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Bedford North Lawrence softball challenged early by Bloomington North
BLOOMINGTON — Bloomington North softball led 6-2 against mighty Bedford North Lawrence through three innings Friday.
And that's where it got away from the Cougars (5-10)
BNL (18-2) stormed back to tie the game in the fourth inning, and then the Stars scored seven runs in the fifth to put the game out of reach. BNL tacked on two more in the sixth to make it a 15-6 final.
The game started late, as rain poured down at the scheduled start time. The teams danced and laughed their way through the delay.
Once the game actually started, BNL jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Cougars came back in the second inning, scoring five runs to take the lead.
North made it 6-2 in the third on an RBI single by Paris Stuffle.
But the Stars climbed back with four runs in the fourth inning. Junior Braxton McCauley tied the game on a two-RBI double with two outs.
BNL threatened even more damage, but North junior Ella Piercy shut them down.
Piercy enjoyed a big game in the losing effort for North. She went 3 for 4 with two doubles and a run scored, and she made several stellar defensive plays at shortstop.
The fifth inning is where the game got out of hand. Caitlyn Boteler took the mound for North, and hit a batter with the bases loaded to make it 7-6. The next five at-bats all saw runs cross the plate before the Cougars could finally get out of the inning.
By that point, the damage had been done. Junior Annie Waggoner, freshman Ava Ratliff, senior Carlee Kern, senior McKaylin Turner, and McCauley each recorded multi-hit games for BNL. McCauley finished with five RBIs.
Follow Herald-Times sports reporter Seth Tow on Twitter @SethTow, or email him at stow@heraldt.com. | 2022-05-07T03:31:45+00:00 | heraldtimesonline.com | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/sports/high-school/softball/2022/05/06/bedford-north-lawrence-softball-challenged-early-bloomington-north/9680427002/ |
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The federal government gave the go-ahead Wednesday for New Jersey’s first offshore wind farm to begin construction, clearing the way for the first of at least three — and likely many more — such projects in a state trying to become the East Coast leader in wind energy.
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approved a construction and operations plan for Ocean Wind I, a wind farm to be built by Danish wind energy company Orsted between 13 and 15 miles off the coast of Atlantic City. The wind farm would power 500,000 homes.
Additional approvals from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency still must be obtained, which Orsted estimates will happen by the second quarter of 2024.
The project already has all of the major state permits it needs, said Larry Hajna, a spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Two minor state permits remain outstanding.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s action represents the third federal approval of a commercial-scale offshore wind energy project in the U.S., joining the Vineyard Wind project in Massachusetts and the South Fork Wind project in Rhode Island and New York, both of which are now under construction.
Orsted said it plans to begin construction in New Jersey this fall, “delivering on the promise of good-paying jobs, local investment and clean energy,” said David Hardy, the company’s CEO for the Americas.
“Since day one, the Biden-Harris administration has worked to jump-start the offshore wind industry across the country, and today’s approval for the Ocean Wind I project is another milestone in our efforts to create good-paying union jobs while combating climate change and powering our nation,” said U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, called the federal approval “a pivotal inflection point not just for Orsted, but for New Jersey’s nation-leading offshore wind industry as a whole.”
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said Orsted will compensate fishing businesses for lost revenues and reimburse them for lost or damaged gear. The company also will create a navigational safety fund for equipment upgrades, the bureau said.
The project would place nearly 100 wind turbines off the coast of southern New Jersey, where they would be visible from the tourist havens of Atlantic City and Ocean City.
That has generated fierce opposition from community groups, most of whom also blame site preparation work for a spate of whale deaths since December. At least 60 whales have died on the U.S. East Coast since then. But three federal and one state agency all say there is no evidence linking the deaths with offshore wind preparations.
At the request of elected officials who want a moratorium on offshore wind projects, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said last month it would “review matters relating to the potential impacts of offshore wind energy development” in the northern Atlantic area between Maine and New Jersey.
Orsted also has approval from New Jersey to build a second wind farm, which has yet to obtain all its approvals. And a third project, Atlantic Shores, also has state approval but still needs federal permission to begin.
Ocean Wind I’s final major approval came just days after the New Jersey Legislature approved a bill last week that would give Orsted a tax break by letting it keep federal tax credits that the company otherwise would have had to pass on to New Jersey ratepayers. The bill is awaiting action by the governor.
The tax break only applies to Ocean Wind I. But on Monday, Atlantic Shore said it, too, wants government financial aid, warning that its project and the jobs it would create are “at risk” without the incentives.
Atlantic Shores is a joint partnership between Shell New Energies US LLC and EDF-RE Offshore Development LLC.
The work that will begin this fall on Ocean Wind I includes laying its electrical transmission cable and building onshore electrical substations. The tall structures that will support wind turbines, called monopiles, are being welded, sandblasted and painted at EEW American Offshore Structures’ facility at the Port of Paulsboro across the Delaware River from Philadelphia International Airport.
Orsted plans to have the monopiles installed in 2024 and to have power flowing from the project to customers by 2025. | 2023-07-06T17:32:11+00:00 | localsyr.com | https://www.localsyr.com/news/business/ap-business/ap-us-gives-go-ahead-for-orsteds-new-jersey-offshore-wind-farm-to-start-construction/ |
Children know when parents are full of it, study finds
Gone are days when children simply took parents at their word and the phrase "Because I said so" was an adequate and sufficient explanation.
A new study from the University of Toronto and Harvard revealed that older children are catching on to their parents’ outrageous claims.
The study was recently published in Child Development.
Researchers wanted to understand the difference in how children explore and react to surprising statements.
RELATED: Gen Z, millennials are reluctant to become parents
In the study, 109 children were given three objects: a rock, a piece of sponge-like material and a hacky sack. Children were asked which objects were heavy.
The children agreed the rock was hard.
The children were then split into two groups where some were told that the rock is hard. The second group was falsely told the rock was soft.
Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, researchers had to continue their experiment over Zoom.
They asked the children over Zoom what to do if adults made various claims that the rock was soft or the sponge was harder than the rock. Researchers found that more of the older children, between 6 and 7 years old, suggested picking up the rock and the sponge to see which object was heavier.
The study’s authors said the exploratory differences between older children and younger children may come down to motivation. They hypothesize younger children tend to believe what adults tell them. However, older children tend to test claims because they are skeptical of what they’ve been told.
RELATED: Here’s how much it costs to have a baby in the US, analysis finds
"Studying how children respond to surprising claims they can test has implications for our understanding of how children resolve uncertainty and how they learn to reason about what they are told," the study’s author Samuel Ronfard said in a statement to FOX Television Stations.
"These results confirm that children are not passive recipients of information," he continued. "They think about what they are told and when they have doubts they often seek information to confirm what they have been told."
Ronfard said in the future, they hope to further understand how children resolve uncertainty and how they respond to what adults tell them.
This story was reported from Los Angeles. | 2022-09-14T19:20:21+00:00 | fox6now.com | https://www.fox6now.com/news/kids-know-when-parents-are-full-of-it-study-finds |
Braves vs. Brewers: Odds, spread, over/under - July 23
Ronald Acuna Jr. and the Atlanta Braves (63-34) clash with Christian Yelich and the Milwaukee Brewers (55-44) in the series rubber match at American Family Field on Sunday, July 23. The game will begin at 2:10 PM ET.
The Braves are the favorite in this one, at -175, while the underdog Brewers have +145 odds to play spoiler. The total is 10 runs for this game.
Braves vs. Brewers Time and TV Channel
- Date: Sunday, July 23, 2023
- Time: 2:10 PM ET
- TV: BSWI
- Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Venue: American Family Field
- Probable Pitchers: Bryce Elder - ATL (7-2, 3.31 ERA) vs Julio Teheran - MIL (2-4, 4.01 ERA)
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Braves vs. Brewers Betting Odds, Run Line and Total
See the odds, run line and over/under for this matchup posted on several sportsbooks.
Looking to put money on the Braves and Brewers game but aren't sure how to get started? Here's a quick primer. Some of the most common betting types include the moneyline, run line, and total. A moneyline bet means that you think one of the teams -- the Braves (-175), for example -- will win. It's that simple! If the Braves are victorious, and you bet $10, you'd get $15.71 back.
And that's not all. There are many other ways to bet, as well. For example, you can wager on player props (will Matt Olson hit a home run?), parlays (combining picks from different games to multiply your potential winnings), and more. Visit the BetMGM website and app for additional info on the many ways you can wager on games.
Ready to place your bet? Click here and enter bonus code "GNPLAY" to claim your BetMGM promo today.
Read More About This Game
Braves vs. Brewers Betting Trends and Insights
- This season, the Braves have been favored 84 times and won 55, or 65.5%, of those games.
- The Braves have gone 28-13 when playing as moneyline favorites with odds of -175 or shorter (68.3% winning percentage).
- The implied probability of a win from Atlanta, based on the moneyline, is 63.6%.
- The Braves were the moneyline favorite for nine of their last 10 games, and went 4-5 in those matchups.
- Over its last 10 outings (all 10 of them had set totals), Atlanta and its opponents combined to go over the run total five times.
- The Brewers have come away with 25 wins in the 48 contests they have been listed as the underdogs in this season.
- This season, the Brewers have come away with a win two times in five chances when named as an underdog of at least +145 or worse on the moneyline.
- The Brewers have played as underdogs in six of their past 10 games and won four of those contests.
- In the last 10 games with a total, Milwaukee and its opponents are 2-8-0 when it comes to hitting the over.
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Braves Futures Odds
Think the Braves can win it all? Check out the latest futures odds for Atlanta and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook! Be sure to use our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers.
Not all offers available in all states, please visit sportsbook websites for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | 2023-07-23T13:19:03+00:00 | witn.com | https://www.witn.com/sports/betting/2023/07/23/braves-vs-brewers-mlb-odds-over-under/ |
ATLANTA, Nov. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Invesco Ltd. (NYSE: IVZ), a leading global provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), announced today that it expects to deliver capital gains distributions across 3 Invesco ETFs.1
For the funds listed in the Table, the ex-date for the 2022 capital gains distributions will be Monday, December 19, 2022. The record date will be Tuesday, December 20, 2022, and the payable date will be Friday, December 23, 2022.
Table
1 Estimated capital gains and Funds information presented here is not final; these are initial estimates as of October 31, 2022 and will change based on market volatility, portfolio and shareholder activity and tax adjustments. Estimates are also not provided for BulletShares Funds liquidating in December.
Invesco ETFs provides a number of resources and a broad menu of ETF investment solutions to assist investors as they consider year-end tax management strategies with their advisors. Please visit the Invesco ETF Tax Center for more information. Invesco ETFs does not offer tax advice. Please consult your tax adviser for information regarding your own personal tax situation.
For additional information, shareholders of the ETFs which are scheduled for changes may call Invesco at 800-983-0903 or ETFInvestor@Invesco.com.
For media questions please call 212-278-9037.
About Invesco Ltd.
Invesco Ltd. (Ticker NYSE: IVZ) is a global independent investment management firm dedicated to delivering an investment experience that helps people get more out of life. Our distinctive investment teams deliver a comprehensive range of active, passive and alternative investment capabilities. With offices in more than 20 countries, Invesco managed US$1.3 trillion in assets on behalf of clients worldwide as of September 30, 2022. For more information, visit www.invesco.com/corporate.
Risks & Other Information
Important Information
There are risks involved with investing in ETFs, including possible loss of money. Index-based ETFs are not actively managed. Actively managed ETFs do not necessarily seek to replicate the performance of a specified index. Both index-based and actively managed ETFs are subject to risks similar to stocks, including those related to short selling and margin maintenance. Ordinary brokerage commissions apply. The Fund's return may not match the return of the Index. The Funds are subject to certain other risks. Please see the current prospectus for more information regarding the risk associated with an investment in the Funds.
Investments focused in a particular industry or sector are subject to greater risk, and are more greatly impacted by market volatility, than more diversified investments.
Shares are not individually redeemable and owners of the Shares may acquire those Shares from the Fund and tender those Shares for redemption to the Fund in Creation Unit aggregations only, typically consisting of 10,000, 20,000, 25,000, 50,000, 75,000, 80,000, 100,000, 150,000 or 200,000 Shares.
This does not constitute a recommendation of any investment strategy or product for a particular investor. Investors should consult a financial professional before making any investment decisions.
Before investing, investors should carefully read the prospectus/summary prospectus and carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. For this and more complete information about the Fund call 800 983 0903 or visit invesco.com for the prospectus/summary prospectus.
Invesco Distributors, Inc. is the US distributor for Invesco's retail products and private placements; and is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Invesco Ltd.
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SOURCE Invesco Ltd. | 2022-11-28T23:41:14+00:00 | wbrc.com | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/11/28/invesco-provides-estimated-capital-gain-distribution-information-2022/ |
NEW YORK, July 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kingswood U.S., a network of wealth management firms that oversees more than $3 billion in client assets, today announced the successful recruitment of eight financial advisors who collectively oversee close to $355 million in total client assets. The new affiliates in the Kingswood U.S. network bring decades of experience in holistic financial planning and represent diverse geographies as well as client bases.
Headquartered in New York, Kingswood U.S. supports more than 200 financial advisors under the Kingswood Wealth Advisors (KWA) brand. In March, Kingswood U.S. announced it will consolidate its two SEC-registered RIAs, Benchmark Advisory Services, LLC, and Kingswood Wealth Advisors, LLC, under a single brand.
Michael Nessim, CEO, President and Managing Partner of Kingswood U.S., said, "Kingswood continues to build out a robust network of financial advisors across the country, at a time when the best professionals are looking to deliver an improved experience for their clients. Kingswood's ability to draw exceptional advisors who seek the variety of affiliation models that we provide, is evidence of our ongoing success in providing a nimble, adaptable platform that enables our advisors to extend their market reach while empowering them to do more. I warmly welcome these outstanding professionals to our network."
Kingswood U.S. welcomes eight financial advisors or firms to its network:
- Conrad Branson, of Birchwood Wealth Advisors in Kentfield, California, with $150 million in total client assets. Mr. Branson will provide financial planning, asset management, wealth management and qualified retirement plan support as a Kingswood Wealth Advisors affiliate.
- Jason Nickels, of Simi Valley, California, with $70 million in total client assets. Mr. Nickels brings 18 years of wealth management experience at Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley and will provide financial planning, asset management and risk analysis as a Kingswood Wealth Advisors affiliate.
- Daniel F. Spagnolo, of Dynamic Financial Services, Ltd., in Huntington Station, New York, with $60 million in total client assets. Mr. Spagnolo has more than two decades of experience in financial planning, asset management, and retirement planning. As a Kingswood Wealth Advisors affiliate, he will also provide services in alternative investments and insurance.
- Debinder Deshmukh, Kalyan Kavili, and Krishna Grandi in Miami, Florida, with $25 million in total client assets. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning, asset management and wealth management services to high-net-worth individuals, pre-retirees and professionals and business owners of South Asian descent.
- William Bianchi, of Bianchi Financial Services in Rochester and Buffalo, New York, with $25 million in total client assets. Mr. Bianchi offers financial planning, investment advice and insurance planning services to small businesses and will provide comprehensive advice for clients as a Kingswood Wealth Advisors affiliate.
- Regina Faison, of Faison Wealth Strategy in Foothill Ranch, California, with more than $25 million in total client assets. Ms. Faison brings 25 years of wealth management experience and provides financial and retirement planning services. As an affiliate of Kingswood Wealth Advisors, Ms. Faison help clients reach their financial goals using advanced, customized strategies, enabling them to live with purpose and achieve their dreams.
Mr. Nessim concluded, "Kingswood U.S. has built its reputation among independent financial advisors as a wealth management network with the resources and flexibility to accommodate a wide range of successful practices. Our boutique service culture continues to attract entrepreneurial advisors who seek to deliver more results for their diverse, loyal client base, and we are thrilled to support their businesses for years to come."
Kingswood U.S. is a network of wealth management firms that includes two SEC-registered RIAs and two FINRA-licensed broker-dealers collectively overseeing more than $3 billion in assets, offering comprehensive wealth management and business-building services, designed specifically for the independent financial advisor. Together with our parent company, Kingswood Group, we combine the resources and capital of a very large financial services firm with the personalized touch and feel of a boutique company. With over 200 advisors across the United States, Kingswood has earned a reputation as a firm built for advisors by advisors.
Media Contacts:
Joseph Kuo / Donald C. Cutler
Haven Tower Group
424.317.4851 or 424.317.4864
jkuo@haventower.com or dcutler@haventower.com
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SOURCE Kingswood U.S. | 2022-07-19T10:52:46+00:00 | wymt.com | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2022/07/19/kingswood-us-recruits-more-than-355-million-total-client-assets-with-addition-eight-independent-financial-advisors-practices/ |
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I’m behind the wheel of the 2023 Honda Civic Type R on Sonoma Raceway in Northern California. Temperatures are hovering around 50 degrees and the track is getting wetter by the second. This is a technical circuit in the best conditions, with blind crests, off-camber turns, and a series of esses that elude me every time. I’m thankful to be riding on the standard Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires instead of the Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires available as an accessory, but I’m still hella nervous. “At least the CTR is front-wheel drive, not rear-wheel drive,” I think as we head out onto the track…and possibly to my death.
New looks, who dis?
The 2023 Civic Type R gets a new design and for that I am extremely grateful. While the old one looked very Boi/Gurl Racer with its spiky rear aero bits and dual-colored wing, this Type R is a bit more grown up. It’s longer, lower, and wider, and it makes key features of the standard Civic hatch its own.
The front bumper sports a wider grille opening that helps with cooling, pushing air out of the newly vented hood. I’m digging the thin A-pillars and the wider fenders front and rear. Several vents help with brake cooling and all but one of them are functional—a win in my book. Out back sits a new diffuser, a lowered, all-black wing, and the cool three-outlet exhaust. Look closely, though, and you’ll notice that the design team has switched it up a little. Now the center port is larger than the outboard ports.
Rain, rain, go away!
The Civic Type R has four drive modes: Comfort, Sport, +R, and Individual. Our lead driver has asked that we keep the car in Comfort. This will soften the suspension to keep some weight on the outside front wheel in corners for more grip in these terrible conditions. It also keeps the traction and stability control nannies on at full blast.
I notice only the stability control during this first track session. I know I should be paying attention to the revised 6-speed manual gearbox, the more rigid chassis, and the quicker steering, but all I can think about is sliding off this track and losing my track privileges for the day. “Keep it together, Hall. You can do this,” I think.
I can, because the stability control is really well tuned. It lets the car slide just enough to give me a little thrill but then it kicks in to save my butt. Once all is sorted, I send a little power to the front wheels and catch up to the car in front of me on this four-lap lead/follow.
It has stopped raining for my second session, and while there is still water on the pavement, I’m much more confident. This time I notice that there is no torque steer in this little hatch. Punch it and the front end stays bang on track. The steering is super-quick and heavy, even in Comfort mode, and this gear box is a dream. The new rev-matching technology is really good, never intrusive, and it eliminates any shock to the drivetrain on downshifts.
On my last lap I feel so good I switch to Sport mode. The rev matching gets more aggressive, quickly revving up to the correct engine speed to match my faster shifts. The dampers firm up, and while I lose grip once or twice in the still-wet conditions, the stability control brings the car back under control. The throttle gets a bit sharper here and the steering a tad heavier. It all feels good.
Drying out
Honda gives us one last chance on a dry track the following morning. Although still too cold for the Cup 2 tires, we arrive to find the track crew has warmed up the 4S tires and we are ready to rumble.
Now I’m calm enough to really experience all the Civic Type R has to offer. I switch to +R mode for maximum performance and where I can, I floor it to get all 315 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque out of this little 2.0-liter turbocharged mill. I’m able to grab fourth gear on the straightaway, but I cook it a little too fast heading into the turn 7 sharp righthander. That’s OK because the ABS kicks in, keeping the car in a straight line and slowing me down enough to make the turn with no drama.
The ess turns—corners 8 and 8A—have plagued me each session, but this time I go for it, getting back on the power sooner. The limited-slip front differential keeps that power flowing to the pavement and I don’t feel any wheel spin. Before I know it, I’ve increased my lead on the car behind me. It was easier than I thought but it required some bravery.
Track driving is not the most efficient use of fuel, even when it’s dialed back because of conditions. However, the EPA gives the Type R fuel economy ratings of 22 mpg in the city, 28 on the highway, and 24 combined. Of course, we’ll have to drive one in real-world conditions before we comment on that claim.
Where are my heated seats, bro?
Inside, buyers get red sport seats that are comfy enough for a commute but also provide ample hip and side support. I wish they were heated but no dice. Aluminum trim combines with the black dash to make a simple yet pleasing combination. A 9.0-inch touchscreen grows from the last model’s 7.0-inch unit. The 10.2-inch configurable gauge cluster has one design for Comfort and Sport modes and another for +R with more information about temperatures, g forces, and lap times.
Honda goes all-in with data in the 2023 Type R with the Honda LogR Performance Data Logger. This technology no longer needs a smartphone app to work and while I don’t have the time to sample the system, the Auto Score function seems pretty cool. This feature monitors acceleration, braking, and steering inputs, and generates a smoothness score. Remember, smooth is fast, y’all.
Buyers also get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging, and the Honda Sensing suite of advanced driver-assist aids. This includes the old standards like automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, active lane control, and lane-departure warnings. The Type R also adds traffic sign recognition, rear cross-traffic alerts, and blind-spot monitors.
Perfection is pricey
Expect to pay $43,990 including $1,095 for destination for the 2023 Honda Civic Type R. That, however, is assuming you don’t find any dealer markups, and I wish you well on your quest. The Honda’s nearest competitor is the all-out fun Toyota GR Corolla, which may be down on power a bit but comes with all-wheel drive. The little hot hatch starts at around $7,000 less than the Type R for the base Core model, though I would add the front and rear limited-slip differentials and the heated seats and steering wheel to the GR Corolla and still come in under $39,000.
Other competitors include the Volkswagen Golf GTI, which has less than 250 ponies and its price reflects that. The all-wheel-drive Golf R comes in slightly higher in price, but Volkswagen really engineered the fun out of that hatch. You may be able to score a Hyundai Veloster N at right around $33,000, but the Korean car company will not make a 2023 model. Sad trombone.
It’s a tough decision to choose among hot hatches, but it’s great that enthusiasts even have a choice to make. Honda has done a great job of upgrading the 2023 Civic Type R, eking out a bit more performance and fun for this generation. Its grown-up looks are appealing and the interior tech and design are second to none. However, it is the most expensive of the bunch.
As for me, I’m looking forward to driving the Type R on a twisty back road on a sunny day without a drop of rain in the forecast.
—Emme Hall
Honda provided airfare, lodging, and track time for Motor Authority to bring you this firsthand report.
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- Bigger, more high-tech Honda Accord arrives for 2023 | 2022-11-17T12:12:04+00:00 | kron4.com | https://www.kron4.com/automotive/internet-brands/review-2023-honda-civic-type-r-grows-up-but-remains-fun/ |
‘The pain will never go away’: Daughter killed on 26th birthday, father says
DOUGLAS, Ga. (WALB/Gray News) - Troopers in Florida are investigating an incident where a 26-year-old woman died on her birthday.
Authorities said A’Ryshanae McTear was walking on Interstate 10 in Jacksonville, Florida, when two vehicles struck and killed her on June 25.
WALB reports her family doesn’t know why she was walking alone on the highway. They described McTear as the glue that kept their family together.
The 26-year-old’s father, Latrell Wallace, said his daughter was an honor student who had just graduated college with her medical and phlebotomist degree. She was starting her career in the medical field.
Wallace said McTear went to Jacksonville from Douglas with her two friends to celebrate her 26th birthday. He said the family was waiting for her to return because they had a family cookout planned.
“We don’t know what happened. This is the hardest thing I ever did in my life,” Wallace said.
McTear leaves behind her nieces, nephews and her siblings.
“This will never go away. The pain will never go away for this family. Saying goodbye to her will never happen. We will never get to say goodbye to our daughter. We will never have closure because we don’t know what happened,” Wallace said.
McTear ‘s family said they plan to celebrate her life with a balloon release in her honor.
Copyright 2022 WALB via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2022-07-01T02:58:23+00:00 | wlox.com | https://www.wlox.com/2022/07/01/pain-will-never-go-away-daughter-killed-26th-birthday-father-says/ |
The Hoboken Community Center (HCC) is known for serving approximately 2,400 households a month with supplemental food, hygiene, and pet supplies. It currently stands at 1301 Washington St., Hoboken.
The nonprofit organization announced on Thursday, June 1, that it has purchased the property at 122 Adams St., in Hoboken, which is envisioned as the future permanent home for the organization’s community resource pantry program.
The HCC is set to demolish the existing structure currently standing at the property and fence off the site as the agency proceeds with plans to design and build a new pantry.
A $2 million fundraising campaign is being launched to complete the design and construction of the new permanent facility. Donations can be made at hobokencc.org/pantryfund.
“What grew into an urgently needed lifeline for so many during the pandemic will soon have a permanent home in a space designed to better serve our community,” said Toni Tomarrazzo, HCC board secretary. “Everyone is entitled to basic necessities like those our Pantry provides, and we look forward to enhancing our offerings in a new space. Thank you to our donors, volunteers, and elected leaders who helped to make this happen.”
The new pantry will feature a customer choice program that allows clients to select the food and products they need for their home. There will be scheduled appointment times for services during regular business hours.
The Hoboken Community Center Pantry was originally opened as a small operation in 2019 to address food insecurity among the men in the HCC’s Affordable Housing program.
During the pandemic, it quickly grew to meet the needs of the community with biweekly distributions of fresh and non-perishable groceries and essentials such as diapers, toiletries, and menstrual products to those in need.
Among the pantry’s 2,400 registered households, the HCC serves over 1,500 with children and nearly 900 seniors, distributing more than 850 bags of food each month. The Pantry is a member agency of the Community Food Bank of New Jersey.
The relocation of the pantry from its temporary location at 1301 Washington St. will also allow the HCC to undergo a full renovation to revitalize the former YMCA into a community space for all ages.
The Hoboken Community Center has a three-pronged mission consisting of affordable housing for 96 low-income men, the 40,000+ square foot community and recreation center on Washington Streeet, and the food, hygiene and pet supply pantry. To learn more, visit hobokencc.org. | 2023-06-05T13:51:26+00:00 | nj.com | https://www.nj.com/hudson/2023/06/hoboken-community-center-to-say-goodbye-to-temporary-space-as-it-finds-a-permanent-home-for-pantry.html |
HUNTSVILLE, Ala., May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Summit 7 is pleased to announce that the company has now attained five Microsoft Solution Partner designations: Modern Work, Security, Infrastructure (Azure), Digital App & Innovation (Azure), and Data & AI (Azure). Microsoft Solution Partner Designations are anchored on the Microsoft Cloud in six solution areas and is based on a composite partner capability score that measures performance, skilling, and customer success.
As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, Summit 7 has access to a wide range of resources and support from Microsoft. This includes advanced training, technical support, and access to Microsoft's extensive network of partners and customers.
In addition to attaining five Microsoft Solution Partner designations, Summit 7 has earned nine advanced specializations: Cloud Security, Threat Protection, Modernize Endpoints, Infra and Database Migration, Microsoft Windows Virtual Desktop, Calling for Microsoft Teams, Meeting and Meeting Rooms for Microsoft Teams, Teamwork Deployment, and Adoption and Change Management.
"We are thrilled to have attained these designations and advanced specializations from Microsoft," said Scott Edwards, CEO of Summit 7. "This recognition is a testament to the dedication of our team and validates our extensive work of providing customers with end-to-end collaboration and security solutions based on Microsoft security and compliance capabilities in Microsoft 365 and Azure Government."
The Microsoft Solutions Partner designations and advanced specializations are just the latest in a series of achievements for Summit 7. The company was also recognized as Microsoft's 2022 US Partner of the Year for Compliance.
About Summit 7
Summit 7 is a national leader in cybersecurity, compliance, and managed services for the Aerospace and Defense industry and corporate enterprises. Summit 7's Microsoft Cloud solutions have led the way in meeting compliance regulations for the DIB regarding CMMC, DFARS, NIST 800-171, ITAR, and CUI data. Summit 7 Systems is privately held and headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama.
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SOURCE Summit 7 Systems | 2023-05-22T19:36:39+00:00 | kfyrtv.com | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/05/22/summit-7-attains-5-microsoft-solution-partner-designations-9-advanced-specializations/ |
HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A 61-year-old man with a lengthy rap sheet was shot and killed by Hernando County deputies Friday while being served two felony arrest warrants, authorities announced.
On Friday, Nov. 11, deputies attempted to serve two arrest warrants to 61-year-old Gary Schryver at a home in Spring Hill. Authorities said Schryver was “known to have violent tendencies” and had been arrested at least 19 times since 1977.
After deputies were invited into his house, they were escorted to a bedroom where Schryver was waiting. When deputies tried to speak with him, they said he immediately became confrontational.
At some point, shots were fired, leading to Schryver’s death. The sheriff’s office did not elaborate on Schryver’s shooting death.
Friday’s incident did not mark the first time Schryver was shot by authorities.
According to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, in February 2018, deputies made contact with Schryver after a caller reported him carrying a firearm while walking around the Family Dollar on Marble Avenue and Spring Hill Drive.
When deputies confronted Schryver, he became confrontational. Moments later, Schryver was shot by deputies. He later recovered from his injuries.
As per standard protocol, the deputy, whose identity is protected under Marsy’s Law, has been placed on paid administrative leave following Friday’s incident.
An investigation is being conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and is said to be in its preliminary stages. | 2022-11-16T14:39:58+00:00 | cbs42.com | https://www.cbs42.com/regional/florida-news/man-dead-after-florida-deputies-shoot-him-for-the-second-time-in-4-years/ |
CHAMPAIGN — Keeva N. Keeling, 43, died at 1:34 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at New Life Church of Faith, 1409 W. Dublin St., U. Pastor Leo Davis will officiate. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at the church. Leek & Sons Funeral Home, 1215 W. Bradley Ave., U, is in charge of arrangements. | 2022-08-17T07:27:19+00:00 | news-gazette.com | https://www.news-gazette.com/obituaries/keeva-n-keeling/article_9bf75cd2-1db8-11ed-8d3a-8f61baed517f.html |
The Battle of Stalingrad, with its five months of fierce fighting, began exactly 80 years ago, on Aug. 23, 1942. An estimated 750,000 Soviets died defending the city, delivering an enormous blow to the seemingly unstoppable German war machine, a psychological turning point of World War II.
German dictator Adolf Hitler had set his sights on Stalingrad in part because it was named after his rival, Soviet leader Josef Stalin. Hitler had publicly announced that he would take the Soviet city and assumed he would do so with ease.
He was wrong.
The Germans' push to take the city resulted in some of the most intense urban combat in history, according to West Point's Modern War Institute. Hitler's hubris was matched by that of Stalin, who was determined to defend the city, today called Volgograd, at all costs.
Soviet forces had retreated in earlier battles, and as a result, Stalin issued Order No. 227, known as "Not One Step Back," said Rutgers University history professor Jochen Hellbeck.
Hitler's forces had conducted an aerial bombardment campaign early on, destroying the city's structures and roads and killing as many as 40,000 civilians. When the Germans began to engage Soviet ground forces, they found their opponents were better fighters when it came to urban combat.
The world watched for months as the Soviets repeatedly beat back the enemy, who, until that time, had rolled across Europe without defeat, Hellbeck said. Many believed that the outcome of Stalingrad would dictate the fate of the war.
"The same stakes that Hitler had laid out for the Germans also applied to the Soviets. This would have been a huge public loss for the Soviet Union," Hellbeck said. "It's quite possible that in the end, if Hitler had won Stalingrad, the first atomic bomb blast would have happened over Europe."
Ultimately, it was Hitler's determination to fight to the end that led to the Germans' defeat. Many of his commanders were unhappy with how the battle was going but didn't have the courage to stand up to their leader.
The battle came to an end on Feb. 2, 1943, after the Germans had been encircled by the Soviets and eventually surrendered. The estimated loss of life at Stalingrad varies, but the Modern War Institute puts the death toll at approximately 1.2 million people.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2022-08-24T01:06:26+00:00 | delawarepublic.org | https://www.delawarepublic.org/npr-headlines/npr-headlines/2022-08-23/80-years-ago-the-soviets-began-defending-stalingrad-against-germany |
Franchisees Nationwide To Encourage People To Seek Help, Advice
PHOENIX, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Assisted Living Locators, a nationwide senior placement and referral service, announced today it is offering dementia post-diagnosis guidance and free care consultations to support World Alzheimer's Month, an international campaign that recognizes the impact of dementia and how to act to support those affected. This year's theme, 'Know Dementia, Know Alzheimer's' continues on from the 2021 campaign, which focused on diagnosis and the warning signs of dementia. In 2022, the campaign will have a special focus on post-diagnosis support.
Assisted Living Locators provides the full continuum of care for people living with dementia and families following a diagnosis. The service offers FREE guidance in locating quality assisted living and in-home care support. Throughout September, Assisted Living Locators' 140 franchise offices across the U.S. are offering free dementia care consultations, participating in Walk to End Alzheimer's fundraising events, and engaging social media wearing purple to show solidarity for those affected.
"All of our senior care advisors are dementia care certified, which puts us in a unique position to help families across the country," said Angela Olea, RN Assisted Living Locators CEO. "Our dementia care training enables us to provide much-needed support to families, educating them about the disease and what facilities are best suited for their loved ones. We will help you better prepare, plan, and adapt to a dementia diagnosis."
Olea noted that having a locally based senior care advisor is an advantage. "Our advisors have a pulse on local senior care options, costs, availability, and which communities are in good standing," she explained. "They answer all of your questions, personally accompany you on tours, work as your advocate, and guide you to find the right senior living solution whether it be in-home care support, independent living, assisted living, or memory care."
If you have questions about your loved one's cognitive health and care and would like a free dementia care consultation, speak to an Assisted Living Locators Senior Care Advisor at 877-266-7788 or visit www.assistedlivinglocators.com.
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SOURCE Assisted Living Locators | 2022-09-01T13:55:23+00:00 | uppermichiganssource.com | https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/assisted-living-locators-offers-dementia-post-diagnosis-guidance-free-care-consultations-support-world-alzheimers-month/ |
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said Tuesday that navigating the rift between former President Donald Trump and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell shows his ability to bring together Republican factions as he seeks to break through a crowded GOP primary for governor in 2023.
Facing the challenge of an ultra-competitive primary fight in the red state, Cameron has found himself caught in the middle of the feud between Trump — who has endorsed Cameron’s gubernatorial bid — and McConnell, the attorney general’s home-state political mentor.
Cameron hedged Tuesday when asked about the feud after he filed his candidacy papers in his bid to unseat Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. Cameron expressed support for Trump’s bid for the presidency in 2024 while pointing to his deep ties to McConnell, the state’s senior senator. Cameron once served as McConnell’s legal counsel.
“They’ve got their differences,” Cameron told reporters at the Kentucky Capitol. “I think what our candidacy means is that we’re able to transcend a lot of different factions within the Republican Party and bring people together. And I think that is what ultimately this candidacy represents.”
Trump, who remains popular with the party’s base, has repeatedly lashed out at McConnell at rallies and in social media posts ever since McConnell agreed to formally certify Trump’s 2020 Electoral College loss to Joe Biden and criticized the former president in a blistering floor speech. The two GOP heavyweights have engaged in a volley of caustic public statements ever since as they wrestle over what their party should look like going forward.
Cameron showed no signs of wanting to stray into the middle of the fray when asked about Trump’s social media attacks against McConnell.
“I’m proud to know him, honored to have worked for him,” Cameron said of McConnell. “He has meant a great deal to our family. And I’m going to continue to support his work. As Sen. McConnell has noted, he’s a big boy and can fight his own battles. He doesn’t need me to step in.”
Cameron acknowledged that Biden “was legitimately elected the president of the United States,” contradicting baseless claims by Trump that the 2020 election was stolen from him.
Cameron also declined to weigh in on the House Jan. 6 committee’s decision urging that criminal charges be brought against Trump for the violent 2021 Capitol insurrection.
“I’ll let others in the Department of Justice make a determination about that,” Cameron said, adding that he’s running a campaign “focused on Kentucky.”
Cameron had no qualms about ripping into Biden’s presidency, especially his handling of economic and energy issues, navigating toward safer political ground for a GOP primary candidate as he tried to tie Beshear to the Democratic president.
“It’s the reason we have runaway inflation,” Cameron said. “It’s the reason that I’m constantly having to fight against an administration in Washington, D.C., that wants to destroy the fossil fuels industry.”
Cameron expressed his support for Kentucky’s coal industry, which has been in decline for years but remains a potent issue in the state’s coalfields in eastern and western Kentucky.
Beshear has remained popular during a term overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic and weather disasters. He was lauded for his response to tornadoes that hit western Kentucky in late 2021 and historic flooding that inundated parts of eastern Kentucky last summer. He has clashed with the GOP-dominated legislature, but his record includes some of the biggest economic development successes in the state’s history.
Cameron is part of a crowded GOP field for the May gubernatorial primary that includes state Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, former United Nations Ambassador Kelly Craft, state Auditor Mike Harmon and retired attorney Eric Deters.
Cameron on Tuesday continued to tout his opposition to abortion, his legal fight against Beshear’s pandemic-related restrictions and his work to combat the state’s opioid epidemic.
“I think you need somebody, particularly in today’s environment, that will do this job with a smile on their face but will stand for principle and stand for values,” Cameron said. “I think we demonstrated that.” | 2023-01-03T19:15:36+00:00 | seattletimes.com | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/kentucky-ag-navigates-gop-feud-as-he-files-for-governor/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
Saints re-sign defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon
Published: Feb. 27, 2023 at 12:32 PM CST|Updated: 4 hours ago
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - The Saints are bringing back veteran defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon on a two-year deal, the team announced Monday. Kpassagnon’s deal is worth $6 million with $2.5 million guaranteed, according to Ian Rapaport of the NFL Network.
Kpassagnon has been a steady and versatile player in a reserve role along the Saints defensive line. Last season, he finished the season with two sacks. He originally signed with the team as a free agent in 2021.
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Copyright 2023 WVUE. All rights reserved. | 2023-02-27T22:26:05+00:00 | wafb.com | https://www.wafb.com/2023/02/27/saints-re-sign-defensive-end-tanoh-kpassagnon/ |
LONDON (AP) — The father of a British woman who has been missing for two weeks with her partner and newborn baby appealed Thursday for her to contact police.
Police say they are “increasingly concerned for the welfare” of Constance Marten, Mark Gordon and the infant. Detectives say Marten, 35, gave birth a day or two before the couple and baby left their broken-down car by the side of a highway in northwest England on Jan. 5. The car was later found in flames by firefighters.
Since then, there have been reported sightings of the couple in southeast England and the London area, the most recent more than a week ago.
Marten comes from a wealthy, aristocratic British family and grew up in a Georgian mansion on a country estate in southwest England. Gordon, 48, served 20 years in prison in the United States after being convicted in Florida of kidnapping and sexual battery, according to U.S. law enforcement records. He was deported from the U.S. after his release.
Marten’s father, Napier Marten, urged his estranged daughter to make contact.
“I beseech you to find a way to turn yourself and your wee one into the police as soon as possible, so you and he or she can be protected,” he said in an audio message issued through the Independent newspaper. “Only then can a process of healing and recovery begin, however long it may take, however difficult it may be.”
Police say they have no evidence the three have come to “intentional harm.” Detectives say Marten and Gordon have been using cash and taking other steps to avoid being found.
“We just need to ensure they are OK, especially the baby, and do not require any medical assistance for any underlying issues,” Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford said. | 2023-01-20T16:48:06+00:00 | myfox8.com | https://myfox8.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-uk-police-investigate-disappearance-of-couple-with-newborn/ |
Tim Hortons®, Canada's favorite coffee brand, to enter South Korean Market
BKR Co., Ltd (BKR) has entered into master franchise and development agreement with Tim Hortons
BKR is one of the largest QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) companies in South Korea
TORONTO, May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Tim Hortons®, Canada's iconic coffee brand with a nearly 60-year history, is expected to enter the South Korean market later this year under a master franchise agreement with BKR Co. Ltd., one of the largest QSR companies in South Korea.
Tim Hortons®, famous for its fresh premium coffee, donuts and delicious food, serves original Canadian classics like Double Double™ coffee and Timbits® donuts, fresh sandwiches, wraps and more. Tim Hortons® uses only 100% premium Arabica beans and ethically sourced coffee. Under its brand philosophy 'Always Fresh', Tim Hortons® coffee is created using a unique blend of 100% premium Arabica beans roasted with care to deliver the consistent taste of Tim Hortons® every time.
The brand currently has approximately 5,600 restaurants across 15 countries, including the United States, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom, across the Middle East, China, India, Thailand, and the Philippines.
"South Korea is one of the world's largest and fastest growing coffee markets. We are proud to have such an experienced partner in BKR. We are excited about meeting our South Korean guests and introducing them to the premium quality coffee and delicious foods that Tims fans around the world know and love" said David Shear, President – International, Restaurant Brands International, parent company of the Tim Hortons® brand.
Tim Hortons® is one of North America's largest restaurant chains operating in the quick service segment. Founded as a single location in Canada in 1964, the Tim Hortons® brand appeals to a broad range of guest tastes, with a menu that includes premium coffee, hot and cold specialty drinks (including lattes, cappuccinos, espresso, teas and our famous iced coffee based beverages), baked goods, hot breakfast sandwiches, breakfast snacking items, and other food products. Tim Hortons® has approximatively 5,600 restaurants in Canada, the United States and around the world. Tim Hortons® is a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International Inc. ("RBI"), one of the world's largest quick service restaurant companies with over $35 billion in annual system-wide sales and approximately 30,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. RBI owns four of the world's most prominent and iconic quick service restaurant brands – BURGER KING®, TIM HORTONS®, POPEYES®, and FIREHOUSE SUBS®. More information about the company is available at timhortons.com.
BKR is a premium QSR (quick service restaurant) company that operates the Burger King® brand in Korea. Since entering Korea by opening the Jongro branch in 1984, it has been loved by Korean consumers for the past 39 years for its differentiated menu and unique store interior design. Burger King®, which has established itself as a "premium QSR brand that serves the most delicious hamburgers," currently operates more than 480 stores Korea nationwide. Under corporate philosophy and brand principle as 'high-quality products, friendly services, and clean store', Burger King® Korea is serving delicious menu experience.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements and information, which reflect management's current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, initiatives and operating performance and speak only as of the date hereof. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements about our expectations regarding the ability of the Tim Hortons business in South Korea to enter the market in 2023. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from RBI's expectations are detailed in filings of RBI with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada, such as its annual and quarterly reports and current reports on Form 8-K and include the following risks: risk related to our ability to successfully implement its domestic and international growth strategy and risks related to its international operations; risks related to our ability to compete domestically and internationally in an intensely competitive industry; global economic or other business conditions that may affect the desire or ability of our customers to purchase our products; our relationship with, and the success of, our franchisees and risks related to our fully franchised business model; and the effectiveness of our marketing and advertising programs and franchisee support of these programs. Other than as required under applicable laws, we do not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, subsequent events or circumstances, change in expectations or otherwise.
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SOURCE Restaurant Brands International Inc. | 2023-05-10T10:33:42+00:00 | witn.com | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2023/05/10/tim-hortons-launch-south-korea-2023/ |
TRINITY, N.C. — A 75-year-old man was attacked by a Trinity man on Dec. 2, according to police.
28-year-old Brantley Walker Wray was arrested and charged Wednesday for the assault.
Investigators received tips from the community after releasing surveillance footage of the vehicles involved in the offensive.
Detectives found additional evidence that linked Wray as the suspect.
Wray was arrested at 9:57 a.m., Wednesday and charged with one count of felonious assault. He received a $25,000 secured bond and was placed in the Davidson County Jail where he has since bonded out.
The court date is set for January 18, 2023.
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Amazon Fire TV: Search for WFMY to find the free app to add to your account. You can also add the app directly to your Fire TV through your Amazon account. | 2022-12-15T00:45:05+00:00 | wfmynews2.com | https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/local/75-year-old-attacked-by-trinity-man-police-say/83-7b46415c-aeed-4413-bc8b-4550715e0fdb |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — California has joined with law firms and advocacy groups to create a hotline that provides access to information and pro bono services for people who need legal help related to abortion, as the state seeks to become a safe haven for reproductive rights since Roe v. Wade was overturned.
State Attorney General Rob Bonta and officials with the Southern California Legal Alliance for Reproductive Justice made the announcement Tuesday, one year since the U.S. Supreme Court draft decision reversing Roe was leaked.
Calling it a “dark anniversary,” Bonta said that in the ensuing year the national legal landscape surrounding abortion has become “confusing, and frankly, scary.”
He said the new coalition seeks to put patients and care providers at ease by providing a wide range of legal services to people in places where abortion is restricted — including pro bono representation for anyone facing civil or criminal penalties for seeking, providing or assisting in reproductive care.
“They aren’t alone. We’re here. We have support. We have resources. We have guidance, we have counsel for you,” Bonta said at a news conference.
In addition, legal experts will offer guidance about compliance amid shifting restrictions in various states, advice about protecting sensitive health data and support for amicus briefs to advance reproductive rights.
“Unforgiving abortion bans and the devastating health consequences that follow are galvanizing advocates, providers and law firms,” said Lara Stemple, director of the Legal Alliance for Reproductive Justice.
Threats of jail time, fines or protracted legal battles have already caused providers to deny critical care and forced patients to turn to unsafe measures, officials said.
The state and the legal alliance will get support from groups including Planned Parenthood, Access Reproductive Justice, the National Women’s Law Center and the University of California, Los Angeles, Law Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy.
The California coalition will align with the Abortion Defense Network, a national nonprofit that provides similar advice, representation and funding to help pay legal expenses related to abortion care, Stemple said.
“So the network is vast and growing,” she said. “I’m confident that we would be able to connect any abortion provider in any place in the United States with lawyers who would be willing to help.”
Last June, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that had provided a constitutional right to abortion. The ruling has led to abortion bans in roughly half the states.
In anticipation of the decision, California and other states led by Democrats have taken steps to protect abortion access. The high court’s decision also set up the potential for legal fights between the states over whether providers and those who help women obtain abortions can be sued or prosecuted. | 2023-05-03T05:07:39+00:00 | keloland.com | https://www.keloland.com/news/national-world-news/california-hotline-to-provide-legal-help-related-to-abortion/ |
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Saturday afternoon's drawing of the Missouri Lottery's "Pick 4 Midday" game were:
7-6-4-7
(seven, six, four, seven)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Saturday afternoon's drawing of the Missouri Lottery's "Pick 4 Midday" game were:
7-6-4-7
(seven, six, four, seven) | 2022-08-06T18:51:09+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-4-Midday-game-17356527.php |
To regain trust, IT leaders need to improve incident and problem management before potential future challenges occur.
TORONTO, Feb. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - IT departments are typically able to resolve issues assigned to them quickly, leading to increased confidence in organizational IT function. However, recurring incidents that impede an organization's ability to reduce incident volume or to allow upper-tier support staff to engage in planned work as opposed to managing crises have started to erode that trust in IT. To help IT leaders rise above crisis mode and implement structured incident management that will enable effective problem management, global research and advisory firm Info-Tech Research Group has published its latest research-backed blueprint, titled Improve Incident and Problem Management.
The firm recommends the best way to break the trust-damaging cycle is for IT leaders to implement better structure and processes and right-size the approach. Many organizations struggle with establishing a consistent incident management process to better categorize, prioritize, and resolve incidents and enabling faster resolution time through well-defined escalation protocols. Although IT can fix the issues that come their way, preventing incidents from occurring through identifying and resolving the root cause via problem management is something IT has struggled with. Additionally, IT leaders need to work on leveraging event management to predict problems before potential incidents occur.
"Incident management teams often find themselves too busy to create the knowledgebase (KB) articles or track the incident data that will save them time in the future," says Frank Trovato, research director at Info-Tech Research Group. "It can be difficult to set aside time for preventing incidents when staff is already busy resolving existing incidents and working on projects. Eventually, it becomes a vicious cycle that keeps them constantly in firefighter mode."
Effective problem management drives business value by preventing incidents, but the firm's research suggests it starts with good incident management. This produces the data needed to identify problems that are driving recurring and related incidents. According to Info-Tech's findings, organizations struggling with incident management and the subsequent erosion of trust are typically faced with the following barriers:
Unresolved issues:
- Tickets are not created for all incidents.
- Tickets are lost or escalated to the wrong technicians.
- Poor data impedes root-cause analysis of incidents.
Low productivity:
- There is a lack of cross-training and knowledge sharing.
- Time is wasted troubleshooting recurring issues.
- Reports are unavailable due to lack of data and poor categorization.
Poor planning:
- Lack of data for effective trend analysis leads to poor demand planning.
- Lack of data leads to lost opportunities for templating and automation.
The blueprint suggests overcoming these challenges by implementing structured incident management that will drive efficiency and build a knowledgebase to expedite future incident response. When it comes to problem management, it's best organizations acknowledge that they have limited time and therefore start with obvious problems, such as recurring incidents, and then expand from there as problem management reduces incident volume.
To learn more, download the Improve Incident and Problem Management blueprint.
To learn more about Info-Tech Research Group, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and Twitter.
Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading information technology research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals. The company produces unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For 25 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with IT teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and over 200 IT and Industry analysts through the ITRG Media Insiders Program. To gain access, contact pr@infotech.com.
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SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group | 2023-02-28T15:47:51+00:00 | kwtx.com | https://www.kwtx.com/prnewswire/2023/02/28/recurring-issues-have-started-erode-trust-it-according-new-report-info-tech-research-group/ |
Air travelers could breathe a little easier Monday, as a break in stormy weather — and lighter schedules a day before the July 4 holiday — helped airlines keep more flights moving on time.
By late afternoon on the East Coast, about 125 U.S. flights had been canceled and 2,800 were late, according to FlightAware. Those numbers were down from more than 600 cancellations and 7,700 delays on Sunday.
United Airlines, the worst-performing U.S. carrier for more than a week, was on pace for its best day in nearly two weeks, with fewer than 50 cancellations.
United CEO Scott Kirby laid out steps to avoid a repeat of last week, including reducing flights at its hub airport in Newark, New Jersey, and improving its crew-scheduling system. Kirby said over the weekend that United is working with regional authorities to get more gates at the airport but will need to reduce its schedule there to create more of a buffer, especially during thunderstorm season.
Kirby continued to place much of the blame for his airline’s recent struggles on the Federal Aviation Administration, which reduced the number of flights in and out of Newark a week ago. That caused United to cancel flights and left planes and crews stranded out of position.
Nearly 2.7 million people per day have been streaming through airport checkpoints since Thursday, including 2.88 million on Friday, the highest number ever recorded by the Transportation Security Administration.
The Federal Aviation Administration expected about 36,500 flights on Monday and fewer than 32,000 Tuesday, then a jump to nearly 50,000 flights Wednesday, when more holiday revelers will return home. | 2023-07-04T16:57:02+00:00 | mytwintiers.com | https://www.mytwintiers.com/news-cat/business-news/ap-business/ap-united-airlines-gets-a-handle-on-canceled-flights-the-ceo-outlines-how-to-prevent-another-meltdown/ |
WILMINGTON, Del., April 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DuPont (NYSE: DD) today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a second quarter dividend of thirty-six cents ($0.36) per share on the outstanding Common Stock of the Company (par value $0.01 per share) payable on June 15, 2023, to holders of record of said stock at the close of business on May 31, 2023.
About DuPont
DuPont (NYSE: DD) is a global innovation leader with technology-based materials and solutions that help transform industries and everyday life. Our employees apply diverse science and expertise to help customers advance their best ideas and deliver essential innovations in key markets including electronics, transportation, construction, water, healthcare and worker safety. More information about the company, its businesses and solutions can be found at www.dupont.com. Investors can access information included on the Investor Relations section of the website at investors.dupont.com.
DuPont™ and all products, unless otherwise noted, denoted with ™, SM or ® are trademarks, service marks or registered trademarks of affiliates of DuPont de Nemours, Inc
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SOURCE DuPont | 2023-04-19T21:23:27+00:00 | wsfa.com | https://www.wsfa.com/prnewswire/2023/04/19/dupont-announces-regular-quarterly-dividend-common-stock/ |
Travelers will soon have to pay a fee to enter the United Kingdom
Published: Feb. 2, 2023 at 6:14 PM EST|Updated: 12 minutes ago
(CNN) - You might have to do a little extra planning before your next international trip.
The United Kingdom is implementing a new Electronic Travel Authorization scheme. It means U.S. travelers will have to get permission before entering the U.K.
While it’s not as rigorous as applying for a visa, the process should still be completed a few days before travel to avoid delays.
Travelers can apply online in a few minutes and should be prepared to pay a small fee.
The ETA scheme is planned to be fully activated by the end of the year. Officials said it’s part of the nation’s move to secure its borders.
The European Union said it also looking at creating a similar system.
Copyright 2023 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | 2023-02-02T23:28:03+00:00 | wfsb.com | https://www.wfsb.com/2023/02/02/travelers-will-soon-have-pay-fee-enter-united-kingdom/ |
KIEV (AP) — Suenan sirenas antiaéreas en diferentes lugares de Ucrania, las autoridades reportan ataques en varios puntos.
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- District 7 will get an interim council person in MarchApplications for the soon-to-be vacant seat will open on Monday, Feb. 13, and run through Friday, Feb. 24, according to the mayor’s office.By Megan Rodriguez | 2023-01-26T09:08:49+00:00 | expressnews.com | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/suenan-sirenas-antiaereas-en-diferentes-lugares-17742934.php |
BISMARCK, N.D. (KXNET) — For our March 8th KX Conversation, Joel Porter spoke with Heather Stabler, the range manager for McKenzie County Sportsmen’s Club.
During the conversation, Stabler discussed what the club has to offer, how people can get involved, why it’s important to participate, why it’s important for the culture of the state, and what events are coming up.
The McKenzie County Sportsmen’s Club has the North Dakota Bowhunters 3D State shoot there on March 24, 25, and 26. | 2023-03-09T02:29:53+00:00 | kxnet.com | https://www.kxnet.com/news/kx-conversation/kx-conversation-mckenzie-county-sportsmens-club/ |
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — An man is facing murder and other charges in the death of a Temple University police officer shot and killed near campus Saturday night, authorities said.
The Philadelphia district attorney’s office said 18-year-old Miles Pfeffer will face charges of murder, murder of a law enforcement officer, robbery, carjacking and weapons crimes in the death of Officer Christopher Fitzgerald, who prosecutors said was shot in the head while responding to an incident near campus.
“Pfeffer is also alleged to have attempted to rob Officer Fitzgerald of his gun and to have gone through his pockets, while the officer was laying on the ground and fatally wounded,” District Attorney Larry Krasner said in a statement Sunday. “Pfeffer is further alleged to have committed a carjacking a short time after, close to the location of the officer’s murder.”
The Bucks County district attorney’s office said Pfeffer was taken into custody shortly after 7 a.m. Sunday at his Buckingham Township home by township and Philadelphia police as well as state police and federal marshals. “Police used the fallen officer’s handcuffs in placing the suspect under arrest,” county prosecutors said.
There was no immediate word on whether Pfeffer had an attorney; a number listed for his home was no longer in service.
Temple University officials said Fitzgerald had been on the university police force since October 2021.
“Officer Fitzgerald gave his life to selflessly serve and defend this community,” Jennifer Griffin, the university’s vice president for public safety, said in a statement. “This loss leaves an enormous hole in all of our hearts. He was a father, a husband, a son, a colleague, and a friend.”
University president Jason Wingard said he was “heartbroken” and called the shooting “a gut-wrenching reminder of our police officers’ daily bravery and sacrifices to protect our students, faculty, staff and community” as the city and the nation deal with “an unprecedented epidemic of violence.”
Ken Kaiser, the university’s senior vice president and chief operating officer, was quoted by the Philadelphia Inquirer as saying it was the first shooting death of a campus officer during his more than 30 years at Temple. “It just shakes everybody to the core,” he said.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro tweeted that he and first lady Lori were “devastated for the family of the Temple University police officer who was killed in the line of duty tonight, bravely serving his community.”
They sent prayers to his family, Temple police and the university community, he added, saying, “May his memory be a blessing.”
Joseph Regan, president of the Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge, also expressed condolences.
“There are no words to describe the news of another one of our officers being shot,” Regan said in a statement. “This officer is a hero whose legacy and unselfish act will live in our hearts and memories forever.”
It was the first fatal shooting of an on-duty police officer in Philadelphia since 2020, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. | 2023-02-20T01:21:20+00:00 | cenlanow.com | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/ap-temple-university-police-officer-fatally-shot-during-chase/ |
The regular season was jammed packed with plenty of action over the past seven weeks.
It’s now time for the cream to rise to the top.
The NJSIAA state tournament for public schools begins Monday, with the ultimate goal of reaching the state finals on Saturday, June 10 at Veterans Park in Mercer County. Every pitch, every at-bat takes on added significance as teams take part in the single-elimination event.
Bottom line - win or go home.
The NJ Advance Media baseball staff has taken a look at the brackets in every section of the state. We’ve combed through the stats and taken a look at how the regular season shaped up, analyzed the matchups in all four public-school groups and both Non-Public groups.
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Kevin Minnick covers South Jersey baseball. He can be reached at kminnick@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @kminnicksports
PJ Potter covers North Jersey baseball. He can be reached at ppotter@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PJ_Potter
Luis Torres covers North and Central Jersey baseball. He can be reached at ltorres@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ByLuisTorres
Joe Zedalis covers Central Jersey baseball. He can be reached at jzedalis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Josephzedalis | 2023-05-20T22:15:26+00:00 | nj.com | https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2023/05/baseball-state-tournament-preview-favorites-difference-makers-predictions-more.html |
Women’s college basketball believes it has the makings for a hit reality TV show with star power driving a marketable product that has a growing audience.
So they're taking the ensemble on the road for the Sweet 16.
The NCAA changed the format of the tournament this year, featuring two regional sites instead of the traditional four. The games in Greenville, South Carolina, and Seattle are the latest step to grow the sport and show the ladies can stand on their own.
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley believes the question of whether women’s hoops merits its own March Madness TV contract has already been answered, even though the women's tournament loses money under the current deal.
“Somebody’s watching women’s basketball," Staley said. "Somebody feels like we’re in high demand, and obviously the decision-makers that put us on now realize that they've got to keep putting us on.”
The women's title game will be broadcast on ABC — the first appearance on network television since 1995. Women's basketball is part of a current contract that bundles all NCAA championships under one deal except for men’s basketball and football.
The NCAA is expected to decide by the fall if the women’s tournament will become a separate entity after hiring Endeavor, a consulting firm, to determine how to take championships to market.
“It's an exciting time. Year over year, we continue to demonstrate the value that women's basketball brings to that space," said Lynn Holzman, the NCAA vice president of women’s basketball. "It'll be exciting to see what the results are of this for the sport itself, but also for the NCAA more broadly in our championships.”
TV ratings have been trending up over the last two years. This year's regular season was the most viewed on ESPN networks in eight years and was up 11% from last season. That came on the heels of last season's title game between South Carolina and UConn that averaged 4.85 million viewers — the most for a women's championship game since 2004. The first round had a 27% ratings increase from last year.
“People enjoy watching close games. They like the fact that there’s some semblance of uncertainty of who’s going to win," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “There’s been so many changes in the top 10 all year long. ... Teams are in, they start out at the top they go out they come back in. I think all that creates a level of excitement.”
People aren't just tuning in during March Madness, they have also been showing up.
Attendance at the NCAA Tournament has continued to rise the past five seasons, growing by 60% in the first two rounds from an average of 4,464 in 2016 to 7,240 this year. This season had the highest attendance ever for the first two rounds.
“It makes us very bullish on women's basketball,” Holzman said. “It is demonstrative of the growth we've been seeing in the sport.”
Now the NCAA hopes that growth is reflected in increased television revenue.
ESPN pays $34 million per year for the championships package, which it agreed to in 2011, including women's basketball. But the law firm the NCAA hired to investigate equity issues in 2021 said in its report that estimated women’s basketball annual broadcast rights would be worth $81 million to $112 million.
The NCAA said the 2019 women’s tournament lost $2.8 million and those losses have multiplied the last two years since the the sports governing body increased spending after disparities between the men's and women's tourneys were pointed out.
If the NCAA can get close to the numbers projected in the 2021 report, it might be able to offer revenue shares — known as financial units — to women's teams in the tournament in a structure similar to what the men receive from their March Madness tournament.
Men's teams earn a slice of the money pie for their conference for every game they play excluding the championship. Each unit is paid by the NCAA over a six-year cycle. This year the NCAA will dole out $170 million to conferences from the men's tournament.
It's fair to say the women have a lot riding on this weekend at the two regional sites.
The NCAA is hoping the success of the Final Four — which sells out every year — translates to its new “mini Final Fours.”
Holzman believes the new format gave fans a better chance to know where their teams would be headed. The NCAA vice president of women’s basketball also anticipated greater economic impact on host cities would lead to more bids to host in the future.
But for some coaches, it's all about location.
The regional sites the next two years will again be held in cities on opposite coasts. The closest team playing in Seattle this year is Colorado, located 1,300 miles away.
Texas coach Vic Schaefer is “a little concerned” about the distance some teams will have to travel, but eager to see how the tournament unfolds.
“The powers that be believe it’s going to be great, and I’m hopeful that it will be,” Schaefer said. "Those are two opposite ends of the spectrums, west and east, three time zones between both of them. And there’s just nothing in the Midwest. And we have a lot of teams in the Midwest. We’ll see.”
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AP Sports Writers Pete Iacobelli, Pat Eaton-Robb and Jim Vertuno contributed to this report.
___
AP March Madness coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 | 2023-03-23T11:31:39+00:00 | local10.com | https://www.local10.com/sports/2023/03/23/women-hope-sweet-16-next-step-to-own-march-madness-tv-deal/ |
Pfizer asked U.S. regulators Monday to authorize its combination COVID-19 vaccine that adds protection against the newest omicron relatives — a key step toward opening a fall booster campaign.
The Food and Drug Administration ordered vaccine makers to tweak their shots to target BA.4 and BA.5 that are better than ever at dodging immunity from earlier vaccination or infection.
Pfizer and its partner BioNTech aim to offer updated boosters to people 12 and older, and shots could begin within weeks if the FDA quickly clears the modified vaccine — a step not expected to require waiting on new studies.
Moderna is expected to file a similar application soon for updated boosters for adults. The U.S. has a contract to buy 105 million of the Pfizer doses and 66 million Moderna ones, assuming FDA gives the green light.
“It’s going to be really important that people this fall and winter get the new shots. It’s designed for the virus that’s out there,” White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said last week.
For now at least. BA.5 currently is causing nearly all COVID-19 infections in the U.S. and much of the world. There’s no way to know if it still will be a threat this winter — or if another mutant will have replaced it.
The vaccines currently used in the U.S. still offer strong protection against severe disease and death, especially if people have gotten their recommended boosters. But those vaccines target the coronavirus strain that spread in early 2020 and their effectiveness against infection has dropped markedly as new mutants came along, particularly the super-contagious omicron family.
How would combo shots work? Sort of like a second-generation vaccine. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines contain the genetic instructions for the spike protein that coats the coronavirus, to train the immune system to recognize the real virus. The new combo doses will contain instructions for both the original spike target and the spike mutations carried by BA.4 and BA.5.
The news comes after Britain a week ago became the first in the world to authorize a different update to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines — shots that add protection against the original omicron that struck last winter.
European regulators also are considering the original omicron versions by Moderna and Pfizer. The U.S. opted not to use that earlier tweak — setting up a fall where different countries will be using different versions of booster shots to rev up protection against another possible winter surge.
In the U.S., the FDA will be relying heavily on scientific testing of prior tweaks to the vaccine recipe — rather than a study of the newest boosters that could take months — to decide whether to fast-track updated shots for fall.
Pfizer previously announced results from a study that found its earlier omicron tweak significantly revved up antibodies capable of fighting the first omicron version, called BA.1, and to a lesser degree the genetically distinct BA.4 and BA.5 omicron relatives. Its application to the FDA contains that data plus animal testing of the newest recipe update.
It’s similar to how flu vaccines are updated every year without having to undergo large studies.
Pfizer and BioNTech expect to start a trial using the BA.4 and BA.5 boosters in the coming weeks, to shed additional light on how well tweaked shots work. Moderna has begun a similar study although full results wouldn’t be available before a fall booster campaign.
“It’s clear that none of these vaccines are going to completely prevent infection,” said Dr. Rachel Presti of Washington University in St. Louis, a researcher with the Moderna trial.
But prior studies of variant booster candidates show “you still get a broader immune response giving a variant booster than giving the same booster” again, which should be helpful even if a newer omicron relative emerges, she added.
Pfizer and Moderna don’t make the only U.S. vaccine options. Novavax makes a more traditional, protein-based shot — and U.S. health authorities just expanded its use for people as young as 12. Novavax also plans to offer a variant update later in the year.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | 2022-08-23T00:21:55+00:00 | ourquadcities.com | https://www.ourquadcities.com/news/business/ap-business/pfizer-seeks-ok-of-updated-covid-vaccine-booster-for-fall/ |
It’s nearly time to go to the polls in Wisconsin and in our highly-contentious split red and blue state, it promises to be another donnybrook.
Tops on the list this spring is a pivotal race for Wisconsin Supreme Court that will determine the conservative-liberal balance of the court and have a major impact on state law for the next two years.
While the race is in theory non-partisan, it has major partisan implications. Conservative candidates include Waukesha County Circuit Judge Jennifer Dorow and former Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly. On the liberal side are Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz and Dane County Circuit Judge Everett Mitchell.
The four face off in a Feb. 21 primary and the top two will then advance to the April 4 election.
With the court majority hanging in the balance that means, of course, that in the coming weeks we will be inundated with TV ads, fliers and e-mails seeking to sway us to one candidate or another.
The state Elections Commission voted unanimously that voting machines audited after the November 2022 general election performed without any failures, chalking up six issues to human error. As reported by WisPolitics.com , the state directed local officials to perform a hand audit of nearly 222,075 ballots that were cast in the November election to check the accuracy of the voting equipment used. The audit looked at four races on each ballot, meaning there were 888,300 ballot positions reviewed.
Watch: https://wiseye.org/2023/02/02/wisconsin-elections-commission-february-2023-meeting
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Take that all with a grain of salt. Do a little independent research of your own before casting your ballot.
And, please, please, don’t fall for the cavalcade of misinformation that has plagued our elections in recent years – the unsubstantiated rumors of election fraud, compromised voting equipment, election improprieties and, of course, the big lie – the election was stolen.
Be confident that your vote will be counted accurately and fairly. For evidence we point to the story last week that “the largest post-election audit in state history found no voting equipment errors – and just half a dozen human errors in the November general election, according to a report from the Wisconsin Election Commission.”
The audit, conducted by county and municipal clerks in November and December included a hand tally of more than 222,000 ballots or 8.4% of all ballots cast in the Nov. 8 mid-term election.
Election commission staff identified six errors attributable to human behavior, but found no evidence that any of the audited voting equipment changed the vote from one candidate to another, incorrectly tabulated votes or altered the outcome of any audited race, according to a Lee Newspapers report.
According to the report, three of the errors came from ballots with heavy crease lines that caused the machine to register overvotes – voting for more candidates than allowed. Overvotes are not counted. Another involved a ballot that had the oval marked in with green ink and was read as blank by the voting machine.
No, we’ll probably never get to 100% accuracy on vote-counting. But as Republican election commissioner Robert Spindell put it the results of the audit were “remarkable” and “should give confidence to the people of Wisconsin that the machines are working properly.”
That doesn’t come by chance. It’s due in part to Wisconsin having some of the most strict voter ID laws in the country to stop voter fraud and it comes in large part because of the dedication and hard work by thousands of poll workers, village, city and town clerks who make painstaking efforts to ensure votes are secure. And to the voting machines that – as this audit showed – are functioning properly.
Your vote will be counted – fairly and accurately. Now it’s up to you to fill out your absentee ballot or go to the polls on Election Day and do your civic duty.
How to become a poll worker—and other ways to encourage voting
Ways to encourage voting in the US
Voting in America is as old as the country itself. From the first election in 1788, in which George Washington was unanimously elected president, to President Joe Biden's victory over former President Donald Trump in 2020, voting for our leaders is one of the few parts of the political process that hasn't changed much—though in 2020 both the process and the results became highly polarized.
Voting is so important because it is one of the few ways regular people can make their voices heard and the only way a government is able to represent the best interests and needs of the people. That being said, who has the right to vote has changed quite a bit throughout our history: In early elections, only white male landowners over the age of 25 were allowed to cast ballots. Today—with the exception of people with felony convictions in some states—U.S. citizens of all genders, races, and income levels can vote.
In 2020, 158.4 million citizens—almost two-thirds of estimated eligible voters—voted in the presidential elections, according to the Pew Research Center . The number represented a higher than average turnout, with people voting in numbers not seen since 1980 and possibly well before then.
Still, many eligible voters didn't vote in 2020. There are numerous reasons people don't engage in the voting process. Voting can be inconvenient to fit in around work and childcare schedules—a problem cited even before the COVID-19 pandemic complicated matters. ID requirements, limits on mail-in and absentee voting, and polling place and drop-box reductions all make voting difficult. Coming out of the 2020 election, more than a dozen Republican-held states have imposed voting restrictions that critics say make it harder for poor people and people of color to vote—demographics that reliably support democrats.
In addition to getting people out to vote, our democracy depends on poll workers—members of local communities that help run polling locations, show voters how to use voting machines, and work to solve administrative snafus. There is currently a shortage of poll workers—a concern with midterm elections so close—prompting recruitment campaigns across the country.
Stacker compiled information from websites for government, civic organizations, voting rights, and voting information on how you can become a poll worker and various other resources to encourage and empower voting. We're releasing this story as part of Democracy Day —a nationwide initiative aimed at highlighting the importance of our democracy and of protecting it.
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David Becker // Getty Images
1. Know what's expected of poll workers
An essential part of any election, poll workers fill a variety of roles on the actual day. Before signing up, be sure to know what may be expected of those filling these roles. For example, some poll workers may be registering or checking in voters, others may be distributing ballots, and still others may be acting as a resource for non-English speaking voters.
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS // Getty Images
2. Register with Power the Polls
If you feel confident in your ability to handle these tasks, then head over to the Power the Polls website. The organization's goal is to eliminate the poll worker shortage by signing up thousands of new poll workers nationwide. After entering some basic information on the website, you'll be notified if workers are still needed in your area and pointed in the right direction to apply for open roles.
d.elmi // Shutterstock
3. Check your registered voter status
While the requirements for poll workers vary by state, most require you to be a registered voter. If you're unsure of your status, check on the National Association of Secretaries of State website, or click here .
MEGAN JELINGER // Getty Images
4. Check the age requirements in your state
Although being a registered voter is a requirement for poll workers in most states, many also make allowances for individuals under 18 who wish to be involved in the democratic process. Some states require these young adults to hold a certain GPA or obtain a signed permission slip in order to participate. Enter your zip code on Power the Polls to discover the requirements in your city or county.
Michael B. Thomas // Getty Images
5. Check party residency requirements in your state
Nearly every state requires poll workers to be residents in the area where they're applying to work. However, some states also require poll workers to have lived in the state for a certain length of time. Ensure you're eligible by reading through the U.S. Election Assistance Commission's compendium of election worker laws and statutes.
Sergio Flores // Getty Images
6. Check party affiliation requirements in your state
Being a poll worker is a nonpartisan activity, and your party affiliation will not affect your eligibility. That being said, some states use party affiliations to match poll workers to election locations in order to provide a fair and balanced voting experience. Check whether this practice is in place in your state at Fair Elections Center —and ensure you're comfortable with it—before filling out your application.
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Trevor Bexon // Shutterstock
7. Sign up to be a poll worker
After ensuring that you're eligible and can commit to all that's asked of poll workers in your area, head over to Work Elections to fill out an application. It's as easy as selecting your state and county from a drop-down menu and entering some basic information.
Drew Angerer // Getty Images
8. Mark all important dates on your calendar
Most people know that Nov. 8 is the big day for midterm elections; however, many are unaware that poll workers are needed to cover shifts on other days as well. For example, most states offer early in-person voting , sometimes beginning as early as a month before election day. Poll workers are also needed for smaller state and local elections. Write down the full days or half days and times you're assigned to work so that nothing gets missed in the shuffle.
Matthew Cavanaugh // Getty Images
9. Review the training materials
All states require poll workers to undergo some degree of training before election day. Some states do all of this training online, while others require participants to train in-person. Make sure you review all the materials given to you and ask any additional questions you may have before showing up for your first shift.
Sean Rayford // Getty Images
10. Know what to bring on election day
Certain things—like snacks, water, and portable cell phone chargers—have been "must-bring" items for poll workers on Election Day. Additionally, given that COVID-19 is still among us, some states or counties may still require, or at least encourage, the use of face masks. A quick Google search of your state and county should let you know what is required in your area.
Al Seib // Getty Images
11. Make sure your friends and family are registered to vote
If you don't feel comfortable volunteering to be a poll worker this year, there are plenty of other ways to help with the upcoming election. For example, you can check in with friends and family to ensure they're registered to vote. State-by-state deadlines can be found on Vote.org .
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Caroline Brehman // Getty Images
12. Help loved ones establish a voting plan
After checking that friends and family are registered to vote, take things a step further and ensure they have a voting plan. Do they plan on voting in person or by mail? Early or on Election Day? Do they know where their polling place is located? Do they have time in their schedule to get to the polls and a way to get there?
Scott Olson // Getty Images
13. Review the facts about mail-in voting
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many states allowed voting by mail, or absentee voting without reason, in 2020. With midterm elections, some of those rules may remain, while others are being challenged or may have changed. Check to see how your state approaches mail-in voting on Vote.org , then head over to the U.S. Vote Foundation to find mail-in deadlines by state.
George Frey // Getty Images
14. Get ready for the upcoming midterm elections
The 2022 United States House of Representatives elections will be held on Nov. 8, 2022. All of the House's representatives will be chosen on this date. Additionally, 34 Senate seats will be determined on Nov. 8, 2022. Nonpartisan platforms, such as Ballotpedia, give a nation-wide overview of where congressional elections are being held in 2022.
Mario Tama // Getty Images
15. Don't forget about state and local elections
In addition to Congress and Senate seats up for grabs, a number of governors, state executives, and state legislators will be on the ballot. Head to Ballotpedia's 2022 elections page to find out if your state will be holding an election for one or more of these positions. And don't forget about local elections —which are easy to miss because they don't receive the same publicity or attention as larger elections.
KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI // Getty Images
16. Check to see what will be on your ballot
Other offices, propositions, and issues will be on 2022 ballots. Check Vote411 to find out exactly what you'll be voting on so that you can make educated decisions and encourage others to make educated decisions as well.
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The Toidi // Shutterstock
17. Volunteer to work the phones
In 2020, phone banking, or cold-calling potential voters to inform them of your favored candidate, became a popular campaign tactic. Reach out to a local campaign office and offer to volunteer your time as a phone banker. You'll receive a script to read, a list of phone numbers to call, and you're off and running—bringing awareness of your preferred politicians and their platforms.
JOSHUA LOTT // Getty Images
18. Volunteer to text bank
For those who go cold at the idea of a phone call with a stranger, text banking can be a preferred alternative. The idea is the same: You'll be making a pitch for local or national candidates only via text messages rather than over the phone. Reach out to the office of any candidate for a list of numbers to get started.
Jacob L. // Shutterstock
19. Write letters encouraging people to vote
Writing letters to unregistered voters or those who are unlikely to vote is another proven way to increase voter turnout. Vote Forward , a grassroots, nonpartisan organization is still looking for volunteers to help it reach 10 million letters sent by mid-October.
Kate Aedon // Shutterstock
20. Offer to drive folks to the polls
One commonly cited obstacle that keeps many voters from reaching the polls is a lack of affordable or accessible transportation. If you have a car and a few hours to spare, consider volunteering as an Election Day driver. Check with folks in your circle who may need a little extra help first, then volunteer with an organization like Carpool Vote .
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21. Provide election day child care for loved ones
Another major obstacle for would-be voters is child care. If you have the flexibility, offering free child care for those in your circle or community can be an incredible way to impact voter turnout.
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22. Offer your skills to a local campaign office
A very hands-on way to impact voting and elections, on both local and national levels, is by offering your skills to a campaign free of charge. Whether you're good at speech writing, organization, outreach, or event coordination, there is almost certainly a politician that needs and would appreciate the help. Reach out to campaign offices in your area to see what gaps they need filled.
Drew Angerer // Getty Images
23. Make a donation to a voting organization
If you aren't comfortable with in-person volunteering this year, consider making a monetary donation. You can give money to organizations that encourage voting, aim to end voter suppression, or work to help individuals restore their right to vote.
Ivan Kruk // Shutterstock
24. Volunteer with Rock the Vote
Rock the Vote is an organization founded by music executives that aims to politically empower young people and encourage them to vote. There are a number of volunteer opportunities available within the organization, including participating in its Relational Organizing initiative. Submit your information on the Rock the Vote website and get matched with a volunteer opportunity that fits your skills and availability.
Patrick McMullan // Getty Images
25. Pledge to register to vote
If you're under 18 and not eligible to cast a ballot in the next election, you can still make your voice heard by pledging to register on Vote.org . Teenagers 13 and older can enter their information on the website, and Vote.org will reach out on their 18th birthday to walk them through the registration process.
Hyoung Chang/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post // Getty Images
26. Sign up to monitor the polls with Election Protection
Poll monitors are individuals who show up to the polling stations on Election Day to ensure everyone is able to cast a ballot safely, securely, and fairly. These individuals act without the backing of a particular political party or government organization in order to ensure all voters are able to exercise the right granted to them by the constitution. Election Protection , a nonpartisan coalition, accepts in-person and social media monitoring volunteers.
Ethan Miller // Getty Images
27. Write letters on behalf of Fair Vote
Fair Vote is a nonpartisan organization that seeks to give voters a stronger voice and a more representative government by transforming how elections are run. The group hopes to pass the Ranked Choice Voting Act and is gathering support for the cause by hosting a letter to the editor campaign. You can write your own letter by following its handy guide , inspiring other Americans to have a more active role in politics along the way.
jmrainbow // Getty Images
28. Share a first-time voter checklist on social media
For many, the 2022 election will be their first time casting a vote. Help assuage any fears these folks may have and demonstrate how easy the process really is by posting the Vote 411 "First Time Voter Checklist " to your social media platforms.
JOSEPH PREZIOSO // Getty Images
29. Join your local branch of League of Women Voters
Founded six months before the 19th Amendment—which gave women the right to vote—was ratified, the League of Women Voters has shifted its focus to ensuring that all Americans can and do register to vote. Folks of all genders are now able to join their local branch, impacting voting on national and local levels. The League of Women Voters is also accepting charitable donations of all sizes.
John Moore // Getty Images
30. Give your employees paid time off to vote
If you're a business owner or manager, consider giving your employees paid time off to cast their ballots. Whether it's the whole day or a couple of extra hours at the start or end of their shift, giving voters dedicated time to hit the polls is an easy way to eliminate the "I had no time to vote" excuse.
JIM WATSON // Getty Images
31. Support Ballotpedia and Vote Smart
With the rise of social media and fake news, it's harder than ever to determine what's true and what's not. This is why nonpartisan organizations like Ballotpedia and Vote Smart , which dedicate themselves to presenting the bare facts of politics and politicians without spin, are more important than ever before. Consider making a donation to either organization, and help fellow Americans know exactly what and who they're voting for this election.
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS // Getty Images
32. Volunteer with HeadCount
HeadCount is a nonpartisan organization that stages voter registration drives at concerts and music festivals around the country. Sign up to work with the organization and be a part of this grassroots effort encouraging political participation and activism.
FilmMagic // Getty Images
33. Download the Greenhouse browser extension
Many people abstain from voting because they feel that the entire system is rigged, with major corporations "buying" candidates in an effort to push their own agendas. The Greenhouse browser extension helps to combat this distrust by breaking down the campaign contribution data for every senator and representative, empowering individuals to pick candidates they truly feel have their best interests at heart. This election season, recommend this tool to anyone you know who may keep from voting over fears of shady campaign financing.
Ethan Miller // Getty Images
34. Offer discounts to voters on election day
It's been proven time and again: People love a good discount. Business owners, both large and small, can do their part to encourage voting—especially in state and local elections—by offering discounts to individuals who can provide proof that they voted. After all, who knows, maybe that dollar off a coffee will be just the nudge some people need to cast their ballots.
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
35. Plan a virtual town hall
Local offices have an incredible impact on our day-to-day lives. Far too often, communities don't get a chance to hear from the politicians vying for these roles and walk into the election blindly or refuse to vote on these offices at all. One way to combat this problem is by working with local community groups to organize virtual town hall meetings where candidates can express their platforms and answer voter questions.
The Washington Post // Getty Images
36. Continue to have open conversations
Perhaps the biggest way to drive more voters to the polls this year is by continuing to have open conversations with those in your circle. Be loud about the fact that you plan on voting, and continue to encourage those around you to vote as well. Have frank, but kind chats about who you're voting for and why, and there's a good chance you'll encourage your circle to join you.
fizkes // Shutterstock
37. Get the word out on social media
Social media is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal, so use it to bring as much attention as possible to this year's election. Try "register to vote" stickers on Instagram, "reminder to vote" frames on Facebook, and whatever other buttons and filters you can find to encourage your followers to head to the polls.
ART PAL // Shutterstock
The Ethical Life: How important is a candidate's health when deciding how to vote?
Catch the latest in Opinion
Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! | 2023-02-08T15:02:05+00:00 | kenoshanews.com | https://www.kenoshanews.com/opinion/editorial/our-perspective-voting-machines-doing-their-job/article_66838392-a66a-11ed-b082-079b1942fdfd.html |
An Arizona man having a morning coffee was fatally attacked Friday by a male black bear that caught him unaware and dragged him down an embankment before a neighbor shot and killed it, officials said.
A preliminary investigation by the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office determined that Steven Jackson, 66, of Tucson, had been sitting at a table on his property in the Groom Creek area south of Prescott where he was building a home, the office said in a statement.
The bear attacked Jackson and dragged him about 75 feet down an embankment, according to officials.
“Neighbors who heard the victim screaming tried to intervene through shouts and car horns, but the bear did not let go of Jackson until one neighbor was able to retrieve his rifle and shoot the bear to get him to disengage,” the statement said.
Jackson was dead when officials arrived.
The sheriff’s office and officials with the Arizona Game and Fish Department said the attack was “highly uncommon” but “appeared to be predatory in nature,” adding that there did not appear to be anything at the site that would have precipitated a bear attack, such as food or access to water.
The site of the attack was not near recreation sites for camping.
The sheriff’s office said it would investigate the death, and the Game and Fish Department said it would examine the bear carcass and test it for disease.
Todd Geiler, a member of the state Game and Fish Commission, said in a statement that the attack was “an especially aggressive, unprovoked attack that reminds us that wildlife can be unpredictable.”
Bear attacks remain exceedingly rare, and fatal attacks rarer still.
According to the department, there have been 15 bear attacks on people in Arizona since 1990, two of which were fatal, including the one on Friday. The previous fatal attack happened in 2011.
Spencer Peter, a biologist with the North American Bear Center in Ely, Minnesota, said black bears are generally “really timid and shy,” but “you have outliers.”
“Some bears are born more aggressive and bold, and attacks on humans are really rare, but it does happen,” he said, adding that bear attacks on humans tend to occur in remote areas where bears are not accustomed to people.
Peter said 90% of a bear’s diet is vegetation, and the majority of the remaining 10% is insects. But from time to time, bears do seek meat.
“Depending on where you are in the United States and what’s available, usually what a bear goes after is whatever is easiest,” he said. The attack on Jackson “could have been food-motivated, but it’s tough to say for sure.”
Peter recommended that people who live or hike in bear country keep bear spray or pepper spray on hand at all times. | 2023-06-17T23:13:36+00:00 | seattletimes.com | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/black-bear-kills-arizona-man-in-highly-uncommon-attack/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
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One dog died after being left in last week's extreme cold.
Board could appoint new member at its Jan. 10 meeting.
Flooding from freeze-damaged pipes threatens as Arctic cold releases its grip.
A judge found probable cause to try a Decatur woman after police say they caught her halfway in a stranger's basement window. The woman said she was seeking a cat.
Decatur victim was left with a collapsed lung after being stabbed twice.
At Decatur’s Diamonds Family Restaurant, great dining and bonhomie never take a break, even on Christmas Day.
Karen Fennessy was last seen at approximately 10:30 p.m. Thursday leaving her Atwood home.
He accompanied woman on frightening car ride before taking her cash.
The Decatur Board of Education approved an agreement with the city that would result in the district acquiring the former Woodrow Wilson Junior High site. | 2022-12-31T12:40:24+00:00 | herald-review.com | https://herald-review.com/chewy/article_2503e0e1-6f3b-5182-a703-43bd51d5545a.html |
Robert De Niro, at 79, becomes a father for the 7th time
((AP) - Robert De Niro has welcomed another child. The 79-year-old is now the father of seven.
A representative for De Niro confirmed the birth to The Associated Press on Tuesday but said no other details or statement were expected.
The Oscar winner is also a parent to Drena, 51, and Raphael, 46, from his first marriage; and twins, Julian and Aaron, 27; Elliot, 24; and Helen Grace, 11, from his second marriage.
De Niro is currently promoting the new comedy “About My Father,” which opens on May 26.
De Niro is a two-time Oscar winner for his supporting role in “The Godfather: Part II” and best actor in “Raging Bull.” In 2011, he was also honored with the Golden Globes’ Cecil B. DeMille Award for his impact on the world of entertainment and awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom five years later.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2023-05-09T17:09:25+00:00 | kcbd.com | https://www.kcbd.com/2023/05/09/robert-de-niro-79-becomes-father-7th-time/ |
In considering adopting ranked choice voting, Anthony Perlatti, Cuyahoga County Board of Elections director, is paraphrased in your July 16 story (”Could ranked choice voting promote civil discourse?”) as saying, “it would likely take at least a year for [the county’s] voting equipment vendor to develop the needed software and get it certified by Ohio and the federal government.”
RCV is in use throughout Maine and Alaska, and in several big cities. Software obviously has been developed. Why can’t what exists be adapted for use in Ohio?
Jan C. Snow,
Lakewood | 2023-07-28T15:15:14+00:00 | cleveland.com | https://www.cleveland.com/letters/2023/07/naysayers-on-ranked-choice-voting-overlook-its-widespread-use-in-other-states.html |
PITTSBURGH, Dec. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I thought there should be a simple tool for applying plastic aglets to any shoelace in a convenient and consistent manner," said an inventor, from Chicago, Ill., "so I invented the PORTABLE AGLET DEVICE AND KIT. My design enables you to add, replace, or repair shoelace aglets at home."
The invention provides an easy way to apply plastic aglets onto the ends of any shoelace. In doing so, it ensures that aglets remain permanently intact. As a result, it increases convenience and it could extend the life of shoelaces. The invention features a practical design that is easy to use so it is ideal for the general population.
The original design was submitted to the Chicago sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 21-CHK-292, 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.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE InventHelp | 2022-12-27T15:45:03+00:00 | newschannel10.com | https://www.newschannel10.com/prnewswire/2022/12/27/inventhelp-inventor-develops-portable-aglet-device-kit-shoelaces-chk-292/ |
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WATCH: NYPD officer shoves woman while taking man into custody
(CNN) - The New York Police Department released bodycam footage of an officer shoving a woman to the ground.
Police say officers were attempting to take a man into custody Tuesday when 19-year-old Tamani Crum approached the scene.
Crum and the officer exchanged shoves and slaps during the incident.
WARNING: Video used may contain graphic content.
She was taken into custody and later released.
The officer identified as detective Kendo Kinsey, received a total of six complaints levied against him between 2011 and 2015.
The complaints against the officer included abuse of authority, force and offensive language.
Two of the complaints were substantiated, while an additional two were dismissed and two others were marked closed due to a lack of witnesses.
Crum is due back in court in October, while the officer remains the subject of an internal investigation.
The New York Police Department declined a request for comment from the officer.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | 2022-09-02T06:21:42+00:00 | wymt.com | https://www.wymt.com/2022/09/02/watch-nypd-officer-shoves-woman-while-taking-man-into-custody/ |
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Manager Terry Francona will go to considerable lengths to protect his bullpen.
On Thursday the Guardians recalled right-hander Yohan Ramirez from Class AAA Columbus while optioning right-hander Anthony Castro to the Clippers. Ramirez didn’t pitch Thursday, but he threw two innings in Friday’s 6-3 loss to the Red Sox, which took him out of the equation for a couple of days.
Francona, with Boston in town and the Guardians getting deeper into a stretch in which they’re playing 18 games in 16 days, needed another fresh arm for the pen. That meant Ramirez was headed to Columbus and lefty Tanner Tully had his contract selected.
“The hope is Shane Bieber (Saturday’s starter) has a lead when he comes out and the other guys come in,” said Francona. “But by chance if something were to go wrong, we’ve been leaning on those guys. You have to remember it’s not just appearances. Because of the way the games have gone, extra innings, tie games, coming back to take leads, guys have been getting warmed up a couple of times. That can wear on them.
“Sam Hentges has been in five of the last eight games. That’s the first time he’s ever done that. We’ve got to protect these guys are much as we can.”
Tully made his big league debut on April 22, pitching two innings against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. In 12 starts at Columbus, he’s 5-2 with a 5.23 ERA. He’s struck out 42 and walked 10 in 63 2/3 innings.
Ramirez allowed one run on three hits against Boston. He struck out one and walked one.
“I thought he had a good arm, kinda like as advertised,” said Francona. “He’s still inconsistent with his command, which we saw last night. But the ball comes out good. He can spin it, just trying to get him more around the plate and (to) command a little better. If he does he’s got a chance to help.”
Two-way game
Struggling Myles Straw has shown a little life at the plate, going 3-for-10 in the last three games since being dropped to the No. 9 spot. Francona has thought about giving him a day off, but he doesn’t want to part with his defense in center field.
“It’s been a frustrating month for him swinging the bat,” said Francona. “The good news is he doesn’t take it to center field. On days where I think, ‘Well maybe will give him a day to regroup,’ it’s hard because there always seems to be a reason (not to).
“He’s that good in the outfield. He’ll return to where he belongs hitting. You’ll see. Those things work their way out.”
Straw is in a 16-for-111 (.144) skid in the last 29 games.
Movin’ on up
Andres Gimenez batted fifth Saturday night for just the second time this season. The rest of the season he’s hit sixth (13 times), seventh (28 times), eighth (five times) and ninth (four times).
Francona moved Gimenez up in the lineup because Josh Naylor and Oscar Gonzalez didn’t start.
“Our lineup isn’t like someone climbing a ladder where they have to stop,” said Francona. “Naylor and Gonzie aren’t playing today. If Jose (Ramirez) wasn’t playing, I’d move him up higher.”
Gimenez, 3-for-4 with a homer Friday, entered Saturday’s game hitting .346 (28-for-81) with four homers and 14 RBI in his last 23 games.
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Fire down below
Yordys Valdes, Cleveland’s No.2 pick in 2019, stole five bases and scored three runs Friday as Class A Lynchburg beat Delmarva, 5-4. Junior Sanquintin and Will Bartlett drove in two runs each, while Trenton Denholm allowed one unearned run in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked five. ... Tyler Freeman, Will Brennan and Bobby Bradley homered as Class AAA Columbus beat Omaha, 8-3. Kirk McCarty threw four scoreless innings with two strikeouts and four hits. ... George Valera hit his 12th homer of the season as Class AA Akron beat Harrisburg, 2-1. Micah Pries went 2-for-4, while Xzavion Curry (5-3, 3.65) didn’t allow an earned run over 6 2/3 innings. He struck out four, walked two and allowed six hits. ... Connor Kokx homered and drove in all three runs as Class A Lake County lost to Dayton, 6-3. Rodney Boone (0-2, 6.75) took the loss despite striking out eight in 4 2/3 innings. He allowed four runs and five hits.
Guardians merchandise for sale: Here’s where you can order new Cleveland Guardians gear, including T-shirts, hats, jerseys, hoodies, and much more.
If you or a loved one has questions and needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or the National Council on Program Gambling Helpline (NCPG) at 1-800-522-4700.
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Yohan Ramirez up, Anthony Castro down in bullpen shuffle
Guardians’ four-run rally in ninth tops Twins, 11-10
Miller is the ‘Sac-Man,’ on pace for a record season | 2022-06-26T00:09:46+00:00 | cleveland.com | https://www.cleveland.com/guardians/2022/06/hello-tanner-tully-goodbye-yohan-ramirez-as-bullpen-shuttle-rolls-on-guardians-takeaways.html |
Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes are soaking in the sun and gazing at the stars. The duo each shared a series of snaps from a recent seaside getaway, where they apparently enjoyed the beach, food, drinks and time with friends.
"As Kenny says, 'IT'S A SIP OF WINE IT'S SUMMERTIME!!!," Ballerini captioned her Instagram carousel, referencing Kenny Chesney's 2005 hit, "Summertime." In the wide-ranging photo dump, Stokes appears to be driving while she rides shotgun on what looks like a road trip. The couple also hugs a tree with a sign that reads "Backyard of Love," which is notably present on the website for the Hibiscus Coffee & Guest House bed and breakfast in Santa Rosa, Florida. In another shot, Ballerini poses on the beach in a yellow bikini and trucker hat, sticking her tongue out at the camera.
It's that same bikini that appears in Stokes' Instagram carousel, which he captioned: "long story short I just found my keys in the washing machine. happy Saturday."
Stokes also shared a video of the pair riding bikes and jamming out, among other highlights from their trip.
Ballerini and Stokes have been linked since January, and she later confirmed their romance on the Call Her Daddy podcast. A source told ET last month, "Kelsea is focusing on the good things in her life and her relationship with Chase" after her highly publicized split from husband Morgan Evans.
"They're having a great time together," the source said of Ballerini and Stokes. "Chase has been super supportive of her, and they are there for each other both professionally and in their personal lives."
Earlier this month, they went red carpet official at the CMT Music Awards -- marking their first major public appearance as a couple.
The Outer Banks star was spotted dancing and singing along to Ballerini's "If You Go Down (I'm Goin' Down Too)" song during the awards ceremony. In a video shared on Instagram by CMT, Stokes was all smiles while lip-syncing and shaking his hips to the beat. Ever the proud boyfriend, Stokes even whipped out his phone to record some of the show.
The next morning, Ballerini shared a snuggled-up selfie with Stokes on her Instagram Story and joked that they "hard launched" their relationship.
RELATED CONTENT: | 2023-04-25T01:15:23+00:00 | ktvb.com | https://www.ktvb.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-tonight/kelsea-ballerini-and-chase-stokes-share-beach-snaps-from-romantic-getaway/603-6a7842f7-1085-430a-9e29-7039ccd8e7be |
DeLorean’s Alpha5 EV images unveiled for the first time
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The public is getting its first look at the highly-anticipated DeLorean Alpha5 after the company unveiled its all-new EV on its website.
Early access subscribers have the opportunity to see the vehicle before the site goes public around the world.
Images show the vehicle’s specifications described as "revealing sleek lines, classic louvers, and DeLorean's iconic gull-wing doors" according to the company's news release.
Other specifications include a range of 300+ miles, a battery of 100+kWh, and electronically limited top speeds of 155 mph.
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"The Alpha5 is a representation of the past 40 years of DeLorean," Troy Beetz, Chief Marketing Officer of DeLorean Motor Company, said. "There was this enormous responsibility to make sure we honored the history of the DeLorean brand, but an even greater responsibility in curating its future...I think we did both with the Alpha5."
John Z. DeLorean was an automotive innovator who began his career at General Motors and is credited by some with creating America’s first "muscle" car, the Pontiac GTO, in the mid-1960s. He left GM in the early 1970s to launch his own company and eventually produced the DMC 12, referred to simply as "the DeLorean," a sleek, angular car with gull-wing doors and an unpainted stainless-steel exterior.
Only about 9,000 of the cars were produced before DeLorean’s company went bankrupt in the early 1980s, but the car’s look and cult following helped land it a role in the "Back To The Future" films. According to the Internet Movie Database, the car was chosen because it would plausibly look like a spacecraft to people in the 1950s flashback scenes.
DeLorean died in New Jersey in 2005 at age 80 after years of court battles that included a highly publicized drug trial in the 1980s in which he was acquitted of conspiring to sell millions of dollars of cocaine.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles. | 2022-05-31T00:42:40+00:00 | fox10phoenix.com | https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/deloreans-alpha5-ev-images-unveiled-for-the-first-time |
DANBURY, Wis. — Just an hour south of the Twin Ports, in a part of Wisconsin where one might expect to find tall trees and thick forests, lies a chunk of open land that looks out of place — something you might expect to see in the Dakotas or maybe Nevada.
It’s called the Namekagon Barrens, part of a once-vast area of sandy-soil land where wildfires ran rampant and a unique mix of plants and animals developed after the last glaciers melted away.
“It's one of those places that most people bump into by accident and wonder, what the heck?” said Dave Peters, author of the new book, “Sand and Fire, Exploring a Rare Pine Barrens Landscape.” “People say you have to be lost to end up in the barrens.”
Peters himself sort of stumbled into the barrens while visiting his then-in-law’s cabin near Danbury.
“We were driving around what we thought was the northwoods and all of a sudden this landscape opens up into this big expanse of scrub oak and jack pine and grass and sand … I was thinking, what is this place?” Peters recalled. “But I was sort of mesmerized by how different it was … the wildflowers and the sharptail grouse and the blueberries and just how open it was. I was taken by it, and still am.”
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Peters’ short but informative book explains well how the barrens got the way they are because of a geologic anomaly thousands of years ago that left huge piles of sand behind across the surface of what is now Northwestern Wisconsin, roughly along a diagonal line from St. Croix Falls to the Bayfield Peninsula. Sand doesn’t hold much water, and so anything that grew — wildflowers, shrubs, scrub oak and jackpine — tended to dry out quickly, leaving the land rife for far more frequent wildfires than the heavily forested lands nearby.
The native peoples of the area quickly learned that the land, while European settlers called it barren, was actually full of life, with an abundance of berries and wild game such as sharp-tailed grouse. So they would occasionally start more fires on their own to encourage new growth. (Sharptails love freshly burned land so much that they will fly into still-burning patches during a blaze, apparently drawn by the sight of smoke. Ojibwe people called them "the firebird.")
“If you put the fires out, like they did for 100 years or more, it becomes forest,” Peters said. “If you burn it as much as they burn the barrens, it’s a globally unique ecosystem. But they have to keep it up.”
While many people may still better appreciate the nearby St. Croix National Scenic Riverway or the area’s lake-studded pine forests, Peters says there is a magnetic charm about the barrens.
“It’s an acquired taste,” said Peters, a retired Twin Cities journalist. “A lot of people who live around there or who have cabins there vacation nearby really don’t know what the area is all about. … Once you understand what is here, and why, it’s an interesting place to explore.”
Peter’s book doesn’t just dwell on the landscape’s flora and fauna. He dives into the area's human history, from presettlement American Indians to the arrival of the Ojibwe and then early European settlers — loggers, explorers and overly optimistic farmers, most of whom eventually gave up and left because the sand was too dry for crops.
Much of the story is told around the remnants — a foundation is the only thing remaining — of the old Forest Home School located in the barrens, and is told from the perspective of what was there before, during and after European settlers lived on this land.
By the 1900s, industrial timber companies were planting red pine across much of the sandy area, converting it to the dry but tall plantation forests we see today. By the 1930s, drought and depression, much of the remaining open land was abandoned as tax forfeited. And by the 1940s, Wisconsin natural resource leaders, already concerned about the decline in barrens wildlife, especially sharptails, started efforts to preserve some open country.
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Keeping it barrens
Flash-forward to 2015 when the Wisconsin DNR formally acquired the last large chunk of barrens land from Burnett County, and received a donation of 1,400 more acres from the Conservation Fund, to create the current boundaries of the Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area, now a total of nearly 6,500 acres in two units.
The wildlife area is open to most public uses and is heavily managed with fire — parts of it are burned each year — to keep the land open. The area is now home to Wisconsin’s largest population of sharp-tailed grouse, along with wild turkeys, deer, wolves and bears. Open-country birds, like sandpipers and dickcissels, also frequent the barrens, one of the few places you can find those species in the Northland.
Nancy Christel, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist and property manager of the Namekagon Barrens, is in charge of keeping the barrens open. That might happen on its own if wildfires were allowed to run wild. But that can’t happen with so many homes and cabins nearby.
Instead, Christel has created a series of wide fire breaks around chunks of barrens land and then burns some of it each year.
“We can keep it in pretty good shape with fire about every three to eight years. Probably every five or six years on average,” Christel noted.
The effort is paying off with sharptails, which are slowly increasing here, one of the few areas in the Northland where they are not fading into oblivion.
“We’ve gone from two leks (grouse dancing areas) to four and now five and there are maybe six more areas that they are checking out that could become leks,” she said. “We had 60 at one spot last spring.”
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After more than 20 years working in the barrens Christel has become attached to the scruffy terrain and its quirky wildlife. The area is slowly getting more interest, more visitors, but is usually only “busy” during spring sharptail viewing and birding season, with some traffic during turkey and deer hunting seasons.
Through much of the year you might find yourself all alone on any given day.
“If people have never been here before, one of the best times is in spring when the sharptail-viewing blinds are open. That’s an amazing experience if you haven't seen sharptails. … If you go a little later in spring you run into the bird migration which can be really special,” she said. “In summer there's blueberry picking and the wildflowers are spectacular. … And in fall, if you hit it right, if you time it right, the fall colors are really vivid.”
Christel offered another tip if you can swing a night visit.
“Go out in the middle of the barrens on a clear night and just watch the stars, what a cool date that would be … maybe when there's an aurora.” she said. “There’s usually nobody else out there. There’s usually a breeze at night so the bugs aren’t too bad, plus it's very dry out there. The dark sky in the barrens is really nice.”
Connecting with corridors
An effort is underway, as land becomes available from willing sellers and conservation money becomes available, to create a larger patchwork of open country between the existing barrens landscapes. It’s hoped that, by creating stepping stone areas for wildlife and plants, there will be some continuity — a barrens corridor of sorts — across the old sand barrens region.
In addition to the Namekagon Barrens, there are smaller open chunks of barrens in Douglas County, near Solon Springs, in Burnett County — the wetter but still sandy Crex Meadows area — and in Bayfield County near Barnes and the Moquah Barrens, managed by the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, northeast of Iron River.
The idea is laid out in the DNR’s 2019 document, the “Northwest Sands Regional Master Plan.”
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“Wisconsin’s Northwest Sands region has the most significant opportunity in North America to preserve, restore and manage large scale oak/pine barrens communities,” the plan notes.
For his part, Peters is glad there is talk of opening up more of the original barrens country.
“This area does not look exactly like it did two hundred years ago. There are roads and square corners; the burning is more regimented and more frequent than it was before Europeans arrived in large numbers,” he wrote in the book’s epilogue. “But still, this is among the few places you can look around today and say, more or less, that this has the look and feel that it did when Indigenous people were the only ones on the land. … It’s not wilderness, but it’s wild, an assemblage of plants, animals and human history that intertwine uniquely, driven by two forces: sand and fire.”
Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area
Where: About 50 miles south of Superior in northern Bayfield and Burnett counties, just west of U.S. Highway 53 and just east of Wisconsin Highway 35. Closest cities of note are Danbury and Minong.
What: The Namekagon Barrens is the largest, still-intact segment of an open landscape that once covered a large swath of Northwestern Wisconsin, called the Northwest Sands. It is dominated by open prairie-like sandy hills with jack pine and scrub oak as the primary tree species. Historically, the area, with very dry conditions due to the sandy soils, experienced regular fires that swept across the land keeping it open and creating habitat for unique species of animals, birds, insects and plants not seen elsewhere in northern Wisconsin.
What’s there: Deer, turkeys, sharptail grouse, wolves, eagles, sandpipers, towhee sparrows, brown thrashers, porcupine, monarch butterflies, blueberries, sand cherries, big bluestem native grass, hazelnuts, goldenrod, sunflowers, white sage and few tall trees.
Blueberries on the Barrens festival July 15
Celebrate wild blueberry season with the Friends of the Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area on Saturday, July 15. The group is hosting its free Blueberries on the Barrens annual picnic for members, neighbors and the public.
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Meet at 8:30 a.m. the Namekagon Barrens picnic shelter and cabin, located in northeastern Burnett County at 33174 Gomulak Fire Lane, Danbury. Friends group members will be there to provide maps and directions to nearby wild blueberry patches. (Note that blueberry abundance is dictated by weather.)
At 11 a.m. there will be presentations on sharp-tailed grouse habitat and populations and a presentation by Dave Peters, author of the new book about the Barrens region, “Sand and Fire.”
At noon there’s a free lunch of burgers, brats, beans, beer and blueberry treats.
For more information, go to namekgaonbarrens.org or contact Kathy Bartilson at 715-520-2984 or oh2paddle@gmail.com .
What to do at the Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area
- Wildlife viewing: Year-round mammal tracking and chances to see badgers, wolf tracks, wild turkeys, deer and many other species. A scenic view parking lot can be found on the Springbrook Trail on the south unit overlooking beautiful, rolling topography of pine barrens and wetlands. For more information, view the Friends' auto tour at fnbwa.org/at0.
- ATV trails: On township roads and trails only, not allowed off-road in the wildlife area.
- Birding: Includes spring sharp-tailed grouse viewing opportunities. In summer rare upland sandpipers and other rare grassland birds not usually seen in the Northland can be seen. To learn more or reserve a spot in one of the sharp-tailed grouse dancing ground viewing blinds — generally best in April and early May — contact the Friends of the Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area at namekagon barrens.org .
- Camping: By permit on county forests and at nearby county and private campgrounds.
- Canoeing: Nearby on the scenic St. Croix, Namekagon and Totogatic rivers.
- Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing: There are no designated trails but lots of off-trail cross-country options.
- Hiking: Again, no designated trails, but there are endless, easy to moderate hiking opportunities.
- Hunting: Sharp-tailed grouse are now off-limits but the wildlife area is open to other forms of seasonal hunting for turkeys, deer, etc.
- Snowmobiling: On marked trails only.
- Wild edibles/gathering: Excellent blueberry picking, especially in areas that were burned about three years ago.
About the book
“Sand and Fire: Exploring a Rare Pine Barrens Landscape,” by Dave Peters. Paperback: $22.95 Published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press, April 2023.
About the author
Dave Peters is a retired journalist who worked for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minnesota Public Radio and other news organizations. An avid member of the board of the Friends of the Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area, he walks the barrens as often as he can. He and his wife live in St. Paul and have a cabin near the barrens on a lake near Danbury. | 2023-07-01T12:30:58+00:00 | duluthnewstribune.com | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/sports/northland-outdoors/book-details-northwestern-wisconsins-strange-sandy-landscape |
Dear Editor: Many in Madison may think that the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic has passed, but I would argue that to move forward, the entire world must be on the same page.
The Build Back Better (BBB) Act includes funding to expand manufacturing capacities for COVID-19 vaccines. This bill has been passed in the House, thanks to representatives such as Mark Pocan, but we look to the Senate now for next steps. While many note that we have access to vaccines here, it will take more than 10 years to reach the global goal of having 70% of the world vaccinated.
As an intern at The Borgen Project (borgenproject.org), a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization focused on making global poverty a priority of U.S. foreign policy, I have been educated on the numerous benefits of sending aid to foreign countries. National security experts agree that the rise in global poverty due to COVID-19 poses a threat to America’s safety. The answer to this is not investments in the military, but health and poverty reduction.
It is clear that we need COVID vaccines globally. I urge you to contact Sens. Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson for their support on this bill.
Olivia Van Hammond
Madison | 2022-06-24T02:09:48+00:00 | captimes.com | https://captimes.com/captimes/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/letter-for-the-safety-of-americans-vaccinate-the-world/article_1eb0d884-3d0f-5717-ad15-767dd5ba6164.html |
(Our Auto Expert) — Pickup trucks are one of the hottest items for electric vehicles. The biggest problem is that they are in short supply. The Rivian RT1 is at the top of that list. Unfortunately, the fastest you can get an RT1 is 40 days after ordering. Buyers should expect a wait of six months if they still need to be added to the reservations list.
The second recommended pickup truck is the Ford F150 Lightning. It’s a hot item, so you could wait for years if you are not on the reservation list already.
There are at least five other pickup trucks scheduled for release in the next 12 to 24 months, so get on the waiting list now if you want one.
Small family cars are more readily available than any other electric vehicle on the market.
The Chevy Bolt EV and EUV are on dealer lots. Starting under $26,000, it is an excellent buy. The car that started the modern era of electric vehicles was the Nissan Leaf. It starts at around $29,000 and is a solid choice. Finally, a huge fan favorite is the Mini SE. These begin under $30,000 and are the most exciting to drive.
Unfortunately, this Mini is hard to come by, but if you widen your search area, you can find them.
The recommended list of Luxury electric sedans has the BMW i4 at the top, Followed by the limo-style BMW i7 and the Mercedes EQS sedan. All three are great drivers and have varying ranges, prices, and technology. Since this is the luxury category, you will have a price range from $85,000 to $130,000, depending on the model you want. The waiting time is around three months. Modifying your car to your taste is also recommended as many options are available.
Family SUVs are the hottest category of new electric vehicles this year; most are available on dealer lots. The Kia EV6 was the 2023 North American Utility car of the year; it is a thrill from hood to trunk. The Hyundai Ioniq five and the Ford Mach-E also make the list of recommended family SUVs. In addition, the Ford Mach-E’s performance and infotainment are class leaders compared to the competition, making it far above other vehicles in the class. All three electric SUVs are on dealer lots now and will not disappoint future owners.
The electric luxury SUV category is one of the most contended. Recommended is the Mercedes EQB, an entry-level offering starting at $53,000. The Volvo XC40 and C40 are both great offerings in electric cars. Expect them to be available in states that are electric-positive. Finally, the BMW iX is fantastic, well-balanced, well-equipped, and has outstanding usable tech. The design needs some work, but no doubt this would be a great daily driver. | 2023-02-02T02:42:47+00:00 | valleycentral.com | https://www.valleycentral.com/automotive/the-best-electric-vehicles-on-the-market/ |
STARKVILLE — Matthew Kaminski still has the cowbell he received on a 2019 trip to Dudy Noble Field.
He’s not sure how to handle things when he comes back.
“I think I’m going to bring it, or maybe I won’t bring it so I can get another one,” Kaminski said.
The Atlanta Braves organist is set to return to the home of Mississippi State baseball next month, when the Bulldogs host Vanderbilt for a three-game Southeastern Conference series from March 24-26.
Kaminski made his first trip to Dudy Noble in March 2019, playing the organ at the stadium during a three-game set against LSU.
The Braves’ official organist since 2009 is used to big crowds — 41,000 at Truist Park, almost 50,000 at Turner Field — but he was impressed by MSU’s then-newly renovated facility.
“I haven’t played a game where there were as many fans, a stadium as big as Dudy Noble for college baseball,” Kaminski said. “For a college stadium to be that big, it was a pretty exciting atmosphere.”
Kaminski also got to see the brand-new Left Field Lounge and the rigs across the outfield bleachers.
Or, rather, smell the smoke wafting across the ballpark.
“To me, just the sight of grills in the outfield, I thought that was an amazing idea,” he said. “I never had even thought about that. To see them all out in the fan section, that was a pretty awesome atmosphere.”
A straightforward setup
Kaminski said the outfield lounge set Dudy Noble apart from the other college baseball parks where he has performed, including Auburn, Jacksonville State, Georgia State, Alabama and Georgia Tech.
He’s been around the block enough to spot the differences between the college and major-league games. If he plays the classic “Charge” theme at Truist Park, the crowd shouts the final word; if he does the same at a collegiate game, he may get nothing in response.
The mere design of the stadium and the style of equipment are other differences.
“No. 1, at Braves games, I’m in the third level, so it’s definitely a different vantage point than the college games, where I’m usually a lot closer up,” Kaminski said. “Hearing the sound of an aluminum bat is different.”
His setup is different, too.
The small organ he brings to college games weighs only 14 pounds, “so that’s definitely a plus.” There’s usually a plug-in in the press box, and Kaminski can either set his organ on a desktop or prop it up on a stand he keeps in his car.
It’s a far cry from the full-sized organ with “monster speakers” he plays for the Braves.
“It’s a pretty simple setup,” Kaminski said.
During a game, he’ll listen to his organ with one headphone in and one ear free — to hear the crowd.
“Each game, I kind of gauge the audience to see what’s working and what’s not working,” Kaminski said.
Scouting the lineup
An hour or two before a game, Kaminski will get acquainted with the new facility and — perhaps more importantly — with the visiting team’s lineup.
He’ll come up with songs related to the name or appearances of each player, such as “Jolly Old Saint Nicholas” for Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos or “Werewolves of London” for unkempt Phillies center fielder Brandon Marsh during the 2022 NLDS.
It’s easier with familiar names. An “Andy” gets the “Andy Griffith Show” theme; an “Adam” or “Adams” merits the “Addams Family” melody.
But even when Kaminski isn’t familiar with a song, it doesn’t take him long to learn.
“For a walk-up song, all I need is about 20 or 30 seconds of song,” he said. “It’s not like I’m learning a song from beginning to end.”
He can come up with clever ideas pretty much on the fly even when the names are new. For Vanderbilt center fielder Enrique Bradfield Jr., Kaminski suggests Steely Dan’s “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.”
Kaminski draws a brief blank for Commodores outfielder Troy LaNeve but is heartened by a potential “High School Musical” connection.
“That’s a good one for Troy,” he said. “I’ll have to remember that.”
So if the rhythm of “Get’cha Head in the Game” or “We’re All In This Together” resounds across Dudy Noble Field when LaNeve steps to the plate, don’t be alarmed.
It’s just Matthew Kaminski doing what he does best.
Maybe he’ll go home with another cowbell, too.
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Error! There was an error processing your request. | 2023-02-25T10:36:16+00:00 | djournal.com | https://www.djournal.com/sports/college/mississippi-state/atlanta-braves-organist-matthew-kaminski-excited-for-second-trip-to-dudy-noble-field/article_7b545e68-1ff9-5440-8086-b9d46a5aecf5.html |
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were quick to share their condolences Thursday after news broke that Queen Elizabeth II died at her Balmoral Castle in Scotland, as well as celebrating the legacy she leaves behind after a record-breaking reign.
“When it comes to Queen Elizabeth II, the combination of longevity, impeccable character, and incredible leadership over seven decades of war and peace is likely never to be seen again,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) wrote on Twitter. “Well done, Your Majesty.”
The monarch “bent the arc of history over her 70-year reign,” said Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.).
“She took the throne at an age when most people are beginning their adult lives and was tasked with the immense responsibility of leading her nation in the aftermath of World War II,” wrote Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) of the queen.
“In her 70 years on the throne, she bore witness to the most consequential events that our world has ever seen and helped foster the close and important relationship that the United States shares with the United Kingdom,” she added.
The Royal Family announced Thursday that the queen had died peacefully after Buckingham Palace announced earlier in the day that he doctors were concerned about her health.
Among the many members of the upper chamber who posted to lament the queen’s passing was Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who called the late queen “an example for leaders around the world” and praised her “life of steadfast service” as Britain’s leader.
“Today is a sad day. Queen Elizabeth II was an extraordinary leader and historic friend of the U.S. who strengthened America’s relationship with the United Kingdom and helped bring stability to the world,” wrote Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.).
From the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) remembered being present on the House floor when Queen Elizabeth addressed Congress in 1991, and welcoming the monarch as Speaker when she visited the U.S. in 2007.
The queen “helped advance a new global order of security, prosperity and peace” and “offered a masterclass in grace and strength, power and poise,” Pelosi wrote on Twitter.
House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said the late monarch “represented what it means to lead with conviction, selflessness, and faith in God and in her people.”
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) added that Queen Elizabeth “will go down in history as one of the most consequential monarchs.” | 2022-09-09T00:57:19+00:00 | siouxlandproud.com | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/hill-politics/lawmakers-react-to-death-of-queen-elizabeth/ |
Manchester United say they have "initiated appropriate steps" following Cristiano Ronaldo's explosive, unsanctioned interview, with sources telling ESPN they are seeking to terminate his deal as well as potentially suing for breach of contract.
United have waited until the full extent of Ronaldo's comments were made public before deciding on their response, and after the final part of the interview with Piers Morgan was aired on Thursday in the UK, the club, according to sources, are seeking to end the 37-year-old's contract, which runs until June. Sources added that United have appointed lawyers to explore the possibility of suing Ronaldo for breach of contract.
- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
In a meeting on Monday, manager Erik ten Hag told club bosses including co-chairman Joel Glazer, chief executive Richard Arnold and football director John Murtough that he does not want Ronaldo back after the World Cup, and the Portugal international will be informed he is not welcome back at United's Carrington training base after the tournament in Qatar.
A club statement issued by United on Friday read: "Manchester United has this morning initiated appropriate steps in response to Cristiano Ronaldo's recent media interview. We will not be making further comment until this process reaches its conclusion."
Sources have told ESPN that United have been taking legal advice since Monday morning after parts of Ronaldo's interview with Morgan on TalkTV were leaked on Sunday.
Ronaldo has infuriated the club by claiming they have made "zero progress" since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 while also saying he "doesn't respect" Ten Hag.
He also claimed Ten Hag provoked him into refusing to appear as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur in October, leading to his suspension for the 1-1 draw at Chelsea.
Ronaldo has been training with Portugal in Lisbon and is due to arrive in Qatar with the rest of the squad at 11 p.m. local time on Friday. Portugal kick off their World Cup campaign against Ghana on Nov. 24.
Sources have told ESPN that United are hoping to conclude their action against Ronaldo "as swiftly as possible." | 2022-11-18T13:20:38+00:00 | espn.com | https://www.espn.com/soccer/soccer-transfers/story/4805605/cristiano-ronaldos-man-utd-career-all-but-over-club-seeking-contract-termination-and-legal-action-sources |
The city is facing a housing crisis as the demand for affordable homes continues to grow, while the supply remains limited. The lack of affordable housing has become a major concern for families, young professionals and individuals struggling to find a place to call home.
According to a recent report by the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, there are only 36 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households in New Mexico. This statistic shows that the housing crisis is not just limited to Albuquerque, but it is also a statewide problem.
In Albuquerque, the median home price has risen to $290,000, making it increasingly difficult for first-time homebuyers to enter the market. Additionally, the city’s rental prices have also increased by 10% in the last year, with the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment now reaching $1,150 per month, according to RentCafe.
The lack of affordable housing has also contributed to the increase in homelessness in Albuquerque. The city has experienced a 17% increase in homelessness in the past year, according to the 2022 Point-in-Time Count by the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness. The report also revealed the majority of those experiencing homelessness were individuals and families with children.
Local organizations such as The Peoples Housing Project and policymakers are working to address the issue by increasing funding for affordable housing and providing incentives for developers to build affordable housing units. The city recently denied a proposal to allow tenants to vote on rent control, a measure that would greatly increase housing affordability in the city. With the rising demand for housing and the limited availability of land, it remains to be seen if these efforts will be enough to tackle the housing crisis in Albuquerque.
The housing crisis in Albuquerque is a topic that is close to my heart. As someone who has experienced homelessness and lost my place to live due to rental increases, I know firsthand the devastating effects of this crisis. This issue has affected not only myself but also everyone I know, and it is a problem that is becoming increasingly prevalent in our society.
I am passionate about this issue and have chosen to write about it because I believe it is a problem that needs to be addressed. The housing crisis in Albuquerque is not just about individuals who are struggling to find a place to live, but it is also about the impact on our communities, economy and the overall well-being of our society.
I have personally witnessed the impact of this crisis and have volunteered my time to fight for affordable housing solutions. It is my belief that every person deserves a safe and secure place to call home, and it is unacceptable that so many individuals and families in Albuquerque are struggling to find adequate housing.
Through my research and writing, I hope to shed light on the root causes of the housing crisis in Albuquerque and highlight the urgent need for solutions. By bringing attention to this issue, I hope to inspire action and make a difference in the lives of those who are impacted by this crisis. | 2023-05-14T19:52:49+00:00 | abqjournal.com | https://www.abqjournal.com/2598386/housing-market.html |
Watching FKJ build a song is like watching him play a game of musical tetris. One second he's coaxing a rasping rhythm out of a drum set — the next, he's clambering over instruments to get to the mic before the beat kicks in.
The process might make you want to tape your eyes open. This is not Live Production 101, and FKJ (short for French Kiwi Juice, the stage name of Vincent Fenton) is not here to explain his genius. The French producer and multi-instrumentalist is perhaps best known for his assist on Masego's sultry, rollicking "Tadow," but there's only remnants of that energy here. This is new jazz: a synthy spectacle that's a treat for the ears and the eyes.
You get the sense – and Fenton confirms it – that he could spend all day tinkering in his studio. There's an ease to his motions when he grabs his guitar adding wah-wah sounds to his bassline on "IHM," and something very relatable about how even the cameraman struggles to keep up with his motions, sending Fenton in and out of focus.
Sometimes, he grimaces (with effort or with ecstasy, who knows) when he plucks a string just right. And you might be similarly moved. This has all the shivers of ASMR with all the emotive joy of a warehouse electronic fête. Maybe you'll even feel what I did when the music ended — a silence so large, so full, you'll want to tear down the screen and dance in the jungle with him.
SET LIST
MUSICIANS
CREDITS
TINY DESK TEAM
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2022-07-07T11:12:19+00:00 | knkx.org | https://www.knkx.org/2022-07-07/fkj-tiny-desk-home-concert |
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Saturday evening's drawing of the New Mexico Lottery's "Pick 4 Evening" game were:
4-8-4-9
(four, eight, four, nine)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Saturday evening's drawing of the New Mexico Lottery's "Pick 4 Evening" game were:
4-8-4-9
(four, eight, four, nine) | 2022-12-04T05:39:20+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-4-Evening-game-17629824.php |
Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Thursday said he is tasking a bipartisan group of lawmakers with writing a code of conduct for House members, after representatives of both parties expressed concerns about removing members from congressional committees.
His announcement came minutes after House Republicans voted to kick Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) off the Foreign Affairs panel as a rebuke for previous comments that were labeled by some Republicans as antisemitic. The vote was 218-211 along party lines with one lawmaker, Rep. David Joyce (R-Ohio), voting “present.”
“I’m going to put a group of Democrats that [House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.)] will select and a group of Republicans, and we’ll work to come and clarify the rules and pass something for not only this Congress but future Congresses as well,” McCarthy told reporters during a press conference.
The House already has a code of conduct included in its rules, though the terms are vague, largely focusing on financial regulations. It also says members must “behave at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House.”
The terms do not, however, cover areas like antisemitism or threats of violence against colleagues, which were the focus of previous efforts to strip members of committee assignments.
Thursday’s vote was the third time in two years that the House opted to strip lawmakers of committee assignments — Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) lost their assignments in 2021 after promoting violence against Democrats. And last week, McCarthy unilaterally blocked Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff (Calif.) and Eric Swalwell (Calif.) from serving on the House Intelligence Committee.
Unlike the Foreign Affairs Committee, which required a vote from the whole House to boot Omar, McCarthy as Speaker has the ability to block members from the Intelligence Committee.
In the lead-up to the vote on Omar, both Democrats and Republicans said they were opposed to the practice of stripping members of their committee assignments. A number of lawmakers accused McCarthy of engaging in a “tit-for-tat” by moving to kick Omar off the Foreign Affairs panel just because Democrats did the same to Greene and Gosar in 2021.
Three Republican lawmakers — Reps. Victoria Spartz (Ind.), Nancy Mace (S.C.) and Ken Buck (Colo.) — initially came out against the effort for various reasons, but McCarthy got them on board after offering them commitments regarding the process of booting lawmakers from panels.
Spartz pointed to added due process language in the resolution, Buck said McCarthy suggested he was willing to reform the process for kicking members off committees and Mace said the Speaker offered her a “commitment” that there would be a fix to rules that would refer members to the House Ethics Committee before a resolution is drawn up to strip them of their committee assignments.
McCarthy on Thursday said two of those lawmakers — Mace and Buck — will be part of the bipartisan group tasked with writing a code of conduct. The Speaker also said he asked Jeffries to “select a couple of members along with himself” for the group.
“I don’t know the definition exactly what all that’s going to mean. I think that should be clear. So if there is a concern, it’s not tit for tat. But I think in moving forward, every single member of Congress has a responsibility to how they carry themselves,” McCarthy said. | 2023-02-03T00:01:24+00:00 | upmatters.com | https://www.upmatters.com/hill-politics/mccarthy-says-hes-forming-bipartisan-group-to-write-lawmaker-code-of-conduct-following-omar-vote/ |
Tyre Nichols’ family and their attorney Ben Crump are planning to hold a news conference Tuesday evening, their first after the video of Memphis Police officers fatally beating Nichols was released to the public.
It will also be their first news conference after Memphis Police announced Monday that two officers were “relieved of their duties.” Six of the seven officers have been named. Officer Preston Hemphill was identified on Monday.
The other five officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills, Jr. and Justin Smith, were fired and charged with second-degree murder and other crimes. Hemphill has not been charged.
Crump said the news conference will include other community members who were “victims” of alleged brutality from Memphis Police’s SCORPION Unit. Prosecutors said the SCORPION Unit was involved in confronting Nichols.
Memphis Police announced Saturday it would disband the unit. Crump agreed with the decision.
"The Nichols family and their legal team find the decision to permanently disband this unit to be both appropriate and proportional to the tragic death of Tyre Nichols, and also a decent and just decision for all citizens of Memphis. We hope that other cities take similar action with their saturation police units in the near future to begin to create greater trust in their communities,” Crump’s office said in a statement.
In four different clips released Friday, officers are seen spraying Nichols with what appears to be pepper spray, beating him with a baton and kicking him in the head.
Nichols, whose face was bloodied, remained on the ground for about 25 minutes without police or medical personnel addressing his injuries. He died three days later. | 2023-01-31T17:47:14+00:00 | news5cleveland.com | https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/national/tyre-nichols-family-attorney-to-hold-news-conference-after-additional-officers-are-relieved-of-duty |
Mariners third. Jarred Kelenic called out on strikes. Abraham Toro doubles to deep right field. Cal Raleigh reaches on error. Abraham Toro scores. Fielding error by Nathaniel Lowe. Adam Frazier singles to right field. Cal Raleigh to third. Ty France grounds out to shallow infield, Brad Miller to Nathaniel Lowe. Jesse Winker walks. Eugenio Suarez lines out to second base to Marcus Semien.
1 run, 2 hits, 1 error, 3 left on. Mariners 1, Rangers 0.
Mariners fifth. Adam Frazier doubles to deep center field. Ty France singles to left field. Adam Frazier scores. Jesse Winker singles to left field. Ty France to second. Eugenio Suarez walks. Jesse Winker to second. Ty France to third. J.P. Crawford out on a sacrifice fly to center field to Adolis Garcia. Ty France scores. Julio Rodriguez singles to center field. Eugenio Suarez to second. Jesse Winker scores. Jarred Kelenic strikes out swinging. Abraham Toro walks. Julio Rodriguez to second. Eugenio Suarez to third. Cal Raleigh flies out to shallow center field to Marcus Semien.
3 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 3 left on. Mariners 4, Rangers 0.
Rangers ninth. Marcus Semien singles to center field. Corey Seager singles to deep right center field. Marcus Semien to third. Mitch Garver reaches on a fielder's choice to shallow infield. Corey Seager to second. Marcus Semien scores. Throwing error by Abraham Toro. Nathaniel Lowe reaches on a fielder's choice to first base. Mitch Garver out at second. Corey Seager to third. Adolis Garcia out on a sacrifice fly to deep left field to Jesse Winker. Corey Seager scores. Nick Solak strikes out swinging.
2 runs, 2 hits, 1 error, 1 left on. Mariners 4, Rangers 2. | 2022-04-21T05:58:29+00:00 | seattlepi.com | https://www.seattlepi.com/sports/article/Texas-Seattle-Runs-17115736.php |
Wine trails, a national forest, a treehouse resort and — not one, but two — state fairs are just a few of the highlights in “100 Things To Do in Illinois Before You Die,” a newly released entry in the Reedy Press nationwide line of travel books.
If COVID taught us anything, author Melanie Holmes said, it is the importance of exploring, appreciating and supporting the treasures right in our own back yard. And Illinois has a back yard rich in natural gems, historic sites and unique experiences, she said.
“For instance, the American Indian Center of Chicago has held a multiday powwow for seven decades,” she said, and non-natives are invited to watch. For a nominal fee, the public can watch the dances and immerse themselves in the culture.
“When it comes to telling the story of Illinois, we start as far back as we can go. We start with the indigenous,” she said.
Illinois, she said, has lots of stories and experiences wrapped in history, culture and geology.
“The reason there’s downhill skiing in Galena is because it’s part of the driftless zone,” she said.
From the cliffs in the northwest to the national forest in the south, Illinois is home to “amazing, astounding geological formations,” she said.
Of course, there’s Starved Rock, she said, but did you know the state is also home to the Little Grand Canyon in Herod?
Foodies can tour the farms at Epiphany in Bloomington or Eckert’s in Belleville and then dine at the onsite restaurant. It’s a way to connect our food with the people who feed us, Holmes said.
“My sole goal in writing this book was to promote my fellow Illinoisans,” she said. “Illinois strong, support Illinois, support local.”
Holmes, a lifelong Illinoisian who lives in Chicago’s southwest suburbs, said, “There are plenty of things to see across the state. You just have to get out there and investigate. Take the back roads.”
“100 Things” is Holmes’ fifth nonfiction book. Her first, “The Female Assumption: A Mother’s Story Freeing Women from the View that Motherhood is a Mandate,” was honored by the Population Institute of Washington, D.C.
She is also the author of “A Hero on Mount St Helens,” a biography of Oak Lawn geologist David Johnston.
Holmes said in August 2022 she stumbled across the Reedy Press bucket list series and, realizing Illinois wasn’t represented, submitted a query and then took to the road, traveling wine trails, exploring historic houses and mansions, and spending the night in a caboose inside Wildlife Prairie Park outside of Peoria.
“This book tells Illinois’ story through a collection of experiences,” she said.
Naperville Sun
The book is divided into five chapters: Food and Beverage, Music and Entertainment, Sports and Recreation, Culture and History, and Shopping and Fashion.
The point is to make people want to get out there, she said. “We often take Illinois for granted. We have more than 300 certified historic sites. That’s an average of about three per county. It’s where our tax dollars are going. So why not go and see these places?”
Though the title promises 100 experiences, Holmes said, by offering add-on tips to each feature, she was able to include more than 200 things to do. For example, she said, in the entry about the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park, she suggests readers visit the B. Harley Bradley House in Kankakee and the Dana-Thomas House in Springfield.
“100 Things to do in Illinois” retails for $22.50 and is available at Reedy Press, www.reedypress.com, as well as at several of the destinations featured in the book, including the I&M Visitors Center in LaSalle.
Holmes will host book talks at 11:30 a.m. May 20 at Geneva History Museum; 5 p.m. May 25 at Barbara’s Bookstore in the Orland Square Mall; and noon May 27 at Sock Monkey Museum in Long Grove.
Donna Vickroy is an award-winning reporter, editor and columnist who worked for the Daily Southtown for 38 years. | 2023-05-16T17:34:48+00:00 | chicagotribune.com | https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/opinion/ct-nvs-vickroy-column-st-0517-20230516-ihotg7ofrrbpnm53ula4ehnsje-story.html |
Suwannee Middle School football player hopes to play with his new cochlear implant
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - A game-changing implant.
Thursday, a Suwannee middle schooler suffering from hearing loss was looking to play his first football game after receiving a cochlear implant this summer.
Kamari “Bubba” Lovett and his Suwannee Middle School football team were set to match up against Florida High Thursday before the game got cancelled for weather.
But for Kamari Lovett, he treated prepared for the game as if it was just any other football game in the past. But now that he has his new cochlear implants, he’s on a whole new playing field.
Bubba was diagnosed with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and has been wearing hearing aids since the age of three, but this summer he received a cochlear implant in his left year and he hopes to play his first game with the implants.
While most would be ready to take the moment in, he just wants his team to do well.
“I just hope my team does good and plays good and go out and win the football game and do what we love,” Lovett said.
Bubba says he plays cornerback and special teams and his coach tells WCTV that if you didn’t know him you would have no clue he has any issues with hearing due to how he plays on the field.
The game was supposed to kick off Thursday at six but has been moved to Monday August 29th back at Florida High at 6pm.
Copyright 2022 WCTV. All rights reserved. | 2022-08-26T15:49:01+00:00 | wcjb.com | https://www.wcjb.com/2022/08/26/suwannee-middle-school-football-player-hopes-play-with-his-new-cochlear-implant/ |
NEW YORK, Aug. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Sports Accountability Project (ASAP) announced today that Rev. Al Sharpton, who has previously impressed upon the National Basketball Association (NBA) to work with greater urgency and transparency concerning the ongoing investigation into extensive reports of racism, sexism and abuse by Robert Sarver, sent a letter today to PayPal CEO Dan Shulman calling on the company to end its relationship with Mr. Sarver. As the NBA's investigation, now in its 10th month, has proceeded, PayPal announced a ground-breaking, international partnership with Mr. Sarver and entities under his ownership, including the Phoenix Suns, the Phoenix Mercury, and Real Club Deportivo Mallorca.
Rev. Sharpton's letter, which was published as a full-page ad in the AZ Central newspaper today, reads as follows:
Dear Mr. Schulman,
I am writing to demand that PayPal cease doing business with any entity owned or associated with Robert Sarver, including the Phoenix Suns, the Phoenix Mercury, and Real Club Deportivo Mallorca. Mr. Sarver's leadership has been riddled with credible allegations of racism, misogyny, and harboring a toxic work environment. As you may be aware, ESPN published a detailed investigative piece on these complaints last November, and Mr. Sarver is currently under investigation by the NBA.
In June 2020, in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, Paypal was one of many companies to announce a significant investment in fighting institutional racism and advancing diversity and inclusion. In total, PayPal announced it would commit $535 million toward these causes. Yet, PayPal has continued to do business with Robert Sarver, who is a known perpetrator of racism and hate, and is now expanding its business relationship with Mr. Sarver internationally.
In light of these commitments, PayPal cannot simply ignore Mr. Sarver's transgressions. As someone who has dedicated my life to fighting injustice and speaking out against hate in all its forms, it is my duty and responsibility to call out such hypocrisy and to call on PayPal to uphold the values for which it proclaims to stand.
It is time for PayPal to put its money where its mouth is. Issuing a press release and writing a big check two years ago is not equivalent to doing the hard work that is required to achieve real change. I reiterate my call for PayPal to end its relationship with Robert Sarver and help hold him accountable for his egregious behavior.
Sincerely,
Rev. Al Sharpton
President and Founder
National Action Network
For more information, please visit: www.AmericanSportsAccountabilityProject.com or contact press@americansportsaccountabilityproject.com.
About the American Sports Accountability Project (ASAP)
The American Sports Accountability Project (ASAP) is a group of individual advocates, community-based organizations, civil rights leaders, and sports fans who are committed to bringing accountability to perpetrators of hate speech, abuse, and harassment within the leadership of the American sports industry. There is zero tolerance for abuse of any kind in today's society. ASAP demands action in response to misconduct and a future where our arenas, fields and stadiums can be free from racism, sexism, and bigotry.
Contact: press@americansportsaccountabilityproject.com
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SOURCE American Sports Accountability Project | 2022-08-21T19:51:53+00:00 | newschannel10.com | https://www.newschannel10.com/prnewswire/2022/08/21/rev-al-sharpton-calls-paypal-end-relationship-with-phoenix-suns-majority-owner-robert-sarver-full-page-ad/ |
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The following statement is from Latino Civic Leaders, Fernando J. Guerra, Ph.D., Antonia Hernández, Monica Lozano, Fabian Núñez, Manuel Pastor, Angelica Salas, Miguel Santana, Gary Segura, Arturo Vargas.
We write today in our personal capacity as Latino civic leaders and Angelenos who believe in a just, equitable and inclusive Los Angeles for all. The hateful, racist, and divisive comments heard in the recording released this weekend have no place in public or behind closed doors.
We expect better of our Latino elected officials, and Los Angeles deserves better. We are deeply saddened. These public officials have breached the trust and confidence of our entire city. We condemn their anti-Black, homophobic, and prejudiced sentiments against Indigenous people and other marginalized communities in our city.
Angelenos deserve elected officials who respect them and reflect their values. We must hold these individuals accountable for their hateful remarks and participation. We call for the resignations of Los Angeles City Council Members Nury Martinez, Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo.
These elected officials have failed us and our community as leaders. They have deepened the pain that our communities have experienced especially during a time when our nation has been struggling with hate speech and political division. It is imperative that these city council members resign and accept accountability.
In Solidarity,
Contact: lorena@vpepr.com
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SOURCE Latino Civic Leaders | 2022-10-11T21:01:45+00:00 | witn.com | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/10/11/an-open-letter-regarding-los-angeles-city-council-members-nury-martinez-kevin-de-len-gil-cedillo-latino-civic-leaders/ |
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the enforcement of a new Florida law aimed at prohibiting children from attending drag shows after a popular burger restaurant that hosts the shows sued the state of Florida and its governor, Ron DeSantis.
U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell issued a preliminary injunction on Saturday in response to the lawsuit filed last month by Hamburger Mary's. The Orlando restaurant's owners allege in the suit that their First Amendment rights were violated after DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1438 into law. The measure would prohibit admitting children to certain drag show performances.
"This statute is specifically designed to suppress the speech of drag queen performers," Presnell wrote. "In the words of the bill's sponsor in the House, State Representative Randy Fine: '...HB 1423...will protect our children by ending the gateway propaganda to this evil – 'Drag Queen Story Time.' "
The judge's ruling will pause the "Protection of Children" law, which prohibits children from attending any "adult live performance."
An "adult live performance" is described in the law as "any show, exhibition, or other presentation in front of a live audience which, in whole or in part, depicts or simulates nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or specific sexual activities ... or the lewd exposure of prosthetic or imitation genitals or breasts."
Businesses or persons who are found in violation of the law could face prosecution, in addition to thousands of dollars in fines and having their business licenses revoked.
Republican Florida state Sen. Clay Yarborough, the bill's sponsor, did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment on the temporary injunction.
Jeremy Redfern, DeSantis' press secretary, called the judge's opinion "dead wrong" and added that the governor's office is looking forward to winning an appeal.
"Of course, it's constitutional to prevent the sexualization of children by limiting access to adult live performances," Redfern said in a statement to NPR.
The owners of Hamburger Mary's said in a statement posted on Facebook that they're happy that Presnell sees that the state's new law is "an infringement on First Amendment Rights."
"I encourage people to read the court's injunction, every page, and understand the case, and put the politics and fear-mongering aside," the statement added.
Last month, DeSantis signed into law a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, restrictions on discussion of "preferred pronouns" in schools and restrictions on using bathrooms that don't match one's assigned sex at birth.
In 2022 alone, more than 300 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were filed during state legislative sessions and 29 of those bills were signed into law.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-06-27T21:01:58+00:00 | nepm.org | https://www.nepm.org/national-world-news/2023-06-27/judge-blocks-a-florida-law-that-would-punish-venues-where-kids-can-see-drag-shows |
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers might be sticking around with the New York Jets a bit longer than many first thought.
The 39-year-old quarterback has not committed beyond this season, but he has strongly hinted several times his first year with the Jets won’t be his last.
Rodgers reiterated that sentiment Friday during an appearance on the “DiPietro & Rothenberg” show on ESPN Radio in New York.
“The Jets gave up a lot for me, so to play just one year. I think, would be a disservice,” Rodgers said. “Now if that one year turns out to be a magical year, who knows? It’s more than that, it’s how my body feels.”
In other words, a run to the Super Bowl could change all that.
But short of that, the Jets expect Rodgers to be under center next season — and perhaps beyond.
“I would be shocked if he didn’t play multiple years,” coach Robert Saleh said. “I mean, he looks like a little kid out there.”
Rodgers said in the radio interview a tweaked diet and training regimen has his body feeling “really, really good” at this point in the year.
“Talk to me in three or four months, we’ll see how it feels,” he said. “But the way I feel now, I think I could play a number of years.”
Rodgers was acquired by New York from Green Bay in April, bringing the four-time NFL MVP to a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs in 12 years — the longest active drought in the league. During his introductory news conference, he talked about how “lonely” the Jets’ Super Bowl trophy from 1969 looks and the goal is to add another to a team starving to be a winner.
After his first training camp practice with the Jets on Thursday, Rodgers raved about the young talent the team has and how it has energized him in his 19th NFL season.
“You’ve got a good window,” he added. “It’s not just a one-year thing where you can be competitive, which is fun.”
The Jets went all in on bringing Rodgers aboard, sending a first-, second- and sixth-round pick in this year’s draft to the Packers, along with a conditional second-rounder next year that could become a first-rounder if the quarterback plays at least 65% of the snaps — which New York hopes will be the case. Green Bay gave up first and fifth-round picks this year, along with Rodgers.
Rodgers, who turns 40 in December, contemplated retirement during the offseason before going into a darkness retreat over the winter to clear his mind and decide what he wanted for his future. He determined he wanted to continue playing football — and intended to do so with the Jets.
That sent the wheels in motion for the trade, which took several weeks of negotiations between the sides before it was completed.
Saleh said Rodgers hasn’t told the team what his plans are beyond this season, but the Jets also aren’t pushing him to do so.
“I don’t want to back him into a corner and make him commit to something like that,” Saleh said. “I just want him to have fun and know that when he walks in this building to let loose and have a little bit of fun, B.S. with the guys, come in the office, come talk to us and just enjoy playing football.
“Odds are, if you enjoy playing football, you’re going to want to keep doing it.”
On Thursday, Rodgers spoke about being more patient now at this point in his career with the process, not getting agitated if things aren’t working early in training camp and focusing on getting better as the summer goes along to build for the season.
He also noted the differences between playing in New York and Green Bay, including the increased media attention and additional hype with “Hard Knocks” featuring the Jets this year.
“Yeah, it’s spectacular,” Rodgers said. “I mean, that’s what you want. You want to be a part of a place that has high expectations. And there’s a lot of positivity around here, which I think is a good thing.”
NOTES: The Jets signed DL Ifeadi Odenigbo and RB Damarea Crockett and released TE Izaiah Gathings. Odenigbo has 14 career sacks in six NFL seasons that include stints with the Vikings, Browns, Cardinals, Giants, Colts and Buccaneers. Crockett, who missed last season with a torn ACL, has experience with Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett from their time in Green Bay and Denver together. He also had stints with the Texans and Raiders.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | 2023-07-22T18:13:01+00:00 | ourquadcities.com | https://www.ourquadcities.com/sports/ap-jets-would-be-shocked-if-aaron-rodgers-stint-in-new-york-isnt-multiple-seasons/ |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Judge declares mistrial at rape trial of 'That ‘70s Show' actor Danny Masterson after jury says it's deadlocked.
- Drug lord 'La Barbie' listed as not in custody
- Teen allegedly tried taking police officer's gun
- Affidavit: Trio went shoplifting at The Outlet Shoppes at Laredo
- Texas DPS: Drunk driver threatens to kill trooper
- Police: Woman punched her son for not taking sleeping pill
- Laredo ranks among worst cities for singles in Texas and US
- Suspect tried taking officer's gun during struggle
- Trial begins for alleged Laredo serial killer, ex-USBP agent
- Videos shown on Day 2 of Ortiz's capital murder trial
- Affidavit: Mexican Mafia captain killed man for raping woman
- St. Augustine beats Nixon in overtime
- Texas megachurch responds to backlash over opulent Christmas show
- Jury hears testimony of Ortiz's interrogation in capital murder case
- Laredo's Organic Man Coffee Trike expands into new location
- St. Aug's Garcia delivers strong performance against Nixon
- Laredo signs agreement with Tecos — over office space | 2022-12-01T01:35:00+00:00 | lmtonline.com | https://www.lmtonline.com/news/article/Alert-Judge-declares-mistrial-at-rape-trial-of-17622255.php |
With creativity at its core, the new Xperia 5 IV is a powerful, yet compact smartphone offering new content creation features, gaming options, and entertainment experiences
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Electronics Inc. introduces the Xperia 5 IV, a premium smartphone with many of the powerful features found in the flagship Xperia, but in a compact design. It keeps you creating content, mobile gaming and high-quality immersive entertainment for best-in-class audio and video with the latest chipset and powerful battery throughout the day.
"We are thrilled to introduce the new Xperia 5 IV as a continuation of our Xperia series. We are always listening to our customers to develop cutting-edge technology that meets their needs as creators, gamers, and music and video enthusiasts," said Yang Cheng, Vice President, Imaging Solutions, Sony Electronics Inc. "The Xperia 5 IV is a powerful and compact tool that is perfect for anyone looking for the best technology in a small, sleek form factor."
The Xperia 5 IV incorporates some of Sony's latest Imaging technologies including Eye AF and Object Tracking on all rear-facing cameras. Creators can now enable cinematic video features on all three lenses including 4K HDR, 120 fps (frames per second) super slow-motion recording to create a cinematic look, thanks to the sensor's high read-out speed of 120 fps. The Videography Pro application also enables livestreamingi.
The new front camera has an improved and larger 12-megapixel sensor that enables 4K HDR content with outstanding contrast. The larger sensor also allows user to take clear selfies in tough lighting settings such as high glare or dark environments.
For Vloggers and video creators, the Xperia 5 IV comes with an external monitor function. By connecting a mirrorless camera (such as Alpha series camerasii), creators can monitor their work on the Xperia 5 IV's 6.1" FHD display and instantly share their content using the new livestreaming function. When paired with Sony's Vlog Monitor (XQZ-IV01, sold separately), this setup allows for even more creative control.
The Xperia 5 IV was recently used to shoot an entire music video for Sony Music artist, Cat Burns, bringing to life her latest single, "People Pleaser." The creative vision for "People Pleaser" was captured utilizing the high-quality imaging capabilities and manual setting options within the Videography Proiii app.
"Creating content on Xperia 5 IV allows you to use your imagination, packing progressive technology into a compact device you can carry around allows everyday people to become filmmakers," commented Nathan James Tettey, Music Video Director.
Cat Burns used the Music Proiv app to record an acapella of the chorus used in the video. "Being able to record great audio and upload it straight away without having to use a laptop is such a great feature and saves time in my hectic schedule," said Cat Burns, Sony Music artist.
Music Pro can reproduce the frequency response of a condenser microphone while producing the reverberation of a studio mix. Sound recording and editing is free of charge, while cloud processing for the highest-quality sound is subject to a monthly fee.
The Xperia 5 IV offers all the speed, performance and reliability required for mobile gaming at the highest level. Native 120Hz display and 240Hz Motion blur reduction displays games clearly and smoothly. The 240Hz touch scanning rate supports fast and precise moves, exactly as the gamer intended, during game play. In addition, the Game Enhanceriv feature allows players to customize picture and sound settings to perfect their gaming experience.
Real-time live streaming on social media is also possible on the Xperia 5 IV. Players can check their audience's comments in real time, and game commentary is easy to turn on or offv. Thanks to high-quality recording in up to 120fps, gamers can also record and share their winning moments.
The Xperia 5 IV offers Sony's 360 Reality Audio and has three options for high-quality audio, which includes a wired 3.5mm audio jack, wireless headphones, or front-facing Full-Stage stereo speakers. The stereo speakers include a new structure that produces clearer sound and low-frequency performance. By combining DSEE Ultimate and LDAC support, the Xperia 5 IV supports streaming services with high resolution sound quality. The Xperia 5 IV also supports the latest Bluetooth LE Audiovi.
Individuals can also use Music Provii to record vocals and music as if recorded in a professional studio. This allows individuals to record and edit multiple tracks directly on the Xperia 5 IV and upload their recordings to the cloud. From there, AI can be applied using Sony's unique sound source separation technology to reduce noise and separate vocal and acoustic guitar sounds.
This new device is Sony Xperia's brightest ever FHD+ display and is approximately 50% brighterviii than the previous 5 series model. Viewing and experiencing content is improved on the Xperia 5 IV with Real-Time HDR Driveix. This increases the image quality by reproducing gradation of overexposed and underexposed areas. The Xperia 5 IV also offers a uniquely immersive viewing experience with a 6.1" 21:9 FHD+ HDR OLED display.
The Xperia 5 IV combines powerful, reliable performance with a range of practical features to enhance everyday life. The flagship Snapdragon® 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platformx delivers groundbreaking performance and innovation in AI, gaming, and connectivity for a premium experience.
The Xperia 5 IV offers plenty of power with a 5,000mAh battery and adaptive charging that allows the battery life to be extended up to three yearsxi. When needing a boost, the device can fast charge up to 50% in just 30 minutes with the charger XQZ-UC1xii (sold separately). The Xperia 5 IV also offers Battery Share, to easily charge additional devices. For additional charging options, the Xperia 5 IV allows for wireless chargingxiii.
As part of Sony's sustainability initiative, the Xperia 5 IV features no plastic in its packagingxiv, with plastic components either eliminated or replaced with paper materials.
The Xperia 5 IV will be available at the end of October 2022 for approximately $1,000.00 USD. It will be sold unlocked in black at a variety of Sony's authorized dealers throughout the United States. A green color variation will be available exclusively at www.electronics.sony.com. Pre-orders for the Xperia 5 IV will begin today, September 1, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. EDT.
For a limited time, customers who pre-order the Xperia 5 IV starting September 1, 2022, will be eligible to receive Sony's latest WF-1000XM4 true wireless noise cancelling earbuds with purchase (a $280.00 USD value)xv.
For detailed product information, please visit:
A product announcement video on the new Xperia 5 IV can be viewed HERE.
A product video on the new Xperia 5 IV can be viewed HERE.
Sony Electronics is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America and an affiliate of Sony Group Corporation, one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world, with a portfolio that encompasses electronics, music, motion pictures, mobile, gaming, robotics and financial services. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Sony Electronics is a leader in electronics for the consumer and professional markets. Operations include research and development, engineering, sales, marketing, distribution and customer service. Sony Electronics creates products that innovate and inspire generations, such as the award-winning Alpha Interchangeable Lens Cameras and revolutionary high-resolution audio products. Sony is also a leading manufacturer of end-to-end solutions from 4K professional broadcast and A/V equipment to industry leading 4K and 8K Ultra HD TVs. Visit http://www.sony.com/news for more information.
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SOURCE Sony Electronics, Inc. | 2022-09-01T07:38:33+00:00 | waff.com | https://www.waff.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/sony-electronics-introduces-xperia-5-iv-premium-smartphone-designed-experiencing-creating-content/ |
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)Victor Reyes drove in three runs, and the Detroit Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals 8-4 in a rain-shortened game on Saturday.
Javier Baez and Harold Castro each had two hits and two RBIs as Detroit earned its third straight win. Matt Manning (2-2) pitched 6 1/3 innings of three-hit ball.
”I think my curveball and my changeup were really good to the lefties,” Manning said. ”My good fastball command kind of follows after that.”
The Tigers went ahead to stay with three runs in the third against Jonathan Heasley (3-8). Reyes snapped a 1-1 tie with an RBI triple. Baez doubled in Reyes and then scored on Castro’s single.
”Taking the ball to the middle part of the field has been a difference maker for (Baez),” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. ”It’s a good sign.”
Reyes added a two-run single during Detroit’s four-run fifth, helping the Tigers build an 8-2 lead.
”We were aggressive,” Reyes said. ”We knew (Heasley) had a very good outing his last outing. So we took advantage of that to be aggressive.”
Heasley was charged with seven runs and seven hits in four-plus innings. The right-hander had gone 2-1 with a 2.86 ERA in his previous four starts.
Manning allowed two earned runs, struck out four and walked one. Since returning from the IL on Aug. 2, Manning has a 3.74 ERA over eight starts.
”He had the lead, so he could be a little bit more liberal with the strike zone and try to get through the game,” Hinch said. ”He had to keep his focus and get us as deep as he could, and he did that.”
”It makes it a lot easier,” Manning said of pitching with the lead. ”You don’t really have to hold your breath because you have confidence in your guys to put a few on the board.”
It’s the longest win streak for Detroit since a string of six straight victories in July.
Salvador Perez had two hits for Kansas City and drove in a run.
Kerry Carpenter homered for Detroit in the second, tying it at 1. The Tigers, last in the majors with 88 homers, have hit eight in the past three games.
”Hitting is contagious,” Carpenter said. ”We’ve always heard that growing up and I really believe in that. It’s really cool to see all the other guys sticking to their approaches and executing well. That gives us confidence to go up there and do the same thing. It’s been fun the past couple of days.”
Saturday’s game was moved to the afternoon to avoid anticipated inclement weather, but it was played in a steady drizzle and then stopped in the bottom of the eighth after a 58-minute delay.
”There was a couple times it was coming down pretty good,” Kansas City manager Mike Matheny said. ”I didn’t know if they were going to pull us off the field or not, and then it got up the point where the field was really rough.”
EXTRA, EXTRA
Detroit collected three triples for its highest total in a single game since Sept. 1, 2012. It has 18 extra-base hits in its last three games.
UP NEXT
Tigers LHP Tyler Alexander (3-9, 5.23 ERA) takes on Royals RHP Brady Singer (7-4, 3.38 ERA) on Sunday.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports | 2022-09-11T11:24:39+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/sports/mlb-baseball/victor-reyes-drives-in-3-runs-as-tigers-beat-royals-8-4/ |
NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cartiga has recently been rated the #1 legal funding provider in both the consumer litigation funding and law firm funding categories by the New York Law Journal and the National Law Journal. It was also voted best litigation funding provider by the Daily Business Review.
Cartiga's Chief Executive Officer Charlie Platt said, "These rankings are well-deserved. We have over 20 years of experience and are well-positioned to serve our customers' funding needs with competitive pricing, fast funding, and reliable service. Our goal is to be a strategic partner with law firms and help them manage the costs of funding so that law firms and their clients maximize case recoveries."
Mr. Platt added, "In a time of economic uncertainty, Cartiga's financial strength and stability, together with innovative tools to manage litigation costs and improve outcomes, provide a unique platform to serve our customers. We look forward to serving law firms and their clients who want the winning edge."
Business Update
Cartiga recently completed its second-rated 144A ABS offering of consumer pre-settlement advances for approximately $112 million. In addition to this successful financing transaction, Cartiga has also added new partners in its $200 million warehouse facility of committed, multi-year bank lines of credit to support its consumer and commercial funding franchises.
About Cartiga
Cartiga is a leading provider of legal pre-settlement funding to consumers and working capital funding to law firms. It combines the former LawCash, Ardec, and Momentum funding businesses with 20+ years of experience and data analytics tools so that consumers who use funding are delighted and maximize their case recoveries.
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SOURCE Cartiga | 2023-04-04T00:05:04+00:00 | wbrc.com | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/04/03/cartiga-earns-top-legal-funding-provider-honors-reinforces-commitment-law-firms-clients/ |
A global tech giant will use the unique connectivity options and wholesale capacity at Prime LAX-01 to optimize experience for its regional user base.
VERNON, Calif., Dec. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Prime Data Centers, the world's fastest-growing global wholesale data center provider, today announced it has completed a pre-lease with a large, publicly-traded technology company. The transaction secures twelve megawatts at Prime's Los Angeles data center for delivery in Q4 of 2023. The new customer will use the capacity to optimize content delivery for its growing user base in the Southern California region.
"On behalf of everyone at Prime, I would like to welcome our newest customer to the Los Angeles market," commented Nicholas Laag, Chief Executive Officer of Prime Data Centers. "Demand is strong at Prime LAX-01 thanks to its unique combination of reliable, wholesale data center capacity and access to hundreds of local, national and global networks. This creates an ideal data center environment for cloud providers, Internet businesses, technology companies, and the content-centric enterprise."
LAX-01, Prime's first Southern California data center, features a three-story design, 261,000 square feet and 33 megawatts of critical IT load capacity. The data center offers a desirable combination of available wholesale power and easy access to hundreds of networks in the capacity-constrained downtown LA market.
Prime has entered into an agreement with a national carrier to provide dark fiber services to any LAX-01 customer at low-cost, wholesale rates, linking each of the five downtown LA carrier hotels and more than 300 carriers to the facility. The agreement enables hyperscale Prime customer connectivity requirements that may number in the hundreds of fiber pairs.
The LAX-01 development is part of Prime's global expansion roadmap that projects 2.4 gigawatts upon completion, with 159 megawatts delivered in California alone. The company is supporting the initiative with a focus on talent acquisition that has yielded 163% employee growth in 2022 and projects 159% growth for 2023. Nearly 30% of Prime employees are diverse, above the US workforce average of 23%.
Prime partners with digital-first organizations like cloud providers, colocation companies, Internet businesses, and the tech-savvy enterprise to enhance application performance and customer experience through global data center development and optimization.
Visit primedatacenters.com for more information.
Prime Data Centers is a wholesale data center developer and operator with a global footprint. The company excels at designing and delivering custom large-scale data center solutions for leading enterprise clients. Prime's core product portfolio ranges from 8 MW to 175 MW hyperscale facilities that can be build-to-suit, powered shell, or turnkey. Its unique partnership model offers flexibility across financial arrangements, from a standard lease to sale/leaseback to unique joint ventures. Follow Prime Data Centers on Twitter and LinkedIn.
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SOURCE Prime Data Centers | 2022-12-22T17:55:21+00:00 | waff.com | https://www.waff.com/prnewswire/2022/12/22/prime-data-centers-continues-unprecedented-growth-story-with-12-megawatt-anchor-tenant-los-angeles/ |
BEIJING, Sept. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ambow Education Holding Ltd. ("Ambow" or the "Company") (NYSE American: AMBO), a leading cross-border career educational and technology service provider, today announced its unaudited consolidated financial and operating results for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2022.
"In the first half of 2022, we remained focused on our core business strategy encompassing premium technology-driven educational and career enhancement service offerings amid the complex macro environment," noted Dr. Jin Huang, Ambow's President and Chief Executive Officer. "As we methodologically pave the way to drive our career-focused education business roadmap, we recorded net revenues of RMB 204.0 million in the first half of 2022."
"We remain dedicated to refining and innovating our proprietary technologies to empower our products and services. As a result, we are delighted to see our high-quality, technology-empowered offerings garner increasing recognition and popularity in the market. Additionally, we deepened our ongoing commitment to facilitating the national strategy of improving collaboration between educational institutions and industries to coordinate and propel talent development throughout China. As a veteran with a track record of over two decades in the education technology space, Ambow has built out a far-reaching cooperative network comprised of universities, institutions and commercial enterprises. Drawing on this powerful network alongside our innovative, superior products and services, we are well positioned to address educators and learners' critical demands in the evolving landscape while promoting the efficient integration of academia and business, as well as fostering a balance in talent supply and demand, especially in the technical fields."
"Moving through the second half of 2022, we will continue strengthening our competitive edge by further advancing our technologies, products and services, actively adapting ourselves to market dynamics and capturing new growth opportunities ahead. As always, we are committed to creating long-term sustainable value for all of our stakeholders," concluded Dr. Huang.
Second Quarter 2022 Financial Highlights
- Net revenues for the second quarter of 2022 decreased by 36.2% to RMB 109.9 million (US$ 16.4 million) from RMB 172.3 million for the same period of 2021. The decrease was primarily due to the planned sale of the K-9 business, which is expected to be completed by December 31, 2022. The profit or loss of the K-9 business since September 2021 was borne by and entitled to the buyer as agreed. The decrease was also partially due to the regulatory changes in China affecting the tutoring business since August 2021.
- Gross profit for the second quarter of 2022 decreased by 40.6% to RMB 45.1 million (US$ 6.7 million) from RMB 75.9 million for the same period of 2021. Gross profit margin was 41.0%, compared with 44.1% for the second quarter of 2021. The decreases in gross profit and gross margin were mainly attributable to the immediate impact of regulatory changes on net revenues of the tutoring business, while there was less impact on costs during the period.
- Operating expenses for the second quarter of 2022 increased by 20.5% to RMB 67.0 million (US$ 10.0 million) from RMB 55.6 million for the same period of 2021. The increase was primarily caused by a write-off of long-term receivables due from Jinghan Taihe of RMB 13.7 million and a share-based compensation expense of RMB 6.7 million and partially offset by the decrease in operating expenses due to stringent expense control in the period.
- Operating loss for the second quarter of 2022 was RMB 21.9 million (US$ 3.3 million), compared to operating income of RMB 20.3 million for the same period of 2021.
- Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders for the second quarter of 2022 was RMB 71.4 million (US$ 10.7 million), or RMB 1.53 (US$ 0.23) per basic and diluted share, compared with a net income of RMB 22.4 million, or RMB 0.48 per basic and diluted share, for the same period of 2021. Other than the operating loss, the net loss was also caused by the income tax expense of RMB 39.0 million from the gain on waived inter-group payables and RMB 9.0 million from the valuation allowance for the deferred tax assets resulting from the write-off of the long-term receivables due from Jinghan Taihe.
- As of June 30, 2022, Ambow maintained strong cash resources of RMB 142.6 million (US$ 21.2 million), comprised of cash and cash equivalents of RMB 61.8 million (US$ 9.2 million), short-term investments of RMB 78.5 million (US$ 11.7 million) and restricted cash of RMB 2.3 million (US$ 0.3 million).
First Six Months 2022 Financial Highlights
- Net revenues for the first six months of 2022 decreased by 32.4% to RMB 204.0 million (US$ 30.5 million) from RMB 301.9 million for the same period of 2021. The decrease was primarily due to the planned sale of the K-9 business, which is expected to be completed by December 31, 2022. The profit or loss of the K-9 business since September 2021 was borne by and entitled to the buyer as agreed. The decrease was also partially due to the regulatory changes in China affecting the tutoring business since August 2021.
- Gross profit for the first six months of 2022 decreased by 36.8% to RMB 76.2 million (US$ 11.4 million) from RMB 120.6 million for the same period of 2021. Gross profit margin was 37.3%, compared with 39.9% for the same period of 2021. The decreases in gross profit and gross margin were mainly attributable to the immediate impact of regulatory changes on net revenues of the tutoring business, while there was less impact on costs during the period.
- Operating expenses for the first six months of 2022 decreased by 1.3% to RMB 113.9 million (US$ 17.0 million) from RMB 115.4 million for the same period of 2021. The decrease was attributable to stringent expense controls, offset by a write-off of long-term receivables due from Jinghan Taihe of RMB 13.7 million and a share-based compensation expense of RMB 6.7 million.
- Operating loss for the first six months of 2022 was RMB 37.7 million (US$ 5.6 million), compared to operating income of RMB 5.2 million for the same period of 2021.
- Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders for the first six months of 2022 was RMB 89.0 million (US$ 13.3 million), or RMB 1.90 (US$ 0.28) per basic and diluted share, compared with a net income of RMB 8.1 million, or RMB 0.17 per basic and diluted share, for the same period of 2021. Other than the operating loss, the net loss was also caused by the income tax expense of RMB 39.0 million from the gain on waived inter-group payables and RMB 9.0 million from the valuation allowance for the deferred tax assets resulting from the write-off of the long-term receivables due from Jinghan Taihe.
The Company's financial and operating results for the second quarter and first half of 2022 can also be found on its Report of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K, to be furnished with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.
Exchange Rate Information
This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all amounts translated from RMB to U.S. dollars for the second quarter and first half of 2022 are based on the effective exchange rate of 6.6981 as of June 30, 2022; all amounts translated from RMB to U.S. dollars for the second quarter and first half of 2021 are based on the effective exchange rate of 6.4566 as of June 30, 2021; all amounts translated from RMB to U.S. dollars as of December 31, 2021, are based on the effective exchange rate of 6.3726 as of December 30, 2021. The exchange rates were according to the middle rate as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board. Fluctuations in financial highlights are based on RMB amounts.
About Ambow Education Holding Ltd.
Ambow Education Holding Ltd. is a leading cross-border career educational and technology service provider, offering high-quality, individualized services and products. With its extensive network of regional service hubs complemented by a dynamic proprietary learning platform and distributors, Ambow provides its services and products to students in China and the United States of America.
Follow us on Twitter: @Ambow_Education
Safe Harbor Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as Ambow's strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Ambow may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the following: the Company's goals and strategies, expansion plans, the expected growth of the content and application delivery services market, the Company's expectations regarding keeping and strengthening its relationships with its customers, and the general economic and business conditions in the regions where the Company provides its solutions and services. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Ambow undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
Ambow Education Holding Ltd.
Tel: +86-10-6206-8000
The Piacente Group | Investor Relations
Tel: +1-212-481-2050 or +86-10-6508-0677
E-mail: ambow@tpg-ir.com
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SOURCE Ambow Education Holding Ltd. | 2022-09-30T13:22:33+00:00 | kwtx.com | https://www.kwtx.com/prnewswire/2022/09/30/ambow-education-announces-second-quarter-first-half-2022-financial-results/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Mastercard CEO Ajay Banga, an Indian army officer’s son with decades of corporate experience, was confirmed Wednesday to lead the World Bank for a five-year term that starts next month.
The U.S.-nominated business veteran succeeds David Malpass, a Donald Trump pick who is ending his tenure early at the 189-nation global poverty-fighting institution after coming under pressure for declining to say whether he agreed with the scientific consensus on climate change.
The bank’s executive directors said in a statement after Banga’s confirmation as president that they looked forward to working with him and on all the bank’s “ambitions and efforts aimed at tackling the toughest development challenges facing developing countries.”
President Joe Biden chose Banga in February, after Malpass announced he would leave by June 30, and praised the nominee for his “critical experience” in tackling “the most urgent challenges of our time,” such as climate change.
Biden said Wednesday that Banga “will help steer the institution as it evolves and expands to address global challenges that directly affect its core mission of poverty reduction — including climate change.”
The United States is the bank’s largest shareholder and traditionally has nominated the organization’s president. American leaders have said that taking on climate change will be a major factor in the bank’s lending decisions.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in February that Banga will be responsible for meeting “ambitious goals for climate adaptation and emissions reduction.” On Wednesday, she said “our ambitious goals will not be met overnight, and we remain committed to a staged adoption of reforms over the course of the year to build on the vision we have laid out.”
Malpass, whose term was to expire in April 2024, ran into criticism last year for comments at a conference that appeared to cast doubt on the science that says the burning of fossil fuels causes global warming. He later apologized and said he had misspoken, noting that the bank routinely relies on climate science.
Leaders and activists from poorer nations, especially those vulnerable to the extreme weather made worse by climate change, have called for massive changes in the entire multinational development bank system.
A plan known as the Bridgetown Initiative, put forward by Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and embraced by French President Emmanuel Macron, would make it easier and faster for developing countries affected by weather disasters to get money with lower interest rates for both recovery and for building to become more resilient.
Banga, who was most recently vice chairman at the private equity firm General Atlantic, has more than 30 years of business experience and has served on the boards of the American Red Cross, Kraft Foods and Dow Inc.
He was born in 1959 and educated in some of India’s premier institutions. When India’s economy liberalized in the early 1990s, Banga was able to work and rise through the ranks of multinational corporations breaking into India.
___
Associated Press reporter Sibi Arasu in Bengaluru, India, contributed to this report. | 2023-05-03T20:40:03+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/news/business/ex-mastercard-ceo-ajay-banga-confirmed-as-world-bank-leader/ |
AMATITÁN, Mexico, Nov. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Award winning Código 1530 tequila is releasing an exclusive 14-year-aged extra añejo tequila. This release is an extremely limited edition as only 400 bottles are being produced globally.
As always, this extra añejo tequila was created with only the finest local inputs of fully ripe agave, rock-filtered water and no other sugars, colors, flavorings or additives, which Código 1530 maintains as a standard for all their premium tequilas. What makes this 14-Year extra añejo tequila notable is that it is a double-barrel extra añejo - first aged in a French White Oak, Cabernet wine barrel, then finished in a French Cognac cask. It is bottled at 80 proof and 40% Alc./Vol.
This unique 14-year-aged extra añejo tequila is one of the oldest tequilas available. Each bottle is individually numbered from 1 - 400, creating an extremely limited and valued special edition. The packaging includes a stunning crystal bottle topped with the brand's timeless Jerusalem cross metal stopper. To make the perfect sipping experience even more luxurious, each handmade antiqued wooden box includes two stemmed Riedel tequila tasting glasses.
Co-Founder/co-CEO Federico "Fede" Vaughan explains, "Our 14-Year Añejo tastes decadent. We decided to experiment with more of our cellared barrels of extra añejo tequila, with additional aging in toasted French Cognac casks for another 6 months beyond the 14 years. The taste is beyond compare, for any aficionado." Co-Founder/co-CEO Ron Snyder adds, "We are proud of this 14-Year, as our aging experiments with our extra añejos continue to only improve over time. Our practiced use of the ripest agaves, freshest local water, and the finest oak wine barrels clearly helps to preserve the high quality of our tequila consistently for collectors."
This 14-Year extra añejo tequila is a deep red amber color with a delicious nose and palate. There is a highly complex balance of sweet maple, dark chocolate, toasted oak, exotic spice and peaty minerality. This limited edition endures a smooth and rich flavor profile to savor beyond compare.
With such a limited number of bottles being produced, tequila lovers and collectors of all things rare and opulent will enjoy this spirit. The pricing is reflective of that rarity, at approximately $3,900 per bottle and only available at the finest retail outlets.
This 14-Year extra añejo tequila from Código 1530 is best enjoyed neat or on a large ice rock for special occasions or during celebrations with those deemed worthy of sharing. It will be available starting this holiday season, November 2nd through the Código 1530 website www.codigo1530.com or from licensed fine retail shops, for a limited time only.
Código 1530 is a premium spirits brand born from a private recipe known for generations by only a select group of Mexico's most respected families and finest jimadors. Now available to the world, Código 1530's tequila and mezcal offerings have been perfected using time-honored customs without ever veering from the historic traditions of including no added chemicals, flavorings, or sweeteners. Passionately produced in Amatitán, Jalisco, MX the rested tequilas are meticulously aged to taste in the world's finest French Oak Cabernet wine barrels procured from the Napa Valley region. Código 1530 is available in all 50 states, and in over 30 countries world-wide. Learn more at www.codigo1530.com
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SOURCE Codigo 1530 | 2022-11-02T19:09:12+00:00 | wlbt.com | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2022/11/02/cdigo-1530-releases-400-bottles-14-year-extra-aejo-tequila-custom-crystal-bottle/ |
QUEENS (PIX11) — A man was fatally struck by a train late on Christmas after he jumped onto the train bed at a Queens subway station to retrieve his phone, police said.
The man, 46, was trying to get his phone when he was hit and killed by a northbound F train at the Jackson Heights – Roosevelt Avenue station, officials said. Police got a 911 call around 11:35 p.m.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Service on the E, F and R lines was impacted while emergency services responded, according to NYC Transit.
The victim has not yet been publicly identified. No criminality was involved, police said. | 2022-12-26T22:49:49+00:00 | wwlp.com | https://www.wwlp.com/news/man-hit-killed-by-train-after-jumping-onto-queens-subway-tracks-to-get-phone-on-christmas/ |
NEWARK, Del. (AP)Nolan Henderson tied a career high with five touchdown passes and Delaware defeated Monmouth 49-17 on Saturday.
Henderson was 22-of-28 passing for 323 yards, averaging 11.5 yards per pass. Two of his TD passes went to Thyrick Pitts. Jourdan Townsend, Marcus Yarns and Chandler Harvin added TD receptions for Delaware (7-2, 4-2 Colonial Athletic Association). Henderson and Kyron Cumby added rushing scores.
Jaden Shirden, the FCS rushing yards leader, ran for 202 yards on 26 carries with a 69-yard score for the Hawks, who only had 90 yards in the air against the nation’s second-best pass defense (120.2 yards coming in).
Delaware scored 21 points in each of the first two quarters to lead 42-10 at the half.
Monmouth (4-6, 2-5) lost its fourth straight.
—
More 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 | 2022-11-06T10:37:21+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/sports/ncaa-football/henderson-throws-5-td-passes-in-delawares-49-17-win/ |
(NEXSTAR) — Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, patients have reported dozens of different symptoms, ranging from cold and flu-like symptoms to more unique ones, including “COVID tongue.”
But like all viruses, the primary symptoms associated with COVID have changed and can vary based on your vaccination status, according to a new list released last week.
The ZOE Health Study — a joint effort by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, King’s College London, Stanford University School of Medicine and the health app ZOE — shared an updated list of the top COVID symptoms currently being reported by its participants.
Researchers have found that for participants in all three groups — fully vaccinated, those who received just one dose, and unvaccinated — four of the five most commonly reported symptoms are the same: sore throat, runny nose, persistent cough, and headache.
Their prevalences across the groups, however, vary, as does the fifth symptom.
For those who are vaccinated, a blocked nose is the third-most frequently reported symptom. Among the partially vaccinated, it’s sneezing, and the unvaccinated, fever.
Below are the symptoms most commonly reported among the three groups, ranked in order of how often they are reported.
Among fully vaccinated participants, symptoms frequently reported earlier on in the pandemic were less prevalent, like the loss of smell, fever, and shortness of breath. Loss of smell and shortness of breath have also been reported less often by unvaccinated patients who test positive for COVID.
Those that have been vaccinated have also been reporting sneezing more often than those who haven’t received a dose. Sneezing and a runny nose, according to ZOE, weren’t previously thought to be a symptom of COVID infection.
Other symptoms frequently reported seem to have become less prevalent as well, like chills or shivers; COVID toes or fingers; and stomach aches.
Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still list symptoms like fatigue, muscle or body aches, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea as possible COVID symptoms. These are the same symptoms listed in 2021 and 2020.
Though ZOE didn’t provide details on how severe these symptoms were or which COVID variant they are related to, researchers found the symptoms of omicron, currently the dominant variant in the world, seem to be milder than the once-dominant delta variant.
A sore throat has been more commonly reported and the loss of smell less commonly by patients with the omicron variant than those with the delta variant. Those who have been vaccinated also face a shorter spell of COVID than those with delta.
Earlier this year, when the BA.5 omicron subvariant became dominant in the U.S., younger patients began noting extreme fatigue, according to said Dr. Sergio Segarra, chief medical officer at Baptist Hospital in Miami.
BA.5 remains the most prominent strain in the U.S., CDC data shows, followed by BA.4.6, BQ.1.1, and BQ.1. Delta and earlier omicron variants like BA.1.1 and BA.2 are no longer being detected.
Some medical experts are concerned that COVID’s top symptoms, all very cold and flu-like, closely resemble those of other viruses that are starting to appear as we approach winter.
“Right now, we have other competing viruses,” Dr. Ilan Shapiro, Chief Medical Affairs Officer for Los Angeles-based AltaMed, told Nexstar. “We’re starting to see influenza, we’re starting to see rhinovirus, we’re starting to see a lot of other viruses.” He stressed the importance of testing, because treatment for each virus can vary.
Alix Martichoux contributed to this report. | 2022-10-23T20:24:55+00:00 | wnct.com | https://www.wnct.com/news/national/the-main-covid-symptoms-have-changed-research-shows/ |
Consultancy's Notable Growth Fueled by Expanded Capabilities, Partnerships, Acquisitions & Data Mindset
AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Shift Paradigm, a marketing and revenue operations consultancy focused on helping organizations align people, processes and technology around growth, today announced it earned spot #13 on the Austin Fast 50, the Austin Business Journal's annual ranking of the region's fastest growing companies. This news comes on the heels of Shift Paradigm's ranking at #1914 on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America for 2022, with a revenue growth rate of 316%, and recent acquisition of Ergo, a world-class email marketing company.
"It means a lot to be in the great company of Austin's Fast 50 businesses," said Elizabeth Ross, chief executive officer at Shift Paradigm. "As an organization, we've made great strides this year from strategic acquisitions to partnerships that have fueled growth and expanded our client services. We move forward with a truth-through-data mindset for growth, not only for ourselves, but for the clients we partner with."
Austin Business Journal's Fast 50 contest looks at the last three years of revenue growth to determine winners, in this case for 2019 to 2021. This year's Fast 50 offers a unique look at the companies that were able to keep up growth as the pandemic took hold. The awards were open to all companies based in Travis, Williamson, Hays, Caldwell, Bastrop and Burnet counties with at least $500,000 in net revenue. All submissions were reviewed by accounting firm Maxwell Locke & Ritter.
To learn more about Shift Paradigm, please visit www.shiftparadigm.com.
Shift Paradigm unleashes the power of insights, enabled by data fluidity and creative go-to-market strategies to accelerate revenue and drive market growth. With 200+ employees in North America, Shift Paradigm is aligning sales and marketing in organizations around the world, digitally transforming customer experiences in the B2B and B2C spaces. For more information, visit us at www.shiftparadigm.com or email us at go@shiftparadigm.com.
Shift Paradigm and the Shift Paradigm logo are trademarks of Shift Paradigm. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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SOURCE Shift Paradigm | 2022-10-21T15:46:24+00:00 | kwtx.com | https://www.kwtx.com/prnewswire/2022/10/21/shift-paradigm-named-13-austins-fast-50-by-austin-business-journal/ |
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A bullet grazed a juvenile on Wednesday after they were attempting to steal a vehicle, police said Wednesday.
The incident happened on Southwold Drive near Nations Ford Road on Wednesday around 10:16 a.m. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police responded to the scene for a report of an assault with a deadly weapon.
Police say a juvenile was attempting to steal a car in the area when a citizen intervened and shot into the vehicle. The juvenile was grazed by the shot and treated by Medic for non-life-threatening injuries.
CMPD has not released any charges in the incident. This case remains under investigation by CMPD. Any further information will be released when it is available.
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All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere. | 2023-01-19T00:48:46+00:00 | wcnc.com | https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/juvenile-shot-while-attempting-to-steal-vehicle-in-southwest-charlotte-police-say-southwold-drive-cmpd/275-8a61525c-7ac4-4d08-9f5f-bc68bdf79820 |
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker made a stop in Rockford on Thursday with a backdrop of a Metra train and local and state officials to announce that passenger rail will again connect the Forest City to Chicago.
Metra will use the Milwaukee District West line and relationships with the Union Pacific Railroad to extend service beyond Elgin to reach Rockford, with expected stops in Huntley and Belvidere.
According to the Governor's office, travel time is anticipated to be slightly less than two hours between the two cities, with two round trips per day planned. Boarding locations in Chicago and Rockford, as well as a fare structure and schedule, are still to be determined.
Gov. Pritzker says the project is possible due to $275 million in rail improvements from the Rebuild Illinois statewide infrastructure plan. Service is expected to begin in 2027.
The next phases of the project involve reaching operations and maintenance agreements between IDOT, Metra, and Union Pacific, pending Metra board approval.
Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara was on hand for Thursday's announcement.
"Passenger rail service will certainly make sure that this transformation, specifically in southwest Rockford, but all of Rockford is on the fast track," McNamara said. "Passenger rail service will benefit all Rockfordians."
Amtrak operated passenger rail service for Rockford until 1981. Since then, there have been a few stops and starts along the way to bring passenger rail back to the city, including citizen-led efforts.
In 2014, former Gov. Pat Quinn announced a plan to restore Chicago to Rockford Amtrak service but the project was put on hold when former Gov. Bruce Rauner took office. | 2023-07-06T18:02:40+00:00 | nprillinois.org | https://www.nprillinois.org/illinois/2023-07-06/gov-pritzker-rolls-into-rockford-to-announce-metra-rail-service |
HOUSTON (AP) — For now and forever, Dusty Baker, the epic storyteller, first-class namedropper, toothpick chewer and baseball lifer will bear a most distinguished title.
World Series champion manager.
The man who can weave a tale like few others, wistfully recalling his time under Hank Aaron’s tutelage or chance encounters with Jimi Hendrix, John F. Kennedy Jr. and countless more, completed the only missing chapter in his own story Saturday night.
After 25 seasons as a big league skipper peppered with a couple of painful near-misses, the 73-year-old Baker finally made it all the way home when his Houston Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 to win the title.
“Had this happened years ago, I might not even be here,” Baker said. “So maybe it wasn’t supposed to happen so that I could hopefully influence a few young men’s lives and their families and a number of people in the country through showing what perseverance and character can do for you in the long run.”
When Yordan Alvarez connected on a go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth inning, cameras panned to a beaming Baker who raised both arms high above his head. At the end of the game, the coaching and training staff circled around Baker, jumping up and down, chanting “Dusty! Dusty! Dusty!” in the dugout before they joined the players on the field.
Baker’s wife, Melissa, and son Darren Baker were on the field to celebrate his long-awaited title and they all shared a hug not long after the final out.
“He’s put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears and the game almost killed him when he had a stroke in 2017,” she said. “So just to see all this come together — he’s worked so hard and if anybody earned it… it’s him.”
He became the oldest manager to win a World Series in his third trip as a manager to the Fall Classic. As a player he went three times with the Dodgers, winning it all in 1981.
He entered Saturday’s game as the winningest manager without a World Series title and improved to 2,094-1,790 with this most memorable victory.
“I got 2,000 wins and all they talk about is I haven’t won the World Series yet,” he said Thursday.
They can’t say that anymore.
Houston ace Justin Verlander raved about the skipper.
“To… be the team that was able to pull it off for him, I know how much it means to him and it means so much to us,” he said. “Couldn’t be happier for him. Couldn’t be happier for us. Couldn’t be happier for the city.”
Baker joins Dave Roberts (Dodgers, 2020) and Cito Gaston (Blue Jays, 1992, 1993) as the only Black managers to win a World Series.
“I don’t think about being an African-American manager because I look in the mirror every day and I know what I am,” he said before the game. “You know what I’m saying? (But) I do know that there’s certain pressure from a lot of people that are pulling for me, especially people of color. And that part I do feel. I hear it every day… and so I feel that I’ve been chosen for this.”
He didn’t realize he was the oldest manager to win a title, but he was keenly aware that he was just the third Black man to do so.
“I don’t think about being the oldest,” he said. “I don’t think about my age. But I do think about being the third Black manager with Dave Roberts and my good friend Cito Gaston, who was responsible really for me as a kid when I first signed with the Braves.”
He helped the Astros to their second World Series title and first since the scandal-tainted one in 2017 that made Houston the most hated team in baseball. Baker helped clean up the team’s image after that and some begrudgingly began rooting for the Astros because they admired him.
While beloved across the game, he quickly became a fan favorite in Houston. Saturday night several fans proudly displayed signs that read “Do it 4 Dusty.”
“I’ve had some ups and downs, some disappointments, you know? But those disappointments make you stronger or they break you,” Baker said. “So this has kind of been the story of my life where people tell me what you can’t do or even now, I won a bunch of games, my teams won a bunch of games, and all I hear about is what you don’t do, you don’t like this or you don’t like young players, you can’t handle pitchers, you can’t, and I’m like, well, damn, what did I do? After awhile I quit listening to folks telling me what I can’t do.”
Baker is the 12th manager in major league history to reach 2,000 wins and the first Black man to do it. Ten of the 11 other managers who have accumulated at least 2,000 wins are in the Hall of Fame. Bruce Bochy (2,003), who isn’t yet eligible, is the only exception.
Baker managed San Francisco, the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati and Washington before coming to Houston. He’s the only manager in major league history to take five different teams to the postseason.
Baker had come close before. In 2002, his San Francisco Giants starring Barry Bonds entered Game 6 against the Anaheim Angels a win away from a title. As the road team for the last two games of that series, the Giants squandered a five-run lead in a 6-5 loss in the sixth game before the Angels won the title with a 4-1 victory in Game 7.
After the crushing loss in Game 7, Baker met with his father, Johnnie B. Baker Sr., who delivered a harsh message.
“He goes: ‘Man, after the way (you) lost that one, I don’t know if you’ll ever win another one,” Baker recalled last year.
Even though his father has been gone for more than a decade he stills thinks about him every day and often recalls that moment. He’s been driven to prove his father wrong.
After being fired by the Nationals following a 97-win season in 2017, Baker wondered if he’d ever get another shot to manage, much less win that elusive title.
Back home in Northern California, as he worked on his wine business and grew collard greens in his garden, he often felt perplexed he had been passed over for interviews so many times as managerial openings came and went, having made inquiries that he said were unanswered over the years.
Then came 2019 and the stunning revelation that the Astros had illicitly stolen signs in 2017 and again in 2018. Manager A.J. Hinch was suspended for a year and subsequently fired, making way for Baker to return to the game.
Baker took over for the 2020 COVID-19-shortened season. The Astros squeaked into the postseason as a wild-card team before heating up in playoffs to come one win shy of reaching the World Series.
Baker made his return to the Series last season but came up short again as Houston fell to Atlanta in six games.
Baker was lifelong friends with Aaron, who died in January 2021 at 86. He joked that he probably didn’t have Aaron on his side last year against his Braves, but that things should be different this time around.
“He was probably rooting for the Braves last year,” Baker said last month. “I figure now he’s rooting for me.”
Hammerin’ Hank would certainly have been proud to see his buddy finally reach this milestone since Baker was by his side for his biggest one.
Baker was on deck and among the Braves congregated at the plate to celebrate with Aaron on April 8, 1974, when he hit his 715th home run to pass Babe Ruth for most all-time.
When the fact that Baker’s future is uncertain because he isn’t under contract for next season was raised, he interjected before the question could be finished. “I ain’t worried about none of that,” he said. “I’m just going to enjoy today and I’m sure it will be taken care of.”
Baker went through his normal routine before coming to the ballpark Saturday. He picked up coffee from a favorite spot in Rice Village and retrieved his clothes from the dry cleaners.
Baker also went to the cobbler to get some “expensive shoes” that he was having repaired because the sole came off.
Good thing, too because after Saturday night’s win he’ll need a nice pair of shoes at the end of his career for a likely walk into the Hall of Fame.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2022-11-06T14:10:34+00:00 | ktalnews.com | https://www.ktalnews.com/sports/ap-baker-finally-wins-1st-series-title-as-manager-with-astros/ |
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On the eve of the election, an East Texas county is facing allegations of intimidating and discriminating against Black voters during early voting.
In a federal lawsuit filed Monday, the Beaumont chapter of the NAACP and Jessica Daye, a Black registered voter, accused Jefferson County election officials of unconstitutionally harassing Black voters in Beaumont by scrutinizing their identities and shadowing them while at the voting stations. A federal judge Monday evening was holding an emergency hearing on the lawsuit, which asks for changes during Tuesday’s election.
“White poll workers throughout early voting repeatedly asked in aggressive tones only Black voters and not White voters to recite, out loud within the earshot of other voters, poll workers, and poll watchers, their addresses, even when the voter was already checked in by a poll worker,” the suit claims.
“White poll workers and White poll watchers followed Black voters and in some cases their Black voter assistants around the polling place, including standing two feet behind a Black voter and the assistant, while the voter was at the machine casting a ballot,” the suit continued. “White poll workers helped White voters scan their voted ballots into voting machines but did not similarly help Black voters scan their ballots.”
Daye witnessed such an incident while in line to cast her ballot last week at a community center that serves a predominantly Black community in north Beaumont where she typically votes, the suit claims. Daye was a few feet behind an elderly Black voter who, the lawsuit alleges, had already been checked in to vote by a Black election worker. But when the voter moved down the table to where a white poll worker stood, the poll worker “aggressively asked the elderly Black voter to show him her identification again and recite her address out loud to him.”
Daye abandoned the polling place without voting for fear of facing the same treatment and plans to vote at a different polling place on Election Day. White voters, the lawsuit claims, were not asked to recite their addresses out loud after already being checked in.
In the lawsuit, Daye and the NAACP are asking a federal judge to declare the election workers’ actions unconstitutional treatment of Black voters in violation of the 14th and 15th Amendments as well as a violation of the federal Voting Rights Act which guarantees the right to vote without intimidation. They are asking the judge to block county election workers from engaging in the same behavior during Election Day.
Located to the east of Houston, the city of Beaumont sits in the northeast corner of Jefferson County. While Jefferson County is majority white, Beaumont’s population is 45% Black and 43.5% white.
To be checked in, voters must present a photo ID to verify their identity. The election worker checking them in will then pull up the list of registered voters to locate the voter and compare their name.
Once they’ve determined the voter is registered, the Texas Election Code says the election worker must ask if the address on their voter registration record has changed. Though Texas requires photo ID to vote, the address on the ID does not have to match what’s on a voter’s registration record. Once this is verified, the voter will be asked to sign a roster and then directed to the voting area.
Meanwhile, no other person — except the person assisting a voter — is allowed to be present while they prepare their ballot, according to the secretary of state’s handbook for election judges.
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit statewide news organization dedicated to keeping Texans informed on politics and policy issues that impact their communities. This election season, Texans around the state will turn to The Texas Tribune for the information they need on voting, election results, analysis of key races and more. Get the latest. | 2022-11-08T02:13:55+00:00 | ksat.com | https://www.ksat.com/news/texas/2022/11/08/beaumont-election-officials-accused-of-harassment-and-discrimination-against-black-voters/ |
NEW YORK, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gross Law Firm issues the following notice to shareholders of Weber Inc..
Shareholders who purchased shares of WEBR during the class period listed are encouraged to contact the firm regarding possible lead plaintiff appointment. Appointment as lead plaintiff is not required to partake in any recovery.
CLASS PERIOD: This lawsuit is on behalf of persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Weber Class A common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement and prospectus issued in connection with the Company's August 2021 initial public offering.
ALLEGATIONS: The complaint alleges that during the class period, Defendants issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Weber was reasonably likely to implement price increases; (2) as a result, consumer demand for Weber's products was reasonably likely to decrease; (3) due to the resulting inventory buildup, Weber was reasonably likely to run promotions to "enhance retail sell through"; (4) the foregoing would adversely impact Weber's financial results; and (5) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects, were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.
DEADLINE: September 27, 2022 Shareholders should not delay in registering for this class action. Register your information here: https://securitiesclasslaw.com/securities/weber-inc-loss-submission-form/?id=31254&from=4
NEXT STEPS FOR SHAREHOLDERS: Once you register as a shareholder who purchased shares of WEBR during the timeframe listed above, you will be enrolled in a portfolio monitoring software to provide you with status updates throughout the lifecycle of the case. The deadline to seek to be a lead plaintiff is September 27, 2022. There is no cost or obligation to you to participate in this case.
WHY GROSS LAW FIRM? The Gross Law Firm is nationally recognized class action law firm, and our mission is to protect the rights of all investors who have suffered as a result of deceit, fraud, and illegal business practices. The Gross Law Firm is committed to ensuring that companies adhere to responsible business practices and engage in good corporate citizenship. The firm seeks recovery on behalf of investors who incurred losses when false and/or misleading statements or the omission of material information by a company lead to artificial inflation of the company's stock. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
The Gross Law Firm
15 West 38th Street, 12th floor
New York, NY, 10018
Email: dg@securitiesclasslaw.com
Phone: (646) 453-8903
View original content:
SOURCE The Gross Law Firm | 2022-08-31T10:38:23+00:00 | witn.com | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/shareholder-alert-gross-law-firm-notifies-shareholders-weber-inc-class-action-lawsuit-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-27-2022-nyse-webr/ |
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele went from being teammates to close friends and now seem to be inseparable on the PGA Tour, so the final round of the BMW Championship might have the feel of one of their countless practice rounds.
Except for the stakes.
Cantlay holed out from 106 yards in the fairway on the par-5 14th and had a 6-under 65 despite twice missing 3-foot par putts. That gave him a one-shot lead over Schauffele and Scott Stallings going into Sunday in the second FedEx Cup playoff event.
Schauffele had an eagle early in the round with an approach to 5 feet on the par-5 third hole and he played bogey-free for a 67.
Sunday will be the sixth time in eight FedEx Cup playoff events they have played together, and it will be the second time this year they have played in the final group. Schauffele led by one at the Travelers Championship and shot 68 to win. Cantlay had a 76.
They also won the Zurich Classic as partners.
The typical practice round is match play of some variety, winner-take-all. This one could determine who goes to the Tour Championship as the No. 1 seed and starts the chase for he FedEx Cup with a two-shot advantage.
That depends on Masters champion Scotti Scheffler, who joined Adam Scott two shots behind.
Cantlay, who was 12-under 201, is trying to become the first back-to-back winner of the BMW Championship since it became part of the FedEx Cup playoffs in 2007.
He knows from experience the value of being a top seed at the Tour Championship. After his playoff win in the BMW Championship last year at Caves Valley, he had a two-shot lead at the start of the FedEx Cup finale and wound up winning by one shot to claim the $18 million prize.
“My head is not even there right now,” Cantlay said. “I think the best way to handle this playoff system is to just focus on doing your best in the tournament that you’re in and not worry too much about the points. So that’s what I’m going to do.”
And there’s another reason. This is far from a two-man show on the South course at Wilmington Country Club that is sun-baked and becoming faster by the day.
Scott, trying to work his way into the top 30 who reach the Tour Championship, held his own with a 69 and was only two shots behind. He started the postseason at No. 77 and is coming off a tie for fifth last week just to make it to the BMW.
Also two back was Scheffler, the world No. 1 who answered consecutive bogeys late in his round with a 4-foot birdie for a 68.
Collin Morikawa (65) and Aaron Wise (67) made it seven players separated by three shots.
Rory McIlroy started slowly and could only manage a 70, leaving him five shots. Jordan Spieth, who began the weekend just one shot behind, missed par putts of 3 feet and 2 feet and didn’t have much else go right in his round of 74 that took him out of contention.
Cantlay and Schauffele became fast friends at the Presidents Cup in 2019 at Royal Melbourne and now take holidays together, along with countless practice rounds. It’s different with a scorecard in hand, though the comfort level is obvious.
“I know how he hits the ball, he knows how I hit the ball. If I flush one or he flushes one, it sort of is extra information that we can use. I like to use that as an advantage, and we’re good friends, so it’s a very sort of easygoing pairing even though we’re trying to beat each other,” Schauffele said.
Give this round to Cantlay, just barely.
Schauffele was leading when Cantlay missed a 3-foot par putt — he also missed one from a little closer on the 17th — and after they matched two-putt birdies on the 12th, Cantlay holed a birdie putt from 8 feet on the 13th and then spun back a lob wedge for eagle at the 14th.
That put him in the lead, and after the shocker of a short miss for par, he finished with another lob ledge that expertly used a backstop and rolled down to 8 feet for birdie.
Delaware has never hosted a PGA Tour event, so this is new for everyone. That explains why Cantlay with a wedge in hand was walking to the front of every green to see the slopes and find the best play. It worked on the 14th for his eagle, and on the 18th for his birdie.
Stallings has plenty at stake on Sunday, too. He came into the BMW Championship at No. 46 in the standings and now is clearly within range of playing one more week.
“That was my No. 1 goal to start the year,” Stallings said.
This is his 12th year on the PGA Tour and the closest he has ever been to the Tour Championship.
___
More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2022-08-21T06:04:39+00:00 | cenlanow.com | https://www.cenlanow.com/sports/cantlay-has-1-shot-lead-into-final-round-at-bmw-championship/ |
WUHAN, China, July 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DouYu International Holdings Limited ("DouYu" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: DOYU), a leading game-centric live streaming platform in China and a pioneer in the eSports value chain, today announced that it plans to release its unaudited financial results for the second quarter 2023 before the U.S. market opens on Monday, August 14, 2023. The earnings release will be available on the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.douyu.com/.
DouYu's management will hold a conference call on Monday, August 14, 2023, at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time or 7:00 p.m. Beijing Time to discuss the financial results. Listeners may access the call by dialing the following numbers:
The replay will be accessible through August 21, 2023, by dialing the following numbers:
A live and archived webcast of the conference call will also be available at the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.douyu.com/.
About DouYu International Holdings Limited
Headquartered in Wuhan, China, DouYu International Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: DOYU) is a leading game-centric live streaming platform in China and a pioneer in the eSports value chain. DouYu operates its platform on both PC and mobile apps to bring users access to immersive and interactive games and entertainment livestreaming, a wide array of video and graphic contents, as well as opportunities to participate in community events and discussions. By nurturing a sustainable technology-based talent development system and relentlessly producing high-quality content, DouYu consistently delivers premium content through integration of livestreaming, video, graphics, and virtual communities with a primary focus on games, especially on eSports. This enables DouYu to continuously expand its user base and enhance its user experience. For more information, please see http://ir.douyu.com/.
Investor Relations Contact
In China:
Lingling Kong
DouYu International Holdings Limited
Email: ir@douyu.tv
Tel: +86 (10) 6508-0677
Andrea Guo
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Email: douyu@tpg-ir.com
Tel: +86 (10) 6508-0677
In the United States:
Brandi Piacente
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Email: douyu@tpg-ir.com
Tel: +1-212-481-2050
Media Relations Contact
Lingling Kong
DouYu International Holdings Limited
Email: pr_douyu@douyu.tv
Tel: +86 (10) 6508-0677
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SOURCE DouYu International Holdings Limited | 2023-07-27T09:16:33+00:00 | kcrg.com | https://www.kcrg.com/prnewswire/2023/07/27/douyu-international-holdings-limited-report-second-quarter-2023-financial-results-august-14-2023/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s transportation secretary usually holds one of the most public-facing roles in any presidential administration. A core aspect of the Cabinet job is to travel the country, doling out millions of public dollars and attending ribbon-cutting ceremonies for new bridges and overpasses and ports.
Even by those standards, Pete Buttigieg has spent an inordinate amount of time in the national spotlight delivering the largesse of the big infrastructure and domestic spending bills. But at the same time, the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate and onetime mayor of South Bend, Indiana, also has been the public face of a string of transportation-related crises, all amid steady speculation about his future political prospects.
During the 40-year-old Buttigieg’s tenure, there have been widespread global supply chain issues and logjams at major ports, multiple instances of mass flight cancellations by airlines and a narrowly avoided nationwide strike by railroad workers that was only averted by an eleventh-hour intervention from Congress.
The latest transportation mishap was the most high-profile yet.
On Wednesday morning, a malfunction in an obscure and apparently obsolete internal system called the Notice to Air Missions, or NOTAM, forced the temporary grounding of all air traffic in the United States. The move touched off a cascading snarl that resulted in the cancellation of more than 1,300 flights and the delay of 9,000 more. It was the biggest shutdown of U.S. aviation since the attacks of Sept 11, 2001.
Faced with a historic system failure, Buttigieg appeared to lean into his role as the face of the beleaguered American transportation network.
Appearing Wednesday at a Transportation Research Board conference, Buttigieg jumped right into the airline debacle before anyone could ask.
He called it “another challenging day for U.S. aviation” and said his department was “now pivoting to understanding the cause of the issue.”
“We’re gonna own it,” Buttigieg later told reporters.
Earlier that day, during an interview with CNN, Buttigieg offered a positive spin, saying that “part of what you saw this morning was an act of caution.”
But he also acknowledged that the mishap had exposed a desperate need to modernize crucial and antiquated systems.
“We need to design a system that does not have these kinds of vulnerabilities,” he said.
Buttigieg’s challenges earn a special kind of sympathy from those who have sat in the same seat.
Ray LaHood, a former Republican congressman from Illinois who served as transportation secretary for four years under President Barack Obama, said he met with Buttigieg for 90 minutes shortly after Buttigieg was nominated by President Joe Biden.
“I told him, ‘When you walk in the door and turn the lights on, there’s going to be a crisis. And every day there’ll be one or more,’ ” LaHood said. “When something goes wrong, you become the face of it.”
In his two years on the job, Buttigieg has repeatedly criticized U.S. airlines for chronic cancellations and shoddy customer service — making Wednesday’s debacle particularly awkward. It also highlighted the fact that the Federal Aviation Administration has been without a Senate-confirmed leader for nearly a year.
Stephen Dickson, a former Delta Airlines executive and appointee of President Donald Trump, resigned last March, midway through his five-year term. Biden’s nominee, Denver International Airport CEO Phillip Washington, has seemingly stalled in the Senate, despite Democratic control of the chamber, over questions about Washington’s qualifications and his involvement in a corruption investigation in California.
Similarly, another major part of Buttigieg’s department, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has been without a Senate-confirmed leader since last fall, when Steven Cliff resigned just three months after his confirmation to run the California Air Resources Board.
Robert Mann, an independent aviation industry consultant and former executive at American and Pan Am, said the vulnerabilities highlighted by the transportation issues far predate Buttigieg’s tenure and run deep into the institutional fabric of the his department and many other large government agencies.
“We’ve had pipeline problems, we’ve had maritime problems. How much does the secretary actually control? None,” Mann said. “Same with his predecessors as well.”
But Republican politicians have been quick to pile on Buttigieg, perhaps seeking to damage the prospects of a young Democratic star who has already run for president once.
In the wake of the mass flight groundings, Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz — himself a former and potential future presidential candidate — led the public charge.
“The FAA’s inability to keep an important safety system up and running is completely unacceptable and just the latest example of dysfunction within the Department of Transportation,” said Cruz, one of 13 senators who voted against confirming Buttigieg. “This incident also highlights why the public needs a competent, proven leader with substantive aviation experience leading the FAA.”
Cruz is expected to assume the role of the top Republican on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which has jurisdiction over aviation.
Rep. Sam Graves, the new chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said he expected a “prompt update on DOT’s efforts to do right by the passengers it has wronged” and a full accounting of what happened.
“The FAA does not run on autopilot – it needs skilled, dedicated, and permanent leadership in positions across the agency,” Graves, R-Mo., said in a statement. “The Biden Administration seems to think this lack of qualified leadership can go on indefinitely.”
LaHood, a Republican who served in a Democratic administration, said he met with Buttigieg again after last year’s midterm elections when it became clear Republicans would control the House.
LaHood’s message: “Get ready because you are going to have a target on your back. … You’re a high-visibility Democrat who ran for president. When things happen, be prepared for Republicans to take potshots at you.”
Last year, Buttgieg moved from Indiana to Traverse City, Michigan, hometown of his husband Chasten. Buttigieg said at the time it was primarily to be closer to Chasten’s parents, who were helping to care for the couple’s two young children. But the move to a longtime Democratic stronghold fueled speculation that Buttigieg was priming for his next campaign.
When Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., recently announced that she would not run for reelection, there was buzz that Buttigieg might run. But he was quick to knock down the speculation. He said he was “fully focused” on his Cabinet post and was “not seeking any other job.”
The trials and tribulations of his current assignment have reached the point where White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had to address questions on Wednesday about Biden’s confidence in Buttigieg’s performance.
Biden, she said, “respects the secretary and the work he has been doing.”
___
Associated Press writers David Koenig in Dallas and Tom Krisher in Detroit contributed to this report. | 2023-01-15T14:02:36+00:00 | texomashomepage.com | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/political-news/ap-buttigieg-finds-himself-in-the-spotlight-for-better-or-worse/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge showed growing impatience Thursday with FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s use of the internet while on bail, suggesting that incarceration might eventually be the most effective way to prevent him from communicating on electronic devices in ways that can’t be traced.
Judge Lewis A. Kaplan did not immediately change a $250 million bail package that lets Bankman-Fried live with his parents in Palo Alto, California, while preparing for trial on charges that he cheated investors and looted customer deposits at FTX, his cryptocurrency trading platform.
But he raised the possibility for the first time that jail might be the only way to ensure Bankman-Fried won’t outfox the government with ways to use electronic devices in ways that can’t be tracked.
“There is a solution, but it’s not one anybody’s proposed yet,” Kaplan said as Bankman-Fried sat passively at the defense table. He then noted that there may be many devices in Bankman-Fried’s family home that the government will not be tracking, even with any new rules imposed on his bail conditions.
“Why am I being asked to set him loose in this garden of electronic devices?” he asked prosecutors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Roos said a more “drastic alternative” would be to ban Bankman-Fried’s use of all electronic devices, but he added that it would be difficult for him to prepare for a trial tentatively set for October if that were to occur.
The judge noted that Bankman-Fried, according to prosecutors, “has done things that suggests to me that maybe he has committed or attempted to commit a federal felony while on release.”
Kaplan was alluding to a claim by prosecutors that Bankman-Fried sent an encrypted message over the Signal texting app on Jan. 15 to the general counsel of FTX US.
According to prosecutors, the message said: “I would really love to reconnect and see if there’s a way for us to have a constructive relationship, use each other as resources when possible, or at least vet things with each other. I’d love to get on a phone call sometime soon and chat.”
Federal prosecutors have told Kaplan that Bankman-Fried’s communications indicate he may be trying to influence a witness with incriminating evidence against him.
On Thursday, prosecutors asked Kaplan to more severely limit Bankman-Fried’s use of electronic devices and the internet, including banning him from messaging applications and requiring the installation of a device monitoring program on his cellphone and computer.
A day earlier, they wrote in court papers that his “behavior shows that the existing conditions leave too much room for circumvention of restrictions aimed at preventing inappropriate conduct, including contacting witnesses and accessing cryptocurrency assets.”
They described him as “a technologically sophisticated person with both the ability and the inclination to seek workarounds of more narrowly drawn bail conditions.”
Mark Cohen, Bankman-Fried lawyer, called the proposals by prosecutors “draconian” requests that would make it hard for lawyers and the defendant to prepare for trial. But he soon found himself on the defensive as Kaplan noted his client’s apparent bail violations, including accessing an encrypted internet site to watch the Super Bowl.
The judge mocked Bankman-Fried’s use of an encrypted method to watch the game, noting that it was on any television. Cohen responded that there wasn’t a TV in the house.
“I think we understand your comments today, your honor, that there is no margin for error,” Cohen said. “That if there are any violations, we will be at a very different proceeding.”
Of the eventual bail restrictions, the judge said: “I want this to be tight, not just tight in characterization, but tight in fact.”
Bankman-Fried has been confined with electronic monitoring to his parents’ home since his December arrest on charges that he cheated investors and that diverted their deposits, in part to finance political donations and make risky trades at Alameda Research. He has pleaded not guilty. | 2023-02-17T06:40:42+00:00 | wate.com | https://www.wate.com/news/business/ap-business/ap-judge-suggests-jail-to-limit-ftx-founders-communications/ |
REDMOND, Wash. (AP) — Microsoft cuts about 10,000 jobs, less than 5% of global workforce.
- Chris Pettit’s personal property hits the auction block
- City might use eminent domain on bar property for Alamo museum
- Ana Sandoval to step down from City Council this month
- Housekeepers find two dead bodies inside East Side hotel room
- Spurs reach naming rights agreement with Victory Capital for Nort
- Packing heat: TSA busts S.A. traveler with large caliber weapon
- MLK Day march attracts thousands to the streets of San Antonio
- Bank regulator finds evidence of 6,477 violations at USAA Bank
MOST POPULAR
- Bush reflects on Alamo project, his own political futureAfter eight years as Texas land commissioner, the 46-year-old Republican is focusing on his private law practice and being “a really good dad.”By Scott Huddleston | 2023-01-18T15:00:37+00:00 | expressnews.com | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/Alert-Microsoft-cuts-about-10-000-jobs-less-17725093.php |
North Ridgeville, Ohio
Things are about to be smokin’ in North Ridgeville with the upcoming opening of Smokin’ Mary’s BBQ Pit and Saloon, 34173 Center Ridge Road (former Tommy’s Bar and Grill location in Providence Plaza behind the GetGo gas station).
The husband and wife team owners Julie (Mary) and Wil Novak have more than 60 years combined experience in the restaurant industry and this will be their third restaurant opening since 2018. The couple own the popular Hail Mary’s, 27828 Center Ridge Road, Westlake; and the recently opened Salty Mary’s Oyster Bar and Tavern, 25600 Center Ridge Road, Westlake.
“Smokin’ Mary’s BBQ Pit and Saloon’s menu will feature house-smoked meats, house-made BBQ sauces, and unique spins on traditional BBQ sides with Tex-Mex influence,” said Megan Novak, social media manager for the restaurants, in an email. “Menus including themed cocktails and brunch selections are in the works. The interior will have Nashville- inspired decor with fun pops of personalized artwork and some very photo-worthy spots throughout the restaurant. I can confirm that we’re planning to open mid-October and we’re thrilled to be part of another growing community and serve the people of North Ridgeville.”
A website will be up and running soon and will offer a VIP mailing list for updates and special offers. Follow on social media @SmokinMarys on Instagram, and Smokin’ Mary’s on Facebook, for menu items, interior updates, live music schedules, opening party info, and opening day updates.
AVON
New Crushers manager, schedule released: The Lake Erie Crushers, presented by Akron Children’s Hospital, recently announced Jared Lemieux will be the team’s new director of baseball operations and field Manager for the 2023 Frontier League season. Lemieux spent the past two seasons coaching with the New Jersey Jackals, and has been involved in professional baseball, either playing or coaching since 2006.
Lemieux spent five seasons playing in the CAN-AM and American Association while earning his Master’s Degree from Springfield College. He has coached at the college level and spent five seasons coaching with the Ottawa Champions in the CAN-AM League, winning a championship in 2016, before joining the Jackals in 2021, according to information released by the Crushers organization.
It’s never too early to think of spring as the Crushers recently released their 2023 schedule. The Crushers will play 51 home baseball games at Mercy Health Stadium next summer, including nine weekend homestands.
The Crushers will open the 2023 season at home May 12 against the defending Frontier League champion Québec Capitales. Lake Erie Crushers games will feature nine Friday night fireworks shows, in addition to the Red, White & Boom show July 3 presented by the City of Avon.
“We are already counting down the days to the start of the 2023 season”, said Tom Kramig, Crushers co-owner in a press release. “We are going to be bringing back some of our fan favorite promotions, such as Stomper’s Birthday, Christmas in July and Military Appreciation Night. Plus we have some new surprises for the fans that we’re sure they’re going to enjoy next summer.”
When the team plays next season it will be on new turf as the stadium is undergoing renovations to the field.
To view the full schedule, go to lakeeriecrushers.com. For more information, including tickets, call 440-934-3636 or email info@lakeeriecrushers.com.
Sunflower field blooming: Maria’s Field of Hope will be in full bloom this month at its temporary location on Recreation Lane (road that leads into Crushers Stadium and the French Creek YMCA). A Family Fun Day, sponsored by Millcraft, will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. A cook-out will be onsite, as well as Maria’s Ice Cream Wagon.
The first-ever Sunflower Trick-or-Treat at Maria’s Field of Hope will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 22. Visitors can come in costume to walk the paths throughout the field where Prayers From Maria volunteers will be passing out candy. Additional treats include apple cider and Maria’s Ice Cream Wagon. All processed from the donations received from both events will support childhood cancer research initiatives funded by Prayers From Maria. For more information, go to prayersfrommaria.org.
Holistic back health: Dr. Leo H. Simoson will present, Healthy Back for a Healthy Life, at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 20 in the Knights of Columbus Ragan Hall, 1783 Moore Road. Dr. Simoson will talk about holistic back health through chiropractic and acupuncture. The public is welcome, RSVP by Oct. 17 to rudybreglia@gmail.com. Snacks and refreshments will be served.
AVON LAKE
Peter Miller House renovations: The Avon Lake Historical Society, in partnership with the City of Avon Lake spearheaded by Council President Marty O’Donnell, are rehabbing the Peter Miller House Museum, 33740 Lake Road. Funding is in part from a private donation from Susan Waddell Mahoney (1968 Avon Lake graduate) and her husband, Patrick; a grant from the Lorain County Commissioners, and the city. Northern Hammerworks, Sandrock Painting, and Avon Lake Sherwin Williams are assisting with the renovations.
The museum is currently closed and the hope is to open before the cold weather hits. Painting is currently taking place and the infrastructure work is happening this week and continuing over the next few weeks.
Scam alert: The Avon Lake Police Department has received several reports from individuals who are receiving calls from people claiming to be specific members of the police department. The residents are being told to call a number 440-653-8221 (U.S. District Court House) and to make arrangements to testify in Federal Court on certain cases. The calls appear to be targeting professionals in the mental health field. If you receive a call, do not call back, it’s a scam. Report the call to the Avon Lake Police Department at 440-933-4567.
NORTH RIDGEVILLE
Book sale: Browse a selection of books during a Book Sale at the North Ridgeville Branch Library, 35700 Bainbridge Road this weekend. Sale runs from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and from 1 to 4:30 p.m. (bag sale) on Sunday.
Speech and language consult: If others find your child’s speech difficult to understand, your child has trouble talking or playing with other children or difficulty understanding what you say, register to attend a Speech and Language Consult. A pediatric speech language pathologist from Mercy Health Children’s Hospital and KidsSpeak, LLC will be at the North Ridgeville Branch Library, 35700 Bainbridge Road, from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 18. The 15‑minute consultation is open to children ages 18 months to 12 years. To register, go to connectingforkids.org/consult.
Coffee chat: Join Mayor Kevin Corcoran for his monthly Coffee & Conversation from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Oct. 24 in council chambers at city hall, 7307 Avon Belden Road.
National Merit semifinalists: Lake Ridge Academy has four students named as National Merit Scholar semifinalists and two students named as Commended Scholars. Congratulations to seniors Finley Pasatta, Andrew Pavel, Mankeerat Rataul, and Sereena Sperry. Finalists will be announced in February. The finalists are selected based on academic records, written essays, participation in school and community activities, evidence of leadership and any other honors or awards received. Seniors Shelby Bennett and Sam Calcut were named Commended Scholars, representing the top five percent of the nation’s top high school seniors.
If you have news/information or a story idea you’d like to share or a ‘shout-out’, please send an email to jshortavon@aol.com.
Read more from the Sun Sentinel. | 2022-10-10T00:28:09+00:00 | cleveland.com | https://www.cleveland.com/community/2022/10/smokin-marys-bbq-pit-and-saloon-coming-to-north-ridgeville-short-takes-on-avon-avon-lake-and-north-ridgeville.html |
Carjackers arrested after shooting, killing victim trying to escape, police say
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC/Gray News) - A Tennessee man has died days after being shot in an attempted carjacking.
Memphis police said the situation started when two men armed with guns and wearing ski masks crashed a stolen car last weekend.
The men then approached a vehicle with two people inside and attempted to carjack them.
As the driver attempted to drive away, one of the men fired a gun, striking the driver.
Officers said the suspects then ran away and ended up stealing another vehicle nearby before leaving the area.
According to police, the injured driver was transported to the hospital that day in critical condition but died on Friday.
Detectives identified the suspects as 20-year-old Daniel Robinson and 17-year-old Tayshun Wooten.
Memphis police said they were able to track the suspects down and take them into custody.
Robinson and Wooten are facing charges that include carjacking and first-degree murder.
Copyright 2023 WMC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2023-06-23T23:51:14+00:00 | wagmtv.com | https://www.wagmtv.com/2023/06/23/carjackers-arrested-after-shooting-killing-victim-trying-escape-police-say/ |
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)
Jon Sweetman, Penn State
(THE CONVERSATION) Wetlands are areas of land that are covered by water, or have flooded or waterlogged soils. They can have water on them either permanently or for just part of the year.
Whether it’s year-round or seasonal, this period of water saturation produces hydric soils, which contain little or no oxygen. But this doesn’t mean that they are lifeless: Wetlands are full of unique water-loving plants and wildlife that have adapted to wet environments.
Wetlands can take many different forms, depending on the local climate, water conditions and land forms and features. For example, swamps are dominated by woody trees or shrubs. Marshes often have more grasslike plants, such as cattails and bulrushes. Bogs and fens are areas that accumulate peat – deposits of dead and partly decomposed plant materials that form organic-rich soil.
Trillions of dollars in ecological benefits
Wetlands are important environments for many reasons. They provide ecological services whose value has been estimated to be worth more than US$47 trillion per year.
For example, wetlands support very high levels of biodiversity. Scientists estimate that 40% of all species on Earth live or breed in wetlands.
Wetlands are critical homes or stopovers for many species of migratory birds. In the central U.S. and Canada, for example, wetlands in the so-called prairie pothole region on the Great Plains support up to three-quarters of North America’s breeding ducks.
Along with providing important habitat for everything from microbes to frogs to waterfowl, wetlands also work to improve water quality. They can capture surface runoff from cities and farmlands and work as natural water filters, trapping excess nutrients that otherwise might create dead zones in lakes and bays. Wetlands can also help remove other pollutants and trap suspended sediments that cloud water bodies, which can kill aquatic plants and animals.
Because wetlands are often in low-lying areas of the landscape, they can store and slowly release surface water. Wetlands can be extremely important for reducing the impacts of flooding. In some places, water entering wetlands can also recharge groundwater aquifers that are important for irrigation and drinking water.
Wetlands also act as important carbon sinks. As wetland plants grow, they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They they die, sink to the bottom of the wetland and decompose very slowly.
Over time, the carbon they contain accumulates in wetland soils, where it can be stored for hundreds of years. Conserving and restoring wetlands is an important strategy for regulating greenhouse gases and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
Resources at risk
Despite the many valuable services they provide, wetlands are constantly being destroyed by draining them or filling them in, mainly for farming and development. Since 1970, the planet has lost 35% of its wetlands, a rate three times faster than the loss of forests.
Destruction and degradation of wetlands has led to the loss of many organisms that rely on wetland habitat, including birds, amphibians, fish, mammals and many insects. As one example, many dragonfly and damselfly species are declining worldwide as the freshwater wetlands where they breed are drained and filled in. A marsh or bog may not look like a productive place, but wetlands teem with life and are critically important parts of our environment.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/what-is-a-wetland-an-ecologist-explains-191495. | 2022-09-30T14:17:32+00:00 | expressnews.com | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/What-is-a-wetland-An-ecologist-explains-17477649.php |
LEADING OFF: Verlander pitches as Astros face Twins, Correa
By The Associated Press
Justin Verlander and the Astros try for their eighth straight win when they visit Joe Ryan and the first-place Twins in a matchup of American League contenders with identical 18-11 records. It’s unclear if new Twins shortstop Carlos Correa will play in the three-game series against his former team because of a bruised finger. Correa has been sidelined since he was hit by a pitch late last week. The two-time All-Star went from Houston to Minnesota last offseason, signing a $105.3 million, three-year contract. Also, Luis Severino starts on eight days’ rest for the Yankees against Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the powerful Blue Jays. | 2022-05-10T10:07:54+00:00 | keyt.com | https://keyt.com/news/2022/05/09/leading-off-verlander-pitches-as-astros-face-twins-correa-2/ |
VENICE, Fla. (AP) — Sheriff’s deputies captured video of a large alligator crawling through a front yard in Florida before making its way into a community lake.
The videowas taken Sunday morning in Venice, Florida, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
Deputies estimated the gator to be about 10 feet long (3 meters).
The sheriff’s office notified the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They also warned neighbors to be on alert because the alligator sauntered down to Harrington Lake to take an Easter morning swim.
Venice is south of Tampa on Florida’s Gulf Coast. | 2022-04-20T02:52:54+00:00 | texomashomepage.com | https://www.texomashomepage.com/weird-news/large-alligator-saunters-through-florida-neighborhood/ |
EUREKA—Woodford County Zoning Administrator Lisa Jording has taken on additional administrative duties in the Supervisor of Assessments office under a new position created by the Woodford County Board.
A contract outlining those duties was approved by the county board on its consent agenda in July with final ratification planned at the board meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 20. However, the board discussed possible changes in the wording of the contract to clarify how changing salary issues for Jording would be handled in the future, but they decided to take no formal action since the contract has already been signed. The matter will be discussed further at the committee level to determine if an addendum to the contract may be needed.
The new position was created as a reorganization of duties originally administered by Supervisor of Assessments Jodi Goff. Goff subsequently resigned her position earlier this month.
According to the contract, Jording’s new duties involve operational support in the office including supervising the chief county assessor and secondary staff, ensuring the tax cycle timeline, handling phone calls and customer service and helping resolve inter-office complaints, among other duties. Jording is performing those duties in addition to her regular duties as Zoning Administrator. No extra hours were added, but Jording will get comp time for attending meetings and performing duties outside her regular hours of 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays.
The contract is effective until Nov. 30, 2022, but can be extended.
The contract also outlines an increased pay scale combining the two positions for the next five years, even though the job has been described as temporary. The new pay scale for Jording ranges from
$67,346 for the current year to $83,894 in 2025-26, but those amounts are only effective as long as she maintains the new duties in addition to her duties as zoning administrator. When the board decides to replace Goff, the duties are likely to change again, as will Jording’s compensation.
Board member Dave Meinhold said the County Offices committee should clarify the language in the contract to make sure the conditions outlined are followed when Jording returns to performing zoning duties only. Board members said their ultimate goal is to replace Goff with a certified assessor, but they do not know how long that will take. In the meantime, Jording’s salary as Zoning Administrator could be raised separately. Meinhold suggested making Jording’s compensation for her work in the Assessor’s office as a separate stipend to make the distinction.
“(The position and contract) is transitional from where we’re at and where we’re going,” Meinhold said. “The compensation (for the assessor’s office) should show as a stipend…If it’s not defined better, it could be a matter of dissension.”
In additional action, the board approved a contract with Gary Twist to perform the specific professional duties in the Assessor’s office related to the tax cycle including sales ration, equalization, publicity and mailing of assessment notices and abstracts as an independent contractor. Twist will be paid $4,000 per month on a month-by-month basis. Board chairman John Krug noted because Twist is an independent contractor, the county will not receive a 50 percent reimbursement of the Supervisor of Assessments salary until they hire a new certified supervisor.
County offices chairman Autum Jones said hiring Twist was a move to have professional services in place “as we figure out what we’re going to do going forward.”
ARPA funds
Finance chairman Chuck Nagel outlined a tentative plan to use funds the county has received through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), a federal grant program that helps county governments replace lost revenue during the COVID pandemic. Nagel said allotting the funds received has been difficult due to changes in the rules governing the money.
“The rules have changed considerably in how the funds can be used,”
Nagel said. “It’s been helter skelter about this…We’ve gotten new information that directly impacted these funds.”
Initially, when the board was informed it would receive the money, they had concerns they might not be able to spend it all within the parameters outlined. They put out a letter asking other governmental units in the county to list any possible projects that would qualify for the funds, and they got requests. However, Nagel said when the rules began to change, the county was able to find several of its own projects that will qualify. Board member Richard Hill said the changes caused confusion.
“It was a moving target,” Hill said. “It morphed and morphed again, then we saw ways we could spend it as a county.”
The Finance committee has compiled a tentative list of possible projects and will appropriate money for those projects in its upcoming budget and appropriations. Many possible projects have been presented by county department heads. Those officials will be asked to get bids or price quotes for the projects to determine what the actual costs will be before the money is spent. It is currently unknown how much money will be spent on the outlined projects or if money will be left over.
“It could be more; it could be less,” Nagel said. He also said even though the money will be appropriated, it does not have to be spent on those specific projects.
Until the board knows the actual cost of the various projects rather than the current estimates, they will not know how much of the money can be allocated and spent for specific projects. Some of the projects on the appropriation list include: $500,000 for rural broadband expansion, $132,000 for a new telephone system, $165,000 for technology upgrades, $340,658 for digitizing documents, $128,505 for election booths and voting machines, and $1.95 million for upgrades to the county highway department. There are also allotments for new police equipment, maintenance projects in the courthouse including a new HVAC system, improvements to parking lots, and improvements in the courthouse annex, among many other projects.
“This will take time,” Nagel said of finalizing all the expenditures.
Board members Bill Cardin and Justin Faulk were absent from the meeting.
In other action, the board:
Approved the purchase of a new security x-ray machine for the courthouse not to exceed $17,280.59 after the sheriff determined repairing the machine would not be cost efficient since it has been determined it was at the end of life.
Noted the Public Safety committee is working with attorneys for the Menssen Trust to enact a new agreement after the old one expired. The agreement is currently in the hands of those attorneys after the county read and tweaked it. The new agreement raises the funding from
$2,000 to $7,500 for veterinary services for animals that need it after being picked up by animal control.
Noted board members were slated to meet with officials from the University of Illinois Extension Service about the upcoming levy to answer questions raised by the board. As of the meeting on Sept. 20, the board was proposing a significant cut in that levy.
“We have a lot of questions we’d like answered,” Hill said. The meeting was to be held Wednesday, Sept. 21. | 2022-09-27T14:40:58+00:00 | pantagraph.com | https://pantagraph.com/lisa-jording-overseeing-assessor-s-office/article_4f10c076-3e69-11ed-8936-0f30286c6ad9.html |
NBA Board of Governors approves Michael Jordan’s sale of the Charlotte Hornets, AP source says
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The NBA Board of Governors has voted to approve Michael Jordan’s sale of the Charlotte Hornets to an ownership group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, according to a person familiar with the situation.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on Sunday on condition of anonymity because the sale won’t become official for at least another week.
The decision ends Jordan’s 13-year run as majority owner of the franchise. He will remain on as a minority owner.
Jordan agreed to sell the team on June 16. However, when an NBA owner decides to sell it first must be approved by the league’s Board of Governors.
Jordan’s decision to sell leaves the NBA without a Black majority owner.
Plotkin has been a minority stakeholder with the Hornets since 2019, while Schnall has been a minority owner of the Atlanta Hawks since 2015. He has been forced to sell his investment in that team.
The sale price is reportedly around $3 billion, according to ESPN.
As an owner, Jordan never came close to matching his success as a player, where he won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls while becoming one of the game’s greatest players ever.
Charlotte went 423-600 under Jordan, the 26th-best record over that span.
The Hornets never won a playoff series in that time and haven’t been to the postseason in the past seven seasons.
The owner members of the Hornets new ownership group include artist J. Cole, Dan Sundheim, Ian Loring, country music singer-songwriter Eric Church, Chris Shumway and several local Charlotte investors, including Amy Levine Dawson and Damian Mills.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2023-07-24T02:51:36+00:00 | wymt.com | https://www.wymt.com/2023/07/24/nba-board-governors-approves-michael-jordans-sale-charlotte-hornets-ap-source-says/ |
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A parliamentary delegation from Hungary said Tuesday that it supports Sweden’s NATO membership bid after meeting the speaker of the Swedish parliament to iron out what Hungary’s governing party has called “political disputes.”
Some Hungarian lawmakers have raised doubts about whether to support the NATO membership applications by Sweden and Finland, citing what they call “blatant lies” from Stockholm and Helsinki on the state of Hungary’s democracy.
But the Hungarian delegation indicated Tuesday that the parliament in Budapest would ultimately ratify Sweden’s NATO bid.
“We support Sweden’s NATO membership,” Hungary’s deputy parliamentary speaker, Csaba Hende, told Swedish news agency TT.
“We made it clear that the Hungarian government, the Hungarian president, the prime minister and most of the Hungarian parliamentarians clearly support Swedish NATO membership,” Hende said, according to the news agency.
In Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the statements by the Hungarian lawmakers.
“They are sending a positive message and recommending ratification. So, of course, we still have some way to go but we are making progress,” Stoltenberg told reporters.
The parliamentary delegation also met with Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström, who said that ”we assume the ratification will take place shortly.”
“The date that has been talked about is the end of March, and that is what we are aiming for,” Billström told TT.
Hungary is the only NATO member country besides Turkey that hasn’t yet approved Sweden and Finland’s joint application to join to Western military alliance. The northern European neighbors sought NATO membership in May in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, dropping their long-standing positions of military neutrality.
According to Aron Emilsson, chairman of the Swedish parliament’s committee on foreign affairs, who also met with the Hungarian delegation, the visiting lawmakers didn’t put forward any conditions for ratification.
“We talked about strengthening and improving bilateral relations and understanding each other’s constitutional traditions,” he said.
Hende said it was necessary to improve bilateral relations between Budapest and Stockholm. Hungarian officials have accused Swedish and Finnish politicians of telling “blatant lies” about Hungary.
“It would be appropriate that Swedish politicians, government representatives and members of the EU Parliament, based on completely untrue facts, do not indicate or imply that there is a lack of rule of law in a country,” Hende told TT.
The European Union has expressed repeated concerns about the state of democracy in Hungary under the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who earlier said it wasn’t right of Finland and Sweden “to ask us to take them on board while they’re spreading blatant lies about Hungary, about the rule of law in Hungary, about our democracy and about life here.”
The Hungarian delegation plans to visit neighboring Finland next to clarify its positions. The delegation’s trip to the two Nordic countries pushed a ratification vote back by two weeks. Hungary’s parliament now expects to take up the measure during a session that begins March 20.
EU defense ministers are holding an informal two-day meeting in Stockholm. Sweden currently holds the European Union’s rotating presidency.
NATO’s Stoltenberg was also in Stockholm and met with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and leaders of parliamentary parties that back the country’s bid to join the alliance.
On Thursday, Stoltenberg will chair a meeting in Brussels between representatives from Sweden, Finland and Turkey.
“I will be cautious about guessing what the outcome will be,” the former Norwegian prime minister told a press conference, adding: “It is important to meet.”
He reiterated that Sweden and Finland “have delivered on what they were supposed to do” after they applied to join the alliance in May.
Kristersson said the Swedish government will formally present later Tuesday a law enabling the Scandinavian country to join NATO. No date for a vote in the 349-seat Riksdag was announced.
“The Riksdag will make its decision in the NATO matter within a few weeks,” Kristersson said. “Sweden thus maintains exactly the same speed as Finland.”
On March 1, the Finnish parliament gave its approval to the NATO bid. Finnish President Sauli Niinisto has pledged to sign that into law before the Finland’s April 2 general election.
___
Justin Spike in Budapest, Hungary, and Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report. | 2023-03-07T21:32:22+00:00 | kxnet.com | https://www.kxnet.com/news/international/ap-international/hungarian-delegation-backs-swedens-nato-application/ |
NORWALK, Conn., July 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Terex Corporation (NYSE: TEX) will host a conference call to review its second quarter 2022 financial results on Wednesday, August 3, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. John L. Garrison, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Julie Beck, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will host the call.
The Company's financial results will be issued and available at https://investors.terex.com after the market close on Tuesday, August 2, 2022.
Participants are encouraged to access the webcast 15 minutes prior to the starting time. The webcast will be available for replay at https://investors.terex.com.
Terex is a global manufacturer of materials processing machinery and aerial work platforms. We design, build and support products used in construction, maintenance, manufacturing, energy, recycling, minerals and materials management applications. Certain Terex products and solutions enable customers to reduce their environmental impact including electric and hybrid offerings that deliver quiet and emission-free performance, products that support renewable energy, and products that aid in the recovery of useful materials from various types of waste. Our products are manufactured in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia and sold worldwide. We engage with customers through all stages of the product life cycle, from initial specification and financing to parts and service support.
Contact Information:
Terex Corporation
Julie Beck
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
(203) 200-5979
InvestorRelations@terex.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Terex Corporation | 2022-07-12T21:09:29+00:00 | newschannel10.com | https://www.newschannel10.com/prnewswire/2022/07/12/terex-announces-second-quarter-2022-financial-results-conference-call/ |
SALT LAKE CITY (KTVX) — A Utah law passed in 2022 is now being used to challenge dozens of books in schools across the state for material that is considered by some to be inappropriate and even pornographic. Since the law took effect, the Davis School District has had 81 requests to review books. One of the most recent: The Holy Bible.
The Davis School District has an eight-page policy to guide the selection (and removal) of materials across its 92 schools.
“It is a process,” district spokesperson Chris Williams told Nexstar’s KTVX. “Anyone who requests a book to be reviewed has to have standing.” He explained that to have standing, a person must be a student, the parent or guardian of a student, an employee, or a school board member. Students, parents and employees can only request a book review for their prospective school.
So far, there have been 81 requests. The district has removed 33 books as a result. The district has retained about 30 books after reviewing them, and a handful are still under the review process.
“We don’t jump to conclusions, we go through the entire process. We don’t blow off one request because we think it’s silly,” Williams stated.
The request can be made on the district’s website, however, the requester needs to include reasoning for the book’s removal. For example, the request for the Bible’s review included 49 pages of Bible verses that could be deemed inappropriate under the law.
“This has been very time consuming,” Williams said. “We have 15 committees that have been established for this purpose.” There are currently eight committees still working on reviews. These are called Sensitive Materials Review Committees. Under district policy, a committee cannot have less than seven people and must be made up of an odd number of people (for voting purposes). A committee must include one district administrator, a licensed teacher who is teaching English Language Arts, a librarian, and at least four parents who have children enrolled in one of the district’s schools.
The first hurdle a book under review has to overcome is the definition of indecent public displays as outlined in the law. This includes, but is not limited to, a description of illicit sex or sexual immorality. This can include descriptions of human genitals in the state of sexual stimulation, sexual intercourse, sodomy, masturbation, erotic touching of the pubic region, buttock or female breast.
If a book isn’t illicitly sexual, the committee will also review it for harsh language, violence, and other references that may be inappropriate for a specific age.
That is the criteria under which the Bible will be reviewed. Williams added: “So, the committee is looking at that right now, looking at the law, seeing where it falls in the law that the legislature has put forth.”
Ideally, the committee will finish the review within 60 days.
Williams wasn’t sure how many schools have a copy of the Bible. However, across the district, it isn’t the only religious text. “We have the Quran, we have the Torah, we have the Bible, we have the Book of Mormon,” he stated.
If found in violation of the law, the Bible will be removed from all schools in the district — as was the case with the 33 previous books which were removed.
The district has a policy that has been around for years. Williams explained: “A parent doesn’t have to go through this entire process of having a book reviewed if they don’t want their individual child to have access to it, they can simply call a school administrator.”
A book that is under review is not removed from school shelves. It is only removed if the committee finds it inappropriate. | 2023-03-24T00:09:51+00:00 | wearegreenbay.com | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/national/bible-ban-school-district-reviewing-the-religious-text-after-parents-request/ |
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – Two passengers and two flight attendants were injured by turbulence on a flight that landed Wednesday at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport in Florida, according to officials.
The Allegiant flight, coming from Asheville, North Carolina, was carrying 179 passengers and six crew members, according to the airline.
Paul Harris was on the flight and said he’s never experienced anything like it.
“There was a sudden burst of turbulence and then major, major turbulence,” Harris said. “The plane felt like it dropped pretty considerably. Several people, including a lady in my row, hit the ceiling.”
He said multiple people were placed on stretchers before being taken off the plane.
Another passenger, Lisa Spriggs, called the experience “petrifying.”
“She was literally like Matrix,” Spriggs said, describing the moment she saw a passenger tossed from her seat. “Watched her go up in the air, and just land straight down. She broke her ankle. Another stewardess in the back broke her ankle, bone was protruding.”
The flight dropped from about 18,000 feet to 13,000 feet in less than two minutes, according to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website.
In a statement to Nexstar’s WFLA, Allegiant said the flight “experienced severe turbulence before landing,” but was able to land normally and reach the gate “under its own power.”
“Airport paramedics met the plane to assess two passengers and two flight attendants for injuries. They were transported to the hospital for further evaluation,” Allegiant added. “We will continue to investigate the incident in coordination with the FAA and NTSB and will provide more information as soon as it becomes available. No additional details can be confirmed at this time.”
Turbulence, which is unstable air in the atmosphere, remains a cause of injury for airline passengers despite airline safety improvements.
Earlier this year, a former White House official died after the business jet she was traveling on encountered severe turbulence. The flight was forced to make an emergency landing at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut.
Just days earlier, seven people were taken to hospitals in Washington, D.C. after their plane, flying from Austin, Texas, to Germany, suffered significant turbulence.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | 2023-07-12T22:55:20+00:00 | ourquadcities.com | https://www.ourquadcities.com/news/national-news/literally-like-matrix-passengers-crew-injured-by-severe-turbulence-on-allegiant-flight/ |
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Wade Taylor took a minute to reflect on his team’s journey after No. 24 Texas A&M knocked off No. 2 Alabama on Saturday to wrap up the regular season.
“We’ve had a bunch of ups and downs,” Taylor said. “On Dec. 20 we were 6-5 and nobody would have thought we’d be in this position we’re in today. This team is very resilient.”
Taylor scored 28 points and the Aggies beat Alabama 67-61 , making their late free throws after Crimson Tide star Brandon Miller fouled out.
“In the figurative fights they’ve learned not to flinch,” Aggies coach Buzz Williams said. “Our team has improved with each passing game and I think today was another example.”
The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Crimson Tide (26-5, 16-2 Southeastern Conference). Alabama played the last two minutes minus Miller, who fouled out after scoring a team-leading 19 points.
“We just didn’t quite have enough,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said. “They were ready to go and we weren’t. We can’t keep coming out and getting behind double digits early.”
The Aggies (23-8, 15-3) led by two with two minutes left when Miller fouled out chasing down a loose ball. Dexter Dennis made both free throws to make it 61-57.
A basket by Jahvon Quinerly cut the lead to two again with a minute to go, but Taylor made two free throws to make it 63-59 with 30 seconds remaining.
Rylan Griffen missed a 3 for Alabama and the Aggies added two more free throws to pad the lead. Quinerly missed a 3-pointer and A&M made two more free throws with 6 seconds left to seal the victory.
It was another big win for the Aggies, who downed then-No. 11 Tennessee on Feb. 21. They should get a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018, which will be their first trip since Williams took over.
Texas A&M’s 15 conference wins are the most in school history, besting the 1979-80 and 1975-76 teams which each won 14.
“We stayed together throughout this whole process and … we’re not done,” Taylor said. “Just to finish up conference with the most wins in conference in school history is the end of chapter of that book we just wrote. So now it’s time to start volume two.”
SEC champion Alabama lost for the first time since courtroom revelations tied freshmen Miller and Jaden Bradley to the scene of a fatal shooting. Neither has been charged or accused of a crime, but then-teammate Darius Miles and another man are facing capital murder charges.
Police said Miles texted Miller asking him to bring the gun. Miller has started every game and the university said he is a cooperating witness, not a suspect.
The rowdy sellout A&M crowd took every opportunity to heckle Miller. They booed him each time he touched the ball and chanted “lock him up” and “guilty” when he shot free throws.
Alabama took its first lead of the game after a 5-0 run, capped by a 3 from Quinerly, made it 54-51 with 4½ minutes remaining.
Taylor tied it with a 3-pointer soon after that and the Aggies took a 56-54 lead when Tyrece Radford made two free throws after Alabama lost the ball on a charge by Miller.
Miller then picked up his fourth foul when he fouled Taylor on a 3-point attempt. Taylor made all three free throws to push it to 59-54 with less than three minutes to go.
An 8-2 run by Alabama cut the lead to 6 early in the second half. But the Aggies made 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to power a 6-2 run that made it 42-32 with 12 ½ minutes to go.
The Crimson Tide then scored the next eight points, with 3s from Quinerly and Noah Clowney, to get within 42-40 with about a 11 minutes left.
The Aggies ended the run by making three free throws, but Miller hit a 3 soon after to start a 5-0 spurt that tied it at 45-all.
The Aggies led 32-22 at halftime after limiting Alabama to its fewest points in a half this season. The Crimson Tide got off to a poor start on long-range shooting, making just 2 of 19 3-pointers before halftime.
Oats was asked about his team’s slow starts recently.
“If we had the exact answer I would try to fix it,” he said. “I’m not sure, but we’re going to talk about and see if we can fix it. We’ve got to figure out a way to get them more prepared.”
SHOOTING WOES
The Crimson Tide finished 7 of 36 on 3-pointers. Saturday continued a stretch of poor 3-point shooting over the last four games where they’ve made just 25 of 116 3s.
“The way we play it certainly helps to make shots,” Oats said. “We’ll get back in the gym and try to get it fixed.”
UP NEXT
These teams will be in the SEC Tournament in Nashville next week where Alabama will be the top seed and Texas A&M will be No. 2.
___
AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 | 2023-03-04T21:19:16+00:00 | localsyr.com | https://www.localsyr.com/sports-news/taylor-scores-28-leads-no-24-texas-am-over-no-2-alabama/ |
At first look, American companies seem to be doing just fine in the face of high inflation and rising interest rates. But look underneath the surface, and there are potential warning signs about the economy – and it's got the country's top executives feeling a little bit nervous.
So far, 453 of the top 500 companies comprising the S&P 500 have reported earnings and about 75% did better over the April to June quarter than Wall Street expected, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.
It's a remarkable show of strength given they had to navigate a challenging economic environment — a time when the country was dealing with its highest inflation in around 40 years and the Federal Reserve was hiking interest rates.
The stronger-than-expected earnings, along with hopes the Fed won't be as aggressive with rate hikes going forward, have helped fuel a powerful rally on Wall Street.
But top executives say they are facing lot of uncertainty at a time when there are growing fears of an economic recession. They're not panicking, but they are being careful.
Here are three signs that could point to potential trouble ahead for the U.S. economy.
Companies are cutting advertising
Historically, when companies are anxious about the future, they cut their ad budgets, making it a leading indicator about how companies view the economy.
That's what happened in the last quarter.
Social media companies have seen ad sales slow, and that dragged down their earnings. In the second quarter, Meta, Facebook's parent company, saw its revenue fall for the first time ever.
Meanwhile, Snap sounded an alarm about declining ad sales. The social media company's share price is down more than 75% this year.
Traditional media outlets have also seen reduced revenues from ads, including The New York Times Company and Gannett. BuzzFeed warned recession fears will put pressure on its ad business.
In a letter to investors, Roku, which makes streaming media players, said "there was a significant slowdown in TV advertising spend due to the macro-economic environment."
The company added that it expects "these challenges to continue in the near term as economic concerns pressure markets worldwide."
Companies are cutting costs – and jobs
As office workers know already, when companies start cutting costs or putting expansion plans on hold, it often means they see potential trouble ahead.
Bed Bath & Beyond, for example, said it would cut its capital spending by 25%.
Some companies are also slowing hiring, or even starting to announce job cuts, even if the latest economic data shows the overall labor market remains healthy.
The job cuts have been more prominent in the technology sector, with companies such as Netflix, stock trading app Robinhood and e-commerce giant Shopify announcing layoffs recently.
According to Layoffs.fyi, a site that tracks layoffs in the tech sector, tech companies have cut almost 70,000 jobs so far in 2022.
Automakers are also growing cautious.
GM CEO Mary Barra said recently the company is "reducing some discretionary spending and limiting hiring to critical needs and positions that support growth."
She also added GM has "modeled several downturn scenarios, and we are prepared to take more deliberate action when and if necessary."
Spending habits are starting to change
One of the positives of the economy has been that people have continued to spend even as inflation has been high.
But companies say they are seeing evidence of changes in what people are buying, and that's contributing to a glut of unsold inventory.
Last month, Walmart announced it was cutting its profit outlook for the whole year because high prices have changed spending habits.
Walmart said its customers are spending less money on "general merchandise" because food prices have gone up sharply. With more stuff on store shelves, the retailer has had to cut prices on inventory.
Walmart is set to report its second quarter earnings on Aug. 16.
On top of that, manufacturers — from car companies to smartphone manufacturers — continue to having trouble sourcing parts.
"Across the economy, supply chain issues have both limited the ability to meet demand in some areas and driven inventory well above normal levels in others," Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said recently.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2022-08-12T09:33:42+00:00 | delawarepublic.org | https://www.delawarepublic.org/npr-headlines/2022-08-12/here-are-3-warnings-signs-about-the-economy-coming-out-of-americas-top-companies |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee is investigating allegations that Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn had a conflict of interest in a cryptocurrency he promoted and engaged in an improper relationship with a member of his staff, the panel said Monday.
The investigation is just the latest moment of high-profile scrutiny for the North Carolina Republican, who will be leaving Congress at the end of the year after losing his primary race last week to state Sen. Chuck Edwards. Cawthorn’s defeat came despite support for his reelection bid from former President Donald Trump.
Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat from Texas, and Rep. Michael Guest, a Republican from Mississippi, will lead the review of Cawthorn. The panel cautioned that the opening of the investigation does not mean that he violated House rules.
In a statement, the congressman’s chief of staff, Blake Harp said they “welcome the opportunity to prove that Congressman Cawthorn committed no wrongdoing and that he was falsely accused by partisan adversaries for political gain.”
The allegations of a potential conflict of interest stem from an April article in the Washington Examiner that reported Cawthorn may have violated federal insider trading laws when he promoted the meme coin LGB, named for the chant “Let’s Go Brandon” mocking President Joe Biden.
Cawthorn promoted the LGB coin in a Dec. 29 Instagram post where he was pictured with the hedge fund manager of the cryptocurrency. The next day, NASCAR driver Brandon Brown announced a deal with the coin, raising questions about whether Cawthorn had advanced nonpublic knowledge of the announcement, according to the Examiner.
The committee did not provide any further details on Cawthorn’s alleged “improper relationship.”
The 26-year-old lawmaker’s political career has been upended by a series of salacious headlines that contributed to his downfall in last week’s primary. Since October, he has been stopped by the police three times — two in which he was cited for speeding and one for driving with a revoked license. He’s been caught with guns at airport checkpoints twice in the past year, including three weeks ago. And in March, as the Russian invasion into Ukraine was deepening, Cawthorn called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “thug” even as many of his GOP colleagues were pledging support for Ukraine’s government.
Shortly after that, Cawthorn further infuriated his GOP colleagues when he alleged on a podcast that he had been invited to an orgy in Washington and that he had seen leaders in the movement to end drug addiction use cocaine. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., reprimanded him publicly for the remarks.
In the final weeks of Cawthorn’s primary campaign videos emerged that showed him in sexually suggestive poses, which he has said were from several years ago and were meant to be funny.
Cawthorn has acknowledged the speeding and gun citations as failings, but has dismissed the videos as part of a “drip campaign” by his political enemies, of which he has included some establishment Republicans, to drive him out of Congress.
“I am on a mission now to expose those who say and promise one thing yet legislate and work towards another, self-profiteering, globalist goal,” Cawthorn said in social media post after losing his primary last week. “It’s time for the rise of the new right, it’s time for Dark MAGA to truly take command.”
Also on Monday, the ethics committee said it was investigating two other Republican lawmakers, both for improperly spending certain congressional and campaign funds, among other issues.
The Office of Congressional Ethics, the independent office that pursues any potential wrongdoings by House members, said in a report that it found “substantial reason to believe” Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., improperly accepted a free trip for him and his family to Aruba from a company that also provided services to his campaign, and used his congressional staff to plan the vacation.
Ryan Kelly, a spokesperson for Mooney, said in a statement that the lawmaker plans to cooperate with the ethics probe but that the findings of its investigation were “tainted from the outset by the OCE’s procedural irregularities and denial of due process.”
The watchdog group also concluded that Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, used campaign funds to pay for “unlimited access” to a private social club in his state. In a response to the committee, Jackson’s attorney Justin Clark argued his client made the purchases at the Amarillo Club for campaign-related reasons and therefore it is within the federal guidelines for personal use of campaign funds.
___
Associated Press writers John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia, and Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, contributed to this report. | 2022-05-24T18:14:56+00:00 | wjhl.com | https://www.wjhl.com/news/politics/ethics-panel-opens-investigation-into-gops-madison-cawthorn/ |
MENTOR-ON-THE-LAKE, Ohio – Police and the city’s fire department saved a woman who drove her car into Lake Erie on Friday morning.
The incident happened shortly after 8 a.m. Police and fire units responded to Twilight Drive, near Mentor Beach Park, for calls that a vehicle was in the lake. Police discovered a woman’s vehicle went through a guardrail and traveled down a steep embankment before it entered the water, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page.
The woman was outside of the vehicle, in the water, when police arrived. Fire and rescue units from Mentor-on-the-Lake, Mentor and Grand River saved the woman from the water.
She was taken to University Hospitals Lake West Medical Center. Her current condition is unknown as of Friday afternoon.
Police did not release the identity of the woman. | 2022-11-25T23:46:35+00:00 | cleveland.com | https://www.cleveland.com/news/2022/11/woman-drives-car-into-lake-erie-in-mentor-on-the-lake-police-say.html |
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — More than $100 million will be awarded to LPGA players for the first time in 2023, an increase of about 18% over what was planned for this season and more than doubling what was paid out on the tour just a decade ago.
And in the eyes of LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan, that’s a good start.
The LPGA’s 33 official events next year will have a combined $101.4 million in purses, the tour announced Friday while unveiling the schedule. But reaching nine digits in total purse for the first time hardly means that the tour has reached its target, Marcoux Samaan said.
“I think we’re trying to just grow as much as we can possibly grow,” Marcoux Samaan said. “I think it is a milestone, not a target. I think it just symbolizes the next level of evolution for the tour. But I don’t think we feel like we’re done. We feel like there’s much more investment to be had in the women’s game and we’re passionate about getting that.”
The schedule has events in 11 states and 12 countries. It has two tournaments — if they happen — in China. The LPGA has not played there since October 2019, canceling each of its last five planned events in China after the coronavirus pandemic.
For now, there’s some hope about getting back to China.
“I think we’re just still waiting to hear and we told the players that we’ll keep them posted, but we have the contract and it’s on the schedule, and we’ll let them know as that evolves,” Marcoux Samaan said.
The five women’s golf majors account for $37.9 million of the planned purses, led by $10 million set to be paid out at the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach next July. That tournament is immediately preceded on the schedule by the Women’s PGA Championship at Baltrusol, a $9 million event.
That’s $19 million to be paid out in a span of just two events, something that was unfathomable in women’s golf just a few years ago.
The last four of the five majors occur in an eight-week, seven-tournament span.
“I think part of it is because we we are playing at some phenomenal golf courses and a bit of those decisions were based on availability at the golf courses and the ability to to get in and play in these really important and iconic venues,” Marcoux Samaan said. “So, I do think in the ideal load, those that would be spread out more.”
Official purses for this season wound up reaching about $93.5 million, mainly through increases to what was offered at the majors. The plan entering 2022 was for purses to be $85.7 million.
For now, Saudi-funded LIV Golf — which will offer $405 million in 14 men’s events in 2023 — has not revealed any formal plans about trying to entice women’s players, though CEO Greg Norman has mentioned the possibility. The LPGA hasn’t had to worry about LIV, yet.
“A fractured golf environment is not good for anyone,” Marcoux Samaan said. “It’s my role as the commissioner, as a steward of this organization, my responsibility to really listen and learn and we are doing that and we’ll continue to do that. There’s nothing new to report on it.”
Every tournament on the LPGA’s 2023 slate carries a purse of at least $1.5 million, and there are only four with purses that small. There are 16 tournaments, excluding the majors, with purses of at least $2 million, including seven of the final eight on the schedule.
After the Solheim Cup in Spain in late September, the LPGA will play eight consecutive weeks to finish its season in a bit of a frenzy. The first two stops are in Arkansas and Texas, then a four-tournament Asian swing through China, Korea, Taiwan and Japan, followed by the last two weeks in Florida — and capped again by the $7 million CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, with $2 million to the winner.
The $2 million first-place prize matches what will be awarded to the winner this weekend in Naples, and is the biggest single check in women’s golf.
“We’re a global brand, a global organization with players from all over the world, being distributed all over the world,” Marcoux Samaan said. “And we have an extremely fast-growing fan base where brands and partners can really grow their own business. So the commercial opportunity is really strong, intrinsic opportunities are really strong, and we’re extremely bullish on where we’re going.”
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2022-11-18T19:07:26+00:00 | nwahomepage.com | https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/national-sports/ap-lpga-purses-will-top-100m-in-2023-a-record-for-tour/ |
(LIV GOLF) – In his 11-year professional career, Harold Varner III has won individual trophies in Australia and Saudi Arabia.
With his RangeGoats GC, he celebrated a LIV Golf League team trophy earlier this year in Singapore.
But the 32-year-old resident of North Carolina had never won on American soil until Sunday, when he captured the LIV Golf DC trophy with a final-round 4-under 68 for a one-stroke victory over hard-charging Branden Grace.
In winning on the outskirts of the nation’s capital on Memorial Day weekend in front of the largest crowd to attend a LIV Golf tournament in the U.S., Varner becomes the second different RangeGoats player to win this season, joining good friend Talor Gooch, who won back-to-back titles in Adelaide and Singapore.
“Very special,” Varner said. “I’ve never won in America. It’s my favorite country.”
Varner did not get to enjoy a champagne celebration with his team, though. The Spanish-speaking Torque GC won for the second time this season, shooting a final-round counting score of 9 under to finish at 27 under, beating the South African Stinger GC by three shots, with the RangeGoats taking third.
“It’s good, but at the end of the day, I really wanted to celebrate with the RangeGoats,” Varner said. “That’s my team.”
Varner produced several clutch moments Sunday at Trump National Washington D.C., none bigger than his hole-out from the bunker for birdie at the par-4 11th to take the lead. His tee shot at the par-3 15th set up another birdie to give him a two-stroke lead.
But Grace, who lost in a playoff to Dustin Johnson two weeks ago in Tulsa, birdied two of his last three holes, including his final hole, the par-4 second, to tie Varner at 11 under. “I played flawless all day,” said Grace after his bogey-free 6-under 66, the only bogey-free round in the field this week. “Nice to make a putt like that when it matters.”
At the time, Varner was about to play his second shot at the par-5 18th. His 6-iron from 197 yards landed on the front edge of the green and settled 40 feet from the pin, setting up his two-putt birdie for the win.
“I knew exactly what I had to do, when I had to do it, how I have to do it,” Varner said. “I love that. That’s why you play, that moment.”
Varner’s victory prevented Torque from sweeping both trophies. Torque’s Mito Pereira led Varner by one stroke to start the day but wasn’t as sharp as the previous rounds en route to shooting 71 to finish third.
Even so, his lengthy eagle putt on the par-5 13th was a key moment in Torque’s tight battle with Stinger GC, which was looking for its second consecutive team win after claiming the title in Tulsa.
“My irons weren’t very good today,” Pereira said. “Happy to finish third and obviously wanted to win. But we won as a team, so that’s pretty sick, too.”
David Puig, the 21-year-old from Spain and LIV Golf’s youngest player this season, provided Torque with its best counting score, a 6-under 66 that tied Grace for the low round of the day. Sebastián Muñoz added a 70 to tie for fourth on the individual leaderboard.
The win moves Torque to third in the season-long team standings behind last year’s champions, 4Aces GC, and Stinger GC. But Torque Captain Joaquin Niemann likes how his team is performing going into the second half of the 14-event season.
“We won already two times and obviously the more important win is the last one of the end of the year,” Niemann said, pointing to the Team Championship. “I think this is good to prove to all the other teams that we are the team to beat.”
As for Varner, his plans to celebrate his first win in the U.S. include a round of golf on the Monday holiday with his friends at a municipal course.
“I love playing golf,” he said. “That’s my favorite thing. I’m going to play tomorrow. It’s going to be awesome.” | 2023-05-29T18:13:30+00:00 | fox59.com | https://fox59.com/liv-golf/final-birdie-earns-win-for-varner-at-liv-dc/ |
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