| TTLA STATEWIDE PAC DRIVES: All IN TO WIN |
In order to WIN in 2018, we need EVERY TTLA member to support the TTLA PAC. So, we are holding a series of “ALL IN TO WIN” PAC Fundraising Drives. We’ll be calling every TTLA member to ask them to contribute at least $7 a month to the PAC. Please join us on one (or more!) of these days to get every TTLA member engaged in our political efforts. Volunteers are the key to our success, and all you have to do is choose a day, RSVP and then SHOW UP. We will give you all the tools you need to be successful. Click on the headline to RSVP!
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Texas Tribune Daily Brief
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| Drowsy Driving Epidemic |
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Drowsy driving plays a role in nearly eight times as many accidents as federal estimates suggest, according to a study released Thursday. Using in-vehicle camera footage of thousands of drivers who had agreed to participate in the study, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety concluded that motorists are falling asleep at the wheel at alarming rates. The AAA study examined more than 700 crashes, analyzing three minutes of video of drivers' faces leading up to the accidents. They used a scientific gauge to determine whether the driver was sleepy. In about 9.5% of crashes, drowsiness was a factor. And it was a key factor in 10.8% of accidents that caused serious property damage.
Nathan Bomey and Bart Jansen, USA Today02/08/2018    |
| Read Article: USA Today |
| Houston Fire Marshal Inspector Sounds the Alarm on Courthouse Safety |
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An aging courthouse pressed back into service after Hurricane Harvey poses a significant fire risk to the thousands of people who pass through its doors each day, according to the Houston Fire Marshal's office. The former Harris County Family Law Center has no sprinkler system and poor evacuation routes with few exits and narrow corridors that would limit escape during a fire, officials said. The seven-story building, at 1115 Congress near San Jacinto, has housed 16 Harris County misdemeanor courts since the nearby Harris County Criminal Courthouse flooded during Harvey in August. About 55,000 lawyers, judges, clerks, jurors, defendants and witnesses move through the building each month.
Brian Rogers, Houston Chronicle02/08/2018 |
| Read Article: Houston Chronicle |
| Wynn Case Raises Questions About Responsibility to Investors |
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The scandal that forced the resignation of Steve Wynn as chairman and CEO of the casino and resorts company bearing his name is raising questions about the obligation of corporations to disclose sexual misconduct allegations to their investors - an issue complicated by a web of workplace and legal practices that companies have used to keep such situations under wraps. The billionaire casino mogul's resignation came less than two weeks after the Wall Street Journal reported that a number of women said Wynn harassed or assaulted them and that one case led to a $7.5 million settlement.
Alexandra Olson and Marley Jay, Associated Press, Yahoo News02/08/2018 |
| Read Article: Yahoo News |
| Wynn Resorts Board Sued for Failing to Investigate Chief Executive |
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The board of Wynn Resorts has been sued by shareholders, claiming the board knew for years that Steve Wynn, founder and chief executive of the casino operator, had been accused of sexual misconduct and failed to investigate. The case is a derivative lawsuit, meaning any damages paid by Wynn and the other board members who are named defendants would be paid to Wynn Resorts, not directly to investors. The lawsuit filed in Clark County, Nevada, claimed, based on press reports, that “a board representative” was notified of Wynn’s alleged misconduct in 2009 by Wynn’s then-wife Elaine.
Tom Hals, Reuters02/08/2018 |
| Read Article: Reuters |
| Another Family Sues La Vernia ISD Over Alleged Sexual Assaults |
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Another family has filed suit against the La Vernia Independent School District over alleged widespread hazing at the high school, accusing a coach of failing to report their child’s repeated sexual assaults at the hands of basketball teammates. The complaint, filed Jan. 23, claims that the unnamed minor student was assaulted at least 30 times from October 2016 to February 2017, both on and off campus. The most recent assaults are alleged to have occurred shortly before the arrests last year of 13 La Vernia High School students, including seven juveniles, on charges of sexual assault. According to the lawsuit, the family’s child was subjected to a pattern of abuse, described in graphic detail in the suit, that occurred in the locker room and showers at La Vernia High School, before and after games at other schools and at a teammate’s house.
Lauren Caruba, San Antonio Express News02/08/2018 |
| Read Article: San Antonio Express News |
| GM Asks to Avoid Takata Airbag Recalls for 3rd Time |
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For the third time in the past three years, General Motors has asked the U.S. government for permission to avoid recalls of potentially deadly Takata airbag inflators. The company disclosed its third petition to escape the recalls on Tuesday in a filing with securities regulators. The financial stakes are high. If the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration lets GM out of the recalls, the company says it could save $1 billion and avoid recalling up to 6.8 million full-size pickup trucks and SUVs from the 2007 to 2011 model years.
Associated Press, Detroit Free Press02/08/2018 |
| Read Article: Detroit Free Press |
| Samsung and Roku Smart TVs Vulnerable to Hacking, Consumer Reports Finds |
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Consumer Reports has found that millions of smart TVs can be controlled by hackers exploiting easy-to-find security flaws. The problems affect Samsung televisions, along with models made by TCL and other brands that use the Roku TV smart-TV platform, as well as streaming devices such as the Roku Ultra.
Consumer Reports, ConsumerReports.org02/08/2018 |
| Read Article: ConsumerReports.org |
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