KARAH RUCKER: A RAIL STRIKE HAS BEEN AVOIDED AFTER INTERVENTION FROM CONGRESS AND A SIGNATURE FROM PRESIDENT BIDEN. THIS IS YOUR MIDDAY UPDATE.

RAIL STRIKE AVOIDED, CONGRESS BILL SIGNED

RUCKER: PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS SIGNED A BILL THAT WILL PREVENT RAILROAD WORKERS FROM GOING ON STRIKE, DESPITE THEIR UNIONS AT A STANDSTILL WITH THE RAILROADS OVER CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS.

IF OUR RAIL SYSTEM CAME TO A HALT BECAUSE EMPLOYEES WERE ON STRIKE, OUR ECONOMY WOULD HAVE LOST BILLIONS OF DOLLARS A DAY.

CONGRESS COMING TOGETHER QUICKLY THIS WEEK TO PASS LEGISLATION IN THE HOUSE, THE SENATE, AND TOPPED OFF WITH THE PRESIDENT’S SIGNATURE TODAY.

THE LONG LOOMING RAIL STRIKE OFFICIALLY AVOIDED.

ALEX JONES FILES FOR PERSONAL BANKRUPTCY

INFOWARS HOST ALEX JONES IS FILING FOR PERSONAL BANKRUPTCY. THIS MORNING’S FILING IN TEXAS LISTS $1 BILLION TO $10 BILLION IN LIABILITIES OWED TO 50 TO 99 CREDITORS, AS WELL AS $1 TO $10 MILLION IN ASSETS.

JONES FACES COURT ORDERS IN TEXAS AND CONNECTICUT TO PAY NEARLY $1.5 BILLION TO RELATIVES OF VICTIMS OF THE SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SHOOTING, FOR CALLING THE MASSACRE A HOAX.

IN CONNECTICUT COURT, A HEARING WAS SET TODAY ON A MOTION TO ATTACH THE ASSETS OF JONES AND HIS COMPANY TO SECURE THE MONEY FOR DAMAGES.

JONES FILED A NOTICE SAYING HIS BANKRUPTCY FILING HALTS ALL PROCEEDINGS IN THAT CASE.

SUPREME COURT TAKES UP STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS

PRESIDENT BIDEN’S STUDEN LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM HAS BEEN ON PAUSE AND PUT ASIDE.

IT WILL CONTINUE TO SIT THAT WAY UNTIL AT LEAST FEBRUARY. THAT’S WHEN THE SUPREME COURT SAYS THEY WILL TAKE UP THE CASE.

THE HIGHEST COURT SAID THEY WILL HEAR ARGUMENTS ABOUT THE PROGRAM IN 2023. TABLING THE CASE UNTIL THEN.

REPAYMENTS WOULD HAVE ALREADY BEGUN IF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WASN’T HIT WITH SEVERAL LEGAL CHALLENGES.

AND STUDENT LOAN RE-PAYMENTS WERE SUPPOSED TO START BACK UP IN JANUARY, BUT HAVE BEEN PAUSED UNTIL LITIGATION IS OVER.

RESEARCHERS UNVEIL VACCINE FOR FENTANYL

GOV. GREG ABBOT | (R) TEXAS: “Quite literally, fentanyl is killing Texas over the past year. At least one person loses their life a day because of fentanyl, if at all, is now the number one killer in America, a people between the ages of 18 and 45.”

RUCKER: THE GOVERNOR OF TEXAS MET WITH RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON THIS WEEK WHO HAVE CREATED A VACCINE FOR FENTANYL. A HEALTH-CARE INNOVATION THAT CAN POTENTIALLY COMBAT THE NATION’S GROWING FENTANYL CRISIS.

RESEARCHERS DESCRIBE THE VACCINE AS DIFFERENT FROM THOSE THAT COMBAT VIRUSES. THIS ONE CREATES ANTIBODIES AGAINST FENTANYL. SO IF THE DRUG IS CONSUMED, THE ANTIBODIES WILL ATTACK FENTANYL BEFORE IT REACHES THE BRAIN.

DR. COLIN HAILE | RESEARCH PROFESSOR: “We need a different strategy. A different way of addressing this problem. And that different way includes our vaccine. We feel that this, in combination with present treatments will be a game changer.”

PANDEMIC AGED TEENAGERS’ BRAINS

THE PANDEMIC HAS PHYSICALLY CHANGED TEENAGERS’ BRAINS AND ALSO AGED THEM AT A MUCH FASTER RATE, THAT’S ACCORDING TO A NEW STUDY.

RESEARCHERS COMPARED THE MRI SCANS OF 128 CHILDREN. HALF OF THE SCANS WERE TAKEN PRE-PANDEMIC,
THE OTHER HALF AT THE END OF 2020.

THE RESEARCHERS FOUND THAT AFTER THE FIRST YEAR OF THE PANDEMIC, BRAINS APPEARED TO AGE AS MUCH AS THREE YEARS. AND STRUCTURAL CHANGES OCCURRED IN PARTS OF THE BRAIN RESPONSIBLE FOR LEARNING AND CONCENTRATION.

THE STUDY AUTHORS POINT TO ESCALATED LEVELS OF STRESS, ANXIETY, AND POOR MENTAL HEALTH AS THE UNDERLYING FACTORS TO CHANGES IN BRAIN SCANS POST-PANDEMIC.

FCC APPROVES 7,500 SPACEX SATELLITES FOR LAUNCH

STARLINK IS READY TO ENTER PHASE TWO. AND NOW HAS FCC APPROVAL.

ELON MUSK HAS BEEN GRANTED PERMISSION TO LAUNCH UP TO 75 HUNDRED NEXT-GENERATION SATELLITES IN ITS STARLINK NETWORK.

SPACE-X ORIGINALLY APPLIED SEEKING APPROVAL FOR 30 THOUSAND SATELLITES. BUT THE 75 HUNDRED IS STILL A SIGNIFICANT EXPANSION. AND ULTIMATELY CAN PROVIDE BROADBAND-INTERNET TO USERS WORLDWIDE,
EVEN IN HARD TO REACH, REMOTE LOCATIONS.