Houston july

HOUSTON: A federal judge in Houston knocked US$5.7 million off the fine Exxon Mobil Corp faces for pollution from its largest U.S. crude oil refinery, according to court documents. U.S. District Judge David Hittner issued the ruling on Tuesday afternoon, imposing a US$14.25 million penalty on Exxon for pollution from the Baytown, Texas, refinery and chemical plant complex over eight years. In 2017, Hittner issued a US$19.95 million penalty to Exxon, finding it was responsible for the pollution from the Baytown complex between 2005 and 2013 as alleged in a lawsuit initially filed in 2010 under the U.S. Clean Air Act by the Sierra Club and Environment Texas. In July, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans threw out the penalty and ordered Hittner to determine which violations of the Clean Air Act specifically caused harm to members of the organizations living near Exxon’s Baytown operations. The new penalty was based on a finding of 3,651 days of violations … [Read more...] about US judge knocks nearly US$6 million off fine for Exxon Baytown, Texas, pollution

(CBSDFW/CNN) — As more US COVID-19 vaccine sites prepare to offer one-dose Johnson & Johnson shots for the first time Wednesday, more states are easing coronavirus restrictions despite health officials’ warnings not to do just that. Among the states making moves Tuesday were Texas and Mississippi, both of which are lifting mask mandates and allowing businesses to open at full capacity by now or within days. READ MORE: Mesquite Man Wins Big On Texas Lottery 'Weekly Grand' Scratch Ticket, Takes Home Nearly $900K Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s is ending the 8-month-long statewide mask mandate and opening up Texas 100% , making it the largest state to lift orders intended to prevent spread of COVID-19. By next Wednesday, March 10 all businesses can open at 100%. If restrictions are imposed at the county level, all entities must be allowed to operate at, at least a 50% capacity, according to Abbott. “If businesses want to limit capacity or implement additional safety … [Read more...] about ‘It’s A Gigantic Mistake,’ Experts Warn Of Potential COVID-19 Surge Amid Lifted Mask Mandates

AUSTIN, Texas — If you want to make it in America as a pro athlete, the playbook's pretty simple: Get to the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL or (lately) MLS. But lacrosse players, women's softball players, curlers and others in less-celebrated team sports ? They all need day jobs to support their athletic habits. That thinking is almost always correct — but not quite always. A select few American athletes do make a living off the sports that never hit talk radio. But it's not just because they're extra talented; it's because they're extra strategic. See also: A YouTube Legend Battles for His Basketball Future Paul Rabil is one of those athletes. America's average self-proclaimed sports nut probably doesn't know the man's name, but Rabil plays for the Boston Cannons of Major League Lacrosse (MLL). After he first turned pro — even though he was drafted first overall by the Cannons following a stellar career at Johns Hopkins University — Rabil moonlighted for a real estate company. … [Read more...] about How to Make It in America (in a Sport That Gets No Love)

When Lindsey Vonn announced that a lingering knee injury will force her to miss the Winter Olympics , many began to wonder who on the American squad will fill her popularity vacuum in Sochi, Russia next month. Shaun White, an action-sports icon since his teen years, is one popular choice. Lolo Jones , the hurdler-turned-bobsledder who became a media darling during the 2012 Olympics, is another possibility. See also: This Mom Is the Most Inspiring Olympic Hopeful You've Never Heard Of But perhaps American sports fans should instead consider a motley crew composed of the unlikeliest of parts: a restaurant manager, a middle-school science teacher, an engineer and a college student. Together, they make up the U.S. men's curling team that will compete this February in Sochi. Unlike the Games' biggest stars, the American curlers' workaday existences will be interrupted by bright lights, international coverage and — just maybe — glory for one brief moment when their … [Read more...] about The 4 Normal Guys Who Just Happen to Be Olympic Curlers

1. Jamaica's Usain Bolt wins the 100-meter final at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow on Aug. 11 as lightning strikes in the sky above Luzhniki Stadium. Image: Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images 2. LeBron James moments before leading the Miami Heat to a win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA's Eastern Conference Finals on June 3. Image: Chris Trotman/Getty Images 3. Pro lacrosse player Stephen Berger of the New York Lizards gets encouragement from young fans before a May 31 game. Image: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images 4. Gabriel Gonzaga employs a guillotine choke submission against Ben Rothwell in their heavyweight MMA fight on Jan. 19 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Image: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images 5. Uruguay takes on Italy for 3rd place at the FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil on June 30. Image: Handout/Shaun Botterill/FIFA via Getty Images 6. Jarrett Jack of the Golden State Warriors celebrates a basket as fans … [Read more...] about 50 Stunning Sports Photos From 2013