At least 95 killed in 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Tibet
A powerful earthquake proves deadly in East Asia on Tuesday morning. And winter weather pounds the United States from the Great Plains to the East Coast. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.
7.1 magnitude earthquake kills at least 95 in Tibet
At least 95 people are dead Tuesday after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake rocked Tibet, China, according to Chinese state media. The quake occurred just after 9 a.m. on Jan. 7 near Shigatse, one of Tibet’s holiest cities.
The quake reached a depth of 6.2 miles, damaging buildings and sending people running to the streets in neighboring Nepal and India. Cities as far away as Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital city about 240 miles away, felt tremors.
The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at a magnitude of 7.1, while the China Earthquake Networks Center reported it at 6.8. Multiple aftershocks followed the initial quake.
In addition to the dozens of lives lost, local authorities said the disaster injured at least 130 people.
First winter storm of 2025 leaves at least 4 dead across multiple states
The system moved east on Monday, Jan. 6, from the Great Plains to the East Coast. It brought snow, blizzard conditions and ice. The storm hit cities like Kansas City and Cincinnati the hardest.
Authorities said a public works employee in Missouri suffered a fatal injury while working to remove snow. Two people in Wichita, Kansas, died in a weather-related crash, and one person in Houston, Texas, most likely died as a result of the cold weather, according to local authorities.
The storm knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of homes across at least a half-dozen states.
While the heavy snow ended, the danger remained. Forecasters said the winter system is drawing cold air behind it, meaning states across the entire U.S. will experience a cold front.
Pentagon transfers 11 Yemeni detainees from Guantánamo Bay to Oman
The Pentagon said the U.S. transferred 11 Yemeni detainees to Oman, which agreed to help re-settle them. Two of the detainees are former bodyguards for Osama Bin Laden and were being held at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba.
None of the 11 detainees released were charged with crimes.
The move comes amid steps to reduce the population at the controversial U.S. military facility. Only 15 detainees remain at Guantánamo Bay’s detention facility, which the U.S. set up as the war on terror began after Sept. 11, 2001.
Of the 15 current detainees, only three are eligible for transfer. Three more are eligible for a periodic review, seven are involved in the military commissions process and two detainees were convicted and sentenced by military commissions.
In recent weeks, the Biden administration transferred four other detainees from Guantánamo, including one brought to the detention facility the day it opened in 2002. That person was never formally charged.
The move follows a recent ruling by a military judge that plea agreements with alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed and two other accused terrorists are valid and binding. Those deals take the death penalty off the table for the three men, who remain at Guantánamo Bay.
Biden attends memorial service for New Orleans terror attack victims
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden attended a memorial service Monday, Jan. 6, for the 14 victims killed in the New Year’s Day truck attack in New Orleans. The interfaith prayer service was held at the famous St. Louis Cathedral in the city’s French Quarter, less than a mile away from the scene of the Bourbon Street terror attack.
Jill and I traveled to New Orleans to stand with a community defined by strength and resilience.
To grieve. To pray. And let them know that America stands with them, and mourns with them. pic.twitter.com/26Phe203WF
The president spoke at the service, reassuring the people of New Orleans they are not alone and highlighting the city’s enduring strength and resilience amid tragedy. He referred to past devastation experienced by the city, including Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
“If there’s one thing we know: New Orleans defines strength and resilience,” the president said. “You define it, whether it’s in the form of this attack, from this attack, or hurricanes or super storms. This city’s people get back up.”
The president and first lady also visited the Bourbon Street memorial, where they placed flowers and prayed for the victims.
While in New Orleans, the Bidens met privately with grieving families, survivors and first responders.
Though both cases were dismissed, the special counsel is required to provide a report to Garland, who can then decide whether to make it public.
According to the letter and a legal filing, Trump’s lawyers and two former co-defendants in the documents case viewed a two-volume draft copy of the report over the weekend. They called the report “one-sided” and “slanted.”
In the letter, Trump’s lawyer requested Garland fire Smith, who is set to resign before Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, or let the decision on the release of the report be handled by Trump’s incoming attorney general, Pam Bondi.
The lawyers for Trump’s two former co-defendants in the documents case also asked the judge who dismissed the case to halt the report’s release, citing her ruling that Smith’s appointment was unconstitutional.
While it is not clear when the report will be released, the lawyers have asked the judge for a hearing on their request by Friday, Jan. 10, believing the release is “imminent.”
‘Shark Tank’ star Kevin O’Leary announces bid to buy TikTok
With millions of social media users counting down TikTok’s days in the U.S., one businessman is looking to prevent the ban from taking effect. “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary issued a press release Monday announcing his interest in purchasing TikTok.
O’Leary — known by “Shark Tank” fans as “Mr. Wonderful” — said he is partnering with former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt on the bid.
Speaking to Fox Business, O’Leary said he would need Trump’s help to seal the deal. O’Leary said he’s “protecting the privacy of 170 million American users” and “empowering creators and small businesses.”
TikTok faces a federal ban on Jan. 19 unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, sells. The Biden administration and other federal lawmakers believe TikTok threatens national security, accusing the Chinese government of using it to spy on Americans. Lawmakers fear the app is being used to weaponize and influence content Americans view.
On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments from ByteDance on why it should prevent the ban.
FBI probes athlete home burglaries linked to transnational crime ring
Athletes’ homes have reportedly been targeted and burglarized. The FBI is now investigating a possible connection to a transnational South American crime ring.
Among those targeted are Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his teammate, tight end Travis Kelce, whose homes were burglarized just hours apart, according to authorities.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr. also became a victim when his home was burglarized while he attended a Vikings game.
“Obviously it’s frustrating,” Mahomes said during a press conference on Nov. 13. “It’s disappointing. But I can’t get into too many of the details because the investigation is still ongoing. But obviously it’s something you don’t want to happen to, really, anybody, but obviously, yourself.”
Milwaukee Bucks star Bobby Portis was also the victim of a burglary at his residence in Wisconsin, where thieves took some of his most prized possessions.
“I am now offering a $40,000 cash reward for any information or tips that leads to the return of my stolen items,” Portis said in a video posted to his Instagram account.
Detectives say the burglaries appear to fit a pattern connected to an organized transnational crime ring from South America that has been targeting affluent neighborhoods in several states.
Authorities in California, Colorado and Michigan have all reported home invasions in high-end areas, and they believe these incidents are connected to South American gangs.
Currently, law enforcement has not been able to determine who is responsible for the spate of burglaries at the athletes’ homes.
Convicted Kansas cult members forced children to work 16 hour days, beat them
Six members of a Kansas-based cult were convicted on Monday, Sept. 16, of conspiracy. Federal prosecutors said that they forced children as young as eight to work 16-hour long days and live under “deplorable” conditions. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said the former members of the United Nation of Islam left dozens of child workers in overcrowded facilities with mold and rats.
The children were reportedly under strict dress codes and the cult controlled what they ate. Prosecutors note that one victim was so thirsty that she drank water out of a toilet.
The defendants included former high-ranking members of the Kansas-based cult or wives of the founder, Royall Jenkins, who died in 2021. The organization operated businesses across the country, which included Kansas City, Kansas; New York City; Atlanta; Newark, New Jersey, Cincinnati, Ohio; and Dayton, Ohio. The victims worked in cult-owned and operated restaurants, bakeries, clothing stores and gas stations.
The cult never paid workers for their services and the children rarely saw a doctor, according to the DOJ. The DOJ said that if child workers broke any set rules, they would be punished with beatings, isolation or more work.
Kaaba Majeed, Yunus Rassoul, Jame Staton, Randolph Rodney Hadley, Daniel Aubrey Jenkins and Dana Peach were all convicted of conspiracy to commit forced labor following a nearly-month-long trial. The jury also convicted Majeed on five counts of forced labor. The sentences carry up to 20 years for Majeed and up to five years for the other convicts.
Father of 14-year-old Georgia school shooting suspect charged with murder
The father of the 14-year-old suspect in the shooting at a Georgia high school has been arrested and charged in connection to the deadly incident. And in a surprise move, Hunter Biden has pleaded guilty in his federal tax case. What’s next for the president’s son. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, Sept. 6, 2024.
Father of 14-year-old Georgia school shooting suspect charged with murder
The 14-year-old arrested in connection to the Georgia school shooting is expected to appear in court Friday, Sept. 6. Colt Gray has been charged with murder as an adult.
He’s now not the only one charged in connection to the shooting. His father has been arrested by authorities and charged with second-degree murder.
Colin Gray, 54, is facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter, eight counts of cruelty to children, and two counts of second-degree murder.
Authorities said the charges stem from Colin Gray “knowingly allowing his son” to have a gun. According to investigators, he bought the AR-style gun used in the shooting as a gift for his son.
This comes as we’re getting a clearer picture of what happened inside the school as shots first rang out. An eyewitness says 53-year-old math teacher Christina Irimie died after jumping in front of a student to protect them from gunfire.
We’ve also learned more about an incident report from last year involving the suspect regarding anonymous posts threatening a school shooting. Those threats were made on the social media platform Discord under a username referring to the 2012 Sandy Hook gunman, according to the police file.
Colt and Colin Gray were interviewed at the time. Colin Gray told investigators there were guns in their home, but his son did not have access to them. Colin Gray denied making the threats and authorities say there was no probable cause at the time for an arrest.
Hunter Biden pleads guilty in federal tax case
In a surprise move, Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to federal tax charges Thursday, Sept. 5. It was not part of any plea deal and sets up the possibility the president’s son could spend decades in prison.
The plea was a move to avoid a second criminal trial this year. He was after already found guilty in a federal gun case, which he’s set to be sentenced for in November.
The plea is related to charges alleging Hunter schemed to avoid paying more than a million dollars in income taxes. His attorneys acknowledged the evidence is “overwhelming” and offered a guilty plea — while keeping options open for an appeal.
“Hunter decided to enter his plea to protect those he loves from unnecessary hurt and cruel humiliation,” defense attorney Abbe Lowell said. “Hunter put his family first today, and it was a brave and loving thing for him to do.”
It’s considered an unorthodox and unexpected move in the federal court system. Guilty pleas often come with plenty of warning and after negotiations with prosecutors.
Last year when Hunter Biden was on the cusp of reaching a plea agreement that many critics called “a sweetheart deal” that would have spared him from any prison time. That deal was tossed out over concerns the president’s son was getting preferential treatment.
US announces new controls on chip-related exports to China
As China makes advances in the global chip industry, the U.S. is rolling out new export controls on certain crucial technologies like quantum computing and semiconductor goods.
The Commerce Department cited “national security and foreign policy reasons” for issuing the new rules over worldwide exports. It does, however, make exemptions for countries that adopt similar rules, like Japan and the Netherlands.
In the past, federal investigators have also subpoenaed cell phones belonging to the New York police commissioner and another one of the mayor’s close advisers, Tim Pearson, but it’s also not clear if that was related to the recent searches.
Federal probe targets airlines’ frequent flyer programs
Today, @SecretaryPete opened a probe into some of the big airline points programs. The inquiry seeks to better understand: – Rewards devaluation tactics – Hidden pricing and junk fees – Risks of reductions in competition and choice https://t.co/FQWTbY1Pjc
The Department of Transportation has ordered the CEOs of American, Delta, Southwest, and United airlines to answer detailed questions and provide records on their policies for how passengers can accrue and spend their miles. The probe is focused on how consumers could be affected by the devaluation of earned rewards, extra fees, hidden or dynamic pricing, and reduced competition and choice.
First NFL game of the season ends in dramatic fashion
We’ve heard of winning “by a nose” in horseracing. But last night, in the first NFL game of the season, it came down to winning “by a toe.”
With the seconds ticking down in the fourth quarter, it appeared Ravens’ quarterback Lamar Jackson successfully threw a touchdown pass to tight end Isaiah Likely, giving Baltimore a chance to win the game.
Georgia school shooting suspect was questioned over online threats: FBI
We have new details about the suspect and the victims in the deadly shooting at a Georgia high school. And Boeing’s troubled Starliner spacecraft is set to begin its trip back to Earth without its crew. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.
FBI: Suspect in Georgia school shooting was questioned over online threats
Authorities have released more details about the shooter who opened fire in a Georgia high school on Wednesday, Sept. 4. Two teachers and two students were killed, and nine others were wounded.
Just before 10:30 a.m. ET Wednesday, gunfire was reported at Apalachee High School in a small town about 45 miles from Atlanta. A sheriff’s deputy working as a school resource officer engaged with the shooter, who has been identified as Colt Gray, and the teen immediately surrendered.
Officials said Gray will be charged with murder and tried as an adult.
The victims were two 14-year-old students, a 53-year-old math teacher, and a second math teacher, a 39-year-old who also coached as the defensive coordinator for the school’s football team, according to the school’s website.
The school will remain closed for the remainder of the week and crisis counselors are on school campus as students grapple with the tragedy they have now experienced.
“I was listening, and you can hear gunshots just ringing out through the school and you’re just wondering which one of those is going to be somebody that you’re best friends with or somebody that you love,” said Landon Culver, a junior at the school. “You hear about this kind of stuff and you never think it’s going to happen to you until it’s happening. And then once you’re in that, it’s like this really happened. It’s like a surreal experience.”
Authorities said Gray, then 13, was a possible suspect in connection with threats made online last year using photos of guns and threatening to shoot up a school. They said he denied making the threats and there was no probable cause to arrest him, however, local schools were told to “continue monitoring the suspect.”
Gray’s father was also interviewed a year ago over the online threats. Investigators said his father told them he had hunting guns inside the home, but his son did not have unsupervised access to them.
Trump holds town hall in PA; Harris talks economy in NH
During the interview, Trump highlighted Harris’ stance on fracking, saying in 2019 she would ban it if elected but she would not ban it now.
Trump was in Pennsylvania and kept much of the focus on the battleground state. Hannity asked Trump how the 2024 election differs from the election he won in 2016.
“It’s not that different,” Trump said. “It’s still about the forgotten man and forgotten woman. People are being treated horribly in the country. We’re a country that’s being laughed at all over the world. It’s very simple and it starts with make America great again, that’s what we have to do.”
Meanwhile, Harris was in New Hampshire discussing more of her tax plan if elected in November.
“My plan will make our tax code more fair while also prioritizing investment and innovation,” Harris said. “So let us be clear: billionaires and big corporations must pay their fair share in taxes.”
Harris is proposing an increase to the long-term capital gains tax rate but not as high as what was in President Joe Biden’s reelection agenda. Harris said she wants to raise the tax rate to 28% from its current 20% rate. Biden had called for a 39.6% tax rate.
Trump is looking to cut the corporate tax rate to 15% if elected for a second term.
Trump, Harris agree on rules for debate
There’s less than a week now until the first debate between Trump and Harris and they’ve now agreed on the rules. The debate, hosted by ABC, will be moderated by World News Tonight anchor David Muir and ABC News anchor Linsey Davis.
Trump won a virtual coin flip held on Tuesday, Sept. 4, and chose to make the last closing statement. They’ll get two minutes each.
Each candidate will also get two minutes to answer each question with a two-minute rebuttal and one additional minute for a follow-up, clarification, or response.
Because Trump got to choose the closing statement order, Harris chose the podium placement. She’ll be at the right podium on the screen.
CPSC wants to investigate Shein and Temu kids’ products
They want the commission to investigate how the websites comply with U.S. safety laws, citing “recent media reports” that dangerous products meant for kids are easy to find on both sites.
This is just the latest probe into the companies, both of which have been under scrutiny for how they’re able to sell things for such low prices and how much environmental waste they create, as well as concerns over the potential use of forced labor.
Boeing’s Starliner to return to Earth empty on Friday
The return will mark the final phase of a test flight that did not go as planned.
Starliner’s first crewed trip to space was supposed to prove Boeing could reliably bring astronauts to and from the International Space Station so NASA could certify it to do so.
But issues that popped up just after launch have left astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams stuck on the space station since June. Their mission was only supposed to last about a week.
The game will start a weekend of football action, including the first NFL game to be played in Brazil when the Philadelphia Eagles meet the Green Bay Packers Friday night. That game will be a streaming exclusive available only on Peacock.
Then the first Sunday of the NFL calendar, Sept. 8, will see 13 games played, with another first: Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin will be starting during the team’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. This will be Hamlin’s first start since suffering a cardiac arrest on the field in January 2023.
Stadium spending: Is it ever a good use of taxpayer money?
In two days during the week of June 23, two cities committed nearly $1.5 billion in public money to keep their respective NFL teams in town. But taxpayers didn’t get a say. In both Charlotte and Jacksonville, city councils made the calls.
Charlotte committed $650 million in taxpayer dollars for stadium renovations to keep the Carolina Panthers in town for the next 20 years.
Jacksonville City Council is giving $775 million in public funds to renovate the Jaguars EverBank stadium. That’s in exchange for a 30-year commitment to squash those pervasive relocation rumors.
As for why stadium projects have more success getting past city councils than voters, sports economist Victor Matheson had this to say: “The entire city council of Jacksonville can fit in the owner’s box. The entire electorate of Jacksonville can’t.”
Before Jacksonville City Council voted 14-1 in favor of the funds, Jacksonvillians stepped up to the mic at the council meeting.
“Many of us who came out here today took off work just to tell you how repulsed we were about this new stadium,” one resident said.
“Not one dime is going to the community that this proposal was made around. It’s shameful,” another added.
The entire city council of Jacksonville can fit in the owner’s box. The entire electorate of Jacksonville can’t.
Sports economist Victor Matheson
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan sang a different tune.
“We can reach historic generational progress when we focus and we work together for a singular goal,” Deegan said following the vote.
But does it do what she said: create generational progress? Matheson breaks down the math in an interview with Straight Arrow News Business Correspondent Simone Del Rosario.
The following has been edited for length and clarity. You can watch the interview in the video at the top of this page.
Simone Del Rosario: The argument to taxpayers – when you put up these levels of public funds for a stadium – is that the city will get it back in the economic benefit. Do you find that to be the case?
Victor Matheson: Economists who are not associated with the leagues or the teams have been looking at this idea for over 30 years now, and it is the overwhelming consensus of independent economists that spending money on public stadiums, spending taxpayer money, is an extremely poor use of public money. The approximate amount of economic impact you get from stadiums is somewhere between zero and very low.
Simone Del Rosario: Would you say that there’s not a single case where public funds for a stadium are worthwhile?
Victor Matheson: So you can probably argue for some level of public funding. It’s a level of public funding that is way below what we’re seeing in cases like Jacksonville and Charlotte this year and the amount that are being proposed for other stadium proposals, for example, a new Kansas City stadium for both the Royals and the Chiefs.
There is a public role for things like infrastructure, certainly putting in millions, or even tens of millions of dollars to make sure that people can get to the businesses they want to get to. That’s a core function of government. We can also understand that, to at least some extent, sports teams are a public good that are enjoyed by everyone, not just the fans of the team.
We have studies about the feel-good effect that a team has. As a matter of fact, we have an academic study on Jacksonville itself, talking about what the feel-good effect was back when the original stadium was built, and it was about $30 million. So in today’s money, $50 million, $70 million, maybe even $100 million you could justify, but nowhere close to the $600 million in subsidies that we’ve been seeing recently for NFL stadiums.
Simone Del Rosario: Okay, you’ve caught my interest. What is the feel-good economics behind it? What goes into that?
Victor Matheson: We know how much people are willing to pay for tickets because we can actually see those people buy tickets. But what you do is you ask a bunch of people who aren’t season ticket holders, who don’t buy jerseys, who don’t go to games, and you say, ‘Well, how much would you be willing to spend in the way of increased taxes every year just to have this team in town, even if you never plan on going?’
So that captures what people, who aren’t otherwise paying for the stadium and for the team, would be willing to spend. And people fill out questionnaires asking those sorts of questions. We see this all over the place.
And again, for Jacksonville, the Jacksonville folks 20 years ago said that they valued the team, collectively as a city, at about $30 million; even if you don’t go to the games, even if you don’t watch the games at home on TV.
Simone Del Rosario: And it stretches a lot farther than just the city in question. I was looking into this a little bit more and when you add in tax-exempt bonds, this ends up being federally subsidized, doesn’t it? So someone in Nebraska could be paying for a little piece of a different stadium project that’s nowhere near them.
Victor Matheson: It gets even worse, right? So a deal like the Buffalo Bills, it’s not just that someone in Nebraska is paying for the Buffalo Bills. Someone in Boston, who’s a Patriots fan, pays for part of the stadium of their arch-rivals. Someone in Boston, who’s a Red Sox fan, pays for part of Yankee Stadium. So obviously, that’s great for the Yankees, great for the Bills, not so great for taxpayers around the rest of the country.
Simone Del Rosario: And Victor, you can explain that phenomena better than I can about why these taxpayers across the country are paying for this.
Victor Matheson: Sometimes it’s just explicit, right? Sometimes the tax subsidies that you’re getting for billing stadiums are being paid for not just by the city or the county in which a stadium takes place, but might be state subsidies.
So that’s pretty obvious, right? In the case of the Buffalo Bills, about half of the subsidy for the stadium came from New York state money. Most of that money is coming from folks on Long Island, most of that money is coming from folks in New York City, because that’s where all the money is in New York. It’s not in Buffalo, it’s not in Albany, it’s not in Rochester. So that’s coming from places outside of upstate New York.
The other thing that can happen is if a stadium is paid for, at least in part, with tax-exempt bonds, what that means is that the owners of those bonds are getting a lower interest rate because they don’t have to pay taxes on those bonds. But guess what that means? The federal government that runs on taxes has to collect taxes some other place because they’re not collecting taxes on this set of bonds.
A group of economists worked on that a few years ago and published that work and found that the total amount of municipal bond subsidy was in the billions of dollars of subsidies to professional sports teams from regular taxpayers all across the country, whether they have a professional franchise in their state or not.
Simone Del Rosario: Let’s take it back down to the city level. Why do public funds continue to be used when, to your point, independent economists prove that it’s bad economics?
Victor Matheson: One of the reasons is because owners are terrible to their customers, and in order to get an opportunity to make more money, they are willing to sell out their existing customers.
All of the leagues, all of the big leagues, the NFL, the NBA, Major League Baseball, these leagues have exactly the same number of teams today that they had 20 years ago, which means that essentially, when you set a fixed number of franchises, that means that gives a lot of leverage to every franchise, because if someone else wants a team, they have to steal it from another city.
Jacksonville was a place that could be very high on the list of franchises that could be stolen. Same thing with Buffalo Bills. These are both small metropolitan areas. And there’s probably other, better places in the country to put a team.
If you were a regular business, you’d just open up a new team there, a new shop there, a new business there, right? But if you’re the NFL, you want to extract money out of local taxpayers by threatening relocation of that team, and that’s exactly and explicitly what was done in Jacksonville.
The city leaders say we are justifying this, not on economic reasons, but because we are terrified that we’ll lose this team if we don’t give into the extortion of Shahid Khan, the owner of the Jaguars.
Simone Del Rosario: And I’m speaking as a San Diego Chargers fan who dealt with what happens when voters do not approve stadium funds and the team goes.
Victor Matheson: Right, so you lose your team. And that’s San Diego. Of course, the big difference there between what went on in Jacksonville and what went on in San Diego is San Diego voters had the option to decide how they wanted to spend their money.
And they said, ‘Hey, we love the Chargers but we don’t love spending a billion dollars of our taxpayer money to enrich a billionaire team owner. We’d rather spend that money on, for example, a better convention center to keep so that we can continue to have a great Comic-Con.’ Tony Hawk was there campaigning against the stadium. He said, ‘Hey, you’d rather have that money spent on skateboard parks around San Diego than on a new stadium.’
So the voters got a chance, but the voters in Jacksonville didn’t get a chance because the team owners and the City Council, they know that these stadium projects are unpopular. The voters in Charlotte, also another stadium project that was approved this week, they didn’t get a chance. So it’s taxpayers not getting the opportunity to actually have a say about how their money gets spent.
Of course, one of the reasons that city councilors are much more giving of funds than taxpayers is the city councilors, they get wined and dined by the team owners. The entire city council of Jacksonville can fit in the owner’s box, the entire electorate of Jacksonville can’t.
Simone Del Rosario: When they put this issue in front of voters, increasingly, voters are saying no. We’re seeing that in Kansas City right now. Voters rejected that sales tax for the new downtown ballpark and renovations to Arrowhead, and now there’s talk of potentially moving the Kansas City teams over to Kansas City, Kansas. What would Kansas gain by giving those teams the state benefits that they would be looking for?
Victor Matheson: So from a dollars and cents issue, not much. The amount of additional economic activity that Kansas will gain because of the Chiefs moving across the state line is, by every measure, less than what they will lose in taxpayers subsidies building that stadium. So this is not a great deal for them.
And again, no one’s considering putting this in front of Kansas voters. They’re only considering putting it in front of Kansas lawmakers. Taking it out of the hands of the taxpayer and putting it into the hands of politicians is what team owners want, because it’s a whole lot easier to convince a small number of legislators than it is to convince a large number of taxpayers that you should enrich the already-billionaire owners in the NFL or Major League Baseball or the NBA.
Simone Del Rosario: Who decides whether it goes to vote or it goes to city council?
Victor Matheson: Often, it’s the city council itself. Occasionally, you do get things that taxpayer coalitions will force things to go to the ballot, but often, owners will use a tricks to try to keep things off the ballot.
Even if it’s a complete demolishing of a stadium and rebuilding a new stadium in the same place, you might just keep a tiny bit of the stadium in place so you can laughably call it a remodeling. Therefore the city council says, ‘Oh, no, no, this isn’t a new stadium project. This is just repairs and maintenance of the existing stadium.’ Therefore, this doesn’t have to come before a vote.
As a matter of fact, that’s exactly what happened in Chicago when the new Soldier Field was built. At the time, just the rehabilitation of the old Soldier Field cost more than any stadium in U.S. history, yet they cleverly called it a remodel by keeping a handful of old stone columns from the original stadium in the new design. Therefore, it didn’t have to go before the voters where it was looking very unlikely like the voters wanted to hand over their money, again, to a billionaire owner.
Simone Del Rosario: I’m going to ask us to put on our devil’s advocate hat. What does a stadium project do for the area? There has to be some economic benefit, even if it doesn’t pay for itself.
Victor Matheson: We do know that stadiums, first of all, they are going to generate some revenue in the area. They just generally don’t generate enough revenue to pay for the bond payments on a billion-dollar stadium or a $2 billion stadium.
Generally not in the NFL but in other in other leagues where you have games more often, such as Major League Baseball or NBA, they often cause some level of gentrification of the local area around the stadium. You’ll get money being spent at local bars and restaurants, at retail right around in the area.
We do know that professional sports are pretty good at changing where money is spent in a local economy. The problem is they’re just not very good at generating new economic activity in an economy. So either they’re just having people spend money at the stadium or the area around the stadium rather than in other entertainment options in the area, or they serve to have people spend money on football rather than other types of entertainment options.
Simone Del Rosario: I’m glad you brought this up because now we get to talk about the transfer of wealth. Research shows that the regional economy remains unchanged if a stadium moves, say, 20 minutes down the road. So it’s just the specific location that gets the boom in economic benefit, but it’s flat for the rest of the region, right?
Victor Matheson: There’s no doubt that you will have a change in how money is spent in a local area. If you’re in Atlanta, a new baseball stadium in Cobb County really relocates some economic activity out of Fulton County, downtown, up to Cobb County, where the new stadium is. It also relocates money within Cobb County from restaurants and bars around the county to a small, more concentrated district called The Battery, right around where the stadium is.
Same thing happens when the Washington Wizards and the Washington Capitals float the idea of moving out of D.C. into Virginia. Again, it doesn’t change the total amount of economic activity that occurs in the metro area, but it does change where some of that spending occurs. And importantly, in the cases both of Kansas and Missouri as well as Washington, D.C., and Virginia, it changes the side of this imaginary line. It does have, certainly, some economic impact, but again, it’s more changing up who gets the money, not how much money is actually out there.
Simone Del Rosario: We’ve got the Olympics coming up in a month now, and there’s always a lot of conversation where Olympics are being hosted about the investment that goes into that for certain infrastructure projects, stadiums, etc.
We just talked to someone who was crucial in getting the ’96 Atlanta Games there, and he made a really good point that while that was actually largely a privately-funded affair, the investment that was made for the Atlanta Olympics wouldn’t have been spent otherwise. It was an infusion of spending in the area that was done specifically because the Olympics were coming to town.
Can the same argument be made for stadiums? Would Jacksonville not be spending $775 million on some other benefit to the city if it weren’t for the stadium renovations?
Victor Matheson: In the Atlanta case, you did spend several billion dollars bringing the event there in terms of construction, and you also brought in several billion dollars of tourist money that was part of that. With all these cases, it’s not as if that tourist money’s not a good thing.
This is a little different than the case of Jacksonville. Jacksonville Jaguars regular season games, most of the people coming to those games are local residents who are just spending their money there rather than elsewhere in the Jacksonville economy.
When you’ve got a mega event like the Atlanta Olympics or the Paris Olympics coming up, this is bringing new money from the outside into the city. So of course that is a benefit to the economy. The question though, is, how much did it cost you to bring that money in?
A typical Summer Olympic Games will definitely bring in at least $5 billion of additional spending into the city that hosts them. The problem is, most of the recent summer Olympics have cost in excess of $10 billion to host them.
No one’s denying that you’re bringing in a lot of economic activity. The question is, what is it costing you to bring in that activity? And do you get any sort of lasting legacy of a cost? If it costs you more to bring this in than you’re getting right away, do you at least get some sort of legacy out of that?
Most of the evidence suggests there’s not a particularly big legacy either, because in the case of the Olympics, no one needs a 10,000-seat swimming pool after the Olympics is done. No one needs a world-class track facility or a velodrome after all the Olympic fans are gone.
Backlash after Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s controversial college speech
An online petition called for the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs to fire its kicker, Harrison Butker, over a commencement speech. The petition, which has been widely circulated, accuses Butker of making sexist, homophobic, anti-trans, anti-abortion and racist remarks.
“As a man who gets a lot of praise and has been given a platform to speak to audiences like this one today,” Butker said during the speech. “I pray that I always use my voice for God and not for myself. Everything I am saying to you is not from a place of wisdom, but rather, a place of experience.”
The story has received national attention, with dozens of headlines dedicated to the controversy:
CNN: “Chiefs Player Faces Backlash for Dissing Working Women in Controversial Speech.”
The Huffington Post: “NFL Pushes Back on Harrison Butker’s Bigoted Graduation Speech.”
So, what did Butker say and why is it receiving so much backlash?
Benedictine College in Kansas, a Catholic institution, invited Butker, a conservative Catholic, to give the commencement speech. The school considers its religious affiliation an important component of its stated mission: “The education of men and women within a community of faith and scholarship.”
During his speech, Butker made comments critical of President Biden, abortion, IVF, Pride Month and the media. He also discussed gender roles in society.
The part of his speech receiving the most pushback is his comments to the female graduates:
“For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment,” Butker said. “You should be proud of all you’ve achieved to this point in your young lives. I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who’ve had the most diabolical lies told to you.
“How many of you are sitting here now, about to cross this stage, and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you’re going to get in your career? Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world. But I would venture to guess, the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you’ll bring into this world. I am beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me but it cannot be overstated that all of my success has been made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker.”
The audience proceeded to clap for nearly 20 seconds straight.
Butker’s supporters noted he did not say that women should not have careers and did not say being a wife and mother is all there is for women.
His supporters note that he believed the women sitting in the audience at a Catholic institution are probably most excited about the families they will create with their future husbands.
Butker also encouraged the men and women in the audience to embrace the most important title of all: a Catholic.
“I don’t see what’s controversial about what he said there,” one user on X, formerly Twitter, wrote.
“Good for him,” another user wrote. “I have no problem with anything he had to say. Diversity of thought is what academia has left behind.”
However, critics voiced their concerns with Butker’s speech, prompting the petition.
“I hope you miss every kick this season,” one user wrote on X.
Even the official Kansas City account decided to tell followers where Butker resides.
“Just a reminder that Harrison Butker lives in the city of Lee’s Summit,” the city posted.
The city has since removed the post and apologized.
“These comments reinforce harmful stereotypes that threaten social progress,” the petition to fire Butker said. “They create a toxic environment that hinders our collective efforts towards equality, diversity and inclusion in society. It is unacceptable for such a public figure to use their platform to foster harm rather than unity.”
The petition received over 130,000 signatures and continues to gain momentum.
The NFL also responded to Butker’s speech.
“Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity,” the league said in a statement. “His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”
The graduates and their families in the audience appeared to not take issue with Butker’s speech as they applauded him with a standing ovation.
Chiefs, Royals mull KC exit as vote on taxpayer-funded stadium upgrades looms
Residents of Jackson County, Missouri, are facing a vote on April 2 that may determine the future of their local sports franchises — the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals. The question posed to voters on the ballot asks whether or not they would be in favor of implementing a ⅜-cent sales tax over the next 40 years to help fund stadium upgrades for the two teams.
Should the proposal pass, it would amount to an average annual cost of $115 for each adult in the area, totaling around $54 million in taxpayer money annually and an estimated $2 billion over the lifespan of the tax.
These funds would be allocated toward building a new downtown ballpark for the Royals and renovating Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs. Both franchises assert that these improvements would generate significant economic returns for the local community, estimating over $2 billion every year, including an annual $1.2 billion from the new Royals stadium and nearly $1 billion from the Chiefs’ spending.
However, if the vote fails, the owners of both clubs have floated the possibility that could lead them to look for new homes outside of Kansas City.
“We will have to consider all of our options,” Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said. “From the Chiefs standpoint, we’re in a building that’s 52-53 years old. At the end of the [current] lease, it will be 60 years old and we only have seven years left on our lease, so we’ll be in a position where we need to consider our options.”
“This is about sustaining ourselves as a major league city,” Royals owner John Sherman said. “There’s lots of cities that would love to have these franchises.”
The proposed legislation would replace an existing tax passed in 2006. The existing tax does essentially the same thing to fund stadium upgrades for the Chiefs and Royals, but is set to expire in 2031.
Opponents of the plan argue against the use of public funds to subsidize “billionaire owners,” and say they’re still “winning the battle on the ground,” despite being outspent in campaign efforts by a 20 to one margin.
“I am a lifelong Chiefs and Royals fan,” said Sarah Deder, a volunteer with KC Tenants, one of the groups advocating for a rejection of the stadium tax. “And that’s been hard for me to reconcile because these teams who have brought us together as a community for so many years are ripping mine apart.”
If the vote is in favor of the teams, the Royals aim to have their new ballpark ready for opening day in 2028, while the Chiefs look to finish Arrowhead Stadium renovations by the start of the 2031 season.
Before Super Bowl parade shooting, KC homicide rates were breaking records
Shots erupted last week during the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory parade, resulting in the death of Lisa Lopez-Galvan and injuries to 24 others. Details have emerged about the suspects implicated in the incident, with charges filed against two adults and two juveniles.
Prosecutors said the juveniles are facing charges for resisting arrest and gun-related offenses. The adults, 23-year-old Lyndell Mays and 18-year-old Dominic Miller, are facing charges of second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon, according to officials.
“We seek to hold every shooter accountable for their actions on that day,” Jackson County prosecutor Jean Peters-Baker said. “Every. Single. One. So, while we’re not there yet on every single individual, we’re going to get there.”
Probable cause affidavits indicate a verbal altercation ensued between two groups of unrelated men after they stared at each other. Lyndell Mays pulled his gun first.
“Stupid, man,” Mays said when he was asked why he pulled his gun. “Just pulled a gun out and started shooting. I shouldn’t have done that. Just being stupid.”
Dominic Miller was reportedly part of the confronting group. Miller watched the verbal argument unfold and police say he quickly produced a firearm when tensions escalated. Investigators say Miller advanced on Mays’ group and several others also pulled out firearms. Miller allegedly fired after Mays fired first.
During the commotion, an unidentified member discharged his firearm, hitting Miller in the lower back.
“Miller appears to trip over a cone, while still shooting,” the affidavit states.
Both Mays and Miller sustained gunshot wounds and collapsed to the ground. Police said they found multiple 9mm and .40 caliber shell casings at the scene. Detectives recovered a Glock 9mm handgun and a computer check revealed the firearm to be stolen out of Kansas City, Missouri.
According to court documents, a .38 caliber bullet was recovered from Lopez-Galvan’s body during an autopsy. A ballistics test “determined the bullet recovered from the female was fired from the Taurus G2 9mm, the firearm Miller acknowledged possessing and firing.”
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas emphasized the ongoing investigation’s importance during a news briefing.
“We recognize that for the people of Kansas City to feel safe, for us to deter criminal activity, and to ensure valid and appropriate punishment, consequences must be swift, certain and severe,” Lucas said.
The shooting at the parade underscores Kansas City’s struggle with gun violence, which has persisted despite national homicide rate declines.
In 2023, Kansas City documented 182 homicides — the deadliest year for the city on record. Like the Super Bowl victory parade shooting, dozens of the homicides followed a verbal confrontation.
“If you look at some of our homicides that we had last year, 67 of them were from an argument,” KCPD Police Chief Stacey Graves said. “I think that speaks for itself.”
Hunter Biden seeks to dismiss tax charges: The Morning Rundown, Feb. 21, 2024
Attorneys for Hunter Biden seek to have his tax charges dismissed, saying he was selectively targeted by prosecutors. And heading to the airport? Changes at American Airlines may have you rethinking your checked bags. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024.
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Hunter Biden seeks to dismiss tax charges, says he was selectively targeted
The legal team for Hunter Biden has asked a judge to dismiss tax-related charges brought by Special Counsel David Weiss in federal court in 2023. In Tuesday’s Feb. 20 filing, the attorneys accuse prosecutors of selectively targeting the president’s son, bowing to political pressure, violating a statute of limitations, and filing duplicative charges.
The attorneys said Weiss has “gone to extreme lengths to bring charges against Mr. Biden that would not have been filed against anyone else.”
In December of 2023, the special counsel charged Hunter Biden with nine counts, alleging he failed to pay $1.4 million in taxes for three years. Hunter has pleaded not guilty to all tax-related charges, as well as those related to another case, his alleged illegal possession of a firearm.
Meanwhile, Special Counsel Weiss said a former FBI informant, who is accused of lying to the agency about President Biden and his son taking $5 million each in bribes, received some of the information from officials associated with Russian intelligence. Weiss said Alexander Smirnov told the FBI of the Russian connections following his arrest on Thursday, Feb. 15. Smirnov has since been released from custody under certain conditions, including wearing an ankle bracelet and restricting travel only for court appearances.
White House reacts to Alabama’s frozen embryo ruling
Days after Alabama’s Supreme Court ruled frozen embryos can be considered children under state law on Friday, Feb. 16, critics of the decision are speaking out, including those in the Biden administration. While saying she would not comment on the specific case, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reacted while on board Air Force One on Tuesday, Feb. 20.
“This is exactly the type of chaos that we expected when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and paved the way for politicians to dictate some of the most personal decisions families can make,” Jean-Pierre said. “…as a reminder, this is the same state whose attorney general threatened to prosecute people who help women travel out of state to seek the care they need.”
The Alabama ruling concerned a case where a couple’s embryos were destroyed in an accident at a fertility clinic in 2020. In the majority ruling by the all-Republican court, the justices said an 1872 statute in the state’s constitution allowing parents to sue over the death of a minor child “applies to all unborn children, regardless of their location.”
Live Action, an anti-abortion group, cheered the decision.
“Each person, from the tiniest embryo to an elder nearing the end of his life, has incalculable value that deserves and is guaranteed legal protection,” Lila Rose, president and founder of Live Action, said in a statement.
The justice’s decision means the couple’s wrongful death lawsuit can proceed, with the clinic having the option to ask the court to reconsider its ruling.
Two men charged with murder in Kansas City Super Bowl Parade shooting
According to prosecutors, the violence erupted from a dispute between Mays and an unidentified person, initiated by mutual stares, as outlined in court documents and corroborated by witnesses and video evidence.
According to the charges, evidence points to Miller’s gunfire as the cause of 43-year-old Elizabeth Lopez-Galvan’s death. Lopez-Galvan was a mother of two and a local radio DJ. Currently, both suspects are receiving medical treatment while detained on a $1 million bond each.
FuboTV sues Disney, Fox, Warner Bros. Discovery over streaming service
The collaboration between the media companies looks to bring all of their sports assets, including the NFL, NBA, and FIFA, under one streaming service. It is slated to launch in the fall of 2024. A spokesperson for the joint venture has so far declined to comment on the lawsuit.
American Airlines ups baggage fees for first time in over 5 years
If you are flying on American Airlines soon, you may want to pack a little lighter to save a few bucks. The airline has announced it is raising checked bag fees for the first time since 2018. Passengers checking bags at the airport on most flights will now pay $40 for their first checked bag, up from $30. But paying for your first checked bag before you get to the airport will cost $35. Checking a second bag will cost $45, up from $40.
American Airlines said the price bump has to do with fuel prices making the cost of transporting luggage “significantly higher.” Alaska Airlines and JetBlue have also recently increased checked bag prices.
According to the Transportation Department, in the first nine months of 2023, U.S. airlines raked in $5.5 billion in bag fees; American Airlines accounted for $1 billion of that.
American Airlines also announced on Tuesday, Feb. 20, that it is restructuring its frequent flyer miles to drive more traffic to its own website. Rewards for basic economy tickets will only be available to passengers who book through American Airlines. The airline will soon announce a list of third-party travel agencies whose bookings will earn customer rewards.
Four separate films about each Beatles member to be released in 2027
Music movies are having a moment these days, “Bob Marley: One Love” topped the box office this weekend, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” broke concert movie records, and a film on the life of Michael Jackson is currently in production. Now we know the next four musicians with movies on the way, or should we say the next “Fab Four”?
That’s right, The Beatles, all of The Beatles, will each have a separate film made about their lives. According to Sony Pictures, each movie will be shown from a different Beatles member’s point of view, with the films intersecting. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison have granted full life story and music rights to the scripted films. All four movies are set to be released in theaters in 2027.