Here are things to know for Tuesday, Nov. 9:
1. FBI joins investigation on deadly incident at Astroworld Festival
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A criminal investigation is underway after the tragedy at the Astroworld Festival that left eight people dead and hundreds injured.
Multiple lawsuits have been filed claiming Travis Scott and the other organizers put profits over safety.
Not only are the civil suits mounting in this case, the criminal investigation has expanded. The criminal investigation now not only involves Harris County and the City of Houston, but it also includes the FBI.
“We’re working to figure out which entity can do that investigation, because there’s so many different players,” Judge Lina Hidalgo said.
2. Houston rapper Travis Scott to pay funeral costs, partnering with mental health services for support
Houston rapper Travis Scott announced on Monday he plans to cover funeral expenses for all eight victims that died at his Astroworld Festival on Friday night.
In a news release on Monday, the rapper is partnering with BetterHelp and several other Houston-area organizations such as Mental Health America (MHA) of Greater Houston to provide mental health and emotional support.
BetterHelp will provide one month of free one-on-one sessions with a licensed therapist if you sign up using this link. You can also contact The National Alliance of Mental Illness between 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 1-844-CJ NAMI 1 (1-844-256-2641).
Travis Scott is in conversations with Houston authorities, and plans to connect with the families of the victims, according to the release.
3. Kendrick Johnson sentenced to life in prison for 2018 shooting death of Lamar High School Student
Alleged gang member, 21-year-old Kendrick Johnson, was sentenced to life in prison and a $10,00 fine on Monday after being convicted of murder in the 2018 shooting death of Delindsey Mack.
On Thursday, Nov. 4, a jury found Johnson guilty after about three hours of deliberation. When the verdict was read, Johnson’s face was obscured by a face mask, and little reaction could be seen. Mack’s mother, however, cried when she heard the verdict read.
On Nov. 13, 2018, a masked gunman shot Mack to death while he was walking with a girl on Bammel Lane, not far from Lamar High School, where he was a student. Investigators said the gunman stood over Mack after he fell to the ground and fired several more shots. Prosecutors said Mack was shot seven times and sustained gunshot wounds to his head and chest. He died in a church parking lot.
4. Unvaccinated Texans make up vast majority of COVID-19 cases and deaths this year, new state data shows
New data from the Texas health department released Monday proves what health officials have been trying to tell vaccine-hesitant Texans for months: The COVID-19 vaccine dramatically prevents death and is the best tool to prevent transmission of the deadly virus.
Out of nearly 29,000 Texans who have died from COVID-related illnesses since mid-January, only 8% of them were fully vaccinated against the virus, according to a report detailing the Texas Department of State Health Services’ findings.
And more than half of those deaths among vaccinated people were among Texans older than 75, the age group that is most vulnerable to the virus, the study shows.
5. Delta-8 is legal in Texas — for now — after Travis County judge blocks state from criminalizing the cannabis extract
Delta-8, the popular cannabis extract that was recently and suddenly outlawed in Texas, is temporarily legal again.
State district court Judge Jan Soifer on Monday granted a temporary injunction against the state to ensure selling or obtaining delta-8 is not a felony offense. It came as Hometown Hero, a CBD dispensary based in Austin, requested the judge block the state from listing delta-8 as a Schedule I drug, which effectively made it illegal.
The company argued an injunction was needed because the Texas Department of State Health Services’ Oct. 15 online notice, classifying delta-8 as a Schedule I drug, did not adequately notify retailers. The order from the Travis County judge said the action from DSHS didn’t comply with the state’s rule-making requirements.