TexasTowelie
TexasTowelie's JournalSan Diego's Truvian enters COVID-19 testing game with low-cost kit that delivers results in 10 mins.
San Diego start-up Truvian Sciences has received federal emergency approval for a blood test that detects COVID-19 antibodies in as little as 10 minutes.
Called Easy Check, the portable test will be sold by Truvian to health professionals for about $15 and has an accuracy rate in excess of 98 percent, according to the company. The test is available immediately.
“It’s a test cassette that reminds you a little bit of a pregnancy test,” said Jeff Hawkins, Truvian’s president and chief executive. “It’s in a single-use package. You add a drop of blood, a drop of buffer from an eye-dropper bottle that is in the kit, and 10 minutes later you get a read-out.”
The company, which is developing a compact blood testing machine that aims to deliver results faster, with less blood and at a lower cost than current systems., has agreements with U.S.-based manufacturers to produce up to 500,000 Easy Check COVID-19 kits per day if necessary, said Hawkins.
Read more: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/technology/story/2020-07-29/san-diegos-truvian-enters-covid-19-testing-game-with-low-cost-kit-that-delivers-results-in-10-minutes
Hopefully Truvian will be able to ramp up production so that more test kits are available for use by other people besides health professionals and that the cost of the tests will also decrease due to the economy of scale.
Disposable masks raise same concern as other disposables: litter
A disposable mask may just keep the coronavirus from marching its way through more Waco residents, but once that mask has done its duty, it can pose the same threat other poorly handled disposable items pose.
Waco’s mix of litter seems to have some newly prominent parts, with the wider use of masks, in addition to gloves and disinfecting wipes.
“Unfortunately, I have heard some reports the amount of litter and trash associated with masks, gloves and wipes has increased,” Waco Recycling Services Program Coordinator Anna Dunbar said by email.
The solution to controlling litter associated with items intended to combat COVID-19 stacks up about the same as the solution to controlling litter in general.
Read more: https://wacotrib.com/news/local/disposable-masks-raise-same-concern-as-other-disposables-litter/article_47a97e54-0735-5a2b-b431-31371a21b52d.html
From my observations, this article appears to be correct. Almost every time that I leave home I see masks on the roads and in parking lots. Why can't people dispose their trash properly?
Mexico Owes The United States Billions Of Gallons Of Water. And It's Not The First Time.
A 1944 international treaty requires Mexico to deliver a certain amount of water to the United States in five-year cycles. The current cycle ends in a few months and Mexico is behind by billions of gallons of water. So this month, the International Boundary and Water Commission wrote a letter urging Mexico to rush the delivery.
The U.S. secretary for the commission, Sally Spener, told Texas Standard’s Joy Díaz that Mexico has been delivering water over the past five years, but they are running out of time.
“Really, it’s not appropriate to wait,” Spener said. “Mexico needs to be more proactive in taking action right now.”
The two countries share access to the Rio Grande and, based on this almost 80-year-old agreement, the United States is entitled to a portion of the water arriving in the river from Mexican tributaries.
Read more: https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/mexico-owes-the-united-states-billions-of-gallons-of-water-and-its-not-the-first-time/
Jury will not indict Dallas sergeant accused of tampering in Guyger shooting
DALLAS — A Texas grand jury will not indict the president of a police association accused of tampering with evidence in the case of a white Dallas police officer who fatally shot her unarmed Black neighbor in his apartment two years ago.
Former Dallas Police Officer Amber Guyger is serving a 10-year sentence for the murder of Botham Jean in his apartment in September 2018. Guyger, 31, said she returned from work after a long shift and mistook Jean's apartment for her own, which was directly below his. Finding the door ajar, she entered and shot him, thinking the 26-year-old was a burglar.
Guyger called 911 to report the shooting, was taken into custody and placed in a squad car. Dashcam footage shows Dallas Police Association President Michael Mata walk to the car and tell Guyger not to talk to anyone. Mata also asks a sergeant to turn off the car's camera.
On Tuesday, a Dallas County grand jury declined to indict Mata over the alleged evidence tampering, his attorney told TV station WFAA. "Their decision not to indict just confirms what we have known since September of 2018 — Mike Mata did nothing wrong," attorney Robert Rogers said in a statement. He added that "protecting the constitutional rights of police officers" is part of Mata's job and that the association president's actions were "consistent with" Dallas Police Department policy.
Read more: https://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/texas/story/2020/jul/30/jury-will-not-indict-dallas-sergeant-accused-tampering-guyger-shooting/835927/
Arkansas to fund statue of Black woman civil rights leader
LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas officials plan to use a state grant to help fund the construction of a statue of civil rights leader Daisy Bates in the U.S. Capitol, instead of using that money for an easement at the site of a Confederate statue in downtown Little Rock.
Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. and Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson are working on the agreement that would redirect money from a $100,000 grant the city obtained from the Department of Arkansas Heritage. The money was initially meant to restore the building that now houses the MacArthur Museum of Military History, which is where a Confederate soldier statue was located under a state easement, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported Wednesday.
"Governor Hutchinson and I worked on a very amicable agreement that we will continue to work on," Scott said while updating city directors of the negotiations at a policy meeting Tuesday evening. "This is ... very notable and thoughtful from Governor Hutchinson to transition those dollars to the Daisy Bates statue that will be built in our nation's Capitol."
Scott last month ordered the statue to be removed from a downtown park in Little Rock amid protests against racism and police brutality in the city and across the nation that were catalyzed by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who was handcuffed, died after a white officer pressed his knee into Floyd's neck for nearly eight minutes
Read more: https://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/arkansas/story/2020/jul/30/arkansas-fund-statue-black-woman-civil-rights-leader/836021/
Chiefs QB Mahomes II becomes part-owner of MLB's Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals have a new part-owner, and it’s a face that’s quite familiar to the city and Texas Tech fans.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes II was announced Tuesday as a member of the team’s ownership group, the Royals said in a news release.
“I’m honored to become a part owner of the Kansas City Royals,” the 24-year-old Mahomes said Tuesday in the release. “I love this city and the people of this great town. This opportunity allows me to deepen my roots in this community, which is something I’m excited to do.”
Mahomes, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, signed a 10-year contract extension at the beginning of July worth up to $503 million with $477 million in guarantee mechanisms that give the two-time All-Pro outs if not exercised.
Read more: https://www.lubbockonline.com/sports/20200728/chiefs-qb-mahomes-ii-becomes-part-owner-of-mlbs-kansas-city-royals
Suspended Arkansas professor indicted on fraud counts
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A suspended University of Arkansas professor has been indicted on multiple wire and passport fraud counts.
The 44-count indictment returned Tuesday in Fayetteville, Arkansas, accuses Simon Saw-Teong Ang of failing to disclose close ties to the Chinese government and Chinese companies when he obtained federal grants.
The university suspended the 63-year-old electrical engineering professor and removed him as director of the university's High Density Electronics Center after his May 8 arrest by federal agents. Ang is free on a $200,000 bond. A message to his attorney was not immediately answered.
At the time of his arrest, federal authorities said Ang failed to disclose his ties on an application for a NASA grant. Such materially false representations to NASA and to the university led to numerous wire messages that facilitated a scheme to defraud, according to a federal complaint. At the time, a university spokeswoman said the school suspended Ang and is cooperating with federal investigators.
Read more: https://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/arkansas/story/2020/jul/30/suspended-arkansas-professor-indicted-fraud-counts/836023/
UT Austin Asks Students To Self-Quarantine Before They Get To Campus In August
UT Austin is asking students to self-quarantine for 14 days before they arrive on campus this fall.
The request is the latest effort in the university’s attempts to prevent COVID-19 infections in the UT community. Since March, 456 people on campus – including students, faculty and staff – have tested positive for the coronavirus. UT topped a New York Times survey published Wednesday of American universities with the most reported cases of COVID-19.
The semester is set to begin Aug. 26. UT says students should stay home and limit interactions with others as much as possible before arriving. Those who can’t quarantine at home for whatever reason are being told to quarantine for up to 14 days when they get to Austin before going to their first activity on campus.
“We know that everyone’s situation is different; please make self-quarantine plans in a manner that makes sense to you,” interim UT President Jay Hartzell wrote in an update Wednesday.
Read more: https://www.kut.org/post/ut-austin-asks-students-self-quarantine-they-get-campus-august
Texas man admits to wire fraud scheme of more than $1.8 million
A 41-year-old San Antonio man pleaded guilty to wire fraud that resulted in the loss of more than $1.8 million.
Robert Morales Munguia Jr. is accused of submitting false work order to his company to receive gifts and payments from outside vendors, according to a U.S. Attorney news release.
From February 2015 to April 12, 2018, Munguia worked as an environmental specialist. He is accused of conspiring with outside contractors to bill 68 false work orders.
"He also admitted he knew the work would never be completed," the release reads.
Read more: https://www.caller.com/story/news/crime/2020/07/28/texas-man-admits-wire-fraud-scheme-more-than-1-8-million/5531014002/
(Corpus Christi Caller-Times)
Texas reports more than 300 new coronavirus deaths, a record high; over 400,000 infected
COUNTY | NUMBER OF CASES | CASES PER 1,000 PEOPLE | DEATHS
Harris 67,660 14.70 1,182
Dallas 48,028 18.57 610
Bexar 31,804 16.51 521
Tarrant 26,315 13.03 351
Travis 19,952 16.58 214
Hidalgo 16,088 18.94 302
El Paso 13,807 16.48 232
Cameron 8,777 20.81 294
Nueces 8,559 23.74 82
Galveston 8,367 25.58 92
SEE ALL COUNTIES (250)
Statewide 403,307 14.05 6,190
The full article is at https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2020/texas-coronavirus-cases-map/?_ga=2.172542762.868447744.1596091436-1208550980.1596091436
Only four counties have not reported any COVID-19 cases. The positive news is that there has a decline in hospitalizations so maybe the governor's mandate on wearing masks at business is helping. However, when I went to the HEB in Bryan on Wednesday I saw three people not wearing a mask and four people that weren't wearing a mask properly.
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Gender: MaleHometown: South Texas. most of my life I lived in Austin and Dallas
Home country: United States
Current location: Bryan, Texas
Member since: Sun Aug 14, 2011, 03:57 AM
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