need2know-afternoon-edition-072523

The headlines that you need to know. The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas for installing floating barriers along the US Mexico border. The DOJ said the 1000 ft barrier was installed without authorization and is a danger to migrants attempting to cross the Rio Grande and environmental concern. The barriers are part of Texas's crackdown on migration across the southern border called operation Lone Star. The suit asked a federal judge to order the state to remove the barrier. Well, in advance of the suit. Texas, Governor Greg Abbott sent a letter to the federal government defending the operation arguing Texas will full utilize its constitutional authority to deal with the crisis that you've caused. And wildfires burning in Canada are again, sending smoke south into the US with air quality alerts in effect across the Midwest and upper Great Lakes, global pollution tracker IQ air reports, Chicago, Minneapolis and Detroit are all ranked among the world's top 20 most polluted cities. As of this morning, health officials urge Americans under air quality alerts to stay indoors or wear a high quality mask. When outside Canadian fire officials say there are more than 1000 active fires currently burning in the country, including more than 650 that are considered out of control. Keeping with the weather, the heat waves causing record temperatures across the globe are still under way. According to a new report from world weather attribution, without human induced climate change, these heat events would have been extremely rare and they also warned that heat waves like the one that we're witnessing could become more common according to one every 2 to 5 years. Well, here in the US, the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for the Great Plains and Mississippi Valley states in the coming days warning that temperatures will reach into the 90 s and one hundreds. Their extreme heat advisory remains in place for southwestern states and South Florida lawyers for the man accused of killing a four University of Idaho students claims he was elsewhere at the time of the murders. In a court filing earlier today, Brian Ko Beer's defense attorney said he was not the location where the crimes took place last November. In the filing, his attorney stated, quote evidence corroborating Misko Beger being at a location other than the King Road address will be disclosed pursuant to discovery and evidentiary rules as well as statutory requirements. Koger is charged with four counts of first degree murder. A not guilty plea has been entered on his behalf and his trial is set for October in breaking news. Ronnie James, the son of NBA Star lebron James was hospitalized after suffering cardiac arrest. A spokesperson for the James family has confirmed that the 18 year old is currently in stable condition and has been moved out of the ICU. Bron James is practicing at the University of Southern California where he's an incoming freshman. According to the spokesperson, James was treated by medical staff at the practice facility before being transferred to the hospital. And Florida, Governor Ron desantis was in a car accident earlier this morning, he was on the way to a 2024 presidential campaign event in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Local police said the accident was caused when traffic slowed down causing DeSantis four car motorcade to hit each other. On a statement, DeSantis campaign spokesperson said DeSantis and his team are uninjured. We appreciate the prayers and well wishes of the nation for its continued protection. While on the campaign trail, the governor is scheduled to attend multiple fundraisers in Tennessee today and Ups has reached a tentative contract agreement with its 340,000 unionized workers. The deal would avert a potential strike that would have disrupted logistics. Nationwide. Teamsters union calls the deal the most historic tentative agreement for workers in the history of UPS. The agreement will include higher wages and other benefits as well as air conditioning in delivery trucks. Union members will have between August 3rd and the 22 to vote on the contract. A new survey released today shows emergency call center workers are understaffed, plagued by burnout and struggling to fill open positions. The survey conducted by National Emergency Number Association highlights nationwide staffing problems in some communities. In one incident in ST Louis. Callers couldn't get through for nearly half an hour when they tried to report an incident involving a woman who was trapped in her car under a fallen tree. 82% of call center workers who took the survey said their centers were understaffed. An Alabama woman who went missing earlier this month after making a 911 call about a toddler wandering on the interstate has admitted that she wasn't kidnapped. 25 year old Carly Russell went missing on July 13. She returned home two days later and told police she had been abducted and forced into a vehicle. Well, yesterday, she released a statement via her attorney which was read by police chief Nick DUIs in Hoover, Alabama. Take a look. My client apologizes for her actions to this community. The volunteers who were searching for her to the Hoover Police Department and other agencies as well as to her friends and family. We ask for your prayers for Carly as she addresses her issues and attempts to move forward. It's still unclear where Russell was at the time of her disappearance. Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Israel last night after the government passed controversial judicial reform. Crowds were hit by police water cannons as they blocked a major highway. The judicial changes pushed forward by right wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu removed the Supreme Court's ability to block legislation that they find unreasonable new laws are being challenged in court. And today health care workers in the Israel Medical Association are on strike to show their opposition to the bill while emergency rooms will operate as normal doctors in other parts of the medical system are pausing work for 24 hours and transgender athletes will compete in a new open category. The sport's governing body has announced the World Aquatics Organization president announced he was making plans for the first trial of the category but offered no dates comes as the World Swimming Championship is underway in Japan. Previously, the organization banned all trans athlete major competitions including the Olympics. The World Aquatics president didn't give a date for the new event, but he did say that he hopes to confirm details soon. He did go on to say you have heard me say many times that there should be no discrimination, nobody should be excluded from our competitions. Also saying our sport must be open to everybody while the torch that will be used in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games opening ceremony has been revealed. Its design is sleek silver and environmentally conscious. It's the work of French designer, Matthieu Leno, who also used recycled steel that tapers at both ends. Only 2000 torches were produced. This year in an effort to use fewer resources and limit the carbon footprint. It's five times fewer than previous Olympics members are taking their fight for fair compensation and better treatment to New York City's Times Square. It comes after the union announced it was going on strike a little over a week ago. Here's a look at how crowds gathered to make their voices heard. We were here all morning as the union transformed Times Square, we are talking thousands of actors and celebrities filling this plaza. You can see they are still here now holding those signs that say SA A on strike. They say they are here to rock the city as they call for a fair contract. It was standing room only as union board members and notable local actors addressed studio executives demanding fair pay pay. Your actors represents 160,000 media professionals across the country. The strike comes as the union and the alliance of motion picture and television producers have so far not been able to agree on a new contract. The union members are looking for fair compensation and more job security. They're also asking for protection from artificial intelligence and higher residual payments when it comes to streaming platforms, actors here today say they are fighting for the soul of their industry and it is, it is tough because you don't want to do nothing because you want to support the union. But at the same time, you got to make money. So you got to do things for acting. You know what I mean? I work a lot in voiceover. So A I is a really big problem with voices being reproduced. I've been a member of S A after since 1974 and I climbed on top of the Hollywood sign to show everybody. Come on, we need your attention and it worked out then. So hopefully, this will be working out a monumental moment. This is the first time that actors and writers have gone on strike together in more than 60 years.