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Dance can bridge gaps that can transform the world. In this episode, TUTS Director of Community Engagement, Israel Jimenez, talks with Maria Torres and Harrison Guy. These arts leaders will discuss how dance tackles issues and ideas that challenge audiences to new ways of thinking.
It all takes place on the TUTS Facebook page. Tune in for your chance to have your questions answered live!
Wednesday, March 17 at 7 p.m. CST
Guests: Maria Torres, Director | Choreographer | Producer Harrison Guy, Artistic Director of Urban Souls Dance Company
Host: Israel Jimenez – Director of Community Engagement – TUTS
Los agentes de la Patrulla Fronteriza en el Valle del Río Grande se han encontrado con familias y niños extranjeros no acompañados que son introducidos de contrabando en el país en grupos de más de 100.
El martes por la mañana, agentes asignados a la Estación de Patrulla Fronteriza de la Ciudad de Río Grande (RGC) detuvieron a un grupo de 100 extranjeros indocumentados, que consisten principalmente en familias al sur de La Grulla, Texas.
Dentro del grupo había nueve extranjeros de Rumania y dos ciudadanos de Cuba.
A la mañana siguiente, agentes asignados a la Estación de Patrulla Fronteriza de McAllen detuvieron a un grupo de 102 extranjeros al sur de La Joya, Texas. Este grupo estaba formado principalmente por familias y niños no acompañados (UAC). Los individuos eran de varios países centroamericanos.
El jueves por la mañana temprano, los agentes, con la ayuda de los oficiales de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Starr, detuvieron a un grupo de 137 extranjeros al sur de Roma. El grupo estaba compuesto por familias centroamericanas y cuatro adultos.
A pesar de los peligros inherentes de cruzar el traicionero Río Grande, los extranjeros continúan arriesgando sus vidas para ingresar a los Estados Unidos. En los últimos días, la Patrulla Fronteriza ha realizado múltiples rescates de personas que fueron dejadas a la deriva por los contrabandistas. Los grupos se introducen de contrabando en balsas inflables que casi siempre superan la capacidad máxima del improvisado transporte y rara vez se les proporciona chalecos salvavidas.
Lo anterior ocurrió la semana anterior pero el flujo de indocumentados de diferentes nacionalidades parece constante, de acuerdo con observadores familiarizados con el fenómeno migratorio en la frontera.
If you get the choice, which COVID-19 vaccine should you choose?
For now, experts are clear — the best vaccine is the one about to go into your arm. But as the supply of vaccine expands, it’s possible Americans eventually might find someone asking, “Which vaccine do you want?”
The answer for most people will still be “Whatever’s available.” That said, there are differences that could play a role, though doctors are unanimous all three currently authorized vaccines work extremely well to protect against severe disease, hospitalization, and death.
A shot now is better than waiting for a different shot, said Dr. Kathryn Edwards, scientific director of the Vaccine Research Program at Vanderbilt University’s School of Medicine. It likely benefits both the individual and society by lowering the overall spread of the disease.
Beyond that, there are small trade-offs when it comes to the current vaccines. In general, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines require two doses and are somewhat more effective. Johnson & Johnson requires one dose and is somewhat less likely to cause side effects.
Johnson & Johnson’s “one and done” aspect is a selling point for many.
Pedro Betancourt works at the airport in Miami and “can’t take chances,” he said. His choice would be “Johnson & Johnson, due to a convenient one shot.” Though he said he wasn’t picky since both he and his wife experienced COVID-19, which he described as “mild but scary.”
Right now, “I hope everyone takes the vaccinations seriously so that we can begin moving forward to normalcy,” he said.
Effectiveness: Check efficacy rates
Overall, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna had slightly higher efficacy rates in clinical trials than Johnson & Johnson.
That’s enough for Tom Cavanagh of Lexington Park, Maryland. Given the choice, he’d choose either of them but would be open to all.
“Having been in the U.S. military, I have gotten many vaccines without having a bit of knowledge, so I will take the vaccine that I can get and hope for the best,” he said.
One way to approach this could be deciding if you’re someone at high risk of getting very sick or dying from COVID-19, or if someone in your family is, said Hilda Bastian, a health scientist who writes on COVID-19 vaccines.
People in that group might choose the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines.
For someone who doesn’t have anyone at home at high risk, and isn’t at high risk themselves, that slightly better effectiveness wouldn’t matter as much. The ease of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine could be more important.
“They might think, ‘As long as I’m doing my bit for the community, if it’s enough for that, then that would be enough for me,’” Bastian said.
Immunity: How fast does it work?
How quickly the vaccines’ protection kicks in and how long it lasts are still being worked out. No long-term data is available because none of the vaccines are more than a year old.
The vaccines don’t give immediate protection because there are biological limitations at work, said Dr. Otto Yang, a professor of medicine and associate chief of infectious diseases at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine.
“It takes time for antibodies and T cells to build to adequate levels. Antibodies in particular also require ‘maturation.’” he said.
It might seem the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, would be faster but that’s not necessarily the case.
One study found the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 46% effective at preventing symptomatic infection between 14 and 20 days after the first dose and 92% a week after the second dose.
For Moderna, the vaccine was 80.2% effective after one dose and 95.6% effective after the second.
That’s not too different from Johnson & Johnson. After 28 days, its protection from severe disease was 85% and after 49 days it was 100%, said Dr. Akiko Iwasaki, a professor of immunobiology at Yale University.
She did acknowledge there’s no good head-to-head data.
“It is comparing apples and oranges though since the efficacy was measured differently. Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech as symptomatic infections, Johnson & Johnson as moderate to severe disease,” she said.
How well the vaccines work against newly emerging COVID-19 variants is another factor.
Scientists say it’s difficult to really know whether any of the three work better against the variants as the vaccines were tested at different times when different variants were circulating.
Even so, some Americans prefer Johnson & Johnson.
“If I could choose, I would go with Johnson & Johnson. The reason why is because this vaccine protects people from the variants. Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna came out before the variants showed up,” said James Bock of Rockford, Illinois.
Side effects: Fever, chills, and fatigue
All three COVID-19 vaccines in use in the United States can cause short-term side effects in some people, including pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, and joint pain.
These are a sign the immune system is kicking into high gear and not a bad thing — they don’t mean the vaccines aren’t safe.
For Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, more than half of people who get them have chills and fever a few days afterward. If you haven’t had COVID-19, the reaction tends to be stronger after the second dose, said Vanderbilt’s Edwards.
“If you’ve had COVID before, you’ll get sicker with the first dose and less with the second,” she said.
These differences could matter for some people. For example, younger people tend to have stronger side effects because their immune systems overall are stronger.
“If I’m an older person, then maybe I’m not going to need a couple of days off work if I get one of the shots, so Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna is fine,” said Bastian.
A younger person or someone for whom taking a day of work is difficult, might prefer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, she said.
For people who aren’t thrilled with the idea of vaccines overall, Johnson & Johnson could be preferable because it’s just one shot.
“They might say, ‘That’s not too much to ask. I’ll do that,’” Bastian said.
Anaphylaxis: 4.5 cases per 1M doses
For the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, there are reports of a small number of people experiencing anaphylaxis, an immediate, severe allergic reaction that requires a dose of epinephrine to stop. The average rate was 4.5 cases per million administered doses.
This is why people getting these vaccines are required to wait 15 minutes before leaving, where medical personnel is on hand to treat them.
Johnson & Johnson appears to have a lower rate of these reactions, though that could also be because it’s newer and hasn’t been given to as many people.
“We don’t know what will happen when it’s millions of doses of Johnson & Johnson” given, said Dr. Gregory Poland, director, Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group, and editor-in-chief of the journal Vaccine.
Among those who had the severe reaction, one-third had a previous history of anaphylaxis and three-quarters had a known allergy to one of the components of the vaccine, said Edwards.
“The important thing to know is that no one has died from these reactions,” she said.
For the very few people who have an anaphylactic reaction to their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, experts are discussing whether they should get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as their second dose, said Dr. Buddy Creech, director of Vanderbilt’s Vaccine Research Program.
“If there is concern about an allergy, you might want to have a conversation with your health care provider about getting Johnson & Johnson for your second shot,” Creech said.
Take the vaccine available to you
In general, say experts, the vaccine you can get is the best vaccine for you.
That’s how Paula Musich, in Ashland, Oregon, sees it. She’ll be happy with whatever’s on offer.
“I called today and there weren’t even appointments. I don’t think they’ll be giving us a choice any time soon,” she said.
But if offered the choice, which should you get? Here are some considerations
If getting the vaccine is difficult for you for whatever reason, the one-and-done Johnson & Johnson vaccine might be preferable.
If you want belt-and-suspenders maximum protection, then Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna might be your choice.
If you know you’re prone to severe allergic reactions, you might choose Johnson & Johnson, though the chance of anything happening is very tiny, and medical personnel are there to deal with it.
One final thing: Whichever you get, there are probably more COVID-19 vaccines in your future. Many scientists think it’s likely booster shots will be required, though whether yearly or every few years isn’t known. COVID isn’t done with us and we’re not yet done with COVID.
Mike Cascone in Sunnyvale, California, likes that plan. Half-jokingly, he said, “I tell my friends, I want one of each. Then I’ll be totally covered.”
St. Patrick’s Day is the day when the green from those latest stimulus payments will actually flow into many savings and checking accounts.
However, the timing of those payments has many customers at some banks, including JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo, seeing red.
Eligible consumers will have access to their money by 9 a.m. local time Wednesday, according to the trade group that handles the processing of direct deposits.
“The IRS chose the date of March 17, which is the date on which the IRS intends for settlement to occur,” according to Nacha, the organization that governs the ACH Network.
So you might want to hold off pulling out your debit card for another few days if you’ve got immediate plans for how quickly you’d like to spend that stimulus money.
There’s been some confusion lately as to when people will have access to their cash via direct deposit after seeing some “pending” action relating to the third stimulus payments on their bank accounts this weekend.
Social media buzz heated up as some consumers complained about why the money wasn’t readily available.
“Banks holding stimulus payments so they can collect the overnight interest on the money should be a crime,” wrote @goldietaylor on Twitter, editor-at-large for the Daily Beast. The tweet had 4,875 retweets.
Another tweet from user @blu_ceo: “Live look at Wells Fargo bringing my stimulus money to the bank. Talk about speed and horsepower.” Not surprisingly, that tweet showed a photo of the Wells Fargo stagecoach.
Monday’s statements represented an effort by bankers and others in the industry to clarify the payment time schedule and take on their critics.
“There is no mystery where the money is from the time the first payment file was transmitted on Friday, March 12 to when all recipients will have access to the money on Wednesday — it is still with the government,” according to a statement provided Monday morning from Nacha.
The statement noted that the Internal Revenue Service announced that the “settlement date for the initial wave of tens of millions of economic impact payments by Direct Deposit will be Wednesday, March 17.”
“This is the date on which the IRS will provide the funds to the banks and credit unions to further make available to recipients,” the industry group stated.
IRS officials said Monday that some money could be available to consumers earlier than the official date.
The IRS noted in a press release issued late Friday: “As with the first two Economic Impact Payments in 2020, most Americans will receive their money without having to take any action. Some Americans may see the direct deposit payments as pending or as provisional payments in their accounts before the official payment date of March 17.”
More direct deposit payments will be made in the days ahead, too. People can check the Get My Payment tool on IRS.gov to see the payment status of the third stimulus payment.
President Joe Biden said Monday in a speech that 100 million stimulus payments will be out in the next 10 days. He said the United States will reach a major goal of 100 million coronavirus vaccine shots in arms in the next 10 days, too.
“Shots in arms and money in pockets,” Biden said.
An eligible family of three might end up looking at a stimulus payout of up to $4,200 this time around, while the payout could jump to up to $5,600 for a family of four. The third stimulus will be larger for most than other stimulus payments.
“In general, most people will get $1,400 for themselves and $1,400 for each of their qualifying dependents claimed on their tax return,” according to an IRS statement Friday.
All the money isn’t going out via direct deposit. Some people will still get money via paper checks and plastic prepaid debit cards issued by MetaBank, both of which will be sent in the mail in the coming weeks.
No money will be added to old prepaid debit cards that were sent out in the first or second stimulus payment programs.
“The vast majority of these payments will be by direct deposit,” the IRS said Friday, without being specific on the exact percentage of payments.
Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, told reporters in Washington on Thursday that people would start seeing direct deposit of the stimulus checks as soon as last weekend.
Jane Larimer, president, and CEO of Nacha issued a similar sentiment on Thursday after Biden signed the massive COVID-19 relief package into law.
“The ACH Network is ready to deliver these relief payments via Direct Deposit, with funds available to people on the day instructed by the IRS,” Larimer said then.
Not everyone will receive a payment, given tighter restrictions based on income.
Payments will begin to be reduced for individuals making $75,000 or above in adjusted gross income and no stimulus money will be allowed for those with incomes above $80,000.
For a married couple filing a joint return, the stimulus amount starts being reduced to $150,000 in adjusted gross income. No payment is allowed if incomes exceed $160,000 and up for married couples filing a joint return.
The Houston Astros have named Zack Greinke as their Opening Day starter when they begin their 2021 season.
This will be the fifth Opening Day starting assignment for Greinke in his career, who has previously done so with the Kansas City Royals and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Greinke has a 2009 AL Cy Young Award on his resume, has won the Gold Glove for his position six times, and is a six-time All-Star. During his 17 years in the big leagues, Greinke has a 208-126 career record with a 3.37 ERA.
Last season, Greinke was 3-3 with a 4.03 ERA in 12 starts with the Astros.
The Astros begin the 2021 regular season with a road series April 1-4 against Oakland.
Several airports in the Houston area were awarded a number of federal grants totaling $51,954,856 in relief funds following the economic distress caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn announced Monday.
The funding, which was appropriated by Congress in December as part of the Coronavirus Relief and Response Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act, comes through the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“As we look to turn the corner on this deadly pandemic, it’s critical that Texas airports are given every resource they need to handle the coming increase in travel,” Sen. Cornyn said. “I applaud this announcement that will benefit the health and well-being of travelers in the Houston area.”
A boy has been arrested in connection with shots that police said were fired at officers last week during a standoff in south Houston.
The incident happened at about 1 a.m. Friday at a home on Aledo Street near Bellfort Avenue in the Sunnyside area, police said.
Authorities said they got a “shot spotter” alert, which is their new technology that detects gunshots. When they arrived at the scene, police said someone barricaded inside the home fired at them, nearly hitting one of the responding officers.
Police said they took cover and SWAT officers were called. A perimeter was set up around the home and authorities said they were able to contact the homeowner, who was not present at the time of the incident.
Police said an 11-year-old boy eventually came out of the home and was questioned by police. After further investigation, police determined that the juvenile was the one who fired at the responding officers and he was subsequently arrested and charged with aggravated assault against a peace officer.
A man’s body was found dismembered inside a hotel room in southwest Houston on Monday.
Houston police said they responded to a fatal stabbing around 11:50 a.m. at the Palace Inn, in the 8200 blocks of Southwest Freeway outbound service road near South Gessner.
Police said two men, one being the victim and the other being a person of interest, checked into the hotel Sunday night. Investigators said after the two men went into the room, a woman stood on the lookout and someone else went into the room with duffel bags. Investigators said the man who used his credit card to check into the room left but the victim never left. Investigators said the crime happened between 9 p.m. and midnight.
Police said the manager went into the room about 12:30 p.m. Monday and found the man dead. Police said the man’s arms and legs were cut off in the hotel room.
Investigators said they are searching for four people in connection with the case.
The deadly shooting of a man in Greenspoint Monday night is the city’s 96th homicide of the year, police said Tuesday.
Officers said they responded to reports of a shooting around 10:30 p.m. in the 720 blocks of N. Sam Houston Parkway East. Investigators said when officers arrived at the scene, they found a man dead with gunshot wounds.
According to police, two men were walking to or from a gas station on the sidewalk when an altercation occurred. One of the men then shot the other and fled on foot in a westbound direction, officers said. Police said the suspect has not been found.
Investigators said the relationship between the two men is unknown at this time.
“We’re trying to get a grip on what’s going on,” Lt. Jimmy Dodson said. “Sending more detectives to the homicide division, more patrol officers on the streets to keep residents safe. Everything is up.”
New Texans General Manager Nick Caserio had a busy Sunday, completing two trades.
According to multiple reports, the Houston Texans traded linebacker Benardrick McKinney to the Miami Dolphins for pass-rusher Shaq Lawson and a swap of late-round picks.
The Texans also picked up offensive tackle Marcus Cannon from the New England Patriots by swapping their 4th, 5th and 6th round picks with New England. Cannon sat out the 2020 season due to COVID-19.
Lawson played in 14 games in 2020, starting seven, and picked up 4.0 sacks. Lawson has 20.5 career sacks in five NFL seasons.
McKinney only played four games in 2020 after sustaining a shoulder injury that kept him out for most of the season.
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