text stringlengths 80 124k | date_download stringdate 2022-04-02 20:48:07 2023-07-31 23:59:06 | source_domain stringclasses 387
values | url stringlengths 21 528 |
|---|---|---|---|
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Governor-elect Sarah Huckabee Sanders will take the oath on Tuesday, and she took time to lay out her day one game plan on this week’s Capitol View.
Capitol View host Roby Brock got the opportunity to sit down with the governor-elect and talk about the mission of her administration starting on day one.
Sanders said her number one task as governor will be improving the quality of education across the state. She said that she believes Arkansas can do better in that regard and she hopes to hit the ground running with improving reading levels and building better foundations in schools when she is sworn in.
The governor-elect also spoke on her mission with criminal justice reform in Arkansas. Sanders said that some of the tasks her administration is looking to tackle are things like criminal rehabilitation, reducing prison overcrowding and making the criminal justice system in the state more efficient.
Then, Sanders discussed some other things she is looking to tackle when she takes office this week, such as remaining cabinet picks and tax cuts going into the general session.
Sanders will be sworn in on Tuesday, Jan. 10.
Capitol View airs Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on KARK 4. | 2023-01-08T19:15:00+00:00 | ktalnews.com | https://www.ktalnews.com/news/state-news/arkansas/capitol-view-governor-elect-sarah-huckabee-sanders/ |
PITTSBURGH, Dec. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I wanted to create a convenient way to store your face mask when not in use," said an inventor, from Lone Tree, Colo., "so I invented the MASK BAND. My design eliminates the need to store your mask in a pocket, purse or on an unsanitary surface."
The invention provides an improved design for a face mask. In doing so, it ensures that the mask is readily available when needed. As a result, it increases convenience and it helps to prevent lost or forgotten masks. The invention features a unique design that is easy to wear and use so it is ideal for the general population. Additionally, it is producible in design variations and a prototype is available.
The original design was submitted to the Denver sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 21-DNV-440, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE InventHelp | 2022-12-07T18:37:06+00:00 | wlox.com | https://www.wlox.com/prnewswire/2022/12/07/inventhelp-inventor-develops-convenient-way-store-face-mask-dnv-440/ |
PARIS (AP) — The Latest on the French Open tennis tournament (all times local):
6:45 p.m.
Frances Tiafoe finally earned his first victory at the French Open on his seventh attempt.
The American beat Benjamin Bonzi 7-5, 7-5, 7-6 (5) for his first win at Roland Garros after six first-round defeats.
The 24th-ranked Tiafoe converted just five of 23 break point opportunities against his French opponent but advances to a second-round match against David Goffin of Belgium.
Tiafoe reached the fourth round at the U.S. Open in both 2020 and 2021.
The 24-year-old American first lost at Roland Garros in 2015, then failed to qualify for the tournament the following year.
___
5:35 p.m.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga went down fighting. On Court Philippe Chatrier at the French Open.
He lost to eighth-seeded Casper Ruud 6-7 (6), 7-6 (4), 6-2, 7-6 (0) in what was likely his final match. The 37-year-old Frenchman has said he will retire after this year’s Roland Garros tournament.
An emotional Tsonga kneeled and put his head down to the clay amid thunderous applause after the defeat.
Tsonga won 18 titles over an 18-year career and reached No. 5 in the rankings. He was a finalist at the 2008 Australian Open.
Tsonga has the most Grand Slam match wins — 121 — among Frenchmen.
Tournament officials held a ceremony for Tsonga after the match.
___
3:25 p.m.
Sebastian Korda advanced to the second round of the French Open with a 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 (6) victory over Australian veteran John Millman.
The 27th-seeded American fended off two set points in the tiebreaker and converted his fourth match point when Millman hit a forehand volley long.
The 21-year-old Korda had 43 unforced errors to Millman’s 25. The Australian is 0-6 at Roland Garros.
Korda reached the fourth round at the French Open in 2020 as a qualifier. The 32-year-old Millman was a quarterfinalist at the 2018 U.S. Open.
___
1:20 p.m.
Danish teenager Holger Rune upset 14th-seeded Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (4) in the first round of the French Open.
The 19-year-old Rune won the BMW Open this month and was a semifinalist in Lyon last week.
Shapovalov fought back in the third set to force a tiebreaker but fell behind 3-1 and couldn’t recover, sending a forehand wide on match point.
Rune won the French Open junior championship in 2019.
The Dane defeated Alexander Zverev en route to his first tour title in Munich.
___
12:50 p.m.
Daniil Medvedev got his French Open off to a winning start — never a sure thing for the second-seeded Russian.
The U.S. Open champion beat Facundo Bagnis of Argentina 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Medvedev was a quarterfinalist at Roland Garros last year after four straight losses in the first round.
The Russian earned his first victory since undergoing hernia surgery nearly two months ago. He had lost his opening-round match at the Geneva Open last week on his return.
Medvedev reached the final at the Australian Open this year, losing to Rafael Nadal in five sets.
___
11 a.m.
The first round of the French Open is scheduled to conclude on Day 3 and the top two men on the bottom half of the draw finally get started: second-seeded Daniil Medvedev and fourth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas.
U.S. Open champion Medvedev recently returned to the tour after hernia surgery and opens the morning in Court Suzanne Lenglen against Facundo Bagnis.
At the other end of the schedule, 2021 Roland Garros runner-up Tsitsipas closes the action in Court Philippe Chatrier with a night session matchup against Lorenzo Musetti.
The top half of the men’s draw is considered much tougher. It includes defending champion Novak Djokovic, 13-time champion Rafael Nadal, No. 6 seed Carlos Alcaraz and 2020 U.S. Open finalist Alexander Zverev.
Among the leading women in action on Tuesday are two-time major champion Simona Halep and No. 3 seed Paula Badosa.
___
More AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis | 2022-05-24T17:25:29+00:00 | cbs42.com | https://www.cbs42.com/sports/french-open-updates-medvedev-tsitsipas-halep-in-action/ |
(The Hill) – Sarah Matthews is set to testify at Thursday’s prime-time hearing of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, according to Monday evening reports.
Matthews, who served as the former deputy press secretary in the Trump administration, resigned hours after the insurrection at the Capitol, where a pro-Trump mob sought to stop Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election results.
The Associated Press and CNN reported Monday that she and Matthew Pottinger, former deputy national security adviser, will testify Thursday at the last currently scheduled Jan. 6 hearing, which is set to focus on Trump’s actions — or lack thereof — during the Capitol riot.
Here’s what we know about Matthews.
Who is Matthews?
Prior to her role at the White House in 2020, Matthews worked as a spokeswoman for Trump’s reelection campaign.
The Kent State University graduate said in an interview in 2020 that she met the Trump campaign’s then-national press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, through that job.
She added that McEnany took Matthews with her when she left the campaign to become the White House press secretary.
The 27-year-old is currently the communications director for Republicans on the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, a position she has held since February 2021.
Matthews, who had previously been supportive of the Trump administration’s work during the former president’s term, took to Twitter in January to comment on the one-year anniversary of the insurrection, calling it “one of the darkest days in American history.”
“Make no mistake, the events on the 6th were a coup attempt, a term we’d use had they happened in any other country, and former President Trump failed to meet the moment,” Matthews wrote in a Twitter thread.
“While it might be easier to ignore or whitewash the events of that day for political expediency — if we’re going to be morally consistent — we need to acknowledge these hard truths,” she added.
She resigned on Jan. 6
Matthews was among the Trump White House staffers who resigned in the immediate aftermath of the Capitol attack.
“I was honored to serve in the Trump administration and proud of the policies we enacted. As someone who worked in the halls of Congress I was deeply disturbed by what I saw today,” she said in a statement at the time.
“I’ll be stepping down from my role, effective immediately. Our nation needs a peaceful transfer of power,” she said.
Matthews has expressed support for ex-White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson
Matthews also expressed her support for Hutchinson’s testimony before the House select committee investigating the riot last month, defending her former colleague amid criticism over her blockbuster testimony.
She tweeted that “anyone downplaying Cassidy Hutchinson’s role or her access in the West Wing either doesn’t understand how the Trump [White House] worked or is attempting to discredit her because they’re scared of how damning this testimony is.”
She has previously testified before the Jan. 6 panel
Matthews appeared voluntarily before the House select committee in February.
A source familiar confirmed to The Hill that Matthews was asked by the committee about the White House’s activities on the day of the attack.
The committee on June 16 also played a clip from Matthews’s testimony in which she commented on Trump’s 2:24 p.m. tweet that targeted his vice president directly.
Trump tweeted, “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done,” which according to Matthews, was like “pouring gasoline on the fire.”
“The situation was already bad, and so it felt like he was pouring gasoline on the fire by tweeting that,” Matthews said in the video clip. | 2022-07-19T03:16:55+00:00 | wivb.com | https://www.wivb.com/news/national/who-is-sarah-matthews-the-trump-white-house-aide-testifying-to-jan-6-panel/ |
Live for Cyber Monday, a KickHouse hoodie purchase unlocks a free NFT!
DALLAS, Nov. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- KickHouse is taking another step into NFT's with the launch of their second NFT project, which attaches a free NFT to a limited-edition KickHouse hoodie purchase. The NFT apparel item launch is timed with "Cyber Monday," the largest online shopping day of the year.
"We wanted to align our second NFT project with Cyber Monday because we know e-commerce or digital purchases in the future will live on the consumer blockchain." said Samantha Salas, Vice President of Marketing at KickHouse. "This project builds on our January NFT collection and continues our quest to educate around the opportunities that exist in web3."
The KickHouse NFT, drawn by artist Nettie Bella, is minted on The Blue Marble.
"Nettie is the perfect artist to collaborate with because her artwork has an empowering strength to it," said Salas. "She's a leading artist in the NFT space and she's setting an example for the next generation of female artists and entrepreneurs."
The free NFTs are minted and distributed by The Blue Marble, an easy-to-use platform that removes friction in the NFT minting process.
"We created The Blue Marble to help with this exact use case: a forward-thinking brand that wants to help their customers take a small step into web3." said Matt Rickard, Co-Founder & COO of The Blue Marble. "Our partnership with KickHouse is a natural extension of our goals and mission."
"Helping people interact with crypto and the blockchain needs to be both fun and familiar. What's more familiar than fitness?" said Dixie Gilbert, Partner Scout's Honor and NFT Strategist for The Blue Marble. "The end goal is to help brands and businesses, like KickHouse, create meaningful crypto 3.0 adoption strategies through creative ideas and solutions like loyalty rewards through NFTs."
Pick up your limited-edition KickHouse hoodie and get a free NFT today! The NFT hoodie can be purchased here: https://shopkickhouse.com/products/fire-skull-nft-pullover-hoodie The matching NFT will be delivered in the days following to the email used at product checkout.
Founded in July of 2020, KickHouse is a modern kickboxing studio with resilience in its DNA. The KickHouse mission is to help members and communities take their health and kick it up a level! The brand has quickly grown to over 25 locations across the country and is looking to grow to 50 within the next six months. If you're interested in becoming a KickHouse franchisee and opening your own KickHouse studio, visit: www.thekickhouse.com/franchise
The Blue Marble is an NFT platform that helps brands connect and retain customers. Built on Stellar and with a mission to 'make web3 easy' The Blue Marble puts the power back into the hands of the marketing team. You can launch NFT campaigns without needing to be a technical guru, customers are onboarded with ease and the platform integrates into other applications such as Shopify, freeing up the marketing team to focus more time on the customer. For more information visit www.thebluemarble.io
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE KickHouse | 2022-11-28T14:41:45+00:00 | kxii.com | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/11/28/kickhouse-rolls-out-nft-merchandise/ |
Baton Rouge Police make major drug bust
Published: Aug. 14, 2022 at 10:50 AM CDT|Updated: 16 minutes ago
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - The Baton Rouge Police Department says a month-long investigation into a heroin distribution operation has led to the arrest of Cedric Kelly, 41.
Officers say they located three locations being used by Kelly and others to stash, process, and distribute large amounts of the drug.
During the investigation, the BRPD narcotic division and other law enforcement conducted three search warrants. Officers were able to seize 704 grams of heroin, 258 grams of black tar heroin, 103 grams of methamphetamine, .3 grams of marijuana, and $10,405.
Baton Rouge Police say Kelly faces the below charges following his arrest:
- PWID schedule I (heroin)
- PWID schedule II (methamphetamine)
- PWID schedule I (marijuana)
- Illegal carrying of firearm with CDS
- Possession of a firearm by convicted felon
Click here to report a typo.
Copyright 2022 WAFB. All rights reserved. | 2022-08-14T16:08:11+00:00 | wafb.com | https://www.wafb.com/2022/08/14/baton-rouge-police-make-major-drug-bust/ |
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders received a major boost to their offense when wide receiver Hunter Renfrow and tight end Darren Waller were activated Saturday off injured reserve.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
Coach Josh McDaniels hinted this would likely happen in time for Sunday's home game against the New England Patriots.
Renfrow (oblique) has not played since Nov. 6 at Jacksonville. Combined with a concussion early in the season, he has been limited to six games with 21 catches for 192 yards and no touchdowns. Renfrow caught 103 passes last season for 1,038 yards and nine TDs.
Waller (hamstring) has played in five games, totaling 16 receptions for 175 yards and one touchdown, and last played Oct. 10 at Kansas City. He had more than 1,000 yards in catches in 2019 and 2020 before dropping to 55 receptions for 665 yards and two TDs last season.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
To make room for both players, the Raiders released wide receiver DJ Turner and tight end Jacob Hollister. They also promoted tackle Sebastian Gutierrez and guard Jordan Meredith from the practice squad.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | 2022-12-17T23:04:00+00:00 | seattlepi.com | https://www.seattlepi.com/sports/article/Raiders-activate-Hunter-Renfrow-Darren-Waller-17661383.php |
INDIANAPOLIS — A summer camp kicked off Tuesday in Indy with the goal of keeping kids safe from violence over the summer months.
The Young Men Inc. youth camp coincides with a deadly trend this year. A shooting in early May left three people dead here on Caroline Avenue, including a 15-year-old boy.
That violence took place less than one mile from the Great Commission Church of God, where on Tuesday morning dozens of kids began a summer camp designed to keep them out of trouble. Reverend Malachi Walker helps run the camp in addition to his duties at the church, located at 3302 N Arsenal Ave. on the city’s near northeast side.
“We’re just sick and tired of people losing lives to gun violence and a lot of innocent people are being affected,” said Reverend Walker.
Over the next 8 weeks, which started Tuesday with a pep talk from Mayor Joe Hogsett, nearly 60 kids will learn lessons about conflict resolution and gun safety from Walker and others.
“One of our main things is to talk about dangers of guns,” said Walker.
Reverend Walker has hosted the Young Men Inc. camp for nearly three decades. The camp features organized physical and educational activities as well as recreation and field trips.
The activities are especially critical this year as numbers show while overall homicides are down this year compared to 2021, homicides involving juvenile victims have actually gone up compared to the same time over the previous four years.
Malachi’s camp is just one of many summertime programs aimed at keeping kids safe. Even on day one, many of the young campers are already learning some positive messages.
“We should try to stop violence before it happens and not get in other problems with people,” said 10-year-old camper Kayden Cobbs.
“It taught me how to not be a follower and to be a leader and help people out,” said 15-year-old camper Jayse Evans.
The Young Men Inc. summer camp runs until the end of July. | 2022-06-07T21:38:15+00:00 | cbs4indy.com | https://cbs4indy.com/indiana-news/youth-summer-camp-kicks-off-amid-rise-in-juvenile-homicides-in-indy/ |
A section from President Biden’s State of the Union address that aimed to ding Republicans on plans to cut Social Security turned into an unusual moment of live policy discussion — and apparent agreement — during the annual speech.
“Some Republicans want Social Security and Medicare to sunset,” Biden said.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) shook his head as many Republicans yelled “no,” and some yelled “liar.”
“Anybody who doubts it, contact my office, I’ll give you a copy of the proposal,” Biden said in an ad-libbed line as Republicans continued to shake their heads and boo.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) stood up and pointed her finger at Biden, and yelled “liar” after she sat down.
Some Republicans have floated entitlement reform ideas like raising the Social Security retirement age, but McCarthy has repeatedly said that changes to entitlements are not on the table during debt limit negotiations. Republicans have called for discretionary spending cuts as a condition of raising the debt limit, with an expected early June deadline.
“Well, I’m glad to see — and now, I tell you, I enjoy conversion,” Biden said in reaction, prompting laughs.
“Other Republicans say – I don’t think it’s a majority of you, I don’t even think it’s a significant…”
Jeers from GOP members asking Biden to say a name interrupted him.
“But it’s being proposed by individuals,” Biden said. “I’m politely not naming them, but it’s being proposed by some.”
Calls of “liar” continued and then lightly died down, as McCarthy slightly shook his head and appeared to softly shush his fellow Republicans.
“So folks, as we all apparently agree, Social Security and Medicare is off the books now, right?” Biden said.
“Alright,” he added, with a thumbs-up.
Democrats and some Republicans stood up to cheer.
“Let’s all agree — and we apparently are — let’s stand up for seniors,” Biden said.
McCarthy rose from his seat and applauded, as did members of both parties.
“We will not cut Social Security. We will not cut Medicare,” Biden said. “If anyone tries to cut Social Security — which apparently they’re not going to do — and if anyone tries, and Medicare, I’ll stop them. I’ll veto it.” | 2023-02-08T03:51:08+00:00 | wate.com | https://www.wate.com/hill-politics/biden-has-tense-exchange-with-republicans-on-social-security-during-state-of-the-union/ |
Berry will lead the U.S. national alliance of long-term survivors of HIV
CHICAGO, Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time HIV long-term survivors are now included in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. As the U.S. and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) commemorate National HIV and Aging Awareness Day (#NHAAD) on September 18, the unique needs of long-term survivors require bold action and visionary leadership. The Reunion Project (TRP), the national alliance of HIV long-term survivors, today announced that Jeff Berry has joined as its first executive director, effective September 1. Berry, who has been living with HIV for over 35 years, previously served as chair of The Reunion Project's National Steering Committee.
"I am thrilled to be a part of this great organization, and grateful to the funders who helped make it happen," says Berry. "We are on the cusp of a silver tsunami of people living and aging with HIV who require services tailored to their unique needs. Isolation and other mental health issues have been exacerbated by COVID-19, so there is no time to waste and no better time for renewed focus on the myriad issues facing long-term survivors and people aging with HIV."
History of The Reunion Project
Berry joins The Reunion Project from TPAN, where he served as chief editorial officer and editor of the country's leading non-profit HIV magazine Positively Aware since 2005. Berry, who has 30 years of experience working in the non-profit and publishing world, is co-founder of The Reunion Project. Since its inception, The Reunion Project has established itself as the national network of long-term survivors of HIV. There are not any longstanding and continuous opportunities, at the national level, that have adopted a for-us- by-us approach to addressing the psychosocial aspects of persons aging with HIV and AIDS aside from the work of The Reunion Project.
"We are proud to support The Reunion Project and its network of long-term survivors. Gilead knows the importance of facilitating organic connections and empowerment opportunities for long-term survivors through creative programming," says Darwin Thompson, Director of Corporate Giving at Gilead Sciences. "The work of The Reunion Project has been critical to cultivating these safe spaces."
Our programs
The Reunion Project convenes groups of HIV long-term survivors and allies in targeted U.S. cities and virtual settings for personal and professional development for the growing and aging HIV and AIDS population (i.e., 379,000 people as of 2018, CDC). The convening is done through town halls, education, storytelling, networking, and information dissemination via peer-based support within in-person settings and web-based platforms.
"I'm excited and encouraged to see the tireless work of a diverse group of long-term survivors evolve from an all-volunteer effort to the naming of a full-time executive director," says Marc Meachem, Head, U.S. External Affairs, ViiV Healthcare. "We were honored to support The Reunion Project and know that Jeff and the steering committee will build on the body of work to elevate the voices, experiences, and needs of long-term survivors in our national dialogues around ending the HIV epidemic."
Founded in 2015 by activists living with HIV, The Reunion Project is the national alliance of long-term survivors of HIV, collaborating with local and national HIV advocates, providers and researchers. Together, we convene and connect individuals and communities, sharing our experiences of survival and loss while honoring our past, and developing successful strategies for living and supporting one another—today and into the future.
For more information go to reunionproject.net.
View original content:
SOURCE The Reunion Project | 2022-09-13T19:47:05+00:00 | wafb.com | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2022/09/13/reunion-project-names-jeff-berry-first-executive-director/ |
NEW YORK, Dec. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of NewAge, Inc. (OTC Other: NBEVQ).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/newage-inc-loss-submission-form/?id=34666&from=4
The lawsuit seeks to recover losses for shareholders who purchased NewAge between January 18, 2018 and October 18, 2022.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until February 6, 2023 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, NewAge, Inc. issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the Company and defendants had no relationship with the military or FamilyMart; (2) the Company and defendants overstated the business agreements that they did have; (3) the Company and defendants never produced or sold a proprietary CBD beverage; (4) the Company lacked adequate internal controls; (5) as a result the Company had a heightened risk of regularly scrutiny and ultimately subject to an SEC investigation and action; and (6) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
JAKUBOWITZ LAW
1140 Avenue of the Americas
9th Floor
New York, New York 10036
T: (212) 867-4490
F: (212) 537-5887
View original content:
SOURCE Jakubowitz Law | 2022-12-16T11:37:04+00:00 | newschannel10.com | https://www.newschannel10.com/prnewswire/2022/12/16/nbevq-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-newage-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-february-6-2023/ |
Chicago's mayoral race was much watched by Democrats nationwide, weighing issues like crime and the economy. NPR's Scott Simon talks with the Mayor-elect, Brandon Johnson.
Copyright 2023 NPR
Chicago's mayoral race was much watched by Democrats nationwide, weighing issues like crime and the economy. NPR's Scott Simon talks with the Mayor-elect, Brandon Johnson.
Copyright 2023 NPR | 2023-04-08T13:25:56+00:00 | wbfo.org | https://www.wbfo.org/2023-04-08/chicagos-mayor-elect-brandon-johnson-on-his-plans-for-the-city |
Brought to you by
DraftKings THE PLAYERS Championship preview
4 Min Read
Written by Landon Silinsky
The PGA TOUR continues its Florida swing this week for THE PLAYERS Championship. Iconic TPC Sawgrass will be the host and measures as a 7,256-yard par 72 with Bermuda grass greens. There are water hazards on 17-of-18 holes, meaning there will be plenty of chaos in store this week. A highly prestigious event on the TOUR schedule, the field this week yet again is loaded with 43 of the world’s top 50 golfers set to tee it up.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: $2.5M Fantasy Golf Millionaire [$1M to 1st + ToC Semifinal Entry]
GOLFERS TO CONSIDER
Max Homa ($9,900)
Homa very quietly posted a T14 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and it could have been even better if his putter cooperated even a little bit. He lost 2.94 strokes on the greens at Arnie’s Place, which was the first time in 2023 he’s lost strokes putting for an entire event. Homa’s ball-striking was otherworldly, however, basically lapping the field on approach, where he gained a whopping 7.9 strokes over his four rounds. In addition, he gained strokes off-the-tee in each of his four rounds as well.
It’s highly likely that the poor putting performance was a blip and not a trend, considering Homa ranks sixth in this field in SG: Putting over his past 36 and 24 rounds, while sitting third over his past 16.
Homa has played TPC Sawgrass twice now, and after a missed cut in his first start, he posted a T13 last year. His pinpoint iron play should help him avoid the myriad of water hazards littered throughout the course, and he currently ranks fifth on the PGA TOUR this season in par-4 birdie or better percentage and 10th in bogey avoidance. Homa’s game sets up perfectly for TPC Sawgrass, and considering he’s already posted a win and a pair of top-three finishes in 2023, he absolutely has to be on the shortlist to take down this event.
Sandwiched between Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay on DraftKings this week, the six-time PGA TOUR winner may go a bit overlooked in this spot, but his upside is as high as any golfer on the slate.
Will Zalatoris ($8,800)
Zalatoris was one of the more popular options last week at Bay Hill, and despite making the cut he largely disappointed with a T53. Much like Max Homa, this was due to his short game rather than his ball-striking. Zalatoris lost 3.4 strokes putting and 1.7 strokes around the green at Bay Hill, so we can completely disregard it due to how volatile short-game play can be.
The good news is that Zalatoris has taken a serious liking to TPC Sawgrass over his short career. He’s played this event twice now, making the cut both times while finishing T26 and 21st, respectively, over the past two years. Zalatoris has averaged 1.68 SG: Tee-to-Green per round at this classic Pete Dye design in his eight career rounds, which ranks him fourth in the field.
Zalatoris is too talented to not go right back to this week, especially since DraftKings dropped his salary by $800. He ranks fourth in both SG: Tee-to-Green and SG: Ball-Striking over his past 48 rounds in this field, and when you combine that with his course history and price drop, he simply makes too much sense this week.
Corey Conners ($7,400)
There is nothing better than these major-type fields because it means we get elite ball-strikers like Conners sitting at just $7,400. After a couple of subpar performances at the WM Phoenix Open and Genesis, Conners bounced back nicely last week at Bay Hill with a T21, while gaining 6.8 strokes ball-striking in the process.
This is nothing new for the Canadian, considering he ranks fifth in that department over his past 48 rounds in this field, trailing only Zalatoris, Finau, Scheffler and McIlroy. He’s another golfer that’s shown he can get around TPC Sawgrass, having made the cut at THE PLAYERS in all three of his starts with a T26 and solo-seventh place finish in that stretch.
There’s obviously no such thing as a safe play this week with all the water hazards, but Conners’ history here has shown us that he’s largely avoided the blow-up rounds that have plagued almost everybody else, and there’s something to be said for that. He will likely be quite popular in all contest types this week due to this ridiculously cheap salary, but Conners is one of the best points-per-dollar plays on the entire slate.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: $2.5M Fantasy Golf Millionaire [$1M to 1st + ToC Semifinal Entry]
Put your knowledge to the test.Sign up for DraftKingsand experience the game inside the game.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and customer (my username is Lan1228) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information. | 2023-03-07T23:52:40+00:00 | pgatour.com | https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/betting-dfs/2023/03/06/draftkings-preview-the-players-championship-tpc-sawgrass |
For 60 years, Casita del Campo has been serving margaritas in the Mexican restaurant on Hyperion in Silver Lake. And for the past 20 years, the underground theater, The Cavern Club, has been hosting monthly drag shows. To celebrate the milestone, KCRW talks to owner Robert del Campo and drag show host, Mr. Dan.
Del Campo’s father, Rudy, was the original owner of the restaurant in 1962. He bought it with money he made from dancing in the film “West Side Story.”
His son Robert, the current owner, says, “‘West Side Story’ was [Rudy’s] last film. He had a small business administration pamphlet and just went down the list of businesses. And when he got to [the word] restaurant, it’s like, ‘I think we can do this. Let’s give this a shot.’ It was a very practical solution.”
“My dad had a showbiz background,” says del Campo, so people in Hollywood were patrons in the early 1960s. He says there was a lot less money in Silver Lake back then, but the community was similar to what it is now: bohemian and artsy.
Mr. Dan started working with the del Campos in the 1990s at a dance hall called Rudolfo’s. Dr. Dan says, “Rudy asked us if we would come over and do something in the casita, in the cabaret room that had been vacant for a few years because their previous entertainer, whose name was also Rudy del Amor, had moved on to another supper club. … And they missed having entertainment in the restaurant.”
In June 1994, the del Campos redid the basement, and Mr. Dan moved his act there and called it The Cavern Club. The shows were really topical and caught on, Mr. Dan says.
On May 15, the restaurant will mark the anniversary with a mariachi band and DJ from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. | 2022-12-28T01:38:08+00:00 | kcrw.com | https://www.kcrw.com/news/shows/greater-la/restaurants/casita-del-campo?utm_source=KCRW&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=kcrw-news-rss |
Christine Brown is making her new chapter official! The 50-year-old Sister Wives star relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah, last year amid her divorce from ex Kody Brown, and now she has finally started filming the TLC reality series from her new home.
"I’m finally filming in my house in Salt Lake!! So excited! #sisterwives #filming #newbeginnings," Christine captioned an Instagram selfie on Tuesday.
Christine's post was liked by her and Kody's daughters, Mykelti Padron and Gwendlyn Brown, as well as her sister wife, Janelle Brown.
ET's Deidre Behar recently spoke with Christine to discuss her future on the family's reality series now that she and Kody are no longer together.
"I made a promise to Kody and everybody else that I would stay in Sister Wives as long as we have the show just to be fair," she told ET last month. "It's what our family's been doing for so long. I feel like it would be disloyal if I decided to not be part of the show."
Christine still spends lots of time with Janelle, Kody's second wife, and told ET she still considers Janelle to be her "sister wife."
"So as far as Sister Wives goes, I'll still be doing things with Janelle quite regularly," Christine explained, adding of a potential spin-off, "As far as a spin-off, dude, I'm totally open, no idea what it looks like, but absolutely, that'd be just fun as heck."
Though Christine is all about this next chapter in her life, her messy split from Kody and subsequent move to Utah with their daughter, Truely, are still playing out on the current season of Sister Wives.
Christine publicly announced her decision to leave Kody in November 2021 after 25 years of a spiritual marriage.
For more on the unfolding drama, watch the clip below.
RELATED CONTENT: | 2022-11-16T23:14:34+00:00 | wgrz.com | https://www.wgrz.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-tonight/sister-wives-star-christine-brown-celebrates-major-milestone-after-moving-away-from-kody-new-beginnings/603-d55f039f-2fd3-4fe1-a74e-ec74af9110fd |
NEW YORK (AP) — Fresh off one of her biggest album launches of her career, Taylor Swift announced a new U.S. stadium tour starting in 2023, with international dates to follow.
The 27-date Eras Tour will kick off on March 18 in Glendale, Arizona, and wrap up with two nights in Los Angeles on Aug. 4-5 at SoFi Stadium. Tour openers will include Paramore, beabadoobee, Phoebe Bridgers, girl in red, MUNA, HAIM, Gayle, Gracie Abrams and OWENN.
“I can’t WAIT to see your gorgeous faces out there. It’s been a long time coming,” Swift said on Instagram, describing the tour as “a journey through the musical eras of my career (past and present!).”
Fans who receive a special code after registering will have exclusive access to buy tickets on Nov. 15. The rest of the public can get tickets starting Nov. 18.
The tour will hit AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas; Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta; Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia; Soldier Field in Chicago; Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts; and MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, among others.
Word of the tour came a day after Swift became the first artist in history to claim the top 10 slots of the Billboard Hot 100 chart with tracks from her new record “Midnights.” | 2022-11-02T01:19:05+00:00 | fox59.com | https://fox59.com/news/entertainment/ap-entertainment/ap-taylor-swift-announces-27-date-us-stadium-tour-in-2023/ |
WFO NEW YORK CITY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, April 23, 2023
_____
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service New York NY
635 PM EDT Sun Apr 23 2023
...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of central Passaic,
northwestern Bergen, eastern Orange and Rockland Counties through 715
PM EDT...
At 634 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Wallkill to Greenwood Lake. Movement was
southeast at 15 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...
Newburgh, Ringwood, Suffern, Monroe, Walden, West Point, Warwick,
Goshen, Sloatsburg, New Windsor, Gardnertown, Chester, Montgomery,
Greenwood Lake and Florida.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
LAT...LON 4163 7425 4160 7425 4158 7413 4161 7413
4160 7409 4161 7407 4158 7405 4159 7395
4154 7399 4151 7400 4146 7400 4142 7397
4102 7417 4115 7443 4120 7437 4123 7442
4163 7426
TIME...MOT...LOC 2234Z 308DEG 14KT 4158 7413 4122 7431
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...30 MPH
_____
Copyright 2023 AccuWeather | 2023-04-23T23:42:12+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/weather/article/ny-wfo-new-york-city-warnings-watches-and-17914056.php |
A Los Angeles County judge on Thursday said she will dismiss a lawsuit that the stars of 1968's "Romeo and Juliet" filed over the film's nude scene, which they said involved them being subjected to fraud, and sexual abuse and harassment when they were in their teens.
Superior Court Judge Alison Mackenzie ruled in favor of a motion from defendant Paramount Pictures to dismiss the lawsuit brought by Olivia Hussey, who played Juliet at age 15 and is now 72, and Leonard Whiting, who played Romeo at 16 and is also 72.
Mackenzie determined that the scene didn't amount to child pornography and was protected by the First Amendment, finding that the actors “have not put forth any authority showing the film here can be deemed to be sufficiently sexually suggestive as a matter of law to be held to be conclusively illegal.”
In her written decision, she also found that the suit didn't fall within the bounds of a California law that temporarily suspended the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse, and that a February re-release of the film did not change that.
The actors' attorney denounced the decision and said they plan to file another version of the suit in federal court.
“We firmly believe that the exploitation and sexualization of minors in the film industry must be confronted and legally addressed to protect vulnerable individuals from harm and ensure the enforcement of existing laws,” lawyer Solomon Gresen said in a statement.
The film and its theme song were major hits at the time, and — despite the nude scene that briefly shows Whiting's bare buttocks and Hussey's bare breasts — it was played for generations of high school students studying Shakespeare's tragedy.
Director Franco Zeffirelli, who died in 2019 at age 96, initially told the two that they would wear flesh-colored undergarments in the bedroom scene that comes late in the movie and was shot on the final days of filming, the suit alleged.
But on the morning of the shoot, Zeffirelli told Whiting and Hussey that they would wear only body makeup, while still assuring them the camera would be positioned in a way that would not show nudity, according to the suit.
Despite those assurances, they were filmed in the nude without their knowledge, in violation of California and federal laws against indecency and the exploitation of children, the suit alleged.
Zeffirelli told them they must act in the nude “or the Picture would fail” and their careers would be hurt, the suit said. The actors said that the opposite occurred, that neither had the career the film's success suggested, and that each suffered emotional damage and mental anguish for decades. They had sought more than $500 million in damages.
The judge, though, found that the plaintiffs “cherry-picked” from the law and failed to provide legal authority for why it should apply to “purported works of artistic merit, such as the award-winning film at issue here.”
She quoted from an appeals court precedent that said child pornography is “particularly repulsive,” but “not all images of nude children are pornographic.”
The ruling relied on California law that is meant to protect the free speech of defendants from being squelched by lawsuits, and is often the first line of defense when lawsuits are filed.
An attorney for Paramount declined to comment about the ruling.
The Associated Press typically does not name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, which Hussey and Whiting did.
___
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton | 2023-05-25T22:10:20+00:00 | daytondailynews.com | https://www.daytondailynews.com/nation-world/romeo-juliet-stars-lawsuit-over-1968-films-teen-nude-scene-tossed/DR3UXFJDM5BRNJM44GND44MVAE/ |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)Raequan Battle’s 32 points led Montana State over Sacramento State 72-65 on Saturday.
Battle was 9-of-18 shooting, including 2 for 3 from distance, and went 12 for 12 from the line for the Bobcats (15-8, 8-2 Big Sky Conference). Great Osobor scored 13 points while going 5 of 10 and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line.
The Hornets (12-10, 5-4) were led by Zach Chappell, who recorded 19 points and seven rebounds. Sacramento State also got 15 points and nine rebounds from Callum McRae. In addition, Cameron Wilbon finished with 10 points and two blocks.
NEXT UP
Both teams next play Thursday. Montana State hosts Northern Arizona while Sacramento State hosts Eastern Washington.
—
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. | 2023-01-29T20:54:07+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/sports/ncaa-mens-basketball/battle-scores-32-montana-st-beats-sacramento-st-72-65/ |
HARVEY, Ill. (WGN) — The food service director for an impoverished south suburban school district near Chicago is accused of stealing $1.5 million worth of food – mainly chicken wings – according to court documents reviewed by Nexstar’s WGN.
Vera Liddell, 66, worked for Harvey School District 152 for more than a decade, according to a LinkedIn account associated with her name.
“The massive fraud began at the height of COVID during a time when students were not allowed to be physically present in school,” reads a proffer presented at Liddell’s bond hearing. “Even though the children were learning remotely, the school district continued to provide meals for the students that their families could pick up.”
Court records accuse Liddell of ordering more than 11,000 cases of chicken wings from the school district’s food provider and then picking up the order in a district cargo van.
“The food was never brought to the school or provided to the students,” reads the proffer.
District funds were used to pay for the food, according to prosecutors, who did not reveal what became of the chicken wings.
The alleged scheme was uncovered by the district’s business manager during a routine mid-year audit. The manager found the district was $300,000 over its annual food service budget despite only being halfway through the school year, according to prosecutors.
“She discovered individual invoices signed by Liddell for massive quantities of chicken wings, an item that was never served to students because they contain bones,” prosecutors said.
Court records say employees of the district’s food provider, Gordon Food Service, were familiar with the defendant “due to the massive amount of chicken wings she would purchase.”
The case was investigated by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and Liddell was charged with theft. She is now in custody at the Cook County Jail with a $150,000 bond.
Harvey School District 152’s interim superintendent Lela Bridges said she has only been on the job since last week. She told WGN she was aware of the charges but had no comment due to the ongoing investigation.
The district consists of five schools. Records indicate the district’s total enrollment is 1,600 children with more than 80% of students qualifying as “low income.”
Liddell is scheduled to appear in court again in late February. | 2023-01-31T02:10:19+00:00 | wric.com | https://www.wric.com/news/u-s-world/1-5m-worth-of-food-mostly-wings-stolen-by-illinois-school-official-prosecutors/ |
Dangerous doses of melatonin found in sleep aids, study says
(CNN) - New research shows some sleeping aid gummies may have potentially dangerous amounts of melatonin in them.
The journal JAMA published a research letter on Tuesday where researchers tested 25 products labeled as melatonin gummies at an outside lab.
Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate sleep.
According to the researchers, 88% of the gummies tested were labeled inaccurately.
One of the products actually contained 347% more melatonin than what was listed on the label.
An expert says consuming a gummy with extremely high levels of melatonin can be dangerous and have side effects.
Researchers say all of the gummies are products displayed on the National Institute of Health database, a database where the public can check to see labels of dietary supplements sold in the U.S.
Researchers also found in their study that some of the products also contained cannabidiol or CBD, which is found in cannabis.
They say some of those products also mislabeled how much CBD was used as an ingredient.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, it is illegal to market CBD by adding it to a food or labeling it as a dietary supplement.
Copyright 2023 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | 2023-04-26T12:26:29+00:00 | wcjb.com | https://www.wcjb.com/2023/04/26/dangerous-doses-melatonin-found-sleep-aids-study-says/ |
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision to send nearly 50 South American immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday took the nation by surprise as he unexpectedly launched a $12 million immigration relocation program without warning or notice.
DeSantis, rumored as a potential GOP candidate for the 2024 presidential election, jump-started the immigration relocation program, approved over the summer by Florida’s legislation, to send immigrants to sanctuary cities in the United States, a spokesperson for DeSantis said.
Officials in Martha’s Vineyard have described the situation as a humanitarian crisis as local officials on Thursday scrambled to feed and shelter the immigrants.
But the immigrants on Martha’s Vineyard aren’t the only ones impacted by the program. See below for more about what you need to know.
What is the immigration relocation program?
A plan to send immigrants from Florida to cities with so-called sanctuary laws gained momentum last December when DeSantis pushed lawmakers in the Republican-controlled Legislature in Florida to set aside $8 million to transport migrants out of the state, the Tallahassee Democrat reported.
At a press conference touting his immigration policies and standing behind a podium with a sign that read, “Secure Our Border, Secure Our States,” DeSantis outlined his desire to bring migrants to cities out of state.
“It’s somewhat tongue in cheek, but it is true,” DeSantis told reporters, per the Tallahassee Democrat. “If you sent [them] to Delaware or Matha’s Vineyard or some of these places, that border would be secure the next day.”
By the end of the legislative session this summer, lawmakers in Florida had delivered on DeSantis’ request and more by supplying $12 million in funding for the program to ship undocumented migrants out of state under the oversight of the state’s Department of Transportation.
Authorities at the Florida Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The funding for the immigration relocation program reportedly came from interest earnings from Florida’s $8.8 billion portion of the American Rescue Plan’s Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund, the Tallahassee Democrat reported. The recovery funds were intended to be used in response to the pandemic, but since the $12 million comes from interest, an immigration expert told the outlet that the money does not fall under the same rules as the federal fund itself.
“The purpose of the fund was meant to help Floridians recover from the lingering impacts of the pandemic,” Alexis Tsoukalas, a Florida Policy Institute policy analyst who focuses on immigration and labor issues told the Tallahassee Democrat.
“It seems it’s a bizarre loophole,” Álvarez-Jones said. “[The program is] just so outside of the parameters.”
What are ‘sanctuary cities’?
Today, more than 10 states and 180 cities and counties across the country have sanctuary policies, The Washington Post reported. There is a long tradition of cities providing sanctuary and asylum throughout human history, but the term has come to mean jurisdictions that have taken steps to prevent the deputization of local law enforcement as immigration agents.
Western Mass. communities, such as Amherst, Easthampton, Springfield and Greenfield have laws on the books preventing city officials from asking residents about their immigration status. In Holyoke and Northampton, there are executive orders signed by their respective mayors instructing their police departments not to comply with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) retainer requests, which are voluntary.
Other sanctuary cities in Massachusetts include Cambridge, Somerville, Chelsea, and Orleans. Elected officials from the state have decried the move by DeSantis, calling his actions “unbelievably cruel.”
What are Florida officials saying?
“States like Massachusetts, New York, and California will better facilitate the care of these individuals who they have invited into our country by incentivizing illegal immigration through their designation as ‘sanctuary states’ and support for the Biden Administration’s open border policies,” DeSantis Communications Director Taryn Fenske told MassLive.
In the statement to MassLive, Fenske said in the most recent legislative session in Florida, the Legislature appropriated $12 million to “implement a program to facilitate the transport of illegal immigrants from this state consistent with federal law.”
“Florida’s immigration relocation program both targets human smugglers found in Florida and preempts others from entering,” Fenske said.
The Florida governor had told news outlets three weeks ago that the program was still on standby, and that the Florida Department of Transportation, the agency charged with overseeing the immigration relocation program, said it did not have details of how it would work at the time, The Tampa Bay Times reported.
Are other states relocating immigrants?
DeSantis’ decision to fly out nearly 50 South American immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard follows in the steps of other Republican governors making high-profile relocations of immigrants from their states.
On Thursday morning, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent two buses filled with 101 Venezuelan and Colombian migrants from Texas to Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence, a move that brings the total number of immigrants relocated out of the state well over 7,600 since April, according to reporting by Axios.
Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a state of emergency on Sept. 8 after Texas Gov. Abbot and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey sent a combined nearly 10,000 immigrants to the capital over the past few months.
Mayor Bowser said the Republican governors are sending a large number of migrants to Washington D.C. in a “political stunt” to draw the White House’s attention to the number of asylum seekers in their border towns.
Related content:
- Migrants sent to Martha’s Vineyard from Florida sheltered, fed as local officials scramble for a plan
- ‘The very definition of human trafficking’: Mass. officials weigh in on Florida migrant transfer to Martha’s Vineyard
- 101 more migrants sent to VP Kamala Harris’ residence | 2022-09-15T18:47:55+00:00 | masslive.com | https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/09/what-is-florida-gov-ron-desantis-immigration-relocation-program-heres-what-you-need-to-know.html |
Brazil orders Google to halt campaign against speech bill
By CARLA BRIDI and ELÉONORE HUGHES
Associated Press
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazil’s Justice Ministry has ordered Google to stop conducting what it calls a propaganda campaign against Brazilian legislation aimed at curbing misinformation, or face about $200,000 per hour in fines. The company on Tuesday took down an article that the ministry had labeled propaganda, but it was not immediately clear if the big tech giant was in complete compliance with the agency’s order. Google said in a statement that it was committed to communicating its concerns about the bill “in a public and transparent way” and denied manually altering search results to favor its position. The legislation would establish fines and deadlines for removing misinformation and hate speech from social media and messaging apps, and require tech companies to file reports on transparency. | 2023-05-03T00:05:08+00:00 | keyt.com | https://keyt.com/news/2023/05/02/brazil-orders-google-to-halt-campaign-against-speech-bill/ |
Marzena Stasieluk needed a new kidney. She'd been diagnosed with kidney disease in 2015, and ultimately needed dialysis, a grueling process where a machine did the work her kidneys could no longer do.
But in order for a kidney transplant to succeed, she needed a liver first. Stasieluk's liver disease had been controlled for more than a decade, but it worsened during the Covid-19 pandemic. It wasn't so bad that she would be prioritized for a liver from a deceased donor, her family said, but bad enough that a kidney transplant likely wouldn't work.
Marzena's daughter, Jennifer Stasieluk, is a nurse who has cared for patients in the hardest of times, through Covid-19 and cancer. She was willing, even eager, to give her mother a kidney. They'd done all the scans and test, but it wasn't going to work.
Although they had the same blood type, her mother is among a subset of patients called "highly sensitized." Marzena had a high number of antibodies against foreign tissues -- a factor that increases the likelihood an organ will be rejected and makes it much harder to find a match.
"She needed a new liver to do a kidney transplant. However, her liver by itself wasn't sick enough," recalls Jennifer, 29. "So, they kind of, like, threw their hands up and were just, kind of, like, 'sorry.' "
In January 2020, an appointment with Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, introduced a new idea: Doctors suggested Marzena get a portion of a liver from a living donor.
Jennifer insisted she get tested. Despite her mother's protests, she wouldn't take no for an answer. And this time, the response was a good one.
"I kicked her door open in the morning when I got that call that I was a match. I said 'Mom, I'm a match, pack your bags, surgery's in six weeks.' We couldn't believe I was a match," Jennifer said.
On June 25, 2021, Jennifer gave her mother a lobe of her liver. Jennifer spent five days recovering in the hospital, and Marzena spent 11. For living donors and recipients, the liver has the unique ability to regenerate in a matter of weeks, and recovery was successful for mother and daughter.
But Marzena, affectionately known as a "professional grandma," had to continue with dialysis, and was desperate for a normal life.
"It was awful. You sit there three days a week for over three hours," said Marzena, who lives in Illinois. "My kids and my grandkids are the whole world and that's why I was fighting for so long. I don't want them, the kids and my grandkids, to lose me."
After the liver transplant, Jennifer was prepared to donate a kidney to a stranger as part of a paired donation -- a process in which living donor's kidneys are swapped so recipients like Marzena receive a compatible organ.
Jennifer went through another round of bloodwork and tests to prepare for kidney donation. But then came a surprise: Because of the effect Jennifer's liver had on her mother's immune system, she was now able to give her mother a kidney.
"We never in a million years thought that I would be a direct match," Jennifer said. "I was excited for it. I wasn't nervous. I knew I was in good hands.
"I gave her the bigger lobe of my liver on June 25, 2021. And then a year later, a kidney."
Dr. Timucin Taner, division chair of transplant surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, performed the liver transplant for the Stasieluks.
He and his colleagues have been studying the effect of liver transplants on the immune system, including research into how a liver transplant before a heart transplant -- not the typical order -- can reduce organ rejection.
Taner said the Stasieluks are the first case they're aware of where a liver's effect on a patient's immune response allowed for a subsequent kidney transplant from the same donor. They're planning to write a case report about the procedures.
"She donated two organs a year apart to the same person," Taner said of Jennifer. "So she saved her mom's life twice."
Taner says organ donors, living or deceased, are heroes. There simply aren't enough organs to provide for everyone who needs one.
Across the country, nearly 106,000 people are on the national transplant waiting list according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. So far this year, nearly 40,000 transplants have been performed.
"On average, typically about 25,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for a liver transplant on the waiting list," Taner said. "And of those, every year we can only transplant up to about 9,000 of them because that's only how many livers we have.
Jennifer described working long, late shifts as a nurse helping patients and their families during the height of the pandemic. There were dark days when answers were few and hope was sometimes hard to come by.
"Losing patients to Covid was devastating. I felt so helpless," Jennifer said.
But donating organs to her mother -- twice -- was empowering.
"Just knowing that there is something I can do that is not hopeless ... just having that power that I can actually do something and help her and save her life, it was amazing," Jennifer said.
This will be the first Christmas in about seven years when Marzena is feeling healthy. Jennifer said it's more special than any holiday before.
Marzena said her daughter's gifts changed her life.
"Today, I am grateful. I don't think I'll ever be able to say enough, thank you," Marzena said, fighting back tears. "What do you say to a person that donated two organs, not just one?"
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | 2022-12-24T17:06:11+00:00 | wlfi.com | https://www.wlfi.com/news/national/nurse-becomes-a-living-organ-donor-for-her-mom----twice/article_3cdb66c9-0f53-53bf-a01d-6a2d841b284e.html |
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include additional comments from Amazon.
(NEXSTAR) – It isn’t just inflation that will be driving up the price of your holiday shopping. Some companies and delivery services are adding extra fees to cover the cost of getting your package where it needs to go. Amazon is among them, adding a “Holiday Peak Fulfillment Fee.”
The fulfillment fee for third-party sellers that use Amazon fulfillment kicks in Oct. 15 and lasts until Jan. 14 of next year. Amazon says the average surcharge will be about 35 cents per item, though the exact amount varies by size and weight.
While customers aren’t being hit with the surcharge directly, it’s another cost that may be passed on.
“The sellers eventually will increase their prices to the consumer in order to make up those prices,” explained Brendan Heegan, founder of logistics and fulfillment company Boxzooka. “Those prices may not be that noticeable at first, but they will continue to add up.”
An Amazon spokesperson said the company does not anticipate customers will be impacted by the fee for sellers.
The United States Postal Service, FedEx, and UPS have all announced similar holiday surcharges this year.
“Our selling partners are incredibly important to us, and this is not a decision we made lightly,” Amazon said in a letter to sellers affected by the price hike. “The entire industry sees increases in fulfillment and logistics costs during the holiday peak period due to the concentrated volume of shipments. We have previously absorbed these cost increases, but seasonal expenses are reaching new heights.”
An Amazon spokesperson told Nexstar it’s the first time the company has implemented such a fee. The company said that even with the temporary surcharge, its fulfillment services are faster and cheaper than services provided by its competitors.
Even as we continue to hear news of rising prices on goods and services across sectors, there is hope we may have seen the worst of it. Inflation eased in July as energy prices tumbled.
“Inflation appears to have peaked in mid-2022 and should slow on a year-over-year basis through the rest of this year and in 2023,″ said Gus Faucher, chief economist at PNC Financial Services.
Shipping costs have gone down for at least one business. Nick Zawitz, who runs Tangle Creations, a South San Francisco company that makes Fidget Toys, among others, said that shipping costs have plunged and raw materials prices have dropped slightly. Meanwhile, the company’s sales are up 45% over the past year. “Things are chugging along,’’ Zawitz said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | 2022-09-21T11:43:53+00:00 | ktalnews.com | https://www.ktalnews.com/money-matters/why-your-amazon-package-could-cost-more-next-month/ |
WFO BUFFALO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, September 19, 2022
_____
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
649 PM EDT Mon Sep 19 2022
...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of eastern Wayne and
Cayuga Counties through 715 PM EDT...
At 649 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from 7 miles northeast of Chimney Bluffs State Park
to near Newark. Movement was southeast at 25 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...
Fair Haven Beach State Park, Lyons, Clyde, Weedsport, Cato, Sterling,
Rose, Ira, Conquest, Savannah, Wolcott, Port Byron, Red Creek,
Meridian, North Rose and South Butler.
This includes Interstate 90 near exit 40.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with these storms and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
LAT...LON 4311 7649 4310 7650 4303 7650 4302 7679
4308 7701 4338 7673 4335 7661 4325 7660
4325 7649 4315 7648 4314 7649 4313 7648
4310 7647
TIME...MOT...LOC 2249Z 307DEG 21KT 4336 7683 4311 7707
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...30 MPH
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | 2022-09-20T00:11:12+00:00 | expressnews.com | https://www.expressnews.com/weather/article/NY-WFO-BUFFALO-Warnings-Watches-and-Advisories-17452891.php |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — She’s done it again.
Dolly Parton has donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to help fund the fight against serious infectious diseases in children. The funds will be used for pediatric infectious disease research, the university said in a press release.
“I love all children. No child should ever have to suffer, and I’m willing to do my part to try and keep as many of them as I can as healthy and safe as possible,” Parton said in the release.
Parton’s fame grew even brighter during the pandemic after a $1 million donation to VUMC funded research that advanced the battle against COVID-19 — resulting in the Moderna vaccine. The donation in April 2020 honored her friend, Dr. Naji Abumrad, a professor of surgery.
“We are deeply honored by Dolly’s contribution to our research mission,” said Dr. Mark Denison, professor of Pediatrics and director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. “For over 40 years our division has been a national and international leader in studies for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of life-threatening infections, and this gift will accelerate our work and support new ideas.”
Parton has also donated to the Monroe Carell Jr Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt Pediatric Cancer Program in honor of Abumrad and her niece Hannah Dennison, who was successfully treated for leukemia at Children’s Hospital.
“Dolly’s previous support to infectious disease research, and also our pediatric cancer program, has already saved countless lives,” said Dr. Jeff Balser, President and CEO of VUMC and Dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “This new gift will bolster our defenses against future threats to the safety of this region and society as a whole. It speaks volumes about her passion for people, and we couldn’t be more thankful.”
Parton has also supported Sevier County hospital, in her hometown of Sevierville. In 2007, she raised $1 million for a new hospital. The LeConte Medical Center opened in 2010 and is home to the Dolly Parton Center for Women’s Services.
It’s been a busy year for Parton, who launched a book and album with James Patterson called ‘Run Rose Run.’ The book will be made into a movie with Sony Pictures. Next up, Parton will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Nov. 5, in Los Angeles, despite first humbly bowing out of consideration. | 2022-06-15T23:45:40+00:00 | wdtn.com | https://www.wdtn.com/news/dolly-parton-donates-1m-to-pediatric-infectious-disease-research/ |
Keke Palmer and her boo, Darius Jackson, celebrated the birth of their son on Monday and revealed that his name is Leodis Andrellton Jackson, who has the baby-naming brigade sharing their thoughts.
Okay, we can’t front. Celebrities are doing too damn much when naming their children, to the point their pets have better names.
This is not one of those cases here.
Palmer is understandably ecstatic to welcome her son into the world and introduce him to her fans in an Instagram gallery featuring videos and, of course, a photo of baby Leodis. In the caption, she begins, “Hey Son!!!!,” before writing “Born during Black History Month, with a name to match. LEODIS ANDRELLTON JACKSON, welcome to the world, baby Leo.”
No kidding that is a very STRONG, Black name.
As with any celebrity baby name reveal, social media always has thoughts. One Twitter user wrote, “That name sound like it led a civil rights March.”
Palmer, easily one of the wittiest celebs on Twitter, responded, “It’s giving I marched with Martin, purrrr.”
Ha, gotta love Keke Palmer.
Still, plenty of other people have some thoughts about the child’s name like Britni Danielle, the senior culture editor at ESPN’s Andscape, wrote, “Who granddaddy Keke’s baby named after??”
Another Twitter user wrote, “Keke Palmer said she bringing back the strong BLACK names. The great granddaddy names! She said her son gone know how to chop wood, start fires & build houses with his bare hands.”
Keke Palmer Told Us Her Son’s Name Was Going To Be Black ASF
To her credit, the actress put us on notice ahead of time about her son’s name, stating, “It gives Black American storyline,” and “We’re not going for anything too unique. It’s not about to be Stone and Sand. It’s just like a nice natural [name].”
Mission accomplished.
You can peep more reactions to Keke Palmer’s son’s name in the gallery below.
—
Photo: VALERIE MACON / Getty
The post Keke Palmer Names Her Newborn Son Leodis, Twitter Loves His “Strong Black Name” appeared first on The Latest Hip-Hop News, Music and Media | Hip-Hop Wired.
Keke Palmer Names Her Newborn Son Leodis, Twitter Loves His “Strong Black Name” was originally published on hiphopwired.com | 2023-03-03T05:50:34+00:00 | hot1009.com | https://hot1009.com/playlist/keke-palmer-names-her-newborn-son-leodis-twitter-loves-his-strong-black-name/ |
The average for a gallon of regular gas reached an all-time high of $4.40 on Wednesday after increasing by 3 cents overnight, AAA said.
Wednesday's price hike marked the second straight day gas prices set a record high in the U.S.
According to AAA, gas has increased 18 cents in the last week, 29 cents in the last month and $1.42 in the last year. This week's records topped the nation’s previous record of $4.33 set back on March 11.
Several states — California, Nevada and Hawaii — are averaging more than $5 per gallon. Meanwhile, a handful of states — Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi and Georgia — still have average gas prices below $4 a gallon.
AAA cited decreased supply of global oil and increased demand for the rising prices.
“With the cost of oil accounting for more than half of the pump price, more expensive oil means more expensive gasoline,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “These prices are creeping closer to those record-high levels of early March.”
The cost of crude oil jumped significantly from December 2021 through March 2022, going from a low of $65 a barrel to a high of $119.
The sting Americans are feeling at gas stations is shared throughout the world. For instance, the Canadian Automobile Association reports gas hit $5.70 (U.S. dollars) a gallon on Wednesday, nearing a record high. The U.K. is reporting the equivalent of $7.69 a gallon.
Diesel fuel also continues to set records, reaching $5.55 a gallon on Wednesday. | 2022-05-11T12:55:51+00:00 | abc15.com | https://www.abc15.com/news/national/u-s-gas-prices-set-record-for-second-straight-day |
Woman has twins after losing ovaries from cancer
(CNN) - There were an estimated 1.9 million new cancer cases in the U.S. in 2022, according to the American Cancer Society.
Treatments like chemotherapy can cause changes to fertility that are temporary or permanent.
One cancer survivor lost her ovaries but not her hope of having more children. In 2020, Shelly Battista headed back to work with a newborn at home.
“I was pumping more at work, and that’s when I noticed a lump in my breast,” Battista said.
She thought it was a clogged milk duct, but a biopsy revealed that was not the case. Despite having no family history, the new mother was diagnosed with a triple-negative breast cancer and the BRCA1 mutation.
“What 34-year-old thinks, ‘Oh, I probably have breast cancer.’ So, it was very surreal. Very shocking,” she said.
Almost as devastating was the thought of getting through cancer and not being able to have more children in the future. Before chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and the removal of her ovaries and fallopian tubes, Battista met with Dr. Kara Goldman with the Northwestern Medicine Center for Fertility & Reproductive Medicine.
“She knew that this chemotherapy would save her life but would likely take her fertility,” Goldman said.
Eight healthy embryos were frozen. One year after her cancer treatment, Battista was cleared for pregnancy.
“There’s a tremendous misconception that you have to have ovaries in order to carry a pregnancy, but actually the ovaries and uterus function quite separately from each other,” Goldman said.
There were two failed embryo transfers before success a third time.
“We didn’t want to get our hopes up too high, right?” Battista said. “So, when we got the phone call from Dr. Goldman - she called us herself - we were very, very ecstatic.”
During the first ultrasound there was another surprise.
“She moved the doppler a little bit, and she’s like, “Oh, look! There’s two of them!” the mom said.
The twin baby girls were born two years to the day Battista had been declared cancer-free.
“I always wanted at least three kids, so this was amazing,” Battista said.
Since Battista found out through genetic testing that she had the BCRA1 mutation, her mom and younger sister also got tested. They, too, learned they have the mutation and have been able to do some preventative care because of it.
Copyright 2023 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | 2023-01-19T16:42:45+00:00 | kmvt.com | https://www.kmvt.com/2023/01/19/woman-has-twins-after-losing-ovaries-cancer/ |
City councilors and the Wu administration last year clashed over millions of dollars in cuts to the Police Department’s budget. The debate saw the council flex its budgetary powers, a mayoral veto of proposed cuts, and a council override attempt.
This year, the issue has flown under the radar, fading into the background behind a run of major pieces of legislation, drama over council redistricting, and acrimony among members of the divided council.
But now the issue of budget cuts is moving to the fore, even if in lower dollar amounts. On Thursday, the council held all-day hearings on the proposed $405 million police budget, where the department’s top brass took questions from councilors and defended the budget request.
Advertisement
Tania Fernandes Anderson, who chairs the council’s ways and means committee, said she is working on amendments to take several million from the police budget and use that money for other services. The largest chunk would be $2.6 million for a mental health crisis response program that’s housed in the Boston Public Health Commission.
“Let’s talk about the numbers and see what makes sense,” Fernandes Anderson told police officials toward the end of what had been nearly six hours of hearings about the department’s budget. Later she told told Globe, “There’s definitely going to be amendments.”
Last year, the council tried to cut $13 million from the police budget, including $10 million from overtime, a tricky proposition that has been floated in recent years as it is one of the few spending categories that can exceed its budget. The department chronically goes over its budgeted overtime. Mayor Michelle Wu vetoed that proposal, and instead trimmed $1.2 million from personnel.
Police Commissioner Michael Cox pushed back on the idea of cutting substantially from the department, saying it would exacerbate staffing issues. He also defended the fact that the department ends up overshooting its overtime budget, saying the department is just covering minimum staffing.
Advertisement
“Our responsibilities are only going up, our call volume is only going up,” Cox told councilors. “The only way we can fit that gap is through overtime.”
City Councilor Kendra Lara, who acknowledged that she’s “usually the one looking to reduce the budget,” said she, too, would like $2.6 million for mental health responses to 911 calls.
Other councilors, though, said they need to avoid moves to cut the department’s spending.
“In my opinion, we need to hire 200, 300 police officers a year for the next 10 years,” City Council President Ed Flynn said.
And City Councilor Michael Flaherty said Boston doesn’t want to “make those mistakes” of other cities “who took a meat cleaver to their department’s budget.”
A group of advocates from Youth Justice & Power Union who attended Thursday’s meeting called for cutting the police budget by $115 million.
City Councilor Julia Mejia said “there is a level of mistrust” between many communities of color and the police department.
“I just don’t see the amount of investments being made to shift the culture” within the department to encourage more trust, Mejia said. She encouraged the department to “share the wealth” and support moving some money and responsibilities to other departments.
Cox did say the department has “an image problem,” though it’s one largely reflective of people’s views of police in general, he added.
As for staffing, he said, “We need to attract more diverse people, people from the city, from all walks of life.”
Advertisement
The issue of the police budget comes before the council as it lurches through what have been generally sparsely attended budget hearings.
A Wednesday working session chaired by Fernandes Anderson was intended to be the first of several talking about amendments, but it lasted only a few minutes. After it quickly reduced down to just her and City Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune, the chair gaveled the meeting out, expressing frustration about the lack of participation from her colleagues.
“I’m not sure how we’re going to be able to make amendments if folks don’t know what’s going on,” Fernandes Anderson said Wednesday before wrapping up the meeting.
The police budget has been a flashpoint since 2020, when calls to defund the police echoed through the streets during nationwide protests sparked by murder of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by Minneapolis police.
At the time, a group of councilors including Wu signed an open letter calling for a 10 percent reduction in the department’s budget.
Then-mayor Martin J. Walsh resubmitted the city’s budget with a $12 million cut in police overtime, and through weeks of coaxing and cajoling members of the council, the body eventually passed the annual appropriation.
A year later, in 2021, Boston residents voted to give the council the ability to amend the budget. Up until last year, they’d only been able to vote the whole thing up or down.
Advertisement
In 2022, the council made a run at cuts to police and fire budgets, seeking to move that money to services such as youth jobs programs. Wu vetoed nearly all of it. Though the council overrode her veto of cuts to the Fire Department, it fell a vote shy of sustaining the police cuts.
Fernandes Anderson, the budget chair, said on Thursday that she will invite police to take part in a future working session focused specifically on this year’s potential budget amendments to the police and fire departments.
Sean Cotter can be reached at sean.cotter@globe.com.Follow him on Twitter @cotterreporter. | 2023-05-11T23:54:37+00:00 | bostonglobe.com | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/05/11/metro/boston-police-budget-returning-fore-council-mulls-amendments/ |
DAVIS, Calif. — Bent Leuchten scored 31 points as UC Irvine beat UC Davis 88-83 on Thursday.
The Aggies (7-7) were led in scoring by Elijah Pepper, who finished with 27 points, seven assists and two steals. UC Davis also got 25 points and four steals from Ty Johnson. In addition, Christian Anigwe had 13 points.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. | 2023-01-06T05:58:16+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/leuchten-scores-31-as-uc-irvine-takes-down-uc-davis-88-83/2023/01/06/ce97cf4e-8d81-11ed-b86a-2e3a77336b8e_story.html |
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) for the first time on Thursday addressed a claim by former President Trump that he would be arrested in connection to an investigation into a hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels, calling it the creation of a “false expectation.”
Bragg, in response to demands by House Republicans to force his testimony and turn over all documents and communication on the case, wrote in a letter to Congress that such a move was an “unprecendent[ed] inquiry into a pending local prosecution.”
“The letter only came after Donald Trump created a false expectation that he would be arrested the next day and his lawyers reportedly urged you to intervene,” Bragg wrote.
Trump wrote in a Truth Social post over the weekend that he expected to be arrested on Tuesday in connection to the probe, but as of Thursday morning, no charges have been announced and the grand jury weighing the case is not expected to meet for the rest of the week.
In a Saturday post, Trump wrote that “illegal leaks” indicate that “the far & away leading Republican candidate & former president of the United States of America, will be arrested on Tuesday of next week.”
“Protest, take our nation back!” Trump added.
Trump’s call was shortly followed by a demand from a trio of House Republican chairmen on Monday for testimony from Bragg ahead of his anticipated prosecution of Trump in connection to the hush money payment made just before Trump’s 2016 election. Monday was also the same day a last-minute witness, attorney and Trump ally Robert Costello, appeared before the grand jury.
In a lengthy response, Bragg addressed Trump’s fears of an imminent arrest and said he could not reveal details about the investigation, as such a move could violate the confidentiality of all involved, including potential defendants such as Trump.
On Thursday morning, Trump again professed innocence in the matter and accused Bragg’s inquiry as being politically motivated.
“Everybody knows I’m 100% innocent, including Bragg, but he doesn’t care,” Trump wrote. | 2023-03-23T16:17:07+00:00 | ksn.com | https://www.ksn.com/hill-politics/bragg-says-trump-created-false-expectation-on-potential-arrest/ |
GOLDEN — Seventeen months after voters in this city said yes to recreational cannabis sales — and nearly a decade after the first retail joint and edible were sold in Colorado — this tourist-friendly city on the western fringe of the metro area is finally joining the pot party.
Verts Neighborhood Dispensary, formerly Golden Alternative Medicine and the city’s only medical marijuana shop, made its first recreational cannabis sale during a soft opening of the re-branded store this week.
Verts formally opens its doors at 511 Orchard St. on April 5 with a ribbon-cutting at — wait for it — 4:20 p.m.
For co-owner Ashley Close, the transition to recreational sales was nothing less than a matter of survival, as the medical side of the business in Colorado has slowed in recent years.
“Medical in general is going consistently down,” said Close, as an employee polished the windows of display cases inside the store Wednesday. “If we couldn’t get the city of Golden to allow this, we would have to close down.”
Verts will get a three to four-month head start on the competition — three other stores that got licenses to sell recreational weed in Golden aren’t expected to open for business until the summer. Only four dispensaries are permitted in the city.
What brought Golden to this moment was largely the result of what was going on around it.
For the first half-decade after legal sales began in Colorado in 2014, Jefferson County remained mostly a dry county for marijuana. Wheat Ridge, Edgewater and Mountain View had embraced the industry, but the big cities like Littleton, Lakewood, Arvada and Westminster had not.
That changed in 2020 when voters in both Littleton and Lakewood approved recreational sales.
Dan Rowland, another Verts co-owner and former director of public affairs for Denver’s Department of Excise & Licenses and the city’s Office of Marijuana Policy, said he and others in the industry started putting together a campaign for a citizen initiative to legalize sales in Golden.
That move brought city leaders to the table.
“We forced their hand,” Rowland said.
Steve Glueck, assistant to the city manager in Golden, said the city didn’t want to lose control of the process.
“We wanted to drive the bus — the city wanted to be in charge of what was going to happen,” Glueck said.
In April 2021, the city council referred two measures to the November ballot — one to permit sales and the other to impose a 6% city excise tax on marijuana transactions. Both passed, though the measure allowing sales squeaked through by only 54 votes out of nearly 6,600 cast.
“I remember waking up every 30 minutes that night as the totals were being updated and updated and updated,” Close said of that election night nearly 17 months ago.
But if anyone expects to see cannabis dispensaries popping up under the iconic “Howdy folks! Welcome to Golden” arch on Washington Street, think again. As part of the guardrails the city put in place, downtown Golden was made off-limits to pot shops as was the entire stretch of South Golden Road.
“The people of Golden are very protective of downtown,” Glueck said.
The city identified five locations in Golden where a shop could locate, including an area north of downtown near State Highway 93 and in the Colfax Avenue corridor to the south. Verts sits near the junction of heavily used U.S. 6 and Interstate 70.
“It doesn’t need to be in your face — I get it,” said Close about Golden’s decision to exclude downtown. “That’s common and expected.”
Truman Bradley, executive director of the Marijuana Industry Group, said zoning cannabis businesses to more far-flung parts of town is nothing new in Colorado.
“We often see this when communities first legalize,” he said. “There is still work to be done to gain acceptance and continue shedding the decades-long stigma associated with marijuana. It’s my hope that as businesses prove to be good neighbors that some of the restrictions go away. After all, marijuana is clearly safer than alcohol.”
Bradley, a resident of Golden, said he’s glad to see his city finally dip its toe in the water.
“For too long, Golden has been missing out on tax revenue as other residents and I have had to do our cannabis shopping elsewhere,” he said. “Now the tax money will be put to good use for Golden residents whether they voted for it or not.”
According to city estimates, Golden expects to collect $600,000 in marijuana excise tax revenue in 2024, the first year it will have all four shops open and selling. Glueck said the city will decide this summer where to direct those monies.
“The potential range would include substance abuse, mental health programs, housing insecurity and food insecurity — those would be the top four,” he said.
Close said she is wary as she opens her Golden store just as marijuana sales start to slow in Colorado. The state set a record in 2021 with more than $2.22 billion in sales.
“It’s competitive — it’s retail,” she said. “You gotta stay competitive.”
But that hasn’t dissuaded some from wondering when recreational weed can finally be had in Golden. During Tuesday night’s city council meeting, Councilwoman JJ Trout said anticipation is high.
“I have a friend texting for more than a year about when this is going to happen,” she said. | 2023-03-30T13:05:09+00:00 | denverpost.com | https://www.denverpost.com/2023/03/30/golden-recreational-marijuana-launch-election/ |
Here & Now‘s Scott Tong talks with NPR’s Deirdre Walsh about legislating in the House after Kevin McCarthy’s long fight to become speaker.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
Here & Now‘s Scott Tong talks with NPR’s Deirdre Walsh about legislating in the House after Kevin McCarthy’s long fight to become speaker.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-01-09T21:00:28+00:00 | delawarepublic.org | https://www.delawarepublic.org/2023-01-09/what-kevin-mccarthys-fight-to-become-house-speaker-means-for-legislating-this-term |
Clive and Susan Keen told the CBC that unusual autumn warmth likely confused the bird. Once the first snow fell, the couple captured the bird and drove it nine hours south and set it free in a park.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Clive and Susan Keen told the CBC that unusual autumn warmth likely confused the bird. Once the first snow fell, the couple captured the bird and drove it nine hours south and set it free in a park.
Copyright 2022 NPR | 2022-11-10T12:58:25+00:00 | delawarepublic.org | https://www.delawarepublic.org/2022-11-10/canadian-birders-in-british-columbia-help-a-hummingbird-migrate-south |
MONTGOMERY (AP) — Driven by a “personal vendetta” against a toll bridge company, Alabama's transportation director planned to build an unnecessary bridge across the Intracoastal Waterway at a cost of more than $100 million to the state, according to a judge who ordered construction to stop Wednesday.
Montgomery Circuit Judge Jimmy Pool, siding with the toll bridge company, issued a preliminary injunction ordering a halt to construction of the project. Pool said trial evidence showed that Transportation Director John Cooper pushed for the new bridge without traffic studies and had only one discussion about it with the governor,
“Director Cooper’s outrageous conduct in embarking on spending more than $120 million of State funds, on a bridge that ALDOT does not need, for the purpose of putting a private company out of business shocks the conscience of the Court,” Pool wrote.
Baldwin County Bridge Company, which operates the existing toll bridge to get to Gulf beaches, filed a lawsuit seeking to block construction of the new bridge that would be located just over 1 mile away from its existing toll bridge. The company argued that Cooper acted in bad faith during negotiations to lower toll amounts and other operational changes, then pursued the new bridge project to financially damage the company.
Transportation Department spokesperson Tony Harris said the state will appeal to the Alabama Supreme Court.
“We are disappointed in the decision because it’s clear that a new, free bridge is needed to help alleviate traffic congestion and offer a new evacuation option to residents and visitors to Alabama’s Gulf Coast,” Harris wrote in an emailed statement. “Years of negotiations with the private toll bridge company failed to deliver a solution. The public benefit of a new, free bridge should outweigh the interests of the private toll bridge company."
During trial testimony, Cooper defended the decision to proceed with the project last year. Cooper said an alternative route is needed to alleviate traffic congestion on the highway leading to state beaches. He said the decision was made based on traffic data and support from local and state officials.
The Transportation Department last year signed a $52 million contract for bridge construction. An attorney for the toll bridge company said the expense of related roadways will bring the total cost to $120 million.
“People in positions of authority representing the government cannot do or say anything they want. When government officials attempt to target businesses through bad faith, the courts of Alabama will hold them accountable," said Joe Espy, a lawyer for the toll bridge company.
Support local journalism reporting on your community
* New Subscribers Only * Digital Subscription Only
After the initial selected subscription period your subscription rate will auto renew at $12.00 per month.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article. | 2023-05-19T06:18:17+00:00 | timesdaily.com | https://www.timesdaily.com/news/state/judge-says-aldot-director-had-personal-vendetta/article_9ebcbdbc-0c7b-5da2-bf3b-0e13393c0d2e.html |
AL RAYYAN, Qatar (AP) — When it comes down to a penalty shootout at the World Cup, count on Croatia to make it through.
Twice already at the tournament in Qatar and twice four years ago in Russia, the Croats had to steel themselves for one of the toughest — and certainly one of the cruelest — tests in soccer.
They won all four of them.
The latest shootout knocked five-time champion Brazil out of the World Cup on Friday. Croatia won 4-2 after a 1-1 draw through extra time.
“We have demonstrated what Croatia is, what the Croatia team is,” said Zlatko Dalić, the coach who led the squad through all four of those shootouts. “We are a small country and we won against the greatest favorites at the World Cup.”
Neymar and his teammates should have known what was coming at Education City Stadium.
Croatia needed penalties to beat Denmark in the round of 16 four years ago, then defeated host Russia by the same means in the quarterfinals before eventually losing to France in regulation time in the final. This year, Japan was sent home in the round of 16 after 1-1 draw before Brazil followed in yet another shootout.
Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic got things started on Friday, saving the opening penalty attempt from Rodrygo. Croatia converted all four of its penalty kicks, with captain Luka Modric third in line.
It came down to Marquinhos to keep Brazil in the tournament but he hit the post before dropping to his knees, crestfallen.
“We are raised as fighters, giving our best,” Livakovic said. ”And that’s the recipe for success.”
Livakovic had made several key saves throughout the match, but Neymar gave Brazil the lead at the end of the first half of extra time. Croatia substitute Bruno Petkovic equalized in the 117th minute.
That was a key goal, no question, but Livakovic was the key player.
“He was the difference in crucial moments that saved us,” Dalić said. “He saved the first penalty and gave us confidence and a lack of confidence for the rival because they were afraid he would save them again. He made a difference through the whole match.”
___
James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
___
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2022-12-10T15:32:13+00:00 | kron4.com | https://www.kron4.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-croatia-wins-yet-another-penalty-shootout-at-world-cup/ |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The western Joshua tree won’t be listed as threatened — yet — as California’s Fish and Game Commission again delayed a decision Wednesday after a bill was proposed to provide protections to the native desert plant.
The proposed legislation, the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act, was made public late Tuesday. Backed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration, it would prohibit anyone from importing, exporting or removing the tree without a permit from the state. It would also require the state to work with Native American tribes to draft a conservation plan for the tree by 2024.
“The western Joshua tree is iconic,” California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Chuck Bonham said Wednesday. “It deserves special consideration through its own law.”
Bonham said the legislation would mandate protections for the tree while also simplifying the permit process for getting permission to remove it.
The bill states that “there is a critical need to immediately conserve the species while also ensuring timely and efficient permitting mechanisms for activities within its range.”
The proposal comes after the Fish and Game Commission, an agency that sets regulations for the Department of Fish and Wildlife to implement, has spent months deliberating on whether to list the tree as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act after advancing a petition on the issue in 2020.
The Center for Biological Diversity, which filed the petition in 2019, says it needs to be protected from threats driven by climate change. While the center is pleased Newsom’s administration is taking up this issue with the proposed legislation, Brendan Cummings, the group’s conservation director, still wants to see the tree listed as threatened.
Cummings said the western Joshua tree is different from species already listed as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act because it still exists in large numbers. Despite this, he said “there’s a whole body of peer-reviewed published science” that show the threats climate change poses to the species.
“We just need to ensure that we’re protecting the right places long term and doing, probably, active management to help the species get through the very difficult decades ahead,” Cummings said.
The California Endangered Species Act, a decades-old law aimed at conserving plants and animals at risk of extinction, protects about 250 species listed as threatened. Species under consideration to be listed also receive protections.
The Fish and Game Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to postpone its decision, allowing for the tree to remain protected in the meantime, so it cannot be removed without permission from the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“I see something that has the potential to really be CESA equivalent but that is less burdensome in the correct areas,” Commissioner Samantha Murray said, referring to the Endangered Species Act.
In June, some opposed to listing the tree as threatened made public comments about the impact the move could have on housing and solar projects in the region. In October, the commission voted to push back its decision to give more time for tribes to weigh in on the issue.
___
Sophie Austin 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 Austin on Twitter: @sophieadanna | 2023-02-09T06:38:54+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/science/ap-science/ap-california-bill-would-protect-native-western-joshua-tree/ |
Valerie Bertinelli is looking forward to better days. On Monday, ET confirmed that the 62-year-old actress filed for divorce from husband Tom Vitale after 11 years of marriage.
That same day on TikTok, Bertinelli responded to a fan who commented in part, "I'm worried about you...you seem so distressed and sad."
In a video, a clearly emotional Bertinelli admitted, "I'm just having a bad day. But you know what, sometimes we have bad days and then we get over them and then there's a good day. So I'm looking forward to the good day. F**k this bad day."
The Food Network star also posted a video to TikTok with the lyrics of Taylor Swift's breakup song, "Tolerate It," and captioned the post, "Divorce sucks."
@realwolfiesmom Divorce sucks.
♬ original sound - Valerie
Bertinelli filed for divorce at the Los Angeles Superior Court of California on May 12, citing "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for her and Vitale's breakup.
The Hot in Cleveland star married Vitale, a financial planner, in January 2011 after dating for several years. The pair do not have any children together and, according to the documents, a prenuptial agreement is in order.
The couple first announced their separation in November 2021, though they actually have been broken up since December 2019. Vitale is Bertinelli's second husband. She was first married to the late rock star Eddie Van Halen from 1981 to 2007. They share one child together, 31-year-old Wolf Van Halen.
RELATED CONTENT: | 2022-05-18T01:05:50+00:00 | wgrz.com | https://www.wgrz.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-tonight/valerie-bertinelli-responds-to-fan-who-says-she-looks-distressed-and-sad-amid-divorce-from-tom-vitale/603-5fd6d5b3-0278-434b-b3d9-58c9c04e5534 |
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns, Brett Maher kicked the go-ahead field goal late and the Dallas Cowboys beat the Philadelphia Eagles 40-34 on Saturday.
Gardner Minshew threw two scoring passes and had a TD run filling in for the injured Jalen Hurts, but his second interception set up Maher's go-ahead kick.
Four days after speaking at the memorial service of his college coach, Mike Leach, Minshew had Philadelphia 19 yards from a potential winning touchdown in the final seconds, but his desperation pass into the end zone on fourth-and-10 wasn't anywhere near a receiver.
The NFL-leading Eagles (13-2) had two turnovers in the final five minutes and missed a chance to clinch the NFC's top seed in a matchup of playoff-bound division rivals.
Dallas, the defending NFC East champ, kept alive faint hopes of catching them.
One Philadelphia victory or loss by Dallas (11-4) in the final two games would wrap up home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs for the Eagles.
The Eagles had plenty of chances to wrap everything up in this game, but instead had their five-game winning streak stopped. And they got off to a strong start when defensive end Josh Sweat snared an ill-advised throw by Prescott and ran 42 yards for a touchdown and an early 10-0 lead.
T.Y. Hilton’s first catch in his Dallas debut was a 52-yarder on third-and-30, setting up CeeDee Lamb’s second touchdown on a 7-yard pass for a 34-34 tie with 5:49 remaining.
Rookie cornerback DaRon Bland took the ball away from Philadelphia receiver Quez Watkins for Minshew's second interception, leading to Maher's 48-yard kick for a 37-34 lead.
The Cowboys had to settle for Maher's fourth field goal after Miles Sanders fumbled on the first play of the Eagles' next possession.
Needing a touchdown to win, Minshew got the Eagles to the Dallas 19-yard line with a 22-yard completion to DeVonta Smith, who had two touchdown catches.
After spiking the ball to stop the clock, Minshew threw incomplete twice. He was never sacked against the league's No. 2 defense in sacks, but faced heavy pressure on the decisive play and had to chuck the ball deep.
Dallas won by the same score as an overtime loss at Jacksonville a week earlier. Despite that loss, the Cowboys clinched a playoff spot a few hours later when the New York Giants beat Washington.
Prescott had his first 300-yard game of the season, bouncing back from Sweat's interception on his third pass to go 27 of 35.
Minshew threw for 355 yards, completing 24 of 40 passes in his first start of the season after Hurts sprained his right shoulder in last week's win over Chicago.
Even though the Eagles had to play without their MVP candidate, they gave Minshew the day off Tuesday to speak at the service for Leach. The 61-year-old Mississippi State coach, who died of complications from a heart condition, was Minshew’s coach at Washington State.
Lamb had 100 yards receiving in a half for the first time in his three-year career, finishing with 103 before the break on the way to 10 catches for 120 yards.
Smith had eight catches for 113 yards, and A.J. Brown added 103 yards on six grabs for Philly.
INJURIES
Eagles: CB Avonte Maddox (toe) and DT Jordan Davis (head) were ruled out after getting injured in the first half.
Cowboys: Rookie DE Sam Williams was inactive after being involved in a car wreck Thursday. Owner Jerry Jones said Friday on his radio show Williams was dealing with concussion symptoms.
UP NEXT
Eagles: Two home games to finish the regular season, starting New Year's Day against New Orleans.
Cowboys: Two road games before the playoffs, the first at skidding Tennessee on Thursday night.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | 2022-12-25T01:13:26+00:00 | expressnews.com | https://www.expressnews.com/sports/article/Prescott-Cowboys-win-40-34-make-Eagles-wait-on-17676348.php |
TOKYO (AP) — Japanese prosecutors are expected to formally charge the suspect in the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with murder on Friday, his lawyer said.
Tetsuya Yamagami was arrested immediately after allegedly shooting Abe with a handmade gun as the former leader was making a campaign speech in July outside a train station in Nara in western Japan. Later that month, Yamagami was sent to an Osaka detention center and given a five-month mental evaluation, which ended Tuesday.
Yamagami is now back in police custody in Nara after reportedly being deemed fit to stand trial.
One of his lawyers, Masaaki Furukawa, told The Associated Press on Thursday that he expects prosecutors to charge Yamagami with murder and gun control law violations.
Given the complexity of the case, it will take months before his trial begins, he said.
Furukawa said he and two other lawyers took turns visiting Yamagami at the detention center every 10-12 days, in between his examination by psychiatric experts. His visitors were limited to his lawyers and sister, he said.
Furukawa said Yamagami was in good health at the detention center. He said he could not disclose the details of their conversations before seeing what evidence prosecutors submit to the court in their indictment.
Police say Yamagami told them that he killed Abe, one of Japan’s most influential and divisive politicians, because of Abe’s apparent links to a religious group that he hated. In his statements and in social media postings attributed to him, Yamagami said he developed a grudge because his mother had made massive donations to the Unification Church which bankrupted his family and ruined his life.
“It’s an extremely serious case, but someone has to defend him,” Furukawa said. “Naturally, he will have to take criminal responsibility for the serious consequences he caused by allegedly firing his gun to take away the life of a politician, and we are tasked with doing our best to reduce his punishment.”
Yamagami’s father, an executive of a company founded by the suspect’s grandfather, killed himself when Yamagami was 4 years old. After his mother joined the church, she began making large donations that bankrupted the family and shattered Yamagami’s hope of going to college. His brother later committed suicide. After a three-year stint in the navy, Yamagami was most recently a factory worker.
Some Japanese have expressed sympathy for Yamagami, especially those who also suffered as children of followers of the South Korea-based Unification Church, which is known for pressuring adherents into making big donations and is considered a cult in Japan.
Thousands of people have signed a petition requesting leniency for Yamagami, and others have sent care packages to his relatives or the detention center.
The investigation into the case has led to revelations of years of cozy ties between Abe’s governing Liberal Democratic Party and the church since Abe’s grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, helped the church take root in Japan in the 1960s over shared interests in conservative and anti-communist causes.
Current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s popularity has plunged over his handling of the church controversy and for insisting on holding a rare, controversial state funeral for Abe.
In a September 2021 video message, Abe praised the Unification Church’s work for peace on the Korean Peninsula and its focus on traditional family values. | 2023-01-13T00:55:54+00:00 | ktalnews.com | https://www.ktalnews.com/news/u-s-world/ap-lawyer-suspect-in-abe-assassination-to-face-murder-charge/ |
BANGKOK (AP) — European shares were higher Wednesday after a mixed session in Asia in the absence of major data releases.
Germany’s DAX rose 0.7% to 13,987.59 while the CAC 40 in Paris jumped 1% to 6,514.30. Britain’s FTSE 100 gained 0.5% to 7,407.92.
The future for the S&P 500 advanced 0.7% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 0.8%.
Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index slipped 0.7%, to 26,387.72, a day after the Bank of Japan gave in to pressure on the yen by expanding the cap on the yield of the 10-year Japanese government bond to 0.50%. It had been 0.25%.
On Tuesday, the Nikkei 225 lost 2.5%.
The Japanese central bank has kept its key lending rate at minus 0.1% for years, trying to spur growth by keeping credit ultra cheap. The slight softening of its stance against raising interest rates to cut inflation rattled world markets Tuesday, with bond yields pushing higher.
Higher yields make borrowing more expensive, slowing the economy. That can alleviate upward pressure on prices, but it also pulls prices for stocks and other investments lower.
The widening gap between the BOJ’s benchmark rate and rising interest rates in the U.S. and other economies has weakened the yen against the U.S. dollar and other currencies, causing prices for imported oil, consumer goods and industrial inputs to surge and adding to pressures on its economy.
“Ultimately, the BOJ is reacting to a dysfunctioning bond market and a weakening yen. But the move also represents the fall of one of the last central bank hold-outs of ultra-low rate policy,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.
Central banks around the world have been raising rates at an explosive clip and a growing number of economists and investors see a recession hitting in 2023. Both the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank have pledged to keep raising rates into next year to be sure they get inflation under control.
At the same time, fresh waves of COVID-19 infections in China, Japan and other countries are casting a shadow over pandemic recoveries.
In other Asian trading, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.3% to 19,160.49 and the Shanghai Composite index slipped 0.2% to 3,068.41.
South Korea’s Kospi lost 0.2% to 2,328.95. In Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 1.3% to 7,115.10. Shares rose in Bangkok and Taiwan but fell in Mumbai.
On Tuesday, the S&P 500 rose 0.1% while the Dow industrials climbed 0.3%. The Nasdaq composite barely budged, closing less than 0.1% higher. Small company stocks outdid the broader market, lifting the Russell 2000 index 0.5%.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 3.70% from 3.59% late Monday. That yield helps set rates for mortgages and other economy-setting loans, which has already meant particular pain for the U.S. housing market.
The two-year U.S. Treasury yield, which tends to more closely track expectations for action from the Federal Reserve, was more reserved. It held steady at 4.26%.
In the foreign exchange market, the dollar rose to 131.70 Japanese yen from 131.62 yen. Tokyo’s surprise move on Tuesday had pulled the dollar 4% lower against the yen.
The euro fell to $1.0615 from $1.0626.
U.S. benchmark crude oil gained 77 cents to $77.00 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It gained 1.2% on Tuesday.
Brent crude, the pricing basis for international trading, picked up 85 cents to $80.84 per barrel. | 2022-12-21T11:28:42+00:00 | upmatters.com | https://www.upmatters.com/news/business/ap-business/ap-asian-shares-mixed-as-recession-worries-temper-wall-st-gains/ |
- The 152 MW Grizzly Bear Creek wind project is slated for completion by the end of 2022
- The wind project is Enel Green Power's fourth in Alberta and will bring the company's total installed capacity to over 360 MW in the province
VERMILION, AB, June 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Enel Green Power Canada Inc. has started the main construction phase of the 152 MW Grizzly Bear Creek wind project in the counties of Minburn and Vermilion River in Alberta, Canada. This phase of major construction work, including turbine installment, comes after the Alberta Utilities Commission granted an updated permit for the project.
"Grizzly Bear Creek will add diversity to the robust energy sector that serves as the backbone of Alberta's economy," said Paolo Romanacci, Head of Enel Green Power in the US and Canada. "Enel Green Power has proudly powered the homes and businesses of tens of thousands of Albertans with clean renewable power, which helps make power more affordable and helps Canada meet its ambitious sustainability goals. After more than a decade of serving Albertans, we're excited to keep building with our next major investment in the province."
"Alberta is a destination of choice for businesses and we continue to attract investment. The Grizzly Bear Creek Wind Project is further proof of Alberta's economic momentum and growth in our energy sector. This project not only creates opportunities in the local economy, it will benefit the province as a whole." - Hon. Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Jobs, Economy, and Innovation
Grizzly Bear Creek will consist of 34 turbines that are expected to generate 528 GWh of energy each year, enough to avoid 343,000 tons of CO2 emissions and meet the electricity needs of over 73,000 Alberta households annually.
The project will include approximately 250 workers during peak construction and create around 7 full-time, permanent jobs for operations and maintenance. Grizzly Bear Creek represents a reliable long-term economic stimulus for the counties of Minburn and Vermilion River. Over the project's 30-year lifetime it will pay landowners for the use of their lands and generate over $80 million in local tax revenues. Operations are expected to begin by the end of 2022.
Enel Green Power invests in the long-term sustainability of its host communities, identifying opportunities to support local partners in creating shared value. As part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company provided $20,000 in relief funds to social services agencies in Pincher Creek and the Piikani Nation. The company also provided additional funds to support food security and economic development through the Vegreville Food Bank.
"This project is the latest example of how Alberta's long-standing commitment to a fair, efficient and openly competitive market is driving the fastest-growing renewable energy sector in Canada. This investment also demonstrates the economic value of renewable energy in our province — creating jobs and leading to more affordable options for Albertans, without the use of taxpayer subsidies." – Hon. Dale Nally, Associate Minister for Natural Gas and Electricity
Enel Green Power currently operates three wind projects in Canada, all located in the Pincher Creek area in southern Alberta: Castle Rock Ridge I & II (105 MW) and Riverview (105 MW). Castle Rock Ridge II and Riverview began operations in 2020. Enel is also growing in Canada through its Enel X business line, providing advanced energy services including demand response and distributed energy resources. Enel X Way, the company's smart electric vehicle charging business, is expanding across the country through partnerships with major Canadian companies.
"Every single day, our government is working hard to diversify and grow our economy. Our plan is working and we want to make sure that every Albertan can benefit from our momentum," said Jackie Armstrong Homneiuk, MLA for Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville. "It's exciting to see leading edge companies like Enel choosing to make new investments here in Alberta. Grizzly Bear Creek will create jobs and new economic opportunities while adding to our energy mix." - Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk, Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville
Enel Green Power North America is a leading developer, long-term owner and operator of renewable energy plants in North America, with a presence in 14 US states and one Canadian province. The company's portfolio includes 64 plants totaling over 8 GW of installed capacity powered by renewable wind, geothermal and solar energy. Enel's portfolio also includes 12 utility-scale battery energy storage systems totaling 1,290 MWh of capacity under construction or in operation. https://www.enelgreenpower.com/countries/north-america/united-states
US & Canada News Media
T +405 358 3446
northamericamedia@enel.com
matt.epting@enel.com
enelgreenpower.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Enel Green Power North America | 2022-06-09T18:35:50+00:00 | wafb.com | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2022/06/09/enel-green-power-moving-forward-new-wind-project-alberta-with-start-main-construction-phase/ |
SHANGHAI, Nov. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- China's leading lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu hosted "Conversations with Xiaohongshu" during the fifth China International Import Expo (CIIE) this year, inviting well-known brands including Bestore, Forest Cabin, Orion, SHANGHAI Watch and SkinCeuticals to explore the dynamism of new consumption. Centered on the theme "Understanding China's Gen Z Consumers", Xiaohongshu discussed with these brands new consumption trends in China and how to co-create with young Chinese consumers to better meet their demands.
Xiaohongshu CMO Wang Yajuan said: "The CIIE is an excellent platform for domestic and overseas brands to meet and interact with Chinese consumers," adding that many brands will also start to engage consumers online after their debut at the CIIE, and are likely to become trending brands on Xiaohongshu.
Making friends with consumers
Facing the new consumption era in China, brands spoke about how important it is to make friends with their consumers to truly understand their needs.
"Using new communication styles, building new scenarios and delivering brand value consistently are ways to connect with China's young consumers," said Bingni Zhang, Joint General Manager of Watch Business Unit at SHANGHAI Watch, in her conversation with Xiaohongshu. Established in 1955, SHANGHAI Watch has refreshed its brand this year through a series of activities such as the debut of "The Monkey King Limited Edition" watch at the CIIE, the launch of its first flagship store at West Nanjing Road, Shanghai, as well as the launch of a new official website and official brand accounts on key social media platforms to increase exposure and attract consumer attention.
For South Korean confectionery company Orion's Head of China Marketing Jing Bei, a brand should make friends with its consumers to keep up with the times. Since the establishment of its first factory in China in the 1990s, Orion has been rooted in the Chinese market for more than 30 years. "In the past, brands led consumers. But today in the new consumption era, brands are running after consumers," she said.
"Making friends with users is constant and shouldn't change with time," said Zhou Rui, General Manager of Xiaohongshu's Monetization FMCG Industry Group. He emphasized that in this new consumption era, brands need to make friends with users to have in-depth insights into their needs. As a content community, users on Xiaohongshu are constantly sharing their experiences of using products, and through their posts, brands are able to find out what product values matter to users. These users can help brands pin down the selling points of a product from a consumer perspective, "translate" advertising slogans into "popular slang" that appeal to young people, and create high-quality content for brands to connect with their consumers.
Mary He, Branding Deputy General Manager of SkinCeuticals, expressed a similar view. "The ideas expressed by consumers are the source of inspiration for brands," she said, adding that brands need to listen to the real feedback of users in order to satisfy their ever-changing skincare needs.
Adapting to changing consumer needs
Zhong Tian, Head of Brand Communications at Bestore, believes that the consumer market is changing rapidly, but users should be at the center of any brand's strategy. He said: "Even though the solutions to user needs are ever-changing, we should constantly focus on providing consumers with high-quality products and services."
The essence of a successful brand is top-of-mind awareness. When a brand embarks on its product development strategy from a user perspective, it is able to truly address user needs and resonate with consumers. "There is no secret to attracting consumers. It is to patiently build your product, endure through time, be dedicated to your craftsmanship, and put users at the center of your business," said Bian Qing, General Manager of Branding, Forest Cabin. Since its establishment in 2003, Forest Cabin has continuously worked hard to refresh its brand, bringing better products and services to the market. "Imagination empowers product development, and inspiration for imagination comes from different settings in day-to-day life, which is why it is a long-term strategy for us to engage with consumers on content platforms such as Xiaohongshu."
Xiaohongshu, a platform where brands can flourish
Headquartered in Shanghai, Xiaohongshu is a representative of Shanghai's digital economy, playing an important role in driving the new consumption era by empowering brands to truly connect with China's Gen Z consumers. With over 200 million monthly active users and over 140,000 brands from more than 200 countries and regions around the world being mentioned on Xiaohongshu, of which over 78,000 are Chinese brands, Xiaohongshu is empowering brands to evolve from "one-way talking at consumers" to "two-way interaction with consumers", helping them gain resonance among a new generation of consumers, and contributing to a vibrant and growing consumption ecosystem.
About Xiaohongshu:
Visit https://www.xiaohongshu.com/en for more information
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Xiaohongshu | 2022-11-11T08:37:12+00:00 | wagmtv.com | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2022/11/11/xiaohongshu-invites-top-brands-share-insights-into-chinas-gen-z-consumers-during-ciie/ |
Midway through Thursday night’s loss to Buffalo, the Patriots started their final first-half drive at their 42-yard line with 1:20 remaining.
Three plays into the possession, they were stuffed on a second-and-1 run in Bills territory and allowed 10 seconds to run off before calling a timeout from the sideline as the offense hurried to snap the ball on third down. It was initially unclear whether the Patriots had moved the chains. Then, after the timeout, they ran a successful quarterback sneak on third-and-1 and burned their final timeout with 32 seconds left.
The sneak marked the third run call in four plays against the Bills, who were allowed to sit back in deep, soft coverage for the remainder of the possession to prevent a touchdown. With 33 yards and 32 seconds to reach the end zone, the Pats gained just four yards and attempted a field goal. That kick, a 48-yarder, hit the crossbar with 0:10 left and the Patriots trailed 17-7 heading into the break.
On Friday morning, Bill Belichick said he approved of the timeout usage and play-calling that led to a disjointed finish to that critical drive.
“Yeah, just making sure we had the situation there. Initially, it looked like we had a first down and then we didn’t,” Belichick said of the timeout before third down. “So, (we) should’ve identified it quicker.”
Belichick denied the offense was playing for a field goal at that moment.
“No,” Belichick said, “the thinking was to get a first down and try to score.”
The Patriots were then held scoreless until Folk drilled a meaningless 39-yard field goal with 1:57 left in the game, by which point Buffalo led by 17.
Join the Conversation
We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. | 2022-12-02T16:53:16+00:00 | bostonherald.com | https://www.bostonherald.com/2022/12/02/bill-belichick-explains-patriots-botched-2-minute-drill-in-1st-half-against-buffalo/ |
(The Hill) – NASA has suggested an experimental cooling system it is funding could ultimately allow electric vehicle users to charge their cars within five minutes.
The agency said a team led by a Purdue University professor has developed the “subcooled flow boiling” technology for experimentation, with the hope it can control future systems’ temperatures in space.
“A team sponsored by NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences Division is developing a new technology that will not only achieve orders-of-magnitude improvement in heat transfer to enable these systems to maintain proper temperatures in space, but will also enable significant reductions in size and weight of the hardware,” NASA said in a blog post last week.
“What’s more, this same technology may make owning an electric-powered car here on Earth easier and more feasible,” the post continued.
NASA indicated achieving such a feat of charging electric vehicles within five minutes would require chargers to provide current at 1,400 amperes, far higher than currently available technology.
Most chargers currently available support currents less than 150 amperes, while some of the most advanced chargers on the market deliver currents up to 520 amperes, the post noted.
But NASA said Purdue University’s developmental cable can provide currents of up to 2,400 amperes by removing heat through the new technology, which would deliver charging at 4.6 times the rate of the fastest charger currently available.
“Application of this new technology resulted in unprecedented reduction of the time required to charge a vehicle and may remove one of the key barriers to worldwide adoption of electric vehicles,” NASA wrote.
President Biden has emphasized a shift to electric vehicles as a significant component of his climate initiatives, but the proposals have been met with criticism among some in the GOP, who have portrayed the plans as elitist and boons for the rich.
Questions have also been raised about whether the U.S. electrical grid could even handle a hard shift toward EVs.
The Inflation Reduction Act, a party-line reconciliation package passed over the summer, includes billions in funding for electric-vehicle tax credits and other financial incentives.
It also includes a $7.5 billion investment to build a network of charging stations across the U.S.
“The great American road trip is going to be fully electrified,” Biden said in Detroit last month. “Whether you’re driving coast to coast along I-10 or on I-75 here in Michigan, charging stations will be up and easy to find as gas stations are now.” | 2022-10-13T01:42:50+00:00 | pahomepage.com | https://www.pahomepage.com/uncategorized/nasa-suggests-new-space-cooling-technology-could-charge-electric-cars-in-5-minutes/ |
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Cardinals bench coach Skip Schumaker learned less than an hour before game time that he’d be filling in for ill manager Oliver Marmol. Nolan Arenado helped make his job a lot easier.
Arenado hit three doubles and a single, Paul DeJong homered and St. Louis, minus its rookie skipper, beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-2 Saturday.
“I wasn’t thinking when I woke up today that I was going to be managing from inning one,” Schumaker said. “I found out 45 minutes maybe before the game started that he was under the weather and had to go home and here we are.”
Marmol, a winner in his debut Thursday as a major league manager, was at Busch Stadium before the game and diagnosed with the flu. He tested negative for COVID-19 and left the ballpark.
Arenado drove in three runs in his second four-hit game since being traded to St. Louis prior to the 2021 season.
“Ever since I was a young kid, I was always hitting three or hitting in a spot where I could drive runs in,” Arenado said. “I don’t know what it is. That’s the position I’m in. Guys get on base, and I need to drive them in.”
St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas threw a career-high 41 pitches in the first inning, but gave up just run in that span. He was pulled in the fourth.
“I don’t love it, but I felt good,” Mikolas said. “Overall I’m not so discouraged with how I felt. I made some good pitches when I needed to, and I kept a lot of runs off the board that kept us in that game.”
Relievers Kody Whitley (1-0), Nick Wittgren, T.J. McFarland and Ryan Helsley and Giovanny Gallegos combined to throw 5 1/3 scoreless innings.
Mitch Keller (0-1) allowed four runs on six hits and two walks in four innings.
“I think we definitely saw improvement there,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “I thought the fourth inning was probably the inning he was the most aggressive and we’ve just got to translate that into the first couple innings.”
Arenado singled home Paul Goldschmidt to make it 2-all in the third. DeJong homered later in the inning.
Corey Dickerson, making his Cardinals debut, singled home Arenado in the fifth.
Arenado added an RBI double in the sixth.
UPON FURTHER REVIEW
Schumaker, formerly a popular player with the Cardinals, is in his first season on the St. Louis staff after four years with San Diego. He challenged a call at second base by umpire Dan Merzel, who had ruled Dylan Carlson came off the bag while trying to steal second in the first inning. The call was overturned and Carlson was safe.
“That’s on (video coach Chad) Blair,” Schumaker said. “That’s not on me. I’m not taking great credit for that. I think it was actually kind of a big spot in the game because if you lose that challenge early then you don’t get it for awhile.”
Shelton successfully challenged first base umpire Mike Muchlinski’s ruling that Roberto Pérez was called out returning to the bag after Kevin Newman lined out to McFarland in the sixth inning.
SHOWTIME
Pirates rookie Diego Castillo stroked his first major league hit when he doubled off McFarland in the sixth inning as a pinch-hitter.
“It’s a good sign,” Shelton said. “To come in and get the pinch-hit double and get it off, and I think we saw all spring how well he swung the bat, but when you get your first major league hit and you check that off, it definitely lets you breathe a little bit easier.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Placed RHP Duane Underwood, Jr. (right hamstring strain) on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Friday and recalled RHP Roansy Contreras from Triple-A Indianapolis. Underwood departed Thursday’s game after throwing 10 pitches. … 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes returned to the lineup after leaving Thursday’s game with cramping in his right forearm.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Bryse Wilson (3-7, 5.35 ERA in 2021) has allowed seven runs in five innings over two appearances against the Cardinals.
Cardinals: LHP Steven Matz (14-7, 3.82 ERA in 2021) is scheduled to face Pittsburgh for the first time since 2019 as he makes his debut for St. Louis.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2022-04-10T12:38:33+00:00 | kxnet.com | https://www.kxnet.com/sports/arenado-cardinals-minus-ill-manager-marmol-beat-pirates-6-2/ |
Acquisition follows PDFTron's recent major purchase of PDF solutions leader, Belgium's iText; extends PDFTron's broad, international platform with additional, enterprise-ready features.
VANCOUVER, BC, July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - PDFTron Systems Inc., the world's leading provider of digital content solutions for software developers has acquired PDFlib GmbH, a München, a Germany-based innovator of dynamic, server-side PDF creation technology. Incepted in 1997, PDFlib's primary PDF product family has proven itself in thousands of deployments and development environments worldwide, including globally recognized brands in the financial services, manufacturing, and enterprise cloud computing industries.
With its acquisition of PDFlib, PDFTron marks its second European action in three months following its purchase of the leading open-source PDF technology company iText in April 2022.
The addition of PDFlib's mature toolkit for PDF processing further positions PDFTron as the foremost international technology platform provider for developers and end-users of document processing solutions. PDFlib's specialization in enterprise PDF features, including its support for multilingual texts, is highly complementary to PDFTron's technology platform. The addition of PDFlib's robust and secure offering will enrich PDFTron's existing document creation APIs. In addition, PDFlib's highly experienced developer team will assist in further accelerating PDFTron's product R&D in complementary areas of document manipulation, document workflow automation, and intelligent document processing.
Thoma Bravo, one of the largest private equity firms in the world, made a strategic growth investment in PDFTron in May 2021, helping fuel PDFTron's recent acquisitions.
"We are thrilled to join forces with PDFTron's international teams and together, continue to deliver top-performing document solutions to the enterprise market," said Thomas Merz, managing director and founder of PDFlib. "By combining our offerings and expertise, developers and their organizations stand to benefit from the broadest possible portfolio of industry-leading solutions. As part of our combined efforts with PDFTron, the PDFlib team will continue to develop cutting-edge server products that offer rich PDF functionality compatible with a wide variety of development tools and on the broadest spectrum of computing platforms."
"PDFlib's long track record of innovating its unique, server-side solutions nearly matches our own deep history in pioneering document SDK features," stated PDFTron CEO Cassidy Smirnow. "The acquisition of PDFlib is yet another key example of how we're creating unparalleled value for customers through partnership. The partnership with PDFlib strengthens our ability to give developers the most secure and feature-rich foundation on which to realize their roadmaps and build solutions that deliver outstanding productivity, automation, and experiences across all major platforms and digital content formats."
PDFTron was advised on the transaction by KPMG US, Hengeler Mueller, Choate Hall & Stewart and Crosslake Technologies. Thomas Merz was advised by the Munich-based firm Peters, Schönberger & Partner.
About PDFTron
PDFTron is a premier global provider of high-performance document processing technology serving OEM and enterprise customers across a broad spectrum of industries. PDFTron's market-leading SDK drives digital transformation and powers next generation software applications with dynamic document viewing, annotation, processing, and conversion capabilities, as well as advanced features such as document understanding, data extraction, and redaction. PDFTron technology supports all major platforms and dozens of unique file types, including support for PDF, MS Office, and CAD formats. For more information, visit www.pdftron.com.
About PDFlib
Founded in 1999, PDFlib GmbH is completely focused on PDF technology. Customers have used its products since 1997, with PDFlib being the first developer library to enable on-the-fly PDF creation. In 2006, PDFlib was one of the founding members of the PDF Association (formerly PDF/A Competence Center). The company closely follows development and market trends such as ISO standards for PDF. PDFlib GmbH products are distributed all over the world with major markets in Europe, North America and Japan. For more information, visit www.pdflib.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE PDFTron | 2022-07-07T18:11:19+00:00 | wcjb.com | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2022/07/07/pdftron-extends-eu-presence-with-acquisition-pdflib/ |
- Panasonic's pioneering new design ushers in a new era of OLED expression, comprising a state-of-the-art panel with Micro Lens Array, and a bespoke multi-layer heat management configuration.1
- The brand's HCX Pro AI processor and Hollywood tuning ensures stunningly accurate HDR picture quality.
- An improved Filmmaker Mode means that viewers can enjoy content as the artist intended – in whatever environment they're watching.
- New gaming features include NVIDIA G-Sync Compatibility, True Game Mode, source-oriented tone mapping, and Game Sound Modes.
- Panasonic's proprietary 360° Soundscape is now further enhanced by an upgraded Bass Booster algorithm for deeper low frequencies.
- Available in 55-, 65-, and 77-inch sizes.
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Panasonic announces its flagship OLED TV for 2023, the MZ2000, available in 55-, 65-, and 77-inch sizes.
With their Hollywood tuning and superb color accuracy, Panasonic OLED TVs have long been lauded as the finest choice for films, TV shows, and gaming. Now Panasonic's latest flagship model comes with a state-of-the-art new panel and remarkable heat management system1, alongside a host of proprietary picture processing, gaming, and audio improvements. The result is Panasonic's best and brightest picture – making the MZ2000 a must-have TV for 2023.
When it comes to delivering a perfect HDR picture, brightness is everything – and the MZ2000 introduces a completely new era in the possibilities of OLED expression and brightness.1
The MZ2000 uses Panasonic's new custom module, called the "Master OLED Ultimate", which uses a state-of-the-art panel with Micro Lens Array, combined with a new multi-layer heat management configuration developed by Panasonic engineers. The result is a major step-up in brightness, with peak brightness increases of approximately 150%, and average brightness also improved compared to last year's models. The combination of the new module with Panasonic's HCX Pro AI Processor ensures every detail is clear, with realistic highlights and stunning color accuracy. 1
Also, as with previous models, the MZ2000 supports a wide range of HDR formats, including Dolby Vision IQ2, HDR10+ Adaptive, and HLG Photo, the still image format that brings still photography into the HDR world.
The new MZ2000 OLED represents the combination of a brand-new panel and module, with Panasonic's technical accuracy made possible by Japanese knowhow and engineering, merged with the color-tuning skills of Stefan Sonnenfeld.
Stefan Sonnenfeld, Founder and CEO of Company 3 is a trusted collaborator of some of the world's best filmmakers. Sonnenfeld is among a handful of leading artists who have championed the power of color grading to tell stories and communicate emotion.
Described by NPR as the "da Vinci of the movies," Sonnenfeld has applied his skills as a colorist to many of the most acclaimed and popular features of the past decade: Top Gun: Maverick, A Star is Born, Wonder Woman, Man of Steel, Beauty and the Beast, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Jurassic World, 300 and many more. Like many other leading colorists, he uses Panasonic OLED screens as large-format client reference monitors in his daily workflow. Indeed, Panasonic's OLED TVs are widely used in studios and postproduction houses.
In addition, the MZ2000 features an improved Filmmaker Mode that ensures that viewers can enjoy their content exactly as the artist intended – whether they're watching in a purpose-built cinema room or an airy family living space.
Ambient color temperature sensing has been upgraded for Filmmaker Mode, ensuring accurate picture reproduction in any lighting conditions; for example, by lowering the temperature in response to warmly lit conditions, or brightening the dark tones in extremely light environments.
As well as optimising the picture based on its surroundings, the MZ2000 also improves the streaming experience for most sources.
Important for streamed content that can vary from HD and beyond, the Streaming 4K Remaster algorithm identifies the resolution and analyses textures by area to deliver more detailed, cleaner images through adaptive advanced processing. The result is crisper and more natural-looking streamed content.
Gaming has developed rapidly in recent years. Plots are scripted like Hollywood blockbusters, 3D worlds are bigger and more realistic than ever before, and there are myriad gaming universes to explore.
To fully immerse in this growing world of entertainment, gamers have traditionally turned to monitors to get the most out of the latest consoles and PCs that offer advanced rendering technologies and superfast load times.
However, this can all now be achieved with the new MZ2000. With support for HDMI 2.1 key features, full 4K resolution, up to 120Hz refresh rate, ultra-low latency, and input lag, VRR, and AMD Freesync Premium, the MZ2000 is the perfect solution for gamers.
The MZ2000 is also NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible. When connected to a system using a NVIDIA RTX graphics card3, it automatically optimises input lag and VRR settings for tear- and stutter-free gaming sessions, on a TV validated and now recognized by NVIDIA.
To ensure every title looks its best, the new True Game Mode brings all the color accuracy features available for movies into the world of gaming, while improved HDR Tone Mapping delivers source-oriented expression from the gaming device. In addition, True Game Mode is calibratable and shows the Calman Calibrated logo after adjustment with Portrait Displays, Inc.'s industry-standard color calibration software. This means True Game Mode truly reproduces the vision of game creators. Meanwhile, Dolby Vision2 Gaming unlocks the most lifelike visuals each game has to offer4.
Of course, there's more to crafting a great gaming experience than delivering the perfect image. Newly added gaming sound modes allow users to fully lose themselves in the gameplay, adding new layers of intensity, tension, and reality tailored to whatever title they're playing.
Available to set up in the MZ2000's upgraded Game Control Board, RPG (Role-Playing Game) Sound Mode is designed to make users feel as though they are submerged inside the game's virtual world, while FPS (First-Person Shooter) Mode provides accurate audio location, allowing users to hear subtle sounds such as footsteps for a tactical advantage.
For 2023, the Bass Booster algorithm has been upgraded. When selected from the menu, it delivers a deep, fast responding bass, meaning that customers can enjoy truly dynamic sound through Panasonic's 360° Soundscape all-in-one TV audio package. Tuned by Technics, the multiple built-in upward-firing, side-firing, and front-firing speaker units produce a fully immersive spatial soundstage with Dolby Atmos2 that brings movies and games to life.
Running the entire length of the TV behind the front speaker grille, the array speakers allow for a wider, more precise soundstage, as well as the ability to adjust the relative audio volume in different parts of the room.
The MZ2000 comes with three Sound Focus modes: Pinpoint Mode, which allows the sound to be directed to one specific point; Area Mode, which lets you shift the sound to a group of people in a specific area of the room; and Spot Mode, which boosts the volume in one spot while allowing other to still hear the sound.
Directional sound unlocks a plethora of usability benefits. Parents with young children sleeping behind a wall on one side of the room can direct the sound away from them so that the children can sleep peacefully while still allowing the parents to enjoy great sound. Another practical application is being able to boost the volume for a viewer who is hard of hearing.
The MZ2000 features the latest iteration of Panasonic's highly rated smart TV OS, my Home Screen 8.0, which supports all major video streaming services and comes with improvements to the Bass Booster function, accessibility features, and the myScenery function.
Panasonic has worked with the German Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted to further improve our accessibility options. In the initial set up, the MZ2000 offers different setting options for both hearing and visually impaired users, which then can be guided through the initial setup by Voice Guidance to simplify the first-time installation of the Panasonic TV. In addition, it provides a function for visually impaired users to learn the buttons by audible feedback.5
As well as offering these important accessibility improvements, the MZ2000 also helps you relax. The myScenery feature, which allows you to choose a selection of restful images and videos6, has new nature sounds, which have been collected from all over the world by the Joy Foundation, inc.7 and newly encoded in Dolby Atmos2 format.
A global leader in developing innovative technologies and solutions for wide-ranging applications in the consumer electronics, housing, automotive, industry, communications, and energy sectors worldwide, the Panasonic Group switched to an operating company system on April 1, 2022, with Panasonic Holdings Corporation serving as a holding company and eight companies positioned under its umbrella. Founded in 1918, the Group is committed to enhancing the well-being of people and society and conducts its businesses based on founding principles applied to generate new value and offer sustainable solutions for today's world. The Group reported consolidated net sales of Euro 56.40 billion (7,388.8 billion yen) for the year ended March 31, 2022. Devoted to improving the well-being of people, the Panasonic Group is united in providing superior products and services to help you Live Your Best.
To learn more about the Panasonic Group, please visit: https://holdings.panasonic/global/
1 Available in 55- and 65-inch models
2 Dolby, Dolby Vision IQ, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation.
3 SPD Auto Game Mode (NVIDIA GPU Detection) works only for NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series graphics card and above.
4 Only available with 60Hz.
5 Europe and UK only.
6 In collaboration with LoungeV Studio (www.loungev.com).
7 Production/editing: Healing Garden / Joy Foundation, inc.; Creative Producer: Keiichiro Kita; Field Recording: Satoru Nakada, Takuya Mori; Editorial supervision: The Society for Harmonic Science (https://www.sound-healing.jp/)
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Panasonic Corporation of North America | 2023-01-04T19:25:38+00:00 | wymt.com | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2023/01/04/panasonic-announces-mz2000-flagship-oled-tv-delivering-new-era-oled-brightness-expression/ |
A look at how the bus driver shortage has a spin-off effect for a community center in Buffalo. Also
Canada is expected to announce an end to the vaccine requirement for entry into that country, the West Side Bazaar is closed indefinitely after yesterday's fire there, and eminent domain proceedings are underway to preserve two buildings in the Cobblestone District. | 2022-09-21T16:06:14+00:00 | wbfo.org | https://www.wbfo.org/2022/2022-09-21/wbfo-brief-wednesday-september-21-2022 |
BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns will face Carson Wentz on Sunday when they hit the road to face the Washington Commanders. Washington is still hanging on to faint playoff hopes while the Browns were elminated following Saturday’s loss to the Saints.
Mary Kay Cabot, Ashley Bastock and Dan Labbe caught up on the news of the day including who the Browns will face at quarterback on Sunday.
Recommended Browns stories
Could the final two Browns games change Kevin Stefanski’s status? Hey, Mary Kay!
They also discuss Jadeveon Clowney’s return to practice as he works through the league’s concussion protocol and his possible status for Sunday. Then they talk about the Jedrick Wills missing practice with a back injury and facing Chase Young.
With the arrival of FanDuel in Ohio, Ohio bettors can start betting on Jan. 1. Other sportsbooks entering the state include Barstool Sportsbook, Caesars and DraftKings.
If you or a loved one has questions and needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or the National Council on Program Gambling Helpline (NCPG) at 1-800-522-4700. | 2022-12-28T19:49:23+00:00 | cleveland.com | https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2022/12/on-facing-carson-wentz-jadeveon-clowney-practicing-and-greg-newsome-iis-role-berea-report.html |
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — It could cost California more than $800 billion to compensate Black residents for generations of over-policing, disproportionate incarceration and housing discrimination, economists have told a state panel considering reparations.
The preliminary estimate is more than 2.5 times California’s $300 billion annual budget, and does not include a recommended $1 million per older Black resident for health disparities that have shortened their average life span. Nor does the figure count compensating people for property unjustly taken by the government or devaluing Black businesses, two other harms the task force says the state perpetuated.
Black residents may not receive cash payments anytime soon, if ever, because the state may never adopt the economists’ calculations. The reparations task force is scheduled to discuss the numbers Wednesday and can vote to adopt the suggestions or come up with its own figures. The proposed number comes from a consulting team of five economists and policy experts.
“We’ve got to go in with an open mind and come up with some creative ways to deal with this,” said Assembly member Reggie Jones-Sawyer, one of two lawmakers on the task force responsible for mustering support from state legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom before any reparations could become reality.
In an interview prior to the meeting, Jones-Sawyer said he needed to consult budget analysts, other legislators and the governor’s office before deciding whether the scale of payments is feasible.
The estimates for policing and disproportionate incarceration and housing discrimination are not new. The figures came up in a September presentation as the consulting team sought guidance on whether to use a national or California-specific model to calculate damages.
But the task force must now settle on a cash amount as it nears a July 1 deadline to recommend to lawmakers how California can atone for its role in perpetuating racist systems that continue to undermine Black people.
For those who support reparations, the staggering $800 billion amount economists suggest underscores the long-lasting harm Black Americans have endured, even in a state that never officially endorsed slavery. Critics pin their opposition partly on the fact that California was never a slave state and say current taxpayers should not be responsible for damage linked to events that germinated hundreds of years ago.
Bob Woodson, a prominent Black conservative, calls reparations impractical, controversial and counterproductive.
“No amount of money could ever ‘make right’ the evil of slavery, and it is insulting to suggest that it could,” he said in an email to The Associated Press, adding that Black communities relied on faith and family to build thriving communities following slavery. “Some of these communities only began coming apart after we lost sight of these values, which also hold the key to these communities’ restoration.”
Task force recommendations are just the start because ultimate authority rests with the state Assembly, Senate and the governor.
“That’s going to be the real hurdle,” said Sen. Steven Bradford, who sits on the panel. “How do you compensate for hundreds of years of harm, even 150 years post-slavery?”
Financial redress is just one part of the package being considered. Other proposals include paying incarcerated inmates market value for their labor, establishing free wellness centers and planting more trees in Black communities, banning cash bail and adopting a K-12 Black studies curriculum.
Newsom signed legislation in 2020 creating the reparations task force after national protests over the death of George Floyd, a Black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police. While federal initiatives have stalled, cities, counties and other institutions have stepped in.
An advisory committee in San Francisco has recommended $5 million payouts, as well as guaranteed income of at least $97,000 and personal debt forgiveness for qualifying individuals. Supervisors expressed general support, but stopped short of endorsing specific proposals. They will take up the issue later this year.
The statewide estimate includes $246 billion to compensate eligible Black Californians whose neighborhoods were subjected to aggressive policing and prosecution of Black people in the “war on drugs” from 1970 to 2020. That would translate to nearly $125,000 for every person who qualifies.
The numbers are approximate, based on modeling and population estimates. The economists also included $569 billion to make up for the discriminatory practice of redlining in housing loans. Such compensation would amount to about $223,000 per eligible resident who lived in California from 1933 to 1977. The $569 billion is considered a maximum and assumes all 2.5 million people who identify as Black in California would be eligible.
But they won’t all be eligible. Monetary redress will be available to people who meet residency and other requirements. They must also be descendants of enslaved and freed Black people in the U.S. as of the 19th century, which leaves out Black immigrants.
In their report, the consultants suggest the state task force “err on the side of generosity” and consider a down-payment with more money to come as more evidence becomes available.
“It should be communicated to the public that the substantial initial down-payment is the beginning of a conversation about historical injustices, not the end of it,” they said. | 2023-03-29T19:38:10+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/news/national/reparations-for-black-californians-could-top-800-billion/ |
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Tax-Free Weekend, or Sales Tax Holiday returns to Arkansas and Oklahoma this upcoming weekend.
The Sales Tax Holiday allows shoppers to purchase certain items such as school supplies, art supplies, clothing, and certain electronic devices without having to pay sales tax on it according to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration.
In Arkansas, Tax-Free Weekend runs from 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, August 5 to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, August 6.
The Sales Tax Holiday was instated in 2011 by Act 757. It allows the following:
- Clothing and footwear if the sales price is less than one hundred dollars $100 per item
- Clothing accessories and equipment if the sales price is less than fifty dollars $50 per item
- School supplies
- School art supplies
- School instructional materials
Tax-Free Weekend in Oklahoma will run from Friday, August 4 to Sunday, August 6. | 2023-07-31T03:54:37+00:00 | nwahomepage.com | https://www.nwahomepage.com/back-to-class/tax-free-weekend-in-arkansas-and-oklahoma-2023/ |
Oldest animal at zoo, Mr. Pickles, becomes first-time father at 90 years old
HOUSTON (Gray News) - The oldest animal at the Houston Zoo is a first-time father.
Officials with the zoo said Mr. Pickles, a 90-year-old tortoise, has become a proud dad for the first time after three radiated eggs recently hatched.
According to the zoo, Mr. Pickles has been at the zoo for 36 years with his companion, Mrs. Pickles, since 1996.
The new tortoise babies are named Dill, Gherkin and Jalapeno. They will remain behind the scenes until big enough to join their parents.
Zookeepers said the new hatchlings came as a surprise with them spotting Mrs. Pickles laying the eggs during closing time.
According to the zoo staff, they had to move the eggs to a safe spot because the soil isn’t hospitable for Madagascar native tortoises and the eggs were unlikely to hatch on their own.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2023-03-17T21:37:35+00:00 | kcrg.com | https://www.kcrg.com/2023/03/17/oldest-animal-zoo-mr-pickles-becomes-first-time-father-90-years-old/ |
Respiratory viruses could surge after the holidays, experts warn
(CNN) - Public health experts fear a surge in respiratory viruses following holiday gatherings and New Year’s Eve celebrations.
They are concerned about three viruses in particular: influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.
Holiday gatherings provide extra opportunities for these illnesses to spread and cases surged after Thanksgiving.
Another factor is the wave of flight cancellations sweeping the country, causing large amounts of people to be stuck in crowded, stressful settings at airports.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says seasonal flu activity remains high but continues to decline across the country.
There has been a slight increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | 2022-12-27T17:18:02+00:00 | foxcarolina.com | https://www.foxcarolina.com/2022/12/27/respiratory-viruses-could-surge-after-holidays-experts-warn/ |
Updated December 2, 2022 at 10:21 AM ET
MUMBAI, India – At dusk, as neighborhood children toss a ball around in park lined with palm trees on the outskirts of Mumbai, Ashwini Kumar looks on from a bench nearby.
Watching them shout and cheer about their favorite soccer superstars – Ronaldo! Messi! – is painful for him. It reminds him of his big brother.
"We used to play soccer together almost every evening when we were kids, in a park just like this one," Kumar, 24, recalls. "We played and played until it was so dark you couldn't see the ball!"
As they grew up, Vinod's love of soccer grew. He even won some local tournaments. So he was thrilled, his brother recalls, when he got a job three years ago to work in Qatar, building stadiums that would one day host the 2022 World Cup.
But Vinod never came home. He's one of what Qatari authorities say is hundreds — and human rights investigators say is thousands — of World Cup workers who died there.
There's been a lot of controversy over how the tiny Gulf nation of Qatar is hosting the biggest sports event in the world, the World Cup. Some of it has centered on labor conditions. Like much of the Gulf, Qatar's economy relies heavily on migrant labor. (By some estimates, migrant workers make up 90% of the country's work force.)
Many of them are from South Asia, and they've returned home with stories of poor working conditions, cramped accommodation, broken promises about pay – and back-breaking work in 125-degree heat.
For them, the World Cup brings mixed feelings. Many are proud to have helped build Qatar's infrastructure. For others, the hype around the tournament only brings back trauma.
A series of calls from Qatar — but no clear explanation of a family member's death
The Kumar family never really got answers.
"I got a call from his colleagues. They used my nickname – chhote, the young one. It's something only my family would call me," Ashwini Kumar recalls that fateful phone call in Oct. 2020. "They said my brother was missing and hung up. Then they called back and told me he was dead."
Kumar says the family got various calls from coworkers and supervisors, who gave different explanations for Vinod's death: That he died by suicide. Or in a workplace accident. Ashwini does remember his brother saying he was forced to do tasks he wasn't trained for, like firefighting.
"He was sent there as a plumber but was made to do other work as well — like working as a fireman in tall buildings, and risky construction work where he had to climb on a pipe," he says. "Once we did a video call while he was working as a painter. And later he worked as a cleaner."
The company that hired him never sent home his stuff. Vinod Kumar was 28. He leaves behind a widow and a toddler. They're struggling financially and have moved in with Kumar's parents.
"The world should remember this, while watching our favorite teams in these air-conditioned stadiums," says Namrata Raju, an economist and labor researcher with Equidem, a global labor rights group that conducted an 18-month investigation into working conditions for migrant workers in Qatar, in the lead-up to this World Cup.
Raju says she and her colleagues interviewed nearly 1,000 migrant laborers.
"They alleged really worrying things: Nationality-based discrimination, wage theft was very common — and there were a lot of cases of overwork," she says. "Essentially, the conditions we found workers in were varying forms of forced labor or other forms of modern slavery. That's what we found."
The World Cup has brought scrutiny to the issue of migrant labor in the Gulf, which has concerned human rights advocates since well before Qatar won its bid, in 2010, to host this year's tournament.
Qatar defends itself
Qatar says it's faced unfair scrutiny and that its labor conditions have actually improved because of the World Cup.
"What the World Cup did was it allowed for a significant number of reforms to be accelerated," said the Qatari official in charge of World Cup infrastructure, Hassan Al Thawadi, at a think tank conference in October. "We always had laws and legislations that were in line with international standards. Yet the enforcement mechanisms — the oversight — was not to the standards that we were proud of."
"We recognized early on that the World Cup would create momentum that will push a lot of that reform," he said.
In 2017, Qatar overhauled its migrant labor laws. It added protections for live-in domestic workers and labor tribunals. Last year, it became the first country in the Gulf to introduce a minimum wage that applies to all workers, regardless of nationality.
Amnesty International says there have been "noticeable improvements" in labor rights in Qatar over the past five years. But "a lack of effective implementation and enforcement" still persists, the group says.
Migrant workers returning from Qatar say the same.
A Nepali migrant worker says he was misled about working conditions in Qatar
During his 33 months working construction in Qatar, Anish Adhikari never managed to get out of debt.
By phone from his native Nepal, he told NPR how he had to take out a loan to pay a nearly $900 recruitment fee to a Nepali agent, just to get a job in Qatar in the first place — with the Hamad Bin Khalid Contracting Company,or HBK — which is named after and owned by Qatar's royal family.
Officials from HBK did conduct safety inspections, Adhikari recalls. But he says his site supervisors rushed workers out of the half-built stadium ahead of the visits so that it wouldn't be as overcrowded. He blames contractors and sub-contractors for shoddy implementation of labor laws in Qatar – and the Qatari government for not policing its contractors.
He also believes that potential workers did not get an accurate picture of what to expect. "The recruitment company knows everything about the condition of migrant workers in Qatar. But they lie. They focus only focus on profits for themselves," Adhikari says. "They sell a dream that's not reality."
It took Adhikari nearly six months to earn back his recruitment fee, at his salary of about $165 dollars a month – about two-thirds of what he was promised. It was still more money than he could earn in Nepal though, he acknowledges.
But the conditions, he says, were back-breaking. "In Nepal, at least you're allowed to rest! In Qatar, they threatened to cut my salary if I took breaks," Adhikari says. "And the weather was up to 52 degrees [124F], so it was very difficult. It wasn't worth it for me."
Now he's back in the Nepali capital Kathmandu, looking for work.
Despite the hardships on the job, Adhikari says he is still proud that he helped build the shimmering gold Lusail Stadium, which will host the World Cup final on Dec. 18.
Will he watch that game?
He'd like to find a way, he says, but he's unsure. "I don't have a TV. I have to watch on my cell phone, but I don't have good wifi – and data is expensive," Adhikari explains. Money is tight even with his Qatar earnings. His family is still in debt.
Ashwini Kumar, who lost his brother, won't be watching either.
It was his brother Vinod who loved soccer, he says. And he died for it.
NPR producer Raksha Kumar contributed to this story from Mumbai, and freelance interpreter Shreemanjari Tamraka contributed from Kathmandu.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2022-12-02T16:24:27+00:00 | mtpr.org | https://www.mtpr.org/2022-12-02/death-and-dishonesty-stories-of-two-workers-who-built-the-world-cup-stadiums-in-qatar |
Delaware man who waved Confederate flag in Capitol on Jan. 6 gets three years in prison
A 53-year-old Delaware man who prosecutors say was “part of the tip of the spear’’ while waving a Confederate flag during the Jan. 6 insurrection was sentenced to three years in prison Thursday.
Kevin Seefried, a drywall installer from Laurel, was the 12th person to breach the U.S. Capitol that day after protesters overwhelmed police officers while Congress met to certify fellow Delawarean Joe Biden’s election as president. Seefried followed his son Hunter into the building through a window other protesters had broken.
Both were convicted in June for their roles in the deadly riot after a bench trial in Washington, D.C., before U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden. The judge gave Hunter 24 months behind bars in October, and noted that the younger Seefried offered “probably the most sincere and most effective” apology by anyone he has sentenced for their crimes during the insurrection.
McFadden found the men guilty of felony obstruction of an official proceeding, as well as four misdemeanors, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a Capitol Building.
Prosecutors had sought five years and 10 months in prison plus three years’ probation for the elder Seefried, saying “such a sentence reflects the gravity of Seefried’s conduct.”
Standing that day at the front of a “volatile, growing mob’’ inside what Biden has called the cradle of liberty, Seefried “jabbed” the Confederate flag toward a lone Black officer, prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo. He joined the group who chased the cop up a staircase and then “aggressively confronted” other officers.
Kevin Seefrieds’s federal public defender, A.J. Kramer, countered in his sentencing memo that Seefried only stayed in the building for 25 minutes and did not assault anybody. He also urged some leniency because Seefried is in recovery from rectal cancer and wears a colostomy bag, making incarceration ”even more challenging.”
Kramer also wrote that Seefried did not appreciate at the time how the public would view his wielding of the Confederate flag in the Capitol or earlier that day at President Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally. He only has a ninth-grade education and simply saw it as “a symbol of an idealized view of southern life and southern heritage,” Kramer wrote.
But since then, with images of him waving the rebel flag gaining instant international media attention and widespread notoriety, Seefried “has come to appreciate the extent to which the Confederate battle flag is viewed as a symbol of hate,” Kramer wrote.
“He had brought the flag as a symbol of protest, but had not considered the logic of those who see the flag as a symbol of American racism. Now that photos of him with the flag have become iconic symbols of the horror of January 6, Mr. Seefried completely understands the harm he has caused.”
The bottom line, Kramer wrote, is that Seefried “is ashamed, mindful that the community and even history, may view him as a racist. And he knows that he must be punished for his role in the events of that infamous day.”
Kramer also shed some light on Seefried’s brief disappearance for nearly 24 hours in October, days after his son was sentenced. His family alerted state police, who issued a statement that they “had concern for his safety and well-being.”
The defense attorney wrote that his wife Stephanie informed him that day that she was seeking a divorce. Hunter, who had not yet reported to prison, called police to report his concern that his father had not returned from work.
“A day later, Kevin was located in a depressed state and taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation. He was released after doctors determined he was not suicidal,’’ Kramer wrote. “With Hunter in prison and his wife gone, Kevin feels like his life has been shattered into pieces.”
Get daily updates from WHYY News!
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today. | 2023-02-09T22:50:03+00:00 | whyy.org | https://whyy.org/articles/jan-6-trials-delaware-man-confederate-flag-three-years-prison-sentence/ |
BEIJING, Dec. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This is a report from China.org.cn.
On Dec. 17, audiences worldwide toured an online exhibition at the Academy of Arts and Design of Tsinghua University (AADTHU), displaying numerous innovative and avant-garde pieces, such as space capsules, micro-environments, and ocean installations. These works were shown in the Thematic Exhibitions section, created by interdisciplinary workshops, part of the 2022 Tsinghua International Conference on Art & Design Education (ICADE 2022).
With the theme of "The Symbiosis of All Things," the "Re: Actor International Art & Design Workshops" focuses on the future environment and survival of human beings. Teachers from the painting, sculpture, environmental art design, industrial design, and information art & design departments of AADTHU, together with extramural experts in sociology, oceanography, biology, computer technology, aerospace, and other fields, formed a strong team of tutors. In the five disciplines of artificial environment, marine environment, urban environment, digital environment, and space environment, the interdisciplinary graduate team made collaborative innovations in a four-week intensive work environment.
They integrated art and technology, colliding and exploring new design languages and expressions before finally making a youthful response to environmental and social situations surrounding "The Symbiosis of All Things." The result was more than 30 artworks in animation, products, VR games, installation art, interactive images, service systems, parametric buildings, and other forms.
In the "Manufactured Environment: The Artistic Translation" workshop exhibition, students from different majors, such as painting, sculpture, design, and electronics, created their own "microenvironment" through painting, pictures, images, devices, and other forms using autumnal elements, such as orange hues and leaves, AADTHU's professor Li Tianyuan introduced.
The 15 pieces reflect both thinking and practice, artistic creativity and technological expansion, with their artistic creations and technologies echoing and complementing each other.
"Artistic creations have the magic power to improve living spaces and then affect emotions and reshape thoughts so that people can open a window to see the vast spiritual world," Li said.
As part of the "Ark Plan: Floating Cities and Life" exhibition, visitors could enjoy a floating concert on the ocean, integrating architecture, nature, and music. The installations explore the relationship between humanity and the ocean and also human impact on the ocean. The three works also dissect how seaside residents escape environmental crises and how humans can coexist with new ocean environments, given the significant changes the planet's climate is facing.
Tu Shan, associate research fellow and senior engineer at AADTHU, said the works integrated different design languages as well as explained, criticized, and reflected on the exhibition theme of the "Ark Plan" from different dimensions, demonstrating the students' thinking, emotions, and good wishes for the marine environment.
In the "Habitat for All: Biodiversity Around Us" exhibition, four artworks attempt to portray an upgraded future urban environment to protect biodiversity, including building a habitat for bees, shelters for little animals, making ecological transformations to Tsinghua's waterways, and creating a symbiotic system for plants and humans, AADTHU's professor Liu Xin said.
"These works explore the boundaries and distances between people and other living things in a city environment, providing inspiration, direction, and exploratory paths for the integration of biodiverse habitat design in urban planning and construction. By empowering ecological construction with artistic designs, small creatures can share the same land with busy urbanites and live and prosper together with human beings," he said.
The "Digital Human Factory: Virtual Survival Guide" exhibition focuses on the avatars and living environment of human beings in the digital world. Five VR works re-examine and re-explore topics such as symbiotic relationships, cultural diversity, and equal rights, transposing them from the real world into the metaverse, realizing a change of perspectives, and bringing different feelings and experiences to audiences. Five VR virtual works are "stored" in the exhibition's huge matrix-like world, which symbolizes the data computing and storage space of the metaverse.
"Entering the information age, people began to live a new form of digital life. The human body is being disassembled into 'digital components' by smartphones and wearables, and lives in digital spaces in a digital way," AADTHU's associate professor Mi Haipeng said as he critiqued students' works.
"In the shuttle back and forth between the virtual world and the real world, the boundaries between real and virtual, digital and physical are constantly broken, and artistic designs are also ushered into a wider space for development."
In the "Extraterrestrial Home: Space Architecture and Interaction" exhibition, teachers and students imagine what space capsules may one day look like for interstellar travel, including a meditation room, ice rink, garden, and sleeping cabin.
AADTHU's associate professor Shi Danqing said the four designs for the "space capsules" are full of artistic imagination and scientific precision.
"They are the result of bold imagination and careful verification from the main student creatives. They are also the sparks of art and technology colliding in outer space."
After the virtual tour, the International Students' Forum was held on Dec. 17, with doctoral students from all over the world gathered online to discuss current challenges and future directions in the field of art and design. The forum received more than 100 contributions from over 30 universities in various countries around the world, including China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. Finally, 52 papers were shortlisted, of which 21 authors of the best papers gave keynote speeches on the day of the forum.
You can still view replays of the events of ICADE 2022 at: https://ic.ad.tsinghua.edu.cn/2022/
Tsinghua art workshop creators explore symbiosis of all things
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE China.org.cn | 2022-12-30T15:24:33+00:00 | uppermichiganssource.com | https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/prnewswire/2022/12/30/tsinghua-art-workshop-creators-explore-symbiosis-all-things/ |
Veteran Finance Executive Will Continue to Lead and Implement Allen Media Group's Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Finance Initiatives
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Byron Allen's Allen Media Group (AMG) proudly announces the elevation of Christopher Malone to the position of Chief Financial Officer. Malone was initially brought to AMG in June as Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Development, and will now assume the Chief Financial Officer title -- a position recently held on an interim basis by Bill Higgs, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of AMG's Weather Group division. A sixteen-year veteran executive with the company, Higgs will continue as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of AMG's Weather Group. In his newly-elevated position, Malone will continue to help lead AMG senior management in M&A efforts and other corporate strategic initiatives encompassing capital markets, private equity, and credit. Malone will remain based at the AMG headquarters in Los Angeles.
Malone played an integral role in financing notable AMG transactions over the past five years, including the AMG acquisition of The Weather Channel in 2018, and the approximate $1 billion investment by AMG to acquire 27 ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX broadcast network-affiliated television stations nationwide. Malone came to AMG from his recent position as a Principal with Stellex Capital Management. Prior to that, Malone was a Director at Brightwood Capital and previously held Investment Analyst, Private Equity, and Investment Banking positions at RLJ Equity Partners, William Blair, and Credit Suisse. Malone earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Hampton University and earned a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.
"I am very excited to elevate Chris Malone within the Allen Media Group family to Chief Financial Officer, where Chris will be valuable in helping to lead our M&A efforts and other strategic financial initiatives," said Byron Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group. "Chris plays a vital role in helping Allen Media Group continue its trajectory of growth and execute on the large number of acquisition opportunities in front of us."
"It has been exciting to see the strong growth of Allen Media Group over the past five years and it is even more exciting to join at such a dynamic time for the company," said Chris Malone, Chief Financial Officer. "The industry is experiencing rapid transformation as well as increased consolidation and Allen Media Group is well-positioned to capitalize on this changing paradigm given its strong and differentiated position. I look forward to continue working with the Allen Media Group team to execute on the short-term and long-term acquisition targets."
About Allen Media Group / Entertainment Studios
Chairman and CEO Byron Allen founded Allen Media Group/Entertainment Studios in 1993. Headquartered in Los Angeles, it has offices in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and Charleston, SC. Allen Media Group owns 27 ABC-NBC-CBS-FOX network affiliate broadcast television stations in 21 U.S. markets and twelve 24-hour HD television networks serving nearly 220 million subscribers: THE WEATHER CHANNEL, THE WEATHER CHANNEL EN ESPAÑOL, PETS.TV, COMEDY.TV, RECIPE.TV, CARS.TV, ES.TV, MYDESTINATION.TV, JUSTICE CENTRAL.TV, THEGRIO, THIS TV, and PATTRN. Allen Media Group also owns the streaming platforms HBCU GO, SPORTS.TV, THE GRIO STREAMING APP, THE WEATHER CHANNEL STREAMING APP and LOCAL NOW--the free-streaming AVOD service powered by THE WEATHER CHANNEL and content partners, which delivers real-time, hyper-local news, weather, traffic, sports, and lifestyle information. Allen Media Group also produces, distributes, and sells advertising for 68 television programs, making it one of the largest independent producers/distributors of first-run syndicated television programming for broadcast television stations. Allen Media Group International Television continues to extend its corporate branding and content around the globe. It currently has active license agreements and programming in South Africa, The United Arab Emirates, Australia, The Bahamas, Canada and New Zealand. With a library of over 5,000 hours of owned content across multiple genres, Allen Media Group provides video content to broadcast television stations, cable television networks, mobile devices, and multimedia digital. Our mission is to provide excellent programming to our viewers, online users, and Fortune 500 advertising partners.
Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures is a full-service, theatrical motion picture distribution company specializing in wide release commercial content. ESMP released 2017's highest-grossing independent movie, the shark thriller 47 METERS DOWN, which grossed over $44.3 million. In 2018, ESMP also released the critically-acclaimed and commercially successful Western HOSTILES, the historic mystery-thriller CHAPPAQUIDDICK and the sequel to 47 METERS DOWN, 47 METERS DOWN: UNCAGED. The digital distribution unit of Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures, Freestyle Digital Media, is a premiere multi-platform distributor with direct partnerships across all major cable, digital and streaming platforms. Capitalizing on a robust infrastructure, proven track record and a veteran sales team, Freestyle Digital Media is a true home for independent films.
In 2016, Allen Media Group purchased The Grio, a highly-rated digital video-centric news community platform devoted to providing African-Americans with compelling stories and perspectives currently underrepresented in existing national news outlets. The Grio features aggregated and original video packages, news articles and opinion pieces on topics that include breaking news, politics, health, business and entertainment. Originally launched in 2009, the platform was then purchased by NBC News in 2010. The digital platform remains focused on curating exciting digital content and currently has more than 100 million annual visitors.
For more information, visit:
www.entertainmentstudios.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Allen Media Group | 2022-08-11T18:50:35+00:00 | kcbd.com | https://www.kcbd.com/prnewswire/2022/08/11/byron-allens-allen-media-group-elevates-chris-malone-chief-financial-officer/ |
The word “Christmas” has controversial origins. But the holiday season does, too. Family get-togethers, mutual gift-giving and year-end celebrations are all accused of having pagan origins.
The question is: What is Christmas to you? The root word is “Christ.”
I’ll explain the biblical origins. Family get-togethers originated in the Jewish tradition of the year of Jubilee in Leviticus 25, as ordained by God. Year-end celebrations and mutual gift-giving are recorded to originate in the ninth chapter of the Hebrew Book of Esther. (Read the entire book.)
But the modern-day holiday season does have its pagan aspects, which I believe should be avoided. We’re commanded by God not to have idols in our homes (Deuteronomy 7:25-26) or in our places of worship (Deuteronomy 16:21-22 and Jeremiah 32:34).
But not everything in the holiday season is pagan. Regardless of what time of year it occurred, the angels celebrated the incarnation of God’s son into the world he created. Paul told the Corinthians, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (Corinthians 10:31).
No, we are not commanded to celebrate the birth of our Lord, but it is certainly no sin to do so.
Psalm 44:20-21 states, “If we have forgotten the name of the Lord our God, or stretched out our hands to a foreign god, would God not search this out? For he knows the secrets of the heart.”
(And, as Bobby Sherman sang, “If we remember that all gifts we give are given in love, we’ll have a very merry Christmas.”)
Seth Carl
Lancaster | 2022-12-02T11:47:51+00:00 | lancasteronline.com | https://lancasteronline.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/biblical-roots-of-holiday-traditions-letter/article_d4cc5178-71b1-11ed-b705-c73a85f97a05.html |
WASHINGTON – Many Americans remain pessimistic about the state of U.S. democracy and the way elected officials are chosen -- nearly two years after a divisive presidential election spurred false claims of widespread fraud and a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Only about half of Americans have high confidence that votes in the upcoming midterm elections will be counted accurately, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, though that’s an improvement from about 4 in 10 saying that just before the 2020 presidential election. Just 9% of U.S. adults think democracy is working “extremely” or “very well,” while 52% say it’s not working well.
In a reversal from two years ago, Republicans are now more likely than Democrats to say democracy is not working well. This year, 68% of Republicans feel this way compared to 32% two years ago. The share of Democrats with a sour outlook on how democracy is functioning in the U.S. dropped from 63% to 40%.
Ronald McGraw Sr., 67, of Indianapolis, is a retired construction worker who recently registered to vote and intends to cast a ballot for the first time this year.
“I thought I’d let everybody else put their vote in and just go with the flow, but this whole thing is at stake now,” he said, referring to democracy, the economy, ”everything, how the whole country runs."
McGraw, who is Black and considers himself a moderate, said a big concern is the political turmoil in the country and the fact that he sees too many self-serving politicians concerned with power, especially those who work against the interest of minorities. He said he registered as a Republican, but did not give any thought to party platforms or stances at the time.
“I am paying attention now,” he said.
After every presidential election, members of the losing candidate’s party can experience a letdown. The fallout from the 2020 election has been deeper, fueled by the lies from former President Donald Trump and his allies that Democrats stole the election.
There is no evidence of widespread fraud or manipulation of voting machines. Exhaustive reviews in key states upheld Democrat Joe Biden’s win, while judges — including some appointed by Trump — dismissed numerous lawsuits challenging the outcome. Trump’s own attorney general, William Barr, called the claims bogus.
The general despair over democracy comes after decades of increasing polarization nationwide, from the presidential and congressional races down to local contests such as races for school boards.
Overall, just a quarter of U.S. adults — including similar percentages of Republicans and Democrats — say they are optimistic about the way leaders are chosen, while 43% say they are pessimistic. An additional 31% feel neither.
Adam Coykendall, a 31-year-old social studies teacher from Ashland, Wisconsin, said he sees party loyalties driving lawmakers more than the good of the country.
“I feel like everything is becoming a little more divisive, a little more polarized, more focused on party loyalty ... rather than working for your constituency, having things that work for people rather than working for the party,” said Coykendall, who described himself as an independent who leans toward the Democratic Party.
The AP-NORC poll also found a large segment of Republicans — 58% — still believe Biden’s election wasn’t legitimate. That's down slightly from 66% in July 2021.
Gary Phelps, a 70-year-old retired truck driver in Clearwater, Minnesota, accepts Biden is president but doesn’t think he was legitimately elected. Phelps said he was concerned about voter fraud, mail ballots being received and counted after Election Day, and irregularities with some voting machines, although he acknowledged it’s based on his feeling rather than evidence.
Phelps remains concerned about the voting process and whether the tallies will be accurate. “I would hope so, but I don’t think so," the Republican-leaning independent said.
The poll shows 47% of Americans say they have “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of confidence that the votes in the 2022 midterm elections will be counted accurately. Confidence is highest among Democrats, 74% of whom say they're highly confident. On the Republican side, confidence in elections is decidedly mixed: 25% have high confidence, 30% have moderate confidence and 45% have little to no confidence.
That erosion of trust comes after two years of Trump and his allies promoting lies about the 2020 presidential election and peddling conspiracy theories about voting machines.
Narratives about mailed ballots mysteriously changing vote totals have been one persistent source of misinformation. To be clear, results announced on election night are unofficial and often incomplete. It’s normal for counting to continue several days after Election Day, as mailed ballots received by their deadline are processed and added to the tally.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge of mailed balloting as voters opted to avoid crowded polling stations. A large number of those ballots slowed down the results as local election offices worked through the steps to verify the ballots and ensure they matched registered voters.
Julie Duggan, a 31-year-old police officer from Chicago, is among the Republicans who does not believe Biden’s win was legitimate. She said watching his gaffes and missteps, it was impossible to believe he garnered enough support to win.
She is concerned about the country’s direction, citing inflation, illegal immigration, crime rates and a lack of respect for law enforcement.
“If we don’t get the right people in, we will be at the point of no return,” she said, adding she hopes elections will be run fairly but has her doubts. “My confidence has definitely been shaken.”
___
The poll of 1,121 adults was conducted Oct. 6-10 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
___
Cassidy reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Hannah Fingerhut in Washington and Nuha Dolby in New York contributed to this report. | 2022-10-19T08:17:19+00:00 | ksat.com | https://www.ksat.com/news/politics/2022/10/19/ap-norc-poll-many-remain-critical-of-state-of-us-democracy/ |
(NEXSTAR) — Holy Lego set, Batman! A massive 3,981-piece Lego set of the full Batcave, as seen in 1992’s “Batman Returns,” will be released June 8. Lego says the LEGO “Batman Returns” Batcave Shadow Box, a collaboration between Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Comics, will feature a full Batcave inside a display box.
Lego says the set, priced at $449.99, features “clever functions and gadgets, including the ability to move furniture, change images on the big screen, open a vault and [another] door.” In addition to having several bricks that light up, Lego says the set comes with brand-new minifigures of “Returns” villains, Catwoman and the Penguin, in addition to various Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth figurines.
While the 3,981-piece shadow box is a huge Lego set, it’s far from the biggest.
In terms piece count, the biggest Lego set ever released is the Lego Art World Map, which has over 11,000 pieces. The item can be mounted and pinned with its owner’s travels. Other many-piece releases are the Titanic set (9,090 pieces), Colosseum (9,036), “Star Wars” Millennium Falcon (7,541) and the “Harry Potter” Hogwarts Castle (6,020).
The Batcave Shadow Box will be available for LEGO VIP members starting June 5 and to everyone June 8.
Released June 19, 1992, “Batman Returns,” re-teamed original theatrical “Batman” director Tim Burton with original theatrical Batman, Michael Keaton. The gothic, Christmas-set sequel brought along Danny DeVito and Michell Pfeiffer as the Penguin and Catwoman. While its retrospective reputation has been kinder, “Returns” was knocked for its sometimes-bizarre (and dark) tone and ended up being less financially successful than its predecessor.
The Caped Crusader would return to the big-screen with a new director, cast and direction with 1995’s “Batman Forever.” The latest chapter in the life of billionaire Bruce Wayne, “The Batman 2,” is scheduled for release in October 2025.
Until then, you can catch up on all of the action across the 15 major-release “Batman” movies, in addition at least 50 direct-to-video films. In a ranking based on critical reviews, 2008’s “The Dark Knight” is considered the “top” Batman film, with a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s followed by 2017’s animated “The Lego Batman Movie” (second), “The Dark Knight Rises” (third), “The Batman” (2022, fourth), and “Batman Begins” (fifth). Entertainment and gaming site IGN also ranked the Christopher Nolan-directed “Dark Knight” as the best batman movie this year. | 2023-05-16T19:04:28+00:00 | wnct.com | https://www.wnct.com/news/national/lego-releasing-3981-piece-batman-returns-batcave-set/ |
How to Watch the Rangers vs. Devils Game: Streaming & TV Channel Info for NHL Playoffs First Round Game 6
Published: Apr. 28, 2023 at 7:12 PM CDT|Updated: 2 hours ago
Game 6 of the NHL Playoffs First Round features the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils playing at 8:00 PM ET on Saturday, April 29 on ABC and ESPN+. The Devils hold a 3-2 lead in the series.
Catch over 1,000 out of market NHL games, plus original programming, with ESPN+ or the Disney Bundle. Click here to sign up!
ABC and ESPN+ will air this Rangers versus Devils game.
Rangers Live Stream, TV Channel and Game Info
- When: Saturday, April 29, 2023 at 8:00 PM ET
- TV Channel: ABC and ESPN+
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Where: Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York
Watch live sports and more without cable on all your devices with a seven-day free trial to Fubo!
Rangers vs. Devils Head-to-Head
Rangers Stats & Trends
- The Rangers have given up 216 total goals (2.6 per game), ranking fourth in league action for the fewest goals against.
- The Rangers' 273 total goals (3.3 per game) make them the 12th-ranked scoring team in the league.
- Over the past 10 games, the Rangers have claimed 55.0% of the possible points with a 4-3-3 record.
- Over on the defensive end, the Rangers have given up two goals per game (20 total) in those 10 matchups.
- They have scored 28 goals during that stretch.
Rangers Key Players
Devils Stats & Trends
- The Devils' total of 222 goals allowed (2.7 per game) is eighth in the NHL.
- With 289 goals (3.5 per game), the Devils have the league's fourth-best offense.
- Over the last 10 contests, the Devils have secured 85.0% of the possible points with a 7-3-0 record.
- On the defensive end, the Devils have given up 2.1 goals per game (21 total) over those 10 matchups.
- They are scoring at a 3.6 goals-per-game average (36 total) during that stretch.
Devils Key Players
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | 2023-04-29T02:20:45+00:00 | kfyrtv.com | https://www.kfyrtv.com/sports/betting/2023/04/29/rangers-devils-nhl-nhl-playoffs-first-round-game-6-live-stream-tv/ |
New Mexico lifts debt-based suspensions of driver’s licenses for 100,000 residents
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s motor vehicle division has lifted the suspension of driver’s licenses for more than 100,000 residents under new anti-poverty legislation, officials announced Wednesday.
Bipartisan legislation signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in March called for an end to the widespread practice of suspending driver’s licenses for failure to pay a fine or failure to appear in court.
At least 23 other states have taken similar steps to end debt-based suspensions of driver’s licenses that can make it harder for individuals to pay off debts and care for their families.
The New Mexico law does not apply to commercial driver’s licenses nor suspensions for other reasons related to dangerous driving or accumulated traffic violations.
License suspensions also have been cleared for more than 160,000 out-of-state drivers with New Mexico citations, the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department said in a news release. New Mexico will notify other states.
The changes leave underlying citations and fines on drivers’ records. There is no fee under the new law to reinstate a driver’s license after a suspension is lifted, though payments may be required for licenses that expired while under suspension.
Sponsors of the law, including Republican state Sen. Crystal Diamond of Elephant Butte and Democratic state Rep. Christine Chandler of Los Alamos, say debt-based license suspensions are counterproductive.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | 2023-07-26T20:39:50+00:00 | kaaltv.com | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/political-news/new-mexico-lifts-debt-based-suspensions-of-drivers-licenses-for-100000-residents/ |
- Company files its first Investigational New Drug application for its lead program KYV-101, a novel fully human CD19 CAR T-cell therapy, for the treatment of lupus nephritis
- Kyverna's therapeutic platform combines advanced T-cell engineering and synthetic biology technologies to suppress and eliminate autoreactive immune cells at the root cause of inflammatory disease
EMERYVILLE, Calif., Oct. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kyverna Therapeutics ("Kyverna"), a cell therapy company with the mission of engineering a new class of therapies for serious autoimmune diseases, today announced the filing of its first Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for KYV-101, a novel therapy for the treatment of lupus nephritis.
Lupus nephritis (LN) is a serious complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), more commonly known as lupus. Approximately 40 percent of adults diagnosed with lupus eventually develop LN and 60 percent of LN patients will fail standard of care and approved treatments1. Aside from modest efficacy, current treatments expose these young adults to the well-demonstrated detrimental consequences of chronic treatment with corticosteroids and other powerful immunosuppressants. Up to 10 percent of patients with LN and 40 percent with diffuse LN (class IV) will ultimately develop kidney failure, requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant to stay alive2.
KYV-101 is an autologous version of a novel, fully human clinical-stage anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) construct with properties well suited for use in B cell-driven autoimmune diseases such as lupus nephritis and other B-cell driven autoimmune diseases. In a 20-patient Phase 1/2 study in oncology, expected anti-lymphoma activity was associated with a significant reduction of cytokines released that translated into a strong reduction of cytokine-driven side effects such as the rate of immune effector cells-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS)3. The fully human anti-CD19 CAR also translated into reduced immunogenicity that favorably impacted cell persistence at one month. Kyverna recognized that these properties singled out KYV-101 as a product ideally poised for use in autoimmune disease patients, and the company obtained exclusive, worldwide licenses from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to use this CD19 construct in both autologous and allogeneic CAR T-cell therapies. Pending results of the FDA review, Kyverna is actively working with clinical sites in the U.S. and Europe to support initiation of the Phase 1/2 study in LN.
"We are extremely proud to be leading a possible revolution in how we treat severe immune-related and inflammatory diseases. The filing of this IND for KYV-101 in lupus nephritis is an important milestone for Kyverna and we are excited by the prospect of KYV-101 opening a new era in the care of patients with LN. We strongly believe that KYV-101 may drastically change the course of this devastating disease," said Peter Maag, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Kyverna Therapeutics. "We look forward to working with the FDA to initiate the KYV-101 clinical study."
"Patients with lupus nephritis too often experience serious complications from the medications used to control the disease process or from the disease itself. We applaud the team at Kyverna for developing novel treatment approaches for these patients that today have very limited treatment options," said Richard A. Furie, M.D., The Marilyn and Barry Rubenstein Chair in Rheumatology, professor, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, chief of Division of Rheumatology, Northwell Health, and professor of medicine, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra University/Northwell Health.
About KYV-101
KYV-101 is an autologous version of a novel fully human clinical-stage anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) construct with properties well suited for use in B cell-driven autoimmune diseases such as lupus nephritis, systemic sclerosis, and inflammatory myopathies. Kyverna has obtained exclusive, worldwide licenses from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to use this CD19 construct in both autologous and allogeneic CAR T-cell therapies.
About Kyverna Therapeutics
Kyverna Therapeutics is a cell therapy company with the mission of engineering a new class of therapies for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The Kyverna therapeutic platform combines advanced T-cell engineering and synthetic biology technologies to suppress and eliminate the autoreactive immune cells at the origin of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. In addition to aiming to develop next-generation chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapies in both autologous and allogeneic settings, Kyverna is creating synReg T cells, a synthetic version of Regulatory T cells (Tregs), powerful natural immune cells that control immune homeostasis through multiple immunosuppressive mechanisms. By offering more than one mechanism for taming autoimmunity, Kyverna is positioned to act on its mission of transforming how autoimmune diseases are treated. For more information, please visit https://kyvernatx.com.
1 E. Carter et al., Nature Reviews Rheumatology, 12, Oct. 2016, 605-620.
2 Adv Chronic Kidney Dis. 2019;26(5):313.
3 Brudno et al., Nature Medicine 2020; 26:270-280.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Kyverna Therapeutics | 2022-10-18T12:37:20+00:00 | mysuncoast.com | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/10/18/kyverna-therapeutics-submits-ind-novel-car-t-cell-therapy-treat-lupus-nephritis/ |
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal appeals court on Monday upheld an eight-year prison sentence for an environmental activist who tried to sabotage the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Jessica Reznicek pleaded guilty in June 2021 to a charge of conspiracy to damage an energy facility for vandalizing construction sites on the 1,200-mile (1,930-kilometer) pipeline in 2016 and 2017.
Iowa U.S. District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger included a terrorism-related enhancement in her sentencing, finding that the crime was “calculated to influence or affect the conduct of government." Reznicek appealed that enhancement, arguing that she was acting against a private company.
But the appeals court found that “any error was harmless” in Ebinger's sentencing because the judge had noted she would have imposed the eight-year sentence regardless of the terrorism enhancement, the Des Moines Register reported.
An attorney for Reznicek declined to comment on the court's decision.
Ruby Montoya, another activist who acted with Reznicek, has pleaded guilty to a charge in the incident. But she has attempted to withdraw that plea, arguing she was unfairly pressured into entering it. | 2022-06-07T00:01:47+00:00 | sfgate.com | https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Court-upholds-terrorism-sentencing-of-pipeline-17223507.php |
Which 32-inch smart TV is best?
Gone are the days when you had to connect an external device or a cable antenna to watch television or movies. Most TVs now have built-in smart functionality that lets you access tons of streaming services and apps.
While 32-inch TVs are on the smaller side, they’re ideal for areas like kitchens or bedrooms. However, you still want something high quality. For example, Samsung’s 32-Inch The Frame QLED HDR Smart TV offers stunning visuals and has tons of smart TV apps and a unique Art Mode feature.
What to know before you buy a 32-inch smart TV
Size
In general, 32-inch smart TVs are considered small screens. Compact and lightweight, they’re ideal for casual entertainment in small areas, such as kitchens or children’s bedrooms. However, if you want a big screen for watching movies, it’s best to consider getting a TV over 40 inches.
Panel
Most 32-inch TVs use LED backlight technology, which is excellent for producing consistent contrast levels and vivid colors. Some Samsung models use quantum LED technology that reproduces a broader spectrum of vibrant colors and improved brightness levels.
Resolution
Most 32-inch TVs have a full HD 1080p display, but some only have standard HD displays of 720p. Displays with 1080p provide a sharper image but are more expensive than 720p models.
Though more commonly found in larger screens, 4K ultra HD resolutions for 32-inch TVs are available. They’re more expensive than full HD TVs, but they provide crystal-clear picture quality and stunning visuals since it’s four times the pixelation.
What to look for in a quality 32-inch smart TV
High-dynamic range
HDR is a feature that allows TVs to display sharper images and more colors with superior brightness and contrast levels. It’s essentially an ultra HD picture quality upgrade, so it’s only available on models that support 4K resolution.
Voice assistant
Access to voice assistants is a convenient feature that lets users control their TV without a remote control. It’s a feature usually found on premium models and includes access to popular voice assistants, such as Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri. You can use a voice assistant to select an app, adjust volume and other settings, control music playback and perform other functions.
Smart TV interface
Depending on the brand, there are several smart TV interfaces that differ in functionality and the way you access certain apps and services. Cheaper TVs often have access to fewer streaming apps and services and sometimes have clunky interfaces that can be challenging to use if you’re not particularly tech-savvy.
High-quality smart TVs have easy-to-use interfaces with quick access to popular apps, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu. Some TVs also support additional options for controlling the interface, such as Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2 and dedicated smartphone apps.
How much you can expect to spend on a 32-inch smart TV
Less expensive 32-inch models cost $200-$300 and usually have simple interfaces with access to basic streaming apps and services. More expensive models in the $300-$500 range usually offer superior picture quality and premium features.
32-inch smart TV FAQ
Can I use a 32-inch smart TV for gaming?
A. Yes. However, dedicated gaming monitors usually have faster response times and refresh rates than TVs.
Do smart TVs need Wi-Fi to function?
A. Yes, most smart TV’s come with built-in Wi-Fi capabilities necessary for streaming content. However, if you don’t have access to an internet connection, you can connect a Blu-ray player or a video game console to watch movies or TV shows from a Blu-ray disc or DVD.
What’s the best 32-inch smart TV to buy?
Top 32-inch smart TV
Samsung 32-Inch The Frame QLED HDR Smart TV
What you need to know: This smart TV is packed with tons of high-end features, including an innovative Art Mode.
What you’ll love: The main feature of this frame-design smart TV is the Art Mode, which displays a beautiful work of art when you aren’t watching a show. With a customizable frame and Alexa built-in, its quantum dot technology produces vibrant colors.
What you should consider: The mounting design is complicated, and the Art Mode interface is clunky.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top 32-inch smart TV for the money
TCL 32-Inch 3-Series Roku Smart TV
What you need to know: This TV looks great and has a built-in Roku platform that’s easy to use and offers thousands of apps and services.
What you’ll love: It has a sleek, lightweight design with functionality and features that can be accessed through the Roku interface. It has several preset picture settings optimized for sports, movies or TV shows, and you can use your smartphone as a remote through the Roku app.
What you should consider: The panel is delicate and can be damaged easily. Also, some apps take a while to load.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
What you need to know: This TV offers excellent sound and picture quality and has many premium features not available on many other 32-inch models.
What you’ll love: It has a full-array LED backlight for superior light uniformity and color consistency. With SmartCast, you can access hundreds of streaming services, and it works with Chromecast and Apple AirPlay 2. Additionally, it supports voice assistants, such as Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant.
What you should consider: The controls are a bit clunky, the menus sometimes lag and some apps can take a long time to load.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Kevin Luna writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2022-05-05T02:03:12+00:00 | fox44news.com | https://www.fox44news.com/reviews/br/electronics-br/tv-video-br/best-32-inch-smart-tvs/ |
White Bird
The Los-Angeles-based TL Collective, led by founder/artistic director Micaela Taylor, makes its Pacific Northwest debut in the White Bird Uncaged Series, 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 26-28, at Lincoln Performance Hall. The eight-member company will perform “Pull,” “Drift” and a world premiere of Taylor’s “BlueNav.”
More: whitebird.org.
BodyVox
Fun event alert: Dance company BodyVox features the works of seven “inspired” choreographers in “Serious Cupcakes,” promoted as “an evening of perfectly packaged artistic treats,” Jan. 26-28 and Feb. 2-4 at BodyVox Dance Center. Utilizing BodyVo’x signature athleticism, humor and theater, choreographers taking part are Bobby Fouther, Laure Redmond, Andrea Parson, Darvejon Jones, Jenelle Gaerlan, Theresa Hanson, and Bo Brinton.
More: bodyvox.com.
Broadway Rose
The Tigard musical company Broadway Rose stages “Snapshots: A Musical Scrapbook,” featuring hit songs and hidden gems by Stephen Schwartz, Jan. 26-Feb. 19 at Broadway Rose New Stage. Surely we’ll see entries from “Wicked,” “Pippin” and “Godspell.” It’s part musical revue, part original musical, and it follows empty-nesters Sue and Dan on a journey through their past, guided by old photographs and memories.
More: broadwayrose.org.
Funny magicians
Penn and Teller perform their magic and comedy at Keller Auditorium, 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27. The duo has been around for years (47 actually) — Penn is the talking instigator, Teller is the silent type. They are an eight-time winner of “Las Vegas Magicians of the Year.” They have a current series on CW Network, “Fool Us!,” in which new and veteran magicians try to fool them for a chance to star in the pair’s Vegas show.
More: portland5.com.
Everyone Orchestra
Featuring such musicians as Farnell Newton, Laurie Shook and Robin Jackson, and founded by conductor Matt Butler, Everyone Orchestra incorporates elements of audience participation and improvisation into performances, and they play at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at Alberta Rose Theatre.
More: albertarosetheatre.com.
‘Alliance’
Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble’s winter concert, “Alliance,” brings together the past five winners of the International Association for Women in Music’s annual jazz composition prize. New pieces for the large jazz ensemble will be performed at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at Lincoln Recital Hall. Featured composers: Migiwa “Ziggy” Miyajima, Sam Spear, Jhoely Garay, Yu Nishiyama and Eliana Fishbeyn.
More: pjce.org.
PCSO concert
Portland singer Jimmie Herrod and violinist Alexander Markov join Conductor Steven Byess and Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra for “The PCSO Spectacular at the Reser,” and music ranging from Vivaldi to Massenet, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at Reser Center for the Arts in Beaverton. Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra is celebrating it 40th anniversary season. One of the pieces is “Adventures on Earth from E.T. the Extraterrestrial” — a John Williams showpiece.
More: pcsymphony.org.
Fine Print Fair
Fans of art should take note: The Portland Fine Print Fair returns to Portland Art Museum for its 10th year. While it’s not an exhibition, it is a place to purchase prints from 16 top dealers from across North America and Europe — prints from Old Masters to emerging artists, at many different price points. It takes place 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, at PAM.
More: portlandartmuseum.org.
Oregon Symphony
The Oregon Symphony’s classical season continues with a night of Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 5,” featuring violinist Vadim Gluzman, and more, conducted by David Danzmayr, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, and 7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30, at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.
More: orsymphony.org.
Lesbian Choir
Continuing its 37th season, Portland Lesbian Choir presents “Breaking the Ice,” a one-act showcase of some of PLC’s finest singers. It’ll perform at 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, at Alberta Abbey.
More: plchoir.org.
Bang away
Heads up: The title of the longtime group says it all — Bang on a Can All-Stars. Presented by Friends of Chamber Music, the six-member group plays classical, jazz, rock, world and experimental music in its newest show, “Can Dance,” which features cutting-edge music, revolutionary dance and film. Head out to Beaverton, to Reser Center for the Arts, for their performance, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1.
More: focm.org. | 2023-01-22T09:25:36+00:00 | portlandtribune.com | https://www.portlandtribune.com/lifestyle/short-list-portland-events-include-bodyvox-penn-and-teller-portland-lesbian-choir/article_8b8aac78-9851-11ed-a562-d7fc4ad81090.html |
NEW YORK, June 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of: (i) Allbirds, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIRD) Class A Common Stock pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement in connection with the Company's November 2021 initial public offering ("IPO"); and/or (ii) Allbirds securities between November 4, 2021 and March 9, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period") of the important June 12, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline.
SO WHAT: If you purchased Allbirds securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Allbirds class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=12941 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than June 12, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants in the IPO registration statement and throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Allbirds was overemphasizing products that extended beyond the Company's core offerings; (2) the Company's non-core products had a narrower appeal and were not resonating with customers as well as the Company's core products; (3) Allbirds was underinvesting in its core consumers' favorite products to push the Company's newer products with narrower appeal; (4) underinvesting in Allbirds' core products was negatively impacting the Company's sales; and (5) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects, were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the Allbirds class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=12941 mailto:or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Contact Information:
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. | 2023-06-11T22:45:53+00:00 | newschannel10.com | https://www.newschannel10.com/prnewswire/2023/06/11/bird-final-deadline-tomorrow-rosen-top-ranked-global-counsel-encourages-allbirds-inc-investors-with-losses-excess-100k-secure-counsel-before-important-june-12-deadline-securities-class-action-bird/ |
Mobile Health's consolidated pre-employment screening process boosts efficiency and creates a positive first impression with new hires.
NEW YORK, April 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With turnover rates on the rise, employers have to rethink the 'employee experience' to retain top talent. Mobile Health is taking a more personalized, streamlined approach to the pre-employment screening and onboarding process, helping employers create a positive first impression with new hires and set them up for long-term success.
EVOLVING PRE-EMPLOYMENT SCREENING FOR TODAY'S WORKFORCE
A nurse may require a drug test, physical exam, tuberculosis test, flu vaccine, and respirator fit test to simply start the job. Rather than requiring an employee to hunt down their own occupational health solutions through their primary care or local urgent care, Mobile Health works with employers to consolidate all pre-employment screenings into a single exam at one of their 6,500 clinics. Mobile Health not only saves time and resources for the employer, but also makes the employee feel prioritized and valued.
"The onboarding process is the first point of contact that new employees have with a company, and it sets the tone for their entire experience," said Andrew Shulman, Mobile Health CEO. "By working with employers to create a more seamless onboarding process, we're helping them retain top talent and set a standard of excellence."
Instead of employers chasing records and employees searching for the right exams ─ Mobile Health takes care of everything. Employers who partner with Mobile Health are seeing the benefits of a better onboarding experience, including higher job satisfaction, lower turnover rates, and more employee referrals. By setting a standard at the start of employment, employers are able to increase retention and build a strong team for the future.
For more information on how Mobile Health is helping employers improve their onboarding process, visit their website at MobileHealth.com.
ABOUT MOBILE HEALTH
Mobile Health is a trusted employee screening and occupational health provider with 39 years of clinical excellence. Their 6,500+ nationwide clinics and on-site teams offer every medical exam employers need for hiring and compliance. Mobile Health enables businesses to consolidate to one provider for OSHA/DOH compliance and for building a safer, healthier workforce. Their expert teams design programs to reduce employer bottlenecks, increase throughput, and make occupational health easier than ever before. For more information, visit MobileHealth.com.
Media Contact:
Dave Schramm
Chief Marketing Officer
(269) 270-6677
dschramm@mobilehealth.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Mobile Health | 2023-04-19T15:23:45+00:00 | kcbd.com | https://www.kcbd.com/prnewswire/2023/04/19/mobile-health-onboarding-programs-increase-employee-retention/ |
BEIJING, Oct. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from chinadaily.com.cn
The Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, also known as Beijing E-Town, has been ramping up efforts to foster strategically important industrial clusters that represent the latest in the science and technology world. The goal is to build itself into a hub of high-tech industries with international influence.
Beijing E-Town saw its gross industrial output value reach close to 600 billion yuan ($86 billion) in 2021, ranking first in the city.
High-tech industries, represented by new-generation information technology, high-end automobiles and intelligent manufacturing, contributed more than 90 percent of the gross industrial output value.
At the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, an 8K ultrahigh-definition ground display system, the largest of its kind in the world, demonstrated the abilities of Chinese technology to viewers across the globe.
"The core technologies of the world's largest display are in our hands," said a representative of BOE Technology Group, China's leading liquid crystal display panel maker based in Beijing E-Town.
In 2021, BOE's LCD shipments for five major application scenarios, which were smartphones, tablets, laptops, monitors and televisions, all ranked first in the world.
"In the last 10 years, Beijing E-Town focused on critical strategic needs, accelerated research into key technologies and achieved major breakthroughs in cutting-edge technologies and industries of strategic importance," said a Beijing E-Town official.
Beijing E-Town had been a cradle of innovative products and technologies for the past 10 years. As of the end of 2021, high-tech companies in Beijing E-Town delivered 96.7 percent of the area's total industrial output value.
In 2021, the number of national-level "little giants" based in Beijing E-Town ranked first among more than 200 national economic development zones in the country. To be called a "little giant", a Chinese company must see a minimum 5 percent year-on-year average growth rate of its main business income or net profit in the past two years.
Beijing E-Town is turning into a magnet for high-end resources from across the globe, with local industries moving toward the higher end of the global value chain.
Four new production lines of German pharmaceutical company Bayer in Beijing E-Town are under construction. When put into operation, the fully automatic high-speed production lines, coupled with fully automatic logistics systems, are set to increase production capacity by 40 percent and help build a world-class manufacturing factory.
During the past decade, an increasing number of multinationals have chosen to set up their latest and most advanced production lines in Beijing E-Town. To date, Beijing E-Town was home to some 140 projects backed by more than 90 Fortune Global 500 companies.
Beijing E-Town is the first in the city to carry out the administrative reform that involves the entire administrative management chain ranging from approval to supervision and enforcement. The move has realized "one seal for examination and approval, and one team for law enforcement" and enabled further improvement in administration efficiency.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE chinadaily.com.cn | 2022-10-22T03:05:33+00:00 | ksla.com | https://www.ksla.com/prnewswire/2022/10/22/beijing-e-town-pulls-out-all-stops-attract-top-businesses/ |
PARIS – A European military task force that helped Mali's government fight Islamic extremists has formally withdrawn from the West African country amid tensions with its ruling military junta.
The French military, which spearheaded the Takuba task force, announced Friday that it officially ended its work Thursday. The move was tied to France’s decision earlier this year to withdraw troops from Mali after nine years helping Malian forces fight violent extremists who had threatened to seize power.
The Takuba force was composed of several hundred special forces troops from 10 countries: Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden. It aimed at training and protecting Malian combat forces.
Despite the withdrawal, the French military called the force a “strategic and tactical success” and an example of “what Europeans are able to achieve together in complex security environments," saying that lessons learned from Takuba could be used in future joint operations.
In announcing its pullout, France accused Mali’s authorities of neglecting the fight against Islamic extremists. France is maintaining a military presence in neighboring West African nations facing threats from extremist violence.
The departure of the European force comes after the U.N. Security Council voted Wednesday to maintain the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali, while condemning its military rulers for using mercenaries who are accused of committing human rights and humanitarian violations.
Russia and China abstained from the French-drafted resolution, which extends the mandate of the mission until June 30, 2023, with its current ceiling of 13,289 military personnel and 1,920 international police.
Mali’s junta, which seized power in August 2020, has grown closer to Russia as Moscow has looked to build alliances and gain sway in Africa.
Insurgents remain active in Mali and extremist groups affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group have moved from the arid north to more populated central Mali, stoking animosity and violence between ethnic groups in the region. | 2022-07-01T12:31:44+00:00 | local10.com | https://www.local10.com/news/world/2022/07/01/european-force-battling-extremists-withdraws-from-mali/ |
Sioux City cat found in poor condition over 8 hours away through the help of a microchip
SIOUX CITY (KTIV) - A Sioux City cat has been picked up in Illinois... with many asking “Whose cat is that?” Somehow, the cat made it over 8 hours away.
A *microchip* and an Illinois nonprofit is trying to get this cat back to its family.
”We’re still making every effort to reunite her with her family.” Said Sarah Shipton, creator of Catty Shack, a nonprofit cat rescue in Hamel, Illinois.
An Illinois family found *this* cat wandering outside, and lethargic in a neighborhood. They thought she was dying because she wouldn’t eat, she was just laying there.
“And I said, take her to the emergency vet. Let’s get her checked out.” Said Shipton.
The cat has been nicknamed “Iowa” to all her Facebook followers all over the country. Through the help of a microchip, they found out made she was from Sioux City, over eight hours away from where they found her.
“Linked to a rescue in Iowa. I called them in Sioux City, and they said, Yeah, that’s ours, and then they gave me the adopters name and info.” Said Shipton.
She was microchipped at Sioux City’s Adopt and Rescue Center, but a microchip only does its job to a point. If it is registered and kept up to date with contact information.
This is something that Shipton thinks is becoming the problem. “Microchips are becoming more and more important, they got to a point where they are invaluable. So Simple to do. Literally their weight in gold. We’re hoping that those values will get better.”
After calling the phone number on the chip, Shipton is still trying to find the cat’s owners. “I’ve called, messages, texted. No one’s gotten back to me,” Shipton said.
In the meantime, an Illinois vet and her family has taken “Iowa” into her home to care for her injuries heals and is on a feeding tube. Catty Shack has been raising money to help pay for her vet bills.
“Her ER bill was over $1,000 And we were able to get that paid because of our supporters. And to think that thousands and thousands of people care about what we do, and support us it’s just mind-blowing honestly,” Shipton said.
Copyright 2023 KTIV. All rights reserved. | 2023-06-07T18:19:38+00:00 | ktiv.com | https://www.ktiv.com/2023/06/07/sioux-city-cat-found-poor-condition-over-8-hours-away-through-help-microchip/ |
VIDEO: Georgia deputy pulls driver from burning car
CANDLER COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC/Gray News) - A Georgia sheriff’s deputy is being credited with saving a driver’s life after a fiery crash.
The Candler County Sheriff’s Office posted video of Sgt. Ashleigh Taylor coming to a woman’s rescue Saturday evening. The deputy got called to Highway 46 on a report that a car had gone off the road and into the woods, WTOC reports.
Body camera footage shows when Taylor arrived, there were smoke and flames under the woman’s car. The deputy smashed the window and told the driver to get out.
The sheriff’s office says the driver, whose name has not been released, was having a medical emergency and seemed groggy when Taylor tried to help her.
Taylor quickly pulled the woman out of the car, getting her to safety before it fully caught fire. The rescue and fire happened in less than five minutes.
While Taylor shied away from the attention, Candler County Sheriff John Miles spoke about the deputy’s heroic efforts.
“Sgt. Taylor responded the way we hope we all would respond to a critical situation just like that,” Miles said. “People were able to see the job Sgt. Taylor did and the kind of work first responders do all the time.”
Thanks to Taylor’s quick response, the driver is expected to make a full recovery.
Copyright 2023 WTOC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2023-07-04T09:40:01+00:00 | wlox.com | https://www.wlox.com/2023/07/04/video-georgia-deputy-pulls-driver-burning-car/ |
TUPELO – The old Thomas Kincannon & Elken Drug Store, more commonly know as the TKE building in downtown Tupelo, has been around since the early 1900s.
And the new owner of it has plans to renovate the two-story building, with work having been underway for the past few weeks.
While the property owner says he doesn't have an update to provide at this time, plans filed at the city's planning department show extensive interior and exterior demolition work to the building.
On the outside, all the exterior windows will be replaced, along with the wood and asphalt shingle canopy running the length of the Main Street store front. A new metal canopy will be installed over the new first story bank of windows and doors, and another metal canopy will go over the Spring Street door.
Inside, "all interior components" in the east tenant space will be demolished. with the west side tenant space left alone, "except as required to construct second floor freeing in the front 18 feet of the building."
Additionally, the roof will be replaced, as will all mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. The sprinkler system will be upgraded.
Perhaps some of the most extensive work will be the tuck pointing of masonry. Sometimes called repointing or brick pointing, it is a process to finish or repair mortar joints between bricks and stones with narrow ridge of lime putty or fine lime mortar. The process helps matin or strengthen the integrity of older masonry buildings by helping to seal out moisture.
The safety of the building was a point of contention between the city and its former owner in early 2016.
At the time, there was a perceived threat from falling bricks and allegations that a downtown building could collapse. The Tupelo City Council voted to declare the building a menace to public health and welfare, but apparently enough work was done to keep the building open, as The Thirsty Devil had opened in the spot later that year.
What the new owner plans to do with the east side space that's being renovated, along with the upstairs remains to be seen
But the TKE Drug Store was a mainstay at the corner of Main and Spring street for decades as a drugstore and soda fountain – the first in Tupelo. It once billed as the North Mississippi's largest retail drug store. In 1984, TKE was closed by it owners, George and Bubba Worthen. Its most recent tenant, The Thirsty Devil bar and grill, closed a couple of years ago, and prior to that it was Atlanta Bar & Grill.
Newsletters
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request. | 2023-03-22T13:09:05+00:00 | djournal.com | https://www.djournal.com/news/business/historic-tke-building-in-downtown-tupelo-undergoing-renovation/article_d90573f7-4671-5812-ae6e-46e428401ddf.html |
ALBANY, N.Y. (WETM) – Healthcare providers are now prohibited from satisfying medical debt by collecting wages or placing liens on patients’ homes under a law sign by Governor Hochul on Wednesday.
The legislation aims to protect tens of thousands of New Yorkers who deal with high medical bills or who are sued for medical debt. It prevents providers from garnishing wages or placing home liens on someone’s residence in order to collect the debt.
“No one should face the threat of losing their home or falling into further debt after seeking medical care,” Governor Hochul said. “I’m proud to sign legislation today that will end this harmful and predatory collection practice to help protect New Yorkers from these unfair penalties. With medical debt a burden for far too many, this is an important step to address this crucial issue.”
According to Hochul, 50,000 New Yorkers have been sued for medical debt over the last five years, especially Upstate. Hochul said the ability for providers to impose liens on someone’s home leads to “housing instability and devastating financial consequences for vulnerable New Yorkers.”
Hochul touched on making healthcare more affordable for New Yorkers in her 2022 State of the State Address. | 2022-11-23T20:25:07+00:00 | mytwintiers.com | https://www.mytwintiers.com/news-cat/state-news/hochul-signs-bill-to-protect-new-yorkers-with-medical-debt/ |
Michigan voters speak out on absentee voting, election for governor
LANSING — For Troy resident Richard Peluso, a Republican, showing up at the polls on Election Day is part of one's civic duty, unless voters have good reasons why they can't.
For Oak Park resident Michelle Spencer, a Democrat who remembers waiting in line for hours to vote for former President Barack Obama in 2008, attacks on early voting and absentee voting are in many cases attempts to inconvenience and disenfranchise urban residents generally and Black voters specifically.
And for Julie Gavigan of Livonia, an independent voter who as of Tuesday was still wrestling with who to support in Michigan's race for governor, whether one votes absentee or at the polls is largely a matter of personal preference, especially with ongoing health concerns related to COVID-19.
The three Michigan voters were interviewed by the Free Press as part of an election special with Detroit Public Television's "One Detroit" program, which airs at 7 p.m. Thursday.
They each hold views about voting that mirror national trends. Democrats overwhelmingly support early voting and any-reason absentee voting, but Republican support for those election features has been declining.
A 2021 study by the Pew Research Center found that 84% of Democrats support any-reason absentee voting, a percentage that is roughly unchanged from 2018. But the study found that only 38% of Republicans support the practice, down from 57% in 2018. Voters who did not clearly align with either political party were more evenly split on the issue.
Michigan voters approved any-reason absentee voting in a 2018 referendum, and Nov. 8 will be the first Michigan election for governor in which the feature is available. Michigan, technically, does not have early voting in which the polls are open on days prior to Election Day. But citizens can vote in person by absentee ballot, prior to Election Day, at their local clerk's office.
Polls show a tightening race between Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is seeking a second four-year term, and Republican challenger Tudor Dixon, who on Tuesday picked up a significant endorsement from the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the state's most powerful business lobbying group. Many voters who view Whitmer and Dixon differently also disagree on issues related to how and when people should be allowed to vote.
For Peluso, who is retired from a company that supplied corporations with online modules for employee training, any-reason absentee voting has grown along with his concerns about election integrity. He said he also sees going to the polls as a form of civic duty and a way to see one's neighbors. Peluso, who turns 75 this year, said that even at the height of the pandemic, he and his wife masked up and voted in person.
"I think we've kind of degraded the whole voting process by extending the amount of time that you can vote," Peluso said.
"It's not that I disagree with absentee voting, to be used in the right way. Offshore military people or infirm, and sick and those kinds of situations. But anytime that you're going to take ballots over an extended period of time, it just makes me a tad concerned about the effectiveness and the legitimacy of those kinds of votes being cast."
Peluso feels the economy and his retirement investments were roaring along under former President Donald Trump and things took a sharp turn for the worse almost as soon as President Joe Biden took office. He feels that excess federal spending, including universal stimulus checks and partial forgiveness of student loan debt, are major reasons for persistent inflation. And at the state level, he feels Whitmer "blundered" by ordering too many businesses shut down during the pandemic for too long, and showed arrogance by not always observing the COVID-19 rules her own administration imposed.
More:Your guide to Michigan's ballot proposals for 2022 election
More:Michigan's candidates for governor: Where Gretchen Whitmer and Tudor Dixon stand
Spencer, a Democrat who is retired, said Trump's unsubstantiated allegations of fraud surrounding the 2020 presidential election are ridiculous, but they didn't surprise her, because Trump was already making allegations of fraud before the election even happened. She said attempts to curtail absentee voting disproportionately hurt urban residents because it is those residents who are most likely to have to stand in line and wait to cast ballots on Election Day.
"If you can deter Democratic votes, then who's going to win?" Spencer asked. "It's all done on purpose."
She said she is voting absentee in the Nov. 8 election because it is so much easier than standing in line, and because it is also safe and secure.
Spencer is Roman Catholic, and abortion rights are a major issue for her in the governor's race between Whitmer, who supports those rights, and Dixon, who does not. Spencer said abortions are going to happen regardless of what the law says, so it is better that they be legal and safe.
"No old man sitting in an office somewhere should be able to tell me what I can do with my own body," she said.
Gavigan, who considers herself "right in the middle" politically, but leaning conservative on economic issues, said she has not spent a lot of time worrying about the fraud allegations that were made in connection with the 2020 election, but she hopes that increased scrutiny will mean any shortcomings are addressed for 2022.
The claims were investigated, and "there is no need to keep drudging it back up," Gavigan said. "It's a waste of taxpayer money and time." She hopes that the fact allegations were made about 2020 will result in more checks and balances and more transparency for the current election.
Gavigan said she will vote absentee mainly because she has relatives and others she comes into contact with who are immuno-compromised and she does not want to do anything that unnecessarily puts them at risk.
On the governor's election, Gavigan, who has two daughters, said she remains torn, even after watching both debates between Whitmer and Dixon.
She said she does not support Dixon's position on abortion, because she believes any abortion ban should have exceptions for cases of rape and incest. She said she will vote for Proposal 3, and if she knew it would pass, she would be more willing to vote for Dixon, knowing that she could not then impose a strict abortion ban in Michigan.
As for Whitmer, Gavigan is concerned about both pandemic money and social services money generally going to people who don't need it, who she believes are scamming the system.
She also has concerns about Whitmer's signature 2018 promise to "fix the damn roads," she said.
"I don't agree with her fixing all the roads all at once, I believe it should be done systematically so that we can at least maneuver around in some type of fashion where everybody is not confused and in a hurry."
Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4. | 2022-11-02T13:13:18+00:00 | freep.com | https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/11/02/michigan-absentee-voting-whitmer-dixon-governor-election/69609040007/ |
'Leaders—you can make true progress toward both DEI and ESG if you understand how to measure inclusion and unleash individuality.'
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif., May 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Forget the backward facing "great resignation." We're in the midst of a great unleashing, as people explore ways to unleash their capacity and contribution. That's a key finding from the latest Leadership in the Age of Personalization Summit Executive Summary, available today for free from GLLG.
GLLG leads an ongoing think-tank of DEI, ESG and transformation leaders who address these challenges across business, healthcare and higher education. This report is the third in an annual series.
"Our organizations have spent decades forcing people to assimilate to the organization—but people are done assimilating," said Glenn Llopis, GLLG CEO. "Most leaders don't know what to do with that."
These three reports reveal an evolution of trends over the most tumultuous three-year-period in modern memory:
2019 – The pre-pandemic introduction to our new age of personalization:
- Standardization will be challenged by personalization
- The cultural demographic shift has reached its tipping point
- Next Gen will not assimilate to old ways of thinking
2020 – The pandemic-era revelations that previous top-down, standardized approaches to leadership collapse under pressure:
- What matters to the employee has not been a priority
- Business and social issues are indelibly linked
- Lack of leadership readiness for disruptive change is alarming
2021 – Our current-day inevitability: power belongs to individuals, not to the entity:
- Health and wellbeing is a non-negotiable priority
- Our traditional approach to DEI is pushing us further apart
- There are wide trust gaps between employees and their leaders
"Leaders see the calls for equity and inclusion (DEI) and better corporate governance (ESG), so they respond with a short-term 'plan' without trying to understand the needs and expectations of their employees," said Llopis. "When that plan fails, people leave, and leaders blame the great resignation. They fail to hold themselves accountable."
Many organizations are struggling to evolve their DEI and ESG platforms because traditional business practices are designed for efficiency (one-size-fits-all) rather than for the dignity of the individual. Download the three reports to gain insights into how leaders are already addressing these challenges.
"Change is happening everywhere, but evolution—the kind of transformation that truly moves individuals and organizations forward—is impossible until leaders evolve to meet these new realities," said Llopis.
View original content:
SOURCE GLLG | 2022-05-18T19:14:19+00:00 | kcbd.com | https://www.kcbd.com/prnewswire/2022/05/18/stop-blaming-the-great-resignation-people-leave-because-you-dont-see-value-what-they-can-contribute/ |
(NEXSTAR) – Chipotle is giving away burritos on Thursday in honor of National Burrito Day 2022, but if you’re hoping to score a free meal you’ll need to travel to the metaverse to get one.
The fast-casual chain is teaming up with online game platform Roblox to give away 100,000 burritos to the first players who successfully roll a burrito using the 90s-themed Chipotle Burrito Builder video game.
Winners will earn enough in-game currency, Burrito Bucks, to exchange it for an entree code applicable on the Chipotle app or website. The game will go live on April 7 at 3:30 P.M. PDT.
“Chipotle Burrito Builder is inspired by Chipotle fans on social media who have compared the complexities of rolling burritos to playing a video game,” Chipotle said in a news release.
The Burrito Builder experience “teleports” players back to 1993, the year Chipotle was founded. After choosing a uniform and unlocking additional 90s uniform options, players will go to work behind the counter.
“Players will need to drag and drop the correct ingredients into the tortilla situated at the bottom of the screen before the tortilla gets to the end of the line. Lastly, players will need to complete the customer’s order by rolling the burrito using arrow keys before the burrito roller timer runs out. If the player doesn’t build the full burrito order before the tortilla reaches the end of the line or they don’t roll the burrito before the burrito roller time limit, it’s game over. “
chipotle mexican grill
There will be a real-time leaderboard and from April 7 to April 13 the top five contestants at 11:59 P.M. PDT will win free burritos for a year.
In honor of National Burrito Day, Chipotle is also offering a free side or topping of Queso Blanco to rewards members who use the code NBD2022 to order via the website or app.
Last year, Chipotle gave away $100,000 worth of burritos and Bitcoin to celebrate National Burrito Day. | 2022-04-07T09:08:57+00:00 | wcia.com | https://www.wcia.com/news/chipotle-is-giving-away-burritos-thursday-heres-how-you-can-get-one/ |
THE INVESTIGATORS: DCFS employee describes morale issues, challenges of working for agency
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is in crisis and the head of that agency claims the shortage goes all the way back to the days of Bobby Jindal as governor.
While the Office of Inspector General is wading through a top-down investigation of the agency, a big part of what has gone wrong there could lie in staffing. A current employee inside DCFS said the numbers are in free fall as one frontline worker leaves after another, all while cases explode.
“When we walked in the door, we were 500 case workers down, including 500 child welfare staff and we have never replaced those 500,” said Secretary Marketa Garner Walters.
“A regular day would be 10 hours but most days are over 12 hours,” an employee said. “I’m really only supposed to work eight. Anything over that, I get comp time and everything but there’s no way. I mean, just the amount of cases and no one else to do them.”
The worker did not want WAFB to identify her for fear of retaliation but she said the morale is even worse than what leadership is saying.
She was asked how stressful is it to be working under a situation where she loves the work and she’s doing what she can do for these kids but she just can’t do it all.
”It’s very stressful, especially considering that I am that frontline so when I get a report safety hasn’t been determined yet, so just to know I have to go make these contacts because we don’t know if these kids are safe. There’s a lot of work and not a lot of time but then also management and supervisors are making that even worse,” explained the worker.
The worker said the issues run much deeper. Besides just the staff shortages, that employee said the real problem is the pressure of the job and how those directly tasked with keeping children safe are treated by their superiors. She said while employees can complain, they do so at their own risk.
”There’s grievance policies and all that. There is a place where you can go higher and you can go higher and keep going all the way until you get all the way to the state office but on a day-to-day basis, all you have is your supervisor and your manager and if they don’t have your back and they’re not there for you, they can make it very difficult and it’s already a difficult job,” added the worker.
The worker said the day-to-day is hell. Not only are they asked to take on more every day but she said they cannot talk to other employees about what they’re dealing with. She said things are so bad that a worker resorted to hiding under her desk to avoid being seen by a supervisor.
WAFB’s Scottie Hunter asked the employee if she witnessed that worker hiding under her desk and if things were that serious in her office.
“Yeah, it is and I mean that person thankfully wasn’t detected but yeah, it’s definitely an unwritten rule but it’s well known and enforced and you’ll be threatened with violating confidentiality and this, that, and the other,” she answered.
Secretary Walters pointed to a confidentiality policy that all employees sign that dictates what things they cannot talk about to other employees. They are permitted to pass along need-to-know information but due to confidentiality, some things are limited.
”During a child abuse investigation, a lot of accusations are made. We’re trying to hold those in confidence until we know they’re true because you can’t un-ring a bell and if we have an accusation about something that turns out not to be true, we’re not trying to spread a rumor mill about, ‘Oh, I heard he did that,’ so it’s confidential, so we’re not talking about it,” explained Walters.
According to numbers obtained by the 9News Investigators, DCFS has lost 276 employees statewide. Of that number, only 16 employees claimed to have left because of pay. When compared to the 118 who say they left for personal reasons, the worker who spoke with WAFB said that tells the story.
”The people I know who have left the agency, they’ve not left the agency because of money and they’ve not left the agency because of the workload. They’ve left the agency because their supervisors and management are not only not helping them but actively working against them,” said the worker.
“That breaks my heart. That is not our value system and that is not how we want supervisors or managers to behave. We are a team. We have to work together as a team and we have to share our knowledge and expertise every single day so in a perfect world, it would be a very collegial kind of place where everybody would feel good and comfortable. That is what I hope for every single employee,” added Walters.
When asked if leaders with the agency go out to spot check and investigate how things are being run by managers and supervisors, Secretary Walters said they do on a case-by-case basis.
“When we hear of trauma in an office, yes, we do. If there’s an employee that doesn’t feel safe or good or comfortable in their office then yeah was have work to do,” said Walters.
Secretary Walters said mistreatment of any kind by any of their employees goes against their mission and she is devastated to hear from some employees who describe horrible working conditions. She said they are working hard to address it, including creating a council to respond to any feedback they received from employees across the agency.
Click here to report a typo.
Copyright 2022 WAFB. All rights reserved. | 2022-08-22T21:15:54+00:00 | wafb.com | https://www.wafb.com/2022/08/22/investigators-dcfs-employee-describes-morale-issues-challenges-working-agency/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on U.S. Open tennis tournament (all times local):
___
4:20 p.m.
After a long road to get there, Carlos Alcaraz has begun his U.S. Open men’s singles final against Casper Ruud.
The No. 3 seed from Spain won five-set matches in the last three rounds, ending with his semifinal victory over American Frances Tiafoe. The 19-year-old played until 2:50 a.m., the latest finish ever at the U.S. Open, in his victory over Jannik Sinner in the previous round.
Ruud, the No. 5 seed, opened serve on the blue court with 9/11/01 stenciled in white on the green sideline. The roof above Arthur Ashe Stadium is closed on a rainy Sunday in New York on the 21st anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
___
3:40 p.m.
Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova won their first U.S. Open double’s title and third major of the year, completing the career Grand Slam by rallying to beat Americans Caty McNally and Taylor Townsend 3-6, 7-5, 6-1.
The Czech team finished an unbeaten season in the majors, winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles but not playing in the French Open after Krejcikova tested positive for COVID-19. They won it all at Roland Garros in 2021.
The third-seeded team in Flushing Meadows won its sixth Grand Slam title overall.
McNally and Townsend, playing for the first time in a major together after Townsend returned to action after giving birth last year, led 4-1 in the second set.
It was the second loss in the U.S. Open final for McNally, who partnered with Coco Gauff last year.
___
2:30 p.m.
A first-time Grand Slam champion will be crowned at the U.S. Open for the third consecutive year when Carlos Alcaraz meets Casper Ruud.
The winner will also move to No. 1 in the ATP rankings on Monday.
The 19-year-old Alcaraz could become the youngest man to win a major since fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal did so at the same age at the 2005 French Open. Ruud would become the first No. 1 player from Norway.
Dominic Thiem won his first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open in 2020 and Daniil Medvedev did the same in 2021.
___
More AP coverage of U.S. Open tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/us-open-tennis-championships and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2022-09-11T20:45:05+00:00 | wearegreenbay.com | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-alcaraz-ruud-to-play-for-1st-major-title-us-open-updates/ |
TOLEDO, Ohio — At one point, Steve Kahan thought his daughter Emily was crazy to think their family would be on TV.
Fast forward one year later, the family is giving back some of their game show winnings to the Toledo community. The Kahans, of Sylvania, are donating $10,000 to Cherry Street Mission Ministries on Monroe Street in downtown Toledo.
The family, made up of Steve, Christine, Emily, RJ, and Cody Kahan, recently appeared in five games, winning fast money twice on the hit television game show ‘Family Feud,’ hosted by fellow Ohio native Steve Harvey.
Recordings of the shows took place in June of 2021 and aired in February.
Despite winning more than expected, giving back to their hometown was a no-brainer for the Kahans.
“We were fortunate through COVID, we’re both frontline workers,” Christine Kahan said. “We saw firsthand what the experiences were, we saw the need, and we had an opportunity with our winnings on the show to help those in need, so that is what we decided from the beginning.”
Being involved in charitable causes was not the only inspiration to give back, however.
“[Steve Harvey] was actually homeless for several years, living in his car in Cleveland,” Christine noted. “So that connection with the host of that show, our winnings, and knowing the great work Cherry Street does for our community, we thought it would be a wonderful thing to donate to those in need right now.”
The ministries are not the only cause to receive a portion of the Kahans’ winnings. Also benefitting from the act of kindness is local art organization Unruly Arts, along with a church tied to the Kahans.
At the same time, Christine says the family always wanted to be fair to their children, along with the community.
“We took the first $20,000 we won on Fast Money and split it amongst our three children,” Christine said. “The second $20,000 we won is all being donated to charity.”
Cherry Street Ministries CEO Ann Ebbert says that the donation is another display of the Kahans’ heart.
“We are super honored to be part of their generous donation and heart,” Ebbert said. “Cherry Street has been experiencing a dramatically increased need for those facing homelessness and hunger insecurity.”
The donated money, according to Ebbert, will be going into a general operating fund to advance projects such as mental health care and workforce development classes through partnerships with Northwest State University and Owens Community College.
RELATED VIDEO | 2022-06-10T16:37:49+00:00 | wthr.com | https://www.wthr.com/article/entertainment/local-family-donates-family-feud-winnings/512-981e3dcd-366b-48c6-810d-ed89c0ff5565 |
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — A bipartisan group of lawmakers pushed to add a provision in the defense bill that would allow for research on psychedelics to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Psychedelics have shown so much promise,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said.
“There’s a realization that these therapies are working,” Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) said.
Friday, Ocasio-Cortez and Crenshaw worked together to authorize medical research of psychedelic drug therapies in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act.
Why?
“To help members of our armed forces suffering from PTSD,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “As well as helping thousands of survivors of sexual assault, trauma, violence, and beyond.”
Said Crenshaw: “There’s a lot of people in our country that could use effective treatments that are feeling hopeless right now.”
Currently, the U.S. government classifies psychedelics in the same category as heroin and meth, but health experts say they deserve a second look.
“They’re a major advance over the current psychotherapies and medications that are available for PTSD,” National Institute of Mental Health Director Dr. Joshua Gordon said.
Gordon said the current treatments for PTSD don’t work for everyone.
“That’s why we struggle so much in treating PTSD amongst veterans and the general public,” Gordon said. “So having another way that we can help people with PTSD would really be a game-changer.”
With those potential benefits, Ocasio-Cortez and Crenshaw now hope their provision makes it into the bill’s final version expected to head to President Biden’s desk later this year. | 2023-07-14T21:52:13+00:00 | ksn.com | https://www.ksn.com/news/washington-dc/reps-ocasio-cortez-crenshaw-push-for-provision-to-authorize-psychedelic-research-in-defense-bill/ |
Unlock all articles for $1.99
Already have an account? Login here.
When you click "Sign up", you will receive headlines and breaking news alerts to your inbox. By creating an account, you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.
We've placed cookies on your device to improve your browsing experience. They're safe and don't contain sensitive information. | 2022-05-21T15:01:56+00:00 | tj.news | https://tj.news/telegraph-journal/101874101 |
Women health workers lost ground on equality during the pandemic, according to a new report from Women in Global Health.
While 70% of the health care workforce around the world is made up of women, they hold only 25% of senior leadership roles, the report found – a phenomenon dubbed the "XX Factor."
Women had made some progress in closing the gender gap in leadership — until the pandemic. In 2020, for instance, the executive board of the World Health Organization reached a record 32% women, but then it fell to 6% in 2022.
"Wherever there is a high-profile emergency, these gendered stereotypes of leadership kick in even more than they do in normal situations," said Ann Keeling, senior fellow at Women in Global Health and lead author of the report.
Health workers were applauded as heroes, but during the pandemic, they faced longer hours, greater risks and more challenging work than ever, according to the report — as well as facing the pandemic-related challenges for women around the world, with massive additional burdens in childcare, education and elder or family care.
"COVID impacted women more than men in any sector, but particularly in the health and care sector," said Rosalia Vazquez-Alvarez, one of the authors of a 2022 report with the International Labor Organization on women in the health and care industries.
And, the new report found, women already marginalized because of their gender often faced even further discrimination based on age, race, religion, sexual orientation and other factors – being more frequently relegated to the lowest-paying and riskiest jobs. And this, says the report, is a crisis because inequality in health care will only make global health worker shortages worse – especially in less well-off countries.
While countries vowed in 2019 to close gender gaps like these, some countries may take more than 100 years to reach their goals if they don't change their approach, the report said.
The pandemic needs to be a "break in history" that makes us reevaluate what's important to us, Keeling said. "We don't have to keep relearning the same lessons."
Here are five obstacles the experts say stand in the way of gender equality in health care.
1. Men are still leaders in an industry dominated by women — and the pandemic made it worse.
Men headed up 85% of COVID task forces in 115 countries, according to the report.
"There was a very worrying dip in women's leadership during the pandemic," Keeling said. "The idea is 'there's an emergency, therefore men are better able to deal with this.' "
Women are often leading the charge to fight against viruses like COVID-19 in health care settings, but they are not afforded the respect, pay and safety of an official title, Keeling said.
That meant women were more likely to be excluded from making decisions based on their experience that would make patients' and providers' lives better, the report found.
For example, in some countries, safe maternity services were considered optional, not essential services in the pandemic. If there were midwives leading the response, they would undoubtedly have lobbied to keep these service going, as pregnancy and childbirth don't stop for a pandemic or any other emergency, Keeling explained. "We'd already learned that lesson in the Ebola pandemic."
Furthermore, there's a "broken pipeline" of health workers into leadership positions, where women are not seen within and outside of global health as political leaders and so they are not promoted nearly as often, the report said – making it more difficult to cultivate future generations of women in public health leadership.
Creating – and meeting – quotas for a certain number of women to fill leadership positions would help, the report said. Spain recently announced that large companies in several industries must have women represented in at least 40% of its top executives and management.
"If you have women at the very top, it may actually spill down" to other rungs of the industry, said Vazquez-Alvarez.
It's also crucial to value the work of women at every stage, she explains, "the people who are really taking care of the patients — the medical doctors, the surgeons, the nurses, the cleaners, et cetera."
2. The pandemic added to women's workloads.
"Women health workers suddenly found themselves with this huge spike in really sick patients," Keeling said, "working very, very long shifts, yet without access to their normal daycare for their kids."
Even as their workloads ballooned, their pay often did not – and their work at home, with virtual school and the care of young and elderly family members, increased. Women were expected to prop up the health care system while also holding down the home front, said Keeling – causing "a massive increase in stress."
Yet women receive little support for all of this extra work, the report finds. More family leave – sick leave, maternity leave, paternity leave, elder care leave — is necessary to close gender gaps, the researchers said. Some 72 countries, including the U.S., do not mandate at least 14 weeks of paid leave, putting childbearing women at a professional disadvantage.
And even at times when the flood of COVID patients subsides, health workers continue having huge workloads. People with other ailments may have deferred care during the past three years and now need to be seen. And broader initiatives like stalled vaccination campaigns needed to be restarted.
3. Women were more likely to be burnt out by the pandemic.
"It's not surprising now that what we see is massive exhaustion amongst the women who've been on the frontline for three years," said Keeling. "They're burnt out. But it's also to do with this concept of moral injury."
"Moral injury" in health care happens when health workers can't treat patients in a way that aligns with their values or professional training because the situation doesn't allow it – for instance, when patients die because hospitals run out of supplies, equipment, or life-saving treatments like oxygen. That can be devastating to watch or be a part of.
"The majority in patient-facing roles were really nurses, midwives, community health workers — so women suffered that highly traumatic moral injury," Keeling said.
Because there were more women on the front lines, they were more exposed to the virus and more likely to get sick, leading to death or disability from long COVID – a condition that early research shows tends to affect women more than men.
All of this means health care is now seeing a "great resignation" from women across the field. And women may begin looking for better-paying jobs in other countries, creating staff shortages in the places they're leaving, Keeling said.
There was already a shortage of 10 million health workers before the pandemic, according to the report. "We should be doing everything that we can to keep every trained woman in the health workforce," Keeling said.
4. Much of the caretaking work done by women in health care is informal and poorly paid.
An estimated 6 million women in the health workforce are not paid at all or "grossly underpaid," the report said. Community health workers might receive a cell phone or a bicycle instead of money for their work – and these workers tend to be women.
The gender pay gap is higher in health care than in any other economic sector in the economy – around 25%, Vazquez-Alvarez said. "For each dollar a man makes, a woman makes 75 cents." And most of this gap can't be explained away by age, education, or experience, she said.
COVID hasn't made this any better. "If anything, the gender pay gap in the health sector is likely to have increased," said Vazquez-Alvarez, who is working to quantify such gaps now.
But the problems around informal work go beyond money.
Informal workers don't have access to social safety nets, like unemployment and other benefits, and it can be harder for them to advance within health care. For example, says the report, in India, the community health workers known as ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) can't take family leave or report sexual harassment complaints.
"We have millions of women working in health who are not part of the formal health system, and that means they can never progress from where they are," Keeling said. "They're community health workers, but they have no opportunity to progress to become nurses or to become anything else in the hierarchy — but they're leaders in their own right."
5. The workplace in health care is geared toward men.
The gender divide can affect everything from advancement opportunities to daily work.
Personal protective gear, or PPE, for example, was designed for male bodies – which means they can fit women poorly, increasing the risk of infection.
In the pandemic, workers often had to wear full-body PPE all day, which meant they couldn't use the bathroom for entire 12-plus-hour shifts. For menstruating, breastfeeding, and pregnant workers, poorly designed PPE was a major challenge. It meant they couldn't change sanitary pads, pump breast milk, or urinate regularly – which can lead to health issues.
"We've been working since with the manufacturing standards bodies for medical PPE to make sure that this is taken seriously and that they get this right the next time," Keeling said.
The struggle to even get PPE revealed deep gender inequality. Women were often "the lowest in the hierarchy and they were the last to get PPE," Keeling said. ASHAs in India went on strike in 2021 to demand better conditions, including access to PPE – but their calls basically went unheeded and they returned to work.
Policies on sexual abuse and exploitation of women in health care also don't go far enough, researchers say, and 41 countries don't have bans on firing women just for being pregnant.
These examples show how widespread inequality is, and how collective action could help keep women safe and able to keep working, Keeling said.
"Try to understand, when nurses go out in the streets and try to fight for better earnings, it's social justice, [and] it's a way to also compensate these people — our lives are in their hands," Vazquez-Alvarez said.
What is the path forward?
Gender inequality is a longstanding issue, and so many of the solutions are familiar – they just need to be implemented.
Collective action and organizing for better conditions are an important step to begin changing the system, Keeling said, and so is adding quotas to make sure women are well-represented among health leaders. Guaranteeing parental and family leave to all workers is also key, as well as paying all workers fairly, she said.
All genders need better education about gender and health care, Vazquez-Alvarez said – for instance, more encouragement for men to pursue nursing and for women to become doctors.
"It's not about fixing women to fit into systems that discriminate against them, it's really about fixing the systemic bias that doesn't really see women as leaders," Keeling said.
Melody Schreiber (@m_scribe) is a journalist and the editor of What We Didn't Expect: Personal Stories About Premature Birth.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-04-18T05:26:39+00:00 | wboi.org | https://www.wboi.org/npr-news/2023-03-24/women-were-already-unequal-in-the-world-of-global-health-the-pandemic-made-it-worse |
Karen Kavett can finish puzzles faster than most people, and she makes money while doing it.
“It’s always been my favorite hobby,” said Kavett, the woman behind Karen Puzzles.
She has finished puzzles of all kinds, from a 3D Christmas puzzle to a 13-foot-long puzzle. She films the process and posts them to her YouTube channel.
Last year, she finished second in the individual competition in the National Jigsaw Puzzle Competition. It was her first real competition.
Her YouTube channel – which features everything from the process of putting together a puzzle, to rare, vintage puzzles she finds – has more than 200,000 followers.
“During the pandemic, everyone got very, very into puzzles and my channel really took off,” she said. “The one that really sort of helped my channel blow up was when I did the 24,000-piece puzzle which I’d been wanting to do for literally 10 years.”
Kavett said she found a niche that no one was really talking about at the time, and she’s always loved puzzles. Five years later, it’s what she does full-time.
But finishing puzzles for a living isn’t all games, there’s a lot that goes into her work. “When you're an influencer, you're doing like 50 jobs all at once,” she said.
Yet, there’s broad appeal in puzzles. Some of her videos on YouTube have more than a million views.
“Puzzling is something that everyone can relate to. Even if you're doing a really small easy puzzle, most people in their life have done a puzzle or at least know about jigsaw puzzles. It's a lot more accessible than maybe some other niches that require a lot of specialized equipment or money to even get your foot in the door,” she said.
Kavett’s favorite puzzles are “Puzzles on Puzzles" released by Ravensburger, the 24,000-piece Life Puzzle, and the 5,000-piece Gradient Puzzle from The Play Group.
Now, she is focused on collecting vintage puzzles and creating her own puzzles in collaboration with other companies.
“Maybe someday I’ll open my own puzzle museum,” she said.
In September, she plans on competing in the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships in Spain.
National Puzzle Day is January 29. | 2023-01-26T22:38:16+00:00 | abc15.com | https://www.abc15.com/news/national/meet-the-woman-who-turned-finishing-puzzles-into-her-whole-career |
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
MILAN (AP) — The new Italian government has prepared directives that could be used to once again prevent humanitarian rescue groups from accessing Italy’s ports, according to Italian media reports Wednesday.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi signed a directive Tuesday notifying port and other relevant authorities that the SOS Mediteranée’s Ocean Viking rescue ship, and SOS Humanity’s Humanity 1, did not follow European norms while carrying out the rescues of 326 migrants on Monday and Tuesday, the reports said. The new minister also reportedly claimed that they acted without having received directions from authorities in charge of the search and rescue areas in question, in this case Libya and Malta.
The daily Corriere della Sera reported Wednesday that the ministry was considering whether to block the rescue ships’ access to Italian waters as a result, which would align with the hardline policies enacted by former interior minister Matteo Salvini, in 2018-19.
The head of SOS Mediteranée Italy told Radio 24 that the group has not been formally notified of the new directive, and contested that the rescue ship acted counter to norms. The Ocean Viking, carrying 146 people, including children, rescued off Malta on Tuesday is currently awaiting word on a safe port of entry.
“We have been accused of providing rescue in full autonomy without informing authorities, and this is not true. It is absolutely not true,’’ Alessandro Porro told Radio 24. “Authorities, especially those in Italy, know every well what we do, where we do it and are kept informed step by step. Our procedure is that once we identify a boat in difficulty, we inform the competent authorities, be they in Italy, Malta, Libya or the country of our flag, Norway.’’
He added that ship captains are obliged to help boats in distress according to international conventions, while the nations involved should handle coordination, which hasn’t happened since 2018.
Meanwhile, the Italian Coast Guard and a Spanish patrol have rescued more than more than 1,100 migrants and recovered two bodies from fishing boats in the central Mediterranean overnight, authorities said Wednesday.
Authorities said the boats had departed from eastern Libya. There was no immediate word on when the migrants would be brought to shore.
___
Follow AP’s global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration | 2022-10-26T14:27:35+00:00 | seattlepi.com | https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/New-Italian-rules-could-keep-humanitarian-ships-17535465.php |
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (CHARLOTTE SPORTS LIVE) – Former Charlotte FC head coach Miguel Ramírez publicly reflected on his time with the club for the first time since being fired earlier this week.
Ramírez was released Tuesday in what owner David Tepper described as “a difficult decision, but one we feel is best for the team at this time.”
RELATED | Charlotte FC fires Head Coach Miguel Ángel Ramírez
In Ramírez’s statement Sunday, he elaborated on his experience in professional soccer, his connection with the city of Charlotte, and of course, he thanked the fans.
“We will never forget the first game, that record on March 5, the first goal, the first win… and all the love you have given us from the first day until today,” he wrote. “Thank you for all your messages, which are very dear to my heart.”
You can read Ramírez’s complete statement below:
Fans were shocked when the news broke, sending the Charlotte Twittersphere into a frenzy.
“I was in shock,” said Carolina Hooliganz’s La Muerte, an FC fan. “I couldn’t believe what I had just read when I got the email.”
“Shocked but not surprised is maybe the best way that I would put it,” said Mint City Collective Vice President Matt Chanty.
RELATED | Fans shocked over Charlotte FC head coach firing
Regardless of the end result, Ramírez will always bear history in Charlotte as the first person to ever coach for FC.
He posted a 5-8-1 record in 14 league games while helping the group reach the Round of 16 in the U.S. Open Cup.
Charlotte FC will be at home Saturday to face the New York Red Bulls at 3:00 p.m. | 2022-06-06T13:33:17+00:00 | wnct.com | https://www.wnct.com/sports/thank-you-miguel-ramirez-speaks-for-first-time-since-being-fired-by-charlotte-fc/ |
BEIJING, Nov. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tarena International, Inc. (NASDAQ: TEDU) ("Tarena" or the "Company"), a leading provider of IT professional education and IT-focused supplementary STEAM education services in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2022.
Highlights for the Third Quarter of 2022
- Net revenues increased by 4.6% year-over-year to RMB643.3 million (US$90.4 million), from RMB615.2 million in the same period of 2021.
- Gross profit increased by 13.1% year-over-year to RMB354.2 million (US$49.8 million), from RMB313.2 million in the same period of 2021.
- Gross profit margin increased by 4.2% year-over-year to 55.1%, from 50.9% in the same period of 2021.
- Operating income increased to RMB21.0 million (US$3.0 million), from a loss of RMB88.5 million in the same period of 2021.
- Non-GAAP operating income, which excluded share-based compensation expenses, was RMB30.2 million (US$4.2 million), compared to a non-GAAP operating loss of RMB84.4 million in the same period of 2021.
- Net income was RMB27.9 million (US$3.9 million), compared to a net loss of RMB94.7 million in the same period of 2021.
- Non-GAAP net income, which excluded share-based compensation expenses, was RMB37.2 million (US$5.2 million), compared to a non-GAAP net loss of RMB90.5 million in the same period of 2021.
- Basic income per American Depositary Share ("ADS"), each representing five Class A ordinary shares with an effective date of December 23, 2021, was RMB2.55 (US$0.36), compared to a loss per ADS of RMB8.21 in the third quarter of 2021. Diluted income per American Depositary Share ("ADS") was RMB2.43 (US$0.34), compared to a loss per ADS of RMB8.21 in the third quarter of 2021.
- Cash, cash equivalents and time deposits, including current and non-current, and restricted cash totaled RMB342.1 million (US$48.1 million) as of September 30, 2022, compared to RMB430.4 million as of December 31, 2021.
- Total student enrollment in IT-focused supplementary STEAM education in the third quarter of 2022 reached 184,500, increasing by 25.6%, compared to student enrollment of 146,900 in the same period of 2021.
Highlights for the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022
- Net revenues increased by 10.7% year-over-year to RMB1,915.6 million (US$269.3 million), from RMB1,731.2 million in the same period in 2021.
- Gross profit increased by 27.1% year-over-year to RMB1,089.7 million (US$153.2 million), from RMB857.5 million in the same period in 2021.
- Gross profit margin increased by 7.4% year-over-year to 56.9%, from 49.5% in the same period of 2021.
- Operating income was RMB97.6 million (US$13.7 million), compared to an operating loss of RMB308.7 million in the same period in 2021.
- Non-GAAP operating income, which excluded share-based compensation expenses, was RMB109.3 million (US$15.4 million), compared to a non-GAAP operating loss of RMB293.6 million in the same period in 2021.
- Net income was RMB102.9 million (US$14.5 million), compared to a net loss of RMB293.2 million in the same period in 2021.
- Non-GAAP net income, which excluded share-based compensation expenses, was RMB114.7 million (US$16.1 million), compared to a non-GAAP net loss of RMB278.0 million in the same period in 2021.
- Basic income per American Depositary Share ("ADS"), each representing five Class A ordinary shares with an effective date of December 23, 2021, was RMB9.28 (US$1.30). Diluted income per American Depositary Share ("ADS") was RMB8.85 (US$1.24).
- Total student enrollment in our IT-focused supplementary STEAM education in the first nine months of 2022 reached 204,400, increasing by 25.2%, compared to student enrollment of 163,300 in the same period of 2021.
Key Financial Results
Note:
(a) Includes share-based compensation expenses.
"In the third quarter of 2022, we achieved another quarter of steady growth in both net revenues and operating profits, thanks to our ability to increase enrollment in children's IT-focused STEAM education while streamlining our centers and headcount. Ultimately, this performance was mainly driven by the effectiveness of our relatively conservative growth strategy, whereby we focused on improving the quality of our courses and services and continued to optimize our operations to maintain financial health," remarked Ms. Ying Sun, the Chief Executive Officer of Tarena.
Ms. Sun continued, "Going forward, we anticipate more restrictions on the mobility of our students from the resurging COVID-19 and related prevention and control measures, which will affect our center operations, new enrollment and revenue to some degree in the fourth quarter. To ensure undisrupted services to our students, we will continue to optimize the quality of our OMO-based course delivery and service system. On the student acquisition front, we will continue to drive near-term enrollment in a cost-effective manner through referrals and renewal-based enrollment. Additionally, we will continue to improve operational efficiency to maintain healthy margins and operating cash flows."
"Furthermore, our Board of Directors approved another share repurchase program of up to US$3 million, further demonstrating our confidence in the fundamental health and long-term development of the company as well as our commitment to enhancing shareholder value," concluded Ms. Ying Sun.
Financial Results for the Third Quarter of 2022
Net Revenues
Total net revenues increased by 4.6% to RMB643.3 million (US$90.4 million) in the third quarter of 2022, from RMB615.2 million in the same period of 2021. The increase was mainly driven by higher student enrollment in IT-focused supplementary STEAM education, and was partially offset by a slight decrease in IT professional education revenues.
Cost of Revenues
The cost of revenues decreased by 4.3% to RMB289.1 million (US$40.6 million) in the third quarter of 2022, from RMB302.0 million in the same period of 2021. The decrease was mainly due to decreased rental and depreciation expenses resulting from the closing of some of our teaching centers and a decrease in certificate fees.
Gross Profit and Gross Margin
Gross profit increased by 13.1% to RMB354.2 million (US$49.8 million) in the third quarter of 2022, from RMB313.2 million in the same period of 2021. Gross margin expanded to 55.1% in the third quarter of 2022, compared to 50.9% in the same period of 2021 as we continued to improve operational efficiency.
Operating Expenses
Total operating expenses decreased by 17.0% to RMB333.2 million (US$46.8 million) in the third quarter of 2022, from RMB401.7 million in the same period of 2021. Total non-GAAP operating expenses, which excluded share-based compensation expenses, decreased by 18.5% to RMB324.1 million (US$45.6 million) in the third quarter of 2022, from RMB397.7 million in the same period of 2021. Total share-based compensation expenses allocated to related operating expenses were RMB9.2 million (US$1.3 million) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to RMB4.0 million in the same period of 2021.
Selling and marketing expenses decreased by 24.7% to RMB168.4 million (US$23.7 million) in the third quarter of 2022, from RMB223.7 million in the same period of 2021. The decrease was mainly due to the drop in the number of sales staff and a decrease in advertising spending as the Company continued to optimize marketing spending in the third quarter of 2022.
General and administrative expenses decreased by 0.9% to RMB150.1 million (US$21.1 million) in the third quarter of 2022, from RMB151.5 million in the same period of 2021.
Research and development expenses decreased by 44.6% to RMB14.7 million (US$2.1 million) in the third quarter of 2022, from RMB26.6 million in the same period of 2021. The decrease was mainly due to the decrease in personnel-related expenses in the third quarter of 2022.
Operating Income/(Loss)
Operating income was RMB21.0 million (US$3.0 million) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to an operating loss of RMB88.5 million in the same period of 2021. Non-GAAP operating income, which excluded share-based compensation expenses, was RMB30.2 million (US$4.2 million) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to a non-GAAP operating loss of RMB84.4 million in the same period of 2021.
Income Tax Benefit/(Expense)
The Company recorded an income tax benefit of RMB2.8 million (US$0.4 million) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to an income tax expense of RMB8.0 million in the same period of 2021.
Net Income/(Loss)
As a result of the foregoing factors, net income was RMB27.9 million (US$3.9 million) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to a net loss of RMB94.7 million in the same period of 2021. Non-GAAP net income, which excluded share-based compensation expenses, was RMB37.2 million (US$5.2 million) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to a non-GAAP net loss of RMB90.5 million in the same period of 2021.
Basic and Diluted Income/(Loss) per ADS
Basic income per ADS was RMB2.55 (US$0.36) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to a loss per ADS of RMB8.21 in the third quarter of 2021. Diluted income per ADS was RMB2.43 (US$0.34) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to a loss per ADS of RMB8.21 in the third quarter of 2021. Non-GAAP basic income per ADS, which excluded share-based compensation expenses, was RMB3.39 (US$0.48) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to a non-GAAP loss per ADS of RMB7.84 in the third quarter of 2021. Non-GAAP diluted income per ADS, which excluded share-based compensation expenses, was RMB3.23 (US$0.45) in the third quarter of 2022, compared to a non-GAAP loss per ADS of RMB7.84 in the third quarter of 2021.
Cash Flow
Net cash outflow used in operating activities in the third quarter of 2022 was RMB48.5 million (US$6.8 million). The outflow was primarily due to operational spending exceeding the amount of cash received from new enrollments in the quarter. Net cash outflow from financing activities in the third quarter of 2022 was RMB23.5 million (US$3.3 million) as we repaid RMB15.5 million (US$2.2 million) of the short-term bank loan. Capital expenditures in the third quarter of 2022 were RMB13.6 million (US$1.9 million).
Financial Results for the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022
Net Revenues
Total net revenues increased by 10.7% to RMB1,915.6 million (US$269.3 million) in the first nine months of 2022, from RMB1,731.2 million in the same period of 2021. The increase was primarily driven by higher student enrollment in our IT-focused supplementary STEAM education and an increase in certification revenues.
Cost of Revenues
The cost of revenues decreased by 5.5% to RMB826.0 million (US$116.1 million) in the first nine months of 2022, from RMB873.7 million in the same period of 2021. The decrease was primarily due to the decrease in rental costs, depreciation costs and certificate fees.
Gross Profit and Gross Margin
Gross profit increased by 27.1% to RMB1,089.7 million (US$153.2 million) in the first nine months of 2022, from RMB857.5 million in the same period of 2021. Gross margin, which is equal to gross profit divided by net revenues, was 56.9% in the first nine months of 2022, compared with 49.5% in the same period of 2021. The increase in gross profit was primarily attributable to the increase in net revenues and the decrease in the cost of revenues in both our IT-focused supplementary STEAM education and IT professional education businesses.
Operating Expenses
Total operating expenses decreased by 14.9% to RMB992.0 million (US$139.5 million) in the first nine months of 2022, from RMB1,166.2 million in the same period of 2021. Total non-GAAP operating expenses, which excluded share-based compensation expenses, decreased by 14.9% to RMB980.4 million (US$137.8 million) in the first nine months of 2022, from RMB1,151.6 million in the same period of 2021. Total share-based compensation expenses allocated to related operating expenses decreased by 19.9% to RMB11.7 million (US$1.6 million) in the first nine months of 2022, from RMB14.6 million in the same period of 2021.
Selling and marketing expenses decreased by 24.2% to RMB497.6 million (US$70.0 million) in the first nine months of 2022, from RMB656.3 million in the same period of 2021. The decrease was mainly due to a drop in the number of sales staff and a decrease in advertising spending as the Company continued to control marketing spending in the first nine months of 2022.
General and administrative expenses increased by 3.0% to RMB450.5 million (US$63.3 million) in the first nine months of 2022, from RMB437.5 million in the same period of 2021. The increase was mainly due to a one-time provision for the residual amount of the anticipated settlement of a class action lawsuit net of the estimated insurance coverage in the first nine months of 2022. In addition, the increase in bonus payments resulted in an increase in payroll costs in the first nine months of 2022. Such an increase was partially offset by an impairment loss on an office property held for sale in the first nine months of 2021, which the Company did not incur in the first nine months of 2022.
Research and development expenses decreased by 39.3% to RMB43.9 million (US$6.2 million) in the first nine months of 2022, from RMB72.4 million in the same period of 2021. The decrease was mainly due to a decrease in personnel-related costs in the first nine months of 2022.
Operating Income/(Loss)
Operating income was RMB97.6 million (US$13.7 million) in the first nine months of 2022, compared to an operating loss of RMB308.7 million in the same period of 2021. Non-GAAP operating income, which excluded share-based compensation expenses, was RMB109.3 million (US$15.4 million) in the first nine months of 2022, compared to a non-GAAP operating loss of RMB293.6 million in the same period of 2021.
Income Tax Benefit/(Expense)
The Company recorded an income tax expense of RMB3.2 million (US$0.4 million) in the first nine months of 2022, compared to RMB11.6 million in income tax benefits in the same period of 2021.
Net Income/(Loss)
As a result of the foregoing, net income was RMB102.9 million (US$14.5 million) in the first nine months of 2022, compared to net loss of RMB293.2 million in the same period of 2021. Non-GAAP net income, which excluded share-based compensation expenses, was RMB114.7 million (US$16.1 million) in the first nine months of 2022, compared to non-GAAP net loss of RMB278.0 million in the same period of 2021.
Basic and Diluted Income/(Loss) per ADS
Basic income per ADS was RMB9.28 (US$1.30) in the first nine months of 2022. Diluted income per ADS was RMB8.85 (US$1.24) in the first nine months of 2022. Non-GAAP basic income per ADS, which excluded share-based compensation expenses, was RMB10.35 (US$1.45) in the first nine months of 2022. Non-GAAP diluted income per ADS, which excluded share-based compensation expenses, was RMB9.86 (US$1.39) in the first nine months of 2022.
Cash Flow
The total balance of cash, cash equivalents and time deposits decreased by RMB88.3 million from RMB430.4 million as of December 31, 2021, to RMB342.1 million (US$48.1 million) as of September 30, 2022. Net cash outflow from operating activities in the first nine months of 2022 was RMB48.0 million (US$6.7 million), primarily due to operational spending exceeding the amount of cash received from enrollments. Net cash outflow from financing activities for the nine months of 2022 was RMB29.1 million (US$4.1 million) as we repaid RMB15.5 million (US$2.2 million) of the short-term bank loan. Capital expenditures in the first nine months of 2022 were RMB33.1 million (US$4.7 million).
Business Outlook
Based on the Company's current estimates, total net revenues for the fourth quarter of 2022 are expected to be in the range of RMB560 million to RMB590 million, which represents a decrease of 10.0% to 15.0% compared to net revenues in the fourth quarter of 2021, after taking into consideration the likely continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This guidance is based on current market conditions and reflects the Company's current and preliminary estimates of market and operating conditions, which are subject to change, particularly as to the potential impact of COVID-19 in China.
Share Repurchase Program
On November 28, 2022, the Company's board of directors authorized a new share repurchase program over the next twelve months. Pursuant to this share repurchase program, the Company is authorized to repurchase up to an aggregate value of US$3 million of its Class A ordinary shares (including in the form of ADS) during the 12-month period beginning from November 28, 2022. The Company's proposed repurchases may be effected from time to time through open market transactions at prevailing market prices, in privately negotiated transactions, in block trades and/or through other legally permissible means, depending on the market conditions and in accordance with applicable rules and regulations. The timing and dollar amount of the repurchase transactions will be subject to the Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 10b-18 and/or Rule 10b5-1 requirements. The Company expects to fund the repurchases under the extended share repurchase program with its existing cash balance.
Exchange Rate Information
All translations made in the financial statements or elsewhere in this press release from RMB to United States dollars ("US$") are solely for convenience and calculated at the rate of US$1.00=RMB7.1135, representing the exchange rate as of September 30, 2022, as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board. No representation is made that the RMB amounts could have been, converted, realized or settled into US$ at that rate, or at any other rate, on September 30, 2022.
Conference Call
Company management will hold an earnings conference call and live webcast to discuss the Company's results at 8:00 AM on November 30, 2022, U.S. Eastern Time (9:00 PM on November 30, 2022, Beijing Time).
Please register in advance of the conference, using the link provided below. Upon registering, you will be provided with participant dial-in numbers, a passcode, and a unique registrant ID.
Conference call registration link: https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10027068-518l2f.html . It will automatically direct you to the registration page of "Tarena's Third Quarter 2022 Earnings Conference Call," where you may fill in your details for RSVP. If it requires you to enter a participant conference ID, please enter "10027068".
In the 10 minutes prior to the call start time, you may use the conference access information (including dial in number(s), direct event passcode and registrant ID) provided in the confirmation email received at the point of registration.
A replay of the conference call may be accessed by phone at the following number until December 7, 2022:
United States: +1 855 883 1031
China: 400 1209 216
Hong Kong: 800 930 639
Conference ID: 10027068
Additionally, a live and archived webcast of this call will be available on the Investor Relations section of Tarena's website at http://ir.tedu.cn.
About Tarena International, Inc.
Tarena is a leading provider of IT professional education and IT-focused supplementary STEAM education services in China. Through its innovative education platform combining live distance instruction, classroom-based tutoring and online learning modules, Tarena offers professional education courses in IT and non-IT subjects. Its professional education courses provide students with practical skills to prepare them for jobs in industries with significant growth potential and strong hiring demand. Tarena also offers IT-focused supplementary STEAM education programs, including computer coding and robotics programming courses, etc., targeting students between three and eighteen years of age. Aiming to encourage "code to learn," Tarena embraces the latest trends in STEAM education and technology to develop children's logical thinking and learning abilities while allowing them to discover their interests and potential.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements made under the "safe harbor" provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Among other things, the business outlook, the quotations from management in this announcement, as well as the Company's strategic and operational plans contain forward-looking statements. Tarena may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed with or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Any statements that are not historical facts, including any business outlook and statements about Tarena's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Many factors, risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, but not limited to the following: the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak; Tarena's goals and strategies; its future business development, financial condition and results of operations; its ability to continue to attract students to enroll in its courses; its ability to continue to recruit, train and retain qualified instructors and teaching assistants; its ability to continually tailor its curriculum to market demand and enhance its courses to adequately and promptly respond to developments in the professional job market; its ability to maintain or enhance its brand recognition, its ability to maintain high job placement rate for its students, and its ability to maintain cooperative relationships with financing service providers for student loans.
Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in Tarena's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is current as of the date of the press release, and Tarena does not undertake any obligation to update such information, except as required under applicable law.
About Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To supplement Tarena's consolidated financial results presented in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"), Tarena's management uses non-GAAP measures of cost of revenues, operating expenses, operating income, net income, and basic and diluted net income per ADS, which are adjusted from results based on GAAP to exclude the share-based compensation expenses. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with GAAP, but should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, GAAP results. In addition, calculation of the non-GAAP financial measures may be different from the calculation used by other companies, and therefore comparability may be limited.
Tarena's management believes that excluding the share-based compensation expenses provides meaningful supplemental information regarding our performance and liquidity by excluding certain items identified as non-recurring and infrequent in nature, and non-cash charges. The amount of share-based compensation expenses is not built into the Company's annual budgets and quarterly forecasts, which generally will be the basis for information Tarena provides to analysts and investors as guidance for future operating performance.
The non-GAAP financial measures are provided to enhance investors' overall understanding of Tarena's current financial performance and prospects for the future. A limitation of using non-GAAP cost of revenues, operating expenses, operating income (loss) and net income (loss), excluding the share-based compensation expenses is that the share-based compensation charge has been and will continue to be a recurring expense in the Company's business for the foreseeable future. In order to mitigate the limitation, the Company has provided specific information regarding the GAAP amounts excluded from each non-GAAP measure. The accompanying tables include details on the reconciliation between GAAP financial measures that are most directly comparable to the non-GAAP financial measures the Company has presented.
For further information, please contact:
Investor Relations Contact:
Tarena International, Inc.
Investor Relations
E-mail: ir@tedu.cn
The Piacente Group, Inc.
In China
Yang Song
Tel: +86-10-6508-0677
E-mail: tedu@tpg-ir.com
In the U.S.
Brandi Piacente
Tel: +1-212-481-2050
E-mail: tedu@tpg-ir.com
Notes:
(a) Includes share-based compensation expenses as follows:
Notes:
(a) There was no tax impact of share-based compensation expenses for the third quarter of 2022 and 2021, respectively.
(b) The Non-GAAP net income/(loss) per ADS is computed using Non-GAAP net income/(loss) attributable to ordinary shareholders and the same number of ordinary shares are used in GAAP basic and diluted net income/(loss) per ADS calculation.
(c) Each ADS represents five Class A ordinary shares. The weighted average number of ADS and earnings per ADS have been retrospectively adjusted to reflect the ADS ratio change from one ADS representing one Class A ordinary share to one ADS representing five Class A ordinary shares, which became effective on December 23, 2021.
View original content:
SOURCE Tarena International, Inc. | 2022-11-30T02:52:50+00:00 | waff.com | https://www.waff.com/prnewswire/2022/11/30/tarena-international-inc-announces-results-third-quarter-2022-share-repurchase-program/ |
CLEARWATER, Fla., May 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- BayCare announced today that it has promoted James Haislip to vice president of system finance, effective immediately. Haislip has been part of BayCare's finance team for a decade and has served as BayCare's director of financial planning and analysis since 2017.
In his new role, Haislip will oversee the finance team that supports the regional leaders, including the construction team and information services. The team is also responsible for the overall reporting of financials for BayCare including the audit, tax services, payroll, and accounts payable. In addition, he will continue to oversee and be involved in BayCare's financial planning and analysis (FP&A) activities and report to BayCare's Chief Financial Officer Janice Polo in his new role.
"James has demonstrated the ability to collaborate with leaders and possesses strong analytical skills," said Polo. "He thinks outside the box, is accountable, and is a natural mentor to his team. These qualities will be a strong foundation for success in his new role as vice president of system finance."
Haislip joined BayCare in 2013 as a financial specialist and was promoted to manager of system office finance the following year. As BayCare's director of financial planning and analysis, he led the first corporate level FP&A team and expanded it from traditional functions to include analytic support of value-based agreements and managed care rate negotiations.
"I'm excited and grateful for the opportunity to work with our incredible team to ensure a strong future of providing the best care in our communities," said Haislip. "BayCare's history of excellence has put us in a great position to achieve that goal."
Prior to joining BayCare, Haislip worked 14 years at Progress Energy where he served in a variety of financial and process improvement roles including director of performance solutions. Prior to that, he spent 1½ years in public accounting.
Haislip, a Pinellas County native, earned both a Bachelor of Science in accounting and a Master of Accountancy from the University of South Florida and has been a certified public accountant since 1997.
About BayCare
BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 16 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. The system is West Central Florida's largest provider of behavioral health and pediatric services and its provider group, BayCare Medical Group, is one of the largest in the region. BayCare's diverse network of ambulatory services includes laboratories, imaging, surgical centers, BayCare Urgent Care locations, wellness centers and one of Florida's largest home care agencies, BayCare HomeCare. BayCare Health System is ranked in the top 20% by Fortune/Merative. BayCare's mission is to improve the health of all it serves through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. For more information visit BayCare.org.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE BayCare Health System | 2023-05-12T11:49:16+00:00 | mysuncoast.com | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2023/05/12/baycare-promotes-james-haislip-vice-president-system-finance/ |
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) — Kansas' Bobby Pettiford Jr. stood all the way out near midcourt, almost on the Battle 4 Atlantis logo, when he saw his teammate launch a shot for the lead with only a few seconds left in overtime.
“I mean, I normally don’t crash but that’s the one time I get to crash,” Pettiford said.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
He sprinted all the way under the basket just in time to see a loose rebound pop to him. Pettiford then made a twisting reverse layup with 0.2 seconds left to give No. 3 Kansas a 69-68 win against Wisconsin on Thursday in a tournament semifinal game.
Pettiford's layup marked his only points of the game, capping a thriller that saw Wisconsin rally from 15 down early in the second half behind a strong performance from Tyler Wahl.
Trailing 68-67, Kansas' final play appeared stuck when Jalen Wilson had to kick out a pass to Zach Clemence beyond the 3-point arc with about 5 seconds left. Clemence launched the long 3 that banged off the basket, but Wilson kept the play alive by tipping the ball enough to keep Wahl from snagging the rebound.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
The ball went right to Pettiford.
“I had kind of a good angle but I mean, kind of a little bit of luck and skill at the same time,” he said. “So I just kind of hoped it went in.”
Pettiford landed on the floor as he watched the ball go through the net, then extended his fists in front of him and yelled as he started to sit up. Wisconsin's Max Klesmit crouched down into a squat, in disbelief.
By the time Pettiford had gotten on his feet, he had a big smile while his teammates began to hug him near the baseline corner to celebrate. The team left the court to chants of “Bobby! Bobby!” as they headed to Friday's championship game.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
Wilson scored 29 points and had 14 rebounds for the reigning national champion Jayhawks (6-0), and Kevin McCullar Jr. had 18 points and nine rebounds — and a 3 with 11.8 seconds left in regulation to force overtime.
“We had nothing going (in the second half) and they had outplayed us totally,” coach Bill Self said. “Obviously we make two plays at the end of regulation and the end of overtime that basically gave us the win. We were not the best team today.”
Wahl led the Badgers (4-1) with 23 points and 10 rebounds. He scored 14 points in the second half in what was at times a one-man comeback, including a run of nine straight points with his team down eight in the final 3 1/2 minutes of regulation.
His last score was a spinning drive against a falling Wilson for a layup and the 68-67 lead with 21 seconds left in OT.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
The Badgers just couldn't get a final stop.
“We're not into moral victories, but this group showed me a lot today," Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said. "And we also learned we have a lot of things we can continue to get better at.”
BIG PICTURE
Wisconsin: The same team that struggled to crack 40 points — or make a shot, frankly — in the first round of the tournament against Dayton looked to be on its way to another bad offensive showing. Instead, Wahl and the Badgers showed resilience and climbed back in it, they stayed shot for shot with Kansas down the stretch.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
“He kicked our butt,” Self said of Wahl.
Kansas: The Jayhawks didn't have an easy time of their Atlantis debut on Thursday, needing to battle to the final minutes against North Carolina State. This time, Pettiford was in the right place at the right time after Wilson tipped the ball from Wahl's reach for a rebound off Zach Clemence's missed 3-pointer. Just like that, Kansas was still unbeaten.
UP NEXT
Wisconsin: The Badgers will face the Southern California-Tennessee loser in Friday's third-place game.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
Kansas: The Jayhawks advanced to Friday's championship game to face the Southern California-Tennessee winner.
___
Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap
___
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
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 | 2022-11-24T20:26:34+00:00 | seattlepi.com | https://www.seattlepi.com/sports/article/No-3-Kansas-survives-OT-scare-from-Wisconsin-17609041.php |
Hopes are dimming of Congress meeting a critical government funding deadline next month, as congressional negotiators struggle to cinch a bipartisan deal on spending during the tight lame-duck session.
Just more than two weeks separate Congress and a Dec. 16 deadline to finalize new funding levels for fiscal 2023, which began in October. But appropriators are signaling more time is needed for talks as key disagreements over how to fund the government remain unresolved.
Sen. Richard Shelby (Ala.), top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, cast some doubt in remarks to reporters this week that Congress will have its work finished by the funding deadline.
“I don’t know if we’ll get it done by the 16th. The 16th is the date, I’d like to get it done. But we might be here to Christmas. You don’t know,” Shelby said on Monday.
Speculation is rising in Washington over how long Congress plans to punt its funding deadline if it opts for another continuing resolution (CR) for the current fiscal year, and reports have surfaced that the White House preparing for a one-year stopgap funding bill.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs, told reporters that it “increasingly” looks like at least a weeklong CR “may be necessary.”
Coons said that he and Sen. Lindsay Graham (S.C.), the top Republican on the subcommittee, have “had a lot of conversations,” but added that a lack of an overall funding deal on top lines is slowing work.
Bipartisan funding talks stalled in the weeks leading up to the midterm elections as anticipation rose over which party would lead Congress next year. But those talks have struggled to pick up momentum since lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill this month, despite an appetite on both sides to hash out a funding deal before Congress ushers in a new Republican-led House in January.
Negotiators have also had trouble resolving multiple longstanding disagreements over issues like defense spending and various legislative riders.
“Frankly, without a top line, without a clear commitment on the part of Republicans to move forward — I’m really concerned we’re at risk of failing to appropriate, which would be a huge failure to do our core job,” Coons said, adding that “continuing a full-year on a CR means we’re not making any changes in policy from last year.”
Shelby said he thinks “some serious negotiation will probably come about” next week, after the Georgia Senate runoff race is decided between Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) and Republican Herschel Walker on Dec. 6.
Shelby, who is retiring at the end of the session, is one of a number of Senate Republicans who have been hopeful that Congress can strike a bipartisan deal next month to keep the government funded through fiscal 2023.
But GOP leaders have expressed uncertainty about the chances of such an agreement in recent weeks, as a chunk of Republicans in both chambers have called for a delay of new government funding until next year to allow the new Congress more say in how spending levels should be set.
GOP divisions over funding have also garnered more attention recently amid simmering tensions between Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and former President Trump in light in the recent midterm elections — in which Republicans failed to take control of the Senate and won narrow control of the lower chamber. | 2022-11-29T19:13:21+00:00 | localsyr.com | https://www.localsyr.com/hill-politics/congress-on-track-to-blow-past-dec-16-funding-deadline/ |
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy deflected credit when he reached a career milestone.
Spencer Sanders passed for a career-high 406 yards and accounted for six touchdowns and No. 12 Oklahoma State beat Central Michigan 58-44 on Thursday night to give Gundy his 150th coaching victory.
Gundy improved to 150-69 in his 18th season coaching his alma mater.
“Cool deal,” he said. “Like I told the team, it takes a lot of really, really quality people and good young men for a guy to stay in one place long enough to win 150 games. I’m just lucky enough to be along for the ride.”
Sanders matched a career high with four touchdown passes and set a career mark with two rushing scores in the opener for both teams.
“Knock on wood, he’s really good,” Gundy said. “He understands our concepts. He understands second nature where to go with the ball. And it’s a big advantage for us.”
Braydon Johnson had career highs of six catches for 133 yards and Brennan Presley added five catches for 83 yards.
Daniel Richardson passed for a career-high 424 yards and threw four touchdown passes for Central Michigan. Lew Nichols III, the nation’s leading rusher last year, ran for 72 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries.
Sanders passed for 313 yards and three touchdowns in the first half and ran for two more scores to help the Cowboys take a 44-15 lead.
The Cowboys led 51-15 less than a minute into the third quarter before Central Michigan climbed back into the game. Jalen McGaughy’s 54-yard touchdown pass from Richardson cut it to 58-44 with 3:15 remaining. McGaughy had six catches for 126 yards and two scores.
“As I said from the beginning, I really like our football team,” Central Michigan coach Jim McElwain said. “We’re going to win a lot of games. And those kids are going to learn from this video and we’re going to get a little bit better.”
Central Michigan outscored Oklahoma State 29-14 in the second half and outgained the Cowboys 281 yards to 138 after the break.
“It’s credit to those kids,” McElwain said. “Since we’ve been here and started to establish the program, there’s a certain mentality it takes to be a Chippewa. And these guys have started to understand a little bit what that is.”
THE TAKEAWAY
Central Michigan: The Chippewas came in with high hopes after going 9-4 last season and beating Washington State in the Sun Bowl. But Sanders was too much for them early, and they couldn’t get their running game going well enough to control the clock and slow his rhythm.
Oklahoma State: The defense carried much of the load last season, but the offense put up 531 total yards on Thursday, mostly in the first half. The running game still could use some work, though. The Cowboys had just 45 yards on 20 carries in the second half and struggled to put the game away.
“We were very effective playing fast,” Gundy said. “And one thing that works against us a little bit is once you get ahead … obviously, you don’t want to play fast. So then you slow down, and we’re probably not as good at that as we are playing fast. But I was pleased with our ability to play fast and make plays in space.”
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Oklahoma State could get penalized for being sluggish in the second half, depending on what else happens in the upcoming days.
GUNNAR PLAYS
Redshirt freshman Gunnar Gundy, Mike Gundy’s son, got action in the opener for the Cowboys. He did not attempt a pass, but he carried once for five yards.
The younger Gundy, a walk-on, has risen to No. 2 on the depth chart.
“This is a big deal … Everybody wants to see their kids do good and get out there,” coach Gundy said. “I was proud of him.”
NICHOLS SLOWED
Nichols rushed for 1,848 yards last season and ran for at least 100 yards his final eight games. His streak ended as he averaged just 2.8 yards per carry on Thursday.
QUOTABLE
McElwain joking about Bullet, the horse that runs onto the field after Oklahoma State’s touchdowns: “When they scored 30 in a row, I was probably more concerned with that damn horse cramping up that kept running around the end zone there.”
UP NEXT
Central Michigan: Hosts South Alabama on Saturday, Sept. 10.
Oklahoma State: Hosts Arizona State on Saturday, Sept. 10.
___
Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: twitter.com/CliffBruntAP
___
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 | 2022-09-02T23:19:43+00:00 | kron4.com | https://www.kron4.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-sanders-helps-no-12-oklahoma-state-beat-central-michigan/ |
Which roof snow rake is best?
If your climate is snowy in the wintertime (and sometimes in spring), you know how dangerous snow can be if it accumulates on your roof. All the extra weight can damage your roof, or it may suddenly slide off and hit you, your children or your pets. Roof snow rakes are an effective, simple tool for eliminating these dangers.
The best roof snow rake is the Garelick Aluminum Snow Roof Rake. It’s quite long and wide, plus the wheels protect your roof from scrapes and scratches.
What to know before you buy a roof snow rake
The pole
Roof snow rakes have long poles that extend above your roofline. There are three aspects to consider in a pole: material, length and extension type.
- Material: Most poles are made of aluminum because its lightweight, affordable and resistant to corrosion. Some companies also use fiberglass for roof snow rake poles.
- Length: Most poles can extend as far as 21 feet, while others only go up to 15 feet. Extra-long poles can extend to 24 feet or further.
- Extension: Most poles have segmented or telescoping features. Segmented poles are easier to store since you can break them down completely. Telescoping poles typically have more length control.
The blade
Roof snow rakes also consist of a blade. There are two aspects to consider: the width and material.
- Width: Most blades are roughly 24-inches wide. Some are shorter, around 16 inches. Smaller blades are slightly easier to use, but it takes longer to clear the snow since they cover less ground.
- Material: Most manufacturers make blades out of plastic or aluminum. These are low impact on your roof, lightweight and easy to lift. Some blades use steel, but these are heavy, and there’s a higher risk of harming your roof.
Assembly
All roof snow rakes require some assembly, which is usually limited to securing the blade to the pole and connecting the pole segments. Everything you need for assembly will be in the box, so you shouldn’t need any tools to put it together.
What to look for in a quality roof snow rake
Wheels
Some of the best roof snow rakes have wheels on either edge of the blade. These wheels provide several benefits, the largest being they prevent the blade from coming in direct contact with your roof. The wheels protect your roof from scratches and unintentional damage. It also makes it easier to move the rake up and down the roofline.
Slides
While slides are less common than wheels, some roof snow rakes have slides that wrap around the blade. These slides provide a slick surface for the snow to slide down. They also prevent snow from accumulating in your eaves and gutters.
How much you can expect to spend on a roof snow rake
Roof snow rakes typically cost $40-$100. Budget choices are rarely more than $50, and most midrange rakes cost $50-$80. The best rakes usually cost $100 or more.
Roof snow rake FAQ
Can roof snow rakes damage my roof?
A. Yes. If you don’t use your snow rake properly, you can scratch and damage your roof. Be gentle with the rake and try not to slam it down onto the rooftop. If you’re concerned about this, opt for a roof snow rake with wheels and plastic blades.
Are heated cables a good alternative to roof snow rakes?
A. Unfortunately, heated cables don’t offer the same results as roof snow rakes. Snow rakes scrape and shake off accumulated snow from the entire roof, while heated cables only wrap around your roof’s gutters or eaves. They are also quite expensive. Snow rakes may require more physical effort, but they are more effective in every way.
What is an ice dam?
A. An ice dam forms when the snow melts and drips onto the edge of your roof. It refreezes and continues to accumulate as the snow melts and then freezes again, forming a dam. Eventually, this can start to leak through your roof and into your home. They are a hassle to get rid of once they form, so make sure to scrape off your roof after each snowfall.
What’s the best roof snow rake to buy?
Top roof snow rake
Garelick Aluminum Snow Roof Rake
What you need to know: Perfect for any roof, this snow rake only weighs 6 pounds. The metal is both rust- and corrosion-proof.
What you’ll love: The three-piece segmented pole is 21 inches long. It has a 24-inch-wide blade that never touches your roof, thanks to the set of small plastic wheels.
What you should consider: A few consumers had issues with the wheels rolling incorrectly or breaking. It can also be a struggle to use in heavy snow.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top roof snow rake for the money
What you need to know: The lightweight aluminum telescoping pole on this quality snow rake can extend up to 21 feet.
What you’ll love: The blade head is 16 inches wide and uses a 15-foot-long oxford cloth tarp to guide snow off the roof, so it won’t gather in your eaves.
What you should consider: The tarp makes the rake a bit top-heavy and more difficult to handle.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
What you need to know: This snow roof rake reaches a few inches longer than other rakes. The 24-inch blade can sweep out large swaths of snow, too.
What you’ll love: It’s made of polyethylene to prevent any damage to your roof. The aluminum poles segments are each 5 feet long, and when put together, it only weighs 4.2 pounds.
What you should consider: It isn’t as effective against thick and heavy snowfall. And when you extend to its longest length, it can be a little wobbly and hard to control.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Jordan C. Woika writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2022-04-15T20:02:37+00:00 | wcia.com | https://www.wcia.com/reviews/br/lawn-garden-br/tools-br-lawn-garden-br/snow-tools-br/best-roof-snow-rake/ |
EDMONTON, AB – As Pope Francis pays a historic visit to Canada, he is encountering a country that is less Catholic, more secular and more religiously diverse than the last time it hosted a pontiff two decades ago.
And the city where he landed on Sunday — Edmonton — reflects that diversity more than outsiders might expect from a provincial capital in Canada’s prairie heartland.
Edmonton and its province of Alberta do have a large, long-settled population of Christians of European descent.
But Alberta also has had a religiously and ethnically diverse population from its early 20th century founding as a province, when small groups of Sikh immigrants arrived and Lebanese Muslims launched Al-Rashid Mosque, believed to be the nation’s oldest. Its original red-brick structure now stands in a city park featuring historical exhibits.
“We always think of Ontario when we think of diversity,” said Noor Al-Henedy, public relations director for the the mosque. “Nobody ever thinks (Alberta is) such a diverse land with so many ethnic groups, so many religious groups that have lived here for a long time. “
The Edmonton metropolitan area’s population of 1.1 million was about 59% Christian, including 26% Catholic, as of 2011, according to the most recent Canadian census figures for religious demographics.
About 10% belonged to other religious groups, such as Muslim, Sikh, Hindu or Buddhist. Their presence is reflected in multiple mosques, gurdwaras and temples in the region.
An additional 31% claimed no religion.
Those figures are echoed nationwide. In Canada overall, the 2011 census found 67% Christians, including 39% Catholics, with 9% belonging to other religions and 24% having none.
That’s fewer Christians overall and fewer Catholics than tallied in the 2001 census, a year before the last papal visit to Canada by St. John Paul II. In that decade, other religious and secular populations grew.
A 2018 Pew Research Center report indicates those trends have continued in recent years, as they have to a less rapid extent in the United States.
The Rev. John Dowds, chaplain for the city of Edmonton, has seen these changes in the “increase in the number of folk from other traditions who really need to find a specific place at a specific time of day to offer prayer.”
Dowds, a Presbyterian minister, worked to create “sacred spaces” in city workplaces for people of any faith to pray or meditate.
The very existence of his position — the only city chaplaincy that he’s aware of in Canada, an expansion of his role as fire department chaplain — testifies to Edmonton's awareness of its diverse faith communities. He and others on the city’s wellness team counsel people of all faiths or none.
That counseling can have a spiritual component, “but we don’t narrow that spiritual part down to anything specific,” Dowds said. “It can be as broad as having a conversation about ‘Who am I and … what makes me tick and where I want to go with my life?’”
The Edmonton Interfaith Centre for Education and Action has provided training and cooperation among multiple religious and secular groups.
The center and the city host a rotating display of information on different religions — for July, it’s Zoroastrianism — in the skylit atrium of City Hall.
Dowds acknowledged there are challenges, including cases of antisemitism and Islamophobia. “I think we counter that," he said, by "assertively addressing and then inviting opportunities for dialogue.”
Mayor Amarjeet Sohi added that, in a city with a substantial Indigenous population, some residents may not have a “deep understanding of the struggle Indigenous communities are facing,” given the history of colonialization and culturally repressive residential schools. That is being addressed “through education, interfaith dialogue, intercultural dialogue,” he said.
Those issues are central to Pope Francis' visit to Alberta. On Monday he made a formal apology for decades of abuse of Indigenous children at church-run residential schools they were forced to attend.
Sohi, who immigrated here from India four decades ago, is the first person of Sikh background and first person of color to be elected mayor. While he experienced prejudice early on, “this is also a community that lifted me up, that provided resources” to help him succeed, and he now wants to help create similar opportunities for newer arrivals.
In a sign of cross-religious cooperation, volunteers to help with Pope Francis’ visit have come from the local Muslim community, the Salvation Army and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
More than 200 members of the latter have signed up for such tasks as coordinating park-and-ride lots.
“The faith groups look out for each other,” said John Craig, a church elder who oversees a region that includes Alberta.
The church has taken similar steps, he said, such as offering one of its buildings as a rest station along a Sikh parade route and providing supplies for refugees through a Ukrainian Catholic church.
A Salvation Army crew has been serving meals to workers preparing the Lac Ste. Anne pilgrimage site for Francis’ visit.
“This is going to be a historic moment in Canada,” said Captain Peter Kim, pastor of the Salvation Army Church Community in Grand Prairie, Alberta. “We’re blessed just to be a part of it.”
Within the Christian population, Indigenous ministries and recent immigration have boosted ethnic and denominational variety. Catholics celebrate Mass in at least 16 languages in the Archdiocese of Edmonton.
Worshippers used English and Cree liturgy at the recent dedication of a restored sanctuary at Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples, a Catholic parish oriented toward Indigenous people and culture. Eritrean worshippers, who also have regular Masses in the church, contributed a poignant, rhythmic hymn in their own language.
“There is similar culture, especially in the Mass,” said Simon Tekle, who is originally from Eritrea. “It’s very similar with the drums."
At the end of the service, Indigenous drummers sang robustly outside the church. Across the street, onlookers watched curiously from the steps of a Pentecostal church with roots in Nigeria. On adjacent blocks, others worshipped at a Ukrainian Catholic parish and a Lutheran church with a Danish-language liturgy.
The Sikh population began to grow in the 1960s and 1970s through immigration. Sikh elders say they experienced prejudice and vandalism early on.
“The local community, I don't think they knew who we were,” said Surinder Singh Hoonjanbut, a Sikh community leader. But he said that has changed greatly as the the Sikh population has grown, interacted with neighbors and engaged in community service.
Also, growing awareness of issues such as the Indigenous experience helps to build more general multicultural awareness, said Sikh community member Gagan Kaur Hoonjan.
“Movements that help one group be understood opens everyone's mind up to conversations for other communities,” she said.
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. | 2022-07-26T16:35:49+00:00 | ksat.com | https://www.ksat.com/news/world/2022/07/26/a-religiously-diverse-edmonton-hosts-pope-francis-visit/ |
By THOMAS ADAMSON
AP Fashion Writer
PARIS (AP) — Fendi’s ultra-white, sanitized runway for once put the couture, not the decor, in the spotlight to cap Paris fashion week on Thursday.
That allowed guests, including Bond star Lashana Lynch and Korean actress Song Hye-kyo, to take in every bead, paillette and spliced paneling that went behind this impressive fall display.
The Italian house’s designer Kim Jones wanted to “step away from Rome” with creations that drifted between different eras, cities, memories and cultures, beginning in Japan.
Haute couture is the age-old Parisian tradition of producing exorbitantly priced, made-to-measure garments for the world’s richest people.
Here are some highlights of the fall-winter 2022 collections on Thursday, that featured several up-and-coming brands:
FENDI’S KYOTO
“We are looking at fragments of different cities, namely Kyoto, Paris and Rome,” said Jones. “The fragmentary nature of things is echoed throughout … like snatches of memory.”
Jones went back in time, and back to the atelier, in a show that revamped old-school artisanal techniques — with aplomb.
Kimono fabric from 18th century Kyoto — with beautiful patterning — was cut up into strips and shards to construct one abstract gown in gray and beige with a clean white sporty collar. Like many looks in this collection, it also had a futuristic feel.
A sprinkling of sheer tulle gowns with Japanese maple leaves were the exception that proved the rule in this overall tasteful collection, which used humor and design quirks to keep energy levels up.
The shimmering floor-length gowns were the high in terms of creativity, aesthetics and fun. One dazzling floor-sweeping, silver tectonic panel dress sported another dress hanging from its back, incredibly, sweeping the floor a second time.
THE ART OF THE INVITATION
The age of email and rising environmental awareness hasn’t made much of a mark on the fashion industry’s invitation code.
Season after season, gasoline-guzzling couriers crisscross Paris to personally deliver elaborate, often handmade, show invites, as top houses vie for the wackiest or most imaginative idea.
Olivier Rousteing’s invitation for his one-off Jean Paul Gaultier couture featured a one-meter (yard) black branded diagonal ribbon wrapping a card. It was held in place by a white couture pin. Sure enough, in Wednesday’s energetic display — the wrapped diagonal ribbons featured on a runway look in life-size.
For Fendi, a hollow white architectural arch revealed the house logo through its window. While Schiaparelli’s featured an atelier sketch of a woman adorned in flowers with a wide-brimmed hat and gold bracelet — styles that defined Daniel Roseberry’s fall collection aesthetic.
YUIMA NAKAZATO GOES BLUE
A contemplative set — worthy of a staged play — awaited guests at Japanese couture up-and-comer Yuima Nakazato’s fall display.
It was entitled “BLUE.” That was the color of gargantuan fabric boulders in the set, strewn across the stage-cum-runway that set the tone of contemplation, peace and harmony — which filtered down into the couture.
There was also more than a whiff of a distant Star Trek planet in the abstract blue blobs that models walked by. Indeed, Nakazato’s work revolves around technology, and the house says he uses non-gendered creations to “explore the future of clothing.”
Long flowing silk forms, tied at the waist or cross-over, riffed gently on Asian dress styles. But there was an otherworldliness in their sheer whiteness and in the softness of the silhouette. So diaphanous was the silk on one pair of billowing white sleeves that the model’s steps alone caused it to float in the air weightlessly.
Colorful abstract shapes — like giant gleaming brooches — were placed at the waist or neck of several looks, in blue, violet and gold like a sea-creature or some beautiful alien lifeform that had come along for the ride.
JULIE DE LIBRAN DRIPS IN COUTURE
Months after opening her first Paris boutique, another up-and-comer, Julie de Libran, was in an eclectic mood. Fall was a chic display with lots of sparkle and a bit of everything.
Set in a leafy patio garden with sweet-scented jasmine blossoming at one side, the collection conveyed an intimate feel.
Indeed intimacy and the personal touch are hallmarks of the designer, who since launching her house in 2019 has hosted clients and reporters in her Left Bank house for shows and fittings. This hands-on approach is increasingly rare but encapsulates the beating heart of couture, the luxurious art of made-to-measure gowns.
On Thursday, the show provided many gentle contradictions.
A square-shaped gold embroidered jacket had a feel of 1930s Hollywood glamour, worn above a silver mesh ribbon collar style that could have been worn by the New Romantics of the 1980s.
One cap-sleeved column dress was sublimely simple with multicolored textured paillettes and embroidery. Another vintage look — with a chainmail neck clasp — dripped fabulously under the weight of its beading that cascaded in feathered wisps.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | 2022-07-07T20:15:34+00:00 | wtmj.com | https://wtmj.com/entertainment/2022/07/07/fendi-caps-fashion-week-going-east-in-culture-hopping-show/ |
THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Greek police say they have found 38 migrants who had been reported stranded on an islet in the Evros River on the border between Greece and Turkey.
Police announced they found 22 men, 9 women and 7 children Monday at a site inside Greek territory, away from the river, 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) south of where the group had been reported to be stranded. One woman is pregnant.
A Greek police official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about an ongoing case, told The Associated Press that police have not found a dead child, as had been reported last week by the aid charity Greek Council of Refugees. All 38 were in good health, the official said.
The group told police they are from Syria. Police have sent food and water to the migrants and will move them to a migrant reception center.
Police said last week that they had chased successive reports of migrants stranded on Evros islets, but found nobody. Greece had said last week the coordinates given to them placed the group in Turkey, not Greece.
The head of the Greek Council for Refugees, Vassilis Papadopoulos, said his group first heard about the migrants in mid-July. He said about 50 people had allegedly crossed to the Greek side but were then forced back to Turkey. Migrants also told his group that Turkish authorities allegedly returned them to one islet after another, until they ended up stuck on a Greek islet mid-river. Papadopoulos had claimed the migrants were staying on the islet because they feared physical abuse if they reentered Greece.
Thousands of migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa try to cross illegally into Greece from Turkey every year, hoping for a better life in Europe.
Greece has strongly denied persistent allegations that it commits pushbacks — sending asylum-seekers who reach its territory back to the country they entered from without being allowed to request asylum. That is illegal under international law.
___
Follow all AP stories on global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration. | 2022-08-15T20:25:10+00:00 | lmtonline.com | https://www.lmtonline.com/news/article/Greek-police-find-38-migrants-near-Turkish-border-17374777.php |
BERLIN (AP) — The International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday it is seeking support to create a “digital red cross/red crescent emblem” that would make clear to military and other hackers that they have entered the computer systems of medical facilities or Red Cross offices.
The Geneva-based humanitarian organization said it was calling on governments, Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, and IT experts to join forces in developing “concrete ways to protect medical and humanitarian services from digital harm during armed conflict.”
For over 150 years, symbols such as the red cross have been used to make clear that “in times of armed conflict, those who wear the red cross or facilities and objects marked with them must be protected from harm,” the ICRC said. That same obligation should apply online, the organization said, noting that hacking operations in conflicts were likely to increase as more militaries develop cyber capabilities.
The organization said that for the proposed “digital emblem” to become reality, nations worldwide would have to agree on its use and make it part of international humanitarian law alongside existing humanitarian insignia. It hopes the emblem would identify the computer systems of protected facilities much as a red cross or crescent on a hospital roof does in the real world.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said that it has identified three technical possibilities: a DNS-based emblem that would use a special label to link it to a domain name; an IP-based emblem; and an ADEM, or authenticated digital emblem, system that would use certificate chains to signal protection.
The ICRC said it was working with Johns Hopkins University, the ITMO University of St. Petersburg, Russia, and the Center for Cyber Trust, a joint venture of Switzerland’s ETH Zurich and Germany’s University of Bonn, to develop the technological solutions. | 2022-11-03T13:59:11+00:00 | ktalnews.com | https://www.ktalnews.com/news/tech-news/ap-red-cross-seeks-digital-emblem-to-protect-against-hacking/ |
DENVER — Several strong storms impacted Independence Day celebrations and fireworks displays across the Denver metro area and Front Range Tuesday night.
Spectators at Fourth of July fireworks festivities in Arvada, Aurora, Fort Collins, Commerce City, Lone Tree and Westminster had to take shelter as heavy rain, wind and lightning moved through the area.
Thornton received nearly two inches of rain in a short period of time Tuesday night. Independence Day celebrations at Thornton's Carpenter Park were interrupted by the deluge.
Broomfield, Loveland, Nunn, Denver, Strasburg, Evergreen, Akron, Aurora, Fort Morgan, Brighton and Boulder all had reports of more than an inch of rain Tuesday.
Here some rainfall totals from across Colorado on Independence Day:
- Thornton - 1.82 inches
- Broomfield - 1.77 inches
- Loveland - 1.67 inches
- Nunn - 1.57 inches
- West Denver - 1.44 inches
- Central Denver - 1.42 inches
- Strasburg - 1.40 inches
- Evergreen - 1.34 inches
- Cheyenne, Wyoming - 1.25 inches
- Akron - 1.20 inches
- Fort Morgan - 1.20 inches
- North Aurora - 1.18 inches
- Lafayette - 1.13 inches
- East Aurora - 1.12 inches
- East Boulder - 1.12 inches
- South Denver - 1.11 inches
- Brighton - 1.10 inches
- Drake - 1.10 inches
- Montbello - 1.07 inches
- Wiggins - 1.04 inches
- Kittredge - 1.03 inches
- Central Boulder - 1.02 inches
- Wellington - 1 inch
- Lakewood - 0.99 inches
- Fort Collins - 0.98 inches
- Erie - 0.93 inches
- Central Aurora - 0.92 inches
- Westminster - 0.87 inches
- Golden - 0.83 inches
- Estes Park - 0.83 inches
- Red Feather Lakes - 0.80 inches
- Englewood - 0.78 inches
- Arvada - 0.71 inches
- Yuma - 0.71 inches
- Littleton - 0.68 inches
- Lyons - 0.66 inches
- Parker - 0.65 inches
- Castle Rock - 0.65 inches
- Foxfield - 0.63 inches
- Perry Park - 0.59 inches
- Franktown - 0.53 inches
- Ken Caryl - 0.52 inches
- The Pinery - 0.50 inches
Boulder's drone show, originally scheduled to begin at dark, was delayed at Folsom Field. The show started, then stopped, and an "inclement weather" message went up on the stadium screen.
The Colorado Rapids' match and fireworks show in Commerce City were delayed and postponed until a later date. The Blues Traveler concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre was also delayed.
The stormy weather is expected to move out of Colorado Thursday, leaving more sunshine and warmer temperatures.
Friday and Saturday will continue with much the same forecast, including more chances for some strong storms.
Then Sunday and into next week, Colorado will see drier weather with more sunshine and highs finally warming back into the 90s.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Colorado Climate
> Top stories curated daily just for you! Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTER to get can’t-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered right to your inbox.
MORE WAYS TO GET 9NEWS
Subscribe to our daily 9NEWSLETTER
Download the 9NEWS APP
iTunes: http://on9news.tv/itunes
Google Play: http://on9news.tv/1lWnC5n
HOW TO ADD THE 9NEWS APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KUSA.
For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for "9news" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon. | 2023-07-05T17:06:22+00:00 | 9news.com | https://www.9news.com/article/weather/weather-colorado/rain-totals-colorado-denver/73-a651bb07-0555-49e9-8061-31f6d4be9ca8 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.