text stringlengths 80 124k | date_download stringdate 2022-04-02 20:48:07 2023-07-31 23:59:06 | source_domain stringclasses 387
values | url stringlengths 21 528 |
|---|---|---|---|
Asian American and Pacific Islander-owned businesses were some of the hardest hit by the pandemic, but a new grant program is providing some hope for recovery.
Cash grants ranging from $10,000 to $25,000 are now available for AAPI business owners. Businesses that launched during the pandemic and ones that were already established are eligible.
“AAPI and other minority businesses face economic barriers that too often challenge their ability to thrive,” Chiling Tong, CEO of National Ace, said.
Tong said although loans were offered to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program, many Asian American owners didn't see that money.
“Because they did not think they qualified or they were unaware the opportunities existed,” Tong said.
Access to money isn't the only hurdle that these businesses are facing. Tong said the recent surge in anti-Asian hate and violence is also threatening their survival
She hopes the grants will help owners move past the pandemic and thrive.
Information on how to apply is available on the National Ace website. | 2022-07-26T17:33:20+00:00 | ksby.com | https://www.ksby.com/news/national/aapi-business-owners-eligible-for-post-pandemic-grants |
NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Voyager Digital Ltd. ("Voyager" or the "Company") (OTC Pink: VYGVQ) (FRA: UCD) today announced that European Holdings ApS, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Voyager, agreed to sell all of its equity interests in Coinify ApS ("Coinify") to Ascension ApS, an entity owned by certain members of Coinify management, for US$2 million in cash. An additional, conditional earn-out payment is stipulated in the event of a subsequent sale of Coinify by Ascension ApS within three years following the transaction, thus preserving potential upside for Voyager.
Coinify is a cryptocurrency platform operating in Europe, Asia and other regions, offering individual and corporate cryptocurrency trading, crypto payment processing services, and enterprise solutions via Coinify API. Coinify's platform is separate and distinct from the Voyager platform.
Voyager purchased Coinify in August 2021; on August 16, 2022, Coinify's sale was approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, which is overseeing Voyager's ongoing Chapter 11 restructuring process. The sale of Coinify reduces overall headcount by 15% and eliminates Voyager's ongoing funding requirements for Coinify of up to US$500,000 per month.
Under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101") the transaction is considered a related party transaction, as the purchaser is controlled by Mark Højgaard, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, and Hans Henrik Hoffmeyer, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, who are senior officers. The Company relied on the exemption from the minority approval and the formal valuation requirement available to it pursuant to sections 5.7(a) and 5.5(a) of MI 61-101.
Voyager Digital Ltd.'s (OTC Pink: VYGVQ) (FRA: UCD) US subsidiary, Voyager Digital, LLC, is a cryptocurrency platform in the United States founded in 2018 to bring choice, transparency, and cost-efficiency to the marketplace. Voyager offers a secure way to trade over 100 different crypto assets using its easy-to-use mobile application. To learn more about the company, please visit https://www.investvoyager.com.
Certain information in this press release, including, but not limited to, statements regarding future growth and performance of the business, momentum in the businesses, future adoption of digital assets, the terms of the term sheet and any definitive loan documentation and the Company's anticipated results may constitute forward looking information (collectively, forward-looking statements), which can be identified by the use of terms such as "may," "will," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "project," "estimate," "intend," "continue" or "believe" (or the negatives) or other similar variations. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Voyager's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any of its future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, the future events and trends discussed in this press release may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are subject to the risk that the global economy, industry, or the Company's businesses and investments do not perform as anticipated, that revenue or expenses estimates may not be met or may be materially less or more than those anticipated, that parties to whom the Company lends assets are able to repay such loans in full and in a timely manner, that trading momentum does not continue or the demand for trading solutions declines, customer acquisition does not increase as planned, product and international expansion do not occur as planned, risks of compliance with laws and regulations that currently apply or become applicable to the business and those other risks contained in the Company's public filings, including in its Management Discussion and Analysis and its Annual Information Form (AIF). Factors that could cause actual results of the Company and its businesses to differ materially from those described in such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, a decline in the digital asset market or general economic conditions; changes in laws or approaches to regulation, the failure or delay in the adoption of digital assets and the blockchain ecosystem by institutions; changes in the volatility of crypto currency, changes in demand for Bitcoin and Ethereum, changes in the status or classification of cryptocurrency assets, cybersecurity breaches, a delay or failure in developing infrastructure for the trading businesses or achieving mandates and gaining traction; failure to grow assets under management, an adverse development with respect to an issuer or party to the transaction or failure to obtain a required regulatory approval. Readers are cautioned that Assets on Platform and trading volumes fluctuate and may increase and decrease from time to time and that such fluctuations are beyond the Company's control. Forward-looking statements, past and present performance and trends are not guarantees of future performance, accordingly, you should not put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, current or past performance, or current or past trends. Information identifying assumptions, risks, and uncertainties relating to the Company are contained in its filings with the Canadian securities regulators available at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements in this press release are applicable only as of the date of this release or as of the date specified in the relevant forward-looking statement and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after that date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. The Company assumes no obligation to provide operational updates, except as required by law. If the Company does update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that it will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements, unless required by law. Readers are cautioned that past performance is not indicative of future performance and current trends in the business and demand for digital assets may not continue and readers should not put undue reliance on past performance and current trends.
Contacts
Voyager Digital, Ltd.
Voyager Investor Relations Team
investor.relations@investvoyager.com
Voyager Public Relations Team
pr@investvoyager.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Voyager Digital Ltd. | 2022-08-17T22:06:34+00:00 | kxii.com | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/voyager-announces-coinify-sale/ |
Family members want justice and more programs for the youth after November fatal shooting in Reddick
To keep up with the latest local news subscribe to our TV20 newsletter HERE and receive news straight to your email every morning.
MARION COUNTY, Fla. (WCJB) - Back in November 16-year-old Kenneth Carr Jr. was shot and killed. His body was found at a cemetery in Reddick.
“KJ he was a really quiet kid super humble he was really a great big brother,” said his stepmom, Diamond Carr.
At Tuesday’s Marion County commission meeting a woman read a letter Kenneth’s father wrote about the need for more youth programs in Reddick.
“If there were more things to do for the older youth in Reddick, I truly believe that it could’ve saved my son’s life.”
The letter went on to say that teens there have nothing positive to look forward to. There used to be the gym where Kenneth’s father played basketball, but it’s no longer open.
“My husband always expressed how being at the Reddick Community Center helped him as a child giving you something to do rather than getting involved in the wrong types of things and they closed that community center down,” said Carr.
The family is still pleading for someone to come forward and help bring them justice and Carr is hoping this will bring some change.
“Being that this one hit home and this is my child within our home I want everyone to know I’m not going to allow this to go in vain. I really want this be a start or beginning to change in our community.”
Marion County Sheriff’s deputies said they are still investigating the murder as no one has been arrested.
Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
Copyright 2023 WCJB. All rights reserved. | 2023-02-09T03:46:33+00:00 | wcjb.com | https://www.wcjb.com/2023/02/09/family-members-want-justice-more-programs-youth-after-november-fatal-shooting-reddick/ |
Chinese spy balloon could collect intelligence signals, US says
WASHINGTON - China’s balloon that crossed the United States was equipped to collect intelligence signals and was part of a huge, military-linked aerial spy program that targeted more than 40 countries, the Biden administration said Thursday, outlining the scope and capabilities of the huge balloon that captivated the country's attention before the U.S. shot it down.
A fleet of balloons operates under the direction of the People's Liberation Army and is used specifically for spying, outfitted with high-tech equipment designed to collect sensitive information from targets across the globe, the U.S. said. Similar balloons have floated over five continents, according to the administration.
The statement from a senior State Department official offered the most detail to date linking China’s military to the balloon that was shot down by the U.S. last weekend over the Atlantic Ocean. The public details are meant to refute China’s persistent denials that the balloon was used for spying, including a claim Thursday that U.S. accusations about the balloon amount to "information warfare" against Beijing.
A Chinese spy balloon flies above in Charlotte NC, United States on February 04, 2023. (Photo by Peter Zay/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
PREVIOUS: China's conducted spy balloon program for years, Pentagon says
In Beijing, before the U.S. offered new information, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning repeated her nation's insistence that the large unmanned balloon was a civilian meteorological airship that had blown off course and that the U.S. had "overreacted" by shooting it down.
"It is irresponsible," Mao said. The latest accusations, she said, "may be part of the U.S. side’s information warfare against China."
China’s defense minister refused to take a phone call from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to discuss the balloon issue on Saturday, the Pentagon said. China has not answered questions as to what government department or company the balloon belonged to, or how it planned to follow up on a pledge to take further action over the matter.
The U.S. offered a flatly contradictory characterization of the balloon and its purpose. It said imagery of the balloon collected by American U-2 spy planes as it crossed the country showed that it was "capable of conducting signals intelligence collection" with multiple antennas and other equipment designed to upload sensitive information and solar panels to power them.
READ MORE: White House: Improved surveillance caught Chinese balloon
Jedidiah Royal, the U.S. assistant defense secretary for the Indo-Pacific, told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee that the military has "some very good guesses" about what intelligence China was seeking. More information was expected to be provided in a classified setting.
U.S. Navy sailors recovering a "high-altitude surveillance balloon" off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on Feb. 5. (US Fleet Forces)
The State Department official who provided details to reporters by email on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the matter, which had already forced the cancellation of a planned visit to China by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The official said an analysis of the balloon debris was "inconsistent" with China’s explanation that it was a weather balloon that went off course. The U.S. is reaching out to countries that have also been targeted, the official said, to discuss the scope of the Chinese surveillance program, and is looking into potential action that "supported the balloon’s incursion into U.S. airspace."
The route of the Chinese suspected spy balloon. Source: DoD, AP
The official said the U.S. has confidence that the manufacturer of the balloon shot down on Saturday has "a direct relationship with China’s military and is an approved vendor of the" army. The official cited information from an official PLA procurement portal as evidence for the connection between the company and the military.
The U.S. House was expected Thursday to pass a resolution blaming China for a "brazen violation of United States sovereignty" and accusing it of trying to "deceive the international community through false claims about its intelligence collection campaigns." The resolution was expected to get support from both Democrats and Republicans, reflecting growing bipartisan anger in Washington at what lawmakers see as Chinese aggression.
READ MORE: Chinese balloon: Montana man describes 'surreal' experience capturing spectacle on camera
This is not the first time the U.S. government has publicly called out alleged activities of the People’s Liberation Army. In a first-of-its-kind prosecution in 2014, the Obama administration Justice Department indicted five accused PLA hackers of breaking into the computer networks of major American corporations in an effort to steal trade secrets.
Alleged hackers with the PLA were also charged in 2020 with stealing the personal data of tens of millions of Americans in a breach of the credit-reporting agency Equifax.
_____
Associated Press writers Nomaan Merchant and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report. | 2023-02-09T20:07:52+00:00 | fox6now.com | https://www.fox6now.com/news/chinese-spy-balloon-could-collect-intelligence-signals-us-says |
Russia accused of ‘kidnapping’ head of Ukraine nuclear plant
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s nuclear power provider accused Russia on Saturday of “kidnapping” the head of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, a facility now occupied by Russian troops and located in a region of Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin has moved to annex illegally.
Russian forces seized the director-general of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Ihor Murashov, around 4 p.m. Friday, Ukrainian state nuclear company Energoatom said. That was just hours after Putin, in a sharp escalation of his war, signed treaties to absorb Moscow-controlled Ukrainian territory into Russia.
Energoatom said Russian troops stopped Murashov’s car, blindfolded him and then took him to an undisclosed location.
“His detention by (Russia) jeopardizes the safety of Ukraine and Europe’s largest nuclear power plant,” said Energoatom President Petro Kotin said.
Kotin demanded that Russia immediately release Murashov.
Russia did not immediately acknowledge seizing the plant director. The International Atomic Energy Agency, which has staff at the plant, did not immediately acknowledge Energoatom’s claim of Murashov’s capture.
The Zaporizhzhia plant repeatedly has been caught in the crossfire of the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian technicians continued running it after Russian troops seized the power station. The plant’s last reactor was shut down in September amid ongoing shelling near the facility.
On Friday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the war in Ukraine was at “a pivotal moment.” He called Putin’s decision to take over more territory – Russia now claims sovereignty over 15% of Ukraine – “the largest attempted annexation of European territory by force since the Second World War.”
Elsewhere in Ukraine, however, a Ukrainian counteroffensive that last month embarrassed the Kremlin by liberating a region bordering Russia was on the verge of retaking more ground, according to military analysts.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said Ukraine likely will retake another key Russian-occupied city in the country’s east in the next few days. Ukrainian forces already have encircled the city of Lyman, some 160 kilometers (100 miles) southeast of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.
Citing Russian reports, the institute said it appeared Russian forces were retreating from Lyman. That corresponds to online videos purportedly showing some Russian forces falling back as a Ukrainian soldier said they had reached Lyman’s outskirts.
The Ukrainian military has yet to claim taking Lyman, and Russia-backed forces claimed they were sending more troops to the area.
Ukraine also is making “incremental” gains around Kupiansk and the eastern bank of the Oskil River, which became a key front line since the Ukrainian counteroffensive regained control of the Kharkiv region in September.
Ukraine’s military claimed Saturday that Russia would need to deploy cadets before they complete their training because of a lack of manpower in the war. Putin ordered a mass mobilization of Russian army reservists last week to supplement his troops in Ukraine, and thousands of men have fled the country to avoid the call-up.
The Ukrainian military’s general staff said cadets at the Tyumen Military School and at the Ryazan Airborne School would be sent to participate in Russia’s mobilization. It offered no details on how it gathered the information, though Kyiv has electronically intercepted mobile phone calls from Russian soldiers amid the conflict.
In a daily intelligence briefing, the British Defense Ministry highlighted an attack Friday in the city of Zaporizhzhia that killed 30 people and wounded 88 others.
The British military said the Russians “almost certainly” struck a humanitarian convoy there with S-300 anti-aircraft missiles. Russia is increasingly using anti-aircraft missiles to conduct attacks on the ground likely due to a lack of munitions, the British said Saturday.
“Russia’s stock of such missiles is highly likely limited and is a high-value resource designed to shoot down modern aircraft and incoming missiles, rather than for use against ground targets,” the British said. “Its use in ground attack role has almost certainly been driven by overall munitions shortages, particularly longer-range precision missiles.”
The British briefing noted the attack came while Putin was preparing to sign the annexation treaties.
“Russia is expending strategically valuable military assets in attempts to achieve tactical advantage and in the process is killing civilians it now claims are its own citizens,” it said.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2022-10-01T08:31:12+00:00 | foxcarolina.com | https://www.foxcarolina.com/2022/10/01/russia-accused-kidnapping-head-ukraine-nuclear-plant/ |
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A former “Dances With Wolves” actor accused of leading a cult could be facing multiple felonies and life in prison after police said he sexually assaulted young Indigenous girls and took multiple wives during a period spanning two decades, court records show.
As of Wednesday, Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse, who goes by Nathan Chasing Horse, will be charged with at least two counts of sex trafficking and one count each of sexual assault of a child younger than 16, child abuse or neglect and sexual assault, according to the records. Authorities have not said when he will be formally charged.
If convicted on the two counts of sex trafficking, he could be sentenced to 20 years in prison, and he could get life behind bars for a conviction on either of the sexual assault charges.
Las Vegas police took Chasing Horse into custody Tuesday afternoon as he left the North Las Vegas home that, according to the warrant, he shares with his five wives. He was booked before midnight into Clark County’s jail, where he remained held without bail on the sexual assault charges Wednesday morning.
Three women were seen detained outside Chasing Horse’s home Tuesday evening as detectives searched the property, but police have not released details of any potential charges against them or their relationship to Chasing Horse.
Known for his role as the young Sioux tribe member Smiles a Lot in the Oscar-winning Kevin Costner film, Chasing Horse gained a reputation among tribes across the United States and in Canada as a so-called medicine man who performed healing ceremonies and, police allege, used his position to abuse young Native American girls.
His arrest was the culmination of a monthslong investigation that began after the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department received a tip in October 2022.
And it comes as state attorneys general and lawmakers around the U.S. are looking into creating specialized units to handle cases involving Native American women.
In South Dakota, where police said some of Chasing Horse's alleged crimes had occurred, the attorney general’s office has put a new focus on crimes against Native American people, including human trafficking and murders.
According to a search warrant obtained by AP, Chasing Horse is believed to be the leader of a cult known as The Circle.
Las Vegas police noted in the document that they have identified at least six alleged victims and uncovered sexual allegations against Chasing Horse dating to the early 2000s in multiple states, including Montana, South Dakota and Nevada, where he has lived for about a decade.
He was banished in 2015 from the Fort Peck Reservation in Poplar, Montana, according to the warrant, amid allegations of human trafficking.
There was no lawyer listed in court records for Chasing Horse who could comment on his behalf as of Wednesday morning. He is due in court Thursday in North Las Vegas.
Chasing Horse, 46, was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, which is home to the Sicangu Sioux, one of the seven tribes of the Lakota nation.
“Nathan Chasing Horse used spiritual traditions and their belief system as a tool to sexually assault young girls on numerous occasions,” detectives wrote in the warrant, adding that his followers believed he could communicate with higher beings and referred to him as “Medicine Man” or “Holy Person.”
Some of the alleged victims were as young as 13, according to the warrant. One of Chasing Horse’s wives was allegedly offered to him as a “gift” when she was 15, while another became a wife after turning 16.
Chasing Horse also is accused of recording sexual assaults and arranging sex with the victims for other men who paid him.
Although the warrant includes details of crimes reported elsewhere, the arrest Tuesday stems from crimes allegedly committed in Nevada’s Clark County. | 2023-02-01T20:20:48+00:00 | wkbw.com | https://www.wkbw.com/news/national/dances-with-wolves-actor-arrested-in-nevada-sex-abuse-case |
WFO NORMAN Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, October 24, 2022
_____
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Norman OK
607 PM CDT Mon Oct 24 2022
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southwestern Archer
and southeastern Baylor Counties through 645 PM CDT...
At 607 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Westover, moving east at 35 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Megargel, Westover and Lake Kickapoo.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
LAT...LON 3340 9910 3357 9916 3373 9870 3340 9863
TIME...MOT...LOC 2307Z 257DEG 29KT 3351 9904
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | 2022-10-24T23:38:43+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/weather/article/TX-WFO-NORMAN-Warnings-Watches-and-Advisories-17531615.php |
Toyota announced last week that it’s collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy and its National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to provide a new proof point for hydrogen fuel-cell tech—in a megawatt-scale, multitasking power-generation package that might potentially be used for renewable energy storage and smoothing the grid.
The project will include a consideration of how hydrogen might be created with energy from solar and wind sources, then stored, and used to generate electricity when needed.
The three-year, $6.5 million project is being funded by the DOE and is aiming to “build, install, and evaluate” a 1-megawatt proton exchange membrane fuel-cell system at NREL’s Colorado campus.
It’s part of the DOE’s H2@Scale initiative, aiming “to advance affordable hydrogen production, transport, storage, and utilization.” It’s not as controversial as the hydrogen hubs, for trucking and more, that were written into the 2021 infrastructure law.
As Toyota points out, the system for the power plant that will be fully commissioned by the end of the year, generates about 15 times the power of a previous NREL demonstrator. Or that’s nearly 9,000 times the automotive-grade fuel cell stack used in the Toyota Mirai.
In addition to the 1-mw fuel-cell generator, the project includes a 600-kg hydrogen storage system (more than 100 times the storage in the Mirai) and a 1.25-mw PEM electrolyzer. It’s part of a larger NREL project seeking to demonstrate “direct renewable hydrogen production, energy storage, power production and grid integration at the megawatt scale,” according to Toyota.
With the project, researchers also plan to explore new applications for the technology and how it might integrate with other systems—potentially in industrial uses, or to combine in powering heavy-duty equipment.
From this, in the future, such systems might be used to strategically store and release—with hydrogen—renewable energy like solar and wind, in place of large scale battery packs that would require more raw materials to build.
It’s working with systems integrator Telios on the design of the plant, and they plan to “push the operational boundaries of the fuel cell system design” to get an understanding of the limitations and degradation.
Toyota, which hasn’t embraced battery electric vehicles as rapidly as other automakers, but like Hyundai it has continued to expand its hydrogen fuel-cell plans for the U.S.—especially pushing the tech into larger vehicles. It has for years been using fuel-cell semis for Southern California port duty, and in an expansion of plans to use the tech for trucks and industrial uses it announced that it will make fuel-cell modules in the U.S. starting in 2023, in Kentucky. Toyota has even announced that it’s developing hydrogen combustion engines for racing.
Related Articles
- Toyota stops fighting California, recognizes state’s vehicle emissions authority
- Toyota offering buyback of BZ4X EV as potential remedy for wheel recall
- BMW is making room for hydrogen in next-generation Neue Klasse EV
- 2023 Toyota Crown sedan debuts with Hybrid Max muscle and SUV duds
- Toyota and Panasonic lead in solid-state battery patents | 2022-08-30T09:04:39+00:00 | valleycentral.com | https://www.valleycentral.com/automotive/internet-brands/toyota-and-doe-look-at-how-hydrogen-fuel-cell-tech-could-help-smooth-the-grid/ |
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States and its Western allies clashed with Russia and Iran at the U.N. Security Council on Thursday over Tehran’s advancing uranium enrichment and its reported supply of combat drones to Moscow being used to attack Ukraine.
The sharp exchanges came at the council’s semi-annual meeting on implementation of its resolution endorsing the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major countries known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which the U.S. under then-President Donald Trump left in 2018.
At the start of the meeting, Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused Britain, which hold the council presidency, of seeking to hold “an openly politicized show” by inviting Ukraine to take part in the meeting when it is not part of the JCPOA. He demanded a procedural vote on its participation.
U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood countered, accusing both Iran and Russia of participating in the transfer of drones used in Ukraine without prior Security Council approval in violation of the 2015 resolution.
“This is a matter of life or death for the Ukrainian people,” Wood said. “It would be unconscionable to deny Ukraine the opportunity to speak at this meeting when it is experiencing the devastating effects of Iran’s violation of resolution 2231 firsthand.”
Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward, who was chairing the council meeting, then called for a vote on whether Ukraine could participate. Twelve members voted “yes,” while China and Russia voted “no” and Mozambique abstained.
The United States, Britain, France and Ukraine have urged U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to send investigators to Ukraine to examine debris from drones used in Russia’s attacks, insisting that resolution 2231 gives him a mandate to open an investigation.
Russia insists he has no such authority and Nebenzia warned the U.N. Secretariat against taking any such action. Iran’s U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani added that any U.N. findings “based on such illegal activities is null and void.”
U.N. political chief Rosemary DiCarlo said in her briefing to the council that France, Germany, Ukraine, the U.K. and U.S. had written letters concerning alleged transfers of drones from Iran to Russia and had provided photographs and their analyses of the recovered drones.
“The Secretariat continues to examine the available information,” DiCarlo said, giving no indication of when or if a U.N. investigation would take place.
Ukraine’s U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya told the council that more than 1,000 drone launches over Ukraine had been recorded and that analysis by Ukrainian and international experts confirmed their Iranian origin.
Russia’s Nebenzia accused Ukraine and the West of fomenting misinformation and dismissed the evidence as comical.
France, Germany and the UK, which are parties to the JCPOA, said in a joint statement that Iran has also been in violation of its nuclear commitments under the 2015 deal for four years.
They pointed to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s reports that Iran’s total stockpiles of enriched uranium are now 21 times the amount permitted under the 2015 nuclear deal — and the IAEA’s detection in January of uranium particles enriched to 83.7%, which is almost at weapons-grade levels of 90%. Any stockpile of uranium at that level could be quickly used to produce an atomic bomb if Iran chooses.
The 2015 nuclear deal limited Tehran’s uranium stockpile to 300 kilograms (661 pounds) and enrichment to 3.67% — enough to fuel a nuclear power plant. But following the U.S. withdrawal, Tehran escalated its nuclear program and has been producing uranium enriched to 60% purity — a level for which nonproliferation experts already say Tehran has no civilian use.
Iran informed the IAEA that “unintended fluctuations” in enrichment levels may have occurred accounting for the particles enriched to 83.7%, and Iravani, the Iranian ambassador, and Russia’s Nebenzia both said the issue has been resolved.
France, Germany and the UK said Iran also “continues to develop and improve ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons,” pointing to a May 25 test of a missile they said is capable of delivering a warhead to a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles).
U.S. ambassador Wood said “Iran’s ballistic missile activity – especially in light of Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and its threatening rhetoric – is an enduring threat to regional and international peace and security.”
Iravani countered that “Iran is fully determined to vigorously pursue its peaceful nuclear activities including enrichment.”
Negotiations on the U.S. rejoining the deal and Iran returning to its commitments broke down last August. European Union Ambassador Olof Skoog told the council the EU compromise text is still on the table “as a potential point of departure for any renewed effort to bring the JCPOA back on track.”
Iravani said: “We are still prepared for the resumption of negotiations should the other side be ready to do the same.” | 2023-07-07T16:12:02+00:00 | fox44news.com | https://www.fox44news.com/news/world-news/ap-west-clashes-with-russia-and-iran-at-un-over-tehrans-uranium-enrichment-and-drones-for-russia/ |
A hiker rescued from "treacherous" conditions on a trail near Mt. Washington in New Hampshire's Presidential Mountain Range died after suffering from severe hypothermia, state officials said Monday.
Xi Chen, 53, of Andover, Massachusetts, was attempting to hike the Gulfside Trail in the Presidential Range when he was "overcome by severe weather conditions," according to a New Hampshire Fish and Game (NHFG) news release.
The hiker's spouse called the agency Saturday around 6:30 p.m. after Chen sent her a text message telling her he was "cold and wet and could not continue on" and that he "felt he would die without a rescue," according to another news release issued Sunday.
NHFG officers had already received multiple calls that day from cold and wet hikers asking for rescues, the majority of whom were traversing high elevations in the Presidential Range, the release said. Due to the "dire nature" of the call about Chen, rescue crews responded immediately and called for additional resources, including officers from around the state and Mountain Rescue Services personnel.
"The conditions in the high peaks were treacherous: freezing temperatures, rain, sleet, snow, and winds gusting over 80 mph. Only those with the experience, training, and adequate gear were utilized for this rescue," the release said. In total, nine mountain rescue personnel and six conservation officers responded to attempt to rescue Chen, according to NHFG.
Two teams of rescuers were dropped off near the summit at around 9:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. and hiked through "driving rain, blowing snow, and sustained 50-60 mph winds with gusts over 80 mph" to reach the location Chen was believed to be in, the release said. Due to the buildup of ice on the road, chains were placed on the tires of park trucks to drive rescuers to the summit.
At about 10:38 p.m., the first rescue team found Chen, who was "unresponsive and in a highly hypothermic state," the release said. Rescuers immediately placed a temporary shelter over him and tried to warm him up, it said.
After detecting signs of life, rescuers carried him over a mile to the summit of Mt. Washington, according to the release.
At the summit, Chen was placed in a truck and driven to a waiting ambulance that transported him to the Androscoggin Valley Hospital in Berlin, about 24 miles northeast of the Mt. Washington summit, NHFG said.
Life saving efforts were performed on Chen for several hours but he could not be revived and was pronounced dead, NHFG said.
Many of the hikers who called for rescues Saturday were not prepared for the weather conditions forecast on Saturday, according to NHFG.
"The forecasted weather conditions, particularly for the higher summits, was not heeded by many hikers," the agency said in its release. "Several found themselves unprepared for the dangerous conditions above tree line, and instead of turning back or bailing out to safer elevations, they continued on and ultimately called 911 expecting a rescue."
When NHFG received the emergency call about Chen, officers were already in the midst of carrying an injured hiker out of the Centennial Trail in Shelburne, the agency said.
"Sometimes having enough gear is not enough," NHFG advised. "In weather conditions experienced this weekend, it is better to descend and get out of the wind and cold instead of pushing on until it is too late."
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | 2022-06-21T02:20:01+00:00 | albanyherald.com | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/severely-hypothermic-hiker-dies-after-rescue-in-treacherous-conditions-near-mt-washington/article_e5249f2b-890f-5518-9d21-502db2b82b71.html |
While the disease has progressed in all patients receiving standard of care, it did not progress in 40% of the patients receiving standard chemotherapy together with the experimental drug, Elenagen — and for half of the patients in the group, Elenagen has increased the time to disease progression by more than 2.5 times
BOSTON, Sept. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CureLab Oncology, a clinical-stage, pre-IPO biotech company, is presenting the results of its ongoing ex-US clinical trial at this year's meeting of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO). The trial is assessing an experimental DNA plasmid encoding the human protein, p62 (affectionately codenamed Elenagen), at the N.N. Alexandrov National Cancer Centre, one of the leading cancer centers in Eastern Europe.
Platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC) is one of the deadliest forms of ovarian cancer and has a very poor prognosis. The FDA approved other novel treatments for PROC based on statistically significant improvements for the delay of progression of the cancer, assessed by the increasing size of a primary tumor and/or the appearance of new metastatic lesions or growth of the existing ones; i.e., progression-free survival (PFS). A statistically significant prolongation of PFS was clearly demonstrated in the trial and continues to extend as the trial continues.
- In the ex-US clinical trial, CureLab Oncology is assessing its experimental plasmid DNA therapeutic, Elenagen, for its ability to extend progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with PROC receiving standard chemotherapy, gemcitabine.
- For all patients in the trial receiving the standard of care only, the disease progressed during the first year of observations, with 50% of patients progressing within 2.7 months.
- In contrast, the disease did not progress at all for almost 40% of patients receiving the same gemcitabine in combination with weekly intramuscular injections of Elenagen.
- In 50% of patients receiving standard of care only, the disease has progressed within 2.7 months, while the time to progression for 50% of patients in the "chemo plus Elenagen" group has increased to 7.2 months.
- To date, no patient receiving Elenagen demonstrated any adverse event (AE) or significant adverse event (SAE) greater than grade 1, and all resolved quickly without impact.
- So far, the longest PFS in the gemcitabine + Elenagen treatment group is 27 months (and continues to grow), while the disease has progressed in all patients in the gemcitabine-only group within less than 12 months.
"While our data on increasing progression-free survival are already statistically significant (P=0.01), it will take a little longer to reach a statistical significance on overall survival of the patients," said Professor Sergey Krasny, M.D., D.Sc., co-author of the ESMO presentation, and a medical director of the study. "However, so far, no single patient receiving gemcitabine alone has lived longer than 18 months, while over 50 percent of patients receiving gemcitabine and Elenagen live longer than that. Also of note is that no person who survived to live 18 months has died at this point in the study."
"Our presentation at ESMO 2022 is a great step forward compared to what we presented at ESMO 2021. Now, we are certain that Elenagen is increasing progression-free survival for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients in the trial," said Alexander Shneider, Ph.D., CEO of CureLab Oncology.
CureLab's lead investigational compound is code-named Elenagen, an experimental DNA therapy that consists of a circular piece of DNA called a plasmid that includes a gene for a human protein called p62/SQSTM1. In animal studies and Phase I/II human trials conducted ex-US, Elenagen demonstrated promise in reversing tumor grade, changing the tumor microenvironment, and enhancing the anti-cancer effects of chemotherapy. Experimental results also indicate mitigation of chronic inflammation and stimulation of an immune response to the tumor.
CureLab Oncology Inc. is a pre-IPO, clinical-stage immuno-oncology biotech company headquartered in the greater Boston area, Massachusetts. CureLab is dedicated to advancing new and safer therapeutics for solid tumors and other oncology and inflammatory indications. To learn more, visit curelab.com.
Media contact:
Tim Cox, ZingPR, tim@zingpr.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE CureLab Oncology Inc. | 2022-09-09T07:38:26+00:00 | wymt.com | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2022/09/09/esmo-2022-interim-results-treatment-platinum-resistant-ovarian-cancer-with-p62-plasmid-dna-show-statistically-significant-changes-progression-free-survival/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — BTS, the Grammy-nominated South Korean boy band, will join President Joe Biden next week to talk about “Asian inclusion and representation” and to address hate crimes and discrimination against Asians, the White House announced Thursday.
The musical group’s White House visit next Tuesday follows Biden’s trip last week to South Korea, a U.S. ally.
Biden has been outspoken about being committed to combating a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes. Last year, the Democratic president signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law.
Biden and BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, also will discuss diversity and the K-pop group’s platform as youth ambassadors.
The band received its first Grammy nomination last year after releasing the song “Dynamite” as a gift to fans isolated by the coronavirus pandemic. | 2022-05-26T16:50:18+00:00 | wnct.com | https://www.wnct.com/entertainment-news/k-pop-band-bts-and-biden-to-meet-to-discuss-asian-inclusion/ |
BEIJING (AP) — China’s ruling Communist Party reaffirmed President Xi Jinping’s continued dominance in running the nation Saturday, one day ahead of giving him a widely expected third five-year term as leader.
A party congress effectively removed Premier Li Keqiang from senior leadership. Li, the nation’s No. 2 official, is a proponent of market-oriented reforms, which are in contrast to Xi’s moves to expand state control over the economy.
The weeklong meeting, as it wrapped up Saturday, also wrote Xi’s major policy initiatives on the economy and the military into the party’s constitution, as well as his push to rebuild and strengthen the party’s position by declaring it absolutely central to China’s development and future.
Analysts were watching for signs of any weakening of or challenge to Xi’s position, but none was apparent. The removal of Li, while not unexpected, signaled Xi’s continuing tight hold on power in the world’s second-largest economy.
“The congress calls on all party members to acquire a deep understanding of the decisive significance of establishing comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the party Central Committee and in the party as a whole and establishing the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought,” said a resolution on the constitution approved at Saturday’s closing session.
“Xi Jinping Thought” refers to his ideology, which was enshrined in the party charter at the previous congress in 2017.
In brief closing remarks, Xi said the revision to the constitution “sets out clear requirements for upholding and strengthening the party’s overall leadership.”
Li was among four of the seven members of the party’s all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee who were missing from its new 205-member Central Committee, which was formally elected at the closing session.
That means they won’t be reappointed to the Standing Committee in a leadership shuffle that will be unveiled Sunday. Xi is widely expected to retain the top spot, getting a third term as general secretary.
The three others who were dropped were Shanghai party chief Han Zheng, party advisory body head Wang Yang, and Li Zhanshu, a longtime Xi ally and the head of the largely ceremonial legislature.
Li Keqiang will remain as premier for about six more months until a new slate of government ministers is named.
If he had stayed on the Standing Committee, it would have indicated some possible pushback within the leadership against Xi, particularly on economic policy. Li had already been largely sidelined, though, as Xi has taken control of most aspects of government.
The more than 2,300 delegates to the party congress — wearing blue surgical masks under China’s strict “zero-COVID” policy — met in the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing.
Most media, including all foreign journalists, were not allowed into the first part of the meeting when the voting took place.
Former Chinese President Hu Jintao, Xi’s predecessor as party leader, was helped off the stage a little more than two hours into the 3.5-hour meeting without explanation, sparking speculation about his health.
Hu, 79, spoke briefly with Xi, whom he had been sitting next to in the front row, before walking off with an assistant holding him by the arm. Jiang Zemin, 96, who was president before Hu, did not appear at this congress.
Only 11 women were among the 205 people named to the Central Committee, or about 5% of the total. Members of minority groups made up 4%. Those percentages were roughly the same as in the last Central Committee.
At least one committee member, Wang Junzheng, the Communist Party leader in Tibet, has been sanctioned by the U.S. for human rights abuses.
Police were stationed along major roads, with bright-red-clad neighborhood watch workers at regular intervals in between, to keep an eye out for any potential disruptions.
An individual caught authorities by surprise last week by unfurling banners from an overpass in Beijing that called for Xi’s removal and attacked his government’s tough pandemic restrictions.
A report read by Xi at the opening session of the congress a week ago showed a determination to stay on the current path in the face of domestic and international challenges.
Xi has emerged during his first decade in power as one of China’s most powerful leaders in modern times, rivaling Mao Zedong, who founded the communist state in 1949 and led the country for a quarter-century.
A third five-year term as party leader would break an unofficial two-term limit that was instituted to try to prevent the excesses of Mao’s one-person rule, notably the tumultuous 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, under which Xi suffered as a youth.
Xi has put loyalists in key positions and taken personal charge of policy working groups. In contrast, factions within the party discussed ideas internally under Hu and Jiang, his two immediate predecessors, said Ho-fung Hung, a professor of political economy at Johns Hopkins University.
“Right now, you don’t really see a lot of internal party debates about these different policies and there is only one voice there,” he said.
Xi has emphasized the central role of the Communist Party, expanding state control over society as well as the economy. In his remarks, he said the party, which marked its 100th anniversary last year, is still in its prime.
“The Communist Party of China is once again embarking on a new journey on which it will face new tests,” he said.
The congress concluded by playing the communist anthem, “The Internationale.”
___
Associated Press writer Kanis Leung in Hong Kong contributed to this report. | 2022-10-22T13:02:38+00:00 | wwlp.com | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/ap-china-opens-final-session-of-ruling-communist-party-congress/ |
Published: Jan. 11, 2023 at 8:05 AM CST|Updated: 30 minutes ago
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Curebase, a company committed to democratizing access to clinical studies, issued the following media alert today.
The webinar will focus on the need for a coordinated clinical trials enterprise, one that can quickly characterize emerging viral threats and evaluate the effectiveness of vaccines, therapeutics, and other countermeasures across a diversity of trial participants.
About Curebase
At Curebase, our mission is to bring quality medical innovations to patients faster and improve human well-being through more efficient clinical studies. We are proving that clinical research can be radically accelerated if we empower physicians everywhere to enroll patients in the communities where they live. By applying cutting-edge clinical software and remote study management techniques to the problem, we are reinventing clinical trials and research from the ground up.
The above press release was provided courtesy of PRNewswire. The views, opinions and statements in the press release are not endorsed by Gray Media Group nor do they necessarily state or reflect those of Gray Media Group, Inc. | 2023-01-11T14:35:29+00:00 | kxii.com | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/01/11/curebase-media-alert/ |
mm hmm. Okay. Yeah, Yeah. Mm hmm. Thanks. Mm hmm mm hmm. Okay. Yeah. Mm hmm. Okay. Okay.
Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown faces arrest warrant for domestic incident
Updated: 2:09 PM EST Dec 1, 2022
Related video above: Antonio Brown blames Buccaneers for mid-game exit, says he was injuredFormer NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown is wanted on a battery charge stemming from a domestic incident, Tampa police said Thursday.Investigators said Brown, 34, and a woman were involved in a verbal altercation Monday afternoon at a home in Tampa. Brown threw a shoe at the victim, attempted to evict her from the home and locked her out, the report said.There is a court-issued warrant for Brown's arrest. No additional details about Monday's incident were immediately available.Brown's contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was terminated a few days after he tossed his equipment into the stands and left in the middle of a Jan. 2 game. Brown had said he was pressured to play injured, but then-Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians said Brown was upset about not getting the ball enough.Brown has a long history of troubled behavior on and off the field, including being accused by two women of sexual assault, one of whom said Brown raped her. In the 2021 season, he served a three-game suspension for misrepresenting his COVID-19 vaccination status. He was also suspended for eight games in 2020 for multiple violations of the NFL's personal conduct policy.Brown also had played for the Steelers, Raiders and Patriots.
TAMPA, Fla. — Related video above: Antonio Brown blames Buccaneers for mid-game exit, says he was injured
Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown is wanted on a battery charge stemming from a domestic incident, Tampa police said Thursday.
Investigators said Brown, 34, and a woman were involved in a verbal altercation Monday afternoon at a home in Tampa. Brown threw a shoe at the victim, attempted to evict her from the home and locked her out, the report said.
There is a court-issued warrant for Brown's arrest. No additional details about Monday's incident were immediately available.
Brown's contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was terminated a few days after he tossed his equipment into the stands and left in the middle of a Jan. 2 game. Brown had said he was pressured to play injured, but then-Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians said Brown was upset about not getting the ball enough.
Brown has a long history of troubled behavior on and off the field, including being accused by two women of sexual assault, one of whom said Brown raped her. In the 2021 season, he served a three-game suspension for misrepresenting his COVID-19 vaccination status. He was also suspended for eight games in 2020 for multiple violations of the NFL's personal conduct policy.
Brown also had played for the Steelers, Raiders and Patriots. | 2022-12-01T21:36:13+00:00 | wyff4.com | https://www.wyff4.com/article/antonio-brown-arrest-warrant-for-domestic-incident/42124328 |
DINWIDDIE, Va. (AP) — Video from a state mental hospital shows a Black Virginia man who was handcuffed and shackled being pinned to the ground by deputies who are now facing second-degree murder charges in his death, according to relatives of the man and their attorneys who viewed the footage Thursday.
Speaking at a news conference shortly after watching the video with a local prosecutor, the family and attorneys condemned the brutal treatment they said Irvo Otieno, 28, was subjected to, first at a local jail and then at the state hospital where authorities say he died March 6 during the admission process.
They called on the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene in the case, saying Otieno’s constitutional rights were clearly violated.
“What I saw today was heartbreaking, America. It was disturbing. It was traumatic. My son was tortured,” said Otieno’s mother, Caroline Ouko.
Otieno’s case marks the latest example of a Black man’s in-custody death that has law enforcement under scrutiny. It follows the the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee, earlier this year and comes nearly three years after the killing of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.
Ben Crump, who represented Floyd’s family and is now working with Otieno’s, quickly drew a comparison.
“It is truly shocking that nearly three years after the brutal killing of George Floyd by police, another family is grieving a loved one who allegedly died in nearly the exact same manner — being pinned down by police for 12 agonizing minutes,” Crump said in a statement.
Mark Krudys, another attorney for Otieno’s family, said at the news conference that the video showed all seven of the deputies now facing charges pushing down on Otieno, who was in handcuffs and leg irons.
“You can see that they’re putting their back into it. Every part of his body is being pushed down with absolute brutality,” he said.
Ten people so far have been charged with second-degree murder in Otieno’s death. The seven Henrico County Sheriff’s deputies were charged Tuesday and additional charges were announced Thursday against three people who were employed by the hospital.
The footage the family watched Thursday has not been publicly released. But Dinwiddie County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill also described it in court Wednesday, saying at the first hearing for the deputies that Otieno was smothered to death, local news outlets reported.
Baskervill said Otieno did not appear combative and was sitting in a chair before being pulled to the ground by the officers, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.
She announced Thursday in a news release the additional charges against the hospital employees: Darian M. Blackwell, 23, of Petersburg; Wavie L. Jones, 34, of Chesterfield; and Sadarius D. Williams, 27, of North Dinwiddie. They were being held without bond, and it wasn’t immediately clear if they had attorneys who could speak on their behalf. A spokeswoman for the state police said she didn’t know if they had obtained counsel, and none were listed in court records. The news release did not say what role they are alleged to have had in Otieno’s death.
Additional charges and arrests are pending, Baskervill said.
Otieno, who was a child when his family emigrated from Kenya and grew up in suburban Richmond, had a history of mental health struggles and was experiencing mental distress at the time of his initial encounter with law enforcement earlier this month, his family and their attorneys said.
That set off a chain of events that led to him spending several days in custody before authorities say he died March 6 as he was being admitted to Central State Hospital south of Richmond.
Krudys said the footage from the hospital also showed a lack of urgency to help Otieno after the deputies determined “that he was lifeless and not breathing.”
Otieno was a deeply loved young man, an aspiring musician who had been a well-known high school athlete, Krudys said.
“There is goodness in his music and that’s all I’m left with now — he’s gone,” Ouko said at the news conference while clutching a framed photo of her son.
“I cannot be at his wedding. I’ll never see a grandchild … because someone refused to help him. No one stood up to stop what was going on,” she said.
Otieno was first taken into custody March 3, according to a timeline provided by Henrico County Police, a separate agency from the sheriff’s office.
The police department said in a news release that officers encountered Otieno while responding to a report of a possible burglary in suburban Richmond, and that based on his behavior, they put him under an emergency custody order and took him to a local hospital for evaluation.
According to Krudys, Otieno was experiencing a mental health crisis and a neighbor called police over concerns about him gathering lawn lights from a yard. He said Otieno’s mother tried to de-escalate the initial response from a crowd of police officers and said the family supported him being taken to a hospital for treatment.
But while he was at the hospital, police said he became “became physically assaultive toward officers, who arrested him” and took him to a local jail that is managed by the Henrico Sheriff’s Office, where he was served with several charges.
While Otieno was in jail, he was denied access to needed medications, the family attorneys said. The family also viewed video from that facility on Thursday, which they said showed Otieno was subjected to further brutality by unidentified officers.
Crump said he was pepper sprayed, and Krudys said the video showed officers on March 6 charging into his cell, which was covered in feces, as Otieno was naked and handcuffed. The video shows officers carrying an “almost lifeless” Otieno out by his arms and legs “like an animal” to a vehicle to be transported to the state hospital.
“My son was treated like a dog, worse than a dog,” Ouko said.
Shannon Taylor, the commonwealth’s attorney for Henrico County, said in a statement Thursday that she’s conducting a review of what happened in the jail that day, and she pledged to release her findings. The Henrico sheriff declined comment beyond a statement released earlier in the week.
Around 4 p.m. on March 6, employees of the sheriff’s office arrived at Central State Hospital to admit Otieno, according to Baskervill. It was not until 7:28 p.m. that evening that state police were called to investigate his death, she said.
In court Wednesday, a defense attorney suggested that two medical injections Otieno received may have played a role in his death, which Baskervill disputed, the Times-Dispatch reported.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has not released its final determination on how Otieno died.
Two of the deputies were released on bond, according to court records and local media. The others remained in custody, with hearings set for next week.
Edward Nickel, an attorney for Deputy Bradley Disse, one of the defendants who was released, said in an email Thursday that Disse has served “honorably” during a 20-year career with the sheriff’s department.
“He is looking forward to his opportunity to try this case and for the full truth to be shared in court and ultimately vindicated,” Nickel said in an email.
The Associated Press sent emails and other inquiries and left messages Thursday attempting to reach attorneys listed in court records for the other deputies.
The Henrico Fraternal Order of Police-Lodge 4 stood by the deputies in a statement posted to social media on Tuesday, urging against a rush to judgment and stressing that the charges are yet to go through the rigors of the legal system.
News outlets, including AP, have sought video of the altercation. Officials are withholding it, citing the pending investigation. Crump said Thursday the family believes the public should see the footage.
“How do we build trust unless we have transparency, and then we have accountability?” he said.
___
Associated Press reporter Ben Finley in Norfolk contributed to this report. | 2023-03-17T04:27:54+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/news/national/prosecutor-black-man-smothered-to-death-at-mental-hospital/ |
LONDON (AP) — Four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah has disclosed he was brought into Britain illegally from Djibouti under the name of another child.
“The truth is I’m not who you think I am,” the 39-year-old Farah told the BBC in a documentary called “The Real Mo Farah.”
Farah, who became the first British track and field athlete to win four Olympic golds, said his children have motivated him to be truthful about his past.
“The real story is I was born in Somaliland, north of Somalia, as Hussein Abdi Kahin,” he told the BBC. “Despite what I’ve said in the past, my parents never lived in the U.K.
“When I was four my dad was killed in the civil war, you know as a family we were torn apart. I was separated from my mother, and I was brought into the U.K. illegally under the name of another child called Mohamed Farah.”
During the documentary, Farah said he thought he was going to Europe to live with relatives and recalled going through a British passport check under the guise of Mohamed at the age of nine after traveling with a woman he didn’t previously know.
“I had all the contact details for my relative and once we got to her house, the lady took it off me and right in front of me ripped them up and put it in the bin and at that moment I knew I was in trouble,” he said.
The athlete travelled back to his childhood home in west London, recalling “not great memories” where he was not treated as part of the family.
Farah eventually told teacher Alan Watkinson the truth and moved to live with his friend’s mum who took care of him and he ended up staying for seven years.
It was Watkinson who applied for Farah’s British citizenship which he described as a “long process.” Farah was recognized as a British citizen in 2000.
___
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2022-07-12T12:24:17+00:00 | pix11.com | https://pix11.com/news/ap-general/mo-farah-says-he-was-taken-to-uk-using-another-childs-name/ |
Ohio man guilty of raping a 9-year-old who traveled for legal abortion gets life sentence
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A man accused of raping and impregnating a 9-year-old Ohio girl, who had to travel out of state for an abortion, pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of rape.
Gerson Fuentes, 28, was sentenced to life in prison but, as part of his plea deal, will be eligible to seek probation after serving 25 to 30 years. He will also have to register as a sex offender.
The case became a flashpoint in the national discussion about access to the procedure since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
The girl, who turned 10 before having the abortion, confirmed that Fuentes attacked her, Fuentes confessed to Columbus police detectives, and DNA testing of the aborted fetus confirmed Fuentes was the father, Franklin County prosecutors have said. They also have noted they could not find any evidence that Fuentes was in the country legally.
Fuentes, who is from Guatemala and was living in Columbus, had been held without bond since his arrest. If he eventually wins parole, he would likely be deported.
The case gained national attention after an Indianapolis physician, Dr. Caitlin Bernard, said a 10-year-old child had to travel to Indiana due to Ohio banning abortions at the first detectable “fetal heartbeat” after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling. A year after the ruling, 25 states had banned the procedure including Indiana, though many laws are still being litigated.
Indiana’s state Medical Licensing Board voted in May to reprimand Bernard, finding that she violated patient privacy laws when she told a newspaper reporter about the case, even without revealing directly protected information like her name or address.
The board, however, rejected accusations from Indiana’s Republican attorney general that Bernard violated state law by not reporting the child abuse to Indiana authorities. It rejected a request to suspend her medical license. Board members chose to fine Bernard $3,000 for the violations, but issued no restrictions on her practice of medicine.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2023-07-05T19:25:29+00:00 | mysuncoast.com | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/07/05/ohio-man-guilty-raping-9-year-old-who-traveled-legal-abortion-gets-life-sentence/ |
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin man has been charged in a plot to hack and steal from thousands of sports betting accounts, court documents show.
Joseph Garrison, 18, and others allegedly stole roughly $600,000 from 1,600 accounts on an unnamed sports betting site. Garrison surrendered to authorities in New York on Thursday and faces six charges including unauthorized access to computers and wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced.
If convicted of all the charges against him, Garrison could be sentenced to up to 57 years in prison.
Prosecutors alleged that Garrison and others used credential stuffing attacks, which entail using stolen usernames and passwords from previous data breaches, to access accounts on other platforms. According to the criminal complaint against Garrison, hackers accessed roughly 60,000 accounts on the sports betting website.
About five months before the sports betting website was hacked, Garrison told investigators from the Madison Police Department that he had taken part in previous credential stuffing attacks, according to the complaint.
The federal defender representing Garrison declined to comment on the case.
Garrison was released on bond Thursday and prohibited from using internet devices other than his phone and computer, which the court will monitor. | 2023-05-19T23:17:01+00:00 | ksn.com | https://www.ksn.com/news/tech/ap-technology/ap-wisconsin-man-charged-with-hacking-sports-betting-accounts/ |
Top Player Prop Bets for Rangers vs. White Sox on June 19, 2023
The Texas Rangers visit the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on Monday at 8:10 PM ET. Those looking to place a player prop bet can find odds on Marcus Semien, Andrew Vaughn and others in this contest.
Bet on this matchup or its props with BetMGM!
Rangers vs. White Sox Game Info
- When: Monday, June 19, 2023 at 8:10 PM ET
- Where: Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois
- How to Watch on TV: NBCS-CHI
- Live Stream: Watch the MLB on Fubo!
Explore More About This Game
MLB Props Today: Texas Rangers
Andrew Heaney Props
- Strikeouts Prop: Over/Under 5.5 (Over Odds: -110)
Heaney Stats
- Andrew Heaney (4-4) will take the mound for the Rangers, his 14th start of the season.
- He has started 13 games this season, earning a quality start (6 or more IP, 3 or fewer ER) in six of them.
- Heaney has started 13 games this season, and he's lasted five or more innings nine times. He averages 5.1 innings per appearance.
- In 13 appearances this season, he has finished three without allowing an earned run.
Heaney Recent Games
Check out the latest odds and place your bets on any of Andrew Heaney's player props with BetMGM.
Marcus Semien Props
- Hits Prop: Over/Under 1.5 (Over Odds: +180)
- Runs Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: -130)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: +425)
- RBI Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: +150)
Semien Stats
- Semien has 83 hits with 22 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, 30 walks and 54 RBI. He's also stolen seven bases.
- He's slashed .279/.342/.466 so far this year.
Semien Recent Games
Adolis García Props
- Hits Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: -256)
- Runs Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: -110)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: +340)
- RBI Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: +125)
Garcia Stats
- Adolis Garcia has 69 hits with 13 doubles, 15 home runs, 29 walks and 56 RBI. He's also stolen six bases.
- He's slashing .260/.332/.479 so far this season.
- Garcia heads into this game looking to extend his two-game hit streak. During his last five outings he is batting .294 with a double, five walks and two RBI.
Garcia Recent Games
Bet on player props for Marcus Semien, Adolis García or other Rangers players with BetMGM.
Buy officially licensed gear for your favorite teams and players at Fanatics!
MLB Props Today: Chicago White Sox
Andrew Vaughn Props
- Hits Prop: Over/Under 1.5 (Over Odds: +200)
- Runs Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: -110)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: +450)
- RBI Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: +155)
Vaughn Stats
- Vaughn has collected 62 hits with 19 doubles, a triple, nine home runs and 25 walks. He has driven in 41 runs.
- He has a slash line of .237/.320/.420 on the season.
Vaughn Recent Games
Luis Robert Props
- Hits Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: -238)
- Runs Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: -115)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: +310)
- RBI Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: +140)
Robert Stats
- Luis Robert has 69 hits with 20 doubles, 17 home runs, 15 walks and 37 RBI. He's also stolen four bases.
- He's slashed .257/.311/.522 on the season.
- Robert has picked up a hit in two straight games. In his last five games he is hitting .217 with two doubles, two home runs, a walk and three RBI.
Robert Recent Games
Bet on player props for Andrew Vaughn, Luis Robert or other White Sox players with BetMGM.
Not all offers available in all states. Please gamble responsibly. If you or someone you know has developed a gambling problem or addiction, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | 2023-06-19T17:39:55+00:00 | wlox.com | https://www.wlox.com/sports/betting/2023/06/19/rangers-vs-white-sox-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
How a supplier took automotive materials and created a NAIAS Charity Preview dress
This year's Detroit auto show Charity Preview gala will bring a fresh concept to the auto prom with the reveal of a dress made using recycled automotive supplies.
Iwona Niec Villaire, chief administrative officer of International Automotive Components Group, and other company leaders wanted to do something to honor the return of the North American International Auto Show after its more than three-year hiatus. They also wanted to highlight the sustainability efforts of IAC, a Luxembourg-based global supplier of automotive components and systems including instrument panels, console systems, door panels, headliners and overhead systems.
Villaire sketched out a vision and 16 weeks later she had a blue, flower-adorned gown fully made of recycled automotive supplies by a global team of IAC Group’s designers and seamstresses. The gown will pair with sustainable earrings for Villaire to wear for this year's Charity Preview event on Sept. 16.
"The same things that I look for, or other people look for, in fashion are the same things people look for in the interior of their cars," Villaire said. "You want things to be elegantly designed, you want them to be precisely executed ... everything has to be perfect because you're looking at it all the time."
With that in mind, and Villaire's sketch in hand, the IAC global team got to work, pulling the right materials and stitching the gown to life.
The project was a "great way to show how we work together across the globe and showcase our award-winning seamstresses work that they do and our materials people who are always looking at better ways to make our products so that they're more recyclable and have a lower carbon footprint."
The formal floor-length gown has three sustainable automotive materials supplied by IAC for different applications.
The dress is made out of Dinamica microfiber fabric material that partially comes from recycled polyester. The same material is used for headliners or the ceilings in vehicles.
The flowers that stretch from the top to the bottom of the gown are a combination of cork coverstock and laser wood coverstock, which are both plant-based renewable resources, according to the company. Coverstock is used on door panels.
The jewelry made to pair with the dress, including a set of earrings, was created from two sustainable materials, ocean plastics and mold in color plastic. IAC’s mold in color plastic has no paints or films, which eliminates fumes, gasses and solvents, making the material easily recyclable.
IAC Group’s advanced engineering team — Susan Kozora, director of advanced engineering and Michael Behnke, director, innovation and advanced technology in Europe, coordinated on selecting materials for the dress.
Urszula Olkiewicz, junior trim engineer at IAC Group’s Opole, Poland, facility took Villaire's sketch of the dress and designed the gown from the selected materials.
Olena Korolova, sewing production operator responsible for sewing for serial production and new products at IAC Group’s Opole facility, assisted Olkiewicz. They also created IAC Group Chief Commercial Officer Sebastian de Coster a tie to wear at the event.
The Charity Preview has raised more than $100 million for children’s charities in southeastern Michigan in the past 25 years. Beneficiaries for this year’s Charity Preview include: Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan, The Children’s Center, The Children’s Foundation, Detroit Auto Dealers Association Charitable Foundation Fund, a fund of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Detroit PAL, and the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.
khall@detroitnews.com
Twitter:@bykaleahall | 2022-09-12T12:51:22+00:00 | detroitnews.com | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2022/09/12/see-dress-made-naias-charity-preview-using-automotive-material/8033973001/ |
Which exercise equipment pieces are best?
With the turn of the calendar to 2023, there’s one thing on many peoples’ minds: their expanded waistline after all the holiday feasting. There could even be some New Year’s resolutions thrown in for good measure. No matter your reasoning for wanting to shed a few pounds, there are two tried and true ways that combine to do it. The first is dieting, so no more cakes, candies and pies. The second is exercising, and you don’t need a gym membership for that. You just need some good pieces of exercise equipment.
In this article: BalanceFrom Dumbbell Set, NordicTrack Treadmill and Sunny Health And Fitness Rowing Machine
Exercise equipment types
You can get many types of exercise equipment for your home gym. Some are fads, some are fakes, and some are as dependable as ever. The best of the dependable ones are:
- Dumbbells can be used in any number of ways to get a good workout, and they’re not just for your upper body.
- Treadmills are an excellent and easy way to get your steps in.
- Exercise bikes are perfect for everyone, not just cyclists trying to exercise in foul weather.
- Rowing machines can target your entire body and are low impact to boot.
Best dumbbell sets
The best way to start an exercise equipment collection is to start small, and these pairs of dumbbells are a perfect way to do that. They come in 10-, 15-, 20-, 30-, 40- and 50-pound weights.
Sold by Amazon
BalanceFrom Neoprene Dumbbell Set
For some, the usual dumbbell weights can be too heavy to lift or even dangerous to try to lift at all. Neoprene weights like these are a wiser investment if you fall into this category.
Sold by Amazon
Cap Barbell Adjustable Dumbbell Set
If your space is severely limited and you need to squeeze every last drop of space out of your home, adjustable dumbbell sets are the way to go. These come in several sets of varying weights and handle quantities.
Sold by Amazon
Northdeer Adjustable Dumbbell Set
Some dumbbells can be rough on the hands, leading to undesirable calluses. This dumbbell set uses foam-covered handles to avoid that. There are 11 sets with varying weights, handle quantities and colors.
Sold by Amazon
WF Athletic Supply Dumbbell Set
This dumbbell set comes with five pairs of dumbbells with weights of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 pounds, plus a large rack to keep them on. The come in black or white and there are three handle options.
Sold by Amazon
Best treadmills
Among the difficulties of working out is in finding the time to do so. This under-desk treadmill is meant to be used with a standing desk, so you can work out while you work.
Sold by Amazon
NordicTrack is among the most popular treadmill brands because they’re consistently high-quality. This one has a 5-inch display that shows your tracked stats such as your calories burned and your speed.
Sold by Amazon
Treadmills can be expensive, but finding a good-quality budget one can be difficult. This is among the good ones, saving costs by offering a manual incline adjustment rather than an automatic one.
Sold by Amazon
Sunny Health And Fitness Treadmill
This unique treadmill understands that most people cover a treadmill’s screen with their phone or tablet. So, it has a device shelf instead of a screen and a basic digital monitor below the shelf.
Sold by Amazon
Another good budget treadmill, this one cuts the screen down to a little square that shows the most basic information. It also has direct access speed buttons so you can quickly jump to your desired tempo.
Sold by Amazon
Best exercise bikes
Some big pieces of exercise equipment are difficult to move once set up, but this bike has wheels that can be used to easily reposition it as needed. It comes in red or gray.
Sold by Amazon
Saving space isn’t a luxury, but a demand for many people. This exercise bike helps eke out some extra feet by folding up nice and small when not in use.
Sold by Amazon
For every kind of real bike, there’s a matching kind of exercise bike, such as this recumbent one. The seat slides backward and forward to adjust for the length of your legs.
Sold by Amazon
One of the downsides to using an exercise bike is that you don’t get the benefit of beautiful scenery. This bike has a 22-inch monitor that can help rectify that, at least in part.
Sold by Amazon
This bike closely mimics how it is to ride a real road bike, making it perfect for those who prefer biking outside but can’t during bad weather or for other reasons.
Sold by Amazon
Best rowing machines
This machine has Bluetooth capability so it can connect to certain heart rate belts and smartphone or tablet apps. It also has a self-calibrating monitor that tracks data in real-time.
Sold by Amazon
This machine has 16 levels of resistance so you can closely tailor your workout to your needs. It also has a shelf for holding your phone or tablet and has a weight limit of 350 pounds.
Sold by Amazon
This machine is perfect for those with smaller homes because it can fold up when you’re not using it. It’s compatible with anyone that’s no taller than 6.5 feet and no heavier than 350 pounds.
Sold by Amazon
Sunny Health And Fitness Rowing Machine
Before you go crazy on a top-dollar rowing machine, it’s wise to grab a good-quality beginner one to see if you enjoy the method of exercise. This is that machine.
Sold by Amazon
Most pieces of exercise equipment aren’t, shall we say, fun to look at. This rowing machine breaks that trend by being made of beautiful solid oak and uses water to adjust resistance naturally.
Sold by Amazon
Want to shop the best products at the best prices? Check out Daily Deals from BestReviews.
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Jordan C. Woika writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2023-01-08T14:52:30+00:00 | myfox8.com | https://myfox8.com/reviews/br/sports-fitness-br/fitness-equipment-br/as-freak-fitness-is-trending-these-20-equipment-pieces-are-a-must/ |
EAU CLAIRE (WQOW) - The Eau Claire County Forest and Parks Department is working to finalize its budget for the next couple years, and there are a few fresh ideas park-lovers should be excited about.
The bulk of the budget, of course, focuses on repairs and maintenance to the parks in Eau Claire County, as well as an additional full time employee and a new recreation deputy that is a shared position with the sheriffs and highway departments. That person will patrol the campgrounds and trails during the summer months.
Parks and forest director Josh Pederson said that person is needed because more people are using the parks after the pandemic. With the increase of use in parks, they're also looking to add new ways more people can enjoy the outdoors. For example, a capital request is being made to develop a handful of primitive campsites along the Eau Claire river for canoeists and kayakers to use. They're also looking to add two yurts to Coon Fork Park.
"But it's a very successful thing for the person who wants to experience a high-end camping experience, but they don't have the equipment," said Pedersen. "It would be an opportunity for someone to come out, stay in a really nice facility, and not have to have a tent, or a camper, and all of the camp stove or cook gear and everything that you need. Just kind of come out, unpack your bag and experience nature."
The yurts in Eau Claire County would have bunk beds and camp stoves and could be used year-round. Again, these are just ideas that are still being finalized. The Eau Claire County Board will have the final vote in November. | 2022-08-09T06:41:11+00:00 | wqow.com | https://www.wqow.com/eye_on_eau_claire/eau-claire-county-parks-and-forest-department-proposes-budget-that-could-add-new-additions/article_3f243902-176a-11ed-ac63-a321b6201aad.html |
The following items were taken from Morton Grove Police Department bulletins. An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.
Driving Under the Influence
Alexander Boltin, 55, of the 1900 block of Division Street, Chicago, was charged Sept. 1 with driving under the influence of alcohol after being found illegally parked and asleep at the wheel on the 7500 block of Palma Avenue, police said. A court date is set for Sept. 26.
Traffic Violations
Jacob Ransom, 48, of the 8200 block of Evans Street, Chicago, was charged Sept. 2 with driving on a suspended driver’s license at the intersection of Dempster and Athletic Streets, police said. A court date is set for Sept. 26.
Shavelle Mosses, 28, of the 7100 block of Eggleston Avenue, Chicago, was charged Sept. 4 with driving on a suspended driver’s license and under the influence of alcohol at the intersection of Waukegan Road and Church street, police said. A court date is set for Sept. 26.
Possession of Controlled Substance
Christopher Harris, 25, of the 3000 block of Highland Avenue, Milwaukee, was charged Sept. 3 with possession of a controlled substance on the 5900 block of Oakton Street, police said. A court date is set for Sept. 13.
Criminal Trespass
Anatol Varabei, 36, of the 6600 block of Wood River Road, Niles, was charged Sept. 4 with criminal trespass of a vehicle after being found in the backseat of a car that did not belong to him at the intersection of Waukegan Road and Church Street, police said. A court date is set for Oct. 13.
Disorderly Conduct
Mychael Patytskyy, 36, of the 200 block of 2nd Street, Libertyville, was charged Sept. 5 with disorderly conduct at the intersection of Dempster and Lehigh Streets, police said.
Miscellaneous Incidents
A complainant stated he saw a bench on fire Sept. 8 on the 9000 block of Waukegan Road. | 2022-09-13T05:06:04+00:00 | chicagotribune.com | https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/morton-grove/ct-mgc-blotter-tl-0915-20220913-27pykzovibarha5tu3tbonxmqe-story.html |
A scooter-riding gunman who's accused of going on a shooting spree across two boroughs in New York City over the weekend has been charged.
Authorities said 25-year-old Thomas Abreau has been charged with murder and attempted murder for six different shootings Saturday, including one that killed an 86-year-old man from Queens. Police said another man was shot in the face and hospitalized in critical condition, while two others were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. No injuries were reported from two of the shootings.
SEE MORE: Biden says US needs 'new Congress' if gun laws don't change
The first incident happened around 11 a.m. Saturday in Brooklyn, where NYPD Assistant Police Chief Joseph Kenny said a 21-year-old Hispanic male was shot once in the left shoulder. He was transported to a local hospital and is expected to recover.
Approximately 17 minutes later, in Queens, police received several 911 calls about a male hit by gunfire. On scene, officers found an 86-year-old man of Asian-Pacific descent with a gunshot wound to the back. He was transported to a local hospital, where he died of his injuries.
While responding to the scene of the homicide, officers were alerted of another nearby shooting where the gunman on a scooter was firing randomly at a group of people, but nobody was struck. The shooter fled that scene, and about eight minutes later, another victim was hit by gunfire. A 44-year-old Hispanic male was shot once in the face, with the bullet striking him in the cheek. He is now hospitalized in critical condition.
Less than a minute later, a 63-year-old male was also shot. Officers discovered him with a gunshot wound to his right shoulder. He is hospitalized in stable condition. At each of the shooting incidents, police discovered 9 mm shell casings.
SEE MORE: Gun violence is affecting 88% of Americans' mental health, study finds
Kenny said the shooter was apprehended less than two hours after the first shooting but police are still trying to identify a motive behind the attacks.
"At this time, we don't know the motive. It seems that his acts were random," Kenny said at a news conference. "If you look at the demographics and pedigree of the victims, they're all different."
Violent crime in the nation's most populous city has been on an upward trend in recent years, but it's still well below its peak in the early-1990s. NYC authorities said shooting incidents dropped 16.8% in June, as compared to a year earlier. Additionally, homicides fell by 3.1% in the same month.
Mayor Eric Adams, a former NYPD captain, has repeatedly pushed for stricter gun laws and moreprograms that aim to keep guns of the streets.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | 2023-07-10T20:43:54+00:00 | koaa.com | https://www.koaa.com/gunman-riding-scooter-in-nyc-charged-in-random-string-of-attacks |
Trump election probe grand jury to hear from Raffensperger
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s secretary of state is expected to appear next week before a special grand jury in an investigation into whether former President Donald Trump and others illegally tried to meddle in the 2020 election in the state.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has been summoned to appear before the special grand jury Thursday, according to a subpoena obtained by The Associated Press through an open records request. Five other people in his office have received subpoenas to appear in early June and the office has received a subpoena for documents.
Trump directed his ire at Raffensperger, a fellow Republican, after the secretary of state refused to bend to pressure to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s narrow presidential election victory in Georgia. On Tuesday, Raffensperger won the Republican primary in his quest for reelection, defeating a Trump-endorsed challenger.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis opened the investigation soon after she took office in January 2021. She made clear when she requested a special grand jury earlier this year that one purpose for doing so would be to issue subpoenas to people who might not cooperate otherwise.
The 23 members of the special grand jury and three alternates were selected May 2 but Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who’s overseeing the panel, said the grand jurors wouldn’t begin meeting until June.
Willis has confirmed that her investigation includes looking into a January 2021 phone call in which Trump pushed Raffensperger to “find” the votes needed for him to win the state.
Among the documents the grand jury has asked for is anything that “memorializes the events” surrounding that call, anything that “explains the conduct” of the president during that call, and any logs of telephone calls between anyone in Raffensperger’s office and Trump or his representatives.
They also asked for anything showing the results of the audit and hand recount of the results of the 2020 presidential election and a forensic audit of the state’s voting equipment, among other documents.
The other people from the secretary of state’s office summoned to appear are Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer; Ryan Germany, general counsel; Chris Harvey, former head of the elections divisions; Frances Watson, former chief investigator; and Victoria Thompson, a former executive assistant who is now a legislative liaison.
Willis has also said her team is looking at a November 2020 phone call between U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and Raffensperger, the abrupt resignation of the U.S. attorney in Atlanta on Jan. 4, 2021, and comments made during December 2020 Georgia legislative committee hearings on the election.
Trump has said his call with Raffensperger was “perfect” and said he did nothing wrong. Graham has also denied any wrongdoing.
It’s not clear exactly what charges Willis could choose to pursue against Trump or anyone else. In a letter she sent to top-ranking state officials last year, she said she was looking into “potential violations of Georgia law prohibiting the solicitation of election fraud, the making of false statements to state and local government bodies, conspiracy, racketeering, violation of oath of office and any involvement in violence or threats related to the election’s administration.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2022-05-27T20:39:20+00:00 | wlbt.com | https://www.wlbt.com/2022/05/27/trump-election-probe-grand-jury-hear-raffensperger/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — A ground assault by the Taliban killed the Islamic State militant who spearheaded the August 2021 suicide bombing at the Kabul airport that left 13 U.S. troops and about 170 Afghans dead during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, U.S. officials said Tuesday.
Initially, neither the U.S. — nor apparently the Taliban — were aware that the mastermind was dead. He was killed during a series of battles early this month in southern Afghanistan between the Taliban and the Islamic State group’s affiliate, according to several officials.
But in the past few days, U.S. intelligence confirmed “with high confidence” that the Islamic State leader had been killed, a senior administration official said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.
Over the weekend, the U.S. military began to inform the parents of the 11 Marines, the sailor and the soldier who were killed in the blast at Abbey Gate, and they shared the information in a private group messaging chat. The father of one of the Marines said the death of his son’s killer brings little comfort.
“Whatever happens, it’s not going to bring Taylor back and I understand that,” Darin Hoover, the father of Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover, said in a phone call with The Associated Press. “About the only thing his mom and I can do now is be an advocate for him. All we want is the truth. And we’re not getting it. That’s the frustrating part.”
Hoover said he and his son’s mother, Kelly Henson, have spent the past year and a half grieving his death and praying for accountability from the Biden administration for the handling of the withdrawal.
He added that the Marines provided only limited information to him and did not identify the Islamic State leader or give the circumstances of his death. U.S. officials declined to provide many details because of sensitivities in the intelligence gathering.
The administration official said it was their “moral responsibility” to let the victims’ families know that the “mastermind” and “person most responsible for the airport attack” had been taken off the battlefield. The official added that intelligence officials determined that the leader had “remained a key plotter and overseer” for the group.
Several officials said the U.S. played no role in the killing and did not coordinate at all with the Taliban. The administration official called the Taliban action “significant” and said the U.S. only learned of the operation through its “over the horizon” intelligence capabilities.
Hoover is among a group of 12 Gold Star families that have kept in touch since the bombing, supporting one another and sharing information through the messaging chat. The chat was created by Cheryl Rex, the mother of Marine Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola, who died in the blast.
Rex, who has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s handling of the withdrawal, told the AP it was through the chat group that they were informed late Monday about the killing as they awaited official confirmation from U.S. military officials.
The fallen service members were among those screening the thousands of Afghans frantically trying on Aug. 26, 2021, to get onto one of the crowded flights out of the country after the brutal Taliban takeover. The scene of desperation quickly turned into one of horror when a suicide bomber attacked. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility.
The blast at Abbey Gate came hours after Western officials warned of a major attack, urging people to leave the airport. But that advice went largely unheeded by Afghans desperate to escape the country in the last few days of an American-led evacuation before the U.S. officially ended its 20-year presence.
The Afghanistan-based offshoot of the Islamic State — called Islamic State-Khorasan — has up to 4,000 members and is the Taliban’s most bitter enemy and top military threat. The group has continued to carry out attacks in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, especially against the country’s minority groups.
After the Trump administration reached a 2020 deal with the Taliban to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan and the Biden administration followed through on that agreement in 2021, there had been hope in Washington that the Taliban’s desire for international recognition and assistance for the country’s impoverished population might moderate their behavior.
But relations between the U.S. and the Taliban have deteriorated further since they imposed draconian new measures banning girls from school and excluding women from working for international aid and health agencies.
However, a line of communication still exists between the two sides, led by the U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, Tom West. West’s contacts are primarily with Taliban officials in Kabul and not with the group’s more ideological wing based in Kandahar.
The U.S. decision to withdraw all troops fueled the swift collapse of the Afghan government and military, which the U.S. had supported for nearly two decades, and the return to power of the Taliban. In the aftermath, President Joe Biden directed that a broad review examine “every aspect of this from top to bottom” and it was released earlier this month.
The Biden administration in the publicly released version of the review largely laid blame on President Donald Trump for the deadly and chaotic 2021 withdrawal, which was punctuated by the suicide bombing at Abbey Gate.
News of the killing came on the same day that Biden formally announced he will seek a second term as president, offering a reminder of one of the most difficult chapters of his presidency. The disastrous drawdown was, at the time, the biggest crisis that the relatively new administration had faced. It left sharp questions about Biden and his team’s competence and experience — the twin pillars central to his campaign for the White House.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday the U.S. has “made clear to the Taliban that it is their responsibility to ensure that they give no safe haven to terrorists,” whether from al-Qaida or the Islamic State.
“We have made good on the President’s pledge to establish an over-the-horizon capacity to monitor potential terrorist threats, not only from in Afghanistan but elsewhere around the world where that threat has metastasized as we have done in Somalia and Syria,” Kirby said in a statement.
Yet Rex said the administration has not done enough to take responsibility for what happened at Abbey Gate.
“I feel like this is the administration trying to get the pressure off of them for accountability by saying that we’re holding ISIS accountable for our kids’ death,” Rex said. | 2023-04-26T01:44:44+00:00 | wate.com | https://www.wate.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/taliban-kill-mastermind-of-suicide-bombing-at-kabul-airport-that-left-13-us-troops-dead/ |
- Awarded Multiple First Place Podium Finishes in Arizona's Largest Cannabis Competitions
- Named No. 1 Cannabis Brand in Arizona by MJ Brand Insights For Creative Brand Engagement
PHOENIX, Jan. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Item 9 Labs—the award-winning, premium cannabis brand from Item 9 Labs Corp. (OTCQX: INLB)—kicks off 2023 after a year of budding growth and achievements embedded in product innovation and increased consumer engagement.
The Arizona marijuana market has experienced one of the most rapid developments in consumer participation and retail expansion of any market over the past year, according to cannabis data research firm BDSA. With the legalization of adult-use marijuana in early 2021, Arizona has seen noticeable popularity across the pre-roll, flower and concentrate categories with the market predicted to exceed $1 billion by year end.
BDSA recognized Item 9 Labs as one of the top 10 cannabis brands in the state overall, along with top five placements across multiple vape categories.
"Wrapping up 2022 as a top 10 brand is a true testament to our team of extraction and cultivation experts and their deep commitment to delivering masterfully crafted cannabis products," said Item 9 Labs Corp. Chief Executive Officer, Mike Weinberger. "In the year ahead, we are optimistic that our Item 9 Labs brand will continue building on this positive momentum while driving forward brand recognition and loyalty."
In August 2022, Item 9 Labs was recognized as the No. 1 cannabis brand in Arizona by MJ Brand Insights (MJBI), the official publication of MJ Unpacked, for its creative brand engagement. Using a proprietary, comparison-based scoring system by Pioneer Intelligence, the technology leverages data to benchmark marketing performance of consumer-facing cannabis brands.
This past June, the brand launched a new permanent mainstay to its product lineup—1-gram concentrate infused pre-rolls—recognizing the trending triple-digit growth of this category. Item 9 Labs infused pre-rolls are crafted with award-winning flower and live resin sugar, live resin badder or crumble concentrates, which are grown and extracted in-house. With products in 65 percent of Arizona's dispensaries, the brand sold more than 13,000 units of its pre-rolls within the first two months and they have been flying off the shelves ever since.
Item 9 Labs consistently bolsters and strengthens its existing extensive product lineup. As the brand entered 2022, it introduced its best-selling proprietary vape technology Orion 710 Live Resin Pod and Battery System with a half-gram pod (500 mg) due to the popularity of its 1-gram (1000 mg) pod. Since hitting the market, Item 9 Labs sold nearly 64,000 units across the state, creating buzz amongst local consumers and generating a go-to vape option for the market.
"Last year was the first year we witnessed the true impact of legal cannabis sales and saw how consumer dynamics evolved alongside it," said Item 9 Labs Corp. Chief Operating Officer, Chris Wolven. He added, "We put an emphasis on the art of innovation and fueled our go-to-market strategy to meet the increasing demand, and it shows in the awards we took home for product excellence."
Item 9 Labs' dedication to perfecting its cannabis products this past year did not go unnoticed. The brand earned multiple top podium finishes in Arizona's largest and longest-running annual cannabis festivals and awards events. At the Spring Errl Cup and Fall Errl Cup this year, the brand was awarded:
- First place for "Best Cannabis Vape Pen – Indica"
- First place for "Best Cannabis Vape Pen – Sativa"
- Second place for "Best Cannabis Flower – Sativa"
- Second place for "Best Cannabis Vape Pen – Indica"
- Second place for "Best Concentrate – Hybrid"
- Third place for "Best Hand-Crafted Cannabis Product"
- Third place for "Best Cannabis Vape Pen – Sativa"
- Third place for "Best Derivative"
For more information on Item 9 Labs, the brand's wide range of premium cannabis products and its awards, visit item9labs.com or Item 9 Labs' Instagram.
ABOUT ITEM 9 LABS
Item 9 Labs cultivates the highest quality cannabis products while providing transparency, consistency and well-being for an enhanced cannabis experience. With more than 30 podium finishes in Arizona marijuana competitions, Item 9 Labs is a trusted source for premium cannabis products. Starting with intentionally grown flower, the Item 9 Labs product catalog spans across five core categories, including several active cannabis strains, cannabis vape products, premium concentrates and Orion vape technology. For additional information, visit item9labs.com.
ABOUT ITEM 9 LABS CORP.
Item 9 Labs Corp. (OTCQX: INLB) is a vertically integrated cannabis operator and dispensary franchisor delivering premium products from its large-scale cultivation and production facilities in the United States. The award-winning Item 9 Labs brand specializes in best-in-class products and user experience across several cannabis categories. The company also offers a unique dispensary franchise model through the national Unity Rd. retail brand. Easing barriers to entry, the franchise provides an opportunity for both new and existing dispensary owners to leverage the knowledge, resources and ongoing support needed to thrive in their state compliantly and successfully. Item 9 Labs brings the best industry practices to markets nationwide through distinctive retail experience, cultivation capabilities and product innovation. The veteran management team combines a diverse skill set with deep experience in the cannabis sector, franchising and the capital markets to lead a new generation of public cannabis companies that provide transparency, consistency and well-being. Headquartered in Arizona, the company is currently expanding its operations space up to 640,000-plus square feet on its 50-acre site, one of the largest properties in Arizona zoned to grow and cultivate flower. For additional information, visit item9labscorp.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, risks and effects of legal and administrative proceedings and governmental regulation, especially in a foreign country, future financial and operational results, competition, general economic conditions, proposed transactions that are not legally binding obligations of the company and the ability to manage and continue growth. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those indicated. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements we make in this news release include the introduction of new technology, market conditions and those set forth in reports or documents we file from time to time with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to revise or update such statements to reflect current events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Media Contact:
Lisa Sass
Serendipit Consulting
lsass@serendipitconsulting.com
602-283-5209
Investor Contact:
Item 9 Labs Corp.
investors@item9labscorp.com
800-403-1140
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Item 9 Labs | 2023-01-12T15:32:54+00:00 | wymt.com | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2023/01/12/item-9-labs-closes-out-2022-top-10-cannabis-brand-arizona/ |
PHARR, Texas (Border Report) — On the 10th anniversary of the implementation of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), several faith-based and law enforcement groups are urging Congress to pass immigration reforms for a permanent pathway to citizenship for those who qualify.
On Sunday, a coalition of evangelical organizations called the Evangelical Immigration Table, sent a letter to Congress urging lawmakers to implement lasting immigration reform.
“Over the past decade, DACA has allowed hundreds of thousands of young people – including many who are integral members of evangelical churches, campuses and organizations – the opportunity to pursue their dreams, support their families and serve their communities. But DACA was originally envisioned as a temporary measure, and ten years after it was announced, it’s clear that it is past time for a permanent solution for Dreamers – one that only Congress can provide,” the letter reads.
The groups include the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention; National Association of Evangelicals; National Latino Evangelical Coalition; The Wesleyan Church
World Relief; and Bethany Christian Services. According to the letter, they want immigration reform that:
- Respects the God-given dignity of every person.
- Protects the unity of the immediate family
- Respects the rule of law.
- Guarantees secure national borders.
- Ensures fairness to taxpayers.
- Establishes a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and who wish to become permanent residents
They cite a February poll that found 82% of evangelical Protestant voters nationwide support bipartisan efforts to find a pathway to citizenship for “Dreamers.”
The Trump administration had ended DACA but the Supreme Court ruled in June 2020 that the administration had done so improperly and in an “arbitrary and capricious manner.” The Biden administration re-established DACA and in September 2021 issued new rules to “preserve and fortify” the program to help thousands of undocumented youth who were brought to the United States as children.
“We are proud to stand arm-in-arm with our fellow evangelical Christians, urging the United States government to protect and defend these young people and their communities. We believe God has endowed all people with dignity, regardless of their ethnicity, race, or place of origin, and it is our responsibility to love these neighbors as the Lord loves us, welcoming them with open arms. We pray for and ask that, on the 10th anniversary of the DACA program, Congress would pass sweeping legislation to aid in the protection of Dreamers permanently,” Shirley Hoogstra, president of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, said in a statement.
“All children – regardless of where they are from or what they have been through – deserve to be loved, safe, and connected. We are grateful for temporary protections for Dreamers and urge Congress to act now, ensuring our friends, neighbors, and colleagues have the opportunity to pursue permanent legal status in the country they have called home for the majority of their lives,” said Chris Palusky, president and CEO of Bethany Christian Services.
Studies show DACA recipients and their households pay $5.6 billion in federal taxes and about $3.1 billion in state and local taxes annually, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
On Monday, the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force also issued statements urging Congress to act quickly and swiftly for “Dreamers” who are not covered under DACA.
The DACA policy, which was implemented during the Obama administration, helps law enforcement to build trust and a rapport with immigrant communities, especially those who are undocumented. But finding a permanent pathway to citizenship is the only avenue for these populations to thrive in the United States and reside legally and find meaningful work that will sustain generations, they said in a statement.
“After 10 years of DACA, it is clear that Dreamers are contributing members of our communities. They help keep our nation safe, yet many live in fear of being undocumented. I urge lawmakers to work across party lines and find a permanent solution that allows law-abiding Dreamers to feel secure in their communities,” Pharr Police Chief Andy Harvey said.
“Law enforcement depends on the trust of our communities, and DACA has helped build this trust. As a law enforcement leader, I know that when immigrants feel safe in their communities, we are all safer,” said police Chief David Valentin of Santa Ana, California. “A bipartisan permanent solution to protect Dreamers would increase trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities by encouraging immigrants, regardless of status, to feel safe engaging with local law enforcement.” | 2022-06-13T22:22:00+00:00 | myfox8.com | https://myfox8.com/border-report/daca-advocates-urge-congress-to-pass-lasting-bipartisan-immigration-reform/ |
A man and a woman are dead, and another man has been injured, following a shooting in Vian.
Sequoyah County Deputies said two men began to shoot at one another around 7:30 a.m. on Friday.
The Sheriff said there's been an ongoing feud between the people involved.
The man who was killed had recently been arrested, after a fight at the same home.
The man who was injured in the shooting had filed a protective order against the other man.
The FBI is investigating because the people involved are Native American. | 2022-06-11T08:17:43+00:00 | newson6.com | https://www.newson6.com/story/62a3c44137011707292350a7/2-dead-1-injured-after-altercation-in-sequoyah-county |
China has unveiled a new government led by Li Qiang, a close ally of Xi Jinping. What does this new lineup tell us about China in the coming decade?
Copyright 2023 NPR
China has unveiled a new government led by Li Qiang, a close ally of Xi Jinping. What does this new lineup tell us about China in the coming decade?
Copyright 2023 NPR | 2023-03-13T09:30:06+00:00 | mtpr.org | https://www.mtpr.org/2023-03-13/china-wraps-up-a-leadership-reshuffle-thats-been-years-in-the-making |
Zombie ice from the massive Greenland ice sheet will eventually raise global sea level by at least 10 inches on its own, according to a study released Monday.
Zombie or doomed ice is ice that is still attached to thicker areas of ice, but is no longer getting fed by those larger glaciers. That’s because the parent glaciers are getting less replenishing snow. Meanwhile the doomed ice is melting from climate change, said study co-author William Colgan, a glaciologist at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland.
“It’s dead ice. It’s just going to melt and disappear from the ice sheet,” Colgan said in an interview. “This ice has been consigned to the ocean, regardless of what climate (emissions) scenario we take now.”
Study lead author Jason Box, a glaciologist at the Greenland survey, said it is “more like one foot in the grave.”
The unavoidable ten inches in the study is more than twice as much sea level rise as scientists had previously expected from the melting of Greenland’s ice sheet. The study in the journal Nature Climate Change said it could reach as much as 30 inches (78 centimeters). By contrast, last year’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report projected a range of 2 to 5 inches (6 to 13 centimeters) for likely sea level rise from Greenland ice melt by the year 2100.
What scientists did for the study was look at the ice in balance. In perfect equilibrium, snowfall in the mountains in Greenland flows down and recharges and thickens the sides of glaciers, balancing out what’s melting on the edges. But in the last few decades there’s less replenishment and more melting, creating imbalance. Study authors looked at the ratio of what’s being added to what’s being lost and calculated that 3.3% of Greenland’s total ice volume will melt no matter what happens with the world cutting carbon pollution, Colgan said.
“I think starving would be a good phrase,” for what’s happening to the ice, Colgan said.
One of the study authors said that more than 120 trillion tons (110 trillion metric tons) of ice is already doomed to melt from the warming ice sheet’s inability to replenish its edges. When that ice melts into water, if it were concentrated only over the United States, it would be 37 feet (11 meters) deep.
This is the first time scientists calculated a minimum ice loss — and accompanying sea level rise — for Greenland, one of Earth’s two massive ice sheets that are slowly shrinking because of climate change from burning coal, oil and natural gas. Scientists used an accepted technique for calculating minimum committed ice loss, the one used on mountain glaciers for the entire giant frozen island.
Pennsylvania State University glaciologist Richard Alley, who wasn’t part of the study but said it made sense, said the committed melting and sea level rise is like an ice cube put in a cup of hot tea in a warm room.
“You have committed mass loss from the ice,” Alley said in an email. ”In the same way most of the world’s mountain glaciers and the edges of Greenland would continue losing mass if temperatures were stabilized at modern levels because they have been put into warmer air just as your ice cube was put in warmer tea.”
Although 10 inches doesn’t sound like much, that’s a global average. Some coastal areas will be hit with more, and high tides and storms on top of that could be even worse, so this much sea level rise “will have huge societal, economic and environmental impacts,” said Ellyn Enderlin, a geosciences professor at Boise State University.
Time is the key unknown here and a bit of a problem with the study, said two outside ice scientists, Leigh Stearns of the University of Kansas and Sophie Nowicki of the University of Buffalo. The researchers in the study said they couldn’t estimate the timing of the committed melting, yet in the last sentence they mention, “within this century,” without supporting it, Stearns said.
Colgan responded that the team doesn’t know how long it will take for all the doomed ice to melt, but making an educated guess, it would probably be by the end of this century or at least by 2150.
Colgan said this is actually all a best case scenario. The year 2012 (and to a different degree 2019 ) was a huge melt year, when the equilibrium between adding and subtracting ice was most out of balance. If Earth starts to undergo more years like 2012, Greenland melt could trigger 30 inches (78 centimeters) of sea level rise, he said. Those two years seem extreme now, but years that look normal now would have been extreme 50 years ago, he said.
“That’s how climate change works,” Colgan said. “Today’s outliers become tomorrow’s averages.” | 2022-08-29T19:52:42+00:00 | wivb.com | https://www.wivb.com/news/national/zombie-ice-from-greenland-will-raise-sea-level-10-inches-study-finds/ |
BEIJING (AP) — Travelers arriving in China will spend less time in quarantine under changes to sweeping anti-virus controls announced Friday to reduce disruptions to the economy and society.
The announcement came as an upsurge in COVID-19 cases prompted Beijing to close parks and impose other restrictions. The country reported 10,729 new cases, and more than 5 million people were confined to their homes in the southern manufacturing hub of Guangzhou and the western megacity of Chongqing.
With the bulk of Beijing’s 21 million people undergoing near-daily testing, another 118 new cases were recorded in the sprawling city. Many city schools switched to online classes, hospitals restricted services and some shops and restaurants were shuttered with their staff taken to quarantine. Videos on social media showed people in some areas protesting or fighting with police and health workers.
“It has become normal, just like eating and sleeping,” said food service worker Yang Zheng, 39. “I think what it impacts most is kids because they need to go to school.”
Demands for testing every 24 to 48 hours are “troublesome,” said Ying Yiyang, who works in marketing.
“My life is for sure not comparable to what it was three years ago,” Ying said.
Family trips out of Beijing can be difficult if the mandatory smartphone app that keeps track of the user’s virus test status and whereabouts doesn’t show the green code that authorizes travel back to the Chinese capital, Ying said.
“I just stay in Beijing,” Ying said.
Numerous villages on the capital’s outskirts are home to blue-collar workers whose labor keeps the city running, with many living in dormitory communities. Taxi and ride-sharing drivers said they were avoiding the areas so as not to be placed in quarantine themselves.
Lockdowns in Guangzhou and elsewhere were due to end by Sunday, but authorities have repeatedly extended such restrictions with no explanation. Chinese leaders had promised on Thursday to respond to public frustration over the severe “zero-COVID” strategy that has confined millions to their homes and severely disrupted the economy.
Incoming passengers will only be quarantined for five days — rather than the previous seven — at a designated location, followed by three days of isolation at their place of residence, according to a notice from the State Council, China’s Cabinet.
It wasn’t immediately clear when or where the rules would take effect and whether they would apply to foreigners and Chinese citizens alike.
Relaxed standards will also be applied to foreign businesspeople and athletes, in what appeared to be a gradual move toward normalization.
Airlines will no longer be threatened with a two-week suspension of flights if five or more passengers test positive, the regulations said, potentially providing a major expansion of seats on such flights that have shrunk in numbers and soared in price since restrictions were imposed in 2020.
Those flying to China will only need to show a single negative test for the virus within 48 hours of traveling, the rules said. Formerly, two tests within that time period were required.
Macau will also cut its hotel quarantine period from seven days to five days, followed by three days of isolation at one’s residence, for arrivals from Hong Kong, Taiwan and overseas starting from Saturday, authorities there said.
“Zero-COVID” has kept China’s infection rate relatively low but weighs on the economy and has disrupted life by shutting schools, factories and shops, or sealing neighborhoods without warning. With the new surge in cases, a growing number of areas are shutting down businesses and imposing curbs on movement. In order to enter office buildings, shopping malls and other public places, people are required to show a negative result from a virus test taken as often as once a day.
With economic growth weakening again after rebounding to 3.9% over a year earlier in the three months ending in September, forecasters had been expecting bolder steps toward reopening the country, whose borders remain largely closed.
Business groups the policies discourage foreign executives from visiting, which has prompted companies to shift investment plans to other countries. Visits from U.S. officials and lawmakers charged with maintaining the crucial trading relations amid tensions over tariffs, Taiwan and human rights have come to a virtual standstill.
Last week, access to part of the central city of Zhengzhou, home to the world’s biggest iPhone factory, was suspended after residents tested positive for the virus. Thousands of workers jumped fences and hiked along highways to escape the factory run by Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology Group. Apple Inc. later warned customers would have wait longer for deliveries of its new iPhone 14 model.
China confirmed Friday that President and ruling Communist Party leader Xi Jinping will make a rare trip abroad next week, but it has given little indication of backing off on a policy the party has closely associated with social stability and the avowed superiority of his policies. | 2022-11-11T13:39:14+00:00 | wnct.com | https://www.wnct.com/on-your-side/health-watch/ap-china-reports-10000-new-virus-cases-capital-closes-parks/ |
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Leading off the ninth inning of a tie game, Milwaukee’s Garrett Mitchell planned to try beating out a bunt hit.
However he had to change his approach after falling behind 1-2 in the count.
So he blasted a game-winning shot into the right-field seats instead.
Mitchell connected on a 3-2 cutter from Adam Ottavino (0-1) for his third homer in his past two games as the Brewers edged the New York Mets 7-6 on Wednesday.
“You play some of these moments in your head,” Mitchell said. “You want to be up in those types of moments. I go up there with nothing to lose and try to take control. I was trying to put down a bunt at first. It worked out in my favor.”
Milwaukee’s Devin Williams (1-0) retired the side in order in the top of the ninth.
The Brewers have won five in a row and swept a series of at least three games for the first time since winning three straight at Cincinnati from June 17 to 19 in 2022. The Brewers have won 18 of their past 21 home games against the Mets.
Mitchell also had homered twice Tuesday in the Brewers’ 9-0 triumph over the Mets. His game-winning shot Wednesday continued the remarkable early season performance from Milwaukee’s rookies.
Brice Turang hit a grand slam for his first major-league homer Monday as the Brewers beat the Mets 10-0. Joey Wiemer went deep for the first time Wednesday, a three-run drive that gave the Brewers a 4-1 lead in the second inning.
But the biggest shot of all belonged to Mitchell, who has shown impressive power in the early stages of this season after homering just 13 times in 132 minor-league games. He got to celebrate by wearing the cheesehead that goes to each Brewer after hitting a homer.
The Brewers have homered seven times in the two games since introducing the cheesehead. Three of them came in back-to-back-to-back fashion against three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer on Tuesday.
“I think everyone wants to put it on,” Mitchell said.
After going scoreless in their first 16 innings of the season, the Brewers have scored 38 runs in their past 36 innings.
The Mets lost despite breaking out of the hitting slump that had caused them to enter Wednesday with 20 consecutive scoreless innings.
Pete Alonso hit a pair of two-run homers off Corbin Burnes and Francisco Lindor went 3 of 4 with two doubles and two RBIs for the Mets.
“We know we can play better,” Alonso said. “We know what our potential can be. Every day’s a learning experience.”
Burnes allowed six runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. In his first two starts, Burnes has allowed 10 runs over 9 1/3 innings.
“I felt like for the most part today, I threw the ball the way I wanted to,” Burnes said. “Right now, it just seems like any mistake you make, it comes with guys on base, and they put a big swing on it and drive in some runs.”
Alonso’s first homer tied the game at 4-all in the third. His second put the Mets ahead 6-4 in the fifth.
The Brewers tied the game again in the bottom of the fifth on Jesse Winker’s two-run, two-out double to right-center against Drew Smith.
Winker’s double came after Luke Voit stole second to move the tying run into scoring position. It was the second career stolen base for the 32-year-old Voit, who was playing in his 489th game.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mets: 3B prospect Brett Baty is day to day with inflammation to his right thumb after testing showed no structural damage. Baty had left Triple-A Syracuse’s game Tuesday after apparently hurting his thumb on a swing.
Brewers: LHP Aaron Ashby will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his throwing shoulder on Friday in Washington. “This puts him out for significant time,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. ”You won’t see him until late in the season at best.”
UP NEXT
Mets: Had their scheduled Thursday home opener postponed. Their home opener will be Friday afternoon against the Miami Marlins.
Brewers: Off Thursday before starting a three-game home series with the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday. Scheduled starters Friday are RHP Brandon Woodruff (0-0, 1.50) for the Brewers and RHP Jack Flaherty (1-0, 0.00) for the Cardinals.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2023-04-06T20:11:33+00:00 | localsyr.com | https://www.localsyr.com/sports-news/mitchell-homers-in-9th-as-brewers-sweep-mets-with-7-6-win/ |
System meets historic demand over holiday weekend
TUCKER, Ga., Jan. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Oglethorpe Power, Georgia Transmission and Georgia System Operations announced that a new all-time peak electricity demand was reached between 8 and 9 a.m. EST on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022. This preliminary new record peak of 11,034 megawatts (MW) is almost 8% higher than the previous record of 10,241 MW, set on June 15, 2022.1 Together Oglethorpe Power, Georgia Transmission and Georgia System Operations provide wholesale energy generation, transmission and system operations to 38 consumer-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperatives across Georgia. These cooperatives serve electricity to approximately 4.4 million Georgians in 151 of 159 counties.
The historic electricity demand occurred during extreme winter weather conditions across Georgia, with temperatures plunging to a single digit across much of the state. Oglethorpe Power, Georgia Transmission and Georgia System Operations maintained reliability and had sufficient generation to meet the new all-time peak electricity demand for the 38 electric cooperatives they serve.
Prior to 2022, the all-time peak for Georgia's cooperative energy system was set in 2019 at 9,701 MW.
Oglethorpe Power President & Chief Executive Officer Michael L. Smith attributed the companies' ability to reliably meet the record electricity demand to a diverse portfolio, preparation and teamwork.
"Fuel diversity is critical to reliability in extreme weather," said Smith. "In these conditions we needed every resource: fossil fuels, hydro, nuclear and solar. Our operations and fuels teams took proactive steps to prepare for the extremely cold temperatures and our crews worked around the clock to quickly repair generation units that tripped due to the weather."
Georgia Transmission President & Chief Executive Officer Barbara Hampton said crews were stationed throughout the state to make immediate repairs of high-voltage transmission equipment damaged by the frigid temperatures and extreme wind.
"We are dedicated to serving our members and their communities through flexible and responsive service," Hampton said. "That commitment, along with ingenuity and determination, was on full display as our operations and maintenance associates worked tirelessly in the unprecedented weather conditions to help keep the lights and heat on for homes and businesses across Georgia during the holidays."
"Georgia System Operations played a pivotal role in ensuring our Member Systems' members were never without power during the recent arctic blast," said company President & Chief Executive Officer Greg Ford. "This was due to the hard work of employees and close collaboration among the three organizations that are charged with ensuring uninterrupted power flow."
Oglethorpe Power is one of the nation's largest power supply cooperatives with more than $16 billion in assets serving 38 Electric Membership Corporations which, collectively, provide electricity to approximately 4.4 million Georgia residents. A proponent of conscientious energy development and use, Oglethorpe Power balances reliable and affordable energy with environmental responsibility and has an outstanding record of regulatory compliance. Its diverse energy portfolio includes natural gas, nuclear, hydroelectric and coal generating plants with a combined capacity of more than 8,300 megawatts. Oglethorpe Power was established in 1974 and is owned by its 38 Member Systems. Its headquarters are in Tucker, Georgia, an Atlanta suburb. For more information, visit www.opc.com.
Georgia Transmission Corporation, a not-for-profit cooperative owned by 38 Electric Membership Corporations (EMCs), owns more than 3,500 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and more than 760 substations. These facilities deliver power to Georgia's EMCs, providing electricity to more than 4.4 million Georgians. For more information, visit www.gatransmission.com.
Georgia System Operations Corporation is a not-for-profit corporation owned by 38 Georgia electric membership corporations, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, and Georgia Transmission Corporation. GSOC delivers safe, reliable, and economic power by controlling and monitoring electric generation, transmission, and distribution assets owned by OPC, GTC, Smarr EMC, the Members, and their power supply partners. Operating within the Southeastern reliability subregion of the SERC Reliability Corporation, GSOC complies with all applicable North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) reliability standards. GSOC also manages the critical infrastructure protection (CIP) program for GTC and itself.
1 The peak load figures cited here are measured based on the generation required to serve the demand in the Georgia System Operations Control Area and include energy to cover losses during transmission. Oglethorpe Power's SEC filings reflect peak load at the meter point, or sales to members, which is net of transmission losses, and include approximately 14 MW of member load in Florida. Oglethorpe Power's SEC filings will reflect corresponding peak loads of approximately 10,811 MW on Dec. 24, 2022 and 10,017 MW on June 15, 2022.
View original content:
SOURCE Oglethorpe Power Corporation | 2023-01-03T15:45:31+00:00 | wymt.com | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2023/01/03/electricity-demand-hits-new-all-time-peak-georgia-cooperative-energy-system/ |
After the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo launched a cartoon contest to mock Iran’s ruling cleric, a state-backed Iranian cyber unit struck back with a hack-and-leak campaign that was designed to provoke fear with the claimed pilfering of a big subscriber database, Microsoft security researchers say.
The FBI blames the same Iranian cyber operators, Emennet Pasargad, for an influence operation that sought to interfere in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, the tech giant said in a blog published Friday. Iran has in recent years stepped up false-flag cyber operations as a tool for discrediting foes.
Calling itself “Holy Souls” and posing as hacktivists, the group claimed in early January to have obtained personal information on 200,000 subscribers and Charlie Hebdo merchandise buyers, according to Microsoft’s Digital Threat Analysis Center.
As proof of the data theft, “Holy Souls” released a 200-record sample with names, phone numbers and home and email addresses of Charlie Hebdo subscribers that “could put the magazine’s subscribers at risk for online or physical targeting” by extremists. The group then advertised the supposed complete data cache on several dark web sites for $340,000.
Microsoft said it did not know whether anyone purchased the cache.
A representative for Charlie Hebdo said Friday that the newspaper would not comment on the Microsoft research. Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
The Jan. 4 sample release coincided with the publication of Charlie Hebdo’s cartoon contest issue. Entrants were asked to draw offensive caricatures of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The French newspaper Le Monde verified multiple victims of the leak from the sample, Microsoft said. The Iranian cyber operators sought to boost news of the hack-and-leak operation — and fuel outrage at the cartoon edition — through fake French “sock-puppet” accounts on social media platforms that included Twitter, Microsoft said.
The operation coincided with verbal attacks by Tehran condemning Charlie Hebdo’s “insult.”
The provocatively irreverent magazine has a long history of publishing vulgar cartoons which critics consider deeply insulting to Muslims. Two French-born al-Qaida extremists attacked the newspaper’s office in 2015, killing 12 cartoonists, and it Charlie Hebdo has been the target of other attacks over the years.
The magazine billed the Khamenei caricature contest as a show of support for nationwide antigovernment protests that have convulsed Iran since the mid-September death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman detained by Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating the country’s strict Islamic dress code.
After the cartoon issue was published, Iran shut down a decades-old French research institute. Last week, it announced sanctions targeting more than 30 European individuals and entities, including three senior Charlie Hebdo staffers. The sanctions are largely symbolic as they bar travel to Iran and allow its authorities to block bank accounts and confiscate property in Iran.
According to the FBI, Emennet Pasargad authored what amounted to a relatively ham-fisted campaign to interfere with the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The group obtained confidential U.S. voter information from at least one state election website and sent threatening email messages to intimidate voters posing as the far-right group Proud Boys, the FBI says.
Emennet Pasargad has also, since 2018, conducted cyber-operations targeting news, shipping, airlines, oil and petrochemical, financial, and telecommunications, in the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East, the FBI says. The U.S. newspaper chain Lee Enterprises was among the suspected targets, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
The group’s attacks since 2020 have primarily targeted Israel, the FBI says. They follow a pattern of intrusion, theft, data leak and then amplification through social media and online forums. In some cases destructive malware has been used. | 2023-02-04T02:04:23+00:00 | mytwintiers.com | https://www.mytwintiers.com/news-cat/world-news/ap-international/ap-microsoft-iran-unit-behind-charlie-hebdo-hack-and-leak-op/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. doesn’t have a government agency that tells the nation who’s won an election right away. Every state has its own process for counting votes, and news organizations play a key role.
The Associated Press is the only news organization that does all of the math, down to the county level, gathering voting information and passing it along to member news organizations and customers. Stephen Ohlemacher, AP Election Decision Editor, calls elections “ the single largest act of journalism that happens every two years.”
But it’s not a one-night affair.
Here’s how it works:
PREP, PREP AND MORE PREP
For years, AP has employed a full-time elections research team that works year-round to ensure that other AP entities involved in race calling — the vote count team, decision desk and newsroom — know as much as possible about what to expect once Election Day arrives.
That includes details that vary state to state on things like when and how people can vote, how those votes are counted and any changes since the last election.
Since different states count ballots at different times, it might take longer to declare a winner in some places. There are also varying rules on when recounts or runoffs might be necessary.
All of this means that we won’t know who won every race on election night.
A MASSIVE UNDERTAKING
With political reporters based in key states around the country — and reporters on the ground in all 50 states — AP has an unparalleled footprint for election-related coverage in text, photos, video and live video. From the places they know the best, AP reporters are sending in what they’re seeing at the polls and reporting any issues that arise.
Besides its own journalists, the AP has about 4,000 stringers — temporary freelancers — who, through years of trusted relationships with county clerks and other local officials, gather vote totals at the local level and feed them to AP’s vote entry centers.
Hundreds of vote entry clerks answer those calls, take down the tallies and enter the results into AP’s election database. Since many states and counties display their election night results on websites, some clerks monitor those sites and enter results into the database, too.
ACCURACY MATTERS MOST
All the numbers are checked multiple times for accuracy.
Vote entry clerks ask questions to verify the information they’re getting, like whether there are problems in the stringer’s county, and challenge the details if something seems off.
Automated checks also spot any issues with the data, like inconsistencies with a county’s previous voting history or other data. For example, if more votes are reported as being cast than there are registered voters in a county, an alert will pop up on the clerk’s screen and summon a supervisor.
AP’s team of full-time election research and quality control analysts monitor and examine the results for anomalies, using sophisticated statistical tools and AP’s own research to ensure accuracy.
In 2020, AP was 99.9% accurate in calling U.S. races, and 100% accurate in the presidential and congressional races for each state.
WHO MAKES THE CALLS — AND HOW?
On election night itself, race callers in each state are equipped with detailed information from AP’s election research team, including demographics, the number of absentee ballots, and political issues that may affect the outcome of races they must call.
According to Ohlemacher, about 60 people will be involved in declaring winners in more than 7,000 races across the country in this year’s general election, with some specifically focusing on types of races, like Congress, gubernatorial and legislative contests.
The senior editors of AP’s decision team, based in Washington, provide the final approval on races for president, governor, U.S. Senate and key races for U.S. House, and consult with race callers around the country on other statewide races.
The AP will only declare a winner when it’s possible to say with 100% certainty who won a given race. There is no projection or speculation, only data-based determinations showing when it’s deemed impossible for trailing candidates to overtake a leading candidate.
“When the votes come in and they meet our expectations, it makes it much easier to declare a winner,” Ohlemacher said. “When the votes come in and contradict what our expectations are, that’s when we slam on the brakes. We don’t call a winner until there is no path for the trailing candidate to catch the leader.”
___
Meg Kinnard reported from New York. She can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP
___
Check out https://apnews.com/hub/explaining-the-elections to learn more about the issues and factors at play in the 2022 midterm elections.
Follow AP’s coverage of the elections at: https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections | 2022-10-28T03:36:30+00:00 | wdtn.com | https://www.wdtn.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-explainer-how-the-ap-counts-the-vote-on-election-night/ |
STOCKHOLM, July 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Autoliv, Inc. (NYSE: ALV) and (SSE: ALIVsdb), the worldwide leader in automotive safety systems, and POC, a global leader in snow sports and cycling protection, have joined forces to study and develop bicycle and e-bike helmets equipped with airbag technology to improve head protection and reduce the consequences of an impact.
Head injuries alone account for half of the deadly bicyclist injuries. Although it is established that helmets are beneficial to head safety, the latest Bicycle Safety report by Swedish insurance company Folksam makes the case that helmet absorption efficiency could still be greatly improved, especially when collisions occur with a car at speeds above 20 km/h (12 mph).
POC and Autoliv have been working together to assess the potential of using airbag technology in helmets. The airbag would act as the initial energy absorber while the underlying helmet would be the following energy absorber.
After conducting a pre-study, conclusion from the Autoliv research team is that a cycle helmet with an integrated airbag can significantly improve protection and reduce the consequences of impacts to cyclists. The combination of both absorbing technologies enables a reduction of the peak linear head acceleration and significantly reduced head injury risk in impact tests. The pre-study also showed that the protection improvements could be reached without critically compromising the design, weight, or comfort of a helmet designed with integrated airbag technology.
"Autoliv is committed to the vision of Saving More Lives and to providing world class life-saving solutions for mobility and society. The safety of vulnerable road users, such as bicyclists and e-bike riders, is high on our agenda. Therefore, it was natural to collaborate on this initiative with POC, a leader in bicyclist safety, to explore how to improve helmet protection in current standard testing and more challenging scenarios, such as higher impact speeds," says Dr. Cecilia Sunnevång, Vice President Research, Autoliv.
The pre-study showed that the addition of airbag technology on top of the helmet can significantly contribute to enhanced safety performance, especially in linear impacts. It is estimated that the risk for a bicyclist to sustain moderate to fatal head injuries is reduced from 80% to 30% in a 20 km/h (12 mph) impact.
"Our safety mission drives everything we do, and we always challenge conventional thinking in order to improve protection. Helmets are tested and certified in a laboratory setting and can never fully address all the real-world variables of bike crashes. Together with Autoliv, who are world-renowned and have some of the most advanced testing and research facilities in the field, we have embarked on a development journey with airbag technology, asking ourselves what could be done to excel in current test scenarios and push the envelope towards even more shock absorbing capacity," says Oscar Huss, Chief Product Officer, POC.
Finding new ways to save lives
Boosted by the increased environmental consciousness and the emergence of e-bike commuting, the number of bicycle riders worldwide is increasing rapidly. This growth needs to be supported by an improved helmet protection, especially at higher speeds enabled by e-biking. During the pre-study, Autoliv and POC developed the initial concepts by advanced simulation tools and conducted correlated physical crash tests. The successful outcome of the pre-study will now lead to further testing and refinement with the objective of developing the concept further and potentially bringing a product to the market.
Autoliv has formed Mobility Safety Solutions (MSS) to extend its business into new market areas beyond light vehicles and occupant safety. By combining our core competence and industry experience, MSS develops and manufactures mobility safety solutions such as pedestrian protection, battery cut-off switches, connected safety services, and safety solutions for riders of powered two-wheelers.
Read more about our findings – https://campaign.autoliv.com/helmet-with-airbag.
Inquiries Autoliv:
Media: Gabriella Ekelund, Tel +46 706 12 64 24
Investors & Analysts: Anders Trapp, Tel +46 858 72 06 71
Investors & Analysts: Henrik Kaar, Tel +46 858 72 06 14
Inquiries POC:
Media: Damian Philips, POC, Head of Global PR and communication, damian.phillips@pocsports.com
mobile: +46 702 77 69 44
This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com
The following files are available for download:
View original content:
SOURCE Autoliv | 2022-07-11T08:18:17+00:00 | live5news.com | https://www.live5news.com/prnewswire/2022/07/11/autoliv-poc-join-forces-reduce-cyclist-head-injuries-helmet-with-an-integrated-airbag/ |
Doctors, clinics and telehealth providers across the country are scrambling to figure out how they will continue to provide the most common type of abortion after a federal appeals court imposed new restrictions on a key abortion medication.
One telehealth provider would have to shut down for two weeks. Some abortion clinics in Ohio are considering ditching the drug altogether. Meanwhile, other doctors are looking for legal loopholes to dispense the drug, called mifepristone.
People who live far from abortion clinics will be particularly hard hit, abortion rights advocates say. The restrictions could force people to travel hundreds of miles for care and stay for days, said Kirsten Moore, director of the Expanding Medication Abortion Access Project.
“This is going to have a severe, severe impact on access,” she said, adding that it will be “devastating” for underserved rural populations.
This is the second time in less than a week that the legal sands have shifted around medication abortions, which account for more than half of abortions in the U.S. The landscape is further complicated by a separate ruling from a judge in Washington state that has ordered access to the drug to be expanded in some states.
The late Wednesday decision narrowed a Texas court judge’s effort to block the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone. It allows patients to keep using the drug, but only at a higher dosage and if patients are seven weeks or fewer pregnant. The decision also prohibits the medication from being sent by mail and requires people to have three in-person visits with their doctor to take the pills. The Department of Justice plans to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Mifepristone, approved by the FDA in 2000, blocks the hormone progesterone and is also used to treat miscarriages. Millions of women around the world have used the drug, and medical groups say complications occur at a lower rate than with routine medical procedures such as wisdom teeth removal and colonoscopies.
Abortion providers and patient advocates said the restrictions imposed by the court could affect thousands of people if they go into effect on Saturday.
Since Roe v. Wade was overturned last year, telehealth abortions have more than doubled, according to a report released this week by the Society of Family Planning. Abortions by virtual clinic telehealth providers rose to 8,540 last December, or 11% of all abortions, compared with 3,610 in April 2022, the report said.
Wisp, a company that provides telehealth medication abortions in nine states, plans to close down for two weeks if the ruling goes into effect on Saturday to switch to a one-drug regimen that uses misoprostol, a medication not challenged in the courts but considered slightly less effective.
Monica Cepak, the company’s chief marketing officer, said they are also looking at providing misoprostol to people who want to stock up on that drug.
“Telehealth remains a really important piece of the accessibility puzzle because as demand for in-person care will likely go up, the time to get an in-person appointment is often 20-30 days, and telehealth fills that really important gap for patients,” she said.
Telehealth abortion providers were already facing restrictions. According to a February report from the Kaiser Family Foundation, six of the states that have not banned abortion have at least one requirement for at least one trip to the clinic.
But order-by-mail abortion provider Aid Access won’t let a U.S. court order stop it from prescribing mifepristone and misoprostol by telehealth, Dr. Rebecca Gomperts wrote in an email.
Gomperts is based in Europe, and the company’s website advertises that it can mail pills to all 50 states in the U.S.
The company has a history of flouting U.S. laws and rules on the issue. In 2019, Aid Access defied an order from the FDA to stop distributing medications in the country.
Some abortion clinics in Ohio may stop dispensing mifepristone entirely by Saturday, said Jessie Hill, an attorney who represents several independent clinics in the state. The state’s law requires doctors to follow federal label guidelines when prescribing mifepristone, which means clinics will have to follow the court’s order. The order will “make it incredibly inconvenient,” to prescribe mifepristone, she said, because patients will have to make three in-person doctor’s visits and pay more for a higher dosage.
The clinics are also considering a misoprostol-only medication abortion method.
In Illinois, operations will continue much the same at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Fairview Heights, Dr. Colleen McNicholas told the Associated Press.
The clinic, which expects to serve about 10,000 abortion patients this year, will continue to provide medication abortions through a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol. The clinic is also in one of 17 states that has sued the FDA to make mifepristone more accessible, and a judge in Washington state on Thursday ordered the FDA not to do anything that might affect the availability of mifepristone in those suing states.
The clinic is further shielded from the ruling because it’s in a state that allows doctors to write prescriptions “off-label,” which gives providers the ability to prescribe a drug in a way that hasn’t been approved by the federal government. McNicholas said the practice is common among physicians with drugs that have long proven to be safe for patients.
Providers in many states can still prescribe mifepristone off-label in places where it’s not prohibited by state law, which means they can offer the drug to patients later in pregnancy than seven weeks, said David Cohen, a law professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
But he doesn’t see how they can legally get around the requirement for an in-person appointment.
“It will still be available up to and maybe even beyond ten weeks, depending on what your provider feels comfortable prescribing,” he said. “But whereas before you could have had the pills mailed to you at home … now, you have to get them in person from a doctor.”
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | 2023-04-14T12:06:15+00:00 | wcia.com | https://www.wcia.com/news/national/ap-us-news/abortion-providers-scramble-as-courts-restrict-pills/ |
U.S. Onshore and Offshore businesses integrated as one new Americas region and led by Executive Vice President and CEO David Hardy
BOSTON, Oct. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ørsted, a leading global clean energy company, announced today a new organizational structure designed to continue driving growth and meet the evolving needs of renewable energy customers. The new regional structure empowers leadership to capitalize on the trends and demands of each local market. In the United States, Ørsted is bringing together its land-based and offshore wind clean energy businesses as one new organization, the Americas region, led by Executive Vice President and CEO David Hardy.
"The U.S. clean energy market continues to grow rapidly and evolve toward integrated energy solutions that combine technologies to best meet the customer's diverse needs," said David Hardy, Executive Vice President and CEO, Ørsted Americas. "Bringing together the expertise within our Onshore and Offshore teams positions us to not only meet these market demands but also to shape the industry so that we can move our communities and economies to clean energy even faster."
With a rapidly-growing company presence in 16 states and a leading American supply chain network that extends to nearly every state, Ørsted Americas is positioned to continue meeting the evolving needs of the energy sector. The company's U.S. portfolio includes approximately 10 gigawatts of solar, onshore/offshore wind, e-fuels and storage in operation or development and with increasing opportunity on the horizon.
Decarbonizing initiatives continue to gain momentum through corporate ESG goals and ambitious government targets. Ørsted's deep industry expertise, combined with its commitment to lift up communities through clean energy, has positioned the company as a trusted advisor to its customers and a leading green energy transition solutions provider.
For example, Ørsted's U.S. land-based assets invest into local infrastructure and generate millions of dollars in new tax revenues for communities. In offshore wind energy, Ørsted's U.S. team established the industry's first partnership with North America's Building Trades Unions through the National Offshore Wind Agreement (NOWA). NOWA ensures offshore wind energy in the U.S. will be built with a highly-trained and well-paid American workforce, a reflection of Ørsted's values in lifting up communities.
Ørsted started its transformation 12 years ago when the company shifted from an oil and gas company to one fully dedicated to renewable energy. The creation of a new regional organization is the next chapter in this journey and aims to create more local agility for Ørsted's global portfolio. In addition to a shift toward integrated energy solutions, the energy landscape is becoming more complex with increasing and diverse local requirements.
This new structure empowers Ørsted's regions to meet these local customer needs and diverse market opportunities. In addition to offshore wind energy and land-based asset development, Ørsted Americas will maximize opportunity for the company's Power-to-X objectives in the region. With the enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act, the United States is poised to become a global leader in green hydrogen and e-fuels, and Ørsted Americas' onshore strategy includes identifying the most strategic offtake partnerships to help decarbonize hard-to-abate industrial sectors.
"On the heels of the Inflation Reduction Act, the U.S. is poised to accelerate its renewable energy ambitions, ranging from offshore wind energy and land-based assets to green hydrogen and e-fuels," Hardy said. "The combination of our existing portfolio and future opportunities positions us to be one of the largest clean energy investors in the United States, creating jobs, economic opportunity and new infrastructure to position America as a leading clean energy hub to the world."
Mr. Hardy will lead Ørsted Americas, effective November 1, 2022. He currently serves as CEO of Ørsted Offshore North America and joined the company in 2020. A military veteran, Mr. Hardy has nearly three decades of leadership experience, spanning his time in the U.S. Navy on nuclear submarines to executive positions in clean energy and manufacturing at GE, Vestas and Senvion.
Ørsted is currently monitoring the Americas region outside the United States, including Canada, Mexico and South America, as these markets continue to mature and develop opportunities across clean energy technologies.
About Orsted
A global clean energy leader, Ørsted develops, constructs, and operates offshore and land-based wind farms, solar farms, energy storage facilities, and bioenergy plants. Ørsted is the only energy company in the world with a science-based net-zero emissions target as validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. Four years in a row, the company was ranked the world's most sustainable energy company by Corporate Knights.
In the United States, the company has approximately 600 employees and a growing portfolio of clean energy assets and partnerships that includes offshore wind energy, land-based wind energy, solar, storage technologies and e-fuels. A leader across the renewable energy sector in the United States, Ørsted holds the top position in offshore wind energy with approximately 5 gigawatts in development and operates America's first offshore wind farm, located off the coast of Block Island. Ørsted has a total U.S. land-based capacity of 5 gigawatts across wind, solar, storage technologies and e-fuels. To learn more about the Ørsted U.S. business, visit us.orsted.com or follow the company on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@ØrstedUS).
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Ørsted | 2022-10-04T16:44:36+00:00 | ksla.com | https://www.ksla.com/prnewswire/2022/10/04/rsted-implements-new-organizational-structure-deliver-industry-leading-clean-energy-solutions/ |
Can you believe it? Tupperware, the mother of all plastic food containers, has become a valued collectible. I was pushing things around in my booth at Father Time Antiques, when I overheard a young guy call out to his girlfriend, "Hey, Monica, come over here and look at this! They've got a whole set of orange Tupperware!" Antique Tupperware? You've got to be kidding! Nope. Not kidding.
But just know that when you get any of it home and put it in the cupboard, it will wrestle itself around and you will never again be able to match up the lids to the correct bottoms. Maybe that's why a complete set is so exciting.
What to do about that? You could pull it all out, spend a couple hours carefully fitting pieces together, putting matching numbers on the tops and bottoms? Well, no. That's a lot of trouble. You could duct tape the lid to one side of the top so they are forever joined? Nope, didn't think of that, either.
Forget the jumble-y mess in your cupboard! You go right out and get yourself a brand-new blockbuster, 99-piece set of containers, every size you'll ever need. You take it home and put it in the messy cupboard. Do you throw out all the mismatched containers? What! Are you crazy? Someday you might find the other half.
So what do you do when you have half-can of pork and beans and you can't find the lid to the plastic bottom you just dumped it into? You know you shouldn't store leftover canned goods in their can because your mother told you not to do that. They will somehow become toxic and four days later, when you decide to eat that pork and beans, they will kill you before you get to the bottom of the can.
ADVERTISEMENT
You must put your leftover pork and beans into plastic containers so that when they hide themselves back in the far corner of the refrigerator and develop a nice green, fuzzy coating, you can't see them doing it until they are disgusting.
Speaking of refrigerators, they qualify as "food containers" as well. They contain all the healthy stuff you should be eating. You know, kale, eggplant, white-meat chicken — those items you shove toward the back of the refrigerator shelves, where you have to search with some determination to find them. All the chocolate eclairs, triple-cream cheese and leftover pizza are right there in front, so you can grab them easily. The good thing is that refrigerators do not pass judgment. Or slap your hand.
We used to have a refrigerator with a funny quirk. When you opened the door, the light, which had been on, would go off. I knew it had been on, because you saw a flash, then all dark. I always thought there was a party going on, in there. I just know I was not invited.
I've noticed that a lot of food that used to come in tins is being sold in plastic containers. Take cookies for instance. You used to be able to have quite a nice collection of lithographed tin boxes that once held English toffee biscuits or Swedish butter cookies. Those tins have the advantage that they open and close quietly and easily. Shhhhh.
But many bakeries have now put their cookies into the plastic containers that snap shut tightly, with those four little raised buttons. Not only are they more difficult to open but, even worse, they make a loud "schlechtttt" noise that alerts everyone that yes, indeedy, you are having yet another cookie.
Tins and tin cans for food have been around since 1809, when Nicolas Appert developed a way to supply the French Army with food packed in tin cans. Early cans were actually wrought iron, made by hand and soldered shut. They had to be opened with a chisel, a bayonet or a rock, because, guess what? The first can opener was not patented in the U.S. until 1858.
This led to a whole other industry called "Inventing a Better Can Opener." The early openers were of the key type and those cans were used for oysters and sardines and later for that all-American product: Spam. Then came the ones that look like a dangerous weapon, with a very sharp, curved cutting edge that you used to puncture the can lid and ratchet up and down. These are the ones that always prompted your mother to yell, "Don't touch that lid, you'll cut yourself and bleed to death!"
Your mother also told you don't eat anything out of an unopened can that is bulging. That's a bad sign that something in there is waiting to explode and get out. Believe me, you don't want that stuff in your stomach. And don't buy cans with dents. All right, I get that, but "how big a dent?' Does it have to look like something Godzilla threw against the wall or can it be a small, innocent little 2-inch pleat? She never said, did she? But it must be true because she was the mother and mothers know all things.
ADVERTISEMENT
After all, who was it that right away started collecting Tupperware? Right! Mothers. | 2023-07-25T23:14:24+00:00 | duluthnewstribune.com | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/lifestyle/claudia-myers-column-from-tin-cans-to-tupperware |
An action-packed offseason for the Chicago Bears will shift into overdrive next week with the beginning of the NFL’s new league year and the opening of free agency. Contracts can’t be finalized until 3 p.m. Wednesday, but negotiations between teams and unrestricted free agents can begin at 11 a.m. Monday.
The Bears, according to OverTheCap.com, have approximately $94 million of salary-cap space, the most of any team in the NFL by far. But they also have a roster in need of major replenishment after finishing last season with a franchise-record and league-most 14 losses. So how can general manager Ryan Poles make the most of this opportunity in free agency? How active will the Bears be through several waves this month? And what’s realistic for the team to accomplish as it looks to position itself for a successful draft in April?
Tribune Bears writers Dan Wiederer and Colleen Kane put their heads together to survey the landscape of free agency in this edition of “Real Talk.”
Dan Wiederer: Bears fans have had a license to dream big — like, really big — for months, envisioning an exhilarating offseason in which Poles restocks the roster with talent and depth for the team to begin its next championship climb. Even Poles has been open in sharing his eagerness to attack these next seven weeks of free agency and the draft.
At the scouting combine two weeks ago, the Bears GM expressed his giddiness for what’s ahead. “It’s hard to sleep right now because you’re just thinking about all these things you could possibly do,” he said.
You start to envision Poles like Dr. John Nash in “A Beautiful Mind,” staring at a board full of numbers and possibilities, of permutations and combinations. Only Poles is at Halas Hall, looking at the Bears’ draft board and free-agency rankings with all his best-case scenario groupings still in play.
Well, it’s go time. And for Poles and his team — which includes assistant general manager Ian Cunningham and contract negotiators Matt Feinstein and Cliff Stein — the trick will be blending think-big ambition with patient practicality. I’ll get to more of this in a minute. But Poles’ consistent emphasis on discipline for the upcoming shopping spree has resonated with me. What do you expect for this first wave and first week of free agency?
Colleen Kane: I’m with you, Dan, in noting that Poles continues to stress being selective and sticking to value parameters in free agency. His belief is that long-term success is built through the draft, and he knows how getting bogged down by bad free-agent contracts can hurt that pursuit.
“The key is that we don’t waste this opportunity and do something that’s not sound that doesn’t allow us to have this flexibility in years to come,” Poles said at the NFL combine. “So that’s the balance — take advantage of now but still (be mindful of) not trying to hurt you down the road.”
That said, Poles has money to spend, and the first wave of free agency should be more interesting for the Bears and with bigger contracts than we’ve had in a couple of years, though I suppose 2021 was interesting for a different reason — the quarterback intrigue that resulted in the Andy Dalton signing. But that’s a memory for another story.
This year, the Bears have holes to fill all over their roster except at quarterback. But I would think the early big spending will likely go to the team’s most pressing needs — upgrading the offensive and defensive lines.
Wiederer: That would be the hope. The Bears need help on both sides of the ball. And when we look at the top shelf of offensive tackles in free agency, it’s easy to get excited about the potential addition of guys such as Orlando Brown or Mike McGlinchey or Jawaan Taylor or Kaleb McGary. Any of those players — at the right price — would help the Bears check a box in their effort to create support for quarterback Justin Fields.
Defensively, Javon Hargrave, Dre’Mont Jones and Dalvin Tomlinson will be worth checking in on.
Without question, Poles will be active in trying to acquire difference-making talent over the next few weeks. But, as you mentioned, he also will be mindful of how every player on the Bears’ free-agency board is valued. The key, then, will be in showing flexibility but not recklessness as specific circumstances dictate.
We always look at free agency in waves. The first — which will start when the negotiating period opens Monday and last three or four days — is the wave that creates the biggest headlines and adrenaline rushes. But it’s often the second-wave value signings that work out best for the healthiest teams in the league.
Kane: You mentioned Bears fans’ big dreams earlier, and I already can hear the buzz if Poles were to lock down a player such as Brown or Hargrave.
But you’re right: The second wave of free agency is going to be crucial too. This is a Bears team that went 3-14 in 2022 with a lot of players on short-term deals. Beyond the multiple spots the Bears need to upgrade on their lines, they need cornerbacks, linebackers and tight ends. They need to consider re-signing David Montgomery or weigh other options at running back to complement Khalil Herbert.
And of course they need wide receivers. Darnell Mooney is coming off an ankle injury. Chase Claypool and Velus Jones Jr. didn’t produce up to expectations in their first stints with the Bears. The contributions from a host of other wide receivers were minimal. Fields needs better players to throw to, and I don’t think counting on improvement from any of the aforementioned receivers is going to cut it.
This class of free-agent wideouts isn’t considered great, so maybe the Bears are plotting additions from the draft. Either way, I’m intrigued to see how it unfolds.
Wiederer: I got dizzy just now as you ticked off all the needs this team has. Resources? Yes. But many needs too. Many, many needs.
That’s why that massive $94 million number that applies to the Bears’ salary-cap space is a touch misleading because they also have a high volume of signings to make, which will require Poles to spread his spending out strategically over many areas while also retaining a feel for what will be available in the draft.
Suddenly, the dream of a free-agency shopping spree with few restrictions gets reined in slightly with the need for Poles, in his words, to stay disciplined. Which is why he might be undeterred if his early haul in free agency doesn’t meet the expectations of the most zealous fans.
And just to extend off your point that this free-agent receiver class isn’t all that impressive, the class as a whole lacks sizzle, seen in many league circles as ho-hum at best. That points me back to the thought process that Poles might conduct his business in a calculated manner that allows him to retain some level of cap flexibility for a better time — when the free-agent market is more appealing and the Bears are closer to contending.
Kane: I think that brings us to what a realistic result might be when the Bears roster makeover is complete in May.
Between the money available to Poles in free agency and the No. 1 draft pick that he hopes to turn into more draft capital, how many true difference makers will the Bears be able to add this offseason?
Enough to bring them closer to contending? For sure. Enough to make them a contender? Maybe not yet.
Wiederer: The key in all of this for Poles is understanding the need for immediate fixes while also working to lock in new players who can be part of the team’s long-term plans. Between free agency and the draft, ideally the Bears should be aiming to add at least a half-dozen and maybe up to 10 players who can still be important contributors in 2026. Again, this isn’t “surge and splurge” time for Poles. But it is a critical period to stabilize the roster in a meaningful way.
() | 2023-03-09T13:29:39+00:00 | denverpost.com | https://www.denverpost.com/2023/03/09/nfl-free-agency-is-near-what-are-realistic-goals-for-chicago-bears-gm-ryan-poles-with-all-that-salary-cap-space-to-spend/ |
DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Rockies have claimed left-hander Brent Suter off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers. The 33-year-old Suter went 5-3 with a 3.78 ERA in 54 appearances this past season. He struck out 53 and walked 22 in 66 2/3 innings. Suter had spent his entire big league career with Milwaukee, making his debut in 2016. He was the longest-tenured Brewer and had served as the team’s union representative. Suter owns a 36-19 record and 3.51 ERA in 196 career appearances, including 39 starts. He has 338 strikeouts and 98 walks in 394 2/3 innings.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | 2022-11-18T21:39:23+00:00 | wtmj.com | https://wtmj.com/ap-news/2022/11/18/rockies-claim-lhp-brent-suter-off-waivers-from-brewers-2/ |
SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cisco today announced that it will participate in the following conference with the financial community during the month of November. The session will be webcast. Interested parties can view the event on Cisco's Investor Relations website at investor.cisco.com.
Credit Suisse 26th Annual Technology Conference
November 29, 2022
10:40 a.m. PT / 1:40 p.m. ET
Kip Compton, SVP, Strategy & Business Development
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in technology that powers the Internet. Cisco inspires new possibilities by reimagining your applications, securing your data, transforming your infrastructure, and empowering your teams for a global and inclusive future. Discover more on The Newsroom and follow us on Twitter.
Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Cisco Systems, Inc. | 2022-11-08T13:20:51+00:00 | witn.com | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/11/08/cisco-announces-november-2022-event-with-financial-community/ |
Quadruplets graduate from the same college at the same time
BLUE BELL, Pa. (Gray News) - A set of quadruplets from Pennsylvania who decided to attend the same college all graduated over the same weekend, each one with a different major.
Chloe, Annagrace, Michaela and Max Hansen never imagined going to college together, but all four of them ended up falling in love with the University of Alabama for different reasons, KYW reports.
Annagrace Hansen, a marketing major, and her fraternal twin Max Hansen, a finance major, knew they wanted to attend a school in the South, according to a university news release.
When they visited the school, their sister Chloe Hansen, a criminal justice major, found the campus “beautiful” and decided to attend, too. Her identical twin Michaela Hansen, an education major, told the school they’ve “always done everything together.”
During their time at college, the three sisters lived together, while Max Hansen was just down the street.
“We made our own friends and were our own people, but we still knew everyone was close,” Chloe Hansen told the school.
All four graduated over the same weekend, one last Friday and the other three last Saturday. They are the first set of quadruplets to graduate at the same time from the university.
“So, three different graduations, but it’s easier that we’re all at the same campus, same school – so, it’s very easy for my parents,” Max Hansen told KYW.
Originally from Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, the quadruplets plan to return to that area to live together and start their careers.
“We are all so happy we came to Alabama, but my mom is excited to have us all home again,” Max Hansen told the college.
Among the things the siblings have missed during their time at school are their older brother, their dogs and Philadelphia’s unique food, including soft pretzels, cheesesteaks and “real pizza,” according to WPVI.
“I think the food is better in Philly,” Annagrace said.
When asked what being a quadruplet is like, the siblings told WPVI they’re four built-in best friends.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. CNN contributed to this report. | 2023-05-10T07:53:24+00:00 | wlox.com | https://www.wlox.com/2023/05/10/quadruplets-graduate-same-college-same-time/ |
By SOPHENG CHEANG
Associated Press
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Three endangered freshwater dolphins have died within 10 days of each other, alarming conservationists in Cambodia.
The death of a third healthy dolphin in such a brief period indicates “an increasingly alarming situation and the need for an intensive law enforcement be urgently conducted in the dolphin habitats,” the World Wildlife Fund said in an announcement Monday.
The latest Irrawaddy dolphin death — believed to have stemmed from entanglement in an illegal fishing line — spotlighted the need for law enforcement to help save the species, also known as the Mekong River dolphin, according to the statement.
The WWF said the body of a healthy female dolphin estimated to be between 7 and 10 years old was found floating in the river Saturday in the eastern province of Kratie. It said an examination of its carcass suggested that the dolphin, 196 centimeters (6 1/2 feet) long and 93 kilograms (205 pounds), had been hooked and wrapped in a tangle of fishing line.
Seng Teak, WWF Cambodia director, said in the statement that without immediate action “the recent increase in illegal fishing activities in the dolphin conservation areas” would destroy the Mekong River dolphin population in Cambodia.
The statement advocated stepping up day and night patrols to protect the remaining dolphins in conservation areas.
The first census of Irrawaddy dolphins in Cambodia in 1997 estimated their total population was about 200. In 2020, the population was estimated to have fallen to 89.
WWF said 11 dolphins have died in 2022, bringing the total number of deaths to 29 in the past three years.
The Irrawaddy dolphin is classified as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Other groups of these dolphins are found in two other freshwater rivers: Myanmar’s Irrawaddy and Indonesia’s Mahakam on the island of Borneo.
In February, Cambodian wildlife officials announced the death of the last known Irrawaddy dolphin in a population on a stretch of the Mekong River further upstream, which appeared to be caused by entanglement in a fishing net.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | 2022-12-26T12:54:43+00:00 | wtmj.com | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/12/26/deaths-of-3-endangered-cambodian-dolphins-raise-alarm-2/ |
Allthenticate is eliminating passwords, smartcards, authentication codes, and key fobs and replacing them with a modern, mobile experience.
HOUSTON, Texas and SANTA BARBARA, Calif., June 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allthenticate, a unified authentication and access control company, announces its seed funding of $3,133,337, "elite" in hacker speak, led by Silverton Partners with participation from Amplify and Ping Identity.
Allthenticate's mission is to make security products that are fun, easy to use, and ridiculously secure. Its current services let organizations use their smartphones to unlock and log in to everything: doors, computers, websites, and servers. Allthenticate helps organizations upgrade their security infrastructures while reducing management overhead, increasing visibility into their organization, and letting them build highly-customized security policies. These policies can be made as user-friendly as possible without compromising security – doors unlock as you walk up to them, computers unlock by simply pressing [Enter], and websites login automatically based on the proximity of the phone. Only in security-critical instances will users be prompted for a secure biometric or a PIN, as determined by its users.
Dr. Chad Spensky, founder and CEO, said, "The Internet desperately needs an authentication overhaul. Our current ecosystem is cumbersome, limits innovation, and has numerous security shortcomings. I have dedicated my career to this problem and feel very fortunate to have the support to continue to develop our technology and bring it to the masses. The feedback from our early customers has been incredibly positive, which is only compounding the excitement here at Allthenticate."
Allthenticate has taken an exclusive license from MIT to the core technology, originally developed for the Department of Defense by Chad and his team during their tenure at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. Allthenticate's fully-distributed architecture is unique in the authentication industry. The system was meticulously designed to remove any single points of failure and to distribute trust across the ecosystem. Each user is in full control of their cryptographic keys, which are securely stored in their phone's hardware, and each organization controls their own small piece of the network. This design allows Allthenticate's technology to scale without putting the world's infrastructure at risk of a cyberattack and without compromising users' privacy.
Silverton's managing partner, Morgan Flager, announced, "Silverton has a long history of working with leaders who have pushed boundaries in identity, governance, and access management. Upon meeting Chad and Rita, we recognized Allthenticate's technology as having the potential to be paradigm-shifting for the industry. What the team has accomplished with modest financial resources to date is impressive. We are excited and honored to partner with Allthenticate to accelerate our shared vision of creating a safer and more secure world without passwords."
"We're excited to support the Allthenticate team in their mission to accelerate a truly passwordless future, and what that means for the opportunity to improve and modernize the security stack for enterprises everywhere. Companies use a range of products and often staple together solutions across password management, authentication, and access — Allthenticate creates a seamless command center for all of this," declared Connor Sundberg from Amplify.
The new funding will help expand engineering efforts and commercial operations, as well as establishing strategic partnerships and integrations.
ALLTHENTICATE CONTACT
NAME: Rita Mounir
TITLE: Co-founder, Chief Operating Officer
EMAIL: rita@allthenticate.com
PHONE: (805) 209-9387
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Allthenticate | 2022-06-21T14:57:44+00:00 | kcrg.com | https://www.kcrg.com/prnewswire/2022/06/21/allthenticate-raises-elite-3133337-seed-round-free-world-passwords-key-fobs/ |
President Biden Signs ‘Burn Pits’ Help For Vets
August 10, 2022 5:34PM CDT
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden has signed veterans health care legislation that ends a long battle to expand benefits for troops who served near toxic “burn pits.”
The ceremony Wednesday at the White House was a personal matter for Biden.
His son Beau was a major in the Delaware Army National Guard, and he died of cancer after his service in Iraq.
Burn pits were used in Iraq and Afghanistan to dispose of chemicals, cans, plastics, medical equipment and human waste.
The legislation will help veterans get disability payments without having to prove their illness was the result of their service.
Other health care services will be expanded as well. | 2022-08-11T05:30:02+00:00 | wlip.com | https://www.wlip.com/president-biden-signs-burn-pits-help-for-vets/ |
COLLIERVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Part of healing and moving from place of grief to hope involves looking back.
Friday night, about 150 community members did just that on the front steps of Collierville Town Hall. They gathered to look back on Sept. 23, 2021. It’s been one year since a gunman opened fire in the Kroger on New Byhalia, injuring 15 people during the mayhem. Olivia King, a shopper, was the only one to succumb to her injuries.
Wes King, her son, was among those present, Friday. Although he now lives in Ohio, he returned to his hometown to remember the life of his mother and the tragedy which took her life.
“I’m reconciling the fact she’s gone and the undeniable fact she shouldn’t be,” he said, noting she didn’t die of other sickness, but due to a senseless act. “This as an example of our corrupted free will at times.”
He noted his mother was devout in her faith. She went to mass that morning to be with the Lord. King believes that afternoon, she saw the Lord.
“We have to do something,” he said of tragedies the nation continues to see. “It starts with us. My mother loved her family. She loved other people. She gave generously. ... We have to start with love, and that love comes from God. You are helping lead that with the love you showed in the wake of that event.”
He and Alderwoman Maureen Fraser released doves in remembrance of his mother. Fraser, a friend of Olivia King, fought tears as she watched the doves soar into the distance.
The Kemmons Wilson Family Center for Good Grief at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville was an essential part of helping the community deal with the trauma. Angela Hamblen-Kelly, the center’s executive director noted everyone holds some amount of grief, but those gathered shared in the grief of the Kroger incident.
“We grieve because we love,” she said, noting remembering the tragedy is an essential part of healing and moving forward.
“The trial of one season has become the testimony of another,” Matt Shackelford, Central Church’s lead pastor prayed. “We do long for that season where peace will reign, when love will reign.”
Earlier in the day, BankTennessee hosted a lunch for the fire department. Wright Cox, the bank’s president and CEO. Firefighters and aldermen feasted on catfish, hushpuppies and coleslaw. Collierville Commissary donated banana pudding.
“It’s really hard to express to these men and women how much they mean to our community,” Cox said. “Of course this day is a tragic day, but it’s also a day that shows how Collierville continues to stand.”
Cox said they wanted to do something simple yet visible to show appreciation for their actions on Sept. 23 and every day. Cox’s brothers were firefighters, and one went into Kroger alongside the firefighters on the day that shook the Collierville community. However, it created a deeper bond among an already tight-knit community that prides itself on its small-town feel.
United States Congressman David Kustoff took time on the House floor Thursday to remember the day in Collierville.
“We will never forget the courage of the law enforcement officers, firefighters and first responders who sprang into actions,” Kustoff said, noting their efforts saved lives. “I am proud to say that today and always we are Collierville Strong.” | 2022-09-25T18:15:36+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Tennessee-town-reflects-1-year-after-grocery-17465722.php |
Start the new year off with a smart resolution
The time is fast approaching when many make their New Year’s resolutions. The most popular ones usually involve some sort of steps to lead a healthier life. Exercise and eating better often top that list. When made and consumed wisely, a smoothie can be an excellent nutritious treat. Here is a list of blenders and accessories you need to make the best smoothie.
Are smoothies a healthy treat?
When made with a balance of ingredients, a smoothie can be a very healthy, nutritionally dense meal. The secret is to make sure you add a balance of ingredients in your blender, not all fruits and juices. When evaluating any recipe, make sure it has carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats.
It is also important to use water or skim milk as your liquid base and add a protein source, which will help you feel full after consuming. Then, remember to wait before making a second one as it can take as long as 40 minutes for the brain to release satiety hormones that make you feel full.
What is the primary concern of drinking smoothies?
The biggest concern with smoothies is portion control. It is possible to have too much of a good thing. When choosing an insulated tumbler or travel mug, either pick a small size or don’t fill the large one up all the way. The ideal smoothie should only be 8 to 12 ounces.
Best blenders and smoothie accessories
KitchenAid K400 Variable Speed Blender with Tamper
With its ribbed jar, asymmetrical blade and adaptive motor, not only can the K400 blend a smoothie in about 20 seconds, it creates a smooth and consistent texture. The self-clean cycle is a convenient and much-appreciated feature. Sold by Amazon and Kohl’s
Ninja Nutri-Blender Pro with Auto-iQ
Ninja’s Auto-iQ feature combines pulsing, blending and pausing patterns to deliver an exceptionally smooth beverage. The 1,100-peak-watt motor provides enough power to easily crush ice at the touch of a button. Sold by Best Buy and Kohl’s
Ninja Foodi Smoothie Bowl Maker and Nutrient Extractor
This popular smoothie system lets you make bowls and beverages. It has an impressive 1,200-peak-watts of power and six one-touch programs, so you can easily blend, pulse, extract, make a smoothie and more. Sold by Amazon, Best Buy, Home Depot and Target
Black and Decker PowerCrush Blender
The Black and Decker PowerCrush blender is specially designed so you can crush ice with ease. It has three speeds and a quad blade and is large enough to make six smoothies at once. Sold by Amazon and Kohl’s
This blender has a number of settings, such as food type and thickness, that let you customize your blend. There is even a setting designated for making smoothies. The texture technology takes the guesswork out of getting the perfect consistency. Sold by Target
Magic Bullet Single-Serve Blender
The Magic Bullet is a popular single-serve blender that offers an outstanding balance of features at a reasonable price. It comes with three different-sized cups, resealable lids and a 10-second recipe guide. Sold by Amazon and Kohl’s
Hamilton Beach Go Sport Personal Blender
This compact blender is a Kohl’s exclusive. It has two speeds, a pulse feature, a flip-top lid and 600 watts of peak power. For maximum convenience, the unit has a 20-ounce container that is designed to blend and go. Sold by Kohl’s
Hamilton Beach Personal Blender
If budget is your top priority, this entry-level personal blender has a single-button operation that lets you make one 14-ounce smoothie. It is tiny, but powerful enough to blend frozen fruit and ice. Sold by Amazon
12-Ounce Stainless Steel Insulated Mug
For people who want to take their smoothie on a morning commute, this double-walled mug will keep your beverage cold for up to nine hours. It holds the perfect amount of smoothie (12 ounces) and has a sliding lid to help prevent splashing and spills. Sold by Amazon
12-Pack Reusable Smoothie Straws
Environmentally conscious smoothie drinkers will appreciate this assortment of 12 reusable straws. They come in six bright colors and feature an extra-wide opening to suck up the thickest beverages. Purchase also includes two cleaning brushes and a storage bag. Sold by Amazon
Want to shop the best products at the best prices? Check out Daily Deals from BestReviews.
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Allen Foster writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2022-12-28T22:14:57+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/reviews/br/apparel-br/holiday-br/10-top-rated-blenders-and-smoothie-accessories-to-help-you-kick-off-your-new-years-health-goals/ |
AUGUSTA, Maine — April is Organ Donation Month in Maine, and on Thursday, lawmakers and advocates gathered in Augusta to celebrate life-saving donations and call on more Mainers to consider becoming a donor.
"The gift of life for an individual to carry on and continue that legacy through the gift of a life, is a thing called a miracle," Matt Boger, with New England Donor Services, said.
On Thursday afternoon, Boger was joined by Gov. Janet Mills, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, lawmakers, and those touched by an organ donation, including Rick Griffin.
"I wake up every morning and think, 'It's gonna be a great day.' And because I am alive, it is a great day," Griffin said.
Griffin said he was facing serious liver failure, and doctors only gave him days to live when he found out he had a match for an organ transplant.
"It's being able to be blessed every day to see my family, know how much they truly cared for me, and my friends. I don't take life for granted at all anymore," Griffin said.
According to New England Donor Services (NEDS), more than 104,000 people across the country are awaiting donations, including more than 6,000 in New England. NEDS said there were, however, 1,325 lives saved thanks to organ donation in 2022.
"People like Catherine Campbell, from Clinton, who woke up from her kidney transplant surgery with a second chance at life thanks to her own neighbor, Jessica," Mills said.
NEWS CENTER Maine first spoke with Campbell and her neighbor, Jessica Begin, one week before surgery last year, and again one month ago to hear their success story.
"Look into it. You can change someone's life in so many different ways, even something like checking I'm an organ donor on your license," Campbell said.
You can register to become an organ donor while getting or renewing your driver's license at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, or by visiting RegisterME.org. | 2023-04-13T22:21:01+00:00 | newscentermaine.com | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/health/lawmakers-advocates-celebrate-organ-donation-month-donor-list/97-492b643f-25b8-4d93-bb93-a9ca02dc716e |
EUROPEAN COLLABORATION AIMS TO REVOLUTIONISE DISPLAY PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY
MANCHESTER, England, Feb. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SmartKem, Inc. (OTCQB: SMTK), a company seeking to reshape the world of electronics with a revolutionary semiconductor platform that enables a new generation of displays, has today announced its participation in a groundbreaking partnership of European technology businesses and research institutions. The collaborative Hi-Accµracy project brings together eleven of the most innovative and forward-thinking companies in the industry in a bid to establish the next generation of Organic and Large Area Electronics (OLAE) - including Organic Thin Film Transistors (OTFT) and Electroluminescent Quantum Dot Light Emitting Diode (EL-QD-LED) based displays.
SmartKem's role will include developing an OTFT back-plane upon which consortium member Fraunhofer IAP will print a QD-LED front-plane. The backplane utilises a compact, two transistor one capacitor (2T1C) circuit. Q-LED materials will be added to the front-plane using high resolution Electro-Static Jet (ESJET) printing. The resulting 300ppi RGB display will showcase the performance of SmartKem's range of TRUFLEX® materials when used in conjunction with micron scale additive patterning processes and low temperature processing conditions. SmartKem believes its technology has the potential to enable the sustainable manufacture of high quality, robust, flexible displays at low cost. SmartKem are also working with consortium member VTT in the project to adapt their OSC inks for compatibility with highly efficient reverse offset printing (ROP) processes.
Dr Simon Ogier, Chief Technology Officer at SmartKem commented "We are pleased to join the Hi-Accµracy project, which will highlight the potential of high resolution printing for making emissive displays driven by solution processed Organic Transistors."
The Hi-Accµracy project is targeting the large printed, flexible and organic electronics global market. This market, dominated by displays, is estimated at €28.3bn with an annual growth rate of greater than 8%1. Overseen by an advisory board made up of Sony, Huawei and Polar, the project offers Europe the opportunity to make a step-change beyond the technologies currently utilised in the Far-East – creating valuable intellectual property together with new manufacturing and job opportunities. Hi-Accµracy has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 862410. Details of the project can be found at https://www.hi-accuracy.eu/
SmartKem's OTCQB information can be found on the OTC Markets website:
www.otcmarkets.com/stock/SMTK/overview
About SmartKem
SmartKem is seeking to reshape the world of electronics with a revolutionary semiconductor platform that enables a new generation of displays, sensors and logic. SmartKem's patented TRUFLEX® inks are solution deposited at a low temperature, on low-cost substrates to make organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) circuits. The company's semiconductor platform can be used in a number of applications including miniLED displays, AMOLED displays, fingerprint sensors and integrated logic circuits. SmartKem develops its materials at its research and development facility in Manchester, UK, and its semiconductor manufacturing process at the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) at Sedgefield, UK. The company has an extensive IP portfolio including over 175 patents across 17 patent families. For more information, visit: www.smartkem.com and follow us on LinkedIn SmartKem, Inc. | LinkedIn and Twitter @SmartKemTRUFLEX
About HI-ACCµRACY
HI-ACCµRACY aims to deliver the next generation of large area manufacture of flexible OLAE structures such as organic Thin Film Transistors (OTFTs) and Electroluminescent Quantum Dot Light Emitting Diode (EL-QD-LED) displays, to μm-scale feature size printable onto flexible substrates. This is aimed at the large and excisting printed, flexible and organic electronics global market, estimated at €28.3bn with an annual growth rate of >8% which is mainly dominated by displays. HI-ACCµRACY will display front- and back-plane structures with feature sizes approaching 1 μm using low cost materials that can operate at frequencies of >1MHz. This will be achieved through a unique range of cutting-edge materials and printing inks, in combination with inherently scalable, cost-effective printing and deposition approaches, that have non vacuum or minimal vacuum requirement. Materials such as EL-QD-LED material stacks with multilayer barrier layers that can achieve the required WVTR and oxygen transmission rates, novel organic semiconductors and conductive inks that can be produced at low cost with minimal environmental impact are being developed.
HI-ACCµRACY is an ambitious project representing a pan-European EU consortium of world leading research centres and cutting-edge SMEs that are looking to develop and commercialise these technologies of European origin.
The final project demonstrators produced will be validated at the industrial facilities of one of the SME partners and the subsequent displays being further processed and tested by the end-user partners in their testing facilities (TRL5).
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements in this press release that are not historical are forward-looking statements, including, among other things, statements relating to the SmartKem's expectations regarding its market position and market opportunity, expectations and plans as to its product development, manufacturing and sales, and relations with its partners and investors. These statements are not historical facts but rather are based on SmartKem Inc.'s current expectations, estimates, and projections regarding its business, operations and other similar or related factors. Words such as "may," will," "could," "would," "should," "anticipate," "predict," "potential," "continue," "expect," "intend," "plan," "project," "believe," "estimate," and other similar or elated expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult or impossible to predict and, in some cases, beyond the Company's control. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update information in this release to reflect events or circumstances in the future, even if new information becomes available.
1Market Share for Printed, Flexible and Organic Electronics (IDTechEx, 2018)
View original content:
SOURCE SmartKem, Inc. | 2023-02-23T16:45:18+00:00 | kfyrtv.com | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/02/23/smartkem-joins-hi-accracy-project-developing-active-matrix-printed-q-led-displays/ |
The NFL did not give officials a directive to emphasize roughing-the-passer penalties following Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion, but the topic will be discussed next week when NFL owners meet in New York, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press.
The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because the conversations are internal, said the league isn’t planning to make any rule changes amid outrage over two disputed calls in Week 5. Roughing-the-passer penalties are down 45% from this point last year. Through Week 5 in 2021, 51 were called. Only 28 have been called this season, according to league stats.
The league’s Competition Committee — comprised of six team owners/executives and four head coaches — makes most of the recommendations for rule changes. Teams can also propose rule changes to be voted on by owners, which require 24 votes to pass.
One idea, suggested by Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones on Monday night after he was flagged, might be to allow video review of roughing calls.
That is unlikely, acccording to a person with knowledge of the situation.
The league already went down that road, making pass interference reviewable for one season after an egregious missed foul late in the fourth quarter in the NFC championship in January 2019 cost the New Orleans Saints a trip to the Super Bowl.
The experiment failed miserably and the rule wasn’t considered the next year.
Protecting quarterbacks is a priority for owners, who pay big bucks for the faces of their franchises. Twenty-five QBs are making at least $25 million this season.
The questionable call against Jones — the second in two days — nearly cost Kansas City in its 30-29 comeback victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Chiefs had just scored to trim their deficit to 17-7 when Jones stripped Raiders quarterback Derek Carr from behind just before halftime. The Pro Bowl defensive tackle landed on Carr while also coming up with the ball — replays showed it was clearly loose and that Jones cleanly recovered — but referee Carl Cheffers threw a flag for roughing the passer.
“The quarterback is in the pocket and he’s in a passing posture. He gets full protection of all the aspects of what we give the quarterback in a passing posture,” Cheffers told a pool reporter after the game. “My ruling was the defender landed on him with full body weight. The quarterback is protected from being tackled with full body weight.”
On Sunday, Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett was flagged by referee Jerome Boger for a seemingly harmless sack on Tom Brady. The penalty gave the Buccaneers a first down and allowed them to run out the clock on a 21-15 victory.
Boger made a similar critical call late in the fourth quarter of the Ravens-Bills game a week earlier on a play that many also thought didn’t to warrant a flag.
Boger called another borderline roughing penalty in the Falcons-Buccaneers game when Vita Vea was pushed into Atlanta quarterback Marcus Mariota.
Roughing the passer is the only rule where referees are instructed to err on the side of caution.
The NFL rulebook notes: “When in doubt about a roughness call or potentially dangerous tactic against the quarterback, the referee should always call roughing the passer.”
Jones, who has been flagged for roughing the passer nine times in his career, has a solution.
“We’ve got to be able to review it in the booth, you know what I mean?” Jones said. “I think that’s the next step for the NFL as a whole. If we’re going to call it a penalty at that high (of rate), then we’ve got to be able to review it and make sure, because sometimes looks can be deceiving.”
___
AP Sports Dave Skretta contributed.
___
Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter at https://twitter.com/robmaaddi
___
More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | 2022-10-11T21:24:24+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/sports/ap-ap-source-nfl-to-evaluate-roughing-the-passer-rule/ |
Republicans vying for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination are adamant that the dynamics in the primary are poised to change in the coming months, even as former President Trump builds on his sizable lead in the polls amid various legal problems.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley have in recent days separately argued that it’s too soon to anoint Trump as the party’s 2024 nominee, more than one year before such a nominee becomes official. Candidates and some strategists have noted that the first debate has yet to happen, and that in past presidential cycles, the eventual nominee was often not leading in the polls at this point in the process.
Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo asked DeSantis in a Sunday interview to respond to reports about why his campaign has struggled to build momentum and break through with voters after the governor entered the race with high expectations as Trump’s chief challenger.
DeSantis argued the idea that his campaign was sputtering was a media narrative — “The media does not want me to be the nominee,” he said — but he acknowledged it would be a months-long effort to win over GOP voters. He suggested the first primary debate, scheduled for August, is when that shift would start to occur.
“I think really, Maria, that’s when people are really going to start paying attention to the primary,” DeSantis said. “I think up to this point, a lot of that has been about some of these legal cases. And I think a lot of the voters’ concern about that and understandably so.”
Haley has similarly struggled to gain much ground in the polls, despite being in the race since February, longer than several of her rivals. She pointed to historical precedent to argue that just because Trump is leading in the polls currently doesn’t mean he will maintain that spot in the months to come.
“I know that by mid-fall, this is going to be totally different. Once you pass Labor Day, the numbers start to shift. And you can look at history for that. That’s not me just hoping, that’s me knowing,” Haley said in an interview with The New York Times.
Allies of candidates such as former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) have argued that they will see their polling improve as more voters get to know them on the trail.
But Trump’s lead has been resilient and has even grown in the wake of multiple indictments and new entrants into the 2024 field, while the challengers — led by DeSantis — have struggled to chip away at the former president’s lead with voters. And some strategists warned that this cycle is unlike others in the past, given Trump has been the party’s nominee twice before.
“You cannot depend on the way things have always happened,” said Doug Heye, a former spokesperson for the Republican National Committee. “If you want to change the campaign, you have to go out and change it. You can’t depend on someone changing it for you.”
There has been relatively little movement in polls over the past few months, with Trump holding steady atop most surveys, typically followed by DeSantis, then a cluster of candidates including Haley, Pence, Scott and others in single digits.
A RealClearPolitics average of polls showed that Trump’s standing in national GOP primary surveys was at its lowest point in early March, at 43 percent. But in the four months since, the former president has seen his lead in the polling average grow and hold steady at more than 50 percent.
A Fox News poll of GOP primary voters published June 28 found 56 percent of those surveyed said they’d like to see Trump as the party’s 2024 nominee; DeSantis was second with 22 percent support, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy finished third at 5 percent support.
A Florida Atlantic University poll conducted June 27-July 1 also found Trump with a 20-point lead over DeSantis in their home state.
Still, there are signs individual candidates may have an opening to put a dent in Trump’s lead in some early voting states, and in Iowa in particular.
Committed to America, a super PAC supporting Pence’s presidential bid, said in a late June memo that it had knocked on more than 120,000 doors in Iowa, and that its data shows Pence’s support has steadily increased in the state.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R), who coasted to reelection in 2022, has appeared at multiple events this year alongside DeSantis or his wife, Casey, something that appeared to draw the ire of Trump on Monday when he attacked her on Truth Social.
And there is broad agreement among candidates and strategists that the first debates will be critical for candidates looking to make an impression with voters.
If Trump chooses to skip the first debate in August, which he has repeatedly threatened to do, it will become that much more important for candidates like Haley, Pence and DeSantis who are hoping for a breakthrough moment.
“It seems like at this point it’s not even a two person race,” said one former adviser to Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns. “The question is, can somebody in that other group — whether it’s DeSantis or Mike Pence or Vivek Ramaswamy — can they do something and get some traction and pull some of those poll numbers down.” | 2023-07-11T12:11:57+00:00 | wwlp.com | https://www.wwlp.com/hill-politics/trumps-2024-rivals-predict-shift-is-coming-in-primary-landscape/ |
Formation of new Board and updates to key management roles set to drive and accelerate progression in the region
CARLSBAD, Calif., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nice, a global leader in Home and Building Management solutions, today announced pivotal changes within its North American entity to further boost growth and innovation.
, former Chief Commercial Officer of GE Grid Solutions, appointed as Nice North America CEO.
Nice North America begins its next phase of evolution by establishing a new Board to provide strategic oversight of regional operations, a move indicating a sustained commitment to increasing shareholder value, improving corporate governance, and driving strategic growth. The Board will lead four specialized committees, each focused on accelerating growth in the areas of ESG, People Strategy, Audit & Compliance, and Strategy.
Leading the coordination of the Board will be Luca Longhin, who is appointed President of Nice North America and is a long-standing contributor to the mission of Nice. Since 2019, Luca has worked extensively on the North American vision and strategy for growth, including driving post-acquisition integration of businesses in the region. His deep understanding of Nice business dynamics will ensure that North America continues on its successful trajectory while contributing significantly to global objectives.
Emanuel Bertolini is appointed as the new CEO of Nice North America, bringing over two decades of project management, sales, and P&L leadership experience. Emanuel has amassed an impressive track record of driving growth and success in his previous roles at GE, including Chief Commercial Officer of GE Grid Solutions, CEO Americas of GE Grid Solutions, and various board positions. Emanuel's proven leadership and dedication to fostering a culture of teamwork, safety, and compliance align perfectly with the values and mission of Nice.
Emanuel is recognized as a growth-oriented leader with a proven track record of delivering results. His extensive background and global expertise equip him with a deep understanding of business dynamics and the ability to drive success. Throughout his leadership journey, he has fostered a culture of teamwork, valuing diverse teams and perspectives, prioritizing safety, and ensuring compliance.
"We are excited about the organizational developments and future of Nice North America," said Roberto Griffa, CEO of Nice group. "Luca's history of success, not only in the region but also throughout his career with Nice, will continue building on the solid foundation established. We are also thrilled about the appointment of Emanuel, a highly regarded leader, and are delighted to welcome him to Nice. His global expertise working across a range of industries make him an excellent fit for the role in driving continued success to achieve the company's strategic objectives."
Addressing his appointment as CEO of Nice North America, Emanuel Bertolini had this to say: "I am pleased to embark on this exciting journey with Nice, a dynamic and globally recognized company. The clear mission, exceptional team, and diverse portfolio of innovative products and solutions position us strongly to achieve success in the marketplace. Together with Luca, the Board, and our dedicated team, I look forward to collaborating with the talented individuals at Nice to deliver outstanding value to our shareholders and our customers."
In his new role as CEO, Emanuel will officially join on August 7, 2023 and report directly to the newly formed Board. Luca will report to Roberto Griffa and the Nice Executive Committee in Italy. This governance structure is designed to accelerate the progression of Nice in North America, building on its innovative smart home and building management solutions.
The moves take place as the company continues its rapid expansion and convergence of brands, beginning first with ELAN®, SpeakerCraft®, and Panamax® brands to create a more powerful whole home solution by the end of 2023.
About Nice North America
Nice North America, a subsidiary of Nice, one of the largest manufacturers of smart residential, commercial, and industrial solutions in the world, with seamless and easy-to-install technology for smart home control, security and automation, perimeter access, protection and control, sunshade solutions, power management, and whole home entertainment. The company is headquartered in Carlsbad, CA, with several R&D and manufacturing centers across the region. Professional integrators, dealers, and distribution partners grow their business with CEU training and education, technical and field support, and award-winning sales and marketing programs. The company is a proud national sponsor of the Gary Sinise Foundation R.I.S.E. program, supporting wounded veterans and their families with specially adapted smart homes. For further information visit www.niceforyou.com.
Press Contacts:
Agency Contact
BCW
Brittany Gbur
Brittany.gbur@bcw-global.com
Corporate Contact
Mark Burson
Chief Marketing Officer
Nice North America
m.burson@niceforyou.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Nice North America | 2023-07-31T17:31:29+00:00 | kfyrtv.com | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/nice-charts-course-bolster-growth-with-strategic-leadership-appointments-evolution-organizational-structure/ |
CA Marine Warnings and Forecast for Sunday, July 31, 2022
_____
MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT
Marine Weather Statement
National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
204 AM PDT Sun Jul 31 2022
...Isolated thunderstorms possible over the Coastal Waters of
Southwest California into Sunday night...
Monsoonal flow and abundant moisture could trigger isolated
thunderstorms across the coastal waters of Southwest California
this weekend. The thunderstorm threat will initially begin across
the coastal waters of Orange and Los Angeles counties this morning,
then overspread the entire coastal waters by this afternoon
into Sunday night. Any thunderstorms that occur over the coastal
waters could cause very hazardous conditions for mariners.
Any thunderstorms that occur will be capable of producing brief
gale force winds, rough seas, dangerous cloud to ground lightning,
and brief heavy rain squalls with limited visibility. To be
proactive, check out the latest radar imagery available at
radar.weather.gov, or your favorite source.
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | 2022-07-31T09:51:46+00:00 | expressnews.com | https://www.expressnews.com/weather/article/CA-Marine-Warning-and-Forecast-17341085.php |
FHP: Troopers search for truck involved in golf cart hit-and-run crash in Melbourne
MELBOURNE, Fla. - Troopers are searching for a pickup truck that reportedly crashed into a golf cart in Melbourne, leaving a father and son critically hurt.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the crash happened at 9 p.m. Monday at the intersection of Harlock Road and Lake Washington Road.
According to FHP, a 48-year-old Melbourne man was driving northbound on Harlock Road in a golf cart with his 17-year-old son, when a pickup truck traveling in the same direction, "failed to slow or stop," and struck the back of the golf cart.
Troopers said the force of the collision caused the father and son to be thrown from the golf cart. Both were taken to a hospital in critical condition.
FHP released two videos connected to the crash in hopes of locating the truck and its driver.
One video captured the collision:
Authorities said another camera captured the truck before the crash happened:
Troopers said they believe the truck is a white, newer model Chevy Silverado. It appeared to be towing a small trailer and had a large toolbox across its back window.
Advertisement
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call FHP at 407-737-2213 or Crimeline. | 2022-05-24T20:09:27+00:00 | fox35orlando.com | https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/troopers-search-for-truck-involved-in-golf-cart-hit-and-run-crash-in-melbourne |
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A former Louisville police officer blamed for instigating a conflict that led to the fatal shooting of a Black barbecue restaurant owner during the Breonna Taylor protests has pleaded guilty to using excessive force.
Katie R. Crews, 29, pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to a misdemeanor. She was indicted in March on a felony excessive force charge that carried a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Crews, who is white, was fired by Louisville police earlier this year for escalating a conflict the night of restaurant owner David McAtee's death and for a separate incident where she taunted protesters on social media.
McAtee's death furthered the anger of protesters who had began massing in Louisville's downtown streets in 2020 over the death of Taylor, a Black EMT killed by police who knocked down her door while executing a drug search warrant.
Under the terms of the agreement, Crews, of Jeffersonville, Indiana, can no longer work in law enforcement. She will be sentenced in federal court in January. The misdemeanor charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison.
Steve Romines, a lawyer for McAtee's family, said they are "glad that there has been an acknowledgment of the gross misconduct of (Louisville police) the night of David's death."
Crews wasn't "a lone wolf who decided to go rogue," Romines said in an email Wednesday, arguing that authorities were sent to Louisville's west end by commanding officers to "violate policies and harass people."
A civil lawsuit brought by McAtee's family blames Crews and other law enforcement for using aggressive tactics on bystanders who were on private property the night of McAtee's death.
A couple days earlier, Crews had been photographed by media in downtown Louisville with a protester who offered her a flower. Crews posted the photo on social media and wrote that she hoped "the pepper balls that (the protester) got lit up with a little later on hurt."
"Come back and get ya some more ole girl, I'll be on the line again tonight," Crews wrote.
She later told police investigators she was irritated at the photo's publication, because she saw it as the "media spinning things."
On the night of McAtee's death, Crews was part of a group of Louisville officers and National Guard members sent to an area near his eatery, YaYa's BBQ, to break up a crowd.
The officers were sent to a predominantly Black neighborhood "for a show of force (and) intimidation," far away from the downtown protests, according to the McAtee family's lawsuit, which is pending. It said Crews and other officers were "spoiling for a fight."
Crews approached YaYa's and began firing nonlethal pepper balls, which release a chemical agent. The shots from Crews prompted bystanders to rush into McAtee's kitchen, and Crews kept firing in that direction. McAtee's niece, standing in the doorway of the kitchen, was hit by one of Crews' nonlethal rounds.
After his niece was hit, McAtee pulled a pistol from his hip and fired a shot out the door. Crews and other officers then switched to live rounds and McAtee, leaning out his kitchen door, was fatally shot in the chest by a National Guard member. The lawsuit said officers and National Guard members fired at least 18 live rounds at McAtee's door.
"Tragically, Crews' aggression and desire to inflict harm on others was taken out on David McAtee and his niece," the lawsuit said. Romines has said people were running into McAtee's kitchen yelling that they were being shot at, and McAtee had no idea who was doing the shooting.
Prosecutors later cleared Louisville officers and two National Guard members in a criminal probe into McAtee's death, saying they were justified in using deadly force because McAtee fired at them.
Crews later told investigators that no one in the crowd that night had been disorderly. She also said she had limited training with the pepper ball guns.
"I didn't check myself and I own it," she told police investigators. "I own that I messed up."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2022-10-13T00:22:26+00:00 | wyomingpublicmedia.org | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-10-12/an-ex-louisville-cop-pleads-guilty-to-using-excessive-force-in-breonna-taylor-protests |
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Rand Paul on Monday accused Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of cutting “a secret deal with the White House that fell apart,” blaming a lack of communication by his fellow Kentuckian for the failure of a federal judicial nomination.
Further exposing long-simmering tensions between the state’s two Republican senators, Paul commented on his own role in sinking the nomination last week of anti-abortion lawyer Chad Meredith for a federal judgeship in Kentucky.
The White House abruptly abandoned the nomination on Friday, pointing to the home-state resistance from Paul, who is seeking a third term in the U.S. Senate in this year’s elections.
McConnell, a key player in putting conservatives on the federal bench during Donald Trump’s presidency, told The New York Times last week that the White House intended to follow through on its commitment to nominate Meredith until Paul objected.
McConnell told the newspaper that Paul’s position was “just utterly pointless.”
Paul responded Monday that he supports Meredith and thought the conservative lawyer would make a good judge, but pointed to the process as the problem.
“Unfortunately, instead of communicating and lining up support for him, Senator McConnell chose to cut a secret deal with the White House that fell apart,” Paul said in a statement.
McConnell has insisted there was no deal over a Meredith nomination, pointing instead to his longstanding personal relationship with President Joe Biden.
In another dig at Paul, McConnell told the Times that the Democratic president “would not have been taking a recommendation from Rand Paul, I can assure you.” McConnell’s office did not respond to Paul’s statement when contacted Monday evening.
Biden had intended to nominate Meredith for a district court judgeship in eastern Kentucky. The plan, first revealed by The Courier Journal of Louisville, had languished for weeks. The potential nomination drew resistance from Democrats from Kentucky to Washington.
Meredith, a well-known conservative in Kentucky, defended the state’s anti-abortion laws in court. He also successfully defended a state law that stripped Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear of his emergency power to implement COVID-19 restrictions.
Meredith previously served as chief deputy general counsel to former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, a Republican. Meredith then worked for Kentucky Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who appointed him as the commonwealth’s first solicitor general in 2019. He left government to join a law firm. Meredith’s father, Stephen Meredith, is a state senator in Kentucky.
Scott Jennings, a Kentuckian and former adviser to President George W. Bush, said Monday night that he hoped the “differences could be set aside” so Meredith could be nominated, if it’s not too late.
“I think the average conservative cares little about inside-the-beltway process arguments and more about outcomes, especially when it means pressing any judicial advantage we can get with a Democrat in the White House,” said Jennings, who has close ties to McConnell but counts himself as a supporter of both Kentucky senators. “I’m incredibly sad for Chad, who is talented and deserving.”
Abortion-rights supporters applauded the collapse of Meredith’s nomination.
In a statement Friday, NARAL Pro-Choice America President Mini Timmaraju said: “We’re pleased that the Biden administration made this decision — it’s the right call. With abortion rights and access on the line in Kentucky and across the country, it is absolutely essential that all judges defend and uphold our fundamental rights and freedoms, including reproductive freedom.”
Meanwhile, the rift over the Meredith nomination’s collapse is the latest flare-up between McConnell and Paul, who represent different wings of the GOP.
In 2010, McConnell backed Paul’s chief rival for the GOP Senate nomination in Kentucky. The libertarian-leaning Paul went on to win election to the Senate, riding that year’s tea party-driven wave. Over the years, they’ve settled into a working relationship, though tensions have flared occasionally over such issues as foreign policy and spending matters. | 2022-07-19T05:14:26+00:00 | wboy.com | https://www.wboy.com/news/politics/paul-blames-secret-deal-for-sinking-judicial-nomination/ |
More Americans are working remotely, and the price of housing has gone up in the last two years. But are the two issues related?
A recent academic report released by experts with the National Bureau of Economic Research shows a connection between rising housing prices and the increase in remote work.
The report says that housing costs have increased by 23.8% since 2019. The experts say remote work is responsible for more than half of this increase.
They say that a rise in remote work has accounted for a 15.1% jump in housing prices since 2019.
“Our results suggests that house price growth over the pandemic reflected a change in fundamentals rather than a speculative bubble and that fiscal and monetary stimulus were less important factors,” they wrote. “This implies that policymakers need to pay close attention to the evolution of remote work as an important determinant of future house price growth and inflation.”
The researchers say the future of housing prices will depend on whether remote work continues to grow or not.
“Our results also imply that the future path of housing costs may depend critically on the path of remote work,” they wrote. “If remote work reverses, then there may be a general reversal in housing demand and potentially house prices. If remote work persists, we may expect important repercussions as increased housing costs feed into inflation and so affect the response of monetary policy. Given the macroeconomic importance of either outcome, policy makers need to pay close attention to the future evolution of remote work.” | 2022-05-31T20:41:44+00:00 | krtv.com | https://www.krtv.com/news/national/remote-work-drives-housing-costs-up-researchers-say |
Inside the ugly fight to become the next Republican chair
By STEVE PEOPLES
AP National Political Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Struggling to unify after another disappointing election, the Republican National Committee is consumed by an increasingly nasty leadership fight as the GOP navigates its delicate relationship with former President Donald Trump.
With a vote for RNC chair not scheduled until late January, the public feud may get worse before it gets better.
“It’ll be ugly as hell for a while,” says longtime RNC member Ron Kaufman.
The family fight to lead the party has been largely overshadowed for national attention by the equally contentious struggle to become the new Republican House Speaker, with that election set for the first week in January. But both represent critical selections as the GOP works to overcome six years of electoral underperformance heading into another presidential election.
As the Republicans’ national political arm, the RNC will raise and spend hundreds of millions of dollars in building or rebuilding the party’s framework, in campaign messaging and in the year-long presidential nomination process that will begin in earnest before long.
Ronna McDaniel, Trump’s hand-picked choice to lead the committee and the niece of Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, is running for a fourth consecutive term. But the 49-year-old is facing a rising wave of discontent from Trump’s “MAGA” movement, even as the former president stays silent — at least, for now.
In an interview, McDaniel said she notified Trump of her intention to seek another term but did not explicitly ask for his support. She said she “didn’t think it would be appropriate to be asking for any endorsements” given that party rules require the RNC to remain neutral in the next presidential primary.
McDaniel demurred when asked whether she wanted Trump’s support.
“I think the most important support right now is the members,” she said. “These are leaders in the party, the grassroots leaders.”
California attorney Harmeet Dhillon has emerged as the MAGA favorite to challenge McDaniel, who secured commitments from more than 100 of the RNC’s 168 voting members earlier this month. Dhillon is working aggressively to peel away some of that support ahead of the formal vote at next month’s annual winter meeting in southern California.
Dhillon said she also notified Trump of her candidacy in a brief phone call shortly before she made her intentions public this month. She did not explicitly ask for his endorsement either, although she said the president did not discourage her from challenging McDaniel.
Dhillon, whose law firm earned more than $400,000 representing Trump and his political organizations in the 2022 midterms, said she would leave her law practice if elected chair. The 53-year-old California attorney, who was born in India, also vowed to remain independent in what is expected to be a crowded 2024 presidential primary contest.
Still, Dhillon defends Trump against those Republicans who blame him for the party’s disappointing performance in the November midterm elections. The GOP won a narrow House majority, but a host of Trump’s hand-picked candidates lost key elections for the Senate and governor.
“It’s not any one person’s fault. And I frankly think it’s a little too convenient to say it’s Donald Trump’s fault. Donald Trump hasn’t been the president for the last two years,” Dhillon said.
Instead of criticizing Trump, Dhillon railed against Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, a frequent Trump target, for not investing enough money in important Senate contests. Actually, McConnell and his allies spent tens of millions of dollars more than Trump’s political action committee in the midterms.
“You have Mitch McConnell, because he hates Trump, refusing to support candidates that President Trump endorsed, which I think is really appalling. And I blame him for the Senate losses,” Dhillon said.
Meanwhile, McDaniel is facing criticism from a growing chorus of Republicans largely outside the RNC’s 168 voting members who are eager to change course after three consecutive disappointing election seasons. Her critics include several high-profile Trump loyalists, including Fox News hosts and prominent MAGA figures on social media.
She has some unlikely supporters within the committee as well.
One frequent Trump critic, RNC member Bill Palatucci, said he would support Dhillon because McDaniel has essentially become Trump’s “tool” in recent years. He cited her decisions to stay silent on some of Trump’s more egregious behavior and to spend millions of dollars on his legal fees.
“There’s just gotta be a change,” Palatucci said, describing the committee commitments to McDaniel as “soft.” “RNC members are experienced pols who know how to look you right in the eye and say, ‘I love you,’ and then walk into the voting booth and slit your throat.”
At the same time, those RNC members are being flooded with emails from rank-and-file Republican voters and activists who support Dhillon’s candidacy. The deluge comes after Dhillon and her allies shared the entire committee’s personal emails on social media.
Steve Scheffler, an Iowa-based RNC member who supports McDaniel, said he’s receiving 50 to 70 emails each day from Republicans, many of them angry, weighing in on the leadership fight.
“Most of them are like, ‘Ronna’s gotta go,'” Scheffler said.
Arizona GOP Chair Kelli Ward said she’s received “a few thousand emails” in recent days.
“NOT ONE regular person not affiliated with the current RNC apparatus has urged me to retain Ronna Romney McDaniel as Chair,” Ward tweeted.
Trump remains a wildcard.
The former president has stayed out of the public fight, but key members of his team — including senior adviser Susie Wiles — have notified members in private conversations that Trump remains supportive of McDaniel’s reelection.
Trump’s allies note that his strategy could change at any time — especially as conservative media line up against McDaniel.
Wiles also defended McDaniel publicly on Friday following a report in conservative media, written by a Dhillon supporter and legal client, that the RNC had spent millions of dollars on private jets, limousines, donor mementos and floral arrangements under McDaniel’s watch.
Wiles noted that such RNC spending was sometimes to cover purchases that came at the discretion of the Trump White House.
“Someone leaving this info out of any criticism of RNC spending — and Ronna McDaniel, in particular — is not painting a complete picture,” Wiles told The Associated Press.
Indeed, RNC budget committee chair Glenn McCall described reports of excess spending as “a gross misrepresentation” in a letter to members. Costs associated with luxury car rentals and private jets, he wrote, were largely connected to Trump or other candidates.
McDaniel’s supporters are eager to highlight her success in fundraising, arguably the GOP chair’s most important responsibility. She has raised more than $1.5 billion during her tenure, according to McCall.
Meanwhile, Dhillon is ratcheting up her attacks against McDaniel.
She raised questions about McDaniel’s management of RNC funds, accused her of offering members key positions in exchange for their support and suggested the chair was behind an anonymous email smear campaign.
But more than anything, Dhillon says she’s running because she wants the party to win again: “I’m tired of losing.”
For her part, McDaniel warns that such intense divisions within her party could do serious damage.
“The race I’m running is about unity,” she said. “If we continue to fight and be so hateful to each other to the point where Republicans won’t vote for other Republicans, we’re giving the Democrats what they want.” | 2022-12-17T02:25:03+00:00 | krdo.com | https://krdo.com/news/ap-national-news/2022/12/16/inside-the-ugly-fight-to-become-the-next-republican-chair/ |
Anyone can get monkeypox, but CDC warns LGBTQ community about ‘greater chance’ of exposure now
By Jen Christensen, CNN
Anyone can get or spread monkeypox, but a “notable fraction of cases” in the latest global outbreak are happening among gay and bisexual men, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.
“Some groups may have a greater chance of exposure right now, but by no means is the current risk of exposure to monkeypox exclusively to the gay and bisexual community in the US,” said Dr. John Brooks, chief medical officer for the CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. “Anyone, anyone, can develop [and] spread monkeypox infection, but … many of those affected in the current global outbreak identified as gay and bisexual men.”
There is one confirmed case of monkeypox and four suspected cases in the United States, the CDC said Monday.
The confirmed case is in a man in Massachusetts, and the four cases of orthopox are in men in New York, Florida and Utah. Orthopox refers to pox viruses in general.
“It is likely that there are going to be additional cases reported in the United States,” said Dr. Jennifer McQuiston, a veterinarian and deputy director of the CDC’s Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology.
Brooks said the CDC decided to hold a news conference about the outbreak now because LGBTQ Pride month usually kicks off around the Memorial Day weekend, and officials wanted to make sure the community was aware of the situation. He also urged doctors to be on the lookout for the disease, because it can look like other types of STDs.
“In some cases, during the early stages of illness, the rash has been mostly in the genital and perianal area,” Brooks said. “In some cases, it has produced anal or genital lesions that look like other diseases like herpes or chickenpox or syphilis.
“What we’re trying to do by bringing attention to the fact that some of these cases have had a genital and perianal presentation is just to remind people that people may come in for an evaluation of what they think is an STD, but we’d like the provider to think ‘could it be monkeypox as well?’ if the circumstances fit the story,” Brooks added.
Monkeypox is an extremely rare viral disease that is similar to smallpox, but it is considered clinically less severe, according to the World Health Organization. Cases usually happen in West and Central Africa. But several people have been diagnosed with monkeypox recently in areas that don’t typically see the disease, including in Canada, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom and the US.
Monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted disease, but it can spread through intimate contact during sex when someone has an active rash.
It also can spread through large respiratory droplets, but because large droplets don’t travel far in the air, the contact has to be prolonged for this to happen.
Monkeypox can spread through direct contact with bodily fluids or through contact with contaminated clothes or bedsheets, according to the CDC.
“Anyone can spread monkeypox [from] contact with body fluid or monkeypox sores or respiratory droplets when close to someone,” Brooks said.
The virus typically incubates for seven to 14 days before symptoms appear, according to the CDC.
Initial symptoms include swollen lymph nodes, headache, fever, muscle aches and fatigue. The disease then progresses into a rash and lesions that blister and scab over. This can happen all over the body. The illness usually lasts two to four weeks.
A person can be contagious from one day before the rash appears until up to 21 days after symptoms began. Once the scabs fall off, the person is no longer contagious, the CDC says.
The risk to the general public from this outbreak is low, according to the CDC.
“I don’t think that there’s a great risk to the general community from monkeypox right now in the United States. I think that we need to pay close attention to the communities in which this might be circulating so that we can communicate effectively with them and help bring this outbreak under control,” McQuiston said.
Monkeypox doesn’t seem to be spreading so quickly that parties or events needed to be canceled to stop the spread.
“This is not Covid,” McQuiston said. “Respiratory spread is not the predominant worry. It is contact, and intimate contact, in the current outbreak setting and population. And that’s really what we want to emphasize.”
It’s also important that this outbreak not cause stigma toward the LGBTQ community, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. It warned that some reporting and commentary on monkeypox has used language and imagery that reinforce stereotypes and exacerbate stigma.
“Experience shows that stigmatizing rhetoric can quickly disable evidence-based response by stoking cycles of fear, driving people away from health services, impeding efforts to identify cases, and encouraging ineffective, punitive measures. We appreciate the LGBTI community for having led the way on raising awareness — and we reiterate that this disease can affect anyone,” UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Matthew Kavanagh said in a statement Monday.
The WHO also cautioned people not to use the disease as a way to negatively label any particular community.
“There’s a lot of stigma and discrimination that surrounds many diseases, and I think the key thing we need to look out for is, as WHO, to work with our partners in communities and elsewhere to make sure that the messaging is correct. So while we are seeing some cases among men who have sex with men, this is not a gay disease,” WHO adviser Andy Seale said Monday.
There is no proven, safe treatment for monkeypox, but a vaccine made by a Danish company called Bavarian Nordic has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. The US has signed a new contract with the company and placed a $119 million order, with the option to buy $180 million more if necessary.
Because the monkeypox virus is closely related to the smallpox virus, the smallpox vaccine can protect against monkeypox, according to the CDC. The Stragic National Stockpile has enough smallpox vaccine to protect everyone in the US, according to the CDC.
The US is in the process of responding to a request for the release of the Bavarian Nordic Jynneos monkeypox vaccine from the stockpile.
The CDC recommends that anyone with a new or unexplained rash get it checked by a medical professional. People who are infected should stay isolated at home, away from people and pets, should wear a surgical mask and should cover their lesions as much as possible until they have healed. They should avoid close contact with children, people who are pregnant and those who have weakened immune systems because these groups are at higher risk of complications if they catch the virus.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Virginia Langmaid, Claudia Dominguez and Jacqueline Howard contributed to this report. | 2022-05-24T03:44:03+00:00 | keyt.com | https://keyt.com/health/2022/05/23/anyone-can-get-monkeypox-but-cdc-warns-lgbtq-community-about-greater-chance-of-exposure-now/ |
ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
President Bush has yet to respond publicly to news of Michael Brown's resignation. He's been spending the day in the Gulf Coast region, his third inspection of the mess Hurricane Katrina left behind. NPR's David Greene reports on the president's tour of New Orleans today and his answers to questions about the government's response to the storm.
DAVID GREENE reporting:
The president spent Sunday night aboard the USS Iwo Jima, which is docked in New Orleans and serving as a staging ground for the military. He spent the morning visiting several neighborhoods in the stricken city. Then he paused on a corner underneath an overpass to chat with reporters, who asked whether Congress should study whether the federal government should act faster during future disasters. Mr. Bush said Congress should take a hard look at Katrina but that that's down the road.
President GEORGE W. BUSH: Now I know there's been a lot of second-guessing. I can assure you I'm not interested in that. What I'm interested in is solving problems. And there will be time to take a step back and to take a sober look at what went right, what didn't go right. There's a lot of information floating around that will be analyzed in an objective way, and that's important. And it's important for the people of this country to understand that all of us want to learn lessons. If there were to be, you know, a biological attack of some kind, we gotta make sure we understand the lessons learned to be able to deal with catastrophe.
GREENE: The president was also asked about a comment he made shortly after the hurricane hit. At the time Mr. Bush said, `Nobody anticipated that the levees in New Orleans would breach.' Today he revisited that comment.
Pres. BUSH: What I was referring to is this: When that storm came by, a lot of people said, `We dodged a bullet.' When that storm came through, at first people said, `Whew.' There was a sense of relaxation, and that's what I was referring to. And I myself thought we had dodged a bullet. You know why? 'Cause I was listening to people probably over the airwaves say, `The bullet has been dodged.' And that was what I was referring to. Of course there were plans in case a levee had been breached. There was a sense of relaxation at a critical moment, and thank you for giving me a chance to clarify that.
GREENE: Mr. Bush was also asked to pinpoint the moment he realized how severe the storm really was.
Pres. BUSH: I knew that a big storm was coming on Monday. That's why I spoke to the country on Monday morning about it. I said, `There's a big storm coming.' I had presigned emergency declarations in anticipation of a big storm coming...
Unidentified Reporter #1: Mr. President...
Unidentified Reporter #2: Mr. President, did you...
Pres. BUSH: ...which is, by the way, extraordinary. Most emergencies the president signs after the storm has hit. It's a rare occasion for the president to anticipate the severity of the storm and sign the documentation prior to the storm hitting. We anticipated a serious storm coming. But as the man's question, you know, said--basically implied, you know, wasn't there a moment where everybody said, `Well, gosh, we dodged a bullet,' and yet the bullet hadn't been dodged.
GREENE: Later this afternoon the White House clarified his remarks. They noted in a transcript sent to reporters that the president actually learned how powerful Katrina was and conveyed it to the nation on Sunday, not on Monday.
Mr. Bush spoke to reporters after climbing aboard a green military truck and driving through a few neighborhoods. The entire city remains under an evacuation order. After leaving New Orleans, Mr. Bush was on his way to Gulfport for another tour of that ravaged Mississippi community. David Greene, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | 2022-06-01T16:32:10+00:00 | knkx.org | https://www.knkx.org/2005-09-11/bush-tours-flood-ravaged-new-orleans |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a man whose conviction on gun charges was called into question by a recent high court decision is out of luck.
The court’s conservatives were in the 6-3 majority against the man, Marcus DeAngelo Jones, who was given a 27-year prison sentence for violating a federal law meant to keep guns out of the hands of people with previous criminal convictions.
Jones had argued that he should be allowed another chance to get his conviction thrown out following a 2019 court decision. In that case, the justices ruled prosecutors must prove that people charged with violating federal gun laws knew they were not allowed to have a weapon.
Jones tried to reopen his case following the 2019 decision, but a federal appeals court ruled against him. The issue in the case is technical, though important, and involves when defendants can make their claims in court, not the facts of Jones’ case.
Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the court that people who have used up their appeals don’t get another day in court “based solely on a more favorable interpretation of statutory law adopted after his conviction became final.”
Only two instances, newly discovered evidence or the court’s new interpretation of a constitutional provision, authorize a second bite at the apple under a 1996 federal law meant to limit federal appeals, Thomas wrote.
Most federal appeals court would have allowed Jones to reopen his case, but Thomas wrote that those decisions amounted to an “end-run around” the 1996 law, known as AEDPA.
In dissent, the three liberal justices wrote that the decision produces “bizarre outcomes” and “disturbing results.”
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson noted that the ruling, coupled with other recent limits on appeals imposed by the court, have transformed “a statute that Congress designed to provide for a rational and orderly process of federal postconviction judicial review into an aimless and chaotic exercise in futility.”
Jones was convicted in 2000 for being a felon in possession of a gun. His lawyers argued that he thought his record had been cleared and no longer was prohibited from having a gun.
The case is Jones v. Hendrix, 21-857. | 2023-06-23T09:53:52+00:00 | mytwintiers.com | https://www.mytwintiers.com/news-cat/political-news/ap-politics/supreme-court-rules-against-a-man-who-was-given-27-years-in-prison-for-having-a-gun/ |
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) _ Sprague Resources LP (SRLP) on Thursday reported net income of $17.9 million in its first quarter.
On a per-share basis, the Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based company said it had net income of 68 cents.
The oil products and natural gas storage and distribution company posted revenue of $1.81 billion in the period.
_____
This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on SRLP at https://www.zacks.com/ap/SRLP | 2022-05-05T11:07:21+00:00 | seattlepi.com | https://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Sprague-Resources-Q1-Earnings-Snapshot-17149662.php |
Radio anchor killed, family hurt in attack at their home
CHESTERFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) - A Detroit radio news anchor and father of two is dead after an apparent domestic dispute that left his life partner and children injured. The suspect’s relationship to the family is not yet clear.
Police in the Detroit suburb of Chesterfield Township discovered the bloody scene at a condominium complex Friday. They say that around noon, someone driving by found a 35-year-old woman and her 5-year-old daughter, who had escaped the condo building.
The woman had been stabbed, and her daughter was also injured.
Police forced their way inside, where they found 57-year-old Jim Matthews dead, an injured 10-year-old boy bound and beaten in a closet and the alleged suspect, who was overdosing and had self-inflicted wounds, in the basement.
WWJ Radio identified Matthews, who was their overnight anchor, as the deceased. He was the children’s father and returned home after going off the air at 5 a.m.
“There have been many tears shed in our newsroom today and Jim will be greatly missed… Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jim’s family and friends during this difficult time,” said the station in part in a statement.
Neighbors say the suspect, a 54-year-old man, lived across the street and was often seen with the woman. Police also say he was at the home frequently, but his exact relation to the family is still unknown.
“He was welcomed into the home initially. From that point, it’s still too early to really go into what happened,” said the township’s Director of Public Safety Brian Bassett.
The suspect and the 5-year-old girl are in stable condition, but the mother and 10-year-old boy are still critical, as police continue to piece together this tragedy.
“The Chesterfield Public Safety Department will not rest until we have received justice for our victims,” Bassett said.
A grade school across the street from the crime scene was put on lockdown for a brief time Friday. However, police say the kids were never in danger. It was only to keep them from seeing the scene across the street.
Copyright 2022 WXYZ via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | 2022-09-25T06:19:13+00:00 | wcjb.com | https://www.wcjb.com/2022/09/25/radio-anchor-killed-family-hurt-attack-their-home/ |
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Angola’s opposition party has filed a complaint against the election victory of the ruling MPLA party in which President Joao Lourenco won a second term and the party got a reduced majority in the legislature.
The main opposition party, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, known as UNITA, said Tuesday that it has submitted an objection to the results.
“UNITA reiterates that it will not recognize the results announced by the National Electoral Commission until the complaints already in its possession are resolved,” the party said in a statement.
If UNITA’s written complaint is rejected, the party can take the objection to the Constitutional Court, which must rule on the complaint within 72 hours, according to Angola’s electoral regulations.
The Peoples Movement for the Liberation of Angola, known by its Portuguese acronym MPLA, won with 51% of the votes cast, extending its 47-year rule of the country, according to the electoral commission’s results.
As the party’s leader, Lourenco, 68, welcomed the official results which have given him a second five-year presidential term.
UNITA got its best-ever result, coming in second with about 44% of the votes, according to the electoral commission.
However, UNITA on Tuesday claimed that according to its calculations it should have won the election with 64% of the vote.
Although UNITA’s leader, Adalberto Costa Junior has rejected the official results, he has urged calm. There have been no reports of major demonstrations in the capital, Luanda, or other cities.
Voter turnout was low on voting day last week with just 45.7% of registered voters casting their ballots.
In the national legislature, the MPLA lost the two-thirds majority that it needs to pass major bills, although it won a majority with 124 of the National Assembly’s 220 seats. UNITA has nearly doubled its presence in the legislature to 90 seats. The remaining seats were won by smaller parties.
UNITA had campaigned for the support of Angola’s young, urban population and it won in Luanda, Angola’s most populous province, and in Cabinda and Zaire, the country’s main oil-producing provinces.
Angola is Africa’s second-largest producer of oil and has rich diamond deposits, but the majority of the southern African country’s 34 million people remain in poverty, according to the U.N, and unemployment is currently above 30%.
Both the MPLA and UNITA are former rebel movements that fought Portuguese colonial rule. The MPLA won power with backing from the Soviet Union and established Marxist rule when Angola became independent in 1975. UNITA fought a bitter civil war against the MPLA, with support from the U.S. and apartheid-ruled South Africa.
In a negotiated truce, the MPLA agreed to multiparty elections held in 1992. UNITA furiously rejected the MPLA’s win and the country was plunged back into civil war that only ended in 2002.
Since then, UNITA has transformed itself from a rebel group into a political party, particularly under the new leadership of Costa Junior, who didn’t fight in the civil war. Costa Junior has succeeded in gaining support from other opposition politicians and intellectuals.
UNITA legally challenged its loss in the 2017 election but the courts ruled in favor of the MPLA. | 2022-08-31T03:02:16+00:00 | siouxlandproud.com | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/international/ap-angolan-opposition-unita-rejects-ruling-partys-election-win/ |
It’s hot out this summer, so we don’t blame you for not hopping on the first flight to Chicago so you can stand in the middle of the hot city at a music festival surrounded by Gen Zers.
However, if you love music and still don’t want to miss out, Hulu is streaming select acts from the festival. Instead of sweating profusely in Grant Park, you can now sit on your couch in air conditioning and watch the fun from home.
The streaming experience begins Thursday, July 28 and goes until Sunday, July 31. As long as you have a Hulu subscription, you are good to watch!
On Thursday, you will be able to stream acts like The Wombats, Tove Lo and headliner Metallica.
Friday-Sunday, Hulu will stream a lot more acts since there are more performances on those days.
Friday, you can watch Tinashe, Machine Gun Kelly and others.
Saturday, you can watch Dashboard Confessional, Wallows and headliner Kygo.
Sunday, you watch Banks, Beach Bunny, J. Hope and others.
Unfortunately, big headliners like Dua Lipa, Green Day and Doja Cat won’t be streaming. | 2022-07-21T15:19:39+00:00 | ksat.com | https://www.ksat.com/features/2022/07/21/this-is-how-you-can-stream-lollapalooza-2022-from-the-comfort-of-your-couch/ |
Stephen Boyd’s weekly Capitol Hill briefing for Alabama’s business, financial, defense and government affairs executives.
Getting down to business…
The House of Representatives and the Senate are both in session this week — together for the first time since January 3. Expect a flurry of activity as Members introduce new bills and re-offer old ones.
Last Congress, Members introduced an eye-popping 17,812 bills and resolutions, the most since the late 1970s. That’s nearly 600 per legislative day.
How do lawmakers keep track of that many bills?
Easy: they don’t.
In practice, Congress is a reactive body, and lawmakers spend most of their time dealing with the relatively small number of bills that have come before them because of something beyond their control: The leader’s floor agenda, the wishes of a committee chairman, a groundswell of interest by constituents or the lobbying from associations and businesses. Everything else — which is the vast majority of legislation — is largely ignored unless there is a specific reason to “get smart” on the bill or issue: an office meeting, incoming correspondence, or the occasional media question.
That’s why communicating with Capitol Hill is so important. Congressional offices don’t have the bandwidth to track thousands of bills, and they can’t solve problems or act on legislation they don’t know about. Good advocates raise issues and provide strong arguments for why bills should be supported or opposed. On Capitol Hill, the squeaky wheel often gets the grease.
Members and staff also develop an instinct for quickly decoding what matters and what doesn’t. One informal system is to put legislation into one of four buckets:
“Must Pass” legislation represents the gearworks of government, and most people on Capitol Hill have a general awareness of where these few bills stand procedurally at all times. At some point the “must pass” legislation will drive the agenda in Washington, as failure to act on these bills is perceived as having profoundly negative consequences. Examples include the 12 annual spending bills or, in the alternative, an omnibus spending package, as well as the annual NDAA defense bill. The drivers of these bills are usually the majority’s leaders in both chambers, and the White House. The chances of enacting a “must pass” bill are high — eventually.
“Big Ticket” items are consequential bills that, due to current events, White House priorities, or the expiration of existing laws, become front burner items. They are usually broad in scope and require a lengthy period of public debate, hearings, and negotiations before the voting starts. Whether by constituents or the media, every Member will be asked to comment on these bills at some point; staff pay close attention even if they are not necessarily directly involved. Examples include the Biden Administration’s infrastructure bill, the Trump Administration’s tax bill, the “Farm Bill,” or legislation to regulate “Big Tech.” The President, congressional leaders and key committee chairmen, and “gangs” of influential members all drive these bills forward. Their chances of success are fair, and only then after a lot of politicking.
Messaging Bills are introduced to drive public discourse and put Members on the record for political purposes. Messaging bills tend to get a lot of public attention, but staff spend relatively little time here because everyone recognizes the bills are unlikely to become law. Examples might include social or cultural bills on abortion or gay rights, some immigration legislation, and most balanced budget bills. The communications and political consultants are the ones pushing these votes, and the chance of enacting most messaging bills is close to zero — but that’s not the point. These bills often become the subject of future campaign ads or even used to fundraise.
The largest bucket contains legislation relating to Member Priorities. These bills can be on nearly any subject, are usually the product of study and work over fairly lengthy periods of time, tend to be narrow in scope, and are often drafted in a manner designed to make a real-world difference. If noncontroversial, legislation can be passed by Unanimous Consent in the Senate (i.e., no Senators objects) or fast tracked under the Suspension of the Rules in the House (i.e., a two-third majority votes in favor). Another strategy is attaching the bill to a “must pass” or “big ticket” item. Stand-alone roll call votes on individual bills are increasingly rare. An example might be Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s bill to increase life insurance maximum coverage amounts for servicemembers and veterans. As is usually the case, that was driven forward by a single member. Success is mostly likely when the sponsor works to build support and is willing to compromise to address others’ concerns.
Of those 17 thousand bills and resolutions introduced in 2021 and 2022, only about 6 percent were enacted outright, with the substance of another 1 percent or so being incorporated in some way.
The budget will be delivered… eventually…
The submission of the President’s annual budget request traditionally kick starts the budget and appropriations process on Capitol Hill. Federal law requires that the President submit his or her request “not later than the first Monday in February of each year,” but that deadline is routinely missed, as appears will happen again this year.
President Biden accepted an invitation to give his State of the Union address on February 7, so expect a budget sometime after that. A lengthy delay would further jam consideration of appropriations on the Hill at a time when Republicans have pledged to separately consider each of the 12 appropriations bills.
Open season in the House on energy…
The House will reportedly consider energy legislation this week to limit the further drawdown of petroleum from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve until the Department of Energy develops a plan to increase the amount of federal land leased for oil and gas production.
Two considerations:
— Although federal energy production is often associated with western lands, the government also leases significant tracts on the Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2006, Congress directed 37.5 percent of royalties generated from leases there to the neighboring states of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, and their coastal counties. Any change in production in the Gulf sparked from this legislation could impact that revenue. Royalties fluctuate considerably; in FY2022 nearly $35 million came to Alabama.
— Republican leaders promised a more open legislative process, but doing so injects a degree of uncertainty into floor debate that leaders would rather avoid. The slim majority in the House will make it especially tough to keep things on track. For the first time in years, the energy bill will be considered under a modified open rule, meaning Members may offer amendments so long as they are submitted in advance. Beyond the fate of the bill itself, floor activity this week is a bellwether of what is to come.
Alabama Committee Update…
Alabama Daily News covered a number of new committee assignments, but one notable addition came in later:
MONTGOMERY — For decades, Alabama's U.S. Senate delegation was thought to be where most of t…
After securing an important seat on the House Armed Services, Rep. Dale Strong landed a spot on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee which oversees a large swatch of federal research and development programs, as well as NASA. The committee assignment makes sense for the representative of a district home to Huntsville, home to the Marshall Space Flight Center, Cummings Research Park, and numerous science and biotech firms. That will be welcome news to folks engaged in scientific research, development, testing and evaluation.
Expect word on Senate committee assignments to start trickling out in the next two weeks.
Hallway Conversations...
— The United States hit its $31.4 trillion debt limit last week. The Treasury Department can avoid a default until June by exercising “extraordinary measures,” which is akin to paying some bills now and putting off others until later. In a letter to Congress, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen notified leaders that she was suspending payments to certain retirement funds, and urged “Congress to act promptly to protect the full faith and credit of the United States.” The debt ceiling has been raised or suspended nearly 90 times since the Eisenhower Administration. Dealing with the debt limit will be the defining legislative battle of the first half of 2023.
— After eight months of investigating, U.S. Supreme Court Marshal Curley announced that investigators were not able to determine who leaked the Court’s draft decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Interestingly, the Marshal’s “Report of Findings” notes that the "pandemic and resulting expansion of the ability to work from home, as well as gaps in the Court's security policies, created an environment where it was too easy to remove sensitive information from the building…” Seems to be a trend these days...
— The FBI conducted a consensual search of President Biden’s home Friday, finding “six items consisting of documents with classification markings and surrounding material.” This comes after records were found in November at Biden’s office at a Washington “think tank” and in December in the garage of Biden’s home. Attorney General Garland has appointed a Special Counsel to investigate the matter. Another Special Counsel is separately investigating scores of classified materials found at former President Trump’s Mar-a-lago residence.
— Generation Z’rs (age 18-25) did not participate in the 2012 election. By 2022, 9 percent of all voters were Gen Z, of which one in four have Hispanic roots. That is one takeaway from a new NBC poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies that has profound implications. As Gen Z’rs political participation rose, there was a corresponding decrease in the percentage of baby boomers. Twenty-seven percent of Gen Z’rs describe themselves as “very liberal,” which is double the national average.
Stephen E. Boyd is a Partner at Horizons Global Solutions. Previously, he served as a Senate-confirmed Assistant Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice, Chief of Staff for Alabama members in both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, and as a Communications Director of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. He resides in the Washington, D.C. area. Opinions expressed herein are his own. This news report is not intended to influence or persuade. Email Stephen at SEB@stephenelliottboyd.com. | 2023-01-23T23:32:35+00:00 | annistonstar.com | https://www.annistonstar.com/news/nation_world/stephen-boyd-the-monday-brief-january-23-2023/article_5418b506-9b66-11ed-aba0-134658bfc652.html |
ST. LOUIS, Aug. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Spartech, a leading manufacturer of engineered thermoplastics and custom packaging solutions, announces Realtree Xtra® Camo Pattern is now available on Korad®, PVC, and paper film materials. This latest product offering from Spartech is intended to help customers open new market segments while eliminating the typical expense and difficulties associated with licensing and royalty payments.
The unique Realtree Xtra® Camo Pattern features sharp foreground elements over a progressively ghosted mid-ground and very soft background. The versatile new camo design includes tree trunks, large and small limbs, leaves of many types and colors, and large open areas. With twelve warm, natural colors and 3D patterns, Realtree Xtra® Camo blends effectively outdoors in fall, winter, and early spring.
Customers can select the Realtree Xtra® Camo Pattern for products manufactured using vinyl and decorative films and a wide array of substrates that include ABS, high-impact polystyrene, polycarbonate, PVC, ASA, PMMA, TPR, and TPO. These materials have the assurance of Spartech's proven product performance and can be thermoformed, laminated, and can include design as well as simple product assembly if required.
Use applications for both the Realtree Xtra® Camo and material selection include automotive exterior of all kinds, such as fenders, fender flares, air deflectors. It's also ideal for ATV parts, hunting equipment such as blinds and sleds as well as gun cases and holsters, knife sheaths.
Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri with a unique innovation center and 17 manufacturing facilities located throughout the United States, Spartech is a leading plastics manufacturer of engineered thermoplastic materials and specialty packaging products. Meeting exact standards for everything from food packaging to aerospace and automotive applications, Spartech continues to make a world of difference with sustainable, diverse, reliable, and innovative products including UltraTuf®, Royalite®, Korad®, PreservaPak®, and Polycast® https://spartech.com
Media Contact:
For Spartech
Sheldon Ripson
sheldon@spokemarketing.com
636-751-5733
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Spartech | 2022-08-30T15:47:25+00:00 | ksla.com | https://www.ksla.com/prnewswire/2022/08/30/spartech-realtree-xtra-camo-pattern-now-available-multiple-materials-without-cost-challenges-licensing-or-royalty-payments/ |
Henry Doorly Zoo employee stung by stingray
OMAHA (KTIV) - Friday, Dec. 9, a freshwater stingray stung an employee at the Henry Doorly Zoo. The incident took place in the aquarium at the Lied Jungle.
A barb from the stingray penetrated the employee’s rubber boots while the employee was tending to work in the aquarium. Four zoo EMT’s immediately began treatment on the employee, something they had been specifically trained to handle. Although a sting from a freshwater stingray is painful and needs to be monitored for infections and allergic reactions, it is not life threatening.
“Our number one concern was the immediate care of our staff member. The health and safety of our staff, guests, and animals is of the utmost priority. We also want to assure the public that Stingray Beach remains a safe experience. The stingrays that live in Stingray Beach are a different species than those in the Lied Jungle. The Stingray Beach stingrays are also managed differently so that they are unable to sting,” stated Dr. Luis Padilla, president and CEO for Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.
Copyright 2022 KTIV. All rights reserved. | 2022-12-10T03:57:47+00:00 | ktiv.com | https://www.ktiv.com/2022/12/10/henry-doorly-zoo-employee-stung-by-stingray/ |
Tuesday, October 25th 2022, 2:08 pm
Nearly two-thirds of Americans think the federal government is not doing enough to fight climate change, according to a new poll that shows limited public awareness about a sweeping new law that commits the U.S. to its largest ever investment to combat global warming.
Democrats in Congress approved the Inflation Reduction Act in August, handing President Joe Biden a hard-fought triumph on priorities that his party hopes will bolster prospects for keeping their House and Senate majorities in November’s elections.
Biden and Democratic lawmakers have touted the new law as a milestone achievement leading into the midterm elections, and environmental groups have spent millions to boost the measure in battleground states. Yet the poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that 61% of U.S. adults say they know little to nothing about it.
While the law was widely heralded as the largest investment in climate spending in history, 49% of Americans say it won’t make much of a difference on climate change, 33% say it will help and 14% think it will do more to hurt it.
The measure, which passed without a single Republican vote in either chamber, offers nearly $375 billion in incentives to accelerate expansion of clean energy such as wind and solar power, speeding the transition away from fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas that largely cause climate change.
Combined with spending by states and the private sector, the law could help shrink U.S. carbon emissions by about two-fifths by 2030 and chop emissions from electricity by as much as 80%, advocates say.
Michael Katz, 84, of Temple, New Hampshire, said he thinks Biden has “done an amazing amount of work” as president. “I’m sort of in awe of what he’s done,″ said Katz, a Democrat and retired photographer. Still, asked his opinion of the Inflation Reduction Act, Katz said, “I’m not acquainted with” it.
After learning about the law’s provisions, Katz said he supports increased spending for wind and solar power, along with incentives to purchase electric vehicles.
Katz said he supports even stronger measures — such as restrictions on rebuilding in coastal areas damaged by Hurricane Ian or other storms — but doubts they will ever be approved.
“People want their dreams to come true: to live near the ocean in a big house,″ he said.
Leah Stokes, an environmental policy professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said she was not surprised the climate law is so little known, despite massive media coverage when it was debated in Congress, approved and signed by Biden.
The law was passed during the summer, when people traditionally pay less attention to news, “and it takes time to explain it,″ especially since many of the law’s provisions have not yet kicked in, Stokes said.
Biden and congressional Democrats “delivered in a big way on climate,″ she said, but now must focus on helping the public understand the law and “winning the win.″
Meredith McGroarty, a waitress from Pontiac, Michigan, said she knew little about the new law but supports increased climate action. “I have children I’m leaving behind to this world,″ she said.
McGroarty, 40, a Democrat, urged Biden and other leaders to talk more about the climate law’s “effects on normal, everyday people. Let us know what’s going on a little more.″
Americans are generally more likely to support than oppose many of the government actions on climate change included in the law, the poll shows. That includes incentives for electric vehicles and solar panels, though relatively few say they are inclined to pursue either in the next three years.
About half of Americans think government action that targets companies with restrictions is very important, the poll shows, while about a third say that about restrictions on individuals. A majority of Americans, 62%, say companies’ refusal to reduce energy use is a major problem for efforts to reduce climate change, while just about half say people not willing to reduce their energy use is a major problem.
Slightly more than half also say it’s a major problem that the energy industry is not doing enough to supply power from renewable sources such as wind and solar, and about half say the government is not investing enough in renewable energy.
Overall, 62% of U.S. adults say the government is doing too little to reduce climate change, while 19% say it’s doing too much and 18% think it’s doing the right amount.
Democrats are more likely than others to think the federal government is doing too little on climate: 79% say that, compared to 67% of independents and 39% of Republicans. About three-quarters of Black and Hispanic Americans think there’s too little action, compared to about half of white Americans.
And about three-quarters of adults under 45 think there’s too little action on climate, significantly higher than the roughly half of those older who think that.
Robert Stavins, a professor of energy and economic development at the Harvard Kennedy School, said it makes sense for the government to step in to promote renewable energy on a large scale.
“Individual action is not going to be sufficient in 10 or even 20 years,” he said. “You need government policies to create incentives for industry and individuals to move in a carbon-friendly direction.″
Americans want to own a car, “and they are not going to buy one that’s expensive,″ Stavins said, so government needs to lower costs for electric vehicles and encourage automakers to produce more EVs, including widespread availability of charging stations. Biden has set a goal to install 500,000 charging stations across America as part of the 2021 infrastructure law.
On renewable energy, nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults say offshore wind farms should be expanded, and about 6 in 10 say solar panel farms should be expanded. Biden has moved to expand offshore wind and solar power as president.
Americans are divided on offshore drilling for oil and natural gas. Around a third say such drilling should be expanded, while about as many say it should be reduced; another third say neither.
Republicans were more likely than Democrats to be in favor of expanding offshore drilling, 54% to 20%.
___
The poll of 1,054 adults was conducted Sep. 9-12 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.
October 25th, 2022
October 2nd, 2022
September 8th, 2022
July 26th, 2022
October 26th, 2022
October 26th, 2022
October 26th, 2022
October 26th, 2022 | 2022-10-26T13:08:10+00:00 | news9.com | https://www.news9.com/story/635834c40278f119c0ea762a/most-in-us-want-more-action-on-climate-change:-apnorc-poll |
The McLaren 720S bowed out of production at the end of 2022 but a successor is coming.
McLaren’s president of the Americas region, Nicolas Brown, recently hinted that the successor will be a heavy update of the 720S and is already sold out through much of 2024. He said dealers took deposits from prospective 720S buyers after they learned the older car was no longer available.
Automotive News (subscription required) has followed up with a report published on Thursday that cites anonymous sources and points to the new supercar being called a 750S. In keeping with McLaren’s alphanumeric naming strategy, the 750S would then pack 750 metric horsepower, which translates to 740 regular hp, or 30 more than the 720S.
According to the sources, the car will stick with the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 found in the 720S, and there won’t be any electrification. McLaren in 2018 said it plans for all of its cars to be hybrids by 2025, which means the 750S is likely to be the last McLaren to be powered purely by a gas engine.
There will be new styling, too. A new front fascia, larger side intakes, and a more prominent rear wing are all reported to make the cut, together with a digital instrument cluster similar to the one found in the Artura plug-in hybrid. There will also reportedly be much more in the way of personalization options compared to the 720S, which will save customers from having to go through the MSO division to add some extra flair to their cars.
The sources also said the reveal will take place in April ahead of the start of sales in September, and that both coupe and convertible body styles will be available at launch. The starting price is claimed to be 10% more than the 720S, which starts at $310,500, including destination.
Related Articles
- Ferrari patents gas-thruster system to boost performance
- One-off Bugatti Chiron Profilée sells for record $10.7M at auction
- Revived Bizzarrini teases Giotto V-12 supercar
- Lamborghini R&D chief says “not the right time” for electric supercar
- Lamborghini has had just two V-12 designs in 6 decades | 2023-02-03T15:53:11+00:00 | wivb.com | https://www.wivb.com/automotive/internet-brands/mclaren-750s-reportedly-coming-this-fall-to-replace-the-720s/ |
WARWICK, R.I., Dec. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InsureMyTrip anticipates an increase in travel insurance claims during the busy 2022 holiday travel season – with the most common claims expected to be trip cancellations or delays due to flight issues or health reasons.
If the summer travel season is any indication of what is to come, you can expect some issues at the airport over the holidays. The experts at InsureMyTrip say a travel insurance policy can save you money and stress if something unexpected ruins your trip.
While InsureMyTrip does not handle claims directly (those are handled by providers), we have some tips to help expedite the travel insurance claims process.
While you may hope to never need to use your travel insurance policy, there are a couple of things to do to set yourself up for success if you must file a claim.
- Know your plan: Carefully read the wording in your policy to understand coverage details and the claims process.
- Take photos: If your bags are stolen or lost, having photos of the items in those bags prior to departure will come in handy.
While on vacation, here are some important steps to take in the event something interrupts your trip.
- Contact your provider: If an issue arises during your trip, such as needing to seek medical attention, it may help to contact your insurance provider's 24-hour emergency assistance line. A representative can advise you regarding nearby hospitals and doctors.
- Keep all documents: Save your receipts and proof of expenses to be accurately reimbursed. Here is a list of the types of documentation you should keep:
- Receipts and itemized bills for all expenses
- Unused travel tickets and proof of payment for those tickets
- Explanation of diagnosis from doctor and the medical bill
- Police report for stolen items or car accident report
- Proof from airline that baggage was lost or delayed
Note: It is important to get this documentation during your trip and, if possible, at the time of the incident. That information can be difficult to get after the fact or once you're back home.
During the holidays, claims may take additional time to process because of volume, so don't wait to file a claim. Some plans may even have cut-off dates.
InsureMyTrip recommends submitting a claim on the provider's online portal, when possible. This can help speed things up and allow you to check the status of your claim. If it has been more than three months without a decision, InsureMyTrip representatives can help contact the provider to see what's holding things up.
Sometimes, a claim is denied. If this happens, InsureMyTrip customers can have their claim reviewed by one of our Anytime Advocates®.
All InsureMyTrip customers have access to our Anytime Advocates® program. This unique service is designed to save you time and money by contacting the travel insurance provider directly to find out why a claim was denied and dispute the denial – if necessary.
Media Contact:
Meghan Kayata
press@insuremytrip.com
It's simple. InsureMyTrip finds you the right travel insurance plan, every time. InsureMyTrip is the authority on travel insurance. We are committed to empowering travelers to make the best possible insurance decisions by leveraging our technology, data intelligence, and expertise. InsureMyTrip is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau.
View original content:
SOURCE InsureMyTrip | 2022-12-19T14:05:56+00:00 | wcjb.com | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2022/12/19/high-travel-insurance-claims-predicted-after-holidays-expect-delays/ |
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
BEIJING (AP) — The United States and China have failed to overcome their most serious disagreements but were able to discuss them in a potentially constructive way and have agreed to continue talks, U.S. officials said Sunday.
The officials said Secretary of State Antony Blinken was able during a nearly 6-hour meeting to secure a visit to Washington by Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang. But, they said progress on other issues remains a work in progress.
Blinken, the highest-level American official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office, will have more senior level contacts with the Chinese on Monday, including potentially with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Despite Blinken’s presence in the Chinese capital and the relatively upbeat assessment of Sunday's meeting, the prospects for any significant breakthrough on the most vexing issues facing the planet’s two largest economies remain slim.
Blinken’s trip follows his postponement of plans to visit China in February after the shootdown of a Chinese surveillance balloon over the U.S. Blinken is the highest-level American official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office.
His talks could pave the way for a meeting in the coming months between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. He finished the first of two days of high-stakes diplomatic talks in Beijing aimed at trying to cool tensions that have set many around the world on edge.
’That long list incudes disagreements ranging from trade to Taiwan, human rights conditions in China and Hong Kong to Chinese military assertiveness in the South China Sea and Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Blinken also pressed the Chinese to release detained American citizens and to take steps to curb the production and export of fentanyl precursors that are fueling the opioid crisis in the United States.
U.S. officials said Blinken posed each of these points, though neither side has shown any inclination to back down on their entrenched positions.
Shortly before leaving Washington, Blinken emphasized the importance of the U.S. and China establishing and maintaining better lines of communication. The U.S. wants to make sure “that the competition we have with China doesn’t veer into conflict” due to avoidable misunderstandings, he told reporters.
Biden and Xi had made commitments to improve communications “precisely so that we can make sure we are communicating as clearly as possible to avoid possible misunderstandings and miscommunications,” Blinken said Friday.
Xi offered a hint of a possible willingness to reduce tensions, saying in a meeting with Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates on Friday that the United States and China can cooperate to “benefit our two countries."
“I believe that the foundation of Sino-U.S. relations lies in the people,” Xi said to Gates. “Under the current world situation, we can carry out various activities that benefit our two countries, the people of our countries, and the entire human race.”
Since the cancellation of Blinken's trip in February, there have been some high-level engagements. CIA chief William Burns traveled to China in May, while China’s commerce minister traveled to the U.S. And Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with Wang in Vienna in May.
But those have been punctuated by bursts of angry rhetoric from both sides over the Taiwan Strait, their broader intentions in the Indo-Pacific, China’s refusal to condemn Russia for its war against Ukraine, and U.S. allegations from Washington that Beijing is attempting to boost its worldwide surveillance capabilities, including in Cuba.
And, earlier this month, China’s defense minister rebuffed a request from U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for a meeting on the sidelines of a security symposium in Singapore, a sign of continuing discontent.
Austin said Friday he was confident that he and his Chinese counterpart would meet “at some point in time, but we’re not there yet.”
Underscoring the difficulties, China rejected a report by a U.S. security firm, that blamed Chinese-linked hackers for attacks on hundreds of public agencies, schools and other targets around the world, as “far-fetched and unprofessional”
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson repeated accusations that Washington carries out hacking attacks and complained the cybersecurity industry rarely reports on them.
That followed a similar retort earlier in the week when China said Qin had in a phone call with Blinken urged the United States to respect “China’s core concerns” such as the issue of Taiwan’s self-rule, “stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, and stop harming China’s sovereignty, security and development interests in the name of competition.”
Meanwhile, the national security advisers of the United States, Japan and the Philippines held their first joint talks Friday and agreed to strengthen their defense cooperation, in part to counter China's growing influence and ambitions.
This coincides with the Biden administration inking an agreement with Australia and Britain to provide the first with nuclear-powered submarines, with China moving rapidly to expand its diplomatic presence, especially in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific island nations, where it has opened or has plans to open at least five new embassies over the next year.
The agreement is part of an 18-month-old nuclear partnership given the acronym AUKUS — for Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
China's spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, Hua Chunying, issued a statement of cautious optimism as Blinken started his first day of meetings in Beijing.
“Hope this meeting can help steer China-U.S. relations back to what the two Presidents agreed upon in Bali," she said in a statement on Twitter.
However, two U.S. officials downplayed hopes for major progress and stressed that the trip was intended to restore a sense of calm and normalcy to high-level contacts.
"We’re coming to Beijing with a realistic, confident approach and a sincere desire to manage our competition in the most responsible way possible,” said Daniel Kritenbrink, the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia and the Pacific.
Kurt Campbell, the top Asia expert at the National Security Council, said "intense competition requires intense diplomacy if we’re going to manage tensions. That is the only way to clear up misperceptions, to signal, to communicate, and to work together where and when our interests align.”
___
Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim in Washington and Huizhong Wu in Taipei, Taiwan contributed to this report. | 2023-06-18T17:57:10+00:00 | lmtonline.com | https://www.lmtonline.com/news/world/article/us-china-remain-at-odds-on-numerous-issues-as-18158624.php |
Protestors in Iran are determined to be heard despite crackdowns By Peter Kenyon Published January 9, 2023 at 4:41 PM CST Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 3:49 Protesters in Iran vow to continue their demonstrations even as the government continues its crackdown — which includes two recent executions. Copyright 2023 NPR | 2023-01-10T00:23:17+00:00 | iowapublicradio.org | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/2023-01-09/protestors-in-iran-are-determined-to-be-heard-despite-crackdowns |
GAAP EPS of $0.97
Fleet utilization increases to 99%
Adjusted EPS of $0.99, excluding Gunderson exit related costs
Strategic update and multi-year targets at Investor Day on April 12, 2023
LAKE OSWEGO, Ore., April 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. (NYSE: GBX) ("Greenbrier"), a leading international supplier of equipment and services to global freight transportation markets, today reported financial results for its second fiscal quarter ended February 28, 2023.
Second Quarter Highlights
- New railcar orders for 4,500 units valued at $580 million and deliveries of 7,600 units.
- New railcar backlog of 25,900 units with an estimated value of $3.1 billion as of February 28, 2023; excludes railcar conversion backlog of 1,200 units valued at $100 million.
- Quarter end liquidity increased to $816 million, including $380 million in cash and $436 million of available borrowing capacity at quarter end.
- Operating cash flow of nearly $160 million.
- Net earnings attributable to Greenbrier for the quarter was $33 million, or $0.97 per diluted share, on revenue of $1.1 billion. Results include $0.7 million ($0.02 per share), net of tax, of Gunderson exit related costs.
- Adjusted net earnings attributable to Greenbrier was $34 million or $0.99 per diluted share.
- Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $98 million, or 8.7% of revenue.
- Repurchased 575 thousand shares of stock for $17 million. $75 million of share repurchase authorization remaining after March activity.
- Board declares a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share, payable on May 16, 2023 to shareholders of record as of April 25, 2023 representing Greenbrier's 36th consecutive quarterly dividend.
"Greenbrier's strong performance in the second quarter is the result of ongoing operational initiatives and robust syndication activity. Railcar orders remained stable throughout the quarter, comprised of a broad range of railcar types. Business improved across the company as revenue and margin increased sequentially in each operating segment," said Lorie L. Tekorius, CEO and President. "We are excited to share our multi-year strategy to optimize our future performance as we will describe in detail at our Investor Day on April 12, 2023. While outcomes won't be linear, we are already seeing progress in our manufacturing and services businesses and expect margin to improve on a steady or increasing revenue base in future periods."
Investor Day
Greenbrier will host an Investor Day on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 in New York, NY. Institutional investors wishing to attend may register by sending an email to gbx@roseandco.com. Webcast registration details are available at Greenbrier's investor relations website at investors.gbrx.com. A live webcast of the Investor Day, including presentation materials, will be accessible through Greenbrier's website. A replay of the webcast will be available following the live presentations.
Business Update & Outlook
Based on current trends and production schedules, Greenbrier is updating guidance for fiscal 2023:
- Deliveries of 23,000 – 25,000 units including approximately 1,000 units in Greenbrier-Maxion (Brazil)
- Revenue at $3.4 – 3.7 billion
- Capital expenditures of $290 million in Leasing & Management Services, $80 million in Manufacturing and $15 million in Maintenance Services
- Consolidated gross margin % in the low double-digits is unchanged.
Financial Summary
Segment Summary
Conference Call
In place of a conference call, Greenbrier will provide additional information regarding its recent financial performance and strategic plans at its previously announced Investor Day on April 12.
About Greenbrier
Greenbrier, headquartered in Lake Oswego, Oregon, is a leading international supplier of equipment and services to global freight transportation markets. Through its wholly-owned subsidiaries and joint ventures, Greenbrier designs, builds and markets freight railcars and marine barges in North America, Europe and Brazil. We are a leading provider of freight railcar wheel services, parts, maintenance and retrofitting services in North America through our maintenance services business unit. GBX Leasing (GBXL) is a special purpose subsidiary that owns and manages a portfolio of leased railcars that originate primarily from Greenbrier's manufacturing operations. GBXL and Greenbrier own a lease fleet of approximately 12,300 railcars. As of March 31, 2023, Greenbrier manages 438,000 railcars and offers railcar management, regulatory compliance services and leasing services to railroads and other railcars owners in North America. Learn more about Greenbrier at www.gbrx.com.
THE GREENBRIER COMPANIES, INC.
SUPPLEMENTAL LEASING INFORMATION
(In millions, except owned and managed fleet, unaudited)
Greenbrier's leasing strategy provides an additional "go to market" element to Greenbrier's Commercial strategy of direct sales, partnerships with operating leasing companies, and origination of leases for syndication partners as well as providing a platform for further growth at scale. Investing in leasing assets delivers recurring, tax-advantaged cash flows although it reduces Greenbrier's Manufacturing revenue and margin in the short-term.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including statements that are not purely statements of historical fact. Greenbrier uses words, and variations of words, such as "believe," "build," "confident," "deliver," "drive," "expect," "increase," "optimize," "outlook," "provide," "will," and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements about backlog and other orders, leasing performance, financing, future liquidity, cash flow, tax treatment, and other information regarding future performance and strategies and appear throughout this press release including in the headlines and the sections titled "Second Quarter Highlights," a "Business Update & Outlook," and "Supplemental Leasing Information." These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and important factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, the following: an economic downturn and economic uncertainty; inflation (including rising energy prices, interest rates, wages and other escalators) and policy reactions thereto (including actions by central banks); disruptions in the supply of materials and components used in the production of our products; the war in Ukraine and related events, and the COVID-19 pandemic, variants thereof, governmental reaction thereto, and related economic disruptions (including, among other factors, operations and supply disruptions and labor shortages). Our backlog of railcar units and other orders not included in backlog are not necessarily indicative of future results of operations. Certain orders in backlog are subject to customary documentation which may not occur. There may be other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements, including the risks, uncertainties and factors described in more detail in the Company's filings with the SEC, including in the "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" sections of the Company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K. Except as otherwise required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect management's opinions only as of the date hereof.
Adjusted Financial Metric Definitions
Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted net earnings attributable to Greenbrier and Adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) are not financial measures under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). These metrics are performance measurement tools used by rail supply companies and Greenbrier. You should not consider these metrics in isolation or as a substitute for other financial statement data determined in accordance with GAAP. In addition, because these metrics are not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and are susceptible to varying calculations, the measures presented may differ from and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies.
We define Adjusted EBITDA as Net earnings (loss) before Interest and foreign exchange, Income tax benefit (expense), Depreciation and amortization and the impact associated with items we do not believe are indicative of our core business or which affect comparability. We believe the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information as it excludes the impact of financing, foreign exchange, income taxes and the accounting effects of capital spending and other items. These items may vary for different companies for reasons unrelated to the overall operating performance of a company's core business. We believe this assists in comparing our performance across reporting periods.
Adjusted net earnings attributable to Greenbrier and Adjusted diluted EPS excludes the impact associated with items we do not believe are indicative of our core business or which affect comparability. We believe this assists in comparing our performance across reporting periods.
View original content:
SOURCE The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. | 2023-04-10T11:39:02+00:00 | wlbt.com | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/04/10/greenbrier-reports-second-quarter-results/ |
FAMILY WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT OUT OF THE HOUSE SAFELY. A MAN LIVING IN JAY.. AND A PARTRIDGE IN A PINE TREE.. ARE LIKE BIRDS OF A FEATHER. HE HAS BEEN FRIENDS WITH THE WILD BIRD FOR YEARS.. EVEN GIVING IT A NAME.. ? WMTW NEWS 8'S TALIA CLARKE VISITED THE PAIR.. AND TELLS US HOW THEIR FRIENDSHIP BEGAN. ? <TALIA STANDUP IN> 11;44;51 "WE'VE HEARD ABOUT A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE.. WELL THIS PARTRIDGE CAME OUT OF THE TREE.. TO HANG OUT WITH THIS GUY.. HERE IN JAY." 11;44;56 <VO> DAVID WESTON SAYS HE MET THE PARTRIDGE 3 YEARS AGO.. WHEN THE IT LANDED AT THE END OF HIS DRIVEWAY. <SOT DAVID WESTON / BEFRIENDED PARTRIDGE> 11;34;32 "HE DIDN'T FLY OFF SO I OPENED MY DOOR AND TALKED TO HIM FOR A FEW MINUTES." <BUTT> 11;34;43 "A COUPLE DAYS LATER HE SHOWED UP AT MY GARAGE WHILE I WAS OUT THERE." THE PARTRIDGE IS A NEIGHBOR.. LIVING IN THE WOODS BETWEEN WESTON, AND HIS WIFE'S GRANDPARENTS. <SOT DAVID WESTON / BEFRIENDED PARTRIDGE> 11;34;51 "ONCE IN A WHILE HE'D LAND ON MY TRUCK." WESTON SAYS THE BIRD COULD BE A PARTRIDGE OR GROUSE.. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY.. HE'S A FRIEND. <SOT DAVID WESTON / BEFRIENDED PARTRIDGE> 11;35;29 "I THINK HE APPRECIATES MY COMPANY." 11;35;35 "HE'S ONE OF MY BETTER FRIENDS." WESTON NAMED THE BIRD HENRY. <SOT DAVID WESTON / BEFRIENDED PARTRIDGE> 11;36;10 "HE COMES TO ME WHEN I CALL HIM.. SOMETIMES I DON'T EVEN HAVE TO CALL HIM HE JUST COMES OUT WHEN HE HEARS MY TRUCK." LIKE TWEETY.. OR BIG BIRD.. HENRY IS PRETTY POPULAR. <SOT DAVID WESTON / BEFRIENDED PARTRIDGE> 11;36;30 "HE'S GOT A LOT OF FACEBOOK FANS." 11;36;34 "THEY LIKE TO SEE
An unlikely friendship forms between a man and a wild bird
David Weston named the bird Henry. The pair have been friends for 3 years.
Updated: 8:57 AM PDT Jul 15, 2022
A Maine man and a wild partridge are like birds of a feather.David Weston and the bird have been friends for years, even giving his feathered friend a name. Weston says he met the partridge three years ago when it landed at the end of his driveway."He didn't fly off, so I opened my door and talked to him for a few minutes. A couple days later, he showed up at my garage while I was out there," Weston said.The partridge is a neighbor, living in the woods between Weston and his wife’s grandparents."Once in a while, he'd land on my truck," Weston said, adding he named the bird Henry. "He comes to me when I call him. Sometimes I don't even have to call him, he just comes out when he hears my truck," Weston said.Henry is pretty popular. "He’s got a lot of Facebook fans," Weston said. "They like to see Henry posed on the tractor or on the end of a BB gun."Weston adds, not to worry though; he was hunting chipmunks. "I don’t think I could ever eat another partridge," he said.
A Maine man and a wild partridge are like birds of a feather.
David Weston and the bird have been friends for years, even giving his feathered friend a name.
Weston says he met the partridge three years ago when it landed at the end of his driveway.
"He didn't fly off, so I opened my door and talked to him for a few minutes. A couple days later, he showed up at my garage while I was out there," Weston said.
The partridge is a neighbor, living in the woods between Weston and his wife’s grandparents.
"Once in a while, he'd land on my truck," Weston said, adding he named the bird Henry.
"He comes to me when I call him. Sometimes I don't even have to call him, he just comes out when he hears my truck," Weston said.
Henry is pretty popular.
"He’s got a lot of Facebook fans," Weston said. "They like to see Henry posed on the tractor or on the end of a BB gun."
Weston adds, not to worry though; he was hunting chipmunks.
"I don’t think I could ever eat another partridge," he said. | 2022-07-15T17:29:26+00:00 | kcra.com | https://www.kcra.com/article/unlikely-friendship-man-wild-bird/40625876 |
40TH ANNIVERSARY OF ZAPPA'S TIMELESS TOP 40 HIT, CO-WRITTEN WITH AND FEATURING DAUGHTER MOON UNIT ZAPPA, MARKED WITH ANIMATED MUSIC VIDEO, DANCE REMIX BY FLUX PAVILION, AND "VALLEY GIRL"-THEMED MERCH
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This year marks the 40th anniversary of "Valley Girl," Frank Zappa's sardonic, GRAMMY®-nominated Top 40 hit co-written with and featuring his then teenage daughter Moon Unit Zappa offering up the "totally bitchin'" local slang of the day over a gonzo riff set to an energetic beat. Released in 1982, the satirical track – which poked fun at the teen culture of Southern California's San Fernando Valley – became the innovative artist's biggest hit in the U.S. and inadvertently popularized "Valspeak" across the nation while capturing the zeitgeist of the day.
To celebrate this enduring father-daughter collaboration turned cultural phenomenon, Zappa Records/UMe has released the first-ever music video for "Valley Girl," courtesy of the award-winning animation studio, Fantoons. Inspired by '80s cartoons, the animated video is chock full of Easter Eggs from across Zappa's peerless and prolific career.
Watch "Valley Girl" here: https://zappa.lnk.to/ValleyGirlVideoPR
To accompany the video, a new collection of "Valley Girl"-inspired merch, featuring graphics and imagery from the video on a t-shirt, tank and hat, is now available, alongside the recently released evergreen Zappa line at Zappa.com.
"Valley Girl" merch: https://store.zappa.com/collections/valley-girl
Zappa merch: https://store.zappa.com/collections/zappa-collection
Later this year, "Valley Girl" will also receive a fresh remix from British DJ, producer, and EDM star, and longtime Zappa fan, Flux Pavillion, who has previously worked alongside M.I.A., Dillon Francis, Marshmello, Steve Aoki, and many others.
When 14-year-old Moon first approached Frank Zappa about a collaboration, her only goal was to spend more time with her legendary father. For the better part of three decades, the elder Zappa had gained near-mythic status through his work as a boundary-pushing musician, a prolific composer and producer, a guitar virtuoso, and a prominent activist. By the early '80s, however, Zappa was a family man, who spent much of his time at his home studio when he wasn't touring. His children – Moon, Dweezil, Ahmet, and Diva – meanwhile, had few rules, other than to not disturb their father when he was at work.
Craving a sense of normalcy and quality time with her dad, Moon slipped a note under Frank's studio door. "Up until now I have been trying to stay out of your way while you record. However, I have come to the conclusion that I would love to sing on your album," it read. In early 1982, not long before he embarked on a European tour, Frank took his daughter up on her offer, waking her up at 3 AM to record vocals over a 4/4 beat and guitar riff that he and drummer Chad Wackerman had laid down (both of which were remarkably conventional for the offbeat artist). The teen gave it her all, improvising her best "Encino accent" and impersonating the inane idioms of her Los Angeles peers. Adding additional instrumentation from bassist Scott Thunes, plus a sardonically catchy chorus, Frank Zappa unwittingly created an anthem for the early '80s.
Initially, the acetate was shared exclusively with local rock station KROQ-FM, where Moon gave an interview, introducing the track. The song was an instant hit and soon rival stations were playing bootlegged recordings of it. It would be months, however, until "Valley Girl" was officially released—first as a track on Frank's album, Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch, which dropped in May—and later as a 7-inch single, which arrived in stores on August 30.
By September, "Valley Girl" had become a cultural phenomenon, reaching No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 12 on the Top Tracks chart (now known as the Mainstream Rock chart), and No. 18 on the Canadian pop chart. The song, which marked Zappa's sole U.S. Top 40 hit, drove Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch up the album charts, where it peaked at No. 23. The following year, "Valley Girl" earned the Zappas a GRAMMY® nod for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Despite the ironic nature of "Valley Girl," the single spawned a variety of themed merchandise, including posters, dolls, cosmetics, and clothing, and inspired teens around the globe to embrace phrases like "totally bitchin'," "gag me with a spoon," and "barf me out!"
Frank wasn't thrilled with the public's response to the song, telling Billboard, "People think 'Valley Girl' is a happy kind of song, but it isn't. I've always hated the Valley. It's a most depressing place…. It just goes to show that the American public loves to celebrate the infantile."
Moon, on the other hand, loved making her dad laugh, collaborating artistically and spending rare one-on-one time with him, even if it meant being uncomfortably thrust into the global spotlight so young. Moon looks forward to the new ways people will connect with the iconic character she created that the world continues to love.
zappa.com
facebook.com/zappa
twitter.com/zappa
# # #
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Zappa Records/UMe | 2022-09-16T13:37:37+00:00 | kcbd.com | https://www.kcbd.com/prnewswire/2022/09/16/frank-zappas-satirical-acid-tongued-valley-girl-like-totally-turns-40/ |
Teen finds jewelry in donated jacket, tracks down owner in Worcester
By Paul Burton
Click here for updates on this story
WORCESTER, Massachusetts (WBZ) — When Luke Coelho put on his new donated jacket last week, he was so grateful because he now had something that would keep him warm.
But he would soon discover the old jacket is more valuable and precious than he could even imagine. Inside the coat pocket was two Gucci watches, a bracelet and two diamond rings.
The 17-year-old senior recently transferred to South High Community School in Worcester from Brazil.
To help provide him with enough clothes for the winter he got help from the school’s clothes donation program called Andy’s Attic. The jacket was donated by Dave Kenney who was cleaning out his house.
“I had no clue what was in the jacket but what was in the jacket was some expensive stuff,” Kenney said.
Luke and his aunt Taryn Souza knew they had to get these precious item back to the rightful owner, but all they had to go on was the name on the jacket and the company that no longer exists.
“I work from home and I didn’t do any work that morning because I was just obsessed with the idea of getting this back,” Souza said.
After a series of calls and some investigative work, Dave got a call he never thought was coming.
“It was the wedding ring I bought my wife,” Kenney said. “It meant the world that my daughters got their mother’s stuff back.”
It turns out the items found inside the jacket had a lot more meaning than originally thought. It’s been a tough year for Dave Kenney. He recently lost his mother and his wife. The jewelry found inside the jacket belongs to them.
“Giving it back, like filled a hole in his heart,” Luke said.
“This fine young man did the right thing and his aunt,” Kenney said. “I totally appreciate what they did for me and my family.”
As a thank you Dave found Luke a job and more importantly a new friendship is formed through good deeds done by all.
“Like a week of blessings,” Luke said.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform. | 2022-11-09T18:48:58+00:00 | localnews8.com | https://localnews8.com/cnn-regional/2022/11/09/teen-finds-jewelry-in-donated-jacket-tracks-down-owner-in-worcester-2/ |
Proposed Heights change cause for alarm
RE: “Heights residents sound alarm over zoning changes to allow more development,” July 17:
With less than a week notice, and no public offering of information, major Jersey City zoning changes were slotted onto an upcoming Planning Board meeting agenda. The Riverview Neighborhood Association, one of the oldest and continually active neighborhood associations in Jersey City, alerted neighbors to the proposed serious changes in the works and asked the city to provide information about these changes. | 2022-07-21T17:56:46+00:00 | nj.com | https://www.nj.com/opinion/2022/07/zoning-change-would-alter-heights-character-fulop-right-about-boe-memory-loss-a-badge-of-honor-paying-to-trash-bags-letters.html |
Monitoring what your child sees online can be difficult, but a new version of artificial intelligence is helping protect your kids from things like hate speech, extremism, and even grooming.
One of Dave Matli’s biggest concerns as a father is protecting his children from online threats. That’s why he says he started working for Spectrum Labs, a software developer that uses artificial intelligence for content moderation.
“Things like child grooming and hate speech and like radicalization of people, bullying, threats," Matli said. "They use machine learning to get better and better at detecting some of that stuff and then removing it before you ever see it in your own phone and device.”
He says the AI pulls data points on a user’s profile like how long they’ve been there, the ages of two different people talking, and the topic of their conversation. It's nothing parents pay for. Rather, it's a service that platforms use. Current platforms utilizing the AI include entertainment site Fandom, children's app creator Kinzoo, and the dating app Grindr.
Matthew Soethn has worked in the tech and social media industry for more than a decade; most recently working on the Global Trust and Safety Team for TikTok. He now leads safety for Spectrum Labs. He says this AI stands out because it’s not just picking out keywords, it’s looking at the whole context.
“Example: if you use a laughing face emoji, there's a good chance you're probably over 40," Soeth said. "But there's different emojis that if you're under 30 or if you're under 18, you use a different set of emojis to indicate, 'Oh, I think that's really funny.' And so looking at those kind of context clues, we can start to identify when someone is being truthful about their age.”
Both Soeth and Matli say that industry wide, about 80% of the problems are caused by 5% of users. So, if you can identify and remove them, it protects millions of users.
Matli says if the AI recognizes something dangerous, it will notify the police.
"Especially when it comes to child safety," Matli said. "When we detect like signs of child endangerment or what's called CSAM, which is child sexual abuse material, by law, you have to report it to police. But we already have that built in any way to do that."
Because this AI content moderation is for the platforms, and not for parents, you wouldn't even know it's working because it's happening behind the scenes. The platforms will be forced to take protective measures as the U.S. takes more legal steps to protect children online. Soeth says the U.S. is facing increasing pressure to implement legislation following Europe's Digital Services Act and Australia's Online Safety Act.
“There's some talk at the national level. Like the Kids Online Safety Act is really looking at how do we better kind of implement or hold platforms accountable to make sure that they're doing what they say they're doing,” Soeth said. | 2023-02-09T20:14:50+00:00 | denver7.com | https://www.denver7.com/news/national/artificial-intelligence-is-helping-to-protect-your-children-online |
CVS Health, Target, other Fortune 500 retailers and local shops catalyze reuse solutions to reduce single-use bags in 150+ stores across U.S. cities
NEW YORK, April 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag, managed by Closed Loop Partners, today announced its largest piloting initiative to date with two reusable bag pilots in three states, with multiple retailers including Consortium Founding Partners CVS Health and Target, as well as Sector Lead Partners DICK'S Sporting Goods, Dollar General, The Kroger Co., TJX and Ulta Beauty. Building on three years of insights, research and in-market tests, the Consortium is bringing its holistic approach to reduce single-use plastic bag waste to ambitious in-market interventions. The two complementary pilots will take place in over 150 stores, collectively engaging national retailers and local shops to test a range of solutions that aim to support customers in adopting reuse.
Bring Your Own Bag Pilot
The Consortium's first pilot, the Bring Your Own Bag Pilot, will focus on testing the impact of collective action by retailers in driving broader cultural shifts, where bringing reusable bags becomes the norm wherever customers shop. Participating retailers include seven national brands––CVS Health, Target, DICK'S Sporting Goods, Dollar General, The Kroger Co., TJX and Ulta Beauty. The Consortium is also engaging retailers beyond the Consortium, from mom-and-pop shops to large brands, to reach even more local residents. All participating retailers will test the same solutions from the Consortium's recently published Playbook––including signage, marketing and customer prompts about reusable bags––in stores across Denver, Colorado; Tucson, Arizona and the surrounding areas.
Returnable Bag Pilot
As a complement to the Bring Your Own Bag Pilot, the Consortium's second pilot, the Returnable Bag Pilot, will test a new reusable bag solution to serve customers when they forget to bring their own reusable bags to stores. CVS Health and Target, two Founding Partners of the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag, will collaboratively pilot a new 'returnable bag' service model across multiple stores, offering customers the opportunity to buy a bag at checkout, to be returned to any participating store to get their $1 deposit back. The bag will then be washed, redistributed and reused by other customers. This service model was built by the Consortium based on insights gathered over the last two years. The Returnable Bag Pilot will take place in New Jersey, where recent legislation banning single-use bags in certain stores underscores a need for reuse solutions that are environmentally sustainable and convenient for customers. Two winners of the Consortium's Beyond the Bag Innovation Challenge, Returnity and 99Bridges, will provide operational services for the returnable bag system.
"We need to consider a range of needs, contexts and policy landscapes to create a less wasteful future for the retail bag. These two pilots are complementary by design, understanding that a diversity of solutions is needed to effect systems change and mitigate unintended consequences. We are bringing retailers together to advance reuse solutions collectively that support customers and reduce single-use plastic bag waste," said Kate Daly, Managing Director and Head of the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners. "We look forward to piloting at this large scale, engaging multiple retailers both in and beyond the Consortium to generate greater industry engagement and ecosystem impact."
"As we expand these reusable bag solutions across CVS Pharmacy locations and learn about consumer behaviors, we continue to see the power in collective retail action," said Sheryl Burke, SVP of Corporate Social Responsibility and Chief Sustainability Officer at CVS Health. "With everyone's drive, dedication and collaboration, we will continue making a lasting impact on creating a healthier world today and for future generations."
"We're proud to work with our guests, communities, and partners like the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag toward co-creating an equitable, regenerative future together," said Amanda Nusz, senior vice president of corporate responsibility at Target. "Through our collective efforts, these pilots will offer valuable insights for enhancing circular capabilities and providing accessible alternatives to the single-use plastic bag for all."
The Returnable Bag Pilot will run from April to July 2023, while the Bring Your Own Bag Pilot will be active from May to July 2023. Together, the two pilots paint a potential future where complementary reuse approaches work in parallel to reduce single-use plastic bag waste, focusing on increasing the use of existing reusable bags in the market, as well as creating solutions for when customers forget their own reusable bag. By testing in different markets, these pilots can also inform the viability of solutions across various markets, and inform potential for scale.
These pilots are a key step in the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag's work since its launch in 2020 to reimagine the retail bag in stores and across emerging channels, such as buy-online-and-pickup-in-store and local delivery. This work builds on the Consortium's progress in identifying innovative solutions, conducting customer research, analyzing policy and infrastructure needs and engaging diverse stakeholders. Moving forward, the Consortium will continue to conduct deep analysis, and share key insights with the broader industry to help accelerate systems change. Building a more sustainable future for the retail industry won't happen overnight; advancing collaboration and activating the testing required to effectively meet customer needs can impact solutions as the industry addresses complex waste challenges.
If you are interested in learning more about the pilots, please visit our website here.
About the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners
The Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners unites competitors to tackle complex material challenges and to implement systemic change that advances the circular economy. Adept at navigating every step in the value chain, Closed Loop Partners brings together designers, manufacturers, recovery systems operators, trade organizations, municipalities, policymakers and NGOs to create scalable innovations that target big system problems.
The Center currently manages three consortia: the NextGen Consortium, to advance solutions that can help address single-use foodservice packaging waste; the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag to identify, test and scale solutions that can help address single-use plastic bag waste; and the Composting Consortium, to pilot industry-wide solutions and build a roadmap for investment in technologies and infrastructure that enable the recovery of compostable food packaging and food scraps. Learn more about the Center's work here.
About the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag
The Beyond the Bag Initiative, launched by the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag, aims to identify, pilot and implement viable design solutions and models that more sustainably serve the purpose of the current retail bag. Closed Loop Partners' Center for the Circular Economy launched the initiative with Founding Partners CVS Health, Target and Walmart. The Kroger Co. joined as Grocery Sector Lead Partner, DICK'S Sporting Goods joined as Sports & Outdoors Sector Lead Partner, Dollar General as Value Sector Lead Partner, TJX as Apparel & Home Goods Sector Lead Partner, and Ulta Beauty as Beauty Sector Lead Partner. Ahold Delhaize USA companies, Albertsons Companies, H-E-B, Hy-Vee, Meijer, Wakefern Food Corp., and Walgreens are Supporting Partners, and Conservation International and Ocean Conservancy serve as Environmental Advisory Partners. Learn more about the Consortium here.
Contact: beatrice@closedlooppartners.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Closed Loop Partners | 2023-04-19T13:41:21+00:00 | wlbt.com | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/04/19/beyond-bag-consortium-launches-its-largest-reusable-bag-pilots-date-drive-reduction-single-use-plastic-bags/ |
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Have you seen more license plates from states like California, or its neighbor to the north, Oregon, on West Virginia’s country roads lately? It turns out, even from the other side of the country, Californians have noticed it too.
An Orange County, California daily newspaper, The Orange County Register, published an op-ed Tuesday called “Don’t look now, but Californians are West Virginia dreamin’.”
The term references the 1965 “The Mamas & the Papas” hit, but the article comes on strong, saying that “In 2023, the California dream is on life support.”
U.S. Census data estimates that California’s population decreased by an estimated 508,903 residents between April 2020 and July 2022; second only to New York, which lost slightly more during the same period—an estimated 524,079.
But with 49 other states to choose from, why West Virginia? The state was actually the 13th most popular moving destination for those who used United Van Lines in 2022.
The article’s author, Brad Lips, who is CEO of Atlas Network, which is a partner of Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy, has some ideas.
Affordability and Opportunity
Lips cites that West Virginia is one of the country’s most affordable states.
Forbes Home lists West Virginia as the ninth cheapest state to live in 2023, and one of the most affordable places to buy a home, with the average single-family home costing $117,639, or 21.4% below the national average. Other pros included that West Virginia gets all four seasons, and of course, its beautiful Appalachian landscape.
But what about opportunity? While that Forbes study lists a “challenging job market” and high poverty rates as cons to moving to West Virginia, U.S. News & World Report still ranked the state as number 18 in opportunity. While West Virginia ranked 47th in economic opportunity, it ranked 8th in affordability and 4th in equality. West Virginia performed higher in that ranking than popular moving destinations like Texas and Florida.
Policy
Lips points to Republican Gov. Jim Justice’s high approval rating to suggest that West Virginians support recent policies like tax cuts and school choice.
A recent Morning Consult study found that Justice was the fifth-most popular governor in the country with an approval rating of 64%. California Gov. Gavin Newsome (D) ranked toward the middle of the pack at 55% after voters attempted to recall him two years ago. Former Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) had the lowest approval rating at the time of the Jan. 12, 2023 study, at 35%. She has since been replaced by Democrat Tina Kotek. The most popular governor was Vermont’s Phill Scott (R) with an 81% approval rating.
Other studies, like one released by WalletHub earlier this month, have found that while California residents get the worst return on investment for their taxes in the nation, West Virginia ranks 13th. Other states that WalletHub ranked lower than West Virginia included Hawaii, New Mexico, Arkansas, Delaware, Connecticut, Vermont, Oregon, Louisiana, New York, Mississippi and North Dakota. | 2023-04-12T15:49:52+00:00 | wboy.com | https://www.wboy.com/news/west-virginia/why-are-people-from-california-moving-to-west-virginia/ |
Trump weighs delaying 2024 decision as political and legal troubles grow
By Gabby Orr and Kristen Holmes, CNN
Donald Trump is considering waiting until after the November midterms to launch a third presidential campaign as he navigates a widening array of legal troubles and mounting concerns that some of his hand-picked Senate candidates may be weaker than he once thought, sources familiar with his thinking tell CNN.
After months of eyeing Labor Day weekend as the target launch date for a 2024 campaign, Trump has spent the past few weeks backing away from that timeline following the FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago estate and an increased panic among Republicans that the party may not be in for the red wave it has long anticipated this November.
While his timeline could shift again between now and November, the onslaught of political and legal concerns has the former President feeling nervous about prematurely diving into the 2024 primary, according to nine former and current Trump aides and allies who requested anonymity to discuss internal matters.
The arguments from advisers wanting him to take his time with a campaign announcement have varied. Believing he will be the undisputed front-runner regardless of when he announces, some have said that if he launches another White House bid too early, he will run out of money around the time Republicans host their nominating convention, leaving him cash-strapped and vulnerable during the general election.
Better to address the legal fallout from the FBI search first, other advisers have told Trump and his team.
“Everyone was operating under the assumption that shortly after Labor Day would be the best possible time to launch, but that has changed and he’s being told to deal with the FBI stuff first,” said a Trump adviser.
Otherwise, advisers say, the former President is more likely to be blamed for potential losses in the midterms if he becomes a candidate for president before November and his legal troubles distract from the bread-and-butter issues most Republicans — but especially those running in competitive races — would prefer to focus on.
As Trump-backed Senate candidates in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Arizona struggle to eclipse their opponents in fundraising and recent polls, a growing number of Trump confidants have shared concerns with him that a pre-midterm announcement would be weaponized by Democrats, who remain eager to distract from inflation and rising crime and are well-versed already in using Trump as a campaign foil.
“There is a direct tie if Trump becomes a campaign ad in November and Republicans lose the Senate, and the last thing he wants is to be blamed,” said a former Trump campaign aide.
Trump himself has started complaining in private about Mehmet Oz’s performance in the Pennsylvania Senate contest and a spate of bad press that Georgia Senate hopeful Herschel Walker generated earlier this summer when it became public that he had fathered several children out of wedlock despite routinely criticizing absentee fathers, this aide said.
In the days after federal investigators searched his waterfront residence in early August, Trump was inundated with calls from allies urging him to announce his bid for president immediately.
“It was so hot,” said one Trump ally, describing the surging support Trump encountered among both grassroots supporters and top Republicans after he revealed the FBI had searched his home.
But as the legal battle over records seized during the search continues to play out and new details emerge about the sheer volume of classified records Trump was apparently storing haphazardly at Mar-a-Lago, others in Trump’s orbit have urged him to put any campaign announcement on hold until he addresses his legal woes. The FBI warrant unsealed earlier this month revealed three possible federal crimes as reason for the search: violations of the Espionage Act, obstruction of justice and criminal handling of government records. In a late Tuesday court filing, the Justice Department said documents were “likely concealed and removed” from a storage room at Mar-a-Lago as part of an effort to “obstruct” the FBI’s investigation. Trump, who has not been charged with a crime, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing while boasting that the FBI search has buoyed his 2024 prospects and sent a jolt of energy through his political base.
Another Trump adviser who had previously pushed for a pre-November campaign announcement has since recanted, joining those who believe that waiting until after the midterms is a more prudent approach.
“There’s no urgency because he’s not going to be outshined by someone else,” said former Trump campaign aide Bryan Lanza, pointing to the crowd of potential 2024 rivals who rushed to Trump’s defense — or lobbed sharp criticism at the Justice Department — after learning that federal investigators had executed a search warrant at his home.
“I personally feel like it’s a sign of weakness if he announces before the midterm,” said Matt Schlapp, a top Trump ally who chairs the American Conservative Union. Trump had previously considered a pre-midterm announcement as one way to clear the field of prospective challengers, something that Schlapp and others now say he no longer needs to worry about.
Some in Trump world still want him to announce now
Despite Trump being counseled by a growing number of advisers to delay his campaign announcement until later this fall or winter, not everyone in his inner circle has been convinced that that’s the right move.
One source close to Trump dismissed the escalating political and legal concerns as “excuses,” arguing that the former President is already being blamed for the shifting midterm forecast and putting off a presidential campaign launch is unlikely to inoculate him from further criticism among Republicans if the party either fails to win the Senate or disappoints in its overall gains.
“They are going to blame him no matter what, so he should just announce,” this person said.
People familiar with Trump’s thinking said he has been more receptive to postponing his campaign announcement until after the midterms in part because of the way Republicans rallied behind him following the FBI search. The former President has recently told allies he doesn’t think he will face a formidable challenger in the 2024 GOP primary, according to three people familiar with his comments, one of whom said Trump has been quick to point out how Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis compared the FBI search to “Banana Republic” tactics. DeSantis is widely expected to be a top primary rival if he runs for the nomination against Trump.
“He’s up to his eyeballs in legal troubles but that hasn’t stopped him from totally relishing this,” said a second person close to the former President, who requested anonymity for fear of retribution.
So far, the consensus among Republican operatives two years out from the 2024 election is that Trump is unlikely to face a real primary threat even though he is widely expected to field challenges from a handful of GOP hopefuls. Former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan are some of the likeliest rivals Trump could face if he does run again.
Schlapp, who believes Trump will indeed attract primary competitors, said none would be “serious in terms of being able to win the nomination.” He added that Trump’s outrage over the FBI search will give him something to tap into if and when he does announce a third presidential campaign.
“Sometimes I think he’s better the more acrimonious he gets,” Schlapp said, claiming that Trump’s early August appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas was a turning point for some Republicans who were previously on the fence about his desire to mount a comeback bid after losing to Joe Biden in 2020.
Two days before federal investigators conducted their search of Mar-a-Lago, Trump used the speech to complain that he is “always being persecuted.”
One of the Trump advisers took it a step further, suggesting that an indictment of Trump by the Biden administration “would be beneficial” to the former President at this juncture.
“It would just appear too partisan at this point,” this adviser said.
Biden, who has insisted he had no advance warning of the search, has stressed the independence of the Justice Department. But Trump has frequently taken to his social media platform to blast what he’s called a politically motivated “witch hunt” and railed against the FBI and Biden, including in a frenzy of posts on Truth Social on Tuesday alone.
Prioritizing his legal fights
While Trump hasn’t made a firm timing decision yet as he mulls a 2024 bid, his lack of planning for a campaign rollout has signaled to those around him that he wants to bide his time.
Until adding former Florida Solicitor General Chris Kise to his legal defense team on Tuesday, Trump had been struggling to navigate the legal jeopardy he finds himself in as federal investigators sift through the classified documents they seized from his residence — possibly building a criminal case in the process.
Those around him say Trump appears to be putting his political ambitions on the backburner — if only temporarily — to give his legal team space to operate and strategize without the time constraints that a presidential campaign would demand. The former President has spent the three weeks since the FBI conducted its search at Mar-a-Lago trying to capitalize on the moment politically, while his attorneys have meanwhile struggled to develop a clear strategy. His legal team waited until weeks after the search, for example, to file a so-called special master request for an independent review of the materials taken from his home, which is the subject of a hearing this week.
“Right now, it’s a question of whether he wants to turn everything political or gain some legal stability to make sure everything turns out OK before taking that next step,” said one of the Trump advisers.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | 2022-08-31T18:11:43+00:00 | keyt.com | https://keyt.com/news/2022/08/31/trump-weighs-delaying-2024-decision-as-political-and-legal-troubles-grow/ |
Man arrested for DUI after leading an El Paso County Sheriff Lieutenant on a brief car chase
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- A man was taken into custody after briefly leading law enforcement on a chase that ended in a crash east of Cimarron Hills.
On Dec. 26, just after 1 a.m., an on-duty Sheriff's Patrol Division Lieutenant saw a sedan back into a fuel pump at a convenience store in the 7900 block of Silicon Heights.
According to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, the driver then sped through the parking lot and turned onto northbound Marksheffel Rd. The Lieutenant began following the sedan, turning on the emergency lights and indicating to the driver to stop. However, the driver continued driving through traffic at a high rate of speed.
The sheriff's office said due to the low severity of the crime, possible private property damage, and careless/reckless driving, the Lieutenant stopped following the sedan.
However, the EPCSO said the driver swerved across the median into oncoming traffic. The driver crashed on the opposite side of the road before coming to a complete stop.
Other deputies arrived at the scene and the driver was taken into custody without further incident. According to the EPCSO, no one was injured in the crash.
The driver, identified as Ernesto Cruz, was arrested for DUI. He was booked into the El Paso County Jail on the felony charge of Eluding, DUI, and Reckless Driving.
Cruz later posted a $2,000 bond and was released. | 2022-12-27T18:46:09+00:00 | krdo.com | https://krdo.com/top-stories/2022/12/27/man-arrested-for-dui-after-leading-an-el-paso-county-sheriff-lieutenant-on-a-brief-car-chase/ |
CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — Far from battlefields and Russian invaders, the Ukrainian footballers exempted from military service are trying to complete the mission to lead their country to the World Cup.
When they prepare to face Wales on Sunday in a playoff final, they will have a little extra inspiration in their Cardiff locker room from a yellow and blue flag sent by soldiers on the frontlines in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, signed with messages.
It was there inside Hampden Park, Glasgow, on Wednesday when Scotland was beaten in the playoff semifinals. Since then, the players have continued to exchange messages with friends who have been defending their homeland in a war that has passed 100 days.
“We all hope that very soon Ukraine will be liberated and will return to being an independent country,” Ukraine midfielder Oleksandr Karavayev said through a translator in the Welsh capital.
“This is a great positive stimulus and brings positive emotions because everyone believes and sees how the whole world is united around us.”
The Dynamo Kyiv player has family still in the southern city of Kherson, which was captured early in the war by Russia.
“They cannot watch the match because there is no connection and internet,” Karavayev said. “But they communicate by messages and they read the news.”
Keeping Ukraine high in the headlines can be partly achieved by the men qualifying for a first World Cup since 2006. But it might take time for their compatriots on the frontlines to discover the result in Wales.
“It is a really hard situation in Ukraine and not everyone has the chance to watch football,” coach Oleksandr Petrakov said through a translator.
“I don’t communicate with any soldiers but the team writes to soldiers and even received a flag from the war which they promised to hang in the dressing room.”
From there they will step out on the field to face a Wales team trying to return to the FIFA showpiece after an even longer wait, having last appeared in the finals in 1958. Wales is expected to be carried, as usual, by its highly partial and emotional fans.
“Sport is sport and we don’t expect presents or an unfair win,” Karavayev said. “We know how hard it is and this is the most important game in our lives. But we wish to win and we will do everything possible to do that.”
There is much sympathy for Ukraine from Wales captain Gareth Bales, but also a ruthless sporting determination to qualify.
So would Bale apologize to Ukraine for snatching away its own World Cup dream?
“As horrible as it sounds, no,” Bale responded.
“It is a game of football and it is a competition that we want to get to as well. Everyone in the world feels for Ukraine but for this game, it’s a game of football. It is sport, it unites everybody. We understand what it will do for Ukraine but we want to get to the World Cup. It is not coming from a horrible place, but it is coming from our country, our hearts. We want to deliver for our own fans.”
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2022-06-05T10:31:50+00:00 | localsyr.com | https://www.localsyr.com/news/national/backed-from-frontlines-ukraine-tries-to-seal-world-cup-spot/ |
NFL suspends 3 players indefinitely, fourth gets 6 games for violating gambling policy
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The NFL suspended three players indefinitely Thursday for violating the league’s gambling policy and a fourth was sidelined for six games.
Isaiah Rodgers and Rashod Berry of the Indianapolis Colts along with free agent Demetrius Taylor received indefinite suspensions through at least this season for betting on NFL games in 2022. They won’t be able to seek reinstatement until the 2023 season ends.
Tennessee Titans right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere was suspended for the first six games of the 2023 season for betting on non-NFL sports at the team’s facility. He is eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason activities, including preseason games.
“We believe in Nick and know that he has deep respect for the integrity of the game and our organization,” the Titans said in a statement. “We will continue to emphasize to our players the importance of understanding and adhering to league rules and policies.”
The NFL’s gambling policy bars players, coaches and league and team officials from betting on NFL games, placing bets at team facilities or team hotels or having someone else place a bet for them, among other restrictions.
With many states legalizing sports books specifically and gambling in general, leagues such as the NFL must increasingly contend with gambling infractions.
In April, the NFL suspended five players, four of them with the Detroit Lions, for gambling infractions.
The Lions released three players — receivers Quintez Cephus and Stanley Berryhill and safety C.J. Moore. Cephus and Moore were suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games while Berryhill and receiver Jameson Williams each drew six-game suspensions for betting on non-NFL games.
Williams, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2022 draft, remains on Detroit’s roster.
Washington Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney also received an indefinite suspension in April for betting on NFL games, and in 2022 the NFL gave then-Atlanta Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley a season-long suspension for betting. He was reinstated in March and now plays for Jacksonville.
Losing Rodgers is a big blow to a Colts secondary already under reconstruction. He was projected to be a starter this season, his fourth in the NFL, and the former UMass star was expected to add a veteran voice in a young position room.
The loss of Petit-Frere even for six games hurts the Titans. He was the only starter returning from last year’s starting offensive line at the same position.
Petit-Frere released a statement to ESPN that he shared on social media and apologized to the Titans and his family. He also made clear his betting did not involve the NFL and was legal under Tennessee law.
“It is only being sanctioned because it occurred at the Titans facility ...,” Petit-Frere said in his statement. “I have always strived in every stage of my life to follow the rules. Even after attending a league presentation, I was unaware about the specifics around placing bets from a team facility.”
The 6-foot-5, 315-pound Petit-Frere was Tennessee’s third-round pick last year out of Ohio State, and he beat out Dillon Radunz for the starting job at right tackle. Petit-Frere started all 16 games as a rookie, helping block for the NFL’s second-leading rusher in Derrick Henry.
New general manager Ran Carthon rebuilt the offensive line this offseason, signing Andre Dillard from Philadelphia as hopefully the Titans’ new left tackle and Daniel Brunskill from the 49ers to be the right guard. He drafted Peter Skoronski with their first-round pick, and he’s likely starting at left guard.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2023-06-29T17:48:24+00:00 | live5news.com | https://www.live5news.com/2023/06/29/nfl-suspends-3-players-indefinitely-fourth-gets-6-games-violating-gambling-policy/ |
Tesla short sellers have made $11.5 billion profit this year
By Chris Isidore, CNN Business
Here’s more bad news for Tesla CEO Elon Musk — as if he needs any.
Investors who took short positions in Tesla stock have made an $11.5 billion profit so far this year, according to Wall Street analytics firm S3 Partners, as Tesla shares lost about half their value. That’s a nearly 60% return on the $19.6 billion invested in short positions on Tesla this year.
And it’s a nearly 180-degree reversal in how they did in 2021, when their short positions resulted in a combined $10.3 billion loss, after Tesla shares rose 50%. And let’s not forget the $40.7 billion loss short sellers suffered in 2020, when shares of Tesla climbed 743%.
The problems for Tesla stock, and the gains for short sellers, actually began about a year ago.
“Since its recent high of $409.97 a share on November 4, 2021, Tesla shorts are up $16.3 billion,” said Ihor Dusaniwsky, managing director at S3. That’s a 79% return on an average short interest of $20.6 billion, he said.
Tesla has always had its shares of doubters, who question the willingness of car buyers to shift from gas-powered vehicles to electric, how much Tesla has to worry about EV offerings from established automakers and even the validity of the company’s earnings.
Until a couple of years ago Tesla’s profits, such as they were, came not from selling cars but from the tax credits it sold to other automakers so they could comply with emission regulations.
Those doubts have made Tesla one of the most shorted stocks in the market. This year it stands at No. 2 behind only Apple, which has short positions of about $17 billion. But while Apple shares have also dropped, those shorting its shares have made a far more modest $3.7 billion this year, according to S3.
No CEO likes investors who short their stock, but Musk seems to be particularly angered by them. He’s suggested that Tesla’s critics on Wall Street are doing the work of short sellers, and mocks them when the stock is doing well, even selling red satin “short shorts” on Tesla’s website.
But the short selling is just one of many problems Musk is dealing with this year.
He’s lost nearly $100 billion of his estimated world-leading net worth, and may be on the verge of losing his position as the world’s richest person.
After years of climbing sales and repeated profit records, Tesla has been hammered by supply chain problems and Covid-related shutdowns in China that caused a rare drop in its car sales and a decline in profits. The company also has admitted it would not hit its target of 50% growth in sales this year. The once high-flying stock has shifted into reverse.
There are also concerns that he’s become distracted by his purchase of Twitter. In April he agreed to pay $44 billion for Twitter, only to see the value of the company plunge even before the sale was completed.
His efforts to get out of the deal failed, leaving him to admit he was overpaying for the social media platform. Soon after he took control, advertisers started fleeing the site, and Musk admitted Twitter was experiencing a “massive drop in revenue.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | 2022-12-08T20:59:37+00:00 | krdo.com | https://krdo.com/money/cnn-business-consumer/2022/12/08/tesla-short-sellers-have-made-11-5-billion-profit-this-year/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawyers for former President Donald Trump asked a federal judge Monday to halt the FBI’s review of documents recovered from his Florida estate earlier this month until a neutral special master can be appointed to inspect the records.
The request was included in a federal lawsuit, the first filing by Trump’s legal team in the two weeks since the search, that takes broad aim at the FBI investigation into the discovery of classified records at Mar-a-Lago and that foreshadows arguments his lawyers are expected to make as the probe proceeds.
It comes as The New York Times reported that the government has recovered more than 300 documents marked classified from Mar-a-Lago since Trump left office, including more than 150 retrieved by the National Archives in January — a number that helped trigger the criminal investigation.
The lawsuit casts the Aug. 8 search, in which the FBI said it recovered 11 sets of classified documents from Mar-a-Lago, as a “shockingly aggressive move.” It also attacks the warrant as overly broad, contends that Trump is entitled to a more detailed description of the records seized from the home and argues that the FBI and Justice Department has long treated him “unfairly.”
“Law enforcement is a shield that protects America. It cannot be used as a weapon for political purposes,” the lawyers wrote Monday. “Therefore, we seek judicial assistance in the aftermath of an unprecedented and unnecessary raid” at Mar-a-Lago.
In a separate statement, Trump said “ALL documents have been previously declassified” — though he has not produced evidence to support that claim — and described the records as having been “illegally seized from my home.” The Justice Department countered in a terse three-sentence statement pointing out that the search had been authorized by a federal judge after the FBI presented probable cause that a crime had been committed.
The filing requests the appointment of a special master not connected the case who would be tasked with inspecting the records recovered from Mar-a-Lago and setting aside those that are covered by executive privilege — a principle that permits presidents to withhold certain communications from public disclosure.
In some other high-profile cases — including investigations involving Rudy Giuliani and Michael Cohen, two of Trump’s personal attorneys — that role has been filled by a former judge.
“This matter has captured the attention of the American public. Merely ‘adequate’ safeguards are not acceptable when the matter at hand involves not only the constitutional rights of President Trump, but also the presumption of executive privilege,” the attorneys wrote.
The lawsuit argues that the records, created during Trump’s White House tenure, are “presumptively privileged.” But the Supreme Court has never determined whether a former president can assert executive privilege over documents, writing in January that the issue is unprecedented and raises “serious and substantial concerns.”
The high court turned down Trump’s plea to block records held by the National Archives from being turned over to the Jan. 6 committee, saying then that his request would have been denied even if he had been the incumbent president, so there was no need to tackle the thorny issue of a former president’s claims.
The lawsuit paints Trump as “fully cooperative” and compliant with investigators, saying members of his personal and household staff were made available for voluntary interviews and quoting him as telling FBI and Justice Department officials during a June visit to Mar-a-Lago, “Whatever you need, just let us know.”
But the chronology of events makes clear that the search took place only after other options to recover classified documents from the home had been incomplete or unsuccessful. In May, for instance, weeks before the search, the Justice Department issued a subpoena for records bearing classification markings.
The Trump team’s lawsuit was assigned to U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon, who was nominated by Trump in 2020 and confirmed by the Senate 56-21 later that year. She is a former assistant U.S. attorney in Florida, handling mainly criminal appeals.
The months-long investigation, which burst into public view with the Mar-a-Lago search, emerged from a referral from the National Archives, which earlier this year retrieved 15 boxes of documents and other items from the estate that should have been turned over to the agency when Trump left the White House. An initial review of that material concluded that Trump had brought presidential records and several other documents that were marked classified to Mar-a-Lago.
FBI and Justice Department officials visited Mar-a-Lago in June and asked to inspect a storage room. Several weeks later, the Justice Department subpoenaed for video footage from surveillance cameras at the estate. After the meeting at Mar-a-Lago, investigators interviewed another witness who told them that there were likely additional classified documents still at the estate, according to a person familiar with the investigation who was not authorized to speak publicly about it.
Separately Monday, a federal judge acknowledged that redactions to an FBI affidavit spelling out the basis for the search might be so extensive as to make the document “meaningless” if released to the public. But he said he continued to believe it should not remain sealed in its entirety because of the “intense” public interest in the investigation.
A written order from U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart largely restates what he said in court last week, when he directed the Justice Department to propose redactions about the information in the affidavit that it wants to remain secret. That submission is due Thursday at noon.
Justice Department officials have sought to keep the entire document sealed, saying disclosing any portion of it risks compromising an ongoing criminal investigation, revealing information about witnesses and divulging investigative techniques. They have advised the judge that the necessary redactions to the affidavit would be so numerous that they would strip the document of any substantive information and make it effectively meaningless for the public.
Reinhart acknowledged that possibility in his Monday order, writing, “I cannot say at this point that partial redactions will be so extensive that they will result in a meaningless disclosure, but I may ultimately reach that conclusion after hearing further from the Government.”
___
Associated Press writers Curt Anderson in St. Petersburg, Jill Colvin in New York and Mark Sherman in Washington contributed to this report.
__
Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter/com/etuckerAP and AP’s coverage of Donald Trump at https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump | 2022-08-23T13:10:13+00:00 | keloland.com | https://www.keloland.com/news/politics/judge-concedes-that-trump-affidavit-may-be-heavily-redacted/ |
agate Daily Journal high school basketball rankings, Jan. 23 Brad Locke Brad Locke Senior sports reporter Author twitter Author email Jan 23, 2023 1 hr ago Facebook Twitter WhatsApp LinkedIn SMS Email Shakobe Hammond's West Point Green Wave remain No. 8 in this week's boys rankings. Jim Lytle | Commercial Dispatch Facebook Twitter WhatsApp LinkedIn SMS Email Print Copy article link Save DAILY JOURNAL BASKETBALL RANKINGSGIRLSTeam (Class) | W-L | Pvs1. Tupelo (6A) | 18-2 | 12. Ingomar (1A) | 26-1 | 23. Booneville (3A) | 20-1 | 34. Belmont (2A) | 17-5 | 45. Tishomingo Co. (4A) | 21-2 | 56. Pontotoc (4A) | 22-1 | 67. Starkville (6A) | 15-4 | 88. Mooreville (4A) | 21-2 | 79. Biggersville (1A) | 18-3 | 910. New Site (2A) | 20-5 | 10BOYSTeam (Class) | W-L | Pvs1. Starkville (6A) | 19-4 | 12. Tupelo (6A) | 12-9 | 23. Booneville (3A) | 19-2 | 34. Pontotoc (4A) | 21-2 | 45. New Albany (4A) | 18-5 | 56. South Pontotoc (4A) | 20-4 | 67. Biggersville (1A) | 16-1 | 78. West Point (5A) | 16-4 | 89. H.W. Byers (1A) | 16-2 | 910. West Union (1A) | 18-4 | 10 Newsletters Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. The Sports Insider Get our top sports stories of the week each Sunday morning. Prep Rally Friday night high school football recaps and breaking updates from our Northeast Mississippi preps sports team. News Alerts & Top Stories The latest breaking news, plus our top stories each week. You must select at least one email list. Please enter a valid email address. Sign up Manage your lists brad.locke@journalinc.com Facebook Twitter WhatsApp LinkedIn SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Tags High School Basketball Rankings Sports Brad Locke Senior sports reporter Brad is a senior sports reporter and columnist. Author twitter Author email Follow Brad Locke 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. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Recommended for you Newsletters Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. The Daily Our top headlines each morning, seven days a week, as well as each weekday afternoon. News Alerts & Top Stories The latest breaking news, plus our top stories each week. The Sports Insider Get our top sports stories of the week each Sunday morning. Prep Rally Friday night high school football recaps and breaking updates from our Northeast Mississippi preps sports team. You must select at least one email list. Please enter a valid email address. Sign up All Newsletters
Brad Locke Senior sports reporter Brad is a senior sports reporter and columnist. Author twitter Author email Follow Brad Locke 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. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today | 2023-01-23T07:28:25+00:00 | djournal.com | https://www.djournal.com/sports/high-school/daily-journal-high-school-basketball-rankings-jan-23/article_b8f0e944-2f27-5fd2-9da1-dd9d9943ef7b.html |
-- Zachariah Brings Significant B2B Operations Expertise and 22 Years of Experience in the Telecommunications, Cable and the Managed Services Industries; Will Report to Digicomm's CEO--
ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Oct. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Digicomm International ("Digicomm" or the "Company"), a Colorado-based value-added broadband distributor and reseller and a Crestview Partners ("Crestview") portfolio company, announced the appointment of Vin Zachariah as Chief Operating Officer ("COO"). Mr. Zachariah will be responsible for process improvement across the company and developing execution strategies to drive scale and growth. He will report to Rob Donziger, Chief Executive Officer.
"We are excited to have Vin join our team as COO," said Rob Donziger. "Our recent investment by Crestview was driven by our desire to have a partner to help drive additional scale and operational expertise including building out our team through organic growth and acquisitions. As the Broadband market continues to evolve, Vin will help us expand our industry-leading product and services presence while finding ways to add additional value to our customers and vendor partners. His addition to our talented team is a significant step to help us build for the future."
Mr. Zachariah has over 22 years of experience in telecommunications, cable, and the managed services industries. Most recently, he served as COO for Allbridge, a property technology company. Before that, he was the SVP of Residential Services at Vyve Broadband, and Senior Vice President, Field Operations and Fulfillment at Mediacom.
Prior to Mediacom, Mr. Zachariah held increasingly senior operations leadership positions over an eight-year time span at Time Warner Cable, now Charter Communications. He was a Captain in the U.S. Air Force and holds both Bachelor and Master level engineering degrees from Cornell University, as well as a Master of Business Administration from the Yale University School of Management.
About Digicomm
Founded in 1993, Digicomm is an industry-leading value-added broadband distributor and reseller, and a key strategic partner to its customers helping them keep up with the rigorous demands of their broadband plant operations. Digicomm's inventory is composed of core distributed products aimed at the day-to-day, upgrade, and new construction needs of its customers, proprietary products, and an extensive library of hard-to-find specialty components. Digicomm has its main distribution center (250,000+ square feet) in the Denver, Colorado area, which also serves as the Company's headquarters. For more information, please visit www.digicomm.com.
Contacts:
For Digicomm:
Mhairi Jones
Digicomm International
303-799-3444
pressinquiries@digicomm.com
View original content:
SOURCE Digicomm International; Crestview Partners | 2022-10-26T04:25:43+00:00 | wymt.com | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2022/10/25/digicomm-international-appoints-vin-zachariah-chief-operating-officer/ |
MIAMI — Nikola Vucevic had 29 points and 12 rebounds, DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points and the Chicago Bulls stopped a four-game slide by beating the short-handed Miami Heat 113-103 on Tuesday night.
Bam Adebayo made his first nine shots and scored 27 points. Adebayo also had 12 rebounds for the Heat, who got 19 points from Tyler Herro, 18 from Haywood Highsmith, 14 from Victor Oladipo and 13 from Duncan Robinson.
Miami was without three starters — Jimmy Butler (gastrointestinal illness), Kyle Lowry (left knee soreness) and Caleb Martin (sprained left ankle) — and had its season-best, four-game winning streak snapped.
And for one night, all was well with the Bulls again.
The 11-18 start entering Tuesday had clearly taken a toll. Players were confronting one another in the locker room at halftime of what became a 150-126 loss to Minnesota on Sunday, and Bulls coach Billy Donovan spent considerable time Tuesday discussing the state of the team.
“Certainly, there’s times where you can see guys are frustrated,” Donovan said. “But, to me, there’s only one or two responses to that. Either try harder and fight harder, or be frustrated and have the same thing continue on. To me, frustration’s a feeling. We’ve got to stop worrying about feelings and start making choices.”
Herro made a 3-pointer to open the second half and put Miami up by eight. Chicago responded with its 30-7 run, highlighted by 14 consecutive points in one stretch, and Patrick Williams’ 3-pointer put the Bulls up 82-67.
The lead stayed in double digits for most of the rest of the way.
TIP-INS
Bulls: Chicago went 2-0 in its two trips to Miami this season, after winning on opening night back in October. ... The Bulls were outscored 36-21 in the second quarter. It was the 14th time they lost a quarter by more than 10 points this season; they had been 0-13 in such games before Tuesday. ... Former Heat guard Goran Dragic, as always, got a warm ovation when entering the game from the still-appreciative Miami crowd.
Heat: After appearing in each of the season’s first eight games, Butler has missed 12 of Miami’s last 24 contests. ... Miami used its 12th starting lineup of the season. Each of the last five games has featured a different starting five. ... Adebayo was 7 for 7 in the first half, the best such mark of his career. He was 6 for 6 in the first half against Cleveland on Feb. 22, 2020.
RESPECT
Lowry was on the Heat bench wearing an Argentina soccer jersey -- the No. 10, for Lionel Messi, the superstar who has been linked to Inter Miami for some time.
DOUBLE VUC
Vucevic had his team-best 14th double-double of the season. It was his first in his last six games.
UP NEXT
Bulls: Visit Atlanta on Wednesday.
Heat: Host Indiana on Friday.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2022-12-21T03:02:01+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nba/bulls-snap-4-game-slide-top-short-handed-heat-113-103/2022/12/20/8b8eb98c-80da-11ed-8738-ed7217de2775_story.html |
HOUSTON, May 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Luby's, Inc. (NYSE: LUB) (the "Company"), which is liquidating and winding down pursuant to a plan of liquidation and dissolution (the "Plan"), is reminding holders of the Company's common stock that, in connection with the transfer of the Company's remaining assets and liabilities to a liquidating trust to be known as LUB Liquidating Trust (the "Trust"), the last day of trading of the Company's common stock on the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") will be Friday, May 27, 2022. The transfer of the Company's remaining assets and liabilities to the Trust is expected to occur at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight time on May 31, 2022. At such time, holders of the Company's common stock will automatically receive one unit in the Trust ("Unit") for each share of the Company's common stock held by such holder. As previously disclosed, Units will generally not be transferable except by will, intestate succession or operation of law. For tax purposes, the fair value of each Unit in the Trust received by Company stockholders at such time, which reflects the value of the remaining assets of the Company (net of liabilities), will equal the average of the high and low trading prices for shares of the Company's common stock on the last three days on which the shares are traded on the NYSE.
For a discussion of the tax consequences of the transfer of the Company's assets to the Trust and the distribution of the Trust Units to the stockholders, please see "Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Proposed Dissolution - U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of a Liquidating Trust" beginning on page 48 of the definitive proxy statement filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 6, 2020, in connection with the Plan. Stockholders are strongly advised to contact their investment and tax advisors.
The Company has sold all of its operating divisions, and sold the majority of its real estate, except for 17 properties, all of which it continues to market for sale. The Company also has certain financial instruments it has received as the result of its liquidation process. The Company has no debt outstanding other than certain payables and various non-funded debt liabilities. Inclusive of the distribution being paid on May 24, 2022, the Company has paid aggregate cash liquidating distributions of $2.70 per share.
Luby's, Inc. (NYSE: LUB) previously announced its plan of liquidation and dissolution, which was approved by its stockholders on November 17, 2020. Luby's has sold both its restaurant brands, Luby's Cafeterias and Fuddruckers, as well as its Culinary Contract Services business segment. Luby's is actively seeking buyers for its remaining real estate assets.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains statements that are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements contained in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking statements" for purposes of these provisions, including the statements regarding sales of assets, effects of the Plan, expected value or proceeds attributable to the sale of assets, and expected proceeds to be distributed to stockholders or the timing thereof. Luby's cautions readers that various factors could cause its actual financial results to differ materially from those indicated by forward-looking statements made from time-to-time in news releases, reports, proxy statements, registration statements, and other written communications, as well as oral statements made from time to time by representatives of Luby's. The following factors, as well as any other cautionary language included in this press release, provide examples of risks, uncertainties and events that may cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations Luby's describes in such forward-looking statements: general business and economic conditions; the effects of inflation; and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in Luby's annual reports on Form 10- K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, including information regarding the risks, uncertainties and other factors relating to the Plan, the expected net proceeds from the sale of assets, and expected proceeds to be distributed to stockholders.
For additional information contact:
John Garilli, Interim CEO
LInvestors@lubys.com
View original content:
SOURCE Luby's, Inc. | 2022-05-20T21:29:44+00:00 | waff.com | https://www.waff.com/prnewswire/2022/05/20/lubys-inc-reminds-stockholders-that-last-day-trading-ends-friday-may-27-2022-300-pm-central-daylight-time/ |
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Federal appeals court judges are seeking compromise on whether government requirements that health insurance include coverage for HIV prevention, cancer screenings and some other types of preventive care can be maintained while a legal battle over the mandates plays out.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel on Wednesday told attorneys on both sides of the issue to report by Friday on the possibility of a temporary compromise in the case.
At issue is a March ruling by a federal judge in Texas who said some of the preventive care requirements under former President Barack Obama’s 13-year-old health care law are unconstitutional. The decision jeopardized cost-free coverage of HIV-preventing drugs, cancer screenings and various other types of preventive care for millions of Americans.
The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit blocked immediate enforcement of the ruling in May. On Tuesday, three 5th Circuit judges heard arguments on whether they should continue to stay enforcement of the ruling during what could be a lengthy appeals process.
An attorney for plaintiffs in the case — including a conservative activist and a Christian dentist who oppose coverage for contraception and HIV prevention on religious grounds — said in court Tuesday that a stay is unnecessary. Insurers and employers who provide employee health insurance would be unlikely to drop preventive coverage before the case is finally resolved, attorney Jonathan Mitchell said.
Judge Leslie Southwick, one of three appellate judges in the case, was skeptical. “You may be right, but it really is speculation if you want us to apply some of our sense of how insurance companies react,” Southwick said.
Lawyers for the Biden administration stressed that they are not seeking to block enforcement protecting the plaintiffs in the case from requirements to provide preventive care. They do want a stay that would keep the Texas judge’s ruling from applying nationwide while the appeals play out.
The panel ordered a report on compromise efforts by 5 p.m. Friday. | 2023-06-08T02:17:19+00:00 | cenlanow.com | https://www.cenlanow.com/health/court-seeks-compromise-that-might-preserve-preventive-health-insurance-mandates-as-appeals-play-out/ |
CA Reno NV Zone Forecast for Saturday, January 14, 2023
_____
131 FPUS55 KREV 151131
ZFPREV
Western Nevada-Eastern Sierra-Northeast California Zone Forecast
National Weather Service Reno NV
331 AM PST Sun Jan 15 2023
This is an automatically generated product that provides averaged
values for large geographic areas and may not be representative
of a specific area. To get a more specific forecast for your area,
please visit www.nws.noaa.gov/wtf/udaf/area/?site=rev
CAZ072-NVZ002-160300-
Greater Lake Tahoe Area-
Including the cities of South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City, Truckee,
Markleeville, Stateline, Glenbrook, and Incline Village
331 AM PST Sun Jan 15 2023
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST TUESDAY...
.TODAY...Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow. Snow accumulation
up to 2 inches. Highs 27 to 32. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph.
Gusts up to 30 mph in the afternoon. Ridge gusts up to 60 mph in
the afternoon.
.TONIGHT...Chance of snow in the evening, then snow after
midnight. Snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches with 2 to 4 inches
above 7000 feet. Lows 15 to 25. South winds 10 to 15 mph. Gusts
up to 30 mph in the evening.
.MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DAY...Heavy snow. Snow accumulation of
2 to 6 inches with 4 to 8 inches above 7000 feet. Highs 27 to 32.
East winds around 10 mph shifting to the west in the afternoon.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Cloudy with a chance of snow. Lows 10 to 20. West
winds 10 to 15 mph.
.TUESDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then clearing. Highs
27 to 32. Light winds.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows 8 to 18.
.WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a chance of
snow. Highs 31 to 36. Lows 14 to 24.
.THURSDAY...Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow in the
morning, then partly cloudy in the afternoon. Highs 27 to 32.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows 6 to 16.
.FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT...Clear. Highs 26 to 36. Lows 7 to 17.
.SATURDAY...Sunny. Highs 33 to 38.
$$
CAZ070-NVZ005-160300-
Surprise Valley California-Northern Washoe County-
Including the cities of Cedarville, Eagleville, Fort Bidwell,
Empire, and Gerlach
331 AM PST Sun Jan 15 2023
.TODAY...Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of snow in the afternoon.
Highs 35 to 45. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to
30 mph.
.TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow. Snow accumulation
up to 2 inches. Lows 21 to 31. South winds 10 to 15 mph.
.MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DAY...Cloudy with a chance of snow. Snow
accumulation up to 2 inches. Highs 32 to 42. Northeast winds
10 to 15 mph.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Lows 16 to 26. North winds 10 to
15 mph.
.TUESDAY...Partly cloudy. Highs 31 to 41. Northwest winds 10 to
15 mph.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows 15 to 25.
.WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Snow likely. Highs 33 to 43.
Lows 16 to 21.
.THURSDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Highs 30 to 40.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows 9 to 14.
.FRIDAY...Partly cloudy. Highs 27 to 37.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows 10 to 20.
.SATURDAY...Partly cloudy. Highs 34 to 39.
$$
CAZ071-160300-
Lassen-Eastern Plumas-Eastern Sierra Counties-
Including the cities of Portola, Susanville, Westwood,
Sierraville, and Loyalton
331 AM PST Sun Jan 15 2023
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST TUESDAY...
.TODAY...Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow. Snow accumulation
up to 2 inches. Highs 33 to 43. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph.
.TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow. Snow accumulation
up to 2 inches. Lows 19 to 29. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph.
.MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DAY...Cloudy with a chance of snow. Snow
accumulation up to 2 inches. Highs 30 to 40. Northeast winds
10 to 15 mph.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of snow in the
evening. Lows 14 to 24. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph.
.TUESDAY...Partly cloudy. Highs 30 to 40. Light winds.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Clear in the evening then becoming partly
cloudy. Lows 11 to 21.
.WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Snow likely. Highs 32 to 42.
Lows 14 to 24.
.THURSDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Highs 28 to 38.
.THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows 8 to 18. Highs
27 to 37.
.SATURDAY...Partly cloudy. Highs 32 to 42.
$$
CAZ073-160300-
Mono County-
Including the cities of Bridgeport, Coleville, Lee Vining,
and Mammoth Lakes
331 AM PST Sun Jan 15 2023
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST TUESDAY...
.TODAY...Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow. Snow accumulation
up to 1 inch. Highs 26 to 36. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph. Gusts
up to 30 mph in the afternoon. Ridge gusts up to 50 mph.
.TONIGHT...Slight chance of snow in the evening, then snow after
midnight. Snow accumulation up to 2 inches with 1 to 5 inches
above 7000 feet. Lows 11 to 21. South winds 10 to 15 mph.
.MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DAY...Heavy snow. Snow accumulation of
2 to 6 inches with 5 to 11 inches above 7000 feet. Highs 26 to
31. South winds 10 to 15 mph.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Snow likely. Lows 5 to 15. West winds 10 to
15 mph.
.TUESDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then clearing. Highs
24 to 29. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows 2 to 12.
.WEDNESDAY...Partly cloudy. Highs 29 to 39.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY...Mostly cloudy with a chance of
snow. Lows 7 to 17. Highs 25 to 30.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows zero to 10 above zero.
.FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT...Clear. Highs 23 to 28. Lows 3 to 13.
.SATURDAY...Sunny. Highs 30 to 40.
$$
_____
Copyright 2023 AccuWeather | 2023-01-15T12:46:48+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/weather/article/CA-Reno-NV-Zone-Forecast-17719258.php |
Russian shelling of Ukraine city kills 2, wounds 29 people
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Two people were killed and 29 wounded Monday when Russian forces shelled the Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, in the partially occupied eastern Donetsk region, local officials said.
Video footage of the aftermath showed damaged residential buildings, debris in the streets and vehicles on fire.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the attack as “terrorism.”
Russia has denied targeting residential areas even though artillery and rocket strikes have hit Ukrainian apartment buildings and civilian infrastructure daily during the war.
The Sloviansk attack followed a typical pattern of long-range shelling adopted by the Kremlin’s forces, especially in recent months as the fighting became deadlocked during the bitterly cold winter months.
In the eastern Donetsk region, some 10 cities and villages were shelled by Russian forces over the previous 24 hours, Ukraine’s presidential office reported Monday.
On Monday morning, Russian missiles hit the city of Avdiivka, damaging residential buildings, a hotel and a courthouse, it said.
Avdiivka Mayor Vitali Barabash said utility companies are being evacuated from the frontline city, as it “resembles more and more a landscape from post-apocalyptic movies.”
Attacks also intensified in the partially occupied southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, where 14 settlements on the front line were shelled, authorities said.
In the partially occupied Kherson region, the Ukrainian-controlled part of the province was shelled 20 times by the Russian artillery and aviation, wounding four people, the presidential office said.
The mayor of the occupied city of Melitopol said several explosions shook the city Monday, damaging a building where Russian security forces have been quartered.
Mayor Ivan Fyodorov posted photos of smoke billowing over the area where the Russian barracks are located.
The Russian-installed authorities said “artillery shelling” of Melitopol partially destroyed a vocational school building, damaged several other buildings and wounded four people.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy met in Kyiv with British actor Orlando Bloom, the head of Ukraine’s presidential office Andriy Yermak said Monday.
Bloom, who is also a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, arrived in the Ukrainian capital over the weekend and visited its suburb of Irpin.
During his meeting with Zelenskyy, Bloom said “he was struck by the courage and resilience of Ukrainians, who despite the war remain strong,” Yermak wrote.
Bloom “will support projects to provide humanitarian assistance and restore infrastructure, focused on ensuring the interests of Ukrainian children,” the official said.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2023-03-27T13:30:34+00:00 | wymt.com | https://www.wymt.com/2023/03/27/russian-shelling-ukraine-city-kills-2-wounds-29-people/ |
VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, the World's Largest Junk Removal Service and global industry leader, has launched a brand new franchise in Valparaiso, Indiana. 1-800-GOT-JUNK? is now available to over 330k households in the Indiana North West area, offering full service junk removal to residential and commercial customers.
First-time Franchise Partners, Tricia and Steve Farrell, have lived in the Indiana NW area for over 20 years. When deciding on where to open their first franchise, Valparaiso was an obvious choice as they have been in love with the area for decades and already have strong ties with the tight-knit community.
The Valparaiso franchise's goal is to live and breathe 1-800-GOT-JUNK?'s core values of Passion, Integrity, Professionalism, and Empathy in every aspect of their business. With one of the strongest opening days in recent franchise history, there's no doubt there will be ample opportunity to do just that. The franchise has already started to form relationships with charities in the area, including GoodWill and the Salvation Army, donating any lightly used items to these organizations and other local charities.
Since launching the franchise in September 2022, the Farrell's highlights have been furthering their relationship with the people of Valparaiso. In fact, the franchise was so excited to introduce 1-800-GOT-JUNK? to the community that they participated in Valparaiso's annual Popcorn Festival. "It was an incredible day", says Tricia Farrell, "Everyone was so welcoming, it really touched my heart. We can't wait to grow our partnerships and make a positive impact in this amazing community."
About 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
1-800-GOT-JUNK? pioneered an industry that brings people and businesses relief by making their junk disappear. Whether it's a pile of household junk in the garage or a warehouse full of office furnishings, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? removes it for you. With the help of their friendly, uniformed team members, convenient services, and customer first philosophy, they make the ordinary business of junk removal exceptional. They recycle the recyclables and donate the donatables when possible. 1-800-GOT-JUNK? was founded in 1989 and now operates in over 160 locations throughout North America and Australia. For more information, visit www.1800gotjunk.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE 1-800-GOT-JUNK? | 2022-11-10T15:02:10+00:00 | wlox.com | https://www.wlox.com/prnewswire/2022/11/10/slam-dunk-1-800-got-junk-launches-new-franchise-valparaiso-indiana/ |
DEVELOPING... Story will be updated as new information can be verified. Updated 3 times
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles judge on Wednesday sentenced the man convicted of gunning down Nipsey Hussle to 60 years to life in prison after hearing testaments to the immense cost of the killing of the hip-hop star and neighborhood leader, and of the lifetime of mental illness, abuse and struggle of the man who shot him.
Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke II handed down the sentence to Eric R. Holder Jr., 33, who was found guilty of the 2019 first-degree murder of the 33-year-old Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist outside the clothing store Hussle founded, the Marathon, in the South Los Angeles neighborhood where both men grew up in very similar circumstances.
“I am very mindful of what was presented as to Mr. Holder’ mental health,” Jacke said. “I am also mindful of the devastation caused to the victims and their families. I believe this sentence balances the two.”
After the monthlong trial, jurors in July also convicted Holder of two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault with a firearm for gunfire that hit two other men at the scene who survived.
Jacke sentenced Holder to 25 years to life for the murder, 25 more for a firearm sentencing enhancement and 10 for assault with a firearm. He set several other sentencing additions and ordered that others run concurrent. He also gave Holder credit for the nearly four years he has served since the shooting.
Holder, dressed in orange jail attire, stared straight ahead throughout the proceedings and did not react when the sentence was read, and spoke only to tell the judge he understood the circumstances when he was asked.
In an impact statement before the sentence was handed down, Herman “Cowboy” Douglas, a close friend of Hussle who was standing with him when he was killed and testified during the trial, told the judge that the killing was a tremendous loss both for him personally and for the South Los Angeles community where Hussle was a business leader, and an inspiration.
“Nipsey was my friend, he was like a son, he was like a dad,” said Douglas, who took off his black cowboy hat as he entered the courtroom and wore a sweatshirt with a picture of Hussle on the front. “Our community right now, we lost everything, everything we worked for. One man’s mistake, one man’s action, messed up a whole community.”
Douglas said Hussle’s store and surrounding businesses that he owned and supported have been closed down, and it has meant that “the Homies don’t have nothing to do.”
Douglas told the judge, “I don’t care what you give this guy. It ain’t about the time. I just want to know why. The world wants to know why. Why someone would do that?”
Actor Lauren London, who was Hussle’s partner and the mother of his two young children, did not attend any part of the trial, nor did any of his relatives, and none gave similar impact statements.
Asking for a lesser sentence of 25 years to life that would allow some chance at release and rehabilitation, Jansen detailed a childhood of physical abuse and poverty for Holder.
As he reached adulthood, Jansen said Holder suffered “a terrible descent into mental illness” that led to “years of torment and struggle” with issues including agonizing auditory hallucinations that resisted all attempts at treatment.
He showed photos of a head injury Holder suffered at the hands of other inmates during the trial, saying he has been targeted as Hussle’s killer and that his life behind bars is “going to be brutal. It’s going to be short. He’s already received numerous death threats.”
Jansen also read a letter from Holder’s father, Eric Holder Sr. apologizing to Hussle’s family and to the other victims.
“I know there are not enough words that would fill the void, the pain, the deep sorrow that they feel,” the letter read. “I question myself every day asking if I as a father did everything to help Eric Jr. stabilize his mental health.”
Hussle, whose legal name is Ermias Asghedom, and Holder had known each other for years growing up as members of the Rollin’ 60s in South LA. Both were aspiring rappers. But Holder never found the same success as Hussle, who would become a local hero and a national celebrity.
A year after his death, he was mourned at a memorial at the arena then known as Staples Center, and celebrated in a performance at the Grammy Awards that included DJ Khaled and John Legend.
The evidence against Holder was so overwhelming — from eyewitnesses to surveillance cameras from local businesses that captured his arrival, the shooting and his departure — that Jansen conceded during trial that he had shot Hussle, asking jurors to find him guilty of voluntary manslaughter. But jurors took just six hours deliberating before returning with the first-degree murder verdict.
As Holder was taken from the courtroom Wednesday, Douglas sang “Hit the Road Jack” toward him. Jacke shouted “Out!” and deputies led Douglas out.
___
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton | 2023-02-22T22:31:47+00:00 | abqjournal.com | https://www.abqjournal.com/2575465/nipsey-hussles-killer-gets-60-years-to-life-in-prison.html |
(Our Auto Expert) – Get ready, adventure seekers! Subaru may have just made the vehicle for you. The last
Subaru Crosstrek was the number one choice for hikers, the number two choice for bikers, and 50% of the people that bought it planned to take their dog out in it. With a driving range of around 500 Miles, you will go from mountain to coast with minimal interruptions. This crossover is the ultimate vehicle for those who love to explore.
The Subaru Crosstrek is the ultimate adventure vehicle, thanks to its impressive off-road
capabilities. With standard symmetrical all-wheel drive, 8.7 inches of ground clearance, and X-mode. The Crosstrek can tackle any terrain with ease.
The Crosstrek’s Hill Descent Control system ensures safe and controlled descents down steep
inclines. Whether you’re cruising down the highway or exploring off-the-beaten path, the Subaru Crosstrek is the perfect vehicle for your next adventure.
The Subaru Crosstrek’s interior is a real showstopper, with comfortable seats and
impressive tech features. The large touchscreen display includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a Wi-Fi hotspot keeps you connected on the go. Perfect for modern drivers.
We all know that when you’re going out on a long trip, you need all the space you can get so
Subaru has ensured you can utilize the space by putting in an electric Parking brake so you can squeeze even more into your ultimate adventure vehicle.
The Crosstrek is among the most fuel-efficient subcompact crossovers, with great EPA fuel-economy ratings and some of the best results. The Crosstrek’s 2.0-liter engine and continuously variable automatic transmission may be relaxed, but they’re easy on fuel, with an EPA rating 28 mpg city and 33 mpg highway. The manual transmission comes with sizable drops to 22 and 29 mpg.
Subaru has a strong reputation for caring about their customers, and they are committed to
providing exceptional service and support throughout the ownership experience.
The Subaru Crosstrek boasts a fresh and modern exterior design that gives a more aggressive and sporty appearance, while the 18-inch wheels add to the vehicle’s rugged and adventurous look.
Overall, the Crosstrek’s new exterior design is both stylish and functional.
Side Vents. Starting under $25,000, should keep this vehicle on everyone’s radar. | 2023-05-03T02:00:24+00:00 | keloland.com | https://www.keloland.com/automotive/what-you-get-for-25k-on-the-2024-subaru-crosstrek/ |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.