The Full Belmonte, 1/31/2023
President Biden to end COVID-19 emergencies on May 11
By ZEKE MILLER and AMANDA SEITZ
“WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden informed Congress on Monday that he will end the twin national emergencies for addressing COVID-19 on May 11, as most of the world has returned closer to normalcy nearly three years after they were first declared.
The move to end the national emergency and public health emergency declarations would formally restructure the federal coronavirus response to treat the virus as an endemic threat to public health that can be managed through agencies’ normal authorities.
It comes as lawmakers have already ended elements of the emergencies that kept millions of Americans insured during the pandemic. Combined with the drawdown of most federal COVID-19 relief money, it would also shift the development of vaccines and treatments away from the direct management of the federal government.
Biden’s announcement comes in a statement opposing resolutions being brought to the floor this week by House Republicans to bring the emergency to an immediate end. House Republicans are also gearing up to launch investigations on the federal government’s response to COVID-19….” Read more at AP News
Seventh Memphis police officer relieved of duty
“Authorities announced that a total of seven Memphis Police officers were relieved of duty this month after law enforcement brutally beat, Tased and pepper sprayed 29-year-old Tyre Nichols after pulling him over. Nichols died on Jan. 10, just three days after the traffic stop. The seven officers include the five who were fired and charged with murder.
The latest: The seventh officer’s identity has not been released, but the ‘actions and inactions’ of Officer Preston Hemphill, who was placed on leave, and another officer ‘have been and continue to be the subject of this investigation since its inception on January 8, 2023,’ said a news release from the police department.
•In the body camera footage that was taken from Hemphill's point of view, according to his defense attorney, officers can be heard yelling at Nichols to get out of his car before they are seen forcibly removing him from the car. Officers hold Nichols down and are hit by pepper spray that was deployed by another officer. The camera shakes as Nichols runs and an officer, identified as Hemphill, shoots at him with a Taser.
•After a brief chase, Hemphill, who is white, stops running after Nichols, turns back and can be heard saying, ‘I hope they stomp his ass.’ Hemphill has not been charged with a crime.
•The Memphis Fire Department has also fired three employees for failing to provide Nichols an ‘adequate patient assessment’ when they were called to provide medical aid after he was beaten by police officers.” [USA Today]
Protesters rally in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 27, 2023, after Memphis, Tenn., released police body camera footage of the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols.
Josh Morgan/USA TODAY
Growing attacks on reproductive health clinics
“The FBI is asking for the public's help in investigating a spate of unsolved attacks against reproductive health facilities nationwide after an Illinois man was charged Wednesday with setting fire to a Planned Parenthood clinic. Tyler W. Massengill, 32, of Chillicothe, just north of Peoria in central Illinois, was arrested Tuesday after being accused of ‘malicious use of fire and an explosive to damage, and attempt to damage’ the clinic, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement. From Portland to Amherst, New York, the FBI is investigating at least 10 attacks on reproductive health facilities nationwide in the past year. These attacks include vandalism and arson. Read more at USA Today
A front window is boarded up at the Planned Parenthood Health Center at 2709 Knoxville Avenue in Peoria, Ill., on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023.
Matt Dayhoff, AP
Canceled Southwest flights are displayed on screens at Dallas Love Field Airport on January 30.
Ice storms
“A winter weather system moving through the US today is creating dangerous travel conditions. More than 1,100 flights were canceled Monday, with a similar number of cancelations expected today. Widespread delays are also being reported. So far, the most affected airports are Dallas Love Field, Dallas-Fort Worth International, Austin Bergstrom International and Houston Bush International airports in Texas. The storm bringing the triple threat of ice, sleet and snow to the region has also prompted officials to close several roads and schools. About 38 million people from Texas and Oklahoma to Kentucky and West Virginia are under winter weather alerts as officials urge people to avoid any unnecessary journeys.” [CNN]
Classified documents
“The Justice Department told Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio Monday it would not provide most of the information he requested about the special counsel investigation into President Joe Biden’s handling of classified material until the probe is complete. Jordan, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, has demanded access to a host of documents related to the investigation. Among several reasons offered for its decision, the DOJ said it would uphold its longstanding practice of withholding information that could endanger or compromise ongoing investigations. In the Mar-a-Lago probe, meanwhile, two people who searched former President Donald Trump's properties for classified documents also testified before a federal grand jury last week, according to sources familiar with the matter -- but the extent of information they offered currently remains unclear.” [CNN]
Social media
“TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will appear at an upcoming hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, a committee spokesperson confirmed to CNN. He is expected to testify on TikTok's privacy and data security practices, its impact on young users and its ‘relationship to the Chinese Communist Party,’ according to a hearing announcement on the committee's website. ‘It is now time to continue the committee's efforts to hold Big Tech accountable by bringing TikTok before the committee to provide complete and honest answers for people,’ Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington said in a statement. The high-profile hearing comes as mounting evidence shows screens aren't great for kids. A new study published this week revealed that, even for infants, too much screen time can impact executive function development.” [CNN]
Man Who Drove Family Off Cliff Is Charged With Attempted Murder, Authorities Say
Dharmesh A. Patel, 41, intentionally crashed a Tesla carrying his wife and two children, the authorities said. He was charged on Monday with three counts of attempted murder, court records show.
Jan. 30, 2023
“A man who the authorities say deliberately drove his family off a cliff in Northern California this month was charged on Monday with three counts of attempted murder, court records show.
The man, Dharmesh A. Patel, 41, was arrested after the crash on suspicion of attempted murder and child abuse after his Tesla careened more than 250 feet off a treacherous cliff with him, his wife and two children inside, the authorities said.
Remarkably, all four survived with non-life-threatening injuries after emergency workers rescued them from the rubble. But as details emerged from witnesses and from evidence gathered at the crash site, the authorities said, it quickly became clear that the crash had been no accident: Mr. Patel, they said, had intentionally steered the car from the rocky bluff and would be taken to San Mateo County Jail after being released from the hospital.
Mr. Patel was to be arraigned on Monday on the attempted murder charges, a spokeswoman from the San Mateo County Court said. He is also accused of causing great bodily harm and committing domestic violence against his wife and 7-year-old daughter, state court records show….” Read more at New York Times
Manhattan Prosecutors Begin Presenting Trump Case to Grand Jury
The Manhattan district attorney’s decision represents a dramatic escalation of the inquiry, and potentially sets the case on a path toward criminal charges against the former president.
By William K. Rashbaum, Ben Protess, Jonah E. Bromwich and Hurubie Meko
Jan. 30, 2023
“The Manhattan district attorney’s office on Monday began presenting evidence to a grand jury about Donald J. Trump’s role in paying hush money to a porn star during his 2016 presidential campaign, laying the groundwork for potential criminal charges against the former president in the coming months, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
The grand jury was recently impaneled, and the beginning of witness testimony represents a clear signal that the district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, is nearing a decision about whether to charge Mr. Trump.
On Monday, one of the witnesses was seen with his lawyer entering the building in Lower Manhattan where the grand jury is sitting. The witness, David Pecker, is the former publisher of The National Enquirer, the tabloid that helped broker the deal with the porn star, Stormy Daniels.
As prosecutors prepare to reconstruct the events surrounding the payment for grand jurors, they have sought to interview several witnesses, including the tabloid’s former editor, Dylan Howard, and two employees at Mr. Trump’s company, the people said. Mr. Howard and the Trump Organization employees, Jeffrey McConney and Deborah Tarasoff, have not yet testified before the grand jury….” Read more at New York Times
IMF upgrades outlook for the global economy in 2023
By PAUL WISEMAN
A trishaw driver wades through a crowded street at the frozen Houhai Lake in Beijing, Monday, Jan. 30, 2023. The outlook for the global economy is growing slightly brighter as China eases its zero-COVID policies and the world shows surprising resilience in the face of high inflation, elevated interest rates and Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine.(AP Photo/Andy Wong)
“WASHINGTON (AP) — The outlook for the global economy is growing slightly brighter as China eases its zero-COVID policies and the world shows surprising resilience in the face of high inflation, elevated interest rates and Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
That’s the view of the International Monetary Fund, which now expects the world economy to grow 2.9% this year. That forecast is better than the 2.7% expansion for 2023 that the IMF predicted in October, though down from the estimated 3.4% growth in 2022.
The IMF, a 190-country lending organization, foresees inflation easing this year, a result of aggressive interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve and other major central banks. Those rate hikes are expected to slow the consumer demand that has driven prices higher. Globally, the IMF expects consumer inflation to fall from 8.8% last year to 6.6% in 2023 and 4.3% in 2024.
‘Global conditions have improved as inflation pressures started to abate,’ the IMF chief economist, Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, said at a news conference in Singapore. ‘The road back to a full recovery with sustainable growth, stable prices and progress for all has only started.’…” Read more at AP News
“Venezuelan NGOs fear the impact of new legislation. NGOs have warned that approval of a new piece of legislation will be a death knell for Venezuelan civil society. The bill, now on its second reading, would require NGOs to provide the government with all their financial records, so that their political agendas can be examined. Those NGOs determined to be involved in political activity would be banned. The leading human rights group Provea was already singled out while the bill was being proposed. Some believe the bill is being proposed now because protests against the government have been renewed in the face of hyperinflation.” [Foreign Policy]
“Blinken’s Middle East trip. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has begun a trip to Israel, the West Bank, and Egypt. Blinken’s visit comes after a violent week in the region. Last week, Israeli forces killed nine during a raid; though many were reportedly gunmen, one was a 61-year-old woman. On Friday, seven Israelis were shot and killed outside a synagogue in East Jerusalem.
Blinken, speaking at a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, said, ‘We’re urging all sides now to take urgent steps to restore calm, to de-escalate. We want to make sure that there’s an environment in which we can, I hope at some point, create conditions where we can start to restore a sense of security for Israelis and Palestinians alike, which of course is sorely lacking.’
Blinken also reiterated that the United States supports a two-state solution. But regardless of stated U.S. policy preferences, support for a two-state solution in the region is at a historic low, with two-thirds of Palestinians and 53 percent of Israeli Jews opposed. Blinken is set to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday.” [Foreign Policy]
“Tourist Bolsonaro? Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has applied for a six month tourist visa to stay in the United States. He originally traveled to the United States—specifically, to Florida—on an A-1 visa, for diplomats and heads of state, which expires after 30 days. His lawyer, Felipe Alexandre, said he w’ould like to take some time off.’ Bolsonaro, whose supporters stormed government buildings on Jan. 8, is under investigation in Brazil.” [Foreign Policy]
“Staking claim | China’s Coast Guard maintained near-daily patrols at key points across the disputed South China Sea last year, ramping up its presence as tensions over the waterway with Southeast Asian neighbors remain high. The moves show Beijing’s determination to assert its claim to more than 80% of the waters, raising the risk of a mishap that officials worry could lead to a larger conflict.
Beijing is closely watching Russia’s war in Ukraine and learning lessons that may influence future decisions, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Beijing told the Netherlands it wants to keep supply chains and trade open, a sign it’s trying to find room to maneuver amid a US push to cut China off from advanced chip technology.” [Bloomberg]
“Economic self-harm | The UK’s departure from the EU is costing its economy $124 billion annually, stifling everything from business investment to companies’ ability to hire workers, a Bloomberg Economics analysis shows. Life has got worse in most areas that voted strongly for Brexit. The International Monetary Fund predicts Britain now faces the bleakest two years of any major industrial nation.
The UK slipped down Transparency International’s global corruption ranking, with the watchdog describing public trust as ‘worryingly low’ after a string of scandals.
Britain is enduring the same type of mass strikes that have marked France’s political landscape for years.” [Bloomberg]
Food-price inflation is still soaring, with people in low and middle-income countries particularly hard-hit. The most recently available monthly data between September and December 2022 shows rates of increase above 5% in almost all economies around the globe, irrespective of their level of income.
“Pensions rage | French labor unions are leading a second day of mass strikes and protests against President Emmanuel Macron’s plans for raising the retirement age. High-speed trains, the Paris metro and many schools are facing disruptions, while opinion polls show swelling opposition to his proposed pension reform and growing numbers are ready to take part.” [Bloomberg]
“Violence spikes | Pakistan’s worst suicide bombing in over four years tore through a mosque in a high-security compound in the northwestern city of Peshawar killing at least 92 people and leaving dozens wounded, hospital and rescue workers said. There’s been a spike in violence since the Taliban seized power in neighboring Afghanistan, the latest headache for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.” [Bloomberg]
The site of the blast in Peshawar yesterday. Photographer: Abdul Majeed/Getty Images
January 31, 2023
By German Lopez
Good morning. Doctors are now a major barrier to Paxlovid.
Paxlovid being manufactured in Italy in 2021.Pfizer, via Reuters
Unnecessary deaths
“Covid is still linked to hundreds of deaths a day in the U.S. We have a treatment that could bring down those deaths: a prescribed pill called Paxlovid, which reduces the severity of a Covid infection, particularly among older and more vulnerable Americans.
Yet that treatment remains underused. Doctors prescribed it in about 45 percent of recorded Covid cases nationwide during the first two weeks of January, according to White House data. In some states, Paxlovid is given in less than 25 or even 20 percent of recorded cases. (Those are likely overestimates because cases are underreported.)
Why is Paxlovid still relatively untapped? Part of the answer lies in a lack of public awareness. Some Covid patients also may decide that they don’t need Paxlovid because they are already vaccinated, have had Covid before or are younger. (My colleagues explained why even mild cases often still warrant a dose of Paxlovid.) The political polarization of the virus plays a role, too: People in blue states are more likely to use Paxlovid than in red states.
Experts have increasingly pointed to another explanation for Paxlovid’s underuse: Doctors still resist prescribing it. Today’s newsletter will focus on that cause.
Physician resistance
Some doctors have concerns that are rooted in real issues with Paxlovid and inform their reluctance to prescribe it. But experts are unconvinced that those fears are enough to avoid prescribing Paxlovid altogether, especially to older and higher-risk patients.
‘What I’m doing for a living is weighing the benefits and the risks for everything,’ said Dr. Robert Wachter, the chair of the medicine department at the University of California, San Francisco. In deciding whether to prescribe Paxlovid, he said, the benefits significantly outweigh the risks.
Some of doctors’ doubts will sound familiar to regular readers of this newsletter. The medication is relatively new (in a field that typically takes years to adopt new treatments). They worry about side effects, including diarrhea, muscle pain and an altered sense of taste. They also point to ‘rebound’ Covid cases, which can cause symptoms to come back after subsiding, as happened to Dr. Anthony Fauci and President Biden after they took Paxlovid. (Although Covid symptoms can rebound without Paxlovid.)
Doctors also sometimes believe that a patient is not sick enough to prescribe Paxlovid. But the point of Paxlovid is to prevent Covid from getting severe. The medication works best when prescribed in the first few days after a patient shows symptoms, so a doctor does not have time to wait to see how bad an infection gets.
Another concern topped a recent survey of medical professionals by the health care website Medscape: potential interactions between Paxlovid and a long list of other drugs. Doctors might see that their patients are on one of those medications and choose not to prescribe Paxlovid.
That justification is especially concerning to experts because it is more likely to be used to deny Paxlovid to older patients and those with other health conditions, since they are more likely to be on multiple medications. But these two groups are also among the most vulnerable to Covid hospitalization and death.
To avoid harmful drug interactions, experts said, doctors can temporarily get a patient off a medication or provide an alternative during a course of Paxlovid — something they already often do with other treatments. ‘This is not some extraordinary thing that physicians don’t know how to do,’ said Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House Covid response coordinator.
Only two of the 100 most prescribed medications, rivaroxaban (typically prescribed for blood clots) and salmeterol (for lung disease), produce interactions so severe that Paxlovid should be avoided altogether, according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
Some doctors would also like to see more evidence for Paxlovid. The arc of Covid has changed since Paxlovid started rolling out by early 2022, with more widespread vaccinations and the emergence of new variants. Some physicians want data demonstrating which patients still benefit from the drug, said Dr. Lindsay Petty, an infectious disease doctor at the University of Michigan.
Wachter agreed that more data would be good, but argued that the existing studies show convincing evidence of Paxlovid’s benefit. ‘If you’re an impartial reader and sit down to look at the research and compare it to other research we used to decide people should take statins or have their blood pressure treated, Paxlovid feels like it’s in the same category,’ he said.
Breaking through
The White House and health organizations are working to get more physicians to prescribe Paxlovid. They have made some progress in increasing use and closing gaps based on race and class, Jha said.
But with Covid still tied to hundreds of deaths and thousands of hospitalizations a day, those advances are slower than anyone would like. As with vaccines and boosters, it’s hard to see what will get more Americans to embrace one of the most effective treatments we have for Covid.” [New York Times]
Boeing bids farewell to an icon, delivers last 747 jumbo jet
The final Boeing 747 lands at Paine Field following a test flight, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, in Everett, Wash. Boeing bids farewell to an icon on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023, when it delivers the jumbo jet to cargo carrier Atlas Air. Since it debuted in 1969, the 747 has served as a cargo plane, a commercial aircraft capable of carrying nearly 500 passengers, and the Air Force One presidential aircraft, but it has been rendered obsolete by more profitable and fuel-efficient models. (Jennifer Buchanan/The Seattle Times via AP)
“SEATTLE (AP) — Boeing bids farewell to an icon on Tuesday: It’s delivering its final 747 jumbo jet.
Since its first flight in 1969, the giant yet graceful 747 has served as a cargo plane, a commercial aircraft capable of carrying nearly 500 passengers, a transport for NASA’s space shuttles, and the Air Force One presidential aircraft. It revolutionized travel, connecting international cities that had never before had direct routes and helping democratize passenger flight.
But over about the past 15 years, Boeing and its European rival Airbus have introduced more profitable and fuel efficient wide-body planes, with only two engines to maintain instead of the 747′s four. The final plane is the 1,574th built by Boeing in the Puget Sound region of Washington state.
A big crowd of current and former Boeing workers is expected for the final send-off. The last one is being delivered to cargo carrier Atlas Air….” Read more at AP News
“More than half of workers in major US cities went to the office last week, the first time return-to-office rates crossed 50% of their pre-pandemic levels. An index of building occupancies in 10 major metro areas increased 0.9 percentage points to 50.4% in the week ended Jan. 25, according to security firm Kastle Systems. Is WFH on the way out?” [Bloomberg]
A worker heads into an office building in San Francisco’s financial district. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
“Twitter made its first interest payment on the $12.5 billion in debt Elon Musk used to take the social media giant private last year. The company paid a group of seven banks, led by Morgan Stanley, which were stuck with the debt after being unable to dump it.” [Bloomberg]
AI's ethics arms race
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
“Tech leaders are playing ‘build fast and ask questions later’ with ChatGPT and other generative AI programs, which are on course to change society profoundly, Axios tech managing editor Scott Rosenberg writes from the Bay Area.
Why it matters: Social media started 20 years ago with a similar rush to market. First came the excitement. Later, the damage and regrets.
While machine learning and related AI techniques hatched in labs over the last decade, scholars and critics sounded alarms about potential harms the technology could promote:
They pointed to misinformation, bias, hate speech and harassment, loss of privacy and fraud.
In response, companies made reassuring statements about their commitment to ethics reviews and bias screening.
High-profile missteps — like Microsoft Research's 2016 ‘Tay’ Twitterbot, which got easily prompted to repeat offensive and racist statements — made tech giants reluctant to push their most advanced AI pilots out into the world.
What's happening: Smaller companies and startups have much less at risk, financially and reputationally.
That explains why it was OpenAI — a relatively small maverick entrant in the field — rather than Google or Meta that kicked off the current generative-AI frenzy with the release of ChatGPT late last year.
The intrigue: Both Meta and Google have announced multiple generative-AI research projects.
Many observers believe they've developed tools internally that meet or exceed ChatGPT's abilities — but haven't unveiled them for fear of offense or liability.” [Axios]
Charted: Highest-paid CEOs
Data: S&P Global Market Intelligence. (Total adjusted compensation: cash-equivalent compensation, stock awards, option awards + non-equity incentive plan compensation.) Chart: Axios Visuals
“Only one woman was among the top 20 highest-paid CEOs in the S&P 500 in 2021, Axios' Emily Peck writes from an analysis by S&P Global Intelligence released yesterday.
Why it matters: Women and girls have advanced in so many ways in recent years. But the top of the corporate food chain remains stubbornly male.
This year, 37 women chief executives are leading S&P 500 firms. That's up slightly from 2021.” [Axios]
SPORTS NEWS FROM THE ATHLETIC
“San Francisco’s quarterback: Brock Purdy completely tore his U.C.L. in the 49ers’ loss Sunday, setting up a tense off-season for the team.
Luka Dončić scores 53: The Mavericks superstar logged his fourth 50-point game of the season last night in Dallas’ win over the Pistons.
Doctor accused of misconduct: Multiple hockey players in the Detroit suburbs have accused Dr. Zvi Levran of sexual abuse, and prosecutors have charged him with 27 counts of criminal sexual misconduct.” [New York Times]
Trump Courses Will Host Three Tournaments for Saudi-Backed LIV Golf
As the league announced more details of a 14-stop second season, former President Donald J. Trump’s courses remained central to the schedule, deepening his ties to Riyadh.
By Alan Blinder
Jan. 30, 2023
“Former President Donald J. Trump’s golf courses will host three tournaments this year for the breakaway league that Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund is underwriting, deepening the financial ties between a candidate for the White House and top officials in Riyadh.
LIV Golf, which in the past year has cast men’s professional golf into turmoil as it lured players away from the PGA Tour, said on Monday that it would travel to Trump courses in Florida, New Jersey and Virginia during this year’s 14-stop season. Neither the league nor the Trump Organization announced the terms of their arrangement, but the schedule shows the Saudi-backed start-up will remain allied with, and beneficial to, one of its foremost defenders and political patrons as he seeks a return to power.
Part of LIV’s scheduling approach, executives say, hinges on the relative scarcity of elite courses that can challenge players such as Phil Mickelson and Cameron Smith — and the abundance of them in a Trump portfolio that is more accessible than many others to the new circuit. In a court filing last week, LIV Golf complained anew that the PGA Tour had warned ‘golfers, other tours, vendors, broadcasters, sponsors and virtually any other third parties’ against doing business with the rebel league.
But Trump, whose courses hosted two LIV Golf events in 2022, has expressed no public misgivings about his company’s ties to the league, which has drawn attention to Saudi Arabia’s human rights abuses and prompted accusations that the country was turning to sports to repair its reputation. A confidential McKinsey & Company analysis presented to Saudi officials in 2021 suggested there were significant obstacles to success and underscored the limited financial potential for one of the world’s largest wealth funds….” Read more at New York Times
Monkeys missing from Dallas Zoo in fourth suspicious incident
Image caption, Police believe two emperor tamarin monkeys - shown here in a file photo - were taken
By Imogen James
BBC News
“Two monkeys have allegedly been taken from Dallas Zoo - adding to a series of suspicious events including the release of a leopard and a vulture's death.
Police were alerted on Monday when keepers found the emperor tamarin monkeys missing.
Zoo staff believe they were taken because this breed would typically stay close to home - and the monkeys were not located in zoo grounds.
The zoo also said the enclosure had been ‘intentionally compromised’.
Police said they believed someone had cut an opening in the habitat and taken the two primates.
A string of suspicious incidents began at the zoo earlier this month when a young clouded leopard escaped from its exhibit through a cut-out hole. It was later found safely.
Workers also found deliberate cuts on an enclosure housing langur monkeys - though none got out.
Last week, an endangered vulture was found dead in its enclosure with an ‘unusual wound’. The bird was one of only 6,500 on the planet and its death was deemed ‘very suspicious’.
Zoo staff said losing the 35-year-old lappet-faced vulture called Pin was devastating, adding he would be ‘missed dearly by everyone’.
No arrests have been made in any of the investigations, and Dallas police have refused to say if the incidents are linked.
Since the unusual occurrences began, the zoo has added extra cameras and increased its security patrols at night.
Ed Hansen, chief executive of the American Association of Zoo Keepers, said it appeared that someone ‘really has an issue with the Dallas Zoo’, but that the zoo had an "excellent" reputation in the industry.
Emperor tamarin monkeys are distinctive for their long white whiskers that resemble moustaches. It is believed they were named after Germany's last emperor, Wilhelm II, who also had a moustache.
The zoo sits on 106 acres (43 hectares), housing more than 2,000 animals, and is the oldest and largest zoo in Texas.
It made headlines in 2004 when a 300lb (136kg) gorilla escaped from its enclosure, injuring four people before being shot to death.” [BBC]
“Bobby Hull, the scoring dynamo of the 1960s who won a Stanley Cup with the National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks before causing a stir by defecting for a big contract in the upstart World Hockey Association, has died. He was 84.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
‘Laverne & Shirley’ actor Cindy Williams dies at 75
By ANDREW DALTON
“LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cindy Williams, who was among the most recognizable stars in America in the 1970s and 1980s for her role as Shirley opposite Penny Marshall’s Laverne on the beloved sitcom “Laverne & Shirley,” has died, her family said Monday.
Williams died in Los Angeles at age 75 on Wednesday after a brief illness, her children, Zak and Emily Hudson, said in a statement released through family spokeswoman Liza Cranis.
‘The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed,’ the statement said. ‘Knowing and loving her has been our joy and privilege. She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous and possessed a brilliant sense of humor and a glittering spirit that everyone loved.’
Williams worked with some of Hollywood’s most elite directors in a film career that preceded her full-time move to television, appearing in George Cukor’s 1972 “Travels With My Aunt,” George Lucas’ 1973 “American Graffiti” and Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Conversation” from 1974.
But she was by far best known for “Laverne & Shirley,” the “Happy Days” spinoff that ran on ABC from 1976 to 1983 that in its prime was among the most popular shows on TV.
Williams played the straitlaced Shirley Feeney to Marshall’s more libertine Laverne DeFazio on the show about a pair of blue-collar roommates who toiled on the assembly line of a Milwaukee brewery in the 1950s and 1960s.
‘They were beloved characters,’ Williams told The Associated Press in 2002.
DeFazio was quick-tempered and defensive; Feeney was naive and trusting. The actors drew upon their own lives for plot inspiration.
‘We’d make up a list at the start of each season of what talents we had,’ Marshall told the AP in 2002. ‘Cindy could touch her tongue to her nose and we used it in the show. I did tap dance.’
Marshall, left and Williams at the Emmy Awards in 1979. (AP Photo/George Brich)
Williams told The Associated Press in 2013 that she and Marshall had ‘very different personalities’ but tales of the two clashing during the making of the show were ‘a bit overblown.’
The series was the rare network hit about working-class characters, with its self-empowering opening song: ‘Give us any chance, we’ll take it, read us any rule, we’ll break it.’
That opening would become as popular as the show itself. Williams’ and Marshall’s chant of ‘schlemiel, schlimazel’ as they skipped along together became a cultural phenomenon and oft-invoked piece of nostalgia….” Read more at AP News
Cindy Williams (left) and Penny Marshall on "Laverne And Shirley," circa 1980. Photo: Paramount Television/Fotos International/Getty Images
Peeps daddy
Bob Born. Photo: Just Born via AP
“Bob Born, a candy executive known as the ‘Father of Peeps’ for mechanizing the process to make marshmallow chicks, died at 98, AP reports.
Peeps, Mike and Ike, and Hot Tamales are made by Just Born Quality Confections, the 100-year-old, family-owned company Born led for much of his life.
Bob's father, Sam Born, was a Russian immigrant who started Just Born, now based in Bethlehem, Pa.
In 1953, Just Born acquired Rodda Candy Co., a jelly bean maker that had a side business producing shaped marshmallow candies by hand. At the time, it took about 27 hours to make the marshmallows.
Bob Born and an engineer at the company designed and built a machine to make them in less than six minutes.
The company's current machines, which are still based on Bob Born's design, now pump out 5.5 million Peeps per day — 2 billion a year.” [Axios]