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Angels second. Luis Rengifo homers to center field. Michael Stefanic strikes out swinging. Max Stassi called out on strikes. David MacKinnon strikes out swinging.
1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Angels 1, Astros 0.
Angels third. Monte Harrison walks. Jonathan Villar walks. Mike Trout called out on strikes. Shohei Ohtani singles to left field. Jonathan Villar to third. Monte Harrison scores. Taylor Ward walks. Shohei Ohtani to second. Luis Rengifo strikes out swinging. Michael Stefanic strikes out swinging.
1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 3 left on. Angels 2, Astros 0.
Astros fourth. Jose Altuve singles to left field, tagged out at second, Monte Harrison to Michael Stefanic. Jeremy Pena homers to right field. Yordan Alvarez doubles. Yuli Gurriel flies out to shallow right field to Taylor Ward. Kyle Tucker flies out to deep left field to Monte Harrison.
1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Angels 2, Astros 1.
Astros fifth. Aledmys Diaz strikes out swinging. Mauricio Dubon grounds out to third base, Jonathan Villar to David MacKinnon. Chas McCormick singles to left field. Martin Maldonado walks. Chas McCormick to second. Jose Altuve singles to left field. Martin Maldonado to second. Chas McCormick scores. Jeremy Pena singles to shortstop. Jose Altuve to second. Martin Maldonado to third. Yordan Alvarez flies out to shallow center field to Monte Harrison.
1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 3 left on. Angels 2, Astros 2.
Astros ninth. Chas McCormick flies out to center field to Mike Trout. Martin Maldonado grounds out to shortstop, Andrew Velazquez to Jared Walsh. Jose Altuve singles to center field. Jeremy Pena homers to center field. Jose Altuve scores.
2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on. Astros 4, Angels 2. | 2022-07-03T23:16:58+00:00 | lmtonline.com | https://www.lmtonline.com/sports/article/L-A-Angels-Houston-Runs-17282605.php |
VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Silver Valley Metals Corp. (TSXV: SILV) (OTCQB: SVMFF) ("Silver Valley" or the "Company"), a brownfields exploration Company with projects that comprise deposit(s) of lithium - potassium (sulphate of potash) located in Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi, Mexico and silver-zinc-lead located in Idaho, USA respectively, announces a $500,000 unit financing.
Subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, Silver Valley Metals Corporation plans to undertake a non-brokered private placement of up to 5.55 million units at a price of nine cents per unit for gross proceeds of up to $500,000. Each unit shall comprise one common share in the capital of the company and one half of a common share purchase warrant, with each full warrant entitling the holder to purchase one common share at a price of 18 cents per share at any time within two years of the date of issuance. All securities to be issued under this private placement will be subject to a four-month resale restriction.
The Company intends to close the private placement immediately following the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of all regulatory approvals. The net proceeds of this private placement are earmarked for:
- Completing the phase 2 exploration campaign through to the end of the year at the Ranger-Page project; this includes completing the comprehensive geological model from four phases of geophysical surveys, numerous geochemical surveys including soil sampling, rock chip and trench sampling, LIDAR integration, and fieldwork structural interpretation. These programs are ongoing. Following this, a compelling multi-target drill plan will be developed and marketed for the upcoming inaugural drill campaign.
- To maintain its lithium – sulphate of potash (Li-SOP) project / deposit(s) in Mexico. This includes financing the legal dispute regarding the lithium aspect of its deposits which the Company anticipates being resolved before the end of the year. The expectation has been given from the Supreme Court of Mexico that they will provide an answer to the validity of the Company's deposit(s) considering the amendment to the mining law that was undertaken by the Government this past April. The Company's challenge is that the amendment is not supported by the Mexican Constitution nor the international trade agreements between Canada and Mexico.
- Project option payments at Ranger-Page.
- General working capital including AGM, audit, overhead and marketing.
To view Ranger-Page Project and MexiCan Project presentations: https://tinyurl.com/bde29bsm
The Company continues to move its projects' forward in a cost-effective manner with a very successful group of Silver Valley geologists and intends to complete significant milestones in the coming months that is anticipated to bring positive impact to all shareholders'. Being in a tier one mining jurisdiction in Idaho and moreso, northern Idaho and the Silver Valley, possessing all patented claims, being the first company in this western sector of the Silver Valley to consolidate the area including an option to own the Page Mine (see September 20, 2022 news release regarding historic resources and mine extension drilling results – click here: https://tinyurl.com/mwdpu6fn), an option to own five additional historic mines and applying modern exploration to the entire project package for the first time, the Company anticipates numerous compelling high priority targets will be defined at the conclusion of the exploration program in Q4 2022 / Q1 2023. (see September 12, 2022 press release regarding new target areas that are being defined outside the known and expected areas of mineralization – click here: https://tinyurl.com/h6cdbbbp ).
And lastly, the 100% owned lithium and sulphate of potash deposits, the MexiCan project, is receiving little value in the market today but the Company remains hopeful for a positive resolution later this year which in turn will have a positive impact for all shareholders.
Silver Valley Metals appreciates and thanks all shareholders for their support.
To subscribe for the private placement please email:
brandon@silvervalleymetals.com
Timothy Mosey, BSc, MSc, SME, is the qualified person for the company and qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Mosey supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release.
Silver Valley owns a 100% interest in a lithium and potassium bearing salar complex comprising 4,059 hectares on three mineral concessions (the "Mexican Projects") located on the Central Mexican Plateau in the states of Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosi, Mexico. The NI 43-101 inferred mineral resource contains 12.3Mt of Sulfate of Potash (SOP) and 243,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) and remains open in all directions for expansion. The Company is currently exploring strategic alternatives for the Project to enhance shareholder value. The Company considers the asset valuable and important.
Silver Valley's primary focus is on its flagship Ranger-Page Project ("The Project") located in the Silver Valley of Idaho, 60 kilometres east of Coeur d'Alene and 1 kilometre from the I-90 freeway. In 2020 Idaho was ranked the first in the world in policy perception and 9th best mining jurisdiction (Fraser Institute Annual Mining Survey). The Project borders the famous Bunker Hill Mine to the east and for the first time consolidates the western extent of the prolific Silver Valley mining corridor by one operator in the past 100+ years.
The Project is on patented claims, there are no royalties and comprise 6 historical mines. The largest of these, the Page Mine, was a top ten producer in the Silver Valley producing over 1 billion pounds of zinc and lead and 14.6 million ounces of silver. The Page Mine has high grade silver-zinc-lead historic reserves and remains wide open at depth beyond what has been defined to date.
There is shared underground infrastructure connecting the larger Page mine with five shallow historical mines within the larger Project area. The Company has underground mining data and surface geological data that supports high grade silver-zinc-lead mineralization present within the shallow, undeveloped mines. These mines remain open at depth, and laterally along strike.
Exploration potential beyond the historical mines is considered significant due to no modern systematic exploration applied to the project.
We are a group of experienced exploration, mining, and financing specialists focused on the pursuit of mineral discovery and development. Our expertise in evaluating targets, consummating strategic and accretive outright sales, joint ventures, and /or acquisitions is the mandate for Silver Valley Metals Corp. We look to further de-risk potential projects via obtaining historical geological data that reflects untapped exploration potential that are in top tier mining jurisdictions preferably near producing mines.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Silver Valley Metals,
"Brandon Rook"
Brandon Rook, President & CEO, Director
THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections.
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SOURCE Silver Valley Metals Corp. | 2022-09-28T12:01:54+00:00 | witn.com | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/09/28/silver-valley-metals-announces-500000-unit-financing/ |
One of Virginia's fastest growing companies will support over 2,000 geographically dispersed users of the NESDIS Integrated Information Services II contract
VIENNA, Va., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Alpha Omega Integration has been selected by NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) to support the requirements of the Integrated Information Services, and ensure a cohesive, scalable, and cost-effective delivery of IT services. Our services will help NESDIS provide secure, timely access to global environmental data to promote and protect the nation's security, environment, economy, and quality of life.
"Alpha Omega is honored to play a role in supporting NOAA's mission which is rightfully prioritized at the top of our national agenda as demonstrated via the meaningful investments contained in the recently signed Inflation Reduction Act," said Gautam Ijoor, Alpha Omega Integration's President and CEO. "Our partnership with NESDIS via the NIIS program reflects Alpha Omega's commitment to supporting climate science and having a profound, lasting impact on future generations. We are pleased to have started this important work after unexpected delays."
The Alpha Omega solutions and service offerings include system administration, networking, help desk infrastructure, information security, database management, and web development across multiple NOAA and NASA IT systems. Our IT Service Management offerings will provide cradle to grave insights into performance, security, network connectivity, and procurements, as well as details for Active Directory user registry by site, documentation, and ticketing status. The Alpha Omega team will also ensure ongoing continuous implementation and maintenance of the service value chain.
"We are very excited to expand our relationship with NOAA," said Sridhar Rajagopalan Senior Vice President, Client Services. "Alpha Omega brings a deep understanding of the NESDIS systems and infrastructure, and this relationship will help us lower risk and accelerate critical services."
For more on this award, visit the Alpha Omega website.
Alpha Omega provides high quality, collaborative IT and business consulting services, with the expertise and capabilities to serve customers. We are committed to quality and continuous process improvement, demonstrated by our Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Maturity Level-5 (ML-5) for Development and Services, as well as ISO/IEC registration for 20000-1:2018, 27001:2013, and 9001:2015. It is our commitment to customers to integrate best practices and standardization in the areas of quality, service management, and security into everyday operations. Alpha Omega is a mission-focused, client-centric, results-driven organization. For more information visit www.alphaomegaintegration.com
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SOURCE Alpha Omega Integration | 2022-08-23T15:29:32+00:00 | wcjb.com | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/noaa-awards-alpha-omega-integration-56-million-contract/ |
Insider: This Pacers fan was dying of cancer; he still took the time to encourage me
It’s about an hour before tipoff at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 8. I’m following my usual pre-game routine as I watch the Pacers warmup for a meeting with the Cavs, which includes checking my phone for any last-minute injury updates and snapping photos of players, coaches and the occasional fans.
That’s when I get a glimpse of a man and woman standing underneath the basket the Pacers are shooting on. They’re a young couple wearing Pacers gear, but I notice the man is walking with a cane. I don’t think much of it because if he has a disability, frankly it’s none of my business, and just because he made need help, it doesn’t mean he’s helpless.
The man and woman eventually go to their courtside seats, and I go back to taking photos. On any other day and with any other fans, that would’ve been the end of this story. But this is just the beginning.
After I snapped enough photos, I walked down the sideline, heading for the media room, and heard someone call out, “Hey, James!” So I turned around and it’s the man with the cane, and for some reason, I stopped and sat down.
I’m really glad I sat down.
The man’s name is Brendan Purdue, and we follow each other on Twitter, though I didn’t piece that together until midway through our conversation. As it turns out, we briefly corresponded after I was hired since we both shared an interest in sportswriting and the Pacers. While we discuss the team and season, he tells me he's enjoyed my coverage since joining the beat, and I tell him about my forthcoming story on undrafted rookie Keifer Sykes that was being published the next day.
Chase and Sadie: An incredible journey of love amid a fight with Ewing's sarcoma
We talk for a few more minutes before I leave, and Brendan encourages me to keep up my reporting. I jokingly tell him not to spill in the beans on my Sykes story and that I’ll seen him around.
But what I didn’t know was that I’d see Brendan only one more time after that, one week later. It was another home game, this time against the Ja Morant-less Grizzlies on March 15. I met up with Brendan again before that contest, having learned more about him in the week in between and why he needed that cane.
Brendan didn’t have a disability. He was battling cancer, and 25 days later the 27-year-old was dead.
“I was first diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma a few weeks before I turned 20. It was mid-October 2014 when I got the diagnosis and my birthday is Nov. 17,” Brendan wrote in an email to me before he died. “At the time I found out, I already had my emergency back surgery to remove the tumor from my spinal cord and I was rehabbing at a facility in Evansville, Indiana. The tumor had compressed my spinal cord so much that I had lost feeling from my hips down and I had to relearn how to walk. Luckily, I was able to regain most of the feeling in my legs and walk again after a few weeks. I had to use a cane for a while but eventually, I made a near-full recovery. I’m 27 now and have been battling Ewing’s on and off since that fateful day.”
The last game
You may be wondering why I corresponded with Brendan through email rather than just talking to him, and the truth is that wasn’t the plan. When I met with him at halftime of that Pacers-Grizzlies game – the last game he ever attended – he agreed to do a phone interview with me about his life and unwavering Pacers fandom. He told me that after reading my stories, he trusted me enough to tell his.
It was an honor I didn’t take lightly and one I always knew I’d see through, but every time I tried to set up a phone interview with Brendan, he’d tell me he was having a hard day, so we eventually pivoted to an email interview.
James Boyd:In my lone season covering the Pacers, I lived my driveway dream, saw Superman cry
In retrospect, I was so naive because when I took a photo of Brendan at his last Pacers game, the main one I planned on using for this story, I didn’t realize how much strength it took for him just to get out of his seat and stand up straight for a couple minutes. And by looking at the photo – with Brendan sporting a smile, full head of hair and a Myles Turner jersey – you wouldn’t realize it either.
“I don’t know if he told you this or not, but at halftime we went up to get food and everything, and he about fell down the stairs going from the concourse all the way down,” said Tanner Wildridge, Brendan’s former high school basketball coach and longtime friend. “ … I think he felt like he was a burden in a sense because he kept apologizing saying, ‘Hey, man, will you look after me?’ And I’m like, ‘Dude, it’s beyond that. You don’t have to worry about that. I’ll take care of you.’ He just felt like he needed to walk and show that he was strong and that he could still do it.
“Once we got back to the car after the game, that’s when he told me he could barely feel his legs.”
Wildridge went on to explain that he had a unique bond with Brendan. Unlike some of Brendan’s other close friends, Wildridge didn’t hang out with him a lot. Their thing was going to basketball games together and occasionally reminiscing on how hardheaded Brendan used to be as a player at Washington Catholic High School.
Since Brendan was a big NBA fan, Wildridge said it was difficult for him to understand why their team couldn’t play like the pros, so they’d constantly argue about philosophies. That banter continued after Brendan graduated and carried over to their dialogue about the Pacers.
“It’s been tough,” Wildridge said. “You have him passing away right before the playoffs, and every time I turned on a game I’m just like, ‘Man, I’m really waiting on Brendan to send me a trade proposal.’ That was the bulk of our relationship, just talking NBA, him throwing out trade proposals and me arguing with him about whether or not I thought it would be a good fit. … There’s an innumerable amount of words I could use to describe him, but really, he was my brother.”
8.9 seconds
Brendan died April 9, the day of the Pacers’ penultimate game of the 2021-22 season. I met with his family just over a month later at his aunt’s house in Bloomington and sat there for over an hour as roughly a dozen of his loved ones shared their unique Brendan story.
Brendan’s brother-in-law, Christian Wilhelm, fondly remembers playing one-on-one against him years ago after Brendan underwent surgery.
“It was right after he got part of his (left) lung removed, and he was just whopping my ass, making every shot and I was like, ‘God, you’re doing so good. You beat me.’ And he just goes, ‘You’re getting your ass kicked by a guy with one lung!’” Christian said, laughing. “Ever since that moment, I never wanted to play basketball against him again.”
Brendan’s wife, Kristin, echoed Brendan’s affinity for basketball and specifically the Pacers. Through tears she explained to me that she still decided to marry him – even though she knew he was dying – because “he was my person.”
“I got to see the intimate part of him, since we were in a relationship,” said Kristin, who married Brendan four days before he died. “We’d always be like, ‘I love you more than this. I love you more than that.’ But with the Pacers, it was, ‘I love you as much as them.’”
Laughter filled the room when Kristin shared that tidbit, and we were all laughing again when Brendan’s stepmom, Erin, revealed that nearly all of them, including Brendan, have “8.9” tattoos to commemorate Reggie Miller’s late-game heroics against the Knicks in the 1995 playoffs. Miller scored eight points in 8.9 seconds to lift the Pacers to an improbable 107-105 victory at Madison Square Garden.
'(Expletive) incredible':Why Gainbridge Fieldhouse is Bill Simmons' favorite NBA arena
Brendan’s stepsister and Christian’s wife, Kendall, explained the hilarious backstory of the family’s ink.
“Christian and Brendan were just gonna get Pacers logos tattooed on their chest, and I was like, ‘My husband is not getting a Pacers logo tattooed on his chest,’” Kendall said, laughing. “So I started looking up stuff and I thought that would be really thoughtful, and when I told both of them, they thought that might be better.”
Since then, 8.9 seconds has become a rallying cry for their family, especially Brendan.
“He said it was about doing the most with what little time you have left,” said Dalen Elliot, Brendan’s stepbrother. “And he did everything he could.”
0.03%
Brendan beat the odds.
I’m not saying that because it sounds heartwarming or because I listened to a bunch of feel-good stories from his family.
I’m saying that because it’s a fact. Brendan beat cancer seven times in eight years and underwent several surgeries to not only survive but thrive. When I met him on March 8, he wasn’t supposed to be there watching a basketball game.
He wasn’t supposed to be there at all.
“I remember a time I went to the University of Michigan to see if I qualified for a clinical trial, and since I had a second occurrence and was male, my odds for the trial weren’t good for me and not a fit,” Brendan wrote to me in an email, explaining that Ewing’s sarcoma is harder on men than women. “The doctor there gave me a life expectancy percentage of 0.03% to live a year or two.
“The fighter inside me heard that number and I told myself ‘I’m going to be in that 0.03%.’”
That was nearly eight years ago.
Brendan’s father, Shawn, said each time his son's cancer went into remission, he’d equate it to winning a championship.
“He was like, ‘My hands might not have enough fingers for all of the rings!’” Shawn said. “That’s how he talked about beating cancer. He’d never give in.”
But for as triumphant as those moments were, each time Brendan relapsed there was always that undeniable question of “Is this it?” He described that as one of the toughest parts of his journey.
“You’re faced with your mortality at such an early age,” Brendan wrote. “Most people our age don’t really have to think or worry about things like that.”
Of everything we talked about via email – his love of basketball stemming from Space Jam, Jermaine O’Neal being his all-time favorite Pacer, interviewing Myles Turner for his blog “The Broken Jumper” and former Pacer and cancer survivor Caris LeVert being one of his inspirations – that was the one thing that pulled at my heartstrings the most.
Why Brendan?
He died when he was 27 and I turn 27 later this year. I can’t help but think that if he were dealt a different set of cards, perhaps he could’ve parlayed his blog into a full-time opportunity to cover the Pacers and we would’ve been on the beat together.
That’s what he deserved.
But despite not being afforded enough time to fully pursue all of his dreams, Brendan still took the time to encourage me while I pursued mine.
After Brendan stopped responding to my texts, one of his closest friends, Ernesto Gonzalez, reached out to me a few days before his death to let me know the end was near. We later spoke about Brendan, and when I told him about our first encounter, he wasn’t surprised to hear that Brendan was so kind to me.
“He never made anyone feel like a stranger. The second you talked to him, it was like you knew him your whole life,” Gonzalez said. “The best qualities a person could have, he had them. When I first met him, I didn’t even know about the cancer because he was one of the hardest working people. And even when I found out, he treated it like it was a scraped knee. …
“I spoke at his funeral, and I just told him he was my hero.”
Fittingly, Brendan had a Pacers themed funeral as one last nod to his favorite team.
Lasting legacy
All summer I’ve been asked who the Pacers should draft, sign in free agency or trade for, and honestly, if I really could make one addition to the franchise, I’d choose Brendan.
On a random Tuesday in March, he enriched my life in a way I never could’ve imagined, and the plan is for that to continue with countless others. Brendan said he’d like for a court to be built and named after him in his hometown of Washington, a place where kids can play basketball and be carefree.
His stepmother added that their family would like to honor him in another way.
“I have a dream for us to start a foundation,” Erin said. “ … I’ve been going through his phone, looking at things he’s written. I saw some messages between him and his dad and he was talking about one day when he got a good job and was rich, he would start a foundation where he flew cancer kids to their appointments because so many of them have to go hundreds of miles away for treatment. ‘I don’t want them to have spend all those hours in the car like I did,’ is what he’d say because that was always so hard on him. He wrote about wanting to just be able to put these kids on his own plane and fly them to their appointments or buy them plane tickets.
“I don’t really know how we’re gonna make it happen, but it’s stuck in my head and one of these days there’s gonna be a foundation called ‘The 8.9 Foundation.’”
I didn’t get the chance to talk to Brendan about a potential foundation, but when I asked him how he’d like to be remembered, he said he wants to be known as someone who always persevered and inspired others to do the same.
“The lesson I’ve learned about the world around us is that it can be very cold and unfair, but only if you look at it in that way,” Brendan wrote to me in an email. “Life is all about perspective. I could have easily given up because life wasn’t fair or blamed everything on the world around me. In the end, none of that would help anything out so I decided I’m going to be positive about everything. I believe this perspective on life is what has gotten me this far. …
“There were times when things looked really rough, such as losing the feeling in my legs and relearning how to walk, the five days in a row of chemotherapy that would absolutely drain me and receiving all the bad news I have been told over the years. The positive mindset – inspired by my family, friends, and the Pacers, and having the mindset of I’m not giving up, ‘We are going to get through this.’ – showed me that I had the fighting spirit inside me.”
Brendan was one of the longest survivors of Ewing’s sarcoma in history, according to what doctors told his family, and it’s a feat I couldn’t imagine facing as fearlessly as he did. I only got a glimpse of his remarkable life because of a lucky encounter, but perhaps it wasn’t.
Remember that photo I took of Brendan at his last Pacers game? When I went to visit his family, his 11-year-old brother, Camden, was wearing a Pacers shirt and when I looked closer, I realized it wasn’t a player or the team mascot, Boomer.
It was Brendan.
Unbeknownst to me, his friends reprinted my photo of Brendan on custom T-shirts as a tangible way to remember him. I don’t know the odds of those events transpiring exactly the way they did, but I’d like to think Brendan – who routinely conquered near impossible odds – had something to do with it. | 2022-08-03T09:44:27+00:00 | indystar.com | https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nba/pacers/2022/08/03/indiana-pacers-brendan-purdue-james-boyd-gainbridge-fieldhouse-nba-basketball/65386208007/ |
By BARBARA ORTUTAY
AP Technology Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook parent company Meta posted lower fourth-quarter profit and revenue on Wednesday, hurt by a downturn in the online advertising market and competition from rivals such as TikTok.
But the company’s stock soared in extended trading, as its revenue beat Wall Street’s muted expectations and the Menlo Park, California-based company announced a $40 billion stock buyback.
This is the third consecutive quarter of revenue decline for the tech giant, which laid off 11,000 workers, or about 13% of its workforce, in November. CEO Mark Zuckerberg blamed the layoffs on aggressive hiring during the pandemic, when Meta’s business boomed because people were stuck at home, scrolling on their phones and computers, glued to social media. But as the lockdowns ended and people started going outside again, revenue growth began to falter.
Meta’s mega stock buyback appeared to ease investors’ concerns over the company’s spending on the “metaverse” — an immersive digital universe, viewed through a headset, that Zuckerberg predicts will eventually replace smartphones as the primary way people use technology.
Meta Platforms Inc. said it earned $4.65 billion, or $1.76 per share, in the final three months of 2022. That’s down 55% from $10.29 billion, or $3.67 per share, a year earlier.
Analysts were expecting earnings of $2.26 per share, according to a poll by FactSet.
Revenue fell 4% to $32.17 billion from $33.67 billion. Analysts were expecting $31.55 billion.
Meta’s shares jumped almost 18% in after-hours trading. The stock had closed the regular trading session at $153.12, down 52% in the last year.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | 2023-02-01T22:44:41+00:00 | wtmj.com | https://wtmj.com/national/2023/02/01/meta-posts-lower-q4-profit-announces-huge-stock-buyback-2/ |
HAMMOND, La. (AP) — Cephus Johnson III threw two touchdown passes and Carlos Washington Jr. scored two of Southeastern Louisiana's six rushing touchdowns as the Lions beat Central Connecticut 70-6 Saturday night.
Washington opened the scoring with an 8-yard touchdown run less than 3 minutes into the game and Anthony Spurlock scored on a 70-yard catch-and-run to make it 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. Washington added 3-yard TD run to spark a 34-point second quarter — including a 14-yard pick-6 by Jack Henderson — that made it 48-0 at halftime.
Taron Jones, Rodeo Graham Jr., Mannie Logan-Green and Jessie Britt each ran for a touchdown for Southeastern Louisiana (1-2).
Shon Mitchell threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Everett Wormley late in the third quarter for Central Connecticut (0-2).
The Blue Devils went three-and-out on six of their first eight drives with a turnover on downs and an interception.
___
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/mrxhe6f2 | 2022-09-18T05:25:06+00:00 | sfgate.com | https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Southeastern-Louisiana-beats-Central-Connecticut-17449479.php |
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SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — A year ago in the middle of the night, a 12-story oceanfront condo building in Surfside, Florida, came down with a thunderous roar, leaving a giant pile of rubble and claiming 98 lives — one of the deadliest collapses in U.S. history.
The disaster at Champlain Towers South also turned into the largest emergency response that didn't involve a hurricane in Florida history.
Its victims were being honored Friday at events on the ground where, for two weeks last June and July, rescue crews descended from elsewhere in Florida and from as far away as Mexico and Israel to help local teams dig through the pile and search for victims.
Friday's agenda includes a private overnight gathering for families to light a torch. First Lady Jill Biden is expected to speak at a public event organized by the town of Surfside.
Only two teenagers and a woman survived the fall and were pulled from the rubble, while others escaped from the portion of the building that initially remained standing.
Images of one survivor's rescue traveled widely, offering a glimmer of hope right after the collapse, but the long, grueling search produced mostly devastating results as families torturously waited only to learn about the remains of their loved ones.
Those missing in the collapse included the 7-year-old daughter of a firefighter who helped in the search, later found dead with her mother, aunt and grandparents; a woman whose cries for help were heard in the early hours but suddenly stopped; and two sisters, 4 and 11, pulled from the rubble, who were so tiny they were buried in the same casket. A 12-year-old girl sat down to pray across the rubble for her physician father, who was ultimately found dead.
The victims included local residents as well as visitors who were Orthodox Jews, Latin Americans, Israelis, Europeans and snowbirds from the Northeast.
The cause of the collapse remains under investigation by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, with the probe entering a new phase this month to cut and drill into concrete and steel. Champlain Towers South had a long history of maintenance problems, and shoddy construction techniques were used in the early 1980s. Other possible factors include sea level rise caused by climate change and damage caused by salt water intrusion.
Pablo Langesfeld, the father of a 26-year-old lawyer who had married and moved to the building a few months before the collapse, said that for him closure will not come until that investigation is completed.
“This is a nightmare that never ends,” Langesfeld told The Associated Press.
The site where the building stood has been swept flat.
Although the investigation is expected to take years, a judge approved a compensation settlement topping $1 billion Thursday for the victims.
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Michael Hanzman praised the dozens of lawyers involved, and a woman who lost her daughter called them heroes in black robes and business suits.
Hanzman said the compensation deal was extraordinary in its scope and speed.
“This settlement is the best we can do. It’s a remarkable result," he said. | 2022-06-24T05:32:08+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/A-year-on-Surfside-remembers-98-victims-of-condo-17262569.php |
- Companies Trust Cloudera with more than 25 Million Terabytes of Data
- Trusted Data is the Basis for Trusted AI
SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Rob Bearden, CEO of hybrid data company Cloudera, outlined a path for enterprises to benefit from secure, trusted and responsible AI at scale. A new ready-to-use blueprint for Large Language Model (LLM) helps customers use generative AI based on their own data and their enterprise context with security and governance. The announcement was made at the analyst event The Six Five Summit, which takes place June 6-8, 2023.
Cloudera enables customers to manage and unlock value from their data across private and public cloud environments. Cloudera's open data lakehouse brings together the capabilities of a data warehouse and a data lake to power business intelligence, AI and machine learning (ML) solutions. At the same time, companies have the flexibility to deploy these solutions across the private and public cloud of their choice with the identical experience.
"Cloudera has developed a best in class hybrid open data lakehouse solution," said Daniel Newman, CEO and Chief Analyst of The Futurum Group. "Managing 25 million terabytes of data for customers is on par with the hyperscalers. This places Cloudera in a unique position to help companies unlock value from their data, no matter where it resides. At the same time, the data is AI ready for enterprises to benefit from current and future developments in AI."
"This immense data under management places Cloudera in an unparalleled position to drive generative AI-based applications based on Open Data Lakehouse in an enterprise context," added Rob Bearden. "Generative AI and Large Language Models are only as good as the data they've been trained on, and they need the right context. For these models and AI to be successful, it needs to be trusted. And trusting AI starts with trusting your data."
On average, nine out of ten of the largest global companies in various industries trust Cloudera with their data assets, resulting in 25 million terabytes of data being managed with Cloudera solutions.
LLM with Enterprise Data Democratizes AI
To further unlock value from their data and succeed with enterprise AI in a trusted, secure and responsible manner, Cloudera's LLM Chatbot Augmented with Enterprise Data brings a blueprint for generative AI based on large language models to companies. While publicly available AI services are attractive for companies, they need to build these interactive experiences on their proprietary data in the right context without sharing their data with external services. With the Cloudera offering, businesses can build their own AI application powered by an open source LLM of their choice with their data, all hosted internally in the enterprise, empowering all their developers and lines of business - not just data scientists and ML teams - and truly democratizing AI.
Recently, Cloudera enabled the second largest financial services group in Southeast Asia, OCBC Bank, to integrate AI at scale throughout the organization and thereby drive more customer innovation and operational efficiency. As a result, OCBC Bank was able to increase its revenue by analyzing real-time contextual data from customer conversations related to sales, service and more.
Cloudera Continues to Invest in Innovation to Drive AI Adoption
"The AI market is changing rapidly. The reality is that data and enterprise context will be the constant to success of any LLM or AI models," said Bearden. "Cloudera has been helping enterprises gain value from AI and ML for years. We will continue to innovate and invest heavily in our entire product suite so that customers can benefit from trusted, secure and responsible AI-based applications."
Please click here for more information on Enterprise AI.
Additional Resources
See here a video on LLM ChatBot Augmented with Enterprise Data, open source pre-trained instruction-following LLM (Large Language Model).
About Cloudera
At Cloudera, we believe data can make what is impossible today, possible tomorrow. Cloudera taught the world the value of data, creating an industry and ecosystem powered by the relentless innovation of the open source community. We empower our customers, leaders in their industries, to transform complex data into clear and actionable insights. Through our hybrid data platform, organizations are able to build their data-driven future by getting data, no matter where it resides, into the hands of those that need it. Learn more at Cloudera.com.
Cloudera and associated marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cloudera, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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SOURCE Cloudera, Inc. | 2023-06-06T16:36:32+00:00 | wlox.com | https://www.wlox.com/prnewswire/2023/06/06/cloudera-enables-trusted-secure-responsible-artificial-intelligence-scale/ |
BRILLION, Wis. (WFRV) – Brillion High School students traveled back in time to Ancient Egypt for the opening night of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
The musical by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Weber follows the biblical story of Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob. Joseph’s brothers become jealous when their father gives Joseph a colorful coat, and seek revenge on their brother.
Local Five caught up with some of the cast and crew Thursday before the very first performance of their two-week run.
“Man, this has just been a really difficult show, it’s big everything, big dance, big sing, big choreography, big lights, big pit, so it’s just been a monster to take on. And now that we’re at opening night, we’ve got everything together, the hard work has been established, now we get to the fun part and you really get to see the product of all that hard work,” explained Jonathan Kobs, the director of the show.
Kobs couldn’t say enough good things about the students involved in the production and told Local Five that after musical theater was put on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it felt good to get back to the regular routine. He was thrilled that the energy the students brought to last year’s production of Mamma Mia continued into this year.
“They really have put in the hard work, you can see them working really hard on stage every single night, and they’re working to be better and better with every performance that they’ve had,” Kobs added.
Believe it or not, for leading man Isaac Spettel, this production was his first foray into high school theater.
“For my first three years of high school I didn’t do the show at all, and I was very disappointed in myself, and when my senior friends left last year I realized that I should finally do the show this year. I’m glad I did because I got the lead role,” Spettel, who plays the title role of Joseph, told Local Five.
The show is told by narrators to a group of children, who then interact with the story. Rachel Pope, who plays one of the narrators, detailed what it was like to work with local children on stage.
“I liked when we first started putting the kids together with us because then we got to interact with them and see their reactions to being in the show, and that was really cool,” Pope said. “They bring a lot of energy, so that’s really nice.”
“[The kids’] cues are getting better and it’s fun to work with children,” Spettel agreed.
The production made the unique choice to divide the narrator role into four roles, played by four separate actors. Pope tells Local Five that dividing up the role was complicated at times, but was a good choice in the end.
“For me, it was a little difficult having the four narrators splitting it up but once we got the hang of it and just memorizing it and putting it all together, it’s going really well now,” she said.
Also, new for the school this year is a brand new light system in Brillion’s Endries Performing Arts Center that was made possible through a $50,000 donation.
“It’s been really fun to play around with some of the light design that we have because we’re able to do so many more things that we weren’t able to do,” Kobs told Local Five.
The school is also participating in the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center’s (PAC) Center Stage program this year. Theater programs are able to get their shows critiqued by a team that gives feedback to directors and students leading up to the Center Stage High School Musical Theater Showcase event next May.
This is Brillion’s third year participating in the program. Kobs says it’s a great opportunity for students to work with professional theater actors and meet talent from other local schools.
“As we get into the year, I really love offering the workshops to kids so that they can work with Broadway stars who come around and tour. That’s one of the best things that they can do, is have that interaction with the local or touring professionals who come to the area,” Kobs explained regarding Center Stage. “As we get into the May and spring concert it’s really fun to be a part of the showcase concert and see the product of all the schools come together.”
All in all, Kobs tells Local Five that this family-friendly musical is a hit with all ages.
“Joseph is a great tale of the underdog, through trials, and then you see him succeed at the end. I think audiences of all ages will love this story,” he said.
Brillion High School is performing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on the following days at W1101 County Road HR in Brillion:
- November 3-5 at 7 p.m.
- November 6 at 1 p.m.
- November 10-11 at 7 p.m.
- November 12 at 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.
Ticket information can be found here. | 2022-11-09T21:46:04+00:00 | wearegreenbay.com | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/highschooltheater/brillion-high-school-performs-joseph-and-the-amazing-technicolor-dreamcoat/ |
MIAMI, Dec. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- United Dental Corporation ("UDC"), the premier Dental Partnership Organization (DPO) in the U.S. dental market, today announced the following leadership changes to help guide the company through its early growth phase.
- Jesse Rodriguez, Dr. Nitin Doshi, and Amit Chokshi will join UDC's Board of Managers.
- The Board unanimously appointed Amit Chokshi as President.
- Erik Halvorssen will transition from President to a Board Observer.
Dr. Ray Khouri, UDC's Founder and Executive Chairman said, "The market reception of our differentiated model has been outstanding, and I am thrilled to work side by side with such a trusted group of advisors and industry leaders. I would be remiss if I did not heartily recognize Erik's specific effort as President during this transition period."
Dr. Nitin Doshi said "UDC's leadership changes are the result of a thoughtful succession planning process that started several months ago. We fully endorse Ray's model and the new Board members will provide strategic, financial, and relationship support to position the Company for rapid growth, profitability, and success."
Jesse Rodriguez said, "I was struck by UDC's compelling mission, strategy and business model during my first encounter. After engaging directly with the team, their operational and transactional expertise coupled with our funding partners' industry insight, I am further convinced of UDC's bright future. I am grateful for this opportunity to be a part of something special."
Erik Halvorssen said, "As I transition to my new role as Observer on the Board, I have to say that I am very proud of our fierce UDC team; they have performed admirably under pressure and I have no doubt that their professionalism and good spirits will be the norm, as UDC continues its path to exponential growth."
Amit Chokshi said, "Dr Doshi and I were attracted to UDC by Ray's vision and prior achievements but even more so by UDC's core team members that worked tirelessly to bring the first set of transactions to fruition. I am humbled and honored to be part of UDC and look forward to collaborating with the team and Board to aggressively drive the business forward."
The full leadership team can be found at https://udc.dental/our-team.
About Dr Nitin Doshi
Dr Nitin Doshi has an extensive career as an investor and entrepreneur. Dr Doshi currently serves as the Founder of National Dental, a New York-based DSO, as well as a Board member of Global Dental Services, a Mauritius-based holding company that owns Clove Dental, one of the largest operators of dental clinics in India. Dr Doshi has also led seed to early-stage investments in dental technology and aligner companies. Aside from his interest in the dental field, Dr Doshi has made significant investments and served on the Boards and operating committees of companies in the real estate, private equity, healthcare, chemicals, and industrial sectors.
About Jesse Rodriguez
Mr. Rodriguez has experience in leadership roles, including finance, technology and metals and mining sectors. His finance experience spans 20+ years in M&A and principal investing covering the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America in a variety of industry sectors, including telecommunications, natural resources, metals and mining, media, financial services, basic industries, energy/power, agribusiness and real estate. Operationally, he has also served in management roles in early stage, transformational, crisis and general management situations.
About Amit Chokshi
Amit Chokshi is the Chief Investment Officer for Doshi Capital Partners ("DCP"), the family office of Drs Nitin and Leena Doshi. He plays a leading role in directing DCP's investments across public and private opportunities and assumes Board-level responsibilities for various investments when necessary. Mr. Chokshi began his career at Morgan Stanley followed by the Royal Bank of Scotland. Prior to joining DCP, Mr. Chokshi was a Portfolio Manager at City National Rochdale. Mr. Chokshi has a BS in Finance from Bryant University and MBA from Emory University. He is a CFA Charterholder and was on the Board of the Stamford CFA Society from 2007 – 2012.
About UDC
UDC partners with high-performing dentists seeking to maximize the value of their practices while retaining their operational autonomy. UDC supports dentists by providing capital, growth expertise, advanced data and analytics, technology, marketing, procurement, human resources, legal, insightful financial reporting, and accounting services. Visit us at www.udc.dental.
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SOURCE United Dental Corporation | 2022-12-01T18:20:37+00:00 | waff.com | https://www.waff.com/prnewswire/2022/12/01/positioning-itself-rapid-growth-united-dental-corporation-announces-new-board-leadership-team/ |
DETROIT (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening's drawing of the Michigan Lottery's "Fantasy 5" game were:
03-17-21-26-37
(three, seventeen, twenty-one, twenty-six, thirty-seven)
DETROIT (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening's drawing of the Michigan Lottery's "Fantasy 5" game were:
03-17-21-26-37
(three, seventeen, twenty-one, twenty-six, thirty-seven) | 2022-11-11T01:18:53+00:00 | sfgate.com | https://www.sfgate.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Fantasy-5-game-17575867.php |
Chowan sheriff: inmate holds jail staff hostage and escapes, search underway
CHOWAN, N.C. (WITN) - The Chowan Sheriff Office’s says a search is underway for an escaped inmate who held jail staff hostage.
Officials say they responded to the Chowan County jail for an escaped inmate on Thursday around 5:30 a.m.
When they arrived, they found staff at the jail had been detained and held hostage by the inmate before he escaped.
That inmate was identified as Russel Jay Heath. He is described as a 47-year-old white male and is 6 feet tall, weighing 190 pounds. His clothing description is unknown.
Heath was being held for non-violent related crimes.
Other state and federal agency assistance are working together to bring Heath back in custody of the Chowan County Jail.
Anyone with any information on his whereabouts are asked to call the Chowan County Sheriff’s Office at (252)-482-8484. You may also call our anonymous tip line at (252)-482-5100
Do you see something needing a correction? Email us!
Copyright 2022 WITN. All rights reserved. | 2022-10-20T11:56:52+00:00 | witn.com | https://www.witn.com/2022/10/20/chowan-sheriff-inmate-holds-jail-staff-hostage-escapes-search-underway/ |
Facing a stronger-than-expected economy and sticky inflation in core prices, the Federal Reserve signaled Wednesday it’s going to hike interest rates two more times before the year is through despite taking a break in June.
The June pause marks the first interval in one of the fastest quantitative tightening cycles in the history of the U.S. central bank, carried out through 10 consecutive hikes since last year that raised interest rates by 5 percent in 15 months.
But the Fed’s latest projections show the cycle isn’t yet finished, with rates expected to increase to a range of 5.5 to 5.75 percent at some point this year, up from a current range of 5 to 5.25.
In the wake of major failures in the banking sector that spurred depositor bailouts from the government and led to fears of a general financial collapse earlier this year, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell painted a picture Wednesday of an economy that’s fundamentally healthy but still dogged by price levels that are reluctant to subside.
Here are the main takeaways from Powell’s Wednesday press conference.
Sticky core inflation will require two more hikes this year
Inflation is divided into two main categories: headline and core. The headline number includes some of the prices that consumers feel most acutely, like gas and food.
But economists consider the less volatile prices in core manufactured goods and basic services to be a better measure of the underlying inflation in the economy.
Still changing: Five takeaways from the steep May inflation decline
Powell said Wednesday that he’s not seeing the progress he’d like to see in the core, and that’s the reason the Fed will make additional hikes this year to slow economic activity.
“Look at core inflation over the past six months, a year. You’re just not seeing a lot of progress, not the kind of progress we want to see,” Powell said. “We see inflation forecasts are coming in low again, and that tells us we need to do more.”
Core prices in the consumer price index (CPI) have fallen to 5.3 percent annually off a high of 6.6 percent in September, while headline CPI has fallen much further, to 4 percent in May from 9.1 percent last year.
The Fed has implicitly rescinded its recession prediction
The Fed predicted a “mild recession” in March for some time later this year following scores of similar predictions from commercial economists, but its latest forecast for gross domestic product (GDP) walks back this expected downturn.
Fed bankers more than doubled their 2023 annual GDP forecast to 1 percent growth, up from 0.4 percent in March.
This increases the odds that the Fed will achieve its desired “soft landing,” which would entail a resumption of the economy’s normal growth cycle in the wake of the booming recovery from the pandemic shutdowns without a huge jump in unemployment.
Is your credit affected? Powell says credit crunch is doing the work of Fed’s rate hikes
“There is a path to getting inflation back down to 2 percent without having to see the kind of sharp downturn and large losses in employment,” Powell said.
Unemployment is currently near 50-year lows at 3.7 percent, having ticked up slightly in May from 3.4 percent in April.
No mention of profits despite beige book evidence
Powell did not mention on Wednesday the role that profits are playing in the current phase of inflation, despite mentions of “unusually high” profits in the latest anecdotal summary of U.S. economic conditions in the Fed’s beige book.
“Contacts reported far fewer supply chain disruptions – instead noting that many sectors of the economy are enjoying unusually high profit margins,” the Philadelphia Fed reported in May.
Instead, Powell referenced research by former Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and economist Olivier Blanchard that pointed the finger for inflation going forward at workers and wages over margin expansion and supply chain problems.
“Although tight labor markets have thus far not been the primary driver of inflation, the effects of overheated labor markets on nominal wage growth and inflation are more persistent than the effects of product-market shocks. Controlling inflation will thus ultimately require achieving a better balance between labor demand and labor supply,” the wrote.
A new bonanza: Companies boasted ‘unusually high profits’ after supply issues eased
Recent research from the San Francisco Fed suggests a minimal role for labor costs in the current inflation.
“Labor-cost growth is responsible for only about 0.1 percentage point of recent core PCE inflation,” Fed researchers wrote, referring to the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index.
Housing and rents are now a major driver of inflation
Shelter costs represent nearly half of core inflation measurements, and the housing sector’s interest rate sensitivity means it’s now contributing disproportionately to consumer inflation.
Shelter inflation is at 8 percent annually, double the headline number in the CPI.
“We do need to see rents bottom out here or at least stay quite low in terms of their increases,” Powell said Wednesday.
“We’re watching that situation carefully,” he said. “I do think we will see rents and housing prices filtering into housing services inflation.”
“Excluding shelter, CPI inflation is now [down] to what we would consider normal levels: 2.2 percent over the past year,” University of Central Arkansas economist Jeremy Horpedahl wrote Tuesday.
Other Fed board members have voiced concern about the housing sector recently.
“We expect lower rents will eventually be reflected in inflation data as new leases make their way into the calculations,” Fed board member Michelle Bowman said at an event last month in Boston.
“The residential real estate market appears to be rebounding with home prices leveling out, which has implications for our fight to lower inflation,” she said.
Fallout from bank failures isn’t over yet
The outsized role that the financial sector plays in the U.S. economy continues to present difficulties for the Fed, especially after a spate of large bank failures earlier this year that threatened “systemic” collapse.
The trouble in that sector inspired bank managers to tighten their credit conditions, which has a similar effect to interest rate increases and essentially did some of the Fed’s work for it.
“It feels like something that will be around for some time,” Powell said.
Powell said central bankers are monitoring credit conditions “very carefully.”
“As we see things unfold, as we see what’s happening with credit conditions and also all the individual banks out there … we can take their macroeconomic implications into account in our rate settings,” he said. | 2023-06-14T23:02:37+00:00 | wwlp.com | https://www.wwlp.com/hill-politics/fed-struggles-to-find-new-leverage-as-strong-economy-inflation-refuse-to-budge-much/ |
WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023
_____
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
The National Weather Service in Austin San Antonio has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
Southern Uvalde County in south central Texas...
Northern Zavala County in south central Texas...
* Until 545 PM CDT.
* At 441 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Blewett, or
13 miles northwest of La Pryor, moving east at 25 mph.
HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage
to roofs, siding, and trees.
* Locations impacted include...
Uvalde, Batesville, Uvalde Estates, Dabney, Blewett, Washer and
Farm to Market Road 481.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.
TX
. TEXAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE
AUSTIN BRAZOS BURLESON
COLORADO GRIMES MADISON
WALLER WASHINGTON
ATASCOSA BANDERA BASTROP
BEXAR BLANCO BURNET
CALDWELL COMAL DEWITT
DIMMIT FAYETTE FRIO
GILLESPIE GONZALES GUADALUPE
HAYS KARNES KENDALL
KERR KINNEY LAVACA
LEE LLANO MAVERICK
MEDINA REAL TRAVIS
UVALDE WILLIAMSON WILSON
ZAVALA
...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL BURNET COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...
The storms which prompted the warning have moved out of the warned
area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 900 PM CDT for
south central Texas.
...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 515 PM CDT
FOR WILLIAMSON AND TRAVIS COUNTIES...
At 444 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line
extending from near Bartlett to near Lago Vista, moving southeast at
30 mph.
HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect considerable
tree damage. Wind damage is also likely to mobile homes,
roofs, and outbuildings.
Locations impacted include...
Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Pflugerville, Taylor,
Granger, Serenada, Anderson Mill, Windemere, Leander, Hutto, Lakeway,
Manor, Lago Vista, Bee Cave, West Lake Hills, Hudson Bend, Bartlett
and The Hills.
Continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms.
Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading
killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to
be struck by lightning.
Northeastern Maverick County in south central Texas...
West central Zavala County in south central Texas...
* At 445 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 15 miles northwest
of Cometa, or 20 miles west of La Pryor, moving east at 25 mph.
La Pryor.
...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN TARRANT COUNTY IS
The severe thunderstorm which prompted the warning has moved out of
the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for
north central Texas.
...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM CDT
FOR DALLAS COUNTY...
At 446 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Dallas, moving
northeast at 45 mph.
HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.
IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to
roofs, siding, and trees.
Dallas, Irving, Grand Prairie, Mesquite, Carrollton, Desoto, Cedar
Hill, Duncanville, Farmers Branch, Balch Springs, University Park,
Addison, Highland Park, Cockrell Hill, Dallas Love Field, DFW Intl
Airport, Mountain Creek Lake and White Rock Lake.
_____
Copyright 2023 AccuWeather | 2023-04-28T23:02:07+00:00 | lmtonline.com | https://www.lmtonline.com/weather/article/tx-wfo-austin-san-antonio-warnings-watches-and-17926002.php |
The Storm Team 11 Forecast calls for partly cloudy skies overnight with a 40% chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight through the early morning. The low will be 69 degrees.
Look for a mix of sun and clouds on Tuesday with a 70% chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms. The high will be 85 degrees.
Cloudy skies and scattered showers are forecast for Tuesday night with a possible thunderstorm. The low will be 64 degrees.
Partly cloudy skies are forecast for Wednesday with a slight chance of an early morning shower. The high will be 84 degrees.
Fair skies are forecast for Wednesday night with a low near 56 degrees.
Partly cloudy skies are forecast for Thursday with a high of 85 degrees.
Fair skies are forecast for Thursday night with a low near 68 degrees.
Friday will be partly cloudy and warm with a high of 89 degrees.
Fair skies are forecast for Friday night with a low of 62 degrees.
Saturday will be partly cloudy and warm with a 20% chance of an afternoon shower or thunderstorm. The high will be 87 degrees.
Partly cloudy skies are forecast for Saturday night with a low of 62 degrees.
Partly cloudy skies are forecast for Sunday and Monday with a 30% chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms each day. The highs will be near 86 with overnight low temperatures in the middle 60’s.
Have a great night! | 2022-08-30T04:02:00+00:00 | wjhl.com | https://www.wjhl.com/wjhl-weather/partly-cloudy-skies-overnight-scattered-thunderstorms-tuesday/ |
Frequency One Spring Festival organizers joins Midwest Access Wednesday
Published: May. 17, 2023 at 5:42 PM CDT|Updated: 40 minutes ago
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Emily Thompson of Sacred Waves Energy Healing joined our Kamie Roesler on Midwest Access Wednesday to discuss the Frequency One Spring Festival coming up on Saturday.
The event is an opportunity to gather, connect, share stories, and experience multiple modes of healing to elevate your inner frequency.
The festival is from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Pond View Barn in Pine Island.
All ages are welcome to attend the event.
Ages 15 and under are free, while adults cost $25.
Tickets can be purchased here.
Copyright 2023 KTTC. All rights reserved. | 2023-05-17T23:23:34+00:00 | kttc.com | https://www.kttc.com/2023/05/17/frequency-one-spring-festival-organizers-joins-midwest-access-wednesday/ |
Elon Musk terminating $44 billion deal to buy Twitter
Posted/updated on: July 8, 2022 at 5:54 pm(NEW YORK) -- Elon Musk is terminating his $44 billion deal to buy Twitter, according to a new Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
"Mr. Musk has sought the data and information necessary to 'make an independent assessment of the prevalence of fake or spam accounts on Twitter's platform'" and did not receive it, the filing stated.
Fake accounts have become a sticking point in Musk's rollercoaster bid to acquire the social media platform, with the Tesla CEO previously threatening to end his agreement over concerns about the prevalence of bot and spam accounts.
In the filing on Friday, Musk's attorney claimed that Twitter "is in material breach of multiple provisions of that agreement" and appears to have made "false and misleading representations" when entering into the agreement.
Twitter Chairman Bret Taylor responded Friday that the board is still committed to the terms of the agreement.
"The Twitter Board is committed to closing the transaction on the price and terms agreed upon with Mr. Musk and plans to pursue legal action to enforce the merger agreement," he said on Twitter. "We are confident we will prevail in the Delaware Court of Chancery."
Musk reached a deal to purchase the platform at $54.20 a share on April 25, after quickly becoming the largest shareholder of Twitter with a 9.2% stake.
On May 13, he said his plan to buy Twitter is "temporarily on hold," citing concerns about spam accounts. He shortly clarified that he remained "committed to acquisition," though the price of Twitter shares closed more than 9% down that same day.
Fake accounts make up less than 5% of users, Twitter stated in a public filing in May while noting that its estimation "may not accurately represent the actual number of such accounts, and the actual number of false or spam accounts could be higher than we have estimated."
Musk, a prolific Twitter user with some 100 million followers, has yet to publicly comment on his plans to end his takeover.
If he walks away from the deal, Musk could be on the hook for a $1 billion breakup fee.
Twitter stock is down about 6% in after-hours trading on Friday.
ABC News' Joshua Hoyos contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. | 2022-07-08T23:19:28+00:00 | ktbb.com | https://ktbb.com/post/?p=1142644 |
The 2023 Amundi Evian Championship Odds & Preview: Linn Grant
Linn Grant will compete at the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship in Évian-les-Bains, France at Evian Resort Golf Club from July 27-30 fresh off a win at the Greater Toledo LPGA Classic.
Looking to wager on Grant at the Amundi Evian Championship this week? Keep reading for the betting trends you need before you make your picks.
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Linn Grant Insights
- Grant has finished below par on 11 occasions, completed her day bogey-free twice and finished 14 rounds with a better-than-average score over her last 20 rounds played.
- She has carded the best score of the day in two of her last 20 rounds, while scoring among the top 10 in five rounds.
- Over her last 20 rounds, Grant has finished within three strokes of the best score of the round four times, and within five strokes of the top score of the day on nine occasions.
- In her past five appearances, Grant has finished atop the leaderboard once.
- In her past five events, Grant has finished within three shots of the leader once and posted a score better than average three times.
- Grant will try to continue her streak of made cuts to 10 by qualifying for the weekend once again.
Over the last year
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Amundi Evian Championship Insights and Stats
- This course is set up to play at 6,527 yards, 490 yards shorter than the average course on the Tour in the past year.
- Evian Resort Golf Club has seen an average tournament score of -6 recently, which is lower than the Tour scoring average of -5 on all courses in the past year.
- The average course Grant has played in the past year (6,616 yards) is 89 yards longer than the course she'll be playing this week (6,527).
- The tournaments she has played in the past year have seen an average score of -2. That's higher than this course's recent scoring average of -6.
Grant's Last Time Out
- Grant was in the 95th percentile on par 3s at the Greater Toledo LPGA Classic, with an average of 2.69 strokes on the 16 par-3 holes.
- Her 3.70-stroke average on the 44 par-4 holes at the Greater Toledo LPGA Classic was strong, putting her in the 98th percentile of the field.
- Grant shot better than 56% of the competitors at the Greater Toledo LPGA Classic on par-5 holes, averaging 4.75 strokes per hole in comparison to the field average of 4.76.
- Grant recorded a birdie or better on six of 16 par-3s at the Greater Toledo LPGA Classic (the other participants averaged 1.9).
- On the 16 par-3s at the Greater Toledo LPGA Classic, Grant had one bogey or worse (the other participants averaged 1.6).
- Grant's 14 birdies or better on the 44 par-4s at the Greater Toledo LPGA Classic were more than the field average (5.4).
- In that last outing, Grant's showing on the 44 par-4s included a bogey or worse two times (the field's average was worse, at 5.8).
- Grant finished the Greater Toledo LPGA Classic with a birdie or better on four of the 12 par-5s, more than the field average of 2.9.
- On the 12 par-5s at the Greater Toledo LPGA Classic, Grant carded one bogey or worse, more than the field average of 0.8.
Amundi Evian Championship Time and Date Info
- Date: July 27-30, 2023
- Course: Evian Resort Golf Club
- Location: Évian-les-Bains, France
- Par: 71 / 6,527 yards
- Grant Odds to Win: +2000 (Bet now with BetMGM!)
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | 2023-07-27T00:57:36+00:00 | atlantanewsfirst.com | https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/linn-grant-amundi-evian-championship-lpga-tour-odds/ |
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Legislature on Friday approved a 12-week abortion ban and restrictions on gender-affirming care for people younger than 19 in a move so contentious that lawmakers on both sides have said they may be unable to work together in the future.
Conservative lawmakers called in a visibly ill colleague so they would have enough votes to end a filibuster and pass a bill with both measures. Republican Gov. Jim Pillen, who pushed for the bill, has promised to sign it into law.
The mood in the Nebraska Capitol has been volatile since lawmakers on Tuesday advanced by a single vote the hybrid measure that ties together restrictions that Republicans have pursued across the U.S. One lawmaker, Omaha state Sen. Megan Hunt, disclosed in March that her teenage son is transgender and said Friday that she now plans to leave the state.
North Carolina also passed a 12-week abortion ban this week, among a slew of restrictions enacted in states after the U.S. Supreme Court last year struck down the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that established a nationwide right to abortion. Fourteen states now have bans throughout pregnancy.
Nebraska, however, had not passed new restrictions while continuing to prohibit abortion starting around 20 weeks of pregnancy. The 12-week ban includes exceptions for rape, incest and to save the life of the mother. Opponents unsuccessfully sought an exception for fatal fetal anomalies and to explicitly protect doctors from criminal charges for performing a contested abortion.
The bill also would prevent transgender people under 19 from receiving any gender-confirming surgery. It would also restrict the use of hormone treatments and puberty blockers in minors, putting the state’s chief medical officer — a political appointee who is an ear, nose and throat doctor — in charge of setting the rules for those therapies. In Nebraska, people younger than 19 are considered minors.
At least 17 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for minors, and proposals are pending before the governors of Texas and Missouri. Medical groups and advocates say such restrictions are further marginalizing transgender youth and threatening their health.
Nebraska’s restrictions on gender-affirming care wouldn’t take effect until Oct. 1. The abortion ban will take effect as soon as the governor signs it. Bill opponents promised to sue to stop both measures.
Friday’s debate was briefly halted when protesters in a chamber balcony stood and yelled obscenities at conservative lawmakers while throwing what appeared to be bloody tampons onto the floor. The Nebraska State Patrol cleared both balconies and said at least six people were arrested. As lawmakers began voting, hundreds of protesters packed into the Capitol rotunda shouted, “Shame! Shame! Shame! Shame!” just outside the chamber.
Hundreds of businesses and medical professionals signed letters warning that both the abortion ban and the trans health restrictions would prompt corporations and doctors to leave the state. A letter submitted Friday and signed by more than 1,200 Nebraska medical professionals called the bill “a direct attack on the medical community of our state.”
Sen. Kathleen Kauth, who authored the trans health measure, has repeatedly referred to an increase of children who identify as transgender as “a social contagion.” She said the measure is aimed at protecting children from doing something they might later regret.
“It does not mean by any stretch of the imagination that we hate them,” she said. “Quite to the contrary: We love them.”
Kauth’s measure was the genesis of an epic filibuster by Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, who along with a handful of progressive allies, including Hunt, have slowed the business of passing laws to a crawl by introducing amendment after amendment to every bill that made it to the Senate floor. That sent leadership scrambling to prioritize which bills to push through.
After lawmakers merged the abortion limits with the transgender health bill, state Sen. Julie Slama insinuated that conservatives were supporting the restrictions on gender-affirming care simply to retaliate against Cavanaugh. Slama noted that the restrictions did not initially have the 33 votes needed to survive.
On Friday, Cavanaugh vowed to continue her filibuster until the end of this year’s session in early June and even through all of 2024.
“This place is morally bankrupt,” Cavanaugh said. “I’m looking forward to 2025 when I no longer have to serve with many of you.”
Conservatives in the one-house, officially nonpartisan Legislature announced early this month that they would amend the trans health bill to squeeze in the abortion restrictions. That unconventional move came after conservatives failed to advance a bill that would have banned abortion once cardiac activity can be detected — generally around six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant.
Legislative rules state that a bill failing to defeat a filibuster must be tabled for the year. So opponents were surprised by the plan announced just last week.
Left-leaning lawmakers complained that conservatives essentially created a new bill that received no public hearing. They also say it violates state law that requires amendments be related to the underlying bill. | 2023-05-20T14:03:28+00:00 | texomashomepage.com | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/ap-nebraska-lawmakers-pass-12-week-abortion-ban-restrictions-on-gender-affirming-care-for-minors/ |
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Scores of Somalis fleeing violence in Sudan arrived in their Horn of Africa nation on Sunday, an official said.
Some 148 Somali nationals, mostly students, arrived by plane in the capital Mogadishu, said Abdurahman Nur Mohamed Diinaari, a top official with the Somali foreign ministry.
“Through the assistance of the International Organization for Migration, Somalia’s foreign ministry has finally been able to relocate 148 Somalis from Sudan to Somalia today,” he said.
The Somalis had traveled by land from Sudan to Ethiopia and then onward by air to Somalia. Forty-five of those who arrived Sunday were later transported to Garowe, the administrative capital of the Somali state of Puntland, Diinaari said.
Somalia itself has been plagued by violence for years. The Islamic extremist group al-Shabab, which opposes the federal government, frequently launches deadly attacks in Mogadishu and other parts of the country.
One of the Somalis evacuated on Sunday said in an interview that she was happy to be alive and back in her country.
“I am pleased that I have finally arrived in my country. However, what we have been through is unusual and hard to describe, but I am grateful for the opportunity to survive,” Ramlo Mohamed, one of the evacuees, told AP. “I pray in the meantime for God to assist our Muslim brothers in Sudan in alleviating their plight.”
There were an estimated 7,000 Somali nationals in Sudan before violence broke out earlier this month, most of them attending universities there. Others are business people and migrants hoping to reach Europe, according to Ewa Naqvi, deputy chief of mission of the U.N. migration agency.
The fighting in Sudan pits the army chief, Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, against Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, the head of a paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. Some of the deadliest battles have raged across Khartoum, the capital.
Ordinary Sudanese have been caught in the crossfire. Tens of thousands have fled to neighboring countries, including Chad and Egypt, while others remain pinned down with dwindling supplies. Thousands of foreigners have been evacuated in airlifts and land convoys.
The Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate, which monitors casualties in the violence, said Sunday that over the past two weeks 425 civilians were killed and 2,091 wounded. The Sudanese Health Ministry on Saturday put the overall death toll, including fighters, at 528, with 4,500 wounded. | 2023-04-30T20:25:39+00:00 | everythinglubbock.com | https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/international/official-148-somalis-evacuated-from-sudan-via-ethiopia/ |
Oregon state election officials want to assure everyone that election process, specifically mail-in voting, is secure.
“False information is literally the biggest threat to elections here in Oregon and across the country,” Secretary of State Shemia Fagan said Tuesday.
Fagan has announced Voting in Oregon Feels Good, a public service campaign to reach voters with accurate information before they are misled by false election information.
“We know that when people form an opinion on elections, it’s really hard to change their minds, even with accurate information,” Fagan said. We want to get to Oregonians before they have heard these lies that are based on the Big Lie and conspiracy theories.”
Deschutes County Clerk Steve Dennison agrees with Fagan.
“Our elections by all accounts are even more secure than ever,” Dennison said. “We have multiple checks and balances to ensure that every registered voter is receiving a ballot. When those ballots are returned, we verify signatures on every envelope.”
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Central Oregon Daily asked voters on the street if they had any concerns with the election process.
“I have no concerns about election fraud or election security. I think it’s all straight up forward,” one voter said. “Never seen a problem in the past. I have full confidence in our voting system.”
“I do think it’s a safe process,” another voter said. “I usually deliver mine to a drop box, but i think the mail is also safe.”
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Ross Harden says he’s not concerned about rigging, but that the process has issues.
“I wouldn’t say that I feel like it’s rigged, but it is set up in a way that there’s problems,” Harden said. “Things get lost in the mail all the time. How many times have you mailed a letter or mailed a package and it never showed up?”
He later gave his idea of a possible solution.
“Making it all digital,” he said. “If it’s digital then there’s no chance it gets lost. It happens immediately. But software and algorithms run the way they’re supposed to run period, so I think digitizing it would make it run a lot better.”
Election day is Nov. 8 | 2022-10-19T03:57:56+00:00 | centraloregondaily.com | https://centraloregondaily.com/oregon-election-safety-ballots-misinformation/ |
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Natasha Howard scored 23 points, Arike Ogunbowale added 21 and the Dallas Wings beat the Atlanta Dream 85-73 on Tuesday night to end a three-game losing streak.
Dallas went ahead 63-38 in the third quarter after scoring 11 straight points. Atlanta missed its first six field goals of the period, but rallied in the fourth behind rookie Taylor Mikesell, who scored seven points in four minutes to get the Dream within 80-67 with 4:07 left.
Dallas made five of its next six free throws to secure an 85-69 and seal the game.
Kalani Brown had 11 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks for Dallas (5-6), which plays the first of back-to-back games at Los Angeles on Friday. Satou Sabally scored 10 points on 2-of-11 shooting and Teaira McCowan had nine points and 11 rebounds in her first game since the season opener.
Ogunbowale, who was coming off a career-high 41 points on Saturday, scored 16 points in the first half and Howard added 10 to help Dallas build a 43-32 lead. Howard finished with 20-plus points for the fourth time this season.
Cheyenne Parker and Rhyne Howard each scored 15 points for Atlanta (5-6), which had its three-game winning streak snapped.
Ogunbowale was ejected with 1:42 left in the fourth quarter after receiving two technical fouls while on the bench. Ogunbowale signed an autograph for a fan while heading to the locker room.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2023-06-21T03:56:10+00:00 | lmtonline.com | https://www.lmtonline.com/sports/article/natasha-howard-scores-23-the-wings-snap-a-3-game-18162378.php |
The San Francisco Giants haven’t seen the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Bay Area since last Oct. 14, when the Dodgers’ win in the decisive Game 5 of the National League Division Series left the hosts dealing with the sudden end to one of the greatest seasons in franchise history.
The Giants still will look to recapture the magic of last season on Friday night when they host the Dodgers in the opener of a three-game series.
San Francisco’s Jakob Junis (3-1, 2.51 ERA) is scheduled to start against Walker Buehler (6-2, 3.84) in a battle of right-handers.
Both teams played matinees on Thursday. The Giants fell 4-2 to the visiting Colorado Rockies in the rubber game of a three-game series, while the Dodgers earned a series win by overcoming an early four-run deficit to edge the host Chicago White Sox 11-9.
The Giants played a sloppy game Thursday, emblematic of the difficulty they’ve had in repeating their all-around performance of last season, when they won a franchise-record 107 games and finished one game ahead of the Dodgers in a classic NL West race.
The Giants led the NL in OPS last year (.769) and finished second in ERA (3.24) while finishing with 32 defensive runs saved above average, eighth best in the league.
They currently are fifth in the NL in OPS (.725) and ninth in ERA (4.22). San Francisco entered play Thursday next-to-last in the league with minus-25 defensive runs saved above average — and that was before committing four errors against the Rockies.
“It’s a really tough league when you’re not converting ground balls into outs,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said.
The Dodgers displayed their typical thoroughness in the comeback win over the White Sox. After scoring six times in the fifth inning to take the lead, Los Angeles added four runs in the sixth, when struggling Max Muncy hit a three-run homer immediately after Chicago manager Tony La Russa ordered Trea Turner intentionally walked despite a 1-2 count.
Muncy, who finished 10th in the NL MVP balloting last year but missed the playoffs after tearing an elbow ligament in the regular-season finale, was in his first game back following a two-week stint on the IL due to continued trouble with his left elbow.
He celebrated his return by going 2-for-5 with a season-high five RBIs.
Muncy is batting .159 in 42 games this year for the Dodgers, who lead the NL in OPS (.758), ERA (2.99) and defensive runs saved (plus-25 through Wednesday).
“I truly believe he’s a game-changer in this lineup,” Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman said of Muncy. “To get him back in the lineup, it’s no surprise we scored so many runs (Thursday).”
Junis earned the win in his most recent start, when he gave up one run over six innings as the Giants beat the host Miami Marlins 5-1 on Sunday. He has never opposed the Dodgers.
Buehler took a loss on Saturday after surrendering five runs over 2 1/3 innings — his fewest ever in a start — as the Dodgers fell 9-4 to the visiting New York Mets.
Buehler is 7-1 with a 2.55 ERA in 13 career appearances (11 starts) against the Giants. In two starts against San Francisco in last year’s NLDS, he went 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA.
The teams met twice in Los Angeles in early May, and the Dodgers recorded 3-1 and 9-1 wins.
–Field Level Media | 2022-06-11T12:54:21+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/sports/mlb-baseball/dodgers-make-first-visit-of-season-to-san-francisco/ |
Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.) on Sunday marked the 21-year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks by warning of domestic threats the U.S. is currently facing.
“I remember, as most Americans do, where they were on 9/11. I was in the middle of a political campaign and suddenly, the differences with my opponent seem very small in comparison and our country came together,” Warner said on CBS “Face the Nation” with host Margaret Brennan.
“The stunning thing to me is here we are 20 years later, and the attack on the symbol of our democracy was not coming from terrorists, but it came from literally insurgents attacking the Capitol on Jan. 6.”
Warner lauded the nation’s unity and progress in the face of international terror threats, and said he hopes the country can similarly rally in the face of domestic challenges.
“I believe our intelligence community has performed remarkably. I think the threat of terror has diminished … But I do worry about some of the activity in this country where the election deniers, the insurgency that took place on Jan. 6, that is something I hope we could see that same kind of unity of spirit.”
Warner leads what he called “the last functioning bipartisan committee,” the Intelligence Committee, along with vice chairman Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). The panel is now looking into the classified documents found when the FBI executed a search warrant at former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence last month. | 2022-09-13T00:17:34+00:00 | kron4.com | https://www.kron4.com/hill-politics/senate-intelligence-chair-says-us-domestic-threats-are-greater-than-terrorism/ |
India's task force of over a million female health-care workers has won a prestigious award from one of the highest institutions in global health.
Unfortunately, it doesn't come with a cash prize.
"Awards don't fill stomachs," says Archana Ghugare, 42, a health-care worker from Pavnar, a village in the state of Maharashtra.
Ghugare works as an ASHA, short for Accredited Social Health Activists. It's a program run by India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that provides health care to rural and low-income communities in the country. They are not medical professionals but are entrusted with a long list of crucial health-care responsibilities, from advising new mothers about breastfeeding to raising awareness about COVID vaccines.
On May 22, the ASHA workers were named one of six recipients of the World Health Organization's Global Health Leaders Awards — sharing the honor with such luminaries as the late Dr. Paul Farmer. The annual prize, created in 2019, recognizes individuals and groups that have made significant contributions to global health.
But while an honor is satisfying, the pay for these workers is not.
They earn around $60 a month on average and have few benefits. In recent years, the government has raised monthly pay by a few tens of dollars, but workers say this is still too low. Many ASHAs, as the workers are known, and those in the global health community hope this moment can put pressure on the government to bump up their salaries, among other job improvements.
Indeed, pay equity has been an ongoing issue. Over the past two years, ASHAs across India have held several protests, including one during the pandemic in 2020, demanding better wages and safer working environments.
"Let's hope the award draws attention to their working conditions," tweeted Jim Campbell, director of the WHO's Health Workforce program.
Despite their dissatisfaction with pay, many ASHAs take great pride in their work. True to the spirit of their acronym (asha means "hope" in some Indian languages), the workers represent hope for better health care, particularly for many of India's underserved populations.
NPR spoke to three ASHAs about their day-to-day tasks and aspirations — and their reaction to the WHO honor.
'We aren't asking for much'
Ramrati Chauhan, a 42-year-old ASHA from the city of Palwal in Haryana state, says she gets very attached to the pregnant women she assists.
One time, a woman suddenly went into labor. Chauhan, who is not a midwife, couldn't reach the woman in time to get her to a hospital — and the woman lost her baby due to complications. "I felt deep remorse" for not being able to help her, says Chauhan.
So when the woman became pregnant again, Chauhan made sure to visit her every day for the entire nine months of her pregnancy — and counseled her repeatedly about childbearing do's and don'ts. There were complications during that delivery too — but this time Chauhan was there to get the woman to the hospital on time, and she gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
"When I pass their house now, the woman points to me and tells her son, 'That's your mother too. She saved your life,' " says Chauhan.
Chauhan says she writes down important moments like these in a diary to read when she feels disheartened about her job.
"We have to struggle [with the government] to get a raise of even $20 to $25" a month, she says. She currently makes about $100 a month. Payment varies across states and depends on how many additional duties a worker carries out.
And when the pandemic first started, she says the government didn't give her much safety equipment — even though she had to check on people who had tested positive for COVID. "We sewed our own masks," she says.
The WHO award isn't a first for ASHAs, says Chauhan, adding that local governments and municipalities have honored them several times. True recognition, she says, would be if the government recognizes ASHAs as full time workers instead of volunteers, and provides them with a steady salary, pension and other benefits.
"We aren't asking for much," Chauhan says. "Only what is commensurate with our hard work."
'People trust me because I'm an ASHA worker'
When the ASHA program began in 2005, the health workers were envisaged as volunteers working about 2 to 3 hours a day and a bit extra on some days, according to the National Health Mission, a program that's part of India's Ministry of Health. But over the years, ASHAs say their responsibilities have increased multifold.
At the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, Archana Ghugare says she was working 14 hours a day. And even today, she's got a full workload. She's been going door-to-door to identify people in the community who have a variety of medical needs, from pregnant people to kids under the age of 14 eligible for COVID vaccinations.
"If the government is getting so many things done from us, shouldn't we get something in return?" asks Ghugare. Payments are frequently late, she says, sometimes by as much as 6 months. She's worried about how she'll pay for the education of her two daughters, one of whom has a speech and hearing disability.
In tough times Ghugare tries to remember why she started doing this job in the first place.
Several years ago, a dying HIV-positive woman told Ghugare her last wish — for Ghugare to take care of her young daughter. After the woman's death, Ghugare didn't adopt or raise her, but gathered donations from villagers to fund the girl's education. Now she's 22 and studying to be a nurse, says Ghugare.
"People trust me because I'm an ASHA worker, and that trust shouldn't be broken," she says.
'We are being exploited'
Veena Dyani, a 37-year-old ASHA from Nainidanda at the foot of the Himalayas, has a packed schedule.
Her day typically starts at 4 a.m. After preparing meals for her three older children and her in-laws who live with her, she sets out for home visits. Routine duties include weighing newborns and handing out vitamin and folic acid tablets to pregnant women.
To do her job, she sometimes has to enlist the aid of others.
In the hilly jungles around Dyani's remote village, there's risk of attacks by wild animals. So whenever she has to walk through the woods to visit households on the other side, she pays a villager from her own pocket to accompany her for safety.
And if her kids don't have schoolwork, they help out, too. At the end of the workday, Dyani has to organize the data she's collected on her patients — what ailments they have, what treatments they need and demographic details, for example. Her children, ages 15, 17 and 20, sometimes write the data in notebooks to be submitted to her bosses.
Lately, her boss has been asking her to file this information online and take photos of the health-care meetings she holds in the community.
This frustrates her. "How [are we supposed to] do this online work? Not all ASHAs have money to buy a good enough smartphone," says Dyani, who uses a basic cellphone. Only some states provide ASHAs with smartphones. Many years ago a politician in her state had promised to provide tablets to the ASHAs — but that hasn't happened, she says.
To make matters worse, the last time she received a payment, about $65, was in February. She's a widow, so she really needs the money to support her family.
"We are being exploited," she says, adding that she could probably make more as a day laborer. But she sticks around, she says, because she likes the work.
When news of the WHO award broke, her WhatsApp group of ASHAs lit up with congratulatory messages. Recognition or no recognition, she says she will continue to do her job — and raise her voice for her rights.
"The ASHA herself [can't] lose hope," she says.
Sushmita Pathak is a freelance radio and print journalist based in India with a focus on politics, development and health. You can find her on Twitter @sushmitza
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2022-06-02T14:27:10+00:00 | klcc.org | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/2022-06-02/these-female-health-care-workers-won-a-huge-who-honor-theyd-like-a-raise-too |
‘Necessary evil’: France refires coal plant amid energy woes
By JEAN-FRANCOIS BADIAS
Associated Press
SAINT-AVOLD, France (AP) — France has restarted a shuttered coal plant as part of emergency efforts to keep heat and electricity on this winter. Russia’s war in Ukraine has triggered an energy crisis in Europe that has paved the way for coal’s comeback in a few countries. On top of Russia largely cutting off natural gas to Europe, France’s nuclear reactors faced a series of maintenance and other technical problems this year. So the governrment issued a decree in September to allow two French coal plants to restart. One is at Saint-Avold in eastern France. The government insists the move will be temporary. Environmental groups warn this endangers climate goals and threatens health from increased pollution. | 2022-11-30T16:47:15+00:00 | krdo.com | https://krdo.com/news/ap-national-business/2022/11/30/necessary-evil-france-refires-coal-plant-amid-energy-woes/ |
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This is a developing story that will be updated when more information becomes available.
A 36-year-old woman and 5-year-old girl were injured in the McLean County crash that left an Indiana man dead, according to state police.
Firefighters battled a smoky, stubborn blaze that heavily damaged a three-story apartment building Thursday night on Bloomington's east side. | 2023-04-22T06:17:23+00:00 | pantagraph.com | https://pantagraph.com/3-bedroom-home-in-bloomington---470-000/article_69ddabd5-133d-5425-a387-62cd5e7e1676.html |
Fisher, Sr., Carl E. , 77. Sapulpa, Computer Operation Manager. Died Friday, Sept. 23. Visitation Monday Oct. 3 from 12 noon-8 pm, with family receiving friends from 6-8 pm. Funeral Service Tuesday Oct. 4, at 10 am at Foundation Church, Sapulpa, Ok. Mobley-Groesbeck Funeral Service
Fisher, Sr., Carl E. , 77. Sapulpa
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THANK YOU for helping us ensure that all guest book entries are positive and considerate. If you see a negative or inappropriate comment, please click on the link in the comment to report it, and a staff member will follow up immediately. | 2022-09-29T05:46:31+00:00 | tulsaworld.com | https://tulsaworld.com/obituaries/deathnotices/fisher-sr-carl-e-77-sapulpa/article_43805a9d-4c1d-5bf8-a25d-e784aa062e04.html |
Indoor Active Entertainment Industry Leader to Bring the Sky Zone Experience to Dublin, Roseville, Sacramento and Santa Rosa
PROVO, Utah, July 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CircusTrix, the largest developer, operator and franchisor of indoor active entertainment parks in the world, has announced that it will be converting its locations in Dublin, Roseville, Sacramento, and Santa Rosa, California to the Sky Zone brand by year end 2022.
Sky Zone invented the trampoline park industry over a decade ago and has been at the forefront of innovating the active entertainment space ever since. With over 60 attractions, there is something for everyone, including the Toddler Zone perfect for children under the age of six, Air Courts that give tricks and sports a boost for kids and teens, and thrilling Slick Slides exclusive to Sky Zone that offer an exhilarating free-fall along with a social media-worthy landing. In addition to monthly memberships, Sky Zone offers birthday parties, fundraising events, school field trips, corporate outings, and other experiences allowing families and friends to gather and make memorable moments together.
"Our business in California has grown by double digits in the past twelve months and we are excited to expand the Sky Zone footprint within the state on both an owned and franchised basis," said Elizabeth Blair, CEO of CircusTrix. "As interest in family-friendly active entertainment continues to grow, we are consistently working to elevate the experiences our customers enjoy at our parks. During 2022, we have announced new parks in Southern California and will be announcing multiple additional California locations by year end. In parallel, we are excited to immediately bring the Sky Zone experience to our Dublin, Roseville, Sacramento, and Santa Rosa locations."
With aggressive expansion plans, Sky Zone is actively searching for engaged community and business leaders to add to its ever-growing roster of new franchisees. To learn more about Sky Zone and to become a franchisee, please visit: https://circustrix.com.
About Sky Zone:
Sky Zone was founded in 2004 as the world's first trampoline park and has grown to become the leader in in indoor active entertainment. The award-winning franchise believes in the power of active play to make us healthier, happier, and more creative. Offering unforgettable parties, an exclusive membership program, and gravity-defying, wall-to-wall aerial attractions, Sky Zone encourages everyone to live joyously in the moment. For more information, visit www.skyzone.com.
About CircusTrix:
CircusTrix is the largest developer, operator, and franchisor of indoor active entertainment parks in the world. Known for Sky Zone, the preeminent brand in the industry, along with the DEFY and Rockin' Jump brands, CircusTrix serves over 40 million visitors and members annually. CircusTrix's rapid growth and innovation has created facilities and exclusive attractions that provide active physical fun, facilitate shareable social media posts, and bring thrill and delight to its worldwide fan base. For more information on the company and franchising opportunities, please visit www.circustrix.com.
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SOURCE Sky Zone | 2022-07-18T14:00:58+00:00 | wbrc.com | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/07/18/sky-zone-expanding-northern-california-with-four-new-locations/ |
Metrorail service to Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County will begin Tuesday afternoon with the opening of the long-awaited Silver Line extension, a transit expansion decades in the making that will open after years of construction delays.
The segment, which begins at Wiehle-Reston East — the current terminus of the Silver Line — and extends west to Ashburn, will complete the 23-mile Silver Line. Phase 1 of the project, which stretches west from East Falls Church in Fairfax County, opened eight years ago, the same year the extension broke ground.
The debut train — filled with passengers who received special “Silver” tickets through a Metro promotion — is scheduled to leave Wiehle-Reston East at 1:15 p.m. on a special westbound express ride to Ashburn. A total of four ceremonies are being held in Fairfax and Loudoun counties Tuesday to commemorate the opening, including a private event for government officials at the Dulles station, which will include Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and members of Congress.
Loudoun County officials say the extension will further transform the suburb 25 miles west of Washington into a destination for tourists and companies looking to relocate. Airport officials expect thousands of people to use the Dulles station daily, while other stations along the tech corridor have become magnets for development. The line was designed with commuters in mind, raising uncertainty about ridership numbers with many workers commuting less frequently in favor of pandemic-era telework.
Metro leaders expect the extension to draw new transit users as thousands of apartments and condominiums come online around the six stations.
For Metro, the opening is a shot of good news after a year filled with challenges, including a train shortage caused by the October 2021 suspension of about 60 percent of Metro’s rail cars. The suspension came after a wheel safety defect was found amid a federal derailment investigation. Metrorail’s regulator, the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, suspended the cars but has allowed Metro to slowly phase them in under a plan that includes frequent wheel inspections.
Regular passenger service on the Silver Line extension is scheduled to start at 1:54 p.m. Tuesday, when an eastbound train will leave Ashburn toward the Downtown Largo station in Prince George’s County, making stops along the way. A westbound trip will depart Downtown Largo at 12:51 p.m., reaching Wiehle-Reston East at 2:02 p.m. before continuing along the new set of tracks. It also will stop at the six new stations: Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Dulles, Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn.
A ride along the length of the new segment from the Ashburn station to the existing Wiehle-Reston East station will take 22 minutes. The ride from Metro Center in downtown Washington to Dulles will take 53 minutes. A ride without transfers that spans the length of the Silver Line, from Ashburn to Downtown Largo, will take about 93 minutes.
Trains on the Silver Line initially will run every 15 minutes, Metro officials said, with wait times decreasing as Metro returns more cars to service.
Customers who stop at the new stations Tuesday will be greeted by Metro workers handing out commemorative pennants, a tradition that began when the first station opened in 1976.
As the rail line opens, it will be the end for multiple bus routes that are being discontinued from Dulles, including the popular 5A Metrobus route, the Silver Line Express bus and the 981 route of the Fairfax Connector. At the same time, Fairfax Connector, Loudoun County Transit, Metrobus and OmniRide are launching new commuter service to the added stations. | 2022-11-15T10:46:33+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2022/11/15/silver-line-extension-opening-dulles/ |
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian shops in Tehran's historic Grand Bazaar and elsewhere across the country closed their doors Tuesday amid protests gripping the nation, as two prominent soccer stars also announced they would not be attending the upcoming World Cup over the demonstrations.
The shop closures came amid calls for a three-day national strike to mark earlier protests in 2019 against Iran's theocracy that ended in a violent crackdown by authorities. However, this round of demonstrations after the September death of a 22-year-old woman earlier detained by the country's morality police have continued despite activists recording at least 344 deaths and 15,820 arrests so far.
The protests have seen prominent former players Ali Daei and Javad Nekounam both say they've declined a FIFA invitation to attend the World Cup in Qatar, where Iran will play.
Shuttered storefronts could be seen across Tehran, Iran's capital, on Tuesday. Several shops did remain open, however, as a heavy security presence could be seen on the streets.
In the Grand Bazaar, the beating heart of Tehran for hundreds of years that long has served as a political bellwether for Persian dynasties, store fronts were closed as a lone woman and a man pushing a cart walked among its narrow alleyways. A stray cat nibbled at trash down one of its silent warrens.
Videos taken earlier Tuesday showed crowds gathered outside of the closed shops, some shouting: “This year is a year of blood; Seyyed Ali will be toppled!” The chant, heard in other protests, refuses to use the title ayatollah to refer to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. An ayatollah is a high-ranking Shiite cleric and such calls targeting Khamenei can bring a death sentence in Iran's closed-door Revolutionary Courts.
Other online videos purported to show shops closed elsewhere in the country as well, with some scattered demonstrations taking place.
Like the other protests after the Sept. 16 death of Mahsa Amini, the demonstrations appeared largely leaderless. A call on social media had gone out demanding a national strike not to buy or sell anything to mark the 2019 protests in Iran that followed a hike in government-subsidized gasoline prices that activists say saw at least 321 people killed in a subsequent crackdown.
Strikes may increasingly put pressure on the Iranian government, which so far has dismissed the demonstrators' demands as a foreign plot by its enemies as opposed to an outpouring of public frustration.
Already, U.S. officials have said they received information from Saudi Arabia saying an attack by Iran on the kingdom may happen. The U.S. Navy said Tuesday it intercepted 70 tons of a missile fuel component on a ship heading from Iran to Yemen, where the country's Houthi rebels have repeatedly targeted Saudi Arabia with ballistic missile fire.
Widening the demonstrations into strikes and boycotts could further raise pressure on Iran's government, which already has seen its economy suffer under international sanctions after the collapse of its nuclear deal with world powers. So far though, it has yet to affect production in its crucial oil and natural gas industry.
The U.N. human rights office separately called on Iran’s government to immediately release thousands of people who have been detained for participating in peaceful protests.
Iran's theocracy has been trying to solidify its support amid the demonstrations, holding rallies to mark the Nov. 4, 1979, takeover and subsequent hostage crisis at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
It's also focused on Iran's upcoming appearance at the World Cup in Qatar. A prominent billboard in Tehran's Vali Asr Square typically used by hard-liners shows Iran's team heading into a match, apparently supported by warriors of its Persian past.
But two prominent former stars have said they won't go to the matches in Qatar. Ali Daei, a top international goal scorer and Iranian team captain, said he declined to go when his country was “grief-stricken.”
“I want to be with my compatriots and express sympathy with all those who have lost loved ones,” the former center-forward said.
Javad Nekounam, another star, similarly has declined to go to the World Cup, Iran's semiofficial ISNA news agency reported. | 2022-11-15T18:48:20+00:00 | expressnews.com | https://www.expressnews.com/sports/article/Shops-in-Iran-including-Grand-Bazaar-close-over-17586096.php |
PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) — Nobel laureate Toni Morrison is now forever immortalized on a stamp honoring the prolific writer, editor, scholar and mentor that was unveiled Tuesday morning in a tribute at Princeton University, where she taught for almost two decades.
Guest speakers, some who had close personal relationships with Morrison and spoke over Zoom, included former President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey, as well as the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden.
The monthslong series of events are paying tribute to Morrison, who died in 2019 at age 88. The tribute opened with a recording of Morrison’s voice playing in the auditorium, reciting a passage on Harlem from her 1992 novel “Jazz”: “Nobody says it’s pretty here; nobody says it’s easy either. What it is is decisive, and if you pay attention to the street plans, all laid out, the City can’t hurt you.”
Later, an all-Black acapella group sang the popular hymn “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which is known as the Black national anthem.
The dedication was made by Michael Cadden, a longtime Princeton lecturer who co-taught courses with Morrison, and formerly served as chair of the Lewis Center of the Arts.
Cadden introduced Pritha Mehra, the chief information officer and executive vice president of the United States Postal Service, who said that the postal service is proud to commemorate Morrison.
“Our new stamp will be seen by millions, and forever remind us of the power of her words and the ideas she brought to the world,” Mehra said.
Photographer Deborah Feingold, whose portrait of Morrison taken for Time magazine’s Jan. 19, 1998 cover appears on the stamp, also spoke at the event.
Morrison’s son, Ford Harrison, and his family were also in attendance Tuesday.
“Anyone who was lucky enough to meet (Morrrison), knows that she was just as captivating in person as she was on the page,” said Ruha Benjamin, a professor of African American studies who read a letter written by the Obamas. “We hope that this postage stamp would make her smile, that she would love the idea of helping us connect through writing once again,” she said.
“Toni may no longer be with us, but we know that her words will endure — challenging our conscience and calling us to greater empathy,” Benjamin said.
In 1993, Morrison became the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Winfrey talked about starting her book club in 1996 with Morrison’s novel from the same year “Song of Solomon” in mind. “Over the years, I selected four of Toni Morrison’s books to read as a community more than any other author,” she said Tuesday in a pre-recorded video.
Winfrey has recalled that when Morrison made her first appearance on “The Oprah Show,” she talked about raising her boys as a single mother and left many in the audience moved. “I shared with her that, ‘Ms. Morrison, sometimes your books are challenging and difficult for some people to read.’ And she said, ‘Well think about how difficult they are to write,'” Winfrey said.
“But difficult or not, what she was able to do through her words (is) bring people from all over the country and the world together in an entirely new experience,” Winfrey continued.
In addition to the events this month, an exhibition exploring Morrison’s creative process will be held at the university library through June 4. Drawn from her archives, the exhibit features more than 100 pieces, some of which have never been seen — including manuscripts, correspondence with other Black women, photographs and hand-drawn maps she created while working on her acclaimed 1987 novel “Beloved.” The exhibit also features some of the only existing drafts of “Song of Solomon,” as well as various unfinished projects.
Later this month, there’ll be a three-day symposium with author Edwidge Danticat giving the keynote address; in April, Grammy-winning vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant will perform.
Princeton’s President Christopher Eisgruber stressed that Morrison’s legacy will continue to be an inspiration for the university, its community and most importantly, Black artists and artist of color.
“She was a writer of rare genius, brilliant originality and genuinely historic importance,” Eisgruber said. | 2023-03-07T23:04:21+00:00 | wjhl.com | https://www.wjhl.com/entertainment/ap-entertainment/toni-morrison-honored-with-new-stamp-unveiled-at-princeton/ |
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Supporters of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro clashed with police Monday, setting fire to several vehicles and allegedly attempting to invade the federal police’s headquarters in capital city Brasilia.
Images of chaos as a small number of protesters, many wearing the yellow and green of Brazil's flag that has come to symbolize Bolsonarismo, roamed the city, circulated on local television channels and social media.
Brasilia's public security secretariat said in a statement that clashes broke out after police carried out an arrest warrant. Earlier that day, Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes had ordered the temporary arrest of José Acácio Serere Xavante, suspected of participating in anti-democratic protests.
Since Bolsonaro lost re-election to da Silva on Oct. 30, many of his supporters have gathered outside military barracks across the country refusing to concede defeat and asking for the armed forces to intervene. Earlier Monday, the nation's electoral authority awarded da Silva and his vice president an official certification, sealing their victory.
Bolsonaro, who has repeatedly claimed that the nation's electronic voting system is prone to fraud and has not conceded defeat, told supporters Friday that his political future was in their hands.
“The depredation and attempted invasion of the Federal Police building in Brasilia is unacceptable,” said Flavio Dino, future Justice and Public Security Minister in the upcoming administration of President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The leader of the opposition in the Senate, Randolfe Rodrigues, said some protestors, whom he called “terrorists,” had concentrated around the hotel where da Silva is staying.
Police in full gear were rushed to the Federal Police’s headquarters as back up, as officers had to use stun grenades and rubber bullets, local media reported. Police also blocked several avenues and streets across Brasilia
Protesters elsewhere set at least one bus on fire and were seen gathering metal barriers.
Credit: Eraldo Peres
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Credit: Eraldo Peres | 2022-12-13T03:57:44+00:00 | springfieldnewssun.com | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/bolsonaro-supporters-clash-with-police-in-brazils-capital/RNNTACKCCJGLBHBAFEFICVS6CA/ |
(Green Car Reports) — Tesla is being sued by customers who claim the automaker has unlawfully monopolized replacement parts and repair services.
Two class action lawsuits (via Transport Topics) were filed Tuesday and Wednesday in San Francisco on behalf of two California residents who own Model S EVs. The plaintiffs allege that Tesla has violated antitrust laws by limiting competition by forcing owners to use company-approved service centers, and to source spare parts from Tesla.
Modern cars in general are more difficult for independent repair shops to work on due to the need to access vehicle data and proprietary software, but Tesla also exercises more control over the mechanical as well as digital aspects of car repair.
Tesla sells cars directly to customers without franchised dealerships, which means the company also operates its own network of service centers. Tesla has also been known to keep tight control of parts supplies, forcing independent shops to keep older cars on the road without factory support.
Other startup automakers, including Lucid and Rivian, have also eschewed franchised dealerships, but they have a much smaller population of vehicles on the road right now than Tesla.
These policies have caused Tesla owners “to suffer lengthy delays in repairing and maintaining their electric vehicles, only to pay sub-competitive prices for those parts and repairs once they are finally provided,” the filings state.
The lawsuits come as right-to-repair laws gain more traction with lawmakers.
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Massachusetts led the way, passing a right-to-repair law in 2012 and expanding that law in 2020 to include vehicle data. President Biden has indicated support for right-to-repair policies, and a federal bill was introduced in the House of Representatives in 2022. | 2023-03-17T14:57:50+00:00 | wboy.com | https://www.wboy.com/automotive/tesla-owners-sue-over-parts-and-service-monopoly/ |
Update to electors law desperately needed, senators declare
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democrat Joe Manchin made the case on Wednesday for overhauling the 1800s-era Electoral Count Act, pushing for quick passage of a bipartisan compromise that would make it harder for a losing candidate to overturn legitimate results of a presidential election.
Proposals from their group of 16 senators — nine Republicans and seven Democrats — are a response to former President Donald Trump and his allies pushing courts, state legislatures and Congress to somehow overturn his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden. Trump’s efforts culminated in the violence of Jan. 6, 2021, when hundreds of his supporters pushed past police and broke into the Capitol as Congress was certifying the results.
An update to the electoral law is “something our country desperately needs,” Manchin said Wednesday, testifying at a Senate hearing on the bill. “The time for Congress to act is now.”
Manchin and Collins, who introduced a series of proposals to reform the law last month along with 14 other senators, are pushing for passage of the legislation before the end of the congressional session in January. The bills could face a harder path after November’s midterm elections if Republicans take over the House, where Democrats are leading a separate effort to revise the law.
“This is something we shouldn’t carry over into another election cycle,” said Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, the top Republican on the Senate Rules Committee who has been supportive of the effort.
The Electoral Count Act of 1887 governs the counting and certification of electoral votes in presidential elections and has long been criticized as arcane, vaguely written and vulnerable to abuse. Those fears were realized after the 2020 contest when Trump’s allies worked to exploit those weaknesses, pushing states to put forward alternate slates of electors and pressuring Vice President Mike Pence to use his ceremonial role in the congressional joint session on Jan. 6 to object to the results or delay certification.
The bipartisan group of senators has worked for months to find agreement on a way to revamp the process, eventually settling on the series of proposals introduced last month.
The legislation would add a series of safeguards to the electoral count, increasing the thresholds for challenging results so state or federal officials can’t exploit loopholes to advocate for a preferred candidate.
It would reinforce that the vice president’s role over the electoral count is “solely ministerial,” with no power to change the results. It would make clear that Congress can only accept the one legitimate slate of electors from each state and make it harder for members of either party to object to the results. And it would strike an outdated law that could allow some state legislatures to override the popular vote.
“Nothing is more essential to the survival of a democracy than the orderly transfer of power,” said Collins, of Maine, who testified alongside Manchin, of West Virginia. “And there is nothing more essential to the orderly transfer of power than clear rules for effecting it.”
It is unclear how quickly the Senate might act when it returns from its August break in the fall. Both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell have signaled support, and the legislation is expected to have enough backing to overcome any objections and pass in the 50-50 Senate.
Roadblocks await in the House, however, where some Democrats would like the bill to do much more. The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection and the House Administration Committee have been working on similar proposals to each other and promise to release them soon.
While overwhelmingly supportive of the current Senate proposal, legal experts who testified at the hearing identified some potential sticking points. They recommended some tweaks, including better defining the specific grounds that members of Congress can use when objecting to a state’s electors during congressional certification and making it even harder for state legislators to delay or override a vote by declaring a “failed election.”
The Senate compromise would already amend an 1845 law allowing states to declare a “failed election,” only permitting a state to modify election timing in “extraordinary and catastrophic” circumstances, but the experts said that might not be enough. They said such circumstances should be spelled out — a natural disaster that prevents many people from reaching the polls, for example, — and not simply what state lawmakers may consider a “catastrophic” election result.
While recommending changes, the panel of experts — including Bob Bauer, who was White House counsel in the Obama administration, and Brookings Institution Fellow Norm Eisen — said the need for action is urgent.
“Jan. 6 has passed, but the danger has not,” said Eisen, who served as a lawyer for the House Judiciary Committee during Trump’s first impeachment.
The proposals introduced by the bipartisan group last month also include bolstered security for state and local election officials, who have faced violence and harassment, including doubled penalties for people who threaten or intimidate election officials.
Some of those election officials testified at a separate Senate Judiciary hearing on Wednesday, asking for Congress to amend federal law to include strong penalties on those who threaten or harm anyone involved in election administration — and to limit access to individuals seeking personal information of election officials.
New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said threats to election integrity are growing by the day, noting the recent case in her state of a county commissioner who refused to certify the results of a primary.
“For the election officials and volunteer poll workers that our elections depend on, I fear that threats and harassment will cause them so much stress and uncertainty that they will simply give up the work for voters,” she said.
___
Associated Press writer Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2022-08-04T18:08:40+00:00 | wfsb.com | https://www.wfsb.com/2022/08/04/update-electors-law-desperately-needed-senators-declare/ |
Asurion® Repair Experts Provide Fast Fixes on Phones, Tablets, Laptops, and More
MEMPHIS, Tenn., July 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A new electronics repair shop, Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions™, has opened in Memphis at 3462 Plaza Ave. in the Poplar Plaza across from Kroger. The store offers professional fixes for most consumer electronics, from smartphones, tablets, and computers to game consoles, smart speakers, drones, and more.
While common repairs include cracked screens, battery issues, and water damage, the company's repair experts have fixed millions of devices and can help with most any tech mishap, and many basic repairs can be completed in 45 minutes or less.
The store is locally owned by Marc L. Lawson Jr. and his brother Brandon Lawson, who also own locations in Germantown, Wolfchase, and Johnson City. The brothers also plan to open an additional location in Kingsport later this year.
"I have been a part of the Memphis community for over 10 years," said Marc Lawson, owner of Asurion Tech Repair and Solutions Memphis. "While owning three other locations, I fell in love with the company's dedication to serving tech users in a time when connectivity is more critical than ever. I'm eager to further this commitment to those living in the heart of Memphis."
The store's expert repair technicians fix all kinds of technology, regardless of make or model, and the store is an authorized repair provider for Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel smartphones. Customers can book a repair appointment online or stop by the store for walk-in service. The store offers free, no-obligation diagnostics on all gadgets, as well as a 1-year limited warranty on all repairs. It even offers a price match guarantee on any local competitor's regularly published price for the same repair.
The new Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions store brings the company's retail footprint to more than 800 locations across the U.S. Formerly known as uBreakiFix®, all U.S. locations will rebrand as Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions throughout 2022.
"We are excited to serve people in Memphis with fast and affordable tech repair," said Dave Barbuto, CEO of Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions. "We all rely on our phones and laptops more than ever before, and our mission is bigger than repairing shattered screens and broken charge ports. We fix tech because people depend on it to stay connected to things that are important to them. I look forward to serving this community through our new Memphis location."
The new store is located at:
Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions
3462 Plaza Ave Suite 101, Memphis, TN 38111
(901) 482-9911
About Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions™
Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions™, formerly known as uBreakiFix®, is the retail brand operated and franchised by a subsidiary of tech care company Asurion®. As the world's leading tech care company, Asurion eliminates the fears and frustrations associated with technology to ensure its 300 million customers get the most out of their devices, appliances, and connections. Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions stores specialize in the repair of consumer technology, including smartphones, game consoles, tablets, computers, and nearly everything in between. Asurion Tech Repair and Solutions repair experts fix cracked screens, software issues, camera issues, and most other tech mishaps at more than 700 stores across the U.S. The stores provide fast, affordable fixes for nearly any device type, regardless of make or model, including authorized repairs for Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy smartphones.
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SOURCE Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions | 2022-07-15T21:59:19+00:00 | wafb.com | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2022/07/15/asurion-tech-repair-amp-solutions-opens-memphis/ |
Millions of Social Security recipients will get an 8.7% boost in their benefits in 2023.
That’s a historic increase and welcome news for American retirees and others — but it’s tempered by the fact that it’s fueled by record-high inflation that’s raised the cost of everyday living.
The cost-of living adjustment means the average recipient will receive more than $140 extra a month beginning in January, according to estimates released Thursday by the Social Security Administration.
The increase comes around the same time the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the Consumer Price Index increased 8.2% for the 12-month period ending in September.
The boost in benefits will be coupled with a 3% drop in Medicare Part B premiums, meaning retirees will get the full impact of the jump in Social Security benefits.
The announcement comes just weeks before the midterm elections, and at a time when Democrats and Republicans are sparring about high prices now and how best to shore up the program financially in the future.
President Joe Biden has pledged to protect both Social Security and Medicare. “I’ll make them stronger,” he said last month. “And I’ll lower your cost to be able to keep them.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement Wednesday that the combination of a Social Security benefit boost and a decline in Medicare premiums will give seniors a chance to get ahead of inflation. “We will put more money in their pockets and provide them with a little extra breathing room,” she said.
About 70 million people — including retirees, disabled people and children — receive Social Security benefits. This will be the biggest increase in benefits that baby boomers, those born between the years 1946 and 1964, have ever seen.
Willie Clark, 65, of Waukegan, Illinois, says his budget is “real tight” and the increase in his Social Security disability benefits could give him some breathing room to cover the cost of the household expenses he's been holding off on.
Still, he doubts how much of the extra money will end up in his pocket. His rent in an apartment building subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is based on his income, so he expects that will rise, too.
Social Security is financed by payroll taxes collected from workers and their employers. Each pays 6.2% on wages up to a cap, which is adjusted each year for inflation. The maximum amount of earnings subject to Social Security payroll taxes for 2023 is $155,100.
The financing setup dates to the 1930s, the brainchild of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who believed a payroll tax would foster among average Americans a sense of ownership that would protect the program from political interference.
Next year's higher payout, without an accompanying increase in Social Security contributions, could put additional pressure on a system that's facing a severe shortfall in coming years.
The annual Social Security and Medicare trustees report released in June says the program's trust fund will be unable to pay full benefits beginning in 2035.
If the trust fund is depleted, the government will be able to pay only 80% of scheduled benefits, the report said. Medicare will be able to pay 90% of total scheduled benefits if the fund is depleted.
In January, a Pew Research Center poll showed 57% of U.S. adults saying that “taking steps to make the Social Security system financially sound" was a top priority for the president and Congress to address this year. Securing Social Security got bipartisan support, with 56% of Democrats and 58% of Republicans calling it a top priority.
Some solutions for reforming Social Security have been proposed — but none has moved forward in a sharply partisan Congress.
Earlier this year, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., issued a detailed plan that would require Congress to come up with a proposal to adequately fund Social Security and Medicare or potentially phase them out.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., publicly rebuked the plan and Biden has used Scott's proposal as a political bludgeon against Republicans ahead of midterm elections.
"If Republicans in Congress have their way, seniors will pay more for prescription drugs and their Social Security benefits will never be secure," Jean-Pierre said. | 2022-10-13T13:30:01+00:00 | kjrh.com | https://www.kjrh.com/news/national/social-security-recipients-to-see-significant-increase-in-benefits-to-offset-inflation |
Disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh has taken the stand in his own defense at his double murder trial.
Murdaugh, 54, is charged with fatally shooting his wife, Maggie, 52, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, who were killed near kennels on their property on June 7, 2021. Murdaugh has denied any role in the killings and faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted.
Alex Murdaugh’s decision to testify Thursday could be a gamble. Prosecutors can question him about not only his wife and son’s death but also the roughly 100 other charges he faces — from stealing from clients to arranging his own shooting on the side of a highway.
But over five weeks of trial, questions have emerged that only Murdaugh can answer.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
Disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh says he will take the stand in his own defense at his double murder trial Thursday to present his version of events.
Murdaugh, 54, is charged with fatally shooting his wife, Maggie, 52, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, who were killed near kennels on their property on June 7, 2021. He faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted. Murdaugh, whose family dominated the legal system in tiny Hampton County for generations, has denied any role in the killings.
In court Thursday, Murdaugh told the judge, “I am going to testify. I want to testify.”
Alex Murdaugh’s decision to take the stand could be a gamble. Prosecutors can question him about not only his wife and son’s death but also the roughly 100 other charges he faces — from stealing from clients to arranging his own shooting on the side of a highway.
But over five weeks of trial, questions have emerged that only Murdaugh can answer.
For example, the once-prominent attorney told police that he was visiting his ailing mother in another town and not near his Colleton County home in the hours before the killings. But several witnesses have testified that they believe they hear Murdaugh’s voice along with his son and wife on a cellphone video taken at the kennels about five minutes before the shootings.
That’s a key piece of evidence in a case lacking the weapons used to kill the victims, bloody clothing, a confession or surveillance video.
Several witnesses, including Maggie Murdaugh’s sister, have testified that Alex Murdaugh didn’t appear scared for the safety of himself or his surviving son in the weeks after the killings despite the brutality of the shootings and no apparent leads from police.
Murdaugh is being held without bail on the financial and other crimes, so even if he is found not guilty, he will not walk out of court a free man.
If convicted of most or all of those financial crimes, Murdaugh would likely spend decades in prison. | 2023-02-23T19:33:58+00:00 | myfox8.com | https://myfox8.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-alex-murdaugh-testifies-in-his-own-defense-at-murder-trial/ |
~ Management updates fiscal year 2022 guidance ~
SAN DIEGO, July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WD-40 Company (NASDAQ:WDFC), a global marketing organization dedicated to creating positive lasting memories by developing and selling products that solve problems in workshops, factories and homes around the world, today reported financial results for its third fiscal quarter ended May 31, 2022.
Third Fiscal Quarter Financial Highlights
- Total net sales for the third quarter were $123.7 million, a decrease of 9 percent compared to the prior year fiscal quarter. Year-to-date total net sales were $388.4 million, an increase of 4 percent compared to the prior year fiscal period.
- Translation of the Company's foreign subsidiary results to U.S. dollars had an unfavorable impact on sales for the current quarter and year-to-date. On a constant currency basis, total net sales would have been $127.8 million for the third quarter and $390.0 million year-to-date.
- Net income for the third quarter was $14.5 million, a decrease of 31 percent compared to the prior year fiscal quarter. Year-to-date net income was $52.5 million, a decrease of 15 percent from the prior year fiscal period.
- Diluted earnings per share were $1.07 in the third quarter, compared to $1.52 per share for the prior year fiscal quarter. Year-to-date diluted earnings per share were $3.82 compared to $4.48 for the prior year fiscal period.
- Gross margin was 47.7 percent in the third quarter compared to 53.1 percent in the prior year fiscal quarter. Year-to-date gross margin was 49.7 percent compared to 54.9 percent in the prior year fiscal period.
- Selling, general and administrative expenses were down 12 percent in the third quarter to $33.6 million when compared to the prior year fiscal quarter. Year-to-date selling, general and administrative expenses were down 2 percent to $106.9 million compared to the prior year fiscal period.
- Advertising and sales promotion expenses were down 9 percent in the third quarter to $6.0 million when compared to the prior year fiscal quarter. Year-to-date advertising and sales promotion expenses were down 2 percent to $17.2 million compared to the prior year fiscal period.
"In the third quarter we were up against very strong sales comparisons and had to manage through several global disruptions that negatively impacted our current quarter sales results," said Garry Ridge, WD-40 Company's chairman and chief executive officer. "In addition, we are operating in a challenging macroeconomic environment which has continued to deteriorate our gross margin. Although we remain committed to managing our business to restore gross margin to our target of 55 percent over the longer-term, we continue to experience short-term margin pressures due to inflation."
"In times like these I like to remind stakeholders to see the forest through the trees. We continue to be a business with a very strong moat, diversified across many trade channels and countries around the world. We have a strong balance sheet, generate steady cash flows, and continue to return capital to our investors though regular dividends. In addition, the WD-40® Brand is strong and robust brands like ours are great assets in turbulent times. Most critical of all, we have passionate and committed employees who are dedicated to our Company's purpose."
"As we look to the remainder of the fiscal year, despite the global disruptions we've experienced, we continue to believe we are positioned to achieve sales growth for the full fiscal year which will represent a record sales result for our Company," Ridge concluded.
Net Sales by Segment (in thousands):
- Net sales by segment as a percent of total net sales for the third quarter were as follows: for the Americas, 50 percent; for EMEA, 40 percent; and for Asia-Pacific, 10 percent.
- Net sales in the Americas increased 2 percent in the third quarter due primarily to higher sales of maintenance products in the Canada and Latin America markets which increased 23 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Higher sales of maintenance products in Canada were primarily due to increased promotional activities and a higher level of demand for our products in the industrial channel. Higher sales of maintenance products in Latin America were primarily driven by strong sales of WD-40 Multi-Use Product in Mexico due to the continued momentum from the shift in the Mexico market from a distributor model to the direct model that we made in late fiscal year 2020. In addition, price increases that went into effect earlier this fiscal year had a positive impact on sales in the region. In the United States, sales remained relatively constant period over period.
- Net sales in EMEA decreased 16 percent in the third quarter due primarily to lower sales of maintenance products in both the EMEA direct and distributor markets, which decreased 13 percent and 21 percent, respectively. The decrease in maintenance product sales in the EMEA direct markets was primarily due to the impact of foreign currency exchange rates and reduced demand for our products compared to the prior period. Renovation trends associated with the pandemic resulted in particularly strong demand in the third quarter of fiscal year 2021 in many regions of EMEA. The decrease in maintenance product sales in the EMEA distributor markets was primarily attributable to the Company's suspension of sales in Russia due to the ongoing impacts of the Russian military action in Ukraine. On a constant currency basis EMEA sales for the third quarter would have decreased by 9 percent compared to the prior year fiscal quarter.
- Net sales in Asia-Pacific decreased 28 percent in the third quarter due primarily to lower sales of maintenance products in the Asia-Pacific distributor markets and China, which decreased 56 percent and 25 percent, respectively. Products for our Asia-Pacific distributor and Chinese markets are sourced from a third-party manufacturer located in Shanghai, China. Both markets were negatively impacted by the Company's inability to ship products due to the severe lockdown measures instituted in Shanghai as a result of a surge in COVID-19 cases in the region. Net sales in Australia increased 4 percent in the third quarter primarily due to the ongoing growth of the base business, increased promotional activities and the impact of price increases. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on sales for the Asia-Pacific segment. On a constant currency basis, Asia-Pacific sales would have decreased by 26 percent compared to the prior year fiscal quarter.
Net Sales by Product Group (in thousands):
- Net sales of maintenance products, which are considered the primary growth focus for the Company, decreased 9 percent in the third quarter when compared to the prior year fiscal quarter. These sales decreases were primarily attributable to lower sales of maintenance products in the Company's China and Asia-Pacific distributor markets due to lockdown measures in Shanghai related to the COVID-19 pandemic that severely limited our ability to ship product in the region. Also contributing to the decline was the Company's suspension of sales in Russia due to the ongoing impacts of the Russian military action in Ukraine. Finally, sales were lower in the Company's EMEA direct markets due to reduced demand and changing foreign currency exchange rates compared to the prior year period.
- Net sales of homecare and cleaning products decreased 10 percent in the third quarter when compared to the prior year fiscal quarter. The homecare and cleaning products, particularly those in the United States, are considered harvest brands providing healthy profits to the Company and are becoming a smaller part of the business as net sales of maintenance products grow, reflecting the execution of the Company's strategic initiatives.
Dividend and Share Repurchase Update
As previously announced on June 21, 2022, WD-40 Company's board of directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.78 per share payable on July 29, 2022 to stockholders of record at the close of business on July 15, 2022.
On October 12, 2021, the Company's board of directors approved a share repurchase plan that became effective on November 1, 2021. Under the plan the Company is authorized to acquire up to $75.0 million of its outstanding shares through August 31, 2023. The timing and amount of repurchases will be based on terms and conditions acceptable to the Company and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. During the period from March 1, 2022 through May 31, 2022, the Company repurchased 23,200 shares of its common stock at a total cost of $4.2 million, leaving $52.6 million available for the repurchase of common stock under this plan.
Updated Fiscal Year 2022 Guidance
The Company updated its guidance for fiscal year 2022 as follows:
- Net sales growth is projected to be between 6 and 9 percent with net sales expected to be between $519 million and $532 million.
- Gross margin percentage for the full year is expected to be around 50 percent.
- Advertising and promotion investments are projected to be between 5.0 and 5.5 percent of net sales.
- The provision for income tax is expected to be between 20 and 21 percent.
- Net income is projected to be between $69.0 million and $70.1 million.
- Diluted earnings per share is expected to be between $5.02 and $5.10 based on an estimated 13.7 million weighted average shares outstanding.
This guidance is based on management's current view of anticipated results and does not include any future acquisitions or divestitures or the impact of fluctuating foreign currency exchange rates. Unanticipated inflationary headwinds, COVID-19 related lockdowns in China and other unforeseen events may further impact the Company's financial results.
Webcast Information
As previously announced, WD-40 Company management will host a live webcast at approximately 5:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. PT today to discuss these results. Other forward-looking and material information may also be discussed during this call. Please visit http://investor.wd40company.com for more information and to view supplemental materials.
About WD-40 Company
WD-40 Company is a global marketing organization dedicated to creating positive lasting memories by developing and selling products that solve problems in workshops, factories and homes around the world. The Company owns a wide range of well-known brands that include maintenance products and homecare and cleaning products: WD-40® Multi-Use Product, WD-40 Specialist®, 3-IN-ONE®, GT85®, 2000 Flushes®, no vac®, 1001®, Spot Shot®, Lava®, Solvol®, X-14®, and Carpet Fresh®.
Headquartered in San Diego, WD-40 Company recorded net sales of $488.1 million in fiscal year 2021 and its products are currently available in more than 176 countries and territories worldwide. WD-40 Company is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select market under the ticker symbol "WDFC." For additional information about WD-40 Company please visit http://www.wd40company.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Except for the historical information contained herein, this press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements reflect the Company's current expectations with respect to currently available operating, financial and economic information. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in or implied by the forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements are generally identified with words such as "believe," "expect," "intend," "plan," "could," "may," "aim," "anticipate," "target," "estimate" and similar expressions.
Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, discussions about future financial and operating results, including: growth expectations for maintenance products; expected levels of promotional and advertising spending; anticipated input costs for manufacturing and the costs associated with distribution of our products; plans for and success of product innovation, the impact of new product introductions on the growth of sales; anticipated results from product line extension sales; expected tax rates and the impact of tax legislation and regulatory action; the length and severity of the current COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the global economy and the Company's financial results; changes in the political conditions or relations between the United States and other nations; the impacts from inflationary trends and supply chain constraints; and forecasted foreign currency exchange rates and commodity prices.
The Company's expectations, beliefs and forecasts are expressed in good faith and are believed by the Company to have a reasonable basis, but there can be no assurance that the Company's expectations, beliefs or forecasts will be achieved or accomplished.
Actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements due to various factors, including, but not limited to, those identified in Part I―Item 1A, "Risk Factors," in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2021 which the Company filed with the SEC on October 22, 2021 and in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended May 31, 2022 which the Company expects to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 7, 2022.
All forward-looking statements included in this presentation should be considered in the context of these risks. All forward-looking statements reflect the Company's expectations as of July 7, 2022, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Investors and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
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SOURCE WD-40 Company | 2022-07-07T20:48:48+00:00 | waff.com | https://www.waff.com/prnewswire/2022/07/07/wd-40-company-reports-third-quarter-2022-financial-results/ |
CANNES, France (AP) — After one of France’s top actors, Adèle Haenel, announced she was quitting a French film industry that she denounced for “complacency toward sexual aggressors,” Cannes Film Festival chief Thierry Fremaux rejected her criticisms while addressing members of the media Monday.
Haenel, star of the 2019 Cannes entry “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” last week published an open letter in the Telerama magazine in which the 34-year-old said Cannes and other pillars of the French film industry are “ready to do anything to defend their rapist chiefs.”
Fremaux strongly disagreed while speaking to journalists before the festival kicks off Tuesday with the premiere of Maïwenn’s historical drama “Jeanne du Barry,” starring Johnny Depp.
“No doubt for somewhat radical reasons, she had to make this comment about Cannes, which was obviously false,” said Fremaux.
In 2019, Haenel accused French director Christophe Ruggia of sexually harassing her for years beginning from the age of 12. Ruggia has denied it. Since then, Haenel has often vocally protested what she’s called an insufficient response sexual abuse in French filmmaking. At the César Awards in 2020, she walked out of the ceremony after Roman Polanski won best director.
In his remarks, Fremaux only specifically addressed Haenel’s criticism of Cannes. When she came to the festival with Celine Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” he said: “She didn’t think that when she came to Cannes unless she suffered from a crazy dissonance.
“The proof is that if you believed it, you would not be here, listening to me now, taking your accreditations and complaining about the press screenings for a festival of rapists,” Fremaux said the gathered reporters.
How the #MeToo movement has reverberated in Cannes, one of the world’s oldest and most glamorous film festivals, has been a subject of debate. Harvey Weinstein was for years a prominent presence in Cannes, and some of the incidents of sexual abuse alleged against the producer took place during the festival.
Cannes also has traditionally had a low rate of female filmmakers in its prestigious competition lineup, where only two female directors have won the Palme d’Or: Jane Campion in 1993 with “The Piano” and Julia Ducournau in 2021 with “Titane.” In 2018, 82 women led a protest on the Cannes red carpet. The following year, Fremaux bowing to pressure, signed a pledge promising to strive toward greater gender parity.
Fremaux acknowledged that the festival once had a problem in gender inclusivity. “Maybe I was clumsy,” he said. This year, there are a record seven films directed by women out of the 21 movies in competition, which he said reflects the growing prominence of female filmmakers around the world.
Now, he added, “when we hesitate between a film made by a man or a film made by a women, we’ll select the film made by the woman. But only when we hesitate.
“This all denotes progress,” said Fremaux.
At the same time, Cannes has sometimes been accused of being too welcoming to some of the men who have been accused of misconduct. Polanski returned to the festival in 2017. This year, some had been expecting Woody Allen’s latest film to premiere in Cannes but it didn’t make the lineup. Asked about it, Fremaux said he would only address films in the selection.
Fremaux was, though, questioned about the selection of “Jeanne du Barry” as the opening night film. The film, which co-stars Maïwenn, is Depp’s first since his high-profile trial with Amber Heard, his ex-wife. After both Depp and Heard accused each other of physical and verbal abuse, a civil jury awarded Depp $10 million in damages and $2 million to Heard. In December, they reached a settlement.
“To tell you the truth, in my life, I only have one rule, it’s the freedom of thinking, the freedom of speech and the freedom to act within a legal framework,” said Fremaux. “If Johnny Depp had been banned from acting in a film, or the film was banned we wouldn’t be here talking about it.”
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For more coverage of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/cannes-film-festival | 2023-05-15T23:15:04+00:00 | ksn.com | https://www.ksn.com/entertainment/ap-entertainment/cannes-director-defends-festival-after-adele-haenel-slams-french-film-industrys-metoo-response/ |
Biden: Monkeypox threat doesn’t rise to level of COVID-19
TOKYO (AP) — President Joe Biden sought Monday to calm concerns about recent cases of monkeypox that have been identified in Europe and the United States, saying he did not see the need to institute strict quarantine measures.
Speaking in Tokyo a day after he said the virus was something “to be concerned about,” Biden said, “I just don’t think it rises to the level of the kind of concern that existed with COVID-19.”
Monkeypox is rarely identified outside of Africa. But as of Friday, there were 80 confirmed cases worldwide, including at least two in the United States, and another 50 suspected ones. On Sunday, one presumptive case of monkeypox also was being investigated in Broward County in South Florida, which state health officials said appeared to be related to international travel.
Although the disease belongs to the same virus family as smallpox, its symptoms are milder. People usually recover within two to four weeks without needing to be hospitalized, but the disease occasionally is deadly.
Biden said the smallpox vaccine works for monkeypox. Asked whether the U.S. has enough stockpile of that vaccine to handle the monkeypox spread, Biden said, “I think we do have enough to deal with the likelihood of a problem.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2022-05-23T12:59:15+00:00 | kcbd.com | https://www.kcbd.com/2022/05/23/biden-monkeypox-threat-doesnt-rise-level-covid-19/ |
The Marvel Studios' Superhero and UNICEF Canada Ambassador Will Appear as a Special Guest at Blackbaud's Tech Conference for Good
CHARLESTON, S.C., Aug. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the world's leading cloud software company powering social good, today announced that Simu Liu will join the mainstage at bbcon 2022 Virtual, the tech conference for good. Liu will participate in a keynote conversation at the conference, which is taking place Oct. 17–18 as a free, virtual event.
"Simu Liu is an inspiring actor and author. His captivating performances onscreen and voice for representation offscreen have catapulted him onto the global stage," said Catherine LaCour, chief marketing officer, Blackbaud. "We're excited for Simu to share his insight, encouragement and advice with our bbcon audience as they consider ways to carve their own paths as professionals and shape enduring organizations."
Simu Liu made his feature debut as the title hero in Marvel Studios' "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," which broke box office records on its release and became the second-highest grossing film of the pandemic era. Liu won the People's Choice Award for Action Movie Star of 2021 and was nominated for a Critics' Choice Award for Best Actor in a Superhero Movie. In addition, Liu was named to Time Magazine's list of The 100 Most Influential People of 2022.
Liu is also well known for his role on the CBC/Netflix family sitcom "Kim's Convenience" and recently completed production on eOne's "Arthur the King" and "One True Loves." He is currently in production on Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" movie, starring alongside Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.
As a writer, Liu has contributed to publications such as Variety, Character Magazine, USA Today and Macleans. His memoir "We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story," detailing his family's journey from Harbin, China, to Hollywood, California, was released worldwide in May.
In addition to his film, television and writing career, Liu is a UNICEF Canada Ambassador working to impact global change by shedding a light on children in need both in Canada and around the world.
Blackbaud recently announced that bestselling author and activist Glennon Doyle will also be joining the bbcon mainstage. The conference is designed to make social good organizations, their teams, and their missions stronger and more resilient. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn actionable strategies and gain insights into trends from leading experts; get a sneak peek of upcoming Blackbaud product innovation and enhancements; discover new ways to extend and enhance their tech investment with services and solutions from Blackbaud partners; learn from some of the world's leading voices on how diversity, empathy and authenticity can create stronger, more engaged leaders; and connect with like-minded professionals to build their network.
In conjunction with bbcon, the Blackbaud Product Update Briefings will be held virtually Oct. 19–20. Get more information about bbcon 2022 Virtual and register for free here.
Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the world's leading cloud software company powering social good. Serving the entire social good community—nonprofits, higher education institutions, K–12 schools, healthcare organizations, faith communities, arts and cultural organizations, foundations, companies and individual change agents—Blackbaud connects and empowers organizations to increase their impact through cloud software, services, expertise and data intelligence. The Blackbaud portfolio is tailored to the unique needs of vertical markets, with solutions for fundraising and CRM, marketing, advocacy, peer-to-peer fundraising, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental, social and governance (ESG), school management, ticketing, grantmaking, financial management, payment processing and analytics. Serving the industry for more than four decades, Blackbaud is a remote-first company headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, with operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.blackbaud.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Media Inquiries
media@blackbaud.com
Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations, and assumptions contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding expected benefits of products and product features. Although Blackbaud attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. In addition, other important factors that could cause results to differ materially include the following: general economic risks; uncertainty regarding increased business and renewals from existing customers; continued success in sales growth; management of integration of acquired companies and other risks associated with acquisitions; risks associated with successful implementation of multiple integrated software products; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; risks associated with management of growth; lengthy sales and implementation cycles, particularly in larger organization; technological changes that make our products and services less competitive; and the other risk factors set forth from time to time in the SEC filings for Blackbaud, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or upon request from Blackbaud's investor relations department. All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.
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SOURCE Blackbaud, Inc. | 2022-08-30T14:21:12+00:00 | wagmtv.com | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/30/award-winning-actor-writer-simu-liu-join-mainstage-blackbauds-bbcon-2022-virtual-conference/ |
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP)New England’s 30-24 loss Sunday to Las Vegas was the latest – and easily most demoralizing – debacle for a team that managed to find a new bottom in a season brimming with lows.
Now at 7-7, what was already a narrow path to the playoffs for the Patriots is in even more jeopardy with three games to play.
The chaotic and folly-filled final sequence Sunday also underlined how much this version of the Patriots is woefully disconnected from many of the core principles that helped them hoist six Lombardi trophies and become one of the NFL’s most venerable franchises under coach Bill Belichick.
He’s made a reputation during his tenure of fielding the most disciplined team on the field week in and week out. ”Do your job,” sticking to the script, and trusting that teammates would do the same became the expectation of a locker room that could be counted on to run with military-like precision on the field.
None of that was on display in the waning moments of Sunday’s loss and it is emblematic of a team still looking for direction and identity at the most crucial point of its season.
Rhamondre Stevenson and Jakobi Meyers acknowledged their ill-fated series of laterals that wound up with Las Vegas’ Chandler Jones ripping the ball out of the air, charging over Mac Jones and into the end zone were gambles they never should have attempted.
”Just trying to do too much. Trying to be a hero, I guess,” Meyers said afterward.
Belichick put it even more plainly.
”I would say we made a mistake on that play,” he said.
But that tug to do too much was exhibited long before that final play.
It was on display in the second quarter when they second-guessed their play calling on the goal line, called a timeout and nullified a touchdown catch by Meyers. It showed up again later when a missed blocking assignment led to a blocked punt that set up a touchdown for the Raiders late in the half.
Still, safety Kyle Dugger said all they do at this point is look forward.
”Lean on one another,” he said. ”We’re all we got at the end of the day. And we know that.”
WHAT’S WORKING
Part of Dugger’s confidence could stem from the fact that he was responsible for one of the Patriots’ few bright spots Sunday. He helped ignite New England’s second-half comeback when he jumped a screen pass early in the third quarter and returned it 16 yards for a touchdown. It was his second TD of the season. He also had a 59-yard fumble return for a score in Week 5 against Detroit.
WHAT NEEDS HELP
New England’s season-long issues on third down showed up again. The offense was 2 for 13 for the game. Mac Jones also regressed against a Raiders defense that came in ranked 24th in points allowed and 29th defending the pass. Jones finished 13 of 31 for 112 yards.
STOCK UP
Marcus Jones. The rookie defensive back has already proven his value on both special teams and offense this season with punt return and receiving touchdowns. He showed his ability as a cover man Sunday, breaking up a deep pass attempt to Raiders receiver Davante Adams in the first quarter. It was part of a day in which he spent most of his time as Adams’ primary defender. Jones played a big part in the Patriots limiting Adams to four catches for 28 yards on nine targets.
STOCK DOWN
The Patriots had only one touchdown on 11 drives and seemed unsure of themselves offensively throughout. The same goal line series that featured the timeout that took Meyers’ TD off the board was capped with having a TD by Mac Jones on a quarterback sneak erased by Jonnu Smith’s false start.
INJURIES
Center David Andrews was helped off the field midway through the fourth quarter but was able to return and finish the game. … Running back Damien Harris (thigh) and wide receiver DeVante Parker (concussion) were both inactive, along with tackle Isaiah Wynn (foot), who was placed on injured reserve.
KEY NUMBER
6 – The number of non-offensive touchdowns for the Patriots following Dugger’s pick-6. It is the most in the NFL.
NEXT STEPS
Now back in eighth place in the conference standings, the Patriots have very little margin for error the rest of the way. It starts with a home matchup against Cincinnati (10-4) on Christmas Eve. That’s followed by hosting Miami (8-6) on New Year’s Day and finishing with a trip to division-leading Buffalo (11-3) on Jan. 8.
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Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP-NFL | 2022-12-20T14:38:57+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/sports/nfl-football/patriots-latest-setback-emblematic-of-core-identity-issue/ |
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A Tokyo company aimed for the moon with its own private lander Sunday, blasting off atop a SpaceX rocket with the United Arab Emirates’ first lunar rover and a toylike robot from Japan that’s designed to roll around up there in the gray dust.
It will take nearly five months for the lander and its experiments to reach the moon.
The company ispace designed its craft to use minimal fuel, to save money and leave more room for cargo. So it’s taking a slow, low-energy path to the moon, flying 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) from Earth before looping back and intersecting with the moon by the end of April.
By contrast, NASA’s Orion crew capsule with test dummies took five days to reach the moon last month. The lunar flyby mission ends Sunday with a Pacific splashdown.
The ispace lander will aim for Atlas crater in the northeastern section of the moon’s near side, more than 50 miles (87 kilometers) across and just over 1 mile (2 kilometers) deep. With its four legs extended, the lander is more than 7 feet (2.3 meters) tall.
With a science satellite already around Mars, the UAE wants to explore the moon, too. Its rover, named Rashid after Dubai’s royal family, weighs just 22 pounds (10 kilograms) and will operate on the surface for about 10 days, like everything else on the mission.
In addition, the lander is carrying an orange-sized sphere from the Japanese Space Agency that will transform into a wheeled robot on the moon. Also flying: a solid state battery from a Japanese-based spark plug company; an Ottawa, Ontario, company’s flight computer with artificial intelligence for identifying geologic features seen by the UAE rover; and 360-degree cameras from a Toronto-area company.
Hitching a ride on the rocket is a small NASA laser experiment that will fly to the moon on its own to hunt for ice in the permanently shadowed craters of the lunar south pole.
The ispace mission is called Hakuto, Japanese for white rabbit. In Asian folklore, a white rabbit is said to live on the moon. A second lunar landing by the private company is planned for 2024 and a third in 2025.
Founded in 2010, ispace was among the finalists in the Google Lunar XPRIZE competition requiring a successful landing on the moon by 2018. The lunar rover built by ispace never launched.
Another finalist, an Israeli nonprofit called SpaceIL, managed to reach the moon in 2019. But instead of landing gently, the spacecraft Beresheet slammed into the moon and was destroyed.
With Sunday’s predawn launch from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, ispace is now on its way to becoming one of the first private entities to attempt a moon landing. Although not launching until early next year, lunar landers built by Pittsburgh's Astrobotic Technology and Houston's Intuitive Machines may beat ispace to the moon thanks to shorter cruise times.
Only Russia, the U.S. and China have achieved so-called “soft landings” on the moon, beginning with the former Soviet Union’s Luna 9 in 1966. And only the U.S. has put astronauts on the lunar surface: 12 men over six landings.
Sunday marked the 50th anniversary of astronauts' last lunar landing, by Apollo 17's Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt on Dec. 11, 1972.
NASA’s Apollo moonshots were all “about the excitement of the technology,” said ispace founder and CEO Takeshi Hakamada, who wasn’t alive then. Now, “it’s the excitement of the business."
Liftoff should have occurred two weeks ago, but was delayed by SpaceX for extra rocket checks.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | 2022-12-11T08:00:18+00:00 | expressnews.com | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/Japanese-company-s-lander-rockets-toward-moon-17646049.php |
The 2023 Mexico Open At Vidanta Odds & Preview: Erik Van Rooyen
The Mexico Open at Vidanta is in progress, and after the second round Erik Van Rooyen is in second place at -12.
Looking to wager on Erik Van Rooyen at the Mexico Open at Vidanta this week? Read on for the betting odds and stats you can use before you make your picks.
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Erik Van Rooyen Insights
- Over his last 14 rounds, Van Rooyen has finished below par seven times, while also posting seven rounds with a better-than-average score.
- He has recorded a top-five score in two of his last 14 rounds, while ranking among the top 10 scores of the day four times.
- Over his last 14 rounds, Van Rooyen has finished within three strokes of the best score of the round four times, and within five strokes of the top score of the day on six occasions.
- In his past five events, Van Rooyen has one top-five finish and two top-10 finishes.
- Looking at the past five tournaments he has entered, he made the cut three times.
- Van Rooyen has finished with a score better than the tournament average in two of his past five events, including one finish within three shots of the leader.
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Mexico Open at Vidanta Insights and Stats
- Van Rooyen last competed at this event in 2023 and finished second.
- Vidanta Vallarta will play at 7,456 yards for this event. In the past year on the Tour, the average tournament has been hosted on a shorter course, with an average distance of 7,295.
- Vidanta Vallarta checks in at 7,456 yards, 177 yards longer than the average course Van Rooyen has played in the past year (7,279 yards).
Van Rooyen's Last Time Out
- Van Rooyen was above average on the eight par-3 holes at the RBC Heritage, averaging 2.88 strokes to finish in the 80th percentile of competitors.
- His 4.09-stroke average on the 22 par-4 holes at the RBC Heritage ranked in the 22nd percentile of the field (the tournament average was 3.96).
- On the six par-5 holes at the RBC Heritage, Van Rooyen shot better than 44% of the competitors (averaging 4.67 strokes).
- Van Rooyen carded a birdie or better on two of eight par-3s at the RBC Heritage, better than the field average of 1.5.
- On the eight par-3s at the RBC Heritage, Van Rooyen had one bogey or worse (less than the field average of 2.0).
- Van Rooyen's one birdie or better on par-4s at the RBC Heritage were less than the tournament average of 6.2.
- In that last outing, Van Rooyen's performance on the 22 par-4s included a bogey or worse three times (the field's average was worse, at 5.1).
- Van Rooyen ended the RBC Heritage with a birdie or better on two of six par-5s, underperforming the field average, 3.8.
- The field at the RBC Heritage averaged 0.7 bogeys or worse on the six par-5s, but Van Rooyen finished without one.
Mexico Open at Vidanta Time and Date Info
- Date: April 27-30, 2023
- Course: Vidanta Vallarta
- Location: Vallarta, Mexico
- Par: 71 / 7,456 yards
- Van Rooyen Odds to Win: +900 (Bet now with BetMGM!)
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All statistics in this article reflect Van Rooyen's performance prior to the 2023 Mexico Open at Vidanta.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | 2023-04-29T07:50:13+00:00 | wymt.com | https://www.wymt.com/sports/betting/2023/04/29/erik-van-rooyen-mexico-open-at-vidanta-pga-odds/ |
ROME (AP) — Soprano Angel Blue says she won’t perform in an opera in Italy this month because blackface was used in the staging of a different work this summer on the same stage.
The U.S. singer posted a note on her angeljoyblue Instagram page saying she will be bowing out of “La Traviata” at Verona’s Arena this month because the theater recently mounted another Giuseppe Verdi opera, “Aida,” that had performers in blackface.
She blasted such use of “archaic” theatrical practices as “offensive, humiliating, and outright racist.”
Angel Blue, however, was still listed Saturday on the Arena’s website as singing the role of Violetta in “La Traviata” on July 22 and 30.
The theater said it was hoping that Blue, who is Black, would accept an invitation to meet with Arena officials in a “dialogue” over the issue. The Arena, in a statement Friday, said it had “no reason nor intent whatsoever to offend and disturb anyone’s sensibility.”
For decades, U.S. civil rights organizations for decades have publicly condemned blackface — in which white performers blacken their faces — as dehumanizing Blacks by introducing and reinforcing racial stereotypes.
The Arena this summer has mounted performances of “Aida” based on a 2002 staging of the opera classic by Italian director Franco Zeffirelli who died in 2019. That staging uses blackface.
“Dear Friends, Family, and Opera Lovers,” began the soprano’s Instagram post. “I have come to the unfortunate conclusion that I will not be singing La Traviata at Arena di Verona this summer as planned.”
Referring to Arena’s decision to use blackface makeup in “Aida,” the singer wrote: “Let me be perfectly clear: the use of blackface under any circumstances, artistic or otherwise, is a deeply misguided practice based on archaic theatrical traditions which have no place in modern society. It is offensive, humiliating and outright racist.”
She wrote that she couldn’t “in good conscience associate myself with an institution which continues this practice.”
The theater’s statement said “Angel Blue knowingly committed herself to sing at the Arena” even though the “characteristics” of the 2002 Zeffirelli staging were “well known.”
Still, the theater stressed its hope that her protest would ultimately improve understanding between cultures as well as educate Italian audiences.
“Every country has different roots, and their cultural and social structures developed along different historical and cultural paths,” said the statement by the Arena of Verona Foundation. “Common convictions have often been reached only after years of dialogue and mutual understanding.”
The Arena statement stressed dialogue, “in effort to understand others’ point of view, in respect of consciously assumed artistic obligations.”
“Contraposition, judgments, labeling, lack of dialogue only feed the culture of contrasts, which we totally reject,” said the statement, appealing for cooperation “to avoid divisions.”
It’s not the first time that the use of blackface makeup for a staging of “Aida” in Verona has sparked a soprano’s protest. In 2019, opera singer Tamara Wilson, who is white, protested against darkening her face to sing the title character of an Ethiopian woman in the opera at the Arena. | 2022-07-17T14:05:05+00:00 | wwlp.com | https://www.wwlp.com/news/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/us-soprano-offended-by-blackface-pulls-out-of-italy-opera/ |
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Sunday called for faster military development and announced no change in policies that have strained relations with Washington and tightened the ruling Communist Party’s control over society and the economy.
China’s most influential figure in decades spoke as the party opened a congress that was closely watched by companies, governments and the public for signs of official direction. It comes amid a painful slump in the world’s second-largest economy and tension with Washington and Asian neighbors over trade, technology and security.
Party plans call for creating a prosperous society by mid-century and restoring China to its historic role as a political, economic and cultural leader. Beijing has expanded its presence abroad including a multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative to build ports and other infrastructure across Asia and Africa, but economists warn reversing market-style reform could hamper growth.
“The next five years will be crucial,” Xi said in a televised speech of one hour and 45 minutes to some 2,000 delegates in the cavernous Great Hall of the People. He repeatedly invoked his slogan of the “rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” which includes reviving the party’s role as economic and social leader in a throwback to what Xi regards as a golden age after it took power in 1949.
The congress will install leaders for the next five years. Xi, 69, is expected to break with tradition and award himself a third five-year term as general secretary and promote allies who share his enthusiasm for party dominance.
The party’s military wing, the People’s Liberation Army, needs to “safeguard China’s dignity and core interests,” Xi said, referring to a list of territorial claims and other issues over which Beijing says it is ready to go to war.
China, with the world’s second-largest military budget after the United States, is trying to extend its reach by developing ballistic missiles, aircraft carriers and overseas outposts.
“We will work faster to modernize military theory, personnel and weapons,” Xi said. “We will enhance the military’s strategic capabilities.”
Xi cited his government’s severe “zero-COVID” strategy, which has shut down major cities and disrupted travel and business, as a success. He gave no indication of a possible change despite public frustration with its rising cost.
The congress will name a Standing Committee, the ruling inner circle of power. The lineup will indicate who is likely to succeed Premier Li Keqiang as the top economic official and take other posts when China’s ceremonial legislature meets next year.
Analysts are watching whether a slump that saw economic growth fall to below half of the official 5.5% annual target might force Xi to compromise and include supporters of market-style reform and entrepreneurs who generate wealth and jobs.
Xi gave no indication when he might step down.
During his decade in power, Xi’s government has pursued an increasingly assertive foreign policy while tightening control at home on information and dissent.
Beijing is feuding with Japan, India and Southeast Asian governments over conflicting claims to the South China and East China Seas and a section of the Himalayas. The United States, Japan, Australia and India have formed a strategic group dubbed the Quad in response.
The party has increased the dominance of state-owned industry and poured money into strategic initiatives aimed at nurturing Chinese creators of renewable energy, electric car, computer chip, aerospace and other technologies.
Its tactics have prompted complaints that Beijing improperly protects and subsidizes its fledgling creators and led then-President Donald Trump to hike tariffs on Chinese imports in 2019, setting off a trade war that jolted the global economy. Trump’s successor, Joe Biden, has kept those penalties in place and this month increased restrictions on Chinese access to U.S. chip technology.
The party has tightened control over private sector leaders including e-commerce giant Alibaba Group by launching anti-monopoly, data security and other crackdowns. Under political pressure, they are diverting billions of dollars into chip development and other party initiatives. Their share prices on foreign exchanges have plunged due to uncertainty about their future.
The party has stepped up censorship of media and the internet, increased public surveillance and tightened control over private life through its “social credit” initiative that tracks individuals and punishes infractions ranging from fraud to littering.
Last week, banners criticizing Xi and “zero COVID” were hung from an elevated roadway over a major Beijing thoroughfare in a rare protest. Photos of the event were deleted from social media, and the popular WeChat messaging app shut down accounts that forwarded them.
Xi said the party would build “self-reliance and strength” in technology by improving China’s education system and attracting foreign experts.
The president appeared to double down on technology self-reliance and “zero COVID” at a time when other countries are easing travel restrictions and rely on more free-flowing supply chains, said Willy Lam, a politics specialist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Xi was joined on stage by party leaders including his predecessor as party leader, Hu Jintao, former Premier Wen Jiabao and Song Ping, a 105-year-old party veteran who sponsored Xi’s early career. There was no sign of 96-year-old former President Jiang Zemin, who was party leader until 2002.
The presence of previous leaders shows Xi faces no serious opposition, said Lam.
“Xi is making it very clear he intends to hold onto power for as long as his health allows him to,” he said.
Xi made no mention of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Beijing refuses to criticize. He defended a crackdown on a pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, saying the party helped the former British colony “enter a new stage in which it has restored order and is set to thrive.”
Xi’s government also faces criticism over mass detentions and other abuses against mostly Muslim ethnic groups and the jailing of government critics.
Amnesty International warned that extending Xi’s time in power will be a “disaster for human rights.” In addition to conditions within China, it pointed to Beijing’s efforts to “redefine the very meaning of human rights” at the United Nations.
Xi said Beijing refuses to renounce the possible use of force against Taiwan, the self-ruled island democracy the Communist Party claims as its territory. The two sides split in 1949 after a civil war.
Beijing has stepped up efforts to intimidate Taiwanese by flying fighter jets and bombers toward the island. That campaign intensified further after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in August became the highest-ranked U.S. official to visit Taiwan in a quarter-century.
“We will continue to strive for peaceful reunification,” Xi said. “But we will never promise to renounce the use of force. And we reserve the option of taking all measures necessary.”
Taiwan’s government responded that its 23 million people had the right to determine their own future and would not accept Beijing’s demands. A government statement called on China to “abandon the imposition of a political framework and the use of military force and coercion.”
The Communist Party leadership agreed in the 1990s to limit the general secretary to two five-year terms in an effort to prevent a repeat of power struggles from earlier decades. That leader also becomes chairman of the commission that controls the military and holds the ceremonial title of national president.
Xi made his intentions clear in 2018 when he had a two-term limit on the presidency removed from China’s Constitution. Officials said that allowed Xi to stay if needed to carry out reforms.
The party is expected to amend its charter this week to raise Xi’s status as leader after adding his personal ideology, Xi Jinping Thought, at the previous congress in 2017.
The spokesperson for the congress, Sun Yeli, said Saturday the changes would “meet new requirements for advancing the party’s development” but gave no details. | 2022-10-16T17:46:28+00:00 | keloland.com | https://www.keloland.com/news/national-world-news/ap-china-party-meets-to-grant-xi-jinping-5-more-years-in-office/ |
Should I buy a Keurig K-Select or a Keurig K-Mini?
Keurig coffee machines are popular for a reason. Single-serve pod technology is convenient for making a quick cup of coffee or tea in the morning, and Keurig works with a huge range of popular brands for its K-Cups.
The Keurig K-Select and Keurig K-Mini are both quality, cost-effective machines that deliver a hot cup of coffee in a matter of minutes. So what’s the difference?
It boils down to size. Keurig’s K-Mini and K-Mini Plus machines take up about half the counter space of a full-size Keurig. And there are a few other differences worth considering as well.
Keurig K-Select
The Keurig K-Select is a sleek, versatile machine whose features include a programmable auto-off switch and a high-altitude setting. Due to its size, this Keurig coffee maker is best for those who have larger kitchens with plenty of counter space. Its large water reservoir is convenient for larger households or offices where you are making multiple cups of coffee throughout the morning.
The Keurig K-Select costs $125-$160 at most retailers. It’s available at Keurig, Amazon and Kohl’s.
Keurig K-Select pros
- Large water reservoir: The K-Select’s 52-ounce water reservoir means you can make 5 cups of coffee before needing to refill the tank. Plus, the reservoir is removable for easy filling.
- Strong brew feature: The “Strong Brew” button gives the option for a more intense and flavorful cup of joe.
- Quiet brew feature: Patented Quiet Brew technology reduces noise during brewing.
- Accommodates travel mugs: A removable drip tray means there’s plenty of space for travel mugs up to 7.4 inches tall.
- Various brew sizes: It can brew in 2-ounce increments between 6 and 12 ounces.
- Maintenance reminder: A maintenance reminder light means you’ll never forget when it’s time to descale.
- Comes in six colors: The K-Select comes in six stylish colors, from vintage red to matte black.
Keurig K-Select cons
- Bigger footprint: At 9.2 inches wide, the K-Select takes up a fair amount of counter space and may not fit in small kitchens and dorm rooms.
- Heavier and bulky: The K-Select weighs 7.4 pounds, making it inconvenient for travel compared to the K-Mini.
- More expensive: The K-Select is significantly more expensive than the K-Mini.
Keurig K-Mini
The Keurig K-Mini is another of Keurig’s most popular single-serve coffee machines. This machine is essentially a smaller version of the K-Select, offering similar features while taking up significantly less counter space than Keurig’s full-size machines. However, it does lose out on some of the bells and whistles of the K-Select, including the Strong Brew feature and the descaling maintenance reminder.
Like the K-Select, the K-Mini comes in six stylish colors and brews various cup sizes between 6 and 12 ounces. The small, lightweight design combined with a convenient cord storage feature makes it easy to travel with, potentially saving you money on expensive coffee on trips. The Keurig K-Mini costs $60-$80 and is available at Keurig and Amazon.
Keurig also offers a K-Mini Plus, which includes some additional features including a Strong Brew setting and built-in storage for used pods.
The Keurig K-Mini Plus will cost you a bit more, at $100-$120 depending on the retailer. It’s available at Keurig, Amazon and Kohl’s.
Keurig K-Mini pros
- Takes up very little counter space: The K-Mini is only 5.2 inches wide, making it ideal for compact kitchens, office spaces and dorm rooms where counter space is at a premium.
- Energy efficient: The machine automatically turns off after 90 seconds to avoid wasting energy when it’s not in use.
- Cord storage for easy transport: The cord easily tucks into the base for easy transport and storage.
- Removable drip tray: Like the K-Select, the K-Mini has a removable drip tray that accommodates travel mugs up to 7.4 inches tall.
- Unusual color options: The K-Mini comes in colors including evergreen and dusty rose.
- Less expensive: At around $80, the K-Mini costs $20-$60 less than the K-Select.
- More environmentally friendly: The K-Mini is made with planet-conscious materials that avoid the use of new plastics. Plus, it automatically turns off after 90 seconds to save energy.
Keurig K-Mini cons
- Water needs to be refilled with each use: The K-Mini does not have a water reservoir and needs to be filled with fresh water after each brew, which may be inconvenient for those in offices or larger households.
Should you get a Keurig K-Select or Keurig K-Mini?
The Keurig K-Select and K-Mini are both quality machines with similar functionality. If you’re purchasing a Keurig for a larger household or office space where you’ll be making multiple cups of coffee throughout the day, the K-Select is your best bet due to its larger water reservoir and additional features. The K-Mini is best for those with compact kitchens or dorm rooms with limited space.
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2022-05-21T01:23:24+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/reviews/keurig-vs-mini-keurig/ |
Proper Ventilation Contributes to Improved Learning Environment
SCHOFIELD, Wis., Oct. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A recently released White House Fact Sheet, Back to School 2022: Giving Every School the Tools to Prevent COVID-19 Spread and Stay Safely Open All Year Long, cites improving indoor air quality across America's school buildings through effective ventilation and filtration as an important part of COVID-19 prevention. In addition to other layered prevention strategies, taking action to improve indoor air quality can also reduce the risk of exposure to particles, aerosols, and other contaminants, and improve the health of building occupants. Proper ventilation and good indoor air quality have also been shown to improve student academic performance in schools.
Greenheck is in a unique position to support school districts seeking to improve their heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) in their buildings. A manufacturer of ventilation systems for commercial and institutional buildings, Greenheck offers a complete line of ventilation products for educational facilities that create a safe, comfortable, and productive environment for students and staff while keeping operating and installation costs low. Of particular benefit to school facilities, Greenheck's dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS) with energy recovery provide an energy-efficient solution to bring fresh outdoor air into a building, helping to cool in the summer and heat in the winter. Energy recovery ventilators help reduce energy costs and improve indoor humidity levels by capturing energy (heat) from exhausted air to precondition (warm or cool) air before bringing it back into the building.
A member of Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) International, Greenheck products undergo stringent testing to adhere to the performance standards of the AMCA Certified Ratings Program ensuring products perform as specified. AMCA offers certification for 18 performance parameters, including air performance, sound, fan energy index (FEI), and leakage.
A vast majority of school buildings in the U.S. are 20 to 50 years old and fail to meet current ventilation requirements. Likewise, many newer buildings also have technologically outdated HVAC systems or do not meet current codes. The Fact Sheet goes on to explain the American Rescue Plan and other federal dollars may be used to make indoor air quality improvements and the White House will continue to provide support to schools to help in making these improvements including connecting schools with experts to provide support for indoor air quality. In addition to helping schools plan and implement indoor air quality improvements, including through the use of federal funds, the sheet also encourages connecting schools with experts to provide support for indoor air quality.
"Greenheck continues to work with school administrators, educating them on the importance of indoor air quality and solutions to improve ventilation rates and bring more fresh outdoor air into our schools," said Mike Wolf, P.E., Greenheck director of regulatory business development. "Ventilation is a necessity and we need to shift the narrative from indoor air quality to indoor air safety. Moving fresh, outside air in and cycling that fresh air in a room is the quickest and most cost-effective way to remove the majority of harmful pollutants in the air. Additionally, it's the only effective way to mitigate carbon dioxide levels, especially in large gathering areas holding a lot of people such as school gymnasiums and auditoriums."
Greenheck and its nationwide network of manufacturer's representatives are ready to help schools plan and implement energy-saving indoor air quality improvements. To find your nearest Greenheck rep, visit https://www.greenheck.com/find-my-rep
For more information about Greenheck school ventilation systems, visit https://www.greenheck.com/resources/building-types/schools
For more information on Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) International, visit www.amca.org
Greenheck is a global leader in engineering and manufacturing air movement, control, conditioning, and distribution equipment. For 75 years, we have been committed to promoting the highest levels of indoor air quality by offering the widest range of ventilation products for commercial and institutional buildings. Through superior customer service, we continue our legacy of innovation as experts in air movement by connecting our mechanical representative partners and customers with the newest products. With our CAPS® product selection tool and HVAC University product education series, Greenheck offers technology and product knowledge to ensure that when you work with us, you are working with the easiest company to do business with.
To learn more, visit www.greenheck.com or contact Greenheck, P.O. Box 410, Schofield, WI 54476-0410, (715) 359-6171, FAX (715) 355-2399.
Contact: Jody McCormick
715-355-2434
jody.mccormick@greenheck.com
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SOURCE Greenheck | 2022-10-03T19:32:08+00:00 | wlox.com | https://www.wlox.com/prnewswire/2022/10/03/greenheck-supports-healthy-indoor-air-schools/ |
Harmony Tan, ranked No. 115 in the world, and Katie Boulter, who is 118th, continue to make a name for themselves at Wimbledon, reaching the third round of the women's draw on Thursday with upset victories.
France's Tan, who ousted seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams in a first-round match that lasted more than 3 hours on Tuesday, rolled to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over 32nd-seeded Sara Sorribes Tormo on Thursday.
Boulter, a British wild-card entry, rallied to eliminate sixth-seeded Karolina Pliskova, who reached the Wimbledon final last year, with a 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory on Centre Court.
The 25-year-old Boulter, who reached the third round at a Grand Slam event for the first time, also beat Pliskova last week at a warmup tournament in Eastbourne for her first win against a top-10 player. She broke Pliskova for a 5-4 lead in the final set and then converted her first match point with a volley winner.
Pliskova's powerful serve looked far from its best throughout the match as she mixed 13 aces with eight double-faults and was broken four times. She lost last year's final to Ashleigh Barty.
The road for either Tan or Boulder, however, will come to an end for one of them as they are scheduled to face each other in the fourth round.
In other women's matches, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova showed some nerves in her 6-1, 7-6 (5) victory over Ana Bogdan.
Kvitova was leading 5-1 in the second set when Bogdan started to reel off game after game. Then Kvitova had a match point while serving at 5-4, but failed to convert that chance and then the game itself, eventually leading to the tiebreaker.
"Especially a few games on my serve, it was really long games, and mentally very tough,'' said the 25th-seeded Kvitova, who won titles at the All England Club in 2011 and 2014. "I think maybe even this took some energy from my serve and I just couldn't make it.
"Somehow I made it,'' Kvitova said on court. "I don't know how, but I did it.''
Kvitova will next face Paula Badosa. The fourth-seeded Spaniard defeated Irina Bara 6-3, 6-2.
No. 4 Paula Badosa, No. 8 Jessica Pegula and No. 17 Elena Rybakina were among other seeded players to advance to the third round.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | 2022-06-30T15:50:45+00:00 | espn.com | https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/34173030/hamony-tan-katie-boulter-earn-upset-wins-reach-third-round-wimbledon |
.Snowmelt and increased reservoir releases may cause the river flows
to become high. Possible minor flooding downstream from Hyrum
Reservoir.
...FLOOD WATCH FOR SNOWMELT REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY
AFTERNOON...
* WHAT...Flooding caused by snowmelt continues to be possible.
* WHERE...A portion of Utah, including the following area, Cache
Valley/Utah Portion.
* WHEN...Through Friday afternoon.
* IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding along the Little
Bear River below Hyrum Reservoir.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible Flood
Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared
to take action should flooding develop.
&&
AP
Spain women's race apologizes for food processor gift
The organizers of a women’s running race in Spain have apologized after the winner was offered a food processor to take home
MADRID (AP) — The organizers of a women's running race in Spain apologized on Monday after the winner was offered a food processor to take home, sparking accusations of sexism.
The seven-kilometer (more than four-mile) Carrera de la Mujer (Women's Race) issued a statement on Twitter saying it hadn't considered the kitchen appliance — donated by a sponsor — would have sexist implications.
“We apologize but we consider this a product with no sexist character and ideal for any athlete who wants to improve their nutritional habits," the statement said. “We regret if any woman felt offended.”
The organizers promised to “take measures” to avoid similar incidents in the future.
Serb national Ivana Zagorac won the race in 24 minutes, 7 seconds on Sunday, in an amateur event in which 32,000 women participated. The Madrid race coincided with Spain's Mother's Day, and supports domestic violence and cancer survivors. It is held in other cities across Spain.
The food processor controversy went largely unnoticed until Ángela Rodríguez Pam, Spain's secretary of state for equality, tweeted that the winner had received a food processor and others were given 0% fat products.
“If you win: housewife and if not at least you'll lose weight,” Rodríguez Pam tweeted ironically.
The race has previously featured T-shirts with the slogan: “Today, the girls win!”
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Tell us your personal accounts and the history behind articles. | 2023-05-08T21:45:04+00:00 | hjnews.com | https://www.hjnews.com/world/spain-womens-race-apologizes-for-food-processor-gift/article_47bbded9-6281-5777-8913-6ad4ad1d97b5.html |
A coalition of health groups is urging the Healey administration to maintain universal masking in health care settings when the federal and state public health emergencies for COVID-19 lift on May 11.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last fall eased its guidelines for masks in health care settings, saying they were not necessary in areas where COVID-19 transmission was not high. But Massachusetts was among several states that maintained the universal masking.
Now, with transmission levels listed as low across the state — and across roughly 90 percent of the country — Massachusetts health officials have acknowledged to hospital administrators and others that they are planning to lift that rule in May. The plan has triggered an outpouring of concern from health groups focused on equity and protection for people who are vulnerable to serious complications from infection, such as the elderly, those with compromised immune systems, people with severe breathing problems, and other health conditions.
“The decision has been made behind closed doors without any input by people most impacted,” said Dr. Lara Jirmanus, a primary care physician and instructor at Harvard Medical School who cofounded the Massachusetts Coalition for Health Equity.
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Members of the coalition met with health officials from the Healey administration late last week, imploring them to maintain the mask rule in health settings, Jirmanus said.
A Healey spokesperson, in response to questions from the Globe, released a statement that said its decision aligned with CDC guidance and federal requirements based on transmission rates and was made following “extensive conversations with health care experts.” It said the state health department will continue to carefully track COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts and adjust as circumstances change.
The spokesperson noted that infection control leaders at several of the state’s largest hospital systems have repeatedly asked the state health department to end its mandate even in advance of May 11. The spokesperson said that sentiment has also been expressed by several other people, including infectious disease physicians and providers.
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While reported new infections have fallen dramatically since the winter, state data indicate an average of eight people continue to die each day from COVID. Coalition members note that state data on new COVID infections are likely an undercount because many people are not reporting the results of their at-home tests. And even when COVID transmission is low, health care settings remain the most likely places for high-risk people to encounter a COVID positive person, coalition members said.
Jirmanus relies on her elderly parents, who have chronic health conditions, for child care. If masks are removed in healthcare settings, she said she would feel unsafe taking her 16-month-old daughter in for necessary care because she is too young to mask and could pass COVID to Jirmanus’s elderly parents.
“I anticipate that I will forgo all preventive care and all but the high-risk/trauma emergency care until my child can reliably wear a well-fitting mask,” said Jirmanus, who also has a toddler.
Elaine Hagopian, a 90-year-old Greater Boston resident who has chronic heart and breathing problems, said she would also think twice about going to the hospital. She said she still severely restricts social engagements and wears a mask in the elevator of her building.
“I would be concerned about having to go to the hospital,” Hagopian said. “You go to solve one problem and you might get another problem.”
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Some states, such as California, New York, Oregon, and Washington, that had maintained masking in health care settings, recently lifted those requirements. Yet other jurisdictions, such as Los Angeles County, have maintained a mask rule.
Universal masking is more effective than one-way masking, especially when a masked person is surrounded by many unmasked people, some studies have found. With new deaths and COVID infections still reported daily, health care administrators are sorting through data, even carefully monitoring new COVID variants, to try to determine how they will approach the state’s lifting of the mask rule.
“While most of the general population has been out and about, there are certainly people who have been very cautious not going out because they are immunosuppressed, and we want them to be safe coming into a health care environment,” said Dr. Richard Ellison, hospital epidemiologist at UMass Memorial Medical Center, the largest health care provider in Central Massachusetts.
When Massachusetts lifts its mask mandate for health care settings, the state health department will require each facility to have an infection control and prevention framework in place, which may include mask requirements.
Ellison said UMass has not yet decided how it will approach the issue after May 11.
“As we think about what we will do this spring, we are also trying to think about whether we will start having people wear masks again in the fall with flu, RSV, and COVID season,” Ellison said.
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“This is a time for us to be cautious. When we compare things to where we were in January and February, the number of cases have dropped off markedly, and we just hope the trend continues,” he said. “We are not to the point yet to say the pandemic is over. We are hoping it’s in the last legs, but we can’t say yet the pandemic is past us.”
Patricia Noga, vice president of clinical affairs for the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, said in a statement that administrators at each health care system are constructing their own masking policies, with input from infectious disease leaders, feedback from frontline workers, consideration for the needs of their patient population, and monitoring of local public health trends.
“They will be prepared to adapt their approach should any of those variables change over the course of time,” she said. “We ask community members to remain aware of their local healthcare facilities’ policies once this transition begins on May 11.”
Dr. Ted Calianos, president of the Massachusetts Medical Society, said in a statement that Massachusetts today is better equipped to prevent a spike in COVID transmission because of treatments, testing, and vaccines that can be quickly deployed.
“If we return to a state of increased transmission and our public health experts report metrics that signal an increase of disease and risk in the community, we would advise all people who gather as part of a group indoors, including at health care facilities, to strongly consider masking for the protection of themselves and others,” he said.
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“We hope that those who choose to continue to mask in any setting are supported and that those who enter health care facilities that elect to require masking after May 11 will respectfully adhere to those policies.”
Kay Lazar can be reached at kay.lazar@globe.com Follow her on Twitter @GlobeKayLazar. | 2023-04-05T10:06:46+00:00 | bostonglobe.com | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/04/05/metro/health-groups-call-mass-keep-mask-mandates-health-care-settings/ |
Company continues to leverage strong cash position to reduce debt, bringing year-to-date total to $3.5 million of convertible debentures repurchased.
MONTREAL, Dec. 1, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - IOU FINANCIAL INC. ("IOU" or "the Company") (TSXV: IOU), a leading online lender to small businesses (IOUFinancial.com), announced today that it is repurchasing approximately $1.1 million of its convertible debentures in the capital of the Company (the "Debentures") at par. Such transactions are being carried out pursuant to repurchase agreements entered into with individual holders of Debentures.
Today's move to repurchase $1.1 million of Debentures brings the total year-to-date repurchases to $3.5 million and reduces the outstanding principal value of Debentures to approximately $4.5 million. The Debentures mature on December 31, 2023.
"We are pleased to continue delivering on our commitment to reduce corporate debt while growing loan originations and investing in long-term operational scalability" said Robert Gloer, President and CEO.
The Company recently reported Q3 2022 Financial Results highlighting an all-time record US$74.2 million in quarterly loan originations and 6 consecutive quarters of positive earnings.
About IOU Financial Inc.
IOU Financial Inc. is a wholesale lender that provides quick and easy access to growth capital to small businesses through a network of preferred brokers across the US and Canada. Built on its proprietary IOU360 technology platform that connects underwriters, merchants and brokers in real time, IOU Financial has become a trusted alternative to banks by originating over US$1 billion in loans to fund small business growth since 2009. IOU trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol IOU (TSXV: IOU), and on the US OTC markets as IOUFF. To learn more about IOU Financial's corporate history, financial products, or to join our broker network please visit www.IOUFinancial.com.
Forward Looking Statements
Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of IOU including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, dependence upon regulatory and shareholder approvals, the execution of definitive documentation and the uncertainty of obtaining additional financing. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. IOU does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
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SOURCE IOU Financial Inc. | 2022-12-01T23:18:23+00:00 | kcbd.com | https://www.kcbd.com/prnewswire/2022/12/01/iou-financial-announces-repurchase-approximately-11-million-convertible-debentures/ |
Carnes, William W., Sr. - Wesley Church, 1104 Kirkwood Pike, Quarryville, 4 PM. Dewald Funeral & Cremation Services, Inc.
Epler, Wesley Gary - Brethren Village Chapel, 1 PM. Cremation Services of Lancaster
Field, R. William - New Life Community Church, 1703 2nd Street, Coralville, Iowa, 11 AM. Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service
Houck, Pauline L. (Forry) - Reformation Lutheran Church, 2100 Manor Ridge Drive, Lancaster, 2 PM. Workman Funeral Homes, Inc.
Jones, Joseph F. - St. Peters Catholic Church, 904 Mill Road, Elizabethtown, 11 AM. Sheetz Funeral Home, Inc.
Keller, Lois K. - Harvest Bible Church, 1460 Eden Road, Lancaster, 1:30 PM. Buch Funeral Home, Inc.
Magalski, Therese A. - St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 601 E. Delp Rd. Lancaster, 11 AM. Charles F. Snyder, Jr. Funeral Home & Crematory
Mehaffey, Marian Louise - Charles F, Snyde,r Jr. Funeral Home & Crematory, 3110 Lititz Pike, Lititz, 2 PM
Meyers, Jeffrey B. - Ranck's United Methodist Church, 700 Ranck Road, New Holland, 10 AM. Stradling Funeral Homes, Inc.
Millham, Edmund R. - Strasburg Fire Co., 203 Franklin St.. Strasburg, 1 PM. Bachman Snyder Funeral Home & Crematory, 717-687-7644
Monaghan, Edward - St. Dominic’s Catholic Mission, 11 AM MDT. Messinger Fountain Hills Mortuary
Newcomer, Carson P. - Newport Church, 656 West Newport Road, Elm, 11 AM. Buch Funeral Home, Inc.
Reider, Robert S. - Roseboro Stradling Funeral Home, 533 Walnut Street, Denver, 11:30 AM
Riester, Clara H. - Johnson Auditorium at Willow Valley North, 600 Willow Valley Square, Lancaster, 11:30 AM. DeBord Snyder Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc.
Schock, Jacob Eugene - Manor Church, 530 Central Manor Road, Lancaster, 11 AM. Workman Funeral Homes, Inc.
Wissler, Leo F., Sr. - Foresters of America, Columbia, 1 PM. Cremation Services of Lancaster
Young, Mary Lou - Manheim Fairview Cemetery, West Sun Hill Road, Manheim, 1 PM. Buch Funeral Home, Inc. | 2022-11-19T07:24:58+00:00 | lancasteronline.com | https://lancasteronline.com/obituaries/funerals/funeral-services-for-nov-19-2022/article_4c876358-2e27-5e05-b1a7-f2db58d29009.html |
Twenty years ago the world was introduced to a new machine produced inside a Sant’Agata Bolognese factory. Powered by a 5.0-liter V-10 engine (and later a 5.2-liter V-10), the original Lamborghini Gallardo roared to life and helped create a volume seller (relatively speaking) for the famed Italian automaker.
Now, two decades on, Lamborghini has taken a look back with a press release at a key model that helped turned the company from an almost cottage industry-like business into an internationally recognized brand that will soon compete at the top level of sports car racing.
The Gallardo made its world debut at the 2003 Geneva motor show, and soon after the launch it set sales record after sales record. A total of 14,022 examples were built over its 10-year lifespan, with the last car, a Gallardo LP 570-4 Spyder Performante finished in Rosso Mars, rolling off the line on Nov. 25, 2013. Incredibly, it took the Gallardo’s successor, the Huracán, just five years to beat that tally.
Lamborghini had already tested the waters with a smaller, more affordable model as early as the 1970s, when the company was still run by founder Ferruccio Lamborghini. The first was the Urraco, which evolved during the 1980s into the Jalpa.
The Gallardo’s gestation also began in the ’80s. After Lamborghini was purchased by Chrysler in 1987, it started work on a car code-named the L140. It was to be a smaller, mid-engine supercar to sit below the V-12 line. The company originally planned a V-8 engine but later switched to a V-10. However, the recession of the early 1990s and the sale of Lamborghini to Malaysian and Indonesian interests at that time put the project on hold.
After Volkswagen Group purchased Lamborghini in 1998, the new owner revived the project but started from scratch. Only the basic concept, general dimensions, and the idea of a V-10 engine were retained. Lamborghini was responsible for the V-10, whose development was overseen by Massimo Ceccarani and Maurizio Reggiani. Ceccarani was Lamborghini’s technical director at the time, a role he handed to Reggiani in 2006. Reggiani in 2022 passed the reins on to Rouven Mohr.
For the chassis, Lamborghini selected an aluminum design based on extruded parts welded to cast connection elements. The body parts would then mount to the chassis using various methods (rivets, screws, or welding), depending on the function of the part. Other parts, such as the front and rear fascias, consisted of thermoplastic material and were connected by bolts.
The actual design of the car started in 2000, based on initial concept work supplied by Italdesign (formerly Italdesign Giugiaro) and finalized by Lamborghini’s design team, which was headed by Luc Donckerwolke at the time. Donckerwolke, who is now at Hyundai Motor Group and leads Genesis design, was also responsible for the Murciélago launched in 2001. Aviation was the inspiration, with the cab-forward design, sharp angles, and complex treatment of flat surfaces all taken from modern jet fighter design.
Over the years, additional variants were launched, including the lightweight Superleggera, open-top Spyder, and even a GT3 race car. Prior to that, Lamborghini’s motorsports participation was very limited.
While all these aspects proved impressive, what really made the Gallardo stand out, however, was its performance combined with drivability, reliability, and everyday practicality. It could be used as a daily driver by many of its owners, something that couldn’t be said for many supercars at the time.
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- 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 split window heads to auction | 2023-07-22T16:48:40+00:00 | localsyr.com | https://www.localsyr.com/automotive/internet-brands/learn-the-history-of-the-lamborghini-gallardo/ |
Mets second. Mark Canha hit by pitch. Dominic Smith lines out to second base to Jonathan India. Tomas Nido singles to shallow right field. Mark Canha to second. Brandon Nimmo homers to center field. Tomas Nido scores. Mark Canha scores. Starling Marte pops out to Aramis Garcia. Francisco Lindor strikes out swinging.
3 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on. Mets 3, Reds 0.
Reds third. Matt Reynolds hit by pitch. Aramis Garcia singles to shortstop. Matt Reynolds to second. Jonathan India strikes out swinging. Brandon Drury homers to right field. Aramis Garcia scores. Matt Reynolds scores. Tommy Pham grounds out to shallow infield, Eduardo Escobar to Pete Alonso. Joey Votto called out on strikes.
3 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on. Mets 3, Reds 3.
Mets fifth. Brandon Nimmo lines out to right center field to Albert Almora Jr.. Starling Marte grounds out to third base, Brandon Drury to Joey Votto. Francisco Lindor homers to right field. Pete Alonso pops out to shallow infield to Joey Votto.
1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Mets 4, Reds 3.
Mets sixth. Jeff McNeil singles to shallow right field. Eduardo Escobar strikes out swinging. Mark Canha doubles. Jeff McNeil to third. Dominic Smith doubles to deep center field. Mark Canha scores. Jeff McNeil scores. Tomas Nido grounds out to shallow infield, Matt Reynolds to Joey Votto. Brandon Nimmo walks. Starling Marte called out on strikes.
2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on. Mets 6, Reds 3.
Mets seventh. Francisco Lindor singles to left field. Pete Alonso grounds out to shallow infield, Luis Cessa to Joey Votto. Francisco Lindor to second. Jeff McNeil lines out to shortstop to Matt Reynolds. Eduardo Escobar singles to left center field, advances to 2nd. Francisco Lindor scores. Fielding error by Jonathan India. Mark Canha walks. Dominic Smith lines out to left field to Tommy Pham.
1 run, 2 hits, 1 error, 2 left on. Mets 7, Reds 3.
Reds seventh. Albert Almora Jr. lines out to second base to Jeff McNeil. Nick Senzel homers to right field. Matt Reynolds doubles to deep right center field. Max Schrock pinch-hitting for Aramis Garcia. Max Schrock lines out to deep right field to Starling Marte. Matt Reynolds to third. Jonathan India strikes out swinging.
1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Mets 7, Reds 4. | 2022-07-05T03:42:13+00:00 | expressnews.com | https://www.expressnews.com/sports/article/N-Y-Mets-Cincinnati-Runs-17284194.php |
(NEXSTAR) — Did you know 11 Americans died and 10,200 others were taken to emergency rooms because of fireworks in 2022? As people across the U.S. get ready to ring in another Independence Day with some firecrackers, it’s important to remember how easily the party can go south.
In its 2022 Fireworks Annual Report, the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission says 73% of all the estimated fireworks-related injuries in 2022 happened between June 17 and July 17, 2022.
Based on numbers of ER-treated injuries, CPSC says the most dangerous fireworks are:
- Firecrackers — 1,300 injuries
- Sparklers — 600 injuries
- Illegal firecrackers — 500 injuries
- Roman candles — 400 injuries
- Rockets (non-bottle) — 300 injuries
- Small firecrackers — 200 injuries
The commission says the current fireworks estimate (11) should be considered conservative since the data review is not yet complete.
By a large majority, males are more likely to be injured by fireworks than females, CPSC estimates. Meanwhile, the age ranges between 15-24 and 25-44 make up the largest portion of injuries, with 24% of injuries and 36% of injuries between June 17 and July 17, 2022, respectively.
Even though younger people made up a smaller portion of injuries during this time period (ages 5-14 accounted for 19% of injuries, while ages 0-4 accounted for 9%), it’s still recommended that families and guardians take extra precautions if children are around fireworks.
Safety tips include:
- Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks — including sparklers
- Be sure the fireworks you’re using are legally made
- Keep buckets of water or garden hoses handy in case of a fire
- Light fireworks one at a time and move away quickly
- Never try re-lighting or picking up fireworks that haven’t ignited fully
- Never use fireworks while impaired by alcohol or drugs
The most-injured body parts are hands and fingers, while legs and the head/face are next-most-injured.
And incidents are on the rise, CPSC says. There was also a particularly large spike in fireworks injuries in 2020, overall, perhaps due to the pandemic. And CPSC estimates fireworks injuries are steadily climbing — an increase of about 535 injuries per year between 2007 and 2022 alone.
Overall, there were 162 fireworks-related deaths between 2007 and 2022.
Dangerous as they may be, fireworks sales are big business each year. WalletHub estimates show Americans spent over $1.5 billion on fireworks in 2020 alone. | 2023-07-02T23:29:58+00:00 | mytwintiers.com | https://www.mytwintiers.com/news-cat/national-news/these-are-the-most-dangerous-fireworks-in-the-u-s/ |
Man suspected of killing wife, turning himself in; victim’s body found in car
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - A Colorado man is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife after investigators say he turned himself in for the crime.
Police say 52-year-old David Mitchell walked into the El Paso County Jail just after 1 p.m. Friday with the intention of turning himself in for having killed his wife, 44-year-old Melody Horton.
Horton’s body was found inside a vehicle outside the jail. It’s unclear how the vehicle got to the building, but it is possible Mitchell drove it there, KKTV reports.
Detectives say the death occurred in unincorporated El Paso County.
Mitchell is charged with first-degree murder.
Police say the cause and manner of Horton’s death will be determined by the El Paso County Coroner’s Office.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on this case is asked to call police at 719-444-7000.
Copyright 2022 KKTV via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2022-06-29T04:50:21+00:00 | wsfa.com | https://www.wsfa.com/2022/06/29/man-suspected-killing-wife-turning-himself-victims-body-found-car/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing growing pressure to show progress in their investigations, House Republicans on Wednesday plan to detail what they say are concerning new findings about President Joe Biden ‘s family and their finances.
The smoking gun, according to the GOP, is “thousands of pages” of recently obtained financial records that include more than 150 suspicious activity reports connected to the president’s son Hunter Biden and brother James Biden, as well as a growing number of associates.
The confidential reports, called SARs for short, are often routine, with larger financial transactions automatically flagged to the government. The filing of a SARs report is not evidence on its own of misconduct.
But Republicans in Congress, notably Rep. James Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee leading the probe, believe the records could potentially show an effort by the president and his family to trade off his name.
The White House has continuously dismissed the investigation as “yet another political stunt.”
“Congressman Comer has a history of playing fast and loose with the facts and spreading baseless innuendo while refusing to conduct his so-called ‘investigations’ with legitimacy,” White House spokesperson Ian Sams said in a statement.
Here’s a deeper look at suspicious activity reports and how Republicans are using them as a roadmap to investigate the Biden family:
___
WHAT IS A SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY REPORT?
Financial institutions are required to file a suspicious activity report to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) no later than 30 calendar days from when it detects a suspicious transaction that could have links to money laundering or terrorism financing.
First originated as a “criminal referral form,” suspicious activity reports were established through the 1970 Bank Secrecy Act. In 1996, according to FinCEN, the form became the standard way to report suspicious activity in the financial system.
The rules around the reports were later amended under the U.S. Patriot Act. Today, banks and credit unions routinely submit SARs.
___
WHAT TRIGGERS A SARS?
Industries that deal in large sums of money are required to file SARs to the government when they detect a transaction with possible links to money laundering, counterfeiting, fraud or illicit finance — this includes banks, casinos, loan companies and depository firms.
Signs of insider trading and individual transactions of $5,000 or more often trigger an institution to file a report, but the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation states that entities “are encouraged to file nonetheless in appropriate situations involving these matters, based on the potential harm that such crimes can produce.”
Large transactions involving foreign payers — like the kind that Hunter and James Biden are known to have engaged in through their work — are the kinds of transactions often flagged to federal authorities.
SARs can also be filed by individuals or entities outside the financial sector, including law enforcement, public safety workers, city or state officials, business owners, and even the general public.
Law enforcement agencies use the reports to uncover and prosecute illegal activity, as well as help identify and counteract fraudulent and criminal behavior before it becomes a larger issue.
In recent years, electronic SARs reporting has increased through FinCEN’s Bank Secrecy Act e-filing system. Nearly 42,000 reports were filed by the loan and financial services industry in 2021, according to data compiled by FinCEN, a huge jump from the more than 1,500 reports filed in 2015.
___
HISTORY OF SARS AGAINST POLITICAL ACTORS
The filing of suspicious activity reports against elected officials is not uncommon. During the Trump administration, Deutsche Bank’s anti-money laundering division recommended filing suspicious activity reports on transactions conducted by Trump companies, including the Trump Foundation, and firms owned by his son-law Jared Kushner.
Michael Cohen, a one-time attorney for former President Donald Trump, had several suspicious activity reports filed against him, including one that recorded a $500,000 deposit from a company connected to a Russian oligarch who donated money to Trump’s inauguration fund.
Most SARs are never made public. The records connected to Trump and Cohen were revealed through leaks to the media and as part of federal investigations.
___
CONFIDENTIALITY IN THE REPORTING PROCESS
Suspicious activity reports are cloaked in secrecy to make them useful for law enforcement. The person suspected of triggering a SARs is not routinely informed about the pending report.
Any discussion or disclosure about SARs to outside groups such as news outlets would be considered an unauthorized disclosure and is punishable as a federal criminal offense.
In the case involving Cohen, Trump’s former personal lawyer, an IRS employee was charged by federal prosecutors in 2019 with leaking banking records that had been flagged as suspicious activity.
The confidentiality rules have come up again as Comer conducts his probe into supposed suspicious activity reports by Biden family members. The Kentucky lawmaker and some committee members and staff were recently able to view some of the thousands of pages of the Biden family’s financial records through subpoenas made to the Treasury Department and various financial institutions since January.
A handful of lawmakers immediately began talking on social media and cable news about what they had seen in the reports, asserting evidence of misconduct.
House Democrats have accused Comer and other Republicans on the committee of potentially violating the Bank Secrecy Act.
___
WHAT ARE REPUBLICANS INVESTIGATING?
Republicans vowed after winning the House majority last year that they would use their subpoena power to investigate foreign entities that did business with the family during Biden’s time as vice president and during the Trump administration, including a specific focus on his son Hunter.
The younger Biden’s taxes and foreign business work are already under federal investigation, with a grand jury in Delaware reportedly making a charging decision in the next few months. And while Hunter Biden never held a position on the presidential campaign or in the White House, his membership on the board of a Ukrainian energy company and his efforts to strike deals in China have long raised questions about whether he traded on his father’s public service, including reported references in his emails to the “big guy.”
Joe Biden has said he’s never spoken to his son about his foreign business. And there are no indications that the federal investigation involves the president in any way.
___
WHAT EVIDENCE HAVE THEY GATHERED?
Up until now, Comer and Republicans have not publicly revealed evidence to substantiate their claims of wrongdoing by the Biden family. But Comer said their investigation into the Biden family is widening.
“This is not just about the president’s son. This is about the entire Biden family, including the president of the United States,” Comer said during an appearance Sunday on Fox News. “So we believe there are a whole lot of accounts that the IRS and the DOJ don’t know about because we don’t believe they have done a whole lot of digging in this. And we have.” | 2023-05-10T05:04:20+00:00 | seattletimes.com | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/federal-bank-records-emerge-as-focus-of-gops-biden-probes/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
Texas courts are still exonerating people who were falsely convicted and imprisoned amid the "moral satanic panic" of the 1980s and '90s. Their persecution was based on lies and conspiracy theories.
Copyright 2023 NPR
Texas courts are still exonerating people who were falsely convicted and imprisoned amid the "moral satanic panic" of the 1980s and '90s. Their persecution was based on lies and conspiracy theories.
Copyright 2023 NPR | 2023-04-18T21:08:44+00:00 | publicradioeast.org | https://www.publicradioeast.org/2023-04-18/texas-continues-to-exonerate-people-who-were-wrongly-convicted-during-satanic-panic |
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa’s ruling African National Congress party marked its 111th anniversary Sunday with celebratory events in Mangaung, Free State province, where the organization was founded in 1912.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, who was re-elected as the ANC party leader at a national conference in December last year, addressed a large crowd of supporters at a stadium outlining how the party plans to address the country’s many challenges.
The ANC is the oldest liberation movement against colonialism in Africa and led South Africa’s transition from white minority rule to democracy after it was unbanned in 1990.
Its leader and struggle icon, Nelson Mandela, became the country’s first democratically elected president in 1994 after spending 27 years in prison alongside other ANC leaders for their anti-apartheid activities.
The anniversary comes amid a decline in electoral support for the party due to, among other things, rising levels of poverty and unemployment, failure to provide basic services to poor communities and lack of economic growth.
The party’s image as a liberation movement that fought against the oppression of Black people in the country has also been dented by wide-ranging revelations of corruption among party leaders and government officials.
South Africa is also facing an electricity crisis which has at times led to households and businesses experiencing power blackouts for more than eight hours daily.
Ramaphosa told his supporters gathered at the Dr. Molemela Stadium that solving the electricity crisis will be a major priority for the ANC and his government in 2023, including looking at options for emergency procurement of more electricity capacity.
He also pledged to ensure ANC leaders implicated in corruption face the full might of the law and to increase the creation of jobs especially among youth, where the unemployment rate is now over 60%.
In 1994, the ANC got just over 62% of the national vote, securing a majority of seats in the country’s first democratic parliament.
However, by 2019 the party’s support had declined to 57.5% of the national vote, its worst ever electoral performance since it came into power in 1994.
It has also lost political control of major cities including Johannesburg; Tshwane, which includes the capital Pretoria; and Nelson Mandela Bay.
It is expected to face a tough national election in 2024, with analysts and pollsters suggesting it will struggle to get more than 50% of the national vote. | 2023-01-09T03:13:44+00:00 | kdvr.com | https://kdvr.com/news/nationalworld-news/ap-international/ap-south-africas-ruling-anc-party-fetes-111th-anniversary/ |
In world beset by turbulence, nations’ leaders gather at UN
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Facing a complex set of challenges that try humanity as never before, world leaders convene at the United Nations this week under the shadow of Europe’s first major war since World War II — a conflict that has unleashed a global food crisis and divided major powers in a way not seen since the Cold War.
The many facets of the Ukraine war are expected to dominate the annual meeting, which convenes as many countries and peoples confront growing inequality, an escalating climate crisis, the threat of multiple famines and an internet-fueled tide of misinformation and hate speech — all atop a coronavirus pandemic that is halfway through its third year.
For the first time since the United Nations was founded atop the ashes of World War II, European nations are witnessing war in their midst waged by nuclear-armed neighboring Russia. Its Feb. 24 invasion not only threatens Ukraine’s survival as an independent democratic nation but has leaders in many countries worrying about trying to preserve regional and international peace and prevent a wider war.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the strategic divides — with the West on one side and Russia and increasingly China on the other — are “paralyzing the global response to the dramatic challenges we face.”
He pointed not only to the devastation in Ukraine from nearly seven months of fighting but the war’s impact on the global economy.
Escalating food and energy prices are hitting the world’s poorest people hardest, and nations are “being devoured by the acids of nationalism and self-interest” instead of working together and resolving disputes peacefully, two principles that lie at the heart of the U.N. Charter and underpin everything the United Nations tries to do.
“The General Assembly is meeting at a time of great peril,” the U.N. chief said last week.
For the first time in three years, leaders will be delivering their speeches in person in the vast General Assembly hall. There will be no more COVID-caused prerecorded addresses or hybrid meetings, with one exception: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Over objections from Russia and a few allies, the 193-member assembly voted overwhelmingly Friday to allow the Ukrainian leader to pre-record his speech because of reasons beyond his control — the “ongoing foreign invasion” and military hostilities that require him to carry out his “national defense and security duties.”
The death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and her funeral in London on Monday, which many world leaders plan to attend, have created last-minute headaches for the high-level meeting. Diplomats and U.N. staff are scrambling to deal with changes in travel plans, the timing of some events and the logistically intricate speaking schedule for world leaders.
Guterres is skipping the funeral to preside over Monday’s “Transforming Education Summit” that he called to create action on a U.N. goal to ensure quality education for all children by 2030 that lost significant ground during the pandemic.
The actual gathering of world leaders, known as the General Debate, begins Tuesday morning with the U.N. chief’s state of the world speech to the 77th session of the General Assembly which began on Sept. 12. Brazil has spoken first for over seven decades because at the early General Assembly sessions it volunteered to speak first when no other country did.
The U.S, president, representing the host country for the United Nations, is traditionally the second speaker. But President Joe Biden is attending the queen’s funeral, and his speech has been delayed until Wednesday morning. Senegalese President Macky Sall is expected to take Biden’s slot.
Nearly 150 presidents, prime ministers and monarchs are on the latest speakers list, a very high number reflecting the importance of the meeting not only for presenting every country’s view of the world but for private one-on-one and group meetings where diplomats say a lot of the world’s business is carried out.
In addition to Zelenskyy, Biden and Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, other heads of state coming to the U.N. include the presidents of Turkey, Iran, France, Colombia, South Korea, South Africa, Egypt and Venezuela. Heads of government on the list include Britain’s new Prime Minister Liz Truss, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also making a first appearance, and the prime ministers of Japan, Israel, Iraq and Pakistan. Russia and China are sending their foreign ministers.
For many years, foreign ministers of the five veto-wielding permanent members of the U.N. Security Council — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France — have met on the sidelines for lunch or dinner. Diplomats said no meeting is planned this year.
During typical high-level weeks, thousands of people are in the U.N. complex for speeches and hundreds of side events. But because of the continuing pandemic, this year only the few events organized by the secretary-general and the General Assembly president are being held at U.N. headquarters. Dozens of side events will take place elsewhere in the city.
Richard Gowan, U.N. director of the International Crisis Group, said Ukraine and the food crisis will be the two “overarching themes” and the message from Western leaders is going to be clear: “This is Russia’s war of aggression and this is a huge attack on the U.N. system.”
A highlight will be the U.N. Security Council ministerial meeting on Sept. 22 focusing on the fight against impunity in the war in Ukraine — a topic decided by France which holds the council presidency this month. The meeting could put foreign ministers of the five permanent council nations in the same room with Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, who has been invited.
France’s U.N. ambassador, Nicolas De Riviere, said Friday that “perpetrators will be held accountable” for the “dramatic consequences” that “the Russian war of aggression” has had on civilians in Ukraine. And U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the United Nations faces “a crisis of confidence” brought about by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that violated its neighbor’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, “trampled on human rights” and struck at the heart of the U.N. Charter by pursuing war instead of a negotiated peace.
She told reporters Friday that the response must be to “double down on our commitment to a peaceful world and hold even closer our deeply-held principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, peace and security.”
Thomas-Greenfield insisted the high-level meeting “will not be dominated by Ukraine” because there are conflicts taking place elsewhere as well. That’s why she says the United States is focusing on tackling the food crisis as well as climate change, advancing global health and upholding the U.N. Charter.
The Crisis Group’s Gowan said his organization has seen in recent weeks that African and Latin American countries “have gradually succumbed to Ukraine fatigue,” and there is a feeling in many parts of the U.N. “that countries don’t want to have to constantly attack Russia.” There is a clear understanding among Western leaders, and especially in the U.S., of the need “to keep non-Western countries on board over Ukraine,” he said.
Gowan said he will also be listening for “an undercurrent of discontent” from African nations and countries from the global South about how they’ve been let down on COVID-19 vaccinations and financing to tackle climate change and deal with escalating food prices and the cost of living. He also lamented that crises in Mali, Afghanistan and Yemen won’t be on the front burner.
Secretary-General Guterres, who just visited Pakistan where he said the flooded area is three times the size of his home country Portugal, lashed out at the Group of 20 richest nations, which he said are responsible for 80% of emissions that cause global warming.
“My message to world leaders gathering here is clear: Lower the temperature — now,” he said. “Don’t flood the world today; don’t drown it tomorrow.”
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Edith M. Lederer is chief U.N. correspondent for The Associated Press and has been covering international affairs for more than half a century. For more AP coverage of the U.N. General Assembly, visit https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations-general-assembly.
Copyright 2022 WWSB. All rights reserved. | 2022-09-18T19:59:42+00:00 | mysuncoast.com | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/09/18/world-beset-by-turbulence-nations-leaders-gather-un/ |
Tigers first. Zach McKinstry singles to shallow right field. Riley Greene strikes out swinging. Javier Baez singles to shallow right field. Zach McKinstry to second. Spencer Torkelson walks. Javier Baez to second. Zach McKinstry to third. Nick Maton pops out to shallow left field to Bobby Witt Jr.. Akil Baddoo walks. Spencer Torkelson to second. Javier Baez to third. Zach McKinstry scores. Matt Vierling singles to left field. Akil Baddoo to second. Spencer Torkelson scores. Javier Baez scores. Eric Haase reaches on a fielder's choice to shortstop. Matt Vierling out at second.
3 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 3 left on. Tigers 3, Royals 0.
Royals first. Nick Pratto singles to left field. Vinnie Pasquantino homers to right field. Nick Pratto scores. Salvador Perez homers to center field. MJ Melendez flies out to deep right center field to Matt Vierling. Michael Massey grounds out to second base, Zack Short to Spencer Torkelson. Bobby Witt Jr. lines out to second base to Zack Short.
3 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on. Tigers 3, Royals 3.
Tigers third. Nick Maton grounds out to shallow infield, Nicky Lopez to Vinnie Pasquantino. Akil Baddoo singles to shallow center field. Matt Vierling homers to left field. Akil Baddoo scores. Eric Haase grounds out to third base, Nicky Lopez to Vinnie Pasquantino. Zack Short singles to left field. Zach McKinstry flies out to center field to Jackie Bradley Jr..
2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Tigers 5, Royals 3.
Royals fifth. Nicky Lopez triples to center field. Jackie Bradley Jr. homers to left field. Nicky Lopez scores. Maikel Garcia grounds out to third base, Zach McKinstry to Spencer Torkelson. Nick Pratto flies out to deep center field to Riley Greene. Vinnie Pasquantino called out on strikes.
2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on. Tigers 5, Royals 5.
Tigers tenth. Zack Short walks. Jonathan Schoop strikes out swinging. Riley Greene singles to right field. Zack Short to second. Eric Haase to third. Javier Baez doubles to deep left field, tagged out at third, Nick Pratto to Bobby Witt Jr. to Salvador Perez to Nicky Lopez. Riley Greene scores. Zack Short scores. Eric Haase scores. Spencer Torkelson walks. Andy Ibanez pops out to Vinnie Pasquantino.
3 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Tigers 8, Royals 5. | 2023-05-23T04:06:21+00:00 | sfgate.com | https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/detroit-kansas-city-runs-18113640.php |
(WHTM) — Empower Brands is recalling around 456,000 waffle makers because users can suffer burns if hot pieces of the waffle or waffle stuffing are expelled, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The CPSC said the recall includes the 5-inch PowerXL (Model ESWM02) and the 7-inch Stuffed Wafflizer (Model ESWM03) waffle makers.
Empower Brands has received 44 incident reports, including 34 burn injuries, with three needing medical attention, the CPSC said.
The affected products, which were sold in eleven colors, were sold at Walmart, Kohls, Big Lots, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Best Buy, The Home Depot, Target, Sam’s Club, and other home goods stores nationwide from July 2021 through October 2022. They were also sold online from QVC, Walmart, Kohls and other websites during the same timeframe.
The selling price was $30 to $60.
The CPSC said anyone with the recalled waffle makers should immediately stop using them and contact Empower Brands to receive a free latch adaptor part and repair instructions.
The model numbers and date codes can be found on a tag attached to the power cord.
Empower Brands can be reached toll-free at 866-276-0063 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday, by email at wafflizerrecall@brandprotectplus.com or online at www.prodprotect.com/recall/wafflizer or https://powerxlproducts.com. Click on “Safety Recalls” at the top of the page for more information. | 2023-05-19T19:58:01+00:00 | wcia.com | https://www.wcia.com/news/national/empower-brands-recalls-nearly-half-a-million-waffle-makers-due-to-burn-hazard/ |
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to headline a major gathering of Republicans in South Carolina this month as he considers a 2024 White House bid that could pit him against his onetime boss, former President Donald Trump.
Pompeo will speak Aug. 22 at the Faith & Freedom BBQ in Anderson, according to the host of the event, U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan.
The tenets of faith and freedom “are ingrained into the very fabric of our nation, and I am looking forward to celebrating them surrounded by veterans, first responders, and other patriotic Americans who make our country great!” Pompeo said in a written statement Tuesday provided to The Associated Press.
The fundraiser, which benefits Duncan’s campaign, has long been a showcase for possible White House contenders, including South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, then-Vice President Mike Pence, Sens. Ted Cruz, Joni Ernst and Marco Rubio, and former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
According to Duncan, who represents South Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District, the event is the state’s largest annual gathering of Republicans, typically drawing more than 1,000 attendees.
“Mike Pompeo epitomizes service to country and community over self,” Duncan said, touting Pompeo’s “unwavering commitment to America first foreign policy and his willingness to stand up to adversaries like China.”
Last year, Pompeo headlined a fundraiser for the state Republican Party in South Carolina, home to the first presidential votes in the South. His super PAC, which has raised nearly $6 million, last month released a digital ad in South Carolina and Iowa — another early-voting state where he has been making appearances — touting religious freedoms.
Pompeo and Pence are among the former Trump administration officials attempting to establish themselves in the state as Trump continues to tease a 2024 bid. Pompeo, who served as CIA director and top diplomat, has remained on good terms with his former boss, continuing to defend him after the Jan. 6, 2021, siege of the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters.
Pence has made several recent visits to the state, including last year when he made his first public address since leaving office. Already this year, he has given commencement remarks at the Christian Columbia International University, spoken at a crisis pregnancy center fundraiser and outlined his policy vision for a “post-Roe” world.
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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP. | 2022-08-03T02:24:57+00:00 | wnct.com | https://www.wnct.com/news/politics/pompeo-to-headline-fundraiser-in-early-voting-south-carolina/ |
By 2025, Reynolds expects to reduce carbon emissions by over 1,000 tons a year from vehicles in fleet
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., July 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Reynolds American Inc., the BAT Group's U.S. subsidiary, and its companies (Reynolds) is advancing its Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) goals by transitioning its current 1,800+ vehicle trade and operations fleet to hybrid and electric models. The move will replace aging vehicles on a rolling basis over the next three years, resulting in a projected annual 1000+ ton reduction in carbon emissions.
"Our sales and trade marketing representatives average nearly 27,000 miles a year in their territories across the fifty states – that's a lot of time on the road," said Ed Mirana, Senior Vice President, National Sales and Strategic Accounts at Reynolds. "With this move to hybrid vehicles, our sales and operations teams are driving progress on our sustainability ambitions."
Reynolds is collaborating with Ford Pro to transition its current fleet to a mix of vehicle models, including the Escape SEL Hybrid, Explorer Limited Hybrid, Ford E-Transit, and Ford-150 Lightning. Included in the 1,800+ fleet are nearly 50 light-duty Operations vehicles used across Reynolds' North Carolina and Tennessee facilities, which will be transitioned to a combination of hybrid and electric models as part of this initiative.
"We continue to push for new ways to reduce our use of resources and environmental impact. We have a bold global ambition for carbon-neutral operations by 2030, and reducing carbon emissions in our fleet is an important step on this journey. In addition, by 2024, more than 95% of all industrial vehicles used in Operations will be electric," said Bernd Meyer, Executive Vice President of Operations at Reynolds. "With these significant changes and investments over the next few years, we are currently on track to meet a fleet carbon emission reduction of 50% by 2025."
In 2022, approximately 650 hybrid and electric vehicles will replace internal combustible engine vehicles organization-wide.
Reynolds joins the BAT Group's growing list of markets across the globe, including Australia, Colombia, Germany, Mexico, and the Netherlands, where trade and operations fleet transitions to hybrid and electric vehicles are well underway.
About Reynolds American Inc.
Reynolds American Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BAT Group and the U.S. parent company of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, Inc., American Snuff Company, LLC, R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company, and Modoral Brands Inc. To learn more about Reynolds American Inc. and its operating companies, please visit www.reynoldsamerican.com.
Media Contact:
Forward Looking Statements
This release contains certain forward-looking statements, including "forward-looking" statements made within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as "believe," "anticipate," "could," "may," "would," "should," "intend," "plan," "potential," "predict," "will," "expect," "estimate," "project," "positioned," "strategy," "outlook", "target" and similar expressions. These include statements regarding our ESG targets.
All such forward-looking statements involve estimates and assumptions that are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors. It is believed that the expectations reflected in this release are reasonable but they may be affected by a wide range of variables that could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated. A review of the reasons why actual results and developments may differ materially from the expectations disclosed or implied within forward-looking statements can be found by referring to the information contained under the headings "Forward-looking statements" and "Group Principal Risks " in the 2021 Annual Report and Form 20-F of British American Tobacco p.l.c. (BAT).
Additional information concerning these and other factors can be found in BAT's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including the Annual Report on Form 20-F and Current Reports on Form 6-K, which may be obtained free of charge at the SEC's website, http://www.sec.gov and BAT's Annual Reports, which may be obtained free of charge from the British American Tobacco website www.bat.com.
Past performance is no guide to future performance and persons needing advice should consult an independent financial adviser. The forward-looking statements reflect knowledge and information available at the date of preparation of this release and BAT undertakes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.
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SOURCE Reynolds American Inc. | 2022-07-25T16:00:08+00:00 | mysuncoast.com | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/25/reynolds-american-inc-progresses-esg-journey-by-transitioning-hybrid-electric-vehicle-fleet/ |
BERLIN (AP) — German authorities said Friday that a man sought in connection with the fatal shooting of a 24-year-old Syrian in the western town of Luedenscheid has been detained after surrendering to police.
Prosecutors in the western city of Hagen said the 23-year-old suspect is also a Syrian citizen and knew the victim, who died at a hospital hours after Monday’s shooting in the nearby town of Luedenscheid.
Police declined to immediately provide further details about the suspect or the circumstances of the shooting.
Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have come to Germany since the start of the conflict in their country more than a decade ago. | 2023-05-05T15:18:07+00:00 | upmatters.com | https://www.upmatters.com/news/international/ap-international/suspect-in-slaying-of-syrian-surrenders-to-german-police/ |
The First Class Of Victor Wong Fellows Join A Tuition-Free Program Concluding With A Showcase
Event On A Second City Stage In Chicago
CHICAGO, Feb. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Legendary Chicago comedy institution The Second City is proud to announce the inaugural recipients of the Victor Wong Fellowship for Asian American Pacific Islander Voices in Comedy. Named after The Second City's first Asian-American performer and funded by the family foundation of Peng Zhao, CEO of Citadel Securities, the fellowship will support the professional training and development of a cohort of actors and music directors.
"A program like this is incredibly important for empowering the Asian American community, not only through a comedic lens but in providing more opportunities to share our stories & culture," said The Second City's Showcase Director and Program Creative Lead, Jonald Reyes.
After receiving and reviewing over 100 submissions, the following recipients were selected to begin training with The Second City this February:
Acting Track Recipients
- Ali Khan (he/him)
- Christina Hilliard (she/her)
- Courtney Sullivan Wu (she/her)
- Harrison Hapin (he/him)
- Heather Mari (she/her)
- Huy Nguyen (he/him)
- Jef Chi (he/him)
- Luke Moghimi Connell (he/him)
- Natasha Mirza (she/her)
- Nick Joe (he/him)
- Tanvi Kumar (she/her)
Music Director Track Recipients
- Joshua Chan (he/him)
- Katherine Elise Plier (she/they)
- Maya Tanaka Allwardt (she/her)
- Yuxin Lu (they/them)
"We could not be more thrilled with the caliber and diversity of talent and perspectives represented in our inaugural Victor Wong Fellowship cohort. We can't wait to see what they create together," said The Second City's Managing Artistic Director, Julie Dumais Osborne.
Following the tuition-free program, the fellowship will conclude with a showcase event on a Second City stage in Chicago. The culminating run of public performances is scheduled for May 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, 2023.
About The Second City
The Second City opened its doors in 1959 as a small comedy cabaret and has since grown to become the world's most influential name in improvisation and comedy. It celebrated its 63rd year in business on December 16th, 2022. The Second City's stages, Touring Companies, and Training Centers across North America have proudly been the launch pad and artistic home for many of the funniest performers, writers, directors, and comedic minds on the planet.
For more information on The Second City, visit www.secondcity.com and follow The Second City on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Press Contact: Colleen Fahey VP of Marketing,
The Second City cfahey@secondcity.com
(312) 662-4516
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SOURCE The Second City | 2023-02-22T11:27:33+00:00 | wsfa.com | https://www.wsfa.com/prnewswire/2023/02/22/second-city-announces-recipients-inaugural-victor-wong-fellowship-aapi-voices-comedy/ |
This partnership will mitigate crypto risk with intelligence, and compliance capabilities in response to increased NFT-related crime.
NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Merkle Science, a predictive web3 risk and intelligence platform, today announced a partnership with Polarys, providers of membership-based NFTs to businesses and individuals seeking to engage with web3 and blockchain for the first time. The partnership will serve to prevent fraud and comply with AML/CFT regulations using behavior-based transaction monitoring and risk reporting solutions. It will also identify suspicious transactions beyond the blacklists and respond immediately.
The NFT market has grown at an exponential rate fueled by increased public demand, and the technology's proliferation in numerous industries including art; music, gaming, sports, retail, film, and many more. The booming industry generated over $23 billion in trading volume in 2021, compared to just $94.9 million in 2020.This expanded NFT risk mitigation offering from Merkle Science was created to support clients in the NFT sector, and is a direct response to the rise in NFT-related crime.
Fernando Castellanos, Chief Revenue Officer Merkle Science, said: "As one of the first European-compliant utility NFT marketplace, Polarys has demonstrated its commitment to complying with laws, policies and regulations within relevant jurisdictions. This partnership is announced during a crypto regulatory paradigm shift, with global regulators continuing to define their expectations of web3 participants operating in their jurisdictions."
Merkle Science is uniquely placed to help clients navigate this rapidly evolving regulatory landscape. For Polarys, partnering with Merkle Science before regulatory scope is extended to NFTs is in line with its mission to provide a trusted one-stop-shop for businesses looking to safely deploy blockchain-based capabilities for the first time.
Selin Suntay, CEO of Polarys said: "Merkle Science's next-generation risk mitigation capabilities and firm grasp of the crypto-native infrastructure needed to address regulatory challenges and compliance within the web3 ecosystem makes it an ideal partner for Polarys as it prepares to onboard new users to the space."
The announcement of the partnership with Merkle Science comes as Polarys prepares to launch the Polarys Swap tool: the first fiat onboarding tool on the Metis network to enable users to buy Metis token with a credit card. This tool aims to enhance crypto adoption and attract new users to the ecosystem.
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SOURCE Merkle Science | 2022-11-30T16:53:19+00:00 | kwch.com | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/11/30/merkle-science-promotes-safe-crypto-adoption-with-polarys-partnership/ |
First-of-its kind experience comes as over 80% of U.S. travelers plan to take a road trip this year, helping them seamlessly create, customize and book multi-hotel itineraries
PARSIPPANY, N.J., May 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Queue up the playlist and pack those snacks because planning the ultimate summer road trip is now easier than ever. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world's largest hotel franchising company with over 8,900 hotels across more than 95 countries, today announced the launch of Road Trip Planner, the latest digital innovation to its award-winning mobile app. A first-of-its-kind offering from a major hospitality company, the interactive booking tool the road trip discovery, planning and booking process, allowing travelers to seamlessly plot their next trip in minutes. It's The Easiest Way to Book & GoSM.
Road trips became the go-to vacation for families amid the pandemic and continue to be the preferred way to travel for many this summer travel season. In fact, recent research commissioned by Wyndham for its American Road Trip Index revealed that while over 80% of travelers plan to take a road trip this year, with two-thirds (66%) feeling overwhelmed by trying to figure out where to stay.
"With thousands of hotels across our country's highways and byways and 22 trusted brands, there is no company better positioned to help travelers experience the road trip of their dreams," said Jessica Davidson, senior vice president, digital, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. "With Road Trip Planner, travelers enter a few details about the trip and instantly get an itinerary with all their hotel stops, bookable in one single transaction. It not only eases the stresses of travel planning but ensures the journey is as exciting as the destination."
A Seamless Solution for Road Trippers
Created to help travelers both at home and on the go, Road Trip Planner is the latest addition to the ever-evolving Wyndham Hotels & Resorts digital platform, further demonstrating the company's commitment to delivering value to its hotel owners and guests. While guests enjoy a seamless planning and booking experience, owners benefit from direct bookings that are encouraged through the feature's ability to book multiple hotel stays at once. Key to the design is functionality that enables guests to plan, create and book trips that work for them—from the family looking to head out west and visit our nation's parks this summer, to long-haul truckers regularly making their way up and down the coast.
Among Road Trip Planner's key features:
- Custom Itineraries – Customize your route from A to B and discover what you love in between. Tailor itineraries filtering by driving time or distance, preferred brands, amenities, pet-friendly locations and more.
- Recommended Routes – Leave the planning to us. Map a route with preferred stops or discover a recommended route based on your travel preferences.
- Details at Your Fingertips: Stay connected throughout your journey. View multiple reservations on one screen, look up key amenities and share on-property requests ahead of time.
- Pay Your Way – Pay in the way that works best for you including Wyndham Rewards points, cash or mix of the two.
Added Davidson, "Built upon the success and strong adoption of our mobile app, Road Trip Planner is the perfect complement to Lightning Book®, which is our Fastest Way to Book DirectSM and enables guests to reserve a hotel in just a few taps. Now, whatever your travel preferences—be it booking last minute or planning far ahead—Wyndham has you covered. Summer, here we come!"
Understanding the Road Tripper Mindset
Earlier this month, Wyndham teamed up with Wakefield Research to commission its first-ever American Road Trip Index, uncovering key insights around travelers upcoming road trip plans while tapping into pop-culture preferences.
Among some of the top insights from travelers:
- Pete is the popular pick: 56% would choose to road trip with Pete Davidson over Kim Kardashian, with Gen Z (60%), Gen X (58%) and Boomers (58%) leading the charge. For Millennials (53%), Kim is still queen.
- Adele rocks the radio: 34% put her at the top of their perfect road trip playlist, followed by Queen (28%), Bon Jovi (26%) and Bruce Springsteen (24%).
- Take away the TV: 59% would sooner give up a month of TV before giving up a week of vacation, with Millennials (67%) and Gen X (66%) being the most eager to trade in their TV remotes.
- Apologies to the in-laws: Asked to pick their top 3 road trip companions, 93% would rather road trip with someone other than them, including a best friend (80%), a sibling (61%) or even a member of congress (9%).
- Food is the focus: 1-in-2 (50%) put trying a new restaurant among their road trip travel plans while over a third (34%) are looking forward to exploring a small town.
- Going the distance: Road trippers plan to travel on average over 700 miles on their next trip, with over a quarter (27%) planning to travel 1,000 miles or more.
- Grabbing the wheel: 53% prefer to be the driver over the passenger, with men (73%) overwhelmingly preferring to drive vs. women.
Wyndham's Road Trip Planner is available today as part of the award-winning Wyndham Hotels & Resorts mobile app. Travelers can download the app via the Apple App and Google Play stores. Wyndham's mobile app offers mobile check-in and checkout, innovative in-stay features, best-in-class design, personalized experiences, Wyndham Rewards® account management, gamification and more. Users can also take advantage of unique features like Lightning Book®, which makes it easy to book the nearest Wyndham hotel for the night.
Between May 26 to May 30, 2022, members can take advantage of Wyndham's latest flash sale offer – 8,000 bonus points – redeemable for a $25 Visa prepaid card when they book two-nights or more through Wyndham's mobile app. Simply tap the Mobile App Flash Sale offer on the app's home screen to access the offer. Membership in Wyndham Rewards, which is free to join, is required, and non-members can quickly enroll as part of the booking process. A two-night minimum stay is required and stays must be completed by June 30, 2022. For full terms and conditions, visit www.wyndhamhotels.com/app.
Survey Methodology
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 1,000 Nationally Representative U.S. adults 18+, between May 11th to May 15th, 2022, using an email invitation and an online survey. The survey was weighted to ensure accurate representation of US adults ages 18+. The margin of error for the study is 3.1%.
About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world's largest hotel franchising company by the number of properties, with over 8,900 hotels across over 95 countries on six continents. Through its network of over 813,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveler, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 22 hotel brands, including Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Microtel®, La Quinta®, Baymont®, Wingate®, AmericInn®, Hawthorn Suites®, Trademark Collection® and Wyndham®. The Company's award-winning Wyndham Rewards loyalty program offers approximately 94 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally. For more information, visit www.wyndhamhotels.com.
Contact:
Stefanie Petropoulos
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
+1 (973) 753-6590
stefanie.petropoulos@wyndham.com
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SOURCE Wyndham Hotels & Resorts | 2022-05-23T12:52:00+00:00 | kfyrtv.com | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2022/05/23/road-trip-ready-wyndham-mobile-app-now-lets-travelers-plan-book-ultimate-summer-road-trip/ |
Vehicle linked to armed robbery crashes in central Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - The Wichita Police Department said four people suffered minor injuries following a chase and two-vehicle crash near Central and Hillside.
Officers were called to an armed robbery on South Broadway around 7 p.m. on Thursday. A short time later, an officer from Patrol East spotted the suspect vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. The vehicle fled and a short chase ensued.
Police said the vehicle ran a red light and clipped a vehicle that was making a left-hand turn into a restaurant’s parking lot. Both vehicles spun out and the two people in each vehicle suffered minor injuries.
The two people who were in the suspect vehicle were detained. Police said they are still looking for one more person in connection to the robbery.
Copyright 2022 KWCH. All rights reserved. | 2022-07-22T04:41:15+00:00 | kwch.com | https://www.kwch.com/2022/07/22/vehicle-linked-armed-robbery-crashes-central-wichita/ |
Police: Walgreens employee arrested for stealing $25,000 from store
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR/Gray News) - Police in Illinois say a worker has been arrested for stealing thousands of dollars from her place of employment.
According to the Cherry Valley Police Department, 22-year-old Tajanae Glass has been charged with theft for stealing money from a Rockford-area Walgreens.
Authorities said Glass was caught by a loss prevention manager while working at the store. She is accused of taking around $25,000.
Cherry Valley police said a witness informed officers that Glass was in charge of depositing money into the company bank account. However, she reportedly took various amounts of money from the deposits over the last year.
According to police, Glass provided them with a written confession before being arrested.
The 22-year-old was booked into the Winnebago County Jail on Tuesday.
Copyright 2023 WIFR via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2023-02-02T00:27:27+00:00 | wlox.com | https://www.wlox.com/2023/02/01/police-walgreens-employee-arrested-stealing-25000-store/ |
PARIS, April 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, in 2023, e-cigarettes are the most innovative technological product of the 21st century, shattering the traditional cigarette monopoly.
Certain breakthroughs have been made in some technical areas, such as ceramic cores, as a result of continuous exploration by major vape brands. Nonetheless, they still face numerous pain points in terms of taste experience, raw material safety, and service life, which significantly impact the consumer experience.
VPU: Vaping Processing Unit
Geekvape, a market-leading vape technology company, unveils its brand-new vaping technology solution: VPU. This technology platform integrates the most recent advancements in fluid and thermal transmission, material safety, and advanced material research to provide a comprehensive solution for customers. Specifically, it can be introduced from these three aspects: Vape Experience, Safety Performance and Unit Process Control
VAPE EXPERIENCE
Geekvape has the leading edge in heat-generating devices such as etched heaters, non-woven, ceramic cores, etc., and combine their expertise in simulation testing, material micro design, device structure design, and other areas of technical competence.
As is common knowledge, heat generators are one of the most essential components of electro-atomization, and their design and manufacturing quality have a direct impact on vaping quality as a whole. The heat generators of the VPU are calibrated using finite element analysis (FEA) in conjunction with infrared imaging, aerosol particle size analysis, Total Partical Mass, and other advanced testing methods to ensure the optimal design of heat generators and the desired release of aerosol to achieve high taste restoration, fine texture, and consistent vaping performance.
According to the aerosol composition test results, the product adopting the VPU technology had a vapour volume increase of 23.7% with the same number of puffs compared to other products on the market. As the number of puffs increases, the aerosol release is stable and the taste continues without degradation.
For disposable vape range and vapor volume, the through-air bonded non-woven can be said to be the most important. Leakage and heterogeneous permeability are the most prevalent disadvantages of these low-quality nonwovens, which will ultimately result in a very high rate of defective products, not only causing severe after-sales issues, but also increasing the costs.
Geekvape has thus far developed non-woven, which has a higher liquid conductivity and storage rate. Geekvape has been developing new materials and production processes from the ground up in an effort to achieve greater consistency and stability, and has been actively collaborating with top textile universities to advance technology.
According to Geekvape's chief marketing officer, Potti Lan, Geekvape's yield rate has improved from 85% to 99% and our development cycle speed has increased by 35%.
"I am proud to say that we are the first company in the industry to follow a high standard of multi-dimensional testing, and we have made continuous efforts to achieve a major new breakthrough in the performance of the through-air bonded non-woven, so that we can ensure consistent performance from batch to batch and guarantee consistent quality of our products."
Safety Performance
Geekvape has taken a multi-dimensional approach to the selection of raw materials, testing of ingredients, and thermal safety performance to demonstrate the safety guarantee of VPU.
Geekvape is adopting the infrared imaging technology to verify the temperature field of the heat generators in order to ensure the safety of the heat generation performance. Moreover, Geekvape's R&D team has performed extensive aerosol analysis to overcome the problems of excessive condensation, liquid absorption, and frying. As a result, they are able to quickly identify and resolve these issues, achieving a more balanced atomization effect, reducing the likelihood of gluing the core, and enhancing overall user safety.
Unit process control
Unit process control is the third element of the VPU, and its purpose is to implement statistically based process control at every stage of the process in order to ensure batch-to-batch consistency of quality. At the press conference, Geekvape demonstrated its highly automated production with a 99.95% yield rate and a monthly production volume of 200 million.
According to Charles Li, the product line executive of Geekvape, "Our new series - Geekvape Q and Geekbar Meloso, which have been built in compliance with the VPU standard. Vaping is a comprehensive solution instead of a single point technology, and no single point technology can provide consumers a complete vaping experience."
VPU focuses on the overall atomization system solution rather than simply one particular cutting-edge technology.This will elevate the vaping industry even further.
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SOURCE GEEKVAPE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD | 2023-04-14T08:16:29+00:00 | kfyrtv.com | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/04/14/leading-vape-brand-geekvape-unveiled-revolutionary-vaping-technology-solution-vpu/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken will see his Chinese counterpart this week at a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of 20 bloc of nations that will likely exacerbate splits over Russia’s war in Ukraine.
While strained U.S.-China ties will be the focus of Blinken’s talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the broader G-20 gathering in Indonesia of leading industrialized nations will almost certainly be overshadowed by the Ukraine conflict and its effect on global food and energy security. And Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be there, marking the first time he and Blinken will be in the same room, let alone the same city, at the same time in nearly six months.
The State Department announced Tuesday that Blinken would meet with Wang in Bali, but had little to say about the possibility of him seeing Lavrov, whom the U.S. has shunned since the Ukraine invasion in February. U.S. officials have accused Lavrov and other Russian diplomats of a lack of seriousness in the run-up to the Ukraine war.
The Biden administration has ruled out “business as usual” with Russia while it remains in Ukraine and U.S. officials said there would be no formal discussions between Blinken and Lavrov in Bali. But they could not rule out the possibility of a chance encounter, which would their first since they last met in Geneva in January.
“The secretary intends to engage fully in the G-20. I’m not going to speak to any plans on the part of Foreign Minister Lavrov … but I can tell you the secretary will be a full and active participant in the G-20, which we see as a valuable forum,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.
Like many recent international diplomatic gatherings, the Bali meeting will be focused on Ukraine as the participants set the stage for a summit of G-20 leaders, also to be held in Indonesia, in November. But unlike, the Western-dominated G-7 and NATO summits that were held in Europe last week, the G-20 will have a different flavor.
China and many other participants, including India, South Africa, Brazil and several other large developing nations, have resisted signing onto U.S. and European opposition to Russia’s invasion. Some have outright refused Western entreaties to join condemnations of the conflict, which the U.S. and its allies see as an outright attack on the international rules-based order that has prevailed since the end of World War II.
The divergence has set the stage for a potentially contentious preparatory meeting ahead of November’s summit, amid questions about whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend. The U.S. has made clear it does not believe Putin should attend but has urged the Indonesian hosts to invite Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy should the Russian leader participate.
In the meantime, the U.S. and China are separately at severe odds over numerous issues ranging from trade and human rights to Taiwan and disputes in the South China Sea.
Blinken’s meeting with Wang was announced after China’s envoy to trade war talks with Washington expressed concern about U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports in a call with with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Neither side gave any indication that progress has been made on the matter.
In his meeting with Wang, Price said Blinken “will reinforce our commitment to working with international partners to confront global challenges, including food and energy insecurity and the threat Russia’s continued war against Ukraine presents to the international order.”
From Bali, Blinken will travel to Bangkok, Thailand, to make up for a trip to the Thai capital that he was forced to cancel late last year due to COVID-19 reasons. | 2022-07-06T14:33:34+00:00 | pahomepage.com | https://www.pahomepage.com/news/politics/blinken-sets-g-20-meeting-with-chinese-fm-silent-on-russia/ |
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A violent prison break in which 30 inmates escaped and 17 people — mostly guards — were killed has revealed a shocking level of self-rule by prisoners inside the prison in the northern Mexico border city of Ciudad Juarez.
Not only were criminals able to sneak guns, drugs and luxury goods into prison Number 3, they actually held the keys to some sections of the facility, which is located across the border from El Paso, Texas.
“It was evident that the inmates themselves were practically in charge of security, and that on some cell blocks they had the keys to common areas, like classrooms or cafeterias,” said Néstor Manuel Armendáriz, the president of the Human Rights Commission in the northern state of Chihuahua.
Searches after Sunday’s uprising and jail break turned up 10 “VIP” cells outfitted with televisions and other comforts. One even had a safe filled with cash. Authorities also found cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and marijuana inside the prison, and they found 14 guns just outside.
But Armendáriz said supposed searches in 2021 didn’t find any of that.
Ten of the dead were prison guards who were attacked by gunmen who arrived early Sunday in armored vehicles and fired on the entrance and inside dormitories. The seven other dead included two policemen and five suspected attackers.
The director of the prison was fired on Tuesday, and 191 inmates considered high-risk were transferred out of the over-crowded prison.
The inmates who escaped have been identified as members of the Mexicles gang; the Mexicles’ leader, who was serving a sentence for murder and other crimes, was among the fugitives. The Mexicles have been one of Juarez’s main gangs for decades and for many years were known to work with the Sinaloa Cartel.
At the time of the jail break, prison Number 3 held 4,000 inmates, 23% more than it was designed to hold. As is common in Mexican prisons, people awaiting trial — 90% of inmates at the Ciudad Juarez facility — are mixed in with convicted criminals.
Despite the prison’s long history of problems, authorities prefer to look the other way, said Saskia Niño de Rivera, who leads the incarceration reform group Reinserta.
“Security is totally politicized, because the prisons don’t win you political points,” Niño de Rivera.
The problem is particularly sensitive in Ciudad Juarez, where local gangs work for drug cartels and any violence inside prisons can quickly spill out onto the streets of the city.
That happened in August when a riot inside the same state prison spread to the streets of Juarez in violence and left 11 people dead.
She said Sunday’s riot “is a clear example of what is occurring in a large number of Mexican prisons, which are completely forgotten by the authorities and which are completely out of control.”
In 2016, 49 inmates were killed in a riot at the notorious Topo Chico prison in the northern border state of Nuevo Leon. Investigators found the prison to be full of contraband and weapons. The state government finally closed it in 2019.
Mexico has a prison population of some 226,000 people, many held in overcrowded conditions in prisons without sufficient guards. The problem is fed by policies that allow, and in some cases require, suspects to be held for a wide variety crimes for long periods before trial. | 2023-01-04T15:07:47+00:00 | seattletimes.com | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/in-troubled-mexico-prison-inmates-ruled-their-cell-blocks/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
HENDERSON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky is ready to start construction in earnest on the first phase of a planned Ohio River bridge that will connect western Kentucky and Indiana.
Gov. Andy Beshear attended a groundbreaking at Henderson on Wednesday for the Interstate 69 Ohio River Crossing. The project is among Kentucky's top transportation priorities.
“Investments in our roads and bridges are essential, and this project is going to bring more jobs to this region,” the governor said.
The first phase focuses on improvements on the Kentucky side.
It includes a more than six-mile extension of I-69, new interchanges and a reconstructed interchange, Beshear's office said in a news release. Work on that phase is starting in earnest this summer and expected to continue through 2025.
Other phases, including bridge construction, will begin in coming years.
Kentucky's other top-priority projects are building a Brent Spence companion bridge in northern Kentucky and completing the expansion of the Mountain Parkway in eastern Kentucky. | 2022-06-23T09:44:29+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Work-to-begin-on-initial-phase-of-Ohio-River-17259974.php |
At 91, Daniel Ellsberg is certain of many things. One of them is that unofficial leaks of government documents are fundamental to keeping a check on the most powerful operators of our society.
"Unauthorized disclosures are the lifeline of a republic," he told NPR during a phone interview from his home in Northern California.
And anyone who chooses to take on the burden of sharing such information in the public interest, "is doing this republic a very great service and helping it to remain a republic."
Ellsberg would know.
He was the person who in 1971 leaked the Pentagon Papers to The New York Times (until they were blocked by the courts from publishing the documents) then sneaked them to The Washington Post.
The study – officially called the Report of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Vietnam Task Force – chronicled decades of failed U.S. policy in Vietnam, and laid bare the ways in which the public was misled in how the war was conducted. Ellsberg was a national security analyst at the time and gained access to the classified documents using his top secret clearances.
When he was eventually discovered, he was arrested and became the first person in the United States to be prosecuted under the Espionage Act.
"They tried to put me in [prison] for 150 years," he recalled, laughing.
The charges, however, didn't stick after investigators discovered Nixon administration officials had tapped Ellsberg's phone and broken into his psychiatrist's office to obtain information that would discredit him.
'It's a very good thing that it got out'
Now, watching the fallout of the leak of a Supreme Court draft opinion that suggests overturning Roe v. Wade, Ellsberg acknowledges the extraordinary nature of the recent breach, which seems to have ruptured the trust between the highest court and the public.
"It's obvious why they want to keep it secret, " he said. "No organization really wants to show how the sausage is made or legislation is made, and they prefer to be the only voice on policy to the public."
Fifty years after the Pentagon Papers leak, Americans have been made privy to the internal, secretive discussions of the Supreme Court, exposing the role that politics plays in the justices' rulings.
"The Supreme Court wants to get all the authority it can from hiding the nature of dissension; the details of arguments that people have made one way or the other," Ellsberg explained. But this particular decision is so consequential for the public that it is important they know what is really driving the majority's decision, he added.
That's why, he said, "It's a very good thing that it got out. It was important to be out."
If he was in the leaker's position, Ellsberg said he'd do the same thing.
'The politicization of the court is no secret at this point'
Ellsberg empathizes with Chief Justice John Roberts, who called the release of the opinion "an affront" and "egregious," launching an investigation into the source of the leak.
"But really," Ellsberg said, "the politicization of the court is no secret at this point and for Justice Roberts to pretend there were no Democratic justices and Republican justices, that's really absurd. That notion has been demolished."
He also notes, as many others have, that after Politico published the draft, that the opinion is not a classified or secret document, meaning that no law has been broken.
"Strictly speaking, the law under which I was prosecuted, the Espionage Act, has never been confirmed by the Supreme Court to be constitutional, as applied to unauthorized disclosure to the American public, telling the truth to the public."
There are no laws preventing the release of documents from within the Supreme Court
Roy Gutterman, a communications law professor and director of the center for free speech at Syracuse University, agrees that neither Politico or the leaker will likely face criminal charges.
As of now, there is no law prohibiting such a public outing from within the Supreme Court, only centuries of decorum and unwritten internal standards. Additionally, when considering legality of the publication of the Ellsberg's Pentagon Papers under the First Amendment, the Supreme Court prepared to rule that the government could not block a publication from publishing the documents.
Gutterman notes there are fewer protections for leakers, meaning there could be more potential liability for such actors. But he said, in this case "it doesn't appear that there's a clear violation of a specific law."
He added: "When you look at leak investigations they tend to focus on National Security issues and the leaking of a draft opinion is not a matter of National Security."
That is not to say there won't be consequences for the source. Given how few people had access to the draft opinion – by most estimates that figure stands at approximately 50 people, including the nine justices – it's more likely than not that they will not remain anonymous, Gutterman said.
However, the long-term effects go much deeper than the potential repercussions on one person's career, according to Gutterman. "It's an opening for future leaks on hot-button issues ... it's a slippery slope."
"This could happen again and again, which would certainly undermine the independence of the court. And it would certainly stifle some degree of even collegiality and consensus-building among these justices," he said.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2022-05-11T11:23:43+00:00 | upr.org | https://www.upr.org/npr-news/npr-news/2022-05-11/the-pentagon-papers-leaker-explains-why-the-supreme-court-draft-leak-is-a-good-thing |
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia’s national championship football team is declining an invitation to visit the White House.
According to a statement released by the Georgia athletic association on Tuesday, the Bulldogs will not be able to attend a June 12 event with other college teams at the White House. The event is described by President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden as “College Athlete Day.”
The statement from Georgia says the team’s schedule interferes with the suggested date which was provided in an invitation received earlier this month.
“The University of Georgia first received on May 3 an invitation for the Bulldog football team to visit the White House on June 12,” the statement from the athletic association said. “Unfortunately, the date suggested is not feasible given the student-athlete calendar and time of year. However, we are appreciative of the invitation and look forward to other opportunities for Georgia teams moving forward.”
Georgia did not provide more specifics of the schedule conflict.
Some professional championship teams, including the 2021 Atlanta Braves, have made White House visits during the Biden administration. This year’s NCAA men’s and women’s championship basketball teams from Connecticut and Louisiana State, respectively, are scheduled to visit the White House on May 26.
Coach Kirby Smart and quarterback Stetson Bennett led Georgia to its second consecutive national championship with a 65-7 runaway win over TCU.
___
AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 | 2023-05-10T16:01:30+00:00 | kdvr.com | https://kdvr.com/sports/ap-sports/georgias-championship-team-declines-white-house-invitation/ |
Morning news brief By Leila Fadel, A Martínez Published June 16, 2023 at 3:08 AM MDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email A boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Greece. Another round of smoke from Canadian wildfires is drifting south. A dangerous horse tranquilizer is being laced into U.S. street drugs. Copyright 2023 NPR | 2023-06-16T09:33:02+00:00 | upr.org | https://www.upr.org/2023-06-16/morning-news-brief |
The Social Security program is expected to run short of cash to pay promised benefits in about ten years, while a key trust fund for Medicare will run out of funds by 2031, according to new forecasts issued Friday by trustees of both programs.
The projections serve as an annual reminder that the popular programs rest on shaky financial footings. While any effort to patch them is sure to face stiff political opposition, doing nothing is likely to be worse.
Social Security benefits for retirees and others are primarily paid for through payroll taxes on current workers, and are supplemented by a trust fund.
Benefits paid out by the program have exceeded money coming in since 2021, and the trust fund is now expected to be depleted by 2033. That's a year earlier than forecast last year, thanks in part to slower economic growth.
Unless changes are made before then to shore up the program, 66 million Social Security recipients would see their benefits cut by 23-25%.
Meanwhile, the Medicare trust fund, which supplements payments to hospitals and nursing homes, is also running out of cash. That could result in an 11% pay cut to health care providers unless changes are made by 2031. That deadline is three years later than had been forecast last year.
Trustees anticipate some cost savings for Medicare, thanks to a switch to less-expensive outpatient treatments and because some people who would have required the most costly care died prematurely during the pandemic.
Millions depend on Social Security, Medicare
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who leads the trustees, stressed the importance of propping up both trust funds to avoid draconian cuts in benefits and provider payments.
"Social Security and Medicare are two bedrock programs that older Americans rely upon for their retirement security," Yellen said in a statement. "The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring the long-term viability of these critical programs so that retirees can receive the hard-earned benefits they're owed."
As part of its budget, the Biden administration proposed extending the life of the Medicare trust fund by 25 years, largely through higher taxes on wealthy individuals. The administration has not proposed similar fixes for Social Security.
The primary challenge for Social Security is demographic. As aging baby boomers retire, there are fewer workers paying into the program to support the rising cost of benefits. As of last year, there were just 2.7 workers paying into the system for each person drawing Social Security benefits.
Additionally, a smaller fraction of income is now subject to the payroll taxes that support Social Security.
Patching the program will require higher taxes, lower benefits or some combination of the two.
"The only responsible thing to do is admit that we've got to make changes and we disagree about how to do it but let's sit down and try to figure those out," said Maya Macguineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. "If we wait until the last minute, they'll be much, much harder."
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-03-31T21:13:37+00:00 | mainepublic.org | https://www.mainepublic.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-03-31/social-security-is-now-expected-to-run-short-of-cash-by-2033 |
Washington — Dominion Voting Systems and Fox News have reached a deal to resolve the $1.6 billion defamation case the electronic voting company brought against the cable news giant over unfounded accusations broadcast on its air that Dominion helped rig the 2020 presidential election against former President Donald Trump.
Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis announced that the "case has been resolved" after bringing the jury and 12 alternates back into the courtroom following a lengthy break in proceedings.
The details of the settlement are unclear, and the case's resolution came on the first day of the trial in Delaware Superior Court. A 12-member jury and the alternates were seated in the morning and sworn in, after which lawyers for the two sides were set to deliver opening statements Tuesday afternoon. The settlement brings an end to what was expected to be a six-week trial.
The start of the trial had already been delayed by one day, from Monday to Tuesday.
The agreement marks the culmination of Dominion's two-year lawsuit against Fox News and its parent company Fox Corporation over false claims about the integrity of the 2020 election and spares the network's top stars and co-founder Rupert Murdoch from having to take the stand.
The electronic voting company alleged Fox defamed it by broadcasting unfounded allegations that Dominion had rigged the election against Trump and its software manipulated vote counts. The electronic voting company sought $1.6 billion in damages.
Evidence was expected to be voluminous at the trial, after filings from Dominion's and Fox's legal teams indicated there would be over 7,000 and more than 5,000 exhibits, respectively. Before the trial, reams of text messages and internal emails from Fox's hosts, producers and executives were made public as part of the lawsuit, and many showed the network's best-known stars didn't believe the claims that were being pushed by the former president and his allies.
The communications also provided a behind-the-scenes look at the atmosphere inside Fox after the network was the first to call Arizona for Joe Biden on election night. The move led viewers to change the channel from Fox to rival networks amid pushback from Trump and his campaign, setting off alarm bells within the cable giant.
Dominion pointed to 20 statements — many made by conservative lawyers Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani — aired on shows hosted by Maria Bartiromo, Lou Dobbs, Jeanine Pirro, Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity or on Twitter that the voting equipment and software company argues were defamatory.
The trial was expected to be a high-stakes test of the boundaries of the First Amendment, as Fox's lawyers argued the claims it aired about Dominion were newsworthy, because Trump's top allies and lawyers had made the statements, and also because of when the statements were made and what they concerned. Fox also claimed that the broadcasts are constitutionally protected.
But in an opinion published in late March, Davis pushed back against several of Fox's defenses, calling it "oxymoronic" to call the challenged 20 statements opinions while also asserting they were newsworthy allegations. Davis, who reviewed all 20 broadcasts where the falsehoods about Dominion were made, said in his opinion that it's "crystal clear" that none of the statements relating to the electronic voting company are true.
He also rebuked Fox's attorneys during a pre-trial conference last week after Dominion alleged the cable news giant had withheld evidence and information. A lawyer for Fox apologized to Davis in a letter Friday, writing the network's legal team is "committed to clear and full communication with the Court moving forward."
It's unclear whether Fox and Dominion had discussed a potential settlement earlier in the case, but the two sides previously met late last year for court-ordered mediation and did not immediately reach an agreement.
The trial was expected to be a high-stakes test of the boundaries of the First Amendment, as Fox's lawyers argued the claims it aired about Dominion were newsworthy, because Trump's top allies and lawyers had made the statements, and also because of when the statements were made and what they concerned. Fox also claimed that the broadcasts are constitutionally protected.
But in an opinion published in late March, Davis pushed back against several of Fox's defenses, calling it "oxymoronic" to call the challenged 20 statements opinions while also asserting they were newsworthy allegations. Davis, who reviewed all 20 broadcasts where the falsehoods about Dominion were made, said in his opinion that it's "crystal clear" that none of the statements relating to the electronic voting company are true.
He also rebuked Fox's attorneys during a pre-trial conference last week after Dominion alleged the cable news giant had withheld evidence and information. A lawyer for Fox apologized to Davis in a letter Friday, writing the network's legal team is "committed to clear and full communication with the Court moving forward."
It's unclear whether Fox and Dominion had discussed a potential settlement earlier in the case, but the two sides previously met late last year for court-ordered mediation and did not immediately reach an agreement. | 2023-04-18T21:12:15+00:00 | ktvq.com | https://www.ktvq.com/news/national-news/fox-news-dominion-voting-systems-reach-lawsuit-settlement-in-high-stakes-defamation-case |
Five articles highlight expanding role of EHRs in primary care, impact on doctor-patient relationships.
ANN ARBOR, Mich., July 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In Use of the Electronic Health Record During Clinical Encounters: An Experience Survey, researchers conducted a survey to assess the impact of EHR practices on doctor-patient communication. Describing experiences with EHRs during clinical encounters, most clinicians reported less eye contact with patients (80%), listening less carefully (54%), and less focus (65%). Only one-third of clinicians thought patients saw EHR use as a positive experience.
However, most patients surveyed (91.7%) reported positive experiences with EHR use. Patients reported clinicians provided sufficient eye contact (96.8%), listening (97.0%), and clinician focus (86.7%). The authors argue this gap in experiences indicates clinician stress and burnout with patient data documentation and the need to address clinicians' user experience of EHR.
In Communication Gaps Persist Between Primary Care and Specialist Physicians, researchers studied the impact of the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) model, which leverages EHRs to increase information sharing between primary care physicians and specialists about referred patients.
The authors found gaps in communication between primary care physicians and specialists have persisted over the last decade. They argue that although EHR technology was developed to improve care coordination, physicians do not always intentionally engage in communication on referrals and consultations. This communication gap can impact patients negatively, increasing the likelihood of delayed diagnoses, unnecessary testing, and patient and physician dissatisfaction.
However, opportunities to improve patient outcomes through EHRs do exist. In Impact of Home Blood Pressure Data Visualization on Hypertension Medical Decision Making in Primary Care, new research explores how clinicians might incorporate at-home blood pressure readings into a patient's EHR to help control hypertension.
The researchers developed and implemented a visualization tool that combines clinical and home blood pressure readings, and displays aggregated data in a single chart within each patient's EHR. Through analyzing doctor-patient interactions, researchers found that the visualization tool promoted shared decision-making in hypertension management in the primary care setting.
The article Designing and Implementing an Electronic Health Record–Embedded Card Study in Primary Care: Methods and Considerations describes how EHRs can help streamline data collection in the clinic. The authors report on the development and implementation of EHR-embedded digital surveys to replace paper-based surveys at community health centers. The research team developed a digital alternative to paper studies to reduce complexity and costs for users, and to facilitate rich analyses by linking participant responses to clinic and patient data.
In an accompanying editorial, Uplifting Primary Care Through the Electronic Health Record, Anthony Sunjaya notes that health care is rapidly becoming digital, helping to increase patient engagement in their own care, and improve primary care research. "However, we need to be able to measure these benefits through fit-for-purpose metrics in order to motivate practices to adopt them," he writes. Best practice goals for these metrics can then be developed and their integration linked to reimbursement, as well as other rewards for the benefit of clinicians, patients, and health systems.
Use of the Electronic Health Record During Clinical Encounters: An Experience Survey
Ellen C. Meltzer et al.
Communication Gaps Persist Between Primary Care and Specialist Physicians
Lori Timmins et al.
Impact of Home Blood Pressure Data Visualization on Hypertension Medical Decision Making in Primary Care
Deborah J. Cohen et al.
Designing and Implementing an Electronic Health Record–Embedded Card Study in Primary Care: Methods and Considerations
Arwen Bunce et al.
Uplifting Primary Care Through the Electronic Health Record
Anthony Paulo Sunjaya
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SOURCE Annals of Family Medicine | 2022-07-26T15:27:03+00:00 | live5news.com | https://www.live5news.com/prnewswire/2022/07/26/annals-family-medicine-emerging-research-documents-changing-landscape-electronic-health-records-primary-care/ |
NEW YORK, March 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Newmark has raised $500 million for a programmatic joint venture ("the Venture") between a global real estate private equity firm and Castle Park Investments ("CPI") that will focus on core plus and value-add manufactured housing communities ("MHC"), recreational vehicle ("RV") resorts and campground assets across the U.S. The team was led by Newmark's Co-Heads of Debt & Structured Finance Jordan Roeschlaub and Dustin Stolly, along with Director Eden Abraham.
The Venture's focus on the acquisition of MHC, RV resorts and campgrounds provides the opportunity to generate core plus to high value-add returns through leasing, repositioning and limited redevelopment. The Venture was seeded by the acquisition of a 700+ pad portfolio across strategic markets in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Newmark is also arranging the debt financing for the Venture.
The Venture will target MHC assets in strategic markets across the U.S., where the asset class presents a strong affordability option relative to other forms of housing. The Venture will target RV and campground destination assets where historical performance demonstrates a strong demand for long-term reservations.
"Manufactured housing as an asset class is one of the only real estate sectors that experienced positive earnings growth in the last two recessions while showing significant resilience during the pandemic," commented Roeschlaub.
"With the continued limited supply of MHCs and RV resorts, this opportunity was extremely well received by the capital markets community due to the nation's continued need for affordable housing," added Stolly.
The effort to raise capital for the program is part of Newmark's continued push into complex joint venture financing. The initiative focuses on raising capital for both platform and programmatic joint ventures.
"We are excited about the opportunity to grow our platform and to deliver exceptional results for our new partner. The capital commitment is a testament to our dedicated and hard-working team at Castle Park," commented CPI Co-Founder Evan Bernstein.
"This programmatic investment facilitates our ability to provide affordable housing for years to come," concluded CPI Co-Founder Brad Scott.
About Castle Park Investments
Castle Park Investments, LLC is a New York based Real Estate Private Equity firm focused on niche investment opportunities. Castle Park sources investments nationwide and implores strict deal screening criteria to generate long term wealth and cash flow while protecting investor capital. Founded in 2020, Castle Park was formed by Brad Scott and Evan Bernstein to aggregate portfolio of assets across target U.S. markets through acquisitions and ground up development. The Castle Park executive team has acquired over 10,500 MH and RV sites in their careers. Castle Park currently owns and operates 18 assets totaling over 2,800 units with over $150mm of assets under management.
About Newmark
Newmark Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: NMRK), together with its subsidiaries ("Newmark"), is a world leader in commercial real estate, seamlessly powering every phase of the property life cycle. Newmark's comprehensive suite of services and products is uniquely tailored to each client, from owners to occupiers, investors to founders, and startups to blue-chip companies. Combining the platform's global reach with market intelligence in both established and emerging property markets, Newmark provides superior service to clients across the industry spectrum. Newmark generated revenues of approximately $2.7 billion for the year ending December 31, 2022. Newmark's company-owned offices, together with its business partners, operate from approximately 180 offices with nearly 6,700 professionals around the world. To learn more, visit nmrk.com or follow @newmark.
Discussion of Forward-Looking Statements about Newmark
Statements in this document regarding Newmark that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. These include statements about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's business, results, financial position, liquidity and outlook, which may constitute forward-looking statements and are subject to the risk that the actual impact may differ, possibly materially, from what is currently expected. Except as required by law, Newmark undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see Newmark's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including, but not limited to, the risk factors and Special Note on Forward-Looking Information set forth in these filings and any updates to such risk factors and Special Note on Forward-Looking Information contained in subsequent reports on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q or Form 8-K.
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SOURCE Newmark Group, Inc. | 2023-03-15T00:04:12+00:00 | wafb.com | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/03/14/newmark-raises-500-million-programmatic-joint-venture-castle-park-investments/ |
- Bridgestone's investment is targeted to meet demand of rapid growth of retread business.
- The expansion in space provides room for additional equipment and allows operations to move from five days a week to six.
- Abilene plant to build upon the existing 200,000 square-foot blueprint and provide capacity needed for future production.
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) announced today an investment of $60 million to expand its Bridgestone Bandag, LLC manufacturing plant in Abilene, Texas. The 50,000-square-foot expansion of the Abilene plant is aimed at the growing demand for the company's tread rubber products, driven by the rapid growth of its retread business. The expansion includes an immediate increase in operational activity by running on six and seven-day production schedules, as well as the construction of new mixing operations at the facility. The mixing operations are expected to be completed and in operation by January 2025. The investment in the facility and the additional days of operations increase the plant's output by 16 percent, furthering Bridgestone's commitment to sustainable solutions.
"Today we celebrate the growth and commitment of this plant and this community, with new investment and a physical expansion driven by growing demand for our products and, just as fundamentally, by this team's commitment to delivering innovation and superior quality for our customers here and around the world," said Barry Owens, senior vice president, Bridgestone Americas Manufacturing Group. "Our company and our Abilene team have a vital role to play in the transformation of mobility brought forth by a desire of building greener retreads, while helping maximize fuel efficiency for fleets."
Bandag is an industry leading supplier of retread tires for fleets. Retread tires not only provide fleets an economic benefit, but also are an environmentally responsible way to extend the life of tires in any fleet. Since 1957, Bandag has been responsible for keeping approximately 300 million tires out of the waste system, which helps reduce material emissions, water and energy use associated with the production of a new tire. The Bandag retreading process has also saved four billion gallons of oil since it began 50 years ago.
The Abilene plant expansion supports Bridgestone's E8 Commitment that consists of 8 Bridgestone-like values starting with the letter "E" (Energy, Ecology, Efficiency, Extension, Economy, Emotion, Ease, and Empowerment) to realize a sustainable society. Expanding Bandag operations aligns with the company's "Efficiency," "Ecology" and "Energy" commitments.
Celebrating 50 years of operations in 2021, the Bandag retread plant in Abilene continues to be a steady fixture in production of high-quality pre-cured truck tread, rubber cement and solvent packaging. Bridgestone's investment will build upon the plant's existing 200,000 square-foot blueprint and provide capacity needed for future production.
For more company news, visit www.BridgestoneAmericas.com.
About Bridgestone Americas, Inc.:
Bridgestone Americas, Inc. is the U.S.-based subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, a global leader in tires and rubber, building on its expertise to provide solutions for safe and sustainable mobility. Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Bridgestone Americas employs more than 50,000 people across its worldwide operations. Bridgestone offers a diverse product portfolio of premium tires and advanced solutions backed by innovative technologies, improving the way people around the world move, live, work and play.
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SOURCE Bridgestone Americas, Inc. | 2022-09-22T19:43:25+00:00 | kcbd.com | https://www.kcbd.com/prnewswire/2022/09/22/bridgestone-invests-60-million-expand-abilene-bandag-retread-tire-plant/ |
Last week more than 23 million people tuned in to watch the Buffalo Bills play the Cincinnati Bengals and instead became witness to a terrifying, life-or-death emergency as safety Damar Hamlin collapsed suddenly on the field. His teammates knelt in prayer while medical staff fought for his life. (According to doctors, Hamlin is "doing well" and was released from a hospital in Cincinnati and returned to Buffalo on Monday, where he is now in stable condition.)
But on the internet, anti-vaccine activists filled in the silence with unfounded theories that Hamlin's collapse was brought on by COVID vaccines.
"The term is a data void," said Kolina Koltai, a misinformation and social media researcher who until very recently, worked for Twitter. She too was watching the game and immediately braced herself for incoming anti-vaccine narratives.
"We've seen this trope applied over and over again, not just to athletes, but any sort of celebrity malady," said Koltai.
The misleading claims were quickly picked up by the far-right, most notably with a post from activist Charlie Kirk, who wrote in a tweet. "This is a tragic and all too familiar sight right now: Athletes dropping suddenly,"
The next day, Fox News host Tucker Carlson followed up with a segment echoing the misleading claim that young athletes are collapsing at alarming rates since COVID vaccines became widely available.
While Carlson and Kirk are among the most well-known figures to promote misleading claims about Hamlin's cardiac arrest, a host of less prominent anti-vaccine influencers, many newly returned to Twitter, mobilized alongside them.
Dog whistles are hard to moderate
In the months since billionaire investor Elon Musk bought Twitter in October, the company has fired content moderators, stopped enforcing its policy on misleading information about COVID-19 and implemented a "general amnesty" of tens of thousands of accounts that had been previously banned or suspended for breaking the site's rules.
But even before Musk's takeover of Twitter, Koltai says the easily veiled language of vaccine disinformation often evaded moderators' attempts to contain it. She says Kirk's tweet is a good example.
"You're not violating any content moderation policy, but you are implying it," she says, "which is why the larger, widespread dissemination of anti-vax ideology has been so dangerous."
The impacts of vaccine-related mis- and disinformation don't hit all at once, Koltai explains. They grow over time with repeated exposure. Hamlin's collapse happened to follow a recent period of heightened activity from anti-vaccine influencers. In late November, a documentary-style film called Died Suddenly premiered full of debunked claims about supposedly-vaccinated people dying from blood clots.
Anti-vaccine activists have several advantages over more credible sources. They have a huge supply of existing narratives to fold current events into. In addition, Koltai says spreaders of misinformation have speed on their side. A week after Hamlin's collapse, his doctors have yet to determine exactly why his heart stopped.
"You can immediately start making this link between vaccines and it won't be until days if not weeks later that you're able to have scientific proof - like this is because of X, Y, Z, not because of the vaccine," says Koltai. By the time medical professionals and journalists catch up, the damaging messages have already made the rounds.
Long before the COVID pandemic supercharged anti-vax narratives, Koltai says, the practical details of moderating online forums where people share articles or personal fears about vaccine injury were always touchy. But those examples rarely had the reach of a primetime sporting event.
A cycle of trauma
About a month before Hamlin's collapse, during the soccer World Cup, vaccine conspiracies began to swirl around the sudden death of sports journalist Grant Wahl, who was covering the tournament in Qatar.
His wife of 21 years, epidemiologist and infectious disease physician Celine Gounder had grown accustomed to receiving threats and ugly messages for years because of her work, which included advising the Biden administration on COVID-19. But she quickly began to face an onslaught of even more personalized attacks as news of her husband's death spread.
"This is one of a few hundred, actually, as well as voicemail messages and other kinds of harassing messages. But this particular email blamed me for having killed my husband because he got COVID vaccinations," Gounder told NPR's Juana Summers in an interview on All Things Considered.
In her grief, she put out a written statement about Wahl's death, sat for media interviews and eventually published the results of her husband's autopsy, all in the hopes of ending the speculation of strangers.
"But unfortunately, the Damar Hamlin incident really did kick things back up," Gounder says.
She says she understands the deep human impulse to want answers in the face of a sudden shocking event, but says spreaders of disinformation use an established playbook to exploit the tragedies of families like hers.
"Disinformation is a business model. Make no mistake about it. And these are people who are trying to make money, who are trying to gain social media followers or subscribers on substack or some kind of social status or power. And that really is just retraumatizing, not just me and my family, but others who have been victims of this kind of behavior," says Gounder.
Exporting American anti-vaccine rhetoric
While Hamlin's collapse and Wahl's death played out in U.S. social media circles, anti-vaccine falsehoods have been spreading rapidly around the world, said Peter Hotez, a pediatrician and vaccine scientist at Baylor College of Medicine.
"The U.S. is good at exporting its culture. We export music. We export our movies. We're now exporting this," says Hotez. He's watching American rhetoric around "medical freedom" take hold in Canada, Western Europe and beyond.
"You're starting to see the anti-vaccine lobby attack the introduction of new malaria vaccines on the African continent, using the same kind of phony baloney arguments," he says.
Hotez is particularly concerned with the evolution of anti-vax narratives once used to sell books and nutritional supplements becoming part of a broader political platform that attracts far right groups like the Proud Boys and portrays scientists like himself as "enemies of the state." He reserves some criticism for his own biomedical community's insistence on not doing more to confront vaccine conspiracism head on in the early 2000s.
"The Department of Health Human Services, for years, would keep saying to me: 'Peter, we're not going to talk about this because you'll give it oxygen," says Hotez. He believes that unofficial policy had an enabling effect, and helped lead to our current moment, when virtually any visible health scare or death can be weaponized by anti-vax activists.
"This is an entire anti-science political ecosystem now, and it's very frightening and very destructive."
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-01-10T11:11:52+00:00 | delawarepublic.org | https://www.delawarepublic.org/npr-headlines/2023-01-10/how-damar-hamlins-collapse-fueled-anti-vaccine-conspiracy-theories |
MADISON, Wis. – Control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and likely the future of abortion access, Republican-drawn legislative maps and years of GOP policies in the key swing state rests with the outcome an election Tuesday that has seen record campaign spending.
The winner of the high-stakes contest between Republican-backed Dan Kelly and Democratic-supported Janet Protasiewicz will determine majority control of the court headed into the 2024 presidential election. The court came within one vote of overturning President Joe Biden’s narrow win in 2020, and both sides expect another close race in 2024.
It's the latest election where abortion rights has been the central issue since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June. It's also an example of how officially nonpartisan court races have grown into political battles as major legal fights play out at the state level.
All of it has fueled spending that will double, and likely triple or more, the previous high of $15.4 million spent on a state court race in Illinois in 2004. Democrats have spent heavily for Protasiewicz and Republicans for Kelly.
Democrats are trying to flip control of the court, which has had a majority of conservative justices the past 15 years. That has allowed the court to uphold an array of Republican priorities, including banning absentee ballot drop boxes last year and affirming the 2011 law all-but ending collective bargaining for most public workers.
“The policy direction of Wisconsin is going to be determined in large part by this Supreme Court race,” said University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor Barry Burden. “Everything from abortion to disputes over the 2024 presidential election are going to land in the lap of this court. And the winner will be the deciding justice on these issues.”
Protasiewicz, 60, has tried to make the race a referendum on abortion, running on a Democratic-backed agenda that includes her loudly voicing her “personal values" in support of abortion rights.
The court is expected to rule on a lawsuit challenging the state's 174-year-old law banning nearly all abortions.
That law, enacted a year after statehood, went back into effect after the Supreme Court's ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, leading to an end to abortions being provided in Wisconsin. Democrats, including Gov. Tony Evers who won reelection in November, have seized on the issue.
“Abortion was a real motivator for Democrats and independents," Burden said. “It's been amped up in this election because the court has a real role in determining the policy.”
Protasiewicz won the backing of Planned Parenthood and other similar groups as she focused on abortion without saying how she would rule on the pending case challenging the ban. But she's promised that Kelly would vote to uphold it.
Kelly hasn’t said whether he thinks the ban is legal. But he has expressed opposition to abortion in the past, including in a 2012 blog post in which he said the Democratic Party and the National Organization for Women were committed to normalizing the taking of human life.
Kelly also has done legal work for Wisconsin Right to Life, one of three anti-abortion groups that has endorsed him.
Abortion isn't the only hot political issue Protasiewicz has embraced. She also called the Republican-drawn legislative maps upheld by the current court “rigged” and said she would welcome revisiting them.
The state Supreme Court upheld Republican-drawn maps in 2022. Those maps, widely regarded as among the most gerrymandered in the country, have helped Republicans increase their hold on the state Legislature to near supermajority levels, even as Democrats have won statewide elections, including Evers as governor in both 2018 and 2022 and Biden in 2020.
When asked in an interview on Wisconsin Public Radio whether he thought the GOP-drawn maps were fair, Kelly punted.
“I think that’s a political judgment,” he said, adding that his view was “entirely irrelevant.”
Kelly was appointed to the state Supreme Court by then-Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, in 2016. He served four years before being defeated in 2020 on the same ballot as the Democratic presidential primary. Kelly was endorsed by then-President Donald Trump that year.
Protasiewicz has tried to paint Kelly as an “extreme partisan” and a “true threat to democracy” given his ties to Republicans, including advising them on the plan to have fake GOP electors cast their ballots for Trump following the 2020 election even though he had lost.
Four of the past six presidential races in Wisconsin have been decided by less than a percentage point, including Trump’s victory in 2016 and Biden’s win in 2020.
Kelly, 58, has tried to distance himself from his previous Republican clients and his political beliefs.
“I don’t talk about my politics because I understand they are not relevant to the work of the court,” he told the Dane County Bar Association in March. “We’re there to decide questions of the law and that’s it.”
Protasiewicz is a former prosecutor who was first elected as a Milwaukee County judge in 2014.
Kelly has accused Protasiewicz of being “bought and paid for” by Democrats and crossing the line by all-but declaring how she would rule on cases expected to come before the court. Kelly also tried to paint Protasiewicz as soft on crime, citing cases she handled as a judge, while also accusing her of “straight up lying” throughout the campaign on various issues.
The winner will serve a 10-year term starting in August replacing retiring conservative Justice Pat Roggensack.
In a sign of how divisive the race is, Roggensack endorsed Kelly, while her daughter, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Ellen Brostrom, backed Protasiewicz. Brostrom said Kelly was “unfit” to serve because of his involvement in the fake GOP electors scheme. | 2023-04-02T01:46:27+00:00 | local10.com | https://www.local10.com/news/politics/2023/04/01/wisconsin-supreme-court-control-abortion-access-at-stake/ |
2-month-old finds donor heart, transplant surgery successful
LAS VEGAS (KVVU/Gray News) – Parents Franky and Esmeralda Garcia were stunned Friday when they received a call saying a donor’s heart had been located for their two-month-old daughter, Amelia.
The infant underwent an eight-hour surgery the next day, and now the heart beats strongly in Amelia’s body.
“As a mom, we’ve had some really dark days where we wondered what was going to happen to our baby. Are we going to have our child at Christmas? And you think there’s a mom out there, parents, that in their sorrow said yes, said yes to giving our child life,” Esmeralda Garcia told FOX5.
The couple knew before Amelia was born that she would have to undergo surgery for a heart problem, but were shocked to learn she’d need a new heart.
Amelia made it on the transplant list about four weeks ago and had no idea how long it would take for a donor heart.
The donor is anonymous, and the Garcias said, “thank you,” is a huge understatement for what they did for their baby. They want to raise Amelia the best they can for the donor.
“We’ll probably spend the rest of our lives trying to do good for others because so many people have done good for us. I mean, our daughter got the ultimate gift of life,” Esmeralda Garcia said.
The transplant surgery happened at UCLA in Southern California.
The Garcia family said Amelia will remain in the hospital for at least a few weeks, but they plan to stay for three months to ensure everything goes OK before they return home to Las Vegas.
Copyright 2022 KVVU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2022-08-09T20:02:33+00:00 | newschannel6now.com | https://www.newschannel6now.com/2022/08/09/2-month-old-finds-donor-heart-transplant-surgery-successful/ |
BEIJING (AP) — China on Saturday criticized the latest U.S. decision to tighten export controls that would make it harder for China to obtain and manufacture advanced computing chips, calling it a violation of international economic and trade rules that will “isolate and backfire” on the U.S.
“Out of the need to maintain its sci-tech hegemony, the U.S. abuses export control measures to maliciously block and suppress Chinese companies,” said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning.
“It will not only damage the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, but also affect American companies’ interests,” she said.
Mao also said that the U.S. “weaponization and politicization” of science and technology as well as economic and trade issues will not stop China’s progress.
She was speaking after the U.S. on Friday updated export controls that included adding certain advanced, high-performance computing chips and semiconductor manufacturing equipment to its list, as well as new license requirements for items that would be used in a supercomputer or for semiconductor development in China.
The U.S. said that the export controls were added as part of ongoing efforts to protect U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.
U.S.-China relations have deteriorated in recent years over technology and security issues. The U.S. has implemented a raft of measures and restrictions designed to prevent China from obtaining chip technology, while China has earmarked billions for investment into the production of semiconductors.
The tensions have impacted semiconductor companies in the U.S. and globally which either export chips or manufacture chips in China. Semiconductor companies such as Nvidia and AMD has seen a 40% decline in stock price over the past year.
“We understand the goal of ensuring national security and urge the U.S. government to implement the rules in a targeted way—and in collaboration with international partners—to help level the playing field and mitigate unintended harm to U.S. innovation,” the Semiconductor Industry Association, which represents U.S. semiconductor industry, said in a statement. | 2022-10-08T20:51:22+00:00 | mytwintiers.com | https://www.mytwintiers.com/news-header/tech-news/ap-technology/ap-china-lashes-out-at-latest-u-s-export-controls-on-chips/ |
"In Crypto We Trust" - From Lugano, after PlanB, is kick started a new campaign for companies operating in the Crypto market and want to accelerate their growth.
LUGANO, Switzerland, June 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- March 2022, the city of Lugano announced, through a partnership with Tether, that Tether, Bitcoin and LVGA (a stablecoin in CHF launched by the city) are now legal tender. This means that citizens can pay taxes, parking fines, tickets to public events and more in cryptocurrencies.
In Crypto We Trust, what opportunities and benefits for companies?
The campaign was carried out by iBooster, the reference agency for the development, growth and marketing of Crypto projects, based in Lugano.
In the light of PlanB and this communication initiative, we were very curious to learn more about the real opportunities, and advantages, for companies in the Crypto market, within the new Swiss ecosystem.
The Crypto and Blockchain industry is in its early life years and Lugano Plan B is a project that will allow all companies in the sector to find an ecosystem conducive to future development, populated by professionals in the sector but not only, able to support new companies at 360° from physical headquarters or coworking up to legal advice or marketing. Without forgetting the strength of the network, the potential of 50 or 100 companies in the sector that interact on a daily basis, is huge.
Companies have to build authority and value. Our customers are mostly startups, and what we do is building a growth path with them. Marketing is a fundamental tool for the construction of services and products to sell and to create an authoritative brand that the market trusts. I speak about trust because, especially in the crypto world, there have been too many alleged or real "scams" that have burned many investors. A new project has the burden of positioning itself and working to build a relationship of trust with the market, in a transparent way. In iBooster we are fortunate to be able to choose the projects to work with, and we first, carefully analyze the characteristics of each one, to then understand how we can help them in the growth.
Being in a hurry to get results is understandable, but, we must build a relationship with the target market and in this time has its importance. You can bet on a careful strategy to get visibility quickly, but then you must have a medium to long term plan that brings value to the project. Communicate correctly, use social media not only to promote, but to explain and create culture, involve investors and the public by creating a community that supports the project and that becomes the first marketing channel in effect.
We see too many ideas of value penalized by ineffective execution. The reasons are many, but certainly like any business, proper planning of actions and investments is the basis. An entrepreneur who wants to operate in the world of crypto must rely on professionals who guide and advise him in every aspect, because in this new sector they do not apply the rules of the "old" market, there are new ones and often change. Ignoring or underestimating some aspects can create that "suffering" that we are talking about. iBooster works to avoid problems, prevent them and exploit the opportunities that the market offers.
Federico Viganò
f.vigano@icobooster.io
+393478953207
Video- https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1830554/IBooster_new_campaign_Video.mp4
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SOURCE Ibooster sa | 2022-06-02T08:20:00+00:00 | kwtx.com | https://www.kwtx.com/prnewswire/2022/06/02/ibooster-based-lugano-home-first-crypto-city-echosystem-europe-launch-its-strategy-crypto-industry/ |
Ibram X. Kendi, Joel Christian Gill talk about anti-racist education and flipping tables
Jen Francazio teaches preschool.
It’s that wonderful and at times a little bit wild age when children are just beginning to form their ideas about the world. Kids, she said, are really good at the diversity, equity and inclusion ideals that Brown Fox Point Early Childhood Education Center espouses. They don’t struggle with her presenting in gender-nonconforming ways, for example.
“What I'll see is kids who can identify my gender very easily or ask with no discomfort,” she said.
But then, they see in a book, for example, the girl teachers almost always have long hair and wear skirts, or a “wacky adult,” as she likes to frame it to the kids, gives them some other new construct about race or gender.
Which feeds into her big question. The one that she stood up in a crowd of educators and parents gathered at Moses Brown School in Providence to ask of Ibram X. Kendi, author of "How to Be an Anti-Racist" and "Stamped from the Beginning," and cartoonist and professor Joel Christian Gill, who recently adapted "Stamped from the Beginning" into a graphic novel.
“Not only did racism and capitalism come to this country at the same point, so did our education system,” she said. So, how do educators function in the education system “that was rooted and founded in racist ideals, as anti-racists that are trying to teach anti-racists?”
In many ways, this was the central question of the panel discussion jointly held by Moses Brown School, Curiosity & Co. and Reading with Robin, and guided by Seth Goldenberg, author of "Radical Curiosity: Questioning Commonly Held Beliefs to Imagine Flourishing Futures." But it’s also one of the big questions in our culture that plays out in education. Arguments about book bans and whether Critical Race Theory should be taught in schools, in some ways, boil down to questions about how America should teach race.
Banned books:Books by Kendi, Reynolds, Steinbeck among most objected to in 2020
The book "Stamped," which Kendi wrote while living in Providence around 2012 and Gill recently transformed into a 278-page comic, takes its title from a speech Confederate President Jefferson Davis gave on the floor of the U.S. Senate in 1860, when he said, “the inequality of the white and Black races was stamped from the beginning.”
What Kendi puts forward is that these racist ideas were stamped onto America from the beginning, and the book, in all of its forms, painfully outlines that these ideas have continued to hold sway in American culture and how, to quote the epilogue, “the three oldest and most popular strategies Americans have used to root out these ideas: self-sacrifice, uplift suasion and educational persuasion,” have continued to fail us.
The argument is that a new option is needed, one rooted in “intelligent self-interest" so people, particularly white people, fight for an equitable, anti-racist society.
Kendi, who received a standing ovation when he walked into the room, told the crowd that while “we’ve been taught the term racist is an identity,” in his work he’s found “the term racist should be understood as a descriptive term that describes what a person is being at any moment based on what they are saying or doing or not doing.”
Because, he went on to say, someone can say something racist one moment, but if they then receive feedback on the idea and acknowledge that they were wrong and the idea was racist, then they are being anti-racist in “the very next moment.”
It’s hard, he said, for anyone to stay dry in a society that is “constantly being hosed with racist ideas,” but moving past denial, he said, has long been the key.
“You’ve got to constantly figure out at what level of resistance are you going to decide to practice,” Kendi said in answer to Francazio’s question. “More [of] a structural resistance, where you try to ... organize with others to topple the system? Or are you going to be that individual teacher who figures out day in and day out how to teach in an anti-racist manner? Because we are going to need both.”
“And especially preschool teachers, because studies show it’s right around preschool that our young people start attaching negative and positive quality to skin color,” he continued.
In Kendi's own words:Republicans help maintain racism by undermining critical race theory in public education
Gill, who rallied against late-stage capitalism and how “ridiculous” the persistence of racism has been, advised to “flip tables.” To find the courage to be the person that says in a faculty meeting that “grades are dumb” and then send the research explaining why later. And to remember that students have “never been on the wrong side of history.”
For Francazio, it was meaningful to be in a community and “know that other people are doing the work.”
“It’s also just incredibly helpful to hear these people who are doing the work at a higher level,” she said. “I get to take their absolutely beautiful metaphors and ideas and have that in my heart tomorrow when I speak to kids about drawing their noses.” | 2023-06-08T13:20:19+00:00 | providencejournal.com | https://www.providencejournal.com/story/entertainment/books/2023/06/08/ibram-x-kendi-joel-christian-gill-talk-about-anti-racist-education-at-moses-brown-providence/70290285007/ |
Oklahoma currently has one execution scheduled each month from February to August, but a request from the Attorney General might lengthen the time between each execution.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has filed a motion with the Department of Corrections to request the next seven execution dates be pushed back by 60 days, changing the current schedule from one execution every month to one every two months.
Drummond says the current pace of executions is unsustainable for DOC personnel and more time between executions is needed to allow for the intense training and preparation required to carry out the state’s highest punishment.
If granted, the request would push back executions scheduled for Richard Eugene Glossip, Jemaine Monteil Cannon, Anthony Castillo Sanchez, Phillip Dean Hancock, James Chandler Ryder, Michael Dewayne Smith and Wade Greely Lay.
Drummond also says he spoke to the families of the victims of the seven death row inmates before filing the motion to explain his request.
KGOU is a community-supported news organization and relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond. Donate online, or by contacting our Membership department. | 2023-01-19T11:33:17+00:00 | kgou.org | https://www.kgou.org/criminal-justice/2023-01-19/oklahoma-attorney-general-requests-more-time-in-between-executions |
The new app will accompany the Convatec Ostomy Nurse Solutions app as part of the me+™ Support Program
BRIDGEWATER, N.J., Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Convatec is now offering an additional tool to support people living with an ostomy through the launch of the My Ostomy Journey app, which conveniently tracks ostomy-related activities without the hassle of keeping up with traditional paper checklists or diaries in the weeks and months following ostomy surgery. Some notable features of the My Ostomy Journey app include the ability to track daily fluid intake, discover new products, log pouch changes, and directly call ostomy product specialists and certified WOC nurses all from within the app.
"Resources like the My Ostomy Journey app exemplify our goal of providing ostomy products and support for individuals living with an ostomy," says Jennifer Lassiter, Convatec Ostomy Senior Manager of Digital Marketing. "The Convatec Ostomy team will continue to expand our support offerings as our customers' needs evolve."
Free to download and use, the My Ostomy Journey app is the newest resource in the Convatec me+™ program, which is designed to help make the transition to living with an ostomy more comfortable and seamless through customer support, education, and product information. In addition to providing tools and advice like the me+ podcast and blog, the me+ program offers virtual Telehealth in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Similarly, Convatec introduced the Ostomy Nurse Solutions app in 2021, which allows healthcare professionals to select the right ostomy products for their patients, order and ship samples quickly, and sign patients up for the me+ program through their mobile device.
"The My Ostomy Journey app is the perfect complement to our Ostomy Nurse Solutions app, which is also free to download & use on any smartphone or tablet," continued Lassiter. "These apps will ensure both consumers and healthcare professionals have the latest ostomy resources and information at their fingertips."
Pioneering trusted medical solutions to improve the lives we touch: Convatec is a FTSE 250 global medical products and technologies company, focussed on solutions for the management of chronic conditions, with leading positions in advanced wound care, ostomy care, continence and critical care, and infusion care. Group revenues in 2021 were over $2 billion. With around 10,000 colleagues, we provide our products and services in over 100 countries, united by a promise to be forever caring. Our products provide a range of benefits, from infection prevention and protection of at-risk skin, to improved patient outcomes and reduced care costs. To learn more about Convatec, please visit http://www.convatecgroup.com.
Logan Garrett
lgarrett@bouvierkelly.com
423-519-9979
View original content:
SOURCE Convatec | 2022-09-08T19:02:48+00:00 | wcjb.com | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/convatec-launches-free-my-ostomy-journey-app-consumers/ |
PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading tech bankers and advisors David Handler and David Neequaye have today launched Tidal Partners, a next-generation M&A and strategic advisory boutique. The new firm's mission is to drive long-term value creation for its clients against the backdrop of accelerating digital transformation.
"The tech landscape is more dynamic and evolving faster than ever. We see an opportunity for a trusted strategic partner who will help clients connect dots and move with greater agility and creativity," said David Handler, Partner and Co-Founder of Tidal Partners. "In Tidal Partners, we're combining best-in-class M&A expertise and a powerful ecosystem of partners - all in service of enabling our clients to move boldly in today's market. The relationships and trust we've built over the last two decades and our proven track record of industry-defining transactions serve to differentiate the value Tidal will bring to our clients."
"We are thrilled to be able to build a firm that will service our clients with not only the highest level of support, partnership, and discretion, but a firm that attacks business problems differently. Our unique structure allows us to be differentiated and creative in our solutions – solutions that we believe will drive extraordinary value for our clients," says David Neequaye, Partner and Co-Founder of Tidal Partners.
Tidal Partners also announced today that it has secured minority investments from 25madison, a leading tech venture platform and Consello, a strategic investing and specialized financial services advisory platform.
In addition, Tidal and Consello have formed an exclusive commercial partnership whereby they will work jointly on M&A and strategic financial advisory assignments, going to market as partners on select assignments.
Handler and Neequaye bring with them 25 years of proven, best-in-class strategic advisory and M&A transaction experience, together with a reputation for out-of-the-box thinking and creative problem solving on industry-defining transactions. They were both previously Partners at Centerview Partners, where they joined the firm during its formation to build and run the tech practice and open the Silicon Valley office.
To learn more about Tidal Partners, visit tidalpartners.com.
Media Inquiries:
Libbie Wilcox
Lwilcox@hstrategies.com
917-536-6991
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Tidal Partners | 2022-08-01T23:04:20+00:00 | wlbt.com | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2022/08/01/introducing-tidal-partners-next-generation-mampa-strategic-advisory-boutique-founded-by-industry-veterans-david-handler-david-neequaye/ |
Wreckage, rescue and hope in Turkey's earthquake epicenter
NURDAGI, Turkey - Zeliha Hisir tried to speak, but could barely move after her hourslong rescue Tuesday near the epicenter of a powerful earthquake that has devastated parts of Turkey and Syria.
The 58-year-old woman's eyes darted around in shock and relief as a rescue crew covered her in a bright pink and green fuzzy blanket. Dressed only in shorts and a T-shirt, she had survived through freezing temperatures in Kahramanmaras.
Her son, Mufit Hisir, told The Associated Press that firefighters who flew in from Antalya had rescued his relatives.
"Two hours ago my sibling was rescued after a six-hour effort. And my mother’s rescue took two hours. They’re both well," he said.
Crowds gathered at wreckage sites throughout Turkey, vapor showing the air as people breathed in and out in anticipation of reaching more survivors. Even those who had emerged or escaped collapse in Monday's magnitude 7.8 earthquake and its aftershocks now had to sleep in cars, outside or in government shelters.
Many felt abandoned.
"We don’t have a tent, we don’t have a heating stove, we don’t have anything. Our children are in bad shape. We are all getting wet under the rain and our kids are out in the cold," Aysan Kurt, 27, told the AP. "We did not die from hunger or the earthquake, but we will die freezing from the cold. It shouldn’t be this way. No one is sending help."
Mesut Hancer holds the hand of his 15-year-old daughter Irmak, who died in the earthquake in Kahramanmaras, close to the quake's epicentre. (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)
RELATED: Race to find survivors as earthquake toll tops 7,000
In the province of Kahramanmaras, where supermarket shelves were empty, people lined up for pita bread at a restaurant owned by Mevlut Ercan.
"We need flour. There is no flour," Ercan said. "People are desperate. We are desperate too. We will do what we can for the people as long as we are able to do it."
Yasar Magara, who waited to get a piece of pita, said: "We have been hungry for days. Our municipality and the others have not helped us yet."
In the town of Nurdagi, residents who lost loved ones said relatives could have been saved if rescue teams had arrived earlier. Steel rods jutted out of destroyed concrete like vines that rescuers had to work around in the town nestled below snowcapped hills.
"My sister has four children. She has one sister-in-law, in-laws and nephews and nieces. They’re all gone. They’re all gone," Nilufer Sarigoz said, putting her face in her hands and sobbing.
RELATED: How to help earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria
Men cried as they used their hands to bless four dead bodies wrapped in blankets in the back of a pickup truck.
Sixteen-year-old Havva Topal still hadn't heard from her uncle, his wife and children, who were in a burning building.
"We’ve heard nothing, no news," she said. "The building collapsed after the earthquake and then a fire started 15 to 20 minutes later. No firefighters came, no excavators. We tried to save them on our own, by scooping water out with plates."
"Our landlord’s spouse was brought out yesterday," she later added. "They were charred, in pieces, in a horrible condition." | 2023-02-07T23:47:40+00:00 | fox10phoenix.com | https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/turkey-syria-earthquake-rescues-victims |
White Sox notice mechanical issues with Kopech originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Something is wrong with Michael Kopech. After looking like a Cy Young finalist for the White Sox in April and May, Kopech took a step back in June. Over the first two months of the season he had a 1.29 ERA and limited opponents to a .388 OPS. In June those numbers jumped to 5.19 and .744. He went from no home runs allowed in his first eight starts, to five home runs allowed in his next six. With the calendar turning to July, there was a chance for Kopech to turn the page himself. Instead he put together his worst start of the season.
One could get into the weeds trying to break down what went wrong on Tuesday night, but Kopech kept it pretty simple after the game.
“Made some bad pitches out of the heart of the plate, and they hit them hard,” Kopech said.
Kopech tied a career-high (or career-low) by surrendering four home runs. The Twins hit five balls over 100 mph off him. Max Kepler ripped a ball 111.1 mph to start the fifth inning. That’s the hardest-hit ball Kopech has ever given up in his career, and all those hits are well above his 89.9 average exit velocity heading into Tuesday’s game. It’s a troubling development as Kopech’s skid continues, but the White Sox say they’ve picked up on a couple of Kopech’s issues, and they’re confident they can get him back on track.
“Ethan (Katz)’s talking about it, they’re working on getting them fixed,” Tony La Russa said.”
Local
Beyond that, La Russa wouldn’t delve into the specifics of Kopech’s woes.
“That wouldn’t be very smart to get into it, but it’s all fixable.”
Another factor in Kopech’s recent struggles is the knee injury he sustained on June 12. The injury didn’t require an IL stint, but Kopech did have fluid removed from his knee, and he admitted he’s had to make a slight adjustment in his game since then. But both Kopech and La Russa wouldn’t use the knee as an excuse for his poor performance on Tuesday.
“That doesn't take away from the fact that I need to be sharp on my fifth day,” Kopech said. “I feel good.” | 2022-07-06T05:12:44+00:00 | nbcchicago.com | https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/white-sox-notice-michael-kopech-mechanical-issue-have-fixes-in-mind/2874510/ |
Request unsuccessful. Incapsula incident ID: 8080000710012977847-40271409193161166 | 2023-07-24T20:53:25+00:00 | bizjournals.com | https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2023/07/24/first-republic-citizens-bank.html |
Top Players to Watch: Texas vs. Xavier - Sweet 16
When the Texas Longhorns and Xavier Musketeers play in their Sweet 16 matchup at T-Mobile Center on Friday at 9:45 PM ET, Marcus Carr and Jack Nunge will be two of the most notable players to watch.
In the article below, we'll give you all the info you need to know about who to look out for in this matchup on CBS.
Use our link to get a free trial of fuboTV, where you can watch college hoops and tons of other live sports without cable!
How to Watch Texas vs. Xavier
- Game Day: Friday, March 24
- Game Time: 9:45 PM ET
- Arena: T-Mobile Center
- Location: Kansas City, Missouri
- TV: CBS | Watch select March Madness games live on FuboTV
Watch select March Madness games without cable on all your devices with a seven-day free trial to fuboTV!
Texas' Last Game
Texas was victorious in its most recent game against Penn State, 71-66, on Saturday. Dylan Disu led the way with 28 points, plus 10 boards and one assist.
Xavier's Last Game
On Sunday, in its most recent game, Xavier topped Pittsburgh 84-73. With 18 points, Nunge was its leading scorer.
Texas Players to Watch
Jabari Rice puts up 12.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2 assists per contest, shooting 45.7% from the floor and 36.4% from downtown with 1.6 made 3-pointers per contest.
Timmy Allen leads his team in rebounds per contest (5.6), and also posts 10.3 points and 3.5 assists. Defensively, he puts up 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocked shots.
Disu is putting up 9.1 points, 1 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game.
Tyrese Hunter is posting 10.1 points, 2.5 assists and 3.1 rebounds per contest.
Xavier Players to Watch
Nunge is averaging a team-best 7.7 rebounds per contest. And he is delivering 14.1 points and 2.1 assists, making 52.6% of his shots from the floor and 40.2% from 3-point range, with 1.1 treys per contest.
Colby Jones is the Musketeers' top assist man (4.3 per game), and he averages 15 points and 5.7 rebounds.
Zach Freemantle gets the Musketeers 15.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists per contest. He also delivers 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocked shots.
Adam Kunkel is posting 10.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, making 44.9% of his shots from the floor and 40.9% from beyond the arc, with 1.9 triples per game.
Texas Top Performers (Last 10 Games)
Xavier Top Performers (Last 10 Games)
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | 2023-03-20T11:45:18+00:00 | atlantanewsfirst.com | https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/sports/betting/2023/03/24/texas-xavier-college-basketball-players-to-watch/sweet-16/ |
They show up at the first signs of protest in Iran — men in black, riding motorcycles, often wielding guns or batons.
They are members of what’s known as the Basij, paramilitary volunteers who are fiercely loyal to the Islamic Republic. The shock troops of the ayatollahs have taken on a leading role in quashing dissent for more than two decades.
During the latest protests, which erupted after a young woman died in the custody of the country’s morality police last month, the Basij (ba-SEEJ’) have deployed in major cities, attacking and detaining protesters, who in many cases have fought back.
One widely-circulated video appears to show dozens of schoolgirls removing their mandatory Islamic headscarves, known as hijab, and shouting at a visiting Basiji official to get lost.
It remains to be seen if the latest round of unrest will eventually fizzle, but much could depend on how the Basij and other security forces respond to further protests.
Here’s a look at the Basij:
___
WHEN WAS IRAN’S BASIJ ESTABLISHED?
The Basij, whose official name translates to the Organization for the Mobilization of the Oppressed, was established by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution to Islamize Iranian society and combat enemies from within.
During the ruinous Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, the Basij led notorious “human wave” attacks against Saddam Hussein’s army, with large numbers of poorly armed fighters, many of them teenagers, perishing as they raced across mine fields and into artillery fire.
Beginning with the student revolts of the late 1990s, the Basij took on a domestic role roughly akin to the ruling party of an authoritarian state. It’s under the command of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and fiercely loyal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who routinely praises the Basij as a pillar of the Islamic Republic.
They have established branches across the country, as well as student organizations, trade guilds, and medical faculties. The U.S. Treasury has imposed sanctions on what it says is a multi-billion-dollar network of businesses covertly run by the Basij.
The security apparatus of the Basij includes armed brigades, anti-riot forces and a vast network of informers who spy on their neighbors.
Saeid Golkar, an Iranian scholar at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga who has written a book about the Basij, estimates their total membership is around 1 million, with the security forces numbering in the tens of thousands.
“Because they are ordinary Iranians without a uniform, the Islamic Republic is billing them as pro-regime supporters,” he said, referring to those who confront the protesters. “At the same time, most of these people are receiving salaries from the Islamic Republic.”
___
WHY DO IRANIAN FORCES ATTACK THE PROTESTERS?
Experts say many of those who join the Basij do so because of economic opportunities, with membership providing a leg up in university admissions and public sector employment.
But recruits are also put through heavy indoctrination, including an initial 45 days of military and ideological training. They are taught that the Islamic revolution is a godly struggle against injustice, one that is threatened by myriad enemies — from the United States and Israel to exiled Iranian opposition groups and even Western culture itself.
Even if new recruits are initially driven by personal gain, Golkar says, “the indoctrination can help to modify these motivations.”
In the eyes of the Basijis, the Islamic headscarf, or hijab, is a bulwark against gender mixing, adultery and corruption — its removal a sign of decadent Western culture. Iran’s leaders have cast the latest protests as part of a foreign conspiracy to foment unrest.
Protesters reject that characterization, saying the demonstrations are a spontaneous outpouring of anger at decades of repressive rule, poor governance and international isolation.
___
HOW DO IRANIAN FORCES CLAMP DOWN ON PROTESTS?
The policing of dissent in Iran begins with heavy surveillance of its citizenry, much of it done by Basijis, who have a presence in nearly every public institution. Iran also restricts internet access, especially during times of protest, and the Basij have a cyber division devoted to hacking perceived enemies.
“There are different strategies. Of course the more visible is the violent one,” said Sanam Vakil, an Iran expert at the Chatham House think tank in London.
When protests break out, Basijis wearing black or commando fatigues ride in on motorcycles, sometimes charging directly into the demonstrators in order to disperse them. They operate alongside the regular police and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, who are also taking part in the crackdown.
“They have been chasing, clubbing, shooting protesters, trying to round them up, beat them up, throw them into vans to take them to detention centers where protesters are roughed up and pressured,” Vakil said.
Basijis can also be found among the protesters themselves, as informers trying to identify ringleaders. Amnesty International said in a report last month that four individuals identified by Iranian authorities as Basijis appear to have been shot and killed by security forces while mingling with protesters.
___
WILL IRAN SUCCEED IN QUASHING THE PROTESTS?
Iran has stamped out several waves of protests over the years, including the Green Movement of 2009, when millions took to the streets after a disputed presidential election. Hundreds were killed in 2019 when Iran put down demonstrations over the heavily-sanctioned country’s prolonged economic crisis.
But the latest protests have a different feel, which could make them harder to extinguish.
They are led by young women fed up with the increasingly heavy-handed enforcement of the country’s conservative Islamic dress code. But they draw support from a much wider swath of society, including ethnic minorities and even some workers in Iran’s crucial oil industry.
The protesters accuse Iran’s morality police of beating 22-year-old Mahsa Amini to death for wearing the hijab too loosely. Authorities deny she was mistreated, saying she died of a heart attack linked to underlying health conditions, an account disputed by her family.
Videos of recent protests show young women twirling their hijabs in the air and cutting their hair, as demonstrators chant “death to the dictator.” and other slogans.
When the Basij arrive, the protesters can often be seen fighting back, and sometimes succeeding in driving them off.
But no one expects Iranian authorities to back down anytime soon.
“It’s a little to early to say from the outside, with the level of internet censorship, exactly what’s happening,” Vakil said. “But I think the (government’s) hope at the beginning was that the protests would fizzle out, and now the repressive capacity is stepping up.”
___
Follow Joseph Krauss on Twitter at www.twitter.com/josephkrauss | 2022-10-13T20:21:29+00:00 | everythinglubbock.com | https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/latest/ap-explainer-who-is-leading-the-crackdown-on-irans-protests/ |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — A fugitive on federal weapons charges with ties to Johnson City is jailed in Jackson County, N.C. after being arrested on multiple drug charges Saturday morning.
Online records from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office show Sean Christopher Williams, 51, is charged with two counts of trafficking in methamphetamine and two counts of trafficking in cocaine.
He also faces one count of possession of a controlled schedule III substance with intent to sell or deliver, one count of possession with intent to sell or deliver a schedule II substance, and one count of maintaining a vehicle or dwelling place where controlled substances are sold.
Williams is being held under $1 million bond. He was arrested by Western Carolina University police.
Williams’s date of birth is listed as Nov. 8, 1971, the same birthdate, height and eye color as a Sean Christopher Williams Johnson City police were investigating in late 2020 and early 2021 after a woman fell from the fifth-floor window of a downtown apartment he owned.
After Mikayla Evans’s Sept. 19, 2020 fall, police obtained a search warrant for Williams’s apartment at 200 E. Main St., case notes from a months-long investigation by Johnson City Police Department’s Toma Sparks reveal.
“The search warrant was executed and multiple rounds of ammo was seized,” a note from Sparks at 1:10 p.m. Sept. 23 says.
A later note in the six-page file, from Nov. 12, 2020, says that Sparks “spoke with Kat Dahl about getting a federal indictment on Sean Williams for the ammunition found in his Liberty safe.
“All the evidence was put on Kat’s portable hard drive. She said that she would be in contact with me next week.”
Kateri “Kat” Dahl was a federal prosecutor who worked with Johnson City police through an agreement with the Eastern District of Tennessee U.S. Attorney’s office.
Property records show the marshals’ involvement came less than two months after Williams sold three units he owned in the Downtown Towers. That sale, for $800,000, occurred May 27, 2022.
On July 15, 2022 a downtown Johnson City business owner said U.S. Marshals visited his store and left a poster of Sean Williams with the same birthdate and height as the Williams currently in the Jackson County jail.
“Two U.S. Marshals came by this afternoon,” Campbell’s Morrell Music owner David Campbell told News Channel 11.
“He showed me the picture, he said have I seen this guy. I said no, but I know about the situation and know who it is,” Campbell said. “He just said, ‘well if you do (see Williams) just call us, there’s my number.’”
Officers at the Jackson County Jail on weekend duty said they weren’t authorized to speak about when Williams was due to be arraigned on his charges there. | 2023-04-29T23:18:12+00:00 | wjhl.com | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/wanted-johnson-city-fugitive-sean-williams-jailed-in-nc/ |
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