January 29, 2019

Trio of earthquakes hit near Eagle Ford town of Three Rivers

The U.S. Geological Geological Survey has confirmed that a trio of earthquakes was recorded near the Eagle Ford Shale town of Three Rivers, including one whose epicenter was inside a state park.

The first earthquake, a 2.6-magnitude tremor, hit in a rural area near Interstate 37 and FM 2040 at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

A 2.7-magnitude earthquake hit another rural area just north of Interstate 37 and State Highway 72 at 10:53 p.m. Friday.

The epicenter of a third earthquake, registered directly below a cove at the North Shore Unit of Choke Canyon State Park at 9:48 p.m. Saturday.

Read more: https://m.chron.com/business/energy/article/Trio-of-earthquakes-hit-near-Eagle-Ford-town-of-13567906.php

Blame the fracking.

January 29, 2019

Joe Biden says he's almost ready to decide on 2020 presidential run

Joe Biden didn’t answer the big question about 2020 Monday night, but he whetted supporters’ appetites, leaving many hungry for a presidential candidacy.

The former vice president, who sounded as if he’d relish a chance to change the nation’s course, said a decision would come soon.

“I’m running the traps on this. I don’t want to make this a fool’s errand, and we’re a lot closer than I was before Christmas, and we’ll make the decision soon,” he told an audience of about 2,000 at the Broward Center for Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, prompting a round of applause.

Kelley Shanley, president and CEO of the Broward Center, hosting the 90-minute conversation with Biden, posed the 2020 question from a card submitted by Sandy Stoller, of Boynton Beach: “Vice President Biden, will you please run for president?”

Read more: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-ne-joe-biden-presidential-questions-broward-20190128-story.html

January 29, 2019

Florida senator files bill that would outlaw abortions 20 weeks into pregnancy

On Monday, in an attempted rebuff of the New York legislation allowing abortions beyond 24 weeks if a mother's health is at risk, state Sen. Joe Gruters filed a bill that would ban the procedure after 20 weeks in Florida.

The bill – the "Florida Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act" – would scale back current Florida law, which allows for abortions to be performed until roughly 24 weeks into term. The legislation mimics Gruters' first bill filed to the state House two years ago, which ultimately failed.

"The science is now very clear that unborn children over 20 weeks in the womb can feel pain as any other human can," Gruters, R-Sarasota, told the website Florida Politics, without citing any scientific study.

Gruters added: "That's why fetal anesthesia is routinely administered when surgery is performed on unborn children, and why stopping such cruel, ruthless procedures as poisoning and dismemberment on a human that feels pain and recoils from it is morally necessary."

Read moe: https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2019/01/28/florida-senator-files-bill-that-would-outlaw-abortions-20-weeks-into-pregnancy

January 29, 2019

Arkansas bill would tap revenue, levy new tax for state's highways

LITTLE ROCK—An Arkansas lawmaker on Monday proposed tapping into tax revenue from car sales and imposing a new tax on motor fuels to raise money for the state's highways, a proposal that quickly drew opposition from the state's Republican governor and Democrats.

Republican Rep. Dan Douglas said he hoped the bill he filed would start the conversation on highway funding, which legislative leaders and Gov. Asa Hutchinson have called a priority for this year's session. No funding plan had emerged as lawmakers entered the third week of this year's session.

"Here's the thing: If we don't do something, we're just going to let our highways continue to deteriorate and fall apart and then wait until the bill comes due," Douglas said. "We have to do something."

Douglas' proposal calls for gradually diverting up to $120 million a year in tax revenue from car sales to highways over a four-year period.

Read more: http://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/arkansas/story/2019/jan/29/arkansas-bill-would-tap-revenue-levy-new-tax-states-highways/763214/

January 29, 2019

Legislative proposal would change winner-take-all method of electoral vote allocation in presidentia

Legislative proposal would change winner-take-all method of electoral vote allocation in presidential elections


Florida’s 29 electoral votes are crucial in winning the presidency. Now a state Democrat is proposing to change the current system from winner-take-all to one based on winning congressional districts.

Boca Raton Democratic state Sen. Kevin Rader has filed legislation that would change how the state’s electoral votes in presidential elections are allocated. In today’s system the candidate who wins the state’s popular vote wins all 29 electoral votes – one of the highest in the nation and a key political prize.

Under Rader’s proposal, Florida’s popular vote wouldn’t be the determining factor. Instead, the candidate who takes the most votes in each of the state’s 27 individual congressional districts would be the winner. Two “at-large” electors would also be designated that would go to whoever wins the popular vote.

Hillary Clinton won the national popular vote in 2016, but lost in the national electoral college to Donald Trump. He was the second Republican to win the electoral college but lose the popular vote in the past five presidential elections.

Read more: https://www.floridaphoenix.com/blog/legislative-proposal-would-change-winner-take-all-method-of-electoral-vote-allocation-in-presidential-elections/

January 29, 2019

Former mayor requests back pay, offers suit

If the former mayor of a small Southwest Arkansas town doesn't collect 17 months of alleged back pay by Thursday she will to sue the city, documents show.

Renee Ikegulu-Harris, former mayor of Bradley, Ark., intends to file a lawsuit to collect $10,200, according to City Council documents and a letter of intent.

Renee Ikegulu-Harris intends to file a lawsuit against the city to collect $10,200 in back pay, according to council documents and a letter of intent.

"I don't think anyone would want to work for free 'unless you're a nonprofit organization but in this case it's a paid elected position and it should be rightly so returned," Ikegulu-Harris said.

Read more: http://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/arkansas/story/2019/jan/28/former-mayor-requests-back-pay-offers-suit/763086/

January 29, 2019

Denmark builds barrier to keep out German swine in hopes of stopping spread of disease

Denmark has won praise from Sen. Bernie Sanders and other left-wing politicians for its socialist policies. Its latest project, however, seems like it could have come straight from the playbook of President Donald Trump.

Fearing the spread of African swine fever, the country began erecting its own southern wall Monday.

The 43-mile-long steel-mat fence will stand 5 feet tall and extend across the Danish-German border. The project, aimed at eradicating wild boar from the Danish countryside, is scheduled to be completed within the year.

Though there have not been any reported cases of African swine fever in Germany, the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain observed an increase in reports from Western Europe last fall, confirming two cases in the Belgian province of Luxembourg.

Read more: https://www.wacotrib.com/news/trending/denmark-builds-barrier-to-keep-out-german-swine-in-hopes/article_0f721e6d-6fe3-539b-b90a-ad2947e0ef96.html

January 29, 2019

Reagor, Dykes say it's too soon for a judgment in civil case with Ford Motor Credit Co.

LUBBOCK -- Counsel for Rick Dykes and Bart Reagor filed a motion Friday to defer a summary judgment in the civil case between Ford Motor Credit Co. and the principals of Reagor-Dykes Auto Group.

The motion suggests that six months into the case, there are still too many unanswered questions for a fair ruling.

Earlier this month, Ford Credit filed a motion in district court for summary judgment - meaning the case would not go through a full trial - citing enough evidence of fraud for a ruling in the creditor’s favor.

The Dykes and Reagor motion states the defendants need proper time for discovery, and that the case is far from over. The court had previously set a Sept. 2019 deadline for summary judgment, and a Jan. 2020 discovery deadline.

The motion questions the relationship between former Reagor-Dykes Chief Financial Officer Shane Smith and Ford Credit Regional Manager Gary Byrd Jr. The two had previously worked together at Ford Credit. The document states the defending counsels plan to obtain personal and professional communications between Smith and Byrd, along with depositions from Smith, Byrd and other Ford Credit employees.

Read more: https://www.lubbockonline.com/news/20190128/reagor-dykes-say-its-too-soon-for-judgment-in-civil-case

January 29, 2019

Coastal Bend College governance gets scathing review from state auditor

BEEVILLE -- Coastal Bend College has "the weakest governance processes" that the director of internal audit and compliance has seen in his 30-year career, Mark Poehl reported to a state committee during a meeting Tuesday.

Members of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's Committee on Agency Operations agreed that the ongoing investigation is of such high priority that they voted to eliminate nine projects from the 2019 work plan for Poehl to continue.

Since the investigation launched six months ago, Coastal Bend College has refunded $260,287 in state grant money after Poehl found proof of mismanagement.

He also found that unlike other institutions, the college did not have a faculty-centered process to administer 275 grade changes that impacted 124 students in 2017, some of which remain unaddressed and unresolved by the college to this day, he said.

Read more: https://www.caller.com/story/news/education/2019/01/23/state-committee-discuss-investigation-into-coastal-bend-college-texas-higher-education-coordinating/2651551002/

January 29, 2019

Texas gay couple shares experience after being attacked in hate crime

A Texas gay couple is warning others to stay alert after they were allegedly attacked in Austin.

One of the men, Tristan Perry who identifies himself from Corpus Christi, took to Facebook to share his traumatic experience.

On Jan. 19, the post states Perry and his boyfriend Spencer were walking to a vehicle after having drinks with friends when a man used a slur and punched Perry in the face, breaking his nose.

When Perry fell to the ground, the man continued to kick him in the back of the head until he was unconscious, the post reads.

"I never thought this would happen to me, and it shouldn’t be happening to anyone in ANY community," Tristan's post reads. "I am writing this to everyone to please remember to always be aware of your surroundings and no matter what stay strong. I don’t want something like this to happen to anyone, but there are people out there so full of hate and ignorance and it disgusts me. PLEASE stay safe and never walk at night alone."

Read more: https://www.caller.com/story/news/local/2019/01/28/texas-gay-couple-opens-up-attack-austin-corpus-christi/2700476002/
(Note: Graphic photos that show the violence these men suffered are at the link)