle, and Rosfeld opened fire, striking Rose three times, Allegheny County police says.
June 27, 2018 – The Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, district attorney charges Rosfeld with criminal homicide.
March 22, 2019 – A jury finds Rosfeld not guilty on all counts.
October 28, 2019 – A $2 million settlement is finalized in a wrongful death lawsuit filed against Rosfeld and East Pittsburgh.
September 1, 2018 – During a traffic stop, O’Shae Terry is gunned down by an Arlington police officer. Terry, 24, was pulled over for having an expired temporary tag on his car. During the stop, officers reportedly smelled marijuana in the vehicle. Police video from the scene shows officer Bau Tran firing into the car as Terry tries to drive away. Investigators later locate a concealed firearm, marijuana and ecstasy pills in the vehicle.
October 19, 2018 – The Arlington Police Department releases information about a criminal investigation into the incident. According to the release, Tran declined to provide detectives with a statement and the matter is pending with the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office. Tran is still employed by the police department but is working on restricted duty status, according to the news release.
May 1, 2019 – A grand jury issues an indictment charging Tran with criminally negligent homicide. On May 17, 2019, the Arlington Police Department announces Tran has been fired.
March 13, 2020 – Louisville Metro Police officers fatally shoot Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT, after they forcibly enter her apartment while executing a late-night, no-knock warrant in a narcotics investigation. Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker III, is also in the apartment and fires one shot at who he believes are intruders. Taylor is shot at least eight times and Walker is charged with attempted murder of a police officer and first-degree assault. The charges are later dismissed.
April 27, 2020 – Taylor’s family files a wrongful death lawsuit. In the lawsuit, Taylor’s mother says the officers should have called off their search because the suspect they sought had already been arrested.
May 21, 2020 – The FBI opens an investigation into Taylor’s death.
June 11, 2020 – The Louisville, Kentucky, metro council unanimously votes to pass an ordinance called “Breonna’s Law,” banning no-knock search warrants.
August 27, 2020 – Jamarcus Glover, Taylor’s ex-boyfriend and the focus of the Louisville police narcotics investigation that led officers to execute the warrant on Taylor’s home, is arrested on drug charges. The day before his arrest, Glover told a local Kentucky newspaper Taylor was not involved in any alleged drug trade.
September 1, 2020 – Walker files a $10.5 million lawsuit against the Louisville Metro Police Department. Walker claims he was maliciously prosecuted for firing a single bullet with his licensed firearm at “assailants” who “violently broke down the door.” In December 2022, Walker reaches a $2 million settlement with the city of Louisville.
September 15, 2020 – The city of Louisville agrees to pay $12 million to Taylor’s family and institute sweeping police reforms in a settlement of the family’s wrongful death lawsuit.
September 23, 2020 – Det. Brett Hankison is indicted by a grand jury on three counts of wanton endangerment in the first degree. The other two officers involved in the shooting are not indicted. On March 3, 2022, Hankison is acquitted.
April 26, 2021 – Attorney General Merrick Garland announces a Justice Department investigation into the practices of the Louisville Police Department.
August 4, 2022 – Garland announces four current and former Louisville police officers involved in the raid on Taylor’s home were arrested and charged with civil rights violations, unlawful conspiracies, unconstitutional use of force and obstruction. On August 23, one of the officers, Kelly Goodlett, pleads guilty.
May 25, 2020 – George Floyd, 46, dies after pleading for help as Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneels on Floyd’s neck to pin him – unarmed and handcuffed – to the ground. Floyd had been arrested for allegedly using a counterfeit bill at a convenience store.
May 26, 2020 – It is announced that four Minneapolis police officers have been fired for their involvement in the death of Floyd.
May 27, 2020 – Gov. Tim Walz signs an executive order activating the Minnesota National Guard after protests and demonstrations erupt throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul.
May 27, 2020 – Surveillance video from outside a Minneapolis restaurant is released and appears to contradict police claims that Floyd resisted arrest before an officer knelt on his neck.
May 28-29, 2020 – Several buildings are damaged and the Minneapolis police department’s Third Precinct is set ablaze during protests.
May 29, 2020 – Chauvin is arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter, according to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman.
June 3, 2020 – Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announces charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder for the three previously uncharged officers at the scene of the incident. According to court documents, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng helped restrain Floyd, while officer Tou Thao stood near the others. Chauvin’s charge is upgraded from third- to second-degree murder.
October 21, 2020 – Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill drops the third-degree murder charge against Chauvin, but he still faces the higher charge of second-degree unintentional murder and second-degree manslaughter. On March 11, 2021, Judge Cahill reinstates the third-degree murder charge due to an appeals court ruling.
March 12, 2021 – The Minneapolis city council unanimously votes to approve a $27 million settlement with Floyd’s family.
April 20, 2021 – The jury finds Chauvin guilty on all three counts. He is sentenced to 22 and a half years.
May 7, 2021 – A federal grand jury indicts the four former Minneapolis police officers in connection with Floyd’s death, alleging the officers violated Floyd’s constitutional rights.
December 15, 2021 – Chauvin pleads guilty in federal court to two civil rights violations, one related to Floyd’s death, plus another case. Prosecutors request that he be sentenced to 25 years in prison to be served concurrently with his current sentence.
February 24, 2022 – Lane, Kueng and Thao are found guilty of depriving Floyd of his civil rights by showing deliberate indifference to his medical needs. The jurors also find Thao and Kueng guilty of an additional charge for failing to intervene to stop Chauvin. Lane, who did not face the extra charge, had testified that he asked Chauvin twice to reposition Floyd while restraining him but was denied both times.
May 4, 2022 – A federal judge accepts Chauvin’s plea deal and will sentence him to 20 to 25 years in prison. Based on the plea filed, the sentence will be served concurrently with the 22.5-year sentence tied to his murder conviction at the state level. On July 7, Chauvin is sentenced to 21 years in prison.
May 18, 2022 – Thomas Lane pleads guilty to second-degree manslaughter as part of a plea deal dismissing his murder charge. State and defense attorneys jointly recommend to the court Lane be sentenced to 36 months.
July 27, 2022 – Kueng and Thao are sentenced to three years and three and a half years in federal prison, respectively.
September 21, 2022 – Lane is sentenced to three years in prison on a state charge of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death.
October 24, 2022 – On the day his state trial is set to begin on charges of aiding and abetting in George Floyd’s killing, Kueng pleads guilty.
December 3, 2022 – Kueng is sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for his role in the killing of Floyd.
May 1, 2023 – A Minnesota judge finds Thao guilty of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter, according to court documents. He is sentenced to four years and nine months in prison.
June 12, 2020 – Rayshard Brooks, 27, is shot and killed by Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe outside a Wendy’s restaurant after failing a sobriety test, fighting with two officers, taking a Taser from one and running away.
June 13, 2020 – Rolfe is terminated from the Atlanta Police Department, according to an Atlanta police spokesperson. A second officer involved is placed on administrative leave.
June 14, 2020 – According to a release from the Fulton County, Georgia, Medical Examiner’s Office, Brooks died from a gunshot wound to the back. The manner of death is listed as homicide.
June 17, 2020 – Fulton County’s district attorney announces felony murder charges against Rolfe. Another officer, Devin Brosnan, is facing an aggravated assault charge for standing or stepping on Brooks’ shoulder while he was lying on the ground. On August 23, 2022, a Georgia special prosecutor announces the charges will be dismissed, saying the officers acted reasonably in response to a deadly threat. Both officers remain on administrative leave with the Atlanta Police Department and will undergo recertification and training, the department said in a statement.
May 5, 2021 – The Atlanta Civil Service Board rules that Rolfe was wrongfully terminated.
November 21, 2022 – The family of Brooks reaches a $1 million settlement with the city of Atlanta, according to Ryan Julison, a spokesperson for Stewart Miller Simmons Trial Attorneys, the law firm representing Brooks’ family.
April 11, 2021 – Daunte Wright, 20, is shot and killed by Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter following a routine traffic stop for an expired tag.
April 12, 2021 – During a press conference, Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon announces Potter accidentally drew a handgun instead of a Taser. According to Gannon, “this was an accidental discharge, that resulted in a tragic death of Mr. Wright.” Potter is placed on administrative leave. According to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office, Wright’s death has been ruled a homicide.
April 13, 2021 – Gannon submits his resignation. CNN is told Potter has also submitted a letter of resignation.
April 14, 2021 – Potter is arrested and charged with second degree manslaughter. Washington County Attorney Pete Orput issues a news release which includes a summary of the criminal complaint filed against Potter. According to the release, Potter shot Wright with a Glock handgun holstered on her right side, after saying she would tase Wright. Later, the state amends the complaint against Potter, adding an additional charge of manslaughter in the first degree.
December 23, 2021 – Potter is found guilty of first and second-degree manslaughter. On February 18, 2022, she is sentenced to two years in prison. In April 2023, Potter is released from prison after serving 16 months.
June 21, 2022 – The city of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, agrees to pay $3.25 million to the family of Wright. The sum is part of a settlement deal the family struck with the city, which also agreed to make changes in its policing policies and training, the Wright family legal team said in a news release.
2022 – Grand Rapids, Michigan – Patrick Lyoya
April 4, 2022 – Patrick Lyoya, 26-year-old Black man, is shot and killed by a police officer following a traffic stop.
April 13, 2022 – Grand Rapids police release video from police body camera, the police unit’s dashcam, a cell phone and a home surveillance system, which show the police officer’s encounter with Lyoya, including two clips showing the fatal shot. Lyoya was pulled over for an allegedly unregistered license plate when he got out of the car and ran. He resisted the officer’s attempt to arrest him and was shot while struggling with the officer on the ground.
April 19, 2022 – An autopsy commissioned by Lyoya’s family shows the 26-year-old was shot in the back of the head following the April 4 encounter with a Grand Rapids police officer, attorneys representing the family announce. The officer has not been publicly identified.
April 21, 2022 – Michigan state officials ask the US Department of Justice to launch a “pattern-or-practice” investigation into the Grand Rapids Police Department after the death of Lyoya.
April 25, 2022 – The chief of Grand Rapids police identifies Christopher Schurr as the officer who fatally shot Lyoya.
June 9 ,2022 – Schurr is charged with one count of second-degree murder in the death of Lyoya. Benjamin Crump. the Lyoya family attorney says in a statement, “we are encouraged by attorney Christopher Becker’s decision to charge Schurr for the brutal killing of Patrick Lyoya, which we all witnessed when the video footage was released to the public.” On June 10, 2022, Schurr pleads not guilty.
January 7, 2023 – Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, is hospitalized following a traffic stop that lead to a violent arrest. Nichols dies three days later from injuries sustained, according to police.
January 15, 2023 – The Memphis Police Department announces they immediately launched an investigation into the action of officers involved in the arrest of Nichols.
January 18, 2023 – The Department of Justice says a civil rights investigation has been opened into the death of Nichols.
January 20, 2023 – The five officers are named and fired: Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith.
January 23, 2023 – Nichols’ family and their attorneys view police video of the arrest.
January 26, 2023 – A grand jury indicts the five police officers. They are each charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, two charges of aggravated kidnapping, two charges of official misconduct and one charge of official oppression, according to both Shelby County criminal court and Shelby County jail records.
January 27, 2023 – The city of Memphis releases body camera and surveillance video of the the traffic stop and beating that led to the Nichols’ death.
January 30, 2023 – Memphis police say two additional officers have been placed on leave. Only one officer is identified, Preston Hemphill. Additionally, the Memphis Fire Department announces three employees have been fired over their response to the incident: emergency medical technicians Robert Long and JaMichael Sandridge and Lt. Michelle Whitaker.
May 4, 2023 – The Shelby County medical examiner’s report shows that Nichols died from blunt force trauma to the head. His death has been ruled a homicide.
September 12, 2023 – The five police officers involved are indicted by a federal grand jury on several charges including deprivation of rights.
November 2, 2023 – Desmond Mills Jr., one of the five former Memphis police officers accused in the death of Nichols, pleads guilty to federal charges and agrees to plead guilty to related state charges as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.
[ad_2]
