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Fourth Quarter
- Net revenue of $335.3 million, up $24.4 million or 7.8% year-over-year
- GAAP operating margin of 14.3%, up 380 bps year-over-year
- Non-GAAP operating margin of 21.3%, up 50 bps year-over-year
- GAAP EPS of $0.07, up $0.06 or 600.0% year-over-year
- Non-GAAP EPS of $0.24, up $0.02 or 9.1% year-over-year
Fiscal 2022
- Net revenue of $1,292.4 million, up $93.5 million or 7.8% year-over-year
- GAAP operating margin of 14.3%, up 240 bps year-over-year
- Non-GAAP operating margin of 22.2%, up 110 bps year-over-year
- GAAP EPS of $0.07, down $0.22 or 75.9% year-over-year
- Non-GAAP EPS of $0.95, up $0.12 or 14.5% year-over-year
CHANDLER, Ariz., Aug. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- VIAVI (NASDAQ: VIAV) today reported results for its fourth fiscal quarter ended July 2, 2022.
Fourth quarter of fiscal 2022 net revenue was $335.3 million. GAAP net income was $16.5 million, or $0.07 per share. Non-GAAP net income was $55.8 million, or $0.24 per share.
Third quarter of fiscal 2022 net revenue was $315.5 million. GAAP net income was $19.2 million or $0.08 per share. Non-GAAP net income was $52.0 million, or $0.22 per share.
Fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 net revenue was $310.9 million. GAAP net income was $3.3 million, or $0.01 per share. Non-GAAP net income was $52.5 million, or $0.22 per share.
"I am pleased with VIAVI's performance in the fiscal year 2022. We generated record revenue, close to $1.3 billion, and record operating profit, exceeding our strategic plan goals that we set out three years ago before the pandemic, global supply chain issues, and inflationary pressures," said Oleg Khaykin, VIAVI's President and Chief Executive Officer.
Khaykin added, "I am also pleased with VIAVI's performance and momentum during the fiscal Q4 2022, resulting in record revenue and record fourth quarter profitability driven by Fiber-to-the-Home deployment, 400GbE network and data center upgrades, and the investments in O-RAN network expansions."
Financial Overview:
The tables below (in millions, except percentage, and per share data) provide comparisons of quarterly results to prior periods, including sequential quarterly and year-over-year changes. A full reconciliation between the GAAP and non-GAAP measures included in the tables is contained in this release under the section titled "Use of Non-GAAP (Adjusted) Financial Measures."
Fourth Quarter Ended July 2, 2022
Fiscal Year Ended July 2, 2022
- Americas, Asia-Pacific and EMEA customers represented 38.7%, 38.7% and 22.6%, respectively, of total net revenue for the quarter ended July 2, 2022.
- As of July 2, 2022, the Company held $564.9 million in total cash, short-term restricted cash and short-term investments.
- As of July 2, 2022, the Company had $223.9 million aggregate principal amount of 1.00% Senior Convertible Notes, $68.1 million aggregate principal amount of 1.75% Senior Convertible Notes and $400 million aggregate principal amount of 3.75% Senior Notes with a total net carrying value of $684.5 million.
- During the fiscal quarter and fiscal year ended July 2, 2022, the Company generated $73.6 million and $178.1 million respectively, of cash flows from operations.
Business Outlook for the First Quarter of Fiscal 2023
For the first quarter of fiscal 2023 ending October 1, 2022, the Company expects net revenue to be between $317 million to $331 million and non-GAAP earnings per share to be between $0.22 to $0.24.
With respect to our expectations above, the Company has not reconciled non-GAAP net income per share to GAAP net income per share in this press release because it is unable to provide a meaningful or accurate estimate of certain reconciling items described in the "Use of Non-GAAP (Adjusted) Financial Measures" section below and the information is not available without unreasonable effort as a result of the inherent difficulty of forecasting the timing and/or amounts of certain items, including certain charges related to restructuring, acquisition, integration and related charges. In addition, the Company believes such reconciliations would imply a degree of precision that may be confusing or misleading to investors.
Conference Call
The Company will discuss these results and other related matters at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time on August 11, 2022 in a live webcast, which will also be archived for replay on the Company's website at https://investor.viavisolutions.com. The Company will post supplementary slides outlining the Company's latest financial results on https://investor.viavisolutions.com under the "Quarterly Results" section concurrently with this earnings press release. This press release is being furnished as a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and will be available at www.sec.gov.
About VIAVI Solutions
VIAVI (NASDAQ: VIAV) is a global provider of network test, monitoring, and assurance solutions for communications service providers, enterprises, network equipment manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers, government and avionics. We help these customers harness the power of instruments, automation, intelligence, and virtualization to Command the network. VIAVI is also a leader in light management solutions for the anti-counterfeiting, consumer electronics, industrial, government, and automotive markets.
To serve our markets, we operate in the following business segments:
- Network Enablement;
- Service Enablement; and
- Optical Security and Performance Products.
Learn more about VIAVI at https://www.viavisolutions.com. Follow us on VIAVI Perspectives, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements include any expectation, anticipation or guidance as to future financial performance, including future revenue, gross margin, operating expense, operating margin, profitability targets, cash flow and other financial metrics, as well as the impact and duration of certain trends and market position and conditions. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. In particular, the Company's ability to predict future financial performance continues to be difficult due to, among other things: (a) continuing general limited visibility across many of our product lines; (b) quarter-over-quarter product mix fluctuations, which can materially impact profitability measures due to the broad gross margin ranges across our portfolio; (c) consolidations in our customer base; (d) unforeseen changes in the demand for current and new products, technologies, services, delays or unforeseen events in the roll-out of new industry platforms such as 5G or evolving technology such as 3D sensing and customer purchasing delays as they assess or transition to such new technologies and/or architectures, all of which limit near-term demand visibility, and could negatively impact potential revenue; (e) continued decline of average selling prices across our businesses; (f) notable seasonality and a significant level of in-quarter book-and-ship business; (g) various product and manufacturing transfers, site consolidations, product discontinuances and restructuring and workforce reduction plans; (h) challenges integrating the businesses the Company has acquired and realizing all of the expected benefits and savings; (i) supply chain and materials constraints and the ability of our suppliers and contract manufacturers to meet production and delivery requirements to our forecasted demand; (j) potential disruptions or delays to our manufacturing and operations due to climate conditions and natural disasters in the regions where we operate, such as wildfires, drought conditions and related water shortages in Arizona, as well as wildfires in Northern California and related blackouts and power outages in that region; (k) the uncertain and ongoing impact to our supply chain of military conflicts, such as the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine, tariffs, sanctions and other trade measures imposed by domestic and foreign governments and the possibility of escalation of "trade wars," cyber-attacks, and retaliatory measures; (l) the impact of infectious disease outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics including the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic on our financial results, revenues, customer demand, business operations and manufacturing and on the business operations of our customers, contract manufacturers and suppliers; and (m) inherent uncertainty related to global markets, including inflationary pressures, recessions and tightening liquidity and the effect of such markets on demand for our products. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. For more information on the risks and uncertainties associated with the Company's business, please refer to the "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Risk Factors" sections of the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date thereof and the Company assumes no obligation to update such statements. We have not filed our Form 10-K for the year ended July 2, 2022. As a result, all financial results described in this earnings release should be considered preliminary, and are subject to change to reflect any necessary adjustments or changes in accounting estimates, that are identified prior to the time we file the Form 10-K.
Contact Information
Investors:
Sagar Hebbar
408-404-4507
sagar.hebbar@viavisolutions.com
Press:
Amit Malhotra
202-341-8624
amit.malhotra@viavisolutions.com
The following financial tables are presented in accordance with GAAP, unless otherwise specified.
-SELECTED PRELIMINARY FINANCIAL DATA -
Use of Non-GAAP (Adjusted) Financial Measures
The Company provides non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net income (loss), non-GAAP net income (loss) per share, EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA financial measures as supplemental information regarding the Company's operational performance. The Company uses the measures disclosed in this release to evaluate the Company's historical and prospective financial performance, as well as its performance relative to its competitors. Specifically, management uses these items to further its own understanding of the Company's core operating performance, which the Company believes represent its performance in the ordinary, ongoing and customary course of its operations. Accordingly, management excludes from core operating performance items such as those relating to certain purchase price accounting adjustments, amortization of acquisition-related intangibles and inventory step-up, stock-based compensation, restructuring, separation costs, changes in fair value of contingent consideration liabilities and certain investing expenses and non-cash activities that management believes are not reflective of such ordinary, ongoing and customary course activities. Additionally, the Company excludes the results of discontinued operations in calculating non-GAAP net income (loss), non-GAAP net income (loss) per share, EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA for all periods reported. The Company believes excluding these items enables investors to evaluate more clearly and consistently the Company's core operational performance.
The Company believes providing this additional information allows investors to see Company results through the eyes of management. The Company further believes that providing this information allows investors to better understand the Company's financial performance and, importantly, to evaluate the efficacy of the methodology and information used by management to evaluate and measure such performance.
The non-GAAP adjustments described in this release are excluded by the Company from its non-GAAP financial measures. The non-GAAP adjustments, and the basis for excluding them, are outlined below.
Cost of revenues, costs of research and development and costs of selling, general and administrative: The Company's GAAP presentation of gross margin and operating expenses may include (i) additional depreciation and amortization from changes in estimated useful life and the write-down of certain property, equipment and intangibles that have been identified for disposal but remained in use until the date of disposal, (ii) workforce related charges such as severance, retention bonuses and employee relocation costs related to formal restructuring plans, (iii) costs for facilities not required for ongoing operations, and costs related to the relocation of certain equipment from these facilities and/or contract manufacturer facilities, (iv) stock-based compensation, (v) changes in fair value of contingent consideration liabilities and (vi) other charges unrelated to our core operating performance comprising mainly of acquisition related transaction costs, amortization of acquisition related inventory step-up, integration costs related to acquired entities, litigation and other costs and contingencies unrelated to current and future operations, including transformational initiatives such as the implementation of simplified automated processes, site consolidations, and reorganizations. The Company excludes these items in calculating non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net income (loss), non-GAAP net income (loss) per share, EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA. The Company believes excluding these items enables investors to evaluate more clearly and consistently the Company's core operational performance.
Amortization of intangibles: The Company includes amortization expense related to intangibles in its GAAP presentation of cost of revenues and operating expense. The Company excludes these significant non-cash items in calculating non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net income (loss), non-GAAP net income (loss) per share, EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA, because it believes doing so provides investors a clearer and more consistent view of the Company's core operating performance in terms of cost of revenues and operating expenses.
Non-cash interest expense and other expense: The Company incurred a loss of $3.1M and $101.8M for the three and twelve months ended July 2, 2022, respectively, in connection with the repurchase of certain 1.00% and 1.75% Senior Convertible Notes which was recorded in interest income and other income (expense), net, in compliance with authoritative guidance. The Company eliminates this in calculating non-GAAP net income (loss), and non-GAAP net income (loss) per share, EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA, because it believes that in so doing, it can provide investors a clearer and more consistent view of the Company's core operating performance.
Income tax expense or benefit: The Company excludes certain non-cash tax expense or benefit items, such as the utilization of net operating losses where valuation allowances were released, intra-period tax allocation benefit and the tax effect for amortization of non-tax deductible intangible assets, in calculating non-GAAP net income (loss) and non-GAAP net income (loss) per share. The Company believes excluding these items enables investors to evaluate more clearly and consistently the Company's core operational performance.
Interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and other adjustments: The Company's EBITDA calculation primarily excludes interest income and other income (expense), interest expense, taxes, depreciation and amortization, and other items that are not part of its core operating performance described above. The Company's adjusted EBITDA excludes items in addition to the items excluded from the EBITDA calculation such as stock-based compensation, restructuring and related charges (benefits), gain or loss on sale of available for-sale investments, changes in fair value of contingent consideration liabilities arising from prior acquisitions and other charges related to activities that are not part of its core operating performance described above. Management believes adjusted EBITDA is a helpful indicator of the Company's core operational cash flow.
Non-GAAP financial measures are not in accordance with, preferable to, or an alternative for, generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP net income (loss) is net income (loss). The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP net income (loss) per share is net income (loss) per share. The Company believes these GAAP measures alone are not fully indicative of its core operating expenses and performance and that providing non-GAAP financial measures in conjunction with GAAP measures provides valuable supplemental information regarding the Company's overall performance.
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SOURCE VIAVI Financials | 2022-08-11T21:35:25+00:00 | wagmtv.com | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/11/viavi-announces-fourth-quarter-year-ended-fiscal-2022-results/ |
John Buggs III scored 18 points and Japhet Medor secured the victory with a free throw with 17 seconds left as UTSA defeated Florida International 95-91 on Saturday night.
Buggs shot 6 for 14, including 4 for 9 from beyond the arc for the Roadrunners (9-21, 3-16 Conference USA). Jacob Germany scored 16 points while shooting 5 of 11 from the field and 6 for 6 from the line, and added 18 rebounds. Isaiah Addo-Ankrah shot 4 for 5 (3 for 4 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free throw line to finish with 15 points.
John Williams Jr. led the Panthers (13-16, 7-11) in scoring, finishing with 18 points. Petar Krivokapic added 17 points and two steals for Florida International. In addition, Jayden Brewer had 15 points.
Christian Tucker scored 11 points in the first half and UTSA went into the break trailing 56-42. Medor scored 11 points in the second half for UTSA, including their game-winning shot in the final minute.
Get South Florida local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters.
NEXT UP
Both teams next play Thursday. UTSA hosts Charlotte and Florida International visits Louisiana Tech.
___
Sports
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. | 2023-02-26T04:06:43+00:00 | nbcmiami.com | https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/sports/buggs-and-utsa-take-down-florida-international-95-91/2981637/ |
Ancient DNA reveals the social lives of the oldest known family group
CNN
By Katie Hunt, CNN
Neanderthal is an insult still lobbed about to suggest someone is dim-witted and out of touch.
The more we learn about our Stone Age cousins, however, the more it appears the opposite is true. Neanderthals weren’t brutish cave dwellers — they made sophisticated tools, yarn and art, and they buried their dead with care.
A new discovery in a Siberian cave this week reveals an intimate portrait of Neanderthal family life and shows it may be time for Homo sapiens to ditch that superiority complex once and for all.
We are family
Scientists have uncovered the oldest known family group, using ancient DNA from Neanderthals who lived in Chagyrskaya Cave in southern Siberia in Russia.
The riverside hunting camp about 54,000 years ago was home to a tight community of about 20 Neanderthals, including a father and his teenage daughter, a young male who might have been a nephew or a cousin, and an adult female who was a second-degree relative — perhaps an aunt or a grandmother.
The researchers also detected an unexpected pattern of female migration among the different threads of genetic ancestry.
The most likely explanation for this was that most of the female Neanderthals in the small Chagyrskaya group had come from another community — perhaps to join their mate’s family.
A long time ago
If you lived in London during the Black Death, the odds of beating the bubonic plague weren’t good — it killed 50% of Europe’s population over the course of seven years.
The lucky survivors of the Black Death that ravaged Europe had — in part — their genes to thank, new research has found. Using DNA extracted from teeth, scientists were able to identify a key genetic difference that influenced who survived and who died from the disease.
That genetic legacy still affects the human immune system today, according to the researchers, but in a less desirable way when it comes to certain autoimmune diseases.
Consequences
Shipwrecks exert a unique pull on our collective imagination — the lure of sunken treasure and wartime battles won and lost. But while long-lost vessels on the ocean floor can function as artificial reefs and have tremendous storytelling value, they can also pose a risk to the marine ecosystem.
A World War II ship is still leaking explosives and other toxic elements onto the floor of the North Sea more than 80 years after it sank, according to a new study that analyzed samples collected from the ship’s steel hull as well as the surrounding sediment.
The samples revealed heavy metals such as nickel and copper, in addition to arsenic and explosive compounds.
Researchers involved with the study estimated that shipwrecks from both world wars — found across Earth’s oceans — contain between 2.5 million and 20.4 million metric tons of petroleum products.
Across the universe
One of the most powerful explosions in the universe was detected on October 9.
The gamma-ray burst — witnessed as a long, bright pulse of light — was the birth cry of a black hole.
It occurred when a massive star, in the Sagitta constellation about 2.4 billion light-years away, collapsed into a supernova, forming the new black hole.
Billions of years after traveling across space, the black hole’s colossal detonation burst has finally reached our corner of the universe, and scientists said it presents a rare opportunity to explore long-standing questions about this type of explosion.
Meanwhile, the James Webb Space Telescope has captured a spectacular image of the eerie columns of cosmic dust and gas that mark the beginning of a stellar life cycle.
Ocean secrets
The carcass of a giant sunfish was discovered floating in the seas surrounding the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores in December. Weighing in at 2,744 kilograms (3 tons), it is believed to be the world’s heaviest bony fish.
A new study revealed the animal had a bruise that may offer clues about its death. Researchers found traces of red paint — used to coat the keels of boats — embedded within the wound. However, whether the impact happened before or after the creature’s death is unknown.
The discovery was a “sign that the oceans are still healthy enough to sustain the heaviest species existing,” said José Nuno Gomes-Pereira, a postdoctoral researcher from the Atlantic Naturalist Association, “but a warning for more conservation in terms of pollution and boat traffic near oceanic islands.”
Explorations
Kick back with these remarkable reads:
— Elephants’ incredible memory is helping them survive in the harsh environment of the Namibian desert.
— It’s a myth spread by dog owners that cats are cold and aloof. Here’s how to be certain that your cat loves you.
— Ketchup makes me gag, but the rest of my family loves it. Check out the science behind why some foods are so polarizing.
— Speaking of food choices, experts weighed in on how eating seasonally and locally could help the planet, and the answer is complicated. For more ways to minimize your role in the climate crisis — and reduce your eco-anxiety — sign up for CNN’s Life, But Greener limited newsletter series.
The-CNN-Wire
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Like what you’ve read? Oh, but there’s more. Sign up here to receive in your inbox the next edition of Wonder Theory, brought to you by CNN Space and Science writers Ashley Strickland and Katie Hunt. They find wonder in planets beyond our solar system and discoveries from the ancient world. | 2022-10-22T20:32:16+00:00 | keyt.com | https://keyt.com/cnn-world-video/2022/10/22/ancient-dna-reveals-the-social-lives-of-the-oldest-known-family-group-2/ |
2023 would be a notable year for video games on the strength of a Tears of the Kingdom release alone. But that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild follow-up isn't the only massive title delayed by the pandemic to have a credible release date in the coming months. Here are the games our staff most look forward to, in order of when they (should) come out.
Fire Emblem Engage (January 20th)
I played Fire Emblem: Three Houses twice all the way through, savoring each character's dialogue and obsessively tracking their relationships with each other. This entry looks more brash and candy-colored, but if it delivers the tactical depth and quality cast I'm hoping for, I'll be well-engaged indeed. -James Mastromarino, Join the Game editor and Here & Now producer
Forspoken (January 24th)
It's been a long time since Square Enix debuted a brand new IP, and I'm hoping Forspoken will bring a fresh twist to the action RPG genre. It's developed by Luminous Productions, which was assembled from the team that worked on Final Fantasy XV — a game I loved for its beautiful environments, snappy gameplay, and overall charm. Forspoken also gathered formidable writing and soundtrack talent, including Bear McCreary, who just won Best Score and Music at The Game Awards for God of War Ragnarök. Amy Hennig, one of the main writers, lead the 150-person team behind the legendary Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Long story short, Forspoken has a lot going for it, and if it all comes together, I'll have a great time playing it. -Andy Bickerton, Senior Digital Analyst
Dead Space (January 27)
Dead Space upped the game for space survival horror all the way back in 2008. With visual enhancements and other quality of life improvements, I can only hope this remake of Isaac Clarke's harrowing journey lives up to the original. -Bryant Denton, Grove Support Associate for Member Partnership
Season: A Letter to the Future (January 31)
The games I've been playing lately are far from peaceful. Biking around while quietly documenting a pre-apocalyptic, Miyazaki-esque landscape sounds like a nice vibe to kick off the new year. -Justin Lucas, Director, Communications and Audience Relations
Hogwarts Legacy (February 10)
Many Harry Potter fans soured on J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World after the author started loudly defending her transphobic views. Despite calls for a boycott, Hogwarts Legacy has already climbed the sales charts ahead of its release. The game presents an intoxicating escape to a magical place entire generations grew up with — and while Hogwarts Legacy explicitly allows you to play as a transgender character — time will only tell how fun and inclusive it really is. -James Mastromarino, Join the Game editor and Here & Now producer
Horizon Call of the Mountain (February 22)
Horizon Call of the Mountain is a launch title for Playstation's VR 2, a headset that promises to go toe-to-toe with beefy hardware like the Valve Index. If Call of the Wild can make you "feel" like you're in Horizon's robot dinosaur-filled world, then maybe PSVR2's $550 price tag might just be worth it. -James Delahoussaye, TED Radio Hour Producer
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty (March 3)
The success of Elden Ring will probably put wind behind other studios' Souls-like titles and I'm here for it. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty's trailer includes a nod to FromSoft's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and will likely build off of the Team Ninja's own Nioh titles (which may not have been GOTY material, but were very enjoyable). Plus, there will be co-op! -Justin Lucas, Director, Communications and Audience Relations
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (March 17)
2019's Fallen Order offered a great cast and story. The combat and exploration didn't quite hit the highs of the games that clearly inspired it (Dark Souls and Uncharted), but Fallen Order laid a promising foundation for Survivor to build on. Give me more force powers! -James Delahoussaye, TED Radio Hour Producer
Resident Evil 4 (March 24)
I fell head over heels for the series' trademark schlock and mayhem over the pandemic — and I look forward to seeing the beloved Resident Evil 4 get the meticulous remake treatment that so improved Residents Evil 2 and 3. It's sure to be gorgeous and gorey — and I hope it preserves the campy spirit of the original voice-acting too. -James Mastromarino, Join the Game editor and Here & Now producer
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (May 12)
I'm not the most experienced gamer, but I've spent 560+ hours playing Breath of the Wild over the past two years. I've found most of the Korok Seeds, solved most of the shrines and completed most of the quests. I still scream in fear when I encounter a Lynel in the world, and can still taste the accomplishment and empowerment I felt when I beat my first one. If Tears of the Kingdom gives me more of that feeling, I'll be entertained for years to come. -Natalia Fidelholtz, Talent Development Manager
Diablo 4 (June 6)
In a world where angels and demons run rampant, Actvision Blizzard offers a big-budget return to the dungeon crawling series that kicked off in 1997. While critics cried foul at the monetization trickery behind 2022's Diablo Immortal, Diablo 4 could restore the franchise to its glory days. -Bryant Denton, Grove Support Associate for Member Partnership
Final Fantasy XVI (June 22)
Final Fantasy XVI could be a return to form for the franchise while also taking the storied RPG series to new heights. It's the first mainline title to receive a Mature rating, and its trailers have drawn comparisons to Game of Thrones, but with the series' memorable monster summons taking center stage. It's sure to be the blockbuster gaming event of the summer, and I'm looking forward to immersing myself in yet another breathtaking fantasy world from the imaginative minds at Square Enix. -Lindsay Totty, Morning Edition Producer
Starfield (Undated 2023)
I obsessed over Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4 when they first came out. I've beaten them a dozen times combined, with hundreds of hours played. While their engine and mechanics now feel dated, developer Bethesda promises a whole new upgrade for Starfield. I love open-world games, so the promise of over a thousand planets to explore has me hopeful it'll be just as immersive as Bethesda's other titles. -Adam Winters, Quality Assurance Manager
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (Undated 2023)
Insomniac Games revolutionized web-slinging with 2018 and followed up that feat with a Miles Morales story that had all the flare and personality we can expect from his take on Spider-Man. I'm hyped to see this sequel bring both Peter Parker and Miles together against the comic's most beloved villains. -Jamal Michel, It's Been a Minute Intern
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon (Undated 2023)
I haven't played any of the previous games in FromSoft's giant robot series, but I'm looking forward to checking out Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon this year. I trust anything the studio puts out: I was blown away by the first Dark Souls when I picked it up in 2012 (around when the last installment of Armored Core was released) and have enjoyed every game they've made since. While Fires of Rubicon feels like a departure from the studio's most recent work, I still look forward to dying a bunch — this time in a mech suit. -Justin Lucas, Director, Communications and Audience Relations
AEW Fight Forever (Undated 2023)
When a wrestler (Kenny Omega) who loves video games is helping oversee the production of a wrestling game, I can't help but be intrigued. Omega is a huge fan of the Fire Pro Wrestling games, considered some of the best in the genre. With previews revealing an engine that runs similar to 2000's classic WWF No Mercy, there's a chance this could be the best wrestling game of the year. -Matt Adams, Audience Engagement Supervisor
Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & butterfly (Undated 2023)
Toge Productions' Coffee Talk was my favorite game of 2020. Two years later, I'm still replaying it because the characters, story and music are so good! I can't wait to see where they go with Hibiscus & Butterfly in 2023. -Rakiesha Chase-Jackson, Member Partnership Project Manager
Redfall (Undated 2023)
Arkane Studios has helmed GOTY contenders for years. It surprised no one that Redfall drew hella praise for its 2021 reveal trailer alone. It had an audacious and diverse cast, as well as a horrifying display of vampiric enemies in the titular Redfall, Massachusetts. Stan Layla Ellison! -Jamal Michel, It's Been a Minute Intern
Stellar Blade (Undated 2023)
Stellar Blade (formerly titled Project EVE) is a futuristic hack-and-slash announced at the PlayStation showcase in 2021. Although details have been sparse, the gameplay previews show off stunning visuals and fast paced combat in a new IP. -Bryant Denton, Grove Support Associate for Member Partnership
The Wolf Among Us 2 (Undated 2023)
I've been waiting since 2014 for Telltale Games to release a sequel to The Wolf Among Us. I loved the Fables comics it was based on and the original game provided such an engaging way to interact with those characters. Nearly a decade later and after the studio's collapse and revival, I can't wait to get back to Fabletown. -Rakiesha Chase-Jackson, Member Partnership Project Manager
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl (Undated 2023)
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. has always been hard to sum up: a cult-favorite, magically-real, survival horror, first-person shooter series, loosely based on a 1979 Tarkovsky movie? The game's development had stuttered for years — and then when a release finally looked plausible, the Ukrainian company making it faced a very real war. I hope these incredibly resilient folks have all the time and funding they need, and I'll play whatever they end up shipping. -James Mastromarino, Join the Game editor and Here & Now producer
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Undated 2023)
2020's Final Fantasy VII Remake opened the door to a radically-new retelling of the 1997 original. The sequel, Rebirth, will likely depart even further — but it's also likely to get delayed to 2024. -James Mastromarino, Join the Game editor and Here & Now producer
Hollow Knight: Silksong (Unconfirmed)
2017's Hollow Knight may be the best Metroidvania ever made — and that includes the Metroid and Castlevania games! That feat is even more impressive since it came from a small indie studio. Silksong looks like it will deliver another beautifully-illustrated and vast world, complete with deep combat and traversal mechanics. Needless to say, there's a lot to look forward to in this sequel — which is rumored to finally come out this year. -Jeff Choi, Product Designer
Hades II (Unconfirmed)
Hades II should get an early access release this year and it's hard to overestimate my expectations for it. I fell in love with the first game for the same reasons as everyone else: the sumptuous art, rich mythology, finely-tuned combat... and obviously, the romance! Hades II has already promised almost all that and more (though I haven't seen any romancing yet). There's still plenty we don't know about our new protagonist Melinoë and the band of gods, witches, and miscellaneous creatures who will join her, but what we have seen looks like a perfect second invitation to the underworld. -Megan Lim, All Things Considered Producer
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-01-13T14:52:39+00:00 | kunm.org | https://www.kunm.org/npr-news/2023-01-13/nprs-most-anticipated-video-games-of-2023 |
BAY COUNTY, Mich. (WJRT) - Two people are dead after police say a confrontation after a shooting led to an officer-involved shooting in Bay County's Bangor Township early Sunday.
Michigan State Police say deputies from the Bay County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of shots fired in the Bangor Downs Townhouses complex near the intersection of M-13 and Wilder Road around 3:30 a.m.
Police found a woman dead at the scene when they arrived. Investigators say a male suspect confronted police, which led to the officer-involved shooting.
The suspect, who was not identified Monday morning, died from his injuries at an area hospital. No law enforcement officials or anyone else in the complex reported any injuries from the incident.
A Bay County sheriff deputy has been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard police protocol after a police-involved shooting. Michigan State Police will continue investigating the incident. | 2022-08-29T18:05:41+00:00 | abc12.com | https://www.abc12.com/news/crime/police-investigating-officer-involved-shooting-in-bay-county/article_6b14748c-27a5-11ed-a6ce-c79a188837f0.html |
SEATTLE — From what you buy online, to how you remember tasks, to when you monitor your doorstep, Amazon is seemingly everywhere.
And it appears the company doesn’t want to halt its reach anytime soon. In recent weeks, Amazon has said it will spend billions of dollars in two gigantic acquisitions that, if approved, will broaden its ever growing presence in the lives of consumers.
This time, the company is targeting two areas: health care, through its $3.9 billion buyout of the primary care company One Medical, and the “smart home,” where it plans to expand its already mighty presence through a $1.7 billion merger with iRobot, the maker of the popular robotic Roomba vacuum.
Perhaps unsurprisingly for a company known for its vast collection of consumer information, both mergers have heightened enduring privacy concerns about how Amazon gathers data and what it does with it. The latest line of Roombas, for example, employ sensors that map and remember a home’s floor plan.
“It’s acquiring this vast set of data that Roomba collects about people’s homes,” said Ron Knox, an Amazon critic who works for the anti-monopoly group Institute for Local Self-Reliance. “Its obvious intent, through all the other products that it sells to consumers, is to be in your home. (And) along with the privacy issues come the antitrust issues, because it’s buying market share.”
Amazon's reach goes well beyond that. Some estimates show the retail giant controls roughly 38% of the U.S. e-commerce market, allowing it to gather granular data about the shopping preferences of millions of Americans and more worldwide. Meanwhile, its Echo devices, which house the voice assistant Alexa, have dominated the U.S. smart speaker market, accounting for roughly 70% of sales, according to estimates by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners.
Ring, which Amazon purchased in 2018 for $1 billion, monitors doorsteps and helps police track down crime — even when users might not be aware. And at select Amazon stores and Whole Foods, the company is testing a palm-scanning technology that allows customers to pay for items by storing biometric data in the cloud, sparking concerns about risks of a data breach, which Amazon has attempted to assuage.
“We treat your palm signature just like other highly sensitive personal data and keep it safe using best-in-class technical and physical security controls,” the company said on a website that provides information about the technology.
Even consumers who actively avoid Amazon are still likely to have little say about how their employers power their computer networks, which Amazon — along with Google — has long dominated through its cloud-computing service AWS.
“It’s hard to think of another organization that has as many touch points as Amazon does to an individual,” said Ian Greenblatt, who heads up tech research at the consumer research and data analytics firm J.D. Power. “It’s almost overwhelming, and it’s hard to put a finger on it.”
And Amazon — like any company — aims to grow. In the past few years, the company has purchased the Wi-Fi startup Eero and partnered with the construction company Lennar to offer tech-powered houses. With iRobot, it would gain one more building block for the ultimate smart home — and, of course, more data.
Customers can opt out of having iRobot devices store a layout of their homes, according to the vacuum maker. But data privacy advocates worry the merger is another way Amazon could suck up information to integrate into its other devices or use to target consumers with ads.
In a statement, Amazon spokesperson Lisa Levandowski denied that’s what the company wants to do.
“We do not use home maps for targeted advertising and have no plans to do so,” Levandowski said.
Whether that will relieve concerns is another matter, especially in light of research about Amazon's other devices. Earlier this year, a group of university researchers released a report that found voice data from Amazon’s Echo devices are used to target ads to consumers — something the company had denied in the past.
Umar Iqbal, a postdoc at the University of Washington who led the research, said he and his colleagues found Echo devices running third-party Skills, which are like apps for Alexa, that communicate with advertisers.
Levandowski said consumers can opt out of receiving “interest-based” ads by adjusting their preferences on Amazon’s advertising preferences page. She also said Amazon doesn't share Alexa requests with advertising networks.
Skills that collect personal information are required to post their privacy policies on a detail page in Amazon’s store, according to the company. Researchers, however, found only 2% of Skills are clear about their data collection practices, and the vast majority don’t mention Alexa or Amazon at all.
For companies like Amazon, data collection is for more than just data’s sake, noted Kristen Martin, a professor of technology ethics at the University of Notre Dame.
“You can almost see them just trying to paint a broader picture of an individual,” Martin said. “It’s about the inferences that they’re able to draw about you specifically, and then you compared to other people.”
Amazon's One Medical deal, for instance, has sparked questions about how the company would handle personal health data that would fall into its lap.
Should the deal close, Levandowski said customers’ health information will be handled separately from all other Amazon businesses. She also added Amazon wouldn’t share personal health information outside of One Medical for “advertising or marketing purposes of other Amazon products and services without clear permission from the customer.”
But Lucia Savage, a chief privacy officer at the chronic care provider Omada Health, said that doesn’t mean One Medical wouldn’t be able to get data from other arms of Amazon’s business that could help it better profile its patients. The information just has to flow one way, she said.
To be sure, privacy concerns are not limited to Amazon. In the aftermath of Roe v Wade being overturned, for instance, Google said it would automatically get rid of information about users who visit abortion clinics. Meanwhile, Meta, which owns Facebook, settled a class action lawsuit in February over its use of “cookies” about a decade ago that tracked users after they logged off Facebook.
But unlike Meta and Google, whose focus is mainly on selling ads, Amazon might benefit more from collecting data because its primary goal is to sell products, said Alex Harman, director of competition policy at the anti-monopoly group Economic Security Project.
“For them, data is all about getting you to buy more and be locked into their stuff,” Harman said. | 2022-08-23T14:39:53+00:00 | kagstv.com | https://www.kagstv.com/article/news/nation-world/amazon-surveillance/507-f65237d6-8261-452c-bb1b-ad5033a5e3de |
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – High school athletes competing as powerlifters got good news Wednesday. The New Mexico Activities Association board of directors voted in favor of a proposal to sanction powerlifting as an activity in 2022-2023.
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Powerlifting will become an NMAA sanctioned sport in 2023-2024. Powerlifting has been a part of the high school scene for a couple of years. The Rio Rancho Rams won the last two statewide competitions in boys action. Lovington won the girls Class 5A title this past year. | 2022-06-02T05:28:53+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/sports/local-sports/nmaa-signs-off-on-powerlifting/ |
Astros vs. Giants Probable Starting Pitchers Today - May 3
Published: May. 3, 2023 at 7:15 AM CDT|Updated: 12 minutes ago
The Houston Astros (16-14) and San Francisco Giants (12-17) play a rubber match on Wednesday at 2:10 PM ET, with the series deadlocked at 1-1.
The probable starters are Framber Valdez (2-3) for the Astros and Logan Webb (1-5) for the Giants.
Bet Now: Get the latest odds for this matchup and pitcher props on BetMGM
Astros vs. Giants Pitcher Matchup Info
- Date: Wednesday, May 3, 2023
- Time: 2:10 PM ET
- TV: MLB Network
- Location: Houston, Texas
- Venue: Minute Maid Park
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Probable Pitchers: Valdez - HOU (2-3, 2.54 ERA) vs Webb - SF (1-5, 4.82 ERA)
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Discover More About This Game
Astros Probable Starting Pitcher Tonight: Framber Valdez
- Valdez (2-3) will take the mound for the Astros, his seventh start of the season.
- The left-hander gave up three earned runs in seven innings pitched on Saturday in his last outing, a matchup with the Philadelphia Phillies.
- The 29-year-old has an ERA of 2.54 and 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings, with a batting average against of .248 in six games this season.
- If he completes six or more innings with three or fewer earned runs allowed, he'll earn his sixth consecutive quality start.
- Valdez will look to finish five or more innings for the seventh start in a row.
Try FanDuel Fantasy today with our link and make your perfect team!
Giants Probable Starting Pitcher Tonight: Logan Webb
- Webb (1-5) takes the mound first for the Giants in his seventh start of the season. He has a 4.82 ERA in 37 1/3 innings pitched, with 43 strikeouts.
- In his last appearance on Thursday, the righty threw 6 2/3 innings against the St. Louis Cardinals, giving up two earned runs while surrendering seven hits.
- In six games this season, the 26-year-old has an ERA of 4.82, with 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents are hitting .273 against him.
- Webb is trying to record his third quality start in a row in this game.
- Webb will try to build upon a seven-game streak of pitching five or more innings (he's averaging 6.2 frames per outing).
- Among qualifying pitchers in MLB action this season, the 26-year-old's 4.82 ERA ranks 63rd, 1.179 WHIP ranks 35th, and 10.4 K/9 ranks 15th.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | 2023-05-03T14:20:49+00:00 | wafb.com | https://www.wafb.com/sports/betting/2023/05/03/astros-vs-giants-mlb-probable-starting-pitchers/ |
With Roe in doubt, some fear tech surveillance of pregnancy
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — When Chandler Jones realized she was pregnant during her junior year of college, she turned to a trusted source for information and advice.
Her cellphone.
“I couldn’t imagine before the internet, trying to navigate this,” said Jones, 26, who graduated Tuesday from the University of Baltimore School of Law. “I didn’t know if hospitals did abortions. I knew Planned Parenthood did abortions, but there were none near me. So I kind of just Googled.”
But with each search, Jones was being surreptitiously followed — by the phone apps and browsers that track us as we click away, capturing even our most sensitive health data.
Online searches. Period apps. Fitness trackers. Advice helplines. GPS. The often obscure companies collecting our health history and geolocation data may know more about us than we know ourselves.
For now, the information is mostly used to sell us things, like baby products targeted to pregnant women. But in a post-Roe world — if the Supreme Court upends the 1973 decision that legalized abortion, as a draft opinion suggests it may in the coming weeks — the data would become more valuable, and women more vulnerable.
Privacy experts fear that pregnancies could be surveilled and the data shared with police or sold to vigilantes.
“The value of these tools for law enforcement is for how they really get to peek into the soul,” said Cynthia Conti-Cook, a lawyer and technology fellow at the Ford Foundation. “It gives (them) the mental chatter inside our heads.”
___
HIPAA, HOTLINES, HEALTH HISTORIES
The digital trail only becomes clearer when we leave home, as location apps, security cameras, license plate readers and facial recognition software track our movements. The development of these tech tools has raced far ahead of the laws and regulations that might govern them.
And it’s not just women who should be concerned. The same tactics used to surveil pregnancies can be used by life insurance companies to set premiums, banks to approve loans and employers to weigh hiring decisions, experts said.
Or it could — and sometimes does — send women who experience miscarriages cheery ads on their would-be child’s birthday.
It’s all possible because HIPAA, the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, protects medical files at your doctor’s office but not the information that third-party apps and tech companies collect about you. Nor does HIPAA cover the health histories collected by non-medical “crisis pregnancy centers,” which are run by anti-abortion groups. That means the information can be shared with, or sold to, almost anyone.
Jones contacted one such facility early in her Google search, before figuring out they did not offer abortions.
“The dangers of unfettered access to Americans’ personal data have never been more clear. Researching birth control online, updating a period-tracking app or bringing a phone to the doctor’s office could be used to track and prosecute women across the U.S.,” Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said last week.
For myriad reasons, both political and philosophical, data privacy laws in the U.S. have lagged far behind those adopted in Europe in 2018.
Until this month, anyone could buy a weekly trove of data on clients at more than 600 Planned Parenthood sites around the country for as little as $160, according to a recent Vice investigation that led one data broker to remove family planning centers from the customer “pattern” data it sells. The files included approximate patient addresses (down to the census block, derived from where their cellphones “sleep” at night), income brackets, time spent at the clinic, and the top places people stopped before and after their visits.
While the data did not identify patients by name, experts say that can often be pieced together, or de-anonymized, with a little sleuthing.
In Arkansas, a new law will require women seeking an abortion to first call a state hotline and hear about abortion alternatives. The hotline, set to debut next year, will cost the state nearly $5 million a year to operate. Critics fear it will be another way to track pregnant women, either by name or through an identifier number. Other states are considering similar legislation.
The widespread surveillance capabilities alarm privacy experts who fear what’s to come if Roe v. Wade is overturned. The Supreme Court is expected to issue its opinion by early July.
“A lot of people, where abortion is criminalized — because they have nowhere to go — are going to go online, and every step that they take (could) ... be surveilled,” Conti-Cook said.
___
PUNISH WOMEN, DOCTORS OR FRIENDS?
Women of color like Jones, along with poor women and immigrants, could face the most dire consequences if Roe falls since they typically have less power and money to cover their tracks. They also tend to have more abortions, proportionally, perhaps because they have less access to health care, birth control and, in conservative states, schools with good sex education programs.
The leaked draft suggests the Supreme Court could be ready to let states ban or severely restrict abortion through civil or criminal penalties. More than half are poised to do so. Abortion foes have largely promised not to punish women themselves, but instead target their providers or people who help them access services.
“The penalties are for the doctor, not for the woman,” Republican state Rep. Jim Olsen of Oklahoma said last month of a new law that makes performing an abortion a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
But abortion advocates say that remains to be seen.
“When abortion is criminalized, pregnancy outcomes are investigated,” said Tara Murtha, the communications director at the Women’s Law Project in Philadelphia, who recently co-authored a report on digital surveillance in the abortion sphere.
She wonders where the scrutiny would end. Prosecutors have already taken aim at women who use drugs during pregnancy, an issue Justice Clarence Thomas raised during the Supreme Court arguments in the case in December.
“Any adverse pregnancy outcome can turn the person who was pregnant into a suspect,” Murtha said.
___
STATE LIMITS, TECH STEPS, PERSONAL TIPS
A few states are starting to push back, setting limits on tech tools as the fight over consumer privacy intensifies.
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, through a legal settlement, stopped a Boston-based ad company from steering anti-abortion smartphone ads to women inside clinics there that offer abortion services, deeming it harassment. The firm had even proposed using the same “geofencing” tactics to send anti-abortion messages to high school students.
In Michigan, voters amended the state Constitution to prohibit police from searching someone’s data without a warrant. And in California, home to Silicon Valley, voters passed a sweeping digital privacy law that lets people see their data profiles and ask to have them deleted. The law took effect in 2020.
The concerns are mounting, and have forced Apple, Google and other tech giants to begin taking steps to rein in the sale of consumer data. That includes Apple’s launch last year of its App Tracking Transparency feature, which lets iPhone and iPad users block apps from tracking them.
Abortion rights activists, meanwhile, suggest women in conservative states leave their cellphones, smartwatches and other wearable devices at home when they seek reproductive health care, or at least turn off the location services. They should also closely examine the privacy policies of menstrual trackers and other health apps they use.
“There are things that people can do that can help mitigate their risk. Most people will not do them because they don’t know about it or it’s inconvenient,” said Nathan Freed Wessler, a deputy director with the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project. “There are very, very few people who have the savvy to do everything.”
Digital privacy was the last thing on Jones’s mind when she found herself pregnant. She was in crisis. She and her partner had ambitious career goals. After several days of searching, she found an appointment for an abortion in nearby Delaware. Fortunately, he had a car.
“When I was going through this, it was just survival mode,” said Jones, who took part in a march Saturday in downtown Baltimore to support abortion rights.
Besides, she said, she’s grown up in the Internet age, a world in which “all of my information is being sold constantly.”
But news of the leaked Supreme Court draft sparked discussions at her law school this month about privacy, including digital privacy in the era of Big Data.
“Literally, because I have my cell phone in my pocket, if I go to a CVS, they know I went to a CVS,” the soon-to-be lawyer said. “I think the privacy right is such a deeper issue in America (and one) that is being violated all the time.”
___
This story corrects the title of U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, who is a senator, not representative.
___
Follow Maryclaire Dale on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Maryclairedale
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2022-05-18T15:29:43+00:00 | kxii.com | https://www.kxii.com/2022/05/18/with-roe-doubt-some-fear-tech-surveillance-pregnancy/ |
BERLIN (AP) — Ukraine could add old Leopard 1 battle tanks from German defense industry stocks to deliveries of modern tanks that Berlin and other governments pledged last week to counter Russian forces in the war.
German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit confirmed Friday that “export authorization has been granted” but declined to give numbers or other details, saying that they may become more concrete “in the coming days and weeks.” He told reporters in Berlin that the application from industry to permit delivery of Leopard 1 tanks had been made “some time” ago.
Hebestreit’s comments came after the daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported that the government had cleared the export of the tanks and that they could be sent as soon as the defense industry gets them in working order.
It said that two companies, Rheinmetall and FFG, want to prepare dozens of Leopard 1 tanks that could be delivered to Ukraine if it is interested. But it also said that there are issues so far with securing sufficient ammunition for the vehicles. It wasn’t immediately clear when any deliveries might be possible, but it appeared unlikely to be a quick process.
The Leopard 1, manufactured between the mid-1960s and the mid-1980s, was the first battle tank built for West Germany’s Bundeswehr. The German military hasn’t had any of the tanks since 2003, Defense Ministry spokesman Arne Collatz said.
Germany last week agreed to send 14 modern Leopard 2 A6 tanks from its military’s current stocks. Several other European countries have equipped their armies with Leopard 2 tanks, and Germany’s move — which followed weeks of mounting pressure to supply battle tanks — meant that they also can give some of their stocks to Ukraine.
The United States has said it will send 31 M1 Abrams tanks.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, welcomed Friday’s announcement from Berlin.
“After the historic decision last week on the Leopard 2, it is an important signal that the tank coalition has not just been formed by the Western partners, but is increasing and becoming stronger,” he told German news agency dpa. He added that “we have no time to lose.”
___
Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | 2023-02-03T21:46:05+00:00 | wcia.com | https://www.wcia.com/news/business/ap-business/ap-ukraine-may-also-get-old-leopard-1-tanks-from-german-stocks/ |
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening's drawing of the "Pick Three-Evening" game were:
5-4-2, Fireball:
(five, four, two; Fireball: zero)
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening's drawing of the "Pick Three-Evening" game were:
5-4-2, Fireball:
(five, four, two; Fireball: zero) | 2023-01-13T04:21:13+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-Three-Evening-game-17714992.php |
Spain and Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta has said he is leaving Japanese club Vissel Kobe after five years due to a lack of playing time, but said he does not yet wish to retire.
Iniesta, who won the World Cup with Spain in 2010 and four Champions League titles and nine La Liga championships with Barca, brushed back tears on Thursday as he announced he was leaving.
- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
The midfielder, 39, has made just three substitute appearances so far this season but said he planned to keep playing, although did not specify where.
When asked at a news conference where his next club will be, Iniesta said: "I have to tell you the truth, I don't know.
"I want to keep playing football. I feel like I am capable of still playing. But as this chapter closes, we'll see what's possible. I want to finish my career on the pitch playing, and this is what I'm hoping to do."
After finishing his long tenure at Barcelona, Iniesta joined the Japanese club in 2018 on a three-year deal, and prolonged his stay with a two-year extension.
His last game for the club is expected to be at home on July 1. Vissel Kobe are top of the J-League after 14 rounds.
"It's a very emotional day after so many years," he added. "I tried to give my best on and off the pitch. I am very proud of that."
Iniesta famously scored the winning goal in extra time at the 2010 World Cup final in a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands for Spain's only World Cup title.
The veteran midfielder described going to Japan as one of the best decisions of his life, repeatedly saying "thank you" to the club, the fans, and to his fellow players.
"I was made to feel welcome here from the first day," he said. | 2023-05-25T08:14:58+00:00 | espn.com | https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/37725988/andres-iniesta-leave-vissel-kobe-amid-lack-playing-retire-yet |
City of WF and Workforce Solutions partner for job fair
Published: Jul. 5, 2023 at 6:25 PM CDT|Updated: 30 minutes ago
WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) - The City of Wichita Falls and Workforce Solutions North Texas are partnering to hold the Partner Up: Community Job Fair.
The job fair will be held on July 13 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the MPEC.
The Partner Up: Community Job Fair intends to represent thousands of jobs in the community.
More information on the job fair can be found here or by contacting Workforce Solutions North Texas at (940) 322-1801.
Copyright 2023 KAUZ. All rights reserved. | 2023-07-05T23:55:52+00:00 | newschannel6now.com | https://www.newschannel6now.com/2023/07/05/city-wf-workforce-solutions-partner-job-fair/ |
SHENZHEN, China, Jan. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A brand dedicated to providing high-quality outdoor gear at reasonable prices, Outdoor Master, reached a major milestone after exceeding a range of industry standards during the testing of its ski goggles.
The tests — which can be viewed on YouTube — included detailed testing of the goggles' ability to filter blue light, deliver high resolutions, resist fogging, and withstand significant impacts.
Outdoor Master (OM) ski goggles passed all four tests with ease. And in three of the tests, the goggles significantly exceeded industry standards.
The first test portrayed in the video showcases the goggles' Color Optimization Technology. Designed to prevent excess blue light from restricting the user's vision, the technology successfully reduced the so-called "blue curtain effect" during testing.
The test video compared the Outdoor Master ski goggles with those of a competitor. And the results were conclusive. OM's product is significantly better at reducing impure blue light, which is the light crossing with green and red light around 500nm. Not only that, but OM Color Optimization technology also lets a certain amount of pure blue light in — effectively avoid distortion, and creating a more contrast-enhanced and defined field of view for the user.
The importance of this technology can't be overestimated. Reducing the "blue curtain effect" gives the user the best possible view of what lies ahead. This ensures skiers can identify and avoid potential obstacles while on the slopes.
The second test involved the Outdoor Master ski goggles' HD lens. According to standards set by the American National Standards Institute, a minimum of 20 lines of contrast should be visible on the NBS Resolution Test chart from a distance of 35 feet.
Outdoor Master's ski goggles outperformed three of its market competitors — whose prices are two to three times — higher during HD testing. Moreover, OM HD lenses passed 28 lines of contrast on the NBS Resolution Test chart — far exceeding the industry standard and competitor's products.
The third test involved assessing the ski goggles' fog resistance. Outdoor Master coats the lenses of its premium ski goggles with CAP (a strong anti-fog coating) that absorbs moisture. This minimizes the kind of fogging that can obscure a skier's view and make them more vulnerable to accidents.
The first fog resistance test featured in the YouTube video gave a clear indication of Outdoor Master's ethos of exceeding industry standards and bettering the competition.
According to the industry EN174 standard, ski goggles should not fog up to 80% within 30 seconds of the test starting. In the EN174 test, OM Super Anti-fog lenses passed the standard with 271 seconds of fog-free performance, which is nine times better than the standard.
In Outdoor Master lab test, they altered the fogging intensity stronger than the EN-174, so that audience can see the result faster. Therefore, when the competitor lens got tested first, it started fogging significantly after just 15 seconds.
Observing a test under a higher strength laboratory microscope. In stark contrast, Outdoor Master ski goggles remained relatively clear of moisture and "puddling" for around 45 seconds — passing the standard despite the intensity of the test. In terms of performance, the OM product significantly exceeded the standard and outperformed a competitor's product with ease.
The fourth and final test featured in the video involves the ski goggle's impact resistance — the durability of which is outlined by the Z87.1 safety standard.
To meet the industry's minimum standard for durability and impact resistance, ski goggles must be able to withstand the impact of a 2.5lb steel ball — dropped from a height of 50 inches.
Outdoor Master's ski goggles were completely unaffected by the impact during the test. In the challenging, ever-changing conditions of ski slopes, this durability is very important.
This relatively young outdoor sports brand has come a long way in a short time. Launched by tech geeks and outdoor sports enthusiasts Leo and Ryan, Outdoor Master is already an official supplier to the US Ski Team.
And there are big plans for the future of the brand. As well as expanding its range of outdoor gear, equipment, and accessories, Outdoor Master will invest heavily in the research and development required to keep its products ahead of the curve.
Leo is excited about what the future holds for Outdoor Master following these impressive test results. He said:
"We had confidence in the quality and durability of our ski goggles, but to have this officially confirmed via testing is great news for our brand.
"Over the years, we have invested heavily in research and development. We make products we would want to buy ourselves. For each new product, we consider all kinds of extreme outdoor environments to ensure the safety and experience of outdoor sports enthusiasts.
"We wanted to make ski goggles that deliver on all fronts. Robust, safe, and able to maximize the user's field of vision.
"Despite these great test results, we're determined to keep pushing the boundaries of design and technology. For us, innovation never stops. We want our ski goggles to be the best in the world — and that requires continual research and development.
Outdoor Master takes the same approach to research, development, and testing with all of its other products, which include helmets, gloves, and socks.
About Outdoor Master
Outdoor Master is a sports equipment manufacturer and retailer that was started by two young entrepreneurs in 2015. The brand's spirit is born from the #DoWhatYouBelieve mantra.
Through the design and engineering of groundbreaking tech, Outdoor Master is on a mission to make pursuits such as snowboarding, skiing, stand-up paddle boarding, and biking more accessible and affordable than ever before.
Outdoor Master designs and manufactures everything from premium ski goggles to protective helmets. And the brand's commitment to affordable pricing has made it one of the fastest-growing outdoor gear retailers in the US.
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SOURCE Outdoor Master | 2023-01-06T13:46:12+00:00 | live5news.com | https://www.live5news.com/prnewswire/2023/01/06/premium-ski-goggles-exceed-industry-quality-standards-during-testing/ |
Viridi Energy will be backed by an approximately $320 million equity commitment led by Warburg Pincus
NEW YORK, June 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Viridi Energy ("Viridi"), a full-service renewable natural gas ("RNG") platform, today announced an approximately $320 million line of equity commitment led by Warburg Pincus, a leading global growth investor. The investment will allow Viridi to build a leading energy platform of scale focused on developing RNG sourced from landfill, dairy, and food waste feedstocks.
Viridi is led by Chief Executive Officer, Andy Kelleher, who brings to the company a deep experience founding and leading companies in energy and environmental commodities, and also serves as Managing Partner at Green Rock Energy Partners. In addition to Mr. Kelleher, the founding management team includes Chet Benham, Matt Atkins, Jake Crouse, Dana Husnay, and Bill Keller. Together, the team has over 75 years of experience developing and operating energy assets and has successfully developed more than 30 projects in the RNG space. Management plans to leverage their biogas expertise to develop projects across the landfill, dairy, and food waste sectors with a focus on best-in-class operations and technology.
"Viridi has a truly differentiated approach, with the unique ability to handle all parts of the RNG value chain, spanning development, operations, financing, and commercial strategy. Our mission is to work closely with a broad base of stakeholders to develop RNG that will replace higher emission fuel in a cost-friendly and environmentally effective way," said Andy Kelleher, CEO, Viridi Energy. Prior to Green Rock Energy Partners, Mr. Kelleher was the Head of U.S. Oil Trading at Glencore and President of Supply and Trading at ConocoPhillips.
"Our team's collective experience sourcing, developing, and operating RNG opportunities will be crucial in building the Viridi platform and its success. With significant equity backing led by Warburg Pincus, we will be well-positioned to identify and develop RNG assets where the latest technology can unlock further value potential," said Chet Benham, President of Viridi Energy. Mr. Benham was previously the President of Unconventional Gas Solutions LLC, and CEO of Air Liquide Advanced Technologies U.S. LLC, where he supervised all of the RNG business in the Americas.
Matt Atkins, who joins Viridi as VP Operations, previously served as Director of O&M at Brightmark and as Project Manager at Amec Foster Wheeler and Fluor. Jake Crouse, who joins Viridi as VP Origination, previously served as Vice President of Biogas at Air Liquide. Dana Husnay, who joins Viridi as VP Development, previously served as Director of RNG Operations at Air Liquide. Bill Keller also joins as VP Markets & Strategy, after having served as global General Manager for gas separation technologies at Air Liquide and as a pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Warburg Pincus has a strong track record of investing in companies committed to the growth of Environmental, Sustainability, and Governance ("ESG") practices across all sectors, including low-carbon opportunities. Notable energy transition investments include ClimeCo, Eco Material Technologies, Gradiant, Monolith, Scale Microgrid Solutions, and Solar Mosaic.
"We consider the Viridi management team to be pioneers in the RNG industry, having developed several dozen RNG assets over the course of their careers. We believe that this equity capital commitment, combined with support from our debt financing relationships, will allow us to invest up to a billion dollars of total capital to create a leading platform in the RNG space," said Roy Ben-Dor, Managing Director, Warburg Pincus.
Viridi is currently developing multiple projects across the food waste, agricultural waste, and landfill gas sectors, and expects to break ground on several RNG development assets in the third quarter of 2022.
About Viridi Energy
Viridi Energy is a full-service renewable natural gas ("RNG") platform founded by a veteran renewable natural gas management team. The company is developing a platform to build, own and operate RNG assets with landfill, dairy, and food waste feedstocks across North America. For more information, please visit www.viridirng.com.
About Warburg Pincus
Warburg Pincus LLC is a leading global growth investor. The firm has more than $80 billion in assets under management. The firm's active portfolio of more than 245 companies is highly diversified by stage, sector, and geography. Warburg Pincus is an experienced partner to management teams seeking to build durable companies with sustainable value. Founded in 1966, Warburg Pincus has raised 21 private equity and 2 real estate funds, which have invested more than $100 billion in over 1,000 companies in more than 40 countries. The firm is headquartered in New York with offices in Amsterdam, Beijing, Berlin, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Luxembourg, Mumbai, Mauritius, San Francisco, São Paulo, Shanghai, and Singapore. For more information, please visit www.warburgpincus.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.
Contact
Viridi Energy
Info@viridirng.com
Warburg Pincus
Sarah McGrath Bloom
Sarah.Bloom@warburgpincus.com
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SOURCE Viridi Energy | 2022-06-02T13:33:13+00:00 | wcjb.com | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2022/06/02/veteran-renewable-natural-gas-management-team-forms-viridi-energy-with-equity-commitment-warburg-pincus/ |
BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – On Thursday, the Broward Sheriff’s Office identified the woman whose body was found along Alligator Alley in the far western portion of the county the day prior.
Authorities located the body of Ivy Bedell along the southbound lanes near mile marker 42, headed towards Fort Lauderdale, between the Miccosukee Reservation exit and the Broward County Rest Area Wednesday morning.
“The Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office has completed an autopsy and determined that there are no signs of foul play. The cause of death is pending toxicology results,” BSO spokesperson Miranda Grossman said. “BSO Homicide Unit detectives are continuing to conduct a criminal investigation surrounding the circumstances of where and why her body was left along the roadway.”
Officials haven’t said who initially discovered her body. | 2023-01-05T20:09:57+00:00 | local10.com | https://www.local10.com/news/local/2023/01/05/bso-ids-woman-found-dead-along-alligator-alley-criminal-investigation-underway/ |
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NEW YORK (AP) — Artemi Panarin is such a gifted passer, he looks to set up his teammates for goals. He can shoot, too, and he came through in a prime situation.
Panarin scored a power-play goal 4:46 into overtime and the New York Rangers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 Sunday night to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
“Overall, honestly, they've been letting me shoot since the first game,” Panarin said through a translator after he took six shots in Game 7 after totaling 17 in the first six. “Kind of my bad, I haven't really been making those shots. But maybe I should listen to everyone's advice and actually get out there and take shots.”
Rangers coach Gerard Gallant had a feeling Panarin was going to rise to the occasion in overtime.
“He's the guy," Gallant said, “when it was heading into overtime, I said to myself, 'I know he's going to score if we score. If we get the winning goal, it's going to be him.''
Mika Zibanejad had a goal and two assists, and Chris Kreider and K’Andre Miller also scored for New York, which got its third straight comeback win after trailing 3-1 in the series. Andrew Copp had two assists and Igor Shesterkin stopped 42 shots.
The Rangers are the first team in NHL playoff history to record three consecutive comeback wins in elimination games within the same series.
“It's a huge win for the team, for the organization,” defenseman Jacob Trouba said. “A gutsy performance, coming back again. That whole ‘No Quit In New York’ thing is pretty true with this group."
The Rangers went on a power play 2:55 into overtime when Pittsburgh’s Brock McGinn was called for holding. Late in the advantage, Panarin got the puck on the right side and fired a shot from the right circle past Tristan Jarry.
The Rangers players mobbed Panarin along the boards in the left corner as the sold-out Madison Square Garden crowd went into a frenzy. New York advanced to the second round for the first time since 2017, when they lost to Ottawa.
New York will play Carolina next. The Hurricanes beat the Boston Bruins in Game 7 on Saturday night.
Evan Rodrigues had a goal and an assist, and Jake Guentzel and Danton Heinen also scored for the Penguins, who were ousted in the first playoff series for the fourth straight year. Jarry returned in goal and had 26 saves in his first game since April 14.
The Penguins also had captain Sidney Crosby back after he missed the last game with an upper body injury sustained midway through Game 5.
“Tonight, we’re on the wrong ends of some bounces,” Crosby said. “We played a great game tonight, we played some good hockey throughout the series. We didn't get that next one tonight that was probably the difference but I think even when we had those leads we still played the right way. Tonight was an example of one game, anything can happen."
Tyler Motte had a short-handed breakaway 8 1/2 minutes into the third period, but Jarry made a nice kick save on his forehand attempt to preserve Pittsburgh's 3-2 lead.
Zibanejad scored on a shot from the inside edge of the left circle off a pass from Copp with 5:45 left to tie it with his third of the series — all in the last two games.
“We didn’t want the season to end,” Zibanejad said. “This has been a hard team all year. No matter how the game goes, whatever happens, we stick together. ... All we can do is just work hard and do our best, stick together and good things will happen.”
Guentzel gave the Penguins a 2-1 lead on the power play with 9:42 left in the second as he kicked the puck up with his right skate and then swatted the puck out of the air with a backhand and in. The goal was upheld after a video review, giving Guentzel his eighth of the series.
Miller tied it for the Rangers 1:05 later as his shot from the top of the left circle deflected off the right skate of Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson in front and trickled across the goal line past a diving Jarry.
Rodrigues gave Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead on a short-handed breakaway as he skated in and beat Shesterkin with a backhander with 2:36 left in the middle period. It was his third of the series.
Kreider gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead 7:36 into the game with his fifth goal of the series. Zibanejad got his seventh assist.
The Penguins had an extended power play late in the first period. With the Rangers’ Ryan Strome and Pittsburgh’s Bryan Rust off for roughing, Trouba was sent off on a double-minor for high-sticking
The Penguins took advantage as Heinen tied it with 1:09 left with a goal that wasn’t credited until the play was stopped about 25 seconds later. From the left side, Heinen poked the puck in and raised his arms in celebration, but play continued as Rangers defenseman Adam Fox swept the puck away. Replays showed it came after the puck had crossed the line, giving Heinen his third of the series.
HEALING UP
In addition to Jarry and Crosby, the Penguins also got forward Rickard Rakell back. Rakell hadn’t played since he suffered a lower body injury in Game 1. Defenseman Brian Dumoulin and forward Brian Boyle remained out with lower body injuries.
CLIMBING
Kreider got his 29th career postseason goal, tying Mark Messier for second place on the franchise list. Rod Gilbert is tops with 34. ... Kreider also got his 46th playoff point, tying Anders Hedberg for 10th place in franchise history.
GAME 7s
The Rangers improved to 10-6 all-time in a Game 7, including 8-1 at home. ... The Rangers also improved to 4-0 when forcing a Game 7 after trailing in a series 3-1.
The Penguins fell to 10-8 in deciding games, including 6-1 in a Game 7 on the road. ... Under coach Mike Sullivan they fell to 3-1 in Game 7.
___
Follow Vin Cherwoo at http/www.twitter.com/VinCherwooAP
___
More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2022-05-16T04:08:47+00:00 | seattlepi.com | https://www.seattlepi.com/sports/article/Panarin-lifts-Rangers-past-Penguins-4-3-in-OT-in-17174988.php |
This news release constitutes a "designated news release" for the purposes of the Company's prospectus supplement dated December 3, 2021 to its short form base shelf prospectus dated April 22, 2021.
CALGARY, AB, June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - High Tide Inc. ("High Tide" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: HITI) (TSXV: HITI) (FSE: 2LYA), a leading retail-focused cannabis company with bricks-and-mortar as well as global e-commerce assets, is pleased to announce that further to its press release dated March 30, 2022, the Company has completed its acquisition (the "Acquisition") of 100% of the equity interest of Livonit Foods Inc. operating as Bud Heaven ("Bud Heaven") which operates two retail cannabis stores in Ontario (the "Stores") for CAD$2.8 Million (the "Transaction"). The Stores are located at 77 Manitoba Street, and 125 Muskoka Road Highway 118 West, in Bracebridge. The Manitoba Street store is located in the heart of Downtown Bracebridge, which has been voted among the "10 most historic downtowns in Ontario",1 offering a wide variety of shops and restaurants, serving as a hub for tourist traffic. The Muskoka Road Highway 118 West store is in a retail plaza anchored by national discount grocery, and located adjacent to a provincial liquor store. The Stores are the only retail cannabis stores that are currently operational in the Town of Bracebridge. For the three months ended October 31, 2021, Bud Heaven generated annualized revenue of CAD$4.7 Million and annualized Adjusted EBITDA2 of CAD$0.8 Million. The purchase price represents 3.5x annualized Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended October 31, 2021.
The Acquisition was completed pursuant to the terms of a share purchase agreement dated March 29, 2022 ("Acquisition Agreement"). High Tide acquired 100% of Bud Heaven for CAD$2.8 Million, by issuing 564,092 common shares of High Tide (each a "High Tide Share") and will pay CAD$1 Million, in cash, upon settlement of the post-closing working capital adjustment. Pursuant to the Acquisition Agreement, High Tide had the option to pay an amount equal to the difference between the volume weighted average price per High Tide Share on the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") for the ten consecutive trading days preceding closing of the Acquisition, and the Discounted Market Price (as such term is defined in the TSXV policies), as of the date the Acquisition was initially announced, which allowed High Tide to pay the cash portion of the Purchase Price instead of issuing additional High Tide Shares.
Pursuant to the Acquisition Agreement, the purchase price is subject to a post-closing working capital adjustment provision. Under this provision, the parties will adjust the purchase price to offset any increase or decrease of the net working capital as of the closing date. The closing of the Acquisition remains subject to final approval from the TSXV
_____________________________
High Tide is a leading retail-focused cannabis company with bricks-and-mortar as well as global e-commerce assets. The Company is the largest Canadian retailer of recreational cannabis as measured by revenue, with 124 current locations spanning Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. High Tide was featured in the third annual Report on Business Magazine's ranking of Canada's Top Growing Companies in 2021 and was named as one of the top 10 performing diversified industries stocks in the 2022 TSX Venture 50™. The Company is also North America's first and only cannabis discount club retailer, featuring Canna Cabana, Meta Cannabis Co., and Meta Cannabis Supply Co. banners, with additional locations under development across the country. High Tide's portfolio also includes retail kiosk and smart locker technology – Fastendr™. High Tide has been serving consumers for over a decade through its established e-commerce platforms including Grasscity.com, Smokecartel.com, Dailyhighclub.com, and Dankstop.com and more recently in the hemp-derived CBD space through Nuleafnaturals.com, FABCBD.com, BlessedCBD.co.uk, and BlessedCBD.de, as well as its wholesale distribution division under Valiant Distribution, including the licensed entertainment product manufacturer Famous Brandz. High Tide's strategy as a parent company is to extend and strengthen its integrated value chain, while providing a complete customer experience and maximizing shareholder value.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
For more information about High Tide Inc., please visit www.hightideinc.com, its profile page on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and its profile page on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.
Bud Heaven was the first legal cannabis retailer to operate in the Muskoka Region and has been privileged to serve the local cannabis community since their first store opened in 2020. Their business culture is based on a passion for cannabis, supporting their customers' well-being, integrity, inclusiveness, and diversity. They pride themselves on their knowledgeable team and their technological savvy, which allow them to optimize their operations and customers' experiences.
Certain information in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "should", "anticipate", "expect", "potential", "believe", "intend" or the negative of these terms and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements relating to: the anticipated effects of the Acquisition on the business and operations of High Tide; the suitability of the locations of the Stores; and High Tide's plans to extend and strengthen its integrated value chain, while providing a complete customer experience and maximizing shareholder value..
Forward-looking information in this news release are based on certain assumptions and expected future events, namely: High Tide's financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events; there will continue to be a demand, and market opportunity, for High Tide's product offerings; current and future economic conditions will neither affect the business and operations of High Tide nor High Tide's ability to capitalize on anticipated business opportunities); the continued suitability of the location of the Stores, although considered reasonable by management of High Tide at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and result in actual results differing materially from those anticipated, and as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements.
These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the risks associated with the cannabis and CBD industries in general; the inability of High Tide to pursue more retail acquisitions in the future, the inability of High Tide to extend and strengthen its integrated value chain, while providing a complete customer experience and maximizing shareholder value; the location of the Stores no longer being a suitable location for continued operations for such store.
Forward-looking statements, forward-looking financial information and other metrics presented herein are not intended as guidance or projections for the periods referenced herein or any future periods, and in particular, past performance is not an indicator of future results and the results of High Tide in this press release may not be indicative of, and are not an estimate, forecast or projection of High Tide future results. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect our expectations as of the date hereof, and thus are subject to change thereafter. High Tide disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Factors that could cause anticipated opportunities and actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, matters referred to above and elsewhere in High Tide's public filings and material change reports, which are and will be available on SEDAR.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States of America. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons (as defined in the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration is available.
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SOURCE High Tide Inc. | 2022-06-01T10:56:30+00:00 | ksla.com | https://www.ksla.com/prnewswire/2022/06/01/high-tide-closes-acquisition-bud-heaven-adding-two-established-cannabis-retail-stores-ontario/ |
President Biden calls abortion ruling 'a sad day' for country
President Joe Biden said Friday that "it's a sad day for the court and the country" after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide.
"Now with Roe gone, let's be very clear, the health and life of women across this nation are now at risk," he said from the White House.
He added that "the court has done what it's never done before — expressly taking away a constitutional right that is so fundamental to so many Americans," he said.
The White House has been preparing for this moment since a draft of the decision leaked in May. Officials have been huddling with state leaders, advocates, health care professionals and others to prepare for a future without Roe v. Wade.
Now Biden's plans will be tested in terms of politics and policy. Biden said his administration would defend a woman's right to cross state lines to seek an abortion.
Outside the Supreme Court, a crowd of abortion supporters swelled to the hundreds after the ruling was issued. One chanted into a bullhorn, "legal abortion on demand" and "this decision must not stand." Some shouted, "The Supreme Court is illegitimate."
"It's a painful day for those of us who support women's rights," said Laura Free, an Ithaca resident and women's rights historian who came to Washington to do research. When she learned of the decision, she said, "I had to come here."
A competing faction demonstrated in favor of the ruling, holding signs saying "the future is anti-abortion" and "dismember Roe."
Garrett Bess, with Heritage Action for America, a lobbying arm of the conservative Heritage Foundation, said his organization would be working in states to continue efforts to limit abortion.
"This has been a long time coming and it's a welcome decision," he said.
Biden and other Democrats hope to use outrage over the court decision to rally voters in November's midterm elections. Although nationwide legislation ensuring access to abortion appears out of reach, more Democratic victories at the state level could limit Republican efforts to ban the practice.
In a statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department "will work tirelessly to protect and advance reproductive freedom." He said that in addition to protecting providers and those seeking abortions in states where it remains legal, "we stand ready to work with other arms of the federal government that seek to use their lawful authorities to protect and preserve access to reproductive care."
He also noted that the Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of mifepristone, a drug used to end pregnancies.
"States may not ban mifepristone based on disagreement with the FDA's expert judgment about its safety and efficacy," Garland said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the court's ruling "is outrageous and heart-wrenching" and fulfills the Republican Party's "dark and extreme goal of ripping away women's right to make their own reproductive health decisions."
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., applauded the decision.
"A lot of lives are going to be saved," McCarthy told reporters. "But it also goes back to people in the states to have a say in the process."
Many Republican-controlled states are poised to severely restrict abortion, or even ban it outright.
The White House has been exploring options for Biden to take executive action to safeguard abortion rights, but his options are limited.
Lawrence Gostin, who runs the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health at Georgetown Law, said before Friday's ruling that he expected the Biden administration to be "to be nibbling around the edges, and is not going to do anything really profound."
Gostin said he's discussed a variety of options with administration officials but believes they are "gun shy" given the potential for legal challenges that could lead to more roadblocks from a Supreme Court dominated by conservatives.
Some of Gostin's suggestions included having Medicaid cover the cost of traveling across state lines to end pregnancies, as well as expanding access to abortion medication that can be delivered by mail.
"States couldn't pick and choose what cancer drug they would allow, and they shouldn't be permitted to choose what options women have for medication abortions that are fully approved as safe and effective," he said.
During their preparations, White House officials have held a series of meetings with advocates, medical groups and faith leaders who are supportive of abortion access.
The Rev. John Dorhauer, the general minister and president of the United Church of Christ, drove from Cleveland to Washington to attend one meeting earlier this month. Another virtual meeting was held this week, featuring Vice President Kamala Harris.
"It was rather impressive to see the commitment the White House and the vice president's office has had to gather advocates from around the country," Dorhauer said.
However, there are also concerns that the administration is not ready.
Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, attended a recent virtual meeting with abortion providers and said she expects "a true health crisis."
"I think that we should have been preparing for far longer than we have been," McNicholas said. "Do I think that they recognize that this a problem? Yes. Do I think that they're prepared in this moment? No."
___
Associated Press writers Fatima Hussein, Will Weissert, Matthew Daly, Lisa Mascaro and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report. | 2022-06-24T18:33:36+00:00 | kcci.com | https://www.kcci.com/article/biden-abortion-ruling-roe-v-wade-supreme-court/40408659 |
ARLINGTON, Va., April 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly half (45 percent) of U.S. workers say employers aren't investing in employee connection, according to a new Eagle Hill Consulting national survey. The research comes as employers continue to struggle with managing employee connection and performance amid in-person, hybrid, and remote work environments.
The survey also finds that workers believe employee connection improves job performance. Employees say feeling connected to their work improves their ability to do their job (60 percent), day-to-day work quality (58 percent), desire to go above and beyond (55 percent), and ability to serve customers (47 percent).
When it comes to the impact of connections on job satisfaction, 48 percent of workers say connection to their work impacts their decision to stay or leave their job.
"What we are seeing is that organizations are looking too narrowly at employee connection, defining it only in terms of employee relationships," said Melissa Jezior, president and chief executive officer of Eagle Hill Consulting. "Employee connection is so much more than hosting happy hours and social events. Instead, employers should take a bigger picture, strategic view. Employee connection is about fostering a workplace where employees feel connection not just to people, but also to their work, organization, and culture."
"Today's work environment is so complex -- labor shortages in some industries, layoffs in others, and more demands for hybrid and at-home work. Given these challenges, organizations are wise to make meaningful investments in fostering employee connection to improve retention, increase job satisfaction, and boost organizational performance. And any employee connection strategies implemented should be grounded in what employees say they value: connection to work and organizational purpose," Jezior said.
Five ways employers can improve employee connections are as follows:
- Reimagine employee connection. Take an objective look at programs already in place that foster connection among people, across day-to-day work, and to the broader organization. Pinpoint what's working, the gaps, and the impact of change.
- Ask employees what they need and listen. Check in with employees through surveys and focus groups to uncover areas for improvement and solutions.
- Identify organic and inorganic opportunities to connect. Creating the space and opportunity for connection requires thought and some orchestration, particularly when employees are working remotely and are not in a shared physical space.
- Create a sense of purpose with a strong vision for the future. Given the fast pace of societal change, it's important to assess whether the current organizational vision is still relevant and reset it if necessary. Ultimately, this ensures employees feel more connected to their work.
- Make the business case for investing in improving employee connection. When communicating the business value of connection, emphasize talent retention, quality outcomes, customer service improvements, improved employee morale, and greater collaboration and innovation.
Read more about fostering employee connections.
These findings are from 2023 Eagle Hill Employee Connection Survey. The survey was conducted online by Ipsos the week of January 3-5, 2023, and included 1,362 respondents from a random sample of employees across the U.S.
Eagle Hill Consulting LLC is a woman-owned business that provides unconventional management consulting services in the areas of Strategy & Performance, Talent, and Change. The company's expertise in delivering innovative solutions to unique challenges spans across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. A leading authority on employee sentiment, Eagle Hill is headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, with employees across the U.S. and offices in Boston and Seattle. More information is available at www.eaglehillconsulting.com.
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SOURCE Eagle Hill Consulting | 2023-04-12T15:43:42+00:00 | witn.com | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2023/04/12/45-percent-us-employees-say-organizations-arent-investing-fostering-employee-connection/ |
Flood Warning issued March 15 at 11:06AM MDT until March 16 at 11:00AM MDT by NWS Pocatello ID
RRA
* WHAT…Flooding caused by snowmelt continues.
* WHERE…A portion of southeast Idaho, including the following
county, Bingham.
* WHEN…Until 1100 AM MDT Thursday.
* IMPACTS…Flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying
and flood-prone locations is imminent or occurring. Several
structures are flooded and some sand bagging operations are
continuing. Expect many areas of slow moving or standing water.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…
– At 1106 AM MDT, emergency management reported flooding in
Blackfoot near the Airport. Reports of flooding near the Fort
Hall Reservation have also been reported. Flooding is already
occurring.
– Some locations that will experience flooding include…
Blackfoot, American Falls Reservoir, Shelley, Firth,
Moreland, Rose, Fort Hall Eagle Lodge, Rockford, Fort Hall
Townsite, Pingree, Springfield, Groveland, Basalt, Wapello
and Sterling.
– http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles. | 2023-03-15T17:33:05+00:00 | localnews8.com | https://localnews8.com/weather/alerts-weather/2023/03/15/flood-warning-issued-march-15-at-1106am-mdt-until-march-16-at-1100am-mdt-by-nws-pocatello-id-2/ |
Technology leaders from the world's biggest companies, including Airbus, BP, Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, FedEx, The Hershey Company, Mercedes-Benz, Pfizer, TD Bank and Walmart, will share how they're using augmented, virtual, and mixed reality to enable remote/hybrid work, improve collaboration, upskill workers, reduce downtime, cut costs, enhance the customer experience, and more.
HOUSTON, July 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Since 2015, enterprises have gathered at the Augmented Enterprise Summit to discuss the opportunities and challenges of AR/VR/MR (XR) at work. In October, the event heads to Houston. As the most productive event devoted to enterprise XR/spatial computing, Augmented Enterprise is a must-attend for organizations in every industry, at any level of digital transformation.
"...One of the only places where this important sector [XR] isn't overshadowed by entertainment and gaming." – ARPost
Apple's spatial computing is not new to many of the most profitable and well-known companies in the world. These organizations have been testing and implementing immersive and related emerging metaverse technologies for several years now, realizing ROI in the form of faster training, shorter design cycles, improved collaboration, increased sales, fewer safety incidents, and more. And now they will share their learnings with you in Houston.
The Summit also boasts the largest exhibition of enterprise-grade XR solutions, including hardware/software from Meta, Magic Leap, Lenovo, ArborXR, Mytaverse, PTC, RealWear, Scope AR, Strivr, TeamViewer, VMware, Vuzix, Augmentir, Zappar, and more.
"[Augmented Enterprise is in] the very top tier of XR conferences" – Forbes
Breaking down the event:
The Speakers
Innovators from companies like AstraZeneca, Boeing, Chick-fil-a, Jacobs, Nestlé Purina, Pepsico, Rolls-Royce, Shell, Southwest Airlines, Stantec, Toyota, and Transocean will share insight into adopting XR for applications like remote support, collaboration, work instructions, training, design, marketing, safety, and sales.
The Program
The comprehensive program includes case studies across industry verticals with deep dives into specific applications and topics like cybersecurity, complementary technologies like 5G and AI, IIoT, the Metaverse, and more.
The Exhibit
Get hands-on in the carefully curated expo of XR glasses and headsets, as well as related body-worn sensors, XR accessories, and other connected devices/platforms ready for deployment today.
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SOURCE BrainXchange / Augmented Enterprise Summit | 2023-07-25T15:17:57+00:00 | kwtx.com | https://www.kwtx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/25/october-largest-spatial-computing-metaverse-xr-event-enterprise-comes-houston-hear-real-users-discover-immersive-solutions-business-amp-industry/ |
The Hyundai Azera may have bowed out of the U.S. after 2017, but the mid-size sedan remains on sale elsewhere where it is badged the Grandeur.
Hyundai on Wednesday unveiled a redesigned, seventh-generation Grandeur whose new look is both modern and bold. The look is defined by clean, crisp lines, plus a light strip at the front serving as the daytime running light. The main headlight clusters are positioned below this light strip, flanking each side of the front end. A similar theme is found at the rear where some similarities with the latest Genesis G90 flagship sedan can also be seen.
The new look was shaped by Hyundai’s Seamless Horizon design language, which the automaker first applied last year on the Staria van sold outside the U.S. While neither the new Grandeur nor the Staria are expected to reach the U.S., the Seamless Horizon look will appear on future U.S.-bound Hyundais, one of which will be an Ioniq 7 electric SUV due around 2024. It was previewed last year by the Seven concept.
Like the exterior, the interior design has moved more upmarket than in the outgoing model, which itself has a premium feel. The dash features multiple screens, including for the instrument cluster and infotainment hub, while the steering wheel is meant to be inspired by the single-spoke design of the original Grandeur launched in the 1980s. The designers also moved the controls for the gear shifter to the steering column to free up space in the center console. Premium touches include real wood and aluminum dash accents, quilted nappa leather, and ambient lighting.
Hyundai hasn’t provided any powertrain specs, but expect a choice of 4- and 6-cylinder engines, just like in the outgoing Grandeur. A hybrid option is also a strong possibility.
Hyundai also hasn’t mentioned a release date for the Grandeur in the markets where the car is sold.
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- 2024 Polestar 3, 2023 BMW M2, Lotus Evija Fittipaldi: This Week’s Top Photos | 2022-10-19T23:10:37+00:00 | wric.com | https://www.wric.com/automotive/internet-brands/hyundai-grandeur-sedan-takes-on-bold-new-look/ |
Money in Your Pocket: Who benefits the most from forgiving student loan debt?
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(WSYR-TV) — Financial Advisor Rick Reagan looks at student loan debt by household income and what income group would benefit the most if all student loan debt was forgiven. | 2022-07-12T13:37:08+00:00 | localsyr.com | https://www.localsyr.com/news/money-in-your-pocket/money-in-your-pocket-who-benefits-the-most-from-forgiving-student-loan-debt/ |
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia’s Defense Ministry announced early Monday its forces had thwarted a large Ukrainian attack in the eastern province of Donetsk, though it’s unclear if this was the start of a Ukrainian counteroffensive.
The ministry, in a rare early morning video, said its forces pushed back a “large scale” Ukrainian assault on Sunday at five points in southern Donetsk, one of four Ukrainian regions Russia illegally annexed last fall.
“The enemy’s goal was to break through our defenses in the most vulnerable, in its opinion, sector of the front,” said the ministry’s spokesman, Igor Konashenkov. “The enemy did not achieve its tasks. It had no success.”
Konashenkov said 250 Ukrainian personnel were killed, and 16 Ukrainian tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles and 21 armored combat vehicles were destroyed.
Ukraine didn’t comment, and often waits until the completion of its military operations to confirm its actions, imposing news blackouts in the interim. It was unclear why the Russian Defense Ministry waited until Monday morning to announce the attack, which it said started Sunday morning.
For months, Ukrainian officials have spoken of plans to launch a spring counteroffensive to reclaim territory Russia has occupied since invading Feb. 24, 2022, as well as the Crimean Peninsula it seized in 2014. But they’ve given confusing signals about what would constitute a counteroffensive — preliminary, limited attacks to weaken Russian forces and military facilities or a full-fledged simultaneous assault across the entire 1,100-kilometer (684-mile) front line. At least two factors have been at play in timing the counteroffensive: awaiting improvement of ground conditions for troop and equipment movement after the winter, and deployment of more advanced Western weapons and training of Ukrainian troops to use them.
The Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said Ukraine used six mechanized and two tank battalions in the attack, and it released a video claiming to show destruction of some of the equipment in a field.
In a rare specific mention of the presence of Russia’s top military leaders in battlefield operations, the spokesman said the chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, “was at one of the forward command posts.”
Announcing Gerasimov’s direct involvement could be a response to criticism by some Russian military bloggers and mercenary group head Yevgeny Prigozhin that Russia’s military brass hasn’t been visible enough at the front or taken sufficient control or responsibility for their country’s military operations in Ukraine.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, Ukrainian authorities said Sunday a Ukrainian man rushed to his home outside the central city of Dnipro in hopes of rescuing his family, only to find his 2-year-old daughter dead and wife seriously wounded as he helped pull them from the rubble of their apartment destroyed in one of Russia’s latest airstrikes of the war.
Writing on Telegram after the body of the girl, Liza, was recovered, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that at least 500 Ukrainian children have been killed in the war. The United Nations says that around 1,000 other Ukrainian children have been wounded, and thousands of others have been forcibly deported to Russia.
Zelenskyy said: “Russian weapons and hatred continue to take and destroy the lives of Ukrainian children every day,” adding that “many of them could have become famous scholars, artists, sports champions, contributing to Ukraine’s history.”
“We must hold out and win this war!” he said. “All of Ukraine, all our people, all our children, must be free from the Russian terror!”
Liza was killed when a Russian missile landed Saturday night in a yard next to her apartment building while she was home with her mother, said Serhiy Lysak, the regional governor of Dnipropetrovsk. The girl’s father rushed home from work.
“The father was on duty, and as I was told, he personally cleared the rubble and pulled out his wife and his daughter. Just imagine the scale of this tragedy,” Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said, reporting on the rescue that lasted until early Sunday. The girl’s mother was hospitalized under intensive care.
Zelenskyy said five children were among 25 people wounded in Saturday’s attack, which damaged two residential buildings.
The mother of one of the children sat amid broken concrete, twisted metal, children’s toys and clothes near her apartment building and described what happened.
“I was running from the electrical station across the traffic,” Alyona Serednyak recalled. “I was running home. My child was alone at home. We tried to pull my child from under the cage on the window.”
She said they managed to free him and he was hospitalized.
Russian drone and cruise missile strikes on Sunday targeted multiple areas of the country, including the capital, Kyiv.
The Ukrainian air force updated earlier figures and said air defenses downed six of eight Shahed self-exploding drones and four of six cruise missiles fired.
Ukrainian air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said two missiles struck a military air base in Kropyvnytskyi in central Ukraine’s Kyrovohrad province. He didn’t report damage.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the military destroyed Ukrainian warplanes and ammunition depots in strikes on Ukrainian airfields, but didn’t give further specifics.
The Russian military has reported attacks in recent days on Ukrainian air defense batteries, air bases, troop and ammunition depots, military production factories and battlefield positions. While Ukrainian officials refrain from announcing the launch of their much-anticipated counteroffensive to reclaim more Russian-occupied territory, the pace of military activity suggests the operation may be underway.
Ukrainian forces maintained pressure on Russian forces in the eastern city of Bakhmut, which Moscow claimed control of last month after the war’s longest and bloodiest battle.
Elsewhere, Russians fighting alongside Ukrainian forces declared they had launched new attacks on Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine. One of the groups, the Russian Volunteer Corps, released videos Sunday showing a purported raid and offering to exchange prisoners with Russian authorities. The Associated Press couldn’t independently verify the videos’ authenticity.
Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov responded to the prisoner exchange offer in a video of his own, saying he was skeptical that the captives are still alive, but that he was open to a meeting to discuss a swap. The Russian Volunteer Corps said in a video posted later that no meeting had occurred, and that the Russian prisoners would be turned over to Ukrainian forces, which have periodically swapped prisoners with Russia in one of the few areas of cooperation.
Gladkov also reported more Ukrainian shelling Sunday of the border district of Shebekino and neighboring areas. He said at least two people were killed and multiple people wounded on Saturday. Russia’s Defense Ministry said the country’s forces repelled an attempted incursion in the town of Novaya Tavolzhanka.
Some observers see attacks in Belgorod, which prompted Russian authorities to evacuate thousands of residents, as part of Ukraine’s efforts to distract Moscow and stretch its forces to help the counteroffensive succeed.
In Crimea, regional leader Sergei Aksenov reported a Ukrainian drone attack on the city of Dzhankoi early Sunday. He claimed that five of the attacking drones were shot down and four others jammed and forced to land, adding that there were no casualties.
___
Andrew Katell contributed to this report from New York.
Follow AP’s coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | 2023-06-05T02:37:44+00:00 | wearegreenbay.com | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/international/ap-international/ukrainian-president-says-at-least-500-children-killed-by-war/ |
Lionel Messi helped Paris Saint-Germain clinch a record 11th French league title on Saturday, and broke another scoring record in the process.
Messi scored the opening goal as PSG drew 1-1 at Strasbourg to move four points clear of second-place Lens with one game left.
Messi put PSG ahead from Kylian Mbappe’s pass in the 59th minute. Former PSG striker Kevin Gameiro equalized for Strasbourg in the 79th.
It was Messi’s 496th career league goal in Europe, breaking Cristiano Ronaldo’s scoring record for Europe’s top five leagues. It could also be his last, as the Argentina star is widely expected to leave PSG at the end of the season and has been linked with a possible move to Saudi Arabia or MLS.
Lens secured second place and automatic entry into next season’s Champions League by beating relegated Ajaccio 3-0 at home, with Belgium forward Loïs Openda reaching 20 league goals in his first season at the club.
Defending champion PSG overtook former French powerhouse Saint-Étienne, which won its 10th title in 1981 but was relegated to the second division last season.
PSG has won nine of its 11 titles since Qatari backers QSI took charge 12 years ago, with the first of those in 2013. PSG’s other titles were in 1986 and ’94.
“This is of course an historic moment for Paris Saint-Germain. This 11th French league title is the reward for all the hard work we have put in over the last 12 years,” said PSG president Nasser al-Khelaïfi, who has been in control since 2011. “To make Ligue 1 history and overtake Saint-Etienne is a real source of pride.”
The title will be celebrated next Saturday at Parc des Princes when PSG hosts Clermont in what could be Messi’s last game for PSG. He has not taken up the option for an extra year on the contract he signed two years ago.
Messi has felt the ire of PSG fans at times this season after his form dipped following his return from Argentina’s victory at the World Cup, and he was suspended by the club this month after an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia. But in the end it was his goal that allowed the fans to celebrate — and gave Messi a 43rd career major trophy for club and country.
It was a second league title for PSG coach Christophe Galtier, after he guided Lille to an against-the-odds success in 2021, when his side finished ahead of PSG.
Marseille lost 2-1 at home to Brest but finished in third place and enters the Champions League qualifying rounds.
Marseille is the only French club to win Europe’s top competition and fans lit fireworks in the southern port city on Friday night to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its victory against AC Milan.
Fourth place secures entry into the Europa League and Lille moved into pole position after beating Nantes 2-1 at home thanks to two penalties from Canada striker Jonathan David as he reached 24 goals.
Rennes remains only one point behind Lille following a 2-0 home win against Monaco, which dropped from fourth to sixth, with fifth earning a place in the Europa Conference League. Rennes and Monaco are level on points but Rennes has a far better goal difference.
Eight-time champion Nantes is close to being relegated after Auxerre drew 1-1 at at French Cup winner Toulouse to stay in 16th place and move two points ahead of Nantes. Four sides go down this season.
Last-place Angers, Ajaccio and Troyes were already relegated.
OTHER MATCHES
Alexandre Lacazette stayed in contention to finish as the league’s top scorer by netting in Lyon’s 3-0 home win against Reims. His 27 goals put him one behind Mbappe.
Angers signed off at home by winning 2-1 against Troyes.
Montpellier lost 3-2 at home to Nice and Clermont beat Lorient 2-0.
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2023-05-28T11:22:53+00:00 | everythinglubbock.com | https://www.everythinglubbock.com/sports/ap-lionel-messi-helps-psg-secure-record-11th-french-league-title-breaks-european-scoring-record/ |
Wisconsin Gov. Evers, Trump pick Michels to debate
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Republican challenger Tim Michels, locked in a tight race with implications on the 2024 presidential race in the battleground state, were scheduled to meet Friday for their one and only debate.
Evers has cast himself as the only block against a Republican-controlled Legislature. Michels, who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump, calls himself a political outsider as he largely self-finances his run.
Evers has tried to make the race a referendum on abortion rights, while Michels has largely focused on crime.
Michels, who co-owns the state’s largest construction firm, argues that Evers has failed to improve schools, control crime or open the state fast enough during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evers contends that democracy itself is on the line in the race and a Michels victory would result in massive changes most voters would oppose.
Recent polls have shown the race to be about even.
The winner will be in position to determine how elections will run in the 2024 presidential race. Republicans have pushed for a wide array of changes, all blocked by Evers, after Trump narrowly lost the state in 2020. They did not call for the changes after Trump won Wisconsin by a nearly identical margin in 2016.
Michels has said he would sign bills making it more difficult to vote absentee. He also wants to disband the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission.
The hour-long debate i s sponsored by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association. The election is Nov. 8.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | 2022-10-14T13:21:15+00:00 | kob.com | https://www.kob.com/news/us-and-world-news/wisconsin-gov-evers-trump-pick-michels-to-debate/ |
Havana handled Sciota West Prairie 70-43 in an impressive showing on January 24 in Illinois boys high school basketball action.
You're reading a news brief powered by ScoreStream, a world leader in fan-driven sports results and conversation. Help us collect and deliver more game results from your favorite teams and players by downloading the ScoreStream app. Nearly a million users nationwide share team scores and player performance stats with this convenient free app. | 2023-01-25T06:33:44+00:00 | pantagraph.com | https://pantagraph.com/sports/high-school/basketball/boys/some-kind-of-impressive-havana-pounds-sciota-west-prairie-70-43/article_e3a82d6e-f71b-5f83-b3dd-7e1b1fb7b911.html |
WASHINGTON — The Republican-led House passed a bill Thursday that would bar federally supported schools and colleges from allowing transgender athletes whose biological sex assigned at birth was male to compete on girls or women's sports teams.
The legislation approved by a 219-203 vote is unlikely to advance further because the Democratic-led Senate will not support it and the White House said President Joe Biden would veto it.
Supporters said the legislation, which would put violators at risk of losing taxpayer dollars, is necessary to ensure competitive fairness. They framed the vote as supporting female athletes disadvantaged by having to compete against those whose gender identify does not match their sex assigned at birth. Opponents criticized the bill as ostracizing an already vulnerable group for political gain.
The House action comes as at least 20 other states have imposed similar limits on trans athletes at the K-12 or collegiate level.
The bill would amend landmark civil rights legislation passed more than 50 years ago. The amendment would prohibit recipients of federal money from permitting a person “whose sex is male to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls.” The bill defines sex as “based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.”
The sponsor, Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., highlighted the case of Emma Weyant, a resident of his district and a 2020 member of the U.S. Olympic swimming team who finished second in the NCAA women’s 500-yeard freestyle championship last year. She was defeated by Lia Thomas, who had competed for three years on the University of Pennsylvania men’s swimming team before joining the women’s team.
“The integrity of women’s sports must be protected,” Steube said.
Rep. Aaron Bean, R- Fla, said that every time a male takes a lane in the pool or at the starting line, a female athlete loses the opportunity to compete.
“We are in a battle for the very survival of women’s sports,” Bean said.
Democrats said every child regardless of gender identify deserves the opportunity to belong to a team and that preventing competitors from doing so sends the message that they don’t matter.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who has a transgender daughter, said Republicans were cruelly scapegoating transgender children to score political points. She said three-quarters of transgender students report having experienced harassment or discrimination at school and many have considered suicide.
“These bills tell some of the most vulnerable children in our country that they do not belong," Jayapal said. "Shame on you.”
Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., said most people in the United States don’t know anyone who is transgender and that can create fear for politicians to exploit. The bill, he said, does nothing to address the severe inequities in the resources dedicated to men’s and women’s sports.
He highlighted the stance taken by Gov. Spencer Cox, R-Utah, who last year vetoed a bill banning transgender students from playing girls sports. Cox said: “I struggle to understand so much of it and the science is conflicting. When in doubt however, I always try to err on the side of kindness, mercy and compassion."
Pocan noted that in Utah at the time of the veto there were four transgender players out of 85,000 competing in high school sports, with only one competing in girls sports.
“There’s your raging national problem,” Pocan said. “What’s the Republicans response to this nonexistent issue? Hurt kids for being kids.”
In a message this week threatening a veto, the White House said that being part of a team is an important part of growing up, staying engaged in school and learning leadership and life skills. It said a national ban that does not account for competitiveness or grade level targets people for who they are and is discriminatory.
The administration also has issued a proposed rule that would prevent any school or college that receives federal money from imposing a “one-size-fits-all” policy that categorically bans trans students from playing on sports teams consistent with their gender identity. Such policies would be considered a violation of Title IX.
Any limits would have to consider the sport, the level of competition and the age of students. Elementary school students would generally be allowed to participate on any teams consistent with their gender identity, for example. More competitive teams at high schools and colleges could add limits, but those would be discouraged in teams that don’t have tryouts or cuts. | 2023-04-20T16:34:30+00:00 | wgrz.com | https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/nation-world/house-passes-trans-athlete-ban-womens-teams/507-ba4e30c3-30fc-40cb-b695-3153a776cce2 |
Marcus Semien Player Prop Bets: Rangers vs. Tigers - May 30
Published: May. 30, 2023 at 5:23 AM CDT|Updated: 56 minutes ago
On Tuesday, Marcus Semien (coming off going 1-for-3 with an RBI) and the Texas Rangers play the Detroit Tigers, whose starting pitcher will be Alex Faedo. First pitch is at 6:40 PM ET.
In his most recent game he had a one-hit showing (1-for-3) against the Tigers.
Marcus Semien Game Info & Props vs. the Tigers
- Game Day: Tuesday, May 30, 2023
- Game Time: 6:40 PM ET
- Stadium: Comerica Park
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Tigers Starter: Alex Faedo
- TV Channel: BSDET
- Hits Prop: Over/under 1.5 hits (Over odds: +170)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +425)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +155)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: -125)
Looking to place a prop bet on Marcus Semien? Check out what's available at BetMGM and sign up with this link!
Explore More About This Game
Marcus Semien At The Plate
- Semien has an OPS of .855, fueled by an OBP of .368 to go with a slugging percentage of .486. All three of those stats lead Texas hitters this season.
- Among the qualifying batters, he ranks 16th in batting average, while his on-base percentage ranks 29th and he is 37th in slugging.
- Semien is batting .273 with one homer during his last outings and is on an 18-game hitting streak.
- Semien has gotten a hit in 43 of 53 games this year (81.1%), with more than one hit on 19 occasions (35.8%).
- He has gone deep in 15.1% of his games in 2023, and 3.2% of his trips to the plate.
- Semien has driven in a run in 29 games this year (54.7%), including 10 games with more than one RBI (18.9%). He has also driven home three or more of his team's runs in four contests.
- He has scored in 34 games this year, with multiple runs 10 times.
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Marcus Semien Home/Away Batting Splits
Tigers Pitching Rankings
- The pitching staff for the Tigers has a collective eight K/9, the fifth-worst in the league.
- The Tigers' 4.44 team ERA ranks 20th across all MLB pitching staffs.
- The Tigers rank 22nd in baseball in home runs allowed (67 total, 1.3 per game).
- Faedo gets the start for the Tigers, his fifth of the season. He is 1-2 with a 4.15 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings pitched.
- His last time out was on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox, when the right-hander threw six innings, surrendering two earned runs while giving up three hits.
- In four games this season, the 27-year-old has put up a 4.15 ERA and 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings, while giving up a batting average of .188 to opposing hitters.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | 2023-05-30T11:20:16+00:00 | ksla.com | https://www.ksla.com/sports/betting/2023/05/30/marcus-semien-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission has found the country’s past military governments responsible for atrocities committed at Brothers Home, a state-funded vagrants’ facility where thousands were enslaved and abused from the 1960s to 1980s.
The commission on Wednesday announced the initial results from its investigation into human rights violations at Brothers, including extreme cases of forced labor, violence and deaths.
The commission said it has so far confirmed 657 deaths at Brothers, which was higher than the previously known tally of 513 between 1975 and 1986 documented in the facility’s records.
It also found that police in the southern city of Busan, where the facility was located, randomly grabbed people off the streets to send them to Brothers, regardless of whether they had easily identifiable homes or families, and often allowed Brothers employees moving in trucks to do the kidnapping themselves.
The commission also said it found that Brothers, run by late owner Park In-keun and his family, embezzled the wages of thousands of inmates who were forced into slave labor.
So far, no one has been held accountable for hundreds of deaths, rapes and beatings at Brothers.
Jung Geun-sik, the commission’s chairperson, said its findings were based on its investigation into the cases of 191 individuals, who were among 544 Brothers survivors who have so far filed applications. Jung said the commission also plans to look into the foreign adoptions of Brothers children as it continues its investigation.
From the 1960s to 1980s, South Korean military dictators ordered roundups to beautify the streets. Thousands — including homeless and disabled people, as well as children — were snatched off the streets and brought to facilities where they were detained and forced to work.
In interviews with dozens of former Brothers inmates, many said that as children, they were brought to the facility after police officers kidnapped them, and that their parents had no idea of their whereabouts.
The drive intensified as South Korea began preparing to bid for and host the 1988 Summer Olympics. Brothers, a mountainside compound in the southern port city of Busan, was the largest of these facilities and had around 4,000 inmates when its horrors were exposed in 1987.
Kim Yong Won, the former prosecutor who exposed Brothers, told The Associated Press that high-ranking officials blocked his investigation under direction from the office of military strongman Chun Doo-hwan, who feared an embarrassing international incident on the eve of the Olympics.
The commission began investigating the Brothers abuse in May last year, following a years-long struggle for redemption by Brothers survivors, many of whom who are struggling with financial and health problems. | 2022-08-24T06:09:04+00:00 | seattlepi.com | https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Commission-Seoul-government-responsible-for-17394165.php |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Since she came to California from Mexico 24 years ago, Maria Bernal has been supporting her family by often working two jobs at fast food restaurants.
But she says she wound up living in a small Kia with her two youngest children, then ages 3 and 15, for six months after she lost her housing in 2019 when one of her employers began paying her minimum wage for eight hours even when she worked a 16-hour double shift.
Union organizers and other advocates say such wage theft and other exploitation is common in the fast food industry, particularly for women and racial minorities who make up many of California's more than half-million fast food workers. The industry denies such abuses are widespread.
Bernal and more than 100 others who recently rallied outside the state Capitol are pinning their hopes on groundbreaking legislation that would give fast food workers increased power and protections.
The proposal awaiting final action before the California Legislature adjourns Wednesday would create a new Fast Food Council made up of four workers’ delegates alongside four employers’ representatives and two state officials that would set minimum standards for wages, hours and working conditions in California.
Bernal said she hopes the council would give workers like herself “a seat at the table where they will respect us more and not allow wage theft to happen, and also importantly that we won’t be afraid of retaliation.”
Restaurant owners and franchisers say the proposal would drive up the price of fast food. They cite an analysis they commissioned by the UC Riverside Center for Economic Forecast and Development that puts the price increase at 7% to 20%.
A late wage cap added to the bill would keep the increase on the low end of that range. Late amendments limit any minimum wage bump to $22 an hour next year, with cost of living increases thereafter, while the statewide minimum will be $15.50 an hour.
Other late amendments mean the council would also have to be approved by a petition signed by 10,000 fast food workers, and the council would now disappear after six years unless it is renewed.
Matthew Haller, president & CEO of the International Franchise Association, dismissed the last-minute revisions as “an attempt to put lipstick on a pig.”
An earlier version cleared the Assembly in January with no votes to spare after falling short last year, and the revised bill is awaiting consideration in the Senate.
Though California's effort would be broader, a wage board created by New York's governor in 2015 led to an increase in fast food wages there, and similar efforts have been tried by some cities. The left-leaning Center for American Progress says that what also are known as workers’ boards, worker standards boards or industry committees could combat economic inequality along with racial and gender pay gaps.
“If we are successful here, workers in Florida, Texas, New York, even Idaho will be heartened and they can replicate our successes,” Democratic Assemblyman Alex Lee said at the workers’ rally.
California's measure would cover fast food restaurants with at least 100 establishments nationally.
It grew out of the decade-long Fight for $15 and a Union minimum wage movement and efforts by labor unions to organize fast food workers in California and nationwide.
“This is more than just a labor fight. This is a fight about racial justice, this is a fight about gender justice,” said Joseph Bryant, executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union behind the drive. “Eighty percent of the workers are people of color who work in fast food. Two-thirds of the workers are women who work in fast food, and these workers are being exploited.”
Fast food workers in California are paid nearly $3 an hour less than comparable workers in other service sector jobs, according to a joint study released this month by Harvard and UC San Francisco.
Bernal hopes the California law and the ongoing effort to unionize fast food establishments will one day lead to benefits like paid vacations, medical coverage and a retirement plan. She filed a wage claim earlier this year with state regulators seeking $160,000 in back wages and penalties, while her son is alleging child labor law violations and threats by a restaurant manager.
Employees “are still fighting for some of the basic things that should have been happening a long time ago for the fast food workers who serve our community every day, even through a pandemic,” said Democratic Assemblyman Chris Holden, the bill's author.
But Jesse Lara, whose family-owned business operates 34 El Pollo Loco franchises in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties, said the bill is unnecessary and would harm the company's more than 1,000 employees.
It unfairly assumes “that we have to rip off our employees to make a profit,” when many of the firms' managers have promoted from within, he said. Inflation is “killing us,” he said, and higher wages and benefits would force restaurant owners to raise prices and cut workers' hours to make ends meet.
The pending bill targets bona fide abuses, but also furthers unions’ goals of collective bargaining with the entire industry instead of attempting to organize fast food chains one restaurant at a time, said Janice Fine, a professor of labor studies and employment relations who directs Rutgers University’s workplace justice lab.
Such sector-wide negotiations are common in Europe, she said, but rare in the U.S.
California already has some of the strongest worker protection laws and regulations in the U.S. if not the world, said Matt Sutton, the California Restaurant Association's senior vice president for government affairs and public policy.
He disputed claims that the fast food sector has a higher rate of labor, unemployment, health and safety incidents, but said the answer regardless should be for lawmakers to put more money into enforcing labor standards instead of creating a new council with unique regulatory power over one industry.
“There are avenues to punish employers when it’s appropriate,” Sutton said.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's Department of Finance also opposed the bill in June, citing its potential costs and what it said could be “a fragmented regulatory and legal environment.”
“It is not clear that this bill will accomplish its goal, as it attempts to address delayed enforcement by creating stricter standards for certain sectors, which could exacerbate existing delays,” the administration warned. | 2022-08-27T22:26:38+00:00 | wsls.com | https://www.wsls.com/news/politics/2022/08/27/california-weighs-rules-giving-fast-food-workers-more-power/ |
Campaign Rivals Kaul, Toney Call For Crime Lab Funding
Public defenders, district attorneys join coalition's push for more crime lab staffing.
Two former campaign rivals are joining forces to advocate for increased criminal justice funding, as lawmakers prepare to vote on a budget for Wisconsin’s Department of Justice.
More robust staffing will allow the labs to turn around results more quickly when police departments request tests for things like DNA matching or the presence of alcohol or illegal drugs, Kaul said. That in turn can allow officials to schedule court dates more quickly, so cases can be resolved.
“There’s a direct relationship between having the resources we need and how efficiently we can test evidence,” Kaul said at a Madison news conference. “So if you’re understaffed, it’s going to take longer to turn samples around.”
Toney, who serves as Fond du Lac County‘s district attorney, criticized Kaul’s oversight of the labs when Toney ran unsuccessfully to unseat the attorney general last year. But on Tuesday, Toney spoke on behalf of the Wisconsin District Attorneys Association and urged lawmakers to support Kaul’s crime lab budget request.
His calls were echoed by Wisconsin’s Public Defender’s Office, its State Court Office and the Association of State Prosecutors, which lobbies for the interests of assistant district attorneys in Wisconsin.
That same coalition joined forces recently to successfully push for raises for assistant public defenders and assistant district attorneys. Criminal justice leaders said higher pay would help counter a staffing shortage of public attorneys that the State Bar Association has described as approaching a “constitutional crisis.“
Last month, the Legislature’s Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee approved a pay schedule that will bring starting salaries up to $36-an-hour for assistant DAs and assistant public defenders.
The Joint Finance Committee is scheduled to consider the DOJ’s budget on Thursday.
In all, Kaul’s requested a total of $490 million for the agency in the state’s next two-year budget, which would be a nearly 55 percent spending boost. That request was larger than the agency spending plan proposed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who asked for more than $409 million to fund the DOJ over the next two fiscal years.
Listen to the WPR report here.
Ahead of budget meeting, 2 former campaign rivals join forces to call for crime lab funding was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio. | 2023-06-08T00:12:44+00:00 | urbanmilwaukee.com | https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2023/06/07/campaign-rivals-kaul-toney-call-for-crime-lab-funding/ |
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A Warsaw court on Tuesday convicted a women’s rights activist for helping a victim of domestic violence access abortion pills in Poland, and sentenced her to eight months of community service.
The case of Justyna Wydrzyńska has been closely watched by human rights activists, who believe it will set a precedent in a country with some of Europe’s most restrictive abortion legislation.
They feared that the charges and a guilty verdict would create an atmosphere of repression that would intimidate women’s rights activists and discourage them from assisting women seeking abortions.
A reproductive rights organization, the International Planned Parenthood Federation, said it was “appalled” that Wydrzyńska will now have a criminal record for helping a woman who was in an abusive relationship.
“We are deeply saddened by the decision and outraged by the entire process. Condemning a person for an act of empathy and compassion towards another human being is inconceivable,” said spokesperson Irene Donadio.
Ordo Iuris, an ultra-Catholic legal institute which joined the case on the side of the prosecution as an interested party, welcomed the ruling as “an important step towards real respect for the right to life of unborn children in force in Poland.”
“The defendant, as well as the entire environment of abortion activists, have been promoting abortion, including pharmacological abortion, for years, mocking the well-known law in force in Poland,” the organization said in a statement.
Prosecutors had charged Wydrzyńska with “helping with an abortion,” a crime punishable up by to three years in prison, for helping a woman in 2020 to obtain the pills.
The woman, identified in Polish media reports only as Anna, already had one child and was prevented by her partner from traveling abroad for an abortion. Her partner reportedly denounced her to the police for obtaining the pills.
In her closing statement to the court, Wydrzyńska described how she wanted to help the woman because she too had been in a relationship with an abusive husband and had an abortion at the end of her marriage in order to free herself and her three children from that situation.
She said she did not regret helping Anna.
“I am innocent,” she said. “This state is guilty and has failed me … and millions of women in this country.”
Wydrzyńska will appeal the case, according to Polish media reports. She’s the co-founder of the Abortion Dream Team, an organization that provides women seeking abortions with information and support.
Poland, a predominantly Catholic country, forbids abortion in almost all cases, with exceptions only when a woman’s life or health is endangered or if the pregnancy results from rape or incest.
For years, abortion was allowed in the case of fetuses with congenital defects. However, the country’s constitutional court in 2020 ruled that to be unconstitutional.
In practice, Polish women seeking to terminate their pregnancies order abortion pills or travel to Germany, the Czech Republic and other countries where the procedure is allowed. While self-administering abortion pills is legal, helping someone else is not. | 2023-03-15T05:55:38+00:00 | wjhl.com | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/polish-activist-convicted-for-helping-obtain-abortion-pills/ |
LAKEWOOD, Colo., June 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for summer, Natural Grocers®, America's largest family-operated organic and natural grocery retailer proudly announces the introduction of its Natural Grocers Brand® Sparkling Spring Water to the company's premium quality house brand. Customers looking to up their summer hydration needs at an Always Affordable PriceSM, can enjoy Natural Grocers Brand Sparkling Water in two bubbly sizes: 16 oz. and 25.3 oz.
Sustainability, quality and community are behind every Natural Grocers® Brand Product, including this new variety of Spring Water. "The new Sparkling Spring Water is from the same trusted supplier that has provided our bottled Spring Water since 2020. Bottled at the source in Idaho's pristine Rocky Mountain wilderness—sustainability is the core principle of our producing partner's operations," said Raquel Isely, Vice President of Marketing at Natural Grocers. "Only 5% of the spring's daily output is collected, and the on-location, gravity-fed bottling system means a low energy footprint—no electric pumps and no transport to a plant. As with our original Spring Water, all electrolytes and minerals are natural from the springs. The water is unprocessed and bottled without additional additives. Our Sparkling Spring Water's naturally occurring minerals and electrolytes are maintained throughout the production process—including the injection of CO2, homogenization and bottling."
The new products demonstrate a concerted effort to expand the Natural Grocers Brand Products line, established in 2016, which presently includes over 800 high-quality products, exclusively available at Natural Grocers stores. Learn more about Natural Grocers' Grocery Standards by clicking here.
- 100% Unprocessed with Natural Electrolytes and Minerals
- Bottled Without Additional Additives (Including Fluoride), Flavorings, Colors or Preservatives
- Alkaline pH of 8.1-8.5
- Packaged in non-BPA Lined Recyclable Aluminum Bottles
- Available in 16 oz. and 25.3 oz.
Recent additions to the Natural Grocers Brand Product Line include items such as four new scented varieties of Natural Grocers Brand Organic Epsom Salt Bath & Foot Soaks. Customers can expect to see more premium-quality additions at Always Affordable Prices℠ to the house brand line, including Natural Grocers Brand Regeneratively Grown™ Organic Pasture-Raised Eggs and Natural Grocers Brand Regeneratively Grown™ Organic Free-Range Eggs, expected in stores this summer.
- Click here for a media kit featuring the new products, courtesy of Natural Grocers.
- To request media samples, or for any press-related questions, please contact Katie Macarelli: kmacarelli@naturalgrocers.com.
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE: NGVC) is an expanding specialty retailer of natural and organic groceries, body care products, and dietary supplements. The products sold by Natural Grocers must meet strict quality guidelines and may not contain artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or sweeteners, or partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils. The Company sells only USDA-certified organic produce and exclusively pasture-raised, non-confinement dairy products, and free-range eggs. Natural Grocers' flexible smaller-store format allows it to offer affordable prices in a shopper-friendly, clean, and convenient retail environment. The Company also provides extensive free science-based Nutrition Education programs to help customers make informed health and nutrition choices. The Company, founded in 1955, has 166 stores in 21 states. Visit www.NaturalGrocers.com for more information and store locations.
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SOURCE Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. | 2023-06-20T12:14:45+00:00 | kcbd.com | https://www.kcbd.com/prnewswire/2023/06/20/natural-grocers-expands-house-brand-with-sparkling-water/ |
If you have a family and have taken a trip by airplane in the past few years, you know it isn’t always easy to keep everyone in your group together. Airlines aren’t required to seat parents and children together for free, and especially on low-cost carriers, you may be dependent on the goodwill of fellow passengers to move so you can occupy your toddler, who’s flying for the first time.
Recognizing that this has become a major issue, the U.S. Department of Transportation put out a notice in 2022 urging U.S. airlines to do “everything in their power” to ensure kids ages 13 and younger can sit by an accompanying adult at no extra charge. President Biden even addressed the topic in his State of the Union speech earlier this month.
Finally, progress is being made. Yesterday United Airlines introduced a new, improved policy that will make it easier for families to sit together — even in Basic Economy.
Customers traveling with children under 12 can see new adjacent seat options immediately when they are booking flights, thanks to a new search engine. If it can’t find seats together, the engine checks out complimentary upgrades to Preferred Seats.
Also, if adjacent seats aren’t available because of last-minute bookings, full flights or aircraft changes, United will let customers switch for free to another flight going to the same destination that has seats together. Customers won’t be charged for any fare difference, either.
The full policy change goes into effect in March. It does not include changes to United Polaris, United First Class and Economy Plus seats.
“We’re focused on delivering a great experience for our younger passengers and their parents and know it often starts with the right seat,” said Lindo Jojo, chief customer officer for United, in a statement. “We look forward to rolling out more family-friendly features this year.”
Other airlines do say they are concerned about keeping families together — but most make no guarantees. Fees are associated with family-friendly features, like preselected seats, at airlines such as JetBlue and Frontier Airlines.
Delta’s website says it “strives to seat family members together upon request” and suggests calling its reservations line if it can’t obtain adjacent seats through the website or mobile app.
American Airlines told CNN its current policies are designed to allow families to sit together without extra payments. American offers online tips for making sure parents aren’t parted from children, including booking as far in advance as possible and making sure everyone is on the same reservation. However, in Basic Economy you still have to pay to pick your seats.
In the past, airlines have appeared to adopt policies from other industry players when they proved helpful (or at least, not disastrous) — see baggage fees — so perhaps this will be the case with seating families together. We’ll have to wait and see!
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Check out Simplemost for additional stories. | 2023-02-21T18:25:29+00:00 | ktvq.com | https://www.ktvq.com/united-airlines-adds-new-policy-that-prioritizes-family-seating-for-free |
Miami added more depth to its linebacker room Sunday evening.
Former Louisville linebacker K.J. Cloyd committed to the Hurricanes, announcing his choice on social media.
“After talking with coach (Mario) Cristobal and the Hurricane staff,” Cloyd wrote, “I would like to proudly say I am committed to the University of Miami!”
Cloyd, who is listed at 6-2 and 229 pounds, played three seasons with Miami’s ACC rival, making 40 tackles in 36 career games. He had half a tackle for loss, two pass deflections and one fumble recovery. Prior to his tenure at Louisville, he played one season for junior college Jones College.
Last season, Cloyd had 15 tackles in 12 games. Pro Football Focus gave him a 57.2 defensive grade in his 149 defensive snaps.
By transferring to UM, Cloyd is reunited with former Louisville assistant coach Derek Nicholson, who is coaching Miami’s inside linebackers.
Cloyd has one season of eligibility remaining, according to 247Sports.
Cloyd joins fellow linebacker transfer Francisco Mauigoa as experienced additions to Miami’s linebacker room. | 2023-06-14T17:10:12+00:00 | sun-sentinel.com | https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2023/06/11/hurricanes-add-linebacker-transfer-k-j-cloyd/ |
AURORA, ON, July 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Fibre internet service provider, telMAX today announced that they have signed an agreement with the Town of Aurora to build a fibre optic telecommunications network across Aurora, providing residents and businesses with the opportunity to receive high-speed pure fibre internet.
telMAX, a locally based company headquartered in York Region, currently serves the communities of Brooklin, Newmarket, and Stouffville offering its 100% Pure Fibre Internet, TV, and phone service.
Residents will begin to see planning and construction crews in their Aurora neighbourhoods within the next few months. This brand new telMAX infrastructure will enable Aurora customers to receive 100 percent pure fibre with synchronous speeds up to 10 Gbps delivered to their homes.
"We have developed a close working relationship with the Town of Aurora council and planning teams to work on an infrastructure update plan to bring 100% pure fibre to neighbourhoods and residents throughout the town," said Stuart Roberts, CEO of telMAX. "We believe in the importance of high-speed, reliable, and affordable Internet service whether you need that for working from home, staying connected with loved ones, or just being entertained. Uniquely, we live and work in the community. We look forward to establishing further economic and cultural partnerships as we bring Canada's fastest Internet service to all of Aurora."
"This is a very important project for the Town. We know that Aurorans increasingly need more reliable and faster internet, especially with the massive shift we've seen in the number of people working from home," said Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas. "The reality is that access to high-speed, affordable broadband service is now a necessity, not a luxury, especially in today's economy. And what's incredibly important for us is that this project will only strengthen the Town's ability to get critical information to residents and businesses."
telMAX is building a 100% pure fibre network across underserved communities across Ontario. For the past 2 years, telMAX has built its own fibre optic network in Brooklin, Newmarket, Stouffville and now Aurora. Using the latest technology, the telMAX network is capable of delivering synchronous speeds up to 10 Gbps. telMAX is based in Stouffville with an additional office hub in Newmarket and offers Fibre Broadband Internet, TV and home phone services. It proudly employs staff from the communities where it operates and is committed to supporting the local communities they serve. In June 2022, an independent assessment, by PC Magazine, recognized telMAX as the fastest internet service provider in Canada. telMAX is owned by Nova Infrastructure fund and QAI Capital.
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SOURCE telMAX | 2023-07-27T17:28:43+00:00 | live5news.com | https://www.live5news.com/prnewswire/2023/07/27/telmax-town-aurora-ink-agreement-bring-high-speed-internet-aurora/ |
US general on rare visit to nuclear-armed sub in Arabian Sea
By LOLITA C. BALDOR
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The top U.S. military commander for the Middle East boarded a U.S. ballistic missile submarine in the Arabian Sea on Wednesday. That’s a rare move and highlights U.S. nuclear undersea capabilities during tense times with Iran and Russia. Officials say Gen. Erik Kurilla was shuttled out to the USS West Virginia and went aboard for about eight hours as the submarine rose to the surface in an undisclosed location in international waters in the Arabian Sea. The West Virginia is one of the Navy’s Ohio Class, long-range submarines, known as boomers. They can launch nuclear missile strikes and are considered a key strategic deterrent. | 2022-10-20T02:39:41+00:00 | localnews8.com | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-national/2022/10/19/us-general-on-rare-visit-to-nuclear-armed-sub-in-arabian-sea/ |
HOUSTON, Nov. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Quantix, North America's leading supply chain services company to the chemical industry, announced today the asset purchases of five fleet owner companies. They are Dobbins Enterprises LLC, C&S Express, Inc., Chancelor Transportation LLC, T&K Chancelor Enterprises LLC and Templet Transit LLC. Quantix also brought on some personnel from the companies.
Additionally, Quantix announced it signed with a new agent, L.D. McCloud Transportation, Inc. The deals in total add more than 140 trucks and ancillary equipment to the company's liquid and plastics transportation division.
The new trucks will service customers around the Gulf Coast including Houston, TX, and Port Allen and Baton Rouge, LA, as well as Meridian, MS. The agent, L.D. McCloud Transportation, Inc., has locations in Dallas, Corpus Christi and San Antonio, TX.
"Quantix continues to scale our services in Texas and the Gulf Coast regions, and these new assets strengthen our ability to do so," said Chris Ball, Chief Executive Officer and President at Quantix. "Greater capacity means better service for our customers, which remains the guiding purpose of our continued growth."
Last month, Quantix acquired G&W Tanks, a provider of ISO tank transportation, as well as ISO tank repair, ISO tank storage depot, wash and loading services. G&W represented the eighth acquisition for Quantix under the ownership of Wind Point Partners, which acquired the business in 2019. Quantix's growth strategy continues to focus on acquiring companies that provide dry and liquid bulk transportation, warehousing and logistics services to producers and distributors of chemicals nationwide.
Learn more at https://quantixscs.com/.
Quantix is the leading supply chain services company to the chemical industry. It provides the world's largest chemical providers with end-to-end support through a nationwide network and comprehensive suite of services including transportation, 3PL solutions, distribution centers, export/import and Eco-Recovery. Headquartered in The Woodlands, TX with over 50 locations across the U.S., Quantix is committed to providing the highest level of safety, quality, compliance and integrity across its entire operation. Learn more at www.quantixscs.com.
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SOURCE Quantix | 2022-11-16T13:23:32+00:00 | kfyrtv.com | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2022/11/16/quantix-adds-more-than-140-trucks-its-fleet-following-series-acquisitions/ |
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Aliyah Boston had her 66th career double-double and Kamilla Cardoso had a second straight game with double-figure points and rebounds as No. 1 South Carolina dominated underneath for a 79-54 victory over Memphis on Saturday.
Boston, the 6-foot-5 reigning AP Player of the Year, had 14 points and 10 boards. The 6-7 Cardoso finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, making 9 of 12 shots all from a foot or two away from the basket against the overmatched Tigers (4-4).
South Carolina started the season 8-0 for a second straight year and the sixth time in coach Dawn Staley’s 15 seasons.
Staley, who is 5-6, was known as one of the toughest, most determined players of her generation in college, the pros and the Olympics. Yet, she’s built a powerhouse with tall, talented players like Boston and Cardoso.
Memphis had no answers: The Tigers were outscored 60-14 in the paint and outrebounded 52-30. They lost their third straight and second in a row to a Top-5 opponent after falling to No. 5 Indiana 79-64 on Nov. 26.
Laeticia Amihere, a 6-4 senior, had 10 points and three of South Carolina’s eight blocks.
Things started well for Memphis, which was up 5-0 just 68 seconds in on Madison Griggs’ 3-pointer and Lanetta Williams’ bucket. That’s when the Gamecocks got going, outscoring the Tigers 27-9 the rest of the period to take control of the game.
Cardoso’s first close-in basket tied things at 12 and her next one put South Carolina out front. Cardoso added five more baskets in the opening quarter.
Jamirah Shutes and Destyne Jackson had 10 points each to lead the Tigers.
THE BIG PICTURE
Memphis: It’s been an up-and-down season so far. The Tigers won four straight in early November before dropping the past three. Memphis is led by active guards like Shutes, Jackson and Emani Jefferson who will keep them in most games this season.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks showed once more the advantage of relying on really tall players. Cardoso is a catch-shoot-and-score machine down low who’s hitting 70% of her shots this season. Adding her to Boston, 6-4 Laeticia Amihere and 6-3 newcomer Ashlyn Watkins make a formidable front wall.
LONG RANGE
While the Gamecocks are deadly around the basket, they’re struggling so far behind the line. They’ve gone 2 of 18 on 3-pointers their past two games and are shooting less than 29% on threes.
UP NEXT
Memphis: Returns home to play NC Central on Thursday night.
South Carolina: Ends its four-game homestand with Liberty on Dec. 11.
___
AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 | 2022-12-03T22:43:41+00:00 | seattletimes.com | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/boston-cardoso-and-no-1-gamecocks-top-memphis-79-54/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
All Things Considered is the most listened-to, afternoon drive-time, news radio program in the country. Each show consists of the biggest stories of the day, thoughtful commentaries, and insightful features brought alive through sound.
Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal | 2023-05-30T19:10:28+00:00 | whyy.org | https://whyy.org/events/whyy-kids-show-event-malcolm-x-park/ |
DENVER — Police have arrested three suspects in connection with a shooting in May that left one person dead and four others injured in southeast Denver.
The Denver Police Department (DPD) said officers responded to an apartment complex at 9600 E. Girard Ave. on the night of May 10 after they received a call about a shooting in the area.
Officers found three people suffering from gunshot wounds — two men and a woman — and they were all taken to the hospital. One of the men, 22-year-old Rodney Jackson, was later pronounced dead.
The video above aired on May 11
Two other people got to the hospital on their own, for a total of five victims.
Investigators believe a brief fight between some of the people involved escalated into an exchange of gunfire. They identified three suspects in the case: 25-year-old Richard Kemp, 30-year-old Jasmine Marin and a juvenile male.
The suspects were taken into custody Wednesday, police said. Kemp is being held for investigation of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder. Marin is being held for investigation of accessory to crime for first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. The juvenile suspect is being held for investigation of first-degree murder.
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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. | 2023-07-21T01:21:18+00:00 | 9news.com | https://www.9news.com/article/news/crime/suspects-arrested-denver-shooting-girard/73-00ccaa55-0e29-4f2d-b0c3-29386101852b |
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) –Scott Dixon made history as the second fastest four-lap average in race history in the final round, qualifying at 234.046 mph in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
Dixon earned $100,000 for the NTT P1 Award. This is the second year he has qualified as the fastest in race history
He is one shy of four-time Indy winner Rick Mears for the most poles in the history of the Indy 500.
“That’s what this place is about; it’s so amazing,” Dixon said. “It’s crazy. This PNC Bank No. 9 crew and Honda, they brought it today. Just so happy for everybody.”
Dixon opened the two rounds of qualifying by leading the Top 12 qualifying session for the 12 quickest drivers during qualifying on Saturday.
Local / 44 mins ago
National / 3 hours ago | 2022-05-23T04:10:20+00:00 | wishtv.com | https://www.wishtv.com/monthofmay/indy-500-qualifying-day-sunday/ |
Monitor, analyze, report, and mitigate risk across your lending business all in one place with Aperture Enterprise Collateral Management Solution
CHICAGO , June 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Supernova Technology, a technology leader in securities-based lending (SBL) is expanding their product offering outside of SBL with the addition of Aperture – an Enterprise Collateral Management Solution. Aperture was built to give credit and risk professionals a new level of control and efficiency giving them oversight of their loan book in one place.
Aperture was the result of Supernova listening to customers' needs and was designed with the same technology and design approach as Supernova's SBL platform. The solution supports multiple asset types – both marketable securities as well as hard assets. The interface is intuitively designed to provide dynamic views of customer data across loans, collateral types, and borrowers to empower credit and risk professionals to make more informed decisions and stay prepared. A benefit of the product is the data rich stress testing feature and robust portfolio concentration risk analytics which allow risk and credit professionals to anticipate and mitigate potential risks. Much like the aperture of a camera allows you to focus on something very specific, so do our portfolio concentration analytics. Credit and risk professionals can stress test their loan book beginning with simple straight forward tests all the way to recreating past market fluctuations to see how their loan book may be impacted when pledged collaterals are marketable securities.
The expansion into collateral management is the first step in the evolution of the Supernova Technology brand towards being a broader fintech focused firm. "The expansion outside of securities-based lending has been a natural progression of our business growing and maturing. As we expand our business so does our brand and our focus. We see the future of Supernova Technology expanding in many exciting ways and we are just getting started", said Tao Huang, Chief Executive Officer at Supernova Technology.
For more information about Aperture Collateral Management, go to
www.supernovacompanies.com/solutions/aperture .
Supernova Lending, LLC, a financial technology company based in Chicago. Providing an industry-leading, fully configurable, end-to-end software solution to automate securities-based lending from origination through the life of the loan and an enterprise collateral management software. Supernova is the technology leader that empowers the entire financial ecosystem using state-of-the-art risk monitoring systems, providing a robust level of information, data analytics, and transparency that few in the industry can match. The Supernova Technology Trademark is used under license from Supernova Lending, LLC.
(219) 427-4024
Ashley.Dudzik@SupernovaCompanies.com
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SOURCE Supernova Technology | 2022-06-28T15:08:50+00:00 | kmvt.com | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2022/06/28/supernova-technology-expands-product-offering-launches-enterprise-collateral-management-product-aperture-empower-credit-risk-professionals/ |
Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, cornerback Marlon Humphrey and tight end Isaiah Likely are active for Sunday’s home game against the Denver Broncos.
Hamilton (knee) and Likely (ankle) will play after missing last week’s 28-27 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Hamilton, who suffered a minor knee against the Carolina Panthers in Week 11, was limited at practice on Wednesday and Thursday before being a full participant on Friday. The former Notre Dame standout was setting the edge when teammate Roquan Smith accidentally kicked him in the knee.
“My knee buckled in,” he said. “It was hurting at first, for sure. … In the moment, yeah, my knee felt like it was on fire. But the next day, I got more news that it wasn’t going to be anything terrible.”
Likely (18 catches for 206 yards and two touchdowns) practiced fully Thursday and Friday despite being limited on Wednesday. He injured his ankle in practice before Baltimore’s game against Carolina.
Hamilton, Likely and Humphrey, who missed practice Wednesday due to an ankle injury, were listed as questionable.
Seven Ravens are inactive, including left tackle Ronnie Stanley (ankle) and wide receiver Tylan Wallace, who was placed on injured reserve after suffering a hamstring injury during Thursday’s practice. Stanley will miss his second straight game after injuring his ankle against the Panthers. He did not practice on Friday after being limited on Wednesday and Thursday.
Running back Mike Davis, tight end Charlie Kolar, cornerback Pepe Williams and linebackers Josh Bynes, David Ojabo and Del’Shawn Phillips also will not play.
In other moves, the Ravens promoted veteran wide receiver DeSean Jackson and safety Ar’Darius Washington from the practice on Saturday. Jackson caught two of his three targets for 74 yards in the loss to Jacksonville, including a 62-yard reception on a go-ahead, fourth-quarter touchdown drive.
Practice squad wide receiver Binjimen Victor was signed to Baltimore’s 53-man roster.
For the Broncos, wide receivers Jerry Jeudy (ankle) and Courtland Sutton (illness) will play on Sunday. The two wideouts have not played together since the Broncos’ win over the Jaguars in Week 8.
Denver reserves safety Anthony Harris, cornerbacks K’Waun Williams (wrist, knee and elbow) and Michael Ojemudia, linebacker Dakota Allen, tight ends Andrew Beck and Albert Okwuegbunam and defensive lineman Jonathan Harris (knee) are also inactive.
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Eddie Murphy says he’d reprise Donkey in ‘Shrek’ in “two seconds”
Posted/updated on: January 30, 2023 at 5:10 pmEddie Murphy currently stars in the well-reviewed comedy You People on Netflix, but if he had his druthers, he'd make another Shrek movie, too.
Murphy voiced the green ogre's buddy Donkey in four Shrek movies, and Eddie tells eTalk it would take him "two seconds" to say yes to a fifth.
"Oh, I'd absolutely be open," Murphy said. "If they ever came with another Shrek I'd do it in two seconds. I love Donkey."
He also shaded his cartoon co-star's spinoff, saying, "They're doing Puss in Boots movies. I was like, 'They shoulda done a Donkey movie. He's funnier than Puss in Boots,'" he said with a laugh. "I mean I love Puss in Boots, but he ain't funnier than a donkey."
Murphy continued, "I'd do a Donkey movie, I'd do another Shrek in two seconds."
He then reached out to DreamWorks Animation directly, saying, "DreamWorks, if you y'all wanna do it, just call me. I'm just sitting and ready to do Donkey."
In the same interview, Eddie also took issue with Martin Lawrence, who recently told Jimmy Kimmel that his daughter Jasmine is dating Eddie's son Eric and he's going to make Eddie pay for the wedding if they get married.
"No, no, no, no, no," Eddie insisted with a smile about his Life co-star. "That's not how it goes. Because my daughter just got married, and I had to pay, I really had to pay. And you have to do the same, Martin. Don't try to switch it up ... You paying for the wedding. If it goes down, Martin is paying, and the wedding better be wonderful."
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. | 2023-01-30T23:47:37+00:00 | ktbb.com | https://ktbb.com/post/?p=1198179 |
48, Seattle at Detroit 10/2<
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19:20, Miami vs. Buffalo 9/25< | 2022-10-29T15:05:42+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/sports/article/NFL-Team-Game-Highs-and-Lows-17543350.php |
PITTSBURGH, Jan. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- EQT Corporation (NYSE: EQT) plans to issue its fourth quarter and year-end 2022 financial and operating results after market close on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, and will host a conference call with securities analysts on Thursday, February 16, 2023, beginning at 10:00 a.m. ET.
Topics of the teleconference will include financial and operating results, and other matters, with respect to the fourth quarter and year-end 2022. Additionally, EQT will provide an update on its 2023 financial and operational guidance, as well as year-end 2022 reserves. A brief Q&A session for securities analysts will immediately follow the discussion.
To access the live audio webcast of the conference call, visit EQT's investor relations website at ir.eqt.com. A replay will be archived and available, for one year, in the same location after the conclusion of the live event.
Investor Contact:
Cameron Horwitz
Managing Director, Investor Relations & Strategy
412.395.2555
Cameron.Horwitz@eqt.com
EQT Corporation is a leading independent natural gas production company with operations focused in the cores of the Marcellus and Utica Shales in the Appalachian Basin. We are dedicated to responsibly developing our world-class asset base and being the operator of choice for our stakeholders. By leveraging a culture that prioritizes operational efficiency, technology and sustainability, we seek to continuously improve the way we produce environmentally responsible, reliable and low-cost energy. We have a longstanding commitment to the safety of our employees, contractors, and communities, and to the reduction of our overall environmental footprint. Our values are evident in the way we operate and in how we interact each day – trust, teamwork, heart, and evolution are at the center of all we do. To learn more, visit eqt.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE EQT Corporation (EQT-IR) | 2023-01-17T23:33:33+00:00 | witn.com | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2023/01/17/eqt-corporation-schedules-fourth-quarter-year-end-2022-earnings-release-conference-call/ |
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — James Watt, the Reagan administration’s sharp-tongued, pro-development interior secretary who was beloved by conservatives but ran afoul of environmentalists, Beach Boys fans and eventually the president, has died. He was 85.
Watt died in Arizona on May 27, son Eric Watt said in a statement Thursday.
In an administration divided between so-called pragmatists and hard-liners, few stood as far to the right at the time as Watt, who once labeled the environmental movement as “preservation vs. people” and the general public as a clash between “liberals and Americans.”
In that sense, Watt foreshadowed combative Interior secretaries like Ryan Zinke and David Bernhardt, who, like Watt, aggressively pushed to grant oil, gas and coal leases on public land, increase offshore drilling and limit expansion of national parks and monuments.
“While no one’s death should be celebrated, he was the worst of MAGA before it was invented,” tweeted David Donger of the environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council, referring to former President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.
Watt and his supporters saw him as an upholder of President Ronald Reagan’s core conservative values, but opponents were alarmed by his policies and offended by his comments. In 1981, shortly after he was appointed, the Sierra Club collected more than 1 million signatures seeking Watt’s ouster and criticized such actions as clear-cutting federal lands in the Pacific Northwest, weakening environmental regulations for strip mining and hampering efforts to curtail air pollution in California’s Yosemite Valley.
With his bald head and thick glasses, he became the rare interior secretary recognizable to the general public, for reasons beyond the environment. He characterized members of a coal advisory panel using derogatory language and in 1983 tried to ban music from Fourth of July festivities on the National Mall, saying it attracted the “wrong element.”
The Beach Boys had been recent mall headliners, and their fans included President Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan. With Watt’s statement facing widespread mockery, the Reagans invited the Beach Boys for a special White House visit. Watt, meanwhile, was summoned to receive a plaster model of a foot with a hole in it.
In his 1985 book “The Courage of a Conservative,” Watt wrote that the controversy “actually arose because I was a conservative. Members of a liberal press saw an opportunity to create a controversy by censoring the facts and avoiding the real issues.” He said the initial stories about the rock music ban “only mentioned that the Beach Boys had performed in the past. Yet before we knew what was happening, banner headlines proclaimed that I had banned the Beach Boys. I was astonished.”
Cutting regulations was his primary mission. Between the time he was confirmed as Interior secretary in 1981 until he resigned under pressure in 1983, Watt implemented an offshore leasing program that offered virtually the entire U.S. coastline for oil and gas drilling and held the largest coal lease sale in history, auctioning off 1.1 billion tons (1 billion metric tons) of coal in the Powder River Basin of Montana and Wyoming.
Watt tripled the amount of onshore land being leased for oil and gas exploration and doubled the acreage leased for geothermal resources.
Watt did spend $1 billion to restore and improve national parks and added 2,800 square miles (7,300 square kilometers) to the nation’s wilderness system. And his efforts to exploit natural resources made America stronger, he wrote to Reagan in October 1983.
“Our excellent record for managing the natural resources of this land is unequaled — because we put people in the environmental equation,” Watt wrote.
But eight days after writing to the president, he rode horseback into a cow pasture down the road from Reagan’s California ranch to announce his resignation. He was succeeded by a longtime Reagan aide, William Clark.
“I had outworn my usefulness,” Watt said of his decision, adding that others “wouldn’t get off my case” about his insulting coal advisory panel comment.
Watt was born Jan. 31, 1938, in Lusk, Wyoming, and his family later moved to Wheatland, Wyoming, where his father practiced law. He attended the University of Wyoming, graduating in 1960 and obtaining a law degree two years later.
In 1962, Watt became a personal assistant to former Gov. Milward L. Simpson, and he went to Washington after Simpson was elected to the U.S. Senate later that year. In 1966-69, he helped develop policies on such issues as pollution, mining, public lands and energy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, then in early 1969 he joined the Nixon administration as an Interior Department undersecretary.
In 1975, President Gerald Ford appointed him to the Federal Power Commission.
While Jimmy Carter was president, Watt worked in the private sector as president and chief legal officer of the pro-development Mountain States Legal Foundation in Denver.
He did consulting work after leaving the Reagan administration, at one point turning heads when he agreed to represent Indian tribes in oil operations and hotel developments after previously labeling Indian reservations “the failure of socialism.” He also accepted six-figure consulting fees to represent developers of a federally subsidized housing project.
He moved back to Wyoming in 1986 and set up a law office in Jackson, taught at his alma mater and served as a legal consultant and speaker.
But his consulting work involving federal housing money came under scrutiny in the late 1980s when an investigation was launched into corruption in the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
In 1996, he pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor for withholding documents from a grand jury investigating HUD. He was fined $5,000, put on five years’ probation and ordered to perform community service. He said he had “made a serious mistake” and hoped to “get on with a constructive role in society.”
Over the years, Watt expressed fears that unless they were stopped, radical environmental movements like Earth First! would persuade the “cowards of Congress” to ban all hunting, eliminate all logging and livestock grazing on public lands and further jeopardize the minerals industries.
He lived in his later years in Wickenburg, Arizona, with his wife, Leilani.
___
Associated Press writer Matthew Daly in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. | 2023-06-09T04:52:59+00:00 | kxnet.com | https://www.kxnet.com/news/politics/ap-politics/james-watt-sharp-tongued-and-pro-development-interior-secretary-under-reagan-dies-at-85/ |
Transgender student who sued over graduation dress code tells her story
HARRISON COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX/Gray News) - A transgender student from Mississippi is speaking out after her legal fight over her high school’s graduation dress code made national headlines.
The 17-year-old student, identified as “L.B.,” said she was called to the Harrison Central High School principal’s office two weeks ago for what she refers to as an “unexpected” warning. She was told as a transgender student who was registered with the school as a male, she must adhere to the boys’ dress code for graduation, including a white button-down shirt, a tie and black pants.
Before the warning, L.B. and her mother, Samantha Brown, assumed that because the teenager identifies as female and had previously worn dresses to class and other school events, she would be able to wear a dress and high heels to graduation, and she intended to do so.
“When we looked at that policy, under our impression, my daughter identifies as female every day of her life. She dresses in feminine clothing every day of her life,” Brown said.
Brown told WLOX that the high school staff has always been supportive of L.B.’s feminine attire – until Harrison County School District Superintendent Mitchell King ordered the dress code be strictly enforced this year.
“He also said that the kids needed to have on their ‘Sunday best.’ How is her wearing her dress not her Sunday best?” Brown asked.
The family decided to take the issue to federal court, claiming discrimination by the school district, but a U.S. District Court judge ruled against L.B., saying the 17-year-old was registered with the school as a male.
“Me going to graduation in what they asked me to wear would be me telling them that it’s OK, and it’s not. It would just feel like I was shadowed and tainted by bigotry, hate,” L.B. said. “My graduation, it’s the start of a new life, a better life.”
She sat the Saturday ceremony out, saying she felt humiliated by district officials.
“It’s really emotional for me, you know, because this is an experience that we’ll never be able to get back, ever,” Brown said.
As it turned out, L.B. wasn’t the only student who didn’t walk at graduation because of the dress code policy. At the ceremony, Jai Dallas was pulled from the lineup just moments before receiving her diploma.
Caren Dallas, Jai’s mother, says a supervisor told her daughter that she could not wear black pants underneath her gown.
“She tells her that she can take her pants off and walk the stage, but she needed white shoes. So, she could walk in her underwear, but she can’t walk in pants,” an emotional Caren Dallas said. “This is something that she achieved, you know, that she worked hard for.”
Jai Dallas’ family members were outraged that her attire was not addressed during the hours-long rehearsal.
“Several adults told her that her attire was OK, and they waited. She’s been here since 4 o’clock. Why didn’t nobody say anything?” said her aunt, Rasheedah Jackson.
Her grandmother, Michelle Faison, traveled 800 miles to see her graduate.
“I don’t understand how this, a moment this important, can be taken away from a child that’s worked 12 years to get here,” Faison said.
Her sister, Raniah Braclet, graduated from Harrison Central three years ago and said she can’t believe what’s happening.
“When I graduated, I was proud to come from Harrison Central, but I just don’t know what this is today,” she said. “That was a very awful experience to see my sister not be able to graduate from where I graduated from.”
Caren Dallas says she plans to be at her daughter’s school first thing Monday morning in search of answers.
As for L.B., she says she’ll never stop fighting for what she feels is right.
WLOX contacted King for comment on the issues Sunday.
“We followed the graduation policy of the Harrison County School District,” he said.
Copyright 2023 WLOX via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2023-05-22T07:10:14+00:00 | uppermichiganssource.com | https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2023/05/22/transgender-student-who-sued-over-graduation-dress-code-tells-her-story/ |
PARIS (AP) — The Latest on the French Open tennis tournament (all times local):
3:45 p.m.
Barbora Krejcikova has become only the third defending women’s champion to lose in the first round of the French Open.
Krejcikova, a Czech player who was seeded second at Roland Garros, lost to 97th-ranked Diane Parry 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.
It was Krejcikova’s first match since February because of an injured right elbow.
The only other two women to lose in the first round a year after winning the title at Roland Garros were Anastasia Myskina in 2005 and Jelena Ostapenko in 2018.
___
2:45 p.m.
Naomi Osaka says she is “leaning more towards not playing” at Wimbledon again because the WTA and ATP have said they will not award ranking points this year after the All England Club banned players from Russia and Belarus because of the invasion of Ukraine.
The four-time Grand Slam champion and former top-ranked player sat out Wimbledon in 2021 as part of a mental health break following her withdrawal at the French Open.
After losing in the first round at Roland Garros on Monday, Osaka said the tennis tours’ move to withhold ranking points from Wimbledon “is kind of affecting my mentality” and she is “not 100% sure if I’m going to go there.”
She said she is “the type of player that gets motivated by seeing my ranking go up,” but added that she needs to think about the issue more before making a final decision and could change her mind.
___
1:05 p.m.
Top-seeded Iga Swiatek has extended her winning streak to 29 matches by advancing to the second round of the French Open.
The Polish player, who won the French Open title in 2020, beat Lesia Tsurenko 6-2, 6-0 in the first round on Court Phillipe Chatrier.
Swiatek’s winning streak is the longest by any woman since Serena Williams won 34 in a row in 2013. She has won the title at her past five tournaments.
Swiatek has also won a tour-leading 14 sets at 6-0 this season.
___
12:45 p.m.
Naomi Osaka’s return to the French Open has ended in the first round.
The former top-ranked player lost her opening match to Amanda Anisimova 7-5, 6-4 at Roland Garros on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam champion who took two mental health breaks last season. That included one that began when she withdrew before her second-round match at the French Open.
Anisimova is a 20-year-old American who reached the French Open semifinals in 2019. She also beat Osaka in the third round at the Australian Open in January.
Osaka double-faulted twice on break point, once in each set. After the second, which gave Anisimova a 4-3 lead, Osaka took a 40-0 lead in the next game but the American held.
Osaka played with tape on her left Achilles. She was stretching it and kicking it with her right foot when she was broken in the seventh game of the second set.
___
11:00 a.m.
Day 2 at Roland Garros offers quite a collection of big names on the schedule and quite a bit of rain in the forecast.
Naomi Osaka is getting things started at Court Suzanne Lenglen against the player who beat her at the Australian Open in January, 20-year-old American Amanda Anisimova.
Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam champion who used to be ranked No. 1 but dropped in the rankings after taking two mental health breaks last season. That included one that began when she withdrew before her second-round match at the French Open.
There will be a parade of top players at Court Philippe Chatrier, the only arena with a retractable roof at the clay-court tournament. That includes Iga Swiatek, Barbora Krejcikova, Rafael Nadal and, at night, Novak Djokovic.
___
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2022-05-23T14:34:49+00:00 | denverpost.com | https://www.denverpost.com/2022/05/23/french-open-updates-defending-champion-krejcikova-loses/ |
SAO PAULO (AP) — A Brazilian dictionary has added “Pelé” as an adjective to use when describing someone who is “exceptional, incomparable, unique.”
The announcement by the Michaelis dictionary on Wednesday is part of a campaign that gathered more than 125,000 signatures to honor the late soccer great’s impact beyond his sport.
The three-time World Cup champion died in December at age 82 after a fight against colon cancer.
The dictionary entry reads: “The one that is extraordinary, or who because of his quality, value or superiority cannot be matched to anything or anyone, just like Pelé; nickname of Edson Arantes do Nascimento (1940-2022), considered the best athlete of all time; exceptional, incomparable, unique. Examples: He is the Pelé of basketball, she is the Pelé of tennis, she is the Pelé of Brazilian theater, he is the Pelé of medicine.”
The Pelé Foundation, Santos FC — where he played most of his career — and many Brazilians celebrated the decision by the publishers of one of the country’s most popular dictionaries.
“The expression that was already used to refer to the best at something is already eternal in the pages of the dictionary,” Pelé’s social media channels said after the announcement. “We made history together and put the name of the King of Soccer into the Portuguese language. Pelé means ‘THE BEST’.”
Pelé spent nearly two decades enchanting fans and dazzling opponents as the game’s most prolific scorer with Brazilian club Santos and the Brazil national team. In the conversation about soccer’s greatest, only the late Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are mentioned alongside.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2023-04-27T06:02:00+00:00 | kron4.com | https://www.kron4.com/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/brazilian-dictionary-adds-pele-as-adjective-synonym-of-best/ |
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Another mother searching for her disappeared child has been killed in Mexico, the sixth murder of a volunteer search activist in Mexico since the start of 2021.
The volunteer search group known as “A Promise to be Kept” said Teresa Magueyal was killed Tuesday in the violence-wracked city of Celaya, in the north-central state of Guanajuato.
The state prosecutor’s office said it was still investigating the report and could not confirm it.
It was the second such killing in Guanajuato in less than six months. Volunteer searcher Maria Vázquez Ramírez was shot to death in November in the city of Abasolo, Guanajuato.
“In Guanajuato we women searchers are not safe, they kill us in broad daylight, in public, with total impunity,” Magueyal's group said in a statement, calling the killing “cowardly.”
The motive in the killing remained unclear; most searchers say they are looking for the bodies of their children, not evidence to convict their killers.
Magueyal was active in the search for her son, José Luis, who disappeared in 2020. Mexico has over 112,000 missing people, and relatives of the disappeared often have to search for them because of police inaction.
Police in Mexico often lack the time, expertise or interest to look for the clandestine grave sites where gangs frequently bury them.
Much of that effort has been left to volunteer search teams known as “colectivos” made up of mothers of the missing, who often call themselves as “Searching Mothers.”
Two cartels — Santa Rosa de Lima and the Jalisco cartel — have carried out a years-long turf war for control of Guanajuato state. They kill off rivals, kidnapping victims and innocent people and hide their bodies in mass graves or body dumping grounds.
But the problem is not limited to Guanajuato. In October, attackers in the central city of Puebla shot to death Esmeralda Gallardo, who led efforts to find her missing 22-year-old daughter.
Many mothers carry out their own investigations or join search teams that, often acting on tips, cross gullies and fields, sinking iron rods into the ground to detect the telltale stench of decomposing bodies.
The searchers, and the police who sometimes accompany them, usually focus on finding graves and identifying remains. Search groups sometimes even get anonymous tips about where bodies are buried, knowledge probably available only to the killers or their accomplices. | 2023-05-03T00:54:07+00:00 | sfgate.com | https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/group-mother-of-disappeared-man-killed-in-mexico-18074854.php |
Two of the eight victims killed when a gunman opened fire at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas, on Saturday have been identified.
Christian LaCour, 20, and Aishwarya Thatikonda, 27, were among those shot and killed, according to representatives for their families.
LaCour's sister told ABC News that her brother was working as a security guard at the mall when the shooting occurred.
"He was a really sweet kid," Brianna Smith told ABC News. I'm sad that he's gone."
A representative for Thatikonda's family told Dallas TV station WFAA that the 27-year-old was at the mall with a friend when she was shot.
The woman's body will reportedly be flown to India, where her family lives.
The identities of the other six victims killed in the shooting have not been released.
SEE MORE: 33-year-old identified as the suspect in Texas mall shooting
The gunman was identified as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia. He was killed by a police officer who happened to be in the area at the time of the shooting.
A motive for the shooting has not been revealed. However, The Associated Press is reporting that the shooter may have held white supremacist views.
"I believe in the coming days, the public will be much better informed about why and how this happened and that will inform us as Texas leaders about next steps to take to try to prevent crimes like this from taking place in the future," Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said on Monday.
Law enforcement reportedly located numerous weapons at the scene of the shooting, including an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | 2023-05-08T16:37:08+00:00 | wrtv.com | https://www.wrtv.com/2-victims-of-texas-mall-shooting-identified |
Coroner called to crash in Greenville County
The crash happened on Rock Quarry Road
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Coroner called to crash in Greenville County
The crash happened on Rock Quarry Road
The Greenville County Coroner's Office was called to a crash on Rock Quarry Road Saturday morning. The coroner's office said one person died. According to South Carolina Highway Patrol, the crash happened shortly before 5:45 a.m. on Rock Quarry Road near US 276.
GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. —
The Greenville County Coroner's Office was called to a crash on Rock Quarry Road Saturday morning.
The coroner's office said one person died.
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According to South Carolina Highway Patrol, the crash happened shortly before 5:45 a.m. on Rock Quarry Road near US 276. | 2022-11-12T14:21:53+00:00 | wyff4.com | https://www.wyff4.com/article/coroner-called-to-crash-greenville-county/41942330 |
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For the second straight season, the Dallas Cowboys — the team that popularized the “Hail Mary” pass almost 50 years ago — never even had a prayer of heaving it into the end zone against the San Francisco 49ers.
Meltdowns by coach Mike McCarthy and blunders by tight end Dalton Schultz kept the Cowboys from setting themselves up for something similar to Roger Staubach's 50-yard game-winning heave in the waning moments that stunned the Minnesota Vikings in a 1975 playoff game.
What we saw instead was this a gadget play with running back Ezekiel Elliott alone at center with no offensive linemen anywhere near him and Prescott in shotgun with 76 yards to go and 6 seconds left Sunday.
Elliott was bowled over as soon as he got off the low snap and 49ers cornerback Jimmie Ward blew up Prescott's pass to wide receiver Kavontae Turpin.
“Very strange,” 49ers linebacker Fred Warner mused. “I don’t know if they planned to be in that situation, obviously, because it didn’t work very well. We prepare for everything. When you got players like Jimmie Ward who just come and (blow up plays) it makes it easy. We prepare for everything.”
Not so the Cowboys.
A year ago, Dallas bungled the final drive in a 23-17 wild-card loss to the 49ers at home when Prescott ran a 14-yard quarterback draw with 14 seconds and no timeouts left and then handed the ball to his center instead of the umpire, who's the only one who can spot the ball.
That ate up too much time and Prescott never got a chance to chuck the ball into the end zone before time ran out on the Cowboys' season.
On Sunday, the breakdowns came in bunches for the Cowboys, the final play only the capstone of a comedy of missteps and miscalculations by Dallas, who failed to make it past the divisional round for a 26th straight season.
“I don't really want to get into detail on it, but that obviously wasn't the plan,” McCarthy said afterward, declining to discuss what was supposed to happen on that last play.
There were plenty of other things the Cowboys bungled before that play.
McCarthy decided to punt the ball on fourth-and-10 following a sack of Prescott at the Dallas 18 with just under 3 minutes remaining. That's a debatable decision but it's the nearly 40 seconds the Cowboys took to punt the ball that had their flustered fans fuming.
Cameras showed McCarthy motioning the offense off the field at the 2:35 mark and the 49ers got the ball back with 2:05 left on a fair catch. That's 40 seconds from the Cowboys' last play to the change of possession, nearly twice as long as it usually takes.
There's a couple of more plays right there that the Cowboys could have had once they got the ball back at their 6 with just 45 seconds and no timeouts remaining. (By the way, had Turpin gambled and let the ball bounce, it might have gone into the end zone for a touchback, giving Dallas the ball at its 20 instead).
The Cowboys weren't done frittering away precious time, either.
On third-and-1 from the Dallas 15, Prescott hit Schultz with a 9-yard pass with 28 seconds remaining. But Schultz wasn't going forward as he went out of bounds on a hit by cornerback Charvarius Ward, so the clock kept ticking and would go all the way down to 14 seconds before Prescott took the next snap and threw incomplete.
“You have to be going forward if you are contacted going out of bounds,” Fox Sports color analyst Greg Olsen said. “You have to fight through that contact! Chavarious Ward, he knows the rule; they coach that. You've got to turn up and be physical into contact and get that official to stop the clock.”
Then, on second-and-10 from his 24 with 10 seconds left, Prescott again found Schultz, this time for 15 yards to the Dallas 39, just about the outer limits for Prescott to try a Hail Mary on the final snap.
Hold up.
The catch was reversed on replay because Schultz never got his second foot down as he nonchalantly strode out of bounds.
That brought up third-and-10 from the 24 with 6 seconds left and Dallas had Elliott replace Biadasz at center with the guards and tackles lined up wide. (The formation was legal because eligible receivers T.Y. Hilton and Noah Brown were lined up outside the guards and tackles, with all seven on the line of scrimmage).
“It appears that Zeke is going to go to center,” Olsen said excitedly. “This looks like my flag football team. Obviously Mike McCarthy has been working on his end of game scenario, and let’s see what he’s got!”
San Francisco called timeout after seeing the bizarre look.
Dallas didn't change the formation or the call when play resumed. Elliott snapped the ball and was plowed over. Prescott telegraphed his throw to Turpin, who was smothered immediately.
And the Cowboys were left heading into another offseason lamenting a loss to the 49ers in the playoffs because they couldn't get off a Hail Mary to give them a fighting chance.
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With contributions from AP Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | 2023-01-24T12:28:03+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Cowboys-last-ditch-plays-against-Niners-never-17737748.php |
(NEXSTAR) – Coca-Cola is reading the tea leaves — and they aren’t too optimistic about Honest Tea.
The beverage, which was founded in 1998 and acquired by the Coca-Cola Company in 2011, will be phased out of Coca-Cola’s portfolio by the end of the year, the company confirmed earlier this week.
Coca-Cola cited decreasing sales, as well as supply challenges for glass bottles, as reasons for its decision to discontinue Honest Tea. The company also believes its other ready-to-drink tea brands — Gold Peak and Peace Tea — are better positioned for growth.
“Shifting from a three-brand tea portfolio to a prioritized two-brand tea lineup will free up investment resources and supply chain capacity to better meet consumer needs and capture share in the category,” said Sabrina Tandon, the group director of ready-to-drink teas for Coca-Cola North America, stated in a press release.
Despite dropping Honest Tea from its portfolio, Coca-Cola will continue to produce its Honest Kids line of beverages. The company will also retain ownership of the Honest Tea brand, despite phasing out its products.
Aside from Honest Tea, Gold Peak and Peace Tea, the Coca-Cola Company’s coffee and tea portfolio includes Fuzetea and several brands sold largely overseas, including Ayataka, Costa Coffee, Dogadan and Georgia. | 2022-05-29T01:09:55+00:00 | wnct.com | https://www.wnct.com/on-your-side/consumer-watch/coca-cola-company-phasing-out-one-of-its-longtime-beverages/ |
A portion of proceeds will be donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Association
GRANTS PASS, Ore., May 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, May 20, Dutch Bros Coffee will hold its 16th annual Drink One for Dane day. The drive-thru coffee company will donate a portion of proceeds from all of its more than 550 shops to the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), the leading non-profit organization in ALS research, care, advocacy, educational and professional programming.
Dane Boersma founded Dutch Bros with his brother, Travis, in 1992. Dane passed away from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in 2009. Dutch Bros and the Boersma family started Drink One for Dane as a way to bring awareness to, and support research to find treatments and cures for, the disease.
"On May 20th, our customers can make a massive difference with their daily cup of coffee. Drink One for Dane is a reminder of the resilience of those who have suffered and are suffering from ALS," said Travis Boersma, co-founder and executive chairman of Dutch Bros. "We appreciate our continued partnership with the Muscular Dystrophy Association and are proud to support the vital mission of finding a cause and cure for ALS."
To date, Dutch Bros has donated more than $10 million to MDA with the support of customers. In addition to raising money at the stand, customers can donate directly to the campaign at https://www.dutchbros.com/drink-one-for-dane.
MDA is the world's leader in funding research, care and advocacy in the search to cure muscular dystrophy, ALS and related neuromuscular diseases. Research continues into understanding the root cause of the disease and finding a cure.
"Continuing the legacy of Dane Boersma is a part of MDA's mission because he and his family, and the entire Dutch Bros community, are a part of the MDA family," said Donald S. Wood, PhD, President and CEO of MDA. "For decades, MDA has led the way for innovations in ALS science and care. Thanks to MDA-funded research, we now have treatments for ALS and have made tremendous leaps forward in our understanding of the causes of ALS. In addition, the ACT for ALS, of which MDA played an integral part, was signed into law in December 2021 and is the largest expansion of government funding for access to investigational therapies. For these reasons, this is a more hopeful time than ever before for patients and families living with ALS. We are eternally grateful to Dutch Bros. as we celebrate our 16th year of partnership and over $10 million raised. Cheers to the Wise Man! The MDA Community is Drinking One for Dane alongside you and all families living with ALS."
To find a Dutch Bros location near you, visit www.dutchbros.com/locations.
About Dutch Bros
Dutch Bros Coffee is a drive-thru coffee company dedicated to making a massive difference one cup at a time. Headquartered in Grants Pass, Oregon, where it was founded in 1992 by Dane and Travis Boersma, it's now sharing the "Dutch Luv" with more than 550 locations in 13 states. Dutch Bros serves specialty coffee, smoothies, freezes, teas, an exclusive Dutch Bros Blue Rebel energy drink and nitrogen-infused cold brew coffee. Its rich, proprietary coffee blend is handcrafted from start to finish.
In addition to its mission of speed, quality and service, Dutch Bros is committed to giving back to the communities it serves. Through its Dutch Bros Foundation and local franchisees, the company donates several million dollars to causes across the country each year.
To learn more about Dutch Bros, visit www.dutchbros.com, follow Dutch Bros Coffee on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, & TikTok, and download the Dutch Bros app to earn points and score rewards!
About Muscular Dystrophy Association
Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is the #1 voluntary health organization in the United States for people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases. For over 70 years, MDA has led the way in accelerating research, advancing care, and advocating for the support of our families. MDA's mission is to empower the people we serve to live longer, more independent lives. To learn more visit mda.org and follow MDA on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and LinkedIn.
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SOURCE Dutch Bros Coffee | 2022-05-16T12:57:17+00:00 | kxii.com | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/16/dutch-bros-holds-16th-annual-drink-one-dane-fundraiser-support-fight-against-als/ |
Feds: Minnesota food scheme stole $250 million; 47 people charged
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal authorities charged 47 people in Minnesota with conspiracy and other counts on Tuesday in what they said was a massive scheme that took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to steal $250 million from a federal program that provides meals to low-income children.
Prosecutors say the defendants created companies that claimed to be offering food to tens of thousands of children across Minnesota, then sought reimbursement for those meals through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food nutrition programs. Prosecutors say few meals were actually served, and the defendants used the money to buy luxury cars, property and jewelry.
Many of the companies that claimed to be serving food were sponsored by a nonprofit called Feeding Our Future, which submitted the companies’ claims for reimbursement. Feeding Our Future’s founder and executive director Aimee Bock was among those indicted, and authorities say she and others in her organization submitted the fraudulent claims for reimbursement and received kickbacks.
Bock’s attorney, Kenneth Udoibok, said he wouldn’t comment until he’s had a chance to see the indictment, but that the indictment “doesn’t indicate guilt or innocence.”
In an interview earlier this year, Bock denied stealing money and said she never saw evidence of fraud.
The defendants face multiple counts, including conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering and bribery.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Justice made prosecuting pandemic-related fraud a priority. The department has already taken enforcement actions related to more than $8 billion in suspected pandemic fraud, including bringing charges in more than 1,000 criminal cases involving losses in excess of $1.1 billion.
According to court documents, the alleged scheme targeted the USDA’s federal child nutrition programs, which provide food to low-income children and adults. In Minnesota, the funds are administered by the state Department of Education, and meals have historically been provided to kids through educational programs, such as schools or day care centers.
The sites that serve the food are sponsored by public or nonprofit groups, such as Feeding Our Future. The sponsoring agency keeps 10% to 15% of the reimbursement funds as an administrative fee in exchange for submitting claims, sponsoring the sites and disbursing the funds.
But during the pandemic, some of the standard requirements for sites to participate in the federal food nutrition programs were waived. Among them, the USDA allowed for-profit restaurants to participate, and allowed food to be distributed outside educational programs. The charging documents say the defendants exploited changes in the program’s requirements “to enrich themselves.”
The documents say Bock oversaw the scheme and that she and Feeding Our Future sponsored the opening of nearly 200 federal child nutrition program sites throughout the state, knowing that the sites intended to submit fraudulent claims. “The sites fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day within just days or weeks of being formed and despite having few, if any staff and little to no experience serving this volume of meals,” according to the indictments.
Feeding Our Future received nearly $18 million in federal child nutrition program funds as administrative fees in 2021 alone, and Bock and other employees received additional kickbacks, which were often disguised as “consulting fees” paid to shell companies, the charging documents said.
According to an FBI affidavit unsealed earlier this year, Feeding Our Future received $307,000 in reimbursements from the USDA in 2018, $3.45 million in 2019 and $42.7 million in 2020. The amount of reimbursements jumped to $197.9 million in 2021.
Court documents say the Minnesota Department of Education was growing concerned about the rapid increase in the number of sites sponsored by Feeding Our Future, as well as the increase in reimbursements.
The department began scrutinizing Feeding Our Future’s site applications more carefully, and denied dozens of them. In response, Bock sued the department in November 2020, alleging discrimination, saying the majority of her sites are based in immigrant communities. That case has since been dismissed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2022-09-20T17:10:59+00:00 | kwtx.com | https://www.kwtx.com/2022/09/20/feds-minnesota-food-scheme-stole-250-million-47-people-charged/ |
RAPA NUI, Chile (AP) — Rapa Nui – the remote Chilean territory in the mid-Pacific widely known as Easter Island – is home to a Catholic church featuring artwork that reflects that islanders’ ancestral culture as well as Christian beliefs. Among the eye-catching works are stained glass windows -- created by a French-born artist – that portray figures resembling Rapa Nui’s inhabitants.
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The artist, Delphine Poulain, was born in Paris 52 years ago and has been in love with Rapa Nui since she first visited in 1994. She smiles at the memory.
“I was riding a horse through the beach when I first I thought ‘I want to live here,’” she said.
At the time, Poulain lived in Tahiti, working as a professional sailor and often traveling to other islands of Polynesia. One trip to Rapa Nui was enough to envision a future home in this land of extinct volcanoes and monolithic statues called moai, though almost three decades passed before that dream came true.
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At times, Poulain worked as a nurse. She became a boat decorator. She occasionally returned to Paris, but her fascination for Polynesia repeatedly brought her back to the Pacific.
On one of those trips back to France, she fell back in love with the man who had been her teenage boyfriend. Now they have two children of their own, and the four of them have made a home in Rapa Nui since 2014.
Poulain says she treasures the freedom and the tranquility provided by the remoteness of the island, home to about 7,700 people.
Last year, thankful for the blessings that Rapa Nui has bestowed on her, Poulain offered a gift: stained-glass windows representing the 14 Stations of the Cross in Holy Cross church, located in Hanga Roa, the island’s main city.
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Nowadays, the Rapanui community is mostly Catholic, but its religious practices are intertwined with its ancestral beliefs.
The musical themes that devotees sing during Mass narrate biblical passages translated to the Rapanui language. The wooden statues that portray the Virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit were not inspired by Western iconography, but by the physique and legacy of the islanders’ ancestors.
The statue of Mary, near the altar of the church, resembles a moai. Close to the main entrance, the third symbol of the Holy Trinity is not a dove, but rather a manutara -- a bird that was considered sacred during the 19th century.
Adapting Catholic iconography to the ancestral culture of Rapa Nui has been key to maintaining adherence to the religion that European missionaries came to spread during the 18th century.
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The Rapanui are protective of their identity, tending to fully welcome foreigners only if they strive to embrace the islanders’ culture. On a tomb outside Holy Cross church, where the remains of beloved missionary Sebastián Englert are kept, the epitaph reads: “He lived among us and spoke our language.”
Poulain said that winning acceptance from the locals was not easy, but she has been patient. Her stained glass windows were another step along the way: Since she began placing them in the church on December 24, 2021, some Rapanui who did not greet her before now wave their hand when they see her pass.
“I have so much respect for the island and the people,” she said. “Before I was alone, but now people know my husband and my children.”
Poulain’s commitment to integrate with the island is part of her daily life. Her family lives by the beach where, long ago, she dreamt about moving here. The color of their house resembles the area’s volcanic rock, so as not to alter the landscape. The water used at home is collected from rainfall. They rely on a solar panel for electricity.
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When they moved here, the family only had a tent to protect themselves. Now their house is a repository of what the island has given them.
The roof was built with sheet metal and the rest with wood. The dishes are washed on what used to be the bottom of a bathtub; above the dining room is a lamp that was once a metal trash can.
“There has been a lot of difficulty, but also a lot of happiness. This was my dream and living your dream is incredible,” Poulain said.
Inside her studio, there is a tree next to the makeshift desk where the artist finds inspiration. Her work begins with sketches on a blank sheet. Then she takes her images to the canvas with acrylic paint.
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For the stained glass windows promised to the church, she requires a pigment that can only be found in France, so getting it takes time and she still has 10 of the 14 windows to finish.
Poulain never formally studied art. But her parents had books at home and she remembers reading one about the mysteries of the world, where she first learned about Rapa Nui. Her artistic style has varied over the years, but the aesthetics of Polynesia have been a constant
In addition to her artwork, Poulain has seven horses, earning some income by offering horseback riding for tourists.
She sometimes sits outside her home, sipping wine, watching as her horses approach for their evening meal. The scene could be an imaginary landscape from one of her paintings; instead, it is her long-ago dream come true.
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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. | 2023-01-01T14:46:03+00:00 | seattlepi.com | https://www.seattlepi.com/entertainment/article/French-born-artist-finds-inspiration-on-remote-17688430.php |
CHICAGO – A federal warrant unsealed Thursday says agents found bomb-making materials at the apartment of the alleged gunman charged with fatally shooting seven people at a Fourth of July parade in suburban Chicago last year, a newspaper reported.
Among the items found in the Highland Park home of Robert Crimo III days after the attack were commercial components used for explosions and a timer, according to the Chicago Tribune report.
An affidavit attached to the warrant cited Crimo, 22, as telling FBI agents he mulled the possibility of deploying explosives in the attack on the annual holiday parade in Highland Park, just north of Chicago.
“It could have been planted if it worked, in theory it could have been planted . . . somewhere where it could cause harm,” Crimo was quoted as saying. “If it worked, I might have planted it early, or I might have just sat down, left the bag there, and walked away.”
The affidavit said that Crimo also told agents the explosives would have been “too heavy to carry to the parade, but he considered using them if the opportunity arose.”
A grand jury indicted Crimo in July on 21 first-degree murder counts, 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery, representing the seven people killed and dozens wounded in the attack at the holiday parade in Highland Park. He has pleaded not guilty.
The warrant was filed in U.S. District Court shortly after the shooting, though no federal charges have been filed in the case, the Tribune reported.
Last month, Crimo’s father, Robert Crimo Jr., 58, entered a not guilty plea to charges that he helped his then-19-year-old son obtain a gun license three years before the attack. A grand jury indicted him on seven counts of reckless conduct. Each count carries a maximum 3-year prison term.
The father is free on bail. His son was ordered held in jail pending trial. | 2023-03-02T23:17:53+00:00 | local10.com | https://www.local10.com/news/national/2023/03/02/warrant-bomb-materials-at-home-of-alleged-july-4th-gunman/ |
SEATTLE — Seattle's air quality is unhealthy for everyone, but especially sensitive groups.
Multiple wildfires in the Cascades caused unhealthy to very unhealthy air quality in King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties on Wednesday.
Edwin Staples bikes upwards of 12 miles a day to work, and can’t escape the recent weeks of smoke.
“It doesn't feel any better indoors than it does outdoors. I'm in the federal building and even with the air conditioning and everything it smells like a campfire inside our building,” said Staples.
The unhealthy air quality can cause health symptoms like itchy eyes, sore throat, and headache to more serious symptoms for at-risk groups.
“What we really worry about is people with underlying heart or lung conditions that can worsen those and result in asthma or COPD, exacerbations and potentially aggravating the heart as well,” said Dr. Cora Sack, a pulmonologist at the UW Medicine in the Department of Medicine and Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences.
Dr. Sack said older adults, pregnant women, and younger children are also at a higher risk.
“People should limit the amount of time they're doing strenuous activity outdoors,” said Dr. Sack.
To protect students' health, Seattle Public Schools recommended Wednesday that students stay indoors and advised schools to cancel outdoor athletic events and practices.
Doctors are also worried about long-term health impacts on those that can’t come inside.
“We're worried about people who are maybe occupationally exposed to higher levels of smoke like a firefighter who's outdoors fighting wildfire smoke for 12 hours a day for the whole season,” said Dr. Sack.
KING 5 Chief Meteorologist Mike Everett said Wednesday’s air quality is the worst it's been in recent weeks, but found a few years in the mid-1980s hit record levels.
“The big change between now and the mid-80s is that we've put a lot of regulations in place to stop pumping chlorofluorocarbons up into the atmosphere with cars and industry, but we're seeing wildfires become more frequent and more dense and see wildfire season lasting longer. There's an intersection taking place where in one way it's better in another way it’s worse,” said Everett.
Some things doctors said you can do to help, are limit your time outdoors, wear a tight-fitting N95 or P100 mask, or use a portable air purifier in your home to keep indoor air clean.
The air quality alert will stay in place until Thursday evening. | 2022-10-20T06:05:50+00:00 | king5.com | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/seattle-exposure-to-unhealthy-air-quality-experts/281-af897127-80a7-4284-874e-11f539fb3836 |
Having kids is a big decision for many families and data shows the average household size in the United States is declining. It has been for more than a century.
According to data from the US Census Bureau, the average household size has been on a consistent decline, from nearly five people in the late 1800s to 3.67 in 1960, to 3.13 in 2022.
Part of the decline is due to goals. By now, you might know that families are waiting longer to have kids due to career focus and changing lifestyles. Married couples are also less intimate than in previous generations. According to research by the University of California Berkeley, millennials report having fewer sexual encounters on average than the two generations before them. And millennials are not the only cohort facing a decline—from the late 1990s to 2014, sex for all adults dropped from 62 to 54 times a year on average. The research showed a decline in sex, mainly among white, middle-aged, married couples.
We are recovering from a pandemic— when families decided they did not want to bring kids into that world.
“There’s been this decline in what they call the corporate family, which is a family that is designed around economic production within the household,” said Amanda Stevenson, a demographer at the University of Colorado Population Center.
Back in the day, families would gather resources through offspring. The more kids you had, the more hands you had on deck. Over time, that idea evolved into family businesses like farming or a mom-and-pop shop with generations of kin running the show.
Since World War II, though, Stevenson points out that changed as kids started forging their own paths, and the idea of offspring went from a survival tool to a choice.
“The emergence of the wage economy with the industrialization of the United States changed the ways that people could get the things that they need to sustain their lives, and that was probably a far bigger driver than any change in people’s desires,” said Stevenson.
According to an analysis by the Brookings Institution, the average cost of raising a child through the age of 18 is $310,000. The numbers draw from a 2017 estimation from the USDA but account for inflation. | 2023-01-31T20:32:04+00:00 | krtv.com | https://www.krtv.com/news/national/the-average-us-household-has-been-shrinking-for-the-last-century |
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge said Wednesday that his order blocking a Florida law targeting drag shows doesn’t just apply to the restaurant that brought the lawsuit challenging it but to other venues in the state, reiterating that the legislation championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis is likely unconstitutional.
A state agency that would enforce the law had asked U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell to put on hold his preliminary injunction stopping the law from being enforced until a trial is held to determine its constitutionality while the state of Florida appeals the injunction.
Attorneys for Florida told the judge that the preliminary injunction should only apply to the Orlando restaurant that sued seeking to get the law ruled unconstitutional and not “nonparties” to the complaint.
The judge rejected that argument, saying any harm to the state of Florida is minimal if the preliminary injunction remains in place, and that all Floridians are potentially parties since free speech is at stake.
“Plaintiff is not the only party suffering injury as a result of the passage of the Act; it has a chilling effect on all members of society who fall within its reach,” Presnell wrote in his order.
The complaint was brought by the owner of a Hamburger Mary’s restaurant and bar in Orlando, which regularly hosts drag shows, including family-friendly performances on Sundays that children were invited to attend. The restaurant owner said the law was overbroad, was written vaguely and violated First Amendment rights by chilling speech.
The new law punished venues for allowing children into “adult live performances.” Though it did not mention drag shows specifically, the sponsor of the legislation said it was aimed at those performances. Venues that violated the law faced fines and the possibility of their liquor licenses being suspended or revoked. Individuals could be charged with a misdemeanor crime.
Before announcing his candidacy for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, DeSantis made anti-LGBTQ+ legislation a large part of his agenda as governor. Other bills he signed would ban gender-affirming care for minors and restrict discussion of personal pronouns in schools.
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Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at @MikeSchneiderAP | 2023-07-19T21:35:26+00:00 | pahomepage.com | https://www.pahomepage.com/news/national/ap-injunction-blocking-florida-law-targeting-drag-shows-applies-to-all-venues-judge-says/ |
NORFOLK, Va. (WRIC) — Almost $2,000,000 worth of counterfeit diabetic socks were seized by United States Customs and Border Protection officers after they were found to be in violation of trademark protections.
The nearly 120,000 pairs of counterfeit cotton foot coverings had been shipped in 579 boxes from Turkey and were on their way to an address near Washington D.C. when customs agents found the socks to be violating the “Seal of Cotton” trademark protections.
Customs officers inspected the shipment of “Hugh Ugoli” branded diabetic foot coverings on June 20, and detained the suspected fake goods the next day to verify the authenticity of the trademarks on the packaging.
The release stated that photos and documentation of the socks were then sent to trade experts used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for a final decision on the authenticity and an appraisal of the shipment. Trade experts came to the decision that the socks were indeed counterfeit and in violation of the “Seal of Cotton” trademark.
“The sheer volume of this counterfeit diabetic sock shipment is alarming. Any level of substandard manufacturing, especially of these specialty socks, seriously endangers the health and well-being of our most vulnerable citizens who rely on them for comfort and blood circulation,” said Mark Laria, CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Norfolk-Newport News.
According to a release by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, “Consumer goods bearing the Seal of Cotton trademark are certified to be manufactured according to stringent international manufacturing and safety standards.”
The entire shipment of counterfeit diabetic socks was then seized by U.S. Customs. An investigation into the incident is ongoing, and as of yet, nobody has been criminally charged. | 2022-07-14T21:17:54+00:00 | wric.com | https://www.wric.com/news/virginia-news/nearly-2-million-in-counterfeit-diabetic-socks-seized-by-u-s-customs/ |
"What advice would you give to young people who are new to social media?"
"Have you ever felt like you need to change your social media use...?"
Teens and young adults from across the country answered these questions in a text survey in 2020. Their answers are eye-opening.
"I would tell young people ... the internet is far off from reality and the more time you spend on it, the more you forget what real life is actually like...," one person wrote.
"Don't let social media control your life or your self-esteem," another texted.
The study, published in September, reveals a striking awareness about the potential harms social media can have on teenagers' mental health, but also their persistent attempts to counter these harms.
Some respondents explicitly said social media made them feel depressed. Many asked their parents to help them stop using it. Nearly two-thirds of respondents gave some version of this advice to future teens: Don't use social media. It's OK to abstain. Or delete your accounts.
"I have repeatedly deleted Instagram in an effort to improve my emotional state but then, I reinstall. Many times," a respondent wrote.
About 95% of U.S. teens today use some type of social media, and about a third say they use it "almost constantly," the Pew Research Center found in August. At the same time, teens and tweens are facing a mental health crisis. And research indicates that these two trends are intertwined: that social media can cause depression and lower life satisfaction.
While clinicians and psychologists try to come up with remedies to this crisis, some of them are realizing something paradoxical: Teens and young adults may be the best source of advice and solutions. They are the experts of these apps — not their parents.
And they've been affected by social media more than any other generation, says Emma Lembke, who's 20 and founded the Log Off Movement to help teens have a healthy relationship with social media. "We, Gen Z, have felt so tangibly the impact of being left alone to big tech's profit business model," she explains. "And that relationship is completely asymmetric, and it is just harming young people."
By listening to young people, Lembke believes, parents can work with teens to help them minimize the harms of these platforms while maximizing their benefits.
"I do believe social media has great aspects as well," says Rijul Arora, age 26, a digital wellness coach and consultant who leads a project called LookUp India, aimed at helping teens unhook from social media. "I've been given a lot of opportunities because of social media. I can amplify positive content, and I'm connecting with a lot of people worldwide."
If you're a young adult struggling to keep up with school because you can't put down your phone, Arora and Lembke don't advise trying to cut off from social media altogether. Instead, they say find the sweet spot, "where you take the positive but leave the negative."
The goal is to give youth more agency over social media apps, Arora says. "So teens are using these apps instead of the apps using teens."
And parents, this all applies to you too: Here's how to support and nudge your teen toward balanced screen use, while changing your own habits.
Step 1: Learn what you're up against
Here's what teens and young adults say over and over again: Know what you are up against with social media.
Back when Lembke was in sixth grade, she really, really, really wanted a phone.
"I remember as each one of my friends got a phone, each one of them was getting pulled away from conversations with me, from even playing on the playground," Lembke explains. "So my initial response to this phenomenon was 'OK, there must be something so magical and amazing within these social media apps."
Then she got her own phone, she says, "And I remember for the first few months I was in love with Instagram."
"One day, I think I commented, [to] Olive Garden, 'I love you.' And they responded, 'We love you, too.'" Lembke says. "And I was screaming around the house. It felt like the best day ever."
But within a few months, her time on her phone had increased from one hour to five or six hours each day. And her relationship with her phone shifted.
"I realized that the magic I thought Instagram — and all these social media apps — had was really just an illusion," she says. "As I began to scroll more, I felt my mental, and physical health really suffer."
Lembke wishes someone would have told her about this possibility before she began using social media.
"I have an anxiety disorder, and I have OCD," Lembke told Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., in March 2022, during a roundtable hosted by the nonprofit Accountable Tech. "I was never warned that entering these online platforms would only amplify the things that I already struggle with."
Meta's global head of safety, Antigone Davis, said in a statement emailed to NPR that the company refers to research on social media and feedback from teens and families. The company has launched "more than 30 tools to support families," she says, including some "that allow teens and parents to navigate social media safely together."
A representative from TikTok noted in an email that the company released a tool in March for users to monitor their screen time.
So here's what Lembke and other young people want you to know about how the apps work:
1. These apps aren't necessarily going to improve your life. They aren't necessarily going to help your fear of missing out. In fact, some teens say their feelings of FOMO actually worsened after starting social media. And for teenagers who are already struggling with mental health problems, studies suggest that social media can exacerbate these issues.
2. The goal is to keep you on the phone, even if you don't want to stay. Even if you feel like social media is hurting you. The apps are designed to keep you using them so you can see ads. That's how social media companies make money, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg explained to Congress in 2018.
Social media apps tap into an ancient pathway in your brain that makes you crave using them and makes it extremely difficult to stop, says neuroscientist Anne-Noël Samaha at the University of Montreal. "Social media apps know very well how to exploit human behavior to keep you coming back."
Many teens say they feel like social media apps control them instead of vice versa. "I felt this addiction. I felt this pull, as if I had lost agency...," Lembke said to Sen. Blumenthal. "As a young female, as a young person, that's incredibly scary."
But here's the third thing teens say, over and over again about social media overuse: You can break the habit. And it starts with one key step: a digital audit.
Step 2: Get your baseline
Because of the way social media taps into our brain circuitry, most of the time we hardly realize we're using the apps. It's habitual or even subconscious. That's why young people suggest doing a digital audit to help bring this usage into your consciousness.
For a project in high school English class, Sofie Keppler tracked the time she spent on each app on her phone each day for a week. The results triggered several big epiphanies for the 16-year-old: "First, that I was using my phone like a lot — I mean a lot — more than I thought," she says.
Second, "it made me think like, maybe I should limit myself ... so I'm not always on social media, and I'm talking to everyone around me," she says. "The more I was on the phone, the more I was ignoring people in social settings."
Ironically, you can do a digital audit easily with an app, such as Apple Screen Time, Moment, Toggl Track and Rescue Time.
"Facts don't lie ... [tracking my usage] really got my eyes to open up," Lembke says on the Log Off podcast. "When I downloaded Moment and I saw I had like 200 pickups of my phone each day, I was horrified. People don't understand those statistics ... until they really, really see them."
Then once you understand your baseline, have self-compassion, says Rijul Arora, who has struggled with what he describes as an addiction to social media himself. Don't feel ashamed or anxious about it.
In workshops he gives on managing social media use, he tells teens: "Even if you have very high screen time ... first acknowledge that you're doing that, and it's OK to be that way," he says. Then when a teen seems ready to change, he adds: "It's not OK to stay that way."
Which brings us to the next step.
Step 3: Add "friction" to make yourself pause
Just as friction on the road slows down your car, friction on social media slows your usage. Basically, it's adding apps that throw up small obstacles when using social media. Friction makes you pause for a bit and think before you mindlessly log on, scroll or click.
Some "friction" even makes you take breaths, fill out a wellness survey or meditate after some amount of time engaged with social media.
Adding friction is surprisingly easy. Again, there are a bunch of apps. Lembke recommends HabitLab from Stanford University. The app uses more than 20 interventions to reduce your time on whatever apps you choose. For example, HabitLab runs a clock at the top of the screen showing how much time you've spent on the app. It also blocks your news feeds and even stops your scroll after a certain amount of time.
For some apps, it uses an intervention called "Feed Diet," which hides recommended content. Or it uses the "Mission Goal" intervention, which makes you type in why you're entering this site.
Other friction apps include Moment, Freedom, Forest and Screentime Genie. Both Instagram and TikTok also have tools inside the apps to add friction.
Do these friction apps work? "Oh, I think my screen time decreased by like 80%" while using HabitLab, Lembke says.
If you're tired of apps, Lembke recommends something she created: the five-minute power scroll. While looking at your news feed, stop at each image for five minutes. Say to yourself, "OK, with this image and with this person, why am I following them? Does this image make me happy? Am I benefiting from their content?" And if not, "unfollow them and give yourself grace to do that," Lembke says.
This five-minute power scroll helps you reflect on why you're using the app and what you want to prioritize during your time online, she says. "It's how can I maximize its benefits for me, while mitigating its harms."
Step 4: Hack your apps' default settings
On many apps, Arora says, the default settings tickle his brain circuitry in a way that amplifies his cravings and habitual overuse.
"Never go by the default settings that tech companies give you," says Arora. "Kids love this tip! Because they hate to be manipulated."
Over and over again, teens say that turning off notifications is the first — perhaps the most critical — step here. You can do it for only certain times of day, if you need.
But also explore all the setting options, Arora says, including those related to privacy, your feed, comments and likes. "For example, many people don't realize that you can turn off 'likes' on Instagram," he says. "This helps reduce the competitiveness of the app."
And if an app recommends videos or other content, or starts the next video on auto-play, don't click. Go and find the video you want to look at, Lembke says. Remember, she says, you're in charge. Not the app.
Both Instagram and TikTok have information for parents on how to set up teens' accounts in a way that makes them safer but also can help with overuse.
For example, TikTok has started setting all users under age 18 to a screen time limit of 60 minutes each day. When they reach that limit, the app prompts them to enter a passcode if they want to keep watching, "requiring them to make an active decision to extend that time," the company explained in March.
And in Instagram, teens can turn on notifications that urge them to "take a break" after a certain amount of scrolling. The app will also "suggest that they set reminders to take more breaks in the future," Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, noted in December 2021.
Step 5: Enrich your 3D life
This one is huge. And it comes from Alassane Sow, 20, who's studying environmental microbiology at Michigan State University. He and many other young people notice that they use social media when they're bored (or stressed and need a distraction).
"A lot of people have a sort of shame when they see that they have 10 hours of screen time a day, and they don't like that," Sow explains. "But they don't have anything else to do — or they feel like they don't."
Sow saw this in himself. "At some point, I realized that I couldn't sit down for five minutes in my own space without looking at my phone for some sort of stimulus. That's when I noticed, like, something was off," he says.
So he went out and started to find other hobbies that don't use his phone. He even has a special name for this: long-format entertainment. These are activities that take time to complete, such as reading a book, or drawing a picture.
"These activities make sure my brain isn't only entertained by short videos and stuff like that," he explains.
"I consciously plan to do them — instead of being on my phone, I say to myself, 'I'm going to read a chapter of this book today or I'm going to go see my friends — that's my favorite thing to do."
Psychologists, psychiatrists and therapists agree wholeheartedly with Sow. Reinvigorating your life offline is critical to healthy social media usage. Then cutting down social media becomes much easier. You don't have to accept boredom offline.
"I'm a big believer in passion in your life," explains therapist Bob Keane at Walden Behavioral Care. "What do you really like to learn? What gets you really excited besides your phone? And that's, I think, what we really have to encourage kids to develop."
Not sure where to get started finding a passion? Lembke's Log Off project has a whole series of projects and challenges to try, from dipping your toe into the 3D world to taking on big, long-term projects.
Step 6: Reach out to your parents for help — or if you're a parent, get involved
This isn't ironic or a joke. Teenagers say over and over again that they want their parents to help them regulate their social media use.
They don't want parents to rip the phone away or be controlling or bossy. And they definitely don't want to feel judged or shamed for their social media use. But they want parents to listen empathetically, offer gentle advice and set up guard rails. Even some rules. They want help learning to manage their device themselves.
"In order to prevent addiction and manage digital wellbeing, it is important for parents to set boundaries for their children/teenagers," writes recent high school graduate Keegan Lee in a blog post on Log Off, called "A Message from Gen Z to Parents." Lee describes how to talk to teens about their usage and gives some ideas for how to set up rules, including "Try to keep tech out of the bedroom."
"Children may not like this suggestion," she continues, "however, explain to them the purpose of the bedroom is used to rest and recharge."
Also, Lee suggests setting clear consequences and punishments when kids violate tech rules. And "revisit the rules frequently," she writes. If parents don't help kids manage their screen use, she explains, no one else will.
Keane at Walden Behavioral Care says teenagers in his support group told him the same idea. "The kids were pretty clear to us that they need help," he says. "They need help figuring out ways to be able to manage this because they told us, clearly, 'We can't do it by ourselves.' "
And the rules need to apply to the whole family, including the parents themselves. "For example, if you have a family dinner, no one has a device at the table," Keane suggests. "If a parent is driving your adolescent to a game or a practice ... the parent can say, 'If you're going to want me to drive you, you're not on your phone, you're talking to me.' "
The goal is simple but critical: Get kids back in the habit of socializing face-to-face. Because unlike online interactions, talking to other humans in person "is the glue of genuine human connection," says therapist Kameron Mendes, who works with Keane at Walden Behavioral Center. And it's time to replenish that glue.
"Adolescence is when kids start to become their own people in the world," Mendes adds. "They try on finding friends, connecting with other people and connecting with other types of values and ideas. For that process to take hold and flourish, we really need to restore some level of human connection."
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-05-17T21:25:19+00:00 | wyomingpublicmedia.org | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2023-05-17/teens-say-social-media-is-stressing-them-out-heres-how-to-help-them |
The U.S. Mint has revealed the design of a quarter featuring singer Celia Cruz. She's the first Afro Latina to have the honor. And her signature slogan "Azucar!" (sugar!) is on the coin, too.
Copyright 2023 NPR
The U.S. Mint has revealed the design of a quarter featuring singer Celia Cruz. She's the first Afro Latina to have the honor. And her signature slogan "Azucar!" (sugar!) is on the coin, too.
Copyright 2023 NPR | 2023-07-25T10:36:53+00:00 | klcc.org | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2023-07-25/new-quarter-will-feature-legendary-singer-celia-cruz-u-s-mint-says |
Some worshippers switching congregations amid United Methodist split over LGBTQ issues
(AP) - The Rev. Bill Farmer reached the point where he couldn’t stay in the United Methodist Church anymore — but the congregation he attended was staying.
Michael Hahn always wanted to stay in the UMC — but his congregation was leaving it.
Each has found new church homes, and they’re not alone.
Thousands of United Methodist congregations have been voting on whether to stay or quit one of the nation’s largest denominations amid intractable debates over theology and the role of LGBTQ people. There are sharp differences over recognizing same-sex marriage and ordaining LGBTQ clergy.
But the dividing line isn’t just running between congregations. It’s running right through the pews of individual churches, separating people who had long worshipped together.
Those who come up on the short end of a disaffiliation vote face the dilemma of whether stay or go.
The splintering — often grievous and tense — has spurred new initiatives to provide havens for the unmoored. Some United Methodist regional conferences have begun designating “Lighthouse” congregations — ones that actively welcome people who wanted to stay United Methodist but whose former churches voted to leave. Other conferences use different names, such as “Beacon” or “Oasis,” but the idea is the same.
“The pain is real, and there is a lot of grief and a lot of heartache over the split in the United Methodist Church,” said the Rev. Lynn Ferguson, the great-grandchild of a circuit-riding Methodist pastor.
Her North Carolina church, First United Methodist Asheboro, became a Lighthouse congregation. That assures newcomers that it’s committed to staying United Methodist, so they won’t have to worry about another disaffiliation vote. More than 400 congregations have disaffiliated in North Carolina.
Ferguson said she can personally relate to those from departing congregations. Her childhood church — the one that shaped her faith and where at age 12 she felt the call to ministry — also voted to leave.
“Part of the Lighthouse mission is to let people know the United Methodist Church is still here and still welcoming,” said the Rev. Ed McKinney, pastor of Stokesdale United Methodist Church in Stokesdale, North Carolina, which also became a Lighthouse congregation.
Michael Hahn and his family are among a group of newcomers who have begun participating in Stokesdale after their previous congregations left the denomination.
Hahn, whose family has been Methodist for generations, said he couldn’t imagine leaving the denomination, which he values for blending faith and rationality: “It’s a place where I don’t have to check my logic and reason at the door and blindly accept things.”
Hahn said he, his wife and daughters have found “a very warm and welcoming environment” in the Stokesdale congregation, with people saying, “We’re glad to have you here. We want to walk through this period with you.”
Many of the departing churches are joining the conservative Global Methodist Church, created last year. Others are going independent or joining different denominations.
While the Global Methodist Church doesn’t have a program like the Lighthouse initiative, it has begun launching or adopting congregations that can become homes for those who want to leave the United Methodist Church but whose congregations are staying.
That was the case with the founders of Grace Methodist Church. They launched the church in January in Homosassa, Florida, after their previous congregation voted to stay in the UMC. The new church immediately affiliated with the Global Methodist Church.
Grace Methodist has been renting a former lodge hall for its services and has already started Bible studies and community outreaches, while also working to attract attendees from their neighborhood.
“We’re not there just to go to church on Sunday for an hour; we’re there to help the community,” said member Neil Kline. The enthusiasm of participants is evident, he said: “They can’t wait to get to church, and they don’t want to leave.”
Farmer came out of retirement to serve as the church’s pastor.
The group’s previous congregation “was a good church,” Farmer said, and he wished it well. But “my struggle was with the United Methodist structure, what’s going on in the United States, particularly.”
The ongoing schism has been long in the making.
The United Methodist Church — with about 6.5 million members in the United States and at least that many abroad — has long debated its bans on same-sex marriages and the ordination of openly LGBTQ clergy.
The denomination has repeatedly upheld the bans, largely through the voting strength of the growing, more conservative churches abroad. But conservatives chose to form a new denomination amid growing defiance of the bans in U.S. churches.
More than 3,500 U.S. congregations have received their local conferences’ permission to disaffiliate from the UMC, according to United Methodist News Service. With conference season underway, disaffiliations are closing in on 4,000 and could rise even more by the end of the year, said the Rev. Jay Therrell, president of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a conservative group advocating for departing congregations.
That’s a fraction of the United Methodists’ 30,000 U.S. churches, though several of the departing congregations are among the largest in their states.
Therrell said he had no problem with the Lighthouse concept but renewed his call to allow churches to disaffiliate on reasonable terms.
“I want everyone to be in the theological home that is the best fit,” Therrell said. “Certainly, the United Methodist Church is welcome to try to create churches to do that. I hope they would respect traditionalists and allow us to get to the place where we need to be.”
In the Arkansas Conference, more than 100 churches — out of roughly 600 total — have received permission to disaffiliate. That leaves parts of the state with few or no remaining United Methodist congregations, said the Rev. Michael Roberts, director of the conference’s new Restart Initiative, which is hoping to enlist congregations to be Beacon churches. Such churches would invite self-described “exiles, refugees, nomads” to worship services, help them start home groups or develop other ways to keep them connected.
“We’re just really simply inviting churches to consider how they can provide this kind of hospitality,” Roberts said. “I love the word ‘hospitality’ because the word ‘hospital’ comes from that word. It is about providing healing.”
In the Western Pennsylvania Conference, 17 congregations officially became Lighthouse congregations as of May 1.
About a third of the estimated 800 churches in the Western Pennsylvania Conference — a sprawling 23-county region — are seeking to have their disaffiliations approved at the conference’s June annual meeting, according to Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi.
“There have been very few votes where it was unanimous,” she said. For those on the short end of those votes — sometimes described as pilgrims — the Lighthouse congregations offer places where they can join or just find temporary harbor until they figure out next steps.
But Lighthouse churches aren’t places to settle into old routines, she said.
“This has been an opportunity to really think about folks who are unchurched, and how this nucleus of people looking for a church home might help us discern needs in the community and create faith communities” to reach people in new ways.
Added B.T. Gilligan, senior pastor at Nixon United Methodist Church, a Lighthouse congregation in Butler, Pennsylvania: “I really hope this extends and goes far beyond the disaffiliation, but allows for people who have been hurt by churches for all different kinds of reasons.”
___
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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2023-05-23T13:29:32+00:00 | wagmtv.com | https://www.wagmtv.com/2023/05/23/some-worshippers-switching-congregations-amid-united-methodist-split-over-lgbtq-issues/ |
Working as a journalist in Moscow seemed a natural fit for Evan Gershkovich, the son of immigrants from the Soviet Union who grew up speaking Russian at home in Princeton, N.J.
After he graduated in 2014 from Bowdoin College, one of the country’s most selective schools, however, “it took me awhile to figure out that journalism was the career for me,” he said in a 2020 interview on the school’s website.
Now Russia’s Federal Security Service says the 31-year-old American reporter for The Wall Street Journal has been arrested on charges of espionage. The FSB, the country’s top security agency and successor to the KGB, said Gershkovich was collecting information on an enterprise of the military-industrial complex.
The Journal denied the allegations and demanded his release.
Sarah Conly, a retired philosophy professor at Bowdoin, recalled that Gershkovich was unafraid to speak up while other students hung back.
“He was lively and outspoken and not afraid to express his views,” she said in an email. “I have followed his career with admiration and am horrified at this outcome.”
After college, Gershkovich worked for an environmental organization in Southeast Asia, then moved to New York and worked as a cook until joining The New York Times as a clerk on the foreign desk.
Two years later, excited by what he’d learned at the Times, he wanted to get reporting experience and found a slot in 2017 at the Moscow Times, an English-language news site in the Russian capital.
“When you start reporting in Russia, you often hear that it will be very hard to get people to talk,” he said in the Bowdoin interview. “And while that may be true of Russian officialdom -– though not all of it -– I have found that if you go looking for the right people, many of them want to tell their stories.
“Of course, some will want their comments to be from an unnamed source, which means, as a reporter, you have to make sure you speak to them over encrypted channels and protect their identities. But they’re out there,” he said.
Gershkovich later moved to the French news agency Agence France-Presse and then to the Journal.
Friends and colleagues were shocked by the news and took to social media to describe him as a committed journalist, dismissing the allegations as bogus and ridiculous.
“Journalism is not a crime,” they posted.
Henry Foy, the Financial Times’ European diplomatic correspondent based in Brussels, tweeted: “Evan is an exemplary foreign correspondent, a brilliant reporter and a wonderful, kind-hearted friend.”
Joshua Yaffa, a Russia-Ukraine reporter for The New Yorker, posted: “Evan was not unaware or naïve about the risks. It’s not like he was in Russia because no one bothered to tell him it was dangerous. He is a brave, committed, professional journalist who traveled to Russia to report on stories of import and interest.”
Oliver Carrol, a foreign correspondent for The Economist, tweeted that he hopes Gershkovich’s bravery “carries through in these very dark hours. It’s something you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. Let alone Evan, who is one of the nicest guys in journalism.”
Many foreign journalists pulled out of Russia after the country enacted laws to punish anyone who discredits Russian forces in Ukraine, and the U.S. State Department has repeatedly advised all Americans to leave the country.
The new law has left many of the remaining journalists uncertain about what would be considered crossing the line. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “those carrying out normal journalistic activity will obviously keep working, if they have proper accreditation. There will be no problems with that.”
Russian political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya tweeted that ”the problem is that the recently updated legislation and the FSB’s interpretation of espionage today allow for the imprisonment of anyone who is simply interested in military affairs.”
Gershkovich is the first American reporter to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff of U.S. News and World Report was arrested by the KGB. Daniloff was released without charge 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the Soviet Union’s U.N. mission who was arrested by the FBI, also on spying charges.
One other American is in prison on a spying conviction: former Marine and corporate security executive Paul Whelan, arrested in 2018 on charges the United States and his family say were trumped-up.
For Whelan’s brother David, Gershkovich’s arrest is painful.
“Our family is sorry to hear that another American family will have to experience the same trauma that we have had to endure for the past 1,553 days,” he said in a statement. | 2023-03-31T15:49:58+00:00 | valleycentral.com | https://www.valleycentral.com/green-living/top-story/ap-top-headlines/american-detained-in-russia-a-brave-committed-journalist/ |
Supreme Court rejects COVID-19 shot mandate case from New York
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court declined on Thursday to take up a case involving a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for health care workers in New York that does not offer an exemption for religious reasons.
The court’s action follows a decision in December in which the justices declined an emergency request to halt the requirement. At the time, doctors, nurses and other medical workers who said they were being forced to choose between their jobs and religious beliefs.
Three conservative justices — Neil Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito — dissented earlier and did so again Thursday.
New York is one of three states, along with Maine and Rhode Island, that do not accommodate health care workers who object to the vaccine on religious grounds.
The court had previously turned away health care workers in Maine, who filed a similar challenge, with the same three justices in dissent.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2022-06-30T15:36:11+00:00 | fox5vegas.com | https://www.fox5vegas.com/2022/06/30/supreme-court-rejects-covid-19-shot-mandate-case-new-york/ |
Officials identify 61-year-old Florida postal worker killed in vicious attack by 5 dogs
A Florida postal worker who died after being attacked by a pack of dogs has been identified as 61-year-old Pam Rock.
Officials say Rock was attacked by five dogs when her mail truck broke down Sunday in Interlachen, Florida.
"She just started this job in December. She had finished up her training and she was just so excited for this new adventure," Kaydee Richley, Rock's niece, told First Coast News.
Neighbors rushed to try and spook the dogs away from Rock, and one fired a gun in an attempt to scare them. Sheriff's deputies found the woman bleeding on the ground and rushed her to the hospital in critical condition.
"She had one arm amputated before she passed, and they had her other limbs in slings trying to save them. Her heart stopped twice and her blood pressure was all over the place," said Richley.
One of the neighbors that tried to save Rock described her as sweet and said she would leave apples in the mailbox for horses.
Richley says family members are stunned and heartbroken by Rock's death.
"How did it get so far? Why was there just so many dogs just able to get to her? Where were the owners? Why were they not locked up?" she said.
County officials say the five dogs will be euthanized, and the owner may face charges.
Brothers Tyler Neelson and Evan Russo told News4JAX that the dogs have been a nuisance for a while.
"They're like a pack of hyenas," Neelson said.
The brothers added that the dogs were not kept inside the owner's property by a fence and that they would often jump the enclosure or go underneath it.
"They step on the logs back there and just go straight over it," Russo said. | 2022-08-25T23:48:38+00:00 | wisn.com | https://www.wisn.com/article/florida-dog-attack-pam-rock/40993771 |
The five people who were killed when a tornado barreled through their Missouri village were inside a mobile home or adjacent camper that were obliterated, authorities said Thursday.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol released the names of the victims. Glenn Burcks, 62, lived in the mobile home. Susan Sullivan, 57, also lived there along with her 37-year-old nephew, James Skaggs. Also killed were Sullivan’s 16-year-old granddaughter, Destinee Nicole Koenig of Sikeston, Missouri, and 18-year-old Michael McCoy. Koenig’s obituary said McCoy was her boyfriend.
The tornado strafed a 22-mile (35-kilometer) stretch of southeastern Missouri, including Glenallen, starting shortly after 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. It came during a week of violent storms and tornadoes in the central and southern U.S., including Kentucky, where National Weather Service said Thursday that it was surveying damage from three EF-1 twisters that touched down.
Glenallen, which is home to only about 60 people and sits in a hilly and isolated area of southeastern Missouri, got the worst of Wednesday’s tornado, which the weather service characterized as an EF-2, with winds of 130 mph (209 kph). A fire station and church were destroyed, and dozens of homes were damaged, many beyond repair. The mobile home and camper where the five people were smashed beyond recognition.
Highway Patrol Sgt. Clark Parrott said investigators aren’t sure if any of the victims were in the camper when the tornado hit.
The mobile home essentially exploded, leaving only scattered debris and a rusted metal chassis. Some shards of metal stuck to tree limbs. Tattered remains of furniture sat in a field. A few old photos, videotapes and even baseball cards dotted the mud near the home’s concrete pad.
Koenig was a sophomore at New Madrid High School and loved animals, especially cats and dogs. A message seeking comment from the school district wasn’t immediately returned.
Sullivan worked as a teacher for Head Start for about 15 years, according to her obituary. She had a fondness for her dog, “Baby,” and for pigs.
Skaggs “loved to take pictures, have fun and be the life of the party,” his obituary stated.
Obituaries for Burcks and McCoy had not been posted as of midday Thursday.
In Kentucky, preliminary findings on Thursday indicated that tornadoes struck the Pleasure Ridge Park and Newburg sections of Louisville, meteorologist Brian Neudorff said. The storm toppled trees and power lines and tore the roof off an apartment building.
A separate tornado with maximum winds of 110 mph (177 kph) touched down in the Brandonburg area of Mead County, less than an hour southwest of Louisville, Neudorff said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Bob Oravec, a lead weather service forecaster, said more severe weather was possible Thursday in an area stretching from eastern Texas to the mid-Atlantic states.
___
Salter reported from O’Fallon, Missouri and Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas. Jennifer Garske and Nancy Benac in Washington, D.C., and John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia, contributed to this report.
___
What to do if a tornado hits your home: https://apnews.com/article/tornado-home-destroyed-what-to-do-42ab3f90a3b129acf6b1d2ddaded754b | 2023-04-06T18:43:26+00:00 | wnct.com | https://www.wnct.com/news/national/patrol-missouri-tornado-victims-were-in-trailer-or-camper/ |
NEW YORK (WXIN) – All Mariah Carey wants for Christmas this year is to invite you to New York City for a holiday weekend of a lifetime.
The so-called “Queen of Christmas” teamed up with Booking.com to give fans a chance to book Mariah’s Ultimate Holiday Experience in New York City.
The package will have you “feeling emotions” with its three-night stay for two at The Plaza, as well as cocktails and a photo shoot at Carey’s Tribeca penthouse, and tickets to her “Merry Christmas To All!” concert at Madison Square Garden.
The long weekend takes place between Dec. 16-19, and is jam-packed with an itinerary curated by Carey herself. It also includes dinner reservations at some of her favorite restaurants and a stop atop one of the Big Apple’s most iconic destinations: Rockefeller Center.
“Christmas in New York is an experience of a lifetime, so I partnered with Booking.com to create a special holiday-themed travel experience in my hometown during the most wonderful time of the year,” said the award-winning singer, songwriter, actress and record producer.
“For one time only, I’m giving two fans the opportunity to have an unforgettable and magical extravaganza! I hope the bookers will enjoy the chance to see my concert at Madison Square Garden, visit the Top of the Rock, eat at my favorite restaurants, and stay at a luxurious NYC hotel,” she said.
The booking will open at 5 p.m. on Dec. 14 and will operate on a first-come, first-served basis. It will cost only $20.19, in honor of the year Carey’s holiday mega-hit “All I Want for Christmas” first reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Here is everything the three-day experience will include:
- Cocktail hour in a private space at Carey’s New York City penthouse apartment
- A professional Christmas card photo shoot on her rooftop terrace
- A three-night stay in a Grand Luxe King room at The Plaza, a Fairmont Hotel
- Flights, airport transfers, and local transportation to and from attractions and activities
- Tickets to Carey’s “Merry Christmas To All!” concert at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 16
- A signed copy of Carey’s new holiday classic book, “The Christmas Princess”
- A shopping spree at Saks Fifth Avenue
- Stops at Top of the Rock for a private guided tour
- VIP ice skating experience in front of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree with a private skating session, VIP hospitality tent for hot cocoa and photo moments, all set to a soundtrack of some of Carey’s greatest hits
- Tickets to the “Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes,” presented by QVC, including a VIP pre-show reception and a private tour of Radio City Music Hall as well as the opportunity to meet a Radio City Rockette
- Dinner reservations at Carey’s favorite New York City restaurants, including Nobu and Mr. Chow
Carey will not be at her penthouse during the visit, and the winners will have to sign a non-disclosure agreement for security purposes. Guests must also be at least 21 years old to book the holiday package.
“All I Want for Christmas for You” earned three Guinness World Records in 2019: highest-charting holiday (Christmas/New Year) song on the Billboard US Hot 100 by a solo artist, most streamed track on Spotify in 24 hours (female), and most weeks in the U.K. singles Top 10 chart for a Christmas song.
The Recording Industry Association of America also awarded Carey the Diamond Award in 2021 for “All I Want for Christmas is You” after reaching 10 million in sales and streaming units in the United States. | 2022-11-30T21:59:38+00:00 | localsyr.com | https://www.localsyr.com/news/national/mariah-carey-opening-her-nyc-penthouse-during-ultimate-holiday-experience/ |
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ The winning numbers in Wednesday evening's drawing of the Indiana Lottery's "Hoosier Lotto" game were:
09-10-14-19-21-22
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(nine, ten, fourteen, nineteen, twenty-one, twenty-two)
Estimated jackpot: $6,000,000 | 2022-12-08T05:50:50+00:00 | seattlepi.com | https://www.seattlepi.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Hoosier-Lotto-game-17639381.php |
Twitter suspends Kathy Griffin for Elon Musk joke
(CNN) – Kathy Griffin was kicked off Twitter after she impersonated Elon Musk, the new owner of the social media platform.
Griffin was among the high-profile users who changed their names on their own verified accounts over the weekend to impersonate musk.
Others who also did that include comedian Sarah Silverman and actress Valerie Bertinelli.
They said they wanted to raise awareness of potential flaws with Musk’s new plan for verifying accounts.
Twitter said it plans to roll out an $8 per month subscription to keep “blue checks.”
Critics of this plan said it could allow people to pay that fee and have fake accounts under someone else’s name.
For his part, Musk mocked Griffin and her Twitter ban by saying Griffin was “suspended for impersonating a comedian.”
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | 2022-11-07T23:39:40+00:00 | kwch.com | https://www.kwch.com/2022/11/07/twitter-suspends-kathy-griffin-elon-musk-joke/ |
GENEVA (AP) — The Premier League was urged Thursday to review a legally binding promise made by the owners of English soccer club Newcastle in 2021 that Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund was separate from the country’s government.
An American court document filed by lawyers for Saudi-backed LIV Golf in a case against the PGA Tour revealed this week claimed the Public Investment Fund should be regarded as “a foreign state.”
The document appeared to contradict a legal assurance accepted by the Premier League when a protracted takeover of Newcastle was completed in October 2021 with PIF having an 80% ownership stake.
At that time, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters told the BBC in an interview the Saudi state would not control Newcastle and, if this was proved untrue, “we can remove the consortium as owners.”
Human rights group Amnesty International, which campaigned against the takeover deal, said Thursday it should be looked at again.
“The Premier League will surely need to re-examine the assurances made about the non-involvement of the Saudi authorities in the Newcastle deal,” Amnesty economic affairs director Peter Frankental said in a statement.
“It was always stretching credulity to breaking point to imagine that the Saudi state wasn’t directing the buyout,” Frankental said, adding the deal had “the ultimate aim of using the club as a component in its wider sportswashing efforts.”
The Premier League on Thursday declined to comment on the issue.
The 300 million pound ($358 million) takeover was popular with most Newcastle fans. The club has moved from the Premier League’s relegation zone 17 months ago to contending for a place in the Champions League this season. In some games, the team has worn a white and green jersey like the Saudi national team.
In the United States court case, lawyers for LIV Golf argued that PIF and its governor, Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan, were “not ordinary third parties” and should be exempted from some standards in the discovery phase of the case.
“They are a sovereign instrumentality of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the filing said, adding the discovery order was “an extraordinary infringement on the sovereignty of a foreign state.”
PIF is chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, and six of the other eight board members listed on its website are government ministers. It says it has assets under its management valued last year at $620 billion.
At a soccer industry conference in London on Thursday, Newcastle co-owner Amanda Staveley described PIF as “effectively a pension fund.”
“They are managing money for future generations,” Staveley said at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit during a panel discussion.
The panel did not address the American court document.
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2023-03-03T04:30:57+00:00 | ktalnews.com | https://www.ktalnews.com/sports/ap-premier-league-urged-to-review-saudi-newcastle-deal/ |
LOS ANGELES — Viola Davis has achieved EGOT status.
The actor won a Grammy Award Sunday for best audio book, narration, and storytelling recording for her memoir “Finding Me.”
“I just EGOT!” she shouted from the stage as she accepted the trophy, using the term for the rare person who's won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award during their career.
The celebrated actor has two Tonys, most recently for “Fences” in 2010, she won an Emmy in 2015 for “How to Get Away with Murder,” and won an Oscar in 2017 for the film version of “Fences.”
“Oh, my God," she said. "I wrote this book to honor the 6-year- old Viola, to honor her, her life, her joy, her trauma, everything. And it has just been such a journey.”
The audiobook category has seen some seriously famous winners, including Michelle Obama and ex-presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.
Davis’ fellow nominees this year included Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jamie Foxx, and one of the other 17 members of the EGOT club, Mel Brooks.
Other EGOT winners include Jennifer Hudson, John Legend and Rita Moreno.
Who has an EGOT?
- Richard Rodgers (1962)
- Helen Hayes (1977)
- Rita Moreno (1977)
- John Gielgud (1991)
- Audrey Hepburn (1993)
- Marvin Hamlisch (1995)
- Jonathan Tunick (1997)
- Mel Brooks (2001)
- Mike Nichols (2001)
- Whoopi Goldberg (2002)
- Scott Rudin (2012)
- Robert Lopez (2014)
- John Legend (2018)
- Andrew Lloyd Webber (2018)
- Tim Rice (2018)
- Alan Menken (2020)
- Jennifer Hudson (2022)
- Viola Davis (2023) | 2023-02-06T00:16:38+00:00 | ktvb.com | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/nation-world/viola-davis-grammys-egot/507-71066807-5779-41cd-8dd6-c55ec2963c4a |
WASHINGTON — The FBI search of former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort has triggered a host of questions with potentially serious legal implications for Trump, legal experts said on Tuesday.
Much is still unknown about what Trump termed a “raid” on his residence, which is part of a federal investigation into whether he improperly took classified materials with him when he left the White House. But the decision to take the unprecedented step of searching an ex-president’s home would likely have required the sign off of top officials including Attorney General Merrick Garland as well as a federal judge, and would not have been taken lightly, former prosecutors said.
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“These are very careful lawyers who would not take a monumental step like this without carefully thinking through both the legal and political consequences,” said Howard Sklamberg, a former Department of Justice official who prosecuted former Clinton administration National Security Adviser Sandy Berger for sneaking copies of highly classified documents out of the National Archives. Berger ultimately pleaded guilty and was fined $50,000 and given two years’ probation.
What few details that are public come from Trump, who on Monday said in a statement that his Florida residence was “occupied by a large group of FBI agents” who “broke into my safe.”
The press secretary for President Biden, Karine Jean-Pierre, said the White House was not made aware of the search in advance and declined to comment further. She instead referred reporters to the Justice Department, which has remained silent on the move.
Neither Trump nor the Justice Department has released a copy of the warrant, which would detail what the government believed was present, and where and why it was believed to be important. However, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that Trump’s lawyer said the warrant cited laws dealing with the handling of classified information and the Presidential Records Act.
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The inquiry into Trump’s handling of White House documents was one of the less-watched areas of potential legal liability for the ex-president. Several of his advisers have been summoned to appear before a grand jury in Fulton County, Ga., over Trump’s efforts to pressure election officials in the days after the 2020 vote, and he also faces an upcoming deposition in a separate civil case in New York targeting his business.
This comparatively under-the-radar inquiry into his handling of classified documents first popped into view last February, when the National Archives confirmed that classified material was found in 15 boxes that Trump had taken with him from the White House and were returned to the archives the month prior. Presidential records are the property of the government and must reside at the National Archives. Federal officials began to suspect he did not return all the materials, according to the Post. Trump claimed he and his team had been cooperating with the government as he criticized the decision to conduct a search.
Former prosecutors said the decision to obtain a search warrant presented some intriguing possibilities about how the inquiry had progressed — and what that could mean for Trump’s legal standing.
For starters, getting a warrant requires fresh evidence, meaning agents would have had to demonstrate they had reason to believe documents were still there — not just that they were present months ago. That could mean the federal agents had a source directing them toward a particular document or documents, some speculated.
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“I can’t imagine them taking a chance to search a former president’s home and coming up empty handed,” tweeted Asha Rangappa, a legal commentator and former FBI agent.
But what might come of the search, legally, remains to be seen. It is not enough for documents to be present for there to be criminal conduct, said Danya Perry, a defense attorney and former federal prosecutor. The most likely criminal statute, which penalizes anyone who “conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, or destroys, or attempts to do so,” an official record, requires that the conduct be done “willfully and unlawfully,” meaning that prosecutors must establish the intent of the offender. Other statutes could also apply, including another on the retention of classified material.
“The government would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump was aware that it was unlawful for him to have these documents at Mar-a-Lago,” Perry said.
A veteran of one of the few high-profile prosecutions of a government official for such offenses, Sklamberg said the ability to prove intent would be one consideration the Justice Department would weigh, likely even before seeking the warrant. But there are other factors.
“You don’t charge every case you theoretically can, and a big factor, historically, in these types of cases is, why: Why did the person do it?” Sklamberg said. “There’s another question: What was the damage to national security?”
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Making some particularly sensitive documents public during a trial can also raise national security concerns, which Sklamberg said can often deter prosecutions of otherwise winnable cases.
One example of a nonprosecution in a case involving allegations of improper handling of classified materials was that of former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, Trump’s opponent in the 2016 election. Trump used to lead his crowd in chants of “lock her up” over her use of a private server for e-mails including a handful that were classified.
In announcing that the FBI would not recommend charges against Clinton, then-FBI Director James Comey characterized her and her team’s actions as “extremely careless” but said “no reasonable prosecutor would bring” a case based on the circumstances, given the mishandling was not clearly intentional.
If Trump still had classified documents in his possession more than seven months after he was supposed to turn them over to the archives, that could help the Justice Department make the case he had the intent to conceal them. Trump also claimed agents broke open his safe, which suggests agents believed he may have been intentionally hiding some documents. That could potentially constitute a crime on its own, even if originally bringing the documents home wasn’t.
The Justice Department has remained silent on what it was looking for and what it found. But if agents found documents suggesting evidence of another crime, it would have been fair game for them to take them, former prosecutors said. And any documents within the records Trump was allegedly retaining that apply to other prosecutions could also be shared.
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In the absence of clarity, speculation has swirled, with much of the conservative media and political ecosystem casting the Justice Department as politically motivated.
But the wait for information may continue.
“I think we’re now going to see things accelerating on the accountability front, that’s my hope and my belief,” said Glenn Kirschner, a former federal prosecutor and legal analyst who argues there is already sufficient evidence in the public sphere to prove multiple criminal charges against Trump.
But he also added a note of caution. “I hate to throw a wet blanket on the accountability party that we’re presently celebrating, but [former Trump lawyer] Rudy Giuliani’s electronic devices were seized [nearly] 16 months ago … and where are we with Rudy? We’re exactly nowhere on the criminal charges front.”
Tal Kopan can be reached at tal.kopan@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @talkopan. | 2022-08-10T00:32:35+00:00 | bostonglobe.com | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/08/09/nation/mar-a-lago-search-sparks-questions-about-trumps-potential-legal-peril/ |
ATLANTA (AP) — A new Georgia commission to discipline and remove wayward prosecutors would be the latest move nationwide to ratchet up oversight on what Republicans see as “woke prosecutors” who aren't doing enough to fight crime.
The Georgia House voted 97-77 on Monday for Senate Bill 92 to create the commission. The Senate later sent the measure to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature or veto. Kemp has previously voiced support for the concept.
The Georgia bill parallels efforts to remove prosecutors in Florida, Missouri, Indiana and Pennsylvania, as well as broader disputes nationwide over how certain criminal offenses should be charged. All continue anti-crime campaigns that Republicans ran nationwide last year, accusing Democrats of coddling criminals and acting improperly by refusing to prosecute whole categories of crimes including marijuana possession. All the efforts raise the question of prosecutorial discretion — a prosecutor's decision of what cases to try or reject and what charges to bring.
Carissa Hessick, a law professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said the Republican push tries to reverse a sea change in prosecution. Hessick, who directs the Prosecutors and Politics Project, said that for the first time voters are confronted with meaningful debate about prosecutors' policies.
“I think it's happened because several years ago, there was a push to try to use the office of prosecutor to address mass incarceration and injustices within the criminal justice system,” she said. “That movement was successful in a lot of places.”
Georgia Democrats intensely oppose the measure, saying majority Republicans are seeking another way to impose their will on local Democratic voters.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has decried the measure, claiming it's a racist attack after voters elected 14 nonwhite district attorneys in Georgia in 2020. Willis pushed herself to the center of the controversy even as she's mulling charges against former President Donald Trump for interfering in Georgia's 2020 election. Some have viewed it as Republican retribution against the Atlanta prosecutor.
But the energy behind the bill has not been against Willis, whom in addition to targeting Trump is pursuing a tough-on-crime offensive against alleged gang members. Instead, many Georgia Republicans are most angered by Deborah Gonzalez, a district attorney who covers two counties including Athens, Kemp's hometown. She's under fire for refusal to prosecute marijuana crimes, an outflow of prosecutors working under her, and failure to meet court deadlines.
“That’s the whole point of this bill, is to restore public safety in places where you have rogue district attorneys who simply are not doing their job,” said Georgia Republican Rep. Houston Gaines of Athens.
The effort was born from frustrations involving a white Republican prosecutor in suburban Atlanta who was indicted for bribery related to sexual harassment claims. He lingered until he pleaded guilty to unprofessional conduct and resigned in 2022.
Some Democrats were interested in similar measures for a time because of Jackie Johnson, the coastal Georgia district attorney later charged with hindering the police investigation into the 2020 killing of Ahmaud Arbery.
Democratic interest cooled after voters ousted Johnson. Now they say Republicans should respect the will of local voters.
Rep. Tanya Miller, an Atlanta Democrat and former prosecutor, on Monday described the bill as a “a power grab by the majority party to usurp the will of the voters by putting this body in the business of overseeing duly elected prosecutors throughout this state.”
Crucially, the Georgia bill mandates that a prosecutor must consider every case for which probable cause exists and can't exclude categories of cases from prosecution. A similar bill pending in Indiana would let an oversight board appoint a special prosecutor to handle cases when a “noncompliant” prosecutor refuses to charge certain crimes.
Hessick said considering every case individually is an unrealistic standard because prosecutors turn away many more cases than they accept. She said the Georgia law is less likely to change prosecutors' decisions about which cases they pursue than to muzzle their ability to talk about their decisions.
“It's designed to stop them from running on these platforms of reform,” Hessick said.
The rules could also target prosecutors who declared before Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022 that they would not prosecute abortion-related offenses. Seven current Georgia district attorneys made such pledges, among dozens nationwide.
In some states, such laws could face hurdles. A New York court struck down a 2018 commission to investigate prosecutorial conduct after district attorneys sued saying it gave state lawmakers too much oversight over independent offices.
Then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2021 signed another version into law. The commission isn't yet operating because some members haven't been appointed, a court spokesperson said.
Georgia lawmakers can already impeach district attorneys and solicitors general — elected prosecutors in some Georgia counties who handle lower-level cases. But they say impeachment would take up too much of lawmakers' time. Instead, the new commission would investigate and make decisions. A prosecutor could appeal a decision to a state-level court, and eventually to the state Supreme Court.
Impeachment is proceeding in Pennsylvania, where state House Republicans voted in November to impeach Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner for reasons including his failure to prosecute some minor crimes, his bail policies and management.
Krasner sued to challenge the impeachment's legality, and a divided state court ruled for him, finding impeachment articles didn't reach the needed legal threshold.
Plans for an impeachment trial in the Republican-majority Pennsylvania Senate have been on hold while that decision is appealed. In the meantime, the Republican majority that voted to impeach in the House is now a Democratic majority. It's unclear what that will mean for any trial.
Other governors and legislatures have moved more directly to remove prosecutors. Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended State Attorney Andrew Warren in Tampa's Hillsborough County in August. A federal judge found DeSantis illegally targeted Warren because he's a Democrat who has publicly supported abortion and transgender rights and because it would politically benefit DeSantis. But the judge wrote he had no power to reinstate Warren, leading the Democrat to appeal to the state Supreme Court.
In the meantime, the prosecutor that DeSantis tapped to replace Warren has resumed prosecuting some misdemeanors — including suspended licenses, disorderly conduct and panhandling — that Warren had stopped bringing to trial.
The GOP-led Missouri legislature is also maneuvering to override a Democratic prosecutor — St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner. It would let Republican Gov. Mike Parson appoint an additional special prosecutor for five years in any jurisdiction where the homicide rate exceeds 35 killings per 100,000 residents. The bill was drafted with St. Louis in mind.
Also, Missouri Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey is seeking to remove Gardner from office, alleging negligence in her job. If a judge agrees, Parson would appoint her replacement. A hearing date hasn't been set.
—-
Associated Press writers Jim Salter in O'Fallon, Missouri, Alana Durkin Richer in Boston and Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.
Credit: AP
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Credit: AP | 2023-03-28T05:34:26+00:00 | springfieldnewssun.com | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/georgia-bill-is-latest-gop-effort-targeting-prosecutors/SRXQMTHI3BDUFBMZXU3XCLPUHY/ |
Eastern Illinois Panthers (7-12, 3-3 OVC) at Tennessee State Tigers (10-9, 2-4 OVC)
The Panthers have gone 3-3 against OVC opponents. Eastern Illinois is 4-6 against opponents with a winning record.
The Tigers and Panthers meet Thursday for the first time in OVC play this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jr. Clay is averaging 18.2 points and 4.5 assists for the Tigers. Marcus Fitzgerald Jr. is averaging 13.3 points over the last 10 games for Tennessee State.
Hodges is scoring 13.4 points per game with 3.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists for the Panthers. Yaakema Rose Jr. is averaging 9.9 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 38.5% over the last 10 games for Eastern Illinois.
LAST 10 GAMES: Tigers: 5-5, averaging 80.4 points, 33.9 rebounds, 11.3 assists, 5.9 steals and 3.2 blocks per game while shooting 44.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 77.5 points per game.
Panthers: 5-5, averaging 68.2 points, 28.8 rebounds, 13.7 assists, 8.3 steals and 3.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 71.3 points.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. | 2023-01-18T09:51:33+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/tennessee-state-hosts-hodges-and-eastern-illinois/2023/01/18/09c6b88e-970d-11ed-a173-61e055ec24ef_story.html |
(KTLA) – Look, but don’t touch. That’s the message from marine biologists as Southern California sees an influx of jellyfish-like creatures known as Velella velella, or By-the-Wind Sailors.
On Saturday, Dana Wharf Whale Watching in Orange County posted a video of the strange, purple blobs that travel with the ocean currents and winds.
Beachgoers say they are washing ashore by the thousands along the Southern California coast, including at Huntington Beach, Zuma Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Salt Creek Beach. They have also been spotted further north.
By-the-Wind sailors are known as colonial hydroids, meaning they’re comprised of a colony of tiny creatures, similar to the Portuguese Man O’War. The animals aren’t classified as jellyfish, despite their jelly-like appearance.
They feed on algae and zooplankton and are a favorite meal for sunfish, according to Nona the Naturalist with Dana Wharf Whale Watching.
When they wash up on beaches, the creatures can look like “deflated balloons” or pieces of plastic. They also start to lose their color as they dry on land.
They’ve washed up along the California coastline en masse before. Between 2014 and 2016, several hundred thousand By-the-Wind Sailors blanketed West Coast beaches and drew crowds to check them out, the Orange County Register reported.
Like jellyfish, By-the-Wind Sailors also have stinging cells, so marine biologists say people should avoid touching them. But generally, they are not considered to be dangerous to humans. | 2023-04-09T20:30:52+00:00 | ksn.com | https://www.ksn.com/news/thousands-of-purple-creatures-wash-ashore-in-california/ |
RICHMOND, Ind., Feb. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Richmond Mutual Bancorporation, Inc. (NASDAQ: RMBI) (the "Company") announced today that the Company's annual meeting of shareholders will be held on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. The voting record date for shareholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting will be March 31, 2023.
About Richmond Mutual Bancorporation, Inc.
Richmond Mutual Bancorporation, Inc., headquartered in Richmond, Indiana, is the holding company for First Bank Richmond, a community-oriented financial institution offering traditional financial and trust services within its local communities through its eight locations in Richmond, Centerville, Cambridge City and Shelbyville, Indiana, its five locations in Sidney, Piqua and Troy, Ohio and its loan production office in Columbus, Ohio.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not historical facts may be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements often include words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," and "intend" or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would," "should," "could," or "may." Forward-looking statements, by their nature, are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in such statements, including potential adverse impacts to economic conditions in our local market areas, other markets where the Company has lending relationships, or other aspects of the Company's business operations or financial markets, including, without limitation, as a result of employment levels, labor shortages and the effects of inflation, a potential recession or slowed economic growth caused by increasing political instability from acts of war including Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as well as increased prices and supply chain disruptions and any governmental or societal response to new COVID-19 variants; significant short-term interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve; recessionary pressures caused by inflation and the Federal Reserve actions to combat inflation; legislative changes; changes in policies by regulatory agencies; fluctuations in interest rates; the risks of lending and investing activities, including changes in the level and direction of loan delinquencies and write-offs and changes in estimates of the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses; the Company's ability to access cost-effective funding; fluctuations in real estate values and both residential and commercial real estate market conditions; demand for loans and deposits in the Company's market area; changes in management's business strategies; changes in the regulatory and tax environments in which the Company operates; and other factors described in the Company's latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available at www.firstbankrichmond.com and on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. The Company does not undertake—and specifically disclaims any obligation—to revise any forward-looking statement to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statement.
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SOURCE Richmond Mutual Bancorporation, Inc. | 2023-02-06T22:31:41+00:00 | kswo.com | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/02/06/richmond-mutual-bancorporation-inc-announces-annual-shareholders-meeting-date/ |
In the span of 10 days, Tulsa is hosting a trio of significant sporting events: the BMX Legacy Nationals, the PGA Championship and Ironman.
With visitors from across the world coming to town, lodging throughout the area — including roughly 17,000 hotel rooms — has been booked for weeks. Hotels are getting close to a full return to normalcy following the COVID-19 pandemic, and a busy May will be a significant boost.
“Just being able to showcase the city as a whole has been amazing,” said Travis Taylor, president-elect of the Metro Tulsa Hotel and Lodging Association. “Hotels are usually at the core of that because people need a place to stay as they venture out, make a base camp as they go and explore. We definitely are excited to have these events.”
Taylor, who is director of operations at the Hyatt Regency Downtown, said rooms at his hotel were snatched up last year amid the announcement that the PGA Championship was coming to Southern Hills Country Club. Practice rounds began Monday and end Wednesday, and the tournament rounds are Thursday through Sunday.
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“Whenever it’s a big event like this, once we hear about the event, it’s almost instantaneous (that rooms are sold out),” Taylor said. “When they made the announcement, we were already getting phone calls from corporations and guests wanting to come in and see it.
“If Garth Brooks was to announce tomorrow that he was doing a concert, I guarantee we would sell out almost immediately just because it’s just such a big event. That’s just how the PGA is. It’s like the Super Bowl of golf.”
That also means a lot of work for hotels, some of which are continuing to face staffing shortages.
“I think there’s initially a sense of pride and then there’s a sense of terror and then the pride again and then you get excitement,” Taylor said, “and then you start planning it.”
Airbnbs also have become a popular option, with many Tulsa-area hosts reaping the benefits of high demand for places to stay near the course. Lodging creates a large portion of the estimated $140 million economic impact the PGA Championship has on the Tulsa area.
“It’s good for everybody, not just hotels — the restaurants, gas stations, mom-and-pop boutiques,” Taylor said. “Everybody gets a little piece of the action whenever events like these are in town.”
PGA Championship week: Complete coverage as another major at Southern Hills is set to begin this week
PGA Championship week is finally here. Practice rounds are Monday-Wednesday and Round 1 begins at 7 a.m. Thursday. Below is all the preview stories from the Sunday Tulsa World, from in-depth profiles to things to do in Tulsa to what to bring/not bring to the course.
TV schedule
Thursday-Friday: 1-7 p.m. ESPN
Saturday: 7-9 a.m.: ESPN+ ¦ 9 a.m.-Noon: ESPN ¦ Noon-6 p.m.: CBS
Sunday: 7-9 a.m.: ESPN+ ¦ 9-Noon: ESPN ¦ Noon-6 p.m.: CBS
We'll also have coverage from the practice rounds as well as extensive coverage once championship play begins Thursday. Check back to Tulsaworld.com for updates during the week.
Golfers who have lived in Oklahoma or attended college in the state took to the course Monday at Southern Hills Country Club to prepare for th…
Follow all of Monday's practice and preliminary action from the PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club.
Would Rickie Fowler leave the PGA Tour? Plus an unlikely link to the Tulsa Drillers left one tour pro smiling following a Monday practice round.
Rickie Fowler arrives at the PGA Championship this week ranked No. 146 in the world and mired in the longest, driest slump of his career. Speaking Monday, the 33-year-old believes he close to returning to form.
Gooch, who is from Midwest City, says playing in the local PGA Championship is "what a kid from Oklahoma who went to Oklahoma State dreams about.”
Tiger Woods is the same age, 46, as Jack Nicklaus was when Nicklaus won his 18th and final major, the 1986 Masters.
Practice rounds are underway at Tulsa's Southern Hills in anticipation of the PGA Championship this week. Tiger Woods is already drawing crowd…
"My list is eclectic. I want people to see cool stuff, eat at the best places and maybe learn something." says editorial writer Bob Doucette.
A review of all the PGA Championships from 2008-21.
Picking the brains of a phenom, a technician, a caddie, a club champion and a pair of PGA major winners so that we might pick the lock on the 2022 PGA Championship in Tulsa.
Feherty, a golf broadcaster who enjoys making people laugh, is returning to Tulsa for the PGA Championship, and he's bringing his one-man show to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
When everything around Vitkor Hovland was changing in 2019, he sought something constant. Three years later, the world's sixth-ranked men's golfer still resides in Stillwater with a chance to win his first major in Tulsa this week.
The tournament — one of four majors in golf — is estimated to generate a $143 million economic impact in the weeks leading up to and following it.
From gate hours to parking to accessibility to COVID-19 and food and drink, here's what you need to know ahead of the 104th PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club.
When everything around Vitkor Hovland was changing in 2019, he sought something constant. Three years later, the world's sixth-ranked men's golfer still resides in Stillwater with a chance to win his first major in Tulsa this week.
From gate hours to parking to accessibility to COVID-19 and food and drink, here's what you need to know ahead of the 104th PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club.
Van Pelt is on the same fame line as legendary anchors Chris Berman, Bob Ley, Robin Roberts, Dan Patrick, Keith Olbermann and Stuart Scott.
Tulsa's celebrated golf course has hosted the sport's best players since Babe Didrikson Zaharias won the U.S. Women's Amateur in 1946
Abraham Ancer kicked off the most prolific era of OU golf this century with the Sooners from 2010-13. This week, nearly a decade since leaving Norman, he returns to the fairways of Oklahoma for the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
His game looked better during last week’s Wells Fargo Championship: He opened with a 65 and finished in a tie for 25th.
No ticket is necessary. Fans also can take a free photo with the Wanamaker Trophy.
What is there to do in Tulsa? Entertainment options include a world-class park, a Twilight Zone-ish downtown attraction, music venues, sharks, dinosaurs and a comic con.
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Check out our latest digital-only offer and subscribe now: Tulsaworld.com/subscribe | 2022-05-18T00:46:45+00:00 | tulsaworld.com | https://tulsaworld.com/sports/golf/no-room-at-the-inn-tulsa-hotels-occupied-because-of-pga-championship-other-events-in/article_3ada61f2-d627-11ec-8905-f7145620ee07.html |
BEIJING (AP) — China’ is prepared to “resolutely smash any form of Taiwan independence,” its military said Tuesday, as the U.S. reportedly prepares to accelerate the sale of defensive weapons and other military assistance to the self-governing island democracy.
A recent increase in exchanges between the U.S. and Taiwanese militaries is an “extremely wrong and dangerous move,” Defense Ministry spokesperson Col. Tan Kefei said in a statement and video posted online.
China’s People’s Liberation Army “continues to strengthen military training and preparations and will resolutely smash any form of Taiwanese independence secession along with attempts at outside interference, and will resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Tan said, in a reference to Taiwan’s closest ally, the United States.
China claims the island of 23 million people as its own territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary.
With the world’s largest navy, latest-generation fighter jets and a huge arsenal of ballistic missiles, China has been upping its threats by sending planes and warships into waters and airspace around Taiwan. With more than 2 million members, the PLA also ranks as the world’s largest standing military, although transporting even a portion of the force in the event of an invasion is considered a huge logistical challenge.
Along with daily air and sea incursions around Taiwan, Beijing has held military exercises in and around the Taiwan Strait dividing the sides, seen in part as a rehearsal for a blockade or invasion that would have massive consequences for security and economies worldwide.
Such actions seek to harass Taiwan’s military and intimidate politicians and voters who will choose a new president and legislature next year.
The moves appear to have had limited effect, with most Taiwanese firmly in favor of maintaining their de facto independent status. Politicians and other public figures from Europe and the U.S. have also been making frequent trips to Taipei to show their support, despite their countries’ lack of formal diplomatic ties in deference to Beijing.
Tan’s comments were prompted by a question from an unidentified reporter about reports that U.S. President Joe Biden is preparing to approve the sale of $500 million in arms to Taiwan, as well as sending more than 100 military personnel to evaluate training methods and offer suggestions for improving the island’s defenses.
Taiwan enjoys strong support from both the U.S. Democratic and Republican parties, which have called on the Biden administration to follow through on nearly $19 billion in military items approved for sale but not yet delivered to Taiwan.
Administration officials have blamed the delayed deliveries on bottlenecks in production related to issues from the COVID-19 pandemic to limited capacity and increased demand for arms to assist Ukraine. Biden’s move would allow the export of items from existing U.S. military stockpiles, speeding up the delivery of at least some of the hardware Taiwan needs to deter or repel any Chinese attack.
Among the items on backorder are Harpoon anti-ship missiles, F-16 fighter jets, shoulder-fired Javelin and Stinger missiles and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, a multiple rocket and missile launcher mounted on a truck that has become a crucial weapon for Ukrainian troops battling Russian invasion forces.
Tan’s comments were in line with Beijing’s standard tone on what it calls the “core of China’s core interests.” The two sides split at the end of a civil war in 1949 and Beijing considers bringing Taiwan under its control as key to asserting its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Attempts to “seek independence by relying on the United States” and “seek independence by military might” are a “dead end,” Tan said.
With China-U.S. relations at a historic low and Taiwanese unreceptive to Beijing’s demands for political concessions on unification, concerns are rising about the likelihood of an open conflict involving all three sides and possibly U.S. treaty allies such as Japan.
China’s diplomatic and economic support for Russia following its invasion of Ukraine has also increased tensions with Washington. Beijing is believed to be closely studying Moscow’s military failures in the conflict, while the Western will to back Kyiv is seen by some as a test of its determination to side with Taiwan in the event of a conflict with China. | 2023-05-16T23:19:53+00:00 | pahomepage.com | https://www.pahomepage.com/news/international/china-says-ready-to-smash-taiwan-self-rule-as-us-prepares-major-arms-package-sends-advisers/ |
LONDON (AP) — Artificial intelligence has been used to extract John Lennon's voice from an old demo to create “the last Beatles record,” decades after the band broke up, Paul McCartney said Tuesday.
McCartney, 80, told the BBC that the technology was used to separate the Beatles' voices from background sounds during the making of director Peter Jackson's 2021 documentary series, “The Beatles: Get Back." The “new” song is set to be released later this year, he said.
Jackson was “able to extricate John’s voice from a ropey little bit of cassette and a piano,” McCartney told BBC radio. “He could separate them with AI, he’d tell the machine ‘That’s a voice, this is a guitar, lose the guitar’.”
“So when we came to make what will be the last Beatles record, it was a demo that John had that we worked on," he added. “We were able to take John’s voice and get it pure through this AI so then we could mix the record as you would do. It gives you some sort of leeway.”
McCartney didn't identify the name of the demo, but the BBC and others said it was likely to be an unfinished 1978 love song by Lennon called “Now and Then.” The demo was included on a cassette labeled “For Paul” that McCartney had received from Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, the BBC reported.
McCartney described AI technology as “kind of scary but exciting," adding: “We will just have to see where that leads.”
The same technology enabled McCartney to "duet" virtually with Lennon, who was murdered in 1980, on "I've Got a Feeling" last year at Glastonbury Festival.
Holly Herndon, a multidisciplinary artist with a doctorate in composition from Stanford University, used nascent AI machine technology on her last album, 2019's "Proto," and developed Holly+, an online protocol that allows the public to upload tracks to be reinterpreted and performed by a deepfake version of her voice. She theorizes that the Beatles' recording was likely created using a process called "source separation."
"Source separation has become much easier to do with machine learning. This allows you to extract a voice from a recording, isolating it so that you might accompany it with new instrumentation,” she explains.
That differs from a deepfake vocal. "A deepfake is an entirely new vocal line spawned from a machine learning model trained on old vocal lines," she said. "While it does not appear to be happening in this example, it is now possible to spawn infinite new media from analyzing older material, which is a similar process, in spirit, to this song."
McCartney is set to open an exhibition later this month at the National Portrait Gallery in London featuring previously unseen photographs that he took during the early days of the Beatles at the start of “Beatlemania,” when the band rose to worldwide fame.
The exhibition, titled “Eyes of the Storm,” showcases more than 250 photos McCartney took on his camera between 1963 and 1964 — including portraits of Ringo Starr, George Harrison and Lennon, as well as Beatles manager Brian Epstein.
___
This story has been corrected to show that the title of McCartney’s photo exhibition is “Eyes of the Storm,” not “Eye of the Storm.”
___
Sherman reported from Los Angeles. | 2023-06-14T00:19:11+00:00 | springfieldnewssun.com | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/the-beatles-are-releasing-their-final-record-ai-helped-make-it-possible/7UE647BHDBDCJJTFMLOJUIFHVI/ |
NPR's Juana Summers speaks with Barcelona-based reporter Alan Ruiz-Terol about 15 women soccer players renouncing to play for the Spanish national team.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Juana Summers speaks with Barcelona-based reporter Alan Ruiz-Terol about 15 women soccer players renouncing to play for the Spanish national team.
Copyright 2022 NPR | 2022-09-30T22:31:34+00:00 | wbfo.org | https://www.wbfo.org/2022-09-30/players-on-spains-women-soccer-team-say-they-wont-play-until-changes-are-made |
The award will support research of RAE cHealth as a digital community support tool to promote recovery from substance use disorder.
CHICAGO, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital therapeutic leader RAE Health today announced they have been awarded their second SBIR (NIH Small Business Innovation Research award), 1R44DA056162-01. RAE's cHealth division will utilize this award to further expand their digital platform to address socioeconomic barriers to treatment and recovery while facilitating peer-to-peer recovery integration into substance use disorder rehabilitation programs. The cHealth platform aims to address and fill a much-needed gap with digital inequalities within SUD treatment to individuals across socioeconomic barriers.
This award builds on and furthers RAE's development of their software platform and mobile application currently being used to detect stress and cravings with wearable sensor technology facilitating just-in-time interventions. The grant award will be used to build on RAE's prior published studies and clinical trial focused on RAE's real-time, automated behavioral interventions triggered by digital biomarkers. Real-time alerting offers a personalized intervention approach to mental health and treatment, an area that NIDA and behavioral research experts have identified as a critical next step for the field of drug abuse treatment. Supporting this study across disparate socioeconomic sectors has gained significant support of the company from a wide variety of industry and political stakeholders and thought leaders.
"cHealth will impact treatment by providing immediate feedback to those in recovery as well as to those who serve them. Having real-time data on the status of a patient in the recovery process allows for tailoring of interventions to the individual, especially for peer service providers who live and work in the communities affected.
The industry speaks often about meeting the person in recovery where they are at and RAE's cHealth provides the opportunity to do just that. Better information, awareness, and response will lead to better outcomes. Better outcomes will have remarkable effects on those served, their families, and community." Chris Haasan, CEO, Rae Health
The research for this grant will be conducted through joint efforts of Stephanie Carreiro, M.D., PhD of University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School and Premananda Indic, PhD of the University Texas at Tyler, RAE's primary research collaborators.
About RAE Health
RAE Health (www.raehealth.com) is a mental health solutions company that bridges the gap between mobile health and digital therapeutics. The platform utilizes a patented algorithm with a wearable device tied to a mobile app to detect patterns of stress and cravings in real time.
This provides individuals, patients, caregivers, providers, and our licensees a clinically objective detection and intervention tool for better mental health. Current and developing applications include substance use disorders, pain management, suicide prevention, PTSD, eating disorders, anxiety, and depression.
RAE's technology has been the subject of multiple published research studies funded in part by the National Institute of Health (NIH). It is time for individuals everywhere to Realize, Analyze, and Engage.
Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute On Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R44DA056162. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Media Contact:
Alex Walden
RAE Health
775.443.7836
alex@Raehealth.com/. info@raehealth.com
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SOURCE RAE Health | 2022-08-03T16:18:58+00:00 | kwtx.com | https://www.kwtx.com/prnewswire/2022/08/03/rae-health-awarded-second-small-business-innovation-research-award-national-institutes-health/ |
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (WFLA) — The sheriff’s office in Polk County, Florida, says a 19-year-old “self-proclaimed rapper” has been charged with first-degree murder.
In a news conference Thursday, Sheriff Grady Judd said La’Darion Chandler was charged with the shooting death of 33-year-old John McGhee on Dec. 17, 2022.
The charge comes after Chandler was accused of pointing a gun at someone at the Secret Cove subdivision in Lakeland on Feb. 22. While being held without bond in the Polk County Jail, investigators said witness interviews and tips from the community connected him to last year’s shooting.
The shooting victim belonged to a rival gang, according to the sheriff’s office. He died from his injuries on Jan. 9.
“Our crime is at a 51-year low, and our violent crime was down last year. Shootings like this one don’t represent what’s going on all over Polk County,” Judd said. “But there is a problem with very young gangsters shooting at each other — a problem that we aim to solve. The suspects in shootings like this one aren’t even supposed to have guns.”
Judd said Chandler mentioned the alleged murder in a rap song. “Only the shooter would have known he shot the guy in the back,” Judd said, referencing one of the lyrics.
Deputies searched Chandler’s home and found ammo in a duffel bag, but did not find the gun used in the alleged crimes. Heartland Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who with information that could help law enforcement locate it.
“We will pay $5,000 to recover the gun used in this homicide. Contact Heartland Crime Stoppers: we get the gun, and you get a whole lot of cash,” Judd said.
Chandler has been charged with first degree murder, delinquent in possession of a firearm and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. | 2023-03-03T00:16:02+00:00 | keloland.com | https://www.keloland.com/news/national-world-news/teen-rapper-charged-after-writing-song-about-murder-florida-deputies-say/ |
BOISE, Idaho. (AP) — Embattled Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee has resigned at the request of the city's mayor, Lauren McLean.
The city’s announcement came Friday afternoon after KTVB reported this week that nine officers had filed complaints against Lee, and after an investigation into an allegation that he injured a high-ranking officer during a training demonstration last year.
Sgt. Kirk Rush has said Lee broke parts of his neck during the demonstration, which required surgery to repair. Clearwater Prosecutor Clayne Tyler late last month told officials that while he felt there was probable cause to support charging Lee with felony battery, he wasn’t sure he could prove the crime in court.
Lee’s attorney Chuck Peterson said earlier this year that Rush’s claims were “completely untrue.”
McLean told the Idaho Statesman Friday she was having “conversations about management” and examining Lee’s role within the department.
Boise City spokesperson Maria Weeg told KTVB: “It became clear to the mayor the department needed different leadership.”
Lee’s resignation will take effect Oct. 14, but he will be placed on leave until then, city officials said in a statement.
McLean has appointed retired officer Ron Winegar as acting chief. | 2022-09-24T01:05:08+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Embattled-Boise-police-chief-resigns-at-mayor-s-17463369.php |
WASILLA, Alaska (AP) — Sarah Palinisn’t used to sharing the spotlight.
In the nearly 14 years since she burst onto the national political scene, the former Alaska governor has appeared on reality television programs, written books, spent time as a Fox News contributor, formed a political action committee in her name and been a rumored White House contender. She more recently revived her status as a conservative sensation with an ultimately unsuccessful lawsuitagainst The New York Times.
Now, the first Republican female vice presidential nominee is vying for what could be considered a less glamorous role: a member of the U.S. House.
Palin is among 48 candidates running for Alaska’s lone House seat following the death last month of Republican Rep. Don Young, who held the job for 49 years. If successful, Palin would be one of 435 members in a chamber where ambition runs deep but legislating is tough, in no small part because of the populist politics that took hold in the aftermath of the 2008 election.
Given those dynamics, it would be easy to dismiss Palin’s candidacy as the latest headline-grabbing twist in an unconventional career. Some of her critics have sought to cast her as an opportunist seeking to bolster her brand. The opinion section of the website of Alaska’s largest newspaper is dotted with letters to the editor urging Alaskans to reject her run. Some remind readers she left the last major job she had in politics, as Alaska’s governor, with about 16 months left in her term.
But in a recent interview with The Associated Press, Palin, 58, dismissed such critiques. She insisted her commitment to Alaska has not wavered and those who suggest otherwise “don’t know me.” She said she is serious about seeking the House seat and doesn’t need a “launching pad for anything else.”
In fact, she said, her unique place in American politics would put her in a stronger position in Washington. Unlike other freshmen lawmakers, she said, she could “pick up the phone and call any reporter and be on any show if I wanted to, and it would be all about Alaska.”
“I love to work, and anyone who is around me, they know,” she said. “What I’m doing is applying for a job, for Alaskans, saying: ‘Hey, you guys would be my boss. Do you want to hire me? Because if you do, I’ll do a good job for you, and I won’t back down.’”
There’s only one former governor who is currently a member of the House — Democrat Charlie Cristof Florida. Palin faces several hurdles to get there.
One is navigating elections that will unfold in rapid order. A June 11 special primary will be the first statewide by-mail election. The four candidates who get the most votes will advance to an Aug. 16 special election, in which ranked-choice voting will be used. The winner will serve the remainder of Young’s term, which expires in January.
There also will be an August primary and November general election to determine who will serve a two-year term starting in January. Palin is one of 16 candidates so far to have filed for the regular primary.
Some voters question Palin’s decision to leave the governor’s office, a move she has attributed to an onslaught of records requests and ethics complaints she said were frivolous and had become distractions.
She has spent time out of the state but maintains a home in Wasilla, her hometown and where she got her start in politics.
“Well, I’m sorry if that narrative is out there because it’s inaccurate,” she said of the perception she had left Alaska behind. She said Alaska is her home and that she was “shoveling moose poop” in her father’s yard on a recent sunny day before calling a reporter.
She has regularly voted in state elections since leaving office, according to the Division of Elections.
“I’m still all about Carhartts and steel-toed boots and just hard work,” Palin said, referring to a popular brand of outerwear. “I just have been blessed with opportunities and a platform to get out there and tell and show other people the beauty of being an Alaskan.”
She mentions Alaskans’ hunting lifestyles and the importance of responsibly developing the state’s oil and gas resources. She said she plans to attend events, including this week’s state Republican Party convention.
The contest in Republican-leaning Alaska will do little to change the balance of power in Washington. But the election is being closely watched as a barometer of former President Donald Trump’sconnection to the GOP’s most loyal voters.
In Wasilla, Trump 2020 or Trump 2024 banners fly from several homes, the few political signs seen so far this election year. Palin said if Trump runs for president in 2024 and asks her to be his running mate, she’d consider it, though she said he could choose anyone and they haven’t had such a candid conversation.
Palin said Trump was among those who contacted her after Young’s death asking if she would be willing to run. She said this is a good time in her life to seek a return to office, politically and personally. Her family life has changed, she noted, with her four older children grown. Her youngest, Trig, is in middle school. Palin was divorced from Todd Palin, her husband of more than 30 years, in 2020.
Palin said she feels like she has “nothing to lose” in running. After having her political and personal life in the media glare for so long, “what more can they say?” she said, adding later: “To me, it’s freedom.”
Trump has endorsed Palin and has made the state’s senior U.S. senator, Lisa Murkowski, one of his top targets this year after she criticized him and voted to convict him during his second impeachment trial.
Even if Palin doesn’t win the election, she could emerge as a high-wattage critic of Murkowski, who faces voters later this year. Palin said she disagrees with Murkowski on some of her positions, including her vote to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial. But on issues like resource development in Alaska, Palin said she believed they would be “on the same sheet of music.”
Palin has perhaps the highest profile among a list of candidates that includes current and former state legislators, a North Pole city council member whose legal name is Santa Claus, and Republican Nick Begich, who got into the race last fall and has been working for months to rack up conservative support.
Begich said he considers the Matanuska-Susitna region, a conservative hotbed that includes Wasilla, as one of his strongest areas. He said he is unaware of any of his supporters defecting since Palin joined the race.
“Everyone that has come to support me remains fully supportive, and that’s a strong statement because a lot has changed,” he said.
Tim Burney, who lives in Wasilla, said he supports Palin. He said she resigned “for the good of the state” after her detractors “came at her with guns ablazing.”
“She just lives right down the road here, and, you know, she grew up here,” he said while smoking a cigarette outside the Mug-Shot Saloon after finishing lunch on a recent day.
“Her heart’s here in Alaska, and I think that she’s good for Alaska,” he said.
Joe Miller, a former Republican and now Libertarian whom Palin endorsed in two of his unsuccessful Senate races, said Palin would be no ordinary House freshman and would have an “extraordinary” platform she could use to help Alaska. He said she’s the “only anti-establishment, truly conservative” candidate in the race and that she could be the “natural repository” for voter angst over economic and other issues.
Holly Houghton, who works as a pharmacy tech, is willing to hear Palin out. Houghton, who was eating a take-out lunch with her son outside a restaurant in Wasilla recently, said she has mixed feelings about Palin and is also considering Begich.
Houghton said she doesn’t like how Palin has carried herself in her personal life but also thought she was an “excellent” governor.
Houghton said she thinks of the Begich family as Democrats and wants to look more closely at Begich. Begich’s grandfather, Democrat Nick Begich, held the House seat before Young. His uncle Mark was a Democratic U.S. senator and his uncle Tom is the state Senate’s Democratic leader.
Jesse Sumner, a member of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly, said he thinks Begich is a good candidate. Sumner filed to run for the House seat as a joke at the filing deadline, on April Fool’s Day. He later withdrew.
He said he doesn’t see Palin around town much and that Palin’s run seems to be “more like it’s about the Sarah Palin show than about Alaska.”
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Bohrer reported from Juneau, Alaska. | 2022-04-20T12:05:42+00:00 | wcia.com | https://www.wcia.com/news/national/palin-on-serving-in-congress-it-would-be-all-about-alaska/ |
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau is launching new effort to give more women a leg up in the workforce and try to narrow what data shows is a persistent pay gap between genders.
“It’s a really exciting moment for us and for families across the country,” bureau senior adviser S.J. Glynn said.
She and Bureau Director Wendy Chun-Hoon said that after Congress passed bills investing billions in infrastructure, manufacturing and clean energy projects, they want to ensure women can snag those jobs, too.
“To be able to move into a career track like that, which is higher paying, better benefits, opportunity to join a union,” Chun-Hoon explained.
To make that happen, she said, the Biden administration is pushing manufacturing companies to offer expansive child care programs because studies show access to affordable child care continues to be a barrier for women pursuing employment.
“We’ve talk to women all across the country that have been in pre-apprenticeship programs or apprenticeship programs and are interested in career in the trades and uniformly, they’ll say it is very hard to find non-standard hour child care,” Chun-Hoon said.
Labor statistics show employment among women is back to pre-pandemic levels.
“But the unemployment rate for Black women is still consistently and persistently significantly higher than for white women,” Glynn qualified.
She and Chun-Hoon said prioritizing child care could help bridge that difference, too. | 2023-03-17T23:13:57+00:00 | ourquadcities.com | https://www.ourquadcities.com/washington/washington-dc/how-the-us-labor-department-wants-to-close-the-gender-pay-gap/ |
KHOU 11 Meteorologist Chita Craft and photojournalist Ivan Gibson are on board a WC-130J Hurricane Hunter as it flies into Hurricane Ian.
The crews on board are collecting critical data from inside the storm to help track this monster hurricane's wind strength, location and more for NOAA and the National Hurricane Center.
You can track their journey in real-time on FlightAware by clicking here.
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, 3:26 p.m.
TEAL71 lands back in Mississippi.
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, 3:26 p.m.
TEAL71 officially flies out of Hurricane Ian.
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, 2:17 p.m.
Hurricane Ian makes landfall as a dangerous Category 4 hurricane near Cayo Costa, Florida with winds at 150 mph.
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, 12:15 p.m.
TEAL71 enters the eye. The plane has done four passes in the eye.
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, 12:05 p.m.
TEAL71 is about to enter the outer eye.
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, 11:30 a.m.
Chita and Ivan are onboard TEAL71 and about 15 minutes away from entering the outer edge of Hurricane Ian.
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, 10:50 a.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, 10:30 a.m.
TEAL71 is airborne.
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, 8:58 a.m.
Checking in from Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi!
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, 6:45 a.m.
KHOU 11 Meteorologist Chita Craft is in Biloxi, Mississippi where she will soon lift off to fly into the eye of Hurricane Ian with hunters.
Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, at 10 p.m.
One of the important tools meteorologists use in determining a storm's strength and movement is the amazing Hurricane Hunters that fly right into the middle of a storm.
How do they do that, and what are they doing while inside the storm? It's all about science.
Hurricane Hunters provide a lot of information about a storm, but how are they even getting inside?
They're flying a plane called a WC-130J. It's a modified version of the C-130 plane that you might see dropping that red stuff on a fire out west.
The planes are tough. They can fly for longer periods of time and they can really take a beating.
These airborne science missions are run by the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance squadron which has been flying into storms since 1944.
In the cargo section of the plane, there are two different pallets of computer systems that take all of the data from the sensors on the plane's exterior to help determine what's going on inside the storm.
The Hunters also drop parachute-type sensors -- called Sondes -- which float through the storm relaying info about a storms pressure, wind speed, and direction.
That information all comes together, gets processed and is then shared through the National Hurricane Center for us to share with all of you.
Background
While millions of residents along Florida's Gulf Coast evacuate to escape Hurricane Ian, a few brave pilots and their passengers will fly directly into the eye of the monster storm.
KHOU 11 Meteorologist Chita Craft and photojournalist Ivan Gibson will be onboard one of the Hurricane Hunters Wednesday as crews gather key data to help experts understand the structure of the storm and the winds that steer it. The information helps the National Hurricane Center develop computer models that predict the storm's power and likely landfall.
NOAA's Hurricane Hunter fleet includes two P-3 turboprop aircraft and a Gulfstream IV jet. As they fly through a storm, they can encounter extremely powerful winds over 150 miles per hour. And while they're inside one of the most destructive forces of nature, they're flying blind.
"Well, the best way I could describe it is it's sort of like riding a roller coaster through a car wash because you can't see anything out the windows in the eyewall," Hurricane Hunter Flight Director Richard Henning said in an interview on the NOAA website.
The high-tech equipment includes a device that parachutes through the hurricane to the ocean surface while feeding back data on pressure, temperature, humidity and wind.
Henning said they fly twice a day.
"This airplane will just go day, night, day, night, day, night for six days in a row. And the missions last anywhere between eight and nine hours."
According to Chita, the turboprops are a modified version of the C-130 planes used over wildfires.
"These planes are tough! They can fly for longer periods of time, and they can really take a beating!" Chita explained.
Fast facts about Hurricane Hunters
- NOAA's WP-3D turboprop aircraft fly into the eye between 8,000 and 10,000 feet above sea level. At that level, they avoid turbulent air below and icing or hail above.
- The Gulfstream jet flies over and around the storm with a cruising altitude of 45,000 feet.
- They pass through the storm at least four times each mission.
- Hurricanes can be 50,000 feet high and around 125 miles across or more. The eye diameter varies and can be around 5 to 30 miles wide.
- The information provided by the Hurricane Hunters make forecasting 30% more accurate, according to NOAA.
- The aircraft are deployed from the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center in Lakeland, Florida, or from airports in the Caribbean if needed to reach developing storms.
- These critical missions are run by the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance squadron which has been flying into storms since 1944.
- NOAA calls their hurricane hunters Miss Piggy, Kermit and Gonzo after the Muppet characters. | 2022-09-28T22:25:22+00:00 | kagstv.com | https://www.kagstv.com/article/weather/hurricane/khou-11-chita-craft-hurricane-hunter-ian/285-4d4f01fc-178a-431c-a1b9-ca4c8d62f86e |
NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
If you own shares in any of the companies listed above and
would like to discuss our investigations or have any questions concerning
this notice or your rights or interests, please contact:
Joshua Rubin, Esq.
Weiss Law
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WeissLaw LLP is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of Terminix Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TMX), in connection with the proposed acquisition of TMX by Rentokil Initial plc ("Rentokil Initial"). Pursuant to the merger agreement, TMX shareholders will receive approximately 643.29 million new Rentokil Initial shares (representing approximately 128.66 million American depository shares ("ADSs"), based on a 1:5 ADS to Rentokil Initial share ratio) and approximately $1.3 billion in cash. If you own TMX shares and wish to discuss this investigation or your rights, please call us or visit our website: https://www.weisslaw.co/news-and-cases/tmx
Weiss Law is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of Forma Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: FMTX), in connection with the proposed acquisition of FMTX by Novo Nordisk A/S via tender offer. Under the terms of the merger agreement, FMTX shareholders will receive $20.00 in cash for each share of FMTX common stock owned. If you own FMTX shares and wish to discuss this investigation or your rights, please call us or visit our website: https://www.weisslaw.co/news-and-cases/fmtx
Weiss Law is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives, Inc. (NASDAQ: IEA), in connection with the proposed acquisition of IEA by MasTec, Inc. ("MasTec"). Under the terms of the merger agreement, IEA shareholders will receive $14.00 per share in cash and 0.0483 shares of MasTec common stock for each IEA share owned, representing implied per-share merger consideration of approximately $17.23 based upon MasTec's October 3, 2022 closing price of $66.89. If you own IEA shares and wish to discuss this investigation or your rights, please call us or visit our website: https://www.weisslaw.co/news-and-cases/iea
Weiss Law is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of Meridian Bioscience, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIVO), in connection with the proposed acquisition of VIVO by SD Biosensor, Inc. ("SDB") and SJL Partners LLC ("SJL"). Under the merger agreement, VIVO shareholders will receive $34.00 in cash for each share of VIVO stock owned, leaving SDB owning approximately 60% and SJL owning approximately 40% of Meridian. If you own VIVO shares and wish to discuss this investigation or your rights, please call us or visit our website: https://www.weisslaw.co/news-and-cases/vivo
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SOURCE Weiss Law | 2022-10-04T21:17:30+00:00 | kcbd.com | https://www.kcbd.com/prnewswire/2022/10/04/shareholder-alert-weiss-law-reminds-tmx-fmtx-iea-vivo-shareholders-about-its-ongoing-investigations/ |
Later today, the world should see something remarkable: an image of some of the first galaxies to form in the universe.
The picture will come from NASA's new, $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope. NASA had planned to release it tomorrow as part of a collection of the first scientific results, but apparently the image is so dramatic that the White House has determined that President Biden should be the one to reveal it to the world.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the most sophisticated observatory ever launched. It left Earth last December. In late January, it reached its celestial parking place a million miles away from the planet. Since then, engineers have been checking out the instruments, aligning the mirrors and letting the telescope cool down so its instruments will work properly.
"Webb was built to find the first generation of galaxies that formed after the big bang," says Jane Rigby, operations project scientist for the telescope. "That is the core science goal it was built to do."
Before declaring the telescope open for business mission managers wanted to make what they call early release observations. These are intended to show that the telescope works, and as Rigby says, "are intended to be jaw-droppingly beautiful, powerful both visually and scientifically."
In addition to the image containing the earliest galaxies ever seen, NASA will also release images of a stellar nursery where stars form called the Carina Nebula, the Southern Ring Nebula, and a group of galaxies discovered in 1787 called Stephan's Quintet. There will also be an analysis of the light coming from a giant planet orbiting outside our solar system with the prosaic name WASP-96b. Those additional images are expected to come out on Tuesday morning.
Looking Back To The Beginning
Webb is designed to gather and analyze infrared light, which is at longer wavelengths than can be seen by the human eye. That will allow it to capture light from the earliest galaxies, which appear in the infrared.
Those early galaxies are far away — more than 13 billion light years — and as powerful as the Webb telescope is, they may just look like faint smudges. But those smudges will help astronomers understand more about how the universe as we know it came to be.
One of the astronomers who will be conducting the search for those earliest galaxies is Caitlin Casey, an astronomer at the University of Texas at Austin.
She says one way to look for these faint galaxies is to point the telescope at the same patch of sky for a hundred hours or more, and let the light from these distant objects trickle in. The Hubble space telescope showed this so-called deep field approach could identify lots of previously unseen galaxies.
But where Hubble was able to see ten thousand galaxies in a deep field, with Webb, "we're going to have a million galaxies," Casey says.
Beyond finding new galaxies, Casey wants to understand the large structure of the universe, what the universe would look like if you could step back and get a birds eye view of it.
"If you zoom all the way out, the entire universe looks like, you know, something like the interior of a sponge where there are these like little filaments and voids," Casey says. "So what we really want to capture is that structure."
Much More To See
But that's just the beginning. The breadth of science Webb can be used for is staggering. For example, Megan Mansfield, a NASA Sagan Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Arizona, will be using Webb to study the atmospheres of planets orbiting stars outside our solar system.
In particular, she wants to know about their atmospheres — "what they're made of, what their temperature is." That will tell her a lot about the planet itself, and whether it might be capable of sustaining life.
Anna Nierenberg of the University of California, Merced, leads a team that has cooked up a clever way to use the new telescope to try to understand the fundamental nature of dark matter, that invisible stuff that makes up a quarter of the universe. "You simply can't do that with any other instrument," she says. "If everything works it will be a big deal."
And as with any scientific instrument with new capabilities, no one really knows what secrets the Webb telescope will reveal about the universe we live in.
NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2022-07-11T23:40:39+00:00 | wlrn.org | https://www.wlrn.org/news/2022-07-11/nasas-james-webb-telescope-reveals-the-universe-as-weve-never-seen-it-before |
SUNBURY, Pa. (AP) — SUNBURY, Pa. (AP) — Weis Markets Inc. (WMK) on Monday reported net income of $25.8 million in its first quarter.
The Sunbury, Pennsylvania-based company said it had net income of 96 cents per share.
The food retailer posted revenue of $1.14 billion in the period.
_____
This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on WMK at https://www.zacks.com/ap/WMK | 2023-05-08T23:44:51+00:00 | expressnews.com | https://www.expressnews.com/business/article/weis-q1-earnings-snapshot-18086938.php |
A respected Polish scientific institute has classified domestic cats as an “invasive alien species,” citing the damage they cause to birds and other wildlife.
Some cat lovers have reacted emotionally to this month’s decision and put the key scientist behind it on the defensive.
Wojciech Solarz, a biologist at the state-run Polish Academy of Sciences, wasn’t prepared for the disapproving public response when he entered “Felis catus,” the scientific name for the common house cat, into a national database run by the academy’s Institute of Nature Conservation.
The database already had 1,786 other species listed with no objections, Solarz told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The uproar over invasive alien species No. 1,787, he said, may have resulted from some media reports that created the false impression his institute was calling for feral and other cats to be euthanized.
Solarz described the growing scientific consensus that domestic cats have a harmful impact on biodiversity given the number of birds and mammals they hunt and kill.
The criteria for including the cat among alien invasive species, “are 100% met by the cat,” he said.
In a television segment aired by independent broadcaster TVN, the biologist faced off last week against a veterinarian who challenged Solarz’s conclusion on the dangers cats pose to wildlife.
Dorota Suminska, the author of a book titled “The Happy Cat,” pointed to other causes of shrinking biodiversity, including a polluted environment and urban building facades that can kill birds in flight.
“Ask if man is on the list of non-invasive alien species,” Suminska said, arguing that cats were unfairly assigned too much blame.
Solarz pushed back, arguing that cats kill about 140 million birds in Poland each year.
Earlier this month, the Polish Academy institute published a post on its website citing the “controversy” and seeking to clarify its position. The institute stressed that it was “opposed to any cruelty towards animals.” It also argued that its classification was in line with European Union guidelines.
As far as categorizing cats as “alien,” the institute noted that “Felis catus” was domesticated probably around 10,000 years ago in the cradle of the great civilizations of the ancient Middle East, making the species alien to Europe from a strictly scientific point of view.
The institute also stressed that all it was recommending was for cat owners to limit the time their pets spend outdoors during bird breeding season.
“I have a dog, but I don’t have anything against cats,” Solarz said. | 2022-07-30T17:10:02+00:00 | bostonherald.com | https://www.bostonherald.com/2022/07/30/polish-institute-classifies-cats-as-alien-invasive-species-2/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen notified Congress on Friday that the U.S. is projected to reach its debt limit on Thursday and will then resort to “extraordinary measures” to avoid default.
In a letter to House and Senate leaders, Yellen said her actions will buy time until Congress can pass legislation that will either raise the nation’s $31.4 trillion borrowing authority or suspend it again for a period of time. But she said it’s “critical that Congress act in a timely manner.”
“Failure to meet the government’s obligations would cause irreparable harm to the U.S. economy, the livelihoods of all Americans, and global financial stability,” she said.
“In the past, even threats that the U.S. government might fail to meet its obligations have caused real harms, including the only credit rating downgrade in the history of our nation in 2011,” she said. Yellen was referring to the debt ceiling impasse during Barack Obama’s presidency, when Republicans had also just won a House majority.
In this new Congress, the debt ceiling debate will almost certainly trigger a political showdown between newly empowered GOP lawmakers who now control the House and want to cut spending and President Joe Biden and Democratic lawmakers, who had enjoyed one-party control of Washington for the past two years.
The White House has insisted that it won’t allow the nation’s credit to be held captive to the demands of GOP lawmakers.
“We have seen both Republicans and Democrats come together to deal with this issue,” White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Friday. “It is one of the basic items that Congress has to deal with and it should be done without conditions.”
House Republican leaders liken the debt ceiling to a credit card limit and have said they would only raise the statutory ceiling if doing so also secures a spending overhaul.
New House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told reporters in his first press conference that he had a “very good conversation” with Biden about the coming debt ceiling debate. “We don’t want to put any fiscal problems to our economy and we won’t, but fiscal problems would be continuing to do business as usual,” he said.
“We’ve got to change the way we are spending money.”
McCarthy has floated the kind of budget-cap deal that was engineered in the last go around on the debt ceiling during the Trump administration, which would involve capping federal spending levels in return for the House votes needed to raise the debt limit.
But any effort to compromise with House Republicans could force Biden to bend on his own priorities, whether that’s money for the IRS to ensure that wealthier Americans pay what they owe or domestic programs for children and the poor.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and new House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a joint statement Friday that “a default forced by extreme MAGA Republicans could plunge the country into a deep recession and lead to even higher costs for America’s working families on everything from mortgages and car loans to credit card interest rates.”
They said the two parties worked together to increase the debt limit three times when Trump was president and Republicans had majorities in the House and Senate. “This time should be no different,” the Democratic leaders said.
Yellen said that while Treasury can’t estimate how long the extraordinary measures will allow the U.S. to continue to pay the government’s obligations, “it is unlikely that cash and extraordinary measures will be exhausted before early June.”
Shai Akabas, director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, told reporters Friday that “this is not the time for panic, but it’s certainly a time for policymakers to begin negotiations in earnest.”
“Most policymakers agree that we have a major fiscal challenge as a country, our debt is unsustainable,” he said, and “there’s no reason why we couldn’t agree on measures to improve our fiscal outcome, and also ensure that we are paying all of our bills in full and on time.”
Treasury first used extraordinary measures in 1985 and has used them at least 16 times since, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a fiscal watchdog.
Those measures include divesting some payments, such as contributions to federal employees’ retirement plans, in order to provide some headroom to make other payments that are deemed essential, including those for Social Security and debt instrument
Past forecasts suggest a default could instantly bury the country in a deep recession, right at a moment of slowing global growth as the U.S. and much of the world face high inflation because of the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The financial markets could crash and several million workers could be laid off.
The aftershocks could be felt for years. Moody’s Analytics called this risk “cataclysmic” in a 2021 forecast before the previous debt ceiling increase, suggesting that the resulting chaos would be due to government dysfunction, rather than the underlying condition of the U.S. economy.
___
Associated Press reporter Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report | 2023-01-14T14:00:38+00:00 | wdtn.com | https://www.wdtn.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-yellen-tells-congress-us-expected-to-hit-debt-limit-thursday/ |
BOSTON (SHNS) – A clear majority of likely Massachusetts voters want the Legislature and Gov. Maura Healey to leave untouched the 1986 tax law that triggered nearly $3 billion in mandatory rebates last year, and wide-ranging tax cuts appear more popular than a targeted approach, according to new polling results.
The poll results published Monday by the Fiscal Alliance Foundation, whose members have advocated for the nascent Healey administration to embrace broad tax relief, found more than 62 percent of the likely voters surveyed want to keep the tax cap law known as Chapter 62F as it stands. About 16.5 percent of respondents said they would prefer to repeal the law, and 20.8 percent said they are not sure.
Pollster Jim Eltringham of Washington, D.C.-area Advantage Inc. did not gauge interest in other options such as revising but not outright eliminating the mandatory tax relief law, which blindsided Beacon Hill’s top Democrats last summer.
Since the surprise trigger of the 1986 law, some legislative leaders have hinted they may consider overhauling the way the tax cap functions, but they have yet to float any specific options.
Eltringham said the lack of detail makes it too early to get reliable insight from polling voters about the idea of changing the law without eliminating it, since results might flatten together “people wanting to edit it in a range of ways.”
In the meantime, the “concept of the law” that Massachusetts triggered last year for the first time in more than three decades shows substantial popularity, Eltringham said.
“The fact that this is now the second poll where all three major political parties are overwhelmingly supporting keeping it the way it is kind of sends the most powerful message for 62F,” said Paul Craney, a spokesperson for the Fiscal Alliance Foundation, during a virtual press conference about the poll. “It’s a taxpayer protection law, which gives people a sense of security in Massachusetts.”
The poll sponsored by the Fiscal Alliance Foundation was conducted on Jan. 3 and 4, before Healey’s official inauguration on Jan. 5, and surveyed 750 people with a history of voting in elections. According to the topline results, the poll involved 275 registered Democrats, 88 registered Republicans and 387 voters who were registered as independents or with another party.
After a campaign season in which she promised she could “cut taxes,” voters are waiting to see how Healey will follow through as her gubernatorial term unfolds.
The poll found more interest in broad-based tax relief than in a narrower approach. Asked if they “support targeted tax relief to specific groups or broad tax cuts for everyone,” 56.9 percent of respondents said they prefer broad tax relief and 28.4 percent said they prefer targeted relief. Another 14.7 percent were not sure.
Lawmakers and former Gov. Charlie Baker appeared to share mutual interest in a range of tax relief proposals last session aimed at renters, seniors, caregivers and those who pay the estate tax, but Democrats backed away from the idea once it became clear Massachusetts owed nearly $3 billion in rebates under Chapter 62F.
The poll did not measure sentiment about specific changes to the estate tax or tax laws affecting renters, seniors and caregivers.
Rounding up support for tax relief could be an early challenge for the new governor. In her inaugural remarks Thursday, Healey described “tax reform” as an early area of agreement between her, Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano, who in his own interview later that day was noncommittal about reviving any of last year’s ideas for relief.
“I’ve already proposed a child tax credit for every child, for every family. The Legislature also put forward several worthy tax cut proposals during the last legislative session,” Healey said. “This would mean real relief for the people who need it most. Let’s get this done.”
The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance has advocated in recent weeks for Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll to turn their attention toward wide-ranging tax relief options now that a new surtax on household income above $1 million is on the books, enacted by voters as Question 1 in November.
That law calls for revenue raised to go toward transportation and education purposes, though final authority over its allocation will rest with lawmakers.
A plurality of voters said they want Beacon Hill to partition that revenue separate from other state dollars. About 46 percent of poll respondents called for the money to go into a special protected fund similar to the state’s “rainy day” savings, nearly 23 percent said the revenue should flow into the general fund, and close to 31 percent said they’re unsure.
Craney, who also works as spokesperson for the Mass. Fiscal Alliance, argued Monday that Healey could give her tenure an early popularity boost by pursuing broad tax relief.
“Any type of targeted relief or kind of targeted tax reform is not really a suitable response to Question 1 at this point,” Craney, who advocated against passage of the surtax ballot question, said. “So that would be my advice to the new governor: if you want to increase your popularity and favorability, people are kind of sitting in silence watching very carefully now. Take on tax cuts, have them broad, tax eliminations, take on Question 1, and advertise that Massachusetts is responding to Question 1.”
Healey enters office with an even 50 percent of voters viewing her strongly or somewhat favorably, according to the Fiscal Alliance Foundation poll. About 27.3 percent of voters view her strongly or somewhat unfavorably, and 22.6 percent say they are still not sure.
Eltringham said Healey’s ratings stand in contrast with perhaps the most well-known national figureheads for either party: only 6 percent of voters are not sure how they feel about President Joe Biden (who earned a favorable view from about 52 percent of Massachusetts voters) and 4.6 percent are not sure of their opinion on former President Donald Trump (who has a favorability rating of nearly 35 percent in the Bay State).
“These are folks who have opinions, but they’re waiting to see what they’re going to see out of the governor before they move on that,” Eltringham said. | 2023-01-09T19:43:25+00:00 | wwlp.com | https://www.wwlp.com/news/massachusetts/poll-likely-voters-say-leave-tax-cap-law-alone-2/ |
Which Mandalorian action figure is best?
“Star Wars” has always dominated the sci-fi section of pop culture. The original films, made in the late ’70s and early ’80s, blew movie-goers’ minds with its epic story and unbelievable special effects. Decades later, the tale lives on through anthology films, television series and made-for-TV specials. The most well-received series has without a doubt been “The Mandalorian.” This offshoot follows the journey of a rogue bounty hunter simply known as The Mandalorian. Alongside him on his trip throughout the galaxy is a vulnerable, yet adorable, infant named Grogu.
“The Mandalorian” has created a new fandom for “Star Wars” and alongside it has come some cool toys and action figures. The best Mandalorian action figure is The Black Series Mandalorian which features a 7-inch Mando in his full battle attire and his weapons of choice.
What to know before you buy a Mandalorian action figure
Characters
“The Mandalorian” action figures can include a number of the important and unique characters from the series. The first and most important character is the Mandalorian himself. Also known as Mando, he wears a full head-to-toe suit of armor made of beskar, which in the show is considered the strongest armor in the galaxy. There are a few variations of his armor but the main style is shiny, silver-like armor. Moff Gideon is the antagonist of the story. Think of him like a less-scary Darth Vader, although he also wears a black Imperial suit with a black cape. There is one character who stole the show and that’s Grogu, otherwise known as Baby Yoda. This cute, green toddler wears a brown onesie that looks like a potato sack.
Materials
Most action figures are made with plastic. This usually includes acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) for the main portion of the figure and various other materials for accessories. In “The Mandalorian” action figures, softer plastics, like polypropylene are also used for capes and weapons so that they can conform to the figures’ hands and necks for poses.
Size
Most action figures from “The Mandalorian” are smaller in size — around 7 inches in height and 2 inches wide. After all, action figures are meant to be played with, so it’s important they can easily fit in your hand. If you’re a collector, size isn’t all that important because the items will stay in their package and be displayed on a shelf. There are larger action figures like the animatronic Snackin’ Grogu, which stands over 9 inches tall and 4 inches wide.
What to look for in a quality Mandalorian action figure
Authenticity
Authenticity is equally important for collectors and those who just want a fun toy to play with. Authentic action figures will come straight from the Star Wars store and clearly state their manufacturer. Purchasing a knock-off Mandalorian action figure can include cheap materials that may break easily. Also, they won’t be an accurate representation of the original source material. For true Mandalorian fans, authenticity is crucial.
Accessories
The most common accessory for Mandalorian action figures is a weapon. The galaxy can be a scary place and no true bounty hunter would be caught without his blaster. Mando also fancies the phase-blaster rifle, which is the Star Wars version of a sniper rifle. High quality Mandalorian action figures will include all the accessories to make them as realistic and true to the story as possible. A constant joke throughout the series was that Grogu liked to snack. He was always sneaking away and trying to steal food from others, which is why his accessories feature a spoon, bowl with tentacles, a cookie and a shifter knob, which he attempts to eat before Mando snags it away.
Movement
Action figures are all about movement. For this reason, poseable features are yet another high-quality addition to any Mandalorian action figure. Your action figure’s arms and legs should move both forward and backward and include adjustments at the ankle and head. The ankles should move so that you can put your character in different poses, all the while maintaining its balance on a flat surface.
How much you can expect to spend on Mandalorian action figure
The Mandalorian action figures will cost between $27-$80.
Mandalorian action figure FAQ
Are Mandalorian action figures suitable for children?
A. Most Mandalorian action figures are suitable for children ages 4 and up. This is mainly due to the small parts that are included with the toys. Weapons and other accessories are small enough that they can be swallowed by young children.
Do Mandalorian action figures require batteries?
A. Standard Mandalorian action figures don’t require batteries. Instead, they are poseable on their own simply by moving the section with your hand. If the action figure is animatronic, such as the Snackin’ Grogu, then it will require four AA batteries to operate.
What’s the best Mandalorian action figure to buy?
Top Mandalorian action figure
Star Wars: The Black Series Mandalorian
What you need to know: This authentic Mandalorian action figure comes directly from the makers of Star Wars and features the star of the hit spinoff series.
What you’ll love: The Mandalorian himself is wearing his original battle-worn garb, including a flowing cape and his signature Mandalorian helmet. The figure is poseable and comes with his blaster pistol and phase-pulse blaster rifle.
What you should consider: There are small parts included in this set, which can be hazardous to small children.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top Mandalorian action figure for the money
Star Wars: The Black Series Imperial Death Trooper
What you need to know: Every Mandalorian has an enemy or two and this Imperial Death Trooper covered from head to toe with rustic armor is one of them.
What you’ll love: This 7-inch poseable action figure lets you live out your dark side with its intimidating presence. He holds an E-11D rifle from the Stormtrooper Corps and includes a collectable Imperial Credit accessory.
What you should consider: The included rifle is small and can be a choking hazard to small children.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Star Wars Galactic Snackin’ Grogu
What you need to know: A Star Wars Mandalorian action figure set wouldn’t be complete without the adorable baby who stole the show, Grogu.
What you’ll love: Also known as Baby Yoda, this heartwarming alien child stands over 9 inches tall and moves using animatronic motion. The action figure includes four food-related accessories that, when put in Grogu’s hand, will cause him to react in up to 40 different ways.
What you should consider: You will need a screwdriver to remove the back panel and four AA batteries before operating.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2022-05-30T03:11:55+00:00 | nwahomepage.com | https://www.nwahomepage.com/reviews/br/toys-games-br/action-figures-playsets-br/best-mandalorian-action-figure/ |
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