Russia’s arrest of Brittney Griner, WNBA basketball star from Houston, adds to escalating global conflict
Brittney Griner, a Baylor University graduate and seven-time WNBA All-Star center for the Phoenix Mercury, was arrested at Sheremetyevo International Airport near Moscow after arriving from New York in February with what Russian officials said were vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage.
The Russian Federal Customs Service said it had filed the drug charge, which can carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years. The Russian news agency TASS identified Griner as the person who had been arrested. Many WNBA players compete in Russia, where salaries are higher, during the American league’s off-season. Griner has played for the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg since at least 2014.
The WNBA could not be reached Saturday and neither could Griner’s family. But her agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, told CBS News that they are aware of her case.
The agent added: “As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are not able to comment further on the specifics of her case but can confirm that as we work to get her home, her mental and physical health remain our primary concern.”
The move by President Vladimir Putin’s administration likely escalates the ongoing conflict between Russia and the West. On Saturday, the State Department issued a travel advisory urging Americans in Russia to leave “immediately,” citing “arbitrary enforcement of local laws. The advisory warned that “the U.S. Embassy has severe limitations on its ability to assist U.S. citizens” who stay.
Asked about Griner’s detention, the State Department said it was aware, but did not detail what it has done to help since she was first detained three weeks ago, or why the arrest only now came to light.
“Whenever a U.S. citizen is arrested overseas, we stand ready to provide all appropriate consular services,” a spokesperson wrote in a statement.
Russia raised global alarm as its troops moved into Ukraine last month in the largest military attack in Europe since World War II. Putin said the goal was to demilitarize and “denazify” Ukraine, which has about double the population of Texas, but a similar landmass.
Experts said Russia’s announcement of Griner’s arrest might not only serve as a distraction from its failing military attacks in Ukraine, but also send a message that Americans are not above the law.
They cited concerns about whether Griner actually committed the crimes of which she stands accused. Even if she did, experts said, the relatively minor drug offenses hardly called for a 10-year sentence. It was not clear what law would justify that potential sentence; Russia’s criminal justice system, much like China’s, is very opaque.
“What this person did is such a small thing compared to what we’re seeing in the Ukraine,” said Richard Stoll, who specializes in international conflict at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy in Houston. “There’s no equivalence at all here.”
Griner’s chances of being freed quickly seem slim, Stoll said, describing her as a pawn “of the power structure.”
From the perspective of Russian officials, he said, “it’s like, well, it’s unfortunate for this person, but this is a card we can play against the United States.”
The Ukrainian military has overperformed in its battle with Russia, which so far has failed both militarily and from a public relations standpoint, said Joe Barnes, an international oil expert at Rice University, who along with other experts said that Putin was likely behind the decision. The U.S. and European Union have levied some of the harshest sanctions against Russia in recent international history.
“Putin has pushed himself into a corner,” Barnes said. “The U.S. Embassy is asking American citizens to leave Russia at least in part because of fear of harassment. So that all fits into the pattern.”
Griner’s likely penalty in this context is almost certainly “unwarranted,” Barnes added.
“It’s terrible,” he said. “But I think it’s about Number 500 on President Biden’s list of priorities,” given Washington’s debate over no-fly zones in Ukraine and possibilities of oil sanctions. It has added to a global crisis that promises to impact Texans by increasing prices at the pump and potentially stoking heightened activity in the state’s oil fields as the world searches for alternatives to tainted Russian supply.
Griner, who graduated from Nimitz High School in Houston, attended Baylor University in Waco on a basketball scholarship. As a freshman, her 223 blocked shots set the all-time single-season record, establishing her as one of the greatest shot blockers in women’s basketball history.
A spokesperson for Baylor University’s Department of Athletics, Krista Pirtle, called the arrest alarming.
“Our foremost concern is for her safety and well-being during this difficult time in Russia and her eventual safe return to the United States,” Pirtle said.
In 2013, Griner was the Number 1 overall pick at the WNBA Draft, and publicly discussed being lesbian soon after. Under Putin, the Kremlin has often engaged in homophobic persecution to assert his regime’s control and to portray homosexuality as part of Western decadence. Putin has become a growing figure of admiration for some far-right Americans who associate him with white Christan nationalism. In a political conference last month in Florida, for example, far-right extremist Nick Fuentes asked for a round of applause for Russia.
Former President Donald Trump often expressed sympathy toward Russia and to Putin, a stance that has divided the Republican Party. His vice president, Mike Pence, on Friday said there was no room in the GOP for “apologists for Putin,” a statement widely interpreted as a rebuke of Trump.
In an interview with ESPN last fall, Griner said she opened up about her sexuality because she didn’t want anybody to look into the mirror “and not liking what you see.”
“It’s not like I ever told anybody I wasn’t gay, but I wasn’t giving everybody my whole authentic self,” she said. “I feel like I came out to myself and the world at the same time.”
More than 3,000 people forced to vacate after fire marshals shut down ‘Baywatch Weekend’ in north Harris Co.
An event hosting more than 3,000 people was shut down on Saturday night after officials from the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office said its promoter did not have a permit to have that many people in attendance.
The function took place at the Maya Lagoon Park in the 2000 block of Connorvale Road in north Harris County.
According to officials, residents in that neighborhood began complaining as the thousands of event-goers began flocking to the park for the Baywatch Weekend event.
Officials from the HCFMO were called and issued a stop-work order on the event. Those in attendance were asked to leave the property immediately, which caused heavy traffic throughout that area for some time afterward.
Various videos across social media under the hashtag #BaywatchWeekend show the thousands of people partying while surrounding a pool.
The shut down took place on day two of the event’s three-day weekend, intended to ‘kickoff Spring Break,’ according to its Eventbrite link.
A spokesperson for Baywatch Weekend released the following statement:
“Baywatch Weekend started on Friday with 2,000 people in attendance with no complaints. On Saturday about 1,000 more people came. The party started at 3 p.m. and [was] scheduled to end at 2 a.m. We were ordered to vacate around 10 p.m. Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office told us that we had to leave since we didn’t obtain a large gathering permit and the amount of people in the pool caused an occupancy hazard in the pool. Today (Sunday) we have changed venues for Baywatch Weekend after being informed by Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office that the event cannot happen at Maya Lagoon Park without a large gathering permit. Baywatch Weekend set up a day party and night party at two different locations. Baywatch Weekend wants to send love and care to our supporters.”
Harris County Fire Marshal Laurie L. Christensen said:
“It is imperative event promoters submit the appropriate application and documents detailing safety measures, which are reviewed by the HCFMO. The event has no known crowd control, emergency plans, and it is unknown what safety precautions were in place. Without obtaining a permit and providing the appropriate information, Harris County cannot ensure the event and promoters have all safety elements in place for participants taking part in these large events.”
Information on how to properly obtain a permit for large events can be found at The Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office website.
Texas Energy Regulator Pens Open Letter to President Biden on Solutions to Energy Crisis and Curbing Russian Aggression
Today, Chairman Wayne Christian penned an open letter to President Joe Biden critiquing his failed energy agenda and providing solutions to the ongoing global energy crisis.
In the letter, he calls on Biden to immediately end all Russian oil imports to the U.S., instruct international oil and gas companies cut ties with Russian operators, and to put an immediate end to his anti-oil-and-gas rhetoric and policies so domestic producers have the regulatory certainty necessary to increase production here at home.
“From handing Afghanistan to the Taliban to destroying our American Energy Dominance, it is clear this administration cares more about appeasing radical left-wing activists than doing the right thing for the American people,” said Chairman Christian. “Putin’s Russia is an enemy actor who should be cut off completely—we don’t need their oil, gas or anything else. It’s simple: NOW is the time to unleash American oil and gas production for the future of our allies and the safety of our nation.”
You can read the letter here.
A lifelong conservative businessman, Wayne Christian was elected as our 50th Texas Railroad Commissioner in November 2016. Prior to his time at the Commission, Christian served seven sessions in the Texas House of Representatives, accumulating a strong record of standing for free markets and against burdensome regulations. Christian is married to his wife, Lisa, and together they have three daughters and five grandchildren. You can learn more about Chairman Christian here: https://rrc.texas.gov/About-Us/Commissioners/Wayne-Christian/.
RRC Implements First-Ever Operator-Led Plan to Reduce Seismicity in West Texas
In the Western Permian Basin, the Railroad Commission began implementation last week of a first of its kind operator-led response plan that addresses injection-induced seismicity to help keep residents and the environment safe.
The plan for the Northern Culberson-Reeves Seismic Response Area (SRA) – which is adjacent to Guadalupe Mountain National Park to the west and is near the border of New Mexico to the north – is meant to reduce the intensity and frequency of earthquakes, including a goal to eliminate 3.5 magnitude or greater earthquakes no later than Dec. 31, 2023.
The comprehensive plan for the Northern Culberson-Reeves SRA provides variable reductions in disposal volumes of produced water (water that comes out of the ground with oil and gas during production) across all disposal wells. It will provide the RRC with additional information with the expansion of the seismic monitoring stations in the area, which will provide better data on the precise location and depth of earthquakes.
This is one of three SRAs in West Texas that the RRC has created to address injection-induced seismic activity from disposal wells. In December, the RRC indefinitely suspended deep disposal in the Gardendale SRA between Odessa and Midland. An operator-led response plan for the Stanton SRA is currently being developed.
The Norther Culberson -Reeves SRA plan affects 57 shallow saltwater disposal wells (typically less than 7,000 feet in depth) above the top of the Wolfcamp Shale Play and 31 deep disposal wells (typically between 11,000-16,000 feet in depth) below the bottom of the Wolfcamp.
“Industry asked RRC to allow them to come up with a plan to address the issue,” said Sean Avitt, Manager of RRC’s Injection-Storage Permits Unit. “We provided extensive feedback to ensure the plan met our goals. Industry was able to produce a plan leveraging what they know about the area and their injection operations there. However, we made it clear if circumstances change, the Commission may have to take further actions to reduce seismicity.”
Injection limits on shallow disposal wells are as follows:
- All shallow disposals wells that were within 4.5 kilometers of any 3.5 magnitude or greater earthquake in the SRA will reduce injection volumes to 10,000 barrels per day or less by Sept. 1.
- Daily injection volumes could be 15,000 a day if the operator adds a seismic monitoring station strategically placed on the property for use by the TexNet Seismic Monitoring Program.
- Shallow disposal wells that were between 4.5 and 9.08 kilometers of any 3.5 magnitude or greater earthquake will be allowed 20,000 barrels per day.
- Daily injection volumes could be 30,000 a day if the operator adds a seismic monitoring station.
- Any undrilled or uncompleted shallow disposal wells within 9.08 kilometers of any 3.5 magnitude or greater earthquake in the SRA is required to give the RRC a 30-day notice before drilling or completion operations can begin.
Injection limits on deep disposal wells are as follows:
- All deep disposal wells in this area will reduce injection volume by 50% before June 30, 2023. Operators with multiple wells will be allowed to spread their reduction among all of their wells.
- Operators with only one well will allowed a maximum of 15,000 barrels per day before June 30, 2023.
- By June of this year, any inactive deep disposal well will either have its permit canceled, or the operator will apply for an amended permit for shallow disposal.
The full plan is available on RRC’s Seismicity Response webpage.
Enjoy St. Patrick’s Day Fun with DART
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is ready to make sure everyone has a safe ride for the St. Paddy’s Day Dash Down Greenville 5K and 2022 Dallas Mavs St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival on Saturday, March 12.
With additional DART service throughout the day, parade, festivalgoers and runners can safely travel to this weekend’s events and enjoy the long awaited return of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
From Plano, rail service will be added to Red and Orange Line trains between Parker and Victory stations.
From Carrollton, Farmers Branch and Dallas, customers can ride the Green Line and transfer to either the Orange or Red Line in downtown Dallas.
Passengers riding the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) can transfer to Orange or Red Line trains at Victory Station.
Bus routes 3 and 17 will be on detour all day until the parade has ended. Routes 105, 209 and 249 will operate on their regular routes. See DART.org/rideralerts for more information.
The TSA Security Directive requiring a face mask requirement for all transportation networks, including public transportation, remains in effect until March 18. DART will continue to require a CDC approved face mask be worn over the mouth and nose by passengers and operators at all times while on DART vehicles including buses, trains and paratransit vehicles, Trinity Railway Express trains, in buildings and onboard the Dallas Streetcar.
Face masks and hand sanitizer dispensers are installed on all buses, light rail vehicles, TRE vehicles and Dallas streetcars, and will continue to be available to all passengers. Find out about more ways DART is keeping you safe here.
Make your trip easy by purchasing a $6 local Day Pass in advance using the GoPass® mobile ticketing application. It allows you to buy passes, plan trips and get next bus or train times from the comfort of your telephone. Download the app for free through Google Play or the App Store.
Don’t have the app? Purchase a Day Pass from a ticket vending machine at any DART Rail station or from a bus operator.
OSHA publishes interim final rule for handling retaliation complaints under the Taxpayer First Act
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration today published an interim final rule establishing procedures and time frames for handling employee retaliation complaints under the Taxpayer First Act. The Taxpayer First Act, enacted July 1, 2019, protects employees who report underpayment of taxes or other potential federal tax law violations or engage in other protected activities.
OSHA is accepting comments from the public. Submit comments online, identified by Docket No. OSHA–2020–0006 at the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Read the Federal Register notice for additional details. The deadline for submitting comments is May 6, 2022. The interim final rule is effective March 7, 2022.
For additional details about the statute along with instructions on how to file a complaint with OSHA under the Taxpayer First Act, read the fact sheet on Whistleblower Protection for Employees Who Report Federal Tax Law Violations.
OSHA enforces the whistleblower provisions of the Taxpayer First Act and 24 other statutes protecting employees against retaliation for reporting violations of various workplace safety and health, aviation, commercial motor carrier, consumer product, environmental, financial reform, food safety, health insurance reform, motor vehicle safety, nuclear, pipeline, public transportation agency, railroad, maritime, securities, tax, antitrust, and anti-money laundering laws and for engaging in other related protected activities. For more information, please visit OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Program webpage.
US Department of Labor announces $3.2M in Susan Harwood grants for workplace safety, health training on infectious diseases, including COVID-19
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced the availability of $3.2 million in funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for Susan Harwood Workplace Safety and Health Training on Infectious Diseases, Including COVID-19 grants.
The grants will fund training and education to help workers and employers identify and prevent work-related infectious diseases, including COVID-19. Training topics must focus either on COVID-19 specifically or infectious diseases broadly. The maximum awarded for each grant is $160,000 for a 12-month performance period.
This funding opportunity is separate from the fiscal year 2022 Susan Harwood training grants for Targeted Topic, Training and Educational Materials Development, and Capacity Building. Successful applicants may receive an FY 2021 and/or FY 2022 Harwood training grant (i.e., a Targeted Topic Training, Training and Educational Materials Development, or one of the Capacity Building grants) and a Workplace Safety and Health Training on Infectious Diseases, Including COVID-19 grant in the same year.
The Harwood Training Grant program supports remote and in-person hands-on training for workers and employers in small businesses; industries with high injury, illness, and fatality rates; and vulnerable workers, who are underserved, have limited English proficiency, or are temporary workers.
Learn more about the funding opportunity and applying for grants.
Submit applications for Harwood grants online no later than 11:59 p.m. EDT on May 6, 2022.
Starting April 4, 2022, the Data Universal Numbering System number will be replaced by a new, non-proprietary identifier requested in, and assigned by, the System for Award Management. This new identifier is called the Unique Entity Identifier. If you have any questions on the UEI, please visit SAM.gov for assistance.
OSHA awards grants to nonprofit organizations, including community and faith-based organizations, employer associations, labor unions, joint labor/management associations, Native American tribes, and local and state-sponsored colleges and universities to provide infectious disease workplace safety and health training.
Governor Abbott, DPS, Texas National Guard Mark One Year Anniversary Of Operation Lone Star
Since the launch of OLS, multi-agency efforts have led to more than 208,000 migrant apprehensions, along with more than 11,800 charges for criminal offenses— including more than 9,300 felony charges. Members of notorious gangs like the Texas Chicano Brotherhood, Bloods, Mexican Mafia, MS-13, and others have been taken off the streets. DPS has arrested sex offenders, weapons traffickers, previously convicted and deported criminal immigrants, drug dealers, and other wanted criminals. In the fight against fentanyl, DPS has seized over 269 million lethal doses throughout the state.
Governor Abbott released a video to commemorate the achievements of the mission, Texas law enforcement, and soldiers.
“We launched Operation Lone Star to do the job that Washington would not,” said Governor Abbott. “Within weeks of taking office, President Biden turned our southern border into a porous mess where criminal aliens wandered across the Rio Grande River without anyone to interdict them. I refused to stand by and let our state be overrun by criminals and deadly drugs like fentanyl. Texans have never backed down from a challenge, and we won’t start now, because our efforts are stemming the tide of illegal drugs and criminals flooding into Texas. Thank you to the many men and women who are protecting our southern border, including the DPS troopers, Texas National Guardsmen, Texas sheriffs, and all the law enforcement officers who serve and protect us every day.”
“I thank Governor Abbott for his tremendous leadership in protecting the people of Texas by working to secure our southern border,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “One year into this mission, DPS has arrested thousands of dangerous criminals, apprehended tens of thousands of illegal immigrants, and seized dangerous contraband. Let it be very clear – an unsecured international border with Mexico is the most significant threat to the state of Texas.”
“The Texas National Guard soldiers and airmen are proud to stand alongside DPS and other agencies in protecting the people and property of Texas,” said Maj. Gen. Tracy Norris, the Adjutant General of Texas. “We continue to construct fencing and barriers, turn back and apprehend migrants, and do the job we were sent here to do—we are Texans serving Texas.”
Since the initial launch of Operation Lone Star in March 2021, the Governor, DPS, and the Texas National Guard have increased the comprehensive efforts of the mission.
On March 17, 2021, Governor Abbott expanded OLS to include efforts to crack down on human trafficking and illegal border crossings. State agencies were directed to work with local law enforcement, communities and private landowners to prevent, detect, and interdict transnational criminal activity flowing between the ports of entry.
On May 31, 2021, Governor Abbott issued a disaster declaration for counties along Texas’ southern border to free up additional resources to help address the epicenter of the crisis. The Governor’s disaster declaration also directed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission not to provide state licensing for the federal government’s program of housing unaccompanied alien children.
On June 10, 2021, Governor Abbott held a Border Security Summit in Del Rio with leaders from DPS, the Texas National Guard, and the Texas Division of Emergency Management. The summit brought together Texas sheriffs, police chiefs, county judges, mayors, district attorneys, and landowners to hear from state officials on the actions that the State of Texas is taking to secure the southern border and address the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The Governor invoked the Emergency Management Assistance Compact with the State of Arizona during the summit. Under this interstate compact, Governor Abbott and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey continue to ask other states to send law enforcement officials to assist them in making arrests.
The Governor also announced that DPS, with the assistance of the Texas National Guard, would begin arresting individuals trespassing on private property. In July, Governor Abbott opened the first jail booking facility of its kind in the state in Val Verde County. At the facility, individuals who are arrested for committing border-related crimes in the surrounding region are booked and magistrated, then transferred to the Briscoe or Segovia TDCJ Unit. Governor Abbott launched a second jail booking facility in Jim Hogg County in February 2022.
In June 2021, Governor Abbott announced plans to construct a border wall in Texas. Just six months later, the Governor debuted the construction of the Texas border wall in Rio Grande City. The Governor also directed the Texas National Guard to begin construction on a temporary border barrier. To date, the Texas National Guard has constructed more than eight miles of fencing and has secured signed agreements for an additional 62 miles. Additionally, the State of Texas recently acquired 1,700 unused 32-foot-tall panels that will be used for the border wall. These panels were originally intended for President Trump’s border wall, but President Biden halted construction once he took office.
In July 2021, Governor Abbott issued an Executive Order restricting ground transportation of migrants who pose a risk of carrying COVID-19 into Texas communities.
In September 2021, Governor Abbott announced the availability of $100 million in grant funding for local governments through the OLS Grant Program to enhance interagency border security operations supporting OLS, including the facilitation of directed actions to deter and interdict criminal activity and detain non-citizens arrested for state crimes related to the border crisis.
That same month, Governor Abbott signed House Bill 9 into law, which provides an additional $1.8 billion in state funding for border security over the next two years, leading to nearly $3 billion in funding being allocated to border security in Texas.
Operation Lone Star was crucial to addressing the Haitian migrant crisis that occurred in Del Rio last September. A massive surge of migrants began gathering at the International Bridge in Del Rio with about 7,000 arriving in a single day. In the two days that followed, that number nearly doubled to about 13,500 migrants, mostly from Haiti. Governor Abbott ordered DPS and the Texas National Guard to mobilize additional resources including roughly 1,000 DPS personnel in the area and some 650 DPS vehicles were put into place to form a steel barrier of protection. The surge included approximately 400 additional Texas National Guard soldiers and 40 Humvees, to assist in deterring criminal activity, flanking the area and keeping the region secure.
Additional actions to secure the border by Governor Abbott include:
• Signing a law to make it easier to prosecute smugglers bringing people into Texas
• Signing 15 laws cracking down on human trafficking in Texas
• Signing a law enhancing penalties for the manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl
• Taking legal action to enforce the Remain in Mexico and Title 42 policies in Texas
Governor Abbott Announces Adoption Of New Rules To Defund Municipalities That Defund Police
Governor Greg Abbott today announced the adoption of new Texas Administrative Code rules by the Office of the Governor’s Public Safety Office (PSO) to prevent municipalities from defunding their police forces. These new pro-law-enforcement requirements, established by House Bill 1900 during the 87th Legislature, were signed into law by the Governor in June 2021. The Governor made preventing cities from defunding police an emergency item during the regular session of the 87th Legislature.
Under House Bill 1900, if the Governor’s PSO determines a city has defunded its police department, the city will be subject to tax rate limitations, lose access to certain tax revenues, and be subject to other budgetary requirements and limitations. When the city demonstrates it has reversed the reductions, PSO may reverse its defunding determination and the city will no longer be subject to those limitations, reductions, and requirements—unless it defunds its police again.
“Texas remains a law-and-order state and we continue to make it abundantly clear that we support our law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every day to keep communities safe,” said Governor Abbott. “My office’s adoption of these new rules will prevent cities from making reckless and downright dangerous decisions to defund the police, ensuring a safer future for Texans all across the Lone Star State.”
These new rules will be published in the Texas Register later this month.