HOUSTON — The first sign the Astros were on the verge of a deal to add a veteran starting pitcher came roughly an hour prior to Monday’s 5-3 loss to the Pirates at Minute Maid Park when rookie starter Jake Bloss was scratched. When the game ended, the Astros announced they had acquired left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, a move which came with a high price tag.
The Astros sent Bloss, their No. 9 prospect, rookie outfielder Joey Loperfido and Minor League infielder Will Wagner, their No. 13 prospect, to the Blue Jays in exchange for the 33-year-old Kikuchi. He is expected to travel to Houston on Tuesday and join the club Wednesday to slot into the rotation with Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown, Ronel Blanco and Spencer Arrighetti.
“Ultimately, we felt like if you’re going to get a starter, which this team desperately needs, you add this guy and get [Justin] Verlander back into the rotation, that will open things up for us and maybe we can get on a nice little roll,” Astros general manager Dana Brown said.
TRADE DETAILS Houston receives: LHP Yusei Kikuchi Toronto receives: RHP Jake Bloss (No. 9), INF Will Wagner (No. 13) and OF Joey Loperfido
Considering the first-place Astros had to give up two prospects and an up-and-coming young player in Loperfido to get a 33-year-old starter who’s going to be a free agent, it served as a reminder of the high price tag of starting pitching.
Bloss, called up from Double-A earlier this year, was scheduled to make his fourth career start Monday against Pirates rookie Paul Skenes. Loperfido made his debut earlier this year and was hitting .236 with two homers and 16 RBIs, but was leading the Minor Leagues in homers with 13 when he was promoted for the first time in late April.
Wagner, the son of former Astros closer Billy Wagner, was slashing .307/.424/.429 with 55 walks and 33 strikeouts in 70 games at Triple-A.
“In order to get a Major League starter with that type of arm, you’re going to have to give up some pretty good players that hurt,” Brown said. “It’s pretty difficult to give up young talent, but at the end of the day we’re trying to really stabilize our rotation so we can get back to the postseason and potentially get deep into the postseason.”
Healthcare, medicine and breast cancer awareness concept – Closeup of pink badge ribbon on woman chest to support breast cancer cause
For the more than 310,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer each year, the fear of recurrence looms large. Questions often arise about whether a double mastectomy might provide better protection against the disease. However, a recent study suggests that removing both breasts offers no survival benefit compared to keeping one healthy breast.
The research, conducted by Dr. Steven Narod of Women’s College Hospital in Toronto and his colleagues, used data from over 661,000 U.S. women with unilateral breast cancer. Published in JAMA Oncology on Thursday, the study found that women who had a lumpectomy or mastectomy without removing the other breast had similar survival rates to those who opted for a double mastectomy.
The study revealed that the chance of developing cancer in the other breast was about 7 percent over 20 years. However, this statistic might not apply to women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene variants, which significantly increase cancer risk. For the 1 in 500 American women with these variants, a double mastectomy may be worth considering, according to cancer researchers.
The finding that double mastectomy doesn’t improve survival rates seems counterintuitive, admitted Dr. Narod. An editorial by Dr. Seema Ahsan Khan and Masha Kocherginsky of Northwestern University called it a conundrum. While previous smaller studies had similar conclusions, their methods were sometimes questioned. This new study, however, provides a more comprehensive analysis, said Dr. Angela DeMichele of the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Narod and his team reported that the 7 percent chance of developing cancer in the other breast was consistent regardless of the initial cancer’s stage. They calculated that 69 out of 1,000 women with unilateral breast cancer would develop cancer in the other breast within 20 years, significantly increasing their mortality risk.
Dr. Eric Winer, director of the Yale Cancer Center, noted that the new study aligns with previous research, suggesting no survival difference between lumpectomy, mastectomy, and double mastectomy. Dr. DeMichele emphasized that women have a real choice in treatment and that removing the second, healthy breast does not prevent the spread of cancer cells to other parts of the body. She highlighted the importance of chemotherapy and hormonal therapies in targeting these cells.
Dr. Khan acknowledged that while a double mastectomy might not be necessary for survival, some women choose it to avoid the anxiety of ongoing screenings and potential additional treatments. Others opt for the procedure for cosmetic reasons when undergoing reconstruction.
“The decisions are complex,” she said. “But if a second cancer occurs, there is still a good chance of survival.”
Dr. Winer stressed the importance of vigilant screening to detect any new cancers at the earliest possible stage.
AUSTIN, Texas (KTRK) — State lawmakers finally got their turn to grill CenterPoint Energy executives in a Texas Senate committee on Monday about their response to Hurricane Beryl.
The hearing comes a week after the company promised to do better while being questioned by Texas Utility Regulators.
The committee will try to get to the bottom of why CenterPoint wasn’t as prepared as it should have been and will likely take a critical look at the plan CenterPoint has laid out to see if they think it’s good enough.
Energy expert Doug Lewin joined ABC13 to analyze CenterPoint’s action plan and discuss other possibilities to keep the power on.
During Monday morning’s hearing, the senators’ overall message was that what happened with the power after Hurricane Beryl could not be tolerated.
They said they were trying to answer two questions: Why did more than 2 million people lose power after this Category 1 storm, and why did it take so long for it to come back on?
The storm death toll is now up to 38 in our area. Officials say 14 of those people died specifically because of the power outage.
Lawmakers hope to better understand what regulations or legislation can be implemented after Monday’s meeting so this doesn’t happen again.
“(What) makes my blood boil is the fact that we are having to have a hearing to hear about a whole bunch of people who did their job right, but the biggest multi-billion dollar corporation, we’re having to tell them how to do your job,” Sen. Paul Bettencourt said Monday. “And that is not something I enjoy doing, but we are going to do it today because we have to. Because the people who died deserve an answer. The people who had their power off deserve an answer, and more importantly, the future of this region is based upon having access to power.”
Last week, in front of the Public Utility Commission, CenterPoint executives apologized and laid out a plan for improvement, promising a new outage tracker by Aug. 1, better communication, and better vegetation management.
“Y’all have to do better. The customers deserve better and we all are giving you a return that expects better,” Jimmy Glotfelty with the Public Utility Commission said.
“While we cannot erase the frustrations and difficulties so many of our customers endured, I and my entire leadership team will not make excuses,” CenterPoint CEO Jason Wells said.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The public is invited to Houston City Hall on Monday to pay their respects to late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
Jackson Lee died on July 19, just over a month after announcing her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
She was 74.
The City of Houston will celebrate late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee with a series of remembrance events, starting Monday.
Jackson Lee is lying in state in the rotunda from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.
At about 9:15 a.m., a short program featuring Houston Mayor John Whitmire, Jackson Lee’s family, faith leaders, and other dignitaries began. Then, a short procession from the steps to the inside of City Hall followed, where hundreds lined up.
“This is a celebration,” Whitmire said. “God does not allow us to choose when we lose a loved one, or friend, or colleague. But he does allow us to celebrate their lives, and pay our respects, and honor them.”
Lee’s casket arrived draped in the American flag.
“Sheila Jackson Lee invested her everything into our Houston and even to the world. I think with the passing of her, it really just signals our new obligation as citizens of Houston, even myself to carry the legacy forward,” her former aide, Jason Dawkins, said.
President Joe Biden is also expected to pay his respects later Monday.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A precautionary evacuation was triggered after what officials called a ‘ground collapse’ at a Memorial-area condo community.
Houston Fire Department crews responded to the incident at 405 Sutherland Terrace Place at about 8:30 a.m.
ABC13 spoke to a man whose parents were inside who said the house started to shake. When his parents looked outside, a giant hole was in front of their home.
Nearby resident Rick Mckee said he was in shock. “That’s a big hole,” he said. “That’s a really big hole.
The department shared the following images of the collapse.
A total of eight homes were evacuated as a precaution, HFD said.
HFD Captain Beau Moreno explained that a cistern held flood water in this area. With the amount of rain in Houston and surrounding areas, it had a catastrophic failure.
There were no injuries reported.
In a recent update, building engineers are out assessing the damage.
“It’s not a sinkhole,” Moreno said. “This is definitely a man-made structure under the ground designed to hold flood water in this area.
Since the collapse happened on private property, Houston Public Works said the community is responsible for the repairs. The neighborhood is part of Memorial Green Homes.
ABC13 reached out to the community contact point, but we are still waiting to hear back.
SAN DIEGO — Marvel Studios kicked off its return to San Diego Comic-Con with dancing Deadpool variants and a choir for a panel that included news about the next two “Avengers” films and surprise guests.
Among the surprises: Robert Downey Jr. would return to Marvel’s films, but not as Iron Man. He’ll play the villain Victor Von Doom, or Doctor Doom, in one of the upcoming “Avengers” movies.
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said that due to this weekend’s success of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe had now topped $30 billion in box-office earnings. In a nod to a scene in the movie, a choir sang Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” before Feige spoke.
“Deadpool & Wolverine,” released Thursday, has already broken one record and could shatter more in its opening weekend. Feige used Saturday’s panel to chart the course ahead for the MCU, revealing Ford’s character in the next “Captain America” film and revealing “Avengers: Secret Wars and “Avengers: Doomsday” as the titles of the next two films in the epic superhero team-up series.
Feige said all the actors introduced Saturday would appear in the upcoming “Avengers” movies, which will be directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. The brothers guided the “Avengers” franchise through its sprawling storyline capped by “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019.
The session comes after Marvel skipped the convention last year due to the Hollywood strikes, which prevented writers and actors from speaking on panels. Feige is being joined by several special guests, including stars of upcoming Marvel titles like “Captain America: Brave New World,” “Thunderbolts(asterisk)” and “The Fantastic Four.”
The cast of “Captain America: Brave New Wold” – Tim Blake Nelson, Danny Rameriez, Giancarlo Esposito and Anthony Mackie – joined the stage first and teased details about the upcoming film. Esposito revealed that he will be playing the villain, Seth Voelker, also known as Sidewinder.
The cast then stepped aside to share a scene from the movie on the big screen, which revealed that President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, played by Ford, is hoping to rebuild the Avengers with Mackie’s Sam Wilson. It also showed Ford’s character transform into the Red Hulk. Ford himself joined the panel after fans were treated to clips from the movie and flexed his muscles to the roaring crowd.
The cast and director of “Thunderbolts(asterisk)” also surprised fans with a short clip from the movie. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan and David Harbour (in full costume and speaking in character as the Red Guardian at first) stormed the stage and shared some more details about their characters.
The film is slated to be released in May 2025.
The final film teased at the panel was “The Fantastic Four,” starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. The movie will begin filming on Tuesday in London, Feige said.
He said the film will hit theaters in almost exactly one year in July 2025.
Following a video director Matt Shakman created specifically for Comic-Con that featured the cast in full ’60s glory, he and Feige revealed the official title of the film, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”
Marvel already took over Hall H on Thursday with an electric panel celebrating “Deadpool & Wolverine,” in which the audience was treated to a full screening and surprise guests joining stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman on stage.
The mounting enthusiasm for the film at Comic-Con was reflected across the country as the fans rushed to see it in theaters, securing the film as the new record holder for the Thursday preview for an R-rated movie. The comic book film sold an estimated $38.5 million worth of movie tickets from preview screenings Thursday.
The “Deadpool & Wolverine” success woke up a sleepy year for Marvel and assuaged worries about its box-office underperformance in late 2023. The superhero factory hit a record low in November with the launch of “The Marvels,” which opened with just $47 million.
Odds of development on a tropical wave moving towards the Caribbean are now up to 40%. Some forecast models fade this system out entirely, while others strengthen it and curve it north before making it in to our neck of the woods. We’ll keep our eyes on it through the week ahead, but as of now it is not a high concern to us in Southeast Texas.
July 27 9 a.m.
We’re watching a tropical wave moving towards the Caribbean that has a 30% chance of development over the next 7 days. Some forecast models are strengthening this into a named storm, but there is low confidence in whether or not that will happen, and essentially zero confidence in any eventual specific landfall destination. For now it’s just a potential storm that we’ll be keeping an eye on.
July 25 1 p.m.
The National Hurricane Center has identified a new tropical wave for potential development over the next 7 days. There is no specific threat to Texas from it at this time, but we’ll continue to monitor it for you just in case.
Paris Olympics organizers apologize for controversial opening ceremony tableau
PARIS (AP) — Paris Olympics organizers apologized Sunday for any offense caused by a tableau during the opening ceremony that evoked Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” The scene, featuring LGBTQ+ icon DJ Barbara Butch flanked by drag artists and dancers, aimed to celebrate diversity but drew criticism from religious conservatives. The French Catholic Church and other religious groups expressed their disapproval, calling the segment disrespectful to Christianity.
The ceremony’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, and Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps emphasized that the intention was to celebrate community tolerance and inclusion. Descamps expressed regret for any offense caused, reaffirming their goal of promoting love and unity.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The 18-year-old mother accused of placing her newborn baby in a plastic bag and throwing him in a dumpster appeared in court Friday.
Details about Walmart, Aldi vegetable recall The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced this week that Ohio-based Wiers Farm Inc., has expanded its earlier recall to now include additional produce that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
More than a dozen staple summer vegetables, including cucumbers, green bell peppers, and parsley, have been voluntarily recalled due to possible listeria contamination.
In cooperation with the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA), Wiers Farm Inc., said in the FDA recall that its investigation into these vegetables came after reports by the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDARD). This expansion is in response to that investigation. Products involved in this expanded recall were packed between July 5-12 (2024). Wiers Farm Inc. is committed to implementing all measures necessary to fully resolve this situation.
As of time of publication, the agency said there have been no illnesses or consumer complaints reported.
Walmart listed the produce recall on its website with a link that directs customers to the announcement from Wiers Farm and the FDA.
In tandem with the original recall, Aldi issued its own recall notice for customers on Monday, alerting shoppers in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia who may have purchased Freshire Farms jalapeños, green peppers and green beans.
“ALDI puts the safety and integrity of the products it sells first. If customers have products affected by this recall, they are advised to discard it immediately or return it to their local store for a full refund,” the company stated. “ALDI sincerely regrets the inconvenience and concern caused as a result of this recall.”
Recalled vegetable product information
Bulk items sold individually or by the pound at various retailers in impacted states Anaheim peppers Cilantro – sold in bunches Cubanelle peppers Cucumber – whole Green beans Green Bell Pepper Habanero peppers Hungarian Wax peppers Jalapeno peppers Mixed Vegetable Box (shipped to Cleveland and Youngstown, Ohio Foodbanks only) Mustard Greens – sold in bunches Pickling Cucumber Plain Parsley – sold in bunches Poblano peppers Serrano peppers Tomatillos
Click here for additional distribution information from the FDA on the above produce products.
Aldi Freshire Farms Bagged Green Beans – 16 oz bag Freshire Farms Bagged Jalapenos – 8 oz bag
Where recalled vegetables were sold According to the FDA, the affected produce was sold at select Walmart stores in 15 states: CT, DE, IL, IN, KY, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, and WV.
Produce impacted by the same voluntary recall was also sold at Aldi stores in five of those same states: KY, NY, OH, PA and WV.
What to do with recalled vegetables purchased from Walmart, Aldi
As with any recalled products, the company has urged customers not to eat and to discard any potentially affected produce.
Consumers with questions about this recall may contact Wiers Farm, Inc. directly by phone or email.
Symptoms, side effects of listeria monocytogenes
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, listeria can cause severe illness “when the bacteria spread beyond the gut to other parts of the body” after a person consumes contaminated food. Those at higher risk include pregnant people, those aged 65 or older, or anyone who has a weakened immune system, the CDC says.
“If you are pregnant, it can cause pregnancy loss, premature birth, or a life-threatening infection in your newborn,” the CDC states on its website. “Other people can be infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill.”
According to the CDC, anyone infected with listeria may experience “mild food poisoning symptoms” such as diarrhea or fever, and many recover without antibiotic treatment.
