‘Yellowstone’ actor shares new details after Houston flight mask controversy
Earlier this week, Forrie J. Smith made headlines after he said he was removed from a flight about to take off from Houston, for asking to move away from a passenger wearing a mask. Now, he’s giving a few more details about what happened.
‘I think it’s a bit tragic:’ Cy-Fair ISD anticipates $38 million budget loss for 2024-2025 school year
Cy-Fair ISD’s chief financial officer announced they’re preparing to see a $38 million deficit for the upcoming school year. Karen Smith, during a board meeting, said the reason for the loss is due to end of the ‘Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund’ (ESSER) a COVID-era federal dollars and lack of additional state funding.
United Memorial Medical Center to pay $2M for alleged false claims violations, double-billing for COVID tests
United Memorial Medical Center has agreed to pay $2 million and to make additional contingent payments to resolve alleged False Claims Act violations, the United States Department of Justice announced Wednesday.
Ex-UK leader Boris Johnson rejects notion he wanted to let COVID-19 'rip' through the population
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in sometimes angry testimony to Britain’s inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic, on Thursday defended himself against suggestions that his indifference and failure to heed the advice of scientists led to thousands of unnecessary deaths.
“People aren’t thinking about us”: How new ban on COVID-19 vaccine mandates impacts medically-vulnerable Texans
The ban applies to all private businesses, including health care facilities like hospitals, which can jeopardize the health of those with compromised immune systems or other underlying conditions.
Ban on COVID vaccine mandates by private businesses, including health care facilities, passes Texas Senate
The bill offers no exceptions for doctors’ offices, clinics or other health facilities. Senators agreed to let those entities require unvaccinated employees to wear personal protective gear or take other “reasonable” measures to manage the spread.
Leader of $20M COVID-19 relief fraud ring sentenced to 15 years
A Houston man who was the head of a multimillion-dollar COVID-19 relief fraud ring and six of his co-conspirators were sentenced for fraudulently obtaining more than $20 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans that the Small Business Administration guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the United States Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
China won't require COVID-19 tests for incoming travelers in a milestone in its reopening
China will no longer require a negative COVID-19 test result for incoming travelers, a milestone in its reopening to the rest of the world after an isolation that began with the country's borders closing in 2020.
Justice Department announces charges against hundreds of alleged COVID-19 fraudsters
Hundreds of people have been charged with the theft of more than $830 million in COVID-19 emergency aid following a nationwide operation conducted by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, the U.S. Justice Department announced Wednesday.
White Linen Night returns to Houston Heights this summer. Here’s what you need to know
With more than 20,000 people expected to attend, White Linen Night is known as a vibrant community event that started in 2006 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina by the New Orleans community that moved to Texas and missed their original event.
Court rules Austria can't be held liable for early COVID infection at ski resort
An Austrian federal court says the state can’t be held liable for a COVID-19 infection from an outbreak at an Alpine ski resort as the coronavirus pandemic hit Europe The Supreme Court of Justice on Thursday announced its verdict in a long-running legal battle involving a German resident who traveled to Ischgl in March 2020 and visited several apres-ski venues before returning home six days later.
Report: Florida officials cut key data from vaccine study
An analysis that was the basis of a highly criticized recommendation from Florida’s surgeon general cautioning young men against getting the COVID-19 vaccine omitted information that showed catching the virus could increase the risk of a cardiac-related death much more than getting the shot.
Sexual attacks against teen girls increased at school, online and at home during lockdown
The recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that found an unprecedented wave of grief and sadness among teenage girls uncovered a stunning statistic: In 2021, nearly 20 percent said they had been victims of violent sexual behavior. More than one in 10 had been raped, they said.
Seoul lifts visa limits on short-term travelers from China
South Korea says it will remove the entry restrictions it placed on short-term travelers from China since the start of the year as officials see the COVID-19 situation in that country as stabilizing South Korea in early January stopped issuing most short-term visas at its consulates in China, citing concerns about a virus surge and the potential for new mutations.
57-year-old Houston man found guilty to fraudulently seeking $35M in PPP loans
A federal jury convicted a man on Wednesday for his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain and launder millions of dollars in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.