Stunning accident: The Supreme Court appears poised to temporarily allow abortions in medical emergencies in Idaho, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday, citing a document that was inadvertently posted on the court’s website in an astonishing breach of protocol.
What the document said: The unsigned opinion showed that three conservatives – Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett – sided with the court’s three liberals to block the state from enforcing the ban in certain emergency situations.
Looming decisions: The court acknowledged a document was briefly posted but stressed that no opinion is final until announced by the justices. This is one of several cases the court has yet to rule on this term. President Joe Biden has made abortion rights a centerpiece of his reelection push, and the erroneous publication comes a day before the CNN debate.
The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is in the books, with France’s Zaccharie Risacher going No. 1 to the Atlanta Hawks.
Atlanta Hawks: Zaccharie Risacher, SF Risacher’s combination of length and defensive versatility on the wing makes him a player who can come into any situation and contribute right away. He is more than just a catch-and-shoot threat and has shown improvement as a facilitator when his shot isn’t falling.
Washington Wizards: Alex Sarr, F/C This was Sarr’s preferred landing spot and he can come in right away and add some relief defensively with how well he protects the rim. Offensively, he has a fluid jumper in the pick-and-pop with the potential to spread past the 3-point line.
Houston Rockets: Reed Sheppard, G Sheppard shot over 52% from 3-point range on 3.5 attempts per game and will be more of a combo guard at the NBA level. He’s a little undersized at 6-foot-2 but has a high IQ and a solid floor when it comes to a young, skilled guard coming into the NBA.
San Antonio Spurs: Stephon Castle, G Castle was one the best defending guards in college hoops during his one year at UConn and showed a much improved 3-point shot during the pre-draft process. He has upside as an elite two-way player in the NBA and can help anchor the defense alongside Victor Wembanyama.
Detroit Pistons: Ron Holland, SF Holland averaged 19.5 points and 6.7 rebounds in the G League this season for the Ignite. Although he can be turnover prone at times, his size at 6-foot-8 and his burst off the dribble and in transition still gives him room for growth in the NBA at just 18 years old. His movement off the ball needs some work and he sometimes clogs the lane with his attempts to get to the rim.
Charlotte Hornets: Tidjane Salaun, F Salaun has solid size at the wing position at 6-foot-9 and has really become more than just a catch-and-shoot threat along the perimeter. He’s worked this past season to add muscle to his frame and his physicality in the lane improved while playing for Cholet in the LNB Pro A league.
Portland Trail Blazers: Donovan Clingan, C Clingan has all the tools to be a long-term starting center in the NBA and moves well for his size at 7-foot-2. He is more than a rim-running big and can throw a lot of different options in the pick-and-roll, whether that’s slipping, rolling to the basket, pinning his man, or popping out for a jumper.
Minnesota Timberwolves (via Spurs): Rob Dillingham, G Dillingham is one of the best guards with the ball in his hands and can get downhill and put pressure on the rim. There’s no doubt that he’ll be electric in Minnesota, but his size at 6-foot-2, 164 pounds, is concerning for a lead guard in the NBA.
Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Edey, C Edey can come in right away as a backup center and has the best post-up game out of any center in the draft, averaging 25.2 points and 12.2 rebounds per game last season. His limitations are in the pick-and-roll, where only 8% of his made baskets came in that set, and defensively he doesn’t have the foot speed to guard the switch, forcing him to be more of a drop coverage center.
Utah Jazz: Cody Williams, F Williams is one of the best defending wings in this class with how well he can guard positions 1-4 and has great drop coverage on the switch. He needs to get stronger with the ball but is farther along in his development at 19 than his brother, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams, was at his age.
Chicago Bulls: Matas Buzelis, F Buzelis shot the ball under 30% from 3-point range during his one season with the Ignite but has great size at 6-foot-9 and the ability to space the floor. He’s comfortable taking players off the dribble and has good footwork and ball skills in dribble hand-offs on the wing.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Nikola Topić, PG Topić suffered a partially torn ACL and the Thunder will have to be patient with his recovery. He is one of the best passers in this draft class, averaging 5.5 assists per game in Serbia, and has good size at the point guard position at 6-foot-6.
Sacramento Kings: Devin Carter, G Carter shot up draft boards during the pre-draft process with how well he performed during the combine (42-inch max vertical and breaking the combine record for the 3/4-court sprint). He’s a tough-nosed guard who is great at turning defense into offense and is one of the best rebounding guards.
Washington Wizards (via Blazers): Carlton Carrington, G Carrington hit a late growth spurt and is now closer to 6-foot-5 as a point guard, making him a late riser in the draft. He still has tremendous upside at 18 years old and can come in right away with his quick-twitch pace and decent shot creation off the pick-and-roll.
Miami Heat: Kel’el Ware, C Ware really made a jump in improvement from his freshman year at Oregon to his sophomore season at Indiana, showing more upside as a pick-and-roll big while putting pressure on the rim. His athleticism helps him guard the perimeter off the switch and he’s improved his ball-handling, starting the break off missed shots.
Philadelphia 76ers: Jared McCain, G McCain is one of the best shooters in this draft, shooting 41.8% from 3-point range and shot lights out at the combine in front of every NBA executive and scout. Even though he’s undersized at 6-foot-3, 197 pounds, Philadelphia knows exactly what it’s getting from him as a reliable shooter who competes at a high level.
Los Angeles Lakers: Dalton Knecht, G Knecht was the best scorer in the SEC, averaging 21.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game at Tennessee. He’s one of the older players in the first round at 23 but can be a plug-and-play guy right away, contributing with his size and three-level scoring.
Orlando Magic: Tristan da Silva, F The senior forward shot 40% from 3-point range and has the potential to be that hybrid four in the NBA with his solid inside-out game and how well he gets to his spots out of the pick-and-roll option.
Toronto Raptors: Ja’Kobe Walter, G Walter has solid size for a shooting guard at 6-5 and showed more promise off the bounce during his one year at Baylor. His 3-point shot was a little inconsistent over his freshman season, but the spacing in the NBA will allow him better looks for higher-percentage shots.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Jaylon Tyson, SG Tyson was one of the best scorers in the Pac-12 and can do a little bit of everything really well. He’s strong with the ball, cuts well and finishes through contact, but his mobility on defense and ability to keep players in front still needs some work.
New Orleans Pelicans: Yves Missi, C Missi still has a ton of room for growth after his one year at Baylor, but the glimpses that he showed defending the block and running the floor well in transition scream upside as a rim-running big in the NBA at 7 feet.
Denver Nuggets (via Suns): DaRon Holmes II, F Holmes could potentially be a hybrid big with his polished interior scoring and improvement in his shot selection behind the arc, averaging 38.6% from 3-point range.
Milwaukee Bucks: AJ Johnson, SG Johnson’s upside as a 6-5 combo guard is very intriguing and he’s a player who has been in the gym working out with Rockets guard Jalen Green since 8th grade. They have similar mannerisms as playmakers, and Johnson is still so raw as a prospect he could end up being one of the best players in this draft two to three years down the road.
Washington Wizards (via Knicks): Kyshawn George, SG George hit a late growth spurt two years ago and shot up from 6-3 to 6-8. He still passes like a point guard but is playing more along the perimeter. His 3-point shot is what’s most intriguing, shooting 41% from 3 off the bench during his one year at Miami.
New York Knicks: Pacome Dadiet, SG Dadiet is one of the youngest players in the draft, still just 18 years old, and will be a draft-and-stash development project for the Knicks. His size and strength at 6-8 along the perimeter is what first stands out when he plays, and he’s showing more signs as a poised playmaker off the wing, finishing his season in Germany for Ratiopharm Ulm on a high note.
Oklahoma City Thunder (via Wizards): Dillon Jones, PF Jones does a lot of little things really well, which is probably why the Thunder traded up to grab him. Jones
The search for a missing 12-year-old with autism in Fulshear has resulted in a tragic ending after police say she accidentally drowned.
According to the Fulshear Police Department, Aisha Adebayo was last seen on a house camera late Wednesday night walking away from her home in the 29800 block of Aaron River Trail in Fort Bend County, just west of Houston.
The search extended into the morning hours, involving law enforcement and community members. Dozens of concerned citizens assisted in the search.
However, as of 5:45 a.m., Fulshear authorities confirmed Aisha’s tragic demise on social media:
“It is with great sadness that we provide an update on the search for Aisha Adebayo. She was found and tragically had accidentally drowned in a nearby lake by her home. Our hearts are heavy with grief for Aisha and her family. We deeply appreciate everyone who helped in the search and shared the information. Please keep Aisha’s family in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.”
Venezuela secures place in Copa America’s quarterfinals
Despite numerous opportunities, Mexico couldn’t capitalize in their match against “Los Vinotintos” de Venezuela on Wednesday night. The No. 44 ranked Venezuelan team outperformed the No. 15 ranked Mexican squad, securing a 1-0 victory in front of a predominantly Mexican crowd.
This was the second consecutive Copa América match at SoFi Stadium where the favored “home” team fell short. Earlier in the week, Brazil played to a 0-0 draw against Costa Rica. On Wednesday, Mexico was defeated by Venezuela in what felt like a home game, leaving their fans disappointed.
The pivotal moment came when Mexico’s Julián Quiñones committed a foul on Venezuela’s Jon Aramburu inside the box, leading to a penalty. Salomon Rondon, who plays for Pachuca in Liga MX, successfully converted the penalty, sealing the victory for Venezuela.
Mexico had previously started their tournament with a narrow 1-0 win over Jamaica but suffered a significant setback with the injury of their captain, Edson Álvarez. Meanwhile, Venezuela overcame Ecuador 2-1 in their opener, benefiting from a red card issued to Ecuador’s captain, Enner Valencia.
Venezuela’s victory on Wednesday places them at the top of Group B with six points, ensuring their advancement to the quarterfinals. Mexico must now defeat Ecuador on Sunday to secure second place and advance.
Summary:
Mexico was outplayed by Venezuela in a 1-0 loss on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium, where a penalty by Salomon Rondon made the difference. This was the second time a favored team failed to win at SoFi, following Brazil’s 0-0 draw with Costa Rica. Mexico, which narrowly beat Jamaica in their opener but lost captain Edson Álvarez to injury, now faces a must-win game against Ecuador on Sunday to advance. Venezuela’s win, following their earlier 2-1 victory over Ecuador, secures their place in the quarterfinals with six points.
A major ice cream producer has recalled products sold by multiple brands due to potential listeria contamination, the Food and Drug Administration said.
The manufacturer — Totally Cool, Inc. of Owings Mills, Maryland — has recalled products from more than a dozen brands, including Friendly’s, Hershey’s Ice Cream, Jeni’s and the Frozen Farmer, due to the “possible health risk,” the FDA said.
No illnesses have been reported to date, the FDA said in its alert on Monday.
The Food and Drug Administration released images of the recalled Totally Cool, Inc. ice cream products.FDA
“Totally Cool, Inc. has ceased the production and distribution of the affected products due to FDA sampling which discovered the presence of Listeria monocytogenes,” the FDA said. “The company continues its investigation and is taking preventive actions. No other products produced by Totally Cool, Inc. are impacted by this recall.”
The full list of recalled products can be found here. They were distributed nationwide, available in retail locations and for direct delivery.
Consumers who have purchased any of the products are asked to return them for a full refund or throw them away.
Taharka Brothers Ice Cream, one of the impacted brands, said it outsourced production of two of its more popular ice cream flavors — honey graham and key lime pie — to Totally Cool.
“While no listeria has been detected in our ice cream, or any of the ice cream produced at Totally Cool, the FDA is requiring a full recall out of an abundance of caution,” Taharka said in a statement.
The company said it will begin making pints of the two flavors at its own factory “immediately.”
The Food and Drug Administration released images of the recalled Totally Cool, Inc. ice cream products.FDA
Chipwich was also among the brands included in the recall. Crave Better Foods said in a statement Monday that it operates a separate production line at the same Totally Cool facility and has issued a voluntary recall of its vanilla chocolate chip Chipwich ice cream cookie sandwiches “out of an abundance of caution and care for the product and its loyal fans.”
Crave Better Foods said it received a report from the Totally Cool facility about a “possible health issue” on a production line used to make frozen ice cream cakes.
Listeria monocytogenes can cause “serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems,” the FDA said.
Symptoms of listeria infection include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, the FDA said. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — Two suspects were arrested for allegedly robbing a postal worker at gunpoint Tuesday afternoon, according to deputies.
The Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office said the arrests were made following a traffic stop in the 21900 block of Gosling Road.
Deputies said the two men were placed into custody for aggravated robbery. The two are accused of robbing the worker in a nearby neighborhood in the 21800 block of Mount Hunt Drive.
Both suspects were found to have open warrants, Pct. 4 added.
Authorities said a stolen postal key was recovered during the arrest.
FRIENDSWOOD, Texas (KTRK) — A 17-year-old accused of shooting two of his friends at his home, killing one of them before Christmas, has been formally indicted, according to the Friendswood Police Department.
On Tuesday, the department shared that a Galveston County grand jury indicted Connor Hilton on charges of murder and aggravated assault causing serious bodily injuries in the Dec. 23, 2023, shooting.
The video above is from a previous report.
“Hilton admitted to shooting two males inside of his home. One of the male victims succumbed to his injuries after being transported to the hospital,” Friendswood PD shared. “The other male victim sustained life-altering injuries from the incident and continues his path to recovery.”
On Dec. 23, 2023, officers responded to a call for gunshots in the 1800 block of La Salle Street. Two men were found with gunshot wounds and taken to the hospital. One of the victims, Ethan Riley, 18, died at the hospital, according to police.
Police said they found Hilton visibly upset on the curb in front of his home. According to records, a friend had called 911 from the bathroom after he heard gunshots.
Court records state Hilton later told police he shot his two friends in their heads with a gun his mother bought him, and it was unprovoked. According to court records, he shot Riley first and then Benjamin Bliek.
Hilton was released from jail on a $1 million bond on Jan. 3.
Crosby, TX – On Monday, June 24, 2024, the Crosby ISD Board of Trustees approved a non-deficit budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year. Non-deficit budgets are a growing rarity among school districts in Texas.
Throughout the budget workshop process this spring, the Board of Trustees heard from both Superintendent, Mrs. Paula Patterson, and Chief Financial Officer, Ms. Yvonne Johnson, on how the administration is solidifying a bright financial future. Superintendent Patterson told the Board, “We did not adopt a deficit budget this current school year. This is not what you’re hearing from many others. We’re only one of about 20% of districts that do not have deficit budgets in the state of Texas.”
During the budget workshop in February, CFO Johnson explained that the tax rate for Crosby ISD taxpayers has decreased by a total of 43 cents per $100 valuation during the past six years. The budget workshop process followed a major update in December 2023, when CFO Johnson outlined a major fiscal achievement for Crosby ISD. The school district achieved its highest School FIRST (Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas) rating in more than five years, scoring a 96 or Superior Achievement for the 2021-22 fiscal year. (School FIRST ratings are given for the prior fiscal year, meaning 2021-22 ratings are issued during the 2023-24 school year.) CFO Johnson shared the School FIRST report during a public hearing at the Board of Trustees meeting on Monday, December 18, 2023.
Following the Board’s approval of the 2024-25 budget, Superintendent Patterson added, “Crosby ISD went through financial, emotional, and community trauma during the 2018-2019 school year, when the Board declared financial exigency. More than 100 staff members were laid off as part of the RIF (Reduction-In-Force). As this spring’s budget process and December’s School FIRST public hearing have shown, we are moving in the right direction. The rebound has been slower than anyone would have liked, but we have continued to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars. Crosby ISD has a bright financial future. The headwinds we faced in 2017 are now what many other districts are starting to endure. We are proud to have helped to right the ship, and now we are better positioned to respond to the challenges and opportunities of student achievement, growing enrollment, and subdivision development. I am proud of the fiscal path we have cemented in Crosby ISD.”
The 2024-25 fiscal year budget includes a 3% raise from midpoint for Crosby ISD employees. The starting salary for teachers was increased by $1,625 from $63,025 to $64,650. Starting pay for bus drivers and bus aides was increased as well. The 24-25 general fund budget is $74.1 million. For the 2023-24 school year, Crosby ISD had approximately 6900 students enrolled. The district expects enrollment to surpass 7000 during the 2024-25 school year.
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will face off Thursday for the first of two presidential debates this year, offering each a high-profile opportunity to try to gain an edge in a race characterized by persistently narrow polling margins.
The debate, moderated by CNN, is occurring unusually early in the election cycle and features the atypical combination of a president and a former president both having to defend their White House records. They will also be clashing under unique circumstances — CNN will have the ability to mute candidates’ microphones when they’re not talking, and there will be no studio audience.
Debates in the past have produced signature moments that helped alter the course of presidential race, while others have failed to make a dent. Biden and Trump both come into the debate with widespread worries over the fitness for office and character, as well as universal name recognition — and thus hardened voter opinions — that leave few opportunities for fluctuations in the White House contest.
Here are five things to watch for on Thursday.
Do any gaffes or knockout punches break through?
Traditionally, most parts of debates are forgotten by the time voters head to the polls in November. But marquee moments have the potential to break through.
Gaffes — think Rick Perry’s “oops” moment in a 2011 GOP primary debate — or knockout punches — think Ronald Reagan citing his opponent’s “youth and inexperience” in 1984 — have been able to pierce the national consciousness and live on throughout history, even beyond the years in which those elections took place.
Radars for such moments will be particularly high in Thursday’s debate, as worries over the two candidates’ fitness for office are staples in the race.
Biden, the country’s oldest president ever at 81 years old, is the target of ceaseless attacks over his mental acuity from Trump and his allies, who at times disseminate misleadingly edited videos to appear as if he’s lost during public appearances.
Trump, meanwhile, has made a series of flubs on the trail, including confusing or forgetting people’s names, though polls show worries over his mental fitness for office aren’t as widespread over concerns about Biden.
Strategists said a bad gaffe could damage either campaigns’ chances of victory in November, but that a strong performance, especially for Biden, could help mitigate worries over his age.
Biden “can’t stumble around words. He can’t drift off into these incoherent little tangents that he occasionally does because all he has to do is screw up once, and that’s going to be the thing that lives,” said veteran GOP strategist David Kochel. “I just think there’s a huge opportunity for him to put a lot of things to rest. But it’s also a minefield.”
Character or policy?
Both candidates have ping-ponged back and forth between hitting each other on character and policy, still searching for the playbook that’ll put their opponent away.
Biden has repeatedly cast Trump as a threat to democracy, citing his role in inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and his vow to be a “dictator” on his first day in office — a comment Trump’s allies say was made in jest. He also more recently began highlighting Trump’s recent conviction on 34 felony counts in New York.
He’s also sought to knock the former president on abortion, a key animating policy issue for Democrats, COVID-era economic slumps and for helping dash a bipartisan immigration bill in Congress earlier this year.
Trump, meanwhile, has focused on the president’s age and dubbed him the head of the head of the “Biden crime family,” citing both unfounded allegations of corruption and the president’s son’s recent conviction on gun charges.
Trump also has spoken to voter frustrations over inflation and the border.
“If he says the word reproductive rights or abortion less than 100 times over the course of the 90 minutes, he’s probably failing. But I expect he’ll raise that in almost every answer. If they ask him about tax policy, he’s going to talk about abortion,” GOP strategist Alex Conant said of Biden. “I think beyond that, he’s going to want to remind people about Jan. 6.”
“Trump’s obviously gonna try to talk about inflation as much as possible,” he added.
Whichever tact the candidates take — an emphasis on character or policy — could indicate where they think their opponents are most vulnerable.
Offense v. defense
The unique nature of a president clashing with his predecessor also leaves it unclear who will be able to seize the offensive.
Traditionally during a presidential reelection campaign, debates are characterized by the president defending his record in the White House, while a challenger is on the offensive while also defending a record in the Senate or governor’s mansion — less impactful and relatable to everyday voters.
Now, though, both candidates will have White House records to back up, leaving it unclear whether either will be able to seize the offensive — and if one or the other will end up stuck on their back foot for the 90-minute tete-a-tete.
Already, millions of dollars have been dumped into ads tearing into the candidates’ respective records — but being seen as a superior attacker on stage could pay dividends for either contender.
Early timing
Thursday’s debate is happening atypically early for a general presidential election, the impacts of which are unclear.
On the one hand, strategists speculated, the timing of the debate has a chance to set the tone for the race in voters’ minds before they truly start tuning in.
“I think it makes the debate more important, because it’s it’ll set the tone for the rest of the campaign. For Biden, who is desperate to make this a choice, not a referendum, it frames the race early on in a way that his campaign wants to frame it. And I think Trump is looking for a knockout punch,” Conant said.
However, the debate will be taking place months before Labor Day, the unofficial day highlighted by politicos as the earliest that most voters start paying attention to the race in earnest. And five months is a political lifetime, meaning the debate could be flushed from voters’ minds by ever-changing news cycles.
“It’s hard to see how there is a big shift or a big thing in this race where there’s also a lot of fairway left to play,” Republican pollster Robert Blizzard said.
Who does the novel format help?
The new format for the debate — which both campaigns agreed to — marks a significant departure from past clashes.
Recently dominated by crosstalk and crowd appeals, this Thursday’s event will in theory be tamer. Microphones will be turned off when candidates are not answering questions, and no audience will be present to cheer or jeer.
The conventional wisdom among operatives in both parties is that the new rules favor Biden by robbing Trump of the ability to feed off an audience or devolve the event into inaudible crosstalk.
“[Trump] is the king, undisputed, undefeated king of crosstalk at a debate. Rewrote the rules basically about it. But he also likes to feed off of a crowd. And so, you take away the feeding off the crowd, you don’t know how President Trump’s going to react to not having that instant feedback from a crowd,” said Chip Saltsman, a strategist who worked on former Vice President Mike Pence’s now-suspended presidential campaign.
However, Republicans also said they hope that limiting crosstalk could make Trump appear less like a bully — at least to the audience at home. There’s still nothing to stop the former president from at least talking during Biden’s answers.
Wednesday’s weather is poised to be a dog day of summer, with the heat index forecasted to exceed 108 degrees.
To help Houstonians beat the heat, the City of Houston has opened cooling centers throughout the city available for the public to use during hours of operation on Wednesday. Que Onda Magazine has listed those below.
Why does extreme heat pose a danger to public health?
Prolonged exposure to extreme heat without proper hydration and other precautionary actions may result in heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Keep yourself, your family, and your pets safe during extreme heat by visiting Houston’s emergency website.
Stay Informed For up-to-date weather information, visit the National Weather Service Houston/ Galveston forecast office website.
