The Daily Populous

Thursday February 18th, 2021 evening edition

image for Ted Cruz Accused of Flying to Cancun Amid Texas Power Outages As Photo Goes Viral

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has been accused of traveling to Cancun, Mexico, amid the ongoing crisis in Texas, where millions have been left without power or heat in freezing temperatures.

In a statement released Thursday afternoon, hours after the controversy began, Cruz explained that he and his family left Texas to fly to Cancun at the request of his daughters.

"With school cancelled for the rest of the week, our girls asked to take a trip with friends.

Wanting to be a good dad, I flew down with them last night and am flying back this afternoon," Cruz said.

Before Cruz confirmed the trip, many social media users theorized that Cruz had left the country while his state struggles with a major crisis.

Just confirmed @SenTedCruz and his family flew to Cancun tonight for a few days at a resort they've visited before.

Updated 02/18, 2:16 p.m.: This story has been updated with a statement from Ted Cruz. »

Federal Regulators Plan to Investigate Massive Texas Power Outage

Authored by nbcdfw.com
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Federal regulators have opened an inquiry into what caused the massive power outages across Texas.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) confirms it will investigate along with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation.

FERC is the same agency that examined the last major winter power outage in Texas in 2011, and then offered recommendations aimed at preventing a repeat in the future. »

Turkmen Opposition Groups Abroad Demand Investigation Into Teen Athlete's Killing

Authored by rferl.org
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The boy was later found severely beaten and unconscious, and died in hospital several days afterwards.

According to a report by Turkmen News, Tursunbaev's coach was also severely beaten after the end of the tournament.

The opposition groups claim that the boy might have been killed by local officials in retaliation for his refusal to throw the fight. »

Buyer beware: Massive experiment shows why ticket sellers hit you with last-second fees

Authored by newsroom.haas.berkeley.edu

It’s a particularly effective strategy for online sales, which in the past two years has overtaken brick-and-mortar shopping.

Websites that incorporate ‘hidden fees’ that are only revealed at checkout are making more money than they would if they chose to honestly display all fees upfront.

This upfront-fee pricing strategy included all required fees, which generally amounted to 15% of the ticket price plus shipping and handling. »