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- Dr. Cho elaborated on the "mobility platform provider" strategy at the 44th Vienna International Motor Symposium.
- He presented the business expansion strategy being applied on new growth areas, such as UAM, robotics, and PBVs.
- Dr. Cho said, "Advancement of the mobility technology will improve the quality of life and values of people."
VIENNA and SEOUL, South Korea, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Mobis (KRX 012330) CEO Sung-hwan Cho attended an international symposium and illustrated the company's strategy that had previously been announced at this year's CES for taking the business to the next level as a mobility platform provider. He also implied the company's willingness to strengthen its key competitiveness in the future mobility sector, such as with electrification, autonomous driving, and connectivity, and to advance the new businesses that will be the next growth drivers for Hyundai Mobis.
Hyundai Mobis announced on 28 that the CEO Sung-hwan Cho was invited to the 44th International Vienna Motor Symposium held in Vienna, Austria as a lecturer where he presented on the topic, "Strategic Approach of Hyundai Mobis for the Vision of Hyundai Motor Group on Future Mobility."
The Vienna Motor Symposium is an internationally recognized annual symposium in the automotive industry. This year, the symposium focused on the theme of electrification of the powertrain, which has become a huge wave of change in the global automobile industry. Allegedly over 1,000 people from global automakers, automotive suppliers, and academics from 25 countries flocked to Vienna for the event.
In the lecture, Dr. Cho introduced Hyundai Motor Group's vision for the future mobility and gave a clear picture of Hyundai Mobis' strategy in connection with the group's approach. Dr. Cho stressed in the presentation that "Hyundai Mobis will deliver a differentiated platform to customers in the electrification, autonomous driving, and connectivity sectors based on software with exceptional quality and optimum semiconductors."
He also expressed the company's intention to promote the new businesses that will be the next growth engines for the company. That is, using electrification element technology, such as the battery system it has already secured, to propel new businesses forward like UAM and robotics. Hyundai Mobis is mass producing and supplying the battery system assemblies (BSA), the electric drive units, and the integrated charging control units (ICCU) that are installed on EV platforms. The company plans to give shape to its strategy of scaling up such key electrification technology to new growth engine businesses in the near future.
At the symposium, Dr. Cho also emphasized that innovation in mobility technology is vital to enhancing the value and quality of people's lives. He explained, "Hyundai Mobis strongly believes that mobility technology is an important key to contribute to solving universal problems including climate change, urban overcrowding, and aging population, and that our innovation must support sustainable growth."
His vision for future technology was also disclosed at CES this year. Hyundai Mobis has revealed M.VISION TO, a Purpose Built Vehicle (PBV) concept at CES 2023. M.VISION TO is an autonomous electric vehicle that is designed to not only increase the freedom to move without the need to drive, but also serve various other purposes depending on user needs, including letting people with disabilities or in wheelchairs get in and out with ease or carrying cargo.
The 44th International Vienna Motor Symposium was attended by Hyundai Mobis CEO Sung-hwan Cho, Thomas Schmall, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, Bosch-CEO Stefan Hartung, and Vice President of Mercedes-Benz Christoph Starzynski. Fervent discussions on the future of the mobility industry and the global transition to electrification were held throughout the symposium centering around the presentations by above lecturers.
About Hyundai Mobis
Hyundai Mobis is the global no. 6 automotive supplier, headquartered in Seoul, Korea. Hyundai Mobis has outstanding expertise in sensors, sensor fusion in ECUs and software development for safety control. The company's products also include various components for electrification, brakes, chassis and suspension, steering, airbags, lighting, and automotive electronics. Hyundai Mobis operates its R&D headquarters in Korea, with four technology centers in the United States, Germany, China and India. For more information, please visit the website at http://www.mobis.co.kr/
Media Contact
Jihyun Han: jihyun.han@mobis.co.kr
Choon Kee Hwang : ckhwang@mobis.co.kr
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SOURCE Hyundai Mobis | 2023-04-28T08:13:49+00:00 | wcjb.com | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2023/04/28/hyundai-mobis-ceo-sung-hwan-cho-introduced-mobility-platform-provider-strategy-44th-vienna-international-motor-symposium/ |
Stocks closed lower on Wall Street, led by drops in big technology companies and erasing the S&P 500's gains for the week.
The S&P 500 fell 0.7% Wednesday, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq also fell. Small-company stocks fell more than the rest of the market.
Wall Street was absorbing a mix of retail updates that showed inflation pressure continues to affect businesses and consumers but also shows that spending remains strong. Target fell after reporting a plunge in profits. The government reported that retail sales were flat in July.
Stocks are moving broadly lower on Wall Street in afternoon trading Wednesday, led by drops in big technology companies and erasing the S&P 500's gains for the week.
The S&P 500 fell 0.6% as of 2:07 p.m. Eastern. Trading has been choppy throughout the week as the benchmark index comes off a four-week winning streak.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 124 points, or 0.4%, to 34,025, and the Nasdaq fell 1.1%.
Small-company stocks fell more sharply than the rest of the market. The Russell 2000 fell 1.6%.
Pricey technology companies and retailers had some of the biggest losses. Utilities and energy stocks held up better than the broader market.
Wall Street was absorbing a mix of retail updates that showed inflation pressure continues to affect businesses and consumers, but also shows that spending remains strong.
Target fell 2.3% after reporting a nearly 90% plunge in second quarter profits as it was forced to slash prices to clear unwanted inventories. The retailer warned earlier this summer that it was canceling orders from suppliers and aggressively cutting prices because of a pronounced spending shift by Americans as the pandemic eased.
Children's clothing and accessories chain Children's Place fell 12.4% after reporting a surprise second-quarter loss as it faced supply chain problems and pressure from inflation.
Bond yields rose significantly. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 2.89% from 2.81% late Tuesday.
Sales at U.S. retailers were unchanged last month, according to the Commerce Department, and economists had expected a slight increase in July. Part of the weakness came from a 1.8% drop in gas sales, reflecting lower prices at the pump.
Wall Street has been closely reviewing the latest economic data and corporate updates to get a better sense of how inflation is affecting businesses and consumers and whether the hottest inflation in 40 years is peaking or beginning to cool. Investors are also monitoring inflation to determine how much further central banks have to go in their fight against higher prices.
Britain's inflation rate rose to a new 40-year high of 10.1% in July, a faster pace than in the U.S. and Europe as climbing food prices in the United Kingdom tightened a cost-of-living squeeze fueled by the soaring cost of energy. Inflation pressures prompted the Bank of England to boost its key interest rate by half a percentage point this month, the biggest of six consecutive increases since December.
The Federal Reserve has been raising interest rates in order to slow the economy and temper inflation, but investors remain concerned that it could hit the brakes too hard and send the economy into a recession. The Fed in July raised its benchmark interest rate by three-quarters of a point for a second-straight time. Wall Street will get more details on the process behind that decision when the Fed releases minutes from that meeting later Wednesday. | 2022-09-09T06:11:01+00:00 | denver7.com | https://www.denver7.com/news/national/weekly-gains-for-s-p-500-erased-as-wall-street-stocks-drop |
The world of healthcare can be confusing to navigate. Before the prevalence of health maintenance organizations and various other health and wellness insurance groups, obtaining medical assistance involved going to the doctor and then paying the bill. But today people must navigate copayments, coinsurance, deductibles, and savings plans, which can make it difficult to understand what’s going on with your insurance company.
Healthcare is standardized in some areas of the world and publicly financed with little to no out-of-pocket costs for participating citizens. Elsewhere, access to health insurance is provided through employers or government assistance programs or individually purchased.
Understanding some health insurance-related jargon is a great way to better educate oneself about the industry.
Benefit period: The benefit period refers to the duration of time services are covered under your plan. It is usually a calendar year from the point of start to end. It may begin each year on an anniversary date when you first received coverage.
Coinsurance: This is a percentage of the cost of services rendered in specific areas outlined by the health plan that you are responsible for after a deductible is met. For example, a plan may cover 85 percent of costs, with patients responsible for the remaining 15.
Copayment (copay): A copayment refers to the flat rate you pay to a provider at the time you receive services. Some plans do not have copays.
Deductible: The amount you pay for health services before the insurance company pays. You must meet a set limit, which varies by plan and provider, before insurance will kick in and cover the remaining costs during the benefit period. Many plans have a $2,000 per person deductible. This deductible renews with each calendar year.
HMO: A health maintenance organization offers services only with specific HMO providers. Referrals from a primary care doctor often are needed to see specialists.
HSA: A health savings account enables you to set aside pre-tax income up to a certain limit for certain medical expenses.
Long-term care insurance: A specific healthcare plan that can be used for in-home nursing care or to pay for the medical services and room and board for assisted living/nursing home facilities.
Network provider: This is a healthcare provider who is part of a plan’s network. Many insurance companies negotiate set rates with providers to keep costs low. They will only pay out a greater percentage to network providers.
Non-network provider: A healthcare provider who is not part of a plan’s network. Costs may be higher if you visit a non-network provider or if you are not covered at all.
PPO: A preferred provider organization is a type of insurance plan that offers more extensive coverage for in-network services, but offer additional coverage for out-of-network services.
About the Author | 2022-09-02T19:08:20+00:00 | springfieldnewssun.com | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/lifestyles/in-your-prime-learn-the-jargon-of-health-insurance/P27VNAQRNVBWLMLPAQJ4VCJZKM/ |
The federal government wants to update the organ procurement and transplant system, according to an initiative outlined last month.
The plan, which was proposed by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, mentions modernizing the system, strengthening equity, and nearly doubling funding to $67 million in 2024 to make specific changes, among other points.
The nonprofit United Network for Organ Sharing, or UNOS, has been contracted to be in charge of the nation’s organ procurement and transplant system since the 1980s, winning multiple contract renewals.
Before then, there was no unity in organ transplantation across the country.
“By 1984, it became clear to members of Congress that transplantation in the United States was not organized at all,” said Dr. Ben Vernon, a transplant surgeon at HealthOne Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Denver. “This is a very complicated, very unique situation: getting the right organ to the right person, at the right time, for the right reason.”
SEE MORE: Couples swap living kidney donors
Experts say there are pros and cons to the current system.
“The pros are that the system actually works very well to get deceased donor organs to the right recipients, I think,” Dr. Vernon said.
Some of the cons include long wait times and damaged or discarded organs.
“These organs don't last in preservation for a particularly long time and one needed to get them in quickly,” he said.
Right now, more than 103,000 Americans need an organ transplant, according to statistics from UNOS as of April 25, 2023.
"Of all the deceased donor organs that are recovered, not all are used,” Dr. Vernon said. “The system has some design flaws in it."
There is currently no timeline for the possible changes outlined in the initiative.
April is National Donate Life Month, which focuses on the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation.
SEE MORE: Doctor donates kidney in hopes of inspiring others | 2023-04-26T17:52:00+00:00 | tmj4.com | https://www.tmj4.com/news/national/why-does-the-government-want-to-change-the-organ-transplant-system |
WASHINGTON (AP) — A joint venture between General Motors and South Korean battery company LG Energy Solution is set to receive a $2.5 billion loan from the Energy Department to build battery cell factories for electric vehicles in three states.
The Energy Department said it has made a conditional commitment to lend the money to Ultium Cells LLC, a joint venture of GM and LG. The loan could help Ultium finance three lithium-ion battery plants planned in Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, bolstering the Biden administration’s efforts to promote electric vehicles and reduce dependence on China for critical components.
The plants will help strengthen U.S. energy independence and support Biden’s goal to have electric vehicles make up half of all vehicles sales in the United States by 2030, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said.
Ultium Cells will supply GM as it works to convert its light-duty fleet to all-electric by 2035.
The plants are expected to create up to 6,000 construction jobs and 5,100 operations jobs when completed. Ultium Cells is weeks away from opening its first EV battery plant in Lordstown, Ohio, which it says will help it meet strong demand for electric vehicles.
The joint venture also plans to build battery plants in Lansing, Michigan, and Spring Hill, Tennessee. GM plans to announce the site of a fourth plant this year, CEO Mary Barra said Tuesday.
The federal loan would be the first exclusively for a battery cell manufacturing project under the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program, which provides loans to support U.S. manufacturing of light-duty vehicles, qualifying components and materials that improve fuel economy, the Energy Department said.
Jigar Shah, director of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, said Tuesday the loan would “help build a domestic supply chain to meet the growing demand for electric vehicles” and “create thousands of good-paying jobs across three states while enabling improvements in existing lithium-ion battery technologies.”
Ultium Cells has allotted about $2 billion for construction of each plant, but a GM spokesman said commitments GM and LG have made to fund the joint venture don’t preclude them from pursuing a loan under a program designed to advance clean energy technology.
“Assuming the loan is approved, it would have the effect of lowering the amount of capital the joint venture partners would need to fund directly,” spokesman Jim Cain said. “Ultium Cells will repay the loans with proceeds earned by selling its cells to GM.”
Tesla, Ford and Nissan are among auto companies that received ATVM loans under the Obama administration.
___
AP auto writer Tom Krisher in Detroit contributed to this story. | 2022-07-26T17:11:38+00:00 | seattletimes.com | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/energy-dept-backs-2-5b-loan-to-gm-venture-for-ev-batteries/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_business |
President Biden on Thursday weighed in on the Supreme Court following its decision to upend affirmative action in college admissions, calling it “not normal.”
“This is not a normal court,” the president said at the White House when asked whether thought the institution had gone “rogue.”
The president opted not to respond to a question about whether there should be term limits for Supreme Court justices, an idea floated earlier in the week by Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the former longtime House Speaker. In his remarks, Biden strongly disagreed with the court’s decision to strike affirmative action, which limited the use of race as a factor in college admissions.
Earlier on Thursday, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) said the court’s legitimacy is now in question, calling the decision “radical.”
In the opinion that broke along ideological lines, conservative justices invalidated admissions practices at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, ruling they did not comply with the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection.
More on the Supreme Court’s ruling from The Hill
- Supreme Court upends affirmative action in college admissions
- READ: Supreme Court’s affirmative action majority opinion
- Thomas in rare occurrence reads affirmative action opinion from bench
- Five things to know about Supreme Court’s decision to curtail college affirmative action
- Black leaders blast Supreme Court for overturning affirmative action
Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas read his concurring opinion from the bench, a rare occurrence for him, and advocated for a colorblind view of the Constitution. Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor, meanwhile, read a blistering dissent from the bench.
The president, meanwhile, urged colleges and universities in the U.S. to maintain a commitment to ensuring diverse student bodies
“We’re not going to let this break us,” Biden said on Thursday, vowing to discuss the decision and next steps further. | 2023-06-29T19:37:04+00:00 | wdtn.com | https://www.wdtn.com/hill-politics/biden-on-affirmative-action-decision-this-is-not-a-normal-court/ |
Train service was stopped after an Amtrak train reportedly crashed into the back of a vehicle in the Gaviota area Friday.
The call came in around 10:40 a.m. for the 11000 block of Calle Real.
Limited information was immediately available but the Santa Barbara County Fire Department said initial reports were that the train had crashed into a wood chipper on the back of a vehicle.
It was unknown when train service through the area would resume.
CHP is reporting no injuries associated with the collision. | 2023-03-03T20:40:22+00:00 | ksby.com | https://www.ksby.com/news/local-news/amtrak-train-hits-back-of-truck-on-tracks-in-gaviota-area |
Mary Quant, designer who epitomized Swinging 60s, dies at 93
LONDON (AP) — Mary Quant, the visionary fashion designer whose colorful, sexy miniskirts epitomized Swinging London in the 1960s and influenced youth culture around the world, has died. She was 93.
Quant’s family said she died “peacefully at home” in Surrey, southern England, on Thursday.
Quant helped popularize the miniskirt — some credit her with inventing it — and the innovative tights that went along with it, creating dresses and accessories that were an integral part of the look. She created mix-and-match, simple garments that had an element of whimsy. Some compared her impact on the fashion world with the Beatles’ impact on pop music.
“I think it was a happy confluence of events, which is really what fashion is so often all about,” said Hamish Bowles, international editor at large for American Vogue magazine. “She was the right person with the right sensibility in the right place at the right time. She appeared on the scene at the exact cusp of the ‘60s.”
He said Quant was also an astute businesswoman and one of the first to understand how branding oneself as a creative force could help her sustain her business and branch out into new fields, like cosmetics.
Quant was perfectly positioned to capitalize on the “youthquake” that took hold in the 1960s. She sensed that the days of the exclusive salons were numbered, and thought that even the great Parisian designers would follow ready-to-wear trends.
The look she created was sexy and fun, a sharp break with the predictable floral day dresses commonly worn after the war, when food rationing was still in place and tight household budgets meant there was little disposable income.
Quant introduced miniskirts with hemlines up to 8 inches above the knee to the London scene in 1966 and they were an instant hit with young people, in part because they shocked and offended many.
While some insist she first developed the style, many also credit French designer Andre Courreges, whose 1964 spring collection included minidresses that were popular in Paris but did not have widespread impact outside France. Others cite the short skirts worn by actress Anne Francis in the 1956 film “Forbidden Planet” as the first example of the miniskirt.
Whether or not she was the first to design them, there is no doubt that it was Quant who figured out how to market the miniskirt to the masses.
Quant, who named the skirt after her favorite make of car, recalled how it offered a “feeling of freedom and liberation.″ From her shop on King’s Road in London’s Chelsea neighborhood, she took part in a clothing revolution.
“It was the girls on King’s Road who invented the mini. I was making clothes which would let you run and dance and we would make them the length the customer wanted,″ she said. “I wore them very short and the customers would say, ‘shorter, shorter’.”
While Courreges came from an haute couture tradition and his clothes were expensive items aimed at a limited audience, Quant used a variety of materials and colors to make miniskirts popular with young women on a limited budget.
She shot to the top of the fashion scene at the time when the Beatles and Rolling Stones dominated the music world, and she was forever linked to the heady freedoms of those days.
“It’s impossible to overstate Quant’s contribution to fashion,’’ the V&A museum, which displays some of her work, posted on its official Twitter account Thursday. “She represented the joyful freedom of 1960s fashion, and provided a new role model for young women. Fashion today owes so much to her trailblazing vision.”
The clothes became wildly popular and were worn by models like Twiggy and Pattie Boyd, who was then married to Beatles guitarist George Harrison.
Asked by the Guardian newspaper in 1967 if her clothes could be considered “vulgar” because they were so revealing, Quant replied that she loved vulgarity and embraced it.
“Good taste is death, vulgarity is life,” she said, adding that the provocative poses of her models reflected the new sexual openness of the times, which was fueled by the development of the birth control pill. She said the availability of contraceptive pills made it possible for women to enjoy sex and decide for themselves whether to conceive.
Born Feb. 11, 1934, the daughter of schoolteachers, Quant studied art education at Goldsmith’s College in London before moving into the fashion field, working first as an apprentice to a hat-maker before trying her own designs.
With the help of her wealthy husband and business partner, Alexander Plunket Greene, and the accountant Archie McNair, she opened Bazaar in Chelsea in 1955, at first relying on innovative window displays to bring in younger customers.
“Snobbery has gone out of fashion, and in our shops you will find duchesses jostling with typists to buy the same dress,” Quant once said. She called the store “a sophisticated candy store for grown-ups.”
Bazaar became a focal point for the young and the beautiful and those who wanted to rub shoulders with them, and her presence there helped make the neighborhood a favored destination. Small restaurants, bistros and pubs all flourished and other boutiques opened, giving Chelsea’s King’s Road the feel of a perpetual party.
The shop was such a success that she soon moved into other parts of London and began exporting her clothes to the United States, where the “British invasion” was in full swing.
She was unusual in that she often modeled her own clothes, appearing lovely and naturally confident in her own fashions, usually with her hair styled in a distinctive, angular bob by hairdresser Vidal Sassoon.
She soon diversified her interests, developing a popular makeup line and also moving into kitchenware and household accessories.
The makeup proved extremely profitable, particularly in Japan, where Quant retained a devoted following.
Quant was also credited with introducing hot pants and micro-minis to the fashion scene in the late 1960s.
She was made an Officer of the British Empire for service to the fashion industry in 1966, wearing a trademark miniskirt when she received the honor at Buckingham Palace. In 2014, she was made a dame for services to British fashion.
Quant stepped down from the day-to-day management of her firm, Mary Quant Ltd., in 2000 after it was purchased by a Japanese company, but kept working as a consultant.
The firm continued to use the daisy motif and logo that Quant pioneered in the 1960s, and it maintained one shop in London in addition to roughly 200 shops in Japan.
___
Former AP correspondent Gregory Katz contributed biographical material to this story before his death in 2020.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2023-04-13T13:50:39+00:00 | fox5vegas.com | https://www.fox5vegas.com/2023/04/13/mary-quant-designer-who-epitomized-swinging-60s-dies-93/ |
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ The winning numbers in Saturday afternoon's drawing of the Indiana Lottery's "Quick Draw Midday" game were:
04-06-09-13-17-19-23-35-37-38-39-42-44-46-47-50-55-58-62-63, BE: 9
(four, six, nine, thirteen, seventeen, nineteen, twenty-three, thirty-five, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty-two, forty-four, forty-six, forty-seven, fifty, fifty-five, fifty-eight, sixty-two, sixty-three; BE: nine) | 2022-09-03T18:48:13+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Quick-Draw-Midday-game-17417575.php |
AUSTIN, Texas, July 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- First Dollar, the health wallet for modern benefit providers, today announced that it has achieved SOC 2 Type II compliance in accordance with American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) standards for SOC for Service Organizations also known as SSAE 18. Achieving this standard with an unqualified opinion serves as third-party industry validation that First Dollar, Inc. provides enterprise-level security for customer's data secured in the First Dollar, Inc. System.
"Completing a Soc II certification rightfully takes a significant amount of time and energy," said Geoffrey Scott, First Dollar's Vice President of Risk and Compliance. "It says a lot about First Dollar's commitment to security that it was completed less than three years into our existence. In an industry where safeguarding customer data is paramount, our partners want proof that we're secure; this is that proof."
First Dollar is a technology company that builds healthcare benefits infrastructure. Their health wallet platform gives benefit providers the tools they need to launch tax-advantaged accounts, Rx programs, or whatever they dream up next.
First Dollar, Inc. was audited by Prescient Assurance, a leader in security and compliance attestation for B2B, SAAS companies worldwide. Prescient Assurance is a registered public accounting in the US and Canada and provides risk management and assurance services which includes but is not limited to SOC 2, PCI, ISO, NIST, GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, and CSA STAR. For more information about Prescient Assurance, you may reach out them at info@prescientassurance.com.
An unqualified opinion on a SOC 2 Type II audit report demonstrates to First Dollar, Inc.'s current and future customers that they manage their data with the highest standard of security and compliance.
About First Dollar
First Dollar is the health wallet for modern benefit providers. We power software-defined benefits that people love to use. From HSAs and FSAs to prepaid grocery and Rx programs, our payments infrastructure supports tax-advantaged accounts, supplemental benefits, and whatever you dream up next.
To learn more, please visit: www.firstdollar.com
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SOURCE First Dollar | 2022-07-28T16:16:20+00:00 | kalb.com | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2022/07/28/first-dollar-achieves-soc-2-type-ii-certification/ |
LEICESTER, England (AP) — Everton staged another last-day escape in the Premier League to extend its 69-year stay in England’s top division as Leicester and Leeds were relegated on Sunday.
Abdoulaye Doucouré smashed home a 57th-minute goal to earn Everton a 1-0 win over Bournemouth that was enough to keep the team two points above Leicester, whose 2-1 victory against West Ham was in vain.
Leicester is relegated seven years after winning the Premier League at preseason odds of 5,000-1 in one of sport’s great underdog stories.
Leeds lost 4-1 to Tottenham and also went down after three years in the league.
Everton, which has been in the top division since 1954, survived on the final day of the season in both 1994 and 1998.
Relegation was the main focus on Sunday with the title having already been clinched by Manchester City and the four qualifiers for next season's Champions League already decided.
Manchester United climbed above Newcastle to finish third thanks to a 2-1 win over Fulham, while Aston Villa sealed seventh place and a spot in the Europa Conference League after beating Brighton 2-1.
The wildest game saw Southampton and Liverpool draw 4-4.
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2023-05-28T18:17:05+00:00 | springfieldnewssun.com | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/everton-stays-in-premier-league-after-final-day-escape-leicester-and-leeds-relegated/QWJMNENFBRGQJPKMIH2W4TJU2Y/ |
For musical theater fans and romance novel lovers, the news was shocking: Netflix is suing Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the duo behind the Grammy-winning Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, for "blatant infringement of intellectual property rights."
The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, inspired by the Netflix show and book series by Julia Quinn, began on TikTok in early 2021 and was released as an album in September 2021, with 15 songs performed by Barlow and Bear. The duo won the 2022 Grammy Award for best musical theater album.
Last week's news left many fans with questions about the lawsuit, the future of the musical, and what it all means.
What does the lawsuit allege?
On July 29, Netflix filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., alleging that Barlow and Bear have "taken valuable intellectual property from the Netflix original series Bridgerton to build an international brand for themselves."
"Netflix owns the exclusive right to create Bridgerton songs, musicals, or any other derivative works based on Bridgerton," the lawsuit says.
Netflix alleges that Barlow and Bear have claimed "carte blanche authorization to profit from Netflix's protected intellectual property" and stretched the boundaries of fan fiction "well past its breaking point."
The lawsuit cites specific instances where Barlow and Bear allegedly "copied liberally and nearly identically from Bridgerton across a number of original elements of expression," including lifting lines of dialogue from the show, "appropriating" characters, and "copying" key plot points.
According to the lawsuit, Netflix has never authorized The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical or given Barlow and Bear permission to create work based on the franchise.
In the past, Barlow and Bear have said that they received Netflix's permission. In a September 2021 interview, Barlow said Netflix was "very, very supportive" of their project.
Barlow and Bear have not responded to NPR's request for an interview and have not publicly commented on the lawsuit.
Why is Netflix just suing Barlow and Bear now?
The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical album was released almost a year ago. But the lawsuit was filed last week.
"The dynamic has shifted where the value that was accruing for the Bridgerton brand and Netflix from [the musical] is now outweighed by the money Netflix thinks they're losing," Derek Miller, an English professor at Harvard University, tells NPR.
The catalyst for the lawsuit was The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical Album Live in Concert, a for-profit show at the Kennedy Center on July 26.
When the concept album was announced, according to the lawsuit, Netflix decided not to stand in the way of "what Barlow & Bear represented as two Bridgerton fans' expression of their appreciation for the series."
The album drummed up excitement for Netflix without impinging on its business model, says Miller, who focuses on the intersections of art and law. Now that Barlow and Bear have begun staging for-profit performances, Netflix sees the musical as a threat to their own live event, "The Queen's Ball: A Bridgerton Experience."
Netflix representatives allegedly told Barlow and Bear that they "would not authorize and did not want them to engage in any live performances or other derivative works that might compete with Netflix's own planned live events."
According to court documents, Netflix "offered Barlow & Bear a license that would allow them to proceed with their scheduled live performances at the Kennedy Center and Royal Albert Hall, continue distributing their album, and perform their Bridgerton-inspired songs live as part of larger programs going forward," which the lawsuit says Barlow and Bear refused.
How could the lawsuit play out?
It's still too early to predict the end result of the lawsuit, Rebecca Tushnet, a professor at Harvard Law School, tells NPR. There's a range of possible outcomes, and most cases like this tend to settle out of court.
Miller, the literature professor, says that since there's ample evidence Barlow and Bear did infringe on Netflix's intellectual property, he doesn't think they will want to go to court. If the case does go to court, the decision will come down to whether the Unofficial Bridgerton Musical is deemed fair use.
Fan fiction can be protected under fair use as long as the work is "transformative" and adds new meaning to the original work. Fan fiction must also be noncommercial in nature and cannot result in profit for the creator of the work.
In a fair use case, Tushnet says, several factors are considered, including the purpose of the use, the nature of the work that was copied, the amount of original material taken, and the impact on the market.
"There are commercial fair uses, but it's definitely more risky," Tushnet says, adding that they require more justification. "Plenty of justifications can be found, from criticism, commentary, even imaginative reworkings that tell you something about the source text. The more critical [of the source text] a commercial reworking is, the more likely it is to be found to be fair use."
What lies ahead for 'The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical'?
Depending on how the case ends up, a Bridgerton musical still might make it to Broadway.
If the case settles somewhat amiably, Netflix may choose to use Barlow and Bear's work as its foray into theater. But, Netflix may also not want to work with Barlow and Bear in any capacity once the lawsuit is settled, regardless of the outcome.
"There's a lot of points made in the claims that suggest that there were some serious breaches of trust by Barlow and Bear's representatives with Netflix," Miller says.
Barlow and Bear could potentially rewrite the show to remove intellectual property belonging to Bridgerton, but they would have to dramatically alter the show's plot and lose the Bridgerton brand that attracted people.
Creative projects have second acts all the time, Tushnet says, citing 2002's Mattel, Inc. v. MCA Records, when the toy manufacturer lost a lawsuit against the band Aqua over the song "Barbie Girl," then later ended up licensing the song for their own marketing.
What could this mean for fan fiction overall?
"Fan culture is extremely good for brands," Miller says. Corporations are going to have to strike a balance between protecting their economic and business interests and not "picking fights with fans making work that to some extent extends the value of the brand."
Part of the motivation behind the lawsuit may be to shut down other potential fan projects based on Netflix's extensive catalog.
The lawsuit alleges that The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical "may also encourage other third parties to develop derivative works based on Bridgerton without Netflix's authorization."
"The average work of fan fiction does not take all that much from the existing work," Tushnet says. Even if a copyright owner decides a work of fan fiction infringes on their intellectual property, they may decide it's simply not worth it to pursue legal action.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2022-08-04T17:40:16+00:00 | delawarepublic.org | https://www.delawarepublic.org/npr-headlines/npr-headlines/2022-08-04/the-netflix-v-unofficial-bridgerton-musical-lawsuit-explained |
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s prime minister expressed hope Sunday that his country will establish formal diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia, days before President Joe Biden visits the two countries as part of a regional trip.
Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have official diplomatic relations, but have shared clandestine security ties over a mutual enmity of regional arch-rival Iran. The kingdom is widely believed to be among a handful of Arab states weighing open ties with Israel.
“Israel extends its hand to all the countries of the region and calls on them to build ties with us, establish relations with us, and change history for our children,” Prime Minister Yair Lapid said during a weekly Cabinet meeting. He said Biden will carry “a message of peace and hope from us” when he embarks for Saudi Arabia.
Israel’s ties with Arab states have grown since normalizing relations with four Arab states in 2020 as part of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords. Defense cooperation has tightened since the Pentagon switched coordination with Israel from U.S. European Command to Central Command, or CENTCOM, last year. The move lumped Israel’s military with those of former enemy states, including Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations that have yet to recognize Israel.
Biden is set to arrive in Israel Wednesday for three-day trip that will also include meetings with Palestinian officials in the occupied West Bank. From there, he will fly directly to Saudi Arabia.
In an opinion piece in the Washington Post on Sunday, Biden said he’s aiming to bring the two countries closer together.
“I will also be the first president to fly from Israel to Jiddah, Saudi Arabia,” Biden wrote. “That travel will also be a small symbol of the budding relations and steps toward normalization between Israel and the Arab world, which my administration is working to deepen and expand.”
Formal ties with Saudi Arabia would be a major diplomatic coup for Israel. The kingdom has been publicly reticent about acknowledging cooperation with Israel. Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has been a longtime supporter of the Palestinians and their desire to establish an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. Israel captured all three areas in 1967, though it withdrew its forces and settlers from Gaza in 2005.
The kingdom has long conditioned the establishment of full diplomatic ties with Israel upon a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict with the Palestinians. Israel and the Palestinians have not held substantive negotiations in more than a decade.
But recent years have seen signs of a shifting attitude. Saudi Arabia has allowed flights between Israel and Gulf states to cross through its airspace. In 2020, then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly flew to Saudi Arabia for a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and last week several Israeli defense reporters visited the kingdom and published news reports about their welcome. | 2022-07-11T00:05:45+00:00 | texomashomepage.com | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/international/israeli-pm-calls-for-saudi-relations-ahead-of-biden-visit/ |
ONE+ offers an exclusive affordable home loan option, with mortgage insurance at no cost to the homebuyer – potentially saving more than 90 million Americans thousands of dollars
DETROIT, May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Rocket Mortgage, the nation's largest retail home lender and part of Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT), today introduced ONE+, a new 1% down home loan program that will dramatically increase access to homeownership for millions of low-to-moderate-income earning Americans.
With ONE+, a homebuyer is only required to make a down payment of 1% of the purchase price and Rocket Mortgage will cover the remaining 2% needed to reach the required threshold for conventional loans. In addition to reducing upfront costs, ONE+ completely eliminates the expensive monthly mortgage insurance fee for the client – which is traditionally required if the buyer places less than 20% down on their purchase.
"Rocket Mortgage prides itself on finding innovative solutions and lending programs that help clients achieve their goals in any market cycle. No other lender has a mortgage option that makes affordable homeownership possible for as many Americans as ONE+," said Bob Walters, CEO of Rocket Mortgage. "We talk with people from all walks of life every single day – many of whom are ready to own a home, and could easily make the monthly mortgage payments, but are having trouble saving for a down payment. ONE+ is a response to that feedback and the latest example of Rocket's commitment to creating programs that help make homeownership more attainable."
Designed to help everyday Americans achieve homeownership, ONE+ is available to homebuyers purchasing single-family homes – including manufactured homes – whose income is equal to or less than 80% of their area median income (AMI). With this expansive AMI eligibility, Rocket Mortgage estimates that more than 90 million people can meet the income requirements for this program – based on publicly available income data.
As an example of the savings possible through ONE+, a homebuyer purchasing a $250,000 home typically needs a minimum of 3% down, or $7,500. Now, they will only need a $2,500 down payment. In addition, ONE+ offers mortgage insurance at no cost to the client, which on a $242,500 loan, can be as much as $245 per month. That improves a homeowner's monthly cash flow and can save as much as $20,500 over the first seven years after closing – the average amount of time mortgage insurance needs to be paid.
This is the third initiative Rocket Mortgage has launched in the last six months with affordability in mind. Other programs such as BorrowSmart Access and Purchase Plus focus on addressing challenges for homebuyers in underserved communities. By offering a $3,000 credit with BorrowSmart Access and a $7,500 credit with Purchase Plus, hurdles such as closing costs and down payments are lessened and accessibility is increased.
Homebuyers can apply for ONE+ using Rocket Mortgage's industry-leading digital mortgage experience at RocketOnePlus.com and on the Rocket Mortgage mobile app. They can also apply through one of the thousands of mortgage brokers across the country who partner with the lender through Rocket Pro TPO.
Visit RocketOnePlus.com to learn more about ONE+ and to apply for a home loan. Mortgage brokers can learn about the program at RocketProTPO.com/Mortgage-Products or they can talk to their account executive.
About Rocket Mortgage
Detroit-based Rocket Mortgage is one of the nation's largest home lenders, closing more mortgage volume than any other lender in 2022, and is a part of Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT). The lender enables the American Dream of homeownership and financial freedom through its obsession with an industry-leading, digital-driven client experience. In late 2015, it introduced the first fully digital, completely online mortgage experience. Since its founding in 1985, Rocket Mortgage has closed more than $1.6 trillion of mortgage volume across all 50 states.
Rocket Mortgage is ranked highest in the country for client satisfaction in mortgage origination by J.D. Power. Combining the mortgage origination and servicing studies, Rocket Mortgage has earned 20 total accolades from J.D. Power – the most of any mortgage lender. Rocket Companies, Rocket Mortgage's parent company, ranked #11 on Fortune's list of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" in 2022 and has placed in the top third of the list for 20 consecutive years.
For more information and company news visit RocketCompanies.com/PressRoom.
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SOURCE Rocket Mortgage | 2023-05-22T13:50:34+00:00 | kwtx.com | https://www.kwtx.com/prnewswire/2023/05/22/rocket-mortgage-addresses-affordability-challenges-with-new-1-down-home-loan-program/ |
Today is Tuesday, July 25, 2023. Here are local news reports from 100, 50 and 15 years ago:
In 1923, an AWOL 17-year-old Chanute Field soldier who was tired from riding freight trains to get back to base was killed by a passing train after he fell asleep near the railroad tracks at the Romine crossing in Urbana.
In 1973, the Illinois Central Gulf tracks in Rantoul were inspected by an official of the Illinois Commerce Commission, which regulates railroads in the state. Rantoul officials requested the inspection following the July 15 derailment of 24 cars of an ICG freight train north of that city.
In 2008, Champaign County’s unemployment rate jumped to the highest point in at least 18 years — and was no longer one of the lowest in the state. The Illinois Department of Employment Security reported that 6.5 percent of the county’s labor force was out of work, up from 4.9 percent in May. | 2023-07-25T12:37:10+00:00 | news-gazette.com | https://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/history/area-history-july-25-2023/article_83859364-a102-5575-afa2-81ac0a49bc84.html |
SAN BRUNO, Calif., Feb. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dama Financial ("Dama"), the nation's largest provider of access to banking and payment solutions for the cannabis industry, is pleased to announce the appointment of Patrick O'Boyle as its new Chief Executive Officer.
Patrick brings over 30 years of experience in the payments and financial services industry, most recently serving as the Former SVP Banking Partner Division at Talus Pay. He was also a founding partner of MSP Consulting, and a former partner with Accenture.
Patrick will be responsible for overseeing the company's strategic direction, growth initiatives and driving new products to continue to serve the growing cannabis industry's needs.
"We are confident that Dama, its employees, and its shareholders will be well-serviced by Patrick's leadership," said Ed Labry, Executive Chairman of the Board. "We are excited to start a new chapter for Dama with Patrick accelerating growth and continuing to develop integrated payments and software solutions which add value to the industry."
"I am excited to join the Dama team at a time where the industry is evolving," said Patrick O'Boyle. "I will continue to guide the Dama team to be an industry leader with high quality service and products to enable our customers to thrive."
About Dama
Based in San Bruno, Calif, Dama is the cannabis industry's leading provider of access to banking and financial services, powering safe and secure depository solutions for top licensed cannabis operators throughout the United States as well as electronic consumer payment solutions. The company was founded in 2017 by a team of world-class fintech and payments executives to provide high-risk industries with critical access to fundamental financial solutions. In 2022, Dama acquired Growflow, a SaaS seed-to-sale POS, and whose business management and compliance tools have processed more than $3.3 billion for cannabis businesses. Dama has leveraged its experience in other unbanked categories to develop solutions, driven by its proprietary technology platform, capable of navigating a complex web of regulatory and compliance requirements.
Media contact:
Jenna Romo
jennar@damafinancial.com
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SOURCE Dama Financial | 2023-02-21T14:04:34+00:00 | kmvt.com | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/02/21/dama-financial-announces-new-ceo/ |
Daily tides stoked with increasingly warmer water ate a hole taller than the Washington Monument at the bottom of one of Greenland’s major glaciers in the last couple years, accelerating the retreat of a crucial part of the glacier, a new study found.
And scientists worry that the phenomenon isn’t limited to this one glacier, raising questions about previous projections of melting rates on the world’s vulnerable ice sheets.
The rapid melt seen in this study was in the far northwest of Greenland on Petermann Glacier. If it is happening in the rest of Greenland and the even bigger Antarctic ice sheet, then global ice loss and the sea level rise could jump as much as twice as fast as previously thought, according to the study in Monday’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“It’s bad news,” said study author Eric Rignot, a glaciologist at University of California Irvine. “We know the current projections are too conservative. We know that they have a really hard time matching the current record” of melt.
He said this newly found consequence of tidal activity “could potentially double the projections” of global melt.
The study looks at the all-important grounding line area of glaciers on ice sheets. That’s the point where glaciers go from being on land to floating on water. Previous studies show it’s also a key spot for rapid ice loss.
At remote Petermann, where few people have been and there are no base camps, that grounding line zone is more than six-tenths of a mile (1 kilometer) wide and could be as much as 3.7 miles (6 kilometers) wide, the study said.
Scientists used to think the daily tides weren’t a big deal on melt. The snow added on top of the glacier compensated for the tides moving further in, said Rignot, the day before he left for an expedition to Petermann.
But with an ocean that’s warmer because of climate change the tides became “a very powerful mechanism,” Rignot said.
“The sea water actually goes much farther beneath the grounded ice (than previously thought), kilometers, not hundreds of meters,” Rignot said. “And that water is full of heat and able to melt the glaciers vigorously. And it’s kind of the most sensitive part of the glacier.”
Using satellite altitude measurements, Rignot’s team found a 669-foot tall (204 meters) cavity at the grounding line where the melt rate is 50% higher in the last three years than it was from 2016 to 2019. Previous models forecast zero melt there.
The melting in Petermann has accelerated in the last few years, later than the rest of Greenland, probably because it is so far north that the water melting it from underneath is from the North Atlantic and it takes longer for the warmer water to reach there, Rignot theorized.
Rignot this month is exploring Petermann to get more ground-based measurements using ultrasound. He hasn’t been there since 2006, a decade before the changes were seen via satellite. Visiting Petermann, even before the glacier’s retreat accelerated, Rignot said he noticed movements that make it seem like a living thing.
“When you are standing on that shelf or sleeping on the shelf you hear noise all the time, loud noises from deep inside cracks forming,” Rignot said. “That’s where the concept of a glacier being alive starts getting to you.”
Greenland ice researcher Jason Box of the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, who wasn’t part of the research, called Rignot’s technique clever and said the study makes sense, showing “that ocean heat delivery to tidewater glacier grounding lines represents a potent destabilizing effect.”
Box, who uses a different technique to calculate how much ice is no longer being fed by glaciers and is doomed to melt, something called “zombie ice,” figures 434 billion metric tons of ice on Petermann is already committed to melting.
The study provides strong evidence that models need to include these tidal effects deep inland and if they don’t, then they are underestimating future sea level rise, said Pennsylvania State University glaciologist Richard Alley, who wasn’t part of the Rignot study.
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Follow AP’s climate and environment coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
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Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter at @borenbears
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Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | 2023-05-09T04:45:58+00:00 | texomashomepage.com | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/national/warming-stoked-tides-eating-huge-holes-in-greenland-glacier/ |
Rockies claim LHP Brent Suter off waivers from Brewers
DENVER - The Colorado Rockies have claimed left-hander Brent Suter off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers.
The 33-year-old Suter went 5-3 with a 3.78 ERA in 54 appearances this past season. He struck out 53 and walked 22 in 66 2/3 innings.
Suter had spent his entire big league career with Milwaukee, making his debut in 2016. He was the longest-tenured Brewer and had served as the team's union representative.
Suter owns a 36-19 record and 3.51 ERA in 196 career appearances, including 39 starts. He has 338 strikeouts and 98 walks in 394 2/3 innings.
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Suter was the Brewers’ 2022 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, given to a player who best represents baseball through character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions on and off the field. It was the third time the Brewers had nominated him for the award. | 2022-11-18T20:43:28+00:00 | fox6now.com | https://www.fox6now.com/sports/rockies-brent-suter-waivers-brewers |
SYDNEY (AP) — The Women’s World Cup is taking shape with shocks and highlights as it nears the end of the group stage.
Some players have established themselves as ones to watch, like Colombia star Linda Caicedo, who has made her team one of the tournament surprises. Colombia picked up an upset win over Germany, and Nigeria upset co-host Australia — just two of the games that showed the gap has closed at top level women’s soccer.
But co-host New Zealand was eliminated, and other big teams are in danger of not advancing headed into the final few days of group play.
The Associated Press takes a look at some of the highlights and lowlights so far:
GOAL OF THE TOURNAMENT
There have been a number of contenders and Bia Zaneratto’s strike against Panama after a sweeping move from Brazil stands out as the most complete goal so far.
Ireland’s Katie McCabe scored directly from a corner kick against Canada, and England’s Lauren James curled in a long range effort against Denmark.
Even so, Caicedo’s solo goal in Colombia’s dramatic 2-1 win against Germany is the pick of the bunch. With a flash of skill, she beat two German players in the box before lashing a shot into the top corner as the Sydney crowd dominated by Colombia fans went wild.
MOMENT OF THE TOURNAMENT
It has to be Manuela Vanegas’ late winner for Colombia against Germany. Alexandra Popp seemed to position two-time champion Germany for a draw with an 89th-minute penalty.
But Vanegas’ header in the 97th minute gave Colombia a World Cup upset.
COMEBACK
Norway looked down and out after an opening game loss to co-host New Zealand and a goalless draw against Switzerland. With star player Ada Hegerberg injured, the odds were beginning to stack up against the Norwegians going into their final Group A match against the Philippines.
But three goals within 31 minutes set up a 6-0 rout that saw Norway advance to the knockout rounds in second place. The Norway win knocked New Zealand out of the tournament, making the Football Ferns the first host to be eliminated in group play in tournament history.
EMERGING STARS
Caicedo’s standout performances aren’t a surprise to those who have followed her career. The Real Madrid forward has long-been tipped to be one of the biggest stars in women’s soccer.
She hasn’t disappointed in her first World Cup and has inspired Colombia to back-to-back wins with goals in each game.
England coach Sarina Wiegman unleashed Chelsea forward James from the start in the Lionesses’ second game against Denmark, and she made a quick impression. Collecting the ball outside the area after six minutes, she swept a curling effort past Lene Christensen.
Haiti’s Melchie Dumornay has shown flashes of the talent that earned her a move to French powerhouse Lyon, while 19-year-old Aoba Fujino has become the youngest player to score at a World Cup for Japan’s men’s or women’s teams.
Casey Phair, a 16 year old, became the youngest-ever player to appear in a senior soccer World Cup when she was a second-half substitute for South Korea against Colombia.
DISAPPOINTMENTS
While youngsters have capitalized on their chance to shine, some of the established names have yet to make their mark.
There have been differing reasons for that.
Sam Kerr’s calf injury robbed Australia of its star striker for its opening two games, while Hegerberg’s groin injury has cut her playing time for Norway.
Alex Morgan, who was the co-leading scorer at the last World Cup, is still finding her footing in the United States’ new look attack.
Record international scorer Christine Sinclair was benched for Canada’s second game and is still waiting for her first goal of the tournament, while Brazil great Marta has also been used sparingly.
SURPRISES
New Zealand kicked the tournament off with a 1-0 win against Norway, but couldn’t keep up its momentum and went on to lose by the same score to the Philippines to set up the co-host’s early exit.
Jamaica’s 0-0 draw with fifth-ranked France was described by its coach Lorne Donaldson as the country’s greatest soccer result, for men or women. But the biggest surprise could be yet to come if Jamaica can avoid defeat against Brazil to advance to the round of 16.
Colombia’s dramatic late winner against Germany, meanwhile, was one of the great upsets.
ENTERTAINERS
The goals have been flowing for Spain and Japan, teams that both advanced from the group stage with a game to spare. Both teams secured 5-0 wins against Zambia and both have produced technically excellent displays.
Germany was on a high after its 6-0 rout of Morocco, but was humbled by Colombia.
Sweden routed Italy 5-0, while Norway found its scoring touch just in time against the Philippines.
ONES TO WATCH
Some of the favorites have made underwhelming starts. The two-time defending champion United States, England, Germany and France have not been totally convincing in group play and the tournament still looks wide open.
Colombia looks legitimate, and with Kerr back in action, Australia could become a contender.
The Netherlands look like serious contenders, while Spain and Japan have impressed. Brazil has shown flashes, but faces a fight to advance from the group stage.
Nigeria has shown it is dangerous, and Sweden has picked up back-to-back wins.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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More AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup | 2023-07-31T20:48:03+00:00 | fox59.com | https://fox59.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-the-womens-world-cup-has-produced-some-big-moments-these-are-some-of-the-highlights-lowlights/ |
Sweater season extends beyond winter, but which sweaters are right for you? While high-priced sweaters from high-fashion brands sell for hundreds, even thousands of dollars, many brands, big and small, sell well-made, stylish sweaters for a fraction of the cost.
In this article: Amazon Essentials Women’s Turtleneck Sweater, Goodthreads Men’s Soft Cotton Military Sweater, and Baby Girls Simple Joys by Carter’s Knit Cardigan Sweaters.
What should I look at?
When you’re looking for an inexpensive sweater, you’ll want to consider your expectations.
- You’re probably not talking about cashmere. You’re likely looking at cotton, polyester and acrylic in this price range.
- They’re often machine-made, meaning lower-quality stitching and material and a shorter lifespan the more it’s worn.
- Affordable sweaters can still last long with proper care, so check the materials and see what you can do to prolong their life
- Just because it’s affordable doesn’t mean it’s also machine-washable.
- Always check reviews for concerns with sizing, quality and unexpected issues
Best women’s sweaters under $50
Amazon Essentials Women’s Turtleneck Sweater
People will never guess that this simple and stylish turtleneck sweater comes from Amazon’s house brand. The cotton sweater, available in 22 colors, fits snugly without limiting your movement.
Sold by Amazon
Anrabess Women’s Crewneck Knit Pullover Sweater
The batwing sleeves on this viscose/nylon/polyester blend sweater help make it comfortable enough to lounge around in but stylish enough to wear during a night out, with more than two dozen colors and designs to choose from.
Sold by Amazon
Goodthreads Women’s Cotton Shaker V-Neck Sweater
This elegant women’s sweater comes in 15 designs, each adding its own aesthetic touch. From simple, muted colors to warm, comfy stripes, this V-neck cotton sweater stretches every penny you spend on it due to buyer-approved style, comfort and quality. Colors like dusty pink and sage green heather can take you into the cooler months of spring as well.
Sold by Amazon
Best men’s sweaters under $50
Goodthreads Men’s Soft Cotton Military Sweater
Another affordable piece of nostalgia, this cotton military sweater with shoulder and elbow patches throws a touch of elegance to a standard work sweater. This outdoor-friendly sweater, while not ideal for constant wear and tear, is wonderful to have on special occasions.
Sold by Amazon
Amazon Essentials Men’s Long-Sleeve Soft Touch V-Neck Sweater
This classic soft V-neck sweater has faint ribbing throughout that adds some texture to your wardrobe. It’s a timeless, tight-fitting addition to anyone looking for a nostalgic look at an equally nostalgic price.
Sold by Amazon
Coofandy Men’s Shawl Collar Pullover Sweater
You’d never guess how affordable this shawl-collar sweater is by looking at it. The cable-knit design comes in nine colors, made from a cotton blend. Its shawl-like design adds a nice spin.
Sold by Amazon
Wrangler Authentics Men’s Quarter-Zip Sweater
Looking for a simple long-sleeve fleece quarter-zip? You can bring everything back to basics with this classic pullover available in 10 fashionable colors.
Sold by Amazon
Best kids and baby sweaters under $50
Tommy Hilfiger Boys V-Neck Sweater
Just because it’s affordable doesn’t mean that it didn’t come from a name brand. Tommy Hilfiger’s school uniform pullover has a classic charm that fits the dress code in most formal settings.
Sold by Amazon
French Toast Boys V-Neck Cardigan Sweater
Another classic style made for kids, this cardigan sweater comes in standard and husky sizes for every child’s needs. Its button-up design and low-hanging V-neck are great for winter photo shoots and holiday services. This would be a nice addition to an Easter outfit.
Sold by Amazon
Izod Boys Solid Crewneck Sweater
Izod’s basic crewneck sweater comes in five winter colors that match up well for family pictures or matching outfits at the get-together. The machine-washable cotton threads keep your child warm and comfy throughout winter.
Sold by Amazon
Curipeer Girls Lace-Up Sweater
This stylish sweater has lace-up sleeves and is available in many colors, such as basic caramel, red, apricot and pink. It’s equally fitting for school or special occasions and comes in a wide variety of sizes. Use the included size chart to get the exact match.
Sold by Amazon
Feidoog Baby Boys Cardigan V-Neck Sweater
Who says newborns can’t love frugal fashion? This textured pullover, available in nine colors and designs, has oversized buttons that keep little ones warm, comfortable and adorable in family pictures.
Sold by Amazon
Simple Joys by Carter’s Baby Girls Knit Cardigan Sweaters, Pack of 2
Whether you’re dressing twins or want different options for different winter parties, this two-pack of button-closed cardigan sweaters for baby girls is as good a bargain as you can find with two quality sweaters, to boot.
Sold by Amazon
Carter’s Baby Hooded Cardigan Sweater
The adorable ears on the hood of this knit button-up hoodie will entertain children while keeping them warm and dry throughout the day. It’s made from machine-washable fabric that’s gentle on your child’s skin.
Sold by Amazon
Simplee Kids Cable- Knit Sweater
Just want the classic cardigan? This sweater, available in four classic colors, lets the child emulates the style their parents wear and is available in sizes from 3 to 6 months all the way up to 5T.
Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2023-02-28T14:48:49+00:00 | wcia.com | https://www.wcia.com/reviews/br/apparel-br/shirts-tops-br/15-fashionable-sweaters-that-cost-less-than-50/ |
BEIJING, Nov. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Canaan Inc. (NASDAQ: CAN) ("Canaan" or the "Company"), a leading high-performance computing solutions provider, today announced that it plans to report its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2022, before the U.S. market opens on November 14, 2022.
The Company's management team will hold a conference call at 7:00 A.M. on November 14, 2022, U.S. Eastern Time (8:00 P.M. on the same day, Beijing Time) to discuss the financial results. Details for the conference call are as follows:
Event Title: Canaan Inc. Third Quarter 2022 Earnings Conference Call
Registration Link: https://register.vevent.com/register/BI9e3f73b54ce24104a97a602d1a014193
All participants must use the link provided above to complete the online registration process in advance of the conference call. Upon registering, each participant will receive a set of participant dial-in numbers and a unique access PIN, which can be used to join the conference call.
Investors may submit questions to the Company via IR@canaan-creative.com up to 24 hours before the start of the conference call. The Company's management team will answer a selection of the submitted questions during the Q&A session of the conference call.
A live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available at the Company's investor relations website at investor.canaan-creative.com.
About Canaan Inc.
Established in 2013, Canaan (NASDAQ: CAN), is a technology company focusing on ASIC high-performance computing chip design, chip research and development, computing equipment production and software services. The Company's vision is "super computing is what we do, social enrichment is why we do it." Canaan has rich experience in chip design and streamlined production in the ASIC field. In 2013, it released and mass produced its first ASIC Bitcoin mining machine. In 2018, Canaan released the world's first 7nm ASIC chip, providing energy efficient computing equipment to the cryptocurrency mining industry. In the same year, Canaan released the world's first RISC-V architecture commercial edge AI chip, further harnessing the potential of ASIC technology in the field of high-performance computing and artificial intelligence.
Investor Relations Contact
Canaan Inc.
Ms. Xi Zhang
Email: IR@canaan-creative.com
ICR, LLC.
Robin Yang
Tel: +1 (347) 396-3281
Email: canaan.ir@icrinc.com
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SOURCE Canaan Inc. | 2022-11-04T10:19:24+00:00 | kfyrtv.com | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2022/11/04/canaan-inc-report-third-quarter-2022-financial-results-november-14-2022/ |
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The Miami Dolphins were forced to cough up a quarter million dollars owed to MSC Cruises after the promoter of a Dolphins “fan cruise” failed to pay the cruise line as promised, the NFL team charged in a federal lawsuit filed Friday.
Not only did defendants First Class Cruises LLC and its president Jeffrey Nahom fail to remit to MSC fares that passengers prepaid, the company also stiffed 35 former players recruited for the cruise out of hundreds of thousands of dollars of promised sponsorship benefits and appearance fees, the suit alleges.
Meanwhile, Nahom treated himself and his family to the nicest cabins on the MSC Seascape when the seven-day fan cruise sailed from Miami early this month, the Dolphins are charging.
The lawsuit states that Nahom and First Class Cruises entered into a sponsorship agreement in June 2022 to organize the “Miami Dolphins Fan Cruise.” The event’s website bills it as an opportunity for fans to “Interact, engage, and get to know” legends like Dan Marino, Mark Duper, and Larry Csonka in “themed events, excursions, competitions, parties, meet & greets, photo opportunities” and more.
In early March, as the departure date loomed less than a month away, the team discovered that First Class Cruises and Nahom had failed to turn over to MSC $251,372 for 61 staterooms that fans had paid for in advance, and $96,004 for 35 staterooms that former Dolphin players were promised, the suit says.
To avert cancellation of the cruise, the team says it agreed to pay the outstanding costs. Nahom told Dolphins officials that he took “full responsibility for the situation I’ve put the Dolphins in” and assured the team that he’d “pay the Dolphins back every penny,” the complaint states.
As run by the promoter, the cruise got off to a “rocky start” after departing Miami on April 2 and generated “many complaints,” the suit states. While “many bookings” were marketed as including alcoholic beverage packages and free WiFi, Dolphins fans discovered that those had not been paid for, the suit states. That forced the team to pay $17,739 to ensure that the passengers could access the promised amenities during the cruise, the Dolphins claim.
But the promoter and his family cruised in luxury, the lawsuit says.
“The Dolphins Parties further discovered that — instead of using the funds that [First Class Cruises] had collected to secure fan and player staterooms, or fulfill FCC’s other contractual obligations to the Dolphins Parties — Nahom had booked for himself and his family, as well as other FCC personnel, MSC Yacht Club staterooms, the most expensive, luxurious accommodations onboard MSC’s cruise ship,” the team said.
Nahom did not immediately respond to a voice mail left at his Boca Raton-based businesses, which public records identify as both First Class Vacations and First Class Cruises. The Dolphins’ attorney, Melissa C. Pallett-Vasquez of the Miami-based firm Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod LLP, did not respond to an email asking why the team signed a sponsorship deal with First Class Cruises in light of past controversies involving Nahom and his companies.
On April 10, the day the cruise returned to Miami, the Dolphins notified Nahom that it considered him in default for failing to pay an outstanding cash payment of $280,000 and a $300,000 appearance fee as required by the contract, according to the suit. The team also demanded reimbursement of payments made to MSC on the promoter’s behalf, the suit says.
In all, the lawsuit seeks to recover $945,115, plus damages, interest, costs, and expenses that the Dolphins say Nahom and First Class Cruises owes.
Reviews of the cruise posted on social media were mixed.
On Facebook, Candy Powers Fik praised former players who took time to chat with her and her husband, including O.J. McDuffie, Tony Nathan and Otto Stow.
But Richard Gibson wrote a long post stating that the cruise, which he said was attended by about 700 Dolphins fans, was “very, very … very disorganized with long lines (many over an hour) to just about all of the daily events with the 35 Fins players aboard.”
Rebecca Winters referred in a different post to “miscommunications, lack of communication and outright inaccuracies” that she called “astounding.” The promoters failed to provide itineraries for the cruise’s events until the day before the ship sailed, she wrote.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg with respect to the issues the fans have. Everything from room issues, billing issues, package purchases not fulfilled…the list goes on and on,” Winters wrote.
A man posting under the name of the promoter, Jeff Nahom, whose profile page identified him as a “participant” on the private Miami Dolphin Fan Cruise Facebook group, responded to Winters’ comment, saying it was “not factual.” Referring to Nahom by name, he wrote that “Jeff Nahom and FCC will soon be exonerated” and asked Winters to join a Zoom call last Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m.
“I have nothing but respect and love for each and every passenger who put out their hard-earned money for the Inaugural Dolphins fan cruise,” the man posting under the name Jeff Nahom wrote. “I will not rest until my name is cleared and each and every passenger is completely satisfied. Things happen for a reason, and everyone will be ecstatic in the end.”
But after the scheduled time for the Zoom call passed, Winters posted, “No surprise to me at all that the Zoom meeting has been cancelled.”
“Nahom” replied, “Do you know why it was cancelled? You don’t need to answer it. It will be rescheduled as soon as possible. As mentioned, for reasons beyond my control.”
Gibson and another poster noted that Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino stayed on the ship for two days before departing for good when it arrived in Nassau, Bahamas.
Chris Rhodes said he paid $6,800 and was “supposed to get an opportunity” to meet Marino “but it never happened.”
But Toni Loftiss said she met Marino the first night “and he was very nice!”
The Dolphins Fan Cruise isn’t the first NFL-related cruise involving Nahom and First Class Cruises that generated controversy, according to published reports.
In February, the Washington Times reported that the NFL’s Washington Commanders cancelled a planned fan August cruise promoted by Nahom and his firm “because of significant changes … to the original offering, including cruise line, destinations and dates.”
In 2021, the Philadelphia Eagles provided refunds to fans after Philadelphia’s NBC affiliate complained about long waits for refunds after a Nahom-promoted fan cruise was cancelled in 2020 because of the COVID pandemic.
Before First Class Cruises was founded in 2019, Nahom was president of First Class Vacations from 2006 to 2020, according to the Florida Division of Corporations’ online database. First Class Vacations became an “inactive” company in September 2021, but a website operating under that name remains active.
On the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ database of licensed sellers of travel, the status of both First Class Cruises and First Class Vacations — each identified as operating out of the same Boca Raton address — is listed as Closed — Out of Business.
First Class Cruises registered with the Division of Corporations in 2019 as a Las Vegas-based foreign profit corporation with the same Boca Raton mailing address as listed at the Department of Agriculture site. But its active status was revoked in 2021 for failing to submit an annual report, the division’s website shows.
In 2021, TCA Global Credit Master Fund LP won a $1.36 million default judgment against Jeff and Rebecca Nahom, First Class Vacations and Firefly Travel Corp., according to the Broward County Clerk of Courts website. Jeff Nahom was identified as a registered agent of both companies.
According to the Palm Beach County Clerk of Court’s website, the North Palm Beach-based law firm Cohen, Norris, Wolmer, Ray, Teleman, Berkowitz & Cohen filed suit against Nahom in 2020 alleging he failed to pay a $15,229 legal bill for services agreed to orally in 2018.
Although the firm filed a notice of settlement in July 2020, a year later it reopened the case, alleging that Nahom made three payments of $1,000 each, then failed to make the rest of the promised payments, according to court documents. That October, Nahom was found in contempt of court for failing to pay the remainder of the money owed, court records show.
First Class Vacations has an F rating on the Better Business Bureau’s website. The site has nine complaints from customers who said they haven’t seen refunds from trips cancelled in 2020 because of the pandemic.
Responding to one of the complaints in June 2020, an anonymous spokesperson for the company stated that it was owed many refunds from travel providers and planned to “start making refunds [to customers] within the next few months,” adding, “we can’t guarantee that we’ll be able to make the full refund in one payment as we have several other customers to refund.”
Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.
() | 2023-04-24T23:39:57+00:00 | bostonherald.com | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/04/24/miami-dolphins-say-promoter-of-fan-cruise-stiffed-team-out-of-hundreds-of-thousands-of-dollars/ |
Updated January 25, 2023 at 6:24 PM ET
Former President Donald Trump will be allowed to return to Facebook and Instagram more than two years after he was banned for inciting violence when his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Trump's accounts will be reinstated "in the coming weeks" with new guardrails "to deter repeat offenses," Nick Clegg, president of global affairs at Facebook's parent company Meta, said on Wednesday.
The "serious risk to public safety" that led Meta to suspend Trump in January 2021 "has sufficiently receded," Clegg wrote in a blog post. Still, he said, Trump would face "heightened penalties" should he continue to break Meta's rules, including removal of his posts and even a fresh two-year suspension.
"The public should be able to hear what their politicians are saying – the good, the bad and the ugly – so that they can make informed choices at the ballot box. But that does not mean there are no limits to what people can say on our platform," Clegg said.
Trump's suspension was controversial, and so is his reinstatement
Suspending Trump's account was the most high-profile and controversial content moderation decision Meta has ever made. Now its move to reinstate him thrusts the company back into the middle of a contentious debate over tech platforms' power to determine who gets a voice online.
In a statement on Truth Social, the company Trump helped create and financially back, the former president said: "FACEBOOK, which has lost Billions of Dollars in value since 'deplatforming' your favorite President, me, has just announced that they are reinstating my account. Such a thing should never again happen to a sitting President, or anybody else who is not deserving of retribution!"
Trump's campaign had formally petitioned Meta to reinstate him, saying the ban had "dramatically distorted and inhibited the public discourse."
Meta's announcement drew immediate blowback from civil rights and advocacy groups.
"[Meta CEO] Mark Zuckerberg's decision to reinstate Trump's accounts is a prime example of putting profits above people's safety," said NAACP President Derrick Johnson. "It's quite astonishing that one can spew hatred, fuel conspiracies, and incite a violent insurrection at our nation's Capitol building, and Mark Zuckerberg still believes that is not enough to remove someone from his platforms."
Wendy Via, president of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, warned Trump's reinstatement will reverberate worldwide.
"Authoritarian-leaning politicians everywhere are watching, and they will celebrate this decision," she said. "They have already been inspired by Trump's successful manipulation of Facebook and its lax rule enforcement for the politically powerful. These far-right leaders will simply ramp up their use of Facebook to spread misinformation to build their base, contributing to political violence and an increase in far-right governments."
Facebook is a powerful fundraising tool for Trump's 2024 campaign
Whether or how Trump will return to posting on Facebook is unclear. He has not resumed posting on Twitter and has an agreement with Truth Social to post there first.
Meta's decision to reinstate Trump lands in a social media landscape that has changed markedly in the past two years. Facebook is attempting to reinvent itself as a "metaverse company" in a move away from its social networking origins. In 2022, the company announced declines in revenue and users for the first time.
Twitter is in chaos under the ownership of billionaire Elon Musk, who reversed his platform's ban on Trump in November after polling the site's users.
And a raft of alternative social media sites — from Truth Social to Gettr, Parler and Gab — are wooing conservatives who have long accused the bigger networks of muzzling their political views.
Still, regaining his Facebook account, which had 35 million followers when it was suspended, is likely to be a boon as Trump seeks the presidency in 2024. While he famously used Twitter on the campaign trail and in office to announce policy, indulge fans and goad enemies, Facebook was a major engine of his fundraising efforts, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign contributions. (Trump's campaign page was not affected by the ban and has continued to raise money via Facebook.)
Trump continues to amplify false election fraud claims and other conspiracy theories on social media
Facebook initially suspended Trump indefinitely in the days after the Capitol insurrection. That decision was slammed by the company's Oversight Board — an outside group of legal experts, human rights scholars, and former journalists and politicians created and funded by Meta — as vague. In June 2021, Facebook revised the penalty to a two-year ban, said it would only reinstate Trump "if the risk to public safety has receded," and vowed to consult experts before doing so.
At that time, the company also set out new rules for public figures in times of civil unrest and violence. On Wednesday, Clegg said in addition to removing violating posts and suspending Trump if he again breaks the rules, Meta may also limit the distribution of content "that contributes to the sort of risk that materialized on January 6." For example, it could make those posts only visible if a user went directly to Trump's Facebook page.
Since his removal from mainstream social media, Trump has used Truth Social as his main mouthpiece. There, he has continued to falsely claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him and amplified the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory to his 4.78 million followers.
The advocacy groups Accountable Tech and Media Matters for America estimated last month that more than 350 of Trump's Truth Social posts would directly violate Facebook's rules against QAnon content, false election claims and harassment of marginalized groups.
Democratic lawmakers had urged Meta not to reinstate Trump's account, arguing that the risk to public safety continues. In a December letter to the company, U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff of California and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island pointed to Trump's posts on Truth Social casting doubt on the integrity of the 2022 midterm elections, continuing to deny his loss in 2020, and amplifying accounts promoting QAnon-tied conspiracy theories.
"We have every reason to believe he would bring similar conspiratorial rhetoric back to Facebook, if given the chance," they wrote.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-01-26T00:08:24+00:00 | wyomingpublicmedia.org | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2023-01-25/meta-allows-donald-trump-back-on-facebook-and-instagram |
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday will present the nation’s second highest civilian award to 12 individuals involved in defending the Capitol during the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, and safeguarding the will of American voters in the 2020 presidential election.
The White House announced on Thursday that Biden will present the Presidential Citizens Medal during an East Room ceremony marking the second anniversary of the assault on the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump whose siege interrupted the congressional certification of Biden’s victory.
Among those being honored are seven members of law enforcement, including a posthumous award to Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died after the attack, and an award to Officer Eugene Goodman who was credited with directing rioters away from the Senate floor while lawmakers were evacuating the building.
Also being honored are two other Capitol Police officers, Harry Dunn and Caroline Edwards; Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell; Metropolitan Police Department Officer Daniel Hodges and a former officer, Michael Fanone.
Biden is also recognizing Michigan’s secretary of state, Jocelyn Benson, and Rusty Bowers, a former Arizona House speaker, who resisted pressure to overturn the election results; and Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss, election workers in Fulton County, Georgia, who were subjected to threats and harassment after ensuring votes in the county were properly tabulated.
An award is going to Al Schmidt, a former Philadelphia election official who faced public pressure by Trump to stop counting valid ballots. Schmidt, a Republican, will be nominated for the top election administration post in Pennsylvania, secretary of state, by Pennsylvania Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro, a Democrat.
The Presidential Citizens Medal, created by President Richard Nixon in 1969, is the country’s second highest civilian honor after the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is awarded to those who “performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens.”
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the Capitol riot at https://www.apnews.com/capitol-siege | 2023-01-05T19:28:51+00:00 | valleycentral.com | https://www.valleycentral.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-biden-to-award-citizens-medal-to-12-on-jan-6-anniversary/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Heardle, the name-that-tune game inspired by the Wordle craze, is being dropped by Spotify less than a year after the music-streaming giant acquired it.
“After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to say goodbye to Heardle,” Spotify said Saturday in a statement. A similar announcement was posted on the Heardle homepage.
First appearing in February 2022 amid a surge of games that used the format of Wordle, which the New York Times bought in January of that year, Heardle plays fleeting moments of a song and challenges users to see how quickly they can guess it. Saturday’s mystery song was (spoiler alert) 1998’s “Why Don’t You Get a Job” by the Offspring.
After Spotify bought Heardle in July, users could go from revealing the song to playing it on the app. That sort of music discovery, or rediscovery, was Spotify’s intention in acquiring the game from its creators, according to the blog post announcing the acquisition.
But the statement on the game’s end said Spotify plans to “focus our efforts on other features for music discovery.”
The company did not give further details on why it was ending the game, and it’s not clear whether Heardle may continue life elsewhere. Spotify did not identify the apparently publicity-shy creator and seller when it announced the purchase.
Variety identified the man as a “London-based web and app designer” in a May 2020 interview, but he declined to be identified further. | 2023-04-16T22:50:58+00:00 | wearegreenbay.com | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/national/name-that-tune-game-heardle-dropped-by-spotify-after-a-year/ |
December 2022 quarter:
GAAP EPS of 30.9 cps; Adjusted EPS of 18.5 cps, up 7% on a comparable constant currency basis
Highlights - Six Months Ended December 31, 2022
- Net sales of $7,354 million, up 6%;
- GAAP Net income of $691 million, up 62%; GAAP diluted earnings per share (EPS) of 46.1 cps, up 65%;
- Adjusted EPS of 36.6 cps, up 8% on a comparable constant currency basis;
- Adjusted EBIT of $791 million, up 8% on a comparable constant currency basis;
- Increasing cash returns to shareholders: quarterly dividend of 12.25 cents per share; and up to $500 million of share repurchases expected in fiscal 2023, including an additional $100 million announced today; and
- Fiscal 2023 outlook: Maintaining adjusted EPS and Free Cash Flow ranges at 77-81 cps and $1-1.1 billion, respectively.
ZURICH, Feb. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Amcor CEO Ron Delia said: "Amcor delivered strong financial performance for the first half of fiscal 2023, demonstrating excellent operating leverage amid ongoing challenges in the macroeconomic environment. For the year-to-date, organic net sales growth of 2% drove an 8% increase in adjusted earnings per share on a comparable constant currency basis.
We continue to make good progress on our commercial and strategic agenda and our teams are doing an excellent job navigating through volatile market conditions, while recovering general inflation and higher raw material costs. Our exposure to consumer staples and healthcare end markets positions our business well despite some softening in the demand environment and customer destocking through the December quarter. We also completed the sale of our Russian plants and announced a bolt-on acquisition in China to strengthen our healthcare packaging business in the Asia Pacific region.
Notwithstanding a more cautious near term outlook, we remain focused on executing against our strategy for long term growth. Our ability to generate significant annual cash flow allows us to continue to invest in multiple growth opportunities, pay an attractive and growing dividend and regularly repurchase shares. We are confident in the strength of our underlying business, execution capabilities and capital allocation framework, all of which support our compelling investment case."
Completed sale of Russian business
The sale of Amcor's Russian business was completed on December 23, 2022, with the Company receiving cash proceeds of approximately $365 million, in addition to approximately $65 million of cash on hand in Russia which was repatriated upon close. Approximately $120 million of the cash received is expected to be invested in a range of additional cost saving initiatives to partly offset divested earnings. Of the remaining cash received, Amcor plans to repurchase up to $100 million in additional shares with the balance expected to be used to reduce net debt.
Acquisition of MDK
On January 16, 2023, the Company announced it had entered into an agreement to acquire Shanghai-based MDK. MDK is a leading provider of flexible packaging for the medical device segment generating annual sales of approximately $50 million.
MDK's coating capabilities, medical paper-based packaging products and customer base complement Amcor's existing portfolio, further enhancing the Company's leadership position in the Chinese and broader Asia Pacific medical packaging segment.
The acquisition is expected to close by the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2023.
Shareholder returns
Amcor generates significant annual cash flow, maintains strong credit metrics, and is committed to an investment grade credit rating. The Company's strong annual cash flow and balance sheet provide substantial capacity to simultaneously reinvest in the business for organic growth, pursue acquisitions and return cash to shareholders through a compelling and growing dividend as well as regular share repurchases.
During the six months ended December 31, 2022, the Company returned approximately $400 million to shareholders through cash dividends and share repurchases.
Dividend
The Amcor Board of Directors today declared a quarterly cash dividend of 12.25 cents per share (compared with 12.00 cents per share in the same quarter last year). The dividend will be paid in US dollars to holders of Amcor's ordinary shares trading on the NYSE. Holders of CDIs trading on the ASX will receive an unfranked dividend of 17.30 Australian cents per share, which reflects the quarterly dividend of 12.25 cents per share converted at an AUD:USD average exchange rate of 0.7082 over the five trading days ended February 3, 2023.
The ex-dividend date will be February 28, 2023, the record date will be March 1, 2023 and the payment date will be March 21, 2023.
Share repurchases
Amcor repurchased approximately 3 million shares during the six months ended December 31, 2022 for a total cost of approximately $40 million.
In addition to $400 million of share repurchases announced previously, the Company expects to allocate up to $100 million of proceeds from recently divested businesses towards share purchases, bringing the total expected to be repurchased in fiscal 2023 to up to $500 million.
Financial results - Six Months Ended December 31, 2022
Segment information
December 2022 half year:
Net sales of $7,354 million increased by 6% on a reported basis, which includes an unfavorable impact of 5% related to movements in foreign currency exchange rates and price increases of approximately $670 million (representing 10% growth) related to the pass through of higher raw material costs. Items affecting comparability had no material impact on net sales.
Net sales on a comparable constant currency basis were 2% higher than the same period last year reflecting price/mix benefits of approximately 3%, partly offset by approximately 1% lower volumes.
GAAP Net Income was $691 million and includes a $215 million gain on the sale of the business in Russia. Adjusted EBIT of $791 million was 8% higher than last year on a comparable constant currency basis. Adjusted EBIT margin of 10.8% includes an adverse impact of approximately 100 basis points related to the increased sales dollars associated with passing through higher raw material costs.
December 2022 quarter:
Net sales of $3,642 million increased by 4% on a reported basis, which includes an unfavorable impact of 5% related to movements in foreign currency exchange rates and price increases of approximately $270 million (representing 8% growth) related to the pass through of higher raw material costs. Items affecting comparability had no material impact on net sales.
Net sales on a comparable constant currency basis were 1% higher than the same quarter last year reflecting price/mix benefits of approximately 3%, partly offset by approximately 2% lower volumes.
GAAP Net Income was $459 million and includes a $215 million gain on the sale of the business in Russia. Adjusted EBIT of $399 million was 7% higher than the same quarter last year on a comparable constant currency basis.
December 2022 half year:
On a reported basis, net sales of $5,591 million were 5% higher than the same period last year, which includes an unfavorable impact of 7% related to movements in foreign exchange rates and price increases of approximately $460 million (representing 9% growth) related to the pass through of higher raw material costs. Items affecting comparability had no material impact on net sales. Net sales on a comparable constant currency basis were 3% higher than the same period last year reflecting price/mix benefits of approximately 4%, partly offset by approximately 1% lower volumes.
In North America, net sales grew in the low single digit range driven by price/mix benefits, partly offset by lower volumes. Volumes were higher in healthcare, cheese, pet care and home and personal care categories, more than offset by lower volumes in categories including condiments, fresh meat, snacks and confectionary.
In Europe, net sales grew in the mid single digit range driven by price/mix benefits, partly offset by lower volumes. Higher volumes in pharmaceuticals, capsules and pet care were more than offset by lower volumes in home and personal care, coffee, yogurt and confectionary.
Net sales grew at low single digit rates across the Asia Pacific region reflecting price/mix benefits partly offset by lower volumes. Growth was strong in India, Australia and in the pan Asian healthcare and meat end markets, partly offset by lower volumes in China where demand was unfavorably impacted by COVID related lockdowns, particularly in the December 2022 quarter. In Latin America, net sales grew at low single digit rates driven by favorable price/mix benefits, partly offset by lower volumes which weakened in the December 2022 quarter across Brazil and Chile.
Adjusted EBIT of $706 million was 8% higher than the same period last year on a comparable constant currency basis, reflecting price/mix benefits, strong management of inflation and favorable operating cost performance.
Adjusted EBIT margin of 12.6% includes an adverse impact of approximately 120 basis points related to the increased sales dollars associated with passing through higher raw material costs.
December 2022 quarter:
On a reported basis, net sales of $2,812 million were 4% higher than the same quarter last year, which includes an unfavorable impact of 6% related to movements in foreign exchange rates and price increases of approximately $190 million (representing 7% growth) related to the pass through of higher raw material costs. Items affecting comparability had no material impact on net sales. Net sales on a comparable constant currency basis were 3% higher than the same quarter last year reflecting price/mix benefits of approximately 4%, partly offset by 1.5% lower volumes.
Adjusted EBIT of $353 million was 5% higher than the same quarter last year on a comparable constant currency basis.
December 2022 half year:
On a reported basis, net sales of $1,763 million were 12% higher than the same period last year, which includes an unfavorable impact of 1% related to movements in foreign exchange rates and price increases of approximately $210 million (representing 13% growth) related to the pass through of higher raw material costs. Net sales on a comparable constant currency basis were 1% lower than the same period last year reflecting approximately 2% lower volumes, partly offset by price/mix benefits of approximately 1%.
In North America, overall beverage volumes were 5% lower than the same period last year. Hot fill beverage container volumes were up 2% as a result of continued growth in key categories, offset by lower combined preform and cold fill container volumes compared to the prior period. In the December 2022 quarter, overall beverage volumes were 7% lower than the same quarter last year which reflects lower consumer demand and customer destocking, partly offset by new business wins. December 2022 quarter hot fill beverage container volumes were 2% lower than last year, in line with the market. Year to date specialty container volumes were higher than the same period last year driven by growth in the healthcare, dairy and nutrition end markets.
In Latin America, volumes were marginally higher than last year with volume growth in Argentina and Mexico offset by lower volumes in Brazil. December 2022 quarter volumes were unfavorably impacted by softening demand mainly in Argentina and Brazil and overall volumes declined at mid single digit rates.
Adjusted EBIT of $123 million was 7% higher than the same period last year on a comparable constant currency basis, reflecting improved cost performance.
Adjusted EBIT margin of 7.0% includes an adverse impact of approximately 90 basis points related to the increased sales dollars associated with passing through higher raw material costs.
December 2022 quarter:
On a reported basis, net sales of $830 million were 4% higher than the same quarter last year, which includes an unfavorable impact of 1% related to movements in foreign exchange rates and price increases of approximately $80 million (representing 10% growth) related to the pass through of higher raw material costs. Net sales on a comparable constant currency basis were 5% lower than the same quarter last year reflecting lower volumes.
Adjusted EBIT of $57 million was 6% higher than the same quarter last year on a comparable constant currency basis.
Net interest and income tax expense
For the half year ended 31 December, 2022, net interest expense of $118 million was $49 million higher than the same period last year reflecting higher interest rates. GAAP income tax expense was $91 million compared with $124 million in the same period last year. Excluding amounts related to non-GAAP adjustments, adjusted tax expense for the half year ended December 31, 2022 was $121 million compared with $147 million in the same period last year. Adjusted tax expense represents an effective tax rate of 18.0%, compared with 21.0% in the same period last year.
Free Cash Flow
For the December 2022 half year, adjusted free cash outflow was $61 million compared with an inflow of $105 million in the same period last year. As expected, the variance compared with last year largely reflects the impact of higher inventory levels to mitigate supply chain constraints mainly through the 2022 fiscal year, along with the unfavorable impact on the working capital cycle related to higher raw material costs. December 2022 quarter adjusted Free cash inflow of $338 million was in line with the same quarter last year.
Net debt was $6,065 million at December 31, 2022. Leverage, measured as net debt divided by adjusted trailing twelve month EBITDA, was 2.8 times.
Fiscal 2023 guidance
For the twelve month period ending June 30, 2023, assuming current foreign exchange rates prevail through the balance of the year, the Company expects:
- Adjusted EPS on a reported basis of 77 to 81 cents per share, however, entering the second half of the year the Company is more cautious in relation to the demand environment. Adjusted EPS expectations include:
- Growth of approximately 3-8% on a comparable constant currency basis comprising approximately 5-10% growth from the underlying business performance and a benefit of approximately 2% from share repurchases, partly offset by a negative impact of approximately 4% related to higher combined interest and tax expense;
- A negative impact of approximately 3% related to the sale of the Company's three plants in Russia on December 23, 2022 (updated from a negative 2% previously); and
- A negative impact of approximately 4% related to a stronger US dollar (updated from a negative 5% previously).
- Adjusted Free Cash Flow of approximately $1.0 billion to $1.1 billion.
- Up to $500 million of cash to be allocated towards share repurchases (updated from $400 million previously).
Amcor's guidance contemplates a range of factors which create a degree of uncertainty and complexity when estimating future financial results, and is provided in the context of greater than usual volatility in demand. The Company provides guidance on a non-GAAP basis as we are unable to predict with reasonable certainty the ultimate outcome and timing of certain significant forward-looking items without unreasonable effort. Further information can be found under 'Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements' in this release.
Conference Call
Amcor is hosting a conference call with investors and analysts to discuss these results on February 7, 2023 at 5.30pm US Eastern Daylight Time / February 8, 2023 at 9.30am Australian Eastern Daylight Time. Investors are invited to listen to a live webcast of the conference call at our website, www.amcor.com, in the "Investors" section.
Those wishing to access the call should use the following numbers, with the Conference ID 8080870:
- US & Canada – 888 440 4149 (toll-free), 646 960 0661 (local)
- Australia – 1800 519 630 (toll free), 02 9133 7103 (local)
- United Kingdom – 0800 358 0970 (toll free), 020 3433 3846 (local)
- Singapore – +65 3159 5133 (local number)
- Hong Kong – +852 3002 3410 (local number)
From all other countries, the call can be accessed by dialing +1 646 960 0661 (toll).
A replay of the webcast will also be available in the "Investors" section at www.amcor.com following the call.
About Amcor
Amcor is a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical, home and personal-care, and other products. Amcor works with leading companies around the world to protect their products, differentiate brands, and improve supply chains through a range of flexible and rigid packaging, specialty cartons, closures and services. The Company is focused on making packaging that is increasingly light-weighted, recyclable and reusable, and made using an increasing amount of recycled content. In fiscal 2022, 44,000 Amcor people generated $14.5 billion in annual sales from operations that span 220 locations in 43 countries. NYSE: AMCR; ASX: AMC
www.amcor.com I LinkedIn I Facebook I Twitter I YouTube
Contact Information
Amcor plc UK Establishment Address: 83 Tower Road North, Warmley, Bristol, England, BS30 8XP, United Kingdom
UK Overseas Company Number: BR020803
Registered Office: 3rd Floor, 44 Esplanade, St Helier, JE4 9WG, Jersey
Jersey Registered Company Number: 126984, Australian Registered Body Number (ARBN): 630 385 278
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This document contains certain statements that are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are generally identified with words like "believe," "expect," "target," "project," "may," "could," "would," "approximately," "possible," "will," "should," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "commit," "estimate," "potential," "ambitions," "outlook," or "continue," the negative of these words, other terms of similar meaning, or the use of future dates. Such statements are based on the current expectations of the management of Amcor and are qualified by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations generally. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of risks and uncertainties. None of Amcor or any of its respective directors, executive officers, or advisors provide any representation, assurance or guarantee that the occurrence of the events expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements will actually occur. Risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from expectations include, but are not limited to: changes in consumer demand patterns and customer requirements; the loss of key customers, a reduction in production requirements of key customers; significant competition in the industries and regions in which Amcor operates; failure by Amcor to expand its business; challenging current and future global economic conditions, including inflation and supply chain disruptions; impact of operating internationally, including negative impacts from the Russia-Ukraine conflict; price fluctuations or shortages in the availability of raw materials, energy, and other inputs; disruptions to production, supply, and commercial risks, which may be exacerbated in times of economic volatility; global health outbreaks, including COVID-19; an inability to attract and retain key personnel; costs and liabilities related to current and future environment, health, and safety laws and regulations; labor disputes; risks related to climate change; failures or disruptions in information technology systems; cybersecurity risks; a significant increase in indebtedness or a downgrade in the credit rating; foreign exchange rate risk; rising interest rates; a significant write-down of goodwill and/or other intangible assets; failure to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting; inability of the Company's insurance policies to provide adequate protections; challenges to or the loss of intellectual property rights; litigation, including product liability claims; increasing scrutiny and changing expectations with respect to Amcor Environmental, Social and Governance policies resulting in increased costs; changing government regulations in environmental, health, and safety matters; changes in tax laws or changes in our geographic mix of earnings; and other risks and uncertainties identified from time to time in Amcor's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including without limitation, those described under Item 1A. "Risk Factors" of Amcor's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. You can obtain copies of Amcor's filings with the SEC for free at the SEC's website (www.sec.gov). Forward-looking statements included herein are made only as of the date hereof and Amcor does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, or any other information in this communication, as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, or to correct any inaccuracies or omissions in them which become apparent, except as expressly required by law. All forward-looking statements in this communication are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.
Presentation of non-GAAP information
Included in this release are measures of financial performance that are not calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP. These measures include adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA (calculated as earnings before interest and tax and depreciation and amortization), adjusted EBIT and EBIT (calculated as earnings before interest and tax), adjusted net income, adjusted earnings per share, adjusted free cash flow and net debt. In arriving at these non-GAAP measures, we exclude items that either have a non-recurring impact on the income statement or which, in the judgment of our management, are items that, either as a result of their nature or size, could, were they not singled out, potentially cause investors to extrapolate future performance from an improper base. While not all inclusive, examples of these items include:
- material restructuring programs, including associated costs such as employee severance, pension and related benefits, impairment of property and equipment and other assets, accelerated depreciation, termination payments for contracts and leases, contractual obligations, and any other qualifying costs related to the restructuring plan;
- material sales and earnings from disposed or ceased operations and any associated profit or loss on sale of businesses or subsidiaries;
- impairments in goodwill and equity method investments;
- material acquisition compensation and transaction costs such as due diligence expenses, professional and legal fees, and integration costs;
- material purchase accounting adjustments for inventory;
- amortization of acquired intangible assets from business combination;
- significant property impairments, net of insurance recovery;
- payments or settlements related to legal claims;
- impacts from hyperinflation accounting; and
- impacts related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Amcor also evaluates performance on a comparable constant currency basis, which measures financial results assuming constant foreign currency exchange rates used for translation based on the average rates in effect for the comparable prior year period. In order to compute comparable constant currency results, we multiply or divide, as appropriate, current-year U.S. dollar results by the current year average foreign exchange rates and then multiply or divide, as appropriate, those amounts by the prior-year average foreign exchange rates. We then adjust for other items affecting comparability. While not all inclusive, examples of items affecting comparability include the difference between sales or earnings in the current period and the prior period related to acquired, disposed, or ceased operations. Comparable constant currency net sales performance also excludes the impact from passing through movements in raw material costs.
Management has used and uses these measures internally for planning, forecasting and evaluating the performance of the Company's reporting segments and certain of the measures are used as a component of Amcor's Board of Directors' measurement of Amcor's performance for incentive compensation purposes. Amcor believes that these non-GAAP measures are useful to enable investors to perform comparisons of current and historical performance of the Company. For each of these non-GAAP financial measures, a reconciliation to the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure has been provided herein. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be construed as an alternative to results determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The Company provides guidance on a non-GAAP basis as we are unable to predict with reasonable certainty the ultimate outcome and timing of certain significant forward-looking items without unreasonable effort. These items include but are not limited to the impact of foreign exchange translation, restructuring program costs, asset impairments, possible gains and losses on the sale of assets, and certain tax related events. These items are uncertain, depend on various factors, and could have a material impact on U.S. GAAP earnings and cash flow measures for the guidance period.
Dividends
Amcor has received a waiver from the ASX's settlement operating rules, which will allow the Company to defer processing conversions between its ordinary share and CDI registers from February 28, 2023 to March 1, 2023, inclusive.
U.S. GAAP Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)
U.S. GAAP Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)
U.S. GAAP Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)
Components of Fiscal 2023 Net Sales growth
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures
Reconciliation of adjusted Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), Net income, and Earnings per share (EPS)
Reconciliation of adjusted EBIT by reporting segment
Reconciliations of Adjusted Free Cash Flow
Reconciliation of net debt
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SOURCE Amcor | 2023-02-07T22:29:52+00:00 | kcrg.com | https://www.kcrg.com/prnewswire/2023/02/07/amcor-reports-strong-first-half-second-quarter-fiscal-2023-result/ |
The innovative dental device took third place in the New Products Showcase.
SPOKANE, Wash., May 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In April, at the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) 2023 Annual Session in Chicago, a revolutionary flosser received recognition at the New Products Showcase.
All attending orthodontists were eligible to be Showcase judges and selected the Slate Electric Flosser as one of its winners.
Orthodontists are some of the product's biggest fans. They're not only recommending the Slate Flosser to their patients—they're using it themselves.
"I've been using it for about six months," said orthodontist Scott Ralph. "I love it!"
The electric flosser combines high-grade floss with 12,000 sonic vibrations per minute, while the patent-pending Bracket Sweeps remove the plaque and bacteria that form around the brackets. Located on the back of the floss head is a tongue scraper which cleans the tongue for a complete oral care experience.
Users choose either the standard floss head or the orthodontic floss head made for adults and kids with braces.
The challenge of flossing with braces prompted dentist Danny Snyder to invent the flosser.
"I have five kids that either are in braces or soon will be," said Snyder, who co-founded the company with his wife, Brynn. "When my braces came off, I had cavities that were preventable with regular flossing. I wanted to create something to help my children avoid the same fate."
Dr. Ralph believes this product can do that. He's encouraging his patients to try it.
"Ninety percent of our patients with braces won't floss with regular floss because it's too cumbersome," Ralph said. "Fifty percent of those won't floss with water, either."
Neglecting to floss leads to the accumulation of plaque and bacteria that produces acid. That acid breaks down tooth enamel causing inflammation of the gum tissue. The resulting problems can quickly snowball.
"The Slate flosser is way quicker than manual flossing, and it's more thorough," said Ralph. This is a step above."
Feedback from orthodontic professionals, along with the recent award at the AAO session, delighted the Slate Electric Flosser founder.
"The fact that the dental and orthodontic communities are recognizing and embracing the product is extremely gratifying," said Snyder.
For more information about Slate Electric Flossers visit https://slateflosser.com/.
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SOURCE Slate Dental, Inc. | 2023-05-17T12:12:56+00:00 | kfyrtv.com | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/05/17/slate-electric-flosser-wins-american-association-orthodontists-annual-session/ |
WASHINGTON — Virginia Patton Moss, most recognizable as Ruth Dakin Bailey in the 1946 holiday movie 'It's a Wonderful Life," died Thursday from natural causes. She was 97.
Karolyn Grimes, a child actor from the movie confirmed the starlet's death in a Facebook post Sunday. Patton was the last surviving adult member of the cast.
"We have another angel! Virginia Patton Moss. She was 97 years old. She played Harry Bailey's wife in the film, it's a Wonderful Life! She is now with her beloved Cruse," Grimes wrote. "She will be missed!"
Mathews Funeral Home in Albany, Georgia, announced Thursday that the 1940s star died of natural causes.
Patton was born in Ohio on June 25, 1925 and began her career in acting as teenager, having landed a contract with Warner Bros., Universal Studios and more. During her career she also held her own popular line of women's and children's wear called "Virginia Patton of Hollywood."
Patton played Harry Bailey's wife in Frank Capra's Christmas fantasy drama "It's a Wonderful Life," which is considered one of the greatest American films, ranking No. 11 behind "Singin' in the Rain."
However, the starlet's Hollywood career was short-lived as she retired at 24, after only seven years in the movie business. She married Cruse Moss, who accompanied her through her old age until his death in 2018.
Patton and Moss moved to Ann Arbor, Mich., where they were involved in the arts community. Patton served on the Boards of the American Institute of Archeology, the Washtenaw County Mental Health Services Agency and Cleary College's Board of Trustees.
Patton is survived by her two children Carol Moss Loop and Michael Cruse Moss. | 2022-08-23T03:24:09+00:00 | kagstv.com | https://www.kagstv.com/article/news/entertainment-news/virginia-patton-moss-dies-at-97/507-647c812d-36db-4e49-998e-30a2374617d9 |
FUKUOKA, Japan, Oct. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EditForce, Inc. (hereinafter "EditForce"), headquartered in Fukuoka, Japan, has realized the world's first RNA-editing technology that enables RNA-editing bases to be changed from "U" to "C," and demonstrated that this technology works even in human cells in a joint study with Professor Takahiro Nakamura, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University. The study opens up the possibility of editing gene mutations which could not have been the target with the existing technologies, and is expected to contribute to the R&D of therapies for various genetic diseases. EditForce will improve safety and editing efficiency in its development activities to establish innovative gene therapy technologies. The study was published in the scientific journal "Communications Biology" on September 15 (September 16 in JST), 2022.
Logo: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107232/202210117969/_prw_PI1fl_AXiGsGJ1.jpg
Outline of research
A genome existing in each human cell consists of four nucleotide bases -- A, C, G, and T -- of which the sequence holds the information necessary to make up a human body. Cells generate RNA consisting of four nucleotide bases -- A, C, G, and U -- based on genomic sequences, and then produce protein according to the sequences of RNA. However, changes in a single nucleotide on a genome or RNA sequence cause a variety of diseases. Treatment of these diseases requires single base-editing technology of repairing genomic or RNA mutations to bring the sequences back on the normal track.
Currently, genome-editing technology has been developed rapidly, but the development of editing technology for RNA sequences remains limited. Especially as regards a single base substitution, technologies have been established to substitute "C" with "U" and "A" with "G," but the substitution of other bases is yet to be realized.
The study clarified the mechanism of RNA editing in plants to substitute "U" with "C," based on which EditForce has realized the world's first RNA-editing (base substitution) technology that substitutes "U" with "C," and the company demonstrated that this technology works in human cells.
Base-editing technologies can be applied to the treatment of diseases caused by a single mutation, and "U-to-C" RNA-editing technology of the study opens up the possibility to edit mutations which could not have been the target with the existing technologies. Further, repairing mutations by RNA editing without changes in genome sequence will enable EditForce to provide safer treatments to patients. The company expects that this technology will establish a novel gene therapy by improving safety and editing efficiency in its development activities.
This work was supported by the Research Grant for Young Scholars funded by Yamanashi Prefecture.
Article information
Ichinose M., Kawabata M., Akaiwa Y., Shimajiri Y., Nakamura I., Tamai T., Nakamura T., Yagi Y. and Gutmann B. "U-to-C RNA editing by synthetic PPR-DYW proteins in bacteria and human culture cells" Commun Biol. 5, 968 (2022).
About EditForce, Inc.
EditForce, Inc., a Kyushu University-originated venture company developing a unique DNA/RNA-editing technology (PPR platform technology (*)), was established in May 2015 by KISCO Ltd. and Prof. Takahiro Nakamura of Kyushu University (former president of EditForce and currently its scientific advisor) and funded by companies and funds that have track records of investing in life sciences and biotechnology. EditForce aims for drug discovery that applies the PPR technology through joint research with universities and private companies.
For more information, please visit: https://www.editforce.co.jp/
(*) Pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) protein platform technology
PPR is a protein discovered in plants that regulates gene expression by binding to DNA and RNA in a sequence-specific manner. The PPR proteins are also found in humans and yeasts, and they have similar functions. Prof. Takahiro Nakamura and Dr. Yusuke Yagi, CTO of EditForce, have focused on the PPR proteins and elucidated the mechanism that determines sequence specificity, and established a technology for creating various PPR proteins, each of which binds to a specific target DNA or RNA sequence. Furthermore, it is possible to manipulate and modify the target genome and RNA both inside and outside the cell by fusion with effector proteins.
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SOURCE EditForce, Inc. | 2022-10-18T06:46:01+00:00 | kfyrtv.com | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2022/10/18/editforce-realizes-rna-editing-technology-u-to-c/ |
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Isaac Mushila had 23 points in Texas A&M-CC’s 83-72 win over McNeese on Saturday night.
Christian Shumate finished with 15 points and six rebounds for the Cowboys (5-17, 2-7). McNeese also got 13 points from Zach Scott. The loss was the Cowboys’ seventh in a row.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. | 2023-01-29T01:47:02+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/texas-aandm-cc-beats-mcneese-83-72/2023/01/28/ab39a8f8-9f6d-11ed-93e0-38551e88239c_story.html |
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — American Airlines said Thursday that Doug Parker, who served as CEO for more than eight years before stepping down last year, will retire as chairman on April 30.
The new chairman will be Greg Smith, who spent more than 30 years at Boeing including the last 10 as chief financial officer.
Smith’s duties broadened during his tenure at Boeing, including working on the company’s effort to return the 737 Max jetliner to service after it was grounded worldwide following two deadly crashes. He briefly served as interim CEO after Dennis Muilenburg was ousted in late 2019.
Smith, 56, retired from Boeing in a surprise move in early 2021, then joined American’s board in January 2022.
Parker, 61, was CEO of US Airways when he engineered a 2013 merger that put him and his executive team in charge of American Airlines, which was just emerging from bankruptcy protection.
Parker’s tenure as CEO was mostly a highly profitable period for American, but the airline struggled with more debt than its rivals, even before the pandemic that devastated the U.S. travel industry in early 2020. Also, American’s relations with its labor unions worsened, and the federal government sued to kill a partnership with JetBlue in the New York and Boston. Robert Isom succeeded Parker as CEO last March.
American also announced that longtime board members Ray Robinson and Jim Albaugh will not seek re-election this spring. | 2023-02-24T19:40:41+00:00 | wate.com | https://www.wate.com/news/business/ap-business/ap-longtime-leader-of-american-airlines-steps-down-as-chairman/ |
SÃO PAULO, July 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. (NYSE: GOL and B3: GOLL4), ("GOL" or "Company"), Brazil's largest domestic airline, provides an Investor Update. All information is presented in Brazilian Reais (R$). The information below is preliminary and unaudited.
GOL is updating its financial forecasts given the consecutive increases in Brazilian jet fuel prices since the beginning of the year, as well as pass-through effects on fares, resulting in higher sales and revenue levels. For 2022, the Company reinforces its focus on fleet transformation and expects that, by the end of the year, 44 737-MAX aircraft will be operating, which is around 32% of the total fleet.
To help investors and analysts understand how GOL addresses its near-term planning, the Company shares the following indicators:
(1) Cargo. loyalty. buy-on-board and other ancillary revenues; (2) Recurring operating results, does not include non-recurring maintenance costs related to fleet transformation; (3) Excluding currency gains and losses and Unrealized losses on Exchangeable Senior Notes; (4) Capex, net is calculated as Gross capex (fleet capitalized maintenance) subtracted by financed Capex (credit facilities to finance assets acquisition and capitalized maintenance costs) ; (5) Including 7x annual aircraft lease payments and excluding perpetual bonds; and (6) Includes stock option exercises that may be issued from the stock option program and related to Exchangeable Senior Notes.
Investor Relations
ri@voegol.com.br
www.voegol.com.br/ir
+55(11) 2128-4700
GOL is the largest airline in Brazil, leader in the corporate and leisure segments. Since founded in 2001, the Company has the lowest unit cost in Latin America, thus democratizing air transportation. The Company has alliances with American Airlines and Air France-KLM, besides several codeshare and interline agreements available to Customers, bringing more convenience and simple connections to any place served by these partnerships. With the purpose of "Being the First for All", GOL offers the best travel experience to its passengers, including: the largest number of seats and more space between seats; the greatest platform with internet, movies and live TV; and the best frequent-flyer program, SMILES. In cargo transportation, GOLLOG delivers orders to different regions in Brazil and abroad. The Company has a team of 14,000 highly qualified aviation professionals focused on Safety, GOL's #1 value, and operates a standardized fleet of 144 Boeing 737 aircraft. The Company's shares are traded on the NYSE (GOL) and the B3 (GOLL4). For further information, visit www.voegol.com.br/ri.
The information contained in this press release has not been subject to any independent audit or review and contains "forward-looking" statements, estimates and projections that relate to future events, which are, by their nature, subject to significant risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release including, without limitation, those regarding GOL's future financial position and results of operations, strategy, plans, objectives, goals and targets, future developments in the markets in which GOL operates or is seeking to operate, and any statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words "believe", "expect", "aim", "intend", "will", "may", "project", "estimate", "anticipate", "predict", "seek", "should" or similar words or expressions, are forward-looking statements. The future events referred to in these forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other factors, many of which are beyond GOL's control, that may cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. These forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding GOL's present and future business strategies and the environment in which GOL will operate in the future and are not a guarantee of future performance. Such forward-looking statements speak only as at the date on which they are made. None of GOL or any of its affiliates, officers, directors, employees and agents undertakes any duty or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by law. None of GOL or any of its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, professional advisors and agents make any representation, warranty or prediction that the results anticipated by such forward-looking statements will be achieved, and such forward-looking statements represent, in each case, only one of many possible scenarios and should not be viewed as the most likely or standard scenario. Although GOL believes that the estimates and projections in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they may prove materially incorrect and actual results may materially differ. As a result, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements.
To be consistent with industry practice, GOL discloses so-called non-GAAP financial measures which are not recognized under IFRS or U.S. GAAP, including "Net Debt", "Adjusted Net Debt", "total liquidity" and "EBITDA". The Company's management believes that disclosure of non-GAAP measures provides useful information to investors, financial analysts and the public in their review of its operating performance and their comparison of its operating performance to the operating performance of other companies in the same industry and other industries. However, these non-GAAP items do not have standardized meanings and may not be directly comparable to similarly-titled items adopted by other companies. Potential investors should not rely on information not recognized under IFRS as a substitute for the GAAP measures of earnings or liquidity in making an investment decision.
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SOURCE GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. | 2022-07-28T12:47:59+00:00 | kcrg.com | https://www.kcrg.com/prnewswire/2022/07/28/gol-announces-investor-update/ |
NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- J.C. Flowers & Co. LLC ("J.C. Flowers" or "the Firm"), a leading private investment firm dedicated to investing globally in the financial services industry, announced today it has completed fundraising for its fifth private equity fund, J.C. Flowers V L.P. (together with parallel vehicles, "JCF V"), with more than $1.1 billion in commitments.
Limited partners in JCF V represent a diverse group of corporate pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, foundations and endowments, and family offices. JCF V received strong support from existing longtime investors as well as highly respected new investors, with institutional investors located across Asia, Europe, Middle East, and North and South America.
"We are grateful for the support from both our existing and new limited partners which allowed us to surpass our target, especially given the backdrop of uncertainty over the last two years," said Chris Flowers, CEO of J.C. Flowers. "Our firm has built a deep bench of talented executives with significant financial services expertise, which has made us uniquely qualified to identify interesting investments through changing market conditions. We look forward to continuing to source, evaluate and invest in financial services opportunities worldwide where we can add significant value."
J.C. Flowers targets investments across all sub-sectors of the financial services industry, including banks, insurance and reinsurance, specialty and consumer finance, asset management and financial technology and securities firms. The firm has deep experience navigating the complexities of the global regulatory landscape, and has been approved for various investments in financial services companies in 18 jurisdictions. Teams in New York and London drive value in the firm's portfolio companies through operational transformation and balance sheet optimization.
To date, approximately 40% of JCF V has been invested, including announced platform investments in Ariel Re, Inigo Insurance, iLendingDirect, Insigneo Financial Group, LMAX Group, Tricor Insurance and Solomon Wealth.
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as legal adviser for the Fund.
J.C. Flowers is a leading private investment firm dedicated to investing globally in the financial services industry. Founded in 1998, the firm has approximately $5 billion of assets under management. J.C. Flowers has offices in New York and London with an approximately 20-person investment staff who have a combined 300+ years of experience. Over its history, J.C. Flowers has invested more than $17 billion of capital in 62 portfolio companies in 18 countries across a range of industry subsectors including banking, insurance and reinsurance, securities firms, specialty finance, and services and asset management. For more information, please visit www.jcfco.com.
Media Contact:
Jennifer Hurson
Lambert
845-507-0571
jhurson@lambert.com
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SOURCE J.C. Flowers & Co. LLC | 2022-08-03T11:40:29+00:00 | wlox.com | https://www.wlox.com/prnewswire/2022/08/03/jc-flowers-closes-fifth-private-equity-fund-with-more-than-11-billion-commitments/ |
MADISON, Wis. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Wednesday afternoon's drawing of the Wisconsin Lottery's "Pick 3 Midday" game were:
7-9-7
(seven, nine, seven)
MADISON, Wis. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Wednesday afternoon's drawing of the Wisconsin Lottery's "Pick 3 Midday" game were:
7-9-7
(seven, nine, seven) | 2023-01-25T20:32:24+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/lottery/article/winning-numbers-drawn-in-pick-3-midday-game-17741634.php |
BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Friday that his country wants to strengthen ties to Mongolia, citing the country’s wealth of key commodities such as copper and rare earth metals.
Speaking after a meeting in Berlin with Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene, he said the two leaders had agreed to “deepen and also expand cooperation between our two countries.”
Scholz said combating climate change and transforming the energy sectors would be the focus of a meeting in Mongolia next year, adding that the country has “enormous potential when it comes to wind and solar power.”
Germany, meanwhile, is keen to strike deals to import more commodities from the landlocked Asian nation to reduce its reliance on countries such as Russia and China.
“Mongolia will become an important partner for many raw materials in our diversification strategy,” said Scholz, adding that concrete projects now need to be identified and legal certainty for investments ensured. | 2022-10-14T16:07:49+00:00 | localsyr.com | https://www.localsyr.com/news/business/ap-business/ap-germany-hopes-to-get-key-raw-material-from-mongolia/ |
Justices spar in latest clash of religion and gay rights
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court’s conservative majority is sounding sympathetic to a Christian graphic artist who objects to designing wedding websites for gay couples. But in arguments Monday, liberal justices suggested that allowing that discrimination could open the door to broader refusals by businesses to serve Black, Jewish or Islamic customers, interracial couples and many others. The Colorado case is the latest clash of religion and gay rights to land at the high court. A case involving a Colorado baker and a wedding cake for a gay couple ended with a limited decision five years ago and is to return to the court.
North Carolina blackouts caused by shootings could last days
CARTHAGE, N.C. (AP) — Tens of thousands of people are bracing for days without electricity in a North Carolina county where authorities say two power substations were shot up by one or more people with apparent criminal intent. Across Moore County southwest of Raleigh, businesses handed out free food or coffee and and often conducted transactions in cash. The county announced that schools would be closed for a second day Tuesday due to the lingering outages. Traffic lights were out around the county. Drivers treated intersections as four-way stops, which caused some traffic in places such as downtown Carthage.
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Russia claims Kyiv hit its air bases, fires more missiles
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Kremlin claims Ukrainian drones have struck two air bases deep inside Russia. Hours later, Russia unleashed another massive missile barrage across Ukraine, striking homes and buildings and killing civilians. The targeting of the Russian air bases threatened a major escalation of the nine-month war because it hit an airfield that houses bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to use all available means to defend Russian territory, a remark many have interpreted to include nuclear weapons. It was the first time since the conflict’s start that such a base has been attacked.
Kirstie Alley, Emmy-winning ‘Cheers’ star, dies at 71
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kirstie Alley, a two-time Emmy winner who starred in the 1980s sitcom “Cheers” and the hit film “Look Who’s Talking,” has died. She was 71. Her death was announced Monday by her children on social media and confirmed by her manager. The post said their mother died of cancer that was recently diagnosed. She starred as Rebecca Howe on the NBC sitcom “Cheers” from 1987 to 1993, after the departure of original star Shelley Long. She had her own sitcom on the network, “Veronica’s Closet,” from 1997 to 2000. John Travolta, who starred with Alley in two “Look Who's Talking” films, was among the stars who paid tribute to her online.
World Cup Viewer's Guide: 2 quarterfinals places left
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The final day of the round of 16 concludes Tuesday at the World Cup when Morocco faces Spain and Portugal goes head-to-head with Switzerland for the final two spots on the quarterfinals. Morocco is trying to secure its first appearance in the quarterfinals. The Atlas Lions topped Group F to reach the knockout round for the first time since 1986. The neighboring nations met in the teams’ final group game in 2018, which ended 2-2. Portugal heads into its match against Switzerland with all eyes on Cristiano Ronaldo. He's rumored to be about to join a Saudi Arabian team. A poll in Portugal said most in his home nation don't want him playing for the team. And Ronaldo angered his coach with bad body language when he was pulled from a loss against South Korea.
Arizona certifies 2022 election despite GOP complaints
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona’s top officials have certified the midterm election results. The governor, secretary of state, attorney general and chief justice signed off on the election results Monday. Their signatures formalize victories for Democrats over Republicans who falsely claimed the 2020 election was rigged. The certification opens a five-day window for formal election challenges. Republican Kari Lake, who lost the race for governor, is expected to file a lawsuit after weeks of criticizing the administration of the election. The certification also allows for an automatic recount to begin in a handful of races.
Sale jumpstarts floating, offshore wind power in US waters
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Tuesday marks the first-ever U.S. auction for leases to develop commercial-scale floating wind farms in the deep waters off the West Coast. The live, online auction for the five leases — three off California’s central coast and two off its northern coast — has attracted strong interest — 43 companies from around the world. It marks America’s first foray into floating wind turbines; auctions so far have been for ones that are anchored to the seafloor. The need for energy that does not put more carbon into the atmosphere is increasing as climate change takes a toll. Environmentalists and tribes say they want to make sure the offshore and coastal development is done right.
Jazzy 'Charlie Brown Christmas' swings on after 57 years
NEW YORK (AP) — There were plenty of reasons Vince Guaraldi's soundtrack to ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ shouldn't have worked. Jazz music for an animated television special featuring the famous comic strip characters? Yet the show has become a holiday tradition from its first airing in 1965, the music performed by Guaraldi's piano-led jazz trio even more so. What unites Prince, Michelle Obama and Foo Fighters? They all performed the soundtrack's “Linus and Lucy” in public. Members of show producer Lee Mendelson's family wish they had the envelope where he hurriedly wrote lyrics to the song “Christmas Time is Here.”
Trump faces peril in docs probe after decades of scrutiny
WASHINGTON (AP) — As a businessman and president, Donald Trump faced a litany of lawsuits and criminal investigations yet emerged from the legal scrutiny time and again with his public and political standing largely intact. But he’s perhaps never confronted a probe as perilous as the Mar-a-Lago investigation, an inquiry focused on the potential mishandling of top-secret documents. The sense of vulnerability has been heightened in recent weeks by the Justice Department’s appointment of an aggressive special counsel, the removal of a Trump-requested independent arbiter and the unequivocal rejection by judges of his lawyers’ arguments.
California eyes penalties for oil companies' big profits
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California could become the first state to fine big oil companies for making too much money. The proposal is a reaction to the oil industry's supersized profits following a summer of record-high gas prices in the nation's most populous state. Gov. Gavin Newsom and his Democratic allies in the state Legislature introduced the bill on Monday. But the proposal is missing key details. It does not say how much profit is too much or how much the fine would be for oil companies exceeding it. Newsom said those details would be sorted out after negotiations with the state Legislature. | 2022-12-06T04:27:56+00:00 | wcfcourier.com | https://wcfcourier.com/news/national/ap-news-summary-at-11-05-p-m-est/article_61ecc005-9f7b-5c98-a2c1-8378ad9d568a.html |
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor in a biting dissent blasted the Supreme Court majority decision Thursday that gutted the use of Affirmative Action on college admissions.
In a fiery dissent that Sotomayor read from the bench to underscore its historic significance, the liberal justice wrote that the ruling “rolls back decades of precedent and momentous progress.”
“In so holding, the Court cements a superficial rule of colorblindness as a constitutional principle in an endemically segregated society where race has always mattered and continues to matter,” Sotomayor said in the 69-page dissent.
“The Court subverts the constitutional guarantee of equal protection by further entrenching racial inequality in education, the very foundation of our democratic government and pluralistic society,” she added.
Sotomayor’s six conservative colleagues on the high court ruled on Thursday that Harvard University’s and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s (UNC) use of race in admissions violates the Fourteenth Amendment.
The liberal justice slammed the majority’s use of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision in their ruling, describing it as “nothing but revisionist history” and an “affront” to the legacy of the late Justice Thurgood Marshall, who argued the case before the Supreme Court.
Marshall was also the first African American to sit on the Supreme Court.
Sotomayor added that the ruling’s interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment is “grounded in the illusion that racial inequality was a problem of a different generation.”
“Entrenched racial inequality remains a reality today,” Sotomayor said. “That is true for society writ large and, more specifically, for Harvard and the University of North Carolina (UNC), two institutions with a long history of racial exclusion.”
“Ignoring race will not equalize a society that is racially unequal,” she continued. “What was true in the 1860s, and again in 1954, is true today: Equality requires acknowledgment of inequality.”
Sotomayor also noted that her conservative colleagues relied on arguments found in the dissenting opinions of previous rulings, suggesting that these “lost arguments” are not grounds for overturning precedent and further degrade confidence in the court.
“When proponents of those arguments, greater now in number on the Court, return to fight old battles anew, it betrays an unrestrained disregard for precedent,” the justice said.
“It fosters the People’s suspicions that ‘bedrock principles are founded … in the proclivities of individuals’ on this Court, not in the law, and it degrades ‘the integrity of our constitutional system of government,’” she added.
This story was updated at 12:21 p.m. | 2023-06-29T16:56:47+00:00 | wivb.com | https://www.wivb.com/news/political-news/hill-politics/sotomayors-biting-dissent-ruling-rolls-back-decades-of-precedent-and-momentous-progress/ |
Which oval dining table is best?
Dining tables are undeniably useful, but it can seem as if they all look the same. If you’re searching for a less common shape, oval dining tables are worth considering. Not only are they attractive, but without corners, it’s much easier to squeeze a few extra people in, should the need arise.
If you’re considering an oval table, the All Modern Carlo Dining Table is a beautiful solid wood option that can easily seat six.
What to know before you buy an oval dining table
Size
Consider what size dining table you need to seat your household and any potential guests. If you entertain regularly, you should account for this in the size you choose. Oval tables can seat anywhere from two to five on each side. Some comfortably accommodate an extra person on each end.
Don’t just consider how many people a table fits around it, but look at the exact dimensions, as well. This will let you check how well it will fit in your dining room, kitchen or open-plan living room-dining room combo. It’s especially important if you only have a small space to work with.
Height
You can find standard, counter and bar height oval dining tables. While most buyers are looking for standard height tables, others like the casual feel or the appearance of taller ones.
- Standard height: Standard height dining tables measure around 28 to 30 inches tall and fit regular dining chairs.
- Counter height: Counter height tables measure 34 to 36 inches off the ground and fit counter height stools of roughly 24 inches.
- Bar height: Bar height tables are around 40 to 42 inches tall and work with 28 to 30 inch bar stools.
Materials
Common table materials include solid wood, engineered wood, glass and metal.
- Solid wood: A high-quality solid wood dining table can last for hundreds of years. However, just because it’s solid wood, it doesn’t mean it’s high-quality — you’ll also find some flimsy options that will barely last a decade.
- Engineered wood: Although it gets bad press, good engineered wood tables are more solid than cheap solid wood ones. They can be covered in veneer or laminate of any color or finish.
- Glass: Glass is used as a tabletop material. Because it’s tempered, it’s strong enough to withstand wear and tear. Plus, it looks modern and is easy to wipe clean.
- Metal: Metal is usually used for table legs only and can be paired with solid wood, engineered wood or glass tops.
What to look for in a quality oval dining table
Color or finish
You can find dining tables in a wide range of colors and finishes. Common wood finishes include espresso, pine, cherry and walnut. However, you can also find painted wood or laminate finishes in colors such as white or gray.
Extendable
Some dining tables have leaves to extend the length. This is ideal when you want to occasionally be able to accommodate extra people — for instance, on holidays — but you don’t want an oversized table for every day.
Matching chairs
You can occasionally find dining tables that come in a set with matching chairs. Alternatively, some manufacturers sell matching chairs separately. Of course, there’s no rule to say your dining chairs must match your dining table.
How much you can expect to spend on an oval dining table
You can spend anywhere from $150-$300 on a basic dining table to $1,000-$3,000 on a high-end, extremely durable version. You’ll also find plenty of excellent midrange options.
Oval dining table FAQ
Do oval tables save space?
A. Since oval tables are much like rectangular tables with the corners cut off, they take up slightly less room. This makes a difference in extremely tight spaces, but overall, oval tables don’t save a significant amount of space compared to rectangular tables of the same length. They also give the appearance of being smaller than they are, which makes compact rooms look more spacious.
The shape of an oval table makes it a good contender for narrow rooms, plus you can usually squeeze in a few extra places due to the rounded shape.
Are oval dining tables out of fashion?
A. While they’re less common than rectangular or round dining tables, this doesn’t mean they’re out of style. It’s more about the table design than its shape — some are extremely on trend, while others look dated. However, it’s more important to choose a table that you love the look of rather than following fleeting trends.
What’s the best oval dining table to buy?
Top oval dining table
What you need to know: With its thick top made from solid acacia wood, this dining table is an extremely durable one.
What you’ll love: It looks great and could work with contemporary or modern decor. It’s 72 inches long and large enough to comfortably seat six. Natural variations in the wood make each table unique.
What you should consider: It’s pricey, so it won’t suit all budgets.
Where to buy: Sold by Wayfair
Top oval dining table for the money
Corrigan Studio Conerly Dining Table
What you need to know: This midcentury-style table is the perfect size to seat four people comfortably.
What you’ll love: The relatively compact size makes it great for use in the kitchen or a small dining room. Although it has a delicate design, it feels sturdy. Its top has a shiny coating that’s easy to wipe clean.
What you should consider: There are a small number of reports of these tables arriving with scuff marks on them.
Where to buy: Sold by Wayfair
Worth checking out
East West Furniture Butterfly-Leaf Oval Dinner Table
What you need to know: Its classic design makes this table a great choice for anyone who loves traditional decor.
What you’ll love: The dual pedestal legs look striking and let you squeeze extra guests in more easily when needed. It comes with a butterfly leaf to extend the tabletop. You can choose from light wood, dark wood and white finishes.
What you should consider: The tabletop dents and scratches a little too easily for some.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Lauren Corona writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2022-10-01T12:22:41+00:00 | myfox8.com | https://myfox8.com/reviews/br/kitchen-br/entertaining-br/best-oval-dining-table/ |
Emma Navarro 2023 32nd Palermo Ladies Open Odds
Emma Navarro, off a defeat in the round of 128 of the Wimbledon (to Ekaterina Alexandrova) in her previous tournament, will begin the 32nd Palermo Ladies Open in Palermo, Italy versus Eva Vedder in the round of 32. Navarro's odds are +1600 to take home the trophy from Country Time Club.
Find all the latest odds for the 2023 32nd Palermo Ladies Open and place your bets with a new user bonus from BetMGM.
Navarro at the 2023 32nd Palermo Ladies Open
- Next Round: Round of 32
- Tournament Dates: July 14-23
- Venue: Country Time Club
- Location: Palermo, Italy
- Court Surface: Clay
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Navarro's Next Match
Navarro will meet Vedder in the round of 32 of the 32nd Palermo Ladies Open on Tuesday, July 18 at 4:00 AM ET.
Navarro has current moneyline odds of -1600 to win her next match versus Vedder. Check out the latest odds for the entire field at BetMGM.
Want to bet on Navarro? Head to BetMGM using our link for a bonus bet special offer for new players!
Navarro Stats
- Navarro lost her last match, 4-6, 3-6 against Alexandrova in the Round of 128 of the Wimbledon on July 4, 2023.
- The 22-year-old Navarro is 9-9 over the past year and is still looking for her first tournament win.
- Navarro has a match record of 3-3 on clay over the last 12 months.
- Over the past 12 months (across all court surfaces), Navarro has played 18 matches and 20.3 games per match.
- Over the past year, Navarro has played six matches on clay, and 20.8 games per match.
- Navarro, over the past year, has won 61.6% of her service games and 36.9% of her return games.
- As far as serve/return winning percentages on clay over the past year, Navarro has won 61.8% of her games on serve, and 38% on return.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | 2023-07-17T12:20:35+00:00 | wsfa.com | https://www.wsfa.com/sports/betting/2023/07/14/emma-navarro-32nd-palermo-ladies-open-betting-odds/ |
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We've placed cookies on your device to improve your browsing experience. They're safe and don't contain sensitive information. | 2023-02-08T19:03:39+00:00 | tj.news | https://tj.news/national-post/102060903 |
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A judge accepted a plea deal Monday for a man who randomly killed a Florida couple in their garage six years ago and then chewed on one victim’s face that will send him to a mental hospital for treatment.
Austin Harrouff, 25, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to two counts of first-degree murder and other charges for the 2016 slayings of John Stevens, 59, and his wife, Michelle Mishcon Stevens, 53. He also seriously injured a neighbor who tried to help them.
Harrouff, who attended Florida State University before the attack, will be committed to a secure mental health facility until doctors and a judge agree that he is no longer dangerous. If the trial had gone forward, Harrouff could have faced life in prison.
“Austin must also contend with the pain he has caused the families,” defense attorney Nellie King said in a statement. “Upon learning of the events of that night, Austin has sought answers for the grief and anguish caused by his actions. Austin is extremely remorseful for all that has occurred; for being at the center of this episode which has caused such unthinkable pain and devastating loss.”
A number of family members of the slain couple expressed anger at the decision and made victim impact statements directed at Harrouff, his family, the defense team and prosecutors.
Cindy Mishcon, the sister of Michelle Mishcon and an attorney, laid out a methodical case of why she does not believe that Harrouff was insane when the killings occurred.
“You can’t even look at me?” she asked Harrouff, who was sitting at the defense table, wearing a red and white striped prison uniform and glasses. She said that she had begun writing her victim impact statement when she was “naive enough” to think there would be justice.
Cindy Mishcon said that reality set in for her as she listened to tapes of Harrouff’s jailhouse phone calls with family members and the reading of pages of text messages in the year prior to the killings, which were part of the court record. The text messages with his friends outlined the life of a student who was smoking marijuana, taking other drugs and abusing alcohol during the year before killing the couple.
She said she realized “you don’t care about anyone but yourself” and that “the only victim you and your family see is you, and the Harrouff name.”
“Is it really so hard for you to understand that you are a cold blooded murderer and not a victim,” she asked.
Other family members echoed her sentiments.
The agreement worked out between the defense and prosecution avoided a trial that had been scheduled to start Monday before Circuit Judge Sherwood Bauer and had been expected to last three weeks.
The judge said Harrouff will remain in the Martin County Jail until he is taken to a secure mental health facility monitored by the Florida Department of Children and Families. Bauer said he will not be allowed to leave the facility without a court order.
Two mental health experts, one hired by the defense and another by prosecutors, examined Harrouff and found he suffered an acute psychotic episode during the attack, and couldn’t distinguish between right and wrong.
The trial had been delayed by the pandemic, legal wrangling and Harrouff’s recovery from critical injuries suffered while drinking a chemical during the attack.
Defendants are presumed sane under Florida law, meaning that Harrouff must show he had a severe mental breakdown that prevented him from understanding actions or that they were even wrong by “clear and convincing” evidence.
He has claimed he was fleeing a demon when the attack happened.
Craig Trocino, a University of Miami law professor, said that finding Harrouff not guilty by reason of insanity would effectively be a life sentence because “it’s highly unlikely” that they would risk releasing a killer as notorious as Harrouff.
Harrouff’s parents and others said he had acted strangely for weeks. His parents had set up an appointment for him to be evaluated, but the attack occurred first. | 2022-11-29T02:20:18+00:00 | wric.com | https://www.wric.com/news/u-s-world/ap-judge-accepts-insanity-plea-deal-for-man-in-face-biting-case/ |
Tennis
West Stokes
Jayden Baughman, Sammy Heath, James Spainhour, Peyton Spainhour, Kooper Bray, Austin Osborne,
Todd Mendenhall and Myles Knox
Morehead
Jordan Hyler, Gage Grogan, Collin Tiano and Chris De La Cruz
Player of the Year – Sammy Heath – West Stokes
Coach of the Year – David Smith – West Stokes
Team Sportsmanship – Morehead
Baseball
Morehead
Anderson Nance, Landon Woods, Brittyn Barnes, Brian Woods, Seth Sharpe and Matthew Simpson
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Jace Dunn, Easton Tillman, Tyler Sorrell, Brady Elrod and Giovanni Hernadez
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Princeton Janney, Parker Strader and Lucas Gengler
Walkertown
Clifton Olmedo and Kenan Josey
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Kaden Fuller, Jake Smith, Josh Jones, Dru Hall, Dylan Gastley, Evan Cecile and Nico Mickle
Andrews
T J Ratley
Pitcher of the Year – Anderson Nance - Morehead
Player of the Year – Kaden Fuller – West Stokes
Coach of the Year – Kirk Goodson – West Stokes
Team Sportsmanship – Andrews
Honorable Mention
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Carson Moore and Landon Roberts
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Grady Barrett and Jace Lovelace
Walkertown
Bryson Miller, Christain Shrewsbury and Garrett Wagoner
Softball
McMichael
Bradyn Case, Anna Casto, Jada Johnson, Savannah Lockhart, Dakota Redmon and MaKenna Stewart
West Stokes
Olivia Goforth, Baylee Tilley, Abbi Fulk, Sydney Holder, Ashlyn Cox and Bailee Gentry
Morehead
Kendall Boggs, Hailey Blackwell, Sallie Aheron, Emily Biggs, Erica Biggs and Paige Langely
Walkertown
Heidi Crews, Ava Arrington and Emily Roberts
Andrews
Taneia McCollum and Hser Bwe
Pitcher of the Year – Dakota Redmon – McMichael
Player of the Year – Savannah Lockhart – McMichael
Coach of the Year – Bob Casto – McMichael
Team Sportsmanship – Walkertown and West Stokes
Honorable Mention
Walkertown
Trinity Stressman, Savannah Miller and Taylor Isley
West Stokes
Cameron Bowles
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Aubrey Hill, Kaylee Boles, Brianna Lemons and Betsy Taylor
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Anasia Holmes
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Ashlyn Dallas and Hayley Cruise
Golf
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Tatum North, Tyler Gordon, Weston Stover and Colton Krakenburg
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Hunter Kallam and Dylan Lambert
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Preston Montgomery and Landon Denny
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Jayson Bradshaw and Warren Flynt
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Brody Sawyer and Zack Riley
Player of the Year – Tatum North – West Stokes
Coach of the Year – Luke Bowen – West Stokes
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Track and Field
Boys Individual Awards
Runner of the Year – Corey McManus – Andrews
Field Athlete of the Year – Mark Hancock – Morehead
Coach of the Year – Ty Mathis Andrews
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Women’s Individual Awards
Runner of the Year – Ryley Bowles – West Stokes
Field Athlete of the Year – Karlie Butts – West Stokes
Coach of the Year – Keith Perry – Walkertown
Team Sportsmanship – North Forsyth
West Stokes
Karlie Butts, Maria Walton, Allie Bartlett, Ryley Bowles, Millie McGee, Chad Goodman, Greg Grasso Hunter Ramey, Blaise Dalton, Tate Dalton, 4 X 800 team, Zeb Mathis, 4 X 800 team and 4 X 400
Morehead
Mark Hancock and Corey Philson
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Kaden Pratt
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Jocelyn Boyd, Sanai Johnson, Corey Pate, Zaman Timmons, John Shearin, Ja’Neil Harris, 4 X 100 team, 4 x 200 team, 4 x 400 team, Kamora Bailey, Joshua Hall, Antonio Perry, Ja’Shawn Harris, Correy McManus, Brenden Miller, 4 X 800 team and 4 x 100 team
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Kiera Perkins, Tyana Bolden, Aveyanah Jackson, NeAjia Hatfield, Tatiana Chigwerewe and Tyshae Lee
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Soccer
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Madison Busick, Jacquelin Zuniga, Reagan Harris and Jocelyn Ordaz-Ramos – A.L.
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Daisy Ortiz, Aliyah Garivay, Cynthia Jarmillo and Gloria Vasquaz – A.L. | 2023-05-15T11:24:47+00:00 | greensboro.com | https://greensboro.com/community/rockingham_now/sports/mid-state-2a-releases-spring-sports-all-conference/article_191185bc-f2fc-11ed-a1ac-bf7cde10bf09.html |
The National Professional Fishing League (NPFL) concluded its season last weekend on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in Florida.
This is the second year for the trail, and although initially many believed there wasn’t room for another professional trail, I took a wait and see approach. There's no doubt it has done great things for a group of anglers who may not have been given the chance with either the Major League Fishing or Bass Angler Sportsman Society top tiers. I see it gaining momentum and am excited about the future for this league.
The initial NPFL group from year one had several remain for year two, which goes a long way to developing the consistency and following to gain momentum and sponsors. Illinois was represented in year one by Roanoke’s Courtland Williams and Northern Illinois angler Stu Martel. Although Williams did not return for year two, Martel did. And, Carlock’s Taylor Umland stepped up to fish the entire trail in 2022.
The first year the league got a bit of a chink in its armor when the championship was cancelled in the 11th hour. But it survived, with nearly 100 anglers on the trail in year two.
The ownership group of Brad Fuller, Alan McCulloch and Paul Benson rebounded well. This organization has a place in professional fishing moving forward — it fills a void for those who want to fish more tournaments and step up from regional trails with top money ($50K for each event).
Established pro anglers like BASS Elite's Patrick Walters and Jason Williamson, Elite qualifiers Bryant Smith and John Soukup, and some the best regional anglers like Keith Carson, Kevin Rogers, Sheldon Collings, Jeff Dobson, Hunter Baughman and Taylor Watkins.
Watkins, owner of Omega Custom Jigs, won the Kissimmee event — his third win over the last two years. He won the last event of 2021 and won two in 2022.
Umland finished ninth in points for Angler of the Year in his initial pro level season, cashing checks in four of six tournaments — especially impressive considering he had not seen most of the lakes he fished prior to getting to each one for the tournaments. No doubt the future looks bright for Umland.
Major League Fishing changes
Major League Fishing’s popular Bass Pro Tour will combine its catch, weigh, release format with a five-bass total weight scoring system this season for Tour events. Heavy Hitters and a few other events will continue with catch, weigh, release for fish over two pounds in 2023.
The BPT championship — called the Redcrest — has announced dates moving forward including March 8-12 at Lake Norman for 2023, March 13-17 for 2024, April 2-6 for 2025 and March 18-22 for 2026.
Nixon returning to BASS Elites
Classic and two-time angler of the year Larry Nixon will be returning to fish the BASS Elite Series in 2023. He was the first BASS millionaire and has fished the FLW Tours for the last 16 years. He is a Hall of Fame angler and enters the Elites on a Legend of the Sport invitation. I'm excited to see him back at BASS.
Another Howell makes Top Level
Laker Howell, son of Classic Champ and BPT pro Randy Howell, will be fishing the new MLF5 Invitationals in 2023. Watch for this young man to make waves on his way to qualifying for the BPT.
B-N Bass Club event
The Bloomington-Normal Bass Club Awards dinner will be held Saturday, Nov. 12, beginning at 5:30 pm at Lake Bloomington Marine east of Lake Bloomington (25182 North 1925 East Road, Lexington). This year marks the 50th year of “The Club’s” existence.
Club awards for this past season will be presented and a meal will be served. Door prizes will be included. Nominations for 2023 officers can be submitted at the awards dinner and will be voted on at the December club meeting.
Call (309) 747-2900 for more details.
Terry Brown is President of Wired2Fish.com, an industry leading, daily website and social media fishing centered community that provides information on products, industry newsmakers and fishing techniques. You can read more by going to www.Wired2Fish.com. | 2022-11-09T19:09:20+00:00 | pantagraph.com | https://pantagraph.com/sports/outdoors/brown-addition-of-npfl-good-for-pro-fishing/article_17410808-605c-11ed-b3f5-c34a4ec775d5.html |
Extreme weather in various forms persists and puts millions of Americans at risk, from sweltering heat in the South and Southwest to torrential rains and flooding in the Northeast.
Threats of a deluge continue as people remain on edge in Vermont. In the town of Ripton, the onslaught of rain earlier in the week and then more rain on Friday brought on a mudslide, destabilizing already saturated soil and forcing authorities to order a dozen people to evacuate. Meanwhile, in Middlesex, wary homeowners continue their clean-up.
"Everybody up from our house was stranded. They couldn't get in or out," said Stephanie Petrarca of Middlesex, Vermont.
Stephanie Petrarca's house took on flooding in her basement, but her neighbors fared far worse.
"We got hit really hard with this whole thing, with the trees coming down, turning our whole place into a river," said Laurie Dodge, who also lives in Middlesex.
Further north, rain turned Maine roads into rivers, and in the South, dangerous thunderstorms halted a Luke Combs concert in North Carolina.
And it's not just record rains putting people at risk; more than a third of Americans remain under heat advisories, with scorching temperatures affecting the South and Southwest.
SEE MORE: 4 dead, 3 missing, including baby, after flash flood in Pennsylvania
The heat wave is spreading into California's Imperial Valley, with one farm halting operations to protect workers.
"We'll cut the working hours off an hour or two because it's too hot working outdoors," said George Tudor, President at Tudor Ranch.
Next door in Riverside, fire fighters battled a quick-moving inferno in punishing hot weather. In Phoenix, authorities opened hundreds of cooling centers at the county emergency management office, demonstrating the risks of staying outside by cooking a pizza inside a parked car.
One place is really sizzling, and that's Death Valley National Park in California. Forecasters predict the area may reach 130 degrees Fahrenheit. That would tie or break the record for the hottest temperature ever recorded on earth. Park rangers urge people visiting in this heat to make sure loved ones know where they are at all times.
"This time of year, especially when it's this hot, it's great to have someone back at home who's not on the journey with you who knows where you're going, when you should be at certain places, and when you should be checking in with them so that if you don't check in, they know to let someone know you haven't checked in and where you should have been going," said Nichole Andler, Park Ranger at Death Valley National Park.
Authorities across the U.S. are urging the public to stay safe and be aware of the risks during extreme weather.
In Vermont, with the disaster declaration in place, people are looking to FEMA for help and also hoping the rains ease for relief. The U.S. Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, is scheduled to visit Monday to survey roads heavily damaged by flood erosion.
Furthermore, the extreme weather is also impacting flights, particularly in the Northeast due to the storms.
As of early Sunday evening, more than 7,800 U.S. flights had been delayed, with more than 1,500 cancellations, according toFlightAware.
The airports with the most reported travel issues Sunday was Newark in New Jersey and JFK in New York.
The FAA said there were ground stops today at both those airports, as well as La Guardia and Boston Logan International Airport.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | 2023-07-17T00:52:45+00:00 | ksby.com | https://www.ksby.com/heavy-rains-flood-northeast-scorching-heat-grips-south-southwest |
4th of July: A by-the-numbers look at the American holiday
The Fourth of July is an annual federal holiday that celebrates the day the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
That day, 246 years ago, there were roughly 2.5 million people living in the newly formed nation’s 13 colonies.
Now the U.S. has a population of more than 331.8 million, and many of these American households will participate in a Fourth of July gathering or event.
JULY 4TH FAVORITES: HOT DOG AND HAMBURGER ECONOMICS
Here are 10 quick facts about Fourth of July food and firework spending, celebrations and travel plans.
84 – The National Retail Federation’s (NRF) Independence Day projection predicts 84% of Americans plan to celebrate the day and spend $84.12 per person on various food items.
59 – Of those who plan to celebrate the Fourth of July, 59% are planning to host a cookout, barbecue or picnic, according to the NRF.
50 million – The National Hot Dog & Sausage Council estimates that Americans ate 150 million hot dogs in 2021. The council says if someone laid out these hot dogs in real-life, the combined length would be "enough to stretch from D.C. to L.A. more than five times."
FILE - Competitive eaters Carmen Cincotti, Joey Chestnut and Matt Stonie at the 2017 Nathans Famous 4th Of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest with 72 hot dogs at Coney Island on July 4, 2017, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by
2 million – Marketers at Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs report that nearly two million people tune in to watch its annual Fourth of July hot dog eating contest. More than 40,000 people stop by the Coney Island competition venue in Brooklyn, N.Y. to see contestants eat as many hot dogs as they possibly can.
1 – The top holiday for at-home beer consumption is the Fourth of July, according to the National Beer Wholesalers Association.
4TH OF JULY AND PETS: DOGS, CATS GO MISSING ON THE HOLIDAY MORE THAN ANY OTHER DAY
$262 million and $2.2 billion – A firework industry revenue report from the American Pyrotechnics Association reveals that the display fireworks industry made $262 million in 2021, while the consumer fireworks industry made $2.2 billion.
The association says American use fireworks year-round to celebrate events, but "July 4th is still the ‘big day.’"
48,000 – Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks show in NYC will fire off 48,000 shells this year, which is a near 31% decrease from the number of shells it fired off in 2021 (65,000). Supply chain and labor forces disruptions in the firework industry are contributing to a national shortage.
FILE - Fireworks retail display, Costco, in Florida where it is legal to sell them direct to consumers. (Photo by: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
47.9 million – The American Automobile Association estimates that 47.9 million people will travel for the Fourth of July starting from Thursday, June 30 to Monday, July 4. The association’s forecast predicts that 42 million Americans will travel by car, 3.55 million will travel by air and 2.42 million will travel by bus, train and cruise.
$6.9 million – The number of imported American flags is estimated to be around $6.9 million each year, according to a holiday report WalletHub – a personal finance website. Domestically, the Flag Manufacturers Association of America estimates that there are 150 million American flags sold in the U.S. each year.
$10 – The American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual "Cost of July 4th Cookout" market basket study found that current inflation has made "Independence Day cookout foods" 17% more expensive than last year, which is an increase of "about $10." The federation estimated Fourth of July foods cost a total of $59.50 in 2021. This year, it’s predicting $69.68. | 2022-07-01T14:16:56+00:00 | fox10phoenix.com | https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/4th-of-july-a-by-the-numbers-look-at-the-american-holiday |
A freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in southwestern Wisconsin on Thursday, injuring four employees and sending two containers into the Mississippi River.
Lena Kent, a spokesperson for the train's operator, BNSF Railway, told NPR that "the volumes involved don't pose a risk to the river or nearby communities." A boom, which helps absorb and contain spills on water, has been placed in the area as a precaution.
The incident occurred around 12:15 p.m. local time in DeSoto, a village near the border of Wisconsin and Iowa. Two of the three train engines, as well as 10 cars, went off track to some degree, she said.
All four crew members were transported to a hospital for minor injuries and have been released as of Friday morning, according to Kent.
The cause of the derailment remains unclear.
The train, destined for Chicago, was carrying lithium-ion batteries, paint and oxygen containers — all of which are flammable and can pose a threat to the environment.
According to Kent, the two containers that went into the Mississippi River did not contain any hazardous materials — though some cars that contained lithium-ion batteries landed on the shore.
BNSF is working with local and state agencies to investigate the cause, as well as make arrangements to remove the derailed cars from the site.
The National Transportation Safety Board is aware of the derailment, but is not involved in the investigation, Jennifer Gabris, an NTSB spokesperson, told NPR.
On Thursday evening, Crawford County Emergency Management, who responded to the incident, wrote on Facebook, "There is currently no harm to the community or environment, but Desoto Fire Department is working closely with BNSF staff throughout this clean-up process to prepare for any unknown."
Meanwhile, the main track remains blocked in both directions and it is unclear when it will reopen.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-04-28T19:20:41+00:00 | knkx.org | https://www.knkx.org/2023-04-28/freight-train-derails-in-wisconsin-plunging-2-containers-into-the-mississippi-river |
Interstates open, trucks back on the road
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - Central North Dakota made it through another blizzard, but many motorists were stranded while the interstate was closed. Most of those were semi-truck drivers. Christa Kiedrowski spoke with a few drivers who were anxious to get back on the road after the roadways opened.
Tuesday the snow and wind picked up and interstate travel was shut down. Truck drivers were stopped yet again at gas stations and rest stops until the storm rolled through, and roads were able to be cleared.
“It’s cut back on our hours, so we’ve missed out on some pay, but you know you make up for it now when we try to get caught up,” said Dan Schloer who has been a truck driver for 37 years.
Often when truck drivers are forced to stay off the roads, they are not getting paid, but some are grateful to not drive in hazardous road conditions and put safety first.
“Financially, it is the downfall but, as I tell my buddy, you really can’t make money if you’re deceased. So, it’s better to just park it,” said Daniel Lawson who is in his second year of truck driving.
Lawson says he packs non-perishable food and hopes for a good cell signal and place to shower.
“Make sure I got at least two weeks’ worth of canned goods in case because you never know anything can go from two days to two weeks, and then pretty much hopefully I have good enough data to watch Netflix and hang out,” said Lawson.
Both drivers agreed this winter season has been the worst they’ve been through regarding road closures. They said they’ll be working a little bit longer to catch up for lost time.
Daniel Lawson said prior to being stopped in Bismarck he was lucky enough to drive ahead of the tornados and other bad weather in Iowa, and that this was his first time he was forced off the road due to impassable road conditions.
Copyright 2023 KFYR. All rights reserved. | 2023-04-07T16:11:06+00:00 | kfyrtv.com | https://www.kfyrtv.com/2023/04/07/interstates-open-trucks-back-road/ |
N.Y. (WETM) — Housing scams are a continuous risk, so the New York Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection released a guide to help first-time homebuyers avoid getting scammed.
“Buying a first home is an exciting milestone, but with so many steps and different professionals to work with, scammers often look to take advantage of first-time homebuyers who are new to the process,” said New York Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez. “If you’re about to embark on the adventure of finding your first home, make sure to do your research, exercise caution and follow our tips throughout every step of the process so you can recognize a potential scam before it turns into a costly mistake.”
The guide recommends taking the time to research all of the people you will be working with during the home-buying process. You can verify that the real estate professionals you’re dealing with are licensed by searching the Department of State’s public license database. When you meet with one of these professionals, you can also ask to see their real estate license and make sure they match the photo on the license. When it comes to other people you work with, you can check for complaints with the Better Business Bureau.
You can also search for home inspectors on the same database. It’s best to avoid using home inspectors recommended by real estate agents because they could be biased. In addition to checking for BBB complaints, it’s also a good idea to check your inspector’s references. Once you find a reliable inspector, make sure they have access to the entire property you’re looking to buy and get a copy of the report so you don’t miss something important. Home sellers could be trying to hide costly damage or other problems, and it’s better to catch this with a thorough and unbiased inspector instead of finding the issues after you own the house.
The Division of Consumer Protection says to avoid using mortgage comparison platforms online. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, these platforms may appear objective, but some of them only refer people to lenders that pay the platform. Not only is this illegal, but it could keep you from finding the best deal.
First-time buyers should be cautious about paying upfront fees. According to the Division of Consumer Protection’s guide, real lenders will be transparent about fees and will itemize them before closing. If a lender asks you to pay fees before any work is done, they could be a scammer. Further in the purchasing process, a scammer might pretend to be a lender or real estate agent and send you new wiring information. The guide says to verify any last-minute changes with a trusted representative, not to click any links emailed to you, and not to send any sensitive information over email.
The last thing the guide recommends is to hire your own attorney to review all documents and contracts before you sign them. Much like with inspectors, lawyers provided by real estate agents or lenders could be biased.
For more tips to avoid scams, you can visit the New York Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection website. | 2023-04-11T18:33:25+00:00 | mytwintiers.com | https://www.mytwintiers.com/news-cat/state-news/tips-to-avoid-scams-for-first-time-homebuyers/ |
Transamerica Institute® publishes new cookbook in its Healthier Traditions Cookbook™ series
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- More than one in 10 Americans (13 percent) are planning to live to age 100 years or older, but relatively few are taking adequate steps to protect their health, according to a recent survey.1 To help support people's health and longevity, nonprofit Transamerica Institute® has published a new cookbook, Healthier Traditions Cookbook: Around the World, as part of its Healthier Traditions Cookbook™ series.
"People have the potential to live longer than ever before. This possible gift of extra time requires that we safeguard our health and wellness, and that we take good care of ourselves in our daily lives. One way to promote health and bring people together is through delicious, nutritious food," said Catherine Collinson, CEO and president of Transamerica Institute.
Healthier Traditions Cookbook: Around the World features recipes inspired by traditional dishes from 19 countries spanning six continents, offering flavorful dishes like Australia's sweet Pavlova, Korea's savory Japchae, and Cuba's classic Picadillo. This cookbook encourages people of all culinary skill levels to learn about how others eat around the world. It offers recipes containing both rich history and unique healthy ingredients.
"Our eating habits are shaped by many factors, including personal beliefs, cultural backgrounds, lifestyle, dietary preferences, health conditions, availability and access. Despite how different diets can be, we can all agree that food brings comfort and fosters community," said Mihaela Vincze, a public health expert at Transamerica Institute.
Healthier Traditions Cookbook: Around the World includes nutritional facts, evidence-based tips, and historical details. The cookbook – along with others in the series – was crafted by a registered dietitian through extensive research and recipe testing. Its nourishing and flavor-packed recipes contain as many vegetables as possible, use healthy oils, minimize refined grains and added sweeteners, and maximize flavor from spices and herbs, while aiming to honor the essence of each dish.
"We hope all readers will enjoy learning how to cook these dishes as well as a bit about the history and the ingredients used to make them. We offered vegetarian and gluten-free alternatives when possible and readers are welcome to make other substitutions based on their individual preferences or needs," said Christina Badaracco, a registered dietitian, who served as a consultant on the cookbook.
The Healthier Traditions Cookbook: Around the World features recipes inspired by dishes from Australia, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Fiji, India, Korea, Philippines, Morocco, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Portugal, Romania, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Download this free cookbook, along with others in the Healthier Traditions Cookbook series, including Quick & Easy, Italian, Soul Food, and American Classics.
Visit Transamerica Institute's website for more on health, personal finance, and retirement security resources, including its ClearPath – Your Roadmap to Health and WealthSM podcast series, health care guides, academic collaborations on workplace wellness and age-friendly employers, and the 22nd Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey. Follow Transamerica Institute on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
1 Nonprofit Transamerica Institute®, 22nd Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey, December 2021
Transamerica Institute® is a nonprofit, private foundation dedicated to identifying, researching, and educating the public about health and wellness, employment, financial literacy, longevity, and retirement. It is the parent organization of Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies® (TCRS) which conducts one of the largest and longest-running annual retirement surveys of its kind. Transamerica Institute is funded by contributions from Transamerica Life Insurance Company and its affiliates. The information provided here is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as insurance, securities, ERISA, tax, investment, legal, medical, or financial advice or guidance. Please consult independent professionals for answers to your specific questions. www.transamericainstitute.org
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Transamerica Institute®
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Media Contact: Morgan Karbowski
mkarbowski@webershandwick.com
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SOURCE Transamerica Institute | 2022-10-27T07:34:54+00:00 | uppermichiganssource.com | https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/prnewswire/2022/10/27/around-world-20-recipes-healthy-dishes-bring-people-together/ |
HALEYVILLE — Demetricus “Babe” Harris, 82, died July 13, 2022. Visitation will be Saturday from 1 to 2 p.m. at Pinkard Funeral Home Chapel in Haleyville. Funeral will follow at 2 p.m. in the chapel with burial in Brock Cemetery.
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- DeLucia shuts out Arkansas, sends Ole Miss to 1st CWS finals (1) | 2022-07-15T07:10:22+00:00 | timesdaily.com | https://www.timesdaily.com/obituaries/demetricus-babe-harris/article_5b9f5dd0-b719-5e0d-80b3-c0e97ad058dd.html |
SEVERNA PARK, Md., June 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WashTrends has accomplished a milestone. June 2022 issue is the 100th issue of WashTrends magazine. WashTrends has been writing for the carwash industry since 2008, that is 14 years of reporting on car wash industry trends! The magazine has reached out to hundreds of carwashes over the years for carwash profiles, and interviewing carwash leaders and has covered much of trending technology that impacts the industry. WashTrends prides itself on being the quick and informative read for the busy carwash owner.
Over the years WashTrends Magazine has become an invaluable resource for us at D&S. The articles and information provided is always very timely and helps us to get a better understanding of what is happening in the industry. WashTrends has also been a great resource for us to utilize for our own Brand recognition. We regularly advertise in the magazine and make note of when people say that they saw our ads there. Keep doing what you are doing. Best of luck with the next 100 issues.
Brad Quay, VP of Sales and Marketing with D&S Carwash Systems
About WashTrends: WashTrends Magazine is a publication focused on trends, innovation, education, and powerful ideas that impact the carwash industry and beyond. Our goal is to offer up-to-the-minute, unbiased, trendsetting information that can move business to the future with economic success. It's hands-on news you can use today.
About Bay Media, Inc. The Bay Media staff has expertise in writing, editing, graphic and Web site design and advertising sales. Accounting and office management are provided through our sister company, Next Wave Group. We also work closely with freelance illustrators, writers, photographers and printers to provide clients with high quality, cost-effective publications.
Bay Media, Inc. also publishes Carwash Industry Insider a newsletter all about products, services, industry news and examples of excellence. For more information on WashTrends go to www.WashTrends.com or contact info@WashTrends.com
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SOURCE WashTrends | 2022-06-21T13:58:40+00:00 | waff.com | https://www.waff.com/prnewswire/2022/06/21/washtrends-publishes-its-100th-issue/ |
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Top North Korean officials vowed to push for a second attempt to launch a spy satellite as they called their country’s first, and failed, launch last month “the most serious” shortcoming this year and harshly criticized those responsible, state media reported Monday.
In late May, a North Korean rocket carrying a military reconnaissance satellite crashed soon after liftoff, posing a setback to leader Kim Jong Un’s push to acquire a space-based surveillance system to better monitor the United States and South Korea.
The failed launch and North Korean efforts to modernize its weapons arsenal were discussed extensively at a three-day ruling party meeting that ended Sunday, with the presence of Kim and other top officials.
A lengthy Korean Central News Agency dispatch on the meeting didn’t clearly say who spoke, but said a report to the meeting “bitterly criticized the officials who irresponsibly conducted the preparations for (the) satellite launch.”
The report set forth tasks for officials and scientists to learn the lessons of the failed launch, find what caused the rocket’s crash and make a successful launch in a short span of time, KCNA said.
It didn’t say exactly when North Korea might attempt a second launch. But South Korea’s spy agency earlier told lawmakers that it would take likely take “more than several weeks” for North Korea to determine what went wrong in the failed launch.
North Korea monitoring groups haven’t reported any purges or dismissals of scientists or others involved in the failed launch.
A spy satellite is among several high-tech military assets Kim has publicly vowed to acquire to cope with what he calls U.S.-led hostility. Other weapons systems Kim wants to possess are a multi-warhead missile, a nuclear submarine, a solid-propellant intercontinental ballistic missile and a hypersonic missile.
Since the start of 2022, North Korea has carried out more than 100 missile tests, some of which were related to developing a spy satellite and other powerful weapons on Kim’s wish list.
During the meeting, Politburo members also analyzed the “extremely deteriorating security situation” in the region caused by the “reckless war moves” of North Korea’s rivals, the report said, apparently referring to the expanded U.S.-South Korea military drills.
The United States and South Korea have been expanding their military drills in response to North Korea’s advancing nuclear arsenal and warn that any attempt to use nuclear weapons would result in the end of Kim’s government.
The Politburo members set down unspecified “important tasks” for strengthening solidarity with countries that are “opposed to the U.S. brigandish strategy for world supremacy,” KCNA said.
North Korea has pushed to boost relations with Russia, including defending its military action in Ukraine. It says Russia is protecting itself against the West’s “hegemonic policy.”
The North has also sought to build on its ties with China, its main ally and economic lifeline that is locked in an intensified strategic rivalry with the United States over trade, technology and regional influence.
Russia and China, both veto-holding permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, have repeatedly blocked attempts by the U.S. and others to toughen U.N. sanctions on North Korea over its missile tests.
The party meeting also discussed efforts to improve North Korea’s struggling economy, which experts say has been further strained by pandemic-related border closures.
KCNA said there has been some progress in efforts to boost agricultural output and revive production in metal and chemical industries, though it acknowledged unspecified shortcomings. KCNA claimed progress in the construction field, citing a project to build tens of thousands of new homes in the capital, Pyongyang.
It’s virtually impossible to verify the claims by the North, one of the most secretive countries in the world. Experts say there are no signs of social unrest or famine in North Korea despite the pandemic-caused hardships.
KCNA didn’t say whether Kim spoke during the plenary meeting of the Workers’ Party Central Committee.
Koo Byoungsam, spokesperson for South Korea’s Unification Ministry, said it would be highly unusual for Kim to sit through such a high-profile party meeting without a public speech. Koo said the apparent lack of a Kim speech might stem from the satellite launch failure and North Korea’s lack of economic achievements. | 2023-06-19T11:44:13+00:00 | wate.com | https://www.wate.com/news/national/ap-international/north-korea-calls-failed-spy-satellite-launch-the-most-serious-shortcoming-vows-2nd-launch/ |
With 26 New Leases Since 2020, Property Is Approaching 90% Occupancy
New Tenants Include Grammy Award Winning Recording Artist John Legend's LVE Lounge Wine Collection, Anthropologie, Chateau Buena Vista, Vineyard 29, and Todd Humphries' Kitchen Door
NAPA, Calif., May 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zapolski Real Estate today announced that retail traffic has increased 129% for the TTM 2021 at its First Street Napa retail property located in downtown Napa. Zapolski has been re-developing First Street Napa as a "destination experience" concept. With a combined 26 leases signed since 2020 and leases to date, First Street Napa will achieve approximately 90% occupancy by this fall. The property continues to see exceedingly strong demand from national and local retail tenants as travel to Napa Valley continues to increase.
Zapolski Real Estate announced new and expanded leases at its First Street Napa property:
- lululemon is doubling the size of its current footprint to 4,773 square feet to create a dynamic retail presence along First Street in downtown Napa that will open in September
- Grammy Award winning recording artist John Legend's Legend Vineyard Exclusive (LVE) Wine Collection, known as LVE Lounge, will open in late fall
- Napa favorite Compline Restaurant is expanding its presence after signing a second lease for 1,845 sf for its first-ever Compline Wine Shop and opens in October
- Chef Todd Humphries' Kitchen Door restaurant opens June 7
- Mecox relocated to a new permanent suite at 1300 First Street
- State & First has opened in a new, upgraded location
- Habituate is relocating to a new upgraded and permanent suite at 1300 First Street
- Mason Verbena is leasing 1,970 sf and opens in July
- VonSaal ADJUNKT signed a lease for 2,573 sf and opens in August
- Brown Estate winery signed for a second location taking 1,626 sf and opens in October
- Michael McDermott's Selected Works gallery is leasing 1,883 sf and opens in June
"We are seeing very strong and sustained retail traffic as local Napa consumers and tourists alike resume their shopping, travel and vacation activities," said Todd Zapolski, principal and managing member, Zapolski Real Estate LLC. "We are thrilled to welcome so many premier national and local retail shops, tasting salons, entertainment, arts and hospitality venues that are elevating the 'destination experience' concept we are delivering to our First Street Napa patrons."
In March 2022, Zapolski Real Estate announced a new relationship with di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art to feature art and sculpture installations at the developer's new "Artist Alley at First Street Napa" as part of a program for visitors to celebrate the arts.
Beginning in late 2017, First Street Napa revitalized the retail experience within the historically quiet downtown Napa area. Today, First Street Napa is the most popular, new must-visit destination for retail, food and drink in Napa Valley and offers an immersive experience that includes cultural art exhibits, outdoor entertainment, and more. The property was developed by Zapolski Real Estate LLC in cooperation with Trademark Properties.
About Zapolski Real Estate
Zapolski Real Estate LLC is a privately-owned, fully integrated real estate investment, development and management firm with a geographic emphasis on the East Coast and Northern California. The company was founded by real estate veteran Todd C. Zapolski. The Company's focus is the acquisition, development and redevelopment of retail, office, multifamily and mixed-use properties. We seek opportunities that maximize use of our resources of equity, debt sources, expertise, and capabilities. Visit www.zapolskire.com and www.firststreetnapa.com.
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Alfred Leach
alfred.leach@leachadvisors.com
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SOURCE Zapolski Real Estate | 2022-05-20T18:06:23+00:00 | wlbt.com | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2022/05/20/zapolski-real-estate-first-street-napa-property-sees-129-jump-retail-traffic-over-2021/ |
Russian troops entering Sievierodonetsk in eastern Ukraine
KRAMATORSK, Ukraine (AP) - The Russian-battered eastern Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk appeared to be on the brink of becoming another Mariupol on Monday as the mayor told The Associated Press that Russian troops have entered, power and communications have been cut and “the city has been completely ruined.”
Moscow seeks to capture all of Ukraine’s industrial Donbas region, and Sievierodonetsk is key to that. Fierce street fighting is underway in the city as Ukrainian defenders are trying to push the Russians out, Mayor Oleksandr Striuk told the AP in a phone interview. Russian troops have advanced a few blocks toward the city center, he said.
“The number of victims is rising every hour, but we are unable to count the dead and the wounded amid the street fighting,” the mayor added. He said 12,000-13,000 civilians left in the city that once held more than 100,000 are sheltering in basements and bunkers to escape the Russian bombardment.
Russian forces stormed Sievierodonetsk after trying unsuccessfully to encircle it, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described the situation as “indescribably difficult.” A Russian artillery barrage has destroyed critical infrastructure and damaged 90% of buildings. The mayor has estimated that 1,500 civilians in the city have died since the war began, from Russian attacks as well as from a lack of medicine or treatment.
Sievierodonetsk, 143 kilometers (89 miles) south of the Russian border, has emerged in recent days as the epicenter of the Donbas fighting. Mariupol is the city on the Sea of Azov that spent nearly three months under Russian siege before the last Ukrainian fighters surrendered.
The Ukrainian military said Russian forces were reinforcing their positions on the northeastern and southeastern outskirts of Sievierodonetsk and bringing additional equipment and ammunition to press their offensive.
Luhansk regional Gov. Serhiy Haidai said the Russians also are pushing toward nearby Lysychansk. He said two civilians were killed and another five were wounded in the latest Russian shelling in the war.
Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk span the strategically important Siverskiy Donetsk River. They are the last major areas under Ukrainian control in Luhansk, which makes up the Donbas together with the adjacent Donetsk region.
The Institute for the Study of War, a think tank based in Washington, questioned the Kremlin’s strategy of assembling a huge military effort to take Sieverodonetsk, saying it was proving costly for Russia and would bring few returns.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told French TF1 television Sunday that Moscow’s “unconditional priority is the liberation of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions,” adding that Russia sees them as “independent states.” He also suggested other regions of Ukraine should be able to establish close ties with Russia.
The Ukrainian army reported heavy fighting around Donetsk, the regional capital, as well as Lyman to the north, a small city that serves as a key rail hub in the region. “The enemy is reinforcing its units,” the Ukrainian armed forces’ General Staff said. “It is trying to gain a foothold in the area.”
Authorities in a Russia-backed separatist region said at least five civilians were killed in the latest Ukrainian shelling of Donetsk city including a 13-year-old boy.
Zelenskyy on Monday will address European Union leaders gathering in a new show of solidarity with Ukraine amid divisions over whether to target Russian oil in a new series of sanctions. He has repeatedly demanded that the EU target Russia’s lucrative energy sector and deprive Moscow of billions of dollars each day in supply payments.
Zelenskyy on Sunday visited soldiers in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, where Ukrainian fighters pushed Russian forces back from nearby positions several weeks ago. Russia has kept up bombardment of the northeastern city, and explosions could be heard shortly after Zelenskyy’s visit. Shelling and airstrikes have destroyed more than 2,000 apartment buildings since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, according to the regional governor, Oleh Syniehubov.
In the wider Kharkiv region, Russian troops still held about one-third of the territory, Zelenskyy said.
Russian pressure also continued in the south on Monday. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said an artillery strike on the shipyard in the southern port of Mykolaiv destroyed Ukrainian armored vehicles parked on its territory.
In the Kherson region, the Russia-installed deputy head of the regional administration, Kirill Stremousov, told Russia’s Tass state news agency that grain from last year’s harvest is being delivered to Russian buyers, adding that “obviously there is a lot of grain here.” Ukraine has accused Russia of looting grain from territories its forces hold, and the U.S. has alleged Moscow is jeopardizing global food supplies by preventing Ukraine from exporting its harvest.
In Mariupol on Sunday, an aide to its Ukrainian mayor alleged that after Russia’s forces gained complete control of the city, they piled the bodies of dead people inside a supermarket. Petro Andryushchenko, posted a photo on the Telegram messaging app showing bodies stacked alongside closed supermarket counters. It wasn’t immediately possible to verify his claim.
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Yuras Karmanau reported from Lviv. AP journalists around the world contributed to this report.
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Follow AP’s coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2022-05-30T11:32:14+00:00 | live5news.com | https://www.live5news.com/2022/05/30/russian-troops-entering-sievierodonetsk-eastern-ukraine/ |
HOUSTON — HOUSTON — Kirby Corp. (KEX) on Thursday reported second-quarter earnings of $57.4 million.
The barge operator posted revenue of $777.2 million in the period.
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This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on KEX at https://www.zacks.com/ap/KEX | 2023-07-27T11:57:43+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/27/earns-kirby/ef221142-2c6f-11ee-a948-a5b8a9b62d84_story.html |
The Maine AFL-CIO is opposing the consumer-owned utility referendum, saying a publicly-owned utility would threaten the rights of workers and create uncertainty for consumers.
Union President Cynthia Phinney said the majority of workers at CMP and Versant do not support the proposal, which could prompt a buyout of the two investor-owned utilities and reclassify union workers as public employees.
"If they're public employees they could lose their right to withhold their labor which is a fundamental right that we think all employees should have," Phinney said.
Phinney says legal battles could follow if the referendum passes. Our Power, the coalition behind the referendum, said its proposal protects all of the rights union workers enjoy.
"The threat of legal battles are all the more reason to move forward with this proposal. I would say if that's a talking point for them are relying on fear to keep us from moving forward with bold policy," said Andrew Blunt, a spokesman for the Our Power.
Our Power is currently gathering signatures with the goal of getting the proposal before voters in 2023. | 2022-07-27T22:24:59+00:00 | mainepublic.org | https://www.mainepublic.org/environment-and-outdoors/2022-07-27/maine-afl-cio-opposes-the-consumer-owned-utility-referendum |
How to Watch the Utah vs. Gardner-Webb Game: Women's Basketball Streaming & TV Channel Info for the NCAA Tournament First Round
Published: Mar. 17, 2023 at 8:14 AM CDT|Updated: 3 hours ago
The No. 2 seed Utah Utes (25-4) and the No. 15 seed Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs (29-4) will meet in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday at 7:30 PM. The matchup airs on ESPNU.
Hoping to catch this game live? Below, we lay out all the info you need to know about how to watch this contest on fuboTV.
Use our link to get a free trial of fuboTV, where you can watch women's and men's college hoops and tons of other live sports without cable!
Utah Women's Basketball Game Live Stream & TV Channel Info
- When: Friday, March 17, 2023 at 7:30 PM ET
- Where: Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah
- TV: ESPN
- Live Stream on fuboTV: Start your free trial today!
Watch women's college hoops all season without cable on all your devices with a seven-day free trial to fuboTV!
Utah vs. Gardner-Webb Scoring Comparison
- The Runnin' Bulldogs average 11.1 more points per game (77.0) than the Utes give up (65.9).
- Gardner-Webb has put together a 22-2 record in games it scores more than 65.9 points.
- Utah is 20-1 when it allows fewer than 77.0 points.
- The Utes record 17.7 more points per game (83.5) than the Runnin' Bulldogs allow (65.8).
- When Utah totals more than 65.8 points, it is 24-2.
- When Gardner-Webb gives up fewer than 83.5 points, it is 24-1.
Utah Schedule
Gardner-Webb Schedule
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | 2023-03-17T18:34:55+00:00 | kfyrtv.com | https://www.kfyrtv.com/sports/betting/2023/03/17/utah-gardner-webb/womens-college-basketball-live-stream-tv-ncaa-tournament-first-round/ |
Enter To Win Free School Supplies and More Cool Prizes
Townsquare Media Wichita Falls is giving away free school supplies and other cool prizes during its annual Pick-A-Pack!
You could win a backpack filled with school supplies, a gift certificate from The Deep End for free entry, free buffets for two from Mazzio's, a discounted back to school haircut from Kids Hair Safari, ear buds and hand sanitizer from Carlson Law Firm.
Enter to win below!
Winners will be able to pick their backpack at Townsquare Media Wichita Falls annual Pick-A-Pack event on July 15 at The Forum, located at 2120 Speedway in Wichita Falls during the Biggest Garage Sale in Wichita Falls.
BONUS! At the event on July 15, three lucky winners will win a Lenovo business class laptop from Night Shift Computers!
This event is sponsored by Affordacare Urgent Care. | 2023-06-20T16:25:51+00:00 | newstalk1290.com | https://newstalk1290.com/pick-a-pack-2023/ |
SHELTON, Conn., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Logicbroker, a premier Supply Chain Experience Management (SCXM) eCommerce platform providing industry-leading drop ship, marketplace, and supply chain visibility solutions, is excited to announce that Matt Ramsbottom has joined the executive team as Chief Financial Officer.
Ramsbottom joins the Logicbroker executive team with over 14 years of experience scaling software companies through rapid expansion and driving significant ARR growth through organic and inorganic strategies.
"We are thrilled to welcome Matt to our team at Logicbroker," said the CEO of Logicbroker, Justin Hartanov. "His exceptional financial expertise and strategic vision will undoubtedly strengthen our position as an industry-leading supply chain experience platform. With Matt on board as our new CFO, we are confident in his ability to drive rapid financial growth and guide us through new avenues of success. Joining Logicbroker so close to one another, we are excited to seize the opportunities ahead and continue our commitment to delivering unparalleled white-glove service to our clients and partners."
As a technology partner for hundreds of enterprise retailers across the globe, Logicbroker is constantly working with our customers to improve core functions and increase their speed-to-market strategies, all while managing every evolving cost of operating as an API-driven Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) organization. Ramsbottom brings a proven track record in building the financial foundation of high-growth businesses, managing mergers and acquisitions, and executing financial strategies.
Under Ramsbottom's guidance, Logicbroker is poised to continue its surge as an industry leader and bolster its already proven drop ship and marketplace programs through increased hyper-growth strategies.
"I am honored and excited to join the remarkable team at Logicbroker as their new CFO," Ramsbottom said. "From my very first interactions with the company's leadership, I was deeply impressed by their unwavering dedication to innovation and customer-centricity. Being part of an industry-leading drop ship and marketplace eCommerce solution provider is an incredible opportunity, and I am eager to contribute my financial expertise and strategic insights to fuel the company's growth."
Join the Logicbroker team in providing a warm welcome for Ramsbottom as he comes into his own in his role as CFO and the team looks forward to working with him as we continue to scale our eCommerce solutions to meet the ever-changing eCommerce market.
To learn more about our comprehensive D2C and B2B drop ship, marketplace, and supply chain visibility offerings, please visit our website.
About Logicbroker
Logicbroker is the premier Supply Chain Experience Management (SCXM) eCommerce platform. Our unique B2B and D2C offerings give manufacturers and retailers a single source of truth for their supply chain, yielding real-time visibility and communications, higher compliance rates, lower transaction costs, and exceptional customer experiences. Through drop ship, marketplace, and supply chain visibility solutions, Logicbroker processes $6.3 billion in GMV each year and can help your organization achieve Supply Chain Excellence
Our integrated suite connects all participants of an organization's supply chain regardless of the type of business model: owned inventory, drop ship, or marketplace. We work with mid-market and Enterprise manufacturers and retailers across a number of verticals including Health & Wellness, Home Improvement, Consumer Electronics, Toys & Babies, and Consumer Packaged Goods and service brands such as Samsung, 1-800-Flowers, Victoria Secret, The Vitamin Shoppe, Walgreens, and RiteAid.
Media Contact:
Name: Becca McCarthy
Title: Director of Marketing
Email: bmccarthy@logicbroker.com
Phone: 203.751.1166
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SOURCE Logicbroker | 2023-07-31T14:09:15+00:00 | kwch.com | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/logicbroker-appoints-matt-ramsbottom-chief-financial-officer-continuing-high-growth-initiative/ |
The Biden administration is proposing to lower the cost of monthly student loan bills under a certain type of income-driven repayment (IDR) plan that for some borrowers will amount to $0 per month.
The Department of Education announced Tuesday that under the proposed changes, those making less than roughly $30,500 annually would have $0 monthly payments. The same criteria would apply to a borrower in a family of four that makes less than $62,400. The plan does not apply to Parent-PLUS loan borrowers.
For those who earn above those thresholds, the administration calculates that undergraduate borrowers could see their monthly payments also cut in half by requiring that 5 percent of their discretionary income be paid toward their student loans instead of the existing 10 percent.
The proposed changes to the Revised Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan (REPAYE), one of four types of IDR plans, also includes a mechanism to shorten the time frame to qualify for student loan forgiveness, essentially shaving off the time it takes to pay off an entire loan.
For example, students who have an original principal balance of $12,000 or less could qualify for loan forgiveness after 10 years of payments on such an IDR plan, instead of 20 to 25 years. Every $1,000 above a $12,000 original principal would add another year of monthly payments before forgiveness could apply.
The plan also intends to address interest accumulated on student loans.
The department said that under the proposed plan, payments made under the amended REPAYE program would first be applied to interest but if the monthly payment amount approved by the program does not cover the interest in full, any remaining interest would not be charged. This extends existing benefits under such an IDR plan in which borrowers have at least half their interest paid per month.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement the plan intends to fix a “broken system” that left millions borrowers in default on their loans before pandemic-era regulations were put in place to pause interest accrual and some types of monthly student loan payments.
“We cannot return to the same broken system we had before the pandemic, when a million borrowers defaulted on their loans a year and snowballing interest left millions owing more than they initially borrowed,” Cardona said.
“These proposed regulations will cut monthly payments for undergraduate borrowers in half and create faster pathways to forgiveness, so borrowers can better manage repayment, avoid delinquency and default, and focus on building brighter futures for themselves and their families,” he added.
A senior administration official said there is not yet a timeline of when the proposed rule to amend the REPAYE program could go into effect but expects it to be finalized later this year. It next goes to public comment for 30 days.
The department also announced Tuesday it would be seeking public comment on a regulatory proposal that would allow the administration to make a list of colleges and programs that put students in significant debt that don’t have financial value. | 2023-01-10T13:55:32+00:00 | wboy.com | https://www.wboy.com/hill-politics/biden-administration-proposes-lowering-income-driven-student-loan-repayments/ |
SHANGHAI, Aug. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LovelyWholesale ("LW" or "the Company"), an international online shopping e-commerce clothing brand, recently announced the launch of LW Basic garment collection. These basic garments are made to be more durable and environmentally friendly - an important part of LovelyWholesale's response to environmental protection and sustainability. The LW Basic collection will be available online at lovelywholesale.com and its App LovelyWholesale on August 20, 2022. There are more than 700 items for consumers to choose from, including 2 piece sets, bodysuits, shirts, pants, dresses, etc.
Considering that the heat wave swept the world this summer and environmental issues become increasingly frequent and more extreme, Leon Guo, CEO of LW, thinks that the company should have a responsibility to drive the transition to a sustainable economy. The garments of LW Basic collection were made with durability and wearability in mind. The clothes can be washed repeatedly without becoming hard and shrinking, and the style is easy to mix and match in daily outfits. "The number of times people wear an item of clothing can make a big difference to our environment" said by Leon. "That's the reason why we launched this basic collection".
In LovelyWholesale's product line, sexy style and street style garments bring 80% of sales, and the inventory pressure of basic style garments is greater than those of better-selling styled garments. Leon still insists on the decision of launching this basic collection to respond to environmental protection.
"The climate crisis is one of the most urgent and complex challenges of our time. As a fashion retailer, we must do something. The core of the LW Basic collection line is providing the pieces that customers need for every daily life, including shirts, pants, bodysuits, dresses, etc. The average price of all the basic collection pieces is around US$10. They are easy to match and have good durability. We don't advocate excessive waste." Leon said.
In order to avoid simple items that result in boring outfits, the designer of the LW Basic collection gives consumers more choices in color supply. Except the classic colors of black, white and gray, LW basic collection pieces use popular colors of orange, pink and yellow, giving more possibilities to match the basic items.
"LW Basic collection line uses less water and energy than traditional processes, which is not only making this collection ultra-affordable in price, but also embracing our vision of sustainability. These basic items are cut in different lengths, with the color expansion, providing everyone with a style that is both trendy and timeless." Leon said.
For more information about the LovelyWholesale Basic collection, visit LovelyWholesale.com.
About LovelyWholesale:
Founded in 2010, LovelyWholesale supplies more than 10 thousands of types of fashionable clothing, shoes, jewels, sexy lingerie and accessories. The company focuses on providing higher quality products with competitive price to customers all over the world. LovelyWholesale customer knows they can trust in us for everything they need from the latest trend-led pieces to celebrity inspired looks, to the everyday wardrobe staples and that ultimate party piece. LovelyWholesale expects that every customer can find their loved style and enjoy shopping here.
LovelyWholesale has factories and warehouse all around the world. With the great advantage of fabric resources and hundreds of fashion buyers, LovelyWholesale can provide customers with the latest fashion trends style and lower prices at first time. Over the past 11 years of operation, Lovelywholesale becomes one of the most popular online store for black women in North America.
To learn more about LovelyWholesale, follow us at lovelywholesale.com and instagram.com/lovelywholesale_online
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SOURCE Lovelywholesale | 2022-08-21T01:35:51+00:00 | witn.com | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/21/lovelywholesale-launches-its-lw-basic-garment-collection/ |
SARASOTA, Fla., Oct. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Van Wezel Foundation and the City of Sarasota are pleased to announce the community members who will serve on the architect selection task force for the Sarasota Performing Arts Center. The five distinguished members of the task force bring a breadth of experience, passion, and a commitment to realizing the promise of this transformative project for Sarasota and the region.
The task force will be chaired by Dr. Jenne K. Britell, Vice Chair Van Wezel Foundation Board of Directors. Dr. Britell has been an acclaimed director and trustee of public companies and private organizations for over 20 years, following an international career as a senior officer of several financial institutions, including GE Capital, and Chairman of United Rentals. The task force includes Mary Bensel, Executive Director of The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and member of the Broadway League and Florida Presenters; Mark Famiglio, co-founder of Sarasota Film Festival, a 50-year Sarasotan, and investor in the development and growth of many of Sarasota's neighborhoods; Michele Hooper, CEO of the Directors Council and highly regarded governance expert and business leader recently named to Forbes 50/50 Women Making an Impact; and Dr. Larry R. Thompson, long-time President of Ringling College of Art and Design who successfully led the creation of the Sarasota Art Museum and served as the founding executive director of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum.
"The arts have the magic and the power to transform lives and communities at every level. I have seen this power as a participant in similar large scale cultural projects elsewhere. Now I am honored to bring this experience home --to Sarasota," said Task Force Chair, Dr. Jenne K. Britell.
The RFP will be issued by the City through their BidSync public system to attract national interest from a broad and diverse number of respondents. The architect selection process is estimated to take six months and will be funded through an appropriation from the State of Florida. The meetings of the task force will be open to the public and the selection process will culminate in a short list of finalists who will come to Sarasota to present their qualifications.
"This is a once-in-a-generation project for the City of Sarasota and as such, the most accomplished and experienced professionals were included in the architect selection task force," said City of Sarasota Manager Marlon Brown. "This group understands how important a new performing arts center is to the legacy of Sarasota. I'm looking forward to working closely with them as we move through the proposal process."
"We are fortunate to have such a prestigious group of community leaders that will help create an iconic symbol for Sarasota," said Cheryl Mendelson, CEO of the Van Wezel Foundation. "With the opening of the first phase of the Bay Park, we are an important step closer to fulfilling the promise of the more than 18,000 community members across the region who shared with us their aspirations for a new performing arts center."
The orientation meeting of the architect selection task force will take place on October 31, 2022.
Task Force Members:
Dr. Jenne K. Britell
Chair, Architect Selection Task Force
Vice Chair of Board, Sarasota Performing Arts Center Foundation, Inc.
Bio: Dr. Jenne Britell has been an acclaimed director and trustee of public companies and private organizations for over 20 years, following a successful career as a senior officer of a number of financial institutions, including GE Capital. Retired as the Chairman of United Rentals, Dr. Britell is currently a director of Ocwen Financial Corporation and Zenbusiness.com. Dr. Britell has previously served on other public company Boards, including TIAA-CREF, Lincoln Financial and Quest Diagnostics, as well as having previously served on a number of nonprofit arts, housing, and education boards, including the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Curtis Institute of Music, the New York City Housing Partnership, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Santa Fe Institute, and the Santa Fe Opera. In 2011, Dr. Britell was selected as the National Association of Corporate Directors' (NACD) Director of the Year. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a member of the advisory board of the Smithsonian's Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. Dr. Britell also has two published case studies from Harvard Business School highlighting her work with United Rentals.
Mary Bensel
Executive Director, The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Bio: Mary Bensel has been executive director of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall for over 14 years. She served as general manager of the Barbara Mann Hall in Ft. Myers, the Walnut Street and Merriam Theaters in Philadelphia; and booking director for Troika Entertainment, a producer of Touring Broadway Shows. Bensel is a Tony-Voter, member of the Broadway League, Florida Presenters, board member of Florida Venue Managers and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota. Under Bensel's direction, Van Wezel was named the #1 theater in its size worldwide and went from having operating losses to earning surpluses of over one million dollars pre-COVID.
Mark Famiglio
Board Member, Sarasota Performing Arts Center Foundation, Inc.
Bio: Mark Famiglio is involved with real estate, construction, finance, information technology, aviation, and biologics. A 50-year Sarasotan and graduate of New College, he is active in the community and in philanthropic causes in southwest Florida and beyond. Mark has been a major supporter of the Florida State University College of Medicine and The Ringling Museum, where spaces have been named in his honor. He has owned and rehabilitated numerous significant historic buildings and is a co-founding producer and chairman of the Sarasota Film Festival. He has served on the opera and ballet boards as well as having served as president of United Cerebral Palsy. He is a longtime supporter of the Van Wezel Foundation; various children's services organizations as well as being a past trustee of the Economic Development Corporation of Manatee County.
Michele Hooper
Board Member, Sarasota Performing Arts Center Foundation, Inc.
Bio: Michele J. Hooper is president and CEO of The Directors' Council, which consults with major companies on board effectiveness and corporate board of director recruitment, focused primarily on diverse candidates. She is an audit committee financial expert with over 30 years of experience chairing the audit committees of several major companies and is a highly regarded governance expert and business leader. In 2017, Ms. Hooper was selected as the National Association of Corporate Directors' Director of the Year. This year, she was named to Forbes Magazine's 50 Over 50 Impact list. Ms. Hooper currently serves on the boards of directors of UnitedHealth Group as lead independent director and United Airlines where she chairs the Audit Committee. Ms. Hooper is vice chair of the Smithsonian Institution's National Board, and a member of the boards of Van Wezel Foundation as well as West Coast Black Theater Troupe
Dr. Larry R. Thompson
President, Ringling College of Art and Design
Bio: Dr. Larry R. Thompson, president of Ringling College of Art and Design since July 1999, champions the need for businesses to embrace creativity to thrive in the 21st century global economy. A lawyer and an educator, Thompson previously served as Special Assistant to the President of The Ohio State University; CEO of Flint Cultural Center; and the founding Executive Director of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Dr. Thompson is former President of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD) and currently serves on its Executive Committee; is the former Chair of the President's Council of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF); and serves on the boards of many local arts and civic organizations. Dr. Thompson has been the recipient of numerous academic and humanitarian honors and awards for his service as a visionary leader and educator.
On April 4, 2022, The Van Wezel Foundation and the Sarasota City Commission formed a partnership for the planning, financing, design, and construction of the new Sarasota Performing Arts Center located at the heart of the Bay Park master plan. The Van Wezel Foundation is proud to partner with the city of Sarasota and the Bay Park Conservancy to bring this exciting new dream to life.
Please visit http://vwfoundation.org/ for more information.
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SOURCE Van Wezel Foundation | 2022-10-24T17:04:08+00:00 | kwtx.com | https://www.kwtx.com/prnewswire/2022/10/24/sarasota-performing-arts-center-architect-selection-task-force-announcement/ |
Alijah Martin, Vlad Goldin and ninth-seeded Florida Atlantic became the first and lowest-seeded team to reach this year's Final Four as the Owls withstood another huge game by Kansas State's Markquis Nowell to beat the Wildcats 79-76 on Saturday night.
FAU (35-3), making just its second appearance in the NCAA Tournament, won the East Region at Madison Square Garden and will head to Houston to play the winner of Sunday's South Region final between Creighton and San Diego State.
The winningest team in Division I this season had never won an NCAA Tournament game before ripping off four straight, all by single digits.
Nowell, the 5-foot-8 native New Yorker, was incredible again at The Garden, with 30 points, 12 assists and five steals, coming off a record-breaking Sweet 16 game. He didn't get enough help.
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Martin scored 17 points, including a huge 3 down the stretch, the 7-foot-1 Goldin had 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Michael Forrest made four clutch free throws in the final 20 seconds for the Owls.
Nae'Qwan Tomlin was the only other player in double figures for Kansas State (26-10) with 14 points.
___
Sports
AP March Madness coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 | 2023-03-26T01:40:09+00:00 | nbcchicago.com | https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/sports/florida-atlantic-holds-off-kansas-state-to-reach-1st-final-four/3103976/ |
(NEXSTAR) — Book bans have been on the rise over the last year with over 1,600 different books being banned or challenged since last summer alone, a new report has found.
Earlier this year, PEN America, a nonprofit organization that aims to support freedom surrounding literature, found that between July 2021 and March 2022, over 1,100 different books were challenged or pulled from libraries and classrooms. Roughly 500 additional titles were banned or challenged between March and July 1, 2022.
In total, between July 2021 and June 2022, PEN America found 2,532 instances of individual books being banned in school districts across 32 states.
The American Library Association reported last week that the number of challenges to books for 2022 is already approaching last year’s totals, which were the highest in decades. So far this year, the ALA has documented 681 challenges to books through the first eight months of this year, involving 1,651 different titles.
Both PEN America and the ALA rely on media accounts and reports from libraries or other local officials to compile their findings.
What books are being banned?
Books with LBGTQ+ themes or prominent characters, as well as those with prominent characters of color, were banned more often than others, PEN America reports. Other commonly-banned subject matter includes sexual content, issues of race and racism, and themes of rights and activism.
Three-quarters of the titles that have been banned are works of fiction, and roughly half are intended for young adult readers.
PEN America estimates that at least 40% of books banned over the last year “are connected to either proposed or enacted legislation, or to political pressure exerted by state officials or elected lawmakers to restrict the teaching or presence of certain books or concepts.”
Well-known impacted titles include “13 Reasons Why” by Jay Asher, “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood, and “Gossip Girl: A Novel” by Cecily von Ziegesar, all of which have been turned into television series. Other banned stories include those turned into films, like “Bridge to Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson, “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn, and “Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four” by Margot Lee Shetterly.
“Lord of the Flies” by William Golding, “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton, and “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, titles that were commonplace among schools not long ago, have also been challenged.
Below are the most frequently banned books and the number of instances in which they’ve been banned, courtesy of PEN America:
- “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe (41)
- “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George Johnson (29)
- “Out of Darkness” by Ashley Hope Pérez (24)
- “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison (22)
- “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas (17)
All five of these books are among the 10 most banned titles of 2021, according to the American Libraries Association. The five other books on the ALA’s list were also among PEN America’s most banned titles.
Those titles are:
- “Lawn Boy” by Jonathan Evison
- “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie
- “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” by Jesse Andrews
- “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson
- “Beyond Magenta” by Susan Kuklin
Where are books being banned?
Of the 32 states in which PEN America reports book bans happened during the 2021-22 school year, four have banned more than 300 titles each.
These five states had the most books banned throughout the previous school year:
- Texas: 801 bans, 22 districts
- Florida: 566 bans, 21 districts
- Pennsylvania: 457 bans, 11 districts
- Tennessee: 349 bans, 6 districts
- Oklahoma: 43 bans, 3 districts
In PEN America’s report earlier this year, Tennessee had conducted just 16 bans across four districts.
Other states reporting book bans include Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Book bans have occurred in 138 school districts, which serve 5,049 schools for a combined enrollment of nearly 4 million students.
Both reports from PEN America and the ALA are timed with Banned Books Week, which began Sunday and will be promoted around the country through table displays, posters, bookmarks and stickers and through readings, essay contests and other events highlighting contested works.
Banned Books Weeks is overseen by a coalition of writing and free speech organizations, including the National Coalition Against Censorship, the Authors Guild and PEN America.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | 2022-09-20T17:46:10+00:00 | myfox8.com | https://myfox8.com/news/north-carolina/piedmont-triad/hundreds-of-books-have-been-banned-this-year-which-titles-and-states-are-most-impacted/ |
Published: Oct. 26, 2022 at 3:05 PM CDT|Updated: 24 minutes ago
AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR), the largest global provider of cloud- and carrier-neutral data center, colocation and interconnection solutions, announced today financial results for the third quarter of 2022. All per share results are presented on a fully diluted basis.
Highlights
Reported net income available to common stockholders of $0.75 per share in 3Q22, compared to $0.44 in 3Q21
Reported FFO per share of $1.55 in 3Q22, compared to $1.54 in 3Q21
Reported Core FFO per share of $1.67 in 3Q22, compared to $1.65 in 3Q21
Reported Constant-Currency Core FFO per share of $1.75 in 3Q22 and $5.24 per share for the nine months ended September 30, 2022
Signed total bookings during 3Q22 expected to generate $176 million of annualized GAAP rental revenue, including a $13 million contribution from interconnection, excluding Teraco
Updated 2022 Core FFO per share outlook to $6.70 - $6.75; Updated Constant-Currency Core FFO per share outlook of $6.95 - $7.00
Financial Results
Digital Realty reported revenues for the third quarter of 2022 of $1.2 billion, a 5% increase from the previous quarter and a 5% increase from the same quarter last year.
The company delivered third quarter of 2022 net income of $239 million, and net income available to common stockholders of $227 million, or $0.75 per diluted share, compared to $0.19 per diluted share in the previous quarter and $0.44 per diluted share in the same quarter last year.
Digital Realty generated third quarter of 2022 Adjusted EBITDA of $620 million, a 1% increase from the previous quarter and a 2% increase over the same quarter last year.
The company reported third quarter of 2022 funds from operations of $462 million, or $1.55 per share, compared to $1.55 per share in the previous quarter and $1.54 per share in the same quarter last year.
Excluding certain items that do not represent core expenses or revenue streams, Digital Realty delivered third quarter of 2022 Core FFO per share of $1.67, compared to $1.72 per share in the previous quarter, and $1.65 per share in the same quarter last year. Digital Realty delivered Constant-Currency Core FFO per share of $1.75 for the third quarter of 2022 and $5.24 per share for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2022.
Leasing Activity
In the third quarter, Digital Realty signed total bookings expected to generate $176 million of annualized GAAP rental revenue, including a $13 million contribution from interconnection, but excluding any contribution from Teraco.
"Digital Realty again delivered record quarterly bookings in the third quarter, our third record in the past four quarters, reflecting the strong global demand for data center solutions," said Digital Realty Chief Executive Officer Bill Stein. "With a rapidly changing global environment, we are making the necessary adjustments in order to maximize the significant market opportunity that lies ahead."
The weighted-average lag between new leases signed during the third quarter of 2022 and the contractual commencement date was seventeen months.
In addition to new leases signed, Digital Realty also signed renewal leases representing $156 million of annualized GAAP rental revenue during the quarter, excluding any contribution from Teraco. Rental rates on renewal leases signed during the third quarter of 2022 rolled down 0.5% on a cash basis and up 2.3% on a GAAP basis.
New leases signed during the third quarter of 2022 are summarized by region as follows:
Investment Activity
During the third quarter, Digital Realty completed its previously announced acquisition of a majority interest in Teraco, a leading carrier-neutral data center and interconnection services provider in South Africa, for approximately $1.7 billion.
Digital Realty acquired three assets for data center development during the third quarter. Digital Realty acquired a 38-acre parcel, which can support approximately 80 megawatts of IT load, in Paris for $10 million. Digital Realty also acquired an income producing mixed-used building on a nine-acre parcel, which can support up to 10 megawatts of IT load in Stockholm$39 million. Lastly, Digital Realty acquired a one-acre parcel, which can support up to 6.5 megawatts of IT load in Crete, Greece for $2 million.
During the third quarter, Digital Realty disposed of a non-core, mixed-use data center property in Dallas for $207 million.
During the third quarter, Digital Realty signed a definitive agreement with Digital Core REIT Management Pte. Ltd., Manager of Digital Core REIT (SGX: DCRU), and related parties (collectively, "Core REIT"), to sell a 25% indirect interest in an institutional quality freehold data center property in Frankfurt valued at approximately $547 million (at 100% share). The transaction is dependent upon the occurrence of certain closing conditions, including a unitholder vote that is expected to take place mid-November, and is expected to generate approximately $137 million of proceeds for Digital Realty. In addition, the agreement provides Core REIT with the option to acquire additional indirect interests in the Frankfurt data center property up to a total interest of 89.9% as well as a 90% indirect interest in an institutional quality freehold data center property in Dallas valued at $199 million (at 100% share). If Core REIT exercises its options to purchase all property interests under the Contribution Agreement, the transaction would generate approximately $671 million of proceeds for Digital Realty.
Subsequent to the close of the third quarter, Digital Realty acquired a four-acre parcel, which could support 24 megawatts of IT load, immediately adjacent to its campus in Dallas for $24 million.
Balance Sheet
Digital Realty had approximately $15.8 billion of total debt outstanding as of September 30, 2022, comprised of $15.3 billion of unsecured debt and approximately $0.5 billion of secured debt and other. At the end of the third quarter of 2022, net debt-to-Adjusted EBITDA was 6.7x, debt-plus-preferred-to-total enterprise value was 36.2% and fixed charge coverage was 5.5x. Pro forma for the physical settlement of $0.5 billion of forward equity outstanding and reflecting the full quarter's run-rate adjusted EBITDA contribution from Teraco, net debt-to-adjusted EBITDA was 6.4x and fixed charge coverage was 5.7x.
During the third quarter of 2022, Digital Realty completed the following financing transactions.
In mid-August, closed a €750 million term loan due 2025, with €375 million subject to two maturity extension options of one year each.
In mid-September, executed a $1 billion U.S. Dollar to Euro fixed-rate cross currency swap at 2.485%, which matures coterminously with our 3.70% notes due 2027 in the principal amount of $1 billion.
In late September, closed an offering of $550 million of 5.550% notes due 2028.
Subsequent to quarter end, Digital Realty received over $650 million in commitments for a new two-year US dollar term loan with a one-year extension option.
2022 Outlook
Digital Realty updated its 2022 Core FFO per share outlook of $6.70-$6.75 and updated its 2022 constant-currency Core FFO per share outlook of $6.95 - $7.00. The assumptions underlying the outlook are summarized in the following table.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This document contains non-GAAP financial measures, including FFO, Core FFO and Adjusted EBITDA. A reconciliation from U.S. GAAP net income available to common stockholders to FFO, a reconciliation from FFO to Core FFO, and definitions of FFO and Core FFO are included as an attachment to this document. A reconciliation from U.S. GAAP net income available to common stockholders to Adjusted EBITDA, a definition of Adjusted EBITDA and definitions of net debt-to-Adjusted EBITDA, debt-plus-preferred-to-total enterprise value, cash NOI, and fixed charge coverage ratio are included as an attachment to this document.
Investor Conference Call
Prior to Digital Realty's investor conference call at 5:00 p.m. EDT / 2:00 p.m. PT on October 26th, 2022, a presentation will be posted to the Investors section of the company's website at https://investor.digitalrealty.com/. The presentation is designed to accompany the discussion of the company's third quarter 2022 financial results and operating performance. The conference call will feature Chief Executive Officer A. William Stein and President & Chief Financial Officer Andrew P. Power.
To participate in the live call, investors are invited to dial +1 (888) 317-6003 (for domestic callers) or +1 (412) 317-6061 (for international callers) and reference the conference ID# 0366978 at least five minutes prior to start time. A live webcast of the call will be available via the Investors section of Digital Realty's website at https://investor.digitalrealty.com/.
Telephone and webcast replays will be available after the call until November 25, 2022. The telephone replay can be accessed by dialing +1 (877) 344-7529 (for domestic callers) or +1 (412) 317-0088 (for international callers) and providing the conference ID# 6591767. The webcast replay can be accessed on Digital Realty's website.
About Digital Realty
Digital Realty brings companies and data together by delivering the full spectrum of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions. PlatformDIGITAL®, the company's global data center platform, provides customers with a secure data "meeting place" and a proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx™) solution methodology for powering innovation and efficiently managing Data Gravity challenges. Digital Realty gives its customers access to the connected communities that matter to them with a global data center footprint of 300+ facilities in 50+ metros across 26 countries on six continents. To learn more about Digital Realty, please visit digitalrealty.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Contact Information
Andrew P. Power President & Chief Financial Officer Digital Realty (737) 281-0101
Jordan Sadler / Jim Huseby Investor Relations Digital Realty (737) 281-0101
Definitions
Funds From Operations (FFO):
We calculate funds from operations, or FFO, in accordance with the standards established by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, or Nareit, in the Nareit Funds From Operations White Paper - 2018 Restatement. FFO represents net income (loss) (computed in accordance with GAAP), excluding gains (or losses) from real estate transactions, impairment of investment in real estate, real estate related depreciation and amortization (excluding amortization of deferred financing costs), unconsolidated JV real estate related depreciation & amortization, non-controlling interests in operating partnership and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. Management uses FFO as a supplemental performance measure because, in excluding real estate related depreciation and amortization and gains and losses from property dispositions and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures, it provides a performance measure that, when compared year over year, captures trends in occupancy rates, rental rates and operating costs. We also believe that, as a widely recognized measure of the performance of REITs, FFO will be used by investors as a basis to compare our operating performance with that of other REITs. However, because FFO excludes depreciation and amortization and captures neither the changes in the value of our data centers that result from use or market conditions, nor the level of capital expenditures and capitalized leasing commissions necessary to maintain the operating performance of our data centers, all of which have real economic effect and could materially impact our financial condition and results from operations, the utility of FFO as a measure of our performance is limited. Other REITs may not calculate FFO in accordance with the NAREIT definition and, accordingly, our FFO may not be comparable to other REITs' FFO. FFO should be considered only as a supplement to net income computed in accordance with GAAP as a measure of our performance.
Core Funds from Operations (Core FFO):
We present core funds from operations, or Core FFO, as a supplemental operating measure because, in excluding certain items that do not reflect core revenue or expense streams, it provides a performance measure that, when compared year over year, captures trends in our core business operating performance. We calculate Core FFO by adding to or subtracting from FFO (i) other non-core revenue adjustments, (ii) transaction and integration expenses, (iii) loss from early extinguishment of debt, (iv) gain on / issuance costs associated with redeemed preferred stock, (v) severance, equity acceleration, and legal expenses, (vi) gain/loss on FX revaluation, and (vii) other non-core expense adjustments. Because certain of these adjustments have a real economic impact on our financial condition and results from operations, the utility of Core FFO as a measure of our performance is limited. Other REITs may calculate Core FFO differently than we do and accordingly, our Core FFO may not be comparable to other REITs' Core FFO. Core FFO should be considered only as a supplement to net income computed in accordance with GAAP as a measure of our performance.
Adjusted Funds from Operations (AFFO):
We present adjusted funds from operations, or AFFO, as a supplemental operating measure because, when compared year over year, it assesses our ability to fund dividend and distribution requirements from our operating activities. We also believe that, as a widely recognized measure of the operations of REITs, AFFO will be used by investors as a basis to assess our ability to fund dividend payments in comparison to other REITs, including on a per share and unit basis. We calculate AFFO by adding to or subtracting from Core FFO (i) non-real estate depreciation, (ii) amortization of deferred financing costs, (iii) amortization of debt discount/premium, (iv) non-cash stock-based compensation expense, (v) straight-line rental revenue, (vi) straight-line rental expense, (vii) above- and below-market rent amortization, (viii) deferred tax expense / (benefit), (ix) leasing compensation and internal lease commissions, and (x) recurring capital expenditures. Other REITs may calculate AFFO differently than we do and, accordingly, our AFFO may not be comparable to other REITs' AFFO. AFFO should be considered only as a supplement to net income computed in accordance with GAAP as a measure of our performance.
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:
We believe that earnings before interest, loss from early extinguishment of debt, income taxes, and depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA (as defined below), are useful supplemental performance measures because they allow investors to view our performance without the impact of non-cash depreciation and amortization or the cost of debt and, with respect to Adjusted EBITDA, unconsolidated joint venture real estate related depreciation & amortization, unconsolidated joint venture interest expense and tax, severance, equity acceleration, and legal expenses, transaction and integration expenses, gain on sale / deconsolidation, impairment of investments in real estate, other non-core adjustments, net, non-controlling interests, preferred stock dividends, including undeclared dividends, and issuance costs associated with redeemed preferred stock. Adjusted EBITDA is EBITDA excluding unconsolidated joint venture real estate related depreciation & amortization, unconsolidated joint venture interest expense and tax, severance, equity acceleration, and legal expenses, transaction and integration expenses, gain on sale / deconsolidation, impairment of investments in real estate, other non-core adjustments, net, non-controlling interests, preferred stock dividends, including undeclared dividends, and gain on / issuance costs associated with redeemed preferred stock. In addition, we believe EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties in the evaluation of REITs. Because EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are calculated before recurring cash charges including interest expense and income taxes, exclude capitalized costs, such as leasing commissions, and are not adjusted for capital expenditures or other recurring cash requirements of our business, their utility as a measure of our performance is limited. Other REITs may calculate EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA differently than we do and, accordingly, our EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to other REITs' EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA. Accordingly, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA should be considered only as supplements to net income computed in accordance with GAAP as a measure of our financial performance.
Net Operating Income (NOI) and Cash NOI:
Net operating income, or NOI, represents rental revenue, tenant reimbursement revenue and interconnection revenue less utilities expense, rental property operating expenses, property taxes and insurance expenses (as reflected in the statement of operations). NOI is commonly used by stockholders, company management and industry analysts as a measurement of operating performance of the company's rental portfolio. Cash NOI is NOI less straight-line rents and above- and below-market rent amortization. Cash NOI is commonly used by stockholders, company management and industry analysts as a measure of property operating performance on a cash basis. However, because NOI and cash NOI exclude depreciation and amortization and capture neither the changes in the value of our data centers that result from use or market conditions, nor the level of capital expenditures and capitalized leasing commissions necessary to maintain the operating performance of our data centers, all of which have real economic effect and could materially impact our results from operations, the utility of NOI and cash NOI as measures of our performance is limited. Other REITs may calculate NOI and cash NOI differently than we do and, accordingly, our NOI and cash NOI may not be comparable to other REITs' NOI and cash NOI. NOI and cash NOI should be considered only as supplements to net income computed in accordance with GAAP as measures of our performance.
Additional Definitions
Net debt-to-Adjusted EBITDA ratio is calculated using total debt at balance sheet carrying value, plus capital lease obligations, plus our share of unconsolidated JV debt, less unrestricted cash and cash equivalents (including our share of unconsolidated JV cash) divided by the product of Adjusted EBITDA (inclusive of our share of unconsolidated JV EBITDA) multiplied by four.
Debt-plus-preferred-to-total enterprise value is mortgage debt and other loans plus preferred stock divided by mortgage debt and other loans plus the liquidation value of preferred stock and the market value of outstanding Digital Realty Trust, Inc. common stock and Digital Realty Trust, L.P. units, assuming the redemption of Digital Realty Trust, L.P. units for shares of Digital Realty Trust, Inc. common stock.
Fixed charge coverage ratio is Adjusted EBITDA divided by the sum of GAAP interest expense, capitalized interest, scheduled debt principal payments and preferred dividends. For the quarter ended September 30, 2022, GAAP interest expense was $77 million, capitalized interest was $17 million and scheduled debt principal payments and preferred dividends was $10 million.
This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, which are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially. Such forward-looking statements include statements relating to: our economic outlook, our expected investment and expansion activity, our expected physical settlement of the forward sale agreements and use of proceeds from any such settlement, our liquidity, our joint ventures, supply and demand for data center and colocation space, our acquisition and disposition activity, pricing and net effective leasing economics, market dynamics and data center fundamentals, our strategic priorities, our product offerings, available inventory rent from leases that have been signed but have not yet commenced and other contracted rent to be received in future periods, rental rates on future leases, lag between signing and commencement, cap rates and yields, investment activity, the company's FFO, Core FFO and net income, 2022 outlook and underlying assumptions, information related to trends, our strategy and plans, leasing expectations, weighted average lease terms, the exercise of lease extensions, lease expirations, debt maturities, annualized rent at expiration of leases, the effect new leases and increases in rental rates will have on our rental revenue, our credit ratings, construction and development activity and plans, projected construction costs, estimated yields on investment, expected occupancy, expected square footage and IT load capacity upon completion of development projects, 2022 backlog NOI, NAV components, and other forward-looking financial data. Such statements are based on management's beliefs and assumptions made based on information currently available to management. Such statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions and are not guarantees of future performance and may be affected by known and unknown risks, trends, uncertainties and factors that are beyond our control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, estimated or projected. Some of the risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements include, among others, the following:
reduced demand for data centers or decreases in information technology spending;
increased competition or available supply of data center space;
decreased rental rates, increased operating costs or increased vacancy rates;
the suitability of our data centers and data center infrastructure, delays or disruptions in connectivity or availability of power, or failures or breaches of our physical and information security infrastructure or services;
our dependence upon significant customers, bankruptcy or insolvency of a major customer or a significant number of smaller customers, or defaults on or non-renewal of leases by customers;
our ability to attract and retain customers;
breaches of our obligations or restrictions under our contracts with our customers;
our inability to successfully develop and lease new properties and development space, and delays or unexpected costs in development of properties;
the impact of current global and local economic, credit and market conditions;
our inability to retain data center space that we lease or sublease from third parties;
global supply chain or procurement disruptions, or increased supply chain costs;
information security and data privacy breaches;
difficulty managing an international business and acquiring or operating properties in foreign jurisdictions and unfamiliar metropolitan areas;
our failure to realize the intended benefits from, or disruptions to our plans and operations or unknown or contingent liabilities related to, our recent acquisitions;
our failure to successfully integrate and operate acquired or developed properties or businesses;
difficulties in identifying properties to acquire and completing acquisitions;
risks related to joint venture investments, including as a result of our lack of control of such investments;
risks associated with using debt to fund our business activities, including re-financing and interest rate risks, our failure to repay debt when due, adverse changes in our credit ratings or our breach of covenants or other terms contained in our loan facilities and agreements;
our failure to obtain necessary debt and equity financing, and our dependence on external sources of capital;
financial market fluctuations and changes in foreign currency exchange rates;
adverse economic or real estate developments in our industry or the industry sectors that we sell to, including risks relating to decreasing real estate valuations and impairment charges and goodwill and other intangible asset impairment charges;
our inability to manage our growth effectively;
losses in excess of our insurance coverage;
our inability to attract and retain talent;
impact on our operations and on the operations of our customers, suppliers and business partners during a pandemic, such as COVID-19;
environmental liabilities, risks related to natural disasters and our inability to achieve our sustainability goals;
our inability to comply with rules and regulations applicable to our company;
Digital Realty Trust, Inc.'s failure to maintain its status as a REIT for federal income tax purposes;
Digital Realty Trust, L.P.'s failure to qualify as a partnership for federal income tax purposes;
restrictions on our ability to engage in certain business activities;
changes in local, state, federal and international laws and regulations, including related to taxation, real estate and zoning laws, and increases in real property tax rates; and
the impact of any financial, accounting, legal or regulatory issues or litigation that may affect us.
The risks included here are not exhaustive, and additional factors could adversely affect our business and financial performance. Several additional material risks are discussed in our annual report on Form 10‑K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Those risks continue to be relevant to our performance and financial condition. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible for management to predict all such risk factors, nor can it assess the impact of all such risk factors on the business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We expressly disclaim any responsibility to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Digital Realty, Digital Realty Trust, the Digital Realty logo, Interxion, Turn-Key Flex, Powered Base Building, and PlatformDIGITAL, Data Gravity Index and Data Gravity Index DGx are registered trademarks and service marks of Digital Realty Trust, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. All other names, trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.
The above press release was provided courtesy of PRNewswire. The views, opinions and statements in the press release are not endorsed by Gray Media Group nor do they necessarily state or reflect those of Gray Media Group, Inc. | 2022-10-26T20:30:12+00:00 | kalb.com | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2022/10/26/digital-realty-reports-third-quarter-2022-results/ |
Custom-designed new product line underscores Galanz' commitment to thoughtful engineering at affordable prices
RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J., Nov. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global leader in home appliances, Galanz Americas, announced that it has entered into a collaboration with Joy Mangano, the legendary inventor whose home-shopping business empire was founded by challenging the status quo with celebrated inventions like the original self-wringing Miracle Mop, the first ever velvety Joy Hangers, her new line of revolutionary cleaning items - CleanBoss, and so much more.
This new collection, called JOY Kitchen, features a full line of small kitchen appliances with Joy's signature flair for on-trend colors, mixed metal finishes and sleek design, adding a sophisticated pop of color to the kitchen. The countertop mainstay products have launched just in time for the holidays; perfect for relieving the stress of holiday entertaining or providing a much-loved gift for others.
"I absolutely love to cook, and I'm always excited when I can redesign a new category," said Joy Mangano. "I could not think of a better brand to partner with than Galanz for my first-ever affordable, high quality, design-driven kitchen appliance collection. This partnership allows consumers access to quality products that make their time in the kitchen better & brighter. JOY Kitchen is a stunning collection that I am so proud of, it is like jewelry for your kitchen."
Creator of America's Big Deal, the first live shoppable competition series that premiered last year in partnership with NBCUniversal, and the subject of the Oscar-nominated major motion picture JOY starring Jennifer Lawrence, and now host of JOY Live! Saturday nights on HSN, Mangano's new JOY Kitchen collection is currently available online with national retailers, including Amazon, Home Depot, Walmart, and Wayfair. The collection covers high-demand categories at an attainable price point.
"Joy Mangano was a natural fit to take Galanz' commitment to thoughtfully engineered, innovative and affordable products to an exciting new level," said Courtney Royko, Senior Director of Product Development and Marketing, Galanz Americas. "Joy has developed and launched thousands of hero products that have defined and re-defined the ceiling of success in the world of television product sales. We're excited to apply her matchless vision and innovation to a new collection of small kitchen appliances."
Galanz believes appliances should work hard and improve the lives of consumers. With the continued trend of Americans cooking at home, there's an increased demand for best-in-class products that are not only reliable, but attractive and affordable. JOY Kitchen, powered by Galanz technology, ensures to deliver on all these points and help you spend more time enjoying with those you love most.
This partnership was brokered by global brand licensing agency LMCA.
Galanz Americas is a leading global home appliances manufacturer that uses thoughtful engineering and meaningful design to bring you great products for better living. We're driven by the conviction that an appliance should improve your life, making daily tasks simpler and more enjoyable. Our products are innovative and design-driven, so they integrate naturally into your everyday life. The Galanz Americas product portfolio includes refrigerators, dishwashers, cooking products, food preparation, espresso/coffee machines, and more. For more information, visit galanz.com.
Trusted by millions, Joy Mangano, named one of Fast Company's "Most Creative People," is one of the most celebrated female entrepreneurs of our time and is a prominent influential voice in the TV shopping industry. She has unmatched customer dedication, customer purchase power, & is one of the most watched personalities in the TV media space. Joy Mangano's first invention, the Miracle Mop, which inspired the major motion picture, JOY, featuring Jennifer Lawrence, broke the mold and redefined how we mop; inspiring entrepreneurs and bosses all around the globe to follow their dreams. As the creator, executive producer, and star of America's Big Deal, the first live shoppable competition series, and host of JOY Live! Saturday nights on HSN, Joy is always on a mission to lift up small businesses and entrepreneurs with everything she creates. Her latest brand launch, CleanBoss by Joy, is furthering Joy's mission for helping everyone get a cleaner, better, & brighter home in a botanically powered way. For more information, visit joymangano.com
LMCA is a global brand extension agency dedicated to building transformative licensing partnerships that add value, create revenue and support our clients' overall strategy and missions. For over 35 years, we have planned and managed brand licensing programs across a wide range of industries and markets, creating relevant and meaningful brand products and experiences that deliver impactful results. For more information on brand licensing, visit lmca.net.
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SOURCE Galanz Americas | 2022-11-14T14:52:06+00:00 | newschannel10.com | https://www.newschannel10.com/prnewswire/2022/11/14/galanz-americas-announces-licensed-home-appliances-deal-with-queen-best-in-class-inventions-joy-mangano-time-holidays/ |
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Tennessee has become the first state to restrict drag shows. This week, Governor Bill Lee signed a bill to ban drag shows in public spaces. Under the new law, such performances won't be allowed anywhere a minor might see them. Marianna Bacallao of member station WPLN in Nashville reports.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Her name is Lucid Dreams.
(CHEERING)
MARIANNA BACALLAO, BYLINE: When the music starts, a drag queen in a white jumpsuit and a long, white wig steps out onto the stage at Tennessee Tech University. Her makeup is the neon pink approximation of a fawn. It's Lucid Dreams' first time doing drag, and she's not the only one. Tonight's event is called Drag 101, where first-time drag performers are sharing the stage with veterans. Backstage, Lucid Dreams recovers from a runway mishap with the help of other performers.
LUCID DREAMS: Well, I didn't move, and now I tripped down a stair. So that was perfect.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: You're initiated. Yay, initiation.
SALEM LE STRANGE: It happens. It happens. Like I said, your best move is to laugh it off.
BACALLAO: The crowd here at Tennessee Tech is filled with laughs and shrieks of delight.
(CHEERING)
BACALLAO: But moments of joy for the Tennessee drag scene are becoming rarer. Since the fall, Republican lawmakers have taken action to restrict drag shows. At the Tennessee Tech event, sophomore Cadence Miller says his generation of queer people owe a lot to drag queens who were present at Stonewall and that it's no accident they're under threat now.
CADENCE MILLER: It was, like, trans, like, drag performers who were, like, pioneers in us getting any type of queer rights at all, like, statewide and nationwide.
BACALLAO: The ban as written could also have a chilling effect on Pride festivals. While new laws typically go into effect on July 1, the bill was quietly amended to take effect April 1, ahead of Pride Month in June. To draw attention to the issue, Knoxville Pride threatened to cancel its festival if the ban passed, but now Pride Director John Camp says Pride will go on, even if it's a march instead of a parade.
JOHN CAMP: We can't have a celebration and leave some of our community out, so we have to figure out how to continue to have a celebration because we are a proud people, and we have a lot to celebrate.
BACALLAO: Camp says the first Pride was a form of protest, and so the march is a way for Knoxville's LGBTQ community to rally together to honor their roots. Proponents of the law say drag shows are harmful to minors. Tennessee Republican state Senator Kerry Roberts voted for the bill. He says the intent is to prevent kids from seeing obscene performances.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
KERRY ROBERTS: In the state of Tennessee, we don't think it's appropriate for grown men to perform in front of children simulated sex acts. That's what this is about.
BACALLAO: Nashville business owner David Taylor testified before the state legislature that the drag shows at his club are not sexually explicit.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
DAVID TAYLOR: We know this because we have a Tennessee liquor license and are bound by Tennessee liquor laws. In our more than 20 years in business, we've not received a citation for one of our drag performers.
BACALLAO: Taylor says the ban on drag will negatively affect Nashville's economy. Drag brunches and similar performances are a big tourist draw.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
TAYLOR: My businesses alone have contributed more than $13 million to the state in the form of sales and liquor taxes since we opened, and we're just one of many such businesses in our state.
BACALLAO: The language of the bill has also drawn concern from the larger LGBTQ community. Drag performers are defined as male or female impersonators. The ACLU of Tennessee's Henry Seaton says that language could lead to criminalizing trans people or anyone who doesn't conform to gender norms.
HENRY SEATON: That can easily be a trans person. You know, there's the phenomenon of walking while trans, where specifically, like, trans women of color, while just existing, oftentimes get the police called on them just for, like, being trans.
BACALLAO: The ACLU of Tennessee says it will challenge the law if it's used to punish a drag performer or shut down a family-friendly LGBTQ event. For NPR News, I'm Marianna Bacallao in Nashville. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | 2023-03-08T15:21:17+00:00 | publicradioeast.org | https://www.publicradioeast.org/2023-03-04/tennessee-will-soon-ban-drag-performances-becoming-the-first-state-to-do-so |
Red Sox vs. Blue Jays Probable Starting Pitchers Today - July 1
Two of baseball's top hitters face off when the Toronto Blue Jays (45-38) and Boston Red Sox (41-42) meet at 3:07 PM ET on Saturday, at Rogers Centre. Bo Bichette has a .313 batting average (fifth in league) for the Blue Jays, and Alex Verdugo ranks 10th at .301.
The Blue Jays will give the nod to Yusei Kikuchi (7-2) against the Red Sox and Kutter Crawford (2-4).
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Red Sox vs. Blue Jays Pitcher Matchup Info
- Date: Saturday, July 1, 2023
- Time: 3:07 PM ET
- TV: SNET
- Location: Toronto, Ontario
- Venue: Rogers Centre
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Probable Pitchers: Kikuchi - TOR (7-2, 3.75 ERA) vs Crawford - BOS (2-4, 3.83 ERA)
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Red Sox Probable Starting Pitcher Tonight: Kutter Crawford
- Crawford gets the start for the Red Sox, his eighth of the season. He is 2-4 with a 3.83 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings pitched.
- In his most recent appearance on Sunday against the Chicago White Sox, the right-hander threw six innings, allowing four earned runs while surrendering five hits.
- In 15 games this season, the 27-year-old has a 3.83 ERA and 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings, while giving up a batting average of .235 to opposing batters.
- So far this year, Crawford does not have a quality start.
- Crawford will look to last five or more innings for his third straight start. He's averaging 3.4 innings per outing.
- He has had five appearances this season in which he did not surrender an earned run.
Kutter Crawford vs. Blue Jays
- He will match up with a Blue Jays offense that ranks fourth in the league with 743 total hits (on a .261 batting average). The team also slugs a collective .416 (10th in the league) with 90 total home runs (17th in MLB action).
- Crawford has thrown 1 1/3 innings without giving up an earned run on one hit against the Blue Jays this season.
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Blue Jays Probable Starting Pitcher Tonight: Yusei Kikuchi
- The Blue Jays' Kikuchi (7-2) will make his 17th start of the season.
- The left-hander's last appearance was on Sunday, when he threw seven innings against the Oakland Athletics, giving up one earned run while allowing two hits.
- The 32-year-old has pitched in 16 games this season with a 3.75 ERA and 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings with a batting average against of .243.
- He's looking to extend his two-game quality start streak.
- Kikuchi has pitched five or more innings in two straight games and will look to extend that streak.
- He has three appearances this season with zero earned runs allowed out of his 16 chances this season.
- Among qualified pitchers in the majors this campaign, the 32-year-old ranks 32nd in ERA (3.75), 39th in WHIP (1.226), and 26th in K/9 (9.1).
Yusei Kikuchi vs. Red Sox
- The Red Sox rank eighth in MLB with 402 runs scored this season. They have a .258 batting average this campaign with 87 home runs (19th in the league).
- This season, the left-hander has pitched against the Red Sox in one game, and they have gone 9-for-21 with three doubles, two home runs and five RBI over 4 1/3 innings.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | 2023-07-01T13:57:46+00:00 | wfsb.com | https://www.wfsb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/01/red-sox-vs-blue-jays-mlb-probable-starting-pitchers/ |
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The pastor at the Memphis church where Tyre Nichols ‘ family spoke from the pulpit urging peace after his brutal killing reiterated the call for calm Sunday following the release of video showing the fatal beating by police.
Cities nationwide have braced for protests after body camera footage was released Friday showing Memphis officers beating 29-year-old Nichols, who died of his injuries three days after the Jan. 7 attack. However, protests in Memphis, New York City, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, have been scattered and non-violent.
“We’ve had calm so far, which is what we have been praying for,” Pastor Kenneth Thomas said before the service began at Mt. Olive Cathedral Church. “And, of course, we hope that continues.”
Thomas also offered a prayer for Nichols’ family, asking God to “shower them with your blessings.”
Later, more than a dozen sign-carrying protesters marched to a Memphis police station not far from the beating, pounding on the door and demanding to be let in. Getting no response, they made their way to a nearby gate, guarded by three officers.
Some protesters taunted the officers with vulgarity, and all chanted: “Quit your job!” But the protest remained peaceful.
The protesters then observed a three-minute silence, designed to match how long Nichols was beaten.
When it concluded, protester Jennifer Cain yelled: “Say his name!” And the group responded: “Tyre Nichols!”
“Now, just imagine being beat by people that’s over 1,000 pounds on you and you’re only less than 150 pounds,” Cain said. “That’s three minutes of beating, screaming and yelling for his mom.”
“When does it stop?” she asked. “When does it end? Are we going to continue to let it happen?”
The loss is “still very emotional” for the family, a lawyer representing them said Sunday, but they are using all their energy to advocate for reforms both in Memphis and on the federal level.
“His mother is having problems sleeping but she continues to pray with the understanding, as she believes in her heart, that Tyre was sent here for an assignment, and that there will be a greater good that comes from this tragedy,” Attorney Ben Crump said on ABC’s “This Week.”
Crump welcomed disbanding the city’s so-called Scorpion unit, which Police Director Cerelyn “CJ” Davis announced Saturday, citing a “cloud of dishonor” from the newly released video.
Davis acted a day after the harrowing video was released, saying she listened to Nichols’ relatives, community leaders and uninvolved officers in making the decision. Her announcement came as the nation and the city struggled to come to grips with the violence of the officers, who, like Nichols, are Black. The video renewed outrage over repeated fatal encounters with law enforcement despite nationwide demands for change.
Crump told “This Week” that Nichols’ case points to a systemic problem in how people of color are treated regardless of whether officers are white, Black or any other race.
The “implicit, biased police” culture that exists in America is just as responsible for Nichols’ death as the five Black officers who killed him, Crump said.
“I believe it’s part of the institutionalized police culture that makes it somehow allowed that they can use this type of excessive force and brutality against people of color,” Crump said. “It is not the race of the police officer that is the determinant factor whether they’re going to engage in excessive use of force, but it is the race of the citizen.”
He alleged other members of the Memphis community have been assaulted by the now-shuttered Scorpion unit, which was composed of about 30 officers whose stated aim was to target violent offenders in high-crime areas. The unit had been inactive since Nichols’ Jan. 7 arrest.
Scorpion stands for Street Crimes Operations to Restore Peace In Our Neighborhoods.
The officers involved in Nichols’ beating — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith — have been fired and charged with murder and other crimes in Nichols’ death. They face up to 60 years in prison if convicted of second-degree murder.
Video showed the officers savagely beating Nichols, a FedEx worker, for three minutes while screaming profanities at him. Nichols called out for his mother before his limp body was propped against a squad car and the officers exchange fist-bumps.
Brenda Goss Andrews, president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, told The Associated Press she was struck by the immediate aggression from officers as soon as they got out of the car. “It just went to 100. … This was never a matter of de-escalation,” she said, adding, “The young man never had a chance.”
On a phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden, Crump and Nichols’ parents discussed the need for federal reform like the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would prohibit racial profiling, ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants, limit the transfer of military equipment to police departments, and make it easier to bring charges against offending officers.
Biden said he told Nichols’ mother he would be “making a case” to Congress to pass the Floyd Act “to get this under control.”
Memphis Police had already implemented reforms after Floyd’s killing, including a requirement to de-escalate or intervene if they saw others using excessive force.
Speaking on “This Week,” Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, said Congress can pass additional measures like “screening, training, accreditation, to up the game so that the people who have this responsibility to keep us safe really are stable and approaching this in a professional manner.”
The fact that law enforcement is primarily a state and local responsibility “does not absolve us. Under the federal Constitution we have standards, due process standards and others, that we are responsible for,” Durbin said.
“What we saw on the streets of Memphis was just inhumane and horrible,” he said. “I don’t know what created this — this rage in these police officers that they would congratulate themselves for beating a man to death. But that is literally what happened.” | 2023-01-29T23:53:07+00:00 | kron4.com | https://www.kron4.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-memphis-pastor-prays-for-continued-peace-after-video-release/ |
DES MOINES, Iowa — Few lawmakers were at the Iowa Statehouse on Wednesday to pass budget bills through committee.
Multiple proposed budgets were moved out of the Senate appropriations committee to the Senate debate calendar. Among those budgets passed were education, health & human services, economic development, and infrastructure.
All of the budgets have been passed through the House chamber; while the Senate just moved the majority of their budgets to the Senate debate floor on Wednesday.
Some of the budgets that the House has already passed will be agreed on by the Senate; while others are still at the negotiation table. The education budget was passed through the committee, but there are still conversations going on in private between House and Senate Republicans. The House had already passed their version through, with language in the bill about bonuses for school staff.
“As far as the bonuses, I know all of the local school districts across the state are sitting on a lot of COVID money,” said State Senator Chris Cournoyer, (R) from LeClaire. “Many of those districts did utilize those funds to create bonuses for the other employees that did not receive the teacher bonus from the Governor. In fact, some teachers got two bonuses. That is another part of the bill that we are continuing to discuss.”
Senator Cournoyer did not make it clear if those bonuses would stay when the final budget is passed, but said those are still under consideration. Another aspect that is still being worked out is state funding for the Iowa Board of Regents. In the House version, there is no increase in state funding for state universities; but the Senate wants to include that.
“I can tell you that I was extremely disappointed that the House’s recommendation was zero dollars,” said Senator Cournoyer. “Last year the Senate had $8.2 million increase for the Regents and I intend to make sure there is an increase for them as well again.”
Cournoyer was hopeful that it could be added to the ongoing discussions with House Republicans. According to the Senator, throughout this week Republicans have met to iron out the differences in their education budgets.
There was frustration voiced by Democrat State Senators about these budget decisions being made behind closed doors without public input.
“You know a reason we have those subcommittee meetings is not for the lobby, it is for us, to learn what is going on and I think we missed out on an opportunity with this,” said State Senator Amanda Ragan, (D) from Mason City, referencing the Health & Human Services budget. “We’ll hopefully get to see that budget before we get to vote on that. It is unfortunate that we are so in the dark on that.”
The Senate appropriations committee adjourned Wednesday after passing 10 budget bills along. Now lawmakers will wait on an agreement between Republicans on the state budget before voting them through the Senate chamber. | 2022-05-19T17:58:49+00:00 | ourquadcities.com | https://www.ourquadcities.com/news/state-news/iowa-lawmakers-work-on-the-state-budget-to-move-closer-to-adjournment/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump reported losses on his tax returns every year for a decade, including nearly $700 million in 2009 and $200 million in 2010, his longtime accountant testified Tuesday, confirming long-held suspicions about the former president’s tax practices.
Donald Bender, a partner at Mazars USA LLP who spent years preparing Trump’s personal tax returns, said Trump’s reported losses from 2009 to 2018 included net operating losses from some of the many businesses he owns through his Trump Organization.
“There are losses for all these years,” said Bender, who was granted immunity to testify at the company’s criminal tax fraud trial in Manhattan.
The short exchange amounted to a rare public discussion of Trump’s taxes — which the Republican has fought to keep secret — even if there was no obvious connection to the case at hand.
A prosecutor, Susan Hoffinger, questioned Bender briefly about Trump’s taxes on cross examination, at one point showing him copies of Trump tax paperwork that the Manhattan district attorney’s office fought for three years to obtain, before moving on to other topics.
The Trump Organization, the holding company for Trump’s buildings, golf courses and other assets, is charged with helping some top executives avoid income taxes on compensation they got in addition to their salaries, including rent-free apartments and luxury cars. If convicted, the company could be fined more than $1 million.
Trump is not charged in the case and is not expected to testify or attend the trial. The company’s former finance chief testified that he came up with the scheme on his own, without Trump or the Trump family knowing. Allen Weisselberg, testifying as part of a plea deal, said the company also benefited because it didn’t have to pay him as much in salary.
Bender’s testimony came on a day full of Trump-related legal drama, including the U.S. Supreme Court clearing the way for Congress to get six years worth of tax returns for Trump and some of his businesses.
Also Tuesday, the judge in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ civil fraud lawsuit against Trump and his company set an October 2023 trial date; a federal appeals court heard arguments in the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago documents investigation; and Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, testified before a Georgia grand jury probing alleged 2020 election interference.
Bender’s tax loss testimony echoed what The New York Times reported in 2020, when it obtained a trove of Trump’s tax returns. Many of the records reflected massive losses and little or no taxes paid, the newspaper reported at the time.
The Times reported Trump paid no income tax in 11 of the 18 years whose records it reviewed, and that he paid just $750 in federal income tax in 2017, the year he became president. Citing other Trump tax records, The Times previously reported that in 1995 he claimed $915.7 million in losses, which he could have used to avoid future taxes under the law at the time.
Manhattan prosecutors subpoenaed Bender’s firm in 2019, seeking access to eight years of Trump’s tax returns and related documents, finally getting them after a protracted legal fight that included two trips to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Bender handled tax returns and other financial matters for Trump, the Trump Organization and hundreds of Trump entities starting in the 1980s. He also prepared taxes for members of Trump’s family and other company executives, including Weisselberg and Weisselberg’s son, who managed a company-run ice rink in Central Park.
Weisselberg, who pleaded guilty in August to dodging taxes on $1.7 million in extras in exchange for a five-month jail sentence, testified that he hid company-paid extras such as Manhattan apartments and Mercedes-Benz cars from his taxable income by having the company’s comptroller, Jeffrey McConney, reduce his salary by the cost of those perks.
Bender testified that Weisselberg kept him the dark on that arrangement — and that he only found out about it from prosecutors last year.
But emails shown in court Tuesday suggested that McConney tried to loop him in as early as 2013, with attached spreadsheets listing Weisselberg’s pay and reductions for extras, including Trump-paid tuition for his grandchildren’s private schooling.
Bender, who testified that he got numerous emails from Trump executives daily, said he didn’t recall seeing those messages. If he had, he said: “We would have had a serious conversation about continuing with the client.”
Mazars USA LLP has since dropped Trump as a client. In February, the firm said annual financial statements it prepared for him “should no longer be relied upon” after James’ office said the statements regularly misstated the value of assets — an allegation at the heart of her lawsuit.
Trump blamed Bender and Mazars for the company’s troubles, writing on his Truth Social platform last week: “The highly paid accounting firm should have routinely picked these things up – we relied on them. VERY UNFAIR!”
Bender testified that he put the onus on Weisselberg to fix any problems as scrutiny of the Trump Organization intensified after Trump’s election in 2016 and advised him to stop one dubious practice: the company’s longstanding, tax-saving habit of paying executive bonuses as freelance income.
The accountant said he told Weisselberg: “If there is anything bothering you, even if there’s the slightest chance, we have to set the highest standards so the company should be, effectively, squeaky clean.”
___
Follow Michael Sisak on Twitter at twitter.com/mikesisak and send confidential tips by visiting https://www.ap.org/tips/. | 2022-11-23T10:55:53+00:00 | pix11.com | https://pix11.com/news/national-news/ap-national/ap-on-stand-accountant-confirms-trump-claimed-huge-tax-losses/ |
By FELIPE DANA (Associated Press)
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian forces fired rockets at a facility in the eastern Donetsk region where Russian soldiers were stationed, killing 63 of them, Russia’s defense ministry said Monday, in one of the deadliest attacks on the Kremlin’s forces since the war began more than 10 months ago.
Ukrainian forces fired six rockets from a HIMARS launch system and two of them were shot down, a defense ministry statement said. It did not say when the strike happened.
The strike, using a U.S.-supplied precision weapon that has proven critical in enabling Ukrainian forces to hit key targets, delivered a new setback for Russia which in recent months has reeled from a Ukrainian counteroffensive.
According to the governor of Russia’s Samara region, Dmitry Azarov, an unspecified number of residents of the region were among those killed and wounded by the strike on the town of Makiivka.
Russian military bloggers, whose information has largely been reliable during the war, said ammunition stored close to the facility had exploded in the attack and contributed to the high number of casualties.
Expressing anger at the losses, Daniil Bezsonov, an official with the Russian-appointed administration in Russian-occupied Donetsk, called for the punishment of military officers who ordered a large number of troops to be stationed at the facility.
The Ukrainian military appeared to acknowledge the attack Monday, with the General Staff confirming that Makiivka was hit on Dec. 31, and saying 10 Russian military vehicles were destroyed or damaged. It added that Russian personnel losses were still being clarified.
In a claim that could not be independently verified, the Strategic Communications Directorate of Ukraine’s Armed Forces had maintained Sunday that some 400 mobilized Russian soldiers were killed in a vocational school building in Makiivka and about 300 more were wounded. The Russian statement said the strike occurred “in the area of Makiivka” and didn’t mention the vocational school.
Meanwhile, Russia deployed multiple exploding drones in another nighttime attack on Ukraine, officials said Monday, as the Kremlin signaled no letup in its strategy of using bombardments to target the country’s energy infrastructure and wear down Ukrainian resistance to its invasion.
The barrage was the latest in a series of relentless year-end attacks, including one that killed three civilians on New Year’s Eve.
On Monday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that 40 drones “headed for Kyiv” overnight. All of them were destroyed, according to air defense forces.
Klitschko said 22 drones were destroyed over Kyiv, three in the outlying Kyiv region and 15 over neighboring provinces.
Energy infrastructure facilities were damaged as the result of the attack and an explosion occurred in one city district, the mayor said. It wasn’t immediately clear whether that was caused by drones or other munitions. A wounded 19-year-old man was hospitalized, Klitschko added, and emergency power outages were underway in the capital.
In the outlying Kyiv region a “critical infrastructure object” and residential buildings were hit, Gov. Oleksiy Kuleba said.
Russia has carried out airstrikes on Ukrainian power and water supplies almost weekly since October.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of “energy terrorism” as the aerial bombardments have left many people without heat amid freezing temperatures. Ukrainian officials say Moscow is “weaponizing winter” in its effort to demoralize the Ukrainian resistance.
Ukraine is using sophisticated Western-supplied weapons to help shoot down Russia’s missiles and drones, as well as send artillery fire into Russian-held areas of the country.
Moscow’s full-scale invasion on Feb. 24 has gone awry, putting pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin as his ground forces struggle to hold ground and advance. He said in his New Year’s address to the nation that 2022 was “a year of difficult, necessary decisions.”
Putin insists he had no choice but to send troops into Ukraine because it threatened Russia’s security — an assertion condemned by the West, which says Moscow bears full responsibility for the war.
Russia is currently observing public holidays through Jan. 8.
Drones, missiles and artillery shells launched by Russian forces also struck areas across Ukraine.
Five people were wounded in the Monday morning shelling of a Ukraine-controlled area of the southern Kherson region, its Ukrainian Gov. Yaroslav Yanushevich said on Telegram.
The Russian forces attacked the city of Beryslav, the official said, firing at a local market, likely from a tank. Three of the wounded are in serious condition and are being evacuated to Kherson, Yanushevich said.
Seven drones were shot down over the southern Mykolaiv region, according to Gov. Vitali Kim, and three more were shot down in the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, Gov. Valentyn Reznichenko said.
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, a missile was also destroyed, according to Reznichenko. He said that energy infrastructure in the region was being targeted.
Ukraine’s Air Force Command reported Monday that 39 Iranian-made exploding Shahed drones were shot down overnight, as well as two Russian-made Orlan drones and a X-59 missile.
“We are staying strong,” the Ukrainian defense ministry tweeted.
A blistering New Year’s Eve assault killed at least four civilians across the country, Ukrainian authorities reported, and wounded dozens. The fourth victim, a 46-year-old resident of Kyiv, died in a hospital on Monday morning, Klitschko said.
Multiple blasts rocked the capital and other areas of Ukraine on Saturday and through the night. The strikes came 36 hours after widespread missile attacks Russia launched Thursday to damage energy infrastructure facilities, and the unusually quick follow-up alarmed Ukrainian officials.
In Russia, a Ukrainian drone hit an energy facility in the Bryansk region that borders with Ukraine, Bryansk regional governor Alexander Bogomaz reported on Monday morning. A village was left without power as a result, he said.
___
Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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The man charged in the killings of two Muslim men this summer in Albuquerque knew the victims, according to court records.
Syed was arrested Monday after authorities trailed him from a Costco to his Albuquerque home, where they found a Volkswagen Jetta matching the description of the vehicle that police had earlier told the public to keep watch for.
WANTED: APD releases photos of a vehicle of interest in the shootings of 4 Muslim men. If you have any information about this vehicle please contact Crime Stoppers at (505)-843-STOP. pic.twitter.com/1h0vUvtbSg
— Albuquerque Police Department (@ABQPOLICE) August 7, 2022
Syed left the home in the Jetta before authorities detained him in Santa Rosa, N.M., about halfway between Albuquerque and the Texas border. He told officers that he was driving to Houston “to find a new place for his family to live because the situation in Albuquerque was bad,” and mentioned the recent shootings of Muslims, according to the court records.
The shootings — a string of four killings within the past year, three of which occurred in a 10-day span — had rocked Albuquerque’s 5,000-strong Muslim community. Some closed businesses early, refused to go out after dark and stopped going to daily prayers at a local mosque, the Islamic Center of New Mexico, where armed guards were installed. At least three of the shootings followed a pattern in which the victim was ambushed and left for dead, police said.
In the killing of Hussein last month, police said the shooter had lurked in a bush near a driveway, waiting for Hussein to park and exit his vehicle, at which point he was shot “through the bush multiple times.” Police found multiple firearms in Syed’s home and vehicle, Deputy Police Commander Kyle Hartsock said at a news conference Tuesday, including at least one that matches bullet casings found at the scenes of two killings.
In an interview with a detective at Albuquerque police headquarters, Syed said he had known Hussain since 2016 and knew of Hussein from “parties in the community.” Both victims were regular members at the mosque, the center’s spokesman, Tahir Gauba, told The Washington Post. (Though the men share a similar surname, they were not related, Gauba said.)
The police said “an interpersonal conflict may have led to the shootings.”
Syed has denied having any involvement in the killings, police said. His daughter told KRQE, a local television news station: “I believe they will release my father. He didn’t do anything.”
His daughter and wife told the station that they knew three of the victims but that Syed was not responsible for the killings. Shaheen Syed, the elder Syed’s son, told police he was aware of the shootings but was not involved.
The elder Syed told authorities that he and his son would sometimes go to the desert to shoot his AK-47 — an activity he described to the police as “hunting” — and that he liked the weapon because he had one in Afghanistan. He told police that he had fought the Taliban there. | 2022-08-11T08:15:21+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/08/11/new-mexico-killing-muslim-muhammad-syed/ |
EVERGREEN — Hundreds of freshly cut ponderosa logs lay stacked in rows in Elk Meadow Park, some measuring several feet in diameter — and more than a century old. Not far away, wood chips and slash litter a clearing where trees once stood.
“My initial reaction was complete shock and horror,” said Theresa Fox, an Evergreen resident who regularly hikes the open space properties that dot the Jefferson County high country. “The mature straight trees were all logged and only scrub trees with no value for logging were left.”
Eleven miles from Elk Meadow is Flying J Ranch Park, which Fox said she can no longer visit because she is “so sickened by the total devastation the logging has brought.”
An effort to halt the logging has gathered more than 500 signatures on a change.org website.
What’s upsetting Fox and other residents in the foothills is what Jefferson County calls wildfire mitigation, alongside a larger effort to maintain forest health in a drying climate. The county’s natural resources supervisor, Steve Germaine, said climate change is making wildfires a year-round hazard and Jefferson County can’t ignore it.
It doesn’t help, he said, that decades of fire suppression have helped make forests more combustible.
“On most days of the year, if you thin trees and keep surface fuels in check, fire danger will primarily be restricted to the ground, where emergency responders have a better chance of keeping it under control,” he said. “Fire didn’t thin them naturally and we now have an unhealthy number of trees, so we are doing our best with mechanical thinning treatments to mimic natural fire.”
Aside from Elk Meadow and Flying J Ranch, Jefferson County has been felling trees in Meyer Ranch Park and Reynolds Park.
“We just began a thinning project at White Ranch Park and have plans to thin stands in other parks, especially in areas near neighborhoods, schools and other places where human safety is a priority,” Germaine said.
The county’s efforts are occurring against the backdrop of a 10-year initiative by the U.S. Forest Service to prevent wildfire catastrophes by treating — defined as prescribed burns or thinning — up to 50 million acres. Federal planners have prioritized forests around urban areas including Colorado’s Front Range, from Fort Collins to Pueblo, designating the 3.5 million-acre area as one of the West’s most imperiled “high-risk fire sheds.”
Evergreen resident JoAnn Hackos, who also serves as a board member with the Evergreen Audubon chapter, said Jefferson County is targeting too many mature trees.
“I’ve seen truckloads of large, old-growth trees being driven away from our neighborhood parks,” Hackos said. “There is lots of money to be made in selling big trees, but it irreparably damages the forest.”
The county, she said, is using a technique called mastication, which essentially chops up treated areas into mulch. Hackos said the practice disrupts the soil and damages roots.
“We know that natural fires in the past thinned the forest and led to trees of different varieties and densities,” she said. “We need to keep a forest that is varied in age, variety and density to prevent wildfires.”
Chad Hanson, forest and fire ecologist with the John Muir Project in Big Bear Lake, Calif., said Jefferson County “is doing everything wrong.”
“Removing mature trees increases wildfire spread and severity,” he said. “When they do these logging projects under the guise of thinning, that reduces the cooling shade of the canopy. Denser forests do not burn more intensely.”
By removing big trees, Hanson said, more ground is exposed to Colorado’s generous sunshine, with desiccation — or drying — of grasses and ground cover the result. And the buffering effect on the wind that trees provide is reduced.
It was bone-dry grasslands — along with fierce winds — that fueled the Marshall fire in 2021, whipping flames from the fire’s point of origin along Colorado 93 all the way into Superior and Louisville, where more than 1,000 homes were destroyed and two people died.
“Weather and climate are dominant (in wildfires) — it’s about hot, dry, windy conditions,” Hanson said. “Removing these trees is about the dumbest thing you can do.”
Logging opponents point to guidance in the county’s own Forest Health Plan, which was published last year. The plan advises the county to “promote larger diameter and fire-resistant trees such as ponderosa pine.”
“Many of the trees are clearly very old-growth,” Fox said. “Most of what was taken were ponderosas. Additionally, increased fire activity is directly related to higher temperatures and trees are responsible for carbon recapture. In a way, the ‘remedy’ actually contributes to what causes more fires.”
But Germaine said it’s a misnomer to call the ponderosas that are being cut old-growth trees, a term that evokes more of an emotional response.
“Ponderosa pine trees only begin to take on old-growth characteristics between 200 to 300 years of age, and they may live to 400 to 500 years,” he said. “Some of the trees we are cutting are large, and some are approaching 125 years in age, but none are old-growth.”
And the notion that the county is making a windfall from timber sales resulting from the felling is simply untrue, Germaine said.
“We hire local small business people to do most of our forest thinning. A lot of the material is ground up and spread around on-site because it has no market value,” he said. “We hold firewood sales to provide wood to local residents, and the county does not profit from any of this.”
Jefferson County pays contractors about $3,500 an acre for thinning, Germaine said.
“It’s important to keep in mind that all of this wood is a result of 125-plus years of fire suppression and it wouldn’t have been here naturally,” he said. “For us, the main thing is that this excess wood gets removed as we return our forest stands to a safer, more natural state.”
Jefferson County Commissioner Andy Kerr said he’s heard from both sides in the debate — constituents who are dismayed by the cutting and constituents with homes that back up to county open space who wonder why Jefferson County isn’t doing more to mitigate fire danger on its land.
“Fire is going to happen, and if it does, we want to make sure it’s not the high-intensity fires that are going to obliterate everything,” he said. | 2023-03-06T14:42:53+00:00 | denverpost.com | https://www.denverpost.com/2023/03/06/jefferson-county-logging-wildfire-forest-health/ |
Police: Small plane crash on Long Island; 1 dead, 2 critical
LINDENHURST, N.Y. (AP) — A small plane trying to return to a suburban Long Island airport after the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit crashed on Sunday, killing one person and critically injuring the two others aboard, officials said.
No injuries were reported on the ground.
The Piper PA 28 crashed shortly before 3 p.m. while returning to attempt an emergency landing at Republic Airport in Farmingdale, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of New York City, authorities said.
Suffolk County Police said the single-engine plane had taken off from the same airport at 2:18 p.m. and the pilot issued a mayday signal a short time later, indicating there was smoke in the cockpit.
The statement said the plane had turned back toward the airport to make an emergency landing but crashed at 2:58 p.m. near an intersection in North Lindenhurst not far from the Long Island Rail Road track.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene and the two others were taken by medevac helicopter to an area hospital in critical condition, said the statement released by the police department’s commissioner, Rodney K. Harrison.
It said their names were being withheld while relatives are being notified.
The plane crashed into an area of trees and brush near the tracks, said Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer. Of the crash area, he said, “It’s like a buffer that runs along the tracks.”
Tom Altieri told Newsday he was getting out of his vehicle around 3 p.m. to enter his home in North Lindenhurst when he noticed a small plane unusually “low and slow.” Seconds after seeing the plane pass over him, he heard “a somewhat large explosion” followed by a plume of smoke.
A person posted pictures on social media showing black smoke rising over homes on a suburban street. Police said they closed a local road because of the crash.
The Federal Aviation Administration was notified and responded to the scene. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating to determine the cause of the crash.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2023-03-06T03:32:26+00:00 | kfyrtv.com | https://www.kfyrtv.com/2023/03/06/police-small-plane-crash-long-island-1-dead-2-critical/ |
The latest on the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI:
VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI’s coffin has been put in its resting place in the grottoes beneath St. Peter’s Basilica.
The wooden lid on the outermost coffin is decorated with a simple metal cross, the emblem of his nearly eight-year-long papacy and an inscription in Latin noting that he had lived 95 years, eight months and 15 days when he died on Dec. 31.
It also records the date his papacy ended when he went into retirement, on Feb. 28, 2013. He was the first pontiff to retire in 600 years.
Benedict’s longtime secretary, German Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, imparted a blessing after the remains were placed into a niche on the floor on Thursday. Also present for a final goodbye were the consecrated laywomen who helped care for him during his retirement in a monastery in the Vatican Gardens.
The Vatican says that the public will be able to visit Benedict’s tomb — but not before next week, to allow for work to be completed.
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KEY DEVELOPMENTS:
Thousands mourn Benedict XVI at funeral celebrated by pope
Hong Kong cardinal, Taiwan at papal funeral, but not China
Benedict’s funeral simple, but with pomp
More on the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI: https://apnews.com/hub/pope-benedict-xvi
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VATICAN CITY — The Vatican says the remains of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI have been interred in a tomb in the grottoes under the main floor of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Benedict’s body was put into a space left after the Vatican moved the remains of his predecessor, John Paul II, to the main floor to reflect John Paul’s sainthood.
The brief announcement of the burial by the Vatican’s press office came about 90 minutes after the conclusion of Benedict’s funeral in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday. Pope Francis presided over the service, which was attended by some 50,000 mourners.
Photos released by the Vatican showed the zinc coffin which was to contain the cypress one displayed to the faithful during the funeral. Then the zinc coffin was placed into another wooden one before being put into the tomb.
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VATICAN CITY — A Vatican cardinal has sprinkled blessed water on the simple wooden coffin of Benedict XVI and released incense around it, near the end of the funeral in St. Peter’s Square.
Pope Francis, who presided over the funeral of his predecessor in the papacy, sat in a chair near a canopied altar before a crowd of tens of thousands of faithful, who applauded.
At the funeral’s end, the coffin was carried by 12 white-gloved pallbearers back into St. Peter’s Basilica for interment in a crypt below the main floor.
The German theologian, who stunned the world by stepping down in 2013, took the title Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI for his retirement in a Vatican monastery. Benedict died on Dec. 31 in the monastery where he lived in the Vatican Gardens.
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VATICAN CITY — At the funeral for Pope John Paul II in 2005, cries in Italian of “Santo subito!” (Sainthood immediately) rose from the huge crowd in St. Peter’s Square.
During the funeral on Thursday for his successor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, one of the mourners in the square, Alessandra Aprea, held up a handwritten sign saying just that, “Santo subito” and featuring a hand-drawn heart.
The 56-year-old Aprea, from the town of Meta di Sorrento near Naples, called Benedict a “saint of the faith.” It was Benedict as pontiff who lifted the five-year customary waiting period to start the sainthood process for John Paul.
Then Benedict’s successor, Pope Francis, approved a miracle early in his papacy that cleared the way for John Paul to be declared a saint. Aprea called Francis, Benedict and John Paul three churchmen “sent by God to lead us as we were getting lost. Benedict has been the bridge between John Paul and Francis. We could not have Francis without him. “
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VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has arrived in a wheelchair in St. Peter’s Square for the funeral for his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
Francis, who is 86, has been using a wheelchair or cane in public ceremonies due to a knee problem. Francis wore red vestments as he sat in a white upholstered chair just in front of the altar, where the funeral Mass Thursday morning is being celebrated by a Vatican cardinal.
Then Francis, speaking in Latin, began the ceremony by inviting the faithful to acknowledge their sins. Benedict, who was 95 and in increasingly frail health, died on Dec. 31 in a monastery in the Vatican Gardens, where he had lived since his resignation in 2013.
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BERLIN — A group representing German clergy abuse survivors is calling on German officials attending Pope Benedict XVI’s funeral to demand more action from the Vatican on sexual abuse.
The group, Eckiger Tisch, called on German leaders to demand of Pope Francis that he issue a “universal church law” stipulating zero tolerance in dealing with abuse by clergy.
It said in a statement that they also should demand that the Vatican pass all documents and evidence it has relating to abuse by clergy to the judicial authorities of the countries where it took place. It also called for an independent investigation of the church’s handling of such cases in the Vatican archives also must be made possible.
The group urged officials to call on Francis to instruct bishops to cooperate fully with state investigators.
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VATICAN CITY — Pallbearers have carried Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s cypress coffin out of St. Peter’s Basilica and rested it before the altar in the piazza outside as red-robed cardinals looked on.
Bells tolled and the crowd applauded as Benedict’s coffin was carried out ahead of the rare requiem Mass for a dead pontiff presided over by a living one.
Heads of state and royalty, clergy from around the world and thousands of faithful flocked to the Vatican, despite Benedict’s requests for simplicity and official efforts to keep the first funeral for an pope emeritus in modern times low-key.
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VATICAN CITY — The Vatican has released the text of a brief written summary of the life and accomplishments of the late pontiff, Benedict XVI, that was tucked into the pope emeritus’ coffin ahead of his funeral.
The document, written in Latin, describes him as combatting “with firmness” during his eight-year-long papacy the abuse perpetrated on children by pedophile priests.
While Benedict was the first pontiff to meet in person with those who were sexually abused, survivor advocates — citing the church’s pattern of protecting higher-ups — described his legacy on that front as one of failure.
Rolled up and tucked into a metal cylinder, the document also quotes in full Benedict’s announcement to cardinals in Latin on Feb. 11, 2013, that he was stepping down at the end of that month because he felt he no longer had they physical or mental strength to lead the Catholic church. He was the first pope in 600 years to resign.
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VATICAN CITY — Some 1,000 police and other security forces have been deployed for the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in St. Peter’s Square.
They include sharpshooters on top of palazzi and other high vantage points on the square. A no-fly zone is in effect for the Vatican and the immediate surrounding area on Thursday and lasts until after the last participant leaves.
Thousands of people started streaming toward the square before dawn and faced metal-detector checks.
Some 100,000 people were expected to crowd into the square and spill over into the wide boulevard leading to it from the Tiber River. The previous three days saw some 200,000 people pass smoothly through security checks to enter the basilica to view Benedict’s body, far more than security officials in Rome had predicted.
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BERLIN — Germany’s president is leading a delegation of the top-ranking officials from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s homeland to the funeral of the late pontiff.
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was expected to be joined by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the speakers of both houses of parliament and the chief justice of the Federal Constitutional Court.
The governor of Benedict’s native Bavaria, Markus Soeder, also is leading a delegation to Rome and at least 10 German bishops are expected. They include the archbishop of Munich, a job Benedict once held himself, and the bishops of Passau and Regensburg — dioceses that include his birthplace and his one-time home.
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VATICAN CITY — Pilgrims, tourists and Romans started flocking to St. Peter’s Square before dawn on Thursday, hours before the scheduled start of the mid-morning funeral for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
Among them were some admirers wearing traditional Bavarian dress of the late pontiff’s home region in Germany. Plans called for the retired pope’s coffin to be carried from inside St. Peter’s Basilica and into the square ahead of the funeral Mass.
A canopied altar was erected for the ceremony to be presided over by Pope Francis, who succeeded Benedict as pontiff after the German churchman shocked the world by retiring in 2013. Benedict, who was 95, died on Dec. 31 in a Vatican monastery. | 2023-01-06T00:05:46+00:00 | fox59.com | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-live-updates-the-funeral-of-pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi/ |
Federal public defenders are warning they face a severe budget shortfall that may force them to trim more than 10 percent of their current work force later this year, with aftershocks that could hurt the low-income people they represent in court.
About nine in 10 people accused of crimes in federal courts are represented by a public defender or court-appointed attorney. If Congress proceeds with its current budget plans, the defenders may need to lose nearly 500 full-time staff members.
"This is going to be catastrophic," said Melody Brannon, the federal public defender in Kansas. "Our money goes to salaries to pay defenders and investigators and paralegals and social workers who provide representation for the most impoverished people in our society."
The decisions by House and Senate appropriators for the 2024 budget appear to stem from a budgeting quirk. The federal defenders carried forward an unusually large $111 million in funds, leftover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This carryforward allowed Congress to actually give defenders a lower fiscal year 2023 amount because when combined with $111 million offset, they were fully funded. But Congress then apparently benchmarked the low FY 2023 enacted appropriation (sans the $111 million) as the FY 2024 mark, leading to a huge shortfall for the coming year, multiple defenders said.
A recent workforce study concluded the defenders already operated close to the bone and recommended creating at least 250 more full-time jobs, the defenders wrote earlier this month to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. They said the budget crisis would mean delayed prosecutions, longer detention for people awaiting trial and disruptions in court proceedings.
Word of the cuts is landing at a particularly tough time. This is also the 60th anniversary of the Gideon case, which guaranteed low-income people the right to a free lawyer if they're accused of serious crimes.
Federal defenders have raced to handle a huge surge in cases related to the January 6th Capitol riot and to help in Indian Country, where a recent Supreme Court ruling upended the justice system.
If federal defenders are too strapped to handle these cases, the burden shifts to private defense attorneys, who are often paid more and have less expertise.
But Brannon warned that even those private lawyers won't be paid on time.
"And if you're a small practice, a solo lawyer, ... not getting paid for three and a half months can be devastating," Brannon said. "That's your overhead, that's your operations."
The last time things looked so bad for public defenders was 10 years ago — when Congress imposed nearly across-the-board budget cuts known as sequestration.
Back then, a senior federal public defender in Ohio chose to lay himself off to protect his staff.
"These are not luxury services that we're providing," Steve Nolder told NPR in 2013. "These are constitutionally mandated services, and because they're mandated, someone has to do it."
Federal defenders say they are going public now to try to convince Congress to change course. There's still time, they say, for lawmakers to act.
"Instead of showing our gratitude by providing Federal Defenders with the resources they need to advocate for their clients, we are at risk of critically underfunding their constitutionally-mandated services," Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, said in a written statement.
Durbin said he'll work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers "to provide the Federal Defenders the funding and resources they need to fulfill their important mission."
A spokesman for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts said it is still assessing what the budget proposals mean and declined further comment. There are about 4,100 people employed by public defenders, nearly half of them attorneys, the AO said.
House Republicans say they want to slash the Justice Department's budget and public defense and other parts of those same larger spending bills could fall victim to more powerful political winds.
NPR National Political Correspondent Susan Davis contributed to this report.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-07-19T20:53:08+00:00 | wlrn.org | https://www.wlrn.org/npr-breaking-news/national-politics/2023-07-19/federal-public-defenders-warn-budget-cuts-may-threaten-ability-to-represent-clients |
INDIANAPOLIS — One person was killed in a car accident on the northeast side overnight Monday.
According to an IMPD case report, officers responded to a single vehicle crash on Knyghton Road at around 2:20 a.m. Knyghton Road is near E. 62nd Street and Binford Boulevard.
Firefighters were already on scene putting out a vehicle fire.
Police say the driver crashed into landscaping in the area. The driver was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The name and age of the victim will be released by the coroner’s office. | 2022-10-03T11:56:16+00:00 | fox59.com | https://fox59.com/news/1-person-killed-in-overnight-crash-south-of-binford-blvd/ |
A Georgia judge holds a hearing to decide whether to make public a report from a special grand jury investigating efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia.
Copyright 2023 NPR
A Georgia judge holds a hearing to decide whether to make public a report from a special grand jury investigating efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia.
Copyright 2023 NPR | 2023-01-25T01:05:15+00:00 | upr.org | https://www.upr.org/2023-01-24/the-arguments-around-releasing-report-on-efforts-to-overturn-2020-election-in-georgia |
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) _ USANA Health Sciences Inc. (USNA) on Tuesday reported net income of $19.2 million in its second quarter.
On a per-share basis, the Salt Lake City-based company said it had net income of $1.
The nutritional supplement maker posted revenue of $264.5 million in the period.
USANA Health expects full-year earnings to be $3.85 to $4.45 per share, with revenue in the range of $1.01 billion to $1.07 billion.
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This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on USNA at https://www.zacks.com/ap/USNA | 2022-07-26T23:06:39+00:00 | seattlepi.com | https://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/USANA-Health-Q2-Earnings-Snapshot-17330806.php |
The doll house-sized installation was placed atop a 30-foot-tall tree stump, with the message: "Where there is hatred, let us sow love." Officials say they have no plans to take it down.
Copyright 2022 NPR
The doll house-sized installation was placed atop a 30-foot-tall tree stump, with the message: "Where there is hatred, let us sow love." Officials say they have no plans to take it down.
Copyright 2022 NPR | 2022-06-27T17:19:15+00:00 | wbfo.org | https://www.wbfo.org/2022-06-27/a-tiny-victorian-house-mysteriously-shows-up-at-golden-gate-park |
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida has paid nearly $1 million to arrange two sets of flights to transport about 100 migrants who entered the country illegally to Delaware and Illinois, according to documents released Friday by the Florida Department of Transportation.
The flights would be a follow-up to the Sept. 14 flights from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard that carried 49 mostly Venezuelan migrants to the Massachusetts island where former President Barack Obama owns a mansion. Local officials weren’t told in advance that the migrants were coming.
Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed responsibility for the flights as part of a campaign to focus attention on what he has called the Biden administration’s failed border policies. He was joining Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in the tactic of sending migrants to Democratic strongholds without advance warning,
The two additional sets of flights originally were scheduled for some time before Oct. 3 but apparently were halted or postponed. The contractor hired by Florida later extended the window for the trips until Dec. 1, according to memos released by the state Department of Transportation.
Vertol Systems Company of Destin, Florida, was hired to organize the flights and sent an employee to the state capital of Tallahassee to pick up a hard copy of a $950,000 check after the state didn’t receive paperwork for a direct deposit to the company’s account, according to the documents.
Vertol owner James Montgomerie didn’t answer a phone call and email seeking comments about the flight plans. DeSantis’ office didn’t immediately respond to an email requesting comment.
Earlier this year the Legislature approved a $12 million budget item to relocate people in the country illegally from Florida to another location. The money came from interest earned from federal funds given to Florida under the American Rescue Plan. While the migrant flights originated in Texas, the charter plane carrying them made a stop in Florida. DeSantis has said that the migrants intention was to come to Florida.
The documents released Friday gave no details of how migrants were recruited in San Antonio for the Martha Vineyard flights nor who was hired to conduct that part of the operation.
Also Friday, A Texas sheriff certified that the 49 migrants flown Martha’s Vineyard last month to be crime victims, a move that allows them to apply for special visas to remain in the United States. The sheriff said an investigation has been opened.
The Martha’s Vineyard flight has also spawned lawsuits accusing Florida of lying to the migrants to get them to agree to the flights. | 2022-10-15T01:14:38+00:00 | seattlepi.com | https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Florida-spent-almost-1-million-for-two-more-17510646.php |
MINNEAPOLIS, July 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
COURT-APPROVED LEGAL NOTICE
If you purchased Boxed or Case-Ready Beef directly from Cargill, JBS, National Beef, or Tyson in the United States from January 1, 2015, through February 10, 2022, a class action settlement may affect your rights.
Para una notificación en español, llame gratis al 877-331-0717
o visite nuestra página web www.BeefDirectPurchaserSettlement.com.
A settlement has been reached in a class action antitrust lawsuit filed on behalf of Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs with Defendants JBS S.A., JBS USA Food Company, Swift Beef Company, and JBS Packerland, Inc. (collectively "JBS").
The United States District Court for the District of Minnesota authorized this notice. The Court will hold a hearing to decide whether to approve the Settlement.
Members of the Settlement Class are defined as all persons and entities that, from January 1, 2015, through February 10, 2022, directly purchased in the United States from any of the Defendants or their respective subsidiaries and affiliates, boxed or case-ready beef processed from Fed Cattle, excluding ground beef made from culled cows. Defendants in this lawsuit for purposes of the Settlement Agreement are Cargill, Inc., Cargill Meat Solutions Corporations (a/k/a Cargill Protein) (collectively "Cargill"); JBS S.A., JBS USA Food Company, JBS Packerland, Inc., and Swift Beef Company (collectively, "JBS"); National Beef Packing Company ("National Beef"); and Tyson Foods, Inc., and Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc. (collectively "Tyson") (together "Defendants"). Excluded from the Settlement Class are Defendants; their officers, directors or employees; any entity in which a Defendant has a controlling interest; and any affiliate, legal representative, heir or assign of a Defendant. Also excluded from this Settlement Class are any federal, state, or local governmental entities, any judicial officer presiding over this action; the members of the judicial officer's immediate family and staff, and any juror assigned to this action. The Settlement Agreement affects only claims against JBS.
If you are not sure you are included, you can get more information, including a detailed notice, at www.BeefDirectPurchaserSettlement.com or by calling toll-free 877-331-0717.
Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs allege that Defendants and their co-conspirators conspired and combined to fix, raise, maintain, and stabilize the prices of case-ready and boxed beef, beginning at least as early as January 1, 2015, with the result of increasing prices in the United States, in violation of federal antitrust laws. JBS denies it did anything wrong. For inclusion in the Settlement Class, the term "beef" means boxed and case-ready beef that has been processed from fed cattle by Defendants. "Cattle" means fed cattle before they are processed into beef and excludes culled cows. "Fed cattle" means steers and heifers raised in feedlots on a concentrated diet for the production and sale of beef.
The Court did not decide which side was right, but both sides agreed to the Settlement Agreement to resolve the case against JBS and get benefits to the Settlement Class. The case is still proceeding on behalf of the Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs against other Defendants that may be subject to separate settlements, judgments, or class certification orders.
Defendants are (as described above) Cargill, JBS, National Beef, and Tyson. You must have purchased boxed or case-ready beef directly from one of these defendants in order to be eligible for this settlement.
Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, JBS will pay $52,500,000 to resolve all Settlement Class claims against it in this litigation. In addition to this monetary benefit, JBS has also agreed to provide specified cooperation in the Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs' continued prosecution of the litigation. In connection with final approval of this settlement, Co-Lead Counsel have asked the Court to establish a $5 million Litigation Fund to cover the current and ongoing costs of this litigation. Co-Lead Counsel are not seeking attorneys' fees or Class Representative service awards at this time, and do not plan for distribution of the net settlement proceeds to the Settlement Class Members at this time, but will do so at a future date subject to further notice and Court approval. At the appropriate time, Co-Lead Counsel will seek attorneys' fees of up to one-third of the Settlement Fund and Class Representative service awards in an amount not to exceed $75,000 per named plaintiff. A copy of the motion for attorneys' fees, future litigation expenses, and service awards, if any, will be available on the Settlement website.
You do not need to take any action to remain a member of the Settlement Class and be bound by the Settlement Agreement. As a Settlement Class member, you may be able to participate in (or exclude yourself from) any future settlement or judgment obtained by Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs against other Defendants in the case. The detailed notice available on the Settlement website explains how to exclude yourself or object. The Court will hold a hearing in this case (In re Cattle and Beef Antitrust Litigation, et al. (In re DPP Beef Litigation), Case No. 20-cv-01319 JRT-HB) on August 2, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. Central to consider whether to approve the Settlement Agreement. You may ask to speak at the hearing, but you don't have to.
This notice is only a summary. You can find more details about the Settlement at www.BeefDirectPurchaserSettlement.com or by calling toll-free 877-331-0717. Please do not contact the Court.
View original content:
SOURCE Gustafson Gluek PLLC, Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP, Hartley LLP and Hausfeld LLP | 2022-07-15T20:58:28+00:00 | uppermichiganssource.com | https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/prnewswire/2022/07/15/gustafson-gluek-pllc-cotchett-pitre-amp-mccarthy-llp-hartley-llp-hausfeld-llp-announce-notice-settlement-if-you-purchased-beef-directly-beef-producer/ |
City Council approves funding for additional resource officers at Greenville Schools
GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) -It’s an extra step for safety. Monday the Greenville City Council approved the funding to add a resource officer to three more schools within the city limits.
The long-term goal is to add a school resource officer or SRO to all the schools within the city limits.
“We can start hiring for those positions now,” said Chief Howie Thompson after funding was approved.
The grant from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety Office of Highway Safety and Justice awarded the Greenville Police Department $482,916.
“We have a goal of adding resource officers to all our schools in the city. Right now, we currently have SROs in our 5 middle schools and in our 2 high schools,” said Chief Thompson.
SROs will be added at The Sullivan Center, West Greenville School and Sterling School. Making it a total of 10 schools in the city covered with resource officers.
“This grant does cover all the officer’s salary, benefits and all the equipment associated with the officers position,” said Thompson.
The grant doesn’t cover the whole cost, so the remaining $40,000 will come out of the city’s pocket.
“It’s just a great opportunity,” he said.
Next, they’ll tackle 10 elementary schools currently without an SRO. Chief Thompson hopes not only will the SROs ease parents’ concerns, but SROs will also be a friend to the students too.
“If you go to any of our schools, you’ll see the SROs participating in the school events, you know they’re playing basketball with them at PE, they are dancing with them, they are in their classrooms helping them with work” he said.
The SROs will be employed by the police department, not the school district.
Chief Thompson says ideally, they’ll like to have the new positions opened up soon and filled by next school year.
Copyright 2022 WHNS. All rights reserved. | 2022-07-12T06:07:38+00:00 | foxcarolina.com | https://www.foxcarolina.com/2022/07/12/city-council-approves-funding-additional-resource-officers-greenville-schools/ |
MASERU, Lesotho (AP) — Lesotho’s businessman-turned-politician Sam Matekane is set to become the southern African country’s next prime minister after cobbling together a coalition headed by his Revolution for Prosperity party.
Matekane, 64, announced the new three-party coalition Tuesday in the capital, Maseru. His party will team up with two smaller parties, the Alliance of Democrats and the Movement for Economic Change parties, to secure a parliamentary majority needed to form a government.
Matekane, whose party was only launched in March this year, won 56 of the legislature’s 120 seats in last week’s general election. That was five shy of the 61-seat threshold required for any party to form a government on its own.
Although he had emphasized the importance of governing alone to enable his party to implement what he called a “developmental agenda,” Matekane joined forces with other parties after he failed to secure an outright win. Together the two smaller parties are bringing 9 seats into the new coalition, giving Matekane’s government a slim majority of 65 seats.
Addressing the media Tuesday, Matekane said he chose the two parties because they share the same vision of cutting down on government expenditure and improving the delivery of government services to Lesotho’s population.
Matekane is a newcomer to politics but the leaders of the two partner parties bring experience in government. Alliance for Democracy leader Monyane Moleleki served as deputy prime minister from June 2017 to May 2020. Movement for Economic Change leader Selibe Mochoboroane was development planning minister in the outgoing All Basotho Convention-led government which will hand over power when Matekane is sworn-in to office on a date to be announced.
Matekane said the coalition’s immediate tasks will be “reining government expenditure, stabilizing the economy and uniting the nation.” Lesotho has been plagued by chronic instability and widespread poverty. He said he would hold a weekend retreat with coalition partners to map the way forward.
Hundreds of people lined the streets near Matekane’s offices to celebrate his announcement of a new government.
Commenting on Matekane’s victory in his first election, National University of Lesotho political science lecturer Tlohang Letsie said his new party won because the electorate was fed up with the political status quo.
“The votes came from a place of anger … The election outcome is a clear message to all political parties that when people choose them to govern, they expect them to deliver,” he said.
Matekane’s “incoming government must deliver, the people’s expectations must be met,” Letsie said.
Maseru resident Tene Mabuse voiced similar views.
“I want the new government to create jobs. Previous governments failed the people, they only sought to promote and serve their own interests,” Mabuse said. “I’m happy the Revolution for Progress has won because we need new players. We need them to create jobs.”
He said Matekane and his party “should be warned that if they disappoint us, we won’t hesitate to dump them the same way they did the parties that we have ditched.” | 2022-10-12T11:31:57+00:00 | wnct.com | https://www.wnct.com/news/international/ap-lesothos-election-winner-announces-new-coalition-government/ |
Argentina and Netherlands goes to extra time at World Cup
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1of 11 Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between the Netherlands and Argentina, at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Friday, Dec. 9, 2022. Ariel Schalit/AP Show More Show Less
2of 11 Argentina's Lionel Messi, centre, challenges for the ball with Denzel Dumfries of the Netherlands, left, Nathan Ake of the Netherlands, second left, Frenkie de Jong of the Netherlands, bottom right, Virgil van Dijk of the Netherlands, top right, during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between the Netherlands and Argentina, at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Friday, Dec. 9, 2022. Thanassis Stavrakis/AP Show More Show Less 3of 11
4of 11 Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between the Netherlands and Argentina, at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Friday, Dec. 9, 2022. Ariel Schalit/AP Show More Show Less
5of 11 Argentina's Lionel Messi in action against Memphis Depay of the Netherlands, left, and Frenkie de Jong of the Netherlands during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between the Netherlands and Argentina, at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Friday, Dec. 9, 2022. Thanassis Stavrakis/AP Show More Show Less 6of 11
7of 11 Virgil van Dijk of the Netherlands helps Argentina's Lionel Messi to stand up during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between the Netherlands and Argentina, at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Friday, Dec. 9, 2022. Natacha Pisarenko/AP Show More Show Less
8of 11 Argentina's Nahuel Molina, left, celebrates with Julian Alvarez, center, and Lionel Messi, right, after scoring the opening goal during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between the Netherlands and Argentina, at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Friday, Dec. 9, 2022. Ricardo Mazalan/AP Show More Show Less 9of 11
10of 11 Argentina's Nahuel Molina, center, celebrates his opening goal during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between the Netherlands and Argentina, at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Friday, Dec. 9, 2022. Hassan Ammar/AP Show More Show Less 11of 11
LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — The match between the Netherlands and Argentina in the quarterfinals of the World Cup has gone to extra time with the score at 2-2.
___ | 2022-12-09T21:25:37+00:00 | lmtonline.com | https://www.lmtonline.com/sports/article/Argentina-and-Netherlands-goes-to-extra-time-at-17643618.php |
Did you lose money on investments in Unilever? If so, please visit Unilever PLC Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@bernlieb.com to discuss your rights.
NEW YORK, June 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, reminds investors of the deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in a securities class action lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") of Unilever PLC ("Unilever" or the "Company") (NYSE: UL) between September 2, 2020 and July 21, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and alleges violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Unilever is a British multinational consumer goods company which sells more than 400 products in over 190 countries, including Ben & Jerry's ice cream, which they acquired in 2000. In an attempt to preserve Ben & Jerry's longstanding "Social Mission," Unilever's acquisition of Ben & Jerry's included allowing for an independent board of directors, which was given primary responsibility for preserving and enhancing the objectives of the company's Social Mission (the "B&J Board").
More than 20 years after the acquisition, Ben & Jerry's remains a wholly owned subsidiary of Unilever with an independent board addressing the company's Social Mission. Since the acquisition, the B&J Board continued its Social Mission by engaging in promotions and advocacy across a host of issues concerning the environment, voter turnout, fair trade, and genetically modified organisms. Today, the B&J Board, chaired by Anuradha Mittal ("Mittal"), consists primarily of social activists who joined long after Unilever's acquisition.
The B&J Board passed a resolution in July 2020 to end sales of Ben & Jerry's products in areas that the B&J Board considers to be Palestinian territories illegally occupied by Israel. According to Mittal, Ben & Jerry's CEO Matthew McCarthy ("McCarthy") chose not to "operationalize" the resolution immediately, thus temporarily thwarting the B&J Board's decision. During the morning of July 19, 2021, Unilever and its hand-picked CEO McCarthy "operationalized" the B&J Board's resolution to boycott Israel. Ben & Jerry's announced on its website and through its Twitter account that, upon the expiration of the current licensing agreement by which its products had been distributed in Israel for decades, Ben & Jerry's would end sales of its ice cream in "Occupied Palestinian Territory", but Ben & Jerry's would purportedly continue to sell its products in Israel.
The decision by the B&J Board appeared to arise out of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions ("BDS") movement. The BDS movement is a pro-Palestinian movement promoting boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel. The BDS movement's objective is to coerce Israel into making concessions to the Palestinians by using boycotts and the like to exert economic and political pressure. Additionally, and of particular significance here, 35 U.S. states have adopted laws, executive orders, or resolutions aimed at discouraging boycotts, divestment, and sanctions of Israel ("Anti-BDS Legislation").
During the morning of July 22, 2021, CNBC reported that the states of Texas and Florida were examining Ben & Jerry's actions in connection with the states' Anti-BDS Legislation. In addition to condemnation of Ben & Jerry's boycott by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, CNBC reported that Texas State Comptroller Glenn Hegar, who controls billions of dollars in assets for Texas' public pension funds, had already told his office to take action. Similarly, the state of Florida's CFO Jimmy Patronis ("Patronis"), who controls Florida's public pension funds, told CNBC that his office was already discussing the issue. In a letter reportedly sent to Ben & Jerry's CEO, Patronis wrote: "It is my belief that Ben & Jerry's brazen refusal to do business in Israel will result in your placement on the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List." The letter also stated that Florida would then "be prohibited from investing in Ben & Jerry's or its parent company, Unilever." Being added to the list also meant that Unilever would not be able to enter or renew contracts with the state or any municipality in Florida.
On this news, the price of Unilever ADRs fell $3.19 to close at $55.52 per ADR on July 22, 2021.
If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than August 15, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member.
If you purchased the ADRs of Unilever, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Unilever PLC Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@bernlieb.com.
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SOURCE Bernstein Liebhard LLP | 2022-06-25T01:30:55+00:00 | kswo.com | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2022/06/25/unilever-plc-nyse-ul-shareholder-class-action-alert-bernstein-liebhard-llp-reminds-investors-deadline-file-lead-plaintiff-motion-securities-class-action-lawsuit-against-unilever-plc-nyse-ul/ |
What to watch for as the Supreme Court hears oral arguments on Biden’s student loan debt relief plan
By Ariane de Vogue, CNN Supreme Court Reporter
The Supreme Court on Tuesday will take up two challenges to President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program — an initiative aimed at providing targeted debt relief to millions of student-loan borrowers — that has so far been stalled by legal challenges.
Republican-led states and conservatives challenging the program say it amounts to an unlawful attempt to erase an estimated $430 billion of federal student loan debt under the guise of the pandemic.
At the heart of the case is the Department of Education’s authority to forgive the loans. Several of the conservative justices have signaled in recent years that agencies — with no direct accountability to the public — have become too powerful, upsetting the separation of powers. They have moved to cut back on the so-called administrative state.
In 2021, for instance, the court invalidated the Biden administration’s Covid-19-related eviction moratorium issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention holding that such a program needs to be specifically authorized by Congress. In 2022, the court blocked a nationwide vaccine or testing mandate for large businesses, sending a clear message that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration had overstepped its authority.
Tuesday’s cases will also highlight an important threshold question that could block the court from reaching the merits of the dispute: whether the parties behind the challenge have the legal right, or “standing,” necessary to bring suit.
Payments paused
In 2020, as the Covid pandemic began, the Department of Education paused payments and interest in accrual on student loans to help those struggling financially. As the pandemic progressed, both the Trump and the Biden administrations further extended the protections.
By 2022, however, the Biden administration’s secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, determined that the across-the-board pause on all payments should come to an end. Fearing that the resumption of payments would put many lower-income borrowers at heightened risk of loan delinquency, the administration said it would offer relief up to $20,000 to approximately 40 million working and middle-class borrowers.
The plan, Biden said, was meant to “provide more breathing room for people so they have less burden by student debt.”
The initiative came under immediate attack. A district court blocked the program citing the so-called major questions doctrine. Under the doctrine, federal agencies cannot regulate matters of “vast economic and political significance” without clear authorization from Congress.
(Last June, the Supreme Court emboldened supporters of the doctrine by citing it in a 6-3 decision that curbed the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to broadly regulate carbon emissions from existing power plants.)
As other challenges to the student loan program percolated, the Biden administration asked the Supreme Court to step in and allow the program to go into effect pending appeal.
The justices declined to do so, but they agreed to hear two cases on an expedited basis. The first dispute, Biden v. Nebraska, pits the administration against a group of Republican-led states. The second, Department of Education v. Brown, was initially brought by Myra Brown and Alexander Taylor, two individuals who did not qualify for the program and argue the government failed to follow proper rulemaking process when putting it in place.
As for the payment obligations, they were set to resume last January, but the president issued an extension due to the fact that his loan forgiveness program was stalled in court.
As things stand, the payment pause will last until 60 days after the litigation over the loan forgiveness program is resolved. If the program has not been implemented and the litigation has not been resolved by June 30, payment will resume 60 days after that, according to the government.
What the Biden administration is saying
At the Supreme Court, the Biden administration argues that the secretary of education had the clear authority to provide the relief to borrowers making less than $125,000 per year ($250,000 for households) in 2020 or 2021 in order to protect them from financial harms brought on by the pandemic such as the inability to buy food or make rent or mortgage payments.
In court papers, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar stressed that the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003 — known as the HEROES ACT — provides the government with the authority to offer the relief. Under the law, passed to help active-duty military in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the government says the secretary of education has the authority to act in a national emergency to make sure borrowers are not left worse off with respect to their loans than they were before the emergency.
She warned the justices that ending the pause in payments without providing additional relief for lower-income borrowers would “cause delinquency and default rates to spike above pre-pandemic levels.”
Prelogar rejected claims that the Department of Education had exceeded its authority under the major questions doctrine.
“This is not a case where the agency relied on statutory language that is vague, cryptic, ancillary, or modest,” she said, noting that the grant of authority is “central” to the HEROES ACT.
In addition, she said that neither the states nor the two individual plaintiffs behind the challenges have the standing to file suit. She warned that if the justices held otherwise, it could have “startling implications” going forward.
“Virtually all federal actions — from prosecuting crime to imposing taxes to managing property — have some incidental effects on state finances,” she said.
What the states are saying
As for the states, Nebraska Attorney General Michael T. Hilgers, who is also representing Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas and South Carolina, stressed that the Biden administration exceeded its authority by using the pandemic as a pretext to mask the true goal of fulfilling a campaign promise to erase student-loan debt.
“Canceling hundreds of billions of dollars in student loans — through a decree that extends to nearly all borrowers — is a breathtaking assertion of power and a matter of great economic and political significance,” triggering the major questions doctrine, Hilgers told the court. Such a cancellation power “is the type of major question that courts presume Congress reserves for itself.”
Hilgers rejected the government’s contention that the states can’t show the harm necessary to get into court. In court papers he put forward multiple theories of standing that mostly revolve around the theory that the states will lose tax revenue.
A federal appeals court focused on one of the states behind the challenge, Missouri, and pointed to a state created entity called Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA) that has contracted with the federal Department of Education to service student loans. The court said that because Mohela will stop receiving servicing fees for loans discharged under the new plan, Mohela won’t be able to fulfill its obligation to contribute a specified amount of money to the state treasury.
The appeals court ruled Mohela is akin to a state entity and therefore said that it satisfied the standing requirement.
Critics of that theory say that Mohela was established with financial and legal independence from the state of Missouri and the vast amount of its funds are segregated from state funds. They believe that for the purpose of the lawsuit, Mohela cannot be considered an “arm of the state.”
The red states are supported by a group of former government officials including former Trump Attorney General William Barr, former Trump White House chief of saff Mick Mulvaney and others who say that Biden should not be able to forgive billions of dollars in student loan debt “owed by 43 million borrowers who financed a college education with the benefit of tax payer-funded loans.”
“This represents one of the largest expenditures in the nation’s history, carried out in the face of clear congressional opposition,” they wrote.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | 2023-02-28T15:43:39+00:00 | keyt.com | https://keyt.com/news/2023/02/28/what-to-watch-for-as-the-supreme-court-hears-oral-arguments-on-bidens-student-loan-debt-relief-plan/ |
An appeals court on Thursday rejected a $95 million defamation lawsuit against Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen filed by former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, who said he was tricked into a television appearance that lampooned sexual misconduct accusations against him.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, upholding a lower court’s ruling in favor of Baron Cohen, said Moore signed a disclosure agreement that prohibited any legal claims over the appearance.
The three judges also found it was “clearly comedy” when Baron Cohen demonstrated a so-called pedophile detector that beeped when it got near Moore and no viewer would think the comedian was making factual allegations against Moore.
The lawsuit centered on Moore’s unwitting appearance on the comic’s “Who is America?” show. The segment ran after Moore faced misconduct accusations during Alabama’s 2017 U.S. Senate race that he had pursued sexual and romantic relationships with teens when he was a man in his 30s. He denied the allegations.
Moore, a Republican known for his hardline stances opposing same-sex marriage and supporting the public display of Ten Commandments, had been told he was receiving an award for supporting Israel. But in the segment, Baron Cohen appeared as faux counterterrorism instructor “Col. Erran Morad” discussing bogus military technology, including the supposed pedophile detector. The fake device beeped repeatedly as it got near Moore, who sat stone-faced.
“Baron Cohen may have implied (despite his in character disclaimers of any belief that Judge Moore was a pedophile) that he believed Judge Moore’s accusers, but he did not imply the existence of any independent factual basis for that belief besides the obviously farcical pedophile detecting ‘device,’ which no reasonable person could believe to be an actual, functioning piece of technology,” the court wrote in the unsigned summary order.
Moore and his wife, Kayla, sued, arguing that the segment defamed Moore and caused them emotional distress. The couple claimed the waiver Moore signed was unenforceable because it was obtained under a false representation. The appellate court noted that it was indeed a ruse that got Moore to appear on the show but Moore signed a binding release waiving all legal claims.
The accusations against Moore contributed to his loss to Democrat Doug Jones, the first Democrat to represent Alabama in the Senate in a quarter-century. The seat returned to Republican control when Jones lost the following election to Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a former college football coach.
Baron Cohen has for years lured unwitting politicians into awkward interviews. He has faced past lawsuits over similar pranks, but those were also tossed out because the individuals had signed releases.
Moore and his wife indicated they will appeal.
“For far too long the American people have been subjected to the antics of Sasha Baron Cohen. His pusillanimous and fraudulent conduct must be stopped. We will appeal,” the couple said in a statement texted to The Associated Press. | 2022-07-08T18:45:24+00:00 | ourquadcities.com | https://www.ourquadcities.com/entertainment-news/sacha-baron-cohen-defeats-defamation-suit-filed-by-roy-moore/ |
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee judge on Friday continued to temporarily block the release of more video footage and records in the investigation into Tyre Nichols’ death, but said he does want to make public information that would not interfere with the rights to a fair trial for five Memphis police officers facing charges.
Shelby County Criminal Court Judge James Jones Jr. asked prosecutors to outline the information they think should and should not be be released to the public, and then give the list to defense attorneys. Jones set deadlines in June for prosecutors to provide defense lawyers the information from existing video footage and about 2,500 pages of documents that should be be released and for the defense to raise objections.
Prosecutor Paul Hagerman and defense attorneys agreed that most police personnel records that pre-dated Nichols’ beating can be released. But they both also agreed that the media must not get so called Garrity statements, which stem from investigative interviews given by the officers to Memphis Police Department administrators after Nichols’ beating.
Garrity statements are not allowed to be used at trial against defendants.
“The intent of this court is that everything that can be released be released, and released timely,” Jones said.
Nichols, 29, died Jan. 10, three days after he was beaten by five officers who have since been fired and charged with second-degree murder. They have pleaded not guilty.
Police video already released Jan. 27 showed five officers belonging to the Scorpion crime suppression unit punching, kicking and hitting Nichols with a baton as he yelled for his mother after a traffic stop.
Nichols’ death sparked outrage around the world and intensified calls for police reform.
The five officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin, Desmond Mills and Justin Smith — are Black. So was Nichols.
The city had planned to release on March 8 about 20 hours of additional video, audio and documents related to the arrest.
But the release was put on hold the next day after Jones granted a motion to delay from defense attorneys. The judge ordered that any release of video, audio, reports and city of Memphis employees’ personnel files related to the Nichols investigation must wait “until such time as the state and the defendants have reviewed this information.”
A coalition of media organizations, including The Associated Press, filed a motion to have the records released. The coalition argued that the judge’s order was unwarranted and went against “the First Amendment’s protections for newsgathering and publication, particularly in the context of criminal proceedings.”
The coalition also asked for the release of records related to the prior employment of Haley as a corrections officer. Those records also have been blocked by the court in a verbal order questioned by the coalition, and Haley’s attorney has objected to their release.
Media coalition lawyer Paul McAdoo said the public has a right to receive information related to the personnel files of 13 police department employees and four fire department employees who have ties to the Nichols case.
“This matter is of serious concern to the public,” McAdoo said. “We want maximum access consistent with the right to fair trials for the defendants.”
Lawyers for the officers argued that the former officers’ rights to a fair trial must be recognized and protected pending trial.
Defense attorneys objected to the release of any information that is part of the ongoing investigation. That includes audio from body cameras that may contain statements made by officers that could be used against them, defense attorney Bill Massey said.
Massey said he has been seeking video from the initial stop, but police or prosecutors haven’t indicated any such video exists.
Blake Ballin, Mills’ lawyer, wrote in his motion that the media coalition’s request “ignores the balancing act trial courts are tasked with when criminal prosecutions are subject to publicity.”
“The media’s zealousness to report must be balanced with the assurance that the fates of the accused are not predetermined before a jury considers the proof,” Ballin wrote.
After the beating, officers stood by and talked with one another as Nichols struggled with his injuries while he was on the ground, the video footage released in January showed. One officer also took photos of Nichols as he was propped up against an unmarked police car, video and other records showed.
Nichols was taken to a hospital in an ambulance that left the site of the beating 27 minutes after emergency medical technicians arrived, authorities said.
Police said Nichols had been suspected of reckless driving, but no verified evidence of a traffic violation has emerged in public documents or in video footage. Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis has said she has seen no evidence justifying the stop or the officers’ response. She disbanded the Scorpion unit after Nichols’ death, but some officers from that team have been assigned to other units.
Nichols died of blows to the head, and the manner of death was homicide, an autopsy report released May 4 showed. The report described brain injuries, cuts and bruises to the head and other parts of the body.
In addition to the officers fired and charged with murder, one white officer who was involved in the initial traffic stop has been fired. That officer will not face charges. Another officer, who has not been identified, also has been fired. An additional officer retired before he could be fired.
Three Memphis Fire Department emergency medical technicians were fired for failing to render aid to Nichols. Two Shelby County Sheriff’s Office deputies who went to the location after the beating were suspended for five days for policy violations.
Also Friday, a Nashville-based commission that enforces standards for police approved a recommendation that proceedings to bar Bean from serving in state law enforcement be suspended until his legal case is resolved.
___
Associated Press reporter Jonathan Mattise contributed from Nashville, Tennessee. | 2023-05-20T15:39:38+00:00 | wdtn.com | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/ap-us-news/ap-judge-shows-willingness-to-release-some-records-in-tyre-nichols-beating-death/ |
Missiles, exploding drones again hit Ukraine’s power, water
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) - Air strikes cut power and water supplies in a repeatedly bombed Ukrainian city and pounded energy and infrastructure facilities elsewhere in the country on Tuesday, part of an apparent quickening effort by Russia to drive Ukrainians into the cold and dark as winter bites.
All of Zhytomyr, a city with military bases 140 kilometers (85 miles) west of the capital, was without electricity and water after a double missile strike on an energy facility, said Mayor Serhiy Sukhomlyn. Hospitals were left running on backup power, he said.
Missile strikes also hit an energy facility in Kyiv and severely damaged another in the south-central city of Dnipro, authorities said.
As well as missiles, Russia is mixing up its modes of attack.
Suicide drones — so called because they slam into targets and explode — set ablaze an infrastructure facility in the partly Russian-occupied southern Zaporizhzhia region, the regional governor said.
Air-defense S-300 missiles that Russia has been repurposing as ground-attack weapons as its stocks are being depleted were used to strike the southern city of Mykolaiv, killing a man whose body was found in the debris of a two-story building, the region’s governor said.
In the eastern city of Kharkiv, rockets were used to hit an industrial area. The regional governor said the eight rockets were fired from across the nearby border with Russia.
Waves of explosives-laden suicide drones had also struck Kyiv on Monday, hitting energy facilities and setting ablaze and partly collapsing buildings. One drone slammed into a four-story residential building, killing four people.
Ukraine says Russia is getting thousands of drones from Iran. The Iranian-made Shahed drones that nose-dived with their explosive charges into targets in Kyiv on Monday have also been widely used elsewhere in recent weeks.
In the past week alone, more than 100 of the drones have slammed into power plants, sewage treatment plants, residential buildings, bridges and other targets in urban areas, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said.
In a televised address on Monday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia is using kamikaze drones because it is losing the war, now nearing its eighth full month.
“Russia doesn’t have any chance on the battlefield, and it tries to compensate for its military defeats with terror,” he said. “Why this terror? To put pressure on us, on Europe, on the entire world.”
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2022-10-18T09:30:21+00:00 | wlbt.com | https://www.wlbt.com/2022/10/18/missiles-exploding-drones-again-hit-ukraines-power-water/ |
Amtrak to prioritize workforce expansion as part of three-year program
WASHINGTON, June 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aiming to attract and retain talent, a Federal Railroad Administration $8 million grant enables Amtrak to advance its new apprenticeship program. The program launched in March of this year and will be rolled out and implemented nationally, offering a three-year career track for personal and professional advancement. With training hubs in Washington; New York; Los Angeles; Chicago; Wilmington, Del.; and Beech Grove, Ind., the grant will enable the program to train over 600 employees in the next three to five years.
"Amtrak envisions an innovative apprenticeship program that merges the best aspects of training with the latest in railroad technology, with one key objective in mind: The creation of a highly skilled, qualified, and engaged workforce," said Amtrak President & CEO Stephen Gardner. "Helping us meet our staffing goals well into the future, we would like to thank the FRA for allowing Amtrak to invest in and grow its talented workforce and our union partners for making this all happen."
"This FY21 CRISI grant will mean more good-paying jobs for Americans. The new employment opportunities and re-training of existing employees will increase Amtrak staffing and result in better service for riders," said FRA Administrator Amit Bose. "Workforce development programs like this one are essential to maximize the unprecedented rail investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law."
"As the nation's largest transportation labor federation, we know that new worker training and apprenticeship opportunities will help fortify Amtrak's hiring and retention pipeline," said Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department (TTD) of the AFL-CIO. "We applaud the Biden Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration for investing in Amtrak's workforce and creating good-paying jobs in the passenger rail industry."
Creating a talent pipeline for existing and new employees, the program provides a career track for personal and professional advancement at Amtrak. The grant follows a launch of Amtrak's Apprenticeship Pilot Program earlier this year which aimed to create a talent pipeline for existing and new employees. The grant will allow the team to more rapidly expand the program across additional crafts and locations.
Regardless of their specializations, all apprentices must take core courses including safety, environmental awareness, personal protective equipment and others before meeting their mentors and moving into combined classroom and hands-on instruction, then branching off into craft-specific training. After three years of training, students take a final exam and become fully qualified craftspeople in their field.
Whether starting a career, looking for new opportunities or an experienced career professional, Amtrak's goal is to connect talented people to Amtrak career opportunities. Along with offering well-paying, rewarding work that has already led to more than 1,500 new employees this year, Amtrak offers hiring bonuses and relocation packages to fill critical positions. Committed to fostering an environment where diverse ideas, backgrounds and perspectives thrive, Amtrak aims to provide career growth and satisfaction through a wide range of professional and personal opportunities that help enable a work, life balance while empowering employees to reach their full potential.
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SOURCE Amtrak | 2022-06-09T18:50:15+00:00 | kswo.com | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2022/06/09/8-million-fra-grant-expand-amtrak-apprenticeship-program/ |
FedEx is ripping up founder Fred Smith’s well-worn playbook as it rethinks virtually the entire business. That could mean the end of FedEx drivers as we know them.
The courier’s vast and complex system of overlapping delivery networks will be simplified with the integration of its two largest business lines in the most sweeping restructuring in its 50-year history. Chief Executive Officer Raj Subramaniam, who took over for Smith less than a year ago, calls it “a more holistic approach to how we move packages” that will help the company save $6 billion by 2027.
The overhaul centers on a merger between its Ground unit, which uses non-employee contractors to move parcels, and its Express division, which hires only staff drivers. FedEx didn’t offer many specifics on the integration plans or implications, aside from telling investors last week that it would use a “hybrid” of the employee and contractor models.
With volume expected to migrate to the lower-cost Ground unit, experts predict the company will lean more toward contractors — and potentially do away with staff drivers entirely.
“Will they go all the way to independent contractor service-providers? Yes, I see that happening,” said Satish Jindel, founder of ShipMatrix, which provides logistical consulting and market data.
The move would draw a sharp contrast with rival UPS, which has long earned higher margins even with a fleet of highly paid, unionized staff drivers. At a time of waning e-commerce and economic uncertainty, FedEx aims to put shareholder returns ahead of its previous growth mindset.
The plan is winning rave reviews on Wall Street, but it’s not without challenges, in the form of potentially heavy job losses. It’s akin to a corporate merger in its scope and complexity, and FedEx’s track record with such integrations is mixed.
“There is past execution risk with this company,” said Trip Miller, managing partner at Gullane Capital Partners, a Memphis-based fund that has been a longtime FedEx shareholder. “Things have not always gone to plan and in the planned time period.”
In its earliest days, FedEx was built around its Express business, in which packages are loaded onto planes, flown near their final destinations and transferred to company-owned trucks for delivery. Smith started the company in 1973 with a handful of Falcon 20 private jets that were converted to freighters. That first day of operations, FedEx delivered 186 packages.
When FedEx bought a trucking business in 1998, Smith insisted it remain a distinct operation, giving rise to the Ground unit. Unlike Express, the new business line stuck to road-based routes plied by contract drivers. To customers, there was little distinction — both staff and contract drivers wear FedEx-branded uniforms and operate trucks with the logo on the side. In practice, it gave people a cheaper-but-slower alternative while giving FedEx more flexibility, Smith argued.
It also meant that the Ground and Express units didn’t coordinate with each other, sending staff and nonstaff drivers on overlapping routes and duplicating costs for such things as the finance department and back-office work.
UPS, by contrast, always has operated a single network, even after beginning air express service in 1988 to counter FedEx. Despite having a unionized fleet of drivers, UPS has consistently outpaced the company by profitability as it capitalizes on the efficiencies of its network. Since Carol Tome took over as CEO in 2020, UPS has widened its adjusted operating margins to 13.8% for 2022, compared to just 6.1% for FedEx.
The contractor model offers a considerable labor-cost advantage, giving FedEx a big opportunity if it’s able to generate network efficiencies similar to UPS, said John Haber, the chief strategy officer for Transportation Insight. For years, FedEx Ground took market share from UPS, which at one time was the only large, private ground courier, Haber said.
“It makes sense to me that the contractor model is the direction to go for them,” Haber said. “It’s definitely a less costly model for sure.”
The move toward contractors also makes sense because the delivery of ground packages doesn’t fall under the Railway Labor Act, which governs union workers in the railroad and airline industries. FedEx’s Express unit operates airplanes, and those workers currently fall under the restrictive labor law. Consolidating ground deliveries into Express, where drivers are on the payroll, could open up FedEx to a unionization effort, Haber said.
“It’s definitely much more difficult with the contractor model to unionize,” he said.
UPS has long been a foil for Smith. In a 2019 interview with Bloomberg, the then-CEO described FedEx’s growth-at-all-costs strategy through the lens of its battle with UPS, saying he was “firmly of the belief we will pass UPS” within three years. Last year, FedEx generated $93.5 billion in revenue, trailing its rival by about $7 billion.
Smith, who remains FedEx’s chairman, declined to comment for this article, as did Subramaniam.
The shake-up has already led to workforce reductions, including 10% of top management. In February, the company said 12,000 jobs had been eliminated since June. By the end of next month, FedEx expects to have cut 25,000 U.S. workers over the past fiscal year.
FedEx had 345,000 full-time employees and about 202,000 part-time workers as of May 31. FedEx’s Ground unit has more than 6,000 delivery contractors.
The company has hinted at a shift toward the Ground unit and away from Express, which is FedEx’s largest by sales and least profitable. The courier plans to reduce flights to Asia by consolidating volume on fewer planes and moving packages by truck when feasible. Already, the improved ability to track and reroute packages and optimize that data has made it possible for Express packages to be handled by Ground.
“It’s not that they’re trying something that is so out of this reality and practicality,” said Jindel, of ShipMatrix. “They didn’t have the relationship between Express and Ground volume that could have allowed them to do it earlier.”
The decision to break from Smith’s approach was cheered by analysts. At least 12 raised their stock-price targets or recommendations immediately after the announcement, even as they warned of challenges.
JPMorgan’s Brian Ossenbeck called the move “a significant and complicated change that will take time to execute.” The transition could make FedEx more vulnerable to service disruptions, said Helane Becker, an analyst with TD Cowen.
“While we believe these network changes should reduce costs, operational reliability could suffer in cases of severe weather or unscheduled employee absences,” Becker said in a note.
Integrating the businesses could be a tall order for FedEx, which has struggled with such matters in the past. The company in 2016 bought TNT Express for $4.8 billion to expand in Europe. That deal became an albatross after leading to heavy costs at a time of weak international demand. It was also hit by a severe cyberattack that crippled the courier’s computer systems and caused some customers to leave. FedEx has only recently completed the integration of those operations.
FedEx has a long history of reducing guidance. While announcing a cost-cut plan in September, Subramaniam withdrew profit targets he had just set in June. The revised guidance in December was well below the earlier forecast.
To boost margins, Subramaniam is scaling back on capital expenditures after decades of hefty investment to spur growth and narrow FedEx’s sales gap with UPS. The restructuring also calls for $4 billion in cost savings through fiscal 2025, with metrics to help track their progress.
“What’s critical now is that over next two years as this is being implemented they can show on a quarterly earnings call that they are achieving those interim milestones,” Jindel said. “It’s not something that happens in one specific day. Every day they need to be executing on them.” | 2023-04-10T18:22:00+00:00 | seattletimes.com | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/fedex-overhaul-contemplates-a-future-with-no-drivers-on-payroll/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_business |
Marion Elizabeth Heintz of Eau Claire peacefully passed away on Thursday July 7, 2022 at the age of 93 at her Barnes’ Lake home.
Marion was born in Eau Claire to Louis and Edith (Winter) Spehle. She was the eldest of their seven children. In her late teens, she was crowned Miss Dairy Queen. After graduation from Eau Claire High School, she worked at a downtown café. On August 26, 1950 she married Eugene (Gene) Heintz. They had six children, which kept her very busy as well as her participation in 4-H and Brunswick Busy Bees Homemakers. Throughout her life, Marion always possessed a green thumb whether it was her indoor plants or her seasonal gardens where she planted flowers and vegetables.
She worked at Huntsinger Farms in different roles throughout her life but her primary responsibility to the family was raising the children in which she excelled. She was also a preferred caretaker by many of the grandchildren with her gentle nature and willingness to always teach how to cook.
Gene and Marion traveled Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Alaska. They loved their annual Canada fishing trips and deer hunts in Barnes. She was the glue that held the family together. She prided herself on the many, many individual Christmas ornaments she made for all of her kids, grandkids and great-grandkids. She would bake for weeks before Christmas to make treats for the family members to take home.
Marion is preceded in death by her husband Eugene, son Donald and brother John. She is survived by her children James, Richard (Cindy), Robert (Sally), Kathy (Charlie), Steven (Cyndy), daughter-in-law Barb (Don), twelve grandchildren, twenty-two great grandchildren, and her siblings Lamoine, Chuck (Alice), Bill (Darlene) Spehle and Edie (Leon) Schretenhaler.
A funeral service for Marion will take place at 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 21, 2022 at Peace Lutheran Church, 501 E. Fillmore Ave., Eau Claire, WI 54701 with Pastor Mark Schulz officiating. Burial will take place immediately following the service in the Brunswick Cemetery. A luncheon will take place at the church following the committal service. Visitation will take place Wednesday, July 20, 2022 from 4-7 p.m. at Hulke Family Funeral Home and Thursday morning at the church from 9:30 am until the time of service.
Memorials may be given in Marion’s name to Peace Lutheran Church.
Friends and family may offer condolences online at www.hulkefamiyfh.com.
Hulke Family Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 3209 Rudolph Road, Eau Claire, WI 54701 is assisting the family with the arrangements. | 2022-07-14T08:47:52+00:00 | leadertelegram.com | https://www.leadertelegram.com/obituaries/marion-heintz/article_1a6def84-4413-53a6-ab2f-043a7cbc59a1.html |
Before Miami plays host to UNC Greensboro on Friday night, there is something that kind of needs to happen.
Somebody please check on Hurricanes coach Jim Larranaga.
That’s because Miami trailed visiting Lafayette at halftime on Monday before surging to a stress-inducing 67-54 opening-night victory.
“My heart rate must have jumped 50 beats from the way that game was played,” Larranaga said. “We were fortunate to come away with a victory.”
Norchad Omier, a transfer from Arkansas State, grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds and added 11 points in his Hurricanes debut.
Nijel Pack, a Kansas State transfer who also made his Hurricanes debut, led Miami with four 3-pointers. He finished with 16 points, tying Isaiah Wong for team-high honors.
Miami (1-0) also got nine points from Jordan Miller, falling a bit short of what Larranaga envisions for his squad.
“For us to be successful, we have to have five guys average double figures,” Larranaga said. “That makes us harder to defend, having different weapons.”
Meanwhile, the Spartans (1-0) opened their season with a 93-60 win over visiting Johnson & Wales Charlotte on Monday.
The Spartans had a 56-39 rebound advantage while holding their opponents to 31.8 percent shooting from the floor.
Keondre Kennedy, who led Maryland-Baltimore County in scoring last season, topped the Spartans in points (16) and rebounds (11). He was efficient, making 5-of-10 shots from the floor and 3-of-6 on 3-pointers.
Bas Leyte, a 6-foot-10 forward from the Netherlands, was the only other Spartans starter in double figures as he scored 10 points. He also had eight rebounds.
UNC Greensboro committed only eight turnovers and got 43 points from its bench.
“I was pleased for the most part with how hard our guys played,” Spartans coach Mike Jones said. “Defensively, we were good in spurts but not nearly where we need to be in terms of consistency.”
–Field Level Media | 2022-11-11T05:46:31+00:00 | siouxlandproud.com | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/sports/ncaa-basketball/miami-hoping-for-stress-free-night-vs-unc-greensboro/ |
Imprisoned Belarusian human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski will still be imprisoned in Belarus during this year's Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. Authorities there would not even allow him to submit a speech to be read at the awards ceremony.
Bialiatski is sharing the award with rights groups in Russia and Ukraine and his wife, Natallia Pinchuk, will represent him at the ceremony.
Jan Rachinsky, the chairman of the International Memorial Board and Oleksandra Matviichuk, the head of the Center for Civil Liberties will also attend the ceremony at Oslo City Hall in Oslo, Norway.
The 2022 Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony will take place on Dec. 10 and streamed live at 7 a.m. Eastern time.
Pinchuk said of her husband's missing speech, “He has been unable to hand it over, the situation with letters is difficult, everything is closely monitored,” she said.
"We have his statements and his thoughts, and the speech will contain them," she said.
60-year-old Bialiatski founded the non-governmental organization Human Rights Center Viasna and was jailed after 2020 protests that began to oppose the re-election of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
He faces up to 12 years in prison and has been held in jail pending his a trial.
Watch the Saturday Dec. 10 ceremony here at 7:00 ET: | 2022-12-09T02:33:51+00:00 | wrtv.com | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/2022-nobel-peace-prize-awards-carry-on-despite-absence-of-imprisoned-laureate |
30 dogs, cats found dead in animal rescue CEO's home
COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina authorities said they have arrested the CEO of a local animal rescue non-profit after they found multiple dogs and cats dead inside her home.
Richland County deputies said Caroline Dawn Pennington, 47, was arrested after she turned herself in this month. She's charged with thirty counts of ill-treatment of animals.
Investigators said on May 22, they responded to a welfare check at her home in Columbia after a caller stated there was a "smell of death" emitting from her residence.
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Once deputies arrived, they found 28 dogs and two cats decomposing and located in cages and crates. They believe the animals have been deceased for a significant amount of time and died due to dehydration and starvation.
"They were lying in their own waste and it is believed that they died in the cages and had not been moved prior to being discovered," authorities said in a statement to FOX Television Stations.
Deputies removed the animals.
"It’s appalling and it’s heartbreaking," Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said in a statement. "This is someone who was entrusted by the community to care for these animals and find them homes. She betrayed that trust and she betrayed the trust of these innocent animals who relied on her."
Lott called this one of the worst cases of animal cruelty he’s ever seen.
Pennington is the CEO and Director of a non-profit animal rescue named GROWL. Authorities said she was also employed by the Kershaw County Humane Society.
GROWL is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Investigators ask that anyone who has made documented donations to GROWL in the last 12 months contact the sheriff's office.
Pennington was booked at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.
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This story was reported from Los Angeles. | 2022-06-06T00:37:16+00:00 | fox10phoenix.com | https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/30-dogs-cats-found-dead-in-animal-rescuer-ceos-home |
MILWAUKEE, Wisc. — The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies will perform at the same Wisconsin parade where they tragically lost four members when a driver plowed through the Waukesha parade last year.
Their first holiday parade of the season begins in Racine, where they are set to perform on Saturday.
In a video shared on Facebook Thursday, you can see the grannies smiling and shaking their pom poms as they get into the holiday spirit!
Racine's annual Downtown Racine Holiday Parade will kick off at 5:30 p.m.
The news of the ladies performing again during the winter holiday season comes a year after six people were killed during the Waukesha Christmas Parade when an SUV driven by Darrell Brooks struck them.
The Grannies lost members Ginny Sorenson, Leanna Owen and Tamara Durand, and the husband of another Granny, Bill Hospel.
An 8-year-old boy and a 52-year-old woman were also killed, the Associated Press reported.
In October, a jury convicted Brooks of all 76 counts against him. On Thursday, he was sentenced to life in prison.
Despite their pain, the Grannies proceed to dazzle crowds by continuing to dance. The grannies performed for the first time since the tragedy in this year's St. Patrick's Day Parade in Milwaukee.
Just last week, the grannies performed at St. Luke's Medical Center as a thank you to the medical team that saved one of the grannies injured in the attack. 62-year-old Betty Streng suffered a skull fracture and brain bleed.
An emergency brain surgery saved her life just hours after the attack. Hospital staff cheered the group on as they passed by.
WATCH: Dancing Grannies perform for caregivers that saved one of the grannies' life
The resilient group will lace up their shoes and return to perform in the 2022 Waukesha Christmas Parade on Sunday, Dec. 4.
Below is the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies' Christmas/holiday parade schedule:
- Cudahy: Saturday, Nov. 19, 2 p.m.
- Whitefish Bay: Friday, Nov. 25, 6 p.m.
- Grafton: Saturday, Nov. 26, 11 a.m.
- Burlington: Friday, Dec. 2, 6:30 p.m.
- West Allis: Saturday, Dec. 3, 4:45 p.m.
- Waukesha: Sunday, Dec. 4, 4 p.m.
- Muskego: Saturday, Dec. 10, 4 p.m.
The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies were formed in 1984 and perform in about 25 parades annually from Memorial Day to Christmas.
The grannies practice once a week year-round, with their ages ranging from the early 50s to mid-70s.
Learn more about the parade group on the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies' website. | 2022-11-18T21:07:39+00:00 | krtv.com | https://www.krtv.com/news/national/grannies-to-dance-again-in-milwaukee-parade-where-tragedy-struck |
The 2023 Barbasol Championship Odds & Preview: Wesley Bryan
Wesley Bryan is in fourth place, at -7, after the first round of the Barbasol Championship at Keene Trace Golf Club (Champions Course).
Looking to place a bet on Wesley Bryan at the Barbasol Championship this week? Keep reading for the betting trends you can use before you make your picks.
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Wesley Bryan Insights
- Over his last 10 rounds, Bryan has finished below par three times, while also posting two rounds with a better-than-average score.
- He has not finished any of his last 10 rounds with one of the 10 best scores of the day.
- Bryan has not finished within five strokes of the top score of the day in any of his last 10 rounds.
- He has failed to make the cut in each of his past five events
- Bryan has not been in the hunt in any recent tournaments, since he hasn't posted a score better than the field average or finished within five shots of the leader in any of his past five events.
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Over the last year
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Barbasol Championship Insights and Stats
- Bryan failed to make the cut in his last two trips to this event.
- Courses on the Tour have played at an average length of 7,014 yards in the past year. This tournament will be held on a par 72 that registers at 7,328 yards, 314 yards longer than average.
- In the past year, Tour stops have seen an average score of -5, while Keene Trace Golf Club (Champions Course) has a recent scoring average of -12.
- Keene Trace Golf Club (Champions Course) checks in at 7,328 yards, 24 yards longer than the average course Bryan has played in the past year (7,304 yards).
- In the past year, the events he has played have had a scoring average of -8 among finishers, higher than the -12 average at this course.
Bryan's Last Time Out
- Bryan was in the 68th percentile on par 3s at the John Deere Classic, with an average of 2.88 strokes on the eight par-3 holes.
- His 4.09-stroke average on the 22 par-4 holes at the John Deere Classic was below average, putting him in the 16th percentile of the field.
- Bryan shot better than 85% of the golfers at the John Deere Classic on par-5 holes, averaging 4.33 strokes per hole, in comparison to the field average of 4.6.
- Bryan recorded a birdie or better on one of eight par-3s at the John Deere Classic (the tournament average was 1.9).
- On the eight par-3s at the John Deere Classic, Bryan did not card a bogey or worse (the tournament average was 1.6).
- Bryan's two birdies or better on the 22 par-4s at the John Deere Classic were less than the tournament average (6.4).
- In that last outing, Bryan's par-4 performance (on 22 holes) included a bogey or worse four times (better than the field's average, 4.8).
- Bryan finished the John Deere Classic with a birdie or better on four of the six par-5s, more than the tournament average of 3.8.
- The field at the John Deere Classic averaged 0.6 bogeys or worse on the six par-5s, but Bryan finished without one.
Barbasol Championship Time and Date Info
- Date: July 13-16, 2023
- Course: Keene Trace Golf Club (Champions Course)
- Location: Nicholasville, Kentucky
- Par: 72 / 7,328 yards
- Bryan Odds to Win: +6000 (Bet now with BetMGM!)
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All statistics in this article reflect Bryan's performance prior to the 2023 Barbasol Championship.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | 2023-07-14T07:00:19+00:00 | live5news.com | https://www.live5news.com/sports/betting/2023/07/15/wesley-bryan-barbasol-championship-pga-odds/ |
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