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Deputies search for car involved in Thornhill dealership hit and run
LOGAN COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Michael Chryssofos stepped back from where a car was parked to show just how far the totaled vehicle was pushed after a hit-and-run incident at a Logan County car dealership.
Chryssofos, the parts and service director, was one of the first to see the black car rammed by another car during the weekend. The black vehicle and two others were damaged at Thornhill Mitsubishi, just off of U.S. 119 near Chapmanville.
“It actually looked like it came off of the four lane, and when it came off, it looks like it rammed right into the black vehicle -- the first one,” Chryssofos said.
Tracks in the grass show where deputies believe the driver of the car went off of U.S. 119, as the driver was heading south toward Logan.
Chryssofos said the first black car was totaled, while a silver car had several thousand dollars of damages to the side. A third one had minor damages.
“The first one, the black one, the whole entire driver’s side was taken out,” Chryssofos said. “It looks like it actually kept pushing the vehicles and when they backed out it looks like that is when they damaged the second vehicle.”
The responsible car had previous damages, according to Chryssofos. He picked up gold pieces of the car from the wreckage.
“We found a bumper fascia and we run the part on it, and it did come back as a ‘99 to ‘07 model Silverado or Tahoe,” Chryssofos said.
Logan County Sheriff’s deputies are searching for the person responsible.
Thornhill said they are offering a $500 reward for anyone with information that leads to an arrest.
Copyright 2022 WSAZ. All rights reserved. | 2022-11-16T08:28:39+00:00 | wymt.com | https://www.wymt.com/2022/11/16/deputies-search-car-involved-thornhill-dealership-hit-run/ |
WASHINGTON – The White House on Thursday launched a formal partnership with 11 East Coast governors to boost the growing offshore wind industry, a key element of President Joe Biden's plan for climate change.
Biden, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and other top administration officials met with governors, wind industry officials and labor leaders Thursday at the White House. The session focused on ways to expand important segments of the offshore industry, including manufacturing facilities, ports and workforce training and development.
“Together we’re stepping up. We’re about to build a better America,'' Biden said. “It's not just about the future. It’s about right now.''
The partnership comprises governors of both parties from Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.
Missing from the compact is Virginia, where Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has moved to withdraw the state from a regional carbon-limiting initiative meant to combat climate change.
Spokesperson Macaulay Porter said Youngkin supports the offshore wind industry, and his administration has participated in calls with the White House on the topic.
“The commonwealth is already a leader in offshore wind, and the Youngkin administration is focused on ... this emerging sector in a way that is consistent with promoting jobs for Virginia and its right-to-work philosophy,'' Porter said, referring to a state policy that promotes a worker’s right not to be required to join a labor union.
Youngkin is “fully committed to Virginia’s current offshore wind project" and will continue to support any future project "that meets Virginia’s economic needs and protects ratepayers from high energy costs,'' Porter said.
In working with states and the private sector, the White House said it will “provide Americans with cleaner and cheaper energy, create good-paying jobs and invest billions in new American energy supply chains,'' including construction of wind turbines, shipbuilding and servicing.
Biden has set a goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030, enough to provide electricity to 10 million homes, support 77,000 jobs and spur $12 billion per year in private investment in offshore wind. Offshore wind is a key component in the Democratic president's plan to make the nation’s electric grid carbon free by 2035.
The Biden administration has approved two large-scale wind projects, Vineyard Wind in Massachusetts and South Fork Wind off New York and Rhode Island. Both are under construction with union labor. The Interior Department has begun reviews of another 10 offshore projects that, if approved, would produce 22 gigawatts of clean energy.
Danish wind developer Orsted signed a project labor agreement last month with a national union representing 3 million people in the building trades to construct the company’s U.S. offshore wind farms with an American union workforce. Orsted currently has six offshore projects in five states.
A national agreement signed with North America’s Building Trades Unions covers contractors working on those projects and future ones, with no termination date on the project labor agreement. It sets the terms and conditions for union workers to build offshore wind farms, with targets to ensure a diverse workforce. It contains provisions for training to ensure they can construct the complex infrastructure, which costs billions of dollars.
“We recognize that states are huge players here,'' said David Hayes, a White House climate adviser. With a formal partnership, the Biden administration can “work with the governors on policies going forward and help ensure that there is an American-made supply chain for this brand-new industry,'' Hayes said.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said he and other East Coast governors “are united with our regional and federal partners not just by geography but by a shared commitment to clean and affordable energy, economic opportunity and a future in which all community members are shielded from the worsening impacts of climate change.''
The federal-state collaboration comes as the Biden administration has announced a plan to conduct up to seven offshore wind auctions by 2025, including one held last month off North Carolina and earlier this year in a coastal area known as the New York Bight. Other sales are expected in the Gulf of Maine, the central Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, as well as offshore in California and Oregon.
Environmental and clean energy groups hailed the federal-state collaboration.
“Today, there are just seven offshore wind turbines in the United States, and we’re going to need a lot more, done responsibly, to meet our clean energy goals,'' said Diane Hoskins, campaign director for the conservation group Oceana. She called for "strong safeguards for marine life to avoid, minimize and mitigate the impacts of offshore wind.''
Heather Zichal, CEO of the American Clean Power Association, an industry group, said wind energy developers support the federal-state initiative. “Clear and predictable permitting for offshore wind is essential to recognizing its potential, and there is still work to do,'' Zichal said.
___
Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani in Washington and Sarah Rankin in Richmond, Va., contributed to this story. | 2022-06-23T21:49:21+00:00 | wsls.com | https://www.wsls.com/news/politics/2022/06/23/biden-teams-with-east-coast-governors-to-boost-offshore-wind/ |
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2022 Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, LLC. | 2022-09-20T00:22:06+00:00 | wtmj.com | https://wtmj.com/entertainment/2022/09/19/ap-top-entertainment-news-at-618-p-m-edt-2/ |
LUBBOCK, Texas — KLBK Chief Meteorologist Jacob Riley has your Monday evening Ag-Journal weather update.
Recent rains have arrived at a crucial time for area ag-producers who are putting their seed in the ground for growing season 2023! With most of the region seeing at least some rainfall over the past week, most locations around West Texas and eastern New Mexico have pretty damp topsoils. With the exceptions of only Hobbs, Tatum, Seminole, and Andrews, the rest of the West Texas Mesonet Sites have received at least 0.25″ of rainfall over the past week.
As we look forward to this week, we will continue to see isolated and scattered chances of showers and storms as several storm systems over the southwestern United States move closer to the South Plains. Showers and storms return to the forecast Tuesday evening, and will hang around through Friday. Some storms will be capable of producing gusty winds near 60-70 MPH, and hail up to penny sized (0.75″ in diameter), especially on Thursday evening.
Our extended outlook for the next 6-14 days will feature slightly below average temperatures due to an expected surplus of precipitation around the region! As previously stated, this is coming at a crucial time for planting season. This will allow drought conditions to continue to improve around most of New Mexico and Texas! Unfortunately, a few bouts of severe weather will likely accompany this beneficial rainfall.
Have a terrific Tuesday, South Plains!
-Jacob
Facebook: Chief Meteorologist Jacob Riley
Twitter: @jrileywx | 2023-05-16T02:21:43+00:00 | everythinglubbock.com | https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/agjournal/klbks-ag-journal-forecast-may-15th-2023/ |
The Douglas Budget reports that over the weekend, the Douglas Cats baseball team qualified for the Little League Majors tournament in Gillette for the first time in 21 years. They also placed at the state tournament for the first time since 1957.
The Torrington Telegram reports that the Torrington 9 to 10-year-old All Stars baseball team went to their first state championship since 1994 and won.
Rayne Grant from Slater recently won multiple awards at the National High School Rodeo. The Platte County Record Times reports Grant earned National Grand Champion in pole bending and a Reserve Champion in barrel racing. She also placed 11th in goat tying. She was selected as the National High School Rodeo Champion All-Around Cowgirl. And her horse Chili was selected as the American Quarter Horse Association Women's Horse of the Year.
The Casper College Sound Department is looking to work with any community members looking to have music professionally recorded. According to the Casper Star Tribune, the department is new and aims to give students hands-on experience with music production and mixing. | 2022-08-05T18:24:38+00:00 | wyomingpublicmedia.org | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-05/friday-august-5 |
The Dodge Challenger and Charger muscle cars are on their way out after 2023, and they’re taking their gas engines along with them, including the line of Hemi V-8s, Hellcat included.
If you’ve been dreaming of ordering one and haven’t pulled the trigger yet, there’s still some time, but not a lot.
Dodge on Monday announced that it is directing dealers to submit final orders for the 2023 Challenger and Charger by the end of July.
Production of the two cars will cease by the end of this year, after which the plant in Brampton, Canada, where they are built will undergo a major upgrade to prepare it for electric vehicles. The upgrade is scheduled to be completed by 2025.
Dodge hasn’t announced the end of the Challenger and Charger; just the end of the vehicles in their current form. You can count on successors being offered, though these will be EVs. Dodge has already previewed an electric muscle car due in 2024 with its Charger Daytona concept.
To mark the end of the current cars, and their gas engines, Dodge has rolled out a series of seven special editions known as the Last Call cars. The series is topped by the wild Challenger SRT Demon 170 which cranks out 1,025 hp when running on E85 fuel, and can sprint to 60 mph from rest in just 1.66 seconds on a prepped surface.
The build slot for the final Challenger SRT Demon 170 sold last month for $700,000 at a Las Vegas auction.
For those that miss out on one of the Last Call cars, all 2023 Challenger and Charger models feature special goodies signifying them as the last of their kind. While this varies from model to model, all come with a commemorative plaque under the hood bearing the scripts “Last Call,” “Designed in Auburn Hills,” and “Assembled in Brampton.”
To help with securing one of the final cars, Dodge has the Dodge Horsepower Locator on the website www.DodgeGarage.com. The web function shows inventory of the remaining Challengers and Chargers allocated to dealerships, from the entry-level SXT to a special edition model. It also allows users to contact the dealership to place an order.
“For enthusiasts looking to order a Dodge Challenger or Charger, especially a high-horsepower model, such as the Scat Pack, SRT Hellcat or a special edition model, it’s truly the last call,” Tim Kuniskis, Dodge’s CEO, said in a statement. “As we transition to an exciting, electrified muscle car future, we’re marking the end of an unforgettable era for Dodge, and time is running out for those who want to own a piece of it.”
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- Porsche finally fixes the Apple CarPlay user experience | 2023-07-19T09:46:26+00:00 | qcnews.com | https://www.qcnews.com/automotive/internet-brands/dodge-taking-final-orders-for-gas-powered-challenger-charger/ |
INDIANAPOLIS — Looking for a new hobby? The Department of Natural Resources offers Free Fishing days from June 4 to June 5 and later in the year on September 24.
On these specific days, no fishing license is needed to fish in the state's public waters. But rules such as seasons, bag, and size limits do apply.
DNR encourages others to take advantage of these days. The public gets the opportunity to not only fish but to learn how to fish as well.
You can also use these days to take a fishing trip with family or bring a friend along and teach them how to fish.
For any other information, visit their website. | 2022-06-02T18:46:13+00:00 | wrtv.com | https://www.wrtv.com/entertainment/inside-indy/events/go-fish-dnr-encourages-others-to-fish-with-free-fishing-days |
NeutraDC has entered an MOU with NAVER Cloud and Cisco to offer advanced, secure cloud solutions and services to businesses in Indonesia, accelerating their opportunity for digital transformation.
JAKARTA, Indonesia, March 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- NeutraDC, a brand of direct subsidiary of Telkom Indonesia, PT Telkom Data Ekosistem (TDE), entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NAVER Cloud and Cisco to accelerate the digital transformation of businesses in Indonesia by providing them with advanced cloud solutions and services.
Businesses in Indonesia will benefit from the collaboration as NAVER Cloud and Cisco provide reliable, secure and efficient cloud-based services. The MOU enables all parties to leverage TDE's local knowledge and data centre infrastructure to deliver reliable and secure cloud services to businesses in Indonesia.
"We are happy to have NAVER Cloud & Cisco to support our flagship hyperscale data centre in Cikarang, Indonesia. The MoU will promote collaboration and knowledge-sharing between the three companies, which will result in developing talent and skills in cloud computing in Indonesia," remarked Andreuw Th.A.F, Chief Executive Officer of TDE (NeutraDC). "The benefit to local companies in Indonesia is enhanced agility, scalability, and cost efficiency to better compete in the digital economy," said Andreuw.
NeutraDC offers a pathway for international companies to access Indonesia's eyeballs and digital economy. A hub for TDE's data centre resources in Indonesia, NeutraDC offers a robust digital ecosystem where any party, including hyperscale players supported by Telkom Indonesia, can tap integrated digital infrastructure with comprehensive network connectivity.
"NAVER Cloud is proud to bring our knowledge and experience in cloud technology to the Indonesian market in collaboration with PT Telkom and Cisco. This partnership will help to drive innovation and deliver the benefits of cloud technology to businesses and consumers in Indonesia," said Weongi Park, CEO of APAC Development at NAVER Cloud.
"At Cisco, partnerships are at the heart of everything that we do, which is why we are excited to be working with NAVER Cloud and PT Telkom on this innovative venture. With their unparalleled industry expertise and our cutting-edge technology, we believe we can offer a premier telco cloud solution to Indonesia, driving economic growth to new levels," said Sanjay Kaul, President, Service Provider, Asia Pacific and Japan, Cisco.
#DigitalBisa
#UntukIndonesiaLebihBaik
Ahmad Reza
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SOURCE PT Telkom Indonesia (Persero) Tbk | 2023-03-03T09:56:56+00:00 | kfyrtv.com | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/03/03/neutradc-naver-cloud-cisco-collaborate-boost-cloud-adoption-drive-digital-transformation-indonesia/ |
WFO HOUSTON/GALVESTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, August 18, 2022
_____
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX
454 PM CDT Thu Aug 18 2022
...A cluster of strong thunderstorms will impact portions of south
central Montgomery and northeastern Harris Counties through 545 PM
CDT...
At 453 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Willowbrook, or near Greater Greenspoint, moving southeast at 20 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 30 mph and half inch hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Humble, Tomball, Jersey Village, Hunters Creek Village, Bunker Hill
Village, Piney Point Village, Northside / Northline, Spring Branch
North, Greater Greenspoint, Spring, Greater Heights, Aldine, Spring
Branch West, Addicks Park Ten, Spring Valley, The Woodlands, Near
Northside Houston, northwestern Memorial Park, Kingwood and Oak Ridge
North.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
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 2996 9572 3019 9546 2999 9514 2983 9530
2973 9559
TIME...MOT...LOC 2153Z 305DEG 16KT 2996 9549
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...30 MPH
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | 2022-08-18T23:12:30+00:00 | seattlepi.com | https://www.seattlepi.com/weather/article/TX-WFO-HOUSTON-GALVESTON-Warnings-Watches-and-17383028.php |
HOLON, ISRAEL, June 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Compugen Ltd. (Nasdaq: CGEN), a clinical-stage cancer immunotherapy company and a pioneer in computational target discovery, today announced that members of its management team will present at the following industry conferences in Europe:
Event: 10th Antibody Industrial Symposium, Montpellier, France
Date: Tuesday June 28, 2022
Presenter: Pierre Ferré, Ph.D., VP, Preclinical Development, Compugen
Presentation track: IO mAb targets – BsAbs – Fc-fusion protein/ Rare Diseases
Presentation title: PVRIG and TIGIT immune checkpoint blockade in cancer: Emerging translational data from clinical trials
Event: Immuno UK, London, UK
Dates: Thursday September 29 and Friday September 30, 2022
Presenter: Eran Ophir, Ph.D., SVP, Research and Drug Discovery, Compugen
Presentation track: Discovery & Development: Intratumoral Immunotherapies & Antibody Therapies
Presentation title: Potential of PVRIG and TIGIT blockade in addressing immunotherapy resistance
Panel Discussion: Combinatorial Strategies in Immuno-Oncology
Slides will be accessible on the publication section of the Compugen website at www.cgen.com
About Compugen
Compugen is a clinical-stage therapeutic discovery and development company utilizing its broadly applicable predictive computational discovery capabilities to identify new drug targets and biological pathways for developing cancer immunotherapies. Compugen has developed two proprietary product candidates: COM701, a potential first-in-class anti-PVRIG antibody, for the treatment of solid tumors, in Phase 1 as a single agent and in dual, and triple combinations; COM902, a potential best-in-class monoclonal antibody targeting TIGIT for the treatment of solid and hematological tumors, undergoing Phase 1 studies as a single agent and in dual combination with COM701. Partnered programs include bapotulimab an antibody targeting ILDR2 in Phase 1 development, licensed to Bayer under a research and discovery collaboration and license agreement, and a TIGIT/PD-1 bispecific derived from COM902 (AZD2936) in Phase 1/2 development by AstraZeneca through a license agreement for the development of bispecific and multi-specific antibodies. In addition, the Company's therapeutic pipeline of early-stage immuno-oncology programs consists of programs aiming to address various mechanisms of immune resistance, including myeloid targets. Compugen is headquartered in Israel, with offices in South San Francisco, CA. Compugen's shares are listed on Nasdaq and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol CGEN.
Company contact:
Yvonne Naughton, Ph.D.
Head of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
Email: ir@cgen.com
Tel: +1 (628) 241-0071
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SOURCE Compugen Ltd. | 2022-06-27T11:53:52+00:00 | wsfa.com | https://www.wsfa.com/prnewswire/2022/06/27/compugen-present-upcoming-industry-conferences/ |
SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Catalyst, Inc. ("Health Catalyst," Nasdaq: HCAT), a leading provider of data and analytics technology and services to healthcare organizations, today announced an expansive, multi-year partnership with Bryan Health, an award-winning Nebraska-based health system.
Bryan Health is renowned for providing both community and highly complex care at its medical centers in Eastern and central Nebraska. Bryan Health meets the diverse needs of Nebraskans with over 700 physicians across the state - Bryan Heart, Bryan Physician Network, Bryan Telemedicine, Bryan Foundation, Bryan College of Health Sciences, and Bryan Health Connect - Bryan's Physician-Hospital Organization (PHO).
Bryan Health's investment in Health Catalyst will have impacts far beyond the walls its Bryan-owned entities. Bryan Health Connect, the health system's Physician-Hospital Organization (PHO), will utilize Health Catalyst as its new population health analytics platform to further the organization's efforts to improve the coordination, cost, and quality of care across its broad member base of 23 Critical Access Hospitals (CAH), three Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals, 265 clinics, and 1,885 providers. By partnering with Health Catalyst, Bryan Health Connect gains access to powerful data and analytics tools that work seamlessly with any Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and will play an important role in the organization's Population Health Services network strategy.
"Health Catalyst is the final cornerstone in our quest to further the efforts of our many PHO members committed to delivering the highest caliber and quality of care to Nebraskans. Like any true catalyst, it will greatly expedite our ability to innovate together, bringing impactful and enduring improvements to the many lives we serve. We look forward to the difference this will make in improving health outcomes across the state," Dr. John Findley, President, Bryan Health Connect.
Bryan Health is the first Health Catalyst customer in the state of Nebraska to leverage the Health Catalyst Data Operating System (DOS™) Platform to improve system-wide performance and quality of care.
In addition to DOS, the comprehensive solution will include the Health Catalyst Value Optimizer™ solution, to identify the most valuable opportunities for value-based care performance improvement; the MeasureAble™ application, to guide organizations on where care needs to improve and support daily workflows for performing and capturing improvement; and Self Service Analytics suite, to easily analyze and report on performance and performance drivers.
Dan Burton, CEO of Health Catalyst shared, "We are honored to partner with Bryan Health in their effort to transform healthcare in the state of Nebraska. I'm confident that our powerful DOS platform and data-driven solutions, combined with Bryan Health's commitment to innovation and connectivity, will enable the organization to achieve its healthcare improvement goals."
With Health Catalyst, Bryan Health will have a comprehensive, quantified view of the most valuable opportunities for improvement throughout the Bryan Health care continuum, along with the unique insights necessary to address performance issues and accelerate the organization's healthcare transformation.
About Health Catalyst
Health Catalyst is a leading provider of data and analytics technology and services to healthcare organizations committed to being the catalyst for massive, measurable, data-informed healthcare improvement. Its customers leverage the cloud-based data platform—powered by data from more than 100 million patient records and encompassing trillions of facts—as well as its analytics software and professional services expertise to make data-informed decisions and realize measurable clinical, financial, and operational improvements. Health Catalyst envisions a future in which all healthcare decisions are data informed.
About Bryan Health
Bryan Health is a Nebraska governed, nonprofit health system that cares for patients and educates tomorrow's health care providers. We accomplish this through a singular focus on collaboration with providers and communities across the state.
Bryan Health includes Bryan Medical Center, Kearney Regional Medical Center, Grand Island Regional Medical Center, Crete Area Medical Center, Merrick Medical Center, Bryan Physician Network, Bryan Heart, Bryan Foundation, Bryan Health Connect and Bryan Enterprises. Bryan College of Health Sciences has 750 students in its undergraduate, graduate and completion programs.
We bring care and treatment directly to rural communities through sophisticated mobile diagnostic and treatment services, telemedicine services, specialized heart care clinics and more.
We maintain an unrivaled commitment to hospital-based inpatient and outpatient behavioral health care.
In 2022, our team of more than 6,600 served more than 230,000 unique patients, performed more than 17,000 surgeries and delivered 4,500 babies. All this care generates significant annual economic impact: payroll of $516 million, capital expenditures across the state in excess of $80 million and property taxes of more than $1 million.
We do what we do to help our communities grow, prosper and elevate quality of life through better health.
Health Catalyst Media Contact:
Amanda Hundt
VP of Corporate Communications
media@healthcatalyst.com
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SOURCE Health Catalyst | 2023-02-28T22:32:17+00:00 | kmvt.com | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/02/28/bryan-health-selects-health-catalyst-accelerate-healthcare-transformation/ |
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As disasters escalate in both intensity and frequency fuelling "eco-anxiety" throughout the United States and across the globe, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of animals is a critical way for people to be part of the solution for disaster response. Such is the premise behind a new public service announcement initiative entitled Disaster Ready by IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare). The campaign is being launched as part of National Preparedness Month, recognized each September as a means to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and other emergencies.
"Billion dollar" disasters have nearly doubled over the past quarter century, with climate change exacerbating the rate and magnitude of such events, wreaking massive toll upon local communities and displacing humans and animals alike.
IFAW's Disaster Response and Risk Reduction (DRRR) program, which dispatches responders to areas around the world where animals are in distress, offers a range of emergency support services including animal search and rescue, temporary animal sheltering, aid distribution, as well as undertaking reunification efforts between animals and their owners. The most recent domestic responses have involved deployment to states including Kentucky and Louisiana in the wake of disaster events resulting from hurricanes and flooding. As many disasters can occur in a very short period of time, those affected have little time to prepare and evacuate. With a special focus on pet owners, IFAW's new Disaster Ready campaign aims to inform the general public what preparatory actions they must take regarding their pets in the event of a disaster.
According to Shannon Walatjys, IFAW Program Director for Disaster Response and Risk Reduction, "We know that disasters are becoming all too common. But we aren't powerless when it comes to working toward a better outcome with regard to our animals. Our Disaster Ready initiative is central to raising awareness about what people can do to prepare themselves as well as their pets. The more disaster ready we all are, the more animals will survive."
IFAW's Disaster Ready campaign encourages owners to ensure that their disaster planning includes all animals---pets, farm animals and wildlife. The initiative will utilize multiple communications elements and encourages a checklist for preparedness that includes:
- Writing down a preparedness plan with your family: Including your pets and animals in the planning process, identifying pet-friendly options for shelter. Share the plan with friends and neighbors in the event of separation from your pet;
- Getting your pet microchipped and registering the information with a national database;
- Keeping proper identification of your pets: Always keep a collar on your pet with their name and your personal contact number;
- Securing access to appropriate transport or pet carriers and kennels on hand;
- Preparing an Emergency Go-Bag for your pets: Creating an emergency kit including medications, vaccination records, food and water, and an additional pet collar with identification tag;
- Keeping a decal in your home's door or window indicating the number and types of pets you have; and
- Evacuating with Your Pets: When you go, they go! Never leave a pet behind, chained or caged.
According to Walatjys, "When owners take pre-emptive action to prepare a plan involving their pets in the event of a disaster, there are ultimately fewer animals in need of rescue. This allows organizations such as IFAW to come in and reach those animals who are in most desperate need for our help."
Click to view the campaign website and television PSA as well as to download the animal disaster preparedness resources. IFAW encourages sharing these campaign resources with friends, family and the local community so they too can be disaster ready for animals.
For more information or to arrange interviews please contact:
Rodger Correa at rcorrea@ifaw.org.
About the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) – The International Fund for Animal Welfare is a global non-profit helping animals and people thrive together. We are experts and everyday people, working across seas, oceans and in more than 40 countries around the world. We rescue, rehabilitate and release animals, and we restore and protect their natural habitats. The problems we're up against are urgent and complicated. To solve them, we match fresh thinking with bold action. We partner with local communities, governments, non-governmental organizations and businesses. Together, we pioneer new and innovative ways to help all species flourish. See how at ifaw.org.
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SOURCE International Fund for Animal Welfare | 2022-09-27T13:45:40+00:00 | wagmtv.com | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/27/ifaw-disaster-ready-campaign-stresses-importance-ensuring-animals-included-disaster-planning-amp-response/ |
Trump officials tried to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census in a move experts said would benefit Republicans despite initial doubts among some in the administration that it was legal, according to an investigative report released Wednesday by a congressional oversight committee.
The report offers a smoking gun of sorts — a secret memo the committee obtained after a two-year legal battle showing that a top Trump appointee in the Commerce Department explored apportionment as a reason to include the question.
“The Committee’s investigation has exposed how a group of political appointees sought to use the census to advance an ideological agenda and potentially exclude non-citizens from the apportionment count,” the report released by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform said.
It has long been speculated that the Trump administration wanted the citizenship question in order to exclude people in the country illegally from apportionment numbers.
The report includes several drafts showing how the memo evolved from recognizing that doing so would likely be unconstitutional to coming up with other justifications for adding the citizenship question.
The apportionment process uses state population counts gathered during the once-a-decade census to divide up the number of congressional seats each state gets.
Opponents feared a citizenship question would scare off Hispanics and immigrants from participating in the 2020 census, whether they were in the country legally or not. The citizenship question was blocked by the Supreme Court in 2019. In the high court’s decision, Chief Justice John Roberts said the reason the Commerce Department had given for the citizenship question — it was needed for the Justice Department’s enforcement of the Voting Rights Act — appeared to be contrived.
The Commerce Department oversees the Census Bureau, which conducts the count used to determine political power and the distribution of $1.5 trillion in federal funding each year. Then-Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross testified before the oversight committee that apportionment wasn't the reason for the citizenship question, even though the Commerce Department memo suggests otherwise, the House report said.
“I have never intentionally misled Congress or intentionally said anything incorrect under oath,” Ross said during a 2019 hearing before the oversight committee.
According to the House committee report, during planning for the citizenship question, an adviser to the Commerce Department reached out to a Republican redistricting expert who had written that using citizen voting-age population instead of the total population for the purpose of redrawing of congressional and legislative districts could be advantageous to Republicans and non-Hispanic whites.
The August 2017 memo prepared by senior Commerce Department political appointee James Uthmeier went to the heart of of interactions by the Commerce Department and the Justice Department to come up with a contrived reason for the citizenship question, the House report said.
An initial draft of the memo raised doubts that a citizenship question would be legal since it can only be added to the once-a-decade census if the Commerce Secretary concludes that gathering that information in survey sampling is not feasible. But a later draft removed that concern and added that the Commerce Secretary had the discretion to add a citizenship question for reasons other than apportionment.
An even later draft removed apportionment as an exception to the Commerce Secretary's discretion and added “there is nothing illegal or unconstitutional about adding a citizenship question."
An early draft of the memo also noted that using a citizenship data for apportionment was likely unconstitutional and went against 200 years of precedent, but that language also was removed in later drafts.
The House report says Uthmeier researched using Voting Rights Act enforcement as a reason for the citizenship question three months before the Justice Department requested it, and hand-delivered his memo with that suggestion to the Justice Department in order to avoid a digital fingerprint.
In an effort to prevent future attempts at politicizing the census, members of the oversight committee on Wednesday planned to debate a bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., that would require new questions for the head count to be vetted by Congress, and prohibit a Census Bureau director from being fired without cause.
The Trump administration named an unusually high number of political appointees without prior experience in the statistical agency to top positions in the Census Bureau. The legislation would limit the number of political appointees to three, with all other positions being filled by career civil service workers.
Even though many of the Trump administration’s political efforts ultimately failed, some advocates believe they did have an impact, resulting in significantly larger undercounts of most racial and ethnic minorities in the 2020 census compared to the 2010 census.
“It is clear that legislative reforms are needed to prevent any future illegal or unconstitutional efforts to interfere with the census and chip away at our democracy," said Maloney, who chairs the oversight committee.
___
Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP | 2022-07-20T13:24:49+00:00 | wsls.com | https://www.wsls.com/news/politics/2022/07/20/secret-memo-links-citizenship-question-to-apportionment/ |
Amber Alert canceled for 16-year-old Florida girl
Published: Oct. 20, 2022 at 6:35 PM CDT|Updated: 22 hours ago
LAKE CITY, Fla. (WCJB/Gray News) - The Amber Alert issued by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on Thursday evening for a child missing out of Lake City has been canceled after the child was found safe, authorities said.
According to the Amber Alert, Ashlynn Cox, 16, had disappeared on Tuesday and may have been with Jesse Hammersla, 27, traveling in a 2001 gold Toyota Sienna.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement tweeted Thursday night that Ashlynn was found safe. The update did not say whether Hammersla was found.
Copyright 2022 WCJB via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2022-10-22T12:58:29+00:00 | newschannel6now.com | https://www.newschannel6now.com/2022/10/20/amber-alert-issued-16-year-old-florida-girl/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Jan. 6 committee will hold its final hearing of the summer the way the series began — vividly making the case that Donald Trump’s lies about a stolen election fueled the grisly U.S. Capitol attack, which he did nothing to stop but instead “gleefully” watched on television at the White House.
Thursday’s prime-time hearing will dive into the 187 minutes that Trump failed to act on Jan. 6, 2021, despite pleas for help from aides, allies and even his family. The panel intends to show how the defeated president’s attempt to overturn Joe Biden’s election victory has left the United States facing enduring questions about the resiliency of its democracy.
“A profound moment of reckoning for America,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a member of the committee.
With live testimony from two former White House aides, and excerpts from its trove of more than 1,000 interviews, the nearly two-hour session will add a closing chapter to the past six weeks of hearings that at times have captivated the nation.
Returning to prime time for the first time since the series of hearings began, the panel aims to show just how close the United States came to what one retired federal judge testifying this summer called a constitutional crisis.
The events of Jan. 6 will be outlined “minute by minute,” said the panel’s vice chair, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.
“You will hear that Donald Trump never picked up the phone that day to order his administration to help,” Cheney said.
“He did not call the military. His Secretary of Defense received no order. He did not call his Attorney General. He did not talk to the Department of Homeland Security,” Cheney said. “Mike Pence did all of those things; Donald Trump did not.”
Testifying Thursday will be former White House aides who had close proximity to power.
Matt Pottinger, who was deputy national security adviser, and Sarah Matthews, then press aide, both submitted their resignations on Jan. 6, 2021, after what they saw that day. Trump has dismissed the hearings on social media and regarded much of the testimony as fake.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the chairman of the committee, is isolating after testing positive for COVID-19 and will attend by video. Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., a former Naval officer who will lead the session with Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., who flew combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, said she expects the testimony from the White House aides will “just be really compelling.”
“These are people who believed in the work they were doing, but didn’t believe in the stolen election,” Luria said.
The White House aides were not alone in calling it quits that day. The panel is expected to provide a tally of the Trump administration aides and even Cabinet members who resigned after Trump failed to call off the attack.
As the panel continues to collect evidence and prepares to issue a preliminary report of findings, it has amassed the most substantial public record to date of what led up to Americans attacking the seat of democracy.
While the committee cannot make criminal charges, the Justice Department is monitoring its work.
So far, more than 840 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol riot. Over 330 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors. Of the more than 200 defendants to be sentenced, approximately 100 received terms of imprisonment.
What remains uncertain is whether Trump or the former president’s top allies will face serious charges. No former president has ever been federally prosecuted by the Justice Department.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said Wednesday that Jan. 6 is “the most wide-ranging investigation and the most important investigation that the Justice Department has ever entered into.”
“We have to get this right,” Garland said. “For people who are concerned, as I think every American should be, we have to do two things: We have to hold accountable every person who is criminally responsible for trying to overturn a legitimate election, and we must do it in a way filled with integrity and professionalism.”
In delving into the timeline, the panel aims to show what happened between the time Trump left the stage at his “Stop the Steal” rally shortly after 1:10 p.m., after telling supporters to march to the Capitol, and some three hours later, when he issued a video address from the Rose Garden in which he told the rioters to “go home” but also praised them as “very special.”
It also expects to produce additional evidence about Trump’s confrontation with Secret Service agents who refused to drive him to the Capitol — a witness account that the security detail has disputed.
Five people died that day as Trump supporters battled the police in gory hand-to-hand combat to storm the Capitol. One officer has testified about how she was “slipping in other people’s blood” as they tried to hold back the mob. One Trump supporter was shot and killed by police.
“The president didn’t do very much but gleefully watch television during this time frame,” Kinzinger said.
Not only did Trump refuse to tell the mob to leave the Capitol, he did not call other parts of the government for backup and gave no order to deploy the National Guard, Cheney said.
This despite countless pleas from Trump’s aides and allies, including his daughter Ivanka Trump and Fox News host Sean Hannity, according to previous testimony and text messages the committee has obtained.
“You will hear that leaders on Capitol Hill begged the president for help,” Cheney has said, including House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who she said indicated he was “’scared’ and called multiple members of President Trump’s family after he could not persuade the President himself.”
The panel has said its investigation is ongoing and other hearings are possible. It expects to compile a preliminary report this fall, and a final report by the end of this session of Congress.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the Jan. 6 committee hearings at https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege. | 2022-07-21T04:59:31+00:00 | kdvr.com | https://kdvr.com/news/politics/ap-politics/jan-6-panel-probes-trumps-187-minutes-as-capitol-attacked/ |
The Western Hemisphere's busiest transportation facility continues its commitment to best-in-class travel experience with live music and special performances
NEW YORK, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Moynihan Train Hall announced today its official partnership with the non-profit Sing for Hope. The partnership builds on the success of Sing for Hope's live music series soft-launched at Moynihan Train Hall in Fall 2021 and designed to welcome travelers to the arts capital of New York City.
Beginning this month, the Sing for Hope program at Moynihan Train Hall will offer even more world-class musical performances reflective of New York City's diverse cultural landscape, along with special holiday concerts and public arts activations for all to enjoy. Spearheaded and supported by Empire State Development, the Sing for Hope concert series will reach millions of travelers annually and provide employment for hundreds of New York City's finest artists from Broadway, Lincoln Center, and more, during a critical time in NYC's post-pandemic recovery.
The 255,000-square-foot Moynihan Train Hall is a unique blend of classical and contemporary design that features a one-acre sky-lit atrium, a signature clock, and cutting-edge technology. The train hall provides immediate benefits of efficiency and accessibility while also enhancing quality of life for New Yorkers and visitors alike.
Doug Carr, Executive Director of Moynihan Station Development Corporation, said, "Furthering our commitment to incorporating world-class art at Moynihan Train Hall, the partnership with Sing for Hope builds upon the stunning physical art installations to include the work of pre-eminent musicians of Sing for Hope in performances as diverse as our great city, celebrating the creative spirit of New Yorkers.
"The musical talents of the Sing for Hope artists truly elevate the commuter experience and lift the spirits of visitors. Moynihan Train Hall is thrilled to offer the public these unique NYC experiences," said Helen Twingley of Sound Color Story, Moynihan Train Hall Marketing and Communications representative.
Five-time-Grammy-Award-winning and Oscar-winning artist Jon Batiste, a Sing for Hope Board Member since 2015, said, "We bring the Sing for Hope programs to our shared public spaces because the context of where you experience music can profoundly change you. Public sharing of art fosters and affirms community. It's what we need right now, what the world needs."
Sing for Hope Co-Founder Monica Yunus said, "Sing for Hope is best known for our beloved Sing for Hope Pianos, launched in 2010, and today one of NYC's largest annual public arts programs. This past year, we were honored to play a vital role at Javits Center Vaccination Site, employing hundreds of musicians and reaching 270,000 New Yorkers through our daily concerts. What could be better now than to bring our harmonies to Moynihan Train Hall, the newest jewel of our city?"
Continued Sing for Hope Co-Founder Camille Zamora, "It's a dream for Sing for Hope to partner with Moynihan Train Hall to employ NYC's renowned creative community to enrich the transit hub experience for commuters and staff. Moynihan Train Hall has built the arts into its civic vision on a fundamental level, partnering with SFH to provide employment for high-level professional musicians as we emerge from historic levels of unemployment and underemployment during the pandemic. These kinds of programs bind our communities together and renew our hope."
Sing for Hope's programming at Moynihan Train Hall will include vibrant instrumental performances from a broad range of genres each week, and in the year ahead, will expand to include vocal soloists, full choirs, dance, and visual arts. Featured ensembles and artists will range from community choruses to leading Broadway stars to Latin jazz greats The Mambo Kings and more.
Initial response to Sing for Hope at Moynihan Train Hall has been overwhelmingly positive. At a soft-launch event earlier this summer, commuter Josh Popoff paused for a moment to enjoy music ranging from Abba to Vivaldi performed by the all-star quintet of Victoria Paterson, Hiroko Taguchi, Clara Warnaar, Philip Payton, and Peter Sachon. In Popoff's words, "The music is outstanding! Thanks for creating a moment of serenity in a crazy world."
Get involved: if interested in sponsoring the Moynihan Train Hall Music Series with Sing for Hope, contact: media@moynihantrainhall.nyc
Moynihan Train Hall is the city's newest grand civic icon. Led by Empire State Development, New York State's economic development agency, the $1.6 billion project transforms the 100+ year-old James A. Farley Post Office Building into a modern, world-class transit hub – an idea first proposed by the late United States Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan more than a quarter-century ago. At 255,000-square-feet, housing both Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road ticketing and waiting areas, the unrivaled design includes state-of-the-art security features and a contemporary, digital passenger experience. Moynihan Train Hall achieved the U.S. Green Building Council's rigorous Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver rating and is the first building worldwide to successfully qualify for certification under the new LEED for Transit (Building Design + Construction) rating system. Visit moynihantrainhall.nyc for more info.
Sing for Hope harnesses the power of the arts to create a better world. Our creative programs bring hope, healing, and connection to millions of people in hospitals, schools, care facilities, refugee camps, transit hubs, and community spaces worldwide. A non-profit organization founded in New York City in response to the events of 9/11, Sing for Hope partners with hundreds of community-based organizations, mobilizes thousands of artists in creative service, and produces artist-created Sing for Hope Pianos across the US and around the world. The official Cultural Partner of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, Sing for Hope champions art for all because we believe the arts have an unmatched capacity to uplift, unite, and heal.
Sing for Hope's work is made possible by the Sing for Hope Founders' Circle: The International Foundation for Arts and Culture (Dr. Haruhisa Handa, Chairman, Sing for Hope Global Patron), The Arnhold Foundation in loving memory of Sissy and Henry Arnhold, The Thea Petschek Iervolino Foundation, The Anna-Maria & Stephen Kellen Foundation, Jacqueline Novogratz and Chris Anderson, The Seedlings Foundation, and Ann Ziff; The National Endowment for the Arts; New York State Council on the Arts; and Fosun International. Learn more at singforhope.org.
Media contact:
Helen Twingley
Communications and Marketing, Moynihan Train Hall
media@moynihantrainhall.nyc
View original content:
SOURCE Moynihan Train Hall; Sing for Hope | 2022-07-22T18:04:53+00:00 | wsfa.com | https://www.wsfa.com/prnewswire/2022/07/22/moynihan-train-hall-presents-moynihan-music-series-partnership-with-sing-hope-continued-commitment-arts-amp-culture-new-york/ |
Eli Lilly announced Wednesday a series of price cuts that would lower the price of the most commonly used forms of its insulin 70% and said it will automatically cap out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 for people who have private insurance and use participating pharmacies.
Lilly says it will also expand its Insulin Value Program, which caps out-of-pocket costs at $35 or less per month for people who are uninsured.
The company says it will cut the list price of its nonbranded insulin to $25 a vial as of May 1, making it the lowest list-priced mealtime insulin available. Its current list price is $82.41 for a vial.
Lilly will also lower the list price of Humulin and its most commonly prescribed insulin, Humalog, in the fourth quarter of 2023. The current list price of a Humalog vial is $274.70, and the new list price will be $66.40. For people with commercial insurance who use participating pharmacies, the out-of-pocket costs will now be capped at $35.
Although insulin is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, the cost has been a problem for many Americans for years. At least 16.5% of people in the US who use it report rationing it because of cost.
The average price of insulin nearly tripled between 2002 and 2013, the American Diabetes Association says. GoodRx research shows that the trend has continued, with the average retail price of insulin rising 54% between 2014 and 2019.
Demand for insulin has grown significantly as diabetes has become the fastest-growing chronic disease in the world, a 2022 study found.
In the US alone, the number of adults with diabetes has doubled over the past 20 years, and more than 37.3 million people now have it, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Another 96 million Americans -- 38% of the population -- have prediabetes, a condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. This can often lead to diabetes.
People with diabetes rely on insulin because their bodies have stopped producing enough of this hormone or aren't using it efficiently to convert food into energy.
When a person eats, their body breaks down food, mostly into sugar. This sugar enters the bloodstream, and that signals the pancreas to release insulin, which works like a key that allows the sugar to energize cells. But if diabetes keeps sugar in the bloodstream for too long, it can lead to serious problems like kidney disease, heart problems and blindness. In 2019, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the US, according to the American Diabetes Association.
This year's Inflation Reduction Act capped insulin costs for seniors who get their health coverage through Medicare Part D at $35 a month. Congressional Democrats pushed to extend that price cap to people covered by private insurance, but Republicans stripped that measure from the bill.
The US Food and Drug Administration's approvals of generic insulin and biosimilars -- drugs similar to original versions that can be made differently or with slightly different substances -- have driven down the price at least somewhat, according to GoodRx.
Some states have taken matters into their own hands. Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia have price caps ranging from $25 to $100 for insulin as well as diabetes supplies and devices -- but that's only for people covered by insurance plans regulated by those states.
"While the current healthcare system provides access to insulin for most people with diabetes, it still does not provide affordable insulin for everyone and that needs to change," David A. Ricks, Lilly's chair and CEO, said in a statement. "The aggressive price cuts we're announcing today should make a real difference for Americans with diabetes. Because these price cuts will take time for the insurance and pharmacy system to implement, we are taking the additional step to immediately cap out-of-pocket costs for patients who use Lilly insulin and are not covered by the recent Medicare Part D cap."
Lilly has been one of the biggest players in the US insulin market since it became the first company to commercialize the lifesaving drug 100 years ago. The company said that its price changes should make a difference, but more is needed to help all Americans with diabetes -- 7 out of 10 don't use the company's insulin.
"We are calling on policymakers, employers, and others to join us in making insulin more affordable," Ricks said.
Other companies have cut insulin costs over the years.
In 2019, Sanofi created the Insulin Valyou Savings Program, which charged patients $99 a month for insulin, regardless of income. In 2021, Novo Nordisk created a similar program called My$99Insulin.
Also that year, Novo Nordisk collaborated with Walmart to sell private-label analog insulin at a deep discount. Walmart said its ReliOn NovoLog vials and FlexPens save customers 58% to 75% off the cash price for branded insulin.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | 2023-03-01T14:36:22+00:00 | wtva.com | https://www.wtva.com/news/eli-lilly-to-cut-insulin-prices-cap-costs-at-35-for-many-people-with-diabetes/article_d8de7746-c154-583e-a4a4-659060922cf6.html |
CNN on Wednesday informed employees that layoffs had commenced, a move that is expected to impact hundreds of staffers at the global news network and mark the deepest cuts to the organization in years.
Chris Licht, who took over as chief executive of the network in May, described the cuts in an all-staff memo as a "gut punch" to the organization and told employees that "it is incredibly hard to say goodbye to any one member of the CNN team, much less many."
Employees at the company had been anxiously bracing for the layoffs since Licht informed them last month that "unsettling" changes lie ahead.
Licht said that on Wednesday the company would notify a "limited number of individuals," largely paid contributors, that they have been let go. He said the company "will notify impacted employees" on Thursday. Licht said at the conclusion of the cuts he will "follow up with more details."
"It will be a difficult time for everyone," Licht candidly said in his memo.
CNN declined to say on Wednesday how many employees precisely would be impacted by the layoffs.
The layoffs come as media companies are being battered by brutal economic headwinds that have taken a bat to the advertising sector. Licht noted in October, when he signaled large cuts were coming, that there is "widespread concern over the global economic outlook" and that CNN "must factor that risk into [its] long-term planning."
Other media organizations have also cut costs as they work to best position themselves for the stormy economic climate. Disney said last week the company needed to restructure, and AMC Networks announced Tuesday that it would cut 20% of its staff. Social media companies such as Facebook-parent Meta, which also rely on advertising revenue, have also executed layoffs in recent months.
CNN, which still posts profits in the hundreds of millions of dollars, was spared from the cuts that wreaked havoc on the industry during the pandemic. Prior to this year, the last major cuts to occur at the organization were in 2018 when less than 50 people lost their jobs as the company restructured its digital business.
The cuts to the organization also come after CNN's former parent company, WarnerMedia, merged earlier this year with Discovery, creating a media juggernaut laced with billions of dollars in debt and a need to slash costs across the board. The merger had just been completed in April when the company announced it was shuttering streaming service CNN+ a month after it was launched
David Zaslav, chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery, the company that was formed when WarnerMedia and Discovery became one, has promised investors that he will find more than $3 billion in savings in the combined organization.
After Licht took over as head of CNN, he conducted a months-long review of the business. That review led to him identifying changes that should be made, Licht said in October. Some of those changes have already been implemented, as CNN has made smaller cuts to parts of its business in the last several months.
Licht said in his all-staff memo on Wednesday that employees affected by this week's cuts will be notified "through an in-person meeting or via Zoom, depending on your location."
"In those meetings, you will receive information specific to you about notice period or any severance that would apply, and your anticipated last day," Licht said. "I want to be clear that everyone who is bonus eligible will still receive their 2022 bonuses, which are determined by company performance."
Licht acknowledged that the cuts will "affect both our departing colleagues and those who remain" and promised to provide employees "resources designed to support" them.
"Let's take care of each other this week," Licht said.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | 2022-11-30T22:45:22+00:00 | abc12.com | https://www.abc12.com/news/business/cnn-begins-layoffs-in-what-ceo-says-will-be-a-gut-punch-to-the-network/article_342d439c-810b-5d41-942d-d46f98068fbf.html |
SALVADOR, Brazil (AP) — Thousands of Brazilians who support former president Jair Bolsonaro invaded the Supreme Court, presidential palace and Congress on Jan. 8 in an episode that closely resembled the U.S. Capitol insurrection in 2021. The groups were able to break through police barricades along the capital Brasilia’s main boulevard and storm the buildings, damage furniture, smash windows and destroy artworks. As they unleashed chaos in the capital, Bolsonaro was holed up in Florida, home to his ally, former U.S. President Donald Trump. The incident sparked accusations that Bolsonaro’s actions stoked the flames of dissent and ultimately produced the uprising.
WHO ARE THESE PROTESTERS, AND WHAT DO THEY WANT?
The protesters are hardcore Bolsonaro supporters, some of whom have been camped outside a military headquarters in Brasilia since Bolsonaro lost the Oct. 30 presidential election and reject the race’s results. Others traveled to Brasilia for the weekend on buses. They have been demanding military intervention to oust newly inaugurated President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, alleging he is a thief who will lead the country into communism, and restore Bolsonaro to power.
HOW DID BRAZIL GET TO THIS POINT?
Throughout his administration, Bolsonaro trained fire at Supreme Court justices for opening investigations targeting him and his allies. He repeatedly singled out Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who presided over the electoral authority during the election, and at one point pushed Brazil to the brink of an institutional crisis by threatening to disobey any of de Moraes’ future rulings.
Bolsonaro also sowed doubt about the reliability of Brazil’s electronic voting machines, then declined to concede defeat. After his loss, he largely vanished from view, though he addressed his supporters once to tell them they had the power in their hands and that he controls the armed forces. His supporters maintained hope Bolsonaro or the armed forces would lead an intervention to overturn the results.
WHAT HAS BOLSONARO CLAIMED ABOUT THE VOTING SYSTEM AND ELECTIONS?
Bolsonaro insisted the electronic voting system should feature a printed receipt in order to enable audits, but Congress’ Lower House in 2021 voted down his proposal for that change and electoral authorities say the results can already be verified. Security experts consider electronic voting less secure than hand-marked paper ballots because they leave no auditable paper trail. Brazil’s system is, however, closely scrutinized and domestic authorities and international observers have never found evidence of it being exploited to commit fraud since its adoption in 1996.
After the 2022 elections, Bolsonaro and his party petitioned the electoral authority to nullify millions of votes cast on the majority of voting machines that featured a software bug — the machines lacked individual identification numbers in their internal logs. The request didn’t say how the bug might affect results, and independent experts said that it would not undermine reliability in any way. The electoral authority’s president swiftly dismissed the request and imposed a multi-million dollar fine on the party for what he called a bad-faith effort.
WHAT ARE BOLSONARO’S TIES TO TRUMP AND HIS ALLIES?
Former U.S. President Donald Trump was one of Bolsonaro’s few foreign allies and Bolsonaro often exalted his American counterpart’s leadership, even posting photos of himself watching Trump’s addresses.
Bolsonaro and his lawmaker son Eduardo visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago, and both attended dinners at the house of Steve Bannon. The longtime Trump ally amplified Bolsonaro’s claims about the electronic voting system before the October vote and, after the Jan. 8 uprising in Brasilia, called the protesters “Brazilian freedom fighters” in a video on social media.
Eduardo Bolsonaro has repeatedly attended the Conservative Political Action Conference in the U.S., positioning himself as the international face of the right-wing movement led by his father and making inroads with his American counterparts. Jason Miller, the former Trump campaign strategist, also met with Eduardo in Brazil. On the eve of the Jan. 6 insurrection in the U.S. Capitol, Eduardo was in Washington, and met with Ivanka Trump and My Pillow chief executive Mike Lindell.
After Trump lost his reelection bid, then-President Bolsonaro waited five weeks before recognizing Joe Biden’s victory and was one of the final world leaders to do so.
WHY IS BOLSONARO IN THE U.S.?
Bolsonaro flew to Florida two days before Lula’s Jan. 1 inauguration, when the outgoing president traditionally bestows the presidential sash to his successor. Instead, Bolsonaro took up temporary residence in the home of a Brazilian former mixed martial arts fighter outside Orlando. He hasn’t specified the reasons for his departure, and analysts have speculated it marks an attempt to avoid potential prosecution in connection with several ongoing investigations targeting him, blame from backers for not mobilizing the armed forces or responsibility for his supporters’ actions. | 2023-01-10T10:45:36+00:00 | qcnews.com | https://www.qcnews.com/news/world-news/ap-explainer-roots-of-the-brazilian-capitals-chaotic-uprising/ |
Investors found few, if any, places to safely put their money in 2022, as central banks in the U.S. and around the globe raised interest rates for the first time in years to fight surging inflation, stoking fear of a global recession.
Uncertainty about how far the Federal Reserve and other central banks would go in the fight against inflation sparked a return of volatility. Large swings in stocks were common on Wall Street as the Fed raised its key interest rate seven times and signaled more hikes to come in 2023.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s strict COVID-19 policies also contributed to inflation and roiled the global economy as well as markets in Asia, Europe and the U.S.
On Wall Street, the benchmark S&P 500 index had its worst start to a year since 1970. By June, t he index fell into a bear market, a drop of more than 20% from the record high set in early January. The energy sector was the lone winner, benefitting from a spike in oil and gas prices. Technology stocks tumbled after leading the market during the pandemic.
Borrowing money got more expensive. The 10-year Treasury yield, which influences rates on mortgages and other loans, soared, reaching 4.22% in October after starting the year at 1.51%.
Still, climbing yields in the U.S. and abroad sent prices for older bonds already in investors’ portfolios sharply lower. The rout in bonds was particularly painful for fixed-income investors.
Cryptocurrency investors weren’t spared either. Bitcoin shed more than half its value and a number of high-flying companies wound up in bankruptcy court.
— Alex Veiga
Here’s a look back on the key events in markets for 2022:
__
INFLATION AND THE FED
Inflation was the dominant global economic theme this year. Gasoline prices in the U.S. reached $5 a gallon. Companies either raised prices, or kept prices steady but put less in each package. Europe feared running short of natural gas and prices there rose more than in the U.S.
Central banks’ response to inflation overshadowed financial markets in 2022 and could very well do so again next year. As the year began, officials at the Federal Reserve had accepted that inflation was not a temporary phenomenon. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine only made things worse by sending energy and food prices soaring.
Still, it wasn’t until March, when the U.S. government said inflation had approached 8%, that the Fed acted — too little, too late for some pundits and economists. As the year went on the Fed got more aggressive, eventually raising rates seven times by a total of 4.25 percentage points.
Inflation in the U.S. appears to have peaked at 9.1% in June. By year-end, there were hopeful signs as prices for goods fell and rents started declining. But tough inflation talk from the Fed at its last meeting of the year took the steam out of what had been a fourth-quarter rally for stocks.
— Chris Rugaber
For full coverage of the global economy, go to https://apnews.com/hub/economy
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THE BEAR ROARS
Wall Street’s brutal year left few stocks unscathed, and the vast majority fell into a bear market under the weight of fast-rising interest rates.
After peaking on the very first trading day of 2022, it took about six months for the S&P 500 to drop more than 20%. The biggest losers were the stocks that had performed the best in the rally that followed the coronavirus crash.
Back then, high-growth tech stocks roared the highest thanks to the juice provided by super-low interest rates. But in the cold light of 2022, those stocks suddenly looked the most expensive and the most vulnerable as the Fed hiked interest rates to their highest level in 15 years.
The pain did not discriminate much, though. Seven out of 10 stocks in the S&P 500 fell in 2022, as of Dec. 21. Many analysts expect more pain in early 2023 before things get better.
— Stan Choe
To see AP’s full coverage of the markets, go to: https://apnews.com/hub/financial-markets and https://apnews.com/hub/off-the-charts
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BOND MARKET BLUES
It was one of the worst years in history for bond investors.
Decades-high inflation meant the fixed payments coming from bonds in the future won’t buy as many groceries, gallons of gasoline or whatever else is rising in price.
The Federal Reserve’s decision to raise interest rates also hammered bond prices. Because newly issued bonds were paying more in interest, the older bonds sitting in many investors’ portfolios were suddenly much less attractive because of their lower yields.
The largest bond fund by assets, one from Vanguard that tracks the broad market, had lost 12.5% in 2022, as of Dec. 20. That’s by far its worst year since its inception in 1987.
Historically bonds have held up better than stocks during downturns, offering some cushion for investors, but both tumbled in 2022.
— Stan Choe
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HOUSING MARKET SLUMPS
As 2022 began, the nation’s housing market was still running red hot.
House hunters competed for the fewest homes for sale in more than two decades, fueling bidding wars that pushed prices sharply higher. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage was slightly above 3%, near historic lows.
Then mortgage rates started to climb, spurred by expectations of higher interest rates as the Federal Reserve began raising its short-term lending rate in a bid to tame inflation. By October, the average rate on a 30-year home loan soared above 7%, a 20-year high.
Higher mortgage rates combined with still-rising home prices make it difficult for many would-be buyers to afford a home. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes saw their biggest sales slump in more than a decade.
— Alex Veiga
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IS TESLA ON AUTOPILOT?
You can’t blame Tesla shareholders for feeling jilted.
CEO Elon Musk took over Twitter and appears consumed with turning around the social media company. With Musk’s focus diverted, Tesla shares have lost more than half their value. And Tesla’s dominance of the market for electric vehicles is waning.
Most of Musk’s wealth is tied up in Tesla stock, which started falling in April when he disclosed a stake in Twitter. The collapse in the stock price has bumped Musk into second place on Forbes’ list of the world’s wealthiest people, behind cosmetic magnate Bernard Arnault.
After buying Twitter in October, Musk has cut half its staff and picked fights with public officials and others.
— Tom Krisher
For full coverage of Elon Musk, Twitter and Tesla, go to https://apnews.com/hub/twitter-inc
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CONSUMERS FEEL THE PINCH
The highest inflation in four decades is hitting consumers right in their wallets.
Households — especially at the lower end of the income spectrum — are likely depleting savings built up during the pandemic, with more pain to come should the economy tip into a recession. Credit card debt ballooned and rents rose in 2022, although there are signs housing costs will be coming down. While President Biden promised student borrowers relief of up to $20,000 this year, that debt cancellation policy is tied up in the courts.
Wages went up, although not at the same pace as inflation. Aggressive rate hikes by the Federal Reserve have pushed up the cost of borrowing money. But while the average rate on a credit card rose to 16.3% in August from 14.5% at the start of the year, according to the government, the average rate for a savings account is still just 0.2%; it’s 0.9% for a one-year CD.
— Cora Lewis
For full coverage personal finance got to https://apnews.com/hub/financial-wellness and https://apnews.com/hub/personal-finance
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UKRAINE WAR IMPACT
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February sent prices soaring for the commodities the world runs on: oil, natural gas, and wheat.
European prices for natural gas rose to 17 times their prewar levels after Russia choked off most supplies over the war. The result was an energy crisis that pushed inflation to record levels and left governments and utilities scrambling to find alternative supplies of gas ahead of winter heating season.
Global oil prices spiked as Western buyers shunned Moscow’s crude, sending Brent to over $120 per barrel in May. Europe banned most Russian oil imports in December and the Group of Seven democracies imposed a $60 per barrel price cap on Russian exports.
Meanwhile record wheat prices spurred disastrous food inflation in poor countries.
By year end, lower prices for oil, natural gas and electricity had provided a bit of relief for drivers and homeowners.
To see full coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war, go to https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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CHINA DITCHES ZERO COVID
China’s economic growth and stock market slid in 2022 under pressure from pandemic controls and corporate debt, prompting the ruling Communist Party to ease off anti-disease restrictions and try to revive a struggling real estate industry.
The world’s second-largest economy shrank by 2.6% in the three months ending in June compared with the previous quarter after Shanghai and other industrial centers shut down for up to two months to fight outbreaks.
Forecasters say annual growth might fall below 3%, among the lowest in decades. To cut the economic drag, the ruling party ended testing for millions of people and stopped requiring supermarkets and other businesses to track the health of employees and customers. Beijing also tried to revive real estate, China’s biggest economic driver, by lending more to apartment buyers while trying to prevent a renewed rise in borrowing by developers.
— Joe McDonald
To see full coverage of developments in China, go to https://apnews.com/hub/china
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CRYPTO’S WILD RIDE
The year began with bitcoin above $45,000 and the crypto industry making further inroads among politicians and mainstream financial institutions. As 2022 ends, bitcoin is below $17,000, the industry’s “savior” is in jail and Washington is fighting over how to regulate crypto.
With the steady, steep decline of crypto prices in the background, the dominoes began to fall with the collapse in May of Terra, a so-called stablecoin. Investors lost tens of billions of dollars and a number of crypto companies faced financial ruin. In stepped Sam Bankman-Fried, the young founder of crypto exchange FTX, who bailed out crypto lender BlockFi and crypto firm Voyager, earning him comparisons to the original J.P. Morgan.
Those plaudits evaporated when FTX unraveled in November. Questions about its financial strength prompted customers to request large withdrawals. Overwhelmed and, it turns out, underfunded, FTX filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Nov. 11. Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas and U.S. prosecutors hit him with an eight-count indictment.
— Ken Sweet
To see AP’s full coverage of the cryptocurrency industry, go to: https://apnews.com/hub/cryptocurrency
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THE STREAMING WARS
Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery and other big entertainment companies tumbled in 2022 as streaming services struggled amid increased competition and rising inflation stifled advertising spending.
Streaming services had to contend with a return to normal for many people who had been stuck at home because of lockdowns or other restrictions during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The sheer number of streaming options also left companies in a fierce fight for viewers’ attention.
Streaming giant Netflix lost about half of its value after a steep drop in viewers in the year’s first half. Disney felt the pinch from lower advertising revenue, but the diversified entertainment giant’s stock held up better than most competitors.
Warner Bros. Discovery also struggled with advertising revenue, and it axed several films including “Batgirl” as it shifted strategy and looked to trim costs.
— Damian Troise | 2022-12-22T12:02:30+00:00 | ksn.com | https://www.ksn.com/news/business/ap-business/ap-pain-few-gains-for-investors-as-markets-slumped-in-2022/ |
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Why Shigella is in the news
Shigella isn’t new. It was discovered in 1896 by Kiyoshi Shiga, a scientist who was investigating a large epidemic of dysentery in Japan. The reason Shigella is in the news right now is because it’s becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, and that could be a huge problem for future generations.
Dr. Michael Huynh, M.D. is a board-certified internal medicine hospitalist. He offers his expert insight on what Shigella is, why drug resistance is such a concern and what you can do to stay safe.
In this article: Fomin Antibacterial Paper Soap Sheets, Dial Complete Antibacterial Foaming Hand Wash and Dove Antibacterial Body Wash.
What is Shigella?
Dr. Huynh says, “Shigella is a species of bacteria known to cause diarrhea worldwide. The usual route of transmission is fecal-oral, which means someone is eating food that has been contaminated by another person’s fecal matter. That may sound disgusting, but it’s fairly common, especially in unsanitary conditions.
“The bacteria can infect a person with as little as 10 organisms, which makes it highly contagious. When passed through the stomach and into the small intestines, the bacteria multiply and can then spread to the colon, resulting in diarrhea, which is the inability for the large intestine to absorb water, and thus stool comes out in a watery form.”
The most common symptoms of the infection are fever, abdominal pain, watery diarrhea, bloody diarrhea and vomiting.
What is the treatment for Shigella?
“Treatment for Shigella is usually self-limiting, which is supportive care with plenty of fluids,” Dr. Huynh states. “Symptoms can last up to 7 days. However, in severe cases, such as when it spreads to the blood (called bacteremia), severe colonic disease with obstruction/perforation of the colon, metabolic disturbances such as low sodium, neurologic disease manifestations such as seizures, blood disorders, etc., antibiotics are the main treatment therapy.”
Why is Shigella in the news now?
The growing problem with antibiotic treatment, especially when it’s the only treatment option, is bacteria is evolving to resist antibiotics. This means treatment options are becoming more limited.
On Feb. 24, 2023, the Center for Disease Control released an official health advisory stating that currently, 5% of Shigella cases are extensively drug-resistant. This is an alarming trend, considering there were no XDR strains in 2015.
Dr. Huynh states, “In the U.S., resistance is already seen in some antibiotics such as azithromycin and ciprofloxacin as we are overprescribing them, sometimes to people who do not even have a bacterial infection.”
The concern with XDR bacteria is that the medical community will run out of treatment options. If bacteria continue to grow increasingly resistant to antibiotics, this could theoretically reduce the average human lifespan.
3 simple tips to prevent the spread of Shigella
Dr. Huynh offers these three simple tips to help prevent the spread of Shigella:
- Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water, especially after using the restroom.
- If you’re engaging in sexual activity, always use barrier protection, and avoid sex if your partner is recovering from diarrhea.
- If traveling to an endemic area (such as Asia or Africa), drink bottled water instead of water from the local tap.
Best products to help prevent the spread of Shigella
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If you’re going hiking, camping or just traveling in general, these portable mini soap sheets are effective and easy to use. Just add water, rub to lather, rinse and dry. The sheets are gentle on skin, but tough on contaminants.
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This foaming hand wash kills 99.99% of bacteria found in a household setting. The pump action means it’s easy to apply. To use, pump this foaming wash onto dry hands and lather for at least 30 seconds, then rinse with water.
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When you want to clean more than your hands, consider an antibacterial body wash. You can use this option from Dove in the shower or you can just apply it to your hands whenever you need a quick clean.
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Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer
Hand sanitizer is not the best way to protect yourself from Shigella. However, if you aren’t near a source of running water, it can be a temporary fix. Just be aware that hand sanitizer doesn’t wash away germs. Any bacteria on your skin that hasn’t been killed can still make you sick.
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According to the CDC, “Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men are among groups at high risk for Shigella infection.” Whenever engaging in sexual activity, barrier protection should be used. These condoms can help reduce your risk of contracting Shigella.
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Allen Foster writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. | 2023-03-02T18:27:55+00:00 | wnct.com | https://www.wnct.com/reviews/br/avoid-drug-resistant-shigella-bacteria-by-following-these-tips/ |
HOELSCHER, Robert "Bob"
HOELSCHER, Robert "Bob" passed away on Sunday, March 5, 2023. He was born on October 30, 1930 in St. Bernard, Ohio. He was 92 years old. Robert graduated from Roger Bacon Catholic High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was a proud Marine Veteran of the Korean War. He was a man with great talent achieving three 300 games of bowling and two hole in ones at golf. Robert was the son of the late Karl & Hilda Hoelscher (nee Brigger). He is survived by his loving step-daughter Brenda Jansing, his grandchildren, Patrick, Brandon & Ryan Fackey and Christopher Hunt, niece Maureen Cox, nephew Steven Hronek and great niece Monica Cox. A special thank you to loving & caring friends MaryAnn & Nick who took such great care of him while he lived in Florida. He was the beloved husband of the late Michele Hoelscher, three sisters and one brother. Services will be private. Colligan Funeral Home, Hamilton, Ohio is in charge of the arrangements.
Funeral Home Information
Colligan Funeral Home
437 S. 3rd Street
Hamilton, OH
45011
https://colliganfuneralhome.com/?utm_campaign=legacytraffic&utm_source=legacy&utm_medium=referral | 2023-03-12T07:08:08+00:00 | springfieldnewssun.com | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/obituaries/hoelscher-robert/VUAJNDM3ZNGH5IJKXUTQEHEAZI/ |
Updated June 30, 2023 at 11:30 AM ET
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 along ideological lines that the First Amendment bars Colorado from "forcing a website designer to create expressive designs speaking messages with which the designer disagrees."
Writing for the conservative majority, Justice Neil Gorsuch said: "Ms. [Lori] Smith seeks to engage in protected First Amendment speech; Colorado seeks to compel speech she does not wish to provide. As the Tenth Circuit observed, if Ms. Smith offers wedding websites celebrating marriages she endorses, the State intends to compel her to create custom websites celebrating other marriages she does not. ... If she wishes to speak, she must either speak as the State demands or face sanctions for expressing her own beliefs, sanctions that may include compulsory participation in 'remedial . . . training,' filing periodic compliance reports, and paying monetary fines. That is an impermissible abridgement of the First Amendment's right to speak freely."
In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote: "Today, the Court, for the first time in its history, grants a business open to the public a constitutional right to refuse to serve members of a protected class."
She added: "Around the country, there has been a backlash to the movement for liberty and equality for gender and sexual minorities. New forms of inclusion have been met with reactionary exclusion. This is heartbreaking. Sadly, it is also familiar. When the civil rights and women's rights movements sought equality in public life, some public establishments refused. Some even claimed, based on sincere religious beliefs, constitutional rights to discriminate. The brave Justices who once sat on this Court decisively rejected those claims."
For years, the justices have side-stepped the difficult issue presented by business owners who don't want to comply with public accommodation laws for same-sex weddings. Florists, photographers, and a baker all went to court arguing that they should not have to use their artistry for same-sex weddings. But the court either declined to review lower court rulings or, in the case of the baker who refused to make a custom wedding cake for a same-sex couple, the court punted.
This year, however, the new conservative supermajority reached out in an unusually aggressive manner, agreeing to decide a case in which nobody had yet filed a claim of discrimination.
Instead, Smith, a web designer who is opposed to same sex marriage, pre-emptively sued the state of Colorado, claiming that the state law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation violates her right of free speech.
Smith who believes that marriage should only be between a man and a woman, said she wanted to create a custom web-page business for weddings, but could not do so because under Colorado law she would have been forced to create websites that violate her faith. Colorado said it didn't want to dictate what Smith said in her web designs, but that if her business is open to the public--as it is--it had to serve everyone.
On Friday, the court ruled against the state and for the web designer in a decision that could have profound consequences in Colorado and 29 other states that have laws requiring businesses open to the public to serve everyone, regardless or race, religion, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation.
This story will be updated.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-06-30T17:45:28+00:00 | mtpr.org | https://www.mtpr.org/2023-06-30/supreme-court-says-1st-amendment-entitles-web-designer-to-refuse-same-sex-wedding-work |
Religious Americans are deeply divided in their views on abortion, and reactions from faith leaders ranged from elation to anger after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that made abortion legal nationwide.
The ruling issued Friday was hailed by leading Catholic bishops, even though a majority of U.S. Catholics support abortion rights.
“I recognize there are people on both sides of the question in the Catholic Church,” said Baltimore Archbishop William Lori, who chairs the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities. “What we are finding though is that when people become more aware of what the church is doing to assist women in difficult pregnancies … hearts and minds begin to change.”
The ruling also was welcomed by many evangelical Christian leaders, including Bart Barber, newly elected president of the the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. Southern Baptists “rejoice at the ruling,” he said.
However, the decision — expected to lead to sweeping abortion bans in more than 20 states — was decried by some mainline Protestant leaders, including Michael Curry, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. “I am deeply grieved,” he said.
Several Jewish organizations said the decision infringes on Jewish traditions that accept the need for abortion.
Nadiah Mohajir, co-founder of Heart Women and Girls, a Chicago nonprofit that works with Muslim communities on reproductive rights, expressed dismay: “More than half of American Muslims support safe access to abortion. What we’re seeing here is a very small minority of privileged people who are trying to impose a narrow Christian understanding of when life begins.“
Here are some more reactions from faith leaders:
“The release of the Dobbs decision marks a true turning point in the pro-life movement, a moment that Christians, advocates and many others have worked toward tirelessly for 50 years. … As this chapter comes to a close, we must understand this is not the end of our important work. The issue of abortion has now been turned over to the states, many of which have either implemented or are considering some of the most abhorrently permissive pro-abortion proposals ever.” — Brent Leatherwood, acting president of the SBC’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, in a statement.
“Today’s Supreme Court decision … discarding nearly 50 years of precedent, will endanger the lives and well-being of birthing people who do not choose to continue pregnancy. God loves and cares for people who have abortions, and so does the United Church of Christ.” — General ministers of the United Church of Christ, in a joint statement.
“Abortion bans place greater value on the life of the fetus than on the pregnant person, a violation of both Jewish law and tradition and of American religious liberty. Now, it seems only certain people are entitled to religious liberty, which renders the entire concept meaningless.” — Sheila Katz, CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women, in a statement.
“This is a historic day in the life of our country, one that stirs our thoughts, emotions and prayers. For nearly fifty years, America has enforced an unjust law that has permitted some to decide whether others can live or die; this policy has resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of preborn children. … We mourn their loss, and we entrust their souls to God.” — Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Baltimore Archbishop William Lori, in a joint statement.
“Catholics on the right spent decades reducing church teaching to a single issue and linked arms with a conservative movement that is hostile to the church’s teachings about a consistent ethic of life and the common good. This ruling is the culmination of that misguided campaign.” — John Gehring, Catholic program director at the Washington-based clergy network Faith in Public Life, via Twitter.
“This Supreme Court abolished the constitutional right to abortion in an opinion that is a direct attack on the separation of church and state. Religious freedom demands the right to an abortion so people can make their own reproductive decisions according to their own principles. … Americans United is readying religious freedom litigation which will bring this argument to our courts.” — Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a group representing secular Americans, in a statement.
“This historic Supreme Court decision would not have happened without fifty years of patient, loving, hard work by people of all faiths and none in diverse fields including social service, religion, law, medicine, culture, education, policy and politics. But our work has just begun.” — Salvatore Cordileone, Catholic archbishop of San Francisco, in a statement.
“Today’s ruling is further evidence that the regressive political agenda of the far-right has reached the highest court in the land. Bodily autonomy and self-determination are deeply rooted humanist values that are critical for realizing an inclusive, pluralistic, and flourishing society. The right to abortion access has long been a culture-war issue utilized by radical evangelical and White Christian Nationalist movements to control women and undermine the well-being of our society.” — Nadya Dutchin, executive director of the American Humanist Association, in a statement.
“I support the right to life. … But it’s not my choice. When mostly white legislators pass laws that affect Black bodies, it’s criminalizing the plight of the poor. Once a child is born, there are disparities in health care, education, housing and employment. We could care less about a child outside the womb. It’s a sad day in America.” — The Rev. Clinton Stancil, lead pastor of Wayman African Methodist Episcopal Church in St. Louis, in an interview.
“Half the states will now become abortion free and millions of innocent lives will be spared from the barbaric practice of abortion. This is a human rights victory beyond all others and justifies the decades of tireless work by selfless pro-life individuals and organizations.” — Troy Newman, president of the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue, in a statement.
“I am deeply grieved. … I have been ordained more than 40 years, and I have served as a pastor in poor communities; I have witnessed firsthand the negative impact this decision will have. … Today’s decision institutionalizes inequality because women with access to resources will be able to exercise their moral judgment in ways that women without the same resources will not.” — Michael Curry, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, in a statement.
“More than ever, those who value all human life must demonstrate their commitment not merely with their words, but also by their deeds. We must urge legislators to protect the unborn, and we must provide compassionate support for women that will help them choose life.” — Adam Greenway, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, in a statement.
“This court has no legitimacy. We will not live by this decision.” — The Rev. Jacqui Lewis, senior minister at Middle Collegiate Church in New York City, via Twitter.
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AP religion team journalists Holly Meyer, Luis Andres Henao, Peter Smith and Deepa Bharath contributed to this report.
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For AP’s full coverage of the Supreme Court ruling on abortion, go to https://apnews.com/hub/abortion.
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. | 2022-06-25T10:40:31+00:00 | fox44news.com | https://www.fox44news.com/news/national-world-news/from-joy-to-anger-faith-leaders-react-to-roes-reversal/ |
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — For years, the families of disabled Virginians have been paid to take full-time care of their loved ones. An obscure new regulation could make that more difficult, and home caretakers are speaking out.
Yolanda Ross’s son was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy when he was just 8 years old. Ever since then, she’s been his primary caretaker — a task she wouldn’t entrust to anybody else.
“You don’t want just anybody coming in your home,” she said.
Since her son turned 19 and became eligible for Medicaid, she’s been paid for that tireless work under a “Medicaid waiver.” It’s a program that allows her to get paid the equivalent of what a home care attendant would get to take care of her son.
Changing the Rules
That could become more difficult soon under rules proposed by the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (VDMAS), a little-known state agency that regulates home care and administers the federal money that supports family waivers.
Under current guidelines, “legally responsible individuals” — usually family members — can be paid for care “above what they would be obligated to provide.” In other words, family members who provide full-time care can act as the primary caregiver and be paid as such under Medicaid.
But as the public health emergency caused by COVID-19 comes to an end, VDMAS is imposing new requirements that would restrict how and when family members can be paid as primary caregivers.
One of those new requirements is that families provide proof that there are “no service/provider alternatives” available. Another would require that family caregivers have their care periodically reviewed “by a licensed enrolled/credentialed personal care agency” — in other words, a private caregiving company.
In supporting documents, agency personnel argued the new restrictions were necessary to “ensure that the plan of care/plan for supports is monitored adequately.”
Raising Concerns
Tonya Milling is the Executive Director of The Arc of Virginia, a group that promotes self-advocacy for people with developmental disabilities, and she told 8News that the rule change was part of a wide-ranging — and mandatory — update to the state’s Medicaid waiver system.
“The application itself is 330 pages plus,” she said.
The federal government gave states a lot of latitude during the COVID-19 public health emergency, but now, Milling says, “they have to create a structure.”
She said the current proposal — which is still open for public comment until March 30 — “doesn’t take away the ability to do this,” but she did say it could make it more difficult for some families.
“We too are concerned for what the impact might be on families, and are reviewing it to understand those impacts,” she said.
The board that oversees those proposed changes has already received 147 comments from Virginia residents, the vast majority of them in opposition to restricting family caregivers.
“We are (as parents and spouses) the on-call, 24-7 cooks, attendants, nurses, etc,” wrote Dee Green. “Why create chaos and burden to these agencies by saying if a spouse or parent want to be the caregiver (if this goes through) they must be an employee of an agency?”
Still, Milling said, “We’re feeling optimistic that a resolution can be found on any issues.”
“They’re doing it out of love”
For the families who do receive a waiver, the pay is often slim, and Ross said that doesn’t make it easy to recruit reliable workers to care agencies.
“We make 17 cents above minimum wage. You have children at the local Burger King making more than that,” Ross said. “It’s hard to find quality people to do low-wage work.”
That’s why she elected to take care of her son herself — something made possible by the waiver.
Charles Carter is a lifelong resident of southside Virginia, and for 3 years, he was the primary caretaker for his wife.
“I got involved in home care in 2003,” he told 8News. His wife developed brain and heart issues after experiencing complications from a tooth abscess. These complications required intensive care.
But at the time, Carter didn’t receive a home care waiver.
“I was not paid for it,” he said. “We almost lost everything, including our home. One of our children had to give us a car to help us get around.”
He said even if he had known about the waivers, some families wait years for their applications to be improved. Carter’s wife passed away in 2006 from heart complications.
“People who do home care work, they’re not doing this for money. They’re doing it out of love,” he said. “I had to quit my job to take care of her, but I did it because I love her.”
Still, he said, the workers who provide these vital services need “to have a roof over their heads.”
Now, Carter is a member of SEIU 512, the union representing home care workers in Virginia.
Carter said that in addition to rejecting the proposed rule changes, the board needs to expand the availability of waivers overall to reduce waiting times.
Ross also said that the pay allocated under Medicaid was not enough to fully support necessary home care.
“The income is truly not a living wage in the current economy,” she said.
The VBMAS committee that oversees Medicaid was expected to hold a meeting to adopt the rule changes on March 30, but that meeting has since been canceled. It has not yet been rescheduled. | 2023-03-24T12:04:55+00:00 | wric.com | https://www.wric.com/news/politics/capitol-connection/how-virginia-home-caretakers-could-lose-support-for-their-families/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump padded his net worth by billions of dollars and habitually misled banks and others about the value of prized assets like golf courses, hotels and his Mar-a-Lago estate, New York’s attorney general said Wednesday in a lawsuit that seeks to permanently disrupt the Republican’s ability to do business in the state.
Attorney General Letitia James dubbed it “The art of the steal.”
The lawsuit, filed in state court in Manhattan, is the culmination of the Democrat’s three-year civil investigation into Trump and the Trump Organization. Trump’s three eldest children, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric Trump, were also named as defendants, along with two longtime company executives.
In its 222 pages, the suit struck at the core of what made Trump famous, taking a blacklight to the image of wealth and opulence he’s embraced throughout his career — first as a real estate developer, then as a reality TV host on “The Apprentice” and later as president.
It details dozens of instances of alleged fraud, many involving claims made on annual financial statements that Trump would give to banks, business associates and financial magazines as proof of his riches as he sought loans and deals.
For example, according to the lawsuit, Trump claimed his Trump Tower apartment — a three-story penthouse replete with gold-plated fixtures — was nearly three times its actual size and valued the property at $327 million. No apartment in New York City has ever sold for close to that amount, James said.
Trump applied similar fuzzy math to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, the lawsuit alleged, by valuing the private club and residence as high as $739 million — more than 10 times a more reasonable estimate of its worth. Trump’s figure is based on the idea that the property could be developed for residential use, but deed terms prohibit that.
“This investigation revealed that Donald Trump engaged in years of illegal conduct to inflate his net worth, to deceive banks and the people of the great state of New York,” James said at a news conference.
“Claiming you have money that you do not have does not amount to the art of the deal. It’s the art of the steal,” she said, referring to the title of Trump’s 1987 memoir, “The Art of the Deal.”
James said the investigation also uncovered evidence of potential criminal violations, including insurance fraud and bank fraud, but that her office was referring those findings to outside authorities for further investigation.
Trump, in a post to his Truth Social platform, decried the lawsuit as “Another Witch Hunt” and denounced James as “a fraud who campaigned on a ‘get Trump’ platform.”
Later, in an interview with Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity, Trump said his company’s financial disclosures warned banks not to trust the information provided.
“We have a disclaimer right on the front,” he said, that warned banks: “‘You’re at your own risk.’ … ‘Be careful because it may not be accurate. It may be way off.’ … ‘Get your own people. Use your own appraisers. Use your own lawyers. Don’t rely on us.’”
Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, said the allegations are “meritless” and the lawsuit “is neither focused on the facts nor the law — rather, it is solely focused on advancing the Attorney General’s political agenda.”
In the lawsuit, James asked the court to ban Trump and his three eldest children from ever again running a company based in the state.
She is also seeking payment of at least $250 million, which she said was the estimated worth of benefits derived from the alleged fraud. And she wants Trump and the Trump Organization from entering into commercial real estate acquisitions for five years, among other sanctions.
James’ lawsuit comes amid a whirlwind of unprecedented legal challenges for a former president, including an FBI investigation into Trump’s handling of classified records and inquiries into his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
While James’ lawsuit is being pursued in civil court, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has been working with James’ office on a parallel criminal investigation.
Trump cited fear of prosecution in August when he refused to answer questions in a deposition with James, invoking his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination more than 400 times.
The odds of a criminal prosecution have been seen as falling in recent months after Bragg allowed a grand jury to disband without bringing charges. Bragg said again Wednesday, though, that the criminal investigation was “active and ongoing.”
A criminal prosecution would have a far higher burden of proof than a civil lawsuit. And in a criminal case, prosecutors would have to prove that Trump intended to break the law, something not necessarily required in a civil case.
“Generally in criminal cases you have to prove intent. In civil cases, just negligence or intentional misrepresentation give rise to liability,” said Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor in San Diego who now practices law at a Los Angeles firm.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan said it was aware of James’ referral of potential criminal violations, but otherwise declined comment. The Internal Revenue Service’s criminal investigation division said it “doesn’t confirm the existence of investigations until court documents are publicly available.”
The Trump Organization is set to go on trial in October in a criminal case alleging that it schemed to give untaxed perks to senior executives, including its longtime finance chief Allen Weisselberg, who alone took more than $1.7 million in extras.
Weisselberg, 75, pleaded guilty Aug. 18. His plea agreement requires him to testify at the company’s trial before he starts a five-month jail sentence. If convicted, the Trump Organization could face a fine of double the amount of unpaid taxes.
Weisselberg and another Trump Organization executive, Jeffrey McConney, were also named as defendants in James’ lawsuit.
At the same time, the FBI is continuing to investigate Trump’s storage of sensitive government documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, and a special grand jury in Georgia is investigating whether Trump and others attempted to influence state election officials.
All of the legal drama is playing out ahead of the November midterm elections, where Republicans are trying to win control of one or both houses of Congress.
Meanwhile, Trump has been laying the groundwork for a potential comeback campaign for president in 2024 and has accused President Joe Biden’s administration of targeting him to hurt his political chances.
Trump’s previous refusal to answer questions in testimony could be held against him if a lawsuit ever reaches a jury. In civil cases, courts are allowed to draw negative inference from such Fifth Amendment pleadings.
“If Trump wanted to argue that some accounting decision was harmless instead of malicious, he might have already passed up the opportunity when he decided to stay silent,” said Will Thomas, an assistant professor of business law at the University of Michigan.
In a previous clash, James oversaw the closure of Trump’s charity for alleging misusing its assets to resolve business disputes and boost his run for the White House. A judge ordered Trump to pay $2 million to an array of charities to settle the matter.
James, who campaigned for office as a Trump critic and watchdog, started scrutinizing his business practices in March 2019 after his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen testified to Congress that Trump exaggerated his wealth on financial statements provided to Deutsche Bank while trying to obtain financing to buy the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.
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Associated Press reporters Bernard Condon, Bobby Caina Calvan and Jill Colvin in New York and Fatima Hussein in Washington contributed to this report.
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On Twitter, follow Michael Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak and Larry Neumeister at twitter.com/lneumeister | 2022-09-22T05:43:35+00:00 | wric.com | https://www.wric.com/news/u-s-world/ap-ny-attorney-general-sues-donald-trump-and-his-company/ |
LONDON – Credit Suisse owes former Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili hundreds of millions of dollars for failing to protect the billionaire's money held in a trust pilfered by a manager, a Singapore court ruled Friday, the latest scandal for the Swiss bank whose yearslong problems forced its takeover by a rival.
Ivanishvili in 2004 put more than $1.1 billion into a trust overseen by the bank's Singapore subsidiary, Credit Suisse Trust Limited, and the employee managing the trust “misappropriated many millions of dollars” over nine years before being caught and sent to prison, the Singapore International Commercial Court said.
Bidzina, who amassed a fortune in Russia as a businessman before serving as Georgia's prime minister from 2012 to 2013, sued the Swiss bank for about $1.2 billion, saying it failed to properly administer the trust and keep its assets safe.
“The judgment published today is wrong and poses very significant legal issues,” Credit Suisse said in a written statement. “Credit Suisse Trust Limited intends to vigorously pursue an appeal.”
The bank has previously acknowledged that it did not take reasonable steps to protect the trust's assets as of the end of 2008 and agreed to pay more than $79.4 million last year in a settlement.
“The defendant is liable to compensate the plaintiffs for their loss,” which has been calculated at $926 million, minus the amount of the settlement, Judge Patricia Bergin said in a ruling.
She added that any payout in a related case in Bermuda must be reduced so there isn't “double recovery.”
The bank has appealed a decision by the Supreme Court of Bermuda that Credit Suisse failed to prevent “fraudulent mismanagement” of Ivanishvili's assets in two life insurance policies taken out with Credit Suisse Life, a subsidiary based in the island territory.
Ivanishvili claimed damages of nearly $554 million in that case.
The once-venerable Swiss lender has seen a string of scandals over the years that hit the heart of its business, ranging from bad bets on hedge funds to failing to prevent money laundering by a Bulgarian cocaine ring and accusations it didn’t report secret offshore accounts that wealthy Americans used to avoid paying U.S. taxes.
The Swiss government hastily orchestrated a $3.25 billion takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS in March after Credit Suisse’s stock plunged and customers quickly pulled out their money, fearing its collapse could further roil global financial markets following the failures of two U.S. banks. | 2023-05-26T11:59:56+00:00 | wsls.com | https://www.wsls.com/business/2023/05/26/credit-suisse-owes-millions-to-georgias-billionaire-ex-prime-minister-court-says/ |
The leading boat in The Ocean Race dropped out of the last leg of the around-the-world sailing competition on Friday and asked the sport’s overseers for compensation in the standings to make up for the collision that punctured its carbon fiber hull.
Newport, Rhode Island-based 11th Hour has filed a Request for Redress to the World Sailing International Jury. It is empowered under the Racing Rules of Sailing to compensate a boat when “a boat’s score or place in a race or series has been or may be, through no fault of her own, made significantly worse.”
11th Hour was atop the leaderboard through six legs and the corresponding in-port races with 33 points. Team Holcim — PRB was second, with 31 points, followed by Team Malizia (27), Biotherm Racing (19) and Guyot environnement (2). The seventh leg, to Genoa, Italy, is worth five points to the winner, four for second place and three for third; without a ruling by the jury, 11th Hour would get zero points.
11th Hour skipper Charlie Enright said crews are working to repair the boat so it can rejoin what it started.
“We are working around the clock to repair the boat as quickly as possible, and our intent is to sail to Genoa to rejoin the fleet and complete this lap around our blue planet,” he said. “Everyone is obviously devastated — no one wants to finish a race like this — but spirits are high within the team, and everyone is focused on finishing this incredible race on a high note.”
The 11th Hour team had won three straight legs of the race to move atop the standings, giving the race’s only U.S. entry a chance for victory if it had finished in front of or only one boat behind the Swiss Team Holcim. But Dutreux said he didn’t see the American boat, which had the right of way, and crashed his bowsprit into the 11th Hour hull.
“I take all responsibility. It’s our fault for sure,” said Dutreux, whose last-place boat immediately retired from the leg. “I’m very sorry about this. I really hope they will get back and win this race. ... We will try to help them all we can.”
11th Hour returned to port and began trying to fix the gaping hole in its hull, but decided on Friday it could not rejoin the race.
The crash was the latest setback for 11th Hour and its co-founder Enright, a Rhode Island native and Brown University alum who is in his third around-the-world race. He finished fifth in both previous attempts — sustaining two major setbacks in the previous edition in 2018: a collision with a fishing boat and a dismasting.
In this year’s race, 11th Hour noticed cracks on its foils near the end of the first leg, which departed from Alicante, Spain, on Jan. 15. The boat also triggered its hazard alarm after hitting what they suspected was a whale. Two crew members were injured in the collision.
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2023-06-16T18:43:10+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/06/16/sailing-collision-around-world-ocean-race/53c047e2-0c6b-11ee-8132-a84600f3bb9b_story.html |
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DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Manchester City and Bayern Munich's seasons are each defined by one signing — for better or worse.
As City prepares to finish off Bayern in the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday after beating the German champions 3-0 in the first leg, Erling Haaland has redefined the role of a modern striker.
Haaland has scored 47 goals in 40 games in all competitions, and has a possible 13 more games to play this season. The Norwegian scored against Bayern in the first leg after demolishing another German team, Leipzig, with five goals in the previous round.
Then there’s Sadio Mané. The Senegal forward was supposed to reshape Bayern’s attack into a fluid, flexible threat less reliant on a traditional striker when he joined from Liverpool last year as Robert Lewandowski left.
However, Mané has contributed little on the field in recent months and upset squad stability. He has been a bit-part player ever since a leg injury ruled him out of the World Cup, and was suspended from the squad for Bayern's draw at Hoffenheim on Saturday for what the club called “misconduct” after confronting teammate Leroy Sané in the locker room following the loss to City. German media reported he had struck Sané in the face.
Tuchel has said Mané apologized like a “role model” in a process which had a “cleaning effect” on the squad’s atmosphere, but it’s yet to be followed by any improvement on the field.
Bayern and coach Thomas Tuchel are staking their faint hopes on home advantage and a promise to finally turn their team's form around.
“We all know that we need a completely different performance. We know that we can do it but we have to bring it onto the field,” Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich said after Saturday's draw against Hoffenheim left Tuchel with two wins from five games since he replaced Julian Nagelsmann last month.
Center forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who missed the first leg with a knee injury, is back in training and could play in the second game. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has a broken leg, and scrutiny of replacement Yann Sommer has increased after he missed saves against City and Hoffenheim, while defender Lucas Hernandez is also out long-term.
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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2023-04-18T10:22:37+00:00 | sfgate.com | https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/man-city-aims-to-finish-off-bayern-in-champions-17903387.php |
Meely To Drive Digital Transformation of Clinical Supply Management for Complex Clinical Trials
SAN FRANCISCO, July 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Slope, provider of the first eClinical Supply Chain Management (eCSCM) platform, announced hiring the clinical research leader, Hope Meely, as Chief Clinical Officer. In her new role, Hope will be instrumental in educating the industry on the new eCSCM software as a service (SaaS) category. Hope will help clinical trial sponsors and research sites understand how replacing existing manual and paper-driven clinical supply chain processes with the Slope eCSCM platform will reduce clinical trial risk and costs, improve the productivity of clinical trial collaborators, and increase subject retention.
"One of the biggest challenges we face as an industry is ensuring that lab kits, investigational products (IP), devices, ancillary clinical supplies, and biological samples get to the right place, at the right time, in the proper condition," said Hope." While we have digitized other aspects of our clinical trial functions with EDCs [electronic data capture], CTMSs [clinical trial management systems], IRTs [interactive response technologies], and other systems, we have not had anything to proactively track and manage our clinical supply chain or reconcile our biological samples backward from biorepository storage, to laboratory, courier, research site, lab kit distributor and manufacturer. The Slope platform gives us all of that."
"In addition to her decades of experience in various clinical research positions—from data manager to project manager, clinical trial leader, and vice president of clinical operations at companies large and small—she has spent the past 3 years as a Slope customer leading clinical operations," said Rust Felix, Slope CEO and cofounder. "The depth and breadth of her expertise and knowledge, along with her continued interactions with the industry as a whole, will help inform our company and product direction to meet the critical need for better data-driven clinical supply chain management."
Hope started her career as a data manager at GlaxoSmithKline. From there, she became a clinical trial leader and senior project manager for companies such as Johnson and Johnson, AstraZeneca, Sanofi, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and Pharmaceutical Product Development, a clinical research organization. Hope has spent the last three years leading clinical operations for early-phase oncology clinical trials at Prelude Therapeutics. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated passion for adopting innovative technologies that make clinical trial programs and studies more efficient. https://www.linkedin.com/in/hope-meely-33874bb0/
You can hear Hope live as she participates in the industry panel "Solutions to Today's Clinical Data Challenges—Delayed Data and Its Impact On Your Clinical Trials: Insights and Analysis from the encapsia industry survey 2022" on July 28th at 11 AM EST. To register, visit https://pmi-live.com/events/todays-clinical-data-challenges-delayed-data-and-its-impact/
- Slope eClinical Supply Chain Management platform: https://www.slope.io/eclinical-supply-chain-management-platform
- Four Reasons to Optimize Your Clinical Supply Chain Management: https://www.slope.io/blog/four-reasons-optimize-clinical-supply-chain-management
- When You Need to Optimize Your Clinical Supply Chain Management: https://www.slope.io/blog/optimize-your-clinical-supply-chain-management-when
- Who Needs Clinical Supply Chain Optimization: https://www.slope.io/blog/clinical-supply-chain-management-optimization-who
Slope is the first provider of an online eClinical Supply Chain Management (eCSCM) platform for sponsors and research sites collaborating on complex, sample-intensive, early-phase clinical trials. The Slope eCSCM platform reduces clinical trial risks, reigns in costs, improves the productivity of clinical trial collaborators, and increases subject retention. Through its Title 21 CFR Part 11-compliant platform and protocol-specific guided workflows, Slope fosters collaboration between sponsors, sites, vendors, labs, biorepositories, and couriers; provides real-time visibility into activities at research sites; ensures traceable chain-of-custody for supplies and samples in use, transit, and storage; and contributes to stronger compliance and protocol adherence. To date, Slope has managed over a million supplies for hundreds of studies across thousands of sites. www.slope.io
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SOURCE Slope | 2022-07-19T15:58:18+00:00 | kalb.com | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2022/07/19/slope-appoints-clinical-research-veteran-hope-meely-slope-chief-clinical-officer/ |
When Lisa Gordon set out to find the perfect coworking space for her new business, she knew she wanted one that met all of her needs.
"I knew I needed a space where I could feel very focused and be in my flow and push me past [these] dips while I'm making this transition [to entrepreneurship]," Gordon told NPR.
The retired psychology professor-turned-social entrepreneur said she tried a series of coworking spaces in the Santa Monica, Calif., area, but felt as though they came with pretentiousness that didn't feel welcoming — especially as a woman of color.
"Although it was very empowering, I wasn't able to relax. I felt that in the spaces I was somewhat singled out because there wasn't a lot of people who looked like me there," Gordon said. "And I accepted it because I didn't know that there was anything else available."
But there was. Ultimately, Lisa found her way to becoming a member of Blackbird House.
A community coworking space based in the Los Angeles area, Blackbird House aims to support, guide and advance women of color and their allies — both professionally and personally in a "safe space."
"I didn't see a lot of women of color represented [in coworking spaces]. I was curious about what it would look like to start a space like this," founder and CEO Bridgid Coulter Cheadle told NPR.
"We are unapologetically centered on women of color. But, we are also open to allies," Cheadle said, who transitioned into interior design after getting her start as an actress in the 90s.
When she was searching for an office space for her interior design business, Cheadle said she had a lot of trouble finding one that felt inclusive.
"I was always drawn to spaces created by women, for women. Eventually, I thought 'I really want to develop something for women of color,'" Cheadle said.
Women of color are still searching for inclusive work environments
The concept of coworking spaces aims to bring people together for a sense of community. But research suggests that women of color are still facing challenges in finding an inclusive job environment.
Researchers from McKinsey & Company say the pandemic has disproportionately affected women in comparison to men. And women of color "continue to have the worst experience at work."
In McKinsey's 2021 Women in the Workplace report, data shows that women of color only make up 17% of entry-level corporate positions in the workplace. And they only account for 4% of C-suite leaders.
Erika James, dean of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, said in a 2020 interview on All Things Considered that change in the business world has been slow to reflect both the current gender and racial makeup of our country.
"I think if we can create social media platforms, if we can put people on the moon and if we can have self-driving cars, there's very little that we can't do," James said.
"So the fact that we have not yet created a more diverse work environment means that we simply haven't prioritized it," she added.
It's more than a coworking space
By offering in-person and digital opportunities that cater to the productivity, well-being and advocacy of women of color, Cheadle aims to expand the Blackbird House brand across the U.S. and internationally.
The flagship location in Culver City offers members a lineup of amenities that include a communal work environment, six private offices, multiple conference rooms, a meditation room and a café.
"Some people come in and they're like, 'I need to get my work done' and you can put your nose to the grind and get it done," Cheadle said.
"But then there's this other side of getting it done, looking around and seeing people [in the room] who look like you," she added.
Spending a significant amount of time curating Blackbird to feel welcoming to its members, Cheadle said she hopes this coworking space is more than just a "folding table in the back," but an experience for its members.
"I want you to walk in [to Blackbird] and think this is as beautiful as SoHo House or Noia House or any of these other spaces that are gorgeous and designed luxuriously. I want us to think of ourselves in that way," she said.
For Gordon, she says Blackbird is a space where she can be herself without the pressure of having to code-switch while working.
"It's perfect for me. It's what I wanted in other coworking spaces," she said. "I don't have to do that at Blackbird. I can just breathe."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2022-08-01T10:21:39+00:00 | nepm.org | https://www.nepm.org/national-world-news/2022-08-01/this-black-owned-coworking-space-wants-to-advance-and-support-businesswomen-of-color |
WA Marine Warnings and Forecast for Sunday, August 21, 2022
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SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY
URGENT - MARINE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Seattle WA
241 AM PDT Sun Aug 21 2022
...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO
3 AM PDT MONDAY...
* WHAT...West winds 15 to 25 kt.
* WHERE...Central U. S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca and East
Entrance U. S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca.
* WHEN...From 5 PM this afternoon to 3 AM PDT Monday.
* IMPACTS...Conditions will be hazardous to small craft.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A Small Craft Advisory means that wind speeds of 21 to 33 knots
and/or seas 10 feet or higher are expected to produce hazardous
wave conditions to small craft. Inexperienced mariners,
especially those operating smaller vessels should avoid
navigating in these conditions.
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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | 2022-08-21T11:21:03+00:00 | sfgate.com | https://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/WA-Marine-Warning-and-Forecast-17387718.php |
SINGAPORE -- Lewis Hamilton faces a potential fine at the Singapore Grand Prix after he was summoned to the stewards for an alleged breach of the section of the FIA's International Sporting Code that regulates the wearing of protective clothing, helmets and jewellery.
At the start of the season, the FIA clarified a long-standing rule in F1's regulations that ban drivers from wearing jewellery during track sessions.
The jewellery ruling led to a stand-off between Hamilton and the governing body at the Miami Grand Prix as the seven-time world champion said he could not easily remove a nose stud to comply with the rule.
An exemption was granted that lasted until the British Grand Prix, when Hamilton finally removed the stud ahead of the first practice session at Silverstone.
In Singapore, Hamilton was summoned to the stewards after final practice for an alleged breach of Appendix L, Chapter III of the FIA International Sporting Code, which includes an article on not wearing jewellery. Photos of him in the Mercedes garage before the session showed him wearing his nose stud and earrings, although it was not clear if he removed them before getting in the car.
Breaching the article will result in a fine on the first three instances, with potential sporting penalties being enforced if a competitor continues to defy the rule. | 2022-10-01T13:36:00+00:00 | espn.com | https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/34700836/lewis-hamilton-summoned-alleged-breach-international-sporting-code |
Duck goes for a ride on Cedar Point roller coaster that reaches 93 mph
SANDUSKY, Ohio (WTVG/Gray News) – A duck made its way onto a roller coaster at Cedar Point and went for a wild ride.
The duck flew into the train of the Millennium Force while it was moving earlier this week and ended up along for the ride, a Cedar Point spokesperson confirmed.
According to Cedar Point’s website, the roller coaster reaches speeds of 93 mph.
Photos and videos show the duck tucked behind the back of a seat.
Once the ride came to a stop, the duck was safely removed from the train by a guest. The spokesperson said it appears a guest immediately went to take the duck while people were getting off the ride before the maintenance team arrived to help.
According to a post on Reddit, the woman took the duck to guest services, where it would then be turned over to wildlife rehab.
Further information was not available.
Copyright 2023 WTVG via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2023-07-13T19:23:59+00:00 | witn.com | https://www.witn.com/2023/07/13/duck-goes-ride-cedar-point-roller-coaster-that-reaches-93-mph/ |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers are trading Russell Westbrook to Utah and reacquiring guard D’Angelo Russell from Minnesota in a three-team, eight-player deal, a person with knowledge of the trade told The Associated Press on Wednesday night.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the teams hadn’t announced the major deal made ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline Thursday.
Los Angeles is also getting guard Malik Beasley and forward Jarred Vanderbilt from the Jazz, bolstering its core around LeBron James in a bid to jump-start its sputtering season. The Lakers fell to 25-30 on Tuesday while James set the NBA’s career scoring record, and they sit in 13th place in the 15-team Western Conference.
The Lakers are sending Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones and their first-round pick in 2027 to Utah with Westbrook.
ESPN and The Athletic first reported the trade. Those outlets also said Minnesota is getting Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker from Utah, along with three second-round picks.
Minnesota won 143-118 at Utah on Wednesday night, and all five players involved in the trade weren’t in uniform. Most players and coaches couldn’t speak directly about a trade that hadn’t been announced, but Minnesota coach Chris Finch acknowledged the challenge of playing short-handed amid roster upheaval.
“We just talked briefly about things before taking the floor,” Finch said. “It’s unfortunate timing. You don’t ever get to pick your timing. But maybe in some ways it was good that we could just play a game and not have to overthink things.”
Westbrook’s tenure with his hometown team lasted just 130 tumultuous games. The 2017 NBA MVP never thrived with James and injury-plagued Anthony Davis for any significant stretch of time, struggling to mold his possession-heavy game into a more complementary role.
A move to the bench last fall led to minor improvements over a dismal 2021-22 season, but Westbrook still appeared profoundly uncomfortable with the Lakers, who are in danger of missing the playoffs for the second straight year. Westbrook averaged 17.4 points, 7.2 assists, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 turnovers per game during his time in Los Angeles, where fans grumbled regularly about his poor shooting and turnovers.
The 34-year-old Westbrook is making about $47 million in the final year of his contract. Several months after the Lakers infuriated a large portion of their worldwide fan base by not trading Westbrook in the summer, they swapped him for Russell, who played his first two NBA seasons with the Lakers after they chose him with the second overall pick in the 2015 draft.
Russell was a rookie during Kobe Bryant’s final season, and the point guard was the most consistently entertaining part of two poor Lakers teams before Magic Johnson traded him to Brooklyn in 2017. Russell is now being traded for the fourth time in his eight NBA seasons.
Russell is averaging 17.9 points, 6.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds while hitting a career-best 46.5% of his shots with Minnesota in the final year of a contract paying him more than $31 million this season. His style on both ends of the court also could complement James and Davis better than Westbrook, although the Lakers will have little time to figure it out.
The Timberwolves courted Russell hard when he was on the market in July 2019, when Brooklyn ultimately landed on a sign-and-trade deal that sent Kevin Durant to the Nets and shipped Russell to Golden State. The Wolves eventually acquired Russell at the deadline in Feb. 2020 and teamed him with his draft-class pal, Karl-Anthony Towns.
The Russell-Towns pairing never really took off, in part because of injuries for each player that often kept them from being on the court at the same time. The Wolves drafted Anthony Edwards with the first overall pick in 2020, integrating another high-impact offensive player into the lineup whose value is minimized without frequent touches.
The Wolves made the playoffs in 2022, but only recently have Russell and Edwards truly clicked after coach Chris Finch made Edwards the primary ball-handler and moved Russell into an off-ball position to better maximize his shooting ability.
Russell is shooting a career-best 39.1% from 3-point range, having made five or more shots from deep in six of his last 17 games.
Conley is more of a pure distribute-first point guard than Russell, who has never been a tenacious perimeter defender, either. The 35-year-old Conley is averaging 10.7 points and 7.7 assists in his fourth season with Utah.
Utah’s Jordan Clarkson said it was “super-hard to say goodbye” to Conley after four years together.
“That guy was like Yoda, honestly,” Clarkson said. “He had so many stories, and he had such an enlightenment about him. You just listened to him. … He can communicate with anyone.”
Conley will reunite with big man Rudy Gobert, whose transition to Minnesota has been slow. Conley and Gobert meshed well with the Jazz, and their collective experience in the playoffs ought to also help a Wolves team that has been remarkably inconsistent this season while trying to keep up in the crowded race.
There’ll be an even bigger Minnesota reunion on the Lakers, with Vanderbilt and Beasley going to LA where Patrick Beverley already plays — although Beverley is showing up in numerous trade rumors himself in the final hours before the deadline. All four of those players helped the Timberwolves get the No. 7 seed for the playoffs last season before Vanderbilt, Beasley and Beverley were traded to the Jazz in the Gobert deal.
Beasley is a strong outside shooter, averaging 13.4 points while hitting 35.9% of his 3-pointers for the Jazz. The 6-foot-9 Vanderbilt has averaged 8.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, excelling on defense and on the boards while starting 41 of his 52 games.
The Lakers began their roster overhaul last month by trading Kendrick Nunn to Washington for Rui Hachimura, who is fitting in well so far as a wing option. Los Angeles also took a swing at acquiring Kyrie Irving, but Brooklyn sent the controversial guard to Dallas.
Toscano-Anderson and Jones played almost no role after joining the Lakers in the offseason.
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AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell in Minneapolis and AP freelance writer Matthew Coles in Salt Lake City contributed to this report.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2023-02-09T10:52:19+00:00 | wivb.com | https://www.wivb.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-ap-source-lakers-trading-westbrook-to-utah-in-3-team-swap/ |
TORONTO (AP) — Gordon Lightfoot, Canada’s legendary folk singer-songwriter known for “If You Could Read My Mind” and “Sundown” and for songs that told tales of Canadian identity, died on Monday. He was 84.
Representative Victoria Lord said the musician died at a Toronto hospital. His cause of death was not immediately available.
Considered one of the most renowned voices to emerge from Toronto’s Yorkville folk club scene in the 1960s, Lightfoot went on to record 20 studio albums and pen hundreds of songs, including “Carefree Highway,” “Early Morning Rain” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”
In the 1970s, Lightfoot garnered five Grammy nominations, three platinum records and nine gold records for albums and singles. In the more than 60 years since he launched his career, he performed in well over 1,500 concerts and recorded 500 songs.
He toured late into his life. Just last month he cancelled upcoming U.S. and Canadian shows, citing health issues
“We have lost one of our greatest singer-songwriters,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted.
“Gordon Lightfoot captured our country’s spirit in his music – and in doing so, he helped shape Canada’s soundscape. May his music continue to inspire future generations, and may his legacy live on forever.”
Once called a “rare talent” by Bob Dylan, dozens of artists have covered his work, including Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, Harry Belafonte, Johnny Cash, Anne Murray, Jane’s Addiction and Sarah McLachlan.
Most of his songs are deeply autobiographical with lyrics that probe his own experiences in a frank manner and explore issues surrounding the Canadian national identity. “Canadian Railroad Trilogy” depicted the construction of the railway.
“I simply write the songs about where I am and where I’m from,” he once said. “I take situations and write poems about them.”
Lightfoot’s music had a style all its own. “It’s not country, not folk, not rock,” he said in a 2000 interview. Yet it has strains of all three.
“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” for instance, is a haunting tribute to the 29 men who died in the 1975 sinking of the ship in Lake Superior during a storm.
While Lightfoot’s parents recognized his musical talents early on, he didn’t set out to become a renowned balladeer.
He began singing in his church choir and dreamed of becoming a jazz musician. At age 13, the soprano won a talent contest at the Kiwanis Music Festival, held at Toronto’s Massey Hall.
“I remember the thrill of being in front of the crowd,” Lightfoot said in a 2018 interview. “It was a stepping stone for me…”
The appeal of those early days stuck and in high school, his barbershop quartet, The Collegiate Four, won a CBC talent competition. He strummed his first guitar in 1956 and began to dabble in songwriting in the months that followed. Perhaps distracted by his taste for music, he flunked algebra the first time. After taking the class again, he graduated in 1957.
By then, Lightfoot had already penned his first serious composition — “The Hula Hoop Song,” inspired by the popular kids’ toy that was sweeping the culture. Attempts to sell the song went nowhere so at 18, he headed to the U.S. to study music for a year. The trip was funded in part by money saved from a job delivering linens to resorts around his hometown.
Life in Hollywood wasn’t a good fit, however, and it wasn’t long before Lightfoot returned to Canada. He pledged to move to Toronto to pursue his musical ambitions, taking any job available, including a position at a bank before landing a gig as a square dancer on CBC’s “Country Hoedown.”
His first gig was at Fran’s Restaurant, a downtown family-owned diner that warmed to his folk sensibilities. It was there he met fellow musician Ronnie Hawkins.
The singer was living with a few friends in a condemned building in Yorkville, then a bohemian area where future stars including Neil Young and Joni Mitchell would learn their trade at smoke-filled clubs.
Lightfoot made his popular radio debut with the single ”(Remember Me) I’m the One” in 1962, which led to a number of hit songs and partnerships with other local musicians. When he started playing the Mariposa Folk Festival in his hometown of Orillia, Ontario that same year, Lightfoot forged a relationship that made him the festival’s most loyal returning performer.
By 1964, he was garnering positive word-of-mouth around town and audiences were starting to gather in growing numbers. By the next year, Lightfoot’s song “I’m Not Sayin’” was a hit in Canada, which helped spread his name in the United States.
A couple of covers by other artists didn’t hurt either. Marty Robbins’ 1965 recording of “Ribbon of Darkness” reached No. 1 on U.S. country charts, while Peter, Paul and Mary took Lightfoot’s composition, “For Lovin’ Me,” into the U.S. Top 30. The song, which Dylan once said he wished he’d recorded, has since been covered by hundreds of other musicians.
That summer, Lightfoot performed at the Newport Folk Festival, the same year Dylan rattled audiences when he shed his folkie persona by playing an electric guitar.
As the folk music boom came to an end in the late 1960s, Lightfoot was already making his transition to pop music with ease.
In 1971, he made his first appearance on the Billboard chart with “If You Could Read My Mind.” It reached No. 5 and has since spawned scores of covers.
Lightfoot’s popularity peaked in the mid-1970s when both his single and album, “Sundown,” topped the Billboard charts, his first and only time doing so.
During his career, Lightfoot collected 12 Juno Awards, including one in 1970 when it was called the Gold Leaf.
In 1986, he was inducted into the Canadian Recording Industry Hall of Fame, now the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. He received the Governor General’s award in 1997 and was ushered into the Canadian Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2001. | 2023-05-02T03:29:15+00:00 | kdvr.com | https://kdvr.com/news/entertainment/ap-entertainment/canadian-folk-singer-gordon-lightfoot-dies-at-84/ |
Since 2020, much of the world has been focused on the COVID-19 pandemic and how to slow the spread of that virus. Now, a health concern from a bygone era has made a quiet comeback that has experts concerned.
In July, health officials in New York confirmed a case of polio in Rockland County, a mostly affluent region on the southern edge of the state. The announcement marked the first confirmed case of polio in the U.S. since 2013. According to a report from county officials, the infected person was unvaccinated and experienced leg paralysis. CBS News later reported state officials believed the patient had a vaccine-derived strain of the virus, meaning that it probably came from someone who had received a live vaccine.
Live polio vaccines haven’t been available in the U.S. since 2010, but they are overseas, and from the weakened live vaccine, it is possible for it to spread it to a close contact who isn’t vaccinated.
About a month after the confirmed case in Rockland County, health officials released a report stating poliovirus was detected in New York City wastewater. On Aug. 12, New York State’s health commissioner addressed concerns about possible spread.
“The detection of poliovirus in wastewater samples in New York City is alarming, but not surprising,” Dr. Mary T. Bassett said in a press release. “Already, the State Health Department — working with local and federal partners — is responding urgently, continuing case investigation and aggressively assessing spread.”
She said that hundreds of cases of polio may go undetected for every one that is detected and that getting children vaccinated against the virus is still the best way to shield them from its most severe effects.
What is Polio?
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, polio (poliomyelitis) “is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus.” The virus is highly contagious and spreads through person-to-person contact. Poliovirus can infect food and water in unsanitary conditions, and it lives in an infected person’s throat and intestines.
In its latest polio report, dated Aug. 11, 2022, the CDC said the majority of people infected with poliovirus will not have visible symptoms. About 25% of people infected with the virus might experience flu-like symptoms that may include fever, headache, nausea, sore throat, stomach pain and fatigue. These symptoms can last between two and five days before disappearing.
However, polio can have more significant effects on a person’s health. The virus can attack the brain and spinal cord. A person with polio could develop meningitis, a severe infection in the brain or spinal cord covering. In the most severe cases, a polio patient might also experience paralysis in their legs and arms. Of the people who become paralyzed, between 2-10% of them will die because the paralysis affects the muscles used for breathing.
How Does Polio Spread?
Polio usually enters the body through the mouth. The most common ways this happens are through contact with solid waste (feces) of an infected person and, less often, through contact with sneeze or cough droplets from an infected person. The CDC warns that most people contract polio from picking up even minute pieces of infected feces on their hands and then touching their mouths. It can also come from contaminated objects, such as toys, that have come into contact with fecal matter.
Among the biggest concerns for health officials about polio is how the virus can live in an infected person’s body for weeks. This means they can pass the virus to other people before they even know they are infected. But why is polio making news now when it hasn’t been considered an urgent issue in America for so long? Health experts speculate it’s due to shifts in vaccination rates.
How Effective Has the Polio Vaccine Been?
Polio is hardly a new virus in the U.S., but it’s been a long time since it’s been seen as a major public health concern.
In the early 1900s, the polio epidemic gripped the world. In June 1916, New York officially declared a public polio epidemic in Brooklyn. More than 27,000 patients died that year across the world, with more than 6,000 of them in the U.S. Nearly a third of those deaths were in New York City alone.
According to England’s The Science Museum, widespread quarantines were issued and people were publicly outed for having the virus. People would have to post signs on their doors warning others to stay away or risk polio infection.
Despite these strict rules, polio cases would spike every year during the summer months. By 1952, the U.S. had 57,628 cases the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported, with nearly 3,200 deaths and more than 20,000 people left with some form of paralysis.
In the early 1950s, Dr. Jonas Salk, an expert in epidemiology (the study of causes of health comes and diseases) believed using a dead variant of the polio virus could be used in a vaccine to help eliminate the viral spread. He gave the vaccine to himself and other volunteers who had never had polio. The results showed promise in building antibodies to the virus. After a follow-up study in 1954 with 1 million children that lasted for a year, the polio vaccine was declared safe and became a milestone in public health.
Use of the vaccine increased in the following years and showed significant results. The polio vaccine — and its widespread adoption across America — are credited with dropping the number of cases from 45,000 in the two years before it was available to less than 1,000 in 1962.
By the end of the 20th century, many areas of the world were even declared “polio-free” by the World Health Organization. This declaration doesn’t mean the disease has been totally wiped out but signifies that no cases have been reported in a single year.
Yet, recent news indicates the presence of polio is on the rise. Scientists and doctors believe pockets of the population who haven’t received a polio vaccine could be a factor.
Why Is Polio Spreading Again?
When New York State health officials looked at the recent rates of polio vaccination, they noticed certain segments of the population were under-vaccinated. For example, in Rockland County, the location where the most recent polio case was confirmed, only 60.3% of people reported receiving the polio vaccination. This is almost 20% lower than the state average of nearly 79% of the population.
In addition, further study of vaccine rates showed that only 86.2% of children in New York City between the ages of 6 months and 5 years old received the full multi-dose polio vaccine.
“With polio circulating in our communities there is simply nothing more essential than vaccinating our children to protect them from this virus, and if you’re an unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated adult, please choose now to get the vaccine,” said New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan in the August press statement. “Polio is entirely preventable and its reappearance should be a call to action for all of us.”
To help combat low immunization rates around the state, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency over polio. CNBC reported the goal of the order is to boost immunization rates to 90% statewide.
“On polio, we simply cannot roll the dice,” State Health Commissioner Bassett said in a press statement shared by CNBC. “I urge New Yorkers to not accept any risk at all. Polio immunization is safe and effective — protecting nearly all people against disease who receive the recommended doses.”
How To Know if You and Your Family Are Properly Protected Against Polio
The CDC has specific guidelines for children who receive the polio vaccine. It is a multi-dose vaccination that typically happens during the following doctor appointments:
- 2 months
- 4 months
- 6 to 18 months
- 4 through 6 years
Some doctors may be able to combine injections to lessen the total number of vaccines, but the CDC recommends parents consult their child’s pediatrician about vaccine options.
Most adults today likely received the polio vaccination series in their childhood. If you’re not sure of your own or your child’s polio vaccination status, you have a few options, according to the CDC.
- For children: Doctors and schools typically keep an updated record of children’s vaccine status. You can request a comprehensive list from your child’s pediatrician or the school health office.
- For adults: Many states have an Immunization Information System that might have detailed health records. Most of the time, you will need to fill out a request form to get the information.
For more information about adult polio vaccine procedures, visit the official CDC information page, What Adults in the U.S. Should Know About Polio.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for additional stories. | 2022-09-16T15:00:29+00:00 | kjrh.com | https://www.kjrh.com/polio-vaccine-heres-what-you-need-to-know |
ORANGEBURG -- It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Mr. John "Mickey" Harper, 84, of Orangeburg.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time.
The Greater Orangeburg Funeral Home has been entrusted with the services.
ORANGEBURG -- It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Mr. John "Mickey" Harper, 84, of Orangeburg.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time.
The Greater Orangeburg Funeral Home has been entrusted with the services.
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. | 2023-01-11T07:47:42+00:00 | thetandd.com | https://thetandd.com/news/local/obituaries/john-mickey-harper----orangeburg/article_e0a3d8a5-3b66-52a5-879e-45450f637524.html |
PARIS, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Viva Technology, Europe's largest startup and tech event, is back for its 7th edition, which will take place from June 14th to 17th in Paris at Porte de Versailles.
COVERING MAJOR CHALLENGES FACING PEOPLE AND THE PLANET
According to a recent study conducted by VivaTech with Harris Interactive Toluna in April 2023:
- 68% of Europeans consider start-ups to be trustworthy in addressing major environmental challenges.
- 70% of Europeans believe that FemTech will contribute to more equality between men and women by developing technology to help fill the gap.society.
- 66% of Europeans believe that AI will not have a negative impact on society, underlining the opportunities that major technology innovations present, rather than acting as athreat.
THEMES TO ADDRESS SOCIETAL CHALLENGES
VivaTech champions initiatives that strive to have a positive impact on society, playing a unique role in the European and global technology ecosystems. Once again, VivaTech is bringing together the brightest minds in technology to share their vision for the future on the leading topics and trends of our time.
TECH TO WATCH - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)
TECH FOR GOOD (ENERGY / CLIMATE TECH)
INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY (including FEMTECH)
FUTURE OF SPORT
GATHERING THE BRIGHTS TECH ECOSYSTEM
Over 4 days, the biggest thought leaders, tech visionaries, heads of state and industry icons share their insights and discuss the major business and societal challenges. VivaTech sources breakout technologies and the most promising startups, acting as an accelerator for business and innovation.
MEET THE BRIGHTEST MINDS IN TECH
Bob Metcalfe (Turing Award 2022, inventor of the ethernet)
Yann Lecun (Chief Scientist AI Meta)
Hans Vestberg (CEO Verizon)
Jonas Prising (President & CEO ManPowerGroup)
Ana Paula de Jesus Assis (General Manager EMEA IBM)
Alexandre Bompard (CEO Carrefour)
Dava Newman (Director MIT Media Lab)
Cyril Chiche (Co-founder & CEO of LYDIA)
Thomas Dohmke (CEO Github)
Aude Guo (Innovafeed)
MAJOR INSTITUTIONAL GUESTS
Lee Young (Minister of SMBs and startups of South Korea)
Tony Elumelu (Chairman of Heirs Holdings, TransCorp PLC, Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation)
Larry Summers (Former Treasury Secretary under President Bill Clinton)
SPORT INDUSTRY PIONEERS
Blaise Matuidi (International footballer and Founder of Origins)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Tennis player, former world number 5)
Nicolas Maurer (CEO Team Vitality)
To get accredited, click here
*Source Harris interactive Toluna : Study carried out online between 19 – 24 April 2023. Sample of 3 129 Europeans comprising 3 representative samples of the national population aged 18 or over in each of the following countries : France (1 029 people), Germany (1 035 people) and United Kingdom (1 065 people). Representativeness is ensured by the quota method and an adjustment applied to the following variables: gender, age, employment and region of residence of respondents in each country.
Contact :
Email : lroos@vivatechnology.com
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View original content:
SOURCE VIVA TECHNOLOGY | 2023-05-23T13:05:06+00:00 | kwch.com | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/05/23/vivatech-2023-program-answer-europeans-concerns-towards-new-technologies/ |
Which ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ toy is best?
If your kid loves the “Jurassic World” movies or dinosaurs in general, they might be interested in the latest toys released alongside “Jurassic World: Dominion.” This is the third installment in the reboot franchise, and with it come new characters and scenes to explore. Check out the “Jurassic World: Dominion” Thrash ‘N Devour Tyrannosaurus Rex Figure for an engaging toy with digital features.
What to know before you buy a ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ toy
Ways to play
There are a wide range of “Jurassic World: Dominion” toys, from costume masks to cards games:
- Action figure: This is a single figure or set of small plastic dinosaur figurines for play. Some feature fun dinosaur sounds, but most are not electronic and require no batteries.
- Car: Remote control or otherwise, these little toy jeeps with the “Jurassic World” logo are a great way for your kids to drive their toys around in pursuit of dinosaurs.
- Playset: Though playsets can get expensive, they come with multiple figurines and accessories so your child has everything needed to act out scenes from the movie or create their own adventures.
- Plush: If your child wants a snuggly toy, a plush dinosaur is the way to go. These toys are soft and usually stand under 14 inches tall. They are great for playtime and bedtime.
- Wearable: Dinosaur masks and claws let your child dress up like their favorite dinosaur from the movie, complete with sound effects.
- Game: Card and board games are fun for the whole family and feature dinosaurs and characters from the film as part of the game narrative.
Age range
The standard age range is for “Jurassic World: Dominion” toys is 4-8 years old, but there are exceptions. Some plush toys are suitable for younger children, while playsets and games can be enjoyed by children ages 8-12 .
Batteries
Most plush toys, board games, costumes and playsets either don’t require batteries or come with built-in batteries. Action figures sometimes use batteries but those batteries don’t always come included. Most remote-control cars require batteries to be purchased separately.
What to look for in a quality ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ toy
Popular characters
If your kid loves the film, they’re going to be looking for their favorite characters among the toys. There is franchise fan favorite Blue, the velociraptor recognizable by the blue streak head to tail. There is also Blue’s baby, a little raptor called Beta. Other “Dominion” creatures include the giganotosaurus, therizinosaurus, stygimoloch, mosasaurus, atrociraptor and pyroraptor.
Owen, Claire and Maisie are the main human action figures available with “Dominion” toys, but the new film also pays tribute to the original “Jurassic Park” with Dr. Alan Grant, Dr. Ellie Sattler and Dr. Ian Malcolm figurines. “Dominion” also brings back a few original “Jurassic Park” dinosaurs such as the tyrannosaurus rex, triceratops and the dilophosaurus.
Digital play
With some “Jurassic World” toys you can now download fact apps or scan the toy’s DNA code with a smart device for augmented reality play options. These extras promote visual learning and are designed for children 4 years old and up.
Realistic designs
The best “Dominion” toys resemble the creatures featured in the film, with attention given to eyes and color tones. The only thing more disappointing than not getting the right toy is getting one that doesn’t look anything like what’s seen in the film.
This is especially important with characters such as Blue, a dinosaur audiences have known by name for three films. Everything from the eyes to the flare of the nostrils and the blue streak down the back should immediately remind your kid of the character.
How much you can expect to spend on a ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ toy
Depending on the size and features, these toys cost $10-$50, but some playsets cost up to $120.
‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ toy FAQ
Are these dinosaurs scientifically accurate?
A. Some creatures in “Jurassic World: Dominion” are hybrid dinosaurs created by the filmmakers and therefore are not featured in children’s science books. If your child is frustrated because they cannot find more information about their favorite creature, that’s why.
How do you clean these toys?
A. Some plush toys can go in the washing machine but most “Dominion” toys should be spot cleaned with a damp paper towel only.
What’s the best ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ toy to buy?
Top ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ toy
“Jurassic World: Dominion” Thrash ‘N Devour Tyrannosaurus Rex Figure
What you need to know: This yellow-eyed plastic T-rex figurine is 8.4 inches tall and 21 inches long.
What you’ll love: The physical details look great. It bends, moves and roars. Batteries are included. It can be scanned for further digital play apps and games. It’s designed to pick up smaller dinosaur toys with its mouth.
What you should consider: Smaller dinosaur toys are sold separately.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Kohl’s
Top ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ toy for the money
Lego “Jurassic World: Dominion” Blue & Beta Velociraptor Capture Set
What you need to know: This Lego set comes with 181 pieces for building and creative play involving Blue and baby raptor Beta.
What you’ll love: It’s well-made and comes with Blue, Beta and human character figures Maisie and Rainn. There’s a buildable truck, bicycle, dinosaur cage and other fun accessories.
What you should consider: It’s a little easy for kids used to more advanced Lego toys.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
“Jurassic World: Dominion” Sound Slashin’ Therizinosaurus Figure
What you need to know: This blue therizinsaurus is 9.51 inches tall and 13.55 inches wide with long claws and a red stripe down the back.
What you’ll love: The body is well detailed with vivid colors and expressive eyes. It moves and slashes side to side. It comes with batteries. The figurine can be scanned for digital play.
What you should consider: It’s a little expensive for what you get.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2022-12-12T22:54:25+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/reviews/br/toys-games-br/action-figures-playsets-br/best-jurassic-world-dominion-toy/ |
MADERA COUNTY, Calif. -- Governor Gavin Newsom announced a state of emergency Wednesday to help California counties impacted by the recent severe winter storms.
The proclamation will help with disaster response and relief for these counties:
- Amador
- Kern
- Los Angeles
- Madera
- Mariposa
- Mono
- Nevada
- San Bernardino
- San Luis Obispo
- Santa Barbara
- Sierra
- Sonoma
- Tulare
EDITOR'S NOTE: The video in the player above is not related to the current story. The ABC7 Bay Area 24/7 streaming channel allows you to see news throughout the day.
According to a press release, the governor has also activated the State Operations Center to help with county-led emergency response efforts, especially in San Bernardino County.
Residents are dealing with as much as 7 feet (2 meters) of snow, and sheriffs' authorities have conducted 17 rescue operations to help off-roaders and skiers. Emergency crews are trying to reach residents who need assistance.
In Crestline, the entire roof of Goodwin and Sons Market collapsed Wednesday as safety inspectors were onsite checking up on reported damage. Officials raced to salvage food that residents sorely need from its shelves.
Rowe said no one was injured.
MORE: Palisades Tahoe reaches 500 inches of snow this season as resorts close for blizzard conditions
"We know that roofs are starting to collapse," she said. "There are other businesses that will likely be affected by the weight of the snow."
The county has set up a hotline for residents dealing with issues like frozen pipes, roof problems and food shortages. The San Bernardino Mountains are a major tourism and recreation destination but also home to a large year-round population in small cities and communities around lakes and scattered along winding roads. About 80,000 people live either part- or full-time in the communities affected, said David Wert, a county spokesman.
Reprieve was on the way as the mountain community continued to dig out, with much of California expecting drier weather on Thursday. A key mountain section of Interstate 5, a major north-south highway, reopened Wednesday afternoon following closures due to snowy conditions, while blizzard warnings expired in the Sierra Nevada further north.
Anthony Cimino, a 51-year-old retiree, said he's been snowed in for about a week in the mountain community of Running Springs. He finally managed to clear his decks, but not for long.
MORE: Here's a look at what the Sierra faced as snow buried homes, cars
"I woke up this morning and there was another two-and-a-half feet on them," he said. "It was kind of like Groundhog Day."
Residents of these towns are grappling with so much snow they're running out of space to put it; clearing one area adds heaps to another. Grocery shelves had run bare of some items, like bread, and were running low on eggs and milk Tuesday. Cars remained buried under snow and roads closed.
The Associated Press contributed to this article. | 2023-03-02T06:28:03+00:00 | abc30.com | https://abc30.com/california-winter-storm-state-of-emergency-san-bernardino-county-ca-snow/12901789/ |
WFO AMARILLO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, August 28, 2022
_____
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
Western Collingsworth County in the Panhandle of Texas...
Donley County in the Panhandle of Texas...
* Until 630 PM CDT.
* At 506 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 4 miles northwest
of Brice, or 12 miles south of Clarendon, moving northeast at 10
mph.
HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Minor damage to roofs, siding, and trees is possible.
Hail damage to vehicles is expected.
* Locations impacted include...
Clarendon, Howardwick, Hedley, Lelia Lake and Greenbelt Lake.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.
Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to
flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | 2022-08-28T22:45:22+00:00 | sfgate.com | https://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/TX-WFO-AMARILLO-Warnings-Watches-and-Advisories-17403795.php |
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Jim McKee is standing at the end of a line that snakes through five aisles of fiction inside the Books-A-Million store in Florida’s capital city.
He is smiling because in a matter of minutes, the book he’s holding will be signed by its author, Ron DeSantis, the Republican governor who McKee believes should be the nation’s next president. But as a former Donald Trump loyalist, the 44-year-old Tallahassee attorney almost whispers when he first says it out loud.
“Personally, I’d rather see DeSantis win the Republican primary than Trump,” McKee says softly, having to repeat himself to be heard. His voice soon grows louder.
“Trump has upset so many people,” McKee says. “DeSantis is more palatable. He has a good story to tell.”
Indeed, conversations throughout Tallahassee’s book stores, conference rooms, state house offices and sports bars reveal that DeSantis’ allies are gaining confidence as Trump’s legal woes mount. The former president faces a possible indictment in New York over his role in a hush money scheme during the 2016 campaign to prevent porn actor Stormy Daniels from going public about an extramarital sexual encounter, which he denies.
The optimism around DeSantis comes even as an unlikely collection of establishment-minded Republican officials and Make America Great Again influencers raise concerns about the Florida governor’s readiness for the national stage. DeSantis has stumbled at times under the weight of intensifying national scrutiny as he builds out his political organization and introduces himself to voters in key primary states.
DeSantis’ allies privately scoffed at recent reports of anonymous concerns over the direction of his campaign, noting there is no campaign. The 44-year-old governor isn’t expected to launch his White House bid for at least two more months. And the first presidential primary contest is roughly 10 months away.
For now, DeSantis’ team, headquartered here on the front edge of Florida’s Panhandle, believes he holds a position of strength among Republican voters. And as Trump fights to undermine DeSantis, his strongest Republican rival, the Florida governor’s growing coalition is eager to highlight the contrast between the two men.
On one side stands Trump, a twice-impeached former president carrying a new level of turmoil into the 2024 presidential contest. On the other is DeSantis, a big-state governor coming off a commanding reelection, who is a far more disciplined messenger and hyperfocused on enacting conservative policies.
“Of all the things that Donald Trump has done and accomplished in his life, it’s just constant chaos. And I think the American people are just tired of it,” said Florida state Rep. Spencer Roach, a former Trump supporter who thinks DeSantis would be “a very formidable presidential candidate.”
Most voters have only just begun to analyze the differences between the dueling Republican stars as the 2024 presidential election season opens under a cloud of unprecedented scandal.
A former president has never been arrested, but prosecutors in New York, Georgia and Washington are leading criminal probes of Trump’s behavior on multiple fronts that could potentially produce indictments in the coming days, weeks or months.
The politics are murky at best.
Should Trump be charged, DeSantis supporters concede that Trump would likely benefit politically — in the short term, at least — as the GOP base rushes to defend their former leader from what they see as a weaponized justice system. But in the long term, DeSantis’ team believes primary voters will view Trump’s legal challenges as an acute reminder of his extraordinary baggage that could lead to another Republican disappointment in 2024.
Meanwhile, Trump is using his mounting legal challenges as a cudgel to force Republican rivals to line up the GOP behind him. It’s the same playbook he employed successfully last summer after the FBI raided his Florida estate to seize classified documents and during special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
DeSantis condemned the New York prosecutor’s potential indictment over the last week under intense pressure from MAGA influencers and after other White House prospects had offered their own criticism.
“I hope it doesn’t come to where you end up seeing this going forward,” DeSantis said in an interview with Piers Morgan, without mentioning Trump by name. “People see that as weaponizing the justice system. So I think it’s fundamentally wrong to do that.”
And while DeSantis sprinkled a few jabs at Trump and his leadership style throughout the same interview, such remarks are mild in comparison to Trump’s scorched-earth broadsides against him.
Last week alone, the former president seized on DeSantis’ votes as a congressman to cut Social Security and Medicare and attacked his record as Florida governor on violent crime, public health and education. Trump also shared a photo suggesting impropriety when DeSantis was a teacher two decades ago, despite no evidence of that.
At a rally over the weekend in Waco, Texas, Trump said DeSantis was “dropping like a rock.”
In an effort to combat the perception that his numbers might be slipping, DeSantis’ allies quietly distributed polling conducted last week in Iowa and New Hampshire by the Republican firm Public Opinion Strategies that suggests vulnerability for Trump.
Meanwhile, DeSantis is only just beginning to navigate the intense national scrutiny that comes with being a top-tier presidential prospect.
DeSantis’ recent reference to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “a territorial dispute” — a statement he has since walked back — sowed doubt among some would-be supporters about whether he’s ready for prime time. There are also consistent concerns that he doesn’t have the charisma necessary to connect with voters on a personal level.
“I have heard that there is concern out there that he doesn’t have the ability to go the distance because of his interpersonal skills,” said New York-based Republican donor Eric Levine, a fierce Trump critic. “If it’s a race between him and Trump, I’m a Ron DeSantis guy. But I don’t know if I’m with either of them right now.”
At Thursday’s book signing in Tallahassee, the Florida governor made little effort to speak to people who had waited in the long line — aside from an obligatory “Hey, how are you?” — as he signed their books. Most of the one-on-one interactions were silent and spanned less than 10 seconds as he scribbled his name on the inside cover.
DeSantis’ staff wouldn’t allow pictures.
At the same event, DeSantis did not answer when asked by an Associated Press reporter whether Trump was being treated fairly by prosecutors.
His decision to ignore the mainstream press, just as he often ignores Trump’s attacks, is not new. In fact, his allies praise the approach as an example of the discipline that makes him a better presidential contender than Trump.
Yet it carries risks.
By not engaging more directly with the former president in particular, DeSantis is adopting a similar playbook as Trump’s 2016 Republican rivals — including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz — who ignored Trump for much of that campaign. Each ultimately went on the attack more directly, but by that time, Trump had built an insurmountable lead.
“DeSantis will not shrink from the fight. That’s not how he’s operated in Florida politics to this point,” said Matt Caldwell, a former state representative who shared the statewide ballot with DeSantis in 2018 as a candidate for state agriculture commissioner. “One could argue that he’s got the upper hand, so he’s only engaging when he has to.”
Instead of 2016, Caldwell likened Trump’s challenges in 2024 to the 1996 presidential election when President Bill Clinton faced serious allegations of sexual impropriety that nearly sank his reelection.
“At end of the day, this is just a hubbub about money and sex, which isn’t a whole lot different from 1996,” Caldwell said. “I don’t like this, and I didn’t like ’96. But Bill Clinton won reelection.”
___
Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in Waco, Texas, contributed to this report. | 2023-03-27T22:49:25+00:00 | fox59.com | https://fox59.com/news/politics/ap-politics/desantis-team-welcomes-contrast-with-trump-chaos-candidacy/ |
NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with filmmaker Jingyi Shao about Chang Can Dunk, a coming-of-age sports film about an Asian American teen's quest to reinvent himself — by learning to dunk.
Copyright 2023 NPR
NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with filmmaker Jingyi Shao about Chang Can Dunk, a coming-of-age sports film about an Asian American teen's quest to reinvent himself — by learning to dunk.
Copyright 2023 NPR | 2023-03-16T21:36:43+00:00 | wlrn.org | https://www.wlrn.org/npr-breaking-news/npr-breaking-news/2023-03-16/chang-can-dunk-is-the-coming-of-age-sports-film-jingyi-shao-wished-for-as-a-kid |
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — Johnson & Johnson is earmarking nearly $9 billion to cover allegations that its baby power containing talc caused cancer, more than quadrupling the amount that the company had previously set aside to pay for its potential liability.
Under a proposal announced Tuesday, a J&J subsidiary will re-file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and seek court approval for a plan that would result in one of the largest product-liability settlements in U.S. history.
The $8.9 billion that J&J would transfer to the subsidiary, LTL Management, would be payable over the next 25 years. The amount is up from the $2 billion that the New Brunswick, New Jersey, company set aside in October 2021.
The revised amount is being backed by more than 60,000 parties that have filed lawsuits alleging harm from J&J talcum powder, according to the company.
J&J isn’t admitting any wrongdoing as part of the proposed settlement, a point that company executive emphasized in a Tuesday statement that maintained the claims “are specious and lack scientific merit.”
But fighting the lawsuits in court would take decades and be expensive, said Erik Haas, J&J’s worldwide vice president of litigation.
The lawsuits filed against J&J had alleged its talcum powder caused users to develop ovarian cancer, through use for feminine hygiene, or mesothelioma, a cancer that strikes the lungs and other organs.
The claims contributed to drop in J&J’s sales of baby powder, prompting the company to stop selling its talc-based products in 2020. Last year, J&J announced plans to cease sales of the product worldwide.
J&J’s stock rose 3% in after-hours trading Tuesday after the company’s announcement. | 2023-04-05T14:17:38+00:00 | wboy.com | https://www.wboy.com/news/health/jj-proposes-paying-8-9b-to-settle-talcum-powder-lawsuits/ |
(NewsNation) — Actor Anne Heche “is not expected to survive” after a fiery car crash last week left her in a coma, a representative for the family said in a statement released Thursday.
Heche’s car crashed Aug. 5 into a home located on the west side of Los Angeles. The vehicle erupted into flames and firefighters pulled Heche, who was alone, from the car.
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, around 60 firefighters responded to the scene. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Following the accident, Heche was hospitalized for critical injuries and slipped into a coma. She suffered a “severe anoxic brain injury,” a spokesperson said. She required mechanical ventilation and had severe burns.
Heche, 53, is being kept on life support to determine if any of her organs can be donated, according to the spokesperson.
“Anne had a huge heart and touched everyone she met with her generous spirit. More than her extraordinary talent, she saw spreading kindness and joy as her life’s work — especially moving the needle for acceptance of who you love,” the statement read. “She will be remembered for her courageous honesty and dearly missed for her light.”
Images obtained by TMZ appear to show Heche’s car crashing into a garage and speeding down residential streets. Another image shows what appears to be a liquor bottle in the vehicle.
Minutes before the crash, salon owner Richard Glass told NewsNation that Heche bought a red wig from him. He described Heche as “coherent and polite” and said nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Heche was involved in the crash roughly 21 minutes later.
During her acting career, Heche appeared in movies with stars including Harrison Ford in “Six Days, Seven Nights” and Johnny Depp in “Donnie Brasco.”
The Ohio native first came on the Hollywood scene when she appeared in the NBC soap opera “Another World” from 1987 to 1991.
More recently, Heche acted on Broadway and in smaller films and TV shows, such as “Chicago P.D.” and “All Rise.” In 2020, she competed on “Dancing With the Stars.”
Heche was previously married to cameraman Coleman Laffoon from 2001 to 2009. They had a son together. She also has a son with actor James Tupper, her co-star in “Men In Trees.”
Heche openly spoke about experiencing an abusive childhood and struggling with her mental health.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | 2022-08-12T14:54:12+00:00 | wboy.com | https://www.wboy.com/news/national/anne-heche-not-expected-to-survive-after-car-crash-rep-says/ |
Museum Tours
Springfield’s Pennsylvania House Museum, 1311 W. Main St., will be open from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday for tours.
The 7,000-square-foot house was built in 1839, and it served as a popular inn along the National Road.
Blood Drives
The Community Blood Center will host three blood drives this weekend:
Mercy Health-Urbana Hospital drive will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at 904 Scioto St. in Urbana.
The Maiden Lane Church of God drive will be held from 12:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Monday at 1201 Maiden Lane in Springfield.
The Bethel Community Church drive will be held from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Monday at 4400 Osborn Road in Medway.
Make an appointment online at www.DonorTime.com, call (937) 461-3220, or use the new Donor Time app. Everyone who registers to donate will receive the “Blood Donor – Difference Maker” t-shirt, and those who register from March 31 through April 7 will be entered to win a 35-pound Esther Price chocolate bunny.
Blood donation requirements are to provide a photo ID that includes their full name, past CBC donors are also asked to bring their CBC donor ID card, be at least 17 years of age (16 years old with parental consent: form available at www.givingblood.org or at the Dayton CBC and mobile blood drive locations), weigh a minimum of 110 pounds (you may have to weigh more depending on your height), and be in good physical health.
Genealogical Society Meeting
The Clark County Genealogical Society will meet at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday at the Clark County Public Library’s Park Shopping Center Branch, 1119 Bechtle Ave.
The meeting will feature speaker Sue Mattinson, who will speak to the society about social situations of six South Charleston women. In each case, Mattinson will not only tell their stories, but also tell how she found the information about them, given that the genealogy of women can be terribly difficult to trace.
Guests are welcome.
Stained Glass Class
Nivrocs Country Store LLC, 15 Monument Square in Urbana, will host a stained glass class from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Attendees will learn the basic techniques of working with stained glass or build on skills they’ve already acquired, and create a glass sun-catcher.
The glass pieces are pre-cut. The cost is $75 and includes personal instruction and all supplies. All participants must be 18 years of age or older.
To sign up, visit the pinned post at the top of the Facebook page.
Bluegrass Show
An evening of All-Star Bluegrass will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Hemisphere Coffee Roasters, 275 E. Sandusky St. in Mechanicsburg.
Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. with Bill Purk opening. The show will feature Audie Blaylock, Marc Pruett, Reed Jones and Darren Nickolson.
Tickets are $25 and include redline roast cofee and free pour overs. All seats are general admission. For more information and tickets, visit hemispherecoffeeroasters.com.
About the Author | 2023-04-07T04:49:01+00:00 | springfieldnewssun.com | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/whats-happening-this-weekend-museum-tour-music-and-more/ZL5CZRAWEZAVDMEQQ6K3ZMCNT4/ |
(The Hill) – The White House is rushing ahead to roll out a new COVID-19 booster shot campaign in early September, but is facing an uphill battle to ensure it is successful.
The vaccines being used in the campaign are the first ones that have been manufactured to specifically target the subvariants of omicron that are currently causing the most infections, and administration officials have indicated they’re preparing to start offering the shots shortly after Labor Day.
Immunity from the initial round of vaccines is waning and health officials said they want to ensure the public is protected as much as possible against another wave of infections in the fall and winter. Right now, close to 450 Americans are dying every day from the virus, and there’s concern the numbers could rise as people move indoors.
Both Pfizer and Moderna have asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use authorization for booster shots that target the omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants. Pfizer’s vaccine will be for everyone aged 12 and older, while Moderna’s will be meant just for adults aged 18 and older.
Administration officials say these new vaccines will be key to controlling a potential fall surge, but they will need to convince an increasingly checked-out public to get the shots.
White House COVID-19 response coordinator Ashish Jha has been front and center trying to promote the reformulated boosters, saying recently that “all the data suggests [they] should be highly effective against the new variants.”
“The big picture bottom line is these are substantial upgrades in our vaccines in terms of their ability to prevent infection, to prevent transmission. Certainly to prevent serious illness. And so it’s going to be really important that people this fall and winter get the new shot.” Jha said during a U.S. Chamber of Commerce event on Aug. 16.
During an interview with the radio program “Conversations on Health Care,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky said the administration wants to provide people with the broadest possible protection.
“So the strategy now is to tailor vaccine for giving us the largest breadth of response, ideally one that would have less waning over time,” Walensky said. “I believe it is best to use a vaccine that is tailored for the variant that we have right now.”
But despite the administration’s optimism, the effort is likely to face major hurdles. Chief among them is a lack of interest from the public. Only about two-thirds of the U.S. population have been vaccinated with a primary COVID-19 vaccine series, while less than half of that group has received even a first booster.
The vaccination rate among children is even lower. According to the CDC, less than 4 percent of eligible kids under the age of 2 have received at least one dose, and only 6 percent of kids between the ages of 2 and 4 have received a single dose.
Rupali Limaye, a vaccine expert at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said she doesn’t expect the retooled boosters will do much to convince the under-vaccinated population to get another shot.
The same people who rushed to get the initial vaccine series and then the first round of boosters will be the ones to receive the omicron-specific shots, she said, and mixed messages from health officials are partly to blame.
The most recent update to the CDC’s guidance emphasized living with the virus, and downplayed many of its previously recommended mitigation strategies. That doesn’t necessarily mesh with the idea that the public urgently needs to get an updated vaccine.
“I think for the most part, the majority of the public has sort of moved on, if you will. And the messaging has been that this is going to now be with us,” Limaye said. “Why do I need a new vaccine related to a virus that essentially my government has told me is no longer an issue?”
Rather than a broad rollout of the updated vaccines for the general public, Limaye and other scientists have suggested a more targeted approach, tailoring vaccine recommendations to the elderly and immunocompromised.
John Moore, a virologist at Weill Cornell Medicine, said it’s not clear how much extra protection the new shots would provide against infection, but predicted they won’t be much better than the first round of boosters.
The protection is likely “somewhere between mediocre and reasonable. I mean, we just don’t know,” Moore said. “A booster will give some additional protection against infection for, you know, a few months before it wanes again.”
Moore said it’s important that health officials provide the public with realistic messaging, and don’t oversell the benefits of the shots.
“It’s not like they’re a magic bullet that gives you super strong protection,” Moore said. “If the public thinks they’re getting something that is really, really against infection, then they might change their behavior and increase the risk of exposure. That’s counterproductive.”
The other concern among some scientists is that the government is moving too quickly to authorize the vaccines. Neither Moderna nor Pfizer has clinical trial data for the vaccine. Instead, their requests are based on data from a booster targeting an earlier version of omicron, as well as preclinical data from mice.
But health officials maintain they don’t need additional data, because vaccine manufacturers are essentially making a minor update to the existing vaccine, which has an established track record of success.
“There’s always a question here of being too slow versus too fast, and I think one of the challenges is if we wait for those data to emerge in human data, not just mice data, in human data, we will be using what I would consider to be a potentially outdated vaccine,” Walensky said. “I believe it is best to use a vaccine that is tailored for the variant that we have right now.” | 2022-08-28T17:54:56+00:00 | wjhl.com | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/white-house-effort-to-stave-off-fall-covid-surge-with-new-boosters-faces-uphill-battle/ |
PARIS (AP) — A French citizen and another holding dual French-Irish nationality have been freed from an Iranian prison, French authorities said Friday, the culmination of a hard-fought effort to bring them home.
Benjamin Briere and Bernard Phelan, who both had been held in a prison in Mashhad, in northeast Iran, were heading to Paris, Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said.
“Free at last,” President Emmanuel Macron tweeted. “It’s a relief.”
Colonna spoke earlier Friday with Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian, a statement from her office said, without elaborating.
Iran’s state-run news agency, IRNA, said the French minister thanked Iran for releasing the two men and called the move an effective trust-building step.
Briere, 37, was arrested three years ago, in May 2020, while touring, for taking photographs with a drone in an area where cameras were forbidden and asking questions on social media about the headscarves women are required to wear in Iran.
He was convicted of spying and sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison, then reportedly acquitted this year.
Phelan, 64, who holds both French and Irish nationality, was arrested seven months ago while visiting Iran for consulting activities for a tour company, according to French daily newspaper Le Parisien.
He was detained during the anti-government protests that began sweeping the country after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was taken by the country’s morality police for wearing her hijab too loosely, died in custody, IRNA reported. Phelan was sentenced to spend more than six years in jail.
“We cannot tell you to what point we are relieved,” Phelan’s sister, Caroline, said in a statement, noting that her brother had been held for more than 200 days.
Colonna, addressing colleagues Friday at a European Union foreign ministers’ meeting in Stockholm, Sweden, rejoiced with her Irish counterpart, Michael Martin, over the prisoners regaining their freedom.
Martin said that freeing the two prisoners was a team effort carried out “in very challenging circumstances.”
“They shouldn’t have had to go through this ordeal,” he said.
Colonna said more diplomatic work with Tehran is needed “because there are, unfortunately, too many who are detained without reason in Iran.” Four French people and numerous other European citizens remain behind bars.
The French citizens include Cecile Kohler, 37, and Chuck Paris, 69, who were arrested on May 7, 2022, after meeting with protesting Iranian teachers and taking part in an anti-government rally. France identified the two as a teachers’ union official and her partner on vacation in Iran.
French-Iranian academic Fariba Adelkhah, who was arrested in 2019, was freed from prison in February. She was released before then to serve part of her five-year sentence under house arrest but was ordered re-imprisoned in January 2022.
She was accused of “propaganda against the Islamic Republic’s political system” and “collusion to undermine national security.”
Abdelkhah’s companion, academic Roland Marchal, was freed in 2020, a year after his arrest in an apparent prisoner swap. His release came hours after French authorities released Jalal Ruhollahnejad, Iranian state TV said at the time.
The Iranian TV report said French authorities planned to deliver Ruhollahnejad to the United States for his alleged role in violating U.S. sanctions on Iran. The broadcaster said he was in jail in France for more than a year.
Occasional releases of Europeans from Iranian prisons are widely viewed as part of a cynical and delicate bid for favors.
Tensions between Iran, France and other European nations have deteriorated over time as Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium grows, compounded by Tehran’s crackdown on anti-government and anti-hijab protesters.
The French foreign minister, addressing the release of Briere and Phelan, said that “you will understand that I cannot go into the details.”
___
Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Lorne Cooke in Brussels and Masha Macpherson and Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed. | 2023-05-13T03:59:33+00:00 | nwahomepage.com | https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/international/ap-international/france-says-2-citizens-held-in-iran-have-been-freed-from-prison-are-on-way-to-paris/ |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Police Department’s rank-and-file union is proposing that someone other than police respond to more than two dozen types of 911 calls in a bid to transfer officers’ workload to more serious crimes. The move is part of a national trend aimed at limiting situations where armed police officers are the first to respond.
The proposal announced Wednesday by the Los Angeles Police Protective League lists 28 kinds of 911 calls where other city agencies or nonprofit organizations would be sent first. The calls range from mental health situations, quality-of-life and homeless issues, problems at schools and welfare checks, to certain non-fatal traffic collisions, parking violations, trash dumping, loud parties, public intoxication and panhandling.
The league said officers would respond if the situation becomes violent or criminal in nature, but only after the initial call goes to another agency or an affiliated nonprofit.
“Police officers are not psychologists. We are not psychiatrists. We are not mental health experts. We are not social workers, doctors, nurses or waste management experts,” Debbie Thomas, one of the union’s directors, said Wednesday during a news conference. “I do believe that many people think we should be all those things but we are not. We should be focused on responding to emergencies, saving lives (and) property, and of course, engaging in community policing.”
Police Chief Michel Moore said he welcomed the union’s push for “an alternative non-law enforcement service response to non-emergency calls.”
Moore said the department has worked with elected officials to establish a support network of resources including mobile therapy vans and a mental health crisis phone line.
“These emerging alternatives have already diverted thousands of calls away from a police response, allowing officers to time to focus on our most essential activities,” Moore said in a statement.
Cities including San Francisco, San Diego and New York — as well as Los Angeles — have already implemented programs where clinicians are either paired with officers or work in civilian teams to respond to 911 calls involving someone who is having a mental health crisis.
The changes came amid a closer look at law enforcement in the U.S. in the wake of George Floyd’s killing by Minneapolis police in 2020. That included looking at how police handle mental health and other calls that don’t include violence or criminality.
The Los Angeles proposal comes during the union’s contract negotiations with the city and amid activists’ pleas for reducing or eliminating armed responses to certain situations. The City Council and the mayor’s office will be involved in the final decision, the union said.
Activists have long called for Los Angeles police to stop responding to certain mental health calls, minor traffic collisions and encounters in homeless encampments, pointing to times when officers have fatally shot people during the response.
Mayor Karen Bass’ office didn’t immediately comment Wednesday. Bass promised during her campaign to create a public safety office that did not include the LAPD.
Hugh Esten, a spokesperson for City Council President Paul Krekorian, said the union’s proposal will be given serious consideration as city officials work to “ensure that sworn personnel are deployed where they are truly needed and that unarmed responders address those situations where an armed response is unnecessary.”
With decreased staffing during the COVID-19 pandemic, the union said its proposal would free up officers to respond to more important calls — such as violent crime — and allow cops to engage in more community policing to build better relationships with the city’s residents.
Other cities have also experimented with similar models, such as Portland, Oregon, where unarmed “public support specialists” take reports on things like vehicle break-ins and bike thefts.
In 2021, the LAPD launched a pilot program to divert some mental health calls to service providers. The department also started dual-response teams that pair officers with clinicians in situations involving mental health crises and people experiencing homelessness, as well as domestic violence and abuse.
Also in 2021, the LAPD stopped responding to minor traffic crashes; a deputy chief at the time said the change would eliminate officers responding to roughly 40,000 calls a year. | 2023-03-02T21:06:01+00:00 | everythinglubbock.com | https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/national/ap-los-angeles-police-union-proposes-limits-to-911-responses/ |
Lifetime’s newest thriller “A Lifeguard’s Obsession” will premiere tonight, Friday, March 10 at 8 p.m. The gripping story follows a lifeguard who develops an obsession over a popular woman after saving her from drowning.
Starring Amanda Jones and Christian Howard, “A Lifeguard’s Obsession” premieres on Lifetime March 10 at 8 p.m., but those who have cut the traditional cable cord and are opting for streaming service can view the mystery live on Philo (free trial) or Sling TV.
Where to find Lifetime
You can find which channel Lifetime is on by using the channel finders here: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV and Dish.
For those without cable, watch with these streaming services
You can watch it on Philo, an entertainment streaming service that offers 60+ channels and a free trial. You can also stream it for free on SlingTV.
About the movie
According to Lifetime’s official synopsis, “When a lonely, awkward lifeguard saves a well-known woman from drowning, he believes he’s earned a place in her life and in her heart.”
More about Philo
Philo’s live TV subscription offers a free trial and costs $25 per month. It includes MTV and over 50 other classic TV, lifestyle and news channels. Subscribers can stream on up to three devices simultaneously, create up to 10 profiles and save unlimited live or future shows for up to one year.
More about SlingTV
SlingTV is the first app-based TV service letting you stream live television and on-demand content over the internet. Watch live shows wherever you are, at home or on the go. Subscribers will also get half off their first month. The 2 main plans — Sling Orange and Sling Blue — offer 30+ channels for $40 a month, or $55 combined. Sling’s two main offerings are Sling Orange and Sling Blue. Each plan is available to stream for $40 a month. You can also combine the two for $55 a month, giving you access to around 50 channels. Sling is currently offering the first month for only $20. | 2023-03-10T17:13:00+00:00 | pennlive.com | https://www.pennlive.com/life/2023/03/how-to-watch-lifetimes-a-lifeguards-obsession-time-channel-free-live-stream.html |
ROSELAND, N.J., Jan. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP, one of New Jersey's leading business law firms, is pleased to announce that partner Sean R. McGowan has been named Co-Chair of the firm's Real Estate Department effective January 1, 2023.
Mr. McGowan comments: "I am honored to be the new co-chair of Greenbaum's esteemed real estate practice and excited to stand alongside my partner Jack Fersko, who does a tremendous job in leading one of the firm's key departments. I look forward to learning from and working with Jack in my new role to ensure that our team continues to meet the needs of our clients and to further Greenbaum's outstanding legacy of leadership in the real estate sector."
Mr. Fersko adds: "Sean is a valued member of the firm's 'next generation' of very talented attorneys, and I'll be working closely with him to lead the department and serve our clients. He has a remarkable depth of experience in all facets of sophisticated transactional real estate, demonstrates great judgment, is an excellent mentor for younger associates of the firm, and is truly dedicated to Greenbaum's continued success and future growth."
Mr. McGowan's experience encompasses all aspects of development, redevelopment, land use and zoning, real property transactions, project financing, and the representation of clients in issues related to property management, landlord-tenant matters, and day-to-day business counseling. In addition to his experience as an attorney in private practice, he previously served as Vice-President of Development and Legal Affairs for a leading New Jersey based commercial developer, overseeing the development of numerous multi-family residential, retail and warehouse projects and assisting the company in navigating a broad range of legal and business challenges. Through this experience, he has acquired a unique perspective and deep understanding of the issues faced by commercial real estate developers and redevelopers, enabling him to take a business-oriented approach to his work on behalf of clients. Mr. McGowan is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association's Real Property Trust and Estate Law Section and serves on numerous local boards and commissions, as well as on the Advisory Board of Citizens Bank.
Visit us online to learn more about the firm's capabilities and our work on behalf of healthcare industry clients
Media Contacts:
Diana Parker | Director of Marketing | dparker@greenbaumlaw.com | 732.476.2464
Erin Faltin | Assistant Director of Marketing | efaltin@greenbaumlaw.com | 732.476.3278
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SOURCE Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP | 2023-01-09T17:33:04+00:00 | mysuncoast.com | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2023/01/09/greenbaum-rowe-smith-amp-davis-llp-names-sean-r-mcgowan-co-chair-real-estate-department/ |
LOS ANGELES, July 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Meta Hollywood, the largest virtual community for movie lovers, studios, and creators, which was launched by Animoca Brands in partnership with the Planet Hollywood Group ("Planet Hollywood"), announces a new partnership with The Sandbox, a leading decentralized gaming virtual world and a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, to develop a first-of its-kind virtual Hollywood-themed backlot movie studio in the metaverse.
As part of its continued expansion across the metaverse, Meta Hollywood secured a considerable plot of LAND in The Sandbox, where it will host Hollywood-themed events and experiences in a Hollywood backlot studio format. Meta Hollywood will invite guests in The Sandbox to embark on multiple unique adventures by touring several themed backlot experiences, including horror and action sets, holiday-themed environments, red carpet premiere events, and a memorabilia museum.
"I'm very excited about our partnership with The Sandbox, which allows us to provide our community members and users with an exclusive, first-of-its-kind Hollywood backlot experience where they can interact and own assets in a dynamic virtual environment made possible by Web3 technology," said Meta Hollywood co-founder Robert Earl.
"Meta Hollywood gives cult movie fans the possibility to virtually own a part of Hollywood history and creatively expand it through new stories and adventures in an open metaverse," said Sebastien Borget, COO and Co-Founder of The Sandbox. "It's a great way to revive these legendary movies that live in our imagination and collectively relive the experiences."
Guests will also have access to a marketplace of memorabilia and other Hollywood-themed voxelized assets based on Planet Hollywood's real life movie memorabilia collection, enjoying utility in the newly created LAND. Holding any of these assets will unlock exciting perks that will grow as the new LAND develops.
The Sandbox is an Ethereum-based decentralized NFT gaming metaverse that enables non-tech savvy users to create, sell, use, and monetize their own virtual experiences in the form of NFTs, including voxelized assets and LAND connected by a native marketplace and the SAND utility token.
ABOUT META HOLLYWOOD
Meta Hollywood is a community-first ecosystem for entertainment fans and creators, offering exclusive access and utility (URL and IRL), at the intersection of Hollywood and Web 3. With access to a vast collection of over 60,000 movie memorabilia items, as well as additional Hollywood IP and utility from Planet Hollywood and Animoca Brands' established partner network, users are in for a star-studded time! The community adds value to physical Hollywood events, pop culture, and memorabilia by providing Web3 enabled experiences and utility. By democratizing the entertainment universe, Meta Hollywood empowers movie lovers and the broader consumer market to interact directly with movie producers and other short-form content creators through a branded digital experience. Utilizing its native token HWOOD , Meta Hollywood intends to transform the iconic Hollywood experience into a next-generation hybrid Web3 ecosystem that benefits entertainment industry field supporters and creators both online and offline.
For more information, visit us at www.metahollywood.io and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Discord.
ABOUT THE SANDBOX
The Sandbox, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, is one of the decentralized virtual worlds that has been fueling the recent growth of virtual real estate demand, having partnered with major IPs and brands including Warner Music Group, Ubisoft, The Rabbids, Gucci Vault, The Walking Dead, Snoop Dogg, Adidas, Deadmau5, Steve Aoki, Richie Hawtin, The Smurfs, Care Bears, Atari, ZEPETO, CryptoKitties, and more. Building on existing The Sandbox IP that has more than 40 million global installs on mobile, The Sandbox metaverse offers players and creators a decentralized and intuitive platform to create immersive 3D worlds and game experiences and to safely store, trade, and monetize their creations. For more information, please visit www.sandbox.game and follow the regular updates on Twitter, Medium, and Discord.
ABOUT ANIMOCA BRANDS
Animoca Brands, a Deloitte Tech Fast winner and ranked in the Financial Times list of High Growth Companies Asia-Pacific 2021, is a leader in digital entertainment, blockchain, and gamification that is working to advance digital property rights and contribute to the establishment of the open metaverse. The company develops and publishes a broad portfolio of products including the REVV token and SAND token; original games including The Sandbox, Crazy Kings, and Crazy Defense Heroes; and products utilizing popular intellectual properties including Disney, WWE, Snoop Dogg, The Walking Dead, Power Rangers, MotoGP™, and Formula E. It has multiple subsidiaries, including The Sandbox, Blowfish Studios, Quidd, GAMEE, nWay, Pixowl, Forj, Lympo, Grease Monkey Games, Eden Games, Darewise Entertainment, Notre Game, and TinyTap. Animoca Brands has a growing portfolio of more than 340 investments, including Colossal, Axie Infinity, OpenSea, Dapper Labs (NBA Top Shot), Yield Guild Games, Harmony, Alien Worlds, Star Atlas, and others. For more information visit www.animocabrands.com or follow on Twitter or Facebook.
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SOURCE Meta Hollywood | 2022-07-06T13:41:52+00:00 | kcrg.com | https://www.kcrg.com/prnewswire/2022/07/06/meta-hollywood-enters-partnership-with-sandbox-develop-hollywood-themed-land-gamified-experiences/ |
GENEVA (AP) — Banking giant UBS is buying troubled rival Credit Suisse for almost $3.25 billion, in a deal orchestrated by regulators in an effort to avoid further market-shaking turmoil in the global banking system.
Swiss authorities pushed for UBS to take over its smaller rival after a plan for Credit Suisse to borrow up to 50 billion francs ($54 billion) failed to reassure investors and the bank’s customers. Shares of Credit Suisse and other banks plunged this week after the failure of two banks in the U.S. sparked concerns about other potentially shaky institutions in the global financial system.
Credit Suisse is among the 30 financial institutions known as globally systemically important banks, and authorities worried about the fallout if it were to fail.
The deal was “one of great breadth for the stability of international finance,” said Swiss President Alain Berset as he announced the deal Sunday night. “An uncontrolled collapse of Credit Suisse would lead to incalculable consequences for the country and the international financial system.”
Switzerland’s executive branch, a seven-member governing body that includes Berset, passed an emergency ordinance allowing the merger to go through without shareholder approval. Following news of the Swiss deal, the world’s central banks announced coordinated financial moves to stabilize banks in the coming week. This includes daily access to a lending facility to backstop banks looking to borrow U.S. dollars if they need them, a practice which was widely used during the 2008 financial crisis.
Credit Suisse Chairman Axel Lehmann called the deal “a clear turning point.”
“It is a historic, sad and very challenging day for Credit Suisse, for Switzerland and for the global financial markets,” Lehmann said, adding that the focus is now on the future and in particular on the 50,000 Credit Suisse employees, 17,000 of whom are in Switzerland.
Colm Kelleher, the UBS chairman, hailed the “enormous opportunities” that emerge from the takeover, and highlighted his bank’s “conservative risk culture” — a subtle swipe at Credit Suisse’s reputation for more swashbuckling, aggressive gambles in search of bigger returns. He said the combined group would create a wealth manager with over $5 trillion in total invested assets.
Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter said the council “regrets that the bank, which was once a model institution in Switzerland and part of our strong location, was able to get into this situation at all.”
The combination of the two biggest and best-known Swiss banks, each with storied histories dating to the mid-19th century, amounts to a thunderclap for Switzerland’s reputation as a global financial center — leaving it on the cusp of having a single national champion in banking.
The deal follows the collapse of two large U.S. banks last week that spurred a frantic, broad response from the U.S. government to prevent any further panic. Still, global financial markets have been on edge since Credit Suisse’s share price began plummeting this week.
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde lauded the “swift action” by Swiss officials, saying they were “instrumental for restoring orderly market conditions and ensuring financial stability.”
She said the banks “are in a completely different position from 2008” during the financial crisis, partly because of stricter government regulation.
UBS officials said they plan to sell off parts of Credit Suisse or reduce the bank’s size in the coming months and years.
The Swiss government is providing more than 100 billion francs in aid and financial backstops to make the deal go through.
A part of the deal, approximately 16 billion francs ($17.3 billion) in Credit Suisse bonds will be wiped out. European bank regulators use a special type of bond designed to provide a capital cushion to banks in times of distress. But these bonds are designed to be wiped out if a bank’s capital falls below a certain level, which was triggered as part of this government-brokered deal.
Berset said the Federal Council had already been discussing a long-troubled situation at Credit Suisse since the beginning of the year and held urgent meetings in the last four days amid spiraling concerns about its financial health that caused major swoons in its stock price and raised the specter of the 2007-08 financial crisis.
Investors and banking industry analysts we`re still digesting the deal, but one analyst was sour on the news due to the reputational damage the deal might have on Switzerland’s global banking image.
“A country-wide reputation with prudent financial management, sound regulatory oversight, and, frankly, for being somewhat dour and boring regarding investments, has been wiped away,” said Octavio Marenzi, CEO of consulting firm Opimas LLC, in an email.
Credit Suisse is designated by the Financial Stability Board, an international body that monitors the global financial system, as one of the world’s important banks. This means regulators believe its uncontrolled failure would lead to ripples throughout the financial system not unlike the collapse of Lehman Brothers 15 years ago.
The Credit Suisse parent bank is not part of European Union supervision, but it has entities in several European countries that are. Lagarde reiterated what she said last week after the central bank raised interest rates — that the European banking sector is resilient, with strong financial reserves and plenty of ready cash.
Many of Credit Suisse’s problems are unique and do not overlap with the weaknesses that brought down Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, whose failures led to a significant rescue effort by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Federal Reserve. As a result, their downfall does not necessarily signal the start of a financial crisis similar to what occurred in 2008.
The deal caps a highly volatile week for Credit Suisse, most notably on Wednesday when its shares plunged to a record low after its largest investor, the Saudi National Bank, said it wouldn’t invest any more money into the bank to avoid tripping regulations that would kick in if its stake rose about 10%.
On Friday, shares dropped 8% to close at 1.86 francs ($2) on the Swiss exchange. The stock has seen a long downward slide: It traded at more than 80 francs in 2007.
Its current troubles began after Credit Suisse reported on Tuesday that managers had identified “material weaknesses” in the bank’s internal controls on financial reporting as of the end of last year. That fanned fears that Credit Suisse would be the next domino to fall.
While smaller than its Swiss rival UBS, Credit Suisse still wields considerable influence, with $1.4 trillion assets under management. The firm has significant trading desks around the world, caters to the rich and wealthy through its wealth management business, and is a major advisor for global companies in mergers and acquisitions. Notably, Credit Suisse did not need government assistance in 2008 during the financial crisis, while UBS did.
The Swiss bank has been pushing to raise money from investors and roll out a new strategy to overcome an array of troubles, including bad bets on hedge funds, repeated shake-ups of its top management and a spying scandal involving UBS.
___
Associated Press Writers Frank Jordans and Emily Schultheis in Berlin, Barbara Ortutay in Oakland, Calif., Chris Rugaber in Washington and David Mchugh in Frankfurt, Germany contributed. | 2023-03-19T22:27:41+00:00 | kxnet.com | https://www.kxnet.com/news/business-beat/ap-business/swiss-to-hold-news-conference-amid-credit-suisse-troubles/ |
GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY
7 Monks Taproom, Burger Monday specials. All day happy hour Wednesdays. Order at 7monkstaproom.square.site. 231-421-8410
Amical, Daily takeout or dine in from 4-9 p.m. Prix fixe menu: $24 per person from 4-5 p.m. daily. Reservations through Resy. 231-941-8888; amical.com
Artisan Waterfront Restaurant and Tavern, Wine on the Waterfront: half off wine bottles Sunday to Tuesday nights until June. Social Hour drink specials from 4-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Live music from 6-9 p.m. Thursday to Sunday. Local’s Night from 4-8 p.m. Thursdays: two courses with wine for $30 until June; menu changes weekly. 231-421-2150; artisantc.com
Bayview Inn Bar & Grill, closed Sundays. Daily happy hour from 3:30-6:30 p.m. 231-938-1610; franksbayviewinn.com
Blue Tractor, Happy hour from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Endless smoked chicken wings or smoked ribs with fries on Wednesdays. Burger and beer for $12 on Sundays. DoorDash delivery and takeout continue. 231-922-9515; bluetractorcookshop.com
Brady’s Bar, drink specials from 4-7 p.m. daily. 231-946-8153; bradystc.com
Bubba’s, Half-off appetizers from 3-5:30 p.m. daily. Order takeout with the TC Food app. Free delivery (within 5 miles). 231-995-0570; tcbubbas.com
The Cooks’ House, dinner from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations accepted via exploretock.com. 231-946-8700; cookshousetc.com
Dillinger’s Pub/Bootleggers, Thursday Night Trivia starting at 7 p.m. 231-941-2276; dillingerspubtc.com
The Filling Station Microbrewery, closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Delivery and pickup available. 231-946-8168; thefillingstationmicrobrewery.com
Firefly, pickup, dining or DoorDash delivery (within city limits) till 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, till 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 231-932-1310; tcfirefly.com
The Flying Noodle, closed Sunday and Monday. Happy hour at the bar from 3-5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Order pasta boxes online. Limited reservations via Resy. 231-943-1178; flyingnoodletc.com
The Good Bowl, Takeout or dine in Wednesday-Sunday. Delivery via RingDinnerBell.com. 231-252-2662; goodbowleatery.com
Grand Traverse Resort & Spa, Aerie Restaurant and Lounge dinner from 5-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and 5-9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 231-534-6000; grandtraverseresort.com
The Hayloft Inn, dine in starting at 4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Tuesday wing specials. Live music Friday and Saturday nights. 231-941-0832; restaurantji.com/mi/traverse-city/hayloft-inn-/
Hofbrau, Dine in, takeout or delivery (within 5 miles) starting at 4 p.m. daily. Steak Night every Monday. 231-276-6979; hofbrausteakhouse.com
Jolly Pumpkin, Mondays: half-price appetizers. Tuesdays: burger and beer for $15. Wednesday: Pasta for two with wine or beer for $25. Thursdays: pizza and beer for $15. Sundays: Kids eat free with adult purchase. 231-223-4333; jollypumpkin.com/traversecity
The Kitchen, Pickup or free DoorDash delivery (within 3 miles). 231-947-8646; thekitchentc.com
Left Foot Charley, Mondays: $2 off wine and cider for service industry and front-line workers from 3-7 p.m. Mondays in the Barrel Room: 25 percent off wine, cider and appetizers from 4-9 p.m. and Barrels and Beats (open mic night) from 6-9 p.m. 231-995-0500; leftfootcharley.com
Lil Bo, open until 2 a.m. daily. Daily happy hour from 4-6 p.m. Late-night menu: nachos, hot dogs, wings and more. Weekly events: Tuesday Trivia Night from 8-10 p.m., Wednesday Service Industry Night and live music and Sunday karaoke from 8 p.m. to close. Saturday brunch and cartoons from 9 a.m. to noon. 231-421-3100; lilbotc.com
Mama Lu’s, Closed Sundays and Mondays. Two Dollar Tuesdays: $2 in house or takeout all day. Taco kits and margaritas to go. 231-943-2793; mamalustc.com
McGee’s No. 72, Happy Hour all day. Reservations recommended. 231-421-8800; mcgees72.com
North Peak Brewing Company, Happy hour from 3-6 p.m. daily: $1 off drinks, pizzas, appetizers. Kilkenny’s Irish Public House: Trivia from 7-9 p.m. Mondays, $3 well liquor drinks and draft beers Tuesday nights and Happy Hour from 4-6 p.m. Fridays. Live music Fridays and Saturdays starting at 9:30 p.m. 231-941-7325; pub.northpeak.net
The Parlor, Half off cocktails, beer and wine from 4-6 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays. Two for Tuesdays: two beers for the price of one. Wednesdays: half off wine bottles and glasses and Euchre Night starts at 7:30 p.m. Signature Sundays: 25 percent off signature cocktails and food. 231-753-3131; theparlortc.com
PepeNero, Reserve seats or carryout from 5-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 231-929-1960; pepenerotc.com
Rare Bird Brewpub, Happy Hour Small Plates for $5 every Monday and from 3-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. Tuesday Trivia at 7 p.m. Ramen Thursday weekly until May. 231-943-2053; rarebirdbrewpub.com
Red Ginger, dine in from 4:30-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 4-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 231-944-1733; eatatginger.com
Red Mesa Grill, Daily happy hour from 3-5 p.m. Tuesday: $3 house margaritas and draft beers. DoorDash delivery. Order through the Toast app. 231-938-2773; magnumhospitality.com/redmesa/traversecity
Right Brain Brewery, Happy Hour from 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday. Bingo Rhapsody from 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays. All-day happy hour Wednesdays and Sundays. Wednesday trivia from 7-9 p.m. 231-944-1239; rightbrainbrewery.com
Sleder’s Family Tavern, Friday: unlimited cod, smelt or perch with fries and coleslaw or cottage cheese. 231-947-9213; sleders.com
Slate, Tom Kaufmann plays piano Thursday from 5-8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 6-9 p.m. Dinner reservations accepted. 231-421-5912; slatetc.com
Smoke and Porter Public House, Happy Hour all day Thursdays. Delivery through RingDinnerBell.com. 231-642-5020; smokeandporter.com
Taproot Cider House, noon to 8 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Industry Night from 7-10 p.m. Thursdays: Specials for restaurant workers. Kids Open Mic at 3 p.m. Sundays. Catering available. 231-943-2500; taproottc.com
Thirsty Fish Sports Grille, closed Wednesdays. Tuesdays: Happy Hour from 3-6 p.m. and trivia from 7-9 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays: live music starting at 6:30 p.m. 231-252-4157; thirstyfishsportsgrille.com
Trattoria Stella, Eat in or carryout from 5-9 p.m. Wednesday through Monday. Pizza Friday: pickup from 4-8 p.m. Online ordering available. Reservations through Resy. 231-929-8989; stellatc.com
U & I Lounge, open until 2 a.m. daily. 231-946-8932; uandilounge.com
Union Street Station, open until 2 a.m. daily. Monday: $5 martinis, $5 domestic beer pitcher, $10 craft beer pitcher. Tuesday: $2 well drinks and shots and open mic comedy. Wednesday: $2 domestic and $3 craft drafts. Fridays and Saturdays: live music. Sunday: $1 off drinks for service industry workers and karaoke. 231-941-1931; unionstreetstationtc.net
ANTRIM COUNTY
Blue Pelican Inn and Restaurant, takeout or dine in starting at 5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday. The Side Door is open from 5-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Wednesday: Chinese menu. Friday: fish fry and karaoke. Saturday: prime rib dinner and trivia at 7:30 p.m. in The Side Door. Online ordering available. 231-544-2583; thebluepelican.com
Pearl’s New Orleans Kitchen, Happy hour from 3-5 p.m. daily. Wednesday: half-off po’boy sandwiches. Shrimp boil Fridays through Memorial Day. 231-264-0530; magnumhospitality.com/pearls
Short’s Brewing Company, Tuesdays: 25 percent off food and drinks consumed at the Bellaire pub and at the Elk Rapids pull barn for Antrim County residents. 231-498-2300; shortsbrewing.com.
Terrain Restaurant, Takeout or dine in from 5-8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Taste of Terrain: three courses for $30 Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Pasta Thursdays: a la carte menu. 231-350-7301; terrain-restaurant.com
BENZIE COUNTY
The Cabbage Shed, Open 4-9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 4-10 p.m. Thursdays and noon to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. 231-352-9843; cabbageshed.com
Dinghy’s Restaurant & Bar, Dine in or takeout from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 231-651-0257; dinghysrestaurant.com
Geno’s Sports Bar and Grill, noon to midnight Sunday to Thursday, noon to 2 a.m. Fridays and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturdays. 231-378-2554; genossportsbar.com
Jodi’s Tangled Antler, Open at 4 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, 2 p.m. Thursday and Friday and noon Saturdays. 231-325-2480; jodisantler.com
Lake Ann Brewing Company, open 2-10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and noon to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Thursday trivia from 7-9 p.m. 231-640-2327; lakeannbrewing.com
Lucky Dog Bar & Grille, dine in from noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Trivia Night at 7 p.m. Tuesdays. 231-383-4499; luckydogbarandgrille.com
Platte River Inn, Closed Mondays. Open until 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, until 11 p.m. Fridays and 9 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. 231-227-1200
The Roadhouse Mexican Bar & Grill, Open 4-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Happy hour from 4-6 p.m. Monday to Friday. 231-882-9631; roadhousesalsa.com
St. Ambrose Cellars, Kitchen closes an hour before the bar every day. Monday: burger and beer special and a movie starting at 6 p.m. Taco Tuesday. Wii Bowling League on Wednesdays. 231-383-4262; stambrose-mead-wine.com
LEELANAU COUNTY
Apache Trout Grill, no reservations. Carryout available; delivery via DoorDash. 231-947-7079; apachetroutgrill.com
Art’s Tavern, Tuesday: 5% of food sales go to Empire Area Food Pantry. Cash or check only. 231-334-3754; artsglenarbor.com
Bel Lago Winery, noon to 6 p.m. Monday-Thursday, Saturday and Sunday and noon to 7 p.m. Fridays. Fridays: 25% off bottle of wine with pizza purchase. 231-228-4800; bellago.com
The Burrow TC, Happy hour at the bar from 3-6 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. 231-943-1048; burrowtc.com
French Valley Vineyard, Open noon to 5 p.m. Sundays through Tuesdays and noon to 6 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. Tamales and live music Thursdays from 4-6:30 p.m. 231-228-2616; fvvineyard.com
Harrington’s By the Bay, Happy Hour all day. Reservations accepted. 231-421-9393; harringtonsbythebay.com
Hop Lot Brewing Co., Closed Wednesdays. Beer Garden or taproom seating. Happy hour from 3-5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Mug Club Day on Thursdays. Order takeout online. 231-866-4445; hoplotbrewing.com
VI Grill, Meatloaf Monday. Tuesday: 10% off burgers, barbecue ribs and fries for $15 and trivia from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday: fajitas and burritos for $15. Thursday: 10% off sandwiches and pasta dinner for $15. All-day Friday fish fry. Sunday: half-off kids’ items and Service Industry Appreciation Day. 231-271-3300; vigrill.com
West End Tavern, Happy hour from 3-5 p.m. and 8-9 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays. Pickup available. 231-943-2922; westendtaverntc.com | 2023-04-28T21:54:16+00:00 | record-eagle.com | https://www.record-eagle.com/news/arts_and_entertainment/night-life-calendar-04-28-2023/article_b6fe41a0-e435-11ed-9923-03e966967dbe.html |
Examining the health benefits of spirulina, green tea
December 1, 2022 - 10:09 am
Richard D. writes: “I’m age 82 and in good health compared to most men of my age that I know. Spirulina — I recently started adding a half teaspoon of it to my breakfast. What are your ideas about it? Green tea — I started drinking it because it is supposedly beneficial. How does an individual ever know whether it is helpful? Since I have osteopenia, my endocrinologist wants me to eat more protein and reduce the quantity of leafy green veggies.”
Sounds like you’re taking good care of yourself, Richard. Let’s tackle your questions. Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae — organisms that live in the water and produce energy from the sun. A recent review in the journal Molecules gives a nutritional thumbs-up to spirulina. It is high in protein and other essential nutrients, including vitamin B12, which is often lacking in plant-based diets.
Spirulina also contains a host of compounds that help the body fight inflammation and boost the immune system. Extracts of its blue-green pigments have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as natural color additives for a variety of foods and confections. And get this, NASA has used spirulina as a dietary supplement for astronauts.
Some cautions do remain, however. People with autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis or those on immune suppression drugs should avoid spirulina supplements because of its immune-stimulating effect. And because some unregulated products might contain unwanted contaminants, pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as young children should avoid it.
How does one know if green tea is beneficial? It’s kind of like how we know seat belts save lives. Studies have shown that green tea (and other types of tea from the Camellia sinensis plant) can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol and might even protect against cancer and other chronic diseases.
By the way, green, black and oolong teas are from the same plant; they are just processed differently.
Barbara Intermill is a registered dietitian nutritionist and a syndicated columnist. Email her at barbara@quinnessentialnutrition.com. | 2022-12-01T20:43:05+00:00 | reviewjournal.com | https://www.reviewjournal.com/livewell/examining-the-health-benefits-of-spirulina-green-tea-2685919/ |
NEW YORK, Dec. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against Torrid Holdings Inc. ("Torrid" or the "Company") (NYSE: CURV) and reminds investors of the January 16, 2023 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.
If you suffered losses exceeding $100,000 investing in Torrid common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement and prospectus (collectively, the "Registration Statement") issued in connection with the Company's July 2021 initial public offering (the "IPO") and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310). You may also click here for additional information: www.faruqilaw.com/CURV.
There is no cost or obligation to you.
Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading minority and Woman-owned national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia.
As detailed below, the lawsuit focuses on whether the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose that: (1) in the first half of 2021, Torrid had experienced a temporary surge in demand as a result of changed consumer behaviors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and government stimulus and that such ephemeral demand trends had dissipated and were not internally projected to continue following the IPO; (2) Torrid was suffering from severe supply chain disruptions caused by the emergence of the Delta variant of COVID-19, which had first emerged in May 2021; (3) Torrid was running materially below historical inventory levels as a result of supply chain disruptions; (4) as a result, Torrid did not have sufficient inventory to meet expected consumer demand for its fiscal third quarter of 2021; (5) as a result, late inventory arrival had materially impaired the Company from effectively matching consumer buying trends, creating an undisclosed risk of increased markdowns and promotional activities necessary to sell undesirable inventory; (6) Torrid's CFO planned to retire shortly after the IPO; and (7) as a result of the above, the Registration Statement's representations regarding Torrid's historical financial and operational metrics and purported market opportunities did not accurately reflect the actual business, operations, financial results, and trajectory of the Company at the time of the IPO, and were materially false and misleading and lacked a reasonable factual basis.
By the end of September 2022, the price of Torrid stock had fallen to a low of just $4.06 per share, over 80% below the IPO price.
The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Torrid's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.
Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.
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SOURCE Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP | 2022-12-31T00:24:09+00:00 | kxii.com | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/12/30/torrid-deadline-alert-securities-litigation-partner-james-josh-wilson-encourages-investors-who-suffered-losses-exceeding-100000-torrid-contact-him-directly-discuss-their-options/ |
In Prince George’s County, Md., heedless judges, sluggish bureaucrats and an unaccountable courthouse culture have apparently combined to keep hundreds of inmates behind bars even after they’ve been deemed eligible for release as they await trial. In that hermetic culture, the fact that inmates sit in cells for weeks and months after a judge has determined they can or even must be released has been routine for many years. In fact, it seems to be routinely unconstitutional.
A lawsuit on behalf of those detained inmates has now been filed in U.S. District Court in Maryland by the Civil Rights Corps, a nonprofit group; Georgetown Law Center’s Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection; and WilmerHale, a law firm. The suit describes a system in which low- and mid-level corrections officials exercise more power over whether defendants are incarcerated or set free than judges do. That is not how things are supposed to work.
Nor is that how things generally work at courthouses elsewhere, where judges make decisions, with input from corrections officials and others who recommend appropriate conditions for release — home detention or ankle bracelet monitoring, for example. In Prince George’s, the system seems to be flipped: In effect, officials in pretrial services make the calls on who can be released, with input from judges, who then turn a blind eye, unconscionably.
Shortly after the pandemic began, in May 2020, a review of the jail population determined that at least 121 of 503 inmates had been authorized by judges for pretrial release but remained incarcerated. Of that cohort, 48 had been waiting more than three months to be released.
Bear in mind that the inmates in question have been charged but not convicted, and therefore enjoy a presumption of innocence. Brought to court after their arrest, they are presented at bail hearings to Prince George’s district court judges who assess, in at least a fifth of the cases, that they are eligible for pretrial release, attorneys said. At that point, or very quickly thereafter, the jail doors should swing open. They often do not.
Instead, the fate of those inmates passes into the hands of the Population Management Division of the county’s Department of Corrections, colloquially known as “pretrial services,” which the lawsuit describes as “an inscrutable black box.” For weeks, and frequently months, the division’s officials “process” those inmates, who remain in jail. There is generally no notice, update or explanation to judges or defense lawyers.
Incredibly, that occurs not only for inmates who are authorized for release but even for those ordered released.
It may be the case that officials in the county’s pretrial services are overwhelmed and under-resourced. Staffing shortages and turnover problems were exacerbated by the pandemic, and a spike in some categories of crime has left the judicial system in Prince George’s reeling and, lawyers say, frequently chaotic.
Still, there is no excuse for judges who delegate their authority to bureaucrats and then have no routine, swift mechanism to determine that their orders have been followed — and, if not, why not. That may be a long-standing norm for judges in Prince George’s, but it is a Kafka-esque dereliction of duty. | 2022-07-24T11:23:48+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/07/24/prince-georges-county-maryland-inmates-lawsuit/ |
Hundreds of Indiana doctors are coming to the defense of Caitlin Bernard, the obstetrician/gynecologist who was recently punished by a state licensing board for talking publicly about providing an abortion for a 10-year-old rape victim.
In public statements, doctors across a range of specialties are speaking out against the board's decision, and warning that it could have dangerous implications for public health.
"I hate to say, I think this is completely political," says Ram Yeleti, a cardiologist in Indianapolis. "I think the medical board could have decided not to take this case."
In March 2020, as hospitals everywhere were starting to see extremely sick patients, Yeleti was leading a medical team that had cared for the first Indiana patient to die from COVID. At a press conference alongside Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, Yeleti tried to warn the public that the coronavirus was real and deadly.
"I want to explain how real this is," Yeleti said after he stepped up to the microphone to explain the news that day in 2020. "How real this is for all of us."
He and others provided a few basic details: The patient was over 60, had some other health issues, and had died from the virus earlier that day in Marion County, Ind.
"There was a sense of high sense of urgency to get the word out as immediately as possible," Yeleti says now, reflecting on that time. "I think we needed to make it real for people."
So he was alarmed when Indiana's Medical Licensing Board concluded last week that Bernard had violated patient privacy laws by speaking publicly about her unnamed patient.
Last summer, days after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Bernard told The Indianapolis Star she'd provided an abortion for a 10-year-old rape victim who'd had to cross state lines after Ohio banned abortion.
Indiana's Republican Attorney General, Todd Rokita, expressed anger at Bernard after she spoke out about the case.
Her employer, Indiana University Health, conducted its own review last year and found no privacy violations. But the licensing board took up the case after Rokita complained, and voted to reprimand Bernard and fine her $3000.
In an open letter signed by more than 500 Indiana doctors, Yeleti asks the board to reconsider its decision, saying it sets a "dangerous and chilling precedent." The letter is set to be published Sunday in The Indianapolis Star.
Indiana's Medical Licensing Board has not responded to requests for comment.
Another doctor who signed the letter, Anita Joshi, is a pediatrician in the small town of Crawfordsville, Ind. She says speaking in general terms about the kinds of cases she's seeing is often part of helping her patients understand potential health risks.
"I very often will say to a mom who is, for example, hesitant about giving their child a vaccine, 'Well, you know, we have had a 10-year-old who has had mumps in this practice,' " Joshi says.
But now she worries she could get into trouble for those kinds of conversations.
So does Bernard Richard, a family medicine doctor outside Indianapolis. He says it's part of his job to educate the public, just like Dr. Caitlin Bernard did.
"Due to this incident, I had patients who said to me, 'I had no idea that someone could even get pregnant at the age of 10,' " Richard says. "You can easily see how that might be important when someone is making decisions about controversial issues such as abortion. This information matters."
Dr. Tracey Wilkinson, who teaches pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine, shares that concern.
"These stories are devastating. They're heartbreaking. I wish that they never existed, but they do," Wilkinson says. "And I think part of the public's lack of belief that this could happen, or did happen, is because there's not enough people talking about it."
Wilkinson, who describes herself as a "dear friend" of Dr. Bernard, signed Yeleti's open letter. She also co-wrote an opinion piece published in Stat News by founding members of the Good Trouble Coalition, an advocacy group for healthcare providers.
The coalition issued its own statement supporting Bernard, and noting that the American Medical Association code of ethics says doctors should "seek change" when laws and policies are against their patients' best interests.
"As a physician in Indiana, everybody is scared. Everybody is upset," Wilkinson says. "Everybody is wondering if they could be next."
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-06-03T14:52:26+00:00 | klcc.org | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2023-06-03/doctors-rally-to-defend-abortion-provider-caitlin-bernard-after-she-was-censured |
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)Bradley Beal had 13 of his 35 points over the final 4 1/2 minutes to help the Washington Wizards polish off their rally from a 20-point first-quarter deficit to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-106 on Thursday night.
Kyle Kuzma – who had 16 points on just 6-for-21 shooting – swished a top-of-the-key fadeaway from deep for a 107-106 lead that was Washington’s first of the game with 1:14 to go.
Beal, who topped the 30-point mark for the third time in four games, followed with a 3-pointer with 37 seconds left – after a miss by Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards – to make it 110-106.
Edwards had 18 of his 34 points in the first quarter to help the Timberwolves surge to a 30-10 lead. They were still ahead 99-92 with 4:38 left after three free throws by Kyle Anderson, before Beal hit a wide-open 3-pointer to spark his late surge.
Corey Kispert scored 15 points off the bench to offset off nights by Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis and help the Wizards (28-30) build on their recent momentum entering the All-Star break. They have won 10 of their last 14.
Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 19 rebounds for the Timberwolves (31-30), who were derailed by their characteristic mid-game lulls and missed an opportunity to move a season-best three games above the .500 mark.
With the Wizards wearing their hot pink ”City Edition” uniforms in an ode to the city’s iconic cherry blossoms, the Wolves were the hotter team for most of the game while new point guard Mike Conley continued to help Gobert find his offensive groove with the pick-and-rolls and lob passes they perfected together in Utah.
But Edwards began to make some rash decisions after his strong start, and the Wolves were outrebounded and outhustled down the stretch.
The Wizards have won seven straight games against the Wolves, extending the longest streak in the series. Minnesota’s last win over Washington was on Nov. 2, 2019.
ANT GOES MARCHING
Edwards, who was added to the All-Star roster last week as an injury replacement, was headed to Utah for the annual in-season showcase this weekend while his teammates scattered on vacations.
”I think moments like that are perfectly suited for him,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. ”He enjoys that type of environment. It’ll be fun for him in and around all of those other players. He’ll get treated like the star that he is becoming.”
TIP-INS
Wizards: Beal, who became the second player in franchise history to hit the 15,000-point mark for his career in a loss on Monday at Golden State, went 14 for 28 from the floor. … Kispert went 4 for 6 from 3-point range. He was 5 for 22 over his last five games.
Timberwolves: Edwards had only one higher-scoring first quarter in his three-year career, with 19 points at Orlando on Nov. 16. … Towns missed his 40th straight game with the right calf strain he suffered when Minnesota played at Washington on Nov. 28. ”We’ll evaluate him coming out of the break,” Finch said, ”so it’s closer than he was yesterday.”
UP NEXT
Wizards: Host New York on Feb. 24.
Timberwolves: Host Charlotte on Feb. 24.
—
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports | 2023-02-17T20:40:58+00:00 | siouxlandproud.com | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/sports/nba/beal-wizards-overcome-20-point-deficit-to-rally-past-wolves/ |
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Lauder family pledges $200M to its Alzheimer’s research work
NEW YORK (AP) — The sons of cosmetics giant Estée Lauder, along with her four grandchildren, pledged $200 million Tuesday to the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, a nonprofit the family founded to support research into finding a cure for the disease.
Leonard and Ronald Lauder founded the organization in 1998 in honor of their mother, who had Alzheimer’s as did other members of her family, said Mark Roithmayr, the CEO of ADDF.
“They have collectively made this family gift to see through the work of the next 10 to 15 years to finish off what Estée started,” said Roithmayr.
Starting with a $100 million gift from their mother, the Lauder sons chose to invest in early research of potential treatments using what they called “venture philanthropy,” meaning any returns on their investments were put toward future research. The family also pledges to cover the organization’s expenses so all outside donations go entirely to funding research, Roithmayr said.
The ADDF will receive the pledged $200 million over the next ten years and is expected to distribute them in grants over the next 15 years. The commitment will also allow the Lauders to continue to cover ADDF’s expenses, Roithmayr said.
More than 50 million people worldwide have Alzheimer’s, which gradually attacks areas of the brain needed for memory, reasoning, communication and daily tasks. Scientists don’t yet know exactly how Alzheimer’s forms, but one theory is that the buildup of a protein called amyloid plays a key role.
The FDA has approved two drugs that target the buildup of amyloid, though the 2021 approval of Biogen’s Aduhelm garnered controversy after the agency overruled its own independent scientific advisers. Legembi, a second drug, approved in January, is the first that’s been convincingly shown to slow the decline in memory and thinking that defines Alzheimer’s by targeting the disease’s underlying biology.
“The need to invest in research is paramount,” said Heather Snyder, a vice president of the Alzheimer’s Association. “Investing in research is how we’re going to understand the underlying biology and translate that to treatment and interventions that will benefit all individuals.”
She said there is a sense of momentum in Alzheimer’s research, in part because of the approval of the new drugs — even though they are not currently covered by Medicaid and Medicare, meaning that many will not have access to them.
Her organization currently funds $320 million in research projects that span from studying the biology of aging to diagnostic tools, clinical trials and care for patients with dementia, as well as investing in advocacy around federal funding for Alzheimer’s research.
Roithmayr said the Lauder family wants to accelerate the timeline for when research will yield treatments by making investments where pharmaceutical companies and the federal government are not.
“Our idea is to take our funding, put it into these translational science, kind of in this valley of death where you’ve got good ideas, but they’re very risky,” he said.
___
Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | 2023-04-04T15:19:15+00:00 | kaaltv.com | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/business-news/lauder-family-pledges-200m-to-its-alzheimers-research-work/ |
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Carol Miller repeatedly passed on opportunities to engage with her main opponent to discuss issues with voters in her West Virginia district, instead taking a more direct route.
While Miller appeared at an event with Democrat Lacy Watson in Beckley in April during the primary election, Watson said Miller was a no-show at forums in several counties during the general election campaign.
“I am running to represent working families and individuals in the 1st District,” Watson said in a telephone interview. “I believe that my counterpart, Carol Miller, is not doing that.
“She just dodged me on every single event.”
Miller said she took her message straight to the people.
“My focus as an elected representative is to hear from my constituents, and to do so where they are,” she said. “I’m proud to have hosted or joined over 100 events in just the last 90 days, speaking to business owners, students, parents, seniors, and so many people across our district, state, and country.”
Miller is seeking her third term in the U.S. House next Tuesday. She easily won her two previous terms in a state that overwhelmingly supported former President Donald Trump. Miller received 66% of the vote in defeating three GOP challengers in the May 10 primary.
A Bluefield resident, Watson ran unopposed in the May primary. He narrowly lost the 2020 Democratic primary race in the former 3rd District to Hilary Turner, who in turn lost to Miller. Watson, 45, is seeking to become the first African American to serve in Congress from West Virginia. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in planning, governance and globalization at Virginia Tech.
Miller, who turns 72 on Friday, is a bison farmer and a small business owner. Her father is the late U.S. Rep. Samuel Devine of Ohio. She served six terms in the West Virginia House of Delegates. Since becoming the third woman from West Virginia elected to Congress in 2018, Miller has kept a lower profile compared to some of her more outspoken colleagues.
While Miller’s office social media accounts keep voters apprised with news releases and photos from official visits, her campaign Twitter page has been silent since the May 10 primary. Her campaign Facebook page publicized a Pumpkin Festival parade in Milton and an Independence Day parade in Ripley.
“She’s either saying, hey, West Virginia’s already written off as solidly red, therefore I don’t have to campaign at all because we’re just going to be a red state,” Watson said. “Or she says Lacy has no chance, he’s none of my competition like Hilary was two years ago, and I’m just going to do what I want to.”
Miller declined requests for a phone interview, responding only to questions in writing. Her campaign cited her busy office travel and her work leading the National Republican Congressional Committee’s recruitment efforts.
As a member of the Republican minority, Miller has spent much of her time playing defense during her time in Congress, consistently voting against initiatives pushed by Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her allies. Miller voted against Democrats’ flagship climate and health care bill in August, saying the so-called Inflation Reduction Act did nothing to lower inflation or provide financial relief for West Virginia families. But the measure signed by President Joe Biden also spares millions of U.S. residents who buy health care plans through federal and state marketplaces from higher costs next year.
Miller sided with her House GOP colleagues in voting against a $35 cap on insulin and against a proposal to crack down on alleged price gouging by oil companies and other energy producers amid prices at the pump.
She also voted against a bill to overhaul the rules for certifying the results of a presidential election in response to the Jan. 6 insurrection. Miller, a staunch Trump supporter, objected to certifying Biden’s wins over Trump in Arizona and Pennsylvania.
When asked whether she would support a federal abortion ban in light of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in June to remove women’s constitutional protections for abortion, Miller said that a bill recently signed by West Virginia’s governor banning abortion on all stages of pregnancy “is a model for every state and our nation. I would hope to see that policy adopted nationwide and would support legislative efforts to enact the West Virginia standard everywhere.”
In August, Miller retweeted Pennsylvania GOP Rep. Mike Kelly’s comments that were critical of Biden’s student loan debt forgiveness plan.
“Handing hardworking taxpayers the bill for college loans is unfair and bad policy,” Miller said. “Waste, abuse, bloat, and bad policies have caused the cost of education to skyrocket. We need to focus on lowering the cost of education, not sticking taxpayers with another bill.”
The White House responded to Kelly on Twitter by naming some GOP lawmakers who had their own Paycheck Protection Program loans forgiven during the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the Center for American Progress think tank, Miller and 12 other GOP members of Congress had their loans forgiven. Miller’s $3.1 million amount was the highest. At least five car dealerships owned by Miller’s husband received loans under the program created during the Trump administration, according to federal government data.
Miller and Watson also face opposition from independent candidate Belinda Fox-Spencer of Peterstown. She is a sonographer specializing in women’s health and calls herself a constitutional conservative. Fox-Spencer also lost in the 2020 general election in the former 3rd District.
Fox-Spencer said in an email that she doesn’t consider herself a politician, just someone who wants to help people without having a title or the spotlight — “kinda like a Marvel superhero.” She especially wants solutions for a younger generation that has “little to no hope.”
Miller’s campaign reported raising nearly $1.1 million, mostly from political action committees. Fox-Spencer reported no fundraising receipts. FEC records had no spending report listed for Watson.
___
Learn more about the issues and factors at play in the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/explaining-the-elections. And follow the AP’s election coverage of the 2022 elections at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections | 2022-11-04T16:06:31+00:00 | wdtn.com | https://www.wdtn.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-dem-rival-wva-gop-rep-millers-forum-absence-stands-out/ |
MIAMI, Fla. — With Hurricane Ian set to strike Tampa Bay sometime this week, the Buccaneers announced they are temporarily relocating to Miami.
On Monday, the team said on Twitter that they would be moving to Miami-Dade County Tuesday and then spend the week practicing at the Dolphins' facility.
"No changes have yet been made to Sunday's game schedule," the team added.
According to ESPN, the league is monitoring the situation, but for right now the Bucs are still planning to host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
If the game has to be postponed because of the storm, it's unlikely the game will be moved to Miami because the league doesn't want to take away state resources for a game that could be better utilized for recovery efforts, ESPN reported.
A hurricane warning was issued for the area Monday, with the National Hurricane Center projecting the hurricane to make landfall by Wednesday as a Category 4 storm, the Associated Press reported.
The last time a major storm hit the city was Oct. 25, 1921.
The team also announced Tuesday that they are rescheduling the induction of former head coach Bruce Arians into the Ring of Honor, which was supposed to happen on Sunday.
The team said that ceremony would be rescheduled for a later game. | 2022-09-27T21:49:34+00:00 | denver7.com | https://www.denver7.com/news/national/buccaneers-relocate-to-miami-ahead-of-hurricane-ian |
Dr. Josie Tenore and Paul Hinds were introduced by a mutual friend in 2017 and hadn't been going out long when she laid down the law: He had to get a physical.
"I don't date people who don't take care of their health," said Tenore, who practices cosmetic dermatology and functional medicine in suburban Chicago.
One of Hinds' blood tests that summer came back with an alarming result: His prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, level was very high. A biopsy confirmed he had advanced prostate cancer.
There aren't a lot of comfortable alternatives for treating prostate cancer, which generally progresses as long as testosterone levels remain high. Marijuana appears to lower testosterone levels, so after his diagnosis, Paul dosed a liquid form of cannabis for several weeks. That cut his PSA in half, but Hinds, a cybersecurity expert who likes yoga and bicycling, "was stoned out of his mind and couldn't function," Tenore recalled.
With Tenore guiding his decisions, Hinds next tried a procedure called high-frequency ultrasound treatment, but it failed, and in summer 2019 doctors removed his prostate gland. Still, the PSA levels climbed again, and doctors assessed that the cancer had metastasized. Now the only alternative was to drastically lower Hinds' testosterone levels — either via surgery or drugs that block all testosterone.
In May 2021, Paul got his first intramuscular shot of Lupron Depot, a brand name for leuprolide, designed to suppress the prostate gland's release of the hormone for three months. That August he got his second shot.
And then the bills came.
The Patient: Paul Hinds, now 60, is covered by United Healthcare through a COBRA plan from his former employer.
Medical Service: Two three-month Lupron Depot injections for metastatic prostate cancer.
Service Provider: University of Chicago Medicine, a 900-physician nonprofit system that includes an 811-bed medical center, a suburban hospital, the Pritzker School of Medicine, and outpatient clinics and physician offices throughout the Chicago area.
Total Bill: $73,812 for the two shots ($35,414 for the first, $38,398 for the second), including lab work and physician charges. United Healthcare's negotiated rate for the two shots plus associated fees was $27,568, of which the insurer paid $19,567. After more than a year of haggling with the hospital and insurer, Hinds share of the bills for the shots was determined to be nearly $7,000.
What Gives: The first issue is unrelenting price increases on old drugs that have remained branded, as manufacturers find ways to extend patents for decades and maintain sales through marketing.
Though Lupron was invented in 1973, its manufacturer got patent extensions in 1989 by offering a slow-release version. Drugmakers commonly use this tactic to extend their exclusive rights to sell a product.
The development of Lupron Depot as an intramuscular shot that suppressed testosterone for months at a time improved patient compliance and also enabled its maker, Abbott Laboratories, and its Japanese partner, Takeda, to extend their patents on the drug into the 2000s, said Dr. Gerald Weisberg, a former Abbott scientist who has been critical of the company's pricing policies.
In subsequent years, Abbott and Takeda, in a joint venture called TAP Pharmaceuticals, steadily marked up the price of their slow-release product. In 2000, the average wholesale U.S. price for a three-month shot was $1,245; currently that figure is $5,866. (It is manufactured in the U.S. by AbbVie now.)
In the United Kingdom, where health care is generally free and Takeda sells the drug under the name Prostap, all physicians can purchase a three-month dose for about $260.
It's likely that Chicago Medicine, where Hinds got his shots, paid something close to the British price. That's because the health system's hospital on Chicago's South Side participates in a federal program called 340B, which allows hospitals that serve low-income populations to purchase drugs at deep discounts.
Lupron Depot is given as a simple injection into the muscle. It takes minutes for a nurse or doctor to administer. Yet hospital systems like Chicago Medicine can and typically do charge lavishly for such services, to enhance revenue, said Morgan Henderson, principal data scientist at the Hilltop Institute at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Chicago Medicine declined to say what it paid for the drug.
While U.S. drugmakers can price their drugs however they please, TAP has gotten into trouble for its Lupron sales policies in the past. In 2001, after a Justice Department probe, it paid an $875 million settlement for illegally stimulating sales by giving urologists free and discounted vials of the drug while enabling them to charge Medicare full price.
Since then, many other drugs aimed at lowering testosterone levels have entered the market, including a pill, relugolix (Orgovyx). So why wouldn't a patient use them?
Lupron Depot is long-acting, is easy to prepare and store, and employs a small needle, which some patients prefer, said Dr. Brian McNeil, chief of urology at University Hospital of Brooklyn. Orgovyx is convenient, but "a patient has to be very compliant. They have to take it every day around the same time," he said. "Some people just forget."
But there is another important factor that may well explain Lupron Depot's ongoing popularity among medical providers: Doctors and hospitals can earn tens of thousands of dollars each visit by marking up its price and administration fees — as they did with Hinds. If they merely write a prescription for a drug that can be taken at home, they earn nothing.
Asked about this high patient charge and the possibility of using alternatives, United spokesperson Maria Gordon Shydlo said payment was "appropriately based on the hospital's contract and the member's benefit plan," adding that the insurer encourages customers to shop around for the best quality and price.
Resolution: In addition to leaving Hinds listless, the Lupron Depot shots were, literally, a pain in the rear end. "Each time he was miserable for two weeks," said Tenore. After looking over his first bill for the Lupron shot, Tenore told Hinds he should ask his doctor if there was a less expensive drug that was easier to take.
After the second shot in August 2021, a pharmacist told Hinds he could instead receive the pill. The doctor prescribed Hinds three months' worth of Orgovyx last November, for which he paid $216 and the insurer paid over $6,000. The drug's list price is about $2,700 a month. There is evidence that Orgovyx works a little better than leuprolide.
Orgovyx was a "no-brainer," Hinds said. "Why would you want a sore ass for two weeks when you can take a pill that kicks in sooner, functions the same way, and clears your body of testosterone faster?"
While Orgovyx is increasingly used for prostate cancer, Lupron and other injections usually remain the standard of care, said hospital spokesperson Ashley Heher. Clinicians "work with patients to determine what treatments are the most medically effective and, when necessary, to find reasonable alternatives that may be less financially burdensome due to insurance coverage limitations," she said.
Hinds was baffled by the size of the charges. During months of phone calls and emails, the hospital reversed and then reapplied part of the charge, and then in July agreed to a $666.34 monthly payment plan. After Hinds had made two payments, however, the hospital announced Aug. 29 it was canceling the agreement and sending the remainder of his bill to a collection agency. Two weeks later, the hospital reinstated the payment plan — after KHN asked about the cancellation.
As for Hinds, he remains active, though his bike rides have been shortened from 50 or 60 miles to about 30, he said.
He's grateful to have Tenore as a free consultant, and empathizes with those who lack a knowledgeable guide through their disease and health care's financial maze.
"I've got Dr. Josie as an advocate who knows the system," Hinds said.
The Takeaway: First tip: If you are prescribed an infusion or injection, ask your physician if there are cheaper oral medications to treat your condition. Also, many drugs that are given by injection — ones that are given "subcutaneously," rather than into a muscle — can be administered by a patient at home, avoiding hefty administration fees. Drugs like Dupixent for eczema fall into this category.
Keep in mind that where you get treatment could make a big difference in your charges: A study found that leading U.S. cancer centers charge enormous markups to private insurers for drug injections or infusions. Another study found that hospital systems charge an average of 86% more than private clinics for cancer drug infusions. And the percentage of cancer infusions done in hospital-operated clinics increased from 6% in 2004 to 43% in 2014, and has grown since.
Under a law that took effect in 2021, hospitals are required to list their charges, though they currently do so in a way that is not user friendly. But it's worth taking a look at the price list — the hospital chargemaster — to try to decipher the pricing and markup for your medicine. If you're about to get an injection, infusion, or procedure done in a hospital system, ask ahead of time for an estimate of what you will owe.
Dan Weissmann contributed the audio portrait with this story.
Bill of the Month is a crowdsourced investigation by KHN and NPR that dissects and explains medical bills. Do you have an interesting medical bill you want to share with us? Tell us about it!
KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.
Copyright 2022 Kaiser Health News. To see more, visit Kaiser Health News. | 2022-10-26T11:23:54+00:00 | knkx.org | https://www.knkx.org/2022-10-26/it-cost-38-398-for-a-single-shot-of-a-very-old-cancer-drug |
INDIANAPOLIS — A mother of four and an ER doctor at Franciscan Health were both killed by the same driver just three weeks apart from one another, according to court documents.
Kelli Anderson, 55, was charged on Friday with one count of reckless homicide and six count of criminal recklessness in the crash that took the life of 28-year-old Kiana Burns.
According to court documents, police were called out to N. Keystone Avenue and E. 52nd Street on June 9 at approximately 4:50 p.m. in response to a multi-vehicle accident. On scene, officers discovered eight vehicles involved in the crash and a woman suffering from serious injuries.
According to witness testimony, Anderson was accused of driving a Lincoln SUV and smashing into stopped vehicles. Anderson told officers she had been traveling north and tried to avoid stopped traffic on Keystone by veering to the left before she slammed into stopped traffic.
A witness said Anderson was traveling 50 to 60 miles per hour when she drove over the center median and barreled into traffic waiting at a red light.
Court documents reveal Kiana Burns to be the driver of the first vehicle Anderson struck, a gray 2009 Pontiac G6, that was rammed by the Lincoln and shoved into a Toyota Corolla and a Subaru Forester. Burns was transported from the scene in grave condition.
“She was my best friend. We talked a lot every single day,” Burns’ mother Denise Gatling said. “She called me about an hour and a half before the accident and I told her I loved her at the end of that call.”
Denise said her daughter was on life support and never moved or even opened her eyes. Two days after the crash, Denise took her daughter off life support and donated her organs.
“This was totally preventable,” Denise said. “It shouldn’t of happened.”
When police spoke to Anderson at the hospital following the accident on Keystone, she reportedly told officers she was on daily medication, including Topamax, due to having “severe, life-threatening allergies and epilepsy.”
When officers asked Anderson if she had been suffering from allergies prior to the crash, she reportedly told police, “Honestly, I blacked out, ’cause I don’t remember what happened.”
IMPD detectives connect Anderson to other cases
During their investigation, detectives discovered that Anderson had been involved in another deadly crash just three weeks earlier.
Police said Anderson was driving along 49th street near North Meridian on May 19 when she crossed the center line and drove up on to the sidewalk. Investigators said she struck Dr. Brian Dillman during one of his daily walks. Dillman later died at an area hospital.
Court documents reveal that Anderson was discharged the day after the crash with a summary of: “neurology explained to the patient that she is at high risk of harm to herself and/or others and that she should not drive for 6 months until cleared by a neurologist.” The medical records stated Anderson gave a verbal understanding to this summary.
“This is two people killed within three weeks of each other,” Denise said. “It’s insane. It’s crazy.”
Investigators said Anderson has had five at-fault crashes since August of 2019.
On Friday she was charged in the crash that killed Kiana. However, she is not facing charges in the crash that took the life of Dr. Dillman.
Denise said she hopes Anderson is eventually charged in Dillman’s death as well.
Kiana left behind four children, one of which was born just last year. Denise said the children miss their mother and her death has devastated the family.
“It’s hard, it’s hard to watch them deal with their grief and me having to deal with mine only when I can,” Denise said. “We definitely got robbed. They got robbed. I got robbed.”
Anderson is set to be in court for her initial hearing on Tuesday.
We reached out to the Dillman family for comment, but have not heard back. | 2022-06-19T03:29:45+00:00 | fox59.com | https://fox59.com/news/indycrime/docs-mom-of-4-and-er-doc-killed-by-same-driver-3-weeks-apart/ |
DES MOINES, Iowa — Two Iowa teenagers killed their high school Spanish teacher last year because of frustration over a bad grade, prosecutors said Tuesday in court documents that for the first time reveal a possible motive.
The documents were filed ahead of a hearing Wednesday where a judge will hear arguments on whether to suppress any of the evidence against Willard Miller and Jeremy Goodale, who are charged with murdering high school Spanish teacher Nohema Graber in the small town of Fairfield.
In those documents, the state lays out the evidence that led them to request the search warrant. Most damning among that evidence are images of Snapchat messages sent from Miller to friends wherein he admits to the murder, prosecutors say.
A lawyer for Miller is asking the court in Fairfield to invalidate four search warrants and suppress evidence from Miller’s home, comments he made to police and information taken from his cellphone and Snapchat.
Graber’s body was found in a Fairfield park on Nov. 3, 2021, hidden under a tarp, wheelbarrow and railroad ties. She had been beaten to death with a baseball bat. Miller and Goodale were 16 at the time.
Fairfield is a town of about 9,400 people located some 100 miles (159 kilometers) from Des Moines.
Investigators found that Miller met with Graber at Fairfield High School on the afternoon of Nov. 2, 2021, to discuss his poor grade in her class. Graber later drove her van to a park where she was known to take daily walks after school, authorities say. Witnesses saw her van leaving the park less than an hour later with two males in the front seat.
The van was left at the end of a rural road. After getting a phone call from Goodale, a witness later picked up Goodale and Miller as they walked to town on that road, investigators say.
In a police interview, Miller described the frustrations he had with the way Graber taught Spanish and over how the grade in her class was lowering his GPA.
“The poor grade is believed to be the motive behind the murder of Graber which directly connects Miller,” court documents filed by Jefferson County Attorney Chauncey Moulding and Assistant Iowa Attorney General Scott Brown said.
Miller initially denied any involvement in Graber’s disappearance but “later stated he had knowledge of everything but did not participate,” according to court documents. He told police that the real killers — a “roving group of masked kids” — forced him to provide his wheelbarrow to help move her body and to drive her van from the park.
The documents say a witness provided photos of a Snapchat conversation “that identify Goodale’s admissions that he acted in concert with another person to bring about Graber’s death.” The witness identified Goodale as making statements that implicate both Goodale and Miller by name.
Miller’s lawyer, Christine Branstad, says that the search warrants were issued illegally in part because “law enforcement failed to provide information to the issuing magistrate to show the informant is reliable or that the information from the informant should be considered reliable.”
Miller is scheduled for trial on March 20 in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Goodale’s trial is Dec. 5 in Davenport, Iowa.
Both teens, now 17, will be tried as adults. In Iowa, the penalty for a first-degree murder conviction is life in prison. Iowa Supreme Court rulings require juveniles convicted of even the most serious crimes to be given a chance for parole.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | 2022-11-02T15:27:48+00:00 | wivb.com | https://www.wivb.com/news/national/iowa-teens-killed-spanish-teacher-over-bad-grade-prosecutors-say/ |
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s fire service was fighting four major fires across the country Saturday, including one where they had to evacuate over 450 people at an island holiday resort.
A fire that broke at Saturday morning on the island of Lesbos prompted authorities to call for the evacuation of the Vatera resort on the island’s southern side. The fire came very close to the resort and at least one house was engulfed by the flames.
But more than five hours after an emergency message was sent by phone to residents, the evacuation was still “ongoing,” fire service spokesman Yannis Artopoios told reporters. He said 50 firefighters with 17 fire engines, nine special firefighting planes and one helicopter are fighting the blaze.
Local police said Saturday afternoon they had evacuated over 450 people from two hotels and 92 houses and that 60 officers were scouring the area for anyone that refused to move.
Greece’s biggest fire Saturday was burning in the northeast near the border with Τurkey for the third day running, inside a national forest that is the home to rare species, especially vultures. The Dadia national forest is mostly made up of highly flammable pine trees.
The fire service said 320 firefighters in 68 fire engines, plus 6 special planes, 9 helicopters and numerous volunteers were fighting the fire, while another 200 lumberjacks were cutting firebreak paths through the forest.
Two more major fires were burning Saturday, one in a remote mountainous area in the region of Western Macedonia and another in the southern Peloponnese region, Artopoios said.
The European Union gave Greece’s forest service 72 million euros this year to help maintain forests and clear them to prevent fires from spreading.
Greece, unlike other areas in Europe, has so far avoided a heat wave this summer but temperatures have been rising. The country’s hot, dry summers and strong winds have combined with the longer-term effects of climate change to increase the overall risk of forest fires.
___
Follow all AP stories on climate change at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment | 2022-07-23T19:39:35+00:00 | wcia.com | https://www.wcia.com/news/international/greece-battles-4-major-wildfires-hotels-homes-evacuated/ |
NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention PayPal Holdings, Inc. ("PayPal") (NASDAQ: PYPL) shareholders:
The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors. This lawsuit is on behalf of all persons or entities who purchased PayPal common stock between February 3, 2021, and February 1, 2022, inclusive.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in PayPal, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against PayPal includes allegations that the Company made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) defendants had inflated the Company's vitally important Net New Active Accounts metric guidance through an usually large use of marketing campaigns that were easily susceptible to fraud; i.e. the creation of millions of illegitimate accounts which were created for the sole purpose of taking advantage of cash incentives for account creation; (2) defendants used these marketing campaigns and other incentives to hide the Company's true churn rate and declining levels of engagement with the platform; and (3) as a result, defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and /or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
DEADLINE: December 5, 2022
Aggrieved PayPal investors only have until December 5, 2022 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. You are not required to act as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.
Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
Vincent Wong, Esq.
39 East Broadway
Suite 304
New York, NY 10002
Tel. 212.425.1140
E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com
View original content:
SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | 2022-12-05T12:20:16+00:00 | wcjb.com | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2022/12/05/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-paypal-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-december-5-2022/ |
A Bettendorf student is a semifinalist for a National Merit Scholarship.
Senior Siri Reddy Pothula of Rivermont Collegiate is a semifinalist in the 68th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. According to a release:
This academically talented high school senior has an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,250 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. About 95 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and about half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.
Rivermont Collegiate
For more information about the National Merit Scholarship Program, click here. | 2022-10-04T21:20:12+00:00 | ourquadcities.com | https://www.ourquadcities.com/news/local-news/qc-student-semifinalist-for-national-merit-scholarship/ |
A man suspected of killing a Missouri police officer and injuring another over the weekend was taken into custody Monday following a standoff with authorities.
Kenneth Lee Simpson, 35, was identified as the suspected gunman who shot and Hermann Police Department Detective Sergeant Mason Griffith outside a store Sunday night.
A source told KMOV-TV one of the officers was shot in the head, and the other in the chest. Both were flown to a hospital. Griffith died at the hospital. The other officer, who has not been identified, was in stable condition.
ST. LOUIS HOMICIDE DETECTIVE BLOWS WHISTLE ON SOROS-BACKED DA'S 'CONCERTED EFFORT TO BREAK DOWN THE SYSTEM'
On Monday, authorities went to a home where they set up a perimeter and tried to contact the suspect, police said.
Simpson came out of the home around 2 p.m. and was taken into custody by the Missouri State Highway Patrol SWAT team.
Simpson reportedly has a long criminal history, dating back to 2004 with several current pending cases. He has allegedly been on the run from authorities since April 2022. | 2023-03-13T22:33:58+00:00 | foxbangor.com | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/suspected-missouri-cop-killer-arrested-after-standoff/article_d8234d6a-fc3e-5d4c-aeff-990757c744f5.html |
US Highway 101 / State Route 217 Bridge Replacement Projects in Goleta to Begin Next week
Two separate projects to replace the San Jose Creek Bridges on US 101 and State Route 217 near UC Santa Barbara in Goleta are scheduled to begin construction on Wednesday, July 5.
State Route 217 Project
The traveling public can expect a full overnight closure of State Route 217 on July 5 and July 6 from 10 pm to 6 am. This closure will allow for the installation of K-rail or protective barrier for highway workers. The following detours will be in place with signage to direct travelers:
Northbound SR 217 Detour
Sandspit Road to Moffett Place to James Fowler Road to Fairview Avenue to US Highway 101.
Southbound SR 217 Detour
US Highway 101 to Fairview Avenue to James Fowler Road to Moffett Place to Sandspit Road.
On Friday, July 7, the full closure will be lifted, and southbound SR 217 will be reduced to one lane before the Sandspit Road exit. This lane reduction will remain in place for the duration of the project. Two lanes will remain open on northbound SR 217.
There are signs in place notifying the traveling public of this work.
The existing four-lane bridge was constructed in 1963. The new bridge is designed to current standards and flood elevations.
The contractor for this $26 million project is M.C.M. Construction, Inc. of North Highlands, CA.
Bridge construction is expected to be complete in Summer 2025. A follow up plant establishment project will be complete in Fall 2027.
US 101 Project
The US 101 San Jose Creek Bridge project is located north of State Route 217. The northbound and southbound bridges will be demolished and replaced in separate phases. The highway will remain open during construction, but travelers will encounter lane closures.
During the overnight hours of July 5 and July 6, the contractor will close two northbound and two southbound lanes of US 101, leaving one lane open to traffic in each direction from 10 pm to 6 am.
The lanes will be reduced roughly 1,000 feet south of Patterson Avenue and roughly 500 feet north of the bridge. This will allow crews to install K-rail.
During these two nights, the US 101 on and off-ramps at Patterson Avenue will be closed in addition to the off-ramp to State Route 217.
On Friday, July 7, there will be two lanes of traffic open in each direction of US 101 instead of three.
This bridge was built in 1946 and widened in 1989. The new bridge will meet current design and safety criteria.
The contractor for this $20 million project is M.C.M. Construction, Inc. of North Highlands, CA. It is expected to be complete in June 2026.
Travelers should allow extra time to reach their destinations during these projects to enhance infrastructure in the area.
The map below shows the location of these projects and their proximity to one another:
Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: Twitter: @CaltransD5, Facebook: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) & Instagram: @Caltrans_D5. | 2023-07-01T03:53:38+00:00 | independent.com | https://www.independent.com/2023/06/30/us-highway-101-state-route-217-bridge-replacement-projects-in-goleta-to-begin-next-week/ |
Small earthquake reported in Dorchester County
Published: Sep. 2, 2022 at 8:56 AM EDT|Updated: 43 minutes ago
DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - The United States Geological Society reported an earthquake in Dorchester County Thursday night.
The 1.5 magnitude quake happened just before 9:30 p.m.
USGS says the earthquake originated approximately two miles south of Centerville.
The South Carolina Emergency Management Division says tremors are a common occurrence in the area.
Earthquakes have been a common event in South Carolina since a 3.3 magnitude earthquake hit the Midlands on Dec. 27, 2021.
Geologists say the streak of quakes in the Midlands is the longest in recent history.
Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved. | 2022-09-02T13:40:44+00:00 | live5news.com | https://www.live5news.com/2022/09/02/small-earthquake-reported-dorchester-county/ |
It’s amazing to think that in two short decades, we have gone from having a device that only makes phone calls and sends text messages, to highly-advanced gadgets that keep a copy of our digital life.
All our virtual information is safeguarded in these pocket computers, and that includes our favorite albums and artists. Never before has it been so easy to listen to music, and all you need is a pair of headphones.
Wired versions don’t need charging, but the cables can get in the way. The best tangle-free solution is Bluetooth earbuds, and if they can power the soundtrack to your life throughout the day, it’s even better.
In this article: Jabra Elite 3 In-Ear Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds, Beats Fit Pro and Status Between Pro True Wireless Earbuds
It’s not just about the battery
Bluetooth earbuds use wireless technology to connect to any compatible device. This means you can listen to music or podcasts from your phone, home theater system or streaming device.
But unlike wired earbuds, these need a power source to continue working. The more sophisticated the technology inside the earbuds, the faster the internal battery drains.
This leaves many music lovers with no way of enjoying their entertainment when the batteries run out. However, there are earbuds that can keep going for more than 24 hours. There is a caveat though, as the earbuds themselves don’t have a large enough battery for that.
In most cases, earbuds with impressive playtimes come with a charging case that extends their life. Once the power levels start to dip, you simply place them in the carry case and close the lid. This triggers the recharging mechanic and it should only take a few minutes before they are ready to go again.
But great earbuds that can last all day aren’t just about the battery. There are several aspects that you must consider to maximize your enjoyment. For example, if you listen to music in a noisy environment, you might want to consider earbuds with active noise cancelation.
If the audio quality matters to you, then you should invest in earbuds that use Dolby Digital, spatial audio or adaptive sound to automatically equalize the volume and frequencies based on what you are listening to.
Best Bluetooth earbuds that last through the day
Jabra Elite 3 In-Ear Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds
These earbuds are perfect for long days of training or commuting through the city. In addition to the seven hours of listening time, the carry case provides another 28 hours. They are powered by 6-millimeter speakers and use four microphones for active noise cancelation. Taking phone calls is a breeze, too, as they have digital signal processing and beam-forming technology.
Sold by Amazon
These tiny earbuds boast six hours of listening, but you can get another 24 hours from charging them in the carry case. Compatible with Android and iPhones, they use Beats’ custom acoustic platform to deliver powerful, balanced sound with Spatial Audio. They have active noise-cancellation, transparency mode and adaptive EQ mode.
Sold by Amazon
Status Between Pro True Wireless Earbuds
With four built-in microphones for active noise cancellation, these earbuds are perfect for noisy environments. The sophisticated triple drivers (two balanced armature drivers and one dynamic driver) in each earbud delivers exceptional sound quality. They have a battery life of 12 hours and the charging case gives you 36 hours more.
Sold by Amazon
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)
Apple’s earbuds give you six hours of listening time, and the handy carry case provides you with up to 30 hours more. They use ANC to eliminate background noise while letting you hear what’s happening around you with adaptive transparency. It also features spatial audio with dynamic head tracking and comes with three tip sizes.
Sold by Amazon
Using Bluetooth 5.3 as the connection method, these comfortable earbuds last for about five hours. However, the charging case lets them keep going for up to 22 hours. The case is also fast-charging, meaning you can get almost two hours of playtime from a 10-minute recharge.
Sold by Amazon
Anker Soundcore Life P3i Hybrid Active Noise-Canceling Earbuds
These earbuds are packed with technology such as active noise-cancellation through four microphones and an artificial intelligence algorithm. But even so, they won’t easily fall on you as they last for nine hours and an additional 36 hours from the charging case.
Sold by Amazon
These are the perfect earbuds for you if you feel like just one more lap around the track or one more set of reps at the gym. Sweat-resistant and comfortable, these earbuds will play your favorite tunes for five hours, but you get an additional 15 hours with the charging case.
Sold by Amazon
JBL Tune 230NC True Wireless In-Ear Noise-Canceling Earbuds
These earbuds have 10-millimeter audio drivers and eliminate external sounds through a two-microphone active noise-cancellation system. They are incredibly comfortable as the stem sits flush against your ear and come with different tip sizes. They have a battery life of 10 hours, but the charging case gives you 30 hours more.
Sold by Amazon
If you have small ears, then these earbuds are for you, as they weigh less than a coin and are incredibly comfortable. They have powerful 14.2mm drivers for clear audio, and they last up to five hours. The included charging case gives you an additional 15 hours of playtime, which is enough to go for the whole day.
Sold by Amazon
Google’s wireless earbuds give you about 24 hours of battery life from the charging case, but each earbud will last for about five hours. They have passive noise-cancellation, come with three different tip sizes and can automatically increase the volume when the environment is noisy.
Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2023-04-09T16:05:50+00:00 | pix11.com | https://pix11.com/reviews/br/electronics-br/headphones-br/10-pairs-of-bluetooth-earbuds-that-last-through-the-day-on-a-single-charge/ |
If, as Janis Joplin so memorably sang, freedom is really just another word for having nothing left to lose, then consider the Seahawks to be, well, free as a bird as they head into the 2022 playoffs.
The Seahawks are as much as a 10-point underdog heading to Santa Clara to play a wild-card playoff game Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against the 49ers, who have won 10 in a row and feature a defense ranked first in the NFL in both fewest points and yards allowed and an offense ranked in the top six in both categories.
“It’s like nobody expects us to win outside of our building,’’ receiver Tyler Lockett said. “We believe that we can win, but nobody else does. Nobody thought that we would be able to do any of the things that we were able to do (this season). Everybody was shocked that we even got into the playoffs. I mean, for us it’s like, man, we’re just going to go out there and just play free. … We’re just going to play like we’ve got nothing to lose.’’
As Lockett indicated, the season already feels like a success given the events of last March, when the Seahawks traded Russell Wilson and released Bobby Wagner, emphatically turning the page on the Legion of Boom era and heading uncertainly into a new one.
With a cachet of five draft picks over the 2022 and 2023 seasons from Denver, the season had all the feel of a rebuilding year, even if coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider always resisted using that word.
The joke was on much of the rest of the NFL — and the laughs in Seattle — as the Seahawks jumped out to a 6-3 start and rallied from a late-season slump to win the final two games and sneak into the seventh and final spot in the playoffs.
Still, the reasons for reservations about the Seahawks heading into the playoffs carry a fair hint of validity. Had the NFL not expanded the playoffs before 2020, they would already be sitting at home.
The 49ers didn’t have much issue dispensing the Seahawks in two regular-season games by a combined 48-20, taking leads of 11 points or more at halftime of each game and was never seriously threatened, outgaining Seattle by an average of 377-246.5.
Sure, there are some caveats. The 27-7 loss in Week 2 in Santa Clara came six days after the emotional win over Wilson and the Broncos and before the Seahawks let quarterback Geno Smith loose.
A 21-13 loss at home in on Dec. 15 turned on three big plays that went the 49ers’ way — two TD passes to tight end George Kittle, one on something of a trick play, another on a busted coverage — and a fumble by Travis Homer that set up an easy San Francisco TD right before halftime. Change just one of those, the Seahawks feel, and it might have been a different game.
The 49ers can also point to rookie quarterback Brock Purdy being healthy now after battling through rib and oblique injuries in the December game. This is the first time this year the Seahawks will have to face the 49ers’ full complement of three elite skill players in Kittle, running back Christian McCaffrey and receiver Deebo Samuel. McCaffrey wasn’t a 49er yet for the first game, traded by Carolina to San Francisco in October, and Samuel missed the December game because of injury.
At least one Seahawk, safety Quandre Diggs, didn’t even try to argue why San Francisco would be favored.
“Who wouldn’t put us as underdogs?’’ Diggs said. “San Francisco, they’ve been on the road, they’ve played great ball, they’re division winners, they’ve beat us twice. Why wouldn’t they be considered the favorite? For me, I just enjoy the process. I enjoy the process, and I’m just blessed I get another opportunity to go play the game I love and go out there and give it my all.’’
Some Seahawks fans this week have recalled that they faced similarly long odds in the first playoff game of the Carroll era when they were 10-point underdogs against the defending Super Bowl champion Saints in the wild-card round in the 2010 season.
The Seahawks, who had made the playoffs by winning the NFC West at 7-9, pulled the upset with a 41-36 win remembered forever for Marshawn Lynch’s “Beast Quake’’ run. Maybe lesser remembered is that they were a 10-point underdog the following week in the divisional round at Chicago, and fell behind 28-0 before losing 35-24.
While Carroll has proved the ability to get his team ready to pull upsets, the Seahawks are 2-6 when underdogs by 10 or more points in his Seattle coaching career, highlighting that there are reasons the heavy favorite is a heavy favorite.
But as some of the Seahawks noted, anything is possible.
“We’re just taking it and enjoying it, and whatever happens, happens,’’ Diggs said.
That the Seahawks are playing up the nothing-to-lose angle led some to wonder if the Seahawks are a bit looser this week — an idea fed by a tweet the team sent out with a brief video of Smith dancing and Carroll riding a scooter after practice.
Carroll said that to the contrary, the Seahawks are trying to embrace their underdog role by not changing anything.
“We are just being like we are,’’ he said. “We are not trying to be anything other than who we are and what we are.’’
And, Carroll said, in having nothing to lose Saturday he also promises that the Seahawks will leave nothing on the field.
“We are going all out, giving it everything we have, and we are not going to leave anything in our back pocket,’’ Carroll said. “We are going for it, and it wouldn’t matter what’s happened before — that’s how we think and how we operate.” | 2023-01-13T15:04:53+00:00 | seattletimes.com | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/seahawks-embracing-underdog-role-vs-49ers-as-theyve-got-nothing-to-lose/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_seahawks |
What to know before you buy a Crock-Pot
Crock-Pots are the original slow cookers and have been a trusted brand since 1971 when they invented this time-saving electronic cookware. The latest Crock-Pots are simple to use and offer easy cleanup.
One of the many advantages of a Crock-Pot is its convenience. You place your ingredients into the crock, select your settings and leave the pot cooking while you go about your day. Several hours later, your meal is ready. For a programmable model, the Crock-Pot 6-Quart Programmable Cook and Carry Slow Cooker is top of the line.
What to know before you buy a Crock-Pot
There are three categories of Crock-Pots — manual, programmable and multifunction — as well as a range of sizes.
Manual Crock-Pots
Manual Crock-Pots are the simplest models and have only four settings: off, low, high and warm. They consist of an outer metal shell and a removable ceramic crock, plus a glass lid. They come in round, oval and casserole-shaped pots, which are low and wide like casserole dishes. With manual models, you have to turn the device off when your meal is ready and all the settings are operated by knobs.
Programmable Crock-Pots
Programmable Crock-Pots feature an automatic timer, which automatically switches the pot to the warm setting when the set cooking time is reached. You can set your cooking time between 30 minutes and 20 hours through a digital touch pad. Programmable models come in oval and casserole styles.
Multifunction Crock-Pots
The most innovative models of programmable Crock-Pots can do more than just slow cook.
- Express-cookers offer pressure cooking in addition to slow cooking. They also offer steaming, sautéing, browning and boiling settings.
- Multicookers offer browning, baking, roasting and steaming settings as well as slow cooking. They don’t offer pressure cooking.
Size
Consider the size of your household when selecting from the various sizes of Crock-Pots offered.
- Mini Crock-Pots have a 1-2 quart capacity and are great if you live alone or for making side dishes.
- 3-4 quart models are ideal for households of two or three people.
- 5-6 quart pots are perfect for households of four or five people.
- 7 quart or larger models are perfect for potluck dinners or large households.
What to look for in a quality Crock-Pot
In addition to the different types of Crock-Pots, there are also a variety of special features and specialty models.
iStir
This smart feature automatically stirs your cooking food every half-hour, making it ideal for cooking soups and stews.
Cook & Carry
This feature allows you to tote your Crock-Pot to picnics, potlucks and parties. Models with this feature have carrying handles and tightly locking lids.
Stovetop
Crock-Pots with a stovetop feature have a crock that can be placed on the stovetop for browning your food before being placed in the cooker.
Lift & Serve
Crock-Pots with a hinged lid allow for serving directly out of the pot without needing to set the lid aside. This feature comes in handy for entertaining and potlucks.
Hook Up Connectable Entertaining System
This system allows you to hook up two or more Crock-Pots together for cooking or heating multiple dishes at the same time. The models in this system plug into each other and only require one power outlet. These specialty Crock-Pots are ideal for large gatherings.
Lunch Crock
Another specialty Crock-Pot is the Lunch Crock, which is designed to act as a lunch tote that keeps your food warm. While it doesn’t cook your food, it will heat it and is ideal for the workplace where appliances are limited.
How much you can expect to spend on a Crock-Pot
The cheapest manual models start at $20, while programmable models cost between $50-$80. Multifunction Crock-Pots cost between $80-$120.
Crock-Pot FAQ
Is it safe to consume meat that’s been cooking in a Crock-Pot for hours?
A. As long as the meat has reached the full temperature for its cooking time, it is safe to eat, even when the pot is switched to the warm setting. Overcooking your meat in the crock just means softer, more tender meat. Don’t place frozen meat in your Crock-Pot or it won’t cook evenly.
What recipes can I cook in a casserole-shaped Crock-Pot?
A. Casserole models are great for cooking lasagna and other pasta dishes, large pieces of animal protein such as roasts, ribs, corned beef and other casserole recipes that require a pan instead of a pot.
What’s the best Crock-Pot to buy?
Top Crock-Pot
Crock-Pot 6-Quart Programmable Cook and Carry Slow Cooker
What you need to know: This large-capacity model serves up to seven people and is portable.
What you’ll love: The large pot features handles and a locking lid for safe transport. The crock and lid are dishwasher-safe. You can customize your cooking time anywhere from 30 minutes to 20 hours, then the device automatically switches to warm.
What you should consider: There are a minority of complaints among reviewers that the pot cooks too hot, too fast.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top Crock-Pot for the money
Crock-Pot 2 1/2-Quart Mini Casserole Slow Cooker
What you need to know: This attractive little Crock-Pot is perfect for making side dishes or cooking for one.
What you’ll love: This four-setting manual pot is simple to use and it has a pretty, blue-and-white design. The oval shape also works for cooking casseroles. The handles and locking lid allow for safe transportation to gatherings. The stoneware is both oven and dishwasher safe.
What you should consider: The 2 1/2-quart size isn’t as popular as bigger models that can make large batches of food.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Crock-Pot 3 1/2-Quart Casserole Slow Cooker
What you need to know: This larger casserole-style pot can serve three or more people and comes in four attractive color options.
What you’ll love: This attractive Crock-Pot is perfect for entertaining and features a lockable lid and handles. The manual operation is simple to use for slow cooking pasta dishes, roasts, whole chickens and casseroles.
What you should consider: The outer paint can peel off if the model is left on high for long periods.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2022-05-04T04:54:51+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/reviews/best-crock-pot/ |
Navy sailor convicted for dealing illegal machine guns in undercover ATF weapons sting
By Josh Campbell, CNN
A US Navy sailor who was arrested in a federal undercover operation targeting illicit weapon sales has been convicted of possessing and selling unregistered machine guns, the Justice Department announced Monday.
Patrick Tate Adamiak, 28, was indicted earlier this year in Virginia after special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) recovered numerous illegal machine guns, two grenade launchers and two anti-tank missile launchers in his possession, prosecutors said.
A jury found Adamiak guilty of three counts of receiving and possessing an unregistered destructive device, one count of receiving and possessing an unregistered firearm, and one count of unlawful possession and transfer of a machine gun, according to court documents.
CNN has reached out to Adamiak’s attorney and the Pentagon for comment on the sailor’s conviction.
According to an affidavit, the ATF launched an undercover operation late last year after a confidential informant reported that Adamiak — a Master at Arms, the Navy’s military police — was involved in illegal weapons trafficking.
Court documents describe a series of controlled undercover purchases the ATF made using the confidential informant, paying Adamiak thousands of dollars for shipments of illegal firearm components.
Investigators were also able to link Adamiak to the dealings through an email he used to communicate with the confidential source, as well as the mailing address where Adamiak received payments for the shipments, the affidavit states.
During a search of Adamiak’s residence in April 2022, ATF agents found, “several suspected machineguns, documents, grenade launchers, and proceeds from illegal activity,” according to the affidavit. More than two dozen unregistered machine guns were recovered during the search, prosecutors said.
Adamiak is scheduled to be sentenced on March 31, 2023. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each of the five counts for which he was convicted, the Justice Department said.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Elizabeth Wolfe contributed to this report. | 2022-10-25T06:51:59+00:00 | keyt.com | https://keyt.com/news/2022/10/24/navy-sailor-convicted-for-dealing-illegal-machine-guns-in-undercover-atf-weapons-sting/ |
9th grader sues over Pledge of Allegiance confrontation
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The parents of a ninth grade South Carolina student who said she was accosted by a teacher for walking to class instead of stopping and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance are suing the teacher, principal, school district and state education officials.
Marissa Barnwell said she was walking quietly to class and decided not to stop for the pledge or a moment of silence that followed. A teacher yelled at her, confronted her and pushed her against a wall.
Barnwell was then sent to the principal’s office, which she said was humiliating because she feared she was in trouble. The principal sent her back to class, but Barnwell said he never let her know that the teacher was wrong and she was right.
“I was completely and utterly disrespected,” Barnwell, 15, said at a news conference Thursday, according to The State newspaper. “No one has apologized, no one has acknowledged my hurt. ... The fact that the school is defending that kind of behavior is unimaginable.”
Barnwell’s parents are suing the River Bluff High School teacher, the principal, Lexington School District 1, and the South Carolina Education Department in federal court, saying they violated the girl’s civil rights and her First Amendment rights to both free speech or not to speak at all.
A state law passed more than 30 years ago requires public schools to play the Pledge of Allegiance at a specific time every day.
But that law also prohibits punishing anyone who refuses to recite the pledge as long as they are not disruptive or do not infringe on others.
“The thing that’s beautiful about America is we have freedoms,” said Tyler Bailey, the family’s lawyer. “Students in our schools should feel safe, they should not be feel threatened for exercising their constitutional rights.”
Barnwell said she called her parents in tears and they said the teacher, principal or district never responded.
Lexington School District 1 said its attorney is working on a response to the lawsuit and didn’t have any additional comment. River Bluff High School’s website indicates the teacher and principal are still working at the school.
“I was just in disbelief,” Barnwell said, adding that she told the teacher, “Get your hands off of me.”
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2023-03-11T07:42:23+00:00 | uppermichiganssource.com | https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2023/03/10/9th-grader-sues-over-pledge-allegiance-confrontation/ |
NASCAR officials should be worried.
Very worried.
If they’re not, they are asleep at the wheel and will someday be lapped by Formula 1 in this country.
If you don’t believe me, consider that Miami Dolphins billionaire owner Stephen Ross — whose subsidiary company, South Florida Motorsports, is funding Sunday’s much-ballyhooed Miami Grand Prix — is poised to make as much money in ticket sales for Miami’s inaugural F1 event as he makes during an entire season on Dolphins home games. In fact, business insiders say an economic impact of Super Bowl-like proportions is being created this weekend with an estimated 300,000 fans, celebrities, tourists and corporate executives converging on South Florida to drink, party and watch sleek Mercedes and Ferraris buzz around the 3.4-mile track near Hard Rock Stadium at speeds of more than 200 mph.
I’m not saying that the Miami Grand Prix will get higher ratings than NASCAR’s Throwback Weekend at Darlington on Sunday when the two racing leagues go head-to-head on network TV (NASCAR is on Fox Sports 1; Formula 1 is on ABC), but that day could be coming more quickly than NASCAR ever thought possible.
The rising stature of F1 in America can be directly attributed to the wildly popular Netflix Series: Formula 1: Drive to Survive — a show that has been described as a “soap-operatic docuseries” that gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at F1 drivers, teams, cars and races.
Quite frankly, F1 has become internationally cool while NASCAR, although it’s evolving and trying mightily to change its image, is still considered by many to be the good ol’ boy sport of the South.
The recent F1 race in Austin drew a record 400,000 fans, almost 70% of whom were first-time attendees. Meanwhile, the Miami Grand Prix’s suite and pre-sale tickets were sold out in less than a day with the cheapest ticket going for $600 and the most expensive ones garnering $30,000 on the secondary market.
The Miami Grand Prix has become such a mega-moneymaker that is has transcended sports and is now being covered by business publications. According to the Sports Business Journal, SeatGeek — a popular online site for buying and selling tickets — is reporting that the Miami Grand Prix is the most in-demand auto race it has ever tracked, with an average resale price of $2,414 per ticket as of last week.
If NASCAR’s Daytona 500 is “The Great American Race” then the Miami Grand Prix is “The Great American Phenomenon.”
According to another business website, CNBC, Miami’s top hotels are charging more than $100,0000 a night for their top suites. Chefs are offering special dinners for $3,000 a plate, and night clubs are bringing in top DJs with tables going for up to $100,000 a night.
“This is going to be the biggest week in Miami history,” said Jeff Zalaznick, managing partner of Major Food Group, which sold out its dinner on Miami Beach at $3,000 per person. “We’ve never seen demand like this. It’s going to be a very hedonistic experience.”
The thing is, F1 is not only luring in the rich jet-setters and beautiful people, it’s capturing the attention of average sports fans, too. Case in point: Two of my best friends in Orlando have become avid F1 fans because of Netflix.
Pat Lynch, an iconic rock and roll deejay at WJRR in Orlando, might be the biggest sports fan I know. This guy watches every sport you can imagine on TV, and has always been a huge NASCAR fan. But when I put him on the spot a couple of days ago and asked if he is a bigger fan of NASCAR or F1, his response was telling.
“I’ve got to be honest, I’m leaning toward F1,” Lynch responded. “The Netflix series pushed me over the top. I was just sort of a casual F1 fan before, but now I know the names of the drivers, the teams and what goes into all this. It’s intriguing; it really is.”
Marc Daniels, the longtime radio voice of UCF, tells a similar story.
“My wife and I have become massive fans,” Daniels told me the other day during our radio show. “During the pandemic, my wife and I flipped on Drive to Survive and got absolutely hooked. Now, we’re huge fans. We both have our favorite team, our favorite driver, I’ve bought her F1 merchandise and now we’re looking to take a trip to Europe and to do it around being able to go to an F1 race. We were looking to go to Miami this weekend, but the tickets we were looking at were like $3,000 apiece. I was like, ‘Honey, I love you, but we ain’t doin’ that!”
It should come as no surprise that NASCAR recently unveiled its own Netflix docuseries — Race: Bubba Wallace — about Wallace’s journey as the sport’s only Black driver during the racially charged 2020-21 seasons.
Just consider this the beginning of NASCAR’s own drive to survive as the sport puts the pedal to the metal, races into the future and tries to block F1′s master plan of becoming the No. 1 option in satisfying America’s need for speed.
Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on Twitter @BianchiWrites and listen to my Open Mike radio show every weekday from 6 to 9:30 a.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and HD 101.1-2
() | 2022-05-11T05:57:24+00:00 | twincities.com | https://www.twincities.com/2022/05/11/miami-grand-prix-is-f1s-massive-warning-shot-at-nascar-commentary-2/ |
- Companies jointly developing and commercializing eplontersen in the U.S.
- AstraZeneca adds Latin America as part of its exclusive rights for rest of world
CARLSBAD, Calif., July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: IONS) today announced it has expanded its existing collaboration with AstraZeneca to include exclusive rights for AstraZeneca to commercialize eplontersen in Latin America. Ionis previously granted AstraZeneca exclusive rights to commercialize eplontersen in all other countries outside the U.S. Ionis and AstraZeneca will continue to jointly develop and commercialize eplontersen in the U.S. The companies are successfully advancing eplontersen by combining Ionis' industry-leading expertise in RNA-targeted therapeutics and deep knowledge of transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) with AstraZeneca's global cardiovascular commercial capabilities.
Eplontersen is an investigational antisense medicine discovered by Ionis that reduces the production of transthyretin protein (TTR) to treat ATTR, a systemic, progressive, and fatal disease.
"The positive clinical results from our Phase 3 NEURO-TTRansform study, combined with eplontersen's self-administration profile, reinforce eplontersen's potential to be an important and differentiated new treatment option for patients with ATTR," said Brett P. Monia Ph.D., chief executive officer of Ionis. "With FDA review of eplontersen for ATTR polyneuropathy already underway and plans to file for regulatory approval in the EU and other countries later this year, today's agreement underscores our shared commitment to ensuring that this much needed treatment is made available to patients around the world."
AstraZeneca paid Ionis $20 million to license eplontersen in Latin America.
Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, Ionis is eligible to receive up to $3.6 billion in milestone and other payments. The collaboration includes territory-specific cost-sharing provisions. Ionis is also eligible to earn royalties in the range of low double-digit to mid-20s percentage depending on region.
Ionis and AstraZeneca are seeking regulatory approval for eplontersen for the treatment of hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloid polyneuropathy (ATTRv-PN) in the U.S. and plan to seek regulatory approval in the EU and other parts of the world. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration accepted the New Drug Application for eplontersen for the treatment of ATTRv-PN with a PDUFA action date of Dec. 22, 2023. Eplontersen was granted Orphan Drug Designation in the U.S.
Eplontersen is currently being evaluated in the Phase 3 CARDIO-TTRansform study (NCT04136171) for transthyretin-mediated amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM), a systemic, progressive and fatal condition that typically leads to progressive heart failure and often death within three to five years from disease onset.
About Eplontersen
Eplontersen is an investigational LIgand-Conjugated Antisense (LICA) medicine designed to inhibit the production of TTR protein. Eplontersen is being developed as a monthly self-administered subcutaneous injection to treat all types of ATTR. ATTR amyloidosis is a systemic, progressive and fatal disease in which patients experience multiple overlapping clinical manifestations caused by the inappropriate formation and aggregation of TTR amyloid deposits in various tissues and organs, including peripheral nerves, heart, intestinal tract, eyes, kidneys, central nervous system, thyroid and bone marrow. The progressive accumulation of TTR amyloid deposits in these tissues and organs leads to organ failure and eventually death.
About Transthyretin Amyloidosis (ATTR)
Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is a systemic, progressive and fatal disease in which patients experience multiple overlapping clinical manifestations caused by the inappropriate formation and aggregation of TTR amyloid deposits in various tissues and organs, including peripheral nerves, heart, intestinal tract, eyes, kidneys, central nervous system, thyroid and bone marrow. The progressive accumulation of TTR amyloid deposits in these tissues and organs leads to organ failure and eventually death.
Hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloid polyneuropathy (ATTRv-PN) is caused by the accumulation of misfolded mutated TTR protein in the peripheral nerves. Patients with ATTRv-PN experience ongoing debilitating nerve damage throughout their body resulting in the progressive loss of motor functions, such as walking. These patients also accumulate TTR in other major organs, which progressively compromises their function. The damage from misfolded TTR protein accumulation leads to disability within five years of diagnosis and is generally fatal within a decade.
Transthyretin-mediated amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is an underdiagnosed and fatal disease. It is caused by the accumulation of misfolded TTR protein in the cardiac muscle. Patients experience ongoing debilitating heart damage resulting in progressive heart failure, which results in death within three to five years from disease onset. ATTR cardiomyopathy includes both the genetic and wild-type form of the disease.
About Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
For more than 30 years, Ionis has been a leader in RNA-targeted therapy, pioneering new markets and changing standards of care. Ionis currently has four marketed medicines and a promising late-stage pipeline highlighted by cardiovascular and neurological franchises. Our scientific innovation began and continues with the knowledge that sick people depend on us, which fuels our vision to become the leader in genetic medicine, utilizing a multi-platform approach to discover, develop and deliver life-transforming therapies.
To learn more about Ionis visit www.ionispharma.com and follow us on Twitter @ionispharma.
Ionis' Forward-looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding Ionis' business and the therapeutic and commercial potential of eplontersen, Ionis' technologies and other products in development. Any statement describing Ionis' goals, expectations, financial or other projections, intentions or beliefs is a forward-looking statement and should be considered an at-risk statement. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties including those related to our commercial products and the medicines in our pipeline, and particularly those inherent in the process of discovering, developing and commercializing medicines that are safe and effective for use as human therapeutics, and in the endeavor of building a business around such medicines. Ionis' forward-looking statements also involve assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove correct, could cause its results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although Ionis' forward-looking statements reflect the good faith judgment of its management, these statements are based only on facts and factors currently known by Ionis. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These and other risks concerning Ionis' programs are described in additional detail in Ionis' annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2022, and the most recent Form 10-Q quarterly filing, which are on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these and other documents are available from the Company.
In this press release, unless the context requires otherwise, "Ionis," "Company," "we," "our," and "us" all refer to Ionis Pharmaceuticals and its subsidiaries.
Ionis Pharmaceuticals® is a registered trademark of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
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SOURCE Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 2023-07-28T11:25:34+00:00 | wafb.com | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/ionis-expands-eplontersen-agreement-with-astrazeneca-include-exclusive-rights-latin-america/ |
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indianapolis doctor who performed an abortion on a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio took the first step Tuesday toward suing Indiana’s attorney general for defamation.
Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an Indianapolis obstetrician-gynecologist who gave the girl a medication-induced abortion on June 30, filed a tort claim notice over what she says are false statements that Attorney General Todd Rokita has made about her and her work.
Bernard received widespread attention after she gave an interview to the Indianapolis Star about the child, who traveled to Indiana from Ohio for the abortion. A so-called fetal heartbeat law took effect in Ohio last month after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Such laws ban abortions from the time a fetus’ heartbeat can be detected, which is typically around the sixth week of pregnancy.
A 27-year-old man was charged last week in Columbus, Ohio, with raping the girl, confirming the existence of a case that was initially met with skepticism by some news outlets and Republican politicians.
Bernard’s lawyer, Kathleen DeLaney, filed the “tort claim notice” against Rokita just days after she sent a cease and desist letter. The claim starts a 90-day period for the state to settle it. If it’s not settled, Bernard could file a lawsuit. The claim didn’t say how much money Bernard is seeking, noting that “the harm is ongoing.”
“Mr. Rokita’s false and misleading statements about alleged misconduct by Dr. Bernard in her profession constitute defamation,” the claim reads. “The statements have been and continue to be published by or on behalf of Mr. Rokita and the Office of the Attorney General.”
After the news of the 10-year-old’s abortion broke, Rokita told Fox he would investigate whether Bernard violated child abuse notification or abortion reporting laws. He also said his office would look into whether anything Bernard said to the Indianapolis Star about the girl’s case violated federal medical privacy laws. Rokita offered no specific allegations of wrongdoing.
Records obtained by The Associated Press and local news outlets show that Bernard submitted her report about the girl’s abortion on July 2, which is within Indiana’s required three-day reporting period for an abortion performed on a girl younger than 16.
Rokita did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Indiana Democratic Party criticized Rokita for the impact the lawsuit would have on taxpayers.
“Hoosier taxpayers will now have to pay for Attorney General Todd Rokita’s national smear campaign against a doctor who helped a 10-year-old rape survivor attain a legal and safe abortion,” party spokesperson Drew Anderson wrote in an email.
___
Arleigh Rodgers is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/arleighrodgers | 2022-07-19T20:56:29+00:00 | seattletimes.com | https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/abortion-doctor-signals-shell-sue-indiana-ag-over-comments/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
THE INVESTIGATORS: La. officials shut down pumps at gas station after inspectors find water in tanks
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Inspectors with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry shut down a number of pumps at the Sunoco gas station on Scenic Highway in Baton Rouge after one woman who filled up there tipped them off about contaminated gas being sold there.
“I wouldn’t wish this on nobody,” said Psychoia Lanehart.
She said she filled up back in July and her car broke down about 30 minutes later.
”I went to move the car and I cut it on and it wouldn’t start. I tried it again and it would start and then it started killing. No one’s expecting to pull up to a gas station and get contaminated gas,” explained Lanehart.
She said she had to get her brand new car towed to a dealership where a mechanic sucked out the gas, replaced her spark plugs, and got her back on track. An invoice she provided to WAFB showed where the whole ordeal set her back almost $1,000.
“I mean, I have bills to pay. Nobody has over $1,000 just sitting around, especially with the way the economy’s going. Nobody has money like that sitting around to just have to come up out of their pocket,” added Lanehart.
On top of that, Lanehart said she was stuck with no way to get around just days after accepting a new job.
She was asked how long her car was out of commission.
“I didn’t have it for like a week. So, at that point, I was depending on my family members to get me back and forth to work so I wouldn’t lose my job,” answered Lanehart.
The woman contacted the Department of Agriculture and Forestry and a copy of its report WAFB obtained through a public records request confirmed the agency did send out inspectors and the agency did find a problem.
“When inspectors went out, they found in two different grades of gasoline, there was water in the gas,” said Dr. Mike Strain, commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry.
Strain said the pumps were immediately shut down at the gas station and red tags were placed on the affected pumps on July 28, 2022. Lanehart got gas there about a week before that inspection and the commissioner said they have no way of knowing exactly how many other drivers may have gotten the bad gas before they took action.
“Just a little bit of water will cause a huge problem. It will damage your vehicle, and so, your vehicle will knock and it won’t run well. High-performance engines won’t perform well,” he added.
When the state suspects a problem, crews will do a quick inspection at the gas station before sending off samples to a lab just to be sure. Once a gas station is flagged, it’s up to the owner to have the tanks cleaned out before they can be tested again and given the green light.
Strain said finding watered-down gas is rare but the agency takes it seriously. They test across the state thoroughly and often to make sure the gas that drivers are spending their money on is clean and safe to use.
”We do about 450 complaints a year at stations. We examine more than 3,500 stations per year and most of the stations have multiple pumps. Some have 10 or 15 pumps and we check every pump. We do that routinely but also based on complaints,” explained Strain.
He noted water typically gets into the gas tank by accident. It usually happens when the seal on top of the underground gas tanks is not tight or if there’s a crack that allows standing water to seep in. The commissioner said the worst part is there’s no real way for drivers to know the gas is bad until after they’ve pumped it.
”No. There really isn’t,” he said.
Every pump tied to bad gas is shut down until the tanks are re-inspected by the state.
Lanehart said she wants everyone to know what happened to her can happen to them.
”Just be careful where you get your gas from,” she said.
WAFB was able to reach the owner of the Sunoco gas station by phone on Monday, August 15, 2022. He said the pumps were supposed to be fixed that day but as of Tuesday afternoon, the red tags were still on several pumps at the gas station.
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Copyright 2022 WAFB. All rights reserved. | 2022-08-17T01:15:22+00:00 | wafb.com | https://www.wafb.com/2022/08/17/investigators-la-officials-shut-down-pumps-gas-station-after-inspectors-find-water-tanks/ |
NANJING, China, Jan. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Welcome to the One Culture One Identity Program. Come join us to explore interesting stories of Chinese tradition and culture... On September 10, 2022, the Global Recruitment for One Culture One Identity Program which was launched by Modern Express went viral on the Internet and received extensive attention from youngsters at home and abroad.
It's reported that, by the end of December 2022, hundreds of youngsters have joined the program as protectors who told stories of Chinese tradition and culture around them. With concrete actions, they expressed the true feelings of One Culture One Identity regardless of where we are, and spoke volume about the fact that Chinese tradition and culture are the common spiritual home of compatriots across the Strait.
At the beginning of 2023, protectors of Chinese tradition and culture issued a special initiative which called on youngsters across the Strait to work together to protect Chinese tradition and culture.
The full text of the initiative is as follows.
Youth across the Strait,
The time-honored Chinese civilization emerges more vibrant after thousands of years of development. Its profound cultural deposit reflects the wisdom and thought of the Chinese people and nourishes their emotion and life as invaluable intellectual wealth.
With the same root and language, people across the Strait celebrate the same festivals. Behind all these is unbreakable blood kinship. We youth of the new era should inherit and carry forward Chinese tradition and culture and enable the world to better under us and China.
To this end, we would like to sent an initiative to youngsters across the Strait.
Let us take an active part in the One Culture One Identity Program and work together to protect Chinese tradition and culture. Committed to international cultural and people-to-people exchanges and telling appealing Chinese stories, we will undertake our youthful mission and responsibilities.
Let us exchange visits as protectors of Chinese tradition and culture, visit traditional cultural landmarks, tell cultural stories and learn traditional craftsmanship. With these efforts, we will protect the festivals, intangible cultural heritage, national treasures and our homeland. Emotional resonance will be promoted with everybody pitching in for UGC shooting and visits.
5,000 years of history has forged our fortitude and kinship. Youth across the Strait, let us work together to carry forward our fine culture and make us heard around the world.
Protectors of Chinese tradition and culture
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SOURCE Modern Express | 2023-01-04T03:46:03+00:00 | waff.com | https://www.waff.com/prnewswire/2023/01/04/youth-across-strait-responding-initiative-protecting-chinese-tradition-culture/ |
Students ‘no longer members’ of school after racist video
PHILADELPHIA (AP) —
A Catholic high school in Philadelphia says students responsible for a racist video that showed teenage white girls in blackface are “no longer members of this school community.”
The video circulated on social media and sparked a protest a week ago at St. Hubert Catholic High School for Girls. The protesters included parents of two former students who told The Philadelphia Inquirer their children faced a hostile and unwelcoming climate because they were Black.
The video showed several white teen girls, with one spray-painting the face of another with a dark color and yelling “Know your roots!” and “It’s February!” and “You’re nothing but a slave.” The girl with the blackface then declares: “I’m Black and I’m proud!” Other girls present laugh throughout the video.
“The severity of the situation at hand demanded and the repugnant nature of the behavior on the part of some of our students demanded that we swiftly conduct a thorough investigation,” St. Hubert’s officials said in a statement. “As a result, the young women … responsible for this situation have been identified and they are no longer members of this school community.”
Officials at the school and the archdiocese of Philadelphia didn’t say whether the students had been expelled or were asked to withdraw. Those identified as participating did face suspensions before the investigation concluded, archdiocese spokesperson Ken Gavin told the Inquirer.
The school had said earlier that two girls were “no longer present” at the school and were being disciplined. The school switched last week to flexible instruction, with students completing coursework at home, after unspecified threats and canceled extracurricular activities. Students returned to in-person instruction Monday.
St. Hubert’s plans schoolwide anti-bias workshops with the Anti-Defamation League and says it will also work with the Office for Black Catholics and the Archbishop’s Commission on Racial Healing to create new school programs focused on “dialogue and prayer to address racism and provide restorative resources,” the Inquirer said.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | 2023-02-15T23:36:48+00:00 | kob.com | https://www.kob.com/news/us-and-world-news/students-no-longer-members-of-school-after-racist-video/ |
Windy Thursday, with a chance for rain, light snow
LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Wednesday’s high wind and red flag warnings expire at 7 p.m., but the high winds will continue Thursday, driven by a low-pressure system that will also bring a chance for rain and snow.
Expect lows in the upper 30s and low 40s overnight.
The arrival of the system and associated cold front will whip up winds yet again. We’ll see Red Flag and high wind/blowing dust warnings and fire weather watches and warnings across the area again Thursday, as fire danger is critical.
Thanks to the front, highs range from low 50s in the NW to low 70s in the SE. Showers begin rolling through Thursday evening and overnight, increasing chances towards the northeast. Northwestern parts of the area may see snow mixed in, and eastern counties may hear some thunder.
Friday sees the return of sunny skies and highs ranging in the 60s. The 60s and lack of clouds stick around for Saturday. Here in Lubbock, we’ll be enjoying the Severe Weather Awareness Day at the Science Spectrum facility. Members of the First Alert Weather Team will be there all day, we hope to see y’all there!
Copyright 2023 KCBD. All rights reserved. | 2023-03-01T23:28:33+00:00 | kcbd.com | https://www.kcbd.com/2023/03/01/windy-tomorrow-along-with-precip-chances/ |
WHITEFISH - Whitefish firefighters rescued four people who fell through the ice at Lower Stillwater Lake on Wednesday afternoon.
The incident happened about 20 miles north of Whitefish Lake.
Five agencies assisted with the rescues.
Firefighters caution that people can expect thin ice on Flathead County lakes this time of year.
People should be careful and keep in mind that no ice is ever 100% safe.
ALERT, Two Bear Air Rescue, North Valley Search and Rescue, Three Rivers EMS, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the Flathead County Sheriff's Office all responded to the scene. | 2023-04-13T16:17:37+00:00 | ktvh.com | https://www.ktvh.com/news/4-rescued-after-falling-through-ice-in-whitefish |
(NEXSTAR) – As Airbnb continues to crack down on partying at its rentals, the company says it is rolling out “new anti-party tools” in the U.S. and Canada intended to prevent some users from making reservations.
Earlier this summer, the home-rental website enacted strict anti-party measures for both Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. This kept any users that lacked positive reviews from booking an entire home listing for one-night reservations on either holiday weekend.
Then in June, Airbnb permanently banned parties at homes listed on its site for short-term rentals. In 2021 alone, more than 6,600 guests were suspended for related violations, according to Airbnb.
Airbnb’s new system aims to identify “potentially high-risk reservations and prevent those users from taking advantage of our platform.” A pilot program of a similar system has been conducted in Australia, where the company says it has seen a 35% drop in unauthorized parties since the program launched in October 2021.
The system will soon be permanent in Australia, and testing on the technology is now set to begin in the U.S. and Canada.
According to Airbnb, the system will look at multiple factors, including your history of — or lack of — positive reviews, how long you’ve been on Airbnb, how long your trip is, when during the week you plan to stay, how far away the listing is, and “many” additional aspects. Depending on the results, you may be prevented from making a reservation.
“The primary objective is attempting to reduce the ability of bad actors to throw unauthorized parties which negatively impact our Hosts, neighbors, and the communities we serve,” Airbnb said in a press release.
Those who are unable to book an entire home because of this new technology will be able to book a private room or a hotel stay through Airbnb, the company noted.
This new system is being referred to as “a more robust and sophisticated version” of Airbnb’s “under-25 system,” which focused on users under the age of 25 with no positive reviews trying to book local stays. However, Airbnb believes the new system will “have less of a blunt impact” on those that aren’t planning on throwing a party.
“While we are optimistic that this technology will have a positive impact for the safety of our community and our goal to reduce unauthorized parties — we want to be clear that no system is perfect,” Airbnb said. “We will communicate with transparency about the results of this testing phase and the next steps of our ban on parties.”
Airbnb began to crack down on parties in 2019 after a fatal shooting at a party at a house in California. At the time, the company prohibited advertising parties at Airbnb locations on social media.
The number of parties at Airbnb locations only increased during the pandemic, Airbnb said, as people moved gatherings from bars and clubs to rented homes. That led to a temporary ban in 2020.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | 2022-08-17T21:43:53+00:00 | wboy.com | https://www.wboy.com/news/national/airbnb-to-test-new-tech-that-could-prevent-your-reservation-if-its-deemed-high-risk/ |
Latest WTTC report shows global cities' sector recovery is well underway
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) launched its Cities Economic Impact Report (EIR) at the 22nd Global Summit in Riyadh today. Sponsored by Visa, the report shows cities remain the powerhouses of global tourism and will drive the recovery of the sector and economies around the world.
The Cities EIR analyzes 82 international city destinations and shows that prior to the pandemic, major cities were popular travel destinations, accounting for almost half of all international visits, both as standalone destinations and as gateways to other tourism hotspots within countries.
COVID-19 had a devastating impact on Travel & Tourism and in particular major cities around the world as countries closed their borders in response to the pandemic.
Throughout the pandemic, and as borders began to reopen, leisure travelers swapped major metropolises for less-populated destinations such as coastal and rural hotspots, leaving economies of international cities to battle through an incredibly tough three years.
Thousands of hotels, restaurants, and attractions in cities around the world were forced to close, with hard-working people losing their jobs as businesses struggled to stay open during these challenging times.
The Cities EIR shows how both leisure and business travelers are flocking back to cities, as their draw as iconic destinations are once again becoming the beating hearts of international tourism destinations, and business centers for overseas visitors.
According to the report, ten of the 82 cities analyzed are projected to exceed pre-pandemic levels in terms of direct Travel & Tourism GDP contribution to the city economies this year.
Qatar's capital Doha is forecast to see the largest increase from 2019 to 2022, in terms of international traveler spending as well as in direct Travel & Tourism's contribution to the city's GDP, with an expected increase of 21%.
In Europe, Warsaw is expected to witness a significant 14% increase in 2022 versus 2019 in Travel & Tourism's contribution to the city's GDP.
In the U.S., Orlando is projected to see a 10% increase in direct Travel & Tourism contribution to the city's GDP over that same period.
Over the next decade, Travel & Tourism is on track to become a key driver of economic growth once again, with faster GDP growth than other sectors, generating 126 million new jobs around the world.
By 2032, the Travel & Tourism sector will directly generate up to 8% of all jobs in the 82 cities analyzed in the Cities Report, up from 6.6% in 2019 and a low of 5.1% in 2020.
Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: "Our report clearly shows that for millions of tourists around the world, major cities remain iconic global destinations. There's still a strong appetite to experience the history, culture, and energy that cities offer travelers.
"Before the pandemic, cities were powerhouses for international tourists, serving as standalone destinations and as gateways to other tourist destinations within countries. This year cities are recovering around the world, and we forecast that cities will continue to grow and thrive over the next decade.
Jeni Mundy, Head of Global Merchant Sales and Acquiring, Visa, said: "Even after the colossal challenges the pandemic brought to the travel industry, the economic benefit of tourism to cities remains strong. Consumers' willingness to adopt digital-first travel experiences will help pave the way for even more innovations in the future.
"At Visa, we remain focused on how payments technology can make a traveler's journey more seamless - something anyone who's had a travel hiccup can appreciate.
About the World Travel & Tourism Council
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) represents the global travel & tourism private sector. Members include 200 CEOs, Chairs and Presidents of the world's leading travel & tourism companies from all geographies covering all industries. For more than 30 years, WTTC has been committed to raising the awareness of governments and the public of the economic and social significance of the travel & tourism sector.
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SOURCE World Travel & Tourism Council | 2022-11-30T22:13:36+00:00 | waff.com | https://www.waff.com/prnewswire/2022/11/30/international-cities-remain-backbone-global-travel-amp-tourism/ |
Police: 3-month-old baby found dead during first day at in-home day care
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV/Gray News) - A Tennessee day care operator was arrested after police said she left six babies unattended.
The Metro Nashville Police Department said Anne Jordan was charged with six counts of child neglect. She could face more charges after officials said a 3-month-old baby was also found dead under her watch the same day.
A friend of the 3-month-old’s parents told WSMV it was the baby’s first day at Jordan’s at-home day care in her apartment
The friend said the parents chose Jordan’s apartment as a temporary solution until they found a reputable licensed day care they could send their baby to. They said she came recommended by another friend, who used her briefly until a spot opened somewhere else.
The Tennessee Department of Human Services said the mom of the 3-month-old got to Jordan’s apartment the afternoon of April 10 and knocked on the door. Another parent came to pick up their kid and they both found the door to Jordan’s apartment unlocked.
DHS documents said the parents went inside and found the baby cold to the touch in Jordan’s bed.
Police said Jordan found the baby unconscious in a bassinet earlier and attempted CPR, but was unsuccessful. Officials said she then fled and attempted suicide.
Police are continuing to investigate as they wait for an autopsy to be conducted on the 3-month-old.
Copyright 2023 WSMV via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2023-07-04T20:09:07+00:00 | live5news.com | https://www.live5news.com/2023/07/04/police-3-month-old-baby-found-dead-during-first-day-in-home-day-care/ |
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — When Matt Judon isn’t on the sideline for the New England Patriots, it’s noticeable.
It made Judon an instant fan favorite in New England after he left Baltimore in free agency last offseason and signed a four-year $56 million deal with the Patriots. He gave his new team plenty of return on that investment, appearing in all 17 games in 2021 and amassing a career-high 12 1/2 sacks.
So, when he was absent for the Patriots’ final two workouts to cap their second week of training camp last week, it got attention.
But back on the field Monday and practicing without restriction, Judon said it won’t disrupt what so far has been a productive start to his second year in Foxborough. He even doubled down on his sleeves, wearing a thick, red hooded sweatshirt under his pads on an afternoon in which the temperature soared into the mid-90s.
“I’m just making it harder on myself, just trying to sweat, get all the bad stuff out,” Judon said. “I’d seen (former Ravens linebacker) Terrell Suggs wear a sweatshirt every day in camp. No matter the degrees, no matter the temperature. So, every day I’m out here, I’m trying to sweat it out.”
As unbearable as that might sound, it ties in with an offseason that in part Judon spent taking time to get more comfortable living in Massachusetts.
Gone now are the days when he had to use GPS for simple adventures such as finding a grocery store or restaurant.
“It’s the same thing in the (Patriots facility),” Judon said. “I know how to navigate it without asking people for help.”
It’s helped him return feeling a lot more mentally at ease and ready to attack the preseason.
“That’s a big thing. I feel more at home,” he said.
Judon is again being called on to be one of the anchors of a defense looking for fast improvements after ranking in the bottom third of the NFL against the run.
Coach Bill Belichick said one thing that continues to stick out about Judon is that he remains “anxious to learn” as the team adjusts to tweaks on that side of the ball.
Judon said that mindset is something he’s clinging to heading into this season.
While several of those teammates say they look to him for leadership, he said he’s still following the lead of several Patriots with longer tenures with the team, including fellow linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley and defensive lineman Lawrence Guy.
But he’s also trading notes with younger players such as linebackers Anfernee Jennings and Josh Uche, whose lockers are adjacent to his.
“That makes us all better, because we all see the game differently,” Judon said. “We might get the same block or the same thing. And then we get different stuff because we’re different rushers. … And I’ve just played a little more football than those guys on a different team and different system.
“I think they’re taking that, especially with what the coaches are teaching them and it’s transitioning out here.”
Judon said it’s added anticipation for the Patriots’ first look at another team when they host the New York Giants Thursday in both teams’ preseason opener.
“It’s always good to go against a different team,” he said. “We’ve been out here grinding — hot days, dog days, all that. ... When we go against somebody else, we can measure it up.”
___
More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | 2022-08-09T01:07:58+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nfl/judon-focused-on-being-himself-heading-into-year-2-with-pats/2022/08/08/60448732-1778-11ed-b998-b2ab68f58468_story.html |
A 30-year-old Billerica man who was killed in a single-vehicle crash in Chelmsford on Sat., Dec. 31, 2022, has been identified by Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan’s Office.
Nicholas Kiesinger has been identified as the driver killed in a single motor vehicle crash on Route 110 in Chelmsford, officials said.
A preliminary investigation suggests that around 8:15 p.m. Kiesinger was traveling on Route 110 near 143 Littleton Rd. when he struck two utility poles, causing his car to roll over, Ryan’s office said.
Officers pulled Kiesinger from his vehicle and was brought to a hospital where he later died. Kiesinger was the only person in the car, and no other vehicles were involved in the crash, the Ryan’s office said.
An investigation into the crash remains ongoing, officials said. | 2023-01-05T21:18:58+00:00 | masslive.com | https://www.masslive.com/police-fire/2023/01/nicholas-kiesinger-idd-as-man-killed-in-chelmsford-crash-after-hitting-2-utility-poles.html |
Amid housing crises vacation towns limit short-term rentals
By JESSE BEDAYN
The Associated Press/Report for America
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — The Colorado ski resort Steamboat Springs has passed regulations for short-term rentals, such as those booked on Airbnb, amid a severe housing crisis. The ordinances prohibit new short-term rentals in most of the city and require landlords to obtain a license to operate. Renting short-term, defined as fewer than 30 days, has become increasingly popular for second homeowners and investors who can charge hundreds of dollars a night. Vacation towns facing low housing supply, from Lincoln County on Oregon’s coast to Ketchum in Idaho’s Smoky Mountains, are grappling with how to regulate the industry, and Steamboat Springs’ new rules could prove a model for others. | 2022-08-23T15:43:24+00:00 | krdo.com | https://krdo.com/news/2022/08/23/amid-housing-crises-vacation-towns-limit-short-term-rentals-2/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — A Colombian soccer fan who came to the U.S. as a political refugee is creating a training camp for young people in New Mexico with former players from Colombia as the instructors.
David Certain, who owns a coffee company, hopes one day to expand the program in the United States and also take it back to his home country.
Former Philadelphia Union player Carlos Valdés and ex-Colombia midfielder Víctor Pacheco are among those teaching the skills and disciplines of soccer to young people in Albuquerque this week, along with former midfielder Jorge Bolaño and ex-goalkeeper Julián Viafara.
Certain wants to create a physical but also emotional and mental training camp for young people who like to play soccer.
“You see a lot of talent that looks very robotic. We want to focus a lot on the emotional part, so that they can control their emotions a little more and know that, when there are emotions, it is normal”, the 42-year-old Colombian said. “It is totally normal to feel failure when the goal is not scored, but how do you manage the moment after that? After that, a lot of kids get stuck.”
The daily camp, which is the first project of the new Alianza Sports, ends Friday in Albuquerque. New Mexico United forward Devon Sandoval will also be involved.
Certain says he is working with companies to provide scholarships for the camp. Sessions are for 10-14-year-olds and the 15-20 age group.
Certain and his family fled Cali, Colombia, in 1999 after the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) tried to kidnap him when he was 19.
Certain had an aunt in New Mexico and, after living in Miami for a while, the family moved to Albuquerque. Certain’s 11-year-old son, who plays soccer, inspired him to create the program.
During work trips to Colombia, Certain was able to contact the former players, some of whom already teach soccer and have helped create the program.
“We are very excited, really, we are very happy with everything that has been happening,” Valdés said from Colombia during a telephone interview. “It has not been an easy job, but I know that everyone who is part of it, and those who will go through this experience, will love it.”
Valdés hopes that young people learn not only soccer techniques but also values such as discipline, respect, tolerance and teamwork.
“Getting involved in something in which everyone must go in the same direction helps develop skills that make you a better person,” Valdés said.
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2022-07-26T13:30:32+00:00 | pahomepage.com | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/former-colombian-soccer-players-to-teach-their-skills-in-us/ |
TERRASINI, Sicily -- Three generations of Di Grasso men visit Sicily in search of their roots in the second season of HBO’s smash hit, “The White Lotus.” The patriarch, Albert, played by F. Murray Abraham, expects a heart-warming welcome from long-lost cousins. Instead, he is chased by an angry, wrinkled woman who threatens to throw an artichoke at his head.
I can relate to Albert’s desire to embrace his Sicilian heritage. And, perhaps, to the need for a heart-warming connection. Who doesn’t want to be rooted deeply in family history? Why else would genealogy be a top hobby?
In October, I went to Sicily to stalk the history (and vital documents) of my great-grandparents Antonio and Rosa Maria Ciranni. Unlike Albert in “The White Lotus,” my dreams were met with mixed results. I found no Cirannis in my great-grandparents’ hometown of Grotte (population 5,000), so no one welcomed me. On the other hand, no one threatened to throw artichokes at me either.
My net gain was gathering the genealogical records I sought.
I hadn’t expected a reunion. Still, I came away wanting more than just my grandfather’s birth and marriage certificates.
My document-gathering goals were purposeful. By proving my direct bloodline to Italy, I am eligible for dual citizenship. I thought I’d have to give up my U.S. citizenship, learn a new language and take a difficult test – among other imagined hurdles -- to become a citizen of a European Union country. That’s not so of Italy.
The Italian government offers citizenship to anyone who can legitimately prove their Italian bloodline. Unlike the United States, where you get citizenship for being born in the country, known as jure soli, Italian citizenship follows the bloodline, known as jure sanguinis. My great-grandparents were both born in Sicily in 1872 and immigrated in the early 1900s. Neither became U.S. citizens before their U.S. children – my grandfather included -- were born. Thus, I qualify.
But, for my citizenship quest, I need thorough proof of bloodline through vital records. The fantasy of becoming an Italian citizen – with the freedom to live in any of the 27 EU countries or make extended visits – is powerful.
After seeing my friend Jennifer Sontag go through the process a few years ago, I was motivated. Not only did she gain citizenship, but she moved to Terrasini, her great-grandparent’s hometown in Sicily. There, she started advising others on the process.
“Other people were asking questions that I could answer from my research and experience,” she says. “That started conversations and I started helping them. Over the next 10 months, I helped 12 other people be successfully recognized as Italian. During the time of helping those dozen people, I realized how much time, skill and knowledge goes into this. That spawned the idea that this could be a business.”
The Italian Citizenship Concierge was born. I became a beneficiary of Sontag’s knowledge.
Sontag is a serial entrepreneur. When she lived in Cleveland from 2013 to 2018, she operated the women’s clothing boutique Makers by Marks in Tremont. (At the time, she was Jennifer Marks.)
If she could do it, so could I. Or could I? As the keeper of stories and genealogy for my mother’s Sicilian-American family, I was interested in the cultures and people who came before me. I wanted to excavate more about the past. I had the dates and places to work with, but I didn’t speak or write Italian.
To dig deeper, I needed official copies of birth and marriage records from my great-grandparents’ birthplace. Getting them would give me an opportunity to learn more about my own place in history.
But how would I travel to Sicily? Where would I get records? How would I communicate my interest to Italian-speaking town officials? How much would it cost? What would I do with it? I was nearly paralyzed by the unknowns.
Sontag offered help and encouraged me to visit. In a moment of post-pandemic restlessness, I abandoned my fears and leaned into that citizenship quest. After all, you only live once.
I bought a round-trip Lufthansa ticket between Cleveland and Palermo. My plan was to spend a few days collecting documents, but the flight cost $1,100 whether I stayed four days or two weeks. So, I extended my trip. I’m grateful I did, as I learned much about my family’s culture. For one thing, being Sicilian feels different from being mainland Italian. (But that’s another story.)
In October 2022, we drove Sontag’s little white Fiat through the northern Sicilian countryside to Grotte in the Sicilian province of Agrigento. Grotte is about 9 miles from the province capital, also named Agrigento. The capital was founded by the Greeks in 531 B.C. and is known for the remnants of ancient temples found there. Despite proximity to a city with ancient roots (and to my disappointment), Grotte is unremarkable and not part of any tourist trail.
We arrived at 11:30 a.m., just before the Sicilians break for riposo. The office would close at 1 p.m. and not reopen until 5 p.m. (Riposo is the Italian version of a siesta. Businesses and shops close. Workers go home for a long lunch and/or rest.)
“I suoi bisnonni sono nati qui, a Grotte,” Sontag told city officials. Basically, that meant my great-grandparents were from Grotte. Using documents that I’d brought from home (downloaded from Ancestry.com), she communicated that I wanted certified originals of birth and marriage certificates. After a lot of smiles and nods, we were told to return the next day.
When we returned, the administrators provided the documents. Then they took a large, 150-year-old leather-bound record book from the shelf and pointed to handwritten names on aged paper where census information was written about my great-grandparents. We identified their neighborhood – near San Francesco Chiesa (St. Francis Church). And so, I walked their streets wondering which of the crumbling two-story stone structures had held the young Ciranni family in the late 19th century.
The sad state of the neighborhood was discouraging. Like many people, I envisioned being part of something bigger, somehow grander. It may have been more interesting to be chased by a woman with an artichoke a la the Di Grassos of “The White Lotus.”
Now that I’ve gathered the toughest documents, it’s time to collect those from rural Pennsylvania where my family settled after arriving in the United States. I’m not sure if or what I’ll learn about myself and my family, but I’m on a mission.
Reporter Paris Wolfe is a life and culture reporter for Cleveland.com. She has a special interest in food and dining. You can reach her with restaurant and food news and story ideas at pwolfe@cleveland.com. Here’s a directory of her latest posts. Follow her on Instagram @pariswolfe. | 2022-12-22T11:28:30+00:00 | cleveland.com | https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2022/12/chasing-documents-to-prove-my-bloodline-and-gain-italian-citizenship-left-me-wanting-more.html |
– Closes acquisition of four operating dispensaries in Maryland –
– Begins operations in its seventh state –
NEW YORK, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc. ("AWH" or the "Company") (CSE: AAWH.U) (OTCQX: AAWH), a multi-state, vertically-integrated cannabis operator focused on bettering lives through cannabis, announced that yesterday it closed on the previously announced acquisition of four licensed dispensaries in Aberdeen, Crofton, Ellicott City, and Laurel under the names Nature's Medicines and True Wellness from Devi Holdings, Inc. ("Devi"). This marks the Company's expansion into Maryland, its seventh state, in primarily limited license markets across the Midwest and East Coast.
"We are thrilled to officially operate in Maryland, a state on the verge of adult-use and home to more than six million people," said Abner Kurtin, Executive Chairman and Founder of AWH. "We are looking forward to the start of adult-use sales in the state, which we expect to commence in July 2023, following Governor Moore's signature of the legislation."
About AWH:
AWH is a vertically integrated operator with assets in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. AWH owns and operates state-of-the-art cultivation facilities, growing award-winning strains and producing a curated selection of products. AWH produces and distributes its in-house Ozone, Ozone Reserve, and Simply Herb branded products. For more information, visit www.awholdings.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release includes forward-looking information and statements, which may include, but are not limited to, information and statements regarding the plans, intentions, expectations, estimates, and beliefs of the Company. Words such as "expects", "continue", "will", "anticipates" and "intends" or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current projections and expectations about future events and financial trends, and on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors management believes are appropriate.
Forward-looking information and statements involve and are subject to assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual events, results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future events, results, performance, and achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking information and statements herein. Such factors include, among others: the risks and uncertainties identified in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and in the Company's other reports and filings with the applicable Canadian securities regulators and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the Company believes that any forward-looking information and statements herein are reasonable, in light of the use of assumptions and the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in such information and statements, there can be no assurance that any such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance upon such forward-looking information and statements. Any forward-looking information and statements herein are made as of the date hereof, and except as required by applicable laws, the Company assumes no obligation and disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking information and statements herein or to update the reasons that actual events or results could or do differ from those projected in any forward-looking information and statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws.
The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release.
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SOURCE Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc. | 2023-04-28T12:47:50+00:00 | wcjb.com | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2023/04/28/awh-closes-acquisition-four-maryland-dispensaries/ |
(CNN) — Spenser Peterson and his fiancée, Mallory Walling, loved their little blue home near Vermont’s Winooski River. They adored the old silver maple tree in the yard, the view of the clouds over a hill outside and the sunsets across a green field seen from the home they’ve been lovingly decorating since buying it just last April.
But when the storms came last week, battering the state with intense rain, overflowing rivers and triggering floods, their beloved new house was standing in the path of fierce floodwaters.
Water rushed into what was meant to be their forever home, rising waist-deep and knocking everything over. It crumbled the drywall, buckled the floors, swelled the doors, damaged the young couple’s belongings and covered everything with sludge.
“We really put a lot of love into making this our place,” Peterson said. “To open that door and to see it in that state, it was extremely painful.”
Peterson had left the house after seeing the water approach on Monday. When he returned the next day, the water was so high he had to paddle up to the front porch. He forced the door open and found their furniture floating around in brown, smelly water.
On the wall, picture frames of the couple and their dog, Danny, were still hanging. “But the foreground in front of those, is just this disgusting water,” Peterson recalled.
The couple was planning to get married in the field outside their Waterbury home in September. Now, the wedding tent in the field is collapsed and covered with mud.
“It’s certainly a little bit disheartening to look across and see that, yep, that’s where we’re getting married,” he said.
The couple is among many across Vermont dealing with the aftermath of last week’s floods that put whole communities underwater, damaged homes, trapped residents and forced water rescues as the state was hammered with record-setting rainfall.
For many, the floods brought back memories of Hurricane Irene, which hit the East Coast in August 2011 and left entire communities submerged, killing more than 40 people in several Eastern states.
Peterson and Walling’s home had previously been destroyed by Irene, and then rebuilt, Peterson said.
“You see stories about people who live in flood zones or areas that do see repeated flooding, and I think it’s pretty natural to wonder why? Why would these people continue to rebuild and live in that spot again?” Peterson said.
The couple knew they were buying their first home in a flood zone, but they just fell in love with it, he said.
“I didn’t think we’d have to deal with flooding this soon after purchasing,” he said. “I knew it was a possibility, but they call Irene the 100 year flood … and it hasn’t been quite that long.”
“It’s not like it’s a yearly thing that we get flooded out and have to rebuild everything. That was a very significant storm and very unexpected,” he said.
The climate crisis is stacking the deck in favor of more intense weather events like the heavy rain and flooding that battered the Northeast, climate scientists tell CNN.
Intense rain events, like atmospheric rivers and torrential, training thunderstorms, are quickly making the idea of a “1-in-100-year flood event” obsolete, according to the report from First Street Foundation, a non-profit focused on weather risk research.
Even before last week’s floods in the Northeast, there had been 12 different billion-dollar weather and climate disasters across the US during the first six months of 2023 that left more than $32.7 billion in damages, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“It’s always a big reminder to just really like look around at what you have and who you have around you and consider that nothing is permanent,” Peterson said. “Nature doesn’t discriminate and doesn’t have any thought for, ‘maybe I’ll spare them, this is their first home and they’ve worked so hard for this.’”
‘It’s still our home’
When the rain started Monday, Peterson thought he was in for a quiet day at home relaxing with his dog.
But then he saw a giant pond begin to fill in their front yard and started to pack an overnight bag for him and his fiancée, thinking they may only need to leave for a day or two.
An hour later, there were already 8 inches of water in their garage. Nearby, the Winooski River was raging.
“You could see big trees and things were being washed down from people’s homes were going down the river,” Peterson said.
Peterson placed his canoe on top of his truck before leaving, knowing he may have to paddle back in when he returned – his heart still back home worried about what was happening.
“I didn’t sleep at all Monday night because I was just thinking, is it going to flood my house? Should I be there doing more stuff?”
The next day, everything inside the house was underwater. While there was no visible structural damage, everything was “just sopping wet and warped and just crumbling apart,” he said.
He flashed back to before the flood, when he and his fiancée were chatting about how grateful they were to be living somewhere that was their own, how perfectly their bedroom was decorated and how happy they were to celebrate little milestones – like finally owning their first dishwasher.
“I came back Wednesday when the water was gone and began cleanup,” he said. “Everything – yard, driveway, in the house and the garage – was all just covered in nasty river, river sludge and whatever else came down river,” he said.
He recalled pulling out a stack of soaked and bleeding holiday cards the couple had gathered over the years and laid them out in the sun to try and preserve the messages inside.
Though neighboring homes also suffered damage, the couple’s home was among the hardest hit in their neighborhood, Peterson said.
The couple did have insurance – with flood coverage – and were waiting for an insurance adjuster to come out to the home. But they worry there may be repairs that would cost more than the structure itself is worth, he said.
As the two see their lives upended, they’ve been grateful for support from community members and neighbors, many who’ve gone through Irene and arrived to help at the home, give advice and donate to their GoFundMe.
One neighbor, whose garage was also flooded, came up to the house to check in on Peterson while he was speaking with CNN on Sunday and preparing for more potential flooding.
“The community organization here has been incredible – not just neighbors coming over while they’re also cleaning up all their mess,” he said. He was grateful for the ones who opened up their homes to others and offered spare bedrooms, donated food and water and banded together to clean up and collect debris.
For now, the couple hopes to rebuild – even if it means putting in a manufactured home in its place – and take steps to prevent flood damage in the future, like raising the house higher off the ground.
“Our home is in shambles right now, but it’s still our home,” Peterson said.
Everything can be replaced, he said, but what’s important is family. “I’ve got my fiancée and our dog and are alive and well and we have a place to stay right now.”
They also won’t change their wedding plans.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | 2023-07-22T08:42:45+00:00 | wlfi.com | https://www.wlfi.com/news/national/they-planned-to-get-married-outside-their-beloved-home-and-then-the-floods-came/article_823dc106-0cbe-569d-90fa-0d93ac60c39a.html |
BANGKOK — A court in military-ruled Myanmar on Friday convicted the country's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi of corruption, sentencing her to seven years in prison in the last of a string of criminal cases against her, a legal official said.
The court's action leaves her with a total of 33 years to serve in prison following a series of politically tinged prosecutions since the army toppled her elected government in February 2021.
The case that ended Friday involved five offenses under the anti-corruption law and followed earlier convictions on seven other corruption counts, each of which was punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine.
She has also been convicted of several other offenses, including illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies, violating coronavirus restrictions, breaching the country's official secrets act, sedition and election fraud.
All her previous convictions had landed her with a total of 26 years' imprisonment.
Suu Kyi's supporters and independent analysts say the numerous charges against her and her allies are an attempt to legitimize the military's seizure of power while eliminating her from politics before an election it has promised for next year.
In the five counts of corruption decided Friday, Suu Kyi was alleged to have abused her position and caused a loss of state funds by neglecting to follow financial regulations in granting permission to Win Myat Aye, a Cabinet member in her former government, to hire, buy and maintain a helicopter.
Suu Kyi was the de facto head of government, holding the title of state counsellor. Win Myint, who was president in her government, was a co-defendant in the same case.
Friday's verdict in the purpose-built courtroom in the main prison on the outskirts of the capital, Naypyitaw, was made known by a legal official who insisted on anonymity for fear of being punished by the authorities. The trial was closed to the media, diplomats and spectators, and her lawyers were barred by a gag order from talking about it.
The legal official said Suu Kyi received sentences of three years for each of four charges, to be served concurrently, and four years for the charge related to the helicopter purchase, for a total of seven years. Win Myint received the same sentences.
The defendants denied all the charges, and her lawyers are expected to appeal in the coming days.
The end of the court cases against Suu Kyi, at least for now, raises the possibility that she would be allowed outside visitors, which she has been denied since she was detained.
The military government has repeatedly denied all requests to meet with her, including from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which seeks to help mediate an end to the crisis in Myanmar that some U.N. experts have characterized as a civil war because of the armed opposition to military rule.
The U.N. announced after its special envoy, Noeleen Heyzer, met in August with Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the head of Myanmar's military-installed government, that he "expressed openness to arranging a meeting at the right time" between her and Suu Kyi.
A statement from the military government said: "Depending on the circumstances after the completion of the judiciary process, we will consider how to proceed."
Suu Kyi is currently being held in a newly constructed separate building in the prison in Naypyitaw, near the courthouse where her trial was held, with three policewomen whose duty is to assist her.
Allowing access to Suu Kyi has been a major demand of the many international critics of Myanmar's military rulers, who have faced diplomatic and political sanctions for their human rights abuses and suppression of democracy.
State-controlled media reported last year that Win Myat Aye, the figure at the center of the corruption case that ended Friday, used the rented helicopter for only 84.95 hours between 2019 and 2021, but paid for a total of 720 flight hours, which resulted in a loss of more than $3.5 million in funds.
The state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said he also allegedly failed to follow official procedures in buying the state-owned helicopter, resulting in a further loss of 23 billion Myanmar Kyat ($11 million).
Win Myat Aye is now Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management in the National Unity Government established as a parallel administration by elected legislators who were barred from taking their seats when the military seized power last year. The military has declared NUG to be an outlawed "terrorist organization."
Suu Kyi, the daughter of Myanmar's martyred independence hero Gen. Aung San, spent almost 15 years as a political prisoner under house arrest between 1989 and 2010.
Her tough stand against the military rule in Myanmar turned her into a symbol of nonviolent struggle for democracy, and won her the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize.
Her National League for Democracy party initially came to power after easily winning the 2015 general election, ushering in a true civilian government for the first time since a 1962 military coup.
But after coming to power, Suu Kyi was criticized for showing deference to the military while ignoring atrocities it is credibly accused of committing in a 2017 crackdown on the Muslim Rohingya minority.
Her National League for Democracy won a landslide victory again in the 2020 election, but less than three months afterwards, elected lawmakers were kept from taking their seats in Parliament and top members of her government and party were detained.
The army said it acted because there had been massive voting fraud in the 2020 election, but independent election observers did not find any major irregularities.
The army's takeover in 2021 triggered widespread peaceful protests that security forces tried to crush with deadly forces and that soon erupted into armed resistance.
According to a detailed list compiled by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a non-governmental organization that tracks killings and arrests, Myanmar security forces have killed at least 2,685 civilians and arrested 16,651.
On Wednesday last week, the U.N. Security Council called on Myanmar's military rulers to release all "arbitrarily detained" prisoners including Suu Kyi in its first resolution on the situation in Myanmar since the army's seizure of power.
The U.N. resolution also calls for an immediate end to violence in Myanmar and urges all parties in the country to work on starting a dialogue and reconciliation aimed at peacefully resolving the crisis.
Myanmar's foreign ministry retorted that the situation in the Southeast Asian country solely concerns internal affairs that pose no risk to international peace and security.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2022-12-30T09:03:36+00:00 | upr.org | https://www.upr.org/npr-news/2022-12-29/a-court-in-myanmar-again-finds-aung-san-suu-kyi-guilty-of-corruption |
When: Conestoga Valley school board meeting, Nov. 21.
What happened: After a 50-minute discussion about the interscholastic athletics policy, specifically regarding transgender athletes, the board agreed to postpone the discussion until the Jan. 10 meeting.
Background: In June, board member Michael Talley announced that he and Vice President Philip Benigno wanted to discuss the district’s policy for transgender athletes to “get ahead of the curve,” even though the district hasn’t had any requests from transgender athletes to be included on a team. The board started the discussion at the July meeting but tabled it to further research federal and state law. Board members Mark Gensel, Philip Hurst and Talley have shared their desire to revise the policy so that transgender students must play on the team that aligns with their sex at birth. President Idette Groff has indicated she would like to wait until a ruling comes from the federal government regarding changes to Title IX related to gender identity and athletics. At the Nov. 21 meeting, Talley said he felt the board should make changes to the policy now. But he agreed to table the discussion until January in case the law provides more guidance by then. Regardless, he said the board needs to take action at that time.
Board comments: “These are the issues (safety and fair competition) that concern me the most about allowing transgender students in,” Groff said. “I don’t know how to balance those with the rights of transgender students.” Board member Diane Martin said, “I just don’t see it bigger picture-wise making sense,” about changing the policy. She expressed a concern that if the board does pass a policy requiring students to play on teams that align with their sex at birth, then those students could appeal, and the district would use taxpayer money on legal fees.
What’s next: If the board chooses to make changes to the policy at the January meeting, legal counsel will have to review the policy before it is finalized, Superintendent Dave Zuilkoski said. The district would not implement the policy until the start of the 2023-24 school year.
Superintendent comments: “I think there are a lot of nuances. I don’t want minds made up. I want a growth mindset when we have that discussion in January,” Zuilkoski said. “It’s not just chromosomes. We’re dealing with children here.”
Public comment: Groff asked if the district knows where its constituents stand on the matter. Talley said individuals he has talked to are in favor of revising the policy. “No one is here like Manheim Township or Hempfield,” he said, referring to the crowds at those board meetings when the issue was discussed. Resident Diane Tyson was the only member of the public to address the board on the issue. “In the last year, I’ve seen no evidence at all that there’s any problem with the current 123 (athletics) policy,” she said. “I just worry this is not the best use of your time and your energy and possibly my tax dollars. I encourage you strongly as a board to focus on education issues, not political issues.”
Nominating committee: Board members Brad Dillman, Kathleen Trowbridge and Talley, who made up the nominating committee, recommended that Groff be nominated for president and Gensel for vice president for 2023. The board accepted the committee’s report but will not make a final decision until the Dec. 5 reorganization meeting.
Public comment: Resident Elizabeth Rickard, who identified herself as a member of the Facebook group Conestoga Valley Stands Up, spoke about her group’s concerns with construction delays, inconveniences and what she claimed were safety issues with the new Gerald G. Huesken Middle School.
District response: When asked by phone Nov. 22 to respond to Rickard’s comments, Zuilkoski said Rickard reiterated the concerns reported on in the Nov. 20 LNP | LancasterOnline Watchdog article, which the administration addressed. | 2022-11-26T11:01:28+00:00 | lancasteronline.com | https://lancasteronline.com/news/regional/conestoga-valley-mulls-athletics-policy-transgender-athletes-postpones-discussion-until-january/article_85f32ec6-6b6e-11ed-918e-4bd1b1507f29.html |
Former President Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, is moving to hospice care. Carter is 98 years old and served as president from 1977 to 1981.
The Carter Center issued this statement:
"After a series of short hospital stays, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter today decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention. He has the full support of his family and his medical team. The Carter family asks for privacy during this time and is grateful for the concern shown by his many admirers."
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-02-18T22:15:36+00:00 | delawarepublic.org | https://www.delawarepublic.org/npr-headlines/npr-headlines/2023-02-18/jimmy-carter-the-39th-u-s-president-enters-hospice-care |
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The early days of motocross were technically the same as today: riders racing dirt bikes over humps and around berms, fastest person wins.
After 50 years, it actually looks almost like a different sport.
The motorcycles are faster, more powerful. The riders come from around the globe, are among the fittest athletes in any sport. The tracks feature jumps old-school riders wouldn't have even considered, obstacles that would have been unfathomable.
And the exposure, thanks to TV and social media, has skyrocketed off a dirt-covered launching pad.
"Oh, man, that's like watching the '72 Olympic basketball game compared to what we have now with the Dream Team,” said Davey Coombs, president of MX Sports Pro Racing, which runs the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. “What used to be sort of an Alabama country dirt bike race has turned into a global phenomenon.”
The Lucas Oil Motocross Championship kicked off its 50th season in Pala, California, moved north to historic Hangtown and will be roaring along the edge of the Rockies outside of Denver this weekend.
It's been quite a ride.
The circuit's origins date to 1972, when the pieces of multiple series were cobbled into one. Few people outside diehard fans knew who any of the riders were, the tracks mostly weaved through the natural terrain and the bikes broke down so often organizers opted for three 20-minute motos so there was time for repairs.
The only opportunities to watch live racing was if the circuit came into town or you were willing to take a long drive. Even still photos of the early era are hard to come by, much less video footage.
The sport began to gain traction when marketable stars like Jeremy McGrath, Ricky Carmichael and Travis Pastrana started to make noise. Motocross remained a niche sport, but interest in the high-flying, fast-moving races started expanding as some of the best riders in the world flocked to the United States.
Australian Jett Lawrence won the 450cc title last season and the series includes German two-time 450cc rider Ken Roczen, Frenchman Marvin Musquin, a two-time runner-up, and up-and-coming Japanese rider Jo Shimoda.
“We're seeing all the best of every other country in ways we've never seen before,” Coombs said.
And more people are watching them race.
Before MX Sports Pro Racing took over in 2009, live racing was an afterthought, leaving fans scrambling to figure out when and where to watch the races. A major step was a partnership with NBC, which allowed for mostly live racing with some tape-delay. A deal with MAVTV has allowed the circuit to be televised in its entirety this summer.
“The notoriety and awareness of the sport has been huge,” said Carmichael, who won seven straight 450cc titles starting in 2000. “It's becoming more popular every year.”
Social media has thrust it forward.
Motocross has not reached the popularity of UFC, but has seen some of the same social media engagement from some of its athletes.
Roczen has 1.5 million Instagram followers and 201,000 on Twitter. Eli Tomac, currently second in the season standings, has nearly a million on Instagram and 133,000 on Twitter. Three-time champion Ryan Dungey, who returned this season after a five-year retirement, has 800,000 Instagram followers and 213,000 more on Twitter.
Many riders are hyper active on social media, providing fans with what amounts to 24/7 coverage. The races are on Saturdays, but the pregame shows across social platforms play out for days before.
“As they prepare for the events, it becomes sort of a symbiotic relationship,” Coombs said. “They’re previewing what’s going to happen on the weekend and that gives us a chance to show what we’re doing."
What they're seeing is a sport with bigger and faster riders than old-school riders could have ever imagined.
In the early days, the motorcycles were essentially trail bikes with a few adjustments. Today's motocross bikes are like two-wheeled Formula 1 cars, finely tuned technological wonders with power that allows riders to clear what was once a quadruple jump with a quick twist of the throttle.
Track designers have tried to keep up, building bigger jumps and more obstacles that make the racing more acrobatic but also keep the bikes from propelling off the track.
Even the riders have changed.
Before Carmichael arrived on the scene, the best riders could win races just by having more talent. Carmichael turned the sport into more of an athletic endeavor, using intense off-track workouts to supplement his formidable talent.
Following Carmichael's example, modern-day riders have become some of the best-conditioned athletes in the world, spending their days working out, watching what they eat, even hiring trainers and nutritionists just to keep up.
“The race paces have become so much harder, you can't afford not to have that stuff these days,” Dungey said. “You have to have all that or it's going to show.”
___
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2022-06-10T23:11:43+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/sports/article/Motocross-accelerates-through-50-years-of-progress-17234331.php |
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