The Texas Department of Transportation issued traffic alerts Tuesday for the Odessa District which includes the counties of Andrews, Crane, Ector, Loving, Martin, Midland, Pecos, Reeves, Terrell, Upton, Ward and Winkler.
New and ongoing traffic alerts can be viewed here and below:
By STEVE PEOPLES, WILL WEISSERT and JOEY CAPPELLETTI
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON Bernie Sanders describes President Joe Biden’s recent debate performance as “painful.” In an interview, he says he’s not confident that Biden can win this fall.
But the progressive senator from Vermont does not want Biden to step aside.
Instead, Sanders, who served as Biden’s chief rival in the Democratic Party’s 2020 nomination fight, is calling on voters to adopt “a maturity” as they view their options this fall.
“A presidential election is not a Grammy Award contest for the best singer or entertainer. It’s about who has the best policies that impact our lives,” Sanders said. “I’m going to do everything I can to see that Biden gets reelected.”
That’s putting the best face on it. Nearly a week after Biden’s disastrous debate performance, there is a growing sense among concerned Democrats that the party has trapped itself in a bad situation with no clear solution, caught in a primary process set up to protect Biden with elected officials unwilling to say out loud what some say quietly.
Some allies, like Sanders, are acknowledging Biden’s problems but contrasting his policies and record with those of Republican Donald Trump. But many donors, strategists and party insiders want Biden to suspend his reelection campaign to avoid what they see as certain defeat come November.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas on Tuesday became the first House Democrat to call for the president to withdraw, saying “too much is at stake” for Biden to stay in the race and lose to Trump.
“He has the opportunity to encourage a new generation of leaders from whom a nominee can be chosen to unite our country through an open, democratic process,” Doggett said in a written statement. “My decision to make these strong reservations public is not done lightly nor does it in any way diminish my respect for all that President Biden has achieved.”
In private, people close to would-be Biden replacements — including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Vice President Kamala Harris — are having informal conversations about potential next steps should Biden abruptly change course and step aside.
Such conversations include talk of potential running mates, according to donors involved in the discussions. Names of potential vice presidential nominees that have surfaced include Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and California Rep. Ro Khanna.
Every one of the officials on such lists has publicly pledged support for Biden in recent days. And ever defiant, Biden’s team has downplayed the president’s political problems in a series of memos and private meetings with donors, strategists and party insiders.
“The voters are powerless,” said Nina Turner, a national co-chair of Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, who now fears the Democratic Party cannot win again with Biden as the nominee. “The decision rests solely with him.”
Amid such frustration, key groups in Biden’s political coalition — who had shown signs of fraying even before the debate — have begun to turn against each other.
Tim Miller, a prominent Biden supporter who once worked for Republican political campaigns, has come under attack in recent days from pro-Biden activists. They posted pictures of his family on social media after he raised concerns about Biden’s general election prospects.
In an interview, however, Miller said that elected Democrats privately tell him that they share his concerns.
“For me, the only risk right now is everyone shutting up and getting in line,” Miller said. “It’s the right time to have an open conversation about what the path forward is. Otherwise, we’re on a trajectory for another Donald Trump presidency.”
A handful of leading Republicans from the “Never Trump” camp met privately with Biden campaign officials on Monday to encourage the president to leave the race.
The Biden campaign issued a memo over the weekend claiming he had lost little support after the debate. A separate internal memo also argued that he would retain the support of many voters who had a negative reaction to his primetime performance.
A CNN poll conducted by SSRS after the debate found that Biden’s favorability rating hasn’t shifted meaningfully, nor has the share of Americans who say they will vote for him in November. However, three-quarters of U.S. voters — and more than half of Democratic voters — say the Democratic Party would have a better chance of winning the presidency with someone else at the top of the ticket.
At the same time, the president’s campaign announced on Tuesday a massive fundraising haul for the month of June. Overall, the campaign raised $127 million last month, including $33 million on the day of the debate and in its aftermath, according to the campaign. The numbers cannot be verified until federal filings are posted later in the month.
Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison also made clear on Tuesday that the party’s rules leave no room for a Plan B.
Biden secured almost every delegate in the state-by-state primary process this spring. They are pledged by party rules to “in all good conscience” reflect the desires of voters who chose Biden. A virtual roll call vote to formalize Biden’s status as the nominee is expected weeks before the party’s national convention.
“The primary is over, and in every state, the will of Democratic voters was clear: Joe Biden will be the Democratic Party’s nominee for president,” Harrison told The Associated Press. “Delegates are pledged to reflect voters’ sentiment, and over 99% of delegates are already pledged to Joe Biden headed into our convention.”
But Biden’s allies in key states across the country acknowledge the fear spreading through their party ranks.
Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said she’s worked to calm concerns about Biden’s mental acuity by sharing her personal experiences.
“I have been in close-quarter meetings and conversations and interactions with the president where we’re able to talk high policy initiatives but also been able to just have a general conversation, like you’re talking to your neighbor,” Fried said. “There’s never been a time that I have questioned his abilities to run this country and to put forth the type of energy and coalition that will be necessary to win in November.”
Michigan Democratic Party chairwoman Levona Barnes said she spoke with volunteers Monday night and “yes they asked questions” about Biden’s debate performance. But “we need to focus our talks with our voters on the work that the president’s done in contrast with Donald Trump,” she said.
Vermont Democratic Sen. Peter Welch conceded that Biden’s debate performance intensified questions about the president’s age, which are on the minds of “everyday voters” and even “extremely energetic Biden supporters.”
“Within the Biden campaign they’re acutely aware of it,” Welch said in an interview. “I thought it was a mistake for the Biden campaign to be critical of people who started asking questions the campaign itself is asking.”
Meanwhile, Vermont’s other senator, Sanders, conceded that Biden’s path to reelection will not be easy.
“I wasn’t confident he could win before the debate,” Sanders told The AP. “What we need on the part of the American people is a maturity right now — and that is to understand that what is important are the issues. And the difference between Trump and Biden: day and night.”
Cappelletti reported from Lansing, Michigan. Associated Press writer Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux in Washington contributed to this report.
By SUMAN NAISHADHAM
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Joe Biden on Tuesday proposed a new rule to address excessive heat in the workplace, warning — as tens of millions of people in the U.S. are under heat advisories — that high temperatures are the country’s leading weather-related killer.
If finalized, the measure would protect an estimated 36 million U.S. workers from injuries related to heat exposure on the job — establishing the first major federal safety standard of its kind. Those affected by excessive heat in the workplace include farmworkers, delivery and construction workers, landscapers and indoor workers in warehouses, factories and kitchens.
Biden highlighted the proposed rule as one of five steps his Democratic administration is taking to address extreme weather as Hurricane Beryl is already ripping through the Caribbean in an ominous sign for the summer.
Biden used his remarks at the DC Emergency Operations Centers to blast those Republican lawmakers who deny the existence of climate change, saying, “It’s not only outrageous, it’s really stupid.” Biden noted that there are human and financial costs from climate change, saying that weather-inflicted damage last year cost the economy $90 billion.
“More people die from extreme heat than floods, hurricanes and tornadoes combined,” Biden said. “These climate fueled extreme weather events don’t just affect people’s lives. They also cost money. They hurt the economy, and they have a significant negative psychological effect on people.”
The Democratic president, who’s seeking reelection in part on his environmental record, said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was also finalizing a rule to factor in possible flooding risks for federal construction projects.
In addition, FEMA was announcing $1 billion in grants to help communities deal with natural disasters, while the Environmental Protection Agency was releasing a new report on climate change’s impacts. Lastly, Biden said his administration would hold a conference titled “White House Summer on Extreme Heat” in the coming months.
Despite increased awareness of the risks posed to human health by high temperatures, extreme heat protections — for those routinely exposed to heat index readings above 80 degrees Fahrenheit — have lagged.
“The purpose of this rule is simple,” a senior White House administration official told reporters. “It is to significantly reduce the number of worker-related deaths, injuries, and illnesses suffered by workers who are exposed to excessive heat … while simply doing their jobs.”
Under the proposed rule, employers would be required to identify heat hazards, develop emergency response plans related to heat illness, and provide training to employees and supervisors on the signs and symptoms of such illnesses. They would also have to establish rest breaks, provide shade and water, and heat acclimatization — or the building of tolerance to higher temperatures — for new workers.
Penalties for heat-related violations in workplaces would increase significantly, in line with what workplaces are issued for violations of Occupational Safety and Health Administration rules, a senior White House administration official said.
An estimated 2,300 people in the U.S. died from heat-related illness in 2023. Workers with prolonged exposure to extreme heat are among the most vulnerable to related health risks, such as heatstroke and other illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
As the hottest month of the year gets underway, millions of Americans will be at greater risk of heat strokes, dangerous dehydration and heat-related heart stress.
The Labor Department has been developing a standard for how workplaces deal with heat since 2021, with OSHA having held meetings last year to hear about how the proposed measures could affect small businesses.
The AFL-CIO union federation praised the Biden administration’s rule. “If finalized, this new rule would address some of the most basic needs for workers’ health and safety,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler.
Heat protection laws in the U.S. have faced steady industry opposition, including from chambers of commerce and other business associations. Many say a blanket mandate would be difficult to implement across such a wide range of industries.
California, Colorado, Oregon, Minnesota and Washington are the only states with workplace standards for heat exposure. Some regulations have recently come under attack by Republicans. Over the past year, Florida and Texas, led by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Gov. Greg Abbott, both Republicans, passed legislation preventing local governments from requiring heat protections for outdoor workers.
If finalized, the Biden administration’s rule would override state measures, and states with existing procedures to deal with heat would have to institute measures that are at least as stringent as the finalized federal rule.
WASHINGTON, D.C. RSC House Energy Action Team (HEAT) Chairman Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), and RSC Chairman Kevin Hern (R-OK) released the following statement after a federal judge blocked President Biden’s ban on new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals:
“We are glad that the courts agree that the Biden Administration violated the Natural Gas Act with a politically motivated attack on American energy producers. DOE must expeditiously approve the several projects sitting before them. Furthermore, the Senate should immediately take up the bipartisan House-passed H.R. 7176, the Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2024, to ensure that no administration can again block LNG exports.”
By MATTHEW PERRONE
AP Health Writer
WASHINGTON U.S. officials have approved another Alzheimer’s drug that can modestly slow the disease, providing a new option for patients in the early stages of the incurable, memory-destroying ailment.
The Food and Drug Administration approved Eli Lilly’s Kisunla on Tuesday for mild or early cases of dementia caused by Alzheimer’s. It’s only the second drug that’s been convincingly shown to delay cognitive decline in patients, following last year’s approval of a similar drug from Japanese drugmaker Eisai.
The delay seen with both drugs amounts to a matter of months — about seven months, in the case of Lilly’s drug. Patients and their families will have to weigh that benefit against the downsides, including regular IV infusions and potentially dangerous side effects like brain swelling.
Physicians who treat Alzheimer’s say the approval is an important step after decades of failed experimental treatments.
“I’m thrilled to have different options to help my patients,” said Dr. Suzanne Schindler, a neurologist at Washington University in St. Louis. “It’s been difficult as a dementia specialist — I diagnose my patients with Alzheimer’s and then every year I see them get worse and they progress until they die.”
Both Kisunla and the Japanese drug, Leqembi, are laboratory-made antibodies, administered by IV, that target one contributor to Alzheimer’s — sticky amyloid plaque buildup in the brain. Questions remain about which patients should get the drugs and how long they might benefit.
The new drug’s approval was expected after an outside panel of FDA advisors unanimously voted in favor of its benefits at a public meeting last month. That endorsement came despite several questions from FDA reviewers about how Lilly studied the drug, including allowing patients to discontinue treatment after their plaque reached very low levels.
Costs will vary by patient, based on how long they take the drug, Lilly said. The company also said a year’s worth of therapy would cost $32,000 — higher than the $26,500 price of a year’s worth of Leqembi.
The FDA’s prescribing information tells doctors they can consider stopping the drug after confirming via brain scans that patients have minimal plaque.
More than 6 million Americans have Alzheimer’s. Only those with early or mild disease will be eligible for the new drug, and an even smaller subset are likely to undergo the multi-step process needed to get a prescription.
The FDA approved Kisunla, known chemically as donanemab, based on results from an 18-month study in which patients given getting the treatment declined about 22% more slowly in terms of memory and cognitive ability than those who received a dummy infusion.
The main safety issue was brain swelling and bleeding, a problem common to all plaque-targeting drugs. The rates reported in Lilly’s study — including 20% of patients with microbleeds — were slightly higher than those reported with competitor Leqembi. However, the two drugs were tested in slightly different types of patients, which experts say makes it difficult to compare the drugs’ safety.
Kisunla is infused once a month compared to Leqembi’s twice-a-month regimen, which could make things easier for caregivers who bring their loved ones to a hospital or clinic for treatment.
“Certainly getting an infusion once a month is more appealing than getting it every two weeks,” Schindler said.
Lilly’s drug has another potential advantage: Patients can stop taking it if they respond well.
In the company’s study, patients were taken off Kisunla once their brain plaque reached nearly undetectable levels. Almost half of patients reached that point within a year. Discontinuing the drug could reduce the costs and safety risks of long-term use. It’s not yet clear how soon patients might need to resume infusions.
Logistical hurdles, spotty insurance coverage and financial concerns have all slowed the rollout of competitor Leqembi, which Eisai co-markets with U.S. partner Biogen. Many smaller hospitals and health systems aren’t yet setup to prescribe the new plaque-targeting Alzheimer’s drugs.
First, doctors need to confirm that patients with dementia have the brain plaque targeted by the new drugs. Then they need to find a drug infusion center where patients can receive therapy. Meanwhile, nurses and other staff must be trained to perform repeated scans to check for brain swelling or bleeding.
“Those are all things a physician has to have set up,” said Dr. Mark Mintun, who heads Lilly’s neuroscience division. “Until they get used to them, a patient who comes into their office will not be offered this therapy.”
Work continues this week on the Bright Star Memorial at University of Texas Permian Basin. This landmark will be a place for the Permian Basin community to gather and reflect on the Aug. 31, 2019, mass shooting. A sunset service is scheduled Thursday, August 29, at 8:00 p.m. at the Bright Star Memorial Plaza off of Loop 338 in Odessa. For more information, visit https://www.utpb.edu/give/brightstars
Cooling shelters in Odessa and Midland are now open for those who need relief from this July heat with highs forecast in the low 100’s this week.
On Tuesday the shelters opened thanks to a team up between TXU Energy and The Salvation Army of Odessa and The Salvation Army of Midland.
The cooling stations offer bottled water, electrolyte packs, and a safe place to stay cool when temperatures reach triple digits. The stations will be available through at least Labor Day.
Cooling stations are sponsored with an $8,000 donation from TXU Energy’s signature Beat the Heat program. For more than 25 years, TXU Energy has helped thousands of Texans stay safe in dangerous summer heat.
In addition to this year’s donation, TXU Energy also presented The Salvation Army with two $60,000 checks for $120,000 to provide Energy Aid bill-payment assistance to West Texas families. A check presentation was held Tuesday at The Salvation Army of Odessa, 810 E. 11th St.
Since 1983, TXU Energy Aid has provided more than $130 million in bill-payment assistance through donations from employees, customers, and the company. Community members interested in supporting TXU Energy Aid can make a one-time or monthly donation at txuenergyaid.com.
The Ellen Noël Art Museum will host Dr. Ray Perryman at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 9, for an Economic Impact Presentation regarding the museum’s current renovations. Brief speakers will include: Dr. Scott Muri, Dr. Aaron Hawley and Chris Stanley.
This event will take place inside the library at the Ellen Noël Art Museum. Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend.
AUSTIN The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) announced Tuesday a Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender is back in custody following his recent arrest. Authorities arrested Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender Ramiro Dominguez on June 27 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Dominguez was DPS’ Featured Fugitive in June 2024, and a Crime Stoppers reward will be paid in his arrest.
Ramiro Manuel Dominguez, 35, was taken into custody in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Following up on tip information received last month, DPS Special Agents from Lubbock coordinated with officers from the Cheyenne Police Department to locate and arrest Dominguez.
According to a news release, Dominguez had been wanted since Dec. 2023, when a warrant was issued out of Hale County, Texas, for his arrest for failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements. In 2012, Dominguez was convicted of first-degree rape in Oklahoma following an incident with a 10-year-old girl. He was subsequently sentenced to 8 years confinement. Also in 2012, he was convicted of domestic assault and battery/abuse in Oklahoma and sentenced to 3-years confinement to be served concurrently with his 8-year sentence for rape. More information on Dominguez’s capture can be found here.
Funded by the Governor’s Public Safety Office, Texas Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to any person who provides information that leads to the arrest of one of Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, Sex Offenders or Criminal Illegal Immigrants. So far in 2024, DPS and other agencies have arrested 23 Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, Sex Offenders and Criminal Illegal Immigrants, including 10 sex offenders, 8 gang members and 2 criminal illegal immigrants.
To be eligible for cash rewards, tipsters MUST provide information to authorities using one of the following three methods:
All tips are anonymous — regardless of how they are submitted — and tipsters will be provided a tip number instead of using a name.
DPS investigators work with local law enforcement agencies to select fugitives for the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, Sex Offenders and Criminal Illegal Immigrants Lists. You can find the current lists — with photos — on the DPS website.
Do not attempt to apprehend these fugitives; they are considered armed and dangerous.
By FARNOUSH AMIRI
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON A House Democratic lawmaker has become the first in the party to publicly call for President Joe Biden to step down as the Democratic nominee for president, citing Biden’s debate performance against Donald Trump failing to “effectively defend his many accomplishments.”
Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas said in a statement Tuesday that Biden should “make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw.”
“My decision to make these strong reservations public is not done lightly nor does it in any way diminish my respect for all that President Biden has achieved,” Doggett said. “Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Biden’s first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so.”
Doggett, who represents an Austin-based district and is serving his 15th term in Congress, is the first sitting lawmaker in his party to publicly state what many have been privately whispering behind closed doors since last week’s debate. Biden’s weak performance caused an immediate panic among even his most ardent supporters, leading many to question whether the 81-year-old career politician is the strongest Democratic candidate to take on Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, in November.
Beyond the White House, control of both chambers of Congress is also hanging in the balance in November, and Democrats find themselves defending far more Senate seats than Republicans.
Doggett’s explosive statement came minutes after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told MSNBC on Tuesday that she believes “it is a legitimate question” whether Biden’s halting performance is just “an episode or is this a condition.”
“When people ask that question, it’s legitimate — of both candidates,” Pelosi said.
Pelosi said she had not spoken with Biden since the debate, but she emphasized that the president is on “top of his game, in terms of knowing the issues and what is at stake.”
Associated Press writers Kevin Freking and Stephen Groves contributed to this report.
