Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022
5G rollout, Ukraine, 1/6 subpoenas, tests & masks, Microsoft & Activision, two more Dem retirements, music charts and Gotham City, Missouri.
Good Wednesday morning. Here’s what is happening:
CNBC: AT&T and Verizon said Tuesday it would delay deployment of 5G service at towers near some airports after airlines warned it could cause flight cancellations.
The company’s statement came just hours after the Biden administration said it was in talks with telecom companies, government agencies and airlines about the dispute.
AT&T and Verizon are scheduled to begin the 5G rollout on Wednesday. AT&T and Verizon said they would temporarily delay deploying the 5G technology.
The 5G C-Band service sits next to frequencies used by key instruments on modern aircraft and the FAA had warned it could interfere with those systems, such as radio altimeters.
“At our sole discretion we have voluntarily agreed to temporarily defer turning on a limited number of towers around certain airport runways as we continue to work with the aviation industry and the FAA to provide further information about our 5G deployment, since they have not utilized the two years they’ve had to responsibly plan for this deployment,” AT&T said in a statement.
The company said it was “frustrated by the FAA’s inability to do what nearly 40 countries have done, which is to safely deploy 5G technology without disrupting aviation services, and we urge it do so in a timely manner. We are launching our advanced 5G services everywhere else as planned with the temporary exception of this limited number of towers.”
Verizon also said it would “voluntarily” limit the 5G network near airports. “The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and our nation’s airlines have not been able to fully resolve navigating 5G around airports, despite it being safe and fully operational in more than 40 other countries,” it said.
AT&T and Verizon didn’t say how many airports were affected and how long the delays would last.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg released a statement saying he recognized the economic importance of transitioning to 5G, “and we appreciate the wireless companies working with us to protect the flying public and the country’s supply chain.” He said U.S. airspace “leads the world in safety because of our high standards for aviation, and we will maintain this commitment as wireless companies deploy 5G.”
The agreement to postpone the debut near airports will reduce delays but the Transportation Department still expects some flight disruptions.
'Frustrated' AT&T delays 5G rollout near some airports after airlines warned of flight cancellationsCNN: Several international airlines are cancelling flights into the U.S. starting Wednesday amid uncertainty about 5G.
NBC News: The White House said Tuesday that Russia could launch an invasion of Ukraine at any moment.
"We believe we're now at a stage where Russia could at any point launch an attack on Ukraine. I would say that's more stark than we have been,” Psaki said during her daily press briefing.
On Friday, the administration revealed that it had information that the Russian government is planning a "false-flag" operation to rationalize an invasion of Ukraine. A government official said Russia had already positioned a group of operatives to conduct a false-flag operation in eastern Ukraine.
“No option is off the table, in our view,” Psaki said Tuesday. “We continue to consult closely with European counterparts on severe consequences for Russia if it further invades Ukraine.”
The Associated Press: Russia is a sending more troops from the country’s far east to Belarus for major war games.
.@PressSec: "Our view is this is an extremely dangerous situation. We're now at a stage where Russia could at any point launch an attack in Ukraine."The New York Times: Russia has moved staff out of its embassy in Ukraine, a possible clue to Putin’s next move.
USA Today: Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Ukraine and meet with the country's president Wednesday as tensions with Russia escalate.
A senior State Department official confirmed Blinken's sit-down with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, scheduled to take place in Geneva after the chief U.S. diplomat travels to Ukraine and Germany to rally American allies against Moscow's aggression.
Blinken’s trip comes after lower-level talks with Russian and European officials last week failed to produce a breakthrough. Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops on the border with Ukraine and threatened to escalate conflict with its neighbor unless the U.S. and its European allies make a series of security guarantees to Moscow.
Though the Biden administration still believes a diplomatic solution is possible, the administration is preparing for conflict, the senior official said.
On Wednesday, Blinken will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba “to reinforce the United States’ commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” according to State Department spokesperson Ned Price.
Blinken will meet with his German counterpart, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, in Berlin on Thursday. The secretary also will meet with members of the Transatlantic Quad, including Australia, India and Japan, the State Department said.
Blinken's meetings come after a week of intense negotiations between the U.S., NATO allies and Russia over the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as Russia's broader disagreements over the security structure of post-Cold War Europe.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded a withdrawal of NATO forces from all of Eastern Europe and a pledge to bar Ukraine from joining the military alliance.
American and NATO officials have rejected Putin's demands and called on Russia to withdraw its troops from the Ukraine border.
Fox News: The Texas synagogue hostage suspect was banned from a UK courthouse two decades ago over a 'threatening' 9/11 outburst.
The suspect, 44-year-old Malik Faisal Akram, was restricted from the Blackburn Magistrates' Court in September 2001 due to an outburst about the New York City attack, UK’s The Telegraph reported.
Just a day after Manhattan’s World Trade Center was struck by jihad pilots, Akram was accused of remarking to Lancashire court ushers, "you should have been on the f****** plane," Peter Wells, the deputy justice clerk, wrote in a letter detailing the Lancashire magistrates’ committee's decision to ban him.
"This caused a great deal of distress to an individual who was simply doing his job and should not be subjected to your foul abuse," Wells said, describing how Akram had been a regular "menace," hurling "threatening and abusive" language at staff for months "even when he isn’t due before the bench."
In order "to protect the health and safety of staff," Akram was told he could be held in contempt of court or face a fine if he entered the building "other than when due to appear in court to answer a summons or surrender to bail or to make a payment in respect of any outstanding financial penalty owed by you."
Saturday’s hours-long standoff at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas — about 15 miles northeast of Fort Worth — ended with the suspect dead and all hostages safe.
The Telegraph: The Texas synagogue terrorist was able to enter the U.S. from Britain despite a ‘series of red flags.’
Fox Business: The New York Attorney General is seeking testimony from former President Donald Trump and his children in legal action over the family organization’s financial dealings.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said late on Tuesday that former U.S. President Donald J. Trump's family organization used "fraudulent or misleading" asset valuations to obtain economic benefits, including loans, insurance coverage, and tax deductions.
James also took legal action to compel Trump and his adult children Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump to appear for sworn testimony as part of her office’s civil investigation into the Trump Organization's financial dealings.
"Thus far in our investigation, we have uncovered significant evidence that suggests Donald J. Trump and the Trump Organization falsely and fraudulently valued multiple assets and misrepresented those values to financial institutions for economic benefit," James said in a statement.
She later tweeted that "Donald Trump, Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump have all been closely involved in the transactions in question."
Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment outside business hours.
James' office said in a statement that since at least 2004, former president Trump and the Trump Organization have prepared an annual "Statement of Financial Condition of Donald J. Trump."
Since 2017, when Trump became president, these statements have been issued by the Trustees of the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, which is overseen by Trump Jr. and Allen Weisselberg, her office said.
These financial statements contain Trump's or the Trustees’ assertions of net worth and were submitted to counterparties, including financial institutions, in connection with Trump Organization business transactions, her office said.
"The Office of the Attorney General has determined that the Statements of Financial Condition described Trump’s (or the Trustees of the Revocable Trust’s) valuation process in broad terms and in ways which were often inaccurate or misleading when compared with the supporting data and documentation that the Trump Organization submitted to its accounting firm," the statement from James' office said.
The attorney general added that the statements, among other things, misstated objective facts, like the size of Trump’s Trump Tower penthouse, miscategorized assets outside Trump’s or the Trump Organization’s control as "cash," thereby overstating the former president's liquidity.
Her office also outlined examples about what her office termed misleading statements about the value of six Trump properties, including golf club in Scotland and Westchester, as well as the "Trump Brand."
The Associated Press: The January 6 committee has subpoenaed Rudy Giuliani and other members of former President Donald Trump’s legal team.
The committee is continuing to widen its scope into Trump’s orbit, this time demanding information and testimony from Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell and Boris Epshteyn. All four publicly pushed Trump’s baseless voter fraud claims in the months after the election.
“The four individuals we’ve subpoenaed today advanced unsupported theories about election fraud, pushed efforts to overturn the election results, or were in direct contact with the former President about attempts to stop the counting of electoral votes,” Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, Democratic chairman of the panel, said in a statement.
Epshteyn in a tweet called the committee illegitimate and its efforts part of a “witch hunt” against Trump and his supporters. The others who were subpoenaed did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Trump’s legal team sought to overturn the election results in the battleground states by filing lawsuits alleging widespread irregularities with ballots and claims by partisan poll watchers who said they couldn’t see everything going on, in part because of precautions taken as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 50 lawsuits were filed, mostly in battleground states.
The lawsuits were soundly batted down in the courts, sometimes within days of filing. But the legal challenges and the multiple press conferences held by Giuliani and others helped galvanize Trump supporters behind the idea that the election had been stolen, even though Trump’s own attorney general said there was no evidence of widespread fraud, and local officials said it had been the most secure election in history.
The committee said it is seeking records and deposition testimony from Giuliani, the 76-year-old former New York City mayor once celebrated for his leadership after 9/11, over his promotion of election fraud claims on behalf of Trump. The panel is also seeking information about Giuliani’s reported efforts to persuade state legislators to take steps to overturn the election results.
CNN: Eric Trump and Kimberly Guilfoyle's phone records were subpoenaed and obtained by the January 6 committee.
POLITICO: The January 6 committee is on the verge of obtaining several pages of Donald Trump’s White House records that the former president has tried to shield from congressional investigators.
Axios: Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is pushing ahead with filibuster changes even as a vote is likely to fail.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told the Democratic caucus Tuesday night he plans to propose instituting a one-time "talking" filibuster requirement, and bypassing the 60-vote threshold for major legislation, to pass the party's election reforms package via simple majority.
While Schumer acknowledged both votes are expected to fail — and some vulnerable Democrats up for re-election feel it will put them in a tough spot — he argued it's worth putting members on the record for historic legislation.
“Win, lose or draw, we’re gonna vote. Members of this chamber were elected to debate and vote,” Schumer said during a news conference that followed the caucus meeting.
"Once members of the minority party have exhausted all of their speaking rights and defended their position on the Senate floor, the debate will have run its course and the Senate will move to vote on final passage at a majority threshold."
"To anyone who says, 'Oh, well, you may not win, don't do it,' look at history," Schumer said, before quoting Martin Luther King Jr., whose 93rd birthday was marked Monday.
Senate Republicans are expected to block, for a fourth time, the Democrats' voting rights legislation.
Once that occurs, Schumer will put forward the one-time Senate rules changes.
The first would require a senator to maintain continuous speaking to filibuster a bill; the latter would allow for a simple 51-vote majority to pass a major bill.
Each is expected to fail because Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) oppose changing the 60-vote threshold — including one-time carveouts.
The Associated Press: Models show The United States could face an additional 50,000 to 300,000 COVID-19 deaths in the coming weeks from the omicron variant.
The seven-day rolling average for daily new COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. has been trending upward since mid-November, reaching nearly 1,700 on Jan. 17 — still below the peak of 3,300 in January 2021. COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents started rising slightly two weeks ago, although still at a rate 10 times less than last year before most residents were vaccinated.
Despite signs omicron causes milder disease on average, the unprecedented level of infection spreading through the country, with cases still soaring in many states, means many vulnerable people will become severely sick. If the higher end of projections comes to pass, that would push total U.S. deaths from COVID-19 over 1 million by early spring.
“A lot of people are still going to die because of how transmissible omicron has been,” said University of South Florida epidemiologist Jason Salemi. “It unfortunately is going to get worse before it gets better.”
But the notion that a generally less severe variant could still take the lives of thousands of people has been difficult for health experts to convey. The math of it — that a small percentage of a very high number of infections can yield a very high number of deaths — is difficult to visualize.
“Overall, you’re going to see more sick people even if you as an individual have a lower chance of being sick,” said Katriona Shea of Pennsylvania State University, who co-leads a team that pulls together several pandemic models and shares the combined projections with the White House.
The wave of deaths heading for the United States will crest in late January or early February, Shea said. In early February, weekly deaths could equal or exceed the delta peak, and possibly even surpass the previous U.S. peak in deaths last year.
CBS News: The federal government’s website to order free at-home COVID-19 tests has launched — a day early.
The White House announced last week that it would publicly launch the site covidtests.gov on Wednesday. However, some early visitors to the website Tuesday morning were already able to see a button to order their free tests — a limited rollout that appears to have been expanded to more visitors later Tuesday afternoon.
"It will officially launch tomorrow morning. It's in the beta testing phase right now," White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Tuesday.
Public interest in the site is already surging, leaving all other government websites far behind, according to data that tracks traffic to government sites. By early Tuesday afternoon, more than 500,000 users were visiting the test website.
The website is running at "limited capacity," a White House official said in a statement, as the government works to troubleshoot potential issues ahead of its formal launch Wednesday.
An announcement added to the page on Tuesday afternoon said the administration has "tests for every residential address in the U.S." and urged Americans to "check back tomorrow if you run into any unexpected issues."
Every household is eligible to order four rapid antigen COVID-19 tests for free, to be delivered by the Postal Service, which will begin shipping tests in late January.
CNBC: Some Americans were blocked from ordering free COVID-19 tests after the early launch.
POLITICO: The Biden administration will announce a plan Wednesday to distribute hundreds of millions of high quality masks.
The Hill: The Supreme Court Tuesday rejected a request to block the mask mandate for air travel.
The emergency application was filed by a father on behalf of himself and his 4-year-old autistic son, both of whom claim to be medically incapable of wearing masks for extended periods.
Their request was filed to Justice Neil Gorsuch, who handles emergency applications arising in several Western states, and he referred the matter to the full court. The justices denied the request without comment or noted dissent.
Under an executive order signed by President Biden, the Transportation Security Administration requires passengers on airplanes and other public transportation to wear masks to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 850,000 in the U.S.
Joining the father-son challengers was another man, Lucas Wall, who has sought to raise money and publicity from his legal efforts targeting the federal transportation mask mandate. Chief Justice John Roberts last month unilaterally rejected a separate challenge filed by the group.
Mediaite: ESPN host Stephen A. Smith told viewers he wasn’t sure he would ‘make it’ during his battle with COVID-19.
On Dec. 21, Smith announced to his audience that he tested positive for Covid and was experiencing mild symptoms, but he was well enough to host the full episode of First Take, including an epic rant on unvaccinated NBA superstar Kyrie Irving. Days later, Smith’s fight with Covid would take a scary turn.
“I had a 103-degree fever every night. Woke up with chills and a pool of sweat,” Smith described. “Headaches were massive. Coughing profusely. And it got to a point that right before New Year’s Eve, I was in the hospital New Year’s Eve into New Year’s Day. That’s how I brought in the New Year.”
“[Doctors] told me, had I not been vaccinated, I wouldn’t be here,” Smith said Monday, when he returned to his ESPN debate show for the first time since Dec. 21. Smith was double vaccinated against Covid, but not boosted.
“I had pneumonia in both lungs,” Smith continued. “My liver was bad. And it ravaged me to the point where even now I have monitor my volume, gotta get to the gym every day, walk before you run and work your way back because I’m still not 100 percent with my lungs, but I’m Covid negative. I’m on the road to recovery.”
“I can’t tell you how lucky and sincerely blessed I am to be sitting here with you guys today,” the ESPN star added. “Because two-and-a-half, three weeks ago, I didn’t know if I was gonna make it.”
WNBC-TV: An explosion and fire at a Bronx apartment building Tuesday injured several people and led to a partial building collapse.
CNET: Microsoft made its biggest purchase ever on Tuesday, announcing an agreement to take over video game giant Activision Blizzard, in a deal valued at $68.7 billion.
"Together with Activision Blizzard, we have an incredible opportunity to invest and innovate to create the best content, community and cloud for gamers," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a conference call with investors Tuesday.
Both companies pitched the deal, which is due to close sometime in the next 18 months, as an opportunity to grow their respective franchises in the highly competitive and lucrative video game industry. "This is not about short-term results," said Microsoft's gaming head Phil Spencer, on the call. "We've seen Activision Blizzard's product roadmap and are incredibly enthusiastic about what the teams are creating and the company's pipeline over many years to come."
With Activision Blizzard, Microsoft is hoping to position itself as one of the next major entertainment companies, despite Activision's reputation for a toxic work culture. Though Microsoft has long been associated with its Windows and Office productivity software, the company has steadily expanded its efforts to lead the video game industry with its Xbox brand. And it believes Activision represents a key investment in its gaming future.
Microsoft pitched its pending purchase of Activision, along with earlier acquisitions like Fallout- and Doom-maker Bethesda, as central to its effort to build itself into a Netflix-like company, investing heavily in content that convinces people to pay subscriptions. "As our platform becomes more attractive, the flywheel of content creators and players accelerates as the creative range on our platform continues to expand," Spencer said.
The company expects to use Activision games in different ways. Microsoft sees games like Activision's puzzler Candy Crush Saga as a way to help it expand into mobile gaming. Meanwhile, it can use titles like the hit action adventure games Diablo and Call of Duty and the fantasy shooting series Overwatch to bolster its $15 per month Game Pass Ultimate subscription service and cloud gaming efforts.
While the deal offers a significant opportunity for Microsoft, it comes at a time of intense scrutiny for Activision, which has been mired in scandal, facing accusations of discrimination against its female employees and of fomenting a "frat boy" workplace culture. Accusations heated up this summer when California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing sued the company over incidents including alleged discrimination and harassment. In September, the US Equal Employment Opportunity accused it of violating the civil rights of employees, subjecting them to sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination and retaliation. Activision Blizzard quickly settled with the EEOC for $18 million.
According to WSJ sources, Bobby Kotick is expected to leave once the Activision-Blizzard/Microsoft deal closes wsj.com/articles/micro…The Verge: Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service now has 25 million subscribers, up from the 18 million previously reported last year.
The Daily Beast: A former editor at The New York Post has filed a lawsuit alleging she was forced out after revealing she was sexually harassed by Col Allan, the paper’s previous boss.
Less than a week after exiting her role as digital editor-in-chief of the New York Post, Michelle Gotthelf has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the paper alleging her boss editor-in-chief pushed her out after she revealed she was sexually harassed by Col Allan, the paper’s previous longtime boss.
In the complaint, filed Tuesday by law firm Wigdor LLP, Gotthelf claimed that in the fall of 2015, Allan, then the Post’s editor-in-chief, sexually propositioned her during one dinner meeting and then retaliated against her for rejecting his advances.
“When the two were alone,” the complaint alleged, “Mr. Allan steered the conversation towards sex. He peppered Ms. Gotthelf with questions about her long-term boyfriend, how long they had been together (15 years) and whether they still slept together.” The lawsuit continued: “Mr. Allan then propositioned Ms. Gotthelf for sex, asking, ‘What about you?’ Ms. Gotthelf was stunned. But Mr. Allan persisted. ‘We should sleep together.’ Ms. Gotthelf rejected Mr. Allan’s unwelcome advances, stating, ‘That’s not going to happen.’ Mr. Allan nevertheless continued to pursue Ms. Gotthelf, stating that he slept with another female NY Post employee.”
Gotthelf recalled in the lawsuit how Allan allegedly “became even more abusive” after she rejected his come-on. “He refused to make eye contact” with Gotthelf, the suit claimed, “and often killed stories that she supported for no apparent reason.” In one incident, Gotthelf recalled how Allan “ripped up a list of stories that [she] had prepared and screamed at her to ‘get the fuck out.’”
In a “culmination of years of sex-based harassment and abuse,” Gotthelf said, Allan was later forced to resign in disgrace.
Allan was rehired by the Post in 2019. Though she was told he was only to come aboard as a “consultant” and she would not need to report to him, Gotthelf claimed that Allan became her “de facto supervisor” and would often give her directions.
The former Post digital editor went on to allege that the paper demoted her when it hired Keith Poole in early 2021 as the new top editor. After Poole was “briefed” by Allan over a period of weeks, Gotthelf claimed, the new editor-in-chief asked her about the allegations she had made.
According to Gotthelf, she finally revealed to Poole in November of last year that Allan had sexually propositioned her for sex. Two months later, the complaint noted, she was then fired by Poole. (The lawsuit stated that Gotthelf was fired by Poole on Wednesday, Jan. 12. Her termination was first reported last Thursday.)
The Daily Beast reviewed a memo sent from Poole to Post staff on Tuesday morning—the same day Gotthelf’s lawsuit was filed.
In the internal email, Poole matter-of-factly noted that Gotthelf “departed” the paper on Friday and that he wants to “take this opportunity to thank her for all she has done during her 20-plus-year tenure here.” He added: “I hope you will join me in wishing her the best for the future.”
There was no mention of Gotthelf’s news-making lawsuit in the memo.
WBEZ: Chicago Public Media will acquire the Chicago Sun-Times.
Two of Chicago’s best-known media brands are tying the knot as WBEZ’s board of directors voted Tuesday to acquire the Chicago Sun-Times.
The deal is expected to close Jan. 31, Chicago Public Media and the Chicago Sun-Times said in a joint statement.
The acquisition would create a new journalistic powerhouse, pairing the city’s award-winning, top-rated morning news station with the gritty tabloid made famous by its corruption-busting investigations, Roger Ebert’s movie reviews and Irv Kupcinet’s gossip column, and crisp sportswriting.
“This is an important step to grow and strengthen local journalism in Chicago,” said Matt Moog, CEO of Chicago Public Media in a statement. “A vibrant local news ecosystem is fundamental to a healthy democracy, informed citizens, and engaged communities. Together WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times aim to tell the stories that matter, serve more Chicagoans with our unbiased, fact-based journalism, and connect Chicagoans more deeply to each other and to their communities.”
Gothamist: Former New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio says he will not run for governor.
In a statement he posted on Twitter and filmed outside on his home block in Park Slope, Brooklyn, de Blasio pledged to continue to fight inequality before announcing he won’t run.
“No, I am not going to run for governor in New York State. But I am going to devote every fiber of my being to fight inequality in the state of New York,” he said.
In the 97-second video, he pointed to the launch of universal pre-kindergarten for the city’s 4-year-olds and the ongoing expansion of education for 3-year-olds, along with more affordable housing. He even made some jokes at his own expense.
“I made my fair share of mistakes. I was not good with groundhogs at all. Probably should not have gone to the gym,” said de Blasio, giving a nod to two episodes from his mayoralty that often evoked mockery and criticism. “But you know what? We changed things in this town.”
De Blasio broke the news on the same day the state's campaign finance filings are due to show fundraising figures for the race.
WJAR-TV: Longtime Democratic Rep. Jim Langevin of Rhode Island will not seek re-election in 2022.
Longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin of Rhode Island told NBC 10's Gene Valicenti on Tuesday that he will not seek re-election to Congress in 2022.
The congressman said it’s time to turn another chapter. He said he's not fearing a GOP turnover in the mid-terms or a re-election threat.
He said he's looking for a better "work-life balance" and will take some time to decide what comes next.
Accolades began to pour in for Langevin after his announcement.
"From his expertise on cybersecurity to championing CTE funding, and so much more— he has been a key voice for Rhode Islanders. Thank you for your service, Jim," Gov. Dan McKee said in a tweet.
Langevin, 57, was elected to the House of Representatives in 2000 and made cybersecurity the signature issue of his tenure.
KPIX-TV: California Rep. Jerry McNerney also announced Tuesday that he is not seeking-re-election in 2022.
East Bay Rep. Jerry McNerney announced Tuesday that he is not seeking-re-election in 2022, joining more than two dozen Democrats who plan to leave Congress after the midterm elections.
“I am honored that the citizens of California’s 9th Congressional District chose me as their representative in the past five elections, and that those in California’s previous 11th Congressional District gave me the privilege of representing them for three terms,” said McNerney, whose district covers parts of eastern Contra Costa County, along with San Joaquin and Sacramento counties.
In his retirement statement, McNerney noted his accomplishments in office including the creation of a veteran’s health center facility in San Joaquin County. He also noted with investments in infrastructure, public safety, broadband, education, childcare, and healthcare access.
The Hill: Beto O’Rourke has raised more than $7.2 million in his bid for Texas governor since launching his campaign six weeks ago.
He raised more than a quarter of that money — about $2 million — in the 24-hour period after announcing his plans to seek the Democratic nomination to take on Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in 2022. O’Rourke’s latest fundraising total spans the period from Nov. 15 to Dec. 31.
The 46-day fundraising haul is a record for a Democratic candidate in Texas. No Democratic campaign in the state’s history has raised so much in the opening days of a race, O’Rourke’s team said.
The money came from more than 115,600 contributions, the campaign said, and 80 percent of the total was raised from online donations.
“I’m grateful to everyone who helped us raise more than $7.2 million in the first weeks of our campaign,” O’Rourke said in a statement. “While Abbott is taking million-dollar checks from the CEOs who profited off of the grid collapse, we’re receiving support from people all over Texas who want to ensure that our state finally leads in great jobs, world class schools and the ability to see a doctor.”
NPR: The volcanic blast Saturday was likely one of the loudest events on Earth in more than a century with 500 times the power of a nuclear bomb.
"We come up with a number that's around 10 megatons of TNT equivalent," James Garvin, the chief scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, told NPR.
That means the explosive force was more than 500 times as powerful as the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, at the end of the World War II.
The blast was heard as far away as Alaska and was probably one of the loudest events to occur on Earth in over a century, according to Michael Poland, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey.
"This might be the loudest eruption since [the eruption of the Indonesian volcano] Krakatau in 1883," Poland says. That massive 19th-century eruption killed thousands and released so much ash that it cast much of the region into darkness.
In the case of this latest event, Garvin says that he believes the worst may be over — at least for now.
"If the past precedent for volcanic eruptions in this kind of setting has any meaning at all," he added, "then we won't have another one of these explosions for a while."
Axios: A new worldwide survey shows massive distrust in journalists, politicians and business leaders.
Trust in government is collapsing, especially in democracies, according to a new global survey.
People also don't think media or business leaders are telling them the truth, and this suspicion of multiple societal institutions is pushing people into smaller, more insular circles of trust.
Government leaders and journalists are considered the least trustworthy societal leaders, according to Edelman's new 2022 global "Trust Barometer," a survey of 35,000 respondents across 28 countries.
A majority of people globally believe journalists (67%), government leaders (66%) and business executives (63%) are "purposely trying to mislead people by saying things they know are false or gross exaggerations."
Around the world, people fear the media is becoming more sensational for commercial gain and that government leaders continue to exploit divisions for political gain.
Radar Online: SNL star Pete Davidson has hired extra security after Kanye West threatened to beat him up.
“Pete isn’t worried about Kanye, but he is concerned about the massive fanbase that Kanye has. His devoted followers listen to his songs and act upon them. That’s why Pete is now using security,” sources tell Radar.
“Until recently Pete never had security with him when he was out and about, even when he was engaged to Ariana Grande. But dating Kim (Kardashian) is a totally different level of fame. Pete is now a superstar, which comes with a price. As much as he still wants to be low-key and hang with his friends, the reality of his situation has changed.”
West, who has changed his name to “Ye,” recently rapped “God saved me from that crash/ just so I can beat Pete Davidson’s ass,” in his new song, My Life Was Never Eazy, a collaboration with rapper The Game.
“Pete isn’t taking any chances. Whenever he is out with Kim, they use her security. But now Pete needs his own security when he is out alone,” adds a pal. “He is still Pete, but now Pete comes with a 6’1, 220 lbs security guard.”
The decision to beef up security comes after Kanye threw a public temper tantrum over the weekend. Ye took to Instagram Live to accuse his soon-to-be ex-wife Kim of throwing a party for their daughter Chicago without inviting him. He claimed she withheld the address as he filmed himself driving around town searching for the location.
Mediabase/USA Today: Adele continues to lead airplay on Top 40 radio with ‘Easy on Me.’
The week’s other top hits include:
Country: Michael Ray - Whiskey and Rain
AAA: The Lumineers - Brightside
Alt Rock: Twenty One Pilots - The Outside
Hip Hop & R&B: Latto - Big Energy
AC: Adele - Easy on Me
The Mediabase charts, based on U.S. radio airplay, are published every Tuesday in the “Life” section of USA Today.
Spotify: The top hits on the streaming platform this week include “abcdefu” by GAYLE, “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals and “Stay” by The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber. See “Today’s Top Hits” on Spotify, updated each week. The top songs in their “Hot Country” playlist include “Want That Back” by Brett Eldridge, “She Likes It” by Russell Dickerson and Jake Scott and “Stop Draggin’ Your Boots” by Danielle Bradbury.
This day in history: In 2004, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry won the Iowa Democratic Caucus, The New York Times reported. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean gave us his legendary scream.
Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts won the Iowa caucuses here Monday, brushing aside the insurgent anti-war candidacy of Howard Dean by presenting himself as the strongest Democrat his party had to send up against President Bush next year.
Senator John Edwards of North Carolina came in second, catapulting him into the first tier of presidential contenders. In the process, Mr. Edwards and Mr. Kerry pushed Dr. Dean -- who just a week ago was confidently preparing for a victory celebration here -- into third place.
Representative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri finished fourth, a devastating showing that led him to end his second bid for the presidency. Mr. Gephardt's aides said that on Tuesday morning he was flying not to New Hampshire, where he had been scheduled to hold a Countdown to Victory Kickoff Rally in Manchester, but home to St. Louis.
It was a much happier night for Mr. Kerry, who only weeks ago was battling the perception among many of his own supporters that his campaign might not even make it to New Hampshire.
Dr. Dean conceded even as Iowans were voting, and when less than half the vote had been reported.
Apple released the ‘Apple Lisa’ personal computer on this day in 1983. History Channel calls it ‘Apple’s Forgotten Flop.’
In 2012, Kodak, the company known for photographic film, filed for bankruptcy, CNN reported.
Eastman Kodak, the once mighty icon of the photography industry, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Thursday.
Kodak's stock plunged 35% at the start of trading. The New York Stock Exchange suspended trading within a few minutes after the opening bell.
The company said it has obtained $950 million in financing from Citibank to maintain operations. The company said the credit facility is still subject to court approval.
Kodak said it has enough liquidity to continue operating during the bankruptcy process.
Kodak acknowledged, in its Chapter 11 filing, that it had more than 100,000 creditors, with debts totaling $6.75 billion.
Kodak company also said that it had assets of $5.1 billion, with properties in Rochester, N.Y., Windsor, Colo. and Weatherford, Okla.
Kodak has long struggled to evolve from film and compete in the digital age, even though it was an early pioneer of digital photography.
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Birthdays: Country music legend Dolly Parton is 76 and U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is 40.
One more thing. Gary Chambers, a U.S. Senate candidate in Louisiana, has released an ad that features him smoking marijuana.
OK, actually, two more things. From The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Why so serious? Missouri Highway Patrol on Tuesday evening sent an errant alert that said authorities were searching in Gotham City, Missouri, for a vehicle identical to the one used by the Joker in the 1989 movie 'Batman.'
