President Joe Biden stepped up the pressure on Israel to end 10 days of violent skirmishes with Palestinians, making clear in a call Wednesday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he expected “significant de-escalation” by day’s end.
Biden asked Netanyahu to move “toward the path to a cease-fire,” according to a White House description of their conversation.
There is pressure, too, on Biden to do more, with more than 200 people killed in the fighting. Until Wednesday, Biden had avoided pushing the American ally more directly and publicly for a cease-fire or conveyed such a level of urgency for ending Israeli airstrikes targeting Hamas in the thickly populated Gaza Strip.
The Biden administration had relied on what officials described as “quiet, intensive” diplomacy, including quashing a U.N. Security Council statement that would have addressed a cease-fire. The administration’s handling opened a divide between Biden and Democratic lawmakers, dozens of whom have called for a cease-fire.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes killed at least six people across the Gaza Strip and destroyed the home of an extended family early Wednesday. The military said it widened its strikes in the Palestinian territory’s south to blunt continuing rocket fire from Hamas, while a separate barrage also came from Lebanon.
For the third time since the war began, rockets were launched in Israel from the north. The Israeli military said one landed in an open area, two landed in the sea, and one was intercepted by aerial defenses. Lebanese security officials said the latest rockets were launched from the outskirts of the southern Lebanese village of Qlayleh, adding that four fell inside Lebanese territory. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
In southern Gaza, meanwhile, residents surveyed the piles of bricks, concrete, and other debris that had once been the home of 40 members of the al-Astal family. They said a warning missile struck the building in the town of Khan Younis five minutes before the airstrike, allowing everyone to escape.
Gov. Greg Abbott signed into a law Wednesday a measure that would prohibit abortions in Texas as early as six weeks — before some women know they are pregnant — and open the door for almost any private citizen to sue abortion providers and others.
The signing of the bill opens a new frontier in the battle over abortion restrictions as first-of-its-kind legal provisions — intended to make the law harder to block — are poised to be tested in the courts.
Abortion rights advocates have promised to challenge the new law, which they consider one of the most extreme across the country and the strictest in Texas since the landmark Roe v. Wade decision.
“This is an all-out assault on reproductive health by @GregAbbott_TX and Republicans in the Texas legislature,” Texas Democratic Julian Castro tweeted. “We must vigorously defend these rights in court, and hold every lawmaker who supported this effort accountable at the ballot box.”
The law takes effect in September.
The Legislature “worked together on a bipartisan basis to pass a bill that I’m about to sign that ensures that the life of every unborn child who has a heartbeat will be saved from the ravages of abortion,” Abbott said, in a live stream posted on Facebook.
The governor’s signature comes just after the U.S. Supreme Court said it would hear a case concerning a Mississippi law that would ban most abortions after 15 weeks, and which could lead to new limits on abortion rights. It is the first major abortion case heard before the court’s newly expanded conservative majority and could have far-reaching effects for Texas, where a pending bill would outlaw nearly all abortions if the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade.
Senate Bill 8 was a top priority for Republican lawmakers, nearly all of whom signed on as an author or sponsor of the measure.
The bill bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat has been detected. It includes cases where the woman was impregnated as a result of rape or incest. There is an exception for medical emergencies.
Similar “heartbeat” bills have been passed by other states and held up by the courts, but Texas’ version has a twist.
Instead of having the government enforce the law, the bill instead turns the reins over to private citizens — who are newly empowered to sue abortion providers or anyone who helps someone get an abortion after a fetal heartbeat has been detected. The person would not have to be connected to someone who had an abortion or to a provider to sue.
KHOU Legal expert Carmen Roe said the law will have a “chilling effect” on the state’s legal system by flooding the courts with frivolous lawsuits.
“There are 400 lawyers that are making it very clear that this law is a violation of the Texas constitution, a violation of the separation of powers and a violation of a very basic tenant than an individual cannot sue unless they’ve been harmed,” Roe said.
Proponents of the new law hope to get around the legal challenges that have tied up abortion restrictions in the courts for years. While abortion providers typically sue the state to stop a restrictive abortion law from taking effect, there’s no state official enforcing Senate Bill 8 — so there’s no one to sue, the bill’s proponents say.
“It’s a very unique law and it’s a very clever law,” said Josh Blackman, a constitutional law professor at South Texas College of Law Houston. “Planned Parenthood can’t go to court and sue Attorney General [Ken] Paxton like they usually would because he has no role in enforcing the statute. They have to basically sit and wait to be sued.”
Legal experts have been divided on the strategy, and abortion rights advocates have said they plan to fight regardless.
Elisabeth Smith, chief counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights, which has represented abortion providers who have sued Texas, said it and other abortion rights organizations are “not going to let this six-week ban go unchallenged.”
Out of an abundance of caution, and due to potential flooding. Dayton ISD will be canceling all classes and student activities for Wednesday, May 19, 2021.
Today, Commissioner Wayne Christian authored and passed three resolutions to protect states’ rights, protect consumers, and encourage technological innovation in the oil and gas industry.
Resolution 21.052 – Opposition to the CLEAN Future Act (View here): This resolution co-sponsored by Texas and North Dakota asks the Biden Administration and Congress to oppose the CLEAN Future Act and other similar pieces of legislation on behalf of oil and gas producing states.
“The so-called CLEAN Future Act is nothing more than the Green New Deal in lipstick,” said Christian. “This legislation would effectively federalize regulation of oil and gas, increasing costs to consumers and our national debt, while harming our energy independence and national security.”
Resolution 21.054 – Reigning in ESG-style Investing (View here): This resolution asks the federal government to formulate and enforce regulations relating to Environmental, Social, and Governance Funds (ESG). This style of investing has been utilized by activists to force divestment in oil and gas without regard to the rate of return for beneficiaries.
“We cannot allow activist investors to harm the investment and retirement portfolios of our constituents as collateral damage in their war against fossil fuels,” said Christian. “If ESG is not put in check, not only will future retirees face challenges in the years ahead, but we could see record bankruptcies and layoffs in the energy sector.”
Resolution 21.055 – Encouraging Carbon Capture and Technological Innovation (View here): This resolution acknowledges the key role technological innovation, including carbon capture, has played in our nation’s environmental progress and encourages the federal government to act in a bipartisan manner to continue encouraging this progress.
“A clean environment and oil and gas production are not mutually exclusive,” said Christian. “Because of technological innovation, over the last fifty years, our nation has decreased the six major pollutants by 77% while our energy consumption grew 48%, the population grew 60%, and the economy grew 285%. The key to environmental progress is innovation, not punitive regulations.”
Christian currently serves as Vice-Chairman of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) under Chairman Kevin Stitt (Governor, Oklahoma). Christian has held a number of leadership roles in the organization since he was first appointed to the IOGCC by Governor Greg Abbott in 2017. At this year’s meeting, Christian was the author of three out of the four resolutions that passed.
A lifelong conservative businessman, Wayne Christian was elected as our 50th Texas Railroad Commissioner in November 2016. Prior to his time at the Commission, Christian served seven Sessions in the Texas House of Representatives, accumulating a strong record of standing for free markets and against burdensome regulations. Christian is married to his wife, Lisa, and together they have three daughters, Liza, Lindsey, and Lauren. You can learn more about Commissioner Christian here: https://rrc.texas.gov/About-Us/Commissioners/Wayne-Christian/.
Just a month after the new Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City opened, a metal gate near the casino’s loading dock collapsed, crushing a 41-year-old construction worker under its 3,000-pound weight.
A U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation that followed Dec. 7, 2020, tragedy found the project’s contractors – Penta Building Group, No-Limit Steel, and The Raymond Group – failed to conduct inspections to discover hazards, instruct employees on how to recognize workplace dangers, and install caution signs to warn workers about potential hazards. The three contractors face $64,169 in combined penalties.
“Required oversight and communication related to workplace safety and health could have prevented this tragic loss of life,” said OSHA Area Director Derek Engard in San Diego. “This case is a painful reminder of why employers must make complying with workplace safety standards a priority.”
The Penta Building Group is a general contractor with offices and operations in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, and Reno. The Raymond Group provides wall and ceiling construction services in Southern California. No Limit Steel is a contractor based in Los Angeles.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to help ensure these conditions for America’s workers by setting and enforcing standards and providing training, education, and assistance.
La Oficina del Manejo Emergencias del Condado de Harris (HCOHSEM, por sus siglas en inglés) está monitoreando las bandas de lluvia que se espera ingresen al área esta noche y continúen hasta el jueves.
Dichas bandas de lluvia podrían ocasionar fuertes tormentas provocando altos índices de acumulación de lluvia, las cuales podrían originar inundaciones en las calles, aumentar los niveles de agua en ríos, arroyos y pantanos. Así mismo, la inundación de estructuras es posible en áreas bajas propensas a inundaciones. Se espera que los acumulados de lluvia oscilen entre 4 y 8 pulgadas en el condado y algunas áreas podrían recibir hasta 10 pulgadas o más. También es posible que haya fuertes vientos, granizo y tornados.
Dicho panorama, representa una situación potencialmente mortal. Hasta el momento, una alerta de inundación repentina se encuentra vigente hasta el jueves por la mañana. Por otro lado, el Servicio Nacional de Meteorología emitirá alertas y advertencias adicionales durante los próximos dos días. Por ello, los residentes deben estar preparados para actuar con poca anticipación en caso de que ocurran los impactos más severos. Se le aconseja monitorear los medios locales con frecuencia para obtener actualizaciones del pronóstico del tiempo. La información sobre las condiciones de los pantanos está disponible en tiempo real en el Sistema de advertencia de inundaciones del Distrito de Control de Inundaciones del Condado Harris.
La mejor acción de protección es quedarse en casa y fuera de las carreteras una vez que comiencen las lluvias. Si debe conducir, recuerde: ¡Aguas, no se ahogue! Nunca conduzca por carreteras inundadas. Esta es la principal causa de muerte en inundaciones. Consulte el mapa de tráfico en vivo de Houston TranStar para obtener información sobre las condiciones de las carreteras y los carriles principales inundados de la región.
HCOHSEM proporcionará actualizaciones a través de nuestras redes sociales durante todo el evento. Las alertas ReadyHarris se emitirán según sea necesario.
The Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (HCOHSEM) is monitoring extremely heavy rainfall entering the area this evening and continuing into Thursday.
Very strong storms with high hourly rainfall rates will cause street flooding and rise along rivers, streams, and bayous. Structure flooding is possible in low-lying, flood-prone areas. Rainfall totals through Thursday will range from 4-8 inches across the county with some areas receiving 10 or more inches. High winds, hail, and tornadoes are also possible.
This is a potentially life-threatening situation. A Flash Flood Watch is already in effect through Thursday morning. The National Weather Service will issue additional watches and warnings over the next two days. Residents should be prepared to act on short notice in the event the most severe impacts occur. You should monitor local frequently media for weather forecast updates. Information on bayou conditions is available in real-time at the Harris County Flood Control District Flood Warning System.
The best protective action is to stay home and off the roads once rains begin. If you must drive, remember: Turn Around Don’t Drown! Never drive into or through flooded roads. This is the number one cause of death in flood events. Check the Houston TranStar live traffic map for information on road conditions and flooded main lanes in the region.
HCOHSEM will provide updates via our social media channels throughout the event. ReadyHarris Alerts will be issued as needed.
A new CDC study adds to the growing body of real-world evidence (outside of a clinical trial setting) showing that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) protect health care personnel (HCP) against COVID-19. mRNA vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) reduced the risk of getting sick with COVID-19 by 94% among HCP who were fully vaccinated. This assessment, conducted in a different study network with a larger sample size from across a broader geographic area than in the clinical trials, independently confirms U.S. vaccine effectiveness findings among health care workers that were first reported on March 29.
“This report provided the most compelling information to date that COVID-19 vaccines were performing as expected in the real world,” said CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH. “This study, added to the many studies that preceded it, was pivotal to CDC changing its recommendations for those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.”
Data for this assessment come from a network covering 500,000 HCP across 33 sites in 25 U.S. states, providing additional robust evidence that mRNA vaccines are effective against symptomatic illness in real-world conditions.
The assessment compared the vaccination status of participants who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 (cases) with the vaccination status of those who tested negative (controls). Among the 1,843 participants, there were 623 cases and 1,220 controls. Vaccine effectiveness estimates were calculated by comparing the odds of COVID-19 vaccination in cases and controls. The large sample size in this study allowed for a precise vaccine effectiveness estimate with narrower confidence intervals than earlier CDC findings published March 29.
Understanding vaccine effectiveness among HCP is important because they are at higher risk for exposure to SARS-CoV-2 through patient interactions. Vaccination of HCP protects them and their patients against COVID-19 and ensures the continuation of critical health care services.
The assessment found that COVID-19 symptomatic illness was reduced by 94% among HCP who were fully vaccinated, defined in this study as seven or more days after receipt of a second vaccine dose, and by 82% among those who were partially vaccinated, defined in this study as 14 days after receipt of dose one through six days after dose two. These findings support CDC’s recommendation that everyone should get both doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to get the most protection.
This assessment is part of the CDC’s comprehensive strategy of using complementary methods to understand how COVID-19 vaccines are working in different populations and real-world settings. On May 12, CDC expanded COVID-19 vaccination recommendations to include adolescents 12 years through 15 years of age under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Emergency Use Authorization. These adolescents are now authorized to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. CDC has several surveillance networks that will continue to assess how well FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines are working in real-world conditions in people of different age groups, including children and adolescents.
My day job is Program Director at Texan by Nature, but most weekends you will find me riding my mountain bike all over the state. Riding a bike in Texas means you have thousands of miles of geographically, ecologically, and topographically diverse trails and roads ready to explore. From the dense Piney Woods to the rolling Hill Country, to vast beautiful deserts, Texas truly has it all for riders seeking adventure: year-round good weather, and amazing food choices for post-ride recovery.
Jenny Burden
As a cyclist who calls this amazing state home, I am here to tell you that if El Paso is not on your bucket list, you are missing out. Located at the very western tip of Texas, bordering Mexico and New Mexico, El Paso is probably not what you think it is. There is the desert and the occasional tumbleweed, but there are also beautiful mountains, a mighty river, miles of uncongested gravel and paved roads, and some seriously premium mountain biking trails. There are also friendly locals, affordable places to stay, and some of the best Mexican food in Texas.
Texan by Nature partners with conservation projects and programs across the state to offer consultative services, free of charge, helping them increase their impact via marketing, coalition building, increased investment from partners, and more. In 2020, we chose El Paso’s Paso del Norte Trail for one of our programs. After about 10 months of working to help them expand their audience, highlighting the incredible potential impact a 68-mile trail network could have on the region, it was time for a COVID-safe site visit to film a video highlighting the project, meet the incredible leaders making it happen, and, of course, a bike ride!
What started as a quick conversation with a corporate partner based in the region that I knew shared my passion for bikes, turned into the brilliant and fun idea to put together a group for the first-ever end-to-end ride of the proposed route. Soon after, I found myself on a plane with my bike packed away in my Airport Ninja bag, headed to El Paso to explore the trail myself.
Background: The Paso del Norte Trail
Serving a population of 2.7 million in the region between El Paso and their sister city of Juarez, Mexico, the Paso del Norte (PDN) Trail has the vision to improve environmental, economic, and public health conditions for Texans, and their neighbors, from all walks of life. This project is a community-driven, collaborative effort to develop a county-wide trail system in El Paso County.
The roughly 68–mile span of the PDN Trail is divided into five distinct districts, each broadly defined by their unique geographical, historical, and cultural context, as well as various amenities and attractions. The PDN Trail provides essential connections for community members to businesses, attractions, parks, and downtown areas, including the University of Texas at El Paso, Ascarate Park, the University Medical Center, and the El Paso Zoo. Connector trails and loops provide additional access to natural areas and outdoor spaces such as Franklin Mountains State Park and the Rio Grande River. The PDN Trail provides breathtaking views of the Franklin Mountains and showcases a variety of natural landscapes and terrain, including floodplains, deserts, rivers, mountains, and wetlands. To enhance the native landscape surrounding the trail and create an oasis for urban wildlife species, project leaders have also installed habitat enhancements such as Burrowing Owl tunnels, bat boxes, bioswales for stormwater management, edible plants, and more.
Paso del Norte Trail Bike Route Map
The goal of Paso del Norte Trail is to create a regionally significant landmark that promotes active transportation, preserves the history and culture of the region, highlights the Rio Grande river, supports economic development and ecotourism, provides educational and volunteer opportunities, and makes healthy living the easy choice for this unique, binational community.
If you live in a community that contains extensive trail networks, make sure to thank the leaders who made it happen. Trail construction is complex, requiring cooperation and funding from many stakeholders, enthusiasm from the community, and buy-in from decision-makers. The process is long, but the investment is always worth it for the added quality of life value brought by trails.
The Inaugural PDN Ride
When you go from Central to Mountain time, it makes a 4:45 am wake-up easier, but only slightly so. Our plucky band of riders met at a University of Texas-El Paso parking lot to load our bikes and bodies into a van (thank you, Sun Cycles EP for transporting the bikes safely!) to make the trek to the eastern border of the county in Tornillo. Although many of us already had our vaccines, we still were sure to wear masks and stay distant when possible. Of course, I was sporting a Texan by Nature mask with my Texan by Nature kit! As the sun rose on the horizon, I could only think to myself that it was dumb to assume it’d be moderately warm in the high desert in March. The 41-degree temperature meant my fingers were already frozen at mile 0.
Before the start of our ride, I shared my love of Tailwind Nutrition with the group, handing out sick packs of Green Tea and Lemon Endurance Fuel. Prizes of water bottles and buffs went to those who were willing to answer my Texas trivia questions. (Do YOU know what year Spindletop blew? The state flying Mammal? How many ecoregions exist across the state? Some people probably did, but not before sunrise!) When everyone grew tired of my nature-nerd inquiries at the early hour, I just passed them out to the rest of the group.
Since the trail is not complete, our route encompassed both paved trail where it exists and roads or levees where it has yet to be constructed. Tornillo is a quiet agricultural area that made for a nice calm start to our journey, and the flat landscape provided plenty of time to warm up. Well, warm up the legs, because my fingers froze in my Handup gloves until the sun finally thawed me out around mile 10.
As we pedaled closer to El Paso, traffic picked up and we began reflecting on just how life-changing trails for that side of the county could be. Current walkability is disjointed and road-dominant, making it difficult to connect neighborhoods and business districts safely. While many of us were experienced riders comfortable with the road, when we reached the first portion of the completed trail, with its wide paved surface, signage, and amenities, the stark contrast and lack of traffic noise created a peaceful silence that was almost deafening.
The safest, most enjoyable parts of the day were without a doubt the ones spent on the trail. We refilled bottles, chatted with new friends, spotted wildlife, and enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine as we progressed, mile after mile, ever westward. We made stops at the Playa Drain Trail, Ascarate Park for an interview discussing the trail with the local news station, and the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center to grab a bit of drone footage and a nice rest stop, courtesy of the Health Sciences School President and Medical School Dean who joined us for the ride.
This trail is not epic in the traditional cycling sense, with massive climbs or technical features. It is easy and accessible by design, ensuring all skill levels and abilities can enjoy recreation and transportation along the route. What it lacks in challenge it makes up for in scenery. The Franklin Mountains that dominate the city landscape (a mountain range INSIDE city limits!) draw you in and watch over you on every mile. The Rio Grande river dances around riders, first one side, then the other, blurring the lines between Texas, New Mexico, and blending into Mexico, which glides by in brilliant color as you leave town and follow the segment of Texas Department of Transportation paved path along the highway, linking with the levee system on the state line. When we ran out of pavement, we took our bikes along these levees that still irrigate agricultural lands throughout the county when the river flows from Elephant Butte, putting a little gravel in our travel.
After the levees, we hopped on the final segment of the trail, 12 miles of paved path winding along arroyos and through parkland, wrapping up what ended up being a 7 hour day of cycling. While certainly not fast, it was absolutely fun. By the end of the ride, we were toasting with cervezas and planning the next adventure, hoping to bring even more people along to explore the route with us next time. Although the ride was an absolute blast, I was definitely stoked to see our Podium FInish sag truck waiting at the trail end for a final check-in as we waited for the van to pick us up and take us back to our vehicles. The post-ride ceviche and tacos hit the spot. A day well spent, indeed.
State Managed Cleanup Program on Track to Meet Legislative Target
The Railroad Commission recently completed four years’ worth of hard work cleaning up the Wheeler Road Westex Notrees surface waste disposal facility near Odessa in West Texas.
The $9 million remediation work began in 2017 at the site which operated as a surface waste disposal facility from the early 1990s to 2012 in Ector County. This site included several waste pits.
The open pits were emptied and closed using state-managed funds generated from industry fees. The final pit was closed in April. Overall, 204,000 cubic yards of oily waste were removed from the fire pits. The major portion of the project has been completed; some minor work remains to be done, including the removal of scrap materials, such as wood, plastic piping, empty tanks, and drums.
The photo on the left shows Pit 14 at the abandoned former Westex Notrees surface waste disposal site before the Railroad Commission oversaw its cleanup. The photo on the right shows works nearing completion.
“For state-managed cleanup efforts, our objective is to remove all contamination and waste to protect public safety and the environment,” said Peter Pope, RRC Site Remediation Manager. “The closure of the abandoned pits near Odessa resolves complaints the agency received over the years. I am proud of the work that our staff and contractors put into achieving this positive result.”
The project is one of 168 oil and gas sites that have been cleaned up by the RRC’s State Managed Cleanup Program this fiscal year, which ends in August. The agency remains on track to reach the legislative goal of 230 for the period.
The State Managed Cleanup Program is funded through oil and gas industry revenue, including, but not limited to, regulatory fees, permit fees, and financial security.
