February 24, 2020

Former Texas tennis coach Michael Center sentenced to six months in college admissions scandal

Former Texas men’s tennis coach Michael Center was sentenced to six months in prison Monday for accepting $100,000 in 2015 to help the son of a Silicon Valley venture capitalist get into the school by falsely designating him as a skilled athlete worthy of a scholarship to play for Center’s nationally ranked program.

Center, 55, received the sentence in a federal courtroom in Boston from U.S. Judge Richard Stearns, in whose court Center pleaded guilty last April to a single count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

Center is the 15th person and the second coach to be sentenced in the 2019 nationwide college admissions scandal. He was the first person to be sentenced by Stearns, who according to a USA Today reporter who was in the courtroom on Monday, said Center’s actions “impugn the entire integrity in something that this country is so proud of — and that’s the education system in this country.”

Center sobbed when Stearns announced the sentence, according to the reporter, who tweeted that Center’s attorney, John Cunha, had stressed to the judge that the criminal act was inconsistent with Center’s character.

Read more: https://www.hookem.com/story/former-texas-tennis-coach-michael-center-sentenced-six-months-college-admissions-scandal/

February 24, 2020

Sheldon Silver appeal bid fails

New York -- Former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver lost his bid Friday to get a federal appeals court to reconsider its decision to uphold part of his corruption conviction.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a brief order closed the door on a request to have a three-judge panel that decided his appeal or the full 2nd Circuit reconsider the case.

A 2nd Circuit panel in Manhattan recently upheld his conviction but ordered a resentencing after reversing his conviction on some charges.

A lawyer for the 76-year-old Silver declined comment, though it is likely that attorneys will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the case.

Read more: https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Sheldon-Silver-appeal-bid-fails-15075504.php

February 24, 2020

Cuomo: Feds can have DMV database, but not social security numbers

Gov. Andrew Cuomo offered the Trump administration a new compromise Friday, saying New York would be willing to reinstate access for the federal government to the state’s DMV database — but would not hand over the social security numbers of its residents.

It was the first time the offer was made publicly, though Cuomo said later Friday that he’d already done so weeks ago through private negotiations with the federal government.

Cuomo, later Friday, went a step further and said he was considering stripping the state’s DMV database of social security numbers altogether. That would shield undocumented immigrants from being identified by the federal government if the database was made available through other means, Cuomo said.

“In addition, as many national, state and local law enforcement agencies currently have access to our DMV database and the potential for surreptitious access to the database is very real, I am exploring alternatives to minimize the harm caused by unauthorized use of our database such as removal of social security numbers – which could be used to evidence undocumented status – and increasing the penalty for unauthorized use of the DMV database,” Cuomo said.

Read more: https://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/289397/cuomo-feds-can-have-dmv-database-but-not-social-security-numbers/

February 24, 2020

In Lake Placid, a miracle from 40 years ago still inspires

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (AP) — The woman had been waiting for her opportunity for more than an hour, which was no big deal because, technically, she had been waiting 40 years. She went to the Lake Placid Center for the Arts on a frigid night earlier this week with a folder containing a stack of perfectly preserved photographs and news clippings.

And finally, she was going to get Buzz Schneider — who scored the first U.S. goal of the hockey game that would become forever known as the Miracle on Ice — to sign them. He obliged, happily signing everything the overjoyed woman needed.

“Personally, I can’t believe it’s resonated this long,” Schneider said.

Oh, but it has.

Feb. 22, 1980. USA 4, USSR 3. Saturday marks exactly four decades since perhaps the greatest sports result in the history of this country, perhaps the greatest upset in the history of sports anywhere. A bunch of kids beat the best hockey team in the world — at the height of the Cold War, David vs. Goliath, Us vs. Them, a moment when the nation’s collective mood seemed as cold as that sheet of ice that became a canvas for a miracle in Lake Placid, New York.

Read more: https://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/In-Lake-Placid-a-miracle-from-40-years-ago-still-15071288.php

February 24, 2020

Texas sues company whose Port Neches chemical plant exploded

by Kiah Collier, Texas Tribune


Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued TPC Group over environmental violations associated with the Nov. 27 explosion at the company’s Port Neches chemical plant, a blast that prompted widespread mandatory evacuations during the Thanksgiving holiday week.

The suit, filed Friday on behalf of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in Travis County District Court, also alleges the Houston-based company violated clean air laws multiple times from January 2018 to September 2019. The suit seeks injunctive relief and civil penalties, as well as for TPC Group to cover its attorney fees, court costs and investigative costs.

“I appreciate the Attorney General’s action today,” TCEQ Executive Director Toby Baker said in a statement released Friday. “It is absolutely crucial that entities like TPC Group are held responsible not only for the destructive environmental pollution they cause, but also for their impact on human health.”

The suit, which also covers water violations, had been expected. TCEQ referred the case to the attorney general in late December after the agency's three appointed commissioners rejected staff-recommended penalties for TPC for eight pollution violations from 2018. They said the recommended penalties weren’t strong enough for incidents that investigators had found to be preventable. The decision was notable as the agency’s stated strategy has been to bring companies into compliance in house rather than slap them with large fines — a strategy environmental and watchdogs groups say does not work because there are so many repeat environmental offenders, including TPC Group. The agency also doesn’t refer that many cases to the attorney general’s office, which has the authority to pursue criminal investigations and higher penalties.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2020/02/22/attorney-general-port-neches-plant-explosion/

February 24, 2020

Nancy Pelosi gives Henry Cuellar a homestretch boost in intense primary, calling for "resounding

Nancy Pelosi gives Henry Cuellar a homestretch boost in intense primary, calling for "resounding victory"

by Patrick Svitek, Texas Tribune


LAREDO — U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, a boost Saturday in the homestretch of his hotly contested primary race, calling for a decisive win while visiting his campaign headquarters here.

"We want this to be not only a victory, but a resounding victory for Henry Cuellar," Pelosi told a crowd of several dozen Cuellar campaign workers and supporters. "Every step you take, every door you knock, every call you make, will make that resounding victory possible — and it includes getting out a big Democratic vote prepared to vote again in the general election so that we turn Texas blue."

Cuellar is battling a serious primary challenge from Jessica Cisneros, an attorney from Laredo recruited by Justice Democrats, the insurgent progressive group behind the campaign of freshman U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York. Cisneros has racked up endorsements from presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, as well as Ocasio-Cortez and Julián Castro, the former White House contender, U.S. housing secretary and San Antonio mayor.

Cuellar has touted a long list of local endorsements, while Pelosi and other House leaders made clear months ago that he has their backing. The centrist Democrat has also gotten support from unusual places in a Democratic primary, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the political network created by the Koch brothers.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2020/02/22/nancy-pelosi-henry-cuellar-laredo-jessica-cisneros/

February 24, 2020

Elizabeth Warren to be in San Antonio Thursday for town hall event with Julian Castro

Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren announced she will be in San Antonio with former Mayor Julián Castro this Thursday for a special event – her first trip here since launching her campaign a year ago.

The senior senator from Massachusetts is hosting a town hall with Castro, himself a former presidential candidate who endorsed Warren shortly after dropping out of the race in January.

The town hall event will be at 6:30 p.m. at Sunset Station in St. Paul Square, according to Warren campaign officials. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Admission is first-come, first-served, and the campaign strongly encourages an RSVP.

She has also been endorsed by Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, and on Friday, Judge Lina Hidalgo, the chief executive of Harris County announced her endorsement. Warren has more than 60 staffers and organizers in offices across Texas but chose San Antonio as her state headquarters.

Read more: https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/politics/article/Elizabeth-Warren-to-be-in-San-Antonio-Thursday-15076625.php

February 24, 2020

Man detained after seven people shot at flea market near Aldine, Harris County sheriff says

A man was detained late Sunday after a shooting inside a flea market near Aldine left seven people injured, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

All the victims were hospitalized and expected to survive, he said. The suspect, who was not identified, will likely face charges, he said.

The Mercado Sabadomingo flea market, in the 8700 block of Airline, was bustling with people Sunday night during a “live dance“ inside the building, Gonzalez said. Children were among the attendees.

The suspect told investigators that the gun was in his pocket when it accidentally fired. The bullet struck one man and ricocheted off the dance floor, Gonzalez said. Six others, all adults, suffered minor injuries from the gunfire, he said.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Seven-people-reportedly-shot-at-flea-market-near-15078742.php

February 24, 2020

Democratic presidential primary candidate Mike Bloomberg to hold rally in Fort Worth

As early voting continues in Texas, Democratic presidential primary election candidate Michael Bloomberg plans to hold a rally on Wednesday in Fort Worth.

The former New York mayor’s event will begin at 7 p.m., but his campaign did not release on Saturday a precise location for the rally. It said details on an address would come later. Doors will open to the public at 6 p.m.

Bloomberg will hold a rally in Houston on Thursday morning.

Early voting for the March 3 primary ends on Friday.

“Mike will hold rallies in critical Tarrant and Harris counties to energize voters across the Lone Star State before the last day of early voting,” Bloomberg’s campaign wrote in a statement. “Mike will share his vision for rebuilding America and defeat Donald Trump.”

Read more: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article240556656.html

February 24, 2020

El Paso Chihuahuas, L&F Distributors release co-branded Budweiser beer can

The El Paso Chihuahuas and L&F Distributors have released a co-branded Budweiser can featuring the Chihuahuas logo.

The Chihuahuas are the first Minor League Baseball team to be featured on a Budweiser can, according to the press release.

“What an amazing opportunity presented to us by L&F Distributors and Budweiser,” said MountainStar Sports Group Senior Vice President and Chihuahuas General Manager Brad Taylor. “This shows the belief and continued recognition of our Chihuahuas brand. To pair it with Budweiser, a worldwide brand, is just incredible.”

The can will be distributed to stores around El Paso.

Read more: https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/sports/baseball/chihuahuas/2020/02/22/el-paso-chihuahuas-beer-release-budweiser-can/4843266002/