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NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — Editor's note: The video above shows a North Wilkesboro Speedway construction update from December 2022.
North Wilkesboro Speedway is getting ready for the All-Star Race in May.
Check out the work that’s being done at the speedway.
North Wilkesboro Speedway posted a video on Twitter of the preparations.
The tweet was short and sweet: “Grinding for May.”
As part of NASCAR’s 75th anniversary season, the short track will host the All-Star event.
It’s set for May 19-21, and tickets are already sold out.
Check out all the progress photos below!
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Amazon Fire TV: Search for WFMY to find the free app to add to your account. You can also add the app directly to your Fire TV through your Amazon account. | 2023-02-09T21:43:11+00:00 | wfmynews2.com | https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/sports/north-wilkesboro-speedway-progress-photos-for-all-star-race-may-2023/83-1410009b-0430-4a2d-9834-ac117199f20f |
KHAR, Pakistan (AP) — A suicide bomber blew himself up at a political rally in a former stronghold of militants in northwest Pakistan bordering Afghanistan on Sunday, killing at least 44 people and wounding nearly 200 in an attack that a senior leader said was meant to weaken Pakistani Islamists.
The Bajur district near the Afghan border was a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban — a close ally of Afghanistan’s Taliban government — before the Pakistani army drove the militants out of the area. Supporters of hard-line Pakistani cleric and political party leader Fazlur Rehman, whose Jamiat Ulema Islam generally supports regional Islamists, were meeting in Bajur in a hall close to a market outside the district capital. Party officials said Rehman was not at the rally but organizers added tents because so many supporters showed up, and party volunteers with batons were helping control the crowd.
Officials were announcing the arrival of Abdul Rasheed, a leader of the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, when the bomb went off in one of Pakistan’s bloodiest attacks in recent years.
Provincial police said in a statement that the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber who detonated his explosives vest close to the stage where several senior leaders of the party were sitting. It said initial investigations suggested the Islamic State group — which operates in Afghanistan and is an enemy of the Afghan Taliban — could be behind the attack, and officers were still investigating.
“There was dust and smoke around, and I was under some injured people from where I could hardly stand up, only to see chaos and some scattered limbs,” said Adam Khan, 45, who was knocked to the ground by the blast around 4 p.m. and hit by splinters in his leg and both hands.
The Pakistan Taliban, or TTP, said in a statement sent to The Associated Press that the bombing was aimed at setting Islamists against each other. Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, said on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that “such crimes cannot be justified in any way.”
The Afghan Taliban’s seizure of power in Afghanistan in mid-August 2021 emboldened the TTP. They unilaterally ended a cease-fire agreement with the Pakistani government in November, and have stepped up attacks across the country.
The bombing came hours before the arrival of Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Islamabad, where he was to participate in an event to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, a sprawling package under which Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan.
In recent months, China has helped Pakistan avoid a default on sovereign payments. However, some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere.
Feroz Jamal, the provincial information minister, told The Associated Press that so far 44 people had been “martyred” and nearly 200 wounded in the bombing.
The bombing was one of the four worst attacks in the northwest since 2014, when 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar. In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. n February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Arif Alvi condemned the attack and asked officials to provide all possible assistance to the wounded and the bereaved families. Sharif later, in a phone call to Rehman, the head of the JUI, conveyed his condolences to him and assured him that those who orchestrated the attack would be punished.
The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad also condemned the attack. In a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, it expressed its condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims killed in the attack..
Maulana Ziaullah, the local chief of Rehman’s party, was among the dead. JUI leaders Rasheed and former lawmaker Maulana Jamaluddin were also on the stage but escaped unhurt.
Rasheed, the regional chief of the party, said the attack was an attempt to remove JUI from the field before parliamentary elections in November, but he said such tactics would not work. The bombing drew nationwide condemnation, with the ruling and opposition parties extending condolences to the families of those who died in the attack.
Rehman is considered to be a pro-Taliban cleric and his political party is part of the coalition government in Islamabad. Meetings are being organized across the country to mobilize supporters for the upcoming elections.
“Many of our fellows lost their lives and many more wounded in this incident. I will ask the federal and provincial administrations to fully investigate this incident and provide due compensation and medical facilities to the affected ones,” Rasheed said.
Mohammad Wali, another attendant at the rally, said he was listening to a speaker address the crowd when the huge explosion temporarily deafened him.
“I was near the water dispenser to fetch a glass of water when the bomb exploded, throwing me to the ground,” he said. “We came to the meeting with enthusiasm but ended up at the hospital seeing crying, wounded people and sobbing relatives taking the bodies of their loved ones.”
___
Riaz Khan reported from Peshawar. Associated Press writer Munir Ahmad contributed from Islamabad. | 2023-07-31T19:11:12+00:00 | upmatters.com | https://www.upmatters.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-a-bomb-at-a-political-rally-in-northwest-pakistan-kills-10-people-and-wounds-more-than-50/ |
(CNN) — Black children living in poverty face increased instances of stress and trauma that can alter their brain development, a new study found.
The study was published this week by the American Journal of Psychiatry. Researchers at Harvard University examined MRI scans of 7,350 White and 1,786 Black children ages 9 and 10. The data in the study was collected by the National Institutes of Health in 2019.
Researchers found that increased stressors like economic hardship and systemic racism play a significant role for Black children and can lead to the development of mental health issues as they age, the study said.
The stressors contribute to Black children having less gray matter in their brains, a byproduct of absorbing “toxic stress.” The study defines the stressors as “prolonged exposure to adverse experiences” that lead to excessive stress hormones and “disrupt the immune and metabolic regulatory systems.”
In the study, researchers found that Black children often developed behavioral problems later in life such as PTSD, anxiety and depression. These children also were susceptible to drug and alcohol abuse and suicide attempts and were likely to commit violence, the study said.
Nathaniel Harnett, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School who led the study, told CNN their analysis sought to examine how early the effects of structural inequities and racism would appear in brain development. Harnett said his team began exploring a cognitive development study to dispel “this kind of folk belief that Black and White people have categorically different brains.”
Harnett said the data researchers examined suggested “that what’s really driving any differences are the sort of disproportionate burden of life experiences that people have.”
Researchers said Black children are much more likely to be exposed to violence, live in disadvantaged neighborhoods, and combat systemic racism daily than White children. They also are exposed to those factors at an earlier age, the study said.
The most recent US Census data shows that Black families have a lower median income, higher rates of unemployment and poverty, and lower rates of educational achievement compared to White families, the study notes.
Harnett said his team’s analysis underscores the need for “large-scale structural and systemic change,” especially in policy.
“The adversity that these kids are exposed to, it impacts everyone, but it disproportionately burdens Black children in this case,” he said | 2023-02-04T22:17:42+00:00 | wishtv.com | https://www.wishtv.com/news/national/mris-show-racism-and-poverty-may-alter-brain-development-of-black-children-study-says/ |
Top Jan. 6 committee members propose reforms to 1887 Electoral Count Act
Posted/updated on: September 19, 2022 at 6:09 pm(WASHINGTON) -- Two senior members of the Jan. 6 select committee have introduced a bipartisan bill to reform the counting of presidential electoral votes to prevent another riot at the Capitol over disputed results.
The Presidential Election Reform Act from Reps. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., targets some of the perceived nuances in 135-year-old Electoral Count Act that former President Donald Trump and his supporters attempted to exploit to overturn President Joe Biden's victory.
"Our proposal is intended to preserve the rule of law for all future presidential elections by ensuring that self-interested politicians cannot steal from the people the guarantee that our government derives its power from the consent of the governed," Cheney and Lofgren wrote in a joint Wall Street Journal column last week.
The full House could vote on the proposal as early as Wednesday.
It would reaffirm the vice president's ceremonial role over the count, after then-Vice President Mike Pence was pressured by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, according to the legislative text and summary of the proposal obtained by ABC News.
The bill would make it more difficult for lawmakers to raise objections to electors from each state, by requiring at least one-third of the members from each chamber to support an objection, rather than one House member and a single senator.
It would also clarify ambiguities in the Electoral College process by requiring governors to transmit state results to Congress and prohibit election officials from refusing to certify their state's election results. In either case, the law would allow a presidential candidate to go to court to force compliance with the law.
The proposal would also prevent state legislators from undoing the election results in their states - and require that elections are carried out under the state rules on the books on Election Day.
"The Constitution assigns an important duty to state legislatures, to determine the manner in which the states appoint their electors. But this shouldn’t be misread to allow state legislators to change the election rules retroactively to alter the outcome," Cheney and Lofgren wrote in the Wall Street Journal.
In July, a bipartisan group of senators including Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, proposed their own reforms to the Electoral Count Act.
While their proposal also affirms the vice president's limited role in proceedings, it sets a different threshold requirement for electoral challenges, among other differences.
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. | 2022-09-20T00:49:38+00:00 | ktbb.com | https://ktbb.com/post/?p=1164334 |
Sri Lanka in political vacuum as talks go on amid crisis
By KRISHAN FRANCIS
Associated Press
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka was in a political vacuum for a second day Monday with opposition leaders yet to agree on who should replace its roundly rejected leaders, whose residences are occupied by protesters angry over the country’s deep economic woes.
Protesters remained in President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s residence, his seaside office and the prime minister’s official home, which they stormed on Saturday demanding the two leaders step down. It marked the most dramatic day of protests during three months of a relentless crisis that has pushed many to the brink to despair amid acute shortages of fuel, food, medicine and other necessities.
The protesters, who come from all walks of life, vowed to stay put until the resignations of the leaders are official. Rajapaksa has said he will step down on Wednesday, according to the parliamentary speaker.
In a video statement Monday, the first since Saturday’s protests, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe reiterated that he will stay on until a new government is in place because he wants to work within the constitution.
“A government has to function according to the law. I am here to protect the constitution and through it fulfill the people’s demands. What we need today is an all-party government and we will take steps to establish that,” Wickremesinghe said.
He also explained the sequence of events that led to the burning of his private residence on Saturday. He said that angry protesters gathered around his house after a lawmaker, in what Wickremesinghe said was an inaccurate tweet, said that he had refused to resign at a meeting of parliamentary party leaders.
“Police baton charged and fired tear gas. The last option was to shoot. We did not shoot but they came and burnt the house,” he said.
“My biggest treasure was my library with 2,500 books,” Wickremesinghe said, adding it contained books written during the Portuguese and Dutch colonial period from the 16th and 19th centuries. There were old books written on Buddhism, those signed by leaders like former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, historical paintings and Buddhist artifacts, which he had planned donating to his old school and a university after his death.
He said all but one painting had been salvaged.
Wickremesinghe said he took over as prime minister to salvage the economy, and it would take at least one year to complete the initial steps needed for a full recovery.
Also Monday, a group of nine Cabinet ministers announced they will quit immediately to make way for an all-party government, outgoing Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakshe said. Wickremesinghe’s office said meanwhile that another group that met the prime minister decided to stay on until a new government is formed.
The president hasn’t been seen or heard publicly since Saturday and his location is unknown. But his office said Sunday that he ordered the immediate distribution of a cooking gas consignment to the public, suggesting that he was still at work.
Opposition party leaders have been in discussion to form an alternative unity government, an urgent requirement of a bankrupt nation to continue discussions with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout program.
Lawmaker Udaya Gammanpila said the main opposition United People’s Front and lawmakers who have defected Rajapaksa’s ruling coalition have had discussions and agreed to work together. Main opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and Dullas Alahapperuma, who was a minister under Rajapaksa, have been proposed to take over as president and prime minister and have been asked to decide on how to share the positions before a meeting with the parliamentary speaker later Monday.
“We can’t be in an anarchical condition. We have to somehow reach a consensus today,” Gammanpila said.
Opposition parties are also concerned over military leaders making statements about public security in the absence of a civil administration.
Lawmakers have discussed Chief of Defense Staff Gen. Shavendra Silva’s statement over the weekend calling on people’s cooperation to maintain law and order, said Kavinda Makalanda, spokesperson for Premadasa.
“A civil administration is the need, not the military in a democratic country,” Makalanda said.
If opposition parties fail to form a government by the time Rajapaksa resigns, Wickremesinghe as prime minister will become acting president under the constitution. However, in line with the protesters’ demand, opposition parties are keen on not allowing him to take over even as acting president.
They said that Wickremesinghe should promptly resign and allow Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to be acting president — the next in line according to the constitution. The Bar Association of Sri Lanka, the country’s main lawyers’ body, has also endorsed that position.
Rajapaksa appointed Wickremesinghe as prime minister in May in an effort to solve the shortages and start economic recovery. But delays in alleviating the shortages of basic supplies has turned public anger against him with protesters accusing him of protecting the president.
Wickremesinghe had been part of crucial talks with the IMF for a bailout program and with the World Food Program to prepare for a predicted food crisis. The government must submit a plan on debt sustainability to the IMF in August before reaching an agreement.
Sri Lanka is relying on aid from India and other nations as leaders try to negotiate a bailout with the IMF. Wickremesinghe said recently that negotiations with the IMF were complex because Sri Lanka was now a bankrupt state.
Sri Lanka announced in April that it was suspending repayment of foreign loans due to a foreign currency shortage. Its total foreign debt amounts to $51 billion, of which it must repay $28 billion by the end of 2027.
Months of demonstrations have all but dismantled the Rajapaksa political dynasty, which has ruled Sri Lanka for most of the past two decades but is accused by protesters of mismanagement and corruption. | 2022-07-11T12:32:22+00:00 | keyt.com | https://keyt.com/news/2022/07/10/sri-lankas-political-vacuum-continues-amid-economic-crisis/ |
A 34-year-old man was fatally shot Tuesday night in the Kenilworth neighborhood of Northeast Washington, D.C. police said.
There have been 198 homicides in the District this year, 10 percent fewer than at this time in 2021, according to police statistics. | 2022-12-21T16:45:38+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/12/21/shooting-homicide-dc/ |
Albert Ramos-Vinolas 2023 Swiss Open Gstaad Odds
A match in the Swiss Open Gstaad quarterfinals is next up for Albert Ramos-Vinolas, and he will go up against Juan Pablo Varillas. Ramos-Vinolas' odds are +1000 to take home the trophy from Roy Emerson Arena.
Find all the latest odds for the 2023 Swiss Open Gstaad and place your bets with a new user bonus from BetMGM.
Ramos-Vinolas at the 2023 Swiss Open Gstaad
- Next Round: Quarterfinals
- Tournament Dates: July 14-23
- Venue: Roy Emerson Arena
- Location: Gstaad, Switzerland
- Court Surface: Clay
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Ramos-Vinolas' Next Match
In the quarterfinals on Friday, July 21 (at 6:00 AM ET), Ramos-Vinolas will play Varillas, after getting past Lorenzo Sonego 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in the last round.
Ramos-Vinolas currently has odds of +145 to win his next contest versus Varillas. Check out the latest odds for the entire field at BetMGM.
Want to bet on Ramos-Vinolas? Head to BetMGM using our link for a bonus bet special offer for new players!
Ramos-Vinolas Stats
- Ramos-Vinolas is coming off a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 victory over No. 42-ranked Sonego in the Round of 16 on Thursday.
- Ramos-Vinolas has not won any of his 29 tournaments over the past year, with an overall match record of 16-29.
- Ramos-Vinolas is 11-14 on clay over the past year, with no tournament wins.
- In his 45 matches over the past year, across all court surfaces, Ramos-Vinolas has averaged 25.4 games.
- Over the past 12 months, Ramos-Vinolas has played 25 matches on clay, and 25.7 games per match.
- Over the past 12 months, Ramos-Vinolas has been victorious in 19.3% of his return games and 75.3% of his service games.
- On clay over the past year, Ramos-Vinolas has been victorious in 75.9% of his service games and 23.5% of his return games.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | 2023-07-20T20:13:18+00:00 | wsfa.com | https://www.wsfa.com/sports/betting/2023/07/14/albert-ramos-vinolas-swiss-open-gstaad-betting-odds/ |
Teachers, educators can get Sam’s Club memberships for $20 – here’s how to get yours
Published: Jul. 18, 2023 at 12:39 PM CDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
(Gray News) – Sam’s Club is offering a big discount for teachers for a limited time.
Now through Aug. 15, teachers across the U.S. can sign up for a Sam’s Club membership for just $20 – a 60% discount.
The discount is applicable for state-licensed/certified classroom teachers, principals, school employees and college professors.
You can redeem the offer online or in person at Sam’s Club stores.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2023-07-18T18:58:10+00:00 | kfyrtv.com | https://www.kfyrtv.com/2023/07/18/teachers-educators-can-get-sams-club-memberships-20-heres-how-get-yours/ |
DEWEY BEACH, Del. - Milton native and country music singer Jimmie Allen announced he will be performing at the Bottle & Cork in Dewey Beach in September. According to the venue, tickets to the Friday, Sept. 29 show sold out in two minutes. A second night has been added and tickets are on sale now.
The original announcement came just days after Allen's lawyers brought a countersuit against the two women who accused him of sexual assault. The first case against Allen claims he repeatedly assaulted an unnamed “Jane Doe” on his management team; the second claims he assaulted another woman in a Las Vegas hotel room and recorded it without her knowledge.
The concerts will be held on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 28 and 29 starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are $40 before booking fees. | 2023-07-22T17:30:23+00:00 | wrde.com | https://www.wrde.com/news/update-jimmie-allens-upcoming-concert-in-dewey-beach-sold-out-second-night-added/article_84df9da0-2403-11ee-b5dc-ff4342dd4ae6.html |
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — The United Nations says “famine is at the door” in Somalia with “concrete indications” famine will occur later this year in the southern Bay region. This falls just short of a formal famine declaration as thousands are dying in a historic drought made worse by the effects of the war in Ukraine.
U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths told reporters he was “shocked to my core these past few days” on a visit to Somalia in which he saw starving babies too weak to cry. More than 850,000 people are in the affected areas, with tens of thousands more arriving in the months to come, according to U.N. experts.
A formal famine declaration is rare and a warning that too little help has come too late. At least 1 million people in Somalia have been displaced by the driest drought in decades, driven by climate change, that also affects the wider Horn of Africa including Ethiopia and Kenya.
Famine is the extreme lack of food and a significant death rate from outright starvation or malnutrition combined with diseases like cholera. A declaration means data shows more than a fifth of households have extreme food gaps, more than 30% of children are acutely malnourished and over two people out of 10,000 are dying every day.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been described as a disaster for Somalia, which has suffered from a shortage of humanitarian aid as international donors focus on Europe. Somalia sourced at least 90% of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine before the war and has been hit hard by scarcity and the sharp rise in food prices.
“Ukraine has occupied the narrative,” Griffiths said.
Hungry families in Somalia have been staggering for days or weeks through parched terrain in search of assistance. Many bury family members along the way. Even when they reach camps outside urban areas, they find little or no help.
At one camp outside the capital, Mogadishu, Fadumo Abdi Aliyow showed The Associated Press the graves of her two small sons next to their makeshift home. Disease had overwhelmed their weakened bodies. One was 4. The other was eight months old.
“I wanted to die before them so they could bury me,” Aliyow said. Another resident of the camp of 1,800 families, Samey Adan Mohamed, said the last meal she and her eight children had was rice a day ago. Today they had only tea.
Camps like theirs are ringed by death, bringing aid workers to tears. “I couldn’t get out of my head the tiny mounds of ground marking children’s graves,” UNICEF’s deputy regional director Rania Dagash said last week. “I’m from this region and I’ve never seen it so bad.”
A formal famine declaration might bring desperately needed funding. But “tragically, by the time a famine is declared, it’s already too late,” the U.N. World Food Program has said.
When famine was declared in parts of Somalia in 2011, the deaths of a quarter-million people were well underway.
“This is not a repeat of the 2011 famine. It is much worse,” the U.N. humanitarian agency said last week. At least 730 children have died in nutrition centers across Somalia, it said, and more than 213,000 people are at “imminent risk” of dying.
“You feel like you’re looking at the face of death,” Mercy Corps CEO Tjada McKenna told the AP after visiting the badly hit city of Baidoa. There is not enough therapeutic food to treat the acutely malnourished, said McKenna, who saw many young children and pregnant women. “For every one person I saw, imagine all the people who couldn’t get that far. And so many people were arriving each day.”
At the same time, aid funding has dropped more than 60% from the response to Somalia’s previous drought in 2017, USAID administrator Samantha Power said last week, noting a “degree of despair and devastation” not seen before in her career.
The Horn of Africa region has seen four straight failed rainy seasons for the first time in over half a century, endangering an estimated 20 million people in one of the world’s most impoverished and turbulent regions.
“Sadly, our models show with a high degree of confidence that we are entering the fifth consecutive failed rainy season,” the director of the regional climate prediction center, Guleid Artan, has said. “In Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia, we are on the brink of an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.”
The rainfall in this year’s failed March-to-May season was the lowest in the last six decades, Artan told the AP. Next year’s March-to-May season doesn’t look good either, he said, worrying that “this could be the seven-year drought, the biblical one.”
Formal famine declarations are rare because data to meet the benchmarks often cannot be obtained because of conflict, poor infrastructure or politics. Governments can be wary of being associated with a term of such grim magnitude. Somalia’s recently elected president, however, appointed a drought envoy in one of his first acts, which Griffiths called “impressive.”
Because of the remote nature of Somalia’s drought, and with some hard-hit areas under the control of the al-Shabab extremist group which has been hostile to humanitarian efforts, no one knows how many people have died — or will in the months to come.
Hundreds of calls from across Somalia, including from al-Shabab-controlled areas, come in daily to the Somali-run Radio Ergo. Some say no aid is available in camps. Others say water sources have run dry or lament the loss of millions of livestock that are the foundation of their health and wealth.
“People don’t cry because they want their voice to be heard,” radio editor Leyla Mohamed told the AP. “But you can feel they are hurting, that they feel more than we can hear.”
___
Anna reported from Nairobi, Kenya. | 2022-09-23T01:15:11+00:00 | qcnews.com | https://www.qcnews.com/news/world-news/ap-un-says-part-of-somalia-will-reach-famine-later-this-year/ |
The FDA and other agencies are investigating a hepatitis A outbreak in the U.S. and Canada potentially linked to organic fresh strawberries.
The agency says the strawberries were sold under the FreshKampo and HEB brands and purchased between March 5 and April 25.
The FDA is investigating 17 cases — 15 in California and one apiece in Minnesota and North Dakota. Canada's public health agency has identified 10 cases across two provinces: Alberta and Saskatchewan.
HEB and FreshKampo strawberries were sold at a number of retailers, including Trader Joe's, Kroger, Safeway, Aldi, Walmart and HEB, according to the FDA.
"If you are unsure of what brand you purchased, when you purchased your strawberries, or where you purchased them from prior to freezing them, the strawberries should be thrown away," the FDA said.
In a statement on its website, HEB said that all strawberries sold in its stores are safe. The grocery store chain said Sunday it had "not received or sold organic strawberries from the supplier under investigation since April 16."
The FDA urged those who ate the strawberries it is investigating to consult with their health care providers if they haven't been vaccinated against hepatitis A. Fever, dark urine, jaundice, fatigue and nausea are among the infection's symptoms.
"If consumers purchased fresh organic strawberries branded as FreshKampo or HEB between March 5, 2022, and April 25, 2022, ate those berries in the last two weeks, and have not been vaccinated against hepatitis A, they should immediately consult with their health care professional," the FDA said.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2022-06-08T02:06:12+00:00 | delawarepublic.org | https://www.delawarepublic.org/npr-headlines/npr-headlines/2022-05-30/the-fda-is-investigating-a-hepatitis-a-outbreak-potentially-linked-to-strawberries |
Updated June 4, 2022 at 8:37 AM ET
HONG KONG — Heavy police force patrolled Hong Kong's Victoria Park on Saturday after authorities for a third consecutive year banned public commemoration of the anniversary of the deadly Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, with vigils overseas the only place marking the event.
For decades, Hong Kong and nearby Macao were the only places in China allowed to commemorate the violent suppression by army troops of student protesters demanding greater democracy in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989. Hundreds, if not thousands, were killed.
The ban is seen as part of a move to snuff out political dissent and a sign that Hong Kong is losing its freedoms as Beijing tightens its grip over the semi-autonomous Chinese city.
The vigil organizers, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, disbanded last year after many of its leaders were arrested on suspicion of violating the national security law, which was imposed following massive pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Authorities have cited risks from the coronavirus for banning the public commemoration over the past three years. Critics say the pandemic is used as an excuse to infringe on the right to assemble.
A government statement Friday said that parts of Victoria Park, which traditionally served as the venue for the candlelight vigil, will be closed as it may be used for "illegal activities." The move was to "prevent any unauthorized assemblies" in the park and to reduce the possibility of COVID-19 spread.
Earlier in the week, a police superintendent warned that anyone who gathered in a group "at the same place, with the same time and with a common purpose to express certain views" could be considered part of an unauthorized assembly.
"I am disappointed because although no one organized any commemoration event, the authorities are already on high alert," said Donald Tam, a resident who was shopping in the Causeway Bay district, where the park is located.
Since the British handed over Hong Kong to China in 1997, the city has been governed under a "one country, two systems" framework that gives it freedoms not found on the mainland, including freedom of speech and assembly. It meant Hong Kong and nearby Macao, the other semi-autonomous territory, were allowed to commemorate the 1989 crackdown. Elsewhere in China, keywords such as "Tiananmen massacre" and "June 4" are strictly censored online, and people are not allowed to publicly mark the event.
Outside China, vigils were held to remember the Tiananmen victims.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said even though Chinese and Hong Kong were attempting to suppress the memories of the crackdown, his government would continue to speak out and promote accountability on human rights abuses by China, including those in Hong Kong, against Muslim minorities in the western Xinjiang region as well as Tibet.
"To the people of China and to those who continue to stand against injustice and seek freedom, we will not forget June 4," he said.
In Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by Beijing as part of its territory, the Foreign Ministry wrote on Facebook that "when this time of year comes around, there is a lot one can't say, a lot one can't write, and a lot one can't even look up on the internet."
The post encouraged Chinese citizens who use a VPN to access Facebook, which is blocked in China, and search for information on the Tiananmen Square massacre "to see what their country is hiding from them."
"Taiwan has been commemorating the June 4 massacre before Hong Kong did, and each place (in the rest of the world) that holds this event interprets it in its own ways," said Taiwan democracy activist Lee Ming-che. "We must be aware of China's threats and protect Taiwan's values of democracy, human rights, and freedom."
Graduate student Joanna Chen said that commemorating the June 4 massacre is important because Taiwan is one of the few places in Greater China to commemorate such an event publicly.
"We must remind the Taiwanese people that democracy should not be taken for granted," she said.
In Sydney, about 50 pro-democracy supporters lit candles outside the Chinese Consulate to mark the massacre, as several police officers kept watch.
In the Indian city of Dharmsala, home to Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, activists organized a street theater to mark the Tiananmen anniversary. They used a cutout of a Chinese tank to recreate the "tank man," an iconic image taken by The Associated Press of a student standing in front of a tank, which came to symbolize courage in the face of Chinese government's crackdown of the protest.
For the first time in 30 years, Hong Kong's Catholic churches also skipped Mass for the Tiananmen victims, after the diocese expressed concerns that such events could violate the national security law.
Authorities have been using the law to crack down on the opposition, with over 150 people arrested on suspicion of offences that include subversion, secession, terrorism and foreign collusion to intervene in the city's affairs.
The clampdown has included universities as well. In December 2021, a sculpture called "Pillar of Shame," which depicts torn and twisted bodies symbolizing the lives lost during the massacre, was taken down at the University of Hong Kong. Officials said that no approval had been obtained to display the sculpture.
A day later, two other universities in the city removed monuments related to the commemoration.
In response, Jens Galschioet, the artist who created "Pillar of Shame," last week unveiled a full-scale replica of the 8-meter- (26 foot) tall sculpture at the University of Oslo in Norway.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2022-06-04T13:09:51+00:00 | mainepublic.org | https://www.mainepublic.org/npr-news/2022-06-04/police-patrol-hong-kong-park-to-enforce-tiananmen-vigil-ban |
Pierre Lacroix, the longtime Avalanche general manager who assembled two Stanley Cup-winning teams in Colorado, was posthumously inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame as a team builder Wednesday.
Lacroix, who died from complications of COVID-19 in 2020, was president and GM of the Avalanche from 1994 to 2006, and he remained president until 2013. He oversaw the franchise’s relocation from Quebec City at the beginning of his tenure, then shepherded the organization to its first two championships in 1996 and 2001. The Avs won nine consecutive division titles and appeared in the Western Conference Finals six times under Lacroix, one of the signature hockey architects of the pre-salary cap era.
Announcing Class of 2023 Builder Inductee Pierre Lacroix, honoured posthumously.#HHOF2023 | #HHOF pic.twitter.com/2pThHcfNgf
— Hockey Hall of Fame (@HockeyHallFame) June 21, 2023
During the debut 1995-96 season that eventually ended with a Stanley Cup title, he engineered the famous trade that brought goaltender Patrick Roy to Denver from Montreal. Roy, one of the greatest goalies in NHL history and a 2006 Hall of Fame inductee, spent the last seven-plus years of his playing career in Colorado. He won the 2001 Conn Smythe trophy and later coached the Avalanche from 2013 to ’16. Lacroix sent Jocelyn Thibault, Martin Ručinský and Andrei Kovalenko to the Canadiens and also acquired Mike Keane in the trade, which is considered one of the most lopsided deals in league history.
Lacroix was involved in numerous other critical junctures in the 28-year existence of the Avalanche. He traded for franchise cornerstones Ray Bourque and Rob Blake to form the 2001 Cup-winning team. And in 1997, he matched a New York Rangers offer sheet that restricted free agent Joe Sakic had signed eight days earlier, narrowly keeping Sakic in Colorado for the rest of his illustrious career. Sakic went on to become the Avalanche’s general manager and now president of hockey operations.
Sakic was appointed to the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee this January, replacing the retiring Bobby Clarke as one of the executives responsible for determining inductees.
Center Pierre Turgeon, who spent the last two seasons of his 19-year career with the Avalanche, was also honored as part of the 2023 inductee class announced Wednesday. | 2023-06-21T23:54:02+00:00 | denverpost.com | https://www.denverpost.com/2023/06/21/pierre-lacroix-hockey-hall-of-fame-inductees-builders-general-managers-avalanche/ |
Las Vegas police arrest ‘prolific’ auto theft suspect
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - A “prolific” auto theft suspect was arrested after months of surveillance and investigation, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police.
Parker Leonard, 36, faces five counts of auto theft-related crimes and three counts of prohibited person in possession of a gun. However, police said they are still investigating more thefts Leonard may be connected to.
Leonard was arrested Aug. 11 at a residence that was under surveillance for criminal activity by the Violence Prevention and Elimination Response Taskforce, or VIPER. A stolen vehicle was located near the residence, LVMPD said.
VIPER detectives reportedly investigated Leonard for months for auto theft-related crimes. Police tried to pull Leonard over twice, but he evaded officers, LVMPD said.
Leonard was not granted bail, according to court records. His next hearing was set for Aug. 31.
VIPER is a multi-agency task force focused on reducing auto thefts, consisting of members with LVMPD, North Las Vegas and Henderson Police, Nevada State Police and the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
Copyright 2022 KVVU. All rights reserved. | 2022-08-17T19:19:17+00:00 | fox5vegas.com | https://www.fox5vegas.com/2022/08/17/las-vegas-police-arrest-prolific-auto-theft-suspect/ |
HAVANA (AP) — Cuba's parliament has approved a new penal code that officials say modernizes the country's laws but that human rights groups warn tightens already strict limits on dissent.
The law approved Sunday tightly controls unauthorized contacts with foreign organizations and individuals and explicitly bans foreign financing.
Supreme Court President Rubén Remigio Ferro called it “a modern, very inclusive code,” telling state television that it favors “prevention and education before repression” while imposing “sanctions with sufficient rigor” against crimes that affect “social peace and the stability of our nation.”
It will take effect after going to a drafting commission and then being published in the official gazette.
Cuban authorities have never had trouble punishing dissent they see as dangerous. Hundreds of people were arrested for taking past in July 2021 protests across the island and some were sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges such as sedition: Independent journalists have sometimes been jailed on various charges, often choosing eventually to leave the island.
Under the new law, penalties of 10 to 30 years — in extreme cases even death — can be imposed on those who give information to international organizations, associations or even people who have not been authorized by the government.
It eliminates the vague, widely offense of “precriminal dangerousness” that was sometimes used against dissidents, but creates new categories of crimes.
Those who insult or attack officials or civilians who are doing their “citizens' duty” can be imprisoned for up to five years. A similar punishment can be imposed on those who “incite” against socialist order — and 10 years for those who use communications media to do so.
Among the most questioned clauses is the ban on any unauthorized financing from international or domestic sources that contributes to the commission of a crime. That section does not affect remittances from Cubans living abroad.
“With the new penal code, Cuban authorities continue to build an intricate and perverse legal regime of censorship and deal a devastating blow to independent journalists and outlets," said Ana Cristina Núñez, the senior researcher for Latin American and the Caribbean for the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.
The new code reinforces penalties for corruption, speculation and hoarding.
Despite some complaints, it maintains a potential death penalty for 23 crimes — though that has not been applied since 2003 — and adds to sentences when crimes involve gender violence or crimes against minors and disabled people.
The age of criminal responsibility remains at 16.
This law “is a more direct way for the government to armor itself against civil society, against political dissidence," said Saily González, an activist prominent in monitoring response to the 2021 protests.
The lawmakers declined to include a measure backed by Mariela Castro, daughter of former President Raúl Castro, to make femicide and explicit crime. Another deputy, Teresa Amarelle, leader of the Federation of Cuban Woman said that wasn't needed because of newly toughened punishment against gender violence. | 2022-05-16T22:20:54+00:00 | sfgate.com | https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Rights-groups-say-new-Cuba-penal-code-tougher-on-17177038.php |
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea on Thursday reported the eruption of another infectious disease in addition to its ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, saying leader Kim Jong Un has donated his private medicines to those stricken with the new disease.
It’s unclear how serious the new epidemic is, but some outside observers say North Korea likely aims to burnish Kim’s image as a leader caring about public livelihoods as he needs greater public support to overcome pandemic-related hardships.
Kim on Wednesday offered his family’s reserve medicines for those diagnosed with “an acute enteric epidemic” in the southwestern Haeju city, the official Korean Central News Agency reported. The North’s main Rodong Sinmun newspaper separately carried a front-page photo showing Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju reviewing saline solutions and other medicines that they were donating.
KCNA didn’t elaborate on exactly what the epidemic is and how many people have been infected.
Some observers say the “an enteric epidemic” in North Korea refers to an infectious disease like typhoid, dysentery or cholera, which are intestinal illnesses caused by germs via contaminated food and water or contact with feces of infected people.
Such diseases routinely occur in North Korea, which lacks good water treatment facilities and whose public healthcare infrastructure largely remains broken since the mid-1990s.
After North Korea last month reported a rising number of patients with feverish symptoms following its admission of the coronavirus outbreak, South Korea’s spy agency said that “a considerable number” of those fever cases included those sick with diseases like measles, typhoid and pertussis.
“The outbreak of measles or typhoid isn’t uncommon in North Korea. I think it’s true there is an outbreak of an infectious disease there but North Korea is using it as an opportunity to emphasize that Kim is caring for his people,” said Ahn Kyung-su, head of DPRKHEALTH.ORG, a website focusing on health issues in North Korea. “So it’s more like a political message than medical one.”
Last month, Kim already sent his family’s medicines to COVID-19 patients, according to state media reports.
KCNA said more than 4.5 million out of the country’s 26 million people have fallen ill due to an unidentified fever but only 73 died. The country has identified only a fraction of those as confirmed coronavirus cases due to an apparent lack of test kits in the country. Many foreign experts question the North’s death toll, saying that’s likely underreported to protect Kim from any political damage.
During a ruling party conference last week, Kim claimed the pandemic situation has passed the stage of “serious crisis." But the country still maintains elevated restrictions that some outside experts say will further strain the country’s already troubled economy hit by long-running pandemic-related border shutdowns and U.N. sanctions.
Later Thursday, South Korea’s Unification Ministry renewed its offer of inter-Korean cooperation on health and medical issues. After the North's admission of the COVID-19 outbreak, South Korea and the United States offered the humanitarian shipments of vaccines, medical supplies and other assistance, but the North hasn't responded. | 2022-06-16T10:49:44+00:00 | wthr.com | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/nation-world/north-korea-disease-outbreak/507-dd0858ad-3f35-4f3e-b504-22e91774eaf8 |
The Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade's constitutional protections for abortion rights set off a contest between Democrats and Republicans going into the midterm elections over whose policies would do more to help vulnerable mothers and children.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who heads the Republican campaign committee in the Senate, said GOP lawmakers now have the responsibility to “do everything in our power to meet the needs of struggling women and their families so they can choose life.”
It's a recognition that, even with a focus on inflation and high gas prices that have vexed President Joe Biden and Democrats, the culturally sensitive issue could complicate the expectations of a GOP takeover of Congress.
The fallout from Friday's ruling could add to the uncertainty in political races because abortion is also an economic issue for many people. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen last month said a repeal “would have very damaging effects on the economy and would set women back decades.”
Democrats suggest their rivals are eleventh-hour converts who would offer half-measures at best and voters should judge them accordingly.
“It’s pretty cynical to say you want to do it now,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash. “If it’s a priority, it should have always been a priority and actions really speak louder than words.”
GOP leaders have generally opposed Biden's expansion of the child tax credit — saying it would discourage people from working despite evidence to the contrary. Congressional Republicans said the Democrats' paid family leave plan — which would put the U.S. on par with other wealthy nations — could limit choices for families and crush small businesses. In 2017, House Republicans voted to repeal “Obamacare” and replace it with measures that could have made maternity care optional.
“Not only have leading congressional Republicans endorsed building on the Supreme Court’s radical break with precedent by imposing a national abortion ban, but they have also spent years trying to make parenthood more expensive for middle class families," said Andrew Bates, White House deputy press secretary.
An Associated Press analysis earlier this year found that states with the strictest abortion laws — often led by Republicans — generally provide far less support to parents and children, usually leading to more poverty and worse health outcomes. In response to AP’s findings, many conservative state lawmakers said women can give their newborns up for adoption and said they would support funding increases for foster-care programs.
Staffers for the top two Republican lawmakers, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, declined to say which measures they would push to help mothers and children in the wake of abortion being banned.
But GOP lawmakers have put forth ideas that they say would help families in need.
A spokesman for Scott has said the senator would support removing work requirements for parents with children under the age of 6 who live in public housing and receive food aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Scott's “Rescue America” plan says that no federal program or tax laws should reward people for being unmarried and that the federal government should pay all costs for unwed mothers who put their children up for adoption, among other policies.
Families that adopt children are eligible for a tax credit that was worth up to $14,300 in 2020. But House Republicans in 2017 also proposed a tax code overhaul that would have removed the adoption tax credit in order to simplify tax returns.
Following the Supreme Court ruling, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said on Twitter, “I will soon introduce a proposal to support mothers and their babies so that every child has a real opportunity to pursue the promise of America.”
His proposal would allow for paid family leave, but it would require parents to use their Social Security benefits and delay retirement. It would also expand payments from the child tax credit, but not every parent would be eligible for full benefits as Biden allowed with his one-year expansion of the credit in 2021.
Announcing the framework in a Washington Examiner editorial, Rubio said, “What we need is a pro-life plan for post-Roe America.”
There would be one major tweak to the tax credit, though: Parents with “unborn” children would be eligible for the payments. | 2022-06-28T06:26:50+00:00 | ksat.com | https://www.ksat.com/news/politics/2022/06/28/post-roe-dems-challenge-gop-to-show-they-care-for-mothers/ |
On Wednesday, General Motors Assembly Fort Wayne (AFW) celebrated its ten millionth truck produced and sold.
The plant opened 37 years ago and as part of the celebration, officials and staff displayed both the ten millionth and first trucks the plant produced and sold.
Wilbur Veach of Lafayette bought the vehicle and was recognized by officials at the celebration at the plant Wednesday morning. He said he bought the truck custom-ordered for his son.
“He’ll drive the wheels off of it,” Beach said. “His 21 (GMC Denali) has got 49,000 (miles) on it right now.”
The ten millionth truck was a white 2023 GMC Denali with cooled and heated leather seats. Veach said he jokingly texted with his son during the ceremony that he can’t have the truck because he was keeping it for himself. Veach did say the significance of the milestone was not lost on him.
“It’s awesome. It’s really really awesome from the first truck to the ten millionth truck. It’s just unbelievable,” Veach said.
Rich LeTourneau is the United Auto Workers (UAW) Shop Chairman at AFW. He said ten million trucks in 37 years is “only something AFW can do.”
“Those numbers secure our jobs for future product allocation,” LeTourneau said. “Thanks to you guys, we’re still here.”
LeTourneau said AFW produces trucks at a faster rate than any other General Motors plant in the country. He said the 10 millionth truck milestone secures jobs and creates the opportunity for expansion and more jobs.
Officials on Wednesday hinted at such expansion. LeTourneau said “we’ll know a lot more on Monday.” | 2023-06-07T21:29:30+00:00 | wboi.org | https://www.wboi.org/news/2023-06-07/general-motors-assembly-fort-wayne-celebrates-10-millionth-truck-sale |
Survey results of 2,000 marketers across industries points to the need to analyze deeper customer insights
SAN FRANCISCO, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MoEngage, the insights-led customer engagement platform, published its latest report on the customer, journey, and campaign insights measured by marketers and the challenges they face due to their tech stack limitations. The study, The State of Insights-led Customer Engagement in North America Report 2022, polled 2,000 marketers at the manager, senior manager, director, and C-level from enterprises, mid and small businesses to learn how customer insights help build an impactful customer engagement strategy.
The report highlights marketers' inability to access real-time analytics despite using Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, as 34% still struggle with real-time analytics.
Meanwhile, 40.4% of North American marketers manage customer engagement operations by enabling various marketing functions to operate as independent teams that employ different marketing tools with no actionable insights. This often results in incomprehensible fragmented data, leading to disjointed customer experiences. Thus, campaign planning, execution, and measuring the ROI remains challenging.
The report enumerates various customer, campaign, and journey insights.
- 23.3% of survey respondents measure customers' interests and affinities such as most viewed content or purchased product, while 20.6% leverage primary data such as customer demographics for decision-making, resulting in brands making blanket assumptions about their customers' preferences. The survey indicates that marketers in North America fail to understand the importance of measuring customers' probability to purchase, churn, or preferences to hyper-personalize experiences.
- 40.1% of marketers analyze the most optimum path to conversion as a part of journey insights. Meanwhile, AHA and drop-off moments received equal responses showcasing that marketers are really focused on active customer acquisition vs retention. The findings reveal that marketers might be analyzing other journey insights; however, their existing tech stack's limitations keep them from monitoring these insights.
- 38.6% of survey respondents prioritize their communication channels based on customer preferences and opt-in data, while a meager 15.2% prioritize based on behavioral attributes. Consequently, marketers fail to understand the entire customer journey when thinking about new channel engagement to ensure each customer has a relevant path.
Sharing his thoughts on The State of Insights-led Engagement in North America 2022 Report, Raviteja Dodda, CEO of MoEngage, said, "The report findings will help consumer brands understand the importance of measuring deeper customers insights while allowing marketers to understand how their current customer engagement tech stack might be limiting their scope to understand customers better. Brands need to be customer-centric and proactive in the way they engage with their customers one-on-one to build stronger relationships."
The MoEngage report also covers:
- How CEPs provide a microscopic, insights-driven, and holistic view to build a unified customer profile and drive a personalized, omnichannel experience for your customers.
- The reasons why North American marketers struggle with siloed data and insights that do not help them in the long run.
- How to be more customer-centric, unify data across multichannel CEPs, and eliminate internal data siloes to create a customer engagement strategy that gets you the expected outcomes.
Click here to access The State of Insights-led Customer Engagement Report 2022: North America Edition.
About MoEngage
MoEngage is an insights-led customer engagement platform, trusted by more than 1,200 global consumer brands such as Ally Financial, McAfee, Flipkart, Domino's, Nestle, Deutsche Telekom, OYO, and more. MoEngage empowers marketers and product owners with insights into customer behavior and the ability to act on those insights to engage customers across the web, mobile, email, social, and messaging channels. Consumer brands across 35 countries use MoEngage to power digital experiences for over 1 billion customers every month. With offices in ten countries, MoEngage is backed by Goldman Sachs Asset Management, B Capital, Steadview Capital, Multiples Private Equity, Eight Roads, F-Prime Capital, Matrix Partners, Ventureast, and Helion Ventures.
To learn more, visit www.moengage.com.
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SOURCE MoEngage | 2022-07-21T15:46:14+00:00 | wlox.com | https://www.wlox.com/prnewswire/2022/07/21/lack-real-time-analytics-pressing-challenge-marketers-moengage-report/ |
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A competition promoting “Fitness for Life” has ended its six-day run in Sioux Falls.
Nearly 400 athletes from 42 states competed in 18 sports during the National Veterans Golden Age Games in Sioux Falls.
“We had six Veterans that were over the age of 90 and the second oldest was from here in Sioux Falls and he turned 92 this weekend, and it was his first time competing in the games,” Local Coordinator John Neeley said.
The competition for Veterans aged 55-&-older got its start in the mid-1980s, but this was its first-ever appearance in South Dakota.
“It was very well received. The Veterans loved the Sioux Falls community, the facilities, the people, and the people loved the veterans coming in,” Neeley said.
“People loved it. They were all over Sioux Falls at restaurants and shops and other attractions. The direct feedback has been all positive, really good,” Experience Sioux Falls Executive Director Teri Schmidt said.
Sioux Falls submitted its bid for the games in 2019, prior to the pandemic, which caused the number of participants to dwindle but not the impact of the event.
“We’re looking at at least a million dollars in economic impact. When we first booked this event it was supposed to be 2,500, and then COVID hit and so this was the best we could do with the COVID situation with all the veterans coming from everywhere, so we’re pleased. A million dollars of economic impact in Sioux Falls, hey we’ll take it,” Schmidt said.
Next year’s games will take place across the border in Iowa, but a return trip to Sioux Falls isn’t out of the question.
“What I’ve looked at and the history of it, about ten years before they tend to look at a city again. Matter of fact, next year, the 2023 games will be down in Des Moines and they last hosted them in 2011,” Neely said.
“We’ll probably be back after them in about five years so that we can get in line to get them here in ten years,” Schmidt said.
Click HERE for complete results from this year’s National Veterans Golden Age Games. | 2022-07-26T00:37:49+00:00 | keloland.com | https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/nearly-400-veterans-compete-in-golden-age-games/ |
Threats to California schools lead to three arrests
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A 44-year-old man was in custody Wednesday on suspicion of phoning in bomb threats to five Los Angeles schools earlier this year, while separate threats against northern and southern California high schools led to the arrests of two students, authorities said.
Marcus James Buchanan, who lives in Oklahoma but grew up in Los Angeles, is charged in a federal criminal complaint alleging he threatened to bomb five Los Angeles campuses and shoot children as they exited one of the elementary schools, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
It wasn’t immediately known if Buchanan has an attorney and contact information for the Blackwell, Oklahoma resident could not be found.
In February and April, prosecutors say, Buchanan phoned in multiple threats that led to lockdowns at Los Angeles schools.
During one phone call, Buchanan allegedly told an employee: “There is a bomb at your school and we will shoot the kids when they get out of the school. That is what you get for not accepting me in ’86,” according to an affidavit.
Phone records indicated that the threatening calls came from a number identified with Buchanan, the affidavit states.
Separately, Berkeley police said Wednesday that officers arrested a 16-year-old boy after receiving a tip that he had been recruiting other students to participate in a mass shooting or bombing at Berkeley High School in the San Francisco Bay Area. A search of the teen’s home yielded parts to explosives and assault rifles, several knives, and electronic items that could be used to create more weapons, Berkeley police said on Twitter.
The teen surrendered to police Monday and was arrested on suspicion of possessing destructive device materials and threatening to commit a crime that would result in death or great bodily injury.
The arrests come a week after a gunman killed 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
In Southern California, authorities said an unnamed juvenile who attends Sierra Vista High School in Baldwin Park was arrested on suspicion of emailing a threat involving explosive devices on campus.
The investigation began May 25 when staff received the threatening email after classes had ended for the day, police said in a statement Tuesday.
A large police response including explosives-detection canine teams from many agencies did not find any devices on the campus 15 miles (24 kilometers) east of Los Angeles.
The police statement said that staff again received threats on Tuesday and detectives, with technical assistance from the FBI, identified the suspect, arrested him and seized evidence from his home.
“Detectives will seek criminal prosecution for these threats,” the police statement said.
The school announced on its website that in addition to a police presence, staff would search students’ backpacks and belongings through the last week of the current semester.
Meanwhile, administrators at Orange County’s Mater Dei Mater Dei High said Tuesday that the school would be closed through the end of this week after a threat against the campus.
Santa Ana police said Wednesday that the threat from a former employee did not rise to the level of a criminal offense. No arrests were expected, officials said. | 2022-06-02T01:26:29+00:00 | keyt.com | https://keyt.com/news/2022/06/01/threats-to-california-schools-lead-to-three-arrests/ |
Rainbow-colored masking tape. Clear storage bins. Dry-erase markers. Microfiber cleaning cloths. A bulk package of Crayola crayons.
These are some of the items on third-grade teacher Dana Stassen's Amazon wish list, which she uses to crowdsource supplies for her classroom in Kennesaw, Georgia. Even with help, she typically spends more than $1,000 on school supplies, classroom decorations and snacks, she says. But this year, she's trying to spend around $800, although she doesn't know whether that will be possible with inflation.
"I'm going to have a ton of out-of-pocket expenses as a classroom teacher to make sure that my students have what they need," Stassen said.
Many parents are also hoping to pull back on spending on school supplies this year, according to a survey released Wednesday by Deloitte. The firm is predicting that spending will decrease 10% from last year, marking the first decline since 2014, said Stephen Rogers, the managing director of Deloitte's Consumer Industry Center. Inflation is having a big impact on how parents are shopping, he said.
"So parents who say they're spending more and parents who say they're spending less, both blame inflation for that," Rogers said. "So that's also a curious place where we find ourselves. Inflation is definitely top of mind for everyone."
Nabbing a $3 shirt and looking for discounts
Prices for school supplies have jumped nearly 24% in the last two years, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Due to the higher prices, many shoppers this year are focusing more on getting classroom supplies like folders and pencils than they are on new clothes or tech products, Rogers said.
Melissa Wright, a parent and former elementary school teacher in Chandler, Ariz., is back-to-school shopping this week before her kids' first day of school next Wednesday. She's aiming to spend under $250 on clothes and supplies for both of her kids.
"I use the Target Circle app, so today even for the shirts and stuff I bought my daughter, they were all like 30% off. One of them I looked at rang up like 3 bucks," said Wright. "I do love a sale."
She isn't alone. Most shoppers are planning back-to-school shopping around sales events, according to the National Retail Federation. Deloitte's survey found that 69% of shoppers will look at back-to-school deals on Amazon during its Prime Day event, which started Tuesday and ends Wednesday. But people prefer to shop in person for the majority of their back-to-school shopping.
Stassen, however, is relying more heavily on online shopping to prepare for her return to the classroom, as well as to get items for her first-grader and fourth-grader. She works as an assistant director at a Pennsylvania summer camp, and she won't be back home in Georgia until right before school starts on Aug. 1.
"Like many parents I know, we're all doing our school supply shopping online as best we can while we're away and just getting things shipped to the house," said Stassen.
To save money, she also plans to use teacher discounts where offered and visit secondhand stores to maximize her budget.
"I definitely try to keep my ear to the street for when those teacher discount days are happening, for my classroom and for my own kids," Stassen said.
Summer started less than a month ago, but already it's time to shop for school
The bulk of back-t0-school shopping will be over before July ends — even though some schools won't open until September. According to Deloitte, 59% of total back-to-school spending is expected to take place in July.
Despite financial concerns, some shoppers will still splurge on some items, Rogers said. Wright said she'll probably spend the most money on new shoes and backpacks for her kids. According to the Deloitte survey, parents are most likely to splurge on apparel and tech, with 6 in 10 parents saying they would spend more on higher-quality items or to "treat their child," an experience Rogers shared.
"It's something very familiar with me," he said. "I just spent more on my 13-year-old's first cellphone because she wanted a specific brand in purple."
Editor's note: Amazon is among NPR's financial supporters.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-07-12T10:53:37+00:00 | iowapublicradio.org | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/2023-07-12/its-back-to-school-shopping-time-and-everyone-wants-a-bargain |
--Welch Joins After Successful Finance Leadership Positions at Oura, Sonos--
SANTA BARBARA, Calif., June 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kate Farms® the market leader bringing plant-based nutrition into healthcare, today announced the appointment of Daniel Welch to the post of Chief Financial Officer. Welch joins Kate Farms from Oura Health, maker of the Oura Ring, where he was Chief Financial Officer.
At Oura, Welch was responsible for driving all aspects of the company's financial activities including financial reporting, planning, treasury, investor relations and corporate strategy. Prior to Oura, Welch led the corporate finance team at Sonos, Inc., where he was responsible for corporate development, strategy, and treasury functions. He helped launch the company's corporate development, treasury and investor relations functions at its IPO and led multiple acquisitions and investments on behalf of the company. Welch started his career in investment banking and prior to Sonos was at Morgan Stanley, where he was a vice president in the investment banking group. Over the course of his investment banking career, he guided many companies through mergers, acquisitions, capital raising activities and IPOs. He holds a BBA in Finance from Baylor University.
"It's a great pleasure to welcome Daniel to Kate Farms," said Brett Matthews, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kate Farms. "The professional experience he brings is invaluable to Kate Farms and our teams, and his personal passion for wellness and health will help drive the growth of our entire business." Welch will manage all Accounting and Finance functions including FP&A, leading Corporate Development, managing Treasury and working closely with the Board of Directors and its Finance Committee.
The appointment of Welch follows Kate Farms recent $75MM Series C financing round, led by Novo Holdings, a $120B non-profit and leading international life sciences investor. Proceeds are funding Kate Farms' investments in advancing plant-based clinical nutrition research, product innovation and expansion into additional channels to enhance access to its high-quality, vital nutrition to support those living with chronic illnesses and acute conditions.
"I have always had a passion for mission-oriented companies, and I have a tremendous amount of both personal and professional alignment with Kate Farms as a company," said Welch. "As someone who has maintained a plant-based diet for a long time, I am passionate about the concept of food-as-medicine and the power of food to heal and nourish humankind. From a business standpoint, Kate Farms has an incredible amount of momentum and is hitting a critical inflection point in its growth. I am excited to join the team and help drive the company to the next level!"
About Kate Farms
Kate Farms was founded when a little girl named Kate Laver was failing to thrive because she couldn't tolerate any of the available tube feeding formulas. Her determined parents, Richard and Michelle, had the transformative idea to develop a better formula using high quality, organic, plant-based ingredients without the common allergens and ingredients often found in traditional formulas. Today, Kate is thriving, and Kate Farms is now the #1 recommended plant-based brand*.
Kate Farms offers medical formulas for children and adults, to be used as the sole source or as supplemental nutrition, for oral or tube feeding. They are available nationally and eligible for insurance coverage with Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance. Kate Farms formulas are made for tolerance with easily digested organic pea protein, fiber, and phytonutrients, and without common allergens or artificial sweeteners or flavors. Kate Farms can be accessed in more than 800 US hospitals, including the top children's hospitals; availability is increasing daily. Visit www.katefarms.com.
*Independent Plant-based Formula Survey
Contact:
Errin Cecil-Smith
Errin.cecil-smith@katefarms.com
215 439 7776
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SOURCE Kate Farms | 2023-06-06T15:50:26+00:00 | witn.com | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2023/06/06/kate-farms-appoints-daniel-welch-chief-financial-officer-post/ |
CAUGHT ON CAM: Horse rescued from drowning in deep pond
SOUTHWEST RANCHES, Fla. (WSVN) – A horse in Florida is back on solid ground after falling into a pond.
It was a scary sight for Ricardo Alonzo when he arrived at his Southwest Ranches property Wednesday morning and found his mare, Daisy, stuck in a pond.
She was unable to get out on her own, so Alonzo and a group of first responders with Davie Fire Rescue got to work.
“The pond that’s here, probably 10 to 15 feet deep,” Battalion Chief Aneel Mehra said. “It had a very deep shoreline, so the horse was unable to get out.”
It took several hours and several attempts as Daisy tried to get her footing along the steep ledge.
“We tried to throw ropes to get her and we managed to get her to a corner,” Alonzo said. “It took a couple hours to get her out.”
Mehra said Daisy was eventually able to gather herself with enough energy to get out of the pond. She had only minor injuries from the ordeal.
Daisy was checked out and treated by a vet and was eventually reunited with her young offspring.
Officials say the horse is in good shape, much to the relief of her owner.
Copyright 2022 WSVN via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | 2022-05-26T19:59:11+00:00 | live5news.com | https://www.live5news.com/2022/05/26/caught-cam-horse-rescued-drowning-deep-pond/ |
Wins spanned multiple categories, including Software, UV/Latex Flatbed and Roll-to-Roll
MELVILLE, N.Y., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, earned five coveted PRINTING United Alliance 2022 Pinnacle Product Awards. Among the winners were two in the software category, with PRISMAcolor Manager garnering top honors for color management and quality control and PRISMAsync winning for best Software-RIP (raster image processor). The Arizona 2300 series UV flatbed printers won in two categories, for both UV/Latex Flatbed and UV/Latex Flatbed + White, while the Colorado 1630 series was recognized in the Roll-to-Roll UV (under 80 inch) category.
Open to all PRINTING United Alliance supplier members, the Pinnacle Product Award competition evaluates products that will be available for sale in 2022. A highly qualified panel of judges across the printing industry evaluated the annual contest's 160+ entries in more than 58 categories spanning analog, digital, output, and non-output technologies.
Additionally, Canon also won a Pinnacle InterTech Award for Production Printing for its FLXfinish+ that offers the unique ability to print a mixed matte and gloss finish in one print, at the click of a button.
"We are pleased to once again be honored by winning multiple prestigious Pinnacle Product Awards from the PRINTING United Alliance," said Shinichi "Sam" Yoshida, executive vice president and general manager of Canon U.S.A., Inc. "It's gratifying to be recognized in a variety of categories that encompass both hardware and software and to know that Canon continues to be ranked so highly when measured against objective criteria for quality."
- PRISMAcolor Manager – Software/Color Management and Quality Control
- PRISMAsync Automated Color Tasks – Software/RIP
- Arizona 2380 GTF – UV/Latex Flatbed ($200K-500K)
- Arizona 2380 XTF – UV/Latex Flatbed _ White ($200K-500K)
- Colorado 1630 – Roll-to-Roll UV (under 80 in.)
PRISMAcolor Manager enables commercial printer operators to manage the complex task of proactively measuring and assessing color by semi-automatically checking and comparing quality and consistency across Canon and non-Canon printers.
PRISMAsync Automated Color Tasks allows Canon cut-sheet toner-based digital press operators to manage the complex tasks of press linearization, sheet uniformity correction, G7 calibration, media color profiling, G7 verification, and results reporting, at the push of a button, completely hands-off, for all loaded job stocks, all in one step.
The Arizona 2300 series consists of true, stationary flatbed printers provide high print quality and versatility for both rigid and flexible media application while the Colorado 1630 works with the industry certified UVgel 460 inks, formulated for maximum flexibility.
"The Pinnacle Product Award competition represents the best of the best among commercial hardware, software, consumables, and industrial and screen equipment," said Ray Weiss, director, Digital Print Programs, PRINTING United Alliance. "Congratulations to all the winners."
Output devices were judged based on reports generated by measuring color charts and then comparing them to industry specifications.
"This is the only competition I know of that reports on the percentage of Adobe RGB a printer can hit," said Dawn Nye, Program Manager for Pinnacle Awards, PRINTING United Alliance. "Some categories were decided by tenths of a point, so fierce was the competition this year."
These award-winning solutions, along with Canon's other innovative production print solutions and large-format technology, will be on display at PRINTING United Expo from October 19-21 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Canon's booth #N1009.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean markets. With approximately $30.6 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), as of 2021 has ranked in the top-five overall in U.S. patents granted for 36 consecutive years† and was one of Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies in 2022. Canon U.S.A. was featured in Newsweek's Most Loved Workplaces list for 2021, ranking among the top 100 companies for employee happiness and satisfaction at work. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss and follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA.
† Number of patents for 2021 are based on figures released by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services. Figures for 2005 to 2020 are based on information issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
PRINTING United Alliance is the most comprehensive member-based printing and graphic arts association in the United States, comprised of the vast communities which it represents. The Alliance serves industry professionals across market segments with preeminent education, training, workshops, events, research, government and legislative representation, safety, and environmental sustainability guidance, as well as resources from the leading media company in the industry – NAPCO Media. Now a division of PRINTING United Alliance, Idealliance is the global leader in standards training and certification for printing and graphic arts operations across the entire industry supply chain.
PRINTING United Alliance also produces the PRINTING United Expo, the most influential days in printing. The expansive display of technology and supplies, education, programming, and services are showcased to the industry at large, and represents all market segments in one easily accessed place.
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SOURCE Canon U.S.A., Inc. | 2022-10-06T14:11:40+00:00 | witn.com | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/10/06/canon-earns-five-pinnacle-product-awards-2022/ |
Which camping chair with a canopy is best?
Camping is a great way to escape from everyday stress, but why not have the best of both worlds? Grab a camping chair with a canopy to bring you some indoor comfort while in the great outdoors.
There are many options on the market today with surprising luxurious features. If you are looking for a great combination of comfort and affordability in your camping chair, the GCI Outdoor Pod Rocker Collapsible Rocking Chair with Sunshade may be the right choice for you.
What to know before you buy a camping chair with a canopy
You don’t need to sit on logs or stones when out in the wild. Camping chairs are lightweight enough to carry with you, and they can offer some benefits that may not be immediately obvious. Consider where and how often you will be using your chair when choosing which one is right for you.
Comfort
A camping chair gives you a chance to relax your feet during your outdoor adventures. Camping chairs offer an alternative to uncomfortable seating on the ground or on bleachers at sporting events.
UV protection
UV protection is essential when spending time in the sun. A properly constructed canopy on your camping chair will provide the protection you need from the sun’s harmful rays. Good quality canopies will list out their UV protection rating, so check to be sure the quality is there to ensure the health of yourself and your loved ones.
Portable
Camping chairs are portable and easy to pack away, so you can use them anywhere that seating is needed. They are a great option for the beach, sporting events and extra seating around the house.
What to look for in a quality camping chair with a canopy
Comfort
The last thing you want while trying to relax after a long day of activity is an uncomfortable chair. Camping chairs are designed with a focus on portability, so be sure that you don’t sacrifice comfort when picking one out. Finding the right chair can make the difference between an enjoyable time with friends and family and a sore back.
Portability
Camping chairs can get pretty unwieldy, especially with the addition of a canopy. It will be quite beneficial if your chair can fold up into a manageable size and is not too heavy to carry with you on your outdoor adventures. If you don’t need to walk long distances with your chair, you can opt for a heavier, sturdier model.
Durability
On the other side of the portability issue, some chairs sacrifice sturdy, reliable materials to keep their weight down. It may be appealing to go with the lightest chair you can find, but it’s worthwhile to invest in a product that will last. Look for steel rather than aluminum chair legs if durability is more important to you than portability. This is especially worthy of consideration if you plan to regularly use your chair at home or at events that do not require long walks from parking areas.
Add-ons and extra features
Many camping chairs come with cup holders, pockets and more. In addition, some come with adjustable seating modes to increase your comfort. Keep an eye out for these additional features to maximize your seating experience.
How much you can expect to spend on a camping chair with a canopy
Generally, camping chairs with canopies range from around $25-$200. At the higher end, you can expect to find extra functionality, like reclining and rocking options.
Camping chair with a canopy FAQ
How much weight can a camping chair support?
A. Camping chairs can generally support at least 220 pounds. In the higher range, they can support up to 500 pounds.
How long can you expect to use your camping chair?
A. Depending on how often and in what environments you use your camping chair, you can expect it to last for years. Making sure that you choose the right chair for your needs can greatly extend its life.
How much assembly is required for a camping chair with a canopy?
A. Generally, minimal assembly is needed for a camping chair with a canopy. In some cases, the canopy is detachable.
What’s the best camping chair with a canopy to buy?
Top camping chair with a canopy
GCI Outdoor Pod Rocker Collapsible Rocking Chair With Sunshade
What you need to know: This camping chair offers a great mix of features and durability.
What you’ll love: You’ll love the rocking feature of this chair. It’s perfect for relaxing nights by the lake or watching sporting events. It also comes with cup holders and pockets to hold your belongings while you sit.
What you should consider: The rocking mechanism provides some potential for breakages that wouldn’t be there with a standard camping chair.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top camping chair with a canopy for the money
What you need to know: The Quik Shade MAX Shade chair provides everything you need in a camping chair with a canopy.
What you’ll love: The durability of this chair is great, especially for the price. It can support a lot of weight, and the simple design makes it easy to pack up and move around.
What you should consider: The Quik Shade Max Chair lacks some of the features that you’ll find with more expensive chairs.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Sport-Brella 3-Position Recliner Chair With Removable Umbrella
What you need to know: This chair puts comfort first.
What you’ll love: The reclining functionality makes this chair a great option for relaxing at home or at the beach. It has four cup holders, a zippable pocket, and a built-in bottle opener.
What you should consider: Because it goes all-in on comfort, it’s not as durable as some of the other options on the market.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Kevin Warstadt writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2022-06-12T18:39:46+00:00 | mytwintiers.com | https://www.mytwintiers.com/reviews/br/camping-outdoors-br/seating-br/best-camping-chair-with-a-canopy/ |
João Carlos Bolonha (former managing director of Google Cloud LATAM) is the new Chief Product, People, Technology, and Sales Officer, and Thiago Rocha is the new Chief Strategy, Financial, and Investor Relations Officer. Carolina Strobel and Gustavo Roxo take over as new board members.
SÃO PAULO, July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The largest provider of technology and innovation for the Brazilian financial sector, Sinqia S.A. (B3: SQIA3) starts a new phase. In addition to the excellent results and growth records in recent years the Company achieved a new level, reinforcing now the executive board and the board of directors.
The company announces the arrival of João Carlos Bolonha as Chief Product, People, Technology, and Sales Officer. With 25 years of experience in technology, he served on Google's executive board for 5 years, where he was responsible for the Cloud platform in Latin America, and he played an important role in the development of the cloud services offer. The executive was also previously with Microsoft, for 6 years.
"Sinqia is no doubt the biggest technology company for the financial sector and could become even bigger in the coming years. I was on the Board of Directors and participated in steering its growth. Now, I come to contribute to this new phase, looking for new opportunities", comments Bolonha.
Another important move, which took place in May 2022, is the new position of Chief Strategy, Financial, and Investor Relations Officer, headed by Thiago Rocha, who joined Sinqia in 2012 and had the opportunity to lead: 3 equity offerings, 2 debenture offerings, and 18 acquisitions.
Two new names were also announced to booster Sinqia's Board of Directors: Carolina Strobel, who is a former COO with Redpoint Ventures, and Gustavo Roxo, who founded 39A, a Venture Capital company for digital companies and businesses.
About Sinqia
Sinqia is the largest technology company for the financial sector in Brazil. Since 2005, it has been executing a consolidation strategy that has resulted in industry leadership after 23 acquisitions. It is one of the fastest-growing companies and since 2017 it has been elected as one of the 100 largest Fintechs in the World, according to IDC. The company processes billions of transactions daily, services the main institutions in the Brazilian financial sector, and belongs to a select group listed on B3's Novo Mercado.
Contact: Sinqia, marketing@sinqia.com.br
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SOURCE Sinqia | 2022-07-13T19:48:29+00:00 | wafb.com | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2022/07/13/sinqia-leading-technology-provider-brazilian-financial-market-announces-c-level-executives-new-names-board-directors/ |
We asked, and you answered: the results are finally in for our Best of Detroit poll. Here’s the best of metro Detroit’s nightlife, according to you, our readers.
You can see the rest of the Best of Detroit winners in this week’s issue.
Illustration by James Anderson | 2022-11-16T18:36:01+00:00 | metrotimes.com | https://www.metrotimes.com/best-of/2022/bars-clubs/best-bar-on-the-water-31574404 |
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Mother Nature put on a spectacular show Wednesday in Florida, with a display of majesty showcasing a rainbow and lightning bolt over a beach -- at the same time.
Husband and wife John and Rebecca, of Cape Canaveral, captured photos and video of the unique moment as thunderstorms passed through Brevard County.
[PIN IT!: Here’s how to share your photos with News 6 -- and the world]
As a reminder, you can share your awesome photos and videos to the ClickOrlando.com/pins page. Many of them will end up on TV, and all of them can be viewed here.
The video embedded directly below is courtesy of Rebecca Concilus.
[STORY CONTINUES AFTER VIDEO]
Strong storms ripped through a portion of the region Wednesday, with lightning striking a church in Ormond Beach, setting the steeple ablaze. No one was injured.
More thunderstorms are expected Thursday, prompting an Inconvenient Weather Day in Central Florida. Here’s what that means. | 2023-05-18T16:51:09+00:00 | clickorlando.com | https://www.clickorlando.com/weather/2023/05/18/all-at-once-rainbow-lightning-bolt-captured-over-florida-beach/ |
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Aerial Powers scored a career-high 32 points on 10-of-17 shooting and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Las Vegas Aces 102-71 Sunday night.
Moriah Jefferson and Rachel Banham added 13 points apiece and Sylvia Fowles scored eight points with 11 rebounds and two blocks for Minnesota (7-15).
Powers scored the final six points in Minnesota's 13-0 opening run and the Aces never led. Dearica Hamby and Riquna Williams hit back-to-back 3-pointers to pull Las Vegas to 44-35 with about 3 minutes left in the first half but Fowles answered with a layup 18 seconds later and the Lynx led by double figures the rest of the way.
Kelsey Plum led Las Vegas (15-6) with 12 points. Jackie Young and A'ja Wilson added 10 points apiece.
Las Vegas, which went into the game averaging a league-leading 89.9 points per game, had its lowest scoring output of the season.
Minnesota shot 50% (37 of 74) from the field, hit 12 3-pointers and outrebounded the Aces 53-25 — including 15-1 on the offensive glass — en route to a season-high scoring total.
The Lynx retired the jersey of Rebekkah Brunson before the game. She retired in February 2020 after helping the Lynx win four WNBA championships and is now with the team as an assistant coach. She becomes the third member of the Lynx to have her jersey retired, joining Seimone Augustus and Lindsay Whalen.
___
More AP women’s basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2022-07-04T03:21:23+00:00 | expressnews.com | https://www.expressnews.com/sports/article/Powers-scores-career-high-32-to-help-Lynx-beat-17282842.php |
White noise streams are a kind of sonic wallpaper. For many, they help keep some parts of the brain distracted so that other parts may better focus on things, like writing, studying or sleeping.
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air
White noise streams are a kind of sonic wallpaper. For many, they help keep some parts of the brain distracted so that other parts may better focus on things, like writing, studying or sleeping.
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air | 2022-11-15T19:24:40+00:00 | wksu.org | https://www.wksu.org/2022-11-15/life-is-chaotic-white-noise-streams-can-help-you-tune-out-and-fall-asleep |
Which LeapFrog books are best?
When it comes to LeapFrog, it’s hard to tell the difference between a book and a toy. LeapFrog is a company that makes products for early childhood learning. Its entire way of thinking is that the best way for children to learn is through play.
LeapFrog books are designed by educators who specialize in at-home learning for a child’s formative years and early grade school years. If you’re looking for a LeapFrog book about animals, consider the LeapFrog 100 Animals Book. This is a bilingual book that teaches English and Spanish.
What to know before you buy a LeapFrog book
Educational entertainment
LeapFrog creates developmental games that are fun to play and leave indelible impressions. LeapFrog is a technology company, too. LeapFrog toys are games, including books, smart-enabled stuffed animals and playsets. Each item is labeled with the core learning skills it teaches. The age range of LeapFrog books and toys is for children from 3 months to 6 years old.
All the books include ways to learn things from recognizing simple shapes and colors to learning the alphabet and the number system. LeapFrog books increase the challenge as kids get older and smarter.
Ages and stages
LeapFrog books and toys are labeled in several ways. Looking at them in combination is a great way to find just the level you’re looking for in a LeapFrog product for your child. They also indicate mileposts and achievements along your child’s developmental highway.
Numbers
LeapFrog books indicate target ages and age ranges. Looking at kids’ ages only by numbers doesn’t allow for differences in levels of interest.
Life stages
Kids are grouped with names that describe their physical and social development. LeapFrog books are written for toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners.
Levels
This method is like the grade levels in school, from first grade to 12th grade. Children who successfully complete grade 1 move on to grade 2, and so on.
What to look for in a quality LeapFrog book
The best way to read with your child is by asking and answering questions and making predictions in a friendly and fun environment. This is what LeapFrog books do, and they have several different ways of doing it.
LeapPad
The original LeapPad was designed for children to use a special stylus to tap anywhere in the book and hear the item sounded out by the special e-book. The device would name the shapes, numbers, letters, words, animals and pictures the child tapped with the stylus. It was a toy and tool that allowed children to get a head start on reading. LeapFrog is a technology company, too, and LeapPad was replaced by the more sophisticated Tag reading system.
The Tag reading system
This process also uses a stylus, but one with a tiny infrared camera in the tip. This camera scans and reads the position of the stylus on special dotted paper book pages and sounds out letters, words and symbols. The Tag reading system is designed to help kids from ages 4 to 8 learn how to read and how to read better. It was soon followed by Tag Junior, a simpler system designed for children from 1 to 4 years old.
Read With Me Scout
Scout is a friendly green and white puppy with big eyes and floppy ears. Scout helps children get on the path to reading and helps them develop their ability to comprehend what they see and hear.
LeapStart
This is another stylus system made for reading content on specially printed books. It’s not compatible with earlier LeapReader and Tag books.
How much you can expect to spend on a LeapFrog book
Single books with hardcovers cost $15-$20. Packs of books that work with the Tag system go for $60-$70. Interactive books with specialized point-and-speak reading technology, like the LeapReader system, cost around $100.
LeapFrog books FAQ
Are all LeapFrog toys books?
A. Many LeapFrog toys involve reading, one of the primary goals for parents with young children. Some are e-readers and others combine classic books with special technology. LeapFrog also makes tablets, video games, activity trackers and plush toys.
What is the LeapPad Explorer?
A. LeapPad Explorers are customized learning tablets for children 4 to 9 years old. As kids progress through different grade levels, the Explorer automatically adjusts all its applications and games to the next level. The smarter the child gets, the smarter the Explorer gets.
What are the best LeapFrog books to buy?
Top LeapFrog book
What you need to know: With this book, your child can hold 100 animals in their hands on the touch-sensitive pages.
What you’ll love: It has interactive pages that feature animals from 12 habitats and environments, such as deserts and rainforests. Kids touch the page and hear animal names, sounds and fun facts. This book teaches colors, animals, foods and nature. It’s a bilingual book that speaks English and Spanish.
What you should consider: The included batteries are for demonstration purposes only. New batteries are recommended for regular use.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top LeapFrog book for the money
What you need to know: This touch-and-feel book helps children 3 months and older explore letters, numbers, colors and shapes.
What you’ll love: This peekaboo book has soft and brightly colored pages. Children play a hide-and-seek game to help little puppy Violet find a bone. When little ones press the tabs, songs and sayings enhance their learning. When they press the light-up musical note button, Violet plays a welcome tune and four sing-along songs.
What you should consider: The 2 AAA batteries aren’t included.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
LeapFrog LeapReader System 10-Book Mega Pack
What you need to know: This LeapFrog book sounds out letters and words with interactive stories.
What you’ll love: This 10-book pack includes a built-in rechargeable battery, a downloadable digital content bundle and 10 Learn to Read books. Books include Casey Cat Has a Hat, The Bike Race, At the Lake in June and I Spy in the Sky. This device works with all LeapReader books.
What you should consider: This LeapReader system isn’t compatible with all Tag books.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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David Allan Van writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2022-07-08T13:04:54+00:00 | kfor.com | https://kfor.com/reviews/br/toys-games-br/educational-toys-br/best-leapfrog-book/ |
One of basketball's great players has died. Bill Russell was a star with the Boston Celtics and won the most titles of any NBA player: 11. (Story first aired on ATC on July 31, 2022.)
Copyright 2022 NPR
One of basketball's great players has died. Bill Russell was a star with the Boston Celtics and won the most titles of any NBA player: 11. (Story first aired on ATC on July 31, 2022.)
Copyright 2022 NPR | 2022-08-01T09:46:28+00:00 | mainepublic.org | https://www.mainepublic.org/2022-08-01/encore-bill-russell-basketball-legend-with-record-11-nba-titles-dies-at-88 |
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — NATO leaders gathered Wednesday to launch a highly symbolic new forum for ties with Ukraine, after committing to provide the country with more military assistance for fighting Russia but only vague assurances of future membership.
U.S. President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts will sit down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the new NATO-Ukraine Council, a permanent body where the 31 allies and Ukraine can hold consultations and call for meetings in emergency situations.
The setting is part of NATO’s effort to bring Ukraine as close as possible to the military alliance without actually joining it. On Tuesday, the leaders said in their communique summarizing the summit’s conclusions that Ukraine can join “when allies agree and conditions are met.”
The ambiguous outcome reflects the challenges of reaching consensus among the alliance’s current members while the war continues, and has left Zelenskyy disappointed even as he expressed appreciation for military hardware being promised by Group of Seven industrial nations.
Zelenskyy said Wednesday that he’s pushing to ensure Ukraine “will have this invitation when security measures will allow.”
“We want to be on the same page with everybody,” he told reporters at the summit.
Ukraine’s future membership was the most divisive and emotionally charged issue at this year’s summit.
“We have to stay outside of this war but be able to support Ukraine. We managed that very delicate balancing act for the last 17 months. It’s to the benefit of everyone that we maintain that balancing act,” Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said Wednesday.
Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins, whose country lies on NATO’s eastern flank and has a long, troubled history with Russia, said he would have preferred more for Ukraine.
“There will always be a difference of flavor of how fast you would want to go,” he said. However, Karins added, “at the end of it, what everyone gets, including Ukraine, and what Moscow sees is we are all very united.”
Although Zelenskyy was attending the final day of the summit in Vilnius, he has been sharply critical of what he described as NATO’s “unprecedented and absurd” reluctance to set a timeline for his country’s acceptance into the alliance.
In essence, Western countries are willing to keep sending weapons to help Ukraine do the job that NATO was designed to do — hold the line against a Russian invasion — but not allow Ukraine to join its ranks and benefit from its security during the war.
Zelenskyy said in a Tuesday speech in a town square in Vilnius that he had faith in NATO, but that he would “like this faith to become confidence, confidence in the decisions that we deserve, all of us, every soldier, every citizen, every mother, every child.”
“Is that too much to ask?” he added.
Amanda Sloat, senior director of European affairs for the U.S. National Security Council, defended the summit’s decisions.
“I would agree that the communique is unprecedented, but I see that in a positive way,” she told reporters on Wednesday. Sloat noted that Ukraine will not need to submit a “membership action plan” as it seeks to join NATO, although she said “there are still governance and security sector reforms that are going to be required.” The action plan is a key step in the process that involves advice and assistance for countries seeking to join.
Symbols of support for Ukraine are common around Vilnius, where the country’s blue-and-yellow flags hang from buildings and are pasted inside windows. One sign cursed Russian President Vladimir Putin. Another urged NATO leaders to “hurry up” their assistance for Ukraine.
However, there’s been more caution inside the summit itself, especially from Biden, who has explicitly said he doesn’t think Ukraine is ready to join NATO. There are concerns that the country’s democracy is unstable and its corruption remains too deeply rooted.
Under Article 5 of the NATO charter, members are obligated to defend each other from attack, which could swiftly draw the U.S. and other nations into direct fighting with Russia.
Defining an end to hostilities is no easy task. Officials have declined to define the goal, which could suggest a negotiated ceasefire or Ukraine reclaiming all occupied territory. Either way, Putin would essentially have veto power over Ukraine’s NATO membership by prolonging the conflict.
Wednesday’s commitments will include a new G7 framework that would provide for Ukraine’s long-term security.
The British foreign ministry said the G7 would “set out how allies will support Ukraine over the coming years to end the war and deter and respond to any future attack.” The ministry added that the framework marks the first time that this many countries have agreed to a “comprehensive long-term security arrangement of this kind with another country.”
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement that supporting Ukraine’s “progress on the pathway to NATO membership, coupled with formal, multilateral, and bilateral agreements and the overwhelming support of NATO members will send a strong signal to President Putin and return peace to Europe.”
Sloat said the commitments will show Russia “that time is not on its side.”
Although international summits are often tightly scripted, this one has seesawed between conflict and compromise.
At first leaders appeared to be deadlocked over Sweden’s bid for membership in the alliance. However, Turkey unexpectedly agreed to drop its objections on Monday, the night before the summit formally began. The deal led to boasts of success from leaders who were eager for a display of solidarity in Vilnius.
“This summit is already historic before it has started,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.
Erdogan has not commented publicly on the deal, over Sweden’s membership, even during a Tuesday meeting with Biden where Biden referenced “the agreement you reached yesterday.”
However, Erdogan appeared eager to develop his relationship with Biden.
The Turkish president has been seeking advanced American fighter jets and a path toward membership in the European Union. The White House has expressed support for both, but publicly insisted that the issues were not related to Sweden’s membership in NATO.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | 2023-07-12T10:24:49+00:00 | wsvn.com | https://wsvn.com/news/us-world/nato-prepared-to-back-ukraine-in-its-fight-against-russia-but-not-to-extend-membership/ |
NEW YORK, July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Applied Molecular Transport Inc. ("Applied Molecular" or the "Company") (NYSE: AMTI). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.
The investigation concerns whether Applied Molecular and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.
On July 6, 2022, Applied Molecular issued a press release "announc[ing] top-line Phase 2 results from the MARKET combination trial for AMT-101 in biologic-naïve patients with moderate-to-severe UC [ulcerative colitis]." The press release stated in part, that "the data from the MARKET trial did not demonstrate added clinical benefit in the combination arm compared to the adalimumab alone arm at week 8." On this news, Applied Molecular's stock price fell sharply during intraday trading on July 6, 2022.
Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.
CONTACT:
Robert S. Willoughby
Pomerantz LLP
rswilloughby@pomlaw.com
888-476-6529 ext. 7980
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SOURCE Pomerantz LLP | 2022-07-13T23:54:51+00:00 | kfyrtv.com | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2022/07/13/shareholder-alert-pomerantz-law-firm-investigates-claims-behalf-investors-applied-molecular-transport-inc-amti/ |
SAN ANTONIO – A fire that broke out early Friday morning inside a storage room on the grounds of a Southeast Side church has taken a toll on a local Boy Scout troop.
The storage room, behind St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church’s Gevers Hall, is where Troop 177 stored most of its camping gear.
RELATED: Fire, smoke, damage event center at Southeast Side church
San Antonio firefighters responded to the scene, in the 1000 block of Ada Street, around 4:30 a.m.
Initially, they had trouble finding the source of the fire, which had thick black smoke pouring out of the vents of the building, which serves as a meeting hall.
They said eventually, they realized the fire was inside the storage room and put it out.
Gerardo Mechler, the scout leader and a deacon at the church, found out about the situation later in a series of phone calls, then rushed to the scene to see the damage for himself.
“We’ve lost tents, grub boxes, and all kinds of equipment,” he said. “This very afternoon we’re going on a camp-out. But we pulled out our things earlier this week.”
He said all of the equipment that he and about a dozen scouts needed for the quick weekend getaway was safely packed in cars and ready to go.
However, what burned were key items they need for the week-long summer camping trips, including canoe oars and life vests.
Some tents and sleeping bags, often used for scouts who don’t have their own equipment, also melted from the heat.
Mechler said what concerns him most is the possible loss of a camper, which appeared to have been singed by the flames.
“I can see it’s damaged. Going to need to repaint it and do a little refurbishing on that,” he said.
On top of everything, they now are in need of a new place to store whatever they have left.
The fire left the storage building, itself, with a big hole in its roof.
The hall attached to it, a piece of the church’s history, didn’t escape harm.
It sustained a significant amount of smoke damage.
According to St. Margaret Mary’s website, the church built Gevers Hall more than 50 years ago, in 1970.
“This is historically where the priests had their house, their residence. And then it became a meeting hall,” Mechler said. “That part of the hall is going to need renovations as well.”
An arson team called in to investigate the fire was not able to say right away exactly what caused it.
The Boy Scout troop, meanwhile, is in need of help to replace the damaged items.
Mechler asks anyone interested in donating things like tents, sleeping bags and other camping gear to contact St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church at (210) 532-6309. | 2023-01-13T20:20:16+00:00 | ksat.com | https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/01/13/boy-scout-troop-hit-hard-by-fire-inside-southeast-side-church-storage-room/ |
Request unsuccessful. Incapsula incident ID: 8080000400051786709-157572270331529740 | 2022-07-14T20:22:25+00:00 | bizjournals.com | https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2022/07/14/paco-lime-opening-in-minneapolis-north-loop.html |
WASHINGTON (AP) — College programs that leave graduates underpaid or buried in loans would be cut off from federal money under a proposal issued Wednesday by the Biden administration, but the rules would apply only to for-profit colleges and a tiny fraction of programs at traditional universities.
The Education Department is calling it a significant step toward accountability for the nation’s colleges. With more students questioning the value of a degree, the measure aims to weed out low-performing programs and assure students the cost of tuition will pay off in the long run.
“The rules proposed today are about helping ensure that when students invest in a postsecondary education, they get a solid return on investment and a greater shot at the American dream,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement.
Opponents, however, say the scope is too narrow to help most students.
Known as gainful employment, it revives an Obama-era policy that was dismantled by the Trump administration before it took full effect. It was enacted amid a federal crackdown on for-profit colleges that contributed to the closure of several chains accused of fraud, including Corinthian Colleges and ITT Technical Institute.
Like the Obama rule, the new proposal would apply to all programs at for-profit colleges, but only to certificate programs at traditional universities. Opponents say it creates a double standard, with the potential to kill off hundreds of programs at for-profit colleges while leaving other programs unscathed even if they leave students buried in debt.
“The rule unfairly targets programs at proprietary institutions and fails to account for the unique challenges facing students and communities that career-oriented programs serve,” said Jason Altmire, president and CEO of Career Education Colleges and Universities, an industry trade group.
The proposal would put college programs through two tests to determine whether they’re serving students well.
The first test would check whether a program’s graduates carry heavy student debt compared to their income. Programs would pass if their graduates have annual loan payments averaging no more than 8% of their total income, or 20% of their discretionary income.
A second test would check whether at least half of a program’s graduates earn more than working adults in their state with only a high school diploma.
Programs that fail at least one test would need to warn students that they’re at risk of losing federal money. Those that fail the same test twice in any three-year period would be cut off from federal aid. That amounts to a death sentence for most programs, especially at for-profit colleges that rely heavily on students who use federal financial aid to pay for tuition.
The Education Department says the rule would help an estimated 700,000 students who would otherwise enroll at one of nearly 1,800 low-performing colleges.
The rule is expected to put many for-profit college programs in jeopardy. At nonprofit colleges, it would mostly apply to certificate programs, which usually focus on career training. It would not apply to bachelor’s degrees or most graduate programs.
Supporters say the policy targets the riskiest programs. Students who attend for-profit colleges typically borrow more and default on their loans at higher rates. But it deals a heavy blow to the for-profit college industry, which had said it would support the measure if it applied evenly to all schools.
Before the rule can be finalized, the federal government must collect and review public comment. It’s sure to draw outrage from Republicans in Congress, who have called the policy an unfair attack against the entire for-profit college industry.
The proposal comes at a time of flagging faith in higher education. Fewer young Americans have been going to college, a shift that experts attribute to rising tuition costs, a strong job market and the shortcomings of pandemic schooling.
Hoping to restore public trust, the Education Department has been exploring how to hold colleges accountable for the outcomes of their graduates.
The agency is separately working on a list that would identify low-value programs across all colleges. It would publicize the list as a resource for students, but without the threat of a financial penalty.
___
The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | 2023-05-17T22:03:07+00:00 | wearegreenbay.com | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/national/ap-new-rule-seeks-to-weed-out-college-programs-that-leave-grads-with-low-income-high-debt/ |
The following student(s) made Mount Mercy University's Spring 2022 Dean's List. Students with a semester grade point average of 3.60 or better, and who are graded (letter grade, not pass/fail) for six or more semester hours, are eligible for inclusion on the Dean's List.
Located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Mount Mercy University is the regional Catholic, Mercy University that promises students of diverse backgrounds, ages, and faiths a challenging, practical education that inspires them to discover knowledge, build community, and live their values. Mount Mercy provides a forward-thinking, future-focused education, offering baccalaureate and graduate education to 1,600+ enrolled students and uniquely blending a quality liberal arts education with career-focused professional preparation.
HOMETOWN, NAME:
Aplington, Sarah Gaul
Garner, Jillian Heitland
Osage, Molly Jenkins
Rae Burnette is a GA and Crime & Courts Reporter at the Globe Gazette. You can reach her by phone at 641.421.0523 or at Rae.Burnette@GlobeGazette.com | 2022-06-30T19:41:40+00:00 | globegazette.com | https://globegazette.com/mount-mercy-university-students-named-to-spring-2022-deans-list/article_f07c3489-affd-5ce2-988f-07816df72a3d.html |
LE PECQ, France (AP) — French police said Friday they’re investigating multiple cuts to fiber-optic cables in France’s second-largest city. Operators said the cables link Marseille to other cities in France and Europe and that internet and phone services were severely disrupted.
The disruptions in Marseille were a taste of what analysts warn could be far larger problems in other cases if cables are systematically attacked. The vulnerability of fiber-optic cables, especially those underwater, and other key infrastructure was highlighted by the sabotage last month in the Baltic Sea of natural gas pipelines from Russia.
The damage in the city in southern France also appeared to resemble suspected acts of sabotage to other cables in the country earlier this year.
French cable operator and internet service provider Free said its repair teams were mobilized before dawn Wednesday to deal with “an act of vandalism on our fiber infrastructure.”
It said the attacks were simultaneous and on multiple spots of its fiber network near Marseille. Photos that Free published on Twitter showed multiple cables completely severed in their concrete housings buried in the ground. It said the cuts led to major disruptions to its network and phone services in the Marseille area.
A spokeswoman for Marseille police said Friday that the judicial police were investigating multiple breakages to cables on the city’s outskirts.
Cybersecurity company Zscaler said the severed cables link Marseille to Milan, Barcelona and the French city of Lyon. It said the cuts “impacted major cables with connectivity to Asia, Europe, (the) U.S. and potentially other parts of the world.”
The damage also slowed some network traffic from Europe to India, company CEO Jay Chaudhry said.
“Since Zscaler controls the network, we were able to re-route the traffic and mitigate the issue for our global users,” he posted.
In the case earlier this year, France’s domestic intelligence agency was recruited to help with the investigation into suspected sabotage of French fiber-optic cables.
Photos posted then by Free showed damage that looked much like the latest cuts in Marseille, with multiple cables severed in their apparently pried-open concrete housings.
Internet service was disrupted in several regions around France in that case, requiring the call-out of repair teams in the middle of the night. The Paris prosecutor’s office opened a preliminary investigation and said the French internal intelligence service, known as the DGSI, was also enlisted, along with the judicial police.
The prosecutor’s office opened a preliminary investigation in that case on charges of “damaging goods of a nature of harming the fundamental interests of the nation,” as well as “obstruction of an automatic data processing system” and criminal association. | 2022-10-22T12:13:37+00:00 | texomashomepage.com | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/tech-news/ap-technology/ap-french-police-probe-multiple-cuts-of-major-internet-cables/ |
Fairmont, W. Va. (WBOY)
The Polar Bears came out with a mission. Their first shot of the game, Connor Gower sunk a three and made it look easy. And they just kept firing. Zycheus Dobbs tapped in a rebound that kept Fairmont Senior up by 5, but Lincoln’s Aidan rice would put two on the board. It was not enough to stop the Polar Bears because their offense was hot. The Cougars, Brandon Edgell added a bucket and hoped for a comeback, but Fairmont Senior could not be stopped. The final score was 77-39 and all Polar Bears. Fairmont Senior earned the AAA Region II Championship. | 2023-03-09T06:11:33+00:00 | wboy.com | https://www.wboy.com/news/fairmont-senior-defeats-lincoln-to-earn-aaa-region-ii-championship/ |
Colorado River reservoirs buoyed by snowmelt, but officials brace for drier times ahead
This year’s unusually deep Rocky Mountain snowpack is now expected to lift both Lake Mead and Lake Powell from critically low water storage levels and leave them about one-third full, federal and state officials said Friday at a joint Colorado River briefing in Phoenix.
It means the Southwest’s shortage won’t worsen in the coming year, and that Lake Powell will be able to repay a debt to Lake Mead, the larger reservoir downstream, incurred last year when the government held back water to protect hydropower generating capacity at Glen Canyon Dam.
At least until snow starts flying again this fall, that’s where the good news begins and ends. The river remains in crisis, and recent history during a 23-year megadrought suggests scarcity may reassert itself in the coming year.
“Each time we’ve had one of these better inflow years it was followed by a drier inflow,” said Dan Bunk, chief of operations for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Boulder Canyon Office at Hoover Dam. It happened in 1999, and again in 2011, the only year during this drought that has stacked more snow in the region than this winter did. It also happened after a helpful winter in 2019.
Southwest drought:As the Colorado River is stretched thin, can the 100-year-old rules that divide it still work?
This year’s snowpack peaked on April 7 at 161% of what has become the median over the last 30 years, Bunk said. The resulting flows into Lake Powell are projected to outpace the norm at 172%. They’re big numbers, but will still leave the nation’s largest and second-largest reservoirs only about a third as full as they were when the 21st century began.
The dangerously low reservoirs will rise to a level that, for at least next year, won’t tip the region into a deeper tier of mandated cuts than it has already experienced, officials say. But Arizona’s already painful reductions will have to stay in place until it’s clear what the future brings.
“We’ll just take what we can get this year and cross our fingers that next year isn’t too dry,” Bunk said.
Arizona's cutbacks will remain in place
Through a combination of federally mandated cuts and compensated conservation actions, Arizona is leaving 592,000 acre-feet of its share of the Colorado in Lake Mead this year. Each acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons and, if pumped only to homes and not onto farmlands, would be enough to sustain perhaps three households for a year.
Those reductions will continue, and the government is working out deals to compensate farmers to use still less on a temporary basis. So far the new agreements have targeted 260,000 acre-feet, Bunk said, with more to come. Next up is rollout of a federal program to help pay for more efficient water infrastructure, and for permanent savings such as grass lawn removals.
The big runoff from this year’s snowmelt will enable Reclamation to move nearly a half-million acre-feet that it had held back in Lake Powell last year, which will help prop up Lake Mead. It also will allow Reclamation to replenish water it released to Lake Powell from Flaming Gorge and other upstream reservoirs on an emergency basis last year.
The productive winter also helped enable a flush of water from Glen Canyon Dam to aid Grand Canyon's environment this spring. That water remains in storage, merely shifted downstream to Lake Mead, but fears about Lake Powell's plunging waterline had prevented such a flood for years.
State of the water:Colorado River in the Grand Canyon is the most 'endangered river,' advocacy group says
A longer-term plan is still in the works
It’s likely a one-year reprieve, and Arizonans must keep working to conserve, state Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke said.
“We can’t squander that gift” by taking a break from reducing water demands, he said.
The federal government is currently taking comment for an emergency program to prop up the reservoirs, assuming that dry weather returns in the coming year. If that assumption is correct, Central Arizona Project General Manager Brenda Burman said, 2025 and beyond could be “quite devastating” for Arizona, she said.
The U.S. Interior Department released a draft of options for that plan earlier this spring. One idea, which would hit central Arizona hardest, would continue cutting water based on established water rights that reward those who first put the water to use. Those rights tend to favor California generally, and farmers near the river in both Arizona and California. But another alternative under study would cut uses across the region by percentage instead of by priority, and that option would take more from California and less from Arizona.
Federal officials last month suggested they do not prefer either plan in its entirety, but instead treat them as “bookends” bounding a more nuanced approach they hope the states can still work out among themselves.
The states are still working on it, and are meeting for frequent negotiations, Buschatzke said Friday.
Sharing water:How Colorado River states would share water cuts under new federal proposal
Brandon Loomis covers environmental and climate issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Reach him at brandon.loomis@arizonarepublic.com or follow on Twitter @brandonloomis.
Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Follow The Republic environmental reporting team at environment.azcentral.com and @azcenvironment on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can support environmental journalism in Arizona by subscribing to azcentral today. | 2023-05-05T23:48:43+00:00 | azcentral.com | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2023/05/05/snowpack-melt-helps-fill-colorado-river-reservoirs-but-drought-continues/70189259007/ |
MILWAUKEE, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Harley-Davidson, Inc. ("Harley-Davidson") (NYSE:HOG) today announces the appointment of Tralisa Maraj as Chief Financial Officer at LiveWire.
Effective today, Maraj joins LiveWire with extensive experience in leadership, corporate governance, accounting and finance. Maraj formerly served as both Chief Financial Officer & Corporate Secretary for CGX Energy Inc. ("CGX") and previously served as Chief Accounting Officer. Prior to CGX, Maraj served as Corporate Controller at Remora Energy Management. Maraj started her career at PWC, holding various roles over fourteen years at the firm.
"It's great to have Tralisa join the team at such an exciting point in LiveWire's journey to becoming the first publicly traded EV company in the US," said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman, CEO and President, Harley-Davidson.
LiveWire is the future in the making for the pursuit of urban adventure and beyond. Drawing on its DNA as an agile disruptor from the lineage of Harley-Davidson and capitalizing on a decade of learnings in the EV sector, LiveWire's ambition is to be the most desirable electric motorcycle brand in the world. With a dedicated focus on EV, LiveWire plans to develop the technology of the future and to invest in the capabilities needed to lead the transformation of motorcycling. LiveWire benefits from Harley-Davidson's engineering expertise, manufacturing footprint, supply chain infrastructure, and global logistics capabilities. Innovating by design and attracting industry-leading talent, LiveWire is headquartered virtually, with initial hubs in Silicon Valley, CA (LiveWire Labs) and Milwaukee, WI.
For LiveWire career opportunities please see LiveWire.com/careers
Editors: For more information regarding LiveWire products visit: LiveWire.com
Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company of Harley-Davidson Motor Company and Harley- Davidson Financial Services. Our vision: Building our legend and leading our industry through innovation, evolution and emotion. Our mission: More than building machines, we stand for the timeless pursuit of adventure. Freedom for the soul. Since 1903, Harley-Davidson has defined motorcycle culture with an expanding range of leading-edge, distinctive and customizable motorcycles in addition to riding experiences and exceptional motorcycle accessories, riding gear and apparel. Harley-Davidson Financial Services provides financing, insurance and other programs to help get Harley-Davidson riders on the road. Learn more at www.harley-davidson.com.
This communication may contain a number of "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include information concerning Harley-Davidson's, LiveWire EV, LLC ("LiveWire")'s or AEA-Bridges Impact Corp. ("ABIC")'s possible or assumed future results of operations, business strategies, debt levels, competitive position, industry environment, potential growth opportunities and the effects of regulation, including whether the proposed business combination between LiveWire and ABIC (the "Business Combination") will generate returns for shareholders. These forward-looking statements are based on Harley-Davidson's, LiveWire's or ABIC's management's current expectations, estimates, projections and beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions concerning future events. When used in this communication, the words "estimates," "projected," "expects," "anticipates," "forecasts," "plans," "intends," "believes," "seeks," "may," "will," "should," "future," "propose" and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside Harley-Davidson's, LiveWire's or ABIC's management's control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors include, but are not limited to: (a) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of negotiations and any subsequent definitive agreements with respect to the Business Combination; (b) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Harley-Davidson, LiveWire, ABIC or others following the announcement of the Business Combination and any definitive agreements with respect thereto; (c) the inability to complete the Business Combination due to the failure to obtain approval of the shareholders of ABIC, to obtain financing to complete the Business Combination or to satisfy other conditions to closing; (d) changes to the proposed structure of the Business Combination that may be required or appropriate as a result of applicable laws or regulations or as a condition to obtaining regulatory approval of the Business Combination; (e) the ability to meet the applicable stock exchange listing standards following the consummation of the Business Combination; (f) the inability to complete the private placement transactions or the backstop facility contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement and related agreements, as applicable; (g) the risk that the Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations of LiveWire or its subsidiaries as a result of the announcement and consummation of the transactions described herein; (h) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of LiveWire to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain its management and key employees; (i) costs related to the Business Combination; (j) changes in applicable laws or regulations, including legal or regulatory developments (including, without limitation, accounting considerations) which could result in the need for ABIC to restate its historical financial statements and cause unforeseen delays in the timing of the Business Combination and negatively impact the trading price of ABIC's securities and the attractiveness of the Business Combination to investors; (k) the possibility that Harley-Davidson, LiveWire and ABIC may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; (l) Harley-Davidson's ability to execute its business plans and strategies, including The Hardwire; (m) LiveWire's estimates of expenses and profitability and (n) other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the final prospectus of ABIC, including those under "Risk Factors" therein, and other documents filed or to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") by Harley-Davidson, LiveWire Group, Inc. ("HoldCo") or ABIC. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Harley-Davidson, LiveWire, HoldCo and ABIC assume no obligation and, except as required by law, do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Neither Harley-Davidson, LiveWire, HoldCo nor ABIC gives any assurance that either LiveWire or ABIC will achieve its expectations.
In connection with the Business Combination, HoldCo and ABIC have filed on February 7, 2022 a registration statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-262573) (as may be amended from time to time, the "Registration Statement") as co-registrants that includes a preliminary proxy statement/prospectus of ABIC and a preliminary prospectus of HoldCo, and after the Registration Statement is declared effective, ABIC will mail a definitive proxy statement/prospectus relating to the Business Combination to ABIC's shareholders. The Registration Statement, including the proxy statement/prospectus contained therein, when declared effective by the SEC, will contain important information about the Business Combination and the other matters to be voted upon at a meeting of ABIC's shareholders to be held to approve the Business Combination (and related matters). This communication does not contain all the information that should be considered concerning the Business Combination and other matters and is not intended to provide the basis for any investment decision or any other decision in respect of such matters. Harley-Davidson, HoldCo and ABIC may also file other documents with the SEC regarding the Business Combination. ABIC shareholders and other interested persons are advised to read, when available, the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus and the amendments thereto and the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed in connection with the Business Combination, as these materials will contain important information about Harley-Davidson, LiveWire, HoldCo, ABIC and the Business Combination.
When available, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials for the Business Combination will be mailed to ABIC shareholders as of a record date to be established for voting on the Business Combination. Shareholders will also be able to obtain copies of the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC by ABIC through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to AEA-Bridges Impact Corp., PO Box 1093, Boundary Hall, Cricket Square, Grand Cayman KY1-1102 Cayman Islands.
Harley-Davidson, LiveWire, ABIC and their respective directors and officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies of ABIC shareholders in connection with the Business Combination. ABIC shareholders and other interested persons may obtain, without charge, more detailed information regarding the directors and officers of ABIC. A description of their interests in ABIC is contained in ABIC's final prospectus related to its initial public offering, dated October 1, 2020, and in ABIC's subsequent filings with the SEC. Information regarding the persons who may, under SEC rules, be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies to ABIC shareholders in connection with the Business Combination and other matters to be voted upon at the ABIC shareholder meeting is set forth in the Registration Statement. Additional information regarding the interests of participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the Business Combination is included in the Registration Statement. You may obtain free copies of these documents as described in the preceding paragraph.
Filed by LiveWire Group, Inc.
Pursuant to Rule 425 Under the Securities Act of 1933
And Deemed Filed Pursuant to Rule 14a-12
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Subject Company: Harley-Davidson, Inc.
AEA-Bridges Impact Corp.
Commission File No.: 001-09183
Date: June 22, 2022
### (HOG-F)
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SOURCE Harley-Davidson, Inc. | 2022-06-22T12:35:43+00:00 | wbrc.com | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/06/22/harley-davidson-announces-new-livewire-chief-financial-officer/ |
Braves vs. Brewers Probable Starting Pitchers Today - July 22
Austin Riley rides a four-game homer streak into the Atlanta Braves' (63-33) game against the Milwaukee Brewers (54-44) at 7:15 PM ET on Saturday, at American Family Field.
The probable starters are Allan Winans for the Braves and Adrian Houser (3-2) for the Brewers.
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Braves vs. Brewers Pitcher Matchup Info
- Date: Saturday, July 22, 2023
- Time: 7:15 PM ET
- TV: FOX
- Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Venue: American Family Field
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Probable Pitchers: Winans - ATL (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs Houser - MIL (3-2, 3.79 ERA)
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Braves Probable Starting Pitcher Tonight: Allan Winans
- Winans has been named the starter for the Braves and will make his first start this season.
- The 27-year-old right-hander will make his MLB debut.
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Brewers Probable Starting Pitcher Tonight: Adrian Houser
- Houser (3-2 with a 3.79 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 57 2/3 innings pitched) makes the start for the Brewers, his 11th of the season.
- The right-hander last pitched on Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds, when he tossed 5 2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs while giving up six hits.
- The 30-year-old has a 3.79 ERA and 6.2 strikeouts per nine innings over 12 games this season, while allowing a batting average of .296 to his opponents.
- Houser has three quality starts under his belt this season.
- Houser will try to last five or more innings for his fourth straight start. He's averaging 4.8 innings per outing.
- In three of his 12 total appearances this season he has not surrendered an earned run.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | 2023-07-22T17:08:43+00:00 | wbrc.com | https://www.wbrc.com/sports/betting/2023/07/22/braves-vs-brewers-mlb-probable-starting-pitchers/ |
SEATTLE, June 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RealNetworks, Inc. (Nasdaq: RNWK), a leader in AI-powered digital media software and solutions, announced two significant changes to its leadership team.
First, Real announced the appointment of Paul DiPeso to the newly created position of President, SAFR. Mr. DiPeso started today and reports to CEO Rob Glaser.
Mr. DiPeso has over 25 years of top management experience in physical security with leading industry corporations. He was most recently Executive Vice President and General Manager of Feenics, an Access Control as a Service (ACaaS) software solutions company that was recently acquired by ACRE. He previously served in various physical security executive roles at Tyco International, Lenel, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. and Honeywell International. Mr. DiPeso earned his Bachelor of Science in Communications from Towson University.
Commenting on the new leadership appointment, Rob Glaser, Real's Chairman and CEO, said, "Paul is a proven leader who has a demonstrated track record of building and growing significant businesses in the access control industry. Paul is the ideal leader to take the excellent and innovative SAFR products we have built and build a large and successful business."
"The physical security industry has been transforming rapidly to provide customers with solutions that better secure their assets. What attracted me to RealNetworks was SAFR's product alignment to customers' needs and SAFR Scan's access control solution that represents the next generation of technology that will make a difference for many years to come," said Mr. DiPeso.
Second, now that Real has appointed Presidents for each of its three growth initiatives – SAFR, Messaging, and Games -- President and Chief Operating Officer Mike Ensing will be transitioning to a strategic advisor role at the company, effective July 1, 2022.
Mr. Glaser added, "Since the beginning of 2020, just before the Pandemic hit, Mike Ensing has been a crucial member of Real's leadership team. First as our interim CFO, and then as our President and COO. I'm deeply grateful and appreciative for everything Mike has done during these turbulent 2 ½ years to help set Real up for the future. While we're going to miss Mike's fulltime presence, the strong team that Mike has helped us build positions us well for the future."
"During the last 2 plus years at Real, I have been working with exceptional people and great teams on exciting new products and businesses," said Mr. Ensing. "I am proud of the work we have accomplished and the team we have built laying the foundation for future growth. These are exciting times, and I am looking forward to seeing the next phase of Real over the coming years."
About RealNetworks
Building on a rich history of digital media expertise and innovation, RealNetworks has created a new generation of products that employ best-in-class artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance and secure our daily lives. Real's portfolio includes SAFR, the world's premier computer vision platform for live video, KONTXT, an industry leading NLP (Natural Language Processing) platform for text and multi-media analysis, and leveraging its digital media expertise, a mobile games business focused on the large free-to-play segment. For information about all of our products, visit www.realnetworks.com.
RealNetworks is a registered trademark of RealNetworks, Inc. All other trademarks, names of actual companies and products mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including statements relating to our current expectations regarding our future growth, profitability, and market position, our financial condition and liquidity, our strategic focus and initiatives, product plans, agreements with partners, Scener's current and future activities, and certain remaining contingencies relating to the sale of Napster. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward- looking statements. These statements reflect our expectations as of today, and actual results may differ materially from the results predicted. Factors that could cause actual results for RealNetworks, on a consolidated basis, to differ from the results predicted include: our ability to realize operating efficiencies, growth and other benefits from the implementation of our growth initiatives and restructuring efforts; cash usage and conservation, and the pursuit of additional funding sources; successful monetization of our products and services; competitive risks, including the emergence or growth of competing technologies, products and services; issues with the use of AI; potential outcomes and effects of claims and legal proceedings; risks associated with key customer or strategic relationships and business acquisitions and dispositions; challenges caused by the COVID19 pandemic; disruptions in the global financial markets, including changes in consumer spending and impacts to credit availability, and fluctuations in foreign currencies; volatility of our stock price; material asset impairment; continued declines in subscription revenue; difficulty recruiting and retaining key personnel; regulatory, tax, accounting, and cross-border risks; and risks related to our governance structure. More information about potential risk factors that could affect our business and financial results is included in RealNetworks' latest annual report on Form 10-K for year ended December 31, 2021, its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and in other reports and documents filed by RealNetworks from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The preparation of our financial statements and forward- looking financial guidance requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities, and revenues and expenses during the reported period. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. RealNetworks assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which are in effect as of their respective dates.
Contacts:
Brian M. Prenoveau, CFA
MZ North America
561-489-5315
ir@realnetworks.com
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SOURCE RealNetworks, Inc. | 2022-06-28T21:30:19+00:00 | wsfa.com | https://www.wsfa.com/prnewswire/2022/06/28/realnetworks-announces-executive-leadership-changes/ |
BEIJING, April 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GONG Yu, Founder and CEO of iQIYI, shared that original content, technological innovation and global expansion are key to iQIYI's quality growth, in a keynote speech at the 10th China Internet Audio and Video Convention (CIAVC) held on Mar. 30.
Gong marked once again the company's strategic commitment to original content: "Online audio and video platform has transformed from a content distribution platform into a major provider for both content creation and distribution. Self-produced, original content is taking an increasingly larger proportion and has become a major content pillar of audio and video platforms," he said.
According to the company's letter to investors in February, iQIYI initiated its original content strategy back in 2014, and made substantial breakthroughs in 2022. In the past two years, its investment in original content reached nearly RMB20 billion. Besides, original content accounted for over 60% of the blockbuster dramas streamed in 2022 and generated more than 60% of the revenue during new release window. In 2022Q4 alone, the subscribing members' viewing hours of original content doubled on a year-on-year basis.
Gong also believes that the internet audio and video industry is becoming a new frontier for technological application. "Taking iQIYI as an example, by leveraging internet-based artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud computing technologies, we developed three supporting systems to predict and analyze business indicators, standardize the process management of film and TV production and improve the working efficiency for industry practitioners, further facilitating the industrialization of the film and TV industry.
He added that, as the algorithm-based technological advancements such as AI-Generated Content (AIGC) have now been applied to an increasing number of scenarios, content creators can now leverage AIGC to generate script, image, and audio content based on massive data harvested, which in turn translates to more possibilities empowered by smart production for the industry.
With regard to overseas business development, Gong shared that to date, users from over 190 countries and regions worldwide can watch the content on iQIYI International with an internet connection. The company has distributed over 7,000 episodes of TV series, variety shows, animated series, and documentaries, as well as over 300 films to more than 200 overseas markets. Moreover, iQIYI International App supports user interface and subtitles in 12 languages and delivers over 1,700 drama series, variety shows, animations, and more than 3,500 films.
According to the latest report released by China Internet Network Information Center(CNNIC) at 10th CIAVC, online video has overtaken instant messaging to become the most popular internet application in China, with the user size exceeding 1 billion and utilization ratio up to 97.4%. The market value of the pan-Internet video entertainment industry has now grown to RMB 700 billion. Five major platforms, namely iQIYI, Tencent Video, Youku, Mango TV and Bilibili, now account for 89.5% of the market share.
CONTACT: iQIYI Press, press@qiyi.com
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SOURCE iQIYI | 2023-04-06T05:05:13+00:00 | kcrg.com | https://www.kcrg.com/prnewswire/2023/04/06/iqiyi-ceo-gong-yu-original-content-innovation-global-expansion-are-key-growth-drivers/ |
NEW YORK, Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Klein Law Firm announces that a class action complaint has been filed on behalf of shareholders of Missfresh Limited (NASDAQ: MF) alleging that the Company violated federal securities laws.
This lawsuit is on behalf of persons who purchased or otherwise acquired Missfresh securities pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement and related prospectus issued in connection with Missfresh's June 2021 initial public offering.
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: September 12, 2022
No obligation or cost to you.
Learn more about your recoverable losses in MF:
https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/missfresh-loss-submission-form?id=30439&from=4
CLASS ACTION CASE DETAILS: The filed complaint alleges that Missfresh Limited made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Missfresh provided false financial figures in its registration statement and related prospectus issued in connection with the Company's June 2021 initial public offering; (2) Missfresh would need to amend its financial figures; (3) Missfresh, among other things, had lesser net revenues for the quarter ended March 31, 2021; and (4) as a result, defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times and negligently prepared.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU AS A SHAREHOLDER: If you have suffered a loss in Missfresh you have until September 12, 2022 to petition the court for lead plaintiff status. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
NO COST TO YOU: If you purchased Missfresh securities during the relevant period, you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out-of-pocket fees.
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR FINANCIAL INTERESTS: For additional information about the MF lawsuit, please contact J. Klein, Esq. by telephone at 212-616-4899 or click this link: https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/missfresh-loss-submission-form?id=30439&from=4.
J. Klein, Esq. represents investors and participates in securities litigations involving financial fraud throughout the nation. The Klein Law Firm is a boutique litigation firm with experience in a wide range of areas including securities law, corporate finance and commercial litigation. Since 2011, our experienced attorneys have achieved superior results for our clients with a personalized focus. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
J. Klein, Esq.
Empire State Building
350 Fifth Avenue
59th Floor
New York, NY 10118
jk@kleinstocklaw.com
Telephone: (212) 616-4899
www.kleinstocklaw.com
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SOURCE The Klein Law Firm | 2022-08-02T10:59:55+00:00 | ksla.com | https://www.ksla.com/prnewswire/2022/08/02/mf-alert-klein-law-firm-announces-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-12-2022-class-action-filed-behalf-missfresh-limited-shareholders/ |
Damar Hamlin’s first question after waking up was ‘did we win?’ doctor says, days after his cardiac arrest during NFL game
By Carma Hassan, Jason Hanna, David Close and Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN
Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin is awake in a Cincinnati hospital, is neurologically sound and is moving his hands and feet, doctors said Thursday, news that has drawn relief and joy from supporters nationwide days after the 24-year-old’s in-game cardiac arrest.
And his first question upon awakening?
“Did we win?” Hamlin scribbled on a clipboard, according to Dr. Timothy Pritts, vice chair for clinical operations at UC Health.
“Yes, Damar, you won. You’ve won the game of life,” Pritts said at a news conference in Cincinnati Thursday afternoon, paraphrasing the response of one of his medical partners.
Hamlin remains on a ventilator, and has been communicating with yes and no answers by shaking his head, nodding or writing brief notes, according to Pritts.
“So, we know that it’s not only that the lights are on, we know that he’s home. And that it appears all cylinders are firing within his brain,” Pritts said.
Hamlin has been treated at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center since Monday night, when he collapsed in the first quarter of Monday night’s Bills game against the host Cincinnati Bengals, stunning the packed stadium and leading to the contest’s postponement.
Associates of Hamlin, who had been sedated and intubated, spread news Thursday morning that he had awoken, though details about precisely when he awoke wasn’t immediately available. He has been holding hands with family in the hospital, his agent Ron Butler told CNN Thursday.
Hamlin still is critically ill, Pritts said, but his condition has improved substantially in the last 24 hours, and “it appears his neurological condition and function is intact,” Pritts said.
“This marks a really good turning point in his ongoing care,” Pritts said. “There are many, many steps still ahead of him. From our standpoint, we would like to see him continue to improve, to be completely breathing on his own and to be ready to be discharged from the hospital.”
Hamlin was resuscitated and intubated on the field, according to Dr. William Knight IV, a professor with the University of Cincinnati’s department of emergency medicine. It is still unclear what caused Hamlin’s cardiac arrest, and the NFL will investigate what could have led to it, its Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills said Wednesday.
Thursday’s news drew tweets of celebration from around the league and beyond, including from President Joe Biden.
“Great news. Damar, like I told your mom and dad yesterday, Jill and I — along with all of America — are praying for you and your family,” Biden posted on Twitter.
Details about Hamlin’s condition come as NFL players contemplate an emotional return to the field this weekend, with all 32 teams set for their final scheduled regular-season games this Saturday and Sunday.
The Bills, scheduled to host the Patriots on Sunday, met Wednesday and were set to hold their first practice of the week Thursday. Players — already reeling from last year’s racist mass shooting and the recent deadly blizzard in their hometown — felt encouraged and emotional when Hamlin’s father, Mario Hamlin, did a Zoom call with the team Wednesday and said his son was making progress, a source in the Bills organization told CNN on Thursday.
The Bills on Thursday afternoon plan to hold their first news conference since Hamlin was injured, the team posted on Twitter.
No decision has been made on whether to resume Monday’s game — halted with the Bengals leading 7-3 — NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy told CNN on Thursday.
Some of this weekend’s games — and perhaps the postponed Bills-Bengals game, if it is ever made up — will have implications for the approaching NFL playoffs. The Bills (12-3) and Bengals (11-4) in particular have already clinched playoff spots but are jockeying for higher seeds in the American Football Conference.
Since his hospitalization, Hamlin has gotten a nationwide outpouring of support from fans and players across pro sports, including more than $7 million donated to his foundation’s toy drive GoFundMe as of Thursday morning. Several athletes have donned Hamlin’s No. 3 or his jersey while teams have honored him through Jumbotron messages and light displays at their stadiums.
Players have been talking about whether they’re ready to play
Hamlin collapsed shortly after a collision in which a Bengals receiver tried to power past Hamlin, who’d approached for a tackle, with about six minutes remaining in the first quarter of Monday’s game. Hamlin still twisted the receiver to the ground and stood up — but within seconds fell and lay motionless.
His heartbeat was restored on the field, the Bills have said, before he was ferried from the stadium in an ambulance while stunned and visibly emotional players and fans looked on.
Hamlin not only was sedated but was on a ventilator and also was “flipped over on his stomach” in the hospital to help relieve some of the strain on his lungs, which were damaged, his uncle Dorrian Glenn told CNN on Tuesday. Details about what ailed Hamlin’s lungs weren’t available.
Before news spread Thursday that Hamlin was alert, some in the league had been openly assessing their readiness to play this weekend.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow told reporters Wednesday he “probably wants to play” Sunday’s Bengals-Ravens game, but there may be others who don’t.
“I’m sure if you polled the locker room, there’d be mixed votes on that,” Burrow said. “Personally, I think playing is going to be tough … I think getting back to as normal as you can as fast as you can is personally how I kind of deal with these kinds of things. But … everyone has a different way of dealing with it.”
Among those who rushed to the Cincinnati hospital after Hamlin collapsed was Indianapolis Colts safety Rodney Thomas II, one of Hamlin’s childhood friends. Thomas visited while Hamlin was sedated and intubated this week, he said.
There is “no doubt in my mind” Hamlin will recover, Thomas told reporters Wednesday.
“I know he could hear me,” Thomas said, adding he held Hamlin’s hand. “Even if he couldn’t hear me, it didn’t matter. I said what I had to say.”
“Just basically (I said) that I love him, and I’ve got his back, and I’ll see him in a little bit,” Thomas added Thursday to “CNN This Morning” before news circulated that Hamlin was awake.
Hamlin and Thomas, who became close friends as high school teammates in Pittsburgh, spoke daily and had talked Monday before Hamlin’s collapse. Seeing his friend soon after the in-game incident “calmed me way down,” Thomas said Wednesday. “It made the trip home a lot easier. I could go home and know he’s gonna be straight. I got him. We all got him. Everybody’s behind him.”
Thomas, whose Colts host the Texans on Sunday, said each team needs to “trust that everybody would just make the best decision moving forward, whether that’s playing, whether that’s not playing.”
“Player-wise … just the world in general, we’re all just one heartbeat right now … all waiting for Damar just to get healthy,” Thomas told CNN Thursday.
NFL medical chief talks commotio cordis theories
Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, on Wednesday addressed theories that Hamlin’s cardiac arrest could have been caused by commotio cordis, which occurs when severe trauma to the chest disrupts the heart’s electrical charge, causing dangerous fibrillations.
“You have to have the right type of blow hitting at the right spot on the chest with the right amount of force at just the right time in that cardiac cycle,” he said in Wednesday’s call with reporters. “So, a lot of things have to line up for that to happen,” he said, emphasizing that while it is possible, investigators will consider all options.
Any time a player is evacuated from the field, the NFL and its medical experts perform a detailed review of what happened, Sills said. They also examine the role protective equipment may have played, he said.
In some cases, the medical team will not be able to determine what caused the problem, Sills said.
Sills attributed the “transformational response” of medical personnel when Hamlin collapsed to a “60-minute meeting” that is held among medical teams and NFL officials before every game. During the meeting, teams identify the location of medical equipment and nearby medical centers, and establish a chain of command in case of an emergency, including cardiac arrest, among other things.
Shock has weighed heavily on the Bills
Hamlin’s collapse is the latest in a string of recent tragedies to have struck the community of Buffalo and its beloved football team, including a racist mass shooting and a historic blizzard that left at least 41 people dead in Erie County, New York.
A high-ranking official within the Bills organization told CNN’s Coy Wire that they broke down in tears after day and night-long meetings on Tuesday, sobbing because of the heaviness of the situation.
The series of difficult blows to Buffalo have emotionally piled up within the organization, the source said, adding that through it all, the team has tried to be a source of strength for the city.
The performance of Buffalo Sabres hockey forward Tage Thompson on Tuesday night was a “glimmer of hope” at a time when the team needs inspiration, the source said.
Hamlin’s jersey No. 3, was a recurring motif throughout the game, played on January 3. Thompson’s three goals during overtime brought the Sabres a win. It was Thompson’s third hat trick of the season and his third goal came fortuitously in the third minute of overtime.
The Sabres also wore “Love for 3” T-shirts honoring Hamlin before the game.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled Hamlin’s agent Ron Butler’s first name.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Jill Martin, Jacob Lev, Ben Morse, David Williams, Oliver Darcy, Jennifer Korn, Katherine Dillinger, Jen Christensen, Wayne Sterling, Coy Wire, Adrienne Broaddus, Ray Sanchez and Amanda Watts contributed to this report. | 2023-01-05T22:15:38+00:00 | localnews8.com | https://localnews8.com/sports/cnn-sports/2023/01/05/damar-hamlins-first-question-after-waking-up-was-did-we-win-doctor-says-days-after-his-cardiac-arrest-during-nfl-game/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than a half million of the poorest Americans could be left without health insurance under legislation passed by House Republicans that would require people to work in exchange for health care coverage through Medicaid.
It’s one of dozens of provisions tucked into a GOP bill that would allow for an increase in the debt limit but curb government spending over the next decade. The bill is unlikely to become law, though. It is being used by House Republicans to draw Democrats to the negotiating table and avoid a debt default.
Democrats have strongly opposed the Medicaid work requirement provision, saying it won’t incentivize people to get a job and will drive up the number of uninsured in the country.
Here’s a look at how the proposal might save taxpayers money but cost some Americans access to health care coverage.
WHO WOULD BE REQUIRED TO WORK?
The work requirements say able-bodied adults ages 19 to 55 who don’t have children or other dependents would be required to work, train for a job or perform community service to stay on Medicaid. They would have to put in at least 80 hours a month to stay on the government-sponsored health care coverage.
About 84 million people are enrolled in Medicaid, and the Congressional Budget Office estimates 15 million would be subject to the requirement. The Health and Human Services Department, however, predicts millions more — about a third of enrollees altogether — would be required to work.
WHY ARE WORK REQUIREMENTS CONTROVERSIAL?
Republicans say the move would help push Americans into jobs that eventually might put them in a position to move off of government aid.
The requirements would also be more equitable for those who are working to support their families, said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.
“That single mom that’s working two or three jobs right now to make ends meet under this tough economy, she doesn’t want to have to pay for somebody who’s sitting at home,” Scalise said.
Democrats argue that work requirements could unfairly push people out of Medicaid, too.
Some people were wrongly kicked off Medicaid in Arkansas when the state briefly introduced work requirements, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, told lawmakers. In some cases, people were not required to work but didn’t fill out the required paperwork.
“It’s not just people who are subject to the requirements that often get caught up in red tape,” she said. “It can often be people who are exempted.”
About 1 in 4 people who were required to work lost coverage during Arkansas’ experience with work requirements in 2018.
Work requirements can put Medicaid enrollees in a bind. While no one has been kicked off Medicaid over the last three years because of the pandemic, that changed in April when the federal government required states to review income eligibility for all enrollees to see who now makes too much money to qualify for the health care benefits.
People who picked up work, earned a small raise or switched jobs are finding that those new incomes could soon cost them coverage.
Amy Shaw, 39, of Rochester, New Hampshire, lost her family’s Medicaid coverage in April because of her husband’s 50-cent raise to $17 per hour at an auto parts store. Shaw wouldn’t be subject to the GOP’s work requirement because she has two daughters, but the family’s case illustrates how modest incomes can push people out of Medicaid coverage — and cost them big time.
Suddenly, instead of a $3 copay, she was billed $120 for a cancer screening ordered by her doctor. Meanwhile, their rent increased by 40% since the pandemic started, and the cost of food, utilities and other essential have gone up.
“It just seems like the system is set up so that you don’t want to go back (to work) because you lose more than you gain,” Shaw said. “It makes me not want to go and get my mammogram and my colonoscopy. I don’t even want to go to these appointments because it’s going to cost so much money.”
HOW MUCH WOULD THE REPUBLICAN PROPOSAL SAVE?
That largely depends on how many people who would be required to work opt not to or don’t fill out the proper paperwork to remain covered.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates the requirements would save $109 billion over the next decade. Those savings would come in two ways: from about 600,000 people who would be dropped from Medicaid, then 900,000 who would lose federal funding for their Medicaid, but remain enrolled in the program through their state.
That analysis also says the bill would do little to improve employment among Medicaid enrollees.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The House GOP bill won’t pass a Democratic-controlled Senate or be signed into law by President Joe Biden in its current state.
But don’t expect the issue of work requirements and trimming Medicaid benefits to go away anytime soon. The number of people enrolled in Medicaid has ballooned in recent years, growing by more than 20 million since 2020.
If you ask Democrats, that’s a great thing — they’ve pointed to the record low uninsured rate that’s given more people access to medical care. Democratic-led states have also pitched new ways to expand Medicaid under the Biden administration, granting more access to recently released convicts and new mothers, for example.
Republicans, however, want to scale back safety net programs to pre-pandemic levels. And, Republicans in some states are already trying to implement work requirements of their own. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders asked the federal government to OK a proposal that would move anyone who doesn’t comply with work requirements off Medicaid’s private insurance to traditional fee-for-service Medicaid.
___
Associated Press writers Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire, and Kevin Freking and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed. | 2023-04-30T18:17:07+00:00 | kxnet.com | https://www.kxnet.com/news/health/ap-health/congress-eyes-work-rules-for-millions-covered-by-medicaid/ |
Senators introduce bills to curb mishandling of classified documents & stop leaks
Classified documents have been found at the homes of Joe Biden, Donald Trump and Mike Pence
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Presidents and vice presidents will have new checks and balances when it comes to handling classified documents under a pair of bills proposed by a bipartisan group of Senators. The measures come after officials revealed that they discovered classified documents at the properties of President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump, and former Vice President Mike Pence.
“We would require a security review of presidential and vice-presidential records in order to ensure that records that are being classified are not marked improperly and that there is a process in place before presidents and vice presidents take those documents as they leave office,” said Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), who chairs the Intelligence Committee.
The additional oversight is one of many reforms that bipartisan lawmakers claim are needed in order to protect sensitive material. They have now introduced two bills: the Classification Reform Act of 2023 and the Sensible Classification Act of 2023. The Senators said the bills address two key issues: that too many documents are classified and too many people have access to them.
“Every single day, more and more classified documents are created. They then build into a digital tsunami that basically overwhelms the declassification system,” said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
In addition to implementing a security review for presidential & vice presidential records, the Classification Reform Act would crack down on how long a document can be classified. It would enforce a maximum 25-year-period for classification, which only agency heads or the president could extend. Additionally, it would create a financial incentive for agencies to lessen the number of documents they mark as classified by essentially implementing a ‘tax’ on the documents. Other measures of the bill include a new system for accountability. Plus, it would define classified documents as only those ‘where the harm to national security reasonably expected from disclosure outweighs the public interest.”
“We are moving this Congress and this administration towards the right size balance of what should be classified, what is classified, and what should be declassified,” said Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas)
The Senators’ second bill, called the Sensible Classification Act of 2023, would force agencies to take a hard look at how many people have security clearances. It further directs the federal government to develop better technology to handle classification and declassification. Additionally, it requires more training for workers on ‘sensible’ classification and it establishes a hierarchy of authority to oversee classified documents.
Underscoring the importance of protecting classified documents, the Senators noted that last month an Air National Guardsman was accused of leaking confidential Pentagon documents. The Pentagon is conducting an internal review.
Copyright 2023 Gray DC. All rights reserved. | 2023-05-11T16:07:53+00:00 | kwtx.com | https://www.kwtx.com/2023/05/11/senators-introduce-bills-curb-mishandling-classified-documents-stop-leaks/ |
The Grand Rapids Public Museum will honor those who have passed in a vibrant colorful way in a brand new exhibit showcasing a traditional Mexican holiday, Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.
The new exhibit at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, A Celebration of Souls: Day of the Dead in Southern Mexico, explores the history and significance of Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico’s southern region of Oaxaca.
The exhibit features 26 photographs and offers displays by community partners to capture a typical Oaxacan Day of the Dead celebration. The pictures show villagers immersed in all aspects of the celebration, including an ofrenda by Local Professor and Artist, Margaret Vega, honoring her father, Francisco Vega (1922-2021.)
The Latino Community Coalition's Nuestra Herencia will also have an ofrenda honoring the LatinX women whose journeys brought them to Grand Rapids.
Museum members have the first chance to experience A Celebration of Souls: Day of the Dead in Southern Mexico first on Saturday, September 3 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The exhibit will open to the public at noon.
The exhibit, along with all GRPM exhibits, is included with General Admission to the Museum.
Learn more about the exhibit and purchase tickets by visiting grpm.org/celebrationofsouls or calling (616) 929-1700. | 2022-09-01T17:26:14+00:00 | fox17online.com | https://www.fox17online.com/morning-mix/grpm-presents-a-celebration-of-souls-day-of-the-dead-in-southern-mexico |
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Parents whose children were killed in the Robb Elementary School massacre made sobbing pleads for stricter gun laws before legislators early Wednesday on languishing proposals that appeared headed to stall in the face of a Republican majority.
The emotional late-night hearing — which started Tuesday morning and stretched past midnight — underlined both the sustained anger by some Uvalde families nearly a year after the shooting and the continued GOP opposition in Texas to passing any new restrictions.
The meeting of a state House committee was significant because it marked the first time Texas lawmakers have given any proposed gun restrictions a hearing since the May 2022 shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers. Much of the debate centered on a proposal that would raise the age to purchase semiautomatic rifles from 18 to 21 years old, which Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has opposed.
“Tess didn’t have a choice in life and death,” said Veronica Mata, referring to her 10-year-old daughter who was among those killed in the Uvalde classroom. “But you as lawmakers have a choice in what her life will be remembered for.”
The meeting also came amid another series of mass shootings that have shaken the U.S. that have reopened debates over gun violence elsewhere. In Tennessee, Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed an executive order last week strengthening background checks for gun purchases after a gunman killed three children and three adults at a private elementary school.
At the same time, Republican lawmakers in Tennessee on Tuesday sent Lee a bill that would further protect gun and ammunition dealers, manufacturers and sellers against lawsuits.
Some Uvalde parents scolded a state House panel for making them wait all day for what was potentially their only chance to testify this year.
“I’m perplexed now. Did you think we would go home?” said Kimberly Mata-Rubio, whose 10-year-old daughter Lexi was killed in the shooting.
Gun rights supporters also sat in the room, including at least one man legally carrying a holstered handgun. Another was Stephen Willeford, who disrupted the 2017 church shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, that left 26 people dead by confronting the gunman with his own rifle.
He said a bill that would raise the age to purchase semiautomatic — like the kind used in the Uvalde shooting — would infringe on the rights of younger gun owners. A representative from the National Rifle Association echoed that statement.
“We represent 18, 19 and 20-year-olds who are not mass shooters, we defend the constitutional rights,” NRA lobbyist Tara Mica said. “Realistically, a raise the age bill is going to be litigated and found unconstitutional.”
The anniversary of the shooting is May 24.
That is just days before the Texas Legislature is scheduled to adjourn after a session in which dozens of proposals filed by Democrats to tighten gun laws have gone nowhere, including a bill to add reporting requirements during the sale of multiple firearms.
For years in Texas, Republicans have waved aside efforts to tighten gun laws after mass shootings, and even expanded gun rights after the 2019 attack on a Walmart in El Paso.
After the Uvalde shooting, Abbott told victims’ families he would not support their calls for gun safety legislation. Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, a Republican, later said proposals to raise the minimum required age for certain firearms and other gun measures did not have the votes to pass.
Republicans have instead focused on additional mental health services in Texas and increasing school security.
Still, family and friends of Uvalde victims have returned to the Texas Capitol on multiple occasions to protest and meet with lawmakers. They have also called for more police accountability after hundreds of law enforcement officers on the scene waited more than an hour to breach the fourth-grade classroom and confront the shooter. | 2023-04-20T11:08:22+00:00 | nwahomepage.com | https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/national/uvalde-families-plead-for-languishing-texas-gun-bills/ |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Nashville election officials made erroneous updates to voter lists for last month’s election and failed to follow steps to make sure they were accurate, leading more than 430 Tennessee voters to cast ballots in the wrong races, the state’s elections coordinator determined in a review released Friday.
A report by state Elections Coordinator Mark Goins cited “human error” as a main cause of the problem in Nashville. The Davidson County Election Commission confirmed in the report that more than 3,000 voters were assigned to one or more of the incorrect districts. Hundreds cast wrong ballots before the issue was flagged.
The contests affected included state legislative races and congressional races, in which Republican state lawmakers had just carved the left-leaning city three ways during once-a-decade redistricting early this year, cutting in and out of some neighborhoods. Republicans ultimately succeeded in their map-drawing push to flip a Democratic seat, contributing to the GOP takeover of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The report determined that none of the errors were egregious enough to affect any of the races in which erroneous ballots were cast.
Goins’ report says the root cause of the issues was that Nashville election officials made updates to voter files after the city’s IT GIS division had used geocoding, a computerized process to compare voter addresses to new district boundaries. Geocoding can be done multiple times in the process, the report says, and the commission did not verify its changes through a final round of geocoding by the IT GIS division, which a commission staff member declined to have done in March after election officials had made thousands more manual edits.
During the early voting period for the Nov. 8 election, The Associated Press first reported Nov. 1 that Nashville voters were being given ballots for incorrect congressional and statehouse races, leading officials to scramble to fix voters’ districts. Trying to correct the problem under a tight timeframe as early voting wrapped up on Nov. 3 led to over-corrections, the report states.
The mistakes spurred a lawsuit, which ended in an agreement with elections officials that allowed people who voted in the incorrect district to cast a provisional ballot, but it would only be opened if an election was contested. Paper ballots were also available for people who showed up at the polls and thought their voting machine ballot was wrong.
The errors rekindled anger from critics in the city, including Democrats, over how Republicans redrew the congressional map.
On Election Day, 117 of the 437 voters identified as voting in a wrong race during early voting showed up to vote on a provisional ballot, the report states. The report doesn’t dive into the prospect of incorrect district assignments during the primary election in August, which occurred before the mapping errors were identified.
Goins recommended that counties with their own GIS resources should use them to validate their data, but they should also have them validated by the state comptroller’s geocoding to promote uniform results.
“The issues in Davidson County were the unfortunate combination of human error and failure to follow all steps to ensure changes were made accurately,” Goins wrote. “I am confident that through the election commission’s continued work with Metro IT Services, as well as assistance from the Comptroller’s office, they can prevent similar issues in future elections.”
The report also shows how intricately the lines were drawn during redistricting, as political districts at times split voting precincts and divided one apartment complex. Local election officials indicated they would need to go physically to some places to figure out someone’s correct district, the report says.
In a statement Friday, Davidson County election administrator Jeff Roberts said the report shows “redistricting is a complex process.”
Roberts said working with Nashville’s IT services and the comptroller’s office “will provide data analysis and validation by multiple independent staff, preventing similar issues in future elections.”
The findings also document communication problems. For instance, a map that the city IT GIS department sent to local election officials made it hard to see where Congressional District 7 was marked and switched the labeling within sections of a precinct from what local election officials previously used. That left 1,029 voters in wrong districts in one precinct, the report says.
One local election staffer admitted it was his error in making manual edits in another precinct to “to clean up splits with small populations,” which the report says resulted in 1,544 wrongly assigned voters.
In Nashville, only four local election commission workers primarily worked on the redistricting process, the report says.
“The standard throughout the process should be that if you are in doubt, seek more guidance,” Goins wrote. | 2022-12-30T21:02:23+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/report-human-error-helped-spur-wrong-ballots-in-nashville/2022/12/30/2d0b43a8-8878-11ed-b5ac-411280b122ef_story.html |
Why Bluey has struck a chord
The secret to life is balance. But it’s an incredibly hard lesson to learn and even tougher to put into practice. Many families with young kids are struggling just to make ends meet, so parents aren’t always as present as they’d like to be.
But a children’s cartoon is helping place the spotlight on the importance of being there. Bluey is an Australian cartoon about a family of Heeler dogs that have found a balance that works for them. Here are some gifts that can help you spread the magic of Bluey.
What is Bluey?
If you don’t know what Bluey is, that’s OK. It just means you probably don’t have a 5- to 7-year-old in your life at the moment. Bluey is the phenomenally popular animated kids’ show that focuses on a family of four Heeler dogs. The main characters include Bluey, her little sister Bingo, her dad Bandit, and her mom Chilli.
Why does everyone love Bluey?
Bluey is a kids’ show, but parents love it too. These are just a few reasons why the series has become so popular.
It’s fun
First and foremost, Bluey is a fun show. It understands how imagination works and meets kids on their level while reminding adults how to enjoy life and explore wonder to create adventure.
It is appealing to look at
The artwork is not cluttered or overly stylized. The colors are soothing pastels. Visually, the show is therapeutic and calming.
Those accents are mesmerizing
Americans are fascinated with accents. Gifting a common phrase with an intriguing cadence or lilt can make it mesmerizing. Bluey takes advantage of this. Listening to the characters speak is refreshingly musical.
It takes advantage of teachable moments
There’s nothing preachy about this show. It doesn’t break off into a monologue about right and wrong when feelings get hurt or there’s a misunderstanding. However, there is a stray comment or two that always offers casual guidance without a lecture.
It’s not afraid to get real
Bluey isn’t all puppy dogs and flowers. Well, maybe a lot of it is, but it doesn’t sugarcoat family life. If Bluey gets carried away and becomes a little mean-spirited or bossy, it affects the other members of the family. However, where this show shines is, it doesn’t have a disproportionate response to unintentional poor behavior or negative situations. Mistakes are welcome, as long as the Heelers learn from them and make an effort to change and grow.
The episodes are fast-paced
Not only are the episodes short — just seven minutes — but things happen at a rapid pace. You might have to pay closer attention so you don’t miss anything. Or, you could just rewatch an episode to discover something new each time.
It is imaginative
You probably can’t name one other show where the character’s driving goal is to be a “crazy pillow” or a backpack. Bluey doesn’t push boundaries like science fiction. It takes the everyday world and makes it absolutely magical. Watching an episode can jump start your own creativity and help show you how to be exhilaratingly silly again.
It targets a broad and diverse demographic
Bluey appeals to kids, parents, dog lovers and more. The potential audience is massive. If you watch just one episode, there’s a good chance you’ll find a personal touchstone moment.
Best gifts for Bluey fans
Bluey and Bingo 8-inch Mini Plush Bundle
Bluey and Bingo are the rambunctious pups that are the stars of Bluey. This two-figure set of eight-inch figures is ideal for cuddling or imaginative play adventures. They are made with soft fabrics and feature detailed embroidery.
Sold by Amazon
Bluey and Friends Four-pack of Poseable Figures
If two characters aren’t enough, this playset includes the whole family: Bluey, Bingo, Chilli and Bandit. They are chunky, which makes them ideal for little preschool-sized fingers. The arms and tails move on each figure and they bend at the waist.
Jay Franco Bluey Reversible Pillowcase
Don’t have a crazy pillow on hand? Then this one will be an excellent substitute. It is a reversible microfiber pillowcase that features Bluey on one side and Bingo on the other. It is machine washable and the colorful design won’t fade after washing.
Sold by Amazon
This pop-up playhouse can be assembled in minutes. It has sturdy rods for support and features a roll-up door and a peep-through window. In between imagination sessions, the house collapses flat for easy storage.
Sold by Amazon
Zak Designs 15-Ounce Bluey Kelso Tumbler Set
There are two 15-ounce tumblers in this set. They are made of BPA-free plastic and come with reusable silicone straws. The leakproof design helps prevent accidental spills, while the straw is soft and comfortable for children to use.
Sold by Amazon
Toddler Boy Bluey Rash Guard and Swim Trunks Set
If you have a toddler who wants the best set of trunks and a rash guard this summer, consider this officially licensed Bluey-themed option. It is made of polyester and spandex and features both Bluey and Bingo.
This cooperative board game is all about doing fun things, collecting tokens and working together. You can play as your favorite character, and it is suitable for ages 3 and up.
Sold by Amazon
Bluey 2-in-1 Bedtime Night Light and Flashlight
This popular toy has two functions. It works as either a night light or a flashlight. It is built to be safe for little hands to hold and is available in Bluey and Bingo models. The light has a 10-minute auto-off feature to save power.
Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2022-08-06T18:35:32+00:00 | siouxlandproud.com | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/reviews/br/toys-games-br/stuffed-animals-br/blueys-popularity-is-at-all-time-highs-here-are-the-8-best-gifts-for-the-bluey-fan-in-your-life/ |
Bryce Harper's career arc from teenage sensation to full-blown superstar has been an 11-year process, hitting a crescendo Sunday night when his two-run homer in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series proved to be the deciding hit that sent his Philadelphia Phillies to their first World Series since 2009.
One of the game's biggest stars is finally on the game's biggest stage.
Meanwhile, Mike Trout's wait continues.
Their careers have been linked since they were teenagers, when Sports Illustrated touted Harper as “Baseball's Chosen One” and Trout began drawing Mickey Mantle comparisons. They had nearly impossible expectations heaped on them before even entering a big league lineup, billed as the game's next superstars.
Somehow, Harper and Trout have pretty much been as good as advertised.
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They're mature ballplayers now, both in their early 30s and each on a Hall of Fame trajectory. Harper is one of the game's most feared sluggers. Trout patrols center field for the Los Angeles Angels, MLB's best all-around player for most of the last decade.
Trout has largely dominated the debate about which player has been better. But Harper has at least one item missing from Trout's resume — a signature October moment. Thanks to his homer Sunday, the Phillies travel to face the Astros in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday.
“This game is ‘What have you done for me lately?’” Harper said when discussing the Phillies journey this season. “That’s how it’s always been.”
Purely by the numbers, Trout has an edge in most categories.
He’s a three-time AL MVP while Harper has been named NL MVP twice. Trout has made 10 All-Star teams while Harper has been on seven.
If sabermetrics are your thing, baseball-reference.com says Trout has been worth 82.4 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) over his 12 seasons. Harper has 42.5 WAR over 11 seasons.
Or if you prefer dollars: Harper set a North American pro sports record with his $330 million, 13-year free-agent deal with the Phillies in 2019 — then immediately and unsuccessfully tried to recruit Trout to join him in Philadelphia.
Trout instead extended his deal in Los Angeles for $360 million and 10 more years, surpassing Harper's record total.
It's hard to blame Trout for the Angels’ woes, but Harper’s recent run magnifies how little team success and postseason baseball Trout has seen. Even in a year where 40% of MLB teams made the postseason, the Angels were done after the regular season, finishing with a disappointing 73-89 record.
It's been a confounding several years for the Angels, who have paired Trout with several superstars throughout his career. Currently, Shohei Ohtani is the game's best two-way player since Babe Ruth.
“We’ve got two of the greatest players ever to put on uniforms, but we need more,” Angels GM Perry Minasian said recently. “It’s not a 2-on-2 game. If it was, I would love our chances.”
Trout has played in the postseason just once, in 2014. The Angels were swept by the Royals in the AL Division Series and Trout was 1 for 12 at the plate, though his one hit was a homer.
In retrospect, it was a prophetic stretch of games earlier this season back in June, when Harper's Phillies swept Trout and the Angels in a three-game series. It was the start of Philadelphia's rise that culminated in their unlikely trip to the World Series.
The Angels were mired in a 14-game losing streak at the time and continued their collapse while Trout eventually got hurt. His back problems this season served as a reminder about the fragility of professional athletes: As awesome as he is, the 31-year-old won't keep putting up MVP-caliber numbers forever.
“I'm doing everything I can to stay on the field, but things pop up,” Trout said. “I play the game hard.”
It's not clear if the Angels will compete for championships any time soon. The team's payroll has always been competitive under owner Arte Moreno, but now he's exploring a sale of the team, which brings more uncertainty for the franchise.
“I trust Perry to bring a winning team in here,” Trout said. “He harps on it every day, ever since we were knocked out (of the playoffs), bringing in a great group here to compete.”
The good news for Trout is postseason fortune can change quickly. Harper went through his own four-year playoff drought from 2018-21 before leading the Phillies to the World Series this season.
For their part, Harper and Trout share a mutual respect. Even when Trout was struggling — he was 0 for 11 in the three games when the two teams met in June — Harper said it wouldn't last forever.
“I think everybody kind of goes through stretches like that,” Harper said about Trout, talking to the L.A. Times in June. “I’ve done it in my career. He’s one of the best of all time. Everybody knows how good he is.
“He’ll get out of it, and by the end of the year, nobody will even think about this stretch that he’s on. He’ll be the same Mike Trout and hit .300 with 40 homers.”
Harper was pretty much correct. Trout finished with a .283 batting average and clubbed 40 homers despite the back problems, continuing a stellar career that rivals some of the all-time greats.
Here's hoping that baseball fans get to see it in the postseason some day. | 2022-10-26T02:06:43+00:00 | heraldcourier.com | https://heraldcourier.com/harper-gets-world-series-moment-while-trouts-wait-continues/article_56f01084-54d1-11ed-a4c9-e3904ab9ce04.html |
Stamp Honors Cherished Furry Friends
AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With a nod to America's great affection for furry friends, the Postal Service unleashes the latest in its popular Love series stamps, featuring imaginative illustrations of two of America's most beloved pets: kittens and puppies.
Each Love (2023) Forever stamp depicts one of the cute, cuddly animals. Intended to evoke feelings of warmth and playfulness, the release is perfectly timed for Valentine's Day cards and can add sentiment and whimsy to letters, birthday or graduation cards, baby shower invitations or notes of thanks.
The stamp dedication took place at the Texas animal shelter Austin Pets Alive!, with adoptable pets on hand for the event, enabling both participants and attendees to see animals receiving and benefiting from the community's love.
"The kitten and puppy each rest their front paws on a big red heart, which captures perfectly the love we have for these special creatures — and their love for us in return," said Judy de Torok, the Postal Service's vice president of Corporate Relations, who served as dedicating official for the ceremony and is a pet lover herself. "I have a feeling these may be some of our most popular stamps ever."
Also participating in the event were Dr. Ellen Jefferson, president and CEO of Austin Pets Alive!; Kelly Holt, senior manager of the Austin Pets Alive! cat program; Richard Scott, volunteer canine behavior specialist with the rescue and Matt Beisner, star of "Dog: Impossible" on Disney+.
Acting as master of ceremonies was Diaz Dixon, adviser for external partnerships, Austin Pets Alive!
The stamps' two designs feature either a kitten or a puppy with the word "LOVE" along the top, partially obscured by the heads of the animals. The words "forever" and "usa" in lowercase letters run along the bottom. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamps with original art by Chris Buzelli.
These newest additions to the Love stamp series are now available at Post Office locations nationwide and online at the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps.
The Love (2023) Forever stamps will be issued in panes of 20. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.
News of the stamps is being shared on social media with the hashtag #LoveStamps.
Background
Artist Chris Buzelli thought that images of a kitten and puppy would perfectly express the idea of love and painted each based on characters from his imagination. Buzelli, who describes his style as a mix of realism and fantasy, painted each in oil on wood panel. The woodgrain panel is barely visible through the lightly shaded layers of oil and add texture and depth to each image. The images were then scanned and edited digitally to create the final stamp art.
Postal Products
Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826, or at Post Office locations nationwide.
The United States Postal Service is an independent federal establishment, mandated to be self-financing and to serve every American community through the affordable, reliable and secure delivery of mail and packages to more than 163 million addresses six and often seven days a week. Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is implementing a 10-year transformation plan, Delivering for America, to modernize the postal network, restore long-term financial sustainability, dramatically improve service across all mail and shipping categories, and maintain the organization as one of America's most valued and trusted brands.
The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
Please Note: For U.S. Postal Service media resources, including broadcast-quality video and audio and photo stills, visit the USPS Newsroom. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the USPS YouTube channel, like us on Facebook and enjoy our Postal Posts blog. For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and facts.usps.com.
National Contact: Martha Johnson
martha.s.johnson@usps.gov
Local Contact: Becky Hernandez
becky.m.hernandez@usps.gov
usps.com/news
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SOURCE U.S. Postal Service | 2023-01-19T17:33:44+00:00 | wagmtv.com | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/01/19/us-postal-service-shares-love-pets/ |
(NEXSTAR) — In the U.S., roughly 1 million arrests are made annually for driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Outside of the physical consequences of impaired driving — data shows one person is killed every 45 minutes in a crash involving an alcohol-impaired driver — the legal consequences can be heavy. They can also vary by state.
In South Dakota, for example, an impaired driver can lose their driver’s license for at least a month after their first driving under the influence offense. In Wisconsin, a driver can lose their license for six to nine months. If a child is in the car at the time of the offense, that can become a year to a year and a half, plus a jail sentence of five days to six months.
In both states, it’s possible nobody knows the driver has been convicted. That isn’t necessarily the case for residents in the state between Wisconsin and South Dakota.
Under current Minnesota laws, certain drivers convicted of driving while impaired may find themselves with a whiskey plate, which are white with black numbers and letters that always start with the letter W (whiskey represents ‘W’ in the NATO phonetic alphabet, hence the nickname).
Formally known as special registration plates, whiskey plates are issued to drivers that have a valid or limited license status. They’re commonly issued so the driver can get to work and school if their plates have been impounded, or if a family member that hasn’t been convicted of a DWI has to use the driver’s vehicle.
According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, license plate impoundment is required after a driver has two driving under the influence revocations within 10 years; if their blood-alcohol concentration is twice the legal limit of 0.08; if a child under the age of 16 is in the vehicle; and if a driver was operating with a license that had already been revoked.
Whiskey plates are required to be used for at least a year and until the driver regains a valid license status. Then, the driver can pay a plate reinstatement fee and purchase a standard plate, according to DPS. Drivers can avoid the year-long wait by enrolling in an ignition interlock program. Ignition interlock devices are breathalyzers that can prevent a vehicle from starting if the driver has been drinking alcohol.
A fellow Midwest state, Ohio, also has special restricted license plates for drunk driving offenders. Since 2004, the plates, sometimes called “party plates,” have been mustard yellow with red print.
The restricted plates can be issued after a driver is convicted of their first offense DWI (OVI in Ohio), and must be ordered for those convicted of a first offense OVI with a high blood alcohol concentration test or after multiple offenses within a certain amount of years. Drivers don’t need to use party plates, they’re only required if the person is serving a suspension period and has requested limited driving privileges, according to the Cincinnati-based law firm of Luftman, Heck and Associates.
Georgia also issues special plates that bear “a special series of numbers and letters so as to be identifiable by law enforcement officers.” A driver convicted of a second or subsequent DUI within five years can apply for these plates, known as “hardship license plates,” if someone else within their household relies on the driver’s vehicle for transportation, according to the Law Office of T. Rabb Wilkerson.
Unlike Minnesota and Ohio, these plates are slightly less noticeable, differing only by the number and letter series and not in appearance. Many states, like Iowa, also issue temporary restricted licenses in situations like this.
Plates like those issued in Minnesota and Ohio are intended to help law enforcement recognize drivers with a DWI history and, according to some, to deter others from driving while impaired to avoid the noticeable plates.
In 2003, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional for a driver to be pulled over simply because they have whiskey plates, KARE reports. Lawmakers, arguing the plates don’t prevent drunk or impaired driving, have on multiple occasions tried to get rid of the plates, to no avail.
Other groups, like the ACLU, have also opposed the “scarlet letter” plates, saying they unfairly humiliate offenders and have even led to job loss for some.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving Ohio has instead called for the use of ignition interlock devices, saying they are the best way to prevent drunken driving.
“Party plates do not stop any one from driving drunk,” the organization said, according to the Dayton Daily News. “We feel that the party place is not shaming, but a form of notification.” | 2023-06-24T20:03:31+00:00 | upmatters.com | https://www.upmatters.com/news/national/whiskey-plates-how-the-controversial-license-plates-work-and-where-you-can-see-them/ |
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The death toll from the weekend Russian missile strike on the apartment building in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro has risen to 35, an official said Monday.
Rescuers continued searching through the rubble for more victims, regional Gov. Valentyn Reznichenko said. At least 75 people were wounded and 35 others were still missing after Saturday's strike.
About 1,700 people lived in the multi-story building, with residents saying there were no military facilities at the site. The reported death toll made it the deadliest attack in one place since a Sept. 30 strike in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, according to The Associated Press-Frontline War Crimes Watch project.
The strike on the building on Saturday came amid a major barrage of Russian cruise missiles across Ukraine.
Russia's renewed air attacks came as fierce fighting raged in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk province, where the Russian military has claimed it has control of the small salt-mining town of Soledar but Ukraine asserts that its troops are still fighting.
If the Russian forces win full control of Soledar, it would allow them to inch closer to the bigger city of Bakhmut. The battle for Bakhmut has raged for months, causing substantial casualties on both sides.
With the grinding war nearing the 11-month mark, the U.K. government announced it would deliver tanks to Ukraine, its first donation of such heavy-duty weaponry. Although the pledge of 14 Challenger 2 tanks appeared modest, Ukrainian officials expect it will encourage other Western nations to supply more tanks.
Other developments on Monday:
— Russian forces shelled the city of Kherson and the Kherson region, killing three people and wounding 14 others over the last 24 hours, regional Gov. Yaroslav Yanushevych said. In the city of Kherson, the shelling damaged a hospital, a children disability center, a shipyard, critical infrastructure and apartment buildings.
— Russian forces struck the city of Zaporizhzhia, damaging industrial infrastructure and wounding three people, two of them children, the regional administration said.
— The Russian and Belarusian air forces launched a joint exercise in Belarus that will run through Feb. 1, the Belarusian Defense Ministry said. Russia has sent its warplanes to Belarus for the drills.
— Air defenses shot down a drone over the bay of the port of Sevastopol in Crimea, Sevastopol head Mikhail Razvozhayev said.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-01-16T15:24:26+00:00 | kunm.org | https://www.kunm.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-01-16/death-toll-in-russian-strike-on-ukrainian-building-up-to-at-least-35 |
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Willy Adames hit two of Milwaukee’s six homers, and the Brewers beat the lowly Cincinnati Reds 10-5 on Thursday.
Luis Urías, Christian Yelich, Tyrone Taylor and Keston Hiura also connected as Milwaukee won for the eighth time in nine games. Yelich finished with three hits and scored three times, and Adames had four RBIs.
Brewers right-hander Adrian Houser (3-2) allowed five runs, four earned, and seven hits in five innings.
Cincinnati closed out a winless six-game trip with its ninth consecutive loss. The major league-worst Reds have dropped 20 of 21 overall.
Tyler Stephenson homered and drove in two runs, but Cincinnati was unable to overcome another shaky performance by hard-throwing rookie Hunter Greene (1-4).
Urías and Yelich connected against Greene in the first, and Rowdy Tellez’s RBI double tied it at 3. Adames capped Milwaukee’s three-run second with a two-run drive to left-center.
Taylor and Hiura went deep in the third before Greene was replaced by Luis Cessa.
The 22-year-old Greene was tagged for eight runs and nine hits in 2 2/3 innings in his fourth consecutive loss. He struck out seven and walked one.
TRAINER’S ROOM
After placing two players on the injured list Wednesday with unspecified designations, Reds manager David Bell is confident the team can avoid a full-blown COVID-19 outbreak. But he recognizes that it’s not always easy despite comprehensive mitigation efforts.
“Obviously, it’s something that’s really important to us to keep everyone healthy as best as we can,” Bell said. “But the reality is we’re all together a lot; we have contact with lots of different people, just like everyone else but we’re doing the best that we can.”
Cincinnati also placed first baseman Joey Votto on the COVID-19 IL earlier this week.
UP NEXT
Reds: RHP Connor Overton (0-0, 1.69 ERA) makes his second start of the season Friday in the opener of a three-game series against Pittsburgh. RHP JT Brubaker (0-2, 6.20) starts for the visiting Pirates.
Brewers: LHP Eric Lauer (2-0, 1.93 ERA) starts Friday night at Atlanta in the opener of a nine-game trip. The Braves, who beat the Brewers in their NL Division Series last year, have yet to announce a starter for the series opener.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2022-05-06T19:31:47+00:00 | texomashomepage.com | https://www.texomashomepage.com/sports/adames-homers-twice-as-brewers-pound-lowly-reds-10-5/ |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — An alleged gang member has been added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Most Wanted List.
A Tennessee Most Wanted Alert was issued Thursday afternoon for Trevin Hullom, 29.
Hullom is wanted by multiple agencies on charges of attempted murder in aid of racketeering and use of a firearm during/in relation to attempted murder.
He is described as 5’9″ and 128 pounds.
He should be considered armed and dangerous.
This alert comes after a federal grand jury indicted 14 members of the “Traveling Vice Lord/Junk Yard Dogs” — a criminal organization whose members engage in a racketeering conspiracy involving acts of murder, attempted murder and drug trafficking. The group is said to operate throughout West Tennessee and is a subgroup of a Chicago-based gang.
Hullom was one of the 14 named in the indictment. He is said to have been ordered by a higher-ranking gang member to carry out a shooting on a rival gang.
There is a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to Hullom’s arrest.
If you know of his whereabouts, you are asked to call 1-800-TBI-FIND. | 2022-06-30T23:32:35+00:00 | wjhl.com | https://www.wjhl.com/news/regional/tennessee/armed-and-dangerous-attempted-murder-suspect-added-to-tbi-most-wanted-list/ |
Sea surface temperatures off the coast of Florida have reached extremes that, if verified, could be the hottest ever recorded in the world's oceans.
On Monday a sensor buoy at Manatee Bay, south of Miami, briefly registered a water temperature of 101.1 degrees Fahrenheit. On Tuesday, a second reading came in at 100.2 degrees.
The reading is higher than the previous global high of 99.7 degrees, recorded off Kuwait in July of 2020.
Meteorologists will have to make sure the readings meet certain conditions before they're considered fully valid. There are also no official records kept of sea surface temperatures.
But their effects are becoming quickly apparent. The ocean temperatures around Florida's coasts, which this year have reached roughly that of a consumer hot tub, have caused widespread bleaching and mortality in state coral reefs, according to some reports, even where corals had previously shown themselves relatively resilient to changing ocean conditions.
SEE MORE: NOAA model shows record marine heat waves — and predicts more
Terry Tamminen is president and CEO of AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles, a scientific nonprofit that focuses on the oceans. He spoke with Scripps News about Florida's extreme temperatures, and the implications for corals, global climate and society going forward.
"The ocean regulates our climate. It covers two thirds of our planet. It's essential to our healthy survival on Earth," Tamminen said. "If we want a sustainable planet that can support ten billion people by 2050, it's going to be based on a healthy ocean — and right now we do not have that."
Corals like those in Florida represent a vital nursery for sea life that sustains entire ocean food chains and ecosystems, Tamminen says. And he says that changes in ocean temperatures could affect more than just the reefs.
"The Gulf Stream, for example, that goes from south to north, there's evidence that melting sea ice and so forth in the north could cause that to slow down," Tamminen said. "That could completely change our temperatures and our ecosystems and our weather. All of these things are interconnected. You can't take one small piece, like let's say, coral, out and expect the rest to survive."
SEE MORE: Monday was officially the hottest summer day ever
Tamminen points out that extreme weather and its effects are part of that interconnected system, which is changing faster than first predicted.
"What we've discovered in the last 20 years is that all of the predictions have come true on the high side. Things have happened sooner than we expected, and more intense than expected," Tamminen said.
"If past is prologue, we need to be concerned about what the science is telling us today," Tamminen said. "We should be looking at the extremes and preparing for those extremes, whether it's more intense storms, sea level rise, wildfires, droughts and the other problems that's going to cause."
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | 2023-07-26T04:37:21+00:00 | kivitv.com | https://www.kivitv.com/what-can-florida-s-dying-corals-tell-us-about-the-shifting-climate |
Michael Jordan reaches agreement to sell majority stake in Hornets
The agreement was announced Friday.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Michael Jordan has reached an agreement to sell his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets, the team announced Friday.
Jordan has agreed to sell to to a group (“the Buyer Group”) led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall.
[Michael Jordan in ‘serious talks’ to sell majority ownership stake in Hornets, reports say]
Plotkin, who acquired a minority stake in the Hornets in 2019, has been an alternate governor on the NBA Board of Governors since 2019 and is the founder and chief investment officer of Tallwoods Capital.
Schnall is co-president of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, where he has worked for 27 years, and has been a significant minority owner of the Atlanta Hawks and an alternate governor on the NBA Board of Governors since 2015.
He is in the process of selling his investment in the Hawks, which is expected to be completed in the next several weeks.
The Buyer Group will also include Dan Sundheim, Ian Loring, Dyal HomeCourt Partners, North Carolina natives recording artist J. Cole and country music singer-songwriter Eric Church, and several local Charlotte investors, including Amy Levine Dawson and Damian Mills.
Jordan will retain a minority ownership share of the team, subject to the approval of the NBA Board of Governors.
Along with the Hornets, HSE ownership includes the Greensboro Swarm (NBA G League) and Hornets Venom GT (NBA 2K League), as well as managing and operating Spectrum Center, each of which is included as part of the sale.
Copyright 2023 WBTV. All rights reserved. | 2023-06-16T15:26:36+00:00 | wsfa.com | https://www.wsfa.com/2023/06/16/michael-jordan-reaches-agreement-sell-majority-stake-hornets/ |
The November midterm elections are fast approaching, and with them the unofficial start of the 2024 presidential election cycle.
Prospective candidates may begin announcing their plans to run for the White House at any time now, or mere days or weeks after Election Day.
Questions have lingered about if President Biden plans to run for reelection given his age and that his approval rating — though improving recently — has remained below 50 percent for the past year. Biden, who is the oldest president the United States has had, would be 82 on Inauguration Day in 2025 if he runs for a second term.
Biden has maintained that, like most first-term commanders in chief, he plans to run for reelection, but historical precedent exists for those who have declined to do so.
Three presidents have completed one full term and declined to run for a second. Three others completed the remainder of their predecessor’s term and then were elected to one in their own right before deciding against running in a second election.
Here are the presidents who have chosen not to stand for a second term in office, from most recent to the earliest case:
Lyndon B. Johnson
President Lyndon B. Johnson was the most recent president to choose not to run for reelection in 1968. Johnson’s presidency, which he had sought to focus on Civil Rights and expanding the social safety net under the “Great Society,” had become consumed by the Vietnam War, fiercely dividing the country.
Johnson ascended to the presidency in 1963 following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution limits presidents to serve no more than two full terms or a total of 10 years, so Johnson was eligible for reelection in 1968 to a second four-year term because he served less than two years in finishing Kennedy’s term.
Johnson was widely expected to run and easily win the Democratic nomination in 1968 despite declining approval ratings below 50 percent. Johnson did receive a primary challenge from Sen. Eugene McCarthy (D-Minn.), who ran in opposition to the war.
LBJ narrowly won the New Hampshire primary in March of that year, but McCarthy nearly upset the president with winning more than 40 percent of the vote. Johnson’s competition increased a few days later when Sen. Robert Kennedy (D-Mass.) announced his candidacy.
Johnson gave a televised address to the country on March 31, 1968, in which he announced he would not seek or accept his party’s nomination for another term, pledging to spend the rest of his administration on efforts to reach an end to the war.
Harry Truman
President Harry Truman was the last president who was not term-limited under the 22nd Amendment, with the amendment having been ratified during his administration. Truman completed most of President Franklin Roosevelt’s fourth term after he died in office in 1945 and won a close, upset victory in the 1948 election for his own term.
Truman is considered among the best presidents in recent presidential ranking polls. But as the Korean War lingered in a virtual stalemate and inflation rose, he had poor approval ratings, receiving the lowest recorded approval rating in a Gallup poll in February 1952 at 22 percent.
The president’s name was entered into the New Hampshire primary but finished in second place to Sen. Estes Kefauver (D-Tenn.). Primaries did not play the role in selecting the eventual nominee that they do today, but the loss was not a positive sign.
Truman announced three weeks later that he would not seek reelection.
Calvin Coolidge
President Calvin Coolidge was only the second person to ascend to the presidency upon the death of his predecessor and then be elected to a full term, after Theodore Roosevelt. He was serving as vice president and became president when Warren Harding died in 1923 and won the 1924 election in a landslide victory over his Democratic opponent.
Coolidge’s presidency was defined by the Roaring Twenties, during which business boomed as the country came out of World War I. He was wildly popular among the American people at the time, leading to a great deal of surprise when he announced he did not plan to seek reelection in 1928.
Coolidge handed out handwritten strips of paper to reporters that said “I do not choose to run” during his summer vacation in 1927, according to the University of Virginia’s Miller Center.
Coolidge never fully explained his reasoning behind deciding against running again, but he wrote in his autobiography that he was ready to be “relieved of the pretensions and delusions of public life,” according to the Miller Center.
Rutherford B. Hayes
President Rutherford Hayes was elected president in the contentious election 1876, becoming the second president to win the presidency through the Electoral College while losing the popular vote.
Hayes had promised during the 1876 campaign to only serve one term while running for office, stating his intention in his letter accepting the Republican nomination, according to the Miller Center.
He was a leader of a faction of the Republican Party that supported reforming the civil service, to have it based on merit instead of political patronage.
Hayes said in his letter that he believed reform could most likely be accomplished by a president who is “under no temptation to use the patronage of his office, to promote his own re-election,” according to his presidential library and museum’s website.
James Buchanan
President James Buchanan’s term began as the country was hurdling toward the Civil War. He was elected president in 1856 with a comfortable plurality of the popular vote but failed to receive a majority.
He hoped the issue of slavery on the national level would fade away, saying in his inaugural address that the issue of allowing slavery in new territories was a “matter of but little practical importance,” according to the National Constitution Center.
The Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision, which declared a few days after Buchanan’s inauguration that enslaved Black people were not citizens and therefore did not have the rights of citizens, further divided the country.
Buchanan did little to hold the country together or solve the slavery issue nationally, supporting the popular sovereignty of states to decide whether to allow slavery. It was clear that Buchanan would not be a candidate for reelection by 1860, according to the Constitution Center.
Upon meeting with his successor, Abraham Lincoln, Buchanan allegedly said to him, “My dear sir, if you are as happy in entering the White House as I shall feel on returning to Wheatland, you are a happy man indeed,” according to the Library of Congress. Wheatland was the name of his home.
James K. Polk
President James Polk is considered to arguably be one of the most successful one-term presidents at accomplishing their goals. He won a close election in 1844, running on four key platform points and accomplished all four while in office.
Polk oversaw the reduction of tariffs, the reestablishment of an independent U.S. Treasury, the acquisition of California and other southwestern territories from Mexico and a deal to secure control of the Oregon Territory.
He promised to only run for one term during the 1844 campaign and kept his promise four years later. He wrote in his diary that he felt “exceedingly relieved” to be free from public duty, according to the Miller Center. | 2022-09-16T23:46:34+00:00 | localsyr.com | https://www.localsyr.com/hill-politics/most-presidents-seek-re-election-here-are-the-ones-who-called-it-quits-after-one-election/ |
PRINCETON, N.J., Nov. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Soligenix, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNGX) (Soligenix or the Company), a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing products to treat rare diseases where there is an unmet medical need, announced today that it has received preliminary approval for a tax credit from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority's (NJEDA) New Jersey Technology Business Tax Certificate Transfer program. As a result, the Company anticipates being able to transfer this credit and receive approximately $1.2 million in net proceeds.
"This is our thirteenth year receiving Net Operating Loss (NOL) funding," stated Christopher J. Schaber, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Soligenix, "Over this time period, we have received nearly $9 million in non-dilutive NOL funding that has allowed us to advance and expand our rare disease pipeline. Before the end of this year, we will file our new drug application (NDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for HyBryte™ (synthetic hypericin) in the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), as well as initiate a Phase 2a clinical study with SGX302 (synthetic hypericin) for the treatment of mild-to-moderate psoriasis."
Dr. Schaber continued, "As we are always looking for non-dilutive ways to fund our company, we are once again very pleased with NJEDA's continued support of its biotechnology industry. With over $16 million in cash, not including our non-dilutive funding, we remain focused on advancing towards U.S. commercialization of HyBryte™ in CTCL where peak annual net sales are expected to exceed $90 million, with the total addressable worldwide market estimated at approximately $250 million annually."
This competitive NJEDA program enables approved technology and biotechnology businesses to sell their unused NOL Carryovers and unused Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credits to unaffiliated, profitable corporate taxpayers in the state of New Jersey. This allows businesses with NOLs to turn their tax losses and credits into cash proceeds to fund additional R&D, purchase equipment and/or facilities, or cover other allowable expenditures. The NJEDA determines eligibility for the program, the New Jersey Division of Taxation determines the value of the available tax benefits (NOLs and R&D Tax Credits), and the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology evaluates the technology and its viability. The State of New Jersey was the originator of this program and the first state to implement and fund it.
Soligenix is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing products to treat rare diseases where there is an unmet medical need. Our Specialized BioTherapeutics business segment is developing and moving toward potential commercialization of HyBryte™ (SGX301 or synthetic hypericin) as a novel photodynamic therapy utilizing safe visible light for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). With a successful Phase 3 study completed, regulatory approval is being sought and commercialization activities for this product candidate are being advanced initially in the U.S. Development programs in this business segment also include expansion of synthetic hypericin (SGX302) into psoriasis, our first-in-class innate defense regulator (IDR) technology, dusquetide (SGX942) for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, including oral mucositis in head and neck cancer, and proprietary formulations of oral beclomethasone 17,21-dipropionate (BDP) for the prevention/treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders characterized by severe inflammation including pediatric Crohn's disease (SGX203).
Our Public Health Solutions business segment includes active development programs for RiVax®, our ricin toxin vaccine candidate, and SGX943, our therapeutic candidate for antibiotic resistant and emerging infectious disease, and our vaccine programs targeting filoviruses (such as Marburg and Ebola) and CiVax™, our vaccine candidate for the prevention of COVID-19 (caused by SARS-CoV-2). The development of our vaccine programs incorporates the use of our proprietary heat stabilization platform technology, known as ThermoVax®. To date, this business segment has been supported with government grant and contract funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).
For further information regarding Soligenix, Inc., please visit the Company's website at https://www.soligenix.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter at @Soligenix_Inc.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements that reflect Soligenix, Inc.'s current expectations about its future results, performance, prospects and opportunities, including but not limited to, potential market sizes, patient populations and clinical trial enrollment. Statements that are not historical facts, such as "anticipates," "estimates," "believes," "hopes," "intends," "plans," "expects," "goal," "may," "suggest," "will," "potential," or similar expressions, are forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results in future periods to differ materially from what is expressed in, or implied by, these statements, such as experienced with the COVID-19 outbreak. Soligenix cannot assure you that it will be able to successfully develop, achieve regulatory approval for or commercialize products based on its technologies, particularly in light of the significant uncertainty inherent in developing therapeutics and vaccines against bioterror threats, conducting preclinical and clinical trials of therapeutics and vaccines, obtaining regulatory approvals and manufacturing therapeutics and vaccines, that product development and commercialization efforts will not be reduced or discontinued due to difficulties or delays in clinical trials or due to lack of progress or positive results from research and development efforts, that it will be able to successfully obtain any further funding to support product development and commercialization efforts, including grants and awards, maintain its existing grants which are subject to performance requirements, enter into any biodefense procurement contracts with the U.S. Government or other countries, that it will be able to compete with larger and better financed competitors in the biotechnology industry, that changes in health care practice, third party reimbursement limitations and Federal and/or state health care reform initiatives will not negatively affect its business, or that the U.S. Congress may not pass any legislation that would provide additional funding for the Project BioShield program. In addition, there can be no assurance as to the timing or success of any of its clinical/preclinical trials. Despite the statistically significant result achieved in the HyBryte™ (SGX301) Phase 3 clinical trial for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, there can be no assurance that a marketing authorization from the FDA or EMA will be successful. Notwithstanding the result in the HyBryte™ (SGX301) Phase 3 clinical trial for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and the Phase 1/2 proof-of-concept clinical trial of SGX302 for the treatment of psoriasis, there can be no assurance as to the timing or success of the clinical trials of SGX302 for the treatment of psoriasis. Further, there can be no assurance that RiVax® will qualify for a biodefense Priority Review Voucher (PRV) or that the prior sales of PRVs will be indicative of any potential sales price for a PRV for RiVax®. Also, no assurance can be provided that the Company will receive or continue to receive non-dilutive government funding from grants and contracts that have been or may be awarded or for which the Company will apply in the future. These and other risk factors are described from time to time in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, Soligenix's reports on Forms 10-Q and 10-K. Unless required by law, Soligenix assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events.
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SOURCE Soligenix, Inc. | 2022-11-15T13:10:56+00:00 | wagmtv.com | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2022/11/15/soligenix-receive-12-m-non-dilutive-funding-through-new-jersey-technology-business-tax-certificate-transfer-program/ |
NICB President and CEO David Glawe to meet with IASIU President Celeste Dodson during IASIU Annual Conference
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), the insurance industry's association dedicated to predicting, preventing, and prosecuting insurance crime, is continuing to strengthen its long standing partnership with the International Association of Special Investigation Units (IASIU). NICB President and CEO David Glawe will meet with IASIU President Celeste Dodson in San Diego to discuss emerging fraud trends and develop proactive solutions to address crimes impacting insurance policyholders.
On Monday, September 12 at 3:00 p.m. PT, Glawe and Dodson will reaffirm their organizations' joint mission to bring awareness during the IASIU Annual Conference in San Diego. As crime across the nation continues to increase, including the highest vehicle theft numbers since 2008, staggering catalytic converter thefts, and fraud exceeding $300 billion nationwide each year, California is experiencing some of the highest crime rates, and therefore, is the perfect place to address these issues.
"NICB is committed to our long partnership with IASIU," said Glawe. "Our partnership is organic in every sense, and is strengthened by our mutual mission of combatting insurance fraud and crime."
"NICB and IASIU's partnership is critical to our joint missions," said Dodson. "Together, we will continue to focus on advancing excellence in the insurance fraud fighting community through education, training, awareness, and connection."
NICB and IASIU will continue their valued partnership as they battle the ever-growing crime trends seen in the U.S. Using cutting-edge and predictive analysis, together, they will continue to evolve education, investigations, and fraud awareness as leaders in the industry.
REPORT FRAUD: Anyone with information concerning insurance fraud or vehicle theft can report it anonymously by calling toll-free 800.TEL.NICB (800.835.6422) or submitting a form on our website.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL INSURANCE CRIME BUREAU: Headquartered in Des Plaines, Ill., the NICB is the nation's leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to combatting and preventing insurance crime through Intelligence, Analytics, and Operations; Education and Crime Prevention; and Strategy, Policy, and Advocacy. The NICB is supported by more than 1,200 property and casualty insurance companies and self-insured organizations. NICB member companies wrote over $582 billion in insurance premiums in 2021, or more than 82% of the nation's property-casualty insurance. That includes more than 96% of the nation's personal auto insurance. To learn more, visit www.nicb.org.
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SOURCE National Insurance Crime Bureau | 2022-09-09T18:28:30+00:00 | wcjb.com | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2022/09/09/crime-increases-nationwide-nicb-iasiu-focus-fraud-awareness-investigation/ |
A multi-year collaboration provides access to the Minuteful Kidney™ test to promote early detection of kidney disease
MERIDIAN, Idaho, Dec. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthy.io, the global leader in transforming the smartphone camera into a medical device, and Blue Cross of Idaho today announced a new multi-year partnership that will provide innovative tools to help Idahoans lead healthier lives by promoting early detection of kidney damage and chronic kidney disease (CKD).
This multi-year collaboration will provide people across the state with access to Healthy.io's Minuteful Kidney™ test, the only FDA-cleared at-home kidney test. Through this partnership, Blue Cross of Idaho employees and Medicare Advantage members will have an easy way to test for signs of kidney damage, with instant clinical-grade results that are shared directly with their primary care physician.
Beginning this month, test kits will be provided to select Blue Cross of Idaho employees ahead of a broad rollout with Medicare Advantage members in 2023.
Blue Cross of Idaho is at the forefront of closing key care gaps for members. The partnership with Healthy.io will help improve health equity—especially in rural and underserved communities—by increasing access to a critical test for at-risk Medicare Advantage members across Idaho. A recent study found that 38% of rural Idahoans reported their primary care physician was between 25-100 miles from their home.
"Minuteful Kidney plays an important role in improving health equity by increasing access to a critical test that can facilitate the early detection of CKD," said Paula LeClair, US General Manager of Healthy.io. "We are delighted to be working with Blue Cross of Idaho to put this reliable, easy-to-use test in the palm of so many hands across the state."
Providing easy-to-use at-home diagnostic tools, such as Healthy.io's Minuteful Kidney test kits, helps vulnerable communities access much-needed healthcare services that are often out of reach. Healthy.io's Minuteful Kidney service facilitates early detection of CKD by allowing patients to take the test anywhere they want, at any time.
CKD is referred to as a "silent killer" because it often doesn't have symptoms until very late stages. One in three Americans is at risk, including those with diabetes and hypertension. Yet most don't know they have the condition until it progresses to end-stage renal disease, eventually requiring dialysis and/or a kidney transplant.
People at risk for CKD should complete an annual albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) test, yet 80% don't take the test. Healthy.io's recent 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for home use of the Minuteful Kidney test marks the first time the FDA has granted clearance for a smartphone-powered home test to determine ACR. Now, patients can take a clinical-grade ACR test at their preferred time and location, with a simple smartphone scan. This is the first and only home test that allows patients to get immediate results without sending a sample to the lab.
ABOUT BLUE CROSS OF IDAHO Blue Cross of Idaho Health Service, Inc., a not-for-profit mutual insurance company based in Meridian, Idaho, is a leader in delivering innovative health insurance products, services, and information to approximately 593,000 members. For 77 years, the company has advocated on behalf of its members to ensure they have access to high-quality healthcare at the lowest possible cost. It also serves the people of Idaho through support of community organizations, programs, and events that promote good health. Blue Cross of Idaho Health Service, Inc. is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, visit bcidaho.com.
ABOUT HEALTHY.IO
Healthy.io transforms the smartphone camera into a medical device to deliver healthcare at the speed of life. The company's at-home urinalysis and digitized wound care services enable providers and healthcare systems to close gaps in access and care while increasing patient satisfaction. Healthy.io is a global leader in digital health and is a recipient of the CNBC 2020 Disruptor 50 Award, Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies 2020 Award, and the Financial Times 2020 Boldness in Business Award. The company has offices in Boston, Tel Aviv and London.
Media contact:
Garrett Hawkins
Director, Marathon Strategies
Garrett@marathonstrategies.com
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1856865/Healthy_io_logo.jpg
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SOURCE Healthy.io | 2022-12-20T12:43:36+00:00 | kwch.com | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/12/20/healthyio-partners-with-blue-cross-idaho-improve-access-kidney-testing-across-idaho/ |
The fourth and final season of the critically-acclaimed FX series “Atlanta” will continue on Thursday, Oct. 13 at 10 p.m. ET, with a new episode.
The series centers around two cousins who work in the Atlanta music scene in order to improve the lives of their families as well as their own, according to FuboTV. Donald Glover and Brian Tyree Henry star as music manager Earn Marks and artist Alfred “Paper Boi” Miles, respectively.
LaKeith Stanfield and Zazie Beetz also star as Darius, Alfred’s right-hand man and visionary, and as Van, Earn’s best friend and the mother of his daughter, FuboTV added.
Those without cable can watch the new episode with a free trial through DirecTV Stream or with a free trial through FuboTV.
The sixth episode of the season is titled “Crank Dat Killer,” according to FuboTV, with a description that says “Ay, Ya’ll remember how we used to hit the club and do the Pool Palace and Crank Dat and nobody got shot? Yeah me neither.”
You can watch a scene from the new season below or by clicking here.
How can I watch “Atlanta” without cable?
You can watch the series on FuboTV and on DirecTV Stream, each of which offers a free trial for new users.
What is DirecTV Stream?
The streaming platform offers a plethora of content including streaming the best of live and On Demand, starting with more than 75 live TV channels.
What is FuboTV?
FuboTV is an over-the-top internet live TV streaming service that offers more than 100 channels, such as sports, news, entertainment and local channels. | 2022-10-14T01:15:33+00:00 | masslive.com | https://www.masslive.com/tv/2022/10/atlanta-on-fx-how-to-watch-new-episode-on-thursday-oct-13-for-free.html |
Which Doja Cat merch is best?
Doja Cat is an American rapper, singer and songwriter who has had multiple top-10 hits on the Billboard charts since 2020. She’s created songs alongside megastars including Nicki Minaj, Ariana Grande and The Weeknd. Her most popular songs include “Say So” and “Kiss Me More,” the latter of which went viral on TikTok. Luckily for Doja Cat fans, sometimes known as Kittenz, there is plenty of merchandise to show support for the singer.
The best piece of Doja Cat merchandise is the Planet Her T-shirt. This officially licensed shirt comes in black and features the cover of the “Planet Her” album sprawled across the front.
What to know before you buy Doja Cat merch
Doja Cat albums
Doja Cat has released three full-length studio albums since 2018. The first was titled “Amala,” which some fans will recognize as the artist’s real name. This album included a few hit singles including the TikTok viral hit “Candy.” It wasn’t until the album “Hot Pink” dropped the next year that Doja Cat began to jump into the hearts and minds of millions of fans around the world. “Say So,” the biggest single from the album, featured rap superstar Nicki Minaj and reached the #1 spot on the Billboard charts. “Planet Her” is Doja Cat’s newest album and includes a slew of merchandise to go with its release. Most of the Doja Cat merchandise that you will find is from her latest album and singles.
Clothing types
Usually the clothing types offered for artists are standard T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts. These are the most popular items because they can fit most body types and styles. Doja Cat offers four T-shirt styles and two hoodies on her official Amazon store. The current offerings are from her latest studio album “Planet Her.” The cover art features Doja Cat floating in space and painted in vibrant colors and glitter. There are T-shirts and hoodies that feature the same cover art and others that show the title of her latest single “Kiss Me More.”
Other merch
Among the clothing in Doja Cat’s store are two smartphone cases. These cases are designed for the iPhone 12 and the Galaxy S20, among others. They come in all black with an image of Doja Cat covered in pink from the “Kiss Me More” single. They also include the artist’s name in bright blue and pink bubble lettering. You can even purchase her album directly from the store in an MP3 format or download it to stream from Amazon Music.
What to look for in quality Doja Cat merch
Officially licensed
If you’re buying a Doja Cat CD, it’s guaranteed to be officially licensed. That is to say, it’s straight from the artist herself and not a ripoff. For merchandise, this can be a little tricky. There are many third-party sellers that offer Doja Cat merchandise that are not authentic items. Officially licensed merchandise is always of a higher quality. Plus, it directly supports the artist. If you’re unsure if an item is officially licensed, check with the official Doja Cat website or her official page on Amazon.
Materials
There’s nothing worse than buying merchandise from your favorite artist and realizing you can’t wear it because the materials are uncomfortable. Doja Cat merchandise uses 100% cotton for solid colors such as black and white. The heathered varieties are made of soft material made of 50% cotton and 50% polyester.
Sizes and styles
High-quality Doja Cat merchandise comes in a wide variety of sizes. Officially licensed clothing from her store on Amazon includes adult T-shirts ranging from small sizes up to 3XL. All come in various widths and lengths. There is also youth sizing for small children that range from size 2 all the way up to size 12.
How much you can expect to spend on Doja Cat merch
Doja Cat merch ranges from $20 to $45.
Doja Cat merch FAQ
Does Doja Cat merch ship worldwide?
A. Some Doja Cat merch will ship worldwide if you are purchasing from her official Amazon store. Be sure to read all instructions during check out to ensure the item can ship to your country internationally.
Is Doja Cat merch true to size?
A. Yes. Doja Cat merch is labeled as “classic fit,” which means it is designed to be true to size. Be mindful if you are purchasing a product that is 100% cotton as it may shrink after washing.
What’s the best Doja Cat merch to buy?
Top Doja Cat merch
What you need to know: Designed with the stunning “Planet Her” album cover, this all-black T-shirt is officially licensed.
What you’ll love: This T-shirt is 100% cotton, making it lightweight and comfortable. The black background of the shirt makes the graphics colors very vibrant.
What you should consider: Wash this shirt with dark colors because the black dye may bleed.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top Doja Cat merch for the money
Doja Cat “Kiss Me More” iPhone case
What you need to know: With this iPhone case, you can show your love of one of Doja Cat’s biggest singles.
What you’ll love: Protect your phone in style with this two-part protective case that includes a scratch resistant polycarbonate shell and a shock absorbent liner to keep your phone safe.
What you should consider: There are a lot of sizes for this phone case, so be sure you’re purchasing one that matches your phone model.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Doja Cat “Kiss Me More” pullover hoodie
What you need to know: Doja Cat’s name is front and center on this all black hoodie that features vibrant accent colors and a large logo on the back.
What you’ll love: This cold weather hoodie is perfect for the fall and winter seasons because it’s made with 80% cotton to keep you warm and 20% polyester to keep you comfortable.
What you should consider: The “Kiss Me More” hoodie comes in unisex sizes for more generic fits.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2022-10-25T02:06:51+00:00 | wboy.com | https://www.wboy.com/reviews/br/apparel-br/shirts-tops-br/best-doja-cat-merch/ |
MARQUETTE COUNTY, MI – An Upper Peninsula airport is getting a new name.
The Marquette County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted last week to rename Sawyer International Airport to Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport.
Commissioners considered several names but said keeping “Sawyer” was important since it represents significant history of the region. They added that the new name will better represent the region it serves.
“Having international in the name, we were trying to be something we’re not,” Commissioner Bill Nordeen said. “I never liked that international in our name.”
Staff is currently working with federal and state agencies to make the name change official.
The name change is part of an ongoing, $20 million re-branding project for the airport located near Gwinn on a portion of the former K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base.
RELATED: Sawyer International Airport gets $400,500 federal grant to improve runway, infrastructure
Sawyer International Airport officially opened in 1999 and is a “strong economic force in the central Upper Peninsula” that benefits the surrounding communities, commissioners said.
The rebrand will include a new logo and color scheme, which will complement the many new changes for the airport, commissioners said.
New asphalt for the taxiway, expanding the current terminal and upgrading security measures at the airport to allow larger aircraft to use the facility are also part of the project.
The entire project has an estimated completion date sometime in 2027.
The airport provides service to Detroit Metro Airport via Delta Air Lines and Chicago O’Hare Airport via American Airlines, but staff is hoping to add more flights once upgrades are made. | 2023-03-27T17:57:01+00:00 | mlive.com | https://www.mlive.com/news/2023/03/upper-peninsula-airport-gets-new-name-after-20m-upgrade.html |
Late Pennsylvania rep was on ballot due to law, not fraud
(AP) - Voters in Pennsylvania did reelect the late state Rep. Tony DeLuca in Tuesday’s midterm elections even though the 85-year-old Democrat died of cancer Oct. 9. But accusations that it suggested shoddy elections or cheating misrepresent the situation.
State law stipulates that substitutes, in the case of the death of a candidate, cannot be submitted after ballots have started printing — late September, in this case. A special election will be held to fill his seat.
CLAIM: Pennsylvania reelected state Rep. Tony DeLuca, who is dead, which is suggestive of shoddy elections or cheating.
AP’S ASSESSMENT: Missing context. DeLuca, 85, died a month before Tuesday’s midterm elections. State law stipulates that substitutes, in the case of the death of a candidate, cannot be submitted after ballots have started printing — late September, in this case. A special election will be held to fill his seat.
THE FACTS: As of Wednesday afternoon, DeLuca had received nearly 86% of the vote, according to state election results, beating Green Party candidate Queonia “Zarah” Livingston.
Some social media posts, however, are suggesting the election of a deceased candidate is indicative of shoddy elections or even fraud.
“You got dead people voting and dead people winning…” reads one tweet, which was then followed by a screenshot of a headline about DeLuca’s reelection. “You can’t make this up, America’s elections are a hot mess.”
Another user on Twitter responded to the news by stating: “Exactly what happens when massive amounts of fake ballots blindly checking democrats are received. No other explanation in Pennsylvania.”
DeLuca was an Allegheny County Democrat who represented the state’s 32nd Legislative District for 39 years. He died of cancer Oct. 9, with less than a month to go before the election.
If a candidate dies, Pennsylvania state law only allows replacement candidates to be submitted if ballots have not yet started printing.
In Allegheny County, officials sent data for the ballots to the printer on Sept. 28, county spokesperson Amie Downs told The Associated Press.
“The state has an election calendar that outlines dates for withdrawals, substitutions, etc. and all of those dates had passed when the Representative died,” Downs wrote in an email. “This is not the first time this has happened either.”
Trevor Southerland, executive director of the Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee, told the AP that “under Pennsylvania law, there was no way to remove Rep. DeLuca from the ballot.” He also said the deadline is when ballots begin printing.
Southerland confirmed that DeLuca’s win simply means that the seat will be vacant until a special election is held. The date of that election has yet to be determined.
“While we’re incredibly saddened by the loss of Representative Tony DeLuca, we are proud to see the voters to continue to show their confidence in him and his commitment to Democratic values by re-electing him posthumously,” the committee wrote in a tweet. “A special election will follow soon.”
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This is part of AP’s effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online. Learn more about fact-checking at AP.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2022-11-10T16:09:29+00:00 | kxii.com | https://www.kxii.com/2022/11/10/late-pennsylvania-rep-was-ballot-due-law-not-fraud/ |
GUELPH, ON, Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Canadian Solar Inc. (the "Company" or "Canadian Solar") (NASDAQ: CSIQ) today announced that it has continued from the corporate jurisdiction under the laws of the province of British Columbia to the corporate jurisdiction under the laws of the province of Ontario pursuant to the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) as of July 29, 2022 (the "Continuance"). The Continuance was approved by a special resolution of shareholders at the Company's annual and special meeting held on June 22, 2022.
No action will be required by existing shareholders with respect to the Continuance.
About Canadian Solar Inc.
Canadian Solar was founded in 2001 in Canada and is one of the world's largest solar technology and renewable energy companies. It is a leading manufacturer of solar photovoltaic modules, provider of solar energy and battery storage solutions, and developer of utility-scale solar power and battery storage projects with a geographically diversified pipeline in various stages of development. Over the past 21 years, Canadian Solar has successfully delivered around 71 GW of premium-quality, solar photovoltaic modules to customers across the world. Likewise, since entering the project development business in 2010, Canadian Solar has developed, built and connected over 6.6 GWp in over 20 countries across the world. Currently, the Company has around 800 MWp of solar projects in operation, 5.3 GWp of projects under construction or in backlog (late-stage), and an additional 18.5 GWp of projects in pipeline (mid- to early-stage). Canadian Solar is one of the most bankable companies in the solar and renewable energy industry, having been publicly listed on the NASDAQ since 2006. For additional information about the Company, follow Canadian Solar on LinkedIn or visit www.canadiansolar.com.
Safe Harbor/Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These statements are made under the "Safe Harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by such terms as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "estimates," the negative of these terms, or other comparable terminology. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include general business, regulatory and economic conditions and the state of the solar and battery storage market and industry; geopolitical tensions and conflicts, including impasses, sanctions and export controls; volatility, uncertainty, delays and disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic; supply chain disruptions; governmental support for the deployment of solar power; future available supplies of high-purity silicon; demand for end-use products by consumers and inventory levels of such products in the supply chain; changes in demand from significant customers; changes in demand from major markets, such as Japan, the U.S., China, Brazil and India; changes in effective tax rates; changes in customer order patterns; changes in product mix; changes in corporate responsibility, especially environmental, social and governance ("ESG") requirements; capacity utilization; level of competition; pricing pressure and declines in or failure to timely adjust average selling prices; delays in new product introduction; delays in utility-scale project approval process; delays in utility-scale project construction; delays in the completion of project sales; continued success in technological innovations and delivery of products with the features that customers demand; shortage in supply of materials or capacity requirements; availability of financing; exchange and inflation rate fluctuations; uncertainties related to the CSI Solar carve-out listing; litigation and other risks as described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 20-F filed on April 28, 2022. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance, or achievements. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. All information provided in this press release is as of today's date, unless otherwise stated, and Canadian Solar undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.
Canadian Solar Inc. Investor Relations Contacts
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SOURCE Canadian Solar Inc. | 2022-08-01T12:29:02+00:00 | uppermichiganssource.com | https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/prnewswire/2022/08/01/canadian-solar-inc-completes-its-continuance-jurisdiction-british-columbia-jurisdiction-ontario/ |
(WAND)- Central Illinois coroners are concerned about the new "Jelani Day Bill."
The bill, which became law back in May 2022, now requires coroners to notify the FBI three days after an unidentified body is found.
The legislation was passed following the death of Jelani Day, an Illinois State University graduate student. Day's body was discovered in the Illinois River on Sept. 4, 2021, after he was reported missing in August. His remains were identified 20 days after they were discovered.
Day's cause of death was ruled as a drowning by the LaSalle County Coroner, but the manner in which the death occurred remains undetermined.
Peoria County Coroner and former Illinois Coroners and Medical Examiners Association President Jamie Harwood told WEEK that the bill is a step forward.
“What could possibly go wrong if you have someone identified in three days with getting the FBI involved?” Harwood said. “What could go wrong with that?”
“Another family gets a bill named after their loved one, another legislator gets a pat on the back for hurried, ineffectual, legislation and we coroners get punished by the media in spite of doing a great job,” he wrote in an email to member coroners.
Northrup told WEEK, his opposition to the law is that his organization wasn’t brought to the table, adding the bill doesn’t go far enough.
“It doesn’t require or do anything to provide us more resources,” Northrup said. “We can make the phone call, but the FBI doesn’t work for the Champaign County Coroner’s Office or any other coroner’s office. There’s too much focus on naming a bill after somebody specifically rather than making sure the bill is a good bill or has effectiveness in it.”
According to WEEK, Hardwood responded to the emails asking to perform a peer review of LaSalle County’s Jelani Day investigation, a common practice in his medical days, but he said the practice is uncommon among coroners. Hardwood said that request was met largely with silence.
“We should do our due diligence to make sure that we have done everything appropriately,” Harwood said. “And unfortunately the silence of the association with my request for a peer review really spoke volumes to me that they weren’t interested.”
Harwood resigned his position as president of ICMEA, in part because of the response he received.
LaSalle County Coroner Rich Ploch says he discussed the matter on the phone with Harwood. He says the investigation is still active, and thus he says they are not ready for a peer review.
Copyright 2022. WANDTV. All Rights Reserved. | 2022-09-15T23:07:05+00:00 | wandtv.com | https://www.wandtv.com/news/conflicts-arise-amongst-area-coroners-over-jelani-day-bill/article_3e4e0f8c-3527-11ed-b765-9f76981e9627.html |
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Uganda's Ebola outbreak is "rapidly evolving" a month after the disease was reported in the East African country, a top World Health Organization official said Thursday, describing a difficult situation for health workers.
“The Ministry of Health of Uganda has shown remarkable resilience and effectiveness and (is) constantly fine-tuning a response to what is a challenging situation,” Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the U.N. health agency's regional director for Africa, told reporters. “A better understanding of the chains of transmission is helping those on the ground respond more effectively.”
Uganda declared an outbreak of Ebola on Sept. 20, several days after the contagious disease began spreading in a rural farming community. Ebola has since infected 64 people and killed 24, although official figures do not include people who likely died of Ebola before the outbreak was confirmed.
At least three of the confirmed patients traveled from the virus hot spot in central Uganda to the capital, Kampala, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) away, according to Moeti. Fears that Ebola could spread far from the outbreak's epicenter caused authorities to impose a lockdown, including nighttime curfews, on two of the five districts reporting Ebola cases.
Ebola “numbers that we are seeing do pose a risk for spread within the country and its neighbors,” Dr. Ahmed Ogwell, the acting head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a separate briefing Thursday.
While the risk of cross-border contamination is there, “it's a manageable risk,” Ogwell said, adding that the outbreak does not yet necessitate going into what he called “full emergency mode.”
There is no proven vaccine for the Sudan strain of Ebola that's circulating in Uganda. A WHO official in Uganda told the AP Wednesday that plans are underway to deploy two experimental vaccines in a study targeting health workers and contacts of Ebola patients.
Ugandan officials have documented more than 1,800 Ebola contacts, 747 of whom have completed 21 days of monitoring for possible signs of the disease that manifests as a viral hemorrhagic fever, Ogwell said.
Ebola is spread by contact with bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and, at times, internal and external bleeding.
Scientists don’t know the natural reservoir of Ebola, but they suspect the first person infected in an outbreak acquired the virus through contact with an infected animal or eating its raw meat. Ugandan officials are still investigating the source of the current outbreak.
Uganda has had multiple Ebola outbreaks, including one in 2000 that killed more than 200 people. The 2014-16 Ebola outbreak in West Africa killed more than 11,000 people, the disease’s largest death toll.
Ebola was discovered in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks in South Sudan and Congo, where it occurred in a village near the Ebola River, after which the disease is named.
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Larson reported from Dakar, Senegal.
Credit: Hajarah Nalwadda
Credit: Hajarah Nalwadda
Credit: Hajarah Nalwadda
Credit: Hajarah Nalwadda
Credit: Hajarah Nalwadda
Credit: Hajarah Nalwadda
Credit: Hajarah Nalwadda
Credit: Hajarah Nalwadda
Credit: Hajarah Nalwadda
Credit: Hajarah Nalwadda
Credit: Hajarah Nalwadda
Credit: Hajarah Nalwadda
Credit: Hajarah Nalwadda
Credit: Hajarah Nalwadda | 2022-10-20T15:26:18+00:00 | springfieldnewssun.com | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/who-ugandan-ebola-outbreak-rapidly-evolving-after-1-month/GT76JF434RBJNP76P4D5TODNZY/ |
HONOLULU, Nov. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Matson, Inc. (NYSE: MATX) announced today that Joel Wine, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will be attending the Baird 2022 Global Industrial Conference to be held on November 8, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois.
Matson will provide access to the presentation slides on its website on November 8, 2022. Access to the slides will be available on www.matson.com, under Investors.
Founded in 1882, Matson (NYSE: MATX) is a leading provider of ocean transportation and logistics services. Matson provides a vital lifeline to the domestic non-contiguous economies of Hawaii, Alaska, and Guam, and to other island economies in Micronesia. Matson also operates premium, expedited services from China to Long Beach, California, provides service to Okinawa, Japan and various islands in the South Pacific, and operates an international export service from Dutch Harbor to Asia. The Company's fleet of owned and chartered vessels includes containerships, combination container and roll-on/roll-off ships and custom-designed barges. Matson Logistics, established in 1987, extends the geographic reach of Matson's transportation network throughout North America. Its integrated, asset-light logistics services include rail intermodal, highway brokerage, warehousing, freight consolidation, Asia supply chain services, and forwarding to Alaska. Additional information about the Company is available at www.matson.com.
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SOURCE Matson, Inc. | 2022-11-01T21:57:07+00:00 | wlbt.com | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2022/11/01/matson-participate-baird-2022-global-industrial-conference/ |
AUSTIN, Minn., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL) invites you to participate in a webcast and conference call with Jim Snee, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer, and Jacinth Smiley, executive vice president and chief financial officer, to discuss the company's third quarter financial results. The company will issue its earnings press release before the markets open on Thursday, September 1, 2022, and will host a conference call at 8:00 a.m. CT (9:00 a.m. ET).
Additionally, the company announced that Jim Snee and Jacinth Smiley will participate in the 2022 Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference on Tuesday, September 6, 2022. A webcast of the presentation and fireside chat is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. CT (4:30 p.m. ET).
The webcasts, replays, and other information for both events can be accessed at the Company's investor website http://investor.hormelfoods.com.
About Hormel Foods – Inspired People. Inspired Food.™
Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $11 billion in annual revenue across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include Planters®, SKIPPY®, SPAM®, Hormel® Natural Choice®, Applegate®, Justin's®, Wholly®, Hormel® Black Label®, Columbus®, Jennie-O® and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named on the "Global 2000 World's Best Employers" list by Forbes magazine for three years, is one of Fortune magazine's most admired companies, has appeared on the "100 Best Corporate Citizens" list by 3BL Media 13 times, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. The company lives by its purpose statement — Inspired People. Inspired Food.™ — to bring some of the world's most trusted and iconic brands to tables across the globe. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com.
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SOURCE Hormel Foods Corporation | 2022-08-08T12:49:42+00:00 | wymt.com | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2022/08/08/hormel-foods-corporation-report-third-quarter-earnings-participate-2022-barclays-global-consumer-staples-conference/ |
The millionaire mercenary chief who long benefitted from the powerful patronage of President Vladimir Putin has moved into the global spotlight with a dramatic rebellion against Russia’s military that challenged the authority of Putin himself.
Yevgeny Prigozhin is the 62-year-old owner of the Kremlin-allied Wagner Group, a private army of inmate recruits and other mercenaries that has fought some of the deadliest battles in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
On Friday, Prigozhin abruptly escalated months of scathing criticism of Russia’s conduct of the war, calling for an armed uprising to oust the defense minister, and then rolling toward Moscow with his soldiers-for-hire.
As Putin’s government declared a “counterterrorism” alert and scrambled to seal off Moscow with checkpoints, Prigozhin just as abruptly stood down the following day. As part of the deal to defuse the crisis, he agreed to move to Belarus and was seen late Saturday retreating with his forces from Rostov-on-Don, a city in southern Russia where they had taken over the military headquarters.
It was unclear what was next for Prigozhin, a former prison inmate, hot-dog vendor and restaurant owner who has riveted world attention.
Prigozhin and Putin go way back, with both born in Leningrad, what is now St. Petersburg.
During the final years of the Soviet Union, Prigozhin served time in prison — 10 years by his own admission — although he does not say what it was for.
Afterward, he owned a hot dog stand and then fancy restaurants that drew interest from Putin. In his first term, the Russian leader took then-French President Jacques Chirac to dine at one of them.
“Vladimir Putin saw how I built a business out of a kiosk, he saw that I don’t mind serving to the esteemed guests because they were my guests,” Prigozhin recalled in an interview published in 2011.
His businesses expanded significantly to catering and providing school lunches. In 2010, Putin helped open Prigozhin’s factory, which was built on generous loans by a state bank. In Moscow alone, his company Concord won millions of dollars in contracts to provide meals at public schools. He also organized catering for Kremlin events for several years — earning him the nickname “Putin’s chef” — and has provided catering and utility services to the Russian military.
In 2017, opposition figure and corruption fighter Alexei Navalny accused Prigozhin’s companies of breaking antitrust laws by bidding for some $387 million in Defense Ministry contracts.
Prigozhin also owns the Wagner Group, a Kremlin-allied mercenary force that has come to play a central role in Putin’s projection of Russian influence in trouble spots around the world.
The United States, European Union, United Nations and others say the mercenary force has involved itself in conflicts in countries across Africa in particular. Wagner fighters allegedly provide security for national leaders or warlords in exchange for lucrative payments, often including a share of gold or other natural resources. U.S. officials say Russia may also be using Wagner’s work in Africa to support its war in Ukraine.
In Ukraine, Prigozhin’s mercenaries have become a major force in the war, fighting as counterparts to the Russian army in battles with Ukrainian forces.
That includes Wagner fighters taking Bakhmut, the city where the bloodiest and longest battles have taken place. By last month, Wagner Group and Russian forces appeared to have largely won Bakhmut, a victory with strategically slight importance for Russia despite the cost in lives. Prigozhin has said that 20,000 of his men died in Bakhmut, about half of them inmates recruited from Russia’s prisons.
Western countries and United Nations experts have accused Wagner Group mercenaries of committing numerous human rights abuses throughout Africa, including in the Central African Republic, Libya and Mali.
In December 2021, the European Union accused the group of “serious human rights abuses, including torture and extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and killings,” and of carrying out “destabilizing activities” in the Central African Republic, Libya, Syria and Ukraine.
Some of the reported incidents stood out in their grisly brutality.
In November 2022, a video surfaced online that showed a former Wagner contractor getting beaten to death with a sledgehammer after he allegedly fled to the Ukrainian side and was recaptured. Despite public outrage and a stream of demands for an investigation, the Kremlin turned a blind eye to it.
As his forces fought and died en masse in Ukraine, Prigozhin raged against Russia’s military brass. In a video released by his team last month, Prigozhin stood next to rows bodies he said were those of Wagner fighters. He accused Russia’s regular military of incompetence and of starving his troops of the weapons and ammunition they needed to fight.
“These are someone’s fathers and someone’s sons,” Prigozhin said then. “The scum that doesn’t give us ammunition will eat their guts in hell.”
Prigozhin has castigated the top military brass, accusing top-ranking officers of incompetence. His remarks were unprecedented for Russia’s tightly controlled political system, in which only Putin could air such criticism.
In January, Putin reaffirmed his trust in the chief of the Russian military’s General Staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, by putting him in direct charge of the Russian forces in Ukraine, a move that some observers also interpreted as an attempt to cut Prigozhin down to size.
Asked recently about a media comparison of him to Grigory Rasputin, a mystic who gained influence over Russia’s last czar by claiming to have the power to cure his son’s hemophilia, Prigozhin snapped: “I don’t stop blood, but I spill blood of the enemies of our Motherland.”
Prigozhin earlier gained more limited attention in the U.S., when he and a dozen other Russian nationals and three Russian companies were charged with operating a covert social media campaign aimed at fomenting discord ahead of Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory.
They were indicted as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference. The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned Prigozhin and associates repeatedly in connection with both his election interference and his leadership of the Wagner Group.
After the 2018 indictment, the RIA Novosti news agency quoted Prigozhin as saying, in a clearly sarcastic remark: “Americans are very impressionable people; they see what they want to see. I treat them with great respect. I’m not at all upset that I’m on this list. If they want to see the devil, let them see him.”
The Biden White House in that episode called him “a known bad actor,” and State Department spokesman Ned Price said Prigozhin’s “bold confession, if anything, appears to be just a manifestation of the impunity that crooks and cronies enjoy under President Putin and the Kremlin.”
As Prigozhin grew more outspoken against the way Russia’s conventional military conducted fighting in Ukraine, he continued to play a seemingly indispensable role for the Russian offensive, and appeared to suffer no retaliation from Putin for his criticism of Putin’s generals.
Media reports at times suggested Prigozhin’s influence on Putin was growing and he was after a prominent political post. But analysts warned against overestimating his influence with Putin.
“He’s not one of Putin’s close figures or a confidant,” said Mark Galeotti of University College, London, who specializes in Russian security affairs, speaking on his podcast “In Moscow’s Shadows.”
“Prigozhin does what the Kremlin wants and does very well for himself in the process. But that’s the thing — he is part of the staff rather than part of the family,” Galeotti said.
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Follow AP coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine-war | 2023-06-25T11:33:08+00:00 | pix11.com | https://pix11.com/ap-international/prigozhin-the-mercenary-chief-urging-an-uprising-against-russias-generals-has-long-ties-to-putin/ |
In a first-of-its-kind enforcement, the Federal Trade Commission has imposed a $1.5 million penalty on telehealth and prescription drug discount provider GoodRx Holdings Inc. for sharing users’ personal health data with Facebook, Google and other third parties without their consent.
Under a settlement, California-based GoodRx also accepted that it will be prohibited going forward from sharing user health data with third parties for advertising purposes, the FTC said. GoodRx admitted no wrongdoing and said in a blog post that it settled “to avoid the time and expense of protracted litigation.” The agreement is pending federal court approval.
Consumer protection advocates hailed Wednesday’s announcement as a potential game-changer that could seriously curtail a little-known phenomenon: The trafficking in sensitive health data by businesses not strictly classified as health care providers.
“Digital health companies and mobile apps should not cash in on consumers’ extremely sensitive and personally identifiable health information,” Samuel Levine, head of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement. “The FTC is serving notice that it will use all of its legal authority to protect American consumers’ sensitive data from misuse and illegal exploitation.”
The enforcement is the first under a 2009 law, the Health Breach Notification Rule, which applies to personal health record vendors and related providers not covered by HIPAA, the federal privacy rules that govern the health care industry,
It comes three years after Consumer Reports discovered that GoodRx was sharing people’s personal health information with more than 20 companies. “People told us they’d never expected that their sensitive information was being shared with the likes of Google and Facebook,” Marta Tellado, president and CEO of Consumer Reports, said in a statement Wednesday. “This is a win for consumers, and it could have a profound effect on how our health information is kept private moving forward.”
In a legal complaint filed on the FTC’s behalf, Justice Department lawyers said GoodRx’s actions had “unjustly enriched” the company at the expense of users — many sufferers of chronic health conditions — who could face “stigma, embarrassment or emotional distress” as well as discrimination if facts it shared were disclosed.
GoodRx said the focus of the FTC’s concerns was “proactively addressed” nearly three years ago, before the FTC inquiry began.
Justin Brookman, the director of technology policy at Consumer Reports, said he believed the FTC inquiry began after his organization’s Feb. 25, 2020 report. Prior to that, the government said, “GoodRx had no sufficient formal, written, or standard privacy or data-sharing policies or compliance programs in place. And, even after GoodRx’s practices came to light, it failed to notify users that their health information had been disclosed without their authorization.”
Company spokeswoman Lauren Casparis said via email that GoodRx “used vendor technologies to advertise in a way that we believe was compliant with all applicable regulations and that remains common practice among many websites.”
Those technologies included embedded web beacons known as “pixels” and other tracking and data-collection tools from companies including Google and Facebook, the government said.
“They put pixels on their site,” Brookman of Consumer Reports said by telephone. “They don’t have to do that.”
In a statement, Brookman said “health apps and websites have been giving away our personal data for years without consequence. This case should be a turning point — now companies have to understand that sharing customer data without clear permission will lead to investigations and fines.”
On its website, GoodRx says it has helped consumers save more than $45 billion since 2011.
The FTC said more than 55 million consumers have visited GoodRx’s website or mobile apps since January 2017. It said the company collects personal and health information from its users and from pharmacy benefit managers — the companies that manage prescription drug benefits — that confirm when one of its coupons has been used in a purchase.
The FTC said in a news release that GoodRx “deceptively promised its users that it would never share personal health information with advertisers or other third parties” while sharing information on their prescriptions and health conditions with third-party advertising companies and platforms including Facebook, Google and Criteo. That process helped GoodRx target personalized ads on Facebook and Instagram and other platforms, the FTC said.
Other provisions of proposed federal court order oblige GoodRx to direct third parties with whom it shared consumer health data to delete it and inform consumers.
GoodRX spokeswoman Casparis said the company believes “the requirements detailed in the settlement will have no material impact on our business or on our current or future operations.” | 2023-02-02T14:09:55+00:00 | wboy.com | https://www.wboy.com/technology/ap-ftc-fines-goodrx-for-unauthorized-sharing-of-health-data/ |
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democrats may be moving toward shaking up their presidential nominating process starting in 2024.
They’re poised to boot Iowa from the lead-off spot as part of a broader effort to allow to go earlier less overwhelmingly white states that better reflect the party’s diverse electorate.
The Democratic National Committee rule-making arm is delaying the decision until after the November midterm election.
But rules committee members say the party is leaning toward having either New Hampshire or Nevada go first – or perhaps on the same day. South Carolina would move from fourth to third.
That’d free up a larger, midwestern state to perhaps go next, with Michigan and Minnesota making strong cases. | 2022-08-05T20:01:04+00:00 | centraloregondaily.com | https://centraloregondaily.com/democrats-iowa-caucuses/ |
Senate GOP leader McConnell briefly leaves news conference after freezing up mid-sentence
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell briefly left his own press conference Wednesday after stopping his remarks mid-sentence and staring off into space for several seconds.
McConnell approached the podium for his weekly press conference and began speaking about the annual defense bill on the floor, which he said was proceeding with “good bipartisan cooperation.” But he then appeared to lose his train of thought, trailing off with a drawn-out “uh.”
The Kentucky senator then appeared to freeze up and stared vacantly for around 20 seconds before his colleagues in Republican leadership, who were standing behind him and could not see his face, grabbed his elbows and asked if he wanted to go back to his office.
He did not answer, but slowly walked back to his office with an aide and Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, a former orthopedic surgeon who is the No. 3 Republican in the Senate. After sitting down in his office for several minutes, McConnell later returned to the press conference and answered questions from the press.
Asked about what happened, McConnell said he was “fine.” Asked if he is still able to do his job, he said, “Yeah.”
A McConnell aide said he felt lightheaded and stepped away for a moment. The aide requested anonymity to speak about the senator’s health.
McConnell, 81, was out of the Senate for almost six weeks earlier this year after falling and hitting his head. His office later said he suffered a concussion and fractured a rib. His speech has recently sounded more halting, prompting questions among some of his colleagues about his health.
After the press conference, Barrasso told reporters he “wanted to make sure everything was fine” and walked McConnell down the hall to his office.
Barrasso said he has been concerned since McConnell was injured earlier this year, “and I continue to be concerned.”
But asked about his particular concerns, Barrasso said: “I said I was concerned when he fell and hit his head a number of months ago and was hospitalized. And I think he’s made a remarkable recovery, he’s doing a great job leading our conference and was able to answer every question the press asked him today.”
McConnell was reelected easily to another term to lead the conference last year, despite a challenge from Florida Sen. Rick Scott. But several Republicans, including No. 2 Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota and Barrasso, are seen as waiting in the wings to someday replace McConnell as leader.
Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who is also seen as a potential candidate to succeed McConnell, told reporters after the episode, “I support Senator McConnell as long as he wants to serve as leader.”
McConnell’s fall in March was the second major injury for McConnell in recent years. Four years ago he tripped and fell at his home in Kentucky, causing a shoulder fracture that required surgery. McConnell had polio in his early childhood and he has long acknowledged some difficulty as an adult in climbing stairs.
First elected to the Senate in 1984, McConnell became the longest-serving Senate party leader in history in January.
The Republican leader is one of several senators who have been absent due to health issues this year. Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, 90, was out of the Senate for more than two months after suffering from a bout of shingles. And Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., 53, took a weekslong leave to get treatment for clinical depression.
__
Associated Press writers Kevin Freking and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2023-07-26T20:39:47+00:00 | kfyrtv.com | https://www.kfyrtv.com/2023/07/26/senate-gop-leader-mcconnell-briefly-leaves-news-conference-after-freezing-up-mid-sentence/ |
OKLAHOMA CITY, Feb. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- After careful consideration, Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC, the investment adviser to the PSYK ETF (the "Fund"), in consultation with Elemental Advisors Inc., the Fund's sponsor, has recommended, and the Board of Trustees of ETF Series Solutions has approved, the termination and liquidation of the Fund pursuant to the terms of a Plan of Liquidation. Accordingly, the Fund is expected to cease operations and liquidate on or about March 28, 2023 (the "Liquidation Date").
The Fund will be closed to orders for new creation units on March 21, 2023, and the last day of trading the Fund's shares on the NYSE Arca, Inc. will be March 27, 2023. From March 21, 2023 through March 27, 2023, shareholders may only be able to sell their shares to certain broker-dealers, and there is no assurance that there will be a market for the Fund's shares during that time period. Customary brokerage charges may apply to such transactions.
In anticipation of the liquidation of the Fund, the Fund will be managed in a manner intended to facilitate its orderly liquidation, such as by raising cash or making investments in other highly liquid assets. As a result, starting on March 21, 2023 all or a portion of the Fund may not be invested in a manner consistent with the Fund's stated investment strategy, which may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective.
On or about the Liquidation Date, the Fund will liquidate its assets and distribute cash pro rata to all remaining shareholders. This distribution is a taxable event. In addition, this payment to shareholders will include accrued capital gains and dividends, if any. As calculated on the Liquidation Date, the Fund's net asset value will reflect the costs of closing the Fund. For the Fund's ordinary income and capital gains distributions, if any, shareholders of record as of March 28, 2023, will be paid on or about March 29, 2023. The liquidation distribution will be paid on or about March 29, 2023. Once the distributions are complete, the Fund will terminate.
If you would like additional information, please call 1-800-617-0004, or visit https://psyk-etf.com/.
Fund shareholders of record as of the record date are eligible to receive dividends from the liquidation distribution. The Fund will liquidate and pay dividends to shareholders of record on the pay date.
Shares are bought and sold at market price (not NAV) and are not individually redeemed from the Fund. NAVs are calculated using prices as of 4:00 PM Eastern Time. Brokerage commissions will reduce returns.
Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC serves as the investment advisor to the Fund. The Fund is distributed by Quasar, which is not affiliated with Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC or any of its affiliates.
Carefully consider the Fund's investment objectives, risk factors, charges and expenses before investing. This and additional information can be found in the Fund's prospectus, which may be obtained by visiting https://psyk-etf.com/. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.
Investments involve risk. Principal loss is possible. The Fund has the same risks as the underlying securities traded on the exchange throughout the day at market price. The Fund's investments will be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent the Index is so concentrated.
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SOURCE Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC | 2023-02-28T04:52:58+00:00 | live5news.com | https://www.live5news.com/prnewswire/2023/02/27/exchange-traded-concepts-close-liquidate-psyk-etf/ |
Above the Arctic Circle, the community in Kotzebue, Alaska, is watching sea ice disappear as the climate gets hotter. In the Western U.S., firefighters are battling increasingly explosive wildfires, driven by hot, dry weather.
Scientists are finding these two extremes could be connected, a sign of how melting ice is causing ripple effects across the planet. You can also see images and video from Alaska and California here.
This story is part of the NPR Climate Desk series Beyond the Poles: The far-reaching dangers of melting ice.
This audio story was edited by Neela Banerjee and Sadie Babits. It was produced by Ryan Kellman.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-04-20T09:55:30+00:00 | iowapublicradio.org | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/news-from-npr/2023-04-20/how-melting-arctic-ice-could-be-fueling-extreme-wildfires-in-the-western-u-s |
Trump attorney Evan Corcoran appeared before a grand jury investigating the former president’s handling of classified documents on Friday, after an appeals court rejected his efforts to overturn the court order requiring his testimony earlier this week.
Corcoran was seen heading into a Washington, D.C., courthouse shortly before 9 a.m. on Friday, according to The Washington Post.
U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell had ordered Corcoran to testify before the grand jury, after finding that there was sufficient evidence to suggest that he may have provided legal advice in furtherance of a crime, which makes attorney-client privilege void. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Howell’s order on Wednesday.
Corcoran, who has represented former President Trump throughout the classified documents scandal, handed over 38 classified documents to the Justice Department in June 2022 in response to a subpoena for any remaining classified materials.
However, amid concerns that Trump had not fully complied with the subpoena, the FBI ultimately executed a search warrant of the former president’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida in August 2022 and found about 100 more classified documents. | 2023-03-24T20:16:13+00:00 | myfox8.com | https://myfox8.com/news/politics/hill-politics/trump-lawyer-evan-corcoran-appears-before-grand-jury-in-mar-a-lago-documents-case/ |
In Billings, from a shopping spree at Scheels to fun with lights and sirens with some of the city's first responders, 30 students are ready to get the royal treatment as they head back to school.
After a few successful years of treating kids to a holiday shopping spree, the Billings Police Department is expanding its Shop with a Cop program, launching its first ever back-to-school version.
"Our mission with Shop With a Cop is to just have a community interaction between the law enforcement community and the community that we serve here. Some of these kids might have had a tragedy recently in their life, they’re struggling financially or come from a background where they just don’t have good interactions with law enforcement, and we just want to pair them with an officer so they get a good experience with an officer, and also give them an experience where they are going to start the school year off with some confidence," said Sgt. Jeff Stovall, the department's Shop with a Cop coordinator.
For the kids, the event kicks off Sunday, Aug. 7 around 8:45 a.m. with a motorcade fit for royalty from MetraPark to Scheels. The public is invited to be part of it.
"If they want to line the streets and just wave the kids on. If they want to come down to Scheels here and wave the kids on and get them pumped up, we just want to make this seem like they are the biggest thing going on in town right now," Stovall said.
The back-to-school experience includes a $450 Scheels shopping spree, a backpack full of school supplies, lunch with an officer and a fresh haircut. And it's all thanks to donations. | 2022-08-06T00:37:12+00:00 | ktvq.com | https://www.ktvq.com/news/local-news/billings-police-hosting-shop-with-a-cop-for-back-to-school |
Want to start a food fight? Here's an easy way: Ask any gathering of people to identify their favorite fast food french fries. The room will go from zero to pandemonium quicker than any drive-thru line moves.
To help quell the turbulence, this week I've noshed my way through fries at 10 San Antonio-area fast food chains to see how the competition stacks up. It is safe to say not all french fries are created equal, and there's hard evidence to support that claim.
The evaluative criteria in this contest began with the temperature at which a medium-size order of fries was served as measured with a digital thermometer immediately upon taking possession of the goods. The next measure was initial crispiness and flavor, with a focus on balance of textures and a proper degree of seasoning.
Lastly was the durability test. All of the fries were placed in their respective paper bags with the top folded down, just like you'd get in a drive-thru, and driven around San Antonio for a period of 15 minutes with the air conditioner blasting to evaluate their road worthiness.
Top dogs, fries: The best hot dogs, french fries, onion rings and shakes in the San Antonio area
This is not an exhaustive survey of the fries at every fast food restaurant in town. There had to be some limits. Only places with drive-thrus were included (sorry, Five Guys.) No fries with performance-enhancing flavor courtesy of complex seasoning salts (Popeye's: guilty as charged.) No funny waffle cuts, either (looking at you, Chick-fil-A.) And chains only (maybe next time, Murf's Better Burger.) If your favorite spot wasn't included, that decision was made out of expediency, not malice.
Of the 10 restaurants I did visit, here's the pecking order.
10: Bill Miller Bar-B-Q ($2.50, 180 degrees)
These thick-cut, rustic fries arrived in a sad, saggy pile on a foam plate. While the potato skins were left on and provided some textural variety, that did little to make up for the bland, barely seasoned flavor of these excessively oily fries. The exterior of these fries was less of a crunchy shell than a thin, tough skin containing oodles of soft, fluffy potato.
The 15-minute test: These fries changed very little after sweating in a bag for 15 minutes. They were soggy to begin with, and that didn't improve any.
9: Burger Boy ($2.49, 172 degrees)
The lone crinkle-cut order of fries in this contest couldn't deliver the crunch all of that extra surface area should provide. These fries flexed like oily accordions. The few fries with thinner ends did have a nice snap to them, but a general lack of seasoning left this option with a bland, almost sweet flavor of potato. The wadded fistful of napkins carelessly jammed into the bag with the fries only reinforced this lackluster experience.
The 15-minute test: Once these fries hit the road, they cooled rapidly into limp, greasy logs with a mealy texture.
8: McDonald's ($3.09, 131 degrees)
While the Golden Arches has a legion of enthusiasts endorsing these fries, this particular order was nothing to get excited about. Cut very thin and fairly pale in color, these fries were unevenly salted and had a texture and temperature suggesting they had spent a few minutes too long under a heat lamp. The few fries that were allowed to cook long enough provided an acceptable crunch, but there weren't nearly enough of them in this order.
The 15-minute test: As many of these fries were already fairly soggy to begin with, they didn't change much after hitchhiking a ride in my passenger seat. There were a few crispy ends left, but the fries were mostly mush.
7: Whataburger ($2.99, 158 degrees)
With about as much color as Bela Lugosi's face paint, these pale and wire-thin fries were surprisingly tough with a very dense chew. They had a pleasant aroma and were very lightly seasoned with salt. Despite the complete lack of browning, some of the fries did provide a nice crunch, but more than half the order was fairly soft and flexible.
The 15-minute test: These fries took on an almost rubbery characteristic after riding across town, only amplifying their already problematic dense bite.
Burger battle: Whataburger vs. Burger Boy: A San Antonio burger showdown to decide who makes the better fast-food burger
6: Sonic Drive-In ($2.49, 147 degrees)
Sonic provides a fairly solid fry. They're well seasoned, have an aroma that's mostly potato with a hint of clean cooking oil, and aren't overly greasy. They're cut a little thicker than the fries at McDonald's and Whataburger, which gives them a good ratio of crispy exterior and pillowy insides. Sonic left the skins on the fries, which created a pleasing extra layer of texture.
The 15-minute test: You'd expect fries at a drive-in to hold up pretty well, and Sonic didn't disappoint here. These fries proved quite road-worthy with a good bit of crunch remaining after the drive home.
5: Dairy Queen ($2.99, 194 degrees)
Like Sonic, DQ serves a slightly thicker fry that balances snap and softness well. This order came piping hot out of fresh oil, and was well seasoned with an inviting scent. The fries were fairly stiff and rigid without crossing into tough territory, and sported lots of little thin ends that browned up into crunchy bits of delight.
The 15-minute test: You don't have to worry if you have these guys riding shotgun. They lost a bit of their crispiness, but remained firm and ready for ketchup-dunking action.
4: Burger King ($2.69, 204 degrees)
You just can't beat fries pulled straight out of the oil and served immediately, which is what happened at Burger King. These fries were also a bit on the thicker side, with an excellent crispness and fluffy interiors. They were fried to an appealing deep golden color, but salted a little too aggressively.
The 15-minute test: This was among the freshest order of fries sampled, and as such, they still retained much of their crunch after 15 minutes in the car.
3: In-N-Out Burger ($2.15, 210 degrees)
This California-based chain served the best example of a thin-cut fry sampled in this test. They were served piping hot, and had a great crunch, clean aroma and weren't at all oily. In-N-Out was the only place that seasoned its fries with black pepper in addition to salt, and that extra layer of flavor ramped up the experience with a pungent scent and gentle bite.
The 15-minute test: These fries were served in a paper boat instead of a bag, and cooled quickly as consequence. But the shape of that container allowed the steam coming off the fries to easily dissipate, leaving most of their crunch intact.
Best burgers: Top 10 burgers in the San Antonio area from our 52 Weeks of Burgers series
2: Jack in the Box ($2.99, 202 degrees)
This San Diego-based chain gets fries right. They were perfectly seasoned with very little taste of oil, and had the best initial crunch of all the fries sampled. Jack in the Box uses a slightly thicker cut similar to Dairy Queen and Sonic, which gave these fries an outstanding snap-to-squish ratio.
The 15-minute test: These fries remained firm and fairly crunchy after some time behind the wheel and traveled better than nearly every other competitor.
1: P. Terry's Burger Stand ($2.05, 143 degrees)
It's hard not to appreciate P. Terry's fries at first glimpse. They're rustic, shaggy, unpeeled and deeply bronzed, providing a platonic ideal of what a french fry should be. My order was spot-on with the seasoning, had a great crunch and smelled of nothing but potato. P. Terry's uses fresh spuds for its fries and warns they might not always be the same from order to order on its website, but on this particular day, they swung for the fences and scored big.
The 15-minute test: While P. Terry's nails the first impression french fry experience, this order didn't hold up as well on the road, turning somewhat limp and oily on the drive home. Best bet is to enjoy these marvels in the moment they're served.
pstephen@express-news.net | Twitter: @pjbites | Instagram: @pjstephen | 2023-05-17T20:07:53+00:00 | expressnews.com | https://www.expressnews.com/food/restaurants/article/fast-food-french-fries-ranked-18104253.php |
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EAST STROUDSBURG, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Safety is on the minds of skateboarders and bikers who are rallying together in the Poconos, raising money to replace a nearly 20-year-old skate park.
Dansbury Skatepark brings together everyone wanting to enjoy the outdoors and feel a little bit of a thrill, but since getting the approval to build a brand new skatepark local skaters have been working for months to come up with the money for it. | 2023-07-13T12:10:19+00:00 | pahomepage.com | https://www.pahomepage.com/news/local-shop-ramps-up-fundraising-for-new-skatepark/ |
NEW YORK — NEW YORK — Ziff Davis, Inc. (ZD) on Wednesday reported fourth-quarter net income of $67.5 million.
The internet and cloud services company posted revenue of $396.7 million in the period, also missing Street forecasts. Three analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $400.5 million.
For the year, the company reported profit of $63.8 million, or $1.36 per share. Revenue was reported as $1.39 billion.
Ziff Davis expects full-year earnings in the range of $6.02 to $6.54 per share, with revenue in the range of $1.35 billion to $1.41 billion.
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This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on ZD at https://www.zacks.com/ap/ZD | 2023-02-15T23:47:31+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/ziff-davis-q4-earnings-snapshot/2023/02/15/a372f1ce-ad87-11ed-b0ba-9f4244c6e5da_story.html |
LONDON (AP) — Elon Musk caused a stir by tweeting that he was buying the English soccer team Manchester United — whose current owners are opposed by many fans — then saying several hours later that it was a joke.
It comes as the billionaire Tesla CEO faces a legal battle in the U.S. after backing out of a deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion. He is a prolific user of the platform, often musing about social issues or joking with his 103 million followers and occasionally getting into trouble with the U.S. regulators.
Early Wednesday, Musk sent a tweet about his political affiliations and then added in a second tweet: “Also, I’m buying Manchester United ur welcome.”
That came as shocking news in the Manchester United world — albeit welcome to many — after nearly a decade of sub-par performances.
Asked by a follower whether he was serious, Musk later tweeted, “No, this is a long-running joke on Twitter. I’m not buying any sports teams.”
Musk previously ran afoul of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for tweets claiming that he had the funding to take Tesla private in 2018, leading the electric vehicle maker's stock price to jump. That led to a securities fraud settlement requiring that his tweets be approved by a Tesla attorney before being published.
He's now facing more legal woes over the deal to buy Twitter, which he negotiated in April. Musk sold roughly $8.5 billion worth of Tesla shares to help fund the purchase and lined up a diverse group of other investors to back him.
The deal fell apart last month after Musk said Twitter refused to provide him enough information about the number of fake accounts on the platform. Twitter could have tried to make him pay a $1 billion breakup fee that he agreed to but instead is suing to force him to complete the purchase. The case is set to go to trial in Delaware in October.
Musk, with his seemingly unlimited potential to buy the best soccer players in the world, would have been a welcome prospect for many Man United fans who want to see the club back at the top of the game.
Man United was arguably the biggest team in world soccer under manager Alex Ferguson, winning 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League trophies. But since Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, the team has struggled to win trophies.
Last season, United finished 35 points behind champion Manchester City — the club’s local rival — and there were protests against the Glazer family, the team’s American owners.
Many supporters in the club’s huge international fanbase have opposed the Glazers since they took control in 2005, in part because they financed the takeover by putting the club in debt for the first time in decades.
The latest low came Saturday when United lost 4-0 to Brentford, a small team from west London that was promoted to the Premier League in 2021. It was United’s second straight loss to open the season, leaving it in last place in the 20-team Premier League.
The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust fan group, known as MUST, condemned the owners following last weekend’s match.
“What we have witnessed tonight is an embarrassment — no, a humiliation — for Manchester United fans. And yet in many ways it was not a surprise. It feels like the culmination of a long-term direction of travel,” the fan club said in a statement. “MUST hold the owners of the Club primarily responsible for this new low in our decade of decline.” | 2022-08-17T12:00:00+00:00 | lmtonline.com | https://www.lmtonline.com/sports/article/Musk-tweet-joking-about-buying-Manchester-United-17378976.php |
SHANGHAI, Jan. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- USHOPAL ("USHOPAL"), a Shanghai-based market leading luxury beauty group focused on unlocking value for global luxury beauty brands, today announced that it has entered into an exclusive omnichannel distribution agreement with London-based luxury beauty brand, 111SKIN ("111 SKIN").
At the forefront of transformative skincare results, 111SKIN is founded by Dr. Yannis Alexandrides, MD FACS, born from an innovative serum with patented antioxidant complex, NAC Y²™.
'We are excited to bring the transformative results of 111SKIN, an exceptional brand rooted in advanced science with proven skincare technology to our growing community of gen Z influencers, KOLs, KOCs, and skincare cognoscenti', said Lu Guo, USHOPAL founder and CEO.
111SKIN will relaunch a fully upgraded Tmall Global Store in February 2023, develop an omni-channel approach, followed by a rollout in all Bonnie&Clyde luxury retail doors by early 2023. The first store opening in the Kerry Center in Shanghai is planned for March 8th.
'We are proud to have established a long-term partnership with USHOPAL and Bonnie&Clyde which will be integral to our ongoing expansion' , said 111SKIN's co-founder, Eva Alexandrides. 'We look forward to a fruitful partnership with USHOPAL bringing 111SKIN's transformative results that bridge the gap between plastic surgery and advanced skincare to our skincare community through USHOPAL's end to end omni-channel brand building capabilities.
About USHOPAL Group
Founded in 2016, USHOPAL is the fastest growing pre-eminent omnichannel luxury beauty brand acceleration group in China. USHOPAL invests in, partners with and through its own luxury retail stores, Bonnie&Clyde, scales and unlocks value for Gen Z-driven next generation beauty and wellness brands.
Tapping into the zeitgeist of its premium Gen Z beauty and wellness community, USHOPAL offers end to end capabilities to scale its owned and omnichannel partner brands from 0 to 1 and 1 to 100. Its portfolio of fully- and minority-owned as well as pure omnichannel distribution partners includes ARgENTUM Apothecary, UK; Juliette Has A Gun, France; Chantecaille, USA; Anastasia Beverly Hills, USA; Natura Bissé, Spain; Suqqu, Japan; and Bulk Homme, Japan; amongst others.
USHOPAL's unique omnichannel luxury brand growth model leverages a complete brand management ecosystem with 320 employees, end to end brand management capabilities spanning content creation through its in-house studio, a global infrastructure network with twenty-four domestic and international bonded warehouses, and total omnichannel control across online DTC both in cross border and domestic channels and offline through its owned luxury retail stores, Bonnie&Clyde, located across 12 luxury malls, and duty free. USHOPAL's omnichannel ecosystem is unequalled in scope and luxury beauty brand experience with a growing network of 3000 hand-picked KOLs and content creators who localize and create compelling connective tissue for premium and luxury brands to successfully scale and win in China.
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About 111SKIN
111SKIN was founded by globally-renowned Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon Dr Yannis Alexandrides MD FACS and entrepreneur Eva Alexandridis. They launched the brand in 2012 with an industry-disrupting serum powered by Dr Yannis's patented antioxidant complex, NAC Y²™. NAC Y²™ is a unique formula and the result of 30 years of Dr Yannis' medical expertise. The extraordinary results and subsequent demand for the product has allowed 111SKIN to expand into 6 ranges and over 60 products. Loved by celebrities, beauty editors and skintellectuals alike, 111SKIN has gained a global presence in the luxury sector through its unusual fusion of surgical knowledge, innovative ingredients and medically-inspired delivery methods that thoroughly address niche skincare concerns.
Contact:
Investor Relations
pr@USHOPAL.com
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SOURCE USHOPAL | 2023-01-30T09:46:00+00:00 | uppermichiganssource.com | https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/prnewswire/2023/01/30/111skin-ushopal-sign-exclusive-omni-channel-partnership-china/ |
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska church has raised more than $520,000 to pay off the medical bills of residents in its neighborhood, ending the 14-month-campaign on Easter Sunday.
An estimated 10,000 people contributed to the First-Plymouth Congregational Church effort, The Lincoln Journal Star reports.
“In my mind, it was a straight-on spiritual thing, you know, Jesus says, ‘love your neighbor,’” the Rev. Jim Keck said. “What erupted was just generosity.”
The effort came about after the Rev. Juan Carlos Huertas took on outreach efforts at the Lincoln church, starting something called justNeighbors. The ministry centered around community connection, helping neighbors with laundry, filling their gas tanks and providing health care to those without insurance.
He and Keck then set their sights on medical bills. By acquiring debt profiles anonymously through collection agencies, Huertas had determined how to absolve Lincolnites’ medical debt without incurring a tax burden on those receiving the aid.
The money raised ultimately helped 500 households in the Near South neighborhood. Along with the fundraising, there also were panel discussions on the economics of health care.
Huertas and Keck have decided that their next venture will be confronting an ongoing mental health crisis.
“We want to be that person that shines a light on it,” Huertas said. | 2023-04-10T14:58:35+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/health/nebraska-church-raises-520k-to-erase-medical-bills/ |
ORANGE COUNTY, N.C. — Orange County Sheriff’s Office said on Wednesday investigators detained a juvenile in connection with the murders of 18-year-old Devin Clark and 14-year-old Lyric Woods.
Woods and Clark were found dead in Orange County in September. Their bodies were found in a field by people riding ATVs. Investigators said the teens had been shot.
Sheriff Charles Blackwood said, “We hope this apprehension provides some relief to the families and friends of Devin and Lyric, who have experienced an excruciating loss. Obviously, the capture of the suspect does not restore their loved one to them. The grieving process is a long one, and we hope the community will continue to support them in their pain.”
The sheriff’s office isn’t releasing further information because of the suspect’s age.
Blackwood added, “We understand our community is hungry for information to help process this tragedy; however, the laws regarding juvenile confidentiality are ironclad. We have no ability to set them aside, even given the heightened interest in this case.”
Devin Clark was a senior at Eastern Alamance High School. Lyric Woods was a freshman at Cedar Ridge High School.
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Amazon Fire TV: Search for WFMY to find the free app to add to your account. You can also add the app directly to your Fire TV through your Amazon account. | 2022-10-06T02:42:14+00:00 | wfmynews2.com | https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/crime/juvenile-detained-double-homicide-orange-county/83-246dbb87-45c8-4a36-8915-e8c5f25ab95a |
DANDRIDGE, Tenn. (WJHL) – Tava Woodard was killed on Friday, June 2 at her job in Johnson City when two people robbed the Roadrunner Market on North Broadway Street. News Channel 11 spoke with Woodard’s family on Sunday, which is asking the community for help in identifying the two suspects.
The Johnson City Police Department is still searching for the suspects and had no update to provide on Sunday regarding the case.
Woodard lived and worked in Johnson City, but her mother and stepfather live more than an hour away in Dandridge. Her mother, stepfather, brother and sister gathered at their home to remember the life Woodard lived.
“She was very spunky,” said Melissa Jones, Tava’s mother.
“She was easy to talk to,” said Addie Blazer, her sister.
“She was probably the most caring person that I’ve ever known,” said Jace Woodard, Tava’s brother.
Woodard’s family said they want people to remember the light she brought to everyone around her.
“I’ve gotten so many messages and comments and phone calls from people that I know,” said Melissa Jones. “But at least half of the messages and calls I’ve gotten have been from people that I don’t know, just telling me how important Tava was to them and what a light she was for them and how she was always so sweet and so kind and so caring.”
Jones also shared some of Tava’s dreams and aspirations.
“She wanted to write a book,” said Jones. “And she talked about going to college for English. She talked about possibly going into education for English, but she really wanted to write a book. I don’t know if she started. She may have, I don’t know. But I’m sure it would have been an awesome book that we all would have loved. It would have been a bestseller, I’m sure. She had all kinds of stories to tell.”
Woodard’s birthday was on May 25. She visited her family that week, and her mother says that was the last time that she saw her daughter.
“We sat around and talked about memories of her being young and these guys being little,” said Melissa Jones. “And I was like, this is a really cool stage to be in where you can sit and talk with my almost adult children and talk about, you know, ‘hey, mom, remember this? And. Oh, yeah, I totally stole your sweater out of the closet that day.’ ‘And. Oh, you like my purse?’ Yeah. This is the one I took from you six years ago when you had your back turned,’ you know, that kind of stuff.”
“That does really give me at least a little bit of peace and comfort just knowing that last time we saw each other, we were all happy and just enjoying loving each other,” added Jones.
Woodard’s mother says she does believe more could have been done to keep her daughter safer at her job.
“She expressed some concerns as well to coworkers and family, friends. Yeah, she expressed some concerns beforehand. She expressed some concerns that night,” said Jones.
“A couple of her friends have told me that she had texted them that night. That she hated it there and she didn’t feel safe; it was scaring her there lately,” added Jones.
Jones says that they have been in contact with GPM Investments, which owns the gas station.
“They confirmed that they’re putting up a $5,000 reward,” said Jones. “I’ve not heard when that’s going to be done. I’ve not heard when a press release or a media release is going to be done. I’ve just been told that that’s what’s happening.”
Chris Jones, Tava’s stepfather, said he thinks the crime was significant for the amount of money the alleged suspects made away with.
“These two people, they are literally so evil and dangerous and careless that they did kill a young woman for no reason for like I said, 60, 70 bucks,” Chris Jones.
Police have not yet said how Tava Woodard was killed. That information also has not been released to her family.
“They’ve not told us anything more than what’s been released, really,” said Melissa Jones.
Tava Woodard’s family pleads with the public to come forward if they have any information and to check any surrounding camera footage.
“Not just the neighboring businesses, but a street over, two streets over,” said Chris Jones. “These guys, or people, were obviously walking, so they’ve been walking through the area.
They’re on video.”
“If anybody knows anything, please reach out,” said Melissa Jones. “This was a completely senseless act. This was my child. She just turned 23 last week. She had her entire life ahead of her. She was just finding her way, and she cooperated, and she did everything they asked, and they still killed her. It makes no sense whatsoever.”
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the police department at 423-434-6166, or Crime Stoppers at 423-434-6158 to remain anonymous or by texting 423JCPD and the tip to 847411.
Tava Woodard’s family told News Channel 11 the community is welcome at her memorial service. The date and time will be announced at a later date. | 2023-06-05T03:49:17+00:00 | wjhl.com | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/family-of-store-clerk-killed-in-robbery-speaks-out-asks-for-help-finding-and-identifying-suspects/ |
NEW YORK, June 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (NYSE: TDS, TDSPrU, TDSPrV) between May 6, 2022 and November 3, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important July 3, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline.
SO WHAT: If you purchased TDS securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the TDS class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=15807 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than July 3, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, the Company and its subsidiary, United States Cellular Corporation ("UScellular"), made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) defendants had no reason to believe UScellular's "free upgrade" promotional activity, which was tested and trialed during the second quarter of 2022, was effective at reducing the Company's postpaid churn rate as they represented to investors, as opposed to merely adding new postpaid subscribers, when its churn rate was actually increasing or remaining constant over most quarters in the class period; (2) UScellular was not making progress with respect to its churn rate, as it represented to investors; (3) UScellular was not in fact balancing its promotional activity and its profitability; (4) due to extreme competition among postpaid carriers, UScellular did not have the flexibility to offset the costs from widespread, expensive promotions with price increases; and (5) as a result of the Companies' decision for UScellular to continue engaging in heavy promotions to address its postpaid subscriber churn rate despite any lack of positive impact on churn rate, UScellular's profitability substantially declined. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the TDS class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=15807 mailto:or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.
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SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. | 2023-06-04T19:50:38+00:00 | wcjb.com | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2023/06/04/rosen-leading-national-firm-encourages-telephone-data-systems-inc-investors-secure-counsel-before-important-deadline-securities-class-action-tds-tdspru-tdsprv/ |
Updated June 10, 2023 at 9:11 PM ET
Former President Donald Trump on Saturday cast his federal indictment as election interference and an abuse of power by the Biden administration.
Speaking to the crowd at the Georgia Republican Convention in Columbus, Trump made his first public remarks since the Department of Justice unsealed an indictment a day earlier laying out its case that the former president and an aide mishandled classified documents.
"The ridiculous and baseless indictment of me by the Biden administration's weaponized 'Department of Injustice' will go down as among the most horrific abuses of power in the history of our country," Trump said. "This vicious persecution is a travesty of justice."
Despite his past and impending legal troubles, Trump remains the 2024 Republican presidential frontrunner.
"They've launched one witch hunt after another to try and stop our movement," he told the crowd. "They're not coming after me, they're coming after you."
Trump also spoke to the North Carolina Republican convention on Saturday evening.
The indictment includes 37 federal counts against Trump over his storage of national defense documents at his Florida resort and refusal to turn them over to the FBI and the National Archives. The charges also include conspiracies to obstruct justice and false statements.
Each charge carries a fine up to $250,000, and maximum prison sentences between five and 20 years.
Trump told Politico on Saturday that he would continue to campaign even if convicted.
In public comments following Friday's release of the indictment, Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith defended the ethical rigor of his team's work. He also emphasized that "the defendants in this case must be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-06-11T01:59:33+00:00 | wboi.org | https://www.wboi.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-06-10/trump-casts-his-federal-indictment-as-a-biased-abuse-of-power |
VATICAN CITY >> Recalling Jesus’ birth in a stable, Pope Francis rebuked those “ravenous” for wealth and power at the expense of the vulnerable, including children, in a Christmas Eve homily decrying war, poverty and greedy consumerism.
In the splendor of St. Peter’s Basilica, Francis presided over the evening Mass attended by about 7,000 faithful, including tourists and pilgrims, who flocked to the church on a warm evening and took their place behind rows of white-robed pontiffs.
Francis drew lessons from the humility of Jesus’ first hours of life in a manger.
“While animals feed in their stalls, men and women in our world, in their hunger for wealth and power, consume even their neighbors, their brothers and sisters,” the pontiff lamented. “How many wars have we seen! And in how many places, even today, are human dignity and freedom treated with contempt!”
“As always, the principal victims of this human greed are the weak and the vulnerable,” said Francis, who didn’t cite any specific conflict or situation.
“This Christmas, too, as in the case of Jesus, a world ravenous for money, power and pleasure does not make room for the little ones, for the so many unborn, poor and forgotten children,” the pope said, reading his homily with a voice that sounded tired and almost hoarse. “I think above all of the children devoured by war, poverty and injustice.”
Still, the pontiff exhorted people to take heart.
“Do not allow yourself to be overcome by fear, resignation or discouragement.” Jesus’ lying in a manger shows where “the true riches in life are to be found: not in money and power, but in relationships and persons.”
Remarking on the “so much consumerism that has packaged the mystery” of Christmas, Francis said there was a danger the day’s meaning could be forgotten.
But, he said, Christmas focuses attention on “the problem of our humanity — the indifference produced by the greedy rush to possess and consume.”
“Jesus was born poor, lived poor and died poor,” Francis said. “He did not so much talk about poverty as live it, to the very end, for our sake.”
Francis urged people to “not let this Christmas pass without doing something good.”
When the Mass ended, the pope, pushed in a wheelchair by an aide, moved down the basilica with a life-sized statue of Baby Jesus on his lap and flanked by several children carrying bouquets. The statue then was placed in a manger in a creche scene in the basilica.
Francis, 86, has been using a wheelchair to navigate long distances due to a painful knee ligament and a cane for shorter distances.
Traditionally, Catholics mark Christmas Eve by attending Mass at midnight. But over the years, the starting time at the Vatican has crept earlier, reflecting the health or stamina of popes and then the pandemic.
Two years ago, the start of Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica was moved up to 7:30 p.m. to allow faithful to get home before for a nighttime curfew imposed by the Italian government as a measure to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Although virtually all pandemic-triggered restrictions have long been lifted in Italy, the Vatican kept to the early start time.
During Saturday evening’s service, a choir sang hymns. Clusters of potted red poinsettia plants near the altar contrasted with the cream-colored vestments of the pontiff.
On Sunday, tens of thousands of Romans, tourists and pilgrims were expected to crowd into St. Peter’s Square to hear Pope Francis deliver an address on world issues and give his blessing. The speech, known in Latin as “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and to the world), generally is an occasion to review crises including war, persecution and hunger, in many parts of the globe.
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Associated Press journalist Luigi Navarra contributed. | 2022-12-24T21:45:22+00:00 | staradvertiser.com | https://www.staradvertiser.com/2022/12/24/breaking-news/pope-on-christmas-jesus-was-poor-so-dont-be-power-hungry/ |
By DAVID BRANDT
AP Sports Writer
The NFL’s Week 18 slate of games is a must-watch for anyone who enjoys high-stakes football, as long as they also enjoy elements of scoreboard-watching and slightly convoluted playoff tiebreakers.
It’s been an eventful week for players and fans, who watched in horror Monday night as Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field and had to be given CPR before leaving the field in an ambulance. A few days later, those same players and fans have watched with joy as Hamlin recovers.
That makes it much easier to focus on the NFL’s stacked final week, which will determine the playoff fate of numerous teams.
One of the game’s all-time great quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers, is facing a win-or-go-home situation when the Green Bay Packers host the Detroit Lions. One of the game’s all-time great coaches, Bill Belichick, and his New England Patriots need a win against the mighty Bills or they could find themselves on the couch watching the playoffs.
The No. 1 overall seed in the AFC was claimed by Kansas City with its 31-13 win over Las Vegas on Saturday. The NFC’s top spot is still up for grabs. It remains to be seen how much the AFC bracket will be affected by the cancellation of the Bills-Bengals game after Hamlin’s injury.
Here’s a look at some things to watch:
WHAT’S THE FORMAT FOR THE PLAYOFFS?
This is the third straight year of the current NFL playoff format, which includes the top seven teams from both the AFC and the NFC.
The four division winners in both conferences automatically get the top four seeds, regardless of record, and then the top three teams with the best record that didn’t win their division are the wild-card selections. That’s why it’s fairly common for a wild-card selection to have a better record — but worse playoff seeding — than a team that finished as a division winner.
The No. 1-seeded team in each conference gets a bye into the second round while No. 2 hosts No. 7, No. 3 hosts No. 6 and No. 4 hosts No. 5 during wild-card weekend.
The NFL has a re-seeding policy after each playoff round. That means that no matter how the bracket started, the lowest-seeded team will always travel to the higher-seeded team.
There are four rounds to the playoffs: The wild-card round is on Jan. 14-15, the divisional round is Jan. 21-22, the conference championship games are on Jan. 29 and the Super Bowl is scheduled for Feb. 12 in Glendale, Arizona.
WHAT CHANGED WITH THE BILLS-BENGALS CANCELLATION?
The Bills-Bengals game had major playoff implications in the AFC, so the cancellation of the game due to Hamlin’s injury could force some changes depending on Week 18 or playoff results.
The AFC championship will be played at a neutral site if the participating teams played an unequal number of games and both could have been the No. 1 seed and hosted the game had all AFC clubs played a full 17-game regular season.
The league is considering several sites, including indoor and outdoor stadiums.
There are numerous scenarios — particularly for the Bengals, Bills and Chiefs — depending on upcoming results. The list is fairly long. The AP has broken down those potential matchups.
WHAT ARE SOME BIG GAMES THIS WEEKEND?
In fairly straightforward playoff drama, the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Tennessee Titans 20-16 Saturday night to win the AFC South for the first time in five seasons. The Titans needed a win to advance to the postseason.
The Packers and Rodgers also have a straightforward path to the postseason. If they beat the Detroit Lions on Sunday at Lambeau Field, they’re in the bracket. If they lose, they’re out. The Lions are also in the playoff hunt but need to beat the Packers and hope the Seahawks lose to the Rams.
WHAT ARE OTHER GAMES TO WATCH IN WEEK 18?
The New England Patriots travel to face the Bills on Sunday in a game that will be heavily watched for many reasons.
First, there’s the obvious storyline of the Bills playing less than a week after Hamlin’s emotional situation. But there are also significant playoff implications.
The Patriots can punch their ticket to the postseason with an upset win. If they lose, they’ll need help from other teams. The Bills are still in the running for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, depending on what the Chiefs do against the Raiders on Saturday night.
Also of note: The Miami Dolphins — who are likely down to third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson — need a win against the New York Jets (and some help from other teams) to make the playoff bracket. In Philadelphia, the Eagles can earn the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC if they beat the New York Giants.
___
AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | 2023-01-08T06:54:59+00:00 | wtmj.com | https://wtmj.com/sports/2023/01/07/nfl-playoffs-packed-week-18-slate-will-decide-playoff-field-6/ |
PITTSBURGH, Jan. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- "As a referee, coach and proud veteran, I have used a traditional whistle and needed to find an improved way to achieve maximum attention needed and without spreading germs," said an inventor, from Jackson, Miss., "so I invented the REF PUMP WHISTLE. My design offers a safe, sanitary and efficient alternative to using the mouth to blow into a traditional whistle."
The invention provides an improved way for police, fire departments, military, crossing guards or sports officials to sound a whistle. In doing so, it eliminates the need to lower a PPE mask or blow into a traditional whistle. As a result, it enhances safety and convenience by reducing the spread of airborne germs. It also enables the user to emit a high-pitched signal which could assist on patrol, when rescuing victims, during sporting events, and for other attention-getting needs. The invention features a practical design that is easy and more sanitary to use and it does not interfere with hand signals. Additionally, it is ideal for the military, public servants such as police and fire departments, sports officials, etc.
The original design was submitted to the Jackson sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 21-JTK-156, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
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SOURCE InventHelp | 2023-01-03T07:02:57+00:00 | kcrg.com | https://www.kcrg.com/prnewswire/2023/01/02/inventhelp-inventor-develops-innovative-whistle-jtk-156/ |
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Kentucky passed a measure Thursday to ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors, completing whirlwind voting on a repackaged proposal that triggered outrage and tears among opponents unable to stop the sweeping policymaking on a culture wars issue.
Supporters of the proposal — which affects how gender is discussed in schools — beat a Thursday deadline to retain their power to override an expected gubernatorial veto.
GOP supermajorities in the House and Senate overwhelmingly passed the bill, a day after a slimmed-down version had stalled in the Senate and seemingly left the issue in limbo. A cascade of shouting erupted from some bill opponents in the Senate gallery after the measure won final passage.
The bill’s foes denounced the fast-track maneuvering and the expanded measure’s consequences for trans youths. Overcome with emotion, a sobbing Rep. Josie Raymond said children would be harmed. “I’m embarrassed and I’m appalled and I’m scared,” the Democrat said in opposing the bill in committee.
Republicans backing the far-reaching rendition cobbled together a separate bill that hastily cleared a committee and won House passage. It gained Senate passage a short time later, sending the bill to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who portrayed it as government intrusion in family health decisions.
Republican House Speaker Pro Tempore David Meade, in presenting the revived bill in committee, said: “Our job is to protect children, and that’s what we’re doing here.”
“Surgery or drugs that completely alter their life, and alter their body, is not something we should be allowing until they are adults,” Meade said later during the House debate.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky quickly warned that it “stands ready” to challenge the measure in court if it becomes law.
“Legislators cannot erase transgender people from existence, and we will continue to fight for equal rights and equal protection under the law,” said Amber Duke, the organization’s interim executive director.
The new bill designated to carry the sweeping trans-related provisions retained its original language — allowing teachers to refuse to refer to transgender students by their preferred pronouns and requiring schools to notify parents when lessons related to human sexuality are going to be taught.
Multiple layers were added to it — including the proposed ban on gender-affirming medical care for trans youths. It would outlaw gender reassignment surgery for anyone under 18, as well as the use of puberty blockers and hormones, and inpatient and outpatient gender-affirming hospital services. It would not allow schools to discuss sexual orientation or gender identity with students of any age.
The House passed the bill on a 75-22 vote. One after another, opponents stood to denounce the bill while supporters were mostly silent. Democratic Rep. Keturah Herron called the bill “an attack on a very, very, very small population of people.”
The debate was shorter but no less fiery in the Senate, which passed the bill 30-7.
“This is absolute, wilfull, intentional hate. Hate for a small group of people that are the weakest and the most vulnerable among us,” said Democratic Sen. Karen Berg.
The bill’s supporters say they are trying to protect children from undertaking gender-affirming treatments that they might later regret as adults.
“We’re talking about removing healthy body parts that you cannot put back on,” Republican Sen. Lindsey Tichenor said in supporting the bill. “I’ve seen the pictures. It’s horrifying.”
Thursday was the last day Kentucky lawmakers were in session until late March, when they’ll reconvene for the final two days of this year’s session. By beating the Thursday deadline to send the bill to the governor, the GOP supermajorities retained their ability to override a veto.
Beshear, who is seeking reelection this year, said such bills amount to “big government stepping in and imposing its will” on health care decisions that should be left to families.
“I also believe that every child is a child of God — every single one,” the governor said Thursday at his weekly news conference.
The expanded version was in stark contrast to the more limited version that stalled Wednesday in the Senate. That version pared down the restrictions on transgender youth, their families and health care providers.
The issue has spurred emotional debate from bill opponents who call it discriminatory and say it would hurt transgender youth. On Tuesday, a former Kentucky lawmaker said his young grandchild would be among those affected if lawmakers banned access to gender-affirming medical care for those under 18.
“This bill condemns vulnerable children to an even more difficult life than they’ve already been born into,” Jerry Miller, a Republican who formerly served in the House, told lawmakers. “Please don’t let a parent’s right to protect their children be collateral damage in the culture wars.”
Nationally, state lawmakers are approving extensive measures that restrict the rights of LGBTQ people this year, from bills targeting trans athletes and drag performers to ones limiting gender-affirming care. In Mississippi, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves recently signed a bill to ban gender-affirming hormones or surgery in the state for anyone younger than 18. The Republican governors of South Dakota and Utah have signed bans on gender-affirming care this year. | 2023-03-17T12:44:18+00:00 | valleycentral.com | https://www.valleycentral.com/green-living/top-story/ap-top-headlines/kentucky-lawmakers-pass-ban-on-youth-gender-affirming-care/ |
Macklemore caused a little mayhem before his performance in Hershey last Friday.
Pop rapper Macklemore, best known for songs like "Thrift Shop" and "Can't Hold Us," performed as a special guest in a leg of Imagine Dragons' tour.
Before the Hershey show Friday, Macklemore cruised around the parking lot on a scooter, having fun and meeting fans. (He also seems to be a big fan of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, as he holds two large boxes of the classic candy under his arm in the video.)
@macklemore I almost got kicked out of my own show at Hershey Park 😂🛴 #maniac ♬ MANIAC (feat. Windser) - Macklemore
A worker in Hershey Chocolate World stopped Macklemore after he brought the scooter inside. The worker asked him to take it outside, to which Macklemore joked that he got permission from the "head honcho," someone named Todd.
The lighthearted TikTok ends with Macklemore riding his scooter away, saying he left before the shop could call his parents.
Macklemore later joked about the situation on Twitter.
HERSHEY… the resting place of Willy Wonka… and the home to Todd 🛴 Bristow, VA tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/t4QTwdNxFL
— Macklemore (@macklemore) August 13, 2022
LNP|LancasterOnline has contacted Chocolate World for comment. | 2022-08-15T19:16:44+00:00 | lancasteronline.com | https://lancasteronline.com/features/entertainment/macklemore-jokes-he-almost-got-kicked-out-of-hersheys-chocolate-world-in-tiktok-video/article_13302c64-1cbc-11ed-8994-b38d317a16a8.html |
Pete Alonso just might strut into the July 18 Home Run Derby at Dodger Stadium as the MLB leader.
Alonso collected his third multi-home run game of the season and 14th of his career in the Mets’ 5-3 win over the Marlins on Saturday. His second homer of the afternoon — a 433-foot line drive to center field — snapped a tied game in the eighth inning and gave the Amazin’s the lead they would need to bury the Fish. It was the fourth time this season Alonso crushed a home run to break a tied game.
Seth Lugo, fresh off the paternity list after he welcomed his newborn son, retired the side in the eighth with a crucial shutdown inning following Alonso’s tie-breaking blast. Edwin Diaz recorded his second save in as many days, and 16th of the year, before the Mets walked onto the field and fell into their familiar and frequent high-five line to celebrate their eighth win in their last 12 games.
The Mets improved to 47-26 on the season, still boasting the best record in the National League. Only the 1986 (52-21) team posted a better record through the first 73 games of the year.
Alonso entered Saturday hitting just .190 against left-handers this season, but that average improved when the Mets slugger cranked his fifth home run off a southpaw this year. His solo home run off Trevor Rogers put the Mets on the board in the second inning.
The Mets first baseman picked up his 21st and 22nd home runs of the season in the second of a three-game series in Miami. He leads the National League in homers and is tied for second in MLB with Yordan Alvarez and Mike Trout. Aaron Judge leads the league with 27 homers. Alonso leads MLB with 69 RBI, and no one is particularly close to snatching away that first-place ranking. Francisco Lindor also has 56 RBI, fourth-most in MLB, making the Mets the only team in the majors with two players who have recorded 50 or more RBI this season.
The Amazin’s got another quality start in Miami when, for just the third time this season, Chris Bassitt pitched seven or more innings on Saturday. The Mets right-hander worked efficiently, despite some off-and-on traffic on the basepaths, and finished the seventh inning at 90 pitches. His ERA slightly improved to 4.01, after an ugly stretch of starts from May-June that altered the good season he had otherwise started.
Bassitt gave up three earned runs on six hits and collected five strikeouts in the no-decision against the Marlins. All of the run-scoring damage came on a pair of home runs. Jesus Sanchez took Bassitt deep in the fourth inning on a two-run dinger, and Bryan De La Cruz added on with a solo shot in the fifth. Bassitt has given up 13 home runs in 15 starts this season as the long ball continues to be a thorn in his side during his debut year for the Mets.
But, as long as Alonso continues having an All-Star season and the Mets offense keeps putting up runs, the Mets will happily take a start like Bassitt’s on Saturday to help advance their winning ways.
() | 2022-06-26T00:10:08+00:00 | bostonherald.com | https://www.bostonherald.com/2022/06/25/pete-alonso-cranks-third-multi-homer-game-of-season-in-mets-5-3-win-over-marlins/ |
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