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Governor Abbott Calls For Immediate School Safety Review Of Texas Public Schools

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Governor Abbott Calls For Immediate School Safety Review Of Texas Public Schools
Governor Greg Abbott today sent a letter to Dr. Kathy Martinez-Prather directing the Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC) to begin immediately conducting comprehensive school safety reviews to ensure all Texas public schools are following the appropriate procedures to maximize school safety.

In the letter to Dr. Martinez-Prather, Governor Abbott instructs that TxSSC ensure all school districts’ School Safety and Security Committees meet ahead of the new school year to review their Emergency Operations Plan and address any campus safety needs, ensure the School Behavioral Threat Assessment Team is trained and has reviewed procedures for each campus, ensure all staff and substitutes are trained on their specific district and campus safety procedures, and conduct an assessment of their access control procedures. TxSSC is instructed to provide a progress report of findings to the Governor’s office and the Legislature by October 1.

“The work and trainings provided by the Texas School Safety Center has reached thousands of schools and instructors and has benefited millions of Texas school children,” reads the letter. “However, the tragedy at Robb Elementary School last week requires us all to do more. I am charging the TxSSC, in coordination with the TEA, to develop and implement a plan to conduct random inspections to assess access control measures of Texas school districts. Among other reviews, your team should begin conducting in-person, unannounced, random intruder detection audits on school districts. Also, the TxSSC should immediately begin working with my office and the Legislature on recommendations to improve current security systems and determine the funding necessary to continue the work of hardening our schools against outside threats. Texans have never shirked away from a challenge, and I know with the support of state leadership, we can continue the work of improving each student’s experience in our schools.”

Overall Violent Crime and Homicide Numbers in the City of Houston are trending down for the first five months of 2022

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Overall Violent Crime and Homicide Numbers in the City of Houston are trending down for the first five months of 2022

Mayor Sylvester Turner and Houston Police Department announce decrease in homicide rates during a news conference
Mayor Sylvester Turner and the Houston Police Department announced today that for the first time in more than a year, Houston’s homicide rate is showing a decline. As of today, there is an unofficial number of 187 homicides in Houston thus far in 2022 compared to 192 homicides at this time last year.

The nearly 3% decline in the city’s homicide rate is an indication of the efficacy of the One Safe Houston initiative, a comprehensive public safety plan aimed at holistically addressing and in some cases rebuilding the public safety ecosystem in Houston.

“I commend HPD for the work it is doing,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “We have put more officers on the streets through overtime and cadet classes. There is still too much gun violence in our city and too many guns in the hands of dangerous and violent individuals, but our work and that of the Houston Police Department is making a difference.”

As of this morning, HPD is showing decreases in all 4 major violent crime categories. The reported number of robberies are down about 14%, while reported rapes have decreased by 33% and aggravated assaults have lowered by more than 9%.”

“Thank you to our citizens for your continued support.  We need you to help us solve violent crimes and that increased interaction with our citizens is working,” said Executive Chief Assistant Matt Slinkard.  “To the hard-working men and women of HPD and our fellow law enforcement officers in this region, thank you for doing what you are doing. Collectively, we are making a difference.”

One Safe Houston is a $50 million investment funded by the American Rescue Plan and focuses on four key areas:

•             Violence Reduction and Crime Prevention
•             Crisis Intervention, Response and Recovery
•             Youth Outreach Opportunities
•             Key Community Partnerships

The City of Houston plans to launch a gun buyback program in July and in partnership with Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis’ office.

For more information on the One Safe Houston initiative, please visit https://www.houstontx.gov/onesafehouston/.

Uvalde mass shooter was not confronted by police before he entered the school, Texas official says

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Uvalde mass shooter was not confronted by police before he entered the school, Texas official says

The 18-year-old gunman who killed 21 people at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, was not confronted by police before he entered the school, a Texas law enforcement official said Thursday, contradicting earlier comments from authorities and raising further questions about the police response to the massacre.

“He walked in unobstructed initially,” Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Regional Director Victor Escalon said. “So from the grandmother’s house, to the (ditch), to the school, into the school, he was not confronted by anybody.”
A DPS representative on Wednesday said a school resource officer had “engaged” with the suspect before he went in the school.
Escalon’s comments came in a news conference that added further confusion to the timeline of Tuesday’s horrific shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead. The massacre marked the deadliest US school shooting in nearly a decade and was at least the 30th school shooting at a K-12 school in 2022. And it has thrown the nation — where active shooter attacks jumped more than 50% last year — yet again into a fury of anger and grief amid renewed calls for gun laws reform.
In his comments, Escalon said that the suspect, Salvador Ramos, shot his grandmother and then wrecked his truck in a ditch outside the school at 11:28 a.m. He exited the truck with a rifle and shot at two people across the street, Escalon said. He then approached the school and shot at the building multiple times and walked in through an apparently unlocked door at 11:40 a.m., according to Escalon.
close dialog
That door is normally locked, “unless you are leaving to go home on the school bus,” former principal Ross McGlothlin told CNN’s Newsroom on Thursday.
There was no school resource officer on site or available at the time, he said. Inside, the suspect walked into a classroom and fired more than 25 times, Escalon said. The majority of the gunfire was in the beginning of the attack, he said.
Officers arrived at the school at 11:44 a.m., but when they went to confront the gunman, they received fire and took cover, Escalon said. Three law enforcement officers went in the same door the shooter used to enter the school and four went through another school entrance, DPS spokesperson Chris Olivarez told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.
Officers called for more resources and personnel, evacuated students and teachers in other parts of the school, and at some point entered “negotiations” with the suspect, Escalon said. After about an hour, a US Border Patrol tactical team came to the classroom, forced entry and fatally shot the suspect, he said.
Olivarez said officers saved lives despite waiting before physically confronting the suspect.
“At that point, they had the suspect contained inside the classroom,” he told CNN. “If those officers weren’t there, if they did not maintain their presence, there is a good chance that gunman could have made it to other classrooms and commit more killings.”
The news conference underscored the confusion and disorganization of the police response and failed to answer questions as to how the gunman was able to remain inside the classroom for such a long time.
Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez issued a statement Thursday defending his officers’ response to the shooting. Two responding officers were shot by the suspect but are expected to survive.
“It is important for our community to know that our officers responded within minutes” alongside school resource officers, he said.
Olivarez said Thursday morning the suspect had barricaded himself in the classroom, which was attached to an adjoining room. All of the 21 killed and 17 injured were inside those classrooms, officials have said.
“We’re still trying to establish if that classroom was locked, and if it was locked, was there some type of barricade, was there some type of locking mechanism that did not allow those officers to make entry,” he said.
Since the Columbine school shooting of 1999, emergency responder protocol in such situations is to end the threat as quickly as possible because fatalities occur in seconds to minutes.
“It’s almost incomprehensible for me to come up with a rational explanation as to why you would wait 30 minutes to an hour to get in there,” Andrew McCabe, CNN senior law enforcement analyst, said before the news conference. “The door breaching, if it’s just a locked door, that doesn’t take 30 minutes to get into.”
US Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said about 80 to 100 agents responded to the shooting.
“They didn’t hesitate. They came up with a plan. They entered that classroom and they took care of the situation as quickly as they possibly could,” Ortiz said.
The lengthy response time, as well as a lack of communication to the public, created a chaotic situation outside the school as parents arrived, desperate to know if their kids were still alive. One father said he asked a law enforcement officer for gear.
“I told one of the officers myself, if they didn’t want to go in there, let me borrow his gun and a vest and I’ll go in there myself to handle it, and they told me no,” the father told CNN’s Jason Carroll. His son survived.

CRIME STOPPERS OF HOUSTON  FUGITIVE FRIDAY

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CRIME STOPPERS OF HOUSTON  FUGITIVE FRIDAY

 

In an effort to keep our neighborhoods safe, Crime Stoppers of Houston and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office are seeking the public’s help locating the following individuals that have active Felony and/or Misdemeanor Warrants.

Crime Stoppers may pay up to $5,000 for information leading to the location and arrest of the suspects featured. Information may be reported by calling 713-222-TIPS (8477), submitted online at www.crime-stoppers.org or through the Crime Stoppers mobile app. All tipsters remain anonymous. Only tips and calls DIRECTLY TO Crime Stoppers are anonymous and eligible for a cash reward.
The following individuals all have active warrants as of May 27, 2022 8:30 am.

FRANKLIN SOLON BACKON

B/M      07-15-92      6’00”/148 Lbs.      Blk/Bro
Warrant #: 1761154, 1761153
POSS INT DEL CS PG 1-B >=4G<20
EVADING ARREST/DETENTION W/VEH
Last known location: Houston Texas

FRANKLIN SOLON BACKON

B/M      07-15-92      6’00”/148 Lbs.      Blk/Bro
Warrant #: 1761154, 1761153
POSS INT DEL CS PG 1-B >=4G<20
EVADING ARREST/DETENTION W/VEH
Last known location: Houston Texas

KATHRYN LOUISE DOHERTY

W/F      01-26-72      5’05”/120 Lbs.      Bro/Haz
Warrant #: 1769323
POSS CS PG 1/1-B <1G
Last known location: Houston Texas

NATONYA SHANEE JONES

B/F      04-23-92      5’06”/117 Lbs.      Blk/Bro
Warrant #: 1731439
DWI W/CHILD UNDER 15 YOA
Last known location: Houston Texas

JUSTIN BRESEAN MALONE

B/F      05-14-94      6’00”/158 Lbs.      Bro/Bro
Warrant #: 1769067
FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT E
Last known location: Baytown Texas

VYSHAWNIQUE LASHAWN NICHOLSON

B/F      11-03-83      5’07”/160 Lbs.      Bro/Bro
Warrant #: 1611887, 1757807
ARSON
ASSAULT PUBLIC SERVANT
Last known location: Houston Texas

DAISY ANN PUENTE

I/F      06-19-98      5’01”/160 Lbs.      Bro/Bro
Warrant #: 1769540
THEFT AGGREGATE =>$2,500<$30K
Last known location: Brookshire Texas

EDGAR JOVANY RAMOS

W/M      01-17-94      5’01”/286 Lbs.      Blk/Bro
Warrant #: 1769377
INDECENCY W/CHILD SEXUAL CONTACT
Last known location: Houston Texas

RACHEL SUZANNE (STANTON) HART

W/F      07-21-79      5’09”/138 Lbs.      Bro/Bro
Warrant #: 1769213
THEFT <$2,500 2/MORE PREV CONV
Last known location: Katy Texas
REPORT A TIP NOW

The World’s 10 Highest-Paid Athletes for the Last Year

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The World’s 10 Highest-Paid Athletes for the Last Year

Forbes released its top 10 highest-paid athletes within the last 12 months on May 11 and PSG’s Lionel Messi came out on top. Three soccer players made the list—all in the top four—but the NBA had the most representation with four of their stars cashing in the most.

Messi led the list once before in 2019, but it’s worth noting his earning are down roughly $22 million from his last year in Barcelona. LeBron James is second on the list and broke the record he set last year for the highest-paid NBA player to ever appear on the list.

Combined, all the athletes on this year’s list earned $992 million over the last 12 months, which is a 6% drop from 2021, but the decline can be explained by Connor McGregor’s absurd $180 million total last year after he made roughly $150 million from the sale of his Irish whiskey brand.

Here’s the complete list of the top 10 highest-paid athletes of the last 12 months and their total earnings:

1. Lionel Messi, $130 million

2. LeBron James, $121.1 million

3. Cristiano Ronaldo, $115 million

4. Neymar, $95 million

5. Stephen Curry, $92.8 million

6. Kevin Durant, $92.1 million

7. Roger Federer, $90.7 million

8. Canelo Álvarez, $90 million

9. Tom Brady, $83.9 million

10. Giannis Antetokounmpo, $80.9 million

Tom Cruise Is About To Earn 100X His Original Top Gun Salary From The Highly-Anticipated “Maverick” Sequel

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Tom Cruise Is About To Earn 100X His Original Top Gun Salary From The Highly-Anticipated “Maverick” Sequel

Thirty-six years ago, on May 16, 1986, “Top Gun” debuted in theaters. The movie became a global phenomenon, earning $360 million at the box office. And on Thursday, May 25, 2022, after more than two years of COVID delays, the highly-anticipated sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick,” will finally be released.

If you’re a guy who is currently between 35-45 years old, the original Top Gun was nothing short of a life-changing world event. I was too young to see it in theaters (in 1986 I was 4), but once the movie came out on the nascent VHS technology, I was taken by its mighty wings at Mach 3 with my hair on fire straight to the danger zone for life.

I watched the VHS so many times, my parents had to hide it from me. But I found it and kept watching. Over and over. When we were in the car, I made the whole family listen to my cassette copy of the soundtrack. Over and over.

Ask any guy in the aforementioned age range, and I guarantee you at some point in their early life they dreamed of being a pilot. Excuse me, not just a pilot. A “naval aviator.” And just like the aforementioned sentence, Top Gun quotes and memes have become an innate language in our daily vocabulary.

Fun fact: Mark Zuckerberg sprinkled Top Gun quotes and references in random places in the first version of TheFacebook.com. For no reason at all, the original footer line of the site read: “Too close for missiles. Switching to guns.” Mark Zuckerberg was born in 1984 and is currently 38 years old. He gets it.

So, needless to say, most guys between 35 and 45 are likely making the pilgrimage to a movie theater this weekend to buy a ticket for “Top Gun: Maverick.” And if the movie proves to be as successful as all indicators are… indicating, Tom Cruise is about to buzz the tower with an aircraft carrier-sized payday.

How much did Tom Cruise make for Top Gun 1?

First let’s step back a bit. Tom Cruise earned $50,000 for his breakthrough role in 1981’s “Taps.” His salary jumped to $75,000 for another star-making role in 1983’s “Risky Business.” That same year he earned $500,000 for a movie called “Legend” which I literally had not heard of before 20 minutes ago. And I think I know why. Legend was a bomb. It made $24 million on a $23.5 million budget. It has a 40% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Top Gun’s producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson were probably shitting their pants when Legend bombed. Right as it was bombing, they were in the midst of filming Top Gun.

Since his Top Gun contract was negotiated before Legend’s bombing, Tom Cruise’s $2 million salary was safe. But to be clear, Tom’s $2 million salary was 13% of Top Gun’s entire budget. And FYI, earning $2 million in 1985 is the same as earning around $5.4 million today.

Thankfully for all involved, Top Gun was a smash hit, earning $360 million at the global box office. It was the highest-grossing film of 1986.

How much will Tom Cruise make from Top Gun 2?

Top Gun set Tom Cruise on a path to becoming the highest-paid actor in the world. He earned $3 million for “Cocktail” in 1986, $3 million base and $9 million total after profit participation for 1988’s “Rain Man” and $9 million for “Days of Thunder” in 1990. In the early 1990s he was commanding $12-15 million per movie.

In 1996 Tom took on a new role: Producer

In 1995 Tom and his former agent Paula Wagner established Cruise/Wagner Productions on the Paramount studio lot and set out to find a project to develop. At some point they were made aware of the fact that Paramount already owned the rights to the “Mission: Impossible” television series. Not only was Tom a fan of the show as a kid, he was intrigued to learn that Paramount had struggled for years to find a way to develop the asset into a film franchise. Cruise and Wagner soon struck a deal with Paramount to make “Mission: Impossible” their first production project.

Released on May 22, 1996, almost 10 years to the day from the Top Gun release, “Mission: Impossible” went on to earn $460 million on an $80 million budget. Between his acting salary, and more importantly, producing fee, Tom went on to earn $70 million from the movie.

He earned $75 million from the sequel and another $75 million for the third installment. By our count, Tom has earned around $300 million to date thanks to the “Mission Impossible” franchise.

Thanks to this franchise and around 20 years of similarly-amazing paychecks, heading into Top Gun: Maverick, Tom Cruise’s net worth is $600 million.

There’s a simple reason Tom makes so much money when he is the star and producer of a film. Not only does he typically set aside around $20 million for himself to cover his acting duties, he also receives a generous share of his projects’ backend points.

I reached out to a well-placed producer source today to learn more about Tom’s backend deal. According to my source, Tom Cruise is literally the only actor left in Hollywood who is still able to command a share of what is called “First Dollar Gross” on his own movies. First dollar gross literally means revenue, not profits. The dirty little secret in Hollywood is that no movies ever make a profit. A $500 million blockbuster ends up losing money thanks infamous studio accounting. So if an actor has points on backend profits, it might never result in extra money. But first dollar gross? That means if a movie makes $500 million and an actor has 10% of first dollar gross, he or she gets $50 million. First dollar gross is paid out even before movie theaters take a cut!

And according to my source, for “Top Gun: Maverick” Tom Cruise will be receiving 20% first dollar gross. That is truly unprecedented in today’s Hollywood.

So, when I pay $20 tomorrow to see “Top Gun: Maverick,” $4 goes straight to the bank of Tom Cruise.

If Top Gun: Maverick grosses $1 billion worldwide, which it is projected to do, Tom Cruise will earn…

$200 million

If that happens, Tom will earn 100 times his original Top Gun salary. And honestly, this might be one of the only examples in film history where the payday is totally justified. This sequel would not exist without Tom’s acting, marketing and producing prowess.

If Tom does indeed earn $200 million, he will set the record for the largest single-film acting payday of all time. In doing so, Tom will slide Bruce Willis’ inflation-adjusted “Sixth Sense” payday into second place.

And remember boys, no points for second place.

 

‘Everyone is Buying In’: Texans WR Brandin Cooks Sees Unselfish Roster

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‘Everyone is Buying In’: Texans WR Brandin Cooks Sees Unselfish Roster

Veterans aren’t required to attend voluntary OTAs. Houston Texans receiver Brandin Cooks isn’t like most veterans.

Cooks chooses to be the leader on the field and in the locker room for the Texans entering his third season with the franchise. He wants to see better results in 2022 after some moderate development down the stretch from last season.

One thing Cooks noticed early on practice is the willingness of players in practice. For the first time in what feels like ages, there’s an urgency at practice for Houston.

“The biggest thing that I see right now is that everyone is bought in and everyone’s unselfish,” Cooks said Tuesday following practice. “I think that’s where a great offense starts at, just unselfishness.”

Cooks 3

Since his arrival in 2020, Houston has won a mere eight games. Four came under the likes of Deshaun Watson and four came with Tyrod Taylor and Davis Mills splitting reps.

Mills is looking to build off last season in which he finished second among rookie passers in touchdowns (16) completion percentage (66.8) and passer rating (88.8). Houston spent the offseason making sure to fortify the offense in free agency with additions such as running back Marlon Mack, offensive lineman A.J. Cann and retaining tight end Antony Auclair.

In the draft, the Texans general manager added weapons such as Alabama receiver John Metchie III, Oregon State tight end Teagan Quitoriano and running back Dameon Pierce. The Texans also added protection in the trenches with the addition of Texas A&M offensive lineman Kenyon Green and LSU offensive tackle Austin Deculus.

“We’ve got a lot of special guys on this side of the ball that we added, not just at the receiver position but in the backfield, whether it’s from tight ends, the offensive line,” Cooks said. “I think Nick did a great job in the draft and free agent-wise.”

New coach Lovie Smith laughed when asked about the urgency of the team in practice, wondering what was missing last season. Then again, he can see it too. Of the 90-man roster, roughly 95 percent of players were in attendance because they wanted to be there.

Those are promising numbers for a team looking to take the next step in returning to contention.

“That urgency to get it better, to correct some things, and I think just knowing, too,” Smith said. “We brought back a lot of guys, the core of our group was brought back this year for setting that tone. There is a sense of urgency for us to get it right and be ready.”

WANTED: Suspect responsible for Indecency With A Child (Sexual Contact)

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WANTED: Suspect responsible for Indecency With A Child (Sexual Contact)

Crime Stoppers and the Houston Police Department’s Special Victims Division need the public’s assistance locating a fugitive (Eduardo Henriquez Claros) who is wanted for Indecency with Child (Sexual Contact).

On or about Tuesday, January 1, 2019, fugitive Eduardo Henriquez Claros engaged in inappropriate sexual contact with the child victim in the 8800 block of Boone Rd. in Houston, Texas. During the investigation, the victim made an outcry and detectives learned that the fugitive had inappropriate sexual contact with the child.

Fugitive Eduardo Henriquez Claros is a Hispanic male, 41 years old, 160 lbs. with brown eyes.

Crime Stoppers may pay up to $5,000 for information leading to the charging and/or arrest of the suspect(s) in this case. Information may be reported by calling 713-222-TIPS (8477), submitted online at www.crime-stoppers.org or through the Crime Stoppers mobile app. Only tips and calls DIRECTLY TO Crime Stoppers are anonymous and eligible for a cash reward.
FUGITIVE: EDUARDO HENRIQUEZ CLAROS
Report a Tip Now!

Como México No Hay Dos – Vicente Fernandez

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Como México No Hay Dos – Vicente Fernandez
Tengo el alma de bohemio y mexicano
Vagabundo y trovador
Para todos mi amistad llevo en la mano
Soy así de corazón
Vagabundas por el mundo mis canciones
Van rodando como yo
Y es de orgullo el que me nombren mexicano
Como México no hay dos
No hay dos, en el mundo entero
Ni hay sol que brille mejor
Si aquí la Virgen María
Dijo que estaría, que aquí estaría mucho mejor
Mejor que con Dios dijo que estaría
Y no lo diría nomás por hablar
Caray, en el extranjero
En el extrajero, cuánto más quiero yo a mi nación
Es bonito California, quién lo duda
De la unión es lo mejor
Sus naranjos y suspiros hechos de uva
Sus manzanas de color
San Francisco, Hollywood y sus artistas
Casi fue nuestra nación
Pero yo prefiero un tarro de tequila
Como México no hay dos
No hay dos, en el mundo entero
Ni hay sol que brille mejor
Si aquí la Virgen María
Dijo que estaría, que aquí estaría mucho mejor
Mejor que con dios dijo que estaría
Y no lo diría nomás por hablar
Caray, en el extranjero
En el extrajero, cuánto más quiero yo a mi nación
Como México no hay dos

México en la piel – Luis Miguel

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México en la piel – Luis Miguel
Como una mirada hecha en Sonora
Vestida con el mar de Cozumel
Con el color del sol por todo el cuerpo
Así se lleva a México en la piel
Como el buen tequila de esta tierra
O como un amigo en Yucatán
En Aguas Calientes deshilados
O lana tejida en Teotitlán
Así se siente México
Así se siente México
Así como los labios por la piel
Así te envuelve México
Así te sabe México
Así se lleva a México en la piel
Como ver la sierra de Chihuahua
O la artesaní­a en San Miguel
Poder montar el cerro de la silla
Así se lleva a México en la piel
Como acompañarse con Mariachis
Para hacer llorar a esa canción
En el sur se toca con marimba
En el norte con acordeón
Así se siente México
Así se siente México
Así como unos labios por la piel
Así te envuelve México
Así te sabe México
Así se lleva a México en la piel
Como un buen sarape de Saltillo
Como bienvenida en Verzacruz
La emoción de un beso frente a frente
Así se lleva a México en la piel
Como contemplar el mar Caribe
Descubrir un bello amanecer
Tener la fresca brisa de Morelia
La luna acariciando una mujer
Así se siente México
Así se siente México
Así como unos labios por la piel
Así te envuelve México
Así te sabe México
Así se lleva a México en la piel
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