Days after disclosing election โauditsโ in four Texas counties, secretary of stateโs office gives some details of their scope
The state agency last week announced a โfull forensic auditโ in Harris, Dallas, Tarrant and Collin counties. But based on details released Tuesday, it appears the scope of the effort may be more limited than what the term may suggest.
Houston tops Oregon State, reaches 1st Final Four since โ84
INDIANAPOLIS โ Houston overcame a blown 17-point lead to hold off Oregon State 67-61 on Monday night in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the Final Four for the first time in 37 years. Grimesโ 3 from near the top of the arc finally steadied the Cougars, and Houston knocked down enough free throws down the stretch while holding Oregon State without a basket during a critical 3 1/2 minutes. AdMarcus Sasser scored 20 points to lead Houston while Grimes added 18. Fittingly, it was DeJon Jarreau -- the American Athletic Conferenceโs defensive player of the year who led the effort that stymied Oregon State star Ethan Thompson -- who was named the most outstanding player of the Midwest Region. They held the Beavers to 35% shooting in the first half before Oregon State found some openings.
Oscars shortlist includes โCollective' and โMLK/FBI'
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Wednesday unveiled its shortlists for several categories, including documentary feature, international feature, original song, original score, visual effects and makeup and hairstyling. Titles as diverse as โTenetโ (for score and visual effects), โBorat Subsequent Moviefilmโ (for the original song โWuhan Fluโ), โEurovision Song Contestโ (for song) and โJingle Jangle: A Christmas Storyโ (for score, song and makeup) are in the initial mix. The Korean American film โMinari," which was controversially nominated for a foreign language Golden Globe, was not eligible in the same category for the Oscars. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross could find themselves double nominees, as both โSoulโ and โMankโ were shortlisted for original score. Winners will be announced at the 93rd Oscars on Sunday, April 25, which will be telecast live on ABC.
Biden, Harris named Time magazineโs โPerson of the Yearโ
(AP) โ Time magazine has named President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris its โPerson of the Year.โTime's editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal says Biden and Harris won the honor for โchanging the American story, for showing that the forces of empathy are greater than the furies of division, for sharing a vision of healing in a grieving world.โFelsenthal notes, โEvery elected President since FDR has at some point during his term been a Person of the Year, nearly a dozen of those in a presidential election year. This is the first time we have included a Vice President.โTime's other Person of the Year candidates were President Donald Trump; frontline health care workers and Dr. Anthony Fauci; and the movement for racial justice. Also Thursday, Time named the Korean boy band BTS its Entertainer of the Year and named Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James its Athlete of the Year.
Time magazine names BTS its Entertainer of the Year
NEW YORK โ BTS has had more than just a โDynamiteโ year โ theyโve become such a global phenomenon that Time magazine named the South Korean group its 2020 Entertainer of the Year. The magazine cited BTS' massive global presence amid the pandemic, including leveraging their massive fan base to support causes like Black Lives Matter. 1 hit โDynamite.โ The song in November brought BTS its first Grammy nomination. โThere are times when Iโm still taken aback by all the unimaginable things that are happening,โ BTS member Suga told Time for an interview that accompanied the announcement. Thatโs no small thing, but his true influence was what he did off of the court,โ said Goldberger.
Colorado student, scientist named Time's 'Kid of the Year'
LONE TREE, Colo. โ A 15-year-old Colorado high school student and young scientist who has used artificial intelligence and created apps to tackle contaminated drinking water, cyberbullying, opioid addiction and other social problems has been named Time Magazine's first-ever โKid of the Year." Rao told The Associated Press in a Zoom interview from her home Friday that the prize is "nothing that I could have ever imagined. Rao has partnered with rural schools; museums; science, technology, engineering and mathematics organizations; and other institutions to run innovation workshops for thousands of other students. Science and technology are being employed as never before to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, global warming and a host of other issues, she noted. โAnybody can do science.โTime was planning a Kid of the Year broadcast special at 7:30 p.m. EST (5:30 p.m. MST) on Nickelodeon.
All NFL teams to enter intensive COVID-19 protocol Saturday
The NFL is placing all teams in intensive protocol starting Saturday to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 as the number of cases rises around the country. โThese sustained reductions and the resulting health and safety benefits make it appropriate to implement the intensive protocols on a mandatory, league-wide basis,โ Goodell said in the memo. So far, 28 teams have entered intensive protocol at some point and 16 teams have done it more than once. "Recent experience has highlighted the importance of minimizing high-risk close contacts; on multiple occasions, we have seen individuals identified on that basis test positive within a short time. It feels like a lot when we talk to the clubs as a behavior change mechanism.โTeams not having been in the intensive protocols are the Jets, Buccaneers, Seahawks and Washington.
Academics, video game makers team up in rare collaboration
LONDON โ A study by Oxford University researchers on how playing video games affects mental health used data from video game makers, marking what the authors say is a rare collaboration between academics and the game industry. Lack of transparency from game makers has long been an issue for scientists hoping to better understand player behaviors. The video game industry has previously been reluctant to work with independent scientists, the paper noted. Such partnerships might be needed for future research on the booming video game industry. โThis is correlational data, and so we cannot estimate the causal effect of video games on well-being," said Hilgard.
Spoofing calls not just annoying, can be costly too
HOUSTON โ Ever got a call from a number that looks familiar, only to hear this when you pick up? โTo save you from costly repair bills our warranty specialists are standing by and will take just a few minutes to quote you the coverage and give you the peace of mind you deserve. Time is running out, so press one now to be transferred to the warranty specialist.โIf you have, youโve been spoofed. These calls are usually made by scammers or telemarketers, using local numbers because they figure youโre more inclined to pick up the line if the number is local. Monday night at 6, KPRC 2 viewers test three different anti-phone spoofing apps to find out which ones work best.
UN says Libyan sides sign countrywide cease-fire deal
The United Nations said Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, that the two sides in Libyan military talks had reached a "historic achievement" with a permanent cease-fire agreement across the war-torn North African country. (AP Photo/Manu Brabo, File)GENEVA โ The rival sides in Libyaโs conflict signed a permanent cease-fire Friday after years of fighting that has split the North African country in two. In another sign of progress, she said the key oil ports of Ras Lanuf and al-Sidr would soon resume production. To maintain the cease-fire, the two sides agreed to establish a โjoint police operations roomโ that will help secure areas following the withdrawal of armed groups. The rivals also agreed to form a โjoint limited military force" of personnel who report to the U.N.'s Joint Military Commission.
Asian shares, US futures gain after last Trump-Biden debate
Shares were mostly higher in Asia on Friday after President Donald Trump and his challenger former Vice President Joe Biden faced off in their second and final debate before the Nov. 3 election. โMeanwhile, discussion relevant to the post-election economic outlook was limited, particularly from President Trump." U.S. stock futures shifted from modest losses to less than 0.1% gains in the debate's aftermath. India's Sensex rose 0.3% and shares rose in Southeast Asia. Align Technology, which makes Invisalign teeth straighteners, surged 35% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after its earnings report blew past Wall Streetโs expectations.
New this week: Patty Smyth, 'The Right Stuff' and 'Time'
Hereโs a collection curated by The Associated Pressโ entertainment journalists of whatโs arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week. โ AP Film Writer Lindsey BahrMUSICโ Jay-Zโs Roc Nation entertainment company has curated an album focused on social justice to be released Friday. โ Itโs taken nearly three decades but Scandal rocker Patty Smyth is releasing her first album of original material on Friday. Fans of that show will find similar style, cars, clothes and alpha male energy in โThe Right Stuff,โ an eight-part series based on Tom Wolfe's book. The show, about demon-hunting brothers Dean and Sam Winchester (Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki), debuted the same year as YouTube.
11 Houstonians and Texans who made it on TIME Magazineโs 100 most influential people through the years
HOUSTON โ This yearโs list of TIMEโs 100 Most Influential People came out and features several of the most prominent Texans we know and love. Here is a list of Houstonians and Texans who made it in TIMEโs 100 Most Influential People in recent years. Take a look:See the full 2020 list here. FILE - In this Aug. 26, 2019 file photo, Megan Thee Stallion arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards in Newark, N.J.. J.J. Watt #99 of the Houston Texans during pregame warm ups before the Houston Texans play the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium on December 29, 2019 in Houston, Texas.