National news from across the nation, compiled by BasinLife.com, Wynne Broadcasting…
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Hurricane Laura on Track to Be Strongest Storm to Hit Gulf Coast Since Katrina
Laura is now a category 4 storm gathering strength as it heads toward landfall early Thursday, forcing hundreds of thousands to evacuate and threatening U.S. fuel and chemical plants
Beaumont, Texas—Hurricane Laura is moving fast toward the Texas and Louisiana coasts on this Wednesday, as a vicious Category 4 storm, threatening what forecasters described as lethal flooding and widespread wind damage.
Laura was poised to strike the heart of U.S. fuel-making and chemicals production, much of which is located in low-lying areas along the Gulf Coast. Nearly half of the nation’s refining capacity is on the Gulf Coast.
The fast-moving hurricane increased in strength late Wednesday with sustained winds of 145 miles-an-hour, according to the National Hurricane Center. It is projected to make landfall early Thursday and strengthen to winds as high as 150 miles-an-hour, close to the 157 mile-an-hour threshold of a Category 5 storm.
Laura is a storm of historic proportions, with wind speed at landfall on track to surpass Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which made landfall near New Orleans as a Category 3 storm. While the western Gulf Coast is less densely populated than the New Orleans area, Laura, like Katrina, is expected to make landfall in the dead of night, complicating any last-minute evacuation or rescue efforts.
Laura is expected to produce waves as high as 20 feet along portions of the Louisiana coast, with as much as 15 inches of rainfall. The city of Lake Charles, La., braced for as much as 15 feet of flooding, far more than the 8 feet that constitute a major flood in a low-lying area.
TV crews abandoned coastal stations, as did meteorologists with the National Weather Service’s local forecasting office.
President Trump said his administration was working with state and local governments to help the people of Texas and Louisiana, as well as those in Arkansas, where winds and rain are expected to cause flooding, topple trees and down power lines.
Forecasters warned of large and destructive waves that could cause catastrophic damage from Sea Rim State Park in Texas to Intracoastal City along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in Louisiana. The storm surge could reach as far as 30 miles inland, backing up rivers and producing dangerous flooding.
Officials in Texas and Louisiana issued mandatory evacuation orders in more than a dozen coastal cities and counties from Grand Isle, La., to Galveston, Texas, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. Voluntary evacuation orders were in place in numerous other jurisdictions.
Laura was moving at 15 miles-an-hour, far faster than storms including 2018’s plodding Hurricane Florence, which allowed time for extensive planning.
17-Year-Old Arrested After Two Killed in Kenosha Shooting as National Guard Is Called In
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said today he authorized 500 Wisconsin National Guard members to assist Kenosha authorities after three nights of violent clashes, as a 17-year-old was arrested in connection with a shooting during a protest that left two people dead and one injured.
The city has experienced clashes, fires and looting since Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot in the back by a white policeman on Sunday.
The 17-year-old suspect, Kyle Rittenhouse, a resident of Antioch, Ill., is in custody of the Lake County (Ill.) Judicial System, according to the Antioch Police Department. Mr. Rittenhouse was charged with first-degree intentional homicide, Antioch police said.
A complaint filed in Circuit Court in Lake County says Mr. Rittenhouse was labeled a “fugitive from justice” after he “fled the state of Wisconsin with the intent to avoid prosecution for the offense.”
His arrest card lists his occupation as a lifeguard at a YMCA. He has been assigned a public defender, was ordered held without bond and remanded to the care of the Hulse Detention Center. Antioch is about 20 miles southwest of Kenosha.
The Lake County Public Defender’s office declined to comment.
Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis said the state’s Department of Justice is leading the investigation of the shooting of Mr. Blake, with cooperation from local authorities, and so he had no new information to provide. Kenosha authorities also said they didn’t know what sparked the shooting near midnight Tuesday or whether Mr. Rittenhouse was affiliated with any specific group. But they believe it was driven by agitators, not by those involved in peaceful protests that have occurred throughout the daytime.
Police said the dead included a 26-year-old from nearby Silver Lake and a 36-year-old Kenosha resident. A 26-year-old West Allis resident was wounded.
In a video of the protest showing what sound like gunshots can be heard as people yell and a white male with an olive-green shirt and backward cap appears to shoot people after being chased by members of the crowd. The male in the olive-green shirt then walks with his hands up toward a police car, as people can be heard screaming in the background, “He just shot someone.”
Police were pressed to answer why they didn’t arrest the person as he approached police vehicles. They said they couldn’t provide an answer and said they hadn’t seen the video.
Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said that police have limited information because Kenosha police are working with outside agencies—including the Federal Bureau of Investigation—in gathering information.
“I don’t even know the guy’s name,” Mr. Beth said when asked by a reporter about the identity of the suspected shooter.
Mayor John Antamarian took responsibility for the lack of communication with the public. “I’m not good at this,” he said. “These are things that are different for us.”
The U.S. intelligence community hasn’t seen evidence that foreign powers are attempting to sabotage voting by mail in the presidential election.
Asked at a media briefing Wednesday about the risk of foreign countries printing mail-in ballots, a senior official with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said: “We have no information or intelligence that any nation-state threat actor is engaging in any kind of activity to undermine any part of the mail-in vote” or ballots.
A historically large number of Americans are expected to vote by mail in the coming general election amid the coronavirus pandemic. Mr. Trump has raised concerns that widespread mail-in voting could allow foreign governments to interfere in the election with counterfeit mail ballots—a claim widely disputed by election officials and independent experts.
“The Dems talk of foreign influence in voting, but they know that Mail-In Voting is an easy way for foreign countries to enter the race,” Mr. Trump said in a tweet on July 30. Mr. Trump has said he is OK with a system in which a voter must request a by-mail ballot in advance of the election, though he has objected to states mailing out ballots to all voters in response to the pandemic, saying that is susceptible to fraud. The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment for this article.
Researchers have found only rare instances of vote-by-mail fraud, and election officials have cited numerous safeguards, such as signature-matching in some states and ballot styles that they say would be virtually impossible to counterfeit on a large scale.
U.S. intelligence agencies also haven’t uncovered any major fraud in voting by mail, a senior FBI official told reporters Wednesday. “We have not seen to date a coordinated national voter-fraud effort during a major election,” the official said. “It would be extraordinarily difficult to change the federal election outcome through this type of fraud alone.”
The officials also said Wednesday that the U.S. intelligence community, which comprises more than a dozen federal agencies, hasn’t detected any specific, notable attempt to hack election systems this election cycle.
Democrats and some officials have warned the effort could evolve into a repeat of Moscow’s 2016 operations, when, according to the U.S. intelligence community, Russia interfered in the presidential election by hacking and leaking Democratic emails and conducting influence efforts on social media to boost Mr. Trump’s candidacy. Russia has denied interfering.
China and Iran also have developed an interest in undermining Mr. Trump, the intelligence statement said, though in terms described as less extensive or covert than Russia’s activity.
Election officials across the country are set to receive a classified briefing about security threats from federal agencies on Wednesday. Intelligence agencies have ramped up coordination with state and local election officials since the 2016 election.
ONE IN FIVE CASH-STRAPPED ADULTS HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH DEBT THEY’RE IN
One in five cash-strapped adults have no idea how much debt they’re in — and they don’t want to know. A poll of 2,000 adults found 17 percent would rather not find out the exact figure they owe, and 21 percent don’t want to worry about something they feel they can’t do anything about. Another 16 percent don’t even bother checking their account on payday, because seeing it all fly straight out to pay the bills and debt brings them down.
POOR DIET IS MAIN CAUSE OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY _ From the University of Obvious, a new study says kids are tubby because they aren’t eating right. Yes, yes, American kids do need more exercise then they’re getting, but according to Baylor University researchers, the problem is poor diet.
THE GIRL SCOUT UNIFORM HAS BEEN UPDATED
The Girl Scouts are getting new clothes. First, a vest designed for the modern Girl Scout must have pockets, and those pockets must be large enough to fit the largest model of the iPhone. The new vest was designed by three students from the Fashion Institute of Technology. Also new: black spandex leggings and a denim jacket. The student-designed collection is an attempt to make the Girl Scout uniform more versatile and relevant. The organization hopes the new styles will help encourage older girls — those in middle school and high school — to stick with being a scout.
TRAVELERS LOST ABOUT $900K AT AIRPORT CHECKPOINTS LAST YEAR
Travelers left behind nearly a million dollars at U.S. airport security checkpoints last year. A Transportation Security Administration report said travelers lost $926,000 at 75 airports in the year that ended in September. Much of the lost money came from people emptying their pockets for security scans. The paper says the largest sums were lost at airports in New York, San Francisco, Miami, Las Vegas and Dallas.
OREGON STRANGER HANDS OUT CASH TO PEOPLE WAITING FOR STIMULUS CHECKS
Thousands of Oregonians waited in long lines at credit unions across the state on Thursday to apply for $500 emergency relief checks but people at one location left with more than they expected. A man driving a luxury vehicle pulled up. A witness said the man seemed irritated at first that people were blocking the ATM at the credit union, but those gathered explained that they were waiting for emergency funding. The man reacted by asking, “Really, you guys need help?” When people said yes the man pulled out a stack of $100 bills, told someone to distribute them down the line, and then drove off.
McDONALD’S LAUNCHES NEW CHICKEN MCNUGGETS FLAVOR
McDonald’s is adding a new Chicken McNuggets flavor. Spicy Chicken McNuggets will hit US restaurants on September 16 — for a limited time. It’s the first new McNugget flavor in the United States since the item was introduced to the US menu in 1983.
A new study from Brazil found that people with antisocial traits are less likely to follow coronavirus containment measures.
Traits like callousness, deceitfulness, hostility and risk-taking typically present themselves in people diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder. These traits are associated with rule-breaking behavior like criminality and violence. The study (State University of Londrina and São Francisco University) appears to show those with “higher levels of antisocial traits” and lower empathy would “show more difficulty in adhering to the containment measures.”
GOOD LOOKING PEOPLE MAKE MORE MONEY
Those who consoled themselves with the thought that there is more to life than being really good looking are in for a shock. A study shows beautiful people are not just pleasing to the eye; it seems they are also wealthier and more successful. Researchers have found that those deemed the most attractive make 12 percent more money than those regarded as less good looking. The main reason for the apparent victory of the attractive people is that they are seen as more helpful and co-operative.
WANT YOUR MAN TO PITCH IN? DON’T MARRY HIM
If a woman finds that the kind and considerate man she has lived with for years suddenly stops helping with the laundry and taking out the trash, it’s probably because the couple got married. Researchers have found cohabiting couples are far more likely than those who are married to split housework evenly — but after the wedding they revert to the typical stereotype, with the woman taking on the great majority of tasks.
A 194-YEAR-OLD APPLE TREE HAS DIED
An apple tree thought to be the oldest in the Pacific Northwest has died at 194 years of age. The Old Apple Tree in Vancouver, Washington, was planted in 1826 when fur traders of the Hudson’s Bay Company settled in the area. It was considered the matriarch of the region’s bustling apple industry and produced a green apple that was bitter to the taste but great for baking. Around 2015, a team of experts caring for the tree noticed that the cambium layer — the growing part of the trunk — was starting to die back. That contributed to the creation of a spiral crack in the trunk, which hollowed out over the years. The tree finally died in June.
… The Old Apple Tree weathered countless storms and the construction of railways and highways in its vicinity, becoming a beloved community landmark.
MAN WINS $1 MILLION THANKS TO FAVORITE TICKET BEING SOLD OUT
A Michigan man said a store being sold out of his preferred scratch-off lottery ticket turned out to be a good thing when his second choice earned him a $1 million jackpot. The man (in Alpena) went into a convenience store with the intention of buying a specific $10 scratch-off ticket. They were sold out so he purchased an Emerald 10 ticket instead — and won big.
BOTTLED TEA NOT NEARLY AS HEALTHY AS BREWED
Labels on bottled tea beverages are typically plastered with declarations of their rich antioxidant content. But a study suggests if you’re looking for high doses of healthful antioxidants, you might be better off brewing your tea at home. Many of the popular beverages included in the study contain fewer antioxidants than a single cup of home-brewed green or black tea. Some store-bought teas contain such small amounts that consumers would have to drink 20 bottles to get the antioxidants found in one cup of tea. In addition, bottled beverages often contain large amounts of sugar.
442-CARAT DIAMOND FOUND IN AFRICA COULD BE WORTH $18 MILLION
One of the world’s largest diamonds has been unearthed in Africa — a 442-carat rock worth as much as $18 million.
… In 2018, a 910-carat diamond found at the same mine that eventually sold for $40 million.
8-YEAR-OLD BECOMES YOUNGEST PERSON TO SOLO PILOT HOT-AIR BALLOON
An 8-year-old boy from north Georgia has become the youngest person ever to solo pilot a hot-air balloon. JT Head took his record-setting 20-minute flight on July 10, soaring 400 feet for a mile and a half. JT, a fourth grader who is now 9, learned to fly from his dad who has been piloting balloons for four decades.
RAISING A BALLERINA WILL COST YOU $100,000
If you thought raising a child who loves to play baseball was expensive, just be glad they’re not into ballet. The data website FiveThirtyEight crunched some numbers and estimates that to raise a ballerina will cost you $100,000. The website based the numbers on a student who begins dancing at age 3. If she dances all the way through high school and is accepted into a professional company immediately after graduating — no easy feat — she will have undergone 15 years of ballet education. Those core 15 years of training cost a median of about $53,000. When summer programs, fees, shoes and clothing are added in, it comes to around 100-grand.
75,000 TEDDY BEARS LEFT IN HOTELS EACH YEAR
I read an article that said millions of phone and other gadget chargers are left in hotel and motel rooms around the world each year. Even more tragic: some 75,000 Teddy bears are left behind in hotels around the world each year.
Don’t thaw those steaks before grilling…. If you thaw your steaks before throwing them on the grill, you’ve been doing it wrong. America’s Test Kitchen tested frozen steaks vs. thawed, and found cooking steaks frozen produced better taste, less moisture loss, and a more even cook.