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ENRIQUE IGLESIAS SERA HONRADO COMO BILLBOARD TOP LATIN ARTIST OF ALL TIME

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ENRIQUE IGLESIAS SERA HONRADO COMO BILLBOARD TOP LATIN ARTIST OF ALL TIME DURANTE LOS PREMIOS BILLBOARD DE LA MUSICA LATINA POR TELEMUNDO

El icono español recibirá el reconocimiento por sus innumerables logros, su popularidad y aportes a través de su carrera a las listas de música latina de Billboard, durante la gala del 21 de octubre en vivo por Telemundo desde el BB&T Center en Sunrise, Florida.

 

El astro español Enrique Iglesias será honrado como Billboard Top Latin Artist of All Time por sus innumerables logros, su popularidad y aportes a las listas de música latina de Billboard, anunciaron hoy Telemundo y Billboard. Iglesias recibirá el reconocimiento durante la ceremonia de los Premios Billboard de la Música Latina, la premiación de mayor trayectoria y prestigio en la industria de la música latina que se transmitirá en vivo el miércoles, 21 de octubre por Telemundo, desde el BB&T Center en Sunrise, Florida comenzando con “La Alfombra de Premios Billboard” a las 7pm/6c y seguido por la premiación a las 8pm/7c.

Los asombrosos logros de Enrique Iglesias en las listas incluyen:

Un total de 27 títulos en el puesto No. 1 en la lista de Billboard Hot Latin Songs, logrando el récord como el artista que más veces ha llegado a la cima de este listado en la historia, y el récord por el mayor número de top 10 en la lista de Billboard Hot Latin Songs, con 39.
El astro español, también lidera como el artista con más títulos No. 1 en Latin Airplay, con 31 y con más top 10 en Latin Airplay, con 40.
Además, sostiene el récord con más títulos No. 1 en Latin Pop Airplay, con 24 y con más top 10 en Latin Pop Airplay, con 43. Es por este dominio en las listas que lo han elogiado como el Rey del Pop.
En la lista de Billboard Dance Club, Enrique Iglesias también sostiene el récord por el mayor número de títulos en el No. 1 entre los artistas latinos, con 14, y el récord por el mayor número de top 10 entre las actuaciones latinas, con 25.
Ha logrado 25 entradas en la lista de Hot 100, con dos títulos en el No. 1 y cinco entre top 10; 14 entradas en la lista de Billboard 200, con tres en el top 10; y un título en el No. 1 de la lista Pop Songs Airplay, con siete entre el top 10.
Enrique Iglesias también ha Ganado el mayor número de premios en la historia de los Premios Billboard de la Musica Latina, con 47.

Celebrando 25 años de trayectoria, Enrique Iglesias mantiene una lista de éxitos imparables, condensados en más de 180 millones de álbumes vendidos, más de 16 billones de vistas de sus videos musicales y 18 billones de transmisiones de sus canciones, de los que una gran parte corresponden al mercado estadounidense, al margen de una imponente lista de galardones logrados en su carrera tanto como cantante y como autor.

Sus primeras canciones “Si tú te vas”, “No llores por mí”, “Trapecista”, “Experiencia religiosa” y “Vivir”, se mezclan en su carrera con éxitos adaptados a la modernidad como “El perdedor”, “Bailando” y “Súbeme la Radio”, que muestran la evolución de un artista, que no ha dudado en unirse en duetos a los mejores de su época como Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie, Marco Antonio Solís, Usher, Juan Luis Guerra, Pitbull, Nicky Jam, Wisin & Yandel, Anuel AA y Lil Wayne y que lo colocan al frente como uno de los más grandes de todos los tiempos.

Además de su música, ha apoyado con entusiasmo los esfuerzos de Save The Children con el fondo para ayuda a desastres. Enrique y sus fans alrededor del mundo han trabajado para apoyar la causa a través de donaciones en línea, subastas, merchandising y convivios con las fans que han logrado recaudar a la fecha más de $400,000 dólares y contando.
Con nueve discos de estudio, varias giras mundiales y 10 millones de entradas vendidas, el destacado artista se encuentra celebrando sus 25 años de trayectoria con la etiqueta #enriqueiglesias25years y también felizmente gozando de su paternidad.

La clasificación de Billboard Top Latin Artists of All-Time se basa en el desempeño en la lista semanal de Hot Latin Songs (desde la primera edición con la fecha de 4 de octubre, 1986) y las listas de Top Latin Albums (desde su inicio el 10 de julio de 1993) a las listas de Billboard con fecha del 10 de octubre, 2020. Los artistas son clasificados según un sistema de puntuación inverso. Las semanas en el No. 1 obtienen el mayor valor y las semanas en el extremo inferior obtienen el menor. Para la lista completa de artistas en el ranking de Billboard Top Latin Artists of All Time, oprima AQUI.

 

Mayor Turner announces new initiative to combat crime in Houston

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HOUSTON – Today, Mayor Sylvester Turner announced a COVID-19 Related Crime Reduction Program to increase overtime for the Houston Police Department through the end of December 2020. The City will use $4.1 million of CARES Act funding for the overtime program.

Beginning today, through the end of the year, there will be an additional 110 officers  deployed each day to saturate six hot spot areas that are driving the violent crime numbers.

Those areas are:

  1. Westside
  2. South Gessner
  3. North Belt
  4. Southeast
  5. South Central
  6. Midwest

Throughout those areas, HPD officers will be on proactive patrols to reduce crime and address the spike in homicides, shootings and other crimes the city has experienced during the pandemic.

Overall, violent crime is up 11% in Houston.

“Major cities across the nation are experiencing an increase in homicides, shootings and other crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “There is no denying the virus has contributed to anxiety and stress as people cope with job losses, feelings of isolation, illness or death of loved ones, children learning at home virtually and fear of the unknown.”

An Oct. 6 news article in the New York Times, reported that the COVID-19 pandemic has frayed all kinds of institutions and infrastructure that hold communities together, that watch over streets, that mediate conflicts, that simply give young people something to do. Programs devised to reduce gun violence and that proved effective have been upended by the pandemic.

“We’ll be relying on data to add more officers, more eyes, more visibility, and most importantly, more safety for the people of Houston,” said Chief Art Acevedo, Houston Police Department. “We are going to be watching on a daily basis and we will have tactical intelligence and move our resources as needed because we know displacement can occur.”

The City of Houston has worked in these unprecedented times to help people holistically. For instance, the Houston Health Department launched a mental  health hotline, the Mayor’s Office of Anti-Trafficking was expanded to include  domestic violence, to address the increase in domestic violence calls. The program includes a partnership with MAKR  Collective, an economic empowerment program for survivors with wrap around financial services. Through skills training we help survivors achieve financial independence.

The City has also provided two rental assistance packages worth more than $35 million for Houstonians having trouble paying their rent as a result of hardships created by the pandemic. In August, the Houston City Council passed the City’s Small Business Economic Relief Program (SBERP), which will be funded with $15 million of the City’s allocated CARES Act 2020 funds.

Texas leads nation in early voting totals

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Texas is leading the country in ballots cast in the 2020 presidential election so far, with more than 4 million votes counted as of Sunday.

The Lone Star State is first in the nation in both the raw number of ballots cast and the total votes as a percentage of 2016 turnout, according to the U.S. Elections Project, a collection of voting statistics compiled by University of Florida professor Michael McDonald.

As of Sunday, more than 4 million Texans have voted in the general election, either through absentee ballots or in-person early voting, which began last Tuesday. Those ballots account for roughly 45 percent of the nearly 9 million total votes counted during the presidential election four years ago.

California, the only state with a higher population than Texas, has counted more than 3 million ballots to date, approximately 21 percent of 2016 turnout, according to the U.S. Elections Project. The state began its early voting period on Oct. 5.

In Florida, the third-most populous state, 2.5 million people have voted so far, accounting for roughly 26 percent of ballots cast in 2016. Early voting began across much of Florida on Monday.

New York, the fourth-most populous state, doesn’t begin early voting until next week.

Only Vermont has approached Texas’ turnout as a percentage of 2016 ballots cast. There, more than 130,000 ballots have been returned since early voting began on Sept. 21 — about 43 percent of the vote count four years ago.

Georgia, where nearly 1.5 million people have cast ballots, is approaching 36 percent of 2016 turnout. Early voting started there on Oct. 12.

Those statistics come as Texas is expected to break voting records this year, with some elections experts predicting up to 70 percent turnout. Nearly 17 million people are registered to vote in Texas this year, up almost 2 million from 2016, according to the Texas Secretary of State.

Texas’ early voting period is open from Oct. 13 to Oct. 30. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Domino’s® Ready to Raise ‘Dough’ for Kids at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®

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Domino’s Pizza, Inc., the largest pizza company in the world based on global retail sales, begins the annual St. Jude Thanks and Giving® fundraising campaign to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. The campaign, which will run for eleven weeks through Jan. 3, 2021, is the 17th annual Thanks and Giving campaign at Domino’s.

Domino's customers can add a donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to any order placed on the phone, in the store or online.

To help the kids of St. Jude, customers can add a donation to their orders – on the phone, in stores or online. In addition to adding a whole dollar donation, customers can choose to round up their order total to donate the change to St. Jude.

“Franchise and corporate team members in stores across the country are looking forward to dedicating the rest of the year to raising funds for the kids at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” said Ritch Allison, Domino’s CEO. “We are thrilled to join forces with our customers to support this incredible organization in the fight against childhood cancer.”

In September, Domino’s announced its commitment to raise $100 million in ten years for St. Jude. In honor of the historic pledge, St. Jude will name its newest housing facility The Domino’s Village. The Domino’s Village will be a home away from home for patient families, offering a peaceful respite with living, dining and play spaces for patient family residents to enjoy.

St. Jude treats children with cancer, blood disorders and other life-threatening diseases across the U.S. and around the world. Discoveries made at St. Jude are shared freely so every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists can use that knowledge to save thousands more children around the world. In addition to housing and food, St. Jude offers an on-site school and numerous other services for patients and their families. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, because they believe all a parent should have to worry about is helping their child live.

 

Domino's

CVS Health contratará a 15,000 personas en los EE. UU. en el cuarto cuatrimestre

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El puesto de técnico de farmacia tiene una gran demanda para respaldar la temporada de influenza, las pruebas de COVID-19 y el potencial para administrar la vacuna contra el coronavirus

CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) anunció hoy que está contratando candidatos calificados para cubrir 15,000 puestos de trabajo. Estos puestos nuevos y existentes ayudarán a la compañía a continuar respondiendo a las necesidades de las comunidades de todo el país durante los meses de otoño e invierno, cuando se espera que aumenten los casos de COVID-19 e influenza.

Más de 10,000 de los puestos nuevos a tiempo completo y parcial son para técnicos de farmacia acreditados en las sucursales de CVS Pharmacy y se cubrirán lo antes posible, lo que ayudará a aumentar el apoyo para los pacientes y los colegas profesionales de la farmacia. Muchos de los puestos son temporales con la posibilidad de convertirse en permanentes.

Este 20 de octubre, la compañía también celebrará el Día del Técnico de Farmacia promoviendo un mayor alcance de la práctica que permitiría a los técnicos de farmacia capacitados administrar las vacunas COVID-19 bajo la supervisión de un farmacéutico certificado en inmunizaciones. Como parte integral del sistema de atención médica, los técnicos de farmacia pueden ayudar a satisfacer la necesidad urgente de aumentar la distribución de una vacuna de manera segura y rápida y ampliar la capacidad del personal médico para abordar la pandemia.

“Por lo general, se necesitan miembros adicionales del equipo cada temporada de influenza”, señaló Lisa Bisaccia, directora de recursos humanos de CVS Health. “Sin embargo, estamos proyectando una necesidad mucho mayor de técnicos de farmacia capacitados este año en vista de la presencia continua de COVID-19 en nuestras comunidades. Estos trabajos ofrecen una oportunidad profesional gratificante, con horarios flexibles, potencial de progreso y un entorno de apoyo mientras ayudan a las personas en su camino hacia una mejor salud”.

Bajo la supervisión directa de un farmacéutico acreditado, los técnicos de farmacia de CVS Health siguen sirviendo como un recurso confiable para los pacientes al procesar recetas, dispensar medicamentos, brindar información a los clientes o profesionales de la salud y realizar tareas administrativas. También son indispensables para administrar las pruebas de COVID-19 en más de 4,000 sitios de prueba de autoservicio en sucursales seleccionadas de CVS Pharmacy en todo el país. En esta función, son fundamentales para ayudar a frenar la propagación del virus y ampliar el acceso a la atención, especialmente en las comunidades menos atendidas.

Entre los puestos adicionales de trabajo que hacen parte del esfuerzo de reclutamiento de la compañía están los de farmacéuticos, enfermeras, enfermeras practicantes, asistentes médicos, profesionales de casos de beneficios para afiliados y empleados de centros de distribución.

Finalmente, para apoyar las farmacias CVS Caremark y CVS Specialty, la compañía está reclutando para varios miles de puestos de representantes de servicio al cliente que trabajan desde casa en todo el país, con cientos de vacantes en varios mercados, entre ellos Indianápolis, IN; Kansas City, MO; Knoxville, TN; Mt. Prospect, IL; Orlando, FL; Pittsburgh, PA; y San Antonio, TX. Estas oportunidades de tiempo completo comienzan con 30 horas a la semana y ofrecen un horario flexible para las personas que buscan regresar rápidamente al trabajo. Los candidatos para estas oportunidades pueden postularse fácilmente en línea y realizar una prueba de trabajo virtual en línea.

“Al aprovechar la innovación y la tecnología de CVS Health, podemos ayudar a que más estadounidenses vuelvan a trabajar desde la comodidad de sus propios hogares, donde pueden contribuir a los esfuerzos continuos de la compañía para ayudar a resolver los desafíos de atención médica del país”, dijo Jeffrey Lackey, vicepresidente de Adquisición de Talentos de CVS Health.

Los 15,000 puestos adicionales son un incremento del esfuerzo de contratación acelerado que se anunció en marzo para contratar a 50,000 nuevos colegas en apoyo de la respuesta de la compañía a la pandemia.

Las oportunidades para los colegas a tiempo completo incluyen un salario competitivo, capacitación remunerada y un generoso paquete de beneficios. Los aspirantes pueden ir a cvs.jobs para postularse.

Información sobre las medidas que ha tomado CVS Health para hacer frente a la pandemia de COVID-19, que incluye el apoyo a los proveedores de atención médica y los médicos que enfrentan problemas financieros y administrativos, se puede encontrar en el Informe de respuesta al COVID-19 de la compañía.

CVS Health es un empleador que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades y acción afirmativa. No discriminamos en el reclutamiento, contratación o promoción por motivos de raza, etnia, sexo/género, orientación sexual, identidad o expresión de género, edad, discapacidad o condición de veterano protegido o por cualquier otro motivo o característica que prohíben las leyes federales, estatales o locales relevantes.

The City of Houston Announces Recommendations for Reopening Sanctuaries and Faith-Based Organizations

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The City of Houston Announces Recommendations for Reopening Sanctuaries and Faith-Based Organizations during the COVID-19 Pandemic

HOUSTON – Mayor Sylvester Turner and the Mayor’s Health Equity Response (H.E.R.) Task Force announced guidelines to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 as sanctuaries and faith-based organizations reopen their doors for religious services.The Mayor was joined by Dr. Irishea Hilliard of New Light Church and Reverend Rodrigo Vargas of Union Houston. Both are members of the H.E.R Task Force’s Faith and Community Leaders Subcommittee, a group of religious leaders who provided input and recommendations for creating the guidelines.

The task force strongly encouraged limiting the occupancy of facilities at 25% capacity and offering members the option to pre-register.

“Many Houstonians are people of faith and want to return to in-person worship services. The recommendations give people a road map on how to move forward without risking their health and safety,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner.

The H.E.R. Task Force reviewed three critical questions; How do we protect congregants? How do we assure communities we are doing all we can to protect them? And, how do we minimize the risk of transmission?

“As a faith leader, I closed my house of worship services and went back to virtual services. I wanted to make certain my parishioners and members were safe,” said Pastor Irishea Hilliard.

Additionally, the guidelines recommend that employees and members of a house of worship avoid touching and sharing audiovisual equipment such as microphones, instruments, and the removal of hymnals, pens, and offering envelopes.

“It is an honor and a privilege to be on the task force,” said Pastor Rodrigo Vargas. “I thank the Mayor and others for their leadership. I appreciate the opportunity to invest our time, innovation, and faith, into making our city safe, while at the same time respecting our worship centers.”

“Since the pandemic began, our number one priority has been to keep Houstonians safe,” said Shannon Buggs, Director of the City of Houston Complete Communities Initiatives, and head of the Health Equity Response (H.E.R.) Task Force leader. “Early on, the Mayor’s Health Equity Response (H.E.R.) Task Force recognized places of worship as foundational elements in our society. I appreciate and applaud the diligence of the Faith & Community Leaders Sub-Committee for bringing together faith and civic leaders who spent several months discussing and developing the sanctuary reopening guidelines for the protection of all Houstonians.”

The set of guidelines also include the use of clear signage in parking lots, halls, and entrances, the availability of hand sanitizing stations, and possible temperature checks.

The recommended guidelines for reopening sanctuaries and faith-based organizations can be found on https://www.houstontx.gov/Best-Practices-Sanctuaries-Faith-Based-Organizations.pdf

“I was proud to witness how the spiritual leaders of our community, regardless of their beliefs, joined forces in providing their feedback to create such a comprehensive set of recommendations,” said Janice Weaver, Director of Community Relations, who coordinated the efforts of the Faith and Community Leaders Sub-Committee.

 

Bus Operator, Contract Driver Among Latest Positive Cases for COVID-19

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METRO has received confirmation a bus operator, a contract driver and three additional employees have tested positive for COVID-19. This brings the total number of cases to 202 METRO employees and 56 contractors since March 2020.

Ninety-one of the employees had no contact with the public. METRO tracks and reports all positive cases among its 4200 employees and the various contractors who provide services to METRO. We are also conducting temperature checks of employees and others before they begin their workday at METRO facilities or on our vehicles.

The bus operator last worked Oct. 8 and in the two weeks prior, drove the following routes:

West 202

The contract driver last worked Oct. 10 and in the two weeks prior, drove the following routes:

NW 56

*The charts above reflect the days the operator and contract driver were on duty two weeks prior to their last days on the job.

Among the other three employees are a technician who last worked Oct. 9,  a storeroom attendant who last worked Oct. 10 and an employee in the claims department who was last in the office Sept. 29.  None of these employees had contact with the public.

Anyone who comes in contact with an individual who tests positive should monitor themselves for possible symptoms, contact your health care provider as soon as you develop any symptoms, and self-isolate to avoid possibly exposing others, including refraining from using public transportation.

METRO is working with public health officials so they can identify and notify anyone who traveled the routes driven by the bus operator and contract driver during those time frames as well as anyone else who may have been impacted by the latest positive cases,

Since mid-March, METRO has sought to minimize the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission by operators or passengers by encouraging social distancing. On March 23, the agency temporarily suspended collecting fares to avoid unnecessary contacts.  Shortly thereafter, orange mesh fencing was installed across the aisles of every local bus to assure appropriate distancing between operators and passengers.

More safety upgrades are also being added to buses, trains and METROLift vehicles. Operators and riders will now have access to hand sanitizer while on board and protective shields around drivers’ seats will provide another layer of separation between operators and the public. Operators and riders are required to wear a face covering while on the system.

We appreciate and greatly value our riders. We have taken many actions, including working with the community at large, to “flatten the curve” of COVID-19. To prevent or minimize its transmission on the transit system, METRO asks all riders to use the system only for essential trips at this time,  practice social distancing when you do ride transit (i.e., stand or sit at least 6 feet apart, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, wash your hands for 20 seconds before boarding transit and after deboarding, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, or cough or sneeze into your elbow, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, and stay home if you are sick). Additionally, riders should stand or sit no closer than six feet behind the driver.

METRO’s number one priority is protecting the health and safety of our customers, community and employees.

3 key Trump policies teed up for Supreme Court action

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Controversial Trump administration policies on the census, asylum seekers and the border wall, held illegal by lower courts, are on the Supreme Court’s agenda Friday.

The most pressing case before the justices when they meet privately, and by telephone because of the coronavirus pandemic, involves the census. They are considering the Trump administration’s appeal to be allowed to exclude people living in the U.S. illegally from the population count that will be used to allocate seats in the House of Representatives — and by extension the Electoral College — among the states for the next 10 years.

The administration wants the court to hear arguments in December and decide the case before Trump’s Jan. 10 deadline to send the figures to Congress. The justices could reveal their plans as early as Friday.

If the court adopts the proposed timetable and Senate Republicans succeed in confirming President Donald Trump’s nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, to the court quickly, she would be able to take part in arguments in the case.

With a vote on Barrett’s confirmation expected before the end of October, Friday’s meeting could be the court’s last with one seat vacant since the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last month.

The high court could also announce that it will review an administration policy that makes asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for U.S. court hearings, which has forced tens of thousands of people to return to Mexico since it was announced early in 2019.

Known informally as “Remain in Mexico,” the policy became a key pillar of the administration’s response to a surge of asylum-seeking families from Central America at the southern border. It also drew criticism for having people wait in dangerous cities.

Also on the agenda is the administration’s appeal of a ruling that Defense Department officials exceeded their authority when they transferred money in the Pentagon budget to border wall construction, despite Congress’ refusal to give Trump all the money he wanted for the project.

Lower courts sided with states and environmental groups that challenged the transfer as a violation of the Constitution’s provision giving Congress the power to determine spending. A separate suit from members of Congress also is making its way to the court.

The justices blocked the court rulings in both the asylum seekers and border wall cases, leaving the policies in effect. Arguments wouldn’t heard before next year and the issues would have much less significance if Joe Biden were to become president. He could rescind Trump’s policy forcing asylum seekers to wait in Mexico, for example.

The outcome of the census case, though, could affect the distribution of political power for the next 10 years. The census also helps determine the distribution of $1.5 trillion in federal funding annually.

In early September, a panel of three federal judges in New York said Trump’s order was unlawful because those in the country illegally qualify as people to be counted in the states they reside.

The administration told the court that the president retains “discretion to exclude illegal aliens from the apportionment based on their immigration status.”

The American Civil Liberties Union, representing a coalition of immigrant advocacy groups, said Trump’s violation of federal law is “not particularly close or complicated.”

The Supreme Court separately allowed the administration to end the actual census count this week, blocking a court order that would have kept the count going until the end of the month.

Playoffs MLB: Astros establece ‘curioso’ récord tras HR’s de Springer y Correa

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Enfrentados a un juego que debían ganar para evitar regresar a casa durante el otoño, los Astros de Houston comenzaron las cosas temprano. George Springer conectó un cuadrangular en el primer lanzamiento que vieron los Astros en el juego temprano.

Unas horas y unos cientos de lanzamientos más tarde, Carlos Correa agregó otro bambinazo, éste último contra Nick Anderson para terminar el juego. Así es: el primer lanzamiento que vieron los Astros y el último fueron ambos jonrones. Esta fue también la primera vez en la historia de los Playoffs de MLB que un equipo había comenzado y terminado un juego pegando jonrón.

Tienes que jugar duro desde el primer lanzamiento hasta el último. Ese es el tipo de declaración aparentemente inocua sobre lo que se necesita para ganar en la postemporada que probablemente podrías encontrar en un libro de clichés deportivos. Pero los Astros tomaron ese consejo muy literalmente en su victoria 4-3 en el Juego 5 de la ALCS sobre los Rays el jueves.

Si bien Correa había bateado otro jonrón de salida de postemporada antes, venciendo a los Yankees en el Juego 2 de la Serie de Campeonato de la Liga Americana de 2019, podemos decir con seguridad que esta es la primera vez que Correa logra una salida en el estadio de otro equipo. (Curiosamente, Correa tiene dos jonrones de salida en solo 61 juegos de postemporada, pero cero comentarios que terminan el juego en 604 juegos de temporada regular).

Los Astros intentarán lograr esta hazaña nuevamente el viernes, pero tendrán que hacerlo contra el as de Tampa Bay, Blake Snell.

Texas Eviction Diversion Program launches in 19 Texas Counties

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The state has launched a program that will aim to help residents avoid eviction in 19 counties.

Included in the 19 participating counties are Deaf Smith, Potter, and Randall counties.

The Supreme Court of Texas established the Texas Eviction Diversion Program through the 27th Emergency Order, regarding the COVID-19 State of Disaster.

With funding allocated by Governor Greg Abbott through the Department of Housing and Community Affairs, the program seeks to reduce the number of evictions by enabling landlords and tenants to agree upon a resolution to non-payment of rent issues.

David Slayton, Administrative Director of the Office of Court Administration, said that this program will help landlords get the rent that they are due and help tenants be able to stay in their homes.

In participating counties, when an eviction case is taken to court, the judge will be required to discuss this program with both the landlord and tenant.

If both the landlord and tenant are interested, the eviction case will be suspended for 60 days to allow an application process to be started.

Slayton explained, “If the application is approved and the landlord and the tenant meet eligibility criteria, they are entitled up to six months of rent. That can be back-rent and forward-rent, or some combination thereof.”

Deaf Smith, Potter, and Randall County will receive a total of $300,000 for potential, qualifying tenants and landlords.

Slayton said that in September, the US Bureau surveyed Texans that are currently renting and they found that almost 900,000 households renting in Texas were behind on their rent.

There will be a staggered release of participating counties for this Texas Eviction Diversion Program. However, it is anticipated that more, larger metropolitan areas will be added to the program by the end of the year.