July 22, 2024

U.S. NEWS

Hurricane Beryl led to massive power outages in Texas, impacting nearly 3 million homes and businesses. This resulted in a spike in heat-related deaths, raising the storm's death toll to at least 23. Among the victims was Pamela Jarrett, who died from heat exposure after four days without electricity. Hospitals reported an increase in heat-related illnesses during the outages, which lasted over a week in some areas. CenterPoint Energy faced criticism for its slow response in restoring power. Officials are still determining the full impact of the storm, with a complete death toll expected later. Understanding the storm's human toll is crucial for future disaster planning and response.

WORLD NEWS

Israel intercepted a missile fired from Yemen by Houthi rebels just hours after conducting airstrikes on the group. The airstrikes were a response to earlier Houthi attacks on Israel, escalating tensions. This incident highlights the ongoing conflict involving the Houthis, who have been engaged in a civil war in Yemen against a Saudi-led coalition. The Houthis have launched multiple cross-border attacks, including missile and drone strikes, affecting regional stability. The interception of the missile demonstrates Israel's defense capabilities and the persistent threat posed by the Houthis' military activities. This conflict underscores the broader geopolitical complexities in the Middle East.

MONEY

Netflix has discontinued its Basic ad-free plan in the U.S. and France, forcing subscribers to switch plans to continue their service. The Basic plan, previously priced at $11.99 per month, was phased out after similar actions in the U.K. and Canada, where the company saw increased adoption of its ad-supported tier. Netflix's ad-supported plan costs $6.99 per month and includes high-definition streaming and downloads. The company aims to boost revenue and expand its subscriber base, reporting over 277 million subscribers globally and projecting 14%-15% revenue growth for the year.

HEALTH

ENTERTAINMENT

"Twisters," directed by Lee Isaac Chung, is a sequel to the 1996 film "Twister," and stars Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones. The film focuses on the reunion of two storm chasers, Kate (Edgar-Jones) and Javi (Anthony Ramos), five years after a failed experiment that cost many lives. They team up again to confront a new tornado outbreak with the help of high-tech storm-chasing equipment and a group of YouTube-famous tornado wranglers led by Tyler (Powell)​

While the film delivers impressive special effects and thrilling action sequences, it has some shortcomings in its character development and plot depth. Edgar-Jones' performance is noted for being somewhat subdued, which contrasts with Powell's dynamic presence that helps carry the movie. The film also includes subtle social commentary on the increasing destructiveness of tornadoes, hinting at climate change without explicitly mentioning it​

Overall, "Twisters" is a visually stunning summer blockbuster that balances romance and disaster elements, echoing the charm of its predecessor​ (Roger Ebert)​​

TRAVEL

On Sunday, a widespread IT outage at a third-party vendor led to massive flight cancellations and delays across multiple airlines. The disruption, which began on Friday, caused significant operational challenges as airlines struggled to restore normal services. Major carriers like Delta and United were particularly affected, with thousands of flights impacted. The outage inconvenienced countless passengers, who faced delays and cancellations as airlines worked to resolve the technical issues and rebook travelers. The incident highlights the vulnerability of airline operations to IT infrastructure failures.

FOOD

NOSTALGIA

FUN STUFF