Oskaloosa News Recap For March 19th, 2021
Local News – Local and State News
Local Sports – Local Sports
Indians Network
Statesmen Sports Network
North Mahaska Warhawks
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Obituaries
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National and World News
Needle-free COVID-19 vaccines may be available later this year.
Up to eight new immunizations may be ready for regulatory review by the end of the year — some which don’t require needles and can be stored at room temperature, according to Bloomberg News.
The promising vaccines are among more than 80 candidates currently being studied, some of which are in early stages and may fail, the outlet reports.
Only 122 of the world’s 195 countries have started vaccinating citizens, as drugmakers struggle to fill orders, but the WHO is reviewing whether survivors of the virus only need one shot of the vaccine — freeing up more supplies.
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Philadelphia’s homicide rate is soaring.
So far this year, 103 people have been murdered in the city — an increase of more than 30% from last year.
The number of guns recovered from city streets is also way up, with authorities revealing they are on track to “shatter” last year’s record of roughly 5,000 guns retrieved.
As of midweek, only Chicago had a higher homicide rate than Philadelphia, according to Mayor Jim Kenney.
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The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits increased last week as the nation hit the one-year mark of the coronavirus crisis.
The latest batch of 770,000 initial jobless claims brought the total for the pandemic to nearly 81.9 million. Economists were expecting the number to have dropped to 700,000 last week, according to Bloomberg.
Weekly jobless filings have remained above the pre-pandemic record of 695,000 for 52 straight weeks.
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As theme parks in Southern California are set to reopen, a new rule will keep thrill seekers’ lips zipped on their favorite rides.
The California Attractions and Parks Association is behind a plan that would “encourage” riders to remain silent while hurling through the air on rollercoasters to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Other reopening guidelines call for the limitation on other activities that may lead to virus spreading, such as singing or shouting.
WORTH ASKING: Won’t the required wearing of face masks prevent the spread?
ALSO: While riding a rollercoaster, aren’t all passengers facing in the same direction? And surely there will be plenty of social distancing between said passengers, who will already be limited in group size.
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A Texas man has helped save countless lives with his bi-weekly platelet donations over the past 37 years.
Marcos Perez, who has been donating since 1984, wanted to pay it forward after he received a life-saving transfusion as a newborn.
“Back then there was no blood bank. My dad had to go around and ask family members, my aunts and uncles, cousins, friends to go donate blood.”
Perez has donated 962 times, which is about 120 gallons of platelets, the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center reported.
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The US is sending four million doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to Canada and Mexico.
The vaccine, which is still pending FDA approval in the US, has been approved in other countries, so the doses will be shipped out to avoid going unused.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki made the announcement Thursday, noting the “importance of helping stop the spread of the virus in other countries.”
The news comes as many European countries have suspended the vaccine after a handful of people who received it developed blood clots.
WORTH ASKING: If it is safe for others, why can’t the doses head to the border and vaccinate all of the people pouring into the US?
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Robert Long, 21, the man accused of fatally shooting seven women and one man in three separate shootings at massage businesses in Atlanta, attended rehab for sex addiction and felt “extreme guilt” about his sexual urges, two former roommates said.
Tyler Bayless, 35, told Reuters, “In the halfway house he would describe several of his sexual addiction ‘relapses’ as he called them. He would have a deep feeling of remorse and shame and say he needed to return to prayer and to return to God.”
Bronson Lillemon, a second former housemate of Long’s, echoed Bayless’ account to USA Today, saying that Long “felt a lot of guilt and a lot of shame” over going to massage parlors.
Authorities are looking into if the crimes may have been racially motivated – despite the suspect’s denials – because six of the victims were Asian women. The other two victims were both White.
Bayless & Lillemon told the outlet that they never heard Long use racist language and had no knowledge that he ever visited racist message boards online.
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As of Thursday, more than 115 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered nationwide.
Close to 41 million Americans are now fully vaccinated, while close to 75.5 million have received at least one dose, according to the CDC.
The total number of cumulative cases in the US is slightly over 29.4 million, with more than 535,000 deaths attributed to the virus.
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The coronavirus pandemic should all but disappear in the US in April or May, Dr. Marty Makary, a professor at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Medicine, told “America’s Newsroom” Thursday.
Last month, Makary told The Wall Street Journal that America will have “herd Immunity by April.”
“We’re seeing some really good news,” said Makary, who added that 10 states have had days in which they’ve reported no coronavirus deaths.
His comments come after the CDC predicted coronavirus deaths could decline drastically over the coming four weeks.
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Markets were down sharply on Thursday as the Nasdaq plummeted 409 points, the Dow dropped 153 points and the S&P sank 58 points.
The Nasdaq Composite had its most difficult day in weeks as Apple, Amazon and Netflix all fell more than 3 percent. Tesla dipped more than 7 percent.
The financial sector saw gains during Thursday’s session as increasing interest rates bode well for future bank profits. Wells Fargo, JPMorgan, US Bancorp and Bank of America all saw their share prices rise.
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Vladimir Putin says he wants to chat with President Joe Biden, but only if the conversation is livestreamed on the internet.
Putin made the remarks a day after Biden’s interview with George Stephanopoulos aired, in which he said he told Putin that he didn’t have a soul.
Putin addressed the jab, saying through a translator that it takes one to know one without a soul.
Administration officials said Thursday that Biden is “quite busy” and wouldn’t participate.
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Tube Talk
Here’s what’s new on TV tonight:
NCAA Basketball Tournament / CBS / 6:00 pm
Friday Night SmackDown / FOX / 7:00 pm
20/20 / ABC / 8:00 pm
Dateline NBC / NBC / 8:00 pm
NCAA Basketball Tournament / CBS / 8:30 pm
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Showbiz News
These albums are being released today:
Jane Inc., “Number One”
John Dwyer, “Endless Garbage”
Justin Bieber, “Justice”
Lana Del Rey, “Chemtrails Over the Country Club”
Middle Kids, “Today We’re The Greatest”
Sting, “Duets”
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The allegations against NFL star Deshaun Watson are piling up.
Two more female massage therapists have come forward alleging sexual misconduct against the Texans QB. Both victims — just like the initial victim — claim that Watson allegedly “pursued sexual acts, in a very aggressive manner” during the massage.
Attorney Tony Buzbee, who represents the three women, told TMZ that there are at least three more women who intend to file their own suits against Watson.
Watson continues to deny all accusations.
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Marvel Comics plans to debut its first gay Captain America in June, during Pride Month.
The character, Aaron Fischer, will be included in the upcoming “United States of Captain America” comic book miniseries, Entertainment Weekly reported.
The first issue of the new miniseries hits stands June 2.
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Vanessa Bryant has publicly shared her legal complaint against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department that names the four deputies who allegedly shared graphic photos of the helicopter crash that killed her husband Kobe Bryant, their daughter Gianna Bryant and seven others.
Vanessa posted multiple screenshots of the filing on her Instagram account, with the defendants’ names circled in red. She did not caption any of the posts and chose to instead “let them speak for themselves,” a source told PEOPLE magazine.
Her post comes just a week after a judge dismissed efforts by the LASD to keep the deputies’ names sealed in the lawsuit.
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The “Venom” sequel, starring Tom Hardy, has been pushed back again.
According to Variety, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” has been delayed until Sept. 17. It was originally set to hit theaters this June.
In the film, Hardy, 43, will reprise his role as Eddie Brock, a journalist who merges with the alien Venom. Woody Harrelson joins the cast a Carnage/Cletus Kasady, Venom’s nemesis.
Michelle Williams will also return to the flick as Brock’s love interest, Anne Weying.
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The final season of “Younger” has a premiere date.
Paramount+ announced this week that the seventh and final season will premiere on April 15.
“Younger” follows Liza Miller (Sutton Foster), a talented editor navigating the highly competitive world of publishing, who also juggles the complications of mixing business with pleasure and keeping up with the lie she created about her age to land her dream job.
Hilary Duff also stars in the show as Liza’s friend, Kelsey.
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HBO Max has ordered a two-part docuseries about the late actress Brittany Murphy.
The untitled project explores the life, career and mysterious circumstances surrounding Murphy’s tragic death. The series will go beyond the conspiracy theories and headlines, featuring new interviews by those closest to her and new archival footage, Variety reports.
Murphy, who was known for her roles in “Clueless” and “8 Mile,” passed away in 2009 after collapsing in her Hollywood Hills home. Her death was ruled accidental and determined to have been caused by a combination of pneumonia, anemia and “multiple drug intoxication.” She was 32.
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Apple TV+ has given a straight-to-series order to a half-hour comedy series starring Maya Rudolph.
The untitled series centers around Molly (Rudolph), a woman whose seemingly perfect life is upended after her husband leaves her with nothing but $87 billion.
It is the latest Apple comedy series headlined by a former/current “SNL” star, along with “Ted Lasso,” starring Jason Sudeikis and the upcoming “The Shrink Next Door,” featuring Will Ferrell.
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Arnold Schwarzenegger should be in charge if aliens ever invade out planet, according to 2,000 adults in Great Britain.
The actor topped the list of 20 celebs and public figures in a British survey of who’d be the best equipped to handle the doomsday scenario.
Rounding out the top five were, Will Smith, Sir David Attenborough, Bruce Willis and Tom Cruise.
Former President Donald Trump landed at #8 on the list, while current President Joe Biden was #20.
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Angelina Jolie claims she has “proof” of alleged domestic violence against Brad Pitt.
In new court documents that were filed on March 12, the actress stated that she is prepared to offer “proof and authority” against Pitt as part of their upcoming divorce trial.
Jolie filed another document on the same day, regarding testimony of their minor children. The exes share six kids — Maddox, 19, Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 14, twins Knox and Vivienne, 12.
This isn’t the first time claims of abuse have been made. In 2016, Pitt was cleared of allegations of child abuse by both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Child and Family Services.
At the time, Jolie, who had filed for divorce from Pitt earlier that year, expressed relief that the investigation had concluded
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Sports
Bill Lester, 60, is returning to the track.
The former NASCAR driver is making a comeback — 14 years after his last start.
Lester will drive for David Gilliland Racing on Saturday in the Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The one-race return comes as Lester is promoting his book, “Winning in Reverse: Defying the Odds and Achieving Dreams.”
Lester, who quit his engineering job at 40 to hit the racetrack, made 145 career NASCAR starts, primarily in the third-tier Truck Series from 2002 to 2007. He was the first Black driver to compete in an Xfinity Series race in 1999. In 2006, he was the first Black driver to race at NASCAR’s top level since Willy T. Ribbs nearly 20 years earlier.
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List of the Week
The American Kennel Club has announced the country’s most popular dog breeds of last year.
Here are the top 10:
Labrador retriever
French bulldog
German Shepard
Golden retriever
Bulldog
Poodle
Beagle
Rottweiler
German shorthair pointer
Dachshund
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Day of the Year
National Backyard Day
National Certified Nurses Day
National Chocolate Caramel Day
National Let’s Laugh Day
National Poultry Day
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On This Date
1916 – American fighter planes take off in the first coordinated combat air mission in US history.
Eight Curtiss “Jenny” planes took off from Columbus, New Mexico to support the 7,000 American troops who were invading Mexico in pursuit of Pancho Villa.
The planes were primarily responsible for scouting and relaying messages back to American generals.
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1931 – The Nevada state legislature legalizes gambling as an economic tool to help the state out of the Great Depression.
Nevada had been the site of many gold and silver mines after the Mexican War in the 1860s. As its mines declined, so did its economy.
State gambling taxes did help revive the economy, but casinos also brought in organized crime.
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1945 – Adolf Hitler issues what has become known as the Nero Decree. He ordered that all infrastructure and resources be destroyed, so that Allied forces would not be able to use any of it.
Albert Speer was in charge of executive the order, but he thought it was madness. Speer was able to persuade other advisers and generals to disobey the directive.
Hitler could do nothing — he was already confined to his bunker.
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1966 – Texas Western wins the NCAA men’s college basketball championship — and is the first team with an all-black starting five to do so.
Texas Western was led by coach Don Haskins, who encouraged racial integration on his team.
The game did not come down to a final buzzer shot or climactic ending. Texas Western took the lead early in the game and never looked back.
The victory was depicted in the 2006 movie “Glory Road.”
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2003 – President George W. Bush announces that American and coalition forces were beginning a strike on Iraq.
Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein went into hiding, and was on the run until October 2005.
In the meantime, no nuclear weapons were discovered, though the invasion was largely predicated on their supposed existence.
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2020 – The state of California reports 910 cases of COVID, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to issue “stay at home” orders for all 40 million Californians.
He also wrote a letter to President Donald Trump, asking him to deploy a hospital ship to the Port of Los Angeles to be on standby for an expected surge in hospitalizations due to the virus. It would stay docked for only seven weeks.
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Birthdays
Clayton Kershaw – MLB player – 33
Casey Anthony – center of highly-publicized murder trial – 35
Dan Levy – comedian – 40
Andy Reid – Eagles head coach – 63
Bruce Willis – 66
Glenn Close – actress – 74
Sirhan Sirhan – RFK assassin – 77
Ursula Andress – “Dr. No” actress – 85
BORN ON THIS DATE
Payton Jordan – coach of 1968 US Olympic track & field team – 1917 (d. 2009)
William Jennings Bryan – Wilson’s Secretary of State – 1860 (d. 1925)
Wyatt Earp – lawman – 1848 (d. 1929)
William Bradford – first British governor of a colony – 1590 (d. 1657)
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Happy Hour
BLUE SKY MARTINI
(Courtesy of All Recipies)
INGREDIENTS:
1 oz Vodka
1/4 oz sweet vermouth
1/4 oz Blue Curacao
3 stuffed green olives
DIRECTIONS:
Fill a mixing glass with ice.
Pour in vodka and sweet vermouth.
Stir (or shake) and strain into a martini glass.
Splash with Blue Curacao.
Garnish with 3 olives.
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