Thousands Lose Power As Isaias Rolls Through
(Undated) -- Tropical Storm Isaias [[ ees-ah-EE-ahs ]] is responsible for keeping utility crews busy in the area. FPL reported more than 25-hundred power outages yesterday. Most of them were in Brevard County.Outages were also reported in Volusia and Seminole counties.
Isaias Doesn't Deter Beachgoers
(Daytona Beach, FL) -- Even a tropical storm can't keep people off the beaches in Volusia County. As Tropical Storm Isaias [[ ees-ah-EE-ahs ]] passed through yesterday, swimmers and surfers could be seen at Daytona Beach and elsewhere. One woman says it was nice to be out on a cool day and watch the waves. A surfer enjoying those waves tells the News-Journal it was electric in the air.
Astronaut And Tulane Grad Returns To Earth After Historic Spaceflight
(New Orleans, LA) -- Dragon Capsule Commander and Tulane grad Colonel Doug Hurley is back on Earth following a successful and historic mission to the International Space Station. Hurley and fellow astronaut Robert Behnken safely splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico yesterday after spending two months onboard the ISS. Hurley commanded the mission featuring the first spacecraft built by a private company and the first spaceflight from American soil in close to nine-years. Hurley graduated from Tulane in 1988 and flew as a pilot on two space shuttle missions, including the final flight of the program in 2011.
State Rep. Fine Hospitalized With COVID
(Melbourne, FL) -- The condition of a state rep battling the coronavirus appears to have gotten worse. Brevard County's Randy Fine announced yesterday he was admitted to the hospital. The 46-year-old was diagnosed with COVID-19 almost two weeks ago along with his wife and two kids. Fine writes on Facebook his odds are pretty good, but he's scared and asking for prayers.
Arrest Made In Deadly Burger King Shooting
(Orlando, FL) -- Slow service appears to be the motive behind a deadly shooting at a Burger King in Orange County. It happened Saturday night in the restaurant's parking lot on East Colonial Drive. Deputies say Kelvis Rodriguez-Tormes shot 22-year-old store employee Desmond Joshua because the suspect's girlfriend was upset with how long it took to get her food. Rodriguez-Tormes was arrested yesterday and charged with first-degree murder.
Half of Russians Still Believe Moon Landing Was Faked
(Undated) -- Half of Russians surveyed believe the United States faked the moon landing in 1969. In a recent survey of 16-hundred adults, only 31 percent believe Americans actually landed on the moon. The Soviet Union denied it had been in a space race with the U.S. soon after the moon landing, criticizing NASA's efforts. However, conspiracy theories have persisted since the 1970s, including Bill Kaysing self-publishing a pamphlet in 1976 entitled "We Never Went To The Moon: America's Thirty Billion Dollar Swindle." A Gallup poll in 1999 found that five percent of Americans believed the moon landing was faked.
Mattel Profits Rise As Parents Use Barbies To Entertain Kids At Home
(El Segundo, CA) -- Mattel Inc. reports they did better in the second quarter than expected as parents bought up Barbie dolls to keep kids entertained at home. Uno playing cards and "Baby Yoda" toys have also helped with the company's pandemic success. Gross sales rose three-percent in North America and shares were up four-percent. Net global sales did drop 15-percent but they still brought in 54-million-dollars more than what was projected by analysts.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
2019, a man entered an El Paso, Texas Walmart and killed 22 people and shot 24 others.
2019, nine people were killed while 27 others were shot in a bar in Dayton, Ohio. This was the second mass shooting in 24 hours.
1984, Olympic U.S. gymnast Mary Lou Retton scored a perfect 10.00, accomplishing what no American woman gymnast ever had. She captured the gold medal in all-around gymnastics. She had to score a perfect 10.00 because her Russian competitor had just landed a 9.9.
1981, 13 thousand air traffic controllers in the U.S. went on strike, defying an order by President Reagan. The strike went on, causing cancellations of nearly 15 thousand flights. Reagan fired those who defied his order after 48 hours of striking.
1971, former Beatle Paul McCartney formed a new group called Wings.
1492, Christopher Columbus set sail aboard the "Santa Maria."