Cross the water

SAN DIEGO (CBSLA) — More than $211 million worth of seized cocaine and marijuana was offloaded by the Coast Guard and Navy in San Diego Monday. (credit: Coast Guard) Approximately 11,400 pounds of cocaine and 9,000 pounds of cocaine had been seized by crews on the USS Gabrielle Giffords and three other Coast Guard cutters in the international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean between October and December, according to the Coast Guard. READ MORE: Search Warrant Executed To Obtain Black Box Data In Tiger Woods Crash “When you are covering a drug-smuggling transit zone the size of the continental United States, every ship makes a huge difference,” Lt. Jonathan Dietrich said in a statement. READ MORE: One Killed After 2 Freight Trains ‘Converge’ In Buena Park The LEDET 407, whose crew is based in Miami, was the source of five cases involving 10,570 pounds of cocaine and 4,100 pounds of marijuana. The Spencer made the next biggest seizures at 420 pounds of cocaine … [Read more...] about 20,000 Pounds Of Cocaine, Marijuana Worth $211 Million Seized From International Waters Offloaded In San Diego

South African scientists said Wednesday that antibodies from the coronavirus variant first found in the country may offer protection against additional strains of the virus. Reuters reported that Alex Sigal of the Africa Health Research Institute said at a news conference that based on studies of patients who were infected with the 501Y.V2 variant of the virus that causes COVID-19, vaccines designed specifically for the strain “might be cross-protective to other variants.” Penny Moore, a professor at South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases, said that the antibody protection from the South African variant was only reduced threefold against the original virus, compared to a ninefold reduction in the protection provided by the original virus antibodies against 501Y.V2. ADVERTISEMENT “It’s not that the antibodies that are triggered by 501Y.V2 are somehow magical, there is a drop-off … but unlike the antibodies triggered by the original variant they … [Read more...] about Antibodies from South African coronavirus variant may offer cross-protection, researchers find

He made America’s representative institutions greatly biased in favor of Republicans. Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer Photo: REUTERS/Yuri Gripas In the United States, every season is campaign season. Four months after America last went to the polls, Democrats are still refining their autopsies of the 2020 race and already governing with an eye toward the 2022 midterms. Meanwhile, on the other side of the aisle, Republicans are trying to figure out just how firm Donald Trump’s grip on their party really is — and debating whether that grip should be stronger or weaker. To gain some insight into these matters, Intelligencer turned to our favorite socialist proponent of ruthlessly poll-driven campaigning, David Shor. A veteran of the 2012 Obama campaign, Shor is currently head of data science at OpenLabs, a progressive nonprofit. We spoke with him last week about how his analysis of the 2020 election has changed since November, what Democrats need to do to keep Congress … [Read more...] about David Shor on Why Trump Was Good for the GOP and How Dems Can Win in 2022

NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — It’s been more than two weeks since Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration after a deadly winter storm caused damage across the state. Now some companies, including Mold Inspection Sciences Texas, are reminding Texans that the declaration allows out-of-state and unlicensed contractors to obtain temporary registration and to perform work on storm-damaged properties in the state. And those contractors include those performing mold assessment and remediation and material removal after burst pipes caused damage at homes and businesses across the Lone Star State. READ MORE: Mesquite Man Wins Big On Texas Lottery 'Weekly Grand' Scratch Ticket, Takes Home Nearly $900K (credit: Getty Images) Texans need to be aware that you don’t want just anyone addressing a potential mold issue. You must seek out someone who is licensed and qualified. “We’ve seen this happen before,” said Mold Inspection Sciences Texas Chief Operating Officer … [Read more...] about Texans Warned About Hiring Unlicensed Contractors For Winter Storm Cleanup

President Biden Joe Biden Intercept bureau chief: minimum wage was not 'high priority' for Biden in COVID-19 relief South Carolina Senate adds firing squad as alternative execution method Obama alum Seth Harris to serve as Biden labor adviser: report MORE on Tuesday urged Senate Democrats to stay united and quickly pass a coronavirus relief bill, as the caucus is trying to navigate some high-profile squabbles. Biden's message, delivered during a virtual conference call, comes as the Senate could take up a sweeping $1.9 trillion coronavirus bill as soon as Wednesday. "Senate Democrats are committed to passing the American Rescue Plan. ... He said that we need to pass this bill and pass it soon," Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer Chuck Schumer A Biden stumble on China? First Black secretary of Senate sworn in Republican Ohio Senate candidate calls on GOP rep to resign over impeachment vote MORE (D-N.Y.) told reporters after the call. … [Read more...] about Biden tells Senate Democrats to stick together, quickly pass coronavirus relief