text stringlengths 80 124k | date_download stringdate 2022-04-02 20:48:07 2023-07-31 23:59:06 | source_domain stringclasses 387 values | url stringlengths 21 528 |
|---|---|---|---|
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission is investigating Elon Musk’s mass layoffs at Twitter and trying to obtain his internal communications as part of ongoing oversight into the social media company’s privacy and cybersecurity practices, according to documents described in a congressional report.
The FTC has been watching the company for years since Twitter agreed to a 2011 consent order alleging serious data security lapses. But the agency’s concerns spiked with the tumult that followed Musk’s Oct. 27 takeover of the company.
The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee published excerpts from the FTC’s letters Tuesday as part of a report alleging that the agency was overreaching “to harass Elon Musk’s Twitter.”
The House said the requests amounted to a deluge of “demands about its personnel decisions in each of the company’s departments, every internal communication relating to Elon Musk and even Twitter’s interactions with journalists” who Musk’s team allowed to see certain employee emails and messages.
Those documents were dubbed “The Twitter Files” and were meant to show how the company made decisions to moderate content before Musk took over.
In a response to the House report, the FTC said, “Protecting consumers’ privacy is exactly what the FTC is supposed to do. It should come as no surprise that career staff at the commission are conducting a rigorous investigation into Twitter’s compliance with a consent order that came into effect long before Mr. Musk purchased the company.”
Twitter had already paid a $150 million penalty in May, about five months before Musk’s takeover, for violating the 2011 consent order. An updated version established new procedures requiring the company to implement an enhanced privacy-protection program as well as beefing up information security.
But in November, a group of Democratic senators called those commitments into question and asked the FTC — led by Chair Lina Khan, a Democrat — to investigate any possible violations amid concerns that reports of Twitter’s disorder and drastically reduced staff under Musk posed serious security risks.
The FTC said at the time it was “tracking recent developments at Twitter with deep concern.” | 2023-03-09T01:09:10+00:00 | kron4.com | https://www.kron4.com/technology/ap-technology/ftc-probes-twitter-data-practices-after-elon-musks-layoffs/ |
Pioneers and Visionaries to Headline 4th Annual Event
NEEDHAM, Mass, Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AI World Government, the premier conference which brings together US Federal Government Leaders and thought leaders in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), proudly announces its keynote speakers for its 4h annual conference, taking place October 6-7 at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington D.C. The annual AI World Government conference, which unites more than three hundred professionals in-person and virtually, provides an ideal venue for senior government agency representatives to share strategies and innovations related to the use of Artificial Intelligence and how it is helping to drive efficiencies within their organizations.
Headlining this year's event is a lineup of individuals whose innovative application of AI technology has established them as ground-breaking pioneers in the field.
"We're excited to have another distinguished lineup of keynote speakers for our 4th annual AI World Government conference," Allison Murtagh, Conference Director for AI World Government. "Our keynotes and other presenters will provide compelling talks on how they have been able to leverage AI to transform and advance their services with minimal risk and maximum return on investment. This year's program will cover an array of topics from workplace transformation to implementing responsible AI, how to scale and operationalize AI and finally noteworthy trends and emerging technologies for artificial intelligence.
The schedule of plenary keynote presentations for the AI World Government Conference is as follows:
Thursday, October 6, 8:10am – 8:30am
How AI is Enabling Resiliency in Federal Agencies
Presented by: Adelaide O'Brien, Research Vice President, IDC Government Insights
Thursday, October 6, 8:30 – 8:55am
Equity & Effectiveness in AI
Presented by: Chike Aguh, Chief Innovation Officer, U.S. Department of Labor
Thursday, October 6, 9:20am – 9:45am
Building Equitable & Fair AI Driven Ecosystems
Presented by: Anil (Neil) Chaudhry, Director, Federal AI Implementations, U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)
Thursday, October 6, 10:30am – 10:55am
Final Topic to be Announced
Presented by: Keith Sonderling, Commissioner, US Equal Opportunity Commission
Thursday, October 6, 11:30am – 12:00pm
Ethical AI – The Age of Trust and Transparency for the Human-Machine American Dream
Presented by: Matthew James Bailey, Founder & CEO, AIEthics.World; Ed McLarney, Lead for Transformation Integration and AIML, Transformation & Data Division, NASA CIO; Katalin K. Bartfai-Walcott, Senior Principal Engineer, CTO, Ambient Science Architecture, Intel Corporation
Friday, October 7, 8:30 – 9:20am
Panel Discussion: Ensuring You Have the Right People, Process, and Technology in Place to Implement Your AI Model
Presented by: Renata Miskell, Chief Data & Analytics Officer, HHS Office of Inspector General; Ola Olude-Afolabi, Professor and IT Program Manager, US Dept of Commerce; Calvert Smith, Director, Cloud Adoption, Center of Excellence, U.S General Services Administration (GSA)
Friday, October 7, 9:20am – 9:45am
Equity & Scaling and Operationalizing AI to Protect Health and Save the Lives of At-Risk Populations in Disasters
Presented by: Kristen Finne, Director, HHS emPOWER Program and Senior Program Analyst, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS)
Friday, October 7, 10:50am – 11:15am
Applying Oversight to Realize Accountable AI
Presented by: Taka Ariga, Chief Data Scientist and Director of Innovation Lab at US Government Accountability Office
Friday, October 7, 11:15am – 11:55am
Panel Discussion: Artificial Intelligence: What's Next?
Moderated by: Parna Sarkar-Basu, CEO & Founder, Brand and Buzz Marketing
Panelists: To be Announced
Beyond the keynotes, the conference is comprised of 4 unique tracks, an exhibit hall of leading technology service providers, and networking receptions and activities. For more information about the AI World Government conference and to register, visit www.aiworldgov.com.
About AI World Government Conference
The 4th Annual AI World Government provides a comprehensive two-day forum to educate federal agency leaders on proven strategies and tactics to deploy AI and cognitive technologies. With AI technology at the forefront of our everyday lives, AI World Government will report on the state-of-the-practice on how federal agencies are deploying and integrating AI and data-driven government services under these guidelines. The conference convenes experts from our nation's strong innovation ecosystem across government, technology, business, and research to present the latest strategies and state of the technology to assist the public sector in leveraging advanced intelligent technologies to meet the missions of our government agencies.
About Cambridge Innovation Institute
Cambridge Innovation Institute delivers cutting-edge information through events, publishing, and training to leading commercial, academic, government and research institutions across the life science, energy, and other high technology industries. Our portfolio of events focuses on technology fields where research and development are essential for the advancement of innovation. We pride ourselves on providing the platforms where communities can Research, Collaborate, to achieve Advancement.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE AI World Government Conference | 2022-08-15T20:19:20+00:00 | kcrg.com | https://www.kcrg.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/ai-world-government-announces-2022-keynote-speakers/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 again Saturday, slightly more than three days after he was cleared to exit coronavirus isolation, the White House said, in a rare case of “rebound” following treatment with an anti-viral drug.
White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor said in a letter that Biden “has experienced no reemergence of symptoms, and continues to feel quite well.”
In accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, Biden will reenter isolation for at least five full days. The agency says most rebound cases remain mild and that severe disease during that period has not been reported.
Word of Biden’s positive test came — he had been negative Friday morning — just two hours after the White House announced a presidential visit to Michigan this coming Tuesday to highlight the passage of a bill to promote domestic high-tech manufacturing. Biden had also been scheduled to visit his home in Wilmington, Delaware, on Sunday morning, where first lady Jill Biden has been staying while the president was positive. Both trips have been canceled as Biden has returned to isolation.
Biden, 79, was treated with the anti-viral drug Paxlovid, and tested negative for the virus on Tuesday and Wednesday. He was then cleared to leave isolation while wearing a mask indoors. His positive tests puts him among the minority of those prescribed the drug to experience a rebound case of the virus.
Both the Food and Drug Administration and Pfizer point out that 1% to 2% of people in Pfizer’s original study on Paxlovid saw their virus levels rebound after 10 days. The rate was about the same among people taking the drug or dummy pills, “so it is unclear at this point that this is related to drug treatment,” according to the FDA.
While Biden was testing negative, he returned to holding in-person indoor events and meetings with staff at the White House and was wearing a mask, in accordance with CDC guidelines. But the president removed his mask indoors when delivering remarks on Thursday and during a meeting with CEOs on the White House complex.
Asked why Biden appeared to be breaching CDC protocols, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, “They were socially distanced. They were far enough apart. So we made it safe for them to be together, to be on that stage.”
Regulators are still studying the prevalence and virulence of rebound cases, but the CDC in May warned doctors that it has been reported to occur within two days to eight days after initially testing negative for the virus.
“Limited information currently available from case reports suggests that persons treated with Paxlovid who experience COVID-19 rebound have had mild illness; there are no reports of severe disease,” the agency said at the time.
When Biden was initially released from isolation on Wednesday, O’Connor said the president would “increase his testing cadence” to catch any potential rebound of the virus.
Patients should re-isolate for at least 5 days. Per CDC guidance, they can end their re-isolation period after 5 full days if fever has resolved for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and symptoms are improving. The patient should wear a mask for a total of 10 days after rebound symptoms started.”
Paxlovid has been proven to significantly reduce severe disease and death among those most vulnerable to COVID-19. U.S. health officials have encouraged those who test positive to consult their doctors or pharmacists to see if they should be prescribed the treatment, despite the rebound risk.
Biden is fully vaccinated, after getting two doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine shortly before taking office, a first booster shot in September and an additional dose March 30.
While patients who have recovered from earlier variants of COVID-19 have tended to have high levels of immunity to future reinfection for 90 days, Jha said that the BA.5 subvariant that infected Biden has proven to be more “immune-evasive.”
“We have seen lots of people get reinfected within 90 days,” he said, adding that officials don’t yet have data on how long those who have recovered from the BA.5 strain have protection from reinfection. | 2022-07-30T19:19:04+00:00 | wnct.com | https://www.wnct.com/coronavirus/biden-tests-positive-for-covid-19-returns-to-isolation/ |
SAN DIEGO, July 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Vistage announced it has acquired a licensee in Malaysia to build upon the momentum and growth of CEO peer advisory in the region. Since 1957, Vistage has been bringing together groups of high-performing CEOs through a proven leadership experience that delivers results both personally and professionally. When leaders come together in their confidential Vistage private advisory board meetings, they gain the perspective, clarity and support to help them become better leaders and accelerate their company's growth. In addition, more than 45,000 Vistage members worldwide also have access to expert speakers, personalized coaching sessions, and international networking. Under the guidance of their Chair – an accomplished executive coach dedicated to helping others grow – members come together to share expertise, challenge one another to think critically and arrive at better decisions.
Vistage has a rich history and a strong presence in Malaysia. Founded by successful businessman Richard Wong in Kuala Lumpur in 1994, Vistage Malaysia has grown into a thriving community of more than 1,200 members and 56 Vistage Chairs.
Richard Wong will continue in his role as a Master Chair and "Chief Listener" for Vistage Malaysia. He said, "I am immensely proud of the Vistage community we have developed in Malaysia, and how we have realized Vistage's vision of helping leaders to make better decisions and deliver better results over the past 30 years. We look forward to building upon that momentum as we continue to offer peer advisory to more leaders in Southeast Asia."
Rob Ristagno, Vistage's President of International Operations said, "Richard has been a tremendous partner, and we are deeply grateful for the strong foundation he has built in Malaysia. Over the past 30 years, he has established a community of Chairs dedicated to Vistage's purpose of helping leaders make great decisions that benefit their companies, families and communities. Most importantly, he has always guided the business with integrity and heart, exhibiting Vistage's values every step of the way. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with Richard to shape the growth strategy throughout Southeast Asia."
If you are interested in becoming a Vistage Chair or member in Malaysia, visit https://vistage.com.my/.
About Vistage Worldwide, Inc.
Vistage is the world's largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organization for small and midsize businesses. For more than 65 years, we've been helping CEOs, business owners and key executives solve their greatest challenges through confidential peer groups and one-to-one executive coaching sessions. Today, more than 45,000 members in 35 countries rely on Vistage to help make better decisions for their companies, families and communities. The results prove it: Vistage CEO members grew their annual revenue on average by 4.6% in 2020, while nonmembers with comparable small and midsize businesses saw revenue decrease by 4.7%, according to a study of Dun & Bradstreet data. Learn more at vistage.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Vistage Worldwide, Inc. | 2023-07-07T01:43:51+00:00 | witn.com | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2023/07/06/vistage-makes-key-acquisition-malaysia-set-stage-ceo-peer-advisory-expansion-southeast-asia/ |
TEL AVIV, Israel — Gaza militants fired rockets and Israel carried out airstrikes early Friday as tensions soared following an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank that killed nine Palestinians, including at least seven militants and a 61-year-old woman.
It was the deadliest single raid in the territory in over two decades. The flare-up in violence poses an early test for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government and casts a shadow on U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s expected trip to the region next week.
Of the five rockets fired at Israel, three were intercepted, one fell in an open area and another fell short inside Gaza, the military said. It said the airstrikes targeted an underground rocket manufacturing site for Hamas as well as militant training areas.
The rockets set off air raid sirens in southern Israel but there were no reports of casualties on either side.
Both the Palestinian rockets and Israeli airstrikes seemed limited so as to prevent escalation into a full-blown war. Israel and Hamas have fought four wars and several smaller skirmishes since the militant group seized power in Gaza from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.
Thursday's deadly raid in the Jenin refugee camp was likely to reverberate on Friday as Palestinians gather for weekly Muslim prayers that are often followed by protests. Hamas had earlier threatened revenge for the raid.
Raising the stakes, the Palestinian Authority said it would halt the ties that its security forces maintain with Israel in a shared effort to contain Islamic militants. Previous threats have been short-lived, in part because of the benefits the authority enjoys from the relationship and also due to U.S. and Israeli pressure to maintain it.
The Palestinian Authority already has limited control over scattered enclaves in the West Bank, and almost none over militant strongholds like the Jenin camp. But the announcement could pave the way for Israel to step up operations it says are needed to prevent attacks.
On Thursday, Israeli forces went on heightened alert as Palestinians filled the streets across the West Bank, chanting in solidarity with Jenin. President Mahmoud Abbas declared three days of mourning, and in the refugee camp, residents dug a mass grave for the dead.
Palestinian Authority spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said Abbas had decided to cut security coordination in “light of the repeated aggression against our people." He also said the Palestinians planned to file complaints with the U.N. Security Council, International Criminal Court and other international bodies.
Barbara Leaf, the top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East, said the Biden administration was deeply concerned about the situation and that civilian casualties reported in Jenin were “quite regrettable.” But she also said the Palestinian announcement to suspend security ties and to pursue the matter at international organizations was a mistake.
Thursday's gun battle that left nine dead and 20 wounded erupted when Israel's military conducted a rare daytime operation in the Jenin camp that it said was meant to prevent an imminent attack on Israelis. The camp, where the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group has a major foothold, has been a focus of near-nightly Israeli arrest raids.
Hamas’ armed wing claimed four of the dead as members, while Islamic Jihad claimed three others.
The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the 61-year-old woman killed as Magda Obaid, and the Israeli military said it was looking into reports of her death.
The Israeli military circulated aerial video it said was taken during the battle, showing what appeared to be Palestinians on rooftops hurling stones and firebombs on Israeli forces below. At least one Palestinian can be seen opening fire from a rooftop.
Later in the day, Israeli forces fatally shot a 22-year-old and wounded two others, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, as Palestinians confronted Israeli troops north of Jerusalem to protest Thursday’s raid. Israel's paramilitary Border Police said they opened fire on Palestinians who launched fireworks at them from close range.
Tensions have soared since Israel stepped up raids in the West Bank last spring, following a series of Palestinian attacks.
Israel’s new national security minister, far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir, who seeks to grant legal immunity to Israeli soldiers who shoot Palestinians, posted a video of himself beaming triumphantly and congratulating security forces.
The raid left a trail of destruction in Jenin. A two-story building, apparently the operation's target, was a charred wreck. The military said it entered the building to detonate explosives.
Palestinian Health Minister May Al-Kaila said paramedics struggled to reach the wounded during the fighting, while Akram Rajoub, the governor of Jenin, said the military prevented emergency workers from evacuating them.
Both accused the military of firing tear gas at the pediatric ward of a hospital, causing children to choke. Video at the hospital showed women carrying children into a corridor.
The military said forces closed roads to aid the operation, which may have complicated rescue efforts, and that tear gas had likely wafted into the hospital from nearby clashes.
The Israeli rights group B’Tselem said Thursday marked the single bloodiest West Bank incursion since 2002, at the height of an intense wave of violence known as the Second Intifada, or Palestinian uprising, which left scars still visible in Jenin.
U.N. Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland said he was “deeply alarmed and saddened” by the violence. Condemnations came from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Turkey, which recently reestablished full diplomatic ties with Israel. Neighboring Jordan, as well as Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries also condemned the Israeli raid.
The Islamic Jihad branch in Gaza has repeatedly fought against Israel, most recently in a fierce three-day clash last summer that killed dozens of Palestinians and disrupted the lives of hundreds of thousands of Israelis.
Nearly 150 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank and east Jerusalem last year, making 2022 the deadliest in those territories since 2004, according to B’Tselem. So far this year, 30 Palestinians have been killed.
Israel says most of the dead were militants. But youths protesting the incursions and others not involved in the confrontations also have been killed. So far this year, not including Thursday, one-third of the Palestinians killed by Israeli troops or civilians had ties to armed groups.
Last year, 30 people were killed in Palestinian attacks against Israelis.
Israel says its raids are meant to dismantle militant networks and thwart attacks. The Palestinians say they further entrench Israel’s 55-year, open-ended occupation of the West Bank, which Israel captured along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians claim those territories for their hoped-for state.
Israel has established dozens of settlements in the West Bank that now house 500,000 people. The Palestinians and much of the international community view settlements as illegal and an obstacle to peace, even as talks to end the conflict have been moribund for over a decade.
___
Associated Press writers Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel; Areej Hazboun in Jerusalem; Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, and Fares Akram in Hamilton, Ontario, contributed. | 2023-01-27T09:36:39+00:00 | wthr.com | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/nation-world/israeli-troops-kill-9-in-west-bank-raid/507-c21faeb1-e2b0-4aee-b720-ef29094e7123 |
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sebastian Aho extended the game. Ian Cole ended it. And that allowed the Carolina Hurricanes to escape their first home loss of the playoffs despite being completely outplayed most of the night.
Cole beat Igor Shesterkin at 3:12 of overtime to help the Hurricanes beat the New York Rangers 2-1 Wednesday night, making a late rally to win Game 1 of their second-round playoff series.
Aho had forced the extra period when he pushed one past Shesterkin late in the third period in a dramatic finish. Yet it overshadowed the fact that the Metropolitan Division winners were fortunate to win after the Rangers controlled the first 40 minutes.
“Kudos to our guys, they got it going in, it certainly was a good third period,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We’re not going to get away with that, not playing two periods and expect to win a game — especially at this time of year against that team.”
The Hurricanes won home-ice by securing the division title with a win against the Rangers in Madison Square Garden in the final week of the regular season. They nearly handed it over but instead will seek a sixth straight win here when they host Game 2 on Friday night.
Cole’s rebound winner clipped the stick of Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren, with the puck changing direction before slipping past Shesterkin.
“I was looking to pass it to someone,” Cole said. “And no one was really kind of anywhere dangerous. So I was like, ‘Well, I guess I’ll throw it on net and see what happens.’”
“Hockey’s a game of weird bounces and it happened to go in. Not the prettiest, but we’ll take it.”
The score capped Carolina’s late comeback, which began with the Hurricanes showing more urgency and aggression coming out of the second intermission.
Carolina also got a key effort from Antti Raanta, who had 27 saves and helped the Hurricanes hang around until their attack finally took its familiar form.
“They put a big push on in the third period in the first 10 minutes, and we weathered that storm,” Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. “But the first two periods was perfect hockey for us. … I thought it was our best game of the year, I really did.”
Filip Chytil scored the first-period goal for the Rangers, while Shesterkin finished with 24 saves.
Both teams advanced through grueling seven-game first-round series, first with Carolina finally getting past Boston on Saturday followed by New York rallying past Pittsburgh in overtime a day later.
The Hurricanes never trailed in that series nor in their four home wins. The Rangers had to rally from a 3-1 series deficit, which included Shesterkin — finalist for the Vezina Trophy for league’s top goalie and Hart Trophy for league MVP — bouncing back from surrendering 10 goals in Games 3 and 4.
Yet when this one started, it was the Hurricanes who looked a step slow while the Rangers gave up few quality chances. New York was also opportunistic at the perfect moment early.
As defenseman Tony DeAngelo tried to send the puck back to teammate Jaccob Slavin for a reset, Rangers forward Alexis Lafrenière stole the pass to lead a 3-on-2 rush. Lafrenière passed to Chytil, who one-timed the puck from the right side past the extended stick of Slavin and Raanta at 7:07 of the first.
That lone-goal lead held up for more than 50 minutes. It helped too that the Hurricanes twice pinged the crossbar in the third, first on a breakaway by Nino Niederreiter and later from Aho in what appeared to be confirmation that it wasn’t their night.
Instead, Aho followed by taking a feed from rookie Seth Jarvis and then going to his backhand side. Shesterkin made the initial stop, but Aho knocked the rebound across for the tying score with 2:23 left and set up Cole’s winner.
“We wanted to win but we get a chance again on Friday to try to get the split and go home,” center Mika Zibanejad said.
STOPPED SKID
Carolina stopped a three-game home losing streak in the second round of the playoffs. They lost all three games despite having home-ice advantage in a five-game series loss to eventual two-time champion Tampa Bay last year.
POSTSEASON WORK
Both of Chytil’s postseason goals have come in the last four games as the Rangers erased their first-round series deficit and advanced. Lafrenière has three assists in his first postseason.
Carolina’s Teuvo Teravainen assisted on Aho’s tying goal for his sixth helper of the playoffs, while Jarvis also posted his third assist.
SIREN SOUNDERS
Retired Hurricanes defenseman Sean Hill, part of the team’s run to the Cup final in 2002, sounded the pregame “storm warning” siren for the team to take the ice.
Duke women’s basketball coach Kara Lawson and Raleigh-born PGA Tour golfer Chesson Hadley sounded the siren for the first and second intermissions, respectively.
___
Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at https://twitter.com/aaronbeardap
___
More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2022-05-19T18:22:35+00:00 | wric.com | https://www.wric.com/sports/sports-headlines/coles-ot-goal-lift-hurricanes-past-rangers-for-game-1-win/ |
Which Ben 10 Omnitrix toys are best?
When it’s hero time or just time to have some fun, a Ben 10 Omnitrix toy is a great choice for young fans to imagine themselves becoming fantastical alien creatures and saving the world.
If you want the best Ben 10 Omnitrix toy, the top choice is the Ben 10 Omnitrix Creator. This is not just one Omnitrix replica toy. It can be turned into multiple different Omnitrix styles and customized by the user.
What to know before you buy a Ben 10 Omnitrix toy
What style of Omnitrix do you want?
Depending on the version of Ben 10 you like best, your favorite Omnitrix toy may be more difficult to find than others. A Ben 10 toy Omnitrix inspired by more recent series, like the reboot or Omniverse, will probably be easier to find. Omnitrix styles from older series may be collector’s items which are more rare and expensive.
Does it need to pop up?
There are lots of Ben 10 Omnitrix toys that are designed to look the part, but they do not all function the same way. If you want a Ben 10 Omnitrix toy just like the one in the cartoon—that pops up and activates by slamming the center down—your choices will be more limited. While the benefit of a pop-up Omnitrix toy is that you will probably feel more like Ben Tennyson, the problem remains that moving parts are much easier to accidentally break.
Do you want more than just a toy?
Other than being a nice addition to any fan’s Ben 10 collection, most Omnitrix toys don’t have a useful everyday function, like a kid’s watch or clock. However, if you like the look of the Omnitrix and wish you could wear something like that every day, consider a Ben 10 Omnitrix watch. Not only is it functional, it has an alien sound alert every hour.
What to look for in a quality Ben 10 Omnitrix toy
Lights
The best Ben 10 Omnitrix toys have light-up parts that stand out and give the Omnitrix an appearance similar to the one on the show. For costumes and playing pretend, Omnitrix lighting is a pretty important feature.
Sounds
Some Omnitrix replicas produce sound effects inspired by the device on the show and ones similar to Ben Tennyson’s alien forms. This is a less important feature for use in cosplay, but Omnitrix sounds can be a lot of fun for kids.
Extra functions
Many Ben 10 Omnitrix toys generally just look the part, but some of them offer a variety of functions. For instance, some Ben 10 Omnitrix wrist watches can project hologram-like images of Ben 10 aliens on walls or ceilings.
How much you can expect to spend on a Ben 10 Omnitrix toy
Expect to spend $20-$45 on a toy Omnitrix, depending on what moving components and other features the toy includes. If you are looking for an older Ben 10 Omnitrix toy no longer in production, it most likely will be more expensive.
Ben 10 Omnitrix toy FAQ
Is an Omnitrix toy safe for young kids?
A. Before purchasing an Omnitrix toy, always check the manufacturer’s age recommendations. The recommended ages for Ben 10 Omnitrix toys are usually printed on the packaging. Omnitrix toys that have light projectors, come with discs or feature small parts are probably better suited for older kids. Since safety is always a concern, keep any toy with small parts away from young children, as they are choking hazards.
Are there Ben 10 Omnitrix toys for adult collectors?
A. All Ben 10 Omnitrix toys can be collected, though some hold their value better than others. Classic Ben 10 merchandise can be hard to track down, especially toys that are still in working condition. They are also difficult to find in like-new condition, and the price tag will likely reflect that.
If buying newer Ben 10 Omnitrix toys for collection, storing them in the original, unopened packaging will help maintain or grow their value.
What’s the best Ben 10 Omnitrix toy to buy?
Top Ben 10 Omnitrix toy
What you need to know: This customizable Omnitrix comes with extra parts for mixing and matching.
What you’ll love: The set includes the Omnitrix base and materials necessary to make many different versions of the Omnitrix or Antitrix. All the parts can be removed and replaced as desired. The device lights up when activated by pressing the button.
What you should consider: Some kid users found it difficult to connect all the parts, so it may require a little adult assistance to assemble.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top Ben 10 Omnitrix toy for the money
Eonthry Ben 10 Kids Projector Watch
What you need to know: This affordable Ben 10 Alien Force-inspired Omnitrix toy projects images of iconic Ben 10 aliens.
What you’ll love: It includes the Omnitrix, along with discs you can insert and turn to project the images. It does not have many moving parts, so it is fairly durable.
What you should consider: The wrist strap is small, so it is intended only for children.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
What you need to know: This 2-in-1 Omnitrix toy opens to reveal a micro playset with multiple features.
What you’ll love: It includes Ben and Override micro figures, along with a launcher, battle platform and jail cell with a trap door for escaping.
What you should consider: Some users compared the size of the figures to that of Polly Pockets.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Want to shop the best products at the best prices? Check out Daily Deals from BestReviews.
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Elliott Rivette writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2022-11-14T17:09:22+00:00 | kfor.com | https://kfor.com/reviews/br/toys-games-br/theme-toys-br/best-ben-10-omnitrix-toy/ |
___
- Midland City Council rejects new subdivision, postpones hearing on...
- OPINION: 'Before you guys freak out, I am fine.' A parent's tense texts...
- Midland High pompon teams bring home twin state titles
- Police ID gunman who killed 3 at Michigan State University
- Love SmackDown: A love story 40 years in the making
- 'Never give up': Falcons inspired by memory of teammate's mother
- How to reverse Diabetes Belly fat: The removal of Diabetes...
- Midland's Open Door to move, expand women and children's shelter
Most Popular
- New shelter for homeless women and children: Open Door took steps towards opening its new...
- LETTER TO THE EDITOR: According to the CDC, an average of 1,270 people in Michigan die by guns...
- TALKING CROW: For all its flaws, columnist Tom Lounsbury still admires the crow. Just don't ask...
- We never know when we are going to meet someone who will be important in our lives. And I had no... | 2023-02-15T15:42:14+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/sports/article/charlotte-hornets-stax-17785872.php |
Denison’s home improvement programs in need of contractors
DENISON, Texas (KXII) -Some low to moderate income residents in Denison could qualify for home repairs.
But first, the city needs contractors to do the work.
The City of Denison is looking for contractors for both the Community Development Block Grant (also known as CDBG) and the Minimum Property Standards Assistance Program.
The CDBG is federally funded dollars to help homeowners with interior projects like electrical, and plumbing work.
The Minimum Property Standards Assistance Program, which started back in April, is funded by the city.
It’s specifically for exterior work, like siding and window trim.
Robert Lay, Denison’s Neighborhood Services Manager said, “you have to qualify financially, it’s for low to moderate income families and if this didn’t exist, this work really would never be completed for them, so people are so thankful. But the city is super blessed to be able to do it for them.”
If you are a contractor, interested in these projects you contact the city at (903) 465-2720 or codecompliance@cityofdenison.com
If you are a resident and want to know if you qualify:
Click here, for Community Development Block Grant.
For the Minimum Property Standards Assistance Program, click here.
Copyright 2022 KXII. All rights reserved. | 2022-10-25T00:12:08+00:00 | kxii.com | https://www.kxii.com/2022/10/25/denisons-home-improvement-programs-need-contractors/ |
DALLAS, Oct. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Educational First Steps (EFS) was ranked #9 among the Best Companies to Work for in Texas, a survey and awards program recognizing the top workplace cultures. Rankings were announced Thursday evening at the Best Companies Gala, a celebration presented by Texas Association of Business (TAB) and their sponsors.
President & CEO of EFS, Vickie Allen shares, "Tonight is reflective of the intentional time and effort our team has put into cultivating a culture that honors, celebrates, and appreciates people. The individuals who are dedicating their lives to creating a more equitable and educated North Texas; these are the people that make us special and tonight we are celebrating them."
The Best Companies to Work for in Texas program was open to all public and privately held organizations, both for-profit and nonprofit. To be eligible for consideration, companies must have a facility in Texas and have at least 15 employees in the state. Employer rankings are determined based on employee feedback and employer assessments. The complete list of winners can be found at TxBiz.org.
The Best Companies program is managed by Workforce Research Group — in partnership with TAB. Workforce Research Group is a workplace excellence research firm whose mission is to conduct employer and employee research necessary to determine who the best employers are in a given market. TAB is the Texas State Chamber of Commerce, representing companies of every size and industry. The Association's purpose is to champion the best business climate in the world, unleashing the power of free enterprise to enhance lives for generations.
Based in North Texas, Educational First Steps is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to create and support high-quality early learning environments that ignite the minds of children from birth to age five. EFS delivers professional development, training, classroom resources, and business support to educators to help existing childcare centers achieve and maintain national accreditation. By investing in early childhood education, EFS helps close achievement gaps for early learners, break cycles of generational poverty for families, and create a brighter and more socially equitable tomorrow.
None of the impactful work done by EFS would be possible without its team of dedicated employees. Educational First Steps is honored to be recognized by The Best Companies program and is dedicated to continuing the growth of a positive and exciting workplace for all its team members.
Contact: Savannah Espiritu
Phone: 214-824-7940 x 422
Email: sespiritu@educationalfirststeps.org
Website: www.educationalfirstseps.org
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Educational First Steps | 2022-10-08T05:49:00+00:00 | mysuncoast.com | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/10/07/educational-first-steps-ranked-top-ten-among-best-companies-work-texas/ |
To date, Comcast RISE has awarded more than $16 million in grants and $75 million in in-kind support for marketing and technology services, impacting more than 9,500 entrepreneurs nationwide
PITTSBURGH, July 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast today announced it will award $1 million in total grants to 100 Allegheny County small businesses owned by women and people of color, including Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and Asian American owners, among others. The recipients are among more than 9,500 entrepreneurs nationwide who have been selected through the Comcast RISE program, which provides marketing, technology, and capital support to small business owners.
Comcast RISE and the Comcast RISE Investment Fund initially launched in 2020 as a response to help small business owners of color who were hardest hit by the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2021, Comcast announced a major expansion to eligibility, enabling all women-owned small businesses nationwide to apply. This expansion built on the program's success and aims to help address the persistent inequities women continue to face in accessing the resources and funding that are critical to success.
"Congratulations to the small businesses which will be receiving grants through the Comcast RISE Investment Fund," said County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. "It's no secret that the pandemic impacted our small businesses the most, and we thank Comcast for recognizing their challenges and the need with this program. Thanks to these resources, we look forward to having these entrepreneurs as part of our community for years to come."
"The Pittsburgh businesses who benefit from Comcast's $1 million in grants are hard-working, vital contributors to our community," said Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey. "These grants are investments for our future and are key to helping transform Pittsburgh and create new pathways to prosperity and a thriving city."
With today's announcement, 100 selected businesses will each receive a $10,000 grant. Allegheny County's grant recipients include:
- Creative Hair Solutions, Allison Park
- Embrago LLC, Allison Park
- ESSPA INC, Aspinwall
- BLINKFLY LLC, Bethel Park
- East Side Laser Center, Braddock
- Digital Bridges Pittsburgh LLC, Brentwood
- More Than Words Fine Papers LLC, Carnegie
- Precision Copy Products Incorporated, Clairton
- Meles Party Planning, East Liberty
- HARRMONEE LLC, East Pittsburgh
- Waku Waku Baby Co, Glenshaw
- Carlton Speaks LLC, Homestead
- Local Motion PGH, Homestead
- Nina Lees Hair Studio, Homestead
- Una Biologicals, Homewood
- DTL Inc, Jefferson Hills
- Barber Parlor, McKees Rocks
- FAITH Construction Company, McKees Rocks
- PMA Tattoo LLC, McKees Rocks
- Wood by Design LLC, McKees Rocks
- Sprezzatura Pgh LLC, Millvale
- RRELITESERVICES LLC, Monroeville
- Mount Lebanon Academy, Mount Lebanon
- Trzade Salon LLC, Mount Oliver
- Kiwi Speech LLC, Oakmont
- Jade Scott Design, Penn Hills
- Sweet Inspirations LLC, Penn Hills
- Helios Solutions Group LLC, Pine
- 360 Café, Pittsburgh
- A For the People Insurance Agency, Pittsburgh
- Adey Designs, Pittsburgh
- African Cuisine LLC, Pittsburgh
- All Bodies Welcome Yoga LLC, Pittsburgh
- Amazing Journeys LLC, Pittsburgh
- And Flowers LLC, Pittsburgh
- Baked True North LLC, Pittsburgh
- Behaivior LLC, Pittsburgh
- Beyond Bedtime Books, Pittsburgh
- Cabaret LLC, Pittsburgh
- Casey Droege Cultural Productions, Pittsburgh
- Coach Keem Fitness and Performance Training LLC, Pittsburgh
- Cobbler World LLC, Pittsburgh
- Confections by Casey Renee LLC, Pittsburgh
- Constellation Coffee, Pittsburgh
- Crisp Forensic Counseling LLC, Pittsburgh
- Crust Worthy LLC, Pittsburgh
- Family Spinner LLC, Pittsburgh
- First Sip Brew LLC, Pittsburgh
- Fox Chapel Day Spa, Pittsburgh
- Global Wordsmiths LLC, Pittsburgh
- Go Phleb LLC, Pittsburgh
- Green Empress Juice Company, Pittsburgh
- Happy Day Dessert Factory LLC, Pittsburgh
- I Dream a World LLC, Pittsburgh
- IT's 4 Me, Pittsburgh
- Kabab N Curry Inc, Pittsburgh
- KidzRide LLC, Pittsburgh
- Laced Beauty Bar LLC, Pittsburgh
- Levels Agency LLC, Pittsburgh
- love Pittsburgh Co, Pittsburgh
- Malaika Learning Center LLC, Pittsburgh
- Mayfly Market LLC, Pittsburgh
- MJ Management, Pittsburgh
- New Mainstream Massage, Pittsburgh
- Nollapelli Inc, Pittsburgh
- Nurie Sushi Inc, Pittsburgh
- Otto Finn LLC, Pittsburgh
- Palermo Photo, Pittsburgh
- Pittsburgh FIT East LLC, Pittsburgh
- Pittsburgh News Inc, Pittsburgh
- Post Script Productions LLC, Pittsburgh
- Print Management LLC, Pittsburgh
- Purposefully Soaring Counseling Services LLC, Pittsburgh
- Pyramid Pgh LLC, Pittsburgh
- Quinerly Financial Group LLC, Pittsburgh
- Rebound Planner LLC, Pittsburgh
- Reliable Technology LLC, Pittsburgh
- Reset Fitness LLC, Pittsburgh
- Riversides Sales Group LLC, Pittsburgh
- Status Ent, Pittsburgh
- Stories Like Me LLC, Pittsburgh
- Tana Ethiopian Cuisine LLC, Pittsburgh
- The Care Based Leadership Collaborative LLC, Pittsburgh
- The Coop Chicken and Waffles LLC, Pittsburgh
- The Pittsburgh Juice Company, Pittsburgh
- The Smokey City's 412 BBQ LLC, Pittsburgh
- Tyler Collier Associates LLC, Pittsburgh
- USA Professional Karate Studio, Pittsburgh
- YOGAMOTIF LLC, Pittsburgh
- Zashes Lashes LLC, Pittsburgh
- The Gilded Girl LLC, Sewickley
- Art in Motion Pittsburgh LLC, Sharpsburg
- Wildess LLC, Tarentum
- Pinks Tiny Paws LLC, Verona
- Mommalicious LLC, West Mifflin
- A Mothers Boutique LLC, Wexford
- Bottom Line Financial Services Inc, Wexford
- Megan M Stock DMD PC, Wexford
- Global Human Performance LLC, Wilkinsburg
- Lovett Sundries LLC, Wilkinsburg
"The cooks here at Sprezzatura express profound gratitude for the Comcast RISE grant, which will allow our team to lift our heads up from the restaurant industry grind and think forwardly about how we can help meet food access needs in our community," said Jennifer Saffron, owner of Sprezzatura. "How might our kitchen and cafe serve catering clients and cafe patrons as well as ensure that all are welcome to the table for a dignified meal? It's a real question in need of an answer, especially during these times. The Comcast RISE grant provides critical resources for independent entrepreneurs like our sustainable, woman-owned restaurant to make good on a triple bottom line – people, planet, and profit."
"As we continue to rebuild from the effects of the pandemic, small businesses still need our support. They are the backbone of our local communities, and we must take every opportunity to help them not only survive, but to thrive," said Toni Murphy, Senior Vice President, Comcast's Keystone Region. "When we launched Comcast RISE in 2020, we knew a profound need existed in many of the communities we serve, and we have now seen firsthand how the resources from Comcast RISE are continuing to benefit small businesses two and a half years since the program's inception."
To date, Comcast RISE has awarded more than $16 million in grants and $75 million in in-kind support for marketing and technology services, impacting more than 9,500 entrepreneurs in 704 cities across 37 states. By the end of 2022, 13,000 businesses across the country are expected to benefit from the Comcast RISE initiative, either through the grant program or from the resources provided through Effectv, the advertising division of Comcast Cable, and Comcast Business. In addition to the financial and business support services provided, a key part of the program is ensuring the long-term sustainability of businesses. To help address this, Comcast invests in and partners with organizations such as Ureeka to provide ongoing mentorship and resources to help small businesses succeed over the long term.
Comcast RISE stands for Representation, Investment, Strength, and Empowerment and is part of Project UP, the company's comprehensive initiative to advance digital equity and help build a future of unlimited possibilities.
More information and the applications to apply for either the grant program or marketing and technology services are available at www.ComcastRISE.com.
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on connectivity, aggregation, and streaming with 57 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.
Comcast Business offers a suite of Connectivity, Communications, Networking, Cybersecurity, Wireless, and Managed Solutions to help organizations of different sizes prepare for what's next. Powered by the nation's largest Gig-speed broadband network, and backed by 24/7 customer support, Comcast Business is the nation's largest cable provider to small and mid-size businesses and one of the leading service providers to the Enterprise market. Comcast Business has been consistently recognized by industry analysts and associations as a leader and innovator, and one of the fastest growing providers of Ethernet services. For more information, call 866-429-3085. Follow on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social.
Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, helps local, regional and national advertisers use the best of digital with the power of TV to grow their business. It provides multi-screen marketing solutions to make advertising campaigns more effective and easier to execute. Headquartered in New York with offices throughout the country, Effectv has a presence in 66 markets with nearly 35 million owned and represented subscribers. For more information, visit www.effectv.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Comcast | 2022-07-26T13:30:42+00:00 | kcbd.com | https://www.kcbd.com/prnewswire/2022/07/26/comcast-rise-national-initiative-support-small-businesses-awards-100-allegheny-county-businesses-with-10000-grants/ |
HARTFORD, Conn., July 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Virtus Investment Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRTS), which operates a multi-manager asset management business, has expanded its investment capabilities to include systematic quantitative investing and multi-asset allocation with the addition of two experienced portfolio management teams within Virtus Investment Advisers.
Virtus Systematic uses a state-of-the-art technology platform that is powered by artificial intelligence and natural language processing. The team's process incorporates a proprietary investment-return forecasting model that combines behavioral factors with intrinsic and valuation factors. Kunal Ghosh, chief investment officer and senior managing director, leads the team, working with three other experienced investment professionals, Lu Yu, managing director and lead portfolio manager, Jie Wei, director and senior portfolio manager, and Yang Zhang, assistant director and data scientist.
Virtus Multi-Asset assesses changing market, macroeconomic, and other factors to dynamically allocate across asset classes while incorporating environmental, social and governance factors into their investment process. The team consists of three experienced investment professionals, Paul Pietranico, CFA, chief investment officer and senior managing director, Heather Bergman, Ph.D., managing director and senior portfolio manager, and Michael Rothstein, director and portfolio manager.
"The Systematic and Multi-Asset teams further expand our investment capabilities, allowing us to continue to deliver individual and comprehensive investment solutions for our clients," said George R. Aylward, president and chief executive officer of Virtus. "The Systematic team's use of a quantitative, AI-based process to generate alpha, and the Multi-Asset team's specialization in asset allocation strategies that provide differentiated investment solutions, have proven to be distinguishing factors for their clients. We look forward to making these investment strategies available for institutional and individual investors and broadening their strategies into other asset classes and investment vehicles."
Virtus Systematic manages U.S. and non-US investment strategies across the market cap spectrum for institutional and retail clients. These strategies are available to clients in multiple investment vehicles including individually managed accounts as well as the Virtus Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund (I: AOTIX), Virtus Small-Cap Fund (I: AZBIX), and Virtus International Small-Cap Fund (I: ALOIX).
Pietranico and Bergman of Virtus Multi-Asset are portfolio managers of Virtus Global Allocation Fund (I: PALLX), which they have managed since 2009 and 2017, respectively, with a previous subadviser, and the team provides asset allocation recommendations for the CollegeAccess 529 Plan. Ghosh is also a portfolio manager of the equity sleeve of the Global Allocation Fund.
About Virtus Investment Partners, Inc.
Virtus Investment Partners (NASDAQ: VRTS) is a distinctive partnership of boutique investment managers singularly committed to the long-term success of individual and institutional investors. We provide investment management products and services from our affiliated managers, each with a distinct investment style and autonomous investment process, as well as select subadvisers. Investment solutions are available across multiple disciplines and product types to meet a wide array of investor needs. Additional information about our firm, investment partners, and strategies is available at virtus.com.
Important Risk Considerations
Allocation: The risk that the portfolio's exposure to equities and fixed income securities, or to different asset classes, may vary from the intended allocation or may not be optimal for market conditions at a given time. Issuer Risk: The portfolio will be affected by factors specific to the issuers of securities and other instruments in which the portfolio invests, including actual or perceived changes in the financial condition or business prospects of such issuers. Underlying Fund Risk: The portfolio will be indirectly affected by factors, risks and performance specific to any other portfolio in which it invests. Debt Instruments: Debt instruments are subject to greater levels of credit and liquidity risk, may be speculative and may decline in value due to changes in interest rates or an issuer's or counterparty's deterioration or default. Interest Rate: The values of debt instruments may rise or fall in response to changes in interest rates, and this risk may be enhanced for securities with longer maturities. Derivatives: Derivatives may include, among other things, futures, options, forwards and swap agreements and may be used in order to hedge portfolio risks, create leverage, or attempt to increase returns. Investments in derivatives may result in increased volatility and the portfolio may incur a loss greater than its principal investment. Market Volatility: Local, regional, or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the portfolio and its investments, including hampering the ability of the portfolio manager(s) to invest the portfolio's assets as intended. Sustainable Investing: Because the portfolio focuses on investments in companies that the Manager believes exhibit strong environmental, social, and corporate governance records, the portfolio's universe of investments may be smaller than that of other portfolios and broad equity benchmark indices. Equity Securities: The market price of equity securities may be adversely affected by financial market, industry, or issuer-specific events. Focus on a particular style or on small or medium-sized companies may enhance that risk. Foreign & Emerging Markets: Investing in foreign securities, especially in emerging markets, subjects the portfolio to additional risks such as increased volatility, currency fluctuations, less liquidity, and political, regulatory, economic, and market risk.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results and current performance may be higher or lower than the performance shown. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so your shares, when redeemed may be worth more or less than their original cost.
The Program Manager and Underwriter for the CollegeAccess 529 Plan is VP Distributors LLC, One Financial Plaza, Hartford, CT 06103, 1-800-243-4361. The Plan is issued by the South Dakota Higher Education Savings Trust.
Please consider a fund's investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. For this and other information about any Virtus Fund, contact your financial representative, call 800-243-4361, or visit virtus.com for a prospectus or summary prospectus. Read it carefully before investing.
Virtus Mutual Funds are distributed by VP Distributors, LLC, member FINRA and subsidiary of Virtus Investment Partners, Inc.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Virtus Investment Partners, Inc. | 2022-07-27T13:00:07+00:00 | witn.com | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/07/27/virtus-investment-partners-adds-systematic-multi-asset-portfolio-management-capabilities/ |
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The Australian government will launch an inquiry aimed at preventing a prime minister from ever again secretly amassing new ministerial powers, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tuesday.
Albanese’s predecessor Scott Morrison secretly appointed himself to five ministerial roles between March 2020 and May 2021, usually without the knowledge of the original minister.
After the revelations, Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue issued legal advice that Morrison had been “validly appointed” in the duplicated portfolios.
But to be appointed without notifying ministers, the parliament or the public was not “consistent with the principle of responsible government,” Donaghue said in his 29-page legal opinion, which Albanese released publicly Tuesday.
Morrison’s extraordinary power grab is seen as part of a wider trend in Australian politics to concentrate power within a leader’s office at the expense of the British Westminster tradition of delegating responsibilities among ministers.
Albanese, who replaced Morrison at May elections, said his Cabinet had been briefed on Donaghue's advice on Tuesday and agreed to set up an inquiry into how to avoid a repeat of Morrison's behavior.
Albanese’s office would immediately discuss with the staff of Governor-General David Hurley, who represents Queen Elizabeth II, Australia’s head of state, a plan to publish all future ministerial appointments.
Such publishing could be enshrined in law to ensure it was “not dependent upon the goodwill of the government of the day,” Albanese said.
“What we’re dealing with here wasn’t envisaged. I don’t think anyone in this room, certainly no one in the current government, sat around and said: ‘I wonder if Scott Morrison has been put in charge of the Department of Industry Science, the Department of Home Affairs or whether he’s made himself Treasurer?’” Albanese told reporters at a news conference.
Morrison, who is now an opposition lawmaker, told reporters last week that he usually kept his extra powers secret because they could be misconstrued. The portfolios were health, finance, treasury, resources and home affairs.
Morrison said his power grab had been an emergency measure made necessary by the coronavirus crisis, but his only known use of the secret powers had nothing to do with the pandemic. He overturned a decision by former minister Keith Pitt to approve a contentious gas exploration project north of Sydney that would have harmed his coalition’s reelection chances.
Morrison said on Tuesday he acted as he did as prime minister with the “best of intentions to do all I could to protect Australia in the face of multiple crises.
“I accept that many Australians will not agree with, accept or understand all the decisions I made during those difficult times,” Morrison said in a statement.
Those who want an Australian president to replace the British monarch as Australia’s head of state in a republic have been critical of the governor-general’s role in the secrecy.
While Hurley was obliged to follow Morrison’s advice in rubber-stamping the prime minister’s growing list of portfolios, critics argue a governor-general should have insisted on public disclosure.
Hurley’s office said in a statement: “The governor-general had no reason to believe that appointments would not be communicated.” | 2022-08-23T07:46:20+00:00 | springfieldnewssun.com | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/australia-to-prevent-prime-ministers-gaining-secret-powers/EW2M3U64FNAQTB7KQRIYYHULEI/ |
North Carolina deputy killed; search on for shooter
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Authorities in North Carolina are trying to determine who fired the shots that killed a sheriff’s deputy along a dark highway late Thursday night. Wake County Sheriff Gerald Baker said early Friday that the deputy was fatally wounded after 11 p.m. Thursday. Sheriff’s spokesperson Eric Curry says it happened on a dark section of road adjacent to open land about a quarter mile from a gas station. He says they’re trying to learn why the deputy stopped there as they search for “the perpetrator or perpetrators.” Several sheriff’s deputies have been shot recently in North Carolina, including Wayne County Sheriff’s Sgt. Matthew Fishman, who was killed last week. | 2022-08-12T18:33:46+00:00 | keyt.com | https://keyt.com/news/2022/08/12/north-carolina-deputy-killed-search-on-for-shooter/ |
Jon Baron was a candidate for the 2022 Democratic nomination for Maryland governor.
Today, more than one-quarter of Maryland eighth-graders can’t read at even a basic level, and more than one-third can’t do basic math — the same as 20 years ago, according to U.S. Education Department measures. Census Bureau data show that more than a half-million Marylanders live in poverty, and that we haven’t reduced our poverty rate in more than 30 years. Even today’s problem of inflation eroding income gains is not new for many Marylanders: Census data show that, after accounting for inflation, the bottom 40 percent of households have seen stagnant earnings since 1979 as income inequality has soared.
Why are we stuck? The answer lies in the fact that Maryland, like other states, keeps rolling out well-meaning but unproven programs. This long-standing approach to social spending hasn’t brought progress for a simple reason: Many programs, no matter how plausible-sounding or well-intentioned, simply don’t work — they don’t improve people’s lives — as we’ve seen too often when the results are measured. The same pattern occurs in other fields, such as medicine and business: When new treatments or approaches are rigorously tested, only 10 to 20 percent are typically found effective.
Yet we keep rolling out untested social programs, expecting this approach to suddenly succeed where it has failed in the past. Hence, Groundhog Day.
The remedy lies in adopting a key lesson from other fields: To make progress, we must deploy solutions that don’t just sound good but have actually been tested in the real world and shown to improve people’s lives. That has been the standard procedure in medicine for more than 50 years, ever since the Food and Drug Administration started requiring pharmaceutical drugs be shown effective in rigorous randomized trials before allowing them to be marketed. The result has been amazing improvements in human health (think: vaccines for measles and the coronavirus, treatment for HIV/AIDS, and statins and antihypertensive drugs to prevent heart attacks and strokes — all proven effective in rigorous trials).
Could a similar approach work in social policy? Yes! In recent years, rigorous trials have identified a modest but growing number of exceptional social programs that produce big improvements in people’s lives, showing success is indeed possible. A leading example is Year Up, a job training program for disadvantaged young adults that focuses on fast-growing industries and provides paid internships with local employers. It increases average earnings by a remarkable $8,000 per year.
In education, KIPP — a network of college-prep public charter schools serving mainly low-income, minority students — increases reading and math achievement in kindergarten through eighth grade by five to 10 percentile points and college enrollment by seven percentage points. Another program, Bottom Line, which provides one-on-one advising to help low-income students get into and graduate from college, increases bachelor’s degree completion by eight percentage points.
Unfortunately, such programs have only a toehold in Maryland because government social spending in our state, as in other states, generally does not reward proven effectiveness. Instead, money is typically allocated through funding formulas or other processes that pay no heed to rigorous evidence, thereby supporting programs that sound plausible but are untested.
To make progress, we must rewrite Maryland’s laws governing social spending to incorporate two core principles. First, they should specify that programs meeting the highest standards for proven effectiveness receive top priority for funding to scale them statewide to benefit many thousands of people. Second, given the currently limited number of proven programs, the laws also should carve out funds to rigorously test innovative new programs — and promising existing ones — to grow the body of proven programs qualifying for scale-up.
If we continue on our current path, we will — like Murray’s TV weatherman — be here in 20 years, still mired in the same problems and listening to policymakers roll out the next new plan. Instead, let’s pioneer a new problem-solving approach in Maryland, using tested and proven solutions — just as in medicine — to finally ignite progress in education, economic opportunity and other areas affecting millions of lives. | 2022-09-16T14:12:38+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/09/16/new-election-same-problems-maryland/ |
ATLANTA (AP) — Unemployment data shows a Georgia job market that's still hot but leveling off.
The state's unemployment rate ticked up to 2.9% in October after three months at an all-time low of 2.8%. And while employers are still adding workers to payrolls, those gains may be slowing.
The jobless rate remained below a year ago, when 3.4% of Georgia workers were unemployed. But the labor force fell for the fourth straight month, while the number of people reporting they had a job fell for the third straight month. The number of Georgians unemployed and seeking work crept up to 152,000 after two months of ultra-low readings below 150,000.
It was the first increase in Georgia's jobless rate since hitting an all-time high of 12.3% at the start of the pandemic in April 2020.
The number of workers on employer payrolls — the top labor market measure for many economists — rose by 3,000 in Georgia in July, reaching 4.84 million. That's 204,000 above payroll levels last year.
Payrolls hit a new all-time high for the 11th straight month. Payrolls are measured by a survey of employers, separate from the survey of individuals.
Republican Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said chances of finding a job remain good despite “some isolated layoff events.”
“We are still setting records in multiple sectors highlighting the current favorable hiring environment for Georgians,” Butler said in a statement.
The state released the figures Thursday. They are adjusted to cancel out seasonal fluctuations.
The nationwide unemployment rate rose to 3.7% in October from 3.5% in September. That's still down from 4.6% a year ago.
About 3,800 Georgia workers filed for new unemployment benefits in the week that ended Nov. 12.
The overall number of people collecting state unemployment was about 23,000 in the week that ended Nov. 5. | 2022-11-17T17:42:01+00:00 | expressnews.com | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/Georgia-job-market-still-positive-but-may-be-17592321.php |
Come July 1, Florida's new immigration law will take effect. It requires companies with 25 or more employees to verify their workers' citizenship status.
Supporters of the law say it's needed to combat what they view as a significant problem with illegal immigration. They also say it will open jobs up to people who are in the country legally.
But opponents worry it will increase a labor shortage in the agriculture, construction and hospitality industries.
"Florida is going to be left without a huge labor force, and that is really going to hurt the state," said Yesica Ramirez with the Farmers Association of Florida.
"Florida has less than 3% unemployment rate right now. We are actually experiencing a huge labor shortage," said Felipe Sousa Lazaballet, executive director of Hope Community Center. "Here in Orange County, where we are at right now, only 60% of vacant jobs get filled. Before this law was passed, they were completely unfilled, and people couldn't find people to work. Now what we're looking at before July 1, people are afraid to go to work. We are seeing construction sites that are completely empty, and people are not showing up to work in the agricultural fields."
Florida is home to an estimated 772,000 undocumented immigrants, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Estella is one of them.
"That is what I want the governor to understand: We come here to work the jobs that no one wants to do," she said. "We won't be able to go out to the street comfortably. We will go to work with a fear of being stopped. The uncertainty is scary to me."
SEE MORE: Hispanic leaders urge DeSantis not to sign immigration bill
Samuel Vilchez with the American Business Immigration Coalition says businesses and everyday consumers will feel the impact of the new law.
"The politicians here are trying to shift the narrative to show that Florida no longer welcomes immigrants, but what happens is at the end of the day all of us will be impacted by that," he said. "Our food prices will go up when we don't have anyone picking up the crops. Our housing prices will go up with immigrants not building our homes. What we're hearing from a lot of construction folks is that they don't know if they will have the labor necessary at the rate needed in order to keep prices down."
The law also prohibits issuing drivers licenses in Florida to people who are undocumented and invalidates out-of-state drivers licenses for anyone who is undocumented visiting Florida.
Places like the Hope Community Center in Orlando are trying to help those affected by providing information and teaching people about their civil liberties, like what to do if a police officer asks them about their immigration status. Lazaballet said a recent information session had 300 attendees.
"Our phones are always ringing now," he said. "People are afraid, and people are planning to leave the state. Our message is the Hope Community Center is here for you. We've been here for 50 years, and we will continue to be here."
For now, people like Estella say they will continue to work, but she may move.
"This time we are being forced to leave the state, but like I said before, I don't want to leave because I have my job here. My daughter is here. My house is here, and we are rooted here. We would have to start from zero again," Estella said.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | 2023-05-25T05:11:48+00:00 | kgun9.com | https://www.kgun9.com/floridians-worry-for-labor-effects-of-new-undocumented-migrant-law |
LEESBURG, Va., Feb. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Quantum Computing Inc. ("QCI" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: QUBT), a first-to-market full-stack photonic-based quantum computing and solutions company, today announces that it has officially launched QI Solutions, Inc. ("QI Solutions" or "QIS"), a wholly owned subsidiary dedicated to delivering quantum solutions to the government and defense markets. The new entity will lead and manage engagements, contracts and programs awarded from the US government and Department of Defense. QI Solutions, which will operate primarily out of a newly established facility in Arizona, will be overseen by highly seasoned operations and applied technology expert, Sean Gabeler.
"We see tremendous potential for our market-ready quantum solutions in the government and defense sectors, with an extensive and ever-increasing scope of technological applications. To better meet those needs, we determined it would be best to set up a separate entity specifically to address the unique requirements of this market," commented Robert Liscouski, CEO at Quantum Computing Inc. "Once we made that assessment and began conversations with key-decision makers in this space regarding their needs, we knew right away there was no better-experienced professional than Sean to lead the new initiative. Sean is a highly experienced and proven leader with a successful track record of transitioning emerging technology to real world applications and is precisely what QCI requires to successfully lead this effort."
Sean Gabeler joined QCI after over 30 years as a Special Operations officer. A highly decorated multi war combat veteran, Sean brings a level of understanding of government operational requirements uncommon in the business community. As an applied technology expert, Sean has proven deep experience applying commercial technology to government solutions.
Expansion into Arizona represents a strategic initiative for the Company. The location was selected due to the State's leadership in the field of optics, its early recognition of the importance of advanced photonic research, and the presence of numerous State and US Government entities as well as strong research universities interested in exploring mission-ready quantum computing and related technologies. To that end, QI Solutions will offer a range of products and services to its customers in these sectors, all of which are available for deployment today. These products include entropy quantum computing solutions, software, as well as technologies for quantum communication and quantum sensing, which will be complemented with a range of customized services in areas such as secure supply chain management, light advanced manufacturing, quantum workforce development, and quantum research and development.
"As a retired DOD officer with an expertise in the application of technology for effects, I believe QCI is the world's leading quantum computing technology company. The Company has unique capabilities that can be adopted for immediate applications that are appropriate for multiple programs within various government departments and agencies," said Sean Gabeler, President of QI Solutions. "We have already been engaged in discussions with a number of these entities, and anticipate that we could soon see our solutions utilized in a wide variety of boutique applications for our clients. The US Government recognizes that quantum technologies are essential to maintaining technology leadership in the world today. Qi Solutions, as QCI's government facing entity, will carry out QCI's mission to bring real world quantum capabilities to the government customer, and I am proud to lead that effort," he stated.
QIS is ready to deploy its range of solutions, as well as provide partners with appropriately cleared personnel working to support their needs and requirements.
For additional information on the company's suite of solutions, please visit our website or contact our team directly.
QIS is a newly established supplier of quantum technology solutions and services to the government and defense industries. With a team of qualified and cleared staff, QIS delivers a range of solutions from entropy quantum computing to quantum communications and sensing, backed by expertise in logistics, manufacturing, R&D and training. The company is exclusively focussed on delivering tailored solutions for partners in various government departments and agencies.
QCI is a full-stack quantum software and hardware company on a mission to accelerate the value of quantum computing for real-world business solutions, delivering the future of quantum computing, today. The company is on a path to delivering an accessible and affordable full-stack solution with real-world industrial applications, using quantum entropy, which can be used anywhere and with little to no training. QCI's experts in finance, computing, security, mathematics and physics have over a century of experience with complex technologies ranging from leading edge supercomputing to precision sensors and imaging technology, to the security that protects nations. For more information about QCI, visit www.quantumcomputinginc.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Quantum Computing, Inc | 2023-02-06T14:40:46+00:00 | waff.com | https://www.waff.com/prnewswire/2023/02/06/quantum-computing-inc-creates-new-subsidiary-deliver-products-services-government-defense-sectors/ |
What's driving the crisis in Haiti Published March 26, 2023 at 4:00 PM CDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 6:09 Scott Detrow speaks with Miami Herald reporter Jacqueline Charles about the gang violence and hunger crisis in Haiti. Copyright 2023 NPR | 2023-03-26T22:04:31+00:00 | kgou.org | https://www.kgou.org/2023-03-26/whats-driving-the-crisis-in-haiti |
University and digital transformation leaders from top nonprofit higher education institutions to help further the company's mission
LANHAM, Md., May 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 2U, Inc. (Nasdaq: TWOU), the parent company of leading global online learning platform edX, today announced the creation of two university councils to guide the organization in its mission to unlock human potential through high-quality, affordable online higher education.
The two councils include the University Leadership Council (ULC) comprised of presidents, provosts, and chancellors from nonprofit colleges and universities within 2U and edX's global network of 230+ institutions, as well as the University Partner Advisory Council (UPAC) comprised of academic leaders who are responsible for their institution's digital transformation and online education strategy.
"We are thrilled to work with such an esteemed group of university leaders from around the world and to deepen our partnership and knowledge sharing with them in ways that will benefit students and the broader higher education community globally," said Andrew Hermalyn, 2U's President of Partnerships.
The ULC is a reconstitution of the former edX University Advisory Board, and brings together a diverse group of institutions that share a passion for evolving global higher education. The UPAC ensures that 2U can regularly and routinely confer with key digital innovation leaders from across the combined 2U and edX partner network.
2U/edX's University Leadership Council members include:
- Cynthia Barnhart, Provost, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Malte Brettel, Vice Rector, RWTH Aachen University
- Chris Clemens, Provost, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Reginald DesRoches, Provost and President-Elect, Rice University
- Wayne A.I. Frederick, President, Howard University
- Alan Garber, Provost, Harvard University
- Ellen Granberg, Provost, Rochester Institute of Technology
- Benjamin E. Hermalin, Provost-Elect, University of California, Berkeley
- Jean Morrison, Provost, Boston University
- Rob Mudde, Vice Rector Magnificus/Vice President Education, Delft University of Technology
- Mamokgethi Phakeng, Vice Chancellor, University of Cape Town
- Jennie Shaw, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), The University of Adelaide
- Deborah Terry AO, Vice Chancellor and President, The University of Queensland
- Bin Yang, Provost, Tsinghua University
- Charles Zukoski, Provost, University of Southern California
2U/edX's University Partner Advisory Council members include:
- Bharat N. Anand, Vice Provost, Harvard University
- David Bach, Dean of Innovation and Programs, Institute for Management Development
- Nelson Baker, Dean of Professional Education, Georgia Institute of Technology
- Stephanie Berzin, Vice Provost, Simmons University
- MJ Bishop, Vice President for Integrative Learning Design, University System of Maryland
- Larry Bouthillier, Executive Director of Extended Learning, University of British Columbia
- Cathy Breen, Managing Director, Harvard University
- Peter Decherny, Director of the Online Learning Initiative, University of Pennsylvania
- Chris Dellarocas, Associate Provost, Boston University
- James DeVaney, Associate Vice Provost for Academic Innovation, University of Michigan
- Jim Gazzard, Director of Continuing Education, University of Cambridge
- Jay Gladden, Associate Vice President, Indiana University
- Eric Grimson, Chancellor for Academic Advancement, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Peter Hirst, Senior Associate Dean, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management
- Carlos Jensen, Associate Vice Chancellor, University of California, San Diego
- Josh Kim, Director of Online Programs and Strategy, Dartmouth College
- Caroline Levander, Vice President for Global and Digital Strategy, Rice University
- Carissa Little, Associate Dean for Global and Online Education, Stanford University
- Ian Mortimer, Associate Provost, Rochester Institute of Technology
- Mike Nichol, Associate Vice Provost, University of Southern California
- Todd Nicolet, Vice Provost, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Oliver O'Reilly, Interim Vice Provost, University of California, Berkeley
- Clay Shirky, Vice Provost, New York University
- Dave Smith, Associate Provost, Pepperdine University
- Vasanthi Srinivasan, Chairperson of Digital Learning, IIBM Institute of Business Management
- Willem van Valkenburg, Executive Director of the Extension School, Delft University of Technology
- Caroline Williams, Director of Open Programmes, University of Oxford
- Kwok-yin Wong, Vice President (Education), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
The councils will be advisory in nature and will meet on a range of relevant topics of shared interest among 2U and edX and its network of international partners. Understanding and responding to the perspectives of its academic and corporate partners is key to the company's strategy to deliver high-quality and career-relevant learning at scale.
"While online education has become a larger part of the higher education story in recent years, new pressures are mounting to transform institutions for a post-pandemic era where learning is becoming increasingly blended," said Anant Agarwal, edX founder, 2U Chief Open Education Officer, and MIT professor. "These university councils, alongside our existing Corporate Advisory Board, allow 2U and edX to further tap into our partners' collective knowledge and experience as we build a global education platform that drives greater access to high-quality learning programs for everyone, everywhere."
About 2U, Inc. (Nasdaq: TWOU)
For more than a decade, 2U, Inc. has been the digital transformation partner of choice to great non-profit colleges and universities delivering high-quality online education at scale. As the parent company of edX, a leading global online learning platform, 2U provides over 44 million learners with access to world-class education in partnership with more than 230 colleges, universities, and corporations. Our people and technology are powering more than 4,000 digital education offerings — from free courses to full degrees — and helping unlock human potential. To learn more: visit 2U.com.
About edX
edX is the education movement for restless learners and a leading global online learning platform from 2U, Inc. (Nasdaq: TWOU). Together with the majority of the world's top-ranked universities and industry-leading companies, we bring our community of over 44 million learners world-class education to support them at every stage of their lives and careers, from free courses to full degrees. And we're not stopping there — we're relentlessly pursuing our vision of a world where every learner can access education to unlock their potential, without the barriers of cost or location. Learn more at edX.org.
Media Contact:
Kate Welk
media@2u.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE 2U, Inc. | 2022-05-18T13:30:06+00:00 | mysuncoast.com | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/18/2u-edx-announce-two-university-advisory-councils/ |
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Elections, coups, disease outbreaks and extreme weather are some of the main events that occurred across Africa in 2022.
Problems brewed thousands of miles away — climate change and the war in Ukraine — have been devastating to the continent, say experts.
The climate crisis is hitting Africa “first and hardest,” said Kevin Mugenya, a senior resilience and food security advisor for Africa at Mercy Corps, an international charity.
The continent of 54 countries and 1.3 billion people is facing “a catastrophic global food crisis” that “will worsen if actors do not act quickly,” Mugenya told The Associated Press.
With less than 1% of arable land equipped for irrigation in a continent that suffers one-third of global droughts, African farmers are exposed to erratic rainfall, rising temperatures and droughts, according to an International Monetary Fund policy paper.
The deadly effects of extreme weather conditions are amplified in the Horn of Africa. The worst drought in decades that has seen a fifth failed rainy season in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia is affecting about 40 million people, according to the United Nations.
In Nigeria, 1 million acres of farmland were submerged following the worst flooding in a decade that displaced more than 1.3 million people and destroyed crops that were already faltering in some areas due to prolonged conflict, said Mercy Corps.
Humanitarian support to Africa has dwindled as the war in Ukraine distracts key donors, according to aid agencies.
Donors reacted in “a timely and generous fashion — to Ukraine especially,” said the U.N refugee agency, in a September report. Half of the agency’s 12 “most important operations” that are struggling to get funding are in Africa, said the report.
Rising food prices due to the Ukraine war harshly affected sub-Saharan Africa, which imported 44% of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine between 2018 and 2020, according to U.N. figures.
On the political front, peaceful elections in Angola, Kenya, Lesotho and Senegal, were bright spots for Africa.
But armed conflict loomed large across the continent. Jihadi insurgencies plagued Somalia, Nigeria, Mozambique, Burkina Faso and Mali. The extremist violence threatened to spread to even more countries, especially in West Africa’s Sahel region.
Eastern Congo suffered violence by several armed militia, especially the M23 group. As insecurity worsened and the M23 rebels advanced to take some territory, including a major town in August, Congo and neighboring Rwanda threatened to go to war as each side accused the other of supporting armed groups in the mineral-rich region.
In Ethiopia, the continued presence in Eritrea of government-allied forces who are accused of some of the worst abuses in the two-year war between Ethiopian and regional Tigray forces, threatens a November peace deal to end a conflict that has been far deadlier than the one in Ukraine.
Burkina Faso’s two coups — the first in January and another in September — brought Russia’s involvement in the West African country under scrutiny. Within hours of the second coup, the head of Russia’s shadowy mercenary outfit, the Wagner Group, was among the first to congratulate the new junta leader.
Protesters waving Russian flags attacked the French Embassy and the French Institute in the capital, Ouagadougou. Many said they believed that Wagner mercenaries are better equipped to stop Burkina Faso’s jihadi violence than Western allies like France.
Wagner Group mercenaries already have established footholds for Russia in at least half a dozen African countries. These include the Central African Republic, Sudan and Mali, which is battling an insurgency similar to the one in Burkina Faso that has killed thousands and displaced some 2 million people. The Wagner Group has been accused of committing human rights abuses in Mali.
The deepening instability caused by Islamic extremist rebels in the Sahel has caused “massive population displacement” across Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, according to the U.N.’s World Food Program. The insurgencies and coups have also heightened fears that democracy is backsliding in West Africa, say analysts.
The threat of the COVID-19 pandemic receded across the continent but not before exposing global inequalities in the distribution of vaccines.
After the outbreak of the Ebola virus in Uganda in September, the World Health Organization appealed for about $88 million to fight the re-emerging disease. But by November, the WHO said it had only received 20% of the amount.
An outbreak of mpox — formerly known as monkeypox — spread around the world. Vaccinations were available in rich, Western countries for the first time, but despite recording many deaths, poorer Africa was starved of the vaccines.
Africa’s improved capacity to fight disease outbreaks — largely built on the experience of battling COVID-19 — is providing some optimism ahead of 2023.
Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization’s Africa regional director, said at an online briefing on Dec. 11 that “the future, however difficult the past couple of years have been, will find us in a much better situation in terms of our strategies, our investments, and our capacities to confront public health threats.”
___
Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal and Cara Anna in Nairobi, Kenya, contributed. | 2022-12-16T13:32:38+00:00 | siouxlandproud.com | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/international/ap-africa-has-peaceful-polls-in-2022-but-hit-by-coups-droughts/ |
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Get your finest suits, your fascinators and your mint juleps ready, because this year’s edition of the Kentucky Derby is going to be a fun one.
On Friday’s Locked On Today podcast, longtime horse racing expert, writer and analyst Dick Jerardi joined host Peter Bukowski to talk about the storylines heading into the 148th edition of the iconic race at Churchill Downs, and talk about which horses have the best shot to win.
SUBSCRIBE: The Locked On Today podcast hosted by Peter Bukowski gets you caught up every morning on the biggest stories in sports without taking up your free time.
Baffert-less Derby
One of the biggest stories heading into this weekend is actually about who isn’t here. Bob Baffert, the iconic trainer who has six Derby wins alone including 2020, 2018 and 2015, is suspended for this year’s derby after Medina Spirit tested positive for banned substances following the 2021 race.
Jerardi said it’s very different without Baffert there at Churchill Downs this year. Baffert’s suspension runs through early June.
“When Medina Spirit crossed the finish line last year at the Derby, Baffert was the all time winningest Derby trainer with seven, and then a week later we find out (Medina Spirit) tests positive for this prohibited anti-inflammatory…Him not being here is a huge deal. I went by his barn yesterday and it was like a ghost town," Jerardi said. "It was very strange. He’s usually got all these plaques up there, there’s 50 people waiting to talk to him and this year, no people, no horses, no anything. Absolutely he is missed and it’s a big part of the storyline of this year’s Derby.”
The favorites
At the top, the betting favorites to win the 148th Kentucky Derby are Zandor and Epicenter who are co-favorites currently. It’s not typical for there to be co-favorites coming into a Kentucky Derby.
Is there one that stands above the rest?
“I like Epicenter the best. Ultimately the public will decide who the favorite is. I think they’re pretty close. I’m not sure which one will ultimately be the favorite. There isn’t any obvious horse to be the favorite like American Pharaoh in 2015 or Justify in 2018 that stands out. I like Epicenter the most, but this is a closer Derby than many others.”
Longshots?
In total 51 of 146 races have been won by the favorite. But, Jerardi believes this is a much tighter Derby than normal, meaning there could be some longshot value. Country House was the big recent underdog to win at 30 to 1 in 2019. I’ll Have Another was 15 to 1 in 2012 and Animal Kingdom was 21 to 1 in 2011. Mine That Bird was the biggest longshot in recent history to win at 51 to 1 in 2009.
Bukowski asked Jerardi if there are any horses he notes as flying under the radar going into Saturday’s race.
“It was interesting. When I came down here I thought there was no way Crown Pride could win this race, it’s a Japanese horse. And then I watched him on the track on Wednesday and I, like a lot of other people, were just blown away by how good he looked. The reality is the Japanese had won nothing in America until they won two Breeder’s Cup races last November in Del Mar…I think the word is out, I think he’s going to outrun his odds.”
The 148th Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday, May 7, 2022 on NBC, Peacock, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. Coverage begins on NBA at 2:30 p.m. ET. | 2022-05-06T18:50:23+00:00 | wgrz.com | https://www.wgrz.com/article/sports/locked-on/148th-kentucky-derby-preview-with-dick-jerardi-no-baffert-horses-to-watch-bob-baffert-justify-churchill-downs-nbc-zandor-epicenter-crown-pride/535-a225e9ff-f36b-4370-9d3e-f7d08db40d7c |
The Utah Based Software Company Ranks No. 666 With Three-Year Revenue Growth of 947 Percent
FARMINGTON, Utah, Aug. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, LoanPro announced its position of No. 666 on the annual Inc. 5000, its second consecutive year on the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America. The list represents a one-of-a-kind look at the most successful companies within the economy's most dynamic segment—its independent businesses.
Rhett Roberts, CEO of LoanPro said, "We're grateful to be recognized by Inc for the second consecutive year, and believe this is not only a result of our innovative software, but the passionate people working behind the scenes. We believe that the best products are built by people who truly understand the use-case and that our process of turning an idea into reality is what differentiates LoanPro from our competition. We value constant brainstorming and embrace the learnings that come from failure. It's been our experience that the best ideas come from a tapestry of contributors all working towards a solution."
Many of the top lenders in the nation have already benefited from LoanPro's Loan Management Software, whose mission is powering financial innovation. With new lending types and products seemingly created daily, LoanPro's configurable software allows for the creation and servicing of these new or trending loan types without missing a beat.
Landing at #256 on the 2021 Inc. 5000 list, LoanPro celebrates staying in the top thousand and remaining profitable, while simultaneously nearly doubling their workforce. LoanPro continues to expand their product and team, with plans to add over 450+ jobs in Utah over the next 16 years.
The companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 have not only been successful, but have also demonstrated resilience amid supply chain woes, labor shortages, and the ongoing impact of Covid-19.
About LoanPro
LoanPro is an innovative loan management software which powers financial innovation by giving users the tech they need to bring their lending innovations to life. Built on its own API, LoanPro unites with its users existing software, while encouraging the use of powerful integrations and unifying all aspects of the loan lifecycle in a single source of truth.
For more information on LoanPro, visit loanpro.io. | 2022-08-16T13:22:44+00:00 | hjnews.com | https://www.hjnews.com/news/state/for-consecutive-years-loanpro-lands-excellent-spot-on-inc-5000/article_d2f30ba1-e5ab-5b87-a754-7f7f61b9693a.html |
There’s something performative about most historical fiction, whether that means channeling a real-life character (e.g., Thomas Cromwell a la Hilary Mantel) or stage-dressing a period drama, as Joanna Quinn does in her debut novel set in World War II’s European theater. But, as its title suggests, “The Whalebone Theatre” puts that performance center stage, so to speak. The titular theater — or theatre, this being England — is the brainchild of a brainy child named Cristabel, 4 years old when we meet her, waiting for her father to fetch home his new young bride, Rosalind, who is stepmother material only in the fairy-tale sense.
Sure enough, once Rosalind produces a child of her own, a baby girl promptly dubbed The Veg for her unpromising appearance, Cristabel’s father falls off a horse and dies, leaving her an orphan, and Rosalind with an attenuated fortune, a moldering mansion and a charming brother-in-law to console her. In short order, the mourning pair marry and produce their own darling heir.
There you have the main cast members: Cristabel; her half sister, Flossie (The Veg); Flossie’s half brother, Digby; Flossie and Digby’s stylish mother, Rosalind; and Willoughby, Digby’s dashing father, who’s mostly dashing off. The setting: Chilcombe, “a many-gabled, many-chimneyed, ivy-covered manor house with an elephantine air of weary grandeur...[that] has huddled on a wooded cliff overhanging the ocean for four hundred years.”
Cristabel, like so many fictional orphans, is plucky, fiercely imaginative and prodigiously precocious. She reads discarded newspapers and steals books from her father’s study — “collections of Greek myths; leather-bound volumes of The Iliad and The Odyssey … adventure stories by someone called G. A. Henty … based on true episodes in England’s glorious history.” With this library of romance, adventure and history at hand, Cristabel gamely undertakes the entertainment and education of her siblings. And when a gargantuan fin whale washes up on the beach, she knows what to do. “A mighty leviathan!” she shouts to wondering fishermen. “I have claimed it.” (“We’ll see what the coastguard has to say about that,” they reply.)
It is from this decaying dead whale that the rib bones are extracted, which in time become the theater where Cristabel stages plays with cast and crew culled from family, staff and houseguests (a dramatic American poetess, a burly Russian expat artist and his semi-savage offspring). And these theatrical seasons of expanding ambition and fame carry us right up to the outbreak of World War II.
These spunky, somewhat benignly neglected children, with a pedigree stretching from Charles Dickens to Lemony Snicket, might seem familiar, but they have their own peculiar and particular charm, as do the supporting cast of flamboyant visitors, eccentric locals and unflappable family retainers. And when the drama shifts to wartime footing, that familiarity, so lovingly recast and cultivated, has secured our affection for these characters and our interest in the new roles they assume: Cristabel and Digby as spies in occupied France and Flossie as a Land Army girl at home, overseeing a German POW in the vegetable garden and stables, housing American officers and hosting musical evenings for the soldiers.
Likewise, the imaginary world that Cristabel so exuberantly constructed for herself from books and plays has prepared her for her real-life adventure. “Whenever she now tucks her military pistol into its holster or zips up her camouflage parachute suit, she feels solemn and justified, as if she is finally inhabiting her rightful story.” And yet, “she is discomforted by a nagging sense that by stepping into her story she might somehow be seen. Because the imagined place of the child within the story does not show the child herself. Because had the Duke of Wellington or Admiral Nelson ever looked down and seen that a small girl had joined their forces, that girl would have been sent home.”
For all its theatricality and amusements, outsize and intimate, “The Whalebone Theatre” is most interesting and moving as the story of these siblings, Cristabel in particular, making something of their own out of the material they’ve been given, finding their rightful place in a drama not always of their own making. Which is to say, because it’s all made up, after all, the real performance here is Joanna Quinn’s. What’s remarkable, especially for a first novel, is her deft way of depicting this lost world — whether a subsiding seaside aristocracy or a training school for British agents or a Parisian theater in wartime — convincingly enough to let us see it simply as a setting for the unfolding drama. Her vision is so fine and fully realized that it’s hard to imagine her doing anything else — and hard to have to wait to see what that might be.
Ellen Akins is the author of four novels and a collection of stories, “World Like a Knife.”
The Whalebone Theatre
By Joanna Quinn
Knopf. 576 pp. $29
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. | 2022-10-05T13:25:45+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2022/10/05/joanna-quinn-whalebone-theatre-review/ |
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A man with an axe attacked random diners at three neighboring Chinese restaurants in New Zealand, wounding four people, police and witnesses said.
Police said the man began the attack at about 9 p.m. Monday in the north Auckland suburb of Albany.
Police arrested a 24-year-old suspect at the scene and charged him with wounding, with the intention of causing grievous bodily harm. The man, a Chinese national, made a brief court appearance Tuesday. Police did not immediately offer a motive for the attack but said they had no evidence it was racially motivated.
Auckland City Hospital said Tuesday one patient from the attack remained there in a stable condition. North Shore Hospital said it had one patient with moderate injuries and a second with minor injuries, both of whom were in a stable condition, and had earlier discharged a third patient.
A diner told the New Zealand Herald newspaper he was eating dinner with a friend when the man walked in and started attacking his friend, who was seriously injured.
“I was in shock. When I realized what was happening, he tried to target me,” the man, who asked not to be named, told the Herald. “I blocked his axe with my hand. He was also trying to target my head, so I blocked the axe with my hand.”
The diner said the man with the axe chased them out of the restaurant and then turned around and walked into another restaurant.
The Herald posted an image of what appeared to be a wood-splitter style of axe lying on the sidewalk.
Surveillance footage posted by news website Stuff showed people fleeing from one of the restaurants, including one person who ran out backward holding a chair as a barricade followed closely by another person holding a weapon.
Police said they expect to file more charges against the man, who they believe acted alone. Police increased their presence in the area around the restaurants Tuesday.
“We acknowledge how frightening this incident was for those involved, and for the wider community, and we are ensuring there is support in place for both the victims and their friends and family,” Inspector Stefan Sagar said in a statement.
During his court appearance, the defendant was helped by a Chinese language interpreter. He was not required to enter a plea. He was granted temporary name suppression, a common outcome in New Zealand’s legal system.
The restaurants the man entered were Yues Dumpling Kitchen, Zhangliang Malatang and Maya Hotpot. They are among a cluster of restaurants on the street that aim to give diners low-cost options reminiscent of Chinese street food offerings. | 2023-06-20T11:25:58+00:00 | wjhl.com | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/4-wounded-after-man-with-axe-attacks-diners-at-3-new-zealand-restaurants/ |
Frustrated by the dating app struggle? We feel you. That’s why Time Out New York is relaunching the Undateables, a series in which we send two eligible singles on a date at some of our favorite NYC spots in the hopes of striking up a new spark. Following the night out, the daters report back with their candid thoughts on first impressions, chemistry and (of course) the inevitable awkward moments. This time, we sent Grace and Anthony to KYU, a wood-fired, pan-Asian barbecue restaurant in Noho—read on to see how it went.
Interested in being set up on a blind date? Apply today by sending an email to undateable@timeout.com.
THE DATERS:
Grace is a 28-year-old temp, babysitter and aspiring writer.
Anthony is a 29-year-old freelance writer.
Why they’re single:
Grace: She’s picky because she wants genuine connection. She feels she’s “cynical” and “desperate” because of past bad relationships and longs for romance in a city “where dating has been replaced with ‘ethically non-monogamous’ relationships.”
Anthony: He’s a self-professed workaholic who hates leaving the apartment unless he needs to. He’s also “neurodiverse with a history of social anxiety” and lives in his head a lot as a playwright and producer.
Ideal date:
Grace: Drinks at a nice spot.
Anthony: A show or a movie with drinks afterward and then home to smoke.
THE DATE
First impression:
Grace: “I got to the Jay Street/MetroTech subway stop and I was waiting for the train for almost an hour, so I freaked out and paid $50 for an Uber to get there from Downtown Brooklyn. He was very gracious about [me being 45 minutes late]. He was definitely very curious about me, which made things easier, but I could tell he was nervous.”
Anthony: “I thought she was very friendly and pretty. I felt bad because I was really anxious leading up to the date. We did hug each other, but I don’t know if I gave off a weird vibe.”
Chemistry:
Grace: “I didn’t necessarily feel any chemistry. He felt more like an acquaintance with friend vibes. We talked about movies, our backgrounds (we’re both Italian Americans), politics (we have the same values) so it was easy to talk and we had plenty to talk about.”
Anthony: “We talked about film and politics…and we were both pretty sure Michael Cohen was seated behind me. I had to keep my mouth shut. I am the most socially awkward person in the world. I’m autistic so it was hard for me. I had to practice discipline. It was creepy.”
Awkward moment:
Grace: “Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen sat behind us.”
Anthony: “I’m sure there were plenty of awkward moments but I can’t really say for sure—it’s me we’re talking about. She was very late. I didn’t want to be rude about it. I know trains sometimes get delayed. People work all sorts of hours and I didn’t know anything about her, but we got along.”
Afterward:
Grace: “We got on the same train line and we hugged ‘goodbye.” We followed each other on Instagram and he gave me his number, but I haven’t heard from him. We may talk again—it wouldn’t be out of the blue.”
Anthony: “It was friendly and ended well. If she contacts me, I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing her again, but I’m already back on the dating apps.”
Verdict [on a scale of five hearts]:
Grace: ♥♥♥ “He’s definitely someone you can tell is growing as a person.”
Anthony: ♥♥♥ “She is a good person and I do like her as a person, but I don’t think there was a ‘spark.’ I heard that Jon Stewart met his wife on a blind date and part of me was hopeful.”
The Date Spot:
Our daters went to KYU, a wood-fired, pan-Asian barbecue restaurant in Noho.
Grace: “I would recommend KYU as a date spot—the vibe was good and it was definitely causal but you could wear a nice dress if you wanted to.”
Anthony: “The beef brisket was delicious, we had a s’mores cake and we had two good drinks. I’d recommend it if someone who has money wants to splurge. Maybe they’ll spot Rudy Giuliani. You never know.”
Maybelline Fit Me foundation was provided to Undateable participants along with concealer, powder and blush. Visit the Fit Me foundation match finder to find the perfect shade for you to wear on your next date. | 2022-08-03T10:41:28+00:00 | timeout.com | https://www.timeout.com/newyork/sex-and-dating/meet-the-undateables-grace-and-anthony |
Anyone looking to buy or sell a home is suddenly facing a very different market. Sales have dropped and once-hot markets are cooling. Home builders have noticed and are rethinking construction plans.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Anyone looking to buy or sell a home is suddenly facing a very different market. Sales have dropped and once-hot markets are cooling. Home builders have noticed and are rethinking construction plans.
Copyright 2022 NPR | 2022-07-21T00:41:56+00:00 | mainepublic.org | https://www.mainepublic.org/2022-07-20/the-overheated-u-s-housing-market-is-starting-to-cool-down |
Honolulu police have closed four lanes of H-1 freeway eastbound by the Waimalu off-ramp following a collision involving multiple vehicles. Honolulu police, firefighters and emergency personnel are on the scene.
No other details were immediately available. | 2022-11-20T22:57:19+00:00 | staradvertiser.com | https://www.staradvertiser.com/2022/11/20/breaking-news/crash-temporarily-closes-h-1-eastbound-by-waimalu-off-ramp/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors said Monday they have declined to bring charges against nine people associated with CBS’ “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” who were arrested in a building in the U.S. Capitol complex last month.
The decision, made by the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, comes after prosecutors determined they “cannot move forward” with the misdemeanor charges against the nine people arrested June 16 in the Longworth House Office Building. The incident followed the third public hearing by the House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.
A spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office said it was not probable a conviction could be obtained and sustained given that the nine arrested had been invited and that their escorts had never asked them to leave the building.
Though Capitol Police have refused to provide the names of those who were arrested, a person familiar with the matter provided The Associated Press with a list of nine people who had been stopped by Capitol Police. They included several producers, along with comedian and writer Robert Smigel, the voice behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
Capitol Police officials said Monday they respect the decision made by the U.S. attorney’s office.
Police said the group was arrested on unlawful entry charges “because members of the group had been told several times before they entered the Congressional buildings that they had to remain with a staff escort inside the buildings and they failed to do so.”
Prosecutors said the group had been invited by congressional staffers and had never been asked to leave by the staff members who had invited them. The U.S. attorney’s office said some people in the group of nine had been told by police that they were supposed to have an escort.
“The Office would be required to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that these invited guests were guilty of the crime of unlawful entry because their escort chose to leave them unattended,” said Bill Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office. “We do not believe it is probable that the Office would be able to obtain and sustain convictions on these charges.” | 2022-07-19T22:16:12+00:00 | cbs42.com | https://www.cbs42.com/news/politics/ap-politics/no-charges-for-late-show-crew-arrested-on-capitol-hill/ |
Dayton Children’s Hospital bought a two-family dwelling on Air Street for $375,000, a new Montgomery County property transaction record shows.
The duplex at 288 Air St. was built in 1900, not far from where the 1 Children’s Plaza hospital operates today off Valley Street.
The seller in the transaction was Eastco Limited, a Dayton employment services firm. County records gave the transaction date as Tuesday.
A spokeswoman for Dayton Children’s Friday said there are no specific plans for the home. The purchase is part of the hospital’s revitalization efforts in its neighborhood, called the “DaVinci project.”
The project has targeted the Old North Dayton and McCook Field neighborhoods for improvements such as wider sidewalks, new signs, new tree lawns, relocation of utility poles, decorative light fixtures and a park expansion.
The hospital has been an energetic property buyer in its locale in recent years. Less than a year ago, the hospital bought a manufacturing property at 872 Valley St. for $3.75 million.
The former home of 2J Supply, a hospital executive told this newspaper last year that hospital leaders sought access to that property as part of their facility master plan.
About the Author | 2022-05-13T15:10:29+00:00 | daytondailynews.com | https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/dayton-childrens-hospital-buys-neighborhood-property/Z2VD2I4PEBCJHPJX4FNV7E326A/ |
You can’t fight city hall. And you really can’t fight the White House, Congress, Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and governments of various U.S. states and European countries — much less all of them combined.
The car industry’s most prominent skeptic of the transition to electric vehicles, Toyoda — a grandson of the company’s founder — had frequently expressed reservations about both the feasibility and necessity, in climate-change terms, of going all-electric in the short run. “Carbon is our enemy, not the internal combustion engine,” he once said. At a conference in Thailand just a few weeks ago, Toyoda added that he speaks for a “silent majority” of auto executives who are also “wondering whether EVs are really okay to have as a single option.”
However, his move to board chairman, while turning over day-to-day control to a younger executive, signals that Toyoda’s caution was untenable in the face of growing EV subsidies and mandates intended to decarbonize transportation — which generates about a fifth of global emissions. Not only does the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act include up to $7,500 consumer tax credits, but California and New York have called for phasing out sales of new gas-powered passenger vehicles by 2035. The European Union has mandated zero-emission new cars by that year. China has thrown the weight of its state-dominated economic system behind producing electric cars and batteries to run them. On the hunt for the next Tesla, investors are pouring money into companies they regard as best positioned to profit from this policy-driven boom.
“When it comes to digitization, electrification and connectivity, I personally feel that I belong to the older generation,” Toyoda acknowledged in announcing what he called a personal “step back" and the Wall Street Journal termed a “landmark moment” for the green transition. Certainly, it’s a victory for environmental groups that had been pressuring Toyota to get with the EV program.
And yet the episode should not be allowed to pass without this footnote: Toyoda made a lot of good points. There are still substantial obstacles to mass EV adoption, including the need for rapid, convenient public charging stations, the relatively limited range of electric vehicles as compared to gas-powered equivalents and — despite savings on gas and maintenance — affordability. Even after recent price cuts at Tesla and Ford, and even with a maximum $7,500 tax credit available to qualified customers, many EV models cost more than the $50,000 or less that ordinary car-buyers are prepared to pay for their next new car, according to a new survey by Deloitte.
The United States and other industrialized countries must upgrade their power grids to support EV charging. They must overhaul the global automotive supply chain, securing adequate supplies of minerals and other inputs. China currently dominates the market for processed lithium, a key ingredient of batteries. And the benefits, in terms of carbon-emissions reduction, will be limited unless and until electric grids have been transformed to run on zero-carbon fuel instead of natural gas and coal.
Whether Toyoda spoke for a “silent majority” in the auto industry, he clearly spoke for more than just himself. Carlos Tavares, chief executive of Stellantis — whose brands include Chrysler, Jeep and Peugeot — complained just over a year ago about the decision to “impose” unrealistic EV production demands on the industry.
To be sure, all of these challenges can, potentially, be met. The Inflation Reduction Act and the 2021 infrastructure legislation devote billions of dollars to that goal. It should also be acknowledged that Toyoda was speaking out of self-interest: By holding out for a variety of fuel-efficient propulsion systems, rather than an all-EV approach, he was trying to protect his company’s investments in its Prius and other gas-electric hybrids, along with hydrogen fuel cell technology.
Still, Toyoda undeniably knows a lot about cars — how they work, how they’re made and why people buy them. His is, or was, the perspective of someone who had witnessed, from the inside, the complex, meticulous work over many years that it took to build Toyota into a global enterprise offering affordable products to millions of moderate-income people without sacrificing quality or reliability.
Toyoda’s caution also probably reflects his awareness that even his company’s technological savvy and manufacturing prowess did not immunize it against failure: There was a scandal a decade ago over a dangerous defect that caused some Toyotas to uncontrollably accelerate.
Some day, perhaps, Toyoda will be proven wrong — or get to say “I told you so.” For now, though, political leaders such as Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.), are in the driver’s seat. She recently said her plan for state-funded EV chargers means electric-skeptic consumers will "have no more excuses.” The automotive future is being determined not by Toyota but by fiat. | 2023-02-01T12:21:20+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/02/01/toyota-chief-executive-faces-electric-vehicle-reality/ |
ISLAMABAD (AP) — An international media watchdog on Thursday urged Pakistan to free a TV news director arrested the previous day over an anti-army broadcast and return the station on air.
The appeal by Paris-based Reporters Without Borders came a day after Pakistani police arrested Ammad Yousaf, a senior executive at the private ARY Television in the southern port city of Karachi. Pakistan’s media regulatory body also shuttered the station.
The arrest followed a Monday interview with Shahbaz Gill, of staff at Tehreek-e-Insaf opposition party of former prime minister Imran Khan. Khan, a famous cricket player turned Islamist politician, was ousted in a no-confidence vote in parliament in April.
In the broadcast, Gill urged Pakistani troops and officers, all the way up to brigadier generals, to refuse to obey “illegal orders” from the military — remarks that were seen by authorities as incitement to mutiny.
Police have also arrested Gill on treason charges for which he could face a death penalty.
Reporters Without Border condemned Yousaf's arrest and the TV's suspension, and accused the military of orchestrating them.
“The same crude censorship and harassment of journalists critical of the government keeps on recurring,” said Daniel Bastard, the head of the group's Asia-Pacific desk,
ARY has distanced itself from Gill's remarks, stressing that it is not part of any campaign against the army. Khan came to power in 2018, promising to break the pattern of family rule in Pakistan, but his opponents said he was elected with help from the powerful military, which has ruled the country for half of its 75-year history. | 2022-08-11T19:14:25+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Watchdog-urges-Pakistan-to-free-editor-restore-17367256.php |
Suspect shot by vehicle’s owner in attempted carjacking, police say
EASTPOINTE, Mich. (Gray News) - Michigan police are investigating an attempted carjacking where a suspect ended up being shot.
According to the Eastpointe Police and Fire Department, officers were called regarding an attempted carjacking with shots being fired late Tuesday night.
The department said that the suspects involved approached a victim while he was parking his 2022 Dodge Charger Hellcat in a driveway that evening.
During the incident, the suspects and the vehicle’s owner, who has a concealed pistol license, exchanged gunfire.
The suspects then took off in a Chevy Impala, that returned as stolen, according to police.
Later, police said one of the suspects, identified as 27-year-old Damon Lamar Currie, checked into a nearby hospital with a gunshot wound to his leg.
However, as detectives were called Currie left the hospital.
Eastpointe detectives said they teamed up with other departments and tracked the stolen Impala along with finding Currie’s location.
According to authorities, Currie was arrested after leading police on a vehicle pursuit.
Search warrants were executed at a residence along with the stolen vehicle.
Police said evidence was recovered and Currie is facing charges that include assault with intent to murder.
Eastpointe detectives said they are continuing their search for the second suspect.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2022-12-16T05:02:26+00:00 | wsfa.com | https://www.wsfa.com/2022/12/16/suspect-shot-by-vehicles-owner-attempted-carjacking-police-say/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrat Rudy Salas advances to November general election in California's 22nd Congressional District.
- Michigan restaurants that have been on 'Restaurant: Impossible'
- All-time great: Beavers' Grove leaving legacy of excellence
- Kelly: Something special about this Chemics team
- How to reverse Diabetes Belly fat: The removal of Diabetes...
- Freeland softball players earn all-conference, all-district nods
- Crime log: Deputies arrest intoxicated man who drove off after trying to...
- Jury questionnaires mailed to Midland County residents
- MPS Superintendent Sharrow to receive raise
Most Popular
- What's Happening in the Great Lakes Bay Region?
- The market has a makeup of about two thirds local produce and food, with the rest local crafters.
- The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriff’s Office and the...
- Blood donations are needed in Midland for 13-year-old Kenzie Gulick, who suffers from acute... | 2022-06-08T13:54:37+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Alert-Democrat-Rudy-Salas-advances-to-November-17226837.php |
Which large Christmas wreaths are best?
For those who like to decorate for each holiday, there’s no greater joy than decorating for Christmas. There are lights to hang, trees to adorn, tables to set and wreaths to place, plus plenty of other creative choices to make. For wreaths, you can hardly do better than the National Tree Company Pre-Lit Artificial Christmas Wreath. This large Christmas wreath is pre-lit and has plenty of little touches like red berries and pine cones that spruce up any door or wall.
What to know before you buy a large Christmas wreath
Artificial vs. fresh
Artificial: Artificial Christmas wreaths are built to last for years and are usually decorated for you. Many come with lights already built into the wreath. They aren’t easy to responsibly dispose of, however.
Fresh: Fresh Christmas wreaths are made from real, living trees. They have a wonderful piney smell and they’re easy to decorate for a wholly personal Christmas look. They don’t last longer than a few weeks, meaning you might need more than one during the Christmas season, depending on how long you want a wreath hanging.
Sizing
When purchasing a Christmas wreath, it’s important to make sure you don’t buy one that’s too big or little for your intended space, otherwise it will look off. Generally speaking, you want your Christmas wreath’s width to be approximately 50%-75% the width of your intended door or wall.
What to look for in a quality large Christmas wreath
Outdoor vs. indoor
Not all Christmas wreaths are built to be hung on the exterior of your front door, despite it being the classic placement area. Artificial wreaths are more suited to being hung indoors, as exposure to the elements can bleach the color out of them or ruin their lighting. Fresh wreaths are much better suited to being placed outside. After all, that’s where they came from.
Fire resistance
With all the lights used, Christmas decorations can get very hot. Christmas wreaths are one of the most susceptible to catching fire, which is why many are treated with some method of fire resistance. Even if they are fire-resistant, it’s wise to keep some kind of fire extinguisher nearby.
Storage
For artificial Christmas wreaths, proper storage is essential for ensuring it lasts as long as possible. One method is to use a wreath storage bag that’s specially designed to protect a Christmas wreath. You can also use any old box. The main rule of thumb is to make sure your stored wreath isn’t being compressed by something else so it maintains its shape.
How much you can expect to spend on a large Christmas wreath
Christmas wreaths, like any Christmas decoration, can be as affordable or expensive as you want. The price range starts around $20 and can stretch to more than $5,000. Most Christmas wreaths typically cost $50-$200.
Large Christmas wreath FAQ
How long will my large Christmas wreath last?
A. This depends on whether you bought an artificial or fresh wreath. Artificial wreaths can last a family for years if properly maintained and stored, though lights in a pre-lit Christmas wreath might not last as long. Fresh wreaths can last anywhere between 2-6 weeks, give or take, with Christmas wreaths placed outside in cold environments lasting the longest.
When does the Christmas season officially begin and end?
A. The Christmas season officially begins on the first Sunday of Advent, or four Sundays before Christmas. In 2021, it was November 28. Christmas season comes to an end on January 6, or the Feast of the Epiphany.
In practice, the Christmas season can start and end whenever you’d like it to. Some enthusiasts start putting up Christmas decorations when they take down their Halloween ones, while others leave minimal Christmas decorations up year-round.
What are the best large Christmas wreaths to buy?
Top large Christmas wreath
National Tree Company Pre-Lit Artificial Christmas Wreath in Wintry Pine
What you need to know: This large National Tree Company Christmas wreath is one of their most elegant and eye-catching.
What you’ll love: This large Christmas wreath is clustered with lovely Christmas accessories like bright red berries and pine cones. The artificial construction means this Christmas wreath will be a beautiful addition to your decorations for years to come. All materials are hypoallergenic and fire-resistant.
What you should consider: Some models of this Wintry Pine Christmas wreath need to be plugged into an outlet to be lit up, which reduces your options in terms of where you can hang it.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top large Christmas wreath for the money
National Tree Company Pre-Lit Artificial Christmas Wreath in Tartan Plaid
What you need to know: You can save quite a bit of money with this no less charming large Christmas wreath.
What you’ll love: This large Christmas wreath runs on batteries, so you can hang it up anywhere you choose without worrying about an unsightly power cord. It also utilizes a timing system that automatically switches the lights off and on when appropriate.
What you should consider: Some consumers noted that the colors and lights weren’t as bright as the photo seems to suggest, and a few reported slightly damaged wreaths on arrival.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
National Tree Company Pre-Lit Artificial Christmas Wreath in Norwood Fir
What you need to know: This simple Christmas wreath is an excellent choice for those wanting to be casually festive.
What you’ll love: This Christmas wreath is designed to be hung both indoors and outdoors. The plain wreath design and lighting means you can add your own decorations to the wreath to make it a customized design. Fire-resistant materials make it safe to use.
What you should consider: Some consumers had issues with lights not working, and some received damaged wreaths. Others reported that their wreath was smaller than the size suggested.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Want to shop the best products at the best prices? Check out Daily Deals from BestReviews.
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Jordan Woika writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2022-12-20T12:27:06+00:00 | wate.com | https://www.wate.com/reviews/br/apparel-br/holiday-br/best-large-christmas-wreath/ |
The move reinforces Procede's strategy of developing and hiring the brightest, most experienced talent in the industry to drive product innovation, create measurable impact for its dealership customers, and advance the ecosystem.
SAN DIEGO, March 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Procede Software, a leading heavy-duty commercial vehicle dealer management system (DMS) and solutions provider, today announced it has appointed Carroll "Scooby" Barbre as Senior Director of Business Intelligence. The appointment reflects the company's commitment to accelerating the business intelligence product development lifecycle, so its growing customer base has even greater access to the comprehensive information they need to make data-based decisions about their businesses.
"We are committed to advancing our products in ways that drive measurable impact for our dealership customers, and to do that, we have to have the right talent in place," said CEO, Larry Kettler. "In addition to our long-standing practice of developing leaders from within, we hire the brightest, most experienced talent in the industry into key roles where they can bring their knowledge to bear for the benefit of our customers and the ecosystem," Kettler continued. "With Scooby's strong industry and business intelligence background, dealerships that use Excede will have even greater access to critical data and be able to gather even deeper insights to effectively run their businesses."
Barbre will lead the ongoing advancement of Procede's award-winning business intelligence solution set, which includes Excede Analytics and Excede KPIs and Metrics. "I am proud to have been a part of the commercial vehicle industry for 25 years, and I have a deep appreciation for the critical part it plays in our nation's infrastructure," said Barbre. "I am so excited to be a part of this leading technology organization, to serve forward-thinking customers, and to develop new and innovative ways for dealerships to access and understand their data and metrics in ways that generate positive change for their businesses."
Throughout his tenure in the industry, Barbre has worked closely with well over 100 commercial vehicle dealerships in five different countries and has spent time with hundreds more through virtual and industry events. Most of these visits focused on learning about their practices and advising on processes and the advanced use of analytics. He began his career in the commercial vehicle industry at a business solution provider, where he served as a trainer and business consultant before moving into software design. Later, he worked for a leading commercial vehicle dealership consultancy, specializing in helping clients maximize their use of KPIs and metrics to operate more nimbly and effectively. Most recently, he served on the senior leadership team at two commercial vehicle dealerships.
"One of Procede Software's founding principles was to make data easily accessible to our customers, and more than 20 years later, our business intelligence initiative remains a critical part of that approach," said Kettler. "Naming Scooby to this role reflects our continued commitment to our Excede Analytics offering and to providing dealerships of all sizes with real-time access to comprehensive, accurate, trustworthy data so they can make informed decisions about their businesses."
About Procede Software
Since 2001, Procede Software has been a leading provider of enterprise-level Dealer Management Solutions (DMS) for the heavy-duty truck and ancillary markets. Serving dealer locations throughout the United States and Canada, the industry's leading dealerships trust Excede to run their business because of its full functionality across all dealership departments, high reliability, and strong integration with their OEM providers. Procede Software is a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner. Excede, its powerful DMS, leverages the strength of Microsoft® SQL technology to provide advanced Windows® and browser-based applications with real-time information.
Media Contact
Jen York
Procede Software
jyork@procedesoftware.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Procede Software | 2023-03-08T12:35:25+00:00 | uppermichiganssource.com | https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/prnewswire/2023/03/08/procede-software-appoints-industry-analytics-leader-carroll-scooby-barbre-drive-ongoing-advancement-its-business-intelligence-solutions/ |
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Nearly 400 South Koreans adopted as children by families in the West have requested South Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigate their adoptions through Friday’s application deadline, as Seoul faces growing pressure to reckon with a child export frenzy driven by dictatorships that ruled the country until the 1980s.
The commission on Thursday said it decided to investigate 34 cases among the 51 adoptees who first submitted their applications in August, which could possibly develop into the country’s most far-reaching inquiry into foreign adoptions yet.
A total of 63 adoptees from the United States, Europe and Australia submitted applications to the commission on Friday, claiming their adoptions were marred by falsified documents that laundered child statuses or identities as agencies raced to send thousands of children abroad each year.
The adoptees accused agencies of fabricating documents to ensure their adoptability, such as falsely registering them as orphans when they had living relatives or switching their identities with other children, which have resulted in lost connections or false reunions with birth relatives.
Similar issues have been raised by many of the 306 adoptees who previously submitted applications in past months, as they called for the commission to pressure agencies into fully opening their documents and to establish whether the government was responsible for the corrupt practices.
Most of the applications were filed through the Danish Korean Rights Group, led by adoptee attorney Peter Møller, who during a news conference on Friday called for South Korean officials to take active steps to prevent agencies from concealing or destroying records.
“It’s a big, great concern because now the clock is ticking,” Møller said. “They are going to do the investigation, either taking 30 or 50 (cases) at a time … and we have great concern (agencies) will … hide the documents.”
The commission’s officials say the investigation will almost certainly widen as it believes the evidence is clear that adoptions were facilitated through falsified documents that laundered child statuses or identities. The commission will review whether to accept the applications received after August in the coming months and may fuse the cases it sees as similar to speed up the inquiry.
The 34 adoptees whose cases were accepted by the commission had been placed through Holt Children’s Services and the Korea Social Service. The commission’s investigation would also eventually include the Eastern Social Welfare Society and Korea Welfare Services if it accepts the cases submitted Friday by adoptees in the United States, Australia and Sweden.
Jasmine Healey, who represents a group of adoptees sent to the United States and Australia through Eastern, said it has been common for Eastern adoptees to discover they were made into fake “paper orphans” by the agency in order to facilitate their adoptions overseas.
There were also cases where Eastern supposedly deceived the adoptees’ biological families, who never gave consent to their adoptions, or adoptees growing up with the identities of another child, which has led to some being reunited with the wrong family.
“The lifelong impacts of these injustices on adoptees, their Korean families and adopted families cannot be understated,” Healey said.
“The inability to know who you are, who you belonged to, where you came from, to be cut off from knowing your family history, which is such a strong pillar of identity, the consequences of this could be dire or sometimes devastating for adoptees.”
Eastern did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
About 200,000 South Koreans, mostly girls, were adopted overseas during the past six decades, mainly to white parents in the United States and Europe.
The agencies were run by board members close to military leaders, who saw adoptions as a tool to reduce the number of mouths to feed and to remove the socially undesirable, including children from unwed mothers or poor families.
Adoptions were also aimed at deepening ties with the democratic West amid a fierce regime competition with rival North Korea, according to the military governments’ documents obtained by AP. | 2022-12-09T08:08:00+00:00 | seattletimes.com | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/more-south-korean-adoptees-demand-probes-into-their-cases/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
SEATTLE (AP) — The Houston Astros ended the Seattle Mariners’ winning streak at 14 games, with Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez homering in a 5-2 victory Friday night.
Seattle scratched breakout rookie Julio Rodríguez from the lineup moments before first pitch with left wrist soreness, then lost their first game since July 1. The club was one win shy of matching the 2001 Mariners for the longest winning streak in franchise history.
Houston stretched its AL West advantage over second-place Seattle to 11 games.
“The crowd was into it,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “They were trying to urge them on for No. 15. But I’m just glad that we held on and won the game.”
Altuve led off the game with a homer against starter Marco Gonzales, Alvarez added another solo shot in the fourth, his 28th of the year, and Martin Maldonado connected in the fifth for a 3-0 lead.
Alvarez scored Altuve with a sacrifice fly later in the fifth, and Jake Myers had an RBI single in the sixth for a 5-0 advantage.
Gonzales (5-10) was charged with all five runs over 5 2/3 innings, with nine hits allowed.
Ty France hit a solo homer for Seattle in the sixth inning against Jose Urquidy (9-4).
Urquidy threw 105 pitches over six innings, allowing one earned run on four hits with three strikeouts.
Baker was happy to get six innings out of Urquidy against the Mariners, who had already beaten him three times this season.
In his last start against Seattle on June 8, Urquidy allowed seven hits and five runs over 4 1/3 innings in a 5-3 loss.
“He gave us six innings, and it didn’t look like it there for a while, because his pitch count got kind of high,” Baker said. “So yeah, that was big for Urquidy and us.”
Urquidy has now thrown seven straight quality starts.
Eugenio Suarez drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth to pull the Mariners within three, but shortstop Jeremy Peña made a leaping grab to take away a hit from Kyle Lewis, and Houston pitcher Ryne Stanek struck out Cal Raleigh to end the threat.
“I thought, ‘He has no chance,’” Altuve said of Peña’s leaping grab. “I think that was the play of the game. If that ball goes through, it’s probably a different story.”
The Mariners left nine runners on base.
“Tonight was a ton of intensity,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “I loved our at-bats throughout the course of the game. We put a ton of pressure on them, we just couldn’t quite get the big hit.”
J-ROD SITS
The 21-year-old Rodríguez was pulled from the lineup days after a breakout show at the All-Star Home Run Derby.
Servais said that Rodriguez jammed his wrist on a stolen base attempt against Texas on Sunday, and his status is day-to-day.
LEWIS UP, UPTON OUT
Seattle activated outfielder Kyle Lewis from the seven-day injured list after he recovered from a concussion and optioned outfielder Justin Upton to Triple-A. Upton refused the assignment and elected free agency.
Lewis was hit in the head by a pitch from Urquidy on May 28.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: OF Mitch Haniger (ankle) began a rehab assignment Friday with Class A Everett. Seattle placed Haniger on the IL on April 30, when he suffered a Grade 2 ankle sprain in a game against the Marlins. Haniger has played in just nine games this season.
Astros: OF Michael Brantley (shoulder) could start hitting this week, according Baker. Brantley was placed on the IL on June 28 with shoulder discomfort.
UP NEXT
Astros RHP Justin Verlander faces Mariners RHP Logan Gilbert on Saturday. Verlander has an MLB-best 12 wins this season and a 1.89 ERA. Gilbert’s most recent start came against Texas on July 16, when he allowed four hits and one earned run over five innings.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2022-07-23T14:36:18+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/sports/astros-end-mariners-winning-streak-at-14-j-rod-scratched/ |
MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian representative in Central African Republic, who is associated with Yevgeny Prigozhin, the notorious millionaire owner of the Wagner Group military contractor, was severely injured Friday when a package exploded in his hands, Prigozhin and Russian officials said.
Prigozhin, who has been dubbed “Putin’s chef” for his close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, said in a statement on his messaging app channel that Dmitry Sytyi who headed the “Russian House” in Bangui, the capital of Central African Republic, was in grave condition after the attack.
Prigozhin charged that before losing consciousness Sytyi said the explosive package contained a note saying “This is for you from all the French. The Russians will get out of Africa.”
Prigozhin’s Wagner Group has played an active part in the fighting in Ukraine and also has deployed to several African countries in what the West saw as part of Moscow’s efforts to expand its clout in the continent.
Prigozhin, who has been on the U.S. and EU sanctions list for years for his Kremlin links, accused France of staging the attack and said that he asked the Russian Foreign Ministry to declare the country a “sponsor of terrorism.” He didn’t offer any evidence to back his claim.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov denounced the attack on Sytyi as “an inhuman terrorist act” and vowed Russian authorities will take every effort to track down its organizers and perpetrators.
He said Moscow will take additional security measures but won’t close the Russian House in Bangui, adding that “we mustn’t show any fear of terrorists.”
“There have been attacks by terrorists and I’m afraid more will come, and we need to be ready for that,” Bogdanov said in remarks carried by the state news agency Tass. “But it doesn’t mean that we should pack and run away.”
Yevgeny Primakov, the head of a Russian state agency overseeing cultural and humanitarian ties with foreign countries, said that Sytyi was badly wounded and doctors were fighting for his life.
The Wagner Group has deployed personnel to many African countries, including Central African Republic, in what Western officials have described as an attempt by Moscow to boost its political influence and win control of the continent’s natural resources. Wagner personnel have been accused of widespread human rights abuses.
In Central African Republic, Wagner fighters have guarded the country’s gold and diamond mines and helped keep President Faustin-Archange Touadera in power. A report released earlier this year by the U.N.’s independent expert on the human rights situation in Central African Republic cited a number of attacks it said were reportedly carried out on the orders of the country’s armed forces and their Wagner Group allies.
Sytyi, who has been reportedly linked to Prigozhin, has worked in Central African Republic for several years. Prigozhin hailed him as a “Russian patriot.”
Prigozhin claimed that last month Sytyi got a letter with a picture of his son, who lives in France, saying that next time he will get his son’s head “if the Russians don’t get out of the African continent and open the doors to the French.” He said Sytyi carelessly opened the package on Friday because he thought that the gruesome threat had been fulfilled.
“If Dmitry Sytyi stays alive, he will continue the fight and see how those who made an attempt on his life perish in the flames of history,” said Prigozhin who has cast Wagner operations in Africa as a fight against the purported Western “colonialism.”
“If he dies, he will remain a symbol of that struggle. Not a single Russian wil ever step back from the African continent until all the colonizers pull back to their countries’ borders,” Prigozhin added.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | 2022-12-16T17:47:30+00:00 | wtmj.com | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/12/16/russian-tied-to-wagner-groups-boss-injured-in-attack-in-car/ |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The western Joshua tree won’t be listed as threatened — yet — as California’s Fish and Game Commission again delayed a decision Wednesday after a bill was proposed to provide protections to the native desert plant.
The proposed legislation, the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act, was made public late Tuesday. Backed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration, it would prohibit anyone from importing, exporting or removing the tree without a permit from the state. It would also require the state to work with Native American tribes to draft a conservation plan for the tree by 2024.
“The western Joshua tree is iconic,” California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Chuck Bonham said Wednesday. “It deserves special consideration through its own law.”
Bonham said the legislation would mandate protections for the tree while also simplifying the permit process for getting permission to remove it.
The bill states that “there is a critical need to immediately conserve the species while also ensuring timely and efficient permitting mechanisms for activities within its range.”
The proposal comes after the Fish and Game Commission, an agency that sets regulations for the Department of Fish and Wildlife to implement, has spent months deliberating on whether to list the tree as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act after advancing a petition on the issue in 2020.
The Center for Biological Diversity, which filed the petition in 2019, says it needs to be protected from threats driven by climate change. While the center is pleased Newsom’s administration is taking up this issue with the proposed legislation, Brendan Cummings, the group’s conservation director, still wants to see the tree listed as threatened.
Cummings said the western Joshua tree is different from species already listed as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act because it still exists in large numbers. Despite this, he said “there’s a whole body of peer-reviewed published science” that show the threats climate change poses to the species.
“We just need to ensure that we’re protecting the right places long term and doing, probably, active management to help the species get through the very difficult decades ahead,” Cummings said.
The California Endangered Species Act, a decades-old law aimed at conserving plants and animals at risk of extinction, protects about 250 species listed as threatened. Species under consideration to be listed also receive protections.
The Fish and Game Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to postpone its decision, allowing for the tree to remain protected in the meantime, so it cannot be removed without permission from the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“I see something that has the potential to really be CESA equivalent but that is less burdensome in the correct areas,” Commissioner Samantha Murray said, referring to the Endangered Species Act.
In June, some opposed to listing the tree as threatened made public comments about the impact the move could have on housing and solar projects in the region. In October, the commission voted to push back its decision to give more time for tribes to weigh in on the issue.
___
Sophie Austin is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on Twitter: @sophieadanna | 2023-02-09T13:31:24+00:00 | fox44news.com | https://www.fox44news.com/news/ap-california-bill-would-protect-native-western-joshua-tree/ |
Every season provides a new opportunity for a set of players to earn their time in the spotlight and prove to everyone in the area that they are the best of the best. NJ Advance Media breaks down the Colonial Valley Conference here and highlights playmakers in the running for Player of the Year.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. | 2022-10-17T15:06:26+00:00 | nj.com | https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2022/10/who-are-2022-player-of-the-year-candidates-in-the-colonial-valley-conference.html |
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A month after losing one nearly $50 million verdict, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is set to go on trial a second time for calling the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting a hoax and causing several of the victims’ families emotional and psychological harm.
A six-member jury with several alternates in Connecticut will begin hearing evidence Tuesday on how much Jones should pay the families, since he already has been found liable for damages to them. The trial is expected to last about four weeks.
Last month, a Texas jury ordered Jones to pay $49.3 million to the parents of 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, one of 26 students and teachers killed in the 2012 shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Jones’ lawyer has said an appeal is planned.
The Connecticut case has the potential for a larger award because it involves three lawsuits — which have been consolidated — that were filed by 15 plaintiffs, including the relatives of eight of the victims and a former FBI agent who responded to the school shooting.
Jones, who runs his web show and Infowars brand in Austin, Texas, also faces a third trial over the hoax conspiracy in another pending lawsuit by Sandy Hook parents in Texas.
Here is a look at the upcoming trial in Waterbury, Connecticut, about 18 miles (29 kilometers) northeast of Newtown. Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems, which has filed for bankruptcy protection, is also a defendant.
WHY ARE THE SANDY HOOK FAMILIES SUING JONES?
The families and former FBI agent William Aldenberg say they have been confronted and harassed in person by Jones’ followers because of the hoax conspiracy. They also say they have endured death threats and been subjected to abusive comments on social media.
Some of the plaintiffs say strangers have videotaped them and their surviving children. And some families have moved out of Newtown to avoid threats and harassment.
“I can’t even describe the last nine and a half years, the living hell that I and others have had to endure because of the recklessness and negligence of Alex Jones,” Neil Heslin, Jesse Lewis’ father, testified during the Texas trial.
The Connecticut lawsuit alleges defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violations of the state Unfair Trade Practices Act. The families claim when Jones talked about Sandy Hook, he boosted his audience and raked in more profits from selling supplements, clothing and other items.
The families have not asked for any specific amount of damages, some of which may be limited by state laws. There are no damage limits, however, under the Unfair Trade Practices Act.
In all the Connecticut and Texas cases, Jones and his lawyers repeatedly failed to turn over records as required to the families’ attorneys. In response, judges handed down one of the harshest sanctions in the civil legal world — they found Jones liable for damages by default without trials.
WHAT DOES ALEX JONES SAY?
In a reversal from what he said on his show for years following the shooting, Jones now says he believes the massacre was real. But he continues to say his comments about the shooting being a hoax involving crisis actors to encourage gun control efforts were protected by free speech rights.
During a deposition in the case in April, a defiant Jones insisted he wasn’t responsible for the suffering that Sandy Hook parents say they have endured because of his words.
He also has said the judges’ default rulings against him — finding him liable without trials — were unfair and suggested they were part of a conspiracy to put him out of business and silence him.
“If questioning public events and free speech is banned because it might hurt somebody’s feelings, we are not in America anymore,” he said at the deposition. “They can change the channel. They can come out and say I’m wrong. They have free speech.”
At the Texas trial, however, Jones testified that he now realizes what he said was irresponsible, did hurt people’s feelings and he apologized.
WHAT IS EXPECTED AT THE TRIAL?
Judge Barbara Bellis, who found Jones liable for damages, will oversee the trial. She is the same judge who oversaw Sandy Hook families’ lawsuit against gun maker Remington, which made the Bushmaster rifle used in the school shooting. In February, Remington agreed to settle the lawsuit for $73 million.
The trial is expected to be similar to the one in Texas, with victims’ relatives testifying about the pain and anguish the hoax conspiracy caused them and medical professionals answering questions about the relatives’ mental health and diagnoses.
Jones also will be testifying, said his lawyer, Norman Pattis.
“He is looking forward to putting this trial behind him; it has been a long and costly distraction,” Pattis wrote in an email to The Associated Press.
Evidence about Jones’ finances is also expected to be presented to the jury.
Jones testified at the Texas trial that any award over $2 million would “sink us,” and he urged his web show viewers to buy his merchandise to help keep him on air and fight the lawsuits.
But an economist testified that Jones and his company were worth up to $270 million. Jones faces another lawsuit in Texas over accusations that he hid millions of dollars in assets after families of Sandy Hook victims began taking him to court.
___
This story has been corrected to show relatives of eight victims, not nine, are suing Jones. | 2022-09-12T17:36:10+00:00 | wnct.com | https://www.wnct.com/news/national/ap-trial-set-to-begin-for-alex-jones-in-sandy-hook-hoax-case/ |
SCHOHARIE, N.Y. (AP) — Judge rejects plea deal that would have meant no prison for limo company operator in 2018 New York crash that killed 20.
Judge rejects plea deal that would have meant no prison for limo company operator in 2018 New York crash that killed 20
- AP
- 0
Related to this story
Most Popular
A prisoner overdosing in his cell led to law enforcement uncovering his illegal sexual relationship with a prison supervisor, according to criminal charges filed Monday.
Under President Biden's student loan forgiveness plan, Pell grant recipients get an additional $10,000 canceled for a total of $20,000. Here's why and how.
It's a strategy known as "pack and hold." Here's what it means for shoppers.
The Justice Department has completed its review of documents seized from Mar-a-Lago and has identified "limited" materials that could contain privileged information.
Houston police say a man evicted from an apartment building set fire to the house to lure out other tenants, then shot three dead and wounded two others.
The Justice Department has released a heavily redacted document on why federal agents searched Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. Live coverage here.
What will happen to the nearly $1.4 billion jackpot if it remains unclaimed is a question on the minds of many. Mega Millions has the answer.
Known as the "Man of the Hole," he had lived in complete isolation for the past 26 years.
"He's just loveable. He sleeps with me, steals my pillows, steals my blankets. He's just awesome," Wally's owner Joie Henney said.
A newly released FBI document helps flesh out a probe into classified documents at Donald Trump's Florida estate. But many questions remain. | 2022-08-31T17:23:35+00:00 | wcfcourier.com | https://wcfcourier.com/news/national/judge-rejects-plea-deal-that-would-have-meant-no-prison-for-limo-company-operator-in/article_ad823fd7-0745-5ce5-8676-2941172b8aa8.html |
BestReviews is reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission. Details.
Hasbro is re-releasing the nostalgic favorite Furby
If you grew up in the late 1990s and early 2000s, you’re likely familiar with Furbies. These electronic friends first launched in 1998, and their popularity immediately exploded. In its first three years on the market alone, over 40 million of them were sold. The various Furbies you could find also became high-value collectors’ items, causing secondary market prices to skyrocket. Despite their drop in popularity, they’re still considered top-dollar collectors’ items. Now, for the 25th anniversary of the first Furby, Hasbro is releasing two brand-new Furbies.
When can I buy the new Furbies?
The brand-new Furby model is available in two colors, purple and coral, exclusively on Amazon. They will also be available at other major retailers starting July 15. Notably, these are the first new Furbies released since the run of Furby Connect models in 2016 through 2018.
What can the new Furbies do?
Hasbro went all-out with these Furbies. The major features include:
- Five voice-activated modes: The main way to use the new Furbies is to say “Hey Furby!” followed by one of the following mode triggers: “Dance Party, Copy Cat, Tell My Fortune, Let’s Chill” and “Lightshow.”
- Physical interactivity: Outside of voice commands, the new Furbies can recognize and respond to physical stimuli such as hugs or if they’re being shaken.
- Accessories: They also come with accessories such as a comb, clip-on beads and a pizza charm that can be used to “feed” it. Plus, you guessed it, they respond to you using these accessories.
Split between all of these modes and stimuli is over 600 responses and actions. These can include movement, speech, sounds and even 10 unique songs to sing. And yes, they still speak Furbish.
Connectivity, and lack thereof
Another feature worth discussing is the new Furbies’ ability to recognize when other Furbies of the same type are around. If there are, they can interact with each other in the same ways they interact with you.
What they can’t do is connect to the internet. This was a major feature of the last run of Furby models, the Furby Connect, but it was found that evildoers could abuse this connection.
No more scares
The final piece of the new Furby puzzle is that these have an off switch. Besides saving battery power, you don’t have to relive the terror of a Furby going terrifyingly rogue.
Best Furbies and Furby-themed clothes
One of the two new Furbies, this one has color streaks of blue and pink feet. It also comes with a golden comb to help maintain its fur.
Sold by Amazon
The second of the two new Furbies, this one’s namesake is derived from its combination of colors. Those being orange, pink, neon blue and some streaks of green. Its comb is also neon blue.
Sold by Amazon
Hasbro Furby Connect Friend Orange
This is one of the last Furbies made before the revival we’re currently experiencing. Some of its functions can’t be used since its accompanying app was removed from mobile app stores several years ago, but it’s still a collector’s item.
Sold by Amazon
This throwback T-shirt is perfect for remembering the heyday of Furbies. It’s also perfect for pairing with either of the new Furbies. It comes in six colors and 24 sizes.
Sold by Amazon
Furby Tarot Troublemaker T-shirt
This T-shirt calls to mind and makes light of all the fear and distrust Furby has unfortunately garnered over the years. It comes in 23 sizes.
Sold by Amazon
Want to shop the best products at the best prices? Check out Daily Deals from BestReviews.
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Jordan C Woika writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Image credits: Hasbro | 2023-06-27T14:19:18+00:00 | texomashomepage.com | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/the-iconic-furby-is-back-with-an-off-switch-this-time/ |
Asa Hutchinson formally launches 2024 campaign in Arkansas
Bentonville, Ark. – Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson formally launched his Republican presidential campaign Wednesday, pledging to “bring out the best of America” and aiming to draw contrasts with other GOP hopefuls on top issues, including how best to reform federal law enforcement agencies.
Hutchinson kicked off his 2024 bid in his hometown of Bentonville, on the same steps where he launched an unsuccessful U.S. Senate campaign 30 years ago.
“I ran as a conservative Republican when being a Republican was like having a career-ending handicap,” Hutchinson said, adding, “And now, I bring that same vigor to fight another battle, and that battle is for the future of our country and the soul of our party.”
The stalwart conservative, who announced in a television interview earlier this month that he intended to run, has been a rare figure among announced or expected GOP presidential hopefuls in his willingness to criticize former President Donald Trump, calling for him to drop out of the 2024 race instead of seeking another term in the White House.
And while Trump has fixated his campaign message around his false claims about the 2020 election he lost, Hutchinson has said voters need a candidate who is not focused on the past.
Without mentioning Trump by name, Hutchinson offered a contrast to the former president's derision of federal law enforcement by emphasizing his own background in law enforcement. He previously served as head of the Drug Enforcement Administration and former undersecretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
“There are a few misguided leaders who say we should defund law enforcement, we should defund the FBI. I am here today in support of our law enforcement heroes,” Hutchinson said.
He went on to say, “We should not defund the FBI, but we do need serious reform to refocus the core functions of our federal law enforcement.” He said the FBI needs to be “trimmed down and focused on its No. 1 duty: leading our counterterrorism mission.”
Hutchinson, also a former U.S. attorney and congressman, launched his bid a day after President Joe Biden formally announced his reelection campaign. Hutchinson has argued that neither Biden nor Trump is focused on the future.
“I am confident we will even survive through the destructive policies of the Biden administration, but the time for change is now,” said Hutchinson. “It is time to bring out the best of America.”
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, entrepreneur and “Woke, Inc.” author Vivek Ramaswamy and radio host Larry Elder are also in the Republican race. They, along with expected and potential candidates like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, have largely avoided criticizing Trump and have at times defended him.
While some of the other contenders who served in Trump’s administration struggled to carve out distance from Trump, Hutchinson has been able to draw from his lengthy resume in government and roots in America’s heartland.
His announcement took place in the tree-lined town square of Bentonville, the birthplace of Walmart. The city of nearly 57,000 people in the northwest part of the state is where Hutchinson first served as a city attorney starting in 1977 and where he first ran for office with an unsuccessful bid for local prosecutor.
Hutchinson’s second term as governor ended in January, but he’s been a defining figure of Arkansas politics for more than four decades. His successor is Trump’s former press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Hutchinson was elected to the U.S. House in 1996, winning election to a seat his older brother, Tim, had held for two terms.
Asa Hutchinson was one of the House managers prosecuting the impeachment case against President Bill Clinton starting in 1998. He stayed in the House until 2001, when he resigned to serve in the Bush administration.
After the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, Hutchinson was selected by the National Rifle Association to lead a task force to study school safety and recommended putting armed guards at every school in the country.
He was elected governor in 2014 and while in office signed a series of income tax cuts and restrictions on abortion, including an outright ban on the procedure that became effective when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Hutchinson later said he wished that the measure had included exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest, but didn't push for lawmakers to add those exemptions after the court ruling.
He drew criticism from conservatives and Trump in 2021 when he vetoed a bill that would have banned gender-affirming care for children. Hutchinson signed other restrictions regarding transgender children but said the ban went too far and should have focused on surgeries. The state’s Republican-controlled Legislature overrode his veto, though the ban has been temporarily blocked by a judge.
Hutchinson supported many of Trump’s policies but began to break with him over his lies about the 2020 presidential election. Hutchinson, who prosecuted white supremacists as a U.S. attorney, has also criticized Trump for dining with white nationalist leader Nick Fuentes and the rapper Ye, who has praised Adolf Hitler and spread antisemitic conspiracy theories.
Hutchinson has said his disagreements with the former president go further than that. He criticized Trump for the peace deal he negotiated with the Taliban in 2020 and for high government spending in his administration.
“He was a big spender,” Hutchinson told The Associated Press. “He's one of the reasons that we added to our national debt and our deficit.”
Hutchinson has also shown a willingness to criticize some of his other rivals, telling the AP that he disagrees with the way DeSantis has sparred with Disney after the company opposed legislation DeSantis signed in Florida barring school instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity.
“It seems very Trumpian to me as to how he's approached it,” Hutchinson said. “I don't think government ought to be punishing the private sector because we don't like what they say.”
___
Price reported from New York. Meg Kinnard contributed to this report from Columbia, S.C. | 2023-04-26T17:24:29+00:00 | detroitnews.com | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/nation/2023/04/26/asa-hutchinson-formally-launches-2024-campaign-in-arkansas/70154630007/ |
A couple could see the humor in the situation after they wrote a letter to Oregon lottery officials explaining that their dogs had chewed and destroyed their lottery tickets.
The couple wrote the letter to officials with the destroyed tickets and a photo of their dogs as proof, hoping to find some resolution.
Nathan and Rachael Lamet of Salem, Oregon explained that while they knew there might be little possibility of validating the destroyed tickets, they wanted to share their story of how their two Alaskan Klee Kias, "Apple" and "Jack," decided to use the tickets as a chew toy.
The couple has had the dogs in their family since they were puppies, and they are now 11-months-old and two-years-old.
Rachel Lamet said, “For some reason, we left the ticket on the ottoman, and they decided it was delicious,” she told the Oregon Lottery.
“I went to bed, and when I woke up, it was eaten to the point that I thought it was unable to be checked. But my husband thought it was hilarious, and someone might get a good laugh at the very least. He said it’s for sure a winner,” she said.
While the couple appeared worried at first, they soon found out that their tickets only had a winning amount of $8. | 2022-08-13T02:57:56+00:00 | ksby.com | https://www.ksby.com/news/national/couple-writes-letter-to-lottery-officials-with-photos-after-dog-destroys-their-tickets |
Hurricane Ian hit hundreds of thousands of bee colonies as it made its way across Florida. The storm came at a critical time in the farming cycle.
Kerry Sheridan of WUSF reports.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2022-10-18T20:12:17+00:00 | klcc.org | https://www.klcc.org/2022-10-18/hurricane-ian-hits-hundreds-of-thousands-of-bee-colonies |
HONG KONG, June 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Akeso Inc. (9926. HK, "Akeso") announced today that China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has accepted its New Drug Application (NDA) for its fully human anti-PCSK9 monoclonal antibody ebronucimab (AK102) for 2 indications 1) primary hypercholesterolemia and mixed hyperlipidemia, and 2) heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH). Ebronucimab is jointly developed by Akeso and AD Pharmaceuticals (a joint venture with Akeso).
The new drug marketing application for ebronucimab is based on four pivotal phase 3 studies, including three pivotal studies in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia and mixed hyperlipidemia and one pivotal study in patients with HeFH.
Findings from the clinical results:
For efficacy
- All three dosing regimens were confirmed to be effective with statistical and clinical significance after 12-week treatment for both primary hypercholesterolemia & mixed hyperlipidemia, and heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH). The lipid-lowering efficacy in both indications was maintained over a 52-week long-term treatment, demonstrating the ability of ebronucimab to deliver a consistent and lasting benefit to patients.
- The efficacy results of ebronucimab were consistent across studies and across different indication populations. Treatment with all three dosing regimens of ebronucimab can achieve significant reductions in LDL-C levels from baseline, with a maximum reduction of more than 65% in each dosing cycle.
- Among the three dosing regimens, Q6W dosing (every 6 weeks) enables longer dosing intervals, is expected to enhance clinical adherence, and provides patients with more efficient, convenient, and flexible treatment options, thus contributing to personalized treatment.
- Treatment with ebronucimab can also significantly lower TC, non-HDL-C and ApoB levels, and increased HDL-C and ApoA-I levels. By promoting a more favorable lipid profile, long-term stable treatment with ebronucimab is expected to achieve greater cardiovascular benefit.
For safety
- Ebronucimab has an advantageous safety profile. No significant differences in safety outcomes were observed in aged population.
PCSK9 is known to be the most effective lipid-lowering target after statins. Authoritative organizations have estimated that the market for PCSK9 in China will grow at a 36.9% CAGR from 2023 to 2030.
Based on the remarkable efficacy and safety profile in primary hypercholesterolemia (including HeFH) and mixed hyperlipidemia, it is anticipated that ebronucimab will provide a new generation of lipid-lowering drugs with improved efficiency and safety for patients.
View original content:
SOURCE Akeso, Inc. | 2023-06-02T04:49:38+00:00 | wafb.com | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/06/02/nmpa-accepted-akesos-ebronucimab-pcsk9-marketing-application-two-cardiovascular-indications/ |
Hy-Vee recalls pot roast dinners over food allergen concerns
(Gray News) – A voluntary recall was issued for two varieties of Hy-Vee pot roast meals “due to the presence of an undeclared wheat allergen.”
An ingredient used in the Hy-Vee Mealtime Beef Pot Roast Dinners gravy mix was not listed on the ingredients label, according to the supermarket chain.
The recalled entrees were produced between Dec. 26, 2022, and Jan. 17, 2023, and distributed to Hy-Vee’s grocery stores, Fast & Fresh locations and Dollar Fresh Markets.
- UPC 0075450243772 - ($5) Beef Pot Roast Dinner with Mashed Potatoes & Corn - 11.6 oz (327 g)
- UPC 0075450485394 - ($10) Beef Pot Roast Dinner with Mashed Potatoes & Carrots - 25.5 oz (723 g)
Customers can throw the meals away or return them to a Hy-Vee location for a full refund.
There have been no reports of adverse reactions, according to Hy-Vee.
Hy-Vee operates over 240 stores in eight states, including Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2023-01-19T00:04:36+00:00 | kwch.com | https://www.kwch.com/2023/01/18/hy-vee-recalls-pot-roast-dinners-over-food-allergen-concerns/ |
Private 5G trials are underway in India enabling digital transformation of enterprises with the power of 5G
MUMBAI, India, Sept. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tata Communications, a global digital ecosystem enabler, today launches a dedicated Private 5G Global Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Pune, India to accelerate Industry 4.0 applications and capabilities for enterprises. This new CoE is an agile, secure and indoor facility to test and trial industry use cases. Tata Communications has developed use cases across automotive, metals and mining, airports and seaports, manufacturing, logistics and healthcare sectors. The Company will be well positioned to enable and empower global enterprises to seamlessly progress into the hyperconnected world.
With trials underway, Tata Communications will be able to demonstrate private 5G use cases such as automated quality inspection of equipment using video and image analytics, inventory management and asset tracking, warehouse theft detection, AR/VR-based remote worker collaboration, and video-powered retail purchase, to name a few. The Company is following robust measures, including Interoperability tests to assess compatibility of the Company's private network with different devices and, rigorous monitoring and testing to ensure stable connectivity throughout the test duration at the CoE.
Speaking on the occasion, Mysore Madhusudhan, Executive Vice President, Collaboration and Connected Solutions, Tata Communications, said, "5G has the transformative power to be a game changer for all. We are encouraged and excited about leveraging this technology to enable the future of enterprises and economies. Early test results in our Global Centre of Excellence have proved to be very positive providing an evolutionary path towards Industry 4.0 scenarios to varied industries. We believe this Centre is well poised to empower enterprises for a hyperconnected tomorrow."
As outlined in '5G the 5M way', Tata Communications envisions the 5G era to focus on automating the interplay between Man-Machine-Material-Method-Market to enable a holistic ecosystem. This ecosystem will enable enterprises to achieve business goals, unlock new revenue sources, business models and have the ability to address new markets through secure and digital experiences.
In addition, Tata Communications already has two Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in Delhi and Mumbai, India engaged in designing, building and demonstrating multiple Internet of Things (IoT) use cases. Here, the Company has successfully showcased several use cases of smart streetlights, connected workers, smart utility meters for water, gas and energy, asset tracking, and temperature and humidity sensors, to name a few.
Tata Communications is on a mission to empower digital enterprises across industries as well as smart cities with end-to-end connected solutions. For more information, please visit www.tatacommunications.com.
About Tata Communications
A part of the Tata Group, Tata Communications (NSE: TATACOMM) (BSE: 500483) is a global digital ecosystem enabler powering today's fast-growing digital economy in more than 190 countries and territories. Leading with trust, it enables digital transformation of enterprises globally with collaboration and connected solutions, core and next gen connectivity, cloud hosting and security solutions and media services. 300 of the Fortune 500 companies are its customers and the company connects businesses to 80% of the world's cloud giants. For more information, please visit www.tatacommunications.com
Forward-looking and cautionary statements
Certain words and statements in this release concerning Tata Communications and its prospects, and other statements, including those relating to Tata Communications' expected financial position, business strategy, the future development of Tata Communications' operations, and the general economy in India, are forward-looking statements. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including financial, regulatory and environmental, as well as those relating to industry growth and trend projections, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Tata Communications, or industry results, to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from such forward-looking statements include, among others, failure to increase the volume of traffic on Tata Communications' network; failure to develop new products and services that meet customer demands and generate acceptable margins; failure to successfully complete commercial testing of new technology and information systems to support new products and services, including voice transmission services; failure to stabilize or reduce the rate of price compression on certain of the company's communications services; failure to integrate strategic acquisitions and changes in government policies or regulations of India and, in particular, changes relating to the administration of Tata Communications' industry; and, in general, the economic, business and credit conditions in India. Additional factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from such forward-looking statements, many of which are not in Tata Communications' control, include, but are not limited to, those risk factors discussed in Tata Communications Limited's Annual Reports.
The Annual Reports of Tata Communications Limited are available at www.tatacommunications.com. Tata Communications is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements.
© 2022 Tata Communications Ltd. All rights reserved.
TATA COMMUNICATIONS and TATA are trademarks or registered trademarks of Tata Sons Private Limited in India and certain countries.
View original content:
SOURCE Tata Communications | 2022-09-29T20:00:32+00:00 | kwch.com | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/09/29/tata-communications-launches-private-5g-global-centre-excellence-india/ |
PITTSBURGH, Oct. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I wanted to create a more versatile way to work out using kettlebells," said an inventor, from Escondido, Calif., "so I invented the SMART BELL. My design enables you to perform a variety of explosive lifting and swinging movements with a weight."
The invention provides a modified design for a kettlebell. In doing so, it increases the user's grip and stability. As a result, it allows the user to engage in a range of exercises and it could enhance a weightlifting workout. The invention features a portable design that is easy to manipulate and use so it is ideal for strength-training and fitness enthusiasts. Additionally, it is producible in design variations.
The original design was submitted to the San Diego sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 21-SDB-1506, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE InventHelp | 2022-10-25T18:16:27+00:00 | witn.com | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/10/25/inventhelp-inventor-develops-modified-design-kettlebell-sdb-1506/ |
The HVAC company plans to use the format to promote the home service profession and discuss topics surrounding the trades
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rooter Hero Plumbing & Air, a plumbing and HVAC company serving residential and commercial locations in California and Arizona, today announced the launch of its podcast, HeroTalk, which will promote the home service trades and discuss hot topics and issues affecting the industry.
"We are excited to be able to offer our expertise on everything involving the home service industry from customer service to the work in the field to leadership and management," said John Akhoian, co-founder and CEO of Rooter Hero. "The topic list should appeal to anyone who works in the industry and to people who want to learn more about it."
Akhoian said Rooter Hero has aired podcasts in the past but not on a consistent basis. HeroTalk will air weekly on Thursdays.
The podcast features Rooter Hero Contact Center Manager David Powers and Social Media Coordinator Katherine "Kat" Conches. Powers and Conches have already interviewed several experts, including Akhoian and other Rooter Hero managers, and have discussed topics ranging from the power of positive reviews to time management.
"We want this podcast to be as entertaining as it is informative," Powers said. "The topics are unique and delve into aspects of the home service trades that other podcasts don't investigate. We hope these new perspectives invite discussion with others in the industry and makes the listener think about things from a different angle."
The podcast is available on Google Podcasts, Amazon and Spotify.
Since 2011, Rooter Hero has been committed to providing the best in plumbing and drain services. With more than 90 years of plumbing experience, the Rooter Hero team prides themselves on creating a memorable experience for each customer.
The company provides solutions for both residential and commercial needs and offers 24/7 emergency service. Operating in service area locations throughout California and Arizona, Rooter Hero offers options such as HVAC service and installation in select areas. For more information, please visit https://rooterhero.com or call 844-219-2215.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Heather Ripley
Ripley PR
(865) 977-1973
hripley@ripleypr.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Rooter Hero | 2022-08-22T12:41:11+00:00 | kfyrtv.com | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/rooter-hero-plumbing-amp-air-announces-launch-herotalk-podcast/ |
Jeep must be feeling the heat from the Bronco, as it’s just added two factory-installed options to its latest JL Wrangler that are already available on the Ford.
They include a wash-out floor system that can be used in lieu of traditional floor mats, and heavy-duty vinyl seats that can also be hosed down for easy cleaning.
The floor system features multi-layer construction that Jeep says offers thermal protection and sound dampening properties. It also features integrated channels that line up with the Wrangler’s original floor drains. It comes in black and fits each foot well. The option costs $995 when installed at the factory.
The vinyl seats have been developed by Katzkin and are claimed to provide protection against regular wear and tear, as well as more extreme conditions like scuffs, fading, and mildew. They’re also water resistant, meaning they can be hosed down. The seats are offered in black and feature an embroidered Wrangler grille. They cost $1,695 when installed at the factory.
More options from the Bronco inspire similar version in the Wrangler if the current sales trend continues. Ford reported 117,057 Bronco sales in 2022, the vehicle’s first full year on the market. While the Wrangler still reigns supreme with sales of 181,409 units over the same period, that total was down from 204,610 units the previous year.
Related Articles
- 2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport gets special edition aimed at ski lovers
- 2024 VW ID.Buzz, 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 price: Car News Headlines
- 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 electric sedan priced from $42,715
- 2024 Cadillac XT4, electric Porsche Cayenne: Today’s Car News
- Electric Porsche Cayenne reportedly due in 2026 | 2023-02-23T05:25:48+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/automotive/internet-brands/jeep-wrangler-chases-ford-bronco-with-wash-out-floor-heavy-duty-vinyl-seats/ |
ATLANTA, Feb. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) President and CEO Alan H. Shaw shared a letter today with the community of East Palestine, Ohio.
In the letter, Shaw said, "When I visited East Palestine last week, you told me how the train derailment has upended your lives and how concerned you are about the safety of your air, water, and land. Our work is underway. Crews are cleaning the site thoroughly, responsibly, and safely.
"Our Family Assistance Center is helping community members meet immediate needs. Together with local health officials, we have implemented a comprehensive testing program to ensure the safety of East Palestine's water, air, and soil. And we have established a $1 million community support fund as a down payment on our commitment to help rebuild," Shaw added.
The full text of Alan Shaw's letter follows below:
We will not walk away, East Palestine.
When I visited East Palestine last week, you told me how the train derailment has upended your lives and how concerned you are about the safety of your air, water, and land. Many of you have also reached out to Norfolk Southern to share your fears, your anger, and your frustration.
I hear you. We hear you.
I know you also have questions about whether Norfolk Southern will be here to help make things right.
My simple answer is that we are here and will stay here for as long as it takes to ensure your safety and to help East Palestine recover and thrive.
Our work is underway. Crews are cleaning the site thoroughly, responsibly, and safely. Our Family Assistance Center is helping community members meet immediate needs. Together with local health officials, we have implemented a comprehensive testing program to ensure the safety of East Palestine's water, air, and soil. And we have established a $1 million community support fund as a down payment on our commitment to help rebuild.
But our work is far from over. As we continue site clean-up, the NTSB moves forward with its investigation, and necessary environmental testing is carried out, I promise to keep you updated every step of the way.
I know there are still a lot of questions without answers. I know you're tired. I know you're worried. We will not let you down.
About Norfolk Southern
Since 1827, Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) and its predecessor companies have safely moved the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. Today, it operates a customer-centric and operations-driven freight transportation network. Committed to furthering sustainability, Norfolk Southern helps its customers avoid 15 million tons of yearly carbon emissions by shipping via rail. Its dedicated team members deliver more than 7 million carloads annually, from agriculture to consumer goods, and is the largest rail shipper of auto products and metals in North America. Norfolk Southern also has the most extensive intermodal network in the eastern U.S., serving a majority of the country's population and manufacturing base, with connections to every major container port on the Atlantic coast as well as the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes. Learn more by visiting www.NorfolkSouthern.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Norfolk Southern Corporation | 2023-02-16T16:35:31+00:00 | kcbd.com | https://www.kcbd.com/prnewswire/2023/02/16/alan-shaw-we-will-not-walk-away-east-palestine/ |
Company's CEO to present its innovative oncology pipeline and proprietary bispecific antibody technology platforms
SAN DIEGO, Nov. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Phanes Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical stage biotech company focused on innovative drug discovery and development in oncology, today announced that it is presenting at BioFuture™ 2022, which will take place at Lotte New York Palace, New York city, and providing an on-demand company presentation. This year, registered in-person attendees to BioFuture™ can view Phanes' presentation live, and virtual registration attendees can access a recorded version during November 14-16.
Phanes Therapeutics' CEO, Ming Wang, Ph.D., MBA, will be presenting the company at BioFuture™.
Date: Tuesday, November 08, 2022
Time: 4:00 PM
Track: Adams - Fourth Floor (Adams) The presentation will focus on Phanes' novel oncology pipeline, which includes three clinical stage programs and its proprietary bispecific antibody platforms for creating native IgG-like antibodies with enhanced developability and manufacturability.
"We are excited to present at BioFuture™," said Dr. Ming Wang. "This has been a transformational year for Phanes with three programs receiving IND clearance by FDA, two of which also received orphan drug designations from FDA. This is a record for a biotech company of our size." Dr. Wang continues, "With a strong pipeline targeting both the adaptive and innate immunity and the bispecific antibody technology platforms we have built, Phanes is well positioned to make important impacts in delivering innovative cancer therapies."
"We are delighted that Phanes will be presenting at BioFuture™," said Sara Demy, CEO of Demy-Colton. "BioFuture™ brings together today's top innovators, investors, and business leaders to discuss the forces shaping the future of therapeutics, and identify the potential of innovative, game-changing technologies that will drive the future of drug discovery. We are excited to have Phanes Therapeutics participating in this important event."
ABOUT BIOFUTURE™
BioFuture™, produced by Demy-Colton, is a conference convening future-focused healthcare thinkers, top investors, stakeholders and cutting-edge companies to "Reimagine the Future of Therapeutics". BioFuture™ will be held in-person in New York City on November 7-9, 2022, at the Lotte Palace Hotel, with a virtual access option for digital partnering and recorded content on November 14-16. BioFuture™ features multiple tracks of plenary sessions, presenting companies, workshops, networking, and an opportunity to schedule one-to-one meetings. BioFuture™ is produced by Demy-Colton, a leading life sciences and digital health events organization, with a long history of producing high-quality events that build networks between innovative life sciences companies and industry stakeholders.
ABOUT PHANES THERAPEUTICS
Phanes Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical stage biotech company focused on innovative drug discovery and development in oncology. Currently, it has three assets at clinical stage, including its best-in-class monoclonal antibody (mAb) program, PT199, and two first-in-class bispecific antibody programs, PT886 and PT217. Both PT886 and PT217 have been granted orphan drug designation by FDA. Its pipeline also includes humanized mAbs, biparatopics, and single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) against multiple tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) that are suitable for ADC and CAR-T applications, respectively.
The company has built a strong pipeline by leveraging its proprietary technology platforms: PACbody™, SPECpair™ and ATACCbody™ to develop novel biologics that address high unmet medical needs in cancer. PACbody™, is a proprietary approach for constructing bispecific antibodies without using protein engineering so that the antibody molecules maintain native structures with superb CMC characteristics. SPECpair™ allows mAb-like manufacturability of bispecific antibodies with native IgG-like structures, and ATACCbody™ is a technology for targeting solid tumors using immuno-oncology molecules with modulated activities designed to minimize the risk of cytokine release syndrome.
Contacts
media@phanestx.com
Visit Phanes at www.phanesthera.com and @Demy_Colton and tag your posts with #BioFuture2022.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Phanes Therapeutics | 2022-11-04T22:53:10+00:00 | waff.com | https://www.waff.com/prnewswire/2022/11/04/phanes-therapeutics-present-biofuture-2022/ |
Boehringer-Ingelheim's intravenous Spevigo (spesolimab) is a therapy specifically indicated to treat active Generalized Pustular Psoriasis (GPP) flares. Nearly 90% of dermatologists with prior use reported spesolimab as very effective, according to findings from REACH Market Research.
NEWTON, Ma. , May 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Before the approval of Spevigo, the treatment landscape for GPP consisted solely of off-label therapies approved for psoriasis, including:
- Topical therapies
- Cyclosporine
- Methotrexate
- Biologics used to treat psoriasis (e.g., anti-TNF-α, IL-1, IL-17, etc.)
The approval of Spevigo for active GPP flares marks a major shift in the treatment of GPP, but unmet needs remain for long-term maintenance therapies for flare prevention. These unmet needs could be short-lived, however, as Boehringer-Ingelheim (BI) recently announced that their subcutaneous formulation of spesolimab met its primary and secondary endpoints in a Phase 2 clinical trial (Effisayil-2) exploring efficacy for GPP flare prevention. Subcutaneous spesolimab could receive approval and enter the market as soon as 2024. Nearly 80% of surveyed dermatologist indicated that they would be very likely to prescribe a subcutaneous spesolimab if it was approved as a maintenance therapy, according to REACH's MarketVue® assessment.
To access REACH's MarketVue® Report on GPP, visit https://reachmr.com or contact us at info@reachmr.com.
Spesolimab potential approval as an acute and maintenance therapy would avoid many of the challenges associated with prescribing off-label therapies to treat GPP and could offer dermatologists the opportunity to establish a continuity of care of both flare control and subsequent long-term flare prevention utilizing the same therapy.
Dermatologist, U.S.: "An ideal drug would be something that's safe, gets acute flare under control quickly, and something that gives a sustained response that we can administer outpatient to hopefully keep their disease under control on a day-to-day basis, so minimal to little skin involvement and also prevention of the acute flares."
Beyond spesolimab, there remains little in the pipeline for GPP. Like BI, AnaptysBio has an IL-36 inhibitor, imsidolimab, in clinical trials for both flare control and prevention, but will seek to outlicense the drug before approval. This development could potentially delay imsidolimab's entry to market, but even with approvals for both spesolimab and imsidolimab, some unmet needs may be left unaddressed for those that do not respond well to IL-36 inhibitors.
About MarketVue®
MarketVue® reports are a rare disease focused, fresh alternative to traditionally long and outdated market research reports. MarketVue® reports cover rare disease epidemiology and key market dynamics based on research from key opinion leader interviews, physician surveys, and secondary data.
About REACH Market Research
REACH is an independent pharmaceutical market research company focused on rare and niche diseases. With decades of experience in pharmaceutical market research and life sciences consulting, REACH fills an important gap in the market – accessible market research solutions for rare and niche diseases.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE REACH Market Research | 2023-05-02T15:01:17+00:00 | kwch.com | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/05/02/spevigo-launch-going-well-generalized-pustular-psoriasis-marketvue-report/ |
KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:
Fifteen marines and one Navy corpsman are dead after a Marine Corps air tanker carrying them crashed into a soybean field. This happened in northern Mississippi late yesterday. There were no survivors of the crash, and this is the deadliest U.S. military air crash in a dozen years. NPR's David Welna has more.
DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: The aircraft that plummeted into a fiery crash was a Hercules KC-130, a plane used primarily for refueling other aircraft in flight. But this one was being used to ferry service members and equipment from the Marine Corps Air Station in Cherry Point, N.C., to the Naval air field in El Centro, Calif. A spokesman for the Marine Corps says there were also small arms ammunition and personal weapons aboard. Locals reported hearing an explosion followed by the sight of the plane spiraling as it fell to earth.
DAVID DEPTULA: It is very, very unusual to have this kind of catastrophic event occur.
WELNA: David Deptula is a retired Air Force lieutenant general.
DEPTULA: And it appears obviously that it occurred in the air, not during takeoff, not during landing, or not during air refueling operations.
WELNA: He says the KC-130 air tanker, with its four turboprop engines, has had what he calls a magnificent safety record.
DEPTULA: Even if you had a fire in one of the engines there's probably sufficient time, there are so many air fields in the United States that you could conduct an emergency landing even if the fire anti-suppressant couldn't put it out.
WELNA: An explosive ordinance disposal team was at the crash site today. And while the FBI has joined the crash investigation, a Marine spokesman says no foul play is suspected. Debris was scattered up to 5 miles around the crash site, and bodies were recovered from a mile away. The refueling plane was based at Stewart Air National Guard base in Newburgh, N.Y. In a tweet this morning, President Trump called the plane crash heartbreaking. Melania and I, he added, send our condolences to all. The names of those killed were being withheld until their families could be notified. David Welna, NPR News, Washington.
(SOUNDBITE OF BOMBAY DUB ORCHESTRA'S "STRANGE CONSTELLATIONS") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | 2022-06-18T12:25:15+00:00 | kgou.org | https://www.kgou.org/2017-07-11/at-least-16-dead-after-military-plane-crashes-in-mississippi |
Facebook warning: 1 million usernames, passwords may have been stolen
Published: Oct. 8, 2022 at 5:21 PM EDT|Updated: 46 minutes ago
(CNN) - Meta, Facebook’s owner, is warning that as many as one million users may have had their login information stolen.
Company researchers have discovered more than 400 malicious Android and Apple apps designed to steal personal Facebook logins.
A Meta spokesperson says the company is reaching out to the users who may be at risk.
The malicious apps are disguised as games, photo editors, and health and lifestyle services.
App users are often asked to log in with Facebook, enabling hackers to steal logins and passwords.
A Google spokesperson says the apps that have been identified as part of the scam are being removed from Google Play.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | 2022-10-08T22:09:55+00:00 | wymt.com | https://www.wymt.com/2022/10/08/facebook-warning-1-million-usernames-passwords-may-have-been-stolen/ |
Last week, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a plan to relocate migrants from the city to nearby suburban counties. The announcement came after Republican governors of several states paid to bus asylum seekers to Democratic-led cities like New York.
One of those impacted suburbs is now imposing fines to try to stop Adams’ plan.
Rockland County, New York, located on the western side of the Hudson River north of the city, declared a state of emergency this weekend. Officials in both New York City and Rockland County have said that a surge of migrants causes a strain on local resources.
"This county already has a housing crisis due to the lack of affordable housing options,” said County Executive Ed Day. “Sending busloads of people to this county that does not have the infrastructure to care for them will only compound that issue tenfold while straining support systems that are already at a breaking point.”
One of the two areas Adams intended to send migrants was Orangeburg, New York, a town of about 4,500 residents in Rockland County. Adams’ office said it intends to bus only adult men to hotels and provide housing for them for up to four months.
“This new, voluntary program will provide asylum seekers with temporary housing, access to services, and connections to local communities as they build a stable life in New York state,” Adams said. “New York City continues to step up and handle this crisis, and this new program is an extension of our compassionate response, but these actions do not mean we still don’t need urgent action, including a national decompression strategy, financial resources, expedited work authorization, and real immigration reform from Congress.”
SEE MORE: Over $300M allocated for 'non-citizens' waiting in immigration process
Adams’ executive order comes as Title 42 is expected to expire this week.Title 42 is a pandemic-era policy that allows the U.S. to expedite deportations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The expiration of Title 42 coincides with the Biden administration ending the nation’s COVID-19 emergency.
Both Adams and Day have criticized federal leaders for inaction regarding immigration.
"Mayor Eric Adams is criticizing Congress for their failure to establish a strategy for each migrant before they enter into the country, ensuring this crisis is dealt with in a coordinated manner, and then does the exact opposite — shipping new arrivals to other municipalities that do not have the infrastructure to support them,” Day said. “It's the same as tossing people into the middle of the ocean with nowhere to swim.”
Adams’ office says New York City has received over 60,000 migrants since last spring, and the city is continuing to care for 37,500. The mayor's office said the city has opened 122 hotels as emergency shelters and eight humanitarian relief centers.
New York City leaders also say they expect numbers to increase once Title 42 expires.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | 2023-05-08T12:43:42+00:00 | fox17online.com | https://www.fox17online.com/new-york-suburb-fights-nyc-on-busing-migrants |
DELMARVA - We have been tracking Monday night's storms since early evening. There was a great amount of thermodynamic energy in place prior to the storm's arrival. It began to show early signs of circulation and potential for turning tornadic.
Ultimately, it has begun to move and develop quickly. There was an isolated pocket in western and northwestern portions of Sussex County, the same pocket of Bridgeville and Greenwood that was hit by a tornado in April, that was placed briefly under a tornado warning until about 8 p.m.
Radar has indicated a tornado producer period with winds of up to 80 mph and nearly one-and-a-half-inch to two-inch diameter hail. Heavy downpours can cause localized flash flooding in some areas. The storm is moving northeast.
Throughout Monday night we will see isolated pockets of spotty showers flaring up occasionally. Though more tornado warnings are unlikely as the storm has already used up that energy, there is still enough in place for the possibility of severe storms. We will remain under a severe thunderstorm watch until 10 p.m.
Areas of flooding concern include the Hurlock and Mardela Springs areas. Several storms may hit the same area here and in western Sussex County over and over. A flood warning will remain in effect until 11:15 p.m. for northern Dorchester and Wicomico counties.
Keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter for live updates in English and Spanish. | 2023-07-04T05:31:56+00:00 | wrde.com | https://www.wrde.com/news/severe-weather-july-3/article_34e9fd58-1a04-11ee-bfd8-8f12a0e5991e.html |
House leaders canceled planned votes for the rest of the week amid a revolt by conservative members that brought any votes on the House floor to a halt.
“What we’re gonna do is we’re gonna come back on Monday, work through it and be back working for the American public,” Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters Wednesday evening.
He said his goal is “to try to work this out by the end of the night.”
A group of 11 conservatives sunk a procedural rule vote Tuesday in a stunning rebuke to GOP leadership, fueled by anger over the debt limit bill negotiated by McCarthy and President Biden, who signed it into law over the weekend.
Leaders were forced to keep the House in recess for the bulk of Wednesday before canceling votes. Members had been scheduled to hold last House votes for the week Thursday no later than 3 p.m.
If they continue to vote against the rule resolutions governing debate on the House floor, conservatives can prevent leaders from bringing up any party-line measures for a vote.
Talks between members of the House Freedom Caucus who sunk the rule and GOP leaders were not fruitful, forcing leaders to keep the House in recess for the bulk of Wednesday before canceling a planned second shot at bringing up the rule — which would have allowed floor votes on gas stoves and regulatory reforms.
McCarthy said that while the conservative members were frustrated, they were not making specific requests.
“This is the difficulty. Some of these members, they don’t know what to ask for,” McCarthy said.
The Speaker earlier in the day insisted that the House GOP will work through this dispute and emerge stronger, and again downplayed the impasse Wednesday evening.
“Just like every time we go through it here — We’ve got a small majority. There’s a little chaos going on,” McCarthy said. “But the focus I always keep is right in front of the windshield of the American public and we’re gonna work to solve the American public’s problems.”
McCarthy also noted that members had returned to Washington last week during a scheduled recess in order to vote on the debt limit bill — and he referenced the musky smoke that engulfed Washington, D.C., Wednesday as a result of wildfires in Canada.
“There are some problems with the smog out there and some airports,” McCarthy said. “People are not gonna be able to get home. So as it progresses further, I’ll let them be able to get home.”
Updated at 7:06 p.m. | 2023-06-07T23:28:28+00:00 | nwahomepage.com | https://www.nwahomepage.com/hill-politics/house-cancels-votes-for-rest-of-week-amid-floor-chaos/ |
3 adults, 2 children killed in head-on collision on West Lubbock
LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Three adults and two children were killed in a tragic head-on crash near Marsha Sharp and Upland Avenue early Saturday morning.
The victims have been identified as 46-year-old George Wallace, 21-year-old Melodi Boivin, 23-year-old Xavier Caballero, 2-year-old Marcellus Boivin, 1-year-old Lezlie Caballero.
Just before 1:30 a.m., officers responded to a crash with injuries on the Marsha Sharp Fwy and Upland Ave. Investigators say Xavier was driving a minivan east in the right lane of the freeway when they were struck head-on by an SUV driven by Wallace. According to police, Wallace was traveling on the wrong side of the freeway going west in the eastbound lanes.
Wallace, Xavier and Melodi all died at the scene. The children were taken to UMC where they later died.
Police say both children were in a car seat at the time of the crash. There were no other occupants in the SUV.
Copyright 2023 KCBD. All rights reserved. | 2023-05-08T19:47:08+00:00 | kcbd.com | https://www.kcbd.com/2023/05/08/3-adults-2-children-killed-head-on-collision-west-lubbock/ |
Just as amusement parks, local carnivals and county fairs kick into high gear for the summer, welcoming tens of millions of enthusiastic people — many in search of taller, faster and more twisty roller coasters — some sobering reports may dampen the enthusiasm.
Last week in Charlotte, North Carolina, Carowinds Amusement Park shut down its marquee roller coaster after a patron took video of an alarming crack in one of the ride's supports. Then on Sunday, eight passengers were stuck upside down for hours on a coaster at the Forest County Festival in Crandon, Wisc., due to a mechanical problem.
How are rides regulated?
It depends. For fixed-site amusement parks such as the Carowinds, states are responsible for regulations and inspections. Mobile amusements, such as carnival rides, are overseen by the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission. In both cases, however, states carry out routine inspections.
Those inspections follow guidelines established by ASTM International, formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials. Although voluntary, the ASTM International standards are widely followed by amusement parks and frequently incorporated into state regulations of parks and mobile attractions.
"All of these amusement rides and devices, there's a lifecycle to them," says Franceen Gonzales, who chairs the the ASTM International committee dealing with amusement rides and devices. The standards apply to everything from design and manufacture to installation, testing, commissioning and operation, she says.
"I think the regulators do a really good job of making sure that the rides that are being installed in their states are safe," says Gonzales, who has three decades of experience in park operation. "They stay safe by looking at them every single year, issuing those operating permits, making sure they can see the documentation of how those rides are being maintained and how they're being inspected."
In an email to NPR, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, or IAAPA, an amusement park trade association, says inspections are carried out by park staff, state regulatory officials, third-party inspectors and insurance companies. "The inspection model is like the commercial aircraft model which also consists of different types of inspections based on hours of flight and all layered on top of each other to create a rigorous inspection schedule," the IAAPA said.
Even so, two states — Nevada and Wyoming — have no regulations governing amusements in fixed-site parks. Regulations in two other states, Alabama and Utah, passed just this year.
Gonzales says Nevada has been looking into regulation and Wyoming doesn't have any fixed-site amusement parks. She emphasizes, however, that most operators voluntarily comply with standards, regardless of their regulatory situation.
How safe are rides?
According to IAAPA, there are 0.9 injuries per million rides and that in a typical year, more than 385 million guests take more than 1.7 billion rides at about 400 North American fixed-site facilities. The CPSC, meanwhile, says between 2017 and 2019, there were 34,700 injuries on amusement attractions — both at fixed parks and on mobile attractions, including water parks. There have also been several fatalities over the years, but those incidents have been rare.
Just what constitutes an injury varies by state and who is collecting the data, Gonzales says. For example, one definition is any injury that requires an overnight hospital stay.
She says no one class of ride stands out as inherently more dangerous than another. Even so, "when you're on a roller coaster [or another type of] mechanical ride, oftentimes you're in the seat, you're in a restraint, and then you don't participate that much," Gonzales says. On other types of rides, safety is more incumbent on the rider.
"You have to have a person riding a waterslide hold on to the handlebars. You might have a go-kart driver that's got to be going on the right path of the course. And you might have somebody on an inflatable that has to do the right thing by following the rules," she says. "And if guests follow the rules that they were given as required in [the] standards, then in general you end up with a safe ride."
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-07-06T21:12:31+00:00 | klcc.org | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/2023-07-06/heres-what-to-know-about-roller-coaster-safety-after-2-recent-scares |
KYIV – Ukrainian officials said Thursday that Russia has launched a wave of missile and self-exploding drone attacks on the country.
Air raid sirens wailed nationwide, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or of the missiles and drones striking targets.
The attacks came after Germany and the United States announced Wednesday that they will send advanced battle tanks to Ukraine, offering what one expert called an “armored punching force” to help Kyiv break combat stalemates as the Russian invasion enters its 12th month. | 2023-01-26T08:00:07+00:00 | wsls.com | https://www.wsls.com/news/world/2023/01/26/sirens-across-ukraine-as-authorities-report-russian-attacks/ |
Round 15 of the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship takes place this weekend at the Netherlands’ Circuit Zandvoort, a historic site located among the dunes of the country’s North Sea coast.
The Dutch Grand Prix returned to the F1 calendar in 2021 after more than three decades, and proved to be a hit, not least because of the tricky nature of Circuit Zandvoort. The circuit is popular for its significant changes in altitude and banked corners, which add to the theater.
The track measures a short 2.64 miles in length, and because of its proximity to the sea, strong onshore winds tend to upset the handling of the cars while also covering the track in sand, making grip an issue. It’s also narrow and twisty, so overtaking is not straightforward. This means decent qualifying is vital.
The straights aren’t long, so power units take a breather here. Many of the corners are flowing, so tires don’t wear as much as at other tracks. Pirelli has nominated its C1 compound as the White hard, C2 as the Yellow medium, and C3 as the Red soft choices for the teams to use.
Cars tend to run a high-downforce setup. In fact, only the races in Hungary and Monaco see higher downforce setups. The track has two Drag Reduction System (DRS) zones, between turns 10 and 11 and on the main straight, where drivers can adjust their cars’ aerodynamics to make them slipperier for overtaking.
The weather forecast calls for clear conditions during both Saturday’s qualifying session and Sunday’s race.
Mercedes-Benz AMG’s George Russell was the fastest after an initial practice session on Friday, edging out teammate Lewis Hamilton. Meanwhile, local favorite and reigning world champion Max Verstappen was the fastest early on, but his Red Bull came to a stop while on the track with a suspected gearbox issue.
Going into the weekend, Verstappen leads the 2022 Drivers’ Championship with 284 points. Fellow Red Bull driver Sergio Perez is second with 191 points, and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is third with 186 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull leads with 475 points, versus the 357 of Ferrari and 316 of Mercedes. Last year’s winner of the Dutch Grand Prix was Verstappen driving for Red Bull.
Related Articles
- Alfa Romeo F1 team creates its own docuseries
- Oscar Piastri to take Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren F1 seat in 2023
- Audi RS Q E-Tron E2 rally car evolves for Dakar
- Verstappen moves from P14 to winner’s spot at 2022 F1 Belgian Grand Prix
- Farm to asphalt: Bridgestone creates tires with desert shrubs | 2022-09-03T00:32:10+00:00 | kron4.com | https://www.kron4.com/automotive/internet-brands/2022-f1-dutch-grand-prix-preview-racing-among-the-dunes/ |
SAN FRANCISCO, April 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Glynn Capital is delighted to announce that Thomas McGannon, CFA has joined the firm as a Partner. He will focus on private and public markets investing, and lead capital formation efforts.
Most recently, Thomas was the Chief Investment Officer for a Forbes 400 single family office where he partnered with many successful fund managers and led direct investments in disruptive technology businesses. Prior to his CIO tenure, Mr. McGannon co-founded and jointly led a long/short equity hedge fund that invested in cloud-native software businesses.
David Glynn, Managing Director of Glynn Capital, said, "Thomas is an insightful technology investor with a unique ability to forge meaningful relationships. His consistent passion and enthusiasm has a way of raising the aspirations of those around him. We believe that we are in the early days of a profound era for value creation in cloud-based, AI technologies. We are thrilled to have Thomas join our team to help us seize the opportunities ahead of us."
Thomas graduated from Creighton University and currently lives outside Minneapolis with his wife and four children.
Glynn Capital is focused on investments in leading private and public technology growth companies. The firm seeks to be long-term investors in a limited number of excellent companies with world-class management teams, sustainable business models, and long-term growth potential.
Thomas's LinkedIn: here
Glynn Capital's Logos: here
Glynn Capital's Website: www.glynncapital.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Glynn Capital | 2023-04-11T16:01:53+00:00 | kxii.com | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/04/11/glynn-capital-hires-thomas-mcgannon-cfa-partner-investment-team/ |
undefinedCopyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.
BestReviews is reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission. Details.
by: BestReviews Staff, BestReviews Staff
Posted:
Updated:
undefinedCopyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2022-05-07T07:11:00+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/reviews/br/baby-kids-br/nursery-br/syndicated-content-page-title/ |
TEL AVIV, Israel , Jan. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- groundcover, a start up with a mission to reinvent the cloud-native application monitoring domain with eBPF, launches Caretta today: an OSS tool which helps teams instantly create a visual network map of the services running in their cluster. Caretta leverages eBPF technology to collect data in an efficient way and is equipped with a Grafana Node Graph dashboard to quickly display the dynamic map of the cluster.
The main idea behind creating Caretta is gaining a clear understanding of the inter-dependencies between the different workloads running in the cluster which is an otherwise very complicated task.
Caretta maps all service interactions and their traffic rates, leveraging Kubernetes APIs to create a clean and informative map of any K8s cluster which can be used for on-demand granular observability, cost optimization, and security insights, allowing teams to quickly reach impactful insights such as identifying central points of failure or pinpointing security anomalies.
Caretta is part of the mission of cloud-environment observability tools - no APM product is complete without network tracing capabilities, and the aggregated data from these traces can help answer many critical questions. Carreta does exactly that and fits those cases where you want a minimal, fast and ad-hoc solution that can help you right now.
To read more about Caretta, groundcover's new OSS Kubernetes service dependency map tool, read this blog post.
About groundcover
groundcover is a K8s application monitoring solution that reinvents the domain with eBPF. Built for modern production environments, it covers everything yet stores only what matters, allowing teams to scale away without worries. Founded in 2021 by Shahar Azulay (previously ML Manager, Apple) and Yechezkel Rabonivich (previously Chief Architect, CyberMDX). The two served together in an elite cyber unit in the Israeli Prime Minister's office where they dealt with frustration caused by APM issues. The company has raised $24.5M to date from VCs such as Zeev Ventures, Angular Ventures, Heavybit and Jibe Ventures.
View original content:
SOURCE groundcover | 2023-01-09T09:17:32+00:00 | uppermichiganssource.com | https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/prnewswire/2023/01/09/groundcover-launches-oss-cluster-map/ |
Ram’s mid-size Dakota pickup truck (originally a Dodge Dakota) bowed out of production in 2011, and the automaker has now provided the first hint that a modern successor may be in the works.
When asked by Pickup Truck + SUV Talk at last week’s Chicago auto show about the fate of a modern Dakota, Ram CEO Mike Koval said he plans to show something along those lines at a dealer meeting taking place in Las Vegas in late March.
Rumor has it Koval is planning to show a concept of a mid-size pickup with an electrified powertrain.
Koval starts talking about the pickup at the 11:30 mark in the video interview.
Koval also acknowledged that there’s plenty of opportunity in the mid-size segment. The likes of Chevrolet, Ford, Nissan, and Toyota have all found success in recent years with their respective mid-size pickup offerings. Even fellow Stellantis brand Jeep has a mid-size pickup in the form of the Gladiator, but Ram is noticeably missing from the list despite being a dedicated brand for commercial vehicles.
In the same interview, Koval also makes mention of a mystery pickup prototype recently spotted testing in Europe together with a Fiat Toro, a compact pickup offered in South America.
He hinted that the mystery pickup will be a new Ram offering for outside North America.
While a modern Dakota for North America, electrified or not, might be years away, Ram has some new products coming. Key among them is an electric 1500 to be called the 1500 REV. It was shown for the first time during Ram’s Super Bowl LVII spot.
Related Articles
- Ford F-150 Lightning production halted due to potential battery issue
- Ram 1500 REV revealed with evolutionary design
- Production electric Ram 1500 REV pickup truck teased
- Ford CEO teases high-performance F-150 Lightning concept
- Ford building high-performance F-150 Lightning concept | 2023-02-14T19:29:11+00:00 | pix11.com | https://pix11.com/automotive/internet-brands/ram-set-to-show-mid-size-truck-concept-to-dealers-in-march/ |
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons have reached an agreement to hire former Suns coach Monty Williams, AP sources say.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | 2023-06-01T04:06:37+00:00 | kob.com | https://www.kob.com/sports-stories/ap-basketball/the-detroit-pistons-have-reached-an-agreement-to-hire-former-suns-coach-monty-williams-ap-sources-say/ |
Woman who led police on motorized suitcase 'chase' at Orlando airport arrested again
LAKE MARY, Fla. - An unruly passenger arrested after police said she hopped on a motorized suitcase and led them on a chase at Orlando International Airport last year has been jailed once again.
Chelsea Alston, 32, was drunk and spit at an officer when she was taken into custody at OIA in April 2021, police said. Video of the incident was released by the Orlando Police Department in February.
Alston was scheduled to go on trial in March on charges related to that arrest at OIA. She was brought back to Orange County for failing to appear for her trial and is now being held in the Orange County Jail on no bond. | 2022-06-08T05:05:15+00:00 | fox35orlando.com | https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/woman-who-led-police-on-motorized-suitcase-chase-at-orlando-airport-arrested-again |
WASHINGTON (AP) — By one common definition, the U.S. economy is on the cusp of a recession. Yet that definition isn’t the one that counts.
On Thursday, when the government estimates the gross domestic product for the April-June period, some economists think it may show that the economy shrank for a second straight quarter. That would meet a longstanding assumption for when a recession has begun.
But economists say that wouldn’t mean that a recession had started. During those same six months when the economy might have contracted, businesses and other employers added a prodigious 2.7 million jobs — more than were gained in most entire years before the pandemic. Wages are also rising at a healthy pace, with many employers still struggling to attract and retain enough workers.
The job market’s strength is a key reason why the Federal Reserve is expected to announce another hefty hike in its short-term interest rate on Wednesday, one day before the GDP report. Several Fed officials have cited the healthy job growth as evidence that the economy should be able to withstand higher rates and avoid a downturn. Many economists, though, are dubious of that assertion.
The Fed is also trying to combat raging inflation, which reached a 9.1% annual rate in June, the worst mark in nearly 41 years. Rapid price increases, particularly for such essentials as food, gas and rent, have eroded Americans’ incomes and led to much gloomier views of the economy among consumers.
The definition of recession that is most widely accepted is the one determined by the blandly named National Bureau of Economic Research, a nonprofit group of economists whose Business Cycle Dating Committee defines a recession as “a significant decline in economic activity that is spread across the economy and lasts more than a few months.” The committee assesses a wide range of factors before publicly declaring the death of an economic expansion and the birth of a recession — and it often does so well after the fact.
So if we’re not in a recession, what’s going on with the economy, which is sending frustratingly mixed signals? Here are some answers to those and other questions:
___
IS THE ECONOMY SHRINKING — OR NOT?
It did in the first three months of the year, when GDP contracted 1.6% at an annual rate. Economists have forecast that on Thursday, the government will estimate that the economy managed to grow at an annual rate of just below 1% in the April-June quarter, according to data provider FactSet. If accurate, that forecast would indicate that the economy isn’t technically in recession by any definition.
Even if growth does go negative for a second straight quarter, Fed officials and Biden administration economists point to a lesser-known measure called “gross domestic income.”
GDP calculates the value of the nation’s output of goods and services by adding up spending by consumers, businesses and governments. By contrast, GDI, as the name implies, seeks to measure the same thing by assessing incomes.
Over time, the two measures should track each other. But they often diverge in the short run. In the first quarter, GDI grew 1.8% — much better than the 1.6% decline in GDP.
As part of its judgment of whether an economy is in recession, the NBER considers an average of the two measures. In the first quarter, the average was 0.2%, suggesting that the economy expanded slightly.
___
WHAT ELSE DOES THE NBER MONITOR?
The NBER studies many other data points in determining recessions, including measures of income, employment, inflation-adjusted spending, retail sales and factory output. It puts greater weight on jobs and a gauge of inflation-adjusted income that excludes government support payments such as Social Security.
That gauge covers combined income from all workers, so it rises when the unemployed find a job or when existing workers receive a pay raise. The measure increased slightly in April and May after a flat reading in the first quarter of this year.
___
BUT DON’T A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK A RECESSION IS COMING?
Yes, because many people now feel more financially burdened.
With wage gains trailing inflation for most people, higher prices for such essentials as gas, food, and rent have eroded Americans’ spending power,
On Monday, Walmart reported that higher gas and food costs have forced its shoppers to reduce their purchases of discretionary spending such as new clothing, a clear sign that consumer spending, a key driver of the economy, is weakening. The nation’s largest retailer, Walmart reduced its profit outlook and said it will have to discount more items like furniture and electronics.
And the Fed’s rate hikes have caused average mortgage rates to double from a year ago, to 5.5%, causing a sharp fall in home sales and construction.
Higher rates will also likely weigh on businesses’ willingness to invest in new buildings, machinery and other equipment. If companies reduce spending and investment, they’ll also start to slow hiring. Rising caution among companies about spending freely could lead eventually to layoffs. If the economy were to lose jobs and the public were to grow more fearful, consumers would further reduce spending.
The Fed’s rapid rate hikes have raised the likelihood of recession in the next two years to nearly 50%, Goldman Sachs economists have said. And Bank of America economists now forecast a “mild” recession later this year.
___
WHAT ARE SOME SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING RECESSION?
The clearest signal that a recession is underway, economists say, would be a steady rise in job losses and a surge in unemployment. In the past, an increase in the unemployment rate of three-tenths of a percentage point, on average over the previous three months, has meant that a recession will soon follow.
Many economists monitor the number of people who seek unemployment benefits each week, which indicates whether layoffs are worsening. Last week, applications for jobless aid rose to 251,000, the highest level in eight months. While that is a potentially concerning sign, that is still a low level historically.
___
ANY OTHER SIGNALS TO WATCH FOR?
Many economists also monitor changes in the interest payments, or yields, on different bonds for a recession signal known as an “inverted yield curve.” This occurs when the yield on the 10-year Treasury falls below the yield on a short-term Treasury, such as the 3-month T-bill. That is unusual. Normally, longer-term bonds pay investors a richer yield in exchange for tying up their money for a longer period.
Inverted yield curves generally mean that investors foresee a recession that will compel the Fed to slash rates. Inverted curves often predate recessions. Still, it can take 18 to 24 months for a downturn to arrive after the yield curve inverts.
For the past two weeks, the yield on the two-year Treasury has exceeded the 10-year yield, suggesting that markets expect a recession soon. Many analysts say, though, that comparing the 3-month yield to the 10-year has a better recession-forecasting track record. Those rates are not inverted now.
___
WILL THE FED KEEP RAISING RATES EVEN AS THE ECONOMY SLOWS?
The economy’s flashing signals — slowing growth with strong hiring — have put the Fed in a tough spot. Jerome Powell is aiming for a “soft landing,” in which the economy weakens enough to slow hiring and wage growth without causing a recession and brings inflation back to the Fed’s 2% target.
But Powell has acknowledged that such an outcome has grown more difficult to achieve. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s COVID-19 lockdowns have driven up prices for energy food, and many manufactured parts in the U.S.
Powell has also indicated that if necessary, the Fed will keep raising rates even amid a weak economy if that’s what’s needed to tame inflation.
“Is there a risk that we would go too far?” Powell asked last month. “Certainly there’s a risk, but I wouldn’t agree that’s the biggest risk to the economy. The biggest mistake to make…would be to fail to restore price stability.” | 2022-07-26T22:53:20+00:00 | fox59.com | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/explainer-how-do-we-know-when-a-recession-has-begun/ |
CHICAGO, June 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ASCO 2023 – McCormick Place, In advance of a new Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Category III code that will go into effect on July 1st, Perthera, the leader in AI precision oncology solutions, introduced its latest generation of clinical support tools, including Perthera Lab Direct and Perthera RWE Navigator. As part of this new, enhanced clinician experience, Perthera Lab Direct will make it easier to order reports, delivering results faster and the Perthera RWE Navigator will provide clinicians direct access to Perthera's powerful analytics. The Category III CPT code provides a critical pathway to reimbursement and wider adoption of AI-assisted Oncology decision support. The new multi-ordering platform and expanded analytics bench are intended to help support increased clinician demand.
"As we continue to scale the business, providing world-class support to physicians is a paramount goal to ensure all have access to our AI-assisted Oncology decision support", said Albert Kelley, President and CEO of Perthera. These resources can be found on Perthera's re-designed website where physicians and their staff can log on to gain access. Perthera Lab Direct streamlines the ordering process, working more seamlessly into the oncologist's office workflow, and linking directly to lab results so a Perthera Report can be delivered faster and with less effort. The Perthera RWE Navigator provides physicians with tools to analyze their own patient population to inform their future treatment decisions, research studies, or evaluate reimbursement issues. "We are committed to investing in building better—better systems, better experiences, and continued advancement of our AI platform-—to help drive and support wide adoption", said Donna Tuths, Board Chair of Perthera.
Perthera's patented AI Precision Oncology Engine is based on over 10 years of industry-defining research that uniquely combines a patient's past medical and treatment history, and their multi-omic profile to produce ranked therapy options predicted to have the best outcome for that patient. The platform has been shown in peer-reviewed research to significantly improve patient survival. "Our ongoing research is focused on deepening our science and understanding of the complex set of key drivers that impact patient response to treatment. Helping physicians to get the best outcome for their patients is our mission", said Dr. Emmanuel "Chip" Petricoin, Founder and Chief Scientist at Perthera. Dr. Edik Blais, Vice President of Research at Perthera will present the latest research related to the prediction of treatment sequencing in a poster session to be held in Hall A, Poster Board #470 from 8-11 am on June 5th. Perthera also provides the opportunity for physicians to join one of its Precision Oncology Clinical Study (POCS) groups where they and their patients can participate in targeted research studies.
Visit us at Booth 26116 at ASCO 2023 to learn more about Perthera's latest generation of clinical support tools and ordering, Perthera Lab Direct and Perthera RWE Navigator, and how you can join a Precision Oncology Clinical Study (POCS) group or contact us at info@perthera.com to set up a meeting.
About PERTHERA
Founded in 2012, Perthera is the leader in AI-driven precision oncology solutions. Utilized at more than 400 cancer treatment centers in the United States, Perthera's patented, AI-driven analytics solution provides insights to over 1500 oncologists across the country. Perthera pioneers using "multi-omic" test results (DNA, RNA, IHC, and phosphoproteomics) to advise doctors and patients on treatment options through our Precision Oncology Platform and the Perthera ReportÔ. Past medical and treatment history along with multi-omic results from any source are used by our patented Ranked Therapy Options engine to identify the best treatments available for each patient. Uniquely, we follow patients longitudinally to obtain real-world outcomes that further refine future recommendations. The Perthera AI Precision Oncology Platform has been validated through peer-reviewed, high-impact journals and has been shown clinically to increase survival rates for patients. It is our mission to make Perthera's AI Precision Oncology Platform and the Perthera Report the best resource available today to support Oncologists in their treatment decision-making process.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Perthera, Inc. | 2023-06-02T23:03:03+00:00 | kcrg.com | https://www.kcrg.com/prnewswire/2023/06/02/asco-23-ai-precision-oncology-company-perthera-unveils-premium-experience-clinicians-with-new-options-ordering-access-enhanced-perthera-analytics/ |
Photographer, Pat Johnson chatted about his new book “Blue Collar Photographer.” Watch the clip to hear stories about musicians he has photographed.
Pat Johnson’s new book ‘Blue Collar Photographer’
Trending Stories
Latest News
Close
Thanks for signing up!
Watch for us in your inbox.
Subscribe Now | 2022-09-14T23:08:06+00:00 | kron4.com | https://www.kron4.com/live-in-the-bay/pat-johnsons-new-book-blue-collar-photographer/ |
YONGKANG, China, May 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On the afternoon of May 26, the 2nd World Hardware Development Conference opened in Yongkang, Zhejiang. This is an important platform for high-end exchanges, deepening cooperation, and sharing and win-win results in the global hardware industry. Well-known enterprises in the hardware industry at home and abroad, as well as upstream and downstream related industries, gathered together around the theme of "Innovation leads a new era of hardware intelligent manufacturing for a win-win world", to discuss the development plan of the hardware industry, and to jointly seek good strategies for the development of hardware intelligent manufacturing.
This is an industrial revolution that leads the future. At this conference, the "Global Hardware Industry Innovation and Development Index" was released, which conducted a multi-dimensional analysis of the development status and innovation trends of the global hardware industry, and drew a new digital blueprint for the development of the hardware industry.
This is a solid bridge for win-win cooperation. At this conference, the signing of international economic and trade strategic partners was held to deepen cooperation in key areas of the global hardware industry, and jointly promote the high-quality development of the global hardware manufacturing industry.
Starting from the new, the future has come. In the new stage of development, Yongkang firmly grasps the trend of digital transformation, based on the new stage of development, closely follows the development trend of high-end, intelligent and green manufacturing, and strides forward on the road of striving to create "the world hardware capital of quality and vitality Yongkang."
View original content:
SOURCE The Organizing Committee of the Second World Hardware Development Conference | 2023-05-28T09:42:49+00:00 | kwtx.com | https://www.kwtx.com/prnewswire/2023/05/28/2nd-world-hardware-development-conference-kicked-off-yongkang-zhejiang/ |
SURPRISE, AZ — Police say a person has been taken into custody without incident after a standoff situation in Surprise.
Surprise police say it started just before 11 a.m. when they received multiple calls about shots fired near Bell Road and N.R.H. Johnson Boulevard.
When police arrived, they found a man had been shot, and another had fled the scene.
Officers were able to narrow down a residence where they believe the shooter is located, and police say they secured the area.
An ABC15 crew on scene says the secured area is roughly a half block away from the scene of the shooting and is describing the situation as a standoff.
While it's unclear if the suspect is in custody, police added they do not believe there is any threat to the community.
The victim was taken to a hospital, but his condition is not known.
Police believe the shooting was not random, and both the suspect and victim knew each other.
The identities of the suspect and victim have not been released. Police have also not released any details on what led up to the shooting.
This incident is still under investigation. | 2022-08-07T22:00:44+00:00 | abc15.com | https://www.abc15.com/news/region-west-valley/surprise/standoff-ongoing-after-person-shot-in-surprise |
KENOSHA, Wis. (WFRV) – A police department in Wisconsin found over 15 grams of straight fentanyl during a traffic stop, and described the amount as ‘shocking’.
The Kenosha Police Department posted on its Facebook page about recent investigations into fentanyl sources within the city. One of those investigations led to a traffic stop and the eventual recovery of 15.3 grams of straight fentanyl, 6.8 grams of crack cocaine and some THC.
A follow-up search of a residence found a firearm that was allegedly stolen during an armed robbery. Authorities provided a picture of the recovered items.
The fentanyl, which police said was the larger bag, was not mixed into another drug. That amount of straight fentanyl was described as ‘shocking’.
Authorities said it is not the only source in town. Police want residents who know of dealers selling in Kenosha to call 262-605-5203.
No additional information was provided. | 2022-11-16T00:28:11+00:00 | wearegreenbay.com | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/local-news/its-not-the-only-source-in-town-police-in-wisconsin-find-shocking-amount-of-straight-fentanyl/ |
PHOENIX (AP) — Kevin Durant is the shiny new toy for the Phoenix Suns. Devin Booker is still the team’s heart and soul.
Booker — the three-time All-Star who has spent all eight of his NBA seasons in Phoenix — scored 38 points, Durant added 25 and the Suns beat the Los Angeles Clippers 123-109 on Tuesday night in Game 2 to tie the Western Conference first-round series.
“He’s an all-around player,” Durant said about Booker. “He can do everything at an elite level on a basketball court.”
The Suns needed a gritty effort after a disappointing loss in Game 1. Their shots weren’t falling for much of the first half and they fell into a 13-point hole midway through the second quarter.
But led by Booker, they never panicked.
The 26-year-old drilled a 3 just before the halftime buzzer to tie it and scored 18 points in the third quarter on 7-of-8 shooting, helping the Suns push to a 92-87 advantage entering the fourth. The defense also improved after the Clippers got several easy baskets in the second quarter.
“People talk about adjustments all the time and we make them,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “But sometimes basketball is just being able to sit down and guard the ball, keep your man from getting to the basket and contesting the shot.”
Phoenix never trailed in the final quarter, slowly pulling away. It was their first playoff win with Durant on the floor. The team was 8-0 during the regular season with the 13-time All-Star following his trade from the Brooklyn Nets in February.
The series moves to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Thursday night.
Kawhi Leonard led Los Angeles with 31 points after he scored 38 in Game 1. Russell Westbrook added 28 points on 9-of-16 shooting.
“We know it is going to be a tough series,” Westbrook said. “They came back and took care of business tonight.”
Booker had a stellar shooting night, connecting on 14 of 22 shots, including 4 of 7 on 3s. He added nine assists. Deandre Ayton added 14 points — on 7-of-10 shooting— and 13 rebounds. Torrey Craig hit 5 of 8 3s and had 17 points, and Chris Paul had 16 points and eight assists.
“We tried to blitz. We tried to fire. We did a lot of different things,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “They played great.”
PAUL VS. FOSTER
Paul’s archnemesis was carrying a whistle Tuesday, not dribbling a basketball.
The point guard had his personal 13-game playoff losing streak snapped when referee Scott Foster is on the floor. The long-running feud has lasted years with Paul criticizing Foster multiple times.
“I didn’t notice,” Paul said. “I think we’re all about, in this run, minimizing distractions. That is what it is, I’m sure it’ll still be a thing.”
SWITCHING DEFENSES
Several Suns players credited the Clippers coaches and players for their unpredictable defensive sets, which they said was part of the reason for the team’s slow start.
“They switched their defense up like every possession,” Durant said. “They might double, they might triple, they might go zone, they might go full court press. So they’re trying to throw us off with their coverages. I think we did a good job of (eventually) figuring it out. Just playing simple.”
TIP-INS
Clippers: Eight-time All-Star Paul George (sprained knee) hasn’t played since March 21. … L.A.’s bench outscored Phoenix’s 30-13. … Leonard shot 11 of 20 from the field, including 3 of 5 on 3-pointers.
Suns: G Cam Payne (low back soreness) hasn’t played yet in the series. Said coach Monty Williams “He’s just not ready. He’s done a lot more on the floor, but there’s certain movements he can’t do yet without pain.” … Hosted a 76th consecutive sellout, combining regular season and playoff games.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2023-04-19T13:47:50+00:00 | cbs4indy.com | https://cbs4indy.com/sports/ap-sports/booker-scores-38-points-suns-beat-clippers-to-even-series/ |
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ The winning numbers in Wednesday afternoon's drawing of the Indiana Lottery's "Quick Draw Midday" game were:
01-05-08-22-28-29-33-34-35-40-43-44-53-54-57-61-66-73-74-75, BE: 8
(one, five, eight, twenty-two, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five, forty, forty-three, forty-four, fifty-three, fifty-four, fifty-seven, sixty-one, sixty-six, seventy-three, seventy-four, seventy-five; BE: eight) | 2022-07-06T18:37:23+00:00 | seattlepi.com | https://www.seattlepi.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Quick-Draw-Midday-game-17287930.php |
NEW YORK (AP) — The NHL salary cap could get its first big increase since before the pandemic sooner than expected.
Commissioner Gary Bettman said there’s a chance players could be finished paying off what they owe owners from pandemic revenue losses as soon as this season, which would mean the cap going up $4 million or more next summer.
Initial projects were for another modest $1 million bump and a bigger increase in the summer of 2024, but there’s now more optimism about 2023 after Bettman said the league generated $5.4 billion in hockey-related revenue last season.
“Revenue’s pretty vibrant,” Bettman said Tuesday after a meeting of the NHL’s Board of Governors. “The business is good, and so things are looking possible for (players’ debt) being paid off this year. If we miss it, it’ll be close and it’ll be next year.”
The league and union agreed to keep the cap flat coming out of the pandemic and use escrow payments to make up for what players owed owners to split revenue 50/50. That meant the cap staying at $81.5 million for two seasons before going up to $82.5 million this year.
With new U.S. media rights deals and other revenue streams flowing, it could be over $86 million in the not-too-distant future.
WORLD CUP QUESTIONS
Discussions continue between the league, NHL Players’ Association and the International Ice Hockey Federation over hosting a World Cup of Hockey in February 2024. Bettman conceded the parties involved are running out of time to meet that timeline.
“We’re getting close to whatever that deadline is,” Bettman said. “We’ve got to be a position in the foreseeable future to wrap up all the issues, otherwise it would delay the World Cup.”
Among the ongoing issues is what to do with Russia, given the war in Ukraine and how many Russia-born stars currently play in the NHL. One option is to have them play as an entity that is not Russia, but other countries that might be involved have made it known to the league that’s not enough and they don’t want Russian players participating.
“The conflict in the Ukraine makes it difficult to deal with the Russian issue, and we’ve certainly heard from some of the participating countries or countries who would participate would have objections to Russian participation in the World Cup,” Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said. “Obviously (it is) something that’s relevant and we’d take into consideration in connection with making decisions.”
Bettman emphasized: “We haven’t made any decisions. There’s still a lot of work that has to be done before we even would get to that issue.”
COLE FALLOUT
After a league investigation found nothing to substantiate allegations against Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ian Cole, Bettman said those conducting it exhausted every possible method to get in contact with the person who posted them anonymously on social media. He called it “pretty comprehensive.”
“Tried everything that you can do off an anonymous tweet of a recently set-up account,” Bettman said. “There was nothing that was found that could substantiate those allegations.”
The Lightning suspended Cole with pay while the investigation was ongoing, something the NHLPA took issue with once he was reinstated. The union said in a statement last weekend: “Players should never be subject to suspension or discipline in response to unsubstantiated and anonymous accusations. Removing a player from his team under these circumstances is inappropriate and grossly unfair.”
Bettman said he understood that point of view and deferred to the Lightning for what was a team decision to suspend Cole. Moving forward, the league will continue to handle similar situations on a case-by-case basis, as they have for several years.
“It depends on the circumstances,” Bettman said. “I don’t think I can give you a blanket rule as to how you deal with it, but we are sensitive to the issue.”
HOCKEY CANADA REVIEW
Bettman said the NHL’s investigation into the ongoing scandal involving Hockey Canada is “closer to the end than the beginning.”
The league began the process of holding its own review after news surfaced that Hockey Canada settled a lawsuit with a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by eight members of the country’s world junior team at a gala in 2018. Several players from that gold medal-winning team are currently in the NHL.
Bettman said the timing of the report, which he has vowed the league will release to the public, would depend on the review being done by police in London, Ontario.
“We can focus on what we need to do to feel that we have a comprehensive report, and that work is ongoing,” Bettman said
___
Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno
___
More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2022-10-19T07:09:15+00:00 | ksn.com | https://www.ksn.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-bettman-nhl-salary-cap-may-get-nice-bump-for-23-24-season/ |
(WAND WEATHER) - Summer temperatures return to Central Illinois later this weekend.
A cold front dropping through the area Thursday afternoon into Friday morning brought scattered showers and thunderstorms.
We'll see a sun and cloud mix today with highs in the low-to-mid-80s.
It'll be warmer Saturday in the mid-80s with plenty of sunshine.
By Sunday, it turns hot and humid again with highs in the upper-80s.
Showers and storms move in Sunday afternoon and will stick around through Tuesday. An inch or more of rain is expected.
Meteorologist Anthony Peoples
Copyright 2022 WAND TV. All rights reserved. | 2022-08-26T17:21:31+00:00 | wandtv.com | https://www.wandtv.com/news/summer-temperatures-returning-to-central-illinois/article_7a6670d4-2548-11ed-8f5a-1f1767114bed.html |
Federal sex abuse lawsuit filed against Rockstar Cheer on behalf of more than 100 girls and boys
GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - A federal lawsuit filed against Rockstar Cheer on Thursday lists more than 100 “John and Jane Does” and details allegations of sexual abuse committed by the gym’s founder.
The lawsuit said the plaintiffs were minors when they were sexually abused and transported across state lines for illegal sexual activity by Scott Foster, who founded the popular cheerleading gym in Greenville County.
Strom Law Firm is representing the athletes who have come forward.
“This was a factory of abuse designed specifically to generate two things: a constant supply of underage victims for Scott Foster and his fellow predators and a billion dollar revenue stream to Varsity Spirit, USASF and Bain Capital,” said attorney Bakari Sellers. “Instead of protecting these young men and women, they victimized them and cashed their checks.”
Varsity Spirit, USASF, Bain Capital and Foster’s wife are also named in the lawsuit, claiming they had knowledge of misconduct but turned a blind eye.
Although the lawsuit lists more than 100 plaintiffs, it details the accounts of four athletes who said while part of Rockstar Cheer, they were sexually abused by Foster and plied with drugs and alcohol.
Read the full federal lawsuit below:
Foster was the subject of a Homeland Security investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, according to Strom Law Firm, when he took his own life in August.
The lawyers said more lawsuits are forthcoming in the case.
MORE COVERAGE:
Graphic allegations released in first lawsuit filed against Rockstar Cheer owner
Cheer organization releases statement on allegations against Rockstar founder
Death of Rockstar Cheer founder under investigation in Greenville County
Copyright 2022 WHNS. All rights reserved. | 2022-09-01T22:38:12+00:00 | foxcarolina.com | https://www.foxcarolina.com/2022/09/01/federal-sex-abuse-lawsuit-filed-against-rockstar-cheer-behalf-more-than-100-boys-girls/ |
Supporting local farmers markets
MILWAUKEE - Farmers markets are one of the best parts of summer, and there are plenty to choose from in our area! OnMilwaukee senior writer Molly Snyder joins us with some local markets to check out.
MILWAUKEE - Farmers markets are one of the best parts of summer, and there are plenty to choose from in our area! OnMilwaukee senior writer Molly Snyder joins us with some local markets to check out. | 2023-05-19T18:48:58+00:00 | fox6now.com | https://www.fox6now.com/real-milwaukee/supporting-local-farmers-markets |
One week after a massive earthquake struck eastern Turkey and northern Syria, residents are dealing with burying the tens of thousands of dead.
Copyright 2023 NPR
One week after a massive earthquake struck eastern Turkey and northern Syria, residents are dealing with burying the tens of thousands of dead.
Copyright 2023 NPR | 2023-02-13T22:49:25+00:00 | kgou.org | https://www.kgou.org/2023-02-13/families-are-working-to-bury-those-who-died-in-the-turkey-syria-earthquake |
OMAHA, Neb. >> Billionaire Warren Buffett said artificial intelligence may change the world in all sorts of ways, but new technology won’t take away opportunities for investors, and he’s confident America will continue to prosper over time.
Buffett and his partner Charlie Munger are spending all day Saturday answering questions at Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting inside a packed Omaha arena.
“New things coming along doesn’t take away the opportunities. What gives you the opportunities is other people doing dumb things,” said Buffett, who had a chance to try out ChatGPT when his friend Bill Gates showed it to him a few months back.
Buffett reiterated his long-term optimism about the prospects for America even with the bitter political divisions today.
“The problem now is that partisanship has moved more towards tribalism, and in tribalism you don’t even hear the other side,” he said.
Both Buffett and Munger said the United States will benefit from having an open trading relationship with China, so both countries should be careful not to exacerbate the tensions between them because the stakes are too high for the world.
“Everything that increases the tension between these two countries is stupid, stupid, stupid,” Munger said. And whenever either country does something stupid, he said the other country should respond with incredible kindness.
The chance to listen to the two men answer all sorts of questions about business and life attracts people from all over the world to Omaha, Nebraska. Some of the shareholders feel a particular urgency to attend now because Buffett and Munger are both in their 90s.
“Charlie Munger is 99. I just wanted to see him in person. It’s on my bucket list,” said 40-year-old Sheraton Wu from Vancouver. “I have to attend while I can.”
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Chloe Lin, who traveled from Singapore to attend the meeting for the first time and learn from the two legendary investors.
One of the few concessions Buffett makes to his age is that he no longer tours the exhibit hall before the meeting. In years past, he would be mobbed by shareholders trying to snap a picture with him while a team of security officers worked to manage the crowd. Munger has used a wheelchair for several years, but both men are still sharp mentally.
But in a nod to the concerns about their age, Berkshire showed a series of clips of questions about succession from past meetings dating back to the first one they filmed in 1994. Two years ago, Buffett finally said that Greg Abel will eventually replace him as CEO although he has no plans to retire. Abel already oversees all of Berkshire’s noninsurance businesses.
Buffett assured shareholders that he has total confidence in Abel to lead Berkshire in the future, and he doesn’t have a second choice for the job because Abel is remarkable in his own right. But he said much of what Abel will have to do is just maintain Berkshire’s culture and keep making similar decisions.
“Greg understands capital allocation as well as I do. He will make these decisions on the same framework that I use,” Buffett said.
Abel followed that up by assuring the crowd that he knows how Buffett and Munger have handled things for nearly six decades and “I don’t really see that framework changing.”
Although not everyone at the meeting is a fan. Outside the arena, pilots from Berkshire’s NetJets protested over the lack of a new contract and pro-life groups carried signs declaring “Buffett’s billions kill millions” to object to his many charitable donations to abortion rights groups.
Berkshire Hathaway said Saturday morning that it made $35.5 billion, or $24,377 per Class A share, in the first quarter. That’s more than 6 times last year’s $5.58 billion, or $3,784 per share.
But Buffett has long cautioned that those bottom line figures can be misleading for Berkshire because the wide swings in the value of its investments — most of which it rarely sells — distort the profits. In this quarter, Berkshire sold only $1.7 billion of stocks while recording a $27.4 billion paper investment gain. Part of this year’s investment gains included a $2.4 billion boost related to Berkshire’s planned acquisition of the majority of the Pilot Travel Centers truck stop company’s shares in January.
Buffett says Berkshire’s operating earnings that exclude investments are a better measure of the company’s performance. By that measure, Berkshire’s operating earnings grew nearly 13% to $8.065 billion, up from $7.16 billion a year ago.
The three analysts surveyed by FactSet expected Berkshire to report operating earnings of $5,370.91 per Class A share.
Buffett came close to giving a formal outlook Saturday when he told shareholders that he expects Berkshire’s operating profits to grow this year even though the economy is slowing down and many of its businesses will sell less in 2023. He said Berkshire will profit from rising interest rates on its holdings, and the insurance market looks good this year.
This year’s first quarter was relatively quiet compared to a year ago when Buffett revealed that he had gone on a $51 billion spending spree at the start of last year, snapping up stocks like Occidental Petroleum, Chevron and HP. Buffett’s buying slowed through the rest of last year with the exception of a number of additional Occidental purchases.
At the end of this year’s first quarter, Berkshire held $130.6 billion cash, up from about $128.59 billion at the end of last year. But Berkshire did spend $4.4 billion during the quarter to repurchase its own shares.
Berkshire’s insurance unit, which includes Geico and a number of large reinsurers, recorded a $911 million operating profit, up from $167 million last year, driven by a rebound in Geico’s results. Geico benefitted from charging higher premiums and a reduction in advertising spending and claims.
But Berkshire’s BNSF railroad and its large utility unit did report lower profits. BNSF earned $1.25 billion, down from $1.37 billion, as the number of shipments it handled dropped 10% after it lost a big customer and imports slowed at the West Coast ports. The utility division added $416 million, down from last year’s $775 million.
Besides those major businesses, Berkshire owns an eclectic assortment of dozens of other businesses, including a number of retail and manufacturing firms such as See’s Candy and Precision Castparts.
Berkshire again faces pressure from activist investors urging the company to do more to catalog its climate change risks in a companywide report. Shareholders were expected to brush that measure and all the other shareholder proposals aside Saturday afternoon because Buffett and the board oppose them, and Buffett controls more than 30% of the vote.
But even as they resist detailing climate risks, a number of Berkshire’s subsidiaries are working to reduce their carbon emissions, including its railroad and utilities. The company’s Clayton Homes unit is showing off a new home design this year that will meet strict energy efficiency standards from the Department of Energy and come pre-equipped for solar power to be added later. | 2023-05-06T21:09:37+00:00 | staradvertiser.com | https://www.staradvertiser.com/2023/05/06/breaking-news/buffett-shares-good-news-on-profits-ai-thoughts-at-meeting/ |
President Biden on Monday bemoaned the state of U.S. airports as he touted the ways a bipartisan infrastructure law passed last year would help upgrade terminals, improve the passenger experience and reduce emissions.
Biden traveled to Boston to highlight a $62 million investment in Logan Airport through the infrastructure law. The funding will be used to modernize the international terminal of the airport and to improve roadways that keep planes circulating.
The investments will create nearly 6,000 jobs, Biden said, and will help add more ticket counters in the airport, cut down time for passengers trying to make connections and reduce the time planes spend idling on the tarmac, cutting emissions in the process.
Biden hailed the investments as part of a badly needed overhaul of American airports.
“Not a single solitary American airport, not one, ranks in the top 25 in the world,” Biden said with frustration. “The United States of America, not one airport ranks in the top 25 in the world. What in the hell is the matter with us? It means commerce. It means income. It means security. And we don’t even rank in the top 25.”
Biden warned that the lack of infrastructure investment in recent decades had allowed competing countries like China to catch up with America economically. But he argued that the U.S. was finally investing again with the $1 trillion law passed last year with bipartisan support.
The bill includes billions of dollars in funding for airports, some of which has already been allocated both to smaller municipal airports and major ones like Logan.
“Right now with this infrastructure law, America is really getting on the move again,” Biden said. “We’re moving, and your life is going to change for the better.”
Biden has been traveling around the country in recent months to highlight projects funded by the infrastructure law, often joined by Democrats making the case to constituents that they’ve been able to get results for their communities with limited majorities in Congress.
The president will also give a speech while in Boston on his administration’s “cancer moonshot” initiative, which aims to cut the death rate from cancer in half over the next 25 years. | 2022-09-14T16:18:13+00:00 | mytwintiers.com | https://www.mytwintiers.com/hill-politics/biden-pledges-to-improve-outdated-us-airports/ |
LETTER: God would likely align himself with the Democrats
February 22, 2023 - 9:00 pm
Letter writer Jane Hobbs claims that the First and Second amendments of the Constitution are given to us by God (“GOP proud,” Feb. 16). I’ve read the Bible cover to cover multiple times, and I can’t remember a single passage that specifically mentions guns. If my memory serves me, those rights were, in fact, granted to us about 240 years ago by slaveowners wearing long white wigs. Coincidentally, Ms. Hobbs’ letter states her opposition to men who wear wigs.
There is, however, one gift that God gave to every human being: free will. He gave us all the right to make our own decisions, including what we do with our own bodies and who we choose to love. God, who loved us all and through his only son gave to the poor and fed the hungry, would likely align politically with the Democrats if he were to visit 2023 America. Perhaps those who believe and cherish God’s love should follow his example a little more closely. | 2023-02-23T06:08:10+00:00 | reviewjournal.com | https://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/letters/letter-god-would-likely-align-himself-with-the-democrats-2733534/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Diane Murray struggled with her decision all the way up to Election Day.
But when the time came, the 54-year-old Georgia Democrat cast a ballot in last week's Republican primary for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. While state law allowed her to participate in either party's primary, she said it felt like a violation of her core values to vote for the Republican. But it had to be done, she decided, to prevent a Donald Trump -backed "election denier" from becoming the battleground state's election chief.
“I feel strongly that our democracy is at risk, and that people who are holding up the big lie, as we call it, and holding onto the former president are dangerous to democracy,” said Murray, who works at the University of Georgia. “I don’t know I’ll do it again because of how I felt afterward. I just felt icky.”
Raffensperger, a conservative who refused to support the former president's direct calls to overturn the 2020 election, probably would not have won the May 24 Republican primary without people like Murray.
An Associated Press analysis of early voting records from data firm L2 found that more than 37,000 people who voted in Georgia's Democratic primary two years ago cast ballots in last week's Republican primary, an unusually high number of so-called crossover voters. Even taking into account the limited sample of early votes, the data reveal that crossover voters were consequential in defeating Trump's hand-picked candidates for secretary of state and, to a lesser extent, governor.
Gov. Brian Kemp did not ultimately need Democrats in his blowout victory against his Trump-backed opponent, but Raffensperger probably did. The Republican secretary of state cleared the 50% threshold required to avoid a runoff election by just over 27,000 votes, according to the latest AP tallies. Based on early voting data alone, 37,144 former Democrats voted in the Republican primary. The total number of crossovers including Election Day votes, set to be revealed in the coming weeks, may be even higher.
Crossover voting, also known as strategic voting, is not exclusive to Georgia this primary season as voters across the political spectrum work to stop Trump-backed extremists from winning control of state and federal governments. The phenomenon is playing out in multiple primary contests, sometimes organically and sometimes in response to a coordinated effort by Trump’s opponents.
While Trump railed against the practice over the weekend, there is nothing inherently wrong with crossover voting. Dozens of states make it legal and easy for voters to participate in either party's primary. And there are several isolated incidents of both parties engaging in strategic voting over the years.
Still, Trump warned conservatives about crossover voting while campaigning Saturday in Wyoming, another state where the former president's opponents are calling for Democrats to intervene — this time to help save Rep. Liz Cheney from a Trump-backed primary challenger. Cheney, like Raffensperger and Kemp, refused to embrace Trump's lies about the 2020 election. She also voted for his second impeachment after the Jan. 6 insurrection.
“Don’t let the Democrats do what they did in another state last week,” Trump told Wyoming supporters, complaining about what happens “when you allow Democrats to vote in a Republican primary.”
While the practice has Trump's attention, it is often ineffective.
Trump's opponents encouraged Democrats to help defeat U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in her Georgia primary last week. The congresswoman, who has embraced election lies and spoken at an event organized by a white nationalist, won by more than 50 percentage points.
And in some cases, Democrats have been too focused on their own competitive primaries to cast a Republican ballot. That was probably the case in Pennsylvania, where some Democrats openly encouraged their base to vote for the Republican candidate for governor, Doug Mastriano, whose extreme views they felt made him more beatable in November.
To cast a ballot in the May 17 GOP primary, however, voters needed to register as Republicans ahead of the contest because Pennsylvania has a “closed primary” system. And on the same day, Democrats were deciding their own high-stakes Senate primary.
If the advance vote in Pennsylvania is any indication, few Democrats heeded the call to vote GOP.
Of Republican primary voters who cast early or absentee ballots this year, only 1.7 percent voted Democratic in the 2020 primary. Those 2,600 votes, even if ultimately bolstered by more Election Day participants, were unlikely to have moved the needle in an outcome in which Mastriano beat his closest rival by nearly 320,000.
On the forefront of the crossover movement, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., has called for an "uneasy alliance" between Democrats, independents and Republicans to take down pro-Trump candidates in GOP primaries whenever and wherever possible. Some states have open primaries like Georgia that allow people to vote in either primary, while other states have more restrictive rules.
In an interview, Kinzinger said he was pleasantly surprised by the Democrats' response in some races. He said he never expected the movement to be an “earth-shattering game-changer” right away.
Kinzinger's political organization, Country First, targeted thousands of former Georgia Democrats with mailers and text messages urging them to support Raffensperger for the sake of democracy.
A Country First text message widely distributed to Georgia voters in the days before the election read: “Don’t wait for until the general election to go after the extremes. Vote in the Republican Primary for the candidate that supports truth and democracy."
Kinzinger's team was also active in North Carolina's closely watched congressional race in North Carolina's 11th District, where voters ousted the polarizing pro-Trump freshman Rep. Madison Cawthorn in the Republican primary.
As was the case in Georgia, the AP found a sizable percentage of Republican early ballots were cast by voters who participated in the Democratic primary two years ago. Specifically, more than 14% of the 38,000 early or absentee votes cast in the Cawthorn race — more than 5,400 voters — came from a Democratic 2020 primary voter.
Cawthorn lost his primary by fewer than 1,500 votes.
Back in Georgia, Raffensperger's team pushed back on the idea that he won the GOP primary because of Democrats. The team suggested that a number of crossover voters were actually Republicans who voted Democratic in recent years to protest Trump.
“It is clear that Brad Raffensperger carried a majority of the Republican vote here in the state of Georgia, and that there are people who stopped voting in Republican primaries after 2016 who are now reengaged,” said Jordan Fuchs, a consultant to the Raffensperger campaign.
An AP examination of voting records from before the Trump era shows at least a portion of Georgia's 37,000 party switchers in 2022 had been in the Republican camp before Trump took office. Roughly between 9,000 to 13,000 voted Republican in the 2010, 2012 and 2014 primaries, according to the L2 data.
Trump allies in the state, caught off guard by the crossover trend, were furious.
“It was a Democratic version of ‘Operation Chaos,’” said Debbie Dooley, president of the Atlanta Tea Party, referring to the secret Nixon-era push to infiltrate liberal groups. “I did not realize just how heavily the Democrats were going to cross over.”
Dooley launched a petition late last week to close Georgia's Republican primaries to non-Republicans. More than a dozen states have closed, or partially closed, primaries that block members of opposing parties from participating.
Meanwhile, Kinzinger said he's already crafting plans to execute a similar playbook in coming primaries in Michigan, Wyoming and Alaska. In addition to helping Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the Alaska Republican who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial, Kinzinger said he's weighing whether to invest resources in trying to block former Gov. Sarah Palin's congressional bid.
“Donald Trump came in and took over the Republican Party with nationalism,” Kinzinger said. “The American people have every right to determine who represents them in a congressional district, and if that’s in a primary, that’s in a primary. If they want to take back the Republican Party from the liar, they can do that, and I’m certainly going to help them.”
___
Peoples reported from New York. Associated Press writers Jeff Amy in Atlanta and Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report. | 2022-05-31T14:20:13+00:00 | daytondailynews.com | https://www.daytondailynews.com/nation-world/some-democrats-voting-in-gop-primaries-to-block-trump-picks/PG5RLTX6NRBLHEI32Q43CLYP3Q/ |
Deputies: Florida martial arts instructor arrested for a 4th time after inappropriately touching students
A Riverview martial arts instructor was arrested for a fourth time Thursday after he inappropriately touched students, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies said 57-year-old Daniel Medina-Alvarez is facing charges of lewd or lascivious molestation. This is the fourth time Medina-Alvarez has been charged with similar offenses, according to the sheriff’s office.
Detectives said multiple victims made several sexual allegations against Medina-Alvarez for inappropriately touching them. Investigators said Medina-Alvarez was the owner of Medina Martial Arts Studio at the time. The studio is now closed.
“Not only did my son go there, but I know this person that this happened to,” Jenny Murray told News Channel 8.
Murray said her oldest son was not abused, but she knows one of the victims and their mom.
“It feels closer than when you’re just reading a story and you’re angered cause you’re saying, ‘Wow it’s horrible’ that they would do it to a child, but now it’s so close to home.”
Even before she learned the serious allegations against the martial arts instructor, Murray decided to stop sending her son to his studio a few years ago.
“I didn’t like the way he spoke to students,” she said. “He was brash. He was not caring at all. My younger son goes to another martial arts place where they are totally different.”
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office first arrested Medina-Alvarez in late September.
After his fourth arrest this week, he faces a total of 24 criminal charges. The vast majority are for inappropriately touching children.
Court records show Medina-Alvarez is also accused of sexual battery on a minor under 12 years old in 2017.
Murray had a message for the multiple victims who have already come forward.
“It’s brave. It’s courageous,” she said. “You’re helping stop this monster from reoffending and destroying lives.”
News Channel 8 reached out to one of the attorneys listed for Medina-Alvarez in court records, but he did not return our call.
“I’m disgusted, this man abused his position as a trusted instructor to prey on innocent victims,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “This suspect knowingly and intentionally victimized his students time and time again. We are working to get these victims and their families peace of mind, justice, and the help or services they might need.”
Investigators said they are looking for others who might have been victimized by Medina-Alvarez.
“I encourage parents to talk to their children. If your child was a student at this Martial Arts studio, please have a conversation with them about this. We believe there might be other victims,” Chronister said.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at 813-247-8200. | 2023-02-17T16:31:34+00:00 | wesh.com | https://www.wesh.com/article/florida-martial-arts-instructor-inappropriately-touching-students/42952759 |
As parts of the Carmel Valley flooded last week, it highlighted the stark risks of living in a floodplain, and for some residents, perhaps, was a reminder that they indeed live in a floodplain. But for residents and businesses in lower Carmel Valley, there is hope that in the future those risks will be less.
Since 2010, Big Sur Land Trust has been working on a “green infrastructure” project called Carmel River FREE (Floodplain Restoration and Environmental Enhancement) that would restore a former agricultural field in a natural floodplain that would give the river another path to the sea when its flows get high. The 128-acre property, known as Odello East, was donated to BSLT by Clint and Margaret Eastwood. It is located south of the river and just east of Highway 1.
“With these atmospheric rivers we’ve all been experiencing, it’s a very vivid reminder, and a painful reminder, of the need for a green infrastructure project like this,” says Rachel Saunders, BSLT’s director of conservation. “We hope all the agencies get a renewed sense of urgency to get this project to happen.”
The County Board of Supervisors approved the project’s environmental impact report in 2020, and all the necessary state and federal permits have since been obtained. What’s holding it up now is the finalization of an environmental review by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is necessary if the county – the lead agency for the project – wants to obtain a $25.3 million grant from FEMA to help fund it. Saunders estimates it will cost about $56 million in total, a number that has risen due to inflation.
Shandy Carroll, a planner who is managing the project with the county, says that while there’s already a federal environmental review, FEMA requires doing its own before awarding grants.
Carroll feels confident the county will get the FEMA grant, and if it does, that the project will essentially be fully funded. “If not, we’ll find funds for the rest of the project as needed,” Carroll says, adding that FREE has had strong support from the outset. “When we’ve asked for help, we’ve always received it.”
FREE will work like this: Where the river flows westward, south of Rio Road and east of Highway 1, parts of the existing levee on its southern bank will be removed, giving high water another place to go. Presently, when the river gets above a certain height, it jumps its northern bank, flooding homes and businesses near Rio Road. The river didn’t breach there in the recent storms, but Saunders adds, “If it had kept raining for another day at the same rate, that was certainly a strong possibility.”
The project will be built in two phases. The first is grading the field east of the highway, carving some channels into it and planting native plants. The fill created by the construction will then be piled up on the southern part of the field to create an agricultural preserve, elevated high enough to be out of the 100-year floodplain.
The second phase involves constructing a causeway under the highway, where the floodwaters will flow into the Carmel River Lagoon.
“It’s complex and has been more challenging than we would like to get this going,” Saunders says, “but we are hoping there will be a renewed sense of urgency right now.” | 2023-01-20T02:15:42+00:00 | montereycountyweekly.com | https://www.montereycountyweekly.com/news/local_news/a-floodplain-restoration-project-near-the-lower-carmel-river-is-inching-closer-to-reality/article_768cba84-9782-11ed-ace7-73af4cd29753.html |
Man who crashed stolen airplane in North Miss. dies in federal custody
TUPELO, Miss. (WMC) - The man accused of threatening to crash a plane into a Walmart in Tupelo, Mississippi, died in federal custody, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
It’s unclear how Cory Wayne Patterson died, but it happened Monday, November 14 at the Federal Detention Center in Miami, Florida.
Tupelo Police said Patterson stole a small plane from the Tupelo Regional Airport on Sept. 3 and threatened to crash it into the Walmart store on West Main Street.
Patterson was employed fueling planes at the Tupelo Regional Airport, giving him access to the Beechcraft King Air C90A, police Chief John Quaka said.
Police negotiators were able to make contact during the flight and convince Patterson to land, but he didn’t know how. He was coached by a private pilot into nearly landing at the Tupelo airport but he aborted the attempt at the last minute and resumed the flight, authorities said.
Patterson was facing the possibility of 20 years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons provided this statement on Patterson’s death:
Click here to sign up for our newsletter!
Click here to report a spelling or grammar error. Please include the headline.
Copyright 2022 WMC. All rights reserved. | 2022-11-16T21:56:08+00:00 | wlox.com | https://www.wlox.com/2022/11/16/man-who-crashed-stolen-airplane-north-miss-dies-federal-custody/ |
YORK COUNTY, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — One by one, York County neighbors spoke to the council about an ongoing topic across the nation: LGBTQ+ books in public libraries.
Some neighbors claim the sexually explicit nature of the books is inappropriate for young children. People are split on Councilman Tom Audette’s motion to move LGBTQ+ books from the general area of the library to another part of the library away from children.
“It’s just a common sense and decency issue to simply relocate these books into an adult area where they’re still available for check-out for those parents that want to expose their children to this kind of material,” said Denise Bach.
“I wish I had these books in the library to show some representation when I was a kid. It would have saved me a lot of heartache. Reading a book doesn’t create queerness,” said Nicole Ellis.
Other neighbors, like Heather Jones, are fighting that battle as well as Audette’s other motion to reduce the county’s library board from 10 members to seven members.
Council concerns drive book placement
Those seven members would be appointed by the County Council, which right now is majority Republican with one Democrat, William “Bump” Roddey.
“Especially in this day and age, any reduction in representation, I think, is a move to control and a move to politicize something that currently is a fairly nonpartisan board,” said Heather Jones. She has been outspoken about how both the moving of the books and reducing the board don’t meet the demands of the entire community.
“The groups that are being associated with this on his [Audette’s] side that are supporting him and asking for this push are not the community members; they are national groups with national agendas that are aimed at minimizing parts of our community, racing parts of our community, and defunding libraries and shutting these things down,” Jones said.
Despite two councilmen speaking up about concerns about being misled on the reason for the move to reduce the board.
“I don’t want to be a part of the scheme to limit voices when obviously the library board has control over what books are in the library, where they’re placed, if we’re not going to get involved with that, we should not be trying to pander to the crowd,” said Councilman William “Bump” Roddey.
“I haven’t heard any reason why it would make sense to reduce the board from 10 to 7. Therefore, I’ll be supporting the 10…I’m not being persuaded to vote that way,” said Councilman Watts Huckabee.
The council voted 5-2 on the second reading of the ordinance.
“If it goes the way they want it to, we could see a very large reduction in services right at a time when our community needs these more than ever as growth happens,” Jones said. | 2023-07-05T17:05:05+00:00 | myfox8.com | https://myfox8.com/news/neighbors-split-over-moving-lgbtq-books-reducing-north-carolina-library-board/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has dropped its probe of retired four-star Gen. John Allen for his role in an alleged illegal foreign lobbying campaign on behalf of the wealthy Persian Gulf nation of Qatar, his lawyer told The Associated Press.
Attorney David Schertler said in a statement Tuesday that the Justice Department had informed him that it was closing its investigation of Allen and no charges would be filed. The Justice Department declined to comment but a law enforcement official familiar with the inquiry who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly confirmed the decision on condition of anonymity.
The AP first reported last June that the FBI had outlined a potential criminal case against Allen in a confidential search warrant application that appeared to have been filed in error on a federal courts website. Days later, the former Marine general who oversaw U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan resigned as head of the influential Brookings Institution think tank.
Schertler said it was “deeply unfortunate” and “unfair” that the public release of the FBI’s confidential document had damaged Allen’s reputation and livelihood. A Brookings spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The 77-page document detailed Allen’s behind-the scenes efforts to help Qatar influence U.S. policy in June 2017 when a diplomatic crisis erupted between the gas-rich monarchy and its neighbors. That included traveling to Doha to advise top Qatari officials and then lobbying U.S. officials, the FBI said.
An FBI agent said in an affidavit in support of a search warrant there was “substantial evidence” that Allen had knowingly broken foreign lobbying laws, and had made false statements and withheld “incriminating” documents.
Allen denied any wrongdoing, saying his involvement with Qatar was meant to help benefit the United States.
The federal investigation has previously ensnared Richard G. Olson, a former ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan who pleaded guilty to federal charges last year, and Imaad Zuberi, a prolific political donor now serving a 12-year prison sentence on corruption charges.
The Justice Department has made enforcing foreign lobbying laws a higher priority in recent years but suffered some high-profile defeats in contested cases.
Qatar has spent lavishly on its influence efforts in the U.S. and Europe. The country is allegedly behind a massive cash-for-favors corruption scandal currently unfolding at the European Union’s parliament.
___
Mustian reported from New York.
___
Contact AP’s global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips/ | 2023-02-01T02:45:34+00:00 | ksn.com | https://www.ksn.com/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/ap-feds-drop-lobbying-probe-of-retired-general-lawyer-says/ |
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., and DEVENS, Mass., July 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Editas Medicine, Inc. (Nasdaq: EDIT), a clinical-stage genome editing company, and Azzur Cleanrooms on Demand™ (COD), an Azzur Group company, today announced the companies have expanded their multi-year contract to support the scaling of EDIT-301, Editas Medicine's experimental cell therapy medicine under investigation for the treatment of severe sickle cell disease (SCD) and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia (TDT), from approval to commercialization. The expanded agreement includes compliant cleanroom space and labs services at Azzur's COD site in Devens, Massachusetts. Editas Medicine has utilized Azzur's services to execute pre-clinical and early-phase clinical manufacturing activities for its cell medicines, including EDIT-301 for the treatment of sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia, since 2020.
Azzur Group recently celebrated the groundbreaking of the Devens site, which is its third COD facility in the Greater Boston Area. The building is expected to open in the first quarter of 2024.
"Azzur Cleanrooms on Demand has been a trusted and reliable partner of Editas Medicine for nearly three years, providing us with the dedicated, cGMP-compliant space necessary to support our clinical manufacturing and quality management, which are critical components to making medicines," said Harry Gill, Senior Vice President, Operations, Editas Medicine. "As our partnership has grown, Azzur has continued to support us and our evolving needs to manufacture clinical supply to support the advancement of our RUBY trial and EdiTHAL trial of EDIT-301. The new facility in Devens will further support and enable us to advance our programs through the clinic and towards commercialization as we work to achieve our mission to deliver transformative new medicines to people living with serious diseases."
"The Azzur COD model helps our partners accelerate time to clinic and commercialization with on-demand cleanrooms supported by GMP wraparound services, allowing our customers to focus on their science while we focus on compliance," said Ravi Samavedam, Chief Innovation Officer, Azzur Group. "Our vision as an organization is to enable the acceleration of life science innovations that change patients' lives, and our partnership with Editas Medicine is a perfect example of how the industry can come together to achieve a common goal."
About Editas Medicine
As a clinical-stage genome editing company, Editas Medicine is focused on translating the power and potential of the CRISPR/Cas12a and Cas9 genome editing systems into a robust pipeline of treatments for people living with serious diseases around the world. Editas Medicine aims to discover, develop, manufacture, and commercialize transformative, durable, precision genomic medicines for a broad class of diseases. Editas Medicine is the exclusive licensee of Broad Institute's Cas12a patent estate and Broad Institute and Harvard University's Cas9 patent estates for human medicines. For the latest information and scientific presentations, please visit www.editasmedicine.com.
About Azzur Group & Azzur Cleanrooms on Demand™
From Discovery to Delivery™, Azzur Group provides the life science community full life-cycle solutions for all their GxP needs. From Azzur Cleanrooms on Demand™ facilities, to our labs, training centers and consulting offices across the nation, Azzur Group helps organizations start, scale, and sustain their growing enterprises. With nearly four decades of service to the life science community, we have become a trusted partner to the world's leading pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, healthcare companies, as well as their supply chain. For more information, visit Azzur.com.
Originally founded in Waltham, MA., in 2018, the Azzur Cleanrooms on Demand™ hybrid model includes on-demand cleanrooms and related services for materials management, asset management, and supply chain. Azzur COD enables companies to focus on groundbreaking science and early-phase cGMP manufacturing without the burden of facility ownership and maintenance. For more information, visit Azzur.com/cleanrooms.
Editas Medicine Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words ''anticipate,'' ''believe,'' ''continue,'' ''could,'' ''estimate,'' ''expect,'' ''intend,'' ''may,'' ''plan,'' ''potential,'' ''predict,'' ''project,'' ''target,'' ''should,'' ''would,'' and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Editas Medicine may not actually achieve the plans, intentions, or expectations disclosed in these forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: uncertainties inherent in the initiation and completion of pre-clinical studies and clinical trials and clinical development of Editas Medicine's product candidates; availability and timing of results from pre-clinical studies and clinical trials; whether interim results from a clinical trial will be predictive of the final results of the trial or the results of future trials; expectations for regulatory approvals to conduct trials or to market products and availability of funding sufficient for Editas Medicine's foreseeable and unforeseeable operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements. These and other risks are described in greater detail under the caption "Risk Factors" included in Editas Medicine's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as updated by Editas Medicine's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and in other filings that Editas Medicine may make with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the future. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and Editas Medicine expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Azzur Group, LLC | 2023-07-27T13:51:17+00:00 | kwch.com | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/27/editas-medicine-azzur-group-expand-partnership-accelerate-editas-manufacturing-capabilities-advancing-edit-301-program-through-approval-commercialization/ |
ALHAMBRA, Calif. (AP) — A weekend celebration at a Southern California dance ballroom was hailed by organizers as the latest sign of healing within the Asian American community following the Lunar New Year shooting that killed 11 people at a nearby dance studio.
One of the hosts of Saturday’s event at Lai Lai Ballroom in Alhambra was Brandon Tsay, who on Jan. 21 famously wrestled a semi-automatic weapon away from the gunman who had earlier shot up Star Ballroom Dance Studio in neighboring Monterey Park.
Tsay, whose family has owned Lai Lai Ballroom for years, said the celebration is an example of the community standing strong and moving forward after the tragedy.
“If you have these strong connections with one another, you’ll be able to support each other, lift each other up, even through times of crisis such as what happened earlier this year,” Tsay said, according to ABC 7.
The event, part of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, featured dancing, live music performances and traditional food. It was organized by the legal-aid nonprofit Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California.
Investigators haven’t determined a motive for the massacre at Star Ballroom, which also left nine mostly elderly people wounded. The 72-year-old gunman later killed himself in a van he used to flee the Lai Lai Ballroom after being disarmed by Tsay.
The carnage, during what should have been joyful Lunar New Year celebrations, sent ripples of fear through Asian American communities in the neighborhoods east of Los Angeles. | 2023-05-22T15:35:11+00:00 | wric.com | https://www.wric.com/news/u-s-world/ap-celebration-at-california-dance-ballroom-a-sign-of-healing-following-lunar-new-year-shooting/ |
(KTLA) – The San Bernardino Police Department is asking the public to “withhold their judgment” after security footage circulating online appeared to show officers shooting a man who was running away.
The shooting happened at a San Bernardino, California, parking lot around 8:05 p.m. Saturday. The parking lot, police say, is located next to an illegal gambling business.
Police responded after receiving reports of an armed man in the parking lot.
Video shared on social media Monday showed the officers arrive in an unmarked vehicle as it slowly comes to a stop in the parking lot. Robert Marquise Adams, 23, of San Bernardino, who police say was armed with a handgun, approached the unmarked vehicle with the gun in his hand.
When officers got out of the vehicle, Adams immediately turns away and begins to run, the video shows.
A news release from the San Bernardino Police Department alleges that the officers — who were wearing police uniforms, according to the department — tried to give Adams undisclosed verbal commands.
But Adams ran from the officers towards two cars, with his firearm still in his hand. That’s when one of the officers apparently opened fire, striking Adams.
Police did not specify where Adams was hit, but the video appears to show him being struck in the back. They also did not specify how many shots were fired, although online activists allege as many as nine shots were fired.
Adams was taken to the hospital but later died from his injuries. Police said a loaded “Taurus G3C 9mm with a bullet in the chamber” was recovered at the scene.
Activist Shaun King shared the video on his Instagram page, calling the shooting “a brutal execution.”
“Police rolled up in an unmarked car. With dark tinted windows,” King said in his Instagram post. “Robert had NO IDEA who they were and in an instant police jumped out and murdered him.”
In the news release, Chief Darren Goodman asked the public to withhold judgment until the investigation is complete. Police officials also lambasted the video of police shooting Adams, who is Black, saying it was posted without context or specific details.
Adams’ father told KTLA that his son was armed and “protecting himself” due to violent robberies in the area. He also said police have provided him with little information about his son’s death.
The police department said it is still investigating the shooting and “still gathering facts and evidence” and it plans to release a video with additional footage and details in the near future.
It’s unclear if an outside law enforcement agency will take over the investigation. Anyone with information regarding the investigation is asked to contact Detective Flesher at 909-384-5655. | 2022-07-19T15:26:49+00:00 | wjhl.com | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/video-appears-to-show-california-officers-shoot-armed-man-in-the-back/ |
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The NBA has completed the process of changing the transition take foul rule, ending years of discussion about what to do with the long-maligned tactic.
And, also as expected, the play-in tournament is going to be around for the foreseeable future.
The league’s board of governors finalized those two matters Tuesday, approving a plan to award one free throw when teams are disadvantaged by the take foul — as well as removing the “experimental” designation from the play-in element to the postseason.
“Generally, it was upbeat coming out of our meeting,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “People are thrilled that as we head into next season, it looks like we’ll be on our normal track in terms of when the season starts, in terms of our protocols around the game, particularly around the health and safety of our players.”
It wasn’t a surprise that the league changed the penalty on take fouls; Silver told The Associated Press in early June that it would change, though cautioned that the new rule might still be tweaked in future years.
The take foul — in which the defender does not make a play on the ball — is what the league classifies as one that occurs either “during a transition scoring opportunity or immediately following a change of possession and before the offensive team had the opportunity to advance the ball.” The exception is in the final 2 minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime.
The new penalty for such a foul is one free throw, which may be attempted by any player on the offended team in the game at the time the foul was committed, and continued possession.
Silver addressed a number of other topics, including:
REVENUE
The NBA is coming off a massive financial year, with revenue topping $10 billion for the first time and basketball-related income reaching $8.9 billion, another record.
Silver said the numbers are particularly strong considering the league is still dealing with a pandemic, and it wasn’t that long ago when some questioned whether sports could survive the virus — at least in the sense of whether people would want to gather again.
“The numbers did surprise me to a certain degree because it exceeded projections, and the projections represent where we think our business is going,” Silver said. “I think it’s quite remarkable from where we came 2 1/2 years ago.”
KEVIN DURANT
Kevin Durant is under contract for four more years with the Brooklyn Nets, and his trade request has been one of the biggest stories of the offseason.
It hasn’t been one that Silver has particularly enjoyed.
“This needs to be a two-way street,” Silver said. “Teams provide enormous security and guarantees to players, and the expectation in return is that they’ll meet their end of the bargain. There’s always conversations that go on behind closed doors between players and representatives and teams, but we don’t like to see players requesting trades and we don’t like to see it playing out the way it is.”
PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT
The play-in tournament has generally been considered a success, so it was no surprise that the league is keeping it around.
The play-in tournament — in its current form — has been used in each of the last two seasons, where the teams that finish seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th in the East and West meet to determine the final two playoff spots in each conference.
The No. 7 team plays the No. 8 team, with the winner clinching the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. The No. 9 team plays the No. 10 team, with the loser eliminated and the winner moving on to face the team that lost the 7-8 game. The winner of that matchup is the No. 8 seed.
It’s been a hit, primarily because it tends to give a March Madness feel — four elimination games before the playoffs even begin — and gives more teams incentive to not tank for better odds in the draft lottery.
There was a play-in element in 2020 as well in the restart bubble at Walt Disney World, when Portland beat Memphis for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. Memphis could have gotten the No. 8 seed that year by beating Portland twice; the Blazers had to win only one game to claim the spot.
LOAD MANAGEMENT
Load management — the fancy term given now when a player gets to sit out a game to rest — has been a challenge for the league and its teams in recent years. Silver said it will continue to be discussed with the players’ association as the sides get more into negotiations for the next collective bargaining agreement.
The league has taken steps, driven by sleep science and other data, to try and make the schedule more player-friendly in recent years. The stretches of four games in five nights have been eliminated, instances of back-to-back games have dropped, and the league has even tinkered with keeping teams in the same road city for consecutive games in an effort to limit travel over the course of a season.
That said, sometimes, a player still sits. Silver suggested it might be time to consider adding money as an incentive for playing more often.
“I’m all in favor of guaranteed contracts,” Silver said. “But maybe that on top of your typical guaranteed contracts, some incremental money should be based on number of games played and results of those games. I mean, it’s that’s how most industries work, where there’s financial incentives — even among highly paid executives for performance.”
ABA PAYMENTS
The NBA and the NBPA announced a new program — jointly funded — to provide payments to approximately 115 ABA players who played at least three seasons but didn’t qualify for NBA pensions. They’ll get “recognition payments” of $3,828 per year of service.
“Our players have a genuine sense of appreciation for those who paved the way and helped us achieve the success we enjoy today,” NBPA Executive Director Tamika Tremaglio said. “We have always considered the ABA players a part of our brotherhood and we are proud to finally recognize them with this benefit.”
Silver said the league and the players “felt a need to act on behalf of these former ABA players who are aging and, in many cases, facing difficult economic circumstances.”
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2022-07-13T14:39:31+00:00 | wate.com | https://www.wate.com/sports/ap-sports/nba-stiffens-take-foul-penalty-will-keep-play-in-tournament/ |
DALLAS, June 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Landsea Homes Corporation (Nasdaq: LSEA) ("Landsea Homes" or the "Company"), a publicly traded residential homebuilder, announced today that its largest stockholder, Landsea Holdings Corporation (the "Selling Stockholder"), has commenced a secondary offering of 2,600,000 shares of the Company's common stock (the "Offering"). The Selling Stockholder will also grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 390,000 shares of common stock.
B. Riley Securities is acting as sole bookrunning manager in the Offering. Wedbush Securities is acting as the co-manager in the Offering.
In addition, the Company announced that, through participation in the Offering, it intends to repurchase 390,000 of the initial number of shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder in the Offering at a per share price equal to the public per share Offering price. The Company expects to fund the share repurchase with cash on hand. The closing of the share repurchase will be conditioned upon the closing of the Offering. The share repurchase was unanimously approved by the Company's Board of Directors and Audit Committee. The Company also expects that members of its senior management team will purchase an aggregate of $450,000 of the shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder in the Offering at a per share price equal to the public per share Offering price.
The Company is not offering any shares of its common stock in the Offering and will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of the shares offered by the Selling Stockholder.
A shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (including a prospectus) relating to these securities has been filed with and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The Offering is being made solely by means of a prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Copies of the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to the Offering, when available, may be obtained by contacting B. Riley Securities, Inc., 1300 17th Street North, Suite 1300, Arlington, VA 22209, by telephone at 1-703-312-9580 or by e-mail at prospectuses@brileyfin.com.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of any securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
About Landsea Homes Corporation
Landsea Homes Corporation (Nasdaq: LSEA) is a publicly traded residential homebuilder based in Dallas, TX that designs and builds homes and sustainable master-planned communities, including suburban, single-family detached and attached homes, mid-rise properties, and master-planned communities. The Company is developing homes and communities in Arizona, California, Florida and Texas.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements constitute projections, forecasts, and forward-looking statements, and are not guarantees of performance. Landsea Homes cautions that forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time. Words such as "may," "can," "should," "will," "estimate," "plan," "project," "forecast," "intend," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "seek," "target," "look" or similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this press release and our management's current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions, and involve a number of judgments, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risk factors described by Landsea Homes in its filings with the SEC. These risk factors and those identified elsewhere in this press release, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from historical performance and include, but are not limited to: the ability to close the Offering and the repurchase of shares by the Company; costs related to continuing as a public company; the ability to maintain the listing of Landsea Homes' securities on Nasdaq; the possibility that the Company may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; and other risks and uncertainties indicated in Landsea Homes' SEC reports or documents filed or to be filed with the SEC by Landsea Homes.
Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements in deciding whether to invest in our securities. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. We do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Landsea Homes | 2023-06-12T21:41:45+00:00 | kwch.com | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/06/12/landsea-homes-announces-secondary-common-stock-offering-concurrent-stock-repurchase/ |
MUNICH (AP) — Oktoberfest is back in Germany after two years of pandemic cancellations — the same bicep-challenging beer mugs, fat-dripping pork knuckles, pretzels the size of dinner plates, men in leather shorts and women in cleavage-baring traditional dresses.
But while brewers are more than glad to see the return of the Bavarian capital’s sudsy tourist centerpiece, both they and visitors are under pressure from inflation in a way that could scarcely be imagined the last time it was held in 2019.
For one thing, the 1-liter (2-pint) mug of beer will cost between 12.60 and 13.80 euros ($12.84 and $14.07) this year, which is an increase of about 15% compared with 2019, according to the official Oktoberfest homepage.
The event opens at noon Saturday when Munich’s mayor taps the first keg and announces “O’zapft is,” or “It’s tapped” in Bavarian dialect.
For Germany’s brewers, rising costs go much deeper than simply the price of a round at the festival’s long wooden benches. They are facing higher prices all along their chain of production, from raw ingredients like barley and hops to finishing touches such as beer caps and packing material.
It’s a mirror of the inflation running across the economy: Sky-high natural gas prices caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine are boosting what businesses and consumers have to pay for energy, while recovering demand from the pandemic is making parts and raw materials hard to come by.
Brewing equipment is often fueled by natural gas, and prices for barley malt — or grain that has been allowed to germinate by moistening it — have more than doubled, to over 600 euros a ton. Glass bottles have risen by 80%, as glassmakers pay more for energy. Bottle caps are up 60%, and even glue for labels is in short supply.
“Prices for everything have changed significantly this year,” said Sebastian Utz, head technician at Munich’s historic Hofbraeu Brewery, which traces its roots in the city to 1589. “To brew beer you need a lot of energy … and for refrigeration. And at the same time, we need raw materials — barley malt, hops — where procurement has increased in price.”
The costs of everything — cardboard, stainless steel for barrels, wood pallets, cleaning supplies to keep the brewing tanks spotless — have gone up.
“These are prices that the German brewing industry has never seen before,” said Ulrich Biene, spokesman for the historic family-owned Veltins Brewery in Grevenstein, which is not one of the brands sold at Oktoberfest.
Inflation hit an annual 7.9% in Germany in August, and a record 9.1% in the 19 countries that use the euro currency. Rising consumer prices in Europe have been fueled above all by Russia restricting supplies of natural gas, driving prices through the roof. That feeds through to electricity, because gas is used to generate power, and to the cost of a host of industrial processes that run on gas, such as making fertilizer, glass and steel. Farmers also are seeing higher costs for heating buildings and fertilizing crops.
All that gets built into the prices of things people buy, and those higher prices cut into their purchasing power.
Inflation is “running red hot in Germany” and could approach 10% by year’s end, said Carsten Brzeski, chief eurozone economist at ING bank. The rate should fall next year as consumer demand weakens — but that is small consolation today.
In any case, Oktoberfest is a much-needed boost for Munich’s hotels and food service industry.
“It’s beautiful,” Mayor Dieter Reiter said. “You can see the enthusiasm has returned.” He downplayed concerns about such a big event during the pandemic, saying the spread of COVID-19 is “no longer the decisive factor” and adding, “Let’s see how it goes.”
Some 487 beer breweries, restaurants, fish and meat grills, wine vendors and others will serve revelers at Oktoberfest, and opening hours will be even longer than in the past, with the first beer tents opening at 9 a.m. and closing at 10:30 p.m. The last orders will be taken at 9:30 p.m.
In the years before COVID-19, about 6 million people visited the celebrations annually, many of them dressed in traditional Bavarian garb — the women in Dirndl dresses, the men in Lederhosen, or knee-length leather trousers.
Oktoberfest, first held in 1810 in honor of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Princess Therese, has been canceled dozens of times during its more than 200-year history due to wars and pandemics.
___
AP Business Writer David McHugh contributed from Frankfurt, Germany. | 2022-09-16T16:27:21+00:00 | upmatters.com | https://www.upmatters.com/news/business/ap-business/ap-oktoberfest-is-back-but-shadowed-by-red-hot-inflation/ |
After getting a second life in the Senate, a bill to remove new roles for the Legislature and Attorney General in the citizen-led ballot initiative process appears to be fully dead.
Senate Bill 153 was initially tabled in the Senate State Administration Committee before chairman Sen. Mike Cuffe, R-Eureka, opted to resurrect it so the full Senate could consider the measure.
People are also reading…
The Montana Constitution gives citizens, after gathering enough signatures, the ability to put their own proposals on the ballot to become law.
Recent changes to that process give the Legislature and the Attorney General more say over those proposals. An interim committee must now hold a hearing and vote on the proposal, and the result of that vote gets added to petitions. The Attorney General can also put a warning label on citizen petitions if he deems the proposal bad for business.
"It gives Montanans the ability to understand what is going to be in one of these ballot initiatives," Sen. Jeffrey Welborn, R-Dillon, said in speaking against the bill.
Sen. Brad Molnar, the Laurel Republican sponsoring SB 153, countered that the new process empowers politicians and takes away from citizens' ability to discuss the issue on their own.
"That is not 'sunshine,'" he said. "Sunshine is the exact opposite … six months of people talking about an initiative at their coffeeshops, across the kitchen table, while they're working."
Molnar's bill failed 20-30. All Democrats and four Republicans voted in favor.
A bill allowing criminal prosecution for drone pilots that fly in closed airspace over active wildfires is nearing passage in the Montana Senate following an initial vote on Thursday.
Senate Bill 219 from Sen. Willis Curdy, D-Missoula, would designate flying a drone over a wildfire, which due to danger for other aircraft has caused officials to ground airplanes and helicopters attacking a fire, a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $1,500 and six months in jail. Charges could come in addition to civil penalties.
Pointing to incidents near Helena last year in which prosecutors said drone pilots could not be prosecuted, Curdy described precious minutes lost due to pull firefighting aircraft off the fires. Other activities obstructing firefighting, such as blocking access on roads or boating in waters closed are also captured in the law.
SB 219 passed the Senate Natural Resources Committee unanimously after an amendment from Republican Sen. Barry Usher. The amendment allows law enforcement to “use reasonable force” to disable a drone. That would include the authority to shoot a drone down.
Usher touted the amendment as addressing the urgency of the situation.
The bill saw its first resistance on the Senate floor Thursday.
Sen. Daniel Zolnikov, R-Billings, cautioned that those naïve of the law and without the intent of interfering with firefighting could be caught up, and that it will not stop the issue from occurring.
Sen. Daniel Emrich, R-Great Falls, took serious issue with the amendment as a safety concern. He pointed to basic firearm safety guidelines discouraging firing into the air, calling it “wholly irresponsible.”
Curdy said in response he had faith in law enforcement to make the correct judgement call.
The bill passed on an initial vote of 35-14 and faces a likely final vote on Friday.
A bill backed by state environmental regulators would exempt certain small subdivisions from full environmental review with the goal of expediting home construction.
Senate Bill 240, brought by Sen. Jason Small, R-Busby, would exempt from full review under the Montana Environmental Policy Act subdivisions of 14 or fewer residences, located at least 2 miles from “high-quality” water, that demonstrate access to water and have wastewater systems meeting “nonsignificance” criteria.
“This is about streamlining work while maintaining environmental protections,” Small told the Senate Natural Resources Committee.
Officials with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality testified in support of the bill. Director Chris Dorrington said the bill would allow directing the agency’s limited resources to subdivisions with more environmental concerns and that provisions of the bill prevent developers from using the exemption from attempting to “piecemeal” multiple small subdivisions together. Roughly 50 applications out of 1,300 per year would fall under the exemption, he said.
Under questioning, DEQ’s Rachel Clark told the committee the criteria in the bill, such as number of residences and distance from high quality water, were chosen as conservative numbers that remain well under pollution standards that would trigger more mitigation measures. High quality water is defines as any waterbody that flows for at least 90 days per year.
Opponents included Derf Johnson from the Montana Environmental Information Center, who cautioned against a “slow creep” of taking away environmental analysis. The bill also could sacrifice information that comes forward during analysis, such as the cumulative impacts of not just one, but multiple subdivisions discharging.
The committee did not take immediate action on the bill.
A bill allowing prosecution for public school employees found displaying or disseminating to minors material deemed “obscene” passed the House on Thursday following a long and passionate debate the previous day.
House Bill 234 from Rep. Bob Phalen, R-Lindsay, passed on a vote of 53-45 in favor of the bill. The majority of Republicans voted for the bill while all Democrats joined with a portion of Republicans in opposition.
Phalen framed the bill as one of fairness, bringing standards that apply to gas station employees to cover teachers and school librarians. A number of Republicans spoke over the next hour in support of the bill, saying it offered protection for children.
“This bill is not about banning books, it’s about banning obscenity and keeping people safe,” said Senate Pro Tempore Rhonda Knudsen.
Rep. Bill Mercer, R-Billings, spoke about his experience as a prosecutor on an obscenity case. A local prosecutor would still have discretion to determine if the material meets the legal definition of obscenity, he said.
Democrats and several Republicans spoke against the bill.
Rep. Zooey Zephyr, D-Missoula, said the bill comes at a time when literature important to the LTGBQ community is under attack.
Rep. Brad Barker, R-Roberts, said that while he supports protecting children, school officials and trustees have faced attacks in recent years.
“(SB 234) really opens up our schools, employees and trustees to an unreasonable amount of liability,” he said. | 2023-02-10T02:57:06+00:00 | helenair.com | https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/legislative-digest-for-day-29/article_5a9d019e-aa10-5ee2-9a60-dae7ac0f8aaa.html |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.