promoearn: Inside the Astroworld tragedy

Sunday, November 7

A street sign showing the cancellation of the AstroWorld Festival at NRG Park on November 6, 2021 in Houston, Texas.

Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend

What happened at Travis Scott's Astroworld Festival? And Biden's approval rating hit a new low. It's the weekend's biggest news.

Inside Travis Scott's Astroworld

Concertgoers trapped in crowds, unable to move. A complete breakdown in order and security. A panicked crush resulting in at least eight deaths and dozens injured. This was the scene of the Astroworld Festival in Houston on Friday, now one of the worst music concert tragedies in U.S. history. Twenty-five people were transported to hospitals and 13 remained there Sunday, said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. More than 300 people were treated on site. The known ages of the victims who died are 14 to 27 years old.

The crowd surge began around the time that rapper Travis Scott, the festival headliner, took the stage. "The crowd began to compress toward the front of the stage, and that caused some panic," said Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña. " ... People began to fall out, become unconscious, and it created additional panic." Local authorities will launch an independent investigation into what went wrong at the sold-out show. "The families and those who die deserve answers as to what took place," said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo.

•	Astroworld Festival victims were teens, students and at least one aspiring model.
•	'They were not breathing': Survivors recount bodies trampled, overwhelmed security.
•	Kylie Jenner says she, Travis Scott 'weren't aware' of deaths until after show.

Biden's approval drops to 38% in USA TODAY/Suffolk poll

A year ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, Republicans hold a clear lead on the congressional ballot as President Joe Biden's approval rating sinks to a new low of 38%. A USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll found that Biden's support cratered among the independent voters who delivered his margin of victory over President Donald Trump one year ago. Biden and his party may see a rebound, advocates argue, after the House passed a $1.2 trillion "hard" infrastructure bill late Friday, and an encouraging economic report showed stronger-than-expected job growth. That said, the survey illuminates the size of the hole Democrats need to dig out of as they look toward 2022 elections that will determine control of Congress and shape the second two years of Biden's term. Read details from the survey here.

Real quick

•	Prevea Health ends partnership with Aaron Rodgers after his comments about the COVID-19 vaccination.
•	OSHA vaccine mandate for larger businesses temporarily halted by federal appeals court.
•	'We're not happy about that': NASCAR president denounces 'Let's Go Brandon' chant.
•	Babies born to moms with COVID-19 when pregnant should be watched for long-term impacts, researchers say.
•	'SNL' unveils new Trump impression, Pete Davidson takes on Aaron Rodgers' COVID controversy.
•	Ford's CEO responds to Twitter pleas for electrified 1978 F-100.
•	People swear by apple cider vinegar for weight loss. Does it actually work?

Daylight saving time 'not helpful,' experts say

Sleep well? For most of the nation, daylight saving time ended at 2 a.m. Sunday, giving us back the hour of sleep we lost in the spring. The Department of Transportation, which is in charge of daylight saving time, says the practice saves energy, prevents traffic accidents and reduces crime. But sleep experts say the health consequences of losing sleep from daylight saving outweigh its value. "There's really no reason we should continue to do this back and forth," said Erin Flynn-Evans, a consultant to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's Public Safety Committee. "The negative health consequences and the negative effect on multi-vehicular crashes in the spring are just not worth it."

A man watches the last sunset of daylight saving time, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, in Kansas City, Mo. The sun will set an hour earlier Sunday as people in most of the United States set their clocks back an hour to switch to standard time.

Charlie Riedel, AP

New York City Marathon returns

The 50th running of the New York City Marathon on Sunday was a celebratory return to the streets of the Big Apple after last year's event was held virtually due to the pandemic. Just three months after claiming gold at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya won the 26.2-mile race, emerging from a lead pack of three in the final mile to finish in 2:22:39. Countryman Albert Korir won the men's race in dominant fashion, meanwhile, leaping into the air as he crossed the line with a time of 2:08:22. The New York City Marathon initially consisted of 127 people running laps around Central Park in 1970 with a $1 entry fee but has since blossomed into one of the largest and most iconic road races in the world.

•	Molly Seidel breaks U.S. record at New York City Marathon – with two broken ribs.

Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya wins the women's race at the New York City Marathon, adding to the Olympic gold she won this summer in Tokyo.

Seth Harrison, USA TODAY Sports

Biden hails House passage of $1.2T bipartisan infrastructure bill

After months of political wrangling, the House late Friday night passed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill to modernize highways, rebuild water lines and provide billions for electric vehicle charging stations. It's the largest transportation spending package in U.S. history. The passage is a victory for Democrats and President Joe Biden, who had suffered a stinging defeat in Tuesday's elections. The bill, passed by the Senate in August, will now be sent to Biden, who will sign it into law. "Finally, infrastructure week! I'm so happy to say that," Biden said Saturday at the White House, calling the passage of the bill a monumental step forward. "We did something that's long overdue, that long has been talked about in Washington but never actually been done," he said.