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Dozens missing, over 40 people dead after historic flooding in western Germany

Severe flooding in Western Europe after the area experienced levels of rain not seen in a century caused over 40 deaths in Germany as flash floods swept through the countries, causing buildings to collapse.  At least six died in Belgium, and the neighboring countries of Luxembourg and the Netherlands were also affected.

Authorities said at least 28 people died in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate and 18 people died in the district of Ahrweiler.  Police said as many as 50 people in Germany were trapped on rooftops while at least 70 people are missing. The German Weather Service on Wednesday had issued a warning of extreme precipitation for the western region of the country.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a statement: “I am shocked by the catastrophe that so many people in the flood areas have to suffer. My condolences go out to the relatives of the dead and missing. I thank the many tireless helpers and emergency services from the bottom of my heart.”

U.S. President Joe Biden, who met with Merkel as she visited the White House on Thursday, said: “I want to express to you and to the people of Germany my sincere condolences and the condolence of the American people for the devastating loss of life and the destruction due to the flooding over the past 24 hours in Germany and neighboring countries. It’s a tragedy and our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones.”

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Justice Department criticizes FBI handling of allegations against USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar

In a scathing report Wednesday, the Justice Department’s inspector general said FBI officials investigating allegations of sexual abuse by disgraced USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar violated the agency’s policies by making false statements and failing to properly document complaints by the accusers.

The inspector general opened an investigation in 2018; in June 2020, more than 120 of the survivors asked DOJ to release the inspector general’s findings. In a statement, the FBI said in a statement that the “actions and inactions of certain FBI employees described in the report are inexcusable and a discredit to this organization,” adding that it has taken action to “ensure and has confirmed that those responsible for the misconduct and breach of trust no longer work FBI matters.”

The 57-year-old Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor, pleaded guilty in November 2017 to seven counts of criminal sexual conduct for using his profession as a cover to sexually abuse his patients. He also pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges and separate state criminal sexual conduct charges.  Nassar is serving a 40-to-174-year state prison sentence after 156 women and girls said he sexually abused them over a course of 20 years; he is currently housed at the high security United States Penitentiary Coleman II in Sumterville, Florida.

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Over 60 wildfires continue to burn across Western U.S., with Oregon’s Bootleg Fire remaining the nation’s largest and still spreading

Increasingly steady, dry winds on Wednesday contributed to the over 60 wildfires in the Western United States, still burning across several states and crews continue to fight and contain them. Gusts of up to 35 mph and extreme temperatures near 105 degrees, with only 7% humidity in the forecast, is causing concern for more than 16,000 firefighters in Northern California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho who are fighting to control the flames.

The National Interagency Fire Center said Wednesday that “more than one million acres have burned in 68 large fires and complexes across 12 states” with the largest blaze in the United States, the ‘Bootleg Fire’ in Oregon, destroying more than 200,000 acres. The fire has destroyed more than 50 structures and almost two dozen homes. Residents have evacuated in many areas, and Madera County, Calif. declared a state of emergency as a result of the River Fire, which has burned 9,500 acres, while still being less than 20% contained.

Drought conditions have contributed to the spread of the fires, as well as record-breaking heat in recent weeks. Poor air quality alerts have been issued from Colorado to Minnesota from the extreme smoke sweeping across those regions.

 

 

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Stock market closes down, Dow falls 107 points after inflation report

The U.S. stock market closed down on Tuesday following a report detailing surging consumer prices, reversing gains from the start of the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 107.39 points, or 0.31%, while the S&P 500 dipped 0.4% and the Nasdaq Composite slid 0.46%.

The losses came after the Department of Labor issued a report Tuesday stating that consumer prices in the United States increased 5.4% between June 2020 and June 2021, the steepest 12-month increase in more than a decade.

Tuesday also marked the start of second-quarter earnings reports, with JPMorgan Chase falling 1.72% after posting earnings of $11.9 billion, or $3.78 per share, while Goldman Sachs stock dipped 1.19% reporting earnings of $15.02 per share.

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United Airlines to buy 100, 19-seat electric planes from Heart Aerospace

On Tuesday, United Airlines announced plans to purchase 100 electric planes as part of an effort to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The airline’s venture fund announced that it invested in electric aircraft startup Heart Aerospace while conditionally agreeing to purchase 100 of the company’s ES-19 aircraft. The ES-19 is a 19-seat electric aircraft with the capability of flying customers up to 250 miles before the end of the decade. The acquisition will also help United in “deepening its bold commitment” to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 100% by 2050.

Michael Leskinen, president of United Airlines Ventures, said: “Breakthrough Energy Ventures is the leading voice of investors who are supporting clean-energy technology creation. We share the view that we have to build companies who have real potential to change how industries operate and, in our case, that means investing in companies like Heart Aerospace who are developing a viable electric airliner.”

United said that the ES-19 will have “zero operational emissions” by utilizing electric motors instead of jet engines and batteries instead of jet fuel. It will also be able to operate on more than 100 of United’s regional routes and out of most of its hubs including Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Purdue University Airport and San Francisco International Airport to Modesto City-County Airport.

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Texas Democrats leave state in effort to block GOP voting restrictions

Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives left the state Monday afternoon heading to Washington, D.C., in a bid to deny Republicans the quorum needed to pass new voting restrictions. With 26 days left in a special legislative session, most House Democrats boarded two planes out of Austin headed for the U.S. capital without a set return date. At least 51 of the 67 Democratic representatives — the number needed to break quorum — were in the process of leaving Monday afternoon, most arriving at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Monday to board chartered flights that departed around 3:10 p.m.

The House is set to reconvene Tuesday morning, but the absent Democrats would mean there will not be enough members present to conduct business under House rules. Democratic leaders said in a joint statement released Monday: “Today, Texas House Democrats stand united in our decision to break quorum and refuse to let the Republican-led legislature force through dangerous legislation that would trample on Texans’ freedom to vote.”

The House and Senate proposals resemble failed legislation, known as Senate Bill 7, from the spring regular legislation session — the demise of which Texas Democrats used last month to make their pitch on Capitol Hill for action on voting rights. The House voting bill as passed by committee over the weekend would rein in local voting initiatives like drive-thru and 24-hour voting, further tighten the rules for voting by mail, bolster access for partisan poll watchers and ban local election officials from proactively sending out applications to request mail-in ballots.

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Food & Drug Administration issues new warning on rare autoimmune disorder linked to J&J coronavirus vaccine

On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) warned of an increased risk of Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological disorder, following the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after 100 preliminary cases of the syndrome were reported among the 12.5M doses administered. The agency noted that 95 of the cases were serious and required hospitalization, including one death. The FDA is updating vaccination materials for health care providers and patients to note an “association” between the vaccine and a risk of GBS, however, they said the data are “insufficient to establish a causal relationship.” Similar issues have not been reported tied to the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

The FDA still recommends the vaccine to prevent the serious health risks posed by COVID-19, stating:  “Importantly, the FDA has evaluated the available information for the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine and continues to find the known and potential benefits clearly outweigh the known and potential risks. The chance of having this occur is very low, and the rate of reported cases exceeds the background rate by a small degree.”

According to the CDC, the majority of people who develop Guillain-Barre report the symptoms after having a respiratory illness, including the flu or getting sick with diarrhea. According to the FDA, patients should seek medical attention if they experience a weakness or tingling sensations, especially in the legs or arms, and that might worsen or spread to other parts of the body. Other symptoms might include difficulty walking or making facial movements; double vision or inability to move eyes; or difficulty with bladder control or bowel function.

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4 people arrested after weapons are found in hotel near MLB All-Star site

Four people were arrested after a hotel housekeeper tipped off authorities to more than a dozen weapons and 1,000 rounds of ammunition stored at a hotel room in Denver. Police removed 16 long guns, body armor and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition from a hotel room on the eighth floor of the Maven Hotel near Coors Field, which is set to host the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

Police executed a search warrant and found a man inside the room which featured a balcony overlooking the downtown Denver area along with the weapons. The suspects were identified as 42-year-old Richard Platt and Gabriel Rodriguez, 48, who are both facing investigation for possession of weapons by a previous offender and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Ricardo Rodriguez, 44, is being investigated for possession of a weapon by a previous offender and Kanoelehua Serikawa, 43, is being investigated for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Platt and Serikawa were both also wanted on warrants from other jurisdictions.

The FBI on Sunday said it had “no reason to believe this incident was connected to terrorism or a threat directed at the All-Star Game. We are not aware of any threat to the All-Star Game events, venues, players or the community at this time.”  The MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is set to be held at Coors Field on Monday, followed by the All-Star Game on Tuesday.

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Billionaire Richard Branson goes into space on Virgin Galactic spaceship, lands safely

Billionaire Sir Richard Branson and five other passengers successfully launched to the lower edge of space — about 50 miles above Earth — and back to planet Earth on Sunday in the first fully crewed flight from his private space tourism firm Virgin Galactic.

Virgin Galactic’s reusable SpaceShipTwo returned to Spaceport America, about 170 miles south of Albuquerque, N.M., in the desert after taking off 1/2 hours earlier from the same runway attached beneath to a twin-fuselage jet. Unity was launched from the Eve mothership at an altitude of 50,000 feet and live stream video showed it shooting into space. Within 30 seconds the spacecraft reached Mach 2 speed and a few seconds later hit Mach 3 at an altitude of weightlessness. Branson, 70, served as a mission specialist on the flight. Onboard video showed Branson and the three other astronauts unbuckling their seatbelts to float around the cabin and take in view of the curvature of Earth. At around 11:40 a.m. ET the spacecraft touched back down on Earth, making a smooth landing back in New Mexico.

Branson said at a news conference following the historic flight: “I think like most kids I have dreamt of this moment since I was a kid and honestly nothing can prepare you for the view of Earth from space.” He said he was honored to “test the customer experience” and declared, “Welcome to the dawn of a new space age. It’s just magical. I’m just taking it all in. It’s just unreal.”

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Amid drought, Gov. Newsom asks Californians to voluntarily cut water usage 15%

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is asked residents to voluntarily cut water usage by 15% amid record temperatures and a drought in the state.  On Thursday, Newsom added nine more counties to the state’s drought emergency declaration, which now covers 50 of California’s 58 counties, adding that the water conservation request was not mandatory.

The governor suggested Californians cut water usage by taking shorter showers, only running appliances such as the dishwasher and washing machine when they are full, limiting outdoor water use and using recycled water for outdoor projects. He added that reducing water usage by 15% would save 850,000 acre-feet of water, enough to supply over 1.7 million households for one year. Newsom’s office said: “The hots are getting hotter and the dries are getting drier — that is the reality of climate change. During the last drought, we made water conservation a way of life and we can do it again.”

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