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Scholarships have helped displaced Afghan students find homes on university campuses across the US
By JAMIE STENGLE
Associated Press
DALLAS (AP) — As the Taliban swept back into power in Afghanistan, in the summer of 2021, Fahima Sultani and her fellow university students tried for days to get into the Kabul airport, only to be turned away by gun-wielding extremists.
“No education, just go back home,” she recalled one shouting.
Nearly two years later, Sultani, now 21, is safely in the U.S. and working toward her bachelor’s degree in data science at Arizona State University in Tempe on a scholarship. When she’s not studying, she likes to hike up nearby Tempe Butte, the kind of outing she enjoyed in her mountainous homeland.
Seeing students like Sultani rush to leave in August 2021 as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan after 20 years, colleges, universities and other groups across the U.S. started piecing together the funding for hundreds of scholarships so they could continue their educations outside of their home country.
Women of Sultani’s generation, born around the time the U.S. ousted the Taliban after the 9/11 attacks in 2001, grew up attending school and watching as women pursued careers. The Taliban’s return upended those freedoms.
“Within minutes of the collapse of the government in Kabul, U.S. universities said, ‘We’ll take one;’ ‘We’ll take three;’ ‘We’ll take a professor;’ ‘We’ll take a student,’” said Allan Goodman, CEO of the Institute of International Education, a global not-for-profit that helps fund such scholarships.
The fears leading the students to quickly board flights were soon justified as the Taliban ushered in a harsh Islamic rule: Girls cannot attend school beyond the sixth grade and women, once again required to wear burqas, have been banned from universities and are restricted from most employment.
Sultani is one of more than 60 Afghan women who arrived at ASU by December 2021 after fleeing Afghanistan, where she had been studying online through Asian University for Women in Bangladesh during the pandemic.
“These women came out of a crisis, a traumatic experience, boarded a plane not knowing where they were going, ended up in the U.S.,” said Susan Edgington, executive director and head of operations of ASU’s Global Academic Initiatives.
After making their way to universities and colleges across the U.S. over the last two years, many are nearing graduation and planning their futures.
Mashal Aziz, 22, was a few months from graduating from American University of Afghanistan when Kabul fell and she boarded a plane. After leaving, she scoured the internet, researching which schools were offering scholarships and what organizations might be able to help.
“You’ve already left everything and you are thinking maybe there are barriers for your higher education,” she said.
Aziz and three other Afghan students arrived at Northeastern University in Boston in January 2022 after first being taken to Qatar and then a military base in New Jersey. She graduated this spring with a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting management and plans to start work on her master’s degree in finance this fall at Northeastern.
Just two days after the fall of Kabul, the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma announced it had created two scholarships for Afghans seeking refuge in the U.S. Later, the university created five more scholarships that went to some of the young Afghans who had settled in the area. Five more Afghans have received scholarships to study there this fall.
Danielle Macdonald, an associate anthropology professor at the school, has organized a regular meetup between TU students and college-aged Afghans who have settled in the Tulsa area.
Around two dozen young people attend the events, where they’ve talked about everything from U.S. slang to how to find a job. Their outings have included visiting a museum and going to a basketball game, Macdonald said.
“It’s become a really lovely community,” she said.
Sultani, like many others who left Afghanistan, often thinks about those who remained behind, including her sister, who had been studying at a university, but now must stay home.
“I can go to universities while millions of girls back in Afghanistan, they do not have this opportunity that I have,” Sultani said. “I can dress the way I want and millions of girls now in Afghanistan, they do not have this opportunity.”
Since the initial flurry of scholarships, efforts to assist Afghan students have continued, including the creation of the Qatar Scholarship for Afghans Project, which has helped fund 250 scholarships at dozens of U.S. colleges and universities.
But there are still more young people in need of support to continue their educations in the U.S. or even reach the U.S. from Afghanistan or other countries, explained Jonah Kokodyniak, a senior vice president at the Institute of International Education.
Yasamin Sohrabi, 26, is among those still trying to find a way to the U.S. Sohrabi, who had been studying at American University of Afghanistan, realized as the withdrawal of U.S. forces neared that she might need to go overseas to continue her studies. The day after the Taliban took Kabul, she learned of her admission to Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, but wasn’t able to get into the airport to leave Afghanistan.
A year later, she and her younger sister, who has also been accepted at the university, got visas to Pakistan. Now they are trying to find a way to get into the U.S. Their brother, who accompanied them to Pakistan, is applying to the school as well.
Sohrabi said she and her siblings try not to focus on what they have lost, but instead on how to get to WKU, where 20 other Afghans will be studying this fall.
“That’s one of the things in these days we think about,” she said. “It keeps us going.” | 2023-07-23T04:53:40+00:00 | krdo.com | https://krdo.com/news/2023/07/22/scholarships-have-helped-displaced-afghan-students-find-homes-on-university-campuses-across-the-us-2/ |
JAMESTOWN, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Jamestown man could spend decades in prison if he’s convicted of child porn charges.
According to the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York’s office, Jamestown police received information about 34-year-old Roberto Millan this past February. They were told that he sexually abused a 15-year-old girl.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says the victim told investigators that Millan asked her to take sexually explicit photos of herself and send them to him. Officials say that initially, she refused, but complied after Millan allegedly threatened to harm her family.
“The victim also stated that during the first time Millan sexually abuse her, he warned that if she ‘made too much noise,’ he would physically harm her family,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Prosecutors said investigators found a series of sexually explicit text messages between Millan and the teen, along with child porn. Millan was taken to the Jamestown Police Department after a search of his home on February 9.
His cell phone, which prosecutors say contained more child porn, was seized. Millan has been charged with production and attempted production of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
If he’s convicted, he could spend five to 30 years in prison and pay a $250,000 fine.
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Evan Anstey is an Associated Press Award and Emmy-nominated digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2015. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter. | 2022-08-12T18:40:53+00:00 | wivb.com | https://www.wivb.com/news/crime/child-porn-charges-could-lead-to-30-years-for-jamestown-man/ |
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday landed in Washington, where he will meet with President Biden, hold a press conference at the White House and end the evening with an address to a joint meeting of Congress.
The trip marks the Ukrainian leader’s first foreign trip since Russia’s invasion began almost 10 months ago.
Zelensky is expected to give his address to members of Congress at 7:30 p.m. ET at the U.S. Capitol. Viewers can stream his speech on C-SPAN’s livestream or watch on other news outlets including CBS News and PBS NewsHour.
The visit, confirmed by Zelensky early Wednesday morning, will aim at underscoring bipartisan American support for Ukraine as officials warn of a Russian winter offensive.
While his trip will be short, the Ukrainian president will have a packed schedule. He previously addressed a joint session virtually in March to ask for more assistance.
Ukraine has been calling for the U.S. and European allies to supply increased air defenses to help protect the country against a Russian aerial onslaught heading into the winter months.
Moscow is reportedly accumulating troops for a renewed offensive that could come in the first quarter of next year. | 2022-12-21T19:10:27+00:00 | wivb.com | https://www.wivb.com/hill-politics/heres-how-to-watch-zelenskys-address-to-congress-tonight/ |
WASHINGTON – U.S. Border Patrol agents on horseback engaged in “unnecessary use of force” against non-threatening Haitian immigrants but didn’t whip any with their reins “intentionally or otherwise,” according to a federal investigation of chaotic scenes along the Texas-Mexico border last fall that sparked widespread condemnation.
In a 511-page report released Friday, Customs and Border Protection blamed a “lack of command control and communication” for mounted agents using their horses to forcibly block and move migrants during an influx of Haitians arriving last September to the U.S. border outside Del Rio, Texas.
Video and photos of the incident made it appear agents were whipping Haitians, which caused outrage among advocacy groups and civil rights leaders. The Biden administration promised a full investigation after many in the president's own party objected that such tactics with racial overtones were the kinds of policies the U.S. was supposed to be moving away from after years of hardline immigration tactics under President Donald Trump.
As part of the investigation, four Border Patrol employees — all of whom have been placed on administrative duty since the investigation began months ago — have been recommended for disciplinary action which will come separately, according to senior CBP officials who briefed journalists before the report's release.
By September 19, 2021, around 15,000 Haitian migrants had crossed from Mexico into the United States and were concentrated in an encampment underneath the international bridge. But the encampment was fully cleared within days after the incident, as the outcry mounted.
Federal investigators said no migrant was struck with a whip, forced to return to Mexico or denied entry into the U.S. during the 15 minutes that they were forcibly blocked and moved by mounted agents. One agent yelled inappropriate comments about a migrant’s national origin including, “You use your women” while also narrowly missing a child walking nearby while pursuing a migrant.
The use of force drove migrants back into the Rio Grande, despite their having been well within U.S. territory and not presenting threats in any way, according to the senior CBP officials.
Investigators said they did not speak to Haitian migrants while preparing the investigation but used statements and court documents that some provided as part of lawsuits they filed against U.S. authorities.
The report said the incident began after authorities from a state agency also working in the area, the Texas Department of Public Safety, requested help from federal authorities. That conclusion follows Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott this week authorizing state forces to apprehend migrants and return them to the U.S.-Mexico border — raising questions about his state's enforcement powers as top GOP leaders have slammed the Biden administration for failing to curb the rising number of crossings.
Agents acted with the permission of their supervisor who was unable to get guidance from higher up the Border Patrol chain of command, the report said. Communication occurred on a radio channel that wasn’t recorded, further complicating investigation into the incident. | 2022-07-08T19:21:57+00:00 | ksat.com | https://www.ksat.com/news/politics/2022/07/08/report-finds-unnecessary-force-by-agents-at-rio-grande/ |
Magic vs. Wizards Injury Report Today - March 21
The Orlando Magic (29-43) have two players currently listed on the injury report as they ready to take on the Washington Wizards (32-39) on Tuesday, March 21 at Amway Center, with tip-off at 7:00 PM ET.
The Magic head into this contest after a 111-105 loss to the Lakers on Sunday. Franz Wagner scored 21 points in the Magic's loss, leading the team.
Orlando Magic Injury Report Today
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Washington Wizards Injury Report Today
Wizards Injuries: Kyle Kuzma: Out (Ankle)
Magic vs. Wizards Game Info
- When: Tuesday, March 21, 2023 at 7:00 PM ET
- Where: Amway Center in Orlando, Florida
- TV: BSFL and NBCS-DC
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Magic Season Insights
- The Magic put up only two fewer points per game (111.5) than the Wizards give up to opponents (113.5).
- When it scores more than 113.5 points, Orlando is 17-12.
- Over their past 10 games, the Magic are averaging 117.1 points per contest, 5.6 more than their season average (111.5).
- Orlando connects on 10.6 three-pointers per game (27th in the league) while shooting 34.5% from deep (25th in NBA). It is making 2.4 fewer threes than its opponents, who drain 13 per game at 35.3%.
- The Magic rank 27th in the league averaging 109.2 points per 100 possessions on offense, and defensively are 15th, allowing 111.9 points per 100 possessions.
Magic vs. Wizards Betting Info
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | 2023-03-21T21:43:44+00:00 | wcjb.com | https://www.wcjb.com/sports/betting/2023/03/21/magic-vs-wizards-nba-injury-report/ |
FMCNA ranked among top five healthcare companies
WALTHAM, Mass., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA), the nation's leader in kidney care, was named by Newsweek as one of the country's Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces, for the second consecutive year, citing the company's commitment to employees' professional development.
Newsweek ranked FMCNA No. 5 in healthcare and No. 73 overall. This year's ranking focused on FMCNA's industry-leading achievements in employee development, including the expansion of employee resource groups and professional opportunities.
"Love is an important concept in our company and being recognized again as a Most Loved Workplace shows the commitment we have to building a supportive, inclusive culture," said Bill Valle, CEO of Fresenius Medical Care North America and acting president of Fresenius Kidney Care. "Our employees are critically important to our success, and our care teams continue to show love, empathy, and compassion to our patients and one another."
In 2022, FMCNA announced the Caring About Renal Excellence (CARE) Award, which recognizes employees across the nation who excel in any of the company's five clinical pillars: quality and safety, growth, clinical leadership, clinical excellence, and patient experience. This year, the company will present 500 employees with CARE Awards, which include all-expenses-paid trips to professional conferences.
FMCNA leveraged several programs to help employees reach personal and professional goals. Among professional advancement opportunities are an in-house learning and professional development platform called the Academy, where more than 22,000 employees accessed more than 1.7 million program hours in 2021.
FMCNA was the first dialysis provider to establish a professional development program for registered nurses, standardizing a pathway to advancing a nephrology career. The company's tuition reimbursement program allows employees to further their education while continuing to gain hands-on experience in their existing roles. The company also offers a Nephrology Nursing Residency program, which has welcomed 740 pre-licensed nurses to the workforce since its launch in 2020. Its partnership with the National Association of Nephrology Technicians supports education and career development for more than 21,000 technicians.
"This honor shows our employees' belief in FMCNA's core values, and inspires a positive vision for the future," said Valle. "We are proud to support our employees and recognize that they are key to consistently delivering exceptional patient care."
FMCNA also supports employees with more rare benefits such as a $10 per paycheck medical option, caregiving options for elders, kids, and pets, fertility and family building support, and free financial counseling and guidance. The company offers employees expansive healthcare support, including free behavioral healthcare access, free virtual physical therapy programs, virtual counseling options to include text therapy, and gender affirming care. Rally, FMCNA's digital wellness experience, helps 20,000 employees work on healthier eating, sleeping, stress management, and more.
The 2022 Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces are the result of a collaboration between Newsweek and the Best Practice Institute (BPI), a leadership development benchmark research company. The results were determined after surveying more than 1.4 million employees from businesses with workforces varying in size from 50 to more than 10,000. The list recognizes companies that put respect, caring, and appreciation for their employees at the center of their business model and, in doing so, have earned the loyalty and respect of the people who work for them.
"As a result of 'The Great Resignation,' more companies recognize the importance of focusing on employee satisfaction to not only attract but retain top talent," said Nancy Cooper, Global Editor in Chief, Newsweek. "The businesses on this year's list clearly demonstrated that commitment."
Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA) is the premier healthcare company focused on providing the highest quality care to people with renal and other chronic conditions. Through its industry-leading network of dialysis facilities and outpatient cardiac and vascular labs, Fresenius Medical Care North America provides coordinated healthcare services at pivotal care points for hundreds of thousands of chronically ill customers throughout the continent. As the world's largest fully integrated renal company, it offers specialty pharmacy and laboratory services, and manufactures and distributes the most comprehensive line of dialysis equipment, disposable products, and renal pharmaceuticals. For more information, visit the FMCNA website. If you'd like to join our team, please visit https://jobs.fmcna.com/
Newsweek is the modern global digital news organization built around the iconic, over 85-year-old American magazine. Newsweek reaches 100 million people each month with its thought-provoking news, opinion, images, graphics, and video delivered across a dozen print and digital platforms. Headquartered in New York City, Newsweek also publishes international editions in EMEA and Asia.
Best Practice Institute is an award-winning leadership and organization development center, benchmark research company, think tank, and solutions provider. BPI is the certifying body for Most Loved Workplace® and conducted the original research to create the model and criteria for becoming a Most Loved Workplace®. BPI's research proves that Most Loved Workplaces® produce 3-4 times better customer service, employee performance, and retention than companies not loved by their employees.
Media Contact:
Fresenius Medical Care
Scott Sayres
Corporate Communications
Scott.Sayres@FreseniusMedicalCare.com
+1 (940) 297-5678
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc. | 2022-10-06T20:40:34+00:00 | kwtx.com | https://www.kwtx.com/prnewswire/2022/10/06/fresenius-medical-care-named-newsweeks-100-most-loved-workplaces-second-consecutive-year/ |
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The anniversary on Friday of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a somber day for many of the country’s 43 million people. Here’s a selection of what some of them said:
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“I can sum up the last year in three words: Fear, love, hope.” —- Oleksandr Hranyk, a school director in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.
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“For me, it’s a terrible pain and a day where I don’t want to go back in my thoughts, rewatch photos or videos. A very tough day.” — Daria Horda, 25, who hasn’t seen her family in Russian-occupied Nova Kakhovka since Moscow’s troops rolled across Ukraine’s borders on Feb. 24, 2022.
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“This day has become a symbol for me that we have survived for a whole year and will continue to live.” — Tetiana Klimkova, a Kyiv resident who has a ribbon on her purse in Ukrainian colors blue and yellow.
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“Victory is ours, young people will live.” — Nelia Zamostian, 62, who was attending a church memorial service in Bucha, a town outside Kyiv that became an early symbol of Russian atrocities.
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“We have been standing for exactly one year. And we still know: every tomorrow is worth fighting for” — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
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“Ukraine is entering a new period, with a new task — to win” —- Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov.
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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | 2023-02-24T12:03:08+00:00 | seattletimes.com | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/ukrainians-reflect-on-anniversary-of-russian-invasion/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_world |
By TIA GOLDENBERG
Associated Press
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the remarks by a key Cabinet ally calling for a Palestinian village to be erased were inappropriate in a Twitter thread Sunday, after the U.S. demanded that he reject the statement.
In the thread, posted in English shortly after midnight, Netanyahu did not appear to condemn the remarks outright and implied that the ally, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, misspoke. Netanyahu thanked Smotrich for later walking the comments back and “making clear that his choice of words” was “inappropriate.” The bulk of the thread urged the international community to seek condemnations from the Palestinians over attacks against Israelis.
It appeared to be his first public response to Smotrich’s remarks since they were made Wednesday.
Netanyahu’s Twitter thread underlines how the Israeli leader has had to balance the ideologies of the far-right members of his government with the expectations of Israel’s chief ally, the United States. Smotrich is the head of one of several ultranationalist parties that help make up Netanyahu’s government, Israel’s most right-wing ever.
Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank last week rampaged through the Palestinian village of Hawara, where earlier in the day two Israeli brothers were killed in a Palestinian shooting attack. Later in the week, Smotrich said the village should be erased — by Israeli forces and not by private citizens.
Smotrich later backtracked, saying he didn’t mean for the village to be erased but for Israel to operate surgically within it against Palestinian militants. Still, his earlier comments sparked an international outcry. The U.S. called them repugnant and urged Netanyahu to “publicly and clearly reject and disavow them.” The United Nations and Middle East powerhouses Egypt and Saudi Arabia also condemned Smotrich’s remarks.
In a Hebrew tweet posted around the same time as his English thread, Netanyahu said even foreign diplomats make mistakes, an apparent reference to a report by Israeli Channel 12 that U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides made disparaging remarks about Smotrich ahead of his visit to Washington this week, saying he would “throw him off the plane,” if he could. A U.S. Embassy spokesperson denied he had made the remarks.
Smotrich, in a tweet Saturday, said he was “convinced that he didn’t mean to incite to kill me when he said I must be thrown from the plane just as I didn’t mean to harm innocents when I said Hawara must be erased.”
In his tweets, Netanyahu wrote that “it is important for all of us to work to tone down the rhetoric” amid a spiraling wave of violence between Israel and the Palestinians.
“That includes speaking out forcefully against inappropriate statements and even correcting our own statements when we misspeak or when our words are taken out of context,” he posted.
Netanyahu then blasted the Palestinian Authority for not condemning Palestinian attacks against Israelis, and the international community for not demanding condemnations from the Palestinians.
Israel has long claimed the international community has a double standard in its expectations from Israel and the Palestinians.
Israel captured the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war, territories the Palestinians seek for their future state. Israel maintains a 55-year, open-ended occupation over Palestinians in the West Bank and a blockade, along with Egypt, of the Gaza Strip. | 2023-03-05T23:12:06+00:00 | wtmj.com | https://wtmj.com/national/2023/03/05/netanyahu-calls-comments-to-erase-village-inappropriate/ |
GARDINER, Mont. (WXIN) — As more than 10,000 people were forced out of Yellowstone National Park due to historic flooding, an Indiana man was there to witness an incredible sight. He was recording as an entire house toppled into the churning waters of the Yellowstone River.
Parker Manning, from Terre Haute, Indiana, was staying in a cabin in Gardiner, Montana when he recorded the incident on Monday night, he told The Associated Press. The house was largely intact as it hit the water and floated downstream.
“We started seeing entire trees floating down the river, debris,” Manning told The Associated Press. “Saw one crazy single kayaker coming down through, which was kind of insane.”
Manning was one of a handful of people still stranded near Yellowstone Wednesday.
The Yellowstone River hit historic levels after days of rain and rapid snowmelt wrought havoc across parts of southern Montana and northern Wyoming, where it washed away cabins, swamped small towns and knocked out power. It hit Yellowstone National Park just as a summer tourist season that draws millions of visitors was ramping up.
Instead of marveling at massive elk and bison, burbling thermal pools and the reliable blasts of Old Faithful’s geyser, tourists found themselves witnessing nature at its most unpredictable as the Yellowstone River river crested in a chocolate brown torrent that washed away everything in its path.
“It is just the scariest river ever,” Kate Gomez of Santa Fe, New Mexico, said Tuesday. “Anything that falls into that river is gone.”
The park, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, could remain closed as long as a week, and northern entrances may not reopen this summer, Superintendent Cam Sholly said.
“The water is still raging,” said Sholly, who noted that some weather forecasts include the possibility of additional flooding this weekend.
The Associated Press contributed to this story. | 2022-06-15T23:25:10+00:00 | keloland.com | https://www.keloland.com/news/national-world-news/incredible-video-captures-house-falling-into-yellowstone-river/ |
(NewsNation) — The surviving roommate who lived in the house where four University of Idaho students were killed later helped police identify the man accused of the deadly stabbings, a newly unsealed probable cause affidavit shows.
Bryan Kohberger was arrested last week in Pennsylvania, in connection with the fatal stabbings of four students: Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20 and Ethan Chapin, 20. The three women lived together, along with two roommates who ultimately survived. Chapin and Kernodle were dating.
Court records — which became available Thursday morning after Kohberger arrived in Idaho — reveal the justification authorities used to obtain a warrant for Kohberger’s arrest.
Authorities believe homicides occurred between 4 a.m. and 4:25 a.m. at a residence on King Road in Moscow, Idaho, according to the affidavit
In the affidavit, it states that one roommate was woken up at 4 a.m. to what she thought was the sound of Goncalves playing with her dog. A short time later, the roommate said she heard Goncalves say something to the effect of “there’s someone here,” according to the affidavit. Police said it’s possible, per a review of records of Kernodle’s phone, that she also could have said this, as her phone indicated she was likely awake and on TikTok at approximately 4:12 a.m. When the roommate looked out of her bedroom, she did not see anything.
The roommate then opened her door a second time when she heard what she thought was crying from Kernodle’s room. The roommate then said she heard a male voice apparently say “It’s OK, I’m going to help you.”
After the roommate opened her door for a third time, she “saw a figure clad in black clothing and a mask that covered the person’s mouth and nose walking towards her.”
She told police the figure was 5-foot-10 or taller and a male who was “not very muscular but athletically built.” The man the roommate saw, she said, also had “bushy eyebrows.” As the witness stood in a “frozen shock phase,” the man walked toward the back sliding glass door, and she locked herself in her room. She said she did not recognize him.
After reviewing Kohberg’s state driver’s license information and photograph, police saw that it indicated he is a white man, with a height of 6′ who weighs 185 pounds.
“Additionally, the photograph of Kohberger shows that he has bushy eyebrows,” the affidavit said. “Kohberger’s physical description is consistent with the description of the male (the roommate) saw inside the King Road Residence on Nov.13.”
Last year, both roommates of Mogen, Kernodle and Goncalves gave a statement on the killings. One said she knows “somewhere Xana and Ethan are together, keeping each other company, watching us and telling us, ‘It’s OK and that we have each other.’ Maddie and Kaylee, the inseparable duo, the two best friends that were like sisters.”
The other wrote that she wishes she could give each of her roommates “one last hug” and tell them she loved them.
“You always told me that everything happens for a reason,” she wrote. “But I’m having a really hard time trying to understand the reason for this.” | 2023-01-06T14:05:23+00:00 | mytwintiers.com | https://www.mytwintiers.com/news-cat/national-news/surviving-roommate-helped-police-id-idaho-suspect-kohberger/ |
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Wednesday evening's drawing of the Louisiana Lottery's "Lotto" game were:
01-03-05-09-36-39
(one, three, five, nine, thirty-six, thirty-nine)
Estimated jackpot: $2,625,000
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Wednesday evening's drawing of the Louisiana Lottery's "Lotto" game were:
01-03-05-09-36-39
(one, three, five, nine, thirty-six, thirty-nine)
Estimated jackpot: $2,625,000 | 2022-12-08T05:51:05+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Lotto-game-17639377.php |
Siegfried G.W. Wendt, 90, of Lancaster, passed from this life, March 25, 2023, at Welsh Mountain Home. Born December 21, 1932, in Stolpmünde, Germany, he was the son of the late Karl and Helene A. Wendt. He shared over 45 years with his loving wife, Marianne A. (nee Zaiser) Wendt, until her passing in 2008.
He was the owner and operator of Siegfried Wendt Upholstery in Lancaster for 42 years, retiring in 2010, and was a longtime volunteer with the Upper Leacock Fire Company. His family fondly remembers the joy he found building and running model trains, reading and studying World War II, being a tall ship enthusiast, and always being behind the lens of a camera.
He will be sorely missed by his children, Ramona Goss of East Prospect, Tina, wife of Larry Eidemiller of Willow Street, and Gerhard Wendt, husband of Melanie of Ronks, and grandchildren, Cheyenne Layman, Cassidy Layman, Benjamin Eidemiller, Joshua Eidemiller, Amalie Wendt, and Teague Wendt. He was preceded in passing by his wife, and brothers, Jurgen Wendt, Karl Wendt, Alfred Wendt, Heinz Wendt, and Gunter Wendt.
The family will receive guests from 9:30 AM 11 AM on Friday, March 31, 2023, at the Charles F. Snyder III Funeral Home and Crematory, 2421 Willow Street Pike, Willow Street, PA, with a Memorial Service beginning at 11 AM. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Welsh Mountain Home, welshmountainhome.org/giving or Hospice and Community Care, hospiceandcommunitycare.org
To send the family a condolence please visit, SnyderFuneralHome.com | 2023-03-27T05:56:51+00:00 | lancasteronline.com | https://lancasteronline.com/obituaries/siegfried-g-w-wendt/article_55c43d93-035c-50da-b85a-712d29e2c2c9.html |
2023 Big 12 Tournament Preview – The Gold and Blue Nation Podcast
It's the toughest league in college basketball, but will the Big 12 Tournament also be the best conference tourney around? Before the action begins in Kansas City, Nick Farrell, Anjelica Trinone and Ryan Decker set the table for what promises to be a tremendous week of action. | 2023-03-08T01:11:06+00:00 | wboy.com | https://www.wboy.com/goldandbluenation/wvuhoops/watch-wvu-players-look-ahead-to-the-big-12-tournament/ |
MERX Global adopts E-SMART Active Speed Management technology
INDIANAPOLIS, June 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MERX Global, a Chicago based transportation company that provides comprehensive transportation solutions to customers throughout the United States, and E-SMART, a leading ADAS/ISA provider, announced today a new partnership to bring E-SMART technology to MERX Global's fleet of more than 250 trucks. E-SMART's active, real time speed control decreases speeding events by more than 90%.
"Safety has been our number one priority from day one of operation. Utilizing the latest technology that helps our drivers and motorists be safe on the road is key. When we implemented E-SMART, we saw an immediate reduction in the number of speeding events. Less speeding events meant safer drivers, less accidents and better safety scores for the company.", Pavel Peneff, Vice-President at MERX Global.
E-SMART uses advanced positioning technology to determine vehicle location to actively manage its maximum allowed speed. E-SMART also leverages this technology for low bridge collision avoidance, active geofencing and remote vehicle immobilization. Leading fleets currently using the E-SMART technology report a significant decrease in speed-related accidents, infringements, and a significantly improved CSA scores.
"MERX Global was an early adoptor of E-SMART technology and is now deploying the technology to the full fleet. Initially, Volvo introduced the tech to the Peneff brothers who got very involved in the evaluation of the technology and its efficient deployment. This is a great partnership.'', said Mathieu Boivin, CEO at E-SMART.
Headquartered in Elk Grove Village, IL, Merx Global is a growing asset-based transportation company that provides comprehensive transportation solutions to customers throughout the United States. Our services include full truckload, hazmat, and drop trailer with a dedicated private fleet. We invest substantial resources into our fleet operations, including state of the art tractors, GPS-equipped trailer tracking capabilities, our own fleet maintenance facility, and a secured lot for storage.
E-SMART develops and manufactures innovative ADAS solutions that increase the safety of fleet vehicles. Located in Indianapolis, IN, E-SMART helps set new safety standards with Intelligent Speed Adaptation. This solution determines vehicle location in real time to actively manage the maximum speed the vehicle can attain in the respective posted speed zone. Along with its other safety features, namely, Low Bridge Collision Prevention, Active Geofencing, Remote Vehicle Immobilization, and Telematics Integration, E-SMART leads the way in reducing the number of collisions on our roadways. For more information, please visit: http://www.esmartcontrol.com.
Contact: Callie Myers, cmyers@esmartcontrol.com
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SOURCE E-SMART | 2022-06-22T18:26:23+00:00 | kcrg.com | https://www.kcrg.com/prnewswire/2022/06/22/merx-global-partner-with-e-smart-improve-fleet-safety/ |
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) – An 18-year-old was shot in the face while leaving her own birthday party over the weekend, her family says.
Breanna Keys was hit by a stray bullet Friday just before 9:30 p.m. Nexstar’s WREG went to the scene and found several vehicles with bullet holes in them. Her mother, Latrice Kennon, said Keys and her boyfriend were both struck while leaving her birthday party.
“She didn’t deserve none of this because she was an innocent bystander,” Kennon said. “They were backing up. They made a left turn, and that’s when the shooting started happening out of nowhere.”
According to police, Keys and her boyfriend were taken to the hospital by a private vehicle.
“My son called me,” Kennon said. “He’s in the house right now. He’s still shaken up, too. He’s 12. Then my little baby, she’s 3. She was out there.”
Keys’ boyfriend was listed in non-critical condition.
Kennon said Keys is now alert and stable. Doctors told her that she will need to have multiple jaw surgeries.
“She got wires all in her mouth,” Kennon said. “She’s missing five teeth. She got a trach(sic) in her throat. No child should have to go through that.”
Kennon does not believe her daughter was the intended target and has no idea who pulled the trigger. She also said Keys was planning to attend nursing school, but those plans are now on hold. She hopes police find whoever shot her daughter.
“They need to get locked up, and they need to pay for what they done to my child,” Kennon said.
No arrests have been made at this time, according to police. This is an ongoing investigation.
Anyone with information concerning the shooting is being urged to call CrimeStoppers Memphis at (901)-528-CASH. | 2022-06-28T14:52:13+00:00 | wivb.com | https://www.wivb.com/news/national/teen-shot-in-face-while-leaving-her-own-birthday-party-family-says/ |
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) — One person has died following a collision between two pleasure craft vessels on San Francisco Bay near Angel Island Thursday afternoon, according to a U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson.
Investigators from the San Francisco Police Department and the Marin County Sheriff’s Department are looking into the cause of the collision between a sailboat and a 25-foot Center Console pleasure craft motorboat. The collision caused the motorboat to spin out of control until police officers could commandeer the vessel.
Coast Guard officials received a report about the collision at 2:09 p.m. The Center Console operator was ejected from the vessel during the collision. The operator was pulled from the bay by eyewitnesses and aid was administered, but the person died.
There were no reports of anyone else suffering from injuries. Coast Guard officials received a report at 2:09 p.m. about a collision between the two vessels.
Copyright © 2022 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2022-07-01T03:45:25+00:00 | kron4.com | https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/authorities-investigate-after-1-dies-in-boat-collision-on-san-francisco-bay/ |
By RODNEY MUHUMUZA
Associated Press
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Experimental Ebola vaccines will be deployed in Uganda in about “two weeks,” a World Health Organization official said Wednesday, as the East African country carried out tough preventive measures that include a lockdown in the Ebola-hit areas.
Potentially hundreds of thousands of trial vaccine doses will buttress a response effort that still must focus on tracing Ebola contacts and community engagement, Dr. Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, the WHO representative in Uganda, told The Associated Press.
“We are getting closer and closer to deploying vaccines,” he said. “This is a study. This is just another tool that we are going to try.”
Vaccines developed by the U.S.-based Sabin Vaccine Institute and Oxford University “are ready to be shipped” to Uganda, which is finalizing protocols for the study before the National Drug Authority issues import permits, he said.
The Sudan strain of Ebola, for which there’s no proven vaccine, is circulating in Uganda. Ebola, which manifests as a viral hemorrhagic fever, has infected at least 60 people and killed 24. The official figures don’t include people who likely died of Ebola before the outbreak was confirmed. Victims include five health workers.
The Oxford vaccine is being produced by the Serum Institute of India, which has indicated it can eventually make hundreds of thousands of doses available, according to Yonas, who is closely following Uganda’s Ebola response.
Uganda declared an outbreak of Ebola on Sept. 20, several days after the contagious disease began spreading in a rural farming community. A lockdown and nighttime curfew measures are now in place in the outbreak’s epicenter, about 150 kilometers (90 miles) west of the capital, Kampala.
Ebola is spread by contact with bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and at times internal and external bleeding.
Scientists don’t know the natural reservoir of the virus, but they suspect the first victim in an Ebola outbreak gets infected through contact with an infected animal or eating its raw meat. Ugandan officials are still investing the source of the current outbreak.
Uganda has had multiple Ebola outbreaks, including one in 2000 that killed more than 200 people. The 2014-16 Ebola outbreak in West Africa killed more than 11,000 people, the disease’s largest death toll ever.
Ebola was discovered in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks in South Sudan and Congo, where it occurred in a village near the Ebola River after which the disease is named.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | 2022-10-19T12:45:28+00:00 | wtmj.com | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/10/19/uganda-to-deploy-ebola-vaccine-in-2-weeks-says-who-official/ |
11-year-old boy killed by firework over holiday weekend, police say
MOUNT VERNON, Ind. (WFIE/Gray News) – An 11-year-old Indiana boy was killed by a firework Sunday night, Indiana State Police said.
Camrynn Ray McMichael died from a head injury due to a firework mortar, a preliminary autopsy indicates. His death has been ruled accidental.
Troopers said Camrynn was found critically injured in a neighborhood around 9:45 p.m. Sunday and died while on the way to the hospital. They did not provide further details.
Camrynn was entering sixth grade as a student at Mount Vernon Junior High. His football coach, as well as two of his former elementary school teachers, raved about his personality and wit.
Mount Vernon Junior High Football Coach James F. Goodrich II said Camrynn was a great athlete and an even better kid.
“I mean it’s just, it’s just hard. I’m going to miss his smile, his energy, his just, you know, he was just part of us,” Goodrich said.
He said Camrynn was on the smaller side, but he was a natural-born leader who knew how to work.
“He knew that he was going to make his way by working hard and doing stuff, and that gets other kids’ respect,” Goodrich said.
One of Camrynn’s former teachers, Kamie Richardson, said his personality was one of a kind.
“Just his pure wanting everyone to just be happy,” Richardson said. “It was amazing.”
She said Camrynn was incredibly smart and always spent time helping other kids when he could.
“He was one of those kids where you start working with him and you were like, ‘Oh, I want to do better because this kid is pushing me to be better,’” she said.
Jacquelyn Cobb, Camrynn’s former fourth grade teacher, said his big heart made him such a pleasure to have in class. She said she was looking forward to watching Camrynn grow up, but that is a luxury that is no longer a reality.
“Just knowing that’s not going to happen is heartbreaking,” Cobb said.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family pay for Camrynn’s funeral expenses.
Copyright 2022 WFIE via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2022-07-06T16:42:39+00:00 | mysuncoast.com | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/07/06/11-year-old-boy-killed-by-firework-over-holiday-weekend-police-say/ |
At the Same Time, the Percentage of Asynchronous Telehealth Claim Lines for Hypertension Rose Nationally and in Every Region, according to FAIR Health's Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker
NEW YORK, July 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- National telehealth utilization decreased 5.4 percent in April 2023, from 5.6 percent of medical claim lines in March to 5.3 percent in April, according to FAIR Health's Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker.1 The decrease followed an increase in March 2023. In April, telehealth utilization also decreased in all four US census regions—the Midwest (4.7 percent), Northeast (6.3 percent), South (6.8 percent) and West (6.4 percent). The data represent the privately insured population, including Medicare Advantage and excluding Medicare Fee-for-Service and Medicaid.
Top Five Telehealth Diagnoses
Mental health conditions, the top-ranking telehealth diagnosis nationally and in every region, rose from 67.4 percent of telehealth claim lines nationally in March 2023 to 68.4 percent in April—the fourth straight month of national increases.
The percentage of telehealth claim lines for the second-place diagnosis, acute respiratory diseases and infections, decreased nationally in April, falling from 3.2 percent in March to 2.7 percent in April. This was the fourth consecutive national monthly decrease for this diagnosis.
Nationally, in April, developmental disorders switched positions with joint/soft tissue diseases and issues in the rankings; developmental disorders rose to third place while joint/soft tissue diseases and issues dropped to fourth place.
Asynchronous Telehealth
In April 2023, among the national top five diagnoses via asynchronous telehealth,2 mental health conditions switched positions with urinary tract infections in the rankings; claims for mental health conditions climbed to third place while those for urinary tract infections fell to fourth place.
In April, the percentage of asynchronous telehealth claim lines rose for hypertension nationally and in every region. Nationally, the percentage rose significantly from 9.7 percent in March to 12.5 percent in April. Hypertension rose from second to first place in the West and from fourth to second place in the South. It maintained its position nationally (second place) and in the other regions—second place in the Northeast and first in the Midwest.
In April, sleep disorders climbed in the rankings of asynchronous telehealth diagnoses from fifth to fourth place in the Northeast and from fourth to second place in the West. Diabetes mellitus rose in the rankings in three regions: from fifth to third place in the Midwest, from fourth to third place in the Northeast and from fifth to fourth place in the West.
Audio-Only Telehealth Usage
In April 2023, utilization of audio-only telehealth services decreased in rural and urban areas nationally and in every region except the West, where it fell in rural areas but rose in urban areas.
Telehealth Cost Corner
For April 2023, the Telehealth Cost Corner spotlighted the cost of CPT®3 99213, established patient office or other outpatient visit, 20-29 minutes. Nationally, the median charge amount for this service when rendered via telehealth was $167.77, and the median allowed amount was $89.70.4
About the Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker
Launched in May 2020 as a free service, the Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker uses FAIR Health data to track how telehealth is evolving from month to month. An interactive map of the four US census regions allows the user to view an infographic on telehealth in a specific month in the nation as a whole or in individual regions. Each infographic shows month-to-month changes in volume of telehealth claim lines and audio-only telehealth usage (urban versus rural); the Telehealth Cost Corner, which presents a specific telehealth procedure code with its median charge amount and median allowed amount; and that month's top five telehealth diagnoses and top five diagnoses via asynchronous telehealth.
FAIR Health President Robin Gelburd stated: "We welcome sharing these varying windows into telehealth utilization as it continues to evolve. This is one of the many ways we pursue our healthcare transparency mission."
For the Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker, click here.
Follow us on Twitter @FAIRHealth
About FAIR Health
FAIR Health is a national, independent nonprofit organization that qualifies as a public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the federal tax code. It is dedicated to bringing transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information through data products, consumer resources and health systems research support. FAIR Health possesses the nation's largest collection of private healthcare claims data, which includes over 41 billion claim records and is growing at a rate of over 2 billion claim records a year. FAIR Health licenses its privately billed data and data products—including benchmark modules, data visualizations, custom analytics and market indices—to commercial insurers and self-insurers, employers, providers, hospitals and healthcare systems, government agencies, researchers and others. Certified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a national Qualified Entity, FAIR Health also receives data representing the experience of all individuals enrolled in traditional Medicare Parts A, B and D; FAIR Health includes among the private claims data in its database, data on Medicare Advantage enrollees. FAIR Health can produce insightful analytic reports and data products based on combined Medicare and commercial claims data for government, providers, payors and other authorized users. FAIR Health's systems for processing and storing protected health information have earned HITRUST CSF certification and achieved AICPA SOC 2 Type 2 compliance by meeting the rigorous data security requirements of these standards. As a testament to the reliability and objectivity of FAIR Health data, the data have been incorporated in statutes and regulations around the country and designated as the official, neutral data source for a variety of state health programs, including workers' compensation and personal injury protection (PIP) programs. FAIR Health data serve as an official reference point in support of certain state balance billing laws that protect consumers against bills for surprise out-of-network and emergency services. FAIR Health also uses its database to power a free consumer website available in English and Spanish, which enables consumers to estimate and plan for their healthcare expenditures and offers a rich educational platform on health insurance. An English/Spanish mobile app offers the same educational platform in a concise format and links to the cost estimation tools. The website has been honored by the White House Summit on Smart Disclosure, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), URAC, the eHealthcare Leadership Awards, appPicker, Employee Benefit News and Kiplinger's Personal Finance. FAIR Health also is named a top resource for patients in Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal's book An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back. For more information on FAIR Health, visit fairhealth.org.
Contact:
Rachel Kent
Senior Director of Communications and Marketing
FAIR Health
646-396-0795
rkent@fairhealth.org
1 A claim line is an individual service or procedure listed on an insurance claim.
2 Asynchronous telehealth is telehealth in which data are stored and forwarded (e.g., blood pressure or other cardiac-related readings transmitted electronically; A1c levels transmitted electronically).
3 CPT © 2022 American Medical Association (AMA). All rights reserved.
4 A charge amount is the provider's undiscounted fee, which a patient may have to pay when the patient is uninsured, or when the patient chooses to go to a provider who does not belong to the patient's plan's network. An allowed amount is the total fee paid to the provider under an insurance plan. It includes the amount that the health plan pays and the part the patient pays under the plan's in-network cost-sharing provisions (e.g., copay or coinsurance if the patient has met the deductible).
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SOURCE FAIR Health | 2023-07-06T13:54:10+00:00 | wsfa.com | https://www.wsfa.com/prnewswire/2023/07/06/telehealth-utilization-overall-decreased-nationally-every-us-census-region-april-2023/ |
No. 22-4-00367-29
PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS
RCW 11.40.030
IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF SKAGIT IN PROBATE
In the Matter of the Estate of ROSEMARY E. ROGERS, Deceased.
The personal representative named below has been appointed as personal representative of this estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the personal representative or the personal representative’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court in which the probate proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the personal representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1)(c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets.
Date of filing copy of NOTICE TO CREDITORS with Clerk of Court: 7/18/2022.
Date of first publication: July 26, 2022.
Daniel Rogers
Personal Representative
LAW OFFICE OF COLE & GILDAY, P.C.
By Gregory L. Gilday
WSBA #36608
Attorney for Personal Representative
10101 270th St NW
Stanwood, WA 98292
Telephone: 360-629-2900 or Fax: 360-629-0220
IDX-959194
NOTICE TO CREDITORS PUBLISHED IN THE TACOMA DAILY INDEX NEWSPAPER: July 26, August 2 and 9, 2022. | 2022-07-26T14:51:29+00:00 | tacomadailyindex.com | https://www.tacomadailyindex.com/blog/no-22-4-00367-29-notice-to-creditors/2458332/ |
WAUKEE, Iowa , June 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Frog announced June 17 that it reached the elite tier of HubSpot's Solutions Partner Program. HubSpot, a leading CRM platform for scaling companies, works hand-in-hand with partner experts to grow their businesses through inbound software, services and support.
"Our experience with the team at Blue Frog has been nothing short of extraordinary. Their years of experience and quality of skilled staff has earned them a trusted reputation within the HubSpot ecosystem as a reliable partner capable of delivering remarkable experiences for our most sophisticated clients," said Brian Garvey, VP, Solutions Partner Program at HubSpot.
Blue Frog is a member of HubSpot's Solutions Partner Program, an ecosystem of experts offering marketing, sales, customer service, web design and CRM services. It's a global community that believes putting customers first is the key to growth, and enables its members to offer a wide variety of sophisticated solutions across the entire customer experience.
To achieve elite tier status, a solutions partner must generate $65,000 in sold monthly recurring revenue and manage $170,000 in recurring monthly revenue.
President John Campbell, since founding the company in 2009, has grown Blue Frog into one of the leading strategic growth firms in the United States. The company's growth can largely be attributed to a commitment to customer success along with HubSpot's inbound marketing philosophy, incorporating strategies that attract, engage and delight customers.
ABOUT BLUE FROG
Established in 2009 by John Campbell, Blue Frog is a privately-owned strategic growth firm offering services ranging from website design and development, data orchestration, branding, inbound marketing, digital advertising, HubSpot and ZoomInfo strategy, and content marketing.
Recognized by "Inc. Magazine" as one of the "Best Places to Work" and an elite tier HubSpot solutions partner, Blue Frog is recognized as one of the leading growth consultancies in the US. To learn more about Blue Frog, visit www.bluefrogdm.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Name: Kelsey Halverson
Company Name: Blue Frog
Phone: 515-221-2214
Email: khalverson@bluefrogdm.com
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SOURCE Blue Frog | 2022-06-17T19:07:55+00:00 | kswo.com | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2022/06/17/blue-frog-becomes-an-elite-tier-hubspot-solutions-partner/ |
Judge dismisses criminal charges against California energy company in 2020 fatal wildfire
REDDING, Calif. (AP) — A California judge on Wednesday dismissed all charges against Pacific Gas & Electric in connection to a 2020 fatal wildfire sparked by its equipment that destroyed hundreds of homes and killed four people, including an 8-year-old.
The utility also reached a $50 million settlement agreement with the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office, officials from both announced in separate statements.
The wind-whipped blaze began on Sept. 27, 2020, and raged through rugged terrain and small communities west of Redding, killing four people, burning about 200 homes and blackening about 87 square miles (225 square kilometers) of land in Shasta and Tehama counties.
In 2021, state fire investigators concluded the fire was sparked by a gray pine tree that fell onto a PG&E distribution line. Shasta and Tehama counties sued the utility, alleging negligence. They said PG&E failed to remove the tree even though it had been marked for removal two years earlier. The utility says the tree was subsequently cleared to stay.
Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett determined that the company was criminally liable for the fire and charged the utility later that year.
Shasta Superior Court Judge Daniel E. Flynn disagreed, and in a tentative ruling ahead of a hearing Wednesday said prosecutors did not present enough evidence to show PG&E engaged in criminal conduct, according to the Sacramento Bee, which obtained a copy of the ruling.
The “tree was not a known risk prior to the Zogg fire, and there is no evidence to support the People’s claim in their opposition that it was,” the judge wrote.
The utility said in a statement that under the agreement with Shasta County, which is subject to court approval, it will fund $45 million in contributions to organizations dedicated to rebuilding and assisting local communities. The company will also pay a $5 million civil penalty to the county.
“We stand behind our thousands of trained and experienced coworkers and contractors working every day to keep Californians safe. We feel strongly that those good-faith judgments are not criminal,” said Patti Poppe, Chief Executive Officer of PG&E Corporation.
Bridgett said her goal was always to take PG&E to trial and hold them criminally responsible but that Flynn’s tentative ruling changed her position and she agreed to a settlement that includes dropping all charges.
“I am unwilling to gamble with the safety of Shasta County,” she said. “I have a responsibility to the community and needed to secure what I can for all the citizens to prevent future wildfires, prevent future deaths and devastation, and to be as prepared as our county can be if another one occurs.”
Last week, the California Public Utilities Commission approved a $150 million settlement between Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and the CPUC’s Safety and Enforcement Division over PG&E’s role in the Zogg Fire. As part of the agreement, the utility will pay $10 million as a penalty to California’s General Fund, and invest $140 million in shareholder funds in new wildfire mitigation efforts, officials said. | 2023-06-01T02:35:40+00:00 | wishtv.com | https://www.wishtv.com/news/national/judge-dismisses-criminal-charges-against-california-energy-company-in-2020-fatal-wildfire/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is rallying again Thursday after another encouraging dose of data showed inflation cooled last month.
The S&P 500 was 1% higher following a report showing inflation at the wholesale level slowed more than economists expected in July. It bolstered hopes that inflation may be close to a peak and that the Federal Reserve won’t be as aggressive about raising interest rates as feared.
Treasury yields fell, as traders continued to pare back bets for how big the Fed’s next rate hike will be. Cryptocurrencies also climbed in another echo of Wednesday’s trading, when relief flowed through markets after a report showed inflation at the consumer level cooled by more than expected. But the day’s movements were generally less forceful than Wednesday’s.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 295 points, or 0.9%, at 33,603, as of 10:13 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 1.1% higher.
Inflation is still painfully high, of course, and the economy has given false signals before that relief was on the way only for the rug to get pulled out from underneath investors. But enough hope for a peak has built that the S&P 500 has more than halved its losses from earlier in the year, and it’s up roughly 16% from a bottom in mid-June.
Thursday's encouraging signal on inflation helped drive a broad-based rally, and nearly 90% of the stocks in the index were rising.
The Walt Disney Co. jumped 7.9% for the biggest gain in the index after the entertainment company reported stronger profit for the spring than analysts expected. Other media companies also rallied, with Paramount Global up 5.9% and Warner Bros. Discovery up 5.7%.
Companies whose profits most depend on a strong economy were helping to lead the way. Energy stocks as a group within the S&P 500 rose 1.6%. So did the financial companies in the index.
Worries about a possible recession are still looming over the market, as the Federal Reserve continues to raise interest rates to fight inflation. Such increases slow the economy by design, and some parts of the economy have already weakened under their weight, including the housing industry. But a resilient jobs market has offered a strong counterweight, leading to a muddied outlook for the economy.
A report on Thursday showed fewer U.S. workers filed for jobless claims last week than expected, a potentially encouraging sign about layoffs. But it was nevertheless the highest number since November.
In markets overseas, European indexes were mixed, while Asian markets were mostly higher.
In Thailand, the SET gave up 0.2% after the country's central bank raised its benchmark interest rate by 0.25 percentage points to 0.75% a day earlier. The Southeast Asian country's economy has been hard hit by the pandemic, which ravaged its all-important tourism sector.
__
AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.
Credit: Ahn Young-joon
Credit: Ahn Young-joon
Credit: Ahn Young-joon
Credit: Ahn Young-joon
Credit: Seth Wenig
Credit: Seth Wenig
Credit: Seth Wenig
Credit: Seth Wenig
Credit: Seth Wenig
Credit: Seth Wenig | 2022-08-11T14:49:19+00:00 | springfieldnewssun.com | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/wall-street-gains-continue-after-hitting-3-month-high/UFG45WO5JBEGFH5WD3ZG6AXIYQ/ |
Craft nonalcoholic IPAs. Kentucky 74 spiritless bourbon. Monday Zero Alcohol Gin. Luminara alcohol-removed chardonnay. Zero-proof margaritas.
It doesn't seem that long ago when O'Doul's, a stodgy nonalcoholic beer, was basically the only buzz-free game in town. But now, if you like the taste of alcoholic drinks but don't like the effects of alcohol, you're living in a golden age.
The business of nonalcoholic beer, wine and spirits is booming. In the last year, "more than 70 new items have been launched in this space as consumers seek out health and wellness alternatives in their drinking routines," says Kaleigh Theriault, a representative from NielsenIQ, a data analytics company.
NielsenIQ's data shows the market for nonalcoholic beer, wine and spirits grew more than 20% last year — and more than 120% over the last three years. The market now sees almost $400 million in annual sales. Compared to the roughly $200 billion market for stuff that can get you drunk, that's, of course, peanuts: nonalcoholic alternatives are only about 0.47% of the alcohol market. But alcohol companies, entrepreneurs and an increasingly long list of celebrities clearly see much more room for growth.
Over the last couple years, Katy Perry launched De Soi, a nonalcoholic sparkling apéritif; supermodel Bella Hadid co-founded Kin Euphorics, which offers nonalcoholic drinks like Dream Light, "infused with adaptogens, nootropics, and botanics like Reishi Mushroom, Melatonin, and L-Tryptophan"; and NFL defensive end J.J. Watt and chef David Chang invested in Athletic Brewing Co., a nonalcoholic craft brewery.
Budweiser recently used the World Cup (hosted by anti-alcohol Qatar) to promote Budweiser Zero, which, as the name suggests, has zero alcohol.
Megan Klein, an entrepreneur in the nonalcoholic booze market, told Marketplace last year that she sees this consumer trend — sometimes called the "sober curious" movement — as one part of a growing "anxiety economy." That's a label for a set of products — like meditation apps, squishy stress balls, self-help books and online psychiatry services — that are benefiting from increasing numbers of folks striving for lower levels of anxiety and better physical and mental health.
[Editor's note: This is an excerpt of Planet Money's newsletter. You can sign up here.]
Of course, instead of imbibing one of these new-fangled liquid concoctions, you could simply drink juice or water. But you may legitimately like the taste of beer, wine and spirits. Moreover, alcohol plays this almost ceremonial role in our festivities and social gatherings — as it has for thousands of years. These nonalcoholic alternative drinks offer consumers a way to sip something festive while avoiding the pitfalls of alcohol; or at least reduce their overall alcohol consumption.
An alcohol substitute or complement?
At first blush, faux alcoholic beverages seem to be — to use econospeak — a substitute for real-deal alcoholic drinks. In this view, consumers drink them instead of alcoholic drinks, and because of that, their demand for alcoholic drinks naturally goes down. This is probably the case for many consumers.
But it's also possible that, for some people, nonalcoholic beverages are not a substitute. They could be a complement — which is econospeak for consumer goods that are often purchased together, like peanut butter and jelly. NielsenIQ's data suggests this may indeed be the case. It finds that 82% of people who buy nonalcoholic beers, wine and spirits also buy traditional alcoholic drinks.
Furthermore, NielsenIQ finds, the households that buy alcohol alternatives are overall more valuable consumers for the alcoholic industry, spending roughly $160 million more per year than households that only buy the stuff that gets you tipsy. Manufacturers and bars, Theriault says, may be using alcohol alternatives as "a way to promote responsible drinking while still engaging consumers with the alcohol industry."
So whether you're kicking "the giggle juice" for health reasons or you just want to cut back this month, there have never been so many options for Dry January. Cheers!
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-01-04T23:08:47+00:00 | kosu.org | https://www.kosu.org/food-drink/news/2023-01-03/a-golden-age-for-nonalcoholic-beers-wines-and-spirits |
WFO BROWNSVILLE Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, August 30, 2022
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SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Brownsville TX
330 PM CDT Tue Aug 30 2022
...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of northern Zapata
County through 415 PM CDT...
At 329 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms near
Bustamante, moving northwest at 35 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 30 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Bustamante.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
LAT...LON 2732 9937 2727 9933 2727 9922 2704 9900
2693 9911 2714 9943 2715 9944 2716 9943
2721 9943 2722 9944 2725 9944 2727 9945
TIME...MOT...LOC 2029Z 135DEG 32KT 2704 9914
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...30 MPH
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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | 2022-08-30T22:11:58+00:00 | sfgate.com | https://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/TX-WFO-BROWNSVILLE-Warnings-Watches-and-17408251.php |
October reveals the truth about a college football season.
A Saturday that featured six games matching ranked teams, including three battles of unbeatens, promised to set the tone for the second half and sort contenders from pretenders.
No. 5 Michigan stepped forward emphatically in the Big Ten. No. 13 TCU made an improbable rally to become the Big 12 favorite.
And No. 6 Tennessee put the Southeastern Conference on tilt.
Hendon Hooker and the Volunteers played the game of the day, and maybe the season, beating No. 3 Alabama for the first time since 2006 with a walk-off field goal.
“This is college football at its absolute best,” Vols coach Josh Heupel said.
No doubt about it.
For those who spend their Saturdays in front of multiple screens, there was about a 30-minute period when Alabama and Tennessee were trading haymakers and TCU was erasing a 14-point deficit against No. 8 Oklahoma State.
As great as Max Duggan, Quinten Johnston and the Frogs were in taking one away that Oklahoma State seemed to have in control, the Vols were the headliners.
The storyline of this season — at least we thought it — was three elite teams: Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State, with the rest of the country playing catchup.
Alabama hasn’t lived up to the billing.
Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young and the Tide started No. 1, then barely escaped Texas in Week 2. OK, it happens.
Then Young injured his shoulder against Arkansas and had to sit out last week’s game against Texas A&M. The Tide were a mess of turnovers and missed field goals and again barely escaped.
Surely, things would be different with Young.
Well, he was typically magical against Tennessee, but Alabama couldn’t cover Jalin Hyatt (five touchdowns), couldn’t stop committing penalties (17 for 130) and botched the last minute of the game when a potential winning kick was in sight.
Nick Saban and the Tide will have plenty to lament, but having a first down at the Tennessee 32 with 34 seconds left and ending up with a 50-yard field goal sailing wide with 15 seconds left for the Vols turned out to be a disaster.
Tennessee still has to play at No. 1 Georgia on Nov. 5. Alabama has plenty of work left to do to win another SEC West title, including a trip to No. 9 and unbeaten Mississippi.
But the Vols blew away the idea of the two SEC titans marching unimpeded toward another championship showdown in Atlanta.
And Hooker is now the Heisman frontrunner.
Earlier in the day, Michigan officially put No. 2 Ohio State on notice.
Michigan beat the Buckeyes last year to end its long drought on the way to a Big Ten title and the Wolverines’ first playoff berth.
The Wolverines have been living in the top-five for weeks this season, but with some skepticism after starting against the weakest nonconference schedule in the country and no ranked Big Ten teams.
Against No. 10 Penn State, Michigan looked like a real threat to beat the Buckeyes again.
Only a couple of long plays by the Nittany Lions and some stalled red zone trips in the first half kept the game respectable. Running back don’t win the Heisman Trophy anymore, but Blake Corum is Michigan’s man in that conversation.
“The offensive line knows that if they give Blake and Donovan (Edwards) space, any kind of crack, they’re going to make the most of it,” coach Jim Harbaugh said.
Last year he was the lightning to Hassan Haskins’ thunder for Michigan. Corum is a workhorse now. He came into the game seventh in the nation in rushing at 122.5 yards per game and then went for 166 on 28 carries with two touchdowns against Penn State.
AROUND THE COUNTRY
There are no undefeated Group of Five teams left after two Sun Belt upsets. No. 25 James Madison lost at Georgia Southern and Coastal Carolina was smoked at home on Old Dominion … There are also no more winless teams in FBS. Colorado beat Cal in overtime to win the first game under interim coach Mike Sanford, with one of the craziest pass breakups you’ll ever see. … Miami and Oklahoma both snapped three-game losing streaks for their first-year coaches. The Sooners got QB Dillon Gabriel back from injury and it fixed their offense as they handed No. 19 Kansas a second straight loss. Coach Brent Venables’ defense is still a problem, but the Sooners could still be an issue in the Big 12. The Hurricanes held on at Virginia Tech, getting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke on track for what they hope will be redeeming stretch run for coach Mario Cristobal … No. 22 Texas snapped a three-game losing streak to Iowa State and handed the Cyclones a fourth straight one-possession loss. Iowa State is 0-4 in the Big 12 by a combined margin of 14 points. … No. 18 Syracuse is 6-0 for the first time since 1987. … No. 24 Illinois has already banked victories against Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota and is in great shape to win the Big Ten West in Bret Bielema’s second season. Illini star Chase Brown became the first 1,000-yard rusher in the country this season against the Gophers.
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Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.appodcasts.com
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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://bit.ly/3pqZVaF | 2022-10-16T03:25:06+00:00 | seattletimes.com | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/college/ap-top-25-takeaways-vols-frogs-wolverines-make-statements/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
MADISON, Ill. (AP) — Kyle Larson is willing to drive just about anything with four wheels and an engine, and his ability to jump between NASCAR’s highest level and small-town late model races on dirt should come in handy this weekend.
You see, Larson showed up to World Wide Technology Raceway on Friday for the first practice before the Cup Series makes its much-anticipated debut there Sunday having never taken a lap there — not in a race, a tire test or even in a simulator.
But given everything he drives — stock cars, sprints, midgets — he sees more new tracks than just about anyone.
“My schedule is pretty busy and by the time it was Gateway week,” Larson said, referring to the track by its old nickname, “I realized I was racing every day this week. I wasn’t home. But I think I’ll be fine. I feel like I adapt pretty quickly, and I have a pretty good track record on tracks I go to the first time.”
This week alone, Larson had a late model race at Tri-City Speedway in nearby Granite City, Illinois, rained out Wednesday, then won the pole there before crashing out in a makeup race Thursday night. And after taking his practice laps around the 1 1/4-mile hairpin track east of St. Louis on Friday, he was headed back to Tri-City for another race that night.
He’s also raced at a dirt track in Pevely, Missouri, which is about 30 minutes away, and in a midget just across the river at The Dome at America’s Center; the former home of the St. Louis Rams now puts on indoor dirt-track races.
“So I’ve raced all around here but never here,” Larson said. “Haven’t had too much time to prepare. I haven’t run any laps here to test, nothing on the simulator. We’ll get the hang of it today and go out and qualify on Saturday.”
While it’s new to NASCAR’s top series, Gateway has a rich tradition. It was built as a drag strip in the 1960s and expanded into a full-purpose racing venue, hosting dozens of lower-level NASCAR events in the late ’90s and early 2000s.
Then, an economic downturn left it on the brink of financial ruin.
It took the vision and resources of real estate developer Curtis Francois, who grew up watching races across the Midwest, to rescue the track and begin building it out. Over nearly a decade, he’s poured millions into facility upgrades with more on the way, turning the speedway into a 700-acre destination for race fans.
The long front-stretch grandstand and towering seats in the tight first and second turns are sold out Sunday, along with 1,200-plus campsites and dozens of hospitality areas. That means a crowd of more than 60,000 is expected.
Nobody is quite sure what all those fans will see.
The egg-shaped oval, with sweeping third and fourth turns, reminds some drivers of Phoenix or New Hampshire. Others point to Richmond. Whatever the case, Gateway is one of the few tracks where they’re going to be active on the clutch: it probably takes two shifts to get through the first two corners and at least one through Turns 3 and 4.
“Any time you head to a new track it’s tough,” Chase Elliott said. “You can do everything to prepare but you’re not really going to know until you make those first laps in practice. We’re getting a little more track time than we do at most tracks, so that will give us an opportunity to try to figure some things out ahead of Sunday.”
About two dozen drivers have at least some experience at Gateway, whether in the 15 races run in the Xfinity Series from 1997 until the track’s closure or the 21 races run in the Truck Series before and after Francois purchased it.
For the rest, the speedway just a stone’s throw from the Mississippi River represents an entirely new challenge.
“I think of that track a lot like a yo-yo,” said Ross Chastain, who start-and-parked a truck at Gateway in 2018 before winning the next year. “Creating the momentum in 3 and 4 to make a pass in Turn 1, out-brake somebody and slide up in front of them, downshift — all of that work coupled with the heat and humidity that we’ll have there, you’re going to have to be on it to make it through a whole Cup race there.”
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More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2022-06-04T17:50:38+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/sports/new-track-new-test-nascars-top-series-heads-to-st-louis/ |
Joshua Bessex / Associated Press
Monday, May 16, 2022 | 8:34 p.m.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The 18-year-old gunman accused of a deadly racist rampage at a Buffalo supermarket seems to fit an all-too-familiar profile: an aggrieved white man steeped in hate-filled conspiracies online, and inspired by other extremist massacres.
Payton Gendron of Conklin, New York, appears to have been driven to action roughly two years from when his radical indoctrination began, showing just how quickly and easily murderous assaults can be spawned on the internet. No tactical training or organizational help required.
While law enforcement officials have grown adept since the Sept. 11 attacks at disrupting well-organized plots, they face a much tougher challenge in intercepting self-radicalized young men who absorb racist screeds on social media and plot violence on their own.
“That’s why everyone is so concerned. You just go and you pick your ideology — and then, if you have a weapon, you don’t need a big plan,” said Christopher Costa, former senior director for counterterrorism in the Trump administration's National Security Council. “What’s changed is the internet.”
Gendron is accused of fatally shooting 10 Black people and could face federal hate crime charges in the coming days. He purportedly left behind a 180-page diatribe in which he said the rampage was intended to terrorize nonwhite people and get them to leave the country. It parrots ideas left behind by other white killers whose massacres he had extensively researched online.
The evidence so far underscores the evolving threat facing law enforcement.
In the first years after the Sept. 11 attacks, U.S. officials were preoccupied by the possibility of organized terror cells mobilizing followers to launch fresh assaults against the homeland. They later worried about the possibility of self-radicalized Islamic jihadists acting on their own.
Now, white supremacists have emerged as a front-and-center focus. FBI Director Christopher Wray last year described the domestic terrorism threat as “metastasizing." White racially motivated extremists have been responsible for most of the deadliest attacks on U.S. soil in the last five years, including a 2018 shooting inside a Pittsburgh synagogue and a rampage the following year in which a gunman targeting Hispanics inside a Texas Walmart killed 23 people.
An unclassified report from the U.S. intelligence community last year warned that violent extremists motivated by political grievances and racial hatred pose an “elevated” threat to the country.
In recognition of the problem, the White House in March said its latest budget provided the FBI with an increase of $33 million for domestic terrorism investigations. In 2019, the FBI brought together in a specialized fusion cell agents who specialize in hate crime investigations with those focused on acts of domestic terrorism — a nod to the overlapping nature of the threats.
Federal authorities have in recent years prosecuted members of white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups, including Atomwaffen Division and The Base. These organizations have embraced a fringe philosophy known as “accelerationism,” which promotes mass violence to fuel society’s collapse, spark a race war or overthrow the U.S. government.
Those defendants' paths to digital indoctrination in some ways appear to mirror that of Gendron. The racist screed that has been attributed to him advanced ideas from the “great replacement” theory — a baseless conspiracy that says there's a plot to diminish the influence of white people — and chronicles his own experiences navigating dark corners of the internet.
A generation ago, indoctrination into extremist groups involved people meeting face to face, talking and swapping books, and as a result harmful ideologies weren't as likely to spread as quickly as they can today, said Shannon Foley Martinez, a reformed extremist who mentors people trying to leave supremacist groups.
“When I go and talk to middle and high school and university students and I ask them who has seen racist or antisemitic comments or content online, 100% of the hands go up,” said Martinez, who cut ties with extremists 28 years ago.
There's long been debate within the criminal justice system about the ability to rehabilitate racially or ethnically motivated extremists, or create so-called “off-ramps," for them before they commit violence. Once charged, several defendants have sought to renounce their ideologies, pointing to mitigating factors in their own lives that they said had warped their judgment and led to a poisoned set of beliefs.
After the Justice Department in 2020 charged four Atomwaffen members in Seattle in a campaign to intimidate journalists and others with threatening posters at their homes, defense attorneys sought to play up the similarities of their clients' backgrounds and radicalization path: They were bullied, friendless, ostracized; craving a community, they found each other on the internet.
Cameron Shea was addicted to opiates and living in his car when he found Atomwaffen.
“Ï was lost, sad, and (at the risk of sounding dramatic) angry at the world," he wrote in a letter addressed to the judge who sentenced him to three years in prison. “Choosing to lash out and feel angry at everything was easier than addressing the sadness and sense of displacement beneath it all.”
Taylor Ashley Parker-Dipeppe, who was 21 at sentencing, is a transgender man who was shunned by his peers and frequently bullied at his New Jersey high school, said his lawyer, Peter Mazzone. After a failed attempt to “connect with the LBGTQ crowd,” Parker-Dipeppe gravitated online toward an Atomwaffen cell in Florida led by a 16-year-old boy and became a “total follower,” his lawyer said.
“But he also felt he ‘passed’ as a man, was accepted by a ‘manly’ club, and was part of a group that would fight for him if necessary, as long as no one found out that he was actually transgender,” Mazzone wrote.
The Atomwaffen defendants either pleaded guilty or were convicted by a jury. All four were sentenced to prison terms or time already served behind bars.
While those men bonded on the internet, Gendron's online wanderings may have been a more solo endeavor. However, the statement he apparently posted online indicates he drew inspiration from other racist rampages, like the one by a white man who killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019.
In the document, Gendron said he was experiencing “extreme boredom” as the COVID-19 pandemic progressed, and that in May 2020 he began browsing 4chan, a lawless messaging board that is popular for anonymous — and often violent or misleading — posts. Gendron said he first browsed the site’s gun messaging board.
Soon enough, he had stumbled upon neo-Nazi websites posted to the site and, then, a copy of the livestream video of the New Zealand mosque shootings.
“This document demonstrates a very clear trajectory from radicalization online to domestic terrorism and extremism,” said Sophie Bjork-James, an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University who researches the white nationalist movement and hate crimes.
Gendron shared screenshots of memes and conservative news headlines that helped him formulate his extreme beliefs in the document.
“Taking the megaphone away from those people is extremely important and right now that megaphone is on social media,” Bjork-James said.
Facebook did not take down the livestream of the New Zealand killing spree until 17 minutes after it was broadcast, leaving copies of the video to circulate indefinitely on seedier sites like 4Chan. Gendron’s livestream video also has spread across social media sites and could be used to indoctrinate more users.
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Tucker and Seitz reported from Washington. Kunzelman reported from College Park, Maryland. | 2022-05-17T08:37:55+00:00 | lasvegassun.com | https://lasvegassun.com/news/2022/may/16/accused-buffalo-gunman-followed-familiar-radicaliz/ |
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We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. | 2022-10-12T13:08:37+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/washington-post-hardcover-bestsellers/2022/10/11/6b676f30-498c-11ed-af21-fd023621cb3b_story.html |
Austin-based company ranks No. 22 among behavioral health companies appearing on the 2022 list
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc. magazine recently revealed that Iris Telehealth, a leading provider of telepsychiatry services for health systems and community health centers across the U.S., was included on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nation's fastest growing private companies. The ranking reflects a three-year revenue growth of 109% and marks the company's second appearance on the annual list, having made its debut at No. 397 in 2020.
"We're honored to once again be recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of America's fastest growing companies," said Andy Flanagan, CEO of Iris Telehealth. "Since our founding in 2013, our mission has been to expand high-quality virtual behavioral health services to those who need it most. This recognition is a testament to that mission and the dedication of our team in making it a reality."
Iris Telehealth has grown exponentially over the last 18 months as healthcare organizations seek to provide timely, quality behavioral health care to their patients. The company's combination of high-quality providers, best-in-class support, expertise in optimizing care models, and technology has enabled customers to reimagine how behavioral health services are provided across the continuum of care.
Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000. The top 500 companies are featured in the September issue of Inc. magazine.
The companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 have not only been successful, but also demonstrated resilience amid supply chain woes, labor shortages, and the ongoing impact of Covid-19. Among the top 500 companies on the list, the average median three-year revenue growth rate soared to 2,144%. Together, those companies added more than 68,394 jobs over the past three years.
"The accomplishment of building one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., in light of recent economic roadblocks, cannot be overstated," says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. "We're thrilled to honor the companies that have established themselves through innovation, hard work, and rising to the challenges of today."
Iris Telehealth helps healthcare organizations consistently increase access to quality mental healthcare for their patients by providing the clinicians, staff support, and knowledge to build a sustainable telepsychiatry department. With clinical grounding and emphasis on human relationships, Iris Telehealth identifies best-fit providers for each unique organization and ensures long-term commitment to meeting their partner's needs, allowing them to provide the highest quality care to their patients and community. For more information, please visit iristelehealth.com.
Media Contact:
Yancey Casey
Amendola Communications on behalf of Iris Telehealth
(678) 895-9401
ycasey@acmarketingpr.com
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SOURCE Iris Telehealth | 2022-08-30T11:48:33+00:00 | uppermichiganssource.com | https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/prnewswire/2022/08/30/iris-telehealth-earns-spot-annual-inc-5000-list-americas-fastest-growing-private-companies/ |
NASCAR’s Harvick: ‘It’s just time,’ racer says of 2023 final season
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Harvick received the same answer nearly every time he asked another athlete how they decided to retire: Harvick would just know it was time.
The driver thrust onto the global stage when he was named Dale Earnhardt’s replacement just days after Earnhardt’s fatal 2001 crash will make this 23rd season his last in NASCAR. The 2014 Cup champion heads into his final year tied for ninth on NASCAR’s all-time wins list with 60 career victories, 13 consecutive playoff appearances and he’s one of the final active drivers from the sport’s halcyon days.
“From talking to all the people I’ve talked to, it always came down to the same, ‘Oh, you’ll know, you’ll know it is time, you’ll know the right moment,’” Harvick said in an interview with The Associated Press ahead of his Thursday announcement.
“It’s great to be able to go out on your own terms and plan it how you want it to go, but the biggest thing that sticks out to me is my kids. Being home with them and seeing the impact that you have with them when you are home, being able to be part of that daily process and be that father figure, it’s just time.”
Harvick at the end of this season will turn his attention to Kevin Harvick Inc., his growing management business, the enjoyable time he’s spent in the television booth, some bucket list racing, and most important, his young racing family.
Harvick and his wife, DeLana, were adamant they would not raise racers, but the slow early days of the COVID-19 pandemic gave father and son too much free time and 10-year-old Keelan is now go-karting on the international level. The young racer spent part of 2022 racing in Italy — sometimes traveling abroad without either parent — and Harvick figures he saw his son race only three times last year.
And then there’s Piper, his 5-year-old daughter who now wants Dad’s attention when she’s in her own go-kart.
“You know, Keelan, he needs that father figure in his life, especially as he goes down the racing route,” Harvick told the AP. “And then Piper probably asks to go to the go-kart track more than he does, and having to send her to the track by herself really frustrates me.
“You don’t want her not to have the opportunity to learn like he did. She makes twice as many strides in a day while I’m there than she would in a day when I’m not there. So there’s just a time when you have to ask yourself ‘What’s the most important thing for me and my time and my family right now?’”
Harvick had already overcome the NASCAR odds of breaking into the Southern-based sport from Bakersfield, California, when Richard Childress Racing said he’d be a Cup rookie alongside seven-time champion Earnhardt in 2002. But when Earnhardt was killed on the final lap of the 2001 season-opening Daytona 500, Harvick’s career was upended.
He was in the rebranded No. 29 Chevrolet five days after Earnhardt’s death — less than a week before the 25-year-old’s planned wedding to DeLana — and that hectic season in the spotlight was a blur. Harvick won in his third start, less than a month after Earnhardt’s death, and split his time between his new Cup ride and the Busch Series championship he was chasing.
Harvick competed in 69 NASCAR national races that season with a pair of Cup victories and five wins en route to the Busch title. He was busy but grew jaded by all the attention, the endless Earnhardt comparisons, and the pressure of replacing a superstar during a yearlong grieving period that had engulfed NASCAR.
Perhaps that is what made Harvick so tough.
He fought with his rivals often in his early career and was suspended for a Cup race in 2002 for his actions in a Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway a day earlier. That incident forged a relationship between Harvick and the late Jim Hunter, a NASCAR executive who helped Harvick navigate the politics of the sport.
But he never softened, not even after having children.
After a 2014 playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway in which Harvick was a bystander to a pit road disagreement between Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski, Harvick shoved Keselowski into Gordon and Gordon’s crew to trigger a melee.
Harvick for days refused to discuss his role in the brawl, only relenting when he finally accepted that son Keelan needed to hear him accept responsibility — even though Harvick had zero remorse.
Harvick doesn’t know if his grittiness developed from those first difficult years after Earnhardt’s death, but acknowledges an internal pressure to do things his own way and carve out his own legacy that really ramped up around 2006. Some of Earnhardt’s sponsors began pulling off the car, and Harvick now had to stand on his own and prove his worth.
“We’d gotten through the tough years of transitioning from what Dale liked to what I liked, and through all those battles and conversations, you put your guard up and become a jerk,” Harvick told the AP. “Looking back at it now, you can see that you could have handled things differently, but it was digging my heels in thinking ‘I need to do this my way now’ and that created some tensions. But I wouldn’t trade anything other than Dale’s death because all those things that came in the next five years were part of surviving and being successful and building something and learning what was right and what was wrong.”
His approach led to strained relationships, including a period with seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson. Both had come to North Carolina from California, and both crashed on Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr.’s couch as they struggled to make it in NASCAR.
But as Johnson surged to title after title, and Harvick fought through lean years with RCR, the relationship fractured, and Harvick shoved Johnson in the chest following a 2015 playoff race when Johnson tried to speak to him about an on-track incident.
“We’ve had issues, we’ve been great, we’ve had friendship, we’ve been through it all,” Johnson told AP. “I think there’s a great deal of respect between both of us. I truly admire his path and what he’s overcome. Coming from the West Coast as the starting point, climbing through the ranks, we lose Dale and he’s thrust into that position... there’s just a lot of layers there and I respect his work ethic and dedication and career.”
Harvick, who added a second Busch title in 2006, counts the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, Brickyard 400 and Southern 500 among his crown jewel victories. Harvick also won NASCAR’s first race back during the pandemic, held in front of empty grandstands at Darlington Raceway in May 2020, when NASCAR became the first major sport to return to competition.
Harvick told the AP his own handling of the 2013 parting with Richard Childress — in the works for a full year before he moved to Stewart-Haas in 2014 — is the biggest regret of his career and is grateful the relationship is repaired.
He’s forged a strong bond at SHR with co-owner Tony Stewart, crew chief Rodney Childers and his entire No. 4 team. Harvick and Childers are currently the longest active driver-crew chief pairing in the Cup Series at 10 years. Among their 37 wins is a pair of victories last season that snapped a 65-race winless streak — the second longest of Harvick’s career.
It was Stewart, the three-time Cup champion and Hall of Famer, who encouraged Harvick to make an early announcement about his retirement and enjoy his final year. Stewart shunned all sendoffs and appreciations in his final season, something Harvick told the AP that Stewart now regrets.
Harvick opens the season early next month with the exhibition Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, followed by his final season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 19.
“I want Kevin to savor every lap this season, to compete like hell and to take it all in,” Stewart said. “He’s made all of us at Stewart-Haas Racing incredibly proud and we want to make his last season his best season.”
Harvick said with certainty that he will not compete in the Cup Series after this year, but he’s not completely finished racing. In fact, he’s already got plans for the souped up late model he plans to prepare for himself the day that Keelan is old enough to race against his father.
“He’s a cocky 10-year-old right now who thinks he can beat anyone,” Harvick told AP. “We’ll see when the time comes.”
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2023-01-12T14:45:02+00:00 | kttc.com | https://www.kttc.com/2023/01/12/nascars-harvick-its-just-time-racer-says-2023-final-season/ |
TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time and just days after he met in person with U.S. President Joe Biden.
The announcement came in a tweet Monday in which he urged everyone to get vaccinated. Trudeau said he feels OK and said that’s because he’s been vaccinated.
The positive test comes after he met with U.S. President Joe Biden and other leaders at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles. Biden took a “family photo” with Trudeau on Friday and met with him on Thursday.
Trudeau also tested positive in January.
The prime minister also had isolated at home in the early months of the pandemic after his wife tested positive.
Canada has one of the world’s highest rates of vaccination against the coronavirus — shots which are primarily designed to keep those who become infected from falling seriously ill. | 2022-06-14T15:12:40+00:00 | ksn.com | https://www.ksn.com/news/health/coronavirus/canadian-pm-trudeau-tests-positive-for-covid-a-second-time/ |
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia resumed its blockade of Ukrainian ports on Sunday, cutting off urgently needed grain exports to hungry parts of the world in what U.S. President Joe Biden called a “really outrageous” act.
Biden warned that global hunger could increase because of Russia’s suspension of a U.N.-brokered deal to allow safe passage of ships carrying grain from Ukraine, one of the world’s breadbaskets.
“It’s really outrageous,” Biden said Saturday in Wilmington, Delaware. “There’s no merit to what they’re doing. The U.N. negotiated that deal and that should be the end of it.”
Biden spoke hours after Russia announced it would immediately halt participation in the grain deal, alleging that Ukraine staged a drone attack Saturday against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet off the coast of occupied Crimea. Ukraine has denied the attack, saying that Russia mishandled its own weapons.
Ukraine’s Infrastructure Ministry reported Sunday that 218 ships involved in grain exports have been blocked — 22 loaded and stuck at ports, 95 loaded and departed from ports, and 101 awaiting inspections.
One of the blocked ships, carrying 40,000 tons of wheat for Ethiopia under a U.N. aid program, could not leave Ukraine on Sunday as a result of Russia’s “blockage of the grain corridor,” Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine’s minister of infrastructure, said on Twitter. The ship, Ikaria Angel, was stuck in the Black Sea port of Chornomorsk.
The Istanbul-based UN center coordinating the ship passages later said the Ikaria Angel was among six vessels that began moving out but hadn’t yet entered a humanitarian corridor. The center reported on plans to move and inspect other ships on Monday but it wasn’t clear whether Russia would agree.
The grain initiative — an example of rare wartime cooperation between Ukraine and Russia — has allowed more than 9 million tons of grain in 397 ships to safely leave Ukrainian ports since it was signed in July. U.N. chief António Guterres had urged Russia and Ukraine on Friday to renew the deal when it expires Nov. 19. The grain agreement has brought down global food prices about 15% from their peak in March, according to the U.N.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskky expressed outrage at Russia’s decision. Referring to the Ikaria Angel, he said in his nightly video address Sunday, “This bulk ship with wheat for the U.N. food program and other vessels with agricultural products are forced to wait, because Russia is blackmailing the world with hunger.”
Two initiatives to revive the grain deal were reported Sunday.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar was in talks with his counterparts to “solve the problem and to continue the grain initiative,” his agency said, adding that no more grain ships would leave Ukraine but those already waiting near Istanbul would be inspected on Sunday or Monday.
At the United Nations in New York, Guterres delayed a trip by a day to engage in talks aimed at ending Russia’s suspension of the grain export deal. Russia also requested a meeting Monday of the U.N. Security Council to discuss the topic.
Analysts say Russia’s withdrawal shows that it sees the grain deal as another way to pressure Ukraine.
“By leaving the deal now and putting the blame on Ukraine, it aims to slow Ukrainian attacks around the Black Sea,” said Mario Bikarski, a Economist Intelligence Unit analyst. Russia could be hoping that Ukraine’s Western allies might ask it to focus its forces elsewhere to save the grain deal, he said.
More conflicting details emerged Sunday about the alleged attack on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
The city council of Mariupol, a Ukrainian port now controlled by Russia, claimed on Telegram that Ukrainian special services had destroyed at least three Russian warships near the city of Sevastopol on the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula.
But an adviser to Ukraine’s Interior Ministry claimed that the Russians’ “careless handling of explosives” had caused blasts on four Russian warships. Anton Gerashchenko wrote on Telegram that the vessels included a frigate, a landing ship and a ship that carried cruise missiles.
Reports have surfaced for months of Ukrainian sabotage of Russian warplanes and ammunition depots on Crimea and Zelenskky has vowed repeatedly to recapture the strategic Black Sea peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed Sunday that one Ukrainian drone that reportedly attacked Sevastopol appeared to emanate from a civilian ship carrying agricultural products from Ukraine. The ministry claimed an inspection of the wreckage showed the drones used Canadian-made navigation and their launch point was the Ukrainian coast near the port of Odesa.
Independent verification of each side’s claims was not possible.
Ukraine appears to have targeted the Black Sea Fleet and other Russian military infrastructure on Crimea — far from the front lines but a critical launching pad for attacks against Ukraine — since the spring, although it often doesn’t confirm its responsibility.
On the battlefront, Russian missile attacks kept pounding key front-line hot spots in Ukraine. The Russians shelled seven Ukrainian regions over the past 24 hours, killing at least five civilians and wounding nine more, Ukraine’s presidential office said.
In the eastern Donetsk region, where the fighting is ongoing near the cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, eight cities and villages were shelled.
In areas that Ukraine has recaptured, residents are still recovering bodies of killed civilians, Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said.
“Over the past 24 hours alone, in three de-occupied towns and villages, we found abandoned bodies of Ukrainian civilians,” Kyrylenko said.
Ukraine’s Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskiy said Sunday that Russian forces were mining territories they leave behind twice as densely as during the first months of the war.
Power outages were reported Sunday in the occupied Ukrainian city of Enerhodar, home to the closed Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest. Ukrainian and Russian officials traded blame for the shelling that caused the blackout.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | 2022-10-31T11:13:20+00:00 | kxnet.com | https://www.kxnet.com/news/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/ap-global-concern-on-russias-suspension-of-ukraine-grain-deal/ |
William Shatner, Monica Lewinsky and other prolific Twitter commentators — some household names, others little-known journalists — could soon be losing the blue check marks that helped verify their identity on the social media platform.
They could get the marks back by paying up to $11 a month. But some longtime users, including 92-year-old Star Trek legend Shatner, have balked at buying the premium service championed by Twitter’s billionaire owner and chief executive Elon Musk.
After months of delay, Musk is gleefully promising that Saturday is the deadline for celebrities, journalists and others who’d been verified for free to pony up or lose their legacy status.
“It will be glorious,” he tweeted Monday, in response to a Twitter user who noted that Saturday is also April Fools’ Day.
After buying Twitter for $44 billion in October, Musk has been trying to boost the struggling platform’s revenue by pushing more people to pay for a premium subscription. But his move also reflects his assertion that the blue verification marks have become an undeserved or “corrupt” status symbol for elite personalities and news reporters.
Along with verifying celebrities, one of Twitter’s main reasons to mark profiles with a free blue check mark starting about 14 years ago was to verify politicians, activists and people who suddenly find themselves in the news, as well as little-known journalists at small publications around the globe, as an extra tool to curb misinformation coming from accounts that are impersonating people.
Lewinsky tweeted a screenshot Sunday of all the people impersonating her, including at least one who appears to have paid for a blue check mark. She asked, “what universe is this fair to people who can suffer consequences for being impersonated? a lie travels half way around the world before truth even gets out the door.”
Shatner, known for his irreverent humor, also tagged Musk with a complaint about the promised changes.
“I’ve been here for 15 years giving my (clock emoji) & witty thoughts all for bupkis,” he wrote. “Now you’re telling me that I have to pay for something you gave me for free?”
Musk responded that there shouldn’t be a different standard for celebrities. “It’s more about treating everyone equally,” Musk tweeted.
For now, those who still have the blue check but apparently haven’t paid the premium fee — a group that includes Beyoncé, Stephen King, Barack and Michelle Obama, Taylor Swift, Tucker Carlson, Drake and Musk himself — have messages appended to their profile saying it is a “legacy verified account. It may or may not be notable.”
But while “the attention is reasonably on celebrities because of our culture,” the bigger concern for open government advocate Alex Howard, director of the Digital Democracy Project, is that impersonators could more easily spread rumors and conspiracies that could move markets or harm democracies around the world.
“The reason verification exists on this platform was not simply to designate people as notable or authorities, but to prevent impersonation,” Howard said.
One of Musk’s first product moves after taking over Twitter was to launch a service granting blue checks to anyone willing to pay $8 a month. But it was quickly inundated by imposter accounts, including those impersonating Nintendo, pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Musk’s businesses Tesla and SpaceX, so Twitter had to temporarily suspend the service days after its launch.
The relaunched service costs $8 a month for web users and $11 a month for iPhone and iPad users. Subscribers are supposed to see fewer ads, be able to post longer videos and have their tweets featured more prominently.
—-
This story has been corrected to show that April 1 deadline is Saturday, not Friday. | 2023-03-27T20:36:16+00:00 | pix11.com | https://pix11.com/business/ap-business/twitter-celebs-balk-at-paying-elon-musk-for-blue-check-mark/ |
CHICAGO (AP) — Mason Gillis had 20 points on 7-for-8 shooting, and No. 5 Purdue held off Rutgers for a rugged 70-65 victory in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals on Friday.
With Zach Edey drawing his usual attention inside, the top-seeded Boilermakers (27-5) got a big lift from Gillis and reserve guard David Jenkins Jr. Gillis grabbed nine rebounds and Porter had a season-high 12 points.
The 7-foot-4 Edey finished with 16 points and 11 boards. The Big Ten Player of the Year averaged 21.9 points and 12.8 rebounds during the regular season.
Next up for Purdue is the winner of the second quarterfinal between Ohio State and Michigan State. The Boilermakers are looking for the school’s second Big Ten Tournament title and a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA tourney.
Derek Simpson scored 18 points for Rutgers (19-14), which advanced with a 62-50 win against Michigan on Thursday. Cam Spencer had 13 points, and Clifford Omoruyi finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.
The Scarlet Knights had won five of their last six meetings with the Boilermakers, including a 65-64 victory at Purdue on Jan. 2. But they struggled to score down the stretch, shooting 40% (14 for 35) from the field in the second half.
After Simpson’s 3-pointer trimmed Purdue’s lead to 50-49 with 8:29 left, Ethan Morton responded with two foul shots for the Boilermakers. Edey then dunked off a pass from Morton and Braden Smith made a jumper to make it 56-49 with 5:40 to go.
Edey added two more free throws and a jumper that lifted Purdue to a 60-52 lead with 3:21 to go.
Bothered by Rutgers’ swarming defense, Purdue got off to a shaky start. The Boilermakers trailed by as many as 12 in the first half before rallying behind Edey and Gillis.
Edey converted two three-point plays — including a vicious jam inside — and Gillis made a 3-pointer in the final seconds, lifting Purdue to a 29-28 halftime lead. Gillis had 10 points at the break on 4-for-4 shooting.
The Scarlet Knights made just four field goals in the last 9:40 of the first half. Paul Mulcahy had a team-high eight points at halftime.
BIG PICTURE
Rutgers fought hard all the way to the very end, but couldn’t catch the experienced Boilermakers.
Purdue struggled down the stretch, splitting its last eight games of the regular season. It’s looking to become the first No. 1 seed to win the Big Ten tourney since 2019.
UP NEXT
Rutgers is on the bubble when it comes to an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament, but it should have the opportunity to play in the postseason.
Purdue swept each of its two games against Michigan State and Ohio State this season.
___
Follow Jay Cohen at https://twitter.com/jcohenap
___
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 | 2023-03-10T21:09:56+00:00 | seattletimes.com | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/gillis-scores-20-as-purdue-beats-rutgers-in-big-ten-tourney/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Eyes were locked on the skies Saturday as a suspected Chinese spy balloon passed over the U.S. Eastern Seaboard — where local authorities warned civilians against taking potshots with rifles — before it was shot down when it drifted over the Atlantic Ocean.
Software engineer and storm chaser Brian Branch captured photographs of the balloon high above western North Carolina just hours before it was shot down.
He could see a payload hanging from the round, white balloon, which officials have said was about the size of three school buses.
It was shot down off the Carolina coast Saturday afternoon and an operation was launched to recover the debris. The Biden administration had previously hesitated to shoot the balloon because of risks to people on the ground from falling debris.
“I’m kind of surprised they didn’t shoot it down over Montana,” Branch said.
There had been reports of sightings throughout upstate South Carolina, including Greenville and Spartanburg, and suburban Charlotte in North Carolina.
The maneuverable balloon entered U.S. airspace over Alaska early this week and it wasn’t acknowledged by government officials until Thursday, a day after commercial flights were temporarily halted at the airport in Billings, Montana and people on the ground saw the balloon seemingly loitering high above the city.
China said it was a weather research vessel blown off course, a claim rejected by U.S. officials who said the craft had been over areas of Montana where nuclear missiles are siloed.
In Congress, Republicans pounced on the initial decision not to shoot it down over rural Montana as a sign of weakness on the part of the Biden administration.
But in York County, South Carolina, not far from the North Carolina border, the county sheriff’s office advised against anyone trying to take out the balloon on their own.
“Don’t try to shoot it!!,” the sheriff’s office tweeted Saturday as the balloon passed over the region at an altitude of about 60,000 feet (18,600 meters). “Your rifle rounds WILL NOT reach it. Be responsible. What goes up will come down, including your bullets.”
The fascination with the balloon that swept the nation also spawned fake videos that purported to show it being shot down.
Those included an unverified video out of Billings that purported to show a “massive explosion” over the city Friday evening, two days after the balloon passed over. The video was picked up and broadcast by Fox News, where Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte said in an interview with Tucker Carlson that he was “monitoring the situation.”
It was viewed millions of times before local officials batted down speculation that a Chinese balloon had been shot down. The city of Billings issued a statement that declared “there have not been any explosions in, around, or across #Montana.”
Another video purported to show the balloon brought down in North Carolina on Friday afternoon — about the same time people reported seeing it above Missouri.
By Saturday morning in Polkville, North Carolina, Branch — the storm chaser — said he was able to watch the balloon for about an hour and 15 minutes before it drifted into the path of the sun.
“It went east to the point where the sun blocked it out for me. Nothing around it, nothing barring it and no rednecks in North Carolina shooting at it,” he said. “I let it just pass on by. If it was spinning, if it was a tornado, I would have chased it.” | 2023-02-04T20:18:31+00:00 | staradvertiser.com | https://www.staradvertiser.com/2023/02/04/breaking-news/eyes-on-the-sky-as-chinese-balloon-shot-down-over-atlantic/ |
It was a shocking story that made headlines across the globe this week: A woman in Ecuador named Bella Montoya was declared dead but later surprised family members gathered for her wake when she showed signs of life from her coffin.
"It gave us all a fright," Montoya's son, Gilberto Barbera, told The Associated Press.
Though tales of people mistakenly declared dead garner widespread attention when they do occur, the grave error is exceedingly uncommon.
"Waking up dead in your coffin is vanishingly rare," Dr. Stephen Hughes, a senior lecturer at the Anglia Ruskin University School of Medicine, told NPR.
He estimated that there are probably only a handful of cases worldwide per year of medical professionals erroneously pronouncing a patient dead.
"But it does happen sometimes," Hughes added.
In February, an 82-year-old woman was discovered alive at a New York funeral home after being declared dead at a nursing home hours earlier.
A similar case that occurred in Iowa in January resulted in a $10,000 fine for the Alzheimer's care facility that sent a hospice patient to a funeral home, where workers discovered her gasping for air in a body bag.
According to Hughes, the first step in determining whether a patient is dead is trying to get them to respond. If that doesn't work, doctors will typically look for signs that blood is pumping (such as searching for a pulse) and that the person is breathing (such as feeling their chest move). Finally, doctors may shine a light in the patient's eye to see if their pupils dilate in response. If none of that works, they are likely dead.
But there are a number of reasons a living person could be mistaken for dead, Hughes said. Doctors who are "less than diligent" may hurriedly do a cursory examination of a patient and fail to pick up on signs of life, and poor medical education may also contribute, he said.
There could also be medical reasons for the misdiagnosis. Hughes said patients exposed to cold water may experience lower heart and breathing rates, and certain drugs such as barbiturates can also slow the body down.
"I'm looking at about three or four cases worldwide per year," Hughes said. "It's rare and it's alarming, so it gets published [in the media]."
Still, he noted, these kinds of mistakes are "very, very, very rare."
Such determinations are distinct from "brain death" when patients still have cardiac and respiratory function, often with the assistance of machines like a ventilator, but have suffered the irreversible loss of brain function.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-06-14T09:59:55+00:00 | kosu.org | https://www.kosu.org/science/2023-06-14/a-woman-in-ecuador-was-mistakenly-declared-dead-a-doctor-says-these-cases-are-rare |
ROCKY HILL, Conn. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Friday afternoon's drawing of the Connecticut Lottery's "Play3 Day" game were:
7-6-6, WB: 5
(seven, six, six; WB: five)
ROCKY HILL, Conn. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Friday afternoon's drawing of the Connecticut Lottery's "Play3 Day" game were:
7-6-6, WB: 5
(seven, six, six; WB: five) | 2022-09-02T19:37:21+00:00 | lmtonline.com | https://www.lmtonline.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Play3-Day-game-17415757.php |
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP)KJ Adams scored a career-high 22 points and No. 2 Kansas closed the game on an 18-4 run to beat Oklahoma 79-75 on Tuesday night.
It wasn’t easy, but in what Kansas coach Bill Self calls ”a monster league,” a win is a win.
”Give OU credit,” Self said. ”They did everything you’re supposed to do to win a game on the road. They controlled tempo. They played smart. For the most part, they took care of the ball. They did a lot of good things. What else could they have done?
”We’re so happy that we won, but that’s about as poor as we’ve played in a long time.”
Kansas (14-1, 3-0 Big 12) got 17 points from Jalen Wilson, 11 from Dajuan Harris and 10 from Zach Clemence. The Jayhawks have won 22 straight games against Oklahoma in Allen Fieldhouse, including 16 straight under Self.
”We’ve been battle tested so much this year, especially with close games, we always find a way to stay composed,” Wilson said. ”We just continued to play our ball. There’s no 10-point play, so there’s no point in rushing the shots.
”There wasn’t a time when I thought the game was over, because I know we’re always going to find a way to win.”
Grant Sherfield scored a season-high 25 points for Oklahoma (10-5, 1-2 Big 12). Sam Godwin added 12 points, Milos Uzan had 11 and Tanner Groves had 10.
Kansas led by as many as seven points early in the second half, but Oklahoma used a 6-0 run to take a 50-48 lead with 14:12 left. The Sooners were still ahead 56-53 with 11:20 left in the game when Groves picked up his fourth foul.
Oklahoma hung tough, and led 61-56 with about nine minutes left as Adams was called for his fourth foul. The Sooners’ largest lead of the game – 65-58 – came with 7:06 left.
But Kansas went on a run that’s almost expected when it’s playing at home.
”When something good happens (for Kansas) down the stretch it’s hard to communicate because it’s so loud,” Oklahoma coach Porter Moser said. ”There’s a belief in here from the fan base. That snowball starts going downhill.”
Kansas went more than 12 minutes without a field goal in the second half, but Adams ended that streak with a thunderous dunk at the 5:06 mark.
”Juan does that pass all the time so I was waiting for it,” Adams said. ”Then Allen Fieldhouse did what they did and got really loud. That gave us a lot of confidence to finish the game.”
A 3-pointer by Wilson cut the deficit to 71-66 and Harris’ layup trimmed it to 3 points.
After the teams traded buckets, Wilson found Adams underneath for a dunk to cut Oklahoma’s lead to one. Following an OU miss, Kevin McCullar was fouled on a successful drive to the hoop and his free throw gave Kansas a 75-73 lead.
”I do think it’s this place, but sometimes when you talk about this place you don’t give enough credit to the players,” Self said. ”There were some guys making some plays. Kevin McCullar hadn’t done much at all, then he had that unbelievable drive.”
UP NEXT
Oklahoma: Hosts West Virginia on Saturday.
Kansas: Hosts No. 14 Iowa State on Saturday.
—
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 | 2023-01-11T13:13:58+00:00 | kxnet.com | https://www.kxnet.com/scoreboard/no-2-kansas-goes-on-late-18-4-run-to-overcome-oklahoma/ |
Company extends BRII-179 license to global rights and introduces preventive vaccine, PreHevbri® in Greater China and Asia Pacific markets
New data from BRII-835 + PEG-IFN-α study have demonstrated that robust anti-HBs antibody responses at the end of treatment are associated with sustained HBsAg loss 24 weeks post treatment
Company owns exclusive global rights of BRII-693 in development for difficult-to-treat carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections
Dr. David Margolis appointed as Chief Medical Officer to lead organization's late-stage clinical programs towards commercialization
DURHAM, N.C. and BEIJING, July 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Brii Biosciences Limited ("Brii Bio" or the "Company", stock code: 2137.HK), a biotechnology company developing therapies to improve patient health and choice across diseases with high unmet need, today provided updates on its diverse pipeline of infectious disease (ID) and central nervous system (CNS) disease candidates and announced a pivotal leadership transition that will further advance its strategic priorities.
"We are proud to announce our latest achievements in advancing our mission to improve patient health and address critical public health issues. With expanded collaborations and acquisitions, including the worldwide license extension of BRII-179, the introduction of PreHevbri® vaccine in Greater China and Asia Pacific markets, and the acquisition of global rights for BRII-693, we are making remarkable progress in our infectious disease portfolio," said Zhi Hong, Ph.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Brii Bio. "Additionally, it is with great pleasure that I introduce Dr. David Margolis as our new Chief Medical Officer. With his extensive experience and expertise both as a licensed ID specialist and a drug developer, Dr. Margolis will play a pivotal role in leading the successful execution of our late-stage clinical programs towards commercialization. Together, these strategic moves align seamlessly with our growth plans and represent important progress for our broader global strategy."
Core Clinical Development Updates
Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)
Led by Brii Bio's team in China and partners, Vir Biotechnology, Inc. ("Vir," NASDAQ: VIR) and VBI Vaccines, Inc. ("VBI," NASDAQ: VBIV), the Company is addressing the full range of disease impact for HBV by progressing multiple combination studies to achieve a best-in-class functional cure in broad patient populations, as well as to commercialize a prevention vaccine in Greater China and Asia Pacific region. China and many Asia Pacific countries have the highest prevalence of HBV globally, with over 150 million people impacted by this disease (China ~86 million, Southeast Asia ~69 million HBsAg positive population1). Currently, there is no effective HBV functional cure available, highlighting the urgent need for a better prophylactic vaccine.
- In July 2023, Brii Bio announced substantial expansion of its HBV portfolio in collaboration with VBI. Under the terms of the agreements, Brii Bio extends its exclusive license to worldwide markets for BRII-179 (VBI-2601). Additionally, Brii Bio also acquires exclusive rights to develop and commercialize PreHevbri® in Greater China and Asia Pacific countries including Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, among others. PreHevbri® is a clinically differentiated 3-antigen adult HBV prophylactic vaccine recently approved for use in the United States, European Union/European Economic Area, United Kingdom, Canada, and Israel.
- In June 2023, Vir and VBI presented multiple clinical study results at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Congress™ 2023:
- In May 2023, Brii Bio submitted an IND application to the NMPA of China for the development of BRII-877 (VIR-3434), and a Phase 1 clinical study is expected to start by the end of 2023.
- In the second half of 2023, the Company expects data readouts from two Phase 2 trials:
- Brii Bio plans for additional combination studies with the earliest to start in 2H 2023.
Postpartum Depression (PPD) and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)/Other CNS Disorders
Brii Bio is developing its internally-discovered BRII-296 therapeutic candidate as a first-of-its-kind one-time injection treatment with the potential to expand the PPD and MDD treatment landscapes for patients in the U.S.
- In June 2023, Brii Bio announced the dosing of the first subject in a Phase 1 clinical trial for BRII-297, a long-acting injectable (LAI) being developed to treat anxiety and depressive disorders. The study, currently underway, aims to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of BRII-297 in healthy volunteers.
- Brii Bio is working closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to align and agree on a PPD treatment protocol in preparation for its Phase 2 proof-of-concept (POC) study to be initiated in the second half of 2023.
- Brii Bio is actively working to expand the clinical indications for BRII-296 and plans to initiate additional studies in the U.S. in 2024.
Additional Pre-Clinical and Clinical Development Updates
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection
- In December 2022, Brii Bio successfully lifted the U.S. FDA clinical hold, enabling the conduct of the Company's planned Phase 1 study to investigate a lower oral dose of once-weekly BRII-732, with dosing initiated in 2Q 2023.
- The Company is exploring partnership opportunities to continue developing BRII-732 as part of a potential oral, once-weekly, long-acting combination treatment option for HIV patients.
- The Company is pursuing partnership opportunities for BRII-753 as part of a long-acting, subcutaneous injection with potential for dosing once monthly, once quarterly, or twice-yearly combination treatment option for HIV patients.
MDR/XDR Gram-Negative Bacteria Infections
- In June 2023, Brii Bio announced definitive agreements with Qpex Biopharma ("Qpex") to acquire exclusive global rights of BRII-693 (QPX-9003), expanding its existing rights in Greater China. The Company returns its exclusive rights of BRII-636 (QPX-7728 or OMNIvance) and BRII-672 (QPX-7831 or ORAvance) in Greater China to Qpex in connection with the acquisition of Qpex by Shionogi.
- In April 2023, Brii Bio submitted a pre-IND to the NMPA of China for the development of BRII-693 in China. BRII-693 has a highly differentiated safety and efficacy profile to address the most difficult-to-treat Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections resistant to carbapenem.
Nontuberculosis Mycobacteria (NTM) Lung Disease
- Brii Bio's partner, AN2 Therapeutics, Inc. ("AN2," NASDAQ: ANTX) is enrolling its Phase 2/3 pivotal trial evaluating once-daily, oral epetraborole (BRII-658) for treatment-refractory MAC lung disease. AN2 reported in May that there were nearly 80 sites active in its pivotal Phase 2/3 trial of epetraborole in treatment-refractory MAC lung disease.
Corporate Update
- Dr. David Margolis has been appointed Chief Medical Officer (CMO) after serving as Brii Bio's Head of Infectious Diseases Therapy Area for nearly three years. As the CMO, Dr. Margolis will play a critical role in the Company's late-stage clinical development towards commercial growth across the pipeline. In addition, he will continue to fulfill existing responsibilities that he previously held as Head of Infectious Diseases Therapy Area. Meanwhile, Dr. Li Yan will leave the company to pursue other interests. Brii Bio expresses sincere gratitude to Dr. Yan for his contributions to the Company in the past 5 years.
About Brii Bio
Brii Biosciences is a biotechnology company developing therapies to address some of the world's most common diseases where patients experience high unmet medical needs, limited choice and significant social stigmas. With a focus on infectious and central nervous system diseases, the Company is advancing a broad pipeline of unique therapeutic candidates with lead programs to develop a novel functional cure for hepatitis B viral infection (HBV) and first-of-its-kind treatment options for postpartum depression (PPD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). The Company is led by a visionary and experienced leadership team and has operations in key biotech hubs, including Raleigh-Durham, the San Francisco Bay Area, Beijing and Shanghai. For more information, visit www.briibio.com.
1 Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2018; 3(6): 383-403
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SOURCE Brii Biosciences Limited | 2023-07-05T23:47:09+00:00 | kalb.com | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/05/brii-biosciences-provides-latest-clinical-development-corporate-updates/ |
Police: Manager charged with possession of stolen weapon after holding man at gunpoint
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC/Gray News) - A store manager who, police say, held a man arrested for a standoff in Tennessee at gunpoint has also been charged in the investigation.
Investigators said when officers arrived at the Memphis location on Monday evening, Kendall Hamilton was holding the suspect at gunpoint near the rear of a Zaxby’s restaurant.
Before the confrontation, the suspect, 30-year-old Tevin Garrett, allegedly shot through a window at a McDonald’s next to the store and punched an employee unprovoked, according to WMC.
When officers got to the scene, Garrett had Hamilton and another woman cornered with a machete over his shoulder while Hamilton had a gun pointed at Garrett.
When officers confronted Garrett, they said he kept saying, “this is the end,” “shoot me,” and “there’s nothing to talk about” when they tried to negotiate.
The officers said they attempted to restrain Garrett but were ineffective. They said he attempted to pull out a knife before they tased him and then he swung at them with his machete. They tased him a second time and finally were able to take him into custody.
Upon further investigation into the situation, police said they determined the gun Hamilton used to hold up Garrett was stolen.
During the investigation, an officer said they saw the pistol inside a vehicle that belonged to Hamilton. According to an affidavit, officers continued to search the area but noticed that the gun had gone missing.
When asked why the gun was gone, Hamilton reportedly told officers he moved it because he was a convicted felon. He further explained that he entered the crime scene, a restricted area, took the gun, and gave it to another employee.
Officers did not find any record of felony convictions against Hamilton but did find that the gun was stolen.
Hamilton was charged with theft of property, tampering with evidence and unlawful carrying/possession of a weapon.
Copyright 2022 WMC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2022-09-21T00:27:52+00:00 | fox5vegas.com | https://www.fox5vegas.com/2022/09/20/police-manager-charged-with-possession-stolen-weapon-after-holding-man-gunpoint/ |
Experts concerned over who will cash in with the ‘Credit Card Competition Act’
Swipe fees add up to more than $77 billion dollars in revenues for Visa and Mastercard
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - 70 percent of Americans hold at least one credit card. It’s a financial tool which makes many transactions easy, but also comes with a cost. Every time you swipe or tap your card - there’s a fee. Two senators are now trying to diversity who collects it.
Senator Roger Marshall along with Dick Durbin are introducing a bill that aims to create more competition in the credit card sphere.
“I think that competition is the backbone of capitalism,” said Marshall. “It works in every other industry. Why would it work in this particular one?”
The Credit Card Competition Act would mandate that larger banks would have to provide at least two card networks for every credit card transaction. The idea is that there will be more choice in the market of who collects swipe fees.
“I think that this bill absolutely will help consumers I think whenever you introduce competition into a market, it’s going to benefit consumers,” said Marshall.
For Ted Rossman, a financial expert at Bankrate, this could be a solution looking for a problem.
“I think large merchants would benefit,” said Rossman. “I think card companies would certainly lose. And unfortunately, I think consumers would lose as well.”
Major retailers sent a letter to congress urging the bill’s passing. According to the letter, retailers say the bill would create 11 billion dollars in savings for merchants. But as rossman explains - there’s no guarantee any of those savings will be passed on to the consumer.
“I think the merchants are just going to keep the difference,” said Rossman. “They’re not going to lower prices. They say they would. But with the durbin amendment, the federal reserve found that only 1% of merchants lowered prices”
Rossman also explains that with banks losing money - they’ll find a way to make it up elsewhere.
“These fees can be kind of like whac-a-mole. If things get taken away in one area, banks are going to raise them somewhere else. So that may hurt us with other fees. They may be less likely to issue credit cards, especially for people that may not spend as much or may have lower credit scores or lower incomes. I think that there would be some unintended consequences,” said Rossman.l
Another one of those unintended consequences could be security. By opening up the market the new vendors, there’s room for error.
51 bankers associations also sent a letter to congress, saying the bill would quote, “hand control of our nations credit card systems to breach-prone merchants.”
Copyright 2022 Gray DC. All rights reserved. | 2022-10-05T20:04:27+00:00 | ktiv.com | https://www.ktiv.com/2022/10/05/experts-concerned-over-who-will-cash-with-credit-card-competition-act/ |
Elizabeth Holmes faces judgment day for her Theranos crimes
By MICHAEL LIEDTKE
AP Technology Writer
A federal judge on Friday will decide whether disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes should serve a lengthy prison sentence for duping investors and endangering patients while peddling a bogus blood-testing technology. After being convicted of investor fraud and conspiracy earlier this year Holmes’ sentencing marks a climactic moment in a saga that has been dissected books and on TV. The federal government wants the 38-year-old Holmes to be sentenced to 15 years in prison. Holmes is arguing for an 18-month sentence, preferably in home confinement; her lawyers say she deserves more lenient treatment as a well-meaning entrepreneur who is now a devoted mother with another child on the way. | 2022-11-17T11:49:19+00:00 | localnews8.com | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-national-business/2022/11/17/elizabeth-holmes-faces-judgment-day-for-her-theranos-crimes/ |
WASHINGTON – Teachers unable to get paychecks. Tax and customs systems paralyzed. Health officials unable to access medical records or track the spread of COVID-19. A country’s president declaring war against foreign hackers saying they want to overthrow the government.
For two months now, Costa Rica has been reeling from unprecedented ransomware attacks disrupting everyday life in the Central American nation. It's a situation raising questions about the United States' role in protecting friendly nations from cyberattacks at a time when Russian-based criminal gangs are targeting less developed countries in ways that could have major global repercussions.
“Today it’s Costa Rica. Tomorrow it could be the Panama Canal,” said Belisario Contreras, former manager of the cybersecurity program at the Organization of American States, referring to a major Central American shipping lane that carries a large amount of U.S. import and export traffic.
Last year, cybercriminals launched ransomware attacks in the U.S. that forced the shutdown of an oil pipeline that supplies the East Coast, halted production of the world’s largest meat-processing company and compromised a major software-company that has thousands of customers around the world.
The Biden administration responded with a whole of government action that included included diplomatic, law enforcement, and intelligence efforts designed to put pressure on ransomware operators.
Since then, ransomware gangs have shied away from “big-game” targets in the U.S. in pursuit of victims unlikely to provoke a strong response by the U.S.
“They’re still prolific, they’re making enormous amounts of money, but they’re just not in the news everyday,” Eleanor Fairford, a deputy director at the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, said at a recent U.S. conference on ransomware.
Tracking trends of ransomware attacks, in which criminals encrypt victims' data and demand payment to return them to normal, is difficult. NCC Group, a UK cybersecurity firm that tracks ransomware attacks, said the number of ransomware incidents per month so far this year has been higher than it was in 2021. The company noted that the ransomware group CL0P, which has aggressively targeted schools and health care organizations, returned to work after effectively shutting down for several months.
But Rob Joyce, the director of cybersecurity at the National Security Agency, has said publicly that there's been a decrease in the number of ransomware attacks since Russia's invasion of Ukraine thanks to increased heightened concerns of cyberattacks and new sanctions that make it harder for Russian-based criminals to move money.
The ransomware gang known as Conti launched the first attack against the Costa Rican government in April and has demanded a $20 million payout, prompting the newly installed President Chaves Robles to declare a state of emergency as the tax and customs offices, utilities and other services were taken offline. “We’re at war and this is not an exaggeration,” he said.
Later, a second attack, attributed to a group known as Hive knocked out the public health service and other systems. Information about individual prescriptions are offline and some workers have gone weeks without their paycheck. It’s caused significant hardship for people like 33-year-old teacher Alvaro Fallas.
“I live with my parents and brother and they are depending on me,” he said.
In Peru, Conti has also attacked the country’s intelligence agency. The gang’s darkweb extortion site posts purportedly stolen documents with the agency’s information, like one document market “secret” that details coca-eradication efforts.
Experts believe developing countries like Costa Rica and Peru will remain particularly ripe targets. These countries have invested in digitizing their economy and systems but don’t have as sophisticated defenses as wealthier nations .
Costa Rica has been a longtime stable force in a region often known for upheaval. It has a long established democratic tradition and well-run government services.
Paul Rosenzweig, a former top DHS official and cyber consultant who is now a legal resident of Costa Rica, said the country presents a test case for what exactly the U.S. government owes its friendly and allied governments who fall victim to disruptive ransomware attacks. While an attack on a foreign country may not have any direct impact on U.S. interests, the federal government still has a strong interest in limiting the ways in which ransomware criminals can disrupt the global digital economy, he said.
“Costa Rica is a perfectly good example because it’s the first,” Rosenzweig said. “Nobody has seen a government under assault before.”
So far, the Biden administration has said little publicly about the situation in Costa Rica. The U.S. has provided some technical assistance through its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, via an information-sharing program with nations around the world. And the State Department has offered a reward for the arrest of members of Conti.
Eric Goldstein, the executive assistant director for cybersecurity at CISA, said Costa Rica has a computer emergency response team that had an established relationship with counterparts in the U.S. before the incidents. But his agency is expanding its international presence by establishing its first overseas attache position in the U.K. It plans others in as-yet unspecified locations.
“If we think about our role, CISA and the US government, it is intrinsically of course to protect American organizations. But we know intuitively that the same threat actors are using the same vulnerabilities to target victims around the world," he said.
Conti is one of the more prolific ransomware gangs currently operation and has hit over 1,000 targets and received more than $150 million in payouts in the last two years, per FBI estimates.
At the start of invasion of Ukraine, some of Conti’s members pledged on the group’s dark web site to “use all our possible resources to strike back at the critical infrastructures of an enemy” if Russia was attacked. Shortly afterward, sensitive chat logs that appear to belong to the gang were leaked online, some of which appeared to show ties between the gang and the Russian government.
Some cyber threat researchers say Conti may be in the middle of a rebranding, and its attack on Costa Rica may be a publicity stunt to provide a plausible story for the group’s demise. Ransomware groups that receive lots of media attention often disappear, only for its members to pop back up later operating under a new name.
On its darkweb site, Conti has denied that’s the case and continues to post victims’ files. The gang’s most recent targets include a city parks department in Illinois, a manufacturing company in Oklahoma and food distributor in Chile.
___
AP writer Javier Córdoba contributed from San Jose, Costa Rica. | 2022-06-17T05:49:50+00:00 | local10.com | https://www.local10.com/news/politics/2022/06/17/costa-rica-chaos-a-warning-that-ransomware-threat-remains/ |
(KSWB) — Starbucks is kicking off the summer with a tropical twist.
On Tuesday, the coffeehouse company unveiled three new fruity frozen drinks — Frozen Lemonade Starbucks Refreshers — to its menu.
“Since Starbucks Refreshers Beverages joined the menu in 2012, our customers and partners (baristas) have creatively customized their beverages, such as adding coconut milk, lemonade or blending with ice,” Matt Thornton, senior beverage developer at Starbucks, said in a statement. “Inspired by these customer and partner creations, we’re excited to bring the new Frozen Lemonade Starbucks Refreshers Beverages to the permanent menu this summer.”
Starbucks said the Refreshers are its fastest-growing drink category at its company-operated U.S. stores as of 2021. The new offerings include:
- Frozen Pineapple Passionfruit Lemonade Starbucks Refresher: Pineapple and passionfruit flavors are combined with diced pineapple and lemonade.
- Frozen Strawberry Acai Lemonade Starbucks Refresher: Strawberry and acai flavors are mixed with lemonade, strawberries and ice, making for a drink that resembles an icy strawberry lemonade.
- Frozen Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Starbucks Refresher: This beverage contains dragonfruit pieces, lemonade and ice, mixed with flavors of mango.
All drinks are available in stores in the U.S. and Canada. | 2023-06-28T22:41:21+00:00 | ourquadcities.com | https://www.ourquadcities.com/news/national-news/new-starbucks-drinks-give-off-summer-vibes/ |
APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – Fox Valley residents honored veterans during a ceremony today. They say it is important to acknowledge the sacrifices made by those who serve.
Local Veterans say the purpose of Veteran’s Day is to celebrate and honor those who have fought for the freedom of Americans.
“Veterans Day is very important because it’s a day for us to celebrate our freedoms that many veterans have fought for,” said Veteran Dennis O’Connor.
The Fox Valley Veteran Council’s tribute event took place at the old Outagamie County courthouse. Veteran Dennis Oconnor served for thirty years and says he did it proudly for American citizens.
“The title to me is important because I’ve served for not only my family, my friends, my neighbors, just everybody so that they can step out of their house and go on vacations, they can go do anything that they want, and they can do it safely,” stated Oconnor.
Timothy Cody, president of the fox valley veteran council, says veterans sacrifice more than we will ever know.
“Taking you away from your home, taking you away from your job, and to the ultimate end you can lose your life for your nation, but each veteran at one point in time or another has said that’s me, I will do that,” said Cody.
Cody says as people across the country celebrate Veterans’ Day, there is only one true way to honor those serving.
“You can buy them a meal, you can do all those things, but the most important thing is to be the citizen, the American citizen that makes us proud to have served for you, to be that citizen, that’s the most important thing,” stated Cody.
American Legion Post 38, along with other Veteran service organizations, supported the event. | 2022-11-12T02:16:27+00:00 | wearegreenbay.com | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/local-news/fox-valley-pays-tribute-to-veterans/ |
At a particularly contentious moment in his State of the Union address, President Biden ad-libbed a line that left a lot of people scratching their heads.
He was taunting Republicans who want to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes the politically popular measure to cap drug prices for seniors.
"As my football coach used to say, 'Lots of luck in your senior year,'" Biden said with a chuckle and a wry smile.
But what does that even mean?
Biden has been saying this for at least 25 years
It turns out this phrase has long been part of Biden's folksy informal lexicon. Back in the 1990s, he used to tell the story of meeting Slobodan Milošević, the Serbian leader responsible for ethnic cleansing in the Balkans.
"He asked me what I thought of him and I told him then, I thought he was a damn war criminal and should be tried as such," Biden said in a speech on the Senate floor. "He looked at me like I said, 'Lots of luck in your senior year.' Did not faze him a bit."
Biden used the phrase again in a 1997 Senate speech, recounting a fundraising meeting where he gave an answer that his donors didn't want to hear. A decade later, when asked in a television interview about former President Donald Trump's plans to repeal Obamacare, Biden's response was to wish him lots of luck in his senior year.
Most recently, though, the day after the midterm elections in November when Republicans won control of the House of Representatives, Biden was asked about impending investigations into his family. His response?
"Lots of luck in your senior year, as my coach used to say," Biden said, going on to explain that he thinks the American people would rather see politicians addressing their daily concerns, like inflation.
Even linguists were puzzled by the phrase
Now, if you've never heard this phrase before, you're not alone. Anatoly Liberman is a linguist at the University of Minnesota and author of the book: "Take My Word For It: A Dictionary of English Idioms." This one isn't in his book.
"It is not listed even in the most detailed database of formulas, wishes and sayings," Liberman told NPR.
But, that isn't necessarily surprising, he said. There are a lot of idioms like this, only known in one region, one family or perhaps one coach's sphere of influence.
Bob Markel played sports with Biden in high school and has been exposed to a lifetime of Bidenisms. He went on to be elected mayor of Springfield, Mass., and credits Biden with helping his campaign. And when Markel was watching the State of the Union address, that phrase caught his ear.
"I had the same reaction, I guess, as other people," said Markle. "Where did that come from?"
Markel figures Biden picked it up in college. NPR asked the White House which coach used the saying and what it means, and didn't get an answer. But Markel's guess is as good as any.
"It is not exactly an insult, but it's a gentle rebuke, put it that way," said Markel. "Good luck in your senior year ... if you get there, in other words. I think that's basically what he's saying."
It's an expression of skepticism, with a bit of a taunt built in.
Robin Lakoff, a professor emerita of linguistics at UC Berkeley, says it reminds her of what people would write in someone's yearbook if they didn't really have anything to say — or if they had a lot to say, but it wouldn't be nice.
When Biden says it, there's a bite, an edge of sarcasm. As insults go, it has an advantage, said Lakoff.
"It couldn't be then turned back against him by the Republicans," said Lakoff.
NPR's Devin Speak contributed to this story.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-02-09T20:00:01+00:00 | nprillinois.org | https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-02-09/biden-had-a-sick-burn-in-his-state-of-the-union-speech-lots-of-luck-explaining-it |
Request unsuccessful. Incapsula incident ID: 8223000600272598962-851907674233573134 | 2023-04-15T02:56:25+00:00 | bizjournals.com | https://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/news/2023/04/14/2023-appraisal-protests.html |
OVERLAND PARK, Kan., April 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Corridor Group Holdings, LLC (Corridor) announced today that it has acquired Comprehensive A/R Solutions, a market leading provider of revenue cycle management (RCM) solutions to Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs). With this acquisition, Corridor expands its footprint to a critical new segment within post-acute healthcare while accelerating the expansion of its technology-enabled RCM solutions platform.
"With a unique combination of talented leadership, expert staff, market-unique technology and a proven delivery model, Comprehensive has an excellent reputation serving a dynamic provider market which needs innovative and results-based financial solutions," said Des Varady, Chief Executive Officer of Corridor. "Corridor's established post-acute technology and workflow RCM platforms will expand and strengthen Comprehensive's capabilities to deliver for its clients."
The post-acute healthcare provider market continues to see substantial growth opportunities in an environment of continuing reimbursement and labor acquisition challenges. Together, Comprehensive and Corridor help providers solve for these challenges with cost-effective, results-driven, technology-enabled RCM solutions.
In connection with the transaction, Sandy Shur, founder and principal of Comprehensive, will continue to lead the Comprehensive business as part of Corridor's executive leadership team.
"Corridor has a strong reputation for delivering quality services," said Ms. Shur. "The combination of Corridor and Comprehensive will leverage our joint RCM capabilities and enhance offerings to our clients. We are excited to be joining forces with Corridor." Ms. Shur will also join Corridor's Board of Directors to provide guidance to Corridor's continuing post-acute market growth.
Corridor is a portfolio company of HealthEdge Investment Partners, a Tampa, Florida based private equity firm focused on investing in lower middle market healthcare companies.
About Comprehensive A/R Solutions
Based in Lakewood, NJ, Comprehensive A/R Solutions is a full-service revenue cycle management company serving Skilled Nursing Facilities. Founded in 2009, Comprehensive delivers a seamless process for accounts receivable success, becoming its client's de facto back office by assuming complete responsibility for billing and accounts receivable from the admissions process through collections. 'We value your money like our own' is Comprehensive's credo and guides every decision. For more information, visit https://comphcs.com/.
About Corridor
Founded in 1989, The Corridor Group Holdings, LLC (Corridor) is a leading provider of technology-enabled outsourced coding, revenue cycle and education solutions to the post-acute healthcare industry. Leveraging deep and broad post-acute expertise, Corridor delivers documentation quality improvement and reimbursement success to clients ranging from large health systems and national chains to smaller, independently operated agencies. For more information visit www.corridorgroup.com.
About HealthEdge Investment Partners
HealthEdge Investment Partners, LLC is an operating-oriented private equity firm founded in 2005 that focuses exclusively on the healthcare industry. HealthEdge seeks to achieve superior returns by investing in businesses that benefit from the knowledge, experience, and network of relationships of its partners. HealthEdge's partners have more than 100 years of combined operating experience in healthcare as operators and investors. For more information on HealthEdge, visit www.healthedgepartners.com.
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SOURCE Corridor | 2023-04-04T12:26:55+00:00 | wagmtv.com | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/04/04/corridor-acquires-comprehensive-ar-solutions-leader-skilled-nursing-facility-revenue-cycle-services/ |
Late goal by Finn Ballard McBride salvages a UCSB tie with rival Cal Poly
UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Finn Ballard McBride came to the rescue once again as he scored in the 87th minute as UCSB earned a 1-1 draw with rival Cal Poly in front of 7,535 fans at Harder Stadium.
Cal Poly scored in the 79th minute on the first career goal by sophomore Noah Boettiger.
The goal snapped UCSB's six-game shutout streak.
Before the game Finn Ballard McBride was one of six players honored by UCSB on Senior Night.
He made it even more special with his Big West-leading 11th goal.
The Gauchos lead the league with a 4-0-3 mark and they are 9-2-5 overall.
The Mustangs were eliminated from the upcoming Big West Conference Tournament as they fall to 1-3-4 in league and 1-11-4 overall. | 2022-10-23T11:33:24+00:00 | keyt.com | https://keyt.com/sports/college-sports/2022/10/22/late-goal-by-finn-ballard-mcbride-salvages-a-ucsb-tie-with-rival-cal-poly/ |
Changes coming for LLCC's student-run, on-campus cafe after retooling of culinary program
A retooling of Lincoln Land Community College’s culinary program has led to changes this year for its student-run, on-campus cafe.
Both the full-service Bistro Verde and its spin-off Bistro To Go with its counter service model will be offered during part of the fall and spring semesters this school year.
Previously, the hands-on classroom that runs from the LLCC’s Workforce Careers Center operated as Bistro To Go for fall semesters and Bistro Verde in the spring since first opening in 2014.
The changes also include an extra day of operations with the cafe open to the public from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during its season. Bistro to Go opens to the public on Wednesday, Sept. 7.
More:Serve this fresh vegetable steamed with a butter lemon sauce
“Two days simply wasn’t enough for us who enjoy the Bistro,” LLCC spokeswoman Kyla Kruse said. “And with more 8-week classes being offered these changes allowed students more opportunities to gain hands-on experience.”
Kruse said the college’s culinary management certificate classes have been retooled to offer a daytime track of courses that allow students to achieve the degree in less than a calendar year.
The Bistro’s new schedule allows students to experience both food service models during a single 8-week class, she said.
Bistro to Go will run Sept. 7 through Oct. 6, providing patrons with an array of pre-packaged soups, salads, sandwiches and baked goods, as well as coffees and drinks. Customers will again be able to place advance orders online.
Then the concept will switch to Bistro Verde from Oct. 25 through Nov. 17 with a menu of scratch-made, chef-inspired dishes and a full menu of appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, and desserts. Reservations are recommended to ensure a seat at the full-service lunches.
Available menus – as well as online ordering capability for Bistro To Go and to place reservations for Bistro Verde – can be found online at www.llcc.edu/bistro-verde. Reservations for Bistro Verde also can be made by phone (217) 786-2821 or email (bistroverde@llcc.edu).
Kruse said the spring semester also will be split between the two food service models, but specific dates have yet to be set.
Newcomer Joshua Dineen will serve as the managing chef for the cafe with LLCC alum Lakesha Jackson as sous chef.
The bistro is located inside the east entrance of the Workforce Careers Center at 5250 Shepherd Road.
Natalie Morris can be reached at 737-7254 or by email at natalie.sjr@gmail.com. | 2022-09-06T19:37:26+00:00 | sj-r.com | https://www.sj-r.com/story/entertainment/dining/2022/09/06/changes-coming-for-llccs-student-run-on-campus-cafe-bistro-verde/65466497007/ |
The manager of the Hotel Capitola didn’t miss an opportunity to advertise, even posting his advertisement in his competitor’s backyard. This photograph from sometime after 1907, shows a Hotel Capitola ad just down from the Santa Cruz Casino and Pleasure Pier. The building size ad touts the electric car line which once ran between Santa Cruz and Capitola. (Capitola Historical Museum) | 2023-03-12T00:13:36+00:00 | santacruzsentinel.com | https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2023/03/11/focal-point-hotel-capitola-building-ad/ |
STANFORD, Calif., June 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching is pleased to announce that Jorge A. Aguilar, Superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District, has joined the Board of Trustees.
"We are delighted Jorge has agreed to serve as a trustee," said Diane Tavenner, Chair of the Carnegie Foundation Board of Trustees. "Jorge brings an unequivocal focus on children, educational equity and impact. His appointment to the Board is a testament to his exceptional leadership and tireless dedication to improvement in education."
"Jorge is brilliant, dedicated, humble and always keeps his eyes on the prize," said Timothy F.C. Knowles, President of the Carnegie Foundation. "The Foundation will benefit enormously from having Jorge in our firmament."
Jorge A. Aguilar began his career in education as a Spanish teacher at South Gate High School. He currently serves as the Superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District, with responsibility for over forty thousand students. Previously he served as Associate Superintendent in Fresno Unified School District and Associate Vice Chancellor for Educational and Community Partnerships and Special Assistant to the Chancellor at the University of California, Merced.
Under his leadership, Aguilar has supported educators to significantly increase high school completion rates, dramatically reduce dropout rates, raise student performance, and improve post-secondary entry and success. He recently forged a historic agreement with the region's major higher education institutions to enable Sacramento students to seamlessly transition to higher education. Aguilar is a champion for equity and access in education and has guided Sacramento City Unified in the creation of an award-winning Facilities Master Plan, which serves as a model for other districts for reimagining how construction and improvement projects are prioritized with a focus on schools that are historically underserved.
Aguilar also serves as a Commissioner on the Carnegie Postsecondary Commission, a Carnegie Learning Leadership Network member and he provided plenary remarks for the 10th Anniversary Carnegie Foundation Summit on Improvement in Education. He is recipient of the Winston Doby Impact Award for exceptional professionals chosen by their colleagues for commitment to improving educational opportunities for California students. In 2015, Aguilar was invited by first lady Michelle Obama to present on education equity and access as part of a White House initiative. The same year, he was appointed by California State Superintendent to the state's Advisory Task Force on Accountability and Continuous Improvement.
He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in Latin American Studies and Spanish and Portuguese and earned his Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. He is the son of farm workers in the central valley of California and a product of the Migrant Education Program. He spent his early childhood migrating back and forth between Parlier, California and the state of Michoacán, Mexico.
"I am honored to join the Carnegie Foundation Board of Trustees," said Aguilar. "This appointment represents an incredible opportunity to collaborate with esteemed leaders and contribute to driving transformational change in both K12 and higher education. My work has always been grounded in a philosophy that all students should graduate K-12 with the greatest number of postsecondary choices from the widest array of options, and I am looking forward to supporting the Carnegie Foundation to realize this goal for every student."
"Jorge possesses an unwavering commitment to educational excellence and equity," said Knowles. "He will be an invaluable trustee, as we undertake work to catalyze educational transformation so every student has the opportunity to live a healthy, dignified, and fulfilling life."
About the Carnegie Foundation
The mission of the Carnegie Foundation is to catalyze transformational change in education so that every student has the opportunity to live a healthy, dignified, and fulfilling life. Enacted by an act of Congress in 1906, the Foundation has a rich history of driving transformational change in the education sector, including the establishment of TIAA-CREF and the creation of the Education Testing Service, the GRE, and the Carnegie Classifications for Higher Education. The Foundation was also instrumental in the formation of the U.S. Department of Education and Pell Grants, and mostly recently in the use of networked improvement science to redress systemic inequities in educational opportunities and outcomes.
Carnegie Foundation: Kito Cetrulo, kcetrulo@carnegiefoundation.org
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SOURCE Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching | 2023-06-21T16:30:36+00:00 | kswo.com | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/06/21/carnegie-foundation-welcomes-jorge-aguilar-board-trustees/ |
The Philadelphia Eagles remain tight-lipped regarding the indictment of rookie offensive lineman Josh Sills.
Following last week’s announcement by the Ohio Attorney General, the Eagles released a statement:
The organization is aware of the legal matter involving Josh Sills. We have been in communication with the league office and are in the process of gathering more information. We have no further comment at this time.
Monday at Super Bowl Opening Night, general manager Howie Roseman was asked for an update. Per the Philadelphia Inquirer:
“I’m not going to get into any legal matters or talk about anything that’s going on off the field right now,” Roseman said at Super Bowl media day.
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The NFL placed Sills on the Commissioner Exempt list after being charged with rape and kidnapping for an alleged 2019 incident in Ohio. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport:
“Sills may not participate in practices and games or travel with the team while on the List. It will be reviewed under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.”
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Sills, an Ohio native, joined Philadelphia in 2022 as an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State. His college career began at West Virginia before transferring in 2020.
Sills played in one regular-season game this year, seeing action in Week 5 vs. the Arizona Cardinals and getting four snaps on special teams in the 20-17 win.
Sills was inactive for both of the Eagles’ playoff wins last month.
He’s not with the team this week in Arizona as Philadelphia prepares to face the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
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Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com. | 2023-02-08T13:59:25+00:00 | nj.com | https://www.nj.com/eagles/2023/02/eagles-remain-mum-on-indicted-rookie-josh-sills-ahead-of-super-bowl.html |
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Aaron Judge hit his 50th home run of the season Monday night, connecting in the eighth inning for the New York Yankees against the Los Angeles Angels.
With his parents in the stands, the California-born slugger sent a 434-foot solo drive to left-center off reliever Ryan Tepera to trim New York’s deficit to one in a 4-3 loss.
Judge became one of 10 players in major league history with multiple 50-homer seasons. He smashed 52 long balls in 2017, setting a rookie record that was broken two years later when Pete Alonso hit 53 for the New York Mets.
The 6-foot-7 Judge is chasing the single-season Yankees record of 61 home runs established by Roger Maris in 1961.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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Mother of 8-year-old girl who died in Border Patrol custody says pleas for hospital care were denied
McALLEN, Texas (AP) — The mother of an 8-year-old girl who died in Border Patrol custody said Friday that agents repeatedly ignored pleas to hospitalize her medically fragile daughter as she felt pain in her bones, struggled to breathe, and was unable to walk.
Agents said her daughter’s diagnosis of influenza did not require hospital care, Mabel Alvarez Benedicks said in an emotional phone interview. They knew the girl had a history of heart problems and sickle cell anemia.
“They killed my daughter, because she was nearly a day and a half without being able to breathe,” the mother said. “She cried and begged for her life and they ignored her. They didn’t do anything for her.
The girl died Wednesday on what her mother said was the family’s ninth day in Border Patrol custody. People are to be held no more than 72 hours under agency policy, a rule that is violated during unusually busy times.
The account is almost certain to raise questions about whether the Border Patrol properly handled the situation, the second child fatality in two weeks after a rush of illegal border crossing severely strained holding facilities.
Roderick Kise, a spokesperson for the Border Patrol’s parent agency, Customs and Border Protection, said he could not comment beyond an initial statement because the death was the subject of an open investigation. In that statement, CBP said the girl experienced “a medical emergency” at a station in Harlingen, Texas, and died later that day at a hospital.
Alvarez Benedicks, 35, said she, her husband, and three children, aged 14, 12, and 8, crossed the border to Brownsville, Texas, on May 9. After a doctor diagnosed the 8-year-old, Anadith Tanay Reyes Alvarez, with influenza, the family was sent to the Harlingen station on May 14. It was unclear why the family was held so long.
Anadith woke up on her first day in the Harlingen station with a fever and a headache, according to her mother, who said the station was dusty and smelled of urine.
When she reported her daughter’s bone pain to an agent, she said he responded, “’Oh, your daughter is growing up. That’s why her bones hurt. Give her water.’”
“I just looked at him,” Alvarez Benedicks said. “How would he know what to do if he’s not a doctor?”
She said a doctor told her the pain was related to influenza. She asked for an ambulance to take her daughter to the hospital for breathing difficulties but was denied.
“I felt like they didn’t believe me,” she said.
Anadith received saline fluids, a shower, and fever medication to reduce her temperature, but her breathing problems persisted, her mother said, adding that a sore throat prevented her from eating and she stopped walking.
At one point, a doctor asked the parents to return if Anadith fainted, Alvarez Benedicks said. Their request for an ambulance was denied again when her blood pressure was checked Wednesday.
An ambulance was called later that day after Anadith went limp and unconscious and blood came out of her mouth, her mother said. She insists her daughter had no vital signs in the Border Patrol station before leaving for the hospital.
The family is staying at a McAllen, Texas, migrant shelter and seeking money to bring their daughter’s remains to New York City, their final destination in the U.S.
Anadith, whose parents are Honduran, was born in Panama with congenital heart disease. She received surgery three years ago that her mother characterized as successful. It inspired Anadith to want to become a doctor.
Her death came a week after a 17-year-old Honduran boy, Ángel Eduardo Maradiaga Espinoza, died in U.S. Health and Human Services Department custody. He was traveling alone.
A rush to the border before pandemic-related asylum limits known as Title 42 expired brought extraordinary pressure. The Border Patrol took an average of 10,100 people a into custody a day over four days last week, compared to a daily average of 5,200 in March.
The Border Patrol had 28,717 people in custody on May 10, one day before pandemic asylum restrictions expired, which was double from two weeks earlier, according to a court filing. By Sunday, the custody count dropped 23% to 22,259, still historically high.
Custody capacity is about 17,000, according to a government document last year, and the administration has been adding temporary giant tents like one in San Diego that opened in January with room for about 500 people.
On Sunday, the average time in custody was 77 hours.
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Associated Press writer Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report. | 2023-05-20T11:30:26+00:00 | wishtv.com | https://www.wishtv.com/news/international/mother-of-8-year-old-girl-who-died-in-border-patrol-custody-says-pleas-for-hospital-care-were-denied/ |
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I wanted to create a convenient device to keep a loaded caulking gun warm and ready for use, especially when working in colder climates," said an inventor, from Charlton, Mass., "so I invented the HEAT BUCKET. My design helps to maintain a consistent warm temperature of the caulking compound."
The patent-pending invention provides an improved way to heat and maintain the temperature of a filled caulking gun in cold weather. In doing so, it ensures that the caulking is pliable and ready for use. As a result, it increases efficiency. The invention features a lightweight and portable design that is easy to use so it is ideal for contractors, plumbers, do-it-yourselfers, etc.
The original design was submitted to the Boston sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 21-BEC-196, 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 | 2022-09-16T17:44:39+00:00 | wbrc.com | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/09/16/inventhelp-inventor-develops-warming-device-caulking-guns-bec-196/ |
DENVER (AP) — A mentally ill man charged with killing three people at a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic in 2015 because it offered abortion services can be forcibly medicated to try to make him competent to stand trial, a federal judge ruled Monday.
The prosecution of Robert Dear, 64, has stalled because he has been repeatedly found mentally incompetent since his arrest and he has refused to take anti-psychotic medication for delusional disorder.
During a three-day hearing this summer, prosecutors argued that medication had a substantial likelihood, based on research and the experience of government experts, to make Dear well enough to meet the legal standard for mental competency — being able to understand proceedings and assist in his defense.
Dear’s lawyers and experts, however, said the government’s plan did not take into account Dear’s age and his health problems, including untreated high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which could be worsened as a result of the medication’s side effects.
U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn ruled that involuntary medication was the only realistic approach with a substantial chance of making Dear competent to stand trial and was also in the best interest of his overall health, both mental and physical.
“Under the proposed treatment plan, and again based on clear and convincing evidence, involuntary medication of Mr. Dear is not substantially likely to engender dangerous and unmanageable side effects,” he said.
Dear is represented by federal public defenders who do not comment on cases.
Dear, who has called himself a “warrior for the babies,” intended to wage “war” against the clinic because it offered abortion services, arming himself with four semi-automatic rifles, five handguns, two other rifles, a shotgun, propane tanks and 500 rounds of ammunition, prosecutors have alleged. He began shooting outside the clinic before getting inside by shooting his way through a door, according to his federal indictment.
According to experts who testified and Dear’s lawyers, Dear has persecutory delusions that cause him to believe that the FBI is following him because he called a radio show in 1993 to criticize the agency over the law enforcement siege against the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. He also believes his lawyers are working for the FBI and the judge is also in on the arrangement.
Dear mentioned the radio call in one of many outbursts during the recent hearing, where he also claimed the shooting was a “success” and told the judge to go to hell because he did not get to testify. He largely remained quiet after Blackburn warned him that he would not tolerate any more disturbances. The judge said he concluded the outbursts were not the result of Dear’s mental illness but of “selfish, childish and disaffected arrogance.”
After Dear’s prosecution bogged down in state court over the competency issue, Dear was charged in federal court in 2019 under the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. Federal prosecutors have said they would not seek the death penalty against him if he is convicted, but life in prison instead.
Two of the people killed in the attack were accompanying friends to the clinic — Ke’Arre Stewart, 29, an Army veteran who served in Iraq and was a father of two, and Jennifer Markovsky, 36, a mother of two who grew up in Oahu, Hawaii. The third person killed was a campus police officer at a nearby college, Garrett Swasey, who responded to the clinic after hearing there was an active shooter. | 2022-09-20T01:00:36+00:00 | kron4.com | https://www.kron4.com/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/ap-judge-says-alleged-clinic-shooter-can-be-forcibly-medicated/ |
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WASHINGTON (AP) — With Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso by his side, President Joe Biden said Monday the U.S. is looking to expand and strengthen the U.S. relationship with one of its staunchest allies in South America and a country that's getting plenty of attention from China.
Lasso's visit to Washington comes as his tiny nation is on the verge of completing a trade agreement with China, the United States' strongest economic competitor. China this year surpassed the United States as Ecuador’s top trading partner on non-petroleum goods.
The already fragile economy in oil-exporting Ecuador was battered by the coronavirus outbreak. One of Lasso’s top priorities when he took office last year was to sign a free trade agreement with the United States. Ecuador wants to join Colombia and Chile as the only other countries in South America to enjoy such privileged status.
But Biden, in the first two years of his presidency, has shied away from entering new trade pacts as he's focused on first settling a U.S. economy that's been battered by the pandemic, historic inflation and supply chain issues exacerbated by Russia's war in Ukraine.
“Today we’re going to keep building on the progress we’ve made," Biden said at the start of an Oval Office meeting with Lasso. “Together, we’ve made historic strides."
Lasso was to meet with USAID administrator Samantha Power later Monday and was scheduled to hold talks with CIA Director William Burns, members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as well as World Bank President David Malpass and Inter-American Development Bank President Ilan Goldfajn before returning to Quito on Wednesday.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., in a letter to the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation CEO Scott Nathan, urged the Biden administration to surge investment into Educador to counter China's growing influence in the region.
“While the Biden administration continues to assert that the U.S. is the ‘partner of choice’ for Ecuador and other Latin American countries, governments and civil society in the region bemoan the lack of American-led, and other Western alternatives, to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) current and future investments," Rubio wrote. “I urge you to work with the Ecuadorian government to identify strategic sectors of the Ecuadorian economy, such as telecommunications, infrastructure, energy, and mining, so that Ecuador has options, other than CCP-backed entities, for investment in these areas."
The alliance has become more important to the U.S. as much of South America has veered to the left, limiting the political space for cooperation with Washington, whose military and political interventions during the Cold War is recalled with bitterness across the region.
Lasso, a conservative former banker, eked out an upset victory in last year’s presidential election over former leftist strongman Rafael Correa’s handpicked successor. Following his narrow win, he sought to cement a strategic alliance with Washington.
In recognition of the deepening ties, the U.S. Senate last week passed a bipartisan bill, the United State-Ecuador Partnership Act, which seeks to expand bilateral cooperation on the economy, security and environmental conservation. The effort is part of the annual defense bill that awaits Biden's signature.
Among its provisions are a promise to transfer two excess U.S. Coast Guard cutters to help Ecuador patrol the protected waters around the Galapagos Islands, where China’s distant water fishing fleet has become an unwelcome presence.
“Our idea is to position Ecuador’s name as a country that respects democracy, with independent branches of government,” Lasso said Sunday prior to departing for Washington.
While the Biden administration says it is invested in Ecuador’s success, Lasso confronts a long list of major challenges. Chief among them is the growing influence of criminal gangs — which have been behind a number of recent prison riots — and an economy pegged to the U.S. dollar that has struggled to compete with cheaper production costs in neighboring countries.
Lasso made no direct mention of his desire for a trade pact during his brief appearance with Biden before reporters on Monday. Lasso, however, reminded Biden that Ecuador has been a strong ally, including being one of the first in South America to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
“Without a doubt, yes, we have been allies for decades now," Lasso said. “And I am here to reaffirm that theory that we share among us as allies in our fight for democracy, peace and justice — not only in the region but also to support your vision throughout the world.”
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Goodman reported from Miami. AP writer Gabriela Molina in Quito, Ecuador, contributed to this report. | 2022-12-19T20:37:24+00:00 | lmtonline.com | https://www.lmtonline.com/news/article/Biden-US-looking-to-strengthen-relationship-with-17664780.php |
WFO SEATTLE Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, April 11, 2023
_____
AREAL FLOOD WATCH
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Flood Watch
National Weather Service Seattle WA
950 AM PDT Sat Apr 8 2023
.The Skokomish River in Mason County will see a sharp rise on Sunday
with flooding possible due to heavy rainfall across the Olympic
Mountains.
...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY
AFTERNOON...
* WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible.
* WHERE...A portion of northwest Washington, including the following
county, Mason.
* WHEN...From Sunday morning through Tuesday afternoon.
* IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,
creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible Flood
Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared
to take action should flooding develop.
_____
Copyright 2023 AccuWeather | 2023-04-08T18:08:49+00:00 | lmtonline.com | https://www.lmtonline.com/weather/article/wa-wfo-seattle-warnings-watches-and-advisories-17886212.php |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Mike Pence won’t be testifying at Thursday’s Jan. 6 committee hearing. But he will be in the spotlight as the focus turns to former President Donald Trump’s desperate and futile attempts to persuade his vice president to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and deliver them a second term.
“As you will hear, President Trump engaged in a relentless effort to pressure Pence both in private and in public,” Rep. Liz Cheney, the leading Republican on the committee, said last week. “Vice President Pence demonstrated his loyalty to Donald Trump consistently over four years, but he knew that he had a higher duty to the United States Constitution.”
What we know about Pence’s actions leading up to and during that day:
UNDER PRESSURE
As Trump’s frantic efforts to stave off defeat were quashed by courts and state officials, he and his allies zeroed in on Jan. 6 — the day a joint session of Congress would convene to formalize President-elect Joe Biden’s win — as their last chance to remain in power.
The heavy-handed pressure campaign intensified in the days leading up to the 6th as Trump, lawyer John Eastman and others in Trump’s orbit tried to convince Pence that he had the power to overturn the will of voters in a handful of critical battleground states by simply rejecting Electoral College votes or sending the results back to the states — even though the Constitution makes clear the vice president’s role in the proceedings is largely ceremonial.
Pence spent hours huddling with staff, including his general counsel, Greg Jacob. He studied the Electoral Count Act of 1887, which governs the proceedings, and met with the Senate parliamentarian to understand his role. He also received outside counsel, including from former Vice President Dan Quayle.
Some aides appealed to Trump not to put his unflinchingly loyal vice president in such a precarious position. Pence was already widely seen as a potential future presidential candidate and a public fissure with Trump was seen as a potential career ender. But Trump kept pushing, both publicly and behind the scenes.
On Monday, Jan. 4, Eastman and Trump pressed Pence to go along with the scheme in an Oval Office meeting. And at a rally that night in Georgia, Trump said his fate rested in his vice president’s hands. “I hope Mike Pence comes through for us,” he told the crowd.
Trump continued to push in an Oval Office meeting the next day, again demanding Pence use powers the vice president did not possess to overturn the will of voters. Pence made clear he was unconvinced.
That day, Jacob sent a memo putting in writing his conclusion that if Pence followed Eastman’s proposal, he would likely lose in court, at best, or spark a constitutional crisis, Politico first reported. The tensions were so high that Pence’s chief of staff, Marc Short, placed a call to Pence’s lead Secret Service agent that day, The New York Times first reported, informing him that the vice president’s refusal to go along with Trump was about to become public.
Given the crowds en route to Washington, “I thought it was important at least to let the Secret Service know that it was about to become a much more public disagreement,” Short said Wednesday on CNN.
‘HANG MIKE PENCE’
The pressure continued through the night. “If Vice President @Mike_Pence comes through for us, we will win the Presidency,” Trump tweeted around 1 a.m.
“All Mike Pence has to do is send them back to the States, AND WE WIN,” he wrote later that morning. “Do it Mike, this is a time for extreme courage!”
Pence was at his residence at the Naval Observatory the morning of Jan. 6 when he spoke a final time with Trump, who was joined in the Oval Office by his daughter Ivanka and Pence’s national security adviser, Keith Kellogg. During the call, in the 11 o’clock hour, Trump berated Pence, chastising him for not being tough enough to go along with the scheme, according to Kellogg’s testimony to the committee.
Pence then headed to the Capitol to oversee the counting of the Electoral College votes. But first Pence made official his decision. In a letter addressed to his colleagues in Congress, Pence explained why he couldn’t go along with Trump’s plan.
“It is my considered judgment that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not,” he wrote.
At 1:03 p.m., he officially gaveled the U.S. Senate into session as pro-Trump rioters, who had already breached Capitol barricades, were outside clashing with police.
By that point, Trump was already close to wrapping up his speech on the Ellipse in which he repeatedly targeted Pence and urged his supporters to “fight like hell.”
“If Mike Pence does the right thing, we win the election,” Trump falsely told the crowd. “All Vice President Pence has to do is send it back to the states to recertify and we become president and you are the happiest people.”
Outside the Capitol, the scene devolved into violent chaos as rioters, some armed with pipes, bats and bear spray, charged into the Capitol, quickly overwhelming police. One officer was beaten and repeatedly shocked with a stun gun until he had a heart attack. Another was foaming at the mouth and screaming for help as rioters crushed him between two doors and bashed him in the head with his own weapon. At 1:49 p.m., D.C. police officially declared a riot.
At about 2:12 p.m., Pence was rushed off the Senate floor as rioters flooded inside. The Washington Post first reported that Pence, who had been joined that day by his wife and daughter, was at one point less than 100 feet from a group of protesters.
IN HIDING
Pence spent the next hours in hiding with his staff and family — first in his ceremonial office and then in an underground loading dock inside the Capitol complex. At several points, he rejected pleas from security staff to leave, insisting it was crucial that he remain in place.
“He looked at that and said, ‘I don’t want the world seeing the vice president leaving the Capitol in a 15-car motorcade,’” Short told CNN on Wednesday. “’This is the hallmark of democracy and we’re going to complete our work.’”
But even as the horror played out live on television, Trump, instead of urging his supporters to go home, blasted Pence.
“Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify,” Trump tweeted at 2:24 p.m.
Trump’s tweet echoed through the angry mob. Footage obtained by the committee shows rioters reading Trump’s words aloud and crowds breaking into chants of “Hang Mike Pence!” A makeshift gallows was photographed outside.
Cheney charged that Trump was made aware of the chants and “responded with this sentiment: ‘Maybe our supporters have the right idea.’ Mike Pence ‘deserves it.'” (Trump responded on his social media app, saying he “NEVER said, or even thought of saying, ‘Hang Mike Pence.’”)
Pence worked the phone from his then-secret location. Short told Fox Business that Pence’s first calls were to Republican and Democratic House and Senate leaders — Kevin McCarthy, Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer — “to make sure they were safe and to make sure their functions were OK.” Pence also “reached out to the Pentagon to make sure additional reinforcements were sent” at the encouragement of House and Senate leaders, who made clear in subsequent calls that they were frustrated the National Guard had not arrived.
Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the committee in testimony that military leaders spoke two or three times with Pence and that the vice president “was very animated, very direct, very firm to (Acting Defense) Secretary (Christopher) Miller.”
“Get the military down here, get the Guard down here. Put down this situation, et cetera,” Milley recalled.
Indeed, at 4:08 p.m., Pence placed an urgent phone call from the Capitol as rioters pummeled police and vandalized the building, informing Miller the Capitol was not secure and asking military leaders for a deadline for securing the building, according to a document prepared by the Pentagon for internal use that was obtained by The Associated Press.
“Clear the Capitol,” Pence told them.
Milley told the committee that Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, had a different focus when they also spoke.
“He said: We have to kill the narrative that the Vice President is making all the decisions. We need to establish the narrative, you know, that the President is still in charge and that things are steady or stable, or words to that effect,” Milley testified.
Eastman and Jacob also exchanged emails, according to the committee, with Jacob telling Eastman that, “thanks to your bull—-, we are now under siege.”
‘LET’S GET BACK TO WORK’
At 8 p.m., after hours of fear and carnage, the Capitol was finally deemed secure.
Pence reconvened the Senate with a message.
“Today was a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol. But thanks to the swift efforts of U.S. Capitol Police, federal, state and local law enforcement, the violence was quelled. The Capitol is secured. And the people’s work continues,” he told the nation. “Let’s get back to work,” he said to applause.
Just after 3:40 a.m. Pence officially declared Trump’s election defeat — as well as his own.
‘TRUMP IS WRONG’
Pence, over the last year and a half, has repeatedly said he stands by his actions as he has reckoned with the political fallout and tried to lay the groundwork for a potential presidential run in 2024.
A year ago, after months out of the spotlight, Pence said in a major speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library that he was “proud” of what he did on Jan. 6.
“The truth is,” he said, “there’s almost no idea more un-American than the notion that any one person could choose the American president. The presidency belongs to the American people and the American people alone.”
And in February of this year, as Trump continued to criticize Pence’s actions, Pence took on Trump by name, telling a gathering of the conservative Federalist Society in Florida that “President Trump is wrong” and he had “no right to overturn the election.”
Pence, however, has also tried to move on from that day. On Monday he spoke to reporters after touring the border in Sierra Vista, Arizona.
“I’ll always believe that I did my duty that day. And I know in my heart of hearts I did. And I believe that, when all the information and the facts come forward, the American people will better understand what occurred,” he said. “But standing here today on our southern border, I’m calling on President Biden to do his duty. I mean, the truth is a president of the United States has an obligation to provide for the common defense, to guarantee the common defense of this country. And border security is national security.”
___
For more coverage of the Jan. 6 insurrection hearings, go to https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege. | 2022-06-16T19:42:02+00:00 | ourquadcities.com | https://www.ourquadcities.com/news/politics/ap-politics/what-we-know-about-how-pences-day-unfolded-on-jan-6/ |
Rebecca Long, a 29-year-old Boston woman who reached the top of Mount Everest on Thursday, dreamed of being an explorer and had an appetite for adrenaline, her twin sister said.
When they were young kids growing up in Andover, Melanie Long recalled, their parents had different methods for calming them down if they became fussy.
A close embrace from her parents could put Melanie at ease. Rebecca, on the other hand, required the thrill of being tossed high in the air over her father’s head to excite her and take her mind off whatever was upsetting her.
“I was not as adventurous,” Melanie Long said with a laugh during a phone interview Thursday.
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When Rebecca Long told her sister and parents that she planned to summit Mt. Everest this spring, they were worried but not surprised. She had just completed Aconcagua earlier this year, the tallest mountain in the Americas, Melanie said.
A graduate of Boston University, Rebecca Long quit her job in financial services in Boston to take the Everest trip after her boss wouldn’t allow her to take leave, Melanie Long said.
“She’s the type of person once she decides to do something, nothing will change her mind,” Melanie Long said in a phone interview Thursday, hours after receiving a text from Rebecca’s satellite phone reporting that she reached the summit shortly after sunrise in the Himalayas.
“I’ve never been more tired,” Rebecca Long wrote in a text message to Melanie. “It was terrifying but beautiful up there.”
Rebecca Long and the team she hiked with are now making their way back down, and Melanie expects her sister will be back in Massachusetts in a matter of days.
It marks the end of a long journey that Rebecca Long has chronicled in detail across several blog posts on Medium, sharing notes and observations from her flight across the Atlantic to the hike up to Everest base camp. She took the trip with the Washington-based International Mountain Guides (IMG) organization.
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The journey was not without tragedy. In April, Long and her expedition group learned that three sherpa climbers died after falling into a deep crevasse at the Khumbu Icefall just above Everest base camp.
Later, a member of Long’s expedition group, Jonathan Sugarman, died at Camp II after feeling unwell. Sugarman was a retired doctor from Seattle and clinical faculty member at the University of Washington, where he was known for his work in Native American health care and international health, according to the Associated Press.
In a blog post before he died, Long described Sugarman as being a “thoughtful and kind guy” who was in “unbelievably good shape.” On their way to Lobuche Base Camp, she said he “offered me an earbud and we listened to some inspirational gospel music together on the tough last stretch up.”
She wrote that his death came as a “shock to all of us” in the expedition group. At basecamp, they gathered a collection of white rocks to shape Sugarman’s initials JS near the IMG helipad.
Melanie Long wasn’t sure what her sister’s plans are now that she has reached the tallest point on earth. She’ll likely want to get back to her apartment in downtown Boston and reunite with her dog.
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But the journey home is also a long one.
“Back to base camp in the morning,” Rebecca wrote in a text to Melanie on Thursday. “God, I hope I have it in me.”
Nick Stoico can be reached at nick.stoico@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickStoico. | 2023-05-18T22:07:49+00:00 | bostonglobe.com | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/05/18/metro/boston-woman-summits-everest/ |
Dr. William Zeng will use the O'Shaughnessy Fellowship $100,000 grant to pursue open-source quantum computing.
Nat & Martha Sharpe will use the $100,000 O'Shaughnessy Fellowship grant to study and make documentary films of alternative childhood education schools.
GREENWICH, Conn., Feb. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- O'Shaughnessy Ventures, LLC ("OSV"), a creative investment firm that empowers creators, has announced that it has awarded its first two O'Shaughnessy Fellowships to Dr. William Zeng and Nat and Martha Sharpe (jointly).
OSV launched the Fellowship Program on 1 January 2023. It is a one-year program for ambitious people who want to build something great. Fellows will receive a $100,000 equity-free grant and access to OSV's network of founders, investors, and experts to support them in bringing their projects to life. OSV will award Twelve Fellowships in total.
Founder and CEO of OSV Jim O'Shaughnessy commented as follows:
"When we scan the historical record, we have no way of knowing how many innovative, creative people were born, lived, and died without any ability to share their ideas and creations with the rest of the world. We're lucky to now live in an age where the internet allows us to find and fund these enormous talents. Nat, Martha and Dr. Zeng blew us away with their ambition and vision, and I'm incredibly excited to participate in the evolution of their projects over the coming 12 months."
About Dr. William Zeng
Dr. William Zeng is the founder and President of the Unitary Fund, a non-profit dedicated to developing the quantum ecosystem to benefit the most people. His research focuses on quantum computer architecture, algorithms, and software. He previously led the initial development of Rigetti Computing's quantum cloud platform and is co-inventor of the Quil quantum instruction language. He received his Ph.D. in quantum algorithms from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar and his BSc. in Physics from Yale University. Forbes named him to their Forbes' '30 under 30' list in the Science category for his work on quantum computing.
Dr. Zeng will use his fellowship period to study how emerging quantum technologies can explore foundational questions in quantum mechanics. For example, this next generation of experimental tests will probe fundamental aspects of nature by considering what it means for something to be an observation / some-being to be an observer.
Dr. William Zeng commented as follows regarding his fellowship grant:
"I am grateful for the support and especially for the vision from the OSV Fellowship. You often hear that more high-risk science should be funded. The Fellowship's flexibility lets it do exactly that with our project. I'm looking forward to learning from the growing community of fellows."
About Nat & Martha Sharpe
Nat and Martha Sharpe have been on a creative team for over a decade. Nat was a film school graduate, and Martha was a storytelling enthusiast. They fell in love while filming a musical parody of "Beowulf" with their friends. After another comedy and two documentaries, they started having children. After that, the focus shifted from art to survival. But, even as struggling new parents, the Sharpes found small ways to keep creating and telling stories. Together, they learned to code, got off food stamps, and traveled around America in an RV. Today, Nat and Martha homeschool their 5 kids and are eager to explore alternative education, expand their comfort zones, and—as always—make movies.
Nat and Martha will use their Fellowship grant to investigate and document how we can prepare kids for a future where no career is safe. Is self-directed learning the answer? What happens when we let kids learn whatever they want? Nat and Martha Sharpe will use their fellowship to film and share the stories of the people who embody these questions.
Nat and Martha Sharpe commented as follows regarding their fellowship grant:
"OSV is our fairy godmother. Like many people, we put our dreams aside to survive. This fellowship sets us free to experiment and create. To play. Who knows where it will lead?"
Further information on Nat & Martha is available via their website.
Applications remain open for the remaining ten Fellowships. Creators interested in applying can do so via OSV's website.
About O'Shaughnessy Ventures:
O'Shaughnessy Ventures (OSV) is a creative investment firm that empowers and inspires creators to bring their ideas to life. Founded by Jim O'Shaughnessy, a pioneer in quantitative investing, founder of O'Shaughnessy Asset Management, and author of four books on investing, OSV aims to provide financial support and be a partner in building and growing the next life-changing creative idea. OSV combines Jim's deeply rooted interest in all things art, science, investing, and tech with his long-held desire to establish positive-sum scenarios designed to help promising creators and their inspiring ideas succeed, regardless of age, location, job history, or level of education. For more information, visit https://www.osv.llc.
Media Contact:
Ena Gong
O'Shaughnessy Ventures, LLC
(917) 355-7420
media@osv.llc
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SOURCE O'Shaughnessy Ventures LLC | 2023-02-21T15:33:17+00:00 | waff.com | https://www.waff.com/prnewswire/2023/02/21/oshaughnessy-ventures-awards-its-first-two-100000-equity-free-fellowships/ |
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Subscribe Now | 2022-10-29T07:45:08+00:00 | texomashomepage.com | https://www.texomashomepage.com/high-school-sports/high-school-volleyball-windthorst-holliday-october-28-2022/ |
Knicks vs. Cavaliers Injury Report Today - April 23
Check out the injury report for the New York Knicks (47-35), which currently has three players listed, as the Knicks prepare for their NBA playoffs opening round game 4 against the Cleveland Cavaliers (51-31) at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, April 23 at 1:00 PM ET.
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The teams meet again after the Knicks took down the Cavaliers 99-79 Friday. Jalen Brunson topped the Knicks with 21 points, while Donovan Mitchell had 22 for the Cavaliers.
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New York Knicks Injury Report Today
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Cleveland Cavaliers Injury Report Today
Knicks vs. Cavaliers Game Info
- When: Sunday, April 23, 2023 at 1:00 PM ET
- Where: Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York
- TV: ABC
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Knicks Season Insights
- The Knicks put up 9.1 more points per game (116) than the Cavaliers give up (106.9).
- New York has a 39-23 record when putting up more than 106.9 points.
- The Knicks have seen a downturn in scoring lately, putting up 115.5 points per game in their last 10 outings, 0.5 points fewer than the 116 they've scored this year.
- New York connects on 12.6 three-pointers per game (11th in the league), while its opponents have made 13 on average.
- The Knicks average 114.9 points per 100 possessions on offense (sixth in the league), and allow 111.7 points per 100 possessions (16th in the NBA).
Cavaliers Season Insights
- The Cavaliers' 112.3 points per game are only 0.8 fewer points than the 113.1 the Knicks give up.
- When it scores more than 113.1 points, Cleveland is 33-12.
- While the Cavaliers are averaging 112.3 points per game in 2022-23, they have fallen short of that over their previous 10 games, tallying 107 points per contest.
- Cleveland makes 11.6 three-pointers per game (19th in the league) at a 36.7% rate (11th in NBA), compared to the 11.3 its opponents make, shooting 36.8% from beyond the arc.
- The Cavaliers score 113.7 points per 100 possessions (10th in league), while giving up 107.7 points per 100 possessions (first in NBA).
Knicks vs. Cavaliers Betting Info
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | 2023-04-23T12:14:33+00:00 | live5news.com | https://www.live5news.com/sports/betting/2023/04/23/knicks-vs-cavaliers-nba-playoffs-injury-report/ |
Tazewell man says someone stole his Jeep and left a note apologizing for it
Blake Middleton said the note stated the person had taken the Jeep and said they were on drugs but planned to return the car when they got sober.
TAZEWELL, Tenn. (WVLT) - At Blake Middleton’s farm in Tazewell, he uses his 1986 Jeep to drive through the fields and check on cattle and help tend to the land. On Sunday afternoon when he went to go see his Jeep, he found a toolbox with a note on it instead.
“Hey I’m so sorry for taking your Jeep,” is how the note started out which immediately shocked Middleton because he wasn’t expecting an apology letter from the person who he believes took his Jeep.
“I couldn’t do nothing but laugh, to be honest,” said Middleton.
The letter goes on to explain that the suspect was on heroin and had plans to return the Jeep once they got sober and promised to take good care of the car. At the end of the note, the writer said they hoped that Middleton could forgive them which is something the Tazewell cattle farmer isn’t interested in doing quite yet.
“I doubt it, I’m not that kind of person,” said Middleton.
While he appreciated the honesty, Middleton was still frustrated with the fact that someone took something that belongs to him that also served as an important role on his farm.
“An honest thief. If there’s such a thing, it’s the closest you can get to one,” said Middleton.
If you know who may have taken the tan-colored Jeep, you’re asked to contact the Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office.
Copyright 2023 WVLT. All rights reserved. | 2023-07-13T09:15:42+00:00 | wymt.com | https://www.wymt.com/2023/07/13/tazewell-man-says-someone-stole-his-jeep-left-note-apologizing-it/ |
SAGINAW, MI — A world that’s caring, just and affirming for the LGBTQ+ community: That’s what the people behind PFLAG Great Lakes Bay Region hope and work for every day.
“It shouldn’t be as hard as it is in the world right now. It just shouldn’t be,” said Leisha Dougherty, vice president of the chapter. “When you look at our values and our mission, you don’t get much simpler than that.”
Dougherty said PFLAG is the largest national organization dedicated to supporting, educating and advocating for the LGBTQ+ community. And since 1990, the PFLAG Great Lakes Bay Region chapter has offered support and resources to the local LGBTQ+ community and their loved ones.
All are welcome to attend the nonprofit organization’s social events, such as a Chocolate Party fundraiser in June, a summer picnic happening in July, and monthly support meetings every third Sunday at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 2525 Hemmeter Road in Saginaw Township.
PFLAG Great Lakes Bay Region President Tom Brubaker said Our Savior Lutheran Church is a “welcoming and affirming faith community,” and people of all ages, backgrounds and experiences attend the monthly meetings.
Dougherty, recalling a conversation at a recent meeting between a transgender woman who transitioned 30 years ago and an 18-year-old transgender man, said PFLAG’s multigenerational makeup “speaks to how many different lives we can touch.”
The group also gives presentations to area employers seeking to create a more inclusive workplace, something Brubaker has observed an increased demand for.
“We’re seeing churches or school systems or companies approach us wanting information on how they can be more welcoming and inclusive to LGBTQ persons,” he said.
Some of the organizations PFLAG Great Lakes Bay Region has spoken to so far include Youth Protection Council, CAN Council, Child & Family Services of Saginaw, Great Lakes Bay Health Centers, and school counselors within the Saginaw Intermediate School District.
In February, PFLAG Great Lakes Bay Region invited about 25 organizations to a community partners’ meeting to talk to them about what PFLAG is and what it does. As a result, PFLAG Great Lakes Bay Region now has more than a dozen community partners it can refer people to for resources.
The local chapter is part of a larger organization advocating for LGBTQ+ people and their families since 1973.
“I think that’s what makes PFLAG so attractive is that we’re extremely grassroots in the sense that there are hundreds of chapters across the country,” Dougherty said.
Dougherty and Brubaker said having a local support network is critical.
Brubaker, a gay man who grew up in Freeland, said although progress has been made in his lifetime, there’s still work to do.
“I knew when I was 6 years old that I was different. I didn’t know exactly what it was, but there are two things I did know: One, I should keep it a secret, and two, I should be ashamed. That’s tough for a 6-year-old,” he said. “Someone may say to me, ‘You folks have made a lot of progress.’ And I say, ‘It depends on the family you grow up with, what school you go to, the church you belong to.’”
Brubaker said that’s what motivated him to get involved with PFLAG 20 years ago and to remain involved.
“This organization wasn’t around when I was growing up,” he said. “I feel, through my life now, that there’s something I can do for younger generations and all people, even older people. We had a member who was in her 70s, and she considered PFLAG her family.”
Brubaker and Dougherty agree the LGBTQ+ community cannot do it alone.
“We need allies. It’s how we move a marginalized community forward,” Dougherty said.
They welcome anyone who is interested to check out a meeting, learn more about the group and join the conversation even if they’re concerned they may not always know the “right” things to say.
“We say, ‘It’s OK to make mistakes. It’s OK to ask questions. It’s OK not to know,’” Brubaker said.
Dougherty added, “When you’re coming from a good place, when you’re trying to learn, don’t be worried you’re going to make a mistake; just do the best you can.”
For more information about the organization, find PFLAG Great Lakes Bay Region on Facebook or visit pflagglb.com. To request a PFLAG Great Lakes Bay Region presentation at your organization or business, call Tom Brubaker at 989-714-9001.
Want more Bay City- and Saginaw-area news? Bookmark the local Bay City and Saginaw news page or sign up for the free “3@3″ daily newsletter for Bay City and Saginaw.
Read more from MLive:
Great Lakes Bay Pride starting new LGBTQ+ peer support group
‘Recycle Your Bicycle’ and help Saginaw-area residents get to work
Saginaw’s first-ever Miss Juneteenth prepares to ‘pass on the torch’ to this year’s winners
Celebrate Your Crown event will focus on natural hair care, CROWN Act
Saginaw Art & Garden Festival will feature 40+ vendors, new peony show
Saginaw farmers’ market has calendar full of events for 2023 season | 2023-06-05T13:10:39+00:00 | mlive.com | https://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw-bay-city/2023/06/pflag-great-lakes-bay-region-offers-local-support-for-lgbtq-community-and-their-families.html |
CALGARY, AB, July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - High Tide Inc. ("High Tide" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: HITI) (TSXV: HITI) (FSE: 2LYA), a leading retail-focused cannabis company with bricks-and-mortar as well as global e-commerce assets, announced today that its Canna Cabana retail cannabis store located at 10027 100 Street in Fort St. John, British Columbia will begin selling recreational cannabis products and consumption accessories for adult use at 4:20 PM local time today. This opening will represent High Tide's 128th branded retail location across Canada, and 1st in British Columbia, selling recreational cannabis products and consumption accessories. The store will be High Tide's first location in the Peace River Region of British Columbia, within which Fort. St John is the largest municipality. It is located in the centre of the city, close to numerous businesses, and is only minutes away from the Alaska Highway, which brings residents and visitors into the city.
"Our first organic store opening in British Columbia is a much-awaited and very positive milestone for High Tide. This is the result of many months of hard work by our team as we navigated the regulatory process to enter the province. I am excited that we finally have the opportunity to bring our innovative discount club model, which has been a proven hit with our customers in the four provinces where we already operate, to British Columbia," said Raj Grover, President and Chief Executive Officer of High Tide. "Combined with last week's announced acquisition of two operating retail cannabis stores in Vancouver through the Choom BC store portfolio, we are entering the province in a big way and are already almost halfway to the provincial store cap. With this foothold in British Columbia, I anticipate that we will be able to expand quickly through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions, putting us in a position to reach the cap of 8 stores in the coming months," added Mr. Grover.
High Tide is a leading retail-focused cannabis company with bricks-and-mortar as well as global e-commerce assets. The Company is the largest Canadian retailer of recreational cannabis as measured by revenue, with 128 current locations spanning Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. The Company is also North America's first cannabis discount club retailer, under the Canna Cabana banner, which is the single-largest cannabis retail brand in Canada with additional locations under development across the country. High Tide's portfolio also includes retail kiosk and smart locker technology – Fastendr™. High Tide has been serving consumers for over a decade through its established e-commerce platforms including Grasscity.com, Smokecartel.com, Dailyhighclub.com, and Dankstop.com and more recently in the hemp-derived CBD space through Nuleafnaturals.com, FABCBD.com, BlessedCBD.co.uk,, BlessedCBD.de, and Amazon UK, as well as its wholesale distribution division under Valiant Distribution, including the licensed entertainment product manufacturer Famous Brandz. High Tide was featured in the third annual Report on Business Magazine's ranking of Canada's Top Growing Companies in 2021 and was named as one of the top 10 performing diversified industries stocks in the 2022 TSX Venture 50™. High Tide's strategy as a parent company is to extend and strengthen its integrated value chain, while providing a complete customer experience and maximizing shareholder value.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
For more information about High Tide Inc., please visit www.hightideinc.com, its profile page on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and its profile page on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.
Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking information or forward-looking statements. Such information and statements, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements" are made as of the date of this news release or as of the date of the effective date of information described in this news release, as applicable. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by use of words such as "outlook", "expects", "intend", "forecasts", "anticipates", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "envisages, "assumes", "needs", "strategy", "goals", "objectives", or variations thereof, or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "can", "could", "would", "might", or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms or similar expressions, and other similar terminology) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.
Such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that may prove to be incorrect, including but not limited to the ability of High Tide to execute on its business plan and that High Tide will receive one or multiple licenses from Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis, British Columbia's Liquor Distribution Branch, Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba, Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario or the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority permitting it to carry on its Canna Cabana Inc. business. High Tide considers these assumptions to be reasonable in the circumstances. However, there can be no assurance that any one or more of the government, industry, market, operational or financial targets as set out herein will be achieved. Inherent in the forward-looking statements are known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to differ materially from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
The forward‐looking statements contained herein are current as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, High Tide does not have any obligation to advise any person if it becomes aware of any inaccuracy in or omission from any forward-looking statement, nor does it intend, or assume any obligation, to update or revise these forward-looking statements to reflect new events or circumstances. Any and all forward-looking statements included in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement, and except as otherwise indicated, are made as of the date of this news release.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States of America. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons (as defined in the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration is available.
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SOURCE High Tide Inc. | 2022-07-13T10:17:16+00:00 | kwtx.com | https://www.kwtx.com/prnewswire/2022/07/13/high-tide-opens-first-canna-cabana-location-british-columbia/ |
LONDON (AP) — Budget airline Ryanair says it has scrapped its controversial Afrikaans language test for South African travelers aimed at weeding out people with phony passports.
The Dublin-based airline changed its policy of requiring South African travelers to the U.K. to pass the quiz after the furor erupted earlier this month.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary told a press conference in Brussels Tuesday that the test was being dropped, the BBC reported. The airline’s press office confirmed his remarks.
“Our team issued a test in Afrikaans of 12 simple questions,” such as naming the mountain outside the capital Pretoria, O’Leary told reporters.
“They have no difficulty completing that. But we didn’t think it was appropriate either,” he said. “So we have ended the Afrikaans test, because it doesn’t make any sense.”
Ryanair doesn’t fly to or from South Africa but is Europe’s biggest airline, carrying tens of millions of passengers between hundreds of cities annually.
Afrikaans is one of South Africa’s 11 official languages and is the first language of about 13% of the country’s population of nearly 60 million. It’s a Dutch-based language developed by many of the country’s white settlers who came from the Netherlands and is associated with South Africa’s apartheid regime of white minority rule that ended in 1994.
Reports of the questionnaire circulating on social media sparked anger among South Africans. The airline had said it needed passengers to pass the test because of the “high prevalence of fraudulent South African passports.” South African passengers who could not pass the test were prevented from boarding and given a refund. | 2022-06-16T03:09:41+00:00 | wric.com | https://www.wric.com/business/us-world-business/ryanair-drops-afrikaans-test-that-angered-south-africans/ |
Honoree, Community Achievement in Health Care
Paws to Heal, a Paws to Think program
Ascension St. Vincent
For five years, Paws To Heal therapy dogs and their handlers have been making rounds at Ascension St. Vincent facilities, including Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital.
Paws To Heal is a program of Paws & Think, a not-for-profit that pairs therapy dogs with schools, detention centers, youth agencies and more.
Twenty-six teams visit with patients, families and associates at Ascension St. Vincent facilities, including the Stress Center, Seton Specialty Hospital, the women’s hospital and the main campus. Last year, they averaged more than 70 visits a month, touching the lives of more than 10,000 people.
“Studies show that interacting with dogs can help lower blood pressure, heart rate and stress levels,” Dorothy Hitchins, manager of support and volunteer services at Ascension, wrote in her nomination. “Visits with a therapy dog can provide motivation, education and therapeutic benefits to enhance a patient’s quality of life.”
The team is led by Lisa Gupton, who visits Peyton Manning with her goldendoodle, Lulu.
Gupton said most of the teams visit the hospitals two times a month, but some volunteer weekly, spending an hour to 90 minutes visiting with anyone who asks.
Outside of those visits, the dogs also participate in Project R.E.A.D, a school program through Ascension St. Vincent for patients experiencing reading delays, and Code Lavender, a partnership with the spiritual care team that provides support and crisis intervention for associates to help process events after major losses or particularly traumatic events.
Gupton said she became involved with Paws To Heal after seeing the impact therapy dogs made on her own family when her son spent five years in and out of Riley Children’s Health for an autoimmune disorder.
“We saw the benefit of how it can really turn your day around,” she said. “It literally makes you happy.”
Over the Christmas holiday, Gupton and Lulu stopped by the hospital and visited with a little girl who had just had emergency surgery. Lulu got up on the girl’s bed, and the girl folded herself over the dog and started sobbing.
Gupton said you could feel the stress and fear leave her body.
“It was just so good,” Gupton said. “This is the best job ever.”
And every time she and Lulu visit, they have a similar experience.
Another little girl was recovering from an infection and just needed to get out of bed and take a walk to be able to be discharged but hadn’t yet.
She was lying with Lulu when she asked to take the dog for a walk. Lulu was the motivation she needed to try to get out of bed.
Hitchins said the dogs are making a meaningful difference.
“Paws to Heal teams directly impact people, creating meaningful experiences that change perceptions, provide opportunities for growth and healing,” Hitchins wrote. “The impact, agility and dedication made by Paws to Heal in health care settings impacts the wider community.”•
Please enable JavaScript to view this content. | 2023-03-09T15:49:51+00:00 | ibj.com | https://www.ibj.com/articles/2023-health-care-heroes-therapy-dogs-lift-spirits-at-ascension-hospitals |
Slated to open in 2024, One Rangers Way will create an exciting first opportunity to live steps away from Globe Life Field, Choctaw Stadium and AT&T Stadium
State-of-the-art residential building will offer an upscale living experience with over 43,000 SF of amenities and services on par with the finest residential and condo buildings in the country
Interested renters can visit www.OneRangersWay.com or email info@onerangersway.com for more information
ARLINGTON, Texas, Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Texas Rangers and The Cordish Companies gathered yesterday to celebrate the groundbreaking of One Rangers Way, a luxury residential community in the heart of the Arlington Entertainment District. The Rangers and Cordish were joined by Arlington Mayor Jim Ross, Arlington City Council, and community and business leaders from the City of Arlington and Tarrant County to recognize this exciting milestone. One Rangers Way continues the incredible momentum of new development in the Entertainment District that began with the opening of Texas Live! in 2018. The project continues the next phase of over $1 billion of new development currently under construction in the Entertainment District that includes the forthcoming Loews Arlington Hotel & Convention Center, National Medal of Honor Museum and Spark Coworking.
Project renderings can be downloaded here.
"Today marks an important milestone in the continued development and expansion of the Arlington Entertainment District," said Texas Rangers Managing Partner and Majority Owner Ray Davis. "The construction of One Rangers Way will bring an upscale residential component to an area that is already widely known as one of the fastest growing sports and entertainment destinations in the country. The Texas Rangers are proud to partner with the City of Arlington and The Cordish Companies on this incredible project."
One Rangers Way will celebrate the rich history of the state of Texas and showcase a unique design and curated art collection inspired by the Texas Rangers and America's favorite pastime. Slated to open in 2024, One Rangers Way will create an exciting first opportunity to live steps away from Globe Life Field, Choctaw Stadium and AT&T Stadium. Its integration with the Entertainment District and proximity to these three iconic stadiums, as well as Texas Live!, Live! by Loews, Loews Arlington Hotel & Convention Center and the National Medal of Honor Museum, will offer a completely unique residential experience. One Rangers Way will feature high-end materials and appliances, expansive ceiling heights, floor-to-ceiling windows and meet National Green Building Standard® (NGBS) certification. The 300-unit apartment community will offer a mix of 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom and penthouse apartment homes, as well as a parking garage with 423 spaces.
"It is a great honor for The Cordish Companies to continue its partnership with the Texas Rangers and City of Arlington," stated Blake Cordish, Principal of The Cordish Companies. "From day one, we knew that a vibrant residential community needed to be a part of our plans in creating a best-in-class mixed-use development. With One Rangers Way, we have created an incredibly special building that will offer the first opportunity for residents to live within steps of three iconic stadiums, Globe Life Field, Choctaw Stadium, and AT&T Stadium, as well as the National Medal of Honor Museum just across the street. Today's milestone is another important step forward in delivering a world-class destination that will benefit the Arlington community and be a national draw for tourism for decades to come."
"One Rangers Way is a wonderful addition to our growing skyline in the Entertainment District and will bring unmatched lifestyle options to our community," Arlington Mayor Jim Ross said. "We are grateful for this transformative development, made possible by our partnerships with the Rangers and The Cordish Companies."
AN ELEVATED LIVING EXPERIENCE
One Rangers Way will offer one of the most luxurious, resort-style apartment communities in the country with over 43,000 SF of interior and exterior amenity space. The project will offer an upscale living experience with one-of-a-kind amenities and services on par with the finest residential and condo buildings in the country.
"We are extremely excited to be breaking ground on One Rangers Way today," said Marnie Sauls, Executive Director of Residential Management for The Cordish Companies. "There will be nothing like this building in the country. This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for our team to deliver a one-of-a-kind living experience in the heart of Arlington Entertainment District. We look forward to welcoming more residents to the Arlington community in 2024."
Building amenities include:
- An expansive outdoor amenity deck with green spaces
- Indoor and outdoor entertainment spaces
- State-of-the-art fitness facilities
- Outdoor pool with swim up bar
- Demonstration and entertainment kitchen
- A variety of coworking spaces
- Private event entertainment room
- Game lounge with billiards and ping pong tables
- Lobby attendant and personalized concierge services
- Pet friendly community
- Business center and conference room
- Valet dry cleaning services
- Exclusive resident events
Residents will also enjoy direct access to the Richard Greene & Dr. Robert Cluck Linear Parks that offer wide-open areas for strolling, fascinating art sculptures and close to 3 miles of paved paths throughout the Entertainment District for walking, running, and biking.
Today's groundbreaking celebration for One Rangers Way represents an exciting step forward toward a greater $4 billion vision by the City of Arlington, Texas Rangers, The Cordish Companies and Loews Hotels & Co to transform the Entertainment District into the premier sports, entertainment, hospitality, cultural and lifestyle destination in the country. Together, the total investment of new development by the partnership totals over $2.4 billion.
For more information and to stay up-to-date on news, please visit www.OneRangersWay.com. Interested renters can email info@onerangersway.com for more information.
About The Texas Rangers
In 2022 the Texas Rangers are celebrating their 50th anniversary since the franchise moved from Washington, D.C. to Arlington, Texas for the 1972 season. The Rangers have advanced to postseason play eight times since 1996, winning seven American League West Division titles and advancing to the World Series in 2010 and 2011. In 2020, the Rangers opened beautiful Globe Life Field, which is not only the team's home but also a multipurpose sports and entertainment venue that includes capabilities for hosting numerous local, regional, and national events. The $1.25 billion facility includes a 5.5 acre retractable roof, which provides for maximum comfort of guests throughout the year. The Rangers organization has also been instrumental in partnering with the City of Arlington, The Cordish Companies, and Loews Hotels & Co. on the development of the Arlington Entertainment District into a world-class sports and entertainment destination. Rangers Baseball Express LLC became the sixth owner in Rangers history when it completed purchase of the club on August 12, 2010.
About The Cordish Companies
The Cordish Companies' origins date back to 1910 and encompass four generations of privately-held, family ownership. During the past ten decades, The Cordish Companies has grown into a global leader in Commercial Real Estate; Entertainment Districts; Sports-Anchored Developments; Gaming; Hotels; Residential Properties; Restaurants; Coworking Spaces; and Private Equity. One of the largest and most respected developers in the world, The Cordish Companies has been awarded an unprecedented seven Urban Land Institute Awards for Excellence for public-private developments that are of unique significance to the cities in which they are located. The Cordish Companies has developed and operates highly acclaimed dining, entertainment and hospitality destinations throughout the United States, many falling under The Cordish Companies' Live! Brand, highly regarded as one of the premier entertainment brands in the country. Welcoming over 55 million visitors per year, these developments are among the highest profile dining, entertainment, gaming, hotel and sports- anchored destinations in the country. Over the generations, The Cordish Companies has remained true to the family's core values of quality, entrepreneurial spirit, long-term personal relationships and integrity. As a testimony to the long-term vision of its family leadership, The Cordish Companies still owns and manages virtually every business it has created. For more information visit www.cordish.com or follow us on Twitter.
"The Cordish Companies," "The Cordish Company" and "Cordish" are trademarks used under license by independent corporations, legal liability companies and partnerships ("Cordish Entities"). Each Cordish Entity is a separate, single-purpose legal entity that is solely responsible for its obligations and liabilities. No common operations or financial interdependency, and no intermingling of assets or liabilities of the Cordish Entities exists, or should be deemed to exist, as a result of the potential common reference to multiple independent entities operating under the names "Cordish," "The Cordish Companies" or "The Cordish Company" here or elsewhere.
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SOURCE The Cordish Companies | 2022-10-27T19:13:26+00:00 | waff.com | https://www.waff.com/prnewswire/2022/10/27/texas-rangers-cordish-companies-city-arlington-celebrate-groundbreaking-luxury-residential-community-arlington-entertainment-district/ |
Collaboration aims to create a national model addressing common barriers to cardiac rehabilitation, includes essential focus on mental well-being
EVANSTON, Ill., June 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- NorthShore – Edward-Elmhurst Health (NS-EEH), the third-largest health system in Illinois serving 1.5 million patients across Chicagoland, and Motiv, an emerging cardiology care innovator, today announced the co-development of the first in-home virtual cardiac recovery program with integrated behavioral health support. The program addresses challenges associated with traditional cardiac rehabilitation (rehab) by providing a more personalized and convenient approach, including one-on-one health coaching and behavioral health support.
"There can be a tendency to underestimate how often patients who survive a cardiac event experience a confusing blend of emotions that range from gratitude and relief to fear and uncertainty of what the future holds. We have an opportunity to change that," said NorthShore Cardiologist Adam Silver, MD. "I am excited to see this program focus on the human element of cardiac recovery as we aim to optimize the journey that patients take toward a higher quality of overall health and wellness."
Patients of NorthShore – Edward-Elmhurst Health's Highland Park Hospital will be the first to have the opportunity to take part in the six-month program, which is open now and anticipated to expand to other cardiac patients later this year. The opportunity will be offered to patients who have experienced a cardiac event and indicate potential benefit from participation in the post-discharge in-home virtual cardiac recovery program. After consultation with their cardiologist, those wishing to participate will be contacted by Motiv to schedule their first session.
The program features:
- A personalized program created by a Clinical Exercise Physiologist with Health & Wellness Coaching certification who serves as the patient's Health Coach throughout the program.
- Weekly one-on-one health coaching sessions, scheduled at the patient's convenience, to support individual exercise, nutrition and wellness education goals tailored to the patient's needs and preferences.
- A program-issued blood pressure cuff and a wearable fitness tracker to monitor health.
- A personalized mobile experience accessible through an easy-to-use web-app that tracks progress toward personal goals.
- Access to weekly calls with a licensed clinical social worker specially trained to support the mental well-being of patients who have recently experienced a cardiac event.
- Personalized support to navigate follow-up care as needed.
- Regular updates of progress relayed to patient's primary care physician and treating cardiologist(s).
"Despite the well-documented life-saving benefits of cardiac rehabilitation programs, access and patient experience are preventing millions of cardiac patients from seeking the care they need," said Ed Sclater, CEO and founder of Motiv. "Our comprehensive post-discharge program was built to complement existing care and allow health systems to offer their cardiac patients new services in lifestyle coaching and behavioral health."
According to a 2020 study published by the American Heart Association, only about 24% of the eligible Medicare patients started an in-person cardiac rehab program and of those, only about 27% completed it, despite the clinical benefits.
The in-home virtual cardiac recovery program is the latest innovation offered through the NorthShore Cardiovascular Institute (CVI). From sophisticated genetic testing to advanced interventional techniques, CVI's world-class specialists use leading-edge tools to determine risk and detect heart disease in its earliest stages. Individualized programs guide patients through diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation for simple to complex heart conditions. The combined expertise offers collaborative, compassionate heart care personalized for every patient's needs. Learn more at NorthShore.org/CVI, including the latest updates on the new 170,000-square-foot premier cardiovascular pavilion coming to Glenbrook Hospital's campus in Glenview in 2024.
About NorthShore – Edward-Elmhurst Health
NorthShore – Edward-Elmhurst Health is a fully integrated healthcare delivery system committed to providing access to quality, vibrant, community-connected care, serving an area of more than 4.2 million residents across six northeast Illinois counties. Our more than 25,000 team members and more than 6,000 physicians aim to deliver transformative patient experiences and expert care close to home across more than 300 ambulatory locations and eight acute care hospitals – Edward (Naperville), Elmhurst, Evanston, Glenbrook (Glenview), Highland Park, Northwest Community (Arlington Heights), Skokie and Swedish (Chicago) – all recognized as Magnet hospitals for nursing excellence. Located in Naperville, Linden Oaks Behavioral Health provides for the mental health needs of area residents. For more information, visit NorthShore.org, SwedishCovenant.org, NCH.org and EEHealth.org.
About Motiv
Motiv partners with health systems to help patients recover from cardiac events, prevent future ones and inspire positive lifestyle changes that last a lifetime. Its integrated approach complements in-hospital cardiac rehabilitation and helps health systems serve a broader population by using patient-friendly technology, virtual 1-1 health coaching and behavioral science. Motiv is reimagining cardiac recovery services, providing a home-based program that increases accessibility, personalization and efficacy, so patients can get back to who and what they love. The company was built at Redesign Health in 2022. For more information, visit withmotivhealth.com.
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SOURCE NorthShore - Edward-Elmhurst Health | 2023-06-07T13:06:55+00:00 | wbrc.com | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/06/07/northshore-edward-elmhurst-health-motiv-launch-nations-first-in-home-virtual-cardiac-recovery-program-with-integrated-behavioral-health-support/ |
SAGINAW, MI — A Saginaw woman is heading to prison for drunkenly killing two people in a three-car traffic crash in the early days of 2022.
Saginaw County Chief Circuit Judge Darnell Jackson on Thursday, May 25, sentenced 35-year-old Christina M. Adams to six to 15 years in prison. Jackson gave Adams credit for only one day served in the county jail.
The judge further ordered Adams to pay $1,866 in various fines and costs.
Adams in March pleaded no contest to the two charges she faced, that of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated causing death.
The convictions stem from a crash that occurred around 9 p.m. on Jan. 3, 2022, on Midland Road/M-47 near McCarty Road. Saginaw Township police officers and firefighters arrived to find three vehicles had been involved — a 2015 Ford Focus, a 2004 Mercury Marquis, and a 2016 Buick Regal.
Several people were unconscious in the cars, requiring firefighters to extract them.
Investigators determined Adams had been driving the Focus north on Midland Road when she crossed the center line and struck the southbound Marquis head-on. The collision forced the Marquis into the Regal, which was also heading south.
The Marquis contained two friends from Davison. Emergency responders pronounced the Marquis’ passenger, 79-year-old Emma Jean Payne, deceased at the scene. The driver, 86-year-old Robert J. Frierson, suffered severe injuries and was taken to a hospital.
Frierson underwent multiple surgeries but ultimately did not recover, dying in an Oakland County hospice on March 19.
Adams also suffered injuries and was hospitalized. She had no passengers in her vehicle.
The driver of the Regal, a 66-year-old Saginaw Township woman, was also hospitalized for injuries.
During her hospitalization, a sample of Adams’ blood was taken and thereafter submitted to the Michigan State Police Crime Lab for analysis. The results indicated Adam’s blood alcohol level was 0.23, prompting authorities issued a warrant for Adams on April 13.
In Michigan, a person is legally intoxicated when their blood alcohol level reaches 0.08.
Payne was born in Gurdon, Arkansas, in December 1942, and was known for her cooking.
“By the age of 12 Jean was cooking full course meals for her entire family,” her obituary states. “Her love of cooking never ceased, and Sunday dinners were a staple until her untimely demise.”
Payne graduated as her high school’s valedictorian in 1960. She then moved to Wichita, where she worked for Boeing Aircraft.
Payne married in 1964 and thereafter the couple moved to Flint in 1966.
“She was an early member of House of Prayer Missionary Baptist Church under the Pastorship of Rev. Charlie Thrower,” her obituary continues. “While a faithful member of HOP, she sang in the choir and served in several capacities throughout the church. Jean had many talents including freehand drawing and had impeccable penmanship, but she was most known for her fishing skills.”
Payne taught her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren how to fish, described as her favorite pastime.
“Nobody could out-fish Jean. If she wasn’t on the fishing bank, you could find her solving puzzle books, smack talking at a spades table or going toe to toe with the one-armed bandits at the casino,” her obituary states. “On the evenings when she wasn’t ‘working’ the slots, you’d likely find her watching basketball games on TV.”
Payne was also known for her wit and one-liners and her loves of gospel and blues music.
“She was an avid listener of the Saturday Blues show on 98.9 FM where the DJs would often dedicate classic hits to ‘The Fishing Lady.’”
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Read more:
Saginaw teen charged after allegedly shooting at police, robbing 2 stores, stealing 6 vehicles
Teen arrested after shooting at Saginaw police, numerous armed robberies
Complaints detail overcrowding, ailing cats at Amazing Grace Animal Rescue in Saginaw County | 2023-05-26T19:51:10+00:00 | mlive.com | https://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw-bay-city/2023/05/saginaw-woman-heads-to-prison-for-killing-two-people-in-2022-drunken-crash.html |
HAMPDEN, Maine (AP) — David Bishop spends the school day as a mild-mannered custodian, but before the final bell rings, he grabs his chess boards and pieces and begins his second role.
“The Queen’s Gambit” is playing out in real life in Maine, where this custodian is coaching his schools’ chess teams to acclaim.
Bishop, a part-time chess coach and full-time custodian, led his elementary and middle school teams to state championship titles this year, drawing comparisons to the Netflix series about a chess prodigy inspired by a janitor.
Some of his players are good enough to beat their coach, proudly declaring “checkmate!”
“Initially, it was humiliating and demoralizing, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that’s a good thing. They’re getting stronger,” the 61-year-old said.
Nationwide, chess is riding a new wave of popularity, and it’s not just because of the popular Netflix mini-series based on the 1983 book by Walter Tevis.
During the pandemic, a growing number of kids forced to stay at home for extended periods turned to Chess.com to relieve their boredom. The website and app allow visitors to learn the game, to play against each other or against a computer, and to get chess news.
The website had 1.5 million daily users in February 2020 — just before the pandemic hit the U.S. in full force — but it grew to 4.5 million by the end of 2020. It had hit 10 million by January of this year. The total number of registered users has nearly quadrupled to 123 million, the company said.
Chess fans are also watching videos of grandmasters teaching strategies and livestreams of high-profile chess players facing off.
“What we are seeing is an unprecedented period of boom, like nothing before,” said Leon Watson, spokesperson for Chess.com. “It definitely feels like chess is having a moment.”
In Hampden, Bishop’s coaching success followed a happy twist of fate.
He was burned out from his job in the telecommunications industry and took an early retirement package at age 50. He was exploring new opportunities in the field — and not having much luck — when someone told him about a school custodial job. He figured it would be mean less stress.
He didn’t even know there was a chess club until after he’d begun work in 2013. He began volunteering with the chess club at Reeds Brook Middle School, and later at George B. Weatherbee Elementary School, as well.
Bishop learned chess the old-fashioned way, with a family chessboard and by experimenting with the board pieces: pawns, bishops, knights, rooks, queens and kings. He played with his brothers, sometimes in the family’s barn, learning the moves to checkmate his opponent’s king, the object of the game. At age 10, he followed with keen interest the match in which American grandmaster Bobby Fischer defeated the Soviet Union’s Boris Spassky in 1972.
While Bishop enjoyed chess and was good at it, he didn’t join his high school chess club, worrying he would be typecast as a nerd. He regrets that now.
These days, thanks to its growing appeal, those stereotypes no longer apply.
On a recent day, there was a buzz in the air at the Reeds Brook Middle School library where the chess club meets. Bishop’s team had just represented Maine at the national championships in Texas, and they came in eighth place out of 52 teams. The elementary school team competes this weekend in its national championships in Maryland.
The students quickly tossed their backpacks aside, sat down at library tables and launched into matches. Those who weren’t actively playing watched others’ moves intently.
Eli Marquis, 12, said the chess players are constantly learning new skills and tactics — like opening and closing moves — allowing them to improve and ensuring they don’t get bored.
“You can never run out of things to learn and to practice and to do, and you can just keep on getting better as long as you practice. There’s no end to it. Really,” he said.
Eddie LaRochelle, 13, compared chess to other competitive team sports. A strong work ethic and practice improve individual skills, and those individuals work together to achieve victory.
“You don’t need to work out every single day in the gym. To get stronger, you can exercise your brain with puzzles, chess and other things,” he said.
Lessons from the chess board often carry into life.
Team members said chess has taught them to think ahead, be strategic and consider the ramifications of decisions. And it helps with keeping on task and staying organized.
“Chess is so good for them, and most of them don’t know it,” their coach said. “They’re just playing chess, but it’s like a workout for the brain.”
Bishop understands comparisons to the janitor in “The Queen’s Gambit” — William Shaibel, played by actor Bill Camp — and he thinks it’s an entertaining series. The chess play is accurate and exciting, he said.
Camp, the actor, has heard of the team’s success and hopes to pay a visit to the school to offer his congratulations. He had high praise for Bishop.
“What he’s doing is about as noble as one can do – he’s a teacher,” Camp said from Los Angeles. “He’s doing the greatest service.”
Unlike the Netflix series’s janitor, Bishop is helping not just one girl in an orphanage, but dozens of kids of all skill levels and socioeconomic backgrounds.
His one worry is that there aren’t as many girls taking up chess.
Chess continues to be dominated by men and boys from the top level of grandmasters down to the grade school level. There’s only one female on his middle school champion team right now, but he’s hoping to change that by getting kids hooked at earlier ages, starting in kindergarten.
For now, Bishop looks forward to seeing how far his teams can go. As the teams get better, he’s getting used to losing chess matches more frequently.
Riley Richardson, who placed 14th out of 386 competitors at the nationals, said the first time he beat his coach, he thought Bishop was letting him win. But now, he has beaten his coach a few times.
He’s watching for vulnerabilities.
“A while ago, I actually beat him because I just started learning his weaknesses,” Richardson said. That weakness? He smiled and said: ”Sometimes, he’s overthinking.” | 2023-05-11T16:25:44+00:00 | wjhl.com | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/maine-custodian-coaches-school-chess-teams-in-real-life-queens-gambit/ |
LONDON (AP) — The United Kingdom and the world bade farewell to Queen Elizabeth II on Monday with a state funeral that drew presidents and kings, princes and prime ministers — and crowds in the streets of London and at Windsor Castle — to honor a monarch whose 70-year reign defined an age.
In a country known for pomp and pageantry, the first state funeral since Winston Churchill’s was filled with spectacle: Before the service, a bell tolled 96 times — once a minute for each year of Elizabeth’s life. Then, 142 Royal Navy sailors used ropes to draw the gun carriage carrying her flag-draped coffin to Westminster Abbey, where pallbearers bore it inside and about 2,000 people ranging from world leaders to health care workers gathered to mourn.
The trappings of state and monarchy abounded: The coffin was draped with the Royal Standard and atop it sat the Imperial State Crown, sparkling with almost 3,000 diamonds, and the sovereign’s orb and scepter.
But the personal was also present: The coffin was followed into the church by generations of Elizabeth’s descendants, including King Charles III, heir to the throne Prince William and 9-year-old George, who is second in line. On a wreath atop the coffin, a handwritten note read, “In loving and devoted memory,” and was signed Charles R — for Rex, or king.
“Here, where Queen Elizabeth was married and crowned, we gather from across the nation, from the Commonwealth, and from the nations of the world, to mourn our loss, to remember her long life of selfless service, and in sure confidence to commit her to the mercy of God our maker and redeemer,” the dean of the medieval abbey, David Hoyle, told the mourners.
The service ended with two minutes of silence observed across the United Kingdom, after which the attendees sang the national anthem, now titled “God Save the King.”
The day began early when the doors of Parliament’s 900-year-old Westminster Hall were closed to mourners after hundreds of thousands had filed in front of her coffin.
Monday was declared a public holiday in honor of Elizabeth, who died Sept. 8 — and hundreds of thousands of people descended on central London to witness history. They jammed sidewalks to watch the coffin wend its way through the streets of the capital after the service. As the procession passed Buckingham Palace, the queen’s official residence in the city, staff stood outside, some bowing and curtseying.
Mark Elliott, 53, who traveled to London from the Lake District in northern England with his wife and two children to watch the procession, got up at 1:30 a.m. to stake out a good viewing location near the palace.
“I know we don’t know the queen, but she’s been our head of state for 70 years, you feel as though you know her, you feel as though she’s part of the family. It is kind of moving,” he said.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said in his sermon at Westminster Abbey that “few leaders receive the outpouring of love we have seen” for the queen.
More people lined the route the hearse took from the capital to Windsor Castle, and many tossed flowers at the cortege as it passed. Millions more tuned into the funeral live, and crowds flocked to parks and public spaces across the U.K. to watch it on screens. Even the Google doodle turned a respectful black for the day.
As the coffin arrived at the castle, there were poignant reminders of her love of animals: A groom stood at the roadside with one of her ponies, Emma, and another member of staff held the leashes of two of her beloved corgis, Sandy and Muick.
During the committal ceremony in St. George’s Chapel on the castle grounds, Dean of Windsor David Conner praised Elizabeth for her “life of unstinting service” to the nation but also her “kindness, concern and reassuring care for her family and friends and neighbors.”
Then the crown and the orb and scepter were removed from atop the coffin and placed on the altar — separating them from the queen for the last time. Her coffin was lowered into the royal vault through an opening in the chapel’s floor. Charles looked weary and emotional as mourners sang the national anthem.
The queen will be laid to rest later with her husband, Prince Philip, at a private family service.
The mourners at Westminster Abbey included U.S. President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, all of the living former British prime ministers and European royalty.
In Japan, whose Emperor Naruhito also attended, several people sipped beer and watched the service at The Aldgate British pub in Tokyo’s fashionable Shibuya district.
“The queen had an especially long history in a country that boasts a long history, and so she deserves deep respect,” said dentist Tomotaka Hosokawa.
The global outpouring of sympathy touched the king, who on the eve of the funeral, issued a message of thanks to people in the U.K. and around the world, saying he and his wife, Camilla, the queen consort, have been “moved beyond measure” by the large numbers of people who have turned out to pay their respects.
Jilly Fitzgerald, who was in Windsor, said there was a sense of community among the mourners as they prepared to wait hours to see procession carrying the queen’s coffin.
“It’s good to be with all the people who are all feeling the same. It’s like a big family because everyone feels that … the queen was part of their family,” she said.
___
Kullab reported from Windsor, England. Associated Press journalists Sylvia Hui and Jill Lawless in London and David Keyton in Windsor contributed.
___
Follow AP coverage of Queen Elizabeth II at https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii | 2022-09-19T17:15:17+00:00 | localsyr.com | https://www.localsyr.com/news/national/ap-britain-and-the-world-to-lay-queen-elizabeth-ii-to-rest/ |
NEW YORK, Nov. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention Eiger BioPharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Eiger") (NASDAQ: EIGR) shareholders:
The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors who purchased between March 10, 2021 and October 4, 2022.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in Eiger, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against Eiger includes allegations that the Company made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) defendants overstated Eiger's clinical and regulatory drug development expertise; (ii) defendants failed to properly assess, and/or ignored issues with, the design of the TOGETHER study and its ability to support the Emergency Use Authorization ("EUA") for the Company's product candidate, peginterferon lambda ; (iii) there were issues with the conduct of the TOGETHER study and/or the TOGETHER study was not properly designed for the peginterferon lambda EUA in the current context of the pandemic; (iv) as a result, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was unlikely to approve the submission of a peginterferon lambda EUA; (v) as a result of all the foregoing, peginterferon lambda's regulatory and commercial prospects for the treatment of COVID-19 were overstated; and (vi) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
Aggrieved Eiger investors only have until January 9, 2023 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. You are not required to act as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.
Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
Vincent Wong, Esq.
39 East Broadway
Suite 304
New York, NY 10002
Tel. 212.425.1140
E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com
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SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | 2022-11-14T12:09:07+00:00 | ksla.com | https://www.ksla.com/prnewswire/2022/11/14/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-eiger-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-january-9-2023/ |
You'll need reservations to visit these US national parks in 2023
The COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns resulted in millions of stir-crazy Americans getting out of their houses the first chance they got and actually spending quality time outdoors, including at national parks.
But the sudden influx of visitors at the nation's most historic natural sites caused a huge strain on the entire National Park infrastructure. The requirement of reservations soon became the new norm in order to handle the record-breaking traffic.
RELATED: Here's when you can visit U.S. national parks for free in 2023
Some parks have decided to drop their reservation requirements, but some have decided to the new system maybe should have been in place a long time ago.
YOSEMITE, CALIFORNIA - JULY 11: Late afternoon view of the Yosemite National Park and Merced River in Yosemite, Calif., on Monday, July 11, 2022. The sky begins to clear after dense smoke from the Washburn Fire covered the valley earlier Monday. (Pho
Of the 63 major National Parks in the U.S., nine are requiring some type of reservation on top of entrance fees in 2023.
1. Acadia National Park, Maine
2. Arches National Park, Utah
3. Glacier National Park, Montana
4. Haleakala National Park, Hawaii
5. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
6. Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
7. Yosemite National Park, California
8. Zion National Park, Utah
9. Muir Woods National Monument, California
Visits to national parks across the U.S. have been trending up in recent years. Utah’s Zion National Park set new visitor records in 2021 as tourism bounced back from the shutdowns imposed during the early days of the pandemic.
A record number of visitors flocked to Yellowstone National Park last year despite fewer hotel rooms and campsites being available because of the coronavirus pandemic and construction projects.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles. | 2022-12-22T13:47:03+00:00 | fox6now.com | https://www.fox6now.com/news/youll-need-reservations-to-visit-these-us-national-parks-in-2023 |
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found a pair of encephalomyelitis cases associated with monkeypox in previously healthy young men in Colorado and Washington, D.C.
According to the CDC, encephalomyelitis is a brief but widespread attack of inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. The symptoms developed 5-9 days after the onset of monkeypox, the CDC noted.
In most cases, monkeypox is painful but not life-threatening.
Typical symptoms of monkeypox include a rash, fever, malaise, headache, and muscle aches.
While general monkeypox symptoms cleared up in both cases within several weeks, both men suffered neurological problems well after.
The CDC said the patient in Colorado was in his 30s and developed progressive left upper and lower extremity weakness and numbness, urinary retention, and intermittent priapism, and was hospitalized. He was discharged to outpatient rehabilitation therapy and was ambulatory with an assistive walking device at a 1-month follow-up. The man was also referred to outpatient neurosurgery, the CDC said.
The other patient, also in his 30s, developed bowel and bladder incontinence and progressive flaccid weakness of both lower extremities and was hospitalized. He was speaking and following commands and had improvement in his lower extremity weakness after treatment.
On Monday, officials confirmed one of the first monkeypox-related deaths in the U.S. Health officials in California said the person was severely immunocompromised. | 2022-09-13T19:57:15+00:00 | krtv.com | https://www.krtv.com/news/national/monkeypox-causing-inflammation-of-the-brain-cdc-finds |
MOOSIC, Pa. (AP) — Former Yankee Shelley Duncan was hired Friday to manage New York’s top farm team, the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
Duncan won the International League MVP award with Scranton in 2009.
The 43-year-old Duncan was drafted by the Yankees in 2001 and hit .231 with 43 homers and 144 RBIs in the majors for New York (2007-09), Cleveland (2010-12) and Tampa Bay.
He replaced Doug Davis, Scranton’s manager for the past three seasons.
Duncan managed Arizona’s short-season Class A Hillsboro affiliate in 2015 and ‘17, High A Visalia in 2016 and Double-A Jackson in 2019. He became Toronto’s major league field coordinator in 2019 and spent the past two seasons as analytics coordinator with the Chicago White Sox.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2023-01-21T03:59:47+00:00 | seattletimes.com | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/shelley-duncan-to-manage-yanks-triple-a-scranton-farm-team/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A person was hit and killed by a car Sunday night near Indy’s west side, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
At 7:41 p.m. Sunday, police responded to reports of a pedestrian struck to the intersection of W. 16th Street and Sharon Ave.
When officers arrived they located a person who was in critical condition and later died from their injuries.
The driver of the vehicle who hit the pedestrian remained on scene and no arrests were made after the incident, according to police. | 2022-10-31T01:59:04+00:00 | wishtv.com | https://www.wishtv.com/news/local-news/person-hit-and-killed-by-car-near-indys-west-side/ |
‘I would’ve died’: Woman says UPS driver saved her life after she fell into a creek
UNION CENTER, Wis. (WMTV/Gray News) - A woman in Wisconsin says a delivery driver helped save her life after she fell into a creek and couldn’t stand up.
WMTV reports 76-year-old Mariann Rott was taking the trash out last week when she lost her balance and fell into her backyard creek.
Mariann Rott said she crawled out of the creek but ended up spending 45 minutes stuck in snow and ice with her legs going numb and clothes dripping wet.
The 76-year-old said she then heard a delivery truck coming to her house and started screaming for help. That’s when UPS driver Patrick Shore heard her when he was dropping off a package.
According to Shore, he ran to help the woman, but she couldn’t stand up. So, he carried her to the garage, wrapped her in blankets, and waited for first responders after her husband, Randy Rott, called 911.
“I could see the look in her eyes, she was in a desperate mode,” Shore said. “She needed some help and fortunately I was there to give that. Right time, right place.”
The woman’s husband was reportedly inside the home but couldn’t hear his wife’s calls for help.
“I was so thankful he [Shore] came when he did,” Mariann said. “I would’ve been dead. I would’ve died right then and there.”
Shore said he has worked for UPS for 40 years and has spent most of his career at the Lake Delton Center.
The delivery driver might not be used to carrying a human, but he said he is in charge of safety instruction during the crew’s morning meetings. He credited the training with being able to jump into action so quickly.
Shore said a UPS driver serves the community beyond package delivery and that he and Mariann Rott would stay in touch.
“She’s not just a customer, now she’s a friend,” Shore said.
According to Mariann Rott, she was hospitalized for hypothermia after the incident but was able to be released after her body temperature normalized.
Mariann Rott said her knees ended up being scratched in the incident and were in pain, but they are healing.
The Rott couple said they have since purchased a mobile help device that can alert emergency services if help is needed. One of their sons lives nearby and said he would take over garbage duty.
According to UPS, this wasn’t the first time Shore has saved someone’s life while on the job. He previously rescued a man whose car went over a bridge. Shore was able to spot the car because of his high position while in his delivery truck.
Copyright 2023 WMTV via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2023-02-02T03:50:00+00:00 | kwch.com | https://www.kwch.com/2023/02/02/i-wouldve-died-woman-says-ups-driver-saved-her-life-after-she-fell-into-creek/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose for the second straight week following six weeks of declines that had given prospective homebuyers a glimmer of hope.
Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the average on the benchmark 30-year rate inched up to 6.48% this week from 6.42% last week. A year ago the average rate was 3.22%, less than half of the current average rate.
The average long-term rate reached a two-decade high of 7.08% in late October and again in early November as the Federal Reserve continued to crank up its key lending rate in an effort to cool the economy and tame inflation.
At its final meeting of 2022, the Federal Reserve raised its rate 0.50 percentage points, its seventh increase last year. That pushed the central bank's key rate to a range of 4.25% to 4.5%, its highest level in 15 years. The Fed has signaled it may raise its rate another three-quarters of a point in 2023, which would be in a range of 5% to 5.25%.
Rates for 30-year mortgages usually track the moves in the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing loans. Investors’ expectations for future inflation, global demand for U.S. Treasurys and what the Federal Reserve does with interest rates can also influence the cost of borrowing for a home.
The big increase in mortgage rates has sunk the housing market, with sales of existing homes falling for 10 straight months to the lowest level in more than a decade.
While home prices have fallen as demand has declined, they are still nearly 11% higher than a year ago. Higher prices and a doubling of mortgage rates have made homebuying much less affordable for many people.
Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, said that the higher rates have pushed mortgage application activity to a quarter-century low, but offered some optimism for 2023.
“Homebuyers are waiting for rates to decrease more significantly, and when they do, a strong job market and a large demographic tailwind of Millennial renters will provide support to the purchase market,” Khater said.
The rate for a 15-year mortgage, popular with those refinancing their homes, also rose modestly this week, to 5.73% from 5.68% last week. It was 2.43% one year ago. | 2023-01-05T18:26:52+00:00 | springfieldnewssun.com | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/average-long-term-us-mortgage-rates-inch-up-to-648/4RCRH5UVGREUVFBBDVPMGBWJXA/ |
Operators can now benefit from Viasat's fastest available download speeds to enable streaming, video conferencing, and productivity apps
CARLSBAD, Calif., Dec. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Viasat Inc. (Nasdaq: VSAT), a global communications company, today announced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved the company's Ka-band In-flight Connectivity (IFC) solution for Gulfstream G450 aircraft, a large cabin jet often deployed on long-distance, international expeditions. With this supplemental type certificate (STC) awarded by the FAA, Viasat's Ka-band connectivity system is now available on more than twenty platforms, including super mid-cabin through large cabin, long range business aircraft.
With over 300 Gulfstream G450 aircrafts in the market, demand is considerable among operators for Viasat's Wi-Fi solution, which enables similar connectivity onboard as experienced on the ground, including the ability to video conference, stream, access corporate VPN and use other business-critical applications during all phases of flight.
This level of consistent, high-quality connectivity is made possible by Viasat's satellite network capacity, which is designed to accommodate current and future broadband demand from increasingly data-hungry applications. In fact, it is not uncommon across Viasat's Business Aviation Ka-band network for a single aircraft to use more than one GB per hour, with streaming and browsing primarily driving data usage.
Claudio D'Amico, Viasat's business area director, Business Aviation, said: "Viasat's high speed and high-quality Ka connectivity is at long last available to Gulfstream G450 aircraft operators. With over 90 percent of business aviation routes covered by our Ka network, our solution is a great fit for operators that want fast, reliable connectivity that matches the long-range profile of this aircraft."
Gulfstream G450 aircraft operators can secure Viasat's Ka-band IFC kit, which includes a custom radome, through Viasat's extensive MRO dealer network. Service plans are available directly from Viasat or through one of Viasat's Value Added Resellers and include global and regional unlimited plans for as low as $9,995 per month that feature uncapped data coupled with Viasat's popular "No Speed Limit" Ka-band IFC. Additionally, among other options, there are entry-level service plans newly available, including a $2,795 per month regional plan that delivers Ka-band connectivity at a significant value.
Today, Viasat's Global Aero Terminal 5510, the innovative hardware kit that enables high-speed, broadband in-flight connectivity, communicates with Viasat's Ka-band satellite network, and will be forward compatible with the Company's next generation ViaSat-3 constellation, a trio of satellites expected to be the highest-capacity broadband satellites ever launched.
For more information about Viasat's business aviation solutions, please visit: www.viasat.com/business-aviation or reach out to: business-aviation@viasat.com.
About Viasat
Viasat is a global communications company that believes everyone and everything in the world can be connected. For more than 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the world communicate. Today, the Company is developing the ultimate global communications network to power high-quality, secure, affordable, fast connections to impact people's lives anywhere they are—on the ground, in the air or at sea. To learn more about Viasat, visit: www.viasat.com, go to Viasat's Corporate Blog, or follow the Company on social media at: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements include statements about the availability and features of Viasat's Ka-band IFC on Gulfstream G450 aircraft; the expected capacity and features of the ViaSat-3 satellite system, and the forward-compatibility of Viasat's Global Aero Terminal 5510 with the ViaSat-3 satellite system. Readers are cautioned that actual results could differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include: risks associated with the construction, launch and operation of satellites, including the effect of any anomaly, operational failure or degradation in satellite performance; contractual problems, product defects, manufacturing issues or delays, regulatory issues, changes in relationships with, or the financial condition of, key suppliers, and technologies that do not perform according to expectations; and other factors affecting the aviation sector generally. In addition, please refer to the risk factors contained in Viasat's SEC filings available at www.sec.gov, including Viasat's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. Viasat undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason.
Copyright © 2022 Viasat, Inc. All rights reserved. Viasat, the Viasat logo and the Viasat signal are registered trademarks of Viasat, Inc. All other product or company names mentioned are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Editor's note: "No speed limit" means that there is no cap set on the speed delivered to a terminal. Speeds may still be limited by terminal equipment capabilities, network and environmental conditions, and other factors.
View original content:
SOURCE Viasat, Inc. | 2022-12-19T14:22:11+00:00 | uppermichiganssource.com | https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/prnewswire/2022/12/19/viasats-ka-band-in-flight-connectivity-system-achieves-stc-gulfstream-g450-aircraft/ |
A former GOP candidate for the New Mexico legislature was arrested Monday, accused of conspiring with and paying four men to shoot at the homes of four elected officials, appearing to target Democrats.
Albuquerque police arrested Solomon Pena in connections with the shootings at the homes of two Bernalillo County commissioners and two state legislators. Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said that Pena was the “mastermind” who orchestrated all of the shootings.
Officials announced earlier this month that they opened an investigation into the four shootings, which took place between Dec. 4 and Jan. 4.
Police said that these shootings were “politically motivated” and that Pena was an “election denier.”
Pena, who was the Republican candidate for New Mexico’s District 14 in November, lost to incumbent Democrat Miguel P. Garcia, only garnering 26 percent of the vote.
Pena had tweeted that he “never conceded” his race, and that he was “researching” his options. Police said in the press briefing that the loss may have contributed to his motivation for the shootings.
An Albuquerque Police spokesperson said that Pena had visited the homes of three county commissioners and one state senator, some of which were targeted in the shootings, to make his case that his election was stolen because of election fraud.
“One actually led to quite an argument, I believe,” the spokesperson said in the briefing. “So I think that plays into some of this, but it was shortly after when the shootings occurred, so that kind of suggests why they were targeted.”
Police said that Pena was in a car with another suspect right after the latest shooting took place. Police also say they found a gun in the car with ballistics indicating it was related to the attack.
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller thanked law enforcement for their work on the investigation and condemned political extremism.
“This radicalism is a threat to our city, our state, and our nation,” Keller said in a statement. “We will continue to push back against hate in all forms and stop political violence.”
The police said that the investigation is “ongoing” as they continue the search for the other suspects, but that there is no threat to the public at the time. | 2023-01-17T05:14:51+00:00 | wate.com | https://www.wate.com/hill-politics/former-gop-new-mexico-candidate-for-state-house-arrested-in-shootings-targeting-elected-officials/ |
Updated April 15, 2023 at 7:22 AM ET
When the hatchet-wielding intruder's weapon tumbled from his hand onto the school floor, a 15-year-old student decided to take a chance. She confronted him, hoping others could escape out a nearby open door, and used her knowledge of jiu-jitsu — learned in free classes at a neighborhood park — to keep him from taking her down.
When he realized the others were fleeing, he stooped to pick up the hatchet and ran after them, as a second intruder armed with a gun made his way through the school. Ten lives were taken that day: five students, two school employees, an uncle of one of the attackers who owned a business nearby and the attackers themselves, who took their own lives.
This scene is not from the U.S., where this year alone 74 people have been killed or injured by guns in American schools. It's from Brazil, where on March 13, 2019, two former students attacked Raul Brasil State School in Suzano, a town in the state of São Paulo, in one of the deadliest school attacks in the country's history.
The Latin American nation had previously seen a relatively low number of attacks on schools — nowhere near as many as in the U.S. But a sharp increase in the past year has prompted national debate. In the eight months since August, there have been nine attacks. In the 20 years before that there were 13.
These 22 attacks on 23 schools (in one case the same perpetrator attacked two schools on the same day) have certain commonalities. All were carried out by students or former students. The attackers were white, male and ranged in age from 10 to 25. Nine of these attacks happened in the last eight months, including one on March 27 at a São Paulo elementary school where a 13-year-old student killed a teacher with a knife. An additional attack this week, by an axe-wielding man on a daycare center, was an outlier in that he appeared to have no connection to the school where he killed four children.
The nation is currently trying to determine why there's been an increase in school violence — and what can be done to prevent future tragedies. But for some, it's not enough. Rhyllary Barbosa de Sousa, the 15-year-old jiu-jitsu trained survivor, gives voice to what many Americans say:
"People are sad, they're shocked, they want to remember the victims, the people who died," she says. "But then the moment passes and they forget. They look away. They don't think about the possibility that this could happen again. Because when it happens once, it's shocking. When it happens a second time, it's still a shock. Once it happens a third, a fourth time, it already becomes normal. People say, 'Ah I knew it was going to happen again.' But it's not OK. It's a massacre. We're talking about lives. People are dying for nothing. They're being killed in a place that's supposed to be safe. But it isn't."
The new president cracks down on gun access
As one of his first acts as president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a decree that repealed provisions in Brazil's firearms legislation that made access to guns and ammunition easier. The decree immediately suspended new gun registrations for personal use as well as for hunting and collecting, lowered the number of firearms and ammunition that could be purchased by those who still have permission and suspended the registration of new firing ranges, among other things.
Following the attack on the daycare center, the president announced a 150 million reais (almost $30 million) fund for states and cities to increase police patrols around schools. The federal government has also convened an emergency committee to discuss other possible measures to help prevent more attacks on schools, like social supports for students and families.
Following the March 27 attack in São Paulo, governor Tarcísio de Freitas made the same promise as his predecessor after the attack in Suzano four years ago: Police officers would not only patrol school neighborhoods but also the school buildings themselves. It was an idea put forward without any proof that it would protect students and staff — and was quickly criticized by experts and the public before being rejected.
A key question: Why is this happening more and more?
For experts in school violence, what's more important is not trying to confront intruders once they've already invaded schools but to understand why this is happening so attacks can be prevented.
Telma Vinha, an expert in educational psychology at the State University of Campinas, has started looking more closely at school attacks in Brazil, mapping when and where they occur, and following the online activity of attackers.
She looked specifically at attacks carried out by students or former students and identified several possible causes for this disturbing trend.
One of them is easier access to extremist communities online. Groups that focus on a love of firearms and incentivize violence, misogyny, racism, prejudice and vengeance used to be hidden on forums and channels in the deep web and were usually found by those specifically searching for them. But now such content is easily accessed on the internet everybody uses, including sites and messaging platforms like Telegram and Discord, often used by gamers.
"These communities seem welcoming, they listen, they make you feel like you belong," says Vinha. "These boys put a lot of value in that, so even if they act alone, they believe they're part of a movement [that calls for violence and attacks on schools], they feel like they're part of something bigger."
She has also identified additional factors that are possibly influencing the number of school attacks in the country – including the impact of the pandemic. In the wake of the school closures and increased isolation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a study conducted in 2022 showed 70% of teachers said violence in the classroom increased when schools reopened. Vinha also points to a rise in support for the right to bear arms and, during the administration of former-President Jair Bolsonaro, the waiving of several restrictions that led to easier access to firearms in the country (the number of firearms licenses issued increased 473% in the last four years).
Other factors she cites as likely contributing to the rise in school violence: ideological attacks on the education system, the economic crisis and a lack of social and psychological support — like help with access to therapy, jobs, affordable food and housing, and sports and cultural programs — for students and their families.
There is also agreement that a copycat mentality is part of the problem. Attackers are often inspired by previous school massacres, including the April 1999 shooting at Colorado's Columbine High School, where two students killed 12 classmates and a teacher before dying by suicide. They idolize those who committed similar acts before them and make it clear in posts online, says Vinha, who monitored activity on social media and in online groups for her research. In those online groups they are encouraged to kill as many people as possible and to surpass the number of dead in previous attacks. They wear the same clothes as attackers before them, often with symbols that represent American white supremacy groups.
The 13-year-old student who carried out the March attack in São Paulo referenced the attack in Suzano on social media before taking a knife to school and killing a teacher. Once he attacked her, he tried to go after others but was restrained by teachers. The only reason he wasn't able to kill more people, experts say, is because he didn't have a gun.
On April 12, Justice Minister Flavio Dino announced Brazil would fine or suspend social media companies that do not properly regulate content related to attacks on schools. The country's Supreme Court is also currently reviewing the scope and validity of a 2014 law that says internet companies are not responsible for what users post unless the companies fail to comply with a removal order.
Firearms were used in 12 of the 22 attacks in Brazil, including the two most deadly the country has ever seen — in Suzano, where Sousa survived, and in the Rio de Janeiro neighborhood of Realengo, where, in April 2011, a former student killed 12 students between the ages of 13 and 15 before dying by suicide.
"[Attackers see] guns as instruments of glory," says Carolina Ricardo, executive director at Instituto Sou da Paz, a nonprofit working toward more effective public policy related to security and the prevention of violence. "It's more lethal and it's a way to brag, to show power."
More security, says Vinha, including increased police presence is a solution that is often offered, but without any evidence that they would reduce attacks in schools. She and Ricardo both think that what could prevent more school attacks from happening in Brazil is better public policies with a focus on the well-being of young people. They suggest restricted access to guns, better basic social and mental health services for students and their families, and sports and cultural programs for students as a good place to start.
Vinha also says the negative view of schools — many right-wing Brazilians have in recent years voiced concern over subjects like politics and gender being discussed in schools, two topics they believe should be taught at home — and their role in students' lives also needs to shift. School is often the only place students regularly frequent outside their home, so it needs to be a place where they feel heard and where conflicts can be resolved, says Vinha, noting that methods to mitigate and deal with bullying and fighting should be taught to educators. She also suggests regular discussions among students about their problems, both in groups and one-on-one with reliable peers, could help.
"Instead of being a culture of supervision, it has to be a culture of care," she reiterates.
Sousa agrees. Jiu-jitsu saved her life more than once. She struggled after the attack and considered dying by suicide. She says it was the sport she loved and the people who practiced it with her that supported her and helped her see there was still reason to live.
Unfulfilled promises
Authorities made a lot of promises in the aftermath of the attack on Raul Brasil but didn't follow through. The state said it would introduce 57 psychologists and 28 social workers directly into the public school system, but that never happened. It also created Conviva SP, a program meant to give the 3.5 million students who attend public schools run by the state access to psychologists for therapy.
As of February, the program was staffed with just 300 psychologists. São Paulo's current government has since suspended the program until it can hire enough professionals to see all those in need. It has also promised to hire another 5,000 mediators to help prevent violence in schools. Currently there are 500.
The only time Sousa saw a psychologist was when she returned to Raul Brasil a week or two after the attack to collect the belongings she left behind. Several professionals were at the school to speak with survivors and one convinced her to talk.
"He asked me things like, 'Are you OK?' and 'How are you feeling'" she says. "I thought, 'I just lived through a massacre, why are you asking me if I'm OK?'"
Now, at 19, Sousa has good days and bad. It's been a slow recovery, she says, but she's made it through. She still does jiu-jitsu and is working toward her black belt — "I have my blue belt now, so I should be able to get it by the time I'm 24," she says.
Her next goal is to start studying psychology this year. After that, she plans to get a law degree and to eventually become a police officer.
"I want to work with these types of people, with these types of teenagers," she says, referring to those who end up attacking schools. "I want to understand them better so that massacres like the one here in Suzano don't happen again. I'm tired of waiting for others to do something. I want to be part of the solution. I want to overcome it."
Jill Langlois is an independent journalist based in São Paulo, Brazil. She has been freelancing from the largest city in the western hemisphere since 2010, writing and reporting for publications like National Geographic, The New York Times, The Guardian and Time. Her work focuses on human rights, the environment and the impact of socioeconomic issues on people's lives.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-04-16T05:40:44+00:00 | upr.org | https://www.upr.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-04-11/attacks-on-brazils-schools-often-by-former-students-spur-a-search-for-solutions |
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York on Thursday became the latest state to ban the sale of cats, dogs and rabbits in pet stores in an attempt to target commercial breeding operations decried by critics as “puppy mills.”
The new law, which was signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul and takes effect in 2024, lets pet shops work instead with shelters to offer rescued or abandoned animals up for adoption. It will also ban breeders from selling more than nine animals a year.
“This is a very big deal. New York tends to be a big purchaser and profiteer of these mills, and we are trying to cut off the demand at a retail level,” said Sen. Michael Gianaris, a Democrat.
He added that the puppy mill industry treats animals “like commodities” and said “there is no pet store not affected.”
Pet shops have argued that the law will do nothing to shut down out-of-state breeders or increase their standards of care and said it would result in the closures of the dozens of pet stores remaining in New York.
California enacted a similar law in 2017, becoming the first state to ban such sales. While that law requires pet stores to work with animal shelters or rescue operations, like New York is doing now, it does not regulate sales by private breeders.
A handful of states followed. In 2020, Maryland banned the sale of cats and dogs in pet stores, triggering pushback from shop owners and breeders who challenged the measure in court. A year later Illinois barred pet shops from selling commercially raised puppies and kittens.
In New York, pet advocacy groups have long called for a full shutdown of facilities that raise and sell animals for profit, saying animals are raised in inhumane conditions before they are shipped off to stores.
Emilio Ortiz, a manager at Citipups pet shop in New York City, said the new law could serve as a death sentence for the business he’s worked at for more than a decade.
“Ninety percent of our business is selling dogs. We’re not going to survive this,” said Ortiz, who considers the ban unfair to stores that work with responsible breeders. “They’re closing the good actors along with the bad actors.”
Jessica Selmer, president of People United to Protect Pet Integrity, a New York coalition of pet store owners, called the law “careless” and “counterproductive” and said she hopes the governor will “consider legislative remedies to some of the pitfalls of the bill.”
The new law will not affect at-home breeders who sell animals born and raised on their property.
Lisa Haney, who breeds dogs at her Buffalo home alongside her husband, said she supports the law.
“One pet store near me, they get dogs from all over the Midwest and different large facilities, and you have no idea where they come from and who the breeder is. People are really clueless and take the puppy,” Haney said.
Her business, Cavapoo Kennels, partly focuses on breeding hypoallergenic dogs for people who have allergies, and her business model operates on a need basis. The waitlist runs from six to 12 months, ensuring each dog ends up in a home.
Gianaris said the law will allow buyers to be more conscious of where their pets come from.
“If a consumer went to a mill and saw the awful conditions, they wouldn’t buy these animals,” he said. “Dealing with a breeder allows people to see where their dog comes from, and it cuts off the middlemen that serve as a way to wash off the awful activities that take place at the mill.”
___
Maysoon Khan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Maysoon Khan on Twitter at: twitter.com/MaysoonKhan. | 2022-12-15T23:03:55+00:00 | siouxlandproud.com | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/national/ap-new-york-bans-pet-stores-from-selling-cats-dogs-rabbits/ |
Ferrari is set to make its return to top-level endurance racing after half a century with the new 499P LMH race car, and on Tuesday the automaker named the six-man squad that will handle driving duties.
Ferrari will enter two 499Ps in the premier Hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship starting in the upcoming 2023 season. The move also means a return to top-level racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the company, as the French classic is the highlight of the World Endurance Championship calendar.
Drivers Alessandro Pier Guidi, Antonio Giovinazzi, and James Calado will pilot the 499P bearing racing no. 51, while drivers Antonio Fuoco, Nicklas Nielsen, and Miguel Molina will pilot the no. 50 car.
Guidi and Calado are both multiple World Endurance Championship title holders in the GTE Pro class, the top class for production-based cars, while Giovinazzi was a driver at the Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team from 2019-2021. In his new role at Ferrari, he will also serve as a reserve driver for the automaker’s F1 team.
The 499P they will pilot made its world debut last October. The car features a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 derived from the one in the 296 GTB road car, which in this application is paired with an electric motor driving the front axle. The V-6 engine drives the rear axle, thus giving the 499P all-wheel drive. The “499” in the name is a reference to the size of each cylinder, as measured in cubic centimeters, while the “P” signifies the car as the latest in the line of Ferrari sports prototype racers.
In line with LMH regulations, the two power units of the 499P can deliver a maximum of 670 hp at any one time. The regulations also mandate a minimum weight of 2,270 pounds for the car.
The 499P is also eligible for the new GTP class launching this year as the new premier class of the IMSA SportsCar Championship, though Ferrari hasn’t said whether it plans to enter the series. There’s still the possibility the 499P could appear at select SportsCar Championship rounds, however.
Ferrari isn’t running its World Endurance Championship campaign alone. The automaker’s Competizioni GT sports car racing division has partnered with AF Corse for the campaign, forming the new team Ferrari – AF Corse. AF Corse is an independent Italian racing team founded by former racing driver Amato Ferrari (no relation to Enzo Ferrari or his son, Piero) in 1995. It’s worked closely with Ferrari since 2006, and in recent years has represented Ferrari in GT competition, most notably in the GTE class of the World Endurance Championship.
Following a Prologue event at Florida’s Sebring International Raceway on March 11-12, the first round of the 2023 World Endurance Championship will kick off on March 17 with the 1000 Miles of Sebring.
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- Acura ARX-05 DPi race car fails to sell despite $563,000 bid | 2023-01-11T17:57:56+00:00 | pix11.com | https://pix11.com/automotive/internet-brands/ferrari-names-6-drivers-for-499p-campaign-including-ex-f1-driver/ |
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ORANGEBURG -- Willie Milton Miller, 79, of 1763 Till Road, Orangeburg, entered into eternal rest on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023, at the Roper Hospice Cottage, Mt. Pleasant.
She was the wife of Deacon Hercules Miller.
Service arrangements will be announced by Stephens Funeral Homes, Walterboro, 843-549-5933, www.stephensfuneralhome.com.
Family and friends may visit the home, but due to the pandemic, the family is requesting limited visitation, and facial masks are required. | 2023-02-13T06:40:13+00:00 | thetandd.com | https://thetandd.com/news/local/obituaries/willie-milton-miller----orangeburg/article_ca0cecb3-241f-5ca0-9ebc-3bef5492705d.html |
PROVO, Utah (AP) — PROVO, Utah (AP) — Nu Skin Enterprises Inc. (NUS) on Wednesday reported fourth-quarter net income of $57.2 million, after reporting a loss in the same period a year earlier.
The Provo, Utah-based company said it had profit of $1.15 per share. Earnings, adjusted for pretax gains, came to 89 cents per share.
The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 53 cents per share.
The seller of skin care and nutritional products through a direct-selling model posted revenue of $522.3 million in the period.
For the year, the company reported profit of $104.8 million, or $2.07 per share. Revenue was reported as $2.23 billion.
For the current quarter ending in March, Nu Skin expects its per-share earnings to range from 25 cents to 35 cents.
The company said it expects revenue in the range of $450 million to $490 million for the fiscal first quarter.
Nu Skin expects full-year earnings in the range of $2.35 to $2.75 per share, with revenue ranging from $2.03 billion to $2.18 billion.
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This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on NUS at https://www.zacks.com/ap/NUS | 2023-02-15T23:29:23+00:00 | sfgate.com | https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/nu-skin-q4-earnings-snapshot-17786990.php |
BOSTON (AP) — Longtime Boston civil rights activist Mel King, whose 1983 campaign for mayor helped the city begin to repair some of the racial divisions sparked during the school busing crisis, has died. He was 94.
King served in the state Legislature for nearly a decade before becoming the first Black man to reach a Boston general mayoral contest, facing off against a fellow state representative, Ray Flynn.
Gov. Maura Healey ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at all state buildings Wednesday, acknowledging the death of King, whom she described as a “dedicated public servant and civil rights champion.”
The election was a test for the city, which had undergone years of strife following the court-ordered desegregation of the public schools in the mid-1970s. Flynn, who represented the predominantly white, Irish neighborhood of South Boston, was an opponent of busing.
But instead of reigniting the discord, the race had the opposite effect, being seen as respectful, even friendly at times.
King brought in support from a range of racial groups, dubbing his movement the “Rainbow Coalition” — a name adopted by the Rev. Jesse Jackson during his presidential campaigns.
“What I believe people want more than anything else is a sense of a vision that’s inclusive and respectful and appreciative of who they are. What the Rainbow Coalition did was to put that right up front because everybody could be a member,” King said in a 1993 interview with The Boston Globe.
Mayor Michelle Wu, the first woman and first person of color elected to lead Boston, offered condolences to the family of King, saying “his transformative ideas have shaped generations of organizers and leaders.”
Flynn said he first met King, who grew up in the city’s racially mixed South End, when the two played basketball as teenagers.
He said he felt an affinity for King, noting their shared working class roots and collaborative work as state lawmakers.
“Mel King would be fighting for affordable housing for the people of the South End and Roxbury, and I would be doing the same for the people of South Boston,” Flynn said. “We were just two kids from the neighborhood who fought hard for our constituents.”
King would go on to lose to Flynn by 30 points. But the race came to be seen as a turning point in a city once described as a collection of ethnic enclaves.
Those divisions boiled over during the busing crisis, with South Boston High School becoming the center of racial strife as Black students were bused to the school under a court-ordered desegregation plan.
During the height of the crisis, crowds sometimes threw stones at buses carrying Black students, and police were stationed on rooftops near the school.
“The city was polarized. It was divided,” Flynn said. “Busing really brought out the worst in the city of Boston. The election brought out the best. People all felt they were part of new opportunities.” | 2023-03-29T22:10:01+00:00 | everythinglubbock.com | https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/national/mel-king-who-helped-ease-bostons-racial-strife-dies-at-94/ |
BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s justice minister on Tuesday launched plans to relax the country’s strict restrictions on family names — for example, allowing couples to take double-barreled surnames and pass them on to their children.
The current system “is about as up-to-date as a coal stove and as flexible as concrete,” Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said in a statement as he published the draft legislation.
As it stands, one partner in a married couple — but not both — can add the other partner’s name to his or her surname, but their children can’t carry both surnames.
The reform will allow both partners to take on a double surname, with or without a hyphen, and for their children to take that name too. Even if the parents both keep their original names, they will be able to give their children a double-barreled surname, regardless of whether they are married. The new system still won’t allow names that are more than double-barreled.
Buschmann also foresees making it easier for stepchildren or children of divorced parents to change their family names. And he wants to allow the use of gender-adjusted forms of surnames for people with names from languages in which that is common — a change that would, for example, benefit the Sorbs, an indigenous Slavic minority in parts of eastern Germany.
The legislation, which is supposed to take effect at the beginning of 2025, still requires the approval of the Cabinet and Parliament.
It is one of several social reform projects that Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s socially liberal three-party governing coalition agreed to embark on when it took office in December 2021. | 2023-04-12T04:31:18+00:00 | siouxlandproud.com | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/ap-top-headlines/germany-launches-plan-to-relax-rigid-family-name-system/ |
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Boot weather has arrived! Whether you’re hiking on the trails to catch the last colors of the fall season or getting prepped for the winter, boots are a versatile addition to your shoe collection. If you’re in the market for a pair for yourself (or someone else), now is a great time to pick up these Dr. Martens boots, which are on sale on Amazon for a limited time!
In case you haven’t heard of Dr. Martens boots: They are one of the most popular brands of footwear out there. “Docs” are known for their durability, comfort and timeless-yet-fashion-forward look, and fans have found creative ways to pair them with just about anything over the decades. While they can be a little pricey, the quality and classic styling of Dr. Martens boots makes them a wise investment.
The Dr. Martens Women’s Leona Fashion Boots are on sale for $146.24, nearly 25% off the normal retail price of $190. These Black Vintage Smooth boots are made with a retro design of smooth leather for a sleek, fashionable look with durable construction.
These boots have the “rebelliously comfortable” Dr. Martens Airwair air-cushioned sole. The design, which originated back in 1959, provides long-lasting comfort for people on their feet all day, whether it’s for work or for recreation.
As durable as these boots are, the Dr. Martens Women’s Leona style allows the wearer to step out in style with a 1.5-inch sole platform and a 2-inch heel height. The antiqued brass eyelets add some classic flair, as well.
With more than 5,200 Amazon customer reviews and a 4.7 out of 5-star rating, the Dr. Martens Women’s Leona Boots get rave reviews for their comfort, quality, and look.
“Love these boots!! I have been looking for a pair of black lace-up leather boots for several seasons now and I just happened to find these on Amazon,” buyer Tiffany Whitten wrote in her product review, adding that she loved the style the heel adds.
“Would recommend all day long!!” her review concluded.
If you’re looking for flat-soled Dr. Martens boots, then you might want to take a look at the Dr. Martens Women’s 1460w Originals.
Marked down by Amazon to $153.08 from the list price of $170, these eight-eye combat-style boots are 100% leather. With a mid-calf height, these Dr. Martens boots have a look that’s more traditional for the brand.
More than 4,100 Amazon customers have reviewed these Dr. Martens boots, and 87% of them gave the product a 5-star rating.
“These shoes are amazing. They are extremely durable,” wrote Amazon customer George in a 5-star review. “I am a bartender so I need something to stand in for long periods of time. They withstand all the bar spillage and working on my feet for 12+ hrs. Highly recommend.”
If you like zippers on your Dr. Martens boots, then take a look at the Women’s 2976 Chelsea Boot with Zips on Amazon.
This pair of 100% leather Dr. Martens boots are classic Chelsea-style boots with a zipper on the side for easy on/off. The slip-resistant sole helps with confident walking on all kinds of surfaces.
These $150 waterproof boots have a 4.6 out of 5-star overall rating from almost 1,000 customers.
Which pair of Dr. Martens boots do you think fit your needs and wardrobe best?
This story originally appeared on Don't Waste Your Money. Checkout Don't Waste Your Money for product reviews and other great ideas to save and make money. | 2022-10-27T21:51:04+00:00 | fox17online.com | https://www.fox17online.com/dr-martens-boots-sale-amazon-right-now |
ATLANTA, Oct. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Trustees (the "Board") of each of Invesco High Income Trust II and Invesco Senior Income Trust (each, a "Fund" and collectively, the "Funds") today declared the following dividends:
The Board of Trustees (the "Board") of Invesco Senior Income Trust (NYSE: VVR) (the "Fund") approved an increase in the monthly distribution amount payable to common shareholders pursuant to the Fund's Managed Distribution Plan (the "Plan"). Effective October 1, 2022, the Fund will pay its monthly dividend to common shareholders at a stated fixed monthly distribution amount of $0.032 per share, an increase from a stated fixed monthly distribution amount of $0.026 per share.
Effective August 1, 2018, the Board of Invesco High Income Trust II (NYSE: VLT) approved a Managed Distribution Plan (the "VLT Plan") for the Fund, whereby the Fund increased its monthly dividend to common shareholders to a stated fixed monthly distribution amount based on a distribution rate of 8.5 percent of the closing market price per share as of August 1, 2018, the date the VLT Plan became effective. The VVR Plan and the VLT Plan are collectively referred to herein as the "Plans."
The Plans are intended to provide shareholders with a consistent, but not guaranteed, periodic cash payment from each Fund, regardless of when or whether income is earned, or capital gains are realized. The Plans may have the effect of narrowing the discount between each Fund's market price and the net asset value ("NAV") of each Fund's common shares, but there is no assurance that the Plans will be effective in this regard.
If a Fund's investment income is not sufficient to cover the Fund's intended monthly distribution, the Fund will distribute long-term capital gains and/or return of capital in order to maintain its managed distribution level under its Plan. A Fund may at times distribute more than its income and net realized gains; therefore, a portion of the distribution may result in a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the money that shareholders invested in a Fund is paid back to them. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect a Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income." No conclusions should be drawn about a Fund's investment performance from the amount of the Fund's distributions or from the terms of its Plan.
In order to comply with the requirements of Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and an exemptive order granted to the Funds by the Securities and Exchange Commission, each Fund will provide its shareholders of record on each distribution date with a 19(a) Notice and issue an accompanying press release disclosing the sources of its dividend payment when a distribution includes anything other than net investment income.
The amounts and sources of distributions reported in 19(a) Notices are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon each Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its full fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. Each Fund will send shareholders a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell them how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. Information on the Funds' 19(a) Notices can be found at www.invesco.com.
The final determination of the source and tax characteristics of all distributions in 2022 will be made after the end of the year.
The Plans will be subject to periodic review by each Fund's Board, and a Fund's Board may terminate or amend the terms of its Plan at any time without prior notice to the Fund's shareholders. The amendment or termination of a Fund's Plan could have an adverse effect on the market price of such Fund's common shares.
The amount of dividends paid by the Funds may vary from time to time. Past amounts of dividends are no guarantee of future dividend payment amounts.
Investing involves risk and it is possible to lose money on any investment in the Trust.
For additional information, shareholders of the closed end fund may call Invesco at 800-983-0903.
About Invesco Ltd.
Invesco Ltd. 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 $1.4 trillion in assets on behalf of clients worldwide as of June 30, 2022. For more information, visit www.invesco.com.
Invesco Distributors, Inc. is the US distributor for Invesco Ltd. It is an indirect, wholly owned, subsidiary of Invesco Ltd.
Note: There is no assurance that a closed-end fund will achieve its investment objective. Shares are bought on the secondary market and may trade at a discount or premium to NAV. Regular brokerage commissions apply.
NOT A DEPOSIT l NOT FDIC INSURED l NOT GUARANTEED BY THE BANK l MAY LOSE VALUE l NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY
—Invesco—
CONTACT: Jeaneen Terrio 212-278-9205 Jeaneen.Terrio@invesco.com
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SOURCE Invesco Ltd. | 2022-10-03T16:59:56+00:00 | wsfa.com | https://www.wsfa.com/prnewswire/2022/10/03/invesco-high-income-trust-ii-invesco-senior-income-trust-declare-dividends/ |
ASWAN – Sudan’s warring sides were beginning talks Saturday that aim to firm up a shaky cease-fire after three weeks of fierce fighting that has killed hundreds and pushed the African country to the brink of collapse, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia said.
The negotiations, the first between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since the fighting broke out on April 15, were taking place in Saudi Arabia’s coastal city of Jeddah, according to a joint Saudi-American statement.
The talks are part of a diplomatic initiative proposed by Saudi Arabia and the U.S. that aims to stop the fighting, which has turned Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, and other urban areas into battlefields and pushed hundreds of thousands from their homes.
In their joint statement, Saudi Arabia and the U.S. urged both parties to “actively engage in the talks towards a cease fire and end to the conflict, which will spare the Sudanese people’s suffering.”
The statement did not offer a timeframe for the talks, which come after concerted efforts by Riyadh and other international powers to pressure the warring sides in Sudan to the negotiating table.
Officials from the military and the RSF said the talks would address the opening of humanitarian corridors in Khartoum and the adjacent city of Omdurman, which have been the centers of the battles.
They would also discuss providing protection to civilian infrastructure, including health facilities that have been overwhelmed and suffer from dire shortages in both staff and medical supplies, one military official said.
The RSF official they would also discuss a mechanism to monitor the cease-fire, which is one of a series of truces that failed to stop the fighting.
The pro-democracy movement said the Jeddah talks would be “a first step” to stop the country’s collapse and called on leaders of the military and the RSF to make a “bold decision” to end the conflict.
The movement, which is a coalition of political parties and civil society groups, had negotiated with the military for months to restore the country’s democratic transition after a 2021 military coup led by army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, who also chairs the ruling sovereign council, and his deputy in the council Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.
At least 550 people were killed including civilians and more than 4,900 others were wounded as of Monday, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry. The Sudanese Doctors’ Syndicate, which tracks only civilian casualties, said Friday that 473 civilians have been killed in the violence and more than 2,450 have been wounded.
The fighting capped months of tensions between Burhan and Dagalo. It plunged the country into further chaos and forced foreign governments to evacuate their diplomats and thousands of foreign nationals out of Sudan. Hundreds of thousands of Sudanese were displaced inside Sudan or crossed into neighboring countries as the fighting dragged on in urban areas.
The U.N. refugee agency estimated that the number of Sudanese fleeing to neighboring countries would reach 860,000, and that aid agencies would need $445 million to assist them. | 2023-05-06T09:07:29+00:00 | clickorlando.com | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/world/2023/05/06/sudan-envoys-begin-talks-amid-pressure-to-end-conflict/ |
I’m not a Facebook kind of person but every now and then it comes knocking at my inbox notifying me of someone’s birthday from way back when. I must confess there are times I’ve never heard of the person, or my memory decided to take a breather. Yet yesterday morning I couldn’t help but smile when the reminder email announced the birthday of a dear friend from close to 55 years ago. It invited memories — dawn brightening a mind’s forgotten landscape. I thought back to my very first friend when I was three years old. We shared bubble gum and bus rides. I had my first sleepover at Carrie’s house but got homesick and had to return home to my house next door. We rode bikes around the “circle” all by ourselves. And her mom, who of course I called Mrs. Callaci, made an unforgettable spaghetti sauce, which was called gravy, that I can still smell. This is all to say, friendships play a major role in our development.
The healing power of friendship is universal and core to our happiness, mental health and longevity. An Australian study revealed that those with friends outlived those without by 22%. Studies have shown that friendships actually are a form of immunity against diseases such as Alzheimer’s and stroke and that friendships and social ties lead to a 50% greater chance of survival. It is a primal need to feel a connection and belonging to a “tribe.” Simply put, warm connections with others make us feel better. We need one other. Unfortunately, according to a Gallup poll, 300 million people globally are without one friend, thus suffering a deep sense of loneliness and disconnection. That isolation has only been exacerbated by COVID-19. Although the world is healing, three years of screen and phone connection was deeply wearing on our hearts and souls no matter where you lie on the introversion/extroversion continuum. And all of us know loneliness, even if we have friendships, we can be reminded that we are not alone with our loneliness.
Yet building rewarding friendships can often be difficult. Our early social relationships beginning with our family of origin and extending out into the world starting in early childhood have a pivotal influence on our future relationships. The ease, the challenges, the beauty, and traumas are often carried with us for years as models for building our friendships and ongoing social network. What we experienced formed familiar patterns, setting the stage for both satisfying and healthy relationships as well as those filled with unmet needs. We have a way, often unconsciously, of recreating familiar friendships, which may serve us well, other times not in our best interest. Yet we have the opportunity for healing and a “do-over.” Repetition forces us to greet feelings in the present similar to what we might have felt as children. Simultaneously we grieve past and present wounds in the safety of our more mature wiser, compassionate self to soothe. That inner friend was likely not as developed early on often resorting to feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness. Yet this time we have a dear, compassionate friend in the self to help us heal and let go of the pain. It is that process that allows us to repair and recreate satisfying relationships versus repeating ones that don’t serve us. Our friends match how we feel about ourselves. The more compassion we exhibit toward ourselves, the more love we will share through giving and receiving. The external finds harmony with our internal experience.
Friendships come in every color, shape, and size and are not one size fits all. A close friend is golden, but the spirit of friendliness can be developed in so many of our day-to-day interactions. There is no division when it comes to the need for friendship. In all walks of life, we have the opportunity to extend a hand so we may walk together. We need one another to find our way. As we age friends come and go sometimes by choice but sometimes due to illness and death. They teach us about the inevitability of loss. A friend can never be replaced, but space is made to meet others and new friendships are a delight.
Mr. Rogers tenderly sang, “You are my friend; you are special to me.” Such simplicity, yet pure wisdom about the importance of friendship. Increasing friendliness toward ourselves reminds us to ask that timeless question we learned as children. It is beautiful, wise, and couched in innocence, “Will you be my friend?”
Priscilla Dann-Courtney may be reached through her website: priscilladanncourtney.com. | 2023-03-10T16:48:24+00:00 | dailycamera.com | https://www.dailycamera.com/2023/03/10/opinion-priscilla-dann-courtney-the-healing-power-of-friendship-is-irreplaceable/ |
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A new petition is educating voters on the negative impacts of flavored tobacco bans as efforts to prohibit the sale of those items gain steam across the country. The petition highlights data recently released by Nicokick that details how consumers are using flavored products to transition from traditional tobacco products toward healthier options.
"Nicokick has seen firsthand the positive effects that flavored alternative tobacco and nicotine products have on long-term smokers who have struggled to quit or transition away from harmful traditional cigarettes. In fact, according to new data, the majority of our customers view our flavored nicotine pouches as a way to quit their tobacco usage altogether," said Markus Lindblad, Head of External Affairs at Nicokick's parent company, the Haypp Group. "Flavor bans remove a critical offramp for smokers looking to quit and create widespread public health risks as users are forced to return to using traditional cigarettes. Study after study has shown that flavor bans do not work and could contribute to an uptick in cigarette smoking."
"While concerns about youth use of e-cigarettes are legitimate, the federal government has already banned the sale of tobacco products to customers under 21. This unnecessary overreach will negatively impact adult users who are attempting to lead a healthier lifestyle and switch to less harmful smoke-free products like flavored nicotine pouches."
Nicokick is the world's leading e-commerce company in the smokeless industry, present in seven countries where we served more than 680,000 active consumers during 2021. As users move away from traditional tobacco products toward healthier smokeless options, Nicokick's sales have continued to surge over the past two years throughout the country. The site is quickly becoming a one-stop shop for consumers interested in learning more about and purchasing smokeless tobacco products. To learn more about Nicokick, visit the website at: https://nicokick.com/learn-more.
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SOURCE Nicokick | 2022-10-27T19:26:52+00:00 | wafb.com | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2022/10/27/nicokick-petition-informs-voters-negatives-tobacco-flavor-bans/ |
LONDON (AP) — Presented with a golden boot before kickoff, Harry Kane’s golden touch continued for England on Sunday as he struck a record-extending 55th goal for his country.
The Tottenham striker had already surpassed Wayne Rooney as the Three Lions’ outright leading scorer with his penalty in Thursday’s 2-1 win against Italy in Naples.
Back at Wembley, he got the chance to celebrate in front of his home fans with another goal in England’s 2-0 win against Ukraine in European Championship qualifying.
“It has been crazy over the last few days,” Kane said. “My dad and brother were in Naples so I shared that moment with them. I had my wife and kids here today and those are memories that will always stay with me.”
The England captain struck in the 37th minute, converting Bukayo Saka’s cross at the far post.
Saka deservedly got on the scoresheet himself three minutes later when turning on the edge of the area and curling a shot into the top corner.
With that double strike England effectively secured the victory and ensured a 100% start to qualifying for Euro 2024 in what has been an impressive response to the disappointment of being eliminated from last year’s World Cup at the quarterfinal stage.
“It shows the type of team we are. We were all disappointed after the World Cup but the sign of a good team is to come back,” Kane said. “We are at the bottom of the hill again, but we’ve put in two great performances and it shows the mentality of the team.”
Kane, whose penalty miss in the 2-1 loss to France proved so costly in Qatar, has also proven he is not suffering a hangover from one of the most painful moments of his career.
While he is still waiting to win his first trophy for club or country, the personal honors continue to come.
In February he overtook the late Jimmy Greaves as Tottenham’s all-time leading scorer. In international soccer, he equaled Rooney’s England total at the World Cup before setting a new record against Italy.
The English Football Association marked that achievement before kickoff against Ukraine when its chair, Debbie Hewitt, presented Kane with a commemorative golden boot. For the match, Kane also wore Nike boots with a gold swoosh on the side.
“He is somebody that I think it would be easy for us to get drawn into not challenging,” England coach Gareth Southgate said. “But we’ve got to challenge him as well. The individual accolades are well deserved and are amazing. But he wants to be part of a team that is successful.
“That’s the drive with England, for us to achieve that. He will be just as happy that we’ve got the six points and got ourselves in a good position in the group as getting the two goals this week as well.”
Kane’s hunger to further extend his record was immediately evident as he went in search of more goals.
There was an early penalty claim when he hit the ground in the box and then an unusual air shot when just a couple of meters out from goal.
He didn’t have to wait long, however, for his latest strike in England colors. Drifting to the far post, he was perfectly placed to turn in Saka’s cross for one of the easiest goals he is ever likely to score.
The same cannot be said of Saka’s effort. First the Arsenal forward showcased his control when spinning with the ball at his feet to leave Mykola Matviyenko trailing. Then he looked up before picking out the top corner of Anatoliy Trubin’s goal.
“It is a top-level finish,” Southgate said. “That is the ruthless part he has added to his game in the last 18 months or so. There were times you weren’t sure he was going to finish but now he has that confidence in front of goal.”
Ukraine was playing for the first time in six months and never looked like finding a way back into the game after conceding twice in quick succession. Yet it was cheered on throughout by an away contingent of around 4,200 fans.
The FA had invited more than 1,000 Ukrainian refugees to the match, as well as the families hosting them under the U.K. government’s Homes for Ukraine Scheme.
It is estimated that more than 150,000 Ukrainians have arrived in the U.K. since the war with Russia began last year.
Ahead of kickoff Ukraine’s fans sang along to a stirring rendition of the country’s national anthem, with one corner of Wembley awash with the blue and yellow colors of its flag.
Despite being heavily outnumbered inside a crowd of around 85,000, the away supporters made sure they were heard as they chanted and sang for their team.
“It was an atmosphere like no other international game I have ever experienced,” Ukraine coach Ruslan Rotan said.
It was Kane who got England’s fans out of their seats, as he continues to set new standards in front of goal.
JACK LESLIE HONORED
The family of Jack Leslie, the first Black player to receive an England call-up in 1925, was presented with a posthumous honorary cap ahead of the game.
The Plymouth inside left was deselected after facing adversity because of his skin color and never played for his country.
___
James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2023-03-27T17:29:44+00:00 | wnct.com | https://www.wnct.com/sports/kane-extends-england-goals-record-in-2-0-win-against-ukraine/ |
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Cade McNamara had a lackluster performance that was made moot by a dominant defense as No. 8 Michigan routed Colorado State 51-7 Saturday.
The Big Ten championship winning quarterback started the opener and is scheduled to sit at the beginning of the Hawaii game next week when J.J. McCarthy gets a shot to take the first snap.
McNamara started 1 of 5 and finished 9 of 18 for 136 yards, a total boosted by a short pass he threw that Roman Wilson turned into a 61-yard touchdown early in the first quarter. McCarthy made the most of his limited opportunity to play, running for a 20-yard score and going 4 of 4 for 30 yards through the air.
With McNamara under center, the Wolverines stalled at the Rams 13, 8 and 16 and settled for field goals in the first half that ended with them ahead 23-0.
Michigan's defense, which had seven sacks and an interception, contributed to the flurry of scores with a 45-yard touchdown off a fumble recovery early in the third.
The Rams avoided getting shutout midway through the fourth quarter when Clay Millen lofted a 34-yard pass that Tory Horton caught in the end zone to make it 44-7.
Millen, a redshirt freshman, was 16 of 20 for 137 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
THE TAKEAWAY
Colorado State: New coach Jay Norvell has a lot of work to do with the Rams after leaving Nevada. Norvell's No. 1 task may be to improve how his team protects Millen, who was often pressured when he wasn't sacked.
Michigan: Jim Harbaugh chose a unique way to manage his quarterbacks, giving both a chance to start over the first two weeks. McCarthy seems set up to keep the job if he flourishes against Hawaii.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
The Wolverines may stay where they are in the AP Top 25 after doing what was expected in a game they were favored to win by four-plus touchdowns.
UP NEXT
Colorado State: Hosts Middle Tennessee State of Conference USA on Saturday afternoon.
Michigan: Plays its second of four straight home games to start season Saturday night against Hawaii.
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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://apnews.com/cfbtop25. | 2022-09-03T21:02:48+00:00 | sfgate.com | https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/No-8-Michigan-routs-Colorado-State-51-7-as-17417699.php |
RIO DE JANEIRO – Brazil’s Congress has stripped powers away from the country's new Ministry of Indigenous Peoples and Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, both led by women environmentalists. It's a rejection of the priorities of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who took office in January,
The move shows the increasing power of Brazil’s so-called “beef caucus,” shorthand for cattle businesses and other large-scale agriculture that together control the majority of both legislative chambers in the country.
Objecting to what he called "constraints on agribusiness that could harm exports,” Senator Carlos Viana said during the voting session on Thursday that “The main points (of the caucus) have been addressed.”
The changes prevent the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, led by Sonia Guajajara, from legalizing the boundaries of any new Indigenous territories and keep the Ministry of Environment, run by Marina Silva, from managing a national property registry that's a key tool for monitoring illegal deforestation. These and other authorities will be transferred to other federal government branches.
The beef caucus opposes the legalization of more Indigenous lands. It also opposes measures to control deforestation, which rose sharply under the last administration of Jair Bolsonaro.
Critics argue that the leftist leader Lula did not try hard enough to avert the action in Congress. Last week, the president dismissed that criticism saying that “we shouldn't be scared of politics.” Allies of the president also argue that he retains ultimate authority over the environment and Indigenous affairs.
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Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | 2023-06-02T03:19:00+00:00 | clickorlando.com | https://www.clickorlando.com/business/2023/06/01/brazils-congress-weakens-pro-environment-ministries-in-a-rejection-of-lula/ |
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