The Houston Police Department received a call Sunday about a house explosion in southeast Houston.
It happened on Doulton Drive around 11:13 a.m.
Authorities said a person called to report a gas leak. Shortly after, the house blew up.
They said a car also caught on fire, and the fire appeared to have started spreading to other homes.
It is unknown if anyone was inside the home at the time of the explosion.
Authorities have not reported any injuries or deaths.
Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro, who pitched well into his 40s with a knuckleball that baffled big league hitters for more than two decades, mostly with the Atlanta Braves, has died after a long fight with cancer, the team announced Sunday. He was 81.
The Braves said Niekro died Saturday night in his sleep. He lived in the Atlanta suburb of Flowery Branch, where the main thoroughfare bears his name.
Niekro won 318 games over his 24-year career, which ended in 1987 at age 48 after he made one final start with the Braves.
Known for a pitch that befuddled hitters and catchers — heck, Niekro didn’t even know where it was going — he was a five-time All-Star who had three 20-win seasons with Atlanta.
Niekro also pitched for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, and Toronto Blue Jays late in his career.
“We are heartbroken on the passing of our treasured friend,” the Braves said in a statement. “Knucksie was woven into the Braves fabric, first in Milwaukee and then in Atlanta. Phil baffled batters on the field and later was always the first to join in our community activities. It was during those community and fan activities where he would communicate with fans as if they were long lost, friends.”
A statue of Niekro delivering his trademark pitch is located outside of Truist Park, the Braves’ stadium.
Niekro didn’t make it to the big leagues until 1964 when he pitched 10 games in relief for the then-Milwaukee Braves. He made only one start over his first three years in the big leagues but finally blossomed as a starter in 1967 — the Braves’ second year in Atlanta — when he went 11-9 and led the National League with a 1.87 ERA.
With a fluttering knuckleball that required catchers to wear an oversized mitt, Niekro went 23-13 as the Braves won the first NL West title in 1969.
He also had 20-win seasons in 1974 and 1979, despite pitching for a team that fell on hard times after its appearance in the inaugural NL Championship Series, where the Braves were swept in three games by New York’s Amazin’ Mets.
Niekro also led the league in losses four straight seasons, losing 20 games in both 1977 and ’79.
He finished with a career record of 318-274 and a 3.35 ERA. Niekro was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997.
His younger brother, Joe, also had a long baseball career with an arsenal that included the knuckleball. He won 221 games over 22 years in the big leagues, making the Niekros baseball’s winningest set of siblings, with a total of 539 victories, just ahead of Gaylord and Jim Perry.
Joe Niekro died in 2006 at age 61.
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The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has completed its annual review of film submissions for the Golden Globe awards, and Variety has learned exclusively that many films and performances have been switched from the studios’ intended submissions.
“Promising Young Woman” from Focus Features was switched from comedy to the drama categories. Written and directed by Emerald Fennell, the film that tells the story of a woman seeking revenge on those who wronged her was not accepted by the voting body. Starring Carey Mulligan, the film has received a considerable amount of awards buzz, even rumored to be a big hit with the HFPA themselves. Mulligan recently won the best actress with LAFCA.
Per the HFPA rules, after all the studios submit their entries in the numerous categories, which are split between drama, comedy, lead, and supporting, an initial committee reviews the submissions. According to the official rules, members can then vote to accept the studio’s submission requiring a 2/3 vote to overturn. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association currently includes 89 journalists from more than a dozen countries.
Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari” from A24 will follow the precedent set by Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell” last year and will not be competing in the best picture categories, instead, it will be considered in foreign language film because it is primarily in Korean. Stars Steven Yeun and Yeri Han will still be eligible in the leading acting categories in drama.
Breakout star Maria Bakalova in “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” who was submitted for best-supporting actress in a motion picture, was moved to the best actress in a comedy or musical category. Bakalova currently leads in critic’s wins and is one of the leading contenders for the Academy Awards. Past Oscar-winners like Catherine Zeta-Jones in “Chicago” was moved to the leading category by the HFPA, losing to her co-star Renée Zellweger. Zeta-Jones went on to win the SAG, BAFTA, and the Oscar in supporting actress. Abigail Breslin was also switched to the lead category for her work in 2006’s “Little Miss Sunshine,” and failed to nab a Globe nomination while her co-star Toni Collette was shortlisted. Breslin went on to be nominated at the SAG and Oscars for best-supporting actress.
Another source with knowledge has confirmed that Helena Zengel’s turn in Universal Pictures’ “News of the World” from Paul Greengrass was also flagged and could move from supporting to the leading drama category. Alicia Vikander’s work in 2015’s “The Danish Girl” was also moved from supporting to lead, where she was nominated at the Globes before winning both SAG and Oscars in supporting actress. Universal Pictures did not confirm this reporting.
Several sources share that other films and performances have not been accepted in their submission standing. Amazon Studios’ “One Night in Miami” is in the midst of an awards campaign where Kingsley Ben-Adir and Eli Goree are vying for leading nominations, while Aldis Hodge and Leslie Odom Jr. are competing in supporting. The HFPA did not accept the four actors being split and will place them in the same category. The final decision of lead or supporting has yet to be confirmed.
Another Odom Jr. project, Disney Plus’ “Hamilton” from Thomas Kail, has been submitted and accepted by the Golden Globes in the comedy or musical categories. Odom Jr., along with Lin-Manuel Miranda will compete in the lead categories. Phillipa Soo, along with the other cast members, will seek love in support.
Saoirse Ronan’s turn in “Ammonite” was submitted in supporting actress by Neon, but concerns raised that she should be competing in the lead actress in a drama alongside her co-star Kate Winslet. From a source with knowledge of the situation, it seems as though Ronan’s categorization will be accepted.
Other performances and films said to have been questioned include George C. Wolfe’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” which was raised for a switch to the comedy or musical categories. Sacha Baron Cohen and Eddie Redmayne’s work in Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” was also discussed to be moved from supporting to lead classifications but it’s not clear if the Netflix featured ultimately prevailed.
It should be noted that the Screen Actors Guild Awards honors all submissions by the studios. The Golden Globe nominations will be announced on Feb. 3. The ceremony is scheduled to take place on Feb. 28.
It didn’t take long for Alvin Kamara to deliver on Christmas Day.
The New Orleans Saints running back cruised to a 40-yard touchdown run on the game’s opening drive for a quick lead over the Minnesota Vikings. And he did it in style with a pair of green-and-red Christmas-themed cleats that may draw a fine from the league.
Kamara scored six touchdowns against the Vikings and now has 21 touchdowns on the season — his career-high. His six rushing TDs are tied with Ernie Nevers (Chicago Cardinals, 1929) for most in a game in NFL history. Kamara also set a career-high with yards from scrimmage. He was named to his fourth Pro Bowl in four years earlier this week.
The Saints’ offensive line deserves credit, too, on a day when both starting guards Andrus Peat and Nick Easton are out with injuries. The line blew open a big hole for Kamara against Minnesota’s injury-depleted defense.
Kamara may also be benefitting from his festive cleats.
As usual, LeBron James delivered on Christmas.
With a stepback 3-pointer over Luka Doncic early in the third quarter, LeBron James moved past Oscar Robertson into second place on the all-time Christmas Day scoring list.
James finished with 22 points and added 7 rebounds and 10 assists in his 15th appearance on Christmas Day.
The “Big O” scored 377 points in 12 games and also posted four triple-doubles.
James also knocked down three 3-pointers for a share of the all-time Christmas Day record for made 3-pointers.
With 383 career points on Christmas Day, James trails only Kobe Bryant by 12 points.
1. Kobe Bryant — 395 points in 16 games (24.6 ppg on 40.8 FG%)
2. LeBron James — 383 points in 15 games (25.5 ppg on 48.4 FG%)
3. Oscar Roberson — 377 points in 12 games (31.4 ppg on 47.0 FG%)
4. Dwyane Wade — 314 points in 13 games (24.1 ppg on 45.7 FG%)
5. Kevin Durant — 299 in 10 games (29.9 ppg on 51.7 FG%)
6. Shaquille O’Neal — 272 points in 13 games (20.9 ppg on 53.3 FG%)
7. Russell Westbrook –241 points in 10 games (24.1 ppg on 38.7 FG%)
8. Dolph Schayes — 239 points in 13 games (18.3 ppg on 48.0 FG%)
9. Walt Bellamy — 237 points in 9 games (26.3 ppg on 76.8 FG%)
10. Richie Guerin — 232 in 9 games (25.7 ppg on 53.6 FG%)
• Duncan Robinson knocked down six 3-pointers in the first half to set a Christmas Day record. He finished with 7 triples, tying the single-game mark set last year by Brandon Ingram and matched by Kyrie Irving a few hours later.
• Robinson’s sharpshooting helped Erik Spoelstra improve to 8-0 on Christmas Day, setting the NBA record for most wins on the holiday without a loss. Spoelstra had shared the record with Les Harrison, who coached the Rochester Royals to seven consecutive Christmas Day victories from 1948-54.
• Kevin Durant scored 29 points to enter the Top 5 on the Christmas Day scoring list. He also momentarily became the all-time leader in 3-pointers made on Christmas Day with 25. He drilled three from distance to pass JJ Redick (24) and James Harden (23). James now shares the record with Durant.
• Zion Williamson (32 points) joined LeBron James (34 points in 2003) as the only players in NBA history to score 30 points on Christmas before turning 21.
• The Bucks’ 138-99 victory over the Warriors was the second-most lopsided score of any Christmas Day game in NBA history. The Syracuse Nationals beat the New York Knicks 162-100 on Dec. 25, 1960.
COVID-19 numbers:
Updates:
9 a.m. – City of Austin walk-in utility payment centers will temporarily close to the public in response to the city entering Stage 5. Customers who pay their utility bills at these locations are urged to pay online, at authorized pay stations/drop boxes, or by mail.
Effective Monday, Dec. 28, the North Utility Customer Care Center at 8716 Research Blvd, Suite 115, and the new South Utility Customer Care Center at 1901 W. William Cannon Dr. will close. The Rosewood Zaragosa Utility Customer Care Center at 2800 Webberville Road, Suite 110, which has been closed since March 18, will remain closed.
Dallas County Health and Human Services reported 2,512 additional positive cases of COVID-19 in Dallas County on Wednesday, Dec. 23.
Of those, 1,835 are confirmed cases and 677 are probable cases.
There is a cumulative total of 160,189 confirmed cases (PCR test). There is a cumulative total of 19,229 probable cases (antigen test).
A total of 1,544 Dallas County residents have lost their lives due to COVID-19 illness after 30 more deaths were announced Wednesday.
The deaths range from a man in his 20s who was found dead, to women in her 100s who had been hospitalized.
“As of this morning, we had 17 remaining ICU beds in Dallas Co., the worst we’ve seen so far,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins in a tweet. “If we reach the predicted worst-case scenarios, we will surpass our capacity. While hospitals can add beds, we don’t have the ability to easily add physicians, nurses, other clinical staff.”
Judge Jenkins said things could get worse in the next couple of weeks.
“The latest COVID predictions from UTSW, show a sharp increase in cases per day and hospitalizations. Up to 2,700 cases per day and 1,500 hospitalizations by January 5th. Whether we reach these record highs is entirely up to the personal decisions we all make in the next few days,” he said.
The provisional seven-day average of daily new confirmed and probable cases (by date of test collection) for CDC week 50 was 1,722, which is a rate of 65.3 daily new cases per 100,000 residents.
The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 remains high, with 23.3% of symptomatic patients presenting to area hospitals testing positive in week 50 (week ending 12/12/20).
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 3,864 healthcare workers and first responders have been reported with COVID-19 in Dallas County.
Over the past 30 days, there have been 4,955 COVID-19 cases in school-aged children and staff reported from 764 separate K-12 schools in Dallas County, including 692 staff members. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 21 school nurses have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
There are currently 100 active long-term care facility outbreaks. Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 2,696 residents and 1,590 healthcare workers in long-term facilities in Dallas have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Of these, 640 have been hospitalized and 323 have died. About 22% of all deaths reported to date have been associated with long-term care facilities.
Thirty-nine outbreaks of COVID-19 in congregate-living facilities (e.g. homeless shelters, group homes, and halfway homes) have been reported in the past 30 days associated with 172 cases, including 6 hospitalizations. One facility has reported 93 COVID-19 outbreak cases since October.
Of all confirmed cases requiring hospitalization to date, more than two-thirds have been under 65 years of age.
Diabetes has been an underlying high-risk health condition reported in about a third of all hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
Last week, the NBA distributed to teams a health-and-safety protocol guide for the 2020-21 NBA season, outlining procedures for how it will deal with the coronavirus.
Now the league has provided updated guidance detailing further restrictions at home and on the road, safety precautions for the NBA principals and their families, and discipline for violations that could affect other players, teams, and the game schedule itself.
Daily testing began last weekend in advance of training camps opening. Teams began required individual workouts Tuesday, with group activities starting this weekend.
Among the key provisions in the initial document:
• Occurrence of independent cases (not spread among players or staff), or a small or “expected number” of COVID-19 cases will not require a decision to suspend or cancel the season.
• Anyone who tests positive will have two routes to return to work: go 10 days or more after the first positive test or onset of symptoms, or test negative twice at least 24 hours apart via PCR testing.
• Any player who tests positive, even if asymptomatic, will not be allowed to exercise for a minimum of 10 days and then must be monitored in individual workouts for an additional two days.
• There are no criteria mentioned for what might prompt the NBA to suspend the season.
• Team traveling parties will be limited to 45 people, including 17 players, as they make their way around the country to play a home-and-road schedule in NBA arenas.
• As in the Orlando bubble, an anonymous tip line will be made available to report possible violations of safety protocols.
The latest memo specified the NBA’s response to and penalties for violation of safety protocols. After the successful restart last summer to complete the 2019-20 season and postseason in the Orlando “bubble,” the league is tackling a more traditional — and potentially precarious — approach this season with in-market games, including travel and hotel stays.
Details of the enhanced virus protocols and discipline policies include:
• Players violating the safety guidelines may face a loss of pay proportionate to any lost availability due to quarantines or reinstatement steps. Other penalties may include formal warnings, fines, suspensions, or educational sessions.
• The NBA may conduct unannounced inspections of team facilities to ensure that franchisees are complying with the safety protocols.
• Once a vaccine is available, the league and the National Basketball Players Association will negotiate whether players, coaches and staff will be required to receive it. If it is not required, adjustments to the safety provisions — such as requiring more masking or testing of those who choose not to receive the vaccination — might be implemented.
• While in their team’s home market, team personnel will be prohibited from going to bars, lounges, or clubs, from attending live entertainment or sports events, from using gyms, spas or pools, or from participating in social gatherings with more than 15 people.
• On the road, players, coaches, and staff will be permitted to dine outside their hotels if the restaurants provide outdoor dining, have fully privatized indoor rooms, or have met requirements to be formally approved by the league and the players’ union. The NBA and NBPA will work to provide a list of at least three approved restaurants in each market.
• Teams will designate traveling parties of no more than 45 people as “Tier 1” members. Other employees and staff with less direct contact, requiring masks and social-distancing, will be classified as “Tier 2.” Individuals in both tiers will be subject to daily coronavirus testing. The NBA also will provide twice-weekly tests for household members of players and staff.
• Teams also face potential penalties for failing to comply with or failing to report violations of the mandated safety protocols.
The NBA preseason schedule, featuring 49 games (two to four per team), begins Friday and runs through Dec. 19. The NBA’s plan for a 72-game regular-season starts Dec. 22 and ends in mid-May, with the 2021 Finals scheduled to be completed in July.
The 2019-20 season was interrupted by a virus shutdown that lasted from March 11 to July 30. Play resumed with 22 of the 30 teams participating in eight seeding games, after which a Play-In Tournament for the Western Conference No. 8 seed was followed by the traditional 16-team playoff bracket.
All games and activities of the restart were staged in a “bubble” at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the Walt Disney World Resort outside Orlando. The ambitious and costly (approximately $180 million) project saved the league an estimated $1.5 billion in additional revenue losses while enabling the Los Angeles Lakers to be crowned as 2020 champions on Oct. 11.
The Houston Rockets game against Oklahoma City Thunder has been postponed due to positive or inconclusive COVID-19 tests.
The game’s cancellation came just a few hours before the team’s home opener at the Toyota Center.
Four other players have been quarantined after contact tracing. According to a statement, James Harden, who was set to start in Wednesday’s game, was unavailable due to a violation of the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
In a previous social media post, Harden was seen without a mask while at a group event.
With no Florida bubble, the players have to abide by strict rules. While in Houston, Rockets players can’t go to bars, clubs, or lounges. They can’t attend a live sporting event or social gatherings of more than 15 people.
On the road, they can only eat at approved restaurants, and eat outdoors, or in private rooms. The Rockets say the game will be rescheduled, and fans will receive information on how to attend.
Another Rockets star, John Wall, who tested negative for coronavirus, is among a group of players sent home Wednesday afternoon because of a positive test of another teammate.
The Rockets disclosed Tuesday that guard Ben McLemore is in self-isolation and out for Wednesday night’s regular-season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder. McLemore tested positive days ago, sources said. He is not the teammate whose positive test initiated contact tracing on the team Wednesday.
The game was nine months in the making. Something fan Savannah Davis drove hours to enjoy.
Davis made the trip because the Rockets were going to play the first regular-season game with fans since March. But her emotions came out when she learned it was postponed a couple of hours before tip-off.
“I cried in my car. I was going to cry out here when you stopped me, but I’m not going to cry on TV because that’s awkward,” Davis told.
But she wasn’t the only disappointed fan. Instead of Toyota Center employees scanning tickets, a few of them informed fans the game was off.
After waiting months to see the Rockets play, it’ll at least be another week before they get another opportunity on New Year’s Eve night.
Read the NBA’s full statement on its website.
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