sentence1 stringlengths 0 100k | sentence2 stringlengths 0 100k | score float64 0 5 |
|---|---|---|
Laura Farber is the first-ever Latina president of the Tournament of Roses Association, which organizes the nation's most famous New Year's Day parade. (Courtesy of Tournament of Roses)
Laura Farber, a native of Buenos Aires, is the newest president of the Tournament of Roses Association, which puts on the nation's most famous New Year's Day parade. Farber is also the board chair, and as the first Latina president in the Tournament's history, she's part of a continuing effort to increase diversity at the venerable volunteer organization.
To that end, Farber named three Latinas to serve as co-grand marshals: actresses Rita Moreno and Gina Torres, and Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez. Farber also asked that the B-2 pilot who flies over the 2020 festivities be a woman (wish granted: Lt. Col. Nicola Polidor).
She also chose this year's theme, "The Power of Hope (El Poder de la Esperanza)." She told us the choice was inspired by her and her husband's immigrant experiences (he's from the Dominican Republic), and fueled by a desire to see a divided country come together in the new year.
MAKING HISTORY
The pantheon of past presidents includes just two other women (who served in 2005-06 and 2012-13). Farber is the first Latina and native Spanish-speaker to work her way up to the post.
Becoming president is an eight-year ascent that starts with serving as a vice-president on the executive committee, then as secretary, treasurer and executive vice-president.
Farber attributes her rise, in part, to a mechanism put in place relatively recently to increase diversity in an organization that was traditionally white and male. She got her Tournament start as one of the executive committee's five "at-large" members, whose two-year terms are intended for women and people from minority backgrounds, allowing them to "sit at our policymaking table, to make decisions about the direction that we're going and to also have an opportunity to display what they love and know and then go back into our membership," Farber explained.
Farber also noted that the Tournament of Roses runs community outreach efforts such as the queen and royal court, high school student ambassadors and the college intern program.
"You have to have a pipeline, or else it becomes difficult to continue what your institution is trying to achieve, which is reflecting our diverse community," she said.
The theme of the 2020 Rose Parade is "The Power of Hope (El Poder de la Esperanza)." ( Courtesy of Tournament of Roses)
THE APPROXIMATELY ONE MILLION THINGS THE PRESIDENT DOES
"Well, it is a lot of time. I'm not going to say it's not," Farber said of her main job, which is serving as the ambassador of all things Tournament of Roses.
Her work includes dozens of speaking engagements and decisions that must be made long before the first float glides down Colorado Boulevard on New Year's Day, including choosing the theme, artwork, and grand marshal(s), as well as scouting and selecting bands.
Her other duties include reaching out to local schoolchildren. "I have made it an important emphasis to go to schools all over the place to read at libraries in Spanish and English, and to just be out there," she told us.
The Tournament president also runs the executive committee's bi-weekly meetings and the board of directors' quarterly meetings, and shows up in support of membership events.
Farber is also an employment law attorney with Hahn and Hahn LLP (a Pasadena firm that has provided four previous presidents), and a mother of two school-age kids. "This is beyond a full-time job, but I love it," she said. "I don't see it as a job. I see it as giving back, and I've enjoyed every moment."
WHAT FLOATING FLOWERS HAVE TO DO WITH WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE
Farber could barely contain her excitement about some of the notable entries in the 2020 Parade, including two floats that celebrate the 100th anniversary of women nationwide receiving the right to vote.
Huntington Library is also celebrating a centennial, with tableaux from its famous gardens. And the California Mayflower Society funded a replica pilgrims' ship to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the landing at Plymouth Rock.
Farber also selected three "honored guests" to ride together in a car: the first Latina astronaut Ellen Ochoa, actress Sonia Manzano, who played Maria on Sesame Street for nearly half a century, and the Spanish-language Dodgers broadcaster Jaime Jarrín.
2020 Grand Marshals (left to right): Laurie Hernandez, Rita Moreno and Gina Torres. (Courtesy of Tournament of Roses)
LISTEN TO THE MUSIC
Farber said this year's parade has the largest number of international bands ever — from Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, and Japan, and an all-female marching band from Denmark.
But it's a Moreno Valley band that she was anxious to highlight: Rancho Verde High School's Crimson Regiment. Many of the student musicians are from low-income and military families, and their school district provides free uniforms and free instruments and maintains them so that socioeconomic status doesn't stand in the way of involvement in the band.
"Most of their kids are AP and honors students," she said. "That will be the most phenomenal, hopeful band. That will be the embodiment of The Power of Hope."
Another entry in this year's parade is the Alhambra Unified School District Marching Band, which includes musicians from Farber's alma mater, Alhambra High.
TELL US ABOUT THE HORSES
The noble steeds who drew the festooned carriages in the first Rose Parades have remained well-represented through the ensuing years.
The 2020 edition features 17 equestrian entries, ranging from Buffalo Soldiers and the last Marine Corps Mounted Color guard to women rodeo riders and members of the Valley Hunt Club, which staged the first Tournament of Roses in 1890.
Farber said first-timers include the Horsewomen of Temecula Wine Country — "eq-wine" for short.
"We have a whole group of amazing diverse equestrian riders. It's going to be fantastic," Farber said.
YAY CIVIC PRIDE
"I'm very excited about this parade. You can probably sense that!" Farber said.
It's a sentiment shared by many in the San Gabriel Valley, which reaps a bounty of tourist dollars from the estimated 800,000 parade goers.
But that enthusiasm is not limited to the SGV. Valley cities including La Cañada Flintridge, South Pasadena, Sierra Madre and Alhambra create float entries, but Burbank, Torrance and Downey also have their own floats this year. Some, including La Cañada's, are built and decorated by their residents.
"It means so much to so many people, this tradition — but also innovation," Farber said. "We believe in the balance between tradition and innovation. And that has been an important theme. And we are trying to carry that out in so many different ways."
One way is the addition this year of a mid-parade performance between the opening and closing numbers that are relatively new to the procession.
HOW MUCH MONEY DOES THIS GENERATE?
"Everyone wants to have a wonderful new year. And that's why "The Power of Hope" was selected [as the theme]," said Farber. She said the Tournament of Roses is documented to generate an annual $200 million economic impact.
Revenue generated by visitors goes up when out-of-state teams play the football game, and the upcoming Rose Bowl match-up will pit Oregon against Wisconsin. Hope is high among hoteliers and restaurateurs in the area, she said.
WHEN VEHICLES BREAK DOWN
It happens almost every year. Things break. Accidents happen.
But the 2019 parade was notable for what went wrong. The Chinese American Heritage Foundation float caught on fire, right at the corner turn onto Colorado Boulevard in full view of television cameras. Nobody got hurt, but it caused a lengthy backup, and the final few entrants didn't get their moment to shine on live TV.
Farber was asked about preventing a similar mishap.
"We've made some changes in terms of improvements — once again, innovations. And so we are confident that we won't have something like that happen again," she said. "We want to make sure that the entirety of our parade goes down that route."
TRASH, TRASH, TRASH
The Rose Parade generates literally tons of trash. Some gets swept up during the parade by the Pooper Scooper patrol that follows the horses. More gets sucked up by giant vacuums that come along at the end.
Trash is not Farber's focus — that's the city's job — but she did say that "not only is it collected, but now we have composting. We have recycling. We're doing a lot of things, in collaboration with the city and all our other partners, so that this does not become landfill."
The city reported in January that Pasadena Public Works collected about 90 tons of trash along the parade route and inside and outside the Rose Bowl after the last round of festivities, a 4% decrease from 2018. The city also said more than 10 tons of clean cardboard and over 10,000 beverage containers were recycled. | Who could blame Sandra Brockman for strutting through the crowd at the Rose Parade in a pair of red shorts?
With temperatures in the high 50s, Southern Californians wearing hoodies and stocking caps shivered around her. But Brockman, 60, basked in the sunlight. She had come to the 131st annual Rose Parade from blustery central Wisconsin with her 85-year-old aunt, Helen Haydock, whose hometown of Wisconsin Rapids declared a snow emergency this week.
After Haydock’s husband, a man with whom she had traveled the world, died in June and the Wisconsin Badgers made the Rose Bowl to face off against the Oregon Ducks, she decided to come to Pasadena to see in person the floats she had admired on television for years.
“Of course I support Wisconsin,” Haydock said, “but I really wanted to see the floats.”
Advertisement
The Rose Parade — started in 1890 as a promotional event by a local social club to show off Pasadena’s famously mild winter weather — kicked off this year under postcard-perfect blue skies, ringing in the new year with the theme “The Power of Hope.”
For many, the Rose Parade has become a wholesome annual respite from the divisive politics gripping the nation. On Wednesday, the parade took place at the start of a new decade and the beginning of an election year in which President Trump is running for reelection after being impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Sheldon Fuller, a 39-year-old South Pasadena attorney, first saw the Rose Parade as a teenager with his father but said the cheery display is more powerful than it ever has been, with “so many mass killings [and] impeachment.”
“I think it’s beautiful,” Fuller said. “There’s all walks of life who put on a cultural exposition.”
Advertisement
Some election-year politics were scattered throughout the parade route. One group of Bernie Sanders supporters walked through the crowd yelling, “Feel the Bern!” to the tune of the classic chant, “Olé, olé, olé.”
For Andy Au, the Rose Parade was an opportunity to promote Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang. Au, a 55-year-old pharmaceutical sales representative from South Pasadena, posted up in the middle of Colorado Boulevard in the predawn hours with a flashing bike light and a Yang sign.
Au, who said he did not work for Yang’s campaign, called the candidate “completely out of the box.” A few passersby made snarky remarks when they saw Au passing out fake $1,000 bills with Yang’s face on them.
One float, featuring a 30-foot Statue of Liberty covered in eucalyptus leaves, celebrated the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. Beside the float, women walked in long white dresses and suffragette sashes.
The floats rolled along without any significant hitches, unlike last year, when the Chinese American Heritage Foundation’s float caught fire near the beginning of the parade route on Orange Grove Boulevard.
The UPS Store float, which won the Sweepstakes Trophy for beauty, suffered mechanical issues and had to be towed by a massive white truck — a rare sight because the balky floats each have their own driver skilled at slowly maneuvering through the 5.5-mile route. The float, which was 35 feet tall and 55 feet long, featured tamarin monkeys with bright orange hair made of layered marigold petals and toucans with glistening black seaweed feathers.
This year’s parade also was a celebration of diversity, overseen by Laura Farber, the first Latina president of the Tournament of Roses Assn. and an immigrant from Argentina.
The parade also had three Latina grand marshals — Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez, actress Gina Torres, and Emmy-, Grammy-, Oscar- and Tony-award-winning performer Rita Moreno.
Advertisement
Honored guests riding the route in a 1915 Pierce-Arrow Model 48 were legendary Spanish-language Dodgers broadcaster Jaime Jarrín; actress Sonia Manzano, who played Maria on “Sesame Street”; and astronaut Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina to go into outer space.
Alyssa Conde, 20, of Downey felt a pride being surrounded by fellow Latinos in the crowd — a joy that was heightened when she saw Costa Rican and Salvadoran dancers grooving in the parade. A throng of Salvadorans near her waved their country’s flag and cheered.
“I feel very proud,” said Conde, who is Mexican American. “I know our people have gone through a lot, especially in Mexico and El Salvador, but they’re being heard.”
Miguel Santoscoy, 24, of Canoga Park said he appreciated that there was more cultural representation, especially for Latinos, this year.
“I’m glad they’re taking it more seriously than before,” said Santoscoy, who has Mexican roots.
Gerardo Echavarria, a 50-year-old South Gate electrician, was attending the parade for the second time and immediately picked up on the increased Latino representation.
“I was pretty emotional because I’m Mexican, and to see bands representing my country was amazing,” Echavarria said.
His friend, Luis Recalde, a 54-year-old Huntington Park salesman, has attended for six years and said that in the past the event looked “very commercial.” But Wednesday’s lineup helped bridge a gap for those who “want to feel near their country,” said Recalde, who is Argentinian.
Advertisement
A float by the Sikh American Float Foundation featured a colorful tree made of walnut powder, lemon seeds, coffee and coconut powder, as well as a huge figure of Bhai Ghaneya Singh Ji, a devout Sikh known for giving water to wounded soldiers on both sides of an armed conflict.
Marching bands from Japan, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Mexico performed, and a group called Helsingør Pigegarde from Denmark made a statement by being the only all-female marching band in the parade.
The crowd danced — and Twitter lit up — as East L.A. rock band Los Lobos performed “La Bamba” from atop a float.
Esprit Jones, 39, of Pasadena staked out a spot near the end of the route, where she hoped to “cheer on the bands as they finished.” She held her 7-year-old daughter, Brielle, who sported pink earmuffs with a unicorn horn.
Jones has been bringing Brielle, who noted that she could “smell the ponies” from the sidewalk, to the parade for the last four years because she wants her to be exposed to all kinds of people coming together to have fun.
“There are so many ideas and different cultures here,” Jones said. “It’s beautiful to see us all together for one cause, even if it’s just for a day.”
Wearing an Oakland Raiders hoodie under a black pea coat and gray scarf, his mitten-covered hands clasping a hot cup of tea, Stephen McGee was attending his first Rose Parade.
The 39-year-old from Long Beach has watched the parade for years on television and finally came this year with his girlfriend, whose family has been attending for a decade.
“I’ve been putting it off every year,” McGee said before the parade began. “I’m ready to experience it. ... Everyone has been so nice and engaging.”
Proving that even the less glamorous parts of the Rose Parade can be festive, two volunteers cleaning up horse manure with a shovel and barrel strutted down Colorado Boulevard wearing poop emoji hats.
Another volunteer, Ger Alderson, compared being part of the pooper-scooper squad to going to Disneyland.
“It’s the funnest, most exciting thing!” said the former kindergarten teacher from Thousand Oaks.
Alderson, 68, and her husband, Will, both grew up watching the parade every year. They keep up the tradition to honor Will’s late father, who loved the event.
This year they enlisted the help of their neighbors, Rich and Cathy Hanson, to clear manure from the parade route. The four wore Dr. Seuss costumes handmade by Alderson, drawing roars of cheers and laughter.
Will Alderson, a retired firefighter, was dressed as the Grinch. But he couldn’t hide that he was giddy. He loved being a pooper scooper.
Times staff writers Laura J. Nelson and Erin B. Logan contributed to this report. | 2.666667 |
A fun evening with a sophisticated flair will benefit the Augusta Symphony.
“We thought we’d try a different approach,” said Anne Catherine Murray, the symphony’s executive director about the organization’s annual fundraising gala, Augusta Symphony 003, which will be held Jan. 11 at the Miller Theater.
The past two Januaries have featured concerts with Tony Award-winning performer, Sutton Foster. This year’s event will give a nod to the famous fictional spy James Bond.
The symphony will be playing James Bond themes with singers from the Mepro Music Production company in Vienna, Austria. The company has been licensed to create several shows including The Music of Bond. Other shows in its repertoire include the music of John Williams, magical moments with music from Harry Potter movies and another show based on the music of romantic movies.
The music will be familiar to 007 fans. Some of the Bond songs that will be in the concert include the theme from “Diamonds Are Forever,” “Skyfall” and “Goldfinger.” There will also be instrumental selections.
Murray said there will be a few film clips shown during parts of the concert.
Not only will there be the music of Bond, but there will be other Bond touches throughout the night.
The event begins at 6 p.m. with a reception with light hors d’oeuvres and an open bar. Patrons can imbibe Bond’s famous “shaken not stirred” martini, the Vesper. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m.
There are two levels of support. Platinum is $250 per person, and gold is $175 per person. Platinum supporters will receive valet parking and will be guests at an after party in the Knox Music Institute. The after party will feature “indulgent” hors d’oeuvres, full bar and an immersive Bond experience.
“It’s going to be a really great event,” said Murray who added that the committee has a few secrets that members haven’t even shared with her yet.
Murray said the black-tie fundraiser has taken the place of multiple smaller events throughout the year. Attendance has been high for the past couple of years as the community has rallied around the renovated Miller Theater. She hopes for similar attendance this year and said that supporters will be in for a memorable night.
Tickets for the gala are available through the Augusta Symphony’s website, augustasymphony.com, or at the Miller Theater Box Office at (706) 842-4080. | Destiny 2 Bungie
There are a lot of discussions about the current state of Destiny 2 and what it’s doing with its “fill in the gaps” seasonal model, which will be in place for the indefinite future. But here in the beginning of 2020, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to start looking ahead to the end of 2020, which is when the new generation of consoles will arrive with Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.
Normally, we have a pretty regular pattern as to how these things go. Early adopters buy new consoles and most new games are out for both the new and old systems for a while. And in this case, it seems like both Xbox and PlayStation will have some level of backward compatibility.
For a game like say, God of War, that seems relatively straightforward, as there might just be the ability to play it as-is with backwards compatibility, or at most, they re-release it with PS5-level “upgrades.”
For a game like Destiny 2, it’s a much, much more unique situation, given the ongoing nature of the game. And as such, I have about ten trillion questions about how this is going to work with the next generation of consoles on the horizon.
Man, where to start?
Destiny 2 Bungie
Could Destiny 3 be a next-gen launch title?
This seems pretty unlikely to me, and yet I don’t think it’s entirely out of the question. It would make sense for there to be a “clean slate” refresh with the launch of the new console generation to some degree, more so than when Destiny 2 wiped out Destiny 1 in the middle of the last console gen, at least. But I can also imagine there just being another Forsaken-sized expansion instead as the big content drop of the year, a culmination of the changing seasons’ worth of content before it.
But how does that work with old and new gen?
Now that we have cross save, theoretically you could have the ability to play on both say, PS4 and PS5 simultaneously, rather than having to port characters forward like we did with PS3 > PS4. Though cross play could be a different story, and I would wonder if say, you start playing on PS5, if you’re able to play with your friend still on PS4 without going back to that version yourself.
What upgrades would Destiny have on next-gen?
You would assume that console players could finally get the 4K, 60 fps console experience they have been yearning for, though other upgrades past that are a question, which leads me to my next point.
Wouldn’t developing for last-gen hold Destiny back?
This is the exact same problem we ran into in the PS3/360 era, where Destiny 2 was finally the game to throw off the shackles of the previous gen and expand dramatically as a result. Presumably the power of PS5 and Xbox Series X means that Destiny could be bigger and more beautiful than ever. And yet will Bungie still need to be developing for PS4 and Xbox One owners for years, holding back the potential of the new gen systems? I would worry about that.
Here’s my theory.
Destiny 2 Bungie
My guess is that we get a cross-gen expansion for Destiny 2 in the fall, one that plays on both PS4 and Xbox One, and also PS5 and Series X. When played on the new consoles, we might get to see some PC-level improvements to load times and framerate, but it’s not like Bungie is going to debut some top-to-bottom next gen engine rebuild or something.
Then, my guess is that we get Destiny 3, or whatever it will be called (something Destiny 3-sized at least), maybe a year or two into the next generation of consoles. And it will be fully next-gen, leaving the past games behind and, yes probably making us start over from scratch again in terms of our loot. This will be the moment when big, big changes come to the series and we might see more significant improvements due to the capabilities of the new consoles (and as ever, PC).
It is probably too early for Bungie to start talking about any of this, we still have several more seasons to get through before fall, but given that next-gen launches this year, I do think these are questions to be asking and theories to be forming.
Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Pre-order my new sci-fi novel Herokiller, and read my first series, The Earthborn Trilogy, which is also on audiobook. | 1 |
What are you looking for? Cost of Living in Melbourne Crime in Melbourne Climate in Melbourne Food Prices in Melbourne Gas Prices in Melbourne Health Care in Melbourne Pollution in Melbourne Property Prices in Melbourne Quality of Life in Melbourne Taxi Fares in Melbourne Traffic in Melbourne
Crime > Australia > Melbourne
Crime in Melbourne, Australia
Compare Melbourne with:
Melbourne ? Add data for Melbourne Do you live in
Index Crime Index: 44.49 Safety Index: 55.51
Crime rates in Melbourne, Australia
Level of crime 46.72 Moderate Crime increasing in the past 3 years 68.09 High Worries home broken and things stolen 42.54 Moderate Worries being mugged or robbed 39.09 Low Worries car stolen 34.58 Low Worries things from car stolen 40.82 Moderate Worries attacked 43.00 Moderate Worries being insulted 45.51 Moderate Worries being subject to a physical attack because of your skin colour, ethnic origin or religion 30.45 Low Problem people using or dealing drugs 55.52 Moderate Problem property crimes such as vandalism and theft 53.41 Moderate Problem violent crimes such as assault and armed robbery 46.07 Moderate Problem corruption and bribery 34.98 Low
Safety in Melbourne, Australia
Safety walking alone during daylight 73.92 High Safety walking alone during night 43.98 Moderate
Contributors: 515
Last update: February 2019
These data are based on perceptions of visitors of this website in the past 3 years.
If the value is 0, it means it is perceived as very low, and if the value is 100, it means it is perceived as very high. Tweet Do you live in Melbourne? Yes, I'm willing to do a survey | The fires in Australia continue, and chilling images and video show the scale of the destruction in all of the states and territories. At least eight people have died since Monday, and seven are missing. Over eleven hundred homes have been lost this fire season in New South Wales alone. New Zealand journalist Rebekah Holt is in Melbourne and joins us as the sun rises through the smoke in Australia this morning.
Photo: Saeed Khan / AFP | 1 |
There’s a massive hole in 2020. A blind spot, if you will. Next fall, new consoles arrive. That doesn’t affect us much on the PC side, but it does mean everyone’s playing cards close to their chest at the moment. Holding onto surprises. Keeping quiet about quite possibly the biggest games of 2020.
So as we look towards the coming year, keep in mind we’re only seeing half the picture—if that.
And yet it’s still pretty damn impressive, with Cyberpunk 2077, Doom Eternal, and Dying Light II headlining one of the most packed spring lineups I’ve ever seen. Oh, and lest we forget, there’s a new Half-Life game releasing in March.
These are exciting times, friends.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps - March 11
When Microsoft announced Ori and the Will of the Wisps at E3 2017, I don’t think I ever imagined it would take until 2020 to release. Here we are though, and at least it’s early 2020.
Regardless, the second Ori outing looks every bit as beautiful as the original. It’s got that same soft watercolor look, lots of dark blues specked with pink and green and red highlights. I’ll be curious how the sequel ups the challenge for veterans without making it unapproachable for newcomers—the original struck a tight balance. But either way, I can’t wait to play it finally. It’s more about the spectacle for me anyway.
Half-Life: Alyx - March
No, it’s not Half-Life 3. After more than a decade, Valve’s finally putting out a new Half-Life game though, one where you play as Alyx in the events leading up to Half-Life 2. A pre-sequel, to borrow a phrase from Borderlands.
The catch? It’s VR exclusive, a showcase for Valve’s Index headset—and for Oculus, the Vive, or any other PC VR setup you might own. That’s undoubtedly frustrating for anyone who hasn’t made that investment yet, but perhaps Half-Life: Alyx can be as groundbreaking for VR as Half-Life 2 was for physics engines all those years ago. We’ll see.
Doom Eternal - March 20
Doom Eternal was supposed to unleash hell last November, but fell victim to a last-minute delay. Now it’s ripping and tearing its way through March instead.
As we’ve said before, Doom Eternal is just “More Doom,” and that’s not a bad thing. With nearly four years separating the reboot and its sequel, I certainly haven’t tired of semi-mindless run and guns, especially ones that play this slick. Hopefully it’s been delayed for the last time, and we can all get to murdering demons in the near future.
Resident Evil 3 - April 3
The Resident Evil 2 remake was one of our favorite games of 2019. Using the core story beats of the 1998 original, the updated Resident Evil 2 reimagined Claire and Leon’s adventure with a proper over-the-shoulder camera, a more grounded tone, and an ingenious map. It’s the first Resident Evil game I’ve ever truly loved.
For 2020, Capcom will try to work the same trick again and resurrect Resident Evil 3. I didn’t expect it this soon, but nor am I complaining.
Cyberpunk 2077 - April 16
When we saw the first Cyberpunk 2077 demo at E3 2018, I doubted it could run on current console hardware. I still doubt it, honestly.
CD Projekt is determined to prove me wrong though, scheduling Cyberpunk 2077 to release in April. It seems impossible it could live up to the hype, seven years after the original teaser trailer and five years after The Witcher 3. But then again, I would’ve said the same about The Witcher 3 and it’s one of my favorite games this decade. Maybe the favorite.
Dying Light 2 - April?
We haven’t seen nor heard much from Dying Light 2 since E3 2019. That’s...worrisome. It’s an ambitious game, and when ambitious games go radio silent I assume they’ve been delayed.
I wouldn’t be surprised, either. Dying Light 2 is doing branching storylines on a massive scale. The demo we saw at E3 2019 ended with an entire district emerging from underwater, a section of the city you’ll only see if you make certain choices along the way. As Techland put it, “It’s not about which ending you get, but how the city looks when you finish the game,” claiming you’d only see 50 percent of the content in any given playthrough. Pretty cool, but it sounds like a lot of work.
Wasteland 3 - May 19
Five years after Wasteland 2 took home our Game of the Year prize, the sequel’s almost ready. What we’ve played so far seemed very cold, with the Desert Rangers trading out sweltering Arizona for the frozen wastes of post-apocalyptic Colorado. It’s still very much Wasteland though, with satisfying turn-based combat and skill checks galore. And given InXile’s track record, I’m sure the writing will be solid. My only hope is that the Microsoft acquisition gave InXile time not only to add more content, but to polish what was already there. I don’t want to wait for the inevitable Director’s Cut this time to get the game as InXile originally intended it.
Baldur’s Gate III
Will Baldur’s Gate III release in 2020? I have my doubts. Google announced it as part of the Stadia launch lineup though, and Stadia has...technically launched. Theoretically that means Baldur’s Gate III will also arrive in the near future. Theoretically.
If it does make it out, it’ll be fortuitous timing. Baldur’s Gate II turns 20 next year, a nice round anniversary worth celebrating with a long-awaited sequel. That said, I’m happy to give Larian as much time as it needs. Following up one of the most beloved CRPGs of all time can’t be easy.
Empire of Sin
Brenda Romero’s apparently waited decades to make Empire of Sin, a hybrid real-time strategy/turn-based tactics game set in the Prohibition Era. I’m glad it’s finally getting made, because it has some really neat ideas.
Foremost among them is what Empire of Sin calls RPCs or “recruitable player characters.” These are your gang members, and they’re not just faceless grunts. They have personalities, relationships with other characters, dreams and desires. You might recruit a character only to find out her lover’s in a rival gang, and then be able to exploit that—or have it come back to haunt you when she refuses to fire at her lover at a crucial moment. It’s an interesting wrinkle to consider, though I’m curious how often these situations will present themselves outside a demo. We’ll see.
Next page: 2020 games, continued | MONROE, Mich. (AP) — A southeastern Michigan police officer is credited with pushing two people out of the path of a suspected drunken motorist who nearly slammed into them and then fled the scene.
Monroe police said the officer had pulled over a vehicle early Sunday along the city’s Telegraph Road when an SUV came barreling toward the back of his police cruiser.
The officer quickly pushed two people over the roadway’s guardrail to prevent them from being hit, Monroe Police Capt. Jon Wall told WDIV-TV.
“He heard what sounded like a car slamming on its brakes, which was squealing the tires, which alerted him to look into that particular direction,” Wall said.
The SUV went up on a sidewalk before its driver put it in reverse and fled the scene. Police pursued the SUV and soon arrested the motorist.
Walls said the suspect is facing several charges, including fleeing, resisting and obstructing. | 1 |
ST. CATHARINES, Ont. — Ontario's police watchdog is investigating after officers allegedly shot and wounded a man in St. Catharines.
ST. CATHARINES, Ont. — Ontario's police watchdog is investigating after officers allegedly shot and wounded a man in St. Catharines.
The Special Investigations Unit says the incident happened on the afternoon of New Year's Eve, when Niagara regional police officers arrived at a home where a man reportedly had a knife.
The agency says the officers found the man, and there was some sort of interaction between them.
It says the officers then shot at him, and he was hit several times.
The SIU says the man was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The arm's-length agency is automatically called in to investigate reports involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 1, 2020.
The Canadian Press | HALIFAX -- Halifax police have launched an arson investigating following a structure fire in an apartment building.
Halifax Regional Police say several callers reported smoke in the Victoria Road apartment building on Wednesday afternoon.
No one was hurt and tenants were temporarily evacuated as firefighters extinguished the blaze.
Police say fire investigators confirmed the fire was intentionally set and handed the probe over to officers.
The arson investigation is ongoing.
Police are asking anyone with information to come forward.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 1, 2020. | 2 |
(MENAFN)
The car manufacturer FAW-Volkswagen Automobile Co., Ltd. said that the sales of its Audi brand in China have hit a new high record of sales in the previous year 2019.
The country has remained the company's largest single market in the globe as Audi vehicles that were sold in China in the earlier year posted an increase of 4.2 percent since the earlier year to set at 688,888 vehicles.
Domestically made models like the recent Audi A6L, new Audi Q5L, Audi A4L and other big models saw significantly good performances as their total sales hit 630,800 vehicles.
New Audi A8L sales registered an increase of 21.6 percent since the earlier year to set at 12,428 and a total of 58,088 Audi cars were imported to the country.
MENAFN0201202000450000ID1099497208 | (MENAFN)
Official data showed that the chemical sector in China showed a stable growth in the starting 11 months of the earlier year of 2019.
The National Development and Reform Commission of China showed that the value added output of the sector increased 4.5 percent since the earlier year, which means 0.8 percent faster than the same period of the earlier year 2018.
Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that the major goods output increased in the period, the processing capacity of crude oil rose 6.7 percent since the earlier year to come in at 593.18 million tones, the chemical fiber output increased 13.5 percent to 54.93 million tones.
The commission said that the industry output has reached 8.3 percent since the earlier year in November, posting an increase of 6.6 percent in the same period of the earlier year in 2018.
MENAFN0201202000450000ID1099497763 | 2.666667 |
Tollywood star Mahesh Babu, who will be seen in Sarileru Neekevvaru, took to social media and shared an emotional new year message with his fans, friends and family.
While celebrities are taking to social media to wish their fans for new year, social media is flooded with new year wishes from across the world. Tollywood star Mahesh Babu, took to his social media space and shared an image. In the image, his new year wish to his fans and well-wishers was written. The Tollywood superstar could be seen as a gangster in his film after Sarileru Neekevvaru. The actor is currently busy with the promotions for his upcoming movie Sarileru Neekevvaru.
“The end of a remarkable year, I would like to thank God for all his blessings, my family for loving me unconditionally, my friends for always being there for me, my fans for their unwavering love and support. Thank you for making 2019 an exceptional year! Wishing you and your loved ones a phenomenal 2020,” He wrote on the microblogging site.
Meanwhile, Mahesh Babu’s Sarileru Neekevvaru, which will be the actor’s 26th film. It has Rashmika Mandanna as the female lead and the makers recently released first teaser of the film. It set high curiosity among the fans of Mahesh. While we can’t wait for the release of the movie, a new photo of Mahesh from the shooting has been going viral on social media. The superstar shared the monochrome picture on his Instagram. Sarileru Neekevvaru will be released during Sankranti 2020. The superstar will be seen as an army man in the film. Directed by Anil Ravipudi, the major part of the film has been shot in Kashmir.
Credits :Twitter
Read More | Life New Year, Same You
What if, instead of “New Year, New You,” you decided you were satisfied with the course you had already set?
What if you’re already happy with who you are?
This doesn’t have to mean you have to stop improving. Change and growth are healthy. It just means: if you were already doing the right things in the “old” year—wouldn’t you want to keep doing them?
For me, challenge is one of my values. I want to set big goals and attempt hard things. But it’s not a new value; it’s one I’ve had for a while. If I ever lose interest in challenging myself, I suppose that would be a new me. It’s just not a version of myself I’m remotely interested in.
Two years ago, I was in a dark place and feeling uncertain about a lot of things. Since then, I’ve made a number of changes in my life, both large and small. Many, many times in the months that have passed, I’ve looked up from whatever I’ve been doing with a sense of wonder.
I can’t believe I’m here, I think. I’m so glad I was willing to walk through that dark place.
I kid you not, this happens to me at least several times a day. I hope it never ends.
All things considered, I was pretty happy with 2019—and while I hope to continue to grow and improve, I don’t need a full-on transformation this year.
If you’re happy with the version of yourself you already have, maybe the question to ask at this point is: how can I be better than before?
Which is not the same as being totally different, because there’s no reason to change what you’ve worked so hard to achieve, accomplish, or become.
Happy New Year!
###
Image: Erwan | 1.333333 |
Tom Brady Uses Protection Stones, And Other Top 'Talkers' Of 2019That time the six-time Super Bowl champion revealed that his supermodel wife has him use protection stones...
Boston's Favorite Spots For Inexpensive Italian FoodLooking to satisfy your appetite for Italian fare without breaking the bank?
Boston's Best Day SpasIf you are looking for some pampering and relaxation, maybe a day spa in the place for you. Here are the top rated spots in Boston.
To Do List: Holiday Pops, Harlem Globetrotters & Outdoor SkatingThe kids are just about on Christmas break and you’ll be looking for ideas to get everybody out of the house and moving.
Small Bites: Where To Celebrate National Cupcake Day In BostonCupcakes are having a moment, and with good reason. Here are some of the best in Boston.
Weekend To Do List: Ski Chalet In The City, Holiday Market, Tea Party ReenactmentWant to cozy up by the fire of an après ski chalet – in the city? It's just one option on this weekend's To Do List. | WEYMOUTH - Oh, baby! It’s a boy.
The first South Shore baby of 2020 was born at 1:26 a.m. at South Shore Hospital. The hospital says Baby New Year weighs 7 pounds, 8 ounces and he is 19¾ inches long.
The family declined to be interviewed. Mother and son are resting comfortably.
UNICEF, the United Nations children's agency, estimates that 400,000 babies will be born on New Year's Day. In the United States, 10,452 babies wereexpected on Jan. 1.
In Boston, Dominick was born at exactly midnight at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, making him the city’s first birth of 2020. | 2.666667 |
A STUNNING mansion with Mediterranean-style sea views and infinity pool is up for grabs for £3million - in Torquay.
The jaw-dropping seaside home was expertly designed to make the most of panoramic views of spectacular Tor Bay, with photos showing off the luxurious interiors.
An infinity pool makes the most of the gorgeous views from the home... in Torquay, Devon Credit: Bournemouth News
Infinity House has been owned by the same family for nine years but it is now on the market Credit: Bournemouth News
The sprawling living room is clean cut and white Credit: Bournemouth News
The stunning property is in one of the most exclusive areas of Torquay in Devon Credit: Bournemouth News
The five-bedroom property is in one of the most exclusive areas of Torquay in Devon and could now be yours if you have a spare few million.
Just a few of its drawcards include a huge living space that opens out to an infinity pool, along with a cinema and outdoor entertainment areas.
Beyond the outdoor heated pool are the gardens below and then the blue sea.
Hamish Humfrey, of Knight Frank, said: "This is an exceptionally luxurious waterfront home.
"The design and the quality of finish make it one of the best houses that I have seen in the area.
"Every room has been expertly designed to take advantage of the panoramic sea views over the infinity pool and panoramic sea views beyond."
The property is currently being used by a family, who have lived there for nine years.
And a future owner can look forward to using the three story hillside home's main living space with a separate drawing room, a study and two balconies.
Kitted out in stylish white, most rooms make the most of the magnificent views on offer.
Even heading upstairs is an impressive affair, with a bespoke winding staircase leading to the first floor.
The three story hillside home has five bedrooms and five bathrooms Credit: Bournemouth News
Just one of the impressive five bathrooms in the luxurious home Credit: Bournemouth News
On the ground floor in the main living space with a separate drawing room Credit: Bournemouth News
The lower ground floor has a cinema and entertainment room Credit: Bournemouth News
The pool lit up at night shows the stunning fit out of the home Credit: Bournemouth News
The home has a bespoke winding staircase Credit: Bournemouth News
The entire house takes advantage of panoramic views Credit: Bournemouth News
The home's ultimate selling point is its large living space that opens out to an infinity pool Credit: Bournemouth News
A separate annexe which has two more bedrooms, a kitchen, living room and an office Credit: Bournemouth News
The pool is so close to the living space its almost possible to dive in straight from the sofa Credit: Bournemouth News
The luxury home is up for grabs for £3m Credit: Bournemouth News
MOST READ IN NEWS Latest 'FLY HIGH' Three BA ‘angels’ killed and stewardess, 25, fighting for life after NYE crash 'THEY'RE DEAD' Couple stabbed to death 'by ex in 4am knife rampage as witnesses screamed' Exclusive HALF WAYNE LINE Wayne Rooney builds full-size footie pitch at his £20m 'Morrisons Mansion' BLOODY RIDDLE Caroline Flack’s boyfriend claims it’s NOT his blood on her bed in horror pic Exclusive BEDROOM BLOODBATH Shocking pic shows Caroline Flack's blood-soaked bed after 'lamp attack' Breaking FIND HER Desperate search for girl, 15, who vanished in dressing gown and slippers on NYE
It comes after a five-bedroom home in London left house hunters feeling ill over its bizarre number of plug sockets.
Meanwhile a house which was featured on Grand Designs went up for sale for £1.1m - the same price as a one-bed flat in Notting Hill.
And this mum revamped her cracked leather sofa for £20 by giving it a lick of paint. | MURDERS of three homeless people whose deaths “are connected” have raised fears a serial killer is stalking Louisiana’s streets - and those who live on them.
Officials were so alarmed by the murders that a news conference was called Friday to warn people “there is danger in sleeping outside,” ABC reported.
1 Baton Rouge police urge homeless not to sleep outdoors after 3 killings they think are related.
Just hours before, a 50-year-old homeless man was found dead of a single gunshot wound on the porch of a vacant home, according to WBRZ.
Police Chief Murphy Paul told reporters whoever is behind the slayings seems to be targeting “homeless, and therefore vulnerable,” people.
“We do believe that it was incumbent upon us to provide the public, the media and the service providers that provide services to our homeless that there is danger in sleeping outside,” he said.
Friday’s killing was about two blocks from the location of a Dec. 13 double-homicide in which two people were gunned down beneath an overpass.
The victims, a 53-year-old woman and 40-year-old man, were both homeless, police said.
Investigators at the time reported no known motive for the murders, WBRZ reported.
But since identifying a potential connection between the murders, Baton Rouge cops have requested FBI and state police assistance.
A member of the city’s homeless community, Amanda Owens, told The Advocate she and others were on edge.
Owens said the deceased were rumored to have been sleeping when they were shot “execution-style.”
“It’s like - do I have a target on my back, or what?” Owens said.
She added: “We’re kind of wondering if it’s a serial killing-type thing.”
MOST READ IN NEWS Pictured 'RIP ANGELS' BA stewardess, 20, killed in crash with cabin crew pals weeks into dream job BLOODBATH Mum-of-three, 39, 'stabbed' to death with new lover 'after kicking out husband' MID-AIR DEATH Passenger dies on easyJet flight from Alicante to Newcastle on New Year's Day Latest FOUND SAFE Two cousins aged eight and 12 who vanished from home at 1am found safe and well Exclusive PAEDO PAST Karen Matthews’ fiancé is a paedophile caged for 5 years for abusing a girl KILLER INFERNO Australia fires map: Where are the blazes in Australia? wrongmove Couple's fury as £300K dream home 'floods with sewage & washes clothes with poo' Exclusive BEDROOM BLOODBATH Shocking pic shows Caroline Flack's blood-soaked bed after 'lamp attack' Exclusive HALF WAYNE LINE Wayne Rooney builds full-size footie pitch at his £20m 'Morrisons Mansion' Latest 'FLY HIGH' First pic of BA 'angel', 23, killed alongside two cabin crew pals in NYE crash
All three victims were visible from the street and killed nearly in the open, The Advocate reported.
That detail has led those who work closely with the community to urge those who choose or are forced to spend the night on the streets to find more concealed sleeping areas. | 1 |
× An Alabama woman texted ‘I feel in trouble’ before she disappeared, mother says
A woman who disappeared after leaving an Alabama bar had texted a coworker that she was with strangers and felt she was in trouble, her mother says.
Paighton Houston, 29, visited the Tin Roof bar in Birmingham on the night of December 20, her family says. She was last seen leaving the bar with two heavy-set black men, Birmingham police say.
She appeared to have left the bar willingly with the two men, police say.
But a text she sent that night to a coworker indicated she thought she might be in peril, her mother, Charlaine Houston, said in a Facebook post.
“If I call answer, I don’t know these people and I feel in trouble,” the text reads, according to her mother. Paighton had driven to the bar with the coworker earlier in the day, the mother wrote.
Her bank account has had no recent activity, and calls to her cell phone go straight to voicemail, her family says.
Paighton Houston lives in Trussville, roughly a 15-mile drive northeast of downtown Birmingham. She was last seen wearing ripped blue jeans, a coral-colored T-shirt and blue Converse shoes, police said.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has offered a $5,000 reward for credible information in the search for Houston. Crime Stoppers also is offering a $5,000 reward.
“In the midst of the busy holiday season, it is critical that we support Paighton, her family and law enforcement to ensure we do everything possible to bring her home,” Ivey said. | Wallbridge Wallbridge law firm in Timmins donated $5,000 to both Living Space and Project Love during the holidays. Almeda Wallbridge, seen here on the left, with Lynda Lloyd Geddes from Project Love, said, “At Wallbridge Wallbridge, we know that misfortune can change people’s lives in an instant – we are proud to contribute to these two worthwhile organizations who are working to ensure that everyone in our community is safe, warm and fed during the holidays and throughout the year.”
Submitted | 1 |
2 injured when snowmobile crashes into tree in New Hampshire
New Hampshire officials say they used a tracked vehicle to rescue a woman and teenage passenger after their rented snowmobile crashed into a tree on New Year's Eve.Officials say the operator, who is from Puerto Rico, suffered serious injuries that were not life threatening in the crash in the town of Crawford's Purchase.A 15-year-old passenger also suffered injuries.The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department says both were wearing helmets and that inexperience is considered to be the primary factor in the crash.
New Hampshire officials say they used a tracked vehicle to rescue a woman and teenage passenger after their rented snowmobile crashed into a tree on New Year's Eve.
Officials say the operator, who is from Puerto Rico, suffered serious injuries that were not life threatening in the crash in the town of Crawford's Purchase.
Advertisement
A 15-year-old passenger also suffered injuries.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department says both were wearing helmets and that inexperience is considered to be the primary factor in the crash. | You have reached the limit for free access to our important and valuable work.
Subscribers, click below to login or register your subscription to continue receiving unlimited access to UnionLeader.com. Log In Sign Up | 4 |
Separated from their mothers, jabbed with metal hooks, and sometimes deprived of food -- many Thai elephants are tamed by force before being sold to lucrative tourism sites increasingly advertised as 'sanctuaries' to cruelty-conscious travellers.
Balanced precariously on hind legs, two-year-old Ploy holds a ball in her trunk and flings it towards a hoop, one of many tricks she is learning in Ban Ta Klang, a traditional training village in the east.
article continues below
Here young elephants are "broken" to interact with tens of millions of tourists who visit Thailand every year, many eager to capture social media-worthy encounters of the kingdom's national animal playing sports, dancing and even painting.
Villagers in Ban Ta Klang who have been working with the large, gentle animals for generations say taming is necessary for safety reasons and that the force is not excessive.
"We do not raise them to hurt them... if they are not stubborn, we do nothing to them," said mahout Charin, as he stroked Ploy's head affectionately and spoke of her as part of his family.
Charin makes about $350 a month in a profession that was handed down from his father and grandfather.
"I have always lived with them," he added.
But animal welfare advocates argue the taming technique -- where babies are removed from the care of fiercely devoted mothers at the age of two -- is cruel and outdated.
It is also little-known, one of many murky aspects of an evolving elephant tourism trade often kept from view of tour operators and travellers.
- Big business -
Elephants were phased out of the logging industry about 30 years ago, leaving their mahouts unemployed.
So they turned to Thailand's flourishing tourism industry, a burgeoning sector of amusement parks offering elephant rides and performances.
A tamed elephant can now fetch up to $80,000, a colossal investment that then requires gruelling hours of work and increasingly bizarre stunts to be recouped.
Mae Taeng park in the northern city of Chiang Mai receives up to 5,000 visitors per day and charges an entrance fee of about $50.
Many come to see Suda, who holds a brush in her trunk and paints Japanese-style landscapes for visitors who can later buy the prints for up to $150 before taking an elephant ride through the hills.
As tourists become more aware of the potential cruelty of such activities, a growing number of places have opted to use the term 'sanctuary' or 'refuge'.
Many do not permit rides or animal performances. Instead tourists are encouraged to feed, groom and care for elephants, gaining an unforgettable experience with one of nature's most majestic creatures.
But charities warn that even seemingly benign options, like bathing them, could still be problematic.
"Bathing with elephants...is often stressful for elephants and mahouts especially when dealing with groups of excited young people," Jan Schmidt-Burbach of World Animal Protection told AFP.
"The best option is to leave it to the elephant to decide if and how to bath and ask tourists to stand back to observe and enjoy this moment without interference."
But even this may not be enough.
Some animal rights experts warn it can be hard to discern the treatment of the animals after the crowds have gone home. Some reported cases of elephants at so-called sanctuaries being chained for long hours, forced to sleep on concrete, and malnourished.
- Ethical tourism? -
Of the 220 elephant parks identified across the country, even if many promise ethical tourism, "only a dozen ensure truly satisfactory living conditions", according to WAP.
It is working with ChangChill, a small organisation near Chiang Mai, bordered by a river in the middle of rice terraces.
In a few months, it changed its methods to give elephants more space, fewer interactions, and an environment resembling life in the wild.
"We don't force them to do what they wouldn't instinctively do," says director Supakorn Thanaseth.
As a result, they are "less sick, calmer".
The risk of accidents with tourists has decreased as the animals are less stressed, though mahouts still have a hook in a bag for emergencies.
ChangChill hopes to become profitable in the current high season, but it will only be able to receive around 40 tourists a day to visit its six elephants as part of its aim to put the creatures first.
That is a drop in the bucket when Thailand has nearly 4,000 "domesticated" elephants.
Thai authorities are reluctant to reintroduce them into natural habitats, as advocated by some NGOs, because of a lack of space and potential conflict with humans.
The compromise, some argue, is to better regulate the sector and improve standards.
But there is little impetus to enact more stringent rules that would cut into the Thai tourism industry, which welcomed more than 38 million visitors this year.
A committee of several animal welfare associations submitted recommendations to the government last year advocating stricter controls for elephants in captivity.
But according to activist Sovaida Salwala from Friends of the Asian Elephants, an NGO who helped compile the report, their requests "remain unanswered so far".
In fact, there is some evidence the animals' situation is getting worse.
Schmidt-Burbach said their last research in 2015 found some 1,771 elephants whose welfare was in question.
He explained: "There are 357 more elephants in poor conditions compared to our 2010 study." | Marium, a baby dugong found near Ko Libong in Thailand in May 2019. Biologists said the 8-month-old had ingested plastic waste. Credit:AP
Bangkok: Thailand began the year with a ban on single-use plastic bags at major stores, the latest move towards a complete ban in 2021.
Illustration: Cathy Wilcox Credit:
Public awareness of the risk to animals and the environment from waste and debris in the sea waste was raised last year in a series of incidents where animals, including a deer and a baby dugong, were found dead with plastics in their digestive systems.
"Thailand was ranked sixth among the world's top countries that dumps waste into the sea," Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Varawut Silpa-Archa told reporters on Wednesday after handing out reusable bags to the public. | 2 |
Shares of CBRE Group (CBRE) have been strong performers lately, with the stock up 8.8% over the past month. The stock hit a new 52-week high of $61.54 in the previous session. CBRE Group has gained 53.1% since the start of the year compared to the 0% move for the Zacks Finance sector and the 0% return for the Zacks Real Estate - Operations industry.
What's Driving the Outperformance?
The stock has a great record of positive earnings surprises, as it hasn't missed our earnings consensus estimate in any of the last four quarters. In its last earnings report on November 6, 2019, CBRE reported EPS of $0.79 versus consensus estimate of $0.78 while it beat the consensus revenue estimate by 3.36%.
For the current fiscal year, CBRE is expected to post earnings of $3.74 per share on $23.74 billion in revenues. Meanwhile, for the next fiscal year, the company is expected to earn $4.12 per share on $25.82 billion in revenues. This represents a year-over-year change of 10.16% and 8.8%, respectively.
Valuation Metrics
CBRE may be at a 52-week high right now, but what might the future hold for the stock? A key aspect of this question is taking a look at valuation metrics in order to determine if the company is due for a pullback from this level.
On this front, we can look at the Zacks Style Scores, as they provide investors with an additional way to sort through stocks (beyond looking at the Zacks Rank of a security). These styles are represented by grades running from A to F in the categories of Value, Growth, and Momentum, while there is a combined VGM Score as well. Investors should consider the style scores a valuable tool that can help you to pick the most appropriate Zacks Rank stocks based on their individual investment style.
CBRE has a Value Score of B. The stock's Growth and Momentum Scores are B and D, respectively, giving the company a VGM Score of B.
In terms of its value breakdown, the stock currently trades at 16.4X current fiscal year EPS estimates. On a trailing cash flow basis, the stock currently trades at 13X versus its peer group's average of 10.8X. Additionally, the stock has a PEG ratio of 1.49. This isn't enough to put the company in the top echelon of all stocks we cover from a value perspective.
Zacks Rank
We also need to look at the Zacks Rank for the stock, as this supersedes any trend on the style score front. Fortunately, CBRE currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) thanks to rising earnings estimates.
Since we recommend that investors select stocks carrying Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) and Style Scores of A or B, it looks as if CBRE meets the list of requirements. Thus, it seems as though CBRE shares could still be poised for more gains ahead.
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
CBRE Group, Inc. (CBRE) : Free Stock Analysis Report
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
Zacks Investment Research | Investors seek growth stocks to capitalize on above-average growth in financials that help these securities grab the market's attention and produce exceptional returns. But finding a great growth stock is not easy at all.
By their very nature, these stocks carry above-average risk and volatility. Moreover, if a company's growth story is over or nearing its end, betting on it could lead to significant loss.
However, the task of finding cutting-edge growth stocks is made easy with the help of the Zacks Growth Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which looks beyond the traditional growth attributes to analyze a company's real growth prospects.
Lumentum (LITE) is on the list of such stocks currently recommended by our proprietary system. In addition to a favorable Growth Score, it carries a top Zacks Rank.
Studies have shown that stocks with the best growth features consistently outperform the market. And for stocks that have a combination of a Growth Score of A or B and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), returns are even better.
Here are three of the most important factors that make the stock of this optical networking products maker a great growth pick right now.
Earnings Growth
Earnings growth is arguably the most important factor, as stocks exhibiting exceptionally surging profit levels tend to attract the attention of most investors. For growth investors, double-digit earnings growth is highly preferable, as it is often perceived as an indication of strong prospects (and stock price gains) for the company under consideration.
While the historical EPS growth rate for Lumentum is 82.7%, investors should actually focus on the projected growth. The company's EPS is expected to grow 15% this year, crushing the industry average, which calls for EPS growth of -15.2%.
Cash Flow Growth
While cash is the lifeblood of any business, higher-than-average cash flow growth is more important and beneficial for growth-oriented companies than for mature companies. That's because, growth in cash flow enables these companies to expand their businesses without depending on expensive outside funds.
Right now, year-over-year cash flow growth for Lumentum is 53.3%, which is higher than many of its peers. In fact, the rate compares to the industry average of -2.4%.
While investors should actually consider the current cash flow growth, it's worth taking a look at the historical rate too for putting the current reading into proper perspective. The company's annualized cash flow growth rate has been 53.1% over the past 3-5 years versus the industry average of 20.9%.
Promising Earnings Estimate Revisions
Beyond the metrics outlined above, investors should consider the trend in earnings estimate revisions. A positive trend is a plus here. Empirical research shows that there is a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.
The current-year earnings estimates for Lumentum have been revising upward. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has surged 1% over the past month.
Bottom Line
While the overall earnings estimate revisions have made Lumentum a Zacks Rank #2 stock, it has earned itself a Growth Score of A based on a number of factors, including the ones discussed above.
You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
This combination indicates that Lumentum is a potential outperformer and a solid choice for growth investors.
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Lumentum Holdings Inc. (LITE) : Free Stock Analysis Report
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
Zacks Investment Research | 1.666667 |
Death can be an 'excellent career move' for celebrities - but only if they are men, new research has revealed.
A study of Forbes magazine's 'Dead Rich List' has revealed that the gender pay gap has extended beyond the grave.
Forbes has published its Top-Earning Dead Celebrities List - also known as the Dead Rich List - every October since 2001.
Marilyn Monroe (left, on the set of 1953 film Niagara) and Elizabeth Taylor (right, at the Oscars in Los Angeles in March 1993) have both been on the Forbes Top-Earning Dead Celebrities List
But new research by York University has revealed that so far dead male celebrities are much more valuable than female stars.
Of 52 famous names listed over nearly two decades, only five have been women - Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Bettie Page, Jenni Rivera and Whitney Houston.
The latest Forbes Dead Rich List for 2019 Michael Jackson - Musician (US) - $60million Elvis Presley - Musician (US) - $39million Charles Schulz - Cartoonist (US) - $38million Arnold Palmer - Golf (US) - $30million Bob Marley - Musician (Jamaica) - $20million Dr Seuss - Author (US) - $19million John Lennon - Musician (UK) - $14million Marilyn Monroe - Actress (US) - $13million Prince - Musician (US) - $12million Nipsey Hussle - Musician (US) - $11million XXXTentacion - Rapper (US) - $10million Whitney Houston - Musician (US) - $9.5million George Harrison - Musician (US) - $9million Advertisement
The stark absence of women from the list is because many have historically not been able to own and control the wealth from their celebrity status, the researchers say.
The list is topped by Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley and Peanuts creator Charles Schultz who all earn much more than the women.
The richest by far is Michael Jackson who has been in poll position nearly every year since his death.
In 2016, his annual pay check jumped to £637million with the sale of his half of the Sony/ATV Music catalogue which owned much of the Beatles' music.
Even this year, when his earnings dropped to their lowest point with renewed abuse allegations, he was earning a cool £46million.
But on the girls' team, its top earner Monroe was battling for eighth place with a £10million annual salary.
The study says men such as Presley, John Lennon, and Kurt Cobain have been much more savvy in drawing up royalty agreements for their work.
So rather than just appearing in films or singing, they also ensured they had a cut of the profits - which have continued long after their earthly bodies.
Bettie Page (left, in an undated photograph) and Jenni Rivera (right, in Los Angeles in March 2012) have also featured in the Forbes round-up, which is also known as the Dead Rich List
For example, Presley's fans continue to boost his income through ticket sales to Graceland and a new £35million entertainment complex called Elvis Presley's Memphis which opened in 2018.
The findings are revealed in Value, Bodily Capital, and Gender Inequality after Death authored by Dr Ruth Penfold Mounce, York's senior criminology lecturer.
Whitney Houston (pictured in Los Angeles in November 2009) is one of only five women among the 52 famous names listed on the Dead Rich List over nearly two decades
Dr Penfold Mounce, whose field is crime, death and popular culture, said: 'For some celebrities who have achieved iconic status, death does not signal the end of their commercial success. In fact, it can be an excellent career move.
'Women however, still do not have the posthumous career success their male counterparts have enjoyed.
'In life, the careers of iconic famous women like Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn were often controlled by male agents.
'This meant their talents were not the key source for the production of wealth for them, but rather a means of generating wealth for others. This research shows how this inequality continues in death, limiting women's posthumous earnings.'
Monroe's estate was devastated by legal battles following her death aged 36 in 1962.
But her fortunes have been on the up since a previously unheard recording revealed she only wore Chanel No.5 to bed - resulting in a 2012 advertising campaign.
In 2015, she appeared in adverts for Coca Cola, Max Factor, and Dior perfume and a new themed clothing line by Macy's. She was also converted in an aspirational cartoon character for girls called Mini Marilyn.
The list is topped by Michael Jackson (left, in California in March 2005) Elvis Presley (right, in 1972) and Peanuts creator Charles Schultz who all earn much more than the women
The list is topped by Michael Jackson (left) Elvis Presley (right) and Peanuts creator Charles Schultz who all earn much more than the women
As well as the rise of Monroe, the study also reveals top female earners such as Oprah Winfrey and JK Rowling have learned the lessons of their predecessors.
Dr Penfold Mounce added: 'We are now getting a smarter generation of celebrities who are taking control of their celebrity status and the revenue generated by their talents.
'These women may decide to follow in the footsteps of celebrities like Robin Williams, by taking steps to protect their posthumous careers and leaving clear legal instructions with charitable foundations set up in their names how to manage their affairs in the 'afterlife'.
'However, all the possible women candidates for the Dead Rich List still have long lives ahead of them, barring illness or accident, so it will be many years before the gendered inequality of value is challenged on the list.
'As it stands, the gendered inequality of bodily capital means that for celebrity women, death is not the last great equaliser - inequality continues in death.' | PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Each year, Google reveals the fastest-rising search terms people searched for. Eyewitness News took a look at the top search terms for each year of the past decade and some of them may surprise you.
In 2019, it appears that most people were curious about Disney+. The streaming service launched in November.
The men’s World Cup dominated 2018 searches. Team France defeated Croatia 4-2 for the title that year.
In 2017, Hurricane Irma led all searches. Several islands in the Caribbean were affected when the storm hit the region in September—it also caused widespread damage in Florida.
Powerball led all searches in 2016. The Term skyrocketed when the jackpot topped $1 billion in January of that year.
In 2015, Lamar Odom was the most searched term, as the former basketball player married Khloe Kardashian. Later that year he was discovered unconscious in a Nevada brothel.
Sadly, the death of Robin Williams led all searches in 2014. The comedian died in August of that year.
The fatal accident involving actor Paul Walker dominated searches in 2013. The Fast and Furious star died in November of that year at the age of 40.
Tragedy also struck in 2012, when legendary singer Whitney Houston died. Her name was the most searched term that year.
In 2011, then 13-year-old Rebecca Black became a music sensation when she released the catchy song “Friday.” The song went viral, kind of becoming an “ear-worm” stuck in the heads of millions of people.
Finally, way back in 2010, it was iPad leading all searches. Apple released the device that year and if you remember a lot of people were unsure if it would be a hit. To date, Apple has sold more than 350 million of them. | 1 |
web group AP19357604362795.jpg Tyrone Cefalu, right, Bobby Goldberg, left, and his sister Debbie Goldberg pose for a photo Dec. 20, 2019, in front of Bobby Goldberg's home in suburban Chicago. (AP/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago — One day in May of 1970, an 11-year-old boy and his disabled sister were sitting on the curb outside a Chicago tavern, waiting for their mother to come out. When a priest with crinkly eyes and a ready smile happened by and offered the family a ride home, they could not have been happier. The boy, Robert J. Goldberg, now 61, would pay dearly for the favor, enduring what he describes as years of psychological control and sexual abuse he suffered while working as a child valet for the late Fr. Donald McGuire. He remained in the Jesuit's thrall for nearly 40 years, even volunteering to testify on McGuire's behalf during criminal trials that ultimately resulted in a 25-year prison sentence for the priest.
Get the best of NCR delivered to your inbox! Sign up here
But today, Goldberg says he has finally broken the hold McGuire once had on him. And he has begun to tell his story, in interviews with The Associated Press and in a lawsuit he filed Dec. 30 in California state court in San Francisco. The lawsuit charges that McGuire, a globe-trotting Jesuit with ties to St. Teresa of Calcutta, abused Goldberg "more than 1,000 times, in multiple states and countries," during sojourns to spiritual retreats throughout the United States and Europe. On these trips, the lawsuit says, McGuire referred to Goldberg as his "protégé." All the while, the suit says, the boy carried his briefcase, ran errands and often endured daily abuse that included "sexual touching, oral copulation and anal penetration." The lawsuit filed Dec. 30 doesn't currently name any defendants, but Goldberg's attorneys say the defendants will include the Jesuit religious order in the United States and the order's top leader in Rome, among others. They also say that Goldberg's abuse occurred at a time when powerful church officials — including Mother Teresa, who was elevated to sainthood by Pope Francis three years ago — knew that McGuire had been repeatedly accused of sexually abusing boys. Church officials went to great lengths to cover up his crimes, the suit alleges. In the nearly two decades since the clergy abuse scandal erupted, thousands of survivors have stepped forward to tell their painful stories. Hundreds more revealed their abuse in lawsuits earlier this year, when the state of New York opened a one-year window that allows survivors to file child sex abuse lawsuits without regard to the statute of limitations. And hundreds more, including Goldberg, are expected to step forward as a similar window opens Jan. 1 in California.
"Everyone knows the Jesuits are smart and the Jesuits are sophisticated. And they often bring enormous sophistication to the abuse they perpetrate." — Terence McKiernan Tweet this
But many victims still suffer in silence, often taking decades to step forward, if they ever do. Advocates say that Catholic priests, as representatives of God and respected members of their communities, are often able to exert control over the children they target, especially when they are helping the child or their families overcome poverty or other obstacles. Terence McKiernan of BishopAccountability.org, which tracks the abuse crisis and maintains a data base of accused priests, said abusers in the Jesuit religious order are well-equipped to exercise psychological control over their victims because of the order's reputation as administrators of dozens of colleges and high schools in the United States alone. "Everyone knows the Jesuits are smart and the Jesuits are sophisticated," he said. "And they often bring enormous sophistication to the abuse they perpetrate."
Advertisement Advertisement
Against all odds Goldberg's journey from supporter to accuser took years to complete. The final stretch began last fall, on a cold October night in the suburbs of Chicago. Tyrone Cefalu, another former assistant to McGuire, was watching TV at his home when he got an unexpected call from Goldberg and his sister. Cefalu and Goldberg had bonded over the years, discussing their time with McGuire and what they knew about the priest's dark side. Goldberg, a scruffy former dog breeder, and his older sister Debbie, who has Down syndrome, had been living in southwest Virginia's coal country. But they had fled their home because Bobby feared a Virginia social service agency was trying to take Debbie away from him. Now they were holed up at a nearby gas station, wondering if Cefalu could meet them and help them out. After some missed signals, Cefalu found the pair huddled under blankets in the back of a U-Haul cube truck, parked behind a church in Forest Park, Illinois — out of gas, out of money, and out of luck. For Goldberg, it could have been the end of the road. Years of hard living had left him with a variety of ailments, including tumors in his throat and the loss of several teeth, which made it difficult for him to speak. But that evening, against all odds, marked a new beginning. Goldberg and his sister followed Cefalu home, and Cefalu and his wife made beds for them in their living room. Over the next several weeks, the two one-time McGuire supporters explored their shared history, recalling McGuire as a messianic retreat leader able to instill loyalty in his victims and their families, many of them wealthy, devout Catholics.
web Goldberg AP19357604056626.jpg Bobby Goldberg walks in front of his home Dec. 20, 2019, in suburban Chicago. Goldberg has filed a lawsuit claiming he was abused more than 1,000 times in multiple states and countries by the late Donald McGuire, a prominent American Jesuit priest who had close ties to Mother Teresa. (AP/Nam Y. Huh)
"He was very controlling. I had no say whatsoever," Goldberg told the AP, recalling the years he spent working and living with McGuire. "Whatever he told my mother he wanted me to do, I had to do it." The key to Goldberg's slow transformation was Cefalu, who was once so devoted to McGuire that he spent six years working full time on the celebrated priest's defense, through two criminal trials and various appeals. His labors included scanning documents for McGuire's attorneys, drumming up witnesses, and investigating McGuire's accusers. "McGuire asked me to find the dirt on those guys, and I found the dirt," he told the AP. Like Goldberg, Cefalu met McGuire when he was a boy, but his circumstances were different. Goldberg was being raised by a single, Catholic mother of limited means — his Jewish father had recently died. Cefalu, by contrast, was part of a middle-class family and was headed for Loyola Academy, a prestigious Jesuit prep school where McGuire had been a teacher. McGuire was a family friend who frequently appeared at the family home for dinner, Cefalu said. His family attended weekly Mass to hear McGuire sermonize and took part in his spiritual retreats, events where McGuire began to acquire a cult-like following. "When he said Mass he would give a sermon that would go on for 45 minutes and everybody loved it," Cefalu recalled. "He'd been all over the world and could tell stories. He could sing. The guy was mesmerizing." McGuire also won supporters by doing favors. "He'd tutor poor kids and help them get into good schools and graduate from good schools," Cefalu said. "If your family had problems, he would be there for you, and almost every family had some kind of serious problem that he could deal with." During those years, Cefalu recalled, he began helping at his father's print shop, which produced McGuire's personal Christmas cards, a measure of his growing reach. "We started out printing 200 cards and that went up to 5,000," Cefalu said. "The guy had a following." Roving ministry After Goldberg and his family met McGuire that fateful day in 1970, the priest quickly ingratiated himself with Goldberg's mother, persuading her that Goldberg would be better off living under his supervision, according to the lawsuit. During this time, Goldberg would spend evenings at McGuire's living quarters and sometimes would return to his family's home with McGuire, who would sleep with him in his bed. Meanwhile, Goldberg's mother came to rely on the funds that McGuire paid Goldberg for working as his assistant, $300 to $500 a week. If Goldberg rebelled, by running off with his friends or refusing to have sex, McGuire punished him by locking him in a room for hours, Goldberg said.
"There's a lot of things I remember, and a lot of things I try not to remember." — Bobby Goldberg Tweet this
McGuire also used sex as a punishment, he added. He said that once, when he got into an accident with McGuire's car, the priest ordered him to make amends by performing a menu of sexual favors. Goldberg and his family followed along in 1976 when McGuire moved to San Francisco to assume a teaching assignment at the University of San Francisco, a Jesuit school, and promote a roving ministry in which he presided over religious retreats for wealthy Catholics, collecting large donations along the way. It was during this time that McGuire developed ties with Mother Teresa, becoming her spiritual adviser while vetting nuns seeking to join the religious order she founded, the Missionaries of Charity. In 1981, following new accusations of inappropriate relationships with boys — part of a series of accusations that had begun in the early 1960s — McGuire lost his teaching assignment and returned to Chicago. Once again, Goldberg and his family followed him, and Goldberg continued to give in to McGuire's sexual demands. In 1990, Goldberg's family moved to Virginia. Even after the move, Goldberg said, he continued to rely on McGuire for financial support, especially during a three-year prison term for a drug conviction. "There's a lot of things I remember, and a lot of things I try not to remember," he said. A predatory history Shortly after McGuire was ordained, in 1961, the Chicago Province of Jesuits (now part of the Midwest Jesuits) began hearing from church officials concerned about the young priest's relationships with boys. The complaints would keep coming for the next half century, continuing even after McGuire was defrocked and sentenced to prison. They started when McGuire was living in Europe, in the early '60s, when church officials in Germany and Austria sent alarming reports of McGuire's activities. One official in Austria wrote that McGuire had "much relations with young boys, particularly some boys who work in our kitchen and who used to go to his room." As a result, the Jesuits recalled McGuire from Europe but assigned him to a teaching position at Loyola Academy, where he molested students who would later file lawsuits and receive significant monetary settlements. Each time the Jesuits received complaints that McGuire was sexually abusing boys, they would move him to another post, where he would continue his predatory behavior. Even after a psychiatric evaluation showed McGuire was sexually attracted to underage boys, the Jesuits continued to insist he was a priest in good standing, in part due to the urging of Mother Teresa.
web mother teresa 20100820cnsbr02193.jpg Mother Teresa of Calcutta visits with men at a Missionaries of Charity shelter program in Gallup, New Mexico, in this photo from the late 1980s. (CNS/Nancy Wiechec)
In a letter dated Feb. 2, 1994, after McGuire had been released from a residential treatment center, the future saint wrote to the leader of the Chicago Jesuits, saying she had received a letter from McGuire and believed that the accusations lodged against him were untrue. "I have confidence and trust in Fr. McGuire and wish to see his vital ministry resume as soon as possible," she wrote. Mother Teresa got her wish, and McGuire continued his world-wide ministry, "openly traveling with young boys as his companions," according to Goldberg's lawsuit. In 2002, after yet another complaint, the Jesuits restricted McGuire's ministry to the Chicago Archdiocese. In 2003, the first of several lawsuits against McGuire and his Jesuit superiors were filed. Months later, a Wisconsin district attorney began investigating allegations that McGuire had abused two Loyola students during a trip in the late 1960s to the Lake Geneva resort area. The investigation led to a trial where nuns from Mother Teresa's religious order, wearing their distinctive white and blue habits, packed the courtroom. They wore buttons that said: "I support Fr. McGuire." Despite that outpouring, McGuire was convicted. And while he was free on appeal he was charged by federal authorities with molesting another boy on trips to Austria and Switzerland. Once again, McGuire was convicted while protesting his innocence, leading to his 25-year prison term. Officials in the Jesuits' Midwest Province could not be reached for comment Dec. 30. In 2012, the Chicago Jesuit official who received Mother Teresa's letter, Fr. Bradley Schaeffer, issued a statement apologizing for failing to rein McGuire in. "I deeply regret that my actions were not enough to prevent him from engaging in these horrific crimes,'' he said. Last year, when the Midwest Jesuits released a list naming 65 accused Jesuits, including McGuire, Provincial Brian Paulson issued a similar apology. "We are painfully aware that in earlier decades, some Midwest Jesuits were not removed from ministry quickly enough," he said. "We are deeply sorrowful."
"I deeply regret that my actions were not enough to prevent him [Donald McGuire] from engaging in these horrific crimes." — Fr. Bradley Schaeffer Tweet this
Too much to bear It was only after McGuire began serving his 25-year federal prison sentence, in 2009, that Cefalu began to doubt his innocence. The turning point, he said, came when he was sorting McGuire's belongings and discovered a color slide that captured him as a naked 13-year-old, changing into his underwear during a trip to Canada with McGuire and another young teen. "That really pissed me off," he said. When he confronted McGuire during a visit to the federal prison in Texas where he was serving his sentence and McGuire denied taking the photo, Cefalu said, he knew the priest was lying. Back home in suburban Chicago, as he pored over more than 40 boxes of McGuire's records, his skepticism only grew. Reading the documents was unsettling, Cefalu said, because he'd been one of McGuire's chief supporters, to the point where McGuire had appointed him to be his legal representative while in prison. In addition, Cefalu had known several of McGuire's victims while attending Loyola Academy, the Catholic prep school, during the late 1960s and early '70s. The experience made Cefalu rethink the "horse bites" McGuire would sometimes give him, pinching him hard on his upper thigh and then placing his hand over his groin, exclaiming, "Gotcha!" Cefalu provided details of his alleged abuse by McGuire and another Jesuit in a lawsuit he filed five years ago, without the help of an attorney, in Cook County Circuit Court. After reading the records McGuire had entrusted to him, Cefalu began reaching out to McGuire's other victims, hoping they might answer his many questions. And as McGuire's victims began filing lawsuits, they reached out to him. Goldberg also knew McGuire's victims, not as an alumnus of Loyola Academy, but through the years he'd spent working as McGuire's assistant. After the former priest was sent to prison, Cefalu and Goldberg occasionally talked on the phone and began to reassess their histories with the charismatic priest they had known. Their conversations continued after McGuire died behind bars in 2017, at age 86. But it wasn't until Goldberg's desperate call to Cefalu in October 2018 that Goldberg's decision to go public with his allegations against McGuire and the church began to take shape. Making peace After Cefalu found Goldberg and his sister huddled in the back of their U-Haul in late 2018, Goldberg began revealing more details of his abuse to Cefalu. Cefalu came to believe that Goldberg had been abused over a longer period than any of McGuire's other victims. Yet when Goldberg said he was ready to file a lawsuit, Cefalu hesitated. Since discovering the nude photograph of himself in McGuire's files, he has nursed a growing antipathy for the Jesuits and the role they played covering up McGuire's crimes.
web lawyer AP19357604881144.jpg Bobby Goldberg and his sister Debbie arrive Dec. 21, 2019, at the office of his lawyer, Melissa Anderson, in Bannockburn, Illinois. (AP/Nam Y. Huh) | web Joey Cavino AP19353858195657.jpg Joey Covino poses for a photo Dec. 18, 2019, at his home in Saugus, Massachusetts, with a photo of himself as a 9-year-old boy. Covino was abused by Fr. Richard J. McCormick at a summer camp in Massachusetts in 1981. (AP/Elise Amendola)
Richard J. Poster served time for possessing child pornography, violated his probation by having contact with children, admitted masturbating in the bushes near a church school and in 2005 was put on a sex offender registry. And yet the former Catholic priest was only just this month added to a list of clergy members credibly accused of child sexual abuse — after The Associated Press asked why he was not included.
Get the best of NCR delivered to your inbox! Sign up here
Victims' advocates had long criticized the Roman Catholic Church for not making public the names of credibly accused priests. Now, despite the dioceses' release of nearly 5,300 names, most in the last two years, critics say the lists are far from complete. An AP analysis found more than 900 clergy members accused of child sexual abuse who were missing from lists released by the dioceses and religious orders where they served. The AP reached that number by matching those public diocesan lists against a database of accused priests tracked by the group BishopAccountability.org and then scouring bankruptcy documents, lawsuits, settlement information, grand jury reports and media accounts. More than a hundred of the former clergy members not listed by dioceses or religious orders had been charged with sexual crimes, including rape, solicitation and receiving or viewing child pornography. On top of that, the AP found another nearly 400 priests and clergy members who were accused of abuse while serving in dioceses that have not yet released any names. "No one should think, 'Oh, the bishops are releasing their lists, there's nothing left to do,'" said Terence McKiernan, co-founder of BishopAccountability.org, who has been tracking the abuse crisis and cataloging accused priests for almost two decades, accumulating a database of thousands of priests. "There are a lot of holes in these lists," he said. "There's still a lot to do to get to actual, true transparency."
Advertisement Advertisement
Church officials say that absent an admission of guilt, they have to weigh releasing a name against harming the reputation of priests who may have been falsely accused. By naming accused priests, they note, they also open themselves to lawsuits from those who maintain their innocence. Earlier this month, former priest John Tormey sued the Providence, Rhode Island, diocese, saying his reputation was irreparably harmed by his inclusion on the diocese's credibly accused list. After the list was made public, he said he was asked to retire by the community college where he had worked for over a decade. Some dioceses have excluded entire classes of clergy members from their lists — priests in religious orders, deceased priests who had only one allegation against them, priests ordained in foreign countries and, sometimes, deacons or seminarians ousted before they were ordained. Others, like Poster, were excluded because of technicalities. Poster's name was not included when the Davenport, Iowa, diocese issued its first list of two dozen credibly accused priests in 2008. The diocese said his crime of possessing more than 270 videos and images of child pornography on his work laptop was not originally a qualifying offense in the church's landmark charter on child abuse because there wasn't a direct victim.
web Poster AP19358566573793.jpg This undated photo obtained from the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services in December 2019 shows Richard J. Poster. (AP/Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services)
After he was released from prison, the diocese found Poster a job as a maintenance man at its office, but he was fired less than a year later after admitting to masturbating in the bushes on the property, which abuts a Catholic high school. Still, the diocese did not list him. Poster went on to violate the terms of his probation, admitting he had contact with minors at a bookstore and near an elementary school, federal court records unsealed at the AP's request show. A judge sent him back to jail for two months and imposed several other monitoring conditions. Child pornography was added to the church's child abuse charter in 2011 and, though the diocese promised it would update its list of perpetrators as required under a court-approved bankruptcy plan, it never included Poster. "It was an oversight," diocese spokesman Deacon David Montgomery told the AP. He said the public had been kept informed about the case through press releases issued from Poster's arrest until his removal from the priesthood in 2007. Poster, now 54, lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, near a school and two parks. He hasn't been accused of any wrongdoing for more than a decade and declined to comment when reached by the AP, saying he preferred to stay out of the spotlight. Of the 900 unlisted accused clergy members, more than a tenth had been charged with a sex-related crime — a higher percentage than those named publicly by dioceses and orders, the AP found. Dioceses varied widely in what they considered a credible accusation. Like Poster, some of the priests criminally charged with child pornography weren't listed because some dioceses said a victim needed to report a complaint. In addition to Poster, the AP review found 15 other priests charged with possessing, distributing or creating child pornography who were not included on any list. Other dioceses created exceptions for a host of other reasons, ranging from cases being deemed not credible by a board of lay church people to the clergy members in question having since died and thus being unable to defend themselves. "If your goal is protecting kids and healing victims, your lists will be as broad and detailed as possible. If your goal is protecting your reputation and institution, it will be narrow and vague. And that's the choice most bishops are making," said David Clohessy, the former executive director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, who now heads the group's St. Louis chapter. The largest exceptions were made for the nearly 400 priests in religious orders who, while they serve in diocesan schools and parishes, don't report to the bishops.
web McCormick AP19358694910405.jpg Judge Timothy Feeley, left, addresses former Fr. Richard J. McCormick, 74, Aug. 10, 2015, in Salem Superior Court in Boston. (AP Pool/The Boston Herald/Faith Ninivaggi)
Richard J. McCormick, a Salesian priest who worked at parishes, schools and religious camps in dioceses in Florida, New York, Massachusetts, Indiana and Louisiana, has been accused of molesting or having inappropriate contact with children from three states. In 2009, his order settled the first three civil claims against him. Yet he does not appear on any list of credibly accused clergy members. McCormick finally faced criminal charges after one of his victims spotted the priest's name on a very different list — one posted in 2011 by a Boston lawyer, Mitchell Garabedian, who represents church sexual abuse victims. Thirty years had gone by, but Joey Covino said he immediately recognized a photo of McCormick as the priest who had molested him over two summers at a Salesian camp, a woodsy retreat for underprivileged boys in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Covino's boyhood had revolved around church, where he served as an altar boy, played in a Catholic Little League and where his mother — raising four children on her own — gratefully accepted assistance from friendly priests. When she sent Covino and his brothers back to the free camp for a second year, "I was petrified — petrified — and I couldn't say anything. I couldn't even ask my brothers to see if it had happened to them," said Covino, now 49 and a police officer in Revere, Massachusetts. "I've always told myself I should have done something. I should have fought back." Covino said the entirety of his adult life had been altered by McCormick's abuse — failed relationships, his decisions to join the military and later the police, nightmares that plagued him. His decision to come forward led to McCormick being convicted of rape in 2014 and sentenced to up to 10 years. The priest since has pleaded guilty to assaulting another boy. The Salesians, based in New Rochelle, New York, have never posted a list of credibly accused priests. "Our men who have been credibly accused and have had accusations have been listed in the various dioceses that we serve," said Father Steve Ryan, vice provincial of the order. Ryan said he was certain McCormick's name appeared on several lists, including Boston's.
web O'Malley AP19358633674567.jpg Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley arrives to the Santa Maria alla Vittoria church March 10, 2013, in Rome to celebrate Mass. (AP/Domenico Stinellis)
But when Boston posted its list in 2011, Archbishop Sean Patrick O'Malley wrote that he was not including priests from religious orders or visiting clerics because the diocese "does not determine the outcome in such cases; that is the responsibility of the priest's order or diocese." O'Malley since has called on religious orders to post their own lists, spokesman Terry Donilon said. The AP found the Boston archdiocese has the most accused priests left off its list, with almost 80 not included. Nearly three-quarters, like McCormick, were priests from religious orders. Another dozen died before allegations were received — another exclusion cited by the archdiocese. McCormick also is not on the New York archdiocese's list or lists posted by the Archdiocese of Gary, Indiana, and the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Florida — both places where he faced accusations. The archdiocese in New Orleans, where McCormick served in 1991, added his name to its list of credibly accused priests only after an inquiry from the AP. Priests named on any list were excluded from the AP's undercount analysis, even if they were not named on lists in the other dioceses where they served. Because the AP counted only priests left off all lists, critics say the number of 900 unnamed priests represents just a tiny portion of the true scope of the underreporting problem. Other priests excluded from the credibly accused lists were left off because of findings from the diocesan investigations process. Review boards — independent panels in each diocese staffed with lay people to review allegations of abuse — make the initial recommendation on whether an allegation is credible. The standards those boards use to investigate claims and the process itself often is so shrouded from public view that some victims say they weren't allowed to attend when their allegations were discussed. Dozens of priests whose accusers received payouts or legal settlements were left off credibly accused lists because review boards deemed the accusations not substantiated or because bishops or even the Vatican later overturned the board's findings on appeal. The standards for Vatican appeals are even more secretive.
"You can't put much stock in the lists that the church voluntarily provides because they cannot be trusted to police themselves." — Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro Tweet this
In 2006, the Chicago Archdiocese's review board investigated a claim from two brothers who alleged a priest named Robert Stepek had abused them. The board found "reasonable cause to suspect that sexual abuse of minors occurred," but Stepek was restored to good standing in 2013 after a Vatican court said it was "unable to find evidence strong enough." The court found Stepek engaged in inappropriate behavior for a priest, however, and he remained without an assignment under restrictions until his death in 2016. The AP found about 45 accused clergy members who did not appear on the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's list of credibly accused priests. The archdiocese said they were excluded for a variety of reasons, including deciding that about a dozen priests found unsuitable for ministry by a review board due to conduct involving minors did not do anything that rose to the level of abuse. A spokesman said the archdiocese has a thorough and transparent investigation process, but declined to comment on any of the individual cases of priests not named on its list. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro told the AP that he had to fight church leaders to release a groundbreaking 2018 grand jury report that named more than 300 predator priests and cataloged clergy abuse over seven decades in six of the state's dioceses, not including Philadelphia. Several bishops played a direct role in covering up the abuse in Pennsylvania, Shapiro said. "You can't put much stock in the lists that the church voluntarily provides because they cannot be trusted to police themselves," he said.
web Malone AP19358633697153.jpg Bishop Richard Malone speaks to Catholics on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013, at St. Joseph Cathedral in Buffalo, New York. (AP/File/David Duprey)
In Buffalo, New York, Bishop Richard Malone resigned under pressure earlier this month after his executive assistant leaked internal church documents to a reporter after becoming concerned the bishop had intentionally omitted dozens of names from its list of credibly accused priests. Buffalo's list has more than doubled to 105 clergy members since those documents were released. Still, the AP found nearly three dozen accused priests who remain unnamed by the diocese. The number of new claims being reported to law enforcement and church officials over the last two years has increased, spurred in part by revelations of abuse from high-ranking church officials such as former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and by the Pennsylvania grand jury report and the more than 20 other state investigations launched in its wake. The AP found more than 130 priests who were accused in the last two years whose names do not appear on any lists. Another 37 unlisted priests were accused under New York's Child Victims Act, which recently opened a window for victims to file civil lawsuits regardless of the statute of limitations, a trend being echoed across the country. Anne Burke, now chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, was part of the Catholic Church's inaugural National Review Board, a commission formed to help implement the church's 2002 child abuse charter. "We gave our report and recommendations over 15 years ago. They never followed through. That was the final nail in the coffin as far as we were concerned in terms of the bishops ever being able to pull themselves away … from the bureaucracy and be transparent," Burke said. "That is why we are here again today, and it's worse." Many advocates say the church has a long way to go toward being transparent and are determined to see that it becomes far more open about problem priests.
web Jeff Anderson AP19358633675323.jpg Attorney Jeff Anderson, left, points to a chart of sexual abuse perpetrators during a Aug. 14, 2019, news conference in New York, accompanied by sexual abuse victims Birdie Farrell, center, and Joseph Carramano. (AP/Richard Drew)
Attorney Jeff Anderson, known for suing dioceses for information on accused clergy, has released almost 30 various rosters of clergy he has received allegations against or whose names appear in church documents. "We feel a fierce public imperative to continue to release our lists because those released by dioceses contain only a fraction of the true report," Anderson said. "And they lead people to believe they are coming clean when they are not." It was a list that Anderson's law firm released in the Archdiocese of New York that led 34-year-old Joe Caramanno to file a complaint, decades after he said he was abused. Caramanno had been hospitalized for an anxiety disorder when he was a teenager and part of his return to high school involved mandated meetings with a priest who controlled his medication. It was during those sessions that Caramanno said Monsignor John Paddack fondled him. Caramanno, now a teacher, said it wasn't until he saw Paddack's name on Anderson's list that he felt he could come forward. "I needed the validation that it wasn't just me. It made it more real," he said. The archdiocese's official list of credibly accused priests, released a few months after Anderson's, contains only half the names and does not include Paddack, who has stepped down during the ongoing investigation. "It makes me wonder if I hadn't come forward … would he still be an active priest?" said Caramanno, who has filed a lawsuit against the archdiocese under New York's Child Victims Act.
"What matters is one question: Did or does this credibly accused predator have access to my flock ever? Even for a few hours. If the answer is yes, then that bishop needs to put that predator on his list." — David Clohessy Tweet this | 3.25 |
Many celebrities and cricketers wished Hardik Pandya on his engagement to Natasa Stankovic.
The Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya announced his engagement with Natasa Stankovic in an adorable Instagram picture. The stunning couple was ringing in the new year in an exotic gateway. Many celebrities and cricketers wished Hardik Pandya on his engagement. Virat Kohli commented on Hardik Pandya's Instagram post, saying "congratulations H, what a pleasant surprise." Virat wished the newly engaged couple great times ahead. KL Rahul who is known to be a close friend of Hardik Pandya and who also appeared with Pandya on a chat show, responded with a heart shaped emoticon.
Bollywood actress Athiya Shetty replied to Hardik Pandya engagement with Natasa Stankovic with a purple heart emoticon send her best wished. Krystle Dsouza sent her congratulatory message to the Indian all rounder on his engagement. responded by asking a question back, if Hardik had indeed got engaged. Cricketers like Shreyas Iyer, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal sent their best wishes across to the gorgeous looking couple. Bollywood diva, Tara Sutaria also replied to Hardik's engagement post with a purple heart emoticon.
Suniel Shetty also congratulated the newly engaged couple Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic on their engagement. Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic both looked very happy and excited about their engagement. The news of Hardik's engagement came as a sweet surprise to his fans and followers. Both, Hardik and Natasa were on a vacation to celebrate the New Year’s Eve.
(ALSO READ: Hardik Pandya announces his engagement to Natasa Stankovic with an adorable picture; Check it out)
Credits :instagram
Read More | Hardik Pandya engaged to Natasa Stankovic
MUMBAI: Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya got engaged to girlfriend actress Natasa Stankovic.
The cricketer, who is recovering from a back injury, announced the great news on Instagram.
Sharing adorable photos and video of their engagement, Hardik captioned it, “Mai tera, Tu meri jaane, saara Hindustan. 01.01.2020 #engaged.”
Natasa could also be seen in one of the photos flaunting her white diamond engagement ring.
She also shared a video in which Hardik is proposing to her with a ring. The actress captioned it, “Forever yes.”
Earlier, on the eve of New Year 2020, the Indian cricketer also shared a photo with Natasa with a caption, “Starting the year with my firework.”
Before their engagement today, rumours were abuzz that Natasa and Pandya had been dating for a long time.
Congratulatory messages started pouring in from the fans and teammates soon after Hardik shared the news. | 3.666667 |
Mumbai: The year gone by continued to be a record-breaking one for Indian startups, even as it became a story of two parts. In the first half of the year, startups raised nearly $4 billion in venture capital, across sectors and from a relatively diverse set of investors. Post-September, however, the narrative shifted almost overnight, with the meltdown in WeWork’s proposed initial public offering (IPO) and other tech listings, such as Uber and Lyft, performing poorly. Mint takes a look at the defining venture capital trends through the year.
Tiger Global’s comeback: Tiger Global Management roared back to India in April, after halting fresh investments in the country for over two years. However, its strategy is markedly different this time. The New York-based hedge fund chased business-to-business and software firms almost exclusively, pumping in over $500 million across 22 deals. The new deals, from salon software provider Zenoti to industrial goods marketplace Moglix, were also spearheaded by Scott Schleifer, after Tiger’s private equity chief Lee Fixel, known for his close involvement with Flipkart’s growth and its eventual sale to Walmart, left Tiger in March this year.
SoftBank’s reckoning: Japan’s investment giant SoftBank faced a serious reckoning of its investment model after its largest bets in many companies, including Uber and WeWork, flopped. While WeWork had to abort its IPO and slash its valuation by 80% in a month, Uber’s shares have slid 30% post-listing, putting SoftBank’s model and ability to make money under serious question. “The bull market run fuelled by SoftBank and large deals seems to be ending, but that makes it an excellent time for investing in early-stage deals as valuations will cool," said Anirudh Damani, managing partner, Artha Venture Fund, an early-stage investor.
Sarvesh Kumar Sharma/Mint
The rise and rise of incubators and accelerators: With fewer early-stage firms getting funded, venture capitalists doubled down on incubators and accelerators—programmes which fund 20-100 startups in a year, creating a pipeline for other incoming investors. Multinational and Indian investors were aggressive on these themes, including Sequoia’s Surge, Lightspeed’s Extreme Entrepreneur, 100x VC and Venture Catalysts. “Early-stage incubators and accelerators became mainstream this year, but their overall quality needs to be proven. To do 100 idea-stage deals a year by one investor requires excellent deal sourcing, but also a solid team for qualitative analysis," Damani said.
Enterprise software and Bharat come of age: 2019 saw software and business-to-business firms raise large amounts of capital at an early stage. Partly driven by Tiger’s new focus, this stems from Indian businesses being comfortable with a digital life and growth more than ever. For instance, the likes of OkCredit, Khatabook, Locus and Zenoti, all of which help automate some sort of business. “Small businesses in India now need technology to help with compliance. These businesses are already comfortable with storing data on cloud, making it an emerging opportunity," Anand Lunia, partner of early-stage firm India Quotient, said in an interview in November.
Profit over growth, say investors: After a three-year funding overdrive, wherein venture capitalists chased startups growing rapidly, a slowdown is expected in 2020, after global tech companies saw investor backlash, and decade-old firms in India still burning thousands of crore in losses. Venture capitalists expect 2020 to consist of lower valuations, fewer large cheques, consolidation, as smaller firms shut shop. Investors are also telling entrepreneurs to build sustainable firms which don’t depend on seemingly limitless investor money, and prepare for exits through public offerings. This will be a sea change from secondary share sales, and mergers and acquisitions, which have been the prevalent exit route for venture capitalists so far. | NEW YORK • Fireworks burst in the sky and confetti fell as throngs of revellers cheered the start of 2020 in New York City's Times Square.
In one of the globe's most-watched New Year's Eve spectacles, the crowd counted down the last seconds of 2019 as a luminescent crystal ball descended down a pole.
About 1,360kg of confetti showered the sea of attendees, many of whom were also briefly rained on earlier in the evening as they waited in security pens for performances by stars including rap-pop star Post Malone, K-pop group BTS, country singer Sam Hunt and singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette.
"It was a dream. I wanted to do it, so this year a lot of people helped me to get here. So I'm here, and I'm thankful for that," said visitor Mariemma Mejias, 48, who flew to New York for the festivities from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
New Year festivities were held around the world.
In Rio de Janeiro, about three million people welcomed 2020 at Brazil's iconic Copacabana beach as almost 15,420kg of colourful fireworks went off for 14 minutes after midnight.
Rio de Janeiro holds one of the biggest New Year parties in the world, with music and drinks, and religious rituals on the shores. Many dress in white in a traditional sign of their hope for peace.
In Russia, the world's longest continuous New Year's Eve began with fireworks and a message from President Vladimir Putin urging citizens to work together in the coming year.
Mr Putin made the call in a short speech broadcast on television just before the stroke of midnight in each of Russia's 11 time zones.
Related Story Singapore ushers in 2020 with heartland countdown parties, Marina Bay fireworks
Related Story In Pictures: New Year 2020 celebrations around the world
In New Zealand, major cities greeted 2020 with fireworks, following a year of challenges. On March 15, a lone gunman killed 51 people and wounded dozens at two mosques in the South Island city of Christchurch. And last month, a volcanic eruption on White Island killed at least 19 tourists and tour guides.
Meanwhile, Londoners watched a spectacular fireworks display from the banks of the River Thames that was launched from the London Eye and barges near Parliament.
The familiar chimes of London's Big Ben clock tower rang in the new year, even though they had been silent for most of 2019 because of extensive restoration work.
In South Africa, thousands of revellers gathered at Cape Town's Waterfront area to welcome the new year with music, dancing and fireworks in front of the city's iconic Table Mountain.
In past years, residents of Johannesburg's poor Hillbrow neighbourhood would celebrate the new year by tossing furniture, appliances and even refrigerators from the balconies of high-rise apartment buildings. Police have issued stern warnings, and it appears that the dangerous tradition has declined in popularity.
In Japan, people flocked to temples and shrines, offering incense with their prayers to celebrate the passing of a year and the first new year of the Reiwa era.
And in India, thousands of people ushered in the new year by demonstrating against a citizenship law despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attempts to dampen the protests, which have run for nearly three weeks.
The protests have rocked the country since Dec 12, when the government passed legislation easing the way for non-Muslim minorities from neighbouring Muslim-majority nations of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan to gain Indian citizenship.
ASSOCIATED PRESS, REUTERS | 1 |
In a time of crisis CatholicPhilly.com keeps the information flowing
During the current coronavirus crisis, you can help CatholicPhilly.com deliver the kind of news people need to know about the Catholic Church, especially in the Philadelphia region, and the world in which we live ― every day.
Budgets are tight at this time, and CatholicPhilly's is no different than those of most families. We make sure your donation in any amount will go a long way toward continuing our mission to inform, form in the Catholic faith and inspire the thousands of readers who visit every month.
Here is how you can help:
A $100 gift allows us to present award-winning photos of Catholic life in our neighborhoods.
A $50 gift enables us to cover a news event in a local parish, school or Catholic institution.
A $20 gift lets us obtain solid faith formation resources that can deepen your spirituality and knowledge of the faith.
A small, automated monthly donation means you can support us continually and easily.
Won't you consider making a gift today?
Please join in the church's vital mission of communications by offering a gift in whatever amount that you can ― a single gift of $40, $50, $100, or more, or a monthly donation. Your gift will strengthen the fabric of our entire Catholic community.
Make your donation by credit card here:
Or make your donation by check:
CatholicPhilly.com
222 N. 17th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103 | Will you be taking the plunge at the Lyme Lunge and braving the icy sea this afternoon?
The Lyme Lunge returns today with thousands of people expected to descend on the town’s sandy beach to charge into the water.
The Rotary Club of Lyme Regis’ annual event includes participants donning fancy dress and following the club’s president into the sea at 1pm.
This year, the Lyme Lunge is raising money for the Dorset County Hospital chemotherapy appeal and Rotary charities.
For more information and updates of the event, search for Rotary Club of Lyme Regis on Facebook.
But just before the dip, there’s time to catch the New Year’s Day duck race.
The duck race will start at Windsor Terrace at 12noon and finish at Jordan Flats.
Ducks cost £1 and will be on sale outside Higher Mill Flats, Windsor Terrace, from 11.15am.
The first duck wins £50, the second wins £25, the third wins £10 and the last duck wins £5.
All proceeds will go to Lyme Regis Christmas Lights. | 1.5 |
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Quebec's pot age and Sask.'s microdistillery industry; In The News for Dec. 31
Article content In The News is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to kickstart your day. Here is what’s on the radar of our editors for the morning of Dec. 31. What we are watching in Canada … We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Quebec's pot age and Sask.'s microdistillery industry; In The News for Dec. 31 Back to video MONTREAL — Quebecers under the age of 21 won’t be able to legally buy or possess cannabis as of Wednesday, as the province’s new legal age for consuming recreational pot goes into effect. The measure was brought in by the Coalition Avenir Quebec government earlier this fall, fulfilling an election promise to raise the age limit from 18 with a stated goal of keeping marijuana away from youth.
Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content But public policy and public health experts have said the vast majority of younger users will likely continue to consume cannabis, and they may end up going to illegal sources to obtain the product. The federal law sets the minimum age at 18 but leaves it open to provinces and territories to establish their own rules. The legal age for consumption is 19 in every other province except Alberta, where it’s 18. — Also this … REGINA — Saskatchewan’s growing microdistillery industry is making some one-of-a-kind, home-grown beverages. The Last Mountain Distillery in Lumsden uses garden dill to make its popular dill-pickle vodka. There’s also Saskatoon-berry vodka and apple-pie moonshine. Meredith and Colin Schmidt work with local producers which supply the ingredients. So does Black Fox Farm and Distillery near Saskatoon.
Advertisement 3 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content Former grain farmer John Cote says he and his wife wanted to show the world that they could make the best gin and whisky right in Saskatchewan. The distillery won best cask gin at the World Gin Awards in 2017. Fifteen microdistilleries have opened in the province in the last nine years and production is up 75 per cent this year. The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority says they produced about half-a-million litres of spirits in 2018. — ICYMI (in case you missed it) … VANCOUVER — The British Columbia government and a former social worker in Kelowna, B.C., are facing a new civil lawsuit by a former child in care who accuses the social worker of stealing her money to pay off his mortgage and other personal expenses. The allegation is just one of a string of accusations in the legal action by the one-time foster child, who details a series of failures by the authorities charged with her care, forcing her into homelessness and exposing her to sexual exploitation.
Advertisement 4 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content The woman, who is now 19 and living in Vancouver, cannot be named as a former child in care. Documents filed with the B.C. Supreme Court on Dec. 20 allege she was apprehended from her mother at age three, placed in a series of unsafe and abusive homes and then had her own two children apprehended. The statement of claim says the failure of the social worker, Robert Riley Saunders, and other provincial officials to respond to the risks and harms she faced in a timely way was “reprehensible and outrageous.” None of the allegations have been proven in court. Saunders could not be reached for comment and the ministry declined to comment as the matter is before the court. — What we are watching in the U.S. … WHITE SETTLEMENT, Texas — A firearms instructor and reserve sheriff’s deputy is being credited with protecting a Texas congregation from a gunman who opened fire during Sunday services.
Advertisement 5 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content Jack Wilson fired a single shot at the assailant who attacked the West Freeway Church of Christin the Fort Worth-area town of White Settlement. Two people were killed out of more than 240 congregants in the church at the time. Authorities identified the gunman Monday as 43-year-old Keith Thomas Kinnunen of the small nearby city of River Oaks. His motive was under investigation. Speaking outside the church Monday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said authorities “can’t prevent mental illness from occurring, and we can’t prevent every crazy person from pulling a gun. But we can be prepared like this church was.” — What we are watching in the rest of the world … PERTH, Australia — Wildfires burning across Australia’s two most-populous states Tuesday trapped residents of a seaside town in apocalyptic conditions, destroyed many properties and caused at least two fatalities.
Advertisement 6 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content In the southeastern town of Mallacoota, about 4,000 residents fled toward the waterside as winds pushed an emergency-level wildfire towards their homes. The town was shrouded in darkness from the smoke before turning an unnerving shade of bright red. Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said there were plans to evacuate the trapped people by sea. There were grave fears remain for four people missing. “We can’t confirm their whereabouts,” Andrews told reporters on Tuesday. He has requested assistance from 70 firefighters from the United States and Canada. Victoria Emergency Services Commissioner Andrew Crisp confirmed “significant” property losses across the region. Fire conditions worsened in Victoria and New South Wales states after oppressive heat Monday mixed with strong winds and lightning strikes. New South Wales Police confirmed Tuesday that two men, believed to be father and son, died in a house in the wildfire-ravaged southeast town of Cobargo, while there are fears for another man missing. The two confirmed deaths raise the toll to at least 12 in Australia’s wildfires, which also have razed more than 1,000 homes in the past few months. — This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Dec. 31, 2019.
Share this article in your social network
Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
NP Posted Sign up to receive the daily top stories from the National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Email Address There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Sign Up By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again | Thousands of tourists and locals were left stranded on a beach in southeast Australia on Tuesday as bushfires ravaged a popular tourist area, leaving no escape by land.
As the Epoch Times’ Katabella Roberts reports, up to 4,000 people are trapped on the foreshore of the encircled seaside town of Mallacoota, in the East Gippsland region of Victoria, where authorities said nearby fires were manifesting extreme self-generating thunderstorms and “ember attacks.”
On Monday, Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner, Andrew Crisp, told residents and holidaymakers to leave the area by 9 a.m. or risk being stranded.
However, in a later update he said it was now “too late” to get out of the area safely.
The crew from Fire and Rescue NSW Station 509 Wyoming recorded this video showing the moment their truck was overrun by the bushfire burning South of Nowra. The crew was forced to shelter in their truck as the fire front passed through. #NSWFires #ProtectTheIrreplaceable pic.twitter.com/Hb0yVrefi9 — Fire and Rescue NSW (@FRNSW) December 31, 2019
Firefighters were deployed to protect those stranded on the beach, and preparations are underway for a sea or airborne evacuation if needed.
“We’ve got three strike teams in Mallacoota that will be looking after 4,000 people down on the beach there. We’re naturally very concerned about communities that have become isolated,” he added.
Hundreds of people have taken to social media to share apocalyptic images of the area, which is currently blanketed in a thick cloud of red haze.
Community radio in #Mallacoota: “The power is cut. We are isolated. It’s a holocaust, basically. Some have been sent to the hall, some to the lake, others have to stay in their homes. There’s a lot of thunder. The fires are creating their own weather.” — Alt-Rupert (@TheMurdochTimes) December 30, 2019
It comes after authorities warned up to 30,000 tourists currently visiting the area to leave as strong winds pushed an emergency-level bushfire towards the town.
The fire moving towards Mallacoota began at Wingan River on Sunday and spread rapidly towards the coast, RNZ reported.
Meanwhile, in a press conference on Tuesday, Premier Daniel Andrews said that four people are currently missing in Victoria.
“There are a number of people who remain unaccounted for—four people, and of course we have fears for their safety,” Andrews said.
“We cannot confirm their whereabouts, but as soon as we can bring any further information to you, then, of course, we will do that.”
Andrews also asked Prime Minister Scott Morrison for military assistance amid the raging fires, suggesting naval vessels help get supplies to isolated communities or heavy-lift aircraft to work alongside the state’s air fleet.
However, no decisions regarding military assistance have been finalized as of yet.
Francesca Winterson is in a building on the main street of #Mallacoota and describes the wind, darkness and falling embers as fires burn about 500 metres away. She says it’s too late to leave and fire crews are on hand to offer as much protection as they can. pic.twitter.com/6Tjfb4nyUR — News Breakfast (@BreakfastNews) December 30, 2019
On Monday, around 100,000 people were urged to flee five Melbourne suburbs. The swirling bushfires killed a volunteer firefighter who was battling a separate blaze in the countryside.
Another volunteer firefighter from the New South Wales Rural Fire Service also died on Monday when the truck he was traveling in was overturned by strong winds and crashed at Jingellic, about 110 kilometers (68 miles) east of Albury.
Authorities named him as 28-year-old Samuel McPaul, who was reportedly expecting his first child in May with his wife, Megan, whom he married last year.
Two of his male colleagues, aged 39 and 52, also suffered burns in the incident but are said to be in a stable condition.
Another eight people have been killed so far this fire season, while more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed, according to local reports.
Alex Jones lays out the motifs between mass shootings in the United States (shooters on pharmaceutical drugs, ignored FBI and police reports, 24/7 mainstream media coverage, etc.) and analyzes the most recent church shooting in White Settlement, Texas.
Also, start your year right with free shipping and up to 75% off our hottest items during the Mega Blowout Sale! | 3 |
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – When the American, Ervin Drake, wrote the lyrics for his song, ‘It Was A Very Good Year’, in 1961, Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit was not born as yet and Guyana’s President David Granger, was a 21-year-old youth.
But the 47-year-old Skerrit and Granger, now 74, have every reason to say 2019 was indeed a very good year for them, albeit for different reasons.
Skerrit will always remember, with fond memories, the year 2019, as it allowed him to enter, yet again, into the political history of Dominica. Being the youngest prime minister as he was in 2004, he is now the first prime minister to win four consecutive general elections in that Caribbean country. Skerrit was also able to lead his ruling Dominica Labor Party (DLP) into a fifth consecutive general election victory despite moves by the Opposition parties – both legal and otherwise – to halt the December 6 General Election.
“I have never seen so much external interest in our campaign,” Skerrit said after the DLP swept the main Opposition United Workers Party (UWP) by an 18-3 margin in the two-way fight for control of the 21-member Parliament.
The Opposition had, during the campaign, called for electoral reform, and more so, the need for voter identification cards with pictures and a cleansing of the electoral list.
The Opposition was supported in its call by the United States and secretary-general of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, who earlier in the year had been the subject of much criticism from a divided Caribbean Community (Caricom) grouping on his unilateral backing for the efforts to remove the elected Government in Venezuela.
As he was being sworn into office, less than 24 hours after the victory, Skerrit said he believed the “external people” had used the Opposition Leader Lennox Linton, whom he said had been used “to carry out their plans”, instead of focusing on the campaign.
“I do not envy him. I never had the opportunity of being in Opposition, people have told me it is not nice,” Skerrit said. Linton had made it clear he would not recognize the election results, even though several regional and international observer teams, including those from the OAS, the Commonwealth, and CARICOM, said reflected the will of the people in Dominica. Linton has since said the party intends to challenge the matter in the courts.
Guyana
Meanwhile in Guyana, Granger’s coalition Government – A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) – was able to remain in office even though it had been defeated in an Opposition-inspired motion of no confidence in December 2018 and the voters were expected to cast ballots for a new Government 90 days later in keeping with the provisions of the Constitution.
In July, the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), which is Guyana’s highest court, ruled that the vote of no confidence against Granger’s coalition Administration was valid and urged all parties to adhere to the provisions of the country’s constitution. But it gave no date for holding the elections.
Under the Guyana Constitution, the elections should have taken place 90 days after the vote of no confidence had been passed.
The constitution also makes provision for an extension of the period based only on a two-thirds majority vote in the Parliament. The National Assembly did not provide that extension.
The ruling by the CCJ followed legal moves by the Government to challenge the legality of the vote of no confidence in the lower courts after one Government legislator had sided with the Opposition to pass the motion and overturn the Government’s slender one-seat majority in the 65-member National Assembly.
“We challenged the validity of the no confidence motion and defended the challenge to the constitutionality of the appointment of the chairman of the Elections Commission,” Granger said, adding that the legal processes were neither frivolous nor aimed at delaying the consequences of the no-confidence motion. The CCJ had also ruled that the appointment of retired Justice James Patterson as Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) was flawed and urged a consensual appointment supported by both the president and the leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo.
In the end, the parties agreed on retired Justice Claudette Singh, who would inform the country that the polls could be held in February next year.
But Granger had insisted that the polls would only be held when GECOM said it is prepared to conduct a free and fair poll and while the main opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) had rallied against plans for a new voters list generated by a house-to-house registration exercise, including a legal challenge, it agreed with Granger’s announcement that voters would elect a new Government on March 2 next year.
Virgin Islands
Eight years after it was swept out of power, the Virgin Islands Party (VIP), headed by Andrew A Fahie, in March won the general election in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), winning eight of the 13 seats at stake.
The party, which formed the Government between 2007 and 2011, won four district seats and four Territorial at-large seats, while the incumbent National Democratic Party (NDP) won three seats. Fahie, 48, was ousted as Opposition Leader last December, following the split within the then-ruling NDP, with Ronnie Skelton leading a faction, and became the largest opposition party in Parliament.
The election was the first general election in the territory to use electronically-tabulated voting, rather than manual counts.
Montserrat
In Montserrat, another British Overseas Territory, Easton Taylor-Farrell, led his Movement for Change and Prosperity (MCAP) into power in November, reversing its 2014 electoral defeat.
“It is a bittersweet celebration, now that we have come home; in the MCAP camp, we are celebrating. I must admit I would have preferred to have a bit larger majority, that’s not the case, but we will work with what we have for the benefit of this country,” he said.
Taylor-Farrell, who took over the leadership of the party after then-Premier Reuben Meade lost the 2014 General Election to the People’s Democratic Movement said the time has now come to heal the nation, and he would also be placing much emphasis on the youth of the island.
Outgoing Premier Donaldson Romeo, who had been ousted as leader of the ruling People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) weeks before the election, was the only successful independent candidate in the election.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
In June, St. Vincent and the Grenadines emerged victorious winning a seat and becoming the smallest country to become a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for a two-year term. Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves described it as a “sweet, very sweet, sweet victory.
“I am saying thanks first of all to Almighty God, we thank the members of the United Nations, we thank the members of the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean, those from the Africa group, Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, and others and Eastern Europe – all of the countries of the world,” Gonsalves said. After a decade-long campaign, St Vincent and the Grenadines, the Group for Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC)-endorsed candidate for the term 2020-2021, secured 185 of the possible 191 votes, while six went to El Salvador, which announced a last-minute bid.
St Vincent and the Grenadines became only the second Caribbean Community country to serve on the Security Council since Jamaica’s 2000-2001 term.
Unrest in Haiti
While Skerrit, Granger, Fahie and Taylor Farrell and even Kingstown could have regarded 2019 as a “very good year” or them, this was certainly not the case for President Jovenel Moise in Haiti, who came to power in 2017 and Suriname’s President Desi Bouterse, the leaders of the only two nonspeaking English countries within Caricom.
President Moise spent all of 2019 deflecting calls for his resignation by opposition parties that staged violent and fatal demonstrations across the French-speaking Caricom country. The opposition parties accused Moise of corruption and unsuccessfully sought to impeach him on the grounds of high treason, violating the Haitian Constitution and leading the country to “the edge of social explosion.”
The unfolding social and political situation in Haiti was of concern to the wider Caricom grouping that had, following their summit in St Lucia in July, named its chairman and host
Prime Minister Allen Chastanet, as well as his counterparts from Jamaica and The Bahamas to undertake a fact-finding mission to be facilitated by the Haitian Government.
At year-end, the mission was still grounded and Caricom said it was still awaiting a response from Port au Prince for the good office’s prime ministerial delegation to visit. Antigua and Barbuda’s ambassador to the OAS Sir Ronald Sanders would later urge Caricom not to abandon Haiti.
“Haiti is in turmoil again. This time the countries of the Caribbean Community cannot be criticized for inaction, but questions must be asked about others in the hemispheric community who have been silent about the political and humanitarian situation in the country, “Sir Ronald said, in a clear reference to the OAS, “which has been active in other countries [but] has been conspicuously silent” on Haiti.
By year-end, Antigua and Barbuda and St Vincent and the Grenadines nominated Ecuadorian diplomat Maria Fernanda Espinosa to replace the incumbent OAS Secretary-General, with St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves “urging all Caribbean leaders not to vote for Almargo” when the election comes up in March next year.
President Bouterse
In November, a Military Court sentenced President Bouterse to 20 years in prison for his involvement in the 1982 murders of 15 political opponents of his then military Government in the Dutch-speaking CARICOM country. The trial had been going on for several years and in a lengthy verdict, the court did not order his detention.
In 2017, Bouterse along with 23 co-defendants appeared in the Military Court after the Court of Justice had earlier rejected a motion to stop the trial. The former military officers and civilians had been charged with the December 8, 1982 murders of 15 men that included journalists, military officers, union leaders, lawyers, businessmen, and university lecturers. The prosecution had alleged that the men were arrested on the night of December 7 and 8 of that year and transferred to Fort Zeelandia, then the headquarters of the Surinamese National Army. They said the men were tortured that night and summarily executed.
Bouterse, who has since filed an appeal and was out of the country when the verdict was given, said the decision of the three-panel Military Court was not unexpected.
“It was clear that the verdict was political,” he said, indicating that he was also advised by his lawyers not to discuss the ruling and was now concentrating on the general election constitutionally due by mid-2020.
Bouterse is not the only Caribbean leader with elections on his mind next year. Trinidad and Tobago, St Kitts-Nevis, Anguilla, and possibly, St Vincent and the Grenadines should all be holding general elections in 2020.
In 2019, some opposition parties failed in their quest to remove incumbent administrations through motions of no confidence.
St Lucia’s Opposition Leader Phillip J Pierre had urged legislators to vote their conscience and remove Prime Minister Chastanet from office, but in the end, the ruling United Workers Party (UWP) used its comfortable majority to defeat the motion.
It was a similar case in The Bahamas, where the Government in December used its majority in the Parliament to successfully amend a motion of no confidence against Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis that had been tabled by Opposition Leader Phillip “Brave” Davis.
Davis had earlier told legislators that he took no pleasure in moving the motion “but what is at stake is bigger than me or any individual in this place.
“What is at stake is our democratic system of government and the tenets, the laws, the conventions, processes, procedures, and practices that undergird them.”
In St. Kitts-Nevis it was the Opposition that refused to vote in support of a Government move to limit the term of a prime minister to two terms.
Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris, had piloted the Constitution of St Christopher and Nevis (Tenure of Office of Prime Minister) (Amendment) Bill, 2019) and it needed the support of the Opposition in order to get the required special majority needed to amend the Constitution.
Peter Phillips
In Jamaica, Opposition Leader Dr. Peter Phillip survived a strong challenge to his leadership when he defeated Peter Bunting in a challenge for control of the People’s National Party (PNP).
At the same time, Caricom, which became divided on the removal of the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, continued 2019 even though the regional leaders at their summit in July issued a statement reaffirming their non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. | From Nobel-winning novelist Toni Morrison to iconic fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld and Zimbabwe strongman Robert Mugabe, here are some of the notable deaths of 2019:
January
ADVERTISEMENT
– 21: Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala, 28, was killed when the plane he was flying in crashed into the Channel.
– 26: French film composer Michel Legrand, who won three Oscars and scored such classics as “Yentl” (1983), died aged 86.
February
– 7: Veteran British actor Albert Finney, winner of three Golden Globes, passed away aged 82.
– 16: Bruno Ganz, the Swiss actor best known for his role as Adolf Hitler in “Downfall” (2004), died from cancer aged 77.
– 19: Haute couture legend Karl Lagerfeld, long-running artistic director of Chanel, died aged 85.
– 21: Stanley Donen, U.S. director of such beloved Hollywood classic as “Singin’ in the Rain” (1952), was 94 when he died.
– 28: U.S.-German composer and conductor Andre Previn, winner of 10 Grammys and four Oscars, died aged 89.
March
ADVERTISEMENT
– 4: U.S. actor Luke Perry died after a stroke at the age of 52.
– 4: Frontman of British rave band The Prodigy, Keith Flint, was found dead aged 49.
– 29: Pioneering female French film director Agnes Varda passed away aged 90.
April
– 17: Ex-Peruvian president Alan Garcia, 69, killed himself as the police were about to arrest him on bribery charges that he denied.
May
– 13: Hollywood legend Doris Day died aged 97.
– 16: Ieoh Ming Pei, Chinese-American architect of iconic modern structures such as the Louvre Pyramid in Paris, was 102 years old when he passed away.
– 20: Austria’s three-time Formula One world champion Niki Lauda died aged 70, eight months after a lung transplant.
– 22: British children’s author and illustrator Judith Kerr died aged 95.
June
– 1: Star Spanish football striker Jose Antonio Reyes, 35, was killed in a car crash.
– 15: Italian film-maker and opera director Franco Zeffirelli died aged 96.
– 17: Islamist Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, ousted in 2013 after one year of divisive rule, died in prison aged 67.
– 17: American heiress and socialite Gloria Vanderbilt passed away aged 95.
July
– 6: Brazilian musician and songwriter Joao Gilberto, a pioneer of bossa nova, died aged 88.
– 16: South African singer Johnny Clegg died at 66 years old from cancer.
– 17: Andrea Camilleri, the Italian novelist who created Sicilian detective Montalbano, passed away aged 93.
– 22: Former Chinese premier Li Peng, a hardliner in the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, died at 90.
– 25: The world’s oldest president, Tunisian Beji Caid Essebsi, died aged 92, just ahead of the end of his first mandate.
August
– 5: Author Toni Morrison, the first African-American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, died aged 88.
– 10: U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein, 66, was found dead in jail from an apparent suicide while awaiting trial on charges of trafficking girls for sex.
– 12: Ivory Coast singer DJ Arafat died in a motorbike crash aged 33.
– 16: U.S. actor Peter Fonda, best known for “Easy Rider” (1969), died from lung cancer aged 79.
September
– 3: German photographer Peter Lindbergh, credited with launching the careers of supermodels like Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford, died aged 74.
– 6: Zimbabwe’s autocratic leader Robert Mugabe, ousted by the military in 2017 after 37 years in power, died aged 95.
– 9: Pioneering Swiss-born documentary photographer Robert Frank passed away at 94.
– 19: Tunisia’s Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the first leader to be toppled in the 2011 Arab Spring, died in exile in Saudi Arabia aged 83.
– 26: Jacques Chirac, French president from 1995 to 2007, died aged 86.
– 30: Celebrated American opera singer Jessye Norman died in hospital aged 74.
October
– 17: Alicia Alonso, Cuban ballet legend who taught well into her 90s, passed away at the age of 98.
– 17: U.S. Democratic Congressman Elijah Cummings died at 68 and was the first African-American lawmaker to lie in state in the Capitol building.
– 22: Belgian Paralympic champion Marieke Vervoort, suffering from a degenerative muscle disease, ended her life through euthanasia aged 40.
– 26: Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in his late 40s, blew himself up during a raid by U.S. special forces in Syria.
November
– 24: Clive James, the Australian broadcaster, writer, critic and poet, died aged 80 after a long battle with leukemia.
– 30: One of the leading conductors to emerge from the former Soviet Union, Latvian Mariss Jansons, 76, died of cardiac arrest at his home in Saint Petersburg.
December
– 8: Former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker passed away aged 92.
– 14: Danish-French actress Anna Karina, muse of New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard, died of cancer aged 79.
– 21: French fashion designer Emanuel Ungaro, died aged 86.
– 23: Algeria’s military chief, General Ahmed Gaid Salah, died from a heart attack aged 79. NVG
RELATED STORIES:
Remembering the greats: Notable personalities who passed away in 2018
Toni Morrison was a ‘literary mother’ to countless writers
Remembering Luke Perry through his best roles
Read Next
LATEST STORIES
MOST READ | 1.333333 |
Looking back at the last decade in Wilsonville
The Spokesman reflects on some of the most meaningful developments from the 2010s
In a way, life in Wilsonville in the 2010s was paradoxical.
The city grew exponentially and industry was in flux. However, whereas the 1990s and early 2000s featured rabble-rousing controversy and catalytic decisions, the last 10 years were steadier and emergences were often the result of strategies, trends and decisions that came to the fore in the first 40 years of the city's history.
With that being said, chapters did flip and some new ground was forged.
Here are some of the issues that defined the decade:
10 years of Knapp as mayor
The 2010s marked a full decade of Tim Knapp as the mayor of Wilsonville. After earning the position in 2008, the Old Town property owner and former councilor staved off a few attempts over the decade from candidates who were critical of some of the city's policies.
In 2013, Knapp defeated second-place finisher Richard Goddard by a relatively close margin of 52% to 43%. Goodard ran in opposition to zoning policies that have led Wilsonville to have one of the highest percentages of multi-family housing in the Portland metro area and received financial support from longtime conservative candidate backer Doris Wehler and former Council President Scott Starr. Members of the Wilsonville Chamber of Commerce also supported Goodard.
In 2016, after the race was seemingly uncontested, current Wilsonville City Councilor Ben West forged a late write-in bid, ultimately losing to Knapp 81% to 19%. West has similar opinions to Goodard about density and clashed with Knapp on his first year on the council.
Meanwhile, Wehler and Starr began distributing a petition this year to establish term limits for city council, which, if instituted, would bring an end to Knapp's reign. Whether that petition will become a ballot measure has yet to be determined.
During the last 10 years, Knapp has spearheaded many of the initiatives mentioned in this list while consistently maintaining backing from the majority of the council. He also played significant roles on the regional level, including serving on Metro's Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation and Metro's Transportation Funding Taskforce. And it's Knapp's preference for policies promoted by Metro, such as denser housing, that has drawn the ire of his critics, including West and Goddard. Yet, despite efforts to remove him, he remains in power — at least until the start of the 2020s.
Growth strategy
In the 2010s, Wilsonville's upward trajectory from small town to medium-sized city continued. And in shaping its growth, the city eyed rural and agricultural land for development in Frog Pond while vociferously opposing redevelopment in French Prairie.
Wilsonville's population was 19,509 in 2010 and now sits around 26,000. Most of this growth can be attributed to the Villebois neighborhood, which has added more than 5,000 people to town. The Villebois planned community was the culmination of a decades-long fight to prevent the area that was formerly Dammasch State Hospital to incur anything but residential development. Meanwhile, the city, with the help of Metro, planned to develop rural land east of Stafford Road and north of Boeckman Road as its areas for future growth via three Frog Pond neighborhoods. The city planned for the Frog Pond West residential neighborhood, which began to be developed this year, as a single-family-home neighborhood after residents objected to an initial proposal for more density. The other two neighborhoods will have more mixed housing, as required by Metro.
Though Wilsonville's growth slowed a bit recently, according to a Portland State University estimate, the new Frog Pond neighborhoods should propel the city's population close to or above 30,000 once the areas are developed.
At the same time, the city voiced opposition to development in the French Prairie area, which is south of Wilsonville. Specifically, the city has staunchly opposed development near the Aurora Airport and Langdon Farms, citing traffic issues and wanting to preserve agricultural land, among other concerns.
The city argues that Frog Pond growth is warranted because its located within Metro's urban growth boundary, has less valuable rural land and can grow with the guidance of a local municipality, i.e. Wilsonville. On the other hand, the city says French Prairie rural land is more valuable, is not within the UGB and that there isn't infrastructure set up south of the river to accommodate urban development.
Treatment plant validation A D V E R T I S I N G | Continue reading below
In the late 1990s, the city of Wilsonville was in a pickle. Its wells were drying up and it needed another water source as soon as possible.
This predicament precipitated a contentious fight between those in favor of collecting water from the Willamette River and those who abhorred the idea and posited that the water wouldn't be safe to drink.
Despite a failed recall effort against then Mayor Charlotte Lehan, the pro-river side prevailed and the city subsequently built the Willamette River Water Treatment Plant.
This decade, the city's decision was in some sense validated, as cities like Sherwood, Hillsboro and Beaverton agreed to begin collecting water from the Willamette River as well to quench their own thirst for a drinking water source. The city will receive $17 million in prepaid rents in 2026 from other entities along with seismic improvements and five million gallons per day in increased capacity as part of the agreement. In exchange, it will allow these other entities to use the city's water intake facility and incur the hassle of having a pipe run through town.
It's hard to say what would have happened if Wilsonville had chosen another source for its water (Bull Run Watershed, which is owned by Portland, was once considered). But city leaders have touted the value of having ownership over the plant, the intake facility and water rates as a major advantage. And contrary to the assumption that collecting water from the river would be unsanitary, there haven't been any major issues.
Land use
In the 2010s, the city of Wilsonville was a major thorn in the side of an airport that is not within the city's jurisdiction or even its home county. And the issues related to the airport were fought many times over without resolution.
As early as 2010, then Oregon Aviation Board Chair Mark Gardiner accused the city of spreading misinformation about the Aurora Airport master planning process and rumors that airport planners were eyeing expansionary measures that would lead to more flights, development and traffic.
Since the master plan was seemingly completed in 2012, the city has consistently questioned the validity of the plan, saying that public process rules were broken during the effort. And while the Oregon Department of Aviation tried to garner funding for an extension of the airport runway through a few different avenues, the city advocated against the proposal at every turn. Recently, the city agreed to go to court over the validity of the plan.
Wilsonville officials have been steadfast in opposition to the runway extension and supposed airport expansion in part because Charbonneau residents have complained about noisy planes flying over their community, even though pilots are supposed to avoid doing so. But they also worry that expansion could lead to traffic issues and dwindling agricultural land.
Similarly, the city opposed the owners of Langdon Farms Golf Club's plans to urbanize agricultural land in French Prairie and some Clackamas County Board of Commissioners' push to re-designate 1,600 acres of rural reserves to land designated for employment use. On the other hand, the Wilsonville Chamber of Commerce has supported the Aviation Department's plan.
So far, the city's preference for minimal development south of the river have held.
Traffic and connectivity
In many ways, marked growth can be a good thing. It brings tax dollars to town, provides housing to a region that is bereft of it and likely increases the city's clout and influence.
However, many Wilsonville citizens believe that growth also has accelerated the city's traffic issues. According to Wilsonville's community survey, traffic is the No. 1 issue citizens are concerned about.
City officials have consistently pointed outward as a cause for congestion. They say that Interstate 5 and Boone Bridge snarls are largely to blame and have lobbied hard for the State Legislature and the federal government to fund a project that would add a southbound auxiliary lane from the Wilsonville Road exit to the Canby-Hubbard exit and widen the Boone Bridge. And a study it conducted to address this concern in 2018 showed that such fixes would significantly reduce traffic on I-5, thus potentially leading to less traffic on city streets. The city also has made progress on the "Old Town Escape" to connect Boones Ferry Road and Kinsman Road via Fifth Street and the Barbur Street Bridge connecting the city center to Villebois.
At the same time, the city has frustrated some Wilsonville residents by planning a pair of bicycle and pedestrian bridges — one over the Willamette River (the French Prairie Bridge also is designed for emergency vehicles) and the other over I-5 — who believe officials should focus more on mitigating car traffic. Neither of these projects have garnered funding.
Other major things that happened in the 2010s:
Wilsonville was hit hard by the Great Recession. At one point after the 2007-08 economic collapse, the city had one of the highest industrial vacancy rates (48%) in the region.
However, the local economy recovered throughout the 2010s and now, according to Economic Development Manager Jordan Vance, the city's industrial vacancy rate is about 4%. In 2013, to incentivize industry to come to town following departures during the recession, the city asked voters whether to approve a tax incentive program for large-scale manufacturing businesses. Though voters approved the measure, the program was never used potentially due to its high standards.
Wilsonville's economy recovered anyway. The Nike distribution center was replaced with a Pacific Foods distribution center, the Xerox campus was replaced with Energy Storage Solutions, while Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits and Dealer Spike also were welcome additions, according to Vance.
However, Microsoft and Convergys left town during the decade and the buildings they used to occupy remain vacant. The city is considering whether to expand a tax increment financing program to all industrial land in town.
The city also brought aboard two areas that likely will bring ample new industrial businesses to town: the Coffee Creek Industrial Area and the Basalt Creek Industrial Area. Coffee Creek should begin buildout in the coming years while Basalt Creek likely is further out than that.
In March 2019, the Villebois community was hit hard by a fire at a condominium complex under construction that led to more than 20 homes being destroyed and about two dozen people displaced.
In June 2013, thousands of bees were found dead in a target parking lot in Wilsonville. It was the largest amount of native bee casualties from a single event ever recorded, according to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. The mass deaths were caused by the wrongly timed application of the neonicotinoid dinotefuran. The event led the city to start a bee stewards program, which included creating a plan to limit pesticide use and developing pollinator habitats.
In 2011, former residents of the Thunderbird Mobile Club received $750,000 in compensation from the city of Wilsonville related to the park's closure in 2007. Meanwhile the Creekside Woods subsidized housing facility opened in 2010 to make up for the affordable housing lost from the closure of the park.
The city spent years conducting public outreach and formulating its plans to reimagine Town Center commercial district. In 2019, the plan was finalized.
In 2016, a ballot measure to fund a new aquatic center failed by a resounding margin of 63% to 37%.
n Frog Pond West hosted Wilsonville's second Northwest Natural Street of Dreams in 2019.
Openings: Metro's Graham Oaks Nature Park (2010), Lowrie Primary School (2012), Oregon Institute of Technology (2012), the city's Wastewater Treatment Plant (2014), World of Speed (2015) and Meridian Creek Middle School (2018).
High school sports: The Wilsonville boys basketball team won three of four state championships from 2016-19 and reached the state title game five consecutive years from 2015 to 2019. The Wilsonville girls tennis team won back-to-back state titles in 2010-11. The Wilsonville girls golf state won the state title in 2017. | As the 2010s come to a close, biography-writing service StoryTerrace reviews the most important cultural tales of the last 10 years in America
This holiday period represents the final few days of 2019, and with it the close of a decade. The 2010s have seen incredible social transformations and several landmark events, but which of these phenomena had the most influence on our society as we know it today?
Rutger Bruining, CEO of StoryTerrace, has made a career out of documenting the life stories of everyday American citizens. Rutger and his team of professional writers have written the biographies and memoirs of some incredible individual stories across the US; now, Rutger shares the most important stories of the past decade which have influenced and impacted the lives of millions of Americans.
The Presidency – from Obama to Trump
2016 saw one of the biggest shifts in the political landscape and arguably one of the most defining stories of the decade worldwide, when former President Barack Obama handed over the keys of the White House to Donald Trump.
Trump, a businessman and TV personality with no prior experience in public service, won the election to become the 45th president of the United States, and immediately inspired the Women’s March which became one of the largest single-day demonstrations in the nation’s history. “Make America Great Again” has transformed into one of the most recognizable and culturally divisive phrases in our language today, and has garnered attention the world over.
#MeToo
“MeToo” was a phrase and movement initially coined in 2006 on MySpace by activist Tarana Burke. However, as the nation learned of the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations in 2017, the MeToo Movement transformed into a widespread cultural phenomenon. The hashtag #MeToo was born, and became an empowering movement for survivors of sexual abuse across America, and the world. The phrase has now become fully embedded in our modern vernacular and has grown to include both men and women of all colors and ages, as it continues to support marginalized people in marginalized communities.
The Instagram Economy
Instagram has morphed drastically since its launch in October 2010—from a quirky and personal photo sharing app for the eyes of friends and family, to an advertising and marketing behemoth that demands our constant attention. It has created an entirely new economy based on a variety of imbalanced factors of influence. Whether you view it as good or bad for our society, the app has had an immeasurable impact on our culture and how we present ourselves publicly, how we interpret others, and the products and services we surround ourselves with.
BlackLivesMatter
In 2013, #BlackLivesMatter was born following the acquittal of George Zimmerman, who shot and killed an unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin in 2012, and the movement exploded across 2014 and 2015 as a consequence of the deaths of several black men killed by police. The slogan has helped bring racial inequality and discrimination to the forefront throughout the decade and, much like #MeToo, has shown the power of social media in raising social issues. BlackLivesMatter has also sparked attention for many other movements highlighting racial injustice in the US, including Colin Kaepernick’s stand against the NFL, by taking a knee during the national anthem as a tribute to the lives of black Americans lost at the hands of police officers.
Same-sex Marriage legalized across all 50 states
In 2015, the US Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage across all fifty states, which represented a huge step forward for LGBTQ+ rights across the US. The decade also saw gay-marriage legalized in several countries around the world, including the UK, Australia, Germany, France, Brazil, Colombia and Argentina. The fight for true equality will continue well beyond the turn of the new decade, but this was a landmark moment for the LGBTQ+ community and for the human race altogether.
Rise of YouTube
In the 2000s, the idea of becoming a celebrity and achieving fame using YouTube was unfathomable to most. People watched YouTube from their desktops and the first YouTube account to reach one million subscribers only came right at the end of the decade. Fast forward to 2019, and YouTube has more than two billion monthly users, and the platform has provided the foundation from which a new generation of celebrities and stars has grown; this represents a socio-technological revolution of epic proportions and the platform now enables millions of unique stories to be told every day.
Simone Biles’ record-breaking Olympic triumph
The Rio Olympics in 2016 played host to many sporting achievements, as does every Olympic games. However, one American gymnast put on a performance of such greatness that she took the world by storm and inspired the nation. In 2016, at the young age of 19, she broke the American record for most gold medals in women’s gymnastics at a single Games, and equaled a number of other records, all while coining several signature moves which only she can perform due to their complexity. She has gone on to speak out against gender discrimination and sexual abuse, and this past year broke the world record for most World Championship titles held by any gymnast ever, man or woman.
Collapse of Blockbuster and rise of streaming services
In 2007, a little company called Netflix began streaming movies and television shows. At that time, Blockbuster Video was still a giant atop the video retail industry. By the end of 2010, Blockbuster Video had collapsed. In the space of a decade, Netflix has grown into a giant, spending $12 billion on programming this year alone to entertain more than 158 million subscribers worldwide, and has inspired a slew of other streaming services such as Amazon Prime, Hulu and Apple TV. Even the old guard are getting in on the action – Disney+ was made available to consumers in November of this year.
A recent study by Leichtman Research Group discovered that 74% of U.S. Households now pay for one of the US’ three largest streaming services; Either Netflix, Amazon or Hulu. A new era of entertainment and media is here.
Meme Culture
The 2010s have truly become the “Decade of the Meme”. Internet memes began in their earliest form in the 90s, and video memes began to spread in the late 2000s due to YouTube. But in the past decade, these videos and images have exploded into popular culture, spreading like wildfire across the Internet. They are no longer just a way to react to a post on Facebook or a way to pass the time in the toilet – memes have become a cornerstone of our communication online and a representation of popular culture.
The End to Cannabis Prohibition?
Since 2012, 11 states and Washington D.C. have made recreational cannabis use legal, with medical use legal in 33 other states. Many other states including New Jersey, New York and Arizona could potentially be the next states to make recreational use legal either through ballot initiatives or state legislatures. Despite the widespread pro-cannabis mentality that many states seem to harbor, cannabis use is still illegal at the federal level. Though many politicians aim to change this in the coming years due to how the war on drugs has contributed to mass incarceration and overflowing prisons in the US. The Marijuana Justice Act, introduced by Senator Cory Booker in the Senate intends to decriminalize cannabis nationwide and expunge the records of millions of people incarcerated for cannabis use or possession.
CEO of StoryTerrace, Rutger Bruining, comments on his picks and discusses why these events are so important above others:
“This list represents some of the most impactful social phenomena of the last decade. Despite there being such a wide variety of landmark events and social transformations that took place in the past 10 years, I believe that these are the stories which had the most impact on millions of American lives, and in many cases, billions more worldwide.
In years to come, people will look back on this decade to remember these incredible events, tell tales of how they were involved, and how their lives were affected as a result. Each individual who lived through these times and who has experienced the effects of such staggering social phenomena will be able to speak of their importance, and I am excited to see how these times are documented when people of our generation and younger come to tell their life stories.” | 2 |
The word mindfulness is everywhere lately — people are being urged to become more mindful as a way to calm themselves and find insight in this busy, tech-driven world.
CBC News asked registered professional counsellor Mary Clements of Heartwork Wellness, and Jessica Strong, a UPEI psychology professor, to explain mindfulness and how people can try it for themselves.
Strong said the two key parts of mindfulness are being non-judgmental and being in the present moment.
"The best way it's been put to me is paying attention on purpose," said Clements, who has been a counsellor for 10 years specializing in personal development and growth, and emotional health and wellness.
"So, the more we learn about ourselves and pay attention to our emotions, our thoughts, our behaviours, then the more opportunity we have to respond to a place from our choosing, a place that is more aligned with our values and who we wish to be, versus our conditioning."
Although new businesses and apps are springing up around mindfulness, it is a concept that has been around for thousands of years, with roots in Buddhism.
Use the time you have
Clements said there are some misconceptions about what mindfulness is and how to achieve it — people don't need to spend an hour a day cross-legged sitting in a quiet place.
'It's actually really difficult to be mindful, because we live in this world where everything is just so busy all of the time,' says Prof. Jessica Strong. (Submitted by Jessica Strong)
"What research has shown and continues to show is that what really matters is consistent and regular practise, and even short bits of practise," she said.
Clements uses times in her day where she is stuck waiting — in the grocery line or at a traffic light. Other good times are when she is in the shower, falling asleep, waking up or transitioning between parts of her day — for instance, the end of the work day on the way home.
"Taking those opportunities to take a breath and cross the transition with a little more awareness."
Strong agrees formal meditation can be "a huge time-suck." She said right now, she has been trying to incorporate mindfulness into everyday tasks like washing dishes.
"Paying attention to how nice the warm water feels on my hands," or while applying hand lotion — "actually stopping to notice, and maybe slow down for a minute, and really experience that sensation."
Just breathe
Clements starts with simple breath work.
"Luckily we all know how to breathe! There's no special or right or wrong way," she said. Use breathing to "anchor," or ground, your awareness, paying attention to your inhale and exhale. The goal is to slow yourself down and be present.
Notice your thoughts and emotions, and be aware of body sensations.
Compassion and non-judgment
"It's actually really difficult to be mindful, because we live in this world where everything is just so busy all of the time," Strong said. "We might try to be in the moment, and then we're distracted."
If that happens, just note that you are having difficulty and remind yourself to refocus.
Compassion and non-judgment are key to mindfulness, the women say.
Set reminders
Both Clements and Strong remind themselves to be mindful!
'The more we learn about ourselves and pay attention to our emotions, our thoughts, our behaviours, then the more opportunity we have to respond to a place from our choosing,' says Mary Clements of Heartwork Wellness. (Submitted by Mary Clements)
Clements advises setting an alarm on your phone that will remind you a few times daily to take a couple of breaths, or that links to a short guided talk on mindfulness.
Strong leads a mindfulness meditation group with grad students at UPEI each morning, in which she plays a 10-15 minute guided audio meditation.
This is only one of many ways to practise mindfulness, she said. She also employs a simple blank sticky note at her desk to remind her to stop and take a deep breath.
'Learn how to do better'
Once you are able to slow down, ground yourself and pay attention, you can practise self-awareness and self-management, Clements said.
"You learn how to do better in terms of managing your thoughts, feelings, behaviours," she said.
Ultimately I think it's about connection to ourselves and to those around us. — Mary Clement, Heartwork Wellness
"Then, you can grow that awareness to how you might have impact on others around you."
She sees clients seeking control and freedom around relationships, and said mindfulness can help cultivate more compassion and empathy for themselves and others.
Apps and more
There are lots of resources available on mindfulness.
Apps like Headspace, Breethe and Chill can all introduce you to mindfulness and guide users through short meditations. (Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images)
Strong is currently using an app called Headspace, which has many exercises in various lengths. She also recommends the apps Breethe or Chill, which can introduce you to mindfulness and even send reminders, as well as the website mindful.org.
Clements has taken courses online from Mindfulness Without Borders, an organization that does international work around mindfulness. It has short audio recordings available online.
She recommends mindfulness pioneer Jon Kabat-Zinn's books and audiobooks, which include Mindfulness for Beginners and Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life.
She also listens daily to Louise Hay, a well-known positive psychologist.
The result
A book or an app can't do the work for you though, Clements reminds — you have to practise regularly, even in small bits. Then you will notice the payoff, she said.
Taking a moment to appreciate a beautiful sunrise can improve one's mood, says Strong. (Submitted by Sharon Neill)
"Certain situations where you might have gotten irritable or impatient — you start to notice these times where you had a little bit more empathy or patience or compassion for yourself or for the other person, so that's a pretty cool thing," she said.
"It's wonderful when you can feel and see those effects."
'No perfect way'
"There's no perfect way to be mindful," Clements said. "That's up to every individual to figure out what works for them. And I don't think it's about changing who you are.
"Ultimately I think it's about connection to ourselves and to those around us."
Mindfulness takes time and commitment and is an ongoing process, Clements said.
Being more mindful can lead to a more positive outlook and a happier life, said Strong.
"Noticing the sunrise, as the sun's coming up — these little moments that just pause the craziness ... can really improve quality of life and mood and stress management," she said.
More P.E.I. news | The men were travelling along Ferry Road, Haxey, in a blue Ford Fiesta when the car left the road and came to rest in a ditch.
Emergency services were alerted to the incident at around 10.45pm.
The passenger suffered potentially life threatening injuries and the driver was also seriously injured.
Ferry Road, Haxey
Sign up to our daily newsletter The i newsletter cut through the noise Thanks for signing up! Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... | 1 |
Starting New Year’s Day, Californians creeped out by the trove of personal data companies collect on their online shopping, searching and social media habits will get sweeping new privacy rights that will let them opt out of having their information sold or shared and let them demand that it be deleted.
“This is really a watershed moment for consumers,” said Scott W. Pink, a Menlo Park lawyer who advises companies on cybersecurity and privacy. “It’s the first law in the United States outside specialized industries like health care that provides consumers some degree of control and access over data collected on them.”
The California Consumer Privacy Act approved in June 2018 was inspired by public outrage over data breaches at major companies such as Facebook, Yahoo and Equifax that exposed consumers to potential fraud and misuse of their personal information, and by the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation.
The new law requires that businesses disclose their data gathering and sharing practices and allows consumers to opt out of it and to demand that businesses delete collected information on them. It prohibits companies from penalizing consumers with higher rates or fewer services for exercising their privacy rights and from selling information about children under age 16 without their explicit consent.
But questions continue to swirl as companies scramble to comply. The state attorney general is still finalizing proposed regulations intended to guide consumers and businesses in order to meet a July deadline when enforcement is expected to begin.
And both consumer and business advocates continue to spar over whether the new privacy provisions go too far or not far enough, with proposed state and federal substitutes in the works.
Jessica Melugin, a policy analyst at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a free market think tank in Washington, D.C., said Europe’s privacy regulations, which took effect a month before the Legislature approved California’s law, already are revealing unintended consequences.
“We have Europe to look to to see how this has gone, and it’s not particularly encouraging,” said Melugin, citing reports that large companies that collect data have increased market share. “The big players have gotten bigger since that regulation went into effect, simply because the bigger firms can better afford to comply with these regulations. It’s going to do more to solidify the bigger players. You can already see it — every privacy lawyer and compliance specialist is being gainfully employed.”
Alastair Mactaggart, the San Francisco real estate developer and privacy advocate whose proposed ballot measure spurred the California Legislature to pass the law, is so frustrated over industry lobbying efforts to weaken it that he’s seeking a new measure for the November 2020 ballot.
“Some of the world’s largest companies have actively and explicitly prioritized weakening the CCPA,” Mactaggart said in announcing his new proposed initiative in September.
Others are urging federal legislation to avoid a patchwork of state data privacy laws. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Fremont, introduced an Internet Bill of Rights in 2018 that has drawn bipartisan interest.
Consumers already had some privacy rights under federal and state law before the California Consumer Privacy Act.
The federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 requires parental consent before collecting personal information online from children age 12 and younger and allows them the right to see it and ask that it be deleted. The new California law adds that kids up to age 16 must consent to the sale of their online data.
A state law, the California Online Privacy Protection Act, already required companies to post a privacy policy online explaining what information they gather on consumers, how it might be shared and any process for reviewing it or making changes. The new law requires companies to disclose information collected upon request, free of charge, up to twice in a 12-month period. Companies also must disclose the types of information, what kind of recipients it is shared with, and the business reason for collecting it.
In preparation for the new law, Facebook, for example, now tells California customers that information it collects may include “internet or other electronic network activity information, including content you view or engage with,” and “photos and face imagery that can be used to create face-recognition templates if you or others choose to provide it and you have the setting turned on.”
Facebook, stung by 2018 revelations that millions of its customers had their personal data harvested from their profiles by a British political consulting firm without their consent, now offers Californians a “click here” link “to exercise your ‘right to know’ or your ‘right to request deletion.’ ”
The new law applies to companies operating in California with gross revenues over $25 million that collect personal information from 50,000 or more consumers a year or generate at least half their revenue from selling such information. Critics argue that may include a lot of companies that might not seem like the law’s prime targets, such as a pizzeria or grocery.
The law leaves it to the attorney general to enforce most provisions, though individual consumers could sue companies for data breaches. Companies could be fined up to $7,500 for each violation.
Following the act’s approval in 2018, industry advocates succeeded in defeating bills that would have required consumers to “opt in” before companies could use their personal data and would have allowed consumers to sue companies over a broader range of violations.
Related Articles Q&A: Cindy Cohn, protecting internet freedoms
Ring, Amazon sued by man who says hacker bothered his kids
Visa warns credit cards at risk of gas-pump hacks
Homeland Security wants to scan US citizens’ faces, too Mactaggart had said he was inspired to propose the privacy law after a friend who worked at a technology company told him he’d be terrified if he knew how much information was gathered on him. His proposed 2020 initiative would increase penalties for violating children’s privacy. It also would create a new privacy enforcement agency and bolster protections for sensitive financial, health, location and race data.
But Pink said that while the Legislature made a number of changes to help companies comply with the new law, “it is clear that it intends to keep the main protections in effect” and that the new law “will impose significant new obligations on companies doing business in California.” | The last five years have been monumental for cybersecurity. Between data breaches that have affected the world’s biggest corporations and new laws passed worldwide to ensure better data security, the increased focus on securing data is a welcome one.
However, the number of cybersecurity threats is going. According to a UK-based firm, Hiscox, 50% of surveyed firms experiences an attack, up from 40% over the same period during the past year.
Larger businesses are more likely to experience attacks, but they are also more likely to have the expertise to avoid common cloud security mistakes and the manpower to avert attacks.
In the eyes of the consumer and the law, there are no criteria to set SMEs and corporations apart. They are supposed to protect user data in any way they can. Failure to do so may get businesses on the wrong side of both local and international regulations.
Common threats
Attackers are constantly developing new vectors of initiating cybersecurity attacks, but most methods are common enough that they can be detected before they happen. Business owners should at least be aware of what the most common types of attacks are and how they happen.
Malware: This is a general term used to describe any software that has been designed to cause damage to computers, servers, or any device connected to the network. Malware may come in the form of viruses, trojans, or ransomware.
Ransomware: This is a kind of malware that restricts access to your files until a ransom is paid. These normally encrypt all the information on a hard drive or server to make sure everything is inaccessible.
Viruses: Viruses are a special kind of malware that is designed to spread from one computer to any connected device. These are intended to give hackers remote control over your system.
What are regulations meant for?
Certain kinds of user data are protected by laws to make sure they do not fall into the wrong hands. These laws are enacted and enforced differently depending on where they were written and passed and what jurisdiction they apply to.
Unlike the EU, the United States does not have a single all-encompassing data protection law. Rather, it’s composed of a mixture of state laws that impose restrictions and obligations on businesses. These restrictions relate to the collection, use, retention and disclosure of different kinds of user information. Data that is commonly protected includes social security numbers, driver IDs, zip codes and email addresses.
Each state also has unique data breach notification legislation. Businesses are expected to publicize the existence of data breaches. Even if a business does not physically operate within a state, it must typically comply with that state’s law as long as it conducts business with that state’s residents.
Besides, some states are a lot more active than others when it comes to passing data protection laws. New York and Massachusetts are known to have the most stringent data protection regulations in the US. Companies that do not have an internal legal team might benefit from reading an essaypro.com review or outsourcing to legal firms.
7 cyber regulations your business isn’t prepared for
One of the most monumental cybersecurity laws passed in recent times has been Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation. The law was enacted in 2018 with the purpose of holding companies accountable for data breaches and the lack of effective measures in place for protecting user data.
The presence of these laws highlights the importance of modern cybersecurity regulations and why businesses that handle consumer data – large and small – should be informed about them.
GDPR
The GDPR was passed in mid-2018 and fundamentally morphed how businesses that serve data to customers from the EU are expected to handle data. The most important parts to remember about this law are:
Every public company is expected to hire a data protection officer (DPO). DPOs help your firm to monitor internal compliance, advise you on your obligations towards data protection and provides information about Data Protection Impact Assessments. They can be an existing employee or externally hired, but must also be independent and an expert in data protection.
Each company should have in place reasonable technical and administrative measures to protect user data. They should also expect to be held accountable in the event of a data preach.
Any security breach is to be reported to authorities within 72 hours. Individuals whose data has been affected should also be contacted and made aware of the risks that they now face.
The penalties for failing to comply with the GDPR can be quite damaging to a business. In the worst-case scenario, you’ll be expected to pay a fine that amounts to up to 4% of annual global sales.
Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a law that was created to safeguard the privacy of children under 13. It was originally designed to address growing concerns of websites collecting children’s personal information without their parents’ consent during the late 90s.
The act stipulates that:
Sites collecting information on users under 13 must require parental consent
Sites must state the kind of data collected in their privacy policy, how the data is collected, what it’s used for and be posted anywhere data is collected.
It also outlines the legal responsibilities of website owners and operators concerning children’s privacy online. This includes a limit on the kinds of advertisements that are allowed for targeting young children.
Lastly, site owners are expected to give parents access to any information collected from their children. In accessing it, parents should also be allowed the data if they see it fit, but they are not allowed to alter it.
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
This is the first U.S. law that comes closest to mimicking what the GDPR has been able to achieve. The act was passed to provide California residents with the right to access their personal data, say no to the sale of their data and know what personal data is being collected about them.
It applies to any business that collects personal data from consumers and satisfies at least one of the following requirements:
The company earns more than half of its revenue from selling personal data.
The company’s gross annual revenues exceed $25 million.
The company stores the personal information of more than 50,000 consumers, households, or devices.
Companies will be expected to implement reasonable security measures to prevent the leakage of consumer data. The failure to do so means the company can be ordered to pay between $100 and $750 per resident affected by the incident or any other relief that is deemed proper by a court. A maximum fine of $7,500 for each intentional violation may also be ordered.
The New York State Department of Financial Services Cybersecurity Regulations (23 NYCRR 500)
The NYCRR 500 is a set of guides that requires financial institutions to implement effective measures to safeguard consumer data.
Types of companies required to comply with the law include:
Trust companies
Insurance companies operating in NY
Non-U.S. banks operating in NY
Private bankers
Mortgage companies… etc.
It requires companies to:
Conduct regular risk assessment exercises.
Have an incident response plan
Develop detailed cybersecurity policies and procedures
Have responsible measures preventing unauthorized access
Maintain an audit of asset use.
Companies exempt from complying from this law should meet the following requirements:
Has 10 or fewer employees.
Makes less than $5 million in gross annual revenue, or
Has less than $10 million in assets
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
The FCRA restricts the use of information on various aspects of an individual’s personal information, including their credit standing, creditworthiness, mode of living and general reputation as qualifications for employment or insurance. In addition, companies are expected to:
Truncate credit card numbers on any printed receipts
Securely destroy certain kinds of personal information
Stray away from using certain kinds of information for marketing purposes.
Enact programs that detect and respond to instances of identity theft.
Michael Clinton, a legal adviser at Rushessay.com, calls it ‘one of the most important consumer protection laws we have to date.’ This is in addition to the fact that credit card companies are expected to comply with the PCI-DSS.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Under this act, students are granted the right to access and adjust any aspects of their student data for accuracy. It also prohibits disclosing such information to other parties without the student’s consent.
Health Information Portability and Accountability Act
Under HIPAA, entities that hold information on the health status or details on the payment for healthcare services of an individual are expected to implement measures to protect that information. Such information cannot be transmitted or disclosed to third parties.
Conclusion
Small businesses are the most likely to be affected by data breaches and other cybersecurity threats. Unlike large companies, they are less likely to have enough manpower to mitigate and prevent future threats.
Lastly, if affected, small companies will have a harder time recovering from the potential financial and legal implications of a data breach. SMEs should be at the forefront of privacy advocation and data protection to build trust in the customer and avoid getting into legal and financial trouble. | 3 |
Kolkata Police conducted block raids on New Year’s night across the city arresting more than 800 people for disorderly conduct.
Raids were conducted in the vicinities of clubs, pubs and hotels besides other parts of the city and as many as 148 non-bailable warrants were issued against people. The raid also led to the recovery of one single shot firearm and one live cartridge.
“Several searches led to the recovery of 234.68 liters of liquor. We registered as many as 531 cases for rash and drunken driving and seized 18 vehicles. We prosecuted 1289 bikers riding motorbikes without a helmet. For triple carry on motorbikes, we prosecuted 654 persons,” said a senior official of Kolkata Police.
Kolkata Police had made massive arrangements for New Years to prevent any untoward incident. This time, the special focus was on women’s safety and Kolkata Police had deployed all women’s team of Winners who went around the city to nab those who engage in eve-teasing.
This apart, all women elite armed police team – Warriors on QRT vehicles were stationed at strategic locations to ensure women’s safety and security.
Kolkata Police’s Anti Rowdy Squad and Anti Narcotics team were also deployed in the city in view of the celebrations in the city. | Houston, MS (38851)
Today
A steady rain this morning. Showers continuing this afternoon. High 61F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..
Tonight
Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low near 40F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. | 1.333333 |
Your browser does not support the audio element. Your browser does not support the audio element.
Cyberpunk 2077
Release date: April 16
Developers of the Witcher series, CD Projekt, is launching a futuristic game with a Blade Runner feel to it. Initial demos and trailers shared by the company seem promising. The game is essentially a story-driven open-world RPG. While April 16 is far away, you can be first in line to play this game as pre-orders are already open.
PlayStation 5
Release: Q4 2020
The cycle of PS4 is coming to an end, and with that, Sony has announced the release of a new console that will be available by the end of 2020. Featuring custom 8-core AMD 3rd gen Ryzen CPU with a Navi GPU, SSD storage and 3D audio, the new console will be more than capable of handling 4K gaming, possibly extending to 8K gaming. There is no indication as to how the consoles will look, though rumours suggest a V shape design, at least for the developer consoles.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Release: 2020
After a long gap, Microsoft Flight Simulator will make a comeback, bringing with it, its painstakingly accurate and wide variety of aircrafts, all loaded with accurately simulated controls. The game will also let you fly from anywhere in the world to anywhere else and will feature real-time weather. MFS will also be 4K HDR-capable, offering some stunningly beautiful real-world simulation.
Watch Dogs: Legion
Release date: The second half of 2020
Watch Dogs: Legion is like a heist movie where you have several agents, except instead of stealing something valuable, you are rebelling against the authorities. There are several things that make this game interesting — you can recruit anyone you see around, rebels who die are gone forever, and you can team up with friends. The game is certainly ambitious, which is probably why we don't have a definite release date yet.
Ghost of Tsushima
Release: 2020
In Ghost of Tsushima, you play the last surviving samurai on the island of Tsushima right after the Mongols invaded in 1274. However, as the last samurai, you cannot be honourable anymore. Instead, you adopt the way of the ghost to defeat your enemies and lead to the freedom of your island. The developers behind this Sucker Punch are the minds behind Infamous First Light.
Marvel's Avengers
Release date: May 15
Phase I of the MCU may be over, but you don't have to hang up your hero disguise just yet. From the developers that brought you the rebooted Tomb Raider game, comes a way to play your favourite Avenger. The graphics and the few bits of gameplay shown are tantalising enough to make it to this list.
The Last Of Us Part 2
Release date: May 29
The Last of Us was one of those games that pushed the limit of what we thought was possible. The Last of Us Part 2 is a continuation and possibly, a conclusion to the genre-defining game from Naughty Dog Studio. You play a much older Ellie, and the game offers elements of stealth, along with the curved ball of dealing with guard dogs.
Xbox Series X
Release: Q4 2020
Not to be left behind, Microsoft has also announced its new console will be available by the end of the year. Featuring a CPU based on AMD's Zen 2 and Radeon RDNA architecture and NVMe SSD for faster load times, the console specs seem similar to the PS5. However, we believe the real fight will be the number of exclusive gaming titles each console can swing their way. Microsoft has also graciously given us a peek into what the new Xbox will look like.
Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates | The technical arm of Eurogamer, known as Digital Foundry, says it has "independently verified the source" of some detailed next gen console AMD processor information uncovered earlier this year. It reckons that an operative working at AMD's ASIC validation department "used GitHub to store fragments of internal testing data from a range of work-in-progress Team Red projects". The data stored includes tests of next-gen desktop and mobile Ryzen APUs as well as some deep-dive testing of the PS5 chip, codenamed 'Oberon'. The Xbox Series X processor is less thoroughly leaked but Digital Foundry believes it has the key specs of the 'Arden' chip likely to be used in Microsoft's next console.
Below you can find summary tables and comparisons of the upcoming PS5 and Xbox Series X destined AMD SoCs. I think it is especially useful to remember the specs of the Radeon RX 5700 XT GPU as you pick through the tables. AMD's current top discrete Navi GPU boasts the following key specs: 40CUs, 2,560SPs, base/boost of 1,605/1,905MHz, 9.75TFLOPs compute, and 8GB of GDDR6 providing 448GBps bandwidth.
Both the systems use a processor based upon an octa-core Zen2 based architecture with SMT but you can see they diverge quite sharply in the GPU department. The Microsoft console has about a third more CUs than the Sony machine if these leaks prove to be correct. If this is the case Microsoft's strategists must have gone all-out for premium performance with the costs that involves. Perhaps it is gambling that gamers will gravitate to the more expensive platform and won't be too price sensitive. One must also remember that there are indications that Microsoft is producing a series of next gen Xbox consoles, at least two we think, the top-end Anaconda, and cheaper Lockhart.
The significantly more powerful AMD SoCs glimpsed in these leaks are expected to have even more attractions up their sleeves. There are multiple indications that they will also include support for raytracing acceleration in hardware. Other goodies within these custom gaming SoCs could be waiting to be uncovered too. Lastly, consoles also have an advantage over PCs in squeezing more performance out of what they have under the bonnet. It is going to be interesting to see what Microsoft, Sony and their developers can pull out of their hats to proclaim 'behold next gen gaming' in 2020. | 1.666667 |
Lately, Sara Ali Khan and Ibrahim Khan have become one of the most loved siblings of Bollywood. From being on magazine covers to posing together on festive eves, the brother-sister duo has taken over the internet in an adorable way. Now treating her fans, Sara has shared some new pics from their recent vacation.
In the pictures, the two can be seen having a fun time as they enjoy the 'blues' in the middle of a pool. "When feeling blue isn’t a bad thing," Sara captioned the pictures.
Although it seems to be a while before we get to see her next on the silver screen, Sara’s fans are super happy to get updates of their favorite star. Sara has been quite active on social media and has been sharing a number of pics from her vacation.
Earlier, the actress shared some photos, where she can be seen donning a pastel pink bikini and basking in the pool. Her pictures have created quite a storm on social media.
On the films front, Sara will have a busy 2020. She is awaiting the release of Imtiaz Ali's untitled film with Kartik Aaryan, which is slated for Valentine’s Day release. Sara will also be seen in the remake of 1995 comedy blockbuster hit starring Govinda and Karisma Kapoor, Coolie no.1. The movie is produced and directed by David Dhawan and has Varun Dhawan playing the male lead.
Follow @News18Movies for more
Get the best of News18 delivered to your inbox - subscribe to News18 Daybreak. Follow News18.com on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and on YouTube, and stay in the know with what's happening in the world around you – in real time. | Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, on Wednesday, tweeted a video clip of a differently-abled boy playing cricket with children his age, making his fans praising the youngster's passion for the sport.
Tendulkar tweeted the clip and wrote on @sachin_rt: "Start your 2020 with the inspirational video of this kid Madda Ram playing cricket with his friends. It warmed my heart and I am sure it will warm yours too."
The clip got over 400K views at the last count.
Start your 2020 with the inspirational video of this kid Madda Ram playing cricket 🏏 with his friends.It warmed my heart and I am sure it will warm yours too. pic.twitter.com/Wgwh1kLegS — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 1, 2020
Tendulkar's post warmed the hearts on Twitter and garnered positive responses far and wide.
Ace photographer Atul Kasbekar tweeted: "Let's go meet with him master, I'll take the picture."
Let’s go meet with him masterI’ll take the picture — atul kasbekar (@atulkasbekar) January 1, 2020
Gift the kids a cricket set for the new year. — Mohan Sinha🇮🇳 (@Mohansinha) January 1, 2020
#HappyNewYear my fav cricketer @sachin_rtYes its really a inspirational tweetReally overwhelmed 😊😊 — ̷ͲȺའȺ. 🌟⭐🌠 (@methaara) January 1, 2020
I am overwhelmed by the spirit of the boy and his teammates I wish people in position like you the Hero could help him get a wheelchair. Happy new year to all. — Atanazio Bwongyererwa (@AtanazioBwongy1) January 1, 2020
I seen him as a soldier, how loves and passionate on this game..Also should appreciate other kids, they accept him as ordinary player..Spirit of game called cricket.. — J G Pandian (@JGP_OSSI) January 1, 2020
Truly inspiration 🙏🙏 We must learn a lot things from this kid hats off 🙏🙏 — CrickeTendulkar 🇮🇳 FC (@CrickeTendulkar) January 1, 2020
(With IANS inputs)
Get the best of News18 delivered to your inbox - subscribe to News18 Daybreak. Follow News18.com on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and on YouTube, and stay in the know with what's happening in the world around you – in real time. | 1.6 |
We are committed to protecting your personal information and we have updated our Privacy Policy to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a new EU regulation that went into effect on May 25, 2018.
Please review our Privacy Policy. It contains details about the types of data we collect, how we use it, and your data protection rights.
Since you already shared your personal data with us when you created your personal account, to continue using it, please check the box below: | A+ A-
Jakarta: At least nine people were killed on Wednesday after heavy monsoon rains struck the Indonesian capital and nearby cities since New Year’s Eve, triggering the worst flooding in almost seven years, submerging homes and cars, according to state media citing local authorities.
The Jakarta disaster management agency said that a 16-year-old was electrocuted by a power line, while three more people died of hypothermia, according to Bangkok Post.
“We are hoping that the floodwaters will recede, but if the rain keeps up it will continue,” an official said.
State-owned electricity firm PLN has temporarily shut down electricity in 724 flood-hit areas in the city to prevent any electricity-related accidents.
Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency Doni Monardo has urged the affected residents to evacuate to safer places, Xinhua news agency reported.
Separately, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has instructed officials of his administration to get directly involved and help evacuate people.
“I want all the officials in the Jakarta administration to make sure that all government buildings and schools are ready to be used as evacuation shelters. Prepare public kitchens, healthcare posts, medicines, sleeping mats, public toilets and other basic needs for evacuees,” he was quoted as saying.
The flash floods have disrupted public transportation systems in the city. At least 10 flights at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in East Jakarta were reportedly canceled. | 2.333333 |
Taiwan’s Air Force General Shen Yi-ming (AP Photo)
Taiwan’s top military official was among three people missing on Thursday after a helicopter made an emergency landing in a mountainous northern area near the capital Taipei, the defence ministry said. In a statement, the ministry said it had sent a team to rescue the 13 people aboard the Black Hawk helicopter, who included Taiwan’s chief of general staff, Air Force General Shen Yi-ming, and several survivors had been found.
“Some crew are still trapped inside, while some have come out,” a military spokesman told a news conference broadcast live on television, although further details would not be available until troops reached the area of the crash.
The helicopter made the emergency landing in New Taipei City after aviation authorities lost contact with it at 8:22 a.m., the ministry said.
The incident comes a week before democratic Taiwan holds presidential and parliamentary elections on Jan. 11.
President Tsai Ing-wen, who is seeking re-election, cancelled election campaign activities scheduled for Thursday, and urged authorities to make every effort for the rescue.
The United States, which has no diplomatic ties with Taiwan but is its strongest international backer and main arms supplier, sold it 60 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters in 2010.
It was not immediately clear whether the helicopter involved in Thursday’s incident was one of these.
China, which claims Taiwan as its territory to be brought under Beijing’s control by force if necessary, regularly calls the island the most sensitive issue in its ties with the United States.
Taiwan says it is an independent country called the Republic of China, its official name. | Air Force General Shen Yi-ming. (Source: Wikiepedia) Air Force General Shen Yi-ming. (Source: Wikiepedia)
Taiwan’s top military official is missing after a helicopter made an emergency landing in northern Taiwan, the island’s defence ministry said on Thursday.
The defence ministry said a rescue mission was underway for the 13 people on board the black hawk helicopter, which includes the Air Force General Shen Yi-ming, the island’s chief of the general staff.
There people were still missing, including Shen, while several people were found alive, the ministry said, adding that a team has been dispatched for the rescue mission.
The crash came a week before a key election on Jan. 11, when the democratic island is set to hold presidential and parliamentary elections.
For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App | 4 |
This story is from January 2, 2020
A brief spell of rain flooded the Nungambakkam vehicular subway on Wednesday.
Download The Times of India News App for Latest City News
Subscribe Start Your Daily Mornings with Times of India Newspaper! Order Now
CHENNAI: In one of the more intense spells of rain in the past few weeks, the city received 1.78cm and the suburbs got 2.83cm of rain on Wednesday. Weathermen have forecast similar spells in the coming days.The Met department said the sky is likely to be generally cloudy. ‘Light to moderate rain is likely to occur in some areas,” it said. Most parts of the city and its suburbs got a quick and heavy spell of rain early on Wednesday morning. A Met department official said the monsoon has extended and weather conditions continue to be conducive for rain.Private weather blogger Pradeep John, in a social media post, said: “Chennai January normal rains is 26mm and we have got that rain on the first day itself. The last time Chennai got new year rain is on 2012, but the quantum was not so high.” He added: “On and off rains (and) small spells will be there till January 9 after which rains will reduce.”The rain and cloudy sky brought down the maximum temperature to 28.3 degrees Celsius in Nungambakkam and 27.6 degrees Celsius in Meenambakkam. Usually the city experiences around 30 degrees Celsius during the day this time of the year. Met department has forecast that the day temperature will remain around 29 degrees Celcius on Thursday.On Wednesday, OMR received 4cm, Kolapakkam and Chennai airport got 3cm, and Tambaram, Chengalpet and Sriperumbudur got 1cm rain. | Brisbane - Venus Williams pulled out of the season-opening Brisbane International on Wednesday after a "setback" during practice.
The American veteran said she still hoped to play at the Adelaide International later this month ahead of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year.
"Unfortunately I will not be starting my season in Brisbane due to an unexpected setback during my training," the 39-year-old seven-time major winner said in a statement.
"I look forward to being in Australia in the new year and will see everyone in Adelaide."
The tournament, featuring a strong field including world number one Ashleigh Barty and Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka, gets underway on January 6.
Organisers will announce a replacement for Williams on Thursday. | 1 |
A MAN caught with class A drugs in his possession has walked free from court.
Terrance Headley appeared at Oxford Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
The 46-year-old of Kempson Crescent, Oxford, pleaded guilty to one count of having in his possession a quantity of crack cocaine and another count of having a quantity of cannabis.
Prosecutors said that Headley was found with the class A drugs on May 13 last year.
Officers were called to the address of a vulnerable person in Oxford and found Headley inside.
He was found to have a clear tube on his person which later tested positive for cocaine.
At interview he admitted possessing the drugs for his own personal use.
READ ALSO: Man caught drunk in Banbury road.
Afterwards he failed to attend his court hearing and was arrested after a warrant was issued.
When he was arrested by police on December 31 he was found to have in his possession a single cannabis 'spliff.'
In mitigation his defence team said that Headley had pleaded guilty to the offences at the first opportunity.
The court heard that he didn't attend his initial court hearing because at the time he did not have an address and so he did not receive his court summons which was sent by post.
Sentencing, magistrates ordered a fine of £16 for each offence, totalling £32, as well as a £32 victim surcharge.
Those financial penalties were 'written off,' however, in lieu of his time already served in custody.
That means that he was not ordered to pay any penalty or made subject to any conditions for the two offences. | Photograph Lyrics
Look at this photograph
Every time I do, it makes me laugh
How did our eyes get so red?
And what the hell is on Joey's head?
And this is where I grew up
I think the present owner fixed it up
I never knew we ever went without
The second floor is hard for sneaking out
And this is where I went to school
Most of the time had better things to do
Criminal record says I broke in twice
I must've done it half a dozen times
I wonder if it's too late
Should I go back and try to graduate?
Life's better now than it was back then
If I was them, I wouldn't let me in
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, God, I, I
[Chorus]
Every memory of looking out the back door
I had the photo album spread out on my bedroom floor
It's hard to say it, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye
Every memory of walking out the front door
I found the photo of the friend that I was looking for
It's hard to say it, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye
(Goodbye)
[Verse 2]
Remember the old arcade?
Blew every dollar that we ever made
The cops hated us hangin' out
They say somebody went and burned it down
We used to listen to the radio
And sing along with every song we know
We said someday we'd find out how it feels
To sing to more than just the steering wheel
Kim's the first girl I kissed
I was so nervous that I nearly missed
She's had a couple of kids since then
I haven't seen her since God knows when
[Verse 1]Look at this photographEvery time I do, it makes me laughAnd what the hell is on Joey's head?And this is where I grew upI think the present owner fixed it upI never knew we ever went withoutThe second floor is hard for sneaking outAnd this is where I went to schoolMost of the time had better things to doCriminal record says I broke in twiceI must've done it half a dozen timesI wonder if it's too lateShould I go back and try to graduate?Life's better now than it was back thenIf I was them, I wouldn't let me in[Pre-Chorus]Oh, oh, ohOh, God, I, I[Chorus]Every memory of looking out the back doorI had the photo album spread out on my bedroom floorIt's hard to say it, time to say itGoodbye, goodbyeEvery memory of walking out the front doorI found the photo of the friend that I was looking forIt's hard to say it, time to say itGoodbye, goodbye(Goodbye)[Verse 2]Remember the old arcade?Blew every dollar that we ever madeThe cops hated us hangin' outThey say somebody went and burned it downWe used to listen to the radioAnd sing along with every song we knowWe said someday we'd find out how it feelsTo sing to more than just the steering wheelKim's the first girl I kissedI was so nervous that I nearly missedShe's had a couple of kids since thenI haven't seen her since God knows when
[Pre-Chorus]
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, God, I, I
[Chorus]
Every memory of looking out the back door
I had the photo album spread out on my bedroom floor
It's hard to say it, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye
Every memory of walking out the front door
I found the photo of the friend that I was looking for
It's hard to say it, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye
[Bridge]
I miss that town
I miss their faces
You can't erase
You can't replace it
I miss it now
I can't believe it
So hard to stay
Too hard to leave it
If I could relive those days
I know the one thing that would never change
[Chorus]
Every memory of looking out the back door
I had the photo album spread out on my bedroom floor
It's hard to say it, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye
Every memory of walking out the front door
I found the photo of the friend that I was looking for
It's hard to say it, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye
[Outro]
Look at this photograph
Every time I do, it makes me laugh
Every time I do, it makes me | 1 |
Remains of Michigan soldier who went missing during Korean War identified
A Michigan soldier has been accounted for 69 years after he was reported missing in action during the Korean War.
The remains of Army Pfc. John Albert Shelemba, 19, of Hamtramck were identified in September; he was reported missing in action on July 20, 1950, while defending Taejon, South Korea, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) said Monday.
Shelemba was a member of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Services worked to recover the remains of U.S. soldiers killed on South Korean battlefields. Shelemba's body was recovered but couldn't be identified, and he was subsequently buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.
More news on freep.com:
YouTube artist Jeffree Star donates $20,000 for Michigan man's funeral
Mount Clemens soldier killed in World War II returns to Michigan after more than 75 years
The DPAA disinterred his remains in October 2018. Scientists used dental, anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence, to identify Shelemba.
The DPAA said 7,602 Americans remain unaccounted for after the Korean War. Shelemba’s name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, where a rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate that he has been accounted for.
He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. The date has yet to be determined.
Angie Jackson covers the challenges of formerly incarcerated citizens as a corps member with Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. Click here to support her work. Contact Angie: ajackson@freepress.com; 313-222-1850. Follow her on Twitter: @AngieJackson23 | YouTube artist Jeffree Star donates $20,000 for Michigan man's funeral
YouTuber and makeup artist Jeffree Star donated $20,000 toward funeral services for Kevin Bacon, the 25-year-old Michigan man who was found dead Saturday in Shiawassee County.
A GoFundMe page was set up by Bacon's sister to help with his funeral expenses.
Star found out about Bacon after a woman known as Chels on Twitter tagged him in a post stating, "This man was found murdered after a Grindr meet up in Michigan on Christmas Eve. I saw it on Facebook and noticed he had several #jeffreestar tattoos. I wanted you to see this and all of us can keep his friends and family in our thoughts."
Star shared the GoFundMe page on his Twitter account saying he was "devastated to hear of the passing of someone from Michigan who lived their life fearlessly and was taken too soon."
RIP KEVIN 😥 I’m devastated to hear of the passing of someone from Michigan who lived their life fearlessly and was taken too soon 💔 Please help his family in this horrible time: https://t.co/4sRUjumxtl #StarFamily https://t.co/FjVAxaaJgj — Jeffree Star (@JeffreeStar) December 29, 2019
Fans pointed out that Star didn't just share the page, but donated $20,000 toward the funeral expenses with the comment, "I love you. Rest in peace angel."
Bacon went missing on Christmas Eve after he went to meet a man he met on Grindr, a dating app, according to MLive.
Bacon's body was found Saturday at a home in Bennington Township. The homeowner is a 50-year-old man in custody at Shiawassee County Jail suspected of open murder, said Lt. David Kaiser of Michigan State Police.
The case is still under investigation.
More news on freep.com:
Missing 25-year-old Michigan man found dead in Shiawassee County
Gold coins worth $1,500 each dropped into Salvation Army kettles
Contact Bisma Parvez: 313-222-6420 or bparvez@gannett.com Follow her on Twitter @bismapar | 1 |
(MENAFN - The Peninsula) QNA Geneva - A modern scientific study showed that humans consume abundant amount of plastic mainly in drinking water, through the respiratory system, or via sources like seafood, every week.
According to a study by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), researchers discovered the existence of microscopic pieces of plastic in the most remote locations, from the depths of the ocean to Arctic ice - and in our bodies as we breathe in and eat microplastic, and drink plastic-infused water every day.
People could be ingesting the equivalent of a credit card of plastic a week, mainly in drinking water, but also via food like shellfish, which tend to be eaten whole so the plastic in their digestive systems is also consumed.
Scientists showed what the amount of plastic actually looks like over various periods of time as well as its dangerous effect on us. Plastic production has surged in the last 50 years, leading to the widespread use of inexpensive disposable products that are having a devastating effect on the environment, cluttering beaches and choking marine wildlife.
Plastic also does not biodegrade. Instead, it breaks down into smaller pieces, and ultimately ends up everywhere, including in the food chain.
"We do not fully know what impact this ingestion of micro and nano-sized plastic particles has on our health", said Thava Palanisami of Australias University of Newcastle, who worked on the WWF study.
In a week, we ingest a plastic bottle caps worth, and in six months, we consume a cereal bowl full. At this rate of consumption, in a decade, we could be eating 2.5 kg in plastic, which might not seem like a huge amount, but it can add up. Over a lifetime, we consume about 20 kg (44 lb) of microplastic.
MENAFN0101202000630000ID1099494666 | (MENAFN- The Peninsula) Doha: There is chance for rain in some parts of the country on Sunday, Qatar Meteorology Department (QMD) said in its weather report. This could also bring down the temperature in the evening.
At the same time, temperature is expected to go up on Saturday with maximum temperature in Doha likely to reach 30 degree Celsius.
A shift in wind direction to southeasterly-southwesterly is likely on Saturday, January 4, 2020, causing moderate to fresh wind to become strong at times and could blow dust in some areas of the country, QMD added in its weather report.
Weather charts indicate a state of atmospheric instability on Sunday, January 5, 2020, due to extension of a low pressure system over the region as clouds are expected to increase gradually with a chance of scattered rain, may become thundery at times, until the beginning of Monday, January 6, 2020.
Northwesterly, moderate to fresh, wind is expected to affect the country again from Sunday evening becoming strong at times in some areas, causing a noticeable drop in temperature with minimum ranging between 10 to 17 degree Celsius and high waves exceeding 7 feet at times.
QMD urged public to avoid marine activities from Saturday evening until Tuesday as well as to follow latest updates through official social media accounts. | 1 |
A lot of the time New Year's resolutions are a bit too ambitious.
If you want to read 50 books or travel the world in the new year, go for it. But life is extremely chaotic, so this year I've decided to set far more realistic goals. Instead of setting out to do one huge thing in the new year, not getting around to it, and feeling like you've failed yourself, try making some extremely simple resolutions that'll still make you feel great.
If you're searching for the perfect resolution, here are 20 totally doable ones to consider. Most of our suggestions can even be completed in a single day, so you could probably go full-on overachiever and tackle all 20 with ease.
1. Watch a good movie
Little Women hits theaters Dec. 25, 2019. Credit: sony pictures
There are a whole lot of movies in the world, and they're definitely not all worth your time. Instead of blindly choosing at the box office or playing a game of streaming roulette, do some research to ensure you treat yourself to a movie that people actually like. Give an award-nominated film a try or check out Rotten Tomatoes' guide of the Top 100 Movies of All Time and our list of best 2019 movies for suggestions.
2. Drink more water
It is — and I can't stress this enough — super important to hydrate! Unfortunately, drinking enough water is easy to forget. Trust me. Occasionally I make it to 2:00 p.m. and realize I haven't had a single sip. But if you make an honest effort to drink more water, as I recently did, it becomes easier and easier. If you haven't already, try investing in a reusable water bottle. Filling those things up throughout the day is a blast. Feels great.
3. Use your phone less
Setting limits on how many hours you use your phone is tricky, because the need to text, tweet, or be plugged in varies each day. If you want to use your phone less, try cutting down on scrolling social media right before bed or checking it right when you wake up.
SEE ALSO: Everything coming to Hulu in January 2020
4. Read one book a month
Reading more is a common resolution, but you don't have to go HAM and set a 50-book minimum. Set out to read at least one non-online article every month. It can be a novel, a comic book, a full magazine, whatever! If you want to read more, that's great. Anything else will be a bonus.
5. Watch the pilot of a TV show or two that you've been meaning to see
Have you seen "The Morning Show" yet? Credit: apple tv+
There are an overwhelming amount of TV shows in the world today, so it's hard to keep up with the latest and greatest. If you have very little free time your television queue is likely dangerously large, so in the new year make some time to sit down, relax, and watch a pilot or two of shows you've been meaning to get around to. The pilot will give you a good feel for whether the show's for you, and if it's not you can cross it off your list and tackle another one.
6. Listen to songs and artists you've never heard before
At some point during the past few years I started listening to my favorite songs, albums, and artists on a loop, and just kind of tuning everything else out. It's good to listen to things you know you like, but there's a whole world of great music out there, so be sure to set aside some time to give artists and songs you've never heard a chance. Same goes for new podcasts.
7. Dance and/or sing
This resolution has no real stakes, I just think it's fun as hell to dance and sing as often as possible. Whether you go out to dance with friends and book a karaoke room, or prance around your living room to a record and belt a Lizzo song in the car, have some freaking fun.
8. Sit up straight
Ah, good posture, one of the things I forget about more than drinking water. It's so easy to slouch, but it's also easy to check in with yourself every day and re-adjust how you're sitting or standing. If you really want to commit to this one, you can even set an alarm on your phone to remind yourself to straighten up.
9. Stretch more
While we're here talking about taking better care of our bodies, consider stretching more frequently in the new year. Take a break at work and do some nice neck rolls every once in a while. When watching TV at night sit on the floor and reach for those toes. You can do it!
10. Try to live more sustainably
Reusable shopping bags and water bottle. Credit: eleonora galli / Getty Images
You don't have to go full zero waste all at once, but adopting a more sustainable lifestyle can be as easy as cutting out plastic bags and straws, or reusing bottles. Here are some great tips if you're looking for guidance.
11. Go for inbox zero
To some people I'm sure inbox zero seems like a sheer impossibility, but I promise, if you take a few minutes (or hours depending on how drastic the email count is) and set your mind to clearing that inbox, it can be done.
13. Take more walks
Go outside and take more leisurely strolls next year! Take walks on your lunch break, after dinner, with friends, up stairs, or around shopping centers. This one's super simple.
14. Moisturize
Moisturizing your skin? Another super forgettable thing you should be doing on a regular basis. Lotion up, apply that lip balm, and get a humidifier if you have to. Your skin will thank you.
15. Check the batteries in your smoke alarm
A resolution that will make Milo Ventimiglia proud. Credit: DIANE BONDAREFF / INVISION FOR DURACELL / AP IMAGES
Replacing the batteries in your smoke alarm only takes minutes, but it's easier to forget than both checking your posture and hydrating. Check. Those. Batteries. Do it for Jack Pearson.
16. Make your bed in the mornings
Allow Mashable Culture Reporter Morgan Sung to make the case for making your bed every morning. It's a good one.
17. Cook one new thing
And culture reporter Chloe Bryan will convince you to cook a single new thing in the new year. We have faith in you.
18. Ask for things you actually want
It's hard to lose sight of what you *really* want when you feel pressure to please other people and make "good" choices, but the new year is the perfect time for you to start putting yourself first. Feel like ordering dessert when no one else is? Ask for it. Don't like the movie your friend picked? Say so. Do, as they say, you.
19. Spend a day offline
One day. You can do it. No Twitter, no Instagram, no Slack, no reading articles. Live your best offline life.
20. Vote
You even get a sticker. Credit: JUJ WINN / GETTY IMAGES
We've got an election in 2020, and it's extremely easy and important for you to vote. If you make sure you're registered and vote, you've technically checked off two goals! Astounding.
Happy 2020, everyone! Let's get these goals. | How these brands think they look:
How they actually look:
This is why you don’t want a bunch of old men calling ALL the shots.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
More funny pics: | 1.333333 |
Longtime Atlanta bar and live music venue Star Community Bar is slated to close after its New Year’s Eve show tonight, according to a post on its Facebook page today.
LAST CHANCE TO PARTY AT THE STAR BAR!
TONIGHT at 1am the cover charge ends and the Fire(water) Sale begins!
ALL liquor drinks and shots $4!
ALL beer, cider and wine $3!
NO COVER AFTER 1am
Last Thursday we got our walking papers. The landlord has decided to rent the space to someone else, giving our employees 5 days to find new jobs. If you know any bars that are hiring please send us a Facebook message. Tonight is your last chance to party at the Star Bar. Let's do it up right. See you tonight!
David Heany and Marty Nolan opened Star Bar opened in 1991 at 437 Moreland Ave. NE in a space previously occupied by a bank. Heany died in late 2018, according to local music publication Stomp and Stammer.
The bar has changed hands several times since Heany and Nolan sold it in the early 2000s. Kahle Davis bought the business in 2013.
In addition to serving as a showcase for live and regional acts, Star Bar also hosted regular comedy nights
The AJC has reached out to Star Bar ownership regarding details on the closure and potential plans for relocation and is reaching out to the landord on details.
Read the AJC Fall Dining Guide: The Noodle Edition
Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
Support real journalism. Support local journalism. Subscribe to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution today. See offers.
Your subscription to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution funds in-depth reporting and investigations that keep you informed. Thank you for supporting real journalism. | BOYD, Alphonzo Tarez Age 35, of Atlanta, passed away December 25, 2019. Services January 3, 2020, 2:00 PM in Stocks Funeral Home Kirkwood Chapel, Inc, Atlanta, GA.
View the obituary on Legacy.com
Funeral Home Information
Stocks Funeral Home & Kirkwood Chapel
1970 Hosea L. Williams Dr. NE
Atlanta, GA
30317
www.stocksfuneralhomeinc.com/
Support real journalism. Support local journalism. Subscribe to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution today. See offers.
Your subscription to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution funds in-depth reporting and investigations that keep you informed. Thank you for supporting real journalism. | 1 |
'Democratic Party, Where Are You?'
(Image by firedoglakedotcom) Details DMCA
In the Year Ahead, Taking Down the Democratic Party Is the Most Important Task
It is difficult to have optimism for the future when you live in the United States. A large section of the population is completely alienated from the truth about the unjust system that dictates their lives. Corporate media lies protect a class society which is dedicated to the impoverishment of over half of the planet. The violence of white supremacy, endless war, and economic catastrophe is coupled with the ongoing destruction of the natural world. Michelle Obama recently expressed deep unity with the "values" of George W. Bush and her husband followed suit by expressing that any woman, regardless of whether they sport a pro-war and pro-austerity agenda, is equipped to change the world for the better. U.S. imperial domination cannot be voted out of power, but it can undergo a facelift to become a more effective evil. That is the central mission of the ruling class at this time and a very dangerous one at that.
But for as much as there is to lament, the last year has also produced several reasons for the left to be hopeful. The Trump era has shown that much of the world is seeking an independent economic and political path from the U.S.' unipolar and imperialist development model. Trump's trade war with China and the U.S. ruling class' war provocations with Russia have only brought China and Russia closer together. Latin American nations such as Venezuela have relied upon aid from Russia and China to defend themselves from U.S.-backed coup attempts. Syria has shown interest in joining China's Belt and Road Initiative the global Silk Road project which plans to invest trillions of dollars' worth of infrastructure development in Global South nations under the leadership of the People's Republic of China.
Despite the myriad of contradictions that exist in China's hybrid model of socialism with capitalist characteristics, the Peoples Republic is front in center in the struggle against U.S. imperialism. China's entrance into the global capitalist economy in the 1970s has possessed a dual character. China is leading the way in addressing "climate change," a euphemism for capitalism's destruction of the environment. Massive displacement of communal peasants (i.e. "migrant workers") has been mitigated by China's focus on anti-poverty initiatives. The Communist Party has ensured that private profits have been distributed to workers and peasants in the form of subsidies and wage increases. China's population of billionaires has grown alongside the reduction of poverty for hundreds of millions of people. Economic growth has not been sacrificed for poverty reduction as the neoliberal ruling class often tells us is the case. China has in many ways eclipsed the U.S. and West as the world's economic superpower. This is not what the U.S. and the West intended when they supported China's decision to open its economy to the capitalist market beginning in 1978.
The story has been a lot different for workers and oppressed people who remain under the vice grip of U.S. imperialism. Economic conditions continued to worsen for over half of the planet. The Trump administration has enriched the few at the expense of the many with pro-Wall Street tax policy and a massive increase to the military budget. The people of Yemen continue to suffer from hunger, malnutrition, and disease due to the violent U.S.-backed war being waged by Saudi Arabia. U.S. sanctions on Zimbabwe, DPRK, Iran, Syria, and Venezuela have arrested economic development and prematurely taken the lives of tens of hundreds of thousands of people.
As Martin Luther King Jr. predicted, the coups, sanctions, and military invasions spearheaded by the U.S. abroad have caused a social explosion at home. Recent reductions in the overall prison population have done little to improve life in Black America. Local police departments are provided millions of military weapons from the Pentagon's 1033 program to terrorize Black communities. Three million undocumented migrants were deported under Obama, with the Trump administration doing its best to match or exceed that number should it receive another four years in 2020. To make matters worse, there has been little resistance to the U.S. police or surveillance state in the 21st century. The Black Lives Matter movement has faded into the background of mainstream politics and non-profit careerism. Mass surveillance appears not to bother many in the U.S. population who have been desensitized to their civil liberties being stripped from them under the fearmongering banner of the War on Terror.
The largest movement numerically in the U.S. is neither an anti-war movement nor a revolutionary socialist movement. Rather, millions of young workers, including many Black workers, have placed their hopes in Bernie Sanders and his 2020 presidential campaign. Sanders' campaign is an expression of the working class' growing thirst for social democratic reform. But the entire ruling class is opposed to everything Bernie Sanders stands for and sees his agenda as an existential threat to the future of capitalism itself. Profit maximization requires labor rationalization, white supremacy, and capital flight to nations devastated by U.S. wars of aggression. The Democratic Party and its corporate donors are wholly incapable of providing the masses Medicare for All, a living wage, or a rollback in the forty-plus year Race to the Bottom. A political crisis of legitimacy has emerged within the two-party corporate duopoly which threatens to elect Trump for a second term should the ruling elites disallow Sanders from the opportunity to govern.
Many questions remain unanswered as we look forward to the year ahead. How will young people and the working class generally react to Act Two of the repression of Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign when the Vermont Senator is forced to confront the entire weight of the Democratic Party establishment in the upcoming Democratic National Convention in July? Will the Black struggle for self-determination and socialism regain its prominence in the U.S. as the most revolutionary movement within the imperialist world? Can the heroic resistance of the world's people prevent a global confrontation between the great powers, or will the U.S. make a decisive and humanity-ending move to wage a full military assault on Russia and China? These questions should be on the minds of anyone who calls themselves the left in the United States heading into the 2020 year.
Political questions never go unanswered for long. Either U.S. imperialism continues to shape the planet in its destructive interests, or the people fight back to build a new world all together. Progressive forces in the U.S. are currently not developed enough to meet the challenges of the new year. Austerity, war, state repression, and white racist reaction is guaranteed so long as the Democratic Party remains the vehicle from which the left chooses to fight the perils of late stage capitalism. The Democratic Party is entirely committed to fostering unity amongst the ruling class for the purposes of war and austerity and has deployed every weapon at the disposal of the U.S. state and civil society to censor not only the politics of Bernie Sanders but also the politics of Black liberation and class struggle that stand to the left of the social democrat.
Taking down the Democratic Party is the most important task of the new year. The Democratic Party and its corporate donors are the single largest impediment to transforming struggles to elect Bernie Sanders or strike against individual employers into a class conscious and internationalist mass movement. So-called "progressive," Democratic Party-linked non-profits and attractive individuals such as Greta Thunberg offer a moralistic vision of resistance that appeals to the emotional heart strings of the elites. However, the Democratic Party has told us time and again how they really feel about the poor and the downtrodden. There may be two political parties in the United States, but there is only one ruling class agenda. It is past time that we spend more time on exposing this agenda and less time flirting with the lies and the scapegoats that the Democratic Party creates to protect the interests of its corporate masters. | The 2020 oil risk nobody is talking about
One New Year’s resolution to make: Do not take the price of oil for granted.
As we head into a new decade, complacency about the low price of oil is running rampant. This complacency is dangerous because it may catch U.S. businesses by surprise if oil were to experience a sharp upward move. Potentially this could cause a shock to the U.S. economy, mainly because we are not prepared for it and are not taking protection seriously.
Ticker Security Last Change Change % USO UNITED STATES OIL FUND L.P. 12.81 -0.08 -0.62%
There are reasons why many people do not fear higher oil prices in 2020 or in the years ahead. Some point to record U.S. oil production, which averaged 12.3 million barrels a day in 2019. Others point to a potential end to the OPEC, Russia and another producer alliance that led the group to reduce global supply by 2 percent by taking 1.2 million barrels per day off the market for the first six months of 2019. Others are predicting that global oil demand in the new year will fall due to alternative fuel usage and we may be seeing the beginning of a global peak for oil demand by the end of this new decade.
Despite this perception of slowing demand, crude prices are quietly having the best year since 2016. And while prices for oil are down from the highs we have seen in recent years, the outlook going forward is still quite impressive. Even though we have seen a surge in electric cars and a push for alternatives, oil demand globally in 2019 hit a record high. Even amid the U.S.-China trade war, China imported and consumed a record amount of oil.
U.S. energy production hit records last year and should again in 2020. Yet most are not paying attention to the warning signs that U.S. production might peak this year. For example, the U.S. oil rig count rang out the old year with the first drop since 2016. The drop is a potential precursor to a production plateau. Baker Hughes released its final rig count for the year and decade, and it ended on a cautionary note. They reported that total oil and gas rig count is down 26 percent from a year ago at 278 rigs. Oil rigs fell by eight per week and gas rigs held steady at 125.
Ticker Security Last Change Change % UNG UNITED STATES NATURAL GAS FUND LP UNIT (POST REV SPLIT) 16.86 -0.04 -0.24%
This reflects the largest issue of pain in the oil patch. Fifty energy companies filed for bankruptcy during the first nine months of 2019, including 33 oil and gas producers, 15 oilfield services companies and two midstream companies, according to Haynes and Boone’s Energy and Restructuring Practice Group. Overall investment in energy and oil has plunged so expectations that U.S. oil production will easily meet demand and cover risk factors are too optimistic.
There is no doubt that electric cars are going to be a part of the energy mix in the future. The thought that we can replace the internal combustion engine with electric cars is ludicrous. While many think electric cars are environmentally clean, the reality is that for every source of energy, there is a potential environmental downside. Just think about the mining of lithium and cobalt and the production of energy it is going to take to make and supply batteries. Then, stop and think about what it is going to take to charge up those millions of electric cars. Try to fathom the impact on the power grid not just here in the U.S. but in the developing world where most of the auto demand growth will happen.
Oil prices also seem immune to geo-political risk at this time. In September, there was an attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities. Yet the quick recovery of production and the fact that the Saudis seemed not to retaliate gave the market a false sense of geopolitical event invincibility. While this event did not cause a long-term price concern, there are signs that the risks to supply have not gone away. This week the U.S. carried out airstrikes against Iranian-backed Shiite militia groups in Iraq and Syria, which in turn was met with protests in Bagdad.
Even so, President Trump stood firm and blamed Iran for the unrest in Iraq.
The situation in Venezuela is also a geopolitical risk not to mention the old standby worries about North Korea.
All of this comes as we head into 2020 on a wave of economic optimism. Not only did the recession that many predicted last year not happen, but it also appears that the global economy will get a boost of growth as the U.S. and China work out their trade differences with the phase one agreement expected to be signed at the White House on January 15.
This wave of economic growth should cause oil demand to surge in 2020. That should lead to a much tighter physical market.
So get prepared for potentially higher prices in 2020.
Fox | 1.666667 |
From Strategic Culture
After 18 months of on-off diplomacy with North Korea, the Trump administration seems determined now to jettison the fragile talk about peace, reverting to its earlier campaign of "maximum pressure" and hostility. It's a retrograde move risking a disastrous war.
In a visit to China this week, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Chinese leader Xi Jinping both urged for greater momentum in the diplomatic process with North Korea, saying that renewed tensions benefit no-one. The two leaders may need to revise that assertion. Tensions greatly benefit someone Washington.
Why Trump is winding up tensions again with Pyongyang appears to involve a two-fold calculation. It gives Washington greater leverage to extort more money from South Korea for the presence of US military forces on its territory; secondly, the Trump administration can use the tensions as cover for increasing its regional forces aimed at confronting China.
In recent weeks, the rhetoric has deteriorated sharply between Washington and Pyongyang. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has resumed references to Trump being a senile "dotard," while the US president earlier this month at the NATO summit near London dusted off his old disparaging name for Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, calling him "rocket man."
On December 7 and 15, North Korea tested rocket engines at its Sohae satellite launching site which are believed to be preparation for the imminent test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). North Korea unilaterally halted ICBM test-launches in April 2018 as a gesture for diplomacy with the US. Its last launch was on July 4, 2017, when Pyongyang mockingly called it a "gift" for America's Independence Day.
Earlier this month, Pyongyang said it was preparing a "Christmas gift" for Washington. That was taken as referring to resumption of ICBM test launches. However, Pyongyang said it was up to the US to decide which gift it would deliver.
On the engine testing, Trump said he was "watching closely" on what North Korea did next, warning that he was prepared to use military force against Pyongyang and that Kim Jong-un had "everything to lose."
The turning away from diplomacy may seem odd. Trump first met Kim in June 2018 in Singapore at a breakthrough summit, the first time a sitting US president met with a North Korean leader. There were two more summits, in Hanoi in February 2019, and at the Demilitarized Zone on the Korean border in June 2019. The latter occasion was a splendid photo-opportunity for Trump, being the first American president to have stepped on North Korean soil.
During this diplomatic embrace, Trump has lavished Kim with praise and thanked him for "beautiful letters." Back in September 2017 when hostile rhetoric was flying both ways, Trump told the UN general assembly he would "totally destroy" North Korea if it threatened the US. How fickle are the ways of Trump.
What's happened is the initial promises of engagement have gone nowhere, indicating the superficiality of Trump's diplomacy. It seems clear now that the US president was only interested in public relations gimmickry, boasting to the American public that he had reined in North Korea's nuclear activities.
When Trump met Kim for the third time in June 2019, they reportedly vowed to resume negotiations on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. North Korea had up until recently stuck to its commitment to halt ICBM testing. However, for that, Pyongyang expected reciprocation from the US side on the issue of sanctions relief, at least a partial lifting of sanctions. Kim gave Trump a deadline by the end of this year to make some concession on sanctions.
Russia and China last week proposed an easing of UN sanctions on North Korea. But Washington rebuffed that proposal, categorically saying it was a "premature" move, and that North Korea must first make irreversible steps towards complete decommissioning of its nuclear arsenal. The high-handed attitude is hardly conducive to progress.
The lack of diplomatic reciprocation from Washington over the past six months has led Pyongyang to angrily repudiate further talks. It has hit out at what it calls Trump's renewed demeaning name-calling of Kim. There is also a palpable sense of frustration on North Korea's part for having been used as a prop for Trump's electioneering.
The fact that Washington has adopted an intransigent position with regard to sanctions would indicate that it never was serious about pursuing meaningful diplomacy with Pyongyang.
Next Page 1 | 2 | NATIONAL
(AP-Yonhap)
WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he believes Kim Jong-un will uphold his commitment to denuclearize after the North Korean leader threatened to show off a "new strategic weapon."Hours earlier, North Korean media reported that Kim saw no reason to continue his self-declared moratorium on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, and warned that the world will soon see a "new strategic weapon."His remarks came as North Korea has expressed frustration over stalled denuclearization talks with the US and threatened to take a "new way" unless Washington offers concessions."We'll see. I have a very good relationship with Kim Jong-un,"Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida as he arrived for a New Year's Eve party."I know he's sending out certain messages about Christmas presents, and I hope his Christmas present is a beautiful vase,"the president continued, reprising his earlier joke in response to North Korea's threat to send an unwanted Christmas gift. "That's what I'd like, a vase, as opposed to something else."Trump said the two like each other and get along, and that they are each representing their own country."We have to do what we have to do," he said. "But he did sign a contract. He did sign an agreement talking about denuclearization, and that was signed -- number one sentence: denuclearization. That was done in Singapore. I think he's a man of his word. So, we're going to find out. But I think he's a man of his word." (Yonhap) | 3.666667 |
“Eighty percent of what you will hear tonight are facts,” began Mike Yost, the jovial “Ghost Host” of the Fort Myers Beach Haunted Pub Crawl! “Ten percent are well-known island stories I cannot prove,” he continued to our group of nine, from places like Chicago, Kentucky, Michigan and Fort Myers on a drizzly Monday evening. “The final 10 percent is BS! I leave it up to you to figure out which is which!”
We began our mystical journey at the Shamrock Irish Pub. Most of the group – Ben, Michelle, Steve, Michelle, Jim & Sue – are one family visiting for the Holidays. Jay, a Fort Myers native who is a prominent Southwest Florida restauranteur, brought Nicole to start the celebration of her birthday the next day! Mike cheerfully greeted us, bedecked in a red-and-black stripped shirt that featured a skull with top hat, while wearing a straw top hat on his head that had a snowflake motif with greenery and working Christmas lights! “On the Haunted Pub Crawl, I talk a little bit about myself, but mostly about the history of the beach, each place we visit, and ghostly tales, as well as doing a magic trick at each location.”
Packers Score & Old Pete!
Mike explained that a near death experience in his own life led to his belief in the spirit world, including an apparition of his Father. “Since then, I have seen my share of weird things, including here on the beach.”
As for the Shamrock Irish Pub, “I like to begin here,” Mike related, “because it is one of the oldest buildings on Fort Myers Beach. This island does not have many old structures due to hurricanes and redevelopment. This property dates back to the 1920s, with the original owner directly responsible for our island being a tourist destination! He gave away part of the land to another man, with the stipulation he build a house and bring his family, but the second gentleman insisted on a bridge, to make travel to the mainland easier, so in 1921 came the lift bridge and the start of our area’s tourism.”
The new owners of the Shamrock are big Green Bay Packer fans, as was a former bartender, Robin, who recently passed away. “I was here during a Green Bay game,” recollected Mike, “when someone yelled out, ‘Packers Stink!’ Suddenly all the lights in the bar went out! Another time, when the Packers scored, without anyone touching it, the brand new cash register drawer swung open. The next time the Packers scored, it swung open again and we all knew it was Robin!” Mike then performed his first magic trick, eliciting a loud “WOW” and long “OHHHH!”
At Pete’s Time Out, Mike pointed across the pedestrian mall to the Dairy Queen roof, where an old rusted satellite dish seems to bear the shape of a human face. Mike then showed us a photograph over the bar of ‘Old Pete,’ the father of the current owner and namesake of the restaurant, and they look identical! “John, the owner today, tells me when his Dad was alive, he would go across the way and keep an eye on everyone, to ensure they were all working hard, and with his face up there now, he still does. Pete would walk back-&-forth across the bar, and on a previous tour, when I told this story, someone videoed me and caught something surreal that they later sent me.” With that, Mike shows us the footage and, sure enough, a mysterious black presence moves right across the path of the bar!
Haunted Pub Crawls
Mike began the Haunted Pub Crawls last summer, hosting them Monday through Saturday. Each lasts 3 to 4 hours, starting at 6:15 p.m. “I cap them at 20 people,” he explained, “because anything bigger than that, unless it is for a corporate event, loses the intimacy of a small group. I initiated them because I have been on many a Pub Crawl, so no one knows more about them than me!”
He brings a unique set of talents to the Haunted Pub Crawl: “I am a lifetime member of the ‘Estero Island Historical Society,’ so that is where I obtain most of the Fort Myers Beach lore, not only in researching their historic files but in many conversations with longtime Estero Island residents. On top of that, I am a professional magician with over 30 years of experience, so that is a talent you do not find on any other type of Pub Crawl. I am hesitant to say there is not another Pub Crawl anywhere that combines ghost tales, history and magic in a beach setting, but if there is, I have yet to hear of it.”
We visited six locations throughout the Crawl: The Shamrock Irish Pub, Pete’s Time Out, SOB’s, Nervous Nellie’s and The Lighthouse Tiki Bar, concluding at The Whale, so park accordingly. You walk roughly two miles during the “Haunted Pub Crawl” but since you spend 20 to 30 minutes at each location, it is an easy pace. You are responsible for the purchase of your own drinks and food, with extra time devoted to Pete’s Time Out that offers a 15% food discount to Haunted Pub Crawl revelers. Since most folks tend to have an adult beverage at each destination, the group may begin the evening as strangers, but after several rounds of “Conversation Lubrication,” you become fast friends!
“I Still Enjoy That!”
Mike is the perfect Crawl Ghost Host! His affable personality sets a fun tone, and he mixes the right amount of stories, conversation and magic, while knowing when to step back to allow his guests to talk amongst themselves to make new buddies. His magic tricks are truly extraordinary, with everyone gasping and shouting “WHOA” at each one. Perhaps his greatest feat of the night is, after walking a good distance on a muggy evening, he turns over his top hat to produce a round of ice-cold Jell-O Shots for us all to share – truly amazing!
Since their beginning in July, Mike said he is happy with their success. He recommends making reservations with him directly by calling 239-440-2805. Reservations can also be made online at www.fmbhauntedpubcrawl.com or through Trip Advisor. Online prices for the Haunted Pub Crawl begin at $25/person or $40/couple. He can offer group or individual discounts if reservations are made with him directly. “I ask everyone to arrive 15 minutes early, to fill out a little paperwork, and please do not show up intoxicated, as we visit enough bars and restaurants along the route. I encourage people to register at least 48 hours before the date they hope to attend, and even earlier now that we are getting into tourist season, though if we have openings, you can call that day up to 2 p.m.” Those hoping to get a Haunted Pub Crawl in during January should call soon as several dates are already full.
As for what Mike most enjoys about the Haunted Pub Crawls, “it is when people tell me they actually feel and experience chills, and that happens at least several times each week! No matter how often I hear it, I still enjoy that!”
Share this: Email
Print
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn
More
Reddit | Pogba did not travel to East Lancashire with the rest of the squad at the weekend, after making substitute appearances against Watford and Newcastle United.
Those two cameos off the bench added up to around 70 minutes of action after almost three months out injured for the 26-year-old.
Solskjaer has indicated the midfielder simply required additional rest. | 1 |
President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stand on the South Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea on June 30, 2019. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times)
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, has long threatened to “find a new way” if the United States persists with sanctions. And when North Korea announced his “revolutionary” new way Wednesday, the strategy revealed both a defiance and a deep caution in confronting President Donald Trump.
Kim vowed, in a lengthy policy statement, to expand his country’s nuclear force, making vague threats to show off a “new strategic weapon” in the near future and “shift to a shocking actual action.” He warned that North Korea would not be bound by a self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range ballistic missile tests.
But he also moderated those threats by leaving out the specifics. Kim did not explicitly say that he was formally lifting the test moratorium or that he was terminating diplomacy. Instead, he said his efforts to expand his nuclear weapons capabilities could be adjusted “depending on the U.S. future attitude.”
It’s a wait-and-see approach that leaves room for more negotiations.
Analysts say that Kim is making a calculation against the backdrop of the political uncertainty in the United States, where Trump faces both a Senate impeachment trial and an election. The North Korean leader, they said, does not necessarily want to rush to strike a deal that could be overturned if Trump does not win a second term.
“Kim Jong Un continues to hedge his bets,” said Jean H. Lee, a North Korea expert at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. “I think we’ll see Kim continue to find ways to provoke Washington as a way to gain the upper hand in future nuclear negotiations without directly challenging President Trump.”
As he waits, Kim can continue to play the role of tough guy, increasing the stakes in his nuclear brinkmanship. North Korea can expand its nuclear arsenal, produce more bomb fuel, build more nuclear warheads and improve its missile capabilities.
Less predictable is whether or when Kim might deliver an infuriating message to Trump by testing a nuclear weapon or intercontinental ballistic missile.
Such a test could precipitate another “fire and fury” response from Trump. When Kim last conducted such tests, in 2017, Trump threatened to “totally destroy North Korea,” inciting fears of possible war.
Tensions eased after North Korea declared a test moratorium in April 2018. And after Trump met with Kim in Singapore later that year, the president said the two “fell in love.”
That moratorium remains the best outcome Trump can cite from his on-and-off diplomacy with Kim — one that the North Korean leader may be wary of yanking away too soon.
By treading carefully, Pyongyang also avoids more economic pain. Launching a long-range missile would set off another round of United Nations sanctions, and such tests could also provoke China and Russia at a time when Kim strongly needs their help to blunt the pain of current internationals measures.
Those sanctions required China, Russia and other countries to send North Korean workers home by late last month, depriving Kim’s government of a key source of hard currency. North Korea also increasingly depends on Chinese tourists as an alternative source of income, and Kim has recently built a number of tourist zones to attract them.
In his policy report this week, Kim acknowledged that his country’s efforts at economic reform faced “grave problems” and were “not making visible progress,” according to the state news media. He also reported “evil practices and stagnation” in key industries and criticized his economic officials for “merely shouting the slogan of self-reliance” while lacking leadership and “responsibility” to revamp the economy.
Kim also indicated that he was preparing for a “protracted” standoff with Washington, exhorting North Koreans to accept it as “a fait accompli that we have to live under the sanctions.” After 18 months of faltering diplomacy, he said he was convinced that his country should stick to “self-reliance” rather than embracing the “brilliant transformation” of its economy that Trump promised if Pyongyang abandoned its nuclear weapons.
Kim also called on his people “never to barter the security and dignity” that the North’s nuclear deterrent provided, “even though we tighten our belts.” | For Subscribers Records reveal $100,000 in charges as scrutiny of Haines City continues
Haines City's credit card purchases have been under scrutiny since February, when expensive dinners brought former city manager Ed Dean under fire. | 4 |
Last week Lithuanian parliament adopted the state budget for 2020. The main financial document of the state was approved by the majority of voters.
It is sad to see how Lithuania is suffering without money. Absolute chaos this is how they say in Lithuania about the new budget.
So, state budget revenues are planned in the amount of 11.559 billion euros, expenses 12.705 billion euros. The budget deficit will amount 2.9% of the planned gross domestic product. In other words, the Lithuanian draft hardly met the requirements of fiscal discipline. The budget deficit for EU member states should not exceed 3% of GDP.
It is remarkable that the parliament's consideration of the draft budget was accompanied by mass protests of public sector workers who demanded higher wages. Moreover, the strike was held by school teachers in November. Vilnius University symbolically stopped working for two days. On Tuesday, policemen and firefighters protested outside the Parliament building.
Surprisingly, ignoring massive protests by citizens, Finance Minister Vilius Šapoka called for support for the draft state budget and named it «realistic and balanced».
Only one thing is not clear why this draft budget is called «socially oriented». After all, the expenses laid down in it are oriented only to the army.
It turns out that ordinary people should suffer without money. At the same time, the country's leadership said that the military would not abandon the planned purchases of weapons or military equipment, as well as other planned purchases, construction and repairs.
By the way, the majority of the Lithuanians do not support the increase of military spending, according to Vilmorus opinion poll. So, 55.2% of citizens do not approve the raising of the defense budget to 2.5% of GDP by 2030.
However, despite the opinion of the inhabitants of Lithuania, the authorities do not refuse the idea of increasing defense spending. For example, Minister of Defense Raimundas Karoblis emphasized the need to allocate at least 2% of GDP for defense and gradually increase it to 2.5%. This year, the defense budget is approximately 967 million euros, or 2.03% of GDP.
A similar decision to allocate at least 2.5% of GDP for defense until 2030 was supported by the Lithuanian parliament. Moreover, as the president said in December, defense investment is not a whim, but an "existential need." The leader of the country also expressed hope that the defense spending will be 2.5% of GDP by 2030.
It is known that Lithuania is among the worst countries in the European Union in terms of the financial well-being of the population. So, Estonia takes the 20th place with a total score of 5.85, Latvia 21st with 5.55 points, and Lithuania took the penultimate 23rd place 5.54.
As we can see, the government cannot meet the basic needs of doctors, firefighters, policemen and teachers who fairly require higher wages. But this does not affect military spending.
For the sake of muffling the waves of protests, the strikers will be given trifle and a lot of different promises of a bright future. However, people will not be able to feed their families and the recent wave of anti-government protests eloquently testifies to this fact. | British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday night that the first item on his agenda “is to fulfil the will of the electorate” and take the country out of the European Union (EU) by the end of January.
In his first New Year’s message at 10 Downing Street, Johnson said that the bongs of Big Ben at midnight was the starting gun being fired on what promises to be a fantastic year and a remarkable decade for Britain, urging people of Britain to join together to make the 2020s a decade of prosperity and opportunity.
Speaking of bringing Britain out of the EU, he said, “This should have happened already, but we were thwarted by a Parliament determined to use every trick in the book to stop us leaving the EU.”
As 2019 is waving goodbye, Johnson said Britain can also turn the page on the division, rancour and uncertainty which has dominated public life and held the country back for far too long.
“We can start a new chapter in the history of our country, in which we come together and move forward united, unleashing the enormous potential of the British people,” he added.
“We can finally spend 2020 getting on with delivering on the people’s priorities: boosting the National Health Service (NHS) with the biggest cash injection in its history, renewing schools, backing scientists, building better infrastructure, controlling immigration, making our streets safer, cleaning up our environment, and making our Union stronger,” he said.
Reaffirming his promise that the NHS will always be his top priority, Johnson said one of the government’s first actions will be to pass a bill enshrining in law a record funding settlement for the NHS, providing an extra 34 billion pounds (45 billion U.S. dollars) a year.
“We will undertake the largest hospital building program in living memory,” he added, promising a boost in education and cutting-edge science.
Concluding his message, he cited new trading relationships with nations around the world, generating jobs and growth as well as British scientists and engineers transforming the way people live, curing incurable diseases and making transport cleaner, greener and quieter.
British politicians will return next week to the House of Commons to continue the passage through parliament of Johnson’s Brexit bill to end Britain’s nearly-half-a-century membership of the EU. | 1.333333 |
FILE – In this April 12, 2019, file photo, California Gov. Gavin Newsom answers a reporter’s question about a report he presented concerning the worsening wildfires in the state, during a news conference, in Rancho Cordova, Calif. Newsom has rejected a $13.5 billion settlement that Pacific Gas & Electric struck just last week with thousands of people who lost homes, businesses and family members in a series of devastating fires that drove the nation’s largest utility into bankruptcy. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom is offering two $50,000 rewards for information leading to arrests and convictions in two unsolved murders in Sacramento and Fresno.
Newsom’s office announced the rewards Monday in the 2015 shooting of Anthony Barajas, 20, who was shot while sitting in his car in the parking lot of a Home Depot in Sacramento and the killing of Sarah Roberts, 26, who was shot in 2011 outside a party in Fresno.
Barajas had gone to the store with his younger brother when he was shot in the chest by a passing car. He died at a hospital. Barajas had no criminal history and no motive for his shooting has been determined, Newsom’s office said.
Surveillance footage from a nearby gas station showed the gunman’s vehicle, a 1997 to 2005 Buick Century sedan, but the evidence has not led to a suspect.
Anyone with information in the case is asked to call the Sacramento Police Department.
In the Fresno case, police say Roberts was on her phone outside a New Year’s Eve party when she was shot.
The mother of two was found unconscious by her brother and taken to the hospital where she died. Investigators believe Roberts may have been caught in the exchange of rival gang gunfire, Newsom’s office said.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Fresno Police Department. | SF Giants Manager Gabe Kapler To Skip National Anthem Before Games Following Texas School MassacreSan Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler will no longer come out for the national anthem before the start of each game following the massacre of schoolchildren and the bungled police response in Uvalde, Texas.
Golden State Warriors Beat Luka Dončić Led Mavericks, Reach Sixth NBA Finals In Eight YearsOn Thursday, the Warriors advanced to the NBA Finals for the sixth time in the past eight seasons, a feat only three previous teams have ever achieved.
Rangers Score 3 In 9th Off A's Bullpen, Win 4-1Adolis García doubled in pinch-runner Eli White in the top of the ninth inning, Nathaniel Lowe followed with a two-run homer, and the Texas Rangers beat the Oakland Athletics 4-1 on Thursday night.
Republic Win Over Earthquakes At US Open Cup Match Gives New Hope To MLS DreamThe Sacramento Republic FC beat the San Jose Earthquakes 2-0 in a matchup the team’s owner believes could attract new MLS investors. | 1.333333 |
Brooke Shields showed off her bikini body one last time before 2019 came to an end, and her photo proved that she didn't need to make a New Year's resolution to hit the gym harder.
On December 31, Brooke took to Instagram to share a sizzling bikini selfie with her fans. The iconic 54-year-old model and actress was pictured rocking an eye-catching black two-piece that featured a fun, floral-print in blue, white, and purple. Brooke's halter-style bikini top had molded underwire cups with ruching near the center of the bust. Her low-rise bottoms featured loop ties on the sides.
The design of Brooke's bottoms ensured that her fans got a full view of her toned torso. Her abdominal muscles were very well-defined, especially on the sides. Brooke was also showing off her athletic thighs and strong arms.
The former Calvin Klein model accessorized her swimsuit with a Panama hat. She wore her long, brunette tresses down, and she pushed all of her gorgeous hair over her right shoulder. For her beauty look, she sported matte pink lipstick, dark eye makeup, and her famously thick brows.
Brooke posed with her left hand on her hip, flashing her wedding ring and a silver watch. She held her phone in her right hand and lifted it up near her face to snap a mirror selfie. She looked up at her image on her phone's screen, and she gave the camera a small, cheeky smile. | What's Included
As a current print subscriber, you can opt-in for All Access at any time. All Access members receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition (optimized for desktop and mobile devices). All Access members also receive access to our exclusive Subscriber Savings program at no additional charge. (This alone can save you more than the cost of your subcription!)
Not a current print subscriber? Click here to purchase a Print Subscription
If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 319-334-2557 or email legals@bulletinjournal.com. | 1 |
Popular Fortnite streamer, model and YouTuber Corinna Kopf made the surprise jump from Twitch to Facebook Gaming in late December — but not everyone is happy with her success on the platform.
While Kopf has been a target of online harassment since the beginning of her romance with Fortnite pro Turner “Tfue” Tenney in March 2019, the content creator is coming under fire once again following her major streaming switch later in the year.
However, she’s proving that words can’t bring her down, as shown by her humorous response to a hater asking her to break up with Tfue, among a slew of other sexist insults.
Advertisement
“Disgusting wh*re,” the now-deleted Tweet read. “No one is gonna take your relationship with Turner seriously. And you’re gonna be known as a sl*t for the rest of your career, you realize that? @Tfue dump her bro.”
Read More: First look at leaked 100 Thieves Valkyrae toy figure
Kopf took the exceedingly hateful remark in stride, replying by tagging her beau and echoing the hater’s sentiment a la the “condescending Spongebob” meme. “Dump me bro @Tfue,” she wrote.
Advertisement
Tfue himself even chimed in on the matter, replying to Kopf’s tag with a gif of a dump truck emptying its contents into a river as though to further mock the fan’s ridiculous comment.
This isn’t the first time Kopf has received vitriol in wake of her move to Facebook Gaming, by far: in fact, the streamer butted heads with Drama Alert’s KEEMSTAR shortly after her announcement, with KEEMSTAR appearing to insinuate that Kopf’s success was purely driven by her relationship with Tfue.
Much like her reaction to the angry hater, Kopf took KEEMSTAR’s “gold-digger” accusation in stride, writing, “C’mon keem, we have so much in common! We both have careers because of other people.”
c’mon keem, we have so much in common! we both have careers because of other people 🥰 https://t.co/wO25NEkhxO — Pouty Girl (@CorinnaKopf) December 28, 2019
Advertisement
Kopf’s switch to Facebook Gaming follows her divisive ban from Twitch just a few weeks prior, which came about due to a year-old clip that featured the streamer adjusting a lace bralette beneath her shirt.
Now, she has found success on another platform — a huge win for her, in spite of her haters’ misguided abuse. | After being unable to find a contract in free agency, veteran goaltender Cam Ward decided to call it a career but only after signing a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Hurricanes. Ward spent all but one season of his 14-year NHL career with Carolina, so the decision to retire with the Hurricanes came as little surprise. While he never was able to become one of the elite goalies like it looked like he’d be following his Conn Smythe-worthy performance in his rookie season to help lead the Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup, he still carved out a solid career for himself, playing in 701 games between Carolina and Chicago. Ward is the franchise leader in several categories for goaltenders (including games played, wins, and saves to name a few) and will continue to hold those marks for a long time to come. | 1.333333 |
Top Texas officials this week cited the actions of several armed churchgoers who subdued a gunman in their sanctuary this weekend as a model of how Americans should protect themselves from potential mass shooters.
The attack, after which two church members and the gunman were dead, came two years after the Texas legislature passed a law that authorized anyone with a concealed-carry license to bring their weapon into houses of worship. That law was a response to the 2017 attack on a church in Sutherland Springs that left 26 people dead before a local resident shot the gunman outside the building and forced him to flee.
The shooter who attacked West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, a suburb of Fort Worth, on Sunday was killed by a single shot from church member Jack Wilson, a former reserve sheriff’s deputy and Army veteran. Wilson, who owns a shooting range in nearby Granbury, said he started training fellow members to be a part of the church’s volunteer security team when it launched after the Texas law passed.
“If there is any church in this state, in America, that was prepared for this, it was this church,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, said at a news conference Monday. “They had done their training. And I think that you could see it in the results.”
He credited the new law with making the armed congregants’ quick responses possible, calling it a “model of what other churches and other places of business need to focus on.”
President Donald Trump weighed in Monday evening, tweeting that the attack “was over in 6 seconds thanks to the brave parishioners who acted to protect 242 fellow worshippers. Lives were saved by these heroes, and Texas laws allowing them to carry arms!”
But other state leaders took issue with Trump and Paxton’s interpretation of the incident. Former Texas congressman and onetime presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke said the shooting was a reflection of the state’s lax gun-control measures.
“Our representatives in Texas have left us open to these kinds of attacks,” he tweeted. “Time to change our representatives.”
Gun-control activists called out the rate of firearm-related homicides and suicides in the Texas, which ranks in the middle of the pack nationally for gun deaths, according to federal data.
“If more guns and fewer gun laws made Texas safer, it would be the safest state in the US,” tweeted Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. “Instead, it has high rates of gun suicide and homicide, and is home to 4 of the 10 deadliest mass shootings.”
The shooter, whom authorities identified as 43-year-old Keith Thomas Kinnunen, fatally shot two members of the church’s volunteer security team, both men in their 60s, during the Sunday service before Wilson fired back at him, officials said.
During a vigil Monday evening, senior minister Britt Farmer said he had encountered Kinnunen at the church before.
“I had seen him. I had visited with him. I had given him food. I had offered him food at other occasions he had been to our building,” he said.
A video of the attack, captured by the church’s live-stream camera, shows the gunman sitting in a pew during the service before the shooting. He stands up and paces briefly before he speaks to another churchgoer and pulls a large gun from his coat at about 10:50 a.m. He then fires toward the man he spoke to, striking him and another man standing nearby, as other congregants scream and dive beneath the pews.
The video then shows a fourth man, apparently Wilson, shoot the gunman. At least four congregants with weapons raised rush toward the attacker, who had fallen to the ground.
The two victims were taken to a hospital but soon died of their injuries. The Texas Department of Public Safety identified the men as Anton Wallace, 64, of Fort Worth and Richard White, 67, of River Oaks.
“We have lost some great men. But so many other lives could have been lost,” Farmer said at the vigil Monday. “I love this community, I love this church, I love this state and I love our country and I love our freedoms. And I’m not going to let evil take that away.”
Footage of the shooting has been removed from church YouTube page, though it continues to circulate through social media platforms.
The FBI is working with local and state authorities to investigate the shooting. Paxton said investigators are uncertain of the gunman’s motive and are searching for people who knew the shooter.
Kinnunen, who had previous arrests for alleged assault, theft and possession of an illegal weapon, appeared to be “more of a loner.”
It is “probably going to be very difficult to determine what his motivations were, other than maybe mental illness,” Paxton said.
Authorities said Kinnunen may have been transient and might have visited the church several times.
“Unfortunately, this country has seen so many of these that we’ve actually gotten used to it at this point,” Jeoff Williams, the regional director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, told reporters Monday. “It’s tragic, and it’s a terrible situation, especially during the holiday season.”
A spokesperson for the West Freeway Church of Christ and Farmer’s family declined Monday to address the church’s security practices. It is unclear whether the church screens people who carry guns into the building.
Farmer recently self-published a work of fiction, set in Texas Hill Country, about an attack on the United States by Muslim terrorists — an event, he writes in the book’s introduction, that he hopes “never comes to pass, but, there is always that possibility.”
As the story begins, a group of Texas ranchers worry forebodingly about the presence of terrorists in the United States. Later, as an Islamic State flag is hoisted atop the Empire State Building, they are glad to have stockpiled guns and ammunition.
“‘Guns needed now,” the main character thinks as the crisis gets underway.
Before the new law, gun owners in Texas could not carry weapons into a house of worship without specific authorization from church leadership. The Sutherland Springs attack spurred Texas lawmakers in a Republican-controlled legislature to loosen the state’s gun laws so that they could do so more easily.
While there is no specific law that allows armed volunteers in places of worship, members of a congregation can use their concealed-carry license to protect their religious community, said South Texas College of Law Houston professor Josh Blackman.
Houses of worship and other businesses in Texas are still legally authorized to ban firearms on their premises. But in September, another law went into effect requiring a house of worship to post a sign stating it is opting out before it can prohibit licensed individuals from carrying weapons inside.
Conservative politicians and gun rights advocates credited the looser gun laws with saving lives.
“The brave officers from the White Settlement Police Department were on the scene in less than two minutes, but these men who had volunteered for the church security team had already secured their church,” Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, said in a statement.
The National Rifle Association renewed its “good guy with a gun” defense of looser firearms restrictions in a Sunday tweet praising the armed churchgoer’s actions — a defense that gun-control group Newtown Action Alliance called a “myth,” noting that Wilson was “highly trained.”
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, also a Republican, praised the armed response.
Paxton added Monday: “We can’t prevent every incident, we can’t prevent mental illness from occurring, and we can’t prevent every crazy person from pulling a gun. But you can be prepared like this church was.” | (Reuters) - A man wearing a wig and fake beard raised suspicion when he walked into a church service in Texas before opening fire with a shotgun and killing two people, a volunteer security guard who shot the assailant said on Monday.
The victims of Sunday's shooting, identified as Anton Wallace, 64, of Fort Worth and Richard White, 67, of River Oaks, were also members of the civilian security force at West Freeway Church of Christ, the state's attorney general said.
Jack Wilson, the head of the security detail, fired a single shot that took down the gunman, who has been identified by authorities as Keith Thomas Kinnunen, 43, of River Oaks.
Wallace was serving communion at the church in the Fort Worth suburb of White Settlement and was approached twice by the suspect in the moments before the gunfire rang out.
"When he sat back down the second time, shortly after that, he stood up, turned, and produced a shotgun," Wilson told NBC News.
Wilson and White began "drawing our weapons. Richard did get his gun out of the holster. He was, I think, able to get a shot off, but it ended up going into the wall. The shooter had turned and shot him and then shot Tony and then started to turn to go toward the front of the auditorium," Wilson told NBC.
"I fired one round. The subject went down."
Kinnunen was not a regular at the church and raised suspicion when he walked in wearing the wig and fake beard that he kept adjusting, Wilson said.
The reason for Kinnunen's actions are unclear. State Attorney General Ken Paxton told a news conference that the gunman may have been mentally ill.
TRUMP PRAISES ARMED 'HEROES'
The attack and response by armed civilians were likely to further inflame a nationwide debate over gun violence ahead of the 2020 presidential campaign.
"Our prayers are with the families of the victims and the congregation of yesterday’s church attack," President Donald Trump said on Twitter.
"It was over in 6 seconds thanks to the brave parishioners who acted to protect 242 fellow worshippers. Lives were saved by these heroes, and Texas laws allowing them to carry arms!," Trump said.
Story continues
Local TV station NBC DFW, citing unidentified law enforcement sources, said Kinnunen had a criminal record that included charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in 2009. A Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman declined to comment.
Texas allows concealed carry in places of worship under a law that took effect in September. It was passed following a shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in 2017 that killed 26 people.
Paxton encouraged other states to allow citizens to carry concealed weapons for defense in case of active shooters.
Wilson had previously trained other churchgoers to use firearms, and had his own shooting range, Paxton said.
But gun control advocates and some religious leaders have argued such laws have no place in houses of worship.
"Instead of looking for a success story in a tragedy, lawmakers should be talking about how they can prevent gun violence in the first place," said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety.
(Reporting by Barbara Goldberg and Gabriella Borter in New York and Dan Whitcomb in Culver City, California; Editing by Bill Tarrant and Cynthia Osterman) | 3.666667 |
By Dwight Brown
NNPA Film Critic
Look back on the most noteworthy films of 2019 and they all display a diverse array of superb talent—in front of and behind the camera.
These movies entertained, educated and often inspired us. They challenged our opinions. They made us contemplate our fate and become more aware of the world around us.
Enjoy.
Best Films
Booksmart(***1/2) – Two coeds (Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever), high-school outcasts, find refuge in their close friendship. Animated performances. Funny and thoughtful dialogue. Astute comic direction by first-time filmmaker and noted actress Olivia Wilde. Who knew nerdy teen angst could be hilarious?
Dolemite Is My Name(****) – King of comedy Eddie Murphy rises like a phoenix in this oh-so-hysterical ode to comedian and pioneering indie filmmaker Rudy Ray Moore. Dream team cast includes: Keegan-Michael Key, Craig Robinson, Tituss Burgess, Wesley Snipes, Mike Epps and scene stealer Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
The Farewell(***1/2) –An Asian family handles the last-chapter of life process with charm to spare. Writer/director Lulu Wang digs into her own experiences in a premise and script filled with colorful kin folk. Star turns by Awkwafina, Shuzhen Zhao and Tzi Ma make the characters lifelike.
Harriet(***) – Depicting the legendary life of the courageous abolitionist Harriet Tubman is a task few are worthy of. DirectorKasi Lemmons (Eve’s Bayou) is the chosen one. Her epic bio tale catalogs the inhumanity and humanity of the 1800s.Cynthia Erivo(Widows) infuses Tubman’s spirit in every frame. Terence Blanchard’s emotionally charged musical score is haunting.
The Irishman(****) — Martin Scorsese, Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino team up for an impressive crime/drama/thriller about a man who purportedly murdered Jimmy Hoffa. Brilliant performances. Strong direction, writing and editing. Ingenious use of CGI. The crowning achievement of Scorsese’s career.
The Lighthouse(****) – Two workers (Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe) and a bunch of seagulls are engaged in a melodramatic relationship at a desolate New England lighthouse, circa 1890s. Brutal allegory. Totally engaging. Director/writer Robert Eggers and co-writer Max Eggers make riveting cinema on a black and white canvas (cinematographer Jarin Blaschke).
Little Women(****) — Actress turned director Greta Gerwig gives the classic Louisa May Alcott Civil War novel her own feminist spin with relatable three-dimensional characters. Fiery relationships among sisters, parents and friends. Feels like you’re on a long buggy ride with lots of bumps in the road. Superb performances by Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet and Laura Dern.
Marriage Story(****) — Writer/director Noah Baumbach captures the angst of thirtysomethings (Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson) going through what should have been a friendly D-I-V-O-R-C-E that turns into a war of threats, betrayals and raw emotions. As primal in ways as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?Full of life at its worst and people struggling to take their next steps.
Queen & Slim(****) – Easily the most talked about black movie of the year. Director Melina Matsoukas (HBO’sInsecure) and screenwriter Lena Waithe (TV’s Master of None) weave a very modern crime tale and a poignant love story together. Hints of social relevance are threaded in. Lovers on the run are played by Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith. So thoughtful. So cool. So romantic.
Uncut Gems(****) — A gregarious, Jewish NYC jeweler (Adam Sandler) is deep in debt to thugs. His schemes dig him into a deeper hole. Gritty, sewer-level urban drama written and directed by the very talented brothers Benny and Josh Safdie. Sandler deserves an Oscar nom. Kevin Garnett, Idina Menzel, Julia Fox and LaKeith Stanfield round out a powerhouse cast.
Best Directors
Noah Baumbach = Marriage Story
Robert Eggers =The Lighthouse
Greta Gerwig = Little Women
Melina Matsoukas = Queen & Slim
Martin Scorsese = The Irishman
Best First Films
Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre = The Mustang
Mati Diop = Atlantics
Melina Matsoukas = Queen & Slim
Olivia Wilde = Booksmart
Phillip Youmans = Burning Cane
Best Foreign Language Films
Ash Is Purest White
Atlantics
Corpus Christi
Les Misérables
Transit
Best Documentaries
After Parkland
Miles Davis: The Birth of the Cool
David Crosby: Remember My Name
Pavarotti
Tony Morrison: The Pieces I Am
Best Actors
Robert DeNiro =The Irishman
Daniel Kaluuya = Queen & Slim
Eddie Murphy = Dolemite Is My Name
Robert Pattinson = The Lighthouse
Adam Sandler = Uncut Gems
Best Actresses
Awkwafina = The Farewell
Cynthia Erivo = Harriet
Lupita Nyong’o = Us
Alfre Woodard =Clemency
Renee Zellweger = Judy
Best Supporting Actors
Jamie Foxx = Just Mercy
Aldis Hodge = Clemency
Joe Pesci = The Irishman
Brad Pitt = Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Bokeem Woodbine = Queen & Slim
Best Supporting Actresses
Indya Moore = Queen & Slim
Florence Pugh = Little Women
Da’Vine Joy Randolph = Dolemite Is My Name
Jennifer Lopez = Hustlers
Shuzhen Zhao = TheFarewell
Best Screenplays
Ad Astra= James Gray, Ethan Gross
The Farewell= Lulu Wang
The Lighthouse= Max Eggers, Robert Eggers
Little Women= Greta Gerwig
Queen & Slim= Lena Waithe
Best Cinematography
1917= Roger Deakins
Atlantics = Claire Mathon
The Irishman= Rodrigo Prieto
The Lighthouse= Jarin Blaschke
Queen + Slim= Pete Beaudreau
Best Animation/CGI
Frozen II
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
I Lost My Body
Toy Story 4
Other Great Films
1917, Ad Astra, Avengers: Endgame, The Beach Bum, Giant Little Ones, Good Boys, A Hidden Life, Hotel Mumbai, Hustlers, The Mustang, Never Grow Old, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, The Report, Rocketman, Sauvage, Skin, Us, The Two Popes, Woman at War. | Dramatic films top critic's 10 best list for 2019
Back around Labor Day, after an embittered summer of bombardment by an unending skein of superhero clang and stupefying sequels to moribund franchises, I was ready to throw in the towel on 2019. Then came the blessed autumn and suddenly I was surrounded by excellence everywhere I looked. Even the season’s lone comic-book entry, “Joker,” shockingly left me impressed.
I actually felt like I was in the midst of a Hollywood renaissance. But a closer look reveals most of that premium output came courtesy of our friends overseas (“Parasite,” “Pain and Glory”), the occasional indie jewel (“Uncut Gems”) and TV-minded streaming services like Netflix (“The Irishman,” “Marriage Story”). All much to the chagrin of the narrow-minded suits manning the big studios, including Disney, which enjoyed record profits amid a nadir of grade-A product.
They and others cried foul when the Netflix offerings started scoring intense awards consideration, to which Martin Scorsese rebuffed, why shouldn’t he court a streamer in an environment where the big guys value mindless superhero movies over more sophisticated art like his “The Irishman,” which, incidentally, they all refused to make.
I’m not shy about saying I’m with Scorsese on this one -- and please fanboys, don’t bombard me with your hatred because of it. Still, I do feel for the theater chains, sorta, being that they’re the ones left holding the empty cash bag, or so they claim. But Disney movies alone provided the Regals and AMCs of the world a bit more than a marginal profit in 2019. And when they dare charge close to $100 for a family of four to see “Toy Story 4,” including popcorn and drinks, you could hardly fault folks preferring to park themselves in front of their 70-inch, 4K Samsungs to watch prime Netflix offering like “The Irishman” at one-tenth the cost.
Let the consumer decide, I say. A motto the Academy Awards voters should heed when marking their Oscar ballots this month. The past two years they’ve gotten uppity when it comes to superb Netflix entries like 2018’s “Roma” and 2017’s “Mudbound.” This year, when faced with the plethora of great Netflix flix (“The Irishman,” “Marriage Story,” “The Two Popes,” “Dolemite Is My Name,” “I Lost My Body” and the great doc “The Great Hack”), they can no longer shun the streaming giant without looking petty. So I anticipate what could be the start of a sea change when it comes to doling out Oscars. Or, at least one can hope.
Coincidentally, a lot of those Netflix joints cited above are included on my list of favorite films for 2019. And consider this an invitation to seek them out if you haven’t seen them already, and if you have, to watch them again. I promise it’s a no-lose situation. So let’s get started, beginning with my annual Top-10:
1. MARRIAGE STORY: Writer-director Noah Baumbach pours his heart out reflecting on his divorce from Jennifer Jason Leigh in a seriocomic masterpiece insightfully capturing the sorrow and the pity of love torn asunder by two people -- perfectly played by Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson -- whose vows don’t align with their wants. That their severance requires jumping through the expensive hoops of California’s ridiculous legal system benefits both the film’s sophisticated brand of comedy and shinning supporting turns by Laura Dern, Ray Liotta and Alan Alda as the couple’s loopy L.A. legal counsels.
2. PARASITE: Bong Joon-ho’s gripping comedic thriller was a classy assault on classism cleverly illustrated via a Korean family of have-nots gradually infiltrating the lives and not-so-happy home of haves on the tony side of Seoul. It proved the perfect metaphor for income inequality, not just in Bong’s native Korea, but the world over. It also sent a shiver with its darkly funny finale in which Bong presented a semi-plausible scenario in which simmering rage turns grotesquely violent. Consider it a warning.
3. THE IRISHMAN: Just when it seemed Martin Scorsese had lost his fastball, he (and his savior, Netflix) pitches us high and inside with a flamethrower hard enough to knock us off the plate. And what a delivery it is, with Marty’s old crew (De Niro, Pesci and Keitel) joining with the greatest actor of their generation, Al Pacino, to make a gangster picture to rival “The Godfather” with its powerful insights on everything from family and aging to murder and mayhem, all set around the rise, fall and infamous disappearance of belabored labor-leader Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino).
4. PAIN AND GLORY: Pedro Almodovar delivered his finest film to date with his semi-autobiographical tale of an acclaimed filmmaker (Oscar-worthy Antonio Banderas) staring mortality straight in the face while also ruminating on being raised by his deeply religious mother (Penelope Cruz) and the fight to ignore impure impulses provoked by her hunky handyman. By laying his life so bare, the idiosyncratic Spaniard cut through all pretenses to give us something we all should crave: a need to be our true selves.
5. UNCUT GEMS: New York’s Safdie brothers, Josh and Benny, proved deserving heir-apparent to the Coens with their electrifying profile of a chaotic Manhattan jeweler (a marvelously obnoxious Adam Sandler) getting in over his head when the chickens -- and a band of determined leg-breakers -- come home to roost on all his seriously flawed get-rich schemes. It’s easily the best thing Sandler has ever done, and the perfect marriage between performer and material. A true diamond in the rough.
6. PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE: Writer-director Céline Sciamma's gorgeous, wrenching tale of forbidden love between a woke female artist (Noemie Merlant) and her aristocratic subject (Adele Haenel) set amid repressed 18th-century French culture wasn’t just a worthy follow-up to her acclaimed “Girlhood,” but the dawning of a major talent fully capable of blending affecting storytelling with mesmerizing visuals every bit as seductive as her two protagonists. And her deft use of Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” to emphasize the combustible tempest building in the women’s loins is so unforgettable you’ll never listen to the composer’s luscious suite the same way again. (It opens in Boston next month.)
7. 1917: War is hell, as director Sam Mendes devastatingly proves in his stirring tribute to those who fought and gave their lives during the lethal madness that was World War I. Making perfect use of the everyman qualities of his leading man, breakout-star George MacKay, and Roger Deakins’ simulated one-take cinematography, Mendes’ real-time race against death proved both a technical marvel and a hauntingly immersive dive into a horror where danger forever lurks and valor never ceases. (It opens in Boston next Friday.)
8. DIANE: It’s been months since I first saw it, but I still can’t shake the unmitigated sadness of Kent Jones’ haunting debut feature gifting Mary Kay Place a role she was born to play: A rapidly aging Massachusetts baby boomer who suddenly finds death to be her constant, unavoidable companion
9. LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT: You’d think wunderkind Chinese filmmaker Gan Bi, at 29, is too young to create such a thought-provoking noir on how the passage of time sullies and distorts memories. But you’d be wrong. Instead, he stimulates our brains -- and our eyes -- with a gorgeous, hallucinatory tale of a man obsessed with an ex-lover he regretfully let get away. And, now, in pursuit of her, he is gradually overcome by recollections distorted by time and perspective. Can he rely on those feelings? The answer will amaze you almost as much as Gan’s 50-minute finale filmed in one continuous tracking shot fully confirming his visionary prowess.
10. WILD ROSE: Jessie Buckley (my pick for newcomer of the year) tore up the screen and ripped out my heart as a down-and-out ex-con Glaswegian forced to choose between being a mother to her two young children and chasing her feverish dreams of becoming a country music star in her idea of Eden -- Nashville. Under the deft direction of Tom Harper, Buckley made Nicole Taylor’s perceptive script sing with both melancholy and hope in pursuit of an ending that’s as sad as it is redeeming.
10.5. ONCE UPON A TIME IN ... HOLLYWOOD: I know, Quentin Tarantino’s loving opus to the land of broken dreams is in many circles being hailed as the film of the year, but I only found that to be “half” true, thus the fractional designation. Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie were outstanding, as advertised, and the movie’s look is 100 percent evocative of its circa 1969 setting, but too much of its first 60 minutes was heavy on wacky extravagance. Ah, but the back half was pure movie magic, particularly the climactic showdown on Cielo Drive between a fading film star and Charles Manson’s band of crazed “creepy-crawlers.” It was another attempt by Tarantino to re-write history (see “Inglourious Basterds”; really, SEE IT!) in a way that’s both cathartic and flat-out hilarious. Mission accomplished, or at least partially so.
NEXT 10:
11. “One Child Nation”: I don't think I'll ever forget the horrors on display in Nanfu Wang’s shocking and devastating look back at China’s hideous one-child policy.
12. “The Lighthouse”: A wonderfully written two-hander from Robert and Max Eggers about 19th-century lighthouse keepers (Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson) slowly driving each other mad while cooped-up on an island off the coast of Maine. Who knew insanity could be so funny?
13. “Luce”: Julius Onah co-wrote and directed this subtle and sly treatise on racism fueled by a magnetic performance from Kelvin Harrison Jr. as the black adopted son of ultra-white snowflake parents (Tim Roth and Naomi Watts).
14. “Apollo 11”: Abetted by newly released footage from NASA, Todd Douglas Miller’s immersive doc proved the perfect tribute to the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing.
15. “Ford v Ferrari”: Christian Bale and Matt Damon provided the fuel needed to propel James Mangold’s fun and inspirational tribute to two race-car designers unafraid to traverse new roads.
16. “Tigers Are Not Afraid”: Writer-director Issa Lopez proved why Guillermo Del Toro took her under his wing after seeing her affecting, eye-opening tale about kids left orphaned on the streets by Mexico’s never-ending drug wars.
17. “Woman at War”: Quirky doesn’t begin to describe Benedikt Erlingsson’s tale about a climate crusader (Halldora Geirharosdottir) dividing her time between directing a choir and plotting terrorist attacks on corporations she blames for destroying the environment. Brilliant is more like it.
18. “Maiden”: A truly stirring documentary about the first all-female yacht crew to sail around the world.
19. “I Lost My Body”: Jeremy Clapin delivered the year’s most imaginative animated film with his funny/creepy tale of a severed hand on a citywide search for the body to which it was formerly attached. You’ll want to become attached, too.
20. “The Farewell”: Awkwafina stole the show in Lulu Wang’s sumptuous tribute to life, love and family, but we were the ultimate winners because of it.
HONORABLE MENTION: “For Sama,” “Knives Out,” “American Factory,” “The Two Popes,” “The Great Hack,” “Waves,” “The Biggest Little Farm,” “Honey Boy,” “The Peanut Butter Falcon,” “Dolemite Is My Name”
THE WORST OF THE YEAR: I learned to be perceptive in weeding out the truly awful when opting what to see in 2019, but there were a handful I got suckered in by. Among them, the vastly overrated foreign-language darlings “Honeyland” and “Atlantics.” I found both to be meandering and pretentious, with the former repeatedly setting off my contrivance radar, always a bad omen for a documentary. Too much introspection, on the other hand, was what beleaguered Joanna Hogg’s “The Souvenir,” tedious proof that not every filmmaker is a Noah Baumbach or Pedro Almodovar when it comes to making autobiographical films. Along with those three turkeys, I'll toss in Joe Talbot’s addled “The Last Black Man in San Francisco.” I thought it dumb and self-indulgent. And speaking of self-indulgent, my final slot goes to Terrence Malick’s DOA World War II saga, “A Hidden Life.” It should have remained concealed, thus allotting me the three hours of my life I could have better spent staring at the ceiling. | 2 |
2020 is here and the contestants embrace it by wake up to new hopes. But even new beginnings could not hold them from fighting and bickering, as if its some vicious loop they cannot find a way out of. ‘Roti’ and ‘Duty’ continue to be the two important ‘Muddas’ of fights inside the house. The breakfast is delayed and Shehnaz Gill tries to convince Rashami Desai and Vishal Aditya Singh to club lunch and dinner to which Rashami opposes stating that this has become a trend in her captaincy. The duo also claims that breakfast is always skipped which hurts Mahira Sharma as she the one responsible for the duty. Objecting to the allegation, Mahira clarifies that she has been cooking breakfast every day on time and even making extra rotis for everyone. But that seems to leave Rashami and Vishal unaffected and the three get into a verbal spat, playing the blame game once again.
Later, Vishal gets upset when he finds out that there are only two parathas made for him instead of five and he questions Mahira. She states that as a process, only two parathas are being made for everyone for breakfast and asks him to make the parties himself if they aren't enough for him. Adamant Vishal rebels by refusing to perform his duty of washing utensils. This creates havoc inside the house while captain Shehnaz tries to convince Vishal to perform his duties.
The first day of the year also calls for the nominations and Bigg Boss asks the contestants to put their thumb imprint on the face of the contestant they wish to nominate supporting it with a valid reason. Asim Riaz's differences with Shefali Jariwal leads to her nomination wherein former states she doesn’t deserve his friendship. The nominations take an ugly turn when Paras Chhabra nominates Shefali Bagga, Shefali Jariwala nominates Madhurima Tuli and Vishal nominates Mahira. Vishal calls Mahira ‘zero’ without Paras and as a payback, she nominates Madhurima.
The evening gets romantic thanks to the cute ‘Sidnaz’ moment. Shehnaz tries her best to get Sidharth to confess his feelings for her while Aarti joins in and questions them about each others' likes and dislikes. Sidharth says that he likes Shehnaz as a friend, wherein Shehnaz says she likes everything about Sidharth and loves him, and that she wants a guy just like him.
Follow @News18Movies for more
Get the best of News18 delivered to your inbox - subscribe to News18 Daybreak. Follow News18.com on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and on YouTube, and stay in the know with what's happening in the world around you – in real time. | Sunil Grover, who has of late taken the responsibility of breaking the contestants' monotony through his power-packed entertainment, is back into the house. The housemates welcome their favorite Gutthi as she surprises them with the good news about her marriage and also introduces her twin sister Putki. Just when the contestants were wondering who Putki is, Sunny Leone enters the house bringing smiles to everyone’s face. Sunny and Gutthi then introduce the Chappal awards. They call the contestants one by one to give them their special Chappal award with amusing categories like Tera bhi khana khaungi award and many more.
Displaying her romantic personality, Gutthi shares a lovey-dovey moment with Sidharth and pulls his leg for lying around under the quilt all the time. After spending some fun time with the special guests, the contestants retire for the day.
The next morning begins some motivation and serious game planning. Vishal and Asim boost Rashami to strengthen her game by making an unpredictable move by using her and Sidharth's equation.Later in the afternoon, Bigg Boss introduces the Bigg Boss calendar task to the contestants. Shehnaz is assigned the job to click five photos that involve all the housemates in different poses. They have to recreate moments and narrate a story through the pictures.Shehnaz begins by clicking Aarti and Shefali Bagga individually to show their independent personality. Shefali Jariwala and Asim strike a muscular pose showcasing their fit bodies. Paras and Shehnaz disagree on one pose which upsets Shehnaz and she ends up crying blaming Paras for being jealous.After the calendar shoot task, Bigg Boss gives them another interesting task. Its 31st eve and the new year is just a few hours away. Much to everyone’s surprise, they are asked to put on their best party dress on and get ready for a New Year bash. The contestants are divided into two groups- Team Shehnaz- Shehnaz, Sidharth, Paras, Mahira, Shefali Jariwala and Aarti while Team Rashami has Rashami, Vishal, Asim, Shefali Bagga, and Madhurima. The garden area is divided into two parts. Each team has to make their party the most happening one which will be attended by guests coming in from the Colors Family. The teams have to make sure that the guests are part of their team’s party and not attend their opponent's party. Each team tries their best to keep the guests entertained.The first one to enter is Raghbir and Pragati (Pearl V Puri and Ishita Dutta) who ask the contestants to get together and name the contestant who they dislike. The contestant with the maximum number of negative points has to entertain them by dancing. The cast of other shows of Colors’ like Meher and Sarabjit (Nimrat Kaur and Avinesh Rekhi) from Choti Sarrdaarni, Vidya and Vivek (Meera Deosthale and Namish Taneja) from Vidya, Raja and Rani (Mahima Makhwana and Akshit Sukhija) from Shubharambh and Nayantara and Dev (Jasmin Bhasin and Vijayendra Kumeria) from Naagin also join the party. As and when the guests enter the house, Sidharth and the team manage to grab everyone’s attention and get them on their side. As the clock strikes 12, they all ring in the new year together and party their hearts out.Follow @News18Movies for more | 3 |
Many Barbadians will once again be forking out hundreds, and possibly thousands, of dollars to attend New Year’s Eve celebrations to ring in 2020, as they put aside any economic concerns they may have had throughout the year.
Come tomorrow night, thousands of Barbadians are expected to scatter across the island at various venues to welcome a new year with loved ones, friends and well-wishers.
Many are also expected to gather at several vantage points along the island’s coasts to catch a glimpse of the fireworks that will light up the night skies to signal the end of one decade and the start of a new one.
While several food establishments will be serving up special dinners, bars, hotels and night clubs will be seeking to attract patrons for the countdown.
There will also be several house parties and other private events.
Ticketed and paid events will range from as low as $25 to more than $500.
In keeping with the glitz and glamour of the night, several individuals are also expected to purchase outfits and ensure they are in fine form, from head to toe.
While a haircut for a man could cost up to $35, nails and hairstyles for women could reach as much as $100 and $500 respectively.
“Yes, I will be getting my hair done and my nails, but I don’t know how much it will cost yet,” said one lady as she made a purchase, which she said was an outfit to wear to the celebrations at the Hilton tomorrow night.
Two salon operators who also requested that their names not be used told Barbados TODAY there had been a steady flow of people coming to get their New Year’s Eve hairdos and nails done.
Perhaps the most expensive event on the cards for tomorrow will be the diamond coast Nikki Beach Barbados celebrations, which will have Grammy Award-winning international recording artist Estelle as its headliner.
The luxury beach club location is promising patrons an open bar, a special menu, spectacular fireworks display and other perks under a Roaring ‘20s theme.
Meanwhile, the popular Hilton Resort is promising “the best fireworks display” at its all-inclusive party titled All that Glitters.
For a ticket price of $350, the expected thousands of partygoers will be treated to a delicious buffet selection, premium drinks and infectious soca by the group Krosfyah, and a full band performance by 2 Mile Hill.
On the south coast, celebrators will have the option of ringing in 2020 at the Ocean Two Resort and Residences all-inclusive Playing with Fire beach lime, with a bonfire, limbo, live DJs, delicious food stations and an open bar, for a price of $195 for adults and $98 for children 12 years and under.
Elevate Suit & Tie has a Monte Carlo-themed, premium drinks inclusive celebration. And while limited special pricing was $170 for ladies and $190 for men, regular prices have reached $200 for women and $220 for gents.
Financial consultant and economist Jeremy Stephen told Barbados TODAY the New Year’s Eve celebration was simply one of those things people would spend on even if they were concerned about low income throughout the year.
He explained that while people would be more “discriminatory” towards some products or services at other times of the year, they tend to spend on special occasions.
“They obviously chose what is cheaper while sacrificing quality in the short-term, with hopes that income will rise in time, but when it comes to items like New Year’s Eve celebrations, there are some factors that fall into place that are interesting,” said Stephen.
“Price no longer really is the determinant, but rather the fact that you are shopping an exclusive type of event – something that is supposed to be once in a blue moon, something that is supposed to give certain glitz and glamour,” he added.
In giving a short analysis of the kind of spending expected for the one night of celebration, Stephen further explained: “It is all about the emotional ties or feelings that you get with a New Year’s Day celebrations. That is what they are thinking about and that is what people pay for.”
“So, they react more so to the crowd that they are going to be with and less so to the price.”
Some of the more affordable celebrations will take place at various clubs and bars.
The Truth Lounge in Maxwell is promising live performances with a general admission cost of $35, while UWI, BCC & Ross University students will pay $25 with identification.
Meanwhile, the Dukes Night Lounge in Holetown will be hosting its “drinks free” New Year’s Eve celebrations for general admission of $80.
With several people reporting that they will be going out for an Old Year’s Night dinner, several establishments have also been advertising specials.
The 6 Mix Bar on the south coast, will be offering an open kitchen, live deejay and free champagne party, for a price of $100 per person or $180 per couple, that will include house drinks and party favours.
Meanwhile, the Horny Ram Pub, in Trents, St James will be serving up a three-course menu with complimentary drinks and a live deejay, for a cost of $275 per person. | Dear 2020:
Man, that’s different. I mean, when you’ve been writing 19 for quite a few years — a decade, I guess — jotting “20” is going to take some getting used to.
You were ushered in Wednesday night, deservedly so, as you assume your role in the next dozen months, etching yourself in history.
So much for the obligatory small talk. Let’s get to work.
You undoubtedly recognize the challenges and issues we all collectively are facing.
Maybe the festive environment suggests our first should be, alas, light-hearted. Fun. New Year’s resolutions that, mysteriously, fade away in early January.
I might not be doing my job if we chuckled and laughed ourselves into your year of reign.
These are tough — even uncomfortable — topics. But, if we start the discussion now, when we gather a year from now, we can look in the rearview mirror and celebrate how we create new ways of doing things.
So: buckle up.
Financial stablity is obviously a concern. An introduction of a carbon tax in Albertan, working out to roughly four cents per litre at the pump, will change how we do things, especially in motor vehicle transportation.
Please forgive the pun: we haven’t been down that road before.
Not only for professional drivers. But young families, like our son and his three sons who love driving to look at trains, may think long and hard before buckling up.
It’s change. And we all struggle with change, don’t we?
Please be gentle with us as we navigate through the new carbon tax.
There are more topics. I am sure you know about them, so please consider this as a friendly reminder.
I could spew hundreds — even thousands — of words on political leaders who seem to be fixated on raising their own personal agendas, and egos, on social media and media availability.
One has to seriously ponder what could be accomplished if those comments — and more importantly, energy — addressed social issues.
I also think we should look at how we can encourage, support and embrace our most precious future commodity: our youth.
A television news story just rolled out about school bus fees going up in February. School boards are making decisions that, honestly, could shape the futures of kids in ways that could be detrimental.
Last year, Tom Hanks played the part of the most lovable Fred Rogers in a feature film. We all knew him wearing those knitted, colourful sweaters in a television series for kids and impacted countless kids in even more countless ways.
We need to find another Fred Rogers who can gently relate to kids in a way they can be entertained but learn lessons, that, yes: they can do whatever they dream. And we will be there to turn those dreams into 4K reality.
So, 2020 — that’s how I see things.
I am confident you can make things turn out just fine. Because … you have time on your side.
Happy New Year!
—Cam | 1 |
If the Tokyo Olympics aren’t enough reason to plan a trip to Japan this summer, Japan Airlines has an offer that could sweeten the deal—free tickets to a surprise destination in the country for 50,000 lucky travelers.
To encourage visitors to travel more widely within Japan, the airline is giving away free round-trip tickets for flights within Japan to foreign tourists this summer.
There are a few requirements: Travelers must fly to Japan on Japan Airlines between July 1 and Sept. 30. They must also be registered with the carrier’s Mileage Bank frequent flier program.
Applications for the program will open in late February and the airline is expected to release more details in January. The free tickets will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. You can learn more about the program on Japan Airlines’ website.
The airline offers direct flights to major U.S. cities, but travelers can book connections from other cities on the Japan Airlines website.
Applicants will select which airport they want to fly out of — either Haneda Airport in Tokyo, or Itami or Kansai Airports in Osaka. Travelers will be shown four possible destinations within Japan. If they win, they’ll receive an email within three days notifying them which of the four places they’ll be flying free to.
All Nippon Airways, Japan’s largest airline, will be offering discount airfares to lesser-visited parts of Japan this summer. The tickets, which will allow travelers to make multi-stop trips, will go on sale in time for the Olympics.
Read more: Everything You Need to Know About the 2020 Summer Olympics
Japan is expected to see a surge in tourism this summer as the country hosts the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo from July 24 to Aug. 9. Some famous hotels in the capital have already stopped taking room reservations and a 14,000-room shortfall is forecast. The government expects that the Olympics will attract about 10 million visitors, according to Japan Times.
The country has been seeing a tourist boom in recent years. Japan saw more than 31 million international visitors in 2018, including 1.5 million from the U.S., according to figures from the Japan National Tourist Organization.
Final preparations for the 2020 games are underway; the new national stadium, which will be used as the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies, was completed earlier this month. The official Olympics mascot, a half-superhero, half-robot name Miraitowa, has also been unveiled.
This is the second time the Olympics has been held in Tokyo. In 1964, the city became the first in Asia to host the games. | To celebrate Tokyo hosting the 2020 Summer Olympics, Japan Airlines (JAL) is giving away 50,000 round-trip tickets for international tourists.
The campaign, called "Win a Trip with JAL,” will begin in late February ahead of the Olympics, which begin July 24.
The free tickets are for domestic travel within Japan leaving from Haneda Airport in Tokyo and Osaka or Kansai International airports in Osaka. It is designed to give tourists coming to the Olympics from other countries a chance to see Japan outside of Tokyo.
The promotion is part of the larger "Your Japan 2020" campaign, aiming to give travelers cheaper fares on international and domestic flights, discounted excursions and more, according to USA Today.
As always, there are restrictions. For starters, this is not for residents of Japan. If you have a Japanese passport, you need to have permanent residence in a different country to access the promotion. The promotion is also only available for JAL Mileage Bank members not registered in Japan. And flight need to be reserved at least a week in advance of the first flight (and your return flight can't be longer than 10 days later).
Also, JAL announced it's bringing back a beloved Japanese tradition known as “Hatsuhinode,” which translates to “welcoming of the first sunrise,” with its "First Sunrise Flight." Guests will be able to take in the glory of the first sunrise of 2020 and reflect on the year ahead with a glass of mazu-sake and beautiful views of Mount Fuji’s peak, lit up by bright rays of sunshine, symbolizing good luck.
Passengers onboard will also enjoy osechi bento meals and specially prepared dishes traditionally eaten on the first day of January. | 4 |
It's a new year — and that means provincial changes to OHIP have kicked in, leaving Ontarians travelling outside Canada without built in, out-of-country health insurance.
Critics say the switch could lead to increased costs and erect barriers to health care, while the province maintains the program just wasn't working.
But both sides are unified on one message: anyone from Ontario travelling abroad should make sure to buy insurance before heading off on any trip.
"Consumers and travellers should not be travelling without insurance," said Louise Blazik, director of Travel College Canada.
"The government has always strongly encouraged individuals to purchase additional travel health insurance so they are adequately covered every time they leave Ontario to travel abroad," said David Jensen, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care spokesperson, in an email.
The province announced its decision to scrap the program last May following a six-day public consultation, saying it was very costly and did not provide value to taxpayers.
OHIP previously covered out-of-country inpatient services up to $400 per day for higher levels of care like intensive care, as well up to $50 per day for emergency outpatient and doctor services.
Jensen told CBC Toronto that the program spent a third of its funding on administrative costs and didn't help with meaningful travel coverage.
"The program's coverage is very limited with five cents of every dollar claimed," he said.
"Fully 95 per cent of claims are paid directly to insurance companies. With this limited coverage and low reimbursement rate, OHIP-eligible Ontarians who do not purchase private travel health insurance can be left with catastrophically large bills to pay."
Premiums surge
A consequence of the cancellation is insurance companies have now hiked their premiums, said Marissa Lennox, chief policy officer with the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP).
"We've heard from our members that they have been affected by this. Their premiums have gone up as a result as companies prepare for the new year," she said.
"It's become a barrier for them, that they can no longer afford the cost of private insurance because those companies are now bearing the full brunt of the costs."
Health Minister Christine Eilliott has said the province was spending $2.8 million to administer about $9 million in claim payments through the program each year. (Tijana Martin/Canadian Press)
The market for travel among retired people in Canada is huge, Lennox said, adding that almost 40 per cent of the province's population aged 65 or older took a trip outside the country last year.
"This is just an example where the government has made a decision without fully considering the full impact it would have on older adults in Ontario. They haven't done anything to address the fact that premiums have gone up," she said.
The Canadian Snowbird Association has said the program's cancellation would not only impact seniors who travel south during the winter months, but also cross-border shoppers and anyone planning a family vacation.
Province cites high administrative costs
Minister of Health Christine Elliott previously said the province was spending $2.8 million to administer approximately $9 million in claim payments through the program every year.
In a 2018 report, Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk said the Ministry of Health processed an average of 88,000 out-of-country claims per year over a five-year period through the program, and paid an average of $127 per claim.
Lysyk also noted the high administrative costs of the program, but said they arise because staff must check varying physician services fee rates and process claims manually. She recommended that the government seek ways to reduce administrative costs by adopting a single reimbursement rate for all health services obtained outside Canada.
Blazik, who has worked in the travel industry for decades, said the province's old program wouldn't make a dent in a bill for a significant hospital stay in another country — especially the U.S.
On average, it can cost several thousand dollars a day to stay in an American hospital, she said.
"People absolutely have to have travel insurance," Blazik said.
"Without that, hospital expenses just off the bat are horrendous." | CLICK HERE if you are having a problem viewing the photos or videos on a mobile device
To ring in the new year, California’s own Tom Meyer whipped up a cartoon about the state’s new data privacy law, which took effect Wednesday.
Before you commit to resolutions and reinvent yourself for the new decade, look back on the biggest news stories that Meyer satirized last year, ranging from a record number of horse deaths at racing tracks to the first photograph ever taken of a black hole and Pacific Gas & Electric’s bankruptcy declaration.
Front and center, though, is Meyer’s latest, which focuses on how Bay Area tech companies will reckon with the California Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA, passed in 2018 amid data scandals involving Equifax, Facebook and company. The Associated Press is calling the new bill the “biggest U.S. effort yet to confront ‘surveillance capitalism.’”
Related Articles Political cartoons: So long, 2019 — and welcome, 2020
Political cartoons: House to vote Wednesday on impeaching Trump
Political cartoons: Russia banned from 2020 Tokyo Olympics over doping scandal
Cartoons: How President Trump the Grinch cut food stamps, incensed North Korean leader
Cartoons: Trump’s exaggeration about low-flow toilets Meanwhile, our editorial board is cautiously optimistic on the imperfect law. But how does that affect you? According to our editorial board and the bill’s author, the law also known as AB 375 would:
• Give internet users control over their personal information by requiring providers to obtain “opt-in” consent before they can use, disclose, sell or allow others access to customer’s personal information.
• Require that broadband providers maintain reasonable security protection so information can’t be collected by a third party.
• Give users the right to compel companies to delete private data that they collected on individuals.
• Prohibit companies from selling data about children under the age of 13 without a parent’s consent.
For more political cartoons, CLICK HERE | 1 |
The Longstreet Society will hold a memorial service and open house Sunday in Gainesville to honor their namesake, Lt. General James Longstreet.
The service will be at Alta Vista Cemetery on Jesse Jewel Parkway and the open house will be held immediately after at the Piedmont Hotel on Maple Street, the society's headquarters. The service is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. and will include historical readings and live music, and hot chocolate and snacks will be served at the open house.
Longstreet fought in the Civil War as second in command to General Robert E. Lee and later became a prominent business man in Gainesville from the late 1800's until his death in 1904. The Longstreet Society was formed in 1994 in his honor.
More information on the service can be found on the society's website. | (Breitbart) – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said during a campaign stop over the weekend that he should “get the hell out of politics” if he cannot win an election based on his ideas.
During a town hall stop in New Hampshire, Sanders — alluding to voter suppression — suggested that if a politician cannot win an election based on his or her ideas, they should “get the hell out of politics.”
He said:
I really think that this is obscene, and I believe from the bottom of my heart as somebody who’s won elections and I’ve lost elections, I could deal with losing an election but I will never sit around trying to think “oh I gotta keep you from voting because you might vote against me.”
“If I can’t win an election on my ideas, then I should get the hell out of politics,” Sanders continued. “So that’s what it’s about”:
Sen. Bernie Sanders: "If I can't win an election on my ideas, then I should get the hell out of politics." pic.twitter.com/aGZQnKKQMg — The Hill (@thehill) December 29, 2019
Sanders has experienced a spike in the polls in recent weeks, overtaking Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) for second place. The current Real Clear Politics average shows the socialist senator with 18.9 percent support.
Before departing the Granite State for Iowa on Sunday, Sanders sat down for an interview with Keene’s Sentinel Source. He told the newspaper that the “culture” in America needs to change.
“We’ve gotta change the culture, I think, in this country,” stated. “And that culture is one of greed.
“We need — the revolution in health care is the simple revolution,” he continued. “The simple moral concept is health care is a human right; we guarantee it to all people. But once we do that — we do that tomorrow — it’s not gonna solve all the problems.”
breitbart.com/politics/2019/12/31/bernie-sanders-if-i-cant-win-an-election-on-my-ideas-i-should-get-the-hell-out-of-politics/ | 1.333333 |
Stratford kindergarten registration to begin in February
STRATFORD — Kindergarten registration for August 2020 will begin in the month of February.
If you have a child who will turn five (5) years of age on or before Jan. 1, 2021, please complete the online name collection form available on the Stratford Board of Education website at www.stratfordk12.org. It is located under “Families” and “Kindergarten Information.”
If you have any questions, please call the Registration Department at (203) 381-6924. Parent(s)/guardian(s) will receive information about the online Kindergarten Registration process when the 2020-2021 Kindergarten Registration Packet becomes available in early February 2020. | Small turning circle: How big a role does it really play?
By DPA | 2 January 2020
BERLIN: Just how agile a car is can be determined by looking at its turning circle — the smallest circular turn the vehicle can make.
The less space a car needs for a U-turn, the more straightforward the car's handling will be. This makes things easier when parking in difficult conditions, manoeuvring in a garage or slipping through narrow exits.
As such, the advantages of a small turning circle are especially obvious in city traffic, says a major German safety inspection agency.
A small turning circle implies a large steering range made possible by the axles and wheels.
For technical reasons, larger vehicles with a longer wheelbase, such as a mid-size saloon, tend to have a larger turning circle than small cars.
The construction of the drive unit also plays an important role. A large five-cylinder transverse engine will give the front wheels and the steering much less turning room than a four-cylinder engine.
Front-wheel-drive vehicles usually have a slightly larger turning circle than rear-wheel drive cars, since the latter usually have more space for the front wheels to turn freely. | 1 |
(Eagle News)-At least 164 firecracker-related injuries were recorded during the holidays, when people welcomed the New Year.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the lower number since the 251 recorded in 2019 could be attributed to Executive Order No. 28 issued by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2017.
The order regulates the use of firecrackers.
In a separate statement, the Philippine National Police hailed the holidays were the most peaceful, with zero deaths recorded.
The PNP said at least 21 were arrested for illegal discharge of firearms. | MANILA, Philippines — A total ban on firecrackers and fireworks must be imposed to avoid injuries on future New Year celebrations, an environmental watchdog suggested.
In a statement EcoWaste Coalition said it is dismayed by the injuries inflicted by both legal and illegal fireworks, especially on young victims.
Related Stories Firecracker injuries down 35%; zero deaths
“One injury is one too many and our society has to do more to discontinue the bloody and polluting tradition of ringing in the New Year with firecrackers and fireworks, legal or not,” Thony Dizon, EcoWaste chemical safety campaigner, said.
Department of Health on Wednesday reported that 164 firecracker-related injuries were recorded from December 21 to January 1, 35% lower than 251 cases registered in the same period last year.
Although there is no case of firecracker ingestion, stray bullet injury and death reported, DOH still failed to achieve its goal of zero casualty.
Among the top firecrackers causing injuries were kwitis (33), luces (19), fountain (18) and piccolo (13).
Legally sold firecrackers accounted for 59% of all injuries, while illegal fireworks for 32% and unknown fireworks for 10%.
“As there is no such thing as non-dangerous and non-toxic firecrackers and fireworks, our society has to make difficult decisions in order to protect public health and the environment, including phasing out the production of firecrackers and fireworks and finding alternative livelihoods for the affected sector,” Dizon said.
Dizon added: “To achieve zero injury and zero pollution during the New Year revelry, we need to seriously look at banning firecrackers and fireworks altogether.”
Since becoming Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte—who was a longtime Davao City mayor—has imposed his hometown formula nationwide and ordered strict regulation of the sale and use of firecrackers.
In 2018, the chief executive ordered the Philippine National Police to confiscate and destroy prohibited fireworks. He also directed that the issuance of new licenses and permits is also suspended, pending the compliance review of those who have licenses and permits.
Earlier in 2017, he signed Executive Order 28, which limits the use of firecrackers to community fireworks display. — Gaea Katreena Cabico | 3.666667 |
Tim Kurkjian explains why the Tampa Bay Rays were his favorite team to cover in the past 10 years and details the story of his favorite moment with an analyst. (1:58)
Which pitcher saved his lunch money as a kid to buy shoes and now owns 500 pairs? Whose head is so giant his helmet could fit a six-pack of beer -- with ice? And whose memorable ceremonial first pitch split his catcher's pants?
As the 2010s come to a close, Tim Kurkjian shares some behind-the-scenes stories of characters and moments that helped, in their way, to define the decade in baseball.
'Is that the thesis you stole from me?'
George Gojkovich/Getty Images
Ross Ohlendorf: Smartest player of the decade
A National Leaguer played a game in 17 ballparks in 2010, noticed the retired numbers in each, and eventually asked a teammate, "How many teams did Jackie Robinson play for?" That was the dumbest, or at least the most confused, player of the decade.
The smartest player of the decade was pitcher Ross Ohlendorf. He played for several big league teams. He went to Princeton, as did fellow pitcher Chris Young, who is also brilliant beyond words. "Oh," Young said when asked, "he is way smarter than I am. He is on a different level."
Ohlendorf did not get an 800 in math on his SATs. "I got one wrong," he said, but he took a similar test and said, without pretense, "I think I got them all right."
Princeton baseball coach Scott Bradley said, "There was a famous card game at Princeton when Ross played cards for the first time with his teammates. He raised in the middle of a hand. One of his teammates said, 'What are you doing raising now?' Ross said, 'Three hands ago, Steve had an ace and a king ... ' He was able to recall plays from three previous hands. At that point, guys threw their cards down and said, 'Let's do something else.'"
At Princeton, Ohlendorf wrote his senior thesis on the MLB draft, examining, among other things, the investment and financial return for the top players in the draft. "He is so smart," said one of Ohlendorf's teammates, then-Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson. "We give him a hard time about how smart he is, and he'll come right back at us. We'll say, 'Ross, what is the percentage chance of this or that happening?' And he'll say, 'The percentage chance of you winning that game of Pluck [a card game] is 65.678%, not 65.667%."
Teammates loved him for his smarts. As Ohlendorf was explaining his thesis to a writer, Pirates closer Matt Capps walked by and said, "Oh, is that the thesis you stole from me?"
Magic Mike
Thomas Levinson/MLB via Getty Images
Michael Cuddyer: Best teammate of the decade
When Delmon Young joined the Twins in 2008, manager Ron Gardenhire pointed at teammate Michael Cuddyer and told Young, "Follow him. Do what he does. Be like him."
Be like Mike. Michael Cuddyer was the No. 1 pick by the Twins in 1997. The day he was drafted, he was taking a calculus test. The high school principal interrupted the class and called Cuddyer into the hall to tell him that he had been selected by the Twins in the first round. Cuddyer went back into the class and finished the test. Years later, I asked him if that was all true. He sheepishly said, "Well, most of it. It was a pre-calculus class, not calculus."
There was never a better teammate over the past decade than Cuddyer. His first spring training, he tried to get to know his teammates better by walking up to a group of them, including star Kirby Puckett, who were playing cards. "You guys want to see a magic trick?" He dazzled teammates with an amazing card trick. He was of one them forever.
In 2006, the Twins acquired second baseman Luis Castillo, whose locker was placed next to Cuddyer's. Cuddyer showed Castillo a magic trick. It was stunning. "He's from right on the line between the Dominican Republic and Haiti; he has some ... I don't know, black gods things going," Cuddyer said. "He saw me do this trick and said, 'Whooooo.' The next day, he moved his locker across the room. He didn't want to locker next to me anymore."
Cuddyer retired after the 2015 season because he didn't feel he could play well enough to deserve the roughly $10 million the Mets owed him. He gave the money back. Magic, indeed.
'I barely caught it ... I split my pants'
Brad Newton-Pool/Getty Images
Nolan Ryan: Best ceremonial first pitch of the decade
Nolan Ryan is the greatest power pitcher ever, the hardest pitcher to hit; he threw a baseball as hard as any man alive for nearly 25 years. Power pitchers will always be power pitchers, no matter how old they get. In 2012, at age 65, Ryan was asked to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Rangers game. It surely was the greatest first pitch of the decade.
Ryan, being Ryan, was not about to go out there in front of the home crowd and lob a first pitch from the front of the mound. He got loose in the batting cage under the stadium, went to the top of the mound and fired the ceremonial first pitch at -- and this has been confirmed -- 80 mph.
His catcher was Jim Sundberg, a six-time Gold Glove winner. He had caught Ryan many times, but he was not ready for 80 mph.
"I barely caught it," Sundberg said. "I had to bend down quickly just to catch it. I split my pants. I had to be careful walking off the field."
'Have you ever considered batting right-handed?'
Brian Kersey/Getty Images
Adam Dunn: Worst player, single season, of the decade
In spring training 2012, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen told me, "Adam Dunn is my favorite player of all time. Last year, he was the worst player I have ever seen. But after every game, he stood at his locker and took it. The next day, he always showed up ready to play."
Dunn was the worst player, for a single season, in the decade. The lefty-hitting slugger had averaged 35 home runs over the previous 10 years and hit at least 40 in five consecutive seasons. But in 2011, he batted only .159 and struck out 177 times. He, Mark Reynolds, Chris Davis and Joey Gallo are the only players ever to qualify for the batting title and have a higher strikeout total than their batting average.
The following year, Dunn had recovered from his horrendous season and had a pretty good year. I asked him for the strangest piece of advice he had received the season before. Dunn laughed out loud and said, "My wife, not a great baseball fan, asked me, 'Have you ever considered batting right-handed?'"
'Do want to come over? We'll go out in the backyard and make some s'mores'
Michael Ivins/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images
Terry Francona: Best baseball TV analyst of the decade
The best baseball TV analyst of the decade was Tito Francona, and he only did it for one season. His first assignment at ESPN was spring training 2012, and my boss gave him to me in hopes that maybe I could help him navigate through a new job and help him with, among other things, his impossibly bad sense of direction. This was surprising to me given that I have no sense of direction, but compared to Tito Francona, I was Vasco da Gama.
Our first assignment on the Bus Tour was in Orlando, Florida, where ESPN had us stay at Fort Wilderness, which is a Disney property literally in the woods. The rooms were individual log cabins with bunk beds, as if we were Cub Scouts. "As soon as I walked in," Tito said, "I thought it was a joke. I thought everyone was going to jump out from behind a curtain and go, 'Ha!' When they didn't, I thought, 'Maybe I should have gone to Fox.'"
Tito had won two World Series with the Red Sox, he was on his way to the Hall of Fame as a manager, and he was staying at a campsite. Tito called the front desk of the property looking for room service. The nice lady told him, "Sir, room service here is the Coke machine you saw in the front lobby." After 10 incredulous minutes, Tito called my room and said, "Do want to come over? We'll go out in the backyard and make some s'mores."
The funniest spring of my life continued two days later at Yankees camp with Tito as a working member of the media. "I was dressed in a Today's Man $89 suit, pinstriped," Tito said. "It's the first time that I have ever said 'Good luck this year' to [Yankees manager] Joe Girardi and meant it. It was weird. I threw that suit in the trash can that night."
I laughed all spring. I asked Tito how bad the Phillies were when he managed them. "We were so bad, and we were so young," he said. "I was trying to teach them how to win, and how to be professionals. My closer was Wayne Gomes. Great kid but so young with so much to learn. So I bring him in from the bullpen in the ninth inning, and he gets to the mound and he has mustard all over his jersey. I screamed, 'Gomesy, what are you doing? You can't come into a game with mustard on your jersey!' He said, 'Tito, it wasn't me. Some people in the stands threw hot dogs at me when I was leaving the bullpen.'"
Then Tito laughed.
"And we were at home," he said.
'He was never wrong. Never'
Matt York/AP Photo
Torey Lovullo: Best (legal) sign stealer of the decade
For 150 years, stealing signs has been an integral (and, lately, extremely controversial) part of the game. So many have been so good at it: Gene Mauch, Sandy Alomar Sr., his boys Roberto and Sandy Jr., Eduardo Perez, Buck Showalter, Rich Dauer, Davey Lopes, Ted Simmons, Paul Molitor, Joe Nossek, Tom Foley. But no one was better this decade than Torey Lovullo.
"Torey is the best sign stealer on the planet," said former infielder Kelly Johnson, an ex-teammate. "When he was the first-base coach with Toronto [in 2011 and 2012], he would make a little hissing noise when the pitcher was throwing over to first base. He was never wrong. Never."
'Oh my God, how can we do this?' An oral history of the 1994 MLB strike that nearly destroyed baseball. Tim Kurkjian »
"He is a great decoder," said Cubs third-base coach Brian Butterfield, who took signs from Lovullo when Lovullo managed 48 games for the Red Sox in 2015. "We watch the same guys, he picks up things that no one else can. I ask, 'What did you see? I can't see that.'"
Lovullo is wicked smart and observant, he is a former player, a former coach and currently the manager of the Diamondbacks. He said sign stealing is "alive and well today. Every pitch of every game, a sign is being given. It is the underworld side of the game, and it is understood by everyone in the game. There are a lot of moving parts every night." (The Astros are currently embroiled in a sign-stealing controversy, but unlike Lovullo, they allegedly needed electronic assistance, where Lovullo just uses his eyes.)
He doesn't mind staring at another man for four hours at a time because, he said, "we are trying to win a pitch, win an inning, win a moment. That can make a difference in a division race. It's all about helping your team gain a competitive advantage. What's happening inside the game is the grease that runs the engine of the game."
Stealing signs can be difficult. "The [2017] Twins, I couldn't decode what they are doing," Lovullo said. "The teams that are hypersensitive to those things are the teams that are doing it themselves. They are so good at concealing signs because they are so good at stealing signs. I am trying to crack into the president's bedroom, and they will not let me in."
'I hit a home run in a trash can'
AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
Mike Trout: Best player of the decade
The greatest player of the decade, Mike Trout, is the greatest player of almost any decade. And it's because of his insatiable competitiveness, not just in baseball but anything.
"So one spring, I invented this game in batting practice," said Raul Ibanez, a former teammate of Trout's with the Angels. "There are screens all over the field in BP. If you hit that screen, you get X number of points; that screen, X number, etc. The first day I played him, I won 9-3. He was so mad that he lost. He came in the next day and said, 'We're playing again!' I told him I didn't want to. He said, 'Yes, you are!' We played. He beat me 40-4."
Trout Tracker Mike Trout is now better than ... wait for it ... Derek Jeter. Sam Miller »
Ibanez said that during the same spring, Trout whispered to the guys in his BP hitting group, "'See that trash can out there beyond the left-center-field fence? I'm going to hit a home run in it.' This wasn't a dumpster, it's a green trash can like you might see in a park. And maybe 15 pitches later, he hit a homer in the trash can. He did it a few more times that spring."
Years later, I went to Trout for confirmation. He was embarrassed. He wouldn't confirm it.
I pressed.
"OK," he said. "I hit a home run in a trash can."
That's Trout. "He does everything in his life at 100 mph," said pitcher Garrett Richards, a former teammate and one of Trout's best friends. "He came to a cookout one spring. We were having steaks on the grill. I was cooking. I put his steak on, and after about a minute, he said, 'Come on, it's done, let's eat.' I said, 'It's not done. There is a process to this. Let the process work.' But with him, he has to win -- and he has to win, or do anything, right now."
'I saved my lunch money as a kid to buy shoes'
Getty Images
2019 Tampa Bay Rays: Favorite team to cover of the decade
My favorite team to cover during the decade was the 2019 Rays. They were electric, so eclectic.
Pitcher Tyler Glasnow's mother is a former gymnast. He is 6-foot-8, and he can do a backflip. I told him he has to be the tallest man to do that. "No," he said, "I'm sure there are taller."
Ace Blake Snell owns 500 pairs of shoes. "I'm going to build another room in my house, just for shoes," he said. "I've always loved them. I saved my lunch money as a kid to buy shoes."
Wearing their hearts on their ... backs How players are using uniform numbers to break MLB's unwritten rules. Joon Lee »
Pitcher Charlie Morton is an expert barbecue cook. Brisket is among his many specialties. He has a hitch on his car, allowing him to take his barbecue rig on the road. He often starts his cooking at 3 a.m. I asked if he ever cooked for his teammates. "There's no way I'm going to drive to the Trop at 3 a.m.," he said. "Anyway, who would come?"
Infielder Brandon Lowe, at rookie development camp, won the rock-paper-scissors championship. "I used to play every day at [the University of] Maryland with our shortstop," he said. For energy, he eats applesauce from a squeeze pack every day. "Whatever works," he said.
Infielder Matt Duffy, while on the injured list, took up painting to kill time. He took the Bob Ross course on TV. "I got pretty good," he said, "but I had to rewind it 1,000 times to get it right."
Outfielder Tommy Pham has issues with his contact lenses. He carries a woman's compact in the back of his uniform pants and, during games, uses it to check his contacts.
Korean first baseman Ji-Man Choi is "the funniest man in the world," said teammate Kevin Kiermaier. "He speaks three languages. I mostly speak Spanish with him. He hit a walk-off homer this year [in September], and when he rounded third, it looked like he was kicking a field goal."
Duffy said, "It looked more like he was bunting in a kickball game. There is no telling what Ji-Man might do. But whatever he does, it's going to make us laugh."
'Only in Boch's helmet can you put a six-pack of beer with ice'
Jeff Chiu/Getty Images
Bruce Bochy: Best manager of the decade
The best manager of the decade was Bruce Bochy, who won three World Series in a five-year span. No one ran a bullpen better than he did. And no one was better at self-deprecation, especially about his head size, which is 8¼, easily the biggest head in the game.
'The sound of fear' Thirty years ago, the Loma Prieta earthquake shook the World Series -- and the world. Tim Kurkjian »
In the winter of 2011, Bochy tried skiing for the first time. "I thought I could do it; I'm still somewhat athletic," he said. "As it turns out, I'm not. I got off the ski lift, then I kind of slipped off, and the lift hit me in the back of the head. My gloves and hat went flying. It looked like a yard sale. I didn't even try after that. I just went to the lodge and had a beer."
As a player, Bochy changed teams twice. "I'd bring my helmet with me. My new team had to spray-paint it with their colors because they didn't have a helmet that would fit me," he said.
With the Padres, Bochy once hit a walk-off homer off Nolan Ryan, the first walk-off homer he ever hit and the only one Ryan ever allowed. "We ran a red carpet from the clubhouse door all the way to Boch's locker," said then-teammate Terry Kennedy. "In his locker, we put a six-pack of beer, with ice, in Boch's helmet. You can get a six-pack of beer in a lot of guys' helmet, but only in Boch's helmet can you put a six-pack of beer with ice."
'Rudy with talent'
Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
Craig Counsell: Best, um, mower of the decade?
Mark Grace once described his scrawny teammate with the ridiculous looking swing as "Rudy with talent." Craig Counsell did indeed go to Notre Dame, but his talent wasn't special; he had an 0-for-45 stretch in his career, and an 0-for-20 in the 2001 World Series. But he played 16 years in the big leagues, scored the winning run for the Marlins in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series and was on base when the winning run was scored in Game 7 for the Diamondbacks in 2001.
Get the best of ESPN sent to your inbox The ESPN Daily delivers the biggest sports news and moments every weekday. Sign me up! Email:
"When I first came up [in 1995], I wasn't allowed in the clubhouse because the security guard thought I was the bat boy," Counsell said. "In my final year as a player [2011], I got asked for my credentials at the security gate. I came to the park with [baseball writer] Tom Haudricourt, and the security guy thought I was a member of the media. I came in as a bat boy. I left as a writer."
But now Counsell is one of the best managers in the game with the Brewers. He is the only manager I've ever seen who, during batting practice and during drills, carries a fielder's glove with him. I've seen managers carry around a catcher's mitt or a fungo bat but never a fielder's glove.
"It's how I stay in the big leagues," he said. "I like having it on my hand."
Counsell is so good as a manager, and so outperformed his talent as a player, because he doesn't take himself too seriously. And he doesn't sell himself very well because it's not about him. He still won't show me the picture of him riding a lawnmower in full Brewers uniform, with a helmet/beer dispenser on his head, a picture he sent to former teammate Trevor Hoffman after Hoffman gifted Counsell a riding mower he bought at a charity auction.
Counsell, a major league manager, still mows his lawn today.
"I like to mow the lawn," he said. "It's relaxing." | Nearly every day I report to work, I have no idea what’s going to happen. Sometimes it’s boring. Other times, it turns into a day for the ages.
Thankfully, more than enough days of brilliance, poignance and humor emerged to justify the existence of this piece: My top Datelines of the Decade.
10. Baltimore Hyatt Regency, Aug. 14, 2014. Bud Selig’s final big play, in over 22 years as commissioner, went as many that preceded it: Messy, yet ultimately successful. Bud, a spry 80 years old by the time he convened his owners to this resilient city’s Inner Harbor, badly wanted his second-in-command Rob Manfred to succeed him. Manfred entered the meetings with majority support, yet a vote of this gravity required 75 percent of the 30 owners to be in agreement, and Selig, for all his lobbying, schmoozing and horse-trading, did not start the day with the necessary 23 votes for Manfred, as his old pal Jerry Reinsdorf of the White Sox led the effort for Red Sox bigwig Tom Werner to get the gig. It took six votes over about seven hours — and the image of a frustrated Selig executing his trademark shrug to amused reporters as he entered a glass elevator amidst the craziness — to finally get to the finish line with Manfred, who hasn’t been shy about trying to speed up the game with serious changes to the on-field product. Whereas this change in power carried more than a tinge of comedy, only sadness loomed on Nov. 24, 2013, when a funeral was held for beloved Players Association executive director Michael Weiner. Brain cancer took Weiner at age 51, and tensions between the union (now led by Tony Clark) and Major League Baseball have intensified dramatically since, calling into question whether a work stoppage can be avoided when this collective bargaining agreement expires in 2021.
9. Yankee Stadium, Oct. 17, 2017. These Yankees, having missed the playoffs in three of the prior four seasons (and advancing only as far as a lost American League wild-card game in the other one, 2015), were supposed to use 2017 to grow their Baby Bombers. If they qualified for the postseason, then it would be a bonus. What a bonus it turned out to be. After outlasting the Twins (of course) in the wild-card game, they mounted a remarkable comeback to defeat the top-seeded Indians in the AL Division Series, Didi Gregorius having himself a clinching Game 5 to remember, and then they further planted their flag with a memorable seven-game ALCS loss to the Astros. Game 4 of that series, in The Bronx, saw the home team, down 4-0, score two runs in the seventh and four runs in the eighth. When Gary Sanchez slammed a tiebreaking, two-run double in the eighth, the new Stadium roared as we hadn’t seen or heard it to that point. The crowd loved this home-built group. Alas, this moment doesn’t rank higher because the Yankees — and, notably, Sanchez — have yet to build sufficiently on that moment, as baseball’s most decorated franchise clocked the entire decade without sniffing a Fall Classic.
8. Busch Stadium, Oct. 27, 2011. Any World Series contest that evokes both 1986 Game 6 and 1991 Game 6 has plenty going for it, and so it was on this chilly Midwestern night. Just like ‘86 Game 6 at Shea Stadium, the Cardinals found themselves down to their last strike — twice. Just like those Mets, St. Louis never said die, with David Freese slamming a game-tying, two-run, two-out triple off Rangers closer Neftali Feliz in the ninth and Lance Berkman drilling a game-tying, one-run, two-out single off Scott Feldman in the 10th. And when Freese slammed a walk-off homer against Mark Lowe in the 11th, Fox broadcaster Joe Buck declared, “We will see you tomorrow night” for a necessary Game 7, just as Buck’s legendary father Jack had said 20 years prior when Kirby Puckett’s walk-off blast against the Braves kept the Twins alive. Awesome stuff. This, too, would rank even higher if the Cardinals’ victory in the finale hadn’t felt so anticlimactic, or if — New York bias alert — the story resonated more locally.
7. London Stadium, June 29, 2019. Yes, the sluggers’ duel between the Yankees and Red Sox was beyond exhausting, and sure, there were some logistical obstacles to overcome. But come on, folks. Yankees-Red Sox in London? I don’t understand how you could be there, as I was fortunate enough to be, and not be inspired by the crowd’s enthusiasm, be they natives, expats or tourists. Even if this turns out to be more of a historical oddity than the start of something huge — the Cubs and Cardinals will face each other in London next season, with nothing set beyond that — it was something special and memorable to take the game into Europe
6. Kauffman Stadium, Oct. 29, 2014. You could have earned some serious money if, a decade ago, you had wagered that the Giants would win the most titles of anyone from 2010 through 2019. What a spectacular if odd run — three championships in five years, missing the playoffs altogether the other two years — for these guys, and it culminated with Game 7 of the ‘14 Series against the Royals, who advanced this far thanks in large part to the best wild-card game since the do-or-die contest’s inception. Kansas City fell just short — 90 feet, to be precise — thanks to Madison Bumgarner’s five shutout innings of relief just three days after he authored a complete-game masterpiece. It was an all-time performance by the lefty Bumgarner, who put together a 2.11 ERA for the decade in 16 postseason games as he built a brand as baseball’s most clutch pitcher of his era.
5. Citi Field, Sept. 29, 2018. The baseball schedule/calendar gods kept me away from Mariano Rivera’s and Derek Jeter’s last performances at Yankee Stadium, just in case you’re wondering why they didn’t make the cut. On this night in Queens, however, I witnessed something quite different: A salute to David Wright, but also a lamentation of what could have been. The Mets captain started his first game in over two years, his career and Hall of Fame trajectory sadly cut short by spinal stenosis. Medically, Wright shouldn’t have been out there at all. Emotionally? He needed to log one more shift, even a half-shift, at third base. And the fans, who filled up the ballpark for what was otherwise a meaningless, final-weekend game against the Marlins, acted as though they needed it, too, showering Wright with love and appreciation for all he had done for the franchise.
4. Fenway Park, Aug. 18, 2013. If the tabloid newspaper, relying on bombastic front and back pages for sales, didn’t exist prior to 2004, someone would have invented them at that point — just to keep up with Alex Rodriguez’s hijinks and accomplishments, often in that order. Bless A-Rod, who sent me on the assignment of a lifetime in ‘13 when he went to war with MLB and the Yankees — over a 211-game suspension for using illegal performance-enhancing drugs and obstructing baseball’s investigation — while playing major-league baseball for the Yankees. The saga featured so much drama both on and off the field, and the most memorable chapter featured both, at Fenway naturally. Before the game, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman torched A-Rod in a conversation with reporters, saying that he wouldn’t say anything beyond hello and goodbye to his third baseman due to the “litigious environment.” That was a huge story…until the game started, and Red Sox starting pitcher Ryan Dempster decided that he was going to personally discipline A-Rod by drilling him — at which point the Yankees, who had been exhausted by their teammate’s drama, came to his defense. For good measure, naturally, A-Rod later went deep off Dempster. That A-Rod is now a respected national baseball broadcaster engaged to Jennifer Lopez, well, again…the man is made for tabloids.
3. Dodger Stadium, Oct. 15, 2015. Twenty teams advanced to the World Series this decade, and only one spot was claimed by a New York representative. What a run by those 2015 Mets, from the slow start to the July trades to Wilmer Flores’ walk-off homer two days after he thought he was traded to their improbable sweep of the Cubs in the National League Championship Series. That sweep, you could argue rather easily, emanated naturally from the Mets’ best game of the season, their thrilling, 3-2 elimination of the Dodgers in NLDS Game 5 at Chavez Ravine. What a game, from Daniel Murphy’s continuing heroics to Jacob deGrom’s gutty, six-inning effort to Terry Collins’ turning to Noah Syndergaard for the seventh and then Jeurys Familia for a six-out save. If you couldn’t get into this one, then you’re probably not meant for baseball. And while the Mets serve as anything besides a model of consistency, that makes their peaks all the more exciting, doesn’t it?
2. Citizens Bank Park, May 1, 2011. Sunday night baseball, early in the season, and the Mets, at 11-16, were heading nowhere besides a Madoff-fueled rebuild whereas the Phillies, at 17-9, were en route to their fourth straight NL East title. None of that mattered late in the game when some rather non-baseball news broke: A team of U.S. special forces had tracked down and killed Osama bin Laden. So as Murphy hit against Ryan Madson in the top of the ninth inning, chants of “USA! USA!” filled the ballpark. It was a collective, emotional flashback to the horrors of 9-11 nearly a decade earlier, an impromptu opportunity to mourn again those we lost that day and feel at least some measure of justice. What a powerful moment to share among tens of thousands of people.
1. Progressive Field, Nov. 2, 2016. The best World Series are those won by teams to end long droughts, or to capture a title for the very first time. This decade brought us the Giants’ first parades since 1954 (and their first-ever since moving to San Francisco in 1958), the Astros’ initial championship in 56 years of existence and the Nationals’ first triumph in 51 years as a franchise as well as Washington’s first such celebration since 1924. All, of course, pale in comparison to the Cubs, who played 107 consecutive seasons without winning it all until it finally ended on this unseasonably warm night in Cleveland. It fit the woebegone narrative that the Cubs needed to climb out of a 3-1 hole, winning the last two on the road, and that their closer for hire Aroldis Chapman, exhausted, gave up a game-tying, two-run homer to Rajai Davis in the eighth inning. The rain delay following the ninth inning added a supernatural element. And when the Cubs actually prevailed in the 10th inning, in front of a crowd that clearly featured more Cubs fans than Indians fans despite the location, it sparked a celebration for the ages. Think of all the Cubs fans who lived long without experiencing this. Surely, many of their descendants did. The Indians, meanwhile, move into the 2020s as baseball’s longest-suffering franchise, championship-free since 1948.
Let’s catch up on Pop Quiz questions:
From Soumitra Eachempati of Manhattan: Name the former Dodgers first baseman-outfielder who appears as himself in a 1970 episode of “The Brady Bunch.”
From Michael Gee of New York City: Now in the Hall of Fame, this pitcher appeared as himself in a 1968 episode of “Gentle Ben.” Name him.
If you have a young adult who’s interested in baseball, I highly recommend “A High Five for Glenn Burke” by Phil Bildner, a terrific fictional story invoking the outfielder from the 1970s who wound up being a trailblazer. Actually, it’s a good book for old adults, too.
Your Pop Quiz answers:
Wes Parker.
Bob Gibson
If you have a tidbit that connects baseball with popular culture, please send it to me at kdavidoff@nypost.com. | 3.333333 |
THE four Haitians who were rescued in Portland waters in late November are now safely back in their country, after an unexpected drama-filled expedition.
The men arrived at St Margaret's Bay in the vicinity of the Rio Grande bridge in Portland on November 27, after their disabled vessel was spotted by Jamaican fisherfolk who assisted them to shore.
They were subsequently handed over to the Portland police and then processed by the health department and immigration representatives.
Head of the Portland police Superintendent Duane Wellington told the Jamaica Observer yesterday that the men, when they appeared before the Portland Parish Court on December 6, had the charges of illegal entry against them withdrawn and they were handed over to authorities from the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) in Kingston, based on new information.
PICA head Andrew Wynter said information from the men's homeland significantly impacted their status and saved them from being sent back to Haiti as deportees.
“We put them on a flight and they are now back in Haiti. Two left on the 27th of December and two left on the 29th,” Wynter told the Observer when contacted yesterday.
Initially, authorities had charged the men with illegal entry and had intended to deport them following the court proceedings.
“Because they were considered rescued at sea, you wouldn't deport those persons. It wouldn't be considered a deportation under the circumstances,” Wynter explained.
“It wasn't an illegal entry into the country. What happened is they were fishing, and apparently their boat got into mechanical difficulties and they drifted for a few days and ended up in Jamaican waters. Our coast guard had actually got a request from the Haitian coast guard to assist with search and rescue, so when they were initially taken into custody we didn't have that information; but after we got it, their status changed because we saw that it was a genuine case of persons in dire need,” the PICA head explained further.
The men, natives of Jérémie (a town in south-west Haiti), through an interpreter, told rescuers that they had been at sea for 16 days drifting aimlessly after developing engine problems and running out of fuel.
Their small vessel carrying rotting fish and fishing gear, drifted into the waters of St Margaret's Bay, Portland, where they were found. | KINGSTON — A 28-year-old Kingston man faces weapons and drug charges after being stopped by police Monday afternoon.
Kingston Police said the man was riding a bicycle near Division and Benson streets carrying what appeared to be a television remote control in his hand.
The remote turned out to be a conductive energy weapon.
Police arrested him shortly before 5 p.m., and while searching him they found a small quantity of what was suspected to be crystal methamphetamine and a container of what is believed to be fentanyl.
The police also found break-in tools in a backpack he was carrying, including a crowbar.
The man was charged with possession of a dangerous weapon, possession of break-in instruments, two counts of drug possession, and four counts of breaching probation. | 1.666667 |
PRIME Minister Andrew Holness says his Administration is committed to bringing the homicide rate down, but argues that the high number of murders facing the country now did not happen overnight.
In his new year's message to the nation, he pointed out that in the 1980s there were 4,870 murders and that by the decade of the 1990s this increased to 7,621.
By the year 2000, even with the formation of various special squads and units, murders skyrocketed to 13,418 he outlined, adding that, “this past decade, 2010 to 2019, has seen a reduction in murders to 12,698”.
Up to December 28, there were 1,326 murders recorded for 2019, with 26 of them within a week, 3.4 per cent more than 2018. Other serious and violent crimes increased by 2.9 per cent in 2019, equating to 98 more such incidents over the previous year.
“The level of crime we are now experiencing is over and above the capacity of our existing security apparatus to manage. While the crime and murder numbers have grown over the past four decades, successive governments have not increased the national security budget apace, or kept abreast with technology, or increased the number of investigators and other critical capabilities commensurately, or effectively controlled corrupt activity in the force,” the prime minister said.
He said that it is only in this last decade that serious policy and legislative reforms have been undertaken and that “all Jamaicans should take hope that, with sound policy, programmes and plans we can reduce murders”.
However, he stressed that it will take a long-term concerted commitment to stick with the plan.
Furthermore, he said political disunity has not helped with the crime problem. “Gamesmanship over crime-fighting and national security policy have real effects on our lives,” he said, arguing that the lack of support from the Opposition for the continuation of the states of emergency had resulted in a break for the first four months of 2019, and an unusual spike in homicides in November.
At the same time, he expressed confidence in the Government's plan to secure the country.
“Jamaica is engaged in building a national security architecture fit for the times that will deal with domestic threats, but will also deal effectively with our air and maritime space and borders, in addition to securing our cyber domain which is becoming more important as the world becomes digital. All of this cannot be done overnight or even in two years. It takes a year and a half to procure equipment, at least two years in some cases to draft and pass legislation, several years to train up a seasoned investigator and other skilled law enforcement operators,” said the prime minister. He said much of this is now being done and the Government will be intensifying efforts to bring these reforms and investments more quickly to fruition.
In a December 30 statement, the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, Jamaica Manufacturers' and Exporters Association, and Jamaica Chamber of Commerce reminded the political directorate that dealing with the issues related to the safety and right to life of our citizenry is non-negotiable. “We ask every Jamaican to join us in holding Government and Opposition accountable and demand the removal of partisan agendas on this topic,” the organisations stated.
Holness noted that in the new fiscal year the largest allocation of $5.28 billion will go towards equipping the police force with cutting-edge technology to enhance its ability to detect, record, respond and prevent crimes.
“The JCF [Jamaica Constabulary Force] will receive the first set of purpose-built police cars fitted with tracking devices and onboard computers,” he said, adding that the police's radio and communication system is being improved, and that the implementation of the long talked about electronic station diary will begin.
Along with administrative and operational improvements, already the country is seeing the impact on the number and quality of cases being brought before the court to secure convictions, he told the nation.
Meanwhile, Holness said “many great things” happened in 2019, including record low inflation, successful completion of the International Monetary Fund programme, record fall in debt to gross domestic product ratio, the removal of the minimum business tax, longest period of consecutive growth (19 quarters) reduced transfer tax, and more resources for the police and military.
He noted that there were also record tourism arrivals and earnings, launch of the tourism workers' pension fund, as well as major road and infrastructure development.
In addition, he pointed to the increased suite of benefits under the Programme of Advancement through Health and Education, and the merger of the HEART Trust, Jamaica Foundation for Lifelong Learning, National Youth Service, and the Apprenticeship Board, to create a comprehensive and effective human capital development agency. | We happily welcome the clear vision of 2020, embracing this New Year for all; the potential and promise it holds and we give God thanks for sparing our lives to see yet another decade. We remember those who left us last year, like our former Prime Minister Edward Seaga and many other of our loved ones, heroes and benefactors.
We give God thanks for their lives and stand on their contribution to overcome the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities of the New Year.
It pains my heart that many of our brothers and sisters, and our children were deprived of seeing 2020 due to violence. This is a social epidemic and requires national consensus around the use of emergency powers to bring the disease under control.
My Government is committed to bringing the murder rate down. The target set in the Social Partnership approximates the regional average of 16 murders per hundred thousand of population within the near term.
Unfortunately, there are those among us that appear to accept the high level of crime and violence as normal. Political disunity and gamesmanship over crime fighting and national security policy have real effects on our lives. Lack of support from the Opposition resulted in a break in the SOEs for the first four months of 2019, and an unusual spike in homicides in November, which meant that we ended 2019 approximately 3.4% higher in homicides than 2018 when we saw a record decline of 22%.
While the SOEs have been very effective when and where we have been able to use them, we have used the space they create to build the capacity of our National Security apparatus to respond to the current level of crime and violence in the society. This Fiscal Year will see, the largest allocation of JA$5.28 Billion dollars to equip the police force with cutting-edge technology to enhance their ability to detect, record, respond and prevent crimes in the society. This year, the JCF will receive the first set of purpose-built police cars fitted with tracking devices and onboard computers. The JCF’s radio and communication system is being improved, the long talked about electronic station diary will start implementation, and police stations right across Jamaica are being refurbished, or built a new.
Several administrative and operational improvements are being undertaken internally, greater emphasis and resources are being targeted at the investigative and intelligence capacity of the Force. While these transformational actions are not yet mature, already we are seeing the impact on the number and quality of cases being brought before the court to secure convictions. The police have over 13 major gang cases in various stages to come before the courts. Using the space created by the SOEs, the JCF and MOCA continue the long, hard and tedious work of intelligence gathering and investigations as they build cases and make arrests using regular police powers and conventional methods.
Your Government recognizes the importance of social intervention in breaking the cycle of violence and crime, particularly at the community level and we intend to spend significantly on intervening in some of the social conditions underpinning crime and violence. After more than 20 years of experience with social intervention programmes, the lesson learnt is that such interventions have to occur in parallel and coordinated with security intervention. The Zones of Special Operations were designed to provide a security environment within which social intervention could be maximized. The Mount Salem and Denham Town pilot zones have been a success and this year we will have resources in place to declare other areas as Zones of Special Operations. Ultimately, we will take back Jamaica from the criminals, community by community.
Jamaica’s high homicide rate did not happen overnight. In the decade of the 80s; 4,870 murders were committed in Jamaica, by the decade of the 90s this increased to 7,621 murders, and by decade of the 2000s, even with the formation of various special squads and units, murders skyrocketed to 13,418. This past decade, 2010 to 2019 has seen a reduction in murders to 12,698.
The level of crime we are now experiencing is over and above the capacity of our existing security apparatus to manage. While the crime and murder numbers have grown over the past 4 decades:
* successive governments have not increased the national security budget apace,
* or kept abreast with technology,
* or increased the number of investigators and other critical capabilities commensurately,
* or effectively controlled corrupt activity in the force.
It is only in this last decade that any serious policy and legislative reforms have been undertaken and certainly within this term that serious budgetary, manpower and technological upgrades have been made. All Jamaicans should take hope that with sound policy, programmes and plans we can reduce murders, but it will take a long-term concerted and united commitment to stick with the plan.
I am confident in our plan to secure Jamaica. For the first time Jamaica is engaged in building a National Security architecture fit for the times, that will deal with domestic threats, but will also deal effectively with our air and maritime space and borders, in addition to securing our cyber domain which is becoming more important as the world becomes digital. All of this cannot be done overnight or even in two years, it takes a year and a half to procure equipment, at least two years in some cases to draft and pass legislation, several years to train up a seasoned investigator and other skilled law enforcement operators. Much of this is now being done behind the scenes, and we will be intensifying our efforts to bring these reforms and investments more quickly to fruition to save more lives.
The disorder on our roads and in public spaces is now a national concern. Billions have been invested in improving our road infrastructure, which will improve connectivity, efficiency and comfort, but some among us are determined to breach all the rules of the road, disregard other road users and purvey carnage and chaos on our streets. Aside from a general socio-emotional improvement in our respect for law and order which comes from our education system and how we bring up our children, increasing the detection of violations, increasing enforcement, and securing swift convictions through the courts must be the area of focus for government policy.
The JCF has already established the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch which is still in its infancy but has been impactful. To complement their work, the government has decided to invest heavily in traffic management and traffic violation detection technology, and this year the traffic ticketing system and the enabling regulations for the new Road Traffic Act should be complete. Many more traffic offenders will be caught and ticketed and there will be no more amnesty for the foreseeable future!
Ultimately however, enforcement and technology have limits; whether in crime fighting or traffic enforcement. Our lasting peace and abiding order depend on how responsibly we act individually and as a people. We will never be able to have cameras and traffic police on every road to arrest every driver who decides to overtake a line of traffic in rush hour or speed dangerously on local road.
However, if you decide to slow down and drive according to the rules of the road and wear your helmet, we can bring down the crashes for 2020, the life you save could be your own! We will never know where all the illegal guns are hidden, but someone knows and is afraid to speak. One day those guns could turn on you or your loved ones. Every Jamaican has a personal responsibility to obey the law, behave in an orderly manner and share information about the guns and criminals with the appropriate authorities or call Crime Stop. This can help to bring down the homicide rate, again the life you save could be your own.
Like our security infrastructure, there have been many decades of under investment in our health infrastructure. I have toured some of our hospitals and clinics and seen first-hand the discomfort of patients and the strain on staff, particularly when there is an upsurge in illnesses as is the case with dengue.
The government is now steadily increasing investments in our health infrastructure to better serve patients with over $10B of investments planned for health facilities and over $3B dedicated to rebuilding the Cornwall Regional Hospital. We have spent approximately $2B on dengue control through environmental clean-up programmes in communities, and various public health interventions including purchasing 40 new pickups which will be deployed island-wide to conduct more regular fogging. However, like security, our health requires our personal responsibility and action.
Dengue is transmitted by a mosquito that breeds in our domestic surroundings. While the government has increased the collection of bulky waste that breeds the mosquito, only you can check the flowers vase to see if it has mosquito larvae in it. Only you can bore holes in the containers you discard around your house, the government cannot come inside you house everyday to see to it that water you store is covered.
We can give you the information but you have to act and take responsibility. In 2020, I encourage all Jamaicans to take personal responsibility for your health and security and fulfil your role as good citizens by cooperating with the authorities to eradicate the pests that threaten your lives. Let us know if you have breeding site near your home, allow the public health workers to fog your community, don’t stone them, likewise tell us where the guns are, tell us what you know about the criminals and together we will make Jamaica safe, secure and healthy.
Many great things happened in 2019, which gives me great hope for 2020. Let me see how many I can cover in the remaining few minutes:
Finance
Lowest Unemployment rate in the history of Jamaica (7.8%)
Longest period of Consecutive Growth in our History (19 quarters)
Record fall in our Debt to GDP ratio (93%)
Record low inflation
Introduced Special Procurement Incentives for medium and small enterprises
Removed the Minimum Business Tax
Reduced Transfer Tax from 5 to 2 percent
1.5 million Tax break for all workers
Successfully completed IMF Programme
Health
Better Cancer care through new radiation facilities
Reduction in waiting times at DrugServe pharmacies
Security
New Helicopters
New maritime patrol aircraft for the JDF
New Radar System
Doubling of the National Security Budget
You can now renew your passport online
New motor cycles for the police
Major investments in forensics and DNA
Tourism
Record tourism arrivals (approximately 4.5 million)
Record US$3.8 billion in tourism earnings
Launch of the Tourism Workers Pension Fund
Transport
Launched the Drive Safe app
Commissioning of two new air traffic Control Towers
Implemented WiFi on buses
Completed the Pilot of LNG buses
Infrastructure
A record over 400 roads resurfaced and rehabilitated
Mandela Highway, Marcus Garvey Drive, Ferris to MackField, Barbican, Hagley Park, Constant Spring Road and Three Miles Roads – all completed
Junction Road; South Camp Road being repaired
South Coast Highway Improvement from Harbour View to Port Antonio and extension of the East West Highway from May Pen to Williamsfield.
Over 12 Major Bridges repaired or currently under construction
Morant Bay Town Centre underway
Water
Over 50 water facilities rehabilitated islandwide
Major upgrades and replacements of water and sewer mains within the corporate area
Reduced NWC water losses from over 60% to about 40% in the Corporate Area
A record 800 million dollars investment in rural water which
brought water to thousands of Jamaicans who never had it in parishes including Clarendon, St Elizabeth and St. Mary
Housing
A record over 27,000 new housing starts between the NHT and the HAJ
Local Government
16 new Fire units
43 new Garbage Trucks
Successfully completed the tyre removal pilot project from Riverton City and will shortly roll out the full project
Paid off the $9 billion dollar streetlights debt to JPS
Science and Technology
Free WiFi Hotspots across Major Towns
Wigton IPO – over 30,000 Jamaicans participated
Commissioned the largest solar plant in the Caribbean
New 194 Mega Watt JPS LNG plant in Old Harbour now commissioned
Environment
Banned single use Plastic bags
We have started planting 3 million trees
This month, we will be banning the use of styrofoam
Jamaica is a leader in the global fight against climate change
7% of Jamaica to be protected as part of the Cockpit Country
Education
Improved School Feeding from 3 to 5 days
Comprehensively increased the suite of benefits under PATH Increased Maintainance Grant for secondary level schools
269 school canteens upgraded
Successful launch of PEP
Certified over 100 early childhood institutions
Labour and Social Security
Increased Minimum Wage
Increase NIS Benefits to Pensioners
Significant increase in overseas employment figures.
Culture, Gender and Entertainment
3 Shelters being prepared for abused women
Sexual Harassment Bill Tabled
First Entertainment Zone being renovated
Reggae Inscribed on the UNESCO intangible Cultural Heritage List for Humanity
Blue and John Crow Mountains now World Heritage Sites
Port
Expansion of the Port of Kingston
New Cruise Shipping Terminal at Port Royal and the
Redevelopment of Port Royal has begun
Youth Engagement
Merger of HEART Trust, JFLL, NYS and the Apprenticeship Board to create a comprehensive and effective human capital development agency, the HEART Trust National Service and Training Agency.
Over 25,000 young people trained through HOPE
Over 3,000 trained through Jamaica National Service Corps under the JDF
And you get the picture…
So much done and so much more to do in 2020. ….
Jamaicans at home and abroad A Happy and Prosperous New Year | 4 |
By
California has 50% of the nations homeless. By many estimates 90% of the California homeless are drug addicts, alcoholics and/or mental ill. It is the policy of the State—and court orders—that keep these sick people on the street without help or chance of recovery. A few are saved—not by government but by private organizations. “As San Francisco has assumed new authority to place people under conservatorships, The San Francisco Chronicle found a backlog. In a locked ward at San Francisco General Hospital, individuals who were conserved were waiting four months for placement in Napa State Hospital, and even longer for a residential facility. A woman who answered the phone at the public guardian’s office in Solano County, where Rippee lives, said she didn’t have time or permission to talk, repeating several times “we’re extremely short-staffed.” Gerald Huber, the county’s director of Health and Social Services, noted that even if Rippee were to be conserved, there are very few facilities in the state that accept people with traumatic brain injuries — and they are always full with wait lists. Literally, government does not provide the money needed for health care , protection or rehabilitation. While San Fran is spending half a billion to stop cars from driving on Market Street, they do not have the money to get the mentally ill off the streets and into recovery. Government priorities are the problem. No wonder President Trump is looking at taking over the homeless problem—the problem is NOT the homeless it is the government.
“We’ve lost our compass.” For California’s most visible mentally ill, is a return to forced treatment a solution — or a false promise?
By Jocelyn Wiener, CalMatters, 12/30/19
TO SEE FULL ARTICLE CLICK ON HEADLINE
The sightings of James Mark Rippee are all over his sisters’ Facebook.
Someone spotted him sleeping by a furniture store in Vallejo. Someone walked him to a gas station for coffee. Someone prayed for him at Nations Giant Hamburgers.
Rippee, 56, developed schizophrenia after a horrific motorcycle accident more than three decades ago caused a traumatic brain injury and the loss of his eyesight. His delusions range from being an alien, to getting chased by the KKK, to being prevented from collecting his lottery winnings, his sisters say.
In September, he stepped into traffic and was hit by a car, his sisters say, then developed a brain abscess. After weeks in the hospital and a board-and-care, he walked out and his 62-year-old twin sisters – Catherine Hanson and Linda Privatte – weren’t alerted.
Now they couldn’t find him.
Complicating things further: Hanson is bedridden with blood cancer; Privatte is legally blind and cannot drive. They’ve come to depend on a Facebook community, “Mark of Vacaville,” to be their “eyes and ears” on their brother’s situation.
The existence of the 2,000-plus member group is at once a moving testament to a community’s compassion and an indictment of a system that often leaves the most vulnerable to fend for themselves.
Why do people as sick as James Mark Rippee sleep on our streets? Some blame laws that prioritize civil rights over forced treatment; others point to an under-resourced and uneven mental health system that has failed to provide people like Rippee with long-promised care.
Everyone struggles with the same underlying question: What should be done?
“When we allow people to deteriorate on the streets, or interface with law enforcement that leads to incarceration, what are we doing?” asks Dr. Jonathan Sherin, director of the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health. “We’ve lost our compass.”
State lawmakers are watching a controversial new pilot program to expand forced treatment in San Francisco.
In the meantime, families watch in desperation as loved ones cycle between homelessness, emergency rooms and jail cells. Short courses of medication may lead to the quieting of voices, which, in turn, leads to a release to the streets. Often, as in James Mark Rippee’s case, the family is simultaneously shut out of the conversation and blamed for abandonment.
Some of these families are aware of the downsides of involuntary treatment, the miserable side effects of psychiatric medications, the critical shortage of inpatient facilities. They recognize that conservatorship – in which a court-appointed conservator manages another person’s living situation, medical decisions and mental health treatment — is no panacea, and should be a last resort.
James Mark Rippee himself puts it this way: “I don’t need to be in a locked-up facility. It was like I was a hostage.”
In recent years, Rippee’s twin sisters — Hanson, the red-headed warrior, Privatte, the blonde diplomat — have redoubled their decades-long effort to get him help. They worry their own health problems might someday leave no one to fight for him.
“He is the worst-case scenario of anybody being so vulnerable on the streets,” Hanson said. “Every winter we wonder: Is this going to be the year that he dies?”
In 1967, a law passed that transformed the treatment of people with mental illness in California.
Until then, it had been fairly easy for a family member to call police to force someone into mental health treatment. Conditions in the state hospitals were frequently abhorrent: Patients wore gunny sacks, sometimes bathed just once a week, and were subjected to lobotomies and electric shock treatments. Too often, people were locked away for life.
Republican Assemblyman Frank Lanterman and Democratic Sens. Nicholas Petris and Alan Short proposed a radical overhaul, which Gov. Ronald Reagan signed into law.
When the Lanterman-Petris-Short law took effect a few years later, it established strict criteria for involuntary treatment. It imposed specific timeframes for involuntary confinement and limited involuntary holds to those deemed a danger to themselves or others, or gravely disabled. This included the 72-hour hold that police term a 5150.
But within a few decades, Sen. Petris noticed growing numbers of people with serious mental illnesses appearing on the streets and in jails.
In a 1989 oral history, Petris lamented that while the law had promised funding to treat people with mental illness in the community, Gov. Reagan diverted tens of millions allocated back to the state general fund.
“That took the guts right out of this state money for local treatment,” Petris said. “It emptied out the hospitals, but there was no follow-up treatment….In this overemphasis to get away from this tyrannical and oppressive system… of incarcerating people so easily, we went overboard the other way.”
Even when funding was available, “Not In My Back Yard” resistance also made it challenging to locate residential and community treatment facilities. In the half-century since, much of the debate about helping people like Rippee has centered on the Lanterman-Petris-Short law. The state auditor is currently examining it; a report is anticipated this spring.
In recent years, several bills in the Legislature have sought to modify the law, focusing on redefining the term “gravely disabled.” Rippee’s sisters petitioned and testified last year on behalf of a bill that sought to define “gravely disabled” to include not just those who can’t provide for their own food, clothing and shelter, but also those who don’t seek needed medical treatment. It failed, in part because opponents considered it ineffective and dangerously expansive.
More than 5,000 people in the state were on permanent conservatorships, and close to 2,000 were on temporary conservatorships, as of 2016-17, according to data collected by the Department of Health Care Services. The data is incomplete; Scarlett Hughes, executive director of the California State Association of Public Administrators, Public Guardians and Public Conservators calls it “extremely inaccurate.”
Last year lawmakers agreed to create a narrow 5-year pilot program that makes it easier for three counties (San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego) to conserve homeless individuals with serious mental illnesses or substance abuse disorders. The program allows courts to conserve individuals who have been placed under a 72-hour psychiatric hold at least eight times in a year. A second law, passed this year, expanded the rules to allow 50 to 100 more people in San Francisco to be placed under conservatorship.
Civil rights advocates have raised serious concerns: In 2018, Susan Mizner, the disability rights program director for the ACLU, described conservatorship as “the biggest deprivation of civil rights aside from the death penalty” and said the law would incentivize police to repeatedly detain homeless individuals.
So far, only San Francisco has adopted it. That reflects another reality: Different counties have different rules. Even without the pilot program, depending on where you live, public defenders, judges, public guardians and others have different interpretations of the law.
“It varies from county to county, it varies within counties,” said Randall Hagar, government relations director for the California Psychiatric Association. “What is ‘gravely disabled’ here may not be considered ‘gravely disabled’ there.”
Because counties must use local funds to pay high placement costs — and because not all counties have the same types of services available — variations are a significant concern.
Disability rights advocates insist that maintaining the standards outlined by Lanterman-Petris-Short is essential to protect people’s civil rights. Most people with serious mental illnesses aren’t refusing help, they say — appropriate help just isn’t available.
Lynn Rivas, associate director of Oakland-based Peers Envisioning & Engaging in Recovery Services, understands that families feel desperate. She knew a woman with paranoid schizophrenia who lived on the streets of Richmond. Mental health workers tried repeatedly, but couldn’t get her to come inside.
Even though “it breaks my heart,” Rivas said, she’s willing to live with that consequence.
“I think involuntary imprisonment is worse,” she said.
Heather, a program coordinator at the organization, has herself experienced involuntary treatment. In the hospital, she said, everything was taken from her and her entire schedule revolved around medication.
“I think it’s just really cold the way they treat you,” she said. “It’s like you have a disease…they treat you like you’re not a human being.”
Once she stabilized, she said, the hospital discharged her back to the streets, without addressing her underlying issues. The experience not only didn’t help her, she said, it made her afraid to seek help.
Some worry that public dismay about the current homelessness crisis will encourage lawmakers to strip people of their rights.
“It’s still political failures that are trying to be masked with solutions that may decrease the visibility of individuals on the street,” said Curtis Child, director of legislation at Disability Rights California. He also compares the situation of people with mental illness to that of people with developmental disabilities. For the latter group, deinstitutionalization was accompanied by the creation of regional centers, he said, “in which everyone gets a plan, everyone gets a worker.”
“With mental illness, we did nothing.”
For Child, and many other advocates, the solution is not more conservatorship — it’s creating affordable housing and more robust mental health services.
“The volume of individuals who are entering homelessness on a given day is overwhelming all of our systems,” said Michelle Cabrera, executive director of the County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California,. “We’ve got a serious problem on our hands.”
Dr. Amy Barnhorst, vice chair of community and hospital services for the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry agrees that the focus should be on building out the mental health system, not changing the law.
“It’s like cutting more doors into an empty building,” she said. “There’s not the services there. We don’t have the workforce. We don’t have the treatments. We don’t have the infrastructure. ”
Even if a change in law permitted more people to be conserved, a shortage of placements and “a gross lack of funding” for county programs means there would be nowhere to send many of them, said Hughes, of the California State Association of Public Administrators, Public Guardians and Public Conservators.. Earlier this year, a state budget proposal to increase the amount of funding for public guardians by 35% — or $68 million — failed.
County conservators receive no direct state funding, and in the past five years have received a huge influx in clients diverted from the criminal justice system, Hughes said. Some counties went from five referrals a month to 30 or 40, she said.
“They are drowning,” she said.
Simultaneously, the number of facilities that can take them is shrinking, said Chris Koper, a legislative analyst for the organization. At one point, she said, she and some friends started listing the facilities in that county that had shut down. They stopped when they got to 35, she said: “It was too depressing.”
That leaves many conservatees in a “placement pending” status, stuck in jails or hospitals. In some cases, conservators have resorted to having staff members care for people with mental illness in hotel rooms rather than leave an individual on the streets, she said.
TO SEE REST OF STORY CLICK ON HEADLINE | Packers corner Kevin King feeling comfortable, confident entering playoffs
Show Caption Hide Caption 5 Questions with LeRoy Butler: Should coaches be honest with the players? LeRoy stresses that coaches have to be honest when it comes to correcting all the mistakes made in the Detroit game and not be afraid to point out anything they might see that caused QB Aaron Rodgers to miss some throws. Bill Schulz, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
GREEN BAY - Players can often disagree with outside perceptions and observations about performance or statistics. With film clips, they’ll point out nuances of calls, techniques and how they fit into the larger design of a particular play
But there is one number no one can quibble with: availability.
Either someone plays, or they don’t.
Kevin King did not shy away from that at the end of 2018, his second straight campaign that concluded on injured reserve. He didn’t hide from it personally, internally on the team or publicly with the media.
“One of his goals, like everybody else writing down their goals, his goal was to play,” Packers secondary coach Jason Simmons said. “He wanted to play all 16 and then what happens after that.”
A career-high 15 games later — the exact number King played his previous two years combined — and with the playoffs looming, the 24-year-old cornerback and the Packers can say that ownership he took in the offseason and throughout the regular season returned a high yield.
“It definitely had paid off just in terms of that, in terms of being healthy throughout the year, being available for my team in that aspect,” King said. “With that being said, I still have a ways to go. Still have things in your routine that you try to refine each and every year. You just gotta stay on it. Sometimes when you see a result people tend to say OK, that’s it. Just gotta keep adding to it, keep building.”
Teammate Jaire Alexander trained with King in the offseason, seeing first hand the foundational work King put into a body that had been beaten up in 685 defensive snaps over 2017 and 2018.
This year? King played 805, according to the Pro Football Focus analytics service .
“Kev has been real focused, real determined to go out there and make a name for himself,” Alexander said. “I think he’s done a real good job, for real. Just to see his availability last year, the year before, and for him to come out and play as much as he did and making a big impact for our defense and our secondary, that’s exciting to see. But he put in a lot of work.”
The work translated to game days, during which he had a career-high five interceptions. That total tied him (with eight other players) for fourth in the NFL, one shy of the league lead (shared by three players). He also finished with 56 tackles and a team-high 15 pass breakups (tied for ninth in the league).
“The Kevin King kid, he’s a good player,” said an opposing offensive coach who game-planned for the Packers in 2019. “He’s not someone we were scared of or anything like that, but we definitely had respect for him. He’s a good, high-level corner in the league.”
Pro Football Focus graded King out essentially in the middle of all cornerbacks in 2019, his 62.5 rating checking at No. 68 of 125 graded players at his position. The grade was a career-high, however, and his completion percentage allowed and quarterback rating in his direction compared favorably with Alexander's.
But, King and Simmons were quick to acknowledge it wasn’t the steadiest of seasons.
“I think it showed flashes,” King said of his play. “I definitely showed flashes. Now I gotta be more consistent.”
According to PFF, King’s coverage had its peaks and valleys with just a handful of steady games in-between.
His highest grades were:
Philadelphia (90.3)
Minnesota in Week 16 (83.7)
Oakland (82.7)
Los Angeles Chargers (75.7)
Minnesota in Week 2 (74.5)
Carolina (70.2)
His lowest were:
Detroit in Week 6 (27.9)
San Francisco (36.3)
Denver (37.7)
Kansas City (43.4)
Dallas (45.3)
That's to be expected to a degree, considering how infrequently King played his first two years.
“He’s got some ups, he’s got some downs, but the deal is though, we’re a better football team when Kevin King dresses,” Simmons said. “So we’re happy to see it.”
After injuring his right hamstring in early August, King essentially missed a month before returning to practice a few days before the opener in Chicago on Sept. 5.
Since then he has been listed with hamstring, chest, groin, knee and shoulder injuries and an illness. He missed only three practices, however, and was limited only 16 times. In four weeks he did not appear on the injury report at all. He was doubtful with a groin injury before the game in Dallas but played and was held out of the Washington game for precautionary reasons.
Now, as he prepares for his first playoff game in the NFC divisional round Jan. 12 — and the most football he has played in one season in his life — he feels like the start of 2020 will be his best to date.
“Yes, sir. Yes, sir. I definitely feel good,” King said. “I feel I’m healthy. No major issues. And got time to take care of the minor things. But yeah, I feel good. The past few weeks I’ve felt very comfortable and that’s huge going into this playoff run. Just that mental stability. That’s a big part of playing corner, is confidence and just believing in yourself. Even if a guy beats you one time, just sticking to your technique. Things like that are huge. The mentality is huge.” | 1.333333 |
From CEPR Blog
My friend, Bill Greider, died on Christmas day. Greider, who was 83, was an old-time journalist who believed that the job meant exposing the corruption of the rich and powerful, rather than becoming their friends in order to get inside stories. This meant that he was never very popular with elite types, as perhaps best evidenced by his minimal obituary at the Washington Post, where he had worked for a decade as a reporter and an editor.
Greider's writing had a large impact on my thinking about the economy and the world. When I was still in graduate school I read his great study of the Federal Reserve Board, Secrets of the Temple. While there were many things in that book which were not exactly right, it did much to highlight the power of this fundamentally undemocratic institution. I, and many others, have worked with considerable success in recent years to make the Fed more open to public input, and for it to take its legal mandate for maintaining full employment more seriously.
Greider also wrote the book, Who Will Tell the People? The Betrayal of American Democracy, about the corruption of politics in Washington. The book became the basis for a PBS documentary with the same name. I remember well a segment from this documentary.
It was an interview with a reporter. (Sorry, can't remember who it was.) The reporter was discussing how he came to fully appreciate the corruption of Washington. The reporter explained that someone asked him "why do you think members of Congress sit on the banking committee?" The reporter gave the textbook answer about sitting on the committee to oversee the regulations and laws on banking. His questioner responded, "they sit on the banking committee to get money from bankers."
I grew up in Chicago, when the machine politics of the first Mayor Daley was the only game in town, so I was not naive about politics and corruption, but this still stunned me. Folks who have been around Washington know it is obviously true, but I think the level of corruption is probably news to most people in the country. This was an education for me.
Back in 1997, Greider wrote a book, One World, Ready or Not: The Manic Logic of Global Capitalism, which warned that competition from the developing world would put downward pressure on the wages of manufacturing workers and that large trade deficits could lead to serious shortfalls in aggregate demand, meaning weak growth and high unemployment. The book was widely trashed by economists, including the leading liberals of the day. In particular, they ridiculed the idea that trade deficits could lead to unemployment, after all, the Fed could just lower interest rates to make up any shortfall in demand.
Two decades later, most of the mainstream of the profession accepts the idea of "secular stagnation," meaning a sustained shortfall in demand that leaves the economy operating well below its potential level of output. With interest rates having bottomed out at zero following the Great Recession, most economists would concede that the Fed does not have the ability to boost the economy back to full employment, or at least not with its traditional tool of lowering the federal funds rate.
While economists generally do not like to talk about the trade deficit as a cause of secular stagnation, fans of logic and arithmetic point out that if we had balanced trade rather than a deficit of 3.0 percent of GDP, it would provide the same boost to the economy as an increase in government spending of 3.0 percent of GDP or roughly $650 billion a year in today's economy. There is little doubt that would be a huge boost to demand and would have gone far towards ending the problem of secular stagnation. (There is no magic to balanced trade. I only use it as a point of reference.)
There were certainly things that Greider got wrong in One World, Ready or Not, as he did in his other economic writings. He was a journalist not an economist. Still, as one great economist commented, it is better to be approximately right than exactly wrong, a position that described many of his economist critics.
The response to Greider's death as well as his life calls to mind another great saying. In Washington, the only thing worse than being wrong is being right. And Greider was often guilty of that. | Cantwell Calls for Comprehensive Privacy Protections for American Consumers; Transparency, Consent Alone Not Enough
Senator criticizes efforts to pre-empt state privacy laws
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, at a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the top Democrat on the committee, called for Congress to pass comprehensive federal legislation to protect the privacy and data of American consumers.
“Over the last several years, we have seen a barrage of consumer privacy and security violations, and consumers are on the receiving end of these reckless practices,” Senator Cantwell said. “The information age is still unfolding, and we will face many challenges. It's time for Congress to deliver meaningful privacy and security protections for the American public… I believe that just notice and consent are no longer enough. I don’t think that transparency is the only solution.”
In her remarks before the committee, Cantwell noted that American consumers still face privacy challenges from a range of different online practices.
“Consumers continue to see the challenges that they face with corporate practices that allow for collection, storage, analyzing, and monetizing their personal information,” Cantwell continued. “I hope we kick off a very substantive discussion to explore how we go about changing this mindset that treats personal information as a commodity for profit.”
Cantwell also criticized efforts to pre-empt laws from states like Washington, which is considering adopting its own privacy protections, in any federal legislation that Congress may consider.
“I find this effort somewhat disturbing, that as our country is grappling with all the privacy violations we’ve seen, the first thing people want to organize is a preemption effort,” Cantwell said.
Senator Cantwell has long advocated for more stringent protections for the privacy of American consumers, including when she questioned the CEO of Equifax on data breaches, when she questioned Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and when she urged President Trump to veto a resolution passed by Congress to undo consumer privacy regulations adopted by the FCC.
Here is VIDEO and AUDIO from Senator Cantwell’s opening statement at today’s hearing.
Here is VIDEO and AUDIO from Senator Cantwell’s Q&A with the witnesses at the hearing.
### | 1.666667 |
LONDON (Reuters) - Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) is another member of the Tencent-led consortium buying a 10% stake in Vivendi’s (VIV.PA) Universal Music Group, a source familiar with the deal said on Tuesday.
Qatar’s state investor, QIA, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. | BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Wednesday condemned a U.S. Senate measure on Hong Kong, vowing to take the steps necessary to safeguard its sovereignty and security.
In a statement, the foreign ministry said the United States should stop interfering in Hong Kong and Chinese affairs and move to stop the latest bills on Hong Kong from becoming law.
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday unanimously passed legislation aimed at protecting human rights in Hong Kong, amid clashes between pro-democracy protesters and police. | 1 |
DETROIT – Detroit Lions players have been showering Marvin Jones with support after his 6-month-old son died.
Jones posted on Instagram that his son, Marlo, died Friday.
Since then, teammates and team officials have been showing Jones and his wife that they are there for them during the difficult time.
During a post-game press conference Sunday, coach Matt Patricia struggled while speaking about the loss.
“Marvin is a very special person. They are a wonderful family. He and Jazmyn are great people. My heart is just so saddened for them and with them right now,” Patricia said.
Former Detroit Lion Golden Tate wrote “The Jones Family” and “Marlito" on his wrists, while Matthew Stafford’s wife, Kelly, posted about the family’s strength on her Instagram.
Darius Slay said he had talked to Jones, but he wants to give him his space.
“Marv, that’s like a brother man,” Slay said. “We’ve been together here for a long time… for that tragedy to happen… I put all this weight on my shoulders, I pray for him.”
Matthew Stafford said he wanted to keep his interactions with Jones private, but he acknowledged that he was proud of the Lions family coming together.
“Obviously a tough situation,” he said. “It’s been awesome to see the support.” | ALLEN PARK -- Detroit Lions linebacker Christian Jones has undergone surgery to repair a shoulder injury that cost him the final three games of the season.
Jones said he underwent the procedure last Friday and is facing about two to four months of rehabilitation.
The veteran linebacker joined Detroit in 2018, as head coach Matt Patricia was installing his new system. He went on to start 29 straight games the last two years while making 77 tackles, five tackles for loss, three sacks, seven QB hits seven passes defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
He ranked 80th among the 88 linebackers who qualified for a grade this year, according to ProFootballFocus. But the Lions love his fit to the scheme and actually signed him to an extension in November that runs through 2021.
GM Bob Quinn doesn’t usually like to negotiate midseason, but wanted to keep Jones in Detroit for the foreseeable.
"Really good scheme fit for what we do, very versatile,” said Quinn, who was making his first public comments since extending Jones. “As you guys know, when we’re trying to build the front seven, it’s really hard to find linebackers that can play on the line of scrimmage and off. I think Christian has obviously shown he can do that at a good level.” | 1 |
New Delhi: Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said state governments have a constitutional duty to implement laws passed by Parliament and those vowing not to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act should seek appropriate legal opinion.
He said it was surprising that those who have come to power by taking oath under the Constitution are making "unconstitutional" statements.
His statement came a day after the Kerala Assembly passed a resolution urging the Centre to withdraw the amended citizenship law.
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad: There is a Constitutional obligation on every state to exercise the executive power in such a way that ensures compliance with laws made by Parliament. #CitizenshipAmendmentAct. pic.twitter.com/JrZ1uhctfW — ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2020
Prasad said the governments which claim they would not allow the CAA or are getting resolutions passed against implementing it should seek appropriate legal opinion on constitutional provisions.
"It is the constitutional duty of the states to implement laws passed by Parliament," Prasad told reporters here.
He said Parliament can make laws on subjects under the Union List which includes citizenship.
To drive home his point that states cannot oppose laws passed by Parliament, he referred to Clause 2 of Article 245 of the Constitution.
"Article 245 (clause 2) states that no law made by Parliament shall be deemed to be invalid on the ground that it would have extra-territorial operation," he said.
Other states including West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have said they will not implement the amended Citizenship Act.
Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison. | As several states have clearly stated that they will not implement the recently enacted Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Centre is considering making the process of granting citizenship under the new legislation online to bypass the opposition.
According to sources, the Ministry of Home Affairs is thinking to do away the current procedure of routing applications for citizenship through the district magistrate and make the whole process online.
By making the process completely online, the Centre will stop the intervention of state government at all levels, sources added.
On Tuesday, the Kerala Assembly passed a resolution urging the Narendra Modi led government at the Centre to withdraw the citizenship law. However, Union Minister of Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday pointed out that no state legislature, including that of Kerala, has the power to pass any law with regard to citizenship.
Prasad elaborated that there are some issues which form the Union List or List-I in the Constitution of India. These are the issues on which only the Parliament has the exclusive power to legislate, and therefore, the states have no power to legislate on these matters. "Citizenship, naturalisation, and aliens are entry 17 on the Union List. Therefore, it is only the Parliament that has the power to pass any law with regards to citizenship, not any Assembly, including Kerala," Ravi Shankar Prasad said today at a press conference in New Delhi.
Further, taking a jab at Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who had led the charge in protesting against the BJP-led central government over the CAA issue, the Union Law Minister said, "The constitution has a mandate -- Parliament - List 1, State Assemblies - List 2. I would again urge the Chief Minister to kindly have better legal advice."
Along with Kerala, the chief ministers of West Bengal, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have maintained that they will not implement CAA in their respective states. | 3 |
Grab country head for the Philippines Brian Cu is greeted by drivers at a company event. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/file
MANILA -- The head of Grab Philippines said Thursday he got a P50 refund despite using the platform "a lot," responding to criticism on social media from users who found the rebate from the ride-hailing firm smaller than what they expected.
With 3 million active users and P19 million in refunds ordered by the Philippine Competition Commission, the rebate will run at an average P20 per user, said Grab Philippines country manager Brian Cu.
"I, for one, who use it a lot, got P50," he told ANC's Headstart.
The refunds had a "big impact" on Grab's financials, as it sought a new way to monitor fares to avoid drawing the competition monitor's ire, he said.
Watch more in iWant or TFC.tv
Grab recently completed the latest tranche of refunds worth P19 million, which brought total reimbursements for the year to P40 million, Cu said.
Cu said the last round of refunds was due to "deviations" in pricing, not excess charges. He said Grab was looking at the average instead of a range to monitor fares so "we wouldn't be in violation anymore."
"It certainly dampened our 2019 holiday season. It had a big impact on the financials but were taking it all as an expense with the company and not passing it on to the consumers or drivers," he said.
The refund stirred conversations on social media, with some questioning the amount they got back, P1 for some users.
Cu said Grab banned thousands of drivers for canceled bookings, refusal to accept trips and other violations.
"What happens when he cancels, he gets a negative rating in the app. If he cancels consistently, he gets suspended. And once he gets back and does it again he eventually gets banned on the platform," he said.
Cu said they are ready to face Congress to reiterate that they are not overcharging riders and to explain further their pricing.
"We should work with the government, with the netizens, with the riding public...We're really just trying to work together for a better transport future for the country," he said. | MANILA, Philippines — Passengers will now have to pay P10 more for the card issuance fee charged for beep cards (stored value tickets) starting 2020.
In an advisory on Thursday, the LRT management told passengers that the card issuance fee of the stored value tickets will be increased from P20 to P30 effective January 1, 2020.
ADVERTISEMENT
According to the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), the said increase is in compliance with Section 16.5.b of the concession agreement between the Department of Transportation and the AF Payments Inc. regarding the card issuance fee charged for stored value tickets.
Edited by JE
Read Next
LATEST STORIES
MOST READ | 2 |
The self aclaimed ” super agent ” and money man Raiola said in a statement that he will never ever bring stars to Man Utd. He continued that Manchester will ruin Pele, Maradona & Maldini even when given to them at their old age.
He said this amid the ongoing transfer saga surrounding his client Paul Pogba and his future at Manchester United.
“Today I would no longer bring anyone there ( Manchester United ) ,”
“Paul needs a team and a club, one like the first Juventus.”
Is this the end of the love between Mino Raiola and Manchester United? | Paul Pogba’s agent, Mino Raiola has promised to stop sending anymore of his players to Manchester United again amid transfer interest linking his client to Real Madrid and Juventus.
It would be recalled that Pogba has long been linked with a move away from Old Trafford in recent weeks and speculations claim he could leave in January.
Real Madrid were keen on the France World Cup winner last summer and were expected to reignite their interest in the winter window.
But Raiola has now vowed not to bring his clients to the Red Devils, adding that Pogba needs a club like Juventus.
He also claimed that the Old Trafford club in their current state, would even destroy the careers of some of football’s legends, Pele, Diego Maradona and Paolo Maldini.
“Today I would no longer bring anyone there [Manchester United],” Raiola told Italian outlet La Repubblica.
“They would also ruin [Diego] Maradona, Pele and [Paolo] Maldini.
“Paul needs a team and a club, one like the first Juventus.” | 4 |
Rajan Prabhu, a process scientist at a research and development centre of a pharmaceutical company, is looking to buy some acids and solvents, for a parenteral formulation he is developing. However, he isn't too happy with the supplier, who he feels isn't giving him the materials for the right price.
On a friend's advice, Prabhu tried Biomall, a first-of-its-kind online marketplace for laboratory, life science and diagnostic products. He registered with the portal and placed an order for the required materials, which he received within a week, thus enabling him to begin his work without further delay.
Scientists, research fellows and professors can now buy their laboratory requirements online through Biomall. Products from multiple brands can be procured by a lab user located in any part of the world in a single order.
The platform offers a wide range of products including laboratory chemicals, microbiology, cell lines, cell culture media and kits, chromatography, genomics, proteomics, diagnostics products as well as different kinds of laboratory equipment and supplies. Buyers can place an order or even request for quotes directly from manufacturers and distributors, thereby getting the best price along with the latest and most accurate information.
Biomall offers the researcher search tools, side-by-side product comparison, category search by application and other dynamic features to ensure that minimum time is spent in trying get all the product-related information.
"One of the reasons for Indian scientists and researchers' low scientific output is the time it takes to get the materials, while their counterparts in Western countries like US and Europe, would complete their scientific work by that time," said S Jhaveri, Founder of Biomall, explaining the genesis of Biomall.
Jhaveri, a doctorate in Chemistry and Chemical Biology from Cornell University, US, founded Biomall in mid-2016. After working for his family, he started his distribution business for laboratory products under the company Chargen Life Sciences.
Before starting Biomall, Jhaveri studied the lab industry market deeply and analysed the problems faced by laboratories, only to find that there isn't any e-commerce platform connecting buyers and sellers of lab products.
He decided to launch Biomall to address this gap. Biomall helps in price discovery of lab products, help manufacturers, especially India-based ones, to launch products and also avoid middlemen to the maximum extent possible and passing on those savings to the end-customer.
Jhaveri made sure that in addition to selling products at discounted prices, the online portal caters to scientists providing up-to-date product information and the latest happenings in the industry.
"Biomall ensures that the researcher gets complete, up-to-date information from the web portal without referring to multiple catalogs and dealing with multiple vendors. In a nutshell, Biomall is a one-stop solution for scientists, designed by scientists, to get complete, accurate and the latest information for lab products and technology at their fingertips," Jhaveri said.
Biomall currently sells lab products in 35 countries, servicing 300 cities. The platform hosts over 100,000 lab products from over 150 brands across around 100 categories of laboratory, life science and diagnostic products. It has about 5,000 buyers and over 500 sellers, including multinational companies.
Jhaveri said so far the company is bootstrapped, and would be soon exploring possibility of raising funds to invest on technology, logistics, and expansion to newer markets. Get access to India's fastest growing financial subscriptions service Moneycontrol Pro for as little as Rs 599 for first year. Use the code "GETPRO". Moneycontrol Pro offers you all the information you need for wealth creation including actionable investment ideas, independent research and insights & analysis For more information, check out the Moneycontrol website or mobile app. | Pope Francis apologised January 1 for his widely-viewed slap of a woman who had grabbed his hand as he greeted Catholic faithful on New Year's Eve. The image of Francis slapping his way free from the clutches of the admirer was an instant hit on social media.
A personal apology followed.
"We lose patience many times," Francis confessed.
"It happens to me too. I apologise for the bad example given yesterday," the head of the Catholic church said before celebrating Mass at the Vatican.
Twitter enthusiasts commented with abandon on the pontiff's prompt riposte to the woman.
Francis had greeted children before the Nativity scene on Saint Peter's square and was turning away when the woman who had crossed herself then cried out something, pulled on his hand and almost caused him to fall.
The 83-year-old pope grimaced before managing to break free by slapping her hand twice.
He continued his tour, walking with some difficulty while maintaining a slightly greater distance from visitors, and gradually relaxed again as he came into contact with other children.
Twitter comments were mostly supportive of the pontiff's instinctive reaction.
"HE IS HUMAN.. Been (sic) a Pope doesn't make you immune to Pain or avoid Reaction to pain," one typical comment read.
In his first Mass of the New Year, the pontiff later denounced "all violence against women" as "a profanation of God, born of a woman."
Francis also said women were "the source of life" but deplored that they were constantly "offended, beaten, abused and forced into prostitution" and forced to "supress the life they carry within" them.
He emphasised that the "rebirth of humanity began with a woman," and bemoaned that women's bodies were "sacrificed on the profane altars of advertising, profit, pornography.
Download your money calendar for 2022-23 here and keep your dates with your moneybox, investments, taxes | 1 |
Here come the 2020s: Rossland News asked local leaders their thoughts on the decade to come
Columbia Basin Trust President and CEO Johnny Strilaeff says engaging with the public will be a priority in 2020. He’s asking people to imagine the possibilities for the future of this region.
This coming year the Trust is turning 25. It’s a chance to celebrate all that we have been able to accomplish together with people and communities.
It’s also a time to recognize and honour those who saw an opportunity in 1995 to create this unique, regional organization that would support the efforts by the people of the Columbia Basin to create a legacy of social, economic and environmental well-being in the region most affected by the Columbia River Treaty. The focus then was on the future, and this year, we’ll be asking residents to look ahead to the next 25 years.
We are entering the last year of our five-year Columbia Basin Management Plan. This plan sets out 13 primary strategic priorities and has shaped our programming and initiatives since 2016. Last year, we delivered a record $62.6 million in benefits to our communities through more than 70 programs and initiatives supporting over 1,750 projects.
The Trust supports regional priorities that enhance our quality of life and make this region such a desirable place to live. Significant investments in affordable housing, creating tech-enabled spaces, broadband, ecosystem enhancement and environmental education, child care, and arts, culture and heritage are only a few examples of the work we are doing to support regional priorities.
The Trust’s focus as we move into 2020 is engaging with people in the Columbia Basin about their bold and innovative ideas for the future of this region. We’ve already started some of the engagement by speaking with our board, staff and advisory committees. Starting in the spring, we will be hosting conversations in communities and online about where people see opportunities.
What will this plan look like? What are we hoping to achieve? What can we learn from the past that will inform how we work in the future? What do we want our region to look like five, 10, 15, even 20 years from now? These questions will form the basis of our discussions with residents in 2020. Watch for more details at engage.ourtrust.org.
Lastly, the Trust will be hosting our symposia in the fall. For the first time we are hosting the events in two locations to allow more people to take part: one in Trail, Oct. 2 to 4 and one in Golden Oct. 23 to 25. It will also mark the final stage of our community engagement process and the start of reporting back on what we heard. Save the date and visit symposium.ourtrust.org for more details.
2020 will be an exciting year, and I look forward to celebrating and engaging with people from Castlegar to Fernie to Valemount. | As we start a new year, people tend to look back and reflect on what has passed.
Having lost my dad earlier this year, I must admit that I am rather relieved to see the back of 2019 – in the hope of happier times to come.
He slipped away in spring, and it always struck me as ironic that we lost Dad at a time when even nature seemed hopeful, with the daffodils in full bloom.
I am also aware of how lucky I am, in part due to my job.
I am privileged to speak to people every day who have been faced with extraordinary circumstances, and chosen to flourish in the face of trauma far greater than my own.
With that in mind, I am looking ahead to what 2020 will hold.
There is no resolution to be a better mum, or a more patient parent at the helm of a crafting activity which includes glitter.
I admire those who can commit to finally reading that parenting book, while simultaneously signing up to a juice diet detox.
But if this year has taught me anything, it’s that my best is good enough. When a friend asked my advice on returning to work, I told her the wisest course of action was to lower her standards at home.
That might sound a little dismal, but bear with me.
I have learned that it simply isn’t possible to keep on top of the washing, be present as a mum, hoover the stairs and clean out the vegetable drawer in the fridge.
I reason that as long as the house is vaguely clean, the rest of the chaos can wait.
I have been known to batch cook at 10pm, in the hope that it would somehow make me a better mum.
It led to a surplus of soup and partly burned lasagne, alongside a mountain of washing up.
Although mum guilt still snaps at my heels most days, I am secure in the knowledge that I have been a fairly decent parent thus far.
There is, however, one change, which should hopefully be occurring in our household.
No, not baby number two – we’re still recovering from a solid year of sleep deprivation.
Instead, I hope that 2020 will see me spend a lot more time with my other half.
It has often struck me that we are like ships in the night, discussing little else except Reuben and whose turn it is to walk the dog.
In the early days, our life revolved around our new addition.
But Reuben is no longer a tiny bundle clasped to my chest.
It is perhaps time that I cut the apron strings ever so slightly and enjoy the odd meal out which doesn’t include crayons and a high chair.
It is difficult not to be totally consumed by the feat which is taking care of a young child, with their many milestones and somewhat maddening phases.
But in dedicating every spare second to our son, we have forgotten to take time for ourselves.
You cannot expect to continue as normal upon having a baby, but nor can you risk losing each other completely.
We have vowed to go out once a month, and discuss something other than potty training and the latest episode of Peppa Pig.
We may well fall asleep before dessert, but the thought is there.
My other half has a dry sense of humour, a secret love of history and possesses endless patience. He is also notoriously private, and he therefore dreads this column.
But here it is in black and white, my resolution to catch up with the person who has held my hand through the onslaught of 2019.
The date is firmly set in the diary, although the choice of restaurant is still in debate.
So if you can recommend the perfect venue for two knackered parents, let me know. | 1.333333 |
Feb 9, 2019 The Charleston Gazette-Mail
Daylight Atheism
Syndicated by PeaceVoice
By James A. Haught
What's the ultimate form of human idiocy? I nominate religious suicide bombings, in which fanatics kill themselves to murder "infidels" of rival faiths or no faith.
What type of insanity makes some fervent believers think they're serving God by slaughtering defenseless strangers who did them no harm? Are these killers totally devoid of human compassion? Can they look at surrounding people and families with no reaction except a desire to murder them? Do they really think that God wants massacres, and will reward them with virgins in paradise after they sacrifice their own lives?
It's lunacy yet it's a daily reality of modern times, perhaps the single worst source of bloodshed since the Cold War ended. It's so absurd that it couldn't possibly happen but it happens almost every day.
On Jan. 27, two explosions at a Catholic cathedral in the southern Philippines killed 27 worshipers at Sunday mass and wounded more than 100 others. The Islamic State terror group claimed credit, saying "two knights of martyrdom" gave their lives to attack a "crusader temple." President Rodrigo Duterte announced that the attack was committed by husband-and-wife suicide volunteers. The wife, disguised by wearing a large cross, detonated her concealed explosive vest among worshiping Catholics, then the husband triggered a second blast outside the cathedral door as survivors fled, he said.
(Some military sources gave conflicting reports, saying the killers used remote devices to explode planted bombs. Confusion is common after such carnage.)
Actually, the Philippine attack was smallish, compared to many that occur. The worst, of course, was the historic atrocity of Sept. 11, 2001, when 19 al-Qaida suicide volunteers hijacked airliners and crashed them into U.S. landmarks, killing 3,000 Americans. It was the most horrifying day in the memory of most U.S. residents.
The 9/11 holy killers left behind a testament they had shared among themselves, saying they were doing it for God: "Know that the gardens of paradise are waiting for you in all their beauty," they assured each other, "and the women of paradise are waiting, calling out, 'Come hither, friend of God.' They have dressed in their most beautiful clothing."
It's sickening to realize that 3,000 unsuspecting Americans died because of this adolescent male fantasy.
A few years ago, researchers counted 17,000 Muslim terror attacks since the 9/11 horror, with a total body count beyond 60,000 victims. The phenomenon averaged five murder missions per day, so many that news media ignore smaller assaults.
The Islamic "cult of death" has diminished to about one suicide attack per day now. The Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv gives these figures: 452 massacres in 2015, 469 in 2016, 348 in 2017, 293 in 2018. Last year, 2,845 victims were killed and 5,160 wounded. Many attacks involved two or more "martyrs." Surprisingly, the number of women suicide volunteers has grown until they now constitute about one-fifth of the killers.
For years, I wished that the available supply of suicide volunteers would kill themselves off and the phenomenon would cease. But there seems to be an endless parade of new zealots eager to become "martyrs."
Next Page 1 | 2 | reprinted from Daylight Atheism, Syndicated by PeaceVoice)
Long ago, when I was a congressional press secretary, Jennings Randolph was a wise senator from West Virginia. On his Washington desk, he kept a motto I never forgot:
"The most important lesson you can learn is that other people are as real behind their eyes as you are behind yours."
That nugget of insight has deep implications, asserting that nearly everyone in the world all seven billion-plus of them more or less share the same human feelings, fears, wants, hopes, questions, frustrations, pleasures and the like.
This, to me, is the heart of humanism: recognizing the worth of everyone, and striving to make life as good as possible for the whole populace.
Humanism means helping people, and secular humanism means doing it without supernatural religion.
It began as long ago in ancient Greece, when some thinkers advocated humanitas, a helpful spirit toward all. During the Renaissance, a few scholar-priests began caring more for people than for the church, so they became religious humanists. Then came the Enlightenment, when rebel thinkers challenged the supremacy of kings and holy men. They laid the groundwork for modern democracy, which is rooted in humanism.
Various manifestos have been written to crystallize the need for intelligent people to support human betterment. In 1933, the first Humanist Manifesto was signed by three dozen philosophers, Unitarians, reformers and scholars, including John Dewey. It called humanism a new "religion" to replace magic-based supernatural faiths.
Next Page 1 | 2 | 1 |
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Update: The Kern County Sheriff’s Office have identified the man killed as 54-year-old Kirk Conlin Parish.
—-
Bakersfield Police are searching for a driver who killed a pedestrian and drove off.
According to BPD, this happened at about 1:15 early Wednesday morning at Parker Avenue and Oriole Street.
On arrival, they found a man who had been struck by a car. He was transported to Kern Medical where he died from his injuries.
Officers are searching for a possible two tone paint, black and grey Dodge Challenger or Charger.
At this time, it is unknown if drugs or alcohol are involved in this incident.
Anyone with information is urged to call BPD at (661) 327-7111. | BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The trial of a former elementary school principal charged with murder in the death of her husband is scheduled to resume Thursday morning after about a two-week break for the holidays.
Leslie Chance, 52, faces life in prison if found guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Todd Chance, 45.
Todd Chance was found dead in an almond orchard the morning of Aug. 25, 2013. Leslie Chance told investigators she never left her house that morning, but prosecutors say she traveled with her husband to the orchard, shot him and was caught on multiple surveillance cameras as she made her way back home.
She planned her husband’s killing, prosecutors say, after discovering he’d renewed a relationship with a woman he’d been engaged to years ago. He flirted with Carrie Williams in text messages, and Williams testified she sent him nude photos at his request.
The trial is expected to finish in three or four weeks. | 2.333333 |
The nationalised commercial banks or NCBs will be able to offer up to 5.5 percent interest on deposits while the ceiling will be 6 percent for the private ones, the finance minister told reporters. He spoke to the media after a meeting of the cabinet committee on government purchase at the Secretariat in Dhaka on Wednesday.
The banks had been scheduled to implement new lending rate ceiling for the manufacturing sector at 9 percent and deposit interest rate ceiling at 6 percent from the first day of the year.
But after a meeting on Monday night, the finance minister said the new rates will be effective for all sectors bar credit cards from Apr 1.
On Wednesday, Kamal said they changed the decision on the sectors following instructions from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The new date to implement the new rates was set following a request from the bankers who sought time so that some of both short-term and long-term deposits with more than 6 percent interests can mature, according to the finance minister.
Speaking about deposit interest rates, he said, “If the deposit interest rate is fixed at 6 percent for all banks, everyone will keep money in the government banks. So, we are keeping a 0.5 percentage point gap between the interest rates of the government and private banks.”
He said the bankers must cooperate to implement the new rates now as they will not face any loss by receiving 9 percent interest on loans after giving maximum 6 percent interest on deposits.
“The government is stricter than before because they [bankers] had not done it [follow government call for lowering lending rates] previously,” Kamal said.
“So, we will wait this time, but (they) must implement the rates,” he added.
The new rates will bolster industrialisation and trade besides cutting default loans, the minister believes. | HOWELL — A movie theater was evacuated and a person was arrested on New Year's Day after fireworks outside the building were mistaken for real gunfire.
Township police on Wednesday evening said responding officers found no evidence of gunfire but did find evidence of discharged fireworks. Officials said after 6 p.m. that a male suspect was arrested but they did not immediately provide more details.
Police said the theater manager confronted a male who they believed had set off the fireworks.
Inside the theater, meanwhile, panicked people called 911 after confusing the bangs with gun shots.
A commenter on the Howell police Facebook page said she was watching a movie when theatergoers heard the noise.
"The entire theater ran to get out. What a god awful experience. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone," the commenter said.
Police from Jackson and Lakewood also responded.
More From WOBM News: | 1 |
Elizabeth M. Hinricher, 94, of Flandreau, died Monday Dec. 30, 2019, at Avera Flandreau Hospital.
Betty is survived by her husband Elmer, five children, James, Richard, Mary, Patricia, Lois, 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Betty was preceded in death by her daughter Sharon C. Nygaard, one great-grandson Quinten, her parents, five brothers and five sisters.
Funeral services are at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 3, at Ss. Simon and Jude Catholic Church in Flandreau with burial in the church cemetery. Visitation is 4–6 p.m. Thursday with a 6 p.m. scripture service at Skroch Funeral Chapel.
For online condolences, visit www.skrochfc.com. | Photo:BanglaNews24
Hundreds of jute mill workers fell ill with cold-related illnesses until Wednesday morning as they continued their fourth-day fast-to-death.
For their 11-point demands the employees of 12 state-owned mills in five districts continued their demonization, including a wage board for them, raised salary, and payment of dues.
In Khulna, Narsingdi and Rajshahi, at least 15 staff and many others needed intravenous saline.
Workers— under CBA-Non-CBA Sangram Parishad's banner— renewed their strike on Sunday as the government failed to meet their demands despite repeated attempts to do so by December 26.
The staff are on hunger strike for the fourth time in 2019 to drive their claims forward.
Its demands include the enforcement of the 2015 National Wage and Productivity Commission Prize, payment of unpaid wages, sufficient budget allocation for the jute sector and seasonal procurement of jute, settlement of the outstanding provident fund and gratuity to retired workers, and payment of insurance benefits to deceased employees ' families.
During the hunger strike between 10 December and 14 December, Abdus Sattar, a 55-year-old Platinum Jubilee Jute Mill worker, died in Khulna and over 1,000 employees fell sick across the country on their protest grounds. | 1 |
Seattle Seahawks vs. Philadelphia Eagles wild-card playoff preview: Can Russell Wilson win again on road?
Show Caption Hide Caption Lorenzo's Locks: How to bet on Sunday's wild card games SportsPulse: The two best games of the weekend may come out of the NFC slate on Sunday. Lorenzo provides the best bets you can make on each. USA TODAY
A preview of the NFC wild-card matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles
When: Sunday, Jan. 5, 4:40 p.m. ET
Where: Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia
Channel: NBC
Line: Seahawks by 1½
Injuries: Both teams are relatively banged up entering this one, with several key players who may or may not be able to play.
The Eagles recently lost starting right guard Brandon Brooks to a season-ending shoulder injury, while tight end Zach Ertz (ribs/back), running back Miles Sanders (ankle), wide receiver Nelson Agholor (knee) and right tackle Lane Johnson (ankle) missed all or part of the regular-season finale. Coach Doug Pederson said Monday the team would monitor their statuses throughout the week.
Seattle, meanwhile, had 14 players on its injury report entering last week's game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Seahawks will be without starting linebacker Mychal Kendricks, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in one of his knees, but hope to get safety Quandre Diggs back for Sunday's game, according to coach Pete Carroll. They could also be thin at wide receiver with Jaron Brown (knee) out and Malik Turner questionable this week after suffering a concussion.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
1. Carries to be had: Few teams in the NFL embraced the run this season like the Seahawks and Eagles, who ranked third and seventh, respectively, in rushing attempts on the year. But injuries have put them in a similar predicament, trying to figure out who's going to get the carries. Philadelphia will hope for a healthy Sanders, lest they want to rely on Boston Scott for a second consecutive week. The Seahawks split carries between Marshawn Lynch (fresh out of retirement) and Travis Homer. With the cast of characters changing, it will be interesting to see if either team can establish consistent production on the ground.
2. What's home worth? The Eagles (9-7) earned home-field advantage in this game by virtue of winning the lowly NFC East, even though the Seahawks finished with a better record (11-5, including a 7-1 mark on the road) and have generally played like the better team this year. (They also beat the Eagles, in Philadelphia, in Week 12.) If the Eagles manage to pull off the upset and win this one, it would illustrate the value of home-field advantage in the playoffs — and help fuel critics who say playoff seeding should be determined by record, regardless of division.
3. All eyes on tight ends: One of the key matchups in this game will be Seattle's defense against Philadelphia's tight ends. The Seahawks ranked 31st in the NFL this year in catches (97) and receiving yards (1,099) surrendered to opposing tight ends, and Carson Wentz's top two targets are Ertz and Dallas Goedert. That pair combined for 146 catches, 1,523 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns during the regular season. All of this makes the health of Ertz that much more important in the days leading up to kickoff.
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad. | Eagles facing Seahawks for second time with Boston Scott, Greg Ward, other new players filling big roles
Show Caption Hide Caption Eagles' Elijah Holyfield on his dad, boxing champ Evander Elijah Holyfield, signed by the Eagles on Tuesday, talks about his famous father; and Carson Wentz on upcoming game vs. Seahawks Martin Frank, The News Journal
PHILADELPHIA – When the Eagles played the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 24, Greg Ward had just been promoted from the practice squad, and Jay Ajayi, not Boston Scott, was the backup running back to Miles Sanders.
Mack Hollins was a starting wide receiver, even though he was going on his seventh straight game without a reception.
Right tackle Lane Johnson was sitting out with a concussion, and Pro Bowl right guard Brandon Brooks would leave in the first quarter after having an anxiety attack.
SON OF A CHAMP: Eagles sign boxing champion Evander Holyfield's son Elijah to play RB with Sanders hurt
And quarterback Carson Wentz was playing in his first game without his top three wide receivers as DeSean Jackson was recently put on injured reserve, while Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor were sitting out with injuries.
Needless to say, it didn't go well as the Eagles committed five turnovers – four by Wentz with two lost fumbles and two interceptions – in their 17-9 loss.
The Eagles fell to 5-7 after losing the following week to Miami. They haven't lost since, winning four straight games despite a brand new cast of skill position players, most of whom the Seahawks haven't seen when the two teams play on Sunday in the NFC Wildcard Round of the playoffs.
SEASON SAVIORS: Ranking the Eagles' 10 former practice squad players by their importance
"I think it’s been different bodies out there, different guys making the plays, but Coach (Doug Pederson) has been putting together an awesome game plan each week and executing it and calling it really well, so I can just play fast and take what the defense gives me," Wentz said.
"And guys have been making plays. I’ve said that over and over now. It’s someone different every week. We saw Boston Scott last week. What was he, the (NFC) offensive player of the week? How cool is that? It’s finding ways to get the ball in playmakers hands and it’s my job to distribute it."
SEAHAWKS AGAIN: Eagles to face Seahawks in NFL playoff game, with chance to avenge regular-season loss
Scott didn't touch the ball at all in that first game against Seattle. Yet last Sunday against the Giants, Scott took over when Miles Sanders left with an injury in the second quarter and had 138 yards from scrimmage and scored three touchdowns in the Eagles' 34-17 win.
It's the same way with Ward. The first game against Seattle was only his second game on a game-day roster after spending parts of each of the last three seasons on the Eagles' practice squad.
Ward had his first NFL reception in that game, finishing with 6 catches for 40 yards. He has been the Eagles' leading receiver since, with 28 receptions, along with 254 yards and a touchdown. A week later, Hollins was released, while Jeffery has since gone on injured reserve, and Agholor has missed the last four games.
Eagles. Phillies. College and high school sports. Subscribe to Delaware Online to get every story.
"Some of the names are different, but the style of play and the way (Pederson) calls the offense and the defense, and how they do their stuff, doesn’t look different," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "Boston Scott is so much in the same vein (as Miles Sanders). They have the same-style type of guys of really exciting football players. They know how to use their guys. We’re just going to expect them to continue to do what they do."
But that has taken some time.
The Seahawks game was really the first time Wentz was playing with a new set of skill position players. That has continued to evolve as the weeks have gone on. Yet the Eagles have adjusted in must-win games in order to make the playoffs.
"We’ve had some moving parts," Scott said. "Guys have gone down. Guys have had to step up. At the end of the day, I feel like Carson has been putting us in good situations. It doesn’t really matter who’s in there. He’s kind of making that thing go. He’s our leader, and we have confidence in him, and he’s been putting us in positions to succeed."
In the last few days alone, Brooks went on injured reserve with a shoulder injury; tight end Zach Ertz missed last week's game with hip and back injuries and might not return this week; and Johnson has missed the last three games with a high-ankle sprain, and it's not known if he can return this week, either.
Fletcher Cox, Boston Scott after Eagles win over Giants Fletcher Cox had a pivotal fumble recovery at the Giants 2 yard line, while Boston Scott took over at running back to lead the win. Martin Frank, The News Journal
In that first game, rookie Andre Dillard, who had played left tackle ever since he began playing football, played right tackle and was benched at halftime for Halapoulivaati Vaitai, and Matt Pryor got into his first-ever NFL game at right guard.
Pryor played in the second half against the Giants last Sunday, and would be prepared to start if needed again Sunday.
The Seahawks have dealt with a similar situation over the past few weeks, when they lost 3 of their last 4 games. Their top three running backs in Chris Carson (1,230 yards rushing), Rashaad Penny (129 yards rushing vs. the Eagles) and C.J. Prosise have all suffered season-ending injuries.
The Seahawks last week signed veteran running back Marshawn Lynch. He hadn't played at all this season until last Sunday night in Seattle's 26-21 loss to San Francisco.
"We have to just deal with what’s been dealt to us," Carroll said. "Just make the adjustments and count on the guys to come through and make the plays, and play like the guy who just left. I know (the Eagles) have done a great job of that, overcoming tremendous odds. We’re up against a little bit now.
"Obviously, there’s a big survival challenge for both teams."
Injury update
Both Johnson and Ertz were limited participants in practice Wednesday, which was a walkthrough session. Eagles coach Doug Pederson said Ertz has not been cleared for contact, so unless that changes by Sunday, he won't play. Johnson has missed three straight games with an ankle injury.
WR Nelson Agholor, who has missed 5 of the last 6 games with a knee injury, didn't practice. Neither did Sanders. Pederson said a decision on Sanders will be made later in the week.
Eagles sign a WR
The Eagles placed Brooks on injured reserve Wednesday and signed WR Shelton Gibson. Gibson was the Eagles' fifth-round pick in 2017. He was waived in August, and spent the season on the Cleveland Browns' practice squad. Gibson has 3 career catches for 59 yards in 2017 and 2018.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl. | 3.666667 |
× Pope Francis equates violence against women to profaning God
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis is pinning much of his hopes for a more peaceful world in the new year on women, saying violence against them is akin to profaning God and calling for them to be increasingly involved in making major decisions.
In his homily Wednesday in St. Peter’s Basilica, Francis decried the “many times women’s bodies are sacrificed on the profane altar of advertisements, of profit, of pornography.” He also lamented that women are ”continually offended, beaten, raped, forced into prostitution” or forced to have abortions. The Catholic Church forbids abortion.
Francis didn’t mention if under his watch things might change in how women are treated in the Catholic church. According to Vatican teaching, women can’t become priests. And the top job — the papacy — has been strictly for males.
He contended that if we want a better world in the new year, we should treat women with dignity.
Francis urged that women become ”fully associated” with decision-making to make the world more united and at peace.
“And if we want a better world, that is a house of peace and not a courtyard of war, may the dignity of every woman be at the heart of it,” Francis said. “Women are givers and mediators of peace, and should be fully associated with decision-making processes.”
He added: “For when women can transmit their gifts, the world finds itself more united and more in peace. So, a conquest for women is a conquest for the whole of humanity.”
Francis didn’t comment on how the Catholic church treats women. As well as women not being allowed to be priests, some conservative elements of the Catholic church are scandalized by parishes that allow girls to be altar servers. And, as The Associated Press has reported, there have been instances of priests — who are supposed to be celibate — impregnating women and then not recognizing the child as their offspring.
Reflecting on the state of affairs of the church, Francis cautioned against divisions, blaming the devil for those who emphasize differences, ideologies and factions. | Pope Francis has apologized for hitting the hand of a well-wisher who grabbed him and yanked him toward her.
In his new year’s wishes to the public in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, Francis confessed to losing his patience with the woman while he was strolling in the square Tuesday night to admire the Vatican’s Nativity scene.
Cameras captured the scene when the woman, from behind a barrier, reached out and grabbed the pope’s hand, pulling him violently toward her. Francis reacted sharply, exclaimed something and then slapped her hand so she would let him go. Frowning in anger, he turned and strode away.
In his impromptu remarks Wednesday, Francis said “so many times we lose patience. Me, too.” He then added “I say ‘excuse me’ for the bad example” he gave in the incident Tuesday. | 2 |
SAN DIEGO — If you're looking for video game Nirvana, look no further than Kearny Mesa. In this Zevely Zone, I revisited the GameSync Esports Center for the first time in five years. I was met at the door by myself. I visited the gaming center in 2015 and was shocked to find the story I did way back then playing on a continuous loop in their lobby. "That is Jeff Zevely on CBS 8," said GameSync founder Agragati Siegel "That's you you're famous man." I asked, "You guys aren't sick of me yet?" Agragati responded, "You know I can't speak for anyone else but you're a hero."
In the 2015 story I profiled Jordan N0thing Gilbert an esport professional which in 2015 was a job most people had never heard of but now, Agragati says gaming is about to take on the big boys "Next year, online gaming viewership will likely meet or surpass the NFL," he said. "Old versus new, let's go," said Jordyn Budiman as he showed me how to play Super Smash Ultimate with his Pac Man character that packed a punch. "You just killed me?" I asked. Jordyn said, "Yeah, ha, ha, ha."
Jordan 'n0thing' Gilbert Interviewed By CBS-8 At GameSync Hot on the heels of the Canal Plus French TV interview last month, Jordan 'n0thing' Gilbert (one of the most well known eSports players in the Counter-Strike scene around the world) was again interviewed at GameSync Gaming, this time by CBS-8 KFMB local television news.
Unbeknownst to me, the game we were playing was being streamed across the world with broadcasters calling the action. Online streaming on platforms like Twitch are just one reason why gamers with game get paid. "What kind of money can a professional gamer make," I asked. "We've heard of a purse last year that was a ten million dollar purse," said GameSync's Seddu Namakajo. He is a partner in the business and says professional gamers have millions of fans and travel the planet. "Parents used to get mad at their kids for sitting in a room playing video games and now kids can be a professional athlete playing games," said Seddu.
Here in San Diego, GameSync says five years ago after our story aired it was game on. "You were the one who kind of put us on the map as a business and not only is GameSync grateful to you but the entire San Diego gaming community is grateful to you for what you did five years ago, said Agragati. At 45-years old, Agragati has become is sort of the Yoda of esports who says the joy from joystick keeps us young at heart.
GameSync Esports is open 16 hours a day, seven days a week. The tournament I played in had a ten-dollar buy-in and awarded cash prizes to the winners. For more information go to http://gamesync.us/ | Q: I’m a woman, age 36, who married a man from another country five years ago. I moved there and we bought a house together.
But we both found that we just weren’t compatible. He’s very laid-back; I’m hyperactive by comparison.
Since we had no children, we agreed to part in an amicable divorce.
I decided to go home for a visit, and scout the chances for work.
By luck, I was offered a terrific job and decided to stay. But I’d only brought one small suitcase along for the trip.
When I informed my ex that I’d like him to ship the rest of my things, and finalize splitting the proceeds from our house sale, his normally easygoing manner changed completely.
He became angry, said I’d have to do my own packing and shipping which had nothing to do with him. He added that the money wasn’t easily available.
I’m shocked at his meanness. Now I have to wait for my new job to allow early “vacation time” for me to travel overseas, retrieve my own things, and deal with this now-difficult ex about money that’s rightfully mine.
How can I manage everything in two weeks of so-called “vacation” time?
Difficult Ex
A: Start preparations now. Reach out to your contacts where you lived for five years, and ask them to refer you to a reliable shipping company. Get informed from that company as to what proof of ownership or other papers may be required.
But before addressing the money issue with your ex, try a non-combative phone conversation with him asking if there’s anything you need to know about the house proceeds.
Then, communicate with the lawyer involved in the sale, and have him/her or another lawyer inform your ex that you require your share to re-settle back home.
Have as many conversations as possible to prepare yourself to be ready to proceed when you travel to complete the move.
Invite a local friend there to help you with the packing, especially if it’s in the presence of your ex-husband.
Q: I work in an open-concept office where my co-workers and I are respectful of each other’s sound space. Most conversations on the phone or in person are kept to reasonable decibels.
Unfortunately, we received a newcomer to our space who laughs like a hyena. I’m not exaggerating. She’ll say a name aloud, then laugh in hysterical bursts.
It’s very annoying and interferes with my concentration. What do I do/say that won’t be turned back on me as workplace harassment?
Earplugs Not Enough
A: Start with a plan of accommodation, rather than annoyance. She has an ingrained habit, you have a concentration problem.
Hers may be a nervous habit which gets exaggerated in new situation. Yours is a reaction. Neither of you are affecting or interfering with the other, on purpose.
You do have to be careful in a workplace atmosphere about how you proceed. Talk first to your supervisor who’ll likely ask a human resources representative as to the best plan (if there is an HR department).
But if left on your own, speak to this co-worker aside from others, and gently tell her that her exuberant laugh is too loud for an open-concept workplace.
Ask her to please try to tone it down. To show that you’re demonstrating goodwill, you could say that you’re willing to use earplugs when you need to concentrate more.
If she reacts badly, write a note detailing who said what, and then take it higher up.
Ellie’s tip of the day
An “amicable” divorce still requires being legally informed and aware of any financial complications.
EXPERT ADVICE. IN YOUR INBOX: Sign up for the Star’s advice newsletter, get the latest on relationships, etiquette and more.
Ellie Tesher is an advice columnist for the Star and based in Toronto. Send your relationship questions via email: ellie@thestar.ca
SHARE: | 1 |
Winter air really is worse in south, west Phoenix. Here's why
Columba Sainz used to spend more time outside with her two young daughters. When her husband got home from work in the evenings, the four of them would go directly to the nearby park in their neighborhood in Tempe. Sometimes they’d be there until 9 or 10 at night.
“I don’t want my children to be inside the house, watching TV all day long,” Sainz said. “I want them to be outside, to keep their minds busy.”
After about a year and a half in Tempe, Sainz was pregnant with a third child. Her husband’s commute from downtown Phoenix seemed to be getting longer. With a new baby on the way and two toddlers, she wanted the growing family to live closer to his work.
They moved to a neighborhood south of downtown. The house seemed perfect—it was across the street from a park and near a daycare. But then Sainz’s toddler started wheezing and coughing at night.
“It was something that we’d never seen before,” Sainz said. “We were really panicked. We took her to the hospital the next day and the first question they asked me was, 'Does she have asthma or respiratory issues?' And I said no. They never linked it to the quality of the air.”
For more stories that matter, subscribe to azcentral.com.
South and west Phoenix have the worst air quality in the Valley. Maricopa County Air Quality Department uses monitors throughout the county to measure particulate matter, or PM, fine particles that are produced by vehicles, construction, industry, fireworks and wood burning.
PM 2.5 are airborne particles small enough to enter the lungs and can trigger asthma attacks. Young children whose lungs are still developing, and elderly people with weakened lungs, are most at risk for health problems caused by PM 2.5. This dangerous fine particle pollution tends to increase during the holiday season as more people burn wood in fireplaces and outdoor pits, and set off fireworks to celebrate the new year.
FOR SUBSCRIBERS: Smelling smoke on a no-burn day? Here's why nobody gets fined
When her daughter started wheezing, Sainz stopped taking her to the park. After spending as many as four hours outside playing, Sainz cut the time down to a half hour, then 15 minutes. Her daughter kept wheezing. Sainz downloaded air quality apps on her phone and signed up for alerts from Maricopa County, which issues no-burn days, and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), which puts out high pollution advisories. Enforcement by the county is often lax.
“My life just changed right there,” Sainz said, her eyes filling with tears. “How do you limit a kid from four hours to 15 minutes outside? My life depended on checking on apps before having my children go outside. The house becomes your safe zone from the outside. But at the same time, you see all these other children outside and it’s like how do you communicate to them that this could happen to them as well?”
Why pollution is worse in the winter
This time of year, early morning commuters may notice the sunrise muddied by a brown haze on the horizon. That’s pollution, primarily particulate matter.
For most of the year, the sun heats the ground enough to warm the air just above it. That warm air gradually rises throughout the day, allowing pollution to disperse in a larger area.
Because the sun is weaker in the winter, cold air sits lower to the colder ground. Warmer air above it rises, but the cold air stays near the ground and doesn't mix with the rest of the atmosphere. The result is a line of brown haze trapped below the warm layer.
How winter air pollution hurts people with asthma As fireplace smoke and dust accumulate in the cold air, people with asthma and other breathing ailments can feel trapped and afraid. Alyssa Williams, azcentral
Local winds are a factor too, shifting pollution to different parts of the Valley throughout the day and night, said ADEQ meteorologist Matthew Pace.
In the afternoon, the wind generally moves up the mountains surrounding Phoenix, pulling the air from the west and southwest toward the east and northeast. At night, cold air drains back to the south and southwest, eventually settling in the lowest point of the valley — near the Salt River in south and west Phoenix.
“Any of those pollutants that you create, whether it’s PM 2.5, which is smoke, or PM 10, which is dust, that will all drain slowly down into the south part of the valley,” Pace said.
Only rain or wind can disperse the cold air layer near the ground and allow the pollution to diffuse. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were some of the cleanest days on record because of the rain and storm system that kept smoke from building up.
South and west Phoenix are denser areas and tend to have more older homes with wood-burning fireplaces, another reason for higher particulate matter counts in those areas, said Ron Pope, an atmospheric scientist with Maricopa County. It’s also a more industrial area than other parts of the city.
It’s difficult to quantify how much smoke from local burning in northern Phoenix is transferred to the south and west. Pope tracked pollution throughout a 24-hour period on a high pollution day in 2018 and found that the wind patterns had filtered most of the pollution from east and central Phoenix by midnight, but pollution remained high in west Phoenix.
“That’s probably the transport issue,” Pope said. “You tend to have this airflow, especially after midnight, where the air will start to settle in the southwest. So you've got a lot of local burning in south and west Phoenix with fireplaces and bonfires and so forth, which makes pretty high concentrations that we see early in the evening. Then later on in the evenings, those concentrations will start to increase and that's because they're being compounded with transported smoke. A lot of the fires are out, but you have the firework smoke, the lingering smoke from the fireplaces, and it all starts to settle, especially in the southwest.”
ADEQ issued a high pollution advisory for New Years Eve this year. On New Years Day 2018, PM 2.5 levels exceeded national standards, and were the highest they’d been since the county started tracking particulate matter. On Christmas Day in 2017 and 2018, PM 2.5 levels also exceeded national standards.
“Everyone's gotta do their part at this point to protect the entire population,” said Pace. “Even if you're not sensitive to it, that smoke in your neighborhood is draining into someone else's neighborhood.”
MORE: No burning allowed on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day in Maricopa County
High-poverty areas
Air pollution exposure is closely linked to race and socioeconomic status. The north and northeast parts of metro Phoenix tend to be wealthier and whiter, with better air quality. The southern and western part of Phoenix tends to be poorer, predominantly minorities and has worse air quality, according to soon-to-be-published research by Darshan Karwat, an aerospace engineer and assistant professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and the Polytechnic School at Arizona State University.
Karwat layered demographics, air quality and transportation data on top of one another to understand the overlap between air pollution, socioeconomic status, race and age across the city. He gave each census tract an air pollution “score” by combining distribution levels for certain pollutants governed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Ambient Air Quality Standards: ozone, PM 10 and PM 2.5. Then he created color-coded maps to show the distribution.
The research was fueled by a desire to identify the places that face both poverty and poor air quality and then make contact with those people. He presented his findings at several community meetings in south and west Phoenix.
“Like in most cities, poor people, browner people are exposed to more air pollution in Phoenix,” Karwat said. “A lot of the air quality work has remained in the academic sphere and what we want to do is provide more access to this kind of knowledge to people who are affected by it.”
Asthma rates are some of the highest in the county in south and west Phoenix zip codes, according to 2017 data from the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.
Topography isn’t the only reason why air in south and west Phoenix is particularly bad during the winter. History sheds a light on why these areas are more polluted, poorer and primarily home to minorities.
In the late 1860s, white settlers established what would become modern Phoenix as an agricultural center by the Salt River. They used the remnants of the centuries-old canal system built by the Hohokam people to bring water to the arid region. At that time, Mexicans were largely excluded from jobs other than working as field hands. When the railroad was built in southern Phoenix, factories sprouted near the tracks and people of color lived nearby for work, as they were barred from other economic opportunity because of racist policies.
Depression-era districting and zoning laws kept land values low in south Phoenix, allowing more industry to move in. After World War II, people of color were denied federal loan programs for low-interest mortgages. Thus, white people were able to move north, away from the factories, creating a growing suburban middle class in the northeast of the city, according to a paper published by Arizona State University researchers in 2005.
BETTER BUSES: These student runners train in 'nasty air.' They're working to clean it up
In the 1960s, the freeway system was built parallel to the railroad corridor, followed by the construction and later expansion of Sky Harbor airport in the 1970s and 1980s. The environmental justice movement, which began in the 1980s, brought many of these issues to light as local activists protested for their rights.
Today, the legacy of that history remains. Beatriz Beltran lives in south Phoenix, near the 17 freeway. Her daughter developed asthma when they moved from east Phoenix to south Phoenix.
“Sometimes we smell gas, paint, oil,” Beltran said. “I hear a lot about allergies and asthma attacks. This is an issue that a lot of the Latino community has.”
Sainz’s old house was under the flight path from Sky Harbor airport. Her family eventually moved out of that area, but her daughter still wheezes when the air is bad.
“Not everyone has the privilege to move — what happens to the people who stay there?” Sainz said. “Something happened that now I don't let my children go outside. As a mom, it’s hard. I try to put them in activities, and all the activities are so expensive. So, who are the ones that get to do that? We go through so many things the wealthy don’t even know.”
Sainz has always been active in her community, but after her daughter started wheezing, she joined Moms Clean Air Force and Ecomadres. As part of those organizations, she hosts “cafecitos,” information sessions at schools and daycares about the climate crisis, air quality and other environmental issues. She helps plant trees in south Phoenix neighborhoods and advocates for clean climate policies at a local, state, and federal level.
“We have so many other issues we have to fight every day with racism, with immigration,” Sainz said. “I see my community struggle. It comes to an environmental injustice. It's a fight that we're fighting right now.”
Erin Stone covers the environment for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Send her story tips and ideas at erin.stone@arizonarepublic.com and follow her on Twitter @Erstone7.
Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Follow The Republic environmental reporting team at environment.azcentral.com and at OurGrandAZ on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. | The Duggar family always has a big year and 2019 was no exception. Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar’s brood of 19 welcomed in four grandchildren. So, what will 2020 hold for the “Counting On” stars? Here are our predictions in regards to possible future courtships and pregnancy announcements for the family in the new year.
Courtships
For years, fans of the Duggars have predicted when the oldest Duggar daughter, Jana, will enter into a courtship. Could 2020 be her year? The 29-year-old (who turns 30 on Jan. 12) just saw her twin brother, John-David Duggar, recently get married, so now could be her time. After all, she has been in at least four rumored courtships since 2017. Last year, she even revealed she has been in relationships before, they were just not publicly announced.
Jana isn’t the only Duggar who could soon enter into an official courtship. Her brothers, twins Jeremiah and Jedidiah Duggar, just turned 21. In October, fans suspected Jedidiah may be making a courtship announcement soon after joining Instagram. Jedidiah has also been rumored to be dating his sister-in-law Kendra’s sister Lauren Caldwell, and he’s not the only one! Jason Duggar, 19, and James Duggar, 18, have also been speculated to be dating Lauren.
Pregnancies
The Duggars welcomed a whopping four babies in 2019 but that doesn’t mean fans shouldn’t expect more big news from the family in 2020.
First up is John-David and his wife, Abbie. The couple is due to welcome their first child, a girl, in January. They last updated fans on Dec. 18 in the above Instagram post and revealed Abbie was 36-weeks along.
Meanwhile, Josh Duggar, the eldest, welcomed his sixth child, daughter Maryella, with wife Anna in November. Jessa and Ben Seewald welcomed their third child this year with daughter Ivy. Historically, both couples have spaced out their children out by two years so fans shouldn’t expect a baby announcement in 2020 from either of them.
Two other Duggar couples also just welcomed children, so it’s unlikely we could get another pregnancy announcement from them anytime soon. Josiah and Lauren Duggar had daughter Bella, their first, in November. Likewise, Joseph and Kendra Duggar only welcomed their second child, daughter Addison, in November. However, the couple did have their two babies back-to-back, introducing son Garrett in 2018.
Joy-Anna and Austin Forsyth tragically announced a miscarriage last year. They were due to expect their second baby, a girl, to join their son Gideon in November. It is unknown if they plan to expand their family more at this time.
Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo could very well be the next Duggar pregnancy announcement. The two welcomed their first child, daughter Felicity, in summer 2018. And while they were busy moving to Los Angeles last year, 2020 could very well by the year they add a new addition.
Jill and Derick Dillard, who are no longer on “Counting On,” haven’t welcomed a child to join their two sons since 2017, so they could always be looking to expand.
Photo: TLC
What do you think 2020 will hold for the Duggar family? Share your predictions in the comments section below. | 1 |
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) (AP) — Running back Tony Jones Jr. became the second player for No. 14 Notre Dame to forego his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL draft. Jones made the announcement Tuesday on Twitter. On Monday, senior safety Alohi Gilman declared for the draft. The announcements followed quarterback Ian Book’s declaration Sunday night on social media that he would use his fifth year of eligibility to return in 2020. The draft is April 23-35. | CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — A businessman whose sexual assault conviction was overturned last week is out of prison as he waits to hear whether prosecutors will try him a third time.
Tony Cercy, 57, was freed from a Newcastle prison camp Tuesday after paying the $100,000 bail requested by prosecutors and set by a judge, the Casper Star-Tribune reported. Cercy's lawyers had filed a motion asking for his immediate release on Monday, claiming it would be “virtually impossible” for him to be tried again.
Cercy was accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman who passed out on a sofa at his Alcova lake house in June 2017.
The Wyoming Supreme Court overturned his third-degree sexual assault conviction after finding that that jurors weren't properly instructed on state law regarding the crime at his second trial in November 2018.
While prosecutors presented evidence of oral sexual assault, the court found that kind of assault does not meet the state law's standard to show third-degree sexual assault. It found that it is applicable to the first- and second-degree crimes Cercy was acquitted of during his first trial.
District Attorney Dan Itzen plans to meet with the alleged victim and her family before deciding whether to charge Cercy, who was sentenced to six to eight years in prison, again. | 1 |
In many ways, 2019 was a year of surprises for DeKalb County. From sudden departures of officials to making history with appointments and elec… | Editor’s note: As a new year begins, Park Rapids Enterprise news staff took a look back at 2019, reflecting on moments that stood out from a year’s worth of stories.
A unique privilege to listen to your stories
By Shannon Geisen
A police scanner sits in the middle of our news department. On the afternoon of Jan. 2, it blared a warning that there was a fire at the Blueberry Pines Golf Course.
My heart always sinks when we are sent out to cover fires and accidents. I hope no one is injured. I hope the fire can be put out quickly, minimizing damage. You never know what to expect until you arrive on the scene.
As I began the drive toward Menahga, plumes of black smoke were already visible. I knew that couldn’t be good.
The intensity of this particular fire was scary. About 100 firefighters would battle this terrible blaze. I’m anxious to stay out of their way, making sure my car isn’t parked obtrusively. I identify myself, and as I take photos and shoot video, I keep my distance so they can work. Sadly, the building was a total loss. Thankfully, no one was hurt.
Later in January, I would receive a call from Larry Holm, who narrowly survived having his throat slit by someone temporarily staying at his home. He wanted to tell his story. We met at Burger King, and I listened as he shared his harrowing ordeal. He was tearful, and so was I. It was difficult to hear and equally hard to retell.
It is a unique privilege to be a reporter for a community newspaper. We meet a lot of our amazing neighbors over the course of a year. Mostly, we listen.
I feel a great responsibility when writing about someone’s experiences. That story is like a precious gift. It must be treated respectfully. It must be truthful. It must be accurate. It must be told. It is an honor that I take seriously.
I accept this responsibility when reporting about a government meeting or a community event as well. I have been entrusted with telling it.
Sometimes the story is playful, like when Joe Grisamore aimed for a Guinness World Record for the tallest full Mohican Mohawk.
Sometimes it is painful, like the news coverage and dash cam footage from the Nevis shootings, which left three people dead and a Hubbard County sheriff's deputy injured.
In 2020, I fervently hope our community sees more joy than tragedy, and I thank everyone who courageously told their stories in 2019.
Witnessing public and private pain was humbling
By Robin Fish
It’s hard to choose just one story in 2019 that had an impact on me.
I touched just a small corner of the tragedy in February around the Nevis area, when three local people were shot to death and a police officer was injured. It was an emotional roller coaster, covering how that happened and how a community could move forward and heal itself afterward.
It was also a story that stirred debate in our newsroom about the local paper’s responsibility to tell it. You can be sure nothing about that story made it on the page without serious discussion and painstaking pursuit of fact.
Beyond that, that story took a personal toll. Assigned to cover a community prayer service a few days after the shootings, I listened to the lessons and sang along with some liturgical songs, but I couldn’t bring myself to aim the camera lens at anything more up-close and personal than the front of the church building, from the opposite end of the parking lot, with no people in sight.
Aiming my microphone at anybody, even outside the church, felt dirty even to think about. People were in pain, and seeing it only made me feel it, too. Oh, how the role of pushy reporter feels puny in moments like these.
In November, some readers took to social media to criticize the newspaper’s decision to share a WDAY-TV story about law enforcement’s release of dashcam footage taken the day of those shootings.
For me, seeing the unedited footage removed all doubt about whether that was the right decision. It dramatically demonstrates what police officers, troopers and deputies face every day, driving into danger to protect the rest of us.
The calm courage in the off-camera voice of Deputy Eric Rypkema, reassuring his wife by phone while bleeding from wounds on his face, moved me to tears.
Another story that made me cry last year was one that never made it in the paper – part of our coverage of how bullying issues were being handled in local schools.
I respected a family’s decision to withdraw consent to tell their child’s story, but I think if you read her tearful account of how harassment by her peers made her feel worthless, you would cry, too.
Being allowed to witness such deep, private pain bore fruit, even if I couldn’t pass it on. I felt some of that pain myself. It made me more keen to listen, to believe the victim, and to tell their story on the next opportunity – and there are too many opportunities to tell that kind of story.
A young girl’s pain, passed from heart to heart, convinced me that something in our culture needs to change. I hope that change is now underway in our area’s schools. The fuel to get that change moving may be the heat of emotion. For me, that unpublished story was my fill-’er-up.
Finding light in the midst of darkness
By Lorie Skarpness
The story that impacted me most in 2019 came out of a Nevis School Board meeting. It was the first meeting after 11 children in Nevis lost a parent in a tragic shooting, an event that touched everyone in that room in some way in the small, close-knit community.
It started out as just an ordinary meeting with nothing special on the agenda. Then, as the meeting drew to a close, board member Justin Isaacson said he had something he wanted to share.
With tears in his eyes, he said it was hard for him to even speak about the shooting because he feels so badly for the hurt these children experienced but that he wanted to do something to help.
“It seems like when something like this happens, the outpouring of support is tremendous at first, but then people go back to their lives and it kind of falls through the cracks,” he said. “These children will be affected forever and need our help. I hope there will be a group of people with a vision for a foundation who can collaborate to make sure these children and the trauma they experienced are not forgotten.”
As a reporter, I have written many stories about important causes but never felt compelled to join in to volunteer. This time was different. What Justin said was like a glowing light beaconing that there was hope for something good to come out of this tragedy that was weighing on everyone’s hearts.
After the meeting, I told Justin I would help him. After reaching out to others in the community, we gathered for our first meeting in April. As the group grew, we decided to name it Healing Hearts.
Akeley Police Chief Jimmy Hansen and Hubbard County Deputy Josh Oswald became key members, along with Chris Swenson, who has been an advocate for victims of domestic violence for over 20 years. She shared an idea that has been done in other cities called Shop with A Cop.
Police officers volunteer their time to take children impacted by domestic violence shopping to help them overcome fears associated with police and build trusting relationships with officers by getting to know them as people who are there to help, serve and protect.
Our first “Shop with a Cop” event was in August. In addition to Hansen and Oswald, we were joined by Park Rapids police officers Joey Rittgers and Rob Gilmore to help children purchase back to school supplies. The focus of the December “Shop with a Cop” was buying Christmas gifts for their families. Both events were made possible because of the support of organizations and individuals in this community who opened their hearts by donating to the cause or volunteering their time.
After each shopping trip police officers, children, families and volunteers had a pizza party filled with laughter, smiles and happy conversations.
I feel so blessed to have been at that school board meeting because it made me realize how important it is to do something to help when we can. We are fortunate to live in a community where so many wonderful people give of their time and money to make a difference in the lives of others all throughout the year. | 1.6 |
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Some residents of an Alaska borough were still contending with blocked roads preventing easy access to their homes a week after an ice jam caused a creek to flood, officials said.
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough has used small boats and amphibious, all-terrain vehicles to help residents of Willow transport supplies to their homes, Alaska Public Media reported Monday.
Heavy equipment operators with the borough’s public works department continued to guide the water back into Willow Creek, borough Emergency Services Director Ken Barkley said Monday.
Residents near the Willow Creek and Deneki Road areas were evacuated the night of Dec. 21-22 when a large chunk of ice jammed at the Deneki bridge and caused upstream flooding. No injuries were reported.
Borough Mayor Vern Halter declared a local emergency and the borough is seeking a state disaster declaration, officials said.
The borough evacuated residents and pets from more than a dozen homes, including five that officials said were damaged by floodwater.
“Yesterday, we moved 800 pounds (363 kilograms) of dog food and yak food — those are some of the exotic animals that are in there,” Barkley said, adding that two food transports were scheduled Monday with the possibility of another for emergency supplies.
Upcoming work is expected to include installation of a bridge and a culvert where water flowed over a road, Barkley said.
Boat and ATV operators continued to help shuttle some residents in and out of the area, while others remained in place or are stayed elsewhere.
Once the roads are passable, the borough will begin working on the ice that caused the flooding, Barkley said.
“We still have the ice dam there that needs to be addressed, but right now we’re trying to get it to where it’s safe enough for residents to come in and out, so they don’t have to rely on us and can be self-sufficient,” Barkley said. | PARSIPPANY, N.J. (AP) — A Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital patient has been charged with murder after he allegedly stabbed someone inside the facility this week.
Staffers at the hospital encountered Rashid Davis, 28, in a hallway Tuesday and saw blood on his hand. They then located the victim in Davis’ room lying on the floor in a pool of blood, according to he Morris County Prosecutor's Office.
Authorities would not say if the victim was a patient or a hospital employee and declined to release the person's name.
It wasn't known if Davis has retained an attorney or if he was injured in the incident. Besides the murder charge, he also faces two weapons counts.
The 510-bed hospital, which straddles Morris Plains and Parsippany, is one of five psychiatric facilities overseen by the state’s Department of Human Services. A spokesperson could not be reached Wednesday because the agency's offices were closed. | 1.333333 |
On Christmas Eve, Shenzhen-based asset management firm Penghua Fund put in an application for a blockchain-focused exchange-traded-fund (ETF), Penghua Shenzhen Stocks, to China’s securities commission, CSRC. If approved, it’d be the country’s first publicly available blockchain ETF fund.
Financial researcher Zhang Ting told Shanghai Securities News that other companies will likely follow, should the blockchain ETF be approved. They added that the first-mover advantage for these kinds of ETF funds means that Penghua could corner the market if it manages the fund successfully.
On the same day as Penghua’s filing, December 24, the Shenzhen Stock Exchange pushed a blockchain stock index. The fund comprises 50 stocks of top companies in the blockchain industry, including Ping An Bank and mining company Wholeasy.
Experience Web 3.0. Be the first to get Decrypt Members. A new type of account built on blockchain. Early access
The news follows a flurry of blockchain activity in China in recent months. The country’s President, Xi Jinping, sung blockchain’s praises back in October, and since then the government has taken significant steps to integrate blockchain into its economy.
Following a crackdown on crypto exchanges in the last quarter, the government has cosied up to exchanges Huobi and OKex, both of whom have departments dedicated to the Chinese government’s Communist Party. The exchanges also relocated much of their staff to Hainan, an island off the south coast of China that’s become a “regulatory sandbox” for blockchain.
Pointing to the treatment given to major Chinese exchanges, Matthew Graham, head of investment firm Sino Global Capital, told Decrypt earlier this month, “We're seeing the institutionalization of some aspects of crypto in China.” | Pernambuco-based group BCI, the controlling shareholder of fuel distributor T.T Work (formerly called Total), will invest R$90 million to build an outlet mall in Moreno, located 30 kilometers from state capital Recife. The development will be the first discount mall in Pernambuco and the third in the Northeast region. About 80% of the investment will be financed with money from development lender Bank of the Northeast (BNB) and the rest with BCI's own capital. The outlet mall is a diversification of the group's activities, which last year earned R$7.9 billion with fuel imports, ethanol trading, liquid bulk storage and the manufacturing of 50-cylinder motorcycles under Chinese brand Shineray, in addition to real estate. With a total area of 500,000 square meters, the development is expected to be delivered to retailers in July and to open its doors to shoppers in October. | 1 |
Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
Your notification has been saved.
There was a problem saving your notification.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. | Sign up!
* I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. | 1.5 |
Carrara [Australia], Jan 01 (ANI): Brisbane Heat's pacer Ben Laughlin on Wednesday became the first bowler to scalp 100 wickets in the Big Bash League.
He achieved the feat in the ongoing BBL match between Heat and Perth Scorchers.
The pacer now has 100 wickets from 79 matches, while Sean Abbott of Sydney Sixers is on the second place with 96 scalps from 74 games.
Kane Richardson of Melbourne Renegades is on the third spot with 81 wickets from 64 matches.
Laughlin dismissed Perth Scorchers' Ashton Agar in the final over to record his 100th dismissal in Australia's domestic T20 competition.
The pacer returned with the bowling figures of 2-32 in his four overs and Brisbane restricted Perth to 147/6 in the allotted twenty overs. (ANI) | Want to enjoy 'Zen' reading - with no ads and just the article? Subscribe today
Back to page | 2 |
A former Cambridge University professor has been suspended from the medical register after dishonestly claiming he did not know he was being paid full salaries from two different universities.
Professor Akhilesh Reddy, who is also a medical doctor, was receiving salaries from both University College London (UCL) and the University of Cambridge, but said he believed that he was 'sharing his salary' between the two, a tribunal heard.
The academic, whose dishonesty extended over a period of approximately 14 months, also made a £50,000 mortgage repayment with his large sum of money.
However the tribunal did not accept that Professor Reddy was financially naive and instead said he was a 'financially aware man' who 'dishonestly took advantage of a situation for his own financial gain'.
Professor Akhilesh Reddy (pictured) was receiving salaries from both University College London (UCL) and the University of Cambridge
A medical tribunal heard how Professor Reddy's full-time employment with UCL commenced on September 28, 2015 but the building where he was due to work was not yet completed.
He therefore continued both with his research at the University Of Cambridge and with clinical work at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.
However the professor did not resign from the University Of Cambridge where his full-time employment continued until November 30, 2016 and dishonestly claimed two salaries, the tribunal heard.
In a statement read during his tribunal the professor said that 'he did not know he was in receipt of two full-time salaries' and did not check his bank account until February 2016.
The professor also said that he believed that the University Of Cambridge and UCL had 'come to an agreement about balancing payments from the two institutions' and that both establishments were aware of his position.
In a statement read to the tribunal, he said: 'It was my genuine belief that all necessary people were fully aware of the position.
'With the benefit of hindsight, I regret not being more proactive in ensuring that I specifically notified UCL of the situation.
'However, at the time, I thought that my employment situation was clear and widely known.'
However the tribunal did not accept that Professor Reddy was unaware of his situation and felt his argument lacked credibility.
The academic carried out his research at the University Of Cambridge (pictured) while he was still in full-time employment with UCL
The academic said that he believed the University Of Cambridge and UCL had 'come to an agreement about balancing payments from the two institutions'. Pictured: St John's College, Cambridge University
This was further demonstrated by a £50,000 mortgage repayment.
In a document publishing the decision, the tribunal wrote: 'Whilst the Tribunal accepts that Professor Reddy did not set out to be dishonest, he dishonestly took advantage of a situation for his own financial gain.
'Professor Reddy's dishonesty extended over a period of approximately 14 months and involved a substantial amount of money, albeit an agreed sum of money was repaid.'
The Medical Practitioners Tribunal has suspended Professor Reddy from the medical register for misconduct and the academic has since moved to Pennsylvania in the U.S. to continue his research following the allegations.
A UCL spokesman: 'UCL immediately took action as soon as we became aware that Akhilesh Reddy was drawing two salaries and he is no longer employed by UCL.
'This was a unique set of circumstances that involved the complex transfer of an academic group who remained for a period of time at their previous university before moving to a laboratory separate from UCL's campus.
'The behaviour of the individual involved fell seriously below the standards of behaviour we expect from members of UCL's academic community.'
A University of Cambridge spokesman said it was 'profoundly disappointed' by Professor Reddy's actions. | A kitten was allegedly attacked by hounds running through woodland during an illegal fox hunt on Christmas Eve.
The seven-month-old cat named Tiger, was found 'ripped to pieces' after an illegal hunt carried out by the Badsworth and Bramham Hunt in Scarcroft, West Yorkshire, it has been claimed.
The ginger and white cat, who had been kept at the animal home Cat Action Trust 1977 in Leeds before being adopted with his brother Felix on August 9, was later found dead by his devastated owner.
Following the alleged attack, footage captured by independent hunt monitor and masters student Luke Steele, showed the pack of canines chasing after a lone fox on the morning of the incident.
A kitten named Tiger (pictured) was found 'ripped to pieces' after an illegal fox hunt carried out by the Badsworth and Bramham Hunt in Scarcroft, West Yorkshire, on December 24, it has been claimed
Footage, captured by independent hunt monitor and masters student Luke Steele, later emerged of the pack of canines chasing after a single fox on the morning of the incident
The hounds ran across the grass on the Bramham Estate and they tried to chase the lone fox
During the clip, a lone fox was seen sprinting through grass on the Bramham Estate as it tried to flee from the fierce hounds.
Moments later, the dogs were released and chased after the helpless animal who tried to hide down a badger sett.
Mr Steele said: 'It's absolutely sickening to see a fox being chased to exhaustion by a pack of baying hounds across Bramham Park, an area popular with festival-goers who would be horrified to learn of the cruelty inflicted on hunted wildlife at the venue.
'Bramham Park has important questions to answer about why it hosted the fox hunt in the first place when warned just days before about the Badsworth & Bramham Moor Hunt's record of chasing and killing wildlife.
'The Hunting Act is clear that landowners have a responsibility to ensure wildlife is not chased or killed by hounds on their land and those facilitating hunting could easily find themselves on the wrong side of the law.
The dogs ran through the open area on the morning of the alleged attack on the kitten
Moments later the dogs tried to find the fox who had tried to hide down a badger sett
The hunt was carried out by the Badsworth and Bramham Hunt in Scarcroft, West Yorkshire
'Bramham Park should now fulfil its obligation to prevent wildlife crime and maintain strong community relations by no longer inviting the hunt in light of the events on Christmas Eve.'
Branch leader of Action Trust 1977, Shelia Pickersgill, told Metro.co.uk: 'The owner found the cat.
'The dogs came through and the cat was found all over the place.
'All that's left of him is bits of fur everywhere. 'It's disgusting that this goes on in this day and age. It's barbaric.'
Bramham Estate Resident Agent Nicholas Pritchard said: 'The Badsworth and Bramham Moor Hunt requested permission to meet at Bramham Park on Christmas Eve; they were allowed to onto the estate on the understanding that their activities fell within the law.
'We have been made aware of a serious allegation that the law has been broken and we will cooperate fully with the Police in their investigation.'
The ginger and white cat named Tiger (right) had been kept at the animal home Cat Action Trust 1977 in Leeds before being adopted with his brother Felix (left) on August 9
The kitten, who was 'ripped to pieces', was later found dead by his devastated owner
Current laws in the UK state that it is illegal to hunt foxes with a pack of dogs however you can use canines to stimulate hunting.
The rules state hunters can use up to two dogs to 'flush' out foxes if the wild animals are damaging their property.
MailOnline has approached Badsworth and Bramham Hunt and West Yorkshire Police for comment. | 1 |
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has said the year 2020 will usher in robust peace and economic growth for the benefit of all Nigerians.
Lawan stated this in his New Year message to Nigerians and was contained in a statement signed by Ola Awoniyi, his Special Adviser on Media.
He congratulated Nigerians for witnessing the end of 2019 and the beginning of the year 2020.
Lawan hailed the resilience of Nigerians in their commitment to the unity and prosperity of the country and support for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“I have no doubt in my mind that with the timely passage of the budget, restoration of the January to December financial year and other amendments recently made to our laws by the ninth National Assembly, the economy will enjoy significant growth in the new year,” Lawan said.
The Senate President assured Nigerians that National Assembly will continue to do its best to make things better for the people through enactment of people-oriented legislations.
Lawan said the National Assembly will endeavour to sustain the harmonious working relationship with other arms of government for the smooth administration of the country and benefit of the people.
Lawan wishes every Nigerian at home or abroad a happy and prosperous 2020. | President Muhammadu Buhari, in commemoration of the new year, reaffirmed his commitment to fight insecurity, diversify the economy, tackle corruption and strengthen the electoral process.
The president also pledged to reinforce the security outfits in the country with modern weaponry, and improve staffing and training.
He added that all that country needs is a democratic government "that can guarantee peace and security to realise the full potential of our ingenious, entrepreneurial and hard-working people," adding that his administration's policies are geared towards achieving this.
"Our policies are designed to promote genuine, balanced growth that delivers jobs and rewards industry. Our new Economic Advisory Council brings together respected and independent thinkers to advise me on a strategy that champions inclusive and balanced growth, and above all fight poverty and safeguard national economic interests," Mr Buhari said.
He also noted that the government is committed to inclusive growth by signing of the African Continental Free Trade Area and the creation of the National Action Committee to oversee its implementation and ensure the necessary safeguards are in place to allow Nigeria to fully capitalise on regional and continental markets.
He, therefore, hinted that the opening of the nation's borders would be done once "we are satisfied that the safeguards are adequate, normal cross-border movements will be resumed."
On his part, a former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, urged Nigerians to stay together more than ever before and also take on the nation's common enemy: insecurity.
He added that in the new decade, the government needs to be more responsible to tackle the challenges of economic instability, unemployment, out-of-school children, and poverty which fuels "the problems of violent extremism that we spent the past decade contending with. We cannot win the fight against terrorism if we do nothing to reduce or eliminate poverty and illiteracy."
"In this new decade, we must start to do things differently if we are honest about our desire for a better and prosperous future. There must be a deliberate effort to improve the material well being of the people, by lifting millions of Nigerians out of the extreme poverty belt at a start, and to prosperity. Government must rethink many of its policies that is sinking more people into the abyss of extreme poverty.
"It is incumbent on government at all levels to pursue policies that will provide decent housing to the mass majority; put food on the table; provide healthcare and education. We cannot continue to do things the same way and expect a different outcome. It is therefore high time we caused a rejig of economic policies that will promote an expansion of the economy and create jobs opportunities aplenty."
He charged the government to uphold the democratic tenets of rule of law and separation of powers. He also tasked individual Nigerians to show more empathy and sacrifice to their fatherland.
Also, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, through his Special Adviser on Media, Ola Awoniyi, assured Nigerians the government will continue to do its best to make things better for the people.
He added that the National Assembly will maintain 'cordial' working relationship with other arms of government for the smooth administration of the country and benefit of the people.
"I have no doubt in my mind that with the timely passage of the budget, restoration of the January to December financial year and other amendments recently made to our laws by the ninth National Assembly, the economy will enjoy significant growth in the new year," Mr Lawan said.
His counterpart in the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, also through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, urged Nigerians to be optimistic for a better Nigeria in 2020.
"This New Year, let's unite more against our challenges. Let's be our brother's keepers as always. Our resolve to remain together as a people should be unshakeable.
Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.
"We cannot relent in our prayers for continuous peaceful coexistence among us. Let this 2020 be a year of more prospects for the citizens," Mr Gbajabiamila noted.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress national leader, Bola Tinubu, admitted that Nigerians have been through a lot in past years "but through resilience and unity, they have sustained the continuous existence of the country."
"But we are a resilient and strong people. The difficulties of the past cannot deter us from the benefits of a greater future," Mr Tinubu said.
"No matter the odds, we strive. No matter how much others say we cannot, we still achieve. No matter how long the road, we shall walk it."
He told Nigerians to shun division. He also urged them to work together with purpose and belief to build a nation that works. | 3.666667 |
It is the time of making lists: A list of the things you did right and wrong in the year expiring on December 31st. A list of things you made happen or things that happened to you. A list of places you went and things you did. A list of accomplishments and shortcomings.
We are by nature list-making and list-following beings. Those of us who follow political news and historical events make a list, consciously or subconsciously, of the most significant stories of the year for better or for worse. This is mine.
10. The Ukrainian Debacle.
It is hard to believe that the story for which Donald J. Trump was finally impeached could fall so low on the list. Objectively, there is no doubt that Trump is guilty as charged. He brazenly solicited political assistance from a foreign leader under threat of withholding military assistance essential to that nation's survival. There is no doubt that his actions betrayed his sworn duty to uphold the national interest above his own personal benefit. There is no doubt that his treacherous dealing ran contrary to our foreign policy to the distinct advantage of Russia's Vladimir Putin.
That Trump sees nothing wrong in his actions and openly boasts that his infamous conversation with the newly elected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was "perfect" is convincing evidence that our president is delusional.
Does he deserve to be impeached? Of course. For this and a dozen other reasons.
9. Turkish Invasion of Northern Syria.
Not everything Donald Trump does is evil though his motives may be. His sudden withdrawal of American troops from Syria left the gates open to Turkish invasion, a Kurdish genocide, and ceded foreign control of Syria to our regional adversaries.
Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | With all the talk of Ukraine in the American press over the last six months, one would think that at least a few peace plans might be seriously debated. No such thing. Western journalists and opinion leaders are in no mood for peace and reconciliation. It wasn’t the Steinmeyer Formula or the Minsk Agreement that kept coming up at the recent hearings on Capitol Hill, but rather the Javelin missiles, of course. The main concern in the West was that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky might appear weak in the 9 December meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia or even could “capitulate” completely.
In that respect, the Western media seemed to be channeling the zeitgeist from Kyiv, where crowds were apparently on call, lest the comedian turned president of Ukraine not show adequate spine. Led by the defeated incumbent Petro Poroshenko, protesters were perhaps poised for Maidan 2.0 if that proved necessary. Fortunately, it did not, and all the journalists could go back to writing about various conspiracies, whether Rudolph Guliani’s most recent visit to Kyiv or the latest murder spectacle. Peace negotiations – what a quaint and silly idea. Why even bother?
Measured as a meeting that aired grievances candidly and got both sides rather red in the face, the Paris Summit in the Normandy format (with Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany all represented) seems to have succeeded. A writer in the Kyiv Post channeled a rather smug “told you so” attitude immediately after this first Zelensky-Putin encounter, explaining that the possibility of genuine peace in the Donbass is simply up to the Russian president, “But it appears that he does not want to” make peace. The author explains: “Zelensky returned to Kyiv with what many saw as no victory and no loss, ‘a draw’ … The reaction in Ukraine seems to be that the political newcomer, president since May, did what he could — neither capitulating nor delivering a breakthrough.” This Ukrainian reporter does admit that the prisoner swaps, along with the pull back of troops from the front line, as well as the new crossing points for civilians do amount to something achieved. But the article also notes that sparks flew aplenty over the issue of Ukrainian control of the border between Donbass and Russia, and concludes by quoting a Brussels specialist, who observes that Putin’s goal is “is to keep Ukraine in trouble and himself in power.”
The single substantial analysis to run in the New York Times after the summit did not highlight any of the progress outlined above, but predictably focused on the negative. There were the usual tropes about “appeasement,” of course. The Russian president is said by these DC establishment “experts” to require a war to keep himself in power, and that the Kremlin will “never abide a stable, prosperous … Ukraine.” These authors bemoan increasing “Ukraine fatigue” in the West, as if only more military aid for Kyiv will bring about peace. Most galling is the critique of the actual peacemakers: both French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Angela Merkel, who are derided as arrogant and also naïve for striving to end the war. This follows an infuriating pattern of Americans pretending that they understand European security better than do Europeans themselves. With irretrievably hawkish establishment foreign policy views like these predominating in DC and flourishing in the American press, no wonder U.S.-European relations are in a deep crisis.
And that hostile feeling is generally reciprocated in Moscow, logically enough. One Russian perspective on the discordant meeting in Paris was that the war will be dramatically intensified by the United States and its allies, which are said to be intending to declare the Donbass “militias to be ‘terrorist groups’ and our country their ‘sponsor’ [ополченцев Республик ‘террористическими группировками,’ а нашу страну – их ‘спонсором’], concluding that the Donbass militias will then be “destroyed.” Another Russian article appearing after the summit said that Kyiv is preparing to resolve the Donbass issue by force, so “Donbass veterans are ready to fight back against NATO ‘peacekeepers.’ [Ветераны Донбасса готовы дать отпор ‘миротворцам’ НАТО].” A slightly less hawkish appraisal appeared under the headline “The War in Donbass is not stopped,” wherein the author asks incredulously “What can be achieved in a situation, when Kyiv is basically not ready to make compromises [Что можно успеть … в обстановке, когда Киев принципиально не готов к компромиссам]?” A common theme, echoing Putin’s agitated responses, was the frustration that Zelensky was walking back the progress from previous rounds of negotiations, known as the Minsk Accords. Interestingly, and quite contrary to conventional Western assessment of the Russian press as state-controlled, one Russian headline appeared that excoriated Putin for his supposedly “quiet capitulation,” before the Ukrainians. The Russian author charged: “Our leadership has chosen the policy of ‘appeasement.’ [наше руководство выбрало политику ‘умиротворения’].” | 1.333333 |
GUARDIAN, ATLANTIC CONTRIBUTOR ACTS AS A SYRIAN TERRORIST MOUTHPIECE ON TWITTER, AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT YOU'RE A RUSSIAN STOOGE
Giving a sympathetic platform to a terrorist is reprehensible at best, downright criminal at worst, and definitely a bad look for a 'respected' media contributor. Oh, it's for bashing Assad and the Russians? Go ahead, then.
A funny thing happened recently on Twitter. A journalist who contributes to the Guardian, Foreign Policy and the Atlantic tweeted-in a long thread peppered with photos of Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the leader of an Al-Qaeda branch in Syria-about "the force that dominates" Idlib.
Hassan Hassan's initial tweet coyly avoided mentioning that this force is Al-Qaeda in Syria.
And no, its not just us Russian bots who say that Idlib is infested with Al-Qaeda: former US special envoy, Brett McGurk, deemed Idlib "the largest Al-Qaeda safe haven since 9/11."
The thread smacked of giving a platform to terrorist propaganda. After extensively quoting Jolani, Hassan weighed in with his own thoughts on the situation in Syria and his Al-Qaeda "rebels".
Aside from whitewashing designated terrorists, the point of his thread was clearly a continuation of the anti-Russia hysteria corporate journalists are so rabidly devoted to.
These latest anti-Russia, anti-Syria headlines and tweets echo those which abounded when eastern Ghouta and Aleppo were being liberated from terrorists. Go to Aleppo now and you'll find a city that just celebrated Christmas and is rebuilding, and indeed rebuilding all over Syria, in areas once occupied by terrorists.
More importantly, liberated areas are no longer ruled by fanatics who imprison, torture, starve and assassinate civilians. Syrian women I interviewed earlier this year in Sinjar, Idlib, spoke of being tormented by terrorists in Idlib, and called for the Syrian army to liberate all of Idlib.
But war propagandists don't care about those civilians"
The same corporate media vultures who bandy about self-righteously furious expressions for all things Russian and Syrian are normalizing terrorists in Syria, rendering ISIS into mere "militants", "fighting for survival", as was the case in a recent Washington Post ode to ISIS.
Of course, when many on Twitter pointed out his xenophobia, he scrambled to reword.
So the US and allies invaded Iraq under the pretext of fighting Al-Qaeda, largely destroyed that country, killed untold numbers of Iraqi civilians, maimed untold numbers more" and now the same designated terror group, Al-Qaeda, is suddenly a fuzzy li'l militant?
Likewise, a recent Bloomberg article describes the bandits ruling in Libya (with its slave markets - thanks, American humanitarian intervention!) as an "internationally recognized" government, and the terrorists heading there to create more chaos as Syrian "rebels".
Unsurprisingly, when war propagandists get called out by thinking people, they deflect blame onto Russia. A perusal of replies to Hassan's tweets reveals many (non-Russian) people object to war propaganda and the platforms that propagate it.
Hassan gets a sticker for his efforts to do best in the Russophobia challenge. He went beyond merely hurling the same old unoriginal accusations at Russia, and denigrated the entire nation as "repulsive". Classy.
But that's the thing about Twitter: no edits. The vitriol is out there, there's no undoing the racism.
Blatant war propagandists like him have, for years, acted as cheerleaders and whitewashed the civilian-murdering terrorists in Syria, slandered those of us who challenge war propaganda and bother to give platforms to civilians instead of terrorists, and relentlessly hounded Russian diplomats and media.
The Russophobia, and indeed xenophobia, has gotten preposterous. It is Russia that is actually helping Syria fight terrorism, it's Russia that also sends humanitarian aid, it's Russia that helps open humanitarian corridors for Syrian civilians, it's Russia that is aiding Syria in rebuilding, and it's Russian sappers who have done most of the demining of areas formerly occupied by terrorists.
And it is not Russia who financed, backed, and whitewashed terrorism: that honour goes to the US and its allies.
Increasingly, people on Twitter are calling the war orchestrators and their propagandists out. Of course,they must all just be Russian trolls, da? | There is much angst among people of conscience over the fate of Freedom Flotilla II, but by effectively scuttling it, Israel is really just hammering more nails in its own coffin, says Eric Walberg The efforts by Israel to prevent Freedom Flotilla II from leaving Greece have been largely successful. Of the original 10 ships, only the French ship Al-Karama (dignity) with 10 activists including French politicians, which sailed from the French Corsica two weeks ago, and the sabotaged-and-repaired Juliano (named after Juliano Meir Khamis, the murdered Israeli director of Jenin’s Freedom Theatre), were able to elude the Greek coastguard as of early this week.
Ahmad Karzai: From dishwasher to drug kingpin Written by Eric Walberg Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s younger half-brother, Ahmad Wali Karzai, was killed in Kandahar on 12 July during a gathering in his house, according to Kandahar’s Canadian Governor Tooryali Wesa. He was shot in the head and chest with a AK-47 fired by Sardar Mohammad, a former bodyguard to another Karzai brother Qayyoum. Read more... Egypt vs IMF: Time to default? Written by Eric Walberg The financial flip-flop of Egypt’s revolutionary government, first requesting and then declining a $3 billion dollar IMF loan, highlights Egypt’s hard choices at this point in the revolution, but is a good sign, says Eric Walberg It is no secret that Egypt has put all its faith in the US and Western international institutions since the days of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, contracting a huge foreign debt, a process that was increasingly corrupt, despite being careful watched over by those very agencies. This debt is financed by foreign banks, and must be repaid in dollars -- with interest. If much of the money they create and then “lend” is siphoned off into Swiss bank accounts, that is Egypt’s problem. No one is trying to charge the people who gave Mubarak or his henchmen their money and then let them re-deposit it with them, but it takes two to tango. Read more... BDS update: Fighting apartheid on land and sea Written by Eric Walberg As the second Freedom Flotilla packs its humanitarian aid and prepares to brave the wrath of the Israeli navy, boycott divestment and sanctions (BDS) activities continue on the homefront, notes Eric Walberg Earlier this month, 100 activists from 9 countries gathered in Montpellier, France for the first European Forum Against Agrexco to strengthen the boycott campaign against Israel’s largest fresh produce exporter, which exports under the brand Carmel primarily to European markets. Up to 70 per cent of the fruit and vegetables grown in the illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank are marketed by Agrexco, making it a prime strategic target for BDS. Read more... Turkey and the Arab spring: Learning to walk again Written by Eric Walberg Turkey’s vibrant democracy is an inspiration to Arab countries throwing off their autocratic yoke and their Western patrons, says Eric Walberg Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) renewed mandate puts the electoral seal of approval on its shift towards the Middle East, even as its importance to Europe increases. Now Turkey itself is being courted by both NATO countries and, increasingly, the Arab world. Read more... | 1 |
New York City, NY: January 01, 2020 – Published via (Wired Release) -The Global Mobile Photo Printer Market report also carries in-depth case studies on the various countries which are actively involved in product production. An analysis of the technical barriers, other issues, cost-effectiveness affecting the Market. Determining the opportunities, future of the Mobile Photo Printer and its restraints become a lot easier with this report. Various key dynamics that control a solid influence over the Mobile Photo Printer market are analyzed to determine the value, size, and trends regulating the growth of the market. The report also covers the complete competitive landscape of the worldwide market with company profiles of key players such as Canon, Fujifilm, Polaroid, HITI, LG, EPSON, HP, Prynt
** FREE ** RESEARCH SAMPLE HERE (Use Corporate Email ID For Higher Priority) @ https://market.us/report/mobile-photo-printer-market/request-sample
[Note: Our Free Complimentary Sample Report Accommodate a Brief Introduction To The Synopsis, TOC, List of Tables and Figures, Competitive Landscape and Geographic Segmentation, Innovation and Future Developments Based on Research Methodology are also Included]
Global Mobile Photo Printer market report delivers specific analytical information that clarifies the future growth trend to be followed by the global Mobile Photo Printer market, based on the past and current situation of the market. The market size in terms of revenue (USD MN) is determined and presented for the research period along with the dynamics of the market such as the drivers and the restraints for the forecast period from 2020 to 2029. The Mobile Photo Printer report provides precise knowledge that helps in opting for correct business choices. It shows how different players are competing in the global Mobile Photo Printer market and discusses strategies they are using to distinguish themselves from other participants. The global Mobile Photo Printer market report systematically represents the information as flowcharts, facts, statistical graphs, diagrams, figures, and assurance that display the status of the particular trade at the global and regional platforms.
Players Collaborated with the Mobile Photo Printer Market: Canon, Fujifilm, Polaroid, HITI, LG, EPSON, HP, Prynt
Mobile Photo Printer market segmented with the Types: Desktop, Handheld
Mobile Photo Printer market segmented with the Applications: Online Sales, Offline Sales
REQUEST AS PER REQUIREMENT (Use Corporate email ID to Get Higher Priority) @ https://market.us/report/mobile-photo-printer-market/#inquiry
Region Focusing on the Mobile Photo Printer Market Segment: ASIA-PACIFIC MARKET (China, Southeast Asia, India, Japan, Korea, Western Asia) THE MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA MARKET (GCC, North Africa, South Africa) NORTH AMERICA MARKET (United States, Canada, Mexico) EUROPE MARKET (Germany, Netherlands, UK, France, Russia, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Switzerland) SOUTH AMERICA MARKET (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Chile, Peru)
The Mobile Photo Printer Market report provides company market size, share analysis in order to give a broader overview of the key players in the market. Additionally, the report also includes key strategic developments of the Mobile Photo Printer market including acquisitions & mergers, new product launch, agreements, partnerships, collaborations & joint ventures, research & development, product and regional expansion of major participants involved in the Mobile Photo Printer market on the global and regional basis.
Key Market Highlights: The report evaluated key market highlights, including price, capacity, cost & revenue, volume utilization valuation, production rate, demand/supply, consumption, export/import, gross margin, CAGR, and Mobile Photo Printer market share. Additionally to that, the research gives an all-inclusive analysis of the key market factors and their most recent trends, alongside important market segments and sub-segments.
Key Strategic Advancements: The research incorporates the key strategic advancements of the Mobile Photo Printer market, including Research and development (R&D), M&A, agreements, new product launch, associations, organizations, joint ventures, and regional advancement of the key contenders working in the Mobile Photo Printer market on a global and regional scale.
Analytical Tools: The Global Mobile Photo Printer Market report gives the thoroughly evaluated and studied data of the best business professionals and their range in the market by means of various analytic means. The analytical tools such as SWOT analysis, ROI analysis, feasibility study, and Porter’s five forces analysis have been anticipated assessing the growth of the key players functioning in the Mobile Photo Printer market.
PURCHASE REPORT DIRECTLY HERE @ https://market.us/purchase-report/?report_id=19204
CONTACT US :
Mr. Benni Johnson
Market.us (Powered By Prudour Pvt. Ltd.)
Email:inquiry@market.us
Address:
420 Lexington Avenue,
Suite 300 New York City,
NY 10170, United States
Tel: +1 718 618 4351
Website: https://market.us
Browse More Report Here:
Broccoli Extract Market Focusing on Top Vendors like: Love Life Supplements, Nutra Canada and Jarrow Formulas
Global Drinks Dome Lids Market To Record an Exponential CAGR by 2030
Specific Qualitative Reports:- https://chemicalmarketreports.com/ | (MENAFN- America News Hour) Kenneth Research provides an extensive study by our analysts which offers forecast assessment by correlating the historical data with key market dynamics. The Optical Fiber Cable Market further includes trends and opportunities that are highlighted, along with the market valuation. The market is segmented by segments and portrays the industry overview along with elaborate description of the market for the forecast period 2020-2025. The report also constitutes future growth statistics which is estimated for the forecast period coupled with the market share held by individual segments.
The report covers the forecast and analysis of the Optical Fiber Cable Market on a global and regional level. The study provides historical data from 2015 to 2019 along with a forecast from 2020-2025 based on revenue (USD Million). The study includes drivers and restraints of the Market along with the impact they have on the demand over the forecast period. Additionally, the report includes the study of opportunities available in the Optical Fiber Cable Market on a global level.
Click Here to Download Sample Report >> https://www.kennethresearch.com/sample-request-10206377
In order to give the users of this report a comprehensive view of the Optical Fiber Cable Market, we have included a competitive landscape and an analysis of Porter's Five Forces model for the market. The study encompasses a market attractiveness analysis, wherein all the segments are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate, and general attractiveness.
The report provides company market share analysis to give a broader overview of the key players in the market. In addition, the report also covers key strategic developments of the market including acquisitions & mergers, new products & service launches, agreements, partnerships, collaborations & joint ventures, research & development, and regional expansion of major participants involved in the market on a global and regional basis.
Request For Full Report >> https://www.kennethresearch.com/sample-request-10206377
And in this report, we analyze global market from 5 geographies:
Asia-Pacific [China, Southeast Asia, India, Japan, Korea, Oceania],
[China, Southeast Asia, India, Japan, Korea, Oceania], Europe [Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Netherlands, Turkey, Switzerland],
[Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Netherlands, Turkey, Switzerland], North America [United States, Canada, Mexico],
[United States, Canada, Mexico], Middle East & Africa [GCC, North Africa, South Africa],
[GCC, North Africa, South Africa], South America [Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Chile, Peru].
Key Companies
Key Companies
Optical Cable Corporation (OCC)
OFS (Furukawa)
AFL Global
Corning
CommScope
General Cable
Belden
AKSH OPTIFIBRE LIMITED
Himachal Futuristic Communications Limited (HFCL)
Fujikura
Segmentation:
Market by Type
Multimode Fiber
Single-mode Fiber
Market by Application
Self-supporting aerial cable
Duct optical cable
Armored buried cable
Submarine optical cable
Request For Full Report >> https://www.kennethresearch.com/sample-request-10206377
Competitive Analysis:
The Optical Fiber Cable Market report examines competitive scenario by analyzing key players in the market. The company profiling of leading market players is included in this report with Porter's five forces analysis and Value Chain analysis. Further, the strategies exercised by the companies for expansion of business through mergers, acquisitions, and other business development measures are discussed in the report. The financial parameters which are assessed include the sales, profits and the overall revenue generated by the key players of Market.
Key points covered in this report:
The historical and current data is provided in the report based on which the future projections are made and the industry analysis is performed.
The import and export details along with consumption value and production capability of every region is mentioned in the report.
Porter's five forces analysis, value chain analysis, SWOT analysis are some additional important parameters used for the analysis of market growth.
The report provides the clients with the facts and figures about the market on the basis of evaluation of the industry through primary and secondary research methodologies.
About Kenneth Research:
Kenneth Research is a reselling agency which focuses on multi-client market research database. The primary goal of the agency is to help industry professionals including various individuals and organizations gain an extra edge of competitiveness and help them identify the market trends and scope. The quality reports provided by the agency aims to make decision making easier for industry professionals and take firm decisions which helps them to form strategies after complete assessment of the market. Some of the industries under focus include healthcare & pharmaceuticals, ICT & Telecom, automotive and transportation, energy and power, chemicals, FMCG, food and beverages, aerospace and defense and others. Kenneth Research also focuses on strategic business consultancy services and offers a single platform for the best industry market research reports.
Contact Us
Kenneth Research
Email:
Phone: +1 313 462 0609
Eli
Eli is a freelance writer and possess double graduation degree in physics and chemistry. She is an intense writer covering everything for Science and Tech to Business, Entertainment, Sports and Lifestyle. | 2.5 |
VK Vijayakumar
During the last 27 years (1992-2019) India has been the second-fastest-growing large economy in the world with a GDP growth rate of 7 percent. But, during this long-term growth phase, the growth rate has been punctuated with temporary slowdowns in 1997, 2001-03, 2008, 2013 and now we are going through a sharp slowdown with Q2FY2020 hitting a 26 quarter low of 4.5 percent.
We are likely to end FY20 with a growth rate of around 5 percent. This sharp deceleration has become an issue of major concern since the usual policy responses to slowdowns – fiscal and monetary stimulus – are becoming increasingly ineffective.
To stimulate the slowing economy, the RBI cut interest rates five times in 2019 - a cumulative cut of 135 basis points. But the transmission has been poor due to rigidities in the financial system. There is no room for more fiscal stimulus since the Public Sector Borrowing Requirement (PSBR) is close to 9 percent.
The fiscal deficit of the Centre at around 3.4 percent conceals more than what it reveals. If the off-budget borrowing by the FCI, NHAI etc are added to the Centre’s fiscal deficit, the number would rise above 5 percent. This, along with the deficits of the states, raises the PSBR to 9 percent of GDP, which is equivalent to the entire household savings in the entire economy. Therefore, if the fiscal deficit is allowed to rise further it will end up crowding-out private investment. It can also contribute to higher inflation, perhaps even trigger stagflation.
Therefore, the focus has to be on monetary policy and measures to improve transmission. The RBI has only signalled a pause in easing, waiting for clarity on government's deficit numbers. There is room for the central bank to cut rates by another 50 bps in 2020 since core inflation is under control. But the focus has to be on effective transmission. The major constraint in transmission is the rigidity in banks' cost of funds since deposit rates have not declined commensurate with the cut in policy rates. Banks, mainly PSU banks reeling under huge NPAs, are wary of cutting deposit rates due to fear of losing deposits to small savings which command a much higher interest rate. For instance, PPF and 5-year NSCs carry interest rate of 7.9 percent.
Therefore, if the monetary transmission is to be effective, the interest rates on small savings with high-interest rates have to be reduced. Presently, the government follows a policy of setting interest rates on small savings every quarter. The government may think of deviating from this policy temporarily and announce a bigger cut in interest on small savings like PPF and NSCs.
Yet another factor constraining monetary transmission is the reluctance of the banks to lend. PSU banks have been gripped by a fear psychosis following the investigations into lending by the 3 Cs (CBI, CVC and CAG). The government has to assure the bankers that genuine lending will not invite investigation. Restoring business confidence is crucial in stimulating growth.
(The author is Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services.)
: The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
Download your money calendar for 2022-23 here and keep your dates with your moneybox, investments, taxes | BSP supremo Mayawati on Wednesday accused the BJP of weakening the Constitution through its communal approach but cautioned against any protests that are violent.
"The New Year should not be painful like last year. Due to the communal and narrow thought process of the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state, the Constitution was weakened in 2019," she said, adding that the year ended on a violent note, which is extremely worrying and unfortunate.
"The manner of protests should be as such that it should neither hurt feelings of people of any religion nor disturb the atmosphere of amity prevailing in the country," she said in a statement issued here. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also said persons holding responsible positions should not forget that India is secular country, where people follow different religions.
"They have their style of living and culture. We should give respect to the culture of religions," she said.
Download your money calendar for 2022-23 here and keep your dates with your moneybox, investments, taxes | 1 |
Judges order Ohio to use legislative maps rejected by state court
Ohio redistricting news: Ohioans will pick new state lawmakers on Aug. 2 using maps that the Ohio Supreme Court rejected as unconstitutional. | Please enable Javascript to watch this video
CHICAGO — The city is touting three consecutive years of a decline in gun violence with a significant drop in murders.
According to Chicago police, gun violence is down for a third consecutive year. However, 2020 is already off to a violent start. Since midnight, there have been at least six shooting incidents, leaving four people wounded.
As for the past year, the Chicago Police Department said overall crime was at its lowest level since 2015.
Shootings were down by 10% and the number of people wounded was down by 8%.
The number of murders dropped by 13% but even so, about 500 people lost their lives.
In a late night news conference Tuesday, interim police Supt. Charlie Beck went over the annual stats and stressed a continued push for improvement. He credited community partners and technology in helping to curb the murder rate.
While 2020 is murder free as of 7:30 a.m., just 15 minutes into the new year, someone fired into an apartment building in West Garfield Park, hitting a 24-year-old woman in the back as she was watching television with her family.
In other separate overnight incidents, a 31-year-old man was shot in the knee while standing on a porch, a 19-year-old shot in the hip while walking down an alley and a 21-year-old man showed up at Stroger Hospital with a gunshot to the lower back. All of those shot are recovering.
Police are also investigating two incidents of bullet damage to marked squad cars on the West and South sides. No one was hurt and no one was taken into custody. | 1 |
SHOTS FIRED
Inglewood Dr., 100 block, 5:50 p.m. Dec. 21. A man at a residence fired two weapons into a shed at the rear of the home. Police located eight firearms and numerous rounds of ammunition inside the residence. No injuries were reported. A 31-year-old Glen Burnie man was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment and possession/discharge of firearms.
AD
ROBBERIES
Americana Cir., 7800 block, 1 a.m. Dec. 14. A driver was walking to his vehicle when an unknown male accosted him, brandishing what the driver believed to be a handgun, and demanded property. The driver complied and the male fled.
AD
Creekside Village Blvd., 800 block, 10:15 p.m. Dec. 23. A man was delivering food when three males assaulted and robbed him of cash, then fled.
Ritchie Hwy., 7000 block, 11:10 a.m. Dec. 18. A man entered a fast-food restaurant with a note indicating he had a bomb and demanded cash from an employee. The employee did not comply and the man fled on foot toward Crain Highway. An off-duty officer located the man, who was not in possession of any bomb. The 44-year-old Glen Burnie man was arrested and charged with robbery, armed robbery, first- and second-degree assault, threat of mass violence, arson/ threat, and reckless endangerment.
AD
THEFT/BREAK-IN
Ritchie Hwy., 7200 block, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 12. An intoxicated man was arrested after he attempted to enter a food truck by force and demanded that employees let him in. As officers escorted him away, the man became disorderly and belligerent. The 30-year-old Baltimore man was arrested and charged with second-, third- and fourth-degree burglary and disorderly conduct
AD
LINTHICUM AREA
THEFT/BREAK-IN
Hance Ave., 200 block, 7:15 a.m. Dec. 25. A man driving a silver Mercedes was reported going up and down the street checking vehicle door handles. The 19-year-old Baltimore man was arrested for tampering with or theft from multiple vehicles on Hance Avenue, Mountain Road, Boulevard Place, Lake Front Drive and Patapsco Road. He was charged with seven counts of rogue and vagabond, two counts of theft less than $100, three counts of malicious destruction of property valued less than $1,000 and three counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance, not marijuana.
AD
ODENTON AREA
ROBBERY
Scaffold Way, 1800 block, 9:10 p.m. Dec. 13. Four male juveniles were exiting a Lyft. One of the males indicated to the driver that one of the other passengers had a gun and demanded the driver’s wallet. The Lyft driver did not comply and drove away.
AD
SHOTS FIRED
Commodore and Conquest drives, 11:45 p.m. Dec. 17. Several residents heard multiple gunshots followed by the sound of a vehicle leaving the area. No injuries were reported or property damaged.
Annapolis
These were among incidents reported by the Annapolis Police Department. For information, call 410-268-9000.
ASSAULT
Main St., 200 block, 10:10 p.m. Dec. 12. A 57-year-old Annapolis man was arrested after he threatened to stab a person with a folding knife. He was charged with first- and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct.
AD
ROBBERIES
Chinquapin Round Rd. near Lincoln Dr., 8:50-11:50 p.m. Dec. 18. A male pedestrian fell unconscious. When he awoke several hours later, he had a bump and cut on the back of his head. His jewelry, wallet, vaping device, a cellphone and wireless headphones has been stolen.
AD
Silverwood Cir., unit block, 1:50 a.m. Dec. 18. A man accosted a male pedestrian and demanded property at gunpoint. The gunman took a wallet and ordered the pedestrian to walk away.
Tyler Ave., 1400 block, 1:21 a.m. Dec. 17. Two females and a male assaulted and robbed a food delivery driver, but the driver escaped to his vehicle and called police. Officers arrested two Annapolis females, 17 and 18, and charged them on juvenile citations with robbery, assault and theft. The third accomplice, a 17-year-old Annapolis male was later arrested and charged on a juvenile citation with robbery, assault and theft.
AD
Van Buren St. near President St., 11-11:59 p.m. Dec. 25. A man was walking in the area when a male riding a bicycle accosted him. The bicyclist punched the man in the head and took his wallet.
AD
SHOTS FIRED
Madison St., 1100 block, 2:52 p.m. Dec. 16. Police responded for shots fired. No injuries or damage was reported.
DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY
Graff Ct., 1200 block, 4:30 p.m. Dec. 23 to 7:45 p.m. Dec. 24. Nine vehicles were damaged. Damage included bent license plates, damaged side mirrors and scratched paint or a combination of those.
THEFTS/BREAK-INS
Annapolis St., 200 block, 11:55 p.m. Dec. 23. Two males were seen entering two unlocked vehicles but fled empty-handed before police arrived.
AD
Bay Ridge Ave., 1000 block, and Americana Dr., 600 block, 10 p.m. Dec. 18 to 6:50 a.m. Dec. 19. All four wheels were stolen from two 2019 Honda Accords.
Boxwood Rd., 200 block, 6 p.m. Dec. 21 to 8 a.m. Dec. 23. Cash was stolen from an unlocked vehicle.
Cathedral St., unit block, 5:51-10 p.m. Dec. 11. Two packages delivered to the front step of a residence were stolen.
AD
Gilmer St., unit block, 2 p.m. Dec. 17 10 a.m. Dec. 18. Cash was stolen from an unlocked vehicle.
Highland Ave., unit block, 5 p.m. Dec. 15 to 6:15 a.m. Dec. 16. A red tool bag was stolen from an unlocked vehicle.
Janice Dr., 800 block, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 15 to 12:30 p.m. Dec. 17. A residence was entered. Nothing was reported missing and no sign of forced entry.
AD
Monroe St., 800 block, 7:35-7:55 p.m. Dec. 23. A purse was stolen from an unlocked vehicle.
Norman Dr., 1000 block, 1:20-4 p.m. Dec. 19. A package delivered to an apartment was stolen.
Old Solomons Island Rd., 200 block, 1:45-2:15 p.m. Dec. 23. A black JanSport backpack was stolen from an unlocked vehicle.
Parker Ave., 200 block, Dec. 12. The entrance to a crawl space under a vacant residence was forced open. Nothing was reported missing.
Pearson Point, 700 block, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Dec. 24. A male was captured on video surveillance attempting to open a front door at a residence. He went to the rear of the home and attempted to gain entry again after forcing open the gate to the fenced backyard. Nothing was reported missing.
AD
AD
Prince George St., 100 block, 1:15-5:30 p.m. Dec. 17. The contents of two packages delivered to a residence were stolen.
Prince George St., 200 block, 2-3:05 p.m. Dec. 17. A package delivered to the front steps of a residence was stolen.
Shaw St., unit block, 3 p.m. Dec. 24 to 4 p.m. Dec. 25. Two pairs of sunglasses were stolen from an unlocked vehicle.
Shipwright St., unit block, 9 p.m. Dec. 12 to 7 a.m. Dec. 13. An unlocked vehicle was entered, but nothing was reported missing.
Silopanna Rd., unit block, 9”30-4 p.m. Dec. 7. A blue Avalon bicycle was stolen.
Stonecreek Rd., 1400 block, 7-7:45 p.m. Dec. 14. A package was stolen after it was delivered to the front porch of a residence.
Windsor Ave., 900 block, 8 p.m. Dec. 19. An unlocked vehicle was entered and searched. A plastic shopping bag was stolen.
AD
Woods Dr., unit block, 5:30-9:20 p.m. Dec. 14. Cash and jewelry were stolen from a residence. There was no sign of forced entry.
Howard County
These were among incidents reported by the Howard County Police Department. For information, call 410-313-2236.
COLUMBIA AREA
HOME INVASION
Brandywine Way, 7100 block, 4:08 p.m. Dec. 17. A female observed a male attempting to open a rear sliding door at her residence. When the male saw the resident he threatened her with a handgun and demanded she open the door. Instead, the resident activated her alarm and the male fled empty-handed with a male accomplice.
ROBBERIES
Cradlerock Way, 7000 block, 2:11 p.m. Dec. 16. A teenage male arranged online to purchase a cellphone from someone. When he arrived to conduct the transaction, a man took his cash and fled.
Eden Brook Dr., 7200 block, 1:51 p.m. Dec. 17. Two males accosted a male juvenile, assaulted him at knifepoint, and fled with the boy’s cellphone and ear buds. After a brief foot pursuit, police arrested a 19-year-old Ellicott City man and a 17-year-old Baltimore male and charged them with armed robbery, assault and theft.
Green Mountain Cir., 5000 block, 8:30 p.m. Dec. 16. Four men assaulted and robbed a pizza delivery man of his wallet and food while making a delivery. No serious injuries were reported.
Hickory Log Cir., 7300 block, 2:25 p.m. Dec. 13. A male teen was accosted by several male acquaintances who assaulted him, stole his sneakers and cellphone, then fled. The boy was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
Majors Lane, 6000 block, 10:40 p.m. Dec. 13. Two males accosted a pizza delivery driver making a delivery. They assaulted him, took the driver’s wallet and sunglasses, then fled.
Woodenhawk Cir., 5400 block, 10:17 p.m. Dec. 14. Three males and a female accosted a male pedestrian on a footpath. They assaulted the pedestrian, took his wallet and ear buds, then fled. The pedestrian was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
ARRESTS
Columbia area, Dec. 16. A 57-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman, both of Baltimore, were arrested in connection with a grocery store robbery in the 5400 block of Harpers Farm Road on Sept. 12. The man was charged with armed robbery, robbery, assault and theft. The woman was charged with theft.
THEFTS/BREAK-INS
Alexander Bell Dr., 6700 block, Dec. 22-23. Property was stolen from a vehicle.
Dobbin Rd., 6400 block, Dec. 13-16. Copper piping was stolen from a building under construction.
Dovecote Dr., 6600 block, Dec. 20-21. A vehicle was entered. Nothing was reported missing.
Eliots Oak Rd., 5300 block, Dec. 22-23. A catalytic converter was stolen from a vehicle.
Evangeline Way, 5100 block, Dec. 22-23. A catalytic converter was stolen from a vehicle.
Gentle Shade, 7000 block, Dec. 9-12. A vacant apartment was entered by force. Nothing was reported missing.
Glen Oaks Lane, 9600 block, Dec. 21. Cash was stolen from a vehicle.
Hickory Ridge Rd., 10300 block, Dec. 10-13. An attempt was made to enter a residence by force through a bedroom window.
Little Patuxent Pkwy., 11300-12000 blocks, Dec. 11-12. A purse and cash were among items stolen from three vehicles overnight.
Lookinglass Lane, 6300 block, Dec. 17-18. Property was stolen from a vehicle overnight.
Old Dobbin Lane, 6100 block, 11 a.m. Dec. 15. Property was stolen from a vehicle.
Old Dobbin Rd., 6100 block, 6-7:10 a.m. Dec. 17. Property was stolen from a vehicle.
Snowden River Pkwy., 8700 block, Dec. 23. Car parts were stolen from a vehicle.
Stevens Forest Rd., 5600 block, Dec. 19. Various electronics were stolen from a residence. There was no sign of forced entry.
Tamar Dr., 8800 block, 12:24 a.m. Dec. 13. A cellphone and a wallet were stolen from a vehicle.
VEHICLE THEFTS
Bronze Bell Cir., 9100 block, 10:10 a.m. Dec. 12. A 2008 Silver Ford Fusion was stolen.
Little Patuxent Pkwy., 11300 block, Dec. 12-13. A 2008 gold Kia Optima was stolen.
ELKRIDGE AREA
ASSAULT
Washington Blvd., 6200 block, 2:54 p.m. Dec. 16. A man got into an argument with a male acquaintance in a motel room. The acquaintance cut the man, took his cellphone and fled. The 62-year-old Elkridge man was arrested and charged with assault, armed robbery and theft.
THEFTS/BREAK-INS
Burnbridge Hunt Ct., 6700 block, 1 a.m. Dec. 18. Tools were stolen from a vehicle.
Business Pkwy., 6600 block, Dec. 22-23. Property was stolen from a vehicle.
Chipwood Ct., 5800 block, 10:30 p.m. Dec. 16. Property was stolen from a vehicle.
Meadowridge Rd., 6100 block, 9:25 a.m. Dec. 12. An attempt was made to enter a liquor store.
Santa Barbara Ct., 6700 block, 7:41 a.m. Dec. 12. Credit cards were stolen from a vehicle.
Washington Blvd., 7200 block, 9:10-9:20 a.m. Dec. 21. A purse was stolen from a vehicle.
VEHICLE THEFTS
Deep Run Pkwy., 6600 block, Dec. 15-16. A 2012 Ford Fusion and a 2018 gray Honda Accord were stolen.
Ducketts Lane, 6800 block, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Dec. 13. A 2015 gray Chrysler 200 was stolen.
ELLICOTT CITY AREA
ROBBERIES
Beaver Run Ct., 4900 block, 8:52 p.m. Dec. 15. Three males with their faces partially covered entered a restaurant with handguns and demanded cash. Employees complied and the males fled in a vehicle they stole from one of the employees. The vehicle was recovered nearby. No one was injured.
Town and Country Blvd., 8700 block, 9:11 p.m. Dec. 12. Two males accosted a male pedestrian and robbed him of his wallet and backpack at gunpoint.
THEFTS/BREAK-INS
Clarksville Pike, 10000 block, 12:30 p.m. Dec. 23. A purse was stolen from a vehicle.
Glastonbury Rd., Dec. 18. Jewelry was stolen from a residence entered by force through a basement door.
Governor Grayson Way, 6300 block, 3:10-8 p.m. Dec. 18. Cash and jewelry were stolen from a residence entered by prying open the rear door.
Ilchester Rd., 4300 block, 3:30-4:23 p.m. Dec. 15. A purse and a cellphone were stolen from a vehicle.
Joycin Ct., 3600 block, 11:10 a.m. Dec. 17. A female reported seeing a male attempting to open her rear sliding-glass door. When he realized he had been spotted, the male fled empty-handed.
Locust Mill St., 8000 block, Dec. 21-22. Cash was stolen from a bicycle repair shop.
Old Hollow Lane, 7800 block, Dec. 14-15. An 18-year-old Ellicott City man was arrested after he stole a cellphone out of a vehicle. He was charged with theft and rogue and vagabond.
Town and County Blvd., 6700 block, Dec. 22-23. Tools were stolen from a vehicle.
Town and Country Blvd., 9000 block, Dec. 20-21. Two vehicles were entered. A wallet and tools were among items stolen.
HANOVER AREA
THEFT/BREAK-IN
Hanover Rd., 6500 block, 11:01 a.m. Dec. 12. Power tools were stolen from a trailer at a residence.
JESSUP AREA
THEFTS/BREAK-INS
Gatewood Dr., 8300 block, Dec. 12-13. An attempt was made to pry open a front door at a residence.
Good Harvest Ct., 8900 block, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Dec. 13. Cash and jewelry were stolen from a residence entered by force.
Montevideo Rd., 7400 block, Dec. 20-21. Landscaping tools were stolen from several trailers by force from a landscaping business.
VEHICLE THEFT
Patuxent Range Rd., 8200 block, Dec. 20-23. A 2012 white Ford E-250 was stolen.
LAUREL AREA
THEFTS/BREAK-INS
Baroness Ct., 9500 block, Dec. 13-14. An air bag was stolen from a vehicle.
Country Meadows Lane, 9700 block, Dec. 13-14. Air bags were stolen from two vehicles.
Earl Levy Ct., 9500 block, Dec. 13-14. Air bags were stolen from two vehicles.
Fulton Ave., 9500 block, Dec. 17-18. Tools were stolen from a vehicle.
Maier Rd., 9000 block, Dec. 15-16. Three vehicles were entered. Nothing was reported missing.
SAVAGE AREA
ROBBERY
Baltimore St., 8900 block, 5:07 p.m. Dec. 17. A tall man with his face partially covered entered a post office and demanded money orders at gunpoint. The postal worker complied, and the man fled. No injuries were reported.
THEFT/BREAK-IN
Foxborough Dr., 8500 block, Dec. 13-14. Tires were stolen from a vehicle. | Fair Oaks Shopping Ctr., 11700 block, Dec. 25. An electronic device was stolen from a business.
Fair Oaks Shopping Ctr., 11700 block, Dec. 25. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Fair Oaks Shopping Ctr., 11800 block, Dec. 17. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
AD
Fair Oaks Shopping Ctr., 11800 block, Dec. 25. Jewelry was stolen from a residence.
Fairfield House Dr., 12200 block, Dec. 15. An air bag was stolen from a vehicle.
AD
Heron Ridge Dr., 12700 block, Dec. 25. A bag was stolen from a vehicle.
James Swart Cir., 11200 block, Dec. 17. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Joseph Siewick Dr., 3600 block, Dec. 25. Tools were stolen from a vehicle.
Leafcrest Lane, 13200 block, 12:28 p.m. Dec. 24. A home was entered property was stolen.
Lee Jackson Memorial Hwy., 12300 block, Dec. 16. A license plate was stolen from a vehicle.
Lee Jackson Memorial Hwy., 12300 block, Dec. 26. A cellphone was stolen from a location.
AD
Lee Hwy., 11100 block, Dec. 16. A purse was stolen from a vehicle.
Lee Hwy., 11100 block, Dec. 25. A purse was stolen from a location.
Leehigh Dr., 11500 block, Dec. 22. Chainsaws were stolen from a residence.
Monument Dr., 11600 block, Dec. 18. Groceries were stolen from a business.
Monument Dr., 11600 block, Dec. 25. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
AD
Park Center Rd., 13800 block, Dec. 15. Documents were stolen from a vehicle.
Regents Tower St., 3000 block, Dec. 15. An air bag was stolen from a vehicle.
Ridge Top Rd., 4200 block, Dec. 16. A laptop was stolen from a location.
Rocky Meadow Ct., 3500 block, Dec. 22. A credit card was stolen from a residence.
AD
Sasher Lane, 5400 block, Dec. 22. Tools were stolen from a vehicle.
Stevenson St., 4100 block, Dec. 15. Property was stolen from a vehicle.
Tall Shadows Lane, 13100 block, Dec. 15. Air bags were stolen from a vehicle.
Valley Ridge Dr., 3900 block, Dec. 15. An air bag was stolen from a vehicle.
West Ox Rd., 4700 block, Dec. 25. A wallet was stolen from a location.
Willow Crescent Dr., 3300 block, Dec. 25. Property was stolen from a location.
Willow Crescent Dr., 3300 block, Dec. 26. A bicycle was stolen from a residence.
AD
Franconia District
ROBBERY
Springfield Mall, 6500 block, 12:31 p.m. Dec. 21. Robbery reported.
THEFTS/BREAK-INS
Apple Tree Dr., 4500 block, Dec. 25. Property was stolen from a residence.
AD
Bennett Dr., 4100 block, Dec. 25. A wallet was stolen from a location.
Bland St., 6700 block, Dec. 16. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Bradlick Shopping Ctr., 6900 block, Dec. 12. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Buxton Ct., 5300 block, Dec. 25. A wallet was stolen from a vehicle.
Cinder Bed Rd., 7800 block, Dec. 26. A hood was stolen from a vehicle.
Commerce St., 6700 block, Dec. 22. Property was stolen from a vehicle.
Desiree St., 7700 block, Dec. 25. A license plate was stolen from a residence.
Dickenson St., 7400 block, Dec. 19. A package was stolen from a residence.
Falcon St., 7100 block, Dec. 25. An electronic device was stolen from a vehicle.
AD
AD
Forsythia St., 6600 block, Dec. 22. Jewelry was stolen from a residence.
Fort Hill Dr., 3800 block, Dec. 15. A bag was stolen from a location.
Foundation Way, 7400 block, 3:31 a.m. Dec. 20. A witness saw a man coming out from a trailer. It is unknown if anything was taken.
Franconia Rd., 6100 block, Dec. 15. A license plate was stolen from a vehicle.
Franconia Rd., 6100 block, Dec. 15. A package was stolen from a residence.
Franconia Rd., 6100 block, Dec. 22. A wallet was stolen from a location.
Franconia Rd., 6100 block, Dec. 25. A purse was stolen from a vehicle.
Frontier Dr., 6500 block, Dec. 16. A cellphone was stolen from a location.
Frontier Dr., 6600 block, Dec. 15. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
AD
Frontier Dr., 6600 block, Dec. 17. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Frontier Dr., 6600 block, Dec. 18. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
AD
Gresham St., 7600 block, Dec. 22. A wallet was stolen from a vehicle.
Halwis St., 5500 block, Dec. 25. Jewelry was stolen from a residence.
Halwis St., 5500 block, Dec. 26. Property was stolen from a residence.
King Centre Dr., 5600 block, Dec. 25. A cellphone was stolen from a vehicle.
Kingstowne Blvd., 5700 block, Dec. 22. Earrings were stolen from a business.
Kingstowne Blvd., 5800 block, Dec. 26. Cash was stolen from a residence.
Kingstowne Towne Ctr., 5900 block, Dec. 18. Boots were stolen from a business.
AD
Kingstowne Ctr., 5800 block, Dec. 15. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
La Vista Dr., 5900 block, Dec. 15. Mail was stolen from a residence.
Lewis Chapel Cir., 7800 block, Dec. 25. Documents were stolen from a vehicle.
Lewis Chapel Rd., 9300 block, Dec. 25. A purse was stolen from a vehicle.
AD
Lorton Market St., 9400 block, Dec. 22. A cellphone was stolen from a residence.
Nancemond St., 7500 block, Dec. 19. Packages were stolen from a residence.
Old Keene Mill Rd., 7000 block, Dec. 26. A wallet was stolen from a location.
Schurtz St., 6600 block, Dec. 18. Guns were stolen from a vehicle.
Silver Lake Blvd., 7100 block, Dec. 15. An apron was stolen from a residence.
AD
Springfield Mall, 6600 block, Dec. 17. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Springfield Town Ctr., 6400 block, Dec. 25. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Springfield Town Ctr., 6500 block, Dec. 12. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Springfield Town Ctr., 6500 block, Dec. 15. Clothing was stolen from a business.
Springfield Town Ctr., 6600 block, Dec. 15. A wallet was stolen from a vehicle.
Springfield Town Ctr., 6600 block, Dec. 16. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
AD
Springfield Town Ctr., 6700 block, Dec. 15. A credit card was stolen from a vehicle.
Springfield Town Ctr., 6500 block, Dec. 26. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Springfield Plaza, 6400 block, Dec. 22. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Town Ctr., 6500 block, Dec. 22. Cameras were stolen from a business.
Van Walbeek Pl., 4900 block, Dec. 25. A wallet was stolen from a vehicle.
VEHICLE THEFTS
Burgundy Rd., 3100 block, Dec. 19. A 2014 BMW 328i.
Exeter St., 4700 block, Dec. 25. A 2012 Hyundai Sonata.
Thornhill Ct., 6400 block, Dec. 26. A 2016 Honda Civic.
Wilton Hill Terr., 5900 block, Dec. 19. A 2016 Mercedes-Benz E400.
Mason District
ROBBERY
Charles and Lake streets, 1:11 a.m. Dec. 21. Robbery reported.
THEFTS/BREAK-INS
Acosta Rd., 3800 block, Dec. 15. A wallet was stolen from a residence.
Argyle Dr., 6000 block, Dec. 15. A wallet was stolen from a vehicle.
AD
Arlington Blvd., 6100 block, Dec. 15. A cellphone was stolen from a business.
Arlington Blvd., 7400 block, Dec. 17. A bicycle was stolen from a location.
Beauregard St., 4800 block, Dec. 16. Beer was stolen from a business.
Bellview Dr., 6000 block, Dec. 25. Cash was stolen from a location.
Bennett Dr., 4100 block, Dec. 25. A wallet was stolen from a location.
Charles St., 3400 block, Dec. 22. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Columbia Pike, 6500 block, Dec. 12. An item was stolen.
Columbia Pike, 6500 block, Dec. 18. A watch was stolen from a location.
Columbia Pike, 6700 block, Dec. 15. A purse was stolen from a location.
Columbia Pike, 7100 block, Dec. 12. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Columbia Pike and South Jefferson St., Dec. 16. A generator was stolen from a vehicle.
Crossroads Ctr., 5800 block, Dec. 12. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Crossroads Ctr., 5800 block, Dec. 15. A wallet was stolen from a location.
Crossroads Ctr., 5800 block, Dec. 18. A wallet was stolen from a location.
Crossroads Ctr., 5800 block, Dec. 22. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Crossroads Ctr., 5800 block, Dec. 25. Cash was stolen from a location.
Gallows Rd., 3300 block, Dec. 25. A wallet was stolen from a location.
Leesburg Pike, 5100 block, Dec. 19. A bag, wallet, shoes and cash were stolen from a location.
Leesburg Pike, 5200 block, Dec. 22. A ring was stolen from a location.
Leesburg Pike, 5500 block, Dec. 15. A cellphone was stolen from a location.
Leesburg Pike, 5700 block, Dec. 17. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Leesburg Pike, 5800 block, Dec. 12. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Leesburg Pike, 5800 block, Dec. 15. A wallet was stolen from a location.
Leesburg Pike, 5800 block, Dec. 17. A wallet was stolen from a business.
Little River Tpk., 6100 block, Dec. 18. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Little River Tpk., 6200 block, Dec. 19. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Little River Tpk., 6200 block, Dec. 22. Liquor was stolen from a business.
Little River Tpk., 6500 block, Dec. 22. Tools were stolen from a business.
Little River Tpk., 6500 block, Dec. 25. A wallet was stolen from a location.
Little River Tpk., 6500 block, Dec. 15. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Little River Tpk., 7200 block, Dec. 18. A wallet was stolen from a location.
Little River Tpk., 7400 block, Dec. 18. A tip was stolen from a location.
Moncure Ave., 3500 block, Dec. 16. A cellphone was stolen from a location.
Montrose St., 6500 block, Dec. 18. A cellphone was stolen from a school.
Parkwood Ct., 7400 block, Dec. 26. Property was stolen from a residence.
Patrick Henry Dr., 3000 block, Dec. 18. Cigarettes were stolen from a business.
Patrick Henry Dr., 3000 block, Dec. 18. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Patrick Henry Dr., 3000 block, 4:28 p.m. Dec. 26. An apartment was broken into and personal items were stolen.
Quincy Pl., 6400 block, Dec. 15. A wallet was stolen from a vehicle.
Seminary Rd., 5500 block, Dec. 25. Jewelry was stolen from a residence.
Seminary Rd., 5600 block, 3:31 p.m. Dec. 12. A home was entered and personal items were stolen.
Seven Corners Ctr., 6200 block, Dec. 12. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Seven Corners Ctr., 6200 block, Dec. 15. A cellphone was stolen from a business.
Seven Corners Ctr., 6200 block, Dec. 22. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Seven Corners Ctr., 6200 block, Dec. 25. Drills were stolen from a business.
South George Mason Dr., 3800 block, Dec. 16. A cellphone was stolen from a location.
South Jefferson St., 3400 block, Dec. 15. Groceries were stolen from a business.
South Jefferson St., 3400 block, Dec. 25. A backpack was stolen from a location.
South Jefferson St., 3500 block, Dec. 16. Boots were stolen from a business.
South Jefferson St., 3500 block, Dec. 22. A purse was stolen from a location.
South Jefferson St., 3500 block, Dec. 25. Shoes were stolen from a business.
Spring Lane, 3400 block, Dec. 22. A wallet was stolen from a location.
Strawbridge Square Dr., 6300 block, Dec. 26. Property was stolen from a vehicle.
Willston Pl., 2900 block, Dec. 18. A license plate was stolen from a vehicle.
McLean District
ASSAULT
Lee Hwy., 9300 block, 11:13 p.m. Dec. 26. Malicious wounding.
THEFTS/BREAK-INS
Arlington Blvd., 8100 block, Dec. 26. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Beverly Ave., 6500 block, Dec. 25. Documents were stolen from a vehicle.
Centrillion Dr., 800 block, Dec. 12. A purse was stolen from a location.
Chain Bridge Rd., 1300 block, Dec. 17. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Chain Bridge Rd., 1900 block, Dec. 12. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Chain Bridge Rd., 1900 block, Dec. 16. Property was stolen from a location.
Chain Bridge Rd., 1900 block, Dec. 17. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Chain Bridge Rd., 1900 block, Dec. 17. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Chain Bridge Rd., 1900 block, Dec. 17. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Chain Bridge Rd., 1900 block, Dec. 17. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Chain Bridge Rd., 1900 block, Dec. 18. Property was stolen from a vehicle.
Chain Bridge Rd., 1900 block, Dec. 22. Property was stolen from a business.
Chain Bridge Rd., 1900 block, Dec. 25. A bag was stolen from a location.
Chain Bridge Rd., 1900 block, Dec. 26. A wallet was stolen from a location.
Cornerside Blvd., 1500 block, Dec. 15. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
District Ave., 2900 block, Dec. 15. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Dower Lane, 7700 block, Dec. 17. Property was stolen from a vehicle.
Fleetwood Rd., 6800 block, Dec. 15. Property was stolen from a residence.
Galleria, 1700 block, Dec. 15. A briefcase was stolen from a vehicle.
Gallows Rd., 1900 block, Dec. 17. A wallet was stolen from a location.
Greenwich Woods Dr., 8000 block, Dec. 15. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Howard Ave., 1800 block, Dec. 25. A ring was stolen from a location.
Lee Hwy., 7300 block, Dec. 15. A cellphone was stolen from a location.
Lee Hwy., 8300 block, Dec. 15. Property was stolen from a vehicle.
Lee Hwy., 9400 block, Dec. 19. A package was stolen from a residence.
Leesburg Pike, 8300 block, Dec. 25. Cash was stolen from a location.
Leesburg Pike, 8300 block, Dec. 25. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Lemon Rd., 6800 block, Dec. 25. A gift was stolen from a vehicle.
Lincoln Lane, 8300 block, Dec. 18. Tires were stolen from a vehicle.
Monticello Dr., 3000 block, Dec. 19. Tires were stolen from a vehicle.
Nutley St., 3000 block, Dec. 22. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Old Courthouse Rd., 8400 block, Dec. 16. A wallet was stolen from a location.
Old Dominion Dr., 6800 block, Dec. 25. A computer was stolen from a business.
Old Meadow Rd., 1800 block, Dec. 15. A wallet was stolen from a vehicle.
Portland Pl., 8400 block, Dec. 22. Jewelry was stolen from a residence.
Spring Hill Rd., 1300 block, Dec. 25. A wallet was stolen from a vehicle.
Tysons Corner Ctr., 8000 block, Dec. 26. A computer was stolen from a vehicle.
Tysons Corner Ctr., 8100 block, Dec. 17. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Tysprung St., 8500 block, Dec. 17. Property was stolen from a location.
Virginia Ave., 2000 block, Dec. 16. Furniture was stolen from a residence.
Westmoreland St., 2000 block, Dec. 22. Jewelry was stolen from a residence.
VEHICLE THEFTS
Birnam Wood Dr., 7800 block, Dec. 25. A 2018 Lexus GS350.
Capitol View Dr., 7100 block, Dec. 25. A 2018 Toyota Highlander.
Hutchison Grove Ct., 2100 block, Dec. 17. A white 2016 Infiniti QX60.
Mount Vernon District
THEFTS/BREAK-INS
Arlington Dr., 2700 block, Dec. 19. Tires were stolen from a vehicle.
Belle View Blvd., 1600 block, Dec. 17. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Cameron Rd., 1100 block, Dec. 15. Decorations were stolen from a residence.
Colony Ct., 4500 block, Dec. 26. A license plate was stolen from a vehicle.
Fairhaven Ave., 2400 block, Dec. 15. Wine was stolen from a business.
Huntington Ave., 2300 block, Dec. 15. Wine was stolen from a business.
Huntington Ave., 2300 block, Dec. 26. A charger was stolen from a location.
Jon Paul Dr., 7200 block, Dec. 17. A personal item was stolen from a location.
Mina Loma Ct., 8400 block, Dec. 15. Packages were stolen from a residence.
Mint Pl., 7100 block, Dec. 17. Property was stolen from a vehicle.
North Kings Hwy., 5800 block, Dec. 25. Clothing was stolen from a location.
Old Mount Vernon Rd., 8400 block, Dec. 22. A wallet was stolen from a location.
Parkers Lane, 2500 block, Dec. 22. Medication was stolen from a vehicle.
Parsons Ct., 7200 block, Dec. 15. Documents were stolen from a vehicle.
Peacock Pl., 3300 block, Dec. 18. A cellphone was stolen from a vehicle.
Richmond Hwy., 5900 block, Dec. 22. Liquor was stolen from a business.
Richmond Hwy., 6000 block, Dec. 26. A license plate was stolen from a vehicle.
Richmond Hwy., 6300 block, Dec. 15. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Richmond Hwy., 6300 block, Dec. 19. A cellphone was stolen from a business.
Richmond Hwy., 6300 block, Dec. 19. Headphones were stolen from a business.
Richmond Hwy., 6300 block, Dec. 22. Documents were stolen from a location.
Richmond Hwy., 6300 block, Dec. 25. A cellphone was stolen from a business.
Richmond Hwy., 6700 block, Dec. 15. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Richmond Hwy., 6700 block, Dec. 22. Tools were stolen from a business.
Richmond Hwy., 6900 block, Dec. 22. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Richmond Hwy., 7700 block, Dec. 15. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Richmond Hwy., 7700 block, Dec. 16. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Richmond Hwy., 7700 block, Dec. 22. Tools were stolen from a business.
Richmond Hwy., 7700 block, Dec. 25. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Richmond Hwy., 7700 block, Dec. 25. Tools were stolen from a residence.
Richmond Hwy., 7900 block, Dec. 19. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Richmond Hwy., 7900 block, Dec. 22. A bag was stolen from a vehicle.
Richmond Hwy., 8000 block, Dec. 17. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Richmond Hwy., 8400 block, Dec. 22. A cellphone was stolen from a location.
Richmond Hwy., 8700 block, Dec. 26. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Sacramento Dr., 8700 block, Dec. 17. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Sacramento Dr., 8700 block, Dec. 18. Cash was stolen from a location.
Sacramento Dr., 8700 block, Dec. 25. A backpack was stolen from a location.
Silverada Pl., 7900 block, Dec. 16. An electronic device was stolen from a vehicle.
Stirrup Lane, 1800 block, Dec. 12. A purse was stolen.
Stratford Lane, 9000 block, Dec. 17. Property was stolen from a vehicle.
Tis Well Dr., 8100 block, Dec. 19. A laptop was stolen from a location.
Windbreak Dr., 2500 block, Dec. 19. Packages were stolen from a residence.
VEHICLE THEFT
Janna Lee Ave., 8100 block, Dec. 25. A 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Reston District
ROBBERY
Longleaf Lane, 12800 block, 10:26 p.m. Dec. 26. Robbery reported.
THEFTS/BREAK-INS
Becontree Lane, 1600 block, Dec. 26. A cellphone was stolen from a residence.
Cameron Glen Dr., 1800 block, Dec. 15. A cellphone was stolen from a location.
Cameron Glen Dr., 1800 block, Dec. 25. A weapon was stolen from a vehicle.
Christy Pl., 2200 block, Dec. 18. A wallet was stolen from a vehicle.
Commerce Park Dr., 11400 block, Dec. 22. A purse was stolen from a vehicle.
Farmcrest Dr., 2500 block, Dec. 15. A gun was stolen from a vehicle.
Fountain Dr., 1800 block, Dec. 25. A cellphone was stolen from a location.
Fountain Dr., 1800 block, Dec. 25. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Fox Hunt Lane, 13100 block, Dec. 26. A wallet was stolen from a residence.
Freedom Dr., 11800 block, Dec. 22. A cellphone was stolen from a location.
Hunters Square Ct., 2300 block, Dec. 25. A license plate was stolen from a vehicle.
Jonathan Way, 1800 block, Dec. 16. Cash was stolen from a residence.
Leesburg Pike, 11700 block, Dec. 22. Chainsaws and leaf blowers were stolen from a vehicle.
Market St., 11900 block, Dec. 26. An electronic device was stolen from a business.
Masons Ferry Dr., 2400 block, Dec. 15. Property was stolen from a vehicle.
Short Ridge Rd., 2300 block, Dec. 17. Jewelry was stolen from a residence.
Southgate Sq., 2300 block, Dec. 18. A license plate was stolen from a vehicle.
Sunrise Valley Dr., 11700 block, Dec. 15. Luggage was stolen from a vehicle.
Sunrise Valley Dr., 11800 block, Dec. 16. A wallet was stolen from a location.
Sunset Hills Rd., 12100 block, Dec. 15. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Sunset Hills Rd., 12100 block, Dec. 17. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Winterwood Pl., 1600 block, Dec. 25. A firearm was stolen from a vehicle.
VEHICLE THEFTS
Fones Pl., 13300 block, Dec. 17. A 2001 gray Volvo V70.
Jensen Pl., 2200 block, Dec. 25. A 2016 Honda Accord.
Sully District
THEFTS/BREAK-INS
Algretus Dr., 14700 block, Dec. 16. Property was stolen from a residence.
Algretus Dr., 14700 block, Dec. 17. Property was stolen from a residence.
Bent Tree Cir., 13600 block, Dec. 22. A license plate was stolen from a vehicle.
Braddock Ridge Dr., 5400 block, Dec. 26. A purse was stolen from a vehicle.
Lady Madonna Ct., 14900 block, Dec. 25. Cash was stolen from a vehicle.
Lavender Mist Lane, 13500 block, Dec. 16. Tools were stolen from a vehicle.
Lavender Mist Lane, 13500 block, Dec. 17. Tools were stolen from a vehicle.
Lee Hwy., 16000 block, Dec. 25. Property was stolen from a vehicle.
Leeton Dr., 13900 block, 6:11 p.m. Dec. 13. A home was entered and personal items were stolen.
Newhall Ct., 5500 block, 12:22 a.m. Dec. 14. A home was entered and personal items were stolen.
Newport Dr., 13700 block, Dec. 15. Tools were stolen from a vehicle.
Ox Rd., 5500 block, Dec. 15. Chainsaws were stolen from a church.
Ox Rd., 5600 block, Dec. 15. Cash was stolen from a church.
Rydell Rd., 14900 block, Dec. 22. Tools were stolen from a vehicle.
Sequoia Farms Dr., 5500 block, Dec. 25. A wallet was stolen from a location.
Stonecroft Blvd., 3900 block, Dec. 15. A washer was stolen from a location.
Trinity Pkwy., 5900 block, Dec. 22. A wallet was stolen from a location.
Walney Park Dr., 13800 block, 5:59 a.m. Dec. 21. The victim awoke to a man inside her home standing near her bed. She screamed and chased the man out of the house. Several personal items were stolen.
Yates Ford Rd., 12700 block, Dec. 22. Property was stolen from a residence.
West Springfield District
THEFTS/BREAK-INS
Bellamy Ave., 6800 block, Dec. 19. Property was stolen from a residence.
Birch Bay Cir., 8900 block, Dec. 25. Keys were stolen from a vehicle.
Braddock Rd., 10600 block, Dec. 22. A computer was stolen from a residence.
Braddock Rd., 10600 block, Dec. 25. Wine was stolen from a business.
Burke Commons Rd., 6000 block, Dec. 19. A wallet was stolen from a vehicle.
Fishermans Lane, 9100 block, Dec. 22. A package was stolen from a residence.
Forrester Blvd., 8300 block, Dec. 17. A moped was stolen.
Gunston Corner Lane, 8200 block, Dec. 12. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Lafayette Forest Dr., 7700 block, Dec. 12. Bicycles were stolen from a residence.
Old Keene Mill Rd., 8300 block, Dec. 22. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Old Keene Mill Rd., 9200 block, Dec. 12. A gift was stolen from a business.
Paxford Ct., 5500 block, Dec. 18. Tools were stolen from a vehicle.
Port Royal Rd., 5300 block, Dec. 15. A jacket was stolen from a location.
Rolling Rd., 5200 block, Dec. 15. A cellphone was stolen from a location.
Rolling Rd., 6100 block, Dec. 26. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Rolling Rd., 6200 block, Dec. 25. Sunglasses were stolen from a vehicle.
Royal Ridge Dr., 5800 block, Dec. 16. Property was stolen from a residence.
Sideburn Rd., 5100 block, Dec. 17. Property was stolen from a residence.
South Park Cir., 9900 block, Dec. 18. Merchandise was stolen from a business.
Fairfax City
These were among incidents reported by the Fairfax City Police Department. For information, call 703-273-2889.
THEFTS/BREAK-INS
Courthouse Dr., 10000 block, 10:30 p.m. Dec. 21. Property was stolen from a vehicle.
Fairfax Blvd., 11100 block, Dec. 23. Hotel rooms were entered by using a master key. Nothing was reported missing.
Main St., 10200 block, 12:22 p.m. Dec. 21. A man removed merchandise from his coat and placed it in a bag outside a store. A 42-year-old man was arrested and charged.
Woodland Dr., 4000 block, 1:52 p.m. Dec. 21. A credit card was stolen.
VANDALISM
Main St., 10400 block, Dec. 17. A parked vehicle was struck and damaged by another vehicle that fled the scene.
Falls Church
These were among incidents reported by the Falls Church Police Department. For information, call 703-248-5056.
BOMB THREAT
Broad St. W., 500 block, 1:48 p.m. Dec. 10. A man made a threat to bomb a building. A 59-year-old Falls Church man was arrested and charged.
THEFTS/BREAK-INS
Broad St. E., 1000 block, Nov. 21 to Dec. 10. Two license plates were stolen from a vehicle.
Broad St. W., 300 block, 4:48 p.m. Dec. 14. Property was stolen from a building.
Chanel Terr., 100 block, 1:30 p.m. Dec. 9. A credit card was stolen.
Chanel Terr., 100 block, 5 p.m. Dec. 13. Identity theft was reported.
Hillwood Ave., 300 block, 12:56 a.m. Dec. 15. Property was stolen from a building.
Maple Ave. N., 200 block, midnight Dec. 6 to 6:32 p.m. Dec. 13. Identity theft was reported.
Maple Ave. N., 200 block, 12:32 p.m. Dec. 16. Identity theft was reported.
Oak St. N., 600 block, 11 p.m. Dec. 13 to 7:45 a.m. Dec. 14. Property was stolen from a vehicle.
Oak St. S., 100 block, 6:53 p.m. Dec. 19. A credit card was stolen.
Roosevelt Blvd., 500 block, 1 to 11:10 a.m. Dec. 14. Two license plates were stolen from a vehicle.
Wilson Blvd., 6700 block, 9:21 a.m. Dec. 21. Property was stolen from a building. Damage was reported.
Wilson Blvd., 6700 block, 2:55 p.m. Dec. 17. Trespassing was reported. A 49-year-old Falls Church man was arrested and charged.
VANDALISM
Maple Ave. S., 100 block, Sept. 1 to Dec. 17. Graffiti was painted on a building.
Westmoreland Rd. W., 100 block, noon to 7 p.m. Dec. 10. A fence was damaged.
Herndon
These were among incidents reported by the Herndon Police Department. For information, call 703-435-6846.
ASSAULTS
Center St., 600 block, 4:21 p.m. Dec. 19. Assault reported.
Elden St., 700 block, 9:23 p.m. Dec. 20. Assault reported.
Elden St., 1000 block, 11:15 a.m. Dec. 22. Assault reported.
Elden St., 1200 block, 4:59 p.m. Dec. 20. Assault reported.
None At Herndon Pkwy. and Springtide Pl., Dec. 22. Assault reported.
Worldgate Dr., 13000 block, Dec. 17. Assault reported.
THEFTS/BREAK-INS
Elden St., 400 block, 5:58 a.m. Dec. 17. Trespassing.
Elden St., 1000 block, 7:54 p.m. Dec. 17.
VANDALISM
Center St., 600 block, 12:56 a.m. Dec. 19. Destruction of property.
Dranesville Rd., 700 block, 11:22 a.m. Dec. 20. Destruction of property.
Dulles Park Ct., 600 block, 11:30 p.m. Dec. 22. Graffiti.
Monroe St., 1100 block, 1:50 p.m. Dec. 16. Graffiti.
Vienna
These were among incidents reported by the Vienna Police Department. For information, call 703-255-6396.
ASSAULTS
Glyndon St. SE, 800 block, 8:10 p.m. Dec. 18. Harassing telephone calls were reported.
Maple Ave. W., 500 block, 9:23 p.m. Dec. 18. A police officer observed two large groups of teenagers enter a fast-food restaurant and a fight broke out. Police were able to stop the fight and separate two teens.
Shepherdson Lane NE, 10:33 p.m. Dec. 16. Two people fought and a door was damaged.
ROBBERY
Maple Ave. E., 300 block, 8:34 p.m. Dec. 16. A female reached into her pocket while demanding cash from a cashier and fled from a pharmacy. Shortly after, the female was apprehended after leaving the scene of a second robbery.
THEFTS/BREAK-INS
Beulah Rd. NE, 500 block, 10:30 to 11 a.m. Dec. 22. A purse was stolen from a church bench. After two hours, the purse was turned in to police and nothing was reported missing.
Kingsley Rd. SW, 700 block, 12:01 a.m. Dec. 11 to 12:01 a.m. Dec. 13. Identity theft was reported.
Maple Ave. E., 200 block, 12:43 a.m. to 2:43 p.m. Dec. 23. A locked bicycle was stolen near a restaurant.
Maple Ave. W., 500 block, 8:30 p.m. Dec. 13. A man lost his wallet and credit cards from the wallet were used to make purchases.
Park Terrace Ct. SE, 9:30 p.m. Dec. 17. Trespassing was reported.
MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT
Maple Ave. W., 400 block, 5:32 p.m. Dec. 25. A vehicle reported stolen from Loudoun County was recovered at this location.
VANDALISM
Cedar Lane SE, 200 block, 11:51 p.m. Dec. 18. During a road rage incident, a male driver threw a beer bottle that shattered the rear windshield of a vehicle.
Niblick Dr. SE, 300 block, noon Dec. 13 to 6 a.m. Dec. 14. Three individuals were observed entering two vehicles. Nothing was reported missing. | 3 |
There’s nothing more cinematically irresistible than real-life stories of common people who rose against all odds to do something incredibly inspirational. Often filmmakers are enchanted by these tales of sheer valor and render them into movies because there’s nothing more fascinating than stories rooted in reality. With 2020 starting today here’s looking at the films that will tell such motivating stories in the months to come.
- Sponsored -
Chhapaak
Starring Deepika Padukone in the lead role, the film by Meghana Gulzar is inspired by the life of an acid attack survivor Laxmi Aggarwal. In 2005, she was attacked by a man for rejecting his marriage proposal. After multiple surgeries, she relentlessly petitioned to stop the sale of acids in India which led the Supreme Court to regulate the sale of acids.
Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior
Ajay Devgn brings to life the story of one of the most unsung heroes of Maratha history with ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’. The film, which also stars Saif Ali Khan and Kajol, is set in the 17th century and based on the life of Tanaji Malusare, who was the military leader of King Shivaji, founder of the Maratha Empire.
Gunjan Saxena
Headlined by Janhvi Kapoor, the film is based on helicopter pilot Gunjan Saxena who along with her colleague Srividya Rajan creates history when they ventured into a war zone, becoming the first Indian women in combat during the 1999 Kargil War.
Maidaan
‘Maidaan’ starring superstar Ajay Devgn, is helmed by Amit Sharma and is based on the life of legendary coach Syed Abdul Rahim, who is considered the father of Indian football. It was under his coaching that the Indian football team won at the Asian Games consecutively in 1951 and 1962.
Bhuj – The Pride of India
Filming begins at Ramoji Film City in #Hyderabad today… #BhujThePrideOfIndia stars Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, Rana Daggubati, Sonakshi Sinha, Parineeti Chopra and Ammy Virk… Directed by Abhishek Dudhaiya… 14 Aug 2020 release. pic.twitter.com/DfRPk6ypQA — taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) June 25, 2019
Ajay Devgn will essay the role of Wing Commander Vijay Karnik. During the 1971 Indo-Pak was, Vijay was a squadron leader in charge of the airbase in Bhuj, Gujarat. He was the one responsible to keep the airbase operational despite the bombing from Pakistan.
Also Read: 2019 Wrap Up: From ‘War’ to ‘Kabir Singh’- Highest grossing Bollywood movies of this year | Ajay Devgn is all set to essay the role of a real-life hero on the big screen in Bhuj: The Pride Of India. Based on the 1971 Indo-Pak war, the film has the Tanhaji actor playing Indian Air Force officer Vijay Karnik in the film.
For those who don't know, squadron Leader Vijay Karnik, was in charge of the Bhuj airport during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. It was he and his team, with the help of the local women, who reconstructed the destroyed Indian Air Force airstrip at Bhuj in Gujarat, in what could be termed as India's 'Pearl Harbour' moment.
Director-writer Abhishek Dudhaiya took to Twitter to drop Ajay's first look from the film. He wrote, "It's a privilege to present @ajaydevgn sir's first look as Sq. Ld. Vijay Karnik from my upcoming directorial film #BhujThePrideOfIndia . #14Aug2020."
Speaking about casting Ajay in the film, Dudhaiya earlier said, "We were fighting a war and if there had been any casualties of any of these women, it would have been a great loss. But I took the decision and it worked out. I had briefed them where they could take shelter if attacked and they followed it bravely. Also, I could only see Ajay Devgn essaying my character and I'm glad that he's on board."
Producer Bhushan Kumar added, "This courageous tale needs to be told because we want the current and the coming generation to know about this brave soldier, Squadron Leader Vijay Karnik, who played a significant role in India's victory in the 1971 war. He was heroic enough to take this bold step of involving civilians in a war."
Bhuj: The Pride Of India also stars Sonakshi Sinha, Sanjay Dutt, Rana Daggubati, Ammy Virk and Ihana Dhillion. The film is slated for a box office clash with John Abraham's Attack and Priyadarshan's Hungama 2 on August 14, 2020.
Ajay Devgn On CAA Protests: Violence Is Not The Way; Through Violence We Harm Our Own Country!
Kajol Trolls Ajay Devgn Over Her Casting In Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior | 1.333333 |
media_play
Rafael Nadal poses with quokka to ring in the new year
Rafael Nadal has posed with a quokka on Western Australia’s Rottnest Island. The tennis star, together with his teammates, posed with the wildlife while touring WA this week. Nadal posted the selfie to his Instagram page, saying it was the “perfect way to start 2020 with good friends”. | DETROIT – Stress affects everyone, and holidays can be particularly stressful.
There are steps you can take to help you manage your stress.
Some tips for managing stress include: | 1 |
A prominent media mogul in Pakistan has denied rape allegations levied against him by an esteemed filmmaker in a case which has sparked furious debate.
Jamshed Mahmood Raza accused Hameed Haroon, chief executive of Pakistani English-language newspaper Dawn, of raping him 13 years ago.
Mr Raza first spoke out about being allegedly assaulted on Twitter back in October but described the purported wrongdoer as a “powerful person in our media world”.
Download the new Indpendent Premium app Sharing the full story, not just the headlines
He has now accused Mr Haroon of the assault in a series of tweets and insisted his claims against him are not connected to the paper which is one of Pakistan’s leading publications and has criticised its current government.
He tweeted: “I’m ready now. Are you ready to print this @dawn_com?”
Shape Created with Sketch. World news in pictures Show all 50 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. World news in pictures 1/50 1 January 2020 Photographer Matt Roberts reacts to seeing his sister's house destroyed by a bushfire in Quaama, New South Wales, Australia EPA 2/50 31 December 2019 A man rides a donkey cart against the last setting sun of 2019 in Lahore, Pakistan Reuters 3/50 30 December 2019 A Skycrane drops water on a bushfire in Bundoora, Melbourne, Australia. According to local media reports, thousands of residents and tourists were forced to evacuate in the state of Victoria as soaring temperatures and winds fanned several bushfires around the state EPA 4/50 29 December 2019 A jumper soars through the air during a trial jump at the first stage of the 68th four hills ski jumping tournament in Oberstdorf, Germany AP 5/50 28 December 2019 Revellers dressed in mock military garb throw eggs as they take part in the "Els Enfarinats" battle in the southeastern Spanish town of Ibi on December 28, 2019. - During this 200-year-old traditional festival participants known as Els Enfarinats (those covered in flour) dress in military clothes and stage a mock coup d'etat as they battle using flour, eggs and firecrackers outside the city town hall as part of the celebrations of the Day of the Innocents, a traditional day in Spain for pulling pranks. AFP via Getty 6/50 27 December 2019 The Panamanian-flag cargo ship "Zelek Star" is pictured after being washed up on a beach in the southern Israeli coastal city of Ashdod during a storm AFP via Getty 7/50 26 December 2019 Monks wearing solar filter glasses watch the "ring of fire" solar eclipse at the Gaden monastery in a Tibetan colony in Teginkoppa, India AFP via Getty 8/50 25 December 2019 A participant in a Darth Vader costume jumps into the water during the 110th edition of the 'Copa Nadal' (Christmas Cup) swimming competition in Barcelona's Port Vell. The traditional 200-meter Christmas swimming race included more than 300 participants on Barcelona's old harbour AFP/Getty 9/50 24 December 2019 Children dressed as Santa Claus during celebrations on Christmas Eve at a school in Amritsar AFP via Getty 10/50 23 December 2019 Palestinians wearing Christmas costumes distribute gifts to children seated atop the rubble of a house demolished by Israel, reportedly for not being built with official licensing in the village of al-Khader, west of of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty 11/50 22 December 2019 A journalist gets pepper-sprayed after a heated exchange with police during a rally in Hong Kong to show support for the Uighur minority in China. Hong Kong riot police broke up a solidarity rally for China's Uighurs -- with one officer drawing a pistol -- as the city's pro-democracy movement likened their plight to that of the oppressed Muslim minority AFP via Getty 12/50 21 December 2019 Children react as a Bengal tiger licks the glass surrounding its enclosure during the "Animal Christmas Party", where the youths were treated to a tour of the Malabon Zoo, in Manila AFP via Getty 13/50 20 December 2019 In this long exposure photo, the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the Boeing Starliner crew capsule lifts off on an orbital flight test to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral AP 14/50 19 December 2019 A freediver wearing a Father Christmas outfit poses underwater off the coast of the northern city of Batroun AFP via Getty 15/50 18 December 2019 People rally in support of the impeachment of US President Donald Trump in front of the US Capitol, as the House readies for the historic vote AFP via Getty 16/50 17 December 2019 Protesters set fire to dumpsters and tires as they block a road in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon AFP via Getty 17/50 16 December 2019 People ride a merry-go-round at the Christmas Market at the Red Square in Moscow AFP via Getty 18/50 15 December 2019 The Red Rebels, part of the Extinction Rebellion Australia demonstrator group, participate in a climate protest rally in Sydney. The group rallied in front of the landmark Sydney Opera House demanding urgent climate action from Australia's government, as bushfire smoke choking the city caused health problems to spike AFP via Getty 19/50 14 December 2019 Protesters block a road after setting buses on fire during a demonstration against the Indian government's Citizenship Amendment Bill in Howrah, on the outskirts of Kolkata, India. Protests against a divisive new citizenship law raged on as Washington and London issued travel warnings for northeast India following days of violent clashes that have killed two people so far AFP via Getty 20/50 13 December 2019 A huge cloud of black smoke raises over a burning warehouse in the southern outskirts of Moscow. There were no immediate reports of any casualties, but one fire fighter was injured and 25 ambulance cars and a special air testing vehicle are at the site, they added EPA 21/50 12 December 2019 A slow shutter speed shot shows oarsmen in traditional costume rowing during the Royal Barge Procession to mark the conclusion of the Royal Coronation ceremony, on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand. The ceremony honours King Rama X after his complete accession to the throne EPA 22/50 11 December 2019 A boy inspects his damaged home after after an attack near the Bagram Air Base in Kabul, Afghanistan, A powerful suicide bombing targeted an under-construction medical facility near the main American base north of the capital AP 23/50 10 December 2019 Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg arrives to participate in the event "Unite behind the science" within the UN Climate Change Conference COP25 in Madrid AFP via Getty 24/50 9 December 2019 White Island (Whakaari) volcano, as it erupts, in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. According to police, at least five people have died in the volcanic erruption EPA/Michael Schade 25/50 8 December 2019 People gather amidst the ruins of a building, destroyed during reported Syrian regime and Russian air strikes the previous day in the town of Balyun. The reported air raids killed 19 civilians, eight of them children, in the country's last major opposition bastion AFP via Getty 26/50 7December 2019 A French CGT unionist holds up the union's flag as he demonstrates against unemployment amidst smoke bombs in Nantes. The most serious nationwide strike to hit France in years caused new misery for weekend travellers, with defiant unions dismissing proposals by the government and warning walkouts would last well into next week AFP via Getty 27/50 6 December 2019 People stand on top of a collapsed six-storey building in Nairobi, Kenya. Local media reported that several people are feared trapped as the rescue operation continues EPA 28/50 5 December 2019 Indonesia players celebrate a point during their match against Vietnam in the women's volleyball preliminary round of the Southeast Asian Games being held in the Philippines Reuters 29/50 4 December 2019 Firefighters work to contain a large fire at an industrial building at Inlet Road inn Auckland, New Zealand Getty 30/50 3 December 2019 Doan Quynh Nam Tran of Vietnam competes in the women's gymnastics at the SEA Games (Southeast Asian Games) in Manila AFP via Getty 31/50 2 December 2019 A youth plays on foamy discharge, caused by pollutants, as it mixes with the surf at a beach in Chennai AFP via Getty 32/50 1 December 2019 Southeast Asian Games at the Royce Hotel, Mabalacat, Philippines. Vietnam's Pham Hong Anh in action during her single dance final. Reuters 33/50 30 November 2019 A woman holds a coloured flag at the Botswana Pride Parade in Gaborone. The parade is the first one organised in Botswana, after the Court ruled on June 11 in favour of decriminalising homosexuality, which had been punishable by a jail term of up to seven years. AFP via Getty 34/50 29 November 2019 A child holds a placard during a 'drop dead' flashmob protest against climate change consequences at Lumpini Park in Bangkok, Thailand Reuters 35/50 28 November 2019 Pro-democracy protesters hold an SOS sign and US national flags during a Thanksgiving rally in Edinburgh Place, Hong Kong. Protesters were thanking US President Donald Trump for signing into a law 'The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act Hong Kong', provoking an angry backlash from the Chinese government. Hong Kong is in its sixth month of mass protests, which were originally triggered by a now withdrawn extradition bill, and have since turned into a wider pro-democracy movement EPA 36/50 27 November 2019 Rescuers with a dog search through the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Durres, western Albania AP 37/50 26 November 2019 A shepherd leads a flock of sheep on a pontoon bridge in Allahabad AFP via Getty 38/50 25 November 2019 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a female company belonging to 5492 troops KCNA via Reuters 39/50 24 November 2019 A protester jumps between burning tires during ongoing anti-government protests in Basra, Iraq Reuters 40/50 23 November 2019 Fans dressed as Star Wars characters during day three of the first Test between Australia and Pakistan at The Gabba in Australia Getty 41/50 22 November 2019 Pope Francis speaks with religious leaders during a meeting at the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand Reuters 42/50 21 November 2019 A girl injured in last night's attack by the Syrian regime on a camp for displaced people near the Turkish border in Idlib, Syria is held up to the camera AFP/Getty 43/50 20 November 2019 Indian paramilitary soldiers detain a Congress party supporter during a protest against the withdrawal of Special Protection Group (SPG) cover to party president Sonia Gandhi, her children and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, in New Delh. The move to lift off the SPG security, an elite force that protects prime ministers and their immediate families, led to sharp reactions from the Congress, which accused the government of personal vendetta AP 44/50 19 November 2019 An image taken from a plane window shows Sydney shrouded in smoke from nearby bush fires AAP Imagevia Reuters 45/50 18 November 2019 Protesters run for cover after riot police fired tear gas towards the bridge they were climbing down to the road below, to escape from Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Dozens escaped the besieged campus by lowering themselves on a rope from a footbridge to a highway. Once on the road they were seen being picked up by waiting motorcyclists AFP via Getty 46/50 17 November 2019 Anti-government protesters draped in Iraqi national flags walk into clouds of smoke from burning tires during a demonstration in the southern city of Basra, Iraq AFP via Getty 47/50 16 November 2019 A protester wearing a yellow jacket waves a French flag in a fountain during a demonstration to mark the first anniversary of the "yellow vests" movement in Nice, France Reuters 48/50 15 November 2019 A Palestinian protester uses a slingshot to return a tear gas canister fired by Israeli forces amid clashes following a weekly demonstration against the expropriation of Palestinian land by Israel in the village of Kfar Qaddum AFP via Getty 49/50 14 November 2019 A patient suffering from dengue fever receives medical treatment at an isolation ward at a hospital in Larkana, Pakistan. According to local reports, 26 deaths have been reported out of a total of 10,013 confirmed cases of dengue infection. Dengue fever is reportedly caused by a specific type of mosquito, the Aedes mosquito, that bites only during daytime, especially during sunrise and sunset. EPA 50/50 13 November 2019 An anti-government protester flashes the V-sign for victory in front of burning tyres used to block a main road at the entrance of Tripoli. The previous night, street protests erupted across Lebanon after President Michel Aoun defended the role of his allies, the Shiite movement Hezbollah, in Lebanon's government, cutting off several major roads. In his televised address, Aoun proposed a government that includes both technocrats and politicians AFP via Getty 1/50 1 January 2020 Photographer Matt Roberts reacts to seeing his sister's house destroyed by a bushfire in Quaama, New South Wales, Australia EPA 2/50 31 December 2019 A man rides a donkey cart against the last setting sun of 2019 in Lahore, Pakistan Reuters 3/50 30 December 2019 A Skycrane drops water on a bushfire in Bundoora, Melbourne, Australia. According to local media reports, thousands of residents and tourists were forced to evacuate in the state of Victoria as soaring temperatures and winds fanned several bushfires around the state EPA 4/50 29 December 2019 A jumper soars through the air during a trial jump at the first stage of the 68th four hills ski jumping tournament in Oberstdorf, Germany AP 5/50 28 December 2019 Revellers dressed in mock military garb throw eggs as they take part in the "Els Enfarinats" battle in the southeastern Spanish town of Ibi on December 28, 2019. - During this 200-year-old traditional festival participants known as Els Enfarinats (those covered in flour) dress in military clothes and stage a mock coup d'etat as they battle using flour, eggs and firecrackers outside the city town hall as part of the celebrations of the Day of the Innocents, a traditional day in Spain for pulling pranks. AFP via Getty 6/50 27 December 2019 The Panamanian-flag cargo ship "Zelek Star" is pictured after being washed up on a beach in the southern Israeli coastal city of Ashdod during a storm AFP via Getty 7/50 26 December 2019 Monks wearing solar filter glasses watch the "ring of fire" solar eclipse at the Gaden monastery in a Tibetan colony in Teginkoppa, India AFP via Getty 8/50 25 December 2019 A participant in a Darth Vader costume jumps into the water during the 110th edition of the 'Copa Nadal' (Christmas Cup) swimming competition in Barcelona's Port Vell. The traditional 200-meter Christmas swimming race included more than 300 participants on Barcelona's old harbour AFP/Getty 9/50 24 December 2019 Children dressed as Santa Claus during celebrations on Christmas Eve at a school in Amritsar AFP via Getty 10/50 23 December 2019 Palestinians wearing Christmas costumes distribute gifts to children seated atop the rubble of a house demolished by Israel, reportedly for not being built with official licensing in the village of al-Khader, west of of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty 11/50 22 December 2019 A journalist gets pepper-sprayed after a heated exchange with police during a rally in Hong Kong to show support for the Uighur minority in China. Hong Kong riot police broke up a solidarity rally for China's Uighurs -- with one officer drawing a pistol -- as the city's pro-democracy movement likened their plight to that of the oppressed Muslim minority AFP via Getty 12/50 21 December 2019 Children react as a Bengal tiger licks the glass surrounding its enclosure during the "Animal Christmas Party", where the youths were treated to a tour of the Malabon Zoo, in Manila AFP via Getty 13/50 20 December 2019 In this long exposure photo, the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the Boeing Starliner crew capsule lifts off on an orbital flight test to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral AP 14/50 19 December 2019 A freediver wearing a Father Christmas outfit poses underwater off the coast of the northern city of Batroun AFP via Getty 15/50 18 December 2019 People rally in support of the impeachment of US President Donald Trump in front of the US Capitol, as the House readies for the historic vote AFP via Getty 16/50 17 December 2019 Protesters set fire to dumpsters and tires as they block a road in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon AFP via Getty 17/50 16 December 2019 People ride a merry-go-round at the Christmas Market at the Red Square in Moscow AFP via Getty 18/50 15 December 2019 The Red Rebels, part of the Extinction Rebellion Australia demonstrator group, participate in a climate protest rally in Sydney. The group rallied in front of the landmark Sydney Opera House demanding urgent climate action from Australia's government, as bushfire smoke choking the city caused health problems to spike AFP via Getty 19/50 14 December 2019 Protesters block a road after setting buses on fire during a demonstration against the Indian government's Citizenship Amendment Bill in Howrah, on the outskirts of Kolkata, India. Protests against a divisive new citizenship law raged on as Washington and London issued travel warnings for northeast India following days of violent clashes that have killed two people so far AFP via Getty 20/50 13 December 2019 A huge cloud of black smoke raises over a burning warehouse in the southern outskirts of Moscow. There were no immediate reports of any casualties, but one fire fighter was injured and 25 ambulance cars and a special air testing vehicle are at the site, they added EPA 21/50 12 December 2019 A slow shutter speed shot shows oarsmen in traditional costume rowing during the Royal Barge Procession to mark the conclusion of the Royal Coronation ceremony, on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand. The ceremony honours King Rama X after his complete accession to the throne EPA 22/50 11 December 2019 A boy inspects his damaged home after after an attack near the Bagram Air Base in Kabul, Afghanistan, A powerful suicide bombing targeted an under-construction medical facility near the main American base north of the capital AP 23/50 10 December 2019 Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg arrives to participate in the event "Unite behind the science" within the UN Climate Change Conference COP25 in Madrid AFP via Getty 24/50 9 December 2019 White Island (Whakaari) volcano, as it erupts, in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. According to police, at least five people have died in the volcanic erruption EPA/Michael Schade 25/50 8 December 2019 People gather amidst the ruins of a building, destroyed during reported Syrian regime and Russian air strikes the previous day in the town of Balyun. The reported air raids killed 19 civilians, eight of them children, in the country's last major opposition bastion AFP via Getty 26/50 7December 2019 A French CGT unionist holds up the union's flag as he demonstrates against unemployment amidst smoke bombs in Nantes. The most serious nationwide strike to hit France in years caused new misery for weekend travellers, with defiant unions dismissing proposals by the government and warning walkouts would last well into next week AFP via Getty 27/50 6 December 2019 People stand on top of a collapsed six-storey building in Nairobi, Kenya. Local media reported that several people are feared trapped as the rescue operation continues EPA 28/50 5 December 2019 Indonesia players celebrate a point during their match against Vietnam in the women's volleyball preliminary round of the Southeast Asian Games being held in the Philippines Reuters 29/50 4 December 2019 Firefighters work to contain a large fire at an industrial building at Inlet Road inn Auckland, New Zealand Getty 30/50 3 December 2019 Doan Quynh Nam Tran of Vietnam competes in the women's gymnastics at the SEA Games (Southeast Asian Games) in Manila AFP via Getty 31/50 2 December 2019 A youth plays on foamy discharge, caused by pollutants, as it mixes with the surf at a beach in Chennai AFP via Getty 32/50 1 December 2019 Southeast Asian Games at the Royce Hotel, Mabalacat, Philippines. Vietnam's Pham Hong Anh in action during her single dance final. Reuters 33/50 30 November 2019 A woman holds a coloured flag at the Botswana Pride Parade in Gaborone. The parade is the first one organised in Botswana, after the Court ruled on June 11 in favour of decriminalising homosexuality, which had been punishable by a jail term of up to seven years. AFP via Getty 34/50 29 November 2019 A child holds a placard during a 'drop dead' flashmob protest against climate change consequences at Lumpini Park in Bangkok, Thailand Reuters 35/50 28 November 2019 Pro-democracy protesters hold an SOS sign and US national flags during a Thanksgiving rally in Edinburgh Place, Hong Kong. Protesters were thanking US President Donald Trump for signing into a law 'The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act Hong Kong', provoking an angry backlash from the Chinese government. Hong Kong is in its sixth month of mass protests, which were originally triggered by a now withdrawn extradition bill, and have since turned into a wider pro-democracy movement EPA 36/50 27 November 2019 Rescuers with a dog search through the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Durres, western Albania AP 37/50 26 November 2019 A shepherd leads a flock of sheep on a pontoon bridge in Allahabad AFP via Getty 38/50 25 November 2019 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a female company belonging to 5492 troops KCNA via Reuters 39/50 24 November 2019 A protester jumps between burning tires during ongoing anti-government protests in Basra, Iraq Reuters 40/50 23 November 2019 Fans dressed as Star Wars characters during day three of the first Test between Australia and Pakistan at The Gabba in Australia Getty 41/50 22 November 2019 Pope Francis speaks with religious leaders during a meeting at the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand Reuters 42/50 21 November 2019 A girl injured in last night's attack by the Syrian regime on a camp for displaced people near the Turkish border in Idlib, Syria is held up to the camera AFP/Getty 43/50 20 November 2019 Indian paramilitary soldiers detain a Congress party supporter during a protest against the withdrawal of Special Protection Group (SPG) cover to party president Sonia Gandhi, her children and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, in New Delh. The move to lift off the SPG security, an elite force that protects prime ministers and their immediate families, led to sharp reactions from the Congress, which accused the government of personal vendetta AP 44/50 19 November 2019 An image taken from a plane window shows Sydney shrouded in smoke from nearby bush fires AAP Imagevia Reuters 45/50 18 November 2019 Protesters run for cover after riot police fired tear gas towards the bridge they were climbing down to the road below, to escape from Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Dozens escaped the besieged campus by lowering themselves on a rope from a footbridge to a highway. Once on the road they were seen being picked up by waiting motorcyclists AFP via Getty 46/50 17 November 2019 Anti-government protesters draped in Iraqi national flags walk into clouds of smoke from burning tires during a demonstration in the southern city of Basra, Iraq AFP via Getty 47/50 16 November 2019 A protester wearing a yellow jacket waves a French flag in a fountain during a demonstration to mark the first anniversary of the "yellow vests" movement in Nice, France Reuters 48/50 15 November 2019 A Palestinian protester uses a slingshot to return a tear gas canister fired by Israeli forces amid clashes following a weekly demonstration against the expropriation of Palestinian land by Israel in the village of Kfar Qaddum AFP via Getty 49/50 14 November 2019 A patient suffering from dengue fever receives medical treatment at an isolation ward at a hospital in Larkana, Pakistan. According to local reports, 26 deaths have been reported out of a total of 10,013 confirmed cases of dengue infection. Dengue fever is reportedly caused by a specific type of mosquito, the Aedes mosquito, that bites only during daytime, especially during sunrise and sunset. EPA 50/50 13 November 2019 An anti-government protester flashes the V-sign for victory in front of burning tyres used to block a main road at the entrance of Tripoli. The previous night, street protests erupted across Lebanon after President Michel Aoun defended the role of his allies, the Shiite movement Hezbollah, in Lebanon's government, cutting off several major roads. In his televised address, Aoun proposed a government that includes both technocrats and politicians AFP via Getty
But Mr Haroon rebuffed the allegations and claimed it was a bid to gag both himself and his publication.
He said: “The story is simply untrue and intentionally fabricated at the instance of those who wish to silence me and, through me, to compel the newspaper that I represent to support their repressive narrative”.
Mr Haroon said he would launch legal action in an attempt to clear his name – as well as to “safeguard the freedom of the press by bringing to justice all those responsible for these false and malicious allegations against me.”
He said he “categorically” denied all of the rape allegations launched against him.
Mr Raza, who many know as Jami Raza, said he foresaw his allegations being dismissed as a plea to tarnish the paper’s reputation.
He said: “It’s not about Dawn vs Jami. It’s (a) personal issue, raised now. I’m doing all this for few years to help victims.” | Hundreds of patients have been warned supply problems with the specially made IV feed they need to stay alive is likely to continue for months.
NHS England, which declared a national emergency incident in the summer because of the delays in production of intravenous nutrition, has written to patients warning the problems are far from resolved.
Dozens of patients have been admitted to hospital in the past six months because of the supply shortage, which was sparked in June when the main manufacturer, Calea, based in Runcorn, was hit by overnight restrictions by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Download the new Indpendent Premium app Sharing the full story, not just the headlines
The company serves around 1,300 community based patients who cannot digest normal food and rely on the specially formulated intravenous food which supplies the body with nutrition, fats and vitamins they need.
Since the shortages started the NHS has been forced to fly in feed from other European countries, while some patients have had to switch from their bespoke feed to so-called off-the-shelf bags which don’t contain everything they need in the right quantities.
Some hospitals have admitted patients to hospital to make sure they receive what they need because of fears for their health or lack of supplies in the community.
Initially it had been hoped the delays in production would be improved by the end of the year, but in a letter sent to some patients, seen by The Independent, NHS bosses warn patients could be facing many more months of delays.
Shape Created with Sketch. UK news in pictures Show all 50 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. UK news in pictures 1/50 1 January 2020 People take part in the Loony Dook New Year's Day dip in the Firth of Forth at South Queensferry, as part of Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations PA 2/50 31 December 2019 Surfers at Tynemouth on the north east coast PA 3/50 30 December 2019 Deer graze in the morning mist as cyclists ride by in Richmond Park, London Reuters 4/50 29 December 2019 Night sky after the sunset at Whitley Bay in Northumberland PA 5/50 28 December 2019 The Harlequins players arrive at the stadium prior to the Gallagher Premiership Rugby Big Game 12 match between Harlequins and Leicester Tigers at Twickenahm Stadium Getty Images for Harlequins 6/50 27 December 2019 A car drives through floodwater near Harbridge, north of Ringwood in Hampshire, after the river Avon burst its banks PA 7/50 26 December 2019 Participants in the Old Surrey and West Kent Boxing Day Hunt in Chiddingstone. Hunting with horses and hounds is a Boxing Day tradition. Since the fox hunting ban in 2004, modified hunts take place using scented trails for the animals to follow EPA 8/50 25 December 2019 Swimmers of the Serpentine Swimming Club take part in the Peter Pan Cup race, which is held every Christmas Day at the Serpentine, in central London PA 9/50 24 December 2019 Shoppers bid for cuts of meat during a Christmas Eve auction in Smithfield market in London EPA 10/50 23 December 2019 Reggie the dog is rescued with a boat from flooding at the Little Venice Country Park and Marina in Maidstone AFP via Getty 11/50 22 December 2019 People gather at Stonehenge in Wiltshire to mark the winter solstice, and to witness the sunrise after the longest night of the year PA 12/50 21 December 2019 Southampton's Jack Stephens scores their second goal against Aston Villa Reuters 13/50 20 December 2019 The coffin arrives for the funeral of London Bridge terror attack victim Jack Merritt at Great St Mary's Church in Cambridge PA 14/50 19 December 2019 Queen Elizabeth II and her son Prince Charles walk behind the Imperial State Crown as they proccess through the Royal Gallery, before the Queen's Speech, during the State Opening of Parliament AFP via Getty 15/50 18 December 2019 Luke Jerram's art installation 'Gaia', a replica of planet earth created using detailed Nasa imagery of the Earth's surface, hangs on display at the Eden Project in St Austell, Cornwall PA 16/50 17 December 2019 A surfer gets into the festive spirit at the inland surfing lagoon at The Wave, near Bristol PA 17/50 16 December 2019 Snowy conditions near Deepdale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park as snow hits parts of the UK PA 18/50 15 December 2019 Oisin Carson, 5, picks a Christmas tree at Wicklow Way Christmas tree farm in Roundwood PA 19/50 14 December 2019 First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, takes a selfie as she joins the SNPs newly elected MPs for a group photo outside the V&A Museum in Dundee, Scotland Getty Images 20/50 13 December 2019 Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds arrive back at Downing Street after the results for the general election were announced. The Conservative Party won with an overall majority EPA 21/50 12 December 2019 A dog outside a polling station during the general election in Northumberland Reuters 22/50 11 December 2019 Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson stands between a Stop Brexit sign as she attends a general election campaign event at Esher Rugby Club, south west London. Britain will go to the polls tomorrow to vote AFP via Getty 23/50 10 December 2019 A surfer off the North East coast at Tynemouth PA 24/50 9 December 2019 Leah Rossiter (left) and Ceara Carney, dressed as mermaids, join members of the Irish Wildlife Trust and Extinction Rebellion Ireland protesting outside Leinster House in Dublin, against overfishing in Irish Waters PA 25/50 8 December 2019 Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn poses for selfies with supporters at a general election rally in Colwyn Bay, north Wales AFP via Getty 26/50 7 December 2019 Speedo Mick outside the stadium before the Premier League match between Everton and Chelsea at Goodison Park Action Images via Reuters 27/50 6 December 2019 A climate activist wearing a mask and holding a placard reading 'Fossil fuel era is over' outside Millbank Studios in London AP 28/50 5 December 2019 SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon with the SNP campaign bus in front of the Queensferry Crossing, while on the General Election campaign trail in Scotland PA 29/50 4 December 2019 The Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square, which is given every year by the city of Oslo as a token of Norwegian gratitude to the people of London for their assistance during the Second World War PA 30/50 3 December 2019 Protesters against the visit of US President Trump during a demonstration near Buckingham Palace on the first day of the Nato Summit in London EPA 31/50 2 December 2019 England captain Joe Root celebrates reaching his double century during day 4 of the second Test match against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton, New Zealand Getty 32/50 1 December 2019 A hard frost is seen on the first day of the meteorological winter in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters 33/50 30 November 2019 A police officer looks at flowers left at London Bridge in central London, after a terrorist wearing a fake suicide vest who went on a knife rampage killing two people, and was shot dead by police PA 34/50 29 November 2019 School children and students take part in the Youth Strike for Climate in London as part of the Fridays for Future Global Climate Strike Angela Christofilou/The Independent 35/50 28 November 2019 Cyclists make their way up a tree lined hill near to Moor Crichel in Dorset. November's dismal weather will finally change, with drier and colder conditions coming for the start of December, forecasters have said PA 36/50 27 November 2019 The moment a swan flew over a flock of 60,000 starlings as dusk fell on Whixall Moss Nature Reserve in Shropshire Andrew Fusek Peters / SWNS 37/50 26 November 2019 SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon plays with local children during a visit to the Jelly Tots & Cookies Play Cafe in Uddingston, South Lanarkshire PA 38/50 25 November 2019 Prime Minister Boris Johnson poses with sheep as he visits the Royal Welsh Showground, in Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, whilst on the General Election campaign trail PA 39/50 24 November 2019 Cush Jumbo attends the 65th Evening Standard Theatre Awards at London Coliseum Getty Images 40/50 23 November 2019 Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn meets a supporter on a train on his return from a visit to Sheffield PA 41/50 22 November 2019 Gallery assistants adjust 'The Ancient Town of Uglich' by Konstantin Yuon, 1913, estimated at £600,000 to £800,000, during a press preview of the sale of works by some of the most pre-eminent creators of Russian art at Sotheby's in London PA 42/50 21 November 2019 A mother seal appears to hug her pup as grey seals return to Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late autumn and winter to give birth PA 43/50 20 November 2019 After Mauricio Pochettino's sacking the eveninfg before newly appointed Tottenham head coach, Jose Mourinho, takes his first training session in charge Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty 44/50 19 November 2019 Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit to Jimmy Egan's Boxing Academy at Wythenshawe, while on the campaign trail ahead of the General Election PA 45/50 18 November 2019 Mist over Buttermere lake in the Lake District PA 46/50 17 November 2019 Stefanos Tsitsipas lifts the winners trophy after beating Dominic Thiem at the ATP World Tour Finals tennis tournament in London EPA 47/50 16 November 2019 Duke of York, speaking for the first time about his links to Jeffrey Epstein in an interview with BBC Newsnight's Emily Maitlis BBC/PA 48/50 15 November 2019 Brazilian indigenous leader, Kreta Kaingang from the Kaingang People, holds a petition letter with over 200,000 signatures asking the UK government to suspend trade talks with Brazil until the Amazon and its people are protected, as he poses outside 10 Downing Street AFP via Getty 49/50 14 November 2019 Spanning all four spaces and the corridor of the White Cube Bermondsey gallery Anselm Kiefer's new exhibition encompasses large-scale painting and installation Rex 50/50 13 November 2019 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn wears a pair of mittens that say 'Pick Pam', referring to Labour MP Pam Duncan-Glancy (not pictured) as he visits the Heart of Scotstoun Community Centre in Glasgow Getty 1/50 1 January 2020 People take part in the Loony Dook New Year's Day dip in the Firth of Forth at South Queensferry, as part of Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations PA 2/50 31 December 2019 Surfers at Tynemouth on the north east coast PA 3/50 30 December 2019 Deer graze in the morning mist as cyclists ride by in Richmond Park, London Reuters 4/50 29 December 2019 Night sky after the sunset at Whitley Bay in Northumberland PA 5/50 28 December 2019 The Harlequins players arrive at the stadium prior to the Gallagher Premiership Rugby Big Game 12 match between Harlequins and Leicester Tigers at Twickenahm Stadium Getty Images for Harlequins 6/50 27 December 2019 A car drives through floodwater near Harbridge, north of Ringwood in Hampshire, after the river Avon burst its banks PA 7/50 26 December 2019 Participants in the Old Surrey and West Kent Boxing Day Hunt in Chiddingstone. Hunting with horses and hounds is a Boxing Day tradition. Since the fox hunting ban in 2004, modified hunts take place using scented trails for the animals to follow EPA 8/50 25 December 2019 Swimmers of the Serpentine Swimming Club take part in the Peter Pan Cup race, which is held every Christmas Day at the Serpentine, in central London PA 9/50 24 December 2019 Shoppers bid for cuts of meat during a Christmas Eve auction in Smithfield market in London EPA 10/50 23 December 2019 Reggie the dog is rescued with a boat from flooding at the Little Venice Country Park and Marina in Maidstone AFP via Getty 11/50 22 December 2019 People gather at Stonehenge in Wiltshire to mark the winter solstice, and to witness the sunrise after the longest night of the year PA 12/50 21 December 2019 Southampton's Jack Stephens scores their second goal against Aston Villa Reuters 13/50 20 December 2019 The coffin arrives for the funeral of London Bridge terror attack victim Jack Merritt at Great St Mary's Church in Cambridge PA 14/50 19 December 2019 Queen Elizabeth II and her son Prince Charles walk behind the Imperial State Crown as they proccess through the Royal Gallery, before the Queen's Speech, during the State Opening of Parliament AFP via Getty 15/50 18 December 2019 Luke Jerram's art installation 'Gaia', a replica of planet earth created using detailed Nasa imagery of the Earth's surface, hangs on display at the Eden Project in St Austell, Cornwall PA 16/50 17 December 2019 A surfer gets into the festive spirit at the inland surfing lagoon at The Wave, near Bristol PA 17/50 16 December 2019 Snowy conditions near Deepdale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park as snow hits parts of the UK PA 18/50 15 December 2019 Oisin Carson, 5, picks a Christmas tree at Wicklow Way Christmas tree farm in Roundwood PA 19/50 14 December 2019 First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, takes a selfie as she joins the SNPs newly elected MPs for a group photo outside the V&A Museum in Dundee, Scotland Getty Images 20/50 13 December 2019 Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds arrive back at Downing Street after the results for the general election were announced. The Conservative Party won with an overall majority EPA 21/50 12 December 2019 A dog outside a polling station during the general election in Northumberland Reuters 22/50 11 December 2019 Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson stands between a Stop Brexit sign as she attends a general election campaign event at Esher Rugby Club, south west London. Britain will go to the polls tomorrow to vote AFP via Getty 23/50 10 December 2019 A surfer off the North East coast at Tynemouth PA 24/50 9 December 2019 Leah Rossiter (left) and Ceara Carney, dressed as mermaids, join members of the Irish Wildlife Trust and Extinction Rebellion Ireland protesting outside Leinster House in Dublin, against overfishing in Irish Waters PA 25/50 8 December 2019 Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn poses for selfies with supporters at a general election rally in Colwyn Bay, north Wales AFP via Getty 26/50 7 December 2019 Speedo Mick outside the stadium before the Premier League match between Everton and Chelsea at Goodison Park Action Images via Reuters 27/50 6 December 2019 A climate activist wearing a mask and holding a placard reading 'Fossil fuel era is over' outside Millbank Studios in London AP 28/50 5 December 2019 SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon with the SNP campaign bus in front of the Queensferry Crossing, while on the General Election campaign trail in Scotland PA 29/50 4 December 2019 The Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square, which is given every year by the city of Oslo as a token of Norwegian gratitude to the people of London for their assistance during the Second World War PA 30/50 3 December 2019 Protesters against the visit of US President Trump during a demonstration near Buckingham Palace on the first day of the Nato Summit in London EPA 31/50 2 December 2019 England captain Joe Root celebrates reaching his double century during day 4 of the second Test match against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton, New Zealand Getty 32/50 1 December 2019 A hard frost is seen on the first day of the meteorological winter in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters 33/50 30 November 2019 A police officer looks at flowers left at London Bridge in central London, after a terrorist wearing a fake suicide vest who went on a knife rampage killing two people, and was shot dead by police PA 34/50 29 November 2019 School children and students take part in the Youth Strike for Climate in London as part of the Fridays for Future Global Climate Strike Angela Christofilou/The Independent 35/50 28 November 2019 Cyclists make their way up a tree lined hill near to Moor Crichel in Dorset. November's dismal weather will finally change, with drier and colder conditions coming for the start of December, forecasters have said PA 36/50 27 November 2019 The moment a swan flew over a flock of 60,000 starlings as dusk fell on Whixall Moss Nature Reserve in Shropshire Andrew Fusek Peters / SWNS 37/50 26 November 2019 SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon plays with local children during a visit to the Jelly Tots & Cookies Play Cafe in Uddingston, South Lanarkshire PA 38/50 25 November 2019 Prime Minister Boris Johnson poses with sheep as he visits the Royal Welsh Showground, in Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, whilst on the General Election campaign trail PA 39/50 24 November 2019 Cush Jumbo attends the 65th Evening Standard Theatre Awards at London Coliseum Getty Images 40/50 23 November 2019 Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn meets a supporter on a train on his return from a visit to Sheffield PA 41/50 22 November 2019 Gallery assistants adjust 'The Ancient Town of Uglich' by Konstantin Yuon, 1913, estimated at £600,000 to £800,000, during a press preview of the sale of works by some of the most pre-eminent creators of Russian art at Sotheby's in London PA 42/50 21 November 2019 A mother seal appears to hug her pup as grey seals return to Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late autumn and winter to give birth PA 43/50 20 November 2019 After Mauricio Pochettino's sacking the eveninfg before newly appointed Tottenham head coach, Jose Mourinho, takes his first training session in charge Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty 44/50 19 November 2019 Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit to Jimmy Egan's Boxing Academy at Wythenshawe, while on the campaign trail ahead of the General Election PA 45/50 18 November 2019 Mist over Buttermere lake in the Lake District PA 46/50 17 November 2019 Stefanos Tsitsipas lifts the winners trophy after beating Dominic Thiem at the ATP World Tour Finals tennis tournament in London EPA 47/50 16 November 2019 Duke of York, speaking for the first time about his links to Jeffrey Epstein in an interview with BBC Newsnight's Emily Maitlis BBC/PA 48/50 15 November 2019 Brazilian indigenous leader, Kreta Kaingang from the Kaingang People, holds a petition letter with over 200,000 signatures asking the UK government to suspend trade talks with Brazil until the Amazon and its people are protected, as he poses outside 10 Downing Street AFP via Getty 49/50 14 November 2019 Spanning all four spaces and the corridor of the White Cube Bermondsey gallery Anselm Kiefer's new exhibition encompasses large-scale painting and installation Rex 50/50 13 November 2019 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn wears a pair of mittens that say 'Pick Pam', referring to Labour MP Pam Duncan-Glancy (not pictured) as he visits the Heart of Scotstoun Community Centre in Glasgow Getty
The problems first started following an inspection of Calea’s facility in June. MHRA inspectors identified problems in the production processes and the regulator insisted the company change how it made up the feed to meet guidance from 2015, slowing down production dramatically.
In the letter, Felicity Cox, director of the NHS incident management team, said production levels had improved but were not expected to get back to full capacity “for several more months”.
The letter also revealed NHS England is planning a review of the service and specifically how the supply of the feed, called paraenteral nutrition, could be strengthened.
Ms Cox said: “Whilst production levels at Calea have improved, the situation is expected to continue for several months. Calea is continuing to work with us, the Department of Health and Social Care and the regulatory body the MHRA to improve production capacity as soon as it is safe to do so.
“The national regulatory body, the MHRA, which is responsible for ensuring that Calea meets the required quality and safety standards, is maintaining oversight of the production site to ensure the changes to their production processes meet these standards.
“The team managing this incident at NHS England and NHS Improvement includes clinical experts and we are working with our partners to ensure that safety for patients is a number one priority.” | 1 |
Who remembers brief cases, carried by dads everywhere? Eight pound, spit-shined, Mahogany-colored leather cases, they sometimes had gold plated combination locks and even "feet" so they could stand up on their own. Some expanded, accordion style, to accommodate extra papers from the office.
Brief cases served an important social function. They were instant status. They told the world the men had jobs--they were "businessmen" who went to the office every day. ("Corporate executive" hadn't been invented yet.) Their dads had worn hats and hid behind newspapers on commuter trains for the same reason.
Why were brief cases replaced by messenger bags? One reason, of course, was that people were now carrying laptops. But the bigger reason was people were now carrying cell phones. As soon as cell phones debuted, no one wanted to waste a perfectly good dialing or texting hand holding a brief case. Almost overnight, the only person still using a hand to hold a handbag was the Queen of England.
(Note: the real messengers who gave the name to messenger bags--the "bike messengers"--vanished with email because documents no longer needed to be biked across town.)
Of course there were other reasons people wanted their hands free and unencumbered by brief cases--swipe cards to get in the garage or on transit, water bottles and ubiquitous Starbucks drinks.
The Flight Bag Reprieve
Occasionally, when "businessmen" flew, they were freed from carrying brief cases and could carry flight bags, which were the messenger bag's ancestors. Flight bags gave businessmen a reprieve from "purse stigma" which was so acute back then that cartoons would mock how men would refuse to hold their wives' purses while their wives tried on dresses in department store fitting rooms. (Who remembers dresses and department stores?) Men of that era would also not push baby strollers and some would not be present in the wives' delivery rooms.
Flight bags did not just signal that strict gender codes were disappearing. They were also the first sign that the faux granite plastic-molded luggage of the day would go soft. Bulky, heavy and not on wheels yet, hard luggage often rode on the top of the family car, telling the world you were going On Vacation. Hard luggage had only three benefits. It was waterproof, crushproof and it kept Red Caps in train stations and Sky Caps in airports employed.
What did "Hippies" Carry?
Like young people today, hippies carried backpacks but it was not to leave their hands free for smart phones and swipe cards. It was to free their hands for cigarette smoking and bics. Asking for a light was the preferred way to meet romantic interests who would usually stay and talk for the duration of the smoke.
In those days everyone smoked and the Camel Filters Man was something of an icon. Though not a hippie, the Camel Filters Man was a Mark Spitz lookalike, always climbing mountains in Nepal or panning for gold with a Farrah Fawcett lookalike and not seeming to hold a day job. At rock concerts, hippies didn't hold up their smart phones, they held up their Bics.
But there was another reason hippies needed their hands free. Hitchhiking. Whenever they were and wherever they wanted to go there was an immediate ride thanks to hitchhiking--and everyone was cool. Hitchhiking was a hippie-era version of Uber except that it was free. Free was good in hippie days because there was no such thing as credit cards, debit cards or ATMs.
Other things hippies carried (besides drugs) could include a transistor radio (no boom boxes, Walkmans, CD players or smart phones yet), a custom pool cue and a can opener called a "church key" since pop tops on canned drinks read beer hadn't been invented yet. Of course the coolest thing that could be carried was a guitar case. Even if it was empty, even if the instrument belonged to someone else, even if the carrier only knew one chord, carrying a guitar conferred instant prestige. An old Mad magazine cartoon showed a child asking a guitar carrier what was in the case and the carrier replied "status."
(Article changed on December 27, 2019 at 17:53) | Pharma marketing is among the most corrupt
(Image by Martha Rosenberg) Details DMCA
New Year's Resolutions for the Pharmaceutical Industry
Our Reps Will Wait Their Turn To See The Doctor
They will not be dressed to star in music videos. Prior experience at Hooters or Work Out World will not be sufficient for hiring. They will not call the doctor dude. We understand others waiting to see the doctor are sick.
We Will Leave Poor Countries Alone
We'll stop conducting clinical trials on people who can't give informed consent and think they're getting medical care. We will stop marketing cholesterol drugs, HPV vaccines and lifestyle drugs to poor people whose major health problems are malaria, diarrheal diseases and potable water.
We'll Stop Extortion Pricing and Looting Medicare/Medicaid
We admit that pricing drugs at $52,321.80 a month(Actimmune),$42,570 a month (Chenoda) or $87,800 for a course of treatment (Harvoni) is extortion. Frankly we're amazed we have gotten away with it.
We Will Stop Financing Patient Front Groups ("Astroturf")
We admit the flash mobs that materialize at FDA hearings to beg for an expensive drug to be approved are paid by us. So are groups that swarm Medicaid offices demanding that a cheaper drug not be substituted for an expensive one. We admit we originated the meme that "one out of 4 has mental illness" to sell psych drugs. It's working.
We Renounce Our Love Affair With Biologics
Sure Humira, Enbrel, Remicade etc. make us multi billions every year but we admit they are the ultimate dupe. Despite our cagey marketing, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic plaque psoriasis and Crohn's disease are hardly the country's main health problems. Worse, they invite cancers in the young, frequently-lethal T-cell lymphoma and two types of skin cancer. Sorry for the dupe.
We'll Stop Selling Diseases
We admit we convinced people with real life problems and their doctors that they had depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety and assorted "spectrum" disorders and made billions doing it. We further admit that almost no one has exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, shift work sleep disorder and non-24-hour, sleep-wake disorder despite how much we advertise them but hey, people are gullible.
We'll Stop Selling Risk of Diseases
We admit that scaring people into taking meds for abstract risks -- the risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, cancer, asthma, osteoporosis, menopause and old age--is one of our most successful marketing gambits. Patients never know if the expensive meds they take every day are even working--so we have a lifelong customer.
Next Page 1 | 2 | 1 |
Jake Edwards's AFL career ended with him trying to take his own life. Now he's trying to help others
Posted
When Jake Edwards's name was called out by the Carlton Football Club on AFL draft night in 2005, it appeared to herald a long and successful career in football.
Less than nine years later, he tried to take his life.
"I'm very fortunate to still be here, to be able to spend time with my family again and shake my dad's hand and hug Mum," Edwards said.
The 31-year-old's life collapsed after being delisted by the Blues, as he battled mental health issues and drug and alcohol abuse.
It all stemmed from a diagnosis of depression and anxiety from his footballing days, and a loss of identity as a footballer post-retirement.
"There is a four-year period post my AFL career where I just ran away, I just pushed people away. Friends, family, I stopped going to birthdays, Christmases," Edwards recalled.
"I felt like I let my family down. That identity of football I had lost, and when I took that jumper off I didn't know who I was anymore.
"If I wasn't drinking every weekend, it was every few days, which ultimately led me [to] drug abuse as well.
"I needed to find that feeling again of being valued, and that's what I guess the alcohol and drug abuse fulfilled in my life."
Born into a footballing dynasty
Football had always been a major part of Edwards's life. His great-grandfather, grandfather, father and cousin all played in the VFL or AFL.
His grandfather, Arthur Edwards, played 120 games for Footscray, including in the club's successful 1954 grand final against Melbourne.
"I always say if I was to give blood tomorrow, there would be little footies floating around [in it]," Edwards said.
"It was always something I wanted to do, for as long as I can remember."
But despite glimpses of his talent, life as a professional footballer didn't go according to plan for Edwards.
Towards the end of his second year with Carlton, he started experiencing mental health issues, which he tried to ignore.
"I did what every typical young male does and just closed off," Edwards recalled.
"I didn't want to talk about it, I didn't want people to know about it.
"Symptoms for me were just isolation, crying most mornings, which is frustrating because I was supposed to be fit, healthy."
Edwards hid his struggles from his teammates and Carlton, until one poor VFL game sent him off the rails.
He went back to the family farm, calling the club on the way to tell them he was done with football.
'A simple pill isn't going to be the cure'
Edwards was diagnosed with anxiety and depression and started taking medication, allowing him to return to the club and resume his career.
But he didn't fully grasp what it meant to have a mental illness.
"I was naive and ignorant to the fact it was something that was probably going to be with me for a lifetime, and a simple pill isn't going to be the cure," Edwards said.
The illness reared it head a couple of years later, when Edwards had left Carlton and was training with the Western Bulldogs, hoping to be picked up in the AFL draft.
Despite promises from the club, he was overlooked, ending his career and sending him spiralling — eventually leading to an attempt to take his own life.
"I had a trigger in a relationship which led me down a four-day drug-and-alcohol-fuelled bender, and that led to an attempt on my own life one morning," he said.
Help from Outside the Locker Room
Edwards spent time in a program working with psychiatrists and getting education around mental health, and it was there that he developed the concept of Outside the Locker Room (OTLR).
The not-for-profit foundation aims to help sporting clubs — from grassroots to professional — along with schools and employers to understand and manage the challenges faced by their employees or members.
It has been widely adopted, with the Federal Government providing funding in Western Australia for the program to be rolled out in 100 sporting clubs and 50 schools per year for the next four years.
It also comes at a time when the issue of mental health in the AFL looms larger than ever, with star Collingwood midfielder Dayne Beams stepping away from the game indefinitely last month while describing himself as a "broken man".
Subiaco Football Club is one of the organisations which has adopted the Outside the Locker Room program, having done so after one of its trainers worked on a research project looking at the mental health of injured players.
"Our board looked at those findings in 2017 and thought, 'We need to do something to support our players'," Subiaco chief executive Peter Capes said.
When football is about more than the game
OTLR was introduced at Subiaco to provide support and education for players struggling with mental health and has helped the club through some difficult times.
"We lost a player due to suicide a couple of years ago, and it really impacted our playing group, and Outside the Locker Room were able to quickly come in and provide some counselling and support," Capes said.
The organisation provides services to the club in other ways, providing a phone app which allows players to anonymously log data related to how they are feeling.
It gives Subiaco's coaches valuable information.
"It provides a snapshot of the playing group and the sorts of things we need to pay attention to," Capes said.
"We've gone away from coaches coaching footy. They have to coach the player, look out for them and how they are going, they need to know what's going on in their family and friends.
"It's become a little bit more complicated."
Topics: sport, mental-health, health, australian-football-league, perth-6000, wa, subiaco-6008 | BOGOTA - Bogota's first woman mayor Claudia Lopez took office Wednesday promising leadership in the troubled Colombian capital and pledging to fight "racism, class distinctions and xenophobia."
The center-left mayor, who married her same-sex partner last month, takes over a city that has become a focal point of countrywide protests against the rule of right-wing President Ivan Duque.
Lopez, 49, broke with tradition and held her inauguration event in the city's Simon Bolivar park attended by hundreds of people.
"Thank you to all for accompanying me in this special moment of my life by taking me as the first woman - diverse woman - elected as mayor in the history of Bogota," she told the cheering crowd.
Lopez's election in October was one of a series of setbacks for Duque's ruling Democratic Center party, which lost control of several major cities and many see her as an emerging challenger to his presidency.
With seven million inhabitants, Colombia's capital has been the main focus of a series of mass protests against Duque's rule that have rocked the country for the past six weeks.
The city is home to a quarter of the 1.6 million migrants who fled the economic crisis in neighboring Venezuela to take refuge in Colombia.
The new mayor presented "an agenda of change" for her four-year term, focused on the fight against insecurity and the city's traffic congestion, while promoting jobs and quality, free education. She also promised a "greener" Bogota under her mayorship.
She called on Bogotans to build a citizen's culture that "once and for all banishes all racism, classism, machismo and zenophobia" from its streets.
"Bogota, thank you very much for trusting me with your present and your future. I promise to honor that trust, and give everything of myself so that our Bogota will be in the next four years a more caring, inclusive and sustainable city and region," she said.
Lopez married her partner Angelica Lozano, a senator, on Dec. 16.
She first stepped into the national spotlight after helping to expose links between Colombian lawmakers and right-wing paramilitary groups.
She was briefly forced to flee the country after the scandal came to light but returned to be elected senator in 2014 and stood as a vice presidential candidate in last year's national elections.
Lopez won the Oct. 27 mayoral poll with just over 35% of the vote in a narrow triumph over liberal Carlos Fernando Galan. | 1 |
A Montana man was arrested Wednesday in the death of his wife who was originally believed to have been killed in a vehicle crash.
Daniel Scheihing, 70, of Billings was being held on charges of deliberate homicide and tampering with evidence at the Yellowstone County jail.
Scheihing was the driver of the GMC Yukon involved in Tuesday’s crash near Billings, Lt. Brandon Wooley said in a press release. The SUV swerved off the road and hit a power pole. A 72-year-old female passenger, who was not wearing a seat belt, was found dead at the scene, the Billings Gazette reported.
Investigators believe Scheihing’s wife was killed prior to the car accident but police have not released details about how they believe she died. Her name will not be released until after an autopsy, Wooley said.
Police searched a home listed as belonging to Scheihing early Wednesday before his arrest.
It is not known if he has a lawyer. No one answered the phone at his home Wednesday.
Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters
Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC. | RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - A Rapid City woman has been selected to finish the term of Lyndi Santo, a Republican from Box Elder who resigned in November and moved to Montana.
The Rapid City Journal reports Jessica Castleberry was appointed Tuesday by Gov. Kristi Noem to fill the District 35 seat.
Castleberry owns Little Nest Preschools in Rapid City and is an instructor at Black Hills State University’s South Dakota Center for Enterprise Opportunity.
DiSanto was the second legislator from the Rapid City area to resign last fall.
In October, Rapid City Republican Alan Solano announced his resignation from the state Senate. Noem appointed Helene Duhamal to replace him and represent District 32.
The elected terms that Castleberry and Duhamal filled end this year.
Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters
Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC. | 1.333333 |
The Al Shamal Shriners in northwest Edmonton are looking to locate about $100,000 in vehicles and goods stolen over the holidays.
A trailer carrying six quads and a golf cart used in parades was taken from the group's compound on 145h Avenue and 142nd Street sometime between Dec. 25 and Dec. 27.
The Shriners raise money to provide medical care for sick children.
"It's going to mean we have to basically go back to square one, try to find new units so we can, in turn, participate in parades in the 2020 season," said Gary Semaniuk, potentate of Al Shamal Shriners.
He said the thieves took the chain off the gate to break in and steal the vehicles.
Police were able to recover the truck that was attached to the trailer, but the trailer itself and the contents are still missing.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police. | Local supplies of type O blood are at critically low levels, and the San Diego Blood Bank is urging those with O positive and O negative blood to donate immediately, the nonprofit said Saturday.
O positive is the most common blood type and therefore in highest demand at hospitals. O negative is the universal blood type and can be given to any patient. It is often used in emergency rooms when there is no time to determine a patient’s blood type, the nonprofit said.
“Coming out of the holiday season, we typically see a decrease in donations of all types at this time due to schools being out of session for the holidays and seasonal illnesses like the flu,” said David Wellis, San Diego Blood Bank CEO. “The need for type O blood has hit a critically low level and we need the community to help us keep a safe supply for local hospital patients.”
Donors can visit one of San Diego Blood Bank’s six centers, as well as bloodmobiles in the community. Appointments can be made at SanDiegoBloodBank.org or by calling (800) 4MY-SDBB. Walk-ins are also welcome. The centers are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through New Year’s Eve and will be closed New Year’s Day.
Advertisement
Donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 114 pounds and be in general good health. A government-issued photo ID is required. To prepare, donors are encouraged to get a good night’s sleep, eat a healthy meal an hour beforehand and drink plenty of water.
The blood bank serves hospitals in San Diego, Orange, Imperial and Los Angeles counties. | 1 |
The pastor of a Miami megachurch that will host President Donald Trump at a rally this week is guaranteeing that parishioners who entered the U.S. illegally won't risk deportation by attending.
During a Sunday Spanish language service, Pastor Guillermo Maldonado told the audience of hundreds that he's heard people asking how he could bring Trump to the church if those attending include people who lack immigration papers, given the president's hard-line immigration policy.
“I ask you: Do you think I would do something where I would endanger my people? I’m not that dumb,” Maldonado told parishioners.
The Miami Herald reported Maldonado also made an appeal to some of his congregation who feel apprehensive about attending Trump’s Friday visit to the King Jesus International Ministry church because of his administration's increased immigration raids.
“I don’t think the president would do such a thing,” Maldonado said. “Don’t put your race or your nationality over being a Christian. Be mature ... If you want to come, do it for your pastor. That’s a way of supporting me.”
The church in West Kendall south of Miami was chosen by Trump to host about 70 Christian pastors during an event billed as an “‘Evangelicals for Trump’ Coalition Launch.”
Maldonado asked churchgoers from Venezuela and Cuba to raise their hands, and emphasized his own opposition to communist dictatorships, something Trump has also done at public rallies in South Florida as an appeal to Hispanic voters.
The pastor said the church isn't organizing or financing the event, and that anyone seeking to attend the campaign rally had to pre-register at DonaldJTrump.com.
On Sunday, Secret Service agents were examining bags before the services, to prepare for the event. Every other church service during the week, except for a New Year’s Eve mass, is being canceled, Maldonado said. | An atheist group is demanding that the Internal Revenue Service investigate a rally in support of President Donald Trump which is planned to be held at a Florida church.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation argued in a letter to the IRS that a Miami megachurch is in violation of the Johnson Amendment by hosting the planned Friday rally for Trump who is launching the “Evangelicals for Trump” at the event.
Rebecca Markert, the legal director of the nonprofit group that advocates the separation of church and state, claimed that Ministerio Internacional El Rey Jesús (King Jesus International Ministry) is crossing the political line in holding the event.
“FFRF respectfully request that the IRS commence an immediate investigation into King Jesus Ministry’s violation prohibiting 501(c)(3) organizations from participating in and/or intervening in a political campaign,” Markert wrote in a letter to the IRS’s Acting Director of Exempt Organizations Examinations Mary A. Epps. “The IRS should take appropriate action to remedy any violations that occurred or which continue to occur.”
“While leaders of churches or religious organizations may express their opinions on political matters as individuals, they are, according to this rule, precluded from making ‘partisan comments in official organization publications or at official functions of the organization,’” she wrote.
Markert added that “in urging congregants to come to a political rally, and in hosting the political rally,” Pastor Guillermo Maldonado “inappropriately used [his] religious organization and 501(c)(3) status by intervening in a political campaign.”
The church, she asserted,” violated IRS regulations by seemingly expressing its support for a candidate in the November 2020 presidential election.”
Maldonado, a Honduran evangelical pastor, invited his parishioners to the event which will include over 70 Evangelical leaders. He sought to quell fears raised by many of the church’s members who are undocumented immigrants.
“You don’t have to be a citizen. And I will give you an affirmation as your spiritual father and your pastor,” he said during a church service on Sunday, according to The Miami Herald. “I ask you: Do you think I would do something where I would endanger my people? I’m not that dumb.”
“I don’t think the president would do such a thing,” he told parishioners. “Don’t put your race or your nationality over being a Christian. Be mature … If you want to come, do it for your pastor. That’s a way of supporting me.”
Trump announced the “Evangelicals for Trump” group after a biting editorial in a Christian magazine called for Trump’s impeachment last month. Christianity Today’s editor-in-chief attacked Trump’s character and his morals in the scathing piece siding with Democrats to remove the president from office.
Rev. Franklin Graham, whose father the late Rev. Billy Graham started the publication, blasted the magazine for being “used by the left for their political agenda.”
Franklin Graham fires back after Christian mag his father founded denounces Trump in stunning op-ed https://t.co/J30YukZwpz — Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) December 20, 2019
Meanwhile, the Miami pastor hosting Trump’s event on January 3rd, made it clear that the church was not providing any of the financing or organization for the rally. Those wishing to attend the rally have to pre-register with the Trump campaign and all of the services the church, except for a New Year’s Eve mass on Tuesday, were canceled as Secret Service came on the scene too. | 2.666667 |
Start the New Year off with a fresh start; get active and involved at the Kent Street Activity Centre. By purchasing a membership for the year, you have access to more than 17 amazing activity groups, as well as discounts off excursions.
Are you considering becoming a member but not sure what we have to offer? Drop down to the Centre and pick up a visitor’s pass, which entitles you to try out three activity groups before purchasing a membership. Remember, the Kent Street Activity Centre membership is only $35 until Jan. 31. Friendly staff can answer all your questions and show you around the busy Centre. We look forward to meeting you soon. For more information, call 604-541-2231.
• On Friday, Jan. 31, enjoy a guided tour of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden that includes the stories and traditions of Chinese New Year. Explore the rich history and design that make the garden a unique living museum and cultural heritage site in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown neighbourhood. This trip includes admissions and lunch. Call 604-541- 2199 to register before this very popular excursion fills up.
• Join a Medicine Shoppe Pharmacist for an informative talk and discussion about diabetes and why everyone should know what his or her target blood sugar number is. After the talk, stay to have your blood sugar checked. Call 604-541-2199 to register for this workshop on Monday, Jan. 20, 1:30-2:30 p.m., Kent Street Activity Centre.
• Stop in for an afternoon of fun, small cash prizes and jackpot games at Bingo every Tuesday from 1-3 p.m. at the Kent Street Activity Centre. Come early to pick your lucky cards and have lunch or a snack in our very popular coffee shop, which will re-opens on Monday, Jan. 6. Be sure you have a 2020 Kent Street Activity Centre membership, on sale now.
• Discover how to create poems that engage the senses and imagination, plus how to use life experiences – whether small or grand – as inspiration for your writing. No experience necessary, just the curiosity and an eager writing hand. Register now for this six-week course that begins Thursday, Feb. 6, 7-9 p.m. at the Kent Street Activity Centre.
• Every life is a treasure house of experiences worth telling and sharing. Bring those stories to life with Sylvia Taylor in a level one or advanced writing class at the Kent Street Activity Centre. Level one begins Thursday, Jan. 16, 1-3 p.m. and the advanced class begins Tuesday, Jan. 14, 7-9 p.m. Call 604-541-2199 to register.
• Start 2020 off by getting healthy and fit at the swimming pool. Register for the gentle joints swim class at the YMCA warm water pool with a movable floor for easy entry. Transportation is provided for this weekly swim program beginning Tuesday, Jan. 7. Drop-in is available, space permitting. Call 604-541-2199 to sign up now.
• The next weekly dance will be on Wednesday, Jan. 8 when the Silver Stars take the stage. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with social dancing 7-10 p.m. Call 604-541-2231 for more information.
• Happy, joyous New Year wishes from all the staff at the Kent Street Activity Centre.
The Kent Street Activity Centre located at 1475 Kent St. is open to persons 55 years of age or better. New members are welcome. For more information, call 604-541-2231. | There are a lot of fun ways to ring in the New Year. Many of them involve goals, champagne, and fresh starts (minus the diet, OF COURSE). But one way we really enjoy welcoming in the new? With a themed workout!
We’ve done this for a few years now (see here for a fun one), but here’s the gist: we take the year and design a really fun full-body, no-equipment-needed workout around it. Since it’s now 2020, you’ll be doing 20 reps of the following 20 moves for one sweat-filled and heart-pumping workout!
Grab a mat, some water, a towel, your favorite tunes (try these if you’re looking for musical inspiration), and get to it! (And, yep, for all the moves that you do on each side of your body — like lunges and mountain climbers — doing them on both sides one time equals one rep.)
Feeling saucy? Do the whole thing two times … or even three times through!
–Jenn | 2 |
A little-known tax perk called Qualified Small Business Stock, or QSBS, can supersize your startup's exit payout by wiping out long-term capital gains taxes on at least $10 million in profits — or on a whopping ten times the amount of your original investment — whichever is bigger.
With QSBS, you can wave some or all federal taxes on the sale. Some states, like New York, also abide by QSBS (Sorry, California does not).
There are a lot of pitfalls when setting yourself and your company up for QSBS. Use this 4-part checklist to make sure you pocket every penny possible. Start by planning for QSBS early in your startup's life cycle.
Get a daily selection of our top stories based on your reading preferences. Loading Something is loading. Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Qualified Small Business Stock, or QSBS, is something every founder and early-stage investor should know about.
The little-known tax exemption lets these early shareholders avoid paying long-term capital gains taxes to the federal government when they sell their shares. Some states allow you to wave long-term capital gains taxes as well with QSBS.
The tax break is potentially huge and applies to at least $10 million in the shareholder's profits or up to 10 times their original investment, whichever is bigger.
That means, if you sell your startup for $10 million and you own 100% of the shares, you can potentially pocket all $10 million, minus what you initially paid for the shares. Without QSBS, you'd be giving giving roughly one-third of your payout away in taxes (20% in federal, 3.8% for the Obamacare levy, plus up to 13.4% in state depending on where your business is owned and operated).
Not every small business qualifies for QSBS. The company needs to be set up in a very specific way to reap the federal tax benefits. There are four main criteria you and your startup need to meet:
You need to receive shares in the company when it is still small — when that company has gross assets of $50 million or less. If you get shares of a company like Airbnb right now, for example, it's too late to qualify for QSBS. Your startup also has to use at least 80% of its assets to conduct its business. So no hoarding cash that doesn't actually contribute to the company's operations.2). The company has to be set up as a C corporation. If your company is set up as a partnership, limited liability company or another so-called "passthrough" that, unlike a C corporation, doesn't pay taxes at the entity level, no dice. Your startup has to actually create or manufacture stuff, like new forms of technology or widgets. And it has to be in a field that qualifies for the benefit. Service firms in law, finance, architecture, accounting, and health care (i.e. doctors' offices) don't qualify. Neither do real-estate investment trusts, sales companies, restaurants, hotels or oil and gas extractors. Cooley's Lee said that while the benefit is mainly for technology companies, he has a lot of brick-and mortar manufacturing companies in the Midwest that qualify for QSBS too. You generally have to hold onto your stock for at least five years before selling it. There are a couple ways around this qualifier, though (more on that below). But if you're granted stock options, and not actual shares, your payout horizon is much longer -- the 5-year holding period starts the day you exercise them, not the day they're granted. Which means QSBS typically has the most bang for the buck when you're a founder, angel investor or board member, since those are the people that typically get actual stock in a seed company.
There are ways around the 5-year rule, along with a means to make your family members rich from your qualifying QSBS. | Getty
Every investor grapples with the same question: “What’s the safest, highest-return and most tax-advantaged investment vehicle?”
It won’t take much research before you’ll find the profitable investment niche of income-generating properties. The benefits of this investment avenue are so dramatic that it’ll be apparent how real estate generates so much wealth.
Why Invest In Income-Generating Properties
We’ll get right to it: Rental properties can make you money and save you money at the same time. Not many other investments can do that. Among other things, income property investment is an extremely flexible wealth creation strategy that can give you much more control over the outcome compared to traditional investments such as stocks, bonds and mutual funds.
You’ve heard all about passive income. It’s a buzzword that hasn’t lost its resonance due to the established benefits of generating income without doing all the work or limiting yourself to the value you can create as an individual.
In addition to the rental income generated, the value is likely to appreciate — if you pick the right market. This increase will occur even if you don’t make any effort to improve the property or optimize its operation. Rental property investing represents tolerable levels of risk, given the stable returns and considerable tax benefits it offers.
Besides, rental property management is a relatively simple business where initial due diligence and effective financial/operational management yields investments that are more stable than alternatives. Not only is it low risk, but you can also get ahead with deductions. Income property investments offer deductions for interest, depreciation, repairs and all the typical expenses associated with running a business. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) additionally gives rental property owners a 20% deduction on income.
Another tax deduction opportunity created by the TCJA is the opportunity zones program. If you choose to invest in rental properties in these designated emerging communities through a qualified opportunity fund (QOF), you can cut or eliminate your capital gains tax liability depending on the length of your investment and contribute to the growth of struggling neighborhoods. This is a more flexible alternative to 1031 exchange.
Types Of Value
Two of the primary types of property value are the actual fair market value (FMV) of the property and the value calculated based on the income it produces through rent or other means of recurring revenue.
For income properties, fair market value is typically determined by capitalizing the net operating income (NOI) using a rate based on the risk and return associated with the project. For new construction or existing special-use properties, value is calculated by looking at the construction cost for a functional replacement or reproduction of the structure.
The upside of value based on income is that it allows us more control over how much our properties are worth. You don’t have to wait for external economic factors to improve value: You can cut expenses, improve the condition, raise rents, decrease vacancy, increase energy efficiency and find additional revenue streams (paid amenities, vending, etc.) to increase NOI and value.
Selecting A Property Class
The benefits of operating income-generating properties span all classes of real estate. The choice of which property class to pursue — single- or multifamily, retail, mixed-use, etc. — should be based on your background in real estate, preferences, management team experience and investment goals.
Single-family properties provide one source of income, which can potentially mean putting all your risk in one unit. If you experience an extended vacancy, it’s harder to absorb the loss. Five-plus unit properties reduce the risk of negative cash flow.
Multifamily rental properties, especially those greater than four units, offer more opportunities than single-family to enhance the value and position yourself for a favorable exit. Incidentally, capital is readily available for acquisitions, and cash-flowing opportunities exist in many markets.
There is predictable growth in multifamily as these properties have higher tenant demand and turnover. More units provide expanded opportunities to maximize the value of each door by bringing rent up to market value with each new lease.
Endless opportunity to generate direct revenue also exists in commercial income properties, although the barriers to entry are somewhat higher and the risk greater. The commercial market is typically more volatile than its residential counterpart and necessitates a qualified team and expert planning to execute successful transactions and investments.
Selecting A Suitable Geographic Market And Analyzing Opportunities
Location is usually the most crucial factor in the success of your income property investments. Regardless of where you live, you can invest in hot real estate markets across the country through local investment companies. The formula for a growth market and stable investment environment is straightforward: strong population growth, job availability, industry growth, rising incomes and affordable housing.
Information on hot markets such as California, Massachusetts, New York, Florida, Arizona, Texas and other headline markets is readily available online, and numerous real estate professionals and investment advisors are available in every region to assist with market research and analyzing investment opportunities. | 2 |
SLEEPY EYE — The long-awaited Sleepy Eye Brewing Company opened for business Friday and experienced a packed house on its opening day.
The brewery is located at 121 Main St. W. in Sleepy Eye in the former movie theater. The Sleepy Eye Coffee Company, which opened in October, operates out of the same location.
Manager Kelly Krzmarzick said they were excited to get started, and the opening was perfect. Sleepy Eye Brewing Company was at full capacity Friday. Krzmarzick said “the patrons enjoyed the atmosphere and the beer. It was a great night.”
Krzmarzick praised the staff for making the opening weekend go smoothly; especially considering the size of the crowds attending the opening. The staff has 10 part-time employees between the ages of 21 and 50. All have another full-time job. Krzmarzick said this is their fun job.
On opening night the pub had nine different drinks on tap. A 10th drink was added Saturday night called Lubbert Lager and named after brewer Arron Lubbert.
Krzmarzick said they wanted to begin with 10 beers on tap. Others will be introduced at later dates. A hard seltzer will likely be next, but others will be kept a secret to build suspense.
The initial 10 beers on tap include Wide Awake Stout, Night Shift Porter, Cruisin Main IPA, Eye Candy Blonde, Crazy Aunt Kolsch, Farm Hand Saison, Peaches and Kareem, Seasonal Disorder Pale Ale, Sleepy Eye Cream Ale, Ripplin Rye IPA and Lubbert Lager.
Krzmarzick said the patrons will help the Sleepy Eye Brewing determine interest levels in beer. Customers can sample the beers in flights of four. The flights are served in a custom-made serving tray shaped like a film reel. The film reel is a reference to the building’s previous life as a movie theater.
Couples will buy two flights and take turns sampling the beers to find their favorite. Krzmarzick said, Crazy Aunt Kolsch seems to be the most popular. He said it is comparable to other light beers in the area. The menu describes it as a clean, crisp, easy-drinking beer.
The brewing company does have limited concessions when the coffee side is closed. They serve pretzels, garlic cheese bread, and pizza.
Sleepy Eye Brewing Company is unique compared to typical small-town bars in terms of space. Since it shares the same space with Sleepy Eye Coffee Company, one side is coffee and the other side is beer.
“The cool thing is we overlap with the coffee cafe on Saturdays,” Krzmarzick said, “Nothing goes better with sandwiches and a cold beverage.”
Another fun aspect is the openness of the building. The brewing equipment is in open view of patrons.
Krzmarzick said people walked in and are surprised to see it. Usually, the equipment is hidden or behind glass. The first thing they do is take a picture with their phones.
“It is really exciting,” he said.
Over the first weekend, visitors have stopped at the brewery from New Ulm, Redwood Falls and Mankato. Krzmarzick is confident the brewery will be great for business in the region.
Sleepy Eye Brewing is open 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. | In August 2018, a tweet from Hopsquad Brewing hinted at the struggles the long-in-planning brewery was enduring to get up and running: “We’ve had more delays than we can count so we stopped promising (opening) dates.”
But Hopsquad hasn’t let another year go by without opening its doors. In a section of North Austin that has become a hub for breweries, Hopsquad opened for the first time this weekend with four beers on draft in an airy, dog-friendly taproom.
Cousins Alex and Cesar Limon transformed a warehouse, the former site of an office furniture supply company, into Hopsquad — just about next door to Circle Brewing and a quick drive to other area breweries such as 4th Tap Brewing Co-op, Oskar Blues and Celis Brewery. The new beer maker is easily visible from Braker Lane thanks to a facade completely covered in art by David Rocha.
>> RELATED: Central Machine Works opens as massive brewery, beer garden in East Austin
Hopsquad aims to stand out in a crowded local market by turning its brews into memorable characters such as the Lord Zanate IPA and Dutchess of Oltorf Holiday Roggenbier, both of which are on the opening beer list. All four current options are $5. Other beverages available include a cider from the neighboring Fairweather Cider and one red, white, rosé and sparkling wine each.
A food truck, Tsuke Honten, is permanently on-site as the Asian fusion vision of chef Michael Che, who previously worked at two stellar sushi spots in Austin, Soto and Kyoten Sushiko, according to his bio on the food truck’s website.
Check out Hopsquad at 2307 Kramer Ln. during the current taproom hours: 3 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 12 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 12 to 6 p.m. Sunday. (Hopsquad is open this Tuesday only, 6 p.m. to midnight, for New Year’s Eve celebrations.) The open hours may change as the North Austin brewery finds its footing.
For more information, visit hopsquad.com. | 1.5 |
Wyndham to break ground on new hotel at Fredericksburg’s Fiesta Winery
The Fredericksburg location of Fiesta Winery will debut a new hotel. >>>See what you need to do while visiting the beloved hill country town. The Fredericksburg location of Fiesta Winery will debut a new hotel. >>>See what you need to do while visiting the beloved hill country town. Photo: Courtesy Photo: Courtesy Image 1 of / 65 Caption Close Wyndham to break ground on new hotel at Fredericksburg’s Fiesta Winery 1 / 65 Back to Gallery
A hotel chain is slated to enhance your next wine-sampling excursion in the Texas Hill Country.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announced plans to break ground on a new Dolce Hotels concept at the Fiesta Winery in Fredericksburg, Texas, in early 2020. Wyndham acquired Dolce Hotels and Resorts in 2015 and operates it as an upscale brand that accommodates business travelers as well as leisure guests.
The forthcoming hotel will debut at at 6260 U.S. Hwy. E. 290 in Fredericksburg and will be owned and operated by Fiesta Winery founders the Baxter Family. It will feature 150 rooms as well as a 9,000-square-foot venue with a wine-tasting space.
HoustonChronicle.com: Allure of the Seas, one of the world's largest cruise ships, to set sail from Galveston
“With nearly 1.7 million visitors each year, Texas Hill Country – with a vibrant culture influenced by its German roots celebrating dining, live music, art and historic museums, shopping and its scenic wineries – has become one of the fastest-growing U.S. vacations spots for travelers,” Chip Ohlsson, chief development officer for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, said in a prepared statement.
“It’s the perfect destination for Dolce Hotels & Resorts by Wyndham as we continue to expand the brand to top travel spots for groups, special events, meetings and vacationers looking for curated experiences in inspiring surroundings around the world.”
The family first opened a Fiesta Winery on the Baxter Ranch in 2010 in Lometa, Texas, before expanding to Fredericksburg two years later. It now operates four outposts in the state. The ranch land for its second locale, which runs along the Colorado River, has been passed down by six generations of Baxters.
Now the wine producer will step into its new role as hotelier to Lone Start State wine fanatics a new place to hang their hats. | Texas has long faced the destruction feral hogs can have on land and wildlife. Now feral hogs' rampant damage is stretching as far north as Canada, with particularly prominent populations in U.S. northern border states, including Montana and North Dakota, the New York Times reports.
"In the past 30 years, the hogs have expanded their range to 38 states from 17," according to the Times.
And this spread isn't natural, it's being caused by people, scientists explain. Dale Nolte, manager of the feral swine program at the Department of Agriculture, told the outlet that there's "every reason to believe they are being moved in the backs of pickup trucks and released to create hunting opportunities.”
NATURE ODDITIES: The weirdest Texas game warden stories of 2019
While Texas has developed creative hunting practices to stave off the swine epidemic, from air balloon strikes to the "HeliBacon," a helicopter that can be chartered for pricey hog-hunt excursions. However, for some states, hunting creates an incentive for hosting hog populations rather than a solution.
In those places, "people to distribute feral pigs for sport," the Times explains. "Hunting makes the animals warier and scatters sounders, or family groups, which go on to multiply in new family groups."
The swine have been capable of surviving the extreme winters in northern states and have been steadily multiplying. Their effects have not yet been as carefully documented as they are in the south. What experts do know is that state officials should plan to contain hog populations sooner rather than later.
This rings especially true and urgent in recent months.
These hogs are not typically known to be predatory, but a November encounter proved deadly for a woman in Anahuac, Texas. Christine Rollins was found dead with animal bites on her body. The Jefferson County Coroner's Office determined it was a feral hog assault that caused Rollin's death. However, that's an extreme and rare example of what these swine can do. If they cause human casualties it's usually by spreading disease through contaminated waters, including E. coli outbreaks in produce.
HUNTING: Culberson County mule deer buck could be record-breaker
It's more common that the invasive species attacks ecosystems rather than people. They destabilize habitats and ravage private properties, agricultural crops — to the tune of $52 million in one recent finding —and wetlands by trampling on them. Even worse, they breed quickly. Their gestation period is roughly 120 days and they can breed as young as six months old.
Because of their negative effects on the environment and on communities, officials in The Woodlands — where this issue is particularly pronounced — are hosting an educational seminar on Feb. 20 at Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), 8801 Gosling Road, in The Woodlands. The lecture will discuss how to tackle the growing problem and will feature guest speaker Chris Watts, a wildlife damage management biologist with the Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension and the Texas Wildlife Services Program. | 1.166667 |
Advertisement
While many party-goers up and down the UK emerged weary-eyed today from celebrating New Year, some took the opportunity to take part in brilliant and bizarre activities including racing bathtubs and taking dips in the freezing cold sea.
Other eccentric rituals included a whole village in Kirkwall, Scotland, lining the streets to play a medieval game of football.
Youths from Orkadian spent the day taking part in the Boys New Years Ba Game which is played with a hand crafted leather ball. The Ba' Game is a mass street football match which starts at the towns Mercat Cross and is played between two teams, the Uppies and the Doonies.
The game has been played in Kirkwall's streets for hundreds of years, with the teams made up of men from the south end of the town and the north end.
This is while in Gosport locals braved the chilly temperatures and celebrated the beginning of a new decade with a swim. Many wore swimming trunks while others opted for fancy dress such as hula skirts and turkey hats.
Jokers in Dorset donned masks of political leaders and took to Poole Quay in order to take part in the wild and wacky bathtub race.
Orkadian youths take part in the Boys New Years Ba Game played with a hand crafted leather ball. The Ba' Game is a mass street football match which starts at the towns Mercat Cross, is played between two teams, the Uppies and the Doonies
Two revellers attend the annual New Year's Day Swim in the sea at Stokes Bay in Gosport, Hampshire to celebrate 2020. Right, a woman takes part in the Scarborough Lions Club charity New Year's Day Dip in Scarborough
Some jokers decide to wear masks of political leaders while taking part in the annual bathtub race in Poole Quay Dorset today
Members of the public wear fancy dress as they join New Year swimmers in front of the Forth Rail Bridge during the annual Loony Dook Swim in the River Forth, in South Queensferry, Scotland
The Loony Dook dip (above) involves getting yourself dressed up in the wackiest outfit you can find, marching through the streets of South Queensferry and then throwing yourself into the Firth of Forth
Over 2000 people kick of 2020 with a New Years Day swim at Barry Beach, Wales. One woman (left) was seen wearing a Hula skirt while another wore stripey leggings
A charity competitor jumps off of Okeover Bridge into the River Dove during the Mapleton raft race and bridge jump, at Mapleton, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire, as part of New Year's Day celebrations
Participants pose in the water with their '2020' sign as they take part in the annual New Year's Day 'Loony Dook' swim, in the Firth of Forth, near Edinburgh
Around a hundred people braved the cold Firth of Forth at the Kingshorn RNLI Loony Dook to start 2020 New Year. Two of the women above were seen wearing mermaid swimsuits while the other two wore hula skirts
The Roaring Twenties: Emilia Hoyle, 23, from Chester dresses in the style of a stylish 1920s lady at the Abersoch RNLI New Year's Day Sea Dip. Right, participants at the New Year Bridge Jump at Mappleton, near Ashbourne, which is a tradition that dates back more than 30 years and sees dozens brave the freezing River Dove from Okeover Bridge
Supporters and protesters lined the High Street to watch members of the Essex Farmer and Union Hunt parade in the High Street and Blue Boar public house Maldon Essex for their annual New Year's day meeting
Pictured: Orkadians take part in the New Years Ba Game played with a hand crafted leather ball on January 1, 2020
People take part in the Panama Swimming club New Year's Day dip, in Whitley Bay, as part of New Year's Day celebrations. The sun was seen shining today as many ran into the sea with some even wearing tutus
The 'Ba Game' has been played in Kirkwall's streets for hundreds of years, with the teams made up of men from the south end of the town and the north end
Participants brave the cold waters as they take part in the annual Scarborough Beach New Years Day Dip in Scarborough, North Yorkshire this lunch time
Despite the dark skies, sea mist and rain competitors take part in the annual New Years Day Bath Tub Race, Poole Harbour
In London today people took part in the annual New Year's Day parade. Many were pictured wearing elaborate costumers
People take part in the Panama Swimming club New Year's Day dip, in Whitley Bay, as part of New Year's Day celebrations. This trio turned up dressed at The Incredibles
The waters splashed over this pair of revellers today as they enjoyed the New Year's Day dip in Whitley Bay. It is similar to many Boxing Day traditions which involve a swim
The game took part in the local area and the competitors could be seen outside the Judith Glue shop this afternoon during the game
One woman decided to bring her dog with her to the swim in Firth of Forth today. Right, a lady takes part in the annual New Year's Day 'Loony Dook' swim in the Firth of Forth, in South Queensferry, near Edinburgh
All aboard! This group went to great lengths to look the part for the race today and were seen wearing hats with union jack flags
People wearing chicken suits take part in the Loony Dook New Year's Day dip in the Firth of Forth at South Queensferry as part of Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations
Two women in a 'Maids of the Forth' homemade vessel with a Scottish flag on the stern celebrate the new year in the Firth of Forth at South Queensferry
Orkadians take part in the New Years Ba Game played with a hand crafted leather ball on January 1, 2020 in Kirkwall Scotland
Supporters and protesters lined the High Street to watch members of the Essex Farmer and Union Hunt parade in the High Street and Blue Boar public house Maldon Essex for their annual New Years day meeting
Mr Blobby joins revellers taking part in the Loony Dook New Year's Day dip in the Firth of Forth at South Queensferry today
A participant reacts in the water as she takes part in the annual New Year's Day 'Loony Dook' swim, in the Firth of Forth
Women take part in the Scarborough Lions Club charity New Year's Day Dip in Scarborough, as part of New Year's Day celebrations
A self-professed 'super hunk' takes a dip in the sea wearing a stylish red cape and bright green wig at the New Year's Day Dip in Scarborough
A martial artist displays an impressive degree of flexibility in the Scarborough Lions Club charity New Year's Day Dip
People dressed up as The Incredibles take part in the Panama Swimming club New Year's Day dip, in Whitley Bay
Orkadians take part in the New Years Ba Game played with a hand crafted leather ball on January 1, 2020 in Kirkwall Scotland
People take part in the Loony Dook New Year's Day dip in the Firth of Forth at South Queensferry, as part of Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations
A charity competitor jumps off of Okeover Bridge into the River Dove during the Mapleton raft race and bridge jump, at Mapleton, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire
A man in an impressive self-made aeroplane takes part in the Loony Dook New Year's Day dip in the Firth of Forth at South Queensferry, as part of Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations
Members of the public wearing fancy dress react to the water as they join New Year swimmers, many in costume, in front of the Forth Rail Bridge during the annual Loony Dook Swim in the River Forth on January 1
Orkadians gathered for the New Year Ba Game played with a hand crafted leather ball on January 1, 2020 in Kirkwall Scotland | Poor old Rudolph (Picture: North News)
It takes a strong soul to brave the icy waters of the North Sea on the first day of the year – but apparently a strong pair of trunks are optional.
One man and his Rudolph suit were among hundreds who chose to nurse their hangovers with a freezing dip at Whitley Bay, North Tyneside this morning.
The sunshine did nothing to warm the chilly waters off the coast of North East England but that didn’t stop people running in and out of the waves with giant grins on their faces.
But the chills may have got the better of our man in a mankini, who was later spotted protecting his modesty by giving Rudolph a head of hair made of seaweed.
Quite the sight (Picture: NNP)
Some immediate regret showcased at Whitley Bay this morning (Picture: North News)
If you keep your arms above water everything is fine (Picture: PA)
Somehow still smiling in the sunshine (Picture: PA)
Santa seems to have lost his way after Christmas Day (Picture: North News)
Local Panama Swimming Club had organised the New Year’s Day Dip in previous years but today it was not officially organised by any group or individual.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Instead the event was spread through word-of-mouth but people had been urged not to take part due to safety fears.
Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade had warned members of the public against going into the sea, stating that they may not have realised there are no official organisers and no apparent safety precautions in place.
In a statement on social media, the organisation said: ‘A few years ago, the event was organised by a local swimming club.
‘However, their participation has now ended and we are concerned that most people taking part will be unaware of this change.
‘To be clear, we are not saying that going into the sea is a dangerous act.’
They added: ‘With the prospect of hundreds of people entering the water in one go, we are concerned that participants may go further into the sea than they would normally, and will also be at risk of cold water shock given the time of year and cold sea conditions.
‘We are releasing this message because we have genuine concerns that a serious incident could take place and that those involved may be expecting a level of organisation and safety cover that will not be present.’
They may look like they’re enjoying themselves but these poor souls are actually now frozen in this position for all eternity (Picture: PA)
It’s incredible they’ve managed to crack a smile (Picture: PA)
At least your head is warm (Picture: PA)
Despite warnings, hundreds took part in the Whitley Bay dip (Picture: PA)
It appears the warning didn’t stop swimmers taking part today – to the amusement of those watching at the sidelines wrapped in coats, hats and scarves.
Advertisement
Advertisement
And there were more brave swimmers stripping off and splashing around at the beach in Kinghorn, Fife, in Scotland.
Almost 200 people took part in The Loony Dook, which dates back to 1986 when it was jokingly suggested as a cure for Hogmanay hangovers.
Now the New Year’s bash raises money for charities with the Kinghorn event raising £1,295 for the RNLI.
Three brave women were spotted wearing bright pink Flintstones inspired costumes while one man took the plunge in a shirt and tie along with two hot water bottles.
Yabba dabba don’t do this at home (Picture: SWNS)
Well it’s one way to shake off a Hogmanay hangover (Picture: SWNS)
Almost 200 people managed to make it into the water in Fife (Picture: SWNS)
Someone’s got the right idea (Picture: SWNS)
Neil Chalmers, a helmsman at Kinghorn Lifeboat Station, said: ‘We’re delighted. It’s really great to see the community out to support us.
‘We’ve had a really busy year with 82 call outs which is a record number for us.
‘Fundraising events like this help to fund the training and equipment.’
Other places where people were crazy enough to swim today:
The pleasant waters of Salford Quays, Greater Manchester (Picture: Rex)
Oh dear…perhaps someone should remind her what happened (Picture: Rex)
This woman turned a worrying shade of purple during the Scarborough Lions Club charity New Year’s Day Dip in Scarborough, North Yorkshire (Picture: PA)
A lovely day for dogs at Saltburn-By-The-Sea, North Yorkshire (Picture: Getty)
The Saltburn dip takes place each year in aid of the Saltburn Animal Rescue Association (Picture: Getty)
Got a story for Metro.co.uk? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. | 3 |
Palghar: A 37-year-old man, who fled after throwing a crude bomb at policemen when they tried to nab him last month in an assault case, has been arrested from Palghar district in Maharashtra, an official said on Wednesday.
The accused, Santosh Shende, a resident of Shendepada in Vikramgadh taluka, was earlier booked for assaulting a man who stood guarantee for him in court in a case filed by Shende's estranged wife for seeking maintenance.
On December 19, when the police went to arrest Shende in connection with the assault case, he allegedly hurled a crude gelatin bomb at the security personnel and ran away, police spokesman Hemant Katkar said.
No one was injured in the incident, he said, adding that search was underway for the accused since then.
The police finally managed to arrest the accused here on Tuesday, Katkar said.
He was booked under IPC Sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty), 286 (rash or negligent act with explosive substance to
endanger human life) and 224 (intentionally resisting lawful apprehension), and the Explosive Substances Act.
Get the best of News18 delivered to your inbox - subscribe to News18 Daybreak. Follow News18.com on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and on YouTube, and stay in the know with what's happening in the world around you – in real time. | Palm Beach: US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would be happy to have a trial in the US Senate following his impeachment by the Democratic-led House of Representatives, but that he did not really care.
"I don't really care. It doesn't matter. As far as I'm concerned I'd be very happy with a trial because we did nothing wrong," the Republican president told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, reiterating that he considered his impeachment a hoax.
Get the best of News18 delivered to your inbox - subscribe to News18 Daybreak. Follow News18.com on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and on YouTube, and stay in the know with what's happening in the world around you – in real time. | 1 |
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
US President Donald Trump has ordered some 750 American soldiers be deployed to the Middle East, with about 3,000 more prepared for possible deployment in the next several days following an attack on the US embassy compound in Iraq.
Mr Trump said that Iran was ‘fully responsible’ for the attack in which no US casualties or evacuations were reported.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Tuesday night that ‘in response to recent events’ in Iraq, and at Mr Trump’s direction, he had authorised the immediate deployment of the infantry battalion from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Mr Esper did not specify the soldiers’ destination, but a US official familiar with the decision said they will go to Kuwait.
‘This deployment is an appropriate and precautionary action taken in response to increased threat levels against US personnel and facilities, such as we witnessed in Baghdad today,’ Mr Esper said in a written statement.
A helicopter launched flares as a display of presence while moving troops in to deter protesters (Picture: AP)
The helicopter is an AH-64 Apache helicopter from 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 34th Combat Aviation Brigade (Picture: AP)
Hundreds of people gathered at the embassy yesterday (Picture: Rex Shutterstock)
Additional soldiers from the 82nd Airborne’s quick-deployment brigade, known officially as its Immediate Response Force, were prepared to deploy, Mr Esper said.
The US official, who provided unreleased details on condition of anonymity, said the full brigade of some 4,000 soldiers may deploy.
The breach of the embassy compound in Baghdad on Tuesday revealed growing strains between the US and Iran, raising questions about the future of Washington’s military mission there.
Mr Trump tweeted on Tuesday afternoon: ‘They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat. Happy New Year!’
American airstrikes on Sunday killed 25 fighters of an Iran-backed militia in Iraq, the Kataeb Hezbollah.
Map showing the size of the compound
The Green Zone in Iraq where the US Embassy is based
Tear gas was fired at protesters who made it into the US compound (Picture: AP)
The US said those strikes were in retaliation for last week’s killing of an American contractor and the wounding of American and Iraqi troops in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base that the US blamed on the militia.
The American strikes angered the Iraqi government, which called them an unjustified violation of its sovereignty.
‘Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many,’ Mr Trump tweeted from his estate in Florida.
‘We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!’
A fire was started at the US embassy in Baghdad after the compound came under attack (Picture: AP)
Mr Trump said that Iran was ‘fully responsible’ for the attack (Picture: AP)
Mr Esper did not specify the soldiers’ destination, but a source said they will go to Kuwait (Picture: Getty) | WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has ordered about 750 U.S. soldiers deployed to the Middle East with about 3,000 more preparing for possible deployment in the next several days.
The troop movement comes after Tuesday’s attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq by dozens of Iran-supported militiamen. U.S. Marines were immediately sent from Kuwait to reinforce the compound.
In announcing the new deployment, Defense Secretary Mark Esper didn’t specify where the infantry battalion from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, would be heading.
But a U.S. official tells The Associated Press they’ll go to Kuwait and a full brigade of about 4,000 soldiers may eventually be sent. | 4 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.