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☆ A Historian Makes History in Texas
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Annette Gordon-Reed | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The author (left) talks with a student at the dedication ceremony for Annette Gordon-Reed Elementary School, October 2022. After a period of firm resistance, I gave in last year and allowed my hometown school district to name a new elementary school after me. As a first-grader in 1964, I was the first Black child to enroll in a white school in Conroe, Texas, north of Houston. I had developed this belief long before the current battles over buildings named for controversial figures and monuments to such people. As those situations make clear, death—even long ago—provides no real protection for individuals once thought to have been worthy of public honors.

☆ Security Gets Blended With Corporate Networks in New Cloud Platforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Belle Lin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

As everything moves to the cloud, a new generation of cybersecurity platforms has emerged, combining corporate networks with security tools such as malware protection into a single system that tech leaders can manage centrally. Older technology can be upgraded to lay the groundwork for implementing a new platform, Mr. Franch said, but it needs to happen without disrupting the existing corporate network. PREVIEWAt Carriage Services, Mr. Franch wants to undertake a network modernization similar to one he oversaw as chief technology officer of commercial real-estate services company Cushman & Wakefield. Modernization tends to reduce complexity and increase visibility of what’s on the network, which can benefit security, according to Mr. Franch. Goya Foods Inc. CIO Suvajit Basu said the Jersey City, N.J.-based company uses cybersecurity services from about seven vendors and a total of about 12 cybersecurity tools, many purchased and implemented over time.

☆ Fatal Tesla Crash in 2021 Is Tied to Excessive Speed
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Rebecca Elliott | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Tesla’s two occupants died in the crash nearly two years ago. Federal safety officials said excessive speed and the driver’s failure to control the car likely caused the fatal crash of a Tesla Inc. vehicle in Texas nearly two years ago. The National Transportation Safety Board said in a report released Wednesday that evidence indicated that the driver of a Tesla Model S hadn’t engaged any of Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance features before crashing north of Houston in April 2021. The car’s two occupants died.

☆ U.S. East Coast Port Workers Begin Early Contract Talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Paul Berger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

The International Longshoremen’s Association, which represents East Coast and Gulf Coast dockworkers, in September asked its locals to open talks with regional employer groups, said James McNamara, an ILA spokesman. A spokesman for the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents carriers and terminal operators on the West Coast, declined to comment. The Port of Houston and Georgia’s Port of Savannah have also benefited from freight diversions away from the West Coast. The West Coast labor talks have significant hurdles to overcome once the two sides resolve their regional disagreements, according to shipping industry officials. Shipping industry officials say the talks covering Gulf Coast and East Coast ports face fewer stumbling blocks.

☆ TikTok star Randy Gonzalez of Enkyboys dies at 35
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Gina Vivinetto | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of my father , Randy Gonzalez. The statement went on to thank fans for their “kind words and condolences,” and added that a public memorial for Randy Gonzalez would take place at a later date in Houston. Celebrities commented to share their condolences with the Gonzalez family. In April 2020, Randy Gonzalez announced in a video that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer six months earlier. Lopez paid tribute to Randy Gonzalez Jan. 26 on Instagram, writing, “My sincerest condolences to Brice and the entire Gonzalez family.

The tornado struck Pasadena, southeast of Houston, seriously damaging homes and other buildings and knocking out power to thousands in the city and its surrounding areas. More than a dozen other tornado sightings were reported as the storm moved across the Gulf Coast, although they have yet to be confirmed by the National Weather Service. The spate of reported tornadoes adds to changes that experts have been observing in recent years — specifically, that where and when tornadoes occur has begun to shift. Historically, tornadoes were most likely to strike within a column of the central U.S. that was nicknamed “Tornado Alley.” The area includes parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. In areas with tightly packed cities, lots of trees and less open space, for example, a tornado can cause more catastrophic damage.

☆ Reported tornado causes damage east of Houston
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Strong winds damaged commercial buildings, homes and power lines in nearby Pasadena, a city southeast of Houston. Utility poles and power lines were downed, and several vehicles, including a trailer, were damaged or flipped over in a parking lot. A home is damaged in Pasadena, Texas, where a tornado was reported to have passed Tuesday. In Baytown, there were downed power lines and damage to homes and businesses, but no reports of serious injuries, said Baytown spokesperson Jason Calder. People cross under downed power lines where a tornado was reported on Jan. 24, 2023, in Pasadena, Texas.

☆ Amazon's drone delivery unit hit with layoffs just as 10-year-old project finally launches
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Annie Palmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Two employees said Carbon, who replaced Prime Air co-founder Gur Kimchi, was hired to turn Prime Air into a real business with a sensible budget. Sources with knowledge of Prime Air said cuts in the drone delivery business were expected considering the division's many struggles. Monica Williams, a College Station resident, poses with a Prime Air drone at a community event in July. College Station residents also expressed concern about the prospect of drones harming the deer, foxes and birds that are native to the area. "As we continue to expand, we will update you when drone delivery is available for your household."

☆ The biggest universities in Texas are blocking students from accessing TikTok on campus WiFi
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin have blocked TikTok from campus WiFi. Texas A&M University — thought to be the state's biggest university with close to 70,000 students — is blocking TikTok from its IT network under a directive by Governor Greg Abbott, local news outlets reported on Tuesday. Lamar University and the University of Texas at Dallas told students that TikTok would continue to work at its residence halls. Even then, access would only be granted on devices connected to cellular services, not to the university's WiFi or wired network. Do you study or work at a US university that has banned the use of TikTok on campus WiFi?

Bills to block the app on state devices in California, Massachusetts, New York and Vermont have also been proposed. University of IdahoSchool’s policy: TikTok must be removed from university equipment "regardless of funding source," according to the school's help page. South Dakota University SystemSchool’s policy: The South Dakota Board of Regents, which governs six universities including Black Hills State University, University of South Dakota, Northern State University, Dakota State University, South Dakota State University and South Dakota Mines, told employees they could not use, download or access TikTok on university devices. University of Texas — AustinSchool’s policy: On Dec. 16, university officials announced that TikTok would be banned on state-issued devices. Texas Tech UniversitySchool’s policy: University employees are prohibited from using TikTok on school-issued devices and official university TikTok accounts must be deactivated.

☆ Philadelphia woman jailed for nearly a week after being wrongfully arrested in mistaken identity case
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Chantal Da Silva | Chantal Da Silva Is A Breaking News Editor For Nbc News Digital Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Following her arrest, Hudson's family contacted law enforcement in both Texas and Philadelphia in a bid to clear her name. The Harris County District Attorney's Office in Texas said that after learning about what happened it dismissed the case "within five minutes," citing insufficient evidence. “We accept charges based on the sworn evidence presented to us by law enforcement,” a spokesperson for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office wrote in a statement to NBC Philadelphia. In a statement Thursday, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner apologized for Hudson's ordeal. “The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office became aware of Julie Hudson’s predicament last evening, thanks in part to media reports out of Houston and in Philly,” Krasner wrote.

☆ Texas executes former officer who hired hitmen to kill his wife
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

HUNTSVILLE, Texas — A former suburban Houston police officer was executed Tuesday for hiring two people to kill his estranged wife nearly 30 years ago amid a contentious divorce and custody battle. Prosecutors say Robert Fratta organized the murder-for-hire plot in which a middleman, Joseph Prystash, hired the shooter, Howard Guidry. The execution was carried out after Texas’ top criminal appeals court overturned the injunction and the state’s supreme court rejected an appeal. Mauzy’s order conflicted with last week’s edict from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals that barred her from issuing any orders in the lawsuit that would halt any execution. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles last week unanimously declined to commute Fratta’s death sentence to a lesser penalty or to grant a 60-day reprieve.

☆ Texas taqueria customer fatally shoots masked robber and returns money to patrons, police say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

An armed masked robber who stormed a Texas taqueria demanding money was stopped by a patron who brandished his own gun, fatally shot the suspect, and handed the cash back to shaken diners, police said. Houston police are seeking to speak with that patron who foiled the robbery on Thursday. Texas police want to speak to the man who fatally shot a masked robbery suspect at the Houston taqueria. Houston Police DepartmentWitnesses told officers that the suspect had barged into the restaurant and pointed a pistol at diners demanding their money. The patron then collected the stolen money from the suspect, and returned it to the other diners, police said.

☆ Texas man who met woman on Bumble kidnapped and tortured her for 5 days, authorities say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Antonio Planas | Antonio Planas Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A Texas man who met a woman on the dating app Bumble, kidnapped, beat and tortured her for five days after she denied his sexual advances, authorities said. Court records also show prosecutors requested $100,000 bond while his defense asked for $20,000 bond. The two had begun a romantic relationship after meeting on the dating app, according to a probable cause statement. At Mills' apartment, he promptly attempted to have sex with the woman who denied his advances, court records said. “He immediately began to physically assault her and would not let her leave the residence,” the probable cause statement said.

Here are four climate and environment lawsuits that are likely to make headlines in 2023. The oil companies in the nation's high court are hoping to upend a series of circuit court decisions saying the cases belong in state courts where they were filed. If the court takes the appeal and rules for the oil companies, then the cases would be moved to federal court, the preferred venue for the industry defendants. (Bellwether trials are chosen as test cases and are used to work through common legal and factual issues.) "I think it will be a huge year for this issue," Conroy said of 2023.

☆ Houston ranks as top city in Power City Indexes as Occidental rises 116% in '22
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHouston ranks as top city in Power City Indexes as Occidental rises 116% in '22Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (D) joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss his thoughts on the city of Houston, long-term impacts from the energy transition there and more.

☆ New York prepares for possible flooding from snowmelt while the West girds for heavy rain and snow
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Kathryn-Prociv.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Kathy Hochul on Wednesday directed state agencies to prepare to respond to flooding caused by the snowmelt. And the Buffalo Airport — where nearly 52 inches of snow fell during the storm, according to the weather service — reopened Wednesday. Moderate to heavy snow could also fall across northern Nevada by Friday night, the agency said. On New Year’s Eve, heavy rain will fall in the Southeast up to the Ohio Valley during the day and the mid-Atlantic into the Northeast during the evening, while the West will face a flood risk and continued heavy mountain snow. On New Year's Day, lingering rain showers are expected in New England, above-average temperatures are set for the South and rain and snow are expected in the Southwest.

Several Latinos whose lives and work left a profound imprint on American institutions — from arts and entertainment to legal and civil rights — passed away in 2022. Cavazos began his education in a two-room schoolhouse on the King Ranch in Texas, where his father was a foreman. President Reagan named Cavazos Secretary of Education in 1988, making him the first Hispanic ever to serve in the U.S. Together, “Luis” and Maria” showed young audiences that Latinos were people who worked, fell in love and were part of their community. Her goals were to give Latinos a presence in the dance world, and to instill pride in Hispanic culture.

☆ 'Never flying Southwest again': Stranded and frustrated customers scramble to find flights and alternative travel
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Antonio Planas | Antonio Planas Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Most Southwest Airlines flights aren't going anywhere, but frustration levels for scores of travelers across the country are soaring. In the post-Christmas rush and severe winter storm chaos, the Dallas-based airline canceled nearly two-thirds of its flights Tuesday and said that the disruptions likely won't be over for several days. More than 3,500 flights scheduled to leave Wednesday have already been canceled, with Southwest constituting about 70% of those cancellations, according to FlightAware. He said he couldn't find another seat on a Southwest flight to Dallas until Monday. But unlike some Southwest customers, she has loved ones she can lean on for accommodations.

A jury found rapper Tory Lanez guilty Friday of all charges in the 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion outside a Los Angeles party. Tory Lanez, Megan Thee Stallion. APIn a statement following the verdict, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón commended Megan Thee Stallion for her "bravery." Alex Spiro, an attorney for Megan Thee Stallion, said in a statement, "The jury got it right. In her testimony, Megan Thee Stallion said Lanez offered her $1 million to keep quiet about the shooting.

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody” suffers from thin dialogue and predictability — dull trappings intrinsic to biopics. Naomi Ackie as Whitney Houston in "I Wanna Dance with Somebody." To wit: Whitney Houston was a Black woman — ate Black, slept Black, lived Black, cried Black, walked Black and died Black. The most peculiar aspect of this criticism is the fact that nearly all American music is Black music. While Houston has mostly elided criticism that she wasn’t Black enough or didn’t make Black music, the spirit of this indictment lives on today.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)A jury found rapper Tory Lanez guilty Friday of all charges in the 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion outside a Los Angeles party. In a statement following the verdict, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón commended Megan Thee Stallion for her "bravery." Alex Spiro, an attorney for Megan Thee Stallion, said in a statement, "The jury got it right. In her testimony, Megan Thee Stallion said Lanez offered her $1 million to keep quiet about the shooting. She said that Lanez had ordered the women to exit the SUV, and Megan Thee Stallion was walking away when the first shots were fired.

☆ Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss, high-functioning depression and why ‘checking in’ isn’t enough
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Randi-Richardson-Byline-Jm.Jpg | Randi Richardson | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

High-functioning depression is a colloquial term and not a technical clinical diagnosis, explains Rheeda Walker, Ph.D., psychologist and leading researcher on suicide in the Black community. Persistent depressive disorder is another official diagnosis that, for some patients, may include high-functioning depression, Walker says. But she also stresses that because high-functioning depression is not a technical diagnosis, she’s hesitant to say they’re the same. But a 2021 study indicates the Black suicide rate is likely higher than documented because the manner of death is often misclassified. If you’re concerned about a loved one attempting suicide, Walker notes that anxiety is “as strong a predictor” as depression.

Fans of Megan Thee Stallion are trying to shift the public’s attention away from what they believe to be a misogynistic narrative around the current trial against Tory Lanez, who is accused of shooting the rapper in the foot. Digital alchemy is the practice of Black women and women of color using the internet to combat and counter misogynoir. “Especially for Black women, violence against women in our community is very common.”She noticed that online a lot of fans are calling out people who are highlighting Pete’s sexual history. “People have called it the Meg and Tory trial when she’s not on trial for anything,” Lindsey, who is author of “America Goddam: Violence, Black Women, and The Struggle for Justice,” said. “When people talk about Megan Thee Stallion getting shot, all the headlines are Megan Thee Stallion is on trial and I’m not on trial!”Hernandez said supporters recognize that slut shaming is being used to discredit Pete and paint her as an imperfect victim.

But when she finally spoke to Omogun-Broadnax a couple days later about being the face of her sports agency centered on Black female college athletes, McLean said she felt an immediate connection. “It’s really important for Black athletes to have that kind of representation because it provides another sense of protection. The pair of 33-year-old attorneys, who served as clerks in the same circuit court in Maryland, talked for years about creating an agency that could advance the careers of Black female athletes. “Black female athletes are some of the most talented human beings on this planet,” Omogun-Broadnax said. Solace’s focus on Black female athletes gives the agency a rare niche.

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