World news in brief
‘One of the greatest’: Flea leads tributes to Television guitarist
Flea has led tributes to Tom Verlaine, the frontman for rock band Television, after his death was announced on Saturday. Verlaine was the guitarist, songwriter and lead figure of the New York City band, which was mainly active in the mid-Seventies. The band is most known for the 1977 album Marquee Moon, which is highly regarded as one of the foremost punk releases.
Verlaine frequently collaborated with musician Patti Smith throughout his solo career, and they once dated while they were part of the emerging punk scene in New York. His death was announced by Jesse Paris Smith, the daughter of Patti Smith, who said that he died “after a brief illness”.
Since the news broke, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ bassist Flea is one of several musicians to have paid tribute to Verlaine online, sharing that he’d been an influence on his and bandmate John Frusciante. “Listened to Marquee Moon 1000 times,” his tweet began. “And I mean LISTENED, sitting still, lights down low taking it all in. Awe and wonder every time. Will listen 1000 more. Tom Verlaine is one of the greatest rock musicians ever. He affected the way John and I play immeasurably. Fly on Tom.”
Mike Scott of The Waterboys also shared his thoughts on the late musician, writing on Twitter: “Tom Verlaine has passed over to the beyond that his guitar playing always hinted at. He was the best rock and roll guitarist of all time, and like Hendrix could dance from the spheres of the cosmos to garage rock. That takes a special greatness.”
Black woman awarded $1m after no service at gas station
A 63-year-old woman awarded $1m by an Oregon jury after a gas station attendant refused her service because she was Black feels “vindicated”, her lawyer said. Rose Wakefield, of Portland, sued Jacksons Food Stores after stopping at one of the company’s locations in March 2020 in Beaverton, where she continued to wait for service while an attendant pumped gas for white customers who would arrived after her. Oregon and New Jersey are the only two states in which it is illegal in most areas for drivers to pump their own gas.
After complaining and being helped by another attendant, she asked the first person why she had had to wait and was told “I don’t serve Black people”, according to the lawsuit. Cory Jackson, the president of Jacksons Food Stores, said that there was a “zero-tolerance” policy against discrimination and that the company disagreed with the verdict.
“After carefully reviewing all facts and evidence, including video surveillance, we chose to take this matter to trial because we were comfortable based on our knowledge that the servicerelated concern actually reported by the customer was investigated and promptly addressed,” Mr Jackson said. “As such, we respectfully disagree with the jury’s ruling because our knowledge does not align with the verdict.”
Mining firm sorry for losing highly radioactive capsule
The mining corporation handling the transportation of a highly radioactive capsule that went missing over a 1,400km-long stretch of road in Western Australia has issued an apology for “causing an alarm” in the community. “We recognise this is clearly very concerning and are sorry for the alarm it has caused in the Western Australian community,” said Simon Trott, chief executive of mining giant Rio Tinto Iron Ore, yesterday.
“As well as fully supporting the relevant authorities, we have launched our own investigation to understand how the capsule was lost in transit,” he said. He added that the contractor was qualified to transport the device and had been confirmed being on board the truck by a Geiger counter prior to leaving the mine.
Authorities have been combing parts of the road looking for the tiny but heavily dangerous and radioactive capsule. The caesium-137 ceramic source, commonly used in radiation gauges, emits dangerous amounts of radiation, equivalent to receiving 10 X-rays in an hour. The capsule could cause skin burns and prolonged exposure could cause cancer.
Massive 85-car pileup in Wisconsin leaves 21 injured
At least 21 people were injured after a massive 85-car crash and pileup on a Wisconsin highway, officials said. The authorities shifted 21 people to hospitals in the area to provide treatment for their injuries, the Wisconsin State Patrol said. The multi-vehicle crash was reported on Friday afternoon on I-39/90 in Rock County around Milepost 181 between Beloit and Janesville. The
Wisconsin state patrol said the incident occurred during a “severe winter weather” event with snow, ice and whiteout conditions believed to be a factor in the initial crash.
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