AV's H -Town Headlines

Nolan Wells Family Autopsy To Be Released

(Chicago, IL)  —  An independent autopsy conducted on behalf of the family of 18-year-old Nolan Wells will be released  This morning.  Wells was found dead in the water on July 6th just off Horn Island, Mississippi, where he was on a boating trip with friends for the Fourth of July weekend.  His friends reportedly told police he didn’t make the return trip on July 4th with them after he met a girl at a party.  The case is still under investigation, and authorities initially said there were no apparent signs of foul play, but his family has questions.  The case has gained national attention with its racial component, given Wells, who was Black, was traveling with a group of friends, all of whom are white.  The family hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who will release their autopsy results this  morning at the NAACP National Convention in Chicago.

Trump Freezes More Than $1 Billion In Medicaid Payments

(Washington, DC)  —  The Trump administration is freezing more than one-billion-dollars in Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota over questionable claims.  Federal officials announced Tuesday the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is deferring about 867-and-a-half-million-dollars to California and 199-million-dollars to Minnesota pending additional documentation.  The review focuses on certain in-home care programs in California and claims providers flagged through program integrity reviews in Minnesota.  The Department of Health and Human Services also plans to expand its authority to remove fraudulent providers from federal health programs.  Officials say the actions are part of a broader effort to prevent Medicaid fraud and protect taxpayer dollars.

Trump: Iran Wants To Meet “Desperately”

(Washington, DC)  —  President Trump says Iran wants to come to an agreement.  He made the comment while speaking in the Oval Office this morning.  This comes as the U.S. has conducted strikes on Iran for ten straight nights.  Three U.S. soldiers were killed in Iranian attacks on bases in Jordan and Iraq over the weekend.  Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also claimed its Aerospace Force used cruise missiles to destroy Amazon’s central data infrastructure in Bahrain in an attack that also targeted U.S. air defense systems.

EEOC Votes To End Diversity Reporting Rule

(Washington, DC) — The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is voting to end a rule that requires companies to show diversity in the workplace. The 60-year-old rule requires companies with 100 employees or more to report workplace demographics including sex, race, and ethnicity. The rule was established by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in an effort to combat workplace discrimination. The EEO claims the rule runs against a Supreme Court decision from last year that made it easier for workers from majority groups to sue for discrimination. The rule change calls for a 30-day comment period. The EEOC will hold a public hearing next month.

Tropical Storm Bertha Heads For New Orleans

(Houston, TX)  —  The latest forecast shows Tropical Storm Bertha weakening before it reaches Southeast Texas.  The storm strengthened on Tuesday afternoon as it moved through the northeastern Gulf, building to maximum sustained winds of 60 mph.  Bertha will arrive in New Orleans this afternoon and reach Houston by late Thursday.  The first outer bands of rain will hit southeast Texas tonight.  A line of strong thunderstorms with heavy rain will be in the area between 6 and 10 p.m.  Bertha’s center of circulation arrives in Houston on Thursday.

Funeral Home Director Accused Of Stealing $2M+ From Dead Man’s Estate

(Houston, TX)  —  An unlicensed Houston funeral home director is accused of stealing the estate of a deceased man.  Harris County constables arrested Unique Green, also known as Michael Green, on Tuesday.  After Lawrence Gammon died last summer, his out-of-state family hired Green for the funeral at A Community Funeral Home on Wheeler Avenue.  Green reportedly used personal information they provided to forge a will naming himself Gammon’s sole heir.  He reportedly stole Gammon’s home, his three vehicles and more than two million dollars.  Green is charged with theft, forgery and tampering with government records.

Montgomery County Reports Three Cases Of Measles In One Family

(Conroe, TX)  —  Health officials are confirming three cases of measles in a Montgomery County family.  They were reportedly exposed to another confirmed case from a person who traveled in from out of state.  The Public Health Department says none of the people who caught the virus had been vaccinated.  The patients’ names haven’t been released.

Space Cowboys Continue Six-Game Home Series Against Nashville Sounds

(Sugar Land, TX)  —  The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are continuing their six-game home series against the Nashville Sounds this evening.  The home team won the series opener 3-2 on Tuesday.  First pitch at Constellation Field is at 7:05 p.m.

Astros Take Down Marlins With Power

(Houston, TX)  —  The Astros used the long ball to squeeze by the Marlins 5-3 from Houston.  Jeremy Pena followed up his grand slam in the last game with a solo homer in the first inning.  Isaac Paredes launched a three-run bomb as Houston has won back-to-back games.  Joe Mack crushed a two-run homer in the seventh inning for Miami, which is now riding an eight-game losing streak.