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The Newly Constructed Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad Melds Contemporary Design and Legendary Service with Sky-High Culinary Offerings by Chef José Andrés
BETHESDA, Md, July 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ritz-Carlton, part of Marriott Bonvoy®'s portfolio of 30 extraordinary hotel brands, today announced the opening of The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad, debuting a new oasis of modern luxury in the heart of Manhattan. Soaring 50 stories above the dynamic North of Madison Square Park neighborhood, the newly constructed hotel and residences developed by New York-based Flag Luxury Group brings the brand's unparalleled service and refined elegance to one of the city's most vibrant and emerging districts.
"The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad represents a milestone moment in the evolution of The Ritz-Carlton brand," said Donna McNamara, Vice President and Global Brand Leader for The Ritz-Carlton. "With an exquisite design that blends the best of the brand and the destination, combined with the finest amenities, culinary offerings, and highly personalized service, The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad delivers an experience tailored to today's luxury guest. I know that travelers and locals alike will enjoy settling into Nubeluz, our rooftop bar, for spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline."
Rising 500 feet above New York's streets, the hotel takes its place within the city skyline as one of the tallest buildings in NoMad, the birthplace of American popular music at Tin Pan Alley and today a nexus of art, entertainment, fashion, and technology. World-renowned design teams, including Rafael Viñoly Architects, Rockwell Group, Lazaro Rosa-Violan Studio, Martin Brudnizki, and SUSSURUS International, deliver a bold, contemporary design that pays homage to the hotel's location in the city's vibrant Flower District. An impressive art collection by art curator, Culture Corps and Founding Partner Yvonne Force Villareal includes local artists Pat Steir, Ross Bleckner, and Donald Baechler. Seasonal floral installations throughout the hotel create a unique welcome experience for guests visiting the blossoming neighborhood.
"For our fifth hotel under The Ritz-Carlton brand, we were inspired by the brand's rich history and legacy of unwavering commitment to excellence. We married the genuine refined service that The Ritz-Carlton is known for with the kitchen of humanitarian and Michelin-starred Chef José Andrés for the next generation of a hotel luxury experience," said Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos, President of Flag Luxury Group.
The hotel's 250 guestrooms include 19 suites, with an additional 16 one- and two-bedroom penthouse residences. The guestrooms and public spaces all showcase elegant floral expressions such as natural elements and textures, that reflect the soft curvature of petals alongside sleek accents and lines, which echo New York City's verticality and city grid. Inspired by residential-style living, guestrooms feature bespoke furnishings and a neutral color palette that allow the expansive, light-filled living spaces and stunning city views to take center stage. The 2,100-square-foot Ritz-Carlton Suite, located on the hotel's 37th floor, features breathtaking views of Manhattan, a private wellness room complete with a Peloton® bike, separate living and dining areas, media room and 194-square-foot walk-in closet, and service entrance. All guestrooms include bathroom amenities by Diptyque, featuring the scent Philosykos – an ode to the fig tree.
The hotel's food and beverage partnership is truly unique, with all culinary venues and in-room dining helmed by Michelin-starred chef and global citizen José Andrés. Situated on the ground floor of the hotel, Zaytinya, a play on the Turkish word for olive oil, offers an innovative mezze menu and creative cocktails inspired by Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese cuisines. Designed by Rockwell Group, the 140-seat restaurant is saturated with a palette of bronze metals and white oak wood, with distinctive pops of blue and soft curves to channel the natural beauty of the Mediterranean.
An exciting addition to New York's nightlife scene, Nubeluz is located on the hotel's rooftop. It offers sweeping 270 degree views across Manhattan, complemented by an expansive menu of classic and signature cocktails, light bites, and an array of Tablas, where guests can build boards of jamon, queso, and embutidos hailing from Andrés' native Spain. Designed by Martin Brudnizki, the space acts as a glittering jewel box, with interiors that are a modern age reinterpretation of New York's glamorous past, including a combination of reflective surfaces, indulgent textiles, and modern materiality.
Located on the first floor of The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad, The Lobby Lounge and Bar is an oasis where guests can enjoy a morning pastry and coffee, an afternoon glass of champagne, or nightcap in the evening.
The Bazaar by José Andrés will make its New York debut in late 2022. This high-end avant-garde dining destination is a wild sensory adventure born of Andrés' Spanish roots where sophisticated cuisine, artful service, and playful theatrics come together. Each location has its own vision and promises both an inspiring both its culinary experience and dynamic aesthetic. The Bazaar, designed by Barcelona-based studio Lázaro Rosa-Viola, uses painted and natural wood, texturized glass, ceramic tiling, and drapery to create an atmosphere that is warm and distinct.
The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad offers a wide range of thoughtfully curated amenities designed to complement a highly personalized guest experience. Guests staying on the Club Level can enjoy access to the signature Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge, where they can relax or work while experiencing dedicated concierge service and a variety of culinary offerings throughout the day. The hotel also features a 6,800-square-foot signature Ritz-Carlton Spa and Fitness Center, including eight treatment rooms as well as separate sauna and steam rooms. Luxury skincare brand Augustinus Bader is bringing its signature facial, The Method, to The Ritz-Carlton Spa, offering a bespoke interpretation with the use of exclusive scents and oils inspired by the New York Flower District. For intimate gatherings, celebrations, or corporate functions, The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad also features 10,000 square feet of meeting space, including a vast, private outdoor terrace, with all banquet and catering culinary offerings also overseen by Andrés.
"I am honored to be leading a talented team of Ladies & Gentlemen as we open our doors to guests and locals alike in this everchanging and dynamic community," said Bastian Germer, General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad. "We are excited to bring Manhattan a quintessential, yet freshly re-imagined, New York experience."
For further information and bookings, please visit www.ritzcarlton.com/nomad
About The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC currently operates more than 100 hotels in 34 countries and territories. For more information or reservations, visit the company website at www.ritzcarlton.com and to join the live conversation, use #RCMemories and follow along on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR). The Ritz-Carlton is proud to participate in Marriott Bonvoy®, the global travel program from Marriott International. The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, exclusive experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments and unparalleled benefits, including complimentary nights and Elite status recognition. To enroll for free or for more information about the program, visit marriottbonvoy.com.
About Marriott Bonvoy®
Marriott Bonvoy's extraordinary portfolio offers renowned hospitality in the most memorable destinations in the world, with 30 brands that are tailored to every type of journey. From The Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis to W Hotels and more, Marriott Bonvoy has more luxury offerings than any other travel program. Members can earn points for stays at hotels and resorts, including all-inclusive resorts and premium home rentals, and through everyday purchases with co-branded credit cards. Members can redeem their points for experiences including future stays, Marriott Bonvoy Moments, or through partners for luxurious products from Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques. To enroll for free or for more information about Marriott Bonvoy, visit marriottbonvoy.com.
About Marriott International
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of more than 8,000 properties under 30 leading brands spanning 139 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy®, its highly awarded travel program. For more information, please visit www.marriott.com. In addition, connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on Twitter and Instagram.
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SOURCE Marriott International, Inc. | 2022-07-26T14:54:47+00:00 | kmvt.com | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2022/07/26/ritz-carlton-debuts-an-oasis-modern-luxury-heart-manhattan/ |
Agent and Employee-Owned Brokerage Experiences Massive Growth and Extends Leadership with 270% Growth in Revenue and 304% Growth in Agent Transactions
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Radius, a leading real estate brokerage and the nation's only real estate professional social platform, announced today significant achievements in 2022 including 270% YoY revenue growth and 304% YoY in real estate agent transactions. With 490% growth in the number of agents over the past year, the brokerage continues to prioritize expansion. Radius launched its innovative social media platform in 2015 and is the first and only app specifically built to connect the vast real estate community. The brokerage officially opened its doors in 2020, and most recently launched a mortgage arm in California this past June.
"Radius' 2022 growth numbers are encouraging to see during this past year's market volatility for both industry revenue and employee layoffs," said Biju Ashokan, Radius' Founder and Chief Executive Officer. "The inevitable turning point has come, as an increasing number of real estate agents look to partner with a brokerage that provides stability and puts them first, while helping them grow their business."
With over 85,000 community members, Radius is the fastest growing real estate network in the world. The community provides referrals, networking opportunities, exclusive partnerships and live forums where industry thought leaders and agents interact and exchange best practices and tips for today's market. The brokerage, which now houses 85 teams, believes agents should work for themselves — while providing the tools, technology, commission options, and white glove services to propel their real estate business to the next level. From professional development and brand building to transaction coordination and passive income streams, this 360 degree support focuses on helping individual agents and teams through all stages of their real estate careers.
In addition to exponential upward trajectory in revenue, agent transactions and growth — the viability and strength of Radius' contemporary business model was validated with the following results in 2022:
- Expansion into 5 additional U.S. states, bringing Radius' total footprint to seven states
- $13.75 million Series A round of funding, which includes real estate veterans Pete Flint (co-founder of Trulia) and Spencer Rascoff (co-founder of Zillow)
- Launch of the mortgage arm in California, which provides agents and consumers a wide range of purchase and refinance options with major mortgage partners
- 45 percent increase of employee headcount in the last 12 months
- Key executive hires, including Stephanie Totty, the company's first Vice President of Marketing.
Radius is a modern, agent and employee-owned real estate company hyper-focused on supporting agents and teams in achieving their goals on their terms. Whether launching their own brand or growing their existing team—Radius provides the tools, technology, commission options, and white glove services to propel their business to the next level.
Contact: Joanna Umali, (415) 601-8213, joanna.umali@radiusagent.com
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SOURCE Radius | 2023-01-18T09:25:57+00:00 | wagmtv.com | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/01/18/radius-announces-triple-digit-growth-revenue-amp-agent-transactions-2022-amid-real-estate-industry-layoffs-market-slowdown/ |
NPR's Juana Summers talks with Lisa Hanna, a member of Jamaica's parliament, about how Jamaica's relationship with the monarchy may change after Queen Elizabeth II's death.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Juana Summers talks with Lisa Hanna, a member of Jamaica's parliament, about how Jamaica's relationship with the monarchy may change after Queen Elizabeth II's death.
Copyright 2022 NPR | 2022-09-19T23:15:55+00:00 | kunm.org | https://www.kunm.org/2022-09-19/jamaica-is-reevaluating-its-relationship-with-the-british-monarchy |
Tom’s daughter has learned to ride a bike, and Willie shares some memories from his childhood. Doctors recently had to use a hand grinder to take a “ring” off of a man engaged in an experiment with friends. A new survey says most people have accidentally sent a nude photo to the wrong person, and some even have strangers rate their d’s. | 2022-09-21T03:48:33+00:00 | bobandtom.com | https://www.bobandtom.com/2022/09/20/man-experiments-with-friends-and-ends-up-in-the-hospital/ |
Even though your doors and windows are shut to keep cold outside, there’s still a chance that some of your heat is escaping through gaps underneath a door or spaces along a window sill. Even small gaps can release a surprising amount of heat while letting unwelcome cold air inside.
Draft stoppers block those gaps with filled tubing that lies at the bottom of the door or window. Vinyl stoppers that attach to the door or window also are excellent ways to keep the cold at bay. They are affordable and easy to install, and can save you from shivering and paying more on your utility bill.
In this article: Decorealm Draft Stopper, Evelots Draft Stopper and Twin Draft Guard Extreme Door Stopper.
How much heat are you losing?
It’s tempting to see a small gap under your door or window and think that there probably isn’t a lot of heat being lost. But according to the U.S. Department of Energy, air leaks around windows can lead to 30% heat loss, and air leaks around doors contribute to 20%. Just an 8-inch gap loses as much heat as if there were a 2.5-inch hole in the wall. Check your doors and windows closely and note any gaps that need sealed off before winter really gets going.
Draft stoppers are easy to attach
One of the most important features of door draft stoppers is that they attach to the door. You no longer have to put them in place when you get home and hope that some of the gap is covered when you leave.
Most draft stoppers attach one of two ways. They either attach under the door with the stopper cushioned on the outside, or they come with clips or magnets to adhere to the door’s base. Either way, the stopper slides with the door as it opens and shuts. Most stoppers are made from materials that easily slide with most flooring types. Once attached, you don’t have to worry about the stopper again.
A good fit is the best way to keep cold air out
Most draft stoppers are 36 inches long, which is the width of a traditional door. Not everyone has a traditional door, though. Measure the doors and windows that need the draft stopper to make sure you have the right size. If you draft stopper leaves a gap around a door or window, you are still losing heat.
Many draft stoppers are flexible and can be wrapped around the door to ensure full coverage. Other stoppers, such as vinyl seals, can be cut with a saw to fit your door perfectly and ensure that the heat stays inside.
Some draft stoppers match your decor
While being practical, there’s no reason that your draft stoppers can’t be stylish, too. There are still traditional white and brown draft stoppers that generically blend in with most rooms, but many now come in a variety of colors and patterns that can fit a wide range of decors. A few manufacturers have even designed stoppers that look like animals. These fun designs are great for pet lovers or as conversation pieces.
Best draft stoppers
This stopper comes in three sizes and weighs 3.5 pounds to block out cold temperatures and sound. It’s made with quilted velvet stuffed with cotton and is machine-washable.
Sold by Amazon
Easy to customize to your door or window, these 2-inch foam tubes work well against large gaps. The stopper easily glides over all floor types and has a 30-day return policy.
Sold by Amazon
Twin Draft Guard Extreme Door Stopper
Designed for doors and windows, this stopper has a patented hook-and-loop closure that can be customized up to 36 inches. It’s double-sided and works with all types of flooring.
Sold by Amazon
Frost King Designer Cloth Draft Seal
This affordable draft seal is made for doors and windows. The weighted snake blocks cold air and traps warm air inside. It has a soft fabric cover and simply lays in front of the door.
Sold by Home Depot
Fitting doors up to 37 inches wide, this draft stopper flexes 90 degrees to work with larger doors and windows. It fastens to the door or window to keep it in place while being opened and shut.
Sold by Amazon
This inexpensive door draft stopper covers gaps up to 1 inch. The nontoxic plastic has an extra-strong adhesive that sticks to the door and keeps heat trapped inside your home.
Sold by Amazon
Cinch Slide-On Under Door Seal
This U-shape door seal is made from flexible vinyl and simply slides on to the bottom of the door to keep warm air inside. It comes 36 inches long but can be easily cut by a hacksaw for your door size.
Sold by Home Depot
Travan Under Door Draft Stopper
Available in three colorful patterns, including those, like stars and stripes that can be enjoyed year-round, this polyester-filled door stopper has hanging hooks at each end for easy storage. The double sewing thread ensures durability, and it fits doors up to 36 inches wide.
Sold by Amazon
Morgan Home Brandon the Brown Dog Draft Guard
This creative door draft stopper looks like a friendly dachshund. It is made from polyester and filled with sand in a protective liner for the proper weight to keep the cold out. The manufacturer also makes other animal styles.
Sold by Home Depot
Home District Sliding Door Draft Stopper
This innovative design features a shorter, flat end to fit a sliding-door track and a longer piece for the door. It comes in seven stylish colors and has 11 gravel weights for consistent placement.
Sold by Amazon
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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers.
Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2023-03-01T12:24:53+00:00 | ktalnews.com | https://www.ktalnews.com/reviews/br/home-br/home-improvement-br/10-easy-to-use-draft-stoppers-that-keep-cold-air-from-creeping-in/ |
Introducing >= More than Equal: A pathway to women competing and winning at the pinnacle of motorsport
SILVERSTONE, United Kingdom, July 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday, Silverstone saw the launch of >= More than Equal – a new initiative bringing together some of motorsports' best scouts, physical trainers, psychologists, nutritionists, racing coaches and drivers…all focused on finding and developing the first female Formula One World Drivers' Champion.
A total of 771 drivers from 41 different nationalities have raced in at least one of the over 1,050 FIA World Championship races since the first event, the 1950 British Grand Prix. Only 5 women have entered a Grand Prix, with just 2 qualifying and starting a race. For a sport that has always been open to women, that's a 99.8% male dominance.
Thirteen-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard MBE and entrepreneur Karel Komarek founded and are funding >= More than Equal, with the ambition to understand and minimise barriers specific to women racing in Formula One, as well as providing better scouting and earlier, ongoing support.
The team hears a variety of reasons suggested as to why women have not achieved more in Formula One; Strength, endurance, racing aggression…but none have been tested and proven to be an insurmountable barrier.
A key partner in the >= More than Equal programme is Hintsa Performance, a global leader in human high-performance coaching. Formula One drivers supported by the company have won 16 world championships between them. Hintsa's CEO Annastiina Hintsa shares her view: "We see our role as talent identification and development of the mental and physical strength necessary to win a drivers' championship. VO2 max, neck and core strength, leg power, heat tolerance… we see and measure many key contributory factors that make a world champion and there is not one that cannot be reached by a woman."
So, what's really stopping them? Key partners within >= More than Equal agree:
- No female driver role models, thus too few girls take up karting
- A failure to identify and support female talent as early as male talent
- A lack of early track success, diverting all sponsorship and support to male drivers
>= More than Equal Advisory Board member and Formula One veteran Kate Beavan is well placed to comment. "I joined the Formula One business in 2003 and have watched women strive and fail for myriad reasons. I know women can make it and win, we just have to look harder and support earlier."
Coulthard describes his motivation to found >= More than Equal: "I always believed my sister Lynsay Jackson had more natural racing talent than me but I was given the support towards a Formula One journey and she was not. To succeed, talent needs early nurturing and I'd like every "Lynsay" out there to have the same opportunities as men in the fight to reach Formula One and win."
Co-founder Komarek added: "I know from my experience in business that there is always much more that needs to be done when it comes to gender equality. >= More than Equal brings a bold but achievable ambition that David and I hope will open more eyes to female potential everywhere – in sports, business and society."
Formula One presenter and motorsport diversity & inclusion champion Ariana Bravo hosted today's launch at Silverstone. "For women, there's a duality to the word 'drive'. The drive to drown out the noise of 'why not' by building strength and race craft that creates wins from a very young age. I'm a huge advocate for women in motorsport and it's exciting to see a new initiative that I think will help to clear the way for the development of female racing talent in reaching its full Formula One potential."
- Scouting globally for female talent. >= More than Equal will collaborate with a global network of scouting agents to search on and off the track for high-potential female karting and racing talent. The best will join the programme.
- Building physical strength, a winning mindset and mental resilience. Hintsa Performance coaches will initially bring empirical measurement to the identification of talent across a wide age range. It sees wellbeing as central to future performance with drivers given an early focus on mental strength and confidence. The team will also spearhead a tailored programme of physical training and nutrition for >= More than Equal's young and developing female drivers, mirroring services provided to athletes and current Formula One drivers.
- Enhancing speed through coached race craft. David Coulthard will join forces with top race coaches to create racing strategies that play to female strengths. Added to this will be time on track, the vital ingredient for racing talent to develop and to be seen to prove success. >= More than Equal will partner with teams and a fast-developing ecosystem of female driving opportunity to deliver maximum time on track.
- Connecting proven talent with teams and sponsorship. As talent proves itself competitively, so >= More than Equal team members will leverage their extensive business and motorsport contacts to connect that talent with potential teams and sponsorship.
- About >= More than Equal. >= More than Equal is a new, not-for-profit global initiative that takes a long-term view on return on investment toward its objective of participation in - and ultimately victory for - female drivers in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship. >= More than Equal will seek charitable status in England and Wales and will operate along charitable objectives.
- About David Coulthard MBE. David is a 13-time Formula One Grand Prix winner, finishing second in the 2001 Drivers' World Championship. David founded and co-funds >= More than Equal together with Komarek and will join the board of the initiative. He brings his racing experience and contacts to bear when playing an active role in the development of the programme.
- About Karel Komarek. Karel is the founder of global investment group KKCG with over €9 billion in asset value, and operations spanning 38 countries. >= More than Equal was founded and is co-funded by Karel, who also joins the >= More than Equal board.
More information about the initiative is available on the website www.MoreThanEqual.com and updates will also be available on the Instagram profile @more.thanequal.
For any media enquiries, please contact Maddy Coe: E: Maddy.coe@rightformula.com. M: +44 (0) 7384 547 656
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SOURCE More than Equal | 2022-07-01T12:16:13+00:00 | kcrg.com | https://www.kcrg.com/prnewswire/2022/07/01/finding-first-female-f1-drivers-world-champion/ |
Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for March 22, 2023.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — On a Saturday afternoon, the Pulcifur family was on the way home to Killeen from a trip to the aquarium when they said a car hit them head-on on Jollyville road.
“The kids were screaming. The smoke. The airbag. Everything,” Lacey Purciful said.
The 911 call came in at 4:18 p.m., according to the Austin Police Department (APD), and officers arrived at 6:35 p.m.
“APD officers in that sector and surrounding sectors were busy assisting with other emergency calls when that incident was reported,” the department said in a statement, adding that the officers who showed up came from a “surrounding sector.”
The Pulcifurs said the driver of the car that hit them was visibly drunk, and admitted to recently leaving a nearby bar.
At this time, APD said there is no criminal investigation into the incident.
The crash victims, who said they have injuries ranging from cuts and bruises to fractured wrists and pulled muscles, have now hired an attorney to pursue the matter civilly.
“We just don’t want [the driver] doing this to anyone else,” Dustin said.
Below is a portion of APD’s statement on the response time.
Our officers work hard every day to handle the high volume of calls that we may receive and answer them accordingly with the resources we have on hand. Unfortunately, this service level differs from the level we hope to provide our community. Still, we consistently review our processes and assess how we can improve in serving the city of Austin and those who choose to visit.
Austin Police Department.
At 10 p.m., we’ll take an in-depth look at how the department prioritizes calls. Check back for updates. | 2023-03-23T02:07:02+00:00 | everythinglubbock.com | https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/state-regional/texas-family-of-4-waits-over-2-hours-for-austin-police-after-crash/ |
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WTHI) - Scammers will often advertise sweet deals on popular products to steal your money. The Better Business Bureau is reporting many complaints surrounding one product in recent weeks.
The BBB says it has gotten many reports about Stanley cups and tumblers. It says scammers have been offering fake online flash sales and customers are falling for them. Buyers are being charged but never getting their items. They're also sending their personal information to criminals.
"Because it's a popular item, scammers are taking advantage of it by putting out advertisements on social media, or emails, or even website results to get you to buy from them because they are offering at a really great discount," said Jennifer Adamany with the BBB.
This starts with customers landing on fake websites that seem legitimate. The BBB suggests only buying from reputable businesses you know. Research unfamiliar companies. Be skeptical of social media ads. And read product and company reviews.
Report any scams to the BBB Scam Tracker. | 2023-06-12T05:21:10+00:00 | wthitv.com | https://www.wthitv.com/news/scam-alert-watch-out-for-fake-flash-sales-on-stanley-cups-and-tumblers/article_612a5664-08c1-11ee-8953-ebf46fd6c0e7.html |
FORT WORTH, Texas – TCU has been in this position before, third in the College Football Playoff rankings going into its last game before the final four teams are set.
And just like in 2014, there sits Ohio State in fifth, hoping for a chance to move up.
Those rankings are the same, but the scenarios are quite different for this first Saturday of December. Undefeated TCU has a Big 12 championship game to play, and the best the Buckeyes can do is try to tout what they had already done before last week's 45-23 home loss to Michigan that kept them from reaching the Big Ten title game.
“When you look at the body of work that Ohio State has put forward, they have been a top-ranked team the entire season,” Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren told the AP on Friday. “If they’ve played 48 quarters of football, they have 46 1/2 excellent quarters of football. They really didn’t play up to their standard for a quarter and half for the entire season.”
TCU fans certainly haven't forgotten what happened eight years ago, when the Frogs got left out of the inaugural four-team playoff right after a seven-touchdown win in their regular-season finale against Iowa State. The Buckeyes won the Big Ten championship 59-0 against Wisconsin later that day, and went on to win the first championship of the CFP era — in a title game played about 20 miles from the TCU campus.
The Frogs (12-0) play No. 13 Kansas State (9-3, No. 10 CFP) for the Big 12 title Saturday. Win and they make the playoff. Lose and they still could get in, but it's no slam dunk. TCU is the conference’s first team since Texas in 2009 to finish the regular season without a loss.
Ohio State (11-1) will be at home, with no opportunity before Sunday's final rankings to make another playoff case on the field.
Soon after losing to “The Game” for the second year in a row, Buckeyes coach Ryan Day was already talking about his team's overall body of work. He didn't believe they were overmatched in terms of overall play by second-ranked Michigan.
“We’ve got a lot of good pieces on this team,” Day said. "I think if we were able to get a shot in the top four, we’d be a dangerous team.”
That lopsided shutout over Wisconsin in 2014 improved the Buckeyes to 12-1, and the Big Ten champions moved up one spot in the final CFP rankings the next day. They beat Alabama in a national semifinal game at the Sugar Bowl, and then Oregon for the national title.
One-loss TCU had beaten Iowa State 55-3 at home, but that 11th victory came against a two-win Cyclones team when the Big 12 was in a six-year hiatus without a championship game.
TCU was dropped to sixth in the final CFP rankings, a spot behind Big 12 co-champion Baylor, which won a midseason 61-58 thriller in Waco that was the Frogs' only loss. They had to settle for a New Year's Six bowl, and beat Mississippi 42-3 in the Peach Bowl.
Sitting behind TCU in fourth in CRP rankings is Southern California (11-1), which was in the Pac-12 championship game against Utah on Friday night. A loss by the Trojans could bolster the Frogs’ chances of staying in the top four even if they lose.
TCU is coming off another regular season-ending rout of Iowa State. First-year TCU coach Sonny Dykes told his players after the 62-14 win at home just how hard it is to get through a season 12-0.
“Sometimes dealing with all the buildup and all this stuff can be a little exhausting, and even overwhelming,” Dykes said. "And that’s what’s so impressive for these guys, is they’ve never batted an eye, never felt like they got overwhelmed. I never felt like the stage was too big for them.”
The last time Kansas State made the Big 12 title game in 2003, the Wildcats beat undefeated, top-ranked Oklahoma 35-7. At TCU six weeks ago, K-State built an early 28-10 lead before losing 38-28.
Warren reiterated that he believes Ohio State is one of the best four teams in college football based on their entire season.
“Now it looks like they’ll need some help this weekend, which we totally understand,” he said. "But I'm hopeful, and will remain hopeful, that they have the opportunity to be able to compete in the College Football Playoff this year. I think they have clearly shown what they can do.”
___
AP College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo contributed to this report.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://bit.ly/3pqZVaF | 2022-12-02T21:10:31+00:00 | local10.com | https://www.local10.com/sports/2022/12/02/cfp-deja-vu-tcu-in-third-ohio-state-lurking-and-lobbying/ |
Like your beer a little different? In honor of American Craft Beer Week (May 15-21), we decided to pick five beers from Baton Rouge's array of excellent craft breweries to try. All of the breweries have revolving taps and a wide range of styles, so there's plenty on offer.
Go on, mix it up.
Mud and Don Diego — Rally Cap Brewing Company
While the pale ale First Pitch is Rally Cap's flagship beer, as such, their Mud and Don Diego is the flavor of the month — not officially, perhaps, but it did seem to be the overwhelming beer of choice for staff and patrons alike on a recent busy Friday afternoon. A San Diego-style IPA, it's sharp and hoppy, with a pleasant West Coast tang.
Perfect for the hot afternoons that are now bearing down upon us.
Lost in the Cloud — Agile Brewing
Agile's two most popular beers both sound terrific — the Overclocked India Red Ale and the Lemon Buffer lemon vanilla sour — though brewery founder Keith Primeaux keeps on coming back to the Lost in the Cloud hazy IPA.
A tropical, citrusy drop that comes in at 7.5%, give it a try: you'll find it's popular for a reason.
DK Jungle coconut banana IPA — Tin Roof Brewing Company
Tin Roof is perhaps Baton Rouge's most visible, and certainly its largest, craft brewery, with its delightful Voodoo APA popping up at restaurants and bars all over town. Knowing how good their most prominent beer is, why not try something different — and what's more unusual than a coconut banana IPA? Sweet but not overpoweringly so, it goes down smoothly and has a pleasant aftertaste.
It's part of Tin Roof's Mario Kart series, so there's that, too.
Swampsquatch Hibernation — Istrouma Brewing
OK, a little out of the box here: Even Istrouma's own website says "this one is going to be divisive. You'll love it or you'll hate it." A farm-style barleywine that packs a wallop — coming in at 9.5% — it's sweet and strong in the way barleywines tend to be.
Never tried one? Here's your chance.
Solera Project #1 — Cypress Coast Brewing Co.
Sure, it'd be easy to go straight for one of Cypress Coast Brewing Co.'s tried-and-true hazies or some such. But staff at the brewery, located just off Government Street in Mid City, pointed straight toward the Solera Project #1, a mixed fermentation barrel-aged sour instead. It certainly packs a punch — flavor-wise, that is, though it does come in at 7% — with a delightfully smooth, crisp tang and pleasant aftertaste. | 2023-05-15T17:07:45+00:00 | theadvocate.com | https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/entertainment_life/american-craft-beer-week-baton-rouge-beers-to-try/article_2c71c278-f32b-11ed-8211-3f78de549d73.html |
NEW YORK (AP) — More and more couples are throwing out the playbook for a traditional wedding — and posing new challenges for the people they hire to create the perfect images of their big day.
Getting married has traditionally involved a large reception, and rituals like cake cutting, multiple toasts and time for dancing. A wedding photographer would capture it all — and the newly hitched couple would then wait weeks or months for the pictures.
The pandemic and social media have upended those traditions. During the pandemic, many weddings turned into elopements. Social media images and videos took center stage when people couldn’t gather for a big ceremony.
Wedding photographers say some of the pandemic trends are sticking around. They’re being asked to shoot more elopements and micro weddings – weddings with 50 or fewer guests — and to provide faster photos and behind-the-scenes videos that can easily be shared on social media. That’s on top of the regular wedding photos.
Many photographers also find themselves much more involved in planning the wedding. Nina Larsen Reed of Larsen Photo Co. in Boulder, Colorado, says couples increasingly rely on her local knowledge when planning their big day.
“Now I’m much more involved in everything from suggesting locations, building out timelines to recommending vendors and activities and really helping my couples plan for the whole day instead of just showing up to take photos of whatever they have planned on their own,” she said.
All of this means more work, leaving photographers to ponder whether they can do it all alone.
Kari Bjorn, owner of Kari Bjorn Photography in Fayetteville, Arkansas, said that to keep up with what clients are asking for, he’s added some new services to his wedding packages, like wedding-day GIFs. He’s also considering hiring a “day-of content creator,” a job he’s noticed being advertised frequently this year.
“Essentially it’s a contractor whose job it is to shoot and publish phone content for the bride and groom on their wedding day so they don’t have to,” he said. “I feel like people really want to post things instantly as their event is happening.”
Jonica Moore, owner of Jonica Moore Photography in Brooklyn, New York, said adding more social content to packages will likely require her to hire another person to help with weddings.
“If you’re a photographer, you don’t really have time to do that,” she said.
Adding help would mean more costs for photographers at a time when many have already raised their rates due to inflation.
After a plunge in 2020 and modest increase in 2021, the number of weddings jumped to 2.5 million in 2022 due to pent up demand, according to the trade group Wedding Report. This year they’re expected to total 2.2 million as the U.S. returns to a more normal wedding cadence.
The cost of a wedding has gone up, according to data from wedding web site The Knot, but not dramatically. The national average cost of a wedding in 2022 was $30,000, up $2,000 from 2021. In 2019, before the pandemic, that figure stood at $28,000.
Meanwhile, the average cost of a wedding photographer in 2022 was $2,600, up only $100 from 2021, although rates vary by location, time of year and the level of service. For instance, the mid-range cost in New York City is $5,000 to $7,500, Moore said.
Bjorn raised his rates after the boom year of 2022 but had to scale back a bit when he received fewer inquires than he was expecting.
“It’s been a rollercoaster,” Bjorn said. “(Rates) are a little bit lower now than they were at the start of the year, but still higher than last year.”
Sarah and Peter Olson, a husband-and-wife team who run CityLux Studios in Boston, are spending much more time creating social media content than they did in years past, and are hiring an assistant to “specifically grab content we can use for social media and behind-the-scenes type content,” they said. They recently started to take videos vertically in short clips so their clients can use them for social media Reels on Instagram.
““We try to deliver teasers on social media in 24 to 48 hours,” Peter Olson said.
Another pandemic trend that’s sticking around is smaller weddings and elopements.
That’s a trend Reed, the Boulder, Colorado, photographer is banking on. When the pandemic shutdown hit Boulder, big weddings evaporated and elopements surged. She switched to shooting only elopements and micro-weddings and decided to do that permanently.
“From talking to dozens of couples who chose to elope during the pandemic, many of them used the restrictions as an excuse to not plan a big, expensive wedding that they were never particularly excited about in the first place,” she said.
Reed expects the number of elopements to remain above pre-pandemic levels going forward as couples realize they can put the money saved on the wedding toward a honeymoon or a down payment on a home.
Naomi Cataldo of Urban Row Photography in Baltimore, Maryland, said she hasn’t changed her offerings much due to demand for social media but now turns around photos in shorter time. She tweaked her editing process and brought it completely in-house to more fully control the timing. The process used to take eight to 10 weeks, but now she shares previews with the couple within the first week and the full gallery of edited photos within four to six weeks.
Meanwhile, Cataldo has noticed couples axing traditional wedding events like a bouquet toss or cutting the cake, and stretching out their wedding into a weekend celebration with all guests invited to a welcome party, wedding ceremony and brunch.
“Couples are asking for more personalized details and non-traditional, unique elements and events for their wedding day or weekend, and a lot less of just doing things for tradition’s sake,” she said.
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This story has been corrected with the correct name of Kari Bjorn Photography. | 2023-07-23T19:09:09+00:00 | siouxlandproud.com | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/business/ap-wedding-photographers-adapt-to-couples-who-want-instant-images-and-less-tradition-on-their-big-day/ |
In the above video, Eric Braeden on his dreams growing up in post-war Germany at the 53rd Monte-Carlo Television Festival in 2013. (Getty Images Entertainment Video)
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Eric Braeden, the actor best known for his role as Victor Newman in the hit soap opera “Young and the Restless,” announced that he has been diagnosed with cancer during an emotional Facebook Live on Friday.
The 82-year-old German actor told his fans in the 13-minute livestream that he began experiencing issues with his prostate while recovering from a recent knee surgery.
“I hate to be this personal, but I think this may be good for some older guys who may or may not listen to this,” Braeden shared.
The actor said that while he has had issues with his prostate before, this time, they became so bad that he could no longer urinate. Braeden added that it was “one of the most painful experiences.”
Before his diagnosis, the 82-year-old said that he underwent a UroList for his previous prostate issues and that’s when a doctor discovered high-grade cancer cells near his bladder.
During the video, Braeden went on to explain that he is currently undergoing a six-week immunotherapy treatment plan to treat the cancer cells.
“So that’s where I am right now,” Braeden said. He shared that he will continue acting on the soap opera despite his diagnosis.
“I love acting. I entertain people. I love your support,” he said. “So, whenever you have someone in the family who goes through this, support them. It can work out. Nowadays, there is so much advancement in cancer treatment, you can survive it.”
Braeden has played Victor Newman on the Emmy award-winning show for more than four decades. | 2023-04-24T12:41:19+00:00 | kron4.com | https://www.kron4.com/news/national/young-and-the-restless-star-eric-braeden-announces-he-has-cancer/ |
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s offer to resign has sent unsettling ripples through financial markets, bringing back bad memories of Europe’s debt crisis a decade ago and complicating the European Central Bank’s job as it raises interest rates for the first time in 11 years to combat record inflation.
Draghi, a former ECB president, has pushed policies meant to keep Italy’s high levels of debt manageable and boost growth in Europe’s third-largest economy. He suggested Wednesday that he was open to staying in power, but the threat of political changes as borrowing costs increase have raised concerns that the 19-country eurozone could head into another crisis.
It’s a headache for the ECB as it seeks to return interest rates from sub-zero to more normal levels starting Thursday — without setting off bond-market chaos in a country with debt at 150% of economic output. The ECB has said it will raise rates a quarter-percentage point, though some analysts aren’t ruling out a half-point increase.
The Frankfurt-based ECB will join the U.S. Federal Reserve, Bank of England and other central banks worldwide that have already raised rates several times to tame runaway inflation. But the ECB doesn’t want jittery markets sending up the borrowing costs of some euro member countries beyond what’s justified by their economic strength.
The bank’s task is already hard enough with predictions growing of a recession next year due to exorbitant oil and natural gas prices fueled by the war in Ukraine.
So along with the rate increase, ECB President Christine Lagarde is expected to announce a financial backstop aimed at capping borrowing costs for governments and companies in eurozone countries that are less financially solid than the others.
It’s a hassle unique to the ECB because it oversees 19 countries that are in different financial shape but use one currency, which has plunged to its lowest level against the dollar in 20 years.
“The Fed and the Bank of England don’t have this problem,” said Maria Demertzis, interim director of the Bruegel think tank in Brussels. “The borrowing costs for each country when they issue debt is different, because the underlying outlook is different.”
The ECB’s goal is to avoid a replay of 2011 to 2012, when Italy’s borrowing costs spiked to around 7%, driven by a so-called bond-market death spiral, where rising borrowing costs raise fears a government won’t repay their debt, in turn raising borrowing costs even higher.
The vicious circle was broken by Draghi pledging as ECB chief to “do whatever it takes” to preserve the euro, followed with a promise that the bank would buy the bonds of countries facing excessive borrowing costs if needed. That backstop calmed the market so well that it never had to be used. But it came with tough conditions that might make it unappealing to governments.
The ECB’s new backstop will have conditions but probably less onerous ones. It would consist of a promise to buy an indebted country’s bonds, which drives down borrowing costs if market interest rates rise to unjustified levels.
In recent days, borrowing costs for Italy and other less financially solid eurozone countries such as Spain and Portugal have risen compared with financially solid Germany, the benchmark.
Italian 10-year bonds now yield 3.4%, about 2.2% higher than their German equivalent. Italy’s borrowing costs are not excessive at that level, but the idea is to keep them that way because market sentiment can turn suddenly.
Demertzis said that as interest rates go up, they’re transmitted differently to the borrowing costs of each country.
“So now that we are in the part of the interest rate cycle where rates are going to have to go up, the problem is that borrowing costs will accelerate for Italy and will not accelerate for Germany,” she said.
If Italy can’t borrow affordably, it could turn to the eurozone’s bailout fund, but it would be much harder to rescue than Greece was a decade ago because Italy is much bigger.
The trick for the ECB will be to reassure markets while not encouraging reckless spending by governments or violating legal restrictions on directly financing governments.
“Any sense that the ECB is dragging its feet, or that the final outcome won’t be effective enough, will see fragmentation concerns rush back onto the agenda, fanning the flames of an altogether more worrying fall in the euro,” wrote Neal Shearing, chief economist at Capital Economics.
“Ten years after Draghi’s pledge to do whatever it takes, Christine Lagarde risks repeating history. She must avoid drifting into another crisis that would ultimately require her to make a similar pledge to her predecessor,” he said in an analyst note.
Italy’s political crisis, playing out in Parliament after the president rejected Draghi’s offer to resign over a divide in the coalition government, follows 17 months of relative stability. Draghi rolled out an ambitious pandemic recovery program aimed at improving long-term economic growth — the real answer to keeping Italy’s debt manageable.
The 190 billion-euro plan backed by common EU borrowing will add some debt but is intended to more than make up for it because strong growth shrinks the size of debt relative to the economy.
Italy’s debt, second highest in the eurozone after Greece, fell 4.5% in 2021 because of the country’s strong growth rebound.
Greek debt is less of an issue, Demertzis said, because it’s mostly owed to public institutions after Greece’s three bailouts during the debt crisis — and therefore isn’t exposed to market selloffs.
Draghi’s government has begun passing recovery proposals like digitizing and improving government services and streamlining a cumbersome legal system criticized for years as a drag on businesses. It also plans to increase day-care slots so more women can enter the labor force, accelerate the transition to renewable energy and extend high-speed rail and internet to more areas of the country.
But if Draghi’s coalition breaks apart and is replaced by a government less committed to pressing ahead with the reforms, markets could begin to doubt its prospects for economic growth. | 2022-07-21T11:05:54+00:00 | siouxlandproud.com | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/business/italy-political-turmoil-a-headache-for-europes-central-bank/ |
(iSeeCars) — Turn on your television for perhaps 20 minutes and chances are you’ll see at least one commercial for sport utility vehicles.
And chances are, in some portion of the commercial, they’ll show the SUV bounding over hills, through the desert, or speeding up to a mountain campsite.
And perhaps you think, “I’m getting an SUV. Maybe I’d like to do that stuff.”
And you can if you get the right SUV. But many of today’s SUVs are basically cars with SUV bodies – they lack the features to do even basic off-roading, and if you attempt some of the serious stuff they show on TV, these car-based versions could easily be damaged beyond repair.
That’s because the vast majority of sport-utes never (intentionally) leave the pavement, yet there remain plenty of SUV customers who take the first word in SUV – sport – seriously. For true off-pavement enthusiasts we’re providing this guide to the best SUVs for off-roading.
First, you’ll need an SUV that has either all-wheel-drive or, for the more rustic stuff, four-wheel-drive. AWD vehicles are typically front-wheel-drive in most circumstances, with some power going to the rear wheels when needed, such as on slippery pavement. AWD vehicles, with some exceptions, are not as well equipped for off-roading as 4WD SUVs. Those are mostly called “crossovers” and that’s important because non-crossover, 4WD vehicles are more rugged. They utilize primarily rear-wheel-drive power distribution until you shift them into four-wheel-drive, when you anticipate either rough weather or an off-roading opportunity.
4WD vehicles are also more likely to feature dedicated all-terrain tires, a locking rear differential, and advanced off-road driving modes that include features like hill descent control and crawl control. While several automakers produce extremely capable off-road SUVs, you may have to select a specific trim level to get all of the best off-road features.
We’ve compiled a list of vehicles that, ranked in order of off-road capability, will ensure some S in your SUV. Those lower on this list are best used for basic, cow-trailing-type off-roading. You’ll need something higher in our rankings to ford streams and plow through serious mudholes.
Keep in mind, too, that some of the top-ranked off-roaders may ride more roughly, deliver lower fuel efficiency, and forgo some common luxury components you’ll find lower on the list, all while generating more tire and wind noise than you may find acceptable. You should carefully consider your wants and needs to better find a happy medium between on-road refinement and off-road prowess.
The Top 28 SUVs for Off-Roading
1. Jeep Wrangler
iSeeCars Quality Score: 9.2
- Reliability Score: 8.5
- Retained Value Score: 9.8
- Safety Score: Not Available
Average New Car Price: $42,754
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $40,178
The Jeep Wrangler is the king of the off-road adventure, though it finally has competition with the introduction of the Ford Bronco. Unlike the Bronco, the Wrangler has “straight” axles like most pickup trucks. Take a pencil and hold it horizontally and press down on one end – the other end moves up. That’s how a straight axle works; it’s all connected. A vehicle with independent suspension is just that – one side of the suspension works independently of the other side. The Wrangler is the only new SUV sold with a straight front axle, which works great off-road, but will provide a slightly rougher ride on pavement. The Wrangler’s construction is body-on-frame, and it comes in two- and four-door models. Power is from a four- or six-cylinder engine, with an optional Hemi V-8 also offered. A plug-in hybrid has just been added to the model line, providing instant torque and quiet off-roading when desired. Models such as the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and the Sahara contain all the off-road equipment you will ever need, including the all-important tow hooks, front skid plates and rear skid plates, and there’s a wide range of additional off-road equipment offered by Jeep dealers.
2. Ford Bronco
iSeeCars Quality Score: Coming Soon
- Reliability Score: Coming Soon
- Retained Value Score: 6.6
- Safety Score: Not Available
Average New Car Price: $51,874
The long-awaited, new-for-2022 Ford Bronco takes a model name from the 1970s, and despite its traditional, angular body style, the Bronco is entirely up-to-date. It is aimed squarely at the Jeep Wrangler, and its presence in the market should generate some genuine competition between the two off-road kings. A turbo four-cylinder is standard; a turbo V6 engine is optional. Like the Jeep, the Bronco is offered in two- and four-door configurations; and like the Jeep, the roof and doors come completely off. Plenty of safety features are standard and more are optional. As with the Jeep, the price can rise quickly according to the features you want. And also like the Jeep, we predict that the Bronco’s resale value will be very high. Thanks in part to the independent front suspension, the on-road ride is better than the Jeep’s, but nowhere near as comfortable as some of the less aggressive SUVs. The Bronco is not to be confused with the smaller, Escape-based Bronco Sport; check it out at number 28.
3. Toyota 4Runner
iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.6
- Reliability Score: 8.8
- Retained Value Score: 9.0
- Safety Score: 8.0
Average New Car Price: $46,698
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $45,844
The midsize four-door Toyota 4Runner is another of the comparative old-school SUVs that are capable of some serious off-roading, especially depending on the model you chose, and whether you partake of dealer-installed optional equipment such as larger tires and wheels. Compared to the Wrangler and Bronco, 4Runner customers give up a bit of off-road capability in return for Toyota’s legendary dependability. Power is from a V-6; standard is a part-time four-wheel-drive system, with the Limited model offering a four-wheel-drive system that can safely remain engaged.
4. Land Rover Defender
iSeeCars Quality Score: Coming Soon
- Reliability Score: Coming Soon
- Retained Value Score: 8.1
- Safety Score: Not Available
Average New Car Price: $76,568
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $81,960
The boxy, hard-to-get Land Rover Defender is basically the European version of the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco. Engine choices are a turbocharged four-cylinder, a six-cylinder and a supercharged V-8. It’s possible to option up a Defender to well over $100,000, so be careful out there. It’s available as a two- or four-door and can carry as many as seven people. The Land Rover Defender is an excellent off-roader while being nimble and relatively refined on road.
5. Land Rover Range Rover
iSeeCars Quality Score: 7.8
- Reliability Score: 8.5
- Retained Value Score: 7.1
- Safety Score: Not Available
Average New Car Price: $118,526
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $110,488
One of the best off-road vehicles built anywhere is one that virtually never goes off-road. The muscular Land Rover brand ambassador has maintained its off-road chops while turning into one of Hollywood’s more desirable on-pavement rides. The freshened 2022 model is the first time the Land Rover Range Rover is offered with third-row seating. Another feature is four-wheel-steering, which allows the rear wheels to turn in and out slightly, trimming the turning circle considerably and making it easier to maneuver. Power is from a hybrid six-cylinder and a supercharged V-8, with an electric version coming in the near future. If you can afford it, and can afford to get it filthy and perhaps dented and scratched up a bit, the Range Rover will take you anywhere you want to go.
6. Toyota Land Cruiser
iSeeCars Quality Score: 9.2
- Reliability Score: 9.8
- Retained Value Score: 8.5
- Safety Score: Not Available
Average New Car Price: $91,276
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $91,976
After 60 years, the heavy-duty Toyota Land Cruiser has been discontinued in the U.S. for the 2021 model year, though it is still sold in many overseas markets. We include it here because it’s sort of a poor man’s Range Rover, though it’s quite expensive on its own, nearing $90,000 at the end, and maintaining stellar resale value. Luxurious, but never over-the-top like a Range Rover, the Land Cruiser has a reputation as being nearly bulletproof. The thirsty V-8 delivered a dismal 13 mpg city, 17 mpg highway, but had plenty of low-end power to tackle most any terrain, even though it weighed in at nearly 6,000 pounds. Two- or three-row seating was offered. We may see a brand-new Land Cruiser soon, as its corporate twin, the Lexus LX, remains on the market with a thorough redesign and V-6 power.
7. Jeep Grand Cherokee
iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.3
- Reliability Score: 8.4
- Retained Value Score: 7.7
- Safety Score: 8.8
Average New Car Price: $44,700
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $41,763
Long one of the best compromises between good off-road capability and street smarts, the new-for-2022 Grand Cherokee maintains that tradition. Engines are a six-cylinder or a V-8, plus a turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid model. Rear-wheel-drive is standard, but there are three four-wheel-drive configurations available. True off-roaders might want to select the Trailhawk model, which offers air suspension and sway-bar disconnect. It’s a pretty fancy vehicle to take rock-crawling, but if you ask a properly-equipped Jeep Grand Cherokee to do it, the answer will be “Yes.” Worth noting: The previous-generation Grand Cherokee is also available alongside the redesigned model as the Grand Cherokee WK.
8. Mercedes-Benz G-Class
iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.5
- Reliability Score: 8.2
- Retained Value Score: 8.7
- Safety Score: Not Available
Average New Car Price: $175,985
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $212,999
Perhaps the strangest vehicle on the list and one of the priciest ones, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class has found favor with celebrities such as the Kardashians, who – like most owners – are unlikely to do any off-roading anywhere, ever. Known also as the Geländewagen, the G-Class has so many off-roading features you’ll be pulling out the owner’s manual to see which button does what. Powered by a twin-turbo V-8, the G-Wagen has plenty of acceleration and a very good ride despite its militaristic styling. A premium ride, similar to Land Rover’s Range Rover, the G-Class 550 model starts at about $135,000.
9. Lexus LX
iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.9
- Reliability Score: 8.8
- Retained Value Score: 8.9
- Safety Score: Not Available
Average New Car Price: $100,382
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $90,631
As mentioned in the Toyota Land Cruiser summary, the Lexus LX has long been a dressed-up Land Cruiser. The Land Cruiser was discontinued with the 2021 model, but a 2022 Lexus LX 600 has emerged completely redesigned with a twin-turbo six-cylinder replacing the V-8. Still a traditional body-on-frame configuration with a straight rear axle, there’s nothing old-school about the latest advanced technology throughout the LX’s plush cabin, making it ideal for a Saturday night on the town, followed by some dedicated off-roading on Sunday.
10. Land Rover Discovery
iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.0
- Reliability Score: 8.4
- Retained Value Score: 7.5
- Safety Score: Not Available
Average New Car Price: $70,824
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $55,956
A turbocharged four-cylinder engine is standard in the Land Rover Discovery, but off-roaders may prefer the turbocharged six-cylinder engine for its low-end torque. There’s an optional air suspension that will increase comfort and performance on- and off-road.
11. Land Rover Range Rover Sport
iSeeCars Quality Score: Coming Soon
- Reliability Score: Coming Soon
- Retained Value Score: 7.8
- Safety Score: Not Available
Average New Car Price: $95,020
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $88,327
Sort of the sportier little brother to the Range Rover, the Land Rover Range Rover Sport can be equipped with plenty of off-road equipment, including optional low-range gearing. Power is from a six-cylinder engine or a supercharged V-8. A third-row seat is an option.
12. Nissan Armada
iSeeCars Quality Score: 7.7
- Reliability Score: 8.5
- Retained Value Score: 6.7
- Safety Score: 8.0
Average New Car Price: $63,345
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $47,077
Nissan has seldom touted the off-road capability of its big Nissan Armada, but properly equipped, it can get the job done. The first thing you need is its full-time four-wheel-drive, an option for the SUV that comes standard with rear-wheel-drive. A two-speed transfer case and hill start assist are part of the four-wheel-drive package. We like its big V-8 that has plenty of torque and horsepower to handle most any challenge, on-road or off. The old saw, “It can pass anything but a gas pump” applies here – the four-wheel-drive Armada is thirsty.
13. Infiniti QX80
iSeeCars Quality Score: 7.5
- Reliability Score: 7.5
- Retained Value Score: 6.8
- Safety Score: 8.0
Average New Car Price: $78,964
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $59,721
The luxurious INFINITI QX80 is the dressed-up twin to the Nissan Armada, so much of the Armada’s description applies here, including the fact that four-wheel-drive and the computer-controlled transfer case comes as an option. There’s an old-school vibe to the Armada and the QX80, which is not a criticism.
14. Nissan Pathfinder
iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.4
- Reliability Score: 8.3
- Retained Value Score: 6.8
- Safety Score: 10.0
Average New Car Price: $42,357
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $30,225
There’s nothing old-school about the Nissan Pathfinder, thanks to a redesign for 2022. The Pathfinder, properly equipped, has always been a capable performer off-road, and the new model is no different. Smaller than the Armada, the Pathfinder still offers a third-row seat, and is powered by a six-cylinder engine instead of the Armada’s V-8. Four-wheel-drive is an option.
15. Toyota Sequoia
iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.7
- Reliability Score: 9.4
- Retained Value Score: 8.0
- Safety Score: Not Available
Average New Car Price: $64,466
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $64,510
Full-time four-wheel-drive is an option for Toyota’s big three-row SUV, which is powered by a healthy, and thirsty, V-8 engine. If the Toyota Sequoia feels a little dated, that’s because it is – an all-new model is coming for 2023. Instead of the V-8, the new third-generation Sequoia will be powered by a twin-turbo V-6 hybrid powertrain. The four-wheel-drive system is part-time and controlled through a transfer case.
16. Jeep Grand Cherokee L
iSeeCars Quality Score: Coming Soon
- Reliability Score: Coming Soon
- Retained Value Score: 8.5
- Safety Score: 9.5
Average New Car Price: $51,878
Jeep has never had an SUV large enough to seat three rows of passengers comfortably, so it created one by extending the Grand Cherokee by nearly a foot, adding considerably to the interior space. All the off-road componentry available in the Grand Cherokee is available in the L version, but the extra length will make the L a bit more challenging to drive on tight trails.
17. Jeep Wagoneer
iSeeCars Quality Score: Coming Soon
- Reliability Score: Coming Soon
- Retained Value Score: 7.7
- Safety Score: Coming Soon
Average New Car Price: $72,845
As the Jeep Grand Cherokee L is the company’s solution for three-row seating, the Wagoneer and premium Grand Wagoneer answer the need for something to counter vehicles like the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, with the Grand Wagoneer aimed solidly at the Cadillac Escalade. Being Jeeps, the Wagoneers have some sophisticated off-road equipment, but they’re too big for serious off-roading. Power isn’t a problem, though, as both come with muscular V-8s.
18. Subaru Outback
iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.8
- Reliability Score: 8.4
- Retained Value Score: 8.0
- Safety Score: 10.0
Average New Car Price: $36,679
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $34,433
One of the most capable car-based crossovers, the Subaru Outback doesn’t have the ground clearance of some of the more capable SUVs, but there is a new Wilderness model that sits up higher and is more adept at cow-trailing than the standard model. With the optional turbocharged four-cylinder, the Outlander can hold its own, and still manages to serve as a daily grocery-getter and car-pooler.
19. GMC Yukon/Yukon XL
iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.1
- Reliability Score: 8.7
- Retained Value Score: 7.5
- Safety Score: 8.0
Average New Car Price: $73,293
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $59,353
GMC’s Yukon models, essentially the same as the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, are traditional body-on-frame vehicles, and as such are inherently more rugged than a unibody crossover. With optional four-wheel-drive, the Yukons have the power and adequate ground clearance for off-roading, but their weight and length makes them less nimble than smaller, lighter competitors. A new independent rear suspension helps smooth out the on-road ride and handling, and V-8 power makes serious towing possible.
20. Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban
Chevrolet Tahoe
iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.2
- Reliability Score: 8.7
- Retained Value Score: 7.8
- Safety Score: 8.0
Average New Car Price: $64,551
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $54,766
Chevrolet Suburban
iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.0
- Reliability Score: 8.8
- Retained Value Score: 7.2
- Safety Score: 8.0
Average New Car Price: $67,883
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $57,792
What’s said above applies to the Tahoe and the longer Chevrolet Suburban. As with the Yukon XL, the Suburban’s extra length – nearly 226 inches total – makes tight, curving off-road trails a challenge, as does the weight of nearly three tons. The Z71 package is the best choice for an off-road capable version.
21. Ford Explorer
iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.5
- Reliability Score: 8.4
- Retained Value Score: 7.1
- Safety Score: 10.0
Average New Car Price: $46,563
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $43,243
The Ford Explorer started out life as a smaller, more agile off-road-capable vehicle, but grew into the present alternative to the family sedan, leaving off-road pretenses behind. That said, the Timberline model has such off-road accouterments as steel skid plates, a terrain management system and a limited-slip rear differential that make the Explorer a genuine trail boss. Four-wheel-drive is optional on the Explorer. The standard engine is a four-cylinder EcoBoost.
22. Ford Expedition
iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.6
- Reliability Score: 8.8
- Retained Value Score: 6.8
- Safety Score: 10.0
Average New Car Price: $66,814
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $61,716
The much larger Ford Expedition, like the GMC Yukon, is too big for confidence-inspiring off-road trails, but the turbocharged six-cylinder engine has the power to make it work. That said, the Expedition, like the Explorer, has a Timberline package with items such as a “Rough Road Suspension” that helps off-road handling and ground clearance.
23. Hyundai Palisade
iSeeCars Quality Score: Coming Soon
- Reliability Score: Coming Soon
- Retained Value Score: 6.8
- Safety Score: 10.0
Average New Car Price: $45,911
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $44,893
The rear-drive Hyundai Palisade, like its stablemate, the Kia Telluride, is offered in all-wheel-drive, but until now makes little mention ofoff-road capability. That changes with the Palisade’s XRT model, which has 20-inch tires, “skid plate design elements” and other features to at least look like it’s ready to go to the mountains.
24. Dodge Durango
iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.1
- Reliability Score: 8.5
- Retained Value Score: 7.7
- Safety Score: 8.0
Average New Car Price: $49,264
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $41,300
The Dodge Durango has never touted its off-road ability, leaving corporate cousin Jeep to that role. But with optional four-wheel-drive, the Durango, which shares a platform with the Jeep Grand Cherokee, could be called upon for occasional off-roading, though it doesn’t offer a specific model for it. Six-cylinder- and V-8-power are offered. New Car Price Range: $34,320-$66,275
25. Cadillac Escalade
iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.3
- Reliability Score: 9.4
- Retained Value Score: 7.5
- Safety Score: 8.0
Average New Car Price: $98,638
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $75,412
The full-size Cadillac Escalade luxury SUV has a lot in common with the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, but its more elegant nature would preclude getting too down ‘n dirty. It would not preclude life on a horse ranch, with the ability to drive from one pasture to another. A big V-8 is standard, and ground clearance is adequate.
26. Volvo XC60
iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.2
- Reliability Score: 7.9
- Retained Value Score: 6.8
- Safety Score: 10.0
Average New Car Price: $53,538
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $43,896
Designed for an “all-road experience,” the Volvo XC60 has inadequate ground clearance for lively off-roading, but with all-wheel-drive, it can certainly hand23le muddy, rutted roads with little problem. Hill descent control is offered.
27. Porsche Cayenne
iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.4
- Reliability Score: 8.4
- Retained Value Score: 8.3
- Safety Score: Not Available
Average New Car Price: $126,711
Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $108,113
A dark horse here, the Porsche Cayenne was partly developed in off-road situations that make it more capable there than you’d assume from a vehicle with a “Porsche” badge. With air suspension, there’s a healthy maximum air suspension of 9.6 inches, and the approach and departure angles are in the ballpark of serious off-roaders. That said, few are likely to take the Porsche off road, but it offers genuine capability if needed.
28. Ford Bronco Sport
iSeeCars Quality Score: Coming Soon
- Reliability Score: Coming Soon
- Retained Value Score: 7.3
- Safety Score: 10.0
Average New Car Price: $33,093
The Ford Bronco Sport is an Escape-based SUV, a little brother to the bigger and very off-road-capable Bronco. But it can be a good off-roader in its own right, albeit in more delicate situations. It has, Ford says, “standard 4×4 capability, G.O.A.T. Modes (Goes Over Any Type of Terrain) and a HOSS suspension system, [so] Bronco Sport is your gateway to the great outdoors.” There’s 8.8 inches of ground clearance on the Badlands model with the optional off-road tires.
Bottom Line:
Not all SUVs are created equal when it comes to off-road capability. Whether you want the occasional off-road adventure, or if going off the beaten path is part of your daily driving pursuits, there is a capable SUV to suit your needs.
More from iSeeCars:
If you’re in the market for a new or used car, you can search over 4 million used and new cars with iSeeCars’ award-winning car search engine that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars free VIN check and Best Cars rankings. Whether you want an SUV, coupe, convertible, sporty sedan, or hatchback, car buying has never been so easy.
This article, 28 Best SUVs for Off-Roading, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com. | 2023-04-08T18:05:13+00:00 | keloland.com | https://www.keloland.com/automotive/these-are-the-28-best-suvs-for-off-roading-2/ |
Kent State has agreed to hire Minnesota associate head coach Kenni Burns to replace Sean Lewis, who left after five seasons, a person familiar with the deal confirmed to The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the schools had not announced the move.
Burns will be returning to the Mid-American Conference after working for one year with Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck at Western Michigan, which went 13-1 in 2016 and made Fleck one of the nation’s most sought-after coaches. Burns followed Fleck to the Gophers in 2017.
ESPN first reported Tuesday that Burns was leaving Minnesota for Kent State.
He’ll take over a program rebuilt by Lewis, who resigned last week to be Deion Sanders’ offensive coordinator at Colorado. Lewis went 24-31 during his tenure and led the Golden Flashes to their first bowl win in 2019, when they beat Utah State in the Frisco Bowl. Of Kent State’s six winning conference records in the last 35 seasons, three have come in the last four years under Lewis.
Kent State went just 5-7 overall this season but gave No. 1 Georgia a scare before losing 39-22. The Golden Flashes also played at Washington and Oklahoma.
Burns previously was an assistant at Southern Illinois (2008-09), North Dakota State (2010-13) and Wyoming (2014). He coached the running backs for the Gophers and was promoted to assistant head coach in 2019. Under his guidance, Rodney Smith left the program in 2019 as the all-time leader in all-purpose yards and Mohamed Ibrahim set numerous records in 2022.
Ibrahim, who was named a second team AP All-American, is second on Minnesota’s career rushing list with 4,597 yards in 40 games and is the all-time Gophers leader with 52 rushing touchdowns. While he was rehabbing a torn Achilles tendon during the 2021 season, Ibrahim helped Burns advise the running backs and raved often about the support from and connection with the coach.
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AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell contributed to this report.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap-top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/mrxhe6f2. | 2022-12-14T22:56:46+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/sports/ncaa-football/ap-source-kent-state-finalizing-deal-with-minnesotas-burns/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secret Service text messages from around the time of the attack on the U.S. Capitol were deleted despite requests from Congress and federal investigators that they be preserved, the agency confirmed Tuesday in response to a subpoena from the House Jan. 6 committee.
Florida Rep. Stephanie Murphy, a Democratic member of the Jan 6. panel, said the Secret Service acknowledged the erasure in a letter Tuesday, detailing how agency phones were migrated to a new system in the weeks after the 2021 attack.
Murphy said the agency left it up to individual agents to decide what electronic records to keep and what to delete during the process.
“Nobody along the way stopped and thought, ‘well, maybe we shouldn’t do the migration of data and of the devices until we are able to fulfill these four requests from Congress,’” Murphy said on MSNBC.
The deletion of the messages has raised the prospect of lost evidence that could shed further light on then-President Donald Trump’s actions during the insurrection, particularly after testimony about his confrontation with security as he tried to join supporters at the Capitol.
Murphy said that while the agency has turned over a large number of records and documents, what the committee is still seeking is the electronic communication between agents on the day before the attack and as a mob of rioters breached the Capitol building on Jan. 6.
“What they have also said is that they are going to continue to see if there are other ways in which they can secure the required and subpoenaed text messages that we have asked for,” Murphy said. “My hope certainly is that they do find a way to find those texts and respond to the subpoena.”
The Secret Service’s response to the committee came the same day the National Archives requested that the agency investigate “the potential unauthorized deletion” of the texts.
The agency has been the target of heavy scrutiny following a letter sent last week by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, obtained by The Associated Press, that told lawmakers that Secret Service messages between Jan. 5 and Jan. 6, 2021, were erased “as part of a device-replacement program.”
The Secret Service has said all procedures were followed and pledged “full cooperation” with the Archives’ review.
“The United States Secret Service respects and supports the important role of the National Archives and Records Administration in ensuring the preservation of government records,” said agency spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.
The National Archives, which is in charge of government record-keeping, asked the Secret Service to investigate the possible erasure of the messages and report back within 30 days.
“Through several news sources, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has become aware of the potential unauthorized deletion of United States Secret Service (Secret Service) text messages,” Laurence Brewer, the chief record keeper for the U.S., said in a letter to the Department of Homeland Security.
If it is determined any text messages were deleted, the agency must detail what records were affected, a statement on the reasoning for deletion, plan for establishing safeguards to prevent future loss as well as “details of all agency actions taken to salvage, retrieve, or reconstruct the records,” the letter read.
The Secret Service responded by telling AP that “the insinuation that the Secret Service maliciously deleted text messages following a request is false.”
“In fact, the Secret Service has been fully cooperating with the OIG in every respect — whether it be interviews, documents, emails, or texts,” Secret Service spokesman Guglielmi said.
He said the Secret Service had started to reset its mobile devices to factory settings in January 2021 “as part of a pre-planned, three-month system migration.” In that process, some data was lost.
The nine-member House Jan. 6 panel has taken a recent, renewed interest in the Secret Service following the dramatic testimony of former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson about Trump’s actions on the day of the insurrection.
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Associated Press writer Mike Balsamo contributed to this report.
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Follow AP’s coverage of the Jan. 6 committee hearings at https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege. | 2022-07-19T23:23:49+00:00 | ksn.com | https://www.ksn.com/news/politics/ap-politics/national-archives-asks-secret-service-to-probe-deleted-texts/ |
NEW YORK — Lamont Dozier, the middle name of the celebrated Holland-Dozier-Holland team that wrote and produced “You Can’t Hurry Love,” “Heat Wave” and dozens of other hits and helped make Motown an essential record company of the 1960s and beyond, has died at age 81.
Dozier's death was confirmed Tuesday by Paul Lambert, who helped produce the stage musical “The First Wives Club” that Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote for.
In Motown’s historic, self-defined rise to the “Sound of Young America,” Holland-Dozier-Holland stood out even compared to such gifted peers as Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder and Barrett Strong. Over a four-year period, 1963-67, Dozier and brothers Brian and Eddie Holland crafted more than 25 top 10 songs and mastered the blend of pop and rhythm and blues that allowed the Detroit label, and founder Berry Gordy, to defy boundaries between Black and white music and rival the Beatles on the airwaves.
For the Four Tops, they wrote “Baby I Need Your Loving” and “Reach Out (I’ll Be There),” for Martha and the Vandellas they wrote “Heat Wave” and “Jimmy Mack,” for Marvin Gaye “Baby Don’t You Do It” and “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You).” The music lived on through countless soundtracks, samplings and radio airings, in cover versions by the Rolling Stones, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor and many others and in generations of songwriters and musicians influenced by the Motown sound.
“Their structures were simple and direct,” Gerri Hirshey wrote in the Motown history “Nowhere to Run: The Story of Soul Music,” published in 1984. “Sometimes a song barreled to number one on the sheer voice of repetitive hooks, like a fast-food jungle that lurks, subliminally, until it connects with real hunger.”
Brian Wilson, Ron Wood and Mick Hucknall were among the many musicians offering tributes Tuesday. Carole King, who with then-husband Gerry Goffin was another leading hitmaker of the '60s, tweeted that that “striving to keep up with them made us better songwriters.”
The polish of H-D-H was ideally suited for Motown’s signature act, Diana Ross and the Supremes, for whom they wrote 10 No. 1 songs, among them “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Stop! In the Name of Love” and “You Can’t Hurry Love.” Expectations were so high that when “Nothing But Heartaches” failed to make the top 10 in 1965, Gordy sent a company memo demanding that Motown only release chart toppers for the Supremes, an order H-D-H obeyed with “I Hear a Symphony” and several more records.
Holland-Dozier-Holland weren’t above formulas or closely repeating a previous hit, but they worked in various moods and styles: the casual joy of “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You),” the escalating desire of “Heat Wave,” the urgency of “Reach Out (I’ll Be There).” Dozier’s focus was on melody and arrangements, whether the haunting echoes of the Vandellas’ backing vocals on “Nowhere To Run,” flashing lights of guitar that drive the Supremes’ “You Keep Me Hanging On,” or the hypnotic gospel piano on Gaye’s “Can I Get a Witness.”
“All the songs started out as slow ballads, but when we were in the studio we’d pick up the tempo,” Dozier told the Guardian in 2001. “The songs had to be fast because they were for teenagers - otherwise it would have been more like something for your parents. The emotion was still there, it was just under cover of the optimism that you got from the up-tempo beat.”
The prime of H-D-H, and of Motown, ended in 1968 amid questions and legal disputes over royalties and other issues. H-D-H left the label, and neither side would recover. The Four Tops and the Supremes were among the acts who suffered from no longer having their most dependable writers. Meanwhile, H-D-H’s efforts to start their own business fell far short of Motown. The labels Invictus and Hot Wax both faded within a few years, and Dozier would recall with disbelief the Hollands’ turning down such future superstars as Al Green and George Clinton. H-D-H did release several hits, including Freda Payne’s “Band of Gold” and Honey Cone’s “Want Ads.”
Holland-Dozier-Holland were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame two years later. On his own, Dozier had a top 20 hit with “Trying to Hold on to My Woman,” helped produce Aretha Franklin’s “Sweet Passion” album and collaborated with Eric Clapton and Hucknall among others. His biggest success was co-writing Phil Collins’ chart-topping “Two Hearts,” from the 1988 movie “Buster,” a mid-tempo, Motown-style ballad that won a Grammy and Golden Globe and received an Oscar nomination.
H-D-H reunited for a stage production of “The First Wives Club,” which premiered in 2009, but their time back together was brief and unhappy. Dozier and the Hollands clashed often and Dozier dropped out before the show launched. “I can’t see us ever working with Lamont again,” Eddie Holland wrote in “Come and Get These Memories,” a memoir by the Hollands that came out in 2019, the same year Dozier published the memoir “How Sweet It Is.”
Dozier acknowledged that his early success conflicted with his family life, but he eventually settled down with Barbara Ullman, who died in 2021 after more than 40 years of marriage. His children included the songwriter-record producer Beau Dozier and composer Paris Ray Dozier.
Like so many Motown artists, Dozier was born in Detroit and raised in a family of singers and musicians. He sang in the choir of his Baptist church and his love for words was affirmed by a grade school teacher who, he recalled, liked one of his poems so much she kept it on the blackboard for a month. By the late 1950s, he was a professional singer and eventually signed with Motown, where he first worked with Brian Holland, and then Eddie Holland, who wrote most of the lyrics.
Some of Motown’s biggest hits and catchiest phrases originated from Dozier’s domestic life. He remembered his grandfather’s addressing women as “Sugar pie, honey bunch,” the opening words and ongoing refrain of the Four Tops’ “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)." The Four Tops hit “Bernadette” was inspired by all three songwriters having troubles with women named Bernadette, while an argument with another Dozier girlfriend helped inspire a Supremes favorite.
“She was pretty heated up because I was quite the ladies’ man at that time and I’d been cheating on her,” Dozier told the Guardian. “So she started telling me off and swinging at me until I said, ‘Stop! In the name of love!’ And as soon as I’d said it I heard a cash register in my head and laughed. My girlfriend didn’t think it was very amusing: we broke up. The only ones who were happy about it were the Supremes.” | 2022-08-09T17:24:01+00:00 | 9news.com | https://www.9news.com/article/news/nation-world/motown-songwriter-producer-lamont-dozier-dead/507-1788a093-19bd-4efe-bf7a-a3cf2b500ab5 |
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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. | 2023-04-03T10:33:23+00:00 | tj.news | https://tj.news/telegraph-journal/102089660 |
FDA revamping foods program to move past ‘constant turmoil’
(AP) - The head of the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday announced an overhaul of the agency’s food safety and nutrition division, vowing that a new structure will better protect consumers and the U.S. food supply.
FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said he would create a new human foods program led by a deputy commissioner with authority over policy, strategy and regulatory activities for the part of the agency that oversees 80% of the foods Americans eat.
“This is one of the most important changes in the history of the FDA,” Califf said in an interview.
The move merges two existing FDA programs and some regulatory authorities. Tapping a single leader “unifies and elevates the program while removing redundancies, enabling the agency to oversee human food in a more effective and efficient way,” Califf said.
The announcement follows months of scrutiny of the FDA over contamination at a Michigan factory that led to a nationwide infant formula shortage. And it follows a scathing report that found FDA’s food division was plagued by decentralized leadership, indecisiveness and a culture of “constant turmoil” that impeded actions to protect public health. For years, the agency has been criticized for responding too slowly to outbreaks in produce, heavy metals in baby food and the need to reduce sodium in the U.S. diet, among other issues.
Califf’s actions drew mixed reviews from food safety advocates. Some said it was a good start, while others said he didn’t go far enough to dismantle ingrained structural problems.
“I think it does a good job of identifying the essential problems and addressing them head-on,” said Dr. Peter Lurie, who heads the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which focuses on consumer nutrition, food safety and health.
Mike Taylor, who previously served as FDA deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine, said the new deputy doesn’t appear to have full authority over the office responsible for inspecting company plants, laboratory testing, imports and investigations.
“If that’s the case, the human foods program at the FDA will remain fragmented and the deputy commissioner will not be empowered to make the change that is necessary,” Taylor said. He also questioned whether the new deputy commissioner would control the program’s funding.
The changes aim to straighten out a convoluted leadership structure. The FDA oversees human and veterinary drugs and medical devices, along with much of the U.S. food supply. The Agriculture Department also oversees some food products.
Frank Yiannas, the current FDA deputy commissioner for food policy and response, is leaving his post next month. Susan Mayne, director of the current Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said in a statement that Califf asked her to stay on through the transition. The new deputy, who will report directly to the commissioner, will be named by spring, Califf said.
The revamped foods program will include a separate center focused on nutrition, including foods such as infant formula, plus an office to coordinate state efforts to identify and prevent foodborne illness outbreaks. The plan also calls for a new expert advisory committee to weigh in on food safety, nutrition and new food technologies.
Under the new structure, the deputy commissioner will not oversee FDA’s veterinary medicine center. Califf said that’s because much of the center’s work involves animal drugs and devices, not food. In addition, the animal feed industry worried that it would become “subsidiary to human food,” Califf said.
That disappointed Mitzi Baum, president of the nonprofit STOP Foodborne Illness. Human foods, animal foods and outbreaks are often closely linked and they should be part of the same program, she said.
“Any change is messy. It’s going to be disruptive,” Baum said. “Why not make all of the changes that need to be made in order to create the most efficient and effective agency?”
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2023-01-31T17:00:44+00:00 | wymt.com | https://www.wymt.com/2023/01/31/fda-revamping-foods-program-move-past-constant-turmoil/ |
Tourist who saw US soldier sprint to North Korea initially thought it was a stunt
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Sarah Leslie thought she was witnessing a stunt when she saw an American soldier start sprinting toward North Korea.
Leslie and her father, tourists from New Zealand, were part of a group that left Tuesday morning from Seoul to visit the Demilitarized Zone that divides South and North Korea.
Pvt. 2nd Class Travis King was among the group of 43 tourists, Leslie told The Associated Press, although he was casually dressed in jeans and a T-shirt and she had no idea at the time that he was a soldier, or in legal trouble.
King, 23, was a cavalry scout with the 1st Armored Division who had served nearly two months in a South Korean prison for assault. He was released on July 10 and was supposed to travel home Monday to Fort Bliss, Texas, where he could have faced additional military discipline and discharge from the service.
Leslie said her tour group went a step further than many by visiting the Joint Security Area in the village of Panmunjom, allowing tourists to effectively step on North Korean soil inside one of the buildings, which are jointly held. To get on such a tour, she said, required submitting their passports and getting permits in advance.
The group left Seoul by bus in the early morning, and Leslie noticed that King was traveling alone and didn’t seem to talk to others on the tour. At one point, she said, he bought a DMZ hat from a gift shop.
The tour was nearing its end Tuesday afternoon — the group had just walked out of the building and were milling about taking photos — when she saw King running “really fast.”
“I assumed initially he had a mate filming him in some kind of really stupid prank or stunt, like a TikTok, the most stupid thing you could do,” Leslie said. “But then I heard one of the soldiers shout, ‘Get that guy.’”
Leslie said the command was shouted by an American soldier, one of a group that patrols the area along with South Korean troops.
But the soldiers didn’t have time to respond. She said that after running about 10 meters (30 feet) down a narrow passageway between the distinctive blue buildings, King was over the border and then disappeared from sight. It was all over in a few seconds.
Leslie said she didn’t see any people on the North Korean side. The tour group had been told earlier the North Koreans there had been lying low since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After King ran, she said, the soldiers hustled all the tourists into a building and then took them to an information center to give statements. She said many of the tourists, including her father, hadn’t seen King run but a soldier explained the events to them.
“People couldn’t really quite believe what had happened,” Leslie said. “Quite a few were really shocked. Once we got on the bus and got out of there we were all kind of staring at each other.”
Leslie, a lawyer from New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, said she’d long had an interest in the Koreas after studying politics at university and seeing South Korean movies.
She said she found it hard to understand why King would head to North Korea.
“I just didn’t think anyone would ever want to do that,” she said.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2023-07-19T14:25:36+00:00 | kxii.com | https://www.kxii.com/2023/07/19/tourist-who-saw-us-soldier-sprint-north-korea-initially-thought-it-was-stunt/ |
WASHINGTON – A newly unsealed FBI document about the investigation at Mar-a-Lago not only offers new details about the probe but also reveals clues about the arguments former President Donald Trump's legal team intends to make.
A May 25 letter from one of his lawyers, attached as an exhibit to the search affidavit, advances a broad view of presidential power, asserting that the commander-in-chief has absolute authority to declassify whatever he wants — and also that the “primary” law governing the handling of U.S. classified information simply doesn't apply to the president himself.
The arguments weren't persuasive enough to the Justice Department to prevent an FBI search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate this month, and the affidavit in any event makes clear that investigators are focused on more recent activity — long after Trump left the White House and lost the legal authorities that came with it. Even so, the letter suggests that a defense strategy anchored around presidential powers, a strategy employed during special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation when Trump actually was president, may again be in play as the probe proceeds.
It's perhaps not surprising that Trump's legal team might look for ways to distinguish a former president from other citizens given the penalties imposed over the years for mishandling handling government secrets, including a nine-year prison sentence issued to a former National Security Agency contractor who stored two decades’ worth of classified documents at his Maryland home.
But many legal experts are dubious that claims of such presidential power will hold weight.
“When someone is no longer president, they're no longer president. That's the reality of the matter,” said Oona Hathaway, a Yale Law School professor and former lawyer in the Defense Department's general counsel's office. “When you've left office, you've left office. You can't proclaim yourself to not be subject to the laws that apply to everyone else."
It's not clear from the affidavit whether Trump or anyone might face charges over the presence of classified records at Mar-a-Lago — 19 months after he became a private citizen — and FBI officials are investigating who removed the records from the White House to the Florida estate and who is responsible for retaining them in an unauthorized location.
The FBI recovered 11 sets of classified records during the Aug. 8 search, and the affidavit made public Friday said 184 documents with classified markings also were found in 15 boxes removed in January. The Justice Department, responding to a Trump team request for a legal special master to sort through the materials, said Monday that officials had completed their own review of potentially privileged documents.
No matter the outcome of that latest issue, the affidavit makes clear that investigators are focused on potential violations of three felony statutes, including an Espionage Act provision that criminalizes the willful retention or transmission of national defense information.
Another law punishable by up to three years in prison makes it a crime to willfully remove, conceal or mutilate government records. And a third law, carrying up to 20 years imprisonment, covers the destruction, alteration or falsification of records in federal investigations.
The Espionage Act statute regarding retention of national defense information has figured in multiple prosecutions. Past investigations have produced disparate results that make it hard to forecast the outcome in the Trump probe. But there have been convictions.
Harold Martin, the ex-NSA contractor, pleaded guilty in 2019 to storing troves of classified information inside his home, car and storage shed, including handwritten notes describing the NSA’s classified computer infrastructure.
Which is why the Trump legal team may look to play up his status as a former president.
When it comes to handling government secrets, there are indeed some differences that could possibly be considered: Presidents, for instance, don't have to pass background checks to obtain classified information, they're not granted security clearances to access intelligence and they're not formally “read out” on their responsibilities to safeguard secrets when they leave leave office.
“There’s no intelligence community directive that says how presidents should or shouldn’t be briefed on the materials,” said Larry Pfeiffer, a former CIA officer and senior director of the White House Situation Room. “We’ve never had to worry about it before.”
The May 25 letter from Trump attorney M. Evan Corcoran to Jay Bratt, the head of the Justice Department's counterintelligence section, describes Trump as the leader of the Republican Party and makes multiple references to him as former president.
It notes that a president has the absolute authority to declassify documents, though it doesn't actually say — as Trump has asserted — that he did so with the records seized from his home. It also says the “primary” law criminalizing the mishandling of classified information does not apply to the president and instead covers subordinate employees and officers.
The statute the letter cites, though, is not among the three that the search warrant lists as being part of the investigation. And the Espionage Act law at issue concerns “national defense” information rather than “classified,” suggesting it may be irrelevant whether the records were declassified or not.
Corcoran did not return messages seeking comment Monday.
It's possible to “imagine a good faith mistake” or a president taking something sensitive without realizing it or because they needed it for a particular reason, said Chris Edelson, a presidential powers scholar and American University government professor.
But that argument could be complicated by the fact that the documents were not returned earlier in their entirety by Trump to the National Archives and Records Administration and that the FBI came to suspect — correctly — that there was still classified information at the property.
“I think if he had simply returned the documents right away, he'd be in a much stronger position legally,” Edelson said.
Ashley Deeks, a University of Virginia law professor and a former deputy legal adviser to President Joe Biden's National Security Council, said in an email that the Trump team claims in the letter “seem to be more of a political argument than a legal argument.”
She added, "The president’s defense team seems to be trying to point out the magnitude of proceeding with this case rather than articulating a clear legal defense.”
_____
Associated Press writer Nomaan Merchant in Washington contributed to this report.
More on Donald Trump-related investigations: https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump | 2022-08-30T10:06:14+00:00 | clickorlando.com | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/politics/2022/08/29/trump-legal-team-advances-broad-view-of-presidential-powers/ |
The lights go out. The arena turns dark. The pyro roars. The music blares. And the red glow glistens across the stage and in the ring. Everyone knows who is going out from behind the curtain.
That’s gotta be Kane.
"The Big Red Machine" was one of the spookiest characters in all of professional wrestling at the height of the Attitude Era in WWE, then known as the World Wrestling Federation. When Kane came to the ring, fans knew he was going to raise hell and bodies were going to be strewn across the apron.
Glenn Jacobs, the current mayor of Knox County, Tennessee who is mostly known for his time as the wrestling star Kane, made his debut as the masked character at Bad Blood in 1997 after weeks of buildup and being billed as the brother of The Undertaker. He was packaged as a pyromaniac who survived a traumatizing incident involving The Undertaker, who was being billed as Kane’s half-brother.
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At Bad Blood, The Undertaker squared off against Shawn Michaels in the first-ever Hell in a Cell match. Kane made his debut the same night and ripped the cage door off its hinges to get into the ring and put the fear of God into The Undertaker and the rest of the WWE Universe.
Jacobs told Fox News Digital in a recent interview he was "pumped" to be repackaged as Kane after a handful of failed gimmicks during his first run in the company. He was initially put off by the first ideas of the character until he helped make it his own.
"I was pumped because it was The Undertaker’s brother and you cannot ask for anything better than that. That’s literally the Holy Grail of characters in WWE," he said. "When I first saw the character in the conceptual art, that did throw me a little bit because that’s not what I had in mind for the character. That’s not what Undertaker had for the character and some other folks that I had talked to. We all thought it would a lot grittier and have like a Michael Myers or a Jason Vorhees look – you know, someone that had been institutionalized and escaped or something like that.
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"Vince McMahon’s idea was Kane was really hiding his failings and compensating for all of the things that made him weak and all that kind of stuff by being a superhero and the operative word with Kane was not evil, actually, it was cool. You wanted Kane to look cool and be cool. And that was one of the times I realized Vince was a genius because he had taken what was some superficial psychology on our part and gone a lot deeper into it and into the mind of this character already deeper than I had. If we’d done the Jason Vorhees, Michael Myers look it would’ve been OK, but that’s been done before. But the Kane character and the Kane look was completely different than, I think, anything that ever really been done."
April 1997 really started the buildup of Kane coming to a head with The Undertaker. Legendary manager Paul Bearer helped the hype when he threatened to reval a secret The Undertaker had been keeping for years and later told him that Kane was alive and that he was coming.
Jacobs explained he knew the character was going to work when his music hit and the fans were stunned in silence.
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"It was at that moment coming out and getting that sort of reaction and really a connection with the audience because there’s that moment of silence when everybody’s trying to figure out what’s going on," he said. "And then there was like this collective. … Vince is screaming it over the headsets but I think that everybody was already affected, ‘That’s gotta be Kane!’ right?
"Just to have that moment and that kind of connection, then you realize … That was the first time in my career that I was like, ‘Oh, wow, this is what it’s really like to be a WWE superstar. I knew it was going to be a big deal right then. OF course, I didn’t realize it was going to last for over 20 years and I’d be able to do all the really cool things that I was able to do. But I mean, again, initially knowing that you’re going to work with Undertaker, you knew that it was going to be successful. It just a matter of how successful and how long it’s going to be, how long it was going to carry on for."
Jacobs had to go really through the nine circles of hell to get to the top of the WWE. He was Unabomb, Isaac Yankem, DDS, and was packaged as fake Diesel after Kevin Nash left the company to join World Championship Wrestling and launch his career with the NWO.
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Jacobs told Fox News Digital that his passion for the business and to do what it took to make it outweighed the disappointment there was in the other characters not working and in that he shared a valuable life lesson.
"First of all, being a WWE superstar in any capacity is a great occupation. It really is," Jacobs said. "Even though I may not have been exactly what I wanted to as far as creative, nevertheless, I’m doing something that I really enjoyed doing and that not many people have a chance to do.
"And also, I realized that I could prove my value to the company just by showing up to work every day, working hard, having a good attitude, doing the things I needed to do and eventually, hopefully, my break would come. Same thing in life, right? If you just do the right things, eventually, hopefully, an opportunity comes along. Doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to, but it might and that had always been my attitude – if I just kept at it, eventually I would get that big break. I thought that’s when I first got to WWE, and of course that was a major step forward, not quite where I wanted to be but nevertheless, a huge step forward.
"I think that’s actually a life lesson, not just the less about my career, but about life in general. There are a lot of people that have been in much worse situations than I was and keep on plugging along and eventually find massive success."
The mythology of Kane and Jacobs’ rise will be chronicled in the latest episode of "Biography: WWE Legends" on A&E on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/PT. | 2023-03-09T19:43:13+00:00 | foxbangor.com | https://www.foxbangor.com/sports/national-sports/wwe-legend-kane-talks-rise-of-iconic-wrestling-character-shares-valuable-life-lesson/article_8e06132f-a04b-5d80-afef-9d8f1f7754cf.html |
The National team turned in one of the more decisive performances in recent Reese’s Senior Bowl history, dominating the American team 27-10 on a beautiful day at Mobile’s Hancock Whitney Stadium.
Jake Haener of Fresno State threw for 139 yards and a touchdown and the National team ran for 182 yards as part of a 370-yard performance. The National defense held the Americans to just 40 yards rushing and without an offensive touchdown, with the only TD coming on an interception return.
“We should have scored on the first drive, but it was good,” said Haener, a Washington transfer who cut short a phone call with Huskies offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb to take questions at the post-game press conference. “Going out there for my last college game, having some fun, wearing my Bulldog helmet for the last time and wrapping up a good week with the guys.”
Maryland kicker Chad Ryland accounted for 12 of the National team’s points on field goals of 32, 37, 41 and 42 yards. Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham ran 1 yard late in the second quarter for the National team’s first touchdown, while Haener hit Stanford’s Michael Wilson on a 44-yard score in the fourth quarter.
The American team got on the board on a 35-yard field goal by Georgia’s Jack Podlesny in the second quarter, and trailed 14-3 at the half. After Ryland’s last two field goals put the National team on top 20-3 after three, the Americans finally got into the end zone early in the fourth when Virginia’s Anthony Johnson picked off Cunningham and returned the football 37 yards for a touchdown.
Johnson wore No. 3 at Virginia, but switched to 15 for the Senior Bowl in tribute to teammate Devin Chandler, one of three Cavaliers players who were murdered by a fellow student in November. Chandler, a wide receiver, was killed along with D’Sean Perry and Lavel Davis Jr. in an incident that also wounded teammate Mike Hollins.
“It means a lot to me,” Johnson said. “My teammate was killed in November, and this is my first time playing football since that happened. To make that play in this jersey just means so much to me. And I know it means a lot to my university and my family as well.”
The National team led 6-0 after one quarter on the first two field goals by Chad Ryland, who was 4-for-5 in the game. The other three possessions — including both by the American team — ended in punts.
After Podlesny’s field goal cut it to 6-3, Cunningham entered the game and led a 9-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. He hit tight end Payne Durham for 16 yards to the 1-yard line, then kept for six on the next play.
Cunningham was not the intended ballcarrier on the touchdown, however, but fumbled the snap before picking it up and powering his way into the end zone. He then hit Durham for two points and a 14-3 lead with 1:54 left in the half.
The National defense then forced a punt, and Cunningham got his team back into possession for Ryland’s third field goal — a 41-yarder — for a 17-3 halftime lead. Cunningham was 2-for-2 for 31 yards and also ran for seven yards on the 42-second drive.
Cunningham, a Park Crossing High School graduate, ended the day 3-for-5 for 49 yards and also ran for 22 yards on five carries. But he did not re-enter the game after Johnson’s pick-six pulled the American team within 20-10.
The American team — which included players from Alabama, Auburn, South Alabama and most of the SEC teams — turned the ball over on downs at their 44 with 4:18 to play, and Haener took to the air for the final score of the day. He launched the ball to a lunging Michael Wilson of Stanford for a 44-yard score with 4:08 left.
Haener finished the day 12-for-19 passing, with Wilson catching four passes for 76 yards. The National team was left with only two quarterbacks — Haener and Cunningham — after BYU’s Jaren Hall bolted on Friday.
“It gave me more plays,” Haener said. “I wasn’t expecting it. It was a thing that Jaren decided to do; I totally get it. … I was expecting three of us to go, but we had to adjust and do some things on the fly, and we were able to do that and get the win.”
The American team tried one last time to get into the end zone, driving to the 12-yard line in the final minute. Quarterback Tyson Bagent of Shepherd University threw toward South Alabama’s Jalen Wayne, but Maryland cornerback Jakorian Bennett — a Mobile native who played his high school ball at McGill-Toolen — stepped in front of the pass for a punctuation mark interception.
Evan Hull of Northwestern led all ballcarriers with 74 yards on 10 carries for the National team, while Illinois’ Chase Brown added 40 yards on nine attempts. Kentucky’s Chris Rodriguez was the American team’s leading rusher with 27 yards on six carries.
Bagent led the American team with 138 yards on 17-for-22 passing, while Houston’s Clayton Tune went 9-for-12 for 70 yards. TCU’s Max Duggan was 4-for-9 for 26 yards.
Cincinnati linebacker Ivan Pace of the National team led all tacklers with 10 stops. Wayne, the former Spanish Fort star, led all receivers with eight catches for 50 yards, for the American team.
“I think I got more catches than I ever did when I was in a South jersey, so it was a lot of fun,” Wayne said. “It was definitely a great opportunity. I’m humble and grateful for it. I just had a lot of fun going against these great guys and great competition.”
The National team has now won all three Senior Bowls since a format switch from “North vs. South” to “National vs. American.” The National team won 27-24 in 2021 and 20-10 in 2022.
A number of high-profile players did play not in Saturday’s game due to injury or other unspecified reasons, including Alabama offensive lineman Emil Ekiyor and safety DeMarco Hellams, Auburn defensive end Derick Hall, Troy linebacker Carlton Martial, Houston wide receiver Tank Dell and Ohio State offensive lineman Dawand Jones. | 2023-02-05T00:26:38+00:00 | pennlive.com | https://www.pennlive.com/sports/2023/02/senior-bowl-2023-national-team-dominates-american-in-27-10-victory.html |
Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee are requesting documents that include communications between the Biden administration and social media companies as part of the panel’s investigation into what the GOP says were efforts to “suppress free speech and censor content online.”
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, on Wednesday penned a letter to Brian Boynton, the principal deputy assistant attorney general in the civil division, requesting that the Justice Department turn over documents that it provided in an earlier lawsuit filed by GOP-led states involving purported free speech violations.
The Hill obtained a copy of the letter, which requests that the materials are handed over by Feb. 22.
“The Committee on the Judiciary is conducting oversight of the Executive Branch’s efforts to sidestep the First Amendment by coercing and coordinating with private companies, including social media platforms, to suppress free speech and censor content online,” Jordan wrote.
“As part of our oversight, we write to request a discrete set of documents and information that the Department of Justice has produced as part of discovery in federal litigation over the same subject matter,” he added.
The attorneys general of Louisiana and Missouri filed a lawsuit against President Biden and other administration officials in May for “allegedly working” with social media companies — including Meta, Twitter and Youtube — to censor and suppress free speech on topics such as COVID-19 and election integrity.
The lawsuit — brought by Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry (R) and then-Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R) — named Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Heath and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, among others. It lists a number of stories the Republicans say were suppressed on social media, including the Hunter Biden laptop story and information about the origins of COVID-19.
Last month, Landry released a thread of emails from April 2021 between White House employees and Facebook discussing a video posted by Fox News’s Tucker Carlson that, according to Landry, criticized the COVID-19 vaccine. In the communications, then-White House coronavirus response coordinator Andy Slavitt asked about Carlson’s video, and White House director of digital strategy Rob Flaherty questioned why it did not violate the platform’s regulations.
Landry zeroed in on an email from a Facebook representative, whose email address is redacted, that said, “The video received 50% demotion for seven days while in the queue to be fact checked, and will continue to be demoted even though it was not ultimately fact checked.”
Jordan is now requesting that the Justice Department produce the documents it has provided in the Missouri and Louisiana litigation.
“These documents appear to reveal that the Executive Branch repeatedly pressured social media platforms to censor certain viewpoints,” Jordan wrote. “Congress has an important interest in protecting and advancing fundamental free speech principles, including by examining how the Executive Branch coordinates with or coerces private actors to suppress First Amendment-protected speech.”
“As Congress continues to examine how to best protect Americans’ fundamental freedoms, the documents discovered and produced during the Missouri v. Biden litigation are necessary to assist Congress in understanding the problem and evaluating potential legislative reforms,” he added.
The Hill reached out to the Justice Department for comment.
Jordan’s letter is the latest example of increased scrutiny House Republicans are placing on the suppression of information on social media platforms. On Wednesday, the same day Jordan sent his letter, the House Oversight and Accountability Committee held a hearing that looked into Twitter’s decisions regarding a 2020 New York Post story about Hunter Biden. Former Twitter executives testified at the hearing.
It comes after Republicans have claimed that the social media company suppressed circulation of the story for political purposes in the weeks leading up to the 2020 presidential election. | 2023-02-08T21:20:47+00:00 | pix11.com | https://pix11.com/hill-politics/jim-jordan-requests-communications-between-biden-administration-social-media-companies/ |
SAN DIEGO (KSWB) — 7-Eleven is encouraging Slurpee lovers to get creative for 2023’s “Bring Your Own Cup Day.”
On April 29, you can sip on your favorite flavor for $1.99 when bringing in your own cup at participating 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes stores.
Whether it’s a Mason jar, an entire pitcher, a tea kettle or a fish bowl, anything goes – as long as these rules are followed:
- The cup needs to be food-safe and clean
- The cup needs to be able to fit upright within the 10-inch hole in the in-store display. 7-Eleven says this will ensure it can also fit under the Slurpee drink dispenser.
- The cup must watertight and leak proof
“We love seeing customers enjoy our products in fun ways – especially when it comes to our beloved, iconic Slurpee drink,” said 7-Eleven Director of Proprietary Beverages, Ben Boulden. “From cowboy boot to fishbowl…the more creative the cup, the better. We can’t wait to see what our customers come up with this year.”
To add to the fun, the retailers are also debuting a new, limited edition flavor: the Fanta Dragon Fruit Zero Sugar. This Slurplee, according to 7-Eleven, has kiwi, pear and watermelon flavors.
Classic flavor options like Coca-Cola, Cherry and Blue Raspberry are also all available for the promotion.
7-Eleven said the deal is limited to one cup per customer and taxes are not included in the listed price of $1.99. | 2023-04-19T20:14:36+00:00 | myfox8.com | https://myfox8.com/news/bring-your-own-cup-day-returns-to-7-eleven-here-are-the-rules/ |
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Nelly Cummings scored 13 points and No. 11 seed Pittsburgh held sixth-seeded Iowa State to 23% shooting in a 59-41 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday.
Jamarius Burton added 11 points and Greg Elliott had 10 for coach Jeff Capel’s Panthers, who stormed to a 22-2 lead after Iowa State missed its first 11 shots. Things didn’t get much better for the Cyclones, who had three stretches in which they missed at least eight consecutive shots.
Pitt (24-11), which edged Mississippi State in the First Four, moves on to Sunday’s second-round Midwest Region game against third-seeded Xavier, which had to rally from 13 points down to beat No. 14 seed Kennesaw State.
Gabe Kalscheur and Jaren Holmes each had 12 points for Iowa State (19-14), which reached the Sweet 16 last year in coach T.J. Otzelberger’s first season.
The Cyclones, who had lost nine of their previous 13 games, didn’t make a basket until Holmes’ short jumper with 9:53 left in the first half, which drew a sarcastic cheer from Iowa State fans.
Iowa State’s poor start came while shooting at the same basket that officials worked to fix before the game, causing a brief delay.
“Iowa State asked us during pregame warmups to check if the rim was level,” the NCAA said in a statement. “Building personnel checked it and made a minor adjustment prior to the game beginning. We offered them additional warmup time but they declined.”
Holmes’ bucket seemed to spark the Cyclones, who climbed back within 30-23 at halftime. Iowa State took advantage of three Pitt starters who were forced to the bench with foul trouble and nine turnovers.
But the Cyclones came out of the locker room the exact same way they started the first half — making two of their first 19 shots.
When Pitt’s Nike Sibande was fouled on a 3-pointer from the left corner with under five minutes left and made the ensuing free throw to put the Panthers up by 20, it was all but over.
The Cyclones went nearly eight minutes without a field goal in the second half before Tamin Lipsey made a 3-pointer from the corner with 2:13 left to cut the lead to 56-37.
Pitt got an emotional boost from center Federiko Federiko, who received a huge ovation from the Panthers faithful when he checked into the game in the first half. Frederiko sat out with a knee injury against Mississippi State and the Panthers were outrebounded by 21.
BIG PICTURE
Pitt: The Panthers knocked down eight 3s against one of the better defenses in the country when they beat Mississippi State for their first NCAA Tournament win since 2014. They stayed hot against Iowa State, making their first three shots from beyond the arc.
Iowa State: The Cyclones weren’t quite ready for the big stage, enduing one of the poorest shooting performances in recent memory.
___
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 | 2023-03-18T20:21:22+00:00 | upmatters.com | https://www.upmatters.com/sports/ap-sports/pitt-holds-iowa-state-to-22-shooting-in-59-41-1st-round-win/ |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The statue of a 19th-century Northern California rancher and meat-packing magnate was decapitated earlier this week, leaving investigators in the state’s capital city scratching their heads to find a motive behind the vandalism.
Tipsters could receive a $1,000 reward for information about what befell the nearly century-old granite statue of Charles Swanston in Sacramento’s William Land Park on Monday. The severed head was found on the ground nearby.
Swanston traveled west from Ohio as part of the California Gold Rush and quickly realized he’d make more money as a butcher, according to Sacramento City Historian Marcia Eymann.
Police are investigating whether the vandal — or vandals — had a beef with the Swanstons or if it was a random act.
“I have no idea why anyone, unless they’re vegetarians and didn’t like meat-packers” would do this to the statue, Eymann said Wednesday. “I find this very bizarre.”
The statue is the work of the late sculptor Ralph Stackpole, a famous San Francisco artist during the Great Depression era.
An early Sacramento pioneer and settler, Swanston then became a rancher and started a meat-packing business that made him rich. His son in the 1920s commissioned the statue, which is part of a fountain, and donated it to the city after Swanston’s death in 1911 at 101 years old, The Sacramento Bee reported.
The family’s ranch was located on what’s now William Land Park. Eymann said if not for his son’s donation, the city would likely have never put up a piece for Swanston.
“Not that anybody knows who he is, but that’s something very special that Sacramento had and now it’s destroyed,” she said. | 2022-12-29T13:04:12+00:00 | keloland.com | https://www.keloland.com/strange-news/ap-strange-news/ap-northern-california-statue-of-meat-packing-magnate-beheaded/ |
BRISTOL, Va. – On a day that was blustery as could be, John Battle High School’s baseball team earned a win by running like the wind.
The Trojans scored five times in the bottom of the fifth inning despite not hitting a ball out of the infield as adept baserunning proved to be the difference in Saturday’s 9-5 victory over the Providence Academy Knights from Johnson City, Tennessee.
Battle (2-1) erased a 5-1 deficit in beating the Knights (6-2) for the second time in three days as Jackson Gayle and Broadie Bailey made key plays on the basepaths during that big inning.
“We work on baserunning every practice,” Bailey said. “It’s the first thing we do.”
It showed.
Porter Gobble and Gayle turned potential double-play grounders into run-scoring fielder’s choices in the inning by busting it down the line, while Ryan Mix and Bailey recorded infield singles.
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Bailey’s slow hopper to third base with two outs proved to be the difference as he legged out the single in driving in the tying run.
Gayle broke for third base on the play when the ball bounded away from Providence’s first baseman.
“I saw it hit the ground and just started running,” Gayle said.
The throw across the diamond that attempted to nab him at third base got away and bounced out of the field of play, allowing Gayle to score the go-ahead run.
Gayle was pumped up as he trotted home to give Battle a 6-5 advantage.
On a breezy day, just refer to that as Gayle force.
“Honestly, getting out of the box is something we talk about and practice a lot,” said John Battle coach Jimmy Gobble. “But it’s really athletes being athletes and giving that effort and hustle.”
Mix, Bailey and Elijah Childress each had two hits for Battle.
Evan Hankins got the win on the mound, despite some early struggles.
The sophomore left-hander yielded four hits over five innings.
“Evan got stronger and stronger as the game went on,” Gobble said. “The first two innings he wasn’t in rhythm and we didn’t back him up fully defensively.”
Caleb Lockhart and Noah Sills pitched a scoreless inning apiece to close out the win.
Both of the losses for the private-school Knights this season have come to Battle. The Trojans took a 7-3 win on Thursday.
“You usually play how your coach is and that’s Jimmy Gobble,” said Providence Academy coach Jeff Reed. “He does a great job over there. He’s got some really good ballplayers and they are really scrappy. We had a five-run lead and they came back and snake bit us.”
Caleb Cross from Bristol went 2-for-4 and drove in a run to lead the Knights. He has signed with NCAA Division II Catawba College in North Carolina.
Starting pitcher Merritt Runnels pitched well for the Knights, but Lucas Belcher struggled on the mound with five walks in his two innings of relief.
A MLB catcher for 17 seasons and a World Series champion with the 1990 Cincinnati Reds, Reed was a man with a plan when Providence Academy’s program was born four years ago.
Jeremy Owens, a Science Hill High School graduate, who reached the Triple-A level with the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays, is an assistant on Reed’s staff. Owens also manages the Appalachian League’s Elizabethton River Riders.
“We’ve got a great bunch of kids and a lot of talent here,” Reed said. “They are learning. We are going to be better at the end of the season than we are now. I love these guys. This is our first year being in the TSSAA, so this is the first year we can get in the postseason and these guys are excited about it.”
Battle is pretty excited for the 2023 season to unfold as well after finishing as VHSL Class 2 state runner-up last spring. With many of their top players back in the field, the Trojans are a team on a mission.
“Our team chemistry is up there,” Gayle said. “We’ve just been playing so long together most of us. When we get in a groove hitting we can take off. We have pretty high confidence. We know where we are.” | 2023-03-26T04:40:33+00:00 | heraldcourier.com | https://heraldcourier.com/sports/baserunning-carries-john-battle-past-providence/article_8affada8-cb78-11ed-8ebb-27b5b09944d6.html |
Huntington University Indiana track program is under scrutiny. What you need to know
An IndyStar sports investigation uncovered allegations of sexual abuse, potential doping and other issues in the women's running program at Huntington University. More details about the allegations were revealed in a federal lawsuit filed Friday on behalf of two former runners.
Here's what you need to know.
Where is Huntington University?
Huntington University is a Christian liberal arts college in Huntington, Indiana, about 100 miles northeast of Indianapolis. It is affiliated with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. The university reported enrollment is 1,428.
The university says part of its philosophy is "the conviction that all truth is God's truth" and that the school "exists to carry out the mission of Christ in higher education," according to its website. Huntington is part of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities.
Huntington athletic teams are called the Foresters. The university is part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), as well as the Crossroads League, a conference of private Christian colleges in the Midwest.
A dark side:Christian college coach created a culture of doping and sex, star runners allege
Who is Nick Johnson?
Nick Johnson, 35, formerly coached cross-country and track at Huntington University, where he was hired in 2018. He was fired in 2020 after being arrested on four felony charges related to a high school girl. Johnson, who grew up in Huntington and ran for the Foresters, pleaded guilty to felony identity deception in 2021 and served 30 days of a two-year sentence.
Johnson graduated from Huntington University in 2009 and was inducted into the HU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.
What are the new allegations?
A lawsuit filed on behalf of two former HU students Sept. 30 alleges Johnson had sex with two student-athletes and forced pills and injections on his runners. He referred questions about the lawsuit to his attorney, who did not comment.
The lawsuit also alleges negligence by Johnson's wife, Lauren Johnson, as well as assistant coach Curtis Hines, Huntington University and other school officials. The individuals and the school did not respond to requests for comment.
Who is Lauren Johnson?
Lauren Johnson, 35, is in her second year as cross-country coach of Huntington University, where she is the first female coach to head the program. She replaced her husband, Nick Johnson, in the position.
As an athlete, she earned All-America honors in track, cross-country and basketball.
Lauren Johnson represented the United States in the 1,500 meters at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, where she qualified for the semifinals. She was inducted into the the HU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015. | 2022-10-04T16:47:07+00:00 | indystar.com | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/investigations/2022/10/04/heres-why-huntington-universitys-running-program-is-under-scrutiny/69526332007/ |
NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Block, Inc. (NYSE: SQ) between November 4, 2021 and April 4, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important December 12, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.
SO WHAT: If you purchased Block securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Block class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=9176 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than December 12, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Block lacked adequate protocols restricting access to customer sensitive information; (2) as a result, a former employee was able to download certain reports of Block's subsidiary, Cash App Investing, containing full customer names and brokerage account numbers, as well as brokerage portfolio value, brokerage portfolio holdings and/or stock trading activity; (3) as a result, Block was reasonably likely to suffer significant damage, including reputational harm; and (4) as a result of the foregoing, defendant's positive statements about Block's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the Block class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=9176 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
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SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. | 2022-10-22T00:08:12+00:00 | ksla.com | https://www.ksla.com/prnewswire/2022/10/21/rosen-leading-law-firm-encourages-block-inc-investors-with-losses-over-100k-secure-counsel-before-important-deadline-securities-class-action-sq/ |
Statement Pursuant to Section 19(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
DENVER, Dec. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Clough Global Equity Fund (NYSE MKT: GLQ) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund, paid a monthly distribution on its common stock of $0.1162 per share to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 20, 2022.
The following table sets forth the estimated amount of the sources of distribution for purposes of Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the related rules adopted thereunder. The Fund estimates the following percentages, of the total distribution amount per share, attributable to (i) current and prior fiscal year net investment income, (ii) net realized short-term capital gain, (iii) net realized long-term capital gain and (iv) return of capital or other capital source as a percentage of the total distribution amount. These percentages are disclosed for the current distribution as well as the fiscal year-to-date cumulative distribution amount per share for the Fund.
The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this 19(a) Notice are only estimates and not for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with 'yield' or 'income.'
Presented below are return figures, based on the change in the Fund's Net Asset Value per share ("NAV"), compared to the annualized distribution rate for this current distribution as a percentage of the NAV on the last business day of the month prior to distribution record date.
Fund Performance & Distribution Information
Past performance is not indicative of future results.
^ Based on the Fund's NAV as of November 30, 2022.
+Cumulative distribution rate is based on distributions paid to date for the period November 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022.
*Cumulative fiscal year-to-date return is based on the change in NAV including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of these distributions and that all rights in the Fund's rights offering were exercised, for the period November 1, 2022 through November 30, 2022.
**The 5 year average annual total return is based on change in NAV including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of these distributions and that all rights in the Fund's rights offering were exercised, as of the last business day of the month prior to the month of the current distribution record date.
While the NAV performance may be indicative of the Fund's investment performance, it does not measure the value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund. The value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund is determined by the Fund's market price, which is based on the supply and demand for the Fund's shares in the open market.
Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's Managed Distribution Plan.
Furthermore, the Board of Trustees reviews the amount of any potential distribution and the income, capital gain or capital available. The Board of Trustees will continue to monitor the Fund's distribution level, taking into consideration the Fund's net asset value and the financial market environment. The Fund's distribution policy is subject to modification by the Board of Trustees at any time. The distribution rate should not be considered the dividend yield or total return on an investment in the Fund.
ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. FINRA Member Firm.
Clough Global Equity Fund (NYSE MKT: GLQ)
1290 Broadway, Suite 1000
Denver, CO 80203
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SOURCE Clough Global Equity Fund | 2022-12-30T11:45:08+00:00 | ksla.com | https://www.ksla.com/prnewswire/2022/12/30/clough-global-equity-fund-section-19a-notice/ |
A Massachusetts man was arrested Wednesday after showing up to the Amazon construction project in Revere with a shotgun, police said.
Matthew White, 41, of Peabody, was charged with possession of a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without an FID card, leaving a firearm in a motor vehicle, and improper storage of a firearm, according to police.
The Revere Police Department received a call about an armed man at the Amazon construction site around 11 a.m. Wednesday, which is located at 565 Squire Road. When they arrived, police arrested White and recovered the shotgun and three rounds of ammunition.
Police said White was “affiliated” with the Massachusetts Amazon construction project. Employees reported White, according to NBC Boston.
White is expected to be arraigned at Chelsea District Court Thursday, the news outlet reported. | 2022-10-06T12:05:00+00:00 | masslive.com | https://www.masslive.com/police-fire/2022/10/amazon-construction-employees-report-man-with-shotgun-at-revere-site-report-says.html |
PITTSBURGH, Jan. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- "I wanted to create a neat and efficient way to slice a pie or cheesecake into even pieces," said an inventor, from Vass, N.C., "so I invented the READY- SLICE. My design eliminates the mess associated with using a knife and it enables the dessert to be more easily removed and served."
The patent-pending invention provides an effective means of slicing a cheesecake or pie into equal portions. In doing so, it offers an alternative to slicing with a knife. As a result, it saves time and effort, it reduces messes and it could contribute to a better presentation. The invention features a novel design that is easy to use so it is ideal for households, restaurants and bakeries. Additionally, it is producible in design variations.
The original design was submitted to the National sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 21-LBT-403, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
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SOURCE InventHelp | 2023-01-03T07:03:04+00:00 | kcrg.com | https://www.kcrg.com/prnewswire/2023/01/02/inventhelp-inventor-develops-kitchen-gadget-slicing-pie-amp-cheesecake-lbt-403/ |
CHICAGO (AP) — The Orlando Magic won the NBA draft lottery Tuesday night and landed the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since they got Dwight Howard in 2004.
It’s the fourth time lottery luck struck for the Magic, who won in back-to-back years in 1992 and 1993, taking Shaquille O’Neal and then trading the rights to Chris Webber for Penny Hardaway.
Orlando finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference at 22-60 and missed the playoffs for the eighth time in 10 years. But the Magic got a huge win in the lottery, where they had a 14% chance landing the top pick.
“It feels great,” president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said. “I’m so happy for our fans. They really stuck with us. And nights like this help, where you can really show the fruits of why you go through these phases and these cycles. And hopefully, they’re really excited by this.”
Duke’s Paolo Banchero, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, Purdue’s Jaden Ivey and Auburn’s Jabari Smith are widely considered the most likely candidates to be taken first. The draft is June 23 in New York.
Oklahoma City got the second pick, followed by Houston and Sacramento. The Kings moved up from the No. 7 spot entering the lottery.
Detroit picks fifth, with Indiana, Portland, New Orleans, San Antonio and Washington rounding out the top 10. The rest of the lottery results are: New York, Oklahoma City, Charlotte and Cleveland.
The lottery, with 14 ping pong balls numbered 1 through 14 placed into a hopper, sets the first four picks. The remainder of the non-playoff teams go in reverse order of their finish.
Houston, Orlando and Detroit had the best odds of winning the lottery at 14%. All three had young teams that finished at the bottom of the NBA.
The Magic are committed to building through the draft after trading veterans Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon in March 2021 for first-round draft picks in 2023 and 2025. But they were missing two of the young players they are trying to build around last season with Jonathan Issac and Markelle Fultz recovering from knee injuries.
New Orleans might be one of the biggest winners as the lone playoff team with a lottery pick. The Pelicans got it in the 2019 trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Lakers.
With Los Angeles struggling to a 33-49 record, eighth worst in the NBA, that put the Pelicans in position to cash in. They needed the pick to fall in the top-10 in order to keep it, and there was a 99.6% chance of that.
Now, they’re in position to add a lottery pick to go with All-Star Brandon Ingram.
Banchero, Holmgren and Smith decided to turn pro after one college season while Ivey spent two years at Purdue.
The 6-foot-10, 250-pound Banchero was viewed as a likely one-and-done player before he arrived at Duke from Seattle as part of a talented recruited class. He lived up to it, helping the Blue Devils reach now-retired coach Mike Krzyzewski’s record 13th Final Four before losing to archrival North Carolina.
With his strength and perimeter skills, Banchero averaged 17.2 points and 7.8 rebounds. He scored 20 or more 15 times while failing to reach double figures only twice in 39 games.
Holmgren, a 7-footer with the ability to pass and handle the ball like a guard, was one of the most highly touted recruits ever for Gonzaga. He was the West Coast Conference newcomer of the year, defensive player of the year and a first-team all-conference selection. He averaged 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game, and was a third-team AP All-American.
Smith also lived up to his billing as one of the top recruits ever for Auburn. The Tigers earned their first No. 1 ranking and spent three weeks in the top spot. The 6-10, 220-pounder from Fayetteville, Georgia, was a second-team, All-American and the SEC freshman of the year. He led Auburn in scoring, averaging 16.9 points and 7.4 rebounds. Smith was also the Tigers’ top 3-point shooter after making 79 of 188 attempts (43%).
The rest of the first round is slotted this way: Charlotte at No. 15, followed by Atlanta, Houston, Chicago, Minnesota, San Antonio, Toronto, Denver, Memphis, Houston (from Brooklyn through the James Harden trade), Milwaukee, San Antonio, Dallas, Miami, Golden State, Memphis and Oklahoma City. | 2022-05-18T02:33:20+00:00 | wishtv.com | https://www.wishtv.com/news/magic-moment-orlando-wins-lottery-lands-no-1-pick/ |
SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — As the expected end of Title 42 approaches, the city of Tijuana is scrambling to find additional shelter space for migrants.
Tijuana Mayor Montserrat Caballero says her city is expecting an influx of migrants and have begun planning to house them in the city’s sports facilities.
“We don’t have a number of people who could arrive due to Title 42,” she said. “We’re going to get our sports complexes ready as far as having adequate supplies if and when we need them.”
Tijuana has 30 sanctioned shelters serving about 5,000 migrants.
Enrique Lucero, head of the city’s Migrant Affairs Office says shelters are already saturated and can’t handle additional groups of migrants.
“The shelters are all operating at 95 or 100 percent capacity,” said Lucero. “Many are already over capacity.”
Lucero stated the exact number of migrants in Tijuana is unknown considering there are many more living in hotels or private homes.
Following the end of Title 42, Lucero expects long lines at ports of entry.
Under U.S. immigration laws, asylum-seekers must present themselves at a U.S. port, airport or official land crossing to request the opportunity to apply for asylum.
According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have discretionary powers to decide if a migrant has a valid persecution claim due to their race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, membership in a particular social group or political affiliation.
“You could see up to 10,000 people line up to ask for asylum,” said Lucero. “We are expecting very long lines and delays.”
Lucero expects some migrants will be denied access to the U.S. and sent back to Tijuana.
And migrants who are caught entering the United States between ports of entry risk being returned to Mexico and banned from the U.S. for five years, 20 if caught a second time, according to Border Patrol spokesperson Angel Moreno.
The additional migrants who will find themselves back in Mexico in cities such as Tijuana are expected to increase demand for shelter space, Caballero said.
“We always find ourselves in this type of problematic situations, but we’re hopeful the state and the federal government will step in and we can be secondary responders,” she said.
May 11 is when Title 42 is expected to be eliminated. | 2023-05-03T00:56:38+00:00 | ksn.com | https://www.ksn.com/border-report-tour/tijuana-will-need-more-migrant-shelters-when-title-42-goes-away-mayor-says/ |
It’s basically the halfway point of the season and if the Dolphins (5-3) repeat what they did in the first half, they’ll win 10 or 11 games and, most likely, end their five-year playoff drought.
With this being a 17-game season, if the Dolphins pick up where they left off after Sunday’s 31-27 win at Detroit, they will have a legitimate shot at an elusive postseason berth.
The Dolphins have missed the playoffs in 18 of the past 20 years. They haven’t won a postseason game in 21 years, dating back to a 23-17 overtime win over the Colts on Dec. 30, 2000.
With a favorable schedule the next few weeks (at 3-5 Chicago, vs. 3-5 Cleveland, vs. 1-5 Houston), they should strengthen their hold on one of the AFC’s seven playoff berths.
The combined record of the Dolphins’ first eight opponents is 33-27 (.550).
The combined record of the Dolphins’ final nine opponents is 32-35-1 (.478).
The Dolphins, who currently hold the No. 6 AFC playoff spot, should fare better in the second half of the season.
But beware. The schedule at the end of the season is back-loaded (at San Francisco, at Los Angeles Chargers, at Buffalo, vs. Green Bay, at New England and vs. New York Jets).
The combined record of the Dolphins’ last six opponents is 26-20 (.565).
And the Dolphins, who are 2-2 on the road, have five road games among their final nine, including a stretch of three in a row.
Still, the outlook is promising.
Tua Tagovailoa (12 touchdowns, three interceptions, league-best 112.7 passer rating) seems to be hitting his stride after a two-game absence in concussion protocol. His three-touchdown, 382-yard performance against Detroit was his best game of the year.
“I was very happy with the way the quarterback played and the decisions that he made, just playing within himself and making plays when they were there,” coach Mike McDaniel said.
Receivers Tyreek Hill (league-best 961 yards receiving, two touchdowns) and Jaylen Waddle (727 receiving yards, fourth in the league, and five touchdowns) have been virtually unstoppable.
The offense showed diversity against the Lions with a rushing touchdown from fullback Alec Ingold, receiving touchdowns from Waddle and tight end Mike Gesicki, and what should have been a receiving touchdown for receiver Trent Sherfield (he was ruled down just short of the goal line). All are encouraging signs.
“We had a bunch of key plays from Mike Gesicki, Trent Sherfield, [running back Raheem] Mostert, and then the play that Tua had,” McDaniel said.
“If we can get that every week, that’s a winning formula. That is tough to stop.”
The defense, for the most part, is making plays when necessary.
The statistics aren’t ideal. The Dolphins are 23rd in the league in yards allowed per game at 362.8, but they make timely plays such as keeping Detroit scoreless in the second half and getting two interceptions in the final three minutes to preserve the Pittsburgh victory.
Dolphins fans should be optimistic.
Well, cautiously optimistic.
Significant injuries continue to mount even as the Dolphins are getting healthier overall.
Left guard Liam Eichenberg was the most recent, sustaining a knee injury against Detroit. He was replaced by Robert Jones.
The Dolphins lost safety Brandon Jones (knee) for the season the previous week against Pittsburgh.
All told, the Dolphins have lost four starters or projected starters to season-ending injuries, or for significant time due to injury — Brandon Jones (knee), cornerback Byron Jones (Achilles), cornerback Nik Needham (Achilles), and right tackle Austin Jackson (ankle). It should be noted Tagoaviloa missed two and a half games due to concussion protocol.
And turnovers and penalties are still concerning.
The Dolphins are minus-3 in turnover margin, tied for 24th.
The Dolphins are tied with Dallas for fourth-most penalties (55) and are ninth in penalty yards (416).
“You just have to make a point of emphasis, take each penalty individually and coach off of it, so that we can improve and not put ourselves in such tough spots on both sides of the ball unnecessarily,” McDaniel said.
The ground game, which has shown signs of life recently by totaling at least 100 yards in three of the past four games, still isn’t at full speed.
The Dolphins are 28th in rushing at 88.1 yards per game.
The Dolphins are 16th in scoring at 22.3 points per game, and 24th in points allowed at 24.0 points a game.
In points allowed vs. points scored, the Dolphins are minus-14. They’re one of three teams to have a winning record and be upside down in that category, joining Tennessee (5-2, minus-6) and the Los Angeles Chargers (4-3, minus-25).
As for special teams, kicker Jason Sanders remains 0 for 3 on field goal attempts of 50 yards or beyond but perfect on anything shorter, and punter Thomas Morstead is constantly flipping the field and helping the defense. However, the Dolphins remain spotty in special teams as miscues such as Detroit’s successful fake punt keep occurring.
But the offense seems to be getting into a groove, the defense continues making plays, and most importantly, the Dolphins have a winning record and remain in the thick of the playoff hunt.
()
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ISLAMABAD (AP) — A delegation of Pakistanis, including a former government minister, met Israeli Foreign Ministry officials in Jerusalem on Wednesday, the leader of the group and trip organizers said.
Pakistan is among the countries that has no diplomatic relations with Israel because of the lingering issue of Palestinian statehood, and says no government delegation has visited Israel.
The trip organizer says the delegation also included representatives from the American Muslims and Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council and Sharaka, a U.S.-based non-government group founded in the wake of the Abraham Accords, which was brokered by the Trump administration in 2020 and normalized relations between Israel and four Arab countries — the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.
“Yes, I am in Jerusalem with a delegation to promote interfaith harmony," Nasim Ashraf, the head of the delegation, told The Associated Press by phone. He refused to give any further details about other members of the delegation. Ashraf used to be Pakistan's development minister and the chairman of the Pakistani Cricket Board.
The trip comes more than three months after journalist Ahmed Quraishi, who also traveled to Jerusalem to promote interfaith harmony, was taken off the air by Pakistan Television after his visit.
Anila Ali, a Pakistani-born U.S. citizen who lives in the United States and is one of the trip organizers, told the AP that Ashraf was in Jerusalem to promote interfaith harmony.
She urged Pakistan to establish diplomatic ties with Israel that would be in its best national interest.
She said Turkey was a good example for Pakistan, as Turkish leadership established diplomatic ties with Israel in their national interest. “If Turkey can do it, then why cannot we do it," she asked.
Ali said Israel could guide and help Pakistan in improving the country's irrigation system in the wake of the latest flooding, which has caused 1,569 deaths since mid-June. | 2022-09-21T14:11:19+00:00 | expressnews.com | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/Former-Pakistani-government-minister-visits-Israel-17456449.php |
TAMARAC, FLA. (WSVN) - Authorities seek the public’s help to locate a woman who was reported missing from Tamarac.
According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, 62-year-old Lois Brown was last seen near the 5100 block of Yellow Pine Lane, at around 2:25 p.m. on Tuesday.
Brown stands 5 feet, 7 inches tall, weighs around 170 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes.
She was last seen wearing a black jumpsuit with a brown jacket and was driving a white 2018 Nissan Rogue with the Florida tag 641RVJ.
Officials urge anyone with information on Brown’s whereabouts to contact BSO Detective Chris Blankenship at 954-321-4268 or the BSO non-emergency number 954-764- HELP (4357)
Copyright 2023 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | 2023-07-28T21:31:53+00:00 | wsvn.com | https://wsvn.com/news/local/broward/bso-search-for-missing-62-year-old-woman-in-tamarac/ |
Jensen claims 'political machine' behind medical board investigation
(FOX 9) - Former gubernatorial candidate and family practice doctor Scott Jensen says his medical license is under fire because of a "political machine."
He says the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice is investigating him for alleged COVID-19 disinformation, and he’s taking everything public because he suspects other forces are behind it.
Dr. Jensen went back to his day job after he lost the governor’s race in November with just under 45% of the vote.
"Now that that’s over, I think this may be a time where people think that it’s appropriate to exercise authority and potentially punish," Dr. Jensen told FOX 9.
Jensen says a fifth Minnesota Board of Medical Practice investigation into him went dormant during the campaign, but he recently got a letter from the state attorney general’s office that it’s active again.
A Notice of Conference said the medical board got 18 complaints related to his public comments about COVID-19 and patient care.
It discussed him spreading disinformation about vaccines and masks, and accused him of promoting conspiracy theories including that the Minnesota Department of Health told healthcare providers to falsify death certificates by listing COVID-19 as cause of death.
Jensen says that claim in 2020 led to the first medical board investigation of his nearly 40-year career.
But he says the medical board is just a tool for a political machine attacking him.
"They know full well they’re being weaponized," he said. "They know that on the basis of these complaints, these are not people who ever received any health care services from me."
Dr. Jensen zeroed in on the involvement of the attorney general’s office, which he says didn’t happen in the first four investigations.
The medical board’s executive director told us it’s not unusual.
"The Minnesota Attorney General’s office is statutorily assigned to provide legal and investigative services to the Board of Medical Practice and all other health professionals regulatory boards," said Ruth M. Martinez, executive director of the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice.
And a deputy chief of staff at the AG’s office agreed.
"It is standard practice for the AG’s office to be involved in all conferences at this stage of the process with the Board of Medical Practice and all the licensing boards," said John Stiles, deputy chief of staff at the office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
The medical board’s Complaint Review Committee scheduled its conference with Dr. Jensen on Feb. 24, but he’s asked for a delay of a month or two so he has time to prepare a response.
At this point, he says he hasn’t even decided if he needs an attorney. | 2023-02-01T04:23:03+00:00 | fox9.com | https://www.fox9.com/news/jensen-claims-political-machine-behind-medical-board-investigation |
EC Infosystems, a VertexOne Company, led this critical implementation project from start to finish, completing it on time and on budget.
DALLAS, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- VertexOne, the leading provider of enhanced software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions for the utility and energy industry, today announced that on March 21, 2022, True Electric LLC successfully went live with the UtiliBill™ billing, customer information system (CIS) and electronic data interchange (EDI) solutions. This is an important step in True Electric's long-term success and competitive advantage in the Texas deregulated energy market.
The swift migration of True Electric's customers onto these industry-leading platforms follows the organization's entrance into the ERCOT market in December 2020. VertexOne's prescriptive and proven implementation approach was a key factor in True Electric's decision to partner with EC Infosystems, a VertexOne Company.
"This project is crucial for our business success and resilience. We knew we needed to identify a vendor we could rely on today and for many years to come," shares Lindsey Margiotta, Chief Operating Officer of True Electric. "We have been overwhelmingly satisfied with EC Infosystems' reliability, hard work and ability to meet our technical requirements."
As a result of this successful migration, True Electric is currently live and serving residential and commercial customers in Texas within the AEP Central, AEP Northern, TNMP, Oncor and CenterPoint utility territories.
"We are excited to work alongside True Electric in growing their business and look to our partnership to help in enhancing our own solutions," said Ananda Goswami, Senior Vice President of Retail at VertexOne. "This achievement is the result of a joint effort between our organizations, where we have worked diligently to ensure that this project is aligned with True Electric's current goals. We look forward to broadening our partnership to meet the rapidly changing demands of the energy industry."
With its differentiated customer offering, True Electric is positioned for significant growth in the Texas deregulated market. Following this successful migration, the team plans to explore a future implementation of UtiliBill's complex billing module to allow True Electric to develop and configure complex products for end customers in real time.
"Our efficient and prescriptive implementation methodology has been a cornerstone of VertexOne's success over our 30 plus years in operation," said Andrew Jornod, CEO of VertexOne. "True Electric is a leader in the evolving energy market and exemplary in running a cutting-edge organization, revolutionizing the customer experience. VertexOne is thrilled to be a part of their individual transformation and the large-scale industry transformation."
To learn more about VertexOne's solutions, please visit https://www.vertexone.net/.
VertexOne is the recognized leader in SaaS platforms for critical business processes of utilities and retail energy companies across North America. VertexOne offers a wide range of innovative services and solutions, including the VertexOne Complete™️ SaaS Solution for Utilities, comprised of the Customer Information System (CIS), Mobile Workforce Management (MWM), Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), Meter Data Management (MDM), Digital Customer Engagement and Customer Self Service. These solutions help utilities and energy companies deliver a compelling customer experience, reducing the cost to serve customers, increasing operational efficiency, improving customer satisfaction and driving their operations forward. Through the VertexOne Complete™ SaaS offering, VertexOne takes on the heavy lifting of keeping current with technological changes so that utilities and energy companies don't have to. This gives our customers more time to focus on their core business. For our deregulated energy clients, this also means garnering a greater competitive advantage. For more information, visit https://www.vertexone.net.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE VertexOne | 2022-07-21T13:41:16+00:00 | witn.com | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/07/21/vertexone-announces-successful-go-live-with-true-electric-llc-power-its-billing-edi-operations/ |
Leading National Pediatric Urgent Care & Behavioral Health Network Receives Funding to Further Its Mission in Revolutionizing the Delivery of Pediatric Care
LONG ISLAND, N.Y., June 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PM Pediatric Care, a nationally recognized leader in the delivery of pediatric care, announces $50M in Series E equity funding led by Scopia Capital, including Jefferson River Capital.
Funding from this series will be used to accelerate expansion of the company's world-class urgent care network; its newer service offerings, including its mental and behavioral health program for children and young adults; and its school health program. The company will also enhance its patient-centered infrastructure and explore additional pediatric service lines, including primary care, as it seeks to become a key component of value-based models of pediatric health care. PM Pediatric Care has treated over 6.5 million patients in 78 urgent care locations across the U.S., as well as thousands of mental and behavioral health patients. The company is widely recognized for its high-quality, evidence-based, and convenient healthcare services for children and young adults, offered both in-office and virtually.
"PM Pediatric Care continues to be poised for significant growth. We're proud to support the Company as it works to change how pediatric medicine is delivered in our country, making access to specialized physical and mental health care convenient and affordable," said Matthew Sirovich, Managing Partner of Scopia Capital.
PM Pediatric Care also announces the appointment of two new board members. Joining as non-executive Chair of the Board is healthcare industry veteran Helena Buonanno Foulkes. Foulkes is a seasoned CEO and former President of Retail at CVS. During her time at CVS, Foulkes helmed the company's groundbreaking ExtraCare loyalty program, improving prescription drug delivery at low costs. Also joining the board is Dr. Troy Brennan, an internal medicine physician and former Chief Medical Officer for both Aetna and CVS Health as well as Adjunct Professor of Health Policy at Harvard School of Public Health. Together, both Foulkes and Brennan bring decades of industry experience to PM Pediatric Care.
"We have never been more confident in the future of PM Pediatric Care," said Steve Katz, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of PM Pediatric Care. "Now more than ever, quality urgent care, behavioral health, and other outpatient services are crucial for the welfare of our children and young adults. We are committed to delivering on the growing needs of our communities and innovating to help keep our youth healthy."
For more information, please visit pmpediatriccare.com.
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SOURCE PM Pediatric Care | 2023-06-20T14:34:22+00:00 | kalb.com | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2023/06/20/pm-pediatric-care-announces-50m-investment-scopia-capital-jefferson-river-capital/ |
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's drawing of the Washington Lottery's "Keno" game were:
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If Chipotle wasn't fast enough for you already, the popular restaurant chain is getting some help from a new robot.
The company has teamed up with Vebu Labs to develop its new "Autocado" machine, which is estimated to cut guacamole prep time in half. Here's how it works:
1. Avocados are loaded into the machine.
2. One at a time, they are vertically oriented and transferred into the processing phase.
3. The fruits are then cut, peeled, cored, and dropped into a steel bowl at the bottom of the device.
4. A Chipotle team member then adds additional ingredients and hand mashes the avocados the create the restaurant's signature guacamole.
SEE MORE: Chipotle axes gas grills from new restaurants
On average, Chipotle says it takes about 50 minutes to make a batch of its infamous guac, but the Autocado machine is expected to cut that time down to about 25 minutes. The prototype is currently being tested at a Chipotle Cultivate Center in California.
"Our purpose as a robotic company is to leverage automation technology to give workers more flexibility in their day-to-day work," said Buck Jordan, CEO of Vebu. "Autocado has the potential to work alongside Chipotle crew members to create the same, delicious guacamole that Chipotle fans love but more efficiently than ever before."
SEE MORE: May AI take your order? Wendy's is newest chain to test AI ordering
In restaurants across the U.S., Canada and Europe, Chipotle expects to use about 4.5 million cases of avocados this year, equivalent to more than 100 million pounds of guacamole.
"We are committed to exploring collaborative robotics to drive efficiencies and ease pain points for our employees," said Curt Garner, chief customer and technology officer at Chipotle. "The intensive labor of cutting, coring, and scooping avocados could be relieved with Autocado, but we still maintain the essential culinary experience of hand mashing and hand preparing the guacamole to our exacting standards."
In addition to Autocado, Chipotle is also testing another autonomous kitchen assistant called "Chippy," which integrates culinary traditions with artificial intelligence to make tortilla chips at one Fountain Valley, California, location.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | 2023-07-13T15:51:46+00:00 | koaa.com | https://www.koaa.com/chipotle-testing-autocado-robot-to-cut-guac-making-time-in-half |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Children in California won’t have to get the coronavirus vaccine to attend schools, state public health officials confirmed Friday, ending one of the last major restrictions of the pandemic in the nation’s most populous state.
Gov. Gavin Newsom first announced the policy in 2021, saying it would eventually apply to all of California’s 6.7 million public and private schoolchildren.
But since then, the crisis first caused by a mysterious virus in late 2019 has mostly receded from public consciousness. COVID-19 is still widespread, but the availability of multiple vaccines has lessened the viruses’ effects for many — offering relief to what had been an overwhelmed public health system.
Nearly all of the pandemic restrictions put in place by Newsom have been lifted, and he won’t be able to issue any new ones after Feb. 28 when the state’s coronavirus emergency declaration officially ends.
One of the last remaining questions was what would happen to the state’s vaccine mandate for schoolchildren, a policy that came from the California Department of Public Health and was not impacted by the lifting of the emergency declaration.
Friday, the Department of Public Health confirmed it was backing off its original plan.
“CDPH is not currently exploring emergency rulemaking to add COVID-19 to the list of required school vaccinations, but we continue to strongly recommend COVID-19 immunization for students and staff to keep everyone safer in the classroom,” the department said in a statement. “Any changes to required K-12 immunizations are properly addressed through the legislative process.”
The announcement was welcome news for Jonathan Zachreson, a father of three who lives in Roseville. Zachreson founded the group Reopen California Schools to oppose many of the state’s coronavirus policies. His activism led to him being elected to the Roseville City School District board in November.
“This is long overdue. … A lot of families have been stressed from this decision and worried about it for quite some time,” he said. “I wish CDPH would make a bigger statement publicly or Newsom would make a public statement … to let families know and school districts know that this is no longer going to be an issue for them.”
Representatives for Newsom did not respond to an email requesting comment.
California has had lots of influence over the country’s pandemic policies. It was the first state to issue a statewide stay-at-home order — and other states were swift to follow.
But most states did not follow California’s lead when it came to the vaccine mandate for public schools. Officials in Louisiana announced a similar mandate, but later backed off. Schools in the District of Columbia plan to require the COVID-19 vaccine starting in the fall.
Republican U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley, a former member of the state Assembly who challenged Newsom in a failed recall attempt in 2021 over his pandemic policies, published a blog post declaring: “We won. To Gavin Newsom: You lost.”
Kevin Gordon, a lobbyist representing most of the state’s school districts, said he did not think the policy change was the result of political pressure by Republicans, but instead a reflection of the virus’s slowing transmission rates.
“The public’s appetite for these kinds of mandates is definitely not what it used to be,” he said. “If you started to now impose a heavy mandate when the amount of transmission is significantly lower than it was statewide, a one-size-fits-all solution doesn’t work right now.” | 2023-02-04T19:21:20+00:00 | cenlanow.com | https://www.cenlanow.com/health/ap-california-wont-require-covid-vaccine-to-attend-schools/ |
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A bird strike sparked an engine fire on a plane shortly after it took off Sunday from an Ohio airport, and the aircraft returned safely with no injuries reported, authorities said.
American Airlines flight 1958 had departed from John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Columbus around 7:45 a.m. and was headed to Phoenix. The fire was detected a short time later and the Boeing 737 returned to the airport, where firefighters quickly doused the flames.
It wasn’t clear how many passengers and crew members were aboard the aircraft. The airline said the plane was taken out of service for maintenance and it was working to get the passengers on other flights.
Airport officials said the facility remained operating as usual and the fire only caused some minor flight delays.
The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate. | 2023-04-23T19:54:42+00:00 | ourquadcities.com | https://www.ourquadcities.com/news/business/ap-business/bird-strike-sparks-plane-engine-fire-shortly-after-takeoff/ |
FRANKLIN — The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and the Franklin Police Department over the past three days conducted a Child Sex Sting operation. This is the fourth time that such an operation of this type has been conducted in Johnson County over the past two and a half years.
According to Sheriff Duane Burgess, 20 people were arrested during the 3-day sting.
“Many man hours were spent leading up to this type of operation,” Burgess said in a release. “We worked closely with the members of the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office to ensure that we are following the letter of the law. The Investigators and staff members entrusted in running such an import operation are dedicated to keeping Johnson County safe.”
“We want parents to be very diligent in knowing what their children are doing and who they are speaking with on the internet,” Burgess said in a release. “The number of online apps and what can be discussed is very alarming. Almost everyone carries a smartphone which makes it so easy to access these sites.”
The result of this particular sting landed more arrests than the previous three. | 2022-11-04T21:34:17+00:00 | wrtv.com | https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/crime/johnson-county-child-sex-sting-leads-to-arrest-of-20-adults |
Who did the Detroit Lions draft: Tracking every selection they have in 2023
Marlowe Alter
Detroit Free Press
Who did the Detroit Lions draft, you ask? Oh it has been a wild night in the first round of the NFL draft 2023.
The Lions entered the draft with nine picks, including the Nos. 6 and 18 overall picks in Thursday's Round 1, but ended up selecting at 12 and 18 on Day 1. They traded back with the Arizona Cardinals, and added a pick at the top of the second round and one in the fifth round, and gave up a third-rounder.
Here's a look at their picks made and picks to come:
READ MORE:Lions NFL draft picks history: Their 5 best and 5 worst first-round selections
GRADE THE PICK:Iowa LB Jack Campbell fills a need, but may be a reach
GRADE THE PICK:Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12 is just too high
Detroit Lions draft picks 2023
- Round 1: Pick 12 overall: Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs
- Round 1: Pick 18 overall: Iowa LB Jack Campbell
- Round 2: Pick 34 overall:
- Round 2: Pick 48 overall:
- Round 2: Pick 55 overall:
- Round 5: Pick 152 overall:
- Round 5: Pick 159 overall:
- Round 5: Pick 168 overall:
- Round 6: Pick 183 overall:
- Round 6: Pick 194 overall: | 2023-04-28T04:28:05+00:00 | freep.com | https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2023/04/27/detroit-lions-draft-picks-2023-tracker-list/70161602007/ |
WIMBLEDON – Asked two days before her 24th Wimbledon begins whether she’s still excited to play tennis at this level, Venus Williams quickly answered: “It’s so much fun.”
The next question Saturday was about being on tour without her younger sister, Serena, who wrapped up her career at last year’s U.S. Open. The reply: “Not as much fun.”
There is still a big-swinging, Grand Slam-winning member of the Williams family in women’s tennis, and it’s 43-year-old Venus, who recently returned to action after about five months away with a hamstring injury she called “a nightmare.”
That followed a 2022 in which she participated in just four contests — all in August or September, meaning she missed the season’s initial three Grand Slam tournaments, including Wimbledon — and a 2021 in which she accumulated only a dozen.
“I haven’t played a lot of matches in the last few years, and not by choice. I wanted to be here and I couldn’t,” said the elder Williams, who will meet two-time major semifinalist Elina Svitolina of Ukraine at Centre Court on Monday, Day 1 at the All England Club. “So I just put my head down and put even more work in and got myself in a much better position — and that’s life. And you’ve got to deal with life. And I’ve dealt with my life and, most of the time, I come out on top.”
In tennis terms, that means reaching the No. 1 ranking, winning seven major singles titles, the most among active women — and five came at Wimbledon, the first in 2000, most recent in 2008 — and another 14 in women’s doubles — all with her sibling. Away from the court, she learned to live with Sjögren’s syndrome, an energy-sapping auto-immune disease that can cause joint pain; she announced her diagnosis in 2011.
“The most inspiring thing about her is the love that she has for tennis. I don’t think that love has swayed over the course of her career. I think you can see players who are older now (and) you can have a feeling they probably don’t love it as much as they did when they started it. I don’t have that feeling with Venus. I hope I’m the same way,” said Coco Gauff, who burst onto the scene at age 15 by beating Williams in the first round at Wimbledon as a qualifier in 2019.
“Obviously, just her grit for every match, every ball. I watched a couple of her matches last week,” Gauff said. “Just the will to want every point is something that’s inspiring.”
Monday’s match will be Williams’ first in Wimbledon’s main stadium since 2017, when she reached the final before losing to Garbiñe Muguruza.
Williams made her debut at the All England Club in 1997, shortly before Svitolina turned 3.
“Venus loves to play here,” said Svitolina, who returned to the tour in April after having a baby last year. “It’s just really impressive. She’s a great champion. She achieved so much in her career. I don’t know if I will be playing at (that) age and would be in this great shape, playing with such a passion. So lots of respect to her in so many ways.”
The lack of wins in recent times dropped Williams out of the top 500 in the rankings; Svitolina has been as high as No. 3 and is now 75th.
Both women received wild-card invitations for Wimbledon.
The inevitable questions arose Saturday about whether Williams has planned when she might walk away from the sport (“If I did, I wouldn’t tell you,” came the reply) and whether she could see herself on tour at age 50 (“It’s never been done before, so if there was one to try it, it would be me,” she said).
One more try: Might there be the sort of announced farewell a la Serena’s, allowing for a collective goodbye?
“Like I said: If I knew I wouldn’t tell you,” she answered with a hearty laugh.
___
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2023-07-01T19:44:46+00:00 | ksat.com | https://www.ksat.com/sports/2023/07/01/venus-williams-is-back-at-wimbledon-at-age-43-and-ready-to-play-on-centre-court-again/ |
Israeli protesters begin ‘day of disruption’ against controversial judicial overhaul
By Hadas Gold, Amir Tal and Richard Allen Greene, CNN
Jerusalem (CNN) — Demonstrators took to the streets in Israel on Tuesday for what they are calling a day of “disruption and resistance” against the government’s moves to overhaul the country’s judicial system.
Photos and videos released by protest organizers and Israel Police showed demonstrators on the streets in Tel Aviv, Petach Tikva, and Beer Sheva, among other cities, and CNN saw protesters at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem. At least 42 people had been arrested as of 11 a.m. local time (4 a.m. ET), Israel Police announced.
Lawmakers voted Monday to strip the Supreme Court of the power to declare government actions “unreasonable,” in the first of three votes required for the controversial bill to become law.
The bill is one part of a sweeping package of judicial overhaul measures that would weaken the judiciary. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies call the measures “reforms” and say they are required to re-balance powers between the courts, lawmakers and the government. But opponents of the plan say it threatens to turn Israel into a dictatorship by removing the most significant check on government actions.
Organizers said they had blocked the Ayalon Highway on Tuesday, Tel Aviv’s major thoroughfare, and asserted that police would be unable to clear it due to the number of protesters.
Demonstrators plan to protest at the country’s international airport, Ben Gurion, later on Tuesday.
Large protests against the agenda have taken place in the country since the start of the year. Netanyahu paused the legislative process in March following an unprecedented general strike that shut down much of Israel’s economy. Monday’s vote marks the end of that pause.
This is a developing story. It will be updated…
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | 2023-07-11T13:18:48+00:00 | localnews8.com | https://localnews8.com/news/national-world/cnn-world/2023/07/11/israeli-protesters-begin-day-of-disruption-against-controversial-judicial-overhaul-2/ |
A line of infant foot pajamas from children’s apparel giant Carter’s are being recalled over the risk a metal piece may cause to their wearers, federal safety officials said.
The pajamas include small pieces of metal wiring, “posing puncture and laceration hazards to young children,” according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The agency said about 51,000 pairs of the pajamas sold in the United States should be returned to the company for a refund.
The garments in question are pairs of one-piece fleece, footed pajamas. They are yellow, dotted with small hearts, with a pink animal graphic on one side. An image supplied by the CPSC showed the animal to be a pink pig, though the agency did not specify whether some pajamas were adorned with other animals.
According to a 2019 Washington Post report, Carter’s accounts for nearly one-quarter of all baby clothes sales in the United States. As competitors have folded, the company has expanded and grown revenue for decades. Roughly nine in 10 millennial parents and 80% of baby boomer grandparents shopped at Carter’s in the year prior to the Post report, the paper said, citing a market research firm.
Officials said the recalled pajamas were sold at Carter’s, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Belk, Boscov’s and other stores across the country — as well as online — throughout the summer.
Though the pajamas have not yet injured any children, the CPSC said they should still be “immediately” returned to a Carter’s store for a full refund via gift card. Parents and guardians can also contact the company to request a free return label and envelope.
The affected clothing came in children’s size 12M, 18M, and 24M, the CPSC said. The items all bear a style number of 1O102410 on an inside tag, as well as UPC numbers of 195861313861, 195861313878, or 195861313885. | 2022-11-22T13:27:37+00:00 | masslive.com | https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/11/recall-51000-carters-infant-foot-pajamas-pose-injury-hazard-to-children.html |
(The Hill) – Google announced on Friday that it would soon get rid of location history entries if the search engine identified that an individual had visited an abortion center or other medical facility, an action coming in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Jen Fitzpatrick, a senior vice president at Google, wrote in a blog post that the location history update would be effective “in the coming weeks.”
“Location History is a Google account setting that is off by default, and for those that turn it on, we provide simple controls like auto-delete so users can easily delete parts, or all, of their data at any time,” she said.
“Some of the places people visit — including medical facilities like counseling centers, domestic violence shelters, abortion clinics, fertility centers, addiction treatment facilities, weight loss clinics, cosmetic surgery clinics, and others — can be particularly personal,” she added.
The search engine’s announcement comes a week after the Supreme Court eliminated the constitutional right to an abortion, overturning a 50-year precedent. The decision has led to a patchwork of states rolling back access to the medical procedure, though some state laws have been paused due to pending legal battles.
Following a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion indicating the high court would rule to overturn Roe v. Wade, a group of Democrats wrote a letter to the search engine’s chief executive in May pushing Google to stop collecting and keeping data on users’ locations amid fears that that data could be sought after by those prosecuting abortion bans. | 2022-07-02T22:56:21+00:00 | pix11.com | https://pix11.com/news/us-world-news/google-says-it-will-eliminate-location-history-entries-if-it-identifies-abortion-center-medical-facility-visits/ |
BRONX, N.Y. (AP) _ Ponce Financial Group, Inc. (PDLB) on Monday reported a loss of $6.8 million in its first quarter.
The Bronx, New York-based company said it had a loss of 31 cents per share.
The holding company of Ponce Bank posted revenue of $21.2 million in the period. Its adjusted revenue was $19.6 million.
_____
This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on PDLB at https://www.zacks.com/ap/PDLB | 2022-05-09T23:19:35+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/business/article/Ponce-Financial-Q1-Earnings-Snapshot-17160602.php |
CA Las Vegas NV Zone Forecast for Tuesday, October 11, 2022
_____
704 FPUS55 KVEF 120807
ZFPVEF
Zone Forecast Product for Nevada
National Weather Service Las Vegas NV
106 AM PDT Wed Oct 12 2022
This is an automatically generated product that provides average
values for large geographical areas and may not be representative
of the exact location that you are interested in. For a more site
specific forecast...please visit weather.gov/lasvegas and either
(1) Select a location from the dropdown menu above the map or
(2) Click a location on the map. You can refine your selection by
clicking on the map displayed on the resulting page.
CAZ519-121100-
Eastern Sierra Slopes-
Including Aspendell and Whitney Portal
106 AM PDT Wed Oct 12 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 40 to 50. Northwest winds
5 to 10 mph.
.WEDNESDAY...Sunny. Highs 57 to 67. Northeast winds 5 to 15 mph.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 40 to 50. Northwest winds
5 to 10 mph.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs 56 to 66. North winds 5 to 15 mph
shifting to the northeast in the afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows 40 to 50. Northwest winds 5 to
15 mph.
.FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...Clear. Highs around 74. Lows around
55.
.SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...Mostly clear. Lows around 55.
Highs 70 to 75.
.MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...Partly cloudy. Lows around 53. Highs
68 to 73.
$$
CAZ521-121100-
White Mountains of Inyo County-
Including Westgard Pass and Bristlecone Pine
106 AM PDT Wed Oct 12 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 45 to 55. North winds up to
10 mph.
.WEDNESDAY...Sunny. Highs 62 to 72. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 44 to 54. North winds up to
10 mph.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs 62 to 72. North winds 5 to 10 mph
shifting to the northeast in the afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows 43 to 53. Northwest winds up to
10 mph.
.FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...Clear. Highs around 74. Lows around
54.
.SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...Mostly clear. Lows around 54.
Highs 71 to 76.
.MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...Partly cloudy. Lows around 52. Highs
69 to 74.
$$
CAZ520-121100-
Owens Valley-
Including Bishop, Independence, Lone Pine,
and Olancha
106 AM PDT Wed Oct 12 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 56 to 59. Northwest winds
5 to 10 mph.
.WEDNESDAY...Sunny. Highs 81 to 84. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph
shifting to the east in the afternoon.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 55 to 58. East winds up to
10 mph shifting to the north after midnight.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs 81 to 84. North winds 5 to 10 mph
shifting to the east in the afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 55 to 58. Northwest winds up
to 10 mph.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs around 86.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows around 62.
.SATURDAY...Sunny. Highs around 86.
.SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Lows around 60.
Highs 83 to 86.
$$
CAZ522-121100-
Death Valley National Park-
Including Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells,
and Shoshone
106 AM PDT Wed Oct 12 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 55 to 58 in the mountains...
around 76 at Furnace Creek. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
.WEDNESDAY...Sunny. Highs 75 to 78 in the mountains...around
103 at Furnace Creek. North winds 5 to 10 mph.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 54 to 57 in the mountains...
around 74 at Furnace Creek. North winds 5 to 10 mph.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs 75 to 78 in the mountains...around
102 at Furnace Creek. North winds 5 to 10 mph.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 54 to 57 in the mountains...
around 74 at Furnace Creek. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs around 81 in the mountains...around 103 at
Furnace Creek.
.FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Lows 56 to 59 in
the mountains...72 to 75 at Furnace Creek. Highs around 80 in the
mountains...99 to 102 at Furnace Creek.
$$
CAZ523-121100-
Western Mojave Desert-
Including Barstow, Daggett, and Fort Irwin
106 AM PDT Wed Oct 12 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 62 to 65. West winds up to
10 mph.
.WEDNESDAY...Sunny. Highs 86 to 89. North winds 5 to 10 mph
shifting to the east in the afternoon.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 61 to 64. West winds up to
10 mph.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs around 90. North winds 5 to 10 mph
shifting to the northeast in the afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows 61 to 64. Northwest winds up to
10 mph.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs around 92.
.FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...Mostly clear. Lows around 65. Highs
89 to 92.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows around 63.
.SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Highs around 87. Lows
around 63.
$$
CAZ524-121100-
Eastern Mojave Desert-
Including Baker, Mountain Pass,
and Mitchell Caverns
106 AM PDT Wed Oct 12 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 63 to 66. Northwest winds
5 to 10 mph.
.WEDNESDAY...Sunny. Highs 86 to 89. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph
shifting to the southeast in the afternoon.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 62 to 65. West winds up to
10 mph shifting to the north after midnight.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs 86 to 89. North winds 5 to 10 mph.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows 62 to 65. North winds 5 to 10 mph.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs around 92.
.FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...Mostly clear. Lows around 67. Highs
89 to 92.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy in the evening, then partly
cloudy with chance of rain showers after midnight. Lows around
64. Chance of showers 40 percent.
.SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Highs 84 to 87. Lows
around 64.
$$
CAZ525-526-121100-
Morongo Basin-Cadiz Basin-
Including Morongo Valley, Yucca Valley,
Twentynine Palms, and Vidal Junction
106 AM PDT Wed Oct 12 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows around 70 in Twentynine
Palms...63 to 66 around Yucca Valley...around 67 near Joshua
Tree. West winds 5 to 10 mph.
.WEDNESDAY...Sunny. Highs 91 to 94 in Twentynine Palms...83 to
86 around Yucca Valley...around 87 near Joshua Tree. Northwest
winds up to 5 mph shifting to the southeast in the afternoon.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 65 to 68. West winds up to
10 mph.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs 91 to 94 in Twentynine Palms...84 to
87 around Yucca Valley...around 88 near Joshua Tree. Northwest
winds 5 to 10 mph shifting to the east in the afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows 65 to 68. Northwest winds up to
10 mph.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs around 96 in Twentynine Palms...around
88 around Yucca Valley and near Joshua Tree.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows around 69 in Twentynine
Palms...around 65 around Yucca Valley and near Joshua Tree.
.SATURDAY...Mostly sunny. Highs around 90 in Twentynine Palms...
around 83 around Yucca Valley and near Joshua Tree.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers. Lows
around 66 in Twentynine Palms...around 62 around Yucca Valley and
near Joshua Tree. Chance of showers 40 percent.
.SUNDAY...Mostly sunny. Highs around 85 in Twentynine Palms...
around 81 around Yucca Valley and near Joshua Tree.
.SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Lows around 67 in
Twentynine Palms...around 63 around Yucca Valley and near Joshua
Tree. Highs 86 to 89 in Twentynine Palms...81 to 84 around Yucca
Valley and near Joshua Tree.
$$
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | 2022-10-12T09:23:30+00:00 | expressnews.com | https://www.expressnews.com/weather/article/CA-Las-Vegas-NV-Zone-Forecast-17503379.php |
(KTLA) — The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after a commercial airline pilot reported seeing a jet pack near the Los Angeles International Airport.
The sighting happened around 2:45 p.m. Thursday, about 15 miles east of the airport.
It’s not the first time the FAA has been alerted about possible jet pack sightings near LAX. Several sightings have been reported since October 2020, and there have been continued reported sightings every few months.
The FAA has worked with the FBI to investigate each jet pack sighting, and so far none — including Thursday’s reported sighting — have been verified. In fact, back in November 2021, the Los Angeles Police Department released video of some strange-looking balloons that they theorized could be responsible for the jet pack reports.
The video, captured sometime in November 2020, shows a skeleton-like balloon, possibly an inflatable Jack Skellington character from the “Nightmare Before Christmas” film.
It remains unclear at this time what the reported jet pack sightings actually are, but some experts have said it’s unlikely to be a person due to the high altitude of the sightings. Another theory that has been floated, other than balloons, is that it’s a high-powered drone with a mannequin attached. | 2022-06-24T13:41:45+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/home/pilot-reports-seeing-jet-pack-near-lax-again/ |
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — President Joe Biden pledged Wednesday that western allies “will not waver” in defense of Ukraine, casting the struggle against Russian aggression as one of the world’s central challenges requiring a broad coalition of countries to stand in defense of freedom.
“Our unity will not falter,” Biden declared. “I promise you.”
He made the promise at the NATO summit in the capital of Lithuania, a country that he said knows the “transformational power of freedom” after spending decades under Moscow’s thumb. He drew parallels between Lithuania’s struggle to escape Soviet rule and Ukraine’s ongoing fight to repel Russia’s deadly invasion, highlighting the importance of rallying allies to take on the challenge.
“America never recognized the Soviet occupation of the Baltic,” he said to an outpouring of cheers from a crowd of thousands in a courtyard at Vilnius University draped with American and Lithuanian flags. “Never, never.” More spectators gathered in an overflow area, where a big screen was set up.
Biden spent two days in Vilnius for the annual NATO summit, where members of the western military alliance pledged more support for Ukraine but stopped short of extending an invitation for the besieged country to join the alliance. After meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who entered the summit demanding a clear path for his country toward joining the alliance, something that was initially promised back in 2008, Biden said that other security guarantees agreed to at the summit will be even more significant.
“One thing Zelenskyy understands now is that whether or not he’s in NATO now, it’s not relevant as long as he has commitments,” Biden said, comparing the situation to how the U.S. ensures Israel’s security edge over its neighbors.
The president pointed to the U.S. and allied response to Moscow’s invasion as a model for how to respond to other global challenges, from climate change to the rise of China, saying nations’ positions are stronger when they “build the broadest and deepest coalition.”
“Our commitment to Ukraine will not weaken,” he said. “We will stand for freedom today, tomorrow and for as long as it takes.”
The president was headed next to Finland, the newest member of NATO, for a meeting of Nordic leaders. During his speech, Biden hailed an agreement to advance Sweden’s membership in NATO after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to drop his objections.
“President Erdogan kept his word,” Biden said, clearing a path for the alliance to have 32 members.
The U.S. president’s enthusiasm for expanding NATO has not extended to Ukraine. He’s expressed concerns about the country’s readiness to join the alliance, as well as fears that the West could be drawn into a wider conflict with Russia.
The competing priorities in the midst of Europe’s bloodiest war in generations created an undercurrent of friction even as Biden and Zelenskyy projected a united front when they met earlier Wednesday. Their public encounter had the vibe of two leaders clearing the air, and each conspicuously heaped praise on his counterpart.
Biden lauded Zelenskyy and Ukrainians for their courage by saying it’s “been a model for the whole world to see.” Zelenskyy thanked Biden and the American people for billions of dollars in military assistance, saying that “you spend this money for our lives.”
Wearing a blue-and-yellow-striped tie in the colors of the Ukrainian flag, Biden acknowledged that Zelenskyy has occasionally been unsatisfied by unfulfilled requests for weapons.
“The frustration, I can only imagine,” Biden said. “I know that you’re many times frustrated about whether things get to you quickly enough, what’s getting to you and how we’re getting it. But I promise you, the United States is doing everything we can to get you what you need.”
Biden also said the war had created a sense of unity about opposing international aggression.
“It’s bringing the world together,” he said. “It’s a hell of a price to pay, but it’s bringing the world together.”
The meeting came after a few other encounters between Biden and Zelenskyy at the summit. They sat close to each other at the inaugural meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, a new forum that’s intended to give Kyiv a greater voice within the alliance.
And they shared the stage as the Group of Seven, which includes the world’s most powerful democratic countries, announced plans for long-term security assistance for Ukraine.
But Wednesday afternoon was the first opportunity for Biden and Zelenskyy to sit down privately with their advisers after their public comments.
And by then, Zelenskyy had softened his tone considerably. En route to Vilnius on Tuesday, he had blasted NATO’s vague plans for Ukraine’s eventual membership, tweeting, “It’s unprecedented and absurd when a time frame is set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine’s membership.”
Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, said everyone “needs to look squarely at the fact” that allowing Ukraine to join NATO at this point “means war with Russia.”
“That is an inescapable fact,” he told CNN.
Sullivan credited Biden with ensuring that NATO is “more unified and more determined and more decisive than at any point.”
“That’s President Biden’s legacy when it comes to NATO, and it’s one that he can be very proud of,” he said.
In an interview with The Associated Press before Biden left on his trip, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said the president has been “heading in the right direction but not fast enough” when it comes to supporting Ukraine.
“The weapons transfers never seem to happen as soon as they’re announced,” said McConnell, a Kentucky Republican. Although Ukrainians are “extremely grateful for the help,” he said, the assistance “frequently doesn’t get there soon enough to be the most effective.”
Although McConnell has been a firm supporter of sending help to Ukraine, other Republicans have voiced skepticism, creating uncertainty about Biden’s ability to make long-term financial commitments. | 2023-07-13T13:43:46+00:00 | wdtn.com | https://www.wdtn.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-biden-and-zelenskyy-praise-each-other-despite-divisions-over-ukraine-war/ |
BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) — BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) — Aspen Technology, Inc. (AZPN) on Wednesday reported a fiscal third-quarter loss of $57.6 million, after reporting a profit in the same period a year earlier.
The Bedford, Massachusetts-based company said it had a loss of 89 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, were $1.06 per share.
The results did not meet Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.66 per share.
The software maker posted revenue of $229.9 million in the period, also missing Street forecasts. Three analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $284.1 million.
Aspen Technology expects full-year earnings in the range of $5.63 to $5.83 per share, with revenue in the range of $1.04 billion to $1.06 billion.
Aspen Technology shares have increased 13% since the beginning of the year. In the final minutes of trading on Wednesday, shares hit $231.79, an increase of 51% in the last 12 months.
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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 AZPN at https://www.zacks.com/ap/AZPN | 2023-04-26T22:14:09+00:00 | lmtonline.com | https://www.lmtonline.com/business/article/aspen-technology-fiscal-q3-earnings-snapshot-17920814.php |
(KTLA) – Disneyland Resort announced Monday that it would resume sales of its Magic Key annual passes on April 11. All pass types, including the Enchanted Key, will be available for purchase.
The passes will go on sale no earlier than 9 a.m. PT and Disney fans can join the online queue to purchase a magic key on the Disneyland website.
Current pass holders can upgrade their passes at ticket booths at the theme park.
The resort offers four tiers of annual passes:
Inspire Key
- Price: $1,599
- Benefits: Free standard parking, 20% off select merchandise, 15% off select food and drinks, Unlimited Disney Photo Pass digital downloads, and 20% off Disney Genie+.
Believe Key
- Price: $1,099
- Benefits: 50% off standard parking, 10% off select merchandise, 10% off select food and drinks, Unlimited Disney Photo Pass digital downloads, and 20% off Disney Genie+
Enchanted Key
- Price: $699
- Benefits: 25% off parking at the Toy Story Lot, 20% off purchase of Disney Genie+, 10% off select merchandise, 10% off select dining
Imagine Key (Southern California residents only)
- Price: $449
- Benefits: 25% off parking at the Toy Story Lot, 10% off select merchandise, 10% off select food and drinks, and 20% off Disney Genie+.
Magic Key passes are subject to availability based on the pass type. Disneyland says some passes may be unavailable occasionally as they balance the number of passes they sell and manage crowds.
Disneyland launched the Magic Key program in August 2021 after retiring the popular annual passports during a yearlong shutdown of Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The keys give park guests access to the parks on select dates, depending on availability and pass type, along with select discounts on food, merchandise and Genie+, the park’s paid line-skipping service that replaced the Fast Pass program.
Annual passes for Walt Disney World will be available later this month after sales were abruptly halted last year. | 2023-04-11T00:20:05+00:00 | kdvr.com | https://kdvr.com/news/nationalworld-news/disneyland-to-resume-magic-key-annual-pass-sales/ |
Springerville man found guilty in 2021 road rage shooting
The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday that Erik Adrian Engdahl, 72, was found guilty on multiple charges in connection to a 2021 road rage incident.
On March 19, 2021, Engdahl had been driving on Walker Road near the South Shore entrance to Lynx Lake when the victim in the case drove past him. "Outraged", YCSO said in the statement, Engdahl followed the victim, catching up to him near mile marker 3, and proceeded to fire a shot at the victim's vehicle with a black handgun.
The victim provided law enforcement with a description of both Engdahl and his vehicle, which YCSO was able to confirm through an investigation.
In a last-ditch effort, Engdahl went on the run, changing his physical appearance by shaving off his "long-standing and distinct" mustache. Additionally, Engdahl removed the roof rack and bumper sticker from his vehicle, drove to Las Vegas and dumped it at a buddy's house.
Engdahl then enlisted that same friend to lie to local law enforcement, saying the vehicle in question had resided at the residence for the past month.
However, when confronted with conflicting evidence, Engdahl's friend later backpedaled on how long the vehicle had been there, according to the Sheriff's Office.
On April 29, 2021, YCSO detectives arrested Engdahl after receiving tips from the public alongside evidence obtained through the investigation.
Engdahl was booked into jail on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, endangerment and criminal damage.
On Friday, May 12th, 2023, a Yavapai County Jury found Engdahl guilty on charges of drive-by shooting, aggravated assault, criminal damage and tampering with physical evidence. He now faces seven to 20 years in prison following a June 26 sentencing. | 2023-05-16T21:23:10+00:00 | azcentral.com | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/05/16/springerville-man-found-guilty-2021-road-rage-shooting/70223405007/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The last time the Federal Reserve faced inflation as high as it is now, in the early 1980s, it jacked up interest rates to double-digit levels — and in the process caused a deep recession and sharply higher unemployment.
On Thursday, Chair Jerome Powell suggested that this time, the Fed won’t have to go nearly as far.
“We think we can avoid the very high social costs that Paul Volcker and the Fed had to bring into play to get inflation back down,” Powell said in an interview at the Cato Institute, referring to the Fed chair in the early 1980s who sent short-term borrowing rates to roughly 19% to throttle punishingly high inflation.
Powell also reiterated that the Fed is determined to lower inflation, now near a four-decade high of 8.5%, by raising its short-term rate, which is in a range of 2.25% to 2.5%.
Even so, he did not comment on what the Fed may do at its next meeting in two weeks. Economists and Wall Street traders increasingly expect the central bank to raise its key short-term rate by a hefty three-quarters of a point for a third straight time. That would extend the most rapid series of rate hikes since Volcker’s time.
The Fed’s benchmark rate affects many consumer and business loans, which means that borrowing costs throughout the economy will likely keep rising.
On Thursday, the European Central Bank increased its key rate by three-quarters of a point, the largest in its relatively short history, as Europe also struggles with record-high inflation and a stumbling economy.
Central banks around the world are scrambling to keep up with rising prices. The Bank of Canada on Wednesday lifted rates by 0.75 percentage point and earlier this week the Reserve Bank of Australia implemented a half-point increase.
Despite Powell’s assurances, many economists worry that the Fed will have to allow unemployment to rise much more than is currently expected to get inflation back to its 2% target.
The Fed has projected that unemployment will rise only to 4.1% by the end of 2024 as higher rates bring down inflation. New research released Thursday under the auspices of the Brookings Institution says that such a scenario requires “quite optimistic” assumptions and finds that unemployment may have rise much higher to bring inflation down.
Powell warned two weeks ago at an economic conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, that the Fed’s inflation-fighting efforts will inevitably “bring some pain to households and businesses.” But, he added, “a failure to restore price stability would mean far greater pain.”
Still, on Thursday, he reiterated that the Fed’s goal is to achieve a “soft landing,” in which it manages to slow the economy enough to defeat high inflation yet not so much as to tip it into recession.
“What we hope to achieve,” the Fed chair said, “is a period of growth below trend, which will cause the labor market to get back into better balance, and then that will bring wages back down to levels that are more consistent with 2% inflation over time.”
Other central bank officials have recently echoed Powell’s message.
“We’re not trying to engineer a recession,” Loretta Mester, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, said Wednesday in an interview with the newswire MNI. “We’re trying to engineer a slowdown or moderation of activity.”
At the same time, Mester acknowledged that the Fed’s rate hikes will likely lead to job losses and will be “painful in the near term.”
And Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard, also in remarks Wednesday, pointed out that there are signs that supply chain snarls are easing, which could boost factory output and moderate prices.
In addition, she noted that auto makers and retailers enjoyed hefty profit margins when goods were scarce and Americans were spending robustly. As consumers start to pull back in the face of high inflation, Brainard said, retailers and car companies may have to cut prices to boost sales. That would help slow inflation.
Yet many economists say that as borrowing rates keep rising, employers will cut jobs, consumers will slash spending and a downturn will eventually result. And some have issued starker warnings about the consequences of the Fed’s aggressive pace of rate hikes.
Larry Summers, a Treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton, has said he thinks the unemployment rate, now 3.5%, might have to reach 7.5% for two years to reduce inflation close to the Fed’s 2% target.
The new paper released Thursday concluded that the Fed may have to lift unemployment as high as Summers has suggested to curb inflation. The research, by Laurence Ball, an economist at Johns Hopkins, and two colleagues, found that the pandemic has made the job market less efficient in matching unemployed workers with jobs — a trend that would accelerate unemployment as the economy weakens.
In addition, Americans expect higher inflation over the next few years, the research found. Typically, when that happens, employees demand higher pay, and their employers raise prices to make up for their increased labor costs, thereby fueling inflation. As prices accelerate, the Fed feels pressure to step up its rate hikes, putting the economy at further risk.
Still, not all economists accept that darker scenario. Jan Hatzius, an economist at Goldman Sachs, argued in a note earlier this week that there are “some encouraging signs” that a soft landing is still possible.
Hatzius cited slower economic growth, a decline in the number of open jobs, a downshift in hiring and a drop in the prices of oil and other commodities as factors that could lower inflation in the coming months without necessitating a recession. | 2022-09-08T22:17:23+00:00 | nwahomepage.com | https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/business-news/ap-powell-higher-rates-wont-likely-cause-deep-us-recession/ |
Leading wealth management firm promotes veteran employees to chief investment officer, head of institutional relationships, and head of client experience to create a strong foundation for its continued rapid growth.
ATLANTA, Dec. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Balentine, an independent wealth management firm advising on more than $6 billion of assets, has doubled its assets under management in the last four years, increased employee headcount by 50% in the last three years, and plans to take additional office space in 2023 — all despite market headwinds. Amidst these exciting advances, it has made the following key promotions to bolster its service offerings: David Damiani, CFA to Chief Investment Officer, Rob Ragsdale CFP®, AIF® to Head of Institutional Relationships, and Emily Barbour, CFP® to Head of Client Experience.
David Damiani, CFA, a founding partner of Balentine, assumes the Chief Investment Officer role after three years as Deputy CIO. With more than two decades of experience in the financial industry, and with 12 years of experience on Balentine's Investment Strategy team, David is well-positioned to lead the firm's investment efforts, which have consistently ranked in the top quartile within eVestment's rankings of similar managers for the past decade.
"Balentine's investment process has been built on a foundation of a model-driven, repeatable approach," said CEO Adrian Cronje, Ph.D., CFA. "David becomes only the third CIO in our company's 35-year history, and his promotion will ensure the continuation of this legacy."
David's expertise is also recognized in the financial industry at large: A CFA Charterholder, he has contributed articles to the CFA Journal. He is passionate about educating the next generation, serving as a guest lecturer at the University of Georgia and on the board of directors of the Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF). David frequently lends his expertise on panels; recent engagements include the CFO Leadership Council and the Southeast RIA Summit.
In addition to David's promotion, which ensures the longevity of Balentine's investment process, Balentine has promoted longtime firm members Rob Ragsdale, CFP®, AIF® and Emily Barbour, CFP® to roles that centralize service efforts for institutional and wealth management clients.
As Head of Institutional Relationships, Rob will lead Balentine's servicing of foundations, endowments, and public funds clients — in addition to serving ultra-high net worth families. Rob is a partner at Balentine and founded Balentine's North Carolina office in 2011. In the 11 years since, his leadership efforts have led to explosive growth. The Raleigh office has doubled its team over the past three years and is moving to larger office space in 2023. In addition, as the hub for Balentine's institutional business and an ever-growing client list, the Raleigh office now advises on nearly one-third of client assets.
As Head of Client Experience, Emily creates and oversees a seamless client experience across the firm. Her passion for client service, and the various roles she has had during her 12-year tenure at the firm, has uniquely positioned her to help Balentine refine a high-touch, white-glove experience for individual client needs while optimizing future growth. Emily continues to serve as Relationship Manager for a handful of clients, providing her with first-hand knowledge of their desires for customization and simplification.
"Rob's and Emily's roles centralize our service support efforts for each audience, enabling us to go deeper in our relationships with them and ensure they receive the best possible experience as our firm continues to grow," said Cronje.
About Balentine: Balentine provides entrepreneurs and their families with conflict-free advice and sophisticated wealth management solutions that provide peace of mind. As an employee-owned firm with offices in Atlanta, Ga., and Raleigh, N.C., Balentine advises on more than $6 billion of client assets and has repeatedly been recognized as a top financial planning and advisory firm by publications including Forbes, Barron's, The Financial Times, and InvestmentNews. Balentine is also a perennial winner of the Pensions & Investments Best Places to Work in Money Management Award. In September 2021, Chairman Robert Balentine and CEO Adrian Cronje, Ph.D., CFA released First Generation Wealth, a book to help wealth creators think through what it takes to build a meaningful legacy and best support future generations.
Media contact:
Liz Thomas
info@balentine.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Balentine | 2022-12-09T21:59:47+00:00 | wsfa.com | https://www.wsfa.com/prnewswire/2022/12/09/balentine-makes-key-promotions-bolster-service-offerings/ |
MONTEREY, Calif. (KRON) — A Monterey man who survived a harrowing great white shark attack off Lovers Point Beach spoke out in a video released Thursday by a hospital.
The video released by Natividad Medical Center shows an emotional Steve Bruemmer describing the day that turned out to be both the unluckiest, and luckiest, of his life.
Great white sharks live in the Monterey Bay, however, attacks against humans are rare. Bruemmer, 62, is an avid ocean swimmer and member of a local swim club, Kelp Krawlers. June 22 was a perfect summer day for swimming off Pacific Grove’s gorgeous beaches.
“It was a beautiful day. There was no wind, the ocean was flat, there were no waves, it was so calm. I (swam) about a mile and a half. On the way back, I was gliding through the water looking at the sea grasses and sea stars,” he said.
Bruemmer said he was just 150 yards from reaching the shore when, “Wham! I was bit ferociously by a shark. It grabbed me and pulled me up and then dove me down in the water. Of course it spit me out, I’m not a seal.”
In a state of shock and swimming in a pool of his own blood, Brummer was face-to-face with the shark. The great white’s teeth had gravely injured Bruemmer’s thighs, abdomen, and arm.
“It was looking at me, right next to me. I thought it could bite me again so I pushed it with my hand and I kicked at it with my foot,” the swimmer said.
The disappointed shark realized its prey was a scrawny human, not a blubbery seal, and swam away.
“I got myself back to the surface and started yelling for help. That’s when all my luck changed,” the shark attack victim said.
Three brave good Samaritans heard Bruemmer’s screams for help: Moss Landing surfer Heath Braddock, off-duty Sacramento police officer Paul Bandy, and nurse Amy Johns.
Braddock was at Lovers Point Beach at just the right moment because he was leading an ocean excursion for a group of children visiting from Kansas. “They had never been in the ocean before. We were chest-deep getting comfortable with the ocean, embracing the nature of the ocean,” Braddock told KRON4.
When the shark attacked Bruemmer, the Kansas children “got the full immersion, that’s for sure. They saw it all.” Braddock grabbed two surfboards and paddled both boards out to the screaming swimmer.
Bandy and Johns were already in the water paddling on standup paddleboards because they were celebrating their wedding anniversary. Their romantic date rapidly turned into an emergency rescue endeavor.
“Two people, Amy and Paul on paddleboards … veered over to me. One a nurse, one a policeman who had his cellphone with him and called 911 immediately. From the beach Heath brought two surfboards, one for him and one for me. The three of them, in the bloody water, got me up onto the surfboard,” Bruemmer said.
The surfer instructed the victim to hold on to his ankle so he could paddle him back to the beach.
“I paddled as hard as I could,” Braddock told KRON4.
As tears welled up in his eyes, Bruemmer said in the video, “Heroes. How do you get in the bloody water with maybe a shark circling beneath you, to save a stranger? They are amazing.”
“I got to the beach and there were two ICU nurses and a doctor at the beach who took off their own T-shirts to make tourniquets. I had tourniquets on my legs and arms within five minutes to stop the bleeding. Otherwise I would bleed to death. The ambulance was there because Paul had called them so early,” Bruemmer said.
The ambulance driver rushed the victim to Natividad Medical Center’s trauma center in Salinas. A team of surgeons operated for two hours stabilizing the swimmer.
“They used 28 units of blood. Thank you blood donors, without you, I don’t make it. Two days later, they repaired my thighs so that one day I will be able to walk again,” Bruemmer said.
The shark attack survivor thanked the hospital’s entire staff during his recovery.
“So many people… encouraging and kind,” he said. “I was in a tough spot. They were so caring, and I’m going home now, I want to thank Natividad, and the good Samaritans, and the people on the beach, and the lead-footed ambulance driver, and the blood donors. I’m going home, I’m going to recover, and I’m going to be OK thanks to you all.”
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s forensics lab confirmed that the shark was a white shark.
Braddock has surfed in the Monterey Bay for decades and he knows of three other surfers who survived great white shark attacks off the coasts of Big Sur, Davenport, and Marina. One of the surfers was nicknamed “Shark Bait” after he was attacked near the Point Sur Lighthouse. “He still surfs today,” Braddock noted.
“All these guys were on surfboards, so they only got teeth on their back. But the swimmer got it on both sides because he didn’t have anything protecting him,” Braddock said. | 2022-07-14T21:06:38+00:00 | kron4.com | https://www.kron4.com/news/california/monterey-bay-shark-attack-victim-speaks-out/ |
NORTH PLAINS, Ore. (AP) — LIV Golf’s first U.S. event was set to begin Thursday, with a group of survivors and families who lost loved ones in the Sept. 11 terror attacks planning to gather at a nearby park to speak out against the Saudi Arabia-funded tour.
Brett Eagleson was 15 years old when he lost his father in the collapse of the World Trade Center. Nearly 3,000 people were killed on that day in 2001.
“We want the golfers to know who they’re getting in bed with, who they’re doing business with,” Eagleson said. “Any golfer that chooses to go play for the LIV tournament should have to listen to the family members and look us in the eye, and explain to us why they’re taking the Saudi money and why they’re playing in this tournament. And we want the ability to educate the golfers on what we know about the Saudi role on 9/11.”
Eagleson, now 36, is among those criticizing the LIV tournament and it’s connection to a regime that has flouted human rights. All but four of the 19 hijackers on Sept. 11 were Saudi citizens, and the Saudi kingdom was the birthplace of Osama bin Laden, the head of al-Qaida and mastermind of the attack.
The LIV Golf Invitational starts Thursday at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, about 20 miles west of downtown Portland.
Eagleson is especially disheartened over Phil Mickelson, one of this childhood heroes, and his decision to join LIV Golf. The tour, run by Greg Norman and funded by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, has offered signing bonuses — some that reportedly topping $100 million — that some players have found irrestible.
“Now to see him, kowtowing into the Saudis, and saying that he doesn’t give a crap, he doesn’t give a crap about the struggles and the pain and the misery. Three-thousand dead Americans. He doesn’t care because he got offered a paycheck? It’s just the worst form of greed,” Eagleson said.
In addition to Mickelson, fellow majors winners Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau have also joined LIV Golf. Mickelson did not speak to reporters before the Oregon tournament.
As much as the upstart tour no doubt wants to escape criticism, it can’t avoid it. At the pre-tournament news conferences, golfers were asked about the Saudi connection and gave similar, pat answers to questions about the topic, repeating variations of the message that golf can be a “force for good.”
But well before LIV Golf arrived in tiny North Plains, the city’s mayor and those from surrounding cities wrote the Texas-based owner of the club to protest the event, saying it didn’t align with the community’s values. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden called the event “sportswashing” to distract from human rights abuses.
The Portland stop is the second of eight LIV Golf events this year. The families of the Sept. 11 victims and the survivors also spoke out against the inaugural event outside London earlier this month.
Koepka, who recently joined LIV Golf after initially denouncing it, downplayed the concerns about the Saudi funding.
“They’re allowed to have their opinions. You know, we’ve heard it. I think everybody has. It’s been brought up,” said Koepka, a former world No. 1 and four-time majors champion. “But look, like we said, our only job is to go play golf, and that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to grow the game.”
Part of LIV Golf’s allure is the money. In addition to signing bonuses, the 48-man field will compete for a $20 million purse, with an additional $5 million prize fund for a team competition. Charl Schwartzel won the London event (and team portion) and made $4.75 million.
LIV tournaments are played over 54 holes with no cut, and even the last-place finisher gets $120,000. Organizers promise exciting events they say will attract new fans.
The PGA Tour has responded to LIV Golf’s challenge by suspending every active member who competed in the first LIV event. Those who play in Oregon will also be suspended unless they resign their tour memberships.
The PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic takes place in Illinois this week.
Former Masters champion Fred Couples is leading a U.S. team of athletes competing in an exhibition at Liberty National in New Jersey starting Thursday. Couples, a Hall of Famer, has been outspoken against LIV Golf and said he hopes his event would draw more spectators.
“I find it so weird that the only way they could get these guys to leave the tour is to throw them money. There’s no other reason. All the other stuff is B.S.,” Couples said. “It’s not bettering the game. They’re playing eight to 10 tournaments here. How is that bettering the game?”
___
AP Sports Writer Tom Canavan in New Jersey contributed to this report.
More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2022-06-30T21:45:12+00:00 | cenlanow.com | https://www.cenlanow.com/sports/sept-11-families-plan-protest-as-liv-tees-off-in-oregon/ |
(NEXSTAR) – Get your swimsuit and SPF ready. It’s looking like a hot summer for just about everyone this year.
The Climate Prediction Center’s summer outlook was released Thursday, and it shows a likelihood of above-average temperatures for nearly every part of every state in the country between June and August.
The highest likelihood for hot temps is in Utah, Colorado and New Mexico, according to the Climate Prediction Center’s outlook. Another pocket especially likely to see a hot summer is the Northeast, as seen in the map below.
The darker the shade of orange or red on the map above indicates the likelihood of a hotter-than-average summer. The white parts of the map show equal chances of an above- or below-average summer.
No state is expected to have a cooler-than-usual summer.
The Climate Prediction Center, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), issues 90-day outlooks once a month. Thursday’s outlook also calls for a dry summer for most of the country.
Only the East Coast, Gulf states, southern Arizona and Alaska are predicted to have a wetter summer. The rest of the country is facing dry conditions, which is expected to worsen the drought out West.
These summer weather predictions are influenced by the ongoing La Niña climate pattern, which has been lingering an especially long time this year.
La Niña also has an impact on hurricane season. It typically weakens storms originating in the Pacific, but leads to stronger hurricanes in the Atlantic. | 2022-05-19T18:48:56+00:00 | kxnet.com | https://www.kxnet.com/news/noaa-releases-hot-summer-outlook-heres-how-it-is-looking-for-your-state/ |
Despite comfortably winning a confidence motion in the upper house of the Italian parliament, Prime Minister Mario Draghi's government appears doomed.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Despite comfortably winning a confidence motion in the upper house of the Italian parliament, Prime Minister Mario Draghi's government appears doomed.
Copyright 2022 NPR | 2022-07-21T00:41:19+00:00 | mainepublic.org | https://www.mainepublic.org/2022-07-20/italian-prime-minister-mario-draghis-government-could-collapse-as-early-as-thursday |
- Future house pioneer Oliver Heldens performs alongside Manchester City player Jack Grealish in first-of-its-kind 'Mixing in the Metaverse' DJ set
- Exclusive musical performance includes new track created by Grealish and Heldens
MANCHESTER, England, May 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- OKX, one of the world's leading Web3 technology companies, today hosted an exclusive DJ set performed by Manchester City star Jack Grealish and legendary DJ Oliver Heldens in its OKX Collective metaverse.
The 'Mixing in the Metaverse' experience includes a 15-minute set performed by metahuman avatars of Grealish and Heldens, who has been coaching Grealish on the turntables. The concert-like experience sees Grealish and Heldens debut a new, exclusive collaboration track and takes place in a futuristic stadium built in the Everdome metaverse.
Jack Grealish said: "I love music and I've wanted to try my hand at DJing for a long time. What I couldn't have expected was that my DJing debut would come in the metaverse! The OKX Collective metaverse is unique and I'm honoured to share this special collab alongside a DJing legend like Oliver with fans from all over the world."
Haider Rafique, Global Chief Marketing Officer at OKX, said: "For our third metaverse experience with Manchester City, we step into the virtual world to watch Jack try his hand on the decks alongside a legend of the future house genre. This fan experience is a great example of the one-of-a-kind immersive experiences we are building for fans. These opportunities are special in that they bring people intimately close to the players they love and their passions."
Fans visiting the OKX Collective metaverse will be able to revisit the metaverse training experience OKX has launched with defender Rúben Dias and the tactical masterclass given by Manchester City Captain İlkay Gündoğan. Within the metaverse, fans can also enter competitions to win prizes, including passes to team trainings, match tickets and much more.
To enter the OKX Collective metaverse, fans simply need to click this link.
OKX is the official training kit partner of Manchester City for the 2022/23 season.
About OKX
OKX is a world-leading technology company building the future of Web3. Known as the fastest and most reliable crypto trading platform for investors and professional traders everywhere, OKX's crypto exchange is the second largest globally by trading volume.
OKX's leading self-custody solutions include the Web3-compatible OKX Wallet, which allows users greater control of their assets while expanding access to DEXs, NFT marketplaces, DeFi, GameFi and thousands of dApps.
OKX partners with a number of the world's top brands and athletes, including: English Premier League champions Manchester City F.C., McLaren Formula 1, The Tribeca Festival, golfer Ian Poulter, Olympian Scotty James, and F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo.
OKX is committed to transparency and security and publishes its Proof of Reserves on a monthly basis.
To learn more about OKX, download our app or visit: okx.com
Disclaimer
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE ANY INVESTMENT, TAX, OR LEGAL ADVICE, NOR SHOULD IT BE CONSIDERED AN OFFER TO PURCHASE, SELL, OR HOLD DIGITAL ASSETS. DIGITAL ASSETS, INCLUDING STABLECOINS, INVOLVE A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK, CAN FLUCTUATE GREATLY, AND CAN EVEN BECOME WORTHLESS. OKX IS NOT REGULATED BY THE FCA, THUS, PROTECTIONS SUCH AS THE FINANCIAL OMBUDSMAN SERVICE OR FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPENSATION SCHEME WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE. YOU SHOULD CONSIDER WHETHER YOU UNDERSTAND HOW CRYPTO WORKS AND WHETHER TRADING OR HOLDING DIGITAL ASSETS IS SUITABLE FOR YOU IN LIGHT OF YOUR FINANCIAL CONDITION. THE VALUE OF YOUR DIGITAL ASSETS, INCLUDING STABLECOINS, CAN INCREASE OR DECREASE AND PROFITS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CAPITAL GAINS TAX. PAST PERFORMANCE DOES NOT INDICATE FUTURE RESULTS. PLEASE CONSULT YOUR LEGAL/TAX/INVESTMENT PROFESSIONAL FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES.
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SOURCE OKX | 2023-05-04T14:34:50+00:00 | newschannel10.com | https://www.newschannel10.com/prnewswire/2023/05/04/jack-grealish-oliver-heldens-debut-musical-collaboration-with-exclusive-dj-set-okx-collective-metaverse/ |
Manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin will be dismissed
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Prosecutors will dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin in the fatal 2021 shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the Western film " Rust.” It was the only charge he faced.
Still, prosecutors alluded to new revelations in the investigation while cautioning that Baldwin has not been absolved.
A follow-up investigation will remain active and an involuntary manslaughter charge against Hannah Gutierrez Reed, weapons supervisor on the film, remains unchanged, special prosecutors Kari Morrisey and Jason Lewis said. An online status hearing was scheduled Friday in state District Court for both defendants.
“New facts were revealed that demand further investigation and forensic analysis,” the prosecutors said Thursday in a news release, without elaborating on those facts. “This decision does not absolve Mr. Baldwin of criminal culpability and charges may be refiled. Our follow-up investigation will remain active and on-going.”
Lawyers for Baldwin were first to announce that prosecutors were changing course, in a sharp turnaround for the Hollywood luminary who just a few months ago was confronting the possibility of a yearslong prison sentence.
“We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin, and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident,” defense attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro said in a statement.
Baldwin was pointing a pistol at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal when it went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza.
Baldwin has said the gun fired accidentally and he did not pull the trigger. An FBI forensic report found the weapon could not have fired unless the trigger was pulled, however.
In March, “Rust” safety coordinator and assistant director David Halls pleaded no contest to a conviction for unsafe handling of a firearm and a suspended sentence of six months of probation. He agreed to cooperate in further inquiries into the fatal shooting.
When the manslaughter charges were announced in January, Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said the case was about equal justice under the law and accountability in Hutchins’ death, regardless of the fame or fortune of those involved. She said the Ukrainian-born cinematographer’s death was tragic — and preventable.
A new legal team took over prosecution of Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed in late March, after the original special prosecutor appointed in the case resigned.
The dismissal of the charge against Baldwin, also a coproducer on “Rust,” abruptly changes the tenor of the investigation, said John Day, a Santa Fe-based criminal defense attorney who is not involved with the case.
“It does give the impression that the people left holding the bag are the lowest people on that chain,” Day said. “This is very different from what the original prosecutor said.”
When word of the dismissal came, Baldwin was at Yellowstone Film Ranch on the set of a rebooted “Rust” production. Preparations for filming were underway Thursday at its new location in Montana, 18 months after the shooting shut it down, a representative for Rust Movie Productions said.
Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys said they fully expect her to be exonerated in the judicial process.
“The truth about what happened will come out and the questions that we have long sought answers for will be answered,” the lawyers, Jason Bowles and Todd Bullion, said in a statement.
The case against Baldwin had already been diminishing. A weapons charge that could have meant a much longer sentence was dismissed.
The A-list actor’s 40-year career has included the early blockbuster “The Hunt for Red October” and a starring role in the sitcom “30 Rock,” as well as iconic appearances in Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” and a film adaptation of David Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross.” In recent years he was known for his impression of former President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live.”
The 65-year-old has worked little since the shooting but hardly went into hiding. He stayed active on social media, making Instagram videos, posting podcast interviews and pictures of his wife and seven children.
Plans to resume filming were outlined last year by the cinematographer’s widower, Matthew Hutchins, in a proposed settlement to a wrongful death lawsuit that would make him an executive producer. Souza has said he will return to directing “Rust” to honor the legacy of Halyna Hutchins.
Despite the settlement, attorneys for the Hutchins family said they welcomed the criminal charges against Baldwin when they were filed. They had no immediate comment on the pending dismissal Thursday.
After a scathing safety review by regulators in New Mexico that detailed ignored complaints and misfires before Hutchins’ death in October 2021, the production company agreed to pay a $100,000 fine.
Baldwin has not traveled to New Mexico to appear in court, which is not required of him under state law. Evidentiary hearings had been scheduled for next month to determine whether to proceed toward trial.
___
Dalton reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writer Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2023-04-21T12:31:44+00:00 | ktiv.com | https://www.ktiv.com/2023/04/21/manslaughter-charge-against-alec-baldwin-will-be-dismissed/ |
It’s a tough job, but somebody had to do it: With expiration dates looming, one Canadian hero endeavored to give away a huge amount of candy — and she succeeded, with time to spare.
Crystal Regehr Westergard, of Camrose, Alberta, sells old-school candy through her business, Canadian Candy Nostalgia. According to the CBC, Westergard decided in 2021 to resurrect her husband’s favorite childhood chocolate bar, Rum and Butter.
Originally manufactured by Cadbury, the rum-flavored caramel and chocolate treat disappeared in the 1990s. Westergard had experience reviving beloved candy bars — she’d already brought back the Cuban Lunch bar, her mom’s fave, and it was a hit.
The Rum and Butter was up next, complete with a cute ad:
The disorder of the pandemic threw a wrench in the plan, however. The factory Westergard contracted to produce the bars was dealing with staffing issues, which led to production delays, which led to Westergard being stuck with 133,000 candy bars marked to expire in June 2023.
“It’s immense,” Westergard told The Globe and Mail. “If I think about it too much, I’ll start to shake.”
Westergard is not a candy distributor by trade. She’s a physical therapist who makes candy on the side. And though Canadian food regulations don’t require chocolate bars to have an expiration date, grocery stores do — meaning all those soon-to-expire bars were not attractive to large-scale buyers.
“I really hope that we are not making a date with the Calgary dump,” Westergard told the CBC.
As word spread about Westergard’s unusual dilemma, ideas and requests poured in. Westergard had to reject most of them, however — the amount of candy bars was just too massive for many organizations to handle, and shipping long distances was prohibitive.
But then, finally, after a round or two of press, Westergard found some spots who could not only accept the candy, they could put it to good use, as noted in this Facebook post.
The lucky Rum and Butter recipients now include shelters, food banks, churches, Run Like Ole and Run Calgary. One rural fire department that plans to sell them for fundraising received 16,000 bars. Westergard even got an assist from a trucking company, Purolator Courier Corporation, that transported the bars for free.
Here’s a post about that donation:
In the comments of the various social media posts, many people waxed nostalgic about Rum and Butters and offered to take some of the overload.
“I think I’ll look back on it and say I’m glad I did it,” Westergard told the CBC. “But when you’re in the typhoon whirlwind it’s a lot. Yeah, it’s a lot.”
This story originally appeared on Don't Waste Your Money. Checkout Don't Waste Your Money for product reviews and other great ideas to save and make money. | 2023-04-28T15:06:47+00:00 | wkbw.com | https://www.wkbw.com/candy-company-owner-donates-133000-rum-butter-bars |
First-of-a-kind digital wallet that embodies simple yet flawless interactions is set to unite the worlds of consumerism, finance, and loyalty programs
TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Customer loyalty programs are proving to be an essential way to increase interaction with customers. That said, they are not necessarily easy to set up and tend to be limited in features. Businesses need the ability to create a customer loyalty program in a way that is simple and fast. But not just any loyalty program. One that lets them stay in constant touch with customers, follow their purchase patterns, and deliver perfectly personalized recommendations and rewards.
Ideally, businesses should be able to go beyond that and offer customers an advanced digital wallet that offers a comprehensive system for all types of payment. With flexible options for crypto-currency, debit card, credit card, top up cards, money transfers, and more CREDOPLUS All-In-One makes it easy to get proposals for personalized and attractive loans from multiple providers, options to open unique saving plans, get insurance coverage, and more – all using the same simple, cost-effective e-wallet.
CREDOPLUS makes it possible to have one e-wallet for all existing financial services including loans, insurance, customer loyalty programs, payment transactions, updates, and purchases. This single hub fully integrates all your financial services including loyalty programs, loans between friends, collecting targeted charity donations, special purpose market-places, and much more.
CREDOPLUS is the digital wallet with all the services you could imagine and more, in a single integrated spot.
This innovative digital wallet was developed by Credics (https://www.credics.com/), an Israeli fintech company with longstanding experience when it comes to customized financial software. CREDOPLUS makes it effortless for any sized organization or chain of businesses to create a customer loyalty program that is ready from day one, with all of the features built-in. Everything from the design to the look and feel is polished and ready to go, enriching the customer experience with perfectly personalized offers and the most advanced digital wallet.
"CREDOPLUS All-In-One digital wallet is based on decades of experience creating advanced technologies that help businesses create new revenue streams," stated Haim Zemah, CEO of Credics Technologies. "Any company in any sector can now set up unique personally-tailored member clubs that offer unlimited consumer benefits alongside an advanced and broad range of financial services."
A personalized and comprehensive financial hub for all customer needs can go a long way towards making any financial activity more rewarding and increasing brand loyalty. CREDOPLUS All-In-One offers a phenomenally simple yet sophisticated solution for any business, including hotel chains, energy stations, airline carriers, or municipalities to handle transactions, offer recommendations and rewards, and share updates.
According to one research report[1], the global mobile wallet market is estimated to register growth at a CAGR of 22.2% in the coming decade, exceeding a valuation of US$ 16.2 Trn by 2031. CREDOPLUS is primed to be a disruptive force in this market.
About Credics
Credics was founded by veterans of the payment card and financial software industries in 1999 to build flexible, perfectly-tailored solutions for a wide range of businesses in every economic sector. The company's solutions are modular, enabling the company to quickly build custom software for each and every client, and expand to offer new services.
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SOURCE Credics | 2022-10-31T17:26:00+00:00 | kcbd.com | https://www.kcbd.com/prnewswire/2022/10/31/new-disruptive-financial-technology-startup-nation-offers-new-perspective-digital-wallets-loyalty-programs-multi-channel-services-credoplus-all-in-one-digital-wallet-is-transforming-experience-fintech-consumers/ |
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SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — JT Marcinkowski stopped the three shots he faced and Jeremy Ebobisse scored an early go-ahead goal as the San Jose Earthquakes earned a 2-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Sunday night.
The Earthquakes (7-12-9) never trailed after Ebobisse made it a 1-0 game in the fourth minute. Jackson Yueill had an assist on the goal. Jamiro Monteiro scored the other goal for San Jose.
Both the Earthquakes and the Whitecaps (9-13-7) had six shots. The Earthquakes had four shots on goal and the Whitecaps had three. | 2022-09-05T04:26:55+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/sports/article/Marcinkowski-Ebobisse-spark-Earthquakes-win-17419645.php |
SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- INTEGRITY Security Services (ISS) today announces that its Traffic Management Center Authority (TMCA) has been selected by P3Mobility to deliver SCMS vehicle-to-everything (V2X) certificates and key storage to ensure secure V2X fee-collection to P3Moblity for the Smart Intersections Project in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This project is funded by the USDOT Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment (ATCMTD) program. The project will create utility for stakeholders by providing a roadmap for the commercialization and deployment of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs). This TMCA together with the ISS SCMS, collectively known as the Security Credential Management System (SCMS), will work with P3Mobility to securely facilitate V2X transactions for a secure connected infrastructure.
"We are very excited to be partnering with ISS on the University of Michigan Smart Intersections Project," said P3Mobility CEO Erin Milligan. "ISS is an industry leader in CAV SCMS and its involvement in this project will pave the way for accelerated national deployment of the CAV ecosystem."
The Smart Intersections Project is deploying V2X hardware at over 20 intersections and in over 200 vehicles. P3Mobility will be delivering a Fleet Signal Priority (FSP) solution that allows vehicle fleets to pay a fee for dynamically extended green lights. P3Mobility's FSP solution improves safety, reduces emissions, and allows revenue to be generated by a city. P3Mobility will also introduce a Fleet Intelligence solution and prepare a CAV Implementation Guide. The Implementation Guide will be made available to cities and states to help them to design, build, operate, finance, and maintain smart infrastructure. This vital resource will provide a public jurisdiction with the tools it needs to understand the process of introducing a safety-enhancing and economically sustainable V2X ecosystem.
"ISS is pleased to be partnering with P3Mobility to enhance the security of V2X messaging within the growing Connected Vehicle community," says David Sequino, Co-Founder and President of INTEGRITY Security Services.
ISS' SCMS provides a highly scalable system for issuing security credentials to Connected Vehicle RSUs' and OBUs' components and the tools needed by traffic management authorities to facilitate V2X fee-collection. "ISS is pleased to work with P3Mobility to ensure the security goals are achieved within the ATCMTD mandate both today and in the future," says Murray Egan, Director of Sales for INTEGRITY Security Services.
The ISS SCMS is the de facto standard and global leader serving more Connected Vehicle projects than any other SCMS in the world. The ISS SCMS is the only SCMS scalable to meet global needs for both production and ongoing device top-offs.
The ISS SCMS has now been used to create two national-level credential management systems. In 2017, ISS delivered the V2X Root CA and Certificate Management System that actively serve North American connected vehicle projects. This Root CA has attained and maintained the WebTrust for Certification Authorities Trust Services Seal. In 2019, ISS delivered Australia's Queensland C-ITS Security Credential Management System (AU CSCMS) which includes the current Australian C-ITS Root CA. In addition to these production-grade systems, ISS provides the SCMS infrastructures used throughout the world in various pilots, trials, and research projects.
About INTEGRITY Security Services
INTEGRITY Security Services LLC (ISS) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Green Hills Software LLC, and was established to provide best practice embedded security products and infrastructure solutions for protecting smart connected devices from cyber security attacks. End-to-end automotive solutions range from secure ECU platforms, to large-scale public key management systems, to supply chain security solutions. As the leading V2X certificate provider, ISS operates the V2X Root CA and provides its V2X Certificate Management Service (CMS) to both DSRC and C-V2X OBUs and RSUs used in USDOT CV Pilots and other state and local DOT projects across the United States. For more information, please visit www.ghsiss.com.
About P3Mobility
P3Mobility provides consulting services and a software platform that enables fee-collection and a sustainable commercial business model in the V2X ecosystem. P3Mobility's patent protected AAA Server provides a road operator or public jurisdiction with the means of financing, operating, and maintaining V2X and other smart infrastructure through the facilitation of various "smart road services." For more information, please visit www.p3mobility.com.
Green Hills, the Green Hills logo, INTEGRITY Security Services, the INTEGRITY Security Services logo, and INTEGRITY are trademarks or registered trademarks of Green Hills Software LLC and/or INTEGRITY Security Services LLC in the US and/or internationally. ISS, CMS, the ISS CMS logo, the Security Credential Management System logo, and the DLM logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of INTEGRITY Security Services in the US and/or internationally. All other trademarks (registered or otherwise) are the property of their respective owners.
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SOURCE INTEGRITY Security Services | 2022-08-02T13:02:15+00:00 | live5news.com | https://www.live5news.com/prnewswire/2022/08/02/integrity-security-services-p3mobility-deliver-secure-solutions-ann-arbor-atcmtd-program/ |
Another insurance company is now cutting its losses in Florida, dropping some of its property insurance customers. AAA said some policyholders are about to receive non-renewal notices, but the company did not say how many people will be impacted.
It's the latest concern for South Florida residents with rising property insurance costs across the state.
"It was a huge jump," said homeowner Ross Carter when asked about the rise in property insurance. "I mean, it was surprising to me. It was a shock. Really, it was."
Although Carter does not have AAA insurance, he said he's concerned his insurance carrier will follow suit.
AAA has announced it is not renewing a very small percentage of higher exposure homeowner's policies. The announcement comes days after Farmers Insurance announced it would be canceling policies in Florida, impacting about 100,000 policyholders.
SEE MORE: Homeowner insurance rates skyrocket in waterfront areas in the South
"It's just going to make the market more of a monopoly than the ability to have a lot of different choices, so the less choices we have, you know, there's not much we can do," Carter said.
AAA said in a statement that last year's hurricane season "drastically raised operational costs for providers."
"That is a concern, and if insurance companies aren't going to help support us when we're in need, you know, that's going to be a problem for everyone," Carter said.
For insurance agents, they've seen this insurance market change drastically over the past few years.
"Three years ago, it was, you know, you're looking at maybe a 5-10% kind of annual rate increase and now it's become like, 'Man you are so lucky that you got a 35% rate increase because at least you got a renewal offer,'" Jake Holehouse, principal insurance agent at HH Insurance Group, said.
AAA said it will help customers find alternate coverage.
This story was originally published by Briana Nespral at Scripps News West Palm Beach.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | 2023-07-18T19:01:50+00:00 | kjrh.com | https://www.kjrh.com/aaa-dropping-some-florida-property-insurance-policyholders |
Once a model of coaching stability in Alex Ferguson’s long trophy-filled tenure, Manchester United hired a fifth full-time manager in nine years since his retirement by bringing in Erik ten Hag from Ajax.
Ten Hag’s arrival was announced by United on Thursday, with the 52-year-old Dutchman joining at the end of the season to 2025. He is tasked with awakening a fallen superpower in European soccer that is enduring its longest trophy drought in nearly 40 years.
“I am hugely excited by the challenge ahead,” ten Hag said. “I know the history of this great club and the passion of the fans, and I am absolutely determined to develop a team capable of delivering the success they deserve.”
Adopting the attacking philosophy of the great Johan Cruyff, ten Hag succeeded in bringing the good times back to Ajax, leading the biggest team in the Netherlands to two Eredivisie titles — it could be three in a few weeks — as well as the Champions League semifinals in entertaining style in 2019.
Returning United to its former heights is set to be an even bigger job, given the team won the last of its record 20 English titles in 2013 — Ferguson’s final season of his 26-year reign — and hasn’t won a trophy since beating Ajax in the Europa League final in 2017. United hasn’t endured such a trophy drought since the early 1980s and has slipped way behind rivals Manchester City and Liverpool despite continuing to spend heavily on players.
Nowhere was this decline more evident than this week, when United was thrashed 4-0 by Liverpool to go along with its rival’s 5-0 win at Old Trafford in October.
The three-time European champion might not even return to the Champions League next season. United is three points out of the Premier League top four with five games remaining and is already assured of ending a season without a trophy for the fifth straight year.
“In our conversations with Erik leading up to this appointment, we were deeply impressed with his long-term vision for returning Manchester United to the level we want to be competing at, and his drive and determination to achieve that,” said John Murtough, United’s football director.
United has been led by interim managers Michael Carrick and currently Ralf Rangnick since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was fired in November. The club has been speaking to candidates over recent weeks — Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino was reportedly also on the shortlist — but it settled on ten Hag, who might be the biggest managerial gamble in United’s turbulent post-Ferguson era.
Aside from a two-year spell with Bayern Munich’s reserve team (in 2013-15, when Pep Guardiola was in charge of the first team), ten Hag has coached only in the Netherlands — with Go Ahead Eagles, Utrecht and most recently Ajax since 2017.
As such, he is untested in the Premier League and in handling the egos of some of the biggest players in world soccer — and United has some of them in Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes.
Pogba is, however, out of contract at the end of the season and is set to leave as part of what could be a major shake-up of a playing squad that needs rebuilding and strengthening in key areas like central midfield and up front.
An advocate of the 4-3-3 formation that is so popular in the Netherlands, ten Hag tries to play attractive, attacking football in the manner of the teams coached by Cruyff, whose shadow and philosophy hangs over the club like Ferguson’s does at Old Trafford.
Since Ferguson’s departure, United has gone with the man he hand-picked as a successor, David Moyes, and then managers with bigger profiles in Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho. None of them worked out and nor did Solskjaer, although he at least got United to a second-place finish last season.
Ten Hag joins with United now at perhaps its lowest ebb since Ferguson’s retirement and his first big decision might be what to do with Ronaldo, a striker who keeps scoring goals — with 15, he is third on Premier League scoring list — but whose work rate and mobility is not at the level of forwards at other big clubs.
Can he get the best out of United’s younger forwards, such as Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, and bring through youth players like he has at Ajax?
“Erik has proved himself to be one of the most exciting and successful coaches in Europe,” Murtough said, “renowned for his team’s attractive, attacking football and commitment to youth.”
Before all that, ten Hag will look to sign off at Ajax with another Dutch league title. With five games remaining, Ajax leads second-place PSV Eindhoven by four points.
“I’m happy that it has been finalized and that it has been officially announced,” he said. “That clarity is important. But I only have one interest now and that’s these last five games. I want to finish my time here on a positive note, by winning the league.”
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
___
Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80 | 2022-04-22T06:35:06+00:00 | fox44news.com | https://www.fox44news.com/sports/man-united-hire-erik-ten-hag-as-5th-manager-in-9-years/ |
Tensions between Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) boiled over on the House floor as Greene called Boebert a “little bitch” amid GOP frustration at the Colorado Republican’s move to try and force a vote on impeaching President Biden.
During votes Wednesday afternoon, Boebert approached Greene over statements she made earlier in the day for critiquing her move to force an impeachment vote, the Daily Beast reported.
Greene accused Boebert of copying her own articles of impeachment against Biden, which Greene had previously asked her to co-sponsor, the report said. And Greene also noted that she donated to Boebert and defended her.
At one point, Greene called Boebert a “little bitch.”
Greene confirmed the exchange, later telling reporters that the Daily Beast’s story — including the name-calling — was “surprisingly accurate.”
Boebert’s office did not respond to a request for comment on the exchange, but she told CNN of the reported exchange, “Like I said, I’m not in middle school.”
Greene expanded on her frustration with Boebert while speaking to reporters at the Capitol.
“I have defended her when she’s been attacked. She and I have virtually the same voting record. We’re both members of the House Freedom Caucus. We should be natural allies,” Greene said. “But for some reason, she has a great skill and talent for making most people here not like her. And so, it’s her issue.”
Greene said that she supported Boebert’s impeachment articles because she also wants to impeach Biden, but she critiqued her approach. Boebert’s move to force a vote surprised and angered many of her colleagues.
“She didn’t talk to anyone about it. She didn’t come to the conference [meeting]. She didn’t address it with anybody. She copied my articles of impeachment, refused to cosponsor mine,” Greene said.
The Trump-supporting firebrands both arrived in Congress in 2020, and due to their ideological and stylistic similarities, were often lumped together. But the two have diverged in their tactical approaches over the last year or so, and they have made clear they do not get along with each other.
One House GOP member told The Hill that Boebert and Greene have never liked each other and sit at opposite ends of the table during House Freedom Caucus meetings.
The tension between the two has burst into public view in the past — particularly around the time Boebert and other conservatives blocked Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from immediately becoming Speaker, while Greene was a staunch supporter of McCarthy.
During the drawn-out Speaker’s fight in January, Greene and Boebert got into a confrontation in the women’s bathroom, the Daily Beast reported.
“You were OK taking millions of dollars from McCarthy, but you refuse to vote for him for Speaker, Lauren?” Greene reportedly said.
Boebert later recounted the exchange to conservative commentator Dana Loesch.
“When she started going after me, I looked at her and said, ‘Don’t be ugly,’” Boebert said.
And in a December interview with conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, Boebert lamented being “accused of believing a lot of the things that [Greene] believes in.”
“I don’t believe in this, just like I don’t believe in Russian space lasers — Jewish space lasers and all of this,” Boebert said, in reference to a 2018 Facebook post from Greene in which she floated that a “laser beam or light beam” from “space solar generators” could be to blame for wildfires in California, also mentioning the “Rothschild Inc.” Greene later said she did not know the Rothschilds have long been at the center of antisemitic conspiracy theories.
Greene shot back on Twitter.
“She gladly takes our $$$ but when she’s been asked: Lauren refuses to endorse President Trump, she refuses to support Kevin McCarthy, and she childishly threw me under the bus for a cheap sound bite,” Greene said of Boebert. | 2023-06-22T16:34:20+00:00 | kxnet.com | https://www.kxnet.com/hill-politics/greene-calls-boebert-a-little-b-as-tensions-boil-over-on-house-floor/ |
NPR's A Martinez speaks with Michael "Rod" Rodriguez, president and CEO of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation, about plans for a national monument, and how he is marking Memorial Day.
Copyright 2023 NPR
NPR's A Martinez speaks with Michael "Rod" Rodriguez, president and CEO of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation, about plans for a national monument, and how he is marking Memorial Day.
Copyright 2023 NPR | 2023-05-29T10:34:13+00:00 | kcbx.org | https://www.kcbx.org/2023-05-29/global-war-on-terrorism-memorial-foundation-aims-for-a-monument-on-the-national-mall |
- Data follow the historic approval of the first gene therapy for hemophilia B, which reduces the rate of annual bleeds, reduces or eliminates the need for prophylactic therapy and generates elevated and sustained factor IX levels for years after a one-time infusion
- 18-month data support the efficacy and safety of HEMGENIX® and the ongoing benefit of this treatment
- HEMGENIX® is approved for adults with hemophilia B in the United States, European Union and European Economic Area
KING OF PRUSSIA, Penn., Feb. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Global biotechnology leader CSL (ASX: CSL) today announced the publication in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) (Vol. 388 No. 8) results from the pivotal HOPE-B clinical study evaluating the efficacy, durability and safety of HEMGENIX® (etranacogene dezaparvovec-drlb). HEMGENIX® is the first and only gene therapy approved for the treatment of adults with hemophilia B who currently use factor IX prophylaxis therapy, or have current or historical life-threatening bleeding, or have repeated, serious spontaneous bleeding episodes.
Results from the HOPE-B trial, the largest gene therapy study in hemophilia B to date, were considered by the authors to demonstrate that HEMGENIX® is superior to routine factor IX prophylaxis in Annualized Bleeding Rate (ABR), and demonstrated significant improvements in factor IX activity, factor IX therapy consumption, factor IX infusion rate, and spontaneous and joint bleeding ABR. Increased factor IX activity was also apparent from week 3 and maintained over 18 months. There were no serious treatment-related adverse events.
Notably, the results published in NEJM show the ABR of spontaneous bleeding episodes and all joint bleeding episodes decreased by 71% (95% CI: 0.12, 0.71) and 78% (95% CI: 0.10, 0.46), respectively, from lead-in period to post-treatment. Further, the authors found 96.3% of patients discontinued factor IX prophylaxis from day 21 through month 18 post-treatment (the discontinuation rate in the approved U.S. HEMGENIX® product label is 94%). Annualized factor IX infusions also significantly decreased from 72.5 infusions per participant during lead-in period (95% CI: 63.6, 82.7) to 2.5 infusions (95% CI: 0.92, 6.96) post-treatment.
In clinical trials for HEMGENIX®, the most common side effects reported in more than 5% of patients were liver enzyme elevations, headache, elevated levels of a certain blood enzyme, flu-like symptoms, infusion-related reactions, fatigue, nausea and feeling unwell.
"The results published in NEJM add to the established body of evidence demonstrating the long-term efficacy and safety of HEMGENIX® and confirm that this innovative new medicine not only restores blood clotting factor to near normal levels and significantly reduces factor use, but also that gene therapy may reduce the burden of care and improve quality of life for people living with this life-long condition," said Dr. Steven Pipe, Professor and the Laurence A. Boxer Research Professor of Pediatrics and Professor of Pathology at the University of Michigan and lead investigator of the HOPE-B study. "HOPE-B was also the first and only phase 3 study to demonstrate efficacy of a gene therapy for hemophilia B in individuals with circulating neutralizing antibodies that have the potential to interfere with the effects of treatment. Results from HOPE-B suggest that HEMGENIX® may be effective in a broad range of hemophilia B patients, regardless of prior exposure to common adeno-associated viruses."
The multi-year clinical development of HEMGENIX® was led by uniQure (Nasdaq: QURE) and sponsorship of the clinical trials transitioned to CSL after it licensed global rights to commercialize the treatment. HEMGENIX® was approved in November 2022 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and in February 2023 by the European Commission (EC) for the European Union and European Economic Area.
"We are proud to showcase the HOPE-B trial data in such a prestigious publication," said Brahm Goldstein, MD, Vice President, Research and Development, Hematology at CSL. "These results underscore the benefits of this novel approach and reinforce that those treated with HEMGENIX® will likely achieve durable factor IX activity levels and remain free of prophylactic factor IX replacement for years following a single administration. CSL remains steadfast in our commitment to deliver on our promise of innovation for people living with rare bleeding disorders."
About Hemophilia B
Hemophilia B is a life-threatening rare disease. People with the condition are particularly vulnerable to bleeds in their joints, muscles, and internal organs, leading to pain, swelling, and joint damage. Current treatments for moderate to severe hemophilia B include life-long prophylactic infusions of factor IX to temporarily replace or supplement low levels of the blood-clotting factor.
About HEMGENIX®
HEMGENIX® is a gene therapy that reduces the rate of abnormal bleeding in eligible people with hemophilia B by enabling the body to continuously produce factor IX, the deficient protein in hemophilia B. It uses AAV5, a non-infectious viral vector, called an adeno-associated virus (AAV). The AAV5 vector carries the Padua gene variant of Factor IX (FIX-Padua) to the target cells in the liver, generating factor IX proteins that are 5x-8x more active than normal. These genetic instructions remain in the target cells, but generally do not become a part of a person's own DNA. Once delivered, the new genetic instructions allow the cellular machinery to produce stable levels of factor IX.
About the Pivotal HOPE-B Trial
The pivotal Phase III HOPE-B trial is an ongoing, multinational, open-label, single-arm study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of HEMGENIX®. Fifty-four adult hemophilia B patients classified as having moderately severe to severe hemophilia B and requiring prophylactic factor IX replacement therapy were enrolled in a prospective, six-month or longer observational period during which time they continued to use their current standard of care therapy to establish a baseline Annual Bleeding Rate (ABR). After the six-month lead-in period, patients received a single intravenous administration of HEMGENIX® at the 2x10^13 gc/kg dose. Patients were not excluded from the trial based on pre-existing neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) to AAV5.
A total of 54 patients received a single dose of HEMGENIX® in the pivotal trial, with 53 patients completing at least 18 months of follow-up. The primary endpoint in the pivotal HOPE-B study was ABR 52 weeks after achievement of stable factor IX expression (months 7 to 18) compared with the six-month lead-in period. For this endpoint, ABR was measured from month seven to month 18 after infusion, ensuring the observation period represented a steady-state factor IX transgene expression. Secondary endpoints included assessment of factor IX activity.
No serious treatment-related adverse reactions were reported. One death resulting from urosepsis and cardiogenic shock in a 77-year-old patient at 65 weeks following dosing was considered unrelated to treatment by investigators and the company sponsor. A serious adverse event of hepatocellular carcinoma was determined to be unrelated to treatment with HEMGENIX® by independent molecular tumor characterization and vector integration analysis. No inhibitors to factor IX were reported.
Long-term 24-month data presented at the 54th American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2022 Annual Meeting and Exposition and at The European Association for Haemophilia and Allied Disorders (EAHAD) 2023 Annual Meeting continue to reinforce the potential long-lasting efficacy and safety of HEMGENIX® and the ongoing benefit of this treatment for people living with hemophilia B.
Important Safety Information (ISI)
What is HEMGENIX®?
HEMGENIX®, etranacogene dezaparvovec-drlb, is a one-time gene therapy for the treatment of adults with hemophilia B who:
- Currently use Factor IX prophylaxis therapy, or
- Have current or historical life-threatening bleeding, or
- Have repeated, serious spontaneous bleeding episodes.
HEMGENIX® is administered as a single intravenous infusion and can be administered only once.
What medical testing can I expect to be given before and after administration of HEMGENIX®?
To determine your eligibility to receive HEMGENIX®, you will be tested for Factor IX inhibitors. If this test result is positive, a retest will be performed 2 weeks later. If both tests are positive for Factor IX inhibitors, your doctor will not administer HEMGENIX® to you. If, after administration of HEMGENIX®, increased Factor IX activity is not achieved, or bleeding is not controlled, a post-dose test for Factor IX inhibitors will be performed.
HEMGENIX® may lead to elevations of liver enzymes in the blood; therefore, ultrasound and other testing will be performed to check on liver health before HEMGENIX® can be administered. Following administration of HEMGENIX®, your doctor will monitor your liver enzyme levels weekly for at least 3 months. If you have preexisting risk factors for liver cancer, regular liver health testing will continue for 5 years post-administration. Treatment for elevated liver enzymes could include corticosteroids.
What were the most common side effects of HEMGENIX® in clinical trials?
In clinical trials for HEMGENIX®, the most common side effects reported in more than 5% of patients were liver enzyme elevations, headache, elevated levels of a certain blood enzyme, flu-like symptoms, infusion-related reactions, fatigue, nausea, and feeling unwell. These are not the only side effects possible. Tell your healthcare provider about any side effect you may experience.
What should I watch for during infusion with HEMGENIX®?
Your doctor will monitor you for infusion-related reactions during administration of HEMGENIX®, as well as for at least 3 hours after the infusion is complete. Symptoms may include chest tightness, headaches, abdominal pain, lightheadedness, flu-like symptoms, shivering, flushing, rash, and elevated blood pressure. If an infusion-related reaction occurs, the doctor may slow or stop the HEMGENIX® infusion, resuming at a lower infusion rate once symptoms resolve.
What should I avoid after receiving HEMGENIX®?
Small amounts of HEMGENIX® may be present in your blood, semen, and other excreted/secreted materials, and it is not known how long this continues. You should not donate blood, organs, tissues, or cells for transplantation after receiving HEMGENIX®.
Please see full prescribing information for HEMGENIX®.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
You can also report side effects to CSL Behring's Pharmacovigilance Department at 1-866-915-6958.
About CSL
CSL (ASX:CSL; USOTC:CSLLY) is a leading global biotechnology company with a dynamic portfolio of lifesaving medicines, including those that treat hemophilia and immune deficiencies, vaccines to prevent influenza, and therapies in iron deficiency, dialysis and nephrology. Since our start in 1916, we have been driven by our promise to save lives using the latest technologies. Today, CSL – including our three businesses, CSL Behring, CSL Seqirus and CSL Vifor – provides lifesaving products to patients in more than 100 countries and employs 30,000 people. Our unique combination of commercial strength, R&D focus and operational excellence enables us to identify, develop and deliver innovations so our patients can live life to the fullest. For inspiring stories about the promise of biotechnology, visit CSLBehring.com/Vita and follow us on Twitter.com/CSL.
For more information about CSL, visit CSL.com.
Media Contacts
Greg Healy
Mobile +1 610 906 4564
Email: greg.healy@cslbehring.com
Etanjalie Ayala
Mobile: +1 610 297 1069
Email: etanjalie.ayala@cslbehring.com
In Australia
Kim O'Donohue
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Email: kim.odonohue@csl.com.au
Jimmy Baker
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Email: Jimmy.Baker@csl.com.au
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SOURCE CSL | 2023-02-23T13:33:35+00:00 | kcbd.com | https://www.kcbd.com/prnewswire/2023/02/23/csls-hope-b-data-published-new-england-journal-medicine-demonstrating-efficacy-durability-hemgenix-etranacogene-dezaparvovec-drlb/ |
CARMIEL, Israel and BOSTON, Nov. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE American: PLX) (TASE: PLX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development, production and commercialization of recombinant therapeutic proteins produced by its proprietary ProCellEx® plant cell based protein expression system, and Chiesi Global Rare Diseases, a business unit of the Chiesi Group established to deliver innovative therapies and solutions for people affected by rare diseases, today announced the resubmission on November 9, 2022 of a Biologics License Application (BLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for PRX–102 (pegunigalsidase alfa) for the treatment of adult patients with Fabry disease. Pegunigalsidase alfa is a purposefully-designed, long-acting recombinant, PEGylated, cross-linked α-galactosidase-A investigational product candidate.
The BLA resubmission includes a comprehensive set of clinical and manufacturing data. The data were compiled from studies that involved more than 140 Fabry disease patients with up to five years of follow up including all three completed studies in the PRX-102 Phase III clinical program including the BALANCE study, the BRIDGE study and the BRIGHT study, as well as the phase I/II clinical trial of PRX–102. The phase I/II data includes data compiled from the related extension study succeeding the phase I/II study. The BLA resubmission also includes safety data compiled from the ongoing phase III extension studies of PRX–102. If approved, Protalix will be eligible to receive a milestone payment from Chiesi upon BLA approval.
Protalix and Chiesi anticipate that the FDA will complete its review of the resubmission within six months of receipt.
"The resubmission of the BLA represents a significant milestone for Protalix and we believe it has meaningful potential for patients and families affected by Fabry disease. Fabry disease is a serious, life-threatening, rare genetic disorder, the ultimate consequences of which range from episodes of pain and impaired peripheral sensation to end-organ failure, particularly of the kidneys, but also of the heart and the cerebrovascular system," said Dror Bashan, Protalix's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Together with Chiesi, we are committed to continuing to work with the FDA toward our goal of achieving regulatory approval and making PRX–102 available to patients with this rare disease in the United States."
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is currently reviewing the marketing authorization application for PRX–102, and interactions with the EMA are ongoing.
"Many people who are living with Fabry disease still have existing unmet needs including access to treatment and the burden of regular infusions, and we believe it is important to deliver a potential new treatment option," said Giacomo Chiesi, head of Chiesi Global Rare Diseases. "Together with Protalix, we thank the investigators and study participants who have made reaching this milestone possible and have supported our joint commitment to bringing this new treatment option to the Fabry patient community."
About Fabry Disease
Fabry disease is an X-linked inherited disease that results from deficient activity of the lysosomal α–Galactosidase–A enzyme resulting in progressive accumulation of abnormal deposits of a fatty substance called globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) in blood vessel walls throughout a person's body. Fabry disease occurs in one person per 40,000 to 60,000. Fabry patients inherit a deficiency of the α–Galactosidase–A enzyme, which is normally responsible for the breakdown of Gb3. The abnormal storage of Gb3 increases with time and, accordingly, Gb3 accumulates, primarily in the blood and in the blood vessel walls. The ultimate consequences of Gb3 deposition range from episodes of pain and impaired peripheral sensation to end-organ failure – particularly of the kidneys, but also of the heart and the cerebrovascular system.
About PRX–102
PRX–102 (pegunigalsidase alfa) is an investigational, plant cell culture-expressed, and chemically modified stabilized version of the recombinant α–Galactosidase–A enzyme. It is a novel, PEGylated enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) under development for the treatment of Fabry disease. Protein sub-units are covalently bound via chemical cross-linking using short PEG moieties, resulting in a molecule with unique pharmacokinetic parameters. In clinical studies, PRX–102 has been observed to have a circulatory half-life of approximately 80 hours. The Company designed PRX–102 to potentially address the continued unmet clinical need in Fabry patients.
About Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc.
Protalix is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of recombinant therapeutic proteins expressed through its proprietary plant cell-based expression system, ProCellEx. Protalix was the first company to gain U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a protein produced through plant cell-based in suspension expression system. Protalix's unique expression system represents a new method for developing recombinant proteins in an industrial-scale manner.
Protalix's first product manufactured by ProCellEx, taliglucerase alfa, was approved by the FDA in May 2012 and, subsequently, by the regulatory authorities of other countries. Protalix has licensed to Pfizer Inc. the worldwide development and commercialization rights for taliglucerase alfa, excluding Brazil, where Protalix retains full rights.
Protalix's development pipeline consists of proprietary versions of recombinant therapeutic proteins that target established pharmaceutical markets, including the following product candidates: pegunigalsidase alfa, a modified stabilized version of the recombinant human α Galactosidase A protein for the treatment of Fabry disease; alidornase alfa or PRX–110, for the treatment of various human respiratory diseases or conditions; PRX–115, a plant cell-expressed recombinant PEGylated uricase for the treatment of severe gout; PRX–119, a plant cell-expressed long action DNase I for the treatment of NETs-related diseases; and others. Protalix has partnered with Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A., both in the United States and outside the United States, for the development and commercialization of pegunigalsidase alfa.
About Chiesi Global Rare Diseases
Chiesi Global Rare Diseases is a business unit of the Chiesi Group established to deliver innovative therapies and solutions for people affected by rare diseases. As a family business, Chiesi Group strives to create a world where it is common to have a therapy for all diseases and acts as a force for good, for society and the planet. The goal of the Global Rare Diseases unit is to ensure equal access so as many people as possible can experience their most fulfilling life. The unit collaborates with the rare disease community around the globe to bring voice to underserved people in the health care system. For more information visit www.chiesirarediseases.com.
About Chiesi Group
Based in Parma, Italy, Chiesi is an international research-focused pharmaceuticals and healthcare group with over 85 years' experience, operating in 30 countries with more than 6,000 employees (Chiesi Group). To achieve its mission of improving people's quality of life by acting responsibly towards society and the environment, the Group researches, develops and markets innovative therapeutic solutions in its three focus areas: AIR (products and services that promote respiration, from new-born to adult populations), RARE (treatment for patients with rare and ultra-rare diseases) and CARE (products and services that support specialty care and consumer-facing self-care). The Group's Research and Development center is based in Parma and works alongside 6 other important research and development hubs in France, the U.S., Canada, China, the UK, and Sweden to pursue its pre-clinical, clinical, and regulatory programs. In 2018 Chiesi has changed its legal status to a Benefit Corporation, according to the law in Italy, USA and, more recently, in France, by incorporating common benefit objectives into its bylaws, to generate value for its business, for the society and the environment. Since 2019, Chiesi has been the world's largest B Corp certified pharmaceutical group. B Corps are global leaders convinced to leverage business as a force for good. Moreover, as a Benefit Corporation, Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. is required by law to report annually in a transparent way about its progress in achieving the common benefits objectives it has set forward. The Group is committed to becoming carbon neutral by the end of 2035.
For more information, please visit www.chiesi.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
To the extent that statements in this press release are not strictly historical, all such statements are forward-looking, and are made pursuant to the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The terms "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "project," "may," "plan," "will," "would," "should" and "intend," and other words or phrases of similar import are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future experience and results to differ materially from the statements made. These statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations as to such future outcomes. Drug discovery and development involve a high degree of risk and the final results of a clinical trial may be different than the preliminary findings for the clinical trial. Factors that might cause material differences include, among others: risks related to the timing, progress and likelihood of final approval by the FDA and European Medicines Agency (EMA) of the resubmitted Biologics License Application (BLA) and of a Marketing Authorization Application, respectively, for PRX–102 and, if approved, whether the use of PRX–102 will be commercially successful; likelihood that the FDA, EMA or other applicable health regulatory authorities will approve an alternative dosing regimen; failure or delay in the commencement or completion of our preclinical studies and clinical trials, which may be caused by several factors, including: slower than expected rates of patient recruitment; unforeseen safety issues; determination of dosing issues; lack of effectiveness during clinical trials; inability to satisfactorily demonstrate non-inferiority to approved therapies; inability or unwillingness of medical investigators and institutional review boards to follow our clinical protocols; and inability to monitor patients adequately during or after treatment; delays in the approval or potential rejection of any applications we file with the FDA, EMA or other health regulatory authorities for our other product candidates, and other risks relating to the review process; risks associated with the novel coronavirus disease, or COVID–19, outbreak, which may adversely impact our business, preclinical studies and clinical trials; risks related to any transactions we may effect in the public or private equity markets to raise capital to finance future research and development activities, general and administrative expenses and working capital; the risk that the results of the clinical trials of our product candidates will not support the applicable claims of safety or efficacy, or that our product candidates will not have the desired effects or will be associated with undesirable side effects or other unexpected characteristics; risks related to our ability to maintain and manage our relationship with our collaborators, distributors or partners; risks related to the amount and sufficiency of our cash, cash equivalents and short-term deposits; risks relating to our ability to make scheduled payments of the principal of, to pay interest on or to refinance our outstanding notes or any other indebtedness; our dependence on performance by third party providers of services and supplies, including without limitation, clinical trial services; delays in our preparation and filing of applications for regulatory approval; the inherent risks and uncertainties in developing drug platforms and products of the type we are developing; the impact of development of competing therapies and/or technologies by other companies and institutions; potential product liability risks, and risks of securing adequate levels of product liability and other necessary insurance coverage; and other factors described in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The statements in this press release are valid only as of the date hereof and we disclaim any obligation to update this information, except as may be required by law.
Investor Contact
Chuck Padala, Managing Director
LifeSci Advisors
646-627-8390
chuck@lifesciadvisors.com
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SOURCE Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc.; Chiesi | 2022-11-14T13:17:29+00:00 | newschannel10.com | https://www.newschannel10.com/prnewswire/2022/11/14/protalix-biotherapeutics-chiesi-global-rare-diseases-announce-resubmission-biologics-license-application-us-food-drug-administration-pegunigalsidase-alfa-treatment-fabry-disease/ |
President Biden on Friday focused on implementing his agenda over the past two years during a meeting with governors from both sides of the aisle, calling for governors to focus on the work that has already been done as he faces a divided Congress.
“One of the things we have to do this year is we have, in a sense, almost too much to work with because we got to get done what we already passed, not even talking about new legislation, just what has already been passed,” he said during the National Governors Association (NGA) winter meeting at the White House.
The president is working with a divided Congress for the first time in his presidency, and passing anything from his agenda will be an uphill battle in the GOP-controlled House.
“I think we have a lot to cover and, quite frankly I think the success for all of us, Democrats and Republicans, is in part going to be measured by not what else we get done or pass but whether we’re able to implement what we’ve already done,” Biden said.
The president in the meeting touted the infrastructure bill and CHIPs and Science Act, which both passed with bipartisan support. He focused on the importance of working across the aisle in his remarks, echoing his State of the Union address earlier this week, which called for Congress to act on policies that can get support from Democrats and Republicans.
“I just think that one of the things that we have a chance to do this year is disprove that … we’re just a broken system, that we’re just divided, just based on extremes in both parties and we can’t get anything done,” Biden said.
He also said that while a lot of legislation has been passed, “I think we have to finish the job.” The president said he wants to “finish the job” a dozen times in his State of the Union address on Tuesday, giving a nod to an expected reelection bid.
Thirty-seven governors from states and U.S. territories attended the meeting on Friday. Biden joked with the group that legislation over the last two years, notably the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure bill, has sent almost too much funding to states.
“I know it’s a problem having to deal with all the money we’re sending you, I understand that,” he said.
Vice President Harris acknowledged the investments made to combat climate change from the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as the infrastructure law.
“We delivered on many of these needs by making transformative investments … and it includes our work to implement the largest investment in climate in our nation’s history. We calculate that — in addition to $370 billion that was part of the Inflation Reduction Act — overall we’re probably looking at about $1 trillion that will hit the streets of America,” Harris said.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R), who is the vice chair of the NGA, told Biden and Harris at the meeting that he is in a room full of “the get stuff done caucus.”
“Governors get stuff done,” Cox said. | 2023-02-10T17:55:45+00:00 | ourquadcities.com | https://www.ourquadcities.com/hill-politics/biden-to-governors-focus-on-implementing-what-administration-has-already-done/ |
Which long-lasting perfume is best?
If you’re looking for the right fragrance for a wedding or other special event, long-lasting perfumes are excellent choices. Gucci Bloom Eau de Parfum is a high-end option for special occasions during the day and doesn’t lead to any stains on your clothing.
What to know before you buy a long-lasting perfume
Chemistry and ingredients
A fragrance’s ingredients and chemistry affect its longevity. For example, perfume notes in winter or autumn scents, such as patchouli, musk, wood and vanilla, last hours longer than fruit-based ones. Also, synthetic ingredients usually last longer than natural ingredients. If you choose a perfume with natural ingredients, test it on your skin before buying, since it can lead to allergic reactions.
Application tips
Perfume lasts longer on skin you’ve moisturized well, because your skin’s natural oils keep the fragrance notes on your body. Apply moisturizer or body oil to your skin after showering or bathing. If your fragrance comes in a body lotion or shower gel, add one or both of these products to help the scent last longer.
Apply your perfume to your pulse points, such as the decolletage, wrists and neck, and lightly spritz it in your hair. Don’t rub your wrists together, because the friction breaks down the oils in the fragrance. Less is more, so don’t apply too much.
Reapply throughout the course of the day. Many perfumes come in small travel-size bottles that you can use for touch-ups if you have dry skin or before an evening out.
Other longevity factors
There are other factors that play a role in a fragrance’s longevity, including your body chemistry, the weather and the perfume’s level of residue in the air. The same perfume might last longer on someone else than on you, due to your body chemistry.
Spray the fragrance on yourself and wait about 20 minutes for the perfume notes to emerge fully, so you can get past your initial impression. Your wrists, neck and other warm pulse points on your body are the suitable spots to spray, but try spraying a less concentrated fragrance on your clothing so it lasts longer.
What to look for in a quality long-lasting perfume
Type
Some varieties of scents last longer than others. For instance, citrus-based fragrances don’t stay around as long as musky or woody ones, since the oils in the citrus-based perfumes evaporate more quickly.
Concentration
A fragrance’s concentration plays a huge role in its longevity. The most concentrated perfume, known as pure perfume, parfum or extrait du parfum, contains the most oil at 30%-40%, lasts the longest and is the most expensive. It’s followed by eau de parfum, eau de toilette and eau de cologne. Eau fraiche is the least expensive kind of fragrance with the weakest concentration of oil, at 1% to 3%.
Storage
Store your long-lasting perfume out of direct sunlight and in a cool, dark spot to help it maintain its potency.
How much you can expect to spend on a long-lasting perfume
Long-lasting perfumes range in price from about $50-$150, depending on the perfume’s quantity, quality and ingredients.
Long-lasting perfume FAQ
How do you know if a perfume is the right choice for you?
A. Purchase a perfume sample or sampler set if you aren’t sure and want to try out a fragrance, or if you simply can’t choose among various scents and need to get opinions from others. Perfume sampler sets typically come in a set of small, travel-size bottles.
How long does perfume usually last?
A. A perfume’s oil concentration affects how long it lasts. Pure perfume contains at least 30% oil and lasts the longest, usually 8 or more hours. Eau de parfum and eau de toilette are the next longest-lasting and highly concentrated. At the spectrum’s other end, eau fraiche is composed of only 1%-3% oil and usually lasts about 2 hours.
What’s the best long-lasting perfume to buy?
Top long-lasting perfume
What you need to know: This floral perfume is one of the most widely used fragrances for women.
What you’ll love: It works for special occasions during the day and doesn’t lead to any stains on your clothing. It comes in convenient, travel-friendly packaging and has a subtle but powerful scent that’s scintillating for all fragrance lovers.
What you should consider: Its moderate longevity might not be enough for some.
Where to buy: Sold by Sephora
Top long-lasting perfume for the money
Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds Eau de Toilette
What you need to know: Its rich floral notes impart a pleasant botanical scent, making it a solid affordable choice.
What you’ll love: This fragrance is recommended for both special occasions and daily wear and comes in an elegant bottle. This powerful perfume stays on for 5-6 hours with a vibrant scent that’s neither too overpowering nor too mild.
What you should consider: The manufacturer doesn’t provide an expiration date for it.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Calvin Klein Obsession for Women Eau de Parfum
What you need to know: This award-winning perfume is made for those in a provocative mood.
What you’ll love: This powerful perfume features travel-friendly packaging you can easily carry, and it’s appropriate for daily use. A little goes a long way with this intense, award-winning fragrance.
What you should consider: This perfume isn’t right for special occasions and isn’t cruelty-free.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2023-02-27T05:50:25+00:00 | cenlanow.com | https://www.cenlanow.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/fragrance-br/best-long-lasting-perfume/ |
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's military intelligence has claimed, without offering evidence, that Russia is plotting a “large-scale provocation” at a nuclear power plant it occupies in the southeast of the country with the aim of disrupting a looming Ukrainian counteroffensive.
A statement released Friday by the intelligence directorate of Ukraine's Defense Ministry claimed that Russian forces would strike the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the biggest in Europe, and then report a radioactive leak in order to trigger an international probe that would pause the hostilities and give the Russian forces the respite they need to regroup ahead of the counteroffensive.
In order to make that happen, Russia “disrupted the rotation of personnel of the permanent monitoring mission” of the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency that was scheduled for Saturday, the statement said. It didn't offer evidence to back up any of the claims.
The IAEA said in an emailed response to the AP that it did not have any immediate comment on the allegations, and Russian officials did not immediately comment on the Ukrainian claims.
The claim mirrors similar statements Moscow regularly makes, alleging without evidence that Kyiv is plotting provocations involving various dangerous weapons or substances in order to then accuse Russia of war crimes.
It comes as Moscow’s military in Ukraine braces for a looming counteroffensive by Kyiv’s forces, which hasn’t started yet but could begin “tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or in a week, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, told the BBC in an interview Saturday.
The Zaporizhzhia power plant is one of the 10 biggest nuclear plants in the world. It is located in the partially occupied Zaporizhzhia region in southeastern Ukraine. The plant's six reactors have been shut down for months, but it still needs power and qualified staff to operate crucial cooling systems and other safety features.
Fighting near it repeatedly disrupted power supplies and has fueled fears of a potential catastrophe like the one at Chernobyl, in northern Ukraine, where a reactor exploded in 1986 and spewed deadly radiation, contaminating a vast area in the world’s worst nuclear disaster.
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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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Credit: AP | 2023-05-27T13:46:22+00:00 | daytondailynews.com | https://www.daytondailynews.com/nation-world/ukraine-claims-russia-is-plotting-a-provocation-at-nuclear-plant-offers-no-evidence/EWRWWAALYFBNNKUPMFKLTOWNQU/ |
Dyer County School officials paid “questionable” bonuses with federal grant money
An audit by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office says Dyer County Schools administrative staff, including Director of Schools Cheryl Mathis, were paid over $63,500 in questionable bonus payments from a federal grant intended to help the school system respond to the COVID-19 pandemic by providing comprehensive screening testing.
The audit shows bonuses were paid to seven administrative staff members on July 26, 2021. Auditors were not provided with adequate documentation to support that these individuals performed any work related to the federal award. This documentation is required by federal rules and regulations.
Auditors also reported that these bonuses were not specifically approved by the Dyer County School Board. The school board did approve a budget amendment on February 1, 2022 – seven months after the bonus payments were made – allowing bonuses totaling $141,519, which included $62,295 for nurses and transportation and maintenance staff; however, the board was not given a breakdown of who received a bonus and the individual amounts.
The current school board chairman told auditors that he was unaware Director Mathis received a $27,688 bonus in excess of her contract. As a result, Mathis authorized a bonus payment to herself without the full board’s voted approval. | 2023-01-04T00:50:37+00:00 | thunderboltradio.com | https://www.thunderboltradio.com/dyer-county-school-officials-paid-questionable-bonuses-with-federal-grant-money/ |
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The long-delayed capital murder trial of Robert Bowers in the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue massacre will begin in April, a federal judge has ruled.
Robert Bowers, a Baldwin resident who has pleaded not guilty, could be sentenced to death if convicted of the shootings. He faces more than 60 federal charges stemming from the Oct. 27, 2018, attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh that killed 11 worshippers in the deadliest attack on Jewish people in U.S. history.
U.S. District Judge Robert Colville issued an order Monday setting the trial date for April 24, when jury selection will begin.
Bowers, armed with a rifle and three handguns, is accused of shooting 18 people and trading gunfire with officers, getting shot three times before he was taken into police custody. His social media history included posts about a false conspiracy theory that the Holocaust was a hoax and expressed contempt for a nonprofit Jewish group that helps refugees.
Bowers’ lawyers have long sought a deal for him to plead guilty and get a life sentence if the government would take the death penalty off the table. They and prosecutors have been sparring over pretrial motions and discovery issues for years. | 2022-09-20T13:27:29+00:00 | seattletimes.com | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/april-trial-set-for-man-charged-in-synagogue-massacre/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
MONTGOMERY — Perry Hooper Jr., whose sex abuse charge was dropped late last year, is now suing the City of Montgomery and Police Chief Darryl Albert, alleging his arrest was a “planned and organized set up” by his political enemies.
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Hooper suing Montgomery police chief; claims he was 'set up'
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DORAL, FLA. (WSVN) - First responders have headed out to help storm stricken parts of the state where residents are barely beginning to put their lives back together.
Rescue teams have been dropping into areas that can’t be accessed right now after Hurricane Ian hit the west coast of Florida.
“Within minutes we encountered numerous individuals that required assistance,” said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Fire Chief Ray Jadallah.
Members of Florida Task Force 1 said they immediately found people who were dehydrated or suffered some minor injuries.
We have seen so many different agencies responding to the areas this hurricane destroyed.
Florida National Guard troops hit the highway on their way to Miramar, Thursday.
But travels to the disaster zone began long before the sun came up.
“Our members will be leaving their families. This is what we signed up to do,” said Florida High Patrol Troop Commander Maj. Roger Reyes.
The FHP is prepared to carry out search and rescue missions using drones and special vehicles designed to navigate flood waters.
Before dawn in Doral, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniela Levine Cava said some words to first responders.
“Really, what you see here today is a miracle,” she said.
The mayor was in awe of MDFR’s quick response and readiness to help our neighbors to the north.
“And they are going to bring rescue, they are going to bring hope and they are going to bring love,” Levine Cava said.
Ninety-six members of Florida Task Force 1 headed out and are ready for the challenges ahead.
“This is what we train for, emotionally, mentally, physically, you leave everything there and you try your hardest,” said David Varona of the MDFR Urban Search and Rescue.
K-9 units were also included as the four-legged officers are able to speed up the search efforts.
“We’ve been preparing heavily for the last week for its landfall,” said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Maj. Dustin Bonds.
The FWC set out with their own rapid deployment team, which brought boats, swamp buggies and airboats.
“And we will be there as long as we need to help the people of Florida out,” said FWC spokesperson Tyson Mathews.
Other crucial supplies are on their way too.
Truckloads of food and water are also headed to areas that were ravaged by Ian thanks to the Global Empowerment Mission, a South Florida Organization that is dedicated to sending volunteers and help wherever disaster strikes.
It will be a physically and emotionally taxing mission for these men and women in the coming days as they save lives and bring supplies to those most in need.
Most will be deployed at two weeks at a time with fresh teams gearing up now to take their place and get to work.
As those brave men and women embark on a tough job, if you’d like to help with the rescue effort, click here to find several organizations that will send food and supplies to the areas that need the help the most.
Copyright 2022 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | 2022-09-30T04:20:33+00:00 | wsvn.com | https://wsvn.com/news/local/south-florida-rescue-teams-mobilize-to-assist-areas-ravaged-by-hurricane-ian/ |
SYDNEY (AP) — A former elite soldier charged with murder for allegedly killing an unarmed man in Afghanistan was released on bail Tuesday by a magistrate who concluded he would face danger from Muslim extremists in prison.
Oliver Schulz, 41, had been in custody since his arrest in rural New South Wales state last week on the war crime of murder.
His lawyer Phillip Boulten applied for bail in Sydney’s Downing Center Local Court on Monday, arguing the former Special Air Service Regiment trooper faced serious risks to his personal safety from Muslim extremists in the prison system and had to be segregated from other inmates.
“Wherever this man is going to be held in prison, he is likely to have to mix with people in prison who sympathize with the Taliban or with other Islamic
extremist groups,” Boulten said.
Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson granted the request, agreeing the risks posed to him while behind bars were too great.
“It’s possible to infer that there may be some people being held there who may take an adverse position in relation to what was said to be the accused’s
behavior both as a member of the (Australian Defense Force) and also on the day the incident allegedly occurred,” Atkinson told the court.
Schulz had been held at a maximum security prison in Goulburn, 200 kilometers (120 miles) southwest of Sydney. Most of New South Wales' worst convicted terrorists are held at Goulburn.
Helmet camera footage aired by Australian Broadcasting Corp. in 2020 that was shot in Afghanistan’s Uruzgan Province in 2012 will form part of the prosecution case.
The footage allegedly shows Schulz shoot local man Dad Mohammad three times as he lay on his back in a wheat field with his hands and knees raised. His father later made a complaint to the Australian Defense Force alleging his son had been shot in the head.
Atkinson said that because of the murder allegation, Schulz would be in a “very difficult if not dangerous environment” in custody and correctional staff could not be available 24 hours a day to supervise him.
“I am of the view that the position the accused finds himself in could be worse than other persons who are on remand given the particular security risks to his person,” she said.
Schulz would also have difficulties giving advice to his lawyers and accessing confidential material under strict conditions due to national security concerns surrounding the case if he were forced to do so behind bars, Atkinson said.
The court has suppressed the names of the town and region where Schulz lives to protect his family from threats.
After footage of the Afghanistan shooting was broadcast nationally, the then-Defense Minister Linda Reynolds referred the allegation to the Australian Federal Police.
Schulz was suspended from duty in 2020 and later discharged from the Australia Defense Force on medical grounds.
Schulz, who was awarded the Commendation for Gallantry for his service in Afghanistan, is the first former or serving Australian Defense Force member to face a war crime charge of murder under domestic law.
He faces a potential life sentence in prison if convicted.
He is among 19 current and former Australian special forces soldiers who a war crimes investigation found could face charges for illegal conduct in Afghanistan.
A military report released in 2020 after a four-year investigation found evidence that Australian troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners, farmers and civilians.
More than 39,000 Australian military personnel served in Afghanistan during the 20 years until the 2021 withdrawal, and 41 were killed there.
___
Find more of AP’s Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific | 2023-03-28T05:35:58+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/news/world/article/australian-soldier-charged-over-afghan-killing-17863570.php |
The massive $250 million project announced by then Gov. Chris Christie in 2017 to reconstruct or renovate all New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway service areas is roughly two years from its scheduled 2024 completion date.
The sprint to the finish line includes renovating or reconstruction nine remaining service areas over the next two years. Three service areas will close this fall and another six will be shut down in 2023 for complete reconstruction or renovation.
“Seven of 12 service areas on the Turnpike and five of nine on the Parkway are either new or have been significantly remodeled since 2014,” said Tom Feeney, a New Jersey Turnpike Authority spokesperson. “Five other service areas will close this fall and reopen by mid-2023.”
Two Turnpike service areas, the Molly Pitcher in Cranberry and Woodrow Wilson in Hamilton, reopened in July and currently no service areas are closed, he said. That will change this fall.
What’s coming to the Parkway
Two service areas at Brookdale South in Bloomfield, featuring a former McDonald’s that still had its retro 1980s decor, and Vauxhall in Union Township are scheduled to close this fall for demolition. Both are scheduled to reopen in May 2023, Feeney said. Plans to include a Chik-fil-A at Brookdale South were objected to by Bloomfield officials in January.
Being renovated in 2023 are the Jon Bon Jovi (ex-Cheesequake) service area in Sayreville and the James Gandolfini (Montvale) service area, since they are located in newer buildings. Both are scheduled for a 2024 completion.
The two Colonia North and South service areas on the Parkway in Woodbridge are the only areas not covered in the program because they are privately owned and run, however new Dunkin’, connivence stores and gas stations have been constructed there by private owners.
What’s coming to the Turnpike
Big changes are coming at five Turnpike service areas next year with four scheduled for demolition and one for renovation.
The James Fenimore Cooper service area in Burlington County will close for remodeling this fall and is schedule to reopen in April 2023.
Two other service centers, the Walt Whitman in Cherry Hill and Joyce Kilmer in East Brunswick, will be demolished this fall and newly constructed buildings are scheduled to open in June 2023, Feeney said.
The wrecking ball will swing in the fall of 2023 at the remaining two service centers, the John Fenwick and the Clara Barton, both located in in Oldhams Township in Salem County. New buildings are scheduled to reopen in mid-2024, Feeney said.
The program started with a 2017 announcement by Christie that a $250 million agreement was reached with HMSHost, the company that operated the service areas. That deal to build eight new service area buildings and refurbish six structures at the company’s expense spared toll payers the expense to make needed improvements. Sunoco funded gas station improvements.
In exchange, HMSHost received a 25-year contract to operate the franchised service areas, which authority commissioners approved in 2017. The Turnpike Authority earns revenue from service center rents and on gasoline sales.
The new Grover Cleveland service area on the Turnpike, opened in November 2015, became the basic model for new service areas on that highway. Parkway buildings were modeled after the appearance of the new “Atlantic” service area outside Atlantic City, since the Parkway has to follow certain historic guidelines, officials said.
The Thomas Edison area in Woodbridge on the Turnpike and the Monmouth service area on the Parkway in Wall were among the first service areas replaced with new buildings with open space, natural light, better pedestrian flow and a “food court” setting, officials said.
Both introduced two new franchises to the toll roads, Chick-fil-A at Thomas Edison and Shake Shack at Monmouth, which was renamed for author Judy Blume in March 2020. Other new arrivals include a Panda Express, Shake Shack and Applegreen convenience store at Molly Pitcher and the Woodrow Wilson service areas on the Turnpike.
A new Chick-fil-A is now scheduled to open at Molly Pitcher in the fall, which was delayed due to supply chain issues, Feeney said.
In May 2021, HMSHost was sold by parent company, AutoGrill, to Iris Buyer, a consortium of Blackstone Infrastructure Partners, an investment firm, Dublin-based Applegreen LTD, which operates highway service areas in Europe and the United States, and B&J Holdings LTD.
The service area program also ran into some controversy when a union group revealed HMSHost asked for, and got, $40 million in help from the Turnpike Authority after the company said it lost revenue due to the coronavirus.
The union group “Unite Here” found that the Autogrill Group, parent company of HMSHost, spent $35.8 billion on a stock buyback plan and by June had increased its cash flow by 67% from January. That buyback plan helped “facilitate incentive plans for management, directors and other employees,” the union said.
Turnpike officials said the agreement was done to keep the construction projects moving, based on HMSHost financial back-up information. HMSHost officials told the Turnpike Authority that the severe loss of business had caused a cash-flow problem and it would not be able to continue paying contractors in the final stages of (service area) construction.
That would have halted construction which was why the authority agreed, officials said. HMSHost agreed to repay the amount the Authority paid to contractors for Host’s share of the costs, plus an additional sum between $300,000 and $450,000, depending on how quickly they make repayment
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.
Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. | 2022-08-17T12:36:33+00:00 | nj.com | https://www.nj.com/news/2022/08/nj-turnpike-garden-state-parkway-to-get-9-rehabilitated-service-areas-in-next-2-years.html |
(NEXSTAR) – In roughly a week, the Supreme Court will hear arguments on two cases challenging President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, which accepted about 26 million applications before legal challenges brought the process to a halt.
While the application was open for less than a month, millions of Americans nationwide submitted their requests for relief, data released by the White House earlier this month showed. Of those, 16.5 million were fully approved and passed along to loan servicers for discharge.
Unsurprisingly, two of the most populous states – California and Texas – had the most applicants approved for student debt relief while less-populated states like Wyoming and Alaska had the fewest.
This interactive map offers a state-by-state breakdown of student loan forgiveness applicants approved for relief.
New data from the Department of Education obtained by multiple outlets last week via a Freedom of Information Act request gives an even greater breakdown of where student loan forgiveness could have an impact, if it isn’t struck down or altered by the Supreme Court.
The new data, displayed in the map below, shows how many borrowers per congressional district were fully approved for debt relief. According to the Education Department, the loan servicers of these borrowers were also notified of the approved request for debt discharge.
In most congressional districts, between 60 and 65 percent of eligible borrowers applied or were automatically deemed eligible for student loan forgiveness, according to the Education Department's data.
In late November, the Department of Education began notifying millions of borrowers that their application for loan relief had been approved. By then, the program was already being challenged in court, and the department wasn't able to discharge loans.
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two cases over the program on Feb. 28: one from a pair of individual borrowers who didn't qualify for the maximum relief of $20,000 and the other from six Republican-led states. The Biden administration has argued that neither group of challengers have the legal capacity to sue over the program.
Across those six Republican-led states - Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Carolina - the Biden administration estimates there are nearly 2.9 million student loan borrowers that could qualify for relief, 1.1 million of which were approved for forgiveness. | 2023-02-20T14:04:03+00:00 | wboy.com | https://www.wboy.com/news/national/map-where-bidens-student-loan-forgiveness-could-have-the-most-impact/ |
ATHENS, Greece, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gennadius Library is pleased to announce Dr. Emily Wilson as the 2022–2023 speaker for the Thalia Potamianos Annual Lecture Series on the Impact of Greek Culture. Dr. Maria Georgopoulou, Director of the Gennadius Library, said "We are delighted to host such a brilliant and energetic classicist who does not shy away from reinterpreting ancient texts through translation in order to showcase how connected they are with our world today." These lectures will be free, both live and live streamed, in Athens on November 10th 2022, in Washington, D.C., on January 24th 2023, and in New York City on May 9th 2023.
Emily Wilson, recipient of The MacArthur Fellowship "genius grant" has received attention worldwide as the first woman to publish an English translation of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey. The New York Times named Wilson's translation one of its 100 notable books of 2018. She is currently working on a translation of Homer's the Iliad.
Mr. Andreas Zombanakis, Chairman of the Gennadius Library's Board of Overseers, noted that "Emily Wilson's dialogue with antiquity is an antidote reminding us of the continuing relevance of the Classics to modern day life and culture."
"Myth, Magic and Mystery as depicted in ancient Greek epic, drama and philosophy, and their receptions in later cultures including present day, will be the topics for my Thalia Potamianos Lecture Series," Dr. Wilson said. "The series will consider what elements of ancient Greek culture are most surprising, most reinterpreted or misunderstood, and most difficult to translate. Greek ideas about heroism, time, agency, poetics, politics, and ethics have informed and inspired scholars, students and communities for millennia." The lectures will overlay these themes onto present day culture.
Lecture I: Heroes: Big Men, Big Mouths, Big Stories
7:00 p.m. EEST (Greece) / 12:00 p.m. EDT (U.S.)
Cotsen Hall, Athens, Greece
Lecture II: Destiny's Children: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Sphinx
6:00 p.m. EDT (U.S.)
Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Lecture III: Wisdom: Why the Ancient Greeks Can't Teach Us Anything
6:00 p.m. EDT (U.S.)
St. Bartholomew's Church, New York City
Click here to attend : https://ascsa.wufoo.com/forms/qmcbtxq1o19sfr/
All registrants will also be updated about the publication to follow.
The Thalia Potamianos lectures are being made possible by a generous grant from Phokion Potamianos, an Overseer of the Gennadius Library. Mr. Potamianos named the series in memory of his grandmother, a distinguished Greek doctor, academic, and philanthropist.
Emily Wilson is a Professor in the Department of Classical Studies and Chair of the Program in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory at the University of Pennsylvania and the College for Women Class of 1963 Term Professor in the Humanities.
Wilson attended Oxford University (Balliol College B.A. and Corpus Christi College M.Phil.) and Yale University (Ph.D.). In 2006, she was named a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome in Renaissance & Early Modern scholarship. Between 2010 and 2016, Wilson was awarded three Penn Humanities Fellowships on the topics of Virtuality; Sex; and Violence; in 2017 to 2018 she was a Topic Director on Afterlives at Wolf Humanities Center; in 2019 through 2025 she was awarded MacArthur Fellowships; and in 2020, she won a Guggenheim Fellowship.
Professor Wilson's books include Mocked with Death: Tragic Overliving from Sophocles to Milton (Johns Hopkins 2005), The Death of Socrates: Hero, villain, chatterbox, saint (Harvard 2007), and The Greatest Empire: A life of Seneca (Oxford UP, 2014). She is the Classics editor of the revised Norton Anthology of World Literature. Her verse translations include Six Tragedies of Seneca (2010, Oxford), four translations of plays by Euripides in the Modern Library The Greek Plays (2016), Oedipus Tyrannos (2020, Norton), and the Odyssey (2017, with a Norton Critical Edition published in 2020). She edited a volume on Ancient Tragedy for Bloomsbury Cultural Histories (2019) and is now working on a new translation of the Iliad, which is due to appear in 2023.
The Thalia Potamianos Annual Lecture Series commenced in 2021 with inaugural speaker, Dr. Peter Frankopan, a Professor of Global History at Oxford University and the Stavros Niarchos Director of the Oxford Centre for Byzantine Research. A world-renowned historian and award-winning author, he presented his series of lectures on "Global Greece: A History."
Each year, the Potamianos Lecture Series seeks to create a stimulating environment to draw both the academic community and public to the Gennadius Library of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. Every year, a highly distinguished, internationally renowned scholar is selected to conduct research and develop programs on a topic relevant to the Gennadius Library. The research will culminate in a minimum of three annual public lectures, which will be delivered in Athens and the United States.
Learn more about the lecture series: http://ascsa.edu.gr/potamianos-lecture-series
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SOURCE American School of Classical Studies at Athens | 2022-09-20T15:26:26+00:00 | wsfa.com | https://www.wsfa.com/prnewswire/2022/09/20/dr-emily-wilson-will-explore-myth-magic-mystery-ancient-greeks-thalia-potamianos-annual-lecture-series/ |
PARKERSBURG, W.Va – High school football is more than halfway over, and another Tuesday means another update to the WVSSAC’s playoff ratings.
Starting in Class AAA, its upset of then-#1 Parkersburg South jumps Bridgeport up three spots to number five this week.
After a mixed bag to start the season, John Kelley’s University Hawks move into the 13th seed this week following its second straight win, knocking off Buckhannon-Upshur on Friday.
Across town, Morgantown is headed in the opposite direction, dropping from #2 all the way to 16th in a matter of two weeks after losing its second in a row to Wheeling Park last week.
Even with the loss to University, the Buccaneers are firmly in the mix to return to the postseason for the first time since 2016, sitting in a four-way tie for 19th.
Moving to Class AA, since being knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten, North Marion falls from first to fourth.
Despite the win, the Polar Bears don’t move at all, staying in 11th for the second straight week.
On the other side of Fairmont, the Bees hold fast to a position as well, currently tied for 13th alongside Philip Barbour.
Each team is hoping to break long streaks of missing the postseason.
Also inside the top 16 is Lincoln who enters a crucial matchup for playoff implications Friday against Robert C. Byrd.
Liberty remains one spot outside the current field at 17th.
North-Central West Virginia brings two of the top five teams in Class A to the table with Doddridge County leading the way in the third seed at 5-0.
Fellow undefeated Tucker County comes in one spot behind the Bulldogs in fourth this week.
Looking to make a second straight playoff appearance for the first time since 2014, Clay-Battelle maintains a position in 13th while South Harrison waits in a precarious spot at 16.
Trinity Christian still sits outside the postseason as of today, but the Warriors have made strides, tying Madonna for 20th this week. | 2022-10-05T03:58:26+00:00 | wboy.com | https://www.wboy.com/sports/class-a-unbeatens-lead-local-teams-in-week-6-playoff-ratings/ |
Part 3 of the TED Radio Hour episode Animal Enigmas
For 185 years, science has assumed there was only one species of king cobra. Herpetologist Gowri Shankar shares his near-death experience that led to a groundbreaking discovery for the snake world.
About Gowri Shankar
Herpelotogist and conservationist Gowri Shankar is co-founder of the Kalinga Foundation Trust and the Kalinga Centre for Rainforest Ecology, two environmental education and research organizations in Karnataka, India. His work focuses on the conservation of the Western Ghats with a specific focus on reptiles, particularly king cobras.
This segment of TED Radio Hour was produced by Fiona Geiran and edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour. You can follow us on Facebook @TEDRadioHour and email us at TEDRadioHour@npr.org.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-07-14T14:59:30+00:00 | nepm.org | https://www.nepm.org/2023-07-14/how-one-man-survived-a-deadly-king-cobra-bite-and-debunked-185-years-of-science |
Rohit Amembal and Amar Amembal acquired the property at 22 Mount Warner Road, Hadley, from Anita M Sever and Linda R Polonsky on April 6, 2023. The $770,000 purchase price represents a price per square foot of $169. The property features four bedrooms and three bathrooms. It sits on a 1.1-acre lot.
Real Estate Newswire is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to generate analysis of data from Propmix, an aggregator of national real-estate data. | 2023-04-27T22:33:33+00:00 | masslive.com | https://www.masslive.com/realestate-news/2023/04/sale-closed-in-hadley-770000-for-a-four-bedroom-home.html |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of hate crimes in the U.S. jumped again in 2021, continuing an alarming rise, according to FBI data released Monday.
The nearly 12% increase marks a reversal of a previous, incomplete report from the agency that appeared to show a drop but was missing data from some of the nation’s largest cities, including New York and Los Angeles.
The hate crime numbers now include those and other large departments, and the total is the highest level in decades, said Brian Levin, the director of the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University-San Bernardino.
“We are in a unique and disturbing era where hate crimes overall stay elevated for longer punctuated by broken records,” he said.
Most of the victims, 64.5% were targeted due to their race, ethnicity or ancestry. Another 16% were targeted over their sexual orientation, and 14% of cases involved religious bias, according to the FBI report.
Intimidation and assault made up the largest portion of cases and 18 murders were also reported to be hate crimes.
Half of the religion cases targeted Jewish people, a finding that comes amid rising antisemitism, said Jill Garvey, chief of staff at the Western States Center.
Monday’s report also underscores the need for better record-keeping. “We’re still not getting enough data to know what the extent of the problem is,” Garvey said.
The data shortfall in the previous report released in December was largely due to changes in how police must report their data to the FBI. To ensure a more complete picture, agency officials went back and allowed large departments to report under the previous system.
“Hate crimes and the devastation they cause communities have no place in this country. The Justice Department is committed to every tool and resource at our disposal to combat bias-motivated violence in all its forms,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. | 2023-03-14T16:51:24+00:00 | ksn.com | https://www.ksn.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/fbi-hate-crimes-showed-another-alarming-rise-in-2021/ |
How to Make the Perfect Margarita to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo
They're cool, they're refreshing and best of all, we have an excuse to drink them this Friday for Cinco de Mayo. Yes, I'm talking about margaritas!
If we're being honest, we don't have to have an excuse to drink margaritas, especially since we have a Mexican restaurant on every corner. However, I'm going to go ahead and tell you, I'm only talking about margaritas on the rocks here. Keep those frozen deserts to yourself! But, if you do need an excuse to drink margs, celebrating Cinco de Mayo is a good one. Just in case you were wondering, Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday that commemorates the Mexican Army's victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. You can use that for bar trivia if you like. You're welcome ;)
The most important thing to remember when mixing up the perfect margarita is the 3-2-1 rule. That's three parts tequila to two parts triple sec to one part lime juice. Of course, if you use top-shelf liquors and mixers, your drinks will turn out much better. I suggest using brands like Patron and Cointreau.
BTW, did you know that 'margarita' means 'daisy' in Spanish? Moving on... you're going to need limes, Cointreau, lime juice, sea salt, and the tequila of your choice. Now remember the 3-2-1 rule. If you're making one drink, use three ounces of tequila, two ounces of Cointreau, and one ounce of lime juice. Shake the contents in a cocktail shaker and pour over ice in a glass rimmed with sea salt and a wedge of lime. It's that easy. I hope you enjoy it! | 2023-05-03T04:51:14+00:00 | knue.com | https://knue.com/cinco-de-mayo-margarita/ |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country music as a genre has always been a melting pot of influences and cultures, often shifting and morphing to reflect popular sounds and trends. BRELAND’s debut full-length album “Cross Country” builds on that history, interpolating and sampling older songs and bringing in his background in gospel, R&B and hip-hop under the expansive umbrella of country music.
“I’ve gone on and on about cross country being the intersection of country and all these other genres,” said the 27-year-old New Jersey native. “But when you zoom out from that definition a little bit, and in practice, in reality, cross country is a movement.”
Since his breakout viral hit, “My Truck,” landed in 2019, BRELAND has quickly immersed himself in Nashville’s songwriting rooms, taking over as the king of country collabs. He’s had songs with Keith Urban, Sam Hunt, Thomas Rhett, Jimmie Allen, Dierks Bentley, Tennille Townes, Lauren Alaina and Chase Rice, just to name a few. With each co-writing session, he’s building on his brand of a more fluid and inclusive genre.
“We live in a world where there are a lot of different divisions,” said BRELAND. “They pop up everywhere, whether it’s political or not, people don’t really agree on a lot. And music is one of the unifiers that we have. It’s one of the only things that we have that really brings people together.”
The Georgetown University grad grew up in a very musical family, which he jokingly referred to as the Von Trapps. His parents met in a gospel choir and they have continued their musical ministry. After singing in a cappella in college, BRELAND moved to Atlanta to write songs for other artists. But his goal has always been to be a singer, and after seeing positive reaction on social media to a demo for “My Truck,” he took the leap.
He got early support from Urban, a similarly minded country artist who brought him into the studio to work on tracks for Urban’s 2020 record “Speed of Now, Pt. 1.” Since then, BRELAND has been hopping from one collaboration to the next. Those collabs also led to his first CMA nomination for musical event of the year on the Bentley No. 1 song “Beers on Me” with HARDY.
“When I’m in those types of rooms, I’m not really worried about what the outcome is going to be. I just want to try to make the best song possible,” said BRELAND. “I think musically I bring so many different sounds and possibilities on a record that if I’m on a more country-leaning song, I might be the hip-hop element as a feature. If I’m on a more hip hop-leaning song, I might be the country element.”
His album has even more features with other artists: a country trap song anchored by Urban’s banjo and vocals, a poppy duet with Ingrid Andress, a slow jam drinking song with country group Lady A and the title track with Mickey Guyton.
Together with his producers Sam Sumser and Sean Snell, BRELAND also reinterprets samples and interpolations of older country songs to bridge his music to country’s past, most notably songs by female artists. In a homage to Shania Twain, BRELAND’s “Natural” mimics the distinctive guitar riffs from “Man! I Feel Like a Woman,” while the song “County Line” uses the jingly keyboard from the No. 1 crossover hit “Nobody” by Sylvia, which came out in 1982.
Co-written with Hunt and country singer-songwriter Ernest, BRELAND raps about small town characters with tongue-in-cheek lyrics over a beat built over the distinctive ’80s sounding “Nobody” melody. Ernest said that Sumser brought them the sample, and the writers immediately started vibing on its throwback sound.
“Trends come back around,” Ernest said of reworking the song. “I think we’re just all tipping our hat and paying homage to the stuff that had the sauce before us.”
BRELAND said, “Both of those songs can exist under the umbrella of historical country music.”
Given that gospel was his family’s cornerstone, BRELAND said his parents ideally would have wanted him to continue that path of religious music. But he found a different way to preach a unifying message.
“Whether or not it’s a directly religious message, I do think that there is a God message in the music, which is being positive,” said BRELAND. “I want people to feel good. I want people to be positive. I want people to love each other.”
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Online: https://www.brelandmusic.com/
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Follow Kristin M. Hall at https://twitter.com/kmhall
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For more AP music news, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/music | 2022-09-14T02:37:06+00:00 | nwahomepage.com | https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/entertainment-news/ap-breland-king-of-collabs-invents-the-sound-of-cross-country/ |
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Two Pakistani brothers held by the United States at Guantanamo Bay military prison for two decades were freed by U.S. officials and returned home on Friday, officials said.
They will be reunited with their families after a formal questioning by Pakistani authorities, according to security officials and a Pakistani senator.
Pakistan arrested Abdul and Mohammed Rabbani on suspicion of their links to al-Qaida in 2002 in Karachi, the country’s largest southern port city. It was the same year Ramzi Binalshibh, a top al-Qaida leader, was arrested by Pakistan’s spy agency on a tip from the CIA.
The releases come months after a 75-year-old Pakistani, Saifullah Paracha, was freed from the Guantanamo Bay detention center.
The two brothers arrived at an airport in the capital, Islamabad on Friday. Pakistani Sen. Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, the chairman of the human rights committee in the upper house of Pakistan’s Parliament, tweeted Friday that the two brothers had reached Islamabad airport.
He said the men were “innocently imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay for 21 years. There was no trial, no court proceedings, no charges against them. Congratulations on their release. Thank you Senate of Pakistan,” he wrote on Twitter.
Khan later told The Associated Press that the brothers were being sent to Karachi, the capital of southern Sindh province, where they lived with their families. He said he hoped the men will be reunited with their families soon.
The brothers’ release was the latest U.S. move toward emptying and shutting down the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. Former President George W. Bush’s administration set it up to house extremist suspects after the Sept. 11, 2001 al-Qaida attacks on the United States.
U.S. officials accused the brothers of helping al-Qaida members with housing and other logistical support. The brothers alleged torture while in CIA custody before being transferred to Guantanamo. U.S. military records describe the two as providing little intelligence of value, and that they did not recant statements made during interrogations on the grounds they were obtained by physical abuse.
The U.S. Defense Department announced their repatriation in a statement the previous day.
In Islamabad, Amina Masood Janjua, who heads the Defense of Human Rights Pakistan group, said the two brothers were from an impoverished family.
“Their family members suffered a lot after their arrest and transfer to the Guantanamo Bay detention center,” she told the AP.
Janjua has been campaigning for the release of suspects arrested in Pakistan after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. She is the wife of Masood Ahmad Janjua, a businessman who went missing in 2005 in the garrison city of Rawalpindi. Since then, Janua has been fighting a legal battle for his release and others’.
On Friday, a close family friend of the two brothers told the AP that Pakistani authorities had formally informed the brothers’ family about the release and their return to Pakistan.
The family friend, who is Pakistani and refused to be identified for security reasons, said the younger Rabbani learned painting during his detention at Guantanamo Bay, and that he was expected to bring with him some of those paintings.
He said Ahmed Rabbani frequently went on hunger strikes and prison officials fed him through a tube. He said the man remained on the nutritional supplements.
Guantanamo at its peak in 2003 held about 600 people considered terrorists by the U.S. Supporters of using the detention facility for such figures say doing so prevented attacks. Critics say the military detention and courts subverted human rights and constitutional rights and undermined American standing abroad.
Thirty-two detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay, including 18 eligible for transfer if stable third-party countries can be found to take them, the Pentagon said. Many are from Yemen, a country considered too plagued with war and extremist groups and too devoid of services for freed Yemeni detainees to be sent there.
Nine of the detainees are defendants in slow-moving military-run tribunals. Two others have been convicted.
__
Associated Press writer Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington contributed to this report. | 2023-02-24T15:41:32+00:00 | wcia.com | https://www.wcia.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-2-pakistanis-reach-home-after-being-freed-from-guantanamo/ |
I appreciate the effort made by this newspaper to present current issues in a fair and balanced manner. However, such balance is not always appropriate.
Take the matter of abortion rights: Two-thirds of all Americans supported Roe v. Wade. So how is it fair to give the one-third who opposed it half the column space?
Access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion, should not subject to public opinion anyway. It is a personal belief held by a minority that life begins at conception or even insemination; this belief is supported by neither science nor the Bible.
Every person has the right to believe what they will, but they do not have the right to force others to live according to their personal beliefs.
KAT WISE
hospitality
New Orleans | 2022-07-19T22:37:46+00:00 | theadvocate.com | https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/letters/article_d7ebd3d8-fc9a-11ec-bad5-07d78bfa9af5.html |
ROSCOMMON — Lake City overcame a sluggish start to beat Roscommon 54-20 in a Highland Conference girls basketball contest Friday night.
The Trojans were up 16-7 after the first quarter and 39-11 at halftime.
"We came out a little flat with no school today and no practice the last couple of days," Lake City coach Bill Tisron said. "We got into a groove in the second quarter, though, moving the ball better.
"The defense stepped up, too, and we were able to get a nice win."
Mackenzie Bisballe paced Lake City with 20 points and seven rebounds while Mya Miller scored nine and Alie Bisballe had eight. Emma Nickerson also scored six.
The Trojans host Northern Michigan Christian on Tuesday. | 2023-02-11T09:13:39+00:00 | cadillacnews.com | https://www.cadillacnews.com/sports/lake-city-beats-roscommon/article_984bafb8-a9b6-11ed-ad54-0f2c46ef4f34.html |
American arrested for pushing 2 US tourists into ravine at German castle, leaving one woman dead, authorities say
BERLIN (AP) — An American man has been arrested in the death of a U.S. tourist and an assault on another near the Neuschwanstein castle in southern Germany after he allegedly pushed the two women down a steep slope, authorities said Thursday.
The incident near the popular tourist attraction happened on Wednesday afternoon near the Marienbrücke, a bridge over a gorge close to the castle that offers a famous view of Neuschwanstein.
The 30-year-old man met the two female tourists, ages 21 and 22, on a hiking path and lured them onto a trail that leads to a viewpoint, police said in a statement.
He then “physically attacked” the younger woman, police said. When her companion tried to intervene, he choked her and pushed her down a steep slope.
The assailant then appears to have attempted to sexually assault the 21-year-old before pushing her down the slope as well. She fell nearly 50 meters (165 feet), ending up close to her friend.
A mountain rescue team reached both women. The 22-year-old was “responsive” and taken to a hospital, police said; a helicopter carried the 21-year-old to a different hospital with serious injuries, and she died there overnight.
The suspect left the scene but was arrested quickly nearby. Bystander video posted online showed police leading away a handcuffed man in a T-shirt, jeans and a baseball cap.
Witness Eric Abneri, a recent business graduate from the University of Pittsburgh who shot the video, said the man appeared to have scratches across his face.
“He did not say a single word. He didn’t open his mouth; he didn’t mumble,” Abneri told The Associated Press. “He just walked with the police and that was it.”
Abneri said he and friends arrived at the scenic overlook as a helicopter arrived and they saw rescuers lower themselves down to the victims.
“I’m honestly absolutely stunned someone is still alive from this. It is like falling from the top of an absolute cliff,” he said.
Abneri described it as “a very, very difficult rescue because of those cliffs and because the helicopter came mere feet above the tree line at the top of the hill.”
“They did an unbelievable job,” he said.
Police said the man they arrested was American and described him as also a tourist; prosecutors said the women were fellow U.S. citizens. The 22-year-old remained hospitalized Thursday, according to prosecutors.
Authorities didn’t identify either the suspect or the victims or give any further details.
Police said a judge in nearby Kempten on Thursday ordered the suspect held pending a potential indictment — a process that can take months — and he was taken to jail. He is under investigation on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and a sexual offense.
Police said they and prosecutors were focusing on trying to reconstruct exactly what happened and called for any witnesses to come forward.
Neuschwanstein, located in southern Bavaria close to Austria’s border, is one of Germany’s most popular tourist attractions.
It is the most famous of the castles built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria in the 19th century. Construction started in 1869 but was never completed. Ludwig died in 1886.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2023-06-15T18:55:30+00:00 | foxcarolina.com | https://www.foxcarolina.com/2023/06/15/american-arrested-pushing-2-us-tourists-into-ravine-german-castle-leaving-one-woman-dead-authorities-say/ |
Former White House counterterrorism analyst Lee Wolosky talks about the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner from Russian custody in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Former White House counterterrorism analyst Lee Wolosky talks about the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner from Russian custody in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Copyright 2022 NPR | 2022-12-08T16:20:42+00:00 | kcbx.org | https://www.kcbx.org/2022-12-08/a-convicted-arms-dealer-returns-to-russia-in-griner-prisoner-swap |
Michigan State University students recount deadly mass shooting on campus
Posted/updated on: February 14, 2023 at 9:30 am(EAST LANSING, Mich.) -- Michigan State University student Dominik Molotky was in class on Monday evening when he heard a gunshot in the hallway, just outside the door.
"I was sitting next to the nearest door and thank god that my fight-or-flight response kicked in because, right when that first gunshot went off, I booked it to the far corner of the class," Molotky, a senior, told ABC News in an interview Tuesday on Good Morning America.
A couple seconds later, the gunman entered the classroom and fired "three to four more rounds," Molotky said.
"I was ducking and covering," he recalled. "I think one of the students in my class got hit."
When the gunfire stopped for "30 seconds to a minute," Molotky said, he and his classmates started breaking open a window so they could escape.
"There was glass everywhere," he added. "We broke open the window and climbed out of there, and I booked it back to my apartment."
Molotky and other students recounted their horrifying experiences as the mass shooting unfolded at multiple locations on MSU's main campus in East Lansing, Michigan. At least three people were killed and five others were wounded, police said. The suspect -- identified as a 43-year-old man with no known ties to the university -- was later found dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to police.
MSU graduate student Graham Diedrich said he was working at the writing center in the university's library on campus when he heard police sirens outside. He noticed other students looking at their cellphones with concern, so he checked his email and found a message from the university offering advice on what to do during a mass shooting: "Run, hide, fight."
"That's when we kind of knew what was going on," Diedrich told ABC News in an interview late Monday.
Diedrich said he never heard any gunshots, but he and other students decided to barricade themselves in a study room in the back of the library for safety. They stacked chairs, tables and a shelving unit to block the glass door and windows.
"We wanted to protect ourselves and make sure that there was no glass, no way that you could see into the room," he added. "We dimmed the lights."
Diedrich said they were told by the university and police to shelter in place. They were still barricaded in the library when Diedrich spoke to ABC News.
"I didn't think that it would happen to me. But living in America, you know, you always have to live under the assumption that this will happen to you. It happens to people every day in this country, and we have to consider why," he said. "It's not unique, but it's a lot different when it happens to you."
MSU students Luke Restrepo and Riley Dorfman said they were in their apartment when they noticed a scene of "absolute chaos" outside their window -- police cars speeding by and people running for their lives.
"I called my mom and she was in shock, she was terrified," Restrepo told ABC News in an interview late Monay. "You never want your kid to call you and say: 'Oh hey, by the way, the school is under attack, it's getting shot up a block away from me and I cant guarantee my safety.'"
Dorfman added: "The fact that this has been going on for three hours now and I have to constantly call my mom every 20 minutes to hear her crying, hoping I'm OK, it's not OK. It shouldn't happen."
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. | 2023-02-14T18:53:01+00:00 | ktbb.com | https://ktbb.com/post/?p=1202347 |
A couple who are adventure travelers from New Zealand found themselves in an unsettling situation as they entered the border trying to travel into Iran.
Topher Richwhite and Bridget Thackwray film their travels for their social media-based brand "Expedition Earth."
After they were said to have suddenly stopped posting content to their Instagram account, fears were raised about their safety.
Soon after, media in New Zealand began to report that the couple was not imprisoned or detained and informed New Zealand that the government there was in discussions to secure their release.
The BBC reported that New Zealand's Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta had contacted her counterpart in Iran to start what would turn out to be months of negotiations.
For the last 14 weeks, Kiwis Topher Richwhite and Bridget Thackwray have been locked up in Iran. Now they’ve been freed. pic.twitter.com/pqpa6R994W
— 1News (@1NewsNZ) October 26, 2022
Mahuta said on Wednesday, "We assisted two individuals to secure the necessary documentation in order to leave."
"During the period of time we were working alongside them, their movements were restricted. They were monitored, but they were safe and well," Mahuta said.
New Zealand, as well as many other countries, advises its citizens against traveling to Iran.
The BBC noted that Iran has been known to frequently detain westerners to use them in negotiations asking governments for conditions for their release, especially countries that have sanctioned Iran. | 2022-10-27T03:35:44+00:00 | fox17online.com | https://www.fox17online.com/news/world/adventure-travelers-from-new-zealand-relieved-to-be-home-after-unsettling-trip-to-iran |
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