Disney and Pixar’s original feature film “Luca” is a coming-of-age story about one young boy experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides. Luca shares these adventures with his newfound best friend, but all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface. The voice cast features Jacob Tremblay as Luca Paguro, Jack Dylan Grazer as Alberto Scorfano, Emma Berman as Giulia Marcovaldo, Saverio Raimondo as town bully Ercole Visconti, Maya Rudolph as Luca’s mom Daniela, Marco Barricelli as Giulia’s dad Massimo, Jim Gaffigan as Luca’s dad Lorenzo, Sandy Martin as Luca’s grandma, and Giacomo Gianniotti as a local fisherman.
LUCA – JUN 18, 2021
Gov. Greg Abbott says he’ll sign bill allowing permitless carrying of handguns
The governor broke his silence Tuesday on the legislation that has been building momentum at the Texas Capitol.
Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday he would sign legislation allowing Texans to carry handguns in public without a license, breaking his silence on a proposal that has been building unprecedented momentum in the Texas Legislature.
“I support it, and I believe it should reach my desk, and we should have ‘constitutional carry’ in Texas,” Abbott told North Texas radio host Rick Roberts.
As recently as a week ago, Abbott had declined to say whether he supported such a proposal, which the House passed earlier this month. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has said the Senate does not have the votes for the legislation, but he is trying to find a way to move it through the process.
Last week, Patrick created a new committee with a majority of permitless carry supporters. The House legislation, House Bill 1927, was then referred to the panel, and HB 1927 is set for a hearing Thursday.
Abbott said he has talked to “several senators” on the new Senate Special Committee on Constitutional Issues.
“I believe it is making progress,” Abbott said. “Once the Senate passes it out, the House and Senate will convene and work out any differences and get it to my desk, and I’ll be signing it.”
Abbott’s support continues to demonstrate how far the push for “constitutional carry” has come in recent weeks. It has stalled earlier in the legislative process during previous sessions, and last session, then-House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, declared it “dead” after a gun-rights activist showed up at his Lake Jackson home to advocate for the proposal.
Source: www.khou.com
Fully Vaccinated Adults 65 and Older Are 94% Less Likely to Be Hospitalized with COVID-19
Both mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) authorized and recommended in the United States protect against COVID-19-related hospitalization among adults 65 years and older, according to a new CDC assessment that finds fully vaccinated adults 65 years and older were 94% less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than people of the same age who were not vaccinated. People 65 and older who were partially vaccinated were 64% less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than people who were not vaccinated. People were considered “partially vaccinated” two weeks after their first dose of mRNA vaccine and “fully vaccinated” two weeks after their second dose.
These are the first real-world findings in the United States confirming clinical trial data showing mRNA vaccines prevent severe COVID-19 illness. The findings provide additional support for CDC’s recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination among people 65 and older in the U.S. population under the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the applicable COVID-19 vaccine as the risk for severe illness with COVID-19 increases with age, with older adults at highest risk.
“These findings are encouraging and welcome news for the two-thirds of people aged 65 and up who are already fully vaccinated,” said CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH. “COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective and these real-world findings confirm the benefits seen in clinical trials, preventing hospitalizations among those most vulnerable. The results are promising for our communities and hospitals. As our vaccination efforts continue to expand, COVID-19 patients will not overwhelm health care systems – leaving hospital staff, beds, and services available for people who need them for other medical conditions.”
The assessment looked at hospitalizations in two U.S. hospital networks covering 24 hospitals in 14 states. Vaccine effectiveness was assessed by comparing the odds of COVID-19 vaccination among hospitalized people who tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 (these were case patients) versus those who tested negative (these were controls). Among 417 participants in the assessment, there were 187 case patients and 230 controls. Half of the patients were more than 75-years-old.
Also noteworthy, while early reports from Israel also documented the real-world effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination, including among older adults, those reports only looked at vaccination with Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. In this CDC assessment, both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccine products were equally represented.
As expected, the assessment confirmed that vaccination provided no protection to people who had received their first dose fewer than two weeks earlier. It takes two weeks for the body to form an immune response after vaccination.
Two networks previously established to conduct surveillance for serious influenza disease provided the data for this assessment: Hospitalized Adult Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Network (HAIVEN) and Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness in the Critically Ill (IVY).
This assessment is one of many planned COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness assessments to evaluate the real-world benefits of COVID-19 vaccines. Results from these assessments will help inform vaccine policy decisions aimed at saving lives and decreasing serious COVID-19 disease as much as possible.
CDC recommends everyone 16 years of age and older in the U.S. population under the EUA get the applicable COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.
Source: www.cdc.gov
Governor Abbott Asks State Agencies For Financial Impact Of Border Crisis
“As heads of your respective state agencies, I ask that you send my office a full and accurate estimate of the fiscal impact the current border crisis is having on your agency, including the costs you have incurred and that you expect to incur,” reads the Governor’s letter. “Because the burden of these extra costs is a direct result of federal policies, the State of Texas will formally request that the federal government pay in full the costs borne by the State. This will require a full accounting of these costs by state agencies.”
Source: gov.texas.gov
US Department of Labor observes 2021 Workers Memorial Day as agencies look ahead to stronger worker safety, health protections
Every year on April 28, the U.S. Department of Labor and it’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration commemorates Workers Memorial Day, when we remember and honor the men and women who have lost their lives on the job. Many of these devastating losses were preventable if standards had been followed, appropriate controls existed, and if safety and health programs were a priority.
In 2021, the department also observes OSHA’s 50th anniversary. Before the 1971 enactment of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the OSHA’s creation, many workers lacked basic protections from workplace hazards. Since then, OSHA and its many partners have helped transform U.S. workplaces and have reduced injuries, illnesses, and fatalities significantly.
“Workers Memorial Day reminds us of the sacrifices many workers make to earn their wages and provide for themselves and their families,” said Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “No one should ever have to lose their life, suffer a disabling injury or develop a life-altering illness because they went to work. The dedicated professionals at the U.S. Department of Labor are determined to ensure that U.S. workers finish their workdays safely and hold that accountable whose neglect increases the likelihood of harm to our fellow citizens.”
Despite OSHA’s half-century of progress, more than 5,000 people suffer fatal injuries at work each year, and thousands more are hurt or sickened. The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted – perhaps more than in any time in its history – the vital importance of OSHA’s mission. To date, the pandemic has killed more than 570,000 people, many of them essential frontline workers, many people of color, and immigrants among them, whose work served a nation in desperate need.
In response to the devastation, President Biden issued an executive order that directed the Department of Labor to consider whether any emergency temporary standards were necessary to keep workers safe from the hazard created by COVID-19. On Monday, April 26, OSHA sent draft standards to the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for review after working with its science-agency partners, economic agencies, and others in the U.S. government to get the proposed emergency standard right.
“In its 50-year history, OSHA has been at the forefront of many positive changes in workplace safety, but the pandemic made it clear – there remains much room for improvement and much more work to do,” said Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Jim Frederick. “We intend to honor those workers who risked and lost their lives in the pandemic – and those they leave behind – by making America’s workplaces the safest and healthiest they can be.”
With $100 million in additional funding in the American Rescue Plan of 2021, OSHA is working to protect workers now and in the future. This includes ensuring that OSHA has the resources, such as much-needed staff, to do the agency’s work. The agency is planning to hire more than 160 new critical personnel, including compliance safety and health officers to respond to the pandemic. OSHA will also make available an additional $10 million in funds for Susan Harwood Training grants to support organizations delivering vital training to prevent vulnerable workers from exposure to the coronavirus and infectious disease.
The department’s Mine Safety and Health Administration is also ramping up efforts to protect workers at the nation’s thousands of mines by hiring dozens of inspectors and specialists to serving critical geographic areas. Increasing staff will enable the agency to direct more needed enforcement efforts to targeted safety and health hazards, as well as to provide more compliance assistance to special emphasis programs, including coronavirus.
“Today we’re honoring the 29 miners who lost their lives on the job in 2020, and recognizing the devastating impact of their absence on their families and communities,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Jeannette Galanis. “More importantly, we’re recommitting to creating safe and healthful workplaces where miners and their families can trust that a day’s work will end with them heading home, safe and healthy.”
OSHA also launched a new Workers Memorial Page that aims to lift up the voices of workers who lost their lives on the job. A virtual Workers Memorial Wall features names and images of workers as a solemn tribute for workers’ families, friends, and coworkers.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to help ensure these conditions for America’s workers by setting and enforcing standards and providing training, education, and assistance.
Source: www.osha.gov
DART Board of Directors Announces Nadine Lee as New President & Chief Executive Officer
The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Board of Directors today announced the appointment of Nadine Lee as its new president & chief executive officer. Lee, an experienced transit industry leader and engineer who has worked in the transportation industry for nearly 30 years, will assume her new position on July 12.
“The DART Board is pleased to welcome a leader of Nadine’s caliber and experience to direct the agency during these challenging and exciting times,” said Paul N. Wageman, chairman of the DART Board of Directors. “DART is an essential resource for the residents of our region, as well as a growth engine for all of North Texas. Nadine possesses the passion and expertise to grow DART into an even greater, more successful organization, and to create a lasting impact for our customers and local communities.”
Before joining DART, Lee served as the chief of staff of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). In this role, Lee coordinated programs and services across the nation’s third-busiest transit agency and led an effort to make bus service more equitable and dependable for residents. Previously, she was the deputy chief innovation officer in Metro’s Office of Extraordinary Innovation where she led the development of Vision 2028, Metro’s 10-year strategic plan to improve mobility and quality of life for Los Angeles County residents.
“I am honored to be selected for the opportunity to lead this exceptional organization of dedicated and talented professionals,” said Lee. “DART’s employees have always demonstrated a deep commitment and dedication to its customers, mission, and each other. I look forward to building on the foundation that has been created here and developing new programs and opportunities for the customers and communities we serve.”
Prior to her tenure at Metro, she led the development and implementation of the Flatiron Flyer Bus Rapid Transit for Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD), a project that produced a 40% increase in corridor ridership in its first few months of service. Lee also led RTD’s Northwest Rail and Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility projects in the FasTracks Program.
“Nadine’s deep knowledge and understanding of how growing transportation choices can improve the quality of life for customers aligns perfectly with DART’s longstanding mission,” said David Leininger, DART’s interim president & chief executive officer. “I am confident that her distinguished track record of leadership and innovation will ensure the agency’s continued success in serving the residents of North Texas.”
Lee was appointed to the Leadership APTA Committee in 2019 and is a past director of the WTS International board. She was also honored as the WTS International Woman of the Year in 2019. A registered Professional Engineer in Colorado and Kansas, Lee received her B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Source: dart.org
Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee Secures $900,000 Settlement from ITC Due to an Explosion at Its Deer Park Facility
Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee settled a lawsuit with Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC) for $900,000 in connection with the 2019 Deer Park fire. Two years ago, a fire erupted at ITC’s bulk liquid terminal when a tank containing a flammable liquid hydrocarbon mixture caught fire, eventually spreading to additional tanks. The fire created a plume over the entirety of the City of Houston before the fire was extinguished days later. The fire made national news and closed local schools and businesses.
The lawsuit holds ITC accountable for the Deer Park fire, specifically for violating Harris County development regulations and discharging pollutants into the County stormwater system. The Texas Attorney General’s Office is pursuing an environmental enforcement case against ITC for unlawful air emissions and water discharges without the County. Because of a recent state law that takes away Harris County’s right to bring cases under state environmental laws where the state has already intervened, Harris County was not able to bring the claims brought by the AttorneyGeneral. The Attorney General’s lawsuit is filed in Travis County and will not be heard by a Harris County judge or jury.
Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee released the following statement:
“The Harris County Attorney’s Office will use any tools available to hold industry accountable at the local level. This is also a victory for taxpayers, almost $1,000,000 will be returned to the County. This is a sizeable settlement—one of the largest our office has achieved for this type of case. We will look at all angles to seek environmental justice and push these companies to follow proper preventative measures to avoid future disasters like this one,” said Menefee. “I also urge state legislators to revisit the law preventing Harris County from bringing environmental claims that affect its residents. Harris County should be allowed to pursue comprehensive actions against these polluters, and my office stands ready to do just that.”
About the Harris County Attorney’s Office
Christian D. Menefee serves as the Harris County Attorney, the County’s chief civil lawyer. The Harris County Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting and proactively advocating for the interests of Harris County residents and government through the civil justice system. This settlement represents Menefee’s commitment to protect the environment by holding polluters accountable. Menefee continues to be a voice for the people, standing up for vulnerable communities and using civil actions to ensure our rights are protected and expanded.
Biden to Nominate Texas Sheriff and Trump Critic to Lead Immigration Enforcement Agency
U.S. President Joe Biden will nominate a Texas sheriff who criticized Trump-era immigration raids to lead the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, the White House said on Tuesday.
Biden will tap Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, a veteran law enforcement officer and Democrat who has served since 2017 as sheriff of the most populous county in Texas, the White House said.
In a July 2019 Facebook post, Gonzalez said he opposed sweeping immigration raids after former President Donald Trump, a Republican, a month earlier tweeted hyperbolically that ICE would begin deporting “millions of illegal aliens.”
“I do not support ICE raids that threaten to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, the vast majority of whom do not represent a threat to the U.S.,” Gonzalez wrote. “The focus should always be on clear & immediate safety threats.”
Gonzalez has sought to limit ties between local police and federal immigration enforcement during his time as Harris County sheriff. In 2017, he ended Harris County’s participation in a program that increased cooperation between county law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
Gonzalez will have to be confirmed in his new job by the 100-seat U.S. Senate, divided 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans, with Vice President Kamala Harris able to break ties.
His nomination comes as Biden moves to roll back restrictive Trump-era immigration policies in favor of what he calls a more humane approach. Both ICE and the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency played leading roles in Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
Biden announced on April 12 that he would tap Chris Magnus, an Arizona police chief and another critic of some Trump immigration policies, to lead CBP. Magnus had criticized the previous administration’s attempt to force so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions to cooperate with federal law enforcement.
In the latest rollback of Trump-era policies, the Department of Homeland Security announced on Tuesday that federal immigration officers would limit immigration arrests in or near courthouses.
The move reverses a policy that expanded such arrests, which the Biden administration said had a chilling effect on people’s willingness to cooperate with law enforcement.
DHS also launched a new operation that aims to identify migrant smugglers and target their activities by revoking travel documents, suspending trade entities, and freezing financial assets.
If his nomination is approved, Gonzalez will take charge of an agency that has been whipsawed by the change in administrations.
After Biden took office on Jan. 20, his administration placed a 100-day pause on many deportations and greatly limited who can be arrested and deported by ICE. The moratorium drew fierce pushback from Republicans and was blocked by a federal judge in Texas days after it took effect.
Some career ICE officials have privately criticized the new enforcement priorities, saying they prevent agents from arresting some criminals.
Source: www.usnews.com
FBI warn against use of fake vaccination cards
The list of venues, establishments, and government entities that currently or will soon require proof of vaccination is growing, and so is vaccine card fraud.
The fake cards can be bought for cheap on the dark web and sometimes on public online shopping and social media sites.
“They’re very easy to get, and a lot of people are getting them,” Crime Stoppers of Houston CEO Rania Mankarious said in an interview on Monday.
The Attorneys General of 46 states recently signed on to a letter addressed to the CEOs of Twitter, eBay, and Shopify demanding they do more to prevent vaccine card fraud.
“[F]ake COVID vaccine cards threaten the health of our communities, slow progress in getting our residents protected from the virus, and are a violation of the laws of many states,” the letter said.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton did not sign the letter. His office did not return a request for comment.
The FBI warned in a recent advisory that buying and selling fake vaccine cards online violates a federal law that protects the HHS and CDC seals found on the card that Americans receive when they get a COVID-19 vaccine shot.
The head of the European Union said Monday only Americans who can prove they were fully vaccinated will be able to travel to Europe this summer. Some international cruise ships also require vaccination proof.
In some states, vaccine cards are required at some gyms, concert venues, and other private establishments.
In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order prohibiting any government entity or private establishment that receives state funds from requiring proof of vaccination.
“If you make or buy a fake COVID-19 vaccination record card, you endanger yourself and those around you, and you are breaking the law,” the FBI advisory said.
The victims of the fake cards, Mankarious said, are the establishments that require proof, the unvaccinated person putting him or herself in harm’s way, and the vaccinated persons who expect that others at the establishment also have some immunity.
“We’re all sort of victims of this,” she added. “If you don’t want to get vaccinated, that’s your choice. But I would think of others before you nonchalantly make a copy [of a vaccine card] and go back into the world.”
Source: www.click2houston.com
Zebra Mussels Detected at Lake Brownwood
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has detected invasive zebra mussels at Lake Brownwood in the Colorado River Basin, southeast of Abilene. Zebra mussel larvae were detected in plankton samples collected at two sites approximately three miles apart at Lake Brownwood in November. This is the second lake in the Upper Colorado River Basin where zebra mussels have now been detected, which indicates this species is continuing to spread westward.
To date, no adult mussels have been found in the lake. In late March, TPWD staff conducted intensive shoreline and substrate surveys at both locations where larvae were detected. In addition, surveys were conducted at a third marina site, but no settled juvenile or adult mussels were found at any of the sites.
“Zebra mussels are a highly invasive, non-native species that cause damage to boats as well as to infrastructure for water supply and control and other facilities using raw surface water,” said Monica McGarrity, TPWD Senior Scientist for Aquatic Invasive Species. “Zebra mussels also negatively impact the ecosystem, competing with native filter feeders and altering the food web and attaching to and harming native mussels. Their razor-sharp shells can litter shorelines and cover underwater hard surfaces, posing a hazard for humans.”
The public is asked to be on the alert for zebra mussels at Lake Brownwood on rocks, docks and other hard surfaces, and boats. Anyone who spots zebra mussels should immediately notify TPWD at AquaticInvasives@tpwd.texas.gov with photos. Zebra mussels attach firmly to hard surfaces and have triangular shells, often with tan/brown stripes, and grow to approximately 1.5 inches long.
Because zebra mussels are most often transported on or in boats, boaters play a critical role in preventing them from spreading to new lakes. Zebra mussels attach to boats and may also contaminate anchors or plants clinging to boats and can survive for days out of water. Their larvae are microscopic and invisible to the naked eye and can be unknowingly transported in residual water in boats. Boaters are urged to clean, drain and dry their boats and gear before traveling from lake to lake. Remove plants, mud, and debris, drain all the water from the boat and gear, and then open up compartments once you get home and allow everything to dry completely.
If you have stored your boat in the water at a lake with zebra mussels, it is likely infested with zebra mussels and poses an extremely high risk for moving this invasive species to a new lake. Before moving your boat to another lake, call TPWD at (512) 389-4848 for guidance on decontamination. The transport of aquatic invasive species can result in legal trouble for boaters or transporters. Transporting prohibited invasive species in Texas is illegal and punishable with a fine of up to $500 per violation. Boaters are also required to drain all water from their boat and onboard receptacles, including bait buckets, before leaving or approaching a body of freshwater.
Additionally, anyone who spots zebra mussels on boats, trailers or equipment that is being moved should immediately report the sighting to TPWD at (512) 389-4848.
TPWD and partners monitor for zebra mussels in Texas lakes, but anyone who finds them in lakes where they haven’t been found before should report them by emailing photos and location information to AquaticInvasives@tpwd.texas.gov.
A status map showing all lakes where zebra mussels have been found in Texas is online at tpwd.texas.gov/ZebraMussels. For more information on how to properly clean, drain, and dry boats and equipment, visit the TPWD YouTube channel for a short instructional video.
Information for marinas and owners of boats stored in the water on lakes with zebra mussels can be found on the TPWD website. To learn more about zebra mussels and other invasive species in Texas, visit tpwd.texas.gov/StopInvasives.
Source: tpwd.texas.gov