Rodeo Houston shuts down 11 days early

I’m sure most of Houston has heard the news by now. If not, then be prepared for a sad update. RodeoHouston, the biggest revenue generator for the city, has officially shut down. As of 4pm on March 11, the grounds officially closed.

What does this mean for those who purchased tickets for the remaining concerts? It still is being worked on how refunds will be distributed. I’ve heard that if you bought tickets through the rodeo’s website, you will get a refund. I have not heard about refunds being distributed through independent websites or smartphone apps.

I did not buy my tickets to see Cody Johnson through the rodeo’s website, but instead used an app on my phone to purchase them. Whether or not I will get a refund is unclear. This is a lesson learned. If something like this happens, you are better off purchasing tickets through the event website rather than an independent vendor.

The closure of RodeoHouston is a huge blow to many kids who are involved in the 4H and Future Farmers of America programs. These kids have worked for a year to raise livestock for showing at this year’s livestock show. The winners in each category are awarded scholarships to use toward furthering their education. RodeoHouston has said they will still award the scholarships, but it is unclear how much will be given out.

The reason for the sudden closure? The corona virus and the fear it could spread due to the massive crowds that attend the different events at NRG Park and NRG stadium. People also started a petition to shut down the rodeo over fears of the corona virus.

RodeoHouston draws more people in a three week span than the Houston Astros do for the entire baseball season. It’s not just the public that is outraged, Vendors who rely on the rodeo for income will be going home with half of their normal earnings. Performers who were scheduled to give concerts will also have to get reimbursed.

In all, this is a huge blow to the city and the local economy. I hope the city can recover from this and get back to normal.

737 Max to remain grounded

We all know how safe aviation is, or do we?

Aviation is definitely safe, but crashes still happen, and sometimes with many casualties. A prime example of this is the Boeing 737 Max airplane. Two crashes have killed a total of 346.

On October 28, 2018, a 737 MAX 8 flown by Lion Air took off from Bali, Indonesia, bound for Jakarta, Indonesia. Less than six minutes into the flight, a cockpit alert signaled an impending stall. The plane’s software directed the flight controls to point the nose downward. The adjustment occurred three times in close succession, but the crew was able to override it because an off-duty pilot offered assistance. The flight made it safely to Jakarta.

The next day, Lion Air Flight 610, with 189 people on board, took off from Jakarta, Indonesia. The flight was due to land in Pangkai Pinang, Indonesia. Thirteen minutes after takeoff, the flight plunged into the Java Sea, killing everyone on board. This was the first fatal accident and complete loss of a 737 MAX. The aircraft had been delivered to Lion Air two months earlier.

Almost immediately after takeoff, the aircraft control column began to violently shake. This is a warning given by the aircraft that a stall is about to happen. About three minutes into the flight, the automated control system kicked in, causing the plane to drop seven hundred feet. The pilot and co-pilot repeatedly tried to lift the nose by holding down the switch that adjusted the stabilizer on the tail of the plane. After ten seconds, the automated controls kicked in again, driving the nose back down. The pilot and co-pilot pulled frantically on the control column, but twelve minutes into the flight, the plane dropped five thousand feet at four hundred and fifty miles per hour, into the Java Sea.

The second incident was Ethiopian Air Flight 302. This flight took off on March 10, 2019, from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and was due to arrive in Nairobi, Kenya. The aircraft was basically brand new, having been delivered four months earlier.

As with Lion Air, this flight also suffered a flight control system malfunction. While the exact cause of the crash remains unclear, the aircraft’s vertical speed during takeoff was unstable. As a result, the flight control system sensed a stall approaching and forced the plane’s nose into a dive. Despite every effort to pull the plane out of the dive, the flight control system continued to keep the nose in a downward position. The end result was a crash that killed all 157 passengers and crew on board and left a crater at the crash site.

The end result of both crashes and the massive loss of life forced Boeing to ground all 737 Max planes until a safe and effective solution to the malfunctioning flight control system is reached. As of December, 2019, there are no 737 Max planes in service.

To understand how this all started, you need to go back to December, 1996. This is when Boeing announced it was buying McDonnell Douglas for $13 billion. Many say this is when Boeing went from being led by engineers to being led by business executives intent on making profits.

Until Donald Trump took office in 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration was in charge of certifying aircraft. Now, company executives are allowed to decide if an aircraft is ready to fly.

This is an indirect cause of both 737 Max crashes. Boeing certified the planes to fly without performing all necessary tests. As a result, pilots were unable to maintain control of the aircraft at high speeds.

The earliest the airplane could resume service is 2020, but many think that may not even happen. Boeing still needs to verify the flight control system will not malfunction at high speed and sense a stall is approaching. 

This is not the only Boeing aircraft to experience problems. In the spring of 2004, Boeing began designing the 787 Dreamliner. The following year, the company named a new CEO, Jim McNerney. A Harvard M.B.A. grad who worked at Proctor & Gamble, 3M, McKinsey, and General Electric, he was no stranger to the business world.

Under his tenure, engineers were discouraged from voicing concern. “What we heard was that we were to follow the plan. If you can’t do that, you will be fired and someone who is willing to follow the plan will replace you,” one engineer told The New Yorker Magazine. 

By the time the Dreamliner was ready for delivery in 2011, the program was three years late and billions over budget. In 2012, some Dreamliner aircraft experienced battery fires. This led to the fleet being grounded for three months. 

In 2005, embracing the deregulations put forth by George W. Bush’s administration and the Republicans in Congress, the F.A.A. changed to a model known as Organization Destination Authorization. This allowed manufacturers to hand select and supervise the safety monitors. If the monitors saw something that did not look right, they would raise the concern with their supervisors and not with the F.A.A. The system was designed to spare manufacturers the necessity of waiting for the all clear from federal regulators and save the aviation industry $25 billion over the next decade. 

To understand what exactly happened, you need to look at the beginning of the MAX. Boeing had conceived the 737 MAX in 2011. That spring, American Airlines told Boeing it was on the verge of abandoning the older version of the 737. That model debuted in 1967 and had undergone multiple changes. American was considering purchasing the new Airbus A320neo, which was more fuel efficient. Boeing had considered building a whole new jet, but it could take a decade to design the plane and have it pass F.A.A. inspection. Airlines would also be required to train their pilots on the new planes. Desperate to retain American, Boeing chose to overhaul the 737.

Updating the plane introduced some difficulties. The MAX had larger engines, and finding room for them on the low slung 737 proved to be hard. Boeing decided to place the engines just in front of the wing. The new position, along with the greater thrust, produced an aerodynamic challenge during a maneuver called a windup turn. This is a steep, banked spiral designed to bring an aircraft to the point of stalling. While required for safety tests, it’s rarely used in typical flying.

A veteran pilot told The New Yorker Magazine that on most airplanes, you can feel if the plane is about to stall. Instead of the steadily increasing force on the control column that pilots were used to feeling—and required by F.A.A. guidelines—the new engines caused a loosening sensation. 

In order to correct this, Boeing settled on a software feature called the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS. As the nose of the jet approached a high angle, suggesting an oncoming stall, MCAS would adjust the stabilizer on the plane’s tail, pushing the nose down, to alleviate the slackness in the control column. One pilot told The New Yorker Magazine that Boeing was trying to make the controls feel the same so training would not be required. Boeing even went so far as to promise to pay Southwest Airlines, which only flies 737 aircraft, $1 million per plane if simulator training was found to be necessary.

Boeing considered the feature so minor that it was removed from the 737 MAX’s pilot manual. This meant the Lion Air pilots had no idea why the plane kept forcing itself downward. The reason was that an angle-of-attack sensor in the jet’s nose malfunctioned, causing the plane to think a stall was about to happen and pushing the nose down. This happened twenty-one times in all. 

Nine days after Lion Air flight 310 crashed, the F.A.A. issued an “airworthiness directive,” which required an update of the 737 MAX’s flight-operations manual. Boeing instructed pilots to deal with the excessive downward pitching by following procedures for “runaway trim.” This means that the system controlling the stabilizer angle has malfunctioned. The F.A.A. agreed this would suffice while Boeing came up with a solution to the MCAS, which should be about six weeks.

Captain Chelsey Sullenberger, who made the famous Hudson River landing in 2009, testified at a Capitol Hill hearing that Boeing never characterized a failure of MCAS as more critical because they assumed pilot action would be the safeguard. This was a mistake. “I can tell you first hand the startle factor is real and it’s huge. It absolutely interferes with the ability to quickly analyze the crisis and take effective action,” Sullenberger told The New Yorker. He even admitted to struggling in a 737 MAX simulator after the two fatal crashes. “Even knowing what was going to happen, I could see how crews could have run out of time before they were able to solve the problems. MCAS was fatally flawed and should have never been approved.”

As a result, all 737 MAX jets are grounded until further notice. When the planes will fly again is unknown.

Houston Dash miss playoffs

The Houston Dash once again miss the National Women’s Soccer League playoffs after finishing in seventh place out of nine teams.

Since their founding in 2014, the team has never made the postseason. Things looked promising though after the first month of the 2019 season. Sitting on top of the league, the team was poised to continue their winning ways. However, a losing skid and losing forward Veronica Latsko in May to an ACL injury derailed any hopes of a bright future. The team never recovered and stumbled the rest of the season.

A series of losses and ties did not help as the team struggled to stay in playoff contention. It seemed that wins were few and far between and nothing seemed to go right during the rest of the season.

The home finale against the Washington Spirit on September 25 sent fans home on a high note as the game ended in a scoreless draw. With both teams having multiple chances to score, nothing found the back of the net. The Spirit would have won if the first goal had not been ruled offside.

After going 2-0 against the Utah Royals FC, the Dash traveled to Utah to conclude the season. This game proved to be the last chance for Houston to finish on a high note. This did not happen as the Dash lost 2-1 to wrap up the season.

Current head coach James Clarkson and many of the players are optimistic that next season will be better. Latsko will be back and there should be plenty of fresh talent as well. Will the Dash finally taste the postseason, or will another mediocre season come in 2020? Only time will tell.

How long will this last?

It’s been over a month since the government shut down amid a spending fight. At the center is a border wall.

Republicans see the wall as the only solution to fix immigration and send those protected under asylum and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals back to their country once protection expires.

Democrats want a path to citizenship for these recipients. These people have fled hardship or economic distress in search of a better life. They deserve to be allowed to stay.

Trump, who will not sign anything unless his wall gets funded, is keeping federal workers hostage. They have already missed one paycheck and may miss more until the government opens. This is uncalled for and not okay.

I encourage all of you to call or email your representative and senators and tell them to demand the government open up.

US 59-IH 610 interchange to get major overhaul

For many commuters living around the Galleria area, traffic on IH 610 at US 59 is almost always at a standstill. Now, the Texas Department of Transportation is finally going to fix the problem that has plagued the area for years.

To understand the problem, you have to look at the stretch of IH 610 between IH 10 and US 59 on the west side. With exits at nearly every major intersection, traffic seems to always back up. Another problem is there is no direct interchange from IH 10 to US 59. Commuters are forced to get on IH 610 and then sit in traffic until getting off on US 59. Another problem lies in the design of the interchange itself. While it is a traditional flyover type of interchange, the influx of traffic around the Galleria trying to get on either 610 or 59 has created a real mess.

When TXDOT completed the IH 10 to US 290/IH 610 interchange, they could have also set their sights on fixing the backlog of traffic around the Galleria. This did not happen. Now, officials once again have to shut down a major interchange in order to fix the traffic nightmare.

The six year project is already underway. Some exits in the Bellaire area are already closed off. This includes some exits around the busy Meyerland Plaza shopping mall. Fournace Street exit off 610 is already closed off.

One of the main problems is the interchange design. On some parts, two lanes merge into one before entering the freeway main lanes. This forces traffic to merge and causes major traffic jams throughout the day. Another problem is the location of the interchange. With all the traffic around the Galleria, there really is no way to get on IH 610 or US 59 from the Galleria without backtracking. This also causes a lot of traffic jams during the day.

The biggest improvement will be to the ramps connecting US 59 and IH 610. The first thing that will change are the one lane connection ramps. These will be widened to two lanes to eliminate major weaving. Upgrades to the interchange itself will bring it up to current design standards. Vertical clearance and sight lines will also be improved. Detention ponds will be added to control flooding.

An article in the Houston Press said that anyone who has had the unfortunate luck of spending even a few minutes on Highway 290 between the North Loop and Cypress knows that “gridlock” can be a relative term. This entire stretch of road is also being widened because of an increase in traffic. As  the expansion of the ever congested thoroughfare continues through the end of 2017, all Houston drivers can do is lament the closures and do their best to avoid the area. If you don't live or work on the northwest side of town, that certainly helps.

But what is going to happen when what is arguably the worst freeway interchange in the state of Texas is rebuilt will make the 290 construction traffic look like a broken stoplight at 10:30 p.m. on a Sunday night in the country. For most Houstonians, the greatest concern will be the plan to completely redo the interchange at US 59 and the West Loop. It is one of the most congested interchanges in the state of Texas thanks to its proximity to the Galleria and one of the most affluent parts of Houston.

Given how awful the traffic is at nearly every hour of every day, the change should be welcome, but it comes at a price. The project is expected to take four years beginning in 2017. For those who aren't great at math, that means we will be dealing with a mess on the southwest corner of the Loop through 2021. For perspective, the miles-long stretch of 290 has been under construction for four years already and it has felt like a decade. Now, apply that torture to the most congested freeway intersection in Texas.

So, get ready, drivers. It's going to be a long four years. And, if you live in the already terribly traffic laden Galleria area, our best advice is to consider moving.

The project also addresses several needs. Many of the one-lane direct connectors are over capacity and projected growth would increase demand. There are no shoulders, low vertical clearances, below minimum sight distances, and crashes in merge areas. This all equates to major backup and delays in the area around the Galleria.

Hopefully the new connector ramps will improve traffic flow and help to ease congestion on the two freeways. Only time will tell if the project not only was done correctly, but also will pay off in the long run.

Opioid Epidemic Knows No Boundaries

By now, we have heard about the rise in deaths related to opioid abuse. What many people fail to realize is that addiction usually starts with the street drug heroin. When injected, heroin induces a high that can last for a long time. It also is why many people choose to shoot up with it. When the supply runs out, they turn to opioids.

Oxycodone, OxyContin, Fentanyl, and other powerful pain medicines have surged into homes. Normally used after surgery to ease pain, these same drugs have found their way into the hands of corrupt doctors. These so-called pill mills churn out pain killers in large quantities. All it takes is a person faking a major injury to start the cycle of addiction. Once hooked, quitting is almost impossible.

Why is quitting almost impossible after a person is addicted? The reason is that opioids are more powerful than the average pain killer. This leads to needing more of the same drug to produce a high.

According to the New England Journal of Medicine and Doctor Anna Lembke, prescription opioid abuse is an epidemic. In 2010 alone, there were a reported 2.4 million opioid abusers in the U.S. alone. The number of new abusers had increased a staggering 225% between 1992 and 2000.

Over half of the abused opioids come from a doctor's prescription. In many instances, these same doctors are fully aware of the fact their patients are addicted, yet these drugs are still prescribed. In fact, many patients who are abusing these medications are not using them for the intended use or are diverting them to others who in turn get hooked.

Recent changes in the philosophy of pain treatment, cultural trends in attitudes toward suffering, and financial disincentives for treating addiction have only made the problem worse.

Over the last century, and especially as morphine derived drugs increased, a paradigm shift occurred. Today, pain management and treatment are every doctor’s responsibility. In today's society, treating pain is seen as the only option in modern medicine. There are other ways to treat pain without resorting to opioids right away. Tylenol and Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, or NSAIDs can be just as beneficial and have a lower rate of addiction.

When a physician colleague that Dr. Lembke knew was asked how they deal with the problem of opioid addiction in patients who abuse them, the answer was that sometimes the right thing has to be done and not give the opioids out. The physician also knew that this action could lead to a bad rating on Yelp. This leaves someone to wonder about the other times that opioids are intentionally given to abusers.

A cultural change has also contributed to physicians' dilemma that all suffering is avoidable. Some segments of our society believe that any kind of pain is a pathological indicator and amendable to treatment.

Some segments of society also believe untreated pain can cause a psychic scar leading to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Doctors who deny patients who report feeling pain may be seen as withholding relief and inflicting further harm through psychological trauma.

No one understands this better than addicted patients, who use their awareness of cultural narratives of victimization and illness to get their fix. One patient said that they knew they were addicted, but it was the doctor's fault for prescribing the opioids in the first place. “I will sue the doctor if I am left in pain,” the patient said.

The mainstays of treatment for addiction are both education and effective counseling, which take time.

Time spent with each patient is modern medicine's least valued commodity from a financial perspective. This is especially true in emergency departments, where physicians are usually evaluated on the number of patients seen rather than the amount of time spent with the patient.

According to the American Medical Association (AMA) and Dr. Patrice Harris, the epidemic of opioid addiction has continued to take victims. Those responsible for health care and policy are looking at ways to stop these needless deaths. As medical professionals, these people have a professional and ethical responsibility to end this epidemic.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued a guideline on prescribing opioids. The AMA shares the CDC's goal of reducing opioid abuse and applauds the agency for making this a high priority. Specifically, the AMA is concerned about the CDC's recommendations for specific dosage and duration limits.

If the CDC proposals reduce deaths caused by abusing opioids, they will prove to be valuable. If not, the AMA will need to mitigate them. While the AMA shares the CDC's goal of saving lives and reversing the epidemic, the AMA will work with the CDC and other agencies to take steps in this direction.

In the meantime, countless patients come to emergency departments and doctors' offices every day reporting pain and receiving opioids despite known or suspected addiction to these powerful drugs. Health care providers have become hostages of the patients. The ultimate victims though are the patients themselves, who are not getting the treatment for addiction they both need and deserve.

On May 5, 2022, more than one dozen medical professionals across eight federal districts were charged with fueling the opioid epidemic.

The Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force carried out the raids. According to Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite, who was part of Wednesday's criminal announcement in Cincinnati, Ohio, over 75,000 Americans died last year due to opioid overdoses.

The defendants span seven states and account for roughly $7 million in opioid-related fraud loss according to the Justice Department.

One pharmacist in Florida allegedly sold 219,567 pills of oxycodone and 112,840 pills of hydromorphone on the black market between 2019 and 2021. In another case, an Alabama physician and a codefendant are accused of signing off on fraudulent prescriptions and medical bills for patients across three different medical clinics. And in Tennessee, a family medicine doctor allegedly ordered doses of opioids like hydrocodone and oxycodone for patients who did not need them.

In another case, a Kentucky dentist was charged with allegedly prescribing opioid pills without a legitimate medical purpose in August 2020. That month, the dentist provided three opioid prescriptions to a 24-year-old dental patient over a span of five days, prosecutors claimed. The patient later died from a morphine overdose allegedly tied to one of the dentist's prescriptions, according to the Justice Department.

“From January 2016 to September 2020, a review of just the dentist prescribing showed that they issued approximately 3,577 prescriptions for Oxycodone, totaling approximately 62,943 pills that were dispensed to patients," prosecutors also alleged in a recent court filing, prescriptions that they say likely fell "outside the accepted practice of dentistry." The dentist’s defense attorney, Robert McBride, did not comment on his client's pending case, which is set to go to trial later this month, according to court records.

The Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force has so far charged 111 defendants over three years. In all, those defendants are accused of prescribing 115 million controlled substance pills. One person dies from a drug overdose every 5 minutes throughout the United States, the Drug Enforcement Agency said Wednesday.

"These medical professionals…are operating no differently than any drug dealer," U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Kenneth L. Parker said Wednesday. "They are simply donning white coats while they are prescribing dangerous levels of opioids."

March For Our Lives Takes Over Houston

On March 24, 2017, demonstrators from around the country gathered to call for a reform on the nation's gun laws. Among the cities that were the site of demonstrations and protests, was Houston. While the protest was small compared to Washington, D.C., hundreds gathered to raise their voice and call for stricter gun control laws.

As I made my way through the crowds and asked people what brought them to the rally, two signs caught my attention. One was a person dressed as Santa holding a sign that had a naughty list which included Congress and the National Rifle Association and a nice list which featured students. Another sign that caught my attention was one that said arms are for hugging.

Students as young as 14 showed up at the rally to raise their voice. Teachers, students, educators, and parents gathered to hear a number of keynote speakers.

There were many student groups at the demonstration from all over the Houston area. I had a chance to speak with educators, parents, and students to find out what brought them to the march. The main reason was to make their voice heard. They all said enough is enough and that something needs to happen.

Speaking with a group of students from Lamar High School, one student said they were demonstrating in order to show support for the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Students. Another student said they wanted to get the word out about calls for gun reform. Another said they were demonstrating in order to make schools safer for students. Still another student said that it is time to reform gun laws.

Among the featured speakers was Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. He said that the youth are the leaders of today and this is a defining moment. "When students lead a demonstration, things can change. We need to make America safe again." He went on to say that the city works for its citizens. "The city is the employee and the citizens are the employer." One of the highlights of the speech was when Mayor Turner announced his commission to end gun violence. "We need to fulfill our potential and protect our children." He concluded with the chant "NOW IS THE TIME!"

One keynote speaker at the rally stated that multiple bills addressing gun reform were never even brought to the floor for a debate. This did not sit well with the crowd as they gave a resounding disdain after hearing what was just stated. "Success is not final. Failure is not fatal," The speaker told the crowd.

Another speaker told the crowd that we are tired of our elected leaders in Washington not listening to our voices. "We will march forward. We will make change," the speaker concluded.

Speaking with a group of students from Rice University, I found out one of them graduated from Marjory Stoneman Douglas in 2017. One student told me that action needs to be taken. Another one said that the issue of gun reform needs to be addressed. The students as a whole demanded action be taken in Washington and in Houston. Another student said they were at the rally because they were inspired by the students of Stoneman Douglas High School and wanted to become involved. Still another said that gun safety needs to become a priority.

One parent that I talked with stated that she was there to stand with the students because action has not been taken. Another person, who is a teacher, said they want to be able to do their job and not worry about an active shooter situation.

A group of students from Cypress Woods High School told me they wanted to see change and that as a nation, we have become desensitized to mass shootings.

Another group of students, who wished not to identify their school, told me they wanted change. "We want to feel safe in school," one student told me. Another one said that their school does not do practice drills for mass shooter situations. "We want to feel safe everywhere," a student told me. They all agreed enough is enough and it's time for change.

I also got to speak with a group of students who attend a school where gun violence is the norm. Group leader RJ told me that there is a high rate of gun violence on the campus. "We are all against violence," she told me. RJ and her friends said they live for the purpose of preventing gun violence in schools.

A group of students from the University of Houston told me the campus has loose gun laws and that a tragedy like that of Marjory Stoneman Douglas could be prevented with tighter regulations.

"It can happen to anyone. We need to change the gun laws," Hannah Boyd, who is a student told me. She did not wish to give out where she attends school.

"It's become the norm," Kate said, wishing not to give out her school name. "People don't realize the United States is the norm when it comes to mass shootings."

Olivia, who wished to not give out her school, told me that gun violence affects everyone and that she wanted her voice to be heard.

"Kids have a voice, whether they realize it or not," Grace, who attends Spring Forest Middle School, told me. "We can make a difference."

Chants of "Vote Them Out" "Books Not Bullets" "Hey hey Ho ho The NRA has got to go" and "Hey Hey NRA, how many kids did you kill today?" filled the air on the way to U.S. Senator Ted Cruz's downtown office. When he failed to show up, the crowd began to chant: "Where's Ted Cruz?" After waiting a while longer, the protestors headed back to the park to regroup.

Ted Cruz, who represents Southern Texas, has been seen by many as not getting much done since he took office in 2012.

Many GOP representatives and senators have announced they will not seek re-election this year. This follows on the heels of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in which 17 students were killed. Lawmakers have come under increasing pressure from young and first-time voters to pass legislation on gun reform.