SOUTH TEXAS – The Border Report says that a series of new reports find that immigrants on the South Texas border are helping to create jobs, paying taxes and driving the local economies. DHS increases amount of time asylum regulations at Southwest border in effect The four reports were released by the American Immigration Council in partnership with the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce and Texans for Economic Growth and studied immigrant contributions to the economies of McAllen, Laredo, Brownsville and the mid-Valley of the Rio Grande Valley from 2014 to 2019, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau. In McAllen, immigrants were credited with preserving or creating 10,500 local manufacturing jobs that would have otherwise vanished or moved to other locations in 2019, according to the “Immigrants in McAllen” report.
In Laredo, immigrants paid over $194 million in federal taxes and $142 million in local taxes in 2019, according to the “Immigrants in Laredo” report. In the mid-Rio Grande Valley, fewer immigrants received Medicare or Medicaid benefits in 2019, 33.8%, compared to 39.2% of U.S.-born residents, according to the “Immigrants in Middle Rio Grande Valley” report. In Brownsville, although immigrants made up less than a quarter of the overall population — 23.4% — they comprised over half, or 53.3% of entrepreneurs in the border city in 2019. They also were 160.4% more likely to be entrepreneurs than their U.S.-born counterparts, according to the “Immigrants in Brownsville” report. “It really goes to show that immigrants are having a great impact on the economy and are really contributing well to the region,” Juan Avilez, state policy associate for the nonprofit American Immigration Council, told Border Report on Monday. “If you look across the board at these reports, immigrants really are punching well above their way in terms of entrepreneurial spirit and how much of the entrepreneur workforce they make,” Avilez said. “And I think that speaks to just their ability to create jobs in those regions, and how greatly they’re able to contribute in those areas. So, I think really they’re driving innovation in a lot of these areas, creating jobs, not just for other immigrants, but for all the residents.” The data was taken from the Census Bureau’s American Community Surveys, which study economics, occupations, education attainment and home ownership within the country.
HOUSTON – The Houston Chronicle reports that several hundred employees at Citgo Petroleum’s Houston headquarters can be sure of only one thing as an affiliate of a Florida hedge fund prepares to buy the company: change is coming. Elliott Management is known for its strong hand. It seizes control of companies and squeezes value from them by shaking up management, slashing spending and creating more efficient versions that are more profitable for shareholders. Now, Elliott is setting its sights on Citgo. A U.S. court aims to sell Venezuelan-owned Citgo at auction to Amber Energy, a new company backed by Elliott, and use the proceeds to pay some of Venezuela’s debts. Amber Energy won the bidding process for Citgo, according to a Friday court filing, after it agreed to buy the oil refining company based in Houston for $7.29 billion. The deal still requires approval from the U.S. District Court in Delaware, which will consider objections over the coming weeks.
Citgo, which directly employs roughly 3,300 people as well as 2,500 contractors, owns three major refineries in Corpus Christi, Lake Charles, La., and Lemont, a Chicago suburb. It also operates several pipelines and dozens of terminals in the East Coast and Great Lakes regions, where it stores and distributes gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. At the helm of the newly launched Amber Energy are two refining industry veterans who built and sold refining companies to larger ones: Gregory Goff, a board member at Exxon Mobil who was previously the chief executive of Andeavor, and Jeff Stevens, previously the chief executive of Western Refining. Does this new Elliott affiliate plan to grow Citgo, or sell it for parts? The answer to that question could determine the fate of Citgo’s Houston headquarters. Amber said in a statement that it plans to reinvest in the company, and that it would “potentially pursue” larger strategic investments that could make the company more profitable. It declined to comment further. Amber’s statements about growth could be good news for employees, said Mike Collier, transaction advisory services partner with Weaver, a Houston-based accounting firm. Elliott is following a common private equity template with Citgo, which has likely had to defer big-picture investments while it waits for the dust to settle in the long-running dispute over its assets.
PANOLA COUNTY — Our news partners at KETK report that an East Texas church is seeking donations for victims affected by Hurricane Helene. Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Beckville will head to Asheville, North Carolina on Friday morning with supplies to those affected by the hurricane, Gary ISD said. ccording to a report, at least 152 people in six states have died including many who were hit by falling trees or trapped in flooded cars and homes. A majority of the deaths were in North Carolina and dozens were in South Carolina and Georgia. More than 150,000 households have reportedly registered for assistance with FEMA and that number is expected to rise. Continue reading East Texas church to take supplies for Hurricane Helene victims
BEAUMONT – A Nederland man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Tarrell Donald Nowlin, 53, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on October 1, 2024.
According to court documents, on January 16, 2024, law enforcement officers responded to a call regarding an armed robbery at the Speedway Gas Station located on Eastex Freeway in Beaumont. The store clerk reported the assailant pulled into the parking lot and parked near one of the gas pumps. The driver then entered the business and pointed a revolver at the clerk and demanded money. The clerk opened the cash register, and the assailant took approximately $550 cash and left the store. Law enforcement reviewed video footage from the gas station and local surrounding businesses and were able to identify Nowlin as the assailant. Further investigation revealed Nowlin was a career offender with three prior robbery convictions. Nowlin was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 3, 2024.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Beaumont Police Department and Nederland Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Quinn.
UPDATE: As of early Wednesday afternoon, the Lindale Fire Department has cleared the roadway.
LINDALE — A major traffic issue this morning on west-bound I-20, just past Highway 69/mile marker 556. An overturned 18-wheeler is blocking the westbound lanes of traffic. Drivers are being diverted off the Interstate at the Hwy 69 exit. Drivers can also exit at FM 14 or Lavender Road. Expect lengthy delays.
(NEW YORK) -- It's a monster mash at McDonald's, with the new limited-edition Happy Meal Boo Buckets making their return to the Golden Arches.
On Oct. 15, the iconic plastic buckets, which make for perfect trick-or-treating vessels, will return to participating McDonald’s restaurants nationwide while supplies last.
The nostalgic pails have a fresh look this year, with new monster designs in four colors: white, orange, green and, for the first time, blue.
McDonald's lovers also can give their Boo Bucket a custom look with themed stickers like ears, wings and more for a more monstrous vibe.
PARAMARIBO, Suriname (AP) — France’s TotalEnergies and U.S. hydrocarbon company APA Corp. plan to invest $10 billion to extract oil off the coast of Suriname in a historic investment for the South American country, officials announced Tuesday.
The first oil is expected by mid-2028, with an anticipated production of 220,000 barrels per day, according to TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné, who flew to Suriname to personally announce the investment, the country’s largest to date.
The so-called GranMorgu project focuses on an offshore area believed to contain some 700 million barrels of oil. It is adjacent to a successful ExxonMobil project in waters belonging to neighboring Guyana.
“Today is a historic day for Suriname,” said a jubilant President Chan Santokhi, calling it “a day that will determine our future.”
TotalEnergies will partner with APA Corp, a holding company for Apache Corporation, a Texas-based hydrocarbon exploration business, and Staatsolie, the local national oil producer representing the Surinamese government.
Staatsolie plans to issue bonds in 2025 to finance its participation, since it is entitled to a 20% stake under the production sharing contract. The company secured an initial $175 million payment and is now in talks with banks and planning a bond offer to complete a second payment, Jagesar said.
Santokhi said the anticipated revenue from the project would be used to raise the standard of living in Suriname, a country of more than 640,000 people with a poverty rate of 18%, according to the Inter-American Development Bank.
“This is a game-changer,” he said.
Suriname holds $3.5 billion in debt and is undergoing a three-year, $688 IMF restructuring program that led to austerity measures and sparked violent protests last year.
Annand Jagesar, CEO of Staatsolie, said that the oil exploration deal means that “Suriname will never be the same.”
But he warned of potential poor governance, noting how Venezuela had plenty of reserves but still struggled economically since it did not develop other resources and was oil dependent.
TotalEnergies has pledged to develop its project responsibly, utilizing advanced technologies to minimize greenhouse gas emissions.
The Michael Kors Store on Rodeo Drive on Feb. 23, 2017 in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Fg/bauer-griffin/GC Images via Getty Images, FILE)
(NEW YORK) -- The Federal Trade Commission is asking a federal judge in New York to block the $8.5 billion merger of Tapestry, the company behind Coach, Kate Spade, and Capri, which controls Michael Kors.
In April, the FTC sued to block the sale, arguing that these brands dominate what's known as the "accessible luxury" market and that if they combined, consumers would suffer by paying higher prices.
"This has to be the first time the focus of a federal court hearing turned to a $279 Kate Spade tote described as 'colorful, joyful, feminine, green and white seen on Emily in Paris," ABC News senior investigative reporter and correspondent Aaron Katersky said on Good Morning America Tuesday.
Tapestry argues the FTC is ignoring the reality of a marketplace, in which consumers have a lot of choices, suggesting it takes a mere stroll through Bloomingdale's or Macy's to see Gucci, Kors and Calvin Klein bags fighting for attention.
Michael Kors himself testified last month during a hearing, telling the judge there's already plenty of competition for handbags, noting that he learned about one brand when he saw a photo of pop superstar Taylor Swift wearing an Aupen bag similar to those made by Kate Spade.
Kors also testified his handbags have "reached a point of brand fatigue" and a lawyer arguing in favor of the merger said it would revitalize the Michael Kors brand, so consumers have yet another choice. The goal, he said, is to sell more handbags to consumers.
The judge took these arguments under advisement and could rule at any time.
TYLER — The City of Tyler Police Department is seeking stuffed animals for children “going through tough times.” They are accepting donations of new or gently used stuffed animals. According to our news partner KETK, the police department says they use the stuffed animals to comfort children in times of need. People can drop off their donations at the Faulkner Park or Ferguson police stations.
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. ports from Maine to Texas shut down Tuesday when the union representing about 45,000 dockworkers went on strike for the first time since 1977.
Workers began walking picket lines early Tuesday, picketing near ports all along the East Coast. Workers outside the Port of Philadelphia walked in a circle and chanted, “No work without a fair contract.”
A lengthy shutdown could raise prices on goods around the country and potentially cause shortages and price increases at big and small retailers alike as the holiday shopping season — along with a tight presidential election — approaches.
What are the issues in the dockworkers strike?
The International Longshoremen’s Association is demanding significantly higher wages and a total ban on the automation of cranes, gates and container-moving trucks that are used in the loading or unloading of freight at 36 U.S. ports. Those ports handle roughly half of the nations’ cargo from ships.
The contract between the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents the ports, expired Tuesday. Some progress was reported in talks late Monday, but the union went on strike anyway.
The union’s opening offer was for a 77% pay raise over the six-year life of the contract, with President Harold Daggett saying it’s necessary to make up for inflation and years of small raises. ILA members make a base salary of about $81,000 per year, but some can pull in over $200,000 annually with large amounts of overtime.
Monday evening, the alliance said it had increased its offer to 50% raises over six years, and it pledged to keep limits on automation in place from the old contract. The alliance also said its offer tripled employer contributions to retirement plans and strengthened health care options.
Which ports are affected?
While any port can handle any type of goods, some ports are specialized to handle goods for a particular industry. The ports affected by the shutdown include Baltimore and Brunswick, Georgia, the top two busiest auto ports; Philadelphia, which gives priority to fruits and vegetables; and New Orleans, which handles coffee, mainly from South America and Southeast Asia, various chemicals from Mexico and North Europe, and wood products such as plywood from Asia and South America.
Other major ports affected include Boston; New York/New Jersey; Norfolk, Virginia; Wilmington, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; Tampa, Florida; Mobile, Alabama; and Houston.
Can the government intervene?
If a strike were deemed a danger to U.S. economic health, President Joe Biden could, under the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act, seek a court order for an 80-day cooling-off period. This would suspend the strike.
But Biden, during an exchange with reporters on Sunday, said “no” when asked if he planned to intervene to plan a potential work stoppage impacting East Coast ports.
“Because it’s collective bargaining, I don’t believe in Taft-Hartley,” Biden said.
How will this affect consumers?
The strike could last weeks — or months. If the strike is resolved within a few weeks, consumers probably wouldn’t notice any major shortages of retail goods. But a strike that persists for more than a month would likely cause a shortage of some consumer products, although most holiday retail goods have already arrived from overseas. Shoppers could see higher prices on a vast array of goods, from fruit and vegetables to cars.
Businesses are making contingency plans
Since the major supply chain disruption in 2021 caused by pandemic bottlenecks, retailers have adapted to supply chain disrupters being “the new norm,” said Rick Haase, owner of a mini-chain of Patina gift shops in and around the Twin Cities in Minnesota.
“The best approach for Patina has been to secure orders early and have the goods in our warehouse and back rooms to ensure we are in stock on key goods,” Haase said.
Jay Foreman, CEO of Basic Fun, a Boca Raton, Florida-based maker of such toys as Care Bears and Lincoln Logs, has been monitoring the port situation for months and planned for it by shifting all of its container shipments to the West Coast ports, primarily Los Angeles and Long Beach, away from ports in New York and Newark, New Jersey. But he said the shift added anywhere from 10% to 20% extra costs that his company will have to absorb. He noted that Basic Fun’s prices for the next 10 months are locked in with retailers, but he could see raising prices during the second half of 2025 if the strike is prolonged.
Daniel Vasquez, who owns Dynamic Auto Movers in Miami, which specializes in importing and exporting vehicles, increased inventory, specifically for vehicles that take longer to ship, in anticipation of a strike.
He has also stopped relying on one port or shipping partner and has expanded his relationship with smaller ports and shipping companies that can bypass congested areas.
How will a strike affect holiday shopping?
Jonathan Gold, vice president of the supply chain and customs policy at the National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, said the strike arrives with the supply network continuing to face challenges from Houthi attacks on commercial shipping that have essentially shut down the use of the Red Sea and Suez Canal.
The uncertainty over the supply chain is taking place at the peak of the holiday shipping season for retailers, which traditionally runs from July through early November. Many big retailers, anticipating a strike, started shipping their goods to U.S. distribution centers in June, and Gold said that the majority of products ordered are already in the U.S.
But retailers will have a hard time replenishing items and are incurring extra warehouse costs to store goods longer. Gold also noted that carriers are already announcing surcharges on containers to address potential disruptions.
Greg Ahearn, president and CEO of The Toy Association, the nation’s leading toy trade group, noted that a strike would happen at an extremely critical time for toy sellers and makers — up to 60% of a toy company’s annual sales come during the fourth quarter.
The holiday shipping window for the toy industry is anywhere from six to eight weeks and started in July, though some toy companies tried to ship earlier or add more toys to shipments, Ahearn said.
“It hits many ways,” he said. “From a consumer perspective, it starts with delays in availability and then starts to surface as product shortages within toys. At retail for the toy industry, it results in potentially higher prices based on scarcity and increased costs.”
HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — A Texas man convicted of fatally stabbing twin 16-year-old girls more than three decades ago was executed on Tuesday evening.
Garcia Glenn White was pronounced dead at 6:56 p.m. CDT following a chemical injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. He was condemned for the December 1989 killings of Annette and Bernette Edwards. The bodies of the twin girls and their mother, Bonita Edwards, were found in their Houston apartment.
White, 61, was the sixth inmate put to death in the U.S. in the last 11 days. His execution took place shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court, without comment, rejected three last-ditch appeals.
Asked by a warden if he had any statement, White repeatedly apologized in his final words to witnesses looking on.
“I would like to apologize for all the wrong I have done, and for the pain I’ve caused,” he said from the death chamber, shortly before the lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital began flowing into his arms.
He said he took responsibility for the slayings, regretted his actions and was praying for prison officials, officers and “for my brothers and sisters behind these walls.”
In a loud and strong voice he began singing a hymn, “I Trust in God,” singing several verses with the refrain: “I trust in God, my savior of the world, the one who never failed.” Then he urged family and friends to to “just keep pushing forward, keep loving one another,” and ended by thanking prison officials and officers “for treating us like human beings.”
As the drugs began taking effect, he exhaled softly several times then began sounds like snores, several of them loud. He burped, snored quietly once and gulped. Seventeen minutes later he was pronounced dead.
Testimony showed that White went to the girls’ Houston home to smoke crack with their mother, Bonita, who also was fatally stabbed. When the girls came out of their room to see what happened, White attacked them. Evidence showed White broke down the locked door of the girls’ bedroom. Authorities said he was later tied to the deaths of a grocery store owner and another woman.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, who witnessed White’s death, lamented that it took some 30 years to carry out the jury’s death verdict as multiple appeals in White’s case worked through the courts.
“The suffering of surviving (victims’) family members is just unspeakable,” she said. “At least it’s over.”
White’s lawyers had unsuccessfully appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to stop the execution after lower courts previously rejected petitions for a stay. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles on Friday denied White’s request to commute his death sentence to a lesser penalty or to grant him a 30-day reprieve.
His lawyers argued that Texas’ top criminal appeals court has refused “to accept medical evidence and strong factual backing” showing White is intellectually disabled.
The Supreme Court in 2002 barred the execution of intellectually disabled people. But it has given states some discretion in deciding how to determine such disabilities. Justices have wrestled with how much discretion to allow.
White’s lawyers also accused the Texas appeals court of not allowing his defense team to present evidence that could spare him a death sentence, including DNA evidence that another man also was at the crime scene and scientific evidence that would show White was “likely suffering from a cocaine induced psychotic break during his actions.”
White’s lawyers also argued he is entitled to a new review of his death sentence, alleging the Texas appeals court has created a new scheme for sentencing in capital punishment cases after a recent Supreme Court ruling in another Texas death row case.
Patrick McCann, one of White’s attorneys, said Tuesday that his client has spent his entire time in prison “working to be a better human being.”
The deaths of the twin girls and their mother went unsolved for about six years until White confessed to the killings after he was arrested in connection with the July 1995 death of grocery store owner Hai Van Pham, who was fatally beaten during a robbery at his business. Police said White also confessed to fatally beating another woman, Greta Williams, in 1989.
HOUSTON (AP) — An attorney said Tuesday he is representing 120 accusers who have come forward with sexual misconduct allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs, the hip-hop mogul who is awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Houston attorney Tony Buzbee said he expects lawsuits to be filed within the next month, with most expected to be filed in New York and Los Angeles. Buzbee described the victims as 60 males and 60 females, and that 25 were minors at the time of the alleged misconduct. One individual alleged he was 9 years old when he was abused, Buzbee said. The allegations cover a period from 1991 to this year.
“This type of sexual assault, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation should never happen in the United States or anywhere else. This should have never been allowed to go on for so long. This conduct has created a mass of individuals who are injured, scared and scarred,” Buzbee said at a news conference.
Following the announcement of the accusations in Texas, an attorney for Combs said the performer “cannot address every meritless allegation in what has become a reckless media circus.”
“That said, Mr. Combs emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors,” attorney Erica Wolff said in a statement. “He looks forward to proving his innocence and vindicating himself in court if and when claims are filed and served, where the truth will be established based on evidence, not speculation.”
Buzbee said more than 3,280 individuals contacted his firm and alleged they were victimized by Combs and that after vetting the allegations, his firm decided to represent 120 people. Other cases are still being reviewed. He said some of his clients have spoken with the FBI.
The individuals that Buzbee’s firm is representing are from more than 25 states, with the majority from California, New York, Georgia and Florida.
The abuse that’s being alleged took place mostly at parties held in New York, California and Florida where individuals were given drinks that were laced with drugs, Buzbee said.
Some of the alleged conduct took place at auditions where “many times, especially young people, people wanting to break into the industry were coerced into this type of conduct in the promise of being made a star,” Buzbee said.
Combs, 54, has been locked up at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since pleading not guilty Sept. 17 to federal charges that he used his “power and prestige” to induce female victims into drugged-up, elaborately produced sexual performances with male sex workers in events dubbed “Freak Offs.”
Other alleged victims have already filed lawsuits against Combs that include allegations of sexual assault.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. His attorney said he is innocent and will fight to clear his name.
Combs is one of the best-known music executives, producers and performers across hip-hop, having won three Grammys and worked with artists such as Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and 112. He founded Bad Boy Records in 1993, the influential fashion line Sean John, a vodka brand and the Revolt TV network. He sold off his stake in the latter company in June of this year.
Buzbee has also represented women who accused NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual assault and misconduct.
(DURHAM, N.C.) -- As hospitals and health care facilities work to get back up and running after Hurricane Helene slammed into Florida's Big Bend, affecting several states, the medical supply chain could be at risk.
Baxter International, a health care and medical technology company, announced this week that it must close its largest plant in North Carolina due to flooding and destruction caused by the hurricane.
The plant, located in North Cove, 60 miles northeast of Asheville, primarily manufactures IV fluids and peritoneal dialysis solutions, according to Baxter. It is the largest manufacturer of such solutions in the U.S., employing more than 2,500 people, the company said.
"Our hearts and thoughts are with all those affected by Hurricane Helene," José Almeida, chair, president and CEO of Baxter, said in a statement. "The safety of our employees, their families, and the communities in which we operate remains our utmost concern, and we are committed to helping ensure a reliable supply of products to patients."
"Remediation efforts are already underway, and we will spare no resource – human or financial – to resume production and help ensure patients and providers have the products they need," the statement continued.
Baxter said it implemented a hurricane preparedness plan ahead of Helene, which included evacuation plans for staff and moving products to higher ground or to secure storage. However, heavy rainfall and storm surge "triggered a levee breach," which led to flooding in the facility.
Among those impacted by the Baxter plant closing is Duke University Health System (DUHS), in Durham, North Carolina, according to William Trophi, DUHS interim president vice president of supply chain.
"[Baxter has] published their action items, and they have announced to us that they're putting a hold on all distribution for 48 hours to understand what they have in their supply line, and then they're going to be setting up pretty strict allocations based on prior usage to make sure that everyone is getting their fair share based on their volume and their needs," he told ABC News.
Trophi said DUHS and Duke University have not seen major disruption to their supply chain following Helene's landfall, but notes there may be delays in the future if the Baxter plant closure lasts for several weeks, if more plants close, and depending on how long the dockworkers' strike on the East Coast and the Gulf Coast lasts.
"What we're doing internally is we're looking at conservation models, so similar with our IV solutions, we're going to look at what can we be doing differently to treat our patients in a safe, effective manner to conserve IV solutions," he said. "And we'll start to look at other high, critical, sensitive items that could be impacted by this, and look at what can we be doing differently to conserve the way in which we treat our patients in a safe, effective manner."
Paul Biddinger, chief preparedness and continuity officer for the Boston-based Mass General Brigham health care system, told ABC News that facilities typically begin stockpiling and taking inventory of supplies prior to a natural disaster. After the event has happened, health care centers will work to identify what products are affected by supply chain issues and which patients are using the products.
In the case of the Baxter plant, the products are primarily used by kidney patients, cardiac patients and urologic patients, Biddinger said, adding that hospitals and other health care facilities will typically try to conserve as much of the affected product as possible, and will also investigate any alternatives or substitutions for the product.
"If the shortage is so severe that we just can't continue with normal usage, even with conservation, then we have to start a process of allocating across our clinical services, of course, prioritizing lifesaving care and emergency care, and then going down our list for more scheduled or more elective kinds of procedures," Biddinger said.
Samantha Penta, an associate professor of emergency management and homeland security at the University at Albany in New York, said one really important factor to consider when understanding the implications of Hurricane Helene is just how large the affected area is.
"We're not just talking about a couple of counties. We're not even just talking about one state. This has affected multiple states very significantly," she told ABC News. "One of the things that organizations, in general, including hospitals, long-term care facilities and like – really, anything in the health care sector – does, is you can rely on neighboring facilities."
Penta said if health care facilities need to send patients to a neighboring facility because they're running low on supplies or space, or if their facility is damaged, they typically can do so. The same holds true if one facility is running low on supplies; another facility might send them some of their reserves as part of a mutual aid agreement.
But in the case of Helene, "effectively, the people who need help, their neighbors are also being affected. So, any given hospital, the closest hospitals to them, are likely dealing with the same issues," Penta said. "That further complicates it, because things have to come from even farther away, whether that's working within a network or ordering from different vendors."
Over the weekend, North Carolina became the latest state to have a public health emergency declared by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) in response to Hurricane Helene.
The HHS's Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response deployed about 200 personnel to the state, including Health Care Situational Assessment teams to evaluate the storm's impact on health care facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes and dialysis centers, and Disaster Medical Assistance teams to help state and local health workers provide care.
(NEW YORK) -- Oil prices climbed more than 3% on Tuesday in the immediate aftermath of an Iranian missile attack on Israel.
The spike in prices is expected to push up the price of U.S. gasoline, experts told ABC News.
Drivers could face a price increase of between 10 and 15 cents per gallon, experts estimated. The national average price of a gallon of gas currently stands at $3.20, AAA data showed.
A further escalation of the conflict between Israel and Iran could send oil and gas prices significantly higher, said Ramanan Krishnamoorti, a professor of petroleum engineering at the University of Houston.
“Clearly this will have a huge impact on gas prices,” Krishnamoorti told ABC News. “There’s no doubt about that.”
Iran said the attack on Tuesday was retaliation for a wave of assassinations carried out by Israel over the last several weeks targeting Hezbollah leaders. Israel will have a "significant response" to Iran's attack, an Israeli official told ABC News.
While sanctions have constrained Iranian oil output in recent years, the nation asserts control over the passage of tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a trading route that facilitates the transport of about 15% of global oil supply.
Passage through the Suez Canal, another important shipping route for crude oil, could be impacted by further attacks, as happened with Yemen-based Houthi attacks on freight ships earlier in the war, Krishnamoorti said.
Despite a recent uptick, the price of oil stands well below a 2022 peak reached when the blazing-hot economic rebound from the pandemic collided with a supply shortage imposed by the Russia-Ukraine war. Gas prices, meanwhile, have plummeted in recent months.
The U.S. set a record for crude oil production in 2023, averaging 12.9 million barrels per day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a federal agency.
The surge in U.S. production would help limit the impact of a possible supply disruption, though oil prices are set on a global market, where a major supply shock could not be entirely accounted for with U.S. oil output, Timothy Fitzgerald, a professor of business economics at the University of Tennessee who studies the petroleum industry, told ABC News.
“This is less troubling than it would’ve been a generation ago,” Fitzgerald said. “Today, we export more crude oil than we import.”
If both sides deescalate, the price of crude oil could quickly drop back to where it stood before the Iranian attack on Tuesday, Fitzgerald added.
“There would be no lasting importance of that,” Fitzgerald said.
The rise in oil prices comes at a relatively quiet period in the U.S. gasoline market. Drivers have enjoyed a sharp decline in gasoline prices over recent months, in part due to sluggish demand for gas as the busy summer traveling season has given way to an autumn slowdown.
Still, a regional war in the Middle East could upend the market and spike prices, experts said.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina condemned Iran's missile attack on Israel, calling it a "breaking point" on Tuesday and urging President Joe Biden's administration to respond.
Graham called for oil refineries to be "hit and hit hard" and said his prayers are "with the people of Israel."
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are monitoring the Iranian attack from the White House Situation Room. Biden directed the U.S. military to aid Israel's defense against Iranian attacks and shoot down missiles.
ABC News' Allison Pecorin and Jordana Miller contributed to this report.
ATHENS – Our news partners at KETK report a wanted man is behind bars for being in possession of a stolen pickup and a large amount of suspected methamphetamine, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office said. The sheriff’s office said investigators conducted a traffic stop at around 2:45 p.m. on Monday at the 700 block of West College Street on a pickup reported stolen out of Gun Barrel City. “Investigators made contact with the driver, Matthew Schark who was also the suspect in the theft of the pickup,” HCSO said. After Schark was taken into custody for possession of the stolen vehicle, the sheriff’s office said investigators searched the truck and discovered several packages of suspected methamphetamine. Continue reading Wanted East Texas man found with meth, stolen truck
